The purpose of my sermon this morning is to encourage your wholehearted obedience to the Lord God Almighty and to warn you of the consequences of disobedience to Him.
Intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7arO6mTs5W0
The famous last words of Todd Beamer on US Airlines Flight 93 before crashing into the Twin Towers, “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.” America will never forget what took place on September 11, 2001. We all remember where we were, how we felt, how we prayed. Because of the evil intent of radical Islams, 3000 people went to meet God that day.
* An issue of the “Focus on the Family Magazine,” [Christin Ditchfield. September, 2002. “A Light In the Darkness.” pp. 18-19] detailed the actions of Al Braca. Al worked on the 105th floor of Tower One. When he realized that they were trapped in the building and would be unable to escape, Al shared the gospel with 50 of his co-workers and led them in prayer and many no doubt were saved before they died. Some of those same individuals had in the past mocked him for his faith. For many Christians, we stepped our witness of the Lord Jesus Christ to others because of that day. In light of eternity, we spoke out with more boldness about the Lord Jesus and the free gift of salvation He purchased for us on the cross of Calvary. Dying, shedding His innocent blood, so we can live forever in His Presence.
Joshua has some strong words every person needs to hear today. These are the words of a dying man, one of the strongest soldiers and leaders in the army of God. Joshua knew his death was imminent. Joshua 24:15 – “Behold this day, I am going the way of all the earth.” So, he gives us, as God’s people, our “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth” or “B-I-B-L-E.”
I. Serving the Lord is a lifelong total commitment, not a one time decision. 23:1-2
* Bob Dylan had a hit years ago called, “Gotta Serve Somebody.” I won’t sing it, but here are a few lyrics. “You may be an ambassador to England or France; You may like to gamble, you might like to dance; You may be the heavyweight champion of the world, You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls; But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed; You’re gonna have to serve somebody; Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord; But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
Joshua gives his last sermon near the age of 110. How much would you give to have heard him preach one last time God’s wonderful Word? Caleb was there to here Joshua preach. Eleazar the High Priest and his son Phinehas would have been gathered around close to hear the final charge from the man of God. James M. Boice states, “…the soldiers who had fought with Joshua through the various campaigns (were there). Most of these men would have been mere youths back then. Now they would be grown. They would have families. All would have risen to positions of important leadership in the nation.” Think about Joshua, there was not quit in his bones, only fire in his bones for the worship, Word, and will of God!
* George Dye is 76 years old, but I’ve rarely met a man with such passion to grow in the Lord. When you get around George, it’s like the presence of God kind of comes upon you. He’s like EF Hutton, when George talks, people listen.
* Our very own George Wybenga turned 93 this week. What a wonderful, positive, upbeat believer in the Lord George is and no one in the church gives a stronger bear hug than Mrs. Wylene! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the senior adults of Colonial Woods Baptist Church are the strength of this church. They are the most faithful in worship, Sunday School, outreach, giving, tithing, ministering, teaching, etc.
The older I get the smarter my parents become! We cannot avoid growing old but we can avoid growing cold!
II. Reflect often on the greatness of the Lord and what He’s done for you. 23:3-10
1. Reflect on the day the Lord saved you by His grace. * I was 12 years old, the summer of 1985, when it finally sunk into my soul that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. I’ll never forget praying the sinners prayer with Baylor student, Chad Gulledge. “Lord, I need you. I have sinned and come short of your glory. I believe you love me so much you sent your One and only Son, the Jesus Christ to die on the cross in my place. I believe He was buried and is alive forever more. By your power, I turn from sin and want to follow you totally from now on as my Lord. Thank you for saving me in Jesus’ Name. Amen.” That was the greatest day of my life. I’d never had such peace and assurance I belonged to the Lord.
2. Reflect on the day you were baptized as a believer in obedience to the Lord. Baptism for the Christian means you have totally identified yourself as a
believer in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:41. Being baptized is one way believers show we love the Lord and we are serious about obeying Him. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and understand baptism declares your union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, you can be baptized. Without faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, baptism is meaningless. It takes on the real meaning when you understand what Jesus has done for you and you desire to openly confess Him.
* A little boy asked Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, "When can I get advertised?" He meant "baptized" but he made the right point--baptism is advertising that you're a Christian.
3. Reflect on the day you joined God’s church. One of the joys of being a pastor is to see people get excited about joining the church and making that commitment. Some have come as a family, some singles, some teens, etc. Every believer in Jesus Christ needs a church family where they can be fed God’s Word, begin to grow as a disciple and serve the Lord. I encourage every one of you to make a real commitment to the Lord to be in church faithfully. It’s been said many people want all the benefits of the church but refuse to be a benefit to the church. One simple way to benefit the church is to be faithful to the Lord in your attendance. Hebrews 10:25 – “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.”
4. Reflect on the day God stood with you through suffering. The question is often asked, “Where was God on September 11, 2001?” Why would a good and loving God allow this to happen?” God was there and you know it broke his heart when people choose to love evil or choosing to love Him. God was there giving courage, comfort, guidance, assurance. There are stories after stories of miracles only God could do. God is His greatness could force us all to be robots who never act independently of Him, but He gave us all the gift of free will. The Bible teaches that man is sinful and is in need of forgiveness and salvation. We are quick to blame God when tragedy strikes, but slow to honor Him in the good times. Some of you are facing the toughest time of your life with bad health, loss of job, hurting families, financial struggles. The Lord promised never to leave or forsake you. He promises the suffering we go through here can’t compare with the incredible future He has in store for us!
5. Reflect on where you’d be without the Lord in your life.
* There’s a song we sing, “Without Him.”
“Without Him I could do nothing, Without Him I’d surely faith;
Without Him, I would be drifting like a ship without a sail.
Without Him I would be dying, Without Him I’d be enslaved;
Without Him life would be hopeless, but with Jesus thank God, I’m saved!”
III. Beware of the danger of departing from the Lord your God to serve false gods. 23:11-13
* Lifeway has some interesting research on why 18-24 year olds are leaving the church at an alarming rate. Some of the reasons included, college, transition time, moved far away from home church, or simply wanted to take a break from church. We started a new Sunday School class this morning just for this age group, young married, college, etc.
* I also believe the church as a whole has not obeyed the Lord in instructing, teaching, developing spiritual mentoring relationships with young people. We have not equipped them with God’s truth and helped them live lives separated exclusively unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of our young people in church reject the clear teaching of the Bible that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Kids hear growing up the false gospel of prosperity on TV. They see people who claim to be Christians like this pastor in FL who threatens to burn the Muslim holy books. It comes to their minds, “If this is what the Christian life is, I want no part of it.”
* Sometimes, church, we need to let God wake us up to face reality. We’ve become spiritually prideful, arrogant, lukewarm, unconcerned, judgmental. The alarm clock is going off, but we are spiritually snoozing. Romans 13:11-14, Revelation 3:14-21, Hebrews 3:13
I believe Joshua was preaching with tears in his eyes here as the thought of daddies, mommies, the younger generation turning away from the Lord one slow compromise at a time. Like Joshua, we must have a single commitment to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ exclusively, all the while, our heart may be breaking out of love for those who choose to go away.
* Martin Niemoeller, a German Lutheran pastor, titled his confession, I Didn’t Speak Up. It was written shortly after then end of WWII. “In Germany, the Nazis first came for the Comminists…I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews…I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists…I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics…again, I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me!”
IV. Trust in the promises of God wholeheartedly. 23:15
Anchor your lives in the promises of God. Trust, rely, believe God.
* Pastor Jim Crutchfield’s wife, Judy, has been battling with MS for several years now. Jim told me this week its progressively getting worse. The beautiful thing in his wife is, the worse her circumstances and even the news she receives, the stronger her hope in God’s promises. The promise of God that she’s trusting in is Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perserverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given us.”
Trust in the promises of God for forgiveness, salvation, spiritual victory. Trust also in His warnings. He only wants what is best for you. Like a loving parent, He’ll always lead you in paths of righteousness.
The hard part is learning to trust God’s promise in the midst of a world turned chaos and that has lost almost all morals and standards. Yet, we need Christians more than ever who will stand and share the promises of God!
* In his book, Storm Warning, Billy Graham states, “We need a morality that guarantees respect for mothers who mother, for fathers who father, and for all those who live and work together to fulfill God’s commandments to pursue our individual destinies as His privileged children. We need families who stay together and pray together. We do not need a new moral order; the world desperately needs the tried and tested moral order that God handed down in the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, which He proved in the prophets and patriarchs of old and which He expressed most perfectly in the life, death, and living presence of His own Son, Jesus Christ. This is the kind of moral leadership the world needs.
IV. Choose to serve the Lord today, tomorrow is not promised. 24:15
One day, it will be a day too late to decide if you will serve the Lord. The only regret most people have late in life is that that they did not commit everything to Jesus earlier!
* Many of you heard the news this week that Pastor Ralph Kelly died this week. Last Sunday, he went through his normal routine, preached God’s Word, came home and sat down in his favorite chair to relax a little. He awoke in the Presence of the Lord. Little did he know Sept. 5th was his last day on earth, but praise God, he was ready because he’d settled the Lordship issue.
* Nothing in comparison to losing a loved one, but our family had a trying week this week. From Bella and I falling down the stairs, my sister’s son, Drew, had a hot iron bounce off the ground and fall on his face. My family in Dallas experienced a tornado that touched down close. No where in God’s Word are we promised tomorrow, but we are exhorted to love and live for Jesus daily. I’m so thankful that most of my family is committed to Jesus Christ, some are still putting Him off. It’s discouraging to see people turn away from the Lord, but always remember, there are many who want nothing more in your family and mine to walk and worship Him all the days of our lives. Draw close to the Lord daily and encourage others to do the same! That is what matters most.
Have you settled the Lordship issue in your own life? Do so today and walk in Romans 8:35-39 - “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Conclusion: You have a choice set before you today. It’s not always easy to choose God’s will over yours, but making that choice day by day is the greatest thing you can do with your life.
*George Whitefield, a British evangelist who lived about 200 years ago, exhibited great devotion to Christ. After preaching several times one day, he went to his room and prepared for bed. Then someone came and asked him to speak one more time because a crowd had gathered outside. Although very tired, he picked up a candle and said he would preach until it burned out. An hour later the flame flickered and died, and Whitefield closed in prayer and went inside. The next morning he was found on his knees beside his bed—the flame of his earthly existence had glimmered and died.
The choice is set before you, your family, your Sunday School class, this church family. Will you say a lifelong yes to the Lord Jesus Christ today? Or will you choose to serve false gods that aspire for your devotion but leave you empty handed and powerless in the long run. I am confident you will make the best choice to worship and serve the Lord.
