Standing on the Promises: Choosing Whom to Serve: The Power of Commitment and God's Spirit | Joshua 24

Hello and welcome to the FBC Eldorado Sermon Podcast.

My name is Taylor Guerin.

I have the privilege of being the pastor here at First Baptist and I want to thank you for listening in to our sermon this week.

And I want to tell you this if you're in our area and you don't have a church home, we would love to see you any Sunday morning at First Baptist El Dorado.

Will you join me now in listening to our sermon from this week?

All right, well, good morning church family.

I say amen to what our worship team has done, what our choir has done this morning.

I'm grateful for that group leading us in worship.

I'm grateful to be here.

I'm grateful for that group leading us in worship.

I'm grateful to be here.

I'm grateful for each one of you.

We're finishing today our series through Joshua.

We'll be in Joshua, chapter 24, the final chapter of Joshua.

Joshua 24 · chapter mention

I want to read a brief passage from 24, 14 through 15.

Then I'd like to pray for us and then we will get going.

Joshua 24, 14 and 15.

Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.

Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord and, if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord.

Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your father served in the region beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Let me pray for us now.

Lord Jesus, would you speak this morning?

Would you speak truth by your spirit, teach us, transform us, show us what it means to serve you.

We need your help, lord, in Christ's name, amen.

But why, some say, the moon?

Why choose this as our goal?

And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain?

Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?

Why does rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon.

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, one we intend to win, and these others too.

And many years ago, the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it.

He said because it is there.

Well, space is there and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.

And therefore, as we set sail, we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.

These words, spoken by John F Kennedy at Rice University, on their football field, september 12th 1962.

John F Kennedy, obviously the second most important person to ever step on that football field, the first being our own, john Thomas Shepard.

In 1962, on that football field, at Rice University, he spoke these words and really made a declaration.

He had spoken to Congress about the same thing the year before, but now, really before the world, he wanted everyone to know we're going to the moon, everyone to know we're going to the moon.

This was in 1962.

And he said by the end of the decade.

And quite honestly, they weren't really ready to go to the moon.

Quite honestly, it was kind of far-fetched to think they could make it by the end of the decade, but John F Kennedy said it and so they were going.

There were other countries that were a little ahead and getting a lot of the headlines for being a little bit ahead.

But John F Kennedy said on this day, we're going to the moon, we're going to make it.

It was decision day.

A choice was made and Kennedy said that's where we're going.

In Joshua 24, it's decision day.

A choice has to be made, a vision has to be given.

Where are we going?

Who are you going with?

In Joshua, in Joshua chapter 24, it says simply this we're going to the moon.

Joshua 24 · chapter mention

But he says it more like this as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

It's decision day.

How did we get to Joshua 24?

Last week we were in Joshua, chapter 7.

Joshua 7 · chapter mention

Obviously, that's a big jump.

We see during that time a few things happen.

The conquest continues in the land and the people of God because God is with them receive the land promised.

We see throughout this time a moment in Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites really a people of the land kind of deceive their way into the family of God and yet they're in.

Joshua 9 · chapter mention

You can read about that story on your own.

We see all throughout these chapters that the allotment of the land happens, where these 12 tribes receive what God has promised them and they can now dwell in this land.

And as we near the end of the book Joshua 23, joshua 24, we really see Joshua at the end of his life giving some final declarations.

Reminds us a lot of Deuteronomy, with Moses at the end of his life encouraging the people of God at the end of his road there.

Joshua now is doing the same thing.

We'll be in Joshua 24, but I just can't keep from reading this in Joshua 23, verse 14.

Joshua 23:14

And now I'm about to go the way of all the earth and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed.

Of all the good things that the Lord, your God, promised concerning you, all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed.

Not one promise has failed.

Promise has failed.

Joshua telling the people that from the beginning until now, our God is and continues to be a promise-keeping God.

Now that continues to set the scene of Joshua 24, because in these verses verses 1 through 13 of 24, he's going to recount the history of Israel all the way back to Abraham and God calling him and and making a nation and the patriarchs, and now the people of God in Egypt, and God calling them out of bondage in Egypt and he's leading them towards the land and he's giving them the land.

He reminds them of their history, and that's important because he's about to make a challenge and a call.

But, as we've talked about in this series already, the indicative always fuels the imperative who you are fuels what you do.

And so, from the start, joshua wants to remind them you are a called, redeemed, chosen people who God has brought you from slavery to this moment.

Now, with that in mind, you have a chance to serve.

You're not serving so that you can earn God's love.

You're serving because God's love has already been so clearly seen as placed on you.

And now we arrive at Joshua 24, verse 14.

Joshua 24:14

Now, therefore, with all that in mind, what we just realized about the people of God in our history realized about the people of God in our history.

Therefore, fear the Lord.

Let's talk about that phrase.

Fear the Lord.

It's a strange phrase.

I think it's all throughout Scripture, certainly the Old Testament, this idea of fearing the Lord.

But it sounds strange because it feels like that's not what we should do.

Fear the Lord, what does that mean?

To fear the Lord?

All throughout Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

This fear of the Lord.

Well, it's not a Scooby-Doo, haunted house type fear what it is.

Is this a reverence for the Lord?

There's a reverence there realizing that he's God and I am not.

So if God and I are ever in the same room together, there's no question on which individual is in full authority.

And it's not me, it's Him.

We remember in Joshua, chapter five, the commander of the armies of the Lord.

When God showed up, there was no doubt who was in power, who was in authority.

He's the one.

And so there is this healthy fear of the Lord, this reverence, this continual reminder that he is God and we are not and our duty is to serve him.

Now, how do we do this?

We fear the Lord and serve him verse 14, in sincerity and in faithfulness.

So that's how we serve Sincerity and faithfulness.

First, sincerity that, without blemish, unscathed in integrity, we are serving him wholly and truly.

It's not just with our words, it's with our actions.

It really defines who we are, in sincerity, but also faithfully.

It's constant and it's ongoing.

This is not a fair weather service of God.

Maybe you know what it looks like at times to be a fair weather fan of a team.

There was a moment yesterday afternoon when a certain team was down 17 to 3 to a school in Birmingham where I started to be a fair weather fan, and you know what that means that when your team is on top and doing great, it's easy to be on board.

When things start to go south, maybe not so much, maybe quite literally a fair weather fan, and I love getting out to a game in you know late September in the evening and it's, you know, 75 at kickoff.

You know November, in the pouring rain, not so much.

We can be fair weather fans of our sports teams, but God is not calling us to be fair weather fans.

God, when you're answering my prayers and everything's right, I'm on board.

But when trial comes, when suffering comes, I don't know about then, but God is saying hey, with faithfulness.

About then, but God is saying hey, with faithfulness, with sincerity.

Serve the Lord now.

Therefore, fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness and and here's an action step Put away the gods that your father served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord Really.

This verse brings us to our first point today that we have a task before us.

We have a task before us.

So we saw how we serve him.

And now the action step Put away the gods that your father served first, beyond the river and in Egypt.

This idea that some of the people of God had compromised and served these other lowercase g gods.

They're not real gods, they can't actually do anything, but they bowed down to these idols.

We even see in Exodus 32, this moment we've talked about it with the golden calf and all the people of Israel seem to bow down to this golden calf and those catastrophic words here is your God that brought you out of Egypt and they were punished greatly for that.

Put away the gods you serve beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord.

Get rid of those lowercase g gods in your life and serve the Lord and he deserves and he gets our singular worship.

Now, this is exclusive.

There is exclusivity with the Lord.

The world does not like exclusive with the Lord, the world does not like exclusive.

I think of the words, and we'll study them more in just a few weeks.

In John 14, 6, jesus says I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life.

The world does not like that.

Now, the world would not mind one bit if Jesus had changed one word I am a way, I am a truth, I am a life.

If Jesus could just be one among many, one option among the many options out there, no one would have any problem with Jesus.

But it's the moment there's exclusivity involved, that he is the way to the Father.

That's when things get dangerous and the world doesn't really like it.

But what we see here is an exclusivity.

Put away all other gods, anything else you might be tempted to put on the throne of your life.

It cannot satisfy.

Put them away, like we talked about last week.

Kill the compromise.

What is it?

The idols in your life drawing you away?

Put them away and serve the Lord, I would imagine, hope and pray.

No one's going home this afternoon to bow down to idols of wood and stone in your home.

If you are doing that, come talk to me after we can talk about that.

But we are so often bowing down to the idols in our lives, aren't we?

The lowercase g gods may look different in 2024, but they are very much still there, whether it's the god of my career, the god of my prominence or position, whether it's the god of my bank account, whatever it might be, you can insert the blank there for what it is for you.

There's a call here for exclusivity.

Put these gods away and serve the Lord.

We have a task before us.

But number two, we also have a choice to make.

We have a choice to make For Joshua.

It's decision time.

It's time to make a choice.

As I think about decision time, I think about our nation right now.

The political cycle, the election, it's in full swing.

It's everywhere you look.

There was a debate this week.

There's so much swirling going on and if you tune into your favorite news channel this afternoon, probably on all of them in that bottom right corner, they'll say something like you know 50 days until you know.

Whatever their term is, decision 2024, america chooses 2024, whatever we all get a term for it, 50 days until the election.

It's decision time.

All these things, it's all before us.

Joshua, in this moment, says I'm not giving you 50 days.

Right now it's decision time.

Who are you going to serve?

And if it is evil in your eyes verse 15, to serve the Lord.

Now imagine the audacity of that if, if you've heard everything that God has done, as I recounted the story from Abraham till now, of just how faithful our God has been and how literally the air you're breathing right now is because he is allowing you to breathe it, and he gave you this land that you didn't deserve that.

Really, you didn't even earn any of that.

He just gave it to you because of his love, favor and care.

He's done all this for you and if, even still, you believe it's evil in your eyes to serve him, choose this day whom you will serve.

You know, as I always kind of think back to that verse in my mind, I've always thought it was a he's saying choose between God and the gods of this world, which he still is doing that ultimately.

But in this verse he's actually doing this If it's evil in your eyes, serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve.

He's saying choose which gods you're going to run after.

You've got two choices you can have the gods your father served in the region beyond the river, or you can have the gods the Amorites in whose land you dwell.

Which gods are you going to serve?

If it's evil to serve the Lord, well, everyone serves something.

Which gods are you going to run after?

This is not Joshua, by the way.

This is not Joshua saying any other option is okay.

He's not saying choose between which lowercase g gods you want, and some choices might work out for you.

He's saying if you found it to be evil to serve the Lord, then chase after something that will ultimately leave you broken and empty.

You can pick the gods that some served in Egypt.

You can pick the gods that we some served in Egypt.

You can pick the gods that the people in this land serve, but we all will serve something.

We all will serve someone.

Which gods are you going to chase after?

It's your choice.

Cs Lewis in the Great Divorce says this that there's two types of people in the end.

There's those who look to the Lord and say thy will be done, and those whom the Lord looks to them and says thy will be done.

There's two types of people in the end those who look to the Lord and say thy will be done, and those for whom the Lord looks to them and says thy will be done.

If you want your gods, you can have them.

If you want to chase everything the world has to offer, if you want to bow down to your idols sadly, you can go.

Bow down to your idols, but in this moment Joshua makes a declaration.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

That's what Joshua says.

A decision has been made we're going to the moon.

As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord, and if the rest of Israel wants to go, choose other gods.

If anybody else sees differently, they'll just have to see differently.

But for me and for my house, a decision has already been made we are going to serve the Lord.

It's decision time, and Joshua has made his decision.

Is that true for you, for you individually?

Have you made that decision in your own life I speak certainly to those who don't know the Lord have you made that decision for the first time that I need a Savior?

And I know I'm sinful, that I know Jesus died for me, took my sin upon himself and he rose from the grave and I want him to be Lord of my life.

So this day, for the first time for me, I'm going to serve the Lord.

I pray that would be a day for you, that today would be that day, but for believers as well.

Have you made that firm declaration in your own life that, as for me and my house Made that firm declaration in your own life that, as for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord.

That for me, this Christian life is not just going to be something I speak about.

It's not just going to be something I say.

It's not just going to be something I check a box on, maybe a Sunday morning, and say, hey, I've arrived at spirituality because I've checked the right boxes, but instead it's going to be something that's going to change the fabric of my life, because I've tasted and seen the goodness of God and it now reshapes everything.

And that'll mean your life will look a little different, that your actions will look different, that the words you say will look different, maybe the crowds you're with you say, will look different, maybe the crowds you're with might look a little different.

Whatever it means, it will mean there will be changes in your life.

But that's because you have a calling to follow after your God the God, the only God with sincerity and with faithfulness.

Have you made the choice in your own life with faithfulness?

Have you made the choice in your own life?

Have you made the choice for your home?

For your home?

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I want to speak just for a second to our men in the room and I just want to take a second for the men, and that's not to discount anyone else in the room, but that's just.

I'm a man, I know men.

I can speak to men about the home.

Men in your own life, in your own home, have you made this declaration in your own home?

Have you made this declaration that, for me and my home, we're going to serve the Lord?

That, in a world that is fighting for my home, in a world that would love nothing more than to disciple my home and disciple my children and lead them towards any and every direction, I've put a fence around my home and said this is a place.

This home is a place where we worship the Lord Church family.

Let me tell you something, men in the room if you want a worshiping home, let me tell you how to do it.

Be a worshiper.

If you want a home that values the Word of God, I'll tell you how it's done Value the Word of God.

If you want a home that takes seriously being with the family of God in this place, lead the way in being with the family of God in this place.

If you want sons that grow up to be godly men on mission for God.

Be a godly man on mission for God If you want daughters that do great things for the kingdom and go out and make disciples do great things for the kingdom, go out and make disciples Men.

Have you said this?

That, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

And maybe men in the room there's this idea of maybe I haven't been the spiritual leader I need to be.

What if I come?

I want to do this, but shouldn't I have started years ago?

What if, all of a sudden, I want to lead the home well, spiritually, but maybe those on the outside don't take me seriously because I haven't done it all along.

Maybe even those on the inside don't take me seriously because I haven't done it all along.

Let me tell you, if you make this declaration and say, for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, I'll tell you what I believe will happen.

I believe your family will look to you and say there is a man of God.

I'll never forget a friend of mine.

He was in our men's ministry in Benton and he just caught a vision for being a man of God.

He knew in his own life he had not been the leader.

He needed to be Kind of his spiritual presence in the home.

It wasn't quite there, it was more of a checkbox, we go through the motions type thing.

And he just caught the vision and he wanted more of what the Lord had to offer and he was in his word and he was living life in the community and accountability of other men and he was chasing after the Lord and his home started to be reshaped and he was talking, having gospel conversations in his home and he was praying in his home and he would drop his teenage son off at school each day.

And they were driving there one day and the dad was just, you know, asking his son what can I pray for?

And the dad took time to pray with his son and afterwards his son teenage son looked up at him.

Exact words he said dad, what's gotten into you, dad, what's gotten into you, dad, what's gotten into you?

And you know what he told them.

He asked Christ Jesus has gotten into me.

The work of the Lord has gotten into me.

Men and women, all in this room, young, old, whatever, make that declaration for you, men and women, for your home, for your family, as for me and my house, this is the direction we're going and we've made the decision.

Is this true of our church?

That, as for this church, we've made the decision we are going to serve the Lord.

In a world that wants the church to cave, in a world that wants the church to compromise, we just say, hey, we don't have another word, we don't have another book, we don't have another Lord and Savior.

So, as for us, we're going to serve the Lord.

You know, the devil doesn't really mind that we show up here on Sunday mornings, wouldn't necessarily mind if we sang some songs and wouldn't necessarily mind if I got up here and preached, wouldn't mind us having some Bible school, wouldn't mind us having some life groups and some men and women studies, so long as the people of God treat those events like just checkbox items.

And we've done it, we've checked the box, and surely we are where we need to be spiritually because we have checked the box of being in this room on this day.

Let me tell you what makes the devil nervous is when we do those things.

But instead these are places of transformation where, all of a sudden, men and women and boys and girls look different because they see a church, they see a people.

They see a family, they see parents who have made the decision that we are going after Jesus, and it has changed everything.

That's why Joshua says choose this day.

But I'm just gonna tell you this, for me and my family we are going to serve the Lord.

So we have a task before us, we have a choice before us.

But here's the good news we have a God who goes good news.

We have a God who goes before us.

We have a God who goes before us.

Here's the beautiful thing In verse 16 through 18, there's this beautiful moment where the people of God, they are excited and they tell Joshua we can do it, we will do it.

We will honor the Lord, we will put away the gods.

Far be it from us to run away from the Lord.

We will do what you say.

It's this moment, this.

They are motivated.

Team morale is at an all-time high.

Let me tell you something If you oversee any employees and you're ever looking to get them fired up and you're bringing in a guest speaker to improve staff morale, never invite Joshua to do it.

Staff morale, never invite Joshua to do it.

They're ready to go.

And Joshua says this in verse 16, excuse me, verse 19.

Look at this you are not able to serve the Lord.

Again, you're trying to fire up your staff.

We need a big quarter four of this year.

You bring in the speaker.

What do we need to do?

How can we do it?

You're not able.

Quarter four is not going to be that great.

You can't do it.

Why does Joshua say this?

This feels like the opposite of what he was saying.

He is a jealous God.

He's a holy God.

Look at this.

He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.

Now, that feels off.

That feels contrary to everything else we read in scripture.

He will not forgive you.

But here's why he says this If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after having done you good.

Why does he say the Lord will not forgive your sins?

Because he's looking at a moment when the people of God are running from the Lord and they're not seeking his forgiveness.

It's not that our God is not gracious.

We know he's faithful and ready to forgive sins.

But what Joshua is saying?

You're not able to do it.

You're going to run after all of these other gods and the forgiveness is not even going to be something you're seeking, because you're going to be seeking all the gods of this world.

You can't do it.

And here's what I would say to us this morning as you sit here and maybe you want to make that declaration over yourself, make the declaration I'm serving the Lord over your family.

You want to turn over that new leaf and say things are going to look different and I can do more and I can be more and I can honor the Lord in bigger and better ways than I ever have before.

I've got a little bit of news this morning.

You can't do it, you can't do it.

You can't do it.

But notice the emphasis of Joshua, notice the emphasis of your pastor in this moment.

You can't do it.

You cannot do it.

But what is the whole story of Joshua?

What is the whole story of scripture?

Of course you can't do it, but there's one who can, there's one who will.

Where did this whole story start?

In Joshua 1.9, when God says be strong and courageous, don't be afraid.

Why?

Because you're such a leader and so special.

No, because God says this, because I am with you.

And that's where all this takes off the I am with you.

You cannot do it Under our own power.

Here's what we'll do every time.

We'll say, god, I can do more for you.

And we'll work harder and we'll try our best and we'll move and we'll make things happen.

We'll pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and say, god, aren't I doing enough, aren't I doing well?

And eventually that will just lead to burnout.

But if God is with us, if God is working in and through us, it reminds me of John 14 and 16 and 17, when Jesus says I am going away, but I'm sending the helper.

Do you know that if you know Jesus Christ personally, you are indwelled with his spirit and, quite literally, god is with you, and so your desire for sanctification, your desire to look more like Jesus, your desire to serve God faithfully guess what?

The spirit is ready and willing to do that in and through you.

Of course, we've got a massive part to play.

It's us and the Spirit working together, but the Spirit is enabling this to happen.

So you have a Spirit, the Spirit of God, living inside you that leads you towards this sanctification.

So, of course, you can't do it by yourself, but he can do it in and through you, and that's really, really good news.

You say this and I'm going to have the band come on up and the worship team, because I'm about to close this thing.

But you say this how do I know that the Spirit can carry me?

How do I know that God will come through?

Taylor, what if the reality is spirit or not?

I just can't do it.

Can he really help me?

Can he really help me be the man, the woman, the child?

I'm called to be Joshua 23, 14 again, and now I'm about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed.

Of all the good things that the Lord, your God, promised concerning you, things that the Lord, your God, promised concerning you, all have come to pass for you.

Not one of them has failed.

The God who has called us is the God who keeps us.

The God who calls us is the God who will see us through.

And so if you make that declaration for your life, for your family's life, for your church's life, you have a God who stands ready to walk with you.

You have a spirit that empowers you and leads you towards that sanctification.

You can't do it, I can't do it, of course we can't.

You can't do it.

I can't do it, of course we can't.

The Spirit in us, he can do it.

I want to pray for us now, and maybe you have a decision to make this morning.

Maybe you want to know the Lord for the first time, maybe you want to just pray with me about something going on in your life.

I'd love to do that.

Maybe you want to come join this church family, however it is, maybe, as we sing in a moment, you just want to come down and speak with me.

I'd love to do that.

I think we all need to respond in some type of way with our worship through prayer.

Whatever you need to do, you do it now.

Let me pray for us.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your word, thank you for the reality that you walk with us.

We cannot do it, we can't serve you faithfully under our own power, but, lord, would your spirit lead us?

I just pray for each person in this room.

I thank you for how you shape them and gift them and use them and, lord, if there is even one today that does not know you, would today be their day of declaration?

Would they leave this room saying it wasn't true at the start, but right now I know that, as for me, I will serve the Lord, because I now know the Lord.

I ask this Lord, in Christ's name, amen, would you stand as we worship?