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Introduction:
Introduction:
I want to welcome you tonight to Wednesday night prayer.
I don’t know about you, but I always look forward to this time together because I know that as we come together for worship and prayer that God is going to do something supernatural in and through us.
I also believe First Wednesday prayer is where much of what God wants to do in and through our church will begin as it begins in us.
That being said, tonight I want to take a few moments and focus on something the Lord laid on my heart this past month as we’ve gone through our 1 year Bible read. Something I believe is necessary for you and I to consider, be committed to, and pray about if we truly want to to see MCF reach this community in the way God wants us to reach it.
It started when we were reading through the book of Joshua.
You may recall the book of Joshua records the entry into the promise land as the Israelites finally cross the Jordan in order to take possession of the land.
And it’s an exciting story full of supernatural events, the first being the fall of Jericho as the Israelites march around the city for seven days and then watch in amazement on the seventh day as trumpets are blown and God causes the walls of Jericho to fall down. An event that led to Israel’s first victory in the promise land. The writer describes it like this:
20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.
Pretty amazing, right?
What’s interesting as well, is because it was their first victory, God told Joshua that all the spoils from this first victory were to be devoted to the Lord. God put it like this:
“The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord…But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.” Joshua 6:17a; 18-19 ESV
In this passage the Lord warns Israel in this first battle not to take anything from the city but to devote it all to the Lord as a sacrifice to Him. And then warns them that if they disobey Him, they will bring destruction and trouble on the camp. Pretty straight forward.
And it appeared that everybody got the message and was willing to be compliant. But then something unexpected happened. Because following the victory at Jericho, the Israelites moved onto the next city, a city called Ai. But this time there was no victory. This time they were defeated. Which as you can imagine, caused great confusion within the camp, which led Joshua to seek the Lord and find out why God had not given them the victory. And it’s at this point that God responds. Listen to what God says:
10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 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. 12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.
I this passage God tells Joshua the reason they were defeated is because there is sin in the camp. What kind of sin? God says somebody stole something from the devoted things from the victory at Jericho and had put it among their own belongings. And as a result, judgment and destruction had come upon Israel. This is why they had been defeated.
The question then is, “Who stole something and what did they steal?”
Interestingly enough, God gives Joshua a way to discover who stole and what was stolen through a process of elimination as tribes are called forward, and the tribe of Judah is chosen. It continues as clans of Judah are called forward, a specific family clan is chosen, and a specific individual is identified. An individual named Achan. Listen to what happens next:
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
In this passage Achan confesses to what he has done and tells Joshua where he will find the stolen items.
And it’s at this point the unexpected once again takes place as Joshua discovers the items and then pronounces judgment on Achan for what he has done. The writer records it like this:
24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when I read that, part of me says, “Wow, why such a harsh judgment. I mean after all, Achan confessed. He told them where to find the stolen items. Everything is accounted for now. So, did they really have to kill him and his entire family over a cloak, some silver, and a bar of gold? It just seems so extreme?”
The truth is, it’s meant to be extreme. Because it’s meant to make a couple of points.
The first point is this:
Point #1 - When God asks us to do something or not do something, He means it, and He expects us to be obedient to it. Otherwise, we will face the consequences of sinful disobedience. Because after all, that’s what sin is. It’s disobedience to God.
Which leads to the second point this passage is making
Point #2 - Regardless of the sin, whether we deem it as big or small, sin always comes with a cost and the cost is death.
And unfortunately for Israel, as long as that sin was in the camp, death would be in the camp. And so in order to take care of the sin problem, Achan and his family had to pay the price. And the price is death.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s all very intersting. Glad I’m not Achan. But how exactly does this relate to me and what God is doing in and through MCF?”
Here’s how this applies to us and what I’ve felt like the Lord has been saying to me over the past month. And it’s simply this:
Main Idea - If we want to go where God wants us to go and reach the people He’s called us to reach, we have to be 100% committed to obedience.
And when I say obedience, I’m talking about being committed to fully living our lives in a way that represents His desires and His righteousness.
Because I’m going to tell you right now, if as a church we aren’t committed to that, then our victories are going to be limited, defeats will come, and worse case scenario, like so many other churches, our church will eventually die.
Now, you might say, “Wow pastor, that seems kind of drastic. I’m not sure I agree with that. Because pastor, haven’t things changed since the days of Joshua? I mean because of Jesus, aren’t our sins covered? Didn’t Jesus pay the price for our sin? Pastor, surely you don’t expect our church to be a sinless church in order for God to use us?”
Here’s what I would say to that.
First, Jesus did pay the price for sin. But that doesn’t give us license or excuse to sin. The Apostle Paul puts it like this in Romans 6:
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
What Paul is saying here is just because you’ve put your faith in Jesus doesn’t mean you can live how you want knowing Jesus will forgive you. In fact, according to the Bible, there is no forgiveness for sin like that. The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
The writer says, “Listen, don’t think for one moment that once you’ve put your faith in Jesus you can just keep on living in sin. Because for the person that does that, there’s no forgiveness, only judgment.”
In other words, if you want to treat Jesus like a get of jail free card, then get ready for a long stay behind bars, because Jesus doesn’t bail out people who take advantage of His grace.
Now, please hear me, I’m not saying that to try and scare you or make you feel like you’re not saved. I’m just trying to help you see the reality of how forgiveness works. And forgiveness only works when we are truly sorry. And being truly sorry means when we repent, we turn from sin, we don’t keep doing it.
And the good news of the gospel is, when we repent, when we turn from sin, Jesus’s death pays the price for our sin. Which is what keeps us then from suffering the fate of Achan, who probably was sorry, but didn’t have somebody to take his place. Thankfully we do, and His name is Jesus.
I would also say this. When it comes to being a church without sin, while there will never be a perfect church, God is looking for is a church that is committed to not sinning.
In other words, He’s looking for a church committed to obedience.
We see the evidence of this in the book of Revelation as God sends messages to seven churches. Seven churches that symbolically represent the universal church. And in sending these messages God identifies two churches He’s pleased with, two churches that He’s about to wipe off the map, and three churches that need to make some major changes if they’re going to make it.
So, to help us understand what’s going on, let’s take a moment and look at one of each of them.
First, let’s look at the church at the church in Laodicea, one He’s not pleased with. To this church Jesus says:
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Not very positive, right? In fact, Jesus pretty much says, “At this point, your church is done. Because your not committed to me, because you refuse to take a stand for me, I’m going to spit you out of my mouth.”
The fact is, churches like this exist today. And for the most part, they are churches that refuse to reach people with the gospel and refuse to stand for truth. Churches that support sinful living. Churches that won’t take a stand for righteousness. And for churches like this, their days are numbered.
This leads us then to a church Jesus says needs some major spiritual renovations. We see this with the church at Sardis. To this church Jesus says:
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
Notice what Jesus says to this church. He says, “Your church looks like it’s alive, but it’s not. In fact it’s dead.”
So, why would Jesus say that and what does He mean by that?
He says it because apparently on the surface this church appears to be a vibrant church. They have great attendance. They have great worship. They’re pastor preaches great messages. But dig down a little deeper and what you’ll discover is this church is shallow. This church is full of Sunday morning only Christians who live one way on Sunday and another M-Sat. This isn’t a church that isn’t 100% committed to living in obedience.
The good news though is, Jesus says it’s not too late. Jesus says if they are willing to repent. If they’ll wake up from their slumber, then there is hope.
But, if they aren’t willing to wake up, if they’re not willing to go beyond the surface, if they are not willing to be committed to obedience, judgment is coming.
Again, we see churches like this still today. Churches who appear to be healthy, but their people are spiritually asleep or dead.
Finally, let’s look at a church that Jesus is pleased with, which there are only two. So, let’s look at the church in Smyrna:
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Notice what Jesus says to this church. He says to this church, “Way to go! Way to hold fast under suffering. Way to hold fast to your faith! Way to keep moving forward. Way to keep being obedient.
And because you’ve been faithful and obedient, to you I will give the crown of life.”
Here’s what we need to understand. Jesus is looking for churches that are committed to Him. Churches full of people who live out their faith. Churches that are fully engaged and living for Him. Churches who are committed to obedience.
The question then is, how do you become a church like that?
To be honest, it starts individually as each of us becomes 100% committed to obedience.
So, how do we do that? Very quickly, I’d like to offer two suggestions:
First, in order to be 100% committed to obedience, you have to be willing to identify the sin in your own camp.
In other words, you have to be willing to look at your life and say, “Is there anything in my life that God wouldn’t be pleased with?”
Something sinful I’ve given my self to.
A habit that has an unhealthy hold on my life.
A pattern of behavior that doesn’t represent Jesus.
Something that I know is wrong but I continue to do it anyways.
Or how about this:
Maybe it’s something sinful you’ve kept hidden. A secret sin. Something sinful you’ve buried on your smart phone. Something you’ve hidden from your spouse. Something that nobody else knows about.
But here’s the problem. God knows about it. He can see it. He knows exactly what’s buried and where it’s buried.
Or maybe it’s something you’re not even aware of. Something that you’re blind too. Something that maybe others have pointed out but you refuse to listen. Something that you don’t even realize is holding you down and keeping you from moving forward spiritually.
The truth is, we all have something sinful buried in our camp. Something in our life that isn’t pleasing to God. Something that represents sinful disobedience.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, you’r probably right. If I gave it some thought, I could probably identify some sin in my life that needs to go. But what’s the big deal. I mean nobodies perfect.”
It’s a big deal for three reasons:
Reason #1 - While nobody is perfect, God expect us us to strive for perfection.
Paul puts it like this:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Paul says our goal as Christians is to become more like Jesus, who is perfect. And so his appeal to us is that we live our lives towards that end. That day by day we strive to remove sin from our lives.
So no, on this side of heaven you’ll never be perfect, but we need to constantly strive for it. WE need to be committed to daily becoming more like Jesus.
Reason #2 - Whether you realize it or not, your sin is brining destruction into your life.
The truth is, when you have known or buried sin in your life, big or small, it brings destruction to your life.
For example, men, if you've buried pornography in your life, whether you realize it or not, it’s destroying your mind. It’s reshaping the way you see and think about women. It’s putting thoughts and desires in your mind that are immoral. It’s leading you on a path to sexual deviancy that will destroy your ability to have a relationship with a real woman.
Another example would be shows or movies we shouldn’t be watching in our home. Movies that are feeding your mind with a worldly way of thinking. Shows full of content that are subconsciously converting you into a secular way of thinking. Movies full of nudity, adultery, and lifestyles that run contrary to God’s will.
And there would be many more examples of things you and I might be allowing into our life that are slowly breaking us down spiritually that, if engaged in long enough will bring destruction and death into our lives. If you don’t believe me, ask Achan.
Reason #3 - Whether you realize it or not, your buried sin affects others.
The fact is, when Achan sinned, it didn’t just affect him. And as a result, people died.
The deaths started when the Israelites attacked Ai and 36 Israelites were killed in the defeat. The deaths then continued as not only was Achan killed for his sin, but his entire family with him.
It’s the way it’s always worked. Adam and Eve ate a piece of fruit. Big deal, right? Yeah, big deal. It was direct disobedience to God. And it didn’t just affect them, it affected all of us.
Here’s what that means for us.
When it comes to your sin whether small, big, known, hidden or not, it affects those around you.
Which means, it affects our church and what God wants to do here. How so you might ask?
Well, according to the Bible, we are a spiritual body, with each of us representing a spiritual body part.
And so just like a physical body, when a part of the body is sick or injured, it affects the whole body.
This is what happened in Achan’s case. His sin affected the entire nation.
The truth is, there are churches that are struggling because there is sin in the church. There are individuals in the church who claim to be Christians but are living a double life. People in leadership positions that have the appearance of godliness but harbor secret sin.
And the result is an ineffective church. The result is a spiritually dead church.
This is why as your pastor, I’m quick to address sin in the church when I see it. Because I know, left unchecked, sin brings death into a church, whether it be sexual sin, gossip, or whatever it is, I’m quick to put a stop to it.
But it not only affects the church body, it affects your immediate family.
It affects your relationship with your spouse and with your kids and brings destruction into your family life.
For example, years ago I knew a couple who was having trouble with their teenage boys when it came to sexual matters. One son in particular had started sending naked pictures of himself to girls in his class.
After praying about it, the mom felt it had something to do with her husband. So she asked him why his boys were given to such sexual deviancy. She asked him what he had been up too.
Come to find out, for several years he had been secretly engaging in paid sexual encounters with women.
You see, your sin doesn’t just affect you. It affects everybody around you and it brings death and destruction to your family.
All that to say, in order to deal with known or secret sin, we have to be willing to identify it. Which leads to the next suggestion.
Suggestion #2 - In order to be 100% committed to obedience, we have to be willing to kill the sin in our life.
Just like Israel did with Achan, we have to be willing to put it to death. Otherwise, it continues to cause destruction. Continues to spread. Continues to affect others.
So, how do we kill it?
First we need to repent, turn from our sin, and ask God to forgive us. And the good news is, because Jesus died for our sin, forgivness is available. But we have to want it gone.
Second, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us. The fact is, God doesn’t want us to sin, and through our faith in Jesus and the work of His Spirit in us, He has given us the ability to overcome temptation and say no to sin.
Paul explains it like this:
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul says the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, can help you overcome sin in your mortal body. And all you have to be willing to do is ask Him for His help. To say, “Holy Spirit, I don’t want this in my life anymore. Please help me get ride of it. Give me the strength to say no. Give me the strength to overcome. Holy Spirit help me.”
MCF, the fact is, if we want to accomplish what God has called us to do, we have to be a church committed to obedience.
And in order to be committed to obedience, we have to be willing to identify sin and get it out of the camp. Which starts as we individually get it out of our lives.
And to be honest, that’s been my focus over the last month. In fact, my prayer has been, “Lord, if there is anything you have against me, anything that isn’t pleasing to you in my life, please identify it and help me get rid of it.”
And I can tell you right now, the Lord has been answering that prayer, and it’s making a difference in my life.
And I believe if you’re willing to pray that prayer tonight, it will make a difference in your life as well.
And as a result, I believe our church will be healthier and more able to do what God has called us to do.
I believe if we are committed to that kind of obedience, the sky is the limit on what God will do in and through our church.
I believe if we are that commited to obedience, we will be a church that Jesus is pleased with. A church that He can use. A church that represents Him.
MCF, I want to be that kind of church. I don’t want there to be anything hindering us from accomplishing all that God has called us to do.
That being said, for the next few minutes I’d like for you and I to make that our prayer focus. For each of us to get alone with God and ask Him to identify areas of sin. To ask Him to help us overcome. To ask Him to be a people and a church he is well pleased with.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Amen.
Let’s Pray