Grace, Duty, and Choice (Pastor Jeff Shipley)

Grace, Duty, and Choice in Joshua 24

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military size.

We're going to be in Joshua chapter 24 this morning. Joshua chapter 24 and I have to by good hermeneutical logic and truth set the stage For our text this morning. It is the last chapter of the book of Joshua now who Joshua is.

Joshua is was the replacement for Moses the people of Israel came out of Egypt out of bondage and God delivered them but like good Baptist Christians that they were they were Complaining about every little step.

We don't have enough food. I don't like this food. I don't like this. I don't like that. And so finally God said look y 'all going to the promised land and the people said oh. But we can't do that. Those people are really big.

They all look like Artie who are we to be able to fight them and God said, you know what? This generation who chose not to believe. This generation who chose to live not by faith. But by sight you're gonna wander in the wilderness.

Until you die and it is your children that I will take into the promised land. Man, if there was ever a word for us to hear today in the church, it's that and so Moses died and God chose Joshua to lead the people and lead them he did in a breathtaking for those you love to study military history the Breathtaking campaign of Joshua now granted he had God so right away, you know.

He's gonna win but the breathtaking campaign to take over most of Canaan at that time. Came to pass. It's Joshua 24, and he knows he's about to die. Joshua is a hundred and ten years old and he knows he's about to die.

And so he said gather up all the leaders. All the judges all the tribe elders and meet me at Shechem. Because I have something I've got to say and so that's where we are today in Joshua chapter 24 and we're gonna start in verse 13 and I'm gonna pick this up in the middle of his speech.

But refer back a few times Joshua chapter 24 verse 13 God saying to the people of Israel. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built and You dwell in them you eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards.

That you did not plant. Ladies and gentlemen as a Christian. Every day now if you're a believer in here, how many of you are a believer in here, but you're on the struggle bus. You're really struggling with okay.

That's a lot. We got to fix that. We got to fix that John today guys. It's okay to struggle, but you can't really live in defeat all the time one of the things that is going to help you with that is a reoccurring Revisiting of the grace that God gave you now for those of you that are constantly living in fear and feeling like God doesn't love Me anymore because I've messed up or this and the other let me explain to you the type of grace Joshua was talking about you see from verse 2 all the way through verse 13.

Joshua retells the history of Israel in those 12 verses. He talks again and again about where God has brought you from and where God has brought you to. Not only through the trials and tribulations of the outside.

But of your own failures. God's still going to bring you exactly where he wants you to be. You can have made so many mistakes, but I want you to hear this term. It is the sovereign grace of God. Notice 21 times 21 times in verses chapter.

I mean verses 2 through 13 the singular Identity of God is spoken. Man is not doing anything. Man is not doing anything to illustrate this look at verse 3. I'm going to read verse 3 to you now listen very carefully now.

We're talking at this point a Thousand years has passed Between Abraham and Joshua. Now listen to verse 3. God said then I Took your father Abraham from beyond the river. That's the Euphrates and Led him through the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.

I Gave him Isaac. You see I am a Christian today. Not because I quit drugs. I am a Christian today not because I needed something in my life to change. I am a Christian today because God took grace on me and changed me.

I am the result of God's causality of grace. There is nothing in me that made me seek out God other than God. Some of you in this room are trying to find God through finding religion in churches. You think a relationship with God is having morals my dear friends.

That is the world's strategy that always leads to defeat. What you have to learn to rely on is the grace of God. You sit there today and say pastor I am a believer. I really am but I'm struggling and I'm failing.

Change the eye. From you to God. God knows your struggles, and he still died for you. God knows your failures not of your past and your present. But the ones that are still yet to come but as God's Word said this morning God showed his love for us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

That is sovereign grace. It is not earned it is not kept by me it is bestowed by God's grace. Guys, I want you to understand when it says I brought Abraham out of her. Abraham was not attending first Baptist Church of her.

He wasn't wearing a suit and tie. He didn't have a BMW camel. He didn't have a 10-inch hair part and go to the biggest church with the biggest King James Bible. He was literally serving false gods in fact through culture and tradition in history.

Tara Abraham's father was actually an idol maker. He actually made the idols that people served and that's the guy God chose. God didn't choose the preacher or the pastor or that God chose the most defiled Person there was you know why.

Because it shows how sovereign his grace really is. When the world says I can't God says already have so that's grace. But there comes a point where that grace must take root that grace must get Traction and I think that's where most Christians struggle today.

They want the Christianity because they want the forgiveness, but they don't want the sanctification that brings them through to fruition to live that grace-filled life and Unfortunately folks, that's not how it works.

You see for me to experience not have it bestowed for me to enjoy and rest on the grace of God. There is an element called Sanctification and I'm going to explain to you what sanctification is. I'm gonna make it really Stupid simple so even Arkansas people can understand it.

Sanctification Through Submission, Service, and Sacrifice

Verse 14. Now therefore Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away gods that your father served From beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord. I'm gonna give you three words for sanctification number one is submission.

Number two is service and number three is sacrifice. Let's talk about that first one. Submit man, that's a dirty word, ain't it? That's a dirty word today. It is watch this wives. You were to submit to your husband's Couple of y 'all were like I was with you up until that.

Submit to the authorities in your church. That's scripture submit to the government. President Biden, I have to show respect. Yeah. According to Scripture, yes, I remember I'll never forget this. I was at a pastor's conference and a pastor was talking about President Obama and that he hopes Obama Fails and he's a loser and all that and I remember sitting thinking to myself.

That's my president. I don't agree with 90 of what he does, but I don't want him to fail. Why would you want your leader to fail if you're following him? What sense does that make? I want him to be Absolutely successful.

Okay. I want him to win. Ladies and gentlemen, we have developed a culture in the totally depraved nature of rebellion. We have made Submission a bad word ladies and gentlemen I'm telling you if you want to experience the grace of God in its fullness.

You must submit to the authorities over you now. There is good precedence. Why look at the first couple of words of verse 14, it says now therefore now. What have I taught you when you see the word therefore in the scripture?

What goes before of it? Watch this you need to submit. Well, why should you because I just spent 13 verses telling you how you screwed up every step of the way. And I fixed it for the last 1 ,000 years.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're not having blind faith. I hate that term in Christianity. There is no blind faith. I know there's a God because I look at creation and nobody can explain it other what God has already said.

I look at the life changes in my heart and the way my mind thinks and I know there is no other Explanation. I was in a psychiatric care for seven years. I've been to rehab. I've tried drugs alcohol tried codependent relationships.

But who and what I am today is nothing more than by the grace of God and if he has brought me thus far. Therefore I should continue to trust him. Well pastor. I'm scared to submit to that Pastor I'm scared to give that up.

Therefore look what he has done thus far and look where he wants to take you. It's not blind faith notice also it says This fear the Lord. This is a big thing in submission now. There is a middle ground.

It's hard to explain in English. It really is fear is not I Felt a little weird doing that like that, but You know, it's not that but it is. It is. It's also not I respect you. You respect me. Okay, cool.

We're good buddies. Let's hug it out. It's it's it's in the middle of that. Now I'm just gonna tell you from my own personal life I'm scared of God. I know we just got finished praising and you know, it's like I just want to hug his feet and I want to run around in heaven and sit by the campfire and wait for a deer.

To walk by. I get all that. I go back to Scripture. Every time the presence of God showed up the first thing people did 100 of the time no matter what culture no matter what ethnicity no matter what spiritual maturity level.

They were at when the presence the Holy Presence of God showed up people felt face first on there on the ground. Because they were terrified. Let me tell you what terrifies you. Here's what terrifies me there is a holiness of God that I cannot reach and I realized that I'm not acceptable unless I can reach that holiness and I have nothing to get me there.

Save the blood of Jesus Christ. You see the problem is I'm not in control and I have no way to manipulate the situation to get in control. Some of y 'all hear what I'm saying? I've heard wives say this.

Yeah, he's gonna be mad about it. But don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. By the way, women don't ever say that publicly about your husband. Okay, because you just punk get him out. I've heard people say that yeah, I'll take care.

What he means is you're gonna get in somebody's ear you're gonna fix twist and word the situation a little bit. So everybody will be cool. You can't do that with God your best five minutes as a Christian is still never going to be good enough.

You're not good enough. Well, what do I do pastor? Submit. You let go and let God you stop trying to control the situation. And basically say this God I surrender. I have nothing to offer. Take my life.

Make me whole. Give me a piece that I can't find in my own works. And in that submission you start to find freedom. Look at this serve. Look what it says in verse 14 now, therefore fear the Lord and serve.

Ladies and gentlemen lip service with no body service is a lie. It's a lie. Man, I don't know what you people took up here, but whatever it is. Let's go buy some more. Okay, cuz dude, I'd be jamming on Zell.

Where were you on the dancing man? I thought for sure you'd be out there doing your MC hammer thing. I just hurt my knee. I'm 55. Let me go. Yeah guys the emotion and The joy that builds us up. The love it's beautiful and it's so important to strengthen us in our spiritual lives.

But I tell you this. Serving God makes you stronger. Well pastor. How do I serve God. Think about it for a second people always say serve God serve God, okay coach put me in. What do I do? What do I do?

Where's the burning bush? Where's the Tower of Light? Where's the Mormon? Where's the Catholic? Where's that? And that's how we get we start seeing what we think is what God wants. You know how you serve God.

It's real simple. God said it throughout his entire word. You want to serve God serve his people. You don't have to have a license. You don't have to be ordained. You don't have to understand the structure of canonic theology.

You don't have to have all that. You just look out and see baby Justin and you love him with all of your heart. You see him and what God has done in his life and your heart with joy just over explodes.

You love God's people. I eat the church and remember church it was stupid building. It's this right here. You want to understand sanctification? You got to it submit, but you've also got to serve his people and then the last one on this point is this.

You got a sacrifice. Mmm. It says put away the gods. How many gods you serve. How many gods you serve. Pastor I don't serve. I don't have a little Buddha thing. Come on man, you know if you look at verse it says in sincerity and faithfulness.

What's that word faithfulness means? It doesn't mean being right all the time. It means this. There's no hidden rooms in your heart that are private that no one else knows about. You've surrendered those to God as well.

That secret sin. That hidden room that you got. You've surrendered that as well. See that's Faithfulness sincerity and faith was you put away the gods not just the gods people can see. Not just the rails or the doobage or the bottle.

You put away that hidden room of pride and of lust and self-service and selfishness and pride those things. You sacrifice those gods as well. Last thing is this. It comes down to a choice. You got grace you got sanctification.

Let me explain to you a little bit about choice verse 15 and If it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord. Choose this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods of your father served in this region beyond the river or the gods of the Amorite whose lands you dwell.

But as for me and my house. We will serve the Lord. It's really cool here if you read this whole chapter you actually have three different types of gods three different types. You have going back to verse 2 you have the first of all the God of heritage.

The God of heritage, you know why Abraham served false gods. Because his daddy did. Because his daddy did. Ladies and gentlemen you know one of the hardest gods to put down is our Tradition and the incorrect teaching was we received in our formative years.

That's one of the hardest things to put down because it's where our safety blanket. It's where I will be is I know for me and one of the things that I always fight is my vulnerability. Because I grew up that if you were afraid your next immediate reaction is to put your fist in somebody's face.

But that solves everything. Successively larger and heavier hammers solve all problems. Mechanically physically logically it doesn't matter. Keyboard ain't working get a hammer, you know. Car ain't working hammer, and that's actually true if it's a starter get the Bendix, you know, but anyways.

You know what? I'm saying? Any problem I got I just put my fist in. Some of y 'all get that some of you won't but anyways. Guys, our heritage is one of the hardest things to put down and let me say this to you.

Part of that heritage is this White power. I love doing that guy. Yeah, I just don't understand. It's like I can collectively see everybody's butt go. Do you say that on the pulpit? No, is that unsells that bad?

Okay. Thanks, buddy. Black lives matter man. I own pride. You ain't brown. What's you put your farm at buns? I was like going. Yeah, brother wrong. Why brother see collectively y 'all are sitting there going.

Where's he going with this? You know what? You're serving you're serving the lies that this culture is pumping out. You're believing Bullcrap you really are there's no culture or heritage in this world except this.

The people of God and the people who are not of God. That's it. I'm sorry. That's the only two kinds of people there is you can subgroup as much as you want until you find An identity and something to serve but see that's the problem.

You're serving a false God. Well, I identify as a half Italian half Irish half English white heterosexual 55 year old hunter. That's my that's my demographic baby. If you don't like it, we'll screw you.

And I'm angry and I'm fired operation things today. That is an idol in which people are getting fired up over. Let me tell you something. None of y 'all have ever been slaves and none of y 'all have ever owned one.

I don't own nobody Jack except the grace of Jesus Christ. That's what I own, but it's not my heritage and it's not my identity. My identity is not a Baptist. My identity is not Italian Irish. My identity is not American.

My identity is not a male. My identity is a child of the Living God first and foremost. That is where I stand that is where I live and that is where I'm gonna die. You say well pastor, that's not where I'm at sanctify yourself.

Mature yourself start getting a biblical worldview instead of the narrow myopic heathen. Humanistic worldview you say you got a choice to make today. Which God are you gonna serve do you think God is really up there and he's a white guy.

Do you think God is a black guy? I've actually had pastors argue with me. Well, it says his hair was like wool. So he's black. I focus on curly hair. Look at Carrie if curly hair was black then sister you black, right?

Look at shark Weta. Well, you got African in you don't you she does she really does. Watch her name shark Weta. So right away. Guys, what God look at me? I'm being serious. What God are you gonna serve?

Why are you identifying yourself as a Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative that's ridiculous. It's because those things ideology have more importance to you than the holiness of the Living God.

And yet you cannot fathom why you can't mature in your faith. Ladies and gentlemen, are you really gonna hate let lies and hate? Dictate you the rest of your life if you do listen to me. Go ahead and start scheduling appointments for your kids in my office.

Because they're gonna grow up and be just like it. Well pastor. I don't agree with you. Okay? Okay, that's cool. You don't have to you will in about 15 years. You will. Because you have believed the lies coming out.

It's not just heritage. Look at this. It's also Bondage look at you of 2414 that your father served beyond the river and In Egypt, let me tell you another God you can serve. You can serve the God of bondage.

What does that mean pastor? It means this. You believe the lies that you have spun and you've spun them so much. You actually believe them to be true. I Ain't get one. Amen. So maybe you didn't understand.

Let me explain it to you. How many of y 'all are a victim? Remember, I've been here 20 years. I've heard your war stories. Oh Pastor, you just don't understand. I would serve but my daddy abused me. Oh pastor.

I've been wounded in church. I Really wish I'd get Melanie up here with her violin to start playing you a little tune. Okay Pastor you're making light of something that's serious. Yeah, I am because you have oh you have elevated it to a place where it's your identity.

When your identity what you serve becomes your identity and when your victimization and your past wounds Become your identity you are serving the gods of Egypt. You are sitting there and looking and I see born-again Christians doing it all the time guys I don't tell a lot about my testimony up here every I don't.

I did. I did. Because here's what it'll turn into and Robert we were talking about this and in a certain group. War stories even war stories before God's grace start becoming the main point instead of the grace.

You understand what I'm saying? How many of y 'all in here smoked weed raise your hand? Y 'all are a dopehead church, man. Good. Yeah. Twisting the fatty for Jesus, amen. Have you ever realized that there are some people who have smoked weed?

But you listen to them tell the story about it and they're like, you know, what was that guy in Columbia? Yeah, they're like Pablo Escobar, man. I'll sell it bricks. I had a guy here who was wanting to be a deacon.

He was like man. I was sold bales. Yeah, I guess It is is that supposed to impress me. I Tell my boys when they were younger. I told him this every time there's gonna be a group of people Who are going to elevate themselves socially in the idea that they had a harder life and you just don't Understand come here as someone who grew up in government housing.

Come here. It's bullcrap. Okay, it's it's all bullcrap. Okay, listen to me. You are creating a narrative and you are creating an image. Because you are scared to death or you are insecure and want people to respect you for crap.

You have not earned yet. You want to earn respect? It's real simple serve God serve God guys don't Make a God of bondage your God and if you've been in church and you've been wounded. Welcome to the party.

Welcome to the party. Now I will give you special attention when that wound equals that cross. When your flesh is dripping in ribbons and I can see your ribcage from people spitting on you beating you and whipping you and then hear you say Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Then you'll get my respect on that. Other than that serve God and you'll get the respect. Some of y 'all are struggling with things in your home right now, and you are a defeated wounded individual. You can't see past the hurt in the pain to see the grace of God that's already on the way working.

Right. You don't see it your worship goes down. Everything falls apart because you are so focused on the pain rather than the deliverer. Guys, listen to me. Not only is an open grave and Sunday on the way.

It's already here. Submit and trust one last God. It says this in verse 15 and the God of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. I have a sister-in-law. Who says this to me all the time? Jeff you are rude crude and socially unacceptable.

And I say to her Yeah, I Guess I am socially unacceptable. I mean, I'm not really rude I can be crude sometimes. But I am really socially unacceptable to be honest with you. I Like being socially unacceptable.

You know why? Because society can't tell a boy from a girl. I mean right away. That's not a group of people. I want to hang around and scrubs discuss Greek philosophy with you know. The society that I see today the culture that I see today wants division among God's people.

They want to elevate sin to greatness. I was doing the Facebook thing and You know where you can push the videos and just go through a bunch of anyways. There was this one this kid is about 20 something years old.

His face looked like a McNally Rand map. It was 18 ,000 colors and all this stuff and he had tattoos like everywhere you know it just and he had gold rings and diamond watches and he literally was carrying stacks of money like this.

And I was like who is this idiot and he sits there he goes he had a watch and he goes that's a house. Right there. That's a house right there. It was funny. He had like six watches on going. That's a house I'm like.

Really? I don't know who he is. I don't even know his name. Do y 'all know who I'm talking about. Sound like a what an island boy, I don't know what that is, but I Tell you what he is. He's a guy who was not raised properly who has massive insecurities.

Massive but that's not the that's not a shocker to anyone. Come here. Watch this his end 100 guaranteed is destruction. 100 100 well pastor. You don't know if he's in jail jail ain't destruction.

I ain't talking about the struts that kind of destruction. I'm talking about this. He is gonna die a lonely broken Individual and here's what he's gonna have to face. His life was a waste. How many of you in this room know who Rock Hudson is raise your hand?

Okay. How many of you know who drew Barrymore is? Okay, how many of y 'all know her father? Why not he was the greatest. How many of y 'all know Cecily DeMille was it's funny man as The generations continue these people have statues and hospitals named after him.

How many of y 'all know brother tanks Lee? No, you don't know you don't his name. His name listen his name is on this building. His name if you walk out the door and turn right there's a big plaque with his name on it.

You don't even know who he is. Let me tell you something the God of this culture says to worship yourself. Worship yourself. Be true to yourself. Love yourself accept yourself. I'm telling you all of that is a lie.

The God of this culture is leading you to destruction. You're gonna have horrible relationships. You're gonna have horrible kids. And you're gonna have a horrible life because you know at the end of the Tootsie Roll pop when you keep looking inside of you.

All you keep finding is filth and you're trying to convince everyone, but it ain't working guys. You need to make a choice to serve something other than yourself and the last thing is this. You need to have some commitment and you need to have some consistency.

You know what choice is it's this look at what Joshua says. Says. But as for me in my house We will serve the Lord. Now man, I want you to hear this real quick just for a second. He says but for me in my house.

That's a bold statement ain't it? That's a pretty bold statement. Me and Gwen are gonna go out to dinner tomorrow night. I Have an aster. But we're going out to dinner tomorrow night. Now Watch this some of y 'all are giggling because you're like, you know, that wouldn't work.

I guarantee you I could say Gwen. Whatever you got planned tomorrow. Cancel it. We're going out to dinner. She would say, okay fathers listen to me if You have your rear end in church. There is a 93 chance.

Your child will grow up better than not 93 Percent and it's not because of the church. It's because you're leading to righteousness. 93 chance. Oh, hold on follow the science. 93 He said this but as for me in my house, I ain't taking a poll.

I'm not taking a vote. I'm telling you is the guy whose hand is on the rudder. We're going that way. Well, I don't want to go that way jump overboard because this ship's going that way. That is the kind of decisive leadership the choice that you have got to make and it's hard buddy.

It's hard. It's hard, especially when your wife is crazy. Well, let me let you in on a secret. They all are okay. It's also hard when you're stupid. Well, guess what? All men are okay. It ain't a shocker to anybody.

If you want to know what it is to live in that Christian life, you got to see the grace every day. You got to sanctify every day and you've got to make a choice every day. But as for me in my house We will serve the Lord in the Hebrew.

It's better than in the English in the English. It sounds futuristic. But in the Hebrew it actually says this it should say this as for me in my house We have served the Lord and we will continue to serve the Lord.

No matter what and I want you to know that little dot at the end of the Lord is a period. Which means it's the end of the sentence and the end of the thought. It's not Lord and country. It's not Lord and church.

It's not Lord and pastor as for me in my house. We will serve the Lord. Where are you today? I'm we're about to have an invitation and I'm gonna ask you this right now. What choices do you have to make for the Lord?

Where are you for some of you you need to make the choice of salvation? You have never ever truly been a Christian you've been in church. You've had some warm fuzzies. You may have even prayed Jesus Christ into your heart.

That's not Christianity that prayers found nowhere in Scripture. You Jesus is not a Labrador retriever. You go come here. Come on. Come on. Come in my heart and save me. Okay, that's not that's not Scripture.

You see he's Lord. That means you go to him and submit. You bow your knee you tongue your confess that he is Lord. If you're not sure whether you're a Christian choose today to find out come down forward talk to a pastor.

We ain't gonna talk to you about the church. We're gonna talk to you about Scripture. Maybe your choice today is hey I need some accountability in the choices that I'm making. I need someone to help me along.

Maybe you need to come down here and join the church now if you want to join this one. That means you've got to go to work. We don't and I know it's gonna sound weird, but hang with me. We don't want you if you're just gonna sit in a pew you're welcome to come hang out be cool, whatever.

But don't join if you ain't willing to work. We're not interested in growing numbers. Winston growing a family here what I'm saying and our family works like Hebrew slaves. We cut the straw for own bricks.

Okay. Maybe the last thing is this pastor. I am a Christian. I Just need someone to help me choose on a daily basis how to make better decisions. I got a whole room of Christians just for you. I'm gonna ask you.

Is there a choice you need to make for Jesus this morning? I'm gonna ask you to stand and if God has spoken to you today as the pastors come front if God has spoken to you today. You come this morning as God leads.