Please turn with me to Joshua 24.  Today is our last look at Joshua.  Yeah!!!  We’ve been looking at Joshua since May 13th.  From the feedback I’ve been getting - and for myself as well - would you agree that God has been challenging us - teaching us - helpings - growing us.  This has been a good series.  Amen?

(cartoon) That’s really bad.  What we’ve been learning here is a whole lot more important.

The first 21 chapters of Joshua focus on the importance of trusting God.

Over and over again - through circumstance after circumstance - battle after battle - we’ve seen God prove that He is trustworthy.  That He wills the best for His people.  That He always fulfills His promises.

We’ve seen some basic realities of life.  Trust self and get - what? creamed.  Trust God and get - what? victory.  Victory and blessing are an outcome of - what?  faithful obedience.

Without faith we miss what God has for us - what He desires to do in us and through us.  We fall short of honoring and glorifying Him.  Faith - for the follower of Jesus Christ - is not a what?  an option.  Faith is essential to being who God has called us to be.

Point being:  It is crucially important that we trust the God who is trustworthy.

The last 3 chapters of Joshua focus on what it means to live trusting God.  With all that we’ve learned about God and the importance of trusting Him - how do we respond?  How do we live now?  How do we move forward from here trusting God?  There are three words that summarize what Joshua is saying here in these last 3 chapters.  Two of which we’ve already looked at.

First:  Choose.  In chapter 22 we saw that sincerity is no substitute for faith.  It doesn’t matter how sincerely we may be doing the stuff of a Christian - unless we’ve let go of doing life our way - trusting ourselves and the people and things we surround ourselves with - unless we choose to fully trust God - we’ll never fully experience God’s victory and blessing in our life.

Second word:  Pursue:  In chapter 23 we saw that it is crucially important that we passionately devote ourselves fully to our relationship with God - loving Him with everything we are.  That we cling to God - diligently guarding our relationship with God - not allowing ourselves to be influenced by ungodly influences of the world we live in - influences that would lead us away form God - even into sin.  And when we do sin we know that He still loves us and forgives us.  Part of our devotion to God is honesty and openness with Him about our lives.  We need to agree with God that we’ve sinned - and to ask for His forgiveness.

Chapter 24 brings us to the third word describing what it means for us to live trusting God.  That word is Service.  Say that with me, “service.”

Verse 1:  Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

If you look at the map.  Shechem is up north - west of the Jordan River and just east of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.  The last time Israel was gathered together in that area Joshua had called the nation together into a large valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim - he’d called the people together into this huge natural amphitheater - for a service of worship. 

Do you remember this from chapter 8?  After the defeat and then victory at Ai - 2 million people divided - 1 half on the slopes of Mount Ebal - the other half on the slopes of Mount Gerizim.  In the valley between is Joshua - the altar - the Levitical priest - priests - not just people from the tribe of Levi - but anointed - consecrated.  Then there’s the ark of the covenant - signifying God’s presence with His people.  Next - in front of each half of the nation - in the expensive standing spots are the elders, officers, and judges of the people.  Sacrifices are offered on an altar of uncut stones. 

The service is all about God - the relationship with God that He allows His people to enjoy.  God is glorified - praised - honored.  The people in humility bring themselves before God and surrender their lives to Him.

That Joshua gathers the people at Shechem is strategic.  A poignant - visual - reminder of God’s relationship with His people.

Verse 2:  Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River - which was the Euphrates River - your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.  Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.  To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 

600 plus years earlier - after God had established his covenant with Abraham - promising to give Abraham a land - to make Abraham a great nation - to bless all the peoples of the world through Abraham’s descendants - when Abraham arrived in the land for the first time - it was here - in this location - that he built his first altar to the Lord.

Jacob dug a well here.  Joseph’s brothers - when Joseph went looking for them and they threw him in a pit - sold him into slavery in Egypt - it was at Shechem that they were pasturing their flocks.  The patriarchs dwelt in this land.

As Joshua is retelling Hebrew history - they’re surrounded by it.

Verse 5:  Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plaqued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out.  I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.  But when the cried out to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them - they all did the dead man’s float - your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt.  And you lived in the wilderness for a long time.  You all were children and y’adults back then.  You saw all this first hand. 

Verse 8:  Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you.  Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.  But I was not willing to listen to Balaam.  So he had to bless you, and delivered you from his hand.

Remember this? (Numbers 22-24)  The donkey who sees the angel and talks back to Balaam.  Balaam gets instructed by the angel and ends up blessing Israel rather than cursing God’s people.  How many times had they heard that account?  “Tell us again mom about the donkey.”   God delivering His people.

Verse 11:  You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorites and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite - and the Samsonite - just making sure were together.

Verse 12:  Thus I gave them into your hand.  Then I sent the hornet before you.

The hornet was a national symbol of Egypt - like the American Eagle.      Cruickshank is the Tigers.  Rivera is the Knights.  Tenaya is the Warriors.  Hoover is the vacuum cleaners.  The Egyptians were the Hornets.  Go Hornets!  Try that together.  “Go Hornets”

The Egyptian army - like a raging swarm of angry hornets - the Egyptian army was supposed invoke fear on their enemies.  But Israel had defeated Egypt.  So when Israel went to conquer the Promised Land the people there feared Israel.  Israel’s got a reputation - given to them by God.  That fear is symbolized here by “the hornet.” (Joshua 2:11; 5:1; 9:24)

Verse 12:  Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. - I gave you that reputation.

Verse 13:  I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’  You just took over and moved into what I gave you.    

Verses 1 to 13 are a history lesson with a point. 

Notice the pronoun.  “I took Abraham from beyond the river.”  “I gave Jacob and Esau to Isaac.”  “I sent Moses.”  “I brought your fathers out of Egypt.”  “You saw what I did.”  “I brought you.”  “I was not willing.”  “I sent the hornet.”  “I gave you a land.”

The battle is who’s?  God’s  Who brings the victory?  God.  Who always fulfills His promises?  God.

God’s people had seen all this first hand - up close and personal.  They’d lived it - tasted it - sweat through it.  The point of the review of history is to make absolutely certain that God’s people - at this sacred place - at this decisive moment in their in their history - as Joshua is about to die and the guard is changing - that they're all on the same page - absolutely clear on one basic truth:  Its God - who has done this for you.  Say that with me, “Its God who has done this for you.”

Verse 14:  Now, therefore - wherefore?  Because of all that God has done for you - and we’re all in agreement on that one basic truth - therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord - if you don’t want to serve God - 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 who land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Let’s pause there.  Notice three things.

First:  The choice being offered.    Say that with me, “The choice being offered.”

There are options here - a list of gods to choose from.  The gods our fathers served - back in Mesopotamia - Ur.  Or, you could choose the gods of Egypt.  Those are more familiar from our slavery days.  Or, the gods of the Amorites that surround us - of the land we’re occupying.  You could just adopt the local gods as your own.  Or you could choose the God who’s defeated all of those other gods and given you this land.  But, you must choose.

With that choice comes this requirement:  Service.  Third word - service.  “Fear the Lord and serve Him.” 

Choosing a god means that we must serve that god - to gain its favor - its protection - to appease its wrath.  Temples need to be built and maintained.  Altars need to be constructed.  Wood needs to be gathered.  Rituals must to be performed.  These gods require human sacrifice - our children slain on their altars.  They require fertility rites - religious prostitution.

Choosing a god is easy.  But the choice being offered is more than which god.  If you choose to fear the Lord - to honor and respect Him as your God - to trust Him with your life - then you must serve Him.

Second:  Notice that service is exclusive.  Say that with me, “Service is exclusive.” 

Remember Rachel - Jacob’s second wife.  The time came for Jacob - his wives - the children - the livestock - to escape from Laban - to head home.  Remember this?  By the way - home - was Shechem - where Jacob bought a piece of land and pitched his tent.

As they’re escaping Rachel steals Laban’s household idols - gods she grew up with - packs them in a saddle bag.  These are people in touch in a big time way - in touch with the living God.

But there’s Rachel.  “I’m going with my husband.  But, I’m taking along dad’s gods just in case.”  (Genesis 31:19)

In verse 14 when Joshua says to “put away the gods of your fathers” some of God’s people were still trying to hang on to gods they’d been carrying around with them.  “We saw all that God did.  The conquest of the Promised Land thing. But just in case this doesn’t work out we’ve got these other gods in reserve.”

We do this.  We can see all that God does - what He’s done in our lives - and we can still hang on to our own self-will - our own clever plans and solutions to our lives - to things and people - trusting them rather than God.

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your - what?  your heart will be also.” The things that we value occupy the attentions of our heart.  Our minds dwell on them.  We protect them.  Invest our resources and time and effort in them.  Struggle against surrendering them.

Jesus went on - same teaching - remember this?  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.”  (Matthew 6:21,24)

We cannot be double-minded in our service for God.  Either we live serving Him or we do not.  Because service - comes from the heart - the core of who we are.  Service demonstrates who it is that deep down we’re really trusting with our lives.

Its one thing to say, “God is worthy of trust.”  Most of us here would agree with that statement.  But, its another thing to live faithfully trusting God.  These people need to make a choice.  Fish or what? cut bait?  Choose who you’ll serve.  All those gods of your fathers.  Or, the God who is worthy of trust.

Third:  Notice the choice Joshua made.  Say that with me, “The choice Joshua made.”

USA Today - the newspaper - turns 25 this week.  For the last 24 weeks - each Monday USA Today has been publishing a top 25 list of something.  Like the 25 most memorable T.V. Commercials in the last 25 years.  Or, the top 25 stocks we should have bought.  Interesting lists.  Last week the list was the top 25 most influential people from the last 25 years.

Anyone know who this guy is?  #18 on the list:  Howard Shultz - founder of Starbucks.

See if you agree with these - top 25 most influential people.

Numbers 4 and 5 are Francis Collins and J. Craig Venter - who’s projects mapped the human genome.

Number 3 is this lady - Oprah Winfrey

Number 2:  President Ronald Reagan

Number 1 - most influential person in the last 25 years - who do you think it is?  Bill Gates.  Steve Jobs didn’t even make the list.  So much for Apple.

Also absent from the list - I assume because the list only covers the last 25 years - also absent was Billy Graham.  I would have at least put Billy Graham ahead of Homer Simpson - who came in #25.

Time Magazine - in their August 20th edition - published Billy Graham as their cover story - focusing on Billy Graham’s relationship with 11 Presidents.  Quote, “Perhaps more than anyone else, he had shaped the contours of American public religion and had seen close up how the Oval Office affects people.”

Time - as a secular magazine - was incredibly respectful of Dr. Graham.  See if you would agree with me on this.  Billy Graham is respected.  Not because he’s great speaker and evangelist.  Not because of his leadership or the organization he’s founded.  But because of his integrity and his humility.  The theme of his life is not to draw attention to himself - but to God.  Serve God.

That’s Joshua.  Joshua with the position he held as the esteemed - respected - leader of Israel - doesn't go on to establish a dynasty with Joshua as the first king.  In fact - no where in Scripture is there a record of Joshua’s descendants.  Joshua himself is the son of Nun (none).  Bad pun.  (1 Chronicles 7:27)

With all his success - here at the end of his life - Joshua is respected as a man of integrity - humility - who’s continually pointed the people - influenced them - towards God - who’s demonstrated for a nation what it means to walk faithfully with God - what it means to serve God.

These words - famous words:  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” are the summary of that life - a plea to the nation to follow his example and to do the same.  I made the choice - no other gods but the God.  I will serve Him. 

Point being:  Joshua is our example.  If we want to serve God - live life like Joshua lived life serving God.

Verse 16:  The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods;  for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed.  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.”

“Yahweh!  Yahweh!  He’s our God!  GO HORNETS!!!”  These guys are pumped.  “We’re gonna serve God!” 

Verse 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 transgressions or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.”

Whoa - talk about a downer.  Joshua’s response is not a feel good - warm fuzzies - kind of statement.  But, it is a needed reality check.  How can sinful man serve the holy God?

Verse 21:  The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 

Sounds kind of like Peter.  Doesn’t it?  “Jesus.  If everyone else deserts you, I won’t.  I’d rather die first.” (Matthew 26:33,35)  We know that God’s people eventually did fail to keep this commitment.

Verse 22:  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.”

God is going to hold you - not me - God’s going to hold you accountable for the choice you make today.

Verse 23:  “Now therefore - because you’ve chosen God - put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”  The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice.”

Verse 23 is a final plea from Joshua.  “Israel.  “If that’s your choice.  If you want to walk faithfully trusting God you have to…”

Choose:  “Once and for all - put away the foreign gods.”  Get rid of whatever else you’re trusting in.  Give your life totally to God and never look back.

Pursue:  “Incline your hearts to the Lord - the God of Israel.”  Let everything in you seek after Him.

Service:  Obey Him.  Whatever He asks of you - do it with your whole heart.

Verse 25:  So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.  And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was the sanctuary of the Lord.  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, so that you do not deny your God.”  Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.

Three times the people affirm their desire to serve God - a dialogue that Joshua reminds the people that God has been listening to.  Now, there are no more words that can be said.  Joshua sets up a memorial of their pledge - writes their words in the book of the law of the Lord - sets up a large stone to be a reminder to them.

Bottom Line:  The people have made a commitment with God - life encompassing - exclusive - everything they are given in service to God.  God will hold them accountable to that commitment.

Verse 29:  It came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.  And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash.  Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

Moses led God’s people out of bondage.  Joshua led them to the Promised Land.  The influence of this faithful man - his life and character - his example of faith was felt in the nation while he lived - after he died - is even felt today.

Verse 32:  Now they buried the bones of Joseph which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had brought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons.

Joseph was 110 years old when he died.  As he was dying he said this, “God will take care of you and bring you up from Egypt to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and to Jacob.”  Joseph made his brothers swear and oath - that when they went to that land they would take his bones and bury him there.  So Joseph was embalmed and put in a coffin.

Moses took the bones into the Exodus.  Joshua took the bones into the land - where he was buried.  Point being that Joseph’s last act of his earthly life was one of faith in God.  (Genesis 50:24-26; Hebrews 11:22)

Verse 33:  And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah of Phinehas his son, which was given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

As Aaron served Moses - Eleazar served Joshua.  Phinehas - Eleazar’s son - is the next priest to serve - during the time of the Judges.

Point being:  The generation that these men of faith belonged to is passing away.  It is the time for the next generation - the one making this commitment - its time for next generation to rise up and to faithfully choose - pursue - and serve - God.

Thinking about this for ourselves I’d like to invite Mike and Margi and Lizzy to come up and share a song with us that focuses on God’s relationship with us.

Ultimately - we cannot choose - pursue - or serve the Holy God - unless the Holy God enables us.  And when we fail - forgives us.  Our relationship with God is not because of what we’ve done.  Its because of who God is.

_______________________

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.