Jump Start # 2722

Joshua 24:15 “If it 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 and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Our passage today is well known and well loved by those who are familiar with the Bible. Joshua tells the nation to choose. His choice was already made. He was staying with the Lord. And, with this verse we give some thought to the idea of choices. Sometimes we make bad choices. We make a promise that we cannot keep. We do not read the fine print when we sign our name to an important document. We decide to reveal something that was told to us in confidence. Choices.

There are four principles we need to remember about choices.

First, we have the liberty to make any choice we want, but we do not get to choose the consequences that follow those choices. A person can drink alcohol until he passes out. Many do that. That’s his choice. He doesn’t have to do that, but he does. Now, he is not at liberty to choose the consequences that come from drunkenness. He may wake up sick and with the worst headache of all time. That follows drinking. He may lose his job, his driver’s license, his reputation, and he might even spend a night in jail. You can choose anything you want, but you cannot choose what follows.

Second, our minds can justify anything our hearts really want. This is true even of things that are wrong. In our minds we find a way to make the wrong look right. Here is a person who does not have a Biblical reason for  a divorce, yet he gets one. Later he finds the love of his life. He can’t get married, not according to the Bible. But he wants to. Now, he finds ways to make this right. His first wife was a witch, he says. She was abusive, mean and threatening. The truth is, he really wants to get married again. Nothing is going to stop him, including the Bible or what folks say down at the church house. He paints a picture that makes him look like a hero and he tries to gather up sympathizers and supporters to his cause. His mind has justified what his heart wants.

Third, one bad decision often leads to more bad decisions. David’s adultery with Bathsheba is a classic illustration of this. The first bad decision was calling for Bathsheba to come to his palace. Then to cover up the pregnancy, he brought her husband from the warfront and got him drunk. Bad decision. When that didn’t work the way he wanted it to, he sent him back to the front lines with orders for the troops to withdraw so he would be killed. The list of wrongs keeps growing and growing. Once the door of bad decisions has been opened, more and more are likely to follow. This is true of lying. A second lie has to be told to cover the first lie. One bad decision often leads to more bad decisions.

Before we get to the final principle about choices, we ought to notice that there is a pattern of not thinking spiritually, Biblically or godly running through these first few principles. The reason one bad decision often leads to more bad decisions is that the person is not thinking spiritually. He is only thinking of himself. He is trying to cover up bad choices and to do that he makes more bad choices. And, when our minds are not focused upon the Lord, we will justify anything we want.

So, all of this tells us that we need to be thinking better than what we have. And, this is done by what we allow our minds to dwell upon and what we are pouring into our hearts. Paul said let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. When that happens, it will shape and direct our thinking. Bad choices will be stopped, confessed and changed rather than leading to more and more bad choices. I wonder if we have spent too much time telling young people to make the right choices when we have not gotten them to think right. The foundation of right choices is a mind and heart that loves the Lord and wants to please the Lord.

Fourth, the final principle about choices is that God can use us even after we have made bad choices. Peter shows us this. He rebuked the Lord. He had little faith. He denied the Lord. However, God wasn’t finished with Peter. God was willing to give Peter another chance. Jesus trusted Peter with the wonderful Gospel message of His life. God will give us another chance when others will not. People will remember your bad choices. Some will remind you of them over and over again. But God is not like this. He will find a place for you to be useful in His kingdom. He will forgive you and help you.

Choose you this day—boy, that sums up a person’s day. Every day choices. Do I even get out of bed? Do I go to work? Do I do my job? Do I walk through the day with a cheerful and joyful spirit? Do I complain or give thanks? Do I worship or not? Do I follow or not? Do I become or not?

Choices…every single day. Big choices and little choices. Some choices do not matter much and are soon forgotten. Other choices are big and can alter my direction in life. The worst choice one can make is to live without Jesus. You can ignore Him, but He will never forget you. You can deny His existence, yet, He will still love you.

Choices…

Roger

Jump Start # 1964

Joshua 24:15 “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 and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We love the confidence and conviction of Joshua that comes from this verse. His statement is oft quoted in sermons. We will serve the Lord! It is the front of this verse that I want us to consider today. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord…”

First, Joshua understood that everyone serves some god. If it was not the Lord, then it would be the gods of the River or the Amorite gods. He didn’t present any other options. He didn’t say, “atheism” is an option. No god. He didn’t say, “serve yourself.” We are part of something much larger than we are. Joshua understood what the world denies, it’s either the Lord or Satan.

Second, Joshua was not implying that these other gods were equal to the Lord or that they were even real. He was wanting the nation to make a commitment. Which direction are we going? Who are we following? The 10 Commandments made it clear that there were to be no other gods. Joshua is not opening the door for disobeying those commandments. Who was it that took them out of Egypt? Who was it that kept them alive for a generation in the wilderness? Now, who are we going to serve?

Third, the Bible isn’t just for folks who want to follow God. The Bible is for everyone, whether or not they read it, believe it, or follow it. The “whosoever” passages found throughout the N.T. are just that, for whoso ever. Some have this idea that if I want to be religious, then I ought to follow the Bible. But if I decide not to have faith and God in my life, then the Bible doesn’t apply to me. They are mistaken. Jesus said that the person who rejects Him and does not receive His sayings will be judged by that very word (Jn 12:48). We will all stand before God. We will all be judged by God. God’s word is for all.

Fourth, “if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord,” as this passage begins, there are consequences that come with that decision. I am not on my own. I am made by God. I am responsible to God. I can’t walk away from God without some serious and eternal consequences. It’s a choice that I make, but it’s a choice that comes with responsibilities, blessings and consequences.

Fifth, God’s word is written in such a way that everyone can understand it. God spoke the language of the people. He communicated, not in feelings, but in words. Words that have specific meaning and definitions. Words that can be studied, memorized and taught to others. One doesn’t have to have a “pre-Bible” course in order to be able to understand the Bible. It’s not like “pre-law,” or, “pre-med.” The common fisherman was the first to hear the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. The simple medieval laborer could hear and understand the message. The thought for many centuries was that only elite and educated could understand the Bible. The clergy, alone, it was taught, had all the insights and understanding in God’s word. So powerful was this thought, that it was against the law for a common person to even have the Bible. But all of that changed. The mass producing of the Bible during the reformation days put God’s word into the hands of many people. They could read it. They could understand it. Access to the Bible opened the door for faith and commitment to God.

Sixth, every person is responsible for their own decisions. Joshua was speaking to the nation, but individually, they had to decide. Joshua chose to serve the Lord. Others may have made different decisions. No one was going to make the decision for them. The same remains true today. In a home, mom and dad may decide to have nothing to do with the Lord. Sundays are for sleeping in. The Bible isn’t opened. Prayers are only offered at Thanksgiving time. But those children grow up and move out. And they may, on their own, decide to open that Bible, read it and follow it. They may become believers. This story is repeated over and over. It may be found within a marriage. A wife decides to worship and follow the Lord. The husband doesn’t. He doesn’t stop her, but he simply doesn’t go along with her. Each person must decide on their own.

Finally, Joshua was willing to let others know where he stood. He declared his faith in the Lord. He wasn’t ashamed nor embarrassed to announce to the nation where he was with the Lord. Me and my house, we will serve the Lord. A stake was placed in the ground. He is where we stand. That wouldn’t go well today in many circles. You can hear someone saying, “I don’t want to offend those who disagree.” “We shouldn’t push our faith upon others.” “Stay neutral.” Not Joshua. He proudly stood under the banner of the Lord. Maybe if more were vocal, others would be persuaded to do the same. Maybe some on the fence would get off the fence if they saw and heard others making a stand for the Lord. We can be so fearful of offending others that we forget that we may offend the Lord by hiding in the shadows. There are times when being silent is nothing more than being a coward. Certainly there are consequences that comes with standing up for what is right. Not everyone will agree. Some will take pot shots at you. Some will try to defeat you. And, some will wish that they had the nerve that you do.

There is an old saying, “if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.” I think of Peter declaring to the authorities that we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. Or, Paul stating, “I know whom I have believed,” and, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.” The fear of being accused of being narrow and offensive may have kept our mouths silent. Satan never silences his mouth. His people are loud and in your face. They try to silence the people of God.

Put that stake in the ground. Stand tall. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

Roger

Jump Start # 1793

Joshua 24:15 “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 and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Yesterday, we wrote about leadership not being a democracy, especially in the home and in the church. Another crucial aspect of leading is being decisive. The lack of knowing what to do or unwilling to take a stand will put leaders in the position of polling the congregation to see what they want to do. The danger in that is most times the results are divided. Not everyone agrees. Then what are the leaders to do? Whatever they decide, some will be unhappy.

Our verse today shows Joshua made up his mind. He knew where he stood. Agree or disagree with him, he was taking a stance. This is essential in both the home and in the church. Too often parents will say it’s time for bed and the kids cry, fuss and complain. They beg to stay up just a little bit longer. Let us just finish the show. Weary parents, wanting to avoid a nuclear war with the kids, will let them stay up. On the surface, no big deal. But if not careful, this will happen the next time, and the time after that. The kids soon learn to pitch a fit every time they are told to do something that they don’t like. If you don’t believe that, go to Walmart on Saturday morning. It’s a real circus with whinny kids and frustrated parents and no leadership.

Whinny kids are not much different from whinny church members. They complain to their favorite elder and pressure and pressure him until he goes against what was already decided. Instead of drawing a line in the sand and agreeing with the direction that has been determined, the weary and frustrated elder has second thoughts. He wants to go back and reverse what was already decided. The real reason is not his conscience or some Biblical principle that he forgot about. Most times, there is a whinny member who has to have his way and the elder lacks the leadership ability to stand up for what was decided.

Leaders must be decisive. They must take into an account what is best for the group, whether it’s the family at home, or the church family at the building. They look at what the group needs. They have a heart that cares for them. But in the end, they must take the lead and lead.

The image God gives us of leading His people is that of a shepherd. The shepherd walks before the sheep and they follow him. He knows where he is going. He has thought out where they need to pasture and what is the best way to get there. A leader who doesn’t know where he is going, will be turning around often. Confusion will fill the ranks and soon people will no longer trust his judgment. “He doesn’t know what he is doing,” ought never to be said of any leader.

The literal shepherd in ancient Israel, had to factor in the little lambs who couldn’t travel very far. He had to think about the old lambs who got weary often. He had to think about the pregnant ones and the strain that traveling would have on them. He would think about the flock. He would think about the safest route and how often they needed to stop. For the shepherd himself, he might easily be able to walk a dozen miles that day. But some of the sheep couldn’t keep up at that pace. This is what the shepherd has to consider.

Spiritually, not everyone in the flock, the church, is at the same place that the shepherd is in faith and spiritual knowledge. He has to consider that. What he might be able to do, others can’t. There are some who could sit for hours upon hours and listen to deep, detailed textual studies. They would be thrilled. Others, would be so lost, confused and weary that they might think about dropping out. So, what the flock needs is often not the same thing as what the shepherd needs.

Decisive—that’s hard to do. Undecided seems to be the largest segment in every election. They don’t know. They haven’t made up their minds. The most asked question every Sunday is, “Where do you want to go to eat?” It is usually answered with, “I don’t care,” or, “I don’t know.” Make a decision.

The decisions, both at home and in the church must be made with the word of God in mind. That’s first. What does God want us to do. That settles many questions right there.

What works in some homes and in some congregations may not work for yours. Wise leaders has to know the heart of his people and what is best for them.

Being decisive means there may be some who do not agree with you, nor like your decisions. This is especially true in the home with kids. They always have a different suggestion than what the parents decide. The parents often have to be the bad guys. The same is true with the shepherds in the church. Leaders can’t cave-in to the threats that come their way. Some will threaten to leave. Some will threaten to undermine what has been decided. That can’t change what has been decided. In the home, some strong action, in the form of discipline may be necessary. In the church, the word is rebuke, but the outcome is the same. God has never taken to rebellion against His leaders. Ancient Israel tried a mutiny against Moses. It didn’t go well for them. The Corinthians tried to undermine Paul’s authority. It didn’t go well with them. Alexander, the coppersmith, harmed Paul. It didn’t end well for him. Taking cheap shots at the leaders is wrong. Taking negatively behind their backs is wrong. It breeds division and anarchy.

Being decisive is one reason why some would not make good leaders in the church. They can’t decide. Or, if they decide, they can be talked out of their decision. Leaders who cannot decide will soon be following the church. Instead of shepherds leading the flock, the flock leads the shepherds. What happens is that the shepherds become “yes men” to the church. The church decides. The church sets forth the path that they will follow and the leaders simply give their ok. This is not God’s arrangement. Because of experience, wisdom, faith and knowledge, the shepherds are in the position to lead. They need a fire in their belly and a backbone to stay the course that they have decided.

History has shown churches that followed a progressive spirit that took them away from God’s pattern, often times because the leaders stood back and allowed it to happen. “It’s what they want,” doesn’t cut it. Try that at home. The kids will be eating cake and drinking pop for breakfast. “It’s what they want.” I’m sure it is. What they want and what they need are not the same. It’s time for parents to parent and shepherds to shepherd.

Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” He knew. A line was drawn in the sand. He couldn’t be talked out of that decision nor pressured to back away from that position. He was decisive.

Are you?

Roger

Jump Start # 958

Joshua 24:15 “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 and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Our verse today is one of the “famous” verses in our Bibles. These are verses that are we hear often in sermons and many of us have memorized. All verses in the Bible are important and they all have value.

Our verse today comes near the end of Joshua’s life. Israel has witnessed the change of leadership from Moses to Joshua. The land that God had promised to Abraham long ago has finally become a reality and the nation was settled down in their home land. In the process of all of this, many were enamored with the worship of idols and had chased after that. Our verse today is Joshua’s plea for them to worship the Lord. He wasn’t going to force them, but he knew who he was serving, and that was the Lord.

There are a few observations we need to make.

1. Serving God is a choice. There are things in life that we do not get to choose, For instance, we do not get to choose who are parents are, or our physical brothers and sisters. We did not choose our name. We do not get to choose the color of our eyes, our height or in many ways our talents or personality. As the old Westerns would say, “Those are the cards we are dealt with.” What we do get to choose is what we are going to do with our life. One of those choices is following God or not. God has NOT specifically predetermined who will be in Heaven. We have a say in that matter. We have a choice. We can choose to serve God or we can choose not to.

2. How we approach life is a choice. Why is it that some are righteous and others are wicked? It’s the choices that they have made. Why are some kind and others mean? Choices. Why do some forgive and others harbor hatred? Choice. I had a friend named Barbara Johnson, who was an author. She often wrote in her books, “Pain is inevitable, misery is optional.” We cannot choose what will happen to us today. However, we do choose how that will affect us. We can choose to be sour, grumpy and miserable or we can see beyond those things and continue to let our light shine. It’s a choice. You do not have to be miserable. Your circumstances do not dictate how you are on the inside. There are those with cancer who are upbeat, optimistic and cheerful. There are those who can’t find a job who still are pleasant in spirit. There are those who have buried children who are not gloom and doom. “Woe is me,” is a choice. Don’t blame your circumstances for being miserable. You don’t have to be miserable. You choose that. Too many hang their hat on their circumstances. If the weather is pleasant, they are. If it’s cold and rainy, they are in a bad mood. Why? It’s not the weather that made them that way. They have chosen that.

3. Serving God ought never to be disagreeable to any of us. Joshua’s opening words speaks volumes. Why would anyone find serving the Lord disagreeable? Could it be that they didn’t get their way? Try serving idols then. You’ll find you never get your way because idols can’t do a thing. Idols don’t bless. Idols can’t answer prayers. Idols are fake. Could it be they feel that way because God has rules, commands and restrictions? They want freedom which means do as I please. Could it be that they want to be immoral but God won’t let them? Could it be that they want to believe anything but God won’t let them? Could it be that they are more interested in themselves than God? How can anyone find God disagreeable? God is good and gracious. Every good gift, James tells us, comes from God. He blesses us. He forgives us. He seeks after us. He wants us. The idols, the fake gods of the Egyptians, Romans, Greek and the rock ‘n roll, “let’s have a party” atmosphere of many modern churches today is shallow, empty and self serving. They are like eating cotton candy. It tastes great but there is nothing there. The cotton candy theology of too many moderns is the same. All sugar. All fun. No substance. No foundation. When the storms come, and they always do, and that wind blows, their house collapses because it was founded upon fun and not Christ. These things are not about serving the Holy God. They are about finding what makes me happy. The god that most bow down to is “happiness.” Moderns have created a religion of happiness. The message is a happy message. When was the last time you heard a sermon on Hell? When was the last time a modern religious author warned about Hell? Doesn’t happen. Doesn’t fit in with the gospel of happiness. The music, the atmosphere, the spirit is all happy, happy, happy. Little preaching. Too much ignoring the Word. God has become disagreeable to them. How sad.

4. Joshua was not going to be swayed by the nation. He was following the Lord. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” is such a powerful, line-in-the-sand statement. The rest of them may find the Lord disagreeable, not Joshua. The rest my be dancing and partying with the idols, not Joshua. This old Joshua remembered Moses coming down the mountain with the tablets of stone. He remembered Moses’ brother making idols. He remembered a whole generation dying in the wilderness because of their disobedient hearts. He remembered God thundering on the mountain. He remembered being fed from Heaven. He remembered the miracles. Joshua had a long history with God. There was nothing disagreeable to Joshua. Each person has to come to their own conclusion about God. Others in the family may not see the value of serving God. You do. Others in the church may not be as serious as they ought to be. You are. You cannot let others determine how you will serve the Lord. You know. You know what the Lord wants. Don’t play follow the leader, you lead. You set the pace. In your home, have prayers. In your life invite God to journey with you. Do not be ashamed of God nor his word. Make no apologizes for what God says.

As for me and my house…how about you and your house?

Roger

Jump Start # 734

Joshua 24:15 “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 and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Our passage today is probably the most known verse from the book of Joshua. There is a strong admonition to choose whom the nation will serve. Joshua tells them to choose for themselves. He tells them to choose today. Then he lets it be known that he has already made his choice. He stands with God. Great verse. This is used often at the end of sermons.

The beginning of this verse has always struck me as being odd. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord…” Why would anyone think that? How is it disagreeable to serve the Lord?

Some may think it is disagreeable because they have been convinced that the Lord is wrong. They have swallowed the poison of falsehood and have been turned by weak and unproven arguments away from the Lord. Remember, Joshua is not talking to unbelievers. He is addressing the nation of Israel. These were God’s people. They knew Moses. Their fathers came out of Egypt. God had delivered them, fed them, protected them, led them and been with them. How could it be disagreeable to serve the Lord?

Others may come to that conclusion because they want a religion that is convenient, easy, and with few demands. The law of Moses was not like that. It was strict. It was narrow. Only certain foods could be eaten. Only few things were allowed on the Sabbath. They were only permitted to marry someone within Israel. There was zero tolerance for witchcraft, adultery or blasphemy. Children born in Israel grew up with this faith and system. They weren’t “converted” or had a choice. Anyone that didn’t go along was “cut off” from the nation.

Some of Israel had seen how the other nations were worshipping. The pagan religions of Canaan included immoral sexual acts as part of worship. That was really different than what they were used to. Idols filled the land. Israel’s God seemed invisible. No one knew what Jehovah looked like. Images of God were not allowed. The nations about them had images of their gods. The appeal of what others are doing has always been strong.

Disagreeable. Some are find the system of Christianity that way today. They want to shape it and redefine it so that it is nice, tolerant and easy. They want a comfortable religion that fits well with society. They want a cool Jesus. They want a faith that’s hip. They want the world to like them. What happens when some get this way is that they marry the church to the world and the church loses. They want rock concerts, but that are Christian and without drugs. They want Christian wrestling matches that are light on immodesty. They want the world with the cloak of Christianity. It doesn’t work. It looks foolish. And worse of all, it’s not what Jesus said.

Jesus said the world will hate us, because it first hated Him. He said that you cannot serve God and mammon. He said that if we are not with Him, then we are against Him. The New Testament echoes the words of Joshua. Choose you this day whom you will serve. If it is disagreeable to you…serve someone else. Serve the gods of the land. But in doing so, you get what you pursue. The gods of the land are fun, but fake. The gods of the land are acceptable, but they cannot deliver. The gods of the land cannot save.

Is it possible for us to take the New Testament and follow it as it says? Is it possible for us to have a church like we read about in the New Testament? Is it possible to be pure Christians without any strings attached? I believe the answer is yes. To do that, there is a constant connection to following what the New Testament churches did. Worship the way they worshipped. Preach the word as they preached the word. Be organized the way they were organized. Raise money the way the early churches raised money. Pure New Testament Christianity isn’t an oddity or a new twist on doing things, it’s what God calls us to do. Take a look at Philippians 4:9. Great passage that tells us to follow what the apostles did. If they did it, then we ought to. If they didn’t, then we shouldn’t. Follow the leader, that’s what it’s all about.

It comes down to choosing. Choosing to serve God the way He says or disagreeing with that and doing our own thing. I’ll stick with God’s way. How about you?

Choose whom you will serve…

Roger