Sermon Central
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When Sin Is In The Camp
Contributed by Jimmy Giffin on Mar 14, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: The nation of Israel is stopped on their march into the Promise land. The reason why and the solution are here in this message.
WHEN THERE IS SIN IN THE CAMP
Text: II Corinthians 10:4; Joshua 7
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. (worldly)
They are mighty through God to pull down strongholds.
Whether we want to admit to it or not the Church is involved in a spiritual war.
The enemy we face will do anything to win.
The problem is, many Christians do not fight with the same fervency.
We have become complacent in our walk with God.
The attitude of if it doesn’t directly affect me then I won’t mess with it is rampant in churches across America today.
The enemy has set up strongholds in the Camp.
God has provided weapons to tear them down, but it seems the need to do it isn’t stressed today.
As we look to the book of Joshua, we will see the need to pull down the strongholds of the enemy.
We will look today at the stronghold of sin, and see what happens:
WHEN THERE IS SIN IN THE CAMP
I. The victory at Jericho
A. God had done a marvelous work.
1. The battle.
2. Walls 32 feet high, sun dried brick, inner wall 11-12 ft. thick
outer wall 6 ft. thick. 12-27 ft between, walls tied together
at various intervals.
3. The victory. Josh 6: 20-27
B. The Lord was with Joshua.
1. Affirmation of Josh. 1
2. God’s promise was there.
C. The defeat of Ai. (36 men killed.)
II. The sin of Israel.
A. The whole nation identified as committing the sin. 7:1
B. Achan had taken something that was devoted to God.
1. The silver 200 shekels, the wedge of gold 50 shekels,
The Babylonian garment ( woven gold; priceless)
2. I coveted them and I took them and I hid them.
3. Sin goes from the eye, to the heart, to the hand.
C. It wasn’t just stealing the stuff.
1. He took what was devoted to God.
a. The things that were God’s.
b. The devoted things.
Zondervan’s Pictorial Dictionary Of Bible Words:
Devoted thing That which is set apart unto the Lord and therefore no longer belongs to the former owner nor may it be used as a sacrifice.
2. Saul and the Amalekites. I Sam 15
Told to destroy all, but spared the best of livestock and
Agag.
3. He took what was God’s and put it with his stuff like it was
his own.
3. What things that are God’s have we put with our stuff?
a. tithes
b. praise
c. self
III. The penalty.
A. The whole nation suffered a defeat.
B. When sin was uncovered.
1. Achan and whole family stoned.
2. All possessions and bodies burned. In the valley of Achor
(trouble)
A. Achor will become a place of rest Is. 65:10
B. and a place of hope. Hosea 2:15
C. Very severe penalty. Family and all.
1. We need to stop playing patty- cake with sin. (Nation)
2. Sin must be dealt with harshly.
3. God is not tolerant of sin.
A. Family name wasn’t enough to save them.
B. Sign over the door isn’t enough.
IV. The saddest thing about this story.
A. Israel didn’t even realize that God was not with them.
1. The same thing happened with Samson.
2. The same thing has happened in the churches.
B. His presence was gone. They had left Him.
C. Even after the great victory.
Conclusion: Sin in the camp had stopped them cold.
It had to be dealt with. They would not go any further until it was.
One man stopped the whole progress of conquering the promise land.
Can one person’s sin stop the progress of a congregation?
We have only to look at this story and answer YES.
We can no longer play with sin. It has to be done away with.
It will cause trouble. But afterwards rest and hope can set in.
