Defining Moment; Joshua 24 Preached at Midway Community Church June 11, 2000;
What is a defining moment? When a choice you make or an incident happens that will from that moment define some aspect of your life!
We have many of these moments through out our physical lives. Examples: when we move from children to teenagers; when we get married; take our first job; our mate dies; our parents die; a terminal disease invades our body;
We also have many defining moments throughout our spiritual lives. When we become a Christian; begin to allow Christ to live through us instead of trying to live for Him; when we come face to face with our first trial as a new believer; when we are totally wrestled down and face a storm; when we discover the reality of a truth we have heard all our lives; when we begin to know Jesus in a vital relationship; these are just a few, many more will occur before our journey ends;
DEFINING MOMENTS ARE NOT RARE AS SUCH BUT THEY ARE DEFINING;
As we come to the end of our study in Joshua, "Where the promise becomes a reality", chapter 24 is what I would call a defining moment in the life of the nation. Joshua is going to call on them to MAKE A CHOICE OF WHO THEY ARE GOING TO SERVE. I would say that is a defining moment wouldn’t you? The choice they will make will define them as a people.
This will be the choice before them, chose then this day who, not what, you will serve, the gods beyond the river, or Jehovah God.
Several defining moments up to now;
A. When they faced the Jordan; here is where they trusted God to stop the flooding river so they could occupy the promise land, it defined them as a people who could trust God to provide a way where there seemed to be no way, THEY WERE DEFINED AS A CROSS OVER PEOPLE AT THIS POINT IN THEIR LIVES; Cross over to our inheritance: i.e., “come to me; rest in me; abide in me;” Either we stay in the wilderness and be defined as a wilderness person, or we cross over and become defined as a cross over people;
B. When they faced Jericho; an impossible task, far beyond their ability to penetrate the fortress, and it stood as the barrier to the promise land; they were defined as a people who (were STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT) let God have the battle; Have you been defined this way as you faced your Jerichos? Or are you trying to help God out, or given up and gone back to wilderness living? Our Jerichos will define us as to what kind of CHRISTIAN SOILDERS We really are;
C. When they faced their first defeat at AI; It defined them as a people who, when depending upon their own resources, would be defeated no matter how small the task, but when faced with defeat they were not done in by that defeat; (DEFINED AS MORE THAN CONQURERS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED THEM); WE are not defined by our defeats but how we respond to them; In faith and hope trusting in God’s Grace to bring us up and out. We are either CONQURERS OR COWARDS;
D. When they faced the Kings, matter of fact Joshua describes them as seven nations greater than them selves; they persevered; we as a believers are either persevering or we are retreating, which defines you when you are faced with overwhelming odds the enemy uses to defeat you, to try to discourage you, or something that causes you much worry, do you press on or do you pass out?
Now they are facing another defining moment, this moment is unlike the previous ones, they are not facing a flooding river, or a formidable fortress; They are not faced with their own defeat, or with seven nations ganged up against them.
They are faced with success, they are faced with settling down in a land that God has brought them to. Living on the inheritance, resting.
The New Testament puts it like this, "be steadfast, immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord", Press on; Don’t let any immorality be named among you which is not becoming to saints, lift up the hand that hang down and the knees that are weak; don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together, shall we continue in sin? Now that you are here at this point, having received your inheritance, ready to live out of it, and build on it, Joshua says, “listen up”.
From this moment on they will make a choice that will define them. Will they continue to be a people who SERVE GOD or SERVE THEMSELVES? Will they continue to DEPEND on God or will they DEPART from this dependent relationship? Will they continue to walk by faith or will they want to go back to walking by sight? Will they live as the covenant people of God in the midst of this pagan culture or will they succumb to the influence of paganism? Will they live dependent in the face of all the difficulties they will face as humans, problems, temptations, rejection, peer pressure, hurt, etc?
For us it would be, am I going to allow Christ to continue to Extend, express, and exhibit through me Monday through Saturday?
This is my position in Christ, secure, and standing in grace, when I am faced with temptations and problems will I live as a Saint? When the: kids are driving me up the wall, will I go over the wall? My teenagers are very close to having a contract put out on them; I’ve lost my mate; rejected by my family; fouled up at work and lost my job; a family that huts me constantly; HOW DO I SERVE GOD AND NOT MY OWN INTREST?
THESE "DAYS” ARE DEFINING DAYS TO SAY THE LEAST. The choice we make in the middle of these will define us.
What is brought to light to help them when they were faced with this defining moment?
1. THEY WERE REMINDED OF THE PROVEN CHARACTER OF GOD; v1-13; if anyone is to make a decision to serve God and not themselves this is where their choice must start; what do they hear about Him?
a. He is the God that came beyond the river; without any prompting on the part of Abraham, with out any prior knowledge of God, God came into Ur beyond the river to bring Abraham into a relationship with himself; He did not let the river stop him, nor did he let Abraham being an idol worshiper stop Him, he wanted a relationship with him so He went beyond the river; God came beyond the river of the Cross where His son died, to bring me into a relationship[p with Himself;
b. He is also the GOD THAT CARED BEYOND REASON; v3-4a; God lead him out of Ur and showed him the land; throughout the course of his life Abraham stumbled and fell on different occasion; he tried to help God out, he lied to kings; his wife even laughed at God’s promise, but God kept on caring for him; day and night; season after season; never abandoning His plan and never forgetting His promise, he cared beyond reason; "even while we were yet sinners Christ died for us"; You saints in Christ Jesus" Though you might forget me, I will never forget you, a nursing mom could before I could; I have loved you with an everlasting love; no one ever cared for me like Jesus; HE CAME BEYOND THE RIVER, HE CARES BEYOND REASON;
c. He is also the God THAT CREATES OUT OF HIS OWN RESOURSES; He made a way where there seemed to be no way; “I gave you” etc; “I sent Moses”; The Bible is filled with God creating out of His own resources to deliver us;
d. He is the GOD, WHEN THEY CRIED OUT RESPONDED; 4c-7b; Exodus 2:23-25; 3:6-9; Ps. 107:4-6; 10-14; 17-20; 23-29; 43; The God who came beyond the river, who cared beyond reason, who creates out of His resources, and when cried out to responds
e. He is the GOD THAT CARRIED THEM INTO THEIR REST; after 600 years of wandering they finally were able to rest; In spite of their rejection of Him, constantly grumbling, wanting to go back, He brought them to the promise land; HIS CHARACTER IS PROVEN; HE CAME BEYOND THE RIVER, HE CARED BEYOND REASON, HE CREATED OUT OF HIS RESOUSES, HE RESPONDED TO THEIR CRY, HE CARRIED THEM TO REST;
2. THER WERE CHALLENGED TO MAKE A CHOICE; 14-15 just two verses, it does not take long to make a choice; here is the challenge, to fear God, bring Him on line, and put away the gods beyond the river; Serve God or serve your own interest? They would either be A CONQURER OR BE CONQURED, THEY WILL EITHER BE A VICTOR OR A VICTIM? IT ALL DEPENDED ON THE CHOICE THEY WOULD MAKE. It does not sound like a big challenge but it is. What about the hurts you have not forgiven, is it not a challenge to give them to God and forgive the hurter? What about the relationships you have not trusted God with? We are challenged daily to either serve God or ourselves; THIS DEFINING MOMENT INCLUDED THE CHARACTER OF GOD THAT WAS PROVEN, A CHALLENGE TO CHOSE; AND;
2. A COMMITMENT THAT WAS SHALLOW; V16-28; note they had:
a. The right phrases but lacked the personal relationship with God;
b. They were not willing to put away the gods beyond the river; we cannot serve two masters; they had seen his work, but had not known His warmth; they had sight of Him but did not KNOW HIM; the difference between them and Joshua? He had a meeting that mattered; at nine I prayed a prayer, but at 28 I met a person; from 9-27 I could not keep a commitment to Him, at 28 He made a commitment to me; fast forward to v31 and then to Judges 2:10;
3. THEIR COURSE WAS SET FOR DESTRUCTION;
We all have many defining moments throughout our Christian life. As we face them, remember we are faced with a choice in most cases so as Joshua challenged the nation of Israel I challenge you to: ‘choose this day whom you will serve’, that choice will define our belief system and will set a course for our lives.
