FHBC Sermon Notes

Joshua 9 - We have all been deceived. How interesting that in April Fools day we end up on this passage, a story of deception.

The people of Israel had been given a command to destroy all the people of the land. The Hivites however used deception, pretending to be from abroad so that they might not be killed.

1. We must be vigilant against the very real spiritual problem of deception.

We still live in a world where deception is very real. Only in our resurrection and the return of our Lord will deception be fully vanquished.

In this story we might see them like Rahab who was given mercy, but though they feared God's wrath, they did not trust his mercy, so instead of surrendering themselves they pretended to be from afar and acted as the world does in the face of judgement and lied.

In this passage Israel has ask vigilance, they do ask good questions, but they fall short. We fight not only the lies of others, but our own propensity to be deceived. To trust in the world and it's lies. We are often willingly blind.

1 Corinthian 15:57-58, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 2:15-17

Some modern deceptions: To wives: the romanticized notion of a husband. To husbands: the lie of what we are as husbands, failing to be the spritual leaders of our home. Apathetic and lax. As children: do your wishes come first, before obedience to parents. As Parents: do we take on the worlds notion of parenting, teaching not grace, but simply the notion of "balanced" well behaved children.

So how do we deal with deception?

2. We must seek and discerningly apply God's counsel in the face of deception.

James 1:22-25 God is the source of all truth. He is the true mirror we must face to see ourselves as we are, fallen and in need of repentance and a savior. This is what the Israelites failed to do, they did not ask the council of the Lord. They knew the commandment they had been given, but did not seek him out in the application of it. We have the Holy Spirit to seek answers. We must immerse ourselves in God's words, that his Spirit given to us might tie it to our hearts, conforming us to the image of Christ.

John 16:13 - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

We grow in the council of its Spirit. Let us also seek the council of our elders.

Well what about those things in which we have already been deceived?

3. We must live with the fruits of deception, but trust that they do not nullify God's sovereignty and grace.

In this story as it turned out these and others that Israel fails to destroy ultimately became the influence and temptation that would lead their nation astray. This happened not just this one incident, but because despite these consequences, they failed to learn, and made the same mistakes again.

God never promised us a happy life, but he did promise to give us His grace to endure. God is not surprised by anything. He is still on our throne. He is greater than our sin. He continues to be sovereign.