Let's Settle The Issue

Let’s settle the issue

Joshua 24:15

Selected verses from Joshua

Prayer-

Introduction-

This morning if you would turn to the book of Joshua, we will take a look at the leader God raised up to lead the nation of Israel.

As you do that, think a moment about some of the decisions that you have had to make that were hard.

Being an adult is not all that it is cracked up to be at times.

We have to do things we don’t like

We have to make those hard decisions when it would be easier to just sit back and hope that it goes away by itself.

A lot of us have been in meetings where topics were discussed where differing opinions were shared, where decisions had to be made and as a group you had to move in unity even though all were not in agreement.

Someone has to be the leader and direct the group

Someone has to be the tie breaker

Someone has to be the voice of the group

Someone has to settle the issue.

Some of the problems today are because people who do not want to invest in leadership want to run the show.

Some people today want no responsibility but want to carry the voice of decision.

That is exactly where God placed Joshua. To be a good leader you have to make the tough calls and you have to make them based upon what you believe is right and that you will not be able to please everyone in the process.

This plays out in everyday life and it plays out in our relationship with God.

Joshua had tough decisions to make as a leader and he had issues in his life that he had to settle before he could direct the people God had placed under his authority.

Many cannot move forward in their lives because they have something or someone in our past that prevents it.

We spend more time looking back than looking forward.

We have not settled the important issues in our life including the most important, our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Our text this morning is a short one, it is Joshua 24:15-but the context is found in all the scripture relating to Joshua.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

The statement Joshua makes to the people of Israel is a matter of fact.

It is a statement of his faith.

There is not one word that would suggest that he has not settled the issue of who he and his family will serve as Lord.

His decision was made long before his declaration of faith, it was settled as a teen and lived out in his life.

Joshua 1:1-

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aide; Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan river into the land I am about to give to them-to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. “

He goes on to say (7) “Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

That is why he had to be one of the two spies out of twelve sent that came back and had a good report of what he saw in the promised land.

He settled the issue with God that God was going to do what he said he would do and no matter what it looked like, he knew it would happen as he said.

That Is why Joshua the night before crossing the Jordan said to the people “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

That is why he was able to tell the people of Israel to build a memorial of stones so they would remember what the Lord had done.

It was why no matter what challenges were in front of Joshua, he was not going to let it affect his relationship with his God.

The text this morning is the testimony of an old man that has served God his whole life and was now ready to die and still has last words for the people of Israel.

Pastor Rodney Johnson puts it this way- “You see it is one thing to accept Christ as your personal savior and something else to walk in that decision. Accepting Him was the easy part, living the life is where we reflect back on the impact of the decision that was made. Some Christians accept Christ as their personal savior but live a “modified life” of acceptance depending on the situation.”