What Is Your Decision?
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And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Intro:
We come to the close of the book of Joshua. Joshua is coming to the final years of his life. It is recorded in scripture that the Lord had been good to Israel. The promise of God had been fulfilled to the Israelites:
And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
God blesses Abraham at 100 years old, Sarah who is in her 90’s is blessed to conceive and have a child by the name of Issac. Again the Lord appears to Issac and reaffirms what he told his Father:
And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
Again in scripture, God makes the same promise to Issac’s son Jacob who is latter called Israel:
And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
What we see here and what we noticed is that the blessing is passed down through the family line. I want to stop right here to say, that when you trust God, when you serve and obey God, God has the power to affect your family line! The blessing....will flow down your family line!
Let me encourage you this morning, some of you don’t see it yet, but if you keep living for the Lord if you keep serving Him, soon or a later the blessing has to hit your family line.
If you read about Issac, if you read about Jacob, they didn’t have it together....it took them some time. Even Abraham himself had some issues....but it is documented in scripture that by the conclusion of their life.....all of them had been blessed by the LORD!
They weren’t perfect.....but they were blessed by the Lord, didn’t deserve, but they were blessed by the Lord. And some of you here this morning you are a product of the faith, persistence, and worship that your parents put forth to God. Some of us we are here because our parents prayed for us and when they prayed for us......THE BLESSING CAME DOWN THE FAMILY LINE!!!
The Lord told Abraham, that his descendants would be in bondage for 400 years and then he would remember the promise He made to Abraham and would release his seed and give them the land of promise.
Joseph in the 50th chapter of Genesis said:
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Listen you may not live to see it.....but open your mouth and declare with your faith that “God is going to do what he said.”
God delivered Israel out of slavery and brought them into the land that flowed with milk and honey. They had some opposition, they fought giants, they fought godless sinners, but most of all it was the LORD that drove them out. You had someone to try to curse you, but with every attempt that he tried to curse, I turned it around so that your enemy blessed you.
Then God said in Joshua 24:12, that “I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites.” God then said it wasn’t your sword or your bow that brought you victory......God said “I gave you land, you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build, I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them!
And what God is saying.....is if you just trust me and serve me! You won’t have to lift a finger......I’LL BLESS YOU!!! I’LL FIGHT FOR YOU!!! I’LL PROVIDE FOR YOU!!!
Let’s get deep into the text and close out:
Let’s go back for a minute:
So the text says in Chapter 23:1
And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.
When you do EVERYTHING THAT GOD TELLS YOU TO DO. Herein lies the problem for some of us, the reason why we aren’t getting blessed is that we are not doing EVERYTHING THAT GOD TELLS US TO DO!!! You cannot do it your way and expect to have blessings running over. Gotta do it God’s way.
Verse 6-8
Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
He tells them, don’t even associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship.
Then Joshua says “Cling” somebody say “Cling”......wrap yourself up, tie yourself up, tangle yourself up with Jesus. Don’t tangle and wrap yourself in the world, don’t wrap and tangle yourself in the latest gossip, the latest trend, your so called culture. Wrap yourself in God!
Chapter 24
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
GOTTA MAKE UP OUR MIND.
See when we worship God we must worship Him wholly:
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
IS YOUR MIND MADE UP TODAY?
When we worship God we must trust and believe Him, we must believe His word wholly the Bible says:
Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
WHAT IS YOUR DECISION?
Joshua then says:
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
The NLT reads like this:
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
I’m talking to someone this morning who has been halted between two opinions. Elijah asked the people how long will you be halted between two opinions, if God be God then follow him, but if Baal, then follow him.
I’m talking to the people that can’t make up their mind if you want to live for God or if you want to live for yourself. I’m talking to the people that can’t make up their mind if they want to live in the world or live in God.
One minute you come to church, the next you stop coming to church, one month you pray and read your word, the next you’re listening to godless music, watching godless movies and tv shows that edify sin. I’m talking to the people that one minute you talk about God and the next you’re cussing your children out, your cussing your co-worker out, cussing your family member out. I’m talking to the ones who want to dress holy when they come to church, but in the street you look like a hooker, you dress like a pimp, you sag your pants as if you’re an inmate!
GOD SAID YOU NEED TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!! WHAT IS YOUR DECISION!?!?
Joshua told them, they needed to make a decision!
BUT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JOSHUA HAD ALREADY MADE UP HIS MIND!!!
HE SEND THE WONDERS THAT THE LORD DID IN EGYPT.
HE WAS THERE WHEN HE SEEN THE LORD SPLIT THE RED SEA IN HALF AND MADE A WAY OUT OF NO WAY.
HE WAS THERE AND SURVIVED THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE.
HE WAS THERE AND SAW WHEN THEY HAD NO FOOD HOW GOD PROVIDED FOOD WITH JUST HIS WORD, HE WAS THERE WHEN GOD TOLD MOSES TO SPEAK TO SMITE THE ROCK AND WATER CAME OUT THE ROCK.
HE WAS THERE, WHEN THE BANKS OF JORDAN RIVER WAS FLOOD AND THE PRIEST BARED THE ARK WHICH SYMBOLIZED THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD STEPPED IN THE JORDAN, AND THE FLOODING JORDAN STOPPED AND BACKED UP AND STOOD ERECT.
HE WAS THERE WHEN ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS BELIEVE GOD, MARCH AROUND A WALL 7 TIMES AND SHOUT ON THE SEVENTH DAY BECAUSE THE LORD HAD GIVEN THEM VICTORY.
THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE LAND....BIG PROBLEMS....BUT THE LORD HELP THEM TO OVERCOME THERE BIG PROBLEMS......AND I DON’T CARE HOW BIG YOUR PROBLEM IS....THE LORD WILL HELP YOU TO OVERCOME YOUR BIG PROBLEMS TOO!
So Joshua came to a decision: He said “but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord!”
CONLCUSION:
WHAT IS YOUR DECISION? LET ME TELL YOU WHERE I SIT.
MY DECISION TODAY IS THE SAME DECLARATION THAT JOSHUA SAID.
IS THAT YOUR DECLARATION? WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT A DECLARATION. TO MAKE A DECLARATION, YOU GOTTA OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND SAY IT, YOU GOTTA SERVE NOTICE, YOU GOTTA PUT IT IN THE AIR!
JOSHUA SAID “BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!”
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT HAS THAT DECLARATION “THAT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!”
THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE!
ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE A MADE UP MIND, ALL OF YOU WHO LOVE THE LORD, ALL OF YOU THAT MADE UP YOUR MIND I’M NOT GOING BACK. FIND THREE PEOPLE AND DECLARE TO THEM “AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!!!
NOW THERE IS A PART IN THERE THAT WE HAVE TO GRASP A HOLD OF…..JOSHUA SAID JUST NOT ME, BUT ME AND MY HOUSE OR ME AND MY FAMILY. IF YOU HAVE FAMILY HERE….GRAB YOUR FAMILY BY THE HAND….FIND YOUR FAMILY…..AND DECREE…..WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!!!
IF YOU DON’T HAVE FAMILY YOU HAVE SPIRITUAL FAMILY HERE…..FIND THEM, LINK UP WITH THEM AND TELL THEM WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!
I’M GOING TO SERVE HIM!
I’M GOING TO LOVE HIM!
I’M GOING TO LIVE FOR HIM!
I’M GOING TO OBEY HIM!
I’M GOING TO WORSHIP HIM!
I’M GOING TO PRAISE HIM!
I’M GOING TO GIVE HIM THE GLORY!
I’M GOING TO GIVE HIM THE HONOR!
BECAUSE HE BROUGHT ME OUT!
BECAUSE HE SAVED ME!
BECAUSE HE FORGAVE ME!
BECAUSE HE HEALED ME!
BECAUSE HE DELIVERED ME!
BECAUSE HE FOUGHT FOR ME!
BECAUSE HE LOVES ME!
BECAUSE HE PROVIDES FOR ME!
BECAUSE HE DIED FOR ME!
I PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE’S GOOD!
I PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE’S HOLY!
I PRAISE BECAUSE HE’S WONDERFUL!
I PRAISE BECAUSE HE’S GOD!
SQUEEZE YOUR NEIGHBORS HAND AND TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR “WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL HE’S DONE FOR ME, AND WHO HE IS……I GOTTA SERVE HIM……I GOTTA PRAISE HIM……I’VE GOT TO PRAISE HIM, WITH ALL MY HEART, WITH ALL MY MIND, AND WITH ALL MY STRENGTH!!!
TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, NEIGHBOR….WATCH OUT….I’M GETTING READY TO PRAISE HIM!!!
ALTAR CALL:
Is there anyone here that wants Jesus to save them. You want a change, a positive change in your life. You’ve been living a life that opposes God, you’ve worshipped everything but God.
Well you say “I haven’t worshipped any idols” but anything you put before God is an idol. God said, you sing more to your girlfriend or boyfriend than you do me. You talk to everyone else but me.
You willfully praise other people when they do good. But I’m good all the time and you rarely praise me.
I am not your God because you don’t wholly follow me, you don’t obey my commandments, you don’t live for me. You may say you do, but in works you deny me.
If you are here, and you don’t know Jesus in the pardon of your sins and you want to be saved today. The bible says “Repent and believe the gospel” What is the gospel? The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
But it takes more than confessing or professing that’s the beginning steps:
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
If you are here, and you want to confess Jesus today and you want to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins if you would simply raise your hand so we can acknowledge you.
We are getting ready to go home. But now it is time for anyone who wants to come to the altar for renewal and rededication. The whole of Joshua 24th chapter is about Israel renewing their covenant with God. Maybe you need some more strength, maybe you desire to go to a higher level in the Lord you can make your way to the altar at this time.
If there are any sick amongst us, the Bible says if there are any afflicted LET THEM PRAY. If you are going through something and you’re afflicted come to the altar and pray about it.
But if your sick, come to the prayer line and let the elders lay hands on you.