WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.879
 Joshua chapter number 24, if you don't mind, if you are able to stand for the reading of God's word.

00:00:06.219 --> 00:00:09.960
 Joshua chapter number 24, we're going to do a little bit of reading, alright?

00:00:10.099 --> 00:00:11.880
 So get used to standing for a little bit, okay?

00:00:11.900 --> 00:00:17.179
 We're going to read the first 15 verses, but if you don't catch anything I say for the rest of the sermon,

00:00:17.339 --> 00:00:20.420
 make sure we're getting what God has for us in His word today.

00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:23.500
 It says in Joshua 24, verse number 1,

00:00:23.500 --> 00:00:27.080
 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem,

00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:32.460
 and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers.

00:00:32.939 --> 00:00:35.079
 And they presented themselves before God.

00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:39.060
 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel,

00:00:39.599 --> 00:00:42.799
 Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time,

00:00:42.879 --> 00:00:48.000
 even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nacor, and they served other gods.

00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:51.259
 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood,

00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:53.539
 and led him throughout all the land of Canaan,

00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:56.700
 and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.199
 And I gave unto Isaac, Jacob, and Esau,

00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:01.839
 and I gave unto Esau, Mount Seir, to possess it.

00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.439
 But Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

00:01:05.319 --> 00:01:08.060
 I sent Moses also, and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt,

00:01:08.340 --> 00:01:10.239
 according to that which I did among them,

00:01:10.500 --> 00:01:11.959
 and afterward I brought you out.

00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:14.000
 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt,

00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:15.239
 and ye came unto the sea.

00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:18.000
 And the Egyptians pursued after your fathers,

00:01:18.099 --> 00:01:20.280
 with chariots and horsemen unto the Red Sea.

00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:22.280
 And when they cried unto the Lord,

00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:24.420
 he put darkness between you and the Egyptians,

00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:27.000
 and brought the sea upon them, and covered them.

00:01:27.340 --> 00:01:29.340
 And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt.

00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:32.180
 And ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:35.180
 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites,

00:01:35.340 --> 00:01:37.359
 which dwelt on the other side, Jordan.

00:01:37.620 --> 00:01:39.000
 And they fought with you,

00:01:39.019 --> 00:01:40.680
 and I gave them into your hand,

00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:42.240
 that ye might possess their land.

00:01:42.240 --> 00:01:44.740
 And I destroyed them from before you.

00:01:44.739 --> 00:01:47.979
 Then Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Moab,

00:01:48.039 --> 00:01:49.599
 arose and warred against Israel,

00:01:50.099 --> 00:01:52.919
 and sent and called Balaam, the son of Baor, to curse you.

00:01:53.219 --> 00:01:54.959
 But I would not hearken unto Balaam.

00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:57.119
 Therefore he blessed you still,

00:01:57.199 --> 00:01:58.719
 so I delivered you out of his hand.

00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.819
 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho.

00:02:01.919 --> 00:02:03.939
 And the men of Jericho fought against you,

00:02:04.019 --> 00:02:06.419
 the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites,

00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:08.539
 and the Hitzites, and the Girgashites,

00:02:08.659 --> 00:02:10.439
 and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:12.319
 And I delivered them into your hand.

00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:14.340
 And I sent the hornet before you,

00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.099
 which draved them out from before you,

00:02:16.219 --> 00:02:18.060
 even the two kings of the Amorites,

00:02:18.180 --> 00:02:21.000
 but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

00:02:21.500 --> 00:02:24.299
 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor,

00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:26.120
 and cities which ye built not.

00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.299
 And ye dwell in them of the vineyards and olive yards,

00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:31.419
 which ye planted not do ye eat.

00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:33.740
 Now therefore fear the Lord,

00:02:33.799 --> 00:02:36.079
 and serve him in sincerity and in truth,

00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:39.139
 and put away the gods which your fathers served

00:02:39.139 --> 00:02:41.199
 on the other side of the flood and in Egypt,

00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:42.539
 and serve ye the Lord.

00:02:43.060 --> 00:02:45.500
 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord,

00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:49.019
 choose you this day whom ye will serve.

00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:51.119
 Whether the gods which your fathers served

00:02:51.119 --> 00:02:52.859
 that were on the other side of the flood,

00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:54.019
 or the gods of the Amorites,

00:02:54.079 --> 00:02:55.579
 in whose land ye dwell.

00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:58.539
 But as for me, in my house,

00:02:59.099 --> 00:03:02.139
 we will serve the Lord.

00:03:02.239 --> 00:03:03.759
 I have a very important decision

00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:05.239
 that we are going to talk about today.

00:03:05.780 --> 00:03:08.739
 Who are you going to choose?

00:03:08.839 --> 00:03:09.719
 Let's go to the Lord in prayer.

00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:11.639
 Dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you for this day.

00:03:11.740 --> 00:03:13.159
 Thank you for this opportunity that we have

00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:15.819
 to come into this place here at Central Baptist Church

00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:16.900
 and worship and honor you.

00:03:17.340 --> 00:03:18.460
 Be with this service, Lord.

00:03:18.740 --> 00:03:21.659
 Speak to heart, speak to my heart in a special way today.

00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:23.460
 And if there be anybody in here

00:03:23.460 --> 00:03:26.060
 that has not asked you to be their Lord and Savior,

00:03:26.180 --> 00:03:27.560
 help them to get that right today.

00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:28.699
 In Jesus' name I pray.

00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:29.199
 Amen.

00:03:29.419 --> 00:03:29.960
 Thank you for standing.

00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:30.680
 You may be seated.

00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:36.579
 Man, we make a lot of decisions in a day, don't we?

00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:38.480
 Think of all the decisions that we make.

00:03:39.180 --> 00:03:41.580
 I know Pastor Tyler's used this as an illustration before,

00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:42.960
 the decision to go out to eat.

00:03:43.060 --> 00:03:45.740
 It's the age-old decision that couples have to decide

00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:47.220
 what they're going to do.

00:03:47.460 --> 00:03:51.080
 But a lot of times, households end up divided.

00:03:51.460 --> 00:03:51.720
 Okay?

00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:53.920
 And I'm going to use an illustration for this.

00:03:54.340 --> 00:03:57.060
 Right now, Miss Tiffany is going through a diet.

00:03:57.060 --> 00:04:00.259
 A diet plan set forth by Brother Cliff.

00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:03.120
 And a lot of things right now she cannot eat.

00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.479
 She cannot eat anything with sugar, flour, starches.

00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:08.020
 And there's probably more than that.

00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:10.240
 And me being the good husband that I am,

00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:12.319
 I was going to try and do the diet with her.

00:04:12.780 --> 00:04:15.539
 And then I realized that Coca-Cola has sugar in it.

00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:19.060
 And I quickly realized that I could not do that.

00:04:19.139 --> 00:04:19.360
 All right?

00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:22.439
 So a lot of times what we'll do at night for dinner,

00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.079
 my wife will make something just slightly different for her

00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.159
 so she can stick to her diet and me and the kids eat chicken nuggets.

00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:28.539
 Okay?

00:04:28.659 --> 00:04:30.279
 That's what we kind of do.

00:04:30.859 --> 00:04:34.659
 But right now, our house is divided on what we are going to eat.

00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:38.319
 Sometimes our houses are divided on certain things.

00:04:38.620 --> 00:04:40.379
 And I know we don't, like I said earlier,

00:04:40.439 --> 00:04:42.419
 I know we don't have a ton of sports fans out there.

00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:44.379
 But I was taught at a very young age.

00:04:44.579 --> 00:04:45.680
 Very young age.

00:04:46.299 --> 00:04:47.299
 We are to hate evil.

00:04:47.699 --> 00:04:48.039
 All right?

00:04:48.459 --> 00:04:50.479
 And I think that's a pretty commonplace thing.

00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:51.839
 We are to hate evil, aren't we?

00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:57.919
 And so my parents raised me knowing right from wrong.

00:04:58.219 --> 00:04:59.979
 So they raised me as an A&M fan.

00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:00.639
 All right?

00:05:00.919 --> 00:05:03.719
 They raised me liking the maroon and white.

00:05:03.939 --> 00:05:04.319
 All right?

00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.500
 And they taught me from a very young age

00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:10.620
 that the color burnt orange was very evil.

00:05:10.859 --> 00:05:13.399
 And we stay far, far away from it.

00:05:13.559 --> 00:05:13.919
 All right?

00:05:14.299 --> 00:05:15.459
 That's what I was taught.

00:05:15.539 --> 00:05:15.779
 Okay?

00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:17.279
 So don't be mad at me.

00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:18.159
 Be mad at my parents.

00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:18.479
 Okay?

00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:21.220
 I was taught that you hated Texas.

00:05:21.400 --> 00:05:22.580
 You loved Texas A&M.

00:05:22.660 --> 00:05:23.900
 That's just how I grew up.

00:05:24.379 --> 00:05:27.319
 And, of course, I met my lovely wife.

00:05:27.819 --> 00:05:29.700
 And she was not kind of,

00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:31.960
 she was not way out there as I was.

00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:32.800
 She didn't hate A&M.

00:05:32.840 --> 00:05:33.700
 But she liked Texas.

00:05:34.460 --> 00:05:36.360
 So the very first time we met at Chili's,

00:05:36.500 --> 00:05:38.280
 that was one of the things we had to talk out.

00:05:38.620 --> 00:05:38.939
 All right?

00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:41.220
 Because that was an obstacle.

00:05:41.500 --> 00:05:41.759
 Okay?

00:05:41.939 --> 00:05:44.680
 You cannot have obstacles in your marriage.

00:05:44.780 --> 00:05:45.700
 It's just not a good thing.

00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:47.759
 So we talked about it and she said,

00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:53.039
 man, I guess one day maybe I can like Texas A&M.

00:05:53.979 --> 00:05:54.379
 And I...

00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:58.159
 Appreciate that.

00:05:59.199 --> 00:05:59.539
 Yeah.

00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:03.779
 And she did start watching A&M with me a little bit.

00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:05.439
 But she does not hate Texas yet.

00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:05.719
 All right?

00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:07.620
 I've got her on the side of liking A&M more.

00:06:07.819 --> 00:06:09.620
 But she says she still roots for Texas.

00:06:09.860 --> 00:06:10.199
 All right?

00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:12.480
 I told her you can't have good and evil.

00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:12.860
 All right?

00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:13.819
 You can only have one.

00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:15.379
 But...

00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:19.379
 So I have tried to eliminate the division in our house.

00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:23.740
 But occasionally when A&M and Texas play each other in whatever sport,

00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.139
 she has to make a decision.

00:06:25.459 --> 00:06:28.000
 And sometimes she decides that she's going to root for both teams.

00:06:28.060 --> 00:06:28.759
 And I hate that.

00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:29.079
 All right?

00:06:29.159 --> 00:06:30.240
 You can't ride the fence.

00:06:30.339 --> 00:06:31.360
 That's what God taught us.

00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:31.600
 Okay?

00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:33.779
 But our house is divided.

00:06:33.939 --> 00:06:34.319
 All right?

00:06:34.420 --> 00:06:35.519
 I like A&M.

00:06:36.019 --> 00:06:39.680
 And against my wishes, she still likes Texas a little bit.

00:06:39.740 --> 00:06:40.039
 All right?

00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:42.580
 Our houses are divided on certain things.

00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:44.220
 On certain silly things.

00:06:44.340 --> 00:06:44.560
 Right?

00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:49.340
 We'll compromise with each other if it's not a huge, big decision.

00:06:49.840 --> 00:06:56.020
 But today, we are going to discuss a decision that cannot be compromised.

00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:02.820
 These little things like sports and the food that we eat, our likes and dislikes, our interests,

00:07:02.819 --> 00:07:05.920
 they can divide our household and we can have a fun time with that.

00:07:06.219 --> 00:07:12.599
 But the decision that we're making today, our entire household needs to decide today what way we're going to go.

00:07:13.099 --> 00:07:14.000
 It can't be compromised.

00:07:14.599 --> 00:07:17.959
 We can't compromise the way that we're going.

00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:20.019
 And that's kind of where Joshua's coming from here.

00:07:20.379 --> 00:07:24.079
 Just to give you a little back story of where we're at here in Joshua chapter number 24,

00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:29.100
 this is Joshua's last charge to the children of Israel.

00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:32.879
 This is his last time that he's going to stand before them.

00:07:32.980 --> 00:07:34.879
 He's getting very close to death.

00:07:34.960 --> 00:07:37.460
 He's getting very close to dying in his last breath.

00:07:37.840 --> 00:07:43.900
 So he is now thinking of what is the best thing that I can leave with the children of Israel before I die.

00:07:44.780 --> 00:07:48.680
 The children of Israel have had two great leaders in Moses and Joshua.

00:07:49.080 --> 00:07:52.280
 And now the second of those great leaders is going to pass away.

00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:58.500
 And he doesn't know how to make sure to get through the Israelites' heads that regardless who's leading you,

00:07:58.739 --> 00:08:00.059
 you should be looking at God.

00:08:00.779 --> 00:08:02.879
 And he's not really sure how to do that.

00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.399
 So I imagine this is how my brain works.

00:08:05.599 --> 00:08:08.139
 He's got a little feather pen that he's writing out his speech.

00:08:08.279 --> 00:08:08.579
 Okay.

00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.159
 He's writing on paper, what should I say?

00:08:12.219 --> 00:08:13.599
 And then he realizes something.

00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:20.879
 No speech that he could possibly give could really top everything else that has happened over the last several,

00:08:21.020 --> 00:08:23.180
 several years that he has led the children of Israel.

00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:25.120
 So he doesn't really know where to go.

00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:27.000
 And then he realizes something.

00:08:27.540 --> 00:08:30.960
 I'm not going to be able to say anything to get these guys to follow Christ.

00:08:31.220 --> 00:08:34.740
 I'm not going to be able to say anything to get these guys to truly follow the Lord.

00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:36.779
 If you followed the history of Israel at all,

00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:39.460
 these guys, they do some wrong things.

00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:40.700
 They follow idols.

00:08:40.980 --> 00:08:42.800
 They're not always following God.

00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:51.439
 So what Joshua decides to do is he decides to remind the children of Israel who got them there,

00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:55.259
 who led them to where they are at right now.

00:08:55.479 --> 00:08:59.699
 At this point in time, the children of Israel are experiencing many blessings.

00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:01.259
 They've experienced many victories.

00:09:02.539 --> 00:09:05.059
 And sometimes when we experience victories in our lives,

00:09:05.059 --> 00:09:09.620
 we tend to look inward and say, man, I can't believe I did that.

00:09:09.620 --> 00:09:13.120
 Man, that was a great, that was a great job that I just did.

00:09:13.299 --> 00:09:16.620
 So what Joshua takes here is I'm going to remind him who got him here.

00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:18.200
 By the way, it wasn't Joshua.

00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:20.340
 It wasn't Moses.

00:09:20.740 --> 00:09:23.120
 Great men of God, great leaders for God.

00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:28.919
 But the only one that got the children of Israel where they're at today is God himself.

00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:31.120
 And it says in verse number two,

00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:32.940
 And Joshua said unto all the people,

00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:36.120
 The very first words that Joshua says,

00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:41.120
 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.

00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:44.960
 He puts a disclaimer over everything he's about to say.

00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:46.660
 This is what God did.

00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:48.440
 Not what you did.

00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:50.340
 Not what anybody else here did.

00:09:50.460 --> 00:09:52.320
 Not what our great fighters did.

00:09:52.680 --> 00:09:54.340
 This was God.

00:09:55.560 --> 00:09:57.080
 Joshua's nearing the end of his life,

00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.400
 and he figures that the best thing he can do is point everybody back to God.

00:10:01.660 --> 00:10:06.420
 Point number one here is remembering God's faithfulness.

00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:08.600
 The only way to point our household,

00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:10.019
 to point our lives back to God,

00:10:10.019 --> 00:10:14.960
 is remembering what God did for us to begin with.

00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:16.899
 Sometimes it's easily forgotten.

00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:20.720
 I was saved now, I guess, 16 years ago.

00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:23.319
 And you know, right when you get saved,

00:10:23.399 --> 00:10:24.840
 that period of time when you get saved,

00:10:25.079 --> 00:10:27.500
 you are on fire for God.

00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:29.840
 For a couple weeks, maybe a couple months,

00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:31.120
 even a couple of years.

00:10:31.439 --> 00:10:33.579
 And before too long, if we're not careful,

00:10:33.579 --> 00:10:36.220
 we forget what God did for us,

00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:39.299
 and we say, I'm going to live my life my way.

00:10:39.859 --> 00:10:40.620
 We're humans.

00:10:40.959 --> 00:10:42.019
 Short-term memory loss.

00:10:42.079 --> 00:10:43.159
 I've watched Finding Nemo.

00:10:43.379 --> 00:10:44.219
 You ever watch Dory?

00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:45.919
 He can't remember very much.

00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:48.139
 Oftentimes we're like that.

00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:50.979
 We forget what God has done for our lives.

00:10:51.059 --> 00:10:53.439
 We forget where God has brought us out of.

00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:55.879
 God has provided this great church,

00:10:55.959 --> 00:10:56.919
 this great church building,

00:10:57.219 --> 00:10:58.699
 where we can come in and worship God.

00:10:58.899 --> 00:10:59.919
 Did you know around the world,

00:11:00.019 --> 00:11:01.139
 a lot of people don't have that.

00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:03.419
 A lot of people don't have the blessings

00:11:03.419 --> 00:11:05.519
 that this place has been blessed with.

00:11:05.819 --> 00:11:06.679
 But let me just tell you,

00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:08.179
 it has nothing to do with any man.

00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:10.620
 God gave it to all of us.

00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:13.559
 We need tonight, or this morning,

00:11:13.839 --> 00:11:16.179
 to remember God's faithfulness.

00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:18.059
 Remember God's faithfulness.

00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:19.299
 Underneath this letter A,

00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:22.319
 God chose them.

00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:24.179
 God chose them.

00:11:24.959 --> 00:11:27.079
 I find this very interesting in verse number two,

00:11:27.179 --> 00:11:27.919
 continuing on.

00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:31.740
 Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood

00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:32.799
 in the old time,

00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:33.599
 even Terah,

00:11:33.939 --> 00:11:34.919
 the father of Abraham,

00:11:35.099 --> 00:11:36.159
 and the father of Nacor,

00:11:36.479 --> 00:11:38.659
 and they served other gods.

00:11:39.379 --> 00:11:41.979
 Do you notice that the household

00:11:41.979 --> 00:11:44.299
 that Abraham came from

00:11:44.299 --> 00:11:46.259
 was not a godly household?

00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:48.639
 The household that Abraham came from,

00:11:48.699 --> 00:11:49.579
 as a matter of fact,

00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:51.179
 worshipped other gods.

00:11:51.579 --> 00:11:53.000
 They worshipped other things.

00:11:53.079 --> 00:11:55.740
 They did not worship the true God.

00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:57.180
 That's where Abraham came from.

00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:58.560
 Did you know,

00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:00.340
 I imagine there are a lot of us in here

00:12:00.340 --> 00:12:01.740
 that maybe when we were children,

00:12:01.899 --> 00:12:03.159
 grew up in households

00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:04.860
 that did not honor God,

00:12:04.980 --> 00:12:07.539
 that did not worship the one true God.

00:12:07.659 --> 00:12:08.539
 But eventually,

00:12:09.060 --> 00:12:11.100
 you have to make the decision for yourself

00:12:11.100 --> 00:12:12.279
 and your household

00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:15.200
 that you are going to serve God.

00:12:15.560 --> 00:12:16.680
 That's what happened with Abraham.

00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:19.200
 Abraham was not brought up in this.

00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.960
 He was not a part of a Christian family

00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:23.240
 in the slightest.

00:12:24.680 --> 00:12:25.040
 But,

00:12:25.680 --> 00:12:26.840
 God called him.

00:12:27.340 --> 00:12:28.120
 He saw Abraham.

00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:28.440
 He said,

00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:28.780
 Abraham,

00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:30.000
 I want you to come to me.

00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:31.080
 I want you to work for me.

00:12:31.160 --> 00:12:32.220
 I want you to serve me.

00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:33.780
 Abraham had a choice.

00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:35.139
 God chose him,

00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:36.420
 but Abraham still had the choice,

00:12:36.680 --> 00:12:38.379
 and Abraham chose God.

00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:42.620
 There was a young man

00:12:42.620 --> 00:12:43.960
 back in 1862

00:12:44.680 --> 00:12:46.120
 is when he was born.

00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:49.600
 This man was a great athlete.

00:12:49.820 --> 00:12:51.000
 He was very, very fast.

00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:52.620
 He was one of the faster men alive at the time.

00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:56.019
 He'd run across all parts of the world

00:12:56.019 --> 00:12:57.179
 racing and such.

00:12:58.100 --> 00:12:59.139
 And by 1882,

00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:00.559
 at 20 years old,

00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:03.120
 this young man was drafted

00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:06.379
 by the Chicago White Stockings baseball team.

00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.539
 Now they're the Chicago White Sox.

00:13:09.220 --> 00:13:11.820
 This young man got so hung up

00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:15.080
 in the success,

00:13:15.460 --> 00:13:15.960
 the fame,

00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:17.159
 the fortune of the day,

00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:19.059
 he got into things that he shouldn't have.

00:13:19.059 --> 00:13:20.439
 He was heavy,

00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.000
 heavy drinking alcohol.

00:13:22.599 --> 00:13:24.739
 He got into things that he shouldn't have been in,

00:13:24.779 --> 00:13:25.079
 and by 1886,

00:13:26.079 --> 00:13:27.799
 four years after he was drafted,

00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:30.859
 this man stumbled with some of his teammates

00:13:30.859 --> 00:13:32.199
 into a street meeting

00:13:32.199 --> 00:13:35.079
 held by the Pacific Garden Mission.

00:13:36.579 --> 00:13:37.819
 As he listened to the gospel

00:13:37.819 --> 00:13:39.299
 and heard believers singing hymns

00:13:39.299 --> 00:13:41.279
 that reminded him of his godly mother,

00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:44.139
 the Lord convicted his heart.

00:13:44.939 --> 00:13:45.939
 This young man,

00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:46.959
 five years later,

00:13:47.019 --> 00:13:48.279
 after he was saved on this day,

00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:48.980
 five years later,

00:13:49.019 --> 00:13:49.980
 he gave up baseball.

00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:51.360
 He gave up everything

00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:53.159
 to follow God with his life.

00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:54.860
 That man's name is Billy Sunday.

00:13:55.220 --> 00:13:56.879
 If you have never heard of this man,

00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:57.980
 this is one of the

00:13:57.980 --> 00:14:00.000
 great preachers of his day

00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.879
 that, by the way,

00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:03.199
 was living in sin,

00:14:03.740 --> 00:14:05.939
 that was worshiping other gods.

00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:07.640
 God called him.

00:14:08.500 --> 00:14:09.520
 He was in sin,

00:14:09.580 --> 00:14:11.060
 and he still left his sin

00:14:11.060 --> 00:14:11.940
 to follow God.

00:14:12.040 --> 00:14:12.540
 Get this.

00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:15.320
 Sin never stopped God from calling us,

00:14:15.560 --> 00:14:17.620
 but sin can still push away the call.

00:14:18.520 --> 00:14:19.620
 At the end of the day,

00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:20.820
 it's our decision.

00:14:21.900 --> 00:14:23.200
 Choose you this day.

00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:27.600
 What are we going to choose?

00:14:28.580 --> 00:14:29.960
 Billy Sunday's ministry

00:14:29.960 --> 00:14:32.560
 reached many, many, many, many people

00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.099
 for Christ.

00:14:35.579 --> 00:14:37.219
 He was a great baseball player.

00:14:37.599 --> 00:14:39.179
 He had his life in front of him.

00:14:39.259 --> 00:14:40.399
 He had fame, fortune,

00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:41.619
 all the works,

00:14:42.319 --> 00:14:44.919
 but he chose God.

00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:46.779
 Not because he grew up in God.

00:14:47.059 --> 00:14:48.779
 Not because he grew up around it,

00:14:49.259 --> 00:14:51.159
 but because he realized

00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:52.939
 he had to make a decision for him.

00:14:53.019 --> 00:14:53.779
 It wasn't based on

00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:54.719
 what his parents had done.

00:14:54.859 --> 00:14:55.619
 It wasn't based on

00:14:55.619 --> 00:14:56.339
 any of his family.

00:14:56.579 --> 00:14:58.779
 He had to make an individual decision

00:14:58.779 --> 00:15:00.819
 to trust God.

00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:02.780
 God chose Billy Sunday,

00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:04.379
 but Billy Sunday

00:15:04.379 --> 00:15:05.480
 still could have pushed him away.

00:15:06.379 --> 00:15:08.180
 We have that same opportunity today.

00:15:08.340 --> 00:15:08.900
 Did you know,

00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:09.580
 as a Christian,

00:15:09.700 --> 00:15:10.360
 God's calling you?

00:15:10.560 --> 00:15:10.860
 You say,

00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:12.379
 well, I'm not going to be a pastor.

00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:13.280
 I'm not going to be a missionary.

00:15:13.820 --> 00:15:15.240
 I'm not good at public speaking.

00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:15.780
 I can't do it.

00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:17.080
 God's not calling me.

00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:18.560
 If you are a Christian,

00:15:19.020 --> 00:15:20.700
 God is calling you.

00:15:21.340 --> 00:15:22.660
 God wants you to follow him.

00:15:22.760 --> 00:15:25.140
 God wants you to live your life for Christ.

00:15:25.640 --> 00:15:27.120
 So God is calling you.

00:15:27.680 --> 00:15:28.840
 Now, I'd be a fool to think

00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:30.139
 there aren't one or two people,

00:15:30.280 --> 00:15:31.139
 maybe more in here

00:15:31.139 --> 00:15:32.420
 that are called into ministry.

00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:33.899
 Answer that calling,

00:15:34.280 --> 00:15:35.920
 but as a person

00:15:35.920 --> 00:15:37.620
 that maybe isn't called into that,

00:15:37.879 --> 00:15:39.080
 maybe God's calling you

00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.060
 to reach your coworkers for Christ.

00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:43.420
 Maybe God's calling you

00:15:43.420 --> 00:15:45.460
 to tell your friends about Christ.

00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:46.960
 Maybe God's just calling you

00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:47.980
 to be an example

00:15:47.980 --> 00:15:49.920
 that others around you can see.

00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:51.540
 God's calling you.

00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:53.460
 God's chosen you,

00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:55.460
 but is your sin pushing him away?

00:15:55.460 --> 00:15:58.860
 Is your sin pushing that call away?

00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.139
 Today we need to answer that call.

00:16:02.540 --> 00:16:04.200
 If you are in here and a Christian,

00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:05.160
 God is calling you.

00:16:05.660 --> 00:16:06.379
 Answer the call.

00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:08.240
 Pick up the phone.

00:16:08.420 --> 00:16:09.100
 Answer the call.

00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:11.040
 Don't leave this building today

00:16:11.040 --> 00:16:12.440
 without making the decision

00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:17.100
 that you are going to follow Christ.

00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:18.440
 The very first thing

00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:19.840
 at the end of chapter number,

00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:20.920
 or verse number 15,

00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:22.000
 says,

00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:23.740
 but as for me,

00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:27.159
 but as for me.

00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:28.419
 So Joshua first,

00:16:28.479 --> 00:16:29.500
 before anything else,

00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:31.039
 he has to make a decision

00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:32.240
 in his own life

00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:33.759
 that he's going to choose the Lord,

00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:35.439
 that he's going to serve the Lord.

00:16:36.079 --> 00:16:36.539
 First,

00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:38.879
 he has to make a personal decision

00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:42.519
 that he is going to follow God.

00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:46.240
 Not only did God choose them,

00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.679
 God delivered them.

00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:51.219
 God delivered them.

00:16:51.319 --> 00:16:52.019
 In verse number five,

00:16:52.079 --> 00:16:52.500
 it says,

00:16:52.620 --> 00:16:54.019
 I sent Moses also and Aaron

00:16:54.019 --> 00:16:54.859
 and I plagued Egypt

00:16:54.859 --> 00:16:55.579
 according to that

00:16:55.579 --> 00:16:56.500
 which I did among them.

00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:57.159
 And afterward,

00:16:57.259 --> 00:16:57.879
 I brought you out

00:16:57.879 --> 00:16:58.799
 and I brought your fathers

00:16:58.799 --> 00:16:59.419
 out of Egypt

00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:00.620
 and you came unto the sea

00:17:00.620 --> 00:17:02.000
 and the Egyptians pursued

00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:02.719
 after your fathers

00:17:02.719 --> 00:17:03.699
 with chariots and horsemen

00:17:03.699 --> 00:17:04.259
 under the Red Sea.

00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:05.960
 Joshua was going through

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:06.779
 everything

00:17:06.779 --> 00:17:08.659
 that God has done for them.

00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:10.019
 Remember that time

00:17:10.019 --> 00:17:11.059
 God did this for you?

00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:12.179
 Remember that time

00:17:12.179 --> 00:17:13.319
 God did this for you?

00:17:13.659 --> 00:17:15.220
 I don't like it

00:17:15.220 --> 00:17:16.139
 when I'll tell,

00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:17.879
 I'll explain Christ to somebody,

00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:18.540
 he preached the gospel

00:17:18.540 --> 00:17:19.540
 to somebody individually

00:17:19.540 --> 00:17:20.840
 and they'll say,

00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:21.160
 man,

00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:22.080
 I'm living in sin.

00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:23.520
 I've done too much wrong.

00:17:23.840 --> 00:17:27.800
 There's nothing God can do for me.

00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.700
 God can deliver you.

00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:31.560
 God delivered the people of Israel

00:17:31.560 --> 00:17:33.220
 even when they didn't deserve it.

00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:34.220
 We've heard the stories

00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:34.960
 about the Israelites.

00:17:35.340 --> 00:17:36.640
 They wouldn't stop complaining.

00:17:36.860 --> 00:17:38.560
 They worshiped golden idols.

00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:40.360
 They did a bunch of wrong things

00:17:40.360 --> 00:17:41.240
 and God delivered them

00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:43.740
 every single time.

00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:45.380
 Every single time,

00:17:45.380 --> 00:17:47.240
 God still delivered them.

00:17:47.840 --> 00:17:48.800
 Egypt's bondage,

00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:49.820
 the Red Sea,

00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:51.200
 Pharaoh being destroyed,

00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:53.040
 bringing them Moses and Aaron

00:17:53.040 --> 00:17:54.460
 when they had nobody to lead them.

00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:56.020
 Over and over and over,

00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:57.120
 time and time again,

00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:58.260
 God delivered them.

00:17:58.800 --> 00:17:59.840
 God can deliver you too.

00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:01.820
 You might be living in sin today.

00:18:02.120 --> 00:18:03.240
 You might be saved,

00:18:03.520 --> 00:18:04.920
 but you might be living in sin.

00:18:05.340 --> 00:18:06.480
 A lot of these Israelites

00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:08.320
 probably saved

00:18:08.320 --> 00:18:09.820
 and they kept on failing

00:18:09.820 --> 00:18:11.200
 time and time and time again.

00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:12.000
 We're human,

00:18:12.100 --> 00:18:12.820
 that's going to happen.

00:18:13.040 --> 00:18:14.180
 But you know what they had to do?

00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:15.700
 They had to turn back to God

00:18:15.700 --> 00:18:15.980
 and say,

00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:17.360
 God, can you help us?

00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:20.180
 God, what are we going to do now?

00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:21.140
 Where do we go?

00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:21.940
 Verse number seven,

00:18:22.019 --> 00:18:22.240
 it says,

00:18:22.340 --> 00:18:25.820
 and when they cried unto the Lord.

00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:27.480
 It didn't just happen.

00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:28.920
 They had to go to God

00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:29.220
 and say,

00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:30.779
 God, we need help.

00:18:31.360 --> 00:18:32.039
 Deliver us.

00:18:32.180 --> 00:18:33.600
 God wants to help his people.

00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:35.039
 God wants to help those

00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.259
 that are in trouble.

00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:37.759
 God wants to help those

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:39.200
 that are mired in sin.

00:18:39.560 --> 00:18:41.019
 But we have to go to him and ask.

00:18:41.600 --> 00:18:42.560
 We have to ask God

00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:43.720
 to deliver us.

00:18:43.819 --> 00:18:44.659
 God chose us

00:18:44.659 --> 00:18:46.519
 and he also wants to deliver us.

00:18:47.980 --> 00:18:48.379
 Thirdly,

00:18:49.379 --> 00:18:51.419
 God defended them.

00:18:51.679 --> 00:18:52.460
 Verse number eight,

00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:53.460
 we won't read all this

00:18:53.460 --> 00:18:54.480
 because there are a lot of places

00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:56.159
 that I'm not keen on saying again.

00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:57.279
 And I brought you

00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:58.559
 into the land of the Amorites

00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.279
 which dwelt on the other side of Jordan

00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:01.619
 and they fought with you

00:19:01.619 --> 00:19:03.059
 and I gave them into your hand

00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:04.960
 and that ye might possess their land

00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:06.480
 and I destroyed them

00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:07.299
 from before you.

00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:09.240
 Don't miss this.

00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:11.259
 The battles that you're fighting

00:19:11.259 --> 00:19:14.099
 cannot be won by you.

00:19:14.940 --> 00:19:17.079
 You must lean on God

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:17.900
 to win those battles.

00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:19.559
 And that's what Joshua was saying here.

00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:21.680
 Remember all those battles that you had?

00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:23.259
 He lists out all the ites

00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:25.140
 in a few verses later, all right?

00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:26.200
 All the Hivites,

00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:27.200
 the Girgashites,

00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:28.079
 all these guys,

00:19:28.420 --> 00:19:30.079
 probably pretty big armies,

00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:31.660
 maybe bigger than Israel.

00:19:32.259 --> 00:19:33.099
 And Joshua said,

00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:34.660
 remember how God defended us then?

00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.620
 Remember that?

00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:38.539
 Remember how it felt

00:19:38.539 --> 00:19:41.159
 to watch God take over like he did?

00:19:41.639 --> 00:19:42.539
 Do you remember that?

00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:43.819
 I do.

00:19:44.619 --> 00:19:45.439
 God defended them.

00:19:45.539 --> 00:19:46.379
 Victory over the Amorites.

00:19:46.439 --> 00:19:46.799
 By the way,

00:19:46.839 --> 00:19:48.439
 they weren't supposed to beat the Amorites.

00:19:48.979 --> 00:19:50.179
 Protection from Balak.

00:19:50.739 --> 00:19:52.699
 God turned Balaam's curse into blessing.

00:19:53.179 --> 00:19:55.899
 Sometimes God protects us from dangers

00:19:55.899 --> 00:19:57.779
 we'll never even know existed.

00:19:57.959 --> 00:19:59.239
 But the only way that happens

00:19:59.239 --> 00:20:01.279
 is if we are walking with the Lord.

00:20:01.719 --> 00:20:04.939
 If we are walking day by day with God.

00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:06.620
 God wants to deliver us.

00:20:07.019 --> 00:20:08.820
 God wants to defend us.

00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:10.259
 But we have to walk with him.

00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:13.100
 And fourthly,

00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:16.680
 not only did God choose them,

00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:17.440
 God delivered them,

00:20:17.539 --> 00:20:18.259
 God defended them,

00:20:18.299 --> 00:20:22.080
 and finally God provided for them.

00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:24.640
 Over and over and over again,

00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:26.420
 we find for the children of Israel,

00:20:26.539 --> 00:20:27.519
 God provided for them,

00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:29.380
 even when they didn't deserve it.

00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:30.680
 You know what's amazing?

00:20:31.100 --> 00:20:31.840
 I'm a sinner,

00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:33.700
 and I don't deserve salvation.

00:20:33.700 --> 00:20:35.019
 God gave it to me anyways.

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:36.600
 I'm a sinner.

00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:39.059
 I don't deserve to be a part of God's family.

00:20:39.580 --> 00:20:41.460
 But God provided it for me anyways.

00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:43.620
 The children of Israel show us

00:20:43.620 --> 00:20:45.380
 that even God's people

00:20:45.380 --> 00:20:48.400
 are so oftentimes stuck in sin

00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:49.519
 and stuck in their own ways,

00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:52.120
 and God still wants to help them out.

00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:54.039
 He still does.

00:20:55.180 --> 00:20:55.779
 And today,

00:20:55.860 --> 00:20:57.519
 I think it's time that we just remember

00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:59.100
 how good God's been to us.

00:20:59.099 --> 00:21:01.159
 As a church family,

00:21:01.259 --> 00:21:02.139
 if we just gather around

00:21:02.139 --> 00:21:03.319
 and think of all the blessings,

00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:04.179
 think of all the times

00:21:04.179 --> 00:21:05.259
 that God has provided for us

00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:06.919
 when we did nothing left,

00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:08.079
 no help, nothing.

00:21:08.699 --> 00:21:10.119
 Even since I've been

00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:11.359
 at this church here at Central,

00:21:11.439 --> 00:21:12.639
 I've seen how much it's grown,

00:21:12.959 --> 00:21:14.759
 how the Spirit has grown in the Lord.

00:21:15.379 --> 00:21:16.419
 That's a God thing.

00:21:17.179 --> 00:21:18.059
 That's no man.

00:21:18.859 --> 00:21:20.000
 That's no one person.

00:21:20.339 --> 00:21:21.779
 That is God providing

00:21:21.779 --> 00:21:22.980
 for Central Baptist Church.

00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:24.699
 That is God defending

00:21:24.699 --> 00:21:25.659
 Central Baptist Church.

00:21:25.660 --> 00:21:27.300
 Let's remember today

00:21:27.300 --> 00:21:30.540
 what God has done for us.

00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:31.360
 Remember.

00:21:31.779 --> 00:21:33.340
 Because when we remember it,

00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:35.220
 it's a lot harder

00:21:35.220 --> 00:21:36.980
 to go back into sin.

00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:37.980
 Because we remember

00:21:37.980 --> 00:21:39.080
 how much God has done for us

00:21:39.080 --> 00:21:40.380
 and how much we should be doing

00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:41.660
 for the Lord.

00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:43.800
 So first,

00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:46.300
 I see remembering God's faithfulness.

00:21:46.420 --> 00:21:46.860
 Secondly,

00:21:48.100 --> 00:21:49.620
 we need to reject

00:21:49.620 --> 00:21:52.240
 every rival.

00:21:53.340 --> 00:21:54.800
 I did not come up with this point

00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:55.879
 in thoughts of rejecting

00:21:55.879 --> 00:21:56.879
 the Texas Longhorns,

00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:58.159
 but we are to reject

00:21:58.159 --> 00:21:58.839
 every rival.

00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:00.480
 We are to reject

00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.059
 everything that can get

00:22:02.059 --> 00:22:02.680
 in our way

00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:03.559
 from serving God.

00:22:04.039 --> 00:22:05.919
 It says in verse number 14,

00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:06.819
 Now therefore,

00:22:07.019 --> 00:22:07.599
 fear the Lord

00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:08.220
 and serve Him

00:22:08.220 --> 00:22:09.379
 in sincerity and in truth

00:22:09.379 --> 00:22:13.200
 and put away the gods.

00:22:13.819 --> 00:22:16.559
 Put away the gods.

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.799
 And ordinarily,

00:22:17.940 --> 00:22:18.980
 when we look at Scripture

00:22:18.980 --> 00:22:20.200
 like this in the Old Testament,

00:22:20.899 --> 00:22:21.740
 we think of,

00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:22.539
 as in gods,

00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:23.779
 we think of the golden calf

00:22:23.779 --> 00:22:24.920
 that the Israelites worshipped.

00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:27.139
 We think of the golden images

00:22:27.139 --> 00:22:28.299
 that Aaron built up

00:22:28.299 --> 00:22:29.460
 for the children of Israel.

00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:30.599
 We think of these

00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:31.579
 as gods and idols

00:22:31.579 --> 00:22:31.940
 and we say,

00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:35.740
 Well, I would never do that.

00:22:36.619 --> 00:22:37.500
 Joshua names

00:22:37.500 --> 00:22:39.440
 three kinds of false gods.

00:22:39.559 --> 00:22:40.319
 Let's see if we fall

00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:41.559
 into any of these categories.

00:22:42.420 --> 00:22:43.579
 The very first point

00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:44.200
 underneath this

00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.819
 is the gods of the past.

00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:48.599
 Continuing on in verse 14,

00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:49.539
 And put away the gods

00:22:49.539 --> 00:22:51.859
 which your fathers served

00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:53.680
 on the other side of the flood.

00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:55.159
 Those past sins,

00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.220
 maybe they were

00:22:56.220 --> 00:22:57.559
 before you got saved.

00:22:57.639 --> 00:22:58.099
 Maybe they were

00:22:58.099 --> 00:22:59.960
 before you got into church.

00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:02.420
 We're a new creature now.

00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:03.839
 We shouldn't have to deal with that.

00:23:04.220 --> 00:23:05.039
 Friend, we're sinners

00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:06.440
 and we have flesh.

00:23:06.639 --> 00:23:07.579
 There are still things

00:23:07.579 --> 00:23:08.399
 that come up

00:23:08.399 --> 00:23:10.039
 that I remember

00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:11.019
 before I got saved,

00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:12.000
 I was living in sin

00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:12.599
 and that sin,

00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:13.399
 every now and then,

00:23:13.420 --> 00:23:14.720
 it'll pop its ugly head up.

00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:17.200
 Put away those gods.

00:23:17.339 --> 00:23:18.259
 Put away the idols.

00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:19.319
 Put away the things

00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:21.220
 that are just in our lives

00:23:21.220 --> 00:23:22.619
 that are keeping us

00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:24.079
 from truly serving

00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:24.799
 and honoring

00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:25.759
 and worshiping God.

00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:27.000
 That's what a God is.

00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:29.039
 And a God or an idol

00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:30.079
 is something

00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.519
 that takes the place

00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:32.619
 of the true God

00:23:32.619 --> 00:23:34.140
 that we should be worshiping.

00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:35.359
 So first of all,

00:23:35.420 --> 00:23:36.180
 what's that sin?

00:23:36.420 --> 00:23:37.019
 What's that thing

00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:37.599
 in our lives

00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:39.140
 that we tried to put away

00:23:39.140 --> 00:23:40.140
 but every now and then

00:23:40.140 --> 00:23:41.480
 it'll pop its head up?

00:23:41.619 --> 00:23:42.599
 Put away those gods.

00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:43.720
 That's what Joshua says.

00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:44.599
 Secondly,

00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:45.960
 this is where

00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:48.039
 it gets real for us.

00:23:48.259 --> 00:23:49.140
 Let her be

00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:51.279
 the gods of the present.

00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:53.680
 The gods of the present.

00:23:54.859 --> 00:23:55.819
 It says in verse 15,

00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:56.839
 and if it seem evil

00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:58.079
 unto you to serve the Lord,

00:23:58.200 --> 00:23:58.879
 choose you this day

00:23:58.879 --> 00:23:59.500
 and me will serve

00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:00.339
 whether the gods

00:24:00.339 --> 00:24:01.539
 which your father served

00:24:01.539 --> 00:24:02.359
 that were on the other side

00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:02.759
 of the flood

00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:05.000
 or the gods of the Amorites.

00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:06.059
 By the way,

00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:06.619
 right now,

00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:07.619
 they are living amongst

00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:08.700
 where the Amorites lived.

00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:10.740
 That means these gods

00:24:10.740 --> 00:24:12.019
 are in the camp

00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:13.740
 right now.

00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.519
 Joshua isn't preaching

00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:16.319
 against something

00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:17.460
 that had been

00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:18.779
 that your fathers did

00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:19.960
 that was passed.

00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:20.839
 Now he's getting

00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:21.599
 into the things

00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:23.539
 that are a little bit convicting.

00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:25.400
 The right now.

00:24:26.139 --> 00:24:27.099
 What god do you got

00:24:27.099 --> 00:24:28.160
 right now, guys?

00:24:28.619 --> 00:24:29.559
 Put them away now.

00:24:29.639 --> 00:24:30.740
 This is a little bit

00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:31.639
 harder to listen to.

00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:32.900
 Man,

00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:34.759
 things that are in my life

00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:35.579
 that are taking time

00:24:35.579 --> 00:24:36.339
 away from God,

00:24:36.619 --> 00:24:37.240
 you say still,

00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:37.460
 well,

00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:38.559
 I don't have any gods

00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:38.980
 or idols.

00:24:39.079 --> 00:24:39.819
 I'm not worshiping

00:24:39.819 --> 00:24:40.579
 anything else.

00:24:40.579 --> 00:24:42.319
 You got a TV?

00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:45.220
 You got video games?

00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:45.899
 You got a career?

00:24:46.339 --> 00:24:47.220
 You got all that stuff?

00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:48.939
 There are other things, too.

00:24:50.179 --> 00:24:51.099
 A god is something

00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:52.319
 that is taking the time

00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:53.460
 that should be gods

00:24:53.460 --> 00:24:54.339
 and putting it

00:24:54.339 --> 00:24:55.220
 into something else.

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.639
 So oftentimes,

00:24:56.939 --> 00:24:57.740
 this is how our

00:24:57.740 --> 00:24:58.939
 Bible reading goes.

00:24:59.059 --> 00:24:59.240
 And man,

00:24:59.339 --> 00:25:00.720
 this can be me, too,

00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:01.559
 if I'm not careful.

00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:02.919
 Our Bible reading

00:25:02.919 --> 00:25:03.759
 and time with God

00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:05.779
 can go something like this.

00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:07.679
 We have a very busy day

00:25:07.679 --> 00:25:08.960
 of doing certain things.

00:25:09.159 --> 00:25:10.199
 When we get home,

00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:11.120
 we want to unwind,

00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:11.799
 watch a little bit

00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:12.279
 of television,

00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:13.480
 we get in bed that night

00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:14.480
 and we say,

00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:15.799
 man,

00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:17.000
 I didn't get to spend time

00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:17.620
 with God today.

00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:18.920
 Hopefully tomorrow.

00:25:19.860 --> 00:25:21.580
 God gets the end of it.

00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:22.360
 God gets,

00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:24.039
 if I have any time left over.

00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:26.340
 The television,

00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:27.420
 if that's taking time

00:25:27.420 --> 00:25:28.319
 away from God,

00:25:28.600 --> 00:25:29.319
 your priorities

00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:30.180
 are out of whack.

00:25:31.100 --> 00:25:31.960
 If certain things

00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:32.440
 in your life

00:25:32.440 --> 00:25:33.539
 are taking time

00:25:33.539 --> 00:25:34.640
 and effort away

00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:35.460
 from serving

00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:36.640
 and honoring God,

00:25:37.059 --> 00:25:37.860
 something is wrong.

00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:38.920
 And that's what

00:25:38.920 --> 00:25:39.779
 Joshua says here.

00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:40.720
 He said,

00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:41.160
 guys,

00:25:41.340 --> 00:25:42.500
 you're putting your time

00:25:42.500 --> 00:25:43.259
 into all these

00:25:43.259 --> 00:25:44.120
 different things

00:25:44.120 --> 00:25:45.480
 and you're giving God

00:25:45.480 --> 00:25:45.960
 a little bit

00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:46.759
 at the end of the day.

00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:47.700
 You're giving God

00:25:47.700 --> 00:25:48.460
 a little bit

00:25:48.460 --> 00:25:49.840
 if you can find

00:25:49.840 --> 00:25:50.860
 the time for it.

00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:52.319
 That's not what God wants.

00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:54.259
 Those are gods.

00:25:54.840 --> 00:25:55.559
 Those are idols

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:57.319
 that we're using

00:25:57.319 --> 00:25:58.259
 in place

00:25:58.259 --> 00:25:59.759
 of who we should be

00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:00.580
 honoring and worshiping

00:26:00.580 --> 00:26:00.960
 and serving

00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:02.000
 in God.

00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:03.440
 So first,

00:26:03.559 --> 00:26:04.360
 I saw the gods

00:26:04.360 --> 00:26:04.819
 of the past.

00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:05.519
 Then I see the gods

00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:06.059
 of the present.

00:26:06.059 --> 00:26:07.799
 And then thirdly,

00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:09.879
 I see the God

00:26:09.879 --> 00:26:12.299
 of convenience.

00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:13.419
 The God

00:26:13.419 --> 00:26:15.059
 of convenience.

00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:16.639
 It says

00:26:16.639 --> 00:26:18.339
 in verse number 15

00:26:18.339 --> 00:26:19.119
 a little bit earlier,

00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:21.319
 it says,

00:26:21.579 --> 00:26:22.379
 and if it seem

00:26:22.379 --> 00:26:24.139
 evil unto you

00:26:24.139 --> 00:26:25.379
 to serve the Lord.

00:26:25.919 --> 00:26:26.899
 This is actually

00:26:26.899 --> 00:26:27.919
 a pretty big statement

00:26:27.919 --> 00:26:28.259
 here.

00:26:28.740 --> 00:26:29.859
 Because Joshua

00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:30.819
 is not saying

00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:31.559
 serving the Lord

00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:32.139
 is evil,

00:26:32.140 --> 00:26:33.140
 obviously.

00:26:33.660 --> 00:26:34.440
 I imagine

00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:35.500
 if I asked anybody

00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:36.280
 in here today,

00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:37.820
 who thinks it's evil

00:26:37.820 --> 00:26:38.620
 to serve the Lord?

00:26:38.900 --> 00:26:40.060
 Nobody's hands going up.

00:26:40.800 --> 00:26:41.280
 Because,

00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:42.220
 of course,

00:26:42.320 --> 00:26:42.740
 we don't think

00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:43.259
 it's evil

00:26:43.259 --> 00:26:44.360
 to serve the Lord.

00:26:45.320 --> 00:26:45.780
 But man,

00:26:45.900 --> 00:26:46.820
 sometimes it's

00:26:46.820 --> 00:26:47.780
 sure not convenient.

00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:49.660
 When we got a busy day,

00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:50.440
 when we got things

00:26:50.440 --> 00:26:51.080
 going on,

00:26:51.700 --> 00:26:52.820
 sometimes it's easier

00:26:52.820 --> 00:26:53.720
 just to push it off

00:26:53.720 --> 00:26:54.220
 a little bit.

00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:55.880
 Sometimes it's easier

00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:56.200
 to say,

00:26:56.320 --> 00:26:57.259
 I'll do that later,

00:26:57.380 --> 00:26:57.680
 God.

00:26:58.140 --> 00:26:58.460
 God,

00:26:58.520 --> 00:26:59.920
 I know you're important,

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:02.500
 but not as important

00:27:02.500 --> 00:27:04.100
 as this right now.

00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:05.640
 Not as important

00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:07.259
 as doing all these

00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:07.779
 other things

00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:08.400
 that I've got

00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:09.240
 on my plate.

00:27:09.600 --> 00:27:09.900
 God,

00:27:10.019 --> 00:27:10.860
 you'll get there

00:27:10.860 --> 00:27:11.360
 one day,

00:27:11.420 --> 00:27:12.080
 but right now,

00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:12.920
 I've just got a lot

00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:13.480
 going on.

00:27:13.720 --> 00:27:14.620
 The God of convenience.

00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:15.900
 Is it convenient

00:27:15.900 --> 00:27:16.880
 for you to serve

00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:17.220
 the Lord?

00:27:18.820 --> 00:27:19.800
 If the answer

00:27:19.800 --> 00:27:20.640
 is sometimes,

00:27:20.800 --> 00:27:21.660
 something is wrong.

00:27:21.900 --> 00:27:22.500
 We shouldn't be

00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:23.320
 looking at God

00:27:23.320 --> 00:27:24.519
 as a convenience.

00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:25.820
 God should be a part

00:27:25.820 --> 00:27:27.120
 of our everyday walk.

00:27:27.840 --> 00:27:28.500
 It shouldn't be

00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:29.620
 a convenience thing.

00:27:29.619 --> 00:27:30.899
 We should go to God,

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:31.639
 number one.

00:27:31.979 --> 00:27:32.679
 We should plan

00:27:32.679 --> 00:27:33.479
 everything else

00:27:33.479 --> 00:27:33.959
 in our day

00:27:33.959 --> 00:27:36.299
 around our time

00:27:36.299 --> 00:27:37.199
 with God,

00:27:37.500 --> 00:27:38.439
 not the other way around.

00:27:38.739 --> 00:27:39.659
 And so often times,

00:27:39.679 --> 00:27:40.419
 it seems like we are

00:27:40.419 --> 00:27:41.379
 doing it the other way around.

00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:44.239
 I watched a clip

00:27:44.239 --> 00:27:45.059
 of a movie

00:27:45.059 --> 00:27:46.519
 last night

00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:47.019
 in preparation

00:27:47.019 --> 00:27:48.000
 for this illustration

00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:48.759
 so I could remember

00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:49.399
 it a little bit better.

00:27:49.479 --> 00:27:50.039
 Anybody ever seen

00:27:50.039 --> 00:27:51.059
 Facing the Giants?

00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:52.599
 Facing the Giants.

00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:54.519
 It's a very good movie.

00:27:54.579 --> 00:27:55.399
 It's a Christian movie,

00:27:55.479 --> 00:27:55.919
 actually.

00:27:56.699 --> 00:27:57.939
 And I went to

00:27:57.939 --> 00:27:58.579
 Christian school,

00:27:58.579 --> 00:27:59.039
 so there weren't

00:27:59.039 --> 00:27:59.680
 a whole lot of movies

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:00.159
 we could watch,

00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:00.980
 so there for a little while.

00:28:01.059 --> 00:28:01.899
 This was the only movie

00:28:01.899 --> 00:28:02.420
 we watched,

00:28:02.879 --> 00:28:03.740
 so that was awesome.

00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:04.420
 So it did get old

00:28:04.420 --> 00:28:04.940
 for a little while,

00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:05.500
 but then I watched

00:28:05.500 --> 00:28:06.180
 a clip last night

00:28:06.180 --> 00:28:06.599
 and I want to go

00:28:06.599 --> 00:28:07.379
 watch the movie now.

00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:10.319
 But it's a football movie,

00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:11.000
 but really,

00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:12.680
 it's not really based

00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:13.659
 around football.

00:28:13.980 --> 00:28:15.399
 It is a very

00:28:15.399 --> 00:28:16.779
 God-centric movie.

00:28:17.879 --> 00:28:18.879
 And at one point

00:28:18.879 --> 00:28:19.819
 in this movie,

00:28:20.339 --> 00:28:21.279
 I'll give you

00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:21.799
 the background,

00:28:22.379 --> 00:28:23.279
 there's a high school

00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:24.200
 coach and he coaches

00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:25.180
 this high school team

00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:26.180
 that's not very good.

00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:27.660
 And if they don't

00:28:27.660 --> 00:28:28.620
 win this season,

00:28:28.620 --> 00:28:29.600
 he's probably going

00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:30.519
 to lose his job.

00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:31.880
 And then there's

00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:32.799
 this other team

00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:35.080
 that is state champions

00:28:35.080 --> 00:28:36.279
 for like three years

00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:36.759
 in a row,

00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:38.180
 way better than everybody.

00:28:38.320 --> 00:28:39.400
 They never lose.

00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:41.160
 That's kind of the background

00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:42.039
 of where we are here.

00:28:42.100 --> 00:28:43.380
 And this head coach

00:28:43.380 --> 00:28:44.740
 of this small little team

00:28:44.740 --> 00:28:46.200
 that can't find themselves

00:28:46.200 --> 00:28:46.660
 a win,

00:28:47.860 --> 00:28:48.700
 he comes to one

00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:49.779
 of his assistant coaches.

00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:50.860
 His assistant coach

00:28:50.860 --> 00:28:51.640
 had been called

00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:53.180
 by that really big school

00:28:53.180 --> 00:28:54.380
 to come over

00:28:54.380 --> 00:28:55.500
 and leave his job there

00:28:55.500 --> 00:28:56.299
 and come over

00:28:56.299 --> 00:28:56.980
 and be assistant

00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:58.100
 at this big school.

00:28:58.400 --> 00:28:59.380
 Much more money,

00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:00.380
 everything was going

00:29:00.380 --> 00:29:01.220
 to work out better,

00:29:01.860 --> 00:29:03.019
 but he wasn't going

00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:04.060
 to tell the head coach

00:29:04.060 --> 00:29:06.120
 until it was a done deal.

00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:07.519
 He was scared to,

00:29:07.580 --> 00:29:07.860
 he didn't want

00:29:07.860 --> 00:29:08.580
 to hurt his feelings.

00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:09.900
 The head coach

00:29:09.900 --> 00:29:11.100
 goes to the assistant coach

00:29:11.100 --> 00:29:11.799
 one evening

00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:13.519
 after practice.

00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:16.720
 And he asked him

00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:17.519
 about it and he said,

00:29:17.620 --> 00:29:17.740
 yeah,

00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:18.240
 I just didn't want

00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:18.779
 to tell you,

00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:20.980
 I don't really know

00:29:20.980 --> 00:29:21.660
 what I want to do.

00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:23.279
 And the coach

00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:23.980
 looked at him

00:29:23.980 --> 00:29:26.660
 and said,

00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:27.900
 Brady,

00:29:28.140 --> 00:29:29.380
 right now you're

00:29:29.380 --> 00:29:30.000
 on the fence.

00:29:30.820 --> 00:29:31.620
 And right now

00:29:31.620 --> 00:29:32.160
 you're not doing

00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:33.420
 anybody good

00:29:33.420 --> 00:29:34.620
 sitting on the fence.

00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:35.960
 Right now you need

00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:36.580
 to get off of it,

00:29:36.660 --> 00:29:37.600
 pick which side you're on.

00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:38.980
 Because I can't have you,

00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:39.940
 if you're halfway over there,

00:29:40.019 --> 00:29:40.660
 halfway over here,

00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:41.480
 go over there.

00:29:41.640 --> 00:29:42.240
 I don't need you.

00:29:43.100 --> 00:29:44.000
 Don't ride the fence.

00:29:44.600 --> 00:29:45.440
 Don't ride the fence.

00:29:46.060 --> 00:29:47.140
 We'll be a lot better

00:29:47.140 --> 00:29:47.720
 off with you

00:29:47.720 --> 00:29:48.400
 out of here

00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:49.620
 if you're halfway

00:29:49.620 --> 00:29:50.080
 over there.

00:29:50.700 --> 00:29:51.620
 Don't ride the fence.

00:29:52.540 --> 00:29:53.040
 You got to pick

00:29:53.040 --> 00:29:53.660
 God of the world.

00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:55.300
 At the end of the day,

00:29:55.340 --> 00:29:55.860
 that's what Joshua

00:29:55.860 --> 00:29:56.360
 says here.

00:29:56.860 --> 00:29:57.620
 Joshua gives them

00:29:57.620 --> 00:29:58.560
 a whole bunch of gods

00:29:58.560 --> 00:29:59.360
 that they can pick.

00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:00.279
 Like he said,

00:30:00.340 --> 00:30:01.279
 make your pick.

00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:02.560
 But for me

00:30:02.560 --> 00:30:03.120
 and my house,

00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:03.779
 we're not riding

00:30:03.779 --> 00:30:04.560
 the fence between them.

00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:05.920
 We're not picking

00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:06.800
 three different gods.

00:30:07.120 --> 00:30:07.900
 We're going to pick

00:30:07.900 --> 00:30:08.779
 the one true God.

00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:10.560
 We are going

00:30:10.560 --> 00:30:12.480
 to serve God.

00:30:12.560 --> 00:30:13.220
 As for me

00:30:13.220 --> 00:30:14.040
 and my house,

00:30:14.540 --> 00:30:15.860
 we will serve

00:30:15.860 --> 00:30:16.279
 the Lord.

00:30:16.800 --> 00:30:17.900
 Don't ride the fence.

00:30:18.800 --> 00:30:19.680
 So many Christians

00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:20.140
 do that

00:30:20.140 --> 00:30:20.780
 because they want

00:30:20.780 --> 00:30:21.600
 the benefits.

00:30:22.100 --> 00:30:22.940
 They want the benefits

00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:23.800
 of living in the world

00:30:23.800 --> 00:30:25.360
 and they want the benefits

00:30:25.360 --> 00:30:26.460
 that Christ can give them.

00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:28.700
 You can't live for both.

00:30:29.420 --> 00:30:29.880
 You got to pick

00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:30.420
 one or the other.

00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:31.840
 Do you want to serve God

00:30:31.840 --> 00:30:32.400
 or do you want to serve

00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:32.780
 the world?

00:30:33.340 --> 00:30:34.420
 Joshua wasn't really

00:30:34.420 --> 00:30:35.240
 mean about it

00:30:35.240 --> 00:30:36.000
 as you can see

00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:36.700
 in verse 15.

00:30:37.040 --> 00:30:37.540
 He just said,

00:30:37.600 --> 00:30:37.880
 guys,

00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:38.820
 it's your choice.

00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:40.020
 Like I'm going to tell you

00:30:40.020 --> 00:30:40.900
 what I'm going to do

00:30:40.900 --> 00:30:43.100
 but at the end of the day,

00:30:43.300 --> 00:30:44.160
 you have to pick

00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:45.000
 what you and your house

00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:45.480
 is going to do.

00:30:45.900 --> 00:30:46.940
 I can't pick it for you.

00:30:47.220 --> 00:30:48.220
 I can remind you

00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:49.019
 about all this.

00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:50.079
 I can tell you

00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:50.640
 about everything

00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:51.180
 that's happened

00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:51.779
 in your lives

00:30:51.779 --> 00:30:52.599
 and how God has provided

00:30:52.599 --> 00:30:53.380
 for you every step

00:30:53.380 --> 00:30:53.799
 of the way

00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:55.000
 but at the end of the day,

00:30:55.120 --> 00:30:55.980
 it's your choice.

00:30:57.019 --> 00:30:58.120
 Do you want to ride the fence?

00:30:58.480 --> 00:30:59.220
 Do you want to just sit

00:30:59.220 --> 00:30:59.940
 over there in the world

00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:01.480
 or do you want to ride

00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:01.839
 with me?

00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:03.640
 Do you want to get in

00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:04.380
 and work

00:31:04.380 --> 00:31:05.240
 and walk

00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:07.000
 with God?

00:31:07.940 --> 00:31:08.299
 Finally,

00:31:08.420 --> 00:31:08.860
 I see

00:31:08.860 --> 00:31:10.779
 a resolve

00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:12.400
 to serve the Lord.

00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:14.800
 It says in verse number 15

00:31:14.800 --> 00:31:15.780
 at the very end,

00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:16.960
 but as for me

00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:18.720
 and my house,

00:31:19.300 --> 00:31:21.380
 we will serve

00:31:21.380 --> 00:31:22.720
 the Lord.

00:31:23.259 --> 00:31:24.340
 This is one of the greatest

00:31:24.340 --> 00:31:25.480
 scripture declarations

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:26.100
 in the Bible.

00:31:27.060 --> 00:31:28.180
 Joshua was not hesitant

00:31:28.180 --> 00:31:28.860
 about saying

00:31:28.860 --> 00:31:29.740
 what his plan was.

00:31:30.100 --> 00:31:30.800
 He didn't see

00:31:30.800 --> 00:31:31.620
 what everybody else

00:31:31.620 --> 00:31:32.060
 was choosing

00:31:32.060 --> 00:31:33.140
 and then he chose.

00:31:33.560 --> 00:31:34.120
 He said,

00:31:34.300 --> 00:31:34.820
 I don't care

00:31:34.820 --> 00:31:35.820
 what anybody else does.

00:31:36.220 --> 00:31:36.980
 We're in a room

00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:37.800
 of 150,

00:31:37.940 --> 00:31:38.960
 170 people.

00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:41.300
 Our job isn't to look

00:31:41.299 --> 00:31:41.960
 and see what everybody

00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:42.519
 else is doing.

00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:44.299
 Our job is to say,

00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:45.000
 I don't care

00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:45.559
 what they do.

00:31:45.940 --> 00:31:46.379
 I don't care

00:31:46.379 --> 00:31:47.500
 what my best friends do.

00:31:47.899 --> 00:31:49.000
 I am going

00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:49.899
 to serve

00:31:49.899 --> 00:31:51.059
 the Lord.

00:31:51.779 --> 00:31:52.440
 And let me tell you,

00:31:52.500 --> 00:31:52.859
 this is,

00:31:52.940 --> 00:31:54.059
 I don't ordinarily do this.

00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:55.099
 This is for the men

00:31:55.099 --> 00:31:55.619
 in the room.

00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:56.240
 Men,

00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:57.159
 we need

00:31:57.159 --> 00:31:58.480
 to be the reason

00:31:58.480 --> 00:31:59.440
 our household

00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:00.460
 stands

00:32:00.460 --> 00:32:01.619
 for the Lord.

00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:04.139
 We should be the ones

00:32:04.139 --> 00:32:05.039
 that are declaring

00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:06.700
 it's never a question.

00:32:06.700 --> 00:32:08.059
 My parents always told me

00:32:08.059 --> 00:32:08.680
 growing up,

00:32:08.919 --> 00:32:09.819
 I never want it

00:32:09.819 --> 00:32:10.599
 to be a question

00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:11.079
 to you

00:32:11.079 --> 00:32:12.119
 whether we're

00:32:12.119 --> 00:32:13.240
 going to go to church

00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:13.599
 or not,

00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:14.559
 whether we're

00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:15.119
 going to read

00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:15.819
 our Bible as a family.

00:32:15.879 --> 00:32:16.559
 I never want that

00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:17.359
 to be a question

00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:17.740
 for you.

00:32:17.879 --> 00:32:18.519
 I just want you

00:32:18.519 --> 00:32:18.899
 to know

00:32:18.899 --> 00:32:20.980
 that's our job

00:32:20.980 --> 00:32:21.439
 as men

00:32:21.439 --> 00:32:22.559
 to lead our household

00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:24.459
 so that our kids,

00:32:24.579 --> 00:32:25.359
 they grow up

00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:26.699
 knowing we serve God.

00:32:27.219 --> 00:32:28.419
 It's never a question

00:32:28.419 --> 00:32:28.879
 to them.

00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:30.480
 They know for a fact

00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:31.059
 who we serve.

00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:32.899
 Our wives

00:32:32.899 --> 00:32:33.959
 follow us

00:32:33.959 --> 00:32:34.559
 and are able

00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:35.419
 to help

00:32:35.419 --> 00:32:36.199
 and direct

00:32:36.199 --> 00:32:36.759
 our children

00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:37.519
 to serve the Lord,

00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:38.339
 but it's our job

00:32:38.339 --> 00:32:38.799
 as men

00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:39.559
 to make sure

00:32:39.559 --> 00:32:40.180
 our household

00:32:40.180 --> 00:32:40.839
 is standing

00:32:40.839 --> 00:32:42.339
 on the strong

00:32:42.339 --> 00:32:43.339
 foundation of the Lord.

00:32:44.879 --> 00:32:45.279
 First,

00:32:45.319 --> 00:32:46.119
 under this point,

00:32:46.440 --> 00:32:47.019
 as I'm getting

00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:47.759
 close to closing,

00:32:47.919 --> 00:32:48.899
 it was a personal

00:32:48.899 --> 00:32:49.940
 decision.

00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:51.799
 I said the men

00:32:51.799 --> 00:32:52.519
 just a moment ago,

00:32:52.579 --> 00:32:53.240
 but right now

00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:54.619
 it is everybody's choice.

00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:56.019
 It is a personal

00:32:56.019 --> 00:32:57.119
 decision

00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:58.720
 to follow God.

00:32:59.180 --> 00:32:59.539
 Joshua,

00:32:59.700 --> 00:33:00.460
 before he could get

00:33:00.460 --> 00:33:01.200
 to his household,

00:33:01.639 --> 00:33:02.279
 he had to make

00:33:02.279 --> 00:33:02.720
 the decision

00:33:02.720 --> 00:33:03.379
 that he was going

00:33:03.379 --> 00:33:04.039
 to walk for God.

00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:05.399
 He had to make

00:33:05.399 --> 00:33:06.440
 the decision himself.

00:33:06.440 --> 00:33:08.559
 Growing up in school,

00:33:08.680 --> 00:33:09.500
 I loved group

00:33:09.500 --> 00:33:10.220
 projects,

00:33:10.340 --> 00:33:12.059
 because if we failed,

00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:12.580
 we were going

00:33:12.580 --> 00:33:13.279
 to fail together.

00:33:13.700 --> 00:33:14.900
 I didn't like

00:33:14.900 --> 00:33:15.680
 failing by myself,

00:33:15.880 --> 00:33:17.640
 so I was decent

00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:18.039
 in school,

00:33:18.200 --> 00:33:19.180
 but if we were

00:33:19.180 --> 00:33:19.900
 going to do bad,

00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:20.820
 at least somebody

00:33:20.820 --> 00:33:21.519
 else was going

00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:22.180
 to go down

00:33:22.180 --> 00:33:22.680
 with me.

00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:23.539
 That's the kind

00:33:23.539 --> 00:33:24.519
 of friend I was.

00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:25.720
 I wanted my best

00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:26.460
 friends with me,

00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:28.340
 so if we did do bad,

00:33:28.440 --> 00:33:29.200
 it was their fault

00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:29.360
 too,

00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:30.140
 not just mine.

00:33:30.140 --> 00:33:31.920
 Let me just tell you,

00:33:31.980 --> 00:33:32.500
 this isn't a group

00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:33.320
 project this morning.

00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:34.779
 You can't look over

00:33:34.779 --> 00:33:35.120
 and say,

00:33:35.240 --> 00:33:35.340
 hey,

00:33:35.339 --> 00:33:35.879
 are you going

00:33:35.879 --> 00:33:36.419
 to follow the Lord?

00:33:36.839 --> 00:33:37.059
 Hey,

00:33:37.199 --> 00:33:38.099
 are you going

00:33:38.099 --> 00:33:38.939
 to stand firm

00:33:38.939 --> 00:33:39.539
 for the Lord today?

00:33:39.599 --> 00:33:40.399
 I'll do it if you do it.

00:33:41.359 --> 00:33:42.480
 It's a personal decision.

00:33:43.259 --> 00:33:44.240
 It has to be made

00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:44.939
 by each and every one

00:33:44.939 --> 00:33:45.279
 of us.

00:33:45.679 --> 00:33:46.639
 And let me just tell you,

00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:47.279
 if you say,

00:33:47.359 --> 00:33:47.459
 well,

00:33:47.459 --> 00:33:47.939
 I'm going to put

00:33:47.939 --> 00:33:48.480
 this decision

00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:49.399
 off a little bit,

00:33:49.519 --> 00:33:50.559
 you've already made one.

00:33:52.299 --> 00:33:53.279
 If you want to try

00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:54.159
 to ride the fence

00:33:54.159 --> 00:33:54.539
 and say,

00:33:54.639 --> 00:33:56.059
 I'll stand firm

00:33:56.059 --> 00:33:57.119
 for the Lord one day,

00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:58.000
 but right now,

00:33:58.359 --> 00:33:59.339
 it's not going

00:33:59.339 --> 00:33:59.899
 to work for me.

00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:00.459
 That's the God

00:34:00.459 --> 00:34:01.039
 of convenience.

00:34:01.879 --> 00:34:02.399
 Right now,

00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.220
 I've got stuff

00:34:03.220 --> 00:34:03.799
 going on,

00:34:03.859 --> 00:34:04.199
 the gods

00:34:04.199 --> 00:34:04.919
 of the presence,

00:34:05.339 --> 00:34:07.099
 right now,

00:34:07.159 --> 00:34:07.819
 we need to make

00:34:07.819 --> 00:34:08.259
 a decision.

00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:10.840
 I love,

00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:12.139
 I enjoy

00:34:12.139 --> 00:34:13.000
 when I'm able

00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:14.219
 to close a sermon

00:34:14.219 --> 00:34:15.719
 with a firm decision,

00:34:15.799 --> 00:34:16.500
 like what you're going

00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:16.779
 to do,

00:34:16.840 --> 00:34:17.860
 like a firm calling.

00:34:18.799 --> 00:34:19.219
 Today,

00:34:19.380 --> 00:34:20.340
 the only decision

00:34:20.340 --> 00:34:21.019
 that it is,

00:34:21.079 --> 00:34:21.799
 is who you're going

00:34:21.799 --> 00:34:22.239
 to choose.

00:34:22.799 --> 00:34:23.440
 It's very,

00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:24.099
 very simple.

00:34:24.960 --> 00:34:25.920
 The most important

00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:26.579
 decisions normally

00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:27.360
 are pretty simple,

00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:28.099
 aren't they?

00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:29.739
 we make decisions

00:34:29.739 --> 00:34:30.480
 every single day.

00:34:30.579 --> 00:34:31.239
 We make decisions

00:34:31.239 --> 00:34:31.940
 to brush our teeth.

00:34:32.339 --> 00:34:33.139
 We make decisions

00:34:33.139 --> 00:34:33.900
 to go to sleep

00:34:33.900 --> 00:34:34.279
 at night.

00:34:34.559 --> 00:34:35.400
 We make decisions

00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:36.460
 all day long,

00:34:36.460 --> 00:34:38.440
 but this is the one

00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:39.440
 that's the most important.

00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:41.819
 A lot of us

00:34:41.819 --> 00:34:42.420
 are living

00:34:42.420 --> 00:34:43.339
 our day-to-day lives,

00:34:43.380 --> 00:34:44.119
 and I've never really

00:34:44.119 --> 00:34:44.920
 sat down and thought

00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:45.420
 about it and made

00:34:45.420 --> 00:34:46.000
 that decision,

00:34:46.559 --> 00:34:47.079
 but today,

00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:47.759
 God's calling you

00:34:47.759 --> 00:34:48.279
 to make one.

00:34:49.139 --> 00:34:49.539
 Today,

00:34:49.639 --> 00:34:50.219
 as we leave

00:34:50.219 --> 00:34:51.779
 the doors today,

00:34:52.779 --> 00:34:53.159
 there are going

00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:53.659
 to be two kinds

00:34:53.659 --> 00:34:54.000
 of people,

00:34:54.879 --> 00:34:56.099
 ones that determined

00:34:56.099 --> 00:34:57.279
 to follow God

00:34:57.279 --> 00:34:58.239
 with them

00:34:58.239 --> 00:34:58.759
 in their household

00:34:58.759 --> 00:34:59.159
 today,

00:34:59.299 --> 00:35:00.519
 and the ones

00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:00.940
 who decided

00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:01.440
 not to make

00:35:01.440 --> 00:35:02.019
 a decision

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:02.879
 that decided

00:35:02.879 --> 00:35:03.639
 to follow the world.

00:35:04.940 --> 00:35:06.019
 There's no in-between

00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:06.480
 today.

00:35:07.119 --> 00:35:07.619
 That's it.

00:35:08.219 --> 00:35:09.059
 There's no in-between.

00:35:09.239 --> 00:35:10.119
 There's no wondering

00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:11.159
 who we are,

00:35:11.299 --> 00:35:12.179
 wondering what happened,

00:35:12.319 --> 00:35:13.420
 wondering what we did,

00:35:13.739 --> 00:35:16.059
 and by the way,

00:35:16.179 --> 00:35:16.619
 finally,

00:35:17.460 --> 00:35:18.779
 it was a permanent

00:35:18.779 --> 00:35:20.579
 decision.

00:35:21.139 --> 00:35:22.599
 If you're signing up

00:35:22.599 --> 00:35:23.399
 and determining

00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:24.240
 you and your household

00:35:24.240 --> 00:35:24.780
 are going to follow

00:35:24.780 --> 00:35:25.320
 God today,

00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:26.559
 let me just tell you,

00:35:26.780 --> 00:35:27.500
 it doesn't change

00:35:27.500 --> 00:35:27.960
 in a week.

00:35:28.720 --> 00:35:29.440
 It doesn't change

00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:29.840
 in a month

00:35:29.840 --> 00:35:30.599
 when things get hard.

00:35:30.660 --> 00:35:31.180
 It doesn't change

00:35:31.180 --> 00:35:31.599
 in a year.

00:35:31.680 --> 00:35:32.260
 It doesn't change

00:35:32.260 --> 00:35:32.880
 in ten years.

00:35:33.200 --> 00:35:34.099
 This is a forever

00:35:34.099 --> 00:35:34.920
 decision.

00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:36.240
 So,

00:35:36.519 --> 00:35:37.519
 like Joshua says,

00:35:37.619 --> 00:35:38.280
 if you don't want

00:35:38.280 --> 00:35:39.599
 to make it,

00:35:39.960 --> 00:35:40.460
 don't.

00:35:41.420 --> 00:35:42.220
 Joshua gave them

00:35:42.220 --> 00:35:42.800
 the choice.

00:35:43.220 --> 00:35:44.019
 God gave you

00:35:44.019 --> 00:35:44.960
 the choice.

00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:46.180
 God's not forcing

00:35:46.180 --> 00:35:47.139
 anybody into it,

00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:48.760
 but today,

00:35:48.900 --> 00:35:49.380
 I want to make

00:35:49.380 --> 00:35:49.820
 the decision

00:35:49.820 --> 00:35:50.119
 and say,

00:35:50.240 --> 00:35:51.039
 for me and my house,

00:35:51.139 --> 00:35:51.420
 we're going

00:35:51.420 --> 00:35:52.079
 to serve the Lord,

00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:53.559
 and I implore

00:35:53.559 --> 00:35:54.159
 you today,

00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:55.039
 whether it's

00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:55.559
 at the altar,

00:35:55.739 --> 00:35:56.099
 whether it's

00:35:56.099 --> 00:35:56.779
 at your seat,

00:35:57.179 --> 00:35:57.880
 make a decision

00:35:57.880 --> 00:35:58.699
 for the Lord today.

00:35:59.639 --> 00:36:00.500
 An easy one.

00:36:00.679 --> 00:36:01.299
 Decide if you're

00:36:01.299 --> 00:36:02.019
 going to follow him

00:36:02.019 --> 00:36:02.739
 and if you're

00:36:02.739 --> 00:36:03.079
 going to lead

00:36:03.079 --> 00:36:03.659
 your household

00:36:03.659 --> 00:36:04.799
 into following him

00:36:04.799 --> 00:36:05.159
 as well.

00:36:05.420 --> 00:36:05.739
 Go ahead and bow

00:36:05.739 --> 00:36:06.099
 your heads.

00:36:06.099 --> 00:36:08.179
 away.

00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:08.179


00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:08.179


00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:08.519
 may may may may

00:36:08.519 --> 00:36:08.519


00:36:08.519 --> 00:36:09.099
 may may may may

00:36:09.099 --> 00:36:10.259
 may may may may

00:36:10.259 --> 00:36:10.259


00:36:10.259 --> 00:36:12.319
 may may may may may

00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:12.319


00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:12.319


00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:12.319


00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:12.319