Here Comes Trouble-Part A

Jericho was the first town they took over the spoils of war to Jericho were to be devoted or dedicated to the treasury of the Lord's stuff.

The people were not to touch of the soldiers were to leave it alone.

The commanding officer, Joshua gave that order. In chapter 6. Don't touch it don't even leave it alone that Longview belongs to God you touch it be cursed, taken didn't seem to care. He saw something that caught his eye and he thought, why let it go to waste. It will be missed and he took it from. So you may have heard someone say I don't go looking for trouble, trouble usually find today on connect with skip-Skip explains, that wasn't the case for man-made discover how important godly community is real. When life gets tough.

First Skip is to share about another way you can hear these encouraging Bible messages.

I want to invite you to follow my podcast so you can get even more inspiring teachings. Just search skip. I think that's HP IT CIG on this modified Apple podcast or anywhere you listen to your podcast and don't forget to follow the podcast so you know when a new teaching is available. Thank you, skip, now we're in Joshua chapter 7 as we dive into our study with Skip Heitzig the heights of boys were trouble, especially the third one that's my brother Bob. Bob was 6 foot eight and he liked it and he wanted others to appreciate it.

He could walk into a room and be very intimidating. So though all of us could bring a little bit of craziness to a situation when Bob was coming psych here comes trouble.

Any quick sort of like that mystique.

There is a new bartender that moved up into an old frontier town Western town, and that his predecessor said. I got one piece of advice for you. If big John never comes to town get out quick.

What years went by and one day a cowpoke put his head in the saloon said big John's a common everybody ran far and fast except the bartender he couldn't get out in time and just then to the saloon doors and walked this huge biggest, ugliest, meanest looking guy black hat snarl writing a Buffalo one hand was a rattlesnake other hand, was a bullwhip with one fist he could break a table broken in half ordered up a root beer.

I alter the story depending on the audience and he took the repair bit off the cap with his teeth, break it bartender said can I get you another one sir. The big old dude said there's no time big John's common so it's one thing to be big and mean ugly like that guy but there somebody worse than him.

My brother Bob was big John or he wanted to be seen that way 6'8" on a Harley with a gang just love that mystique. Now I knew him and under the deep inside that wasn't really him. He was really tenderhearted but he like to give off the rough tough exterior. The person in our story is exactly the opposite. His name is Aiken Aiken wants to appear like he's no trouble at all, but he is back. His name means trouble. That's what Aiken means trouble or trouble or and he comes in like he's a soldier he's yes sir, he's mild-mannered.

He marches with the rest, but he's trouble. Here comes trouble and he brings trouble to the entire nation were in Joshua chapter 7.

That's where his story is, but I just want to give you a little bit of catch-up before we get into it. Chapter 7 of the book of Joshua. There is a change from the first six chapters.

If you were to read the first six chapters and then begin the seventh. It's like you're reading two different books. The first six chapters. Everything is great God gives promises to Josh about the new commanding officer.

The new general of Israel, they cross over the Jordan River into the promised land.

There is a miraculous takeover of the first city, Jericho.

All that's good until you get to chapter 7. You can see it for yourself. Look at the very last verse of chapter 6, verse 27 the Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread throughout all the country first word of the next chapter, but that's not a good change that signals that things are going to be different from here on out, and they will be. This is the first defeat that they will experience. Now the over comers are overcome. Now the victors become the vanquished ones here comes trouble. What's interesting is that what brings the trouble is small, it seems insignificant.

Most of us would say oh, what's the big deal.

It's so small it's a soldier who wants the spoils of war which soldiers have wanted for well since there been soldiers that happens in about.

It seems small but it brings something big. Some years ago I was speaking in North Carolina at the Cove. It's called the Billy Graham training center. I think we had about 400 people in our seminar that week and I had just discovered her somebody introduced me to this bakery shop that was not a national chain. Yet, it was just a local bakery shop only in North Carolina. That's where it started skull Krispy Kreme doughnuts and when I have one of those.

I just thought God gave this is a gift to mankind.

This is like manna from heaven goes hot now doughnuts, Ron, so I had when I got home I stars.

We've got to get a doughnut like this into the hands of every participant in the seminar so the Cove volunteered to do that. We ordered 400 doughnuts to be brought in for seminar participants.

When one of the guys went there to pick up the 400 doughnuts.

He waited and waited and he waited until he only said I was taking so long. What why is this such a long process to wait for the Gaia Krispy Kreme behind the counter said well to pick up 400,000 doughnuts is taking us a lot of time is at 400. What is that Thornburg doesn't know I ordered 400 seat is just one small word is only five letters to the word doesn't but it changes everything right 400 doughnuts is all like different than 4800 doughnuts. I think we got the guy to stop at 90 dozen doughnuts so we carried 90 dozen donuts back to the Cove. They dropped them off at homeless shelters in the just kids but just along the way and still had plenty left over that we should get up every homeless person in that town that people are say the small things don't matter had never slept in a room with the mosquito just one little thing can change everything. As we look at this seventh chapter what I want to do is frame for you. The man Aiken and I'm to provide four sides to this frame by giving you four statements for little maxims for axiomatic truths, self-evident truths, here's the first one. Every disobedience is detrimental Mark that every disobedience is detrimental. Verse one but the children of Israel. Her comes, but the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things for Aiken members name means trouble. Aiken, the son of Carmi, the son of Zebedee, the son of Sarah of the tribe of Judah took of the accursed things better translation for devoted thing.

Things that should have been devoted or set apart for the Lord.

So the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel, not Joshua sent men from Jericho to I that's how you pronounce that little town. I which is beside Beth Avon on the east side of Bethel and spoke to them saying go up and spy out the country so the men went up and spied out I tried I and they returned to Joshua and said to him, do not let the people go up, but let about two or 3000 men go up and attack. Do not worry all the people there. The people of buyer few so about 3000 men went up from the people but they fled before the mentor by in the minimize struck down about 36 men, for they chase them from before the gate. As far as Shepard Freeman struck them down on the dissent. Therefore, the hearts of the people melted and became like water is the deal. Jericho was the first town they took over the spoils of war to Jericho were to be devoted or dedicated to the treasury of the Lord's stuff.

The people were not to touch of the soldiers were to leave it alone.

The commanding officer, Joshua gave that order. In chapter 6. Don't touch it, don't keep it, leave it alone that belong to you belongs to God you touch it to be cursed. Will Aiken didn't seem to care. He saw something that caught his eye and he thought, why let it go to waste.

It will be missed and he took it for himself because he did that 36 men lost their lives because he did that 36 families are experiencing grief because he did that 36 wives became widows because he did that 36 sets of children lost her dad because he did that the whole group of Israel is held accountable. It's interesting you go down verse 11 God speaks to Joshua and he says Israel has send yet Aiken stole, but Israel has send the nation is liable and it's gonna cost Aiken his own life, literally Aiken will become bacon by the end of the chapter will cost him in the lives of his family is the point to be made, every believer's actions matter for better for worse, and they affect the whole group is Warren worse reported.

Never underestimate the damage one person outside the will of God can do. Ask Adam just one little piece of fruit. No big deal thank you very much Adam just asked Abraham just one little lie. One act of disobedience in Egypt almost cost the life of his wife is asking David just one decision to number the people of Israel cost 70,000 lives asked Jonah 11 ticket aboard one boat brought a storm of Whalen almost sunk the ship asked the church at Corinth who because they tolerated the sexual immorality of just one of their members brought judgment upon the church. First Corinthians chapter 5 verse one as the families of 10,000 people who last year lost their lives in alcohol-related traffic acts just one choice one act now were connected to each other we are.

You might not feel that way.

Or you might not act that way. But the Bible says is the body of Christ were a part of one another. We need each other. I know we needle each other time to time, but we need each other and what we do affects everyone else called the body of Christ first Corinthians 12 as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. I listen to this and if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Beware of the person who says what I do is what I do.

It's none of your business as long as it doesn't hurt anybody else that's just the thing it always does hurt somebody else.

It's selfish and ignorant and arrogant to think that you can just do it and it doesn't hurt anybody else always does.

Always affects other people. Ecclesiastes 9 says one sinner destroys much good.

Or to put it in our little axiom. Every disobedience is detrimental to one side of the frame. That's part of the picture frame of Aiken. Let's go now to the to another side.

Not only does every disobedience become detrimental, but every sin has stages to it. It comes in stages now want to go down verse 19 I want to Skip ahead. So follow your eyes down to verse 19 after Joshua prays to God about this, God tells them to find the person responsible Joshua said to Aiken, my son, I beg you give glory to the Lord God of Israel make confession to him tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me and Aiken answer Joshua and said indeed, I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and this is what I've done. When I saw among the spoils beautiful Babylonian government, 200 shekels of silver, a wedge of gold weighing 50 shekels, I coveted them and took them in there. They are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it. Did you notice the stages you notice what he says he did look at the verbs.

He said I saw I coveted I took Edwards didn't happen all of a sudden it happened with a series of stages.

I saw something I wanted something I took something.

So far we've been seeing that in just about every one of these crash and burn studies. Eve saw the fruit's pleasant to the eyes.

Good for food makes one wise. So she took it, ate it, gave lot didn't just wake up one day in Sodom. He first looked toward it looked good.

He moved to stand in that direction, that he moved to town. Benny led in that town. Then he lingered in that so there's always stages to this.

And here's the irony. If Aiken would have just waited one more chapter. If you would just obey God and said okay and I'm not to touch anything from Jericho.

I'm in a just do it. The man says I'm in obey this we get to chapter 8 verse two and Joshua tells his soldiers now the town of I is all yours. You can have anything you want and it Jericho belong to God that this whole town is yours all the spoils of war are yours to keep. He would have gotten even more than he got out of greed. Jim Elliott, the missionary said God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with him that great God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with him, but he saw he coveted he took was of the stages now.

I asked with the beginning that I not return to work to mark James chapter 1 so turned there for a moment I want to look at two verses James chapter 1 gives to us. We could call it the anatomy of temptation. It's like he's a scientist and he dissects temptation to show you the different stages and it's like he is been reading Joshua chapter 7 James chapter 114 and 15, to begin in verse 13 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, but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death notices stages. First stage desire desire.

James says each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires. We all have desires nothing wrong with having the desire their normal. You couldn't function without desire. You're the first drive you have a hunger drive. We have a Sex Dr., God put that in the human race is nothing wrong with desires.

What's wrong is when you seek to satisfy those desires outside the will of God. That's the problem. So, for example, eating is normal. Gluttony is sin. Sleep is normal.

Laziness is sin.

Sex is normal. Adultery is sin wanting an education is normal cheating on the test that soon you get the point begins with desire. The next step is deception after desire comes deception.

You'll notice in verse 14 James tells us.

Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires to the word runaway. It's a hunters term it means to lead an animal or lure an animal from a place of safety into a trap.

I have a friend who is helping me solve a problem. I think I have some kind of critters at my house he thinks are squirrels so he says I got the solution. I'm in a trap.

The squirrels and then nominal, let them out somewhere far away so he has these trap doors open and he put a little container of the just a little peanut butter and it I love you but I'm tempted by. I will let my dog out because he'll get trapped so that that little door is open, and that little cup of peanut butter is sitting there to lure an animal from a place of safety into a trap. That's the idea of drawn away commuter little squirrel also look at the word in adverse enticed to see it. Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed of this word comes from the word that means to bait a hook to take a hook and put bait on it so you throw a hook into the water. You know want to leave it like a hook as the fishes in a go forget you, but you put bait on the hook and he's gonna think there's breakfast not knowing he Ricky is the breakfast that's that that's the point of baiting the hook you're hiding that lure from them you're bringing them out from a place of safety. Your baiting the hook.

Aiken had a desire for more okay.

Nothing wrong with having a desire. Aiken and he sees something alluring close in cash Babylonian garments.

The style now if it's just perfect. Why let it go to waste. Looks good on me to lure so desire, and after that deception, there's a next step decision. That's verse 15 James one then notices when desire has conceived see that were conceived, it gives birth to sin. Now that's the terminology of having a baby, but it could be translated when it has spawned when it is spot have you noticed that all of these terms in these two verses are animal terms, and I think that's for a very important reason. I think what James is saying is when you live on the level of just getting your needs met your desires met you are living no higher than the level of an animal that's what animals do they live according to their senses. They just want their needs met anyway possible. Any creature can do that that's animal living. That's the message from the series? Right now want to share about a resource that will encourage you even more new for look like Don Hardy of the Old Testament shows that the Jewish calendar with regular mandatory holidays and celebrations in the book of Esther says that God wants his theory in mind and gladness, Julian Hunter, at such time your family celebration.

Listen to this insight from skintight sake, not one of our own regular holidays.

Valentine's Day or God so love that is nature, the Bible says God is love that is so simple to say so hard for some of us to believe happiness, holiness, and holidays is a four DVD collection of celebration messages from Pastor Stan suggests that could be a game changer for your family.

Take holidays from toxic stress to the liberations of light and joy. Here's a sample you are loved by God, not because you deserve it but because Jessica that if his nature is his decision foundation for the next holiday on your family calendar for selection of some of Pastor step holiday teaching think $25 or more, connect more people to God's word visit connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 819 to 1888 and request your copy of happiness, holiness, and holidays.

I think if you read down by past failures and present mistakes but you struggles don't have to be the last word for you.

Jesus came to redeem us from our past and through his work on the cross. You can have a new life. That's the good news he went to share with you through this broadcast today you can help share that life-changing truth with others to your gift to help keep these teachings on their ticket right now. Just call 892 team mates again. That's 800 9218 or visit connectwithskip.com/donate connectwithskip.com/donate to tune in tomorrow as Skip shares what you can do in the fall out of your own failure because no matter where you are God's mercy will meet the desire for Lisa deception brings you to a decision something happens.

There is a four step in its death. James is then, when desire has conceived against what is sin. Sin is born in sin when it is full-grown, brings forth death. It might not happen while you might live a long time before it ever comes but it's so cute at first it's a baby.

My baby said acute Alliant is cute as a bait. Rosa Skip presentation of connection communication through ever-changing time