Pray and Never Give Up - 2

Pray and Never Give Up - 2

Subject: The Power of Dealing with Hidden Sin

by Rick Welborne

Luke 18:1-8 (NLT2)
¹  One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 

Joshua 7:1-4,11-13 (NLT)
¹  But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.
²  Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven.
³  When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”
⁴  So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai
¹¹  Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.
¹²  That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
¹³  “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. 

Joshua 6:18-19 (NLT)
¹⁸  “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.
¹⁹  Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury.” 

--Last week we told you that you need to be pray and not give up. God can work incredible miracles for us but we must be willing to deal with our hidden sins. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
¹⁷  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

--Tonight I believe, through our text, God is going to speak to us a word of reproof (rebuke), a word of correction (adjustment}, and a word of instruction (training) so that we can be complete (whole).

1. Reproof: Our sin or sins affects not only us but those around us. 

--Pastor, what I am doing will only affect me…matter of fact my children, my family, and even my church does not know what I am doing. As long as I keep it hidden, I am good. Really?

Joshua 7:1 (NKJV)
¹  But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. 

--The children of Israel committed a trespass, other translations say they disobeyed the Lord’s instruction, they ignored His commands, they acted unfaithfully, they violated His instructions, they broke faith, they sinned.

--Notice it was they…it was Israel…it was God’s people who disobeyed and sinned against God. Wait a minute, Preacher, it says that it was Achan who took things he was not supposed to take.

--I guess you have me; you are right in saying it was Achan who committed the sin but the truth is that sin has a way of affecting more than just the person who does it. 

Romans 14:7 (NIV) ⁷  For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.

Joshua 7:20-21 (NLT)
²⁰  Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.
²¹  Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”

--I saw…I wanted…I sinned…do you see the problem here with Achan…it was all about him and about what he wanted with no regard to how it would affect anyone else. Who does that sound like?

Isaiah 14:12-14 (NKJV)
¹²  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 

¹³  For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
¹⁴  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'

--How many of you believe that if Achan could do it all over that he would have made a better choice…he had been warned by the word of the Lord earlier…do not take anything!

Joshua 7:24-25 (NLT)
²⁴  Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.
²⁵  Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The LORD will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.

--Pastor, that is not fair that Achan’s sin affected his entire family…not only did his sin affect the family but it also affected the entirety of Israel…think of the impact on the families of 36 soldiers who died.

--We said this was going to be a reproof (a rebuke) so hear me out…It may not be fair what Achan’s sin did to everyone else but think about it…we see the same thing acted out every day.

--The alcoholic is not just destroying his life, the drug addicted person whether legal or illegal is not only affecting his life, the mom or dad who is messing around, the person being divisive in the church. 

Joshua 7:21 (NLT) ²¹  Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. 

--Achan took what he wanted but he got more than he bargained for…his sin cost him everything…he lost the robe, the silver, and the gold but he lost much more…he lost his family…his life.

--I don’t want to be too cruel today with this reproof but just imagine with me Achan’s children looking at him and saying right before they stoned them…Why daddy? The Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:5-6 (NLT)
⁵  You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.
⁶  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

2. Correction: We must deal with our hidden sins.

Joshua 7:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹  Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."

--I know you know this…there is no such thing as hidden sin…you may take pride that you can sneak around and hide your stuff from family and friends but nothing is hidden from God.

Hebrews 4:13 (NLT) ¹³  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Luke 8:17 (NIV) ¹⁷  For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

--What sobering verses to all of us…we need to make sure that we have repented of our sins (confessed our sins before God) and turned back to God with all our hearts. These sins will nullify our prayers. 

--If we do not deal with these sins it will have an adverse effect on our relationship with Jesus, it will have an adverse effect on our families, and it will have an adverse effect on the body of Christ.

--Pastor Rick, are you trying to tell us that when we sin we can really effect the spiritual life and victory of Life Church and of our families? Yes, listen to this verse again: Listen to Israel and they in these verses:

Joshua 7:1 & 11-13 (NLT)
¹  But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi… ¹¹  Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.
¹²  That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
¹³  “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. 

3. Instruction: Be obedient to what God says…His Word!

Joshua 6:17-19 (NLT)
¹⁷  Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.
¹⁸  “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.
¹⁹  Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the LORD and must be brought into his treasury.” 

--God’s instructions are really simple when you think about it: Everything must be completely destroyed, do not take any of these things, and silver, gold, and iron goes to the Lord’s treasury…His House! House of prayer!

--Think about homes with total disobedience…chaos, think of churches where people are doing their own thing…trouble, think of couples with no honor or respect…division. God delights when we obey Him.

Isaiah 59:2 & 14 (NKJV)
²  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
¹⁴  Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. 

--Sin causes God to not hear us when we pray.