How's Your Family?

HOW’S YOUR FAMILY?

NBCOG 10/10/10 AM

JOSHUA 24:14-15

INTRODUCTION

*MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD WITH A PROPENSITY TO WORSHIP GOD.

*EVEN THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE ATHEIST WORSHIP SOMETHING.

*WHETHER IT’S CARS,

MONEY,

PEOPLE

OR THEMSELVES,

THEY WORSHIP,

THEY SERVE SOMETHING.

*AND EVERYONE ONE OF US THIS MORNING WORSHIPS SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.

*AND WE BECOME LIKE WHAT WE WORSHIP.

*THE MORE WE WORSHIP JESUS AND BEHOLD HIS LOVING FACE,

THE MORE WE BECOME LIKE HIM.

*THE MORE WE WORSHIP MONEY

THE GREEDIER WE BECOME.

*THE MORE YOU WORSHIP YOUR CHILDREN,

THE HIGHER YOU PUT THEM ON A PEDESTAL

AND DOTE ABOUT THEM

THEY BECOME THE OBJECT OF YOUR WORSHIP.

TRANSITION

*IT’S TIME IN 2010 FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON THE LORD’S SIDE TO STEP TO THE FRONT AND DECLARE IT BOLDLY AND UNASHAMEDLY THAT WE SERVE THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD.

*LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO.

*DON’T KEEP SILENT.

*DON’T HOLD YOUR PEACE.

*IT’S TIME FOR US TO SET A STANDARD OF HOLINESS FOR OUR HOUSEHOLDS

AND DECLARE THAT WE SERVE THE LORD.

*IN JOSHUA CHAPTER 24,

JOSHUA IS LAYING OUT THE CASE OF HOW THAT GOD HAD BEEN WITH ISRAEL

AND HAD BLESSED THEM.

*HOW THAT HE HAD BEEN THEIR DELIVERER;

THEIR PROVIDER;

THEIR DEFENDER;

AND THE ONE WHO FIGHTS ON THEIR BEHALF.

*BUT, HE CONTRASTS THAT THOUGHT WITH THE gods THAT THEY HAD MADE

AND WORSHIPPED.

*AND THE gods THAT THEIR FATHER’S HAD WORSHIPPED BEFORE THE FLOOD THAT LED THEM TO DESTRUCTION.

*THEN JOSHUA MAKES THIS DECLARATION:

JOSHUA 24

14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve 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.

15And 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.

I. WE NEED TO TEACH OUR FAMILIES WHAT IT IS TO FEAR AND SERVE THE LORD.

1. THE WORD FEAR USED HERE IN THE HEBREW IS YARE (YAW-RAY).

2. IT MEANS to fear, revere, be afraid

to stand in awe of, be awed

reverence, honour, respect

to cause astonishment and awe, to be held in awe

3. EVERYDAY THERE NEEDS TO BE A RESPECT AND AWE FOR WHO GOD IS.

4. WE SHOULD NEVER TAKE HIM LIKELY.

5. HE’S THE AWESOME CREATOR

AND WE ARE CALLED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT

AND STAND IN AWE OF WHO HE IS.

6. AND WE ARE CALLED TO PASS THAT DOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

7. TO TELL OF HIS MIGHTY POWERS;

TO DECREE HIS AWESOME ACTS;

TO TELL OF HIS FAITHFULNESS.

8. BUT, WHAT IS OFTEN FOUND IN THE CHRISTIAN HOME IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE FEAR OF GOD.

9. THE OPPOSITE OF REVERENCE AND STANDING IN AWE OF WHO HE IS.

10. WE OFTEN HEAR COMPLAINING,

MURMURING,

PEOPLE WHO ARE MAD AT GOD AS IF HE CAUSES THE TROUBLE WE FIND OURSELVES IN.

11. BUT, THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US,

WHO HAS MADE OUR SPIRIT MAN NEW,

WANTS US TO PLEASE GOD IN ALL THAT WE SAY AND DO.

12. BUT, IF WE FOLLOW AFTER ANYTHING,

A STRANGE GOD OR A LUST,

A FAULT FINDING,

CRITICAL SPIRIT,

THEN WE ARE NOT BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

AND THEREFORE WE CANNOT PLEASE GOD.

13. THE JAMISON, FAUSETT AND BROWN COMMENTARY SAYS, Joshua calls on them to declare, in a public and solemn manner, whether they will be faithful and obedient to the God of Israel. He avowed this to be his own unalterable resolution, and urged them, if they were sincere in making a similar avowal, "to put away the strange gods that were among them"--

II. IT’S TIME TO MAKE A DECISION.

1. SO, OFTEN WE HEAR OF CHURCH PEOPLE,

AND MINISTERS FALLING INTO SIN

AND “DISGRACING” THE CHURCH

AND THE PULPIT.

2. AND OF COURSE THE LIBERAL MEDIA LOVES IT AND TELLS ALL ABOUT IT.

3. BUT, THE TIME HAS COME IN 2010 THAT WE THE CHURCH,

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST NEED TO DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND

AND DECLARE THAT WE WILL NOT CROSS IT.

4. WE WILL SERVE THE LORD OUR GOD.

5. WE WILL BE FAITHFUL TO HIM

AND HONOR HIM WITH OUR LIVES.

6. PAUL WROTE THE CHURCH AT ROME AND SAID THE MODERN RENDITION OF WHAT JOSHUA SAID.

7. ROMANS 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

8. WE ARE NOT OUR OWN,