Sermon Title: Let God's Faithfulness Compel Your Faithfulness

Sermon Series: Joshua: Finding Courage through the Challenges of Life

Sermon Text: Joshua 24:1-28

April 27, 2008

Introduction: Over the past several weeks we have been gathering lessons from the book of Joshua in a series: Finding Courage through the challenges of life?

The book of Joshua has had much to teach us about how to answer God’s call and respond to his lead when he leads us into any sort of new territory in our lives. It teaches us how we can pioneer the unfamiliar or unconventional places in life and not be defeated by fear, stress and anxiety. It has taught us how to avoid surprising upsets in life by remaining fully reliant on God.

These lessons have come out of the stories of God leading his people into the conquest and settlement of the promise land. Obviously God is not calling you to go conquer some new country or land...but, He’s likely calling you to other kinds of opportunities and challenges.

What’s God calling you to do in these days of your life?

Where is he calling or prompting you to go?

How is he calling you to move into what he has next for you?

Is it scary? Is it unconventional or unfamiliar? Does it feel overwhelming or impossible? Instead of buckling or hesitating in fear, this series has reminded us that God is calling you to be strong and courageous. At times it will be difficult...at times it will be scary...But God is calling you to trust him...to believe him...to rely on him and follow him and REST in him.

Is he leading you into a new career, a new ministry adventure?

Is he leading you into uncharted territory at your job?

Is he calling you to a new healthier way of living...calling you to give up your dependency on pornography, alcohol or an overcommitted life?

Living without those addictions feels scary and uncertain at times...overwhelming at times. Initially, it will be difficult...but, God calls you to trust him...God calls you to be strong and courageous...to be determined, resolute...knowing that God is WITH you!

Today we come to the final chapter of Joshua. Having delivered his farewell speech which emphasized God’s fathfulness, Joshua now leads the people in a kind of vow renewal or faith affirmation ceremony where the people are given the opportunity to step up and take a stand for God and reaffirm their resolve to revere him and serve him all their days. In this ceremony we are reminded again of the fundamentals of how we can find courage through all the challenges of life. Let’s look at verses 1-13 as Joshua lays the vital foundation for his call to commitment.

It is vital for you to be regularly reminded of God’s faithful acts (24:1-13)

Before Joshua calls the people to step up and take a stand for God in this vow renewal ceremony, God has Joshua review an accounting of some of the major initiatives he took over the years to protect and provided for his people. The high value of regularly recounting the faithful acts of God is highlighted often in the Old Testament as God frequently reviews his faithful acts for his people. We see this kind of thing over and over in the Old Testament.

We see it when God identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We see it in the symbolism and celebration of Passover. We see it in places like Deuteronomy 26 as highlights of God’s faithfulness from history are to be recited when the people bring their first-fruits and tithes. We frequently see it in their worship songs such as Psalms 78, 105 and 106. “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” (Psalm 105:3-5). The absolutely vital importance of remembering and rehearsing the faithful acts of God is also highlighted all throughout the book of Joshua in the piles of rocks that served as monuments to God’s defining acts on behalf of people.

Now as the book of Joshua closes and in preparation for the vow renewal ceremony, God takes his people through a history review session. And he basically reminds them:

1-4 - I pursued you and I initiated relationship with you. I pursued you and wooed you to come and be my people.
5-7 - I freed you. When you were in bondage I did not abandon you. I fought for you and delivered you.
8-13 - I protected you and provided for you. Throughout the ups and downs of your journey I protected you and provided for you.

You know what? The message God gives them is a message he could totally give us this morning. God is basically saying...you are where you are because I have willed it so: I took, led, gave, assigned, sent, brought, afflicted your enemies, did, brought, did, put darkness between you and your enemies, brought, gave, destroyed, would not listen to your enemy, delivered, gave and sent you. The Result: I gave you land on which you did not toil, and cities you did not build, and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.

Here is a key takeaway for you this morning: Regularly recounting God’s faithful acts is vital for you in your relationship with God. We touched on this in the early part of our series in chapters 3-4 when God piled up the flood waters of the Jordan allowing the Israelite nation to cross. God instructed them to take 12 large stones, one for each tribe and pile them as a sign among you so that when your children ask Why? Why? Why? you can rehearse the faithful act of God when he piled up the flood waters of the Jordan to allow the whole nation to cross.

And you know how many times kids ask, “why.” And each time an adult recounted the miracle, both the child listening and the adult speaking along with all those around were reminded that God works miracles, that God never fails and that God is faithful and true and that he remains so to this day!

We’ve been calling this series, “Finding courage through all the challenges of life.” When I am facing an overwhelming challenge, there’s nothing more encouraging than to hear a story or two of God’s faithfulness, greatness and dependability. It reminds me that he is in charge, and I am not. It reminds me that it is not all up to little ole me to solve.

Are you facing some challenging circumstances in your life? Take time this week and do yourself a huge favor...sit down with your Bible and immerse yourself in the stories of God’s faithfulness from the Bible.

It is so vital for you to be intentional about exposing yourself to regular reminders of God’s faithfulness?

Make sure you read and re-read in the Bible or listen with the Bible on CD the stories of God’s faithfulness. The Old Testament is filled with these stories.
Memorize some of the key verses that boldly declare God’s faithfulness. For example, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1) “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness...” (Exodus 34:6).
Some people let the reminders come through worship songs playing at home, work or in the car. This is a great way. Many of the worship songs we sing are lifted right out of scripture. “You love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5).
Tell your stories of God’s faithfulness to you to others and be inspired as they tell theirs.

Last week Pastor Stu teaching out of Joshua 23 and Joshua’s farewell speech had you write on your own personal stone a reminder of God’s faithfulness. I hope you have put that stone in a place where you see it on a regular basis. It’s kind of a primitive version of a post-it note.

Remembering and recounting the faithful acts of God is so vital for each of us in our walks with God. Here’s why? The faithfulness of God empowers us and inspires us to be strong and courageous. With this accounting of God’s faithfulness clearly in view, Joshua now calls each one of them to allow the unceasing faithfulness of God to compel them to revere the Lord and serve him faithfully. Look at verses 14-27

Allow the unceasing faithfulness of God to compel you to revere the Lord and serve him faithfully (24:14-27).

Having recounted some of the major episodes of God’s faithfulness, Joshua calls the people to a challenge: Match God’s faithfulness to you with your faithfulness to him...fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness (14-15).

Two different times in this section Joshua calls the people to throw away and get rid of all the other gods that their forefathers and the pagan nations around them have worshiped. Throughout the course of their lives it seems the pagan gods of their family heritage and of the nations that they lived among had managed to attach themselves to them. It seems that there remained among them residual pagan influences from their forefathers. From Joshua’s statement in verse 23, it’s clear that the pagan influences from the nations around them had subtly crept into their spiritual practices and present even as they were recommitting their lives to God. And Joshua calls them to a defining moment...a moment of declaration.

He calls them to do a thorough inventory...a “let’s get real” gut check. He challenges each of them: Look over your lives...what “godless” influences have crept in and gotten a foothold in your life? What “gods” are siphoning off your loyalty or diluting your devotion to God?

Now, for you and me these types of gods are going to look different than they might have looked for the Israelites. How would we go about doing this inventory Joshua calls them to? How would you go about identifying “godless” influences or devotion diluters that need to be thrown away?

How do I know what is diluting my devotion?

“What am I depending on more than God to make life work for me?
“What habits or patterns of living have crept into my life that don’t honor or serve God?
“Is there anything that is competing for my allegiance to God?
“What in my life risks being more valuable to me than my relationship with God?”

Joshua calls them to step up and take a stand for God! Declare this day who you will serve! And recalling God’s faithful provision and protection, they quickly reply: we will serve the Lord, because he is our God and he has been faithful (16-18).

But, in verses 19-20 Joshua pushes back a bit. He wants to make sure that they understand that God is holy and there is no room for a plurality of allegiance or a plurality of worship and service. You either revere and serve God and make him LORD of your life...or you serve other allegiances. Here is the important point he’s making: You can’t just add God to the other allegiances or loyalties in your life.

God cannot just be one of many loyalties in your life. God will not have it. God is a jealous God...not because he’s selfish and immature...but, because he is God Almighty. There is no one greater and there is no one who is worthy to share in his glory. Joshua warns them that God will not allow or forgive multiple allegiances. If you don’t seek to make him Lord of all in your life, then he won’t be Lord at all in your life.

So Joshua calls them: Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...The Lord God Almighty...or some other thing or being that you have made god in your life?

And the people confirm with a resounding “No! We will serve the Lord!”

To mark their determined resolve to serve and obey the Lord, Joshua calls them to be witnesses for each other and to the commitment they are agreeing to this day. And then, as he had done 6 other times in his leadership career, he sets up a large stone as a witness, as a marker of this defining moment to remind them of their decision to serve the Lord.

This closing chapter of Joshua reaffirms the fundamental key to finding courage through the challenges of life regardless of what they are. You must be intentional to remember and recount the ways God has been faithful and allow it to compel you to revere him and serve him with all faithfulness.

Match God’s faithfulness to you with your faithfulness to him.

Closing

This vow renewal and faith reaffirmation ceremony was a powerful experience for the Israelites. There is something powerful about reaffirming out loud in a somewhat public, corporate gathering your clear intention to serve and obey the Lord. As we close today I’d like to invite you to enter into a vow renewal or faith affirmation interchange similar to this one recorded for us in Joshua.