Joshua 24:15
INTRODUCTION:
What is the biggest problem in the church today? Some people would say that it is false teachers while others would say it is materialism. Some might say that our problem lies with the leadership or the preacher. Today I will not attempt to place blame on any one group of people, I am preaching to each one of you individually. Today we will identify the problem and prayerfully hearts will repent.
THREE CHAIRS OF FAITH
I. There are three chairs of faith
A. The Chair of Commitment (to God)
B. The Chair of Compromise (concerning God)
C. The Chair of Conflict (with God)
II. Chair of Commitment
A. Represented by Joshua
B. A slave in Egypt, a servant of Moses, a desert spy, and a general and national leader during the conquest of Canaan.
C. In Joshua 23 & 24, Joshua delivers a stirring speech to the people and throws down, not just the challenge of a lifetime but, the challenge for the ages.
D. "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).
E. Joshua was completely committed to the Lord.
F. Can you see yourself in this chair?
III. Chair of Compromise
A. Represented by the elders that served after Joshua
B. These men only served God in part; they served the Lord when his purposes served their own.
C. For example, they were given the task of cleaning out the remaining pockets of pagan worship in the Promised Land.
D. Instead of destroying them as commanded by God, they compromised on God’s commands.
E. It seemed like a good idea, less blood shed and free work from new slaves, but it was not God’s idea.
F. They set a pattern of serving god only in part, only when it was convenient for them.
G. Can you see yourself in this chair?
IV. The Chair of Conflict
A. Represented by the children of the elders
B. Joshua was completely faithful, the elders were only somewhat faithful, this led to a group that was in complete rebellion to God.
C. Because of the compromise of one group, their children were set up for complete rejection!
D. "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals; and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger" (Judges 2:10-12).
E. This is the slippery slope of backsliding.
F. This is the end of the pathway for the problem we are experiencing.
G. Do you see yourself in this chair?
GODS DISPLEASURE OVER THIS PROBLEM
I. The Lord’s displeasure shown among the church.
A. "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16).
B. These are Christ’s words to his church.
C. These people could not make up their mind who they were going to serve.
D. Complacency is NEVER pleasing to God.
II. The Lord’s displeasure will be shown in Judgment.
A. "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:21-23).
B. There will be many disappointed people on the Day of Judgment.
C. People who claim to be Christians but were not truly committed to Christ.
D. This problem we are experiencing is one that will cause people to lose their soul.
THE PROBLEM IS COMPLACENCY
I. First, there is the apathetic sinner.
A. This person is in sin and may not even be aware of it.
B. This kind of sin can "creep" up on you.
C. It is the frog in boiling water situation.
D. This sin is characterized by a heart not committed to God.
E. We must make up our minds who we will serve.
II. Second, is the indifferent Christian
A. Rarely will division or a split cause the demise of a congregation.
B. Yet, apathy and indifference can destroy even the strongest of congregations.
C. This is where Midway church of Christ stands today!
CONCLUSION
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
Mitchell Skelton, Minister
Midway church of Christ
http://www.TheLordsWay.com/Midway
