Make the choice.

Prayer with Worship Leaders (10:45)

Light Reflective Music

Bible Enters (Organ)

Welcome / Intimation (Rev. Bosch)

I greet you in the Name of God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe - in the care of Christ Jesus. May it be that we receive mercy, peace and love.

Intimations, Funerals, Baptisms (remember to share this before Sunday Worship)

18th of August, Monday, 19:00, Stewardship Workshop, Church Hall

23d of August, Saterday, from 10:00, Pennypit Family Learning Centre (Community Day)

23d of August, Saterday, from 14:00, Strawberry Tea, Church Hall

24st of Aug, Sunday Communion

Seeking a Treasure

Prayer Corner after the Service

Strawberry Tea Meeting after the service

Bill Bailey Sign to our church

Testomony (Try to identify someone.)

Call to Worship: (Psalm 6)

Minister: Do not rebuke me in your anger, Lord!

All: Be gracious to me.

Minister: Our soul is in trouble!

All: Safe our lives, o Lord.

Let us worship God!

Hymn: CH622 - We sing a love that sets all people free

Declaration:

Blessed be the name of the Lord now and evermore.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord’s name be praised. Let us pray:

Prayer of Approach and Confession (Rev. Bosch)

Gracious God, we gather to worship You.

You have made us free and with the freedom to choose. May we choose you today and declare in our hearts that we will serve you.

Guide your church to follow Your Will.

Stir our hearts to love You wholeheartedly.

We confess we often choose wrongly. Making hasty and wrong decitions.

Forgive us if we have wandering from Your truth.

Cleanse us with Your mercy and grace.

Renew our spirits to honor You alone.

Help us live with steadfast devotion daily.

Fill us with Your Spirit to worship truly.

Let our praise reflect our commitment to You.

In Jesus’ name we pray together.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Hymn: As for me and my house 

(Children enter.)

Children’s Address: Making A Choice.

Hymn: Mr Noah Built an Ark

(Children exit.)

Reading: Joshua 24: 1-15

The Covenant Renewal at Shechem 24 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. 6 “ ‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. 12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’ Choose Whom You Will Serve 14 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Sermon: (Rev. Bosch)

I have seen a house once with a large description at the front entrance. The description read: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Clearly, the family living there was inspired by our Bible reading and felt they wanted to make a public decleration.

Yet, there are more to the reading then this theological exclamation. We also find surprisingly a statement of liberty/freedom. The reading gives the choose to fear the Lord or to worship other gods. In other words, the reading presumes that we the readers are not slaves. We are not being forced to worship and fear the Lord.

We are free agents.

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve.”

God is not forcing his instruction but rather giving the choice. We may avaliuate for ourselves if we want to worship God.

What will we do with our freedom?

And as free people, how will we choose to live?

How will we go about living in liberty?

Will we choose God or not?

There is no point to God building a mutual relationship if God forces his Will on us. A mutual relationship between us and God is not based on slavery. We are free people in the face of God almighty. As free people the reading encourage us to fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Yet, we are not forced to sever the Lord because we are free people. We are not robots that was preprogramed to do the will of our master. Our Master, that is God, wants the best for us, but He does not force is guidance upon us. We have the freedom to choose God. (God has chosen us through Christ.)

The reading does give reasons for us to choose God. We find a argument in the first part of the reading to convice the reader to choose the Lord and to fear Him. The reading leading up to verse 14 reminds the reader of God’s past actions. God was faithfull in the past and gave direction. In other words, when looking to the past we realise there are more then enought reasons to choose God and not other gods. The reading highlights it in the following way:

God led him through. / God made his offspring many. / God gave him Isaac. / God sent Moses and Aaron. / God plagued Egypt. / God brought you out. / God gave them into your hand. / God destroyed them before you. / God would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. / God gave them into your hand. / God gave you a land.

These reminders of God’s actions, in the past, is spread open infront of a reader - a free person. The person reading is then at liberty to choose. The question is then:

Considering all God’s goodness towards you and your ancestors do you choose to fear God?

In our own lives we can also consider the actions of God. We can write down the many good things God has done. Biblical speaking we can consider the historical actions of God:

Christ walking among the poor.

Christ bringing healing.

Christ having a meal with the most unlikely of persons.

Christ speaking the truth.

Christ bringing salvation and breaking the bondage of death for us!

Consider these actions of Christ, we may consider these questions in light of our reading:

Considering all God’s goodness through his Son do we choose God or not?

What is our choose when condedring God’s goodness in our personal life?

I sometimes wonder if people really know what god they are worshiping. Sometimes I get the impression people do have other gods, the names of which, they do not even know. They do not even realise they are worshipping a certain type of god. I sometimes pray that people will just say what they believe and how they understand there god. Most of the time it does not happen. Most of the time it is vauge with not vocabulary stipulating/explainging their true spirituality.

“What god are they worshiping?” I have asked myself many times.

More importantly: What God are we worshiping? We are free people who may choose. What choose will we make?

The gods in the region beyond the River?

The gods of the other (Amorites)?

This reading makes us consider what sign we will display infront of our home. A sign that reveals who we truly worship. A declaration that states that we have put away all the other gods.

To make such a statement comes from a place of freedom. Declaring who we worship is not forced upon us. Rather we are free people who are at liberty to choose God or other gods. It is so important to realise that we are free, we are not tide up by some kind of external force.

I guess this freedom makes it more difficult to respond. We can even choose not choose like many people do ignoring the spiritual.

May we consider the actions of God in the Bible and in our own lives. God brought us out of slaver and saved us through his Son at the Cross. How will we choose?

We can not choose for others we can only respond for ourselves. Amen.

Hymn: SoF 621 - You are Beautiful (I stand in awe)

Prayer for Others (Calum):

Heavenly Father, we lift up those in need.

Guide those standing at crossroads, uncertain of their path.

Strengthen the hearts of the lost to choose you.

Help us to proclaim with conviction that we will serive you.

Protect our youth against false gods like wealth or fleeting pleasures.

Grant courage to those wavering, that they may stand firm in faith.

Bless leaders with wisdom to make our world a saver place.

Protect our communities tempted by idols.

Stir hearts to embrace wholehearted service to you.

Surround the weary with your love, renewing their commitment daily.

May your Spirit empower all to live boldly for your glory.

We thank you for your steadfast love, guiding us to choose you always.

Amen.

Offering (The person at door duty brings the plate to the table.)

Prayer of Thanks

Hymn: CH187 - There's a wideness in God's mercy

Rethink and Blessing (Rev. Bosch)

“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, may the peace of God, 

which is beyond all understanding, 

guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Amen

Sing/Play Amen (Organ)

Bible Exits (Organ)