Choosing whom to serve

Notes from a sermon heard on Sunday 29 January 2012

JOSHUA 24 VERSE 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 will serve the Lord.”

The background to this verse is the fact that this is being spoken by Joshua to the children of Israel who had been brought out of Egypt.  In Exodus 12 Moses had brought them out and led them through the wilderness but it was not his task to bring them into the Promised Land – that was Joshua’s task.  He brought them across into Canaan.  Now he is an elderly man but there is much yet to be reached in this land, to put out the enemy and settle them as God’s people.  Joshua is giving them the lead as he gathers them, reminds them of how God has redeemed them. Joshua makes this challenge – you have to choose now that you are going into the land.  I wonder tonight have you ever made that decision?  Can you stand in this meeting and say “as for me”?  Can you make that declaration in this meeting before you go out?  A choice to be made tonight.  Joshua is challenging them to make the choice.  A choice that you and I must make just as the people of Israel did on that particular day.  You have to make that choice - whether you will close in with God’s offer of mercy or whether you will go out the same way you came in, unsaved, unreached or else you will come in to God’s mercy. 

This was a personal choice.  Notice the language Joshua uses “choose you this day whom ye will serve”.  It is all singular.  What was at stake – verses 17 and 18.  God has been so good to them.  If they turned away then evil would follow them.  Joshua realised the responsibility he had, he knew what was at stake.  Do you realise what is at stake tonight?  The soul that is within you.  All eternity is at stake.  Awaits for the decision that you will make.  Isn’t it awful to make that decision?  Moses set before the people in his day.  I set before you this day, a way of blessing or a way of cursing.  There is a choice to be made.  What choice will you make?  Has God spoken into your life lately?  He is asking you to choose.  No one can make that decision for you.  Pilate as stood before Christ on that day listened to the crowd.  He was listening to the people and looking to Christ.  His heart was being torn out of his bosom.  What shall I do?  Joshua said “as for me”.  What are you going to do tonight?  A personal choice.

A parental choice.  Joshua said “as for me and my house.”  The choice that Joshua is going to make on this particular day would influence his family.  Parents were going to make a choice.  No doubt would affect that family.  Joshua said “as for me and my house”.  To serve the Lord would bring blessing into his home.  Maybe as parent God wants a way into your home tonight, wants you to do that.  Exodus 12 down in Egypt at the Passover night a choice that was made which would affect the home.  Moses brought the choice.  Firstborn in every family would die.  Imagine mother or father in that home would take a lamb, put it to death, take the blood and put it on the door posts.  Would affect the home.  Tthe firstborn would be saved.  The parental choice that night.  Moses asking a father are you going to paint the blood on the door?  A father would have thought of his firstborn son rushed out taken that basin of blood and painted the door.  Maybe God is looking into your home and wants you to be the vessel.  A parental choice.  Remember Cornelius in Acts 10 and 11.  Peter was sent for.  The instructions he was given – “he will tell you words whereby you might be saved and all your house.”  Leadership in the home.  The Philippian jailer rushed in to Paul and Silas  and asked “what must I do to be saved?”  God wants to come into your house that he might do a work of God in your home – will you let him? 

Profitable choice not financially but spiritually.  Would bring the blessing of God into his heart, into his home, into his nation.  What about it for you?  The choice is yours tonight.  You are the only one who can make it.

A precious choice.  Imagine standing at the throne of grace before God and your family all with you.  Are you trying to win them, bring them to Christ?  Will you come to the one who gave his life for you?  The one who can save your soul tonight?