WEBVTT 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:05.200 Thank you for joining us on the CCW podcast. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:11.039 Make sure you connect with us on social media to stay up to date on ministries and events happening at CCW. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.960 We hope you're encouraged, inspired, and motivated by today's message. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:19.039 To find out how to connect with us, keep listening after the message ends. 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:22.079 Good morning, CCW. 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:24.320 Good morning. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.559 Happy spring break. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:31.199 You made the right choice, and I'm thankful you did. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:33.359 And it's gonna be a good morning. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:36.799 Turn your Bibles to Joshua chapter 24. 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:44.880 I'm excited and saddened that we are finishing the series forward on the book of Joshua. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:50.399 I'm excited because I think some books close and it sort of fizzles out, like Jonah. 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:52.240 If you've read Jonah, Jonah's a fizzler. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:56.560 But Joshua, it is like a grand finale. 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:58.240 And so I love this chapter. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.520 I'm excited for that. 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:01.600 God has some good things in store. 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:10.799 We'll be hitting a few weeks for Easter sermons, the next few weeks, and then we're jumping into the book of Colossians after that. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:13.359 So God is moving that way. 00:01:13.519 --> 00:01:16.959 But before I do that, I have a little order of business. 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:24.879 So in March, March is a celebration of pastors' wives. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:30.239 And I am so thankful that I have a help meet by my side. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:37.760 And I'm gonna say some things to her, and on behalf of the other gentlemen at the church that have a wife that helps them. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:42.560 I know this with my wife, God called Heather to the ministry before me. 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:54.239 Heather has a calling for certain on her life, and um the calling God's put on her life is a blessing to me daily. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.760 Um the call to ministry is a 24-7 calling. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:02.799 Um this week Heather went to a funeral with me. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.319 She made some ministry meals. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:12.000 We had folks to the house, she serves the church, she teaches, and ministry is great. 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:13.360 I don't want to paint a picture. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:16.000 It is it is time consuming. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:17.280 Ministry's great. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:18.000 I love it. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:20.879 And we love that we get to do this together. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:25.520 I've said for a long time, they hired me and they got something better. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:38.800 Um, and so, ladies that work with your husbands, uh man, I'm so thankful for Michaela and Kirby and Amanda and Sarah and of course my wife Heather. 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:42.240 Um but I was thinking about just what could I say about it? 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:46.000 This this weekend kind of summed it up for me with my wife. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.280 So she has been saying, we have grown rapidly here. 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:55.599 And it's been really exciting, and sometimes it feels like you're swimming, and I'm trying to meet all the faces. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:02.639 My wife said to me a week or two, well, about a month ago, she said, you know something that I don't really love about the growth that we've had? 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.759 She said, I feel like I don't know everybody as good as I once did. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:09.840 And so she put the brakes on me. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:15.840 So for a month straight, we have been meeting with people for lunches, we have been meeting with people, have them to the house. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:20.080 Her heart is she wants to know her church. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:22.560 And so I love that, and I'm so thankful. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:26.560 And for the rest of the ladies, can we have our pastor's wives to stand up? 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:29.840 Wherever Benji is, he has a gift that's coming to you. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.319 All right, stand up just for a second. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:38.960 They're coming, they're coming. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:48.240 I'll be in trouble for that later, but that's okay. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:50.000 That's okay. 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:53.919 Kirby, I believe, is upstairs if you have that car. 00:03:54.159 --> 00:03:55.759 But anyways, thank you. 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:58.719 And uh man, it's a blessing to be able to serve. 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:00.080 And we're having fun. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.240 I'm telling you, we are having a blast. 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:05.919 I love what we get to do together, so it's always been that way. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:07.039 It's been us. 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:08.560 I'll cry again. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:10.319 Joshua 24. 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:17.360 There's four parts to every story as you turn to Joshua 24. 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:20.720 There's the setting, which is where you are. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:21.600 You are here. 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:23.759 You are right here in Chelsea, Westover. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.959 Your setting is your school, your home, your circle. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:28.800 There is a conflict. 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:30.879 You didn't have to look hard for a conflict. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:31.920 You were born. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:38.879 And so the spirit and flesh wage a war in every human being, and so there's conflict. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:47.279 But if you look in a movie, if you look in a romance, a comedy, all of them have a conflict that has to be solved by end of story. 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.519 So there's the setting, there's the conflict, there's the climactic choice. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:56.079 We're gonna circle that today, and we're really gonna look at that. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:04.639 But the climactic choice, and what the climactic choice does in every movie, in every book, in every story, is it brings the fourth part, the resolution. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:09.839 What you leave the story with, the feeling you get out of that choice. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.959 And so I want you to know today that climactic choice. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.439 You have the power of choice. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:22.560 Nobody else in here has the power to choose your choices but you. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:29.199 You're the only one that has the power of your choice, and you have the power to choose. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:42.480 And so I want us to walk through as we look at Israel, the people that they were becoming, I want you to know that the person you become is revolved around this power of choice. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:46.399 You are choosing what you're becoming as we speak. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.120 Look at your neighbor and say, You got the power. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:52.480 Let's pray. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:54.160 Father, we love you. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:57.279 We thank you for your word and its truth. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:05.680 God, we know that we can come in here and be motivated by a lot of things, but one thing can change a heart. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.720 We ask for your Holy Spirit's presence. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:13.920 And God, I ask that you would just come and divinely move. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:15.839 Lord, we need you. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:17.519 Less of us, more of you. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:18.959 In Jesus' name. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:19.920 Amen. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:24.079 First point this morning, the consideration of God's hand. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:28.000 I want you to see in Joshua chapter 24, verse 1. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:40.000 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, for their officers, and they presented themselves before God. 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:44.160 And so, letter A is this the last of Joshua's gatherings. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.720 If you look, we kind of took a big leap. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:48.959 So chapter 10 is where we left off. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:57.839 Chapter 11 through 22 is Joshua and the Israelites' conquests and dividing of the land out as inheritances. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:02.079 And then in Joshua chapter 23, kind of a funny thing happens in these two. 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:05.120 Joshua chapter 23 is his farewell address. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:09.839 He tells everyone, this is everything I have left to tell you. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:17.040 And then it's as if God spoke to him and he says, wait a second, there's just another thing. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:20.079 And he says, I need you to gather everybody up together again. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:21.680 I need all the important people. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:30.720 I need the mayor, I need the city officials, I need the city council, I need all the presidents, definitely the moms that work in the mother, you know, the programs in school. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:38.720 I need everybody on the PTO, I need everybody important, the principals, I need the sheriffs, and I need everybody to gather at Shechem. 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:40.959 Now that's important. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:43.199 Why is Shechem important? 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:48.800 Because the name of Shechem is the covenant city, it's the place of God's promise. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:54.560 And so Joshua gets everybody together and presents themselves before God. 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:55.439 That's what it says. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.279 It says, they bring themselves together. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:57.839 That's important. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:00.639 Don't miss that phrase at the end of verse 1. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:04.160 And they present themselves before God. 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:07.120 At Shechem, the place of a promise. 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:08.879 And don't miss that. 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:11.839 They expect to hear from God from Joshua. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:17.519 They're presenting themselves to God at the covenant city where Joshua is speaking. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:19.519 Oh, to have that testimony. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:26.800 That when the people hear the word of God and the church of God, that the man of God, they would expect that God's voice would come from that place. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.199 Oh, to have that testimony. 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:33.840 And so Joshua goes forth from verse 1. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.200 We're going to see in a minute, letter B is this the loyalty of Jehovah God. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:39.120 This is what he wants to talk about. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:46.320 And so God is speaking through Joshua to remind the Israelites of his loyalty. 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:49.039 All the people were there. 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:53.279 Bated breath, as Joshua gathered everyone back together. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:59.600 The old seasoned, gritty, general looks up, everyone's silent. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:06.960 And he says, Thus says the Lord, verse 2, God of Israel. 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:08.879 This is God speaking. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:11.679 God is speaking through me to give you a message. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:14.000 And so he says, Thus says the Lord. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:20.320 And I want you to look at verses 3 through 12 and pay particular attention to the word I. 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:23.279 Go ahead down to verse number 3. 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:26.000 Then I took your father Abraham. 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:29.360 Verse 4, to Isaac, I gave the mountains. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:32.159 Verse 5, I plagued Egypt. 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:34.320 Continue no, I brought you out. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:36.720 Verse 6, I brought you out of the Red Sea. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:39.440 Verse 8, I gave them into your hand. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:41.679 Verse 10, I delivered you out. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:44.960 Verse 11, but I delivered them into your hand. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:48.240 Verse 12, I sent the hornet before you. 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:53.600 In other words, he's saying, you've gotten here because I got you here. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:57.759 You've gotten to the point where you've gotten, not because you did anything. 00:09:57.840 --> 00:09:59.759 And then he says it in verse 12. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:04.799 He says, Not with your sword, the end of the verse, and not with your bow. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:08.559 He says, I have gotten you to this place. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.519 We start and end, church, with God. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:16.000 I want you to know that today. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:21.360 Heather and I on occasion will uh put a puzzle together. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:26.559 This is grand fun for Heather. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.399 There is a right process to her in putting a puzzle together. 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:32.879 Okay? 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:39.200 I didn't know until we were married that something that's supposed to be fun like this has rules. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:40.240 I didn't know. 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:45.840 I went haphazard as she said willy-nilly with the pieces and start kind of picking them apart. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:46.960 And she's like, What are you doing? 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:48.000 I've already looked at those. 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:49.679 I didn't know. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:53.840 I didn't know there were regulations and there was borders in this project. 00:10:54.080 --> 00:11:05.039 And so I come in when a puzzle's out about every two hours and I look over five to ten pieces, and I might even get one during my time there. 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:11.519 Heather will sit there calmly, processing thoroughly, has her everything's in order, right? 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:18.320 And when I come in, I come and put my piece in, and I look for things really, you know, the hard part, real big, bold letters. 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:19.279 You know, right? 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.759 Heather looks at all blue, just blue, right? 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:22.240 The sky. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:25.120 I'm like, who wants to spend their time with things like that? 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:28.000 Give me all the hard letters and the big bold faces. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:29.039 I'll put them together for you. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:30.240 Don't you worry, babe. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:31.360 I got this. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:36.159 And so I come in and I do my 50 pieces out of a thousand. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:40.639 And when the puzzle is complete, I want people to see the puzzle that we did. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.840 Look at what we have completed. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:47.519 This is a crass comparison. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:50.159 But Israel just kind of showed up. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:58.720 And God puts all the pieces together, and it's a grand illusion to believe that you and I have some sort of control. 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.279 God is sovereign. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:07.600 And through Joshua, he says, You were there, but I brought you here. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:10.320 Is that not your testimony today? 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:13.519 You were there, but I brought you here. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:15.279 That's my testimony. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:16.799 I hope that it's yours. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:21.759 And so God brings all the pieces together, and God says, You remember the river that I dried up? 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:25.440 You were there, but I brought you here, and then it stood in a heap. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.279 Do you remember the walls of Jericho? 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:28.480 Y'all walked through and you walked. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:29.519 Do you remember those walls? 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:32.000 You were there, and I brought you here. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.240 And do you remember all that I have done? 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:35.840 Do you remember the battles? 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:39.600 And he says, I did that through Joshua. 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:40.879 He says, I did that. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:45.039 I want you to look at your neighbor, point to yourself, and say, God did that. 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:47.360 Point to yourself. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:48.799 God did that. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:53.600 You see, God, Jehovah God is loyal. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:58.320 When we think about loyalty, we think about what's dependable. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:00.639 Cal Ripkin Jr. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:11.039 had 3,184 career hits, 431 home runs, 1,695 runs batted in. 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:12.879 He was a two-time MVP. 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:14.799 But you know what Cal Ripkin Jr. 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:16.080 was known for? 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:22.559 He played 2,632 consecutive baseball games. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:25.919 17 years without a sick day. 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:32.879 And in September of 98, baseball's Iron Man broke Lou Gehring's long-holded streak. 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:38.879 From 1982 to 1998, he amassed that record. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.200 And people say, that's the Iron Man. 00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:42.559 That's dependability. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:46.159 I want you to understand, he never missed a day. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:49.360 God, church, has never missed. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.120 He's never missed. 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:52.559 He cannot miss. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:58.159 The Hebrew word that speaks most to his loyalty is the word Hesed. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:03.440 Hesed is used in Scripture 250 plus times. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:07.600 And it's used in a variety of ways that I want to talk to you about. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:12.080 About 60% of the time, Hesed is translated mercy. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.840 Sometimes Hesed is translated loving kindness. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:23.519 Sometimes Hesed is translated just kindness, sometimes goodness, sometimes translated steadfast love. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:30.960 But obviously, when we see this word used, it's a word seeking to define an attribute of who God is. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:32.559 His Hesed. 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:37.360 And so I want you to know that that is something that Scripture talks about him. 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:47.120 Joshua 2, Rahab, it says, dealt Hesed with Caleb and Joshua, and hope to be dealt Hesed back. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:53.200 She dealt with kindness, she dealt with loyalty and was hoping that it would be dealt back to her, and it was. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:57.360 I want you to turn for a second to Psalms 136. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:00.720 Just turn now. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:02.639 Wait until you see this. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:08.240 I was reading this in devotions the other day, listening to it. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:11.840 And man did it get a hold of my attention. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:21.919 It said, Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his Hassed endures forever. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:27.039 Verse 2, O give thanks to the God of gods for his Hassed endures forever. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:31.679 Verse 3, oh give thanks to the Lord of Lords, for his Hassed endures forever. 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:35.360 To him alone does great wonders, for his Hassed endures forever. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:41.279 To him who's by wisdom made the heavens, for his Hassed endures forever, all the way down through verse 26. 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:43.039 26 times. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:48.799 It describes his loyalty, his goodness, his faithfulness. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:56.399 1 Thessalonians 5.24 says, The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:57.840 He's faithful. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:06.799 1 John 1 9 says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:13.039 Revelation 19.11 says, the one on the white heart is coming, his name is faithful and true. 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:16.639 I'm gonna call that word today his loyalty. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:18.399 He is loyal. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:20.080 Like nobody else is loyal. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:24.000 Listen, you know when somebody's been disloyal to you, am I right? 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:28.240 You know that feeling when somebody's kind of turned their back or let you down. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:34.159 And so God, within his nature, cannot be disloyal. 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:36.399 Well, look further. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:37.759 It didn't end there. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.440 Joshua continued. 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:41.039 Verse 13. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:45.440 So he talked about God's power over circumstances. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:49.279 Now he talks about God's power even over our comfort. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:50.639 Look at verse 13. 00:16:50.799 --> 00:17:03.919 I've given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them, and you eat of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:08.480 He says, even your comfort came from my doing. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.319 Think about your comforts, your conveniences. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.200 He said, I gave you a land, you didn't labor. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:16.480 How did this land get here? 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:19.039 This land wasn't here because you got it here. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:21.759 You walked through Jericho, I got that done. 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:27.359 This land that is your land, I've used the unrighteous to build your land. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:29.759 How about that, unrighteous? 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:36.640 He said, The people that were against me, I've used them for a land of promise for you. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:38.960 And you're eating sitting back. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:42.880 I like to think of the Israelites on a hammock right now, eating a big piece of fruit. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:46.640 You're eating a vineyard that you didn't even plant. 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:48.720 You didn't garden this. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:52.480 But you're eating the fruit of what I've done. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:56.160 Can you consider that? 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:58.400 Where you are today. 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:00.720 Man. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.200 We didn't have a choice in a lot of this. 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:04.880 It just kind of happened to us. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:07.920 I've told y'all I feel like the turtle on the fence post. 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:12.720 I don't know how I got here, but if you see a turtle on a fence post, you go, somebody had to pick that up and put it there. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:15.039 That's God. 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:17.039 That's God. 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:21.119 God used all kinds of things, and no one is outside of his grass. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:24.000 Who used evil people for our good? 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:33.200 So when I think about all God's doing in our church, I'm gonna be careful that I don't want to come across with an arrogant spirit. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:38.640 I ask God that we keep me humble because all that we have this is God's funds. 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:40.480 This is God's land. 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:42.240 This is God's material. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:45.440 These are God's people with God's hands for serving. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:46.640 This is God's ministry. 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:48.559 It is something that we put together. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:51.839 He had this in mind well before we were ever in it. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:54.319 And so it's God's. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.599 The loyalty of God we see. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.920 Well, finally, God gives Joshua a chance to preach some. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.759 Look at verse 14. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:04.880 That's what happens. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.119 He's been speaking, remember, a word from God. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.079 And now we see a clear transition. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:14.559 Number, or letter two this morning, or number two, is the challenge from God's man. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.079 He starts off strong. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:21.839 Let's read verse 14, the first part. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:25.759 See, here's the transition that you see if you if you study scripture. 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:27.920 He was speaking from God to them. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.279 Now, therefore, is Joshua's turn. 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:35.519 Now, therefore, we see a very important phrase. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:37.920 Fear the Lord. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.720 Serve him in sincerity and in truth. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.839 So letter A this morning is this fear the Lord. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:48.480 Now he has just given them a whole course on why to fear the Lord. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:20:04.400 And then Joshua says, in light of his loyalty to us, in light of all the eyes that he just mentioned, the dependability of God, now therefore, and Joshua takes the mic and he says, his first word, now therefore, fear. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:10.480 That is, Yahweh, means to stand in awe. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:17.039 In light of all that he just told us that he did, he says, stand in all, Israelites. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:19.200 Be astonished. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:28.480 That is to reverence his almighty power, to have a reverential respect for God and his presence. 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:31.039 I've said to people before, this is holy ground. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:34.319 People look at me, well, this looks like a basketball floor with a tart. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:43.039 Well, I have seen the Spirit of God fall and real tears happen in people's faces. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:46.720 I've seen the Spirit of God fall and people break chains. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:50.960 And I've seen the Spirit of God fall, and people come to know Christ as Savior. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:57.039 And so when I think about the name and who God is, I say, we fear. 00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:58.319 We'd be astonished. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.759 Have you ever seen a 70-plus-year-old person come to Christ? 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:05.359 I mean, listen to me. 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:08.240 Their whole life lived a certain direction. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:10.160 One way, one way, one way. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:14.640 And you know what happens the older you get, the more stubborn you get, and you don't want to get this. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.920 You can't even break the morning routine after a while. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:19.039 This is what I do. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:20.480 What are you thinking about right now? 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:21.920 This is coffee time. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:27.440 And you walk in there and bust up, they get mad at you and angry and tell you because you're old and you've deserved the right to say it. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:28.960 And so they go their way. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:32.000 And God gets a hold of that heart and changes it. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.720 That is that is hallowed ground. 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:38.960 I've been in church service and see people near 80 years old give their life to Christ. 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:42.799 I'm like, this, you don't understand what's just happened. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:48.960 This is miraculous because people don't want to break chains that they've been in for two, three, four, five years. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:51.119 It's amazing. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:58.160 And so he says, Joshua says, he gears himself up the gentleman, he says, fear. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.680 He couldn't 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.680 Had had a whole message right there. 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:03.920 Doesn't really have to go on. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.319 It's a hallowed thing. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:08.480 And you're here today, by the way. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:11.359 That means you have a respect for the Lord's day. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:12.559 Thank you. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:14.720 I'm so glad that you're here today. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:16.160 It's a hallowed thing. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:19.119 You know, I don't say God's name flippantly. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:22.240 It's a hallowed thing to speak of God's name. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.119 I tell my kids, don't you say OMG. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:27.599 I say you can say OMB. 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:30.559 You can say oh my Buddha, and I encourage that. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.039 Oh my Brahma, the Hindu God, please. 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:34.160 You can say O my Brahma. 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:37.359 Or even oh my Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.559 You can say all of those. 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:39.519 That's encouraged. 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:41.839 Don't say, don't say OMG. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:43.920 That's a hallowed name. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:48.400 That's a reverence name that deserves a respect. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:52.319 See, I've taken to prayer to the names of my God. 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:55.519 I prayed to Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:59.759 And I prayed to Jehovah Jireh, the God who has been my provision. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:03.839 And I have prayed to Jehovah Nisi, the God that's my banner and my protector. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:09.200 And I have prayed to Jehovah Ram, the Lord that's my shepherd, and he is shepherd and guided me. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:13.279 And I have prayed to Jehovah Shalom, the God who is my peace. 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:17.279 And so when you talk about the names of God, I say that's a place of reverence. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:20.079 Joshua says, Yahweh. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.799 And here's the thing, I think. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:31.119 If you are in awe, if you revere God, it will impact your choices. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:33.839 Listen to me. 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:42.720 If you really fear God, revere God, it'll impact that decision that you make to say the thing that you're going to say. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:45.119 Because God is in that place. 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:53.680 And the place that you're about to go is impacted because you have a fear for God and you understand that He is present in the life of a believer. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:58.480 And the thing that you click on on the television is impacted because you say, you know what? 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:02.720 I have a fear of God and I don't want to put unholiness in the sight of the holy. 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:07.119 And so I'm not going to excuse it away or justify it and say, well, it's just about as good as everything else. 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:10.720 No, I have a fear and a reverence for my God. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.640 I don't watch horror films. 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:15.519 I said, Well, Pastor, I didn't know that's what we're getting today. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:22.240 Listen, I don't want to invite that stuff into the presence of where God's supposed to be. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.920 And I'm scared of ghosts. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:28.160 So, you know, I don't want to be dealing with that at two in the morning when I wake up. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:28.640 Okay? 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.799 But I believe in it. 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:32.160 Why? 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:33.440 Yah Ray. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:34.880 Yah Ray. 00:24:35.119 --> 00:24:35.759 It's fear. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:38.240 You know, I dress a certain way because I fear God. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:39.759 I have a respect for God. 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:43.599 Joshua needed one word to give a message. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:45.279 He said, Yah Rah. 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:48.000 In light of all that he's done. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:49.759 Would you just fear him? 00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:52.640 Hebrews 12, 28 says it like this. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:25:03.200 Therefore, since we are receiving us a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:06.960 There's things in our life that we have reverence and awe for. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:18.559 When I was early in the ministry, and Heather and I had just the kids were not very old, and I was trying to make my way. 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:22.880 You start building your house and you start getting the things that you want to build your home well. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:25.200