Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
Time To Clean Out The Attic
Joshua 7:1-13 July 13, 2003
Praise Him, Praise Him… the words just seem to roll out of our mouths. Well that’s the way it is
sometimes. It is so easy to praise God when everything is going well. You get a pay raise and
you are all smiles. Your child earns an award and you are on top of the world. A good friend
calls and says “hello” and the happy memories flow. God is so good and praises flow so easily
when we are living with his blessings in our lives. God seems so real and so close that all we
can do is bow before him and glorify his name.
That’s how the Israelites were feeling in the first few chapters of the book of Joshua. Our text
today picks up right after one of the greatest moments in the history of Israel. The people are
giddy with joy and praise for God.
You see, Joshua had just been called to lead the people after the death of Moses. And although he
could never take the place of Moses, he was much loved and the people had a lot of confidence
in him. What’s more, in their very first battle in the promised land, they soundly defeated the
enemy in a battle for Jericho.
You may remember the story. Joshua and his army surrounded the city and marched around it
seven times while sounding the horn. Suddenly the walls came tumbling down and the city was
defenseless against them.
It was a miracle and the people were praising God for the good fortune. Answered prayer tends
to move us to praise doesn’t it? When we see God working in our lives, doing good things,
helping us through difficult moments, bringing us blessings, we can’t help but turn to Him and
give thanks.
On the other hand, there is also a danger in success and it is so clearly illustrated in our text
today. Success often breeds carelessness. We see it in our own lives every day. When everything
is going well we tend to get sloppy and begin to think that everything will work out. We begin to
stop working so hard and often let the little things slide. One of those “little things” which is
often the first to go, is our dependence on God. We begin to look at our successes as coming
from our own innate ability and start thinking “we” can do anything! Well as we look at Joshua
and the people of Israel, here is the first lesson we need to learn,
We’re extremely vulnerable to temptation in moments of apparent success.
In our text today we read that the next city on their agenda was Ai and it was a weak city. This
should have been an easy battle. But look what happened. The Israelites were soundly defeated
and embarrassed. And they fell on their knees and cried out to God.
Notice God’s reply to Joshua’s appeal. Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? God
had given them victory after victory and then, after one defeat, they’re down on their knees
blubbering about how they should have been content to stay on the other side of the river, how
their enemies are going to hear about this and they will wipe us out. Do you know somebody like
that? We need to hear God’s words to Joshua again.
Yesterday’s good fortune is not an assurance of victory today, but one defeat doesn’t mean the
end. There was a reason for the defeat. God lets Joshua know there’s a reason for their loss to
Ai. “Israel has sinned.” Sin corrupts.
Sin in our lives has a tendency to bring us to defeat. Now in our text today, God reveals how the
disobedience of one individual can have a negative effect on the whole community.
Achan is eventually indicted as the culprit.
Achan is the epitome of the dark side of every individual and every community. All of us have
within us the potential to fall, and fall hard. He admits to having taken three things that were
supposed to be destroyed or turned over to the Lord’s treasury: a beautiful Babylonian coat, 200
shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels.
When we possess forbidden things, or engage in forbidden activities, what good is it to us? What
good is a treasure that you have to keep hidden so no one will find out about your sin?
A much deeper truth about Achan’s sin is also evident: disobedience to God is a malignancy that
has serious effects on the whole community of believers. Thirty-six men lost their lives because
of Achan’s sin. The nation went down to defeat because of Achan’s sin.
My sin cannot be isolated from you, and your sin cannot be isolated from me. There are
corporate consequences of our sins; even those that are hidden from the eyes of men.
That brings us to the heart of the gospel. Sin creates a rift between all of us and God. And that’s
why Jesus had to come. Jesus came to bridge the gap that SIN HAD CAUSED in the world.
Paul tells us that because one man sin, all had to pay the consequences. But now one man’s
righteousness, can bring salvation to all the world.
When Aichan’s sin was dealt with, the people were restored, and so it is with Christ.
The chain saw story.
We come to the table today. Maybe you have been struggling with sin in your life. Maybe you
didn’t even know it was sin. But you want to get turned on to the power and grace of God. It is
easy, just confess your sin now and ask him into your heart.
Joshua 7:1-13 July 13, 2003
Praise Him, Praise Him… the words just seem to roll out of our mouths. Well that’s the way it is
sometimes. It is so easy to praise God when everything is going well. You get a pay raise and
you are all smiles. Your child earns an award and you are on top of the world. A good friend
calls and says “hello” and the happy memories flow. God is so good and praises flow so easily
when we are living with his blessings in our lives. God seems so real and so close that all we
can do is bow before him and glorify his name.
That’s how the Israelites were feeling in the first few chapters of the book of Joshua. Our text
today picks up right after one of the greatest moments in the history of Israel. The people are
giddy with joy and praise for God.
You see, Joshua had just been called to lead the people after the death of Moses. And although he
could never take the place of Moses, he was much loved and the people had a lot of confidence
in him. What’s more, in their very first battle in the promised land, they soundly defeated the
enemy in a battle for Jericho.
You may remember the story. Joshua and his army surrounded the city and marched around it
seven times while sounding the horn. Suddenly the walls came tumbling down and the city was
defenseless against them.
It was a miracle and the people were praising God for the good fortune. Answered prayer tends
to move us to praise doesn’t it? When we see God working in our lives, doing good things,
helping us through difficult moments, bringing us blessings, we can’t help but turn to Him and
give thanks.
On the other hand, there is also a danger in success and it is so clearly illustrated in our text
today. Success often breeds carelessness. We see it in our own lives every day. When everything
is going well we tend to get sloppy and begin to think that everything will work out. We begin to
stop working so hard and often let the little things slide. One of those “little things” which is
often the first to go, is our dependence on God. We begin to look at our successes as coming
from our own innate ability and start thinking “we” can do anything! Well as we look at Joshua
and the people of Israel, here is the first lesson we need to learn,
We’re extremely vulnerable to temptation in moments of apparent success.
In our text today we read that the next city on their agenda was Ai and it was a weak city. This
should have been an easy battle. But look what happened. The Israelites were soundly defeated
and embarrassed. And they fell on their knees and cried out to God.
Notice God’s reply to Joshua’s appeal. Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? God
had given them victory after victory and then, after one defeat, they’re down on their knees
blubbering about how they should have been content to stay on the other side of the river, how
their enemies are going to hear about this and they will wipe us out. Do you know somebody like
that? We need to hear God’s words to Joshua again.
Yesterday’s good fortune is not an assurance of victory today, but one defeat doesn’t mean the
end. There was a reason for the defeat. God lets Joshua know there’s a reason for their loss to
Ai. “Israel has sinned.” Sin corrupts.
Sin in our lives has a tendency to bring us to defeat. Now in our text today, God reveals how the
disobedience of one individual can have a negative effect on the whole community.
Achan is eventually indicted as the culprit.
Achan is the epitome of the dark side of every individual and every community. All of us have
within us the potential to fall, and fall hard. He admits to having taken three things that were
supposed to be destroyed or turned over to the Lord’s treasury: a beautiful Babylonian coat, 200
shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels.
When we possess forbidden things, or engage in forbidden activities, what good is it to us? What
good is a treasure that you have to keep hidden so no one will find out about your sin?
A much deeper truth about Achan’s sin is also evident: disobedience to God is a malignancy that
has serious effects on the whole community of believers. Thirty-six men lost their lives because
of Achan’s sin. The nation went down to defeat because of Achan’s sin.
My sin cannot be isolated from you, and your sin cannot be isolated from me. There are
corporate consequences of our sins; even those that are hidden from the eyes of men.
That brings us to the heart of the gospel. Sin creates a rift between all of us and God. And that’s
why Jesus had to come. Jesus came to bridge the gap that SIN HAD CAUSED in the world.
Paul tells us that because one man sin, all had to pay the consequences. But now one man’s
righteousness, can bring salvation to all the world.
When Aichan’s sin was dealt with, the people were restored, and so it is with Christ.
The chain saw story.
We come to the table today. Maybe you have been struggling with sin in your life. Maybe you
didn’t even know it was sin. But you want to get turned on to the power and grace of God. It is
easy, just confess your sin now and ask him into your heart.
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