Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of a devotional on fifty two
questions every believer should answer. But first, here's the message.
Don't lose your victory.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take God's word.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
In turn to Joshua, Chapter seven, The story of Joshua
is the story of victory. It describes our victory in Christ.
Is not just what happened so long ago, way back
when in the Bible, but the story of the Bible
is your story and mine as well, and Joshua's journal.
(00:42):
What happened in Joshua's day when the children of Israel
left the wilderness, crossed over the Jordan miraculously by the
hand of God, and.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Then marched around the walls of Jericho.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
They shouted, the trumpet blew, the walls came tumbling down,
and Israel experienced an incredible victory at Jericho. And it
is descriptive of our victory in Jesus, not at Jericho,
but in Jesus. And because we are Christians, the Bible
tells us that we are caused always to triumph in
(01:18):
Jesus Christ, always to triumph. We are to live in
the victory that God has given us.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
It is your blessing.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
So after the startling and supernatural epic win for Israel
at Jericho, by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down,
the scripture says, and Joshua is now a winning general.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
He is famed throughout the land. He's a celebrity.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
In fact, the last verse of Joshua chapter six tells
us about Joshua's fame and renowned and just as God
had promised, God was with him, and they're all celebrated.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
It seemed like.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Israel is now an unstoppable force. But in Joshua chapter seven,
verse one, a conjunction appears a change. But the people
of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things.
For Aikaan, the son of Karmi, son of Zabdi, son
(02:27):
of Zarah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of
the devoted things, those things that have been devoted to
God and God alone, and the anger of the Lord burned.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Against the people of Israel.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
God had said, when the walls of Jericho fall and
you take this city all of the bounty, you are
not to take it, because the bounty belongs to me
now in chapter seven on the heels of that.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
But what happened when they came to.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Jericho the next day or so, they were looking out
over the next city to capture, and it was a
place called Ai. Joshua seeing it, sends out spies verse two.
Spies were sent out to this enemy encampment called Ai,
(03:31):
just a little place out there in the wilderness.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
But then something happened.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
They returned these spies after the reconnaissance mission, and they returned,
according to verse three, and here's what.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
They said, Joshua, we checked it out. Not a problem.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Now they're reeking with confidence and overconfidence at this point,
as you can tell.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
But Joshua listened to his.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Leaders and he sent two to three thousand people over there,
just two to three thousand, a small army.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
And so what happened, well.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
According to verses three through five, they got over there,
and they were routed by the enemy. So now they
come back with their tails between their legs, and they
all melt down, including Joshua. God, what happened. Joshua got
(04:36):
on his face and he began to cry and whine
and complain to God, God, you said you would do this,
And now this What in the world has happened? What
is this terrible defeat? And you know what God said
to Joshua, Joshua, get up, because you've got sin in
(04:59):
the camp.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
This is what happened. A man by the name of Acan.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
He deliberately, defiantly disobeyed God. He sinned flagrantly and foolishly
against the direct command of God. And as a result,
he introduced sin and the impact and the influence of
(05:29):
sin on the entire camp of Israel. They were defeated
by one man's sin. There is a verse of scripture
that you should know. And I'm speaking to Christians who
should be living in victory, the victory that God has promised,
and living in obedience and alignment with the will and
(05:50):
the purposes of God.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So to all of us who name the name of Christ.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
There's a verse of scripture which we should know, given
to us in the Book of Galatians. Do not be deceived.
God will not be mocked. For whatever a person sols,
they will also reap. You can't fool God. You can't
(06:18):
hide from God. You can't hide your sin from God.
Sin is damaging and defeating at every level. Here's another
verse you ought to note numbers thirty two, verse twenty three.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Be sure your sin will find you out.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Not only will God's spirit find us out, God himself
will find us out, but sin itself will chase us down.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Sin will find you out.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Sin will trail you the rest of your days, flagrant, confessed,
unrepented of sin. And the skeletons always come out of
the closet and dance on the ceiling, dance on your head.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So be sure your sin will find you out.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
It is a costly thing, an expensive thing to hide
our sin. Now a couple of thoughts at the top
of this message. Number one, did you know we are
most vulnerable after great victories in our lives?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Spiritually, Jericho happened.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
It was a great victory, but clearly they were not
on guard. They were not prepared for what was about
to happen. And it happens to us when we have
a mountaintop experience, then we often find ourselves face to
face with the enemy. It happened to Jesus when Jesus
was baptized, and the heavenly Dove came signifying the Holy
(07:52):
Spirit upon him, and the anointing and the appointing of
the Father of the father's voice. It was a divine,
dramatic moment. And from there we're told Jesus was led
by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. So from the dove came the devil and
the great temptation. So be reminded and be prepared. If
(08:17):
you're riding high right now, if you're feeling like you know,
nobody's got it better than me. But they had forgotten something.
They had forgotten that they were still vulnerable. They still
had to be on guard and be in the battle.
And I tell you another thing they had forgotten. They
forgot who gave them the victory. They're thinking by now,
(08:38):
apparently you know, hey, we can go I know it
took God to take Jericho, but we can go get
Ai ourselves. We can do this on our own. So
they had forgotten to trust God in this, and so
then came this terrible defeat. Why is sin such a problem?
(09:00):
Let's talk about the power of sin, the power of
secret sin, and specifically why is unconfessed, unrepented of flagrant foolish.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Sin like this? So damageing what is sin?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
There are several words that I bringing you today that
describe what sin is. One sin is disobedience, is a transgression.
When God says keep out, don't go there, we transgress
the law. We transgress the commands of God. We step
over the line. That's a big word for sin in
the Bible's disobedience to God. It is refusing to do
(09:39):
God's work will and obey his word. Second, sin is
a defilement. It's described in the Bible as a defilement.
It's dirty, It soils the soul, saturates the mind. It
is a defilement. And then it's a disease. Sin is
(09:59):
like a can so it's like an infection in the body.
It's toxic to our relationship with God. It's a disease,
and ultimately it's a disease that leads to death because
the payoff of sin, according to Romans three twenty three,
is death. Sin is also described in the Bible as
a debt that it is a payment due that we
(10:21):
are unable to pay. It's a debt that we owe
to God. And then it's a deception. Sin is a lie,
and therefore sin is to be avoided by the believer
at all costs. Where to hate sin and love Jesus.
(10:42):
Sin is a wicked thing. And that's why God put
this terrible story in the Bible, all this righteous anger
of God and the execution ultimately of Achen and his family,
and the smoke of burning bodies, and it's just it's
(11:07):
an ugly, terrible story, but God puts it here as
a warning.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message don't lose your victory. When you ask big questions
of God, you can trust he'll give you answers that
grow your faith and deepen your intimacy with Him. In
his devotional the Jesus Code, os Hawkins helps you uncover
bold truths as you search for answers to life's biggest questions.
(11:36):
We want to send you a copy of this powerful
resource as thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more so, request your copy of the Jesus Code when
you call and give today. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
text the word code to five nine seven eight nine.
(12:00):
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot
(12:22):
org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's get
back to today's message, don't lose your victory.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Now.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
There are several here ways in which we can deal
with the power of sin, and particular secret sin in
our lives. One we can celebrate it, and some people
celebrate sin boasting about their sin. Have you ever been
around people who boast of their sin? I have, sure
(12:53):
you have, and therefore to celebrate it. I'm free man.
I do what I want to do. There's no God
controlling me. I'm not gonna do what the Bible says.
I'm going to do what I want to do.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
So some people celebrate sin.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Others cherish it, cherish sin Psalm sixty six and verse eighteen.
If I had cherished or regarded iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
The word regarded to cherish their.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Means to keep as a pet to hold close to yourself.
Nice little sin, good little sin, and we feed it
and we take care of the sin. That's what it
means to cherish it, and what God says. If I
cherish iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me.
You want to cut off the power of God and
the power of prayer in your life, then keep holding
(13:55):
onto your sin, keep snuggling up.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
To sin in your life. Cherish it.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
That's what some people do with sin. Others cancel it
or try to cancel it. You know what it means
to try to cancel sin. It's not really sin. What
I'm doing is not really that wrong. I don't know
what the Bible says about that, but I know, you know,
if it feels good, do it. After all, God may
(14:25):
be the way I am. People try to cancel it,
and you become, yes a victim rather than a victor
over your sin, and it's consequenced. Some people try to
cancel it, some people try to cherish it. Others celebrate it,
and then other people try to control sin.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
That's like trying to control a wild animal.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
But people try it by saying things like, well, what
I'm doing is not that big a deal. I can
stop anytime right now. You can't control this. You can't control.
The Bible teaches self discipline and self control, but you
(15:10):
can't control sin. And it is a big deal. And
I can't handle it, and neither can you. It's too
hot to handle. Don't try to control your sin, and
just kind.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Of contain it, you know, just contain it. And then,
as in the case of Achan, there are people who
cover their sin.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
In fact, the natural thing to do from childhood on
up is to cover our sin, to do something and
then think that nobody else will know about it. I
can do this and nobody else will know it was Aichen.
It's acn sin that gets repeated again and again and
(15:54):
again and again. And you may think you're going to
be the first guy not to get caught. You're going
to be the first one never get called out on this.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
It's never gonna get exposed.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Oh, there's just been millenniums of history to the contrary.
But you're thinking you're the one and only person that's
gonna get away with what you're doing. And by covering
your sin, you're covering up sin, and you're thinking you've
got it covered. Nobody knows, nobody will knows, But is
(16:31):
just a matter of time, because what we cover.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
God uncovers. Jesus said, what was.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Done in secret will be shouted from the rooftops, and
there's coming today. There's coming to time. Your secret sin
will be a secret no more. And then the defeat
is going to come, the defeat of your character, your reputation,
your family, your marriage. It's all gonna come down on
(17:06):
your head because you think you can hide your sin
by hiding from God, covering your sin.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
And how does that happen? What's the pathway of this sin?
Speaker 3 (17:20):
The principle of sin, the peril of sin, but the
path of sin. Look in Verses twenty and twenty one,
Joshua finds Aikin. They search the camp, and Aikin does
get exposed what he did. And of course, now that
he got caught, he's willing to confess it. But notice
what he said, Truly, I have sinned against the Lord
God of Israel, and this is what I did. Now,
(17:43):
what Aikin did is repeated. We see it in the
Garden of Eden with Eve and Adam, how they sin.
We see it in David's life when he sinned with
the great adultery. We see this pattern over and over.
He said, Here's what I did when I saw among
the spoil a beautiful cloak from the shnar and two
(18:06):
hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing
fifty shekels. Then I coveted them and took them, and
see they are hidden in the earth inside my tent,
with the silver underneath. Four things that happens all the
time I saw. Now, this could have been the moment
(18:29):
when Akin turned around, went back into his tent and said,
Oh God, what was I thinking? What is wrong with me?
God always makes a way of escape. To see something
doesn't mean as sin unless you're lusting and leeching and
(18:51):
that sort of thing and longing over what you're seeing.
It starts with a sight. But it's like I think
Billy Graham said it, quoting Martin Luther, he said, you
can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but
you can keep them from building nest in your hair.
So some things swirl around us and you see things,
and that's not the sin.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
He saw it on the ground, the bounty on the ground.
Everybody else saw it and didn't sin. But he said
I saw it. And I'm telling you right now, some
of you are seeing some things, you're thinking some things.
It's not too late for you to just turn around
and say no, not me and the power of Christ.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
And then he.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Said, I coveted. That's a word for desire. Now he's
moving into sin, the desire, the heart and the desire.
This wasn't a moral sin. This wasn't about David's adultery
or anybody else's adultery. In this case, it was about money.
It was about possessions. He wanted more. I suppose what
(19:54):
God had promised in giving them the land of abundance,
all these things wasn't enough for old Achan. And so
he said, I desired it. And then he said I
took it, and then I hit it. Same sad story
(20:16):
we hear again and again and again. I saw, I coveted,
I wanted, I took, and I hid. And so the
peril of this sin and the pathway of this sin
leads to the punishment of secret sin. Because he is
(20:42):
publicly executed and his whole family is taken with him.
It's a terrible story, and this is a solemn warning
to everyone. God is serious about sin and you can't sin.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
And win. And so now there's graves in the garden
of the Promised lamp. So what do we do with sin?
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Therefore, we don't cover it, We don't cherish you, we
don't celebrate it, we don't cancel it, we don't choose it.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
That's the problem with the sin. He chose it.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
It was a deliberate, defiant act of sin against God.
But what you do is confess it and crucify it
by taking it to the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ first John one night. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
(21:44):
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The writer of
Proverbs twenty eight thirteen of Proverbs, whoever conceals his transgression
will not prosper, But he who confessed and forsakes them
will obtain mercy.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
God is a.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
God of justice and righteousness and holiness, and he will
judge sin, and he will discipline sinners.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
But there is grace and mercy available.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son can cleanse from
every sin.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And it's not too late for you.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
So what we do when we have sin is pray
with the Psalmist and Psalm one thirty nine. Oh God,
search my heart and see if there is any wickedness
in me, if there's any wrong thing in me, if
there's something in me secret that maybe I don't even know.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Are forgotten about.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
You know, some people have buried their sins in the past,
deep within bitterness. As an example, anger turned in. We're
just so bitter. They just buried that. Some of you
I'm talking to today, you have buried your sin, and
that's why they're so much shame going on in your life.
You can't change something until you confront it. And if
(23:05):
you bury it, if you bury it deep down in
your soul, it just festers like an infection in you.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
And ultimately it will destroy you.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
So rather than playing the victim card or the blame game,
saying it's not me or it's not my sin, or
it's not my fault or whatever excuse a rationale, we
own it and we say, God, you said this is wrong,
and I know it's wrong. I'm no longer hiding or
(23:37):
holding onto this thing, but I'm giving it to you
in confession and repentance and faith, and you know what
will happen. If you do that sincerely, the blood of
Jesus Christ will cleanse you. Though your sins are as scarlet,
they will be white with snow. But you've got to
be willing to stop the sinning and stop it.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Now listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
don't lose your victory. In the devotional to Jesus Code,
Os Hawkins invites you to ask fifty two thought provoking
questions found in the Bible that will help you experience
Jesus in deeper, more authentic ways than ever before. As
you dive into these questions, you'll discover that everything we
(24:21):
need can be found in a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ.
We want to help you uncover bold truths in the
search for answers to life's biggest questions by sending you
the Jesus Code as our thanks for your gift of
ten dollars or more to help proclaim God's unchanging word
through PowerPoint, So call now to request your copy of
(24:42):
the Jesus Code. Call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word code to five, nine, seven, eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham Dot where you can shop
our East store, give a gift online, or sign up
(25:04):
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham Pastor. What is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
It is our birthright as believers in Christ, that we
experience victory. Just like the people of Israel. God has
a life of promise for you, an abundant and beautiful
life blessed by Him. Jesus himself said, I've come that
you might have life, and have it more abundantly. I'm
praying that you are moved in faith to seize the
(25:35):
promises of God, just like Joshua and the Israelites did
at Jericho. And the way you do that is by faith.
It is when you shout and declare your faith that
you experience and express your faith personally, that walls will
come down, breakthroughs will happen, and victories will be won.
In the natural, it makes no sense for the Israelites
(25:57):
to march around the city of Jericho and shout and trumpets,
and for you and me, it doesn't always make sense
to obey God, to do what God commands to trust
God for our daily needs, to turn the other cheek
and forgive our enemies, or to sacrificially give to those
in need when maybe we don't have enough ourselves. But
when we obey God, when we trust in God and
(26:20):
take steps of faith, that releases God to bless us
with supernatural blessing and great victory in our lives. Thank
you for joining us at PowerPoint Always. I want to
encourage you to join us in our Facebook conversation or
on Twitter. You can find me on Twitter at jack
en Graham. I would love to connect with you there
(26:41):
along with as a friend on Facebook. But if you
want resources regarding the ministry, if you need prayer, contact
us at Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org.
You can also support this ministry at jack Graham dot org.
And we do need your support. We need your prayer
support and your financial support so that we can accomplish
(27:03):
the goals that God has given us as we fulfill
the mission of Christ here and around the world. Thank
you for your faithfulness and thank you for being a
part of power Point's ongoing witness.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
To the world.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you OS Hawkins devotional that Jesus code as our thanks.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word code to five nine
(27:39):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
Doctor Graham brings a message about learning to trust in
the faithfulness of God. That's next time on PowerPoint with
Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint
Ministries
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of a devotional on fifty two
questions every believer should answer. But first, here's the message.
Don't lose your victory.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take God's word.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
In turn to Joshua, Chapter seven, The story of Joshua
is the story of victory. It describes our victory in Christ.
Is not just what happened so long ago, way back
when in the Bible, but the story of the Bible
is your story and mine as well, and Joshua's journal.
(00:42):
What happened in Joshua's day when the children of Israel
left the wilderness, crossed over the Jordan miraculously by the
hand of God, and.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Then marched around the walls of Jericho.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
They shouted, the trumpet blew, the walls came tumbling down,
and Israel experienced an incredible victory at Jericho. And it
is descriptive of our victory in Jesus, not at Jericho,
but in Jesus. And because we are Christians, the Bible
tells us that we are caused always to triumph in
(01:18):
Jesus Christ, always to triumph. We are to live in
the victory that God has given us.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
It is your blessing.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
So after the startling and supernatural epic win for Israel
at Jericho, by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down,
the scripture says, and Joshua is now a winning general.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
He is famed throughout the land. He's a celebrity.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
In fact, the last verse of Joshua chapter six tells
us about Joshua's fame and renowned and just as God
had promised, God was with him, and they're all celebrated.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
It seemed like.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Israel is now an unstoppable force. But in Joshua chapter seven,
verse one, a conjunction appears a change. But the people
of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things.
For Aikaan, the son of Karmi, son of Zabdi, son
(02:27):
of Zarah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of
the devoted things, those things that have been devoted to
God and God alone, and the anger of the Lord burned.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Against the people of Israel.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
God had said, when the walls of Jericho fall and
you take this city all of the bounty, you are
not to take it, because the bounty belongs to me
now in chapter seven on the heels of that.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
But what happened when they came to.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Jericho the next day or so, they were looking out
over the next city to capture, and it was a
place called Ai. Joshua seeing it, sends out spies verse two.
Spies were sent out to this enemy encampment called Ai,
(03:31):
just a little place out there in the wilderness.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
But then something happened.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
They returned these spies after the reconnaissance mission, and they returned,
according to verse three, and here's what.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
They said, Joshua, we checked it out. Not a problem.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Now they're reeking with confidence and overconfidence at this point,
as you can tell.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
But Joshua listened to his.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Leaders and he sent two to three thousand people over there,
just two to three thousand, a small army.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
And so what happened, well.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
According to verses three through five, they got over there,
and they were routed by the enemy. So now they
come back with their tails between their legs, and they
all melt down, including Joshua. God, what happened. Joshua got
(04:36):
on his face and he began to cry and whine
and complain to God, God, you said you would do this,
And now this What in the world has happened? What
is this terrible defeat? And you know what God said
to Joshua, Joshua, get up, because you've got sin in
(04:59):
the camp.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
This is what happened. A man by the name of Acan.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
He deliberately, defiantly disobeyed God. He sinned flagrantly and foolishly
against the direct command of God. And as a result,
he introduced sin and the impact and the influence of
(05:29):
sin on the entire camp of Israel. They were defeated
by one man's sin. There is a verse of scripture
that you should know. And I'm speaking to Christians who
should be living in victory, the victory that God has promised,
and living in obedience and alignment with the will and
(05:50):
the purposes of God.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So to all of us who name the name of Christ.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
There's a verse of scripture which we should know, given
to us in the Book of Galatians. Do not be deceived.
God will not be mocked. For whatever a person sols,
they will also reap. You can't fool God. You can't
(06:18):
hide from God. You can't hide your sin from God.
Sin is damaging and defeating at every level. Here's another
verse you ought to note numbers thirty two, verse twenty three.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Be sure your sin will find you out.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Not only will God's spirit find us out, God himself
will find us out, but sin itself will chase us down.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Sin will find you out.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Sin will trail you the rest of your days, flagrant, confessed,
unrepented of sin. And the skeletons always come out of
the closet and dance on the ceiling, dance on your head.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So be sure your sin will find you out.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
It is a costly thing, an expensive thing to hide
our sin. Now a couple of thoughts at the top
of this message. Number one, did you know we are
most vulnerable after great victories in our lives?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Spiritually, Jericho happened.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
It was a great victory, but clearly they were not
on guard. They were not prepared for what was about
to happen. And it happens to us when we have
a mountaintop experience, then we often find ourselves face to
face with the enemy. It happened to Jesus when Jesus
was baptized, and the heavenly Dove came signifying the Holy
(07:52):
Spirit upon him, and the anointing and the appointing of
the Father of the father's voice. It was a divine,
dramatic moment. And from there we're told Jesus was led
by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. So from the dove came the devil and
the great temptation. So be reminded and be prepared. If
(08:17):
you're riding high right now, if you're feeling like you know,
nobody's got it better than me. But they had forgotten something.
They had forgotten that they were still vulnerable. They still
had to be on guard and be in the battle.
And I tell you another thing they had forgotten. They
forgot who gave them the victory. They're thinking by now,
(08:38):
apparently you know, hey, we can go I know it
took God to take Jericho, but we can go get
Ai ourselves. We can do this on our own. So
they had forgotten to trust God in this, and so
then came this terrible defeat. Why is sin such a problem?
(09:00):
Let's talk about the power of sin, the power of
secret sin, and specifically why is unconfessed, unrepented of flagrant foolish.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Sin like this? So damageing what is sin?
Speaker 3 (09:13):
There are several words that I bringing you today that
describe what sin is. One sin is disobedience, is a transgression.
When God says keep out, don't go there, we transgress
the law. We transgress the commands of God. We step
over the line. That's a big word for sin in
the Bible's disobedience to God. It is refusing to do
(09:39):
God's work will and obey his word. Second, sin is
a defilement. It's described in the Bible as a defilement.
It's dirty, It soils the soul, saturates the mind. It
is a defilement. And then it's a disease. Sin is
(09:59):
like a can so it's like an infection in the body.
It's toxic to our relationship with God. It's a disease,
and ultimately it's a disease that leads to death because
the payoff of sin, according to Romans three twenty three,
is death. Sin is also described in the Bible as
a debt that it is a payment due that we
(10:21):
are unable to pay. It's a debt that we owe
to God. And then it's a deception. Sin is a lie,
and therefore sin is to be avoided by the believer
at all costs. Where to hate sin and love Jesus.
(10:42):
Sin is a wicked thing. And that's why God put
this terrible story in the Bible, all this righteous anger
of God and the execution ultimately of Achen and his family,
and the smoke of burning bodies, and it's just it's
(11:07):
an ugly, terrible story, but God puts it here as
a warning.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message don't lose your victory. When you ask big questions
of God, you can trust he'll give you answers that
grow your faith and deepen your intimacy with Him. In
his devotional the Jesus Code, os Hawkins helps you uncover
bold truths as you search for answers to life's biggest questions.
(11:36):
We want to send you a copy of this powerful
resource as thanks for your gift of ten dollars or
more so, request your copy of the Jesus Code when
you call and give today. Call one eight hundred seven
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
text the word code to five nine seven eight nine.
(12:00):
Don't let stress rob you of peace. It is possible
to break the destructive grip of stress on your life
and enjoy the peace and abundance God desires for you.
That's what doctor Graham helps you do in his booklet
Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you a digital download
of Breaking Free from Stress when you sign up for
email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go to PowerPoint dot
(12:22):
org slash stress and sign up today. Now let's get
back to today's message, don't lose your victory.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Now.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
There are several here ways in which we can deal
with the power of sin, and particular secret sin in
our lives. One we can celebrate it, and some people
celebrate sin boasting about their sin. Have you ever been
around people who boast of their sin? I have, sure
(12:53):
you have, and therefore to celebrate it. I'm free man.
I do what I want to do. There's no God
controlling me. I'm not gonna do what the Bible says.
I'm going to do what I want to do.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
So some people celebrate sin.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Others cherish it, cherish sin Psalm sixty six and verse eighteen.
If I had cherished or regarded iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
The word regarded to cherish their.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Means to keep as a pet to hold close to yourself.
Nice little sin, good little sin, and we feed it
and we take care of the sin. That's what it
means to cherish it, and what God says. If I
cherish iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me.
You want to cut off the power of God and
the power of prayer in your life, then keep holding
(13:55):
onto your sin, keep snuggling up.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
To sin in your life. Cherish it.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
That's what some people do with sin. Others cancel it
or try to cancel it. You know what it means
to try to cancel sin. It's not really sin. What
I'm doing is not really that wrong. I don't know
what the Bible says about that, but I know, you know,
if it feels good, do it. After all, God may
(14:25):
be the way I am. People try to cancel it,
and you become, yes a victim rather than a victor
over your sin, and it's consequenced. Some people try to
cancel it, some people try to cherish it. Others celebrate it,
and then other people try to control sin.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
That's like trying to control a wild animal.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
But people try it by saying things like, well, what
I'm doing is not that big a deal. I can
stop anytime right now. You can't control this. You can't control.
The Bible teaches self discipline and self control, but you
(15:10):
can't control sin. And it is a big deal. And
I can't handle it, and neither can you. It's too
hot to handle. Don't try to control your sin, and
just kind.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Of contain it, you know, just contain it. And then,
as in the case of Achan, there are people who
cover their sin.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
In fact, the natural thing to do from childhood on
up is to cover our sin, to do something and
then think that nobody else will know about it. I
can do this and nobody else will know it was Aichen.
It's acn sin that gets repeated again and again and
(15:54):
again and again. And you may think you're going to
be the first guy not to get caught. You're going
to be the first one never get called out on this.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
It's never gonna get exposed.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Oh, there's just been millenniums of history to the contrary.
But you're thinking you're the one and only person that's
gonna get away with what you're doing. And by covering
your sin, you're covering up sin, and you're thinking you've
got it covered. Nobody knows, nobody will knows, But is
(16:31):
just a matter of time, because what we cover.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
God uncovers. Jesus said, what was.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
Done in secret will be shouted from the rooftops, and
there's coming today. There's coming to time. Your secret sin
will be a secret no more. And then the defeat
is going to come, the defeat of your character, your reputation,
your family, your marriage. It's all gonna come down on
(17:06):
your head because you think you can hide your sin
by hiding from God, covering your sin.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
And how does that happen? What's the pathway of this sin?
Speaker 3 (17:20):
The principle of sin, the peril of sin, but the
path of sin. Look in Verses twenty and twenty one,
Joshua finds Aikin. They search the camp, and Aikin does
get exposed what he did. And of course, now that
he got caught, he's willing to confess it. But notice
what he said, Truly, I have sinned against the Lord
God of Israel, and this is what I did. Now,
(17:43):
what Aikin did is repeated. We see it in the
Garden of Eden with Eve and Adam, how they sin.
We see it in David's life when he sinned with
the great adultery. We see this pattern over and over.
He said, Here's what I did when I saw among
the spoil a beautiful cloak from the shnar and two
(18:06):
hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing
fifty shekels. Then I coveted them and took them, and
see they are hidden in the earth inside my tent,
with the silver underneath. Four things that happens all the
time I saw. Now, this could have been the moment
(18:29):
when Akin turned around, went back into his tent and said,
Oh God, what was I thinking? What is wrong with me?
God always makes a way of escape. To see something
doesn't mean as sin unless you're lusting and leeching and
(18:51):
that sort of thing and longing over what you're seeing.
It starts with a sight. But it's like I think
Billy Graham said it, quoting Martin Luther, he said, you
can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but
you can keep them from building nest in your hair.
So some things swirl around us and you see things,
and that's not the sin.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
He saw it on the ground, the bounty on the ground.
Everybody else saw it and didn't sin. But he said
I saw it. And I'm telling you right now, some
of you are seeing some things, you're thinking some things.
It's not too late for you to just turn around
and say no, not me and the power of Christ.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
And then he.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Said, I coveted. That's a word for desire. Now he's
moving into sin, the desire, the heart and the desire.
This wasn't a moral sin. This wasn't about David's adultery
or anybody else's adultery. In this case, it was about money.
It was about possessions. He wanted more. I suppose what
(19:54):
God had promised in giving them the land of abundance,
all these things wasn't enough for old Achan. And so
he said, I desired it. And then he said I
took it, and then I hit it. Same sad story
(20:16):
we hear again and again and again. I saw, I coveted,
I wanted, I took, and I hid. And so the
peril of this sin and the pathway of this sin
leads to the punishment of secret sin. Because he is
(20:42):
publicly executed and his whole family is taken with him.
It's a terrible story, and this is a solemn warning
to everyone. God is serious about sin and you can't sin.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
And win. And so now there's graves in the garden
of the Promised lamp. So what do we do with sin?
Speaker 3 (21:13):
Therefore, we don't cover it, We don't cherish you, we
don't celebrate it, we don't cancel it, we don't choose it.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
That's the problem with the sin. He chose it.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
It was a deliberate, defiant act of sin against God.
But what you do is confess it and crucify it
by taking it to the cross of the Lord Jesus
Christ first John one night. If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
(21:44):
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The writer of
Proverbs twenty eight thirteen of Proverbs, whoever conceals his transgression
will not prosper, But he who confessed and forsakes them
will obtain mercy.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
God is a.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
God of justice and righteousness and holiness, and he will
judge sin, and he will discipline sinners.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
But there is grace and mercy available.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son can cleanse from
every sin.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And it's not too late for you.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
So what we do when we have sin is pray
with the Psalmist and Psalm one thirty nine. Oh God,
search my heart and see if there is any wickedness
in me, if there's any wrong thing in me, if
there's something in me secret that maybe I don't even know.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Are forgotten about.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
You know, some people have buried their sins in the past,
deep within bitterness. As an example, anger turned in. We're
just so bitter. They just buried that. Some of you
I'm talking to today, you have buried your sin, and
that's why they're so much shame going on in your life.
You can't change something until you confront it. And if
(23:05):
you bury it, if you bury it deep down in
your soul, it just festers like an infection in you.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
And ultimately it will destroy you.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
So rather than playing the victim card or the blame game,
saying it's not me or it's not my sin, or
it's not my fault or whatever excuse a rationale, we
own it and we say, God, you said this is wrong,
and I know it's wrong. I'm no longer hiding or
(23:37):
holding onto this thing, but I'm giving it to you
in confession and repentance and faith, and you know what
will happen. If you do that sincerely, the blood of
Jesus Christ will cleanse you. Though your sins are as scarlet,
they will be white with snow. But you've got to
be willing to stop the sinning and stop it.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Now listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
don't lose your victory. In the devotional to Jesus Code,
Os Hawkins invites you to ask fifty two thought provoking
questions found in the Bible that will help you experience
Jesus in deeper, more authentic ways than ever before. As
you dive into these questions, you'll discover that everything we
(24:21):
need can be found in a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ.
We want to help you uncover bold truths in the
search for answers to life's biggest questions by sending you
the Jesus Code as our thanks for your gift of
ten dollars or more to help proclaim God's unchanging word
through PowerPoint, So call now to request your copy of
(24:42):
the Jesus Code. Call one eight hundred seven ninety five
four six two seven. That's one eight hundred seven ninety
five four six two seven. You can also text the
word code to five, nine, seven, eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham Dot where you can shop
our East store, give a gift online, or sign up
(25:04):
for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again
is Jack Graham Pastor. What is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 3 (25:14):
It is our birthright as believers in Christ, that we
experience victory. Just like the people of Israel. God has
a life of promise for you, an abundant and beautiful
life blessed by Him. Jesus himself said, I've come that
you might have life, and have it more abundantly. I'm
praying that you are moved in faith to seize the
(25:35):
promises of God, just like Joshua and the Israelites did
at Jericho. And the way you do that is by faith.
It is when you shout and declare your faith that
you experience and express your faith personally, that walls will
come down, breakthroughs will happen, and victories will be won.
In the natural, it makes no sense for the Israelites
(25:57):
to march around the city of Jericho and shout and trumpets,
and for you and me, it doesn't always make sense
to obey God, to do what God commands to trust
God for our daily needs, to turn the other cheek
and forgive our enemies, or to sacrificially give to those
in need when maybe we don't have enough ourselves. But
when we obey God, when we trust in God and
(26:20):
take steps of faith, that releases God to bless us
with supernatural blessing and great victory in our lives. Thank
you for joining us at PowerPoint Always. I want to
encourage you to join us in our Facebook conversation or
on Twitter. You can find me on Twitter at jack
en Graham. I would love to connect with you there
(26:41):
along with as a friend on Facebook. But if you
want resources regarding the ministry, if you need prayer, contact
us at Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org.
You can also support this ministry at jack Graham dot org.
And we do need your support. We need your prayer
support and your financial support so that we can accomplish
(27:03):
the goals that God has given us as we fulfill
the mission of Christ here and around the world. Thank
you for your faithfulness and thank you for being a
part of power Point's ongoing witness.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
To the world.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you OS Hawkins devotional that Jesus code as our thanks.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word code to five nine
(27:39):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
Doctor Graham brings a message about learning to trust in
the faithfulness of God. That's next time on PowerPoint with
Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint
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