Things Aren't Always As They Seem Series

Introduction:

1. The movie clip you just saw is from the life of Frank Abigale Jr. is based on the true story of his life as told in the movie, "Catch Me If You Can." Did you notice that he successfully pretended to be an airline pilot, doctor and lawyer. Before he was caught he cashed over $4 million of bad checks and he did all this before his 19th birthday. When it came to dealing with Frank Abigale Jr., things weren’t always as they seemed to be.

2. Frank Abigale Jr. isn’t the only person who has even made things seem different than they really are. He lived the good life for a few years, but of course it didn’t last, things done the wrong way never do.

3. Let me share one other story, this one was told by pastor-author Charles Swindol in his book, Strike the Original Match. Maybe you heard about the guy who fell in love with an opera singer. He didn’t really know her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars from the third balcony. But he just knew he could live "happily ever after" married to a voice like that. He scarcely noticed she was considerably older than he was. Nor did he care that she walked with a limp. Her believed beautiful soprano voice would take them through whatever might come. After a whirlwind romance and a hurry– up ceremony, they were off for their honeymoon. She began to prepare for their first night together. As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest. She plucked out her glass eye and plopped it in a container on the night stand. She pulled off her wig, ripped off her false eyelashes, yanked out her dentures, unstrapped her artificial leg, and smiled at him as she slipped off her glasses that hid her hearing aid. Stunned and horrified, he gasped, "For goodness sake, woman, sing, sing, SING!" 8

4. There is nothing like being deceived in the things that matter the most to us. I have been caught not looking a few times, or not asking enough of the right questions. I have made poor decisions because individuals I trusted weren’t fully honest with me. You have been there, too haven’t you. Tragically, some of the times when I’ve been most deceived, I’m the one who has done the deceiving. Yes, I have been less than honest with myself, & I say again, you’ve been there too haven’t you? That’s exactly what I thought.

5. This sixth sermon in our series on Joshua contains a story that even many who regularly study the Bible don’t know is here. In spite of the fact that it’s not very well known, it’s a story that I know will capture your attention because it’s full of the twists and turns of a great story. But there’s more, it’s a story that can teach us how to deal with the bad things of life. That makes sense for all of us doesn’t it? Let’s read this morning’s scripture passage.

Cell #1—

1 Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it,

2 that they gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.

3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

4 they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended,

5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled.

6 They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."

7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you are living within our land; how then shall we make a covenant with you?"

8 But they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Then Joshua said to them, "Who are you and where do you come from?"

9 They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,

10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.