Day 22

Welcome

Welcome to Celebration Church. We are so glad that you are here. Thank you for worshipping with us today. If there is anything we can do for you and your family, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We are a family and we are with you. If you are joining us online, welcome. We are so glad that you are here. If you are in the area, we would love to invite you to join us for our in person gatherings where we have a safe, clean and socially distanced environment for you and your family.

Church at Home: Celebration Everywhere

Welcome to Celebration Everywhere. This is our intentional opportunity to invite others over, have a watch parties and take the church beyond our typical context. Please let us know that you are with us, take out your phone, snap and picture and post it and tags. We love seeing our community together.

Let’s grab our Bibles and see what God wants to speak to us today. I have a few passages I want to share with us today. Last week we kicked off our series, Reset., To reset means to set again. We’ve talked about how fasting resets us to the creators settings. Worship resets our posture.

Scriptures

Isaiah 43:18–19 CSB

18 “Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. 19 Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

I believe God wants to reset some things in all of us. God wants to give us a blank canvas.

Joshua 23:1–8 CSB

1 A long time after the Lord had given Israel rest from all the enemies around them, Joshua was old, advanced in age. 2 So Joshua summoned all Israel, including its elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in age, 3 and you have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all these nations on your account, because it was the Lord your God who was fighting for you. 4 See, I have allotted these remaining nations to you as an inheritance for your tribes, including all the nations I have destroyed, from the Jordan westward to the Mediterranean Sea. 5 The Lord your God will force them back on your account and drive them out before you so that you can take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you. 6 “Be very strong and continue obeying all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, so that you do not turn from it to the right or left 7 and so that you do not associate with these nations remaining among you. Do not call on the names of their gods or make an oath to them; do not serve them or bow in worship to them. 8 Instead, be loyal to the Lord your God, as you have been to this day.

Joshua goes on to retell Israels story in the one of the most comprehensive ways in all of scripture.

Joshua 24:15 CSB

15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

Prayer

Today, I want to continue talking about resetting some things in our lives. I have entitled today’s message, Day 22.

Lord, we thank you for allowing us to gather in your name. I pray that you speak to us, challenge us, inspire us, encourage us. Give us open eyes, open ears, and open hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Illustration

Have you ever really set your mind to something? I mean really set your mind to something. Going to school? Vacation? Buying a new car or house? It is very natural that this time of year is a time that inspires us to set goals. In fact millions of people all over the world will invest time, energy, and money into keeping us on track and accomplishing the goals. Some of the goals include: Eating healthier, getting more exercise and losing weight (quit smoking and cutting back on drinking). Financial goals, saving more money, getting out of debt. Self Care. Being more purposeful in your living: church, community, charity.

I can certainly check the box on a few of those items, especially the fitness goals. The quarantine 15 is a real thing. I was researching some of the varying diets and adjustments one can make in order to achieve said goals. There are so many to choose from. Seems like every week a new article comes out telling why it is the best thing ever or the worse. I was reading an article recently that ultimately said all diets don’t work. The point was, diets produce results but not transformation because when you get to that magic number on the scale or to the size where you can fit into that favorite outfit, we revert back to the same old patterns. It went on to suggest, lasting change isn’t found in a diet but in a change of lifestyle. Making sustainable adjustments is key.

Transition

I would have never thought progress is the achilles heel of success. We often set goals, reach them, then revert back only for those goals to be on the list next year because we didn’t have a plan. The plan gives our vision a place to live beyond the finish line.

Last summer I ordered a pair of shoes. I was expecting them and when they arrived, I flexed a little and put them on the shelf because I didn’t really have a plan for them. I think there can be moments when we are excited about reaching a goal that once we reach it, there is no plan and we put it on a shelf.

Relay races don’t end when the baton is passed. What if the finish line doesn’t mean you are finished? What if the finish line is where we change pace, not pursuit?

Testimonies

Over the past 21 days, we have heard some incredible stories about what God is doing amongst His people in our community. We have heard stories such as a person who was in a comma coming out of it. Relationships being reconciled. Cancer diagnosis coming back negative. I have been believing that this season of fasting would produce clarity, strength, and closeness with God, but now that we are at day 22 the temptation could be for us to treat this as a spiritual diet and have progress but not transformation. Good is the enemy to great. Progress is the enemy to success. Let’s change our pace, not our pursuit.

Summary

The Israelites have been on quite the journey. As Joshua recaps, Abraham was called to the father of nations. He has a son, Isaac, that has a son named Jacob. Jacob’s name is changed to Israel. Their descendants end up in Egypt where they endure 400 years of oppression. Moses brings them out of Egypt and leads them for 40 years in the wilderness because even though they were out of Egypt, Egypt wasn’t out of them. Moses dies and Joshua is at the helm. He leads them into the promised land and they go on to conquer to territory that God has given them. They are beginning to get settled. Joshua is old and is preparing to die but he knows there are some that may have not seen the mighty hand of God. There are others that may have forgotten. So he gathers the people to provide some wisdom before he transitions. He knows it’s “day 22” for them but he doesn’t want them to grow complacent.

Observations/Points

Make a Decision and Steward It

He tells them to make a decision. Choose this day what you are going to do. There is power in our choices. A good marriage doesn’t just happen, we have to choose it and steward it. God’s love is unconditional but His blessings have to be chosen. Make a decision to fight for your marriage and steward it. Make a decision to draw a line and steward it.

Don’t Go Back

He refers to their ancestors. What you should know is in spite of all the crazy miracles God did to liberate His people, they still looked back. Sometimes we can romanticize the past and it can cause us to miss out on what’s in front of us. On average, we spend 70% of our time in the past or future, but rarely in the moment. The Israelites constantly complained about the direction and diet. They forgot that Egypt was terrible. The food was terrible. However when things are uncomfortable we default to looking back. Joshua tells them, don’t forget what that was like. The world will never deliver on its promises, don’t go back. Don’t cheat on the future with a disillusioned past.

Prioritize God

He concludes, as for me and my house, we are going to serve the Lord. He makes a choice, declares they aren’t going back and prioritizes God. I was raised in a Christian home so I was God familiar. I would occasionally go to church. Then there as a shift. I knew I could no longer live God adjacent. I needed to prioritize Him. We decided…we are a God family. We engage His presence, His community, we serve, we give. We no longer tried to fit God into my schedule but built my schedule around Him. I didn’t give when I “had” it, I prioritized God in my giving. We made a decision to not look back and prioritize God!

I have never regretted doing the right thing!

Closing

It’s day 22, change your pace but not your pursuit! Make a decision, Don’t go back, prioritize God!

That said, there are some among us that you are still waiting for your day 22. You are inspired by the stories of others but yours is still being written. Just hold on. Don’t give up. Jacob held on to God and he refused to let go until there was a change. Don’t let go. Don’t give up.