Be Strong
Series: Joshua
Speaker: Chris Jones
Date: 26th April 2015
Passage: Joshua 7:1-26
00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 It was a very serious trouble, and it's a pretty horrible punishment.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:15 But don't forget that 36 other families mourned their loved one as a consequence of Aiken's failure.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:20 I'm about to talk about anger, and I think I'm wondering if you just turn to one another for two minutes.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 So really quickly, not a lot of detail.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:31 Just turn to one other person and share a time when somebody was seriously angry with you and what that felt like.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 Move quickly to what it felt like.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 Okay.
00:00:55 --> 00:01:00 A few things come to mind for me, some of them funny and some of them not so funny at all.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:10 The unfunny one is getting a hiding from my dad at the same time as he's trying to express regret for having to give a decent son a hiding.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 That didn't feel nice at all.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:19 I remember when I was 13 or 14 years old, we lived at Collaroy Platter over on the northern beaches,
00:01:19 --> 00:01:23 and I was allowed with my friends to go canoeing down on Narrabeen Lake.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:28 A couple of my friends had canoes, surf skis, and they had little wheels and trailers to take them down on.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:33 So they towed them down the hill into the lake, and off we went, and we were three hours late.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:39 And parents were out looking for us, and it was in the days when there were no mobile phones.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:44 And probably very oblivious to the time, but I knew we were in trouble,
00:01:44 --> 00:01:48 because as we were coming back up the hill to Collaroy Platter, halfway up a very steep hill,
00:01:49 --> 00:01:54 towing these things behind us, one of my friend's mums came down the hill very slowly in her car,
00:01:54 --> 00:01:58 with her head out the window, and I can tell you she had a really ugly look on her face.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 And she was shouting at my friends, saying,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 you're going to get the father of a hiding when you get home.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:08 And then she looked at me and she said, and your parents are so filthy angry with you.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:15 And so I had to walk the next probably kilometre home full of fear and dread,
00:02:15 --> 00:02:19 anticipating the wrath of my parents and what that would mean.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 What could I do to turn their wrath away?
00:02:21 --> 00:02:22 I think I tried tears.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 I'm not sure if it worked on the day or not, but that's what I did.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:31 I've also stood in a very serious place, floor of Sydney, not Sydney Synod, but another diocese.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:39 And I said some things, sort of in innocence, that the bishop really didn't like.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:44 And he left his chair and he took the floor.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:45 And I said them with Steve's old box.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:49 The man who discipled Steve nurtured him when he came to Christ.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 The two of us were ministers and we both spoke on this matter.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:58 And the bishop was so incensed, he left his chair, he took the floor of the Synod.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:00 And I said my bit.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:05 And before I could even sit down, he was on the other side of the Synod hall,
00:03:06 --> 00:03:12 snorting, raging, saying that they were the most unfair men and most unfair things
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 that he had ever heard on the floor of Synod.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 So I felt like I'd better stand there and take it.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 So I just stood there and eyeballed him rather than sit down.
00:03:20 --> 00:03:26 And when he'd finished tearing us apart, one of my friends who was sitting behind me starts going,
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 As funny as it is now, it was a horrible moment.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:42 And going away afterwards, processing somebody's anger
00:03:42 --> 00:03:47 and knowing what it's done to you and what's going on inside you.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 But it's not just me.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 All of us have had serious...
00:03:52 --> 00:03:58 I imagine all of us have experienced serious anger from other people and what it does to us.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 And I guess how we deal with it.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:04 So it might be a parent or a teacher screaming at you in anger.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:10 Or a boss who's ripping you to shreds and humiliating you for the work that you've done or haven't done.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:16 Or it could even be within your family when things get really tough between a husband and wife even.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:21 And things get said in an uncontrolled and deeply hurtful way.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:28 In all those things, there's a question of, what do you do with that?
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 You may well be the offender.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 You may well have caused the anger that's come to you.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:38 You may not have caused it, but you might have caused the anger that's come to you.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:42 And so, how do you deal with it?
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 What do you do?
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 How do you turn that anger away?
00:04:49 --> 00:04:53 Joshua 6 finished with a really stunning victory.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 It's where we were last week.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 I'd love you to have your Bibles open, Joshua 7.
00:04:56 --> 00:05:00 This morning when I preached this, I quoted the text quite a bit more.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:06 And then when I got into the Chinese services, I found it was helpful not to quote it quite as much because it takes too long.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 So I'm going to try a little bit differently tonight.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:12 I might not quote as much as I normally do, but I'd like you to be reading and following with me.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 Joshua 6 finished with God's stunning victory.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 He brought down the walls of Jericho.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 He handed the city to Israel.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 Rahab was saved.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 Joshua 6 was just a good news story.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 It was just good all the way through.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 And this most stunning victory.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:36 And so when you get into Joshua 7 and you hit the very first verse, you find that God is hot with anger.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 And you wonder, why on earth?
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 And it says something like this.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:44 The Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things.
00:05:45 --> 00:05:50 Achan, the son of Kami, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took some of them.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 So the Lord's anger burned against Israel.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 And that's like, whoa, where did that come from?
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 God's anger burns.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 He's furious with his people.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:04 It's really surprising.
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 And at this stage in the story, even Joshua doesn't know anything's wrong.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:19 Now, God had warned them in chapter 6 and Joshua had warned them in chapter 6 about how to treat the spoils of war from Jericho.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 You're not to keep them.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:29 Everything, people, animals, precious metals, everything is to be devoted to the Lord.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 That means living things killed and burned.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:40 And all the precious stuff in terms of metal and jewels and stuff into the treasury, the Lord's treasury.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:50 And I said last week, Jericho was God's judgment on the Amorite inhabitants of the land.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:55 And it was also his victory on behalf of his people.
00:06:55 --> 00:07:01 And what you get is this picture of to the victor go the spoils, winner take all.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:07 And in this case, in this victory, all glory to God who won this victory.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 So he gets the lot, everything.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:18 And then you hit this Joshua 7, 1, and it's like this enormous hiccup, but worse than a hiccup.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:25 And it's also an explanation because before we read the whole of this chapter, we're being told in verse 1 what the problem is.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:31 One man, Achan, acted unfaithfully with regard to the devoted things.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 One man does something wrong.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 God is angry with the whole nation.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:41 Achan's sin is secret, it's hidden, but it impacts the entire community.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 So he set the ground.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:54 Verse 1 tells the story behind what is about to be seen as we go through chapter 7.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:59 So moving into verse 2, they've won their first victory.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 They're now ready for the second.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 They suss out the city of Ai.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:06 They take a force of 3 men, quite a few less than before.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:10 And they are routed by the men of Ai who kill 36 Israelites.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:14 And 36 families lose their men, and they are in mourning that night.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:20 And Joshua and the leaders are devastated.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 And Joshua is flat on his face before God.
00:08:26 --> 00:08:31 He's grieved, and he says, why did you allow this to happen to us?
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 They'll surround us.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 They'll wipe out our name.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 And if they wipe out our name, what's going to happen to yours?
00:08:36 --> 00:08:43 He's perplexed.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 He's confused.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:48 He trusts God, but he can't see or understand what God is doing,
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 and he's really fearful of what's going to happen.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:55 And now they take this enormous confidence as a nation.
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 They know what God has been doing for them,
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 and now they take this enormous hit.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:04 And they really don't know where they stand with God.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 And in this moment, it is like relationship with God
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 is just too hot to handle.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 Who are you, God, that you would do this to us?
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 Humanly speaking, it seems unfair.
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 It's like keeping the whole class in,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 waiting for someone to own up when money got pinched
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 from the teacher's handbag.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 Only one person offends,
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 but a whole lot of people are affected by the offence.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 Something similar happens in Acts chapter 5.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 The early church has been growing by thousands
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 since the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:46 Acts 4 finishes with the wonderful description of believers
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 being of one heart and mind and sharing their possessions
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 and quite extraordinary acts of giving.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 So Barnabas, who will be heard a lot of later,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 but Barnabas, named by the apostles as the son of encouragement,
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 sells a field and brings the proceeds in to bless the whole community
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 and they're providing for one another's basic needs.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 This is a wonderful new experience of being the people of God.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 And then one verse later,
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 you come to the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 They fake their Christianity.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 They fake their generosity.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 And God strikes them dead.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 And it says,
00:10:27 --> 00:10:31 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 In some ways, the consequence for the church,
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 for all of God's people,
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 was quite healthy.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:41 Because even though they hadn't done anything wrong,
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 they did receive,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:47 they did experience a terrible reminder that God is God.
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 He doesn't play favourites.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 He calls the shots.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 We don't.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 And the sin of one couple
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 had an impact on the entire community.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:06 Joshua was on his face before God.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:11 And God answers Joshua pretty abruptly.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 Stand up.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 What are you doing down on your face?
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 Israel sinned.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 They violated my covenant,
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 which I commanded them to keep.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 They've taken some of the devoted things.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 They've stolen.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:23 They've lied.
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 They've put them with their own possessions.
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 That's why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 They turn their back and run
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 because they've been made liable to destruction.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:33 Oh.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 But have some sympathy for Joshua
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 because this is the first time he's even told by God
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 that something's wrong and what it is.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 God brings what is hidden into the light
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 so that it can be dealt with.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 There's sin in the camp.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 He uses the plural to say
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 the whole nation is being held accountable
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 for what has happened.
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 They have sinned.
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 They have taken devoted things.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 They have stolen.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 They have lied.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 Can you imagine being back in school
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 and somebody pinches stuff
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 and we've got the thing in front of the teacher
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 and she's trying to find out who's stolen from a handbag
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 and the principal comes in
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 and he says the whole class has stolen,
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 the whole class has lied,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 the whole class has taken some of the stuff
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 from the teacher's handbag.
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 You'd be...
00:12:17 --> 00:12:23 But the effect of all this is
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 that they have been made liable to destruction
00:12:25 --> 00:12:30 and they are only as strong as their weakest link
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 and their weakest link is Achan
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 and he has brought repercussions for the whole body
00:12:34 --> 00:12:39 and so there is crisis for the whole nation.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 Now let me tell you,
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 when I read some of the commentaries
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 about this passage in preparation,
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 they do all sorts of contrary things.
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 One of the things they say is,
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 oh well this time Joshua didn't pray to God properly
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 with the leaders,
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 they're a bit too self-consistent,
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 they only took out 3 men,
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 they should have taken a lot more,
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 they didn't seek his...
00:13:01 --> 00:13:05 So the commentator would be saying to me tonight
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 that I should be preaching a message to you
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 about being more reliant on God
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 and relying on his empowering
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 and have made sure I prayed enough before I did it.
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 I don't think that's what it's about.
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 And one of the other commentators very helpfully said,
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 but you could actually look at this another way
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 and say something huge has gone on
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 amongst the people of God
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 and by his grace only 36 people died.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 He could have been a lot more severe on the nation.
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 So take your pick
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 and I'd say choose neither.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 But God doesn't just explain the problem,
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 he tells Joshua the solution.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 And the solution is terrible.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 Sin needs to be removed from among them
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 and the offender must be destroyed.
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 God meant what he said in chapter 6
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 when he said keep away, verse 18,
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 keep away from the devoted things
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 so that you will not bring about your own destruction
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 by taking any of them.
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 And that's what happens the next day.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 The whole nation presents themselves before God.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 We're not told how the selection occurs.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 Did they draw a lot?
00:14:10 --> 00:14:10 Who knows?
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 But Judah's chosen from the tribes,
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 the Zerahites from the clans,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 the Zimri from the families.
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 They're narrowing it down
00:14:18 --> 00:14:22 and finally Achan from the men of Zimri.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 And Joshua just looks him in the eye and says,
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 fess up, give glory to God,
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 tell the truth and he does.
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 Full confession.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 Verse 20,
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 it's true, I've sinned against the Lord,
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 the God of Israel.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 This is what I've done.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 When I saw in the plunder
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 a beautiful robe from Babylonia,
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 200 shekels of silver,
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 a wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels,
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 I coveted them.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 I coveted them and I took them.
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 And they are hidden in the ground inside my tent
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 with the silver underneath.
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 Those 36 men who died last night
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 died because of me.
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 I coveted them.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 I took these things.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:12 And Joshua sends people to check it out.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 And then they take him
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 and they take his family
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 and they take his animals
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 and they stone them to death
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 and they burn their corpses in the dust.
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 And Joshua doesn't argue with God.
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 He takes him at his word.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 He does what he commands.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 It's shocking.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 It's particularly hard for us,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 I think,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 because Achan does a good thing
00:15:35 --> 00:15:35 when he's confronted.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 He confesses.
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 He owns his behaviour.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 And then he dies.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 And there's no national soul searching
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 over applying the death penalty.
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 They do what God tells them to do.
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 And it must have struck fear
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 into the hearts of everyone in Israel.
00:15:56 --> 00:16:01 God is to be honoured.
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 He is the Lord God Almighty
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 and when he says something,
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 he means it.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 And clearly that may raise
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 all sorts of moral issues for us,
00:16:16 --> 00:16:20 like how is it fair to kill Achan's family
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 for what his dad, their dad, did?
00:16:23 --> 00:16:39 And I come to a passage like this
00:16:39 --> 00:16:39 and in the end,
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 I don't think I can answer a question like that,
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 even though I've raised it,
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 except that everything that happens here
00:16:44 --> 00:16:47 happens at the absolute command
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 of the Lord.
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 And this is his word
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 and these are his orders.
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 But the consequences
00:16:57 --> 00:17:00 are wonderfully dramatic.
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 Verse 26,
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 very last verse,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 the Lord turned from his fierce anger.
00:17:07 --> 00:17:12 The Lord turned from his fierce anger.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 The chapter began with God burning with anger
00:17:14 --> 00:17:17 and it finishes with him
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 turning from that same anger.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 Relationship is restored
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 and peace is re-established.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 And I think if I stop my message here,
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 we would be left with a picture
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 of a holy God
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 who will not tolerate
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 one single offence
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 against his words and commands.
00:17:34 --> 00:17:38 Achan and his family died for his sin.
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 The severity of God
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 would leave us in a relationship
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 of absolute fear.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 We would spend our lives living in fear.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 We would,
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 it's almost like we would be waiting
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 for God to pounce
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 and blot me out
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 with every single failure and offence.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 I could not feel secure
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 in this world
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 and in this life.
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 And we would end up
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 in a relationship
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 where we fear,
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 of fear,
00:18:03 --> 00:18:03 where we link,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 we're always linking
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 our behaviour
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 to our performance,
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 to our acceptance of God
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 and we can never,
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 ever,
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 ever,
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 ever be good enough for him.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:21 But he's made a better way.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 He's made a better way.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 This is a story
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 about the deserved anger
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 of God being satisfied
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 and turned away.
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 Atonement is made
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 for this offence
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 against God.
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 God was angry.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 He was ready to be divorced
00:18:40 --> 00:18:40 from his people.
00:18:42 --> 00:18:44 He had one foot out the door,
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 bags packed,
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 and his people
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 responded to his word
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 and Achan died for his sin
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 and God turned from his anger.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 The divorce was off,
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 relationship was restored
00:18:57 --> 00:18:59 and his anger
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 was atoned for.
00:19:06 --> 00:19:06 Friends,
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 God is rightly offended
00:19:08 --> 00:19:08 by sin.
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 He takes it personally.
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 We ignore him,
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 we run our own lives,
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 we make our own decisions,
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 we behave as though
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 he doesn't exist.
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 Don't think that doesn't matter
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 to him,
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 it does.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 We place ourselves
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 under his justifiable anger,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 we put ourselves
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 in a very precarious predicament.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 We don't think it,
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 but in God's economy,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:35 we deserve death.
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 From God's point of view,
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 that's our default condition
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 for our rebellion
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 against him.
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 And yet some of us,
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 and me included,
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 are just as greedy
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 as Achan.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 We'll put a bit aside
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 for a rainy day,
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 we'll stumble.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 He stumbled on some cool loot
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 that fell off the back
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 of a truck
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 and thought nobody
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 had noticed,
00:20:00 --> 00:20:00 easy money.
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 There wasn't a living soul
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 left in Jericho
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 who needed it anymore.
00:20:07 --> 00:20:07 He didn't think
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 that he would be seen
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 and yet God knew
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 his offence
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 was against God
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 and not against
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 the people of Jericho.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 And Achan,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:20 gave his life
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 for his offence.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:24 And God's anger
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 wasn't satisfied
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 until the offence
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 had been paid for.
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 Our offences
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 are against God.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 Something needs
00:20:35 --> 00:20:35 to happen
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 to turn his deserved
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 anger and attention
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 away from us.
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 Romans 3
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 speaks about our sin
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 and Jesus
00:20:42 --> 00:20:42 when it says
00:20:42 --> 00:20:44 God presented him
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 as a sacrifice
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 of atonement
00:20:45 --> 00:20:47 through faith
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 in his blood.
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 And he did this
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 to demonstrate
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 his justice
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52 because in his forbearance
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 he had left
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 the sins committed
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 beforehand unpunished.
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 And he did it
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 to demonstrate
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 his justice
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 at the present time
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 so as to be just
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 and the one
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 who justifies
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 those who have
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 faith in Jesus.
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 God presented
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 Jesus as an atonement
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 through faith
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 in his blood.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:13 When you come
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 to the person
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 of Jesus Christ
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 you find that
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 God takes
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 personal action
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 to turn his
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 deserved anger
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 from us.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 God has acted
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 to turn away
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 his anger.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 We couldn't do it
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 but God did.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 And this is huge
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 and it means
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 I can stand here
00:21:31 --> 00:21:31 tonight
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 and I can say it
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 to me
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 but I can say it
00:21:33 --> 00:21:33 to you
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 that if your
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 heart tonight
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 accuses you
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 of anything
00:21:37 --> 00:21:41 or if there's
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 another person
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 who holds
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 an offence
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 against you
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 or perhaps
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 there's things
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 in your life
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 that really
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 only God
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 knows about
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 I want you
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 to hear
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 that God
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 has acted
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 in Christ
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 to forgive
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 them
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 and he is
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 able to
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 in Christ
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 to turn
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 away
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 from any
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 anger
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 he might have
00:22:05 --> 00:22:05 towards you
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 because of them.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:12 Achan didn't
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 do anything
00:22:13 --> 00:22:13 much worse
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 than things
00:22:14 --> 00:22:14 that we do
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 all the time
00:22:15 --> 00:22:19 and then he did
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 he confessed
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 his sin
00:22:21 --> 00:22:21 when he was
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 confronted
00:22:22 --> 00:22:22 by God
00:22:22 --> 00:22:25 and he died
00:22:25 --> 00:22:28 he had to
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 face the music
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 and pay the
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 penalty
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 for his own
00:22:31 --> 00:22:31 sin
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 and his life
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 in a way
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 became the
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 answer to
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 his own
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 sin
00:22:35 --> 00:22:37 he was
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 the atonement
00:22:38 --> 00:22:38 that his
00:22:38 --> 00:22:38 sin
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 required
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 his death
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 turned
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 God
00:22:41 --> 00:22:41 away
00:22:41 --> 00:22:41 from his
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 burning
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 anger
00:22:42 --> 00:22:46 and I
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 think it's
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 fantastic
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 that I can
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 stand here
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 tonight
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 and I can
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 tell you
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 it's something
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 that's lived
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 out in my
00:22:51 --> 00:22:51 own life
00:22:51 --> 00:22:51 sometimes
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 when I
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 go into
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 a hole
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 and I've
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 gone into
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 behaviours
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 that I
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 deeply
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 regret
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 or I
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 don't
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 want to
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 be part
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 of my
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 life
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 and I
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 want to
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 be at
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 peace
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 with God
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 again
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 I do
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 not get
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 back
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 into
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 relationship
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 with him
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 by beating
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 myself
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 up
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 even though
00:23:04 --> 00:23:04 I sometimes
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 do beat
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 myself up
00:23:05 --> 00:23:08 I cannot
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 self-atone
00:23:09 --> 00:23:13 but we
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 come before
00:23:14 --> 00:23:14 a holy
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 God and
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 we confess
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 our sins
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 because he
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 has already
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 made it
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 safe for us
00:23:19 --> 00:23:19 to do
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 that
00:23:20 --> 00:23:23 our confession
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 doesn't
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 save us
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 Christ himself
00:23:25 --> 00:23:25 has stood
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 in our
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 place
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 and died
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 for our
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 sins
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 to make
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 us
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 safe
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 he saves
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 us
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 and so
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 God
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 himself
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 takes
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 the most
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 drastic
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 action
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 to make
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 it safe
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 for us
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 to come
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 near him
00:23:36 --> 00:23:39 he makes
00:23:39 --> 00:23:39 atonement
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 for his
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 own anger
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 he acts
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 to turn
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 his deserved
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 anger away
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 and do you
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 know why
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 it's really
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 simple
00:23:44 --> 00:23:46 it's because
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 he loves
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 us
00:23:47 --> 00:23:52 and you
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 see that
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 in 1
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 John
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 chapter 2
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 he is the
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 atoning
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 sacrifice
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 for our
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 sins
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 and not
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 only for
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 ours
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 but also
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 for the
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 sins
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 of the
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 whole
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 world
00:24:00 --> 00:24:02 and in
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 1
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 John
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 chapter 4
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 Lord
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 this is
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 love
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 not that
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 we love
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 God
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 but that
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 he loved
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 us
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 and sent
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 his son
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 as an
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 atoning
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 sacrifice
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 for our
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 sins
00:24:11 --> 00:24:16 what an
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 extraordinary
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 God
00:24:17 --> 00:24:19 who loves
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 us
00:24:19 --> 00:24:21 who allows
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 us to
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 live
00:24:22 --> 00:24:24 who has
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 turned
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 his deserved
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 anger
00:24:26 --> 00:24:26 his fury
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 he has
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 taken it
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 upon himself
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 and he has
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 turned it
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 away from
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 us
00:24:30 --> 00:24:33 I've
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 said all
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 day
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 when you
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 go from
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 here
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 to
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 night
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 I hope
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 that you
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 go with a
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 really big
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 smile on
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 your face
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 and a
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 really big
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 smile on
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 your heart
00:24:40 --> 00:24:42 because of
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 how great
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 Christ's love
00:24:44 --> 00:24:44 for us
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 is
00:24:45 --> 00:24:47 and I
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 also hope
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 that you
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 go from
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 here knowing
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 it's a
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 very healthy
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 thing
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 to fear
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 and to
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 respect
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 Christ
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 for who
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 he really
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 is
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 Amen
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58