                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                    Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

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By David Wilkerson
March 20, 1987
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          Be sure your sin will find you out! This is one of the
          most misunderstood statements in all God's Word. Moses
          is speaking of one particular sin, that being a
          stubborn refusal to wholly follow the Lord! There are
          many sins that go unexposed here on earth and will be
          revealed only at the Judgment. Paul said, "In the day
          when God shall judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ
          according to my gospel" (Romans 2:16). The Greek word
          used here for secrets is, "that which is hidden,
          concealed, covered up."

          The adulterer may hide his sin until judgment day. The
          thief may cover up his crimes and not get caught in
          this life. Wicked hearts, evil thoughts  may remain
          unexposed before men. Hypocrisy may be hidden for years
          under a pretense of piety. But the sin of
          half-heartedness will always find you out  here and
          now! For the sake of this message I have called it 
          middle ground!

          God commanded Israel: "Ye shall pass over Jordan to go
          in to possess the land which the Lord you God giveth
          you, and ye shall posses it, and dwell therein"
          (Deuteronomy 11:31). Their inheritance was on the other
          side of Jordan. It was over Jordan where God would
          choose a place to set up His tabernacle and that was
          Shiloh. There the Ark of the Covenant would rest, a
          symbol of the Lord's presence among them.

          Two crossings were necessary! Crossing the Red Sea was
          a type of leaving the world and all its idols and lust
          behind  a clear type of conversion. The second
          crossing was the Jordan, which represents dying to self
          and going on into the fullness of Christ. Jordan in
          Hebrew means, "going down, subdued, laid low."
          Actually, it represents death! Death to all that is
          unlike Christ  all ambition, idolatry, self.

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                     The Jordan was a stream of death!

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          Between the two crossings was the territory of Gilead
          and Jazer  which bordered the Jordan and the Land of
          Fullness. This is Middle Ground, a place of half
          surrender and it was totally indefensible. It was a
          most dangerous place to live, surrounded by heathen
          enemies, and it speaks of falling short of God's
          ultimate place and purpose for His children.

          Two and a half tribes  Reuben, Gad and half of
          Manasseh felt most comfortable with this middle ground!
          They said, in essence, "This is as far as we go! This
          suits our lifestyle just fine! We've come a long way
          we're tired  give us Gilead Jazer. Let the rest go on
           we are going to settle here!"

          "For we will not inherit with them on yonder side of
          Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen
          to us this side of Jordan" (Numbers 32:19). "Let this
          land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and
          bring us not over Jordan" (Numbers 32:5).

          This is not simply a history lesson about the struggles
          of Israel. These lessons "serve unto the example and
          shadow of heavenly things" (Hebrews 8:5). Paul said,
          "these things were our examples, to the intent we
          should not lust after evil things, as they lusted" (1
          Corinthians 10:6). "Now all these things happened unto
          them for examples; and they are for our admonition,
          upon whom the ends of the world are come" (2
          Corinthians 10:11). In other words, this is history
          with a voice  speaking to us!

          This example of settling for middle ground speaks
          clearly to the luke-warmness and compromise in the
          church today. God is showing us in this tragic story,
          the terrible consequences of partial obedience. We see
          them in the first stages of starting out right, then
          just when death to everything of this world stares them
          in the face, they recoil. adaptability became their way
          of life!

          The Scriptures show us vividly how their sin of
          settling on middle ground found them out. You will see
          these two and a half tribes eventually being overcome
          by the enemy; you will see them returning to idolatry 
          ending up more wicked than when in Egypt.

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                 Characteristics of Those On Middle Ground

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          Those who live on middle ground share certain
          characteristics! The characteristics of these two and a
          half tribes can also be found today in those who refuse
          to pulverize their idols and die to the world. Their
          Hebrew names expose them!

          Reuben means  a son who sees! He was Jacob's
          firstborn, but he lost his birthright because he was
          driven by lust. He went into his father's concubine,
          and Jacob, in his dying hour said of him: "Reubenthou
          defilesthe went up to my couch" (Genesis 49:4). Jacob
          described his son Rueben as one "unstable as
          waterthou shalt not excel" (Genesis 49:3).

          Moses recognized these same weaknesses. His final
          prayer for Reuben was "Let Reuben live, and not die"
          (Deuteronomy 33:6). Moses was speaking prophetically,
          hoping and praying that the worldly spirit in this
          tribe would not one day bring them to ruin.

          Reuben had eyes only for this world  its lusts, its
          things, its pleasures. He was unstable because his
          heart was always divided, and this spirit was passed on
          to his posterity. Here was an entire tribe attached to
          the world and bent on having their own way.

          Gad means fortune - troop! Or, soldiers of fortune 
          mercenaries! Moses said of Gad "He provided the first
          part for himself" (Deuteronomy 33:21). This tribe was
          outwardly obedient "executing the justice of the
          Lord," but the overriding characteristic was
          self-interest. Gad was consumed with its own problems 
          the need to make it!

          Gad's philisophy is "I'll fight with the Lord's army;
          I'll be obedient and do everything God expects of me.
          But first -- I've got to get a stake in life. I need to
          get myself and family set up -- Then I'll be free to
          give and do more for the Lord!"

          Here is the Christian who thinks -- God expects me to
          take care of my family first -- I've got to pay the
          bills. As soon as I see some daylight  get ahead a
          little  I'll give the Lord more time." Rebellion is
          the root of this kind of attitude. There is no burning
          desire to please only the Lord, to do His will
          absolutely and only. The Gad tribe is preoccupied with
          self-will, self-improvement, self-interests.

          Manasseh means to forget, to neglect! This was Joseph's
          firstborn son and he should have received the
          birthright. But even in his childhood there was a sad
          trait developing -- and Jacob saw it in the spirit.
          Manasseh would one day forget the ways of his father
          Joseph and neglect the commandment of the Lord.

          "And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it
          upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left
          hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hand
          deliberately; for Manasseh was the firstbornAnd when
          Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the
          head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his
          father's hand, to remove ithis father refused, and
          said, I know it, my son, I know itand he set Ephraim
          before Manasseh" (Genesis 48:14,17,18-21).

          How close to God Israel (Jacob) must have been  how
          clearly directed by the Holy Spirit he was. He foresaw
          the coming of a spirit of division to this posterity!
          It was to become a tribe only half consecrated to the
          fullness of God!

          Ironically, this tribe carried with them a constant
          reminder to go all the way with God. They carried
          Joseph's casket, with his bones  to be buried beyond
          Jordan. "And Joseph took an oath of the children of
          Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall
          carry my bones from hence" (Genesis 50:25). "And Moses
          took the bones of Joseph with him" (Exodus 13:19).

          For years that casket reminded Manasseh -- "Go all the
          way with God - cross the Jordan -- into fullness" The
          bones go in -- half of Manasseh does not!

          Consider these combined traits of middle ground
          Christians: unstable as water in spiritual convictions;
          never excelling in the things of God; lukewarm, weak
          with lust; ruled by selfish needs; neglecting the Word;
          not taking the Lord's commandments seriously; making
          their own choices instead of trusting God; forgetting
          His past blessings and dealings; unwilling to let go of
          certain idols; justifying their own decisions; not
          willing to die to all that would seduce them back to
          middle ground!

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                Middle Ground Christians Become Stubborn and
                                Self-willed

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          Middle ground people develop a very stubborn self-will,
          one that even a Moses can't change! They said  "This
          is a place for cattle  and thy servants have cattle"
          (Numbers 32:1,4). God's will  God's word, was not even
          considered! They looked at those green pastures, at
          their herds of cattle, and said  "This ours! We go no
          further!"

          Moses was indignant  "Ye are risen up in your Father's
          stead, descendants of evil men, to augment the anger of
          the Lord toward Israel" (Numbers 32:7,14).

          Their answer  "You just don't understand!" What they
          were actually saying was this, "We love the fellowship
           we are not going back to our old sins. We plan to
          walk in obedience to the Lord  we will stand with you
          and fight the Devil  but we don't want to live like
          that. We have our own ideas about serving God." Moses
          could reprove them as hard as he chose  as long as he
          did not try to change their minds! "We will pass over
          armed before the Lord into the Land of Canaan, that the
          possession of our inheritance on this side of Jordan
          may be ours!" (Numbers 32:32).

          They were saying  "We still want to walk with you but
          we have decided to do things our way." You see that
          same spirit today among those who refuse the way of the
          Cross. "I don't criticize Christians who want to live
          like saints, giving up things, living so strict,
          denying themselves  but that is just not for me. I'm
          just as good  I may not show it, or act it, but I'm no
          sinner. I've got my own ideas about holiness and
          walking with God!"

          They were putting career ahead of Christ! Family ahead
          of God! "We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle,
          and cities for our little onesour little ones shall
          dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants
          of the land" (Numbers 32:16,17). "Our little ones, our
          wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there
          in the cities of Gilead" (Numbers 32:26).

          Should they be commended for providing so well for
          their children and wives? No! They were keeping their
          families on middle ground  robbing them of their true
          inheritance. They should have taken them all over
          Jordan. That was where the spiritual authority was 
          under Joshua who was led by the captain of the Lord's
          hosts. It was over Jordan where the Ark was,
          representing the presence of the Lord.

          They should have been there to see the walls of Jericho
          fall. They should have tasted the grapes of Eschol, the
          honey of the land. They should have been taken on into
          the fullness of the Lord.

          These misguided middle ground fathers thought that
          love, protection, and no privations would hold their
          children and family together! So they built high fences
          to keep them secure  gave them all they needed and
          assured them they were loved. But they underestimated
          their danger!

          Here is the great tragedy of those who won't go all the
          way with God. They destroy their loved ones 
          grandparents, mates, children! Jesus warned, "ye
          entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering,
          ye hindered" (Luke 11:52).

          Here is where their sin found them out! Love was not
          enough. Overprotecting them from the enemy was not
          enough. Having all they needed was not enough. They
          doomed their families by settling on middle ground.
          Middle ground people are the first to be judged! These
          defenseless people were overrun by the enemy. "In those
          days the Lord began to cut Israel short; and Hazael
          smote them in all the coasts of Israel; from Jordan
          eastward  all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the
          Reubenites, and the Manassites" (2 Kings 10:32,33).
          Their children became idol worshippers. Their wives
          were prostituted and became heathen in all their ways.
          All spiritual desire was lost and they became morally
          and physically devastated.

          Let me warn parents to cross the Jordan and be
          crucified to this world and all its things. If you
          refuse to go on in God and instead permit compromise in
          your life or home, settling down on some middle ground
          of luke-warmness  you will live to see the day your
          sin will be visited upon your family!

          You will lose God's anointing in your own life and the
          devil will plunder your household. Your children and
          family will fall into the temptations of the world. You
          will have sorrow upon sorrow  trouble upon trouble 
          because you settled on unholy ground!

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                       Giving up the Presence of God

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          Those who settle on middle ground give up the presence
          of God for a mere confession of faith. The battles were
          now over, and "the Lord gave unto Israel all the land
          which he swore to give to their fathers; and they
          possessed it, and dwelt there" (Joshua 21:43). It was
          time for the two and a half tribes to go back to where
          their heart was.

          We come now to one of the saddest episodes of this
          story. "And the children of Reuben and the children of
          Gad and the half tribe Manasseh returned, and departed
          from the children of Israel, out of Shiloh, which is in
          Canaan, to go into the country of Gilead, to the land
          of their possession" (Joshua 22:9).

          Here is the cause of all division  going back to
          middle ground! Who caused this division? Not those who
          went on with God  not those who followed the Ark of
          His presence  not those who obeyed God wholly. It was
          caused by those who were "sensual, separating
          themselves, having not the Spirit!" (Jude 19).

          Division is caused by those "who went out from us
          because they were not with us" Paul said, "Demas hath
          forsaken me, having loved this present world"
          Worldliness causes the division. Those going back cause
          it! All present day division is caused by those who
          refuse to hold to Christ the head, by those who turn
          away from the demands of the cross, who reject the
          self-denial and obedience of the narrow way.

          Those who settle for middle ground must build an altar
          to contrived unity - called Ed! "And when they came to
          the borders of Jordantheybuilt there a great altar to
          see toat the passage of the children of Israeland
          called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between
          us that the Lord is God" (Joshua 22:10,11,34).

          This altar represented their cry for unity. It was a
          positive confession from a whole class of middle ground
          Christians seeking to keep their identity with those
          who were already walking in unity on God's side of the
          Jordan.

          What doctrinal and spiritual confusion it caused! What
          division it created  almost ending in a full scale war
          among God's people. All created by middle ground
          Christians.

          All Israel gathered at Shiloh "to go up to war against
          them" (Joshua 22:12). Eleazar, the priest, with ten
          princes approached the altar of contrived unity. They
          said to the middle ground people, ""..if your
          possession be unclean, then pass over unto the land of
          the possession of the Lord wherein the Lord's
          tabernacle dwelleth and take possession among us but
          don't rebel against the Lord or us" (Joshua 22:19).

          The message was clear. "If you fear there is division
          among us  come back over Jordan. We are united. God's
          presence unites us. Come into the fullness and dwell
          with us in peace but why another altar? Why Ed? There
          is only one altar of unity  the tabernacle of His
          holiness."

          Beloved  those who move on into the blessed fullness
          and holiness of Christ know nothing of division. There
          are no Baptists or Assemblies of God or schism in His
          holy presence. No middle wall, no barriers! All is
          Christ and His holiness.

          They needed visible proof of unity with God's chosen.
          It was an altar built by fear  fear of not being a
          part of God's movement! There was a sense in them that
          they were going to be left out of the Lord's eternal
          purpose for His people. "We have done itfor fear of
          this thingin time to come your children might speak
          unto our children, saying, what have ye to do with the
          Lord God of Israelye have no part in the Lord"
          (Joshua 22:24,27).

          What a sad commentary! They must have foreseen a time
          coming when the only evidence left that God was with
          them, or that they were united with Him  was a pile of
          stones  a mere confession. Their children could see
          the altar Ed and confess  "By this I know I am one of
          them!"

          Wherever there is deptarture from God's plan  wherever
          men settle for the earthly and sensual  wherever
          Christians are no longer in one place, in one accord,
          in the upper room of separation with Christ  there is
          contrived unity  there is empty, stone-cold
          confession.

          If you are among believers who are going on  "wholly
          set on the Lord"  you will feel left out if you are on
          middle ground. You will accuse others of being
          "holier-than-thou!" You will accuse them of being
          cliquish. You can try as you will to be one of them but
          it won't work! You are the cause! You removed yourself
          from God's ordained place of victory, unity and
          spiritual power.

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                        Caleb Went On Into Fullness

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          Caleb is our type of one who goes all the way! His name
          means forcible - fortitude! Joshua was a type of
          Christ. Caleb was inseparable from Joshua, representing
          one who continually walks with the Lord.

          Caleb had been over Jordan with the spies. While there
          the Holy Spirit drew him to Hebron  "the place of
          death." With awe he climbed that hallowed mountain and
          faith flooded his soul. Abraham and Sarah were buried
          here, as were Isaac and Jacob and the patriarchs. Years
          later, David's kingdom would begin here. Caleb prized
          that hollowed place! From that time on he wanted Hebron
          for his possession.

          It was said of him, that he "wholly followed the Lord"
          (Numbers 14:24). He never wavered to the very end.
          Solomon wavered in his later years and "he went not
          fully after the Lord." But at 85 years of age Caleb
          could testify: "As yet I am as strong as I was in the
          day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even
          so is my strength now for war, both to go out and to
          come in" (Joshua 14:11).

          At 85 he waged his greatest battle! "Now therefore give
          me this mountain (Hebron)" (Joshua 14:12).
          "And Joshua belssed him, and gave CalebHebron for an
          inheritance" (Joshua 14:13).
          "Hebron therefore became the inheritance of
          Calebbecause he wholly followed the Lord" (Joshua
          14:14).

          The message is glorious! It is this: It is not enough
          to have died to sin  to have entered fullness sometime
          in the past. The need is to grow in the Lord to the
          end! To keep your spiritual power and strength  to not
          waver. To "wholly follow the Lord"  even in old age!
          It should be an ever increasing faith.

          Hebron  Caleb's inheritance, means  a company
          associated! With what? With death! Not only the death
          in Jordan to sin  but living in a place of death.
          Living with a company who are associated with the death
          and resurrection of Jesus Christ! "Give me this
          mountain"  he had asked. In other words  "Give me
          this walk of death to self!" It was here Abraham had
          built an altar to sacrifice his son. It is here that
          Caleb and his tribe will live  constantly associated
          with that altar of living sacrifice.

          Caleb's wholeheartedness for the Lord produced a holy
          fire for God in his children. While the children of the
          two and a half tribes turn away and embrace the world
          and its idolatry, Caleb's family is growing stronger in
          the Lord!

          Caleb had challenged  "He that smiteth
          Kir-jath-se-pher, and taketh it, to him will I give
          Achsah my daughter to wife" (Joshua 15:16). Othniel
          took it and married Caleb's daughter. He went on in the
          Lord and became the first judge in Israel.

          But Caleb's daughter had the fiery zeal of her father.
          The land was not enough  she wanted "springs of water"
          She jumps off her donkey and boldly makes her request
          known  "Give me a blessing for thou hast given me a
          south land  give me also springs of water. And he gave
          her its upper springs, and the nether (lower) springs"
          (Joshua 15:19).

          Every believer should know what the springs of water
          mean. She wanted the very fountains of living water! No
          dry ground for her! No barren wasteland of spiritual
          famine. She would have a well watered place in the
          Lord.

          I want to see that in all my children and
          grandchildren, that determined going after the things
          of God! That zeal  that thirst for His word.

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                    Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

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          The sin of slothfulness and half heartedness will
          surely find you out  even in this lifetime. Enemies
          will arise and harass on all sides  there will not be
          strength or discernment to deal with overpowering
          onslaughts of Satan. There will be a loss of joy and
          peace with God. Spiritual life will degenerate day by
          day. The presence of the Lord will be lost, and
          hopelessness will set in.

          How much better, how much safer to go on with those who
          want the Lord's fullness. God's desire for all of us is
          to enter a place of rest, joy and peace in the Holy
          Ghost. That requires following Him "with all the heart,
          all the strength."

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.

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