Holiness

Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
0 ratings
· 4 views
Notes
Transcript
State:
God was bringing the isrealites into the promised land but there were large fortified cities that needed to be conquered in order to do so.
Metaphor
There is still more promised land to be taken in your life
Fixed relationships- surrendered addictions- spiritual growth and freedon
These things will always require a fight against our human desires and the enemy
State:
God was giving instructions about conquering Jericho
They were to circle around the city once for 7 days (In silence-creepy)
On 7th day, they go around the city 7 times and then.....
the number 7 is identified with something being “finished” or “complete.”
Joshua 6:16–19 NLT
16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! 17 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. 18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. 19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
State:
Off they go into battle.
Joshua 6:20 NLT
20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.
IMAGE OF JERICHO WALLS.
VIDEO OF JERICHO
State:
But something happened that was not supposed to happen.
Joshua 7:1 NLT
1 But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
State:
The attack on the city of Ai.
Joshua 7:3–5 NLT
3 When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.” 4 So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai 5 chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.
Joshua lies on his face all day until evening…(sometimes hearing God’s voice takes time)
Then God said this:
Joshua 7:10–12 NLT
10 But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? 11 Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. 12 That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
They do a search and find Achan
Joshua 7:20–25 NLT
20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.” 22 So Joshua sent some men to make a search. They ran to the tent and found the stolen goods hidden there, just as Achan had said, with the silver buried beneath the rest. 23 They took the things from the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites. Then they laid them on the ground in the presence of the Lord. 24 Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor. 25 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.
State:
We are given a graphic picture of how God feels about sin
God does not change
You know why God hates this this behavior so much....?
Let’s go back to the garden of eden.
Genesis 3:6 NLT
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
State:
The disobedience that caused sin to break God’s relationship with man was being done again as he was establishing the Mosaic covenant with his people.
Willful disobedience…doing what we know is wrong…creates seperation between us and God
God still hates sin now as much as he did in Joshua’s day
Achan stole and coveted and lied (by not surrendering before he was brought to light by God)
If that is how God feels about lying and stealing.....What does God feel about
Galatians 5:19–21 (NLT)
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:
sexual immorality…sexual acts that are morally objectionable (sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman), impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry (anything that controls or influences us more than God does), sorcery (Mediums-tarot cards-horoscopes), hostility (a state of deep seated ill will), quarreling, jealousy(greedy longing for something that belongs to another, even a skill or ability), outbursts of anger, selfish ambition (a strong drive for personal success without moral considerations), dissension (discord that splits a group), division,
State:
Are any of these things in the life of the church?
Let’s keep reading what Paul says about disobedience in the church
Galatians 5:21 NLT
21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
John Calvin’s thoughts
Galatians ((3) The Works of the Flesh (5:19–21))
For who is there who does not labor under one or other of these sins? I reply: Paul does not threaten that there shall be excluded from the Kingdom of God all who have sinned, but all who remain impenitent (not feeling shame or regret about one's actions or attitudes). The saints themselves are heavily burdened, but they return to the way. Because they do not surrender, they are not included in this catalog. All the threatenings of God’s judgments call us to repentance, for which pardon is always ready with God; but if we continue obstinate, they will be a testimony against us.
God is still as serious about sin as in Joshua’s day....how do we know that!
The cross!
1 Peter 2:24 NLT
24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
Romans 6:23 NLT
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Isaiah 53:4–6 NLT
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
“As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ez 33:11).
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more