One Person In The Congregation

Note: I preached this sermon at a new church plant of Pastor Aaron Thompson of Sure Foundation Baptist Church in Vancouver, WA. The church is called Bible Believers Baptist Church and is not a Ruckmanite church.

Please see the sermon video here: One Person In The Congregation

The title of the sermon is “One Person In The Congregation.” Here’s a PDF of the sermon text: [download id=”16779″]

• Today, I come to all of you asking you to examine yourselves closely.
• For some reason, people don’t like to do that. But let’s get this done today.
• Are there things in your life that you need to get right? Now is the time. TODAY.
• And it’s not just about you, but it’s about your spouse and your children.
• And it’s not just about them, but it’s about all of us who are your brothers and sisters.
• We are family here. Every one of you right now: YOU ARE MY FAMILY.

I want to focus on one person in the congregation today and the issues ONE PERSON can cause.

• And I am not calling out one person and naming them. I have absolutely no one in mind, no one.
• That’s not the purpose of this sermon. I’ve been preaching at different churches.
• I wrote this sermon many weeks ago. And this sermon is not planned for any church or person.
• This sermon is written to all because the Bible teaches these things. And you will see this today.

I want you to take a look at yourselves today and realize that what you do affects all of us.

• Please turn to Joshua Chapter 6. What you do each day affects us all. Joshua Chapter 6.
• What a man chooses to do with his life affects his entire family GREATLY.
• What a woman chooses to do with her life affects her entire family GREATLY.
• When a woman chooses to have a career outside of her home and places her career above God’s commands, nothing good will EVER come from this.

When a saved man chooses not to go preach the Gospel, this affects his entire family including all of us.

• There are crystal clear commands to all of us: “Go ye therefore and preach the Gospel.”
• When you say no to your Father in heaven, there will be consequences.
• Let’s take a look at the awesome word of God today and let’s get some wisdom from above.
• Look there in your King James Bible at verses 17 through 19 in Joshua Chapter 6.

Joshua 6:17-19 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

• God commands them and us to “keep yourselves from the accursed thing.”
• And if not, God says: “Lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing.”
• “And make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”

We are the spiritual children of Israel.

• “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
• We are a local church, a congregation, filled with believers.
• We, as one person in the congregation, don’t want to cause issues for the entire congregation.
• Why? Because we are to love each other, care for each other, and follow God’s commandments.
• This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

Do you remember what happened in the next chapter of the Book of Joshua? Joshua Chapter 7?

• Achan took of the accursed thing from the accursed city for himself. Not good.
• Now, was the anger of the Lord kindled against Achan ONLY?
• Let’s read Joshua Chapter 7 verse 1 and see. We notice every word of God as we read.

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.

• Notice what verse 1 says:
• “But the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL committed a trespass in the accursed thing.”
• We know, according to the Bible, that it was Achan only but God says the Children of Israel.
• If someone in this church does similar, we’re all included. REMEMBER THAT.
• This man from the tribe of Judah commits the trespass. He took of the accursed thing.

“AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS KINDLED AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.”

• Not only Achan. The Lord was angry with the entire congregation. Understand this.
• When we are saved, what body are we placed into? You don’t have to turn there.
• But please listen to this as I read from 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 verse 27.
• This speaks of the local church in this chapter.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

• We are the body of Christ as a local church filled with believers.
• We are a congregation. We are a church.
• When one of us trespass against the Lord, we all trespass against the Lord. Understand this.
• The Bible teaches this over and over again. AND THE BIBLE IS THE TRUTH. Don’t deny it.
• We learn this same thing from the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation.
• Please stay there in Joshua as I read Revelation Chapter 2 verses 4 and 5.

Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

• This is just one example. Listen, go back to your first love.
• When you got saved and learned about soul winning, I know you were excited.
• When you got your first person saved, you were excited. You were filled with the love of God.
• Soul winning changes you into a loving person, humbles you, and does many things for you.
• Most people who cause issues in a church, that I’ve seen, aren’t doing the soul winning.
• Stop soul winning, and you lose that love. You lose many things. You sin against God.

“Do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy candlestick out of his place.”

• So, please, listen. You’ve got to go back to your first love and win souls to Christ.
• This is good for you. And this is good for this church. Go back to that moment in time.
• Go back to when you were saved. Go back to when you won your first soul to Christ.
• Get that fire back within you. And let’s keep it going until the day you die. RUN YOUR RACE.
• And, if not, we all suffer. Would you want to lose this church? I SURE DON’T. I love this church.

Do you know why? BECAUSE OF ALL OF YOU. You love God. And I love you.

• There’s the warning from Jesus Christ. Don’t win souls to Christ and lose this church.
• We need all of you to win souls to Christ. Imagine how happy God will be with us.
• And then imagine how angry God will be with ALL OF US if everyone isn’t giving it all they’ve got.
• And please don’t minimize what I’m preaching here today. THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD.
• We magnify God’s words. If we don’t, WOE UNTO US. Woe unto us if we preach not the Gospel.

There are more examples with the 7 churches.

• We all pay when one person in the congregation trespasses against the Lord.
• We must remove all false doctrine any time anyone within this church brings something like that.
• And, if we don’t, Jesus says: “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will FIGHT against them with the sword of my mouth.”
• If you’re not sure what that might be like, we just look at the example in the Book of Joshua.

We MUST correct our brothers and sisters in Christ in any false doctrine before it’s too late.

• Hey, we are together in this as a congregation. We look out for each other. We help each other.
• Take a look at Joshua Chapter 7 verses 2 through 5.

Joshua 7:2-5 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

• One man, ACHAN, breaks the simple commandment of God, and 36 men die that day.
• And that’s not all. “Wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.”
• This one man brings down the entire congregation. 36 men dead. 36 friends dead.
• Hey, don’t take this lightly. 36 brothers dead. The hearts of the people MELTED.
• That fire is gone. Do you want to put that fire out that people have for the Lord?

When you don’t go soul winning with us, the hearts of some may melt. WE NEED YOU.

• When you don’t come to church, the hearts of some may melt. WE NEED YOU.
• When you aren’t praying for all of us, the hearts of some may melt. WE NEED YOU. All of you.
• When you aren’t reading and studying your Bible, the hearts of some may melt.
• Some of your brothers and sisters might just be gone one day.
• Every day is your chance to get things right and keep them going the right direction.
• If not, don’t be surprised to lose some brothers and sisters. Hey, let’s get things right always.

What happens in Joshua Chapter 7? Joshua rents his clothes. He didn’t know what happened.

• The pastor in a church might not understand what happened when a church begins to split.
• Or when a church loses some people. Joshua didn’t know. He can’t see everything and everyone.
• BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? The person committing the trespass sure knows. Is it you today?
• Hey, it’s time to stop if it’s you. Don’t hurt your congregation. Joshua rents his clothes.
• He falls upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening. He and the elders of Israel.
• They put dust upon their heads. Look at verse 7. Joshua sounds like the OLD children of Israel.

Joshua 7:7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

• So he doesn’t know why they lost 36 men that day. Look at verses 10 through 12.

Joshua 7:10-12 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

• This is not good news UNLESS the accursed from among you is destroyed.
• God says to get up and sanctify the people. There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee.
• If you’re sinning against the Lord in things you know you shouldn’t be doing, this is very bad.
• And it’s very bad for all of us. If you don’t sanctify yourself, you can take us all down with you.
• What did God command them to do? This is serious. What happened?

Joshua 7:24-25 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 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.

• That’s just a warning from God. We do things differently in the New Testament.
• There is church discipline for a reason. HARD DECISIONS MUST BE MADE FOR THE GOOD OF ALL.
• If you’re knowingly doing things that God doesn’t allow, you either have to stop and ask forgiveness, OR you’re out of the church.
• Why? You’re not going to take down the entire congregation with you.
• Would you want that? It’s time to get things right. Don’t turn there but listen closely.

Joshua 22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

• Let me repeat. “And wrath fell on ALL THE CONGREGATION of Israel.”
• “And that man perished not alone in his iniquity.” So, what happened with Achan?
• God gave clear instructions. God gives us clear instructions. Achan didn’t follow them.
• He coveted after things that he couldn’t have. This is evil and wickedness.
• And he alone did not perish. Why do you think God hates covetousness?
• God isn’t willing that any should perish. Because of Achan’s sin, MANY PERISHED.

So, let’s be clear here. When you’re sinning against the Lord, you aren’t the only one who will perish.

• When you won’t preach the Gospel, people will go to hell. THEY WILL PERISH OUT THERE!!!
• 36 men died that day because of Achan. All the sons of Achan died.
• All the daughters of Achan died. THIS IS NOT A SMALL THING. All that he had perished that day.

And you might think, “This will never happen to me.”

• That’s right “IF” you do what God says to do. We can’t miss these warnings in the Bible.
• And yes, they will apply to us if we’re sinning against the Lord. He takes sin very seriously.

Please turn to 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. 1 Corinthians Chapter 10.

• THE WRATH FALLS UPON ALL THE CONGREGATION IF WE ALLOW SIN TO CONTINUE.
• And I’m not saying I know people are sinning. This is a general sermon.
• I’m preaching this BEFORE any of these things happen. This is better. BEFORE THEY HAPPEN.
• When we won’t do what God says to do, horrible things will happen.
• Look at verse 1 there in 1 Corinthians Chapter 10.

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

• Again, “But with many of them, God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”
• We want to please God. We don’t want Him not being well pleased with us.
• I hope you’re beginning to see the point of this sermon. Look at verse 6 closely.

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

• We see lusting after evil things in this verse. THINGS OF THIS WORLD ARE EVIL THINGS.
• In the following verses, we see idolaters, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring.
• We have a pastor here. Don’t murmur against him. We have a clear Gospel to preach here.
• We don’t preach repent of your sins to be saved. THIS IS A LIE STRAIGHT FROM HELL!!!
• We get things right here because we know what’s RIGHT! And then look at verse 11.

1 Corinthians 10:11-12 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

• There are some things that we do that we need to take a step back and examine. Look closely.
• I know there are things in my life, and I know there are many things in your life.
• For example, children can become first in your life. It’s good to love your children.
• But it’s never good to place children, family, friends, or anyone above the Lord Jesus Christ.
• And things like this can happen to all of us easily. TAKE HEED LEST YOU FALL.

Lusting over evil things, idolatry, fornication (both physical and spiritual), tempting God, and murmuring.

• Let me say that again: MURMURING and COMPLAINING. Murmuring about things.
• Let’s say other children get sick and pass it along to yours. And you murmur about it.
• Hey, God designed things this way for a reason. You get sick. Good for you. You get stronger.
• Think of it as a good thing. It makes you stronger. Don’t murmur against others.
• “Well, I know they got us sick.” Nope. You don’t know that. God made it that way for a reason.
• Don’t murmur, complain, and speak against your brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Don’t speak against God’s design. YOU SPEAK AGAINST GOD.

When we go out soul winning, we need to have good attitudes. “Hey, we will win souls to Christ today.”

• And then someone comments to bring the group down. “We’ll never get anyone saved here.”
• Hey, how do you know? Instead, let’s get some people saved. It’s a tough area. GOOD FOR US.
• That’s why God put us here. He knows we have the skill to get these people saved.
• So, instead of murmuring about the area, go ye therefore and preach the Gospel.
• We simply do what God says to do. We get people saved. And we keep getting people saved.
• “Well, his children are this. Or, her children are that. Or this man is this or that woman is that.”

Hey, instead of murmuring or complaining about someone or something, why don’t you help them?

• You aren’t perfect, my friends. It’s easy to look at someone else and murmur.
• Examine yourself and you’ll find things wrong. Fix them first. Why? Because you aren’t perfect.
• We are here to help each other. We’re here to get things right.
• If there’s something in your life like this, it’s time to change it.

Please take heed to this warning today. One person in the congregation can take down all of us.

• Please turn to Ephesians Chapter 4. Ephesians Chapter 4.
• I know things have happened in churches that have wolves like Judas Iscariot.
• All of you have to take heed. BE WARNED. The examples in the Bible are there for you.

We are to help each other ALWAYS. Don’t lift up your heel against your friends. YOUR FAMILY IN CHRIST.

• Don’t act like Judas Iscariot or even Cain.
• Don’t do evil, know you’re doing it, and then get hurt feelings when someone calls you out.
• Look at verse 31 and 32 there in Ephesians Chapter 4.

Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

• We cannot let evil things take root within us and grow into bigger plants or even trees.
• Don’t give that seed of wickedness any water to grow or any room at all to grow within you.
• You don’t want to be that one person in the congregation that brings people down.
• Other people will suffer. Instead let the good things come up within you.
• Kindness, tenderhearted, and forgiveness. Please turn to Numbers Chapter 16.

I am sure you remember the story of Korah who was in the congregation or the church in the wilderness.

• One person causing trouble in the congregation and sinning against the Lord. KORAH.
• Look there at verse 19 in Numbers Chapter 16.

Numbers 16:19-22 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. 20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?

• Again, “Shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with ALL THE CONGREGATION?”

Numbers 16:32-33 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

• This one person in the congregation causes all the men that appertained unto Korah to die.
• They all perished from among the congregation. ALL OF THEM. Hearts melted.
• Please turn to 2 Samuel Chapter 24. Moving forward in the Bible. 2 Samuel Chapter 24.
• Do you remember when king David numbered the people? Take a look at verse 10.

2 Samuel 24:10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

• God’s anger was kindled against the children of Israel prior to this.
• Then David numbers the people and greatly sins against the Lord. Joab tries to stop him.
• He doesn’t listen and does it anyway. Now David is sorry for what he’s done.
• The Lord sends Gad the prophet to David. You’ve got three options, David:
• 1) 7 years famine. 2) Flee 3 months before your enemies. 3) 3 days pestilence.
• David chooses option 3 with pestilence. Now look at verse 15 in 2 Samuel Chapter 24.

2 Samuel 24:15-17 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.

• What do we see? We see what some people would call unfair. David sins. ONE MAN.
• But this man was their leader. HE GREATLY SINS. And 70,000 men died. HIS OWN MEN.
• The angel of the Lord was about to destroy more and the Lord stops him. “It is enough.”
• Hey, Lord, HAVE MERCY ON US. We are sorry. Please have mercy on us.
• You should ask for mercy for all within this church every day. Have mercy on us, please Lord.

We should all be like Job and ask forgiveness FOR ALL before ONE OF US does something wrong.

• This is why being a pastor is not an easy job. The pastor is the leader much like king David.
• The pastor has much responsibility not to sin because we all can partake of the punishment.
• The Bible teaches these things. We all might lose our church. We all might lose more than that.
• So, listen, we must be tough at times. We must make the hard decisions at times.

David says, “Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done?”

• Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.
• Please Lord, don’t take it out on all of them. Please take it out on me and my house.
• We know that king David also lost children for his own sins against the Lord.
• Your children can pay for your sins. We see that with king Solomon. These are all warnings.
• And they are very SERIOUS WARNINGS. We must do what God has asked us to do.

If I would have kept going the way I was going in my life, which was away from God, my wife and children would have suffered greatly.

• They could have ended up in hell. And their children. And their children’s children.
• So, I thank God so much for the mercy He had on me. I should be dead right now.
• And He has punished me in this life, and I am thankful for those punishments. THANK GOD!!!
• He has been amazingly merciful on me, and He was merciful on the children of Israel.
• He has had great mercy on you. He even told Moses once to get out of the way.

Exodus 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

• But they continued because Moses besought the Lord his God. Moses stood up for them.
• We are to do this for our people here in this church. Please God, if they sin, don’t destroy us.
• We are to help our people: every one of them. WE NEED TO GET THINGS RIGHT.

It is the responsibility of everyone here to do this. CHILDREN, YOU ARE INCLUDED.

• Teenagers, you are included. Young men and women, you are included.
• If one of you are doing wrong, you need to get it fixed immediately.
• Do you want all of us to go down? I SURE HOPE NOT. We care for you here.
• And we want good for you. You should want the same for everyone here.

As a dad who loves his children, the last thing I want is for my children to suffer for my sins.

• I know that my wife doesn’t want our children to suffer because of her sins.
• If we won’t do the work God gave us to do, our children will suffer. THIS IS SERIOUS.
• “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17

I don’t want any of you to suffer for what I do. Please God, don’t take my sins out on these people.

• “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” 1 Samuel 12:23
• We need to stick together as a congregation closely. We need to pray for each other in private.
• We need to seek the best for one another. We need to get the sin out of our lives NOW.
• Aaron, the brother of Moses, RAN to make an atonement for his people. HE RAN FAST.
• Please turn to Hebrews Chapter 10. Hebrews Chapter 10.

Achan thought he had buried his sin under his tent and hid his sin from the congregation.

• You might think you can hide your sin from the congregation, but you can’t.
• God makes sure of it just as He did with Achan. Let’s do good for each other by not sinning.
• And do it quickly. Look at verse 26 to start. We need to be afraid when we sin.

Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

• Fearful looking for of judgment and FIERY INDIGNATION or extreme anger from the Lord.
• We don’t want to appear as an adversary to the Lord as we willfully sin against Him.
• Don’t despise God’s law and His commands to you TO DO RIGHT.
• He will punish all of us if you continue or if I continue. You don’t want that, right?
• Do you want my little daughter to suffer for your sins?

I don’t want your little ones to suffer because of me. I don’t want you to suffer because of me.

• Every little sin we commit will affect others so we need to watch our paths closely. GOOD PATHS.
• Don’t let some little thing of sin come into your life (that’s to the young, old, and everyone in between) and an evil plant begins to sprout and grow.
• This can be anything. Pain pills. Unhealthy food. A TV show. A video game.
• Skipping soul winning one week, then another, then another, and another.
• Skipping church one week, then another, then another, and another.

Not reading your Bible one day, then another, and another. These things can grow into wicked trees.

• A person comes into your life and slowly starts to take you away from God.
• BE VERY CAREFUL OUT THERE. Beware of wolves. Notice everything happening in your life.
• Are you going the right way? Are you putting something above God that you shouldn’t?

Is something more important to you than getting to church to worship God?

• Remember, we gather together to worship God and learn what He wants from us.
• We don’t come here to worship ourselves. We come here to worship God in truth!!!
• TOGETHER AND IN PERSON. Hand in hand and eye to eye. Physically get here every time.
• And, if not, are you sure an idol isn’t forming in your life?
• A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Don’t allow this to begin in your life. I have experience.

We want good things spreading in your life and not wicked things. WE WANT GOOD FOR YOU HERE.

• Even the smallest of things that you might not even notice can become wicked trees.
• Hey, cut it down right now. Get it out of your life. And let’s get this right from here on out.
• We are here for each other. Please turn to Joshua Chapter 22. Joshua Chapter 22.
• Joshua gives the children of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh the land on the east side of the Jordan as they requested.

They kept all that Moses commanded them and obeyed Joshua so he gives them that land.

• They entered into the promised land. This is a picture of salvation. Hey, you’re saved.
• When they got there, the children of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Simeon built an altar.
• How did the children of Israel respond on the other side of the Jordan?
• And remember, these weren’t weak followers of God.
• These people followed the Lord God Almighty. NOT WEAK.
• They followed Joshua and did what he said lest they die. Look at verses 11 and 12.

Joshua 22:11-12 And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel. 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

• They saw the appearance of evil on the other side of the Jordan.
• The whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together for war.
• WAR AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE. They knew what God would do to all of them.
• God showed them many examples. You’re saved. You know what God wants from you.

And it’s not hard. The work of the Lord is amazing, and there is nothing more fulfilling.

• There is nothing that brings more joy and peace within you than doing the work of Jesus Christ.
• It’s time to get this work done and put the other things away. Skip down to verse 15.

Joshua 22:15-18 And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying, 16 Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD? 17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, 18 But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

• It’s time to help each other get this right. It’s your choice TODAY, right now.
• If you aren’t doing what you’re supposed to be doing, get it right starting now.
• Don’t let it get worse. Hey, if you haven’t been soul winning for a while, come with us.
• I would love to have you out with me. Send me a message.
• There are many others here that will say the same thing. “Come with me.”

If you’re out there listening on social media, HEY, find yourself a good church and get there.

• You can’t get there fast enough. RUN TO A GOOD CHURCH. Put in the work and find one.
• Getting here wasn’t easy for me. It wasn’t easy for most people here. They got up.
• They did the work. And this feels like the promised land to me. I am thankful for this place.
• This place helps me to get things right. This place helps me to get sin out of my life.
• This place encourages me to do the RIGHT THINGS. You need a place like this.

And if you’re here and this place isn’t working like that for you, you need to take a close look at YOU.

• Don’t blame it on everyone else and everything else. THIS IS A GOOD CHURCH.
• Examine yourselves. Just a little seed of wickedness can grow into destruction.
• That’s how it all begins. So, again, I urge you today to examine yourselves.

You know what to do. Let’s get sin out of our lives so we all don’t suffer.

• This is not a small thing. We don’t want a plague in this congregation of the Lord.
• Don’t even give the appearance that you are turning away from the Lord.
• We love each other here. If you need some help, ask a brother or sister. That’s why we’re here.
• Be the one person in the congregation that is always here for another. ALWAYS LOVING.

Let’s pray.