GOD'S PRESCRIPTION FOR AN ACHAN HEART
Joshua 7:1-26

Introduction:     Israel has just been involved in the greatest military conquest in their history. They have just witnessed the tremendous defeat of the city of Jericho and they are still basking in the glow of that great event. Yet, what they didn't know was that there was a problem in the camp. There was one in their midst who was causing a problem for the entire family of God. Things are much the same today? Folks, we are all members of one body, 1 Cor. 12:27 and according to the Bible, 1 Cor. 12:26, when one member of the body has problems, the entire body has problems. Your spiritual temperature has a deep effect on the entire body of Christ. You are not an island unto your self. What you do affects the entire church body. If there is anything in your life that you have hidden away, anything that you think is covered and gone, I want you to get that thing settled with the Lord before you leave this building. You can and this passage tells us how. Sin causes problems. It causes them for the sinner and for everyone else around them. Most of us are guilty of being like Achan from time to time. When we allow sin into our lives and when we try to hide our sins and try to cover it up, we bring pain and trouble into our lives. Yes, we are all Achans from time to time, and when we are, our sins causes aching in our lives. However, these verses tell us that God has a prescription for an Achan heart. Let's look at that right now as the Lord gives liberty and help for this hour.

I.          A PAINFUL DEFEAT  (VV. 2-5)

            A.           Israel Was A Confident People (vv. 2-3)
Israel was a confident people, but a closer look reveals that their confidence was misplaced. ( Ill. These people are guilty of resting on their laurels. Often, like Israel , we will be over confident and believe that we can handle any battle that comes our way, Pro. 16:18.) Confidence is a good thing as long as one's confidence is in the right place. When we are walking with our hope and our confidence in the Lord, we will win the victory, but when we are walking with our confidence in the power of our ability and in our flesh, then we are destined to fail!

B.         Israel Was A Conquered People (vv. 4-5a)
When one takes the time to look more closely at their actions, it is easy to see that they made several mistakes. Mistakes that, I feel, many of us are guilty of making as well.
1. They didn’t seek the will of God. They didn't even pray about the matter.
2. They didn't take the Ark of the Covenant into the battle. They went into the battle in their own strength and they failed! I can't do the job and neither can you! We all need the Lord if we are to walk in spiritual victory in our lives, Phil. 4:13; John 15:5.)

C.        Israel Was A Confounded People (v. 5b)
Nothing is right in the life of a believer while there is sin in his midst! (Ill. Israel didn't know at this point what was wrong. All they knew was that they had just suffered their first defeat. Thankfully, God wants His people to have the victory, not the defeat. So, He takes the necessary steps to reveal to the nation of Israel just exactly where the problem lies.

II.         A PAINFUL DISCOVERY  (VV. 6-15)

A.        Joshua Reacts In Prayer (vv. 6-9)
Joshua is going to learn that prayer is the correct recourse in a time of trouble, but that prayer will avail nothing until sin has been dealt with, Psa. 66:18! ( Ill. After we have made decisions that brought with them terrible consequences, it's too late to play the blame game).

B.         God Rehearses The Problem (vv. 10-15)
While Joshua and Israel try to figure out what is happening, God in Heaven already knows and tells Joshua all about it. Seven observations concerning sin and its effects in our lives.
1. God knows about our sins - v.11 (Pro. 15:3; Heb. 4:13)
2. God hates our sins - v.11 - (Pro. 6:16-19)
3. God has a plan for our sins - vv.14-15 - (1 John 1:9; Psa. 32:5)
4. God will punish our sins - v.15 - (Gal. 6:9)
5. Sin affects those around us - vv.11-12 - Your sins and mine have the ability to drastically lower the spiritual temperature of the church. We are all one body and what affects you affects me!
6. Sin hinders God's work - v.12 - (Matt. 13:58)
7. Sin must be dealt with - v.13 - Either you and I will deal with our sins, or God will deal with them. Either way, they will be handled! - (1 Cor. 11:31)
(Ill. Often, the greatest problems faced by the church come from within and not from without. You see, it's not the water on the outside of the boat that causes the problem, it's the water on the inside of the boat that causes trouble!)

III.       A PAINFUL DEATH  (VV. 16-26)
(Ill. In these verses, the wages of sin are put on clear display for all to see, Rom. 6:23.)

A.        The Sinner Discovered  (vv.16-18)
God knew who was guilty, why didn't He just tell Joshua who they were looking for? He was giving Achan time to repent and to confess his sins. Be that as it may, the finger of God was getting closer and closer and finally landed on Achan. ( Ill. The lesson for us needs to be learned well! God already knows your sins and His finger is getting closer and closer to your life. One day soon, He will point out those things in your life that need to be revealed! It is only a matter of time sir, Ma'am, young person until the finger of God lands on your life and you are exposed in your sins! It will not and cannot be hidden forever! One day, your sin will find you out - Num. 32:23; Luke 12:3. You may try, but you cannot hide your sin!)

B.         The Sin Discussed (vv.19-21)
(Now that the sin is out in the open it has to be dealt with. Notice the two aspects of this section.)

1          The Compassion (v.19)  - When Joshua speaks to Achan, he speaks with love in his heart. He knows that Achan is condemned, but Joshua still cares for this man who brought so much trouble to Israel . ( Ill. In this, Joshua is a picture of God!)
           2.          The Confession   (V. 20-21) - In these two verses, Achan finally confesses his sin. However, he did not repent. (Ill. Achan is like other men in the Bible who confessed their sins, but not in real repentance - Pharaoh, Balaam, and Judas.) ( Ill. This is not God's method for handling sin! God's way is for a man to be open and honest about the sin in his life and for him to confess those things to the Lord, Pro. 28:13.)
Note the progression in Achan's sin, v. 21. "I saw...I coveted...I took." This is the same pattern that sin always follows. It was this way in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3:1-6. It was this way when David sinned with Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 11:1-4. It is and will be this way in nearly any instance of sin you can name. Notice the progression that the Bible speaks of in James - James 1:13-15. Sin is always the same!
Our reaction to sin should be just like that of Joseph, Gen. 39:12. We are commanded to flee youthful lusts, (2 Tim. 2:22.)
Another problem that Achan had is found in v. 21. Achan calls the things he took "spoils". These things were not spoils. God said in 6:18-19 that these things were His. They were not to be gifts for Israel ; they were to be placed in the treasury of the Lord's house. In essence, Achan was guilty of stealing from the Lord. Are you guilty of that sin? (Mal. 3:8.) Notice this: Achan had things buried in his tent that he could not use! To use them would be to reveal his character to the entire nation of Israel . In other words, Achan sinned and died for nothing! The things he stole were no good to him at all!)

C.        The Sinner Destroyed  (vv. 22-26)
It didn't have to end this way! These verses demonstrate the horrible end that all sinners who refuse to repent will come to. The name of the valley is called "Achor". This word means trouble. If you are going to sin, you need to know that you are headed for trouble, ( Ill. If you are God's child, and you have unconfessed, unrepented of sin in your heart and life, you need to know that you life can be a hindrance to this church. You also need to know that God will chasten you to bring you back in line with His will. My advice to you is that you need to get right with God this morning! God knows what it will take to touch your heart, and He isn't afraid to touch that heartstring if He knows it will bring you to repentance.) ( Ill. If you are lost this morning, there is only one thing you need. You need to come to Jesus for salvation.)

Conclusion:       Years later, the prophet Hosea mentioned this same valley. He said, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Hosea 2:15 The promise is that this place of trouble could become a door of hope. The same is true concerning your sins. If you will come to the Lord this morning, those sins that are going to cause you lots of trouble can be taken care of. This altar can literally become a door of hope for you right now, if you will come to Jesus for the cleansing you need. If you have an Achan kind of heart this morning, there is help in Jesus if you will come to Him.