What’s Under Your Tent? Preparing for New Things – Introduction

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters. Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 

As we enter 2023 and look forward to the New Things God has for us, we must position ourselves to receive. We must evaluate our heart, thoughts, attitudes, actions, values, and beliefs. We must make sure there is nothing in us that will hinder the outpouring of the things, (promises and desires) God has in store for us.  

To lay a foundation for this study, What’s Under Your Tent?- Preparing for New Things, we will be looking at the story of Achan from the book or Joshua. I want to give a little back story for those who might not be familiar with who Achan was.   

Before Moses died, he asked God to appoint someone to take his place as the leader of Israel. God had just the man, Joshua. After Moses death God spoke to Joshua and commissioned him to lead the people. Joshua 1:9 (AMP) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  

To test the faith and obedience of Israel and the leadership skills of Joshua, God presented them with a couple of tests right off.  

The first test for Israel, under Joshua’s command, was crossing the Jordan River. Would this new generation of Israelites trust God to carry the through the waters as He had their parents and grandparents? This was a test of their faith (Joshua 4). They all passed!! 

Their second test was a test of obedience. It began with the unusual battle plan God laid out for Joshua to follow. Marching around Jericho for 7 days in silence. Following that they were to shout and watch God knock down the walls, allowing them entrance into the city. They were then commanded to go into Jericho, kill all the people, and destroy everything, sparing only Rahab and her family.  They were to burn the city completely.  They were not allowed to take any plunder. Joshua told them that everything in the city was under the ban, and they were not to covet any of the things they saw there. (Joshua 5:13-6:27)  

After the victory over Jericho, Joshua sent out spies to check out the land of Ai.  When the spies returned, they told Joshua he only needed to send two to three thousand men to fight them.  Joshua took their advice. When the army went up against Ai, Ai routed them, and thirty-six men of Israel were killed.   

Joshua was devastated.  Hadn’t God told him to be strong and courageous, not to fear for He was with him? Joshua tore his clothes and fell on his face before the ark.  God spoke to him and told him that there was sin in the camp.  The men had been routed and killed because of one man’s sin.   

Joshua, following God’s instructions, figured out that it was Achan who sinned.  “Achan replied, ‘It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: 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.’” Joshua 6:20-21 (NIV) 

After confronting him and hearing his confession, Achan, his family, and his livestock were taken outside the camp and stoned to death.  Then his personal possessions were all burned.  As long as there was sin in the camp, God could not bless Israel.  (Joshua 7) 

This year, God has a New Things for each of us.  These may be a calling yet unfulfilled, a desire He has placed in us, new anointing or spiritual gifts, or maybe even a territory to take for the Kingdom.  Regardless of what the new things are, if we are not careful, we, like Achan, can fall into the trap of believing the lies of the enemy.  When we do, things get buried under our “tent.”  When there are things buried under our tent, God is restrained from revealing the New Things.  

Achan’s sin started when he believed the lie that his own desires took priority over the command of God.  He placed his desires ahead of what was best for the entire nation, thus costing many lives and much loss.  

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” John 10:10a.  Satan would love nothing better than to see our lives destroyed and God’s desires for us unfulfilled.  He will do everything in his power to do just that.  We must daily evaluate our lives to ensure that we don’t have anything hidden under our tent that will hinder the move of God and His blessing in our lives.  There are many things that could be under our tent: 

 

1.      Hidden Sin 

2.      Lies of the enemy that we have believed 

3.      Unfulfilled dreams that we have allowed to come between us and Christ 

4.      Selfish desires 

5.      Un-yielded areas of our life 

6.      Past hurts 

7.      Past regrets 

8.      Unreasonable expectations of ourselves and others 

9. Offenses 

 

When I think of our tents, I think of a long hallway with rooms off each side. Each room is designated for some part of our lives. Our spouse, children, friendships, job, ministry, past, family, expectations, etc.  

In each room we keep all the emotions, joys, fears, hurts, attitudes, and memories associated with each area.  In this season I believe Holy Spirit wants to shine His spotlight into the deepest corners of each room and to remove every festering sore, every cobweb of fear and doubt, every hurt, broken place, and every attitude that runs contrary to the truth of who He is and who we are in Him.  

I believe this year is the year for restoration, refreshing, regeneration, and renewal in the body of Christ. We are headed into a new season in this church age. There is no time for messing around and playing church. Where people in my generation had years to grow and mature in our walk with Christ, we are headed into a season where there must be rapid acceleration in the new believer’s spiritual maturity.

 

As the day of the Lord’s return approaches, trials, persecutions, and tribulations will increase. Jesus promised it! (Matthew 24) If we as the “mature” in the church are still harboring sinful attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors, or unbelief, if we still have open wounds that need healing, who is going to teach those God is bringing into the Body in this next Great Awakening? It’s time for the Church to arise and take our place of authority on this earth! We cannot do that with things hidden under our tents.  

Over the next few weeks, we will address many areas in our lives that may need cleansing by Holy Spirit. Some areas will not apply to you and that is great, however, my prayer is that each week we will do an honest survey of the area(s) discussed to ensure that it is well with our souls!