Have you ever thrown a stone into a pool of water? If you have, did you notice that besides the initial splash, there are rings that ripple out from the centre. Each ripple produces another further reaching than the last.
It is that way with each choice you make. Each choice causes a reaction, that much like dominoes, tips another stone.
I have dealt with addicts my whole adult life. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “I’m not hurting anyone but myself”, I’d be a millionaire. I was going to say, I’d be rich, but Praise God, because of the Risen Saviour, I am already rich!
To anyone who has been forced to watch a loved one struggle with addiction, you know this isn’t true. But the addict just doesn’t get it. Their behavior harms everyone around them – their family, their friends, and on many occasions even complete strangers. As a firefighter, I’ve attended far too many fatal car accidents caused by a drunk driver. Innocent people’s lives are completely destroyed and first responders are impacted by the gruesome images that come back to haunt them in the form of PTSD.
The reaction some folk have to the COVID-19 pandemic speaks to this ripple affect as well: Karen chooses not to stay away from people, after all, why should she miss out, she is feeling great and really doesn’t care if she gets the virus. She’s had the flu before. What Karen doesn’t know is that she got infected yesterday and she won’t know until 14 days later. So Karen, thinking she is healthy, goes out among her friends and actually infects 10 more people. Those 10 people thinking they are okay, travel and socialize, and they end up infecting 100 others. Those 100, thinking they are healthy, keep infecting 1000’s. You get the picture??? Too bad Karen didn’t! Sure, a large percentage came through without dying, but what would you deem a reasonable percentage of fatalities?
Your choices have consequences not just for you but 1000’s around you!
Let me bring this “Ripple Affect” into focus for you using a dramatic story found in Joshua 6-7 (NLT)
· God told the Israelites not to covet or take anything from the enemy for themselves; all silver, gold, vessels of bronze and iron, being sacred to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord’s house.
· BUT Achan had stolen from the enemy camp - choosing to disobey God
Let’s see how his “disobedience” affected those around him.
· Joshua unaware of this sends 3,000 warriors to defeat the armies of Ai
· But the enemy killed 36 Israelites, causing fear and loss of courage
· Joshua and the elders tore clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening.
· But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
· In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the Lord will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs.
· Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.
· Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”
Joshua found the stolen goods hidden just as Achan said.
· Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor and stoned them. They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble.
Disobedience is very consequential by nature.
In many cases, it ends up costing people far more than they’ve ever thought.
Disobedience brings a wide variety of horrible consequences: spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental.
Separation from God is by far THE WORST form of consequence.
Let me say this, even if Achan had not been found out, his conscience would never rest. FOR THERE IS NO genuine peace for those who are living in sin no matter what they may say. And think about what Achan stole…. Where would he use it?
Galatians 6:7 “Make no mistake about it, God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest.”
Life is a matter of reaping what you sow. Now listen….whether you sow good or bad, YOU ALWAYS reap far more than what you have sowed.
Please note that the person who breaks God’s laws is not the only one who ends up paying the price.
The choices you make affect people around you either directly or indirectly in a big way.
Reaping Good….if Good is sowed!
Reaping Bad….if Bad is sowed!
Blessing or Cursing!
Your choices to sin or continue sinning have a negative impact on your family, your friends, your community and certainly your testimony. Be warned, if you hurt one of God’s children, you are going to receive a world of hurt.
Matthew 18:6 “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be drowned in the deepest sea than to face the punishment her deserves.”
Luke 17:2 “It would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment of betraying one of my dear ones.”
I don’t know about you, but I have spent more sleepless nights over concern for my family members and friends who are not walking right with the Lord than for anything else in my life. I weep for those of you who choose to sin. It hurts to see you choosing to turn from God. But to be honest, I’m angry because your selfishness hurts those around you more deeply and with a more lasting pain than you dare to acknowledge.
The psalmist wrote in Psalms 119:136 (NLT) “Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions.”
Hear the Apostle Paul’s heart wrenching cry in Romans 9:1-3 (NLT) “With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed - cut off from Christ! - if that would save them.”
I Corinthians 12:12-27 (NLT) “...if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
Your choices to run from God will have a negative impact on those who love and care for you.
Philippians 2:1-5 (TPT) “….Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy. Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves. Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests. And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation.”
Your sins hurt God. Your sins hurt your family. Your sins hurt the brethren.
Flat out, you may feel that turning your back on God only affects you - but please count the cost!
It is not just God’s heart that you break….. your actions and choices affect all those in your circle of life.
Ezekiel 33:11 (NLT) “As surely as I live”, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, why should you die?”
Deuteronomy 5:29 (NLT) “Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.”
Focus on that!
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because of their ignorance and disobedience. Luke 19:41-44
Let’s not cause our Lord to be in grief.
In the story of Achan, we saw how….
¨ one man’s greedy choice
¨ one man’s disobedience
¨ one man’s sin
led to a horrible reaping - “The Ripple Affect”
You will always reap more than you sow!
Psalm 51:12-17 (TPT)
“Let my passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough you bring to me. Hold me close to you with a willing spirit that obeys whatever you say. Then I can show to other guilty ones how loving and merciful you are. They will find their way back home to you, knowing that you will forgive them.
O God, my saving God, deliver me fully from every sin, even the sin that brought bloodguilt. Then my heart will once again be thrilled to sing the passionate songs of joy and deliverance! Lord God, unlock my heart, unlock my lips, and I will overcome with my joyous praise! For the source of your pleasure is not in my performance or the sacrifices I might offer to you. The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet.”
AMEN
It is that way with each choice you make. Each choice causes a reaction, that much like dominoes, tips another stone.
I have dealt with addicts my whole adult life. If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “I’m not hurting anyone but myself”, I’d be a millionaire. I was going to say, I’d be rich, but Praise God, because of the Risen Saviour, I am already rich!
To anyone who has been forced to watch a loved one struggle with addiction, you know this isn’t true. But the addict just doesn’t get it. Their behavior harms everyone around them – their family, their friends, and on many occasions even complete strangers. As a firefighter, I’ve attended far too many fatal car accidents caused by a drunk driver. Innocent people’s lives are completely destroyed and first responders are impacted by the gruesome images that come back to haunt them in the form of PTSD.
The reaction some folk have to the COVID-19 pandemic speaks to this ripple affect as well: Karen chooses not to stay away from people, after all, why should she miss out, she is feeling great and really doesn’t care if she gets the virus. She’s had the flu before. What Karen doesn’t know is that she got infected yesterday and she won’t know until 14 days later. So Karen, thinking she is healthy, goes out among her friends and actually infects 10 more people. Those 10 people thinking they are okay, travel and socialize, and they end up infecting 100 others. Those 100, thinking they are healthy, keep infecting 1000’s. You get the picture??? Too bad Karen didn’t! Sure, a large percentage came through without dying, but what would you deem a reasonable percentage of fatalities?
Your choices have consequences not just for you but 1000’s around you!
Let me bring this “Ripple Affect” into focus for you using a dramatic story found in Joshua 6-7 (NLT)
· God told the Israelites not to covet or take anything from the enemy for themselves; all silver, gold, vessels of bronze and iron, being sacred to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord’s house.
· BUT Achan had stolen from the enemy camp - choosing to disobey God
Let’s see how his “disobedience” affected those around him.
· Joshua unaware of this sends 3,000 warriors to defeat the armies of Ai
· But the enemy killed 36 Israelites, causing fear and loss of courage
· Joshua and the elders tore clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening.
· But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
· In the morning you must present yourselves by tribes, and the Lord will point out the tribe to which the guilty man belongs.
· Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.
· Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”
Joshua found the stolen goods hidden just as Achan said.
· Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor and stoned them. They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble.
Disobedience is very consequential by nature.
In many cases, it ends up costing people far more than they’ve ever thought.
Disobedience brings a wide variety of horrible consequences: spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental.
Separation from God is by far THE WORST form of consequence.
Let me say this, even if Achan had not been found out, his conscience would never rest. FOR THERE IS NO genuine peace for those who are living in sin no matter what they may say. And think about what Achan stole…. Where would he use it?
Galatians 6:7 “Make no mistake about it, God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest.”
Life is a matter of reaping what you sow. Now listen….whether you sow good or bad, YOU ALWAYS reap far more than what you have sowed.
Please note that the person who breaks God’s laws is not the only one who ends up paying the price.
The choices you make affect people around you either directly or indirectly in a big way.
Reaping Good….if Good is sowed!
Reaping Bad….if Bad is sowed!
Blessing or Cursing!
Your choices to sin or continue sinning have a negative impact on your family, your friends, your community and certainly your testimony. Be warned, if you hurt one of God’s children, you are going to receive a world of hurt.
Matthew 18:6 “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be drowned in the deepest sea than to face the punishment her deserves.”
Luke 17:2 “It would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment of betraying one of my dear ones.”
I don’t know about you, but I have spent more sleepless nights over concern for my family members and friends who are not walking right with the Lord than for anything else in my life. I weep for those of you who choose to sin. It hurts to see you choosing to turn from God. But to be honest, I’m angry because your selfishness hurts those around you more deeply and with a more lasting pain than you dare to acknowledge.
The psalmist wrote in Psalms 119:136 (NLT) “Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions.”
Hear the Apostle Paul’s heart wrenching cry in Romans 9:1-3 (NLT) “With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed - cut off from Christ! - if that would save them.”
I Corinthians 12:12-27 (NLT) “...if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
Your choices to run from God will have a negative impact on those who love and care for you.
Philippians 2:1-5 (TPT) “….Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy. Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves. Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests. And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation.”
Your sins hurt God. Your sins hurt your family. Your sins hurt the brethren.
Flat out, you may feel that turning your back on God only affects you - but please count the cost!
It is not just God’s heart that you break….. your actions and choices affect all those in your circle of life.
Ezekiel 33:11 (NLT) “As surely as I live”, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, why should you die?”
Deuteronomy 5:29 (NLT) “Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.”
Focus on that!
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because of their ignorance and disobedience. Luke 19:41-44
Let’s not cause our Lord to be in grief.
In the story of Achan, we saw how….
¨ one man’s greedy choice
¨ one man’s disobedience
¨ one man’s sin
led to a horrible reaping - “The Ripple Affect”
You will always reap more than you sow!
Psalm 51:12-17 (TPT)
“Let my passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough you bring to me. Hold me close to you with a willing spirit that obeys whatever you say. Then I can show to other guilty ones how loving and merciful you are. They will find their way back home to you, knowing that you will forgive them.
O God, my saving God, deliver me fully from every sin, even the sin that brought bloodguilt. Then my heart will once again be thrilled to sing the passionate songs of joy and deliverance! Lord God, unlock my heart, unlock my lips, and I will overcome with my joyous praise! For the source of your pleasure is not in my performance or the sacrifices I might offer to you. The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet.”
AMEN