Time to Choose

They finally entered the land.  Had plenty of victories, and only one defeat.  It seemed as if everything was going they way it should.  Israel was becoming king of the mountain.  

Joshua knew differently.  He knew the history of his people.  Joshua was the might commander who lead the people of Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land.

He gathers the elders of the nation together first.  These are the leaders, physically & spiritually and gives them a charge (Joshua 23).  The leaders always set the tone for the rest of the group.

Then he gathers all the people together to lay before them a choice.  A choice that would define the nation and the affect generations to come.  The choice on who they will serve. (Joshua 24:1)

The same choice before us today.  

Joshua gives brief history lesson of these people.  He starts with Terah, Abraham's dad who lived in the land of the Chaldeans.  The land was filled with demonic deities that were worshiped.  Cosmic gods, astral gods, spirits, and demons all made up the pantheon of gods that Terah's people worshipped.  

Out of that, God called Abram out of that land.  God called Abram to love, serve, and worship Him alone.  He made promises to Abram and gave him a new name.  Abraham's descendants would bless all the peoples of the earth.  Abraham's descendants would out number the stars.  Abraham's descendants would have their own land to dwell in.  

A great plan that had a few pit stops on the way to completion.  One of those pit stops was Egypt.  How did they get to Egypt?  Well Abraham had a grandson - Jacob.  Jacob had 12 boys.  One of those boys, Joseph was loved more than the others.  That doesn't go well in a house full of kids so there was a plot to kill Joseph.  

Joseph wasn't killed but was sold into slavery where he made his way to Egypt and over a period of time was raised up to be the number two man in the greatest nation of that time.  Speaking of that time, a great famine occurred and the only place to get food was Egypt.  So Joseph's brothers came to find food for their families and they are reunited with their "long-lost" brother.  

Joseph shows grace to his brothers and everyone stays in Egypt.  Things are going well until Joseph dies and a new ruler comes to power.  This ruler makes all of the Israelites slaves for 400 years.  During those 400 years the people of Israel would have seen and experienced the worship of the Egyptians - who loved to mix human and animal parts to create gods.  

Gods of the sun, moon, stars, afterlife, harvest, rain, fertility, dead, crocodiles, cats, dwarfs, love, justice, truth, and evil just to name a few were sure to infiltrate the way of life of the Israelites, whose father was Abraham, who was called out to love, serve, and worship the one true God.

Moses delivers the Israelites, crosses the Red Sea, receives the Ten Commandments, wanders around the desert - following the presence of the same God that called Abraham, saved Joseph, raised up Moses, and delivered Israel.  Until they are about to enter the land that God promised to Abraham so long ago.

Moses dies and Joshua takes command.  Joshua leads the people of Israel in conquest of the Promised Land.  Having victory in all but one battle and overcoming insurmountable odds, the people capture most of the land.

Most.

Not all.  (Joshua 13)

This means there are still people in the land.  These people served their own gods.  They worshiped idols and did not worship the LORD.  Baal, Ashteroth, Moloch all had home field advantage.  They had temples and statues in plain sight.  No questions were asked when it came to worshipping these demonic deities.  

These local gods, the Egyptian gods, and the gods of Terah all played into Joshua's challenge.  

Choose who you will serve.

That is what lays before us today.  Who will we serve?  (Joshua 24:14-24)

Will we serve the gods of our fathers?  Will we live our parent's faith?  Will we worship what they worship? 

Will we serve the old gods?  The gods of our past?  The way we once lived in darkness - will we bow to them and serve them?  As Christians - we have chosen to give our lives to Jesus, yet we still serve the old gods of swearing, stealing, lust, Etc. the deeds of darkness.  

Will we serve the local gods?  Will we go with what culture and the world tells us to do?  These gods are not hiding - in fact they are in plain sight.  Too often we fail to recognize them because they are too common.  The gods of busyness, extra-curricular activities, relationships, success & achievement, greed, comfort, happiness?

Or will we serve the LORD God.  The One who called Abraham and has called you.  The One who gave Himself for you so that you might live.  The One who gives you purpose and meaning.  The One who empowers you and strengthens you.  The One who gives satisfaction and joy.  The One who quenches your hunger and thirst.

Israel knew how to answer Joshua.  They knew the right answer in front of their spiritual leader.  They knew to answer that they would serve the LORD God.  

Joshua didn't want their words.  Neither does the LORD.  They want the heart.  Whatever captures your heart, captures your life.  Joshua tells them to put away the idols.  To cast them down.  To turn and serve the LORD with a whole heart.  

The LORD is a jealous God.  He doesn't want part of you.  He wants all of you.  He deserves all of you - He paid the ultimate price to bring you to life.  

Last week we identified what captures our heart.  This week it is time to make a choice on what we will serve.  Are you willing to forsake that thing that has captured your heart.  That goal, that dream, that way of life in order to serve the LORD?  He may use that goal, that gift, that dream in you but He does not want you to worship it.