Restore Your Covenant
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Last Sermon in the Book of Joshua. I am going to miss it. Today we are looking at the last chapter of the book of Joshua.
Joshua 24
Joshua 24
It begins with Joshua who is getting old gathers the tribes together at shechem. A special place for the Israelites at this time. It is where they are having there special ceremnies. and they gather there to meet with Yhwh. And as with all these ceremonies they look at where they have come from.
Remember that you have come from Abraham, through Isaac, Jacob, Moses. Remember what God has seen them through. Crossing of the Seas, Plagues, drouts, war. And now they have a home. In land not labored on, and cities that You have not built.
“So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh. But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.” And the people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we would forsake Yahweh to serve other gods, for Yahweh our God brought us and our ancestors from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, and did these great signs before our eyes. He protected us along the entire way that we went, and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. And Yahweh drove out all the people before us, the Amorites who live in the land. We will serve Yahweh, for he is our God.”
But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve Yahweh, for he is a holy and jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster to you; he will destroy you after he has done good to you.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve Yahweh.” And Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves to serve Yahweh.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel.” And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and he established for them a statute and a judgment at Shechem. Then Joshua wrote these words in a scroll of the law of God, and he took a large stone and set it up there under a large tree, which is at the shrine of Yahweh. And Joshua said to all the people, “Look, this stone will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of Yahweh that he spoke with us. It will be as a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God.” Then Joshua sent the people away to their inheritance.
After this Joshua will Die at 110 yrs
Remember
Remember
Many of you know parts of this passage. It is a passage that we quote a lot. I love this whole chapter.
It begins with looking where you come from. Which being a student of HST I gravitate to the importance of seeing what God has done for us. If we remember what God has done for us and what he has seen us through. In our indavalistic society its often hard for us to think that even if it wasn’t directly for you but for the good of the Church, his people, your family that is part of the history too. We sometimes are tempted to focus to much on ourselves.
We are a product of what our ancesters have come through. You deal with things because of how you were treated. They treated you ways because of how they were raised. We have a way of thinking about things because we are american citizens that have a certain background good and bad. we are Christians so we have a certain out look. We have a way of thinking about the scripture because of where and when we were raised. our history is very important
Even in the church. This church started as a store front, gathered as a Baptist church plant. Then taken and moved forward by others.
I am in this church I did not build, land I did not labor.
With that History also comes a choice
Choice
Choice
We have a choice to follow the direction in God’s direction, or to pick up with the path of ofther gods. The people of Israel had come into contact with people that believed in all kinds of different gods. and others had Joined them.
They now have a choice who do we follow.
We can follow YHWH and see his blessings grow and prosper. We can also follow others. Sometimes we follow tradition instead of YHWH’s growth, or a person from the past, old pastor that you use to attend their church. I don’t want this to be Ryan’s church this is LCC our church. Because we are the church and where ever you go. The Church goes.
we need to choose what are we going to follow
Then the people of Isreal said we will sign a covenant that we will serve God
This is the same covenent you sign when you asked jesus inot your heart or to be your Lord and Saviour. Same thing you did when you were publically baptized.
Proclaim
Proclaim
What they were doing is proclaiming their faith. Proclaiming their covenant. that they had made before but sometimes we have to renew are covenant. We have to remember what we have said we would do. Just as we remember what God has done.
We Procalim and we claim
Procalim Hallelujah
Claim his power, his love, his Grace, his righteaousness, his Judgment
Next Steps
Next Steps