First Love

Joshua 3:1-5 [NLT], Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people:  “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. …5 Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.” 

• Purify means; “to sanctify, to dedicate, to prepare or consecrate wholly and completely.”

Joshua 3:6 [NLT], In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” 

Joshua 6:15-16, 20 [NIV], On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city [Jericho] seven times… 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout!  For the Lord has given you the city!” 20 …when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 

Joshua 6:18-19 [NIV/AMP], But keep [yourselves] away from the devoted things, so that you will not [covet them and] bring about your own destruction by taking any of them [for your own personal gain].  Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into His treasury.

Joshua 7:10-13 [NLT], But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up!  Why are you lying on your face like this? 11 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.” …13 “Get up!  Command the people to purify [consecrate] themselves in preparation for tomorrow.  For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord.  You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you.”  

These verses show us…

1.  It is impossible to hide our sin from God.

2.  How much God despises our sin.

3.  How our sins effect more people than we think.

4.  How hidden sin can hinder us from defeating the enemy in our lives.

5.  God’s willingness to reveal our sin if we will listen.

6.  God’s willingness to give us mercy if we will repent.

7.  God’s willingness to move on our behalf when we live consecrated lives.

8.  How consecration always precedes forward movement in the kingdom.  

Why am I bringing all of this up today?

To remind everyone…

A.  How much God values a consecrated life.  

B.  This is where we are as a church family. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 [NKJV], Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify [consecrate] you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does consecration look like to Him?

Exodus 34:14 [NLT], You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you.  

• God isn’t interested in playing second fiddle to anything or anyone.

Deuteronomy 32:16 [AMP], They provoked Him to jealousy [stirred up His jealousy] with strange gods [by denying Him the honor and loyalty that is rightfully and uniquely His]… 

Matthew 22:37 [NLT], “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” 

Colossians 1:18 [NASB], He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place [preeminence] in everything. 

James 4:5 [MSG], You’re cheating on God.  If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and His way.  And do you suppose God doesn’t care?  The proverb has it that, “He’s a fiercely jealous lover.” 

Are you currently enjoying the kind of relationship your fierce, jealous lover died for?

Revelation 2:4-5 [TPT], But I have this against you:  you have abandoned the passionate love you had for Me at the beginning. 5 Think about how far you have fallen!  Repent and do the works of love you did at first. 

Let’s begin to ask God for a first love that…

-transcends all other affections.

-surpasses the love of things.

-full of intensity, quality and purity.

-desires nothing more than to please Him.

-is distraction free!

James 4:7-10 [NLT], So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners; purify [consecrate] your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done.  Let there be sorrow and deep grief.  Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 [AMP], For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth so that He may support those whose heart is completely His.

John G. Lake’s Consecration Prayer:

My God and Father,

In Jesus’ name I come to Thee,

Take me as I am.

Make me what I ought to be—

In spirit, in soul, in body.

Give me power to do right.

If I have wronged any,

To repent, to confess—

To restore.

No matter what it costs,

Wash me in the blood of Jesus,

That I may now become Thy child, and manifest Thee—

In a perfect spirit, a holy mind, a sickless body.

—Amen.