“WE…WILL SERVE THE LORD…HE IS OUR GOD!” (Outline)
August 21, 2022 – Pentecost 11 – JOSHUA 24:2a, 14-18
INTRO: Our text presents the choice to serve the Lord or not. The most important choice for our eternal welfare the Lord God has made for us. By grace our loving, heavenly Father has chosen believers to be his children. The Lord wants all people to be saved. Some make the choice to reject the Lord. Thankfully the faith to believe is God’s choice. "He (God) did this (blessed us) when he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight" (EPHESIANS 1:4). Even before creation the Lord chose us. Knew us by name. Amazing grace! We are not holy and blameless. God chose his Son, Jesus, to make us holy and blameless by his blood. “WE…WILL SERVE THE LORD…HE IS OUR GOD!” I. Not serve past or present false gods. II. Serve the past, present, future Lord God.
I. WE WILL NOT SERVE PAST OR PRESENT FALSE GODS.
A. Verse 2a. Joshua spoke to all the people. All Israel gathered to hear the word of the LORD.
1. All people included: young, old, mothers, fathers, children, leaders, followers. All.
2. “This is what the LORD, the God Israel, has said.” The LORD was speaking through Joshua.
B. Verse 14. Love the LORD wholeheartedly, faithfully. Love with all heart, soul, and mind.
1. Get rid of the false gods your father worshiped in Egypt. Instead, serve the LORD.
2. God’s people, Israel, spent 400 years in Egypt. Picked up bad worship habits. Traditions.
C. Verse 15. Offered the choice between the LORD and past false gods from fathers in Egypt.
1. Another choice: There were false gods in the Promised Land where they were now living.
2. Worship these present false gods? Or worship previous, past false gods? Or the LORD?
D. It was difficult for the Israelites to give up the false gods of Egypt. They had become part of their culture. Bad worship traditions for many generations. Crossed Sea on dry ground. Egyptian army drowned. Moses with LORD 40 days. People make a golden calf to worship. The Apostle Paul confessed following bad traditions. “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my own people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (GALATIANS 1:4). Pursued Christians to arrest them. They were worshiping Jesus. Not following the traditions of the Pharisees. The Lutheran church started in Germany. In the United States the early Lutheran churches preached in German. Taught in German. That tradition was given up when the U.S. went to war with Hitler, Germany. The German language tradition was given up for English. A good thing.
E. Our society today is establishing false god traditions. Evil is called good: Good…evil. This wickedness seeps into our lives. Even creeps into church bodies. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, which are in accord with human tradition, namely, the basic principles of the world, but not in accord with Christ” (COLOSSIANS 2:8). Worldly traditions do not agree with Christ. Following 911 a religious movement was promoted: CHRISLAM. This tries to combine Christianity and Islam. Mohammed is dead, in the grave. Christ is risen from dead, an empty tomb. These two religions do not agree at all. The alphabet soup of sexual confusion does not agree with what the truth of the Bible teaches. God created man and woman. Two genders. Sexes compatible with each other.
F. Present false gods also live in church bodies. Some demand that we can only worship on the Sabbath Day. They have determined the Sabbath Day to be Saturday. Creation does not name the days as we know them. Baptism is God’s word used with water to create a child of God out of sinners. Some demand immersion. Scripture simply, clearly states baptism is water with God’s word. It is meant for ALL nations. Yes, even infants. "These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching human rules as if they are doctrines" (MATTHEW 15:8, 9).
“WE…WILL SERVE THE LORD…HE IS OUR GOD!” Not serve past or present false gods.
II. SERVE THE PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE LORD GOD.
A. Verse 15b. “But as for me and my household—we will serve the LORD!” Joshua said this to all Israel.
1. Joshua gave the people of God a leadership example. Was serving the LORD already.
2. Joshua promised before God’s people his dedication to continue serving the LORD.
B. Verse 16. Who could disagree with that confession? “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD…”
1. Verse 17. The children of Israel recognized all that the LORD had done for them.
2. LORD delivered out of Egypt. Out of slavery. Was with them in wilderness wandering.
a. Provided manna = daily bread. b. Clothes, shoes did now wear out, 40 years.
3. LORD kept them safe from the many enemies who opposed them as they traveled.
C. Verse 18. The LORD drove enemies before them in the Promised Land.
1. The LORD miraculously brought down the walls of Jericho. Struck fear in Israel’s enemies.
2. They remembered God’s goodness. “We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God!”
D. The Israelites follow the example of Joshua’s promise. The Israelites recall all of the mercies the LORD God had showered upon them. We see similar blessings from the LORD in our lives. Day after day. Every day. Year after year. Every year. We are blessed with food. Clothing. Family. Friends. Worship. What a comfort to know that the LORD has chosen us to be his own. What joy is ours to know the LORD, he is our God. The LORD God of the Church does not make demands of his people. False gods do that. The LORD God of the Church gives us his example. "…and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (MARK 10:44, 45). Now that is a life of service freely given! THE Servant!
E. The difference between the children of the LORD and people of the world is growing. Society has changed from serving the LORD to self-serving desires. Selfishness. There is a marked contrast between those who love God and those who love themselves. We are also guilty of selfishness. But we are also given the gift to know the LORD. Love him. Serve the LORD. And our neighbor. "He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works" (TITUS 2:14). Christ died for us so we would die to sin and live for him. Eager to do good identifies the Christ-followers. God’s love makes us eager to help others. Love others. Serve the LORD.
F. To be able to serve the LORD is thankful living. Our world today is shaken by what is happening all around them. Fires. Floods. Storms. The foundations of the earth are groaning for the return of the LORD on the Last Day. We know this truth. Are confident. Thankful. "Therefore, since we are going to receive an unshakeable kingdom, let us be thankful. This is how we serve God in an acceptable way, with reverence and awe" (HEBREWS 12:28). With great awe we serve the LORD. He freely provides us eternal life!
CONC.: God chose us for a reason. "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will endure…” (JOHN 15:16a). Fruit that endures is the spiritual fruit of faith. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (GALATIANS 5:22, 23a). We do not want to serve false gods either in the past or present. The only true is the LORD God who is past, present, future. Eternal. “WE…WILL SERVE THE LORD…HE IS OUR GOD!” Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 11 readings: ECCLESIASTES 1:2; 2:18-26; COLOSSIANS 3:1-11; LUKE 12:13-21; (PSALM 34)
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