The Three Dangers Of Sin

This morning I am going to be preaching from one of the most troubling passages of scripture in all of God’s Word. It happens to be one of my least favorite passages. I want to invite you to take God’s Word and turn with me to the book of Joshua chapter 7. This really is one of my least favorite passages in the entire Bible. It’s a very disturbing passage; it’s a violent passage of scripture. And if it were turned into a movie, it would have to be rated R because of the blood and the gore and the violence it depicts.

It’s a disturbing passage because in this passage we are reminded of how much our God hates sin. Please, make no mistake about it, God loves you! He loves you with more love than I could ever describe. He loves you with more love than you could ever imagine. But as much as He loves you and me, He hates the sin in our lives.

He hates the sin in our lives because He knows what that sin does to us. He hates the sin in our lives most because it offends His holiness and His righteousness.

And so today, we are going to look at a passage of scripture that describes the terrible danger of sin. I invite you to look with in Joshua 7 and we’ll begin reading in verse 1.

“But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.” Joshua 7:1

Now if you’ll look with me in verse 24 the Bible says, “Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day. So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.” Joshua 7:2426

Do you see the picture that God’s Word is drawing here?

As Achan, his sons and daughters and all that he possessed is marched outside of the camp of Israel and into the Valley of Achor. There in the Valley of Achor the Israelites began to pick up not rocks—-not gravel---

not pebbles but stones. Stones large enough that a man would have to use two hands in order to throw them. And one by one the stones began to fly toward Achan and his family.

The blood began to flow as one stone would hit a family member in the head and then hit Achan in his shoulders—and ribs began to break and legs began to buckle until they were lying there a lifeless mass under those stones. And then after that the Word of God says they burned them with fire. They burned them until there was nothing left except bones and ashes. And then on top of those bones and ashes they heaped up stones until there was nothing visible except the stones themselves.

And to think that this gruesome scene was not only allowed by God but indeed commanded by God. It’s disturbing because it reminds us of how much our God hates sin.

This morning if I were to tell you that I have fallen into sin most of you would think that I’ve been involved in some adulterous relationship. But listen, if I tell a lie I have fallen into sin. If I loose my temper with my son or my wife I’ve fallen into sin. And if you fail to take a stand for Christ you’ve sinned.

And our God who loves you with all of His heart hates the sin in your life. And my friend that is why sin is so dangerous!

1. Sin is more dangerous than a rattlesnake at a Sunday School picnic.

2. Sin is more dangerous than poison ivy in a bride’s bouquet.

3. Sin is more dangerous than a terrorist in an airliner cockpit.

4. Sin is more dangerous than an anthrax letter in a post office box.

Friend, It’s dangerous and there’s a cost that will be paid for our sins. I want you to notice with me 3 Dangers of Sin as we look at the story of Achan and how he lost his family, his possessions and even his life as a result of his sin.