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Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus
Joshua: Part 8 East Rock
All-in
We conclude with Part 8 of our teaching series through the book of Joshua.
Within the story of Joshua we read of the people of God encountering real obstacles to living out their faith in the Lord. Flooded rivers, fortified cities, and giant armies. real things that would cause any normal person to fear.
But what we see is that in the face of these challenges, is the power of God’s presence and his continued faithfulness to his people. That’s the story of Joshua, and that’s our story today.
Real challenges met with the real and true faithfulness of God.
Today we are in Joshua chapter 24 to hear his final call “Choose this day who you will serve”
Joshua 24:14-15
“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. 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.”
With everyone leaning in and listening, Joshua gives the people a clear-cut invitation to choose who they will serve.
No coercion, no threats, no manipulation, just a plain and simple choice.
Choose to go and worship other gods, things from the past, or the ways of the world you’re living in now- OR- Go ALL-IN serving the Lord your God.
Today as we conclude our teaching series on the book of Joshua, we will see Joshua’s final act as the leader of Israel is to invite them to be ALL IN in their relationship with the Lord.
Fully committed, totally invested, nothing held back. All in.
The message of Joshua rings loud and clear down through the centuries to us today. We have a choice Go all in, or don’t go at all.
Are you all in?
Joshua 24:1-2
Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.
Joshua begins his farewell address speaking on behalf of the Lord.
Before any specific challenge would come, God wanted to remind his people of all he had done for them in leading them to this point.
ii.He begins all the way back with the story of calling Abraham to follow him, and traces it up to their time in Egypt.
Joshua 24:5-10
“ ‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. “ ‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.
Verses 5-7 recount the stories of Moses and Aaron and how God brought the people out of Egypt.
Verses 8-12 bring the story up to their present day. How the Lord fought for the children of Israel in the promised land.
Joshua 24:13
So I gave you a 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 that you did not plant.’
From the distant past, to their present day, God was at the very center of the story.
He was the one who made this life possible in the promised land.
It wasn’t their efforts, it wasn’t because they deserved it. It was because he gave it to them. It was by God’s grace, motivate by his love for his people.
One way to put it would be that God had gone “all-in” for his people.
Joshua 24:14
“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.
In full view of all that God had done for his people, Joshua calls them to respond.
In rapid fire succession, Joshua calls for 4 things from his people in light of all that God has done for them.
Fear the Lord
Serve him with all faithfulness.
Throw away their gods.
Serve the Lord
This is ALL IN for the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
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.”
Joshua’s final command to his people was that they had to choose for themselves, who they were going to serve.
They could go ALL IN for the Lord or they could cling to the god’s of their parents and grandparents in Egypt. The way things had always been.
They could turn to the world around them and try it their way.
Joshua has already made his decision-As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Without further coercion, without exaggerated claims, without any sales pitch at all, Joshua lays it out before the people
“Choose this day who you will serve”
Be all in for the Lord or be all in with the other gods- it’s your choice and it’s my choice.
Choose this day who you will serve!