(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Titled this morning of the sermon is the valley of a core the valley of a core Now it says there in Joshua chapter 7 verse 25 and Joshua said why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day and all Israel stone him with stones and burn them with fire after they had stolen them with stones So this is quite the scene taking place here. This man Aiken has transgressed the commandment of God he's gone against the Lord and his will and And you know God's not pulling any punches here I mean when you're when you're dragging people out not just himself But all that he has wives children and you know I don't want to go into to set the scene for you this morning, but go ahead and think about that situation When you have this man's family in front of you and then you proceed to stone them and in accordance with God's will though God's not messing around here and It says there that when they were done doing this that they are not only it wasn't enough that they stoned them that then they proceeded to burn everything with fire and Then not only that they actually piled rocks upon it and what was the purpose of that to be a memorial? If you recall just a few chapters earlier when they crossed over Jordan He told them every man to take a stone 12 stones one for each tribe of Israel and to set it up as a memorial forever So God sets up memorials in the Bible of good things and also bad things things that are going to encourage us But also things that are there to warn us and here he not he piles up these rocks and they actually give a name to that valley And the name of that valley is the valley of a core which is just another name word name for Aiken Unto this day. That's the name of it and what I want to kind of get through tonight or this morning rather is the fact that We see this man Aiken. He sins a sin and what he ends up doing is destroying his entire family Okay, and what I and this is probably something I could have preached on Father's Day But I feel like this is something that needs to get preached again that this is something that Men and everybody really could apply to their lives, but especially men especially men who will have families They need to get this message because I've seen this in churches where men just you know, destroy their families I'm not saying to the point where there's no recovering now for Aiken here. There was no recovering that I Mean what's done is done. You're getting stoned you're getting burned. You're gonna be an example throughout all generations That of what of what you did wrong, of course men can you know mess up in their lives? They can hurt their families and they can move on and go elsewhere and recover But we should still you know, why do we want to go through that process? Why don't we just go ahead and take note of this this message here in the Bible this warning and spare ourselves And our families the suffering, okay Men can destroy their families through their actions alone now people will say well Why did they burn the kids and why did they stone the kids and the wife they didn't steal anything? And then they'll so people will object to that So then people want to you know backtrack and say oh well, you know was in the midst of his tent So his family knew it, you know But and the Bible doesn't but the Bible doesn't explicitly say that you can can you know can you can? Make conjecture you could infer that if you want that because it was intense. They knew that I don't know that they did But I think what's going on here is God is showing us gave us a very clear example That when a man sins and that when a man who has a family messes up He can destroy his whole family through his actions alone. I Preached last on Father's Day About how I'm how we that are strong not to bear the infirmities of the weak Look if we fail to do that as men, you know they're going to suffer and I don't want to repreach that or repreach that and Here's the thing you say why is it why is the wife and everybody else going along with it? Getting punished right along with these with the man How is it that a man could do so much harm to a family himself through his own actions? Because of the fact that wives are to be subject to their husbands and that's not popular You know, I and I like to say it's only not popular in the world, but unfortunately even today in Baptist churches It's not even popular a lot of Baptist churches Where a lot of women if a pastor gets up and says hey, why is there to be subject under their own husbands? I don't like that Well tough that's what the Bible says you could take it up with God The Bible is real clear about this keep something in Joshua go over to 1st Peter chapter 3 I mean if you've ever gotten as far as Genesis chapter 3 in your Bible reading you would know this It's part of the curse You know the Bible says in Genesis chapter 3 you're going to 1st Peter 3 under the woman He said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow in that conception and sorrow thou shall bring forth children and thy Desire shall be to thy husband That's part of the curse that God has put upon woman is that she used to be subject to her husband And he shall what rule with thee rule alongside thee be a partner No, it says and he shall rule over thee Not because he's better not because but because that's what God has ordained That women are to be subject to their own husbands This is the order of authority that God has given and the reason why I'm preaching is this is because men need to understand That a great responsibility has been put upon us to lead our homes That we don't need to go ahead and make it even more of a curse for women by being bad leaders If God has given us that authority, let's use it. Well and let's guide and let's lead and do what's right And this is the authority that God has given look at 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 1 likewise He wives be in subjection To your own husbands that if any obey not the world that may also without the word be won by the conversation of the wives We could stand to probably read several of these verses But let's go ahead and jump down to verse 5 for after this manner in the old time the holy women also Who trusted in God, you know godly women who loved the Lord did what or? Adorned themselves being in subjection under their own husbands You know a godly woman who loves the Lord and knows the scripture is going to be will willingly submit and take this role upon herself and The women that bucket this and have a problem with it. Don't I don't care how nice they dress I don't care how godly they talk I don't care what kind of facade they put up for everybody to see if they don't agree with this They're not right with God period Because that's what the Bible says even at verse 6 even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord Whose daughters ye are as long as you do well and are not afraid with any amazement any amazement So this is not optional in the scripture This is not optional for ladies for wives that want to I want to be live a life That's pleasing to the Lord as far as God's concerned. This isn't something you can take or leave it says wives must submit to put themselves in subjection to their own husbands and That puts a huge responsibility on the husband And as I mentioned, you know in my father's day sermon We got a we live in a world today that just wants to make husband look like a bunch of Homer Simpsons like a bunch of doofuses But what men need to understand today is that you are God has given you authority in your home to lead that home a huge Responsibility has been put upon us. We must lead We must take charge of our homes We must make sure our wives are in subjection If you would we'll continue on at first Peter it Says in verse 7 likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge Dwell with them according to how about this knowing, you know Knowing that this is the case that these are the facts Why don't we dwell with our wives according to this knowledge? That we're in charge that they're in subjection that they're looking for us to be the leaders that we should be You know and it's here's something I just want to kind of say just put this out there for people to think about This is brought to my attention. I was reminded of this and it's very true You know when you when you have a woman or a wife that gets out of sorts and she kind of she starts to kind of You know, we're the proverbial pants in her family and she's kind of the one that's in charge, you know It's real easy to just fault her, you know, and she's wrong. Okay, but here's here's what happens You can see this in society, you know Chaz, you know when there's a vacuum like up in Seattle where they you know, kick all the powers that be out it took over When there's a vacuum in power and leadership bad leadership moves in Some it's a vacuum, you know, they call it a vacuum because when what's supposed to be isn't there it sucks something else into its place good or bad and So when a wife, you know doesn't have the leader that she needs she's just by nature gonna start leading She's just by nature gonna start doing what she needs to do and at the Husbands just this kind of laid-back easygoing not really gonna cause a ruckus not gonna really take charge of things. She will and Then it'll turn it and then at best what they'll do is just say well, it's a partnership We're just you know, we're you know, we're co leaders wrong. That's not biblical. That's wrong so that's why men husbands need to stand up and be strong leaders lead their homes firmly and And and lay down the law and make it known in that house that we are in charge and nobody else And not just say hey, I'm in charge and beat my chest and walk out the door But actually be in charge and then take charge watch over our house protect our house lead our house Husbands make or break their families spiritually Husbands make or break their families. It's not all in the wife. I Mean obviously mothers have a huge role to play in the spiritual development of their children Yes But it's up to the father to to oversee that to provide that so that she can even have that ability to do that or the opportunity to do that Husbands will make or break their families spiritually You know I and it you know I'm kind of to the point now with this church where I'm kind of ready to just kind of let you know a little bit About more who I am personally. I try not to bring up a lot of things for my own past but I'll share this with you is that I understand the devastating effects of a family that doesn't have a father and When there is no spiritual guidance there, and let me tell you something it has had devastating effects on my family I mean my dad left home when I was seven years old just took off one day after being Just a you know drinking coke selling wife smacking husband is what he was And you know I forgive him I love him, you know I don't mean to bring shame upon him, but that's what he was okay And to this day, you know I'm thank God that I was able to recover myself. You know, but it's still deal with it but my siblings You know one of my siblings has a sodomite for a son You know I blame for that to in some part my father for not being the spiritual leaner that he needed to be And I'm only bringing this up to try to drive this home because that's a real world of example Because sometimes a preacher can get up and preach all this and we just kind of go Yeah, that's true, but we start to hear things that are real that actually happen You have to see it flesh out in people's lives Then it becomes real and then maybe we'll sit up a little straighter and take our job as husbands a little more seriously Husbands can break or make their family spiritually. That's what Aiken did Aiken looked saw that was tempted. He could have said well if I do that there's gonna be consequences So how what are different ways that a husband can Just destroy his family. Okay. Well, how about this husband's a husband's covetousness and greed? In the case of Aiken go back to Joshua keep something in Joshua All morning until we're done In the case of Joshua or excuse me a case of Aiken that's what it was he saw the garment He saw the gold he saw the silver and he got so covetous for worldly possessions That he went ahead and went against the will of God He disobeyed the commandment of the Lord and he suffered and then his family suffered right along with him Because he was clearly warned they said all all the spoil belongs unto the Lord and it wasn't like God wanted all the spoiled himself He said just that first city then everything else was theirs but you know Aiken just couldn't wait had to have it right now and He got greedy and he got covetous and he says in verse 19 of Joshua 7 and Joshua said Aiken my son give I pray thee glory the God of it Lord God of Israel and make Confession to him and tell me now what thou has done and hide it not from me and Aiken answered to Joshua and said indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus have I done When I saw him, you know, I'll give Aiken some credit at least he's got enough, you know He's got enough guts to fess up to what he's done wrong At least he's man enough to own up when he's done something wrong indeed I have sinned against the Lord and thus and thus have I done when I saw among the spoils the Babylonian garment the two shekels of silt hundred shekels of silver a wedge of gold and fish fifty shekels of weight then I coveted and took them and behold they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and I and the silvers under it You know, he saw them right? He saw among the spoils the lust of the eyes Led him into this sin He saw them then I coveted you know what we need to do as men to make sure we don't destroy our homes over things like covetousness and Greed is to keep our eyes on what matters most Focus our eyes on our families on our wives and our children and keep our eyes on what matters the most Look there's nothing more valuable in your life as a husband if you're on it if you if you have You're a normal human being If you're a person who has actual normal regular affection for for for your family, they're the most important thing to you What price are you gonna put on your family a Babylonian garment some gold some silver? Is that the price that we're willing to put on our children just another you know? Just another 20 hours at work this week just another 10 and I get it. Sometimes dad's got to do what get dad's got to do But when dad's doing that when he doesn't need to do it I'm saying he's just making money for making money's sake and Sacrificing time with his family not being there with his family like he needs to be Just so he can make more money and have more things have some more garments from Babylon His eyes are on the wrong place, and he needs to adjust his focus and get his eyes on what matters the most Otherwise you're gonna destroy your family, and that's what that would look like today. I think Where we just put work before our family and works important, I'm not saying it's not I'm not saying Let's all go on welfare and just hang out with mom and mom and the kids all day. We'll drive each other nuts, right? It's good for the man to go out and earn you know He's got to go out and earn bring home the bacon work by the sweat of his face He shall eat bread the Bible says that's his part But a lot of guys today they get so wrapped up in work They get so wrapped up and just chasing after things and stuff that they just totally neglect their family Or they get caught up in hobbies. How about that they get caught up in other people's kids through all their hobbies You know through the bowling league or the the football team or the baseball team or coaching this or coaching that? You got to make that's fine to do that be to better make sure your eyes are where they belong on your family Let me say this if something comes up And you have to deal with some there's nothing you shouldn't be willing to just drop and take care of business with your family And let me say this is something I meant to say Thursday night as well if my kids ever step out of line I want to know about it and that's so that I can chew you out so I can chew them out And I know it's hard to come to somebody That it's hard to go to a parent period and tell them there's something wrong with their kids Anyone that has to say oh, there's something wrong. You know your kids acting up, and you know they're they're they're in the back Just you know taking the Gatorade bottles and just throw them over the wall You know whatever and that's not even that you know maybe they're running around when they shouldn't be either Just just being doing what kids do you know foolishness is bound to the heart of the child everybody's kid is gonna act up and do Something stupid okay. No one's perfect But is we should be able to go to another parent and say hey, there's a problem here Can you deal with this and if somebody comes to you as a parent and says hey you have an issue with this child Just let you know Don't get mad at that person deal with it, and so I know it's hard just to go to You know a parent as is I know it's even harder to go to a parent when that parent is the pastor or the deacon Because for whatever I get it. I've had to do that. It's hard But you know what the pastor and this deacon right here want to know if their kids step out of line Please I won't be mad Even if you're wrong Even if you come to me and tell me something about my kid and I go talk to him and it turns out you are just Being some petty person. You know they were they I saw I looked up there. They were picking their nose during your sermon I'll still thank you I'll still say thanks for letting me know, but and that'll be it. I won't jump down your throat like What like you never picked your nose? I saw you last week You know I'm not I'm not gonna jump even if you're wrong even if I think it's petty I'm not gonna be mad I'll just thank you. Thank you for doing that because I want to be open like that But let me say this if I come to you and say hey You've got a problem here, and you need to deal with it there should be nothing Nothing that state that gets in the way of you dealing with it not this attitude of all get to it Your eyes are on the wrong place. Well. I'm busy right now Drop whatever you're doing and deal with your children and The more severe it is the more the more quick quickly you should be dropping Whatever's got your attention and dealing with it as a man as a father. That's our job. That's our role To lead our families and not to let you know these lusts of other things the way we spend our time our covetousness Whatever get in the way of doing that. What's another way husbands destroy their families like Aiken did Go over to keep something in Joshua again, but go over to Acts chapter 4 How about a husband's desire for vainglory You know he just wants to get some reputation So he's just gonna invest his time or step on some heads or do whatever it takes to get this reputation that he wants Misplaced ambition will destroy your family look at Acts chapter 4 verse 32 Talking about the early church. It says in Acts 4 32 and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul Neither said any man of them that that had said of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common and With great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all neither Was there any among them that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of? These things of the things that were sold and they laid down and laid them down at the Apostles feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need and Joseph who was by the Apostles was surnamed Barnabas which is being interpreted the son of consolation a Levite of the country and of the country of Cyprus Having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet And you know what I love about Barnabas is he did it out of that out of the goodness of his own heart He just wanted to do it. No one compelled him to do that He didn't ask for it You know and make sure you name this pew after me put a plaque on the wall and so everybody knows how much I gave He just did it because he wanted to be a blessing because he saw that God was moving that God was working that God was doing something and he just wanted to further the work of God not to get a name for himself And you know what the irony is he kind of got a name didn't he they surname him they say and then the Bible saying hey He was a Levite and he was the country of Cyprus And by the way the God even here wants you to know who this was Do you think that guy was looking for it? Just you're just just going out looking for some to get some vainglory Maybe if I sell everything and give it my name will be in scripture Maybe then maybe I'll get a surname. Maybe the Apostles will recognize me Maybe people will know who I am Go on in verse five or chapter five verse one, you'll see the exact opposite but a certain man Ananias and Sapphira with his wife sold the possession and kept back the part of the price So there's they're selling it but then they're keeping a little bit money, which is fine. They could do that No one's saying you got no one's saying give us everything or nothing There everyone's just doing this out of the goodness of their own heart, but these two they sold it And kept back the part of the price his wife being privy to it and kept it in the price of his wife And kept it privy to it meaning she knew about it. She was in on it and brought a certain part and laid at the apostles feet You see these folks they didn't want to be outdone by joseph and barnabas Right, or excuse me, joseph who is barnabas they didn't want to be outdone by and they see what he was doing They're like, oh well, we should get a surname. Oh, we we we want to get in on this and get some vainglory for ourselves And it says Verse three but peter and uh said ananias why hath satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy ghost And to keep back part of the price thereof of the land So they bring it and they say here's here's here's the price of the land We're giving it to you guys, but they've got part of it, but they're saying this is this is all it was worth So they're lying under the holy ghost Saying oh we gave so much but they didn't give so much Well, they could have just come up and said hey, we sold this land We're going to keep this much for ourselves, but you guys here, please take the rest. That would have been fine But they're saying no we're giving everything We're just we're just laying it all at the apostles feet. We're just making such a huge sacrifice We're just with you a hundred percent. We're just all the way in But what they're really what it really is. They don't want to be outdone And when peter calls them out and he says why has satan filled thine heart? to lie into the holy ghost Now when he says has satan filled thine heart I don't I don't necessarily believe that means that satan literally filled his heart like judas entered or satan Entered a judas. I think it's kind of a figure of speech just to express how wicked they were You know, maybe satan really did fill his heart. The bible doesn't expressly say this is just peter saying hey Why satan filled your heart, you know, why are you wicked? Why are you evil? Why are you lying on the holy ghost? Why are you trying to make yourself out to be something you're not? Because because you're just because of your blind ambition Because you're more concerned about getting a reputation and being known than you are about protecting your family You know, it shows the the real nature of their motives right the vainglory To be seen as something they aren't and you know the rest of the story if you've read it He falls down dead. They go out and bury him His wife sapphire comes in he said did you sell the land for so much? He says yes for so much He's you know so behold those that bury the husband are at the door and they shall even bury you with them and she falls down dead and Great fear comes upon all people And just like that out of vain the desire for vainglory just to earn some reputation just to be known as somebody just to be some big shot Ananias destroys his wife Kills her gets himself destroyed permanently no recovering from that and he's just wiped out Men can destroy their families For their vain desire for vainglory and i've seen this in churches Where guys just want to be somebody? And then they get called out, you know, they've been just these conniving little backstabbing, uh, you know people That and when they anything what's the worst part is when they finally get called out and thrown out and their kids are just wailing They just want to sit there and make their kids suffer through that I've seen that people are told hey you need to get out. You need to leave right now They're they're called out in front of everybody. You know how embarrassing that is It's it's embarrassing And the kids are just devastated And he's just gonna they're just gonna sit there and just make their kids suffer through that But what's even worse is when they try after that they want to come back again Well, let's try let's do that all again. Let me drag my kids back to this place where this traumatic experience took place So that just so everyone knows that i'm right with god again Look whether if I got kicked out justly or unjustly, you know what I do i'd move on immediately to spare my family suffering I'd just go find another church and go serve god there Because you could serve god in other churches, I don't know if everybody realizes that this morning This isn't the only church that you can serve god in And if somebody in this room wants to go serve god another church i'm all for it because it can be done And you know people can go out and have successful christian lives in other churches. There's families in here that have done it I did it for 11 years before I even heard of pastor steven anderson I managed somehow to serve god faithfully for 11 years without pastor anderson in an old ifb church And everybody here in this room can do it if you have the same holy ghost that I have If you have the same king james bible that I have and you say I have the same humble spirit That's in it for the right motives. You could serve god anywhere And that's a whole nother sermon right there They're desiring to be something or not you can destroy them, you know It's funny that he says why has satan filled my heart go over to matthew chapter 23 matthew chapter 23 Because of his pride That's the sin of satan his pride, right? Want to be made into something they're not Want to be perceived as something they're not or maybe they just covet someone somebody else's position Maybe they maybe they want to be the pastor. Maybe they think they do a better job And they're not they know they're never going to get it So maybe the best thing to do is just try to take the pastor down a notch Well, if I could just make him look bad, then i'll feel better about myself You say I thought only kids work like that. No, my friend some people never grow up They carry that right into adulthood They try to bring oh they feel like they have some it's just the strangest thing when I see people just They they put this They have this image of what the pastor is or what the pastor's wife is They lift them up on a pedestal and then they begin to compare themselves to this image of them that they've created in their own mind In their own mind, they've created this image and they begin to compare themselves and they feel like they come up short Like they're they're inferior somehow So then they have to it's so weird and then they have to start to bring them down And it's all based upon some You know idea of what they are in their head. You follow what i'm saying? They lift them up and they say oh they they've got it all together. They're perfect They're so much better than me And I just feel like I can never be like they are so i'm just going to start attacking them I'm going to start just trying to bring them down a notch to make me feel better about myself I'm telling you this happens. It's out there. I've seen it And it's just like the devil that's why that's why he's saying why is satan filled thine heart Why are you trying to make yourself into something you're not ananias? Because you're like the devil because you're full of pride you're like the devil who said I will be like the most high I might not be able to be him, but i'm going to make myself like him And if it means I have to bring him down to make him more like me. That's what i'm going to do Look at matthew chapter 23 Verse one he says then jesus spake to the multitude and his disciples saying the scribes and the pharisees said in moses his seat All whatsoever. They bid thee observe you observe that observe and do but do not after their works for they do not They say and do not For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders But they themselves will not move one of them with their fingers and why is it? But all their works they do for to be seen of men Look some people get in the ministry they get in that they look for positions They desire to be exalted and lifted up for one reason only to be seen of men That's it that's the only reason they're in it and those are the worst kind of people Look, we need preachers. We need pastors all over this country. But you know, I don't want in it people who absolutely must be pastors Pastors You know, usually the best people are that are are fit for the ministry people who have to be drug into it kicking and screaming People who at the end of the day would rather just do something else like moses Remember all moses excuses? When god said hey, you're gonna lead my people. Oh, I can't talk. I'm a stutterer. Oh send aaron Right people that are just drug into it are usually do the best job at it because they're in it for the right reasons Not to be seen of men to be lauded and praised I'm going to move on to my uh Let me just move on to my next point here a proud husband Is another person who will destroy his husband is a proud husband And and he he will despise the man of god Let me just let me just I gotta just start this whole point over a proud husband who despises the man of god Will destroy his family? What kind of men destroy their families today? What kind of men are like aching men who are covetous and greedy? Men who have don't have their eyes where they belong on their own family who are more caught up in other things of this world in their own family Men who uh dot will will put their own reputation and their own desire for vainglory above their family Are achins and they're going to destroy their family and it's sad because they don't have to be that way That's the worst part about it If they just eat some humble pie And shut up and just do what's right They could they didn't you know aching didn't have to destroy his family No one put a gun to his head and say pick up that babylocean garment He said I saw it. I coveted I sinned How about a proud And it all leads to the fact and it's all pride at the end of the day The lust of the eyes the pride of life A proud husband who despises the man of god will destroy his family go over numbers chapter 16 numbers chapter 16 You know people people who get bent out of shape against the pastor And then we'll just sit there for years just harboring this animosity This happens more than you more often than you think The pastor preaches something or comes to them privately and rebukes them or you know He maybe even rebukes them publicly if need be And then they and it seems like oh they took it And they and they say oh i'm sorry. I took it but inside they haven't gotten it right inside. They're just festering And then when an opportunity comes along for them to just jump all over him, they're all they'll take it But i'm gonna say this right now this proud husband Who can't just swallow his pride and take the rebuke and get it right and move on with his life That guy's going to destroy his family He's going to take everybody down with him just like aching So that's what we see in numbers chapter 16. Look at verse one Now korah the son of ishar the son of kohath the son of levi and dathan and abiram The sons of eliab and on the son of pilat the sons of ruben took men And they rose up before moses with certain of the children of israel 250 princes of the assembly Famous in the congregation men of renown. So here you got guys who've got that reputation. They've got there's somebody right there men of renown They're famous That doesn't mean they have the paparazzi following them right it means that you know people know who they are their name And let me just say this when bad people are given the spotlight. They just want more of it When bad people get a little they get a little bit of the spotlight They get behind from the pulpit. They guess preach the if the wrong person gets that It's going to go to their head and it's going to destroy them Because then they're just going to want more of it And why do they want more of it to be seen of men? Not to edify the body Not to not to you know, lift god up and in song and praise But to just be seen of men how great I am Up here in this pulpit. Look how good I look up here It's all about them. Oh, my sermon was so wonderful. Look at all the views I have on youtube Look how everybody's sharing my hot sermon And look i'm all for sharing the hot sermon. I love the hard preaching But you know what? There's a whole lot more to life than just ripping on fags and jews all the time a lot more important things That need to get preached Because without these things, you know, we won't grow as christians And when bad people like this guy cora are given the spotlight when they're famous and known and they're renowned It destroys them because all they want is more of it and they despise the man of god they want they're like Well, this is so nice man. I like this guest preaching. I could get used to this everybody looking at me Everybody amen in my sermon. Oh, this is nice, man. I could do this full time I sure would like to pastor this congregation. Let me see if I can get do something to that pastor get rid of them Make them look bad Lift myself up this happens Look at verse three and they gather themselves together against moses and against aaron and said to them you take too much upon you Seeing all the congregation who are holy every one of them and the lord is among them Wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation lord now did moses lift up himself above the congregation was it moses that exalted himself? Did he see a help wanted ad in the paper of of the back side of the desert and midian? Did he wander into laban's living room one day and see the help wanted ad or not laban? What was his what was his? I'm forgetting now Jethro, I got it. I had to think of the beverly hillbillies Jethro's did he wander in there and say oh it looks like god's looking for someone to take out of you I'm the man for the job step aside everybody Here's all my credentials I'm here to take over the congregation Lift myself up. No God exalted him in due time It says there, uh Where why lift yourselves above the congregation verse four and moses when he heard it he fell upon his face He didn't sit there and make his case Well, let me tell you why I lift myself above the congregation because i'm better than you No, the humility he just falls upon his face And spake and he spake to unto kor at all his company saying even tomorrow the lord will show who are his and who is Holy, you know what I love about being right? Is that you're right? It's so much easier when you know, you're right and moses here. He knew he was right And he knew he could just say well you want to find out let's find out Let's get let's get everybody together tomorrow and we'll see who is holy and we'll cause him to come near unto him Even him who he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him? He said, okay kor All right, dathan, maybe you're right. Maybe i'm not the man for the job. Maybe you are let's find out Let's see what god has to say about it Let's go. Let's go to god and find out who's really qualified and who isn't Not to lift himself up because you know, obviously he's been challenged at this point So he says here This do take you censors korra and all his company and put fire there in and put incense in them before the lord tomorrow And it shall be that the man whom the lord doth do shall be holy Ye take too much upon you you sons of levi and moses said unto korra here. I pray you you sons of levi Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that god of israel has separated you from the congregation of israel To bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the lord Tabernacle of the lord and to stand before the congregation to minister to him saying look don't you feel important enough? Just being a son of levi who gets to come into the tabernacle and and Maybe you're not going to be son of aaron, you know who's going into the holy place every year But isn't it enough for you? Just take the ashes out Isn't enough you to just slaughter the animal and throw it on the altar God's even let you boil some meat and you can eat it Isn't enough to just do take down the the tabernacle and put it up when it's needed isn't enough for you Just do the menial tasks Because not everybody even gets to do that And he's saying isn't that enough for you? Nope, look at people who when the wrong people get the spotlight all they want is more When wrong people are given responsibility all they want is more they want it all because they want it all to be about them and not god And he says here He says in verse 10 and he hath brought thee near also and thy brethren the sons of levi with thee And seek ye the priesthood also wasn't enough for them to just do the service in the tabernacle. They had to be the priest You know proud men just can't stand it when somebody else is in charge They really can't and look i'm not in charge of anybody's life here i'm not i'm not going to come to you I'm, you're not ever going to find me out in your front yard Looking at your house peeking over your fence Trying to catch you off guard knocking on your door What's going on in there Come in and say get rid of this get rid of that get this in here do this I'm, not going to come boss you around that'd be weird And if I ever do that, you should probably go because you're about this close to a cult But i'll tell you where I am in charge right here in this house in this building and what goes on in in this place Because somebody has to be in charge Otherwise we won't get anything done And you know the the long I haven't been at it very long But i'm telling you after what i've been through this last week. I could tell you this right now. I ain't doing this for my health I'm not doing it for my wife's health You know and and I could look at pastor anderson say he certainly isn't doing it for his health He's doing it for all the right reasons But proud men they just can't stand somebody else being in charge They have to be the ones in charge You know i'm in charge here in this building today as the deacon here And pastor said do what you need to do down there make the decisions you need to make because you're the ones got to live With it. That's what he told me Whoever you whoever's got to come and go you just decide And and that's it But what was I gonna where was I going with that well here oh, yeah, so i'm in charge, right amen, but That was awkward no But here's the thing was I always in charge You think i've just been in charge of something my whole christian life I mean when I got married I was in charge my home still am today But do you think maybe just maybe I sat in another church where somebody else was in charge Oh, yeah I did that for a lot longer than being in charge Do you think I ever had a man of god come to me and rip my face? And tell me to fix this And look there's a certain point, you know, i'm like I said, i'm not going to follow people around Well when something comes to light and it has to be dealt with I'm going to deal with it Whether it's privately or whatever whatever way it needs to be dealt with And i've had that happen to me plenty of times And you know what? If i'd been proud and i'm not trying to say on the you know I didn't write the book the world's three most humble men and how I met the other two I'm just saying I had at least at least enough absence of pride. I should say At least enough humility to take it And there's been plenty of times where I got my face ripped from the pulpit Nobody else knew who the pastor was preaching to But he and I had had a conversation and I knew who he was preaching to and he knew who he was preaching to And if you know if one person's guilty probably five other people are If one person needs it, they probably several other people do too. It's usually how it works And I sat there and i've had my face ripped and i've gotten up red face and grabbed the family walked out the door And just fall away home Huffing and puffing But you know what the more I thought about it the more I thought about and cooled down. I said he's right And he said rather just get proud and go back and show him who's boss You're not the boss of me I'm, just gonna get right with god I'm just gonna repent i'm just gonna i'm just gonna realize that the reason why he did that is to help me Because that's the pastor's job And that's that's the job description of the preacher to reprove to rebuke to exhort with all long suffering and doctrine I'm, not your therapist. I'm not your marriage counselor. I mean if you need help and advice i'll do what I can That's not my job description. I'm not your psychoanalysis I'm not your psychologist My job is to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering doctrine and to do the work of evangelists. That's what i'm here To preach the whole council the word of god. That's my job So if it falls outside of that, you know, it's somebody there's experts for that This is where I this is what I need to be an expert in right here. This is my expertise I don't know where i'm going with any of that But hopefully that made a point that we can use this morning, but proud men They can't stand somebody being in charge of being in somebody else's under somebody else's authority I mean try that on the job When your boss tells you to do something, you're not the boss of me You're gonna be looking for another job real quick But it's just weird like it's just the weirdest thing people understand that on the job site but then they bring that they come to the church and they think it's just It's different like that doesn't like all of a sudden it's all bets are off Nobody's in charge. They're real good about, you know, picking up after themselves at home, but we're at church. It's just I'm, not saying we have that problem down here. And yeah, i'm getting a little stuff there's some stuff off my chest this morning And i'm glad to do it and that's just human nature You know kids are going to climb up on the sink in the bathroom And but that's you know people get mad but that's what you do when you have a family integrated church You got to take the good and the bad with it Because it's worth it But probably they can't stand when someone's in charge. So what do they do? They become contentious like cora here I know I got to hurry up So what happens to cora right they take their censors they bring their offering And and of course we know the story in verse 18 and they took every man a sensor and put fire them and laid incense there on and stood on the door of the tabernacle of the congregation of moses with moses and aaron and cora gathered all the Congregation against them under the door of the tabernacle of the congregation And the glory of the lord appeared unto all the congregation And the lord spake unto moses and aaron saying separate yourselves from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment And they fell upon their faces. So this is another time This has happened twice with moses. He's like i'm just going to start over with you And moses is like it's about time you recognize my superior qualities No, he falls upon his face because he's in it for the right reasons. He cares about those people And he said he falls upon his face oh god the spirit of all flesh shall one man sin and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation Proud men, you know, they become they can't stand someone's being charged They become contentious and they don't care who they take down with them They don't care because they're going down And rather than you know suffer the shame alone. They're willing to just grab whoever they're like a drowning man First person gets near and they're just going to take them right down with them You know the man of god here he spares others from the fate of the proud he says He's saying look don't take them all out lord verse 23 and the lord spake unto moses saying speak on the congregation saying get you up from the tabernacles of korah adathen and abiram separate from These people these wicked people And that's the met you know, let's apply that stay away from wicked people or suffer the same fate Let's apply that stay away from wicked people or suffer the same fate People a lot of times they're not even that necessarily that bad or wicked But you know the the neighbors of korah dathan abiram, they you know, they spent time with them They were over there at their korah's house. They were over at dathan's house their kids knew their kids You know and they and then this happens and then they and this happens in churches People get together they get to make friends with people And then it turns out that friend you made is bad And I don't mean bad, but I mean they're bad Turns out they're bad And rather than they have then they're in the spot of well, who am I going to side with? Where does your loyalty lie? with your friend Who's being found out to be a wicked person? Look nobody goes. Let me find somebody who's wicked and make friends with them Because wicked people just don't walk around with wicked tattooed on their I mean, there's probably people out there with that You know no limits But they don't advertise the fact that they're korah and dathan abiram they don't say hey, we're wicked we're here to cause harm We're gonna we're gonna drag you down with us if we can they don't do that They're nice. They're friendly. They're sweet They'll bring you over they'll feed you They'll talk nice to you They'll do extra things look and I i've heard it said over and over again The bat the bad people if you start when bad people are found out and you look back you can just see the flattery Just the bringing of gifts always i'm not saying it's wrong to bring something But it's just like they're always bringing stuff. They're always just treating you they're flattering you they're trying to win you over And proud men they take others down with them So stay awake from wicked people Or suffered the same fate you say separate yourselves from them and anybody that doesn't whether they're good or bad They're going to go down with them It says in verse 25 and moses rose up and went onto dathan and abiram and the elders of israel followed him And he spake unto the congregation saying depart. I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs Lest ye be consumed in all their sins And i'm sure cora dathan primarily where are you going no stay stay with us We don't want to be the only ones that look bad And you know what you're going to go down with them if you're if you get talked into that When wicked people are found out And it's a sad story it says in verse 27 So they got up from the tabernacle of cora and dathan and abiram on every side And dathan and abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents and their wives And their sons and their little children And it says little children to emphasize the fact that this is a sad story because let me tell you something little children Can't express consent They can't separate and say my father they don't have the discernment You think a little child knows that every little child just it's knows that dad's wicked and wrong I mean, maybe there's i'm sure there's an exception to every rule But these little kids, you know, they're just cora dathan and a debt and abiram. They're just daddy That's all they are to them. They're just little kids But you know what they go down the pit just like everybody else in the story Because Men can destroy their own families You say why is this horrible story in the bible to warn us? To warn the rest of us that one man through his own actions can destroy his whole family And it says in verse 28 moses hereby you shall know the lord has sent me to do well We know the story right everyone knows what happens here The earth opens up underneath they fit their feet and they all go down live into the pit And if you go back to joshua chapter seven, you know, that's the same example in our text God gives this warning over and over and over in scripture We saw it here with cora dathan abiram that when one person gets out of sorts with with the with the lord Or, you know for whatever reason if it's their pride their ambition their vainglory Their whatever it is They can destroy it can get to the point where they just destroy their whole family take every people that are even innocent Little kids they had nothing to do with it. Just go down with them They suffer the same consequences Look at joshua seven verse 24 and joshua and all israel took him and aching the son of zera The silver garment and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sons and his daughters And his oxen and his ass and his sheep and his to everything all of it Including his children and they stone them all And then they burn them and they put stones on them. So everybody would know what happened and take heed These things are written for our admonition unto whom the world the ends of the world are come that's why this story is here Not just so you can try to figure out is god a good guy or a bad guy But so that you can understand that when you know, god wants things done a certain way and when we get out of sorts with god There's consequences so and sometimes severe consequences And our own sins, especially us as fathers as men can destroy our whole family Can destroy our whole family one wrong decision one wrong move one bad attitude one bad day can just destroy everything You know these stories are examples they're here to serve As a warning, you know god's not you know, just trying to beat his chest here in these stories like look how bad I am I'll just destroy them all he's trying to warn us And you know, i'll have you go back I should have had to keep something numbers but go back to number 16. I apologize number 16 They serve as examples, you know, I love about well, I don't there's not really a whole lot to love about the story other than that It's good admonition But one thing I should say that's worth noting Is that they serve as example even at that time like especially and that's probably pretty fresh right to those people Did you hear what happened to cora dathan and the byram? Look at verse 36 and the lord spake unto moses saying speak unto ilias are the son of the pre-air and the son of the priest That he take up the censors out of the burning and scatter thou the fire yonder for they are hollowed So he's saying look after he fire comes out from the lord and just consumes these guys because that's what happened in that story Cora dathan abiram All right. Yes, i'm sorry the pit swallowed them but there was this fire that came out and just consumes everybody And he says take up the censors out of the burning right And scatter thou the fire yonder for they are hollowed so they have these censors in their hand They go and get them out of the ashes the censors of these sinners against their own souls Let them make broad plates for a covering Look what god's doing here a covering for the altar For they offered before the before them before the lord Therefore they are hollowed and they shall be a sign under the children of israel And eliezer took the priest took the brazen censors wherewith that they that burned had offered And they made broad plates for a covering of the altar to be memorial unto the children of israel That no stranger which is not at the seat of erin come near to offer incense before the lord That he be not as cora And as his coming of the earth and his coming of the earth He beat not as cora and as his company as the lord said to him by the hands of moses But excuse me, but yeah by the hand of moses She says take the censors that they had that they offered in take them out of the fire out of the ash And make broad plates and put them on the altar now, where was the altar? It was if you were walking if you were going to sacrifice you could see the altar it was right there You know, you'd bring your animal they'd sacrifice and you watch and just throw that thing up And so now when you go to that altar and you look at it you see these broad plates And you go. Oh, that's cora and dathan and abiram's plates. I remember that story He said put it on there. So these people be not as cora Everyone who came to make a sacrifice they would see those censors on the altar And they take warning just like in our story back about In the valley of acor he said he said look stone them burn them and then pile stones upon everything And then they call it and then they call it the valley of acor unto this day They they name it just like those broad plates to serve as a reminder You know, how do I get there? Well, you're going to go down then you're going to take a left at the valley of acor You know, oh, yeah. I remember that the valley of acor Over there's the valley of acor. Why do you call it that? The name well, let me tell you why we call that And it's a warning And what's the warning? What is the valley of acor? It's named after a man that failed his family That's what it's named after a man who because of his own covetousness failed his family A man who just destroyed everything with one bad decision and that serves as a warning to them and to us today The bible says in colossians 2 let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility Let no man beguile you of your reward, you know, god wants to reward us But if we're not careful somebody else might just come along and beguile us of it And if we get too close to these khoras and too close to these dathans and abirams You know, we might we might be beguiled out of our reward We might end up You know having a valley named after us So, you know aiken he fought with israel, you know the story He came over he was there when jericho fell he could have gone right on living his life And saw ai come down and fought the seven kings and so on and so forth got himself an inheritance and had a good life And serve god he could have had that it was his to have And he fought with israel, but was it was his greed that destroyed his family, but he destroyed his family I mean you say well, what was what was khoras children's only mistake? They were just born in the wrong house So don't let all your work works just get burned and buried and forgotten by allowing yourself to be beguiled by some evil person And don't lead your families Down in the valley of akor. Let's go and pray