Where is the Spirit's Power? Lessons from Achan

Notes from the Sunday evening service at Townhill Baptist Church 22/8/10 where Owen Batstone was preaching on Joshua 7. You can download the sermon from the Townhill Baptist website or direct here.

Where is the Spirit's Power?

1. God is sovereign
2. Man is responsible

Israel had become a merely religious people.
v2 - They act without God
v3 - They misjudge their enemies
vs4-5 - They fled in fear

Achan didn't trust God. God wasn't enough for him.

1. Christians must be the genuine article.

Am I genuine?
Is your heart like stone?
Have you stopped getting as close as you can to the Lord?
God says 'Forget your sin, it's not better than me.'
V Higham - 'If you leave the secret chamber it will show.'
One of the marks of spiritual rebellion is deviousness.

2. Christians can be a help or a hindrance to their Lord (v12)

Do you harbour grievous sin against God and then let people pray and preach on in church?
Are you getting closer to Him every day?
Would people choose to share fellowship with you?
Woe to us if our 'theology' protects us from God.
Either you deal with your sin or God will.
If you're not bowing now, you won't bow then.
Have ever met someone in church who's made you realise 'I'm here for social conversation but he's here for God.' Let us live for Christ.

3. The Lord cares about the condition of your heart.

Matthew 25:23 is said to the profitable Christian not every Christian.
Pull the veil of the law away and see the Son in all His beauty.
v13 - sanctify yourselves
Don't let Him pass you by - take hold of Him.
All the fitness He requires is that you feel your need for Him.
We are called to admire the Lord Jesus.

Just a Prayer Meeting - Acts 4: 18-31

1. They acknowledge
i) God is almighty (v24)
ii) The animosity of the world towards God (vs 25-26)

2. They ask
There's no formula here - they're calling to God because they know Him.
The Greek word for witness is martyr.
v29 - they want to be good, clear witnesses
The emphasis of the New Testament is on being not doing

3. The answer came
v31 - wow!

Do you give the impression that the kingdom of God is power or just words?

You don't learn to pray as you should because you can think of a thousand other things you would rather do. You choose not to pray.

We don't really know our hearts - if we did we would pray better.

Do you love Jesus? Do you even know Him?

Here, God answers prayer in the best way - He comes.

You could spend all your time organising prayer lists and still not get to God - you need Him. We must learn to pray.

Tell God everything - don't pretend. Tell God that you feel a fraud if that's how you feel. Are you ashamed or embarrassed about your prayers? Tell Him!

Give Him time so you can learn to hear Him. Decide to learn to pray - it will be hard.

Hold back those staggering to the slaughter

This evening my friend Owen preached in Townhill Baptist Church on Proverbs 24:11 which says:

Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

The sermon can be downloaded here. My notes can be read below. It was a very sobering message.

Two questions:

1. Can those who know you say 'he/she held me back'?
2. Do you believe the lost are staggering towards slaughter?

For all of their smiles and confidence, remember that the lost are doomed on every level. They will not have Jesus as Lord over them.

Psalms 73:18-19 - the true state of the lost

Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!

You must stand distinct because you must hold back the lost.

Can the world see your breastplate of righteousness?

Proverbs 24:

v7 - a fool has nothing to say
v10 - A fraud falters in times of trouble
vs21-22 - Do not join in with the rebellious
v26 - Be courageous to be honest

Isaiah 58:8 & Isaiah 59:1

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

The lost look at us and judge the Lord.

Will they speak of you holiness and godliness at your funeral?

Psalm 73:17 - Was he useless until he came to this point?
We can do nothing without Him - stay in the sanctuary.

Is your heart after the Lord? The world will spot a fraud.
You will be useless without the sanctuary.

Blending in is dangerous.
The world hates Jesus and those who look like Him.
Are you willing to break the barriers of your natural self?
Are you willing to say trouble is coming?
The lost watch you - what are you living for?
Jude 7 - this is just a sign, the reality is worse.

The hope for the lost if that believers cherish their Saviour.

Provers 24:16 - the Lord picks us up

Work to the best of your ability and take every opportunity to speak for Jesus.