"VICTORY FROM DEFEAT"

7 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.

2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.

Themes of this message: DRIVING OUT THE ENEMY, TAKING POSSESSION, KEEPING SIN OUT & GOD IN, WERE BETTER TOGETHER.

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PRAY

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Let’s do a quick re-cap of where we’ve been here & whats been going on in the important series in JOSHUA>

1.THIS IS WAR (Set up) - Spiritual Warfare. Establishing that this is WAR: The Ministry of Reconciliation is the War over the souls of people. and once the battle begins, Guess what - Its a WAR. We have to conquer and drive out the enemy in our lives. If im under attack im right on track. Ephesians 6.

2.UNLIKELY GRACE (Entering the land)- The Gospel story we see in the saving of Rahab. God has a plan. He had a plan to save you. to Rescue you,. to COme get you!.

3.NO TURNING BACK - Crossing over. Faith has remarkable steps at times that need a crossing over in Faith. Trust is key. JEsus is faithful. The holy Spirit will help

4.THE WALLS WILL TALK - The The Take down of Jericho. Why your worship matters. The Walls Fell when the shout happened. A ramp was created in the natural, in the supernatural thats what our Worship and Our pRaise does: it creates a pathway to the presence of God. and Victory in His name.

…& TODAY: PART 5: Victory From Defeat. (this is all about how we conquer and how we take possession but We encounter our first problem!

...... So Jericho has happened. Chapter 6 - Wow! What a story. What a high. What a START!

...........

(lets get into it - Here are some

What happens when we TAKE the land?

1.WHERE SIN EXISTS, GOD DOES NOT.

Sin BRINGS DEFEAT:

So here we have the people of Israel and the first most amazing victory and incredible DEAL.... and just WHEN YOU THINK your onto SOMETHING GREAT - SIN CREEPS IN AND REAR’s ITS UGLY HEAD>

There was SIN in the CAMP.

Joshua got it STRAIGHT FROM GOD:

Joshua 7:10-12 “The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 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. 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.”

Sin cannot exist where God does

Write this down: YOU CANT KEEP SINNING & KEEP WINNING!

Sin cannot be present when the Spirit is present - They dont CO-MINGLE.

We all have to confront SIN.

God hates SIN MORE THAN WE DO.

Why?

(story:

Because HE KNOWS WHAT IT DOES TO US. AND HE KNOWS ITS IMPACTS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

SIN WAS KILLING HIS KIDS.

Q:What sin exists in your life that hasn’t been addressed or confronted? .... and is WITHOLDING YOUR VICTORY FROM YOU. (because SIN is an ENEMY to GODS PLAN AND PURPOSES FOR YOUR LIFE).

(the pattern of SIN here is also interesting:

Joshua 7:19-21 “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.” And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 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.”” ........

When i saw (He was looking where.... Then i coveted (i wanted what i saw)..... and i Took. and I hid.)

SIN’s NASTY CYCLE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE THE FALL (its in GENESIS 3:6-7 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”

SIN ALWAYS LEADS TO DEATH (Defeat)>......

OBEDIENCE TO GOD LEADS TO LIFE>

SIN LEADS TO DEFEAT

OBEDIENCE LEADS TO VICTORY

So How do we do it now?

(Open your HEART to the HOLY Spirit and allow him to POINT out to YOU with a VIEW TO FIXING IT IN US. to SUCCEED IN OUR LIVES)

The HOLY SPIRIT IS THE COACH WHO WILL GIVE IT TO YOU STRAIGHT.

ONE THING THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL POINT OUT:.......What is it thats in OPPOSITION to God’s BEST . BCwhere SIN exists, God wont BE.

Here we see something that gets the Lord pretty fired up: The devoted things. Ie the things that belong to God. are you holding onto something that belongs to him? Maybe the reason your not seeing the victory is because YOUR HOLDING SOMETHING WITH A CLOSED HAND… THAT GOD SHOULD HOLD AND THEN GIVE TO YOU>

Truth to write down: Obedience avoids heartache.

(obedience to God always avoids heartache for man).

Here is another thing we shouldn't miss from this passage:

“The More you SEE GOD Move, The More REVERENCE WE SHOULD HAVE.”

The more God does in your life, the More Awe of God you should have......

Think about the SIN we see here: This is the same Achan who ate bagels from Heaven every day..... The Same guy who walked across the dry ground of the Jordan. The Same guy who went around Jericho 6 time sand saw the walls fall on teh seventh day: He then went to Jericho and walked across the fallen walls.

EVEN STILL - He then went and transgressed.

Then he doesn’t confess.

and God Sovereignly Points him out.

God deals with sin.

But With GREATER LEVELS OF SUCCESS ITS GOING TO REQUIRE GREATER REVERENCE TO A HOLY GOD>

Jesus said it to us “to whom much is given, much is required

THE MORE YOU DRIVE SIN OUT....

THE MORE GOD COMES IN.

WE SEE IT WHEN LIGHT ENTERS A rooM.

DARKNESS LEAVES. SAMe PRINCIPLE RIGHT HERE.

2.REPENTANCE USHERS IN GRACE.

If ......you’ve experienced DEFEAT.

the best thing you can do is Run TO God....... Don’t RUN FROM GOD>

Joshua Changed his MIND HERE ABout what he was doing: he realised some things had taken a bad turn. But what he did next is exactly how we should act when things go wrong:

Joshua 7.

6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.

Why is this important:

*it shows Joshuas humanity. We all get it wrong. Its what we do next that says everything about where our HEART is at.

*It gives us a pattern to follow. We get a glimpse of how to resolve differences with God. He recieves us as SONS, not SLAVES.

Remember the Story of the Prodigal - What did the Younger son do?

Luke 15:17–18 (ESV)

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

Joshua came to himself.

Victory sometimes comes when we finally come to ourselves and acknowledge GOD. We try to do it out way, we try to figure it out on our own, we’ve had our own Jericho moment of victory and accolade and everyones talking about us and were famous.... and we forget GOD.

Forgetting God..... Thats EGO.

What does EGO STAND FOR: “Edging.... God… Out”.

Joshua Goes to GOD.

He doesn’t let his ego get in the way - He realizes that this defeat was something serious and the source of the victory and the future success of the mission was and is through GOD HIMSELF.

Romans 2:4 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Its the forgiveness of God that leads us HOME.

Its the patience of God that Gives us strength.

its the Forbearance of a HOLY God that makes us understand all over again - i cant do it without him!

so.....

1.Sin and God don’t co-mingle and Sin must be dealt with for Spiritual Victory.

2.Repentance always ushers in the miraclous Grace of God

.... The story: Gets better. Chapter 8.

3.GOD DOESN’T LOSE.

Which is GREAT NEWS Today.... Because you and i ....We’re on the winning team. the SAME TEAM.

You never come second When GOD IS FIRST.

The story of AI turns around!

God BRINGS VICTORY FROM DEFEAT///// THATS WHAT GOD DOES.

When all looks LOST - God turns things around - WE SERVE THE GOD OF THE TURNAROUND.

Once The confession, the Dealing with SIN - COMES THE TURNAROUND.

Joshua 8:1-2 “And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.””

What was LOST - God turned it around for His people

& God said - Take the plunder!

This is what we can learn from Chapters 7 & 8: GOD DOESN’T LOSE.

We are on the winning team.

Because were REDEEMED PEOPLE

Galatians 3:13

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Are you facing a defeat - God can turn it around.

Are you suffering a setback - God can turn it around - He Did it with Joshua - He can do it with you

THE SAME SPIRIT THAT RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD NOW LIVES IN ME.

Are you Looking for a victory - God’s given us a team we can win on.

Its TEAM JESUS.