Sermon Tone Analysis

When Sin Enters The Camp

Joshua 6:18

And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

The Israelites had just conquered the City of Jericho.

God instructed them to utterly destroy and not to take any accursed things.

Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

I. Willful Disobedience (Greed in the hearts of the children of Israel)

a.God's anger is kindled against Israel because they took of the accursed thing

b.Joshua sends up a small group of soldiers to scout out the city of Ai

1.Self Confidence and pride enters in (define pride)

The word pride translated from the Hebrew word ga’ avah = arrogance

a.Men bring the report back to Joshua that there are only a few men.

3,000 men sent to defeat Ai.

b.The men of Ai kills 36 of Joshua men and the rest are chased back to gates of the city because of fear.

Cowardice has set in.

Joshua 7: 6-12

2. Joshua rents his clothes (define the act of renting clothes and significance in disobedience

a.Joshua rents his clothes and falls on his face, he questions God.

Lord why are we defeated?

He says, Lord did you bring us to this side of Jordan to have us destroyed?

We did all that you commanded us to do.

There was a lot of murmuring, complaining

Sin is the reason why Israel cannot stand before their enemies (ref.Rom 6:23)

b.God tells Joshua, Get up!

Why are you on your face?

Israel has transgressed my commandment and sinned.

They have taken of the accursed thing, they have stolen and dissembled (split the goods up) and hid them among their own possessions.

c.Joshua’s dilemma; God will have no part in sin

V12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

1.God says get rid of the accursed thing ( idol, i.e. worldly possessions, things deceitfully gained)

Idol- anything that you esteem higher than God.

God will not tolerate another god next to Him.

That’s the reason why He said in Ex 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

We wonder why God will not bless us.

It’s because we’ve taken hold of something or have a possession whether it be in us.

God will not bless mess whatsoever.

He abhors sin.

Abhors means to hate something so much that you literally vomit, even the thought of it makes you sick.

God does not want us to be friend with the world, when you are or become a friend of the world you are the enemy of God.

That’s why the Word declares in James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

II.

Sanctification (Joshua 7:13-18)

God commands Joshua to sanctify himself, because tomorrow he must get rid of the accursed thing so that Israel can be victorious again

a.Examination of self

God says I want you to examine every tribe, every man and whoever has this accursed thing, take that man, his family and the accursed thing and destroy them with fire, because he has transgressed My commandment.

God wants us to take everything that is cursed (the life that we’ve been living, that means willing to become intoxicated by alcohol , our self-condemning speech, our worldly lifestyle), 'secret' sins and separate us from it

b .Confession with your mouth

1. Achan is found out; Joshua tells Achan give God the glory and tell me what you took.

Confess to God what you have done with your own lips, we must be open and honest with God, he knows it anyway.

We must be truthful in our dealings with God.

2. Achan goes to the tent and reveals what he has stolen.

Achan says when I saw the spoil it looked good and I took it for myself and buried in my tent.

When Achan chose to do this thing, he was destroyed because of sin.

SIN will kill you! physically, mentally, spiritually.

People of God, just because it looks good, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Satan has a plan too, His goal is to destroy and kill you by whatever means even through the through that you will not get caught.

God said the soul that sinneth (continue to practice habitually) shall die.

Dishonesty is not good.

God will never prosper you when try to build your own self up through deceitful gain.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all its righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”

III.

Redemptive Work

You may say preacher, “How do I seek the kingdom of God? First you must realize that you are in need of redemption.

To do this, we must acknowledge Jesus and His sacrificial death for us

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosever (means who ever will) believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus came to redeem us through the shedding of His precious blood.

His blood is the only thing that can redeem us.

We cannot redeem ourselves.

Jesus is the Light that we need to see in this dark and confused world.

Jesus said that no man cometh to the Father but by Him.

Then and only then until we give our lives to Jesus Christ we will continue to live a spiritually bankrupt life.

It’s like going to the bank and having insufficient funds.

We’ve all gone to the ATM and tried to withdraw money only to get a receipt that reads “INSUFFICIENT FUNDS” Surely we all can relate to that.

Jesus said if ye love Me, keep my commandments.

Do you love Jesus?

Do you trust him?

You may even say, I know God.

You may say, I don’t have any sin in me, the Word declares in John 1:10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

…If we claim we have not sinned, we make him (God) out to be a liar and his word has no place in

our lives.

IV.

Conclusion

2 Peter 3:9 declares The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

B. The Remedy

For believers:

1. Surrender

Stop.

You have to stop committing the sin.

Give it up.

Make a 180 degree turn toward God and away from the sin.

Surrender your life to God and His gracious mercy.

2. Confess

Confess to God and to those you’ve deceived.

Make it right.

Accept the consequences.

1 John 1:9

9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

3. Accountability

Tell your spouse.

Ask for forgiveness.