Choose Whom You Will Serve.

Steve Gentry

[0:09] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. [0:10] Welcome to Village Church. This is your first time here. [0:12] My name’s Steve, one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:14] And as always, I am thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:19] We have reached Joshua 24. [0:21] And so this is the last chapter of the Book of Joshua.

[0:25] And it brings to conclusion our series where we’re going through [0:27] the entire book of Joshua. [0:29] And throughout this book, what we’ve seen, really, are narratives [0:32] that stress the importance of faith in action. [0:36] In order for us to build a dynamic faith in God through our lives, [0:41] we must move with God toward the promises

[0:43] that he has made in the ways that he has commanded us to live. [0:48] We’ve seen through the lives of the people of Israel, as they have moved [0:52] into the promises that God has made, that God is completely faithful [0:57] to every single promise that he makes. [1:00] No promise that God makes ever goes unfulfilled. [1:04] His plan always comes to pass.

[1:06] His will is always true. [1:09] God stayed true to every single promise that he made to the people of Israel. [1:14] But in opposition to that, we saw we’ve seen that Israel failed many times. [1:20] Israel has been unfaithful to God many times throughout these narratives. [1:24] We’ve seen that both at the individual level. [1:26] We’ve also seen that at the corporate level through the actions

[1:29] of the nation as a whole. [1:30] And in those times, Israel felt the swift judgment of God. [1:36] But through repentance, by turning from their sin back to God, [1:39] they were restored through the amazing grace of God. [1:43] The God who made the promise to his people is merciful. [1:47] He is gracious.

[1:48] But when disobedience enters the lives of his people, make no mistake, [1:52] there are consequences and those consequences sober us [1:56] to the reality that God’s grace does not mean that he compromises on his vision. [2:02] Because if you are a recipient of the grace of God, [2:05] then God is moving you back to his vision. [2:08] He is moving you back to his design for your life.

[2:12] But this is not about the life that you are envisioning. [2:16] Rather, this is always about the life that God has a vision for through you. [2:20] When I was being trained to start a church before we started this church, [2:24] I read many books on church planting, attended many conferences on church planting. [2:29] I talked to many church planters. [2:31] I was mentored by a few.

[2:32] And so often they would proclaim to me that I had a necessity [2:36] to form a compelling personal vision that was unique to me, [2:41] that would be unique to our church, that would inspire people [2:44] to follow us as a church. [2:47] But over time, the burden of forming such a unique vision became distasteful to me [2:52] as I saw so many leaders and so many people

[2:56] move away from God’s truth through the forming of those types of visions. [3:02] Because, friends, the reality is that a personal vision will always [3:05] lead you down a path of self aggrandizement. [3:08] It’s always going to form nothing but pride in your life. [3:11] And I’ll tell you, Joshua 24 really presents God’s vision for his people. [3:17] I’m convinced that the only proper vision for life,

[3:20] specifically for the follower of Jesus Christ, [3:23] is the one that is given by God in the pages of scripture. [3:28] Yes, we apply that vision, but the vision still belongs to God. [3:32] There is no way that I can improve on the vision [3:35] that God has already given for my life or for yours. [3:39] God’s mission, then, is building a future for his people

[3:44] under the vision of his lordship. [3:46] And our responsibility, then, is to order every single day of our lives [3:52] around the vision that God has already given. [3:56] And so I want to start reading in Joshua 24, verse one. [4:00] The text reads, Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem [4:04] and summoned the summoned the elders, the heads, the judges,

[4:08] the officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. [4:11] And Joshua said to all the people, thus says the Lord, [4:15] the God of Israel, long ago, your fathers lived [4:20] beyond the Euphrates, Tara, the father of Abraham [4:24] and of Nahor, and they served other gods. [4:28] Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the river

[4:31] and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. [4:35] I gave him Isaac and to Isaac. [4:38] I gave Jacob and Esau and I gave Esau [4:41] the hill country of Sair to possess. [4:43] But Jacob and his children went down to Egypt, [4:46] and I sent Moses and Aaron and I played the Egypt with what I did

[4:50] in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. [4:54] And all the way from there down to verse 13, that theme continues [4:59] where Joshua again recounts all that God has done [5:04] throughout the history up to that point of the nation of Israel. [5:08] As I talked about last week, he gives reminder after reminder [5:12] that’s almost the cycle of the book of Joshua,

[5:15] is that God reminds his people of his faithfulness to them [5:19] so that they will build their lives on the faithfulness of God [5:24] rather than seeking it through their own vision for what life is about. [5:29] And really, what he’s telling them is number one this morning. [5:32] God is sovereign and you are responsible. [5:36] God is sovereign and you are responsible.

[5:39] Note that he goes further back in Joshua [5:43] 24 than he has previously in the book of Joshua. [5:45] He doesn’t just talk about his faithfulness to bring them into the promised land. [5:49] He goes back to Father Abraham. [5:52] And he says from Abraham forward, God has been faithful. [5:56] I think it’s specific.

[5:59] Yeah, specifically. [6:02] Well, what happened there? [6:04] It’s specifically important to note [6:07] why he mentions Abraham. [6:09] The text has already told us that they are gathered at Shechem. [6:12] And that’s no accident.

[6:14] God in Genesis chapter 12 had called Abraham to Shechem. [6:17] And it was in Shechem that God looked to Abraham and said, [6:21] I am going to give this very land to your offspring. [6:27] And so the reason they are consecrating themselves right here and there, [6:30] it says that they are presenting themselves before the Lord. [6:33] This is almost if we were looking at Greek,

[6:35] it would be the idea of Ecclesia. [6:37] It would be the idea of a called out assembly for a specific purpose. [6:42] And he calls the nation of Israel and he says, [6:45] not only is he talking to just the leaders now, he is talking, [6:48] the text says, to all of the people. [6:50] And they’re gathering for a worship service

[6:53] and they are gathering to reconsecrate themselves [6:57] to the God who’s been faithful to bring them to that very moment, [7:01] to the very place where God had originally made the promise [7:05] to Abraham many, many centuries before. [7:11] And Joshua looks to the people as if to remind them, has God not been faithful? [7:16] And note what he says.

[7:18] He says he called Abraham and through Abraham came the lineage [7:23] that we came from, and then through all of the plagues that were given [7:26] through Moses and Aaron, he’s brought you out of Egypt. [7:31] And then he continues to note up to that day, he says, God has done it [7:36] over and over and over and over. [7:39] This hasn’t been your victory.

[7:42] This has been God’s victory. [7:44] And God had graciously given it to the nation of Israel. [7:48] Israel, he recounts for them the work of God, [7:51] because God’s will had been accomplished and it always will be accomplished. [7:58] I think it’s fascinating that he doesn’t look to Israel and say, [8:02] God is really thankful for you guys.

[8:05] God gave a vision. [8:06] And because you were talented enough, because you were obedient enough, [8:10] because you were good enough, you won for God.

[8:16] No, that’s not what it says. [8:18] Sometimes that’s how we read it. [8:21] Sometimes that’s how we read our very lives. [8:24] We may even be tempted to look at our lives and say, Man, isn’t God lucky? [8:28] He gets me.

[8:32] No, he looks to the nation of Israel and he says, God’s will has been accomplished [8:37] through the unfailing sovereignty of God over all of life, over all of creation. [8:45] It is all about him and what he has done. [8:49] He doesn’t congratulate them. [8:51] He says, worship God. [8:54] Just look at everything God has given.

[8:55] He’s been so faithful to his promises. [8:57] And this is not only an Old Testament reality. [9:01] This is the application of the very gospel of Jesus Christ to our lives. [9:05] Can you take credit for your own salvation? [9:09] No, of course not. [9:12] That is the point of text like Ephesians, chapter one, starting in verse four,

[9:15] the apostle Paul writes of the gospel, and he says, even as God chose us in him [9:20] before the very foundation of the world, [9:23] that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. [9:27] He predestined us for adoption to himself [9:30] as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of what his will. [9:36] Again, all of the success belongs to God.

[9:38] All of the victory belongs to God. [9:40] All of the planning comes from God. [9:42] All of the sovereignty, the authority, the lordship. [9:47] It is from the hand of God in the hand of God alone. [9:50] God chose me before the foundation of the earth. [9:54] It’s really hard for me to take credit for anything

[9:57] that happened before I was even born. [10:01] Not even before I was born, for Adam and Eve were created, [10:05] not even before Adam and Eve were created, [10:08] before the earth’s foundations were even made in eternity past. [10:13] God chose us in Christ.

[10:19] Friends, you did not save yourself if you are saved. [10:24] God did it. [10:26] God gets the glory. God gets the credit. [10:28] God deserves the worship. [10:30] If you trust in Jesus, then the guarantee of your faith is him. [10:36] And that is great news.

[10:38] Because if you saved yourself in the guarantee of your salvation, [10:42] you know whose hands that would be in? [10:44] That would be in your hands. [10:47] I don’t even trust my hands from the refrigerator to the counter sometimes [10:52] because I’ll drop what’s in it. [10:54] I don’t have a 100 percent success rate to making it to the counter.

[10:58] Maybe you do, but I have failed before. [11:02] Therefore, how could I trust myself with even a moment of my salvation? [11:07] It is God and God alone that is trustworthy. [11:10] You don’t guarantee it through your hand. [11:12] It is his work. [11:13] Therefore, he is the guarantee.

[11:17] The actual plan and work of the gospel is the plan and work of God. [11:22] I love the way Luke writes of the sermon of Peter in Acts, [11:25] chapter two, starting in verse twenty two. [11:28] He writes that, yes, the wicked men of Israel killed Jesus, [11:31] but it was the definite plan and foreknowledge of God that brought it about. [11:35] Verse twenty three, it says this Jesus delivered up

[11:38] according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. [11:41] You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. [11:45] He says, yes, they did it, but it was God’s plan. [11:48] It was God’s work. [11:49] It was God’s foreknowledge that brought all of this to be. [11:53] And here’s what we need to understand about scripture.

[11:55] This is the same message of Joshua 24. [11:59] Our faithfulness to God must be grounded [12:03] in the fact that he is the sovereign lord of all. [12:09] And while he is that sovereign lord, the scripture is equally as clear [12:13] about your responsibility to his lordship. [12:17] You are responsible to submit to him.

[12:23] There’s no contradiction there. [12:26] They’re both equally true. [12:28] God is sovereign and I am responsible for my life [12:31] after recounting the work of God from verses one through verse 13. [12:37] Note what he says in verse 13. [12:38] This is just a great summary of the grace of God for Israel.

[12:41] It says, God, I gave you the land on which you had not labored [12:46] and cities that you had not built and dwell in them. [12:49] You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant. [12:55] It looks to Israel and he says, man, even your next meal [12:58] isn’t coming from your hand. [13:00] So I gave it to you.

[13:02] But then verse 14 is fascinating. [13:06] All of that is true. [13:07] He is so sovereign. [13:08] And in light of that now, therefore, fear the Lord [13:14] and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. [13:18] Put away the gods of your fathers.

[13:20] Excuse me. Put away the gods that your fathers served [13:23] beyond the river in Egypt and serve the Lord. [13:26] And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord. [13:29] What a fascinating phrase. [13:32] All that he said about God, and he still assumes [13:35] there’s at least someone in the crowd.

[13:38] That’s going to object. [13:40] Sounds like you guys. [13:42] He says in verse 15.

[13:46] Choose this day [13:48] whom you will serve, whether the gods of your [13:52] whether the gods your father served in the region beyond the river [13:55] or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. [13:59] But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

[14:06] We are sometimes tempted to believe, well, it doesn’t matter what I do. [14:11] God is sovereign. [14:13] His plan is going to come about. [14:16] Doesn’t matter whether or not I serve him. [14:19] Doesn’t matter whether or not I tell someone about Jesus. [14:22] Doesn’t matter whether or not I’m obedient or I’m disobedient.

[14:25] I mean, if God is sovereign, then I am out of the equation. [14:29] It doesn’t matter what I do. [14:31] Yet scripture right here says the Lord is sovereign. [14:37] His will is firm. [14:39] He delivers on his promises. [14:41] It doesn’t depend on you.

[14:43] But. In light of that. [14:49] Fear him. In light of that, serve him. [14:55] In light of that, repent of your idolatry. [14:59] And in light of that, choose this day [15:06] whom you will serve. [15:08] Joshua sees no contradiction.

[15:11] Joshua is not looking for a way out. [15:15] Joshua is looking to the people and he is saying, [15:18] if this God is sovereign and if this God is all powerful, [15:23] you must submit to him. [15:26] Why? Because he said so. [15:30] Because he has all authority,

[15:32] because nothing that he does fails. [15:35] And I love the fact that he looks to the nation [15:38] and he assumes that even after all that they had seen, [15:42] the hand of God do, that there were still people [15:46] in the nation of Israel that had this temptation [15:49] to serve the false gods

[15:53] that had been around since before Abraham. [15:56] To serve the false gods that were there [15:58] on the other side of the river. [16:02] And he looks to them and it’s almost as if to say, [16:05] how foolish can you be? [16:08] You’ve seen the hand of the one true God.

[16:11] Have you ever seen the hand of the false God? [16:14] You’ve experienced the great success of the one true God, [16:18] yet you still dabble in idolatry. [16:23] And this is no different from our day. [16:26] All that God has done through Jesus Christ, [16:29] the reality, even of the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

[16:33] the fact that God became a human being, [16:38] died on the cross and rose from the dead. [16:41] I’ve done a lot of funerals, never seen that one. [16:44] If I did, I would leave. [16:48] That’s weird. [16:50] I mean, God has done everything that could ever be done

[16:55] to leave us inexcusable from denying him.

[17:01] Failure after failure, sin after sin in my life, [17:04] God is still faithful.

[17:10] And yet he looks to the nation that has seen what last week [17:14] when Joshua recounted it, he said, one of you [17:18] stands before a thousand Canaanites in the Canaanites fall. [17:23] Do you think you’re the reason that that happened?

[17:27] And yet he still looks to them and he says, [17:30] get rid of those false gods, choose this day whom you will serve. [17:34] God is in absolute control of all. [17:38] Therefore, in his authority, he demands you submit to him [17:43] and him alone in his sovereignty. [17:46] He has orchestrated everything to give us the responsibility

[17:51] to still choose him. [17:55] This is the same demand that Jesus makes in John 12, 48. [18:00] Jesus says, the one who rejects me and does not receive my words [18:05] has a judge. [18:06] The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. [18:11] Where does Jesus lay the responsibility?

[18:14] He lays it on our shoulders. [18:16] He says, if you reject me, you’re making a terrible error [18:20] because you will be held accountable because you are responsible. [18:25] The scripture, again, knows of no contradiction here [18:28] between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. [18:32] The scripture plainly states that I must choose to submit

[18:36] because of the sovereign power of God. [18:38] And if I refuse, [18:42] Jesus is clear, it is to my own condemnation.

[18:47] And so the question must be posed to Israel in this moment. [18:50] Why would you choose [18:53] to chase after lesser gods [18:57] when the only true God is ruling and reigning over all the universe?

[19:03] And yet, when I think about the nation of Israel, I think about us. [19:08] And I think about the fact that we yet still chase after lesser gods, [19:15] gods of fame, the gods of status, the gods of money, the gods of lust, [19:21] seeking the fulfillment that God and God alone can give us [19:26] in gods that fail over and over. [19:29] Why? Because we believe somewhere the God who is there,

[19:33] the God who made all the God who is sovereign over absolutely everything. [19:39] We think in our sin that somehow he has fallen short [19:43] and we deserve a greater satisfaction than he has to offer us. [19:48] And so we chase it in lesser gods. [19:51] We will never find it in those lesser gods. [19:54] And so Joshua stands under the authority of the Holy Spirit.

[19:57] And he says, choose this day.

[20:04] Will you chase the less [20:07] or will you give your life to the sovereign rule of God?

[20:15] And the truth of that is revealed in the very life that you live, [20:20] what you have chosen, where your affections send you, [20:26] what you are chasing after, what you believe would give you ultimate satisfaction. [20:30] That is what you are choosing. [20:34] And to that, Joshua 24 says, put away the former gods. [20:40] I mean, I love the fact that Joshua gives us in one paragraph

[20:45] what we believe takes years of therapy to accomplish.

[20:51] What we believe we must work through, [20:54] what we believe we must deal with for an extended period of time. [20:57] Joshua says, put them away, choose God. [21:01] That’s the answer. [21:04] He simplifies what we complicate. [21:06] And the fact is that he does that because number two,

[21:09] the future belongs to those who fear God and it doesn’t belong to anyone else.

[21:14] The future belongs to those who fear God. [21:18] But Joshua is clear. [21:19] You have to choose not just mentally. [21:23] You must also choose physically to order your life towards him.

[21:31] Joshua is a great demotivational speaker. [21:34] And here’s what I mean by that. [21:36] Look again in verse 15. [21:37] He says, if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, [21:41] choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your father, [21:44] whether the gods your father served in the region beyond the river

[21:47] or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. [21:51] But as for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. [21:53] And then the people answered far be it from us that we should forsake [21:57] the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us [22:02] and our fathers up from the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery [22:05] and who did those great signs in our sight

[22:08] and preserved us in all the way that we went [22:12] and among whom all the peoples through whom we passed. [22:17] And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, [22:20] the Amorites who lived in the land. [22:22] Therefore, we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God. [22:26] And that’s where we just are like, oh, my goodness.

[22:28] Joshua’s going to give them a gold star. [22:30] Josh was going to be like, you passed. [22:33] You get a 100. [22:34] Good job, everyone. [22:36] That’s not what he says. [22:39] Verse 19.

[22:41] But Joshua said to the people, you are not able to serve the Lord. Well, [22:46] what was all that other stuff? [22:48] You told me to choose, and now you’re telling me I failed already. [22:53] He says you are not able to serve the Lord, [22:56] for he is a holy God. [22:58] He is a jealous God.

[23:00] He will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. [23:02] If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, [23:06] then he will turn and do you harm and consume you [23:10] after having done you good. [23:12] And the people said to Joshua, no, but we will serve the Lord. [23:16] And then Joshua said to the people, you are witnesses against yourselves

[23:21] that you have chosen the Lord to serve him. [23:25] And they said, we are witnesses. [23:28] That is a fascinating turn of events in that section. [23:32] It’s really not what we want. [23:34] So many of us when we hear a sermon, we just want chicken soup for the soul. [23:38] Just give me some inspiration.

[23:39] Going to have a tough week. All right. [23:42] And here’s Joshua saying, you are going to fail. [23:47] So, well, that’s not what I signed up for, Joshua. [23:49] I wanted a pep talk. [23:52] Thought that’s what we were headed towards. [23:55] Talk is cheap.

[23:58] The validity of your commitment [24:01] will be defined by your life moving forward, the way that you order your life. [24:07] And what Joshua does here is he shows the juxtaposition [24:10] between the faithfulness of God and the fleeting commitment of human faithlessness.

[24:18] Israel denies that they will forsake God. [24:22] And what Joshua really is pointing back to is what he talked about in Joshua 23. [24:26] He told the leaders, he said, you must cling to God. [24:31] Notice that for the nation, that it’s really just a denial [24:35] of negative intentions rather than a proclamation [24:39] of positive affirmation toward God.

[24:43] And Joshua refutes their claim, starting there in verse 19. [24:47] It’s an interesting statement, because Joshua says you are unable [24:51] to live up to the very commitment to faithfulness you’re making right here. [24:56] One of the biggest. [24:58] Mistakes that I see people make in commitment. [25:02] Is that you underestimate your sin?

[25:07] Notice who the strength was going to come from in their commitment. [25:11] I can do it. [25:14] I will be faithful. [25:17] I will not forsake the Lord. [25:20] And I love the way Joshua points to attributes of God [25:25] in his refutation of their commitment.

[25:27] He points to the holiness of God as if to say, [25:32] do you think that you can be as faithful as God?

[25:38] Is our God is a holy God. [25:41] Sin is not even in his presence. [25:44] Sin is not even in his potential. [25:47] He is completely set apart for his own purposes, [25:51] apart from even the possibility.

[25:56] Of sin. [25:58] And he says, not only is he holy, but in his holiness, [26:01] he looks at you with great jealousy. [26:04] And before you begin to say [26:08] as though you will never forsake him, [26:12] consider your sinfulness in light of his holiness

[26:17] and then tell me where you measure off. [26:21] Then tell me of this great faithfulness [26:25] that will exude from your life. [26:28] There is a real struggle [26:30] that is obvious in every single one of our lives. [26:35] And that struggle is sin.

[26:37] Israel couldn’t even make it out of Egypt to the promised land [26:42] without breaking their covenant to God.

[26:46] It’s been 40 years wandering in the wilderness [26:48] because of their lack of faith, even going into the promised land. [26:53] They had struggled with faithfulness to God [26:55] and they had been faithless so many times. [26:58] And it is as if Joshua is looking at them and saying, [27:02] while I’m reminding you of the great faithfulness of God,

[27:06] do I need to remind you of the great faithfulness of you?

[27:12] When you proclaim this great commitment [27:15] to obeying the standards of God, [27:18] have you remembered your sin?

[27:23] I mean, this is a bold statement. [27:25] And Joshua is saying, if you believe you are capable [27:29] of the same faithfulness that God is capable of toward you, [27:34] do you realize that if you break your side of this covenant, [27:39] that’s what they’re saying. [27:40] We can live up to our covenant.

[27:43] Joshua is saying, once you break that covenant, it’s over.

[27:47] So forgiveness,

[27:50] you won’t be redeemed out of that treachery. [27:53] If it’s on you, then it’s on you. [27:58] And it will always be on you.

[28:03] What will your commitment mean at that point? [28:07] The tricky thing about following Jesus [28:10] is that it demands that you understand [28:13] how much of a failure you are [28:16] in light of how much a success God is. [28:20] How unfaithful you are in comparison to how faithful God is.

[28:27] It is only at that point when you realize that [28:33] that you can begin to build a life of faithfulness, [28:36] because my failure before a perfectly faithful God [28:41] will always be dependent [28:45] on him being gracious to great degrees to me.

[28:51] Friend, I will never be able to save myself. [28:55] And that is the point where our responsibility kicks in, [28:58] where we have to realize the implications of the amazing sovereignty [29:01] of God will only ever reveal how much better he is than me. [29:07] And so for me to make a covenant with God [29:10] will never suffice because I can’t live up to it.

[29:15] So I need God to make the promise [29:19] and I will always be the one who receives his grace. [29:24] Galatians, Chapter six puts it this way in light of the gospel of Jesus. [29:28] The apostle Paul writes and he says, Don’t be deceived. [29:31] God is not mocked for whatever one sows. [29:35] That’s what you’re going to reap for the one who sows in his flesh

[29:40] or to his flesh will from the flesh reap what? [29:45] Corruption. That is your capability apart from the grace of God. [29:50] And we often don’t read that text that way. [29:54] Israel is promising we will reap to the flesh and we will be enough. [30:01] And Joshua says, Well, good luck with that. [30:04] It’s not going to work out the way that you want it to.

[30:07] So you’re going to fail. [30:09] But the one who sows to the spirit [30:12] will from the spirit reap eternal life. [30:15] Do you know where sowing to the spirit begins? [30:20] Sowing to the spirit begins at the moment of failure. [30:24] Sowing to the spirit begins at the moment

[30:26] where you look to God and say, I can’t. [30:30] Only you can. [30:32] God, I can’t save myself. [30:34] I can’t redeem myself. [30:36] I can’t fix myself. [30:38] God, only you can fix the mess

[30:41] I am making with my life. [30:43] I need the grace of Jesus Christ. [30:46] And that is the moment where you can begin then to reap in the spirit [30:51] and you will sow from the spirit the potential [30:54] from the power of the spirit to rebuild what sin has broken. [30:59] What Israel needed was a real confrontation

[31:03] with the grace of God. [31:05] And Joshua is giving it to them. [31:08] So many of you don’t realize that grace will bring harsh words [31:13] into your life. [31:16] Salvation is not about a simple mental agreement [31:21] that God is sovereign and you are responsible to him.

[31:25] It is a day in and day out reality of mentally [31:29] and then physically building a life around both saying [31:34] that Jesus is Lord and submitting yourself [31:38] to your need of his lordship over every area of your life. [31:44] Do not build a life in which you will end up [31:49] being a witness against yourself.

[31:51] That’s embarrassing. [31:54] It’s embarrassing. [31:56] But that’s what Joshua says is going to happen. [31:59] This is you’re making this great commitment right here. [32:02] But do you realize that when you fail at the commitment, [32:05] you are going to witness against yourself?

[32:08] In other words, God just has to point out you said you would [32:11] and you didn’t. [32:14] And you’re guilty. [32:16] And every single one of us, that is the truth of our lives. [32:21] I don’t need a jury of my peers to convict me. [32:26] I convict myself.

[32:28] I don’t need witnesses against me. [32:32] The scripture says I witness against myself. [32:34] God’s just going to show me my words. [32:38] They say, how did that work out for you? [32:40] That’s judgment. That’s reality. [32:43] There is no harsher judge in your life

[32:47] than your own words, [32:50] because they testify to the folly of your life.

[32:56] There will come a day when you will reap what you have sown [33:02] and on that day, what will be the truth of your life? [33:07] Will you point to a life of absolute dependency [33:12] upon the sovereign God, or will you just talk the talk [33:17] and end up reaping sin upon sin upon sin? [33:22] Because God is exclusive in judgment

[33:25] and he only blesses the right choice. [33:29] Joshua is clear. Choose.

[33:32] You have to make the choice and God will only bless one. [33:37] He will only ever bless the right choice. [33:40] By all means, though, friends, don’t lie. [33:44] Be honest. Tell the truth. [33:47] Is God enough? [33:50] Because for so many, he isn’t.

[33:53] And yet you would say he is. [33:56] But what are you chasing?

[33:59] What commands your affection?

[34:02] What gods have you yet to put away?

[34:06] Jesus makes a similar statement to Joshua in Matthew six, twenty four. [34:10] He puts it bluntly, he says, no one can serve two masters.

[34:16] For either he will hate the one and love the other [34:19] or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. [34:23] You cannot serve both God and money. [34:25] The original word there is mammon. [34:27] It just means material gain. [34:28] And we measure that by money.

[34:33] The old gods are not put behind us, are they? [34:38] Because Jesus states that the issue is still the same. [34:41] We attempt to serve two masters. [34:42] And so many of us think we’re so good at it. [34:47] You know the danger in that? [34:50] You’re like, OK, my spiritual life, God has it.

[34:53] I want forgiveness. [34:54] I want heaven. [34:55] But this physical world, oh, man, there’s some good stuff. [35:00] And with my life, I’m going to pursue everything [35:04] that this world has to offer, because it makes me feel so good. [35:08] And I mean, Jesus couldn’t have been clearer.

[35:14] He says, you cannot do that.

[35:18] You will fail. [35:21] But here’s the great tragedy of that failure. [35:24] And it’s from Joshua 24. [35:26] You will witness against yourself in the end with your failure. [35:30] And you don’t think you will.

[35:34] But it’s the same for all of us. [35:35] Who will you serve? [35:37] What’s interesting is that in every one of these texts, [35:41] the choice is never stated [35:43] as though the false gods will deliver anything good into our lives. [35:51] Joshua doesn’t act like it’s a competition and neither does Jesus.

[35:55] It’s always spoken of as though the false gods have already failed you [36:01] and they have you just believe lies.

[36:05] He always speaks in scripture as though the only real true God, [36:10] the only sovereign is the God who has created everything, [36:13] the God who called Israel, the God who sent Jesus, [36:17] the God who went to the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, [36:20] to take the judgment that you deserve for your idolatry onto himself [36:25] and pay the price that you owe.

[36:28] And then the God that rose from the dead, proclaiming his deity, [36:33] and then saying a new life can be yours [36:36] if you will just put away the former gods and you will follow him. [36:42] It’s the same story as it always has been. [36:45] And the reason that so many build their lives [36:49] around things like materialism and the abundance of possessions

[36:52] is that you think you are going to need them in the future. [36:58] And yet.

[37:01] Joshua warns them, if you choose poorly.

[37:07] Those things won’t save you in the future. [37:11] If you choose poorly.

[37:14] You reap judgment. [37:17] And the things that you thought were going to build the future [37:20] that you were looking for and that you always wanted [37:24] will only serve to deliver the hell of separation from God. [37:29] For eternity. [37:31] And I say that the future.

[37:34] Belongs to those who submit to God. [37:38] The future belongs to those who receive his grace. [37:42] The future belongs to those who build a life on the word of God, [37:48] because God says the future belongs to the only sovereign Lord. [37:53] And so if I want it, I got to find it in him [37:56] because I can’t find it anywhere else, because number three,

[37:58] your life will be defined by your choices. [38:02] I know you want it to be more complicated than that. [38:06] Because you’re looking for an excuse. [38:09] You’re looking for a reason. [38:10] You’re looking for a way out. [38:12] But, friends, everything boils down to choices.

[38:17] It’s one of the things George Jones got right. [38:20] It’s all about choices.

[38:23] God is going to judge you based on his vision, [38:27] not yours. [38:30] I love the way Joshua states in verse 23. [38:33] You’re right, he says, [38:35] Joshua said to the people, you are witnesses against yourselves [38:38] that you have chosen the Lord to serve him.

[38:41] And they said, we are witnesses. [38:42] Verse 23, he said, then put away the former gods.

[38:48] Stop talking.

[38:50] This is do it. [38:53] He says, if you’re going to be faithful, repent, [38:55] put away those former gods from among you and incline [38:58] your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel. [39:00] And the people said to Joshua, the Lord, our God, we will serve [39:03] and his voice we will obey.

[39:05] So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day [39:10] and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. [39:14] And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. [39:18] And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terriban [39:22] that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. [39:24] And I love the way Joshua does this in verse 27.

[39:27] Joshua said to the people, behold, this stone shall be a witness against us.

[39:34] For it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. [39:38] Therefore, it shall be a witness against you, [39:41] lest you deal falsely with your God. [39:44] So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his own inheritance.

[39:51] Scripture tells us so many times, count the cost.

[39:57] And yet so often we just say, I will follow [40:00] without considering what it’s going to cost us, [40:02] because we don’t want it to cost us anything. [40:04] And God is clear in his word, it’s always going to cost you everything. [40:07] If you want Jesus Christ, if you want to come to him, [40:10] you will find the most gracious savior

[40:12] than you could ever imagine. [40:15] And all of the universe, he is absolutely forgiving. [40:17] He is absolutely redeeming. [40:19] He is absolutely loving. [40:21] And at the moment that you come to him and the moment that he saves your life [40:25] and the moment that he redeems you, he then looks you square in the eyes

[40:28] and says, take up your cross and follow me.

[40:33] Consider the cost.

[40:36] Are you ready to put the old man to death [40:40] and receive the new life that is available in Jesus Christ? [40:43] Because it involves denial of sin, [40:46] denial of everything that God hates. [40:49] And Joshua says, you have not considered the cross, therefore, [40:52] I’m going to set up a monument.

[40:54] And that monument has heard the words from God to you. [40:57] But also that monument has heard the words of you to God. [41:01] And it will one day stand as a witness against you.

[41:07] Have you counted the cost?

[41:11] God’s faithfulness never changes. [41:13] God’s faithfulness never fails.

[41:17] Yet we try to negotiate with him.

[41:21] You obey God because you want God to bless you. [41:23] And that’s a good thing. [41:24] Yes, all the blessings come from God, [41:26] and we obey him because we want his promises in our lives. [41:29] But this is the problem with having some sort of personal vision with your life. [41:32] You want the forgiveness of God where you fall short.

[41:36] But you think that through some sort of negotiated agreement, [41:39] agreement with God, that he will be a part of your spiritual life, [41:45] requiring him then to bless a vision for your life that you formed without him. [41:51] You don’t take up your cross and follow him. [41:53] You look to God and say, God, now you take up your cross and you bless me.

[41:58] Bless everything that I want, everything that I say. [42:01] The standard of judgment for your life when it comes, and it is. [42:06] It’s not going to be based on whether or not you succeeded at your personal vision.

[42:12] God will always judge based on his vision for your life. [42:17] And that is what makes him the Lord.

[42:21] And so simply put, make the right choice. [42:25] Verse 31 is this amazing concluding statement, I think, to the book of Joshua. [42:31] Says Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua [42:35] and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua. [42:37] I love that Joshua 23, the vision for leadership. [42:40] They did it. They were faithful leaders.

[42:44] And had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.

[42:50] But then comes the book of judges.

[42:57] The next generation didn’t do so hot. [43:01] You know, you failed if the entire book of the Bible’s theme [43:05] is every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

[43:11] Their words did end up being witnesses against them. [43:16] And they did not live up to their side of the covenant.

[43:21] That is the tragedy of Israel. [43:24] Yet, as I said at the beginning, God is completely faithful. [43:29] God is completely sovereign. [43:31] And through generation after generation of unfaithfulness, [43:35] God brings judgment into their lives. [43:37] He even sends other wicked nations in as a judgment against Israel.

[43:41] They are taken into captivity. [43:42] They repent and they come out of captivity. [43:45] And God continues to endure them generation after generation after generation. [43:49] Why? Because God said one day I’m going to send someone who will not fail.

[43:56] And through the nation of Israel comes God, the son, Jesus Christ. [44:01] And he lived the perfect life that I am completely unable to live [44:07] so that he would not have sin of his own to die for. [44:11] And he died for my sin. [44:13] And if you will give your life to him, then he died for your sin, too.

[44:21] Fascinating in the book of Ecclesiastes. [44:25] The wisest man that the scripture says ever lived was King Solomon. [44:29] And he recounts throughout that book everywhere that he pursued [44:34] a personal vision for life, and he keeps saying over and over, [44:39] everything is vanity, everything is a chasing after the wind. [44:42] You know what that means?

[44:44] What what Solomon says over and over again is that a personal vision [44:47] is nothing more than self worship and a waste of time. [44:50] That’s his point. [44:52] And then he concludes the book in Ecclesiastes [44:55] 12, 13 through 14, with really what Joshua 24 is saying. [45:01] Fear God and keep his commandments.

[45:04] He says the end of the matter. [45:05] All has been heard. [45:06] That’s how I like to end arguments. [45:09] The end of the matter, all has been heard.

[45:13] He said, fear God and keep his commandments, [45:18] for this is the whole duty of man. [45:20] For God will bring every deed into judgment [45:24] with every secret thing, whether good or evil. [45:27] Keep in mind, Solomon writes this book to his young son. [45:31] It looks to his son, he says, if you make the right choice young,

[45:34] you will live the only type of life that is actually worth living, [45:38] because God is going to bring judgment of every deed. [45:42] There are no secrets with him. [45:44] You are not fooling him. [45:45] Your life will be defined by your choices. [45:50] And because we are on this side of the cross, by his grace,

[45:54] we can choose Jesus Christ. [45:57] And we must. [45:59] And if you make the right choice now, [46:05] you will have the only life worth living. [46:10] To choose him. [46:12] A few application points.

[46:13] Define life according to God’s faithfulness. [46:17] Do not be so foolish as to set yourself up [46:21] as your own personal messiah, because you will fail.

[46:26] Secondly, accept responsibility to submit to God’s vision. [46:29] It’s not about you. It’s about him. [46:32] Accept the responsibility for your sin. [46:34] Accept the responsibility for your failure. [46:36] Accept the responsibility for your idolatry. [46:39] Accept responsibility.

[46:42] And thirdly, consider the cost of following Jesus before you commit.

[46:48] Forgiveness. [46:50] It’s a wonderful thing. [46:52] I have been completely reconciled to God, [46:55] and it’s 100 percent been based on the work of Jesus, [46:58] zero percent based on the work of me. [47:01] But it did cost me something.

[47:03] And it will cost you something.

[47:07] Jesus said, Give me your life.

[47:11] And he took it. [47:13] And I’m his.

[47:16] And I have to take up my cross. [47:18] I follow him because I belong to him. [47:23] Count the cost. [47:25] And then finally, choose wisely. [47:29] But choose based on God’s judgment. [47:32] Don’t trust yourself too much.

[47:35] Trust his word. [47:38] Because he is Lord. [47:39] He is Lord.