You may have a place which you visit annually, which marks the passage of another year. There’s something about different places which enable you to remember what you were thinking or praying at the time. This morning I want to look at Shechem, where Joshua ended up at the end of his life, at the age of 110. He wanted to communicate to the people to ensure they were clear in their stance before God.
Shechem had many memories for Joshua and the people of Israel.
Genesis 12:1-6
The first place they dwelt was Shechem. And ringing in Abraham’s ear was God’s word that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Genesis 35:1-4
When Jacob was at Shechem, again they were clearing themselves out. They had things which were wrong, and they gave to Jacob all the strange gods and Jacob hid them.
Joshua 24:1
Everyone was involved. They all came to meet with Joshua at Shechem, and his words were for everyone, young and old, all the tribes. Presenting yourself before God as a living sacrifice or to be examined of God is not a bad thing to do.
Joshua 24:2-3
Everyone would have identified with this comment.
Joshua 24:4-7
At the end of his life, Joshua recounted how God had brought them thus far. And as he did so, he identified the specifics – “I brought you out from those gods and brought you into this land.”
Joshua 24:8-12
This refers to the time where God used hornets. He will use anything to get our attention and maintain our protection – because of His love for us.
Joshua 24:13
All the way through, God provided, day in, day out. All the way through, He guided, day in and day out. Up to this point in time, God has given you the air to breathe, the ability to live and discover His purposes outworked in your life. he’s brought you thus far. When Joshua called the people together, he knew the people realised God had brought them there, but still there were those who carried with them traces of Egypt, and he was worried things weren’t clear cut enough thus far. There was something which niggled Joshua. He knew there had to be clarity of purpose, and a clear recognition of God’s foundation in their lives.
Shechem focused their minds because of its significance.
Look back over your life – how God brought you here, intervened in your life at that point. He may not be as much part of your focus as He was, but you can look back and see how He has bee faithful to you.
Joshua 24:14
It’s not possible to go forward without being 100% clear who you serve. It’s not possible to compromise. It’s not possible to hold on to links with the past, habits which recur. No – a wrong habit shouldn’t recur.
Joshua 24:15
“I don’t want you to be in any doubt before I leave this earth. I may only have a day or two to live, but I’m setting the direction for my house. I’m serving the Lord.”
He said he knew there were gods from the past, that there were gods from the surrounding Amorites ... but choose you this day who you will serve. It really matters to God where we stand, whether we are clear cut. It matters that we have the life of Christ inside us, being lived out in what we think, say and do.
Joshua 24:16-18
They knew what to say, what would please Joshua, and the phrases were trotted out. But he still had a niggle.
Joshua 24:19-20
Joshua saw through their pat answers. Sometimes people know what they are meant to say, but their heart doesn’t back up what they say. There’s a discrepancy between outside and inside. This was the niggle for Joshua. There was a blurring. “But there are circumstances which you can’t treat as black and white.” But the things we are talking about here are black and white. If God called you before Himself today, what would you say to Him? I know what I should be doing, I know I can say the right things, but in my heart, it isn’t clear.
Joshua 24:21-24
He nailed it. The first off-pat answer, he didn’t allow. He went down a level and got to grips with them. And they said they really would put away the strange gods and incline their hearts to the Lord. “His voice, we will obey.” That word obey has been erased in some people’s minds – “No one is going to tell me what to do.” But that attitude is from the gods of the other lands, or from the gods of the Amorites.
“His voice we will obey.” His – God’s. This is all about my relationship with God, listening to His voice and knowing that I need to obey Him. So I really can’t say the right things here and be something different outside. Even as I say those phrases, I run a risk, but I’ll take that risk. What happens in here is matched by what happens out there.
Joshua 24:25-29
What God said to the church in Laodicea reveals how God cannot stand a compromise position, with one foot in the world and one in the church. It gets to Him because He is all truth. His love draws you and me to be 100% for Him. It’s His work of grace inside which cleans us out, breaks the power of sin. We haven’t deserved it.
Revelation 3:14-16
Revelation 3:20
It’s God’s love by His Holy Spirit which brings conviction. It’s God’s love which enables you to realise that to be neither cold nor hot, to compromise is wrong. I want to be clear cut.
What are the gods of this land? The god of fashion. The god of alcohol ...
Revelation 3:20
When Joshua brought all the children of Israel together – all tribes, old, young, male, female ... choose you this day who you will serve. I’ve solemnly and calmly made it. It’s fixed. It’s my decision. I’m open about it. I don’t care what others things. I’ve made my decision. It will outwork in my life and it will be for all of my life.
What a life Joshua had! 100% down the line. He’d gone in to spy out the land with Caleb. All the way through, straight as a die. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
You can’t go on saying, “No one is going to tell me what to do.” Because God has put His finger on your life even now, and is saying “Choose you. You can’t be down the middle, can’t be luke warm.” Forget anyone else. Choose you this day who you will serve.
We are coming to a time when we will have Bible studies, and I think God is speaking to you individually. I’ve spoken to quite a few people who want to get to know more what the Bible is about. He’s been speaking to people about how they should pray, what they should pray. So starting soon we will be looking at prayer. I think prayer will become the hub of what we are about, and the Bible will be treasured and studied.
Is that to make us into miserable people? You know as well as I do that that’s bond true. But we’re going to do what God wants us to do.
Choose you this day whom you will serve. Because you are serving something or you are serving God. There’s no middle path. We think we’re just enjoying the world, but the enemy of our souls isolates people in the assertion that we can do what we want to do, and just come occasionally to hear the word of God. Choose you. Don’t be isolated.
The opposite of this is a vibrancy, of Gods’ life inside you. And as we come together, that life is expressed corporately as well as individually. And as we lift up Jesus Christ, so He will draw others to Himself.
This morning it comes down to you and me before God. Choose you this day who you will serve.
Who is it going to be? Are you going to have a backbone? Are you going to respond to what the Holy Spirit has brought to your attention? Is it a case “I may or may not”? I know this word was fro this morning, and I know that in the stillness now, your decision in your heart will outwork something different in your life. Things will be different. “That your joy might be full.”
Sunday, 16 November 2008
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