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A Clean Slate Heb.11:31
Joshua 2:1-24
Joshua 6:17, 20-25

Sonny's transformation came during a period of deep tragedy. Christy, his wife of less than a year suffered a fatal stroke just two weeks after the birth of their much-wanted child. Christy professed and lived a close relationship to God through Jesus Christ. Sonny was a good son of Christian parents but he had chosen to live outside the faith. Shortly after their marriage a deacon in Sonny's parents' church provided some basic marriage counseling for this young couple. A relationship between the deacon, Sonny, and Christy grew through the months.Sonny and Christy spent many hours together at the local stock car track. Sonny and his family built cars and drove in the Nevada Race Circuit. Much of what Sonny knew about life came from the pits. Not the best place to learn morals many in the racing community have little time for God.

Early Monday morning, after a weekend at the track, Christy suffered a brain aneurysm. For all practical purposes her 21-year-old life ended that morning. In the emergency room her bodily functions were kept in motion by the life-support equipment. About 3:00 p.m. the neurosurgeon explained that the brain damage was irreversible and Christy would not survive. The family would need to make a decision to remove the life-support systems and allow for her death.

In the waiting room, nearly fifty people came to pray and support Sonny and the rest of the family. Pastor Mike, Christy's deacon and many others from the church were joined by an equal number of Sonny's friends from the track. They talked, prayed and expressed hope. The doctors asked Sonny to approve the donation of Christy's organs. He agreed. (A few weeks later, a letter of thanks from the Nevada Organ Transplant Institute arrived. Sixty people benefited from the donation of Christy's organs.) When the doctors left the room, Sonny and the deacon had time to talk. After prayer, the concerned deacon shared the one thing Christy would have wanted most, the transplant of her faith to her unsaved husband. After hearing the Gospel presented in such a delicate situation Sonny prayed to receive Christ. He left the room, went directly to his mother and announced, "Mom, I now have the Lord in my heart, we can get through even this." On December 9, Kylie, a 4-month-old child was dedicated to the Lord by her Christian father. It would have been Christy's 22nd birthday.

Sonny's story has not ended. He has been faithful in church and personal study since coming to know the Lord. Several other race track friends have also been attending Sonny's church. The witness of God at work will certainly touch many lives for the kingdom.One day before Christy's aneurysm, Sonny's parents stopped at In-And-Out Burgers for lunch. A friend pointed out a Scripture on the bottom of the cup, Nahum 1:7. During the long hours in the hospital that followed their deacon shared the passage with them. It says, "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him." (From: www.preachingplus.com)

This is the second sermon in the series based out of Hebrews 11. Often this chapter is referred to as the faith chapter because of the faith that the individuals who are listed exhibited.

The emphasis of the series is not so much about defining faith but it is really about the results of faith in a person’s life.

Today we are looking at a very interesting person. Her name is Rahab.

In the last sermon we looked at the faith of Joshua in leading the people of Israel in the defeat of the city of Jericho. Faith and obedience enabled Joshua to be a winner in every way.

Rahab is connected to the story of Jericho.

In Heb. 11:31 it simply says, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”

Joshua was the leader who was chosen by God to lead the “children of Israel” into the land promised to them by Moses when he led them out of Egypt. One major thing stood in their way and that was Jericho. In accordance with standard military procedure Joshua sent in two spies to see what needed to be done. Their focus was to be Jericho.

In chapter two of the book of Joshua it just simply says that the two men, “went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there.” Not only was she a prostitute but she kept visitors in her house which served as an inn.

Some of you might be surprised that a prostitute would wind up in the Bible and some of you will really be surprised to learn what happened in her life.

You may have more in common with her then you think.

God does not condone or excuse sin but He has provided a way for people who need a clean slate to get it.

God is the God of the second chance. He is the One who will give you another shot at your life.

Some of you have come into this room today and you are not sure why you are even here but you know that you wish your life was different. You would love for life to be as simple as an etch-a-sketch to erase and start over.

Rahab was a typical non-believer:

She was a pagan in her beliefs.

According to Webster’s Dictionary a pagan is defined as, “one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures and material goods.”

Truly we live in a society full of pagan’s today. People today are living for pleasure in ways that could not have been imagined before.

Sit in your average lunch room at any manufacturing facility or any office and you will hear the plans being made for how to get the most out of the weekend. Plans usually include alcohol or drugs or something that will get their mind off the reality of their life.

She was living in spiritual darkness.

Not only was she in darkness but she lived in a society that was without God. She had never heard that there could possible be any other way to live. Most people who live in this country are living in similar circumstances. Unless the church finds it in their soul to move toward the culture the culture will remain in spiritual darkness and only receive their cues on how to live from the media and Hollywood.

Can I just give you the best news you will ever hear? There is a better way to live than what you see portrayed on your television screens.

Rahab was a prostitute.

There is no way to glamorize this life. This is about as low as a person can sink. To sell one’s body is the one of the lowest forms of self abuse. Don’t get hung up on the sexual part of prostitution. Prostitution can involve anyone who sells or gives up their life to corrupt purposes.

You can sell out to a lot of unworthy things.
Some of you have made a complete mess of your life because you have dedicated yourself to things that are destroying you a person.
How can that make any sense? Your prostituting yourself but in a different way then Rahab.

I want to focus today on the fact that Rahab received a clean slate. She received a second chance at life, a chance to start over. Some of you are desperate for the same kind of chance today. You need to be restored.

Whatever you once were you are a long way from that now. You hardly recognize yourself. You need a new start. Here are some steps based on the record we find in the Bible about Rahab that will enable you to start over.

1. She heard God’s word and spoke her faith. (Joshua 2: 9-11)

One of the most important steps in starting over is to hear God’s word. I don’t mean just hear it with your ears but hearing it with your heart.

Rahab in Joshua chapter two has a conversation with the two spies that is somewhat amazing.

“So before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men: ‘I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt and what you to did to the kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordon whom you utterly destroyed. As soon as we heard these things our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.’”

It had been forty years since the Red Sea incident but she knew about it. She had come to believe that God was who He said He was.

Have you heard about Him?
Have you heard His word?
Have you heard that He (God) wants you and your life?

The Bible says, “For we have heard how the Lord. . .”

You’ve got to hear it and once you heard it you have to believe that God is able to give you a second chance. He is able to do incredible things and that your problem and life is not too hard for God to straighten out.

Rahab states her belief by speaking these words: “I know that the Lord has given you the land.”

She heard God’s word and spoke her belief.

In John 5:24 we read these words, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life. . .”

2. She demonstrated her faith by her actions.

While we are not saved by our works they play a very important part in the life of a restored person. Works and actions are the evidence of faith in your life.

Rahab acted on her belief.

She received the spies into her household without turning them in.
She hid the spies when the city leaders came looking for them. Ver. 6
She helped them escape. Ver. 15
She sent them to the mountains in verse 16 and told them how long to hide before going back to their camp.
She put a scarlet cord in her window which was her line to faith and rescue when the walls of Jericho fell.

Suffice it to say that she demonstrated her faith with her actions.

I am not sure that will ever communicate this message enough. Jesus Christ will change your life when He comes into it.

You will not be the same person.
Your life will be different.
You will let some things go and begin to do other things.

You will demonstrate the change God makes in your life by your actions. If I thought that accepting Christ into your life wouldn’t change you then I wouldn’t waste my time and yours by standing up here today.

God wants you to trade your old life for the new one He is offering to you.

Some of us who have been in the church for years need to hear this word again because it becomes very easy to get sucked back into this world and its thinking. The only thing that will make the life-changing message of the Bible appealing to others will be our ability to demonstrate the difference that Christ makes in a life.

If you say you are a Christ follower and you are still running around town doing all the things you know that you shouldn’t be doing because they are destroying your life then you aren’t demonstrating your faith. In fact, you have a problem. Get real. Be real. Be genuine.

In Ephesians 2:10, (The Message) we read, “He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”

The Bible clearly teaches that we will be known by the fruit that we produce in our lives.

Rahab took a third step in her faith.

3. She separated herself from her surroundings.

To be restored meant that she would have to give up her current lifestyle. She would have to leave Canaan and adopt the lifestyle of the “children of God.”

We are talking radical change. To see just how much she was separated from her surroundings lets look at Joshua 6. The Israelites did what God instructed them to do and the walls of Jericho fell. After the dust settled we read in verse 22-23, “But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, ‘Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.’ And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.”

Can you imagine what was going on in her mind at this point? It is a great thing to start over but it is not without some trauma.

It may have some down sides.
It may be a little scary.
It may be a lot scary.

Letting God into your life is transforming.

II Cor. 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.”

She turned from idols to serve the living God. (I Thessalonians 1:9)
She turned from what was familiar to learning to follow Christ.

Sometimes I think we struggle in our walk with Christ because we don’t separate ourselves enough from our old surroundings. You need to put some distance between you and your old life and give yourself a chance to grow stronger in you walk with God.

4. She shared her faith with family and friends.

There is something else I want you to notice and that is that Rahab didn’t just save her own skin. She shared it with others.

The Bible simply states that, “Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had.”

Allowing God to enter into your life will affect those around you. Your life right now is influencing those around you for better or worse. Those who choose to be Christ followers share the message with others. It is as natural as breathing. You may not be the personality to get in some one’s face with the message but your life will testify to God’s ability to make a difference.

5. She went from a house of shame to God’s hall of fame.

Whatever you think of Rahab or this story it is clear that God restored her life. He brought her from nothing to something.

When you read in the first chapter of Matthew the genealogy of Jesus there is a verse that leaps from the page.

Math. 1:5, “Salmon had Boaz, (his mother we Rahab); Boaz had Obed, (Ruth was his mother.)

Rahab who was left outside the camp of the Israelites now has made it into the genealogy of Jesus. She’s not a skeleton in his family closet she was a changed woman.

VIDEO: Nora from the M3 Conference. From drug addict to pastor’s wife.

No one has great respect for a prostitute but God is no respecter of persons and He specializes in the hardest cases.

You can’t shock Him.
You won’t deplete His mercy and grace.

He wants to change your life and help you start over.

We invite you to use the little Etch a Sketch pad you were given when you came today. When you leave in a few moments many of you will want to write down what you want God to help you start over with.

Some of you will need a completely new start and you can just write “my life.” If you want Christ to come into your life I would encourage you to call the office this week and let someone meet with you on a one on one basis.

Some of you may want to pray at the altar and some of you may want to sit here in the front a while before you go your way.

You can have a clean slate.
You can allow God to change your life and your family.

2003/06/29