A0427_Disaster Waiting To Happen
Date: 11th February 2009 (Wednesday PM) Ref: A0427
Place: Kambah P.S.
Title: Disaster Waiting to Happen
Text: & Joshua 7:1-5
Illust: Just before Christmas there was a boat the MV Ability that was moored off the Yacht Club at Point Cruz - On Christmas night just the back of it was out of the water, a few days later it is gone. Resting on the bottom. – A vexed local wrote to the local Newspaper a letter with the heading “Disaster waiting to happen!”
I. A Glaring Problem
A. Reap the Whirlwind
i. The letter writer makes this comment
One problem or many big problems! It has Batteries, Fuel, Oil, Fire Extinguishers etc on board. You might say, ‘Yeah, so, it is under the water, we can’t even see it.’ Unfortunately, against this argument is that this world that we live in is made up of chemical reactions and this situation is no different
ii. Truth in this argument that even if we want to be able to ignore certain things there are physical & indeed spiritual laws at work that are totally independent of what you think or would like to believe.
Galatians 6:7-8 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (NKJV)
iii. The law of Sowing & reaping – What you sow, you will reap. If you sow immorality, if you sow rebellion, discouragement, discontent, evil speaking, foolishness. – You will reap a harvest. – A terrible harvest.
Hosea 8:7 “They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. (NKJV).
In our text, Achan had directly disobeyed the commandment of God & kept back some of the spoil from Jericho. – As the army went up to take the city of Ai, it was a disaster waiting to happen, sin had been sowed they reaped the whirlwind.
B. Eventually Sink
i. Apparently this boat was damaged about 6 months previously & it has taken that time for it to finally sink. Nothing was done & now it is gone.
ii. Life can be like this, you sin, make a mistake, speak hurtful / rebellious words, act thoughtlessly – cause damage, no real problem for a while, things seem to be going ok, so you leave it, don’t repent, don’t make it right & then one day it’s gone.
iii. The relationship, the situation, even maybe your destiny – sunk
II. Disaster
· Lets look at some of the things on this boat that are likely to cause a problem
A. Explosion of Bitterness
“If saltwater gets to the battery acid, they will explode”
i. A ticking time bomb, just waiting for the effects of the saltwater the struggles of everyday life to finally corrode through to the acid just waiting. The bitterness that has been allowed to lay dormant in your life
Acts 8:23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness.” (NKJV)
ii. Bitterness, that you harbour from perceived or maybe even real violoations, you think it is under control, you think you have hidden it, out of sight. – Problem is life has a way of bringing situations that will come in contact with your bitterness – explosion
Hebrews 12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; (NKJV)
iii. Real danger for anyone who happens to be nearby. – You can irreparably destroy relationships, your family, maybe even a church. Blow away destiny – in an explosion of bitterness – A disaster waiting to happen
B. Corrosion of Unbelief
“if the fuel on board reaches the surface and you put any part of your body into it, it will cause chemical burns to your skin”
i. The nasty effect of fuel on your skin, that irritates & burns. Unbelief is like that. You may come to church week after week, say all the right things, sing praise God, raise your hands.
But inside you don’t truly believe that God is going to really do anything to help in your situation of need, your health, your loved ones salvation, your ministry.
ii. This unbelief is slowly working away at your faith, corroding it, scarring it – Everything looks good on the outside but underneath the calm sea, your faith is being slowly burnt away by a spirit of unbelief that you have allowed to seep into your life.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (NKJV)
iii. Danger is that when a severe trial hits, you have been so weakened by unbelief that you collapse & turn away from the purpose of God for your life, backslide & end up shipwrecked.
1 Timothy 1:19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, (NKJV)
C. Destruction of Pride
“if the oil on board leaks out it will destroy the Mendana reef and reef life only metres away from where the boat is sitting and it will land on the beaches of the Mendana Hotel, the yacht club, Mbokona Bay, the Police Maritime Wharf, or may move up to the new 5 Star Heritage Hotel Resort Complex.”
i. Finally we have the oil spill, the thick sticky, suffocating oil that coats the surface of the water & kills all life that gets caught up in it.
Tests have proven that a drop of oil no larger than a coin will work its way through the plumage of a bird to cause slow but certain death from exposure and starvation.
This is your pride. Doesn’t take much, just a little bit to kill – Yet we are so proud as humans. Cultural pride, religious pride, self pride.
ii. Problem with pride is that God hates pride in all its manifestations, God wants to do a work, a beautiful work, but man’s pride many times comes along & smothers over the top of what God is trying to do.
James 4:6 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (NKJV)
iii. Your pride will stop what God wants to do, lays waste vast areas. Again this can be hidden for a time, but eventually it will flow out of you and when it does it is evident to all.
III. Deal with the Problem
A. Bring it to the Surface
i. There is always greater damage in the long run, & it impacts the lives of others all around you.
“Another problem is the Millions of Dollars of boats that are moored near it or go past it. If another boat ties up to that mooring it will get caught up on the wreck underneath it and we will have two boats sitting on the sand”
ii. Logically we realise that with the MV Ability, these issues will have to be brought to the surface and dealt with, removed otherwise they are a disaster waiting to happen. – Will anyone have the will to do this. Only time will tell
iii. As I said at the beginning the sad fact of human nature is that we tend to ignore problems hoping they will go away but they don’t.
“The biggest problem I see is because it is under the water, everybody thinks that the problem has gone, well it hasn’t and it is actually one hundred times worse. It isn’t going away; it is a time bomb just waiting to go off.”
iv. Truth is in your life there may be bitterness, unforgiveness, unbelief, pride, lust, fear, rebellion, maybe you have sinned, fallen, hurt others. Can’t be just left to lie under the water. – You have to bring it to the surface. - & Josh 7:10-15 ~ Serious / Radical
B. Remove the Problems
i. Deal with the issue, only one way to remove these things and prevent the disaster waiting to happen – Repentance.
Ezekiel 18:30-31 30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (NKJV)
ii. You must confess your sin, repent of it, - turn away from your sin, forgive others, humble yourself, recognise unbelief and repent.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)
iii. When you do this, you avert the disaster waiting to happen. – You must however overcome the natural human tendency to ignore the problem – Deal with it here tonight
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (NKJV)