The subject that I chose to talk about t is something that NONE of us as church members is immune to. Every one of us is subject to this, and God wants us to recognize it and follow the examples that He has laid out for us in the Bible. What I’m talking about is the accursed thing as we will study about in just a few moments. The Bible makes it plain as day that each and everyone of us are sinners, and we can’t do anything about it. The Bible tells us Romans 3:23 “For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The Bible also tells us that because of our sinful nature, they cannot go unpunished. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But we do know that there is hope for us sinners, that if we put all of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, confess our sins, believe that he died for our sins, was buried, rose again the 3rd day we can be saved. 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore we understand that being a child of God, and having scriptural baptism through a one of the Lords New Test. Churches is what makes a person eligible to become a member of a local, visible body called a Church. One that is covenanted together, with saved believers with scriptural baptism, to carry out the Great Commission that Jesus left for His Churches to carry out in Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Here is the problem as I see it. As a church member that wants to carry out the Great Commission that Jesus as CHARGED His N.T. Church to do, were all still sinners. As a member of a N.T. Church its only natural to want to do as much for the cause of Christ as we possibly can, and that is reach the unchurched throughout our community and throughout the world, in other words…Reach the lost, lead them to the Lord by either our testimonies, or telling them about Jesus and what He did for you and them. Discipling them, or teaching them to observe all things that God would want in their life and also by becoming involved in one of the Lords New Test Churches as a church member.
Now that would make us all a team as I see it. There is a saying that is said in the Army…Your only as strong as your weakest soldier. I believe that is true in one of the Lords Churches. And that is why is stated earlier that NONE of us is immune to this accursed thing. All of us are sinners, and when a person sins it effects everyone around them. I’ve also heard it put like this. You either win as a team or you lose as a team. When a person sins…God knows all about it, even when no one else does. And like the illustration of winning as a team or losing as a team, when a person has not examined himself and come clean with the Lord, the entire team suffers. An O.T. example of this is Joshua Chapter 7 our text. Here is the story of Achan; it’s fitting of what the meaning of Achan is. Achan means trouble or troublesome. Because of Achan sin, not only did he suffer but also all of Israel suffered, he troubled the congregation if you will of Israel, with a troublesome heart. So what is God’s remedy for an Achan heart? For us to examine ourselves and then come clean with any sin that we may have not confessed to the Lord. We cannot fool God he knows everything. The fall of Jericho precedes this chapter, God told the children of Israel to totally destroy the city and all of the gold silver and vessels of brass and iron are to be consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. They were also told to keep them selves from the accursed thing V 18-19 chapter 6. And ye, in any wise keep [yourselves] from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. Showing the first fruits of all things are to be given unto the Lord. He also told the children of Israel to keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, if you take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But Achan didn’t listen. The out come of all of this is a little leaven, leavens the whole lump.
What I would like to do tonight is to consider some of the things the Lord would want us as team members to consider to keep us on the winning side, observe: 1st how even though Achan did the crime, Israel was to be blamed. 2nd how the Lord tells Israel to sanctify themselves, because the accursed thing is amongst them and until you get this thing straight, I can NOT be with you, and your enemy is going to get the upper hand on you. 3rd how that through repentance as a body that fellowships was restored with full fellowship with God, and He was again with them.
I. Let us 1st observe that even though Achan did the crime, Israel was to be blamed. V1
A. A. The children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing.
B. Even though Israel was unaware of it. Joshua and the children of Israel had just seen the Lord at His finest. They had won a major victory in the fall of Jericho. The Lord was with Israel because they were doing exactly what the Lord wanted them to do…Put all of their faith and trust in Him, and He was their God.
1. Joshua was so caught up in the moment and so sure of the Lord would keep brining victory, he sent out more men to fight for another city. But one thing that I want us to notice, nobody was praying for the Lords counsel in all of this for the fight of Ai.
2. Joshua didn’t seek the Lords counsel and lost 36 men in this battle. V 2-6 The people of God are confidence, perhaps self-confident about their success. They don’t spent the time like they did before consecrating themselves for battle. They don’t realize yet that secret sins can often creep in unaware.
In a recent survey in Discipleship Journal Magazine, readers reported that their greatest spiritual challenges came from
1. Materialism
2. Pride
3. Self-centeredness
4. Laziness
5. Anger/Bitterness (Tie)
6. Sexual Lust (Tie)
7. Envy
8. Gluttony
9. Lying
Survey respondents noted that temptations seemed more potent when they neglected their time with God and when tired physically. We are also vulnerable during these time. We can become self-confident, instead of God confident. We should be aware that we are also vulnerable to overconfidence when we experience a spiritual victory.
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction-or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ships presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.
3. Joshua fell to his face and cried to the Lord, trying to figure out what was going on.
C. The Lord told him to get up and I’m going to tell you what is going on.
1. The Lord tells him that someone took the accursed thing from Jericho and for that you broke my covenant and the enemy had the upper hand on you. V12.
2. God sees their secret sins. vs.11 To most of the Israelites the cause of their failure was a complete mystery. But, I have a hard time believing that in the middle of war someone didn’t see Achan run off with bars of gold, silver and a beautiful robe. The family kept it quiet for him and suffered for it also.
Psalm 66:18 tells us that if we cherish sin in our hearts that God won’t listen to our voices, our prayers. That’s how seriously God takes sin. Maybe nobody else saw what Achan did, but God saw it. Psalm 139:3-4 says that “You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”
The people were unaware of the sin, but God wasn’t and God’s didn’t say it was okay, or that it was a small sin or take it lightly.
Red Devil Tool Company of Union, N.J. has as their slogan, “It’s easy with the devil.” Of course, they are boasting that their tools transform difficult tasks into simple ones.
Those knowing God’s word understand the desire and ambition of Satan, how he seeks to destroy mankind. He makes sin appear to be attractive. He shows how pleasant sin and immoral conduct can be. Of course, Satan never shows the tragic end of sin.
One need not look long before seeing the results of the power of sin in the lives of people: premature deaths, broken and dysfunctional homes, plus the loneliness and the heartache sin brings. The bible does say there is a pleasure in sin, but such pleasure is only momentary. The end result is not only pain, but separation from God on earth, then in eternity. Spending eternity in hell is the result of continuing in sin.
Life isn’t easy with the devil- it’s the most difficult of all lives.
3. The devil also would love to keep everyone away from Gods love, from His mercy and His grace. But what a better opportunity for the devil than for him to try to keep Gods people, members of one of the Lords Churches from doing the will of the Lord. The devil would love to break apart a Church, break fellowship, and if this is happening, then a team is losing in the cause of Christ to carry out Great Commission work.
II. Next let us observe how the Lord tells Israel to sanctify themselves, because the accursed thing is amongst them and until you get this thing straight, I can NOT be with you, and your enemy is going to get the upper hand on you. V13
A. God desires for us to confess and repent of sin. v.14-15 God gives Joshua a elaborate way of discovering who the guilty party is. Achan has to realize he has been discovered; yet he still doesn’t come forward voluntarily. He really can’t even enjoy his robe or gold, to do so would be to be discovered. But, he’s silent when he should be confessing sin.
Notice how seriously God takes this- vs.12 “I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”
B. God is willing to completely let go of these people to the consequences of their own actions if they won’t repent.
C. God desires a blameless witness for his children. God repeatedly tells the people to be holy for He is holy. He desires for his children to reflect who He is to a lost and dying world. We do that both through words and actions. Our actions especially often speak even louder than our words.
1. Let me ask you this… What is your heart like? Is your heart reflecting the heart of God, by living Holy for God is Holy? Or is it an Achan heart?
2. Do you think that this same thing applies to the Lords people? vs13 again. The Lord could not and would not be with Israel because there was an accursed thing in the midst of them. Notice what the Lord did not say: He did not say that Achan stole from me, did what he was commanded not to do. No, God said that there is an accursed thing amongst you O Israel.
D. So what is the message in this? God is telling us that we are both winning as a team, because we are seeking his counsel, and carrying out his work, for the honor and the glory not for ourselves but for the Lord. OR we are failing as a team! The lesson is that when someone sins against the Lord as a body of Christ, it effects the entire congregation. The Lord may be doing great things but a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Bring that accursed thing if you have sinned against God, and get it settled. It not only effects that persons church family but it also effects that persons immediate family.
E. All of the children of Israel examined themselves. By the instruction of God.
F. Achan confesses to Joshua that it was he who took the accursed thing. V20.
G. When the sin was confessed it was brought before the Lord. V 23
H. His sin could not go unpunished. His sin affected the entire nation of Israel and his immediate family.
Achon, his treasures, his daughters, oxen, donkeys, sheep and his tent was all stoned to death and then burned v24-26
III. Observe next how that through repentance as a body that fellowships was restored with full fellowship with God, and He was again with them. Josh 8:1-2
A. There is a wonderful lesson in this for all of us to learn. When the Lord receives what is rightfully his, the first fruits, He is always faithful and just to bless us. If Achan had only been a little bit more patient and waited a little longer, he could have had the blessings and the reward from Ai, not just the few things that he stole from the Lord, but much more.
B. There are 6 things that we can do to get back on track with God, 6 ways that our fellowship with God, and have Him be the light of our pathway.
1. Trust God again. Are you letting God be the center of your life? Or are you trying to be in control? God wont have any part of a heart that is sinful and wont let Him be the center of it, He just cannot bless that.
2. Get busy serving Him again.
3. Revisit yesterday’s victories. Have we forgotten the things that the Lord has blessed us with in our past? The bible tells us that the Lord is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. If we have not gained victory, it may be because of an accursed thing in our lives.
4. Resolve not to make the same mistakes again.
5. Let God lead you again…..Enough said
6. Participate in the battle again. Listen we all get tired, but when that happens, that leaves a whole open big enough to let the devil come in and mess things up.
C. Is your heart an Achan heart? Is there an accursed thing in your life? You know the all week I have been reading this passage over and over again. Why? Because I’m sure that this message is for me!
D. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
1. Lets remember that in regards to the Lords Great Commission: Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
2. Jesus said that lo I am with you always.
3. Let’s not be like Achon, and hinder the work of the Lord. We all sin, the bible tells us. But we can approach the throne of grace any time we want to, and ask for forgiveness. The bible tells us that He is faithful and just to forgive, if we really are truly sorry. Heb 8:12 for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
This applies to the lost as well. Lost person is your heart and Achon heart? A heart of trouble? God so desires that you not live, such a life of trouble, but if we do, its nobody’s fault but our own. God wants to be the center of your life, but He cannot. Not until you get rid of that accursed thing in your life. And that accursed thing is called sin. Well how do I do that? My repenting or confessing your sins to the Father in heaven who loves you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross on cavalry for you and for me. Believing that He did this for you and for me. And accepting Jesus your heart as your King, Master, Friend that will stick closer to you than a brother, and most of all Savior. Don’t live mistakes of Achan, and reaping the ultimate consequences, death.
