Sin In The Camp

TITLE: SIN IN THE CAMP 6/23/02

TEXT: JOSHUA 7:1 - 13

INTRO:

THERE IS NOTHING SO DAMAGING, NOTHING SO HURTFUL AS WHEN A PERSON (ESPECIALLY A CHRISTIAN) IS LIVING IN SIN. TONIGHT WE ARE GOING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL AS THE RESULT OF ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE TO THE LORD.

MOSES HAS NOW DIED AND JOSHUA HAS TAKEN OVER. AND IT IS HIS TASK NOW TO LEAD THE NATION OF ISRAEL OVER JORDAN INTO THE LAND OF CAANAN

CAANAN LAND AS YOU KNOW IS A PICTURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND ALL THE BATTLES WE WILL FACE AS SOON AS WE ENTER IN. AND AS SOON THEY CAME INTO CANAAN LAND, THEY WERE INSTANTLY FACED WITH 3 BATTLES AND THESE SAME 3 BATTLES THEY FACED ARE THE SAME ONES WE FIGHT TODAY. NOTICE THESE BATTLES, FIRST OF ALL THEY FOUGHT THE -

1. BATTLE OF JERICHO CHAPTER 6

JERICHO AS YOU KNOW IS A PICTURE OF THE WORLD. AND GOD TOLD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THEY WERE NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF JERICHO AS THEY WENT IN TO FIGHT – BUT THEY WOULDN’T LISTEN TO GOD AND THEY SINNED IN TAKING THE ACCURSED THING.

2. BATTLE OF AI CHAPTER 7

AI IS A PICTURE OF THE FLESH. AS YOU STUDY CHAPTER 7 YOU WILL FIND THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL – UNDER ESTIMATED THEIR ENEMY!

THEY TOLD JOSHUA, “LETS ONLY SEND A SMALL BAND OF 3000 AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF AI, THEY ARE SMALL AND CAN EASILY BE DESTROYED.” BUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE THE ONES WHO GOT DEFEATED AND 36 PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT OF OVERCONFIDENCE IN THEIR OWN POWER AND STRENGTH.

THE LESSON YOU AND I CAN LEARN IS THIS: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE FLESH AND NEVER OVERESTIMATE OUR OWN PERSONAL STRENGTH.

THE INSTANT YOU AND I THINK WE ARE STRONG ENOUGH AND HAVE CONTROL OVER THE FLESH – THAT’S WHEN WE ARE HEADED FOR A FALL.

PROVERBS 16:18

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall!

3. BATTLE AGAINST THE GIBEONITES CHAPTER 9

THIS BATTLE HOWEVER WAS NOT A BATTLE OF FLESH AND BLOOD, THIS WAS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE OF DECEPTION. YOU SEE GOD HAD TOLD JOSHUA TO WIPE OUT ALL THE INHABITANTS IN THE LAND – NOT BECAUSE GOD WASN’T A MERC-IFUL GOD. GOD SIMPLY KNEW THAT THE PEOPLE IN THAT LAND WERE PAGAN-ISTIC AND WOULD SOON HAVE THE WHOLE NATION OF ISRAEL WORSHIPPING THE SAME FALSE gods THEY DID. AND THE GIBEONITES CAME AND DELT IN A CRAFTY MANNER WITH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND MADE A LEAGUE WITH THEM – CAUSING ISRAEL TO SIN.

EPHESIANS 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN – WHEN YOU GET SAVED THAT’S WHEN THE BATTLE BEGINS – THAT OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO WALK AS CLOSE AS WE CAN TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – FOR THE MOMENT YOU STRAY AWAY FROM CHRIST – THE DEVIL WILL BE SOMEWHERE LURKING IN THE SHADOWS READY TO ATTACK.

NOW AS WE COME TO CHAPTER 7, WE FIND THAT ISRAEL HAS –

· JUST GOT WHIPPED BY THE PEOPLE OF AI

· JOSHUA AND ALL THE PEOPLE ARE DISCOURAGED

· WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD GOD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?

· 36 MEN HAVE BEEN KILLED FOR NOTHING.

· JOSHUA AND ALL THE PEOPLE FALL ON THEIR FACES IN PRAYER SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS.

· SO GOD EXPLAINS TO THEM WHY THEY LOST THE BATTLE IN V.13 GOD SAYS -

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.

IN OTHER WORDS – THERE IS SIN IN THE CAMP!

ILL. THERE WAS ONE MAN IN ALL THE CAMP OF ISRAEL BY THE NAME OF ACHAN WHO STOLE 200 SHEKELS OF SILVER, A WEDGE OF GOLD AND A BABYLONISH GARMENT OUT OF THE CITY OF JERICHO. AND AS A RESULT THE WHOLE NATION OF ISRAEL SUFFERED DEFEAT AND HE AND HIS FAMILY LOST THEIR LIVES.

QUOTE: ONE BAD APPLE SPOILS THE WHOLE BUNCH!

AND I WANT US TO REALIZE THAT IF THERE IS ONE INDIVIDUAL IN THIS CHURCH TONIGHT WHO IS LIVING IN SIN – ALL THE REST OF THE CHURCH WILL SUFFER AS A RESULT!

SO TONIGHT, I WANT US TO FOCUS IN ON V.13 AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE AS A CHURCH ALLOW SIN TO REIGN IN OUR LIVES.

ILL. NOW LISTEN, WE HAVE ALL BEEN PRAYING FOR SOME GREAT THINGS TO HAPPEN IN OUR CHURCH. WE HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR –