Ep. 11: The Conquest

Alright, welcome to episode 11 of the plan. If you are visiting us and you expecting a Thanksgiving sermon, this is not going to be a Thanksgiving sermon, what we're doing this year is, were reading through the entire story of the Bible and we're looking at it as one single story that is one plot drives. Everything from Genesis to Revelation, were wanting to understand that story because that's the story that we are invited into his Christians and it's the story that we invite others into when we share the gospel and what we've been finding as we as we go through the story, is that the Bible is the story of God's plan, to establish a Place full of people who live out their purpose in his presence. God created the world, and he put human beings in it, and he gave them the purpose of ruling on his behalf. And then on the 7th day, he came to rest in the world with And then human beings, messed it up and sew in later. And Genesis God starts this project to restore his plan to humanity by working through one family. He chooses, Abraham and Sarah and their descendants 2. He's going to give the established, the plan with them, for the sake, of all, the rest of the nation's. He says, they will all the world of you blast through them. And so as we've been going through the story so far what we found is that God has been putting each one of these pieces in place. So, in Exodus, he saved his people out of slavery and he would actually use the language when he talks to me. Like he bought them, he saved them, so that they are now his people. So that's how he established them as His people's, and he brought them out of slavery. And then he brought them to Mount Sinai where his presence was resting, and he had them build the Tabernacle, and he came down to live among them. And that's how he established his presence among his people. At the same time. He was giving them the law of Moses. Give them their purpose, it showed them what it meant for them to to live out God's purposes. Wherever he was sending them until he has given them. He's made in the people. He's given his presents and he's given their purpose, the part. We're still missing is the place. They still need the place cuz we're still at this point. In the story. We are in the wilderness outside the promised land. And last week, we looked at the when they came right to the edge of the promised land and they were going to go in, but they lost faith. They didn't trust God. And they mutinied. And God says, and this was, this is one of 10 different times at this generation just failed to trust God. And so he said, all right. I'm not going in with this generation. You're not the ones I want to go into battle with. I'll take your kids in and now is we going to Joshua? That's the generation that we're looking at. So the the old Generations passed away and now the younger generation is ready to go in. And so I'm going to redo the beginning of the Book of Joshua and as I'm reading, this is where you'll fill in your coordinates, so you'll be one Need to watch for people whose the story about places. Where is their home presents is, how do they meet with God and purpose is, what does God tell them to do? Some of the things you'll feel? And just if you are familiar with the way the story does. But this is how the stage is set in Joshua chapter 1. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. The Lord said to Joshua, son of nun. Moses's Aid, Moses. My servant is dead. Now then you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land. I'm about, to give them to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot. As I promised Moses, your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon in from the Great River. The Euphrates, all the hittite country to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. Be careful to obey. All the law. My servant Moses gave, you do not turn from it to the right or to the left that you may be successful. Everywhere you go keep this book of the law, always on your live, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you'll be prosperous and successful.

I who's the story about? It's been about Moses and the Israelites for a while. Now, Moses is dead. So now it's about Joshua and the Israelites. So, God appointed Joshua to take over after Moses his death. So, we got a new generation of Israelites and a new leader. Where is their home? And it's the promised land, which is just across the border. Now, they are just about ready to go in. Instead of going in, from the south are going to go in from the east across the Jordan. But they're they're ready to go in. Okay. How can I meet with God?

In the Tabernacle. God has a tent in the camp. If you want to go meet with God, you can go down to the tent and meet with God. He you can make an appointment to worship with him to experience his presence. And finally, what did God tell them to do. Now I find in my experience. There's two things that people preach on when you preached to Joshua, cuz everything else is hard to preach. Number one is chapter one. We just read and it's about being strong and courageous but he says that like eight times now, God tells you to be strong. It's like eight times and that passage. The other one is Jericho. We're not going to talk about either of those things, but it's important to remember he's telling him too. He's not telling him to be strong and courageous. He's telling them to do something and be strong and courageous while he does it. What does he need to be strong and courageous? While he's doing what did he, what did actually tell him to do? Obey the law, specifically obey, the book of the law. And what's the book of the law? Or the book of the law, refers to the book. We skipped over. If you've been keeping track in your table of contents last week. We were in numbers this week, were in Joshua and we missed Deuteronomy. That's because there are no stories in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is a sermon and what happened was at the end of the Moses's lifetime. They're just about to go in, Moses is about to die. But he's he's he's actually still in charge of this new generation. It's about to go in. He gives them a State of the Union Address this summarizes all the laws. They've been looking at. And also, specifically focuses in on what they need to do as they go into the promised land. So Deuteronomy has his focus on going on, what they need to do, once they have the land. So a lot of the laws are repeated because he's summarizing everything. Again. That's why it's called Deuteronomy Deuteronomy is Greek for second law, but there's also things in there to specifically focused at at what they need to do when they actually go into the promised land. So, what he's telling me to do is obey those instructions that I had Moses, give you a whole list of things. I had him, give to you, follow those. Do it the way I told you to. Here's the thing. Is that as we're looking at the, the plot of this book, not all of those laws are going to be equally important to the story. There's actually one command in there. That is probably arguably one of the most important command for understanding the plot of the story. It's also probably the one that we are the most uncomfortable with, but it, it honestly does Drive, the plot of Joshua, Judges 1st, Samuel and 2nd Samuel. And that command you find in Deuteronomy 7:2 when the Lord your God has delivered the Canaanites over to you and you have defeated them. Then you must destroy them. Totally make no treaty with them and show them. No mercy. Now, this command is not talking about how they fight their battles. This is not about what happens after the battle. So once they've been destroyed once, they've been beaten once, they've been delivered, once the enemy has been delivered with the lights are supposed to totally destroy them. The word for that in Hebrew is Hyrum and the plot of this of the next. Four books of the Bible are all going to revolve around whether whether or not the Israelites obey in this command and the consequences of that decision, now that makes me super uncomfortable. For good reasons. In fact, what could seem more the opposite of the Aldi's? What they all these boxes represent? Then a command from God to totally destroy a people. But that's what he tells him to do to totally destroy. The cane is now, I want you to write this the way I have it on there. Okay, totally destroying quotation marks, and then the word Hearing in parentheses, because remember, the word of God is not written in English. The word of God is in Hebrew and Aramaic and in Greek, so totally destroy is the English translation of a God said, Hyrum is the word guide used that's going to come back. We're going to come back to talk about that. But for now, what you'll find when you read the Bible is it says totally destroy. So now that we have the coordinates, we know what God told him to do. We're going to look at the plot of the story of Joshua. What actually happened and you ain't noticed that this section is very short because Joshua is very thin on plot, a plot requires tension. And a question of all are they going to obey or not? Joshua has very little pot tension because it is this is the most obedient generation in all Israelite history. There's like one time where one guy disobeys God the rest of the time that they obey God and exactly told him to do. So here is the southern campaign summarized in chapter 10 to come in and a campaign in the southern part of Israel and it says, Joshua subdue. The whole region, including the Hill Country, the Negev, the Western Foothills, and the mountain, slopes together, with all their kings. He left, no survivors. He totally destroy all who breathe just as the Lord, the god of Israel, had commanded Joshua subdued them from Kadesh barnea to Gaza and from the whole reason of Goshen to give Ian. The southern campaign, then the northern campaign to get to the northern part of the land and it says Joshua took all his royalties and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them as Moses. The servant of the Lord has commanded his girl did not bring any of the cities built on their mountains, except Hays or which Joshua Briand. He has always carried off by themselves, all the pleasure in life, soccer, the city's, but all the people they put to the sword until they completely destroy them. Not sparing any one that breathe as a Lord commanded, a servant Moses. So Moses commanded Joshua and Joshua did it you left? Nothing. Undone of all the Lord commanded Moses to tell what it is right to do, while they were very obedient. They attacked the Canaanites and totally destroyed them. Which is interesting cuz it's the opposite of a numbers. In numbers. You really just want them to do what God says and they keep failing and in Joshua, you kind of hope that you don't want them to do what God told him to do and they do it every time. But surely we've been talking about how God is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love. So clearly does not on board with this, right. So God is going to step in and say, Hey, you misunderstood that's not, that's not what you're supposed to do. Right? It's responded to what they're doing. It says, this is a pain except for the hivites, living and gibeon. We'll talk about later. Not one city, made a treaty of peace with the Israelites who took them all in battle for. It was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them. Totally Exterminating them without Mercy as the Lord has commanded Moses. To his God, do. God help them. Totally destroy the canines.

This is a hard book. This is why we normally just talk about Jericho cuz you can make that into a kids movie.

Sometimes we talk about the sun standing still but we don't typically talk about this. Part of the problem is you can't understand the plot line of the of the story in this state without understanding What's Happening Here? This makes us very, very uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable and understandably. So because What's Happening Here is it sounds like God is ordering sending giving commands that sound like some of the worst things human beings have done to each other. In, the last 200 years are the sounds like we read this and we might start hearing words and I had like genocide and ethnic cleansing and massacres and and all these horrible things.

Well, we're going to talk, we're going to spend the rest of it cuz the stories over and spend the rest of the sermon talking about what God is actually telling them to do that. And what that word here. I'm actually means but I want to tell you it's very possible. I might even be likely that at the end of this. You are still not going to be comfortable with what God told him to do. I'm not entirely comfortable with the stories. They don't make me feel good cuz I read them, but it's important for us to remember that if the story's make you uncomfortable, if these seem orally, if it, if, if massacring whole population seems morally wrong to you, that is because you have been influenced by Jesus. Whether you are a Believer or not, it is because of Jesus that we believe this is wrong, I can tell you none of Israel's neighbors thought what they were doing was particularly wrong. I bet a lot of them thought it was actually rather tame. And what we find, if you trace the history of our morality as cultures, in this idea that you shouldn't Massacre whole populations, that, you shouldn't Massacre non-combatant, that you shouldn't do all these things. Those Trace back to the gospel and the influence of Jesus Christ in our world. Those important that if you feel uncomfortable about this part of the story, remember, it's because you have been influenced. You have been shaped by where the rest of the story goes. And if we were to throw out the story because we are uncomfortable with this part. We would lose the foundation that teaches us that we shouldn't behave in those ways. So it is the Bible. It is Jesus Christ. Who teaches us to love others. Who teaches us? Not to let that. These things are our that war crimes are crimes. That comes from the gospel.

That being said, I do want to take a closer look at what God is actually telling them to do. Because it's important for us to understand and not to automatically import our modern ideas and our modern ways of reading documents into What's Happening Here. The first thing that you need to know is that the word here? I'm does not actually mean totally destroy. It is very difficult to translate and so it's understandable that if they have to translate into a simple phrase they would use totally destroyed but that's not actually what it means. And the thing is, even if you don't know anything about Hebrew, you will be able to see as you read inconsistencies, that would lead you to conclude that it must not actually mean totally destroy.

For instance, that first verse in Deuteronomy 7:2 where he tells them to, totally destroy the Canaanites. Here's the next verse. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your son's, that is a strange command for a people you're supposed to exterminate. Right. If you follow the first one, the second one should be impossible. And yet, it says hearing them, totally destroy them and it don't marry with their kids. Right. You would also if you if you really track with the passage that we've already read. We've already seen one another inconsistency. It says, in the northern campaign. Joshua took all these Royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them as Moses. The servant of the Lord recommended I command it and get Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their Mounds except Hays or was Joshua Byrd, so they totally destroyed all these cities, but they only burn one of them. You see that? You supposed to hear him all of them, but he only actually burned one of them to the ground. So somehow he here in the other six without actually, totally destroying them, without burning them to the ground. Here's another one. Describing the southern campaign. It says Joshua and all Israel with him went up from Eglin to have Ron and attacked it. They took the city and put it to the store together with his King. It's Villages and everything in it. They left no survivors just at Eglin. They totally destroyed it and everyone in it. Okay. Here's a place. Where you might think will, clearly this is a complete Massacre because not only does it say here on, but it also says they killed. They put everyone in it to the sword, right? That's not just one word. That's a whole phrase, right? It's the what the sentence means. So, but traveled me here. So, how many people now, live in Hebron? Nobody, right back the city of hadrons been destroyed. Then it says Joshua and all Israel with him turned around and a text to beer. They took the city and put them to the sword everyone in it. They totally destroyed. They left no survivors. They did it to the beer and it's King as they had done to live nut and it's coming into Hebron. How many people live in De Pere? And is the beer Still Standing? No, there is no DePere anymore. There is no have run, right? Okay, this is during Joshua's military. Hay day, but then if you fast-forward to Joshua 15 at the end of his life, when he's done campaigning, it says this in accordance with the Lord's. Command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb, son of dafunia, a portion of Judah. Sorry about that is Hebron. We shouldn't exist anymore, but maybe it's just the ruins, or maybe the city still stand by the people are dead. Right? From Hebron, Caleb marched against the people living in two beer, how many people should be living in beer? Nobody, right? There's something. First of all hearing doesn't mean totally destroy s about what we find about. All ancient documents from the time is that they write accounts of warfare and exaggerated language. We have a couple of documents were Deeds, worthy, pharaoh of Egypt claims to have totally wiped out. Israel. We know that never happened, right? But they use exaggerated language to make a political Point. Kind of like, if I were to say, man, Jack killed me at chess. I've no idea. I never played chess with Jack, but I'm terrible. So it's likely he could, but you didn't actually kill me right now. That's not true in a literal sense. It does still communicate something, right? It communicate something different than if I had just said he beat me if he killed me at chess. It means he humiliated me. It wasn't even close and you feel the emotional significance of what happened or the experience of what it felt like, right? That exaggerated is Meaningful, but it's not actually a little description of what happened. That's what we find happens over and over again with descriptions of warfare, both in the Bible. And in the cultures around the same time, is it with her? Describing is the impact, the significance of what happened. Not the actual on the ground, like, if you had a camcorder, what you would see. So for all intents and purposes, they destroyed the whole place, but it doesn't necessarily mean they killed every single person. So even when you have that language, that says all who breathe or exterminate, that's not necessarily what it means. And we We find consistently, is that later on? Those people will come back and they're, they're still there. So it's, It's gotta mean something else. So, then the question is, what does actually mean what he ran, actually means, I totally dedicated to God's use. That's what the word actually meet. And the first signal, if this is, this is one where you would need to actually be looking at the Hebrew to detect because in in the difference is the media. So different, they translated differently in Leviticus 27, there is, they're talking about property. And if you'd, if you were to give land to God, dedicate land of God, normally every seven years, all the land is supposed to reset back to the people who originally owned it. But with this law says, is that when the field that you've given to God is released in the Jubilee, it becomes holy like a field. He rammed to the Lord, it will become Priestly property to hear from the land. Doesn't mean destroy it. What it means is that you're never getting it back because he run is a Step Beyond just like giving something to God for a certain amount of time. It is, it is totally dedicated to God for all time and I can never take it back. That's what he remarks, Ali means in, every case that is used. So they never destroy this field. It just gets worked by the priests and the end the, the proceeds from it goes to the Tabernacle. And as you trace through the, through the event, that happened in Joshua, what you will find. Is that here? I'm can mean of variety of things. So let's look at Jericho Jericho falls down. They go in and a Hyrum everything in in the city. That is so they destroy probably all of the goods, all the livestock. Cuz the point is that life of God, which means nobody else gets to benefit from it. So the way you hear them animals is typically to kill them so that they belong to God and no one else gets to benefit make money off of them. So that's the way you make sure. No one else will ever get it. They can't did it lacks the technology to destroy the treasure. So the treasure was supposed to get donated to the Tabernacle and then Josh will pronounces his curse over the ruins that. No one will ever get to build here again, in fact, if they break this, it will cost them. Their first born. Because the city, the ground is supposed to be dedicated to God, which means nobody gets the bill there ever again. Nobody gets to use this land for-profit, it belongs to God, but he makes an exception. It seems like Joshua does. He's given no permission to make an exception, but he does not execute Rahab. Rahab was a prostitute who protected the spies and and, and she believed in Yahweh. And she said, she believed the Jolly was going to conquer the land, right? So he says don't kill her and then it says, she became an Israelite Israelites to this day. Now, is Joshua disobeying the command to hear him know because hearing doesn't mean kill. It means totally dedicated to God, one of the ways you can hear on the person would need to kill them. To remove them from influence from God's Will and another way would be for them to be incorporated into God's people. So, she still here and she's not killed, but she is here, entombed by becoming part of Israel. There's another, there's a tribe called the gibeonites or cainite tribe, who trick Joshua into signing a treaty with them, by pretending that they live far away. And Joshua, when he finds us out, he gets real mad. It says, you're not under a curse forever. You are going to work as as wood cutters in the Tabernacle because he still applying Hyrum. Because he's dedicating them to God, but he's not killing them. Another way that you can apply to room two human beings is to deport them to drive them out because that's another common piece of languages. He was just drive the Canaanites out the point isn't that you're killing people point isn't about death. The point is about making sure that the land is dedicated to God. And so, when that, when that involves people, you can do multiple things. You could kill them, which happened. Now, that is part of what's going on, but it also could mean that you are incorporating them into God's people or that you are pushing them out of the land limit live. There. We have no record of the Israelites actually doing ethnic cleansing where they like Chase certain ethnicities down and kill them no matter where they are. They pushed them out of the land. And that's as far as they go.

And we can make better sense of this when we when we actually look at this in the context of the plan that we've been talking about. Cuz what is the plan? The plan is for God's green place where God's people can live out their purpose in his presents. And Israel. The promised land is the place. So that means that the mission at this point was to create a place where Israel could demonstrate God's plan, not because they're the best people in other people don't matter or that. People who believe in other gods are less than people or anything like that has nothing to do with it has nothing to do with any group, being better than any other group. They're doing this for the sake of the nation's, because God's project that he's working through. The Israelites is to save the whole world. That's why in Deuteronomy. He tells them to observe the laws carefully for this will, show your wisdom and understanding to the Nations. Who will hear about all of these decrees, and say, surely this nation is a wise and understanding people. I see the point here is that people it when, when they say this land is the Lord's place. This is yahweh's place. He lives here. People need to be able to look at that land and say, Hey, you know, the people there, they're pretty wise. I want my date. They haven't, that's a great place to live. That is clearly better than the way we are living. Clearly God's place is a good place to live. How can I be a part of that? All right. So that's the point of the plan is to establish a place where God can reveal himself to the nation's. So the fate of all of the nation's is at stake in what happens on God's land. Because when you look at God's, when people are going to assume that, that's who God is, you may remember me saying something similar about the tavernacle. When you go to the tavernacle, you understand who God is the same thing, applies to this land where guy puts his name. That creates a problem with the current condition of the land, which is that the Canaanite culture and worship. We're completely opposed to God's character and plan.

When you looked at the Canaanites, you did not see God not because they were worse than the Israelites had been. But because God hadn't given gone through the same process with them that he had gone through with Abraham in, in his people, in his family.

But God is very clear about this. He tells them in Deuteronomy. Again, he says, after the canines have been destroyed before you be careful, not to be ensnared by inquiring about their God. Saying, how do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same. Pause here. This is one more place. We all noticed any consistency. This is after they're destroyed after the cancer destroyed, but they're talking about them in the present tense, right? How do they worship their gods to serve their gods? Not how did they serve their gods? So, these nations are still alive, right? Cuz you must not Worship, the Lord, your God in their way because, in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things. The Lord hate, they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

The world will know who got is by what they see done on God's Property. Right. So what happens to the world if they see the people on God's Property sacrificing children on an altar? What do they think about who God is? How distorted is the world's vision of God? Wouldn't it be better for there to be no Revelation at all? Then for people to think there's a revelation and it says that God wants us to sacrifice our children on an altar. Among the many other things that they did that were completely on Godly. Because Humanity had forgotten who God was it what he wanted and that's why God is restoring the knowledge of him, but that's the, that's why God is telling them to clear out. The canine influenza is because the Canaanites do not reflect God. He says, earlier Deuteronomy. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going to take possession of their land, but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord, your God will drive them out before you to accomplish, what he swore to your father's to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not because it's not because of how awesome, he is. What I thought that the Israelites are entitled to the best plane in the world is because this is the place I've chosen. And the people who are there, do not reflect me in when I put my name here, it needs to reflect me. So, in order to give people a clear picture of who I am, that has to be that influence has to be removed and that's what we see is. Ultimately the target of of Hyrum is not the people. The point isn't, I don't want those human beings to live. The point is the culture and the influence that is in the land is this is whatever else here in might mean in any given contest. If we go back to the original command, here is what it definitely means yours. What Hyrum always involves when it's applied to the promised land. Do not intermarry Phyllis them, do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your son's for, they will turn your children away from following me, and serve other gods, and anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you Don't intermarry with them because they will influence you away from me. This is what you are to do. Then break down their altars, smash their Sacred Stones. Cut down their asherah poles, and burn their Idols. In the fire for you are a people. Holy to the Lord your God, the Lord. Your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the Earth, to be his people, his treasured possession. What Serum is actually targeted at, is this cultural influence that can that can totally degrade with the Israelites are doing? It's the influence of the Canaanites will have that will help the Israelites away from what God has shown him about, who he is and tempt them into other ways of worshiping that distort the world picture of God. So the people will end up thinking that the god of Israel is no different from any other God. Is it because the salvation of the world is at stake, that it matters that they clear out Canaanite influence in the world in the, in the promised land. So God commanded Joshua to totally destroy canine influence in a land. So it can be totally dedicated. God's plan. Now, what we are very uncomfortable with understandably. So is the fact that destroying canine influenza meant violence in places, but it's important for us to remember that the point is not genocide or ethnic cleansing. The point is not killing. Although, that is sometimes involved. The point is removing Canaanite influence from the land. It's also important for us to remember that. This is a command that God gives at 1. In history. Kiram is not a standing order for how the Israelites to make war. And they are specifically commanded not to do this once they're outside of the Promised Land. He says when you make war you start by trying to make peace. And then he says, it's only in with these seven tribes that you practice hear him. So this is not how God's people make war. This is how God cleared out the land. In this particular stage of the plan. Now, this may seem harsh and I understand that, but it's also important to realize that Joshua makes it sound like they did everything perfectly. When you get into judges you find out spoiler alert that they didn't and Josh and judges just goes off the deep end into this horrible. Horrible, disgusting ending of what is Right culture. Looks like it's because they did not remove that influence. So the danger from that influence is very, very real and the salvation of the world as a steak. And what's happening here. Now the question is, what do we do with this today? How do we apply this? Now? Because we're in such a different circumstance. And, unfortunately, this this has been used to justify some pretty bad things in Christian history. I think it's been used to justify after the fact. I don't know that anybody ever actually was decided to commit violence because they already here but they they definitely Shield themselves from criticism that way. Here's what I want us to learn. Let's start here, play God's plan is to reveal himself to the world through the place. Where he chooses to dwell. God reveals himself to the World by saying, this is my place. Look there and you'll see me.

Because of that. Whatever plays God chooses to dwell in needs to accurately, reveal his character. Whatever plays God chooses to dwell in needs to accurately, reveal his character 4th at 2 to work that plan to work right now. This problem now for us today is what do we call God's place? Where do we apply this? Because what might happen is, we might say, well, America is God's place. This is a Christian Nation. So we're going to, we're going to fight to take over this country or we might say. No, it was always about Israel. So this means we have to have specific positions, political positions at your church about what's going on, in the Middle East, where to find all these different ways to understand. What it's really, how this really works today. I have to give away a huge spoiler about where we're going as we going to the New Covenant. We find that the language about God's Dwelling Place changes. Here's a good example from Paul. Paul says, do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you who you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price, therefore, honor God with your bodies. In this context, polish talking about why sexual ethics matter, why it matters what you do with your body and what he's saying is it matters because God lives in your body because your body says, God's play on the front of it. And so, what you do with your body matters, this is not how the Israelites thought about things. They did not believe that the Holy Spirit was in every person, in every believer. That's because the Holy Spirit came, as a result of what Jesus had done into the church of Pentecost road that has treats. What that means is, in the New Covenant, God, chose to dwell in his people. So we talked about the importance of the place. God, dwells reflecting his character today. We're not talking about a patch of land, we're talking about people. And Paul will bring this same kind of language to bear on what it means for us as Christians to live out our mission in Colossians 3. He says this put to death there for whatever belongs to your Earthly nature, sexual immorality and Purity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived, but now you must also read yourselves of all such things as these anger, rage malice slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other. Since you have taken off your old self with its practices and a put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator. This is where he applies that that language where he brings in that idea that you put to death, your old self. We hear them. We totally dedicate ourselves to God's Kingdom. To our mission is to conquer our old selves so that we can be totally dedicated to God. And this is where we, as Christians. We bring in that language of totally destroy. Totally destroy your old self. Make no treaty with your old self. In that passage, Paul is talking about how they've been doing pretty good fighting against these particular send, but he says, don't stop now. Keep going because you may have been making progress. Conquering your sexual temptation, but you still need to conquer your temper. You still need to conquer your malice. The way you talk about other people. There are still battles to be fought and you need to continue fighting them. This is what we as Christians are called to do. And actually, what I found reading, the reading the book of Joshua, this way, it's actually a really good example of what it means for us to be Christian take Jericho. For example, God said, follow these instructions and I will destroy the city for you walk around seven times, Blow Your Horn to yell and I'll destroy the city for you, and then you totally dedicate that land to me. Which is exactly what God says to us as Believers about ourselves. He says follow these instructions. Repent be baptized. I will break the power sin in, you. Write this yelling at a wall, doesn't bring it down and getting dunked. In water, doesn't actually wash away sin. Unless God is in it, so we can turn our salvation. But we do these things that God tells us to do and then he breaks the power in ice. And then what's left is to totally dedicate that land that person to God. That is the mission that we have as Believers is to to fight against our old selves. To fight against our selfishness to fight against our, our raging are malice to fight against everything that keeps us from being able to be the people. God called us to be

That's the mission. God has worsened, it matters because your your battle with sin is missional.

Your battle is sin. In the way. You you win that battle in your life will change the way people see you. It will change the way you witness to the world and it will change what people see when they look at you and see God's place on your forehead. This battle matters. Does he close? I'm going to ask you to consider taking some next steps. The first one to consider is to give your life to Jesus. If you have the power of sin is as built walls around you, and you are, you are trapped by sin. All you have to do is give your life to Jesus Christ, and he breaks that power and he brings down those walls. Today is the best day to make that commitment. So, if you want to give your life to Jesus and you're here encourage you to come down as we sing our final, talk to one of our ministers, if you're online getting to get ahold of the church connect. It was a phone call online or talk to a Christian that you trust. But today is the best day to make that decision. Baby, you're looking to get plugged in with a congregation so that you can continue to fight that battle because we aren't called to fight it alone. You can sign up for connect class. If you want to know more about this church who we are, and what we do, we put those, we have those classes on Sunday. Afternoons. If you're if you're interested in being one of those, just check the box in your connection card. Another way, next time you can take us to get plugged in with a small group, which is a group of people who get together and fight that battle together and pray together and learn together and grow together. You want to join one of those small groups, check that box on your connection card. Finally, if you want to join a service team. This is the way that we give back in the way that we continue to build God's kingdom outside ourselves. You can join one of those by check in the box, in your connect card, but I encourage you to earnestly. Consider. What is the next step? God is calling you to as we stand and sing. He's doing us.