Text: Joshua 23:1-16
Theme: Enjoy the Rest
Introduction:
Alexander the great farewell speech;
1. My Coffin to be carried by my Doctor
2. My graveyard path to be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones of my treasury
3. My hands dangling out from coffin.
Reasons: No doctor on the earth can save anybody from death
Chasing after wealth is vain job, we can carry single thing with us
Came emptyhanded into the world, going empty handed from this world.
Joshua delivered two sermons before his death. This meeting was in either Timanath-serah (hometown of Joshua) or at Shiloh (Tabernacle hall).
23:.3-6 Be a person of ONE BOOK
Read v.6
Thomas Aquinas was first known as man of one Book “Homo unius libri”. He was kept captive for two years in the family castle to forget the book. But he became a man of one Book.
John Wesley was known as a man of one Book. He loved it, ate it, lived it. Till his last breath he never departed from the Book. He failed in his love affair, failed in his marriage but never failed in the BOOK of God.
Advance in age(vv.1-2): Lord told him about his age (13:1), now he feels about his age (23:1). Have you ever seen a person never aged? Only actress.
Rest: Joshua 23:1 says that the Lord gave them Rest from all enemies for a long year, 14 yrs.
Have you ever thought that my job is finished, I am going to rest? Can anyone say that “I have no more enemies, no more debts, no more loans, no more problems, no more troubles, no more temptations”. The Lord fought for them according to Dt.1:30,3:22. “Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer” (Mafia saying).
23:7-10 Be a Person of ONE FAITH
Faith is unseen but believed. Belief is not verification of facts but verification of authorities. Faith is collection of all beliefs.
God talks about four things related to be person of one God:
• Do not mix up the values with other religions
• Never mention the names of their Gods
• Swear by them
• Serve them or bow down to them
Cleave unto the Lord, delight in him, depend upon him, devout to him. Keep the inner man happy, pure, free of guilt, clear conscience. Hold fast to the LORD your God.
The problem with any generation from ancient time to till date is the to be a person of one God. Some are confused. Some think that there are many Gods. Can’t be. Bible teaches that there is only one God. YHWH. All other things are mere gods.
“People understood God as blind men understood parts of Elephants” (Atmopadesa Sahthakam).
You cleave unto the LORD for your salvation. Monkey Salvation- child holds the mother, Cat Salvation(vaishnavite)- mother holds the child, Equal responsibility – hold both…
23:11-16 Be a person of ONE GOD
There are several things which will disturb, distract and draw away from the Love of God. The Love of the world is so powerful, attractive. At the end people will not have natural love, they will do everything upside down. (Read: 2 Tim.3:1-5 the passage ends: AVOID THEM!). They will say evil is good, they will appreciate wicked. Don’t love the World (Read: 1 Jn.2:15-16).
Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength (Read: Dt. 6:4-5,10:12- love means walk in all his ways). Love the Lord all you saints (Ps.31:23), keep yourselves in God’s love (Jude 21).
Two reasons to love: (1) he fought for you (v.3) and (2) he kept all his promises (v.14).
Four times people attempted to kill me; thrice by Christians; and once by enemies of the Gospel. But so far God never allowed those things to happen. I was a victim of Character assassinations.
Just think of your lives how he was faithful to you. Can you call back to your mind the long journey you made. How lovely to look back the failures, successes? Gains and losses. Additions and subtractions, sometimes he multiplied your blessings. He added many things which you never dreamt and never imagined.
You can think of your own situation how the Lord had fought for you with your Boss, with your Board, with your enemies, with your relatives and strangers. No enemy can stand before you(vv.9-10). One man can fight with thousand…. (Only cinema heroes do). I don’t know the tricks of the battle in those days. But I know today’s tricks…that is nothing but “kneeling”, fasting and praying for 7 days, 21 days and 40 days.
Closing:
During the sept 10,2014. Raining at 8.45pm. A dog died to save human beings leaving her pups out of the LOVE for the people who fed her.
