god and disappointment

God and DisappointmentJoshua 4, 6-7

What has God done?

When has he let you down?Disappointed you?

Didn't come through?

12 Stones

12 Stones

Remember I deliveredTeach I delivered

Celebrate I delivered

When we remember to Praise God for

What he's done

We gain faith for what We're yet to face

The indicative alwaysPrecedes the imperative- Jeremy Ruch

Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in

And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho

into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor

You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days

Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns

before the ark

On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets

And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn,

when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a

great shout

…and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him”

So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them,

"Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’

horns before the ark of the LORD”

And he said to the people, "Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD”- Joshua 6:1-7

Whose Plan?

On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day,

and marched around the city in the same manner

seven times

It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times

And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown

the trumpets, Joshua said to the people…

"Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction”

Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her

house shall live, because she hid the messengers

whom we sent

Qualifies the called…Line of Christ

Where you come from?What you've done?

But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction…

…lest when you have devoted them you take any of the

devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for

destruction and bring trouble upon it

But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD”

Keep Nothing for Yourselves

So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat

so that the people went up into the city, every man

straight before him, and they captured the city

- vs. 15-20

Victory over aSuperior foe…

So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land- vs. 27

What’s missing?

What’s missing?Where's the Praise?

When we remember to Praise God for

What he's done

We gain faith for what We're yet to face

When we fail to praise GodFor what he's done In the past

We lose faith for what we Face in the present

12 StonesRemember, TeachWhat The Lord Did

Look at what Joshua did!

Look at what we did!

When we think we caused itWe begin to believe

We control it

And we make our own rules

I'll take my spoils of war-I did the work…

The IndicativePrecedes the Imperative

How I spend it Is my choice

It's MY marriageI'll do what I want

It's my relationshipHow I treat him/her is

No one's business

It's my faithBetween God and me

Doug buys a new house…

If it's mineIf I did it

I make the rulesAnd…it will go south

But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things

And the anger of the LORD burned against the

people of Israel

Judgment can beActive or passive

It can be as simpleAs God removing his favor

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai

And they 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 there, for they are few”

Turn down for what?- Israel

Come at me, bro!- Ai

So about 3,000 men went up there from the people

So about 3,000 men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai

…and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent

And the hearts of the people melted and became as water

Tiger Woods Loses at Putt-Putt

UFC Cain VelasquezLoses a Street Fight

You lose the jobDon't get the promotion

She leaves youHe walks out

The vehicle God gave youStops running

God disappoints you

Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the

LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads

And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us?

It's YOUR fault, God!

God is not obligated to blessWhere God has not led

It was "Check me out"When we had victory

It's "Why, God???"When there's defeat

When we fail toRemember God For the victories

We set ourselves up toBlame God for the defeats

If you don't praise GodIn the good times

You'll blame him In the hard times

If we learn to praise him In the good times

We'll turn to himIn the hard times

Would that we had been content to dwell beyond

the Jordan!”

“O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies!

For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will

hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the

earth. And what will you do for your great name?"

Fear unchecked always destroysWhat faith builds

God Drops the Hammer

The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them

…they have taken some of the devoted things; they have

stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings”

“Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction

I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the

devoted things from among you”

- vs. 10-12

Disappointment with God

- False Expectations- Discipline- Growth (flood-stage)

The indicative precedesThe imperative

"Remember what I've doneYou can trust me…"

I can make my own rulesBut I'm just arguing

For my own limitationsBecause I've said,

"I don't need God…"

Sin is dealt withIsrael goes back up Against Ai

And wins

What is keeping meFrom fully following Christ?

Closed hands can't receiveWhat Christ died to give

12 Stones

12 Stones• What has God done that I

need to thank him for?

• What am I blaming God for that I need to pray about instead?

12 Stones

• What are my stones?

• Am I passing it on?

Next WeekBe here…

2 Weeks

New Summer SchedulePlus…