Once upon a time a rat looked through a crack.

Saw the farmer open a package.Thought it was new food.Shocked to see it was a rat trap.

Ran to the chicken and told, “There is rat trap in the house.”

The chicken said, “What is it to me?”

Ran to the pig and said, “There is rat trap in the house.”

“There is nothing I can do, but I will pray for you.

Ran to the cow and said the same thing.

The cow said, “ I am in no danger.”

Rat was sad and felt dejected.At night the farmer’s wife heard the trap.

Ran to see. In the darkness, did not see that

there was a snake.The snake bit the farmer’s wife.Rushed to the hospital.

Returned home with a fever.The farmer thought that fresh

chicken was good for the fever.Sickness continued.Friends and neighbors came.To feed them, the farmer killed the pig.

The farmer’s wife did not get well.

She died. Many people came.So the farmer slaughtered the

cow to provide meat for them to eat.

The next time you hear someone is facing a problem.

Do not say it does not concern you.

If there is a rat trap in the house, everyone is at risk.

In today’s Scripture, one household was the cause of Israel’s defeat.

The disintegration of one household affects us all.

The battle of Ai was a simple battle.

What went wrong?

1. One family neglected their spiritual responsibilities.

The household of Achan was responsible for this.

Josh. 7:1 – “Achan took the accursed things.”

What were these accursed things?

Josh. 6:17-19 – Achan took some material things.

Some things belong to God.But we today we spend more

time with our remote control or telephone than with our Bible.

Whenever we take accursed things, it curses us and our household.

We cannot live successful family lifes without God.

That is the foundation.

2. One family had sinful secrets in their home.

Achan knew what he did was wrong.

He hid the evidence under the floor of his tent.

Josh. 7:21

When we try to hide things from God, sooner or later they will surface.

Numbers 32:23 – ‘Your sin will find you out.”

What are hiding from God in your home?

You think your thoughts of jealousy, bitterness, hatred are not known to God?

Achan’s hidden sin affected his entire household.

Get rid of the accursed things.

3. One family failed to give glory to God.

Josh.7:19 – Joshua speaks to Aachan

What do you do to honor God in your household?

What do I have that honors God?

Does everyone one in my household have a Bible?

Do I have good Christian magazines?

Good Christian music?If Achan had honored God in his

tent, he would not have taken the accursed things.

Conclusion

When Achan’s sin was dealt with, the people of God won the battle at the city of Ai (Josh. 8)

When we deal with our sin, we will begin to see great things happening in our families and our church.