Choices, choices, choices

It’s Your Choice

Choices - I’ve made a few this week, how about you? Some of them are pretty inconsequential - the choice doesn’t really matter in the big picture. Nobody really cares what decision I make in those kind of things. We all make all kinds of those decisions every single day.

Some of the decisions that I make, though, are quite consequential - they really really matter. Most of my decisions matter for me, but some of my decisions matter for others, too.

That’s certainly true for all of us, isn’t it? We make decisions every single day that effect not only us, but those we love and those we come into contact with. Every single day, we make decisions, but sometimes those decisions are extremely consequential.

A long time ago, I made a decision to ask a beautiful young lady to marry me, and she made the decision to say yes. That was a consequential decision. I also made a decision a long time ago to live my life as a disciple of Jesus - and that decision has guided the rest of the decisions of my life.

I want us to look this morning at a passage of scripture from the Old Testament that deals with this whole concept of choices.

Joshua 24:1–3 NLT

1 Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God. 2 Joshua said to the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac.

Why Shechem?

Joshua probably chose this place for it historical and theological significance. There are plenty of places he could have called them to, but according to the New Beacon Bible Commentary, “after God called Abram to leave his homeland, He led him to Shechem, where he spoke to Abram again, promising to give this land to his offspring (Gen 12:6–7). It was at Shechem where Jacob built an altar to the mighty God of Israel (33:18–20) and later summoned his household to fidelity to Yahweh (35:1–5). Somewhere in this vicinity, the idols of Jacob’s family lay buried.”

Lennox, S. J. (2015). Joshua: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. (A. Varughese, R. Hahn, & G. Lyons, Eds.) (p. 294). Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press.

And Joshua has called them together because he is calling them to make a consequential decision, one that will affect not only the rest of their lives, but the lives of their families and their loved ones. We pick up the reading again at verse 14.

Joshua 24:14–25 NLT

14 “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. 15 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.” 16 The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. 18 It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.” 19 Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” 21 But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” 22 “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.” “Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.” 23 “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord.

Make your choice

Joshua gives the people the choice of a lifetime. Every four years in our nation, we are told that we are making the most important decision of our lives. We are told that every election is the most important election of our lifetime, but the true election of our lifetime is the election that we make when we choose who we will serve. Will we serve the Lord our God or will we serve the gods of our land?

I love that I am blessed to be an American, but I also am clearly aware that there are some things about our past and even about our present that are not God-honoring. The danger is that we will begin to worship some of the gods of our land in much the same way that the people of God were tempted to worship the gods of the area that they had come to occupy.

Peace and prosperity can lead to dangerous times.

From a historical perspective, these were wonderful and exciting times for the people of Israel. God had led them to victory over their enemies and they had claimed the promised land. The land had been divided up between the 12 tribes of Israel, and now they could settle down and enjoy their inheritance. It was a time of hope, it was a time of prosperity and they had received great blessings. But Joshua also recognized that it it was a very dangerous time for these people!

Perhaps the greatest danger was that they would forget how they came to possess this land. They were in danger of forgetting all that God had done for them. There was also the danger that they would adapt to the culture around them and begin to worship the gods of the Canaanites who still lived around them.

it was:

A TIME OF CONTEMPLATION.

Let’s take a look at the verses right before our text:

Joshua 24:11–13 NLT

11 “When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. 12 And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. 13 I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.

God had blessed them — God has blessed us as well.

Joshua speaks to them in these verses from God’s perspective. Speaking for God, he reminds them that everything they have is because God provided it for them. If we are blessed - it is because God has blessed us. We MUST not forget about the blessings He has provided in our lives.

Not only did Joshua challenge them to think about all that God had brought them through, he challenged them to remember God’s presence and how he had led them through the wilderness. He reminds them that God has always been with them and has been with them through it all.

They are reminded of how they enjoy blessings that they do not deserve. Jesus said: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Jesus came for the sick people - the sinners — the lost — the lonely — and He pours out His grace on us, and grants us forgiveness and blessings beyond measure! We are blessed more than we deserve.

Israel was in danger of walking out on God even when He had been so good to them. They were in danger of putting the gods of their surrounding people before God. What do people in our society put before God.

— Some put their money ahead of God!

— Some put their mates ahead of God!

— Some put their children ahead of God, or they put their families ahead of God!

— Some put their careers ahead of God!

—Some have put their love of nation ahead of God!

—There is even a temptation to put our political preferences before God!

We need to understand that:

whatever we put ahead of God becomes our god!

They were told to think about all of the gods of the people who had occupied the land prior to them, I think Joshua would look at us today and ask us to think about all of the gods that people in our own culture have placed before God.

Joshua confronts them here at the place where the idols are buried: serve God and be done with the idols —Joshua commanded them to "fear" or have great reverence for God. If they truly reverence God, they would be done with the other gods and serve Him alone.

If they would do these things, they would be reestablished as the people of God. They quickly responded to Joshua that they chose Yahweh - than they would never abandon Him, but Joshua challenges them to go deeper than a gut reaction and really take into account what that would mean for their lives. I suspect that we would all give a quick answer to the question as well, but if we are really going to serve Him, we need to reverence Him for who He is, and honor Him for who He is. Jesus said, if you love me you will keep my commands.

Secondly, we need to put away our other gods! All those things in our lives that come ahead of the Lord need to be put away forever!

And thirdly, we need to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, completely, in all sincerity, completely.

One writer said: “the English word "sincere" comes from two Latin words which mean "without wax". It was used to refer to pottery dealers, who unlike their crooked colleagues refused to sell cracked pottery that had been patched with wax. When patched pottery was held up to the light, the wax patch was easy to spot. So it is with people who live insincere lives.

— When they are held up to the light, their hypocrisy

shows!

— When held up to the light, their deceitfulness

shows!

All too often, we find that nationalism and patriotism is mistaken as wholehearted commitment to God — but that can become wholehearted commitment to the wrong god.

God is looking for a people whose loyalty is completely undivided

, who seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. That is why Joshua challenges the people after they have made their quick decision. To serve Him wholeheartedly does not allow for us to play around with worshipping any other gods.

Joshua is saying, “It’s time to get off the fence and make up your mind who’s team you’re on!” Their quick response did not take into account all of the changes that needed to happen in their lives. We cannot serve God wholeheartedly and be committed wholeheartedly to any other. Either He is in first place, or you have a different god! They had a choice to make. Would they choose to serve the Lord and turn away from the gods of their ancestors, or would they choose to serve the gods of the Amorites and those who were in the land before they came there.

Joshua challenges them to make a choice, but he also makes a declaration: “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” There is no room for half-hearted devotion — there is no room for half-hearted commitments. If we are truly going to serve Him, we will make no excuses. We will destroy anything that would get in the way of our commitment and devotion to God.

We made a choice this week as Americans. I always encourage people to be involved by voting in elections, but I came across a great quote last night, and I shared it on my Facebook page, so some of you have seen it, but I wanted to share it in light of this passage of scripture:

“If your hope was diminished this morning, your hope is in the wrong man. If your hope was restored this morning, your hope is in the wrong man.”

DJay Akers

When all things are considered, who will you serve? Will you serve the gods of our nation, or will you wholeheartedly serve Yahweh? Will you serve prosperity or will you serve Yahweh? Will you serve your desires or will you serve Yahweh? He alone is worthy to be served wholeheartedly!

Our hope is in God alone!