July 2, 2006

Forgotten Lives

Living In Nome, Alaska

Joshua 7:16-26

Opening Words: There are sixty-six books in the Bible, thirty-nine in the Old Testament. The New Testament is dominated by Jesus, himself, our Lord and Savior. The Old Testament consists of a variety of lives. Each one played a small part in God’s plan for the salvation of the world. Most of those lives are forgotten. So what I would like to do this summer is take some time and look at those forgotten lives. I have called this thirteen part sermon series I have called Forgotten Lives.

This weekend we look at the Achan. His story really begins in the previous chapter of Joshua. For it is in that chapter that Israel defeated Jericho. It was a great military victory for God’s Chosen People. They really had no hope of victory but with God all things are possible. One of the conditions of that great victory was that no soldier was to receive any plunder. A plunder was usually a soldier’s pay but God said don’t take a thing. A plunderless soldier was a sign of their obedience to God. The problem is one solder does not chose to follow that order. The one guilty soldier was named Achan. He took a beautiful mantle and some cash. At first his crime goes unnoticed. It is only after the defeat in their next military battle against the city of Ai that people begin to ask questions. How could Israel defeat the superior forces of Jericho and be defeated by the inferior forces of Ai? The answer to that question is sin. The forgotten life of Achan commits a single sin and the entire camp must pay. He illustrates for us the power of a single sin. Let me call this message Living in Nome, Alaska. This is my question for you today. Are you concerned about the sin in your life?

Introduction

They tell me Nome, Alaska is a quaint winter wonderland of pure white landscapes for nine months a year. However, something happens during the other three months. The temperature begins to rise and the snow melts. Tourists to Alaska during those warmer months are shocked by the amount of debris that sits in the yards of the average citizen. During the summer months it is not uncommon to see yards filled with broken washing machines, junked cars, old toilets, scrap wood, and piles of non-degradable refuse. Their yards are a mess the entire year but during the long winters the snow covers up the mess.

I hate to say this on the Independence Day weekend but could that be the story of our lives. On the surface we look good. We hold responsible jobs and have good friends. We come to church on holiday weekends and support various charities. We have showered in the past twenty-four hours! On the surface we look good but below the surface there is a mess. The mess in our lives can be summarized by the word sin. The scriptures tell us all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. One of the great spiritual challenges we have as solid citizens is accepting the fact that we are a sinners! The reason is simple.

We live in a time of twenty-four hour news. CNN tells us the bad news over and over again. They tell us of some truly sinful people. Have you noticed we have a surplus of sin in this world? We have terrorists and murders. We have white collar criminals and blue collar criminals. We have sex offenders and tax evaders. Violence is becoming more common at every level of society. The sins of those individuals are easy to recognize. However, our sins are different. Our sins exist below the surface. Our sins are hidden like the snow that covers the junk in Nome, Alaska. So this is my question for you today. Are you concerned about the sin in your life?

Body

A sin is anything you do, say or think that damages your relationship with God. My goal today is to get you upset about the sin in your life so I am going to talk about three myths that exist in our society. These three myths help us rationalize our sins away. Let me say this clearly. These three myths are not Biblical. These three myths are worldly. I will disarm these myths by using the old story of Achan in the seventh chapter of Joshua. So if you are ready to get upset about the sin in your life say, “Amen!” Are you concerned about the sin in your life?

One Sin Does Hurt

Myth number one is one sin won’t hurt. Within the chapters number six and seven Joshua leads Israel into two battles. One battle is against the city of Jericho. The other battle was against the city of Ai. Military science is not my expertise but I would assume it would take more than two soldiers to attack two cities. I would assume it would take many soldiers. God commands no one is to take anything from Jericho and everyone follows the Commander and Chief’s orders, except one soldier, Achan. The order was followed by nearly 100% of the troops but nearly 100% of the troops is not good enough. God expected 100% of the troops to follow the order, there will be no plunder. Through the eyes of God one sin does matter. The story ends by Achan being taken out and stoned. The point is clear one sin does matter!

This is not an isolated case in the Bible. Adam and Eve committed just one sin and were expelled from the garden. Moses committed just one sin and was not permitted to enter the Promised Land. The sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu committed just one sin and died by fire. Uzzah committed just one sin. He accidentally touched the ark and died instantly. Even in the New Testament God will not tolerate a single sin. Ananias and Saphira lied to the Holy Spirit and died. One sin does matter to God! The world says one sin won’t hurt. Through the eyes of God one sin does matter! Are you concerned about the sin in your life? And all the citizens of Nome, Alaska (where the junk lays just below the surface) said, “Amen!”

One Person’s Sin Does Affect Anyone Else

Myth number two is one person’s sin will not affect anyone else. In the story of Achan the battle is lost because of the sin of one man. Countless people died because of the sin of one man. Achan’s sin affected the whole community. Our sins affect our whole community.

We live in incredibly complex and expensive times. You have to be creative to make ends meet. Ralph and Betty were creative. They are both retired. They both had buried their spouses. They both were lonely and felt blessed to find each other. The problem is Betty’s deceased husband, Earl. His pension check will only come as long as she is Earl’s widow. If she remarries the check is gone. It is a handsome check. She enjoys the benefits of those checks and didn’t want to lose them by marrying Ralph. To get around that silly rule Betty decided to just move in with Ralph. She decided that money was more important than morals. Betty and Ralph do everything together. They shop together. They play cards together. They spend Earl’s pension check together. They go to church together and attend Sunday school. They support one another. Betty and Ralph say, “It doesn't matter we are living together. We are just too old goats!” It didn't matter until Betty’s daughter called and said Ashley, Betty’s granddaughter, was moving in with her boyfriend, Justin. Ashley said, “If it is good enough for grandma, then it is good enough for me!” A single sin does affect the whole community. Are you concerned about the sin in your life? And all the citizens of Nome, Alaska (where the junk lays just below the surface) said, “Amen!”

One Can Not Keep Their Sin Hidden

Myth number three is one can keep their sin hidden. In the text it said that Achan hid the plunder in his tent! The problem was that Joshua found it. Where do you hide your sins? Where do you hide your sins from God?

In First Corinthians 11:28 it says that one should examine themselves before they come to the communion table. Look for those sins in your life and look at yourself as God looks at you and admit that there is no such thing as a hidden sin. Are you concerned about the sin in your life? And all the citizens of Nome, Alaska (where the junk lays just below the surface) said, “Amen!”

Conclusion

Mike Yaconelli lives in a small, rural community. He says, “There are lots of cattle ranches around here, and, every once in a while, a cow wanders off and gets lost . . . Ask a rancher how a cow gets lost, and chances are he will reply, 'Well, the cow starts nibbling on a tuft of green grass, and when it finishes, it looks ahead to the next tuft of green grass and starts nibbling on that one, and then it nibbles on a tuft of grass right next to a hole in the fence. It then sees another tuft of green grass on the other side of the fence, so it nibbles on that one and then goes on to the next tuft. The next thing you know, the cow has nibbled itself into being lost." Is that our story?

You began living in a way that God expects but you began to nibble at those little sins. You rationalized by saying that one sin won’t matter. You rationalized by saying one sin won’t hurt anyone. You rationalized by saying it will be your little secret. You nibble away at those little sins and when you look up you find yourself in Nome, Alaska. Your life looks good on the surface but it is filled with junk below the surface. I hate to ask you this on this holiday weekend but are you concerned about the sin in your life? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”