May 15, 2022
“STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD”
“DEALING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN”
JOSHUA 9:14-27
You know it is hard to make it through this life without making a few spectacular mistakes along the way. Has anybody else ever blown it?
Sin is sin, but the consequences for some sins are more severe than others, and more long lasting.
Three Steps To Deal With The Consequences Of Sin:
- Identify Where You Went Wrong
Don’t ignore or justify but look to the root and identify where you messed up.
Sin is divided into three basic groups:
1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
*Lust of the Flesh- sensual desires within us.
*Lust of the Eyes- materialism
*Pride of Life
How do we get into this mess of sin?
James 1:13-15 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
“when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” vs.14
*Remember temptation is not sin, it is when we yield to temptation that is when it becomes sin.
Nation of Israel illustrates two common tendencies we all share and they lead us to sin and failure.
*The Tendency To Trust Circumstances, Observations, and Feelings Instead of God’s Word.
Joshua 9:14 “Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord.”
They should of sought the counsel of God’s Word.
If they had consulted with God they would have known that they were not to be in agreement with the Gibeonites.
What does it mean for us to ask counsel of the Lord?
*Effective Prayer Is Rooted In God’s Word.
It is more than praying about it. An authoritative conclusion is reached by praying about and searching what the Bible says about it and acting on it.
Israel did not do this, they trusted in what they could see, feel, and touch instead of seeking counsel from God and His Word.
*We Tend To Become Careless In The Midst of Our Spiritual Walk.
Classic example of pride
We need to remember:
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
What the Israelites do here is a clear disobedience to God’s instructions:
They become careless in their discipline with their walk with God, and they make a covenant with the Gibeonites.
Judges 2:11 “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals.”
How could they do that?
We have the same principles today:
Ezra 1:5 “Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.”
The ‘spirit of God moved”- the praise of God- Psalm 100
Ezra 7:10 “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
“A prepared heart”- by seeking God’s Word and doing God’s Word, and teaching and sharing God’s Word with others.
2. Recognize What Can Never Be Changed
Joshua 9:16-17 “And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. 17Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.”
Here the thing- Are you sorry because you got caught or are you really repentant for the mess you made.
If you have got caught in your sin, here is the test, are you glad you got caught?
Joshua 9:18-20 “But the children of Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers. 19Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. 20This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.”
Israel makes an agreement with the Gibeonites and they can’t go back on their word.
Ecclesiastes 5:5 “Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”
3. Learn What You Can Do
Joshua 9:21-22 “And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them.” 22Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us?”
Irreversible consequences of sin cannot be erased but they can be managed.
“Deceived us” vs.22
Colossians 2:4 “Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
Colossians 2:18 “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”
Ephesians 4:14 “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.”
You need to take the consequences of sin to the cross.
Joshua 9:23 “Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
Galatians 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).”
We have to take our sin, our curse to the cross.
Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
The children of Israel learned to make the consequences of their sins to serve them.
Joshua 9:23,27 “Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”27And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.”
They could not reverse the consequences of sin, but they were able to manage them.
1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Romans 6:12-19- I die to myself, and reckon it to be so, and yield my members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
What is the biggest mistake you have made? Sin?
Where are you right now with your walk with God? Determine today you are going to develop a consistent relationship with God. Discipline yourself to walk with God everyday.
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