something you need to use later on.Go to get it, or use it, or have some of it – and it’s gone. Or used and broken, or …..Choc chips
God has set apart for HimselfJoshua 7:11 - 2011 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...
something you need to use later on.
Go to get it, or use it, or have some of it – and it’s gone. Or used and broken, or …..
Choc chips
God has set apart for Himself
Joshua 7:11 - 20
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.
14 “In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the LORD will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs. That tribe must come forward with its clans, and the LORD will point out the guilty clan. That clan will then come forward, and the LORD will point out the guilty family. Finally, each member of the guilty family must come forward one by one. 15 The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the LORD and has done a horrible thing in Israel.”
Achan’s Sin
16 Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the LORD, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. 17 Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. 18 Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.
19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.”
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.”
Started to think - God, are there things that you have set apart for yourself, that we have looked at and wanted, so we have gone to a place where God says we have no business being.
3 areas today - Relationships & Intimacy, Identity & Significance, Time
What’s the Achan, what has stolen these things, hidden…
Psalm 119:37 NLT
37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.
Joshua 24:15 NLT
15 But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”
1. Intimacy and Relationships
God created us to be relational, to have close intimacy in relationships. Friendships and in marriage. Trinity. Adam & Eve.
There’s a billion dollar industry that does the most damage to intimacy & relationships today. Media & pornography. Which I want to talk about in a bit more depth today.
P*rn has become a billion dollar industry that doesn’t care who is exploited and destroyed.
Public health issue – hurting individuals, families and societies. Statistics would say that in this room, reasonable percentage of families affected.
P*rn industry, those who make it and those who sell it are aggressively going after people and children with a product that deals in cruelty, brutality & degradation – particularly against women and horrendously children also.
There’s 2 sides – the people (particularly women & children) who are involved in making it & the people affected by viewing it & the addictive & harmful properties are as powerful as any drug.
I’m going to focus on the side of the people viewing today, as p*rn addiction is a destroyer of any kind of intimacy & relationships as God intended.
Predatory nature is going after our children – average age 10 – 11. If you think, “not my kid” then think again. Prepare and warn them and give them the skills to be able to deal with unwanted viewing. Very impressed when I hear of young people who have apps blocked on their phone – part of protecting them. Children’s brains are ill-equipped to deal with the violent, damaging content.
Belief – what I see is how life is. Pop culture is teaching-
Girls – value lies in their looks and sexual availability
Boys – value lies in hyper-masculine looks and dominating behaviour
Both – women & girls are supposed to be sexually available at all times
- No relationship is needed to have sex, no intimacy
God says – you have taken what is set apart for me
Choose this day whom you will serve
Psalm 119:37 NLT
37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.
Talk to your kids. Get help if you have an addiction – please talk to someone that you trust. There is lots of help available – it’s more than saying a prayer, but that’s a great start. Resources.
2. Identity and Significance
Created in God’s image as the object of His love. Created to be in relationship with the Creator of all things. To worship Him, carry out His mission on the earth.
Life groups
Culture tells us – it’s all about you. Your approval comes from the approval of others. Blight of reality TV shows – the more drama and the putting self forward to the detriment of others, the higher the ratings and the more important and significant you are.
Contrived and scripted – to maximise damage.
Identity and significance can never be found outside Jesus Christ.
Likes and in with the “cool kids”, who you know , what you own, your position or title etc……
Matthew 16:25-26 The Message
24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
3. Time
Phone, lots of things swallow up our time.
Set apart for God - what portion of our time
All very well for you Lynda, Busy with small kids etc,
Same battle – what’s my priority? God honouring or self-serving?
Psalm 119:37 NLT
37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.
