Rev. David Holwick ZN
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 29, 1998
Joshua 24:15-27
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SERMON SUMMARY: Joshua's challenge to the Israelites to choose God.
We face many choices in life but the greatest choice involves
salvation. Choose God in your life and encourage your family to
choose him as well.
I. Our choices make a real difference.
Melissa Vinson, an honors student at Seminole High School in Sanford,
Florida, played a game called "Pass-Out" with two other girls.
In the board game, players land on squares that read, "Take a drink"
or "Go to the bar" and they recite tongue-twisters on "Pink
Elephant" cards.
In a two hour period, Melissa consumed most of a liter bottle of
vodka.
Later that night she began to convulse and blacked out on her
living room floor.
She was pronounced dead at Florida Hospital in Orlando.
Medical examiners concluded that possibly a reaction of the vodka
to a prescription drug contributed to her death.
Abraham Bininger, a Swiss boy from Zurich, came with his parents to
this country on the same ship with John Wesley.
His parents died on the trip and were buried at sea.
Young Abraham stepped down the gang-plank alone in a strange and
bewildering land.
A short time later he decided to take the gospel to the natives on
the island of St. Thomas.
When he got there he learned that it was illegal for anyone but a
slave to preach the gospel to the slaves.
He wrote to the governor of the island begging to become a slave
himself that he might have the freedom to proclaim the gospel.
The letter was forwarded to the king of Denmark who was so touched
by Bininger's desire that he sent an edict to allow him to
preach the gospel where, when and to whom he chose.
What do those stories have in common?
What is the thread weaving them together?
The element of choice.
Melissa made a choice and it cost her life;
Bininger made a choice and it led him to preach the gospel.
#4413
1) Think of the choices you have made that had an impact.
2) What would have been results of other choices?
a) We can never know for sure.
b) But we often think about it.
II. Choices that face us.
A. Choosing college or career.
1) Many Juniors have no idea what they want to do.
2) But the pressure builds anyway.
B. Choosing spouse.
1) What were biggest criteria?
a) Fun personality, common interests, lust?
2) Looking back, would you choose differently?
C. Choosing personal values / lifestyle.
1) Habits like drinking, smoking, drugs.
2) Moral convictions.
D. Most important choice of all.
1) True God or false gods.
2) Joshua's challenge: "Whom will you serve?" 24:15
III. Why we can believe.
A. God did stuff for the Israelites. 24:17
1) The miracles of the Exodus convinced them.
2) We are also convinced by special events.
a) Michael Jordan and significant events in his life.
Friends in car crashes, etc.
Couldn't just be coincidences.
"There's got to be something there."
B. Christian faith is based on real events.
Massey H. Shepherd, Jr., wrote:
The Gospel is not presented to mankind as an argument
about religious principles.
Nor is it offered as a philosophy of life.
Christianity is a witness to certain facts --
to events that have happened,
to hopes that have been fulfilled,
to realities that have been experienced,
to a Person who has lived and died and been
raised from the dead to reign for ever.
#4224
1) The reminders of history.
a) Some events of Christian history are discouraging.
1> Many follow Jesus only partly.
b) Others inspire us to press on.
1> Churches in Rome often dedicated to martyrs.
2> Simple people, who made a courageous, and lonely,
stand.
c) Example of Polycarp.
According to the ancient historian Eusebius:
The old man stepped forward, and was asked by the Roman
proconsul if he really was Polycarp.
When he said yes, the proconsul urged him to deny the charge
that he was a Christian.
"Respect your years!" he exclaimed, adding similar appeals
regularly made on such occasions:
"Swear by Caesar's fortune; change your attitude; say:
Away with the godless!"
[Christians were considered atheists]
But Polycarp, with his face set, looked at all the crowd in
the stadium and waved his hand towards them, sighed,
looked up to heaven, and cried:
"Away with the godless!"
The governor pressed him further:
"Swear, and I will set you free: curse Christ."
"For eighty-six years," replied Polycarp, "I have been his
servant, and he has never done me wrong.
How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?"
"I have wild beasts," said the proconsul.
"I shall throw you to them, if you don't change your
attitude."
"Call them," replied the old man.
"We cannot change our attitude if it means a change from
better to worse.
But it is a splendid thing to change from cruelty to
justice."
"If you make light of the beasts," retorted the governor,
"I'll have you destroyed by fire, unless you change your
attitude."
Polycarp answered: "The fire you threaten burns for a time
and is soon extinguished
There is a fire you know nothing about -- the fire of the
judgment to come and of eternal punishment, the fire
reserved for the ungodly.
But why do you hesitate? Do what you want."
The proconsul was amazed, and sent the crier to stand in
the middle of the arena and announce three times:
"Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian."
Then a shout went up from every throat that Polycarp must
be burnt alive.
As the crowd piled logs and kindling around him,
Polycarp prayed:
"O Father of your beloved and blessed Son, Jesus Christ,
through whom we have come to know you, the God of angels
and powers and all creation, and of the whole family
of the righteous who live in your presence;
I bless you for counting me worthy of this day and hour,
that as one of the martyrs I may partake of Christ's cup."
When he had offered up the Amen and completed his prayer,
the men in charge lit the fire, and a great flame shot up.
#1549
2) Would you have this strong a faith?
a) The Israelites thought they did. 24:18,21
b) They kept the faith - as long as Joshua lived.
IV. The dilemma.
A. We are not able. 24:19
1) Ironic - not to discourage them, but make them count cost.
2) Literal - they cannot obey without God's grace.
a) His standards are too high.
b) Our hearts are wrong. We are incapable.
1> Recognize our need and limitations.
2> God must choose us. [+Jesus] John 15:16
B. Will God NOT forgive?
1) Exaggeration, because contrary to God's nature.
2) He forgives, but is not superficial with sin. Exod 34:6-7
V. When to choose God.
A. Don't put it off.
Evangelist D. L. Moody said that his "greatest mistake" occurred
October 8, 1871.
On that night his message was based on Pilate's question,
"What shall I do then with Jesus?" (Matthew 27:22)
As he concluded, he said, "I wish you would seriously consider
this subject, for next Sunday we will speak about the cross,
and at that time I'll ask you,
'What will you do with Jesus?'"
Ira Sankey then sang the closing hymn, which included the lines,
"Today the Savior calls; for refuge fly.
The storm of justice falls, and death is nigh."
Little did anyone know that these words would be the last ever
heard in that huge hall.
Even as they were being sung, the soloist's voice was nearly
drowned out by the sound of clanging bells in the street.
That was the night of the great Chicago fire which almost
destroyed the entire city.
Among the hundreds who died were some who earlier had been in
Moody's audience.
The evangelist was greatly distressed by this and lamented his
tragic error in not asking men and women to receive the
Lord that evening.
"Now, whenever I preach," he said later, "I press for a
definite decision.
I would rather lose my right hand than give people even a day
to decide for Christ, for I don't know if I'll ever see
them again."
The gospel invitation is a "today only" offer!
#4414
B. The choice is not for you alone.
1) "As for me and MY HOUSEHOLD" - what about your family? 24:15
2) Families are special to God.
a) Christians have a spiritualizing effect within
families. (but no guarantees) 1 Cor 7:14,16
b) Salvation is for you and your children. Acts 2:39
c) Whole household saved. Acts 11:14; 16:15; 16:31; 18:8
C. Make your choice concrete.
1) Joshua made a book, a proclamation, and set up a stone.
2) For you, perhaps baptism. Testimony. Journal.
3) Christmas traditions can build faith.
[Suggestions for improving sermon: Too similar to previous sermons in this
series. It might be good to expand on how we make choices, and how
to make better ones. Also, reasons why a rational person would choose
to be a Christian.]
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#1549, Eerdmans' Handbook To The History Of Christianity, "Polycarp,"
page 81.
#4224, Massey H. Shepherd, Jr., "Far and Near," acquired from "Online
Christian Quotation Of The Day," edited by Robert McAnally Adams,
November 1, 1997.
#4413, Internet sermon: "Choose Today Whom You Will Serve!" by
Rev. David P. Nolte. [Story of Melissa from Albany Democrat-
Herald newspaper; Bininger illustration from Paul Lee Tan,
"Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations."
#4414, Internet sermon: "Choose Today Whom You Will Serve!" by
Rev. David P. Nolte. Moody illustration from Paul Lee Tan,
"Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations."
These and 4,300 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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POSSIBLE CHILDREN'S SERMON on "Choice"
CATEGORY: Choice, Decision, Hand
Number: 2197 Hard copy:
SOURCE: Dynamic Preaching Disk, Spring 1992 "A"
TITLE: I Am Doing A New Thing
ILLUSTRATION__________________________________________________________________
Children's sermon: Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21; Object: The Bible.
I want to tell you one of my favorite stories. It is about a king and a wise
man. The king didn't like this wise man. He was too popular with the people
and the king was jealous. The king tried to think of a way he could make the
wise man look bad.
One day he hit upon a scheme. He summoned all his followers, and sent for
the wise man. The king asked the wise man, "Oh, wisest of men, tell me this.
I have the tiniest of birds cupped between my hands. I command you to tell me
if the bird is alive or dead?"
The wise man realized that if he said, "Alive," the king would give one quick
squeeze and the bird would be dead. If he said, "Dead," the king would simply
open his hand and release the bird. The king would use either answer from the
wise man to make him look bad. The wise man pondered for a moment. The king
grew impatient. "Well," demanded the king, "Is the bird alive or dead?" The
wise man replied, "The choice is in your hand, your Majesty. The choice is in
your hand!"
Do you know how much God loves us, boys and girls? He loves us so much that
he has let us decide completely what we do with our lives, with the things we
own, with time, with everything in this world. The choice is in our hand.
But he has provided us with a book of wisdom that tells us the best possible
way to live our lives. It is this book, the Bible. That is why we read it.
That's why we study it in Sunday School. This book tells us how to have a
life that is wonderful. That is the kind of life God wants for each of us.
The choice is ours.
#2197
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Passage summary
I. Choose whom you will serve. 15
A. The real God.
B. Other gods.
II. People: we will not forsake God. 16
A. God did miracles of deliverance for us. 17
III. You are not able to serve God. 19
A. He is holy and jealous.
B. He will not forgive rebellion.
1) (hyperbole?)
2) Forsake God, and he will turn from good to evil for you.
IV. People: reaffirm their commitment. 21
A. They are witnesses against themselves. 22
V. Joshua: terms of commitment. 23
A. Throw away foreign gods.
B. Yield your hearts to God.
VI. Covenant, decrees, recorded, memorialized. 25-27
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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