Total Surrender

Speaker 1: Thank you. You would please turn to Hebrews Chapter Number 11, Hebrews chapter number 11 and why you're turning there. You can remain seated until we begin with reading our text, but I'm going to ask you a few questions while you're turning Hebrews chapter number 11 and as you're turning there, if you could change any five year period of your life. Which would it be? I don't think about it, don't don't tell me what it is, but just think about it any five year period of your life. I think that's a pretty hard question to answer, unless you're five years old. But if you could change any five year period, what would you change? OK, now OK? OK, I admit that one's kind of tough now. Let me let me kind of change it. If you could change one year.

Unidentified: Of your life. How would you change?

Speaker 1: One to think about it, don't tell me, just think about it in your head, so you're just you're not thinking. So really, consider if there was one year 19. Uh, nineteen sixty five, I was not even born then. Uh, OK, that's still I think it's still pretty broad. How about a day of your life? You could change one day. Like, I change today. You have one the poll. It does. OK, so OK. Thinking about one day, I even have an even an even better one. If you could change one decision.

Unidentified: This one decision. Or would you choose? Think about it.

Speaker 1: We're going to look in our in our in, our in our Bible, in just just a moment of how one decision changed everything. Or two people. One decision, each one made their decision, but it changed their entire life. So if you're there. Just to build some anticipation. Who's who's he talking about? I know it's Wednesday, I know you're tired and how hard it is to listen when you're tired. So if you just need to stand up or go to Starbucks real quick and come back. Now, don't do that. Don't vote, sit down. Let's read this together, if you would please stand, and if you can honor in honor of God's word, if you if you're unable to please remain seated. But this is one person of our story. Bible says this and Hebrews chapter number 11 verse thirty one by faith. Hebrews 11, thirty one, I hear page historians on the Stop Hebrews 11, thirty one by faith, the Harlot rehab pairs. Not within that belief. Not. When she had received the Spies with Peace by Faith, the Harlot Ray had perished, not with them that believe not. When she had received the Spies With Peace Now, you can lose your place there and turn to first Chronicles, First Chronicles is after second innings. First chronicles Chapter two. You're saying, Oh, we're in, we're in Chronicles. It's OK, we're not going to read the entire book. My up loud enough for the jury, you any boost me up just a little bit. Just hit the slider just a little bit more. On the pulpit, not a pulpit on the preacher, I think. He's learning. All right, it's all the way to the top. I'm going to put this here, too, just in case I can hear myself way better up here now. Thanks. All right. First chronicles. OK, then I'm now en route to high. There you go. OK, first chronicles to look at verse number seven. This is another person. And the sons of Kami A. Are you're familiar with this name, Aitkin? That's his name. And the sons of Karmi A. Or Akin? The trouble of Israel. Who transgressed in the things are the thing, A. Could you imagine being known for that issue, the trouble of Israel? But he's known for. He made one decision. And that's what he's known for. Let's ask God for his blessing on the remainder of our time. And as we look into the word of God here tonight, father in heaven, thank you for the time that we've already spent and your word. I pray, Lord, that I would be able to communicate. You have. You have shown me, in your word, clearly lovingly, peacefully, Lord, filled with your spirit. Tell me not to say the things I shouldn't. And help me to say exactly what you'd have me to say here tonight. Or I know it's Wednesday and I know how difficult it can be. I pray, Lord, that you'd help and encourage the preaching of your word that we not only be here, but doers here tonight. This is my prayer a menu, baby. See to thank you for your attention now. You can lose your place in first chronicles and go to the Book of Joshua chapter number two. We're going to look at the life of rehab and the lack of life of Akin. The title of the message tonight, if you if you're taking notes and you like to know the title is a life gained. And a life lost, a life gained and a life lost. And hopefully tonight I'm going to do a good job telling you about the life of rehab and the life she gained and the life of Aiken and the life he lost, as well as showing a very New Testament passage that will apply their story to our life. And so let's look in Joshua, chapter number two. We're going to kind of run through this not to go through it just because we need to read it in order to understand the context and what's what's happening. Chapter two of Joshua verse one. And Joshua, the son of Joshua, the son of none, sent out of shit to spies. Two men to spy secretly saying, go view the land, even Jericho, and they went and came into and Harlots House named Rahab and Lodge there, and it was told the King of Jericho saying, Behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country and the king of Jericho sent under Ahab, saying Bring forth the men that are come to the witch are entered into thine house or they become to search out the country. Brother Jeremiah Newton the pulpit. Perfect, perfect, thank you for that. First war and the women took the two men, the woman took the two men and hid them and said there came men onto me, but I was not whence they were and it came to pass about the time of shedding of the gate when it was dark that the men went out, whether the men went, I woke not pursue after them quickly for you shall overtake them. And she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hit them with the stalks of flax. Well, she had laid an order upon the roof and the men pursued after them the way to Jordan until the Fords, as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. Verse eight and before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof and said unto the man, I know that the Lord have given you the land and that your terror is falling upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. But we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you. When you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Emirates, would that were on the other side, Jordan say, on an ARG who me utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts didn't melt. Neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you or the Lord. Your God, he is God in heaven above and an earth beneath there. Now, therefore, I pray you swear to me by the Lord since I have shown you kindness that you will also show me show kindness under my father's house and give me a true token. And that you will save a life of my father and my mother, my brother and my sisters and all that I have, and to live our lives from death. Verse 14 says this is the man answered her our life or yours, if you utter lot this our business and it shall be when the Lord have given us the land that we will deal kindly and truly with the verse. 15, it goes on to say that she let them down by a scarlet cord and that cord was to remain at her window sill or her or her window to show that that's where her home was. And it says that in verse. Verse number 19, and it shall be that whosoever shall go to the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head and will be get lost, guiltless and whosoever shall be with DX9 House. His blood shall be upon our head, if any hand be upon him. And that's exactly what she did. And we're going to go over to chapter number six. To see what takes place. I just want to give you an idea of what she's saying, what she's doing. She hides these men. She takes them into her house. She says that they're not there. She goes up and talks to these men and tells them that we believe that. I believe rape, saying I believe that God has delivered the land into your hands and that you're going to overtake us. But please, please, I'm helping you so that you can help me. That day, she put her own life in our hands. She was a traitor to her own country. She would have, if she did, that would have been found out that she helped the spies. She would've been put to death. But here we see in Joshua, Chapter six, that did not happen. Joshua is leading the people to go and march around the walls of Jericho for six days, for one time and on the seventh day seven times they were to blow the trumpet. And when they blew the trumpet out, sorry. When they shouted and blew the trumpet, the walls came down flat and then the men were going into the city. But the Bible says this and chapter number six. And verse number twenty one, and they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old and of orcs and sheep, and as with the edge of the sword verse twenty two. But Joshua had said to the two men that spied out the country, go into the Harlots house and bring her out. That's the woman and all that she hath, as you swear, under her and the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren, and all that she had. And they brought out all her kindred and them and left them without the Camp of Israel and burnt the city with fire. And all that was there in only the silver and the gold in the vessels of brass and the iron they put into the Treasury of the House of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab the Harlot alive and her father's household and all that she had. And she'd wealth in Israel even up to this day because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent the spy out Jericho. I don't think rehab wanted necessary to leave Jericho. We don't know much about what rehab life was like. We know that her profession was of ill repute. She was a harlot. But we also know this. It's possibly that she could have been very lucrative and made much money. She had her own house. She was able to take care of her own family, so it would seem as if that she had a pretty. Even though it's not a good career, it was a career nonetheless. And she made money. She had people that she knew she lived around. She had a culture that she was used to. She had a language that she was used to. But the Bible says this because of her faith. She was willing to leave all of that and trust what God was going to do. I think it might have been pretty easy to be in a position to say, I trust you and I'm going to help you. Another thing to be on the day thereof and see what God's people were doing and still have faith to say. All right. I can stay in my home. Not a need to run away. Not that I need to go flea and run outside the city because the Bible says that the walls were shut and no one came and no one got out. That she was there trusting that the men would keep the word that God would keep his word and the Bible says in the Book of Hebrews that she lines up in the Hall of Faith. We later find out in Matthew that she is the the wife of Solomon Selman. If you say it that way. Who's the mother of Boaz, who is the great grandmother of Coalbed, who was a great great grandmother of Jesse, who is a great great great great grandmother of King David? She's got a lineage, doesn't she? She was a terrible, wicked woman. But one day put her faith in what God could do for her. And trust in what God could provide her with. And she left everything behind. And she gained the more. I know what that story sounds like, sounds like when a person gets saved. You give up a world that was condemned to destruction, a life that was condemned to hell. We trust in Christ as your savior. He changes everything. Are you thankful for that? I'm thankful for that. I know our pastor, he was talking on Sunday, he got to say that age of four. I got to say that age of 19. I was doing terrible, wicked things. I'm so glad the Lord saved me from that life and gave me a new life. I'm totally different from who I used to be. But let me tell you this, and this is primarily where the story's going tonight is that God didn't just save me to take me to heaven or else I'd be in heaven right now. If ever thought about that? Why doesn't he just save us and take us to heaven? As you leave us here on this Earth. Because if we're all in heaven, there would be no witness. There will be no one who knew the grace and mercy of God. They would just know, Hey, when you trust in Christ, you're in heaven. And no one else would know, but he left you and I here to spread the gospel. It's all about the same grace we received other. So a life that was lost and a life that was gained. We do have another person don't and the story on the very same day. Now we understand that there's days leading up to the destruction of Jericho, but on the same day that Jericho was destroyed was the same day that rehab was delivered. It was also the same day that sealed the fate of a. It's amazing how our Bible is put together to show these comparisons and contrast, look now in Joshua chapter number seven. I got plenty of time here, and I'm hoping I'm not losing you hope we're seeing that Aiken is much different than rehab, and rehab is much different than Aiken. Bible says this, but the children of Israel committed a trespass and they curse thing. For Aiken. The son of Kami, the son of Zab de the son of Zahra. I of the tribe of Judah took of the curse thing and the anger of the Lord was against the Children of Israel. So right then and there, we understand that Aikin is the one who took of the akhurst thing, what was the thing that was the first we find out in Chapter six, verse number 17 and Joshua tells all the people in the city shall be occu, Stephen it and all that are in. To the Lord, only Ray, have the Harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in her house because she hid the messengers that were sent and ye verse 18 in any wise. Keep yourselves from the curse thing lest you make yourselves akhurst when you take of the curse thing and make the camp a visual curse and trouble it. We did find out that acorn is the trouble of Israel, and it says this. They go to battle against a I. And they are defeated. They shouldn't have been defeated. Thirty six men are killed. Of Israel and Georgia. Joshua is is upset with God. He rents his clothes and verse number six, the cries of the gods. Why are you doing this again? Imagine we just had a tremendous victory without the fight. We just saw the walls come down flat and now we're going to fight again, saying we're defeated by a smaller nation of people. Why is this happening? And verse number 10 the Bible says this, and the Lord said unto Joshua, Get the wherefore for lifestyle. Thus, upon my face, Israel has said that they have transgressed my covenant, which I commanded them for. They have taken of the curse thing and have stolen and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. How many of you have read this story in your Bible before? If you have it, that's totally fine. I would. I would strongly encourage you to read the book of Joshua. It is so exciting. It is thrilling to see what takes place. The book of judges is also like that whole bible is kind of like, that's exciting. And there's some parts that are rough, but the rest of it is exciting. And so we have here the story of a kid. I don't know how you thought about it again, but I always thought Akin was like a sleazeball. I really did. I didn't like him one bit. I'm like, Why on earth are you doing this? You have to do this, and you're ruining people's lives because of it. But I got to thinking he had sons and daughters, he's a father. There's nowhere doesn't mention he has a wife. He is going into a place that he doesn't know where he's going to live. He doesn't know what kind of inheritance he's going to get. He's basically all of this upon what Joshua has told them. That's going to happen what Moses said as well. He knows that he's going to get an inheritance somewhere, but he doesn't know where he. He doesn't know what it's going to be like. He doesn't know what his future is going to hold. And so he's going into the city and he finds a Babylonian garment. It was a good one. Bible says, and this garment would have been very precious and very valuable. More than likely its Babylonian and not a Canaanite. And so therefore it probably was something that one of the canon soldiers had basically had a trophy of war and recovered. It probably would have been a very, very, very expensive piece of of clothing. And so that meant money up and down the line. It would mean food. It means substance. It would mean a bigger house. It would mean better pleasures. It'd be more a place that would probably guarantee money. That would guarantee more safety, more security. But also took a wedge of gold that was worth about 50 shekels of gold and weight. So another and also, you know, that's a good nest egg right there. Then two hundred pieces of silver. So I don't think akin as a parent is thinking, You know what, I want to ruin my family's life. He's thinking, you know, this is probably what I need to do to secure us a better future in our life. And maybe God. Isn't going to notice. And is it going to notice what I'm trying to do and he's trying, I think, you know what, I'm not just trying to be a thief. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's life. I'm trying to better my, my family's life and my life and and just get a piece of security down and making sure that we have something going into something. I don't I don't know where we're going. I don't know what it's going to be like. I just need a little bit to grab on to for security. Here's what God said about what was in the city of Jericho. It was a curse. Everything that was there, and except rehab was a curse. It was something they were not supposed to take. And all the gold, the silver, all of this, the precious materials, all the iron, all that was supposed to be dedicated and consecrated into the House of the Lord. Under God. Consecrated to God, it belonged to God. And I said. It can cut back what belong to God. And that kind of brings up an idea in our mind of tithing keeping back what belongs to God. That's a form of our man's attempt to have security is to keep what he has not giving anything away. I can't help but think that Akin was driven by fear. By doubt, by temptation. And he made a very bad decision. A very costly one. I don't know if he thought that day. He was going to lose his life. And that his sons and his daughters would be stoned to death. I don't think he thought that one bit. But that's exactly what happened. You see what? Unlike rehab, willing to lose everything she knew in order to gain much greater things that God wanted her to have. Akin took what God did want him to have, and he gave up all the blessings that God had in store for him. You understand that. He took something that God did not want him to have. And he lost all the blessings that God had in store for him. His life changed that day with one choice. One choice. You say the man, I don't know if I've ever made a choice like that that's affected my family. You probably have. If you're married, you've made that choice. If you're working anywhere, you've made that choice. You've made a decision that affected your family. For good. So Aiken. And we have rehab. Change their life now I've noticed around, I'm hoping that. You realize that I'm I'm not condemning anyone, I am a sinner just as much as you are, and I've made terrible decisions. But I have I have to warn us, and I have to warn myself that one decision can change every.

Unidentified: I want to

Speaker 1: give a few concluding remarks regarding Ahab. Seems to me, I said Ahab, Aiken and Ahab in the same day, an act of obedience to God and an act of disobedience to God had such a drastic different outcome. One person was willing to lose everything in their life that God cast in order to gain a life that God richly blesses. Who was that? The other jeopardize and ultimately loss of life that God was richly blessing in order to possess the thing that God curses. One person's actions rescued their family. The other condemned their family by their actions. One gave up a life of sin and pursued a life of righteousness. One left a life of righteousness to pursue a life of sin. One will eternally remembered and praise for their faith. The other will eternally remembered in reproach for their faith was. The story of Aiken and rehab still lives on today and so beautifully pictures and New Testament thought if you would please turn to Matthew Chance at number 16. Look at verse number twenty five. And I'm not going to just pull the version of thin air we're going to we're going to work on this first just for a minute here. So as this for whosoever? We'll save his life. What? I mean, we've heard that verse before. I know that verse where it was better than I know the story of Aiken and rehab. Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall what? Find it. So here is Jesus's words to his disciples. What is Jesus talking about? Look, in verse number twenty one. Let's get some context. I know we've done a lot of reading, but I really hope that I communicate what God has laid on my heart and what God has shown us in his word, and that we apply it to our lives. Before we leave here tonight, it says this from that time forth began Jesus to show his disciples. How will that he must go into Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes? And B what? Killed me, raised again the third day, I didn't want to just rush to that, I think that's a big element that should've listened to. He'd be killed, but what he'd rise again. I mean, that's that's the gospel. And so here's Jesus talking to his disciples and reminding them of this thought. Guys, and I'm paraphrasing here, guys, I know that it's been exciting. The miracles have been great. You know, there's been a lot of wonderful things going on. But listen, I've got to prepare you for what's going to take place. I'm going to be trade into the hands of senators, I'm going to be beaten, mocked, ridiculed and ultimately killed. They should have listened to this last part and rise again the third day. You know, there was someone listening to that who didn't like what Jesus just had to say. It was Peter. Look and listen to what he says. Not so right. Is that what he says? Not so. And Peter took Tim Verse number twenty two and began to rebuke him, saying, be it far from the Lord, this shall not be under thee. Now I looked up. What what Peter did. You said you took him and he rebuked him, and I'm in my mind. I thought it was kind of like, you do to your child. You grab, hold your shoulders and say, stop talking or be quiet and listen. That's not what he did. The idea of he took Jesus as he took him and let him aside. So Jesus had been talking and saying these things, and it could have been after the conversation with his disciples that he, he said, Jesus, you talk to you. Mary took him. He's walking along with them. It says, Jesus, this isn't going to happen. Lord, be it far from that, you're not going to die. You know what was Peter? You didn't want to lose his savior in it, want to lose time with Jesus? I was, was Peter asking for something that was bad? No, he wanted more time. You didn't want his precious friend to endure such pain and agony. But but how did Jesus respond? Get the behind Satan. So he's taken along, Jesus is being taken along, and all of a sudden he turns around and looks into the face. Get behind me, same. Why would you say that to him? He had just told the disciples what God was going to lead him to do. It was the father's will that Jesus was going to be betrayed, beaten, crucified, killed. Right? That was the father's will. And now Peter is telling, telling Jesus. I don't want that. I don't want that to happen. It's not going to happen. I'm going to prevent that from happening. We know the story. Who was the one who cut off the ear of Baucus? Peter? This we think it was Peter, as Peter cut off the high priest here, it fell off and Jesus put it back on. He was trying to keep Jesus for being what betrayed. Beaten, crucified, killed. He didn't want. That to take place of Jesus, you know, it's amazing to me. That Peter thought what he wanted for Jesus. Was better than what the father wanted for Jesus. Did Peter want something bad? Absolutely not. He wanted something good. But I need to remind all of us just because we want something good doesn't mean that's what God wants for us. Just because I want good things to take place, my my kids lives, I want them to have a life full of joy and excitement and pleasure, and never have to endure any type of pain or heartache or difficulty. That's not necessarily what God wants for them. And Jesus was willing to send his son to die on the cross to fulfill his will and his purpose. Do you think you think he's not going to allow us to go through difficult times to fulfill his will and his purpose? Absolutely. Is maintaining a job for a lot of years, is that a good thing? Yes, but it could be. God says, All right, I need you to change your job. Is living in the city that you grew up in, a good thing it can be. Of course, but God may want something completely different. Don't be, Peter. And telling Jesus, I don't want that to happen when it was God's will for it to happen. Don't don't get in the way of what God's doing, because you want something good when Jesus wants to follow or when God wants something better. Let's continue it says this. He get behind me, Satan, that weren't an offense under me for thou savers, not the things. Would that be of, Oh man, I just pass over this. This is so good for thou savers, not the things that be of God, but those that offend Jesus, not dying. That was something that men savored. I want good things to happen to you, Jesus, I want you to live and have a good life. I want you to be our king Jesus. I want you to to lead Israel out of Roman oppression. I want great things to happen for you, Jesus, that was savoring the things of man instead of saving things of God, which God was saying, Jesus is going to die on the cross. So he's telling them you're savoring the things of men, not the things of God. And it says then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me or whosoever shall save his life shall lose and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. Listen, as for what is a man profited? If he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Or what shall I, man, give an exchange for a soul for the son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels? And then he will, or he shall reward every man, according to his words. I want him to research this because I did not fully understand. This passages of scripture, because I've always heard this to mean for what is a man profit of he shall gain the whole world and lose a soul. I always thought it was if you if you pursue a world of worldliness and you never get saved. That was kind of the main idea was a salvation verse, and I believe it can be applied that way. But I think there's something greater or something that Jesus is trying to get across to save people because he was speaking to his disciples. And we know at least one of them was not a follower of Jesus Judas. The 11 were. And so he's not talking to lost people. He's talking to save people. He's saying, If you want to be a follower of me, you have to follow me. How? You get to deny yourself. And you going to take up your cross? And you have to be willing to lose your life for my sake. So was Jesus talking figuratively or literally? I think it's both. Romans 12:1 says this ABC tube brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a what a living. Sacrifice, holy and acceptable God, which is your reasonable service and b not conform to this world, will be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what does that good and perfect good excess while perfect will of God? So ultimately, Jesus is telling his disciples. If you want to find life. What does that mean? Well, life of purpose, fulfillment satisfaction. A life that savors the things of God. A life that's fully committed to God. A life that God blesses a life. That God secures a life that God richly rewards. You've got to be willing to give up anything that stands in the way of it. Security. Comfort. Being relaxed pleasures. Being around your family. Knowing where you're going to work, knowing how you're going to provide for your family, you've got to be willing to give all that up in order to find a life that God wants you to have. And that sounds like it cost a lot. The cost of discipleship is high. It requires a total committed life. I'm worried today that Christianity today is not breeding followers of Christ, it's just breeding save nominal Christians. That grow up in a good home and gets saved and never do much for God. And just stay in there. Their church family and just. I'm OK with just coming to church and all ties, and I'll go to every so often a church function. But they're not totally surrendered to whatever God or half one. I think there's a reason why less and less people are being called into the ministry because people are not going. I think we we don't see a revival like we should because we see less committed Christians. I think I think we see problems in marriage and problems in homes and problems with children because we see less committed Christians. Who are not willing to give everything up. And follow God fathers who are not willing to say no to a job because it demands that they work on Sunday. Wednesday. Who mothers who who are afraid to correct their children because they're afraid that they're going to somehow be damaged if they do things the way God wants them to do things. Being fully committed to God is saying, I don't want a worldly life that is geared with worldly ideology and say, you know, I'm going to give this up in order to have the life that God wants me to have. Don't be like Aiken. And what good things that God doesn't want you to have. You like a bee like Ray, have been willing to give everything up. To get a name that will be forever remembered and a life that will ultimately affect an entire race of people because of her faithfulness to say, You know what I mean, give this up and surrender all the following God, Yahweh. My question here tonight, I have a few. Just before we are dismissed. Are you a follower of Jesus? I want you to really think about this. Am I a follower of Jesus? Have I taken up my cross? That's that's the emblem of sacrifice, total surrender. If I denied myself, but I want life. Pleasures that I seek for. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ or are you denying what you want? Are you denying what God wants? Where's your cross? Are you carrying it? Or is it somewhere at home? Well, I know I know there's something going out at church tonight, but I just have other things that I really think are more important. It might be a good thing. We're talking about one decision changed a life. One choice. One decision changed the direction of two people. Not I know multiple decisions equal one decision eventually, but I mean one decision. Are you completely surrender to God? Or are you savoring the things of man? I can I can name so many things up here. I can name a lot of sins. I could I can name a lot of things that Christians are not doing, I really could. But I think, you know, in your own life, however old or young. You are. Are you completely surrendered to what God has for your life? Are you holding back the things that God does not want you to have your coveting the gold, the silver? The Babylonian garment, I need this in order to make it. I need this in order to get what I want. I need this in order to have security in my life. Are you willing to say? Totally it. Every head bowed and everybody close. They're just going to pray.

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