Sunday Morning Podcast June 29, 2014. Bro. Danny Sanders
TEXT: JOSHUA 24:1-15
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Verse 1 shows us that status doesn’t prevent anyone from being held accountable before God. Joshua (in verse 15 ) exhorts all to “choose this day whom ye will serve”….”whether the gods of your fathers, etc., but as for me and my house we will serve the LORD.” Though these events happened long ago, character doesn’t change throughout the ages. Joshua recognized that, yes, he would be facing some battles, as we all do. But he knew that the battles weren’t his to fight alone. In Numbers 13:30, and 14:6-10, God makes clear to His people, that either you depend on God’s strength alone, or suffer the consequences. We cannot spiritually function based on our human feelings. God’s plan is for us to “alter our course” to serve Him. Has God delivered you to overcome the plagues of sin? We each are, or will, be called to meet Christ at His altar. Real change comes when you do something about it! It takes more than mere “planning,” but to really answer when God gives to you His call.
We must not allow anything to stand between us and God. If something comes between, we must deal with it, to overcome it. “That something” …will be our flesh wanting it’s own way. But if we truly alter our course to serve God, we inherit His promises in prosperity. In 2 Kings 17th chapter we find how an “inheritance” here also is passed down, if one has “mere religion” and not a fully surrendered life. We cannot serve God …and also “the world.” We cannot serve two masters. If attempting it, the world will win.
God is looking for our total commitment. Deuteronomy 6: 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD. 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Otherwise the outcome isn’t good, for there cannot be a “middle ground.” Deuteronomy 6: 14 “Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which round about you. 15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee off the face of the earth.
What are you going to do when God calls you? Will you alter your course?