Don’t Trust in Stuff!
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 13 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Series: Crossing Over to Victory: Claiming Our Inheritance in Christ
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.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
Ai - Bible is advanced, it wrote about AI :) - Battle of AI
Talk about the victory… You can be defeated.
Without God’s help. God withdrew His protection and blessing. WE ARE VULNERABLE.
Introduction:
Background:** Briefly recap the victory at Jericho in Joshua 6 and introduce the failure at Ai in Joshua 7, emphasizing how misplaced trust led to defeat.
Key Verse: Joshua 7:11 – “Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.”
Transition: Highlight the tension between relying on God versus trusting in material things.
Lessons from Joshua 7:
1. Misplaced Trust Sets You Back.
2. The Consequences of Misplaced Trust are not Isolated.
3. True Repentance Refocuses our Trust to God.
1. Misplaced Trust Sets You Back.
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.
There was sin in the camp! Talk of what Achan did.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
They were just coming out of a major victory in Jericho. they were on their way!
Over confidence, the scouts, reverse of the 12 spies
Our confidence should be in the Lord:
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
The covetousness of Achan.
Illustration: Share a story about someone prioritizing wealth over integrity (e.g., a businessperson who compromises ethics for profit). Connect it to Achan’s misplaced priorities.
Application: Warn against allowing the allure of material wealth to take precedence over our commitment to God. Encourage self-examination of areas where materialism may be creeping in.
AFTER JERICHO, THE ISRAELITES WERE ALREADY ADVANCING BUT SIN SET THEM BACK.
2. The Consequences of Misplaced Trust are not Isolated.
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
Exposition: Israel’s defeat at Ai stemmed from their assumption of victory without consulting God, compounded by Achan’s sin. Misplaced trust in their own strength and material possessions led to disaster.
Use the story of the Titanic, a ship deemed "unsinkable," to show how overconfidence can lead to ruin.
Question: Why did God allow others to suffer for the sin of one man.
New Testament application: Can be personal. A small hidden sin in your life can affect the rest of your Christian journey. Were you ever surprised by a sudden turn of events that you did not expect? Unaddressed sin.
There can also be implications of unaddressed sin within the church that can affect the whole body. The whole nation was declared guilty. Just like the Corinthian church
6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
Meaning of corruption - it corrupts!
Application: Challenge the congregation to reflect on the consequences of trusting in earthly resources or abilities rather than God.
3. Repentance Refocuses our Trust to God.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
I mentioned before that I consider Joshua to be one of the greatest characters in the Bible. Underrated. Because there is no fault found in him at all.
But this can be the instance when he may have faltered.
it seems he blamed God.
he questioned God. (without looking introspectively) (elections)
he sounded like the complainers who did not make it to Canaan.
In all this, I still believe that Joshua’s heart was in the right place —-
HE HUMBLED himself by tearing his clothes. A good response to God.
Joshua’s prayer - relationship with God. (prayer topic)
He Revered the Name of God. Joshua’s concern was for God’s great Name. Have I caused shame to Your Name, Lord?
8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
God did not respond to Joshua in anger. (read from the message)
10 God said to Joshua, “Get up. Why are you groveling? 11 Israel has sinned: They’ve broken the covenant I commanded them; they’ve taken forbidden plunder—stolen and then covered up the theft, squirreling it away with their own stuff. 12 The People of Israel can no longer look their enemies in the eye—they themselves are plunder. I can’t continue with you if you don’t rid yourselves of the cursed things.
13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”
the accursed things.. it is a matter of the heart..
Exposition: God calls Israel to purify themselves and remove the sin from their midst. Once the sin is dealt with, they can realign their trust in God and experience His blessings again.
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Talk about wealth, it is good..
To Resist Materialism, We have to Deepen Our Trust in God. (GIVE!)
Don’t Follow the Way of Achan.
Achan was so close, and yet he still missed the mark.
Illustration: John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in history, amassed his fortune as the founder of Standard Oil. At age 50, he was the richest man in the world, but his relentless pursuit of wealth took a toll on him. He developed severe health issues and he could not sleep. Even with all his riches, he was a very unhappy man.
But there was a turning point in his life. You see, John D Rockefeller was a devout Christian. He realized his wealth could not give him true fulfillment and peace. So he started giving from his wealth, he tithed faithfully to his church and gave to missions. Also, he gave to causes that aligned with his values, philantrophy to education and health care.
Remember, his health issues? When Rockefeller started trusting God instead of his wealth, his health became better and he lived to be 97 and his philantrophy continues until now through the Rockefeller foundation.
Application: Encourage repentance and a renewed commitment to trust in God, knowing He is the ultimate source of provision and victory.
Conclusion:
- Reiterate the main theme: Trust in God, not in material things.
- Call to Action: Challenge the congregation to evaluate their trust, repent of misplaced priorities, and fully rely on God.
- End with a Prayer: Ask for God’s help to discern, resist materialism, and deepen trust in Him.
