The Call To Resolve—part 1

THE CALL TO RESOLVE—PartI—Joshua 23:1-16

Faithful/Called/Chosen/Elect/Determination

I knew these Siamese twins.

They moved to England....

...So the other one could drive.

The twins resolved to do what was right.

Christians likewise should resolve to do what is right.

Joshua reminded Israel of the resolve required of God’s people/witnesses.

A particular resolve is required of God’s people/witnesses.

What must God’s people resolve to maintain?

Expressions of Christian resolve.

1—Christian resolve maintains God’s

ADVOCACY(:3, 9-10)

—Explanation:(:3, 9-10)

:3—“And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you.”

:9—“For the LORD has driven out great & strong nations from before you; & as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.”

:10—“One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you.”

—Argumentation:

1Jn. 2:1-2—“My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; & He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; & not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

Rom. 5:8—“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Rom. 8:26-39—READ—:31—“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

Lk. 19:10—“For the Son of Man has come to seek & to save that which was lost.”

—Illustration:

Producer/Provides backing needed/

—Application:

?Your Resolve to Maintain God’s Advocacy?

?Your Resolve a witness to God’s Call?

2—Christian resolve maintains God’s INHERITANCE(:4)

—Explanation:(:4)

“See, I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have cut off, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun.”

To see life/society as rightly belonging to God.

Not for selfish ends but God’s ends.

—Argumentation:

Gen. 1:27-28—“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male & female He created them. And God blessed them; & God said to them, “Be fruitful & multiply, & fill the earth, & subdue it; & rule over the fish of the sea & over the birds of the sky, & over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Rule as is fitting in God’s shadow.

Ps. 8:4--9—READ—:6—“Thou dost make him[man] to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet,”

Ps. 103:19—“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens; And His sovereignty rules over all.”

Dan. 7:27—“‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion, & the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, & all the dominions will serve & obey Him.’”

1Tim. 6:13-16—“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, & of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed & only Sovereign, the King of kings & Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality & dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor & eternal dominion! Amen.”

2Cor. 5:20—“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Eph. 6:19-20—“...& pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

—Illustration:

Antique rocker/Belonged to Aunt Diddie/Refinished/ INHERITANCE Maintained

—Application:

?Your Resolve to Maintain God’s INHERITANCE?

?Your Resolve a witness to God’s Call?

3—Christian resolve maintains God’s

CONTINUANCE(:5, 12-13)

—Explanation:(:5, 12-13)

:5—“And the LORD your God, He shall thrust them out from before you & drive them from before you; & you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you.”

:12—“For if you ever go back & cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain among you, & intermarry with them, so that you associate with them & they with you,”

:13—know with certainty that the LORD your God will not continue to drive these nations out from before you; but they shall be a snare & a trap to you, & a whip on your sides & thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the LORD your God has given you.”