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October 30, 2009
The Choice That Counts
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.”
Joshua had led the people into the Promised Land of Canaan. They had
fought many battles, and they had witnessed God’s power in bringing
the massive walls of Jericho crashing down into the dust. They had
suffered defeat at the tiny insignificant city of AI, when their pride and
sin had caused their army to run in terror before the enemy. And they
had also witnessed the awesome power of God in their battle with five
powerful kings and their armies. God had rained down hailstones and
killed a large number, and God, at Joshua’s command, had made the sun
to stand still in the sky until Joshua and his army completely defeated
these armies. They had witnessed Caleb at 85 years of age conquering
the mountain of giants which had been one of the reasons their parents
had refused to enter the Promised Land while still in the wilderness. Yet,
with the help of the Lord, these people they had conquered city after
city, and had taken possession of the land. They still had some enemies
to face, but now 20 some years later, Joshua who is very old, stands
before them, and asks, no demands, for the people to make a critical
choice. It is a choice which would impact their lives, their children's
lives, children's children, etc. It is a choice which would help to clarify
just where they were spiritually, and where they were going. It is a
choice that You, and I, and all people everywhere, and in everyplace
must make:
“CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE!” It was similar to the
choice Moses had given the people some 60 years earlier: “Who is on the
LORD'S side? Let him come unto me.” It was the same choice Jesus
demanded of His followers when He asked; Lu 6:46 - "And why call ye
me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
The same choice is before each of us now, and every moment of every
day of the rest of our lives; Who will we serve?
The Philistines worshipped false gods. Baal was their chief god. The
worship of Baal, appealed to the senses. It was an exciting, feel good
religion. So much of what people choose to do in this world is decided on
the basis of what feels good to them. In our churches in this country we
try to get people to attend by promising something appealing to them.
They choose our “show” this Sunday, and a better one in another church
the next week. We have "PUMPKIN SUNDAY, OLD CAR SUNDAY,
WESTERN SUNDAY, Special performances, flying angels, real animals,
Christian Music "Artists" etc all to appeal to the lost unregenerate man,
or worldly Christian who will not simply come for the Word of God alone;
O no, we must entertain them, and then try to slip something in! Those
who worshiped Baal, worked themselves into an emotional frenzy;
temple prostitution was part of this worship; Do as you want! How like
much of what passes for Christianity in this country today!
The Israelites had already been influenced by these gods: look at 24:23
The choice that Joshua challenged these people to make, required their
immediate attention and action. “Choose this day!” Paul would later say
in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2;
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive
not the grace of God in vain.(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now
is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Joshua was their leader, and he had great influence over them, but he
could not make their choice for them. He could lead by Godly example,
and his own personal commitment to faithfulness, but he could not make
their choice for them! He made His choice and also said; “AS FOR ME AND
MY HOUSE……”
Joshua could not decide His wife, and children’s commitment, but He
could make sure that they were in a home where The Lord and His Word
were lifted up as the most important things! Notice, He did not ask his
children and wife what they wanted to do.... he led them in the right
way! If it is right, men, women, you do not need to ask......just start
leading....... Your family will follow, and even if they do not, you must
keep going!
So, what choice will you make? What choice have you made? Will you
choose this day to serve the Lord? It is a choice to be made everyday! It
is a choice to be made often, throughout the day! It is a choice to be
made moment, by moment as you live each day! It is a choice to be made
that will affect every aspect of your life. The Israelites were not sitting in
the tabernacle every second. They were not in Bible Study continuously,
They were conquering a land; fighting battles; planting crops, building
cities, towns, villages; raising families Just as every generation before
them, and after them, even you and I had done, and must do: But the
choice is before us in every area of our life; Who will we serve? Who are
we living for? What is our chief motivation? To have fun, to make money,
to buy more toys, to have popularity, etc? There is a right way to live,
and a wrong way to live. You are living the wrong way if you are not
living to please and glorify the Lord in everything that you do. And,
although, things seem to be doing fine, they won’t be; because you are
not able to handle all the unknowns of life on your own. You and I were
meant for God! We were intended to know and serve Him; We were not
designed to live only to please ourselves; we cannot succeed without
Him; and we certainly dare not face eternity without making the choice
that really counts; Who will we serve?
To serve means literally, to worship. Who are you worshiping; Yourself,
Recreation, Relationships, A Job, A House, A Dream/Vision for your life,
or Popularity with the crowd you associate with?
Choose to live your life for His glory! Serve Him with Gladness! Serve
Him in holy fear and reverence! Realize that this life is brief; 60, 70, 80,
100 years is nothing in comparison to an eternity with God; or even
longer without God!
I believe that much of the current financial crisis, and leadership crisis in
our world can be used by God to help us to see how truly bankrupt
spiritually, & morally that we are without Him!
Joshua made His choice! He called upon the people to make their
choice, Just as I do this day to you! God himself would not force them-
they must serve him with all their heart if they served him at all. As for
himself and family, he shows them that their choice was already fixed, It
was the Lord they would follow, and serve, and there was no turning
back! And after following the Lord, why would anyone want to turn
back? And yet, so many today do turn away! We have so many today
who profess to be saved by the precious blood of Christ shed freely for
them in pain and agony on the cross, who do not serve the Lord with a
willing heart, or even a whole heart-They live partly in the world; they
compromise in order to fit in, to gain what the world says you must have,
to be somebody! This is not what Joshua meant when He challenged the
people that day-It is not what I mean when I challenge you today! Why
won’t we go all out for Jesus? Why won’t we gladly yield all our rights to
Him? Why don’t we abandon all hope in this world or the leaders of
earthly governments and throw ourselves completely upon Him? Why
won’t you who can sing, speak, teach, build, artists, writers, etc. use
your God-given talents to point others to our Saviour? Why won’t we do
this? It is because we have made our choice to live for ourselves rather
than the Lord! O change your heart! Change your mind and give yourself
completely to Him. Get rid of all attachments, friendships etc. which take
you away-Don’t wander from Him; Draw near to Him; and find that His
word is true; He will draw near to you, and will fill you with His Joy; and
His Peace, and most importantly Himself!
The Choice That Counts
In our lives we are faced with many choices:
what to wear, what to eat; where to work, go
to school, attend church, etc. Some of the
choices like these mentioned are important, but
not necessarily critical. There are choices that
we make which are critical; who to marry, how
to raise children, but they are not as critical as
the choices which effect our eternity.
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.”
Joshua had led the people into the Promised Land of Canaan. They had
fought many battles, and they had witnessed God’s power in bringing
the massive walls of Jericho crashing down into the dust. They had
suffered defeat at the tiny insignificant city of AI, when their pride and
sin had caused their army to run in terror before the enemy. And they
had also witnessed the awesome power of God in their battle with five
powerful kings and their armies. God had rained down hailstones and
killed a large number, and God, at Joshua’s command, had made the sun
to stand still in the sky until Joshua and his army completely defeated
these armies. They had witnessed Caleb at 85 years of age conquering
the mountain of giants which had been one of the reasons their parents
had refused to enter the Promised Land while still in the wilderness. Yet,
with the help of the Lord, these people they had conquered city after
city, and had taken possession of the land. They still had some enemies
to face, but now 20 some years later, Joshua who is very old, stands
before them, and asks, no demands, for the people to make a critical
choice. It is a choice which would impact their lives, their children's
lives, children's children, etc. It is a choice which would help to clarify
just where they were spiritually, and where they were going. It is a
choice that You, and I, and all people everywhere, and in everyplace
must make:
“CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE!” It was similar to the
choice Moses had given the people some 60 years earlier: “Who is on the
LORD'S side? Let him come unto me.” It was the same choice Jesus
demanded of His followers when He asked; Lu 6:46 - "And why call ye
me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
The same choice is before each of us now, and every moment of every
day of the rest of our lives; Who will we serve?
The Philistines worshipped false gods. Baal was their chief god. The
worship of Baal, appealed to the senses. It was an exciting, feel good
religion. So much of what people choose to do in this world is decided on
the basis of what feels good to them. In our churches in this country we
try to get people to attend by promising something appealing to them.
They choose our “show” this Sunday, and a better one in another church
the next week. We have "PUMPKIN SUNDAY, OLD CAR SUNDAY,
WESTERN SUNDAY, Special performances, flying angels, real animals,
Christian Music "Artists" etc all to appeal to the lost unregenerate man,
or worldly Christian who will not simply come for the Word of God alone;
O no, we must entertain them, and then try to slip something in! Those
who worshiped Baal, worked themselves into an emotional frenzy;
temple prostitution was part of this worship; Do as you want! How like
much of what passes for Christianity in this country today!
The Israelites had already been influenced by these gods: look at 24:23
The choice that Joshua challenged these people to make, required their
immediate attention and action. “Choose this day!” Paul would later say
in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2;
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive
not the grace of God in vain.(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now
is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Joshua was their leader, and he had great influence over them, but he
could not make their choice for them. He could lead by Godly example,
and his own personal commitment to faithfulness, but he could not make
their choice for them! He made His choice and also said; “AS FOR ME AND
MY HOUSE……”
Joshua could not decide His wife, and children’s commitment, but He
could make sure that they were in a home where The Lord and His Word
were lifted up as the most important things! Notice, He did not ask his
children and wife what they wanted to do.... he led them in the right
way! If it is right, men, women, you do not need to ask......just start
leading....... Your family will follow, and even if they do not, you must
keep going!
So, what choice will you make? What choice have you made? Will you
choose this day to serve the Lord? It is a choice to be made everyday! It
is a choice to be made often, throughout the day! It is a choice to be
made moment, by moment as you live each day! It is a choice to be made
that will affect every aspect of your life. The Israelites were not sitting in
the tabernacle every second. They were not in Bible Study continuously,
They were conquering a land; fighting battles; planting crops, building
cities, towns, villages; raising families Just as every generation before
them, and after them, even you and I had done, and must do: But the
choice is before us in every area of our life; Who will we serve? Who are
we living for? What is our chief motivation? To have fun, to make money,
to buy more toys, to have popularity, etc? There is a right way to live,
and a wrong way to live. You are living the wrong way if you are not
living to please and glorify the Lord in everything that you do. And,
although, things seem to be doing fine, they won’t be; because you are
not able to handle all the unknowns of life on your own. You and I were
meant for God! We were intended to know and serve Him; We were not
designed to live only to please ourselves; we cannot succeed without
Him; and we certainly dare not face eternity without making the choice
that really counts; Who will we serve?
To serve means literally, to worship. Who are you worshiping; Yourself,
Recreation, Relationships, A Job, A House, A Dream/Vision for your life,
or Popularity with the crowd you associate with?
Choose to live your life for His glory! Serve Him with Gladness! Serve
Him in holy fear and reverence! Realize that this life is brief; 60, 70, 80,
100 years is nothing in comparison to an eternity with God; or even
longer without God!
I believe that much of the current financial crisis, and leadership crisis in
our world can be used by God to help us to see how truly bankrupt
spiritually, & morally that we are without Him!
Joshua made His choice! He called upon the people to make their
choice, Just as I do this day to you! God himself would not force them-
they must serve him with all their heart if they served him at all. As for
himself and family, he shows them that their choice was already fixed, It
was the Lord they would follow, and serve, and there was no turning
back! And after following the Lord, why would anyone want to turn
back? And yet, so many today do turn away! We have so many today
who profess to be saved by the precious blood of Christ shed freely for
them in pain and agony on the cross, who do not serve the Lord with a
willing heart, or even a whole heart-They live partly in the world; they
compromise in order to fit in, to gain what the world says you must have,
to be somebody! This is not what Joshua meant when He challenged the
people that day-It is not what I mean when I challenge you today! Why
won’t we go all out for Jesus? Why won’t we gladly yield all our rights to
Him? Why don’t we abandon all hope in this world or the leaders of
earthly governments and throw ourselves completely upon Him? Why
won’t you who can sing, speak, teach, build, artists, writers, etc. use
your God-given talents to point others to our Saviour? Why won’t we do
this? It is because we have made our choice to live for ourselves rather
than the Lord! O change your heart! Change your mind and give yourself
completely to Him. Get rid of all attachments, friendships etc. which take
you away-Don’t wander from Him; Draw near to Him; and find that His
word is true; He will draw near to you, and will fill you with His Joy; and
His Peace, and most importantly Himself!
