Joshua chapter 8, if you've been following with us, throughout
this time, in the live stream, you will know what we touched
last week in chapter 7 and you would agree that it was a very
dark chapter heavy filled with Despair and discouragement. when
we come to chapter 8, we see that God is about to give his
people a new direction from the very low point that we have left
off from and just to recap, what happened in chapter 7, Was
essentially the revelation of God's hatred towards sin and the
actually, the actual power that can come from a man who invites
and into his life and how that sin in his life can invite
trouble into the camp. And the very thing that we were
left with was an execution upon, a man's Disobedience upon the
man himself and his family for their trespass, known as Aiken.
And this execution of judgment has literally left a memorial
for the people of Israel for generations to come and it's
known as the valley of achor and it really just means the valley
of trouble From this time on the people will be able to see this
heap of stones because they had to Stone this family and realize
that God is Holy. And that God takes Rebellion,
very seriously. And this is where we left off
with. until we come to chapter 8, verse 1, Before we read, it's
not hard to imagine. What this people felt at this
point. I mean, we read it and we
already feel something. Can you imagine being in their
shoes? They have already been
embarrassed by a defeat from a small town, after a great
Victory with a great place. And now they are facing the, the
bitterness and they're tasting the sourness of what it's like
to disobey God. And to know his displeasure, And
at this point, we're wondering what's next.
What's the next move? What is God going to say?
How are they going to advance? But we have to understand that
as much as they have, yes, sin, they have quickly responded to
God's instruction to deal with the matter.
As quick as they receive the Revelation on it.
And so the direction that God is about to give is not necessarily
from the sin point. It's from the repentance point.
It's from the place of Brokenness that they have also
displayed and obedience from that place of Disobedience.
So, what is the Lord saying? Verse 1 chapter 8, and the Lord
said to Joshua, do not fear and do not be dismayed now.
Hold on. Why would God say?
Do not fear and do not be dismayed?
Well, the simple answer is because they were Fearful and
they were in the spirit. But the question is, why what
reasons? Are given for this people to be
crippled by anxiety. And as they are clearly
dejected. I think there's at least two
reasons, and the two reasons here are not just unique to
Israel. Keep in mind that these two
reasons for the fear and the dismay that they are
experiencing are very much, the emotions and the reasons why
people Christians, also, fear and despair.
When they fail, When they sin against God.
When they disappoint, when they get off track these very same
fears are real in the state of anybody's failure in their
spiritual journey with God. So they disobey at least one man
dead but it reflected the whole Camp.
So why the fear? Well, here's one reason, perhaps
they feared, that God would no longer be with them as he was
before. I want you to think about it. if
you understand the Holiness of God, if you understand the
stance that he has against sin, That's important.
But what's dangerous? As you are convinced of that and
you were thoroughly understanding his holy nature,
the danger is that if sin is committed You might be so
convinced of his Purity that you yourself, would think that
there's no way that I can. I can be in relationship with
God the same way before this happened.
He is just too brilliant. He is just too holy
Transcendent. That there is no way that I can
walk with him in the same way that I did before I messed up.
And that's certainly true for this people because they've
experienced it with their own parents.
How God is over and over Warren, because you've done this, I'm no
longer going with you. That is the greatest consequence
and so you can imagine what crashed in their minds.
Surely we have lost God's favor. Surely I won't be able to
experience him the same way I did before.
The only reason why somebody should be fearful of that.
After they have sinned, please pay attention.
The only reason why that fear is legitimate.
If you are a person who thinks that you can continually sin and
think that you can be reconciled to God with a simple, sorry,
only planning to sin again. see the people that think that way,
understand that no human would ever accept that, but for some
reason, we convince ourselves that God would We wouldn't
expect that from a human relationship.
I'm just going to keep attacking you.
Keep going against your back. And I'm just going to say,
sorry. And you're going to accept me
again. Maybe in forgiveness, but surely
not in reconciliation, two, different things.
But then, for some reason, there are many who are deceiving
thinking. God is so overwhelming and
merciful that he will receive my sorry.
Not so he will forgive sure, but not reconciliation, see Godly
sorrow. That leads to repentance is the
condition to restore relational flow?
Godly sorrow that leads to genuine repentance.
Not the shallow, I'm sorry. I won't do it again.
Knowing that you're going to do it again.
No it's a deep understand that you are willing to do whatever
it takes by his grace and his enablement to turn away from the
very thing that grieve them in the first place.
But then again there is sincere spiritual Christians who
actually fail at some point. It can be grieveson or it can be
some manifestation of on Christ like added to that just pops out
of nowhere. And you realize, you mean
yourself, how did that come out? I didn't even know that was in
me. Only to make you feel so
discouraged that you can't even think about how your future will
look like with God again. And the only way to overcome
such a fears to understand, not just his Holiness, but his mercy
and his love. I think of a verse like, Micah
718, just listen to these words. Who is a God Like, You know what
that means? Who can compare to you every
other supposed God out there, none can compare to this God,
the god of the Bible. Why then it begins to describe
the strong qualities that make him unique.
Pardoning iniquity passing over transgression for the remnant of
his inheritance. Now, listen to this, he does not
retain his anger forever because he Delights in steadfast love in
the new King James because he Delights in what Mercy Hold on.
We understand, he's merciful, but you know, where many even
spiritual Christians fail, to understand, God, that he
Delights and being merciful. That's a big difference.
Because many people are convinced God will forgive we
counsel people and says, God will forgive you after they
confess sin and it's harder for us to be convinced, we like to
preach it to others, but it's ourselves that I find it
difficult, that God is merciful. We mess up.
But it's not just that he has a contract with you, that, yes, I
am bound to forgive you, because I said I would, but now there's
a fracture in my appreciation and my affection towards, you
know, he Delights in giving Mercy, meaning there is great
and deep gratification gratitude gratify action.
Towards the fact that you are going to receive Grace from him.
Now that's the hard part. God actually wants to do it and
he actually feels a way towards that truth.
So why don't we believe it? That's the difficult part,
right? But why does God find pleasure
in giving Mercy? We understand the contract part,
right? I said my word, that's why I'm
going to do it. So here's some mercy, no.
He's waiting to give it he's longing to give it.
He is eager to extend it. And the reason behind it is
because he knows that it will restore the relationship that
was once lost because of your sin and mine.
Is the very thing that will rebuild what was broken and he
knows that that Mercy's the only way and so he is actually
delighting in the fact that you will experience it.
I think that's where our heads had a ceiling.
I think that's where we find trouble understanding
forgiveness, that he is longing for you to just turn and confess
so that he can shower you with his love.
Knowing that this is the very thing that will build the bridge
again for you to walk hand-in-hand with Christ.
So, the thing that we have to get out of our heads, even a
spiritual Believers, is that Mercy is just some contract,
it's just some benefit, but he's not really wanting to do it.
You just have to do it or else he will go against his word.
That that Mercy, something that he regret, that he established
in his word, but he has to do it because he doesn't want to be
found to be a liar. That's completely false.
He's eager and he's longing to restore us and that's why there
is no other God like him. Here's the attitude that some
people have there is no way God can use me after this.
I blew it. God won't bless my life with
himself, like the way he would have.
If I didn't mess up. Have you ever thought that?
I can tell you that many, if not all people have thought that one
point Yes, sin has consequences. There's one thing that if true
repentance comes to the table that is guaranteed Mercy.
With a Heart of Love behind it. Longing, in a waiting for you to
receive it with the faith that he wants you to receive it.
But it's not just that, that's not the only fear that they
would have had, we don't have to guess what?
Other fears that these Israelites would have had in
their own hearts, and the Lord said to Joshua, do not fear.
And do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with
you and arise. Go up to AI.
Here's the other fear. That they would not be able to
defeat the enemy again because of their first failure.
So the fear here is that they'd Fallen they've been embarrassed.
They've been chaste. And God targets where their
terror is. And he says, listen, I want you
to get up and run back and fight again.
You know what that means that when you and I sinned with we've
Fallen, it doesn't mean that God's program for our lives is
canceled. It doesn't mean the whole thing
now is shattered. It doesn't mean now that we walk
aimlessly and we were just wondering what other purposes
because we blew it. No.
The moment we fall God, has every intention for us to get
back on our feet and to resume where we left off because
there's still a promised land to be conquered, there's still an
inheritance for you and I to experience.
And so these people were so discouraged by their own failure
that they were paralyzed and advancing in the will of God.
Now, here's the thing. In their case, it was an actual
physical enemy. Here's the fight that you, and I
have it's against sin. And I have to tell you this the
same way that the Israelites were paralyzed, because they
felt like they couldn't overcome.
AI is the same kind of fear that many Christians experience when
they keep trying to overcome a sin in the lives and it can't
seem to be overcome I fought this thing for years.
I've had strides a victory only to fall back into it.
Again, I can't seem to break this habit and what you have as
a result is, many Christians parked in the same place in
their spiritual journey. With Christ, never advancing or
growing or going from glory to glory.
And it's very much, a fearful thing for many believers.
And I can tell you that all you need to do is go to enough
conferences. You know conferences right where
there's a special weekend where you give undivided attention to
the word of God, to be challenged to change a certain
way. So that by next year you look
different than how you came that one year, right?
And with those challenging messages and those calls to
surrender and to lay down certain sins and lay down
certain mentalities, what is usually the response?
I mean, you have different results.
And here's one of them people that realize that they've been
convicted by the Holy Spirit, and that God has highlighted
something in their lives that needs to be, repented of only to
be met with this objection but I fear, I'm afraid at the moment.
I leave this environment. That's Heavenly environment.
Only to go back to my home, only to go back to my circle of
friends. My My workplace to be overcome
by the same sin, that I know that I have to give up.
I'm afraid that I'm going to cycle back into it.
And that sin can be anything, it can be an attitude problem.
It could be envied, it could be jealousy, can be sensuality.
It can be the fear of, man, it can be anything.
Something that we know that is nodding at us.
We can't seem to shake off. So, what many people are
paralyzed by is this fear that I can't overcome?
And here's how some people think God has given me Victory, when I
got saved over certain things, but this thing I can never get
victory over. I've lived with it too long.
I've seen God Set Me Free from this sin and that sin and
listen. I know that I'm saved but this
thing can't seem to break off. And I think I might have to live
with it. Or the idea of no matter how
much I've tried, it's just going to resurface again no matter how
much I feel like those chains have been broken.
I've run free. I feel like I'm arrested by that
thing out of nowhere again. And so there's a sense of why
bother Why bother confessing why?
Bother asking for prayer? Why bother fasting?
Why bother anymore? I can't seem to overcome it.
That's a very real fear in many people's lives.
And I think the only way to overcome that fear.
Is the same solution found here for Joshua and the Israelites.
Look at the second part of verse 1.
See, I have given into your hand at king of AI and his people,
his City and his land, I look at verse 2 and you shall do to Ai
and it's King as you did to Jericho and it's King, there's
the answer. How is God encouraging his
people to get up and face his fear?
That the enemy can't be overcome because we failed miserably.
He says the same thing that you've done to Jericho is the
same thing that you would do to a I.
Now why is that significant? Here's why it's significant to
different levels of threats. You have Jericho A Mighty
Fortress. Could even imagine penetrating
through that place and yet, God brought it down and here's a i
is smaller place. Still the same solution Victory
is still possible. There's nothing too big, nothing
too small. There's no big sins and small
sins in the eyes of God since I have different consequences but
all of them can no victory over. If we what simply believe the
very same substance that would bring Victory to Joshua.
And the Israelites is the very same substance that you and I
require in the New Covenant, you know what it is.
Faith. Faith.
You can't look at one thing and say, God can give me victory
over that and look at another thing to be like, God can't give
me victory over that the moment. You begin to think, like that
and talk like that. And convince yourself, you have
forfeited, the substance that brings about victory.
And so what is necessary is to look at the promises of God
which are greater than the old Covenant and to so convince
ourselves of those promises bring them before God and allow
the Holy Spirit to tap us into that power so we can experience
it. But when we start saying things,
like I don't think I can ever overcome it.
This is just the way I'm wired when we begin to say things such
as I think, I have to live with this for the rest of my life.
We forfeit the very thing that connects us to the source of
victory Very dangerous. Everything hinges on faith even
victory over sin. It's not striving, it's not
sweating, it's not eliminating necessarily, it has to start in
the core place of believing and trusting.
God see, they needed to believe that.
If we overcame Jericho, surely we can overcome a, i guard,
targeted their lack of faith, which caused the fear.
And try to breathe hope into that because if you don't have
hope, then you will never know victory.
It was true for them in the carnal and is true for us in the
spiritual. You have to believe.
If you don't, you will see defeated.
You will stay Park where they were parked and never know
greater strides of inheritance in the Kingdom.
It's so true. And it's so important to be able
to realize that, This was their source of Hope.
Believing God. There are many prayers in the
Bible. You know what?
One of my favorite ones are, when Jacob knew that he was
going to face his brother Esau and he was so terrified.
You know, why he was terrified? Because his mother said go to
your uncle Laban and I will fetch for you when your
brother's anger subsides, he never came.
There was no messenger ever sent for years.
Can you imagine go move in with your cousins?
And when your brother is finished, convincing himself
that he wants to murder you, then I'll call you to come back
home, not one email. Now, one text message for years,
Then as he's trying to travel back, he gets word.
Esau is on his way and he's terrified and I love what he
does in Genesis 32 12, he says to God.
He says you said and he lays out the promises that God had given
him. Personally, you said he prayed
the very Promises of God. She, we need to know the
promises of God. And then we need to learn how to
communicate them to God. As an Act of Faith.
You said, sin shall not have dominion over me because I'm not
under the law. But I am under grace, you said
that That's bold, but we have the license to do that. and
then, as we bring these promises, God Honors that Act of
Faith and then begins to animate you, and energize you to know
how to trample over every enemy, including your sin and mine
These are the fears that they were facing the very same fears
that many Christians experience when they fail.
Look what happens here in verse 2.
He says you shall do to a on its king as you did to Jericho and
it's King. Only it spoil and it's
livestock. You shall take us plunder for
yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city
behind it. This is interesting.
You know why? Because it's very much a
different instructions than what we got for Jericho.
What did he tell them concerning Jericho?
He says as you go in and attack you be careful that you don't
take one thing to yourself. It's all devoted to destruction
and the gold and silver. That's mine.
You are leaving empty-handed. Nothing belongs to you,
everything. Belongs to me.
But then here he says the plunder is yours.
The plunder is yours. Joshua 6.
Nothing is yours. Joshua 8.
It's all yours. You know why?
That's a sad truth, can anybody guess why?
Because there was a man named Aiken.
Who could have just waited a little longer. and the very
thing that his heart desired, he would have experienced What was
Akins fault. When God says, it's not yours.
He took it anyway, and he paid the price for it.
And just a few moments later if he had just obeyed God the very
thing that he wanted to have. He would have had and had God's
blessing on it but he couldn't wait and trust God.
This is a very important lesson in life, brothers and sisters
Oftentimes, when we want to move ahead of God, or we want to do
something against his word, we convince ourselves that it's
because we will be at Advantage. Let me guarantee you something.
Whenever you are tempted, with that thought to move ahead of
God to do something, apart from his permission, to disobey his
written word, you will always miss out like a can miss out.
See God said, no, he didn't say no here because an AI you're
going to have he didn't reveal the whole thing.
And God doesn't have to reveal the whole thing.
We just have to trust him at his word.
So when he says, no, we say Amen.
When he says, yes we say Amen. Sometimes we want explanations.
For why doors are closed. We want explanations for why
things are not going the way. We think they should be going
yet on the other side. There's something to experience
yet. Many people have sabotage that
experience like Aiken has because they don't know how to
Simply trust God in what not just his word, but his timing.
It was a timing issue. if he had just waited a little longer, he
would have known what God wanted him to know, but he didn't wait
on God. And he lost not just this but a
lifetime experience. Oh a can.
If you would have just waited for God don't let that be the
commentary for you and me in our life.
Trust God at his word. Trust God in the sovereignty
over your Affairs in life, believe him and believe in his
timing and you will know maximum blessing you know many
Christians they want something something so bad enough that
they're willing to push through all Council push through all
advice, even push through the barriers of the word of God to
get what they want and they pay for it in the end.
God knows what he's doing. And we see this on this side, a
can we didn't know it, but we see it.
And God has given us these things for us to consider.
Don't rush. God, don't rush in life.
Trust him at his word and he will bless you for it.
Now, what happens we come to verse 3, down to verse 8, Joshua
is going to give the Israelites a new set of instructions of how
to overcome a. I that fear that this pair is
eliminated because of Truth shining upon the character of
God and his nature. And what's important from verse
3 down to verse 8, as he begins to give instructions, is verse a
look at verse 8 with me, he says in as soon as you have taken the
city, you shall set the city on fire.
You shall do according to what the word of the Lord.
So you know, where these instructions came?
I'm from not Josh was mine. God's mind.
God gave them to Joshua and they came through Joshua to the
people. Why is that important?
Why is it important to know that these verses have come from God?
These instructions? Because they look very much
different than the strategy that they had in their initial attack
to a I very much different. You put these instruction side
by side. You see completely different way
of understanding this whole circumstance.
For example, look at verse 3, So Joshua and all the fighting men
are rose to go up to a i and Joshua chose 30,000, Mighty Men
of Valor and sent them out by night.
Now, go to Joshua 7, verse 3. Same verse number, different
chapter. This is when he sent his spies
to go out to Ai and they being despised returned to Joshua and
said to him. Do not have all the people go up
but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack
AI. Do not make the whole people
toil up. Therefore they are few Do you
see the difference? So when the spies went out in
their own understanding and estimation, they thought we
don't need everybody to go up. This is a small place.
A i this is nothing like Jericho why send most of our troops when
we can just send some of our troops.
And if we send some of our troops, then we don't have to
get everybody. All worked up and tired for
nothing. Hey, if you read chapter seven
without eight, you think this is smart.
This is wisdom. This is good thinking The only
missed it by multiplying the soldiers by 10.
Here's the idea. How do we get this verse 3 and
verse 3 from these chapters. Very simple, very simple
conclusion. God does things differently than
we do? God thinks differently, he
strategizes differently. He plans differently, he
executes differently. And what embarrassment, what a
humbling experience it would have been for Joshua to hear
30,000 men. We only missed it by so many.
We thought two or three thousand.
And then God says, no, I actually want 30,000 to go up to
AI. How can this be?
Well, we can't condemn this man, too quick, because many of us do
the same thing. We kind of take on life and we
look at situations and circumstances and we think that
we can do it with our own thinking.
Apart from God's intervention or wisdom or word or Council?
Only to find out later on that. God's way was the best way.
And I want you to think how many people take on different aspects
of life. Without dependency on the Lord.
How many people try to do ministry without God's word?
Many, you'd be shocked to know how they think that.
If we just do it this way, we will win more people.
If we just do it this way, we will get more money.
If we just do it this way, fill in the blank.
Because culture is changing and people have different attention
spans. Now, So let's move away from
this and let's introduce this and this and this and that as
well, God didn't know what he was talking about.
As though, God didn't have 20/20 in mind when he gave us his
word. Or take on relationships without
God's advice. We are so given to our emotions
in our judgment. So we go, this is right when God
has clear warnings and God has given us people to give us
warnings. And yet we still move ahead
without him because we think we can do this apart from him.
Business, you name it? This is a perfect example.
You look at chapter 7, you see nothing of god mentioned.
Nothing of god mentioned that is always a recipe for disaster and
it's very simple, know his word and bring it to him and prayers.
I know it's not deep, but it saves you from a lot.
And they thought we are going to save our resources.
Men are not going to be tired. We can get this over quickly.
Whatever. Seems to make sense, if it's not
aligned with God's will, no matter what people say, if it's
not according to this, it's bound to fail.
It's bound to fail but we don't have to wait for us to fail to
experience the bitterness of it. See, they came to this low point
because of their own decision mainly because of a consent, but
secondly, we see that they have they have come to this point of
thinking, we understand how this whole thing works.
And you know what, all it took for them to come to that point
one victory over Jericho, That's not an accident.
The sequence is Not an Accident victory over Jericho then they
come to a on the go. We got this figured out get two
or three thousand let's send him over and we'll move on wrong.
But how does a person come to that kind of mentality of being
independent from the Lord. I can guarantee you from many
examples in the Bible that it usually grows after a taste of
victory. After God has used you for
something. After you've seen yourself
living consistently in a state of spiritual power.
After being used even a moment, all it takes is one sermon
brother. for people to say, Whatever they want to say to
praise all. It takes is one sermon for this
type of thinking to rush. At the Takeover.
Or you fail to feel as though you need to continually depend
upon the Lord. You know what the scary part is.
They thought they can do this without God's counsel after one
victory over Jericho, right? But think about the victory over
Jericho, did it have anything to do with them?
No, it was God's Supernatural intervention, based on what
marching around walls, God intentionally made it seem like
they would look foolish so that he would receive maximum Glory,
not just in the eyes of the Israelites, but the eyes of all
the people in the land of Canaan.
But here's how subtle pride is that, even if you and others
know that it was God. You somehow are able to convince
yourself that there was something about you in it.
That's how subtle this thing is. You can be totally convinced
that one moment that surely this was God in and through me only
for the next for you to think well, God could have chosen
anybody but he chose me. I'm the vessel that God used to
bless others. I'm the person that God gave
surely, There's Something About Me, forgot to give it to me and
not her and not him. Dangerous thinking and this is
how sinful we really are that even in being just a vessel just
a cup in the hand, just an instrument, we can still think
that it has something to do with us and then we begin to think
that we can do this on our own and figure it all out.
And from there things go, really South.
I think it was. I remember that, man.
The year that King Uzziah died. I saw the Lord high and lifted
up. Who's I died?
A tragic death. He died of Pride, leprosy broke
out on his forehead, no accident there.
Because the man was filled with pride, how he became king at 16
years old, he had a good Mentor, he knew how to seek the Lord and
as long as he sought the Lord, he prospered and boy, did he
Prosper read? Second chronicles 26, Victory
inventions Fame. And then there's one scary verse
when he died Shia became strong. Everything went downhill.
See you again, it's in that place where you are seeing
blessing flow through you and to you.
That the cancer of pride has some soil to work with so that
it can spread only to create a spiritual leprosy.
And have us crashing down for all men to see.
And so here we see an example of that.
Different set of instructions, guys, God thinks about life, got
things about money, got things about relationships, God thinks
about modesty, God thinks about church, God thinks about every
aspect of who we are differently than you.
And I do and the closer we align our minds and our hearts to his
will, the more we will know Victory and we will save
ourselves time energy and much pain.
When we do. So that's certainly true in this
case. So what happens?
They move on? And then we see here in verse 4
down to verse 24, long details of what.
Well, the first Chunk we see that God gives the explanation
of what they were supposed to do in the second part, we get a
detailed record of the execution of what they were supposed to do
and so we can read through all of it and there seems to be a
lot of repetition but it's all to just show that they obeyed
perfectly what God demanded of them.
But you know what? I love about the strategy.
You know what's wonderful about this Victory, here it is.
We see here in verse 6. That Joshua perhaps inspiration
by God, knew ahead of time. What the enemy was going to do
and they plan accordingly. So let's summarize what this
strategy was. They were supposed to go up as
one group only for another group of Israelites to come behind the
city of AI. And what the strategy was is
that this group would come and plant themselves before AIA, I
would see the Israelites and they would say we got him before
we're going to get him again. So they come with all their men
to the point where they actually leave the city behind.
Not one man was left behind an AI and they chased the
Israelites as the Israelites on the front, pretended that they
were defeated, pretended, that they were fearful.
And as they chase them, Joshua would turn and bring up a
javelin, as a signal. And the ones that were an We're
now come and burn down the city and as the smoke would rise to
heaven, the people of are would turn around.
See it, they would come and it would be a sandwich.
That was the that was essentially the plan beautiful
plan, wonderful plan. But what makes this so important
is verse 6. Look at verse 6, this is what
Joshua is instruction. He goes and they being the
people of a I will come out after us until we have drawn
them away from the city for they will say, they are fleeing from
us just as before so we will flee before them.
What's important with that? Joshua knew ahead of time.
What the enemy was going to do? And Joshua 8.
That's very important. In real war strategy.
In the pages of the New Testament in the realm that you
and I are living in, it is as equally as important in our
spiritual battle. to do what to know ahead of time of what the
enemy can do in our lives, in our church, That is not a call
to be mystical. Nor is that a call to just
pretend and think maybe this is no, it is actually instructed by
the Holy Spirit towards you. And I and here's the verse
second, Corinthians 2:11 Local. Paul tells this church and for
all churches, for all time. What?
They are instructed to do now, look at this.
He says here, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan.
For, we are not ignorant of his designs.
We've been taught our lives to know what God is able to do and
what God wants us to do. Sure.
I don't think we spend much time.
Understanding how Satan works. Paul says, you're called not to
be unaware of his designs of his schemes of his craft, the
abilities of his strategies. You know why?
Because you and I are in a war. You've heard this many times,
but I'll say it again. As much as you might not want to
believe you're in a war, you're in a war.
As much as you might think that you're not on wartime mentality,
you were still in a war. And the less you think you're in
a war the more you are a Sitting Duck for Satan pretend all you
want be an ostrich and plant your head in the sand and
pretend that there's no danger around you.
You are literally becoming easy prey for the enemy.
And you don't have to be a super Christian to figure out how
Satan works. We have to be spiritual,
absolutely, but why did Paul say this to the Corinthian Church?
Why did he say so that we would not be out with it so that we
will not be unaware of the schemes of Satan.
Now, understand the context here.
Last week we talked about how one man sin in the camp can
affect the whole Camp. Remember and we went to First
Corinthians to see the example of that.
There was a man who had an unlawful relationship with his
father's wife. Even the world doesn't even
celebrate such a thing. And he says, get rid of him, see
there are sometimes certain sins in the local church sometimes
where you don't have to go through the necessary steps
where you have to sometimes, use Extreme Measures for the sake of
saving. The whole congregation.
That was certainly true in this case.
So he was excommunicated in that moment and then when you come to
Second Corinthians, something happens between those two books.
At first, he has to go, he has to go because he's not
repentant. So he goes then you come to
Second Corinthians and what happens?
He is. Now speaking to the same group
of people and he's saying, listen, don't add sorrow to him.
If he's come back and he's asking for forgiveness, do not
withhold that forgiveness, do not withhold, Your Love, shower
him with your love, shower him with your compassion and then he
goes on to say so that we would not be outwitted by Satan.
For we are not ignorant of his designs.
That's the context. So, what is he trying to say?
He's trying to say this, in this particular situation in your
church Corinthians, As you are trying to figure out how to
handle this situation, know that Satan is lurking.
And that, as this penitent broken man is coming to you
asking for restoration. Give it to him because if you
think you can withhold it, listen, because many people
think if I withhold forgiveness and love, it will teach them a
greater lesson never to do it again.
And so, who knows? What was going on in their mind
to think? Let's not give it to him, he
blew it. He embarrassed us.
Look how Paul spoke to us, who knows?
What was going on there. Mine.
But listen, if it did not come to the point of restoration and
rebuilding they were playing at this Athens hands.
Because Satan would love nothing more than for this person to be
so overwhelmed by despair that he would be crushed to the
point. Where who knows what he would do
to himself, or who knows what direction you would be headed
into. Just be careful.
Be careful how you handle the situation.
Now, you know how subtle Satan is?
Check this out? The first time.
With this church, he was working in another way.
I believe, you know, how he was working.
When the man was unrepented and sitting in the church, and they
all knew to knew about it, they were tolerant He was working
there. He didn't want to make him think
that it was that serious. He didn't want to think that
this was an emergency situation. So he convinced them to the
point where they weren't morning over.
They weren't broken over it and when Paul sheds light, they go,
huh, and they get rid of him. And now, the enemy is still
there, so that when he comes back, he's trying to convince
them. See he always wants to find an
open door in. In the first case is, When sin
came into say, tolerate it, when they got rid of it, he wants the
Other Extreme now, be legalistic and condemn him.
Christianity. Is not a game church is not a
game. We are dealing with people's
Souls here. And so, when we understand this
example, it calls for a