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Giants. Walled cities. Iron chariots. It had to be somewhat intimidating to the Israelites as they moved in to redeem the land that God gave them. Most of us have more than a few obstacles in life that we have to remove but these were very intimidating barriers. It’d be like me trying to go one-on-one with Kobe Bryant. The only way I beat him is if he breaks both legs and has a heart attack as he steps onto the court. The odds aren’t in my favor.

This week Pastor Chris taught us that The Promised Land was being subdivided and the clans and families of the original twelve sons of Jacob were receiving their inheritance. Now Joseph’s inheritance is double any other brother and he gets two portions for his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob’s son Levi received no land inheritance because God commissioned Levi and his clan into the priesthood and they received their blessings in different ways. So the people of Joseph’s family came to complain because they felt their land portions were too small for their numerous people. What they were really saying was the portion of their land that was already cleared and cultivated for farming and pastures for their flocks were still occupied with hostile people with intimidating weapons. All the other land was still uncultivated…rural forested property. They were seeking an easy way. Joshua says to them “You’ve got one of the biggest portions of land of any tribe…yes, it is uncultivated but you are one of the larger and stronger tribes and with a little “sweat equity”, you can overcome your enemies. From your effort, you can have all the space you’ll ever need. So, cease this complaining and go to work …you never get something for nothing.” That’s what I think Joshua was saying to the family of Joseph.

There is another saying in the Bible that says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” Luke 12:48 (NIV). This was a large family with tremendous resources and the Lord (and Joshua) knew that they could handle the land and those who inhabited it. We may view them as whiners but we often act the same way. We want to ride on the coat tails of those who have already done the hard work. We often feel that we are owed something—why should we have to work for something when others we know seem to get a free ride? But Joshua refused to bow to their whining. He did not give them an “easy pass.” Rather, he said “Get to work…create your bountiful future… Work for it. You are strong when you trust in your God. You have the promise and you are already over-comers. Now, take what God’s already given you.”

Joseph says, “Clear it, and it’s farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you will drive them out (vs. 18). Basically, Joseph is saying, “you are your only limitation.”
The same goes for us. God does not give us something for nothing. Even our salvation cost God the life of His own Son. When I look at this community and see the strongholds that exist, I have to realize that “greater is He who is in me than who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). This town, this community, this is the land He has given to us who live here, worship here and believe in Him. It’s up to us to avoid whining about how horrible things are and fall on our knees in prayer. We must boldly claim that it is only through His Spirit that we will begin to cultivate a land overgrown with the spiritually dead. In Christ, we are a great people who serve at the direction of a great God. No more whining…let us take the land God has already given to us. No reserve, no retreat, no regret.
Let this be our prayer:
God, sometimes I have amazing faith and sometimes I have a petty faith. I’ve seen you work in my life and the lives of others. I’ve seen you do grand things. Why do I so easily lose sight of your power sometimes and focus on the iron chariots in my life? Encourage me through your Spirit to face those challenges with faith, to trust in you and not me. Lord, forgive me for my whining, complaining and sorry excuses. Give me the victory through your power so I can give you the glory.

Besides God, there are two main characters throughout this stage of our study of Joshua: obviously Joshua is one of them, and the other is Caleb. Caleb is one of the spies who entered the Promised Land the first time– all the other spies gave reports of giants and fortified cities and how it would be impossible to take this land but Caleb (and Joshua) stuns everyone by boldly proclaiming that they should enter the land because God had already given them the victory. No one listened to him and the children of Israel are forced to wander the wilderness once more. We should not be surprised to learn that the name “Caleb” comes from Hebrew and means “wholehearted”. Caleb is a man who lived his entire life with wholehearted devotion to God’s purpose.

As Chris taught us on Sunday, Caleb is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible. He stands as a shining example of one who never lost his edge spiritually. He himself said at age 85, “I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and coming in” (Joshua 14:11 NKJV). This demonstration of courage must have unnerved the other men. They may even have thought him senile.

At this point of our study of Joshua, God’s people have taken much of the long awaited Promised Land and Joshua was dispensing portions of it to the tribes. However, Caleb steps forward to claim that which had been promised him by Moses. In fact, Caleb asks for the land that he had surveyed as much younger man.

In response, Joshua granted his faithful friend Caleb what he asked. He gives Caleb Hebron. The old man proved he had not yet exhausted his courage, when he said:

Now therefore, give me this mountain [the land of Hebron] of which the Lord spoke in that day. . (Joshua 14:10–12 NKJV)

The other men of Israel must have breathed a sigh of relief that Caleb had chosen this portion of land. This was not some beautiful, green pasture; it was one of the most treacherous mountainous areas of the Promised Land. Even more problematic was the fact that formidable adversaries inhabited this land. This was the home of the sons of Anak, the very same giants that terrified the 10 spies sent by Moses. No one wanted to take on the giants except 85-year-old Caleb. Can’t you just envision him holding up that muscular old arm, saying, “Give me this mountain”?

I love the boldness of this man of God. I can just see Caleb running up that mountain. I can see him as he slays his adversaries. He was victorious. He had been strong all those years and he finished well.

Let me share several principles with we learn from Caleb’s life that can give us this same spiritual stamina we need to run and indeed finish in the race of life well.

1. Follow the Lord 100 percent. Scripture says again and again that Caleb “wholly followed the Lord.” It’s in Joshua 14:8–9 and verse 14: Joshua blessed Caleb and gave the old man what he asked because “he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.”

This is clearly a key to Caleb’s spiritual success. But what does it mean to “wholly follow the Lord”? It means that you must fully follow our Lord not halfheartedly, but completely. One hundred percent.

Are you wholly following the Lord your God? If you are not, you will eventually be picked off. It is only a matter of time until you become a casualty in the race of life.

2. Don’t compromise—stand your ground. At the risk of being ostracized, Caleb took a stand for what he knew was true. He knew he needed to be more concerned with God’s approval than man’s approval. And for this, he was rewarded.

As you walk with the Lord, you will face many temptations to cave in to peer pressure, to do what everybody else does. But if you are going to fully follow the Lord, then, like Caleb, you must make this principle operative in your life. Stand firm and seek God’s pleasure, no one else’s.

3. Take God at His Word. Caleb didn’t win immediate entrance to the Promised Land. First, he had to wander around with those ungrateful, complaining Israelites for 40 years. They said things like “We remember the good old days back in Egypt, where we had garlic, leeks, and onions.”

Despite the Israelites’ childish clinging to conjured memories, Caleb hung on to the promises of God. He knew God would be faithful, regardless of the time frame. Caleb trusted God’s word to him. We can do the same.

4. Long for fellowship with your God. Caleb asked for a place in the Promised Land called Hebron. There is something very interesting about the name Hebron, which—in the original language—means “fellowship, love, and communion.” Hebron is where Abraham met with God face-to-face and received the promise of the new land in the first place.

Caleb yearned for fellowship with God. While the other Israelites longed for Egypt, Caleb longed for Hebron. While the others looked back in dread, Caleb looked forward with fearless anticipation. While others wanted to please themselves, Caleb wanted only to please God.

This is an essential key to spiritual longevity. You must always move forward. You must always seek to grow spiritually and never look back. That’s what will keep you going.

If you are living this Christian life for others’ applause, you won’t make it. You have to run empowered by your love for God.

Questions for thought:

1. Have you ever felt resentful or burdened by something God was calling you to do?
2. One justification for not helping or serving is that feel we need time for ourselves, for our studies, for our work, for our own rest. While easy to understand, what do you think is wrong with this mindset?
3. When was the last time you felt excited and even proud to have the chance to serve? What made that situation so different?
4. What are some practical ways you can begin to see serving God as your privilege rather than your burden?

Resources:
Leon Mauldin – Caleb Inherits Hebron
Don Gommesen Ph.D – Caleb’s Faith
Stephen Sizer – Wholehearted Caleb

Joshua 11:15-23
15 As the Lord commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. 16 So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with their foothills, 17 from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. 18 Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. 19 Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. 20 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 had commanded Moses. 21 At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. 22 No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive. 23 So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Chapter 11 of the book of Joshua marks an important shift. As Pastor Chris taught, it is the point in which united action in Canaan by the people of God ceases. Their previous victories have been decisive, and though the enemy still lives in Canaan, nevertheless they have been beaten and scattered throughout the land. God has given the whole land to His people. But here in chapter 11, we notice another significant change. In the verses above, we are told that the Lord commanded and Joshua acted in obedience and left nothing undone. He waged war. He took the land. He went and destroyed. While the Lord is providing the victory, Joshua and the people of God must move out in obedience and apply their faith. They must see what God is doing and then join Him.

Much territory was yet to be possessed, but it was left to each tribe to take possession of what they had potentially received through the conquest of the whole nation. Each tribe was to apply individually the lessons it had learned in united war if it was to possess its inheritance. When certain tribes failed to do so, it was not a reflection on the power of God, but their failure to take for themselves what Joshua allotted to each of them.

At this point, it is tremendously important to learn something from God’s Word. Every precious truth we learn from God’s Word must be applied by faith into our personal lives or else it will mean nothing whatsoever. The blessing and the glow and the warmth that we receive in our hearts from studying God’s Word can be lost very quickly after we close His book unless there is personal application. May God raise in His church a people who are desperate to be right with Him and utterly dissatisfied when they are apart from His grace. The greatest source of conflict in the Christian life is in not being right with God, in living a life that is contrary to the will of God. Such a life is at war with God’s desire for us. The moment a person begins to obey, his soul is immediately at rest from war. One of the fruits of victory that the Israelites enjoyed is found in verse 23 of Joshua 11 – “So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.”

Think for just a moment with me about “the rest” of the Lord Jesus. What kind of rest is it? Jesus desires that you and I should enter into His rest in our daily lives. The fruit of victory is rest. What is the effect of that rest in the Christian life today? You will never get the highest result from your work if you are always rushing at a fervent pace.

The work that God wants to accomplish in us and through us can never be done effectively until we learn to rest in His strength. The restful Christian is the one who lives his life above the storm trusting Jesus. He is sensitive to the sorrow and troubles of other people but he is always able to discern the wisdom of God. He is willing to trust the loving heart of God and therefore is able to endure conflict as he anticipates the unfolding of God’s plan. He is able to keep silent while he waits on the Word of God. The Christian who is living above the toil and traffic of daily life, who is constantly living in touch with the throne, is truly resting in Jesus.

The resting Christian – are you like that? I didn’t say the lazy Christian, I said the resting Christian: busy, keen, always at the work of the Master, while deep in his heart is peace that no storm, however unexpected, and no sorrow, however miserable and hard to bear, can ever disturb.

How can that rest be yours and mine? It can be yours when you begin to see that Christ has provided everything for you that you will ever need. It can be yours when you understand that Satan is a conquered foe. When that happens in your life, you are at rest. There is a trust that God is in control. There is an assurance that the battle has been fought and won by our Savior. There is a confidence that no circumstance, no trouble, no testing can ever touch me until it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose. I may not understand the purpose at the moment it comes but as I refuse to become panicky and as I lift my eyes up to Him, I can accept it as coming from the throne of God. I am able to accept that my circumstances are for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart. No sorrow will ever disturb me. No trial will ever disarm me. No circumstance will cause me to fret and I will rest in the joy of who my Lord is. That is the rest of victory.

Let me ask you this: do you desire this life of rest in Jesus? Do you desire the rest of assured forgiveness, the rest of unbroken fellowship, the rest of a surrendered will, the rest of a life that is satisfied in Him? Has your Christian life been a battle of frustrated desires and unsatisfied longings?

All that is asked of you and me to enter into the land of rest in Jesus Christ is that we take our share in the victory of the Cross. Surrender your life to His will and His ways. Surrender your past, present, and future. Surrender your desires and your dreams, and allow Him to replace them in your heart and mind with His desires and dreams.

Psalms 37:4-5 (NIV) tells us this – “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.” So many people have misinterpreted this verse. They suppose if we go through some obligatory religious exercises – the bare minimum even – God will smile upon us and like some genie in the sky, He will give us our hearts desires. Our every wish will be granted.

NO!!

What these verses tell us is this; when we cross the line and commit our lives to our Lord Jesus – when we sell out and wholeheartedly follow – when our most genuine delight is found in Him and His way for our lives, He then replaces our old desires and will give us a new set of desires – HIS desires. He will plant within our heart, His heart.

That is rest. That is a life that honors God. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Let everything you do in this life flow from that love you have for our Lord. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

Tom Renew
Deeper In To God’s Word

Resources:
The Making Of A Super Hero – Mat Morgan at Escalate Church, NC – Sermon
Pick Up Your Sword – DevotionaloftheDay.com
Nothing Left Undone – Linda Hull – Devotionalchristian.com

“Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites

before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:

‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.’

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it;

that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.”

Joshua 10: 12-14

The power of our God is truly amazing! Can you envision the sun standing still and night not coming as it always has before? In the Valley of Aijalon, Joshua assessed the battle and determined that he needed more time to complete the victory over the enemy and so he made a bold request of the Lord. And the LORD answered and fought for Israel!

In chapter 10, we witness Joshua demonstrate an outrageous faith. He so believed that God could make the sun and moon stand still that he prayed in front of all the people of Israel that God would do the impossible and deliver their enemy to them in victory. Joshua had incredible faith and believed God for his promises.

What gave Joshua such boldness to ask for what was humanly impossible? If we look back at Joshua 10:8, we will see God had assured Joshua of the victory. He said to Joshua: “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand, not a man of them shall stand before you.” Joshua had bold confidence because he trusted in what God had spoken! He did not let the impending darkness hamper what God had called him to do! Instead, he trusted in faith that God would deliver the victory.

What do you need in your life today? What fear has gripped your life? God would tell you also to fear not for He is able to work mightily in you as He did in Joshua!

The apostle Paul declares this in Ephesians 3:20:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

God is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think”! This boggles my mind, but I will boldly choose to trust God to defeat my every fear! God is at work within us and God will bring us through what He requires of us in life. Do not let the “darkness” hamper you! Remember who you are in Christ Jesus!

We can trust God is at work within us, building us up according to His amazing plans! We are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God”!  Jesus is our “Chief Cornerstone” and we are being built on His foundation! Stay strong and keep your eyes lifted upon Him as He brings you through life’s battles! He is our Redeemer and Deliverer!

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)

Remember, we never know what God might do in our circumstances! He is our Great, Almighty God, Loving Savior, and Mighty King of kings! Like Joshua, let us come boldly to His throne for His perfect help in our times of need and that His perfect will be done in our lives. His strength and His power will give us His victories in our lives…victories we might not know otherwise!  May we always glory in His holy name and rejoice as we seek our unfailing LORD in all things!

Tom Renew

Deeper In To God’s Word

Resources:

Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

Sun Stand Still – Audacious Prayers by Peggy Park

So The Sun Stood Still by Dale Nicol

We have been blessed by powerful teaching from Chris over these past weeks. This Sunday was no different. In Joshua 8, Chris taught us how the Lord prepares the Israelites to take the city of Ai. Remember that Ai had just been the site of the Nations humiliating defeat because of their disobedient “go it alone” attitude. But this time, God provides a great victory and even allows them to take booty from the ruined city. At God’s direction, Joshua sends 30,000 men to lay in ambush to the west of Ai and then approaches the city with the rest of his force. When Ai attacks him with all their fighting men, he pretends to retreat and the doomed soldiers pursue, leaving the ambushers in position to attack from the West and burn the city to the ground. When the main army sees the smoke of the burning city, they immediately turn and mount their own attack. The entire population of Ai of twelve thousand was killed on that day. Later, at a ceremony at which a stone altar is dedicated on Mount Ebal, Joshua has the law (God’s Word) read to the people out loud. Half the people stand in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal – one a mountain blessing, the other a mountain of curses for disobedience. Joshua and the people of Israel learned that the real battle is not against flesh and blood but is spiritual. Ai is a dramatic example of how our God will fight all our battles for us and the good news is that you win.

As we can see in Joshua 7 and 8 (and in our own lives as well), Satan is good at being bad. Knowing our weaknesses, he camps out with hot anticipation just waiting for his chance to launch his attacks. And he does it with extreme accuracy. The good news is we can begin to recognize his tactics and watch as his attempts are thwarted. How? By saturating ourselves with Scripture. By reading about the triumphs of those who stumbled before us. By believing God is bigger than Satan’s best shots. Remembering why the enemy continues to hit us where he does is essential.

If we become increasingly aware of our areas of struggle and rely on God’s strength in those areas, eventually they will not be the targeted areas. The only reason they are revisited is because Satan has success there. It’s a spiral that we can get out of. We need to believe that God is bigger than those areas of our lives. The truth is, God is bigger than any weakness we have. Mull that over in prayer for a while.

In their book, Boundaries, Townsend and Cloud tell a story about a man who continually goes down a street and falls into a hole. The story paraphrased goes like this:

A man would go down the street, see a hole, and fall in. The next day the man walked down the street and saw the hole and fell in again. The third day the man partially changed his route but eventually still fell in the hole. The fourth day he altered his route a little but then looked back and fell in the stubborn hole. Finally when the man became tired of his failure, he decided to walk on the other side of the street. Enough was enough. He stopped thinking he could do it. Many of us still think we can.

When we keep trying to get different results by doing the same thing, others recognize it as insanity; we think we are persevering.

It’s helpful in our battles to remember God’s track record. He has proven himself in each of our lives. I need to remember what he did in my life because that’s the life I’m living. And while I can learn from the stories of others, it’s important to look back and see his faithfulness to me.

David went against Goliath, not because he was feeling particularly giant-strong and bullet proof one day, but he remembered God was with him—the very same God who gave him strength when he stood eye to eye with a bear—the same God who showed up when a lion crossed his path. David’s trust needed to be in the right place, in God. Once that was established he stepped out.

And when Saul tried arming David with something that might have worked for Saul, David dismissed it. Not merely because of the obvious, the poor fit, but because God was the one who would do the fighting and he fights armor-free.

Satan is a liar and a twister of words. He did it in the garden when Eve was in the mood for a piece of fruit and with Achan and with the spies sent by Joshua to Ai and he still does it today. He has found we are more apt to swallow half-truths than blatant lies. When we choose to trust God and start walking in faith, Satan whispers that God can do a lot; he can even do many things, but not all things. But Numbers 23:19 tells us that God is not a man that he should lie. If God said “all things,” then that’s exactly what he meant.

I will ask you this question: Is God fighting your battles or are you going it alone?

Tom Renew
Deeper In God’s Word

Resources:
Ed Wood, The God of Second Chances – Sermon series
Chad Young, Joshua 8 commentary and study – findingauthenticchristianity.com
Victor Brooks, Victory at Ai – bible.org

On Sunday, Chris taught us a heartbreaking lesson from Joshua 7. We heard the tragic story of one man’s sin and how it affected an entire nation. In the very first verse we are told that Achan took some of the things devoted to the Lord from a defeated Jericho. For anyone who has ever wondered about God’s response to sin in His people, one needs only to look at the next verse:

So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. (Joshua 7:1)

Fresh on the heels of an astounding victory at Jericho, the young Israelite nation, under Joshua’s leadership, focused on the next objective in their campaign to capture Canaan – the land promised by Jehovah. Ai, a small town, was next on the list. Upon their return, the men sent to spy out Ai advised Joshua to send only two or three thousand men against Ai “for the people of Ai are few” (Josh. 7:3). The men of Ai turned the battle into a rout, chasing the Israelites back to where they came from, striking down thirty-six men in the process, almost completely demoralizing Joshua and Israel.

Joshua could not understand why God would bring them over the Jordan only to be destroyed by the Amorites. He poured out his heart to the Lord about the matter. Then the Lord revealed the reason for this defeat. Achan had taken spoils from Jericho, which were forbidden of the Lord, and had hidden them among his stuff. This sin had to be corrected before God would permit Israel to continue her conquest of the Promised Land. Achan, his family, and his livestock were stoned and burned along with the rest his goods. What a heavy price to pay for one sin.

After the matter was corrected, Israel, with the guidance and help of God, defeated Ai. (Read Joshua 7 and 8.)

Achan’s situation illustrates the power of sin. His sin caused a whole nation to suffer. “But, that was back then,” you may say, “what about now?” The Hebrew writer compares sin back then and now: “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so a great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him” (Heb. 2:2-3).

The case of Achan serves to refute three of our popular myths about sin.

Myth #1: One sin won’t matter

How often have you heard it said that it won’t hurt to do it just this one time – “it,” meaning whatever sin is under consideration at the time. Achan’s one sin hurt him, his family, his nation and the cause of his God greatly.

One sin does hurt. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (Jas. 2:10). Eve’s one sin brought death to the whole world. Moses’ one sin caused him to miss Canaan (Num. 20:7-13). Nadab and Abihu’s one sin cost them their lives (Lev. 10), as did Uzzah’s (2 Sam. 6:1-8) and Ananias and Sapphira’s (Acts 5). Simon the Sorcerer was said to be “poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity” after committing one sin (Acts 8:23).

Anyone who thinks that one sin will not hurt needs to be aware that one sin may very well be a launching pad for many other sins.

Joseph’s brethren became envious of him. This fostered hatred to the point they could not even speak peaceably to him. This was followed by conspiracy and bodily harm. They sold him into slavery; and, to cover up their crime, they lied to their father (Gen. 37).

Apostasy from the Lord is taken one step at a time. Paul urges Timothy to preach so as to prevent apostasy, then explains why the urgency by showing how apostasy progresses. First, “they will not endure sound doctrine.” Such people begin their downward slide into apostasy by becoming annoyed at sound preaching – preaching that truly reproves, rebukes and exhorts. Secondly, “they will heap up for themselves teachers” to scratch their itching ears. They will seek and find teachers to teach it their way – more pleasing to the ear and less negative toward sin. Thirdly, they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. Going, going, gone! They have completed the plunge into apostasy. But, where did it start? When they took the first step of not enduring sound doctrine.

Myth #2: One’s sin is nobody’s business but his.

Achan’s sin affected the entire nation. It hindered their progress in capturing Canaan. His sin caused all the children of Israel to be rebuked: “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things” (Josh. 7:1); “Israel has sinned, and they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them” (Josh. 7:11). This sin caused the whole nation to suffer defeat: “Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies” (Josh. 7:12). Achan’s household was gravely affected by his sin (Josh. 7:24).

The fornicator of 1 Corinthians 5 affected the whole church. Paul asked, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” While it may be true that some sins, because of their personal nature, only hurt the individual and his relationship to God, all too often an individual sin has a way of hindering the gospel of Christ and hurting other members of one’s family and/or congregation.

Myth #3: One can keep sin hidden.

Moses warned the children of Israel: “be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). One can never sin and rightly feel secure in the belief that no one will ever know. There are too many ways for even secret sins to become known for one to depend on the protection of secrecy. The story is told of two preachers, traveling far away from home, stopping at a tavern and deciding to have a little drink. After all, they were so far away from anyone who knew them that their secret sin would never be known. Since no one knew them or that they were preachers no harm would be done. As they were about to leave they got into a mild argument about who would pay the bill. While they were discussing the matter, the bartender leans over and says, “That’s all right fellows, we don’t charge preachers in here.” No, my friend, do not count on your sins remaining hidden.

More often than we may realize our sin is not hidden from others. When Moses killed the Egyptian, “He looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ” Still the thing was known (v. 14). We may be more transparent than we think. We may be seen when we are not aware of it. But, if no one on earth ever knows – God knows and will judge us according to the works done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).

One sin, not repented of, can make a big difference. We must have no illusions about it. Just one sin does hurt. Just one sin may very well hurt someone else. Just one sin may very well be found out by others. It is already known by the Lord, for sure. Let us be careful. Strive to avoid even one sin. When we do sin, we need to correct it immediately, to minimize the damage it can do to ourselves and others.

So where is Jesus in this? Is this not a story, which illustrates the great need the people of God had for a redeemer who could suffer all God’s wrath for all their sin. Jesus is our Achan, bearing our sin, suffering the wrath of God and being cast into complete death so that our sin would be thrust out of the camp and the people of God could return to victory? Is not Jesus the one who cleanses his people so that justice is served and sin is punished? Is not Jesus our redeemer, seeing the sin in us and all its repugnant effects, calling it out and then crucifying it to the cross, never again to raise its ugly head and pollute his holy nation? Jesus is all of these things and so much more.

Tom Renew
Deeper In God’s Word

Resources:

Scott Roberts – Sin must be judged – Hopeinchristchurch.com
Grayson Pope – Your Sin Will Find You Out – Aparchedsoul.com
Terry Virgo – Session 9 The Sin Of Achan – patheos.com
Cindy Hess Kasper – Hidden Sin = ourdailybread.com

“Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bell,
But I want to run a mission a yard from the gate of hell
And with everyone you meet, take them the gospel and share it well
Look around you as you hesitate, another soul just fell
Let’s run to the battle”
-Steve Camp, Run to the Battle

The lyrics above are from the inspirational song by Steve Camp. I heard this song recently and was reminded how much I used to like that song. It also reminded me of our study of the battle for Jericho. To hear a good online version of the song, try the YouTube videos only please don’t take the intro and the visuals too literally. Someone got carried with the “battle” imagery. Instead, close your eyes and think of it instead in terms of the spiritual battle we’re engaged in, which is conflict enough.

The opening lines of the song aren’t really Steve Camp’s words. These powerful lyrics were originally spoken by C.T. Studd, a champion rugby player of the late 1800’s who shunned the fame and limelight of celebrity and gave his life as a missionary in Africa.
This song is a stirring call. But it is a call that is dated. I don’t think many would say these words today. Actually, the times had already turned when Camp wrote this song about twenty years ago. There was a time when “within the sound of chapel bells” seemed safe from the gate of hell, but those times were beginning to come to an end even then. Now they’re long gone.
Personally, I even doubt the reality of that feeling of “chapel” safety. Every church in every city has always been a mission post. Yes, there is something exciting and unique about cross-cultural mission events where the mission team leaves the familiar behind and takes the good news of Christ to previously unreached peoples. This is the ministry by which the Great Commission will be fulfilled (Matt. 28:18-20).

There was a time, though, when the church thought crossing cultures with the gospel meant going “over there.” As a result of that mindset, we forgot that it also meant to reach out to others unlike ourselves back at home. We have carefully built our churches for people who are comfortable in churches. We do our best to get people to come to where we are most comfortable. We have produced our programs, played our sports and had our Vacation Bible Schools. From these endeavors, we have seen some fruit from it all and thanked God for what he was doing if only one person came to Christ — as well we should have done.
We thought “within the sound of chapel bells” meant we could reach our neighbors with “church” ministries and we did reach a few. But we lost many and I think it’s largely because we forgot we were still just a yard from the gate of hell. We forgot to think like missionaries.

We must think “mission-minded” everywhere. Missionaries know that when they travel to a new culture they have to learn the local language, and speak the gospel in that language. They know they must learn the local culture and live out the gospel in a manner that is true to the timeless reality of the gospel, while also connecting with the culture where they are. This is Missions 101.

The missionary is one who is a student of both local culture and language. The missionary is one who is discovering the principal local objections to Christianity and discerning how best to answer them. The missionary is learning how to answer those questions in terms that the local people can understand.

C.T. Studd traveled thousands of hazardous miles to plant the gospel flag “a yard from the gate of hell.” God is still calling people to travel thousands of miles for the same reason. But our church is just a yard from the gate of hell right where it is. Will we “Run to the battle”? We most certainly are in the fight!

We must think mission-minded in our neighborhoods. “With everyone you meet, take them the gospel and share it well.” That’s good advice. What then does “share it well” mean where you are?

What questions are our neighbors asking? Do we know? What are their principal objections? Do they need to see the good news lived out more clearly before them? Is “everyone you meet” ready to hear the whole how-to-receive-Christ gospel message, or do they need to see its authentic reality on another level first? The answer to that will differ from person to person. Do we know what to do for each person or each neighborhood around us? Are these not standard missionary questions?

“Run to the battle.” I really love that song. But maybe there should have been another verse that has to do with recognizing that “chapel bells” don’t mean everyone around you is “chapel-ready.” I won’t try to make this rhyme but I’ll just give you the points of it:

• Equip yourself for the battle.
• Study the battle.
• Fight the real battle: not the one that others have previously fought years ago, answering questions that matters to our neighbors today.

Camp says, “look around you as you hesitate, another soul just fell.” I’m here to tell you that taking time for equipping, study, and preparation are not “hesitating.” I don’t think Steve Camp would say they were, either. I think he’d say they were expressions of wisdom in action.
And I think that’s what the Lord would say, too, which is what really matters.

Tom Renew
Deeper In God’s Word

Resources:

C.T. Studd, Cricketer and Pioneer, By Norman Grubb
Zach Hochstadt, Mission Minded, missionminded.com
Todd Wilson, sermon – Mission-Minded