Commitment of the Crossover

Click on the link below to listen to sermon English Sermons Commitment of the Crossover (Joshua 24:1-28) Dr. Sidney Yuan (swyuan@ucla.edu) Preached at Hillside Community Church of the Nazarene 2804 S. Fullerton Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 Outline • Remember What God has Done (v. 1-13) • Respond to What God has Done (v14) – Fear God (14a) – Serve Him in Sincerity and Truth (14b) – Put Away Idols (14c) • Make a Decision to Serve God (v. 15) • Make a Covenant to recommit to God’s word (v. 25) Remember What God has Done The biblical word Hebrew (or Ivri) means to traverse or pass over. • Father of Abraham dwelt on the other side of the river, serving other gods (24:2, 3,15a), I led him throughout all the land of Canaan (24:3) • From the house of bondage (24:17), I brought your fathers out of Egypt (24:5,6) across the Red Sea • From the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites (24:8, 15b), over the Jordan and came to Jericho (24:11) Reason For Response to What God has Done Remember God’s Faithfulness Joshua 24:2-17 Ephesians 2:3- 5, 10 From other side of Euphrates River, From Land of Bondage, From other side of Jordan River (Joshua 24:2-12) Children of wrath (Eph 2:3), dead in transgressions (Eph 2:5) Colossians Formerly alienated 1:21-23 and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds (Col 1:21) Response to God’s Faithfulness • Fear God • Serve Him in Sincerity & Truth • Put Away Idols To Promised Land- did not labor, did not build cities, did not plant food (Joshua 24:13) Made us alive Good Works (Eph with Jesus Christ 2:10) (Eph 2:4, 8) Reconciled in us His freshly body through death (Col 1:22a) • Continue firmly in faith • Steadfast and not move away from the hope of the gospel (Col 1:23b) It’s All by God’s Grace, v. 3-13 • I took your father Abraham from the• other side of the River, • ‘I’ led him throughout all the land of • Canaan • • ‘I’ gave him Isaac. To Isaac • I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau • • I gave the mountains of Seir to Esau • I sent Moses and Aaron, and • I plagued Egypt, according to what • I did among them. Afterward • I brought you out. ‘Then • • I brought your fathers out of Egypt, • …And your eyes saw what • I did in Egypt. • • I brought you into the land of the Amorites. I gave them into your hands, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. I delivered you out of his hand. …And the men of Jericho fought against you—also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them Ephesians 2:8 & Colossians 1:22b How Should We Respond to God? • Fear God (14a) • Serve Him in Sincerity and Truth (14b) • Put Away Idols (14c) 1) Fear God (v. 14a) Fear God What Does Hold Him in Reverence It Mean to (Psalm 22:23, 33:8-9; Fear God? Ecclesiastes 8:12-13; Daniel 6:26-27; 1 Peter 1:17) Tremble in His Presence (Exodus 20:18; Psalm 2:11, 119:120; Jeremiah 5:22; Acts 7:32; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews12:21) Who Fear God? A book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who fear the LORD, And who meditate on His name (Malachi 3:16) Why Fear God? Because it glorifies God (Psalm 85:9; Isaiah 59:19; Revelation 14:7, 15:4) How • Be Righteous / Upright (Job 1:1, 8-9, 2:3; 2 Sam 23:3; Psalm Should 15:1-4, 52:5-7; Proverbs 14:2; Acts 10:22) those Who • Shun Evil (Proverbs 3:7, 8:13, 14:16, 16:6), or Avoid Sins Fear God (Exodus 20:20; Psalm 36:1; 130:3; Proverbs 23:17) Behave? • Keep His Commandments (Deut 6:1-2, 24, 10:12-13, 31:12; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Psalm 112:1-2, 119:120; 128:1-4; Proverbs 2:15; Isaiah 50:10) • Serve God (Deut 6:13, 10:20; 1 Sam 12:14-15, 24; Psalm 2:11 2) Serve God in Sincerity and Truth (v. 14b) Meaning of Sincerity: Incorruptibility, genuineness, and truth • 1 Corinthians 5:8, opposite of malice and wickedness. • 2 Corinthians 1:12, opposite of fleshly wisdom • 2 Corinthians 2:17, Titus 2:7, opposite to corruptibility. • 2 Corinthians 8:8, same as genuineness *** God searches the heart and examine the mind (Jeremiah 17:10) *** 3) Put Away Idols (v. 14c) Matthew 6:21 says, ”where our treasure is there the desire of our heart will also be.” • Our treasure is where we spend our money, time, & energy. If our treasure is not serving God, then our treasure is our Idol Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Make A Decision to Serve God (v.15) And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of 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.” Make a Covenant with God (v.25) As Christians, it is important to make a covenant to reaffirming our commitment. We can have tremendous influence on our family and household, either with a positive impact by leading them to faith or with a negative impact that extends to 3rd or 4th generation. The choice is ours…”But as me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Other Sermons by Dr. Sidney Yuan (袁惠鈞博士) Please Click Below to Access: • • • • • His Sermon Collection His Sermons on Church.com.hk His Sermons on JGospel.net About The Speaker If you like his sermons, please like his Facebook page