Now What?
Graduation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsWe all face different phases in our life's journey, and we all choose who we serve no matter what phase it is.
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Septic Fail
“Soon after we restored our 1920s-era farmhouse, it was time to clean up the construction debris. A friend offered the use of his heavy-duty dump truck, and because we’d spent a fortune on the remodel, I took him up on it. My wife and I spent days carefully filling the dump truck with old windows, drywall and yard waste, loading it so tightly a mouse couldn’t crawl through. I started the truck and proceeded to drive across the yard. Suddenly the truck broke through the top of our septic tank and was buried up to its axle. “Well, Now what?” We spent a whole day emptying the truck and had to call for a special tow truck to pull it out. So much for saving money!”
‘Now What?’ moments. You have had them before, and you will have them again. Moments in our lives that we didn’t expect, or as you are today phases or eras that come to an end. You stand now on the edge of the unknown and ask ‘Now what?’ Yes, you probably have plans, and goals. But listen to me, YOUR PAST (Lord willing) IS IN FRONT OF YOU. How will you decide NOW to tackle it.
Your situation is not all that dissimilar with what the Israelites faced as they took control of the promised land.
"Keep your face toward the sunshine and shadows will always fall behind you."- Walt Whitman
"Keep your face toward the sunshine and shadows will always fall behind you."- Walt Whitman
Introduction
Introduction
In the passage we read this morning, Joshua was addressing the people of Israel one last time. In a lot of ways, they were very similar to our graduates. For their entire lives they had been told where to go, what to do, when to begin and when to end, but now they were going to be on their own for the very first time. They would not have to report to a military leader, they would not have to only set up their tent in one designated area, they were spreading out over an entire country, they could finally make choices for themselves and start a life of their own. We don’t have time to go through the entire passage verse by verse this morning, but there are several things I want to highlight.
Let me start by reading what leads us to this moment from Joshua’s own words and then we will work backwards to his defining moment:
1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. 4 And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. 5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out.
6 “ ‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. 11 And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. 12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’
It’s the end goal we have in mind. How do you want to finish this life? Let’s work backwards now and see how it happens...
I. Now- Finish Well- Joshua 24:25-28
I. Now- Finish Well- Joshua 24:25-28
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.” 28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.
You make the decision now to finish well.
A. A line in the sand- v. 25
A. A line in the sand- v. 25
Remember what covenants are. Covenants are an agreement between two parties that specifies requirements for at least one party, and includes blessing and curses for obedience or failure. Covenants were very common in early Biblical times. These agreements can be brutal for those who break them. The actual ritual for covenants involved splitting and animal and the two parties walking between them, and if either party broke the covenant, their fate would be the same as the animal in which the covenant was made. We see and example of this Gen 15. Now this was different in terms of the parties involved. We are used to hearing this word as in regards to God His people. Here it is between Joshua and the people of Israel. But it is about God and the final orders Joshua is giving before they separate into their inheritance.
Now think on this, our inheritance (for those who believe in Jesus) is an eternity in the pressence of our heavenly Father. What are we willing to do to obtain that prize?
B. Reminders- v. 26
B. Reminders- v. 26
In order for Joshua to get his point across to the people, he did the same thing he did when they crossed the Jordan to take Jericho. He made a memorial out of stone. Just as we did when we played games as a kid a line in the sand was drawn to symbolize something as a goal or a boundary. The memorial of stone and the records kept served that way for an entire nation.
C. Be warned- v. 27
C. Be warned- v. 27
Don’t deal falsely with God. Basically, don’t go back on your word. Don’t ever say you never said the words that ‘you would honor God and serve Him’. Here there is a record in stone, and don’t forget we wrote all this down. Every tribe… Every person in their inheritance.... Notice there is no record of any tribe saying… ‘Nope, not us.... we want to do what we want..’ Although we know later on the peoples hearts forget this moment. And these very warnings come back to haunt them, because our Father does not forget. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
II. Now- Be Ready- Joshua 24:19-24
II. Now- Be Ready- Joshua 24:19-24
19 But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 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.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”
1. Our own worst enemy- v.19-20
1. Our own worst enemy- v.19-20
Man has always wanted to rebel and do things our own way since the beginning. We want to be our own masters and not be told what to do or not do. But in doing so we dishonor God in so many ways. Joshua knew our state as humanity and he knew his people well. He knew hey carried idols and trinkets form other little ‘g’ gods. And like what we already discussed a line in the sand had to be drawn. You can’t serve two masters. It’s black and white. So Joshua charged them against themselves, and made them witnesses to them selves. v.22
a witness- One who helps establish the truthfulness of a matter by testifying firsthand about what was seen or heard.
2. Let the Lord define who you are- v. 23
2. Let the Lord define who you are- v. 23
‘Then put away foreign gods’.... Then do it. quit messing around and do what you say you will do… and serve the Lord.
Incline your heart to Him. The word incline here is defined as ‘to stretch out, extend, spread out’. Some translations say “turn” as turn your heart to God. But the idea is the same ‘reach out to God’! Seek Him and what He wants for your life. You are sons and daughters of the King!
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
III. Now- Teach- Joshua 24:16-18
III. Now- Teach- Joshua 24:16-18
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
Teaching someone else to the God of the universe wants to be part of their life has always been part of the mission since the beginning. As we have learned in previous weeks. Everything compared to Jesus is garbage. That’s a big statement but when you think on the importance of Jesus’ magnificence, His sacrifice, and His mission to save that which is lost. There is no greater calling for anyone, anywhere to pursue!
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
No matter where you go....You are not alone in your pursuit.
IV. Now- Lead- Joshua 24:14-15
IV. Now- Lead- Joshua 24:14-15
14 “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. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers 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.”
A. Recognize who God is - v. 14
A. Recognize who God is - v. 14
The Bible tells us that wisdom begins with the fear of God. Listen to what Jesus says about fearing the Father. Matt. 10:28
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Let this reality set in. GOD’S POWER IS UNFATHOMABLE, UNCONTAINABLE, UNLIMITED, UNDENIABLE, UNENDING, UNBOUNDED, UNCONSTRAINED, UNFAILING, UNIMPEDED, UNCHECKED, UNCALCUABLE, AND UNCONDITIONAL....
AND HE IS FIXATED ON YOU!
He is omniscient....All knowing. Nothing catches Him by surprise. You don’t have secret thoughts, your path in front of you is not hidden from Him. There is never a ‘What Now’ Moment with Him. Trust him....
And He is always with you…Omnipresent.... Again you never travel alone....
Now will you lay all else aside, all foreign/ false gods, idols of our day in pleasure, entertainment, pride ( intelligence, athletic ability, money, or stuff), etc… and serve Jesus....He wants you to prioritize Him above all else in relationship, in His church, in the community, in traffic, in the line at the grocery store......SERVE JESUS ABOVE ALL ELSE!!
B. Your Choices matter- v. 15
B. Your Choices matter- v. 15
IT came down to this defining moment for Joshua as He led the people to the promised land, to their inheritance, to God’s promise. All He had to do was put feet to his faith. He knew God was going to fulfill His word, the land was theirs because He said so… So, he chose a long time ago he was going to serve the one True God. But now his time to lead the conquest is over. It was now time for the people to choose. He knew who they were and how they still harbored idols in their hearts and maybe even their tents. And Just as God will honor our choices today, Joshua told them to choose… If you think God is evil, that is your choice .... you will have to live with that choice when all is said and done....Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord....
But should you choose this day to serve the Lord....people will be watching, and they can follow your leadership just as they did with Joshua that day.....they nation chose to serve the Lord because of this moment… all because Joshua drew a line in the sand long ago… His heart was changed and recognized how much God loved him....
——COMPASSES—-
Concluding Thoughts
Make a choice and follow through with it. Who are you going to serve?
Give the Gospel here.....Invite everyone to choose this day whom they will serve.
Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
May the strength of our Father, the love our Father, and the grace of our Father always keep you living out, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”