Letting Go of the Baggage

They had finally made it. Joshua and the people of God… they were now in the promised land.

The battles had been fought, the land allotments had been given out, and Joshua had reached an old age. but the promise… the promise had become reality.

And it was clear who it was that led the people of God into this new reality… into the new normal they were now living in. God had delivered them. God made the way.

Joshua 24 begins with a list of the things God had done to make this new normal a possibility.

The list is long and FULL of miracle after miracle. It serves as a record of all the things the Lord had done. It gives details of where they were and how God led them into new places and new realities. It connects the dots… gives a historical account AND reiterates that it was God who made it all a possibility.

God did exactly what He said He was going to do! Yes, there were a couple of hiccups along the way, but those hiccups were a result of the people of God going their own way… they were not a result of God backing out on His promises.

So imagine with me the sense of relief the people must have felt as it began to sink in… WE HAVE ARRIVED. We made it to the new season God has for us. Imagine the calm that must have swept through their hearts after the many years spent in the journey.

Ah yes… the journey was now over and… well… what were the next steps? What are the people supposed to do now?

Well, to say it plainly… it was time to make a choice. There was one more very important thing the people had to do now that they were living in the promised land.

Today we are going to talk about Letting Go of the Baggage.

And no, I am not speaking of physical baggage that we use when we travel from place to place. We are going to talk about a different kind of baggage that if left unchecked, can begin to spoil the new season… the new normal God has led you to.

I pray throughout the course of this series, you have been challenged and led by the Spirit into what God has for you. Maybe the Spirit simply helped get you back on course. Maybe you find yourself with renewed direction and hope. Whatever the case, I pray ALL OF US realize the importance of trusting in God for what is ahead.

As we journey to what the Lord has for us… there is something we need to deal with along the way. And that something is… baggage.

Baggage are what is left over from the season we just left. Baggage are the elements, the feelings, the habits, the thoughts, the relationships, the brokenness, etc. that somehow come along for the ride.

We know how these things end up coming with us… we choose to bag them up and haul them down the road. Instead of letting go… we hold on. And such is a very dangerous thing to do Spiritually.

God did not deliver you from where you were just so you can recreate the same broken conditions within His promised new normal. God delivered you from where you were so you could in fact… BE DELIVERED!

Joshua 24 begins with a history lesson for good reason. God, through Joshua, reminds the people of the battles and the victories and He reminds them that it was by His hand that they were delivered.

The dependency of the people needed to be placed fully in God!

Just because they had “arrived” did not mean this was a season to begin to unpack all the “baggage” they brought with them. Just because they “arrived” didn’t mean it was time to go back to their old ways, feelings, and habits.

God delivered the people that they might remain in His deliverance. God delivered you… that you might walk in and celebrate in His deliverance!

It was NOT a time to unpack the old baggage… it was time to let it go! It was time to be set free from it! It was tim to say NO to the way things were and YES to the new life God had given them!

So as the people were getting settled into their new homes, Joshua hits them with this charge in Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua 24:14–15 NIV

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Here is something I want you to consider today. Joshua and Caleb’s generation lived to see the faithfulness of God, and they assure us that God will continue to fulfill His promises and honor His Word. Do we believe today that God will do that?

But we need to understand this: we don’t choose to serve God in a vacuum. What I mean by that is to serve God places us in immediate conflict with other “gods,” with other “principalities” and “powers” as made clear by the apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:12). Here’s the reality, church: We cannot serve God and serve the lesser gods that compete for our love and loyalty. WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.

And that decision comes down to who is it that you are going to serve. No one can make this decision for you. Joshua made clear his decision in Scripture before the people of God and he charged them to decide whom they would serve.

It was time to FULLY leave behind the old… and to step into the new that God had in store for the people. But mark my words today: WE CANNOT FULLY EMBRACE WHAT GOD HAS FOR US UNTIL WE HAVE LET GO OF THE BAGGAGE FROM OUR PAST.

That baggage serves only as an anchor… as a weight to keep you from moving further into the plan God has for you. If your body is the ship, the Holy Spirit is the wind that would propel you forward but if the anchor remains set… you will remain where you are. And note, your lack of motion is not because the wind of the Spirit is not blowing… it’s because you have chosen not to cut loose the anchor… the baggage… that’s holding you back.

What good is a new land with the old sin? What good is a new circumstance with the old way of life? Yes, God had delivered the people into His promise… but we know today that unless the baggage is dealt with and left behind… it can drag us back down to the same places God just delivered us from!

So today we are going to let go of the baggage. And before we do that, we are going to look at what that baggage might look like. We are going to be real with ourselves today and like Joshua… I’m going to hit you between the eyes with a charge… the charge to choose.

And church… this very moment may be a make or break moment for you to experience the fullness of God’s promises for you. Again… how many want what God wants for you today? If that’s true… in a moment… we are going to let go of the baggage.

Number One: Throw Away the Other “gods”

Joshua made clear in his charge that before the choice could be made to serve God and God alone, all other “gods” had to go.

In that day, the people had been exposed to many different cultures and forms of worship. And from the nature of the charge given, it would be safe to imply that some of those worship practices that they had been exposed to had been picked up = BAGGAGE.

So Joshua says those other “gods” have got to go. ANYTHING getting in the way of their worship of God had to go. They could not be kept on the shelf as souvenirs, they were not to have any place in the home or the heart - they had to be thrown out!

Now this makes sense for the Israelites as they had perhaps picked up some bad habits. But we have had no exposure to the “gods” in Egypt or of the Amorites. So what “gods” do we need to throw away?

False “gods’ take on many forms and I think we might be surprised at just how many of these things are competing for your attention and your passion.

Joshua is making a charge, a plea, for the people of God to be fully devoted to God. To be fully devoted to God, one must be fully devoted to His truth and way.

Remember… these people had witnessed God do incredible things. They didn’t hear about what the Lord had done through stories… they were actually there!

Yet Joshua gives this charge un-apologetically to these same people. Why? Because even people who had seen God do these breathtaking miracles struggled with divided loyalties. And that is exactly what baggage does… it divides our loyalties.

This charge reminds us that it is entirely possible for people to have godly leadership, be on the adventure of conquering new land, enjoy God’s provision, and see miracles but still have divided loyalty when it comes to serving their God. READ THAT LINE AGAIN.

This is not to say that the people… or we the people… do not want God - they or we just want the other “gods” as well.

But here is what Joshua knew and what me must come to know for ourselves.

Joshua knew from years of watching this cycle of obedience and rebellion: if people do not make a conscientious, intentional, deliberate choice to exclusively, passionately wholeheartedly serve the living God, and get rid of their idols, then eventually they would end up serving those idols more than they would serve God.

Here’s the deal, church. We cannot offer God only a part of who we are. God is not interested in 65% of you… He wants all of you.

And let’s be honest… if you haven’t given Him all, you haven’t given Him anything. You’ve kept yourself in the driver’s seat instead of giving God full control.

The term idolatry may sound foreign and exotic and may come with ideas limited to statues or large images. But in all reality, idols are all around us and… people are making idols out of a lot of different things.

Idols are often good things that become bad for us because of our misplaced affection for them. This can include:

Possessions, the ideal home life, hobbies, schedules, careers, politics, sports, money, etc. These things become idols when they become the object of our worship.

Idols hold us back and keep us from experiencing all the new things God has for us. Idols certainly serve as baggage and they need to be dealt with accordingly.

Baggage also takes on other forms. Maybe your struggle isn’t with something like money or careers. Maybe your struggle is with something like bitterness, hurt, a sense of hopelessness, etc.

Church, listen to me closely: God wants to deliver you from whatever is distracting you!

That baggage doesn’t need unpacked… it needs thrown out! If it is creating a distance between you and the Lord then get rid of it! If it is distracting you in your walk with God then be delivered! But if you are unwilling to let it go… don’t play games and claim that you’re all in with God. Don’t ask God why He isn’t moving or why He isn’t helping. His Spirit is still moving. His power is still unmatched.

The problem lies not with God and with what He can do… the problem lies in your decision in holding on the baggage. It’s time to let it go… it’s time to throw it out!

Number Two: Fully Embrace All that is New

Part of letting go of the old is fully embracing that which is new.

For Joshua and the people… everything was new… and the possibilities that were ahead were unlimited! As the baggage was dealt with and thrown away, it was time for the people to fully embrace all that came with the promised land!

Egypt was behind them. The wilderness was behind them. The battles, the hardships all behind them. These events were now history. The old had gone. So the question is: what would they do with the new?

Their new reality was not given to them so they could remain in their old ways. Rather, this reality was given to them so that they might experience all of the amazing blessing that come with the new normal.

And this is something we need to realize today. We may not be standing in a physical promised land… but make no mistake about it, we are standing in a new normal of deliverance given to us by God. Jesus Christ gave His life that we might be forgiven and set free from all sin.

Our “old” self and life is that which Jesus died for to deliver us from. That old self was nailed to the cross once and for all.

Paul said it this way in Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 NIV

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

As the old self is done away with… something new comes to life through Christ Jesus! Jesus doesn’t not recycle or restore like we would an older car or building. WHAT WAS IS TORN DOWN DOWN. WHAT IS IS RAISED TO LIFE BY JESUS.

Hear me today: If you are in Christ, you are no longer who you used to be. If you continue to be who your used to be… I would encourage you to take a good honest look at your relationship with Jesus. This might sound a bit harsh… but consider the truth in 1 Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

First off, I am thankful for the truth that anyone can be in Christ! I am thankful that God has given us the opportunity to come out of sin, and into His forgiveness and grace!

And the moment a person makes the decision to place their faith in Jesus… is the moment that old self… that old normal is done away with and the new creation begins.

I am talking about a spiritual and physical change. I am talking about MORE THAN behavioral change… I am talking about a complete a total heart and soul transformation!

That new identity, that new reality will impact all that we are. It will effect what we do and what we say. BUT… it it is limited to just new behaviors and it fails to permeate our hearts… then we haven’t started a relationship with Jesus… we just put on a mask to cover up what is going on inside.

I’m not so much interested in what you do today… but I am interested in who you serve. I pray that you have made the choice to follow Jesus… to BE a disciple of Christ.

And in that choice… I pray you have chosen to embrace all the new things Jesus has for you. you cannot hold onto your baggage… and hold on to God at the same time. Something will have to give.

Your baggage will continue to do what it has always done - weigh you down and distract you from God.

His grace will do something you cannot do on your own - set you free and give you life more abundantly.

Jesus gave His life so we can live. Jesus gave His life so that those who would believe shall not perish...

Yet so many who “believe” find themselves doing just that as they hold on to the old… as they refuse to let go of the baggage.

They claim to serve the Lord, but really all they do is serve their own interests. Jesus came that we might be made new today… that we might make the choice to serve Him. So it is important today to look at one more point as we close...

Number Three: Know What it Means to Serve.

We use this word a lot when it comes to our relationship with God… Many claim to serve the Lord.

In fact, many have our main text in picture form on their walls or on T-shirts, or as memes on social media, etc. Yet I fear we have lost sight of what it means to serve. Why? Because of the baggage… because of the things we are unwilling to let go of.

The word serve is an active word… not a passive word. Serving God means actively pursuing and following God.

Serving God means He is our master, we are His Servants. By faith, we surrender ourselves to His ways BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS LEAD US AWAY FROM SIN AND TO ETERNAL LIFE.

So what the the “marks” or the metric we use to evaluate our level of servanthood? How do we know if we are truly all in or if our claim to serve the Lord is nothing more than a pretty picture on the wall?

I believe it is revealed through the treasure that we seek. Jesus gave us a stern warning in His Sermon on the mount. He made clear that we should store up treasures in heaven and not on earth. And he concludes by saying this,

Matthew 6:21 NIV

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So in essence, Jesus is telling us if you want to know who or what you are serving… consider what it is that you consider to be treasure.

And then Jesus goes on to say this:

Matthew 6:22–23 NIV

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

So what does this passage have to do with serving and storing up treasure? Jesus is telling the people that your eyes… your focus… is the door to your heart. You can claim to serve… to be storing up treasures in heaven… but if your focus is on the things of darkness or on the baggage you’re struggling to let go of… HOW GREAT IS THAT DARKNESS.

For instance… and I’m not trying to hit below the belt here… but if your focus right now is fixated on how close the minute and hour hand is to twelve o clock position instead of what the Holy Spirit might be trying to say to you… then you’re focused on the wrong things.

And if you think I am out of line then wait for this next statement. If you can’t give God more than an hour and ten minutes on a Sunday morning then do not try to convince me that you are willing to give Him more than that the other six days of the week.

Even things like our schedules can become idols… can become baggage that cause us to miss out on what God has for us!!!

Your focus will often be fixated on what you truly serve… what your treasure is. If your eyes are focused on the light of God, it will impact ALL that you are and all that you do.

SERVING GOD with your whole being will be a natural response as He is your one primary focus. YOU WILL NOT HESITATE TO SERVE HIM IF HE IS YOUR TREASURE! You will GLADLY release any baggage that might distract you from wholeheartedly pursuing the Lord!

So before you make a choice today I ask you to do this one thing. BE REAL: Where is your heart? Where is your passion? Who or what do you treasure?

Do you find it focused on baggage that is distracting you… or are you truly walking in the deliverance God has provided for you?

It’s time to make a choice: as Joshua said choose for yourself this day who you will serve.

This choice will require you to let go of the baggage, to embrace the new, and to serve with proper focus. If you’re ready to make that choice… stand to your feet and begin to worship Him right now.

If you need to ask to be forgiven for being distracted than ask God to forgive you. If you need to be delivered from distractions than ask God to deliver you. Let go of any and all things that might hold you back. Choose to serve the Lord!