SERVICE CONTRACT-II—Joshua 24:14-28
A newly appointed young preacher was contacted by the local funeral director to hold a graveside committal service at a small country cemetery in the country. There was to be no funeral, just the committal, because sadly, the deceased had no family or friends left.
The young pastor started early to the cemetery, but lost his way on the long back roads. After backtracking many miles, he finally arrived, a half-hour late. The hearse was no where in sight, and the workmen were relaxing under a near-by tree, eating their lunch.
The pastor went to the open grave and found that the vault lid was already in place. He took out his book and read the service.
As he returned to his car, one of the workmen paused between bites and said, "Think we should have told him that’s a septic tank."
The pastor was committed to do the funeral.
God’s people are to be committed to serving Him.
Israel covenanted together to exclusively serve YHWH as their God.
God’s people are bound to a commitment to serve YHWH as their God.
What communicates a people’s commitment to God?
Indicators/Measures of commitment among God’s people.
4 Indicators of commitment among God’s people are A Sincere...
1. REVERENCE(:14)
2. SERVICE(:14
3. UNDERSTANDING(:14)
4. SEPARATION(:14)
A 5th Indicator of commitment among God’s people is
A Sincere DECISION(:15)
—Explanation:(:15)Choice
“And if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me & my house, we will serve the LORD.”
“Disagreeable in your sight”—
Conscious, willful, individual choice
“As for me & my house”—Joshua will lead his house Godward
Does this Christian “God” fulfill the promises claimed?
Begins with Individual Choice & carries thru to every area of existence...—Family—Corporate—Community—World
—Argumentation:
Mat. 8:19-23—“And a certain scribe came & said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, & the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go & bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me; & allow the dead to bury their own dead.” And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.”
Prov. 1:27-30—“When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, When distress & anguish come on you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the LORD. “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof.”
—Illustration:
Out for supper/Ellinor whining/Wouldn’t hush/Me at point of decision/Turned back home/At Vereen Bell Rd. asked for commitment/Decision made to hush/Sincere Decision
—Application:
?You made a Sincere DECISION to serve God?
?Was a Sincere Decision made when you publically declared your faith in Christ?
?You Committed to a Service Contract with God?
A 6th Indicator of commitment among God’s people is
A Sincere PRACTICALITY(:16-18)
—Explanation/Argumentation:(:16-18)Pragmatism
:16—“And the people answered & said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;”
:17— “for the LORD our God is He who brought us & our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, & who did these great signs in our sight & preserved us through all the way in which we went & among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.”
:18 “And the LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.”
1Jn. 4:10—“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1Jn. 4:19—“We love, because He first loved us.”
God had chosen Israel & graced them.
Jn. 15:16—“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, & appointed you, that you should go & bear fruit, & that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.”
If God has chosen us & extends His love to us, then it makes no sense NOT to commit to Him!
Christianity is entirely & inherently practical.
—Illustration:
Dog that bite the hand that feeds it...
—Application:
?Your commitment to serve God a Sincerely PRACTICAL one?
?Your faith work in the real world... or just empty philosphy?
?You Committed to a Service Contract with God?
A 7th Indicator of commitment among God’s people is
A Sincere ABILITY(:19-21)
—Explanation:(:19-21)Position/Standing/Repentance
:19—“Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins.”
“Holy”—Set apart/Sacred/Perfect
Lk. 14:25-27—“Now great multitudes were going along with Him; & He turned & said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, & does not hate his own father & mother & wife & children & brothers & sisters, yes, & even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross & come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Mat. 5:20—“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes & Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“Jealous”—Protective of what is rightfully His.
“Forgive”—Carry away/Carry off
“Transgression”—Rebellion/Revolt
“Sins”—Deeds against God
:20—“If you forsake the LORD & serve foreign gods, then He will turn & do you harm & consume you after He has done good to you.”
:21—“And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”
Mat. 20:21-22—“And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right & one on Your left.” But Jesus answered & said, “You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.””
—Ignorant but committed to Jesus the giver of ability.
*Heavy Investment in Jesus gives us Ability.
Lk. 3:7-8—“He[JTB] therefore began saying to the multitudes who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? “Therefore bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, & do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.”
*Commitment taken seriously
—Argumentation:
Js. 4:3—“You ask & do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
—Illustration:
Graduate school/Curriculum tough/Diligent study/Dedication to career/Sincere Ability to receive Doctorate/Others drop out
—Application:
?You have a Sincere ABILITY to serve God?...OR Lighthearted?
?You Committed to a Service Contract with God?
An 8th Indicator of commitment among God’s people is
A Sincere COVENANT(:21-28)
—Explanation:(:21-28)Assent/Agreement
:21—And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”
:22—“And Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.”
“Witnessed”—:22, 25, 27
—Public affirmation
—Symbolic reminder
—Everyone responsible to the other for their decision...
?What does this mean for us as Christians?
:23—“Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, & incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
:24—“And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God & we will obey His voice.”
—Serving YHWH is exclusively serving YHWH!
:25—“So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, & made for them a statute & an ordinance in Shechem.”
“Made”—Lit.— ‘Cut’—Sacrifice implied to seal the covenant.
“Covenant”—tyrb—Binding agreement
“Statute”—qx—Prescribed tasks/duties/conditions
“Ordinance”—jpvm—Judgement/Legal decision or A binding, solemn & public act.
:26—“And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; & he took a large stone & set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.”
“Recorded”—:26
—Written
—Archived/Historical/Lasting/Preserved
:27—“And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, lest you deny your God.”
“This stone shall be for a witness”—Enduring reminder
:28—“Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.”
—Argumentation:
Ps. 119:112—“I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes Forever, even to the end.”
Jer. 31:33—““Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them, “declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Lk. 22:20—“And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”
—Illustration:
Marriage/Commitment/Legal—Binding/
—Application:
?You made a Sincere COVENANT with God
?You Committed to a Service Contract with God?
—Conclusion:
Action:
Indicators of commitment among God’s people are
A Sincere...
DECISION(:15)
PRACTICALITY(:16-18)
ABILITY(:19-21)
COVENANT(:21-28)
REVERENCE(:14)
SERVICE(:14)
UNDERSTANDING(:14)
SEPARATION(:14)
Presented 08/26/01pm to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
