Big Idea - The Israelites had experienced an incredible victory at Jericho. The great takeaway was that even the most impenetrable fortress would fall before them with ease because God would do it. God would make the impossible seem easy! But the next lesson they must learn is that what should have been an easy win would prove impossible if they were not careful. Joshua sent spies to scope out Ai, and they reported that Ai would be an easy win, so they only needed to send a small army. But when they went, they were easily defeated and fled before the enemy, and as a result, 36 men were killed. Joshua and all the people are shocked and dismayed. How could this happen? But the author gives us the reason before the spies are even sent. The people have broken faith with God by taking some of the things dedicated to destruction at Jericho. There is sin in the camp, and until that sin is dealt with, things are not going to go well. As we look at this story, we might find it somewhat troubling. Why should the actions of one man move God to abandon and even punish the entire nation? We might feel that this is just not fair. When Achan is finally caught, he is stoned and burned along with everything that belongs to him. This seems quite extreme, and the punishment is far too severe for his crime, especially given that he willingly confessed to all he had done. What are we to think about these things? How could God hold the entire nation guilty for the sins of one man? Why is this such a big deal? The truth is, we take sin far too lightly and fail to see how truly devastating and far-reaching sin is, and all its consequences. We have become so comfortable with sin, and it is so much of our daily experience that we don't see that it is a very big deal! So the question we want to answer today is, why is sin such a big deal?

First, sin is a big deal because it is the root cause of every defeat and every failure in life. There is no such thing as a little sin, because all sin is breaking faith with God. It is a betrayal of God's love and faithfulness. It is idolatry. As a result, the ultimate consequence of sin is that God is no longer with us. We lose His active presence and help. We are defeated because we are on our own. Not only is sin no small thing, but it is also never just a personal problem. That is because we are far more connected to each other than we realize. The consequences of sin not only affect us, but its ripple effects touch the lives of all those around us. We are in this together. Life is a group project, and our families, our workplace, our Church community are all impacted when we choose sin. Like it or not, what we are, we are collectively, not just individually. So then, sin is a big deal, and it is what is wrong with the world. Society is messed up because the individual sins of everyone affect us all. Therefore, we are to be in the world but not of the world. But, for us, the problem comes when there is sin in the camp, that is, in the Church. Just as Joshua had to deal with sin in the camp, so we must deal with sin in the Church.

But, how do we know if there is sin in the camp? How do we diagnose the problem when we meet with a devastating failure? Only God can diagnose the problem, and He will reveal it to us when we earnestly and humbly fall before Him in prayer. Joshua's prayer is both honest and concerned about God's honor and glory among the nations. God is quick to respond to this kind of prayer, and He reveals the root problem. Not only that, but God also reveals the cure. Joshua and the people must confront the sin and deal with it. Someone has kept the things dedicated for destruction, and now all Israel has been dedicated to destruction as a result. They must give the dedicated things to God, and the one who took them is now under the same curse as the Canaanites, and he must be devoted to destruction.

In dramatic fashion, Achan is caught in his sin. Nothing is hidden from God, and in time every sin will be revealed. There are no secret sins, and when the judge comes, all will be brought into the light! Joshua demands that Achan give glory to God by confessing his sin. Confession is the first step to making things right, because we agree with God, and it brings Him glory and praise. But confession is not enough. Achan is still under the curse of guilt, and as a result, he has now become a thing devoted to destruction. But, just as the sin of one man brought guilt upon all the people, so also, by devoting him to destruction, all the people were made right with God. Indeed, the wages of sin is death. Who among us can stand before God without guilt? Nothing is hidden, and one day God will bring everything out into the light. How can any of us stand before God? If this story teaches us anything, it is that sin is a big deal because God is absolutely holy and sin is breaking faith with Him. It is the greatest betrayal of His love and kindness toward us when we delight in things instead of delighting in Him. When we love anything and everything else, rather than loving Him, that is why it is such a big deal. It is personal, and it is against the very person of God who made us and loved us. When we love what is devoted to destruction, instead of loving God, we come under a curse and are devoted to destruction. We must pay with our very life, to be burned in the fire, the eternal fire of hell. A flame that is never quenched or extinguished. How are we to escape such a terrible judgment? Praise God that Jesus was cursed on our behalf. He was devoted to destruction, even though He was the only one who never sinned and never stopped loving God. But, just as death and destruction entered the world through one man, so the gift of life came through Jesus, so that as many as believe in Him should never perish but have eternal life. So, give glory to God by confessing your sin! Unlike Achan, if we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, by the blood of Jesus! Confession is one of the most neglected ways to praise God. But, Oh, it is indeed praise when we admit our failures, when we acknowledge our failure to love Him with our whole being, and that we have loved the wrong things, and we are filled with great remorse and agony that by these things we have betrayed Him. But then the joy and even greater glory we give to God, when we see what Jesus has done to take the curse of our sin upon Himself, to pay the penalty for our guilt, so that we could be at peace with God!