THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU JUST CAN’T HIDE

Max Lucado, in his book Just Like Jesus, tells this story. A man received a call from his wife just as she was about to fly home from Europe. "How’s my cat?" she asked.

          He told her, "The Cat’s Dead."

          "Dear, don’t be so blunt. Why didn’t you break the news to me gently? You’ve ruined my trip."

          "What do you mean?"

          "You could have told me he was up on the Roof. And when I called you from Paris, you could have told me he was acting sluggish. Then when I called from London, you could have said he was sick, and when I called you from New York, you could have said he was at the vet. Then, when I arrived home, you could have said he was dead."

          The husband had never been exposed to such protocol but was willing to learn. "OK," he said. "I’ll do better next time."

          "By the way," she asked, "how’s Mom doing?"

          There was a long silence, then he replied, "Uh, she’s up on the roof."

          If you were present last Sunday morning, my wife had an awkward moment.

          I have some friends that constantly text one another. I’m on the list to receive their messages and when they get started, they don’t know when to stop. Back and forth they go, and every time they send a text, my phone dings.

          I always put my phone in her purse on Sunday because it’s heavy. Sunday morning during the message that phone was dinging like a machine gun. She tried to turn it off, but instead of being turned off, it was turned on to voice and it started talking. It wouldn’t stop. Ever resourceful, she did the only thing she could do. She sat on it.

          After church she told me, “From now on, your phone stays in the car.” So, if there’s any dinging, or talking from a phone, it’s not mine. If it’s YOURS, just sit on it.

          This morning’s message is about a man that tried to hide something but was found out and paid a high price for it. The Bible says in Joshua 7:21 which is actually a confession, “When I saw the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, and, behold, they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”

          Joshua chapters six and seven gives us the details.

          The man’s name was “Achan,” which means “troubler or one that troubles.” He certainly lived up to his name.

          Here’s what happened.

          God had delivered Jericho into the hands of the Israelites. The Israelites had been instructed to destroy everything in the city with the exception of Rahab and her family. The gold, silver, bronze and iron were to go into the tabernacle treasury.

          Joshua 6:19 says, “But all the gold, silver, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

          Jericho was to be totally destroyed, and the Israelites were to take no plunder for themselves.

          Shortly, after their success at Jericho the Israelites moved to attack the city of Ai. The spies Joshua sent to Ai reported back that “This will be a piece of cake. It’ll be easy-peasy.” They suggested sending a small force of only two or three thousand troops since this will be much easier than Jericho.

          Much to their surprise the Israelites were defeated and chased out of Ai, and thirty-six of them were killed.

          What can we learn from the story of Achan? Joshua, Israelites and Achan found out that “There Are Some Things You Just Can’t Hide.” The first thing we can learn is:

WE CAN’T HIDE SIN

          Why was Israel defeated at Ai? Because there was “Sin in In the Camp.” In Joshua 7:6-11, we see Joshua’s reaction and God’s response.

           Finally, in Joshua 7:19-22 the truth is revealed.

          Remember what Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

          In the statement “be sure your sin will find you out” is revealed the mystery of sin. The nature of sin is such that, whether or not others discover your sin, your sin will “discover you.”    You cannot run from the consequences. Sin carries within itself the power to pay the sinner back, and sin’s payback is hell. Don’t even think about toying with sin. It cannot be tamed, outrun, or shaken off. No matter how safe you think you are, if you’re sinning, your sin will find you out.
          Moses’ warning to the tribes of Israel, “be sure your sin will find you out,” is echoed by Paul in Galatians 6:7-8: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

          Here’s what Jesus said in Luke 12:2, “For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hidden, that shall not be known.” Secondly,

OUR ACTIONS AFFECT OTHERS

          Joshua 7:24-25, “And Joshua said, ‘Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.”

          There’s an old saying which says, “No man is an island entire of self; every man is a piece of a continent, a part of the main.” That means that we are all connected to each other and what one person says or does in some way affects others.

          People may say, “How I live my life and the things I do is nobody’s business as long as I’m not hurting anyone else.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Our actions can hurt our family; our actions can hurt our friends; and ‘sin in the camp’ can hurt any church.

          Can that explain why there’s no church growth? Can that explain why no one is getting saved? Can that explain why there’s no real zeal for the Lord? I think it can and does. Sin in the camp undermines the Lord’s work.

          Just as Achan’s actions affected others, our actions also affect others.

          The Red Devil Tool Company of Union, New Jersey, has as its slogan, “It’s easy with the Devil.” Of course, they are talking about their tools making jobs easier. But, there’s a spiritual lesson to be learned from the principle, “It’s easy with the Devil.”

          We understand the desire and ambition of the Devil. He makes sin attractive. Remember what Satan told Eve in Genesis 3:5, “Your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as God.”

          Satan told Eve, “You’re not living up to your full potential. You deserve more. God’s holding you back.” Satan shows the pleasure of sin; he shows the pride of sin. And, he hides the tragic results of sin.

          Notice Achan’s confession in Joshua 7:21, “I Saw – I Coveted – I Took.” 1 John 2:16 warms
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Worldly Christians try to bury sin in the camp.

          Achan never saw the tragic results of his actions. People seldom do. God said in Jeremiah 5:20-21, “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, ‘Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding, who have eyes, and see not, who have ears, and hear not.’”

          We don’t need to look long before seeing the results of the power of sin in the lives of people: premature death, dysfunctional homes, broken marriages; rebellious and disobedient children and it moves from there into our churches where we have defeated, listless, lifeless services.

          All this came about because:

GREAT VICTORIES ARE OFTEN FOLLOWED BY GREAT DEFEATS

          Let’s go back to the beginning of the chapter. Joshua 7:1, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing; and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.”

          Though one man’s sin led to the ultimate downfall, Israel was guilty, too. The people’s carelessness and prayerlessness revealed the pride in their hearts. They did not feel the need to pray before heading into battle at Ai, they presumed God was with them. This attitude may have led to Achan’s belief that the sin he committed wasn’t such a big deal; he saw the example of others. I wonder many poor examples have put people on the road to hell? Next,

PRIVATE SIN IS NEVER REALLY PRIVATE

          Achan’s sin dishonored God and brought defeat to his family, his friends, and God’s name.      Look at Joshua 7:9, “For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. And what will thou do unto thy great name.”

          Our “hidden” sins do not just affect us; they affect everyone around us; and our foolishness leads people to think harshly of the Lord.

          The things done in secret will be shouted from the rooftops. Whether by revelation, confession or retribution, every sin must be judged. Somebody out there is watching you and me. Somebody out there is listening to you and me. Ultimately, the church pays the price; ultimately the name of God is ridiculed.         

             Do you remember what was said in Wednesday night’s message when Pharaoh ordered Abraham out of Egypt? It could be said about us and our actions: “If that’s an example of a believer, I hope I never meet another one.”

IN CLOSING

          Every sin that we uncover, God will cover. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper. But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

          Unconfessed sin in our heart will hinder the work of the church; it will hinder our testimony; we will become a stumbling block to anyone who may be considering giving their life to the Lord.

          God will hold us accountable for our actions. But, here’s the good news: 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Amen.

By Pastor Lamar Truitt