SERMON: NOT WHY BUT THE ROOT – Evangelist Chukwuemeka Kelvin Okwuokei

Bible text: Joshua 7 vs 1 to 25 (NIV)

1. “But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.
   2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
   3 When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.”
   4 So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai,
   5 who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.
   6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.
   7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8 Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies?
   9 The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?”
   10 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. 12 That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.
   13 “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There are accursed things among you, Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
   14 “‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man.
   15 Whoever is caught with the accursed things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’”
   16 Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen.
   17 The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen.
   18 Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.
   19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
   20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:
   21 When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
   22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
   23 They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.
   24 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.
   25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.”
   Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.”

Every problem has a root and if we do not get to the root of it you and I will continue to ask why things are the way it is, in our Bible reading GOD told Joshua to get up because one of them have touched an accursed thing, so Joshua has to trace the root of the problem and to know who really that have brought the problem they where going through, and immediately the root was traced, solution came.

Prophetic Declaration: ” I declare over your life that is reading this, that the root of that problem will be made known to you in Jesus Name”.

In mark 9 from verse 14 a child was brought before Jesus disciples that have been suffering from the spirit of deaf and dumb, and his disciples could not cast the spirit out, but before Jesus prayed for the child he have to ask the father of the child a question mark 9 Vs 20 and 21 “and the father of the child told Jesus that the problem has been from childhood” and Jesus has to address it from the root.

Prophetic Declaration: “I stand to say to you that is reading this, that any problem that is from your childhood is come to an end today in Jesus mighty name”.

I will also like to relate the story in the book of second Samuel 15, David was on the run because of his son Absalom and never knew that ahithophel was behind it until it was told David that ahithophel was one of the conspirators second Samuel 15 vs 31, and when David now knew the root of his problem he prayed a very simple prayer and all the counsel of ahithophel was no longer useful second Samuel 17 vs 23

“so my prayer for you that will believe and say AMEN any one man or woman that have been conspiring against you and your family your business, your marriage and anything that concerns you will go down for your sake in Jesus mighty name I pray”.

Further Readings: Judges 6 vs 12 and 13, 24 and 25, Mathew 15 vs 13, Luke 8 vs 26 to 30.

Prayer : Anything in your life that is not from GOD this year 2023 and beyond will be rooted up in Jesus Name. Amen.

Evangelist Chukwuemeka Kelvin Okwuokei