Introduction

Good morning, dear family of faith. As we gather together in this sacred space, we find ourselves standing at the crossroads of decision, much like our forefathers in faith did thousands of years ago. The title of our sermon today is "It's Time To Make a Choice," a call to action that echoes through the corridors of time, resonating with the same urgency and importance as it did when Joshua first uttered these words to the Israelites.

Our focus today is not just on the act of choosing, but on the object of our choice. We are called to choose God, to choose His will and His ways, to align our hearts with His and to walk in the path He has laid out for us. This is not a decision to be made lightly, nor is it a decision to be made once and then forgotten. It is a decision that must be made daily, a decision that shapes our lives and our eternity.

Our guiding Scripture for today's message is found in Joshua 24:15, which says, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." These words, spoken by Joshua to the Israelites, are a challenge, a call to commitment, and a declaration of devotion. They are words that we, too, must take to heart as we consider our own commitment to God.

Before we delve into the heart of our message, let us turn our attention to the Word of God. I invite you to open your Bibles to Deuteronomy 30:19-20. Here, we find a similar call to choose, a call that is both a warning and a promise. The Scripture reads, "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Let us pause for a moment to reflect on these words. They remind us that our choices have consequences, not just for us, but for our children and our children's children. They remind us that choosing God is choosing life, choosing blessing, choosing love. They remind us that God is not just a part of our lives, but the very source of our life.

As we prepare to delve into the heart of our message, let us bow our heads in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of choice. We thank You for the freedom to choose You, to choose life, to choose blessing. We ask that You would guide our hearts as we consider the choices before us. Help us to choose wisely, to choose well, to choose You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now, imagine if you will, standing at the edge of a vast ocean. The waves crash against the shore, each one unique, each one a testament to the power and majesty of the Creator. The ocean is vast, its depths unknown, its breadth immeasurable. It is both beautiful and terrifying, a source of life and a force of nature.

Our lives are like this ocean. Each day, we stand at the edge of the unknown, faced with choices that shape the course of our lives. Each choice is like a wave, unique and powerful, capable of carrying us closer to our destination or pulling us further away. And just as the ocean is guided by the hand of the Creator, so too are our lives under His control.

The question before us, then, is this: Will we choose to ride the waves of God's will, allowing Him to guide us and direct us? Or will we choose to fight against the current, to go our own way and chart our own course? The choice is ours to make. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

As we delve into our message today, let us keep this image in mind. Let it serve as a reminder of the importance of our choices, of the power of our decisions, and of the sovereignty of our God. Let it inspire us to choose wisely, to choose well, and above all, to choose God.

Choosing God: A Decision of Eternal Significance

Friends, we live in a world where we are constantly making choices. From the moment our eyes flutter open in the morning to the moment we close them at night, we are making decisions. Some are small, like what to eat for breakfast, while others are bigger, like what career path to follow. But there is one choice that stands head and shoulders above the rest in its importance. It's the choice of whom we will serve.

In Joshua 24:15, we find a clear call to make this choice. Joshua, a man who knew a thing or two about making tough decisions, challenges the Israelites, and us by extension, to choose this day whom we will serve. He even gives us his own decision as an example, declaring, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

This is not a decision to be made lightly. It's not a decision to be made once and then forgotten. It's a decision that needs to be made daily, hourly, even moment by moment. It's a decision that will shape our lives, our relationships, our futures. It's a decision that will determine our eternal destiny.

So, how do we make this choice? How do we choose God and His will and ways over the world and its fleeting pleasures?

Firstly, we need to understand who God is. He is not just a distant, impersonal force. He is a loving, personal God who wants to have a relationship with us. He is a God who has revealed Himself to us in His Word and in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is a God who is worthy of our trust, our obedience, our love.

The Hebrew word for "serve" in Joshua 24:15 is "abad". It means to work, to labor, to serve. It implies a commitment, a dedication, a willingness to put in the effort. Serving God is not a passive activity. It requires active participation. It requires us to put God first in our lives, to seek His will in all things, to obey His commands, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

As the great theologian Augustine of Hippo once said, "God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them." We need to empty our hands of the things of this world so that we can receive the good things that God has for us.

Secondly, we need to understand what it means to choose God. It's not just about saying the right words or going through the right motions. It's about a change of heart. It's about turning away from our sin and turning towards God. It's about surrendering our will to His will, our ways to His ways.

Finally, we need to understand the consequences of our choice. Choosing God is not always the easy choice. It may mean facing opposition, persecution, even suffering. But it is always the right choice. It is always the choice that leads to life, to blessing, to eternal joy.

So, let's make the choice today, and every day, to serve the Lord. Let's choose to trust Him, to obey Him, to love Him. Let's choose to put Him first in our lives, to seek His will in all things, to follow His ways. Let's choose to empty our hands of the things of this world and to receive the good things that God has for us. Let's choose life. Let's choose blessing. Let's choose God.

Choosing God: A Decision of a Lifetime

In the grand tapestry of life, we are often faced with decisions that shape our destiny. Joshua 24:15 presents us with one such decision, a choice that carries eternal significance - choosing God. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, nor is it a decision to be made in haste. It is a decision that requires thought, prayer, and a deep commitment to walking in the ways of the Lord.

The first thing we must understand is that choosing God is a personal decision. Joshua said, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." He didn't say, "As for the Israelites" or "As for the people of Jericho." He said, "As for me and my house." This tells us that the decision to serve God starts with us. It starts in our hearts, in our homes, in our personal lives. We cannot choose for others, but we can choose for ourselves.

Secondly, choosing God is a daily decision. It's not a once-and-done deal. Every day, we must wake up and choose to serve the Lord. We must choose to follow His commandments, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to seek His kingdom first. This is a daily, ongoing commitment that requires discipline and dedication.

Thirdly, choosing God is a transformative decision. When we choose to serve the Lord, we are not just choosing a set of rules or a religious ritual. We are choosing a relationship with the Creator of the universe, a relationship that will transform us from the inside out.

Now, let's turn our attention to the New Testament, specifically to Matthew 6:24. Here, Jesus echoes the sentiment of Joshua, saying, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." This scripture reinforces the idea that choosing God is an all-or-nothing decision. We cannot serve God and the world at the same time. We must make a choice.

This brings us to our fourth point: choosing God is an exclusive decision. We cannot serve God and the world at the same time. We cannot straddle the fence, trying to keep one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the kingdom of the world. We must choose one or the other. And as Joshua so boldly declared, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Lastly, choosing God is a rewarding decision. When we choose to serve the Lord, we are not just signing up for a life of rules and restrictions. We are signing up for a life of blessings and abundance. God promises to guide us, to provide for us, to protect us, and to give us peace that surpasses all understanding.

In conclusion, the decision to choose God is a personal, daily, transformative, exclusive, and rewarding decision. It is a decision that will shape our destiny, not just in this life, but in the life to come. So, let us echo the words of Joshua and declare, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Choosing God: A Journey of Commitment and Conviction

The journey of choosing God, of making a conscious decision to follow His will and His ways, is not a walk in the park. It's a path that requires commitment, conviction, and courage. It's a path that demands our all. But let me tell you, it's a path worth taking.

The first thing we need to understand is that choosing God is not a passive act. It's not something that happens to us. It's something we do. It's an active, deliberate, intentional choice. We don't just stumble upon God's will. We choose it. We decide to align our lives with His purposes. We decide to live according to His commands. We decide to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

This is not a choice we make lightly. It's a choice that requires thought, prayer, and discernment. It's a choice that requires us to examine our hearts, to evaluate our priorities, to consider the cost. It's a choice that requires us to say no to our own desires, to our own plans, to our own ways, and to say yes to God, to His desires, to His plans, to His ways.

This is not a choice we make once and then forget about. It's a choice we make every day, every moment. It's a choice we make in the big decisions and in the small decisions. It's a choice we make in the joys and in the struggles. It's a choice we make in the victories and in the defeats.

The second thing we need to understand is that choosing God is not a solitary act. It's not something we do alone. It's something we do in community. We need the support, the encouragement, the accountability of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need their prayers, their wisdom, their love. We need their reminders of God's faithfulness, of His goodness, of His grace.

This is not a journey we embark on alone. It's a journey we embark on together. It's a journey we share with our family, with our friends, with our church. It's a journey we share with those who have gone before us, with those who are walking beside us, with those who will come after us.

As A.W. Tozer once said, "The most important thing about a man is not where he is at any given time, but in what direction he is moving." We are all moving in a direction. The question is, are we moving in the direction of God? Are we moving towards His will, His ways, His purposes?

The third thing we need to understand is that choosing God is not a futile act. It's not something we do in vain. It's something we do with hope, with faith, with confidence. We can trust that God will guide us, that He will provide for us, that He will sustain us. We can trust that He will fulfill His promises, that He will accomplish His purposes, that He will achieve His plans.

This is not a choice we make in vain. It's a choice we make in faith. It's a choice we make in the assurance that God is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do. It's a choice we make in the confidence that God is good, that He is loving, that He is faithful.

Choosing God is a journey. It's a journey of commitment, of conviction, of courage. It's a journey of faith, of hope, of love. It's a journey of surrender, of trust, of obedience. It's a journey worth taking. It's a journey we take together. It's a journey we take with God.

Conclusion

As we draw to a close on this sermon, let's take a moment to reflect on the words of Joshua from Joshua 24:15. "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." These words are not just a declaration, but a commitment, a pledge, a promise. It's a promise that Joshua made for himself and his family, and it's a promise that we too can make.

Choosing God is not a decision that we make once and then forget about. It's a decision that we make every day, every hour, every minute. It's a decision that we make when we wake up in the morning and when we go to bed at night. It's a decision that we make when we're faced with challenges, when we're faced with temptations, when we're faced with decisions.

Choosing God means choosing His will and His ways. It means choosing to follow His commandments, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It means choosing to be more like Jesus, to live as He lived, to love as He loved, to serve as He served.

In the coming week, let's make a conscious effort to be more like Jesus. Let's strive to love more, to serve more, to give more. Let's strive to be more patient, more kind, more forgiving. Let's strive to be more humble, more selfless, more compassionate. Let's strive to be more like Jesus in our thoughts, in our words, in our actions.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this time of reflection and commitment. We thank You for the example of Joshua, who chose to serve You and Your will. We thank You for the example of Jesus, who showed us how to live and love.

As we go into the coming week, help us to choose You and Your will. Help us to be more like Jesus. Help us to love more, to serve more, to give more. Help us to be more patient, more kind, more forgiving. Help us to be more humble, more selfless, more compassionate.

Give us the strength to overcome challenges, the wisdom to make right decisions, and the courage to stand up for what is right. Guide us in all our ways, and help us to always choose You.

And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and forevermore. Amen. Let's go forth and choose God, choose His will, choose His ways. Let's go forth and be more like Jesus. Amen.

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