Richvale Community Church
Sunday, October 5 2025
  • Good Morning!
    We’re continuing in our series in Joshua —
     “Finding God in Transitions.”  Today we’re looking at Resolving the Unresolved.
    The first time I ever saw snow, I was in my twenties. I was in Bible college and went home with my roommate Paul and his family for winter break.
    We were driving through Connecticut when it began to snow.
    His dad pulled over, made a small snowball, and threw it at me!
    That winter was also the first time I learned how to build a snowman.
    Up to that point, the only snowmen I had seen was on Christmas cards.
    I assumed the way you built a snowman is you just packed the snow together, like sand.
    But I quickly learned that’s not how it works—you have to roll the snow.
     And the more you roll it, the more it accumulates. The bigger it gets, the faster it grows!
    And that’s how life works, too.
    We all accumulate experiences over time—
    some of them good, some not so good.
    When we hold on to things like joy, faith, and obedience, those things build us up…and become a positive force in our lives....
    But on the other h and..the same is true for the wrong things—unresolved anger, hidden sin,
    bitterness, resentment
    or disobedience. Become a negative force ..and
    If we ignore them, they accumulate,
    they may start small… but over time, they grow.
    They roll along with us until they become heavy and hard to move, and eventually they affect everything in our lives.
    That’s exactly the situation we find Israel in Joshua 7.
    Outwardly, they had just experienced a huge victory at Jericho.
    But beneath the surface, something unresolved—had been accumulating.. and it was about to bring the whole nation to a halt.
    Last week, we looked at chapter 6—when God fought for Israel and brought down the walls of Jericho. Israel was riding high on momentum; it felt like nothing could stop them.
    In fact Chapter 6 ends on such a high note— that it seems like is victory is imminent it just matter of moving forward...at the end of the chapter
    We read..
    Joshua 6:27 ESV
    27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.
    But here’s the truth: there is a very fine line between great victory and great defeat…
    As we turn the page into chapter 7, the tone shifts.
    What looked like a winning streak is about to come to a screeching halt. Let’s read our text..together:
    Joshua 7:1 ESV
    1 But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.
    …what a different picture!
    On one hand..…Israel is in a season of rejoicing—celebrating victories, basking in success, and enjoying the thrill of progress. But then ..We told that not is all that if seems..
    But …“the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things.” 
    To break faith means to fall short of God’s standard—
    to fail to meet His expectations, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Something is off.
    We don’t have all the details yet, but we know this much:
    there’s trouble in the camp, and it centers on a man named Achan.
    Something happened in Jericho that has carried forward into the next battle… something is left unresolved..
    Something is ..undone form the past and is impacting their present..
    We learn the reality..
    that when unresolved issues are left unchecked They don’t go away.. they spread into every area—
    our families,
    our work, our faith, and our walk with God. In Joshua 7
    We learn that Through one man’s disobedience, sin entered camp of Israel…
    and this one sin brought devastating consequences to the entire nation of Israel...
    (T/S) How do we resolve the Unresolved issues
    First we need to realize that. .

    1. Unresolved issues Lead to Unexpected Defeats

    History is full of unexpected defeats.
    In the 1800’s Napoleon Bonaparte, one of the most feared military leaders in history, had conquered much of Europe, and his armies seemed unstoppable.
    Yet at Waterloo, facing a coalition of British and Prussian forces, was completely defeated.
    The problem was that..He had assumed victory would be easy,
    He underestimated his enemies, thinking they were weaker than they really were.
    The Prussian army arrived sooner than expected, throwing off his strategy.
    On top of that, heavy rain had turned the battlefield into mud, slowing down his soldiers and cannons.
    Overconfidence — and poor planning lost the battle. AndNapoleon’s army was utterly defeated—shocking the world....
    Israel had their own “Waterloo moment” it was at a place called Ai. (not the Ai we know today)
    Again..
    Israel is riding high on momentum and confidence from the victory at Jericho..—they had taken the most important city —(gateway city of Jericho) and they thought the rest would be cake walk… but they were wrong..
    Let’s read together:
    Joshua 7:2–5 ESV
    2 Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” 4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5 and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
    Joshua sent out spies, and they discovered Ai—a small village tucked into the mountains northwest of Jericho.
    Now, Ai wasn’t large or heavily fortified like Jericho. Just a modest town with stone walls and a few guard towers perched on the hills.
    To the spies it looked insignificant—something Israel could easily handle…
    The spies came back to Joshua and said,
     “Don’t send the whole army. A few thousand men will be enough.” 
    So Joshua sent about 3,000, confident that victory was already won …it was in the bag…the y were in the money..
    But instead of a quick win, its a disaster…
    When Israel launched the offensive.. Ai counterattacked.
    Israel panicked and was chased all the way to Shebarim.
    Now Shebarim was region that was full of mountains .. If you look at at a Map— ..we have a photo..it was about just a mile or two outside of AI… but it was difficult terrain..
    The counter offensive pushes Israel in to these hills and they are trapped … and during the battle Thirty-six men loose their lives..
    and you can imagine when this happened the nation’s confidence just crumbled…
    We’re told that “the hearts of the people melted and became like water.” Now here’s the irony — that’s the exact same phrase used back in Joshua 2, when the Canaanites heard that Israel had crossed the Jordan.
    How quickly the tables have turned!
    The very fear that once paralyzed Israel’s enemies now fills Israel’s own camp.
    So Israel got overconfident…
    And we can relate to that at so me level..
    After a big win,
    a season of growth,
    or a clear answer to prayer,
    we assume the next stretch will be smooth sailing. We think, “If God showed up back there, surely it’ll be easy from here on out.”
    But victories in the past don’t guarantee strength in the present.
    Overcoming one obstacle doesn’t mean the next one won’t trip you up—especially when unresolved issues are still lurking beneath the surface.
    That’s exactly what Israel faced. They assumed the next battle would be simple.
    They assumed past victories guaranteed future success.
    But they hadn’t paused to seek God. They hadn’t made space for Him to reveal what was hidden in their camp.
    John Piper, has a sermon on How to Have an Enduring Ministry, says it this way:
    “If you want to have an enduring ministry, you have to deal with the hidden issues of the heart. Given enough time, truth will be known.” John Piper
    There is big story on the Robert Morris who had has moral failure …..was is sad is that we are not surprised when here these things …. his past had caught up to him .. unresolved issues..
    (BILLY GRAHAM .. was surrounded MODESTO MANIFESTO)
    Holiness need to be ongoing.. We need to remember that God is always working—both individually and corporately. Holiness isn’t a destination; it’s a continual journey.
    It’s the ongoing work of grace that keeps us sensitive, surrendered, and strong.
    (T/S) How do we resolve the Unresolved we need to understand unresolved issues can
    Point 1: Lead to Unexpected Defeats
    second they.

    2. Our Response to Defeat Matters

    We all know that feeling when the “check engine” light comes on. We all deal with it differently…
    but studies show that about 1 in 5 drivers ignore the check engine light completely.
    Some wait 4 months on average to get it checked. Some go as long as a year before doing anything.
    Why? Usually because the car still seems fine.
    Nothing is smoking, nothing is breaking down—so they figure, “I’ll deal with it later.”
    The same is true in life. We often kick problems down the road instead of dealing with them immediately.
    We see a warning sign—something in a
    relationship,
    in our finances,
    or in our spiritual walk—
    and we think, “It’s fine for now. I’ll get to it later.”  But unresolved issues, like that check engine light, usually get worse if ignored.
    When Joshua received the news that Israel had been defeated at Ai, he didn’t ignore it.
    The news hit hard.
    What should have been a relatively easy military operation turned into a disaster.
    Thirty-six men had been killed, the nation’s confidence was shattered, and the very mission God had called them to seemed in jeopardy.
    Rod Cooper was my leader ship professor.. when it came to systemic change with in organizational leadership …
    slower is faster..
    like the pastor that wanted to move t he piano from one side to the other of the church.. he faced opposition.. ever sunday moved it an inch…
    but when it comes to relationships faster is better.. longer you wait t he greater the distance..
    This is what happens with unresolved conflict..
    Lisa Bevere..in her book Be Angry But Don’t Blow It! (2000)
    Time and anger are intertwined. The longer an offense goes unresolved, the more deep-seated it becomes. Then the heart becomes a hotbed for a root of bitterness. Lisa Bevere Be Angry But Don’t Blow It! (2000)
    Lisa Bevere
    Joshua’s response was immediate—he didn’t try to cover it up, blame others, or fix things on his own. He gathered the elders and sought God’s guidance.
    Joshua 7:6–9 (ESV)
    Joshua 7:6–9 ESV
    6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. 7 And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”
    Notice how Joshua and the elders respond:
    They don’t take the defeat lightly. There is no “win some, lose some” mentality here. Every battle matters.
    They acknowledge God’s presence and sovereignty.
    Everything is connected to their relationship with the Lord.
    They don’t hide their emotions.
    Joshua tears his clothes and puts dust on his head as a sign of mourning—they are broken, humbled, and honest before God.
    Joshua is transparent. He voices his fear, frustration, and sorrow. He asks the hard questions:
     “Why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all?
    What will you do for your great name?”
    God wants us to respond like Joshua—honestly, humbly, and intentionally seeking Him. When we do, He is faithful to reveal the solution.
    The Bible is full of promises about the rewards of seeking the Lord:
    Jesus taught this....
    Matthew 7:7–8 ESV
    7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
    The bottom line..
    God wants us to seek Him, and He promises that we will find Him and the solutions we need
    —if we are willing to look honestly at the unresolved issues in our lives/..
    Here is the things..
    The defeat at Ai wasn’t due to the city’s size or strength, or even poor strategy—
    it was because of hidden sin in the camp.
    —it was the result of unresolved disobedience sabotaging the entire nation.
    It was the result of an unexamined life…
    The past was impacting the present..
    Achan had taken some of the devoted things, —
    The devoted things where items that God had set for destruction— especially things like Idols… but at the same time anything value was to be used for the Lords service…
    God had been very clear back in Joshua 6:18–19:
    Joshua 6:18–19 (ESV)
    Joshua 6:18–19 ESV
    18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.”
    This where there was some gray area…
    In ancient warfare, soldiers allowed and encouraged to keep spoils of war as rewards. —
    Maybe For Achan this ban may have seemed like a gray area…. Who is going to miss a coat and few treasures… Not harming anyone…
    —
    What might have seemed like a small, justifiable act became a hidden problem that brought disaster on the whole nation.
    And isn’t that how it often happens with us? Unresolved conflicts, unhealed wounds, and unchecked attitudes — we find ways to justify them.
    We say things like, “Well, I was hurt… I was offended… I had a right to feel that way.” But what starts as something we defend soon becomes something that defines us.
    Hidden issues may begin quietly, but they never stay small. Left alone, they eventually affect everything — our peace, our relationships, even our walk with God.
    (T/S) So, how do we resolve the unresolved? We first need to understand ..
    1: Unresolved issues lead to unexpected defeats
    2: Our response to defeat matters

    3.Restoration Requires Obedience and Action

    I was thinking about our kitchen remodel… we’re at the midpoint, things torn out, walls exposed, counters gone. Now imagine if we said, “That’s enough, we’re done — we’ll just leave it like this.”
    Sure, we might get away with it for a little while. Maybe even through January. But eventually, it would become a real problem.
    In the same way. When we leave brokenness, unresolved sin, or hidden issues unaddressed, we can’t just ignore them.
    There has to be action. There has to be a response. In the scriptures, God calls us to respond to the brokenness in our lives — to let Him expose it, deal with it, and restore it.
    After Joshua sought the LORD to get up and take action.
    Joshua 7:13–26 ESV
    13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”
    God didn’t leave Joshua guessing about what to do. He told him exactly: first, consecrate the people, and then find out who had sinned.
    Joshua followed God’s instructions carefully. He called each tribe forward, one by one. Leaders and families were examined, and God used a simple method called “lots”—basically a yes or no system with stones—to reveal the guilty person.
    Finally, Achan was identified as the one who had taken the devoted things. Only then did he confess. Joshua 7:21 says:
    “When I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak, 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold, I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
    Achan’s sin might have seemed small or personal, but it had devastating consequences.
    Because of his disobedience, thirty-six men died, the army was embarrassed, and Israel’s confidence was shaken. His sin affected the entire community, which is why it was considered so serious under God’s law.
    And Achan and family were stoned… This was capital punishment..
    The punishment—death—was not unfair or arbitrary.
    God’s law had long recognized that sins which harm others, especially sins that bring death or destruction, must be judged.
    This principle goes all the way back to Noah, when God said that anyone who sheds human blood must be held accountable. Life is sacred because it is made in God’s image.
    Even if Achan and his family were truly sorry, the consequences of sin are real.
    His story reminds us that sin is never isolated. What seems small or personal can affect many people. Our choices matter, and unresolved sin can bring loss and harm far beyond what we imagine.
    Just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Achan’s single act affected more than himself.
    Sin is interconnected; it ripples out to families, communities, and even nations.
    When Joshua exposed Achan’s hidden sin, the camp was purified, the nation could move forward, and victory was restored.
    The lesson for us is clear: unresolved issues, even small ones, can derail our lives if ignored. have you ever stood on a thumb tacks or nail …a t first . You might barely notice it, maybe even ignore it. But over time, if left unresolved, it causes pain and eventually stops you in your tracks.
    But when we seek God honestly—confess, submit, and allow Him to reveal the hidden things—restoration is possible. Defeat is not the final word. God’s plan includes purification, revelation, and ultimately victory.

    Conclusion

    After the camp was purified, God said to Joshua in chapter
    8: “Do not be afraid… Arise, go up to Ai.” 
    After dealing with unresolved sin .. Victory was restored.
    The LORD reassured Joshua that the city and its king were now in Israel’s hands. God gave them an incredible game plan—and they followed it…
    Joshua secretly stationed 30,000 men in behind the city while leading the main Israelite force toward Ai as if to attack.
    When the king of Ai saw the Israelites retreating, he sent his army out in pursuit, thinking victory was within reach.
    That’s when Joshua’s hidden troops sprang the ambush, striking from behind, trapping the Ai forces.
    The city was captured, its soldiers defeated, and the Israelites set the city on fire, turning the seemingly lost battle into a decisive victory.
    Ths city of AI is reminder to deal with unresolved issues.. Ai wasn’t a big city, but even small obstacles can feel insurmountable when unresolved issues block the way.
    The Hebrew name for Ai means “Heap” or “Ruin.”
    Often, it’s things we hold onto for too long—bitterness, pride, fear, disobedience, or unconfessed sin…. That pile up..
    here is the thing..
    We don’t have to wait for perfect conditions to walk in faith and victory.
    The good news is that in Christ, what seems lost can be restored, and what seems broken can be made whole. Romans 5:15–17 reminds us:
    "One man’s sin brought death. But one man’s obedience—Jesus—brings grace that overwhelms sin, giving life and victory to all who receive it."
    What Adam’s sin began, Jesus completes. Where disobedience brought condemnation, grace brings justification. Where sin tried to reign, Jesus brings life, restoration, and victory.
    God said to Joshua repeatedly: Get up. The call to Ai is a call for action: Go will restore will resolve t he unresolved.. God deals in grace and mercy..

      • Joshua 6:27NLT

      • Joshua 7:1NLT

      • Joshua 7:2–5NLT

      • Joshua 7:6–9NLT

      • Jeremiah 29:13NLT

      • Matthew 7:7–8NLT

      • Joshua 7:13–19NLT

      • Joshua 7:13–26NLT

Richvale Community Church
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