Sunday Morning Podcast December 7, 2014. Bro. Dave Goble.
TEXT: JOSHUA 24:14-15
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.
Is it true everyday we have a choice? Yes, everyday, we wake up, moment by moment, our life subsists on choices. Our life is measured in those moments of choices, whether or not we serve God. If your treasures are placed in “heavenly places” it will be easier to serve God. Our choices in life define whether or not our treasures are centered in God, or more in children, parents, career, fortunes, etc., and any other fleshly concerns. Will you serve the gods that are among the people, or the one true God of heaven? If we don’t want to leak out from our spiritual strength, we must constantly keep the desire to choose God, over all, daily, to make heaven our home. The daily moments of our life, will demonstrate our choices. Joshua 24:24,25, the people here, chose to say they would serve God, so Joshua made a covenant and sealed it with the blood of the sacrifice.
Today, our covenant also needs to be sealed in the sacrifices of Christ blood. In Joshua 24:19 Joshua warned the people that God would not forgive them while serving other gods. The people responded with a declaration that they would choose to serve God as a witness of their choice. It was then that Joshua proceeded to make a sacrifice for that commitment. Also today that is how it must be. If we are to prove that we will truly serve God, it can only be so if we first sacrifice up any fleshly hindrance. Joshua 24:20: God is a jealous God, and will not change, but will allow destruction, and hurt to consume us, at the evidence of any betrayal to our covenant with Him.
One can not truly serve God, and also their own will. One cannot serve mammon, (the world), and God, (Matthew 6:24). The gods of mere religion and this world, (mammon) will never demand you to give up self and sin. To choose God, all need to change to please Him. Our desires should always be for God. When they are, it will even cause us to be at peace with our enemies, (Proverbs 16:7) There will be times that others will not be pleased with our choices, but if our choices focus on serving God, it will increase our spiritual strength.
Every moment, every day, every decision, we make choices to serve the true God or not. Even in the little things of life. Which God will you choose to serve?