1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,480 Go ahead and continue our study in the book of Joshua. 2 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:06,480 If you have your Bibles, turn with me. 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,480 We are in Joshua chapter 24. 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,280 It has been a long journey as we've studied this book of the Bible. 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:19,600 And I do believe that there's so rich of a reminder of God's provision 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,520 and power and guidance in our lives. 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,320 And even we go back to the reminder of Joshua, chapter one. 8 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:32,570 Remember, Joshua is told by God directly that just as he was 9 00:00:32,570 --> 00:00:35,970 with Moses, so he will be with him and so he will be with his people. 10 00:00:36,530 --> 00:00:39,890 And Joshua was reminded of God's presence in his life. 11 00:00:39,890 --> 00:00:43,570 And he was told, don't be afraid, be strong and of a good courage. 12 00:00:44,129 --> 00:00:48,290 Why not Because Joshua was the strongest man in the world, but because 13 00:00:48,290 --> 00:00:51,330 God was with him, he reminded him that I will be with you. 14 00:00:51,490 --> 00:00:52,570 Joshua 1:9. 15 00:00:52,570 --> 00:00:55,540 It's, it's a verse that resonated with me as a child. 16 00:00:55,540 --> 00:00:59,860 I, I dealt a lot with fear and transparently there are still times 17 00:00:59,860 --> 00:01:03,180 in my life where those, those temptations to turn back to that 18 00:01:03,180 --> 00:01:04,020 fear come in. 19 00:01:04,100 --> 00:01:07,100 Joshua, chapter one, verse nine tells us that we don't need 20 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:08,100 to be in fear. 21 00:01:08,100 --> 00:01:11,140 Have I not commanded thee, Be strong and of good courage, Be not 22 00:01:11,140 --> 00:01:14,060 afraid, neither be thou dismay, for the Lord thy God is with 23 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:15,700 thee whithersoever thou goest. 24 00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:18,860 The reminder is, is that God is going to be with us even through 25 00:01:18,860 --> 00:01:19,540 the trials. 26 00:01:20,110 --> 00:01:22,550 It might not be that he removes us from the trial, it might 27 00:01:22,550 --> 00:01:25,030 be that he's carrying us through the trial, but he's there 28 00:01:25,030 --> 00:01:25,950 with us through it. 29 00:01:26,030 --> 00:01:29,470 And so Joshua was able to exercise that faith throughout his 30 00:01:29,470 --> 00:01:33,830 life as he led the people of Israel into battle, as he led the 31 00:01:33,830 --> 00:01:38,030 people in times of famine and times of loss and times of success, 32 00:01:38,590 --> 00:01:42,150 in times of those spiritual victories that they were thankful 33 00:01:42,150 --> 00:01:42,350 for. 34 00:01:42,350 --> 00:01:46,190 And now we get to Joshua chapter 24 and we essentially see 35 00:01:46,190 --> 00:01:47,520 his conclusion. 36 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:52,080 We see the end of the story, at least for Joshua's earthly life. 37 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,920 And we see really his reminder to the people to stay true to the 38 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,680 word, to choose the choice of following God. 39 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,680 And so here we're in Joshua chapter 24 and we look at verse number 40 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,080 one and Joshua is going to address the nation through its leaders. 41 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,040 And by the way, the people will follow a leader. 42 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,610 And through Joshua obviously was the leader after Moses. 43 00:02:16,610 --> 00:02:19,130 But there was going to be a void, there was going to be a challenge. 44 00:02:19,130 --> 00:02:22,610 Who was going to step up to be the spiritual leader for the people 45 00:02:22,610 --> 00:02:23,330 of Israel. 46 00:02:23,570 --> 00:02:27,370 And so Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called 47 00:02:27,370 --> 00:02:30,970 for the elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges 48 00:02:30,970 --> 00:02:32,170 and for their officers. 49 00:02:32,170 --> 00:02:34,050 And they presented themselves before God. 50 00:02:34,530 --> 00:02:39,410 And so this was this big, dramatic last gathering of the people 51 00:02:39,410 --> 00:02:41,570 of Israel before Joshua passes. 52 00:02:41,950 --> 00:02:45,870 And he's going to give some level of a farewell and then a challenge. 53 00:02:45,950 --> 00:02:50,430 And it's very reminiscent of the New Testament when Paul comes 54 00:02:50,430 --> 00:02:53,830 in second Timothy and essentially gives Timothy his last 55 00:02:53,830 --> 00:02:57,390 words as he's knowing that he's going to be martyred for his 56 00:02:57,390 --> 00:02:57,790 faith. 57 00:02:57,950 --> 00:03:00,750 And there's a challenge to stay faithful in that passage. 58 00:03:00,750 --> 00:03:03,750 And he here now is going to challenge the people to stay faithful. 59 00:03:03,750 --> 00:03:07,550 And so he calls the elders, the leaders of Israel, all the judges, 60 00:03:07,550 --> 00:03:08,670 all their officers. 61 00:03:09,020 --> 00:03:12,060 And we see this big gathering of all these important people. 62 00:03:12,220 --> 00:03:15,540 And Joshua could tell them a lot of things, he could give them 63 00:03:15,540 --> 00:03:17,860 a lot of advice, but what we're going to see is that it all 64 00:03:17,860 --> 00:03:22,340 centers around following God and trusting in everything that he 65 00:03:22,340 --> 00:03:23,100 has promised. 66 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:26,260 And so they're going to present themselves before God and 67 00:03:26,260 --> 00:03:30,140 really we're going to see a reminder to them of God's faithfulness. 68 00:03:30,140 --> 00:03:33,900 And so Joshua is going to recall how God has been faithful 69 00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:37,760 over the years, how he's been faithful to their ancestors, how 70 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,440 he's been faithful to them personally. 71 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,440 And I think that this is important for us within our own life. 72 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,360 I was just talking with someone recently about how tempting 73 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,840 it is to forget that God was faithful yesterday, to forget how 74 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,920 God has got us through trials yesterday. 75 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,680 And so we're going to get here to verse number two. 76 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,440 And Joshua says unto all the people, thus saith the Lord God of 77 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:57,920 Israel. 78 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,360 So we see that he's speaking directly with the authority of God. 79 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,010 He says, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in the 80 00:04:05,010 --> 00:04:08,130 old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father 81 00:04:08,130 --> 00:04:10,530 of Nacor, and they served other gods. 82 00:04:10,530 --> 00:04:15,730 And so he's talking here about who they were before God intervened 83 00:04:15,730 --> 00:04:16,330 in their life. 84 00:04:16,810 --> 00:04:19,530 And I think that this is so important for us as we're explaining 85 00:04:20,090 --> 00:04:21,850 our testimony to other people. 86 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:23,730 I went through this with the men yesterday. 87 00:04:23,730 --> 00:04:27,770 There's a very basic four part outline that we should all have within 88 00:04:27,770 --> 00:04:31,210 our testimony to other people about our relationship with God. 89 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,440 First and foremost, who we were before we met God. 90 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,760 Folks, when we paint that picture of who we were before God, 91 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,800 before God intervened in our life, it's a dark picture. 92 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:42,200 Actually. 93 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,600 Ephesians chapter two says that we were children of darkness, 94 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,280 that we were enemies of God. 95 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:51,560 But then we see in Ephesians 2, 4, but God. 96 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,360 And we see God coming on the scene and so what he's saying is, 97 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,080 this is who you were before God intervened. 98 00:04:57,230 --> 00:04:59,070 This is before God's plan for your life. 99 00:04:59,070 --> 00:05:03,230 And we were in Rwanda, and we sat around the men with the men, 100 00:05:03,230 --> 00:05:05,910 and we were like, all right, guys, we're going to walk through 101 00:05:05,910 --> 00:05:08,510 how we can share our testimony with other people. 102 00:05:08,670 --> 00:05:11,670 And the first step is this, to share who you were before the. 103 00:05:11,670 --> 00:05:13,870 Before God intervened and changed your life. 104 00:05:14,030 --> 00:05:15,590 It's not to glorify our sin. 105 00:05:15,590 --> 00:05:18,830 It's not to live back in that lifestyle of sin, but it's to remind 106 00:05:18,830 --> 00:05:22,230 ourselves how much God has changed us and taken us, as the New 107 00:05:22,230 --> 00:05:23,830 Testament says, from darkness to. 108 00:05:23,980 --> 00:05:25,140 Into marvelous light. 109 00:05:25,140 --> 00:05:27,340 And so he says, that's who you were before. 110 00:05:27,340 --> 00:05:27,900 Verse 3. 111 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:31,420 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood. 112 00:05:31,420 --> 00:05:31,780 So. 113 00:05:31,780 --> 00:05:35,100 So God moved Abraham and he says, and led him throughout all 114 00:05:35,100 --> 00:05:37,980 the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him 115 00:05:37,980 --> 00:05:38,380 Isaac. 116 00:05:38,380 --> 00:05:41,020 And I gave unto Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. 117 00:05:41,180 --> 00:05:45,020 And I gave unto Esau Mount Seir to possess it. 118 00:05:45,020 --> 00:05:47,780 But Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. 119 00:05:47,780 --> 00:05:53,090 And so he reminds the people of his faithfulness to them through 120 00:05:53,090 --> 00:05:55,050 Abraham and the patriarchs. 121 00:05:55,050 --> 00:05:57,930 But now he gets the verse number five, and he's going to remind 122 00:05:57,930 --> 00:06:00,050 them that he continued to be faithful. 123 00:06:00,050 --> 00:06:03,090 He continued to be faithful not only to Abraham and his children, 124 00:06:03,250 --> 00:06:07,330 but even more so to the people of Israel when they were escaping 125 00:06:07,330 --> 00:06:07,770 Egypt. 126 00:06:07,770 --> 00:06:08,370 Verse 5. 127 00:06:08,530 --> 00:06:12,810 I sent Moses also, and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt according to 128 00:06:12,810 --> 00:06:13,930 that which I did among them. 129 00:06:13,930 --> 00:06:17,860 And afterward I brought you out, and I brought your fathers out 130 00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:18,420 of Egypt. 131 00:06:18,420 --> 00:06:21,540 And ye came unto the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your 132 00:06:21,540 --> 00:06:24,380 fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the red sea. 133 00:06:24,540 --> 00:06:25,260 Verse 7. 134 00:06:25,260 --> 00:06:28,300 And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you 135 00:06:28,460 --> 00:06:31,899 and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them. 136 00:06:31,899 --> 00:06:34,220 And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt. 137 00:06:34,220 --> 00:06:36,660 And ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. 138 00:06:36,660 --> 00:06:40,940 And so verses five through seven remind the people of Israel 139 00:06:40,940 --> 00:06:43,840 that God was faithful to bring them out of the bondage of. 140 00:06:43,910 --> 00:06:47,350 Of evil in Egypt and bring them to the promised land, the. 141 00:06:47,350 --> 00:06:50,310 The land of promise, the land of salvation. 142 00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:52,310 And that's really what God has done for us. 143 00:06:52,310 --> 00:06:53,270 We were in Egypt. 144 00:06:53,510 --> 00:06:53,830 We. 145 00:06:53,830 --> 00:06:56,350 We were bound by the grip of sin. 146 00:06:56,350 --> 00:06:59,829 And then God changes us, and he takes us out of that bondage and 147 00:06:59,829 --> 00:07:03,870 he moves us to freedom in the promised land of walking in fellowship 148 00:07:03,870 --> 00:07:04,230 with him. 149 00:07:04,230 --> 00:07:08,510 And so he reminds them again of God's faithfulness by bringing 150 00:07:08,510 --> 00:07:09,670 them out of Egypt. 151 00:07:09,670 --> 00:07:13,570 But then he's also going to remind them of their time of wandering. 152 00:07:13,570 --> 00:07:16,410 Because we do need to be reminded sometimes of those times 153 00:07:16,410 --> 00:07:19,770 in which we did stray away, and that God still stayed faithful 154 00:07:19,770 --> 00:07:21,330 in the midst of our failures. 155 00:07:21,490 --> 00:07:22,010 Verse 8. 156 00:07:22,010 --> 00:07:25,170 And he says, and I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which 157 00:07:25,170 --> 00:07:27,730 dwelt on the other side of Jordan, and they fought with you, 158 00:07:27,970 --> 00:07:31,450 and I gave them into your hand that ye might possess their land. 159 00:07:31,450 --> 00:07:33,170 And I destroyed them before you. 160 00:07:33,410 --> 00:07:37,490 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against 161 00:07:37,490 --> 00:07:38,830 Israel and, and sent. 162 00:07:38,830 --> 00:07:42,310 And called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 163 00:07:42,390 --> 00:07:44,710 But I would not hearken unto Balaam. 164 00:07:45,110 --> 00:07:46,710 Therefore he blessed you still. 165 00:07:46,790 --> 00:07:49,350 So I delivered you out of his hand. 166 00:07:49,590 --> 00:07:53,430 And so we see here that God is reminding them of time and time again 167 00:07:53,670 --> 00:07:55,830 his deliverance in their life. 168 00:07:56,070 --> 00:07:57,590 They're tempted to forget, right? 169 00:07:57,750 --> 00:08:00,150 We know that when we look at the people of Israel, we. 170 00:08:00,390 --> 00:08:03,510 Maybe it's just me, but I look at them and I say, how could they 171 00:08:03,510 --> 00:08:03,910 forget? 172 00:08:04,420 --> 00:08:06,540 How could they forget about God's faithfulness? 173 00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:09,500 How could they forget about the manna falling from heaven? 174 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:12,900 How could they forget about God's provision with food and protection? 175 00:08:12,980 --> 00:08:15,900 You guys remember the story there, they were bitten by the vipers, 176 00:08:15,900 --> 00:08:16,100 right? 177 00:08:16,100 --> 00:08:16,380 And. 178 00:08:16,380 --> 00:08:18,100 And God lifted up the. 179 00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:18,460 The. 180 00:08:18,460 --> 00:08:20,940 The snake there, and they were looking to that for salvation. 181 00:08:20,940 --> 00:08:22,700 There was all these miraculous things. 182 00:08:22,700 --> 00:08:23,060 The. 183 00:08:23,060 --> 00:08:25,060 The fire by night, the cloud by day. 184 00:08:25,140 --> 00:08:27,900 But yet they were still tempted to go back to the old ways. 185 00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:30,060 They were still tempted to take the taste. 186 00:08:30,060 --> 00:08:32,420 And you guys even remember they said it would be better if we 187 00:08:32,420 --> 00:08:33,620 went back to Egypt, right? 188 00:08:34,660 --> 00:08:37,020 And so he's reminding them that, no, I have been faithful to 189 00:08:37,020 --> 00:08:37,260 you. 190 00:08:37,260 --> 00:08:39,780 Don't feel like there's something better. 191 00:08:40,180 --> 00:08:43,380 Don't believe the lie that the grass is greener on the other side. 192 00:08:43,380 --> 00:08:43,780 No. 193 00:08:43,860 --> 00:08:47,260 That the best place to be is walking in the fellowship of the 194 00:08:47,260 --> 00:08:47,540 Lord. 195 00:08:47,540 --> 00:08:47,820 Why? 196 00:08:47,820 --> 00:08:48,980 Because he's our deliverer. 197 00:08:48,980 --> 00:08:52,620 He's our redeemer, he's our Savior, he's our Father, he's our 198 00:08:52,620 --> 00:08:52,980 everything. 199 00:08:53,140 --> 00:08:56,380 And therefore he's going to challenge them to get to a place 200 00:08:56,380 --> 00:08:58,980 in their life where they recall the goodness of God. 201 00:08:59,630 --> 00:09:01,390 What do we do on Sunday mornings when we come together? 202 00:09:01,790 --> 00:09:03,630 Well, Pastor, it's called a worship service. 203 00:09:03,630 --> 00:09:04,710 Well, what are we worshiping? 204 00:09:04,710 --> 00:09:07,870 We're worshiping God for who he is and what he has done. 205 00:09:08,670 --> 00:09:10,910 Folks, we have a reason to celebrate on Sunday. 206 00:09:11,230 --> 00:09:13,550 You know, we get out here on our sunrise service. 207 00:09:13,630 --> 00:09:16,190 I love the sunrise service. 208 00:09:16,190 --> 00:09:18,670 It's one of my favorite things we do throughout the year. 209 00:09:18,670 --> 00:09:21,670 We get out there and we see the sun popping up, and we remind 210 00:09:21,670 --> 00:09:24,310 ourselves of what the people might have thought when they saw 211 00:09:24,310 --> 00:09:26,530 that sunrise on that Sunday morning. 212 00:09:26,530 --> 00:09:27,730 And there's hope, right? 213 00:09:27,730 --> 00:09:28,890 The tomb is empty. 214 00:09:28,890 --> 00:09:30,010 Jesus is alive. 215 00:09:30,010 --> 00:09:30,970 And we celebrate. 216 00:09:30,970 --> 00:09:33,770 You know, we do that, and we should do that on that Sunday morning. 217 00:09:33,850 --> 00:09:35,850 But, you know, every Sunday's that day. 218 00:09:35,930 --> 00:09:37,850 Every Sunday we celebrate Jesus. 219 00:09:37,850 --> 00:09:39,130 And it's the day of the Lord. 220 00:09:39,130 --> 00:09:42,049 And really it should be every day that we're celebrating our risen 221 00:09:42,049 --> 00:09:42,410 Savior. 222 00:09:42,410 --> 00:09:46,090 So he says, here, be reminded of my faithfulness. 223 00:09:46,890 --> 00:09:48,970 That's why we sing songs about the Lord. 224 00:09:48,970 --> 00:09:51,050 That's why we study his word. 225 00:09:51,490 --> 00:09:54,610 That's why we fellowship one with another and have unity across 226 00:09:54,690 --> 00:09:55,290 borders. 227 00:09:55,290 --> 00:09:58,570 And that's why we have hope, is because there's something bigger, 228 00:09:58,570 --> 00:09:59,410 there's something better. 229 00:09:59,410 --> 00:10:02,210 We're celebrating the power and the deliverance of God. 230 00:10:02,210 --> 00:10:05,010 And so he's going to give more reminders of faithfulness. 231 00:10:05,170 --> 00:10:09,490 In verses 11 through 13, he says, and he went over Jordan and 232 00:10:09,490 --> 00:10:10,450 came unto Jericho. 233 00:10:10,450 --> 00:10:14,170 So now he's starting to talk to people about things that they 234 00:10:14,170 --> 00:10:16,050 personally experienced in their life, right? 235 00:10:16,050 --> 00:10:19,020 Coming across the Jordan river, and they go to Jericho. 236 00:10:19,020 --> 00:10:20,700 And you guys remember the story of Jericho. 237 00:10:21,100 --> 00:10:21,420 The. 238 00:10:21,420 --> 00:10:21,660 The. 239 00:10:21,660 --> 00:10:22,420 They go to the. 240 00:10:22,420 --> 00:10:23,300 The walls there. 241 00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:27,020 And Jericho looked like it had a lot of strength because of those 242 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:28,340 impenetrable walls. 243 00:10:28,340 --> 00:10:29,100 But what did they do? 244 00:10:29,100 --> 00:10:29,860 They marched around. 245 00:10:29,860 --> 00:10:32,900 They did something beyond our comprehension, but they trusted in 246 00:10:32,900 --> 00:10:36,020 the power of God and blew the trumpets and called out, and they 247 00:10:36,020 --> 00:10:37,220 saw the power of God working. 248 00:10:37,220 --> 00:10:39,100 They saw the walls of Jericho fall. 249 00:10:39,740 --> 00:10:42,700 Folks, I know that maybe you haven't seen the literal walls of 250 00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:45,500 Jericho falling, but maybe there's been some things in your 251 00:10:45,500 --> 00:10:49,540 life that look so big and so powerful and so evil that you never 252 00:10:49,540 --> 00:10:50,620 thought you could overcome them. 253 00:10:50,620 --> 00:10:53,700 But through the power of God, you saw those walls fall. 254 00:10:53,940 --> 00:10:55,340 You saw those giants fall. 255 00:10:55,340 --> 00:10:57,380 You saw the Jordan river open up. 256 00:10:57,380 --> 00:11:00,300 And folks, what we're going to see here is that he's just reminding 257 00:11:00,300 --> 00:11:02,340 them of his power in their life. 258 00:11:02,340 --> 00:11:04,740 And so he says, the men of Jericho fought against you. 259 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:07,220 The Amorites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and 260 00:11:07,220 --> 00:11:09,860 the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Hivites and the 261 00:11:09,860 --> 00:11:10,740 Jebusites. 262 00:11:10,930 --> 00:11:13,730 And I delivered them into your hand. 263 00:11:13,730 --> 00:11:16,850 No matter who came against them, he delivered. 264 00:11:17,010 --> 00:11:18,650 And I sent the hornet before you. 265 00:11:18,650 --> 00:11:20,570 And which drave them out before you. 266 00:11:20,570 --> 00:11:22,050 Even the two kings of the Amorites. 267 00:11:22,050 --> 00:11:24,410 But not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. 268 00:11:24,410 --> 00:11:27,650 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor. 269 00:11:28,450 --> 00:11:31,810 The Israelites did not earn that land on their own merits. 270 00:11:32,450 --> 00:11:34,690 They weren't the most advanced. 271 00:11:35,090 --> 00:11:37,210 If you remember, there was actually a story where they were 272 00:11:37,210 --> 00:11:40,630 like, those people have way better tools than we do. 273 00:11:40,630 --> 00:11:41,910 They have better chariots. 274 00:11:41,910 --> 00:11:42,230 They. 275 00:11:42,390 --> 00:11:43,510 They have more people. 276 00:11:43,510 --> 00:11:44,710 They have more weapons. 277 00:11:44,950 --> 00:11:48,390 So it wasn't a matter of the Israelites just being the most industrious 278 00:11:48,470 --> 00:11:49,910 or the most crafty. 279 00:11:50,150 --> 00:11:50,470 No. 280 00:11:50,470 --> 00:11:52,790 It says here that they did not labor on their own. 281 00:11:52,790 --> 00:11:55,470 It was God who gave them those cities and those victories. 282 00:11:55,470 --> 00:11:57,990 And he says, the cities which he built not. 283 00:11:58,390 --> 00:12:02,390 And ye dwell in them, of the vineyards and olive yards which ye 284 00:12:02,390 --> 00:12:04,530 planted not, do ye eat. 285 00:12:04,530 --> 00:12:07,410 And so the principle that he's reminding them is that you never 286 00:12:07,410 --> 00:12:07,970 earned this. 287 00:12:08,290 --> 00:12:11,170 This was all through God's grace and mercy. 288 00:12:11,170 --> 00:12:13,770 And let me tell you something here this evening, and this is something 289 00:12:13,770 --> 00:12:15,090 that sometimes we need to hear. 290 00:12:15,410 --> 00:12:20,690 Everything that we have is not given to us through our hard work. 291 00:12:21,010 --> 00:12:24,290 Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from God. 292 00:12:24,610 --> 00:12:26,290 Everything that we have is from Him. 293 00:12:26,610 --> 00:12:28,970 And sometimes we think that it's something that we earned or 294 00:12:28,970 --> 00:12:30,130 something that we deserve. 295 00:12:30,460 --> 00:12:34,860 Folks, what we deserve, you know, what we deserve for the wages 296 00:12:35,180 --> 00:12:36,780 of sin is death. 297 00:12:37,260 --> 00:12:40,380 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 298 00:12:40,620 --> 00:12:43,460 When I see it from that perspective, when I see that I don't 299 00:12:43,460 --> 00:12:45,100 deserve this, I don't deserve this. 300 00:12:45,180 --> 00:12:46,140 I don't deserve this. 301 00:12:46,140 --> 00:12:48,020 But yet God has given this to me. 302 00:12:48,020 --> 00:12:51,780 It brings us to a place of gratitude and remembrance, and it 303 00:12:51,780 --> 00:12:55,620 gives us a passion that can't be manifested by the things of this 304 00:12:55,620 --> 00:12:55,900 world. 305 00:12:56,420 --> 00:12:59,220 And so he says, here, look, you didn't earn this. 306 00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:02,380 You didn't build these cities, but yet you benefit from it. 307 00:13:02,380 --> 00:13:02,660 You. 308 00:13:02,660 --> 00:13:05,660 You didn't plant these vineyards, but you benefit from it. 309 00:13:05,660 --> 00:13:07,340 You eat from it, folks. 310 00:13:07,340 --> 00:13:08,180 I. I didn't. 311 00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:10,180 I wasn't here when this building was built. 312 00:13:10,180 --> 00:13:10,900 Some of you were. 313 00:13:11,460 --> 00:13:13,140 Praise God for that faithfulness. 314 00:13:13,540 --> 00:13:17,460 But I get to reap the benefits of faithfulness from years past. 315 00:13:18,100 --> 00:13:20,380 And we think about that, and we should be thankful for that. 316 00:13:20,380 --> 00:13:21,620 We should be stewards of it. 317 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,760 We should utilize every resource. 318 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:27,240 We should think about a towel that is soaking wet. 319 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,760 We should wring that towel as dry as we possibly can. 320 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,640 Every nutrient we need to take in that God has given us in our resources. 321 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,680 We celebrated independence not too long ago here in our country. 322 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:39,560 Freedom, right? 323 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:40,760 In America, we're free. 324 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,680 But the question is not what are we going to do for ourselves, 325 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:46,160 but what are we going to do for the Lord with that freedom that 326 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:46,680 we have? 327 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:48,440 Are we stewards of that freedom? 328 00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:52,820 And so here he Says, look, it is because of someone who came before 329 00:13:52,820 --> 00:13:53,740 you and it's God. 330 00:13:53,740 --> 00:13:56,780 Ultimately then the other question would be is what are we 331 00:13:56,780 --> 00:13:58,060 going to leave for the next generation? 332 00:13:58,860 --> 00:14:01,900 What about the people that come in the next 20 years, the next 333 00:14:01,900 --> 00:14:03,860 40 years, the next 100 years? 334 00:14:03,860 --> 00:14:05,820 It's hard for us to think about that far out. 335 00:14:06,300 --> 00:14:09,660 But what we see is that God has been faithful to those before 336 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:11,580 and he will be faithful to us. 337 00:14:11,580 --> 00:14:14,580 And we need to stay faithful to him as best that we can. 338 00:14:14,580 --> 00:14:16,460 Though we will stumble, though we will fail. 339 00:14:17,170 --> 00:14:20,330 And so as God is speaking through Joshua, he's reminding them 340 00:14:20,330 --> 00:14:23,090 essentially of his mercy and his grace. 341 00:14:23,650 --> 00:14:27,050 Says, it's not by your sword, it's not by your bow, but it's through 342 00:14:27,050 --> 00:14:27,770 the power of God. 343 00:14:27,770 --> 00:14:32,290 They should have remembered this as they move forward, and we 344 00:14:32,450 --> 00:14:34,610 hope that they do as we read this. 345 00:14:34,610 --> 00:14:37,090 But many of you know the next book of the Bible, the Book of Judges, 346 00:14:37,090 --> 00:14:42,410 they go into a vicious cycle of thinking that they have it all 347 00:14:42,410 --> 00:14:46,220 together, wanting what other people have, turning away from God 348 00:14:46,220 --> 00:14:49,140 and going through that discipline and God restores them. 349 00:14:49,140 --> 00:14:50,660 And that's that cycle that we see. 350 00:14:50,660 --> 00:14:54,020 And often we see that cycle happening within our church today. 351 00:14:55,540 --> 00:15:00,500 I'm so frustrated even with myself sometimes that I would go 352 00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:03,860 back to that old way that I would desire and think that the grass 353 00:15:03,860 --> 00:15:04,380 is greener. 354 00:15:04,380 --> 00:15:06,980 And he says, no, it's not better to go that way. 355 00:15:06,980 --> 00:15:09,580 And so he says, okay, now there's a decision that we have to 356 00:15:09,580 --> 00:15:09,860 make. 357 00:15:09,860 --> 00:15:11,540 There's a decision that we have to make. 358 00:15:11,540 --> 00:15:15,920 We have to decide who we are going to serve. 359 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:17,120 Verse 14. 360 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,240 Now, therefore, fear the Lord. 361 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,680 Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 362 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:24,880 Folks. 363 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,200 I do believe that there are many people who either don't understand 364 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:32,880 or don't want to hear the importance of the fear of God. 365 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,040 There should be a healthy fear of God. 366 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:35,600 It's not. 367 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,360 It's not a fear of condemnation. 368 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:37,960 Praise God. 369 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:41,340 Romans 8 tells us that there's no more condemnation to those that 370 00:15:41,340 --> 00:15:42,020 are in Christ Jesus. 371 00:15:42,020 --> 00:15:44,900 So it's not a fear of condemnation and judgment, but it 372 00:15:44,900 --> 00:15:48,540 is a healthy respect of who he is and what he has done. 373 00:15:48,780 --> 00:15:52,380 Our world needs to be reminded of the power of God and there needs 374 00:15:52,380 --> 00:15:56,860 to be a new found awe of the power of God in this world. 375 00:15:57,340 --> 00:15:59,140 The fear of God is an important thing. 376 00:15:59,140 --> 00:16:03,100 And so he says, fear the Lord and what serve him. 377 00:16:03,580 --> 00:16:07,870 So it's not a fear that petrifies and holds us back and actually 378 00:16:07,870 --> 00:16:13,990 gives us a passive spirit, but it's a type of fear that brings us 379 00:16:13,990 --> 00:16:17,030 to a Place of passion to serve Him. 380 00:16:17,510 --> 00:16:22,790 And so he says, serve him in sincerity and in truth. 381 00:16:22,870 --> 00:16:24,710 Think about those two things right there. 382 00:16:25,030 --> 00:16:30,350 Sincerity, a sincere heart, a heart that is motivated by the love 383 00:16:30,350 --> 00:16:30,870 of God. 384 00:16:30,870 --> 00:16:33,430 A heart that's motivated to glorify God. 385 00:16:33,790 --> 00:16:35,390 It's not a heart to glorify ourselves. 386 00:16:35,390 --> 00:16:39,150 He says serve him in sincerity and in truth. 387 00:16:39,390 --> 00:16:42,710 It reminds me of when Jesus is talking in John chapter four to, 388 00:16:42,710 --> 00:16:45,150 to worship him in spirit and in truth. 389 00:16:45,390 --> 00:16:49,110 Folks, there should be a level of sincerity and passion in our worship, 390 00:16:49,110 --> 00:16:53,190 but that should always be married to the truth because oftentimes 391 00:16:53,190 --> 00:16:57,550 we'll see either one side of the, of the ditch that we fall into. 392 00:16:57,630 --> 00:17:01,460 Sometimes people are all about the truth and the law, but yet have 393 00:17:01,460 --> 00:17:03,980 no sincerity and love and compassion for other people. 394 00:17:04,540 --> 00:17:06,060 And we talked about that this morning. 395 00:17:06,060 --> 00:17:09,780 You know, those that are gifted sometimes in the gift of prophecy 396 00:17:09,780 --> 00:17:12,220 in their life and they're perceiving the truth, they might 397 00:17:12,220 --> 00:17:14,860 come down hard upon someone and don't have any grace. 398 00:17:15,100 --> 00:17:18,140 But on the same time, there's those that have compassion that might 399 00:17:18,140 --> 00:17:22,940 err on the side of, of really being sacrificing some level of truth 400 00:17:22,940 --> 00:17:23,660 to show love. 401 00:17:23,660 --> 00:17:26,340 Like, well, we can't tell them that they're bad because we want 402 00:17:26,340 --> 00:17:28,860 to make sure that they feel, feel loved and accepted. 403 00:17:28,940 --> 00:17:31,180 Folks, either side is a problem. 404 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:35,340 We must serve God in sincerity and love and compassion, but also 405 00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:37,820 at the same time serving him in truth. 406 00:17:38,060 --> 00:17:39,740 Someone says, how does that balance? 407 00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:42,940 Well, the only balance that we can perfectly see is through the 408 00:17:42,940 --> 00:17:44,300 ministry of Jesus Christ. 409 00:17:44,860 --> 00:17:47,980 We see those times in which he does tell people the truth. 410 00:17:47,980 --> 00:17:50,140 Think about the time where he's with the woman at the well. 411 00:17:50,140 --> 00:17:51,540 He doesn't pull any punches. 412 00:17:51,540 --> 00:17:53,100 He speaks the truth about her life. 413 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,840 We see times in which Jesus does come down and come into the 414 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,880 temple and turn over the tables because of their rebellion. 415 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,440 But at the same time, we also see Jesus helping different people 416 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,720 and showing them the way and giving them grace and giving them 417 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:07,120 patience. 418 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:11,200 And so what we're seeing here is he says there is a proper response 419 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,920 to the fear of the Lord and that is proper service to Him. 420 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,240 And so doing that, he says this to serve him with sincerity 421 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:18,880 and truth. 422 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:23,680 He says, put away the gods which your fathers served on the 423 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:28,400 other side of the flood and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord. 424 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,440 He says, you can't serve two masters. 425 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,480 We know that Jesus taught that you can't serve two masters because 426 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,040 you're either going to love one and hate the other, or vice versa. 427 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:38,040 You can't love both. 428 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:41,160 And the Bible Says in the book of James, a double minded man is 429 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:42,760 unstable in all of his ways. 430 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:46,930 A double minded man is someone who in Scripture is described as 431 00:18:46,930 --> 00:18:50,170 someone who wants to put one foot in the world and one foot in 432 00:18:50,170 --> 00:18:53,650 the things of God and try to get the best of both worlds. 433 00:18:53,650 --> 00:18:55,130 The Bible says we can't do that. 434 00:18:55,770 --> 00:18:56,970 We can't love the world. 435 00:18:57,690 --> 00:19:00,490 The Bible says that in first John, love not the world, neither 436 00:19:00,490 --> 00:19:02,730 the things that are in the world, because it's not of the Father. 437 00:19:02,970 --> 00:19:05,410 Everything of the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the 438 00:19:05,410 --> 00:19:06,730 eyes, and the pride of life. 439 00:19:06,730 --> 00:19:09,330 You could categorize everything in this world in those 440 00:19:09,330 --> 00:19:10,090 three categories. 441 00:19:10,420 --> 00:19:12,660 Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life. 442 00:19:13,060 --> 00:19:15,300 But the things of God are like this. 443 00:19:15,620 --> 00:19:20,300 Goodness, truth, holiness, righteousness, love, grace. 444 00:19:20,300 --> 00:19:24,660 All those things that we see in Scripture given to us and ultimately 445 00:19:25,060 --> 00:19:26,980 summarize in the fruit of the Spirit. 446 00:19:26,980 --> 00:19:31,380 So he says, don't serve the other gods. 447 00:19:31,700 --> 00:19:34,900 Don't turn back, don't compromise. 448 00:19:35,140 --> 00:19:38,190 Don't think that that's going to slide. 449 00:19:38,270 --> 00:19:41,070 Don't think that it's better to go back to them. 450 00:19:41,310 --> 00:19:44,190 Don't make the same mistakes that were made before in the last 451 00:19:44,190 --> 00:19:44,830 generation. 452 00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:48,470 Folks, I'm thankful for the generations that came before me. 453 00:19:48,470 --> 00:19:51,430 I'm thankful for my parents, I'm thankful for my grandparents. 454 00:19:51,430 --> 00:19:55,590 I'm thankful for this church and the many years and the many people 455 00:19:55,590 --> 00:19:56,750 that have been faithful. 456 00:19:57,470 --> 00:20:01,150 But folks, I don't think that we have to repeat the same mistakes 457 00:20:01,150 --> 00:20:02,990 that were made in the generations before us. 458 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:06,960 I mean, I'm thankful for faithfulness, but there are things 459 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:07,920 that we can learn from. 460 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,520 There are things that we can say, you know what, this person got 461 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,320 this right, but they didn't get this right, right. 462 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:13,320 We do that in Scripture. 463 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,720 Do you follow everything that David does? 464 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:17,960 I hope that you don't follow everything David does. 465 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:19,400 David made some big mistakes. 466 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,240 So there are things that we can learn from on the side of David 467 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,040 to say, I don't want to do that. 468 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:27,080 It's not a judgment, it's just I'm learning, I'm perceiving. 469 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:31,010 So he says, don't be like these people that turn back, serve 470 00:20:31,010 --> 00:20:33,130 ye the Lord, verse 15. 471 00:20:33,130 --> 00:20:37,730 I mean, here's the theme verse of the whole book, okay? 472 00:20:38,370 --> 00:20:39,890 It's, it's the culmination. 473 00:20:40,210 --> 00:20:43,490 It's, it's really the verse that drew me to preach out of the 474 00:20:43,490 --> 00:20:44,370 book of Joshua. 475 00:20:44,370 --> 00:20:49,370 Because I do believe that every single person has to come down 476 00:20:49,370 --> 00:20:52,610 and answer whether or not they're going to choose to serve 477 00:20:52,610 --> 00:20:54,610 God or Serve something else. 478 00:20:55,740 --> 00:20:58,060 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord. 479 00:20:58,060 --> 00:20:59,260 Now why does he say this? 480 00:21:00,220 --> 00:21:03,260 Why does he say if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord? 481 00:21:03,260 --> 00:21:06,340 Well, there were probably people that are like, serving the 482 00:21:06,340 --> 00:21:06,700 Lord. 483 00:21:07,020 --> 00:21:08,260 They had a question about that. 484 00:21:08,260 --> 00:21:09,500 Maybe they thought, well, he's being. 485 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:12,060 He's an extremist, or he's being too serious about this. 486 00:21:12,140 --> 00:21:13,180 We can have both. 487 00:21:13,260 --> 00:21:17,580 He's being serious and he's calling them to a crisis point moment. 488 00:21:17,580 --> 00:21:20,380 Basically, if you choose this way, this is what's going to happen. 489 00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:22,620 If you choose this way, this is what's going to happen. 490 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,640 He says, if you think it's evil to serve the Lord, choose you 491 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:26,920 this day whom you will serve. 492 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:28,400 He says, you're going to serve somebody. 493 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:29,480 Right? 494 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,280 The reality is, is that we're going to serve something or someone. 495 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,480 We're either going to serve ourselves, we're going to serve somebody 496 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:41,040 else, we're going to serve a false God, we're going to serve money, 497 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:44,320 we're going to serve passion, we're going to serve pleasure, we're 498 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:46,600 going to serve our flesh, whatever it is. 499 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,800 We are designed to be a servant of something. 500 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,800 So he says, choose you this day whom ye will serve. 501 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:55,440 Whether we know it or not. 502 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,760 We make decisions on who or what we are going to serve in our 503 00:21:58,760 --> 00:21:59,000 life. 504 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,400 And we make those decisions by how we act. 505 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,920 We prove who we are serving by how we act in our life. 506 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:09,720 If it's all about me, if everything about my life is about 507 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:11,920 my ultimate pleasure, guess what? 508 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:12,840 I'm serving myself. 509 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,040 I'm not serving the Lord. 510 00:22:14,930 --> 00:22:17,290 And so what he says here is that there's a decision that we have 511 00:22:17,290 --> 00:22:17,570 to make. 512 00:22:17,570 --> 00:22:21,250 Folks, we are designed to be creatures of faith. 513 00:22:21,490 --> 00:22:23,410 We put faith in something. 514 00:22:23,730 --> 00:22:26,210 God designed it so that we will put faith in him. 515 00:22:26,210 --> 00:22:31,330 The only true, perfect, sustaining, sufficient object of 516 00:22:31,490 --> 00:22:31,970 faith. 517 00:22:32,130 --> 00:22:33,690 He's the only thing that can hold up. 518 00:22:33,690 --> 00:22:35,410 He's the only sure foundation. 519 00:22:35,650 --> 00:22:38,650 But there's going to be people who build their house either upon 520 00:22:38,650 --> 00:22:42,460 that sure foundation of the rock, as Jesus said, or there's going 521 00:22:42,460 --> 00:22:45,900 to be people that build their house on that sinking sand that eventually, 522 00:22:46,380 --> 00:22:50,460 when the storms of life come, will then crash down and fall in 523 00:22:50,460 --> 00:22:51,100 on itself. 524 00:22:51,980 --> 00:22:54,540 Folks, both of those houses that are mentioned there in that 525 00:22:54,540 --> 00:22:56,700 parable look the same on the outside. 526 00:22:57,820 --> 00:22:59,260 They were the same on the outside. 527 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:01,900 The only difference is what they were built on. 528 00:23:02,380 --> 00:23:05,740 And so we see a lot of people that might look the part, they might 529 00:23:05,740 --> 00:23:07,500 talk the part, that might act the part. 530 00:23:07,870 --> 00:23:11,630 But what was the true test when the storms of life came. 531 00:23:11,950 --> 00:23:14,790 And when the storms of life come, that's really when it's going 532 00:23:14,790 --> 00:23:17,470 to reveal what our faith is built upon. 533 00:23:17,870 --> 00:23:23,470 The faith built upon the rock, the cornerstone, the one who knows 534 00:23:23,470 --> 00:23:25,710 all, the one who's done everything for us. 535 00:23:25,710 --> 00:23:28,310 Or is it going to be built on something that eventually will crash 536 00:23:28,310 --> 00:23:29,230 in on itself? 537 00:23:29,550 --> 00:23:31,790 And that's what Joshua is teaching here. 538 00:23:31,790 --> 00:23:32,990 He says, what are you going to choose? 539 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:37,440 He says, whether the gods which your father served that were 540 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,440 on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites 541 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,960 and whose land you dwell, he poses to them, basically, here's 542 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:45,640 your options. 543 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:49,720 You can choose the gods of your fathers, you can choose the 544 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:54,080 gods of the Amorites, but eventually you're going to have to 545 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:54,440 choose. 546 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,520 And if they chose not to serve the Lord, they were going to be responsible 547 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,320 for whatever deity they were going to serve. 548 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,400 And if they serve the gods from the other side of the river, 549 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:08,160 if they serve the gods of the Canaanites, they were eventually 550 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,080 going to reap what that would bring about in their life. 551 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:12,200 We sow, we reap. 552 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:14,040 And so they had to make a choice. 553 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:16,120 Everyone serves some sort of God. 554 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:18,560 And so what is the clear choice? 555 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,960 Well, I think Peter gave us the clear choice. 556 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:25,720 In John, chapter 6, verse 68, you remember Jesus turns to Peter. 557 00:24:26,850 --> 00:24:28,450 He says, peter, are you going to leave too? 558 00:24:28,610 --> 00:24:31,490 Or he actually turns to the disciples, a bunch of people start 559 00:24:31,490 --> 00:24:31,890 leaving. 560 00:24:32,130 --> 00:24:33,690 And he says, are you going to leave? 561 00:24:33,690 --> 00:24:35,890 And Peter answers in John 6:68. 562 00:24:35,970 --> 00:24:39,210 Then said Simon Peter and answered him, lord, to whom shall 563 00:24:39,210 --> 00:24:39,730 we go? 564 00:24:40,210 --> 00:24:42,050 Thou hast the words of eternal life. 565 00:24:42,370 --> 00:24:44,450 What Peter recognized there was this. 566 00:24:44,450 --> 00:24:48,210 There's nobody else that can give us the words of life. 567 00:24:48,210 --> 00:24:50,530 There's nobody else that we can trust. 568 00:24:50,770 --> 00:24:54,410 Later on, we know that in another passage right there at Cesarea 569 00:24:54,410 --> 00:24:58,330 Philippi, Jesus asks the disciples, whom do men say that I 570 00:24:58,330 --> 00:24:58,570 am? 571 00:24:58,570 --> 00:24:58,930 And. 572 00:24:59,010 --> 00:25:01,370 And they respond, well, some think you're a prophet. 573 00:25:01,370 --> 00:25:04,050 Some think you're John the Baptist, some think you're Jeremiah. 574 00:25:04,050 --> 00:25:07,970 And then he goes, okay, that's good or bad, however you see it, 575 00:25:07,970 --> 00:25:09,410 but what do you believe? 576 00:25:09,890 --> 00:25:12,050 And that's the true question that all of us have to answer in 577 00:25:12,050 --> 00:25:12,450 our life. 578 00:25:12,930 --> 00:25:16,330 Not what that person says about Jesus, not what this media 579 00:25:16,330 --> 00:25:19,490 outlet says about Jesus, but what do I say about Jesus? 580 00:25:19,490 --> 00:25:22,790 And course, Jesus says, thou art the Christ, the son of the living 581 00:25:22,790 --> 00:25:23,030 God. 582 00:25:23,030 --> 00:25:25,750 And of course, Peter is commended for that belief. 583 00:25:25,750 --> 00:25:28,590 And we know that Jesus even tells Peter, that's not from you. 584 00:25:28,590 --> 00:25:30,230 That's something that you have received of God. 585 00:25:30,230 --> 00:25:30,990 That's a blessing. 586 00:25:31,310 --> 00:25:33,590 And so all of us have to come to grips with that. 587 00:25:33,590 --> 00:25:35,350 And so what does Joshua say? 588 00:25:35,350 --> 00:25:37,030 Joshua leads by example. 589 00:25:37,030 --> 00:25:41,270 He leads by what he says, and he also leads by how he acts. 590 00:25:41,270 --> 00:25:46,680 And he says, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 591 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,200 That's a strong commitment, folks. 592 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:56,000 I hope, I pray, I trust that that's something that you can say 593 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,560 as not only a wish, but a commitment to God. 594 00:26:00,120 --> 00:26:01,560 It doesn't say that you're going to be perfect. 595 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:03,240 None of us can be perfect. 596 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,560 It doesn't say that we're going to have all the right answers. 597 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:08,240 He says, no. 598 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,880 But as for me and my house, we are committed to serve the one true 599 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,430 God, not something else, not ourselves, not the world. 600 00:26:15,590 --> 00:26:17,350 There's so many distractions. 601 00:26:17,670 --> 00:26:20,390 I don't know about you, but sometimes when I wake up in the morning, 602 00:26:20,390 --> 00:26:24,510 I just feel the pressure of the world pooling and trying to get 603 00:26:24,510 --> 00:26:27,350 me to not do the things that God wants me to do. 604 00:26:27,750 --> 00:26:30,270 My flesh doesn't want me to be the right type of husband. 605 00:26:30,270 --> 00:26:32,790 My flesh does not want me to be the right type of father. 606 00:26:32,790 --> 00:26:35,470 My flesh wants to do everything that the Bible tells me 607 00:26:35,470 --> 00:26:36,310 that I should do. 608 00:26:36,310 --> 00:26:38,500 But on the other side of things, the spirit is. 609 00:26:38,570 --> 00:26:40,770 Is telling me all those things and, and leading me. 610 00:26:40,770 --> 00:26:42,330 So it really boils down to this. 611 00:26:42,490 --> 00:26:45,610 Are we going to yield to the flesh or are we going to yield to 612 00:26:45,610 --> 00:26:46,170 the spirit? 613 00:26:46,970 --> 00:26:49,770 Joshua says, as for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. 614 00:26:50,010 --> 00:26:51,610 It's not going to always be easy. 615 00:26:52,090 --> 00:26:53,770 It's not going to be smooth sailing. 616 00:26:54,010 --> 00:26:55,930 Not everyone's going to understand this. 617 00:26:56,090 --> 00:26:57,450 There will be people that question. 618 00:26:57,450 --> 00:26:58,890 There will be people that come against. 619 00:26:59,050 --> 00:27:02,010 There will be people that fight against us to do the right 620 00:27:02,010 --> 00:27:02,330 thing. 621 00:27:02,650 --> 00:27:04,890 The enemy will certainly try to stop that. 622 00:27:05,230 --> 00:27:08,390 But we're going to decide today that we are going to serve 623 00:27:08,390 --> 00:27:08,910 the Lord. 624 00:27:09,070 --> 00:27:13,830 I know for us, even in our own home, you know, I don't think you 625 00:27:13,830 --> 00:27:16,910 have to post it up, but for us, it's good for me to have a visual 626 00:27:17,070 --> 00:27:19,950 right above the door as we head out of our garage. 627 00:27:20,270 --> 00:27:21,230 I don't know about you guys. 628 00:27:21,230 --> 00:27:23,270 I go out the front door sometimes, but I'm usually going 629 00:27:23,270 --> 00:27:23,830 out the garage. 630 00:27:23,830 --> 00:27:26,950 I have it right above the door because it reminds me every day as 631 00:27:26,950 --> 00:27:28,750 I walk out that I'm going to serve the Lord. 632 00:27:28,750 --> 00:27:31,110 Today I'm going to be tempted not to serve the Lord. 633 00:27:31,110 --> 00:27:34,380 Today I'm going to be tempted to come home and not do the things 634 00:27:34,380 --> 00:27:35,820 that God wants me to do. 635 00:27:35,980 --> 00:27:40,020 But we have to be resolved in Our decision to say, no, I'm going 636 00:27:40,020 --> 00:27:44,060 to serve God even when it's hard, even when there's questions, 637 00:27:44,620 --> 00:27:46,180 even when there's persecution. 638 00:27:46,180 --> 00:27:49,980 And folks in America, we face very little persecution. 639 00:27:50,780 --> 00:27:54,380 And so let's utilize the freedoms that we have. 640 00:27:54,620 --> 00:27:56,100 Let's be excited for it. 641 00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:56,820 Let's say, you know what? 642 00:27:56,820 --> 00:27:57,930 No, we're going to choose. 643 00:27:57,930 --> 00:27:58,730 We're going to be different. 644 00:27:59,290 --> 00:28:00,330 Think about, think about. 645 00:28:00,730 --> 00:28:02,330 Think about how the world teaches us. 646 00:28:02,570 --> 00:28:05,530 They're like, you know, you, you Christians are weird. 647 00:28:05,530 --> 00:28:06,170 Be like us. 648 00:28:06,890 --> 00:28:08,130 Well, first of all, why? 649 00:28:08,130 --> 00:28:09,930 Why does the world want me to be like them? 650 00:28:09,930 --> 00:28:12,690 Because misery loves company and they want to drag us into the 651 00:28:12,690 --> 00:28:13,130 darkness. 652 00:28:13,370 --> 00:28:14,810 But what I'm going to tell you is this. 653 00:28:14,970 --> 00:28:18,410 The Bible says that we are a peculiar people, a different people. 654 00:28:18,410 --> 00:28:19,810 And it doesn't mean we try to be. 655 00:28:19,810 --> 00:28:21,930 It just means that if we live for Christ, we should be different 656 00:28:22,490 --> 00:28:25,860 people, should look at our lives and say, what's different about 657 00:28:25,860 --> 00:28:26,260 you? 658 00:28:26,500 --> 00:28:28,020 Why don't you say these things? 659 00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:29,700 Why don't you join in with us? 660 00:28:30,100 --> 00:28:32,180 Why does your family go to church? 661 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:34,180 Why does your family serve? 662 00:28:34,180 --> 00:28:35,540 Why does your family give? 663 00:28:35,700 --> 00:28:36,460 Well, you know what? 664 00:28:36,460 --> 00:28:41,300 That's a perfect opportunity, 1st Peter 3:15, to sanctify the Lord 665 00:28:41,300 --> 00:28:45,340 God in our hearts and be ready to give an answer for the hope that's 666 00:28:45,340 --> 00:28:49,660 within us with meekness and fear to give an answer. 667 00:28:49,660 --> 00:28:49,940 Why? 668 00:28:49,940 --> 00:28:51,780 Don't say, well, you know, I'm trying to be a good person. 669 00:28:52,460 --> 00:28:53,900 No, it's because of Jesus. 670 00:28:53,980 --> 00:28:56,620 It's because Jesus opened up the Jordan River. 671 00:28:56,620 --> 00:28:58,860 It's because Jesus gave us this land. 672 00:28:58,860 --> 00:29:02,940 It's because Jesus gave us the opportunity to leave Egypt and be 673 00:29:02,940 --> 00:29:05,100 free in our salvation. 674 00:29:05,100 --> 00:29:07,020 Folks, it's Jesus that changes us. 675 00:29:07,180 --> 00:29:10,700 It's he who gives us the strength to serve God and so choose 676 00:29:10,700 --> 00:29:12,300 you this day, who you're going to serve. 677 00:29:12,620 --> 00:29:14,780 As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. 678 00:29:14,940 --> 00:29:17,100 And I hope that's something that we can say within the church. 679 00:29:17,260 --> 00:29:19,620 I hope that we can say, hey, as a church, we're going to stand 680 00:29:19,620 --> 00:29:20,380 for the truth. 681 00:29:20,970 --> 00:29:22,890 We're going to be a beacon of hope in our community. 682 00:29:23,530 --> 00:29:27,650 I'm going to tell you, if you look at the news and if you know 683 00:29:27,650 --> 00:29:32,610 anything about the church movement, there are many churches 684 00:29:32,610 --> 00:29:34,010 that are turning away from the truth. 685 00:29:34,970 --> 00:29:35,810 It's sad to say. 686 00:29:35,810 --> 00:29:38,410 And there's churches that are closing for various reasons. 687 00:29:38,810 --> 00:29:42,850 There's people that are turning away from the truth of the 688 00:29:42,850 --> 00:29:47,050 doctrines of salvation, of sanctification, of all these things 689 00:29:47,050 --> 00:29:48,170 that we hold true to. 690 00:29:49,230 --> 00:29:51,870 Just folks know that There are people. 691 00:29:52,030 --> 00:29:57,230 There were people that went to be burned at the stake for things 692 00:29:57,230 --> 00:29:59,790 that are in scripture that should not be compromised on. 693 00:30:00,590 --> 00:30:04,430 There were people that said, it's worth it for me to be persecuted. 694 00:30:04,510 --> 00:30:06,590 It's worth it for me to leave my home. 695 00:30:06,590 --> 00:30:11,030 It's worth it for me to face a bondage, to face persecution, to 696 00:30:11,030 --> 00:30:12,110 face famine. 697 00:30:12,350 --> 00:30:14,750 And we look at this and then today we go, yeah, but you know, 698 00:30:14,750 --> 00:30:16,990 it makes more sense just to kind of go the easy route. 699 00:30:17,580 --> 00:30:19,180 Folks, we've got to stand in the truth. 700 00:30:19,580 --> 00:30:20,620 We've got to be different. 701 00:30:20,940 --> 00:30:22,460 And so choose this day. 702 00:30:22,460 --> 00:30:24,540 Who you're going to serve, what kind of church are we going 703 00:30:24,540 --> 00:30:24,780 to be? 704 00:30:24,780 --> 00:30:28,340 What kind of husband are we going to be, what kind of worker 705 00:30:28,340 --> 00:30:29,060 are we going to be? 706 00:30:29,060 --> 00:30:30,860 What kind of citizen are we going to be? 707 00:30:30,860 --> 00:30:33,100 The Bible tells us all these things in scripture. 708 00:30:33,100 --> 00:30:36,300 So when we come back and look at the book of Joshua next week, 709 00:30:36,380 --> 00:30:37,820 we're going to see the conclusion of this. 710 00:30:37,820 --> 00:30:39,420 We're going to see the people's response. 711 00:30:39,980 --> 00:30:42,300 But tonight, what's our response going to be? 712 00:30:42,380 --> 00:30:44,980 Are we going to say, you know what, Lord, it's me. 713 00:30:44,980 --> 00:30:45,980 I'm going to serve today? 714 00:30:46,220 --> 00:30:48,220 Some of us can't serve at the same capacity. 715 00:30:48,460 --> 00:30:49,500 I understand that. 716 00:30:50,380 --> 00:30:50,900 I understand. 717 00:30:50,900 --> 00:30:52,460 All of us are gifted differently. 718 00:30:52,540 --> 00:30:54,900 Some are called to across the world. 719 00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:56,540 Others are called to this community. 720 00:30:56,860 --> 00:30:59,580 Others are called to be up in front of people, teaching. 721 00:30:59,580 --> 00:31:02,860 Others are called to be behind the scenes, serving and sacrificing 722 00:31:02,860 --> 00:31:03,420 and giving. 723 00:31:03,660 --> 00:31:07,380 Whatever it is choose you this day that you're going to serve God 724 00:31:07,380 --> 00:31:08,700 at how he has gifted you. 725 00:31:08,940 --> 00:31:10,960 It might be different than how you used to serve. 726 00:31:12,310 --> 00:31:12,830 I don't know. 727 00:31:12,830 --> 00:31:16,110 I don't know what God's plan is for you, but God has a plan for 728 00:31:16,110 --> 00:31:16,390 you. 729 00:31:16,550 --> 00:31:17,750 There's a plan for your family. 730 00:31:18,470 --> 00:31:20,070 There's nothing better than following God. 731 00:31:20,070 --> 00:31:21,430 I'm going to tell you that there is. 732 00:31:22,790 --> 00:31:23,150 There. 733 00:31:23,150 --> 00:31:25,310 There are moments in my life. 734 00:31:25,310 --> 00:31:26,790 I wish I could tell you it's all the time, but. 735 00:31:26,790 --> 00:31:29,310 But I'm just going to tell you there are periods of time in my life 736 00:31:29,310 --> 00:31:32,790 where there's no question in my mind that this is where God has 737 00:31:32,790 --> 00:31:33,110 me. 738 00:31:33,510 --> 00:31:33,830 There. 739 00:31:33,830 --> 00:31:38,550 There's no question in my mind that God is working in my midst. 740 00:31:38,890 --> 00:31:41,970 And those are the types of times in my life that drive me forward. 741 00:31:41,970 --> 00:31:43,770 They're not every day right. 742 00:31:44,410 --> 00:31:47,050 The truth is, is that there's going to be times of famine within 743 00:31:47,050 --> 00:31:47,370 our life. 744 00:31:47,370 --> 00:31:50,810 There's gonna be times and seasons in which we do have to toil 745 00:31:51,210 --> 00:31:53,850 and, and, and, and suffer for things. 746 00:31:53,850 --> 00:31:56,970 But There is going to be times where God is so clearly in our midst 747 00:31:56,970 --> 00:31:59,370 that we take those times and we get excited about that. 748 00:31:59,610 --> 00:32:03,250 Folks, what my desire is, my heart, my prayer. 749 00:32:03,250 --> 00:32:06,460 I pray every day that Middletown Baptist Church and the 750 00:32:06,460 --> 00:32:09,700 individuals that comprise Middletown Baptist Church find your 751 00:32:09,700 --> 00:32:10,700 purpose in the Lord. 752 00:32:10,700 --> 00:32:13,060 Because when you do that, that is a blessing. 753 00:32:13,380 --> 00:32:17,460 That that is something that's so freeing, so rewarding, so joyful 754 00:32:17,460 --> 00:32:18,460 that you say, you know what? 755 00:32:18,460 --> 00:32:19,780 This is it. 756 00:32:19,780 --> 00:32:21,420 This is what God has called me to do. 757 00:32:21,420 --> 00:32:22,740 I have found my purpose. 758 00:32:23,060 --> 00:32:24,620 And in doing so, it's a. 759 00:32:24,620 --> 00:32:26,580 It's a moment in which we can be renewed and. 760 00:32:26,820 --> 00:32:29,220 And refined in the Spirit. 761 00:32:29,460 --> 00:32:31,700 And so I encourage you to pray about that here this week. 762 00:32:31,700 --> 00:32:34,940 What is it going to mean for you and your house to serve the Lord? 763 00:32:35,580 --> 00:32:37,500 It might mean that there's some sacrifices. 764 00:32:39,340 --> 00:32:41,420 It might mean that there's something that you got to give up. 765 00:32:41,420 --> 00:32:43,140 It might mean that there's something that you have to add to 766 00:32:43,140 --> 00:32:43,460 your life. 767 00:32:43,460 --> 00:32:47,140 I don't know what your particular situation is, but there 768 00:32:47,140 --> 00:32:49,939 were going to be times that we're going to see in the Old Testament 769 00:32:49,939 --> 00:32:52,780 and the New that there was some cutting out that needed to happen. 770 00:32:53,100 --> 00:32:57,220 There was some removal of the idols in the garden that needed to 771 00:32:57,220 --> 00:32:57,500 happen. 772 00:32:57,900 --> 00:33:02,360 There were some people that needed to be pushed out of that house. 773 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:05,080 And so I'm not saying that you need to kick people out, but what 774 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,240 I am saying is that there's times in our life that we might need 775 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:09,840 to remove certain influences. 776 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,880 But in the other side of things, there's things that we need 777 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:13,120 to infuse into our life. 778 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:18,240 Bible study, prayer, biblical fellowship, service, giving. 779 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,400 All these things are spiritual disciplines that aren't just going 780 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,200 to happen naturally with our flesh. 781 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,600 They have to be things that we die to daily. 782 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:28,440 I'm going to tell you that there's going to be days where you 783 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:28,920 want to pray. 784 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:30,960 There's going to be days where you might not want to pray. 785 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:32,960 There's going to be days where you want to study the Word of God. 786 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:34,720 There's going to be days where you don't want to study the Word 787 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:35,160 of God. 788 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:37,040 But I'm going to tell you, those are things that you have to 789 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,240 grow in and understand the benefit and the blessing of in your 790 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:40,480 life. 791 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,560 And so Joshua is going to challenge them. 792 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:46,120 They're going to respond, and he's going to give some more commands 793 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:48,760 along with that, and he's going to remind them of the covenant 794 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:50,760 that God has with them now. 795 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:52,400 For them, it's the Mosaic covenant. 796 00:33:53,140 --> 00:33:55,100 We don't live under the Mosaic covenant anymore. 797 00:33:55,100 --> 00:33:57,220 We live under the new covenant of Jesus Christ. 798 00:33:57,460 --> 00:33:59,820 And so we need to be reminded of the new covenant. 799 00:33:59,820 --> 00:34:00,700 What's the new covenant? 800 00:34:00,700 --> 00:34:03,980 Well, Jesus gave his life for us and we need to be reminded of 801 00:34:03,980 --> 00:34:04,580 that daily. 802 00:34:04,900 --> 00:34:06,380 That's why we take of the elements. 803 00:34:06,380 --> 00:34:08,100 That's why we do the Lord's table. 804 00:34:08,100 --> 00:34:11,420 That's why we have times in our church where we talk about Jesus. 805 00:34:11,420 --> 00:34:13,780 That's why we have crosses up on the wall. 806 00:34:13,860 --> 00:34:15,940 It's not to glorify certain things. 807 00:34:15,940 --> 00:34:18,900 It's to ultimately lift up what Jesus Christ has done for us. 808 00:34:19,330 --> 00:34:21,810 But I'm going to tell you here that it's not always easy. 809 00:34:22,930 --> 00:34:25,810 But the Bible says that the burden is light when we turn it over 810 00:34:25,810 --> 00:34:26,450 to the Lord. 811 00:34:27,090 --> 00:34:28,730 And so I would encourage you to do so. 812 00:34:28,730 --> 00:34:30,610 I would encourage you to turn your life over to Christ. 813 00:34:30,770 --> 00:34:33,810 If you have already, praise God, stand true to that. 814 00:34:33,890 --> 00:34:34,290 Continue. 815 00:34:35,170 --> 00:34:36,850 Fight the good fight as the Bible says. 816 00:34:36,850 --> 00:34:40,090 Contend for the faith and know that there are people that are praying 817 00:34:40,090 --> 00:34:42,010 for you, know that there's resources for you. 818 00:34:42,010 --> 00:34:45,100 Know that you're not alone in this battle, that you can come and, 819 00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:48,610 and Middletown Baptist Church and many other places want to support 820 00:34:48,610 --> 00:34:50,770 you and encourage you in that you're not alone. 821 00:34:50,770 --> 00:34:52,690 And most importantly, God's with you. 822 00:34:52,770 --> 00:34:55,730 And when he's with you, as Joshua was reminded in Joshua chapter 823 00:34:55,730 --> 00:34:56,650 one, I'm with you. 824 00:34:56,650 --> 00:34:59,010 Whithersoever thou goest, God is with us. 825 00:34:59,250 --> 00:35:01,489 When God's with us, who can be against us? 826 00:35:01,490 --> 00:35:03,250 We're more than conquerors in Jesus Christ. 827 00:35:03,250 --> 00:35:06,210 And so as we close here this evening, be reminded of that. 828 00:35:06,210 --> 00:35:07,690 I'm gonna go ahead and close in a word of prayer. 829 00:35:07,690 --> 00:35:11,210 We have a few announcements and then we will be dismissed here 830 00:35:11,210 --> 00:35:11,650 this evening. 831 00:35:11,650 --> 00:35:13,250 Lord, we thank you for your love and your grace. 832 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:17,280 We're thankful for the sacrifice that you gave to us through 833 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:18,440 your son, Lord. 834 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:21,760 We're thankful for the opportunity to serve you, Lord. 835 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:26,720 Give us the opportunity to choose faithfulness, Lord. 836 00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:27,680 No, we're not perfect. 837 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:28,880 We know that you are perfect. 838 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:30,640 And so may we rest in your righteousness. 839 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:35,640 May we be resolved to serve you within our homes, within our 840 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:35,920 community. 841 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:37,280 May we be bold. 842 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:38,160 May we be different. 843 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:42,240 Lord, help us to remove the desire to go back to the old ways, 844 00:35:42,610 --> 00:35:45,090 but help us to move forward, pushing forward for the gospel of 845 00:35:45,090 --> 00:35:45,730 Jesus Christ. 846 00:35:45,970 --> 00:35:49,170 I pray that you, you work with our dear brother as he goes about 847 00:35:49,170 --> 00:35:51,010 his service and deputation. 848 00:35:51,010 --> 00:35:54,650 And I pray that you keep him safe and provide for him as we know 849 00:35:54,650 --> 00:35:55,050 you will. 850 00:35:55,050 --> 00:35:56,690 And we ask all those things in Jesus name. 851 00:35:56,690 --> 00:35:57,250 Amen.