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