HELP ME @ HOME
JOSHUA 24:14-15
INTRODUCTION… Every house is different (various websites, unsubstantiated)
Traditionally, in the Philippines family is regarded as the highest priority which is why there are no overcrowded orphanages or homes for the elderly.
Traditionally, at a wedding reception in Denmark it is normal for the groom to disappear during part of the ceremony so that all the unmarried young men can kiss the bride and then it is the bride’s turn to disappear while all the single girls kiss the groom.
Traditionally, in Hungary at New Year’s Eve, the people burn a scapegoat known as”Jack Straw.”. The scapegoat represents the evils and misfortunes of the past year. Burning the effigy is supposed to get rid of the bad luck.
Traditionally, when in someone’s home in Japan, it is common for you to remove your shoes and wear slippers. The same is to be done when you are going to the bathroom as there are usually a pair of slippers specifically for the toilet area that must stay there at all times. Remove your first pair of slippers, and slide into the second pair.
Perhaps you have met folks with strange or unusual customs:
My roommate in college had a strange family tradition at his house. The biggest event of the year, eclipsing Christmas and Thanksgiving, was Ground Hogs Day. There was a huge cookout and all the family gathered… to watch Ohio State and to gather as a family.
Many families have different traditions and customs because each family is different and every culture is different. However, no matter how different we are, one thing binds us together (especially those of us here today)… and that is Jesus Christ. We looked at a verse last week and it tells us that we, who are Christians, are all bound together by Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
* I hope you have a desire, no matter the traditions or culture or customs of your family, to have a household that is firm in Christ and whose foundation is God.
* I hope that you have a desire to have a marriage that honors God.
* I hope that you have a desire to raise children and grandchildren that love the Lord and will serve Him
* I hope that you seek to honor God with your money and possessions.
Today we are going to look at a passage that offers help in our homes. What does a Godly home look like? What does God’s Word say about our homes and what help does God bring to us?
The passage that we will look at today gives us solid commands that we can follow to build our homes and lives upon God. The passage is in Joshua 24 which comes at the every end of the book of Joshua. Joshua the son of Nun has been the leader of the people of God after Moses and has led the Israelites into the Promised Land. They have received the promises that were given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And now Joshua is ending his time as the leader and is giving them commands about their lives in this new land given to them by God. All the people are standing before him and he is giving them his final address. Joshua wants so much for the people of God to BE the people of God. Joshua wants so much for God to be the firm foundation of their lives. Let’s read just a few verses from his address.
READ JOSHUA 24:14-15
“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua has much to say to the Israelites and much to say to us. So what help does Joshua offer us for our homes?
I. FEAR THE LORD AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL FAITHFULNESS (verse 14)
Joshua’s first statement to the Israelites is packed full of meaning and probably could be a whole sermon in and of itself. What does Joshua begin with when speaking to the people about their lives? Joshua begins at the beginning with their treatment and understanding of God. A great help for your home is a correct view of God.
To fear the Lord, is where we all should start. The word fear (yare’ in Hebrew) (yaw-ray) is a word that means to fear, to revere, and to be afraid. Over and over in Scripture we are commanded to fear God and respect Him above all others. Leviticus 25:17 commands, “Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God.” Psalm 147:11 says plainly, “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Proverbs 1:7 explains to us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Acts 9:31 describes for us, “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”
What does Joshua say to us in concert with 40 or 50 other verses in the Bible? Base your home on respect for God. This means it is an attitude, but also a way of life in your home.
* Respect His name and not to using the Lord’s Name in vain
* Respect His day by coming to church and serving in the church
* Respect His Word by actually reading it and studying it
* Respect the blessings He has given to you and tithe to say thank you
Joshua tells the people that because they view God with respect and awe and all that He deserves, they should serve Him with faithfulness. Joshua does not stop at the beginning with fearing God, but goes on the logical next step. What does that mean? This means that your Christian life, as a parent or grandparent and the leader of the home, must be lived out daily and it must be taught and modeled to others in your home. It means consistency and truthfulness when it comes to your life with God.
* It means your consistently respect God’s name and you teach your children and grandchildren that “oh my God” is not an appropriate response when you are surprised. No excuses.
* It means you consistently respect God’s day… by resting… and teach your children and grandchildren to rest on Sundays and that their ‘backsides’ had better be in church. No excuses.
* It means your respect His Word by consistently day by day read God’s Word on purpose, memorizing verses with your children and grandchildren, and attend Sunday School and Logos Teams so that you know what is in His Book. No excuses.
* It means you consistently tithe and you let your family see you do it… so they learn that God’s money is God’s money and He deserves it back. No excuses.
I keep saying ‘no excuses’ because the home that is filled with excuses when it comes to the fear of God and serving Him faithfully is the home with a weak foundation… plain and simple.
ILLUSTRATION… Leaning Tower of Pisa (http://www.bible.org/illus.php?topic_id=579)
The most famous poor foundation in the world is the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The tower began to sink after construction progressed to the third floor in 1178. Scientists travel yearly to measure the building’s slow descent. They report that the 179-foot tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch a year. The tower threatens to fall onto the nearby ristorante, where scientists now gather to discuss their findings. Quite significantly, the word “pisa” means “marshy land,” which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed. Also—its foundation is only 10 feet deep! In May 2008, after the removal of another 70 metric tons (77 short tons) of earth, engineers announced that the Tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated it would be stable for at least 200 years. All because of a poor foundation!
Joshua tells the people that they must start their lives and their homes with a reverent fear of God and a consistent faithful service to Him. Next, Joshua tells them to throw away false gods.
II. THROW AWAY FALSE GODS (verse 14)
The second part of the passage we will look at directs the people to throw away all the false gods that they may be holding on to… because there is only One God… and it is He who brought the people out of Egypt and has brought them to the Promised Land. What does this have to do with us?
Well, first we have to figure out what a ‘false god’ is. For the Israelites, their false gods were idols in their tents. These false gods required sacrifices and for them to act in ways opposite of what God wanted. The books of 1st and 2nd Kings describe for us what some of the eventual kings of Israel and Judah would do for the ‘false gods’ including sacrificing their children. An idol will take you away from the path that God has set. An idol will encourage you and I to follow something that is against God’s will.
For most of us, we do not have statues of gods in our homes. If you do… throw them away! However, most of us do have ideas or activities or attitudes that become ‘false gods’ that lead us in an opposite direction from God.
For example…
* TV can certainly be a false god. There are so many different ideas put forth on the TV that you may believe all that you see. In addition, your time spent watching TV may soak up all the time in your day leaving God and the things of God undone.
* Shopping can also be a false god. Shopping and the need to shop and buy new clothes is an activity that can feed our greed and materialism. In addition, not every style or fad out there is what a Christian should wear. Skirts can be too high, pants can sag, shirts can be too revealing… all because of fashion. We follow the will of the designer and not the will of God.
* Money can certainly be a false god. Like shopping, money and the temptation money brings can lead us into all sorts of sins. Our jobs and the pursuit of wealth may become all consuming and leave God and His will out in the cold.
* Other religions certainly play a role as false gods. Satan has cooked up many convincing lies over the years to compete with the Truth of Christ. Be careful that you are not drawn into other religions or ways of thinking that are contrary to Scripture.
* Sports can also be a false god. Similarly to TV, your time spent watching sports may soak up all the time in your day leaving God and the things of God undone. You may spend money on sporting events or clothing that should have gone to God.
Joshua is telling his people that if they want to have homes that are firm in the Lord and serve Him, that they must get rid of those idols that would weigh them down and lead them away from God. It is the same for us. Look around your life and see what things have become far too important and take the place of God’s will, soak up God’s time, and drain God’s money. We must teach ourselves and our children and grandchildren to be wise in the world and stay away from things that hurt our relationships with God.
Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
ILLUSTRATION… The Specialists (http://www.bible.org/illus.php?topic_id=772)
In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned.
“I have mastered a science,” said the first, “by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it.”
“I,” said the second, “know how to grow that creature’s skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones.”
The third said, “I am able to create its limbs if I have flesh, the skin, and the hair.”
“And I,” concluded the fourth, “know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete.”
Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion’s. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle.
We too have the capacity to create what can devour us. Goals and dreams [and false gods] can consume us. Possessions and property can turn and destroy us—unless we first seek God’s kingdom and righteousness, and allow Him to breathe into what we make of life.
Joshua tells the people that they must start their lives and their homes with a reverent fear of God and a consistent faithful service to Him and they must throw away false gods that would lead them away from the will of God. Joshua finally tells them that they must make a stand a make a decision once and for all for God.
III. MAKE THE DECISION… FOR ALL AREAS (verse 15)
Joshua tells the people plainly, “then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…” and later he tells them “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” In Joshua’s world, there were plenty of options for other gods and other ways of life. In Joshua’s world, the people had the freedom to choose if they would follow God or not. In Joshua’s world there was a decision to make that would affect all the areas of their lives. Just so you know we still live in Joshua’s world!
My message to you today is the same as the message to God’s people in Joshua 24 and I ask you the same questions!
“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” An all important choice must be made… which side are you on… are you on God’s side or the side of the world? For you see the world out there is increasingly becoming more and more opposed to the will of God. The Apostle Paul describes our world very well in 2 Timothy 3:1-7, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.”
Your decision will affect politics, your job, your clothes, your speech, your attitudes, your choice of TV and movies, the music you listen to, the way you spend your money, where you spend your Sundays, where you shop, what magazines you subscribe to… and every single area of your life!
I want to encourage you to make the decision today to follow God. I do not know what your decision will be, “but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
CONCLUSION
