THEN ON THE WAY HOME THERE WAS ED

Joshua 22:1-34 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, (2) And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: (3) Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. (4) And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. (5) But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. (6) So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. (7) Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them, (8) And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. (9) And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. (10) And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to. (11) 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. (13) And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, (14) And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. (15) 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. (19) Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD'S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God. (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. (21) Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, (22) The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,) (23) That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it; (24) And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel? (25) For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. (26) Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: (27) But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. (28) Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you. (29) God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle. (30) And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. (31) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD. (32) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. (33) And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. (34) And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

LEAD STATEMENT - ON THE WAY HOME WE COME TO ED AND WE LEARN . . .

I. THE TRAGEDY OF CONDEMNING WITHOUT INVESTIGATING.

A. VS. 11-14

B. JESUS' TRIALS

C. STORY OF LOST GIRL, friends and family searched for her, family dog came up with blood all over, father killed dog, found girl alive and well with dead cougar nearby.

II. THE TRAGEDY OF WAR WITHOUT CAUSE.

A. VS. 12-13, 33

B. EXAMPLES OF THIS IN THE CHURCH. - 1Co 3:3-6 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (4) For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (5) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

III. WE CAN BADLY MISJUDGE OTHERS.

A. VS. 15-16

B. 1 Sa 1:12-15 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. (13) Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. (14) And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. (15) And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

C. Mat 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. (2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? (5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

D. MAN PICKED UP A HITCHHIKER, They talked and the man gave the hitchhiker a business card for a job opportunity, hitchhiker pulled out his wallet to put the card in, it looked like his wallet, he felt his pocket and it was empty, he couldn't believe this hitchhiker had stolen his wallet. He stopped the car, took the wallet back, and forced the hitchhiker out of the car. When he got to the office he called his wife to tell her what had happened and she told him that he left his wallet on the night stand.

IV. GOD TOLERATES NO RIVAL ALTARS.

A. VS. 28-29

B. 1 Ki 12:25-33 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. (26) And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: (27) If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. (28) Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (29) And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. (30) And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. (31) And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. (32) And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. (33) So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

C. GOD DEMANDS SINGULAR SERVICE

1. Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

2. 1 Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

V. CONCERN FOR THOSE YET UNBORN. VS. 20-28

A. POSSIBLE TO PERISH, BUT NOT ALONE VS. 20

B. VS. 21-28 - "DISCIPLINE NEGLECTED IN THE HIGH CHAIR ENDS UP IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR" - JUDGE TATUM, OF ALL JUVENILE DELINQUENTS THAT HAD COME THROUGH HIS COURT, ONLY ONE HAD BEEN TO CHURCH.

C. Exo 20:1-6 And God spake all these words, saying, (2) I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (4) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (6) And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

D. Eph 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. (4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

E. Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

VI. THERE IS A PATTERN. - VS. 28

A. Heb 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

B. 2 Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

C. Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

VII. THE NEED TO LONG FOR AND REJOICE IN UNITY. - VS. 30-34

A. Psa 133:1-3 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (2) It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; (3) As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

B. Eph 4:2-3 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; (3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

CONCLUSION:

A. SUMMARY

B. APPEAL

THEN ON THE WAY HOME THERE WAS ________

JOSHUA 22

LEAD STATEMENT - ON THE WAY HOME WE COME TO ________ AND WE LEARN . . .

I. THE TRAGEDY OF ________________ WITHOUT INVESTIGATING.

A. VS. 11-14

B. JESUS' TRIALS

C. STORY OF LOST GIRL

II. THE TRAGEDY OF _________ WITHOUT CAUSE.

A. VS. 12-13, 33

B. EXAMPLES IN THE CHURCH. - 1 CORINTHIANS 3:3-6

III. WE CAN BADLY ___________________ OTHERS.

A. VS. 15-16

B. 1 SAMUEL 1:12-15

C. MATTHEW 7:1-5

D. MAN PICKED UP A HITCHHIKER

IV. GOD TOLERATES NO ___________ ALTARS.

A. VS. 28-29

B. 1 KINGS 12:25-33

V. CONCERN FOR THOSE YET _______________. VS. 20-28

A. POSSIBLE TO PERISH, BUT NOT ALONE VS. 20

B. VS. 21-28 - QUOTE BY JUDGE TATUM

C. EXODUS 20:1-6

D. EPHESIANS 6:1-4

E. EXODUS 1:8

VI. THERE IS A ____________________. - VS. 28

A. HEBREWS 8:5

B. 2 TIMOTHY 1:13

C. ROMANS 6:17

VII. THE NEED TO LONG FOR AND REJOICE IN _______. - VS. 30-34

A. PSALMS 133:1-3

B. EPHESIANS 4:2-3

CONCLUSION:

THEN ON THE WAY HOME THERE WAS ________

JOSHUA 22

LEAD STATEMENT - ON THE WAY HOME WE COME TO ________ AND WE LEARN . . .

I. THE TRAGEDY OF ________________ WITHOUT INVESTIGATING.

A. VS. 11-14

B. JESUS' TRIALS

C. STORY OF LOST GIRL

II. THE TRAGEDY OF _________ WITHOUT CAUSE.

A. VS. 12-13, 33

B. EXAMPLES IN THE CHURCH. - 1 CORINTHIANS 3:3-6

III. WE CAN BADLY ___________________ OTHERS.

A. VS. 15-16

B. 1 SAMUEL 1:12-15

C. MATTHEW 7:1-5

D. MAN PICKED UP A HITCHHIKER

IV. GOD TOLERATES NO ___________ ALTARS.

A. VS. 28-29

B. 1 KINGS 12:25-33

V. CONCERN FOR THOSE YET _______________. VS. 20-28

A. POSSIBLE TO PERISH, BUT NOT ALONE VS. 20

B. VS. 21-28 - QUOTE BY JUDGE TATUM

C. EXODUS 20:1-6

D. EPHESIANS 6:1-4

E. EXODUS 1:8

VI. THERE IS A ____________________. - VS. 28

A. HEBREWS 8:5

B. 2 TIMOTHY 1:13

C. ROMANS 6:17

VII. THE NEED TO LONG FOR AND REJOICE IN _______. - VS. 30-34

A. PSALMS 133:1-3

B. EPHESIANS 4:2-3

CONCLUSION: