LOOSING A GUARANTEED VICTORY?
DEFEATED BEFORE THE FIGHT?
WHY CAN’T WE DO IT?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TO FINISH THIS IN ONE PART, YOU MUST MOVE QUICKLY.
TEXT:
Joshua 7:13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
GUARANTEE:
An assurance for the fulfillment of a condition.
An agreement by which one person in possession undertakes to secure another’s possession.
An assurance of the quality of or the length of use to be expected.
A promise of care, performance.
To undertake for a debt.
To give security to.
To assert confidently.
Certification of quality and performance.
I. GOD BROUGHT HIMSELF IN A VOLUNTARY BINDING AGREEMENT TO HELP AND DEFEND HIS PEOPLE.
A. God knew there was fear and self doubt in the camp and the leadership.
Joshua had to follow Moses, wow what a big job to do?
B. God made a declaration of promise to grant authority and support His people with VICTORY!
C. GOD’S GUARANTEE WAS CONDITIONAL TO JOSHUA AND THE PEOPLE.
Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an
inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
D. CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS?
2 Chron. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
II. THEY HAD A GUARANTEE OF THE VICTORY, AND STILL LOST?
A. 36 NEEDLESS DEATHS? FEAR GROWS AND THE HEARTS MELT!
Joshua 7:5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the
going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
B. JOSHUA GETS ANGRY AT GOD. SEEMINGLY GOD BROKE HIS PROMISE? THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY ALWAYS APPEAR TO BE?
WE TEND TO BLAME GOD AND THE DEVIL FOR THINGS THAT WE DO?
Joshua 7:7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
C. SIN AND ANGER ARE OFTEN KISSING COUISINS!
D. A SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE GOES WITH THE BLAME GAME?
WHY DIDN’T WE JUST ACCEPT THE OTHER SIDE OF JORDAN?
E. THESE ATTITUDES WILL HINDER THE CORRECTION AND RIGHT ATTITUDES.
F. ACHAN THOUGHT HE HAD GOT AWAY WITH SIN?
III. THERE IS A TIME TO GET OVER YOUR ANGER, AND GET UP, CORRECT THE SIN!
Joshua 7:10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen,
and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
A. GOD WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE!
B. TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES!
C. AT LEAST 12 TIMES IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS: TAKE HEED OF YOURSELVES.
Deut. 4:23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of
any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee.
Deut. 11:16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Joshua 23:11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.
IV. OFTEN TIMES WE HAVE A GREAT VICTORY, THEN BANG --- WE ARE LAYING FLAT ON OUR BACKS, SAYING WHAT HAPPENED?
A. WE HAVE EGO AND SELFCENTEREDNESS HIDING BURIED IN OUR TENTS?
B. EVERY PERSON IS MADE OF THREE COMPONENTS OF THE MIND.
1. ID:
Instinctual needs and drives.
2. EGO:
I, Self, high self esteem.
3. SUPEREGO:
Rule of the group, rewards, punishments.
Sense of guilt and conscience.
C. Achan focused on I, me, mine...
Joshua 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed (I) have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have (I) done:
21 When (I) saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then (I) coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of (my) tent, and the silver under it.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
D. ACHAN DID YOU FORGET ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES?
E. NOT ONLY DOES ACHAN PAY? 36 OTHER FAMILIES PAY?
F. AI GAINED CONFIDENCE, GOD’S CAMP MELTED?
V. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JERICHO AND AI?
A. GOD’S MAN SOUGHT GOD’S FACE AND HAD GOD’S PLAN FOR JERICHO?
B. Joshua sought God, and Joshua clearly listened.
C. Jericho was not a battle plan of experienced warriors, BUT A PLAN OF GOD.
D. Jericho’s battle plan was clear and not from man..
Joshua 6:18 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.
E. JOSHUA HEARD A PLAN FROM GOD THAT WAS NOT LOGICAL!
F. For 6 days march around the walls of Jericho.
G. Have the people get behind the ARK OF THE COVENANT.
H. THE PEOPLE MUST KEEP SILENT, NOT ONE WORD SHALL PASS OVER THEIR LIPS? PONDER WHY?
Maybe the people would have talked theological debates? Gossip? Doubt? Undermine authority?
I. SOUND THE TRUMPETS, AND THEN SHOUT.
NOTE THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH TODAY WILL SHOUT AFTER THE VICTORY. GOD DEMANDED THE PEOPLE SHOUT BEFORE THE VICTORY.
As they started shouting the walls were still standing, as were the people standing on the walls mocking them.
MAN SEEMS TO BE VULNERABLE AFTER GREAT VICTORIES?
AFTER THE GREAT VICTORY OF JERICHO, SELF ASSURANCE AND
SELF CONFIDENCE GREW, WE DON’T NEED GOD?
Joshua 6:27 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
NOTICE WHOSE FAME SPREAD? GOD’S? JOSHUA’S?
Sometimes applause and popularity create negative solutions?
PAUL WARNED US IN
PHILIPIANS 3:3 --- HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH ---
VI. WHAT KIND OF PLAN DID JOSHUA HAVE FOR AI? WAS IT FROM GOD?
A. A COMMITTEE PLAN... A GROUP OF EXPERTS MOVING IN THEIR OPINIONS!
WE NEED THE COUNSEL OF GOD ON OUR SIDE.
Joshua 7:2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
VII. BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD GOD’S WORD AND GOD’S PLAN,
JOSHUA DID NOT REALIZE THAT SIN AND DISOBEDIENCE WAS IN THE CAMP?
GOD’S PLAN WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEMS, BEFORE THE PROBLEMS CORRECT US!
A. With the plan of men, they missed an important point ---
B. Before man made his plans --- god knew there was sin and disobedience in the camp.
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
VIII. WHY WILL GOD’S PEOPLE LOOSE GUARANTEED VICTORYS?
1. AFTER HUGE VICTORIES AND SUCCESSES GOD’S PEOPLE BECOME VULNERABLE.
We cannot fight our battles in the fleshly realms.
2. WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE NEGLECT GOD’S WORD BOTH WRITTEN AND SPOKEN, WE HEAD TOWARD DEFEAT AT A FAST, FAST PACE.
3. WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE DO NOT PRACTICE SELF-EVALUATION AND DO NOT HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND DO NOT PRACTICE SELF DISCIPLINE AND SELF CORRECTION WE ARE DOOMED.
a. I am sure Achan’s conscience bothered him.
b. I AM SURE THAT WHEN 36 MEN OF GOD DIED IN THE BATTLE, ACHAN SHOULD HAVE REPENTED.
c. TRIBE OF JUDAH STEP OUT...
FAMILY OF ZARHITES STEP OUT...
ZABDI STEP OUT ...
CARMI STEP OUT ...
ACHAN --- YOU ARE THE MAN!
Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
4. WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE SEEK THE ADVICE OF SPIES AND EXPERTS BEFORE THE WORD OF GOD, VICTORY WILL ALWAYS ELUDE US. WE GROW NOT THE CHURCH BY MAN’S PLANS.
5. WE MUST LEARN TO WAIT ON GOD, AND NOT STEP OUT ON OUR OWN. JOSHUA NEVER TOUCHED THE ACCUSED, BUT HIS LEADERSHIP HAD A HAND IN THE THE 36 DEATHS OF INNOCENT MEN. GOD WOULD HAVE REVEALED THE SIN OF ACHAN IF JOSHUA WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.
6. THERE ARE MANY MORE BATTLES TO FACE.
WHILE WE BEING UNDER GRACE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE JUDGMENT OF THE LAW, THERE HAD TO BE SET AN EXAMPLE THAT IF YOU PLAN ON DOING GOD’S WORK YOU MUST WALK IN HIS WORD.
THERE HAD TO BE A CONSEQUENCE AND PENALTY ELSE THERE WOULD BE MORE DEFEATS.
7. YOUR CHOICES CAN AFFECT MANY OTHER PEOPLE?
36 ORPANED FAMILIES?
8. ACHAN LOST SIGHT OF THE BIGGER PICTURE.
ACHAN FOCUSED ON THE TRIVIAL PURSUIT OF MATERIALISM.
Joshua 7:25 And Joshua said(To Achan), Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
IX. WE SERVE A GOD OF THE SECOND CHANCE!
WE FAILED BUT WE ARE NOT FAILURES.
Joshua 8:1 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:
X. WHY COULDN’T WE DO THIS?
SOME VICTORIES CAN COST MORE THAN OTHERS.
Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
A. ARE YOU LOOSING YOUR BATTLE?
B. EVALUATE WHY?
C. GET UP!
D. GIT R DONE!
E. MAKE THE CORRECTIONS, REPENT, AND GET GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Will you invest in my ministry? Will you help me? Will you share my work
another?
