Untitled Sermon (4)

Slide 1

Welcome: Thank you for letting me join your class today. But because I am not cool at all, I really didn’t know what to up here, so I had welcome.

But is this cooler?

Slide 2

Sup

You back in my day which so long ago. We used to say this.

Slide 3

Waaasssuuuppp. Now so you all can tell your parents you learned something, lets do it together.

Now I heard that all the kids are saying this

Slide 4

I don’t even know what this means.

But most kids just do this.

Slide 5

So yeah. So I really important question for you all? If I am trying to be cool which one should I do? (wait for answers)

So because I am new and will be helping out while James is on vacation I wanted to officially introduce myself, but I want to let you know what you can call me. So I made a list. Please feel free to take notes.

Slide 6

(go through names)

And now that you know what you can call me, I want all of us to get to know each other. So lets play a name game.

Slide 7

Well also back of the fact I need some help and I want to see if you can bring me up to date.

Slide 8

So today we are going to studying . Because I am “cool” I have a video to show you

Slide 9

Now, this is talking about mainly ch 6, who can summarize this for me.

So most of the time we would normally just talk about this amazing story about how Joshua and the Israelites had incredible faith and followed God’s law exactly, they were truly being faithful servants. And what did God do for them?

Slide 10

Thats right the promise land.

Everything seemed to be going well for the Israelites, but there was trouble ahead.

1JOS02.Pg. 4

Slide 11

named Achan, did not listen to God’s warning not to take any of the items from Jericho except the ones that went into the treasury. This man saw some things he liked, so he took them and hid them, and did not tell anyone about it. Joshua, not knowing Achan’s secret, sent some men to another city, Ai, to spy it out. The spies returned to Joshua and told him not to send all the Israelite army there, only three thousand men, because there were not many men in Ai. Joshua did as they suggested, but things did not go well at Ai. The men of the city came after the Israelites, chasing them away and killing about thirty-six of them. The Israelites couldn’t believe it. They were frightened to be defeated so easily. Joshua fell on his face before the ark of the Lord and asked God why they were defeated. He was concerned that the other nations around them would think that God had no power. He was concerned for God’s great name.

Now looking at chapter 7 One of Israelites, a man named Achan, did not listen to God’s warning not to take any of the items from Jericho except the ones that went into the treasury. This man saw some things he liked, so he took them and hid them, and did not tell anyone about it. Joshua, not knowing Achan’s secret, sent some men to another city, Ai, to spy it out. The spies returned to Joshua and told him not to send all the Israelite army there, only three thousand men, because there were not many men in Ai. Joshua did as they suggested, but things did not go well at Ai. The men of the city came after the Israelites, chasing them away and killing about thirty-six of them. The Israelites couldn’t believe it. They were frightened to be defeated so easily. Joshua fell on his face before the ark of the Lord and asked God why they were defeated.

God answered Joshua right away. He told him to get up, because there was sin in the camp that needed to be dealt with. He told Joshua of Achan’s disobedience, and that this was the reason the Israelites were defeated by the men of Ai. God told Joshua He would no longer be with the Israelites if Achan’s sin was not dealt with. In the morning, the ones who were guilty would be destroyed.

Early the next morning, each of the tribes gathered together. God let Joshua know he must look in the tribe of Judah for the guilty ones. Then each of the families was examined, and God showed Joshua the family of Achan. Joshua asked Achan what he had done and Achan admitted he had taken a robe, 200 pieces of silver, and a bar of gold from Jericho, even though God had warned against this. Achan took them and hid.

Joshua took the stolen items, Achan, his family, and everything Achan owned. There, all the Achan and his family were put to death and then burned. After this they piled a heap of stones over them to remind the rest of the people of God’s fierce anger against sin and of the punishment for disobedience. Achan let his desire for something that God had forbidden become more important than loving and obeying God. Does God take disobedience seriously? You bet He does.

Now that Israel’s sin had been taken care of, in chapter 8 God told Joshua not to be afraid and to go back to Ai and conquer it. This time, Joshua placed 5,000 men on the west side of the city, where they would not be seen. Joshua and the rest of the men attacked from the north. The king of Ai and his army rushed out to fight against Joshua and did not see the 5,000 men on the west side. Joshua and his men pretended to be frightened and ran away from the city. Soon there was not a man left in Ai. The 5,000 Israelites got up from their hiding places, went into the city, and set it on fire. The king and his men saw the fire, but now Joshua and his men turned back to them and destroyed them all. He allowed them to take animals and other riches from the city this time. God gave His people complete victory at Ai that day.

In thanks to God, Joshua built an altar and the Israelites offered sacrifices on it.

We continue to see, looking at the story of the Israelites, the importance God places on obedience and the deadliness of sin. Think of what Achan did. He saw the items in Jericho, and the more he looked the more he wanted them. Instead of turning away, he kept wanting them. His heart was so eaten up with desire, he finally took the items. Then he added to his sin by covering it up. This is the result of all sin. We try to hide it from God and from others.

We continue to see, looking at the story of the Israelites, the importance God places on obedience and the deadliness of sin. Think of what Achan did. He saw the items in Jericho, and the more he looked the more he wanted them. Instead of turning away, he kept wanting them. His heart was so eaten up with desire, he finally took the items. Then he added to his sin by covering it up. This is the result of all sin. We try to hide it from God and from others.

Achan also thought that stealing just a few items from Jericho was no big deal. There were so many riches--who would miss a few shekels of gold and silver? Achan’s sin had serious consequences--36 men died at Ai because of it! His sin had an awful effect on those around him.

Our sin affects others, too. It affects the entire body of Christ--parents, brothers and sisters, friends, and our church family. Your sin does not just affect you. God’s people are tied together in a community and the choices you make reach out and touch others’ lives. Be serious with your sin in your life. Be as serious as God is about sin. Deal with it right away, and don’t try to hide it. God knows about it anyway, right? Turn away from it and rejoice that God wipes your slate clean and gives you a fresh start thorugh Crist and the work he did on the cross, not just for me and but for each one of you. So lets put our faith and look at the sins of Achan and fight against it to worship God.

1JOS02.Pg. 5

Lets pray and then we will break into small groups.

the choices you make reach out and touch others’ lives. Be as serious as God is about sin. Deal with it right away when it raises its ugly head, and don’t try to hide it. God knows about it anyway, right? Turn away from it, purpose never to do it again, and rejoice that God wipes your slate clean and gives you a fresh start.