Let’s hosanna because we have the The biblical Passover feast coming up It is to understand the season that we’re in I’m going to Attempt to put something into perspective this afternoon Biblically this time that we’re coming into Passover the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits is a transitional period that we read of in the Bible and Of course, we know the story of Passover and we’ll go over that next week even as we partake in the cedar dinner celebrating Passover and When the deaf angel passed over and moreover Lee when the blood of Jesus Christ caused us to be forever forgiven for those Trespasses that we have against the Lord our Savior and I want to take you to a portion of Scripture that brings us to an inflection point in the children of Israel And I say inflection point it is a time where they’re getting there is Exciting. It’s an exciting time And where they had defeated their enemies But I want to recap just a little bit what about last Sunday about how to respond Well how to respond well, even from past mistakes in life how to respond well is part of the Assignment from last week and

also kind of leads into the assignment for this week Paul tells us that all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful He tells us that all things are lawful, but not all things build up and so Because we have this ever presence or maybe the dispensation of grace that we have until the Lord comes back With a sword as the Word of God tells us that he will come back with a sword.

How do we respond? Then from the things of the past Mistakes will we show kindness as David did to send off his To send his representatives to help a mourning newly appointed king and then that King of course make fun of them and cut half their beard and split their pants at the Buttocks so that they would be embarrassed because there’s no way that he would do that for them as though And so then they go to war because of it How do we respond then to?

What the Word has to say to us And so I bring that in as we’re still dealing with life’s lessons And as we respond there comes a point where we have to just make up our mind That’s it. It is time It is the crux of this message is it is time to make up your mind if you saw what I put on Facebook you already knew what the title of the message was and Probably where it was coming from if you did a little pre homework if you read it You would have went on and read ahead and you would have seen where I was coming from it Then tried to figure out just what I was talking about And if the Spirit of the Lord is the same Spirit of the Lord Which I know is the same Spirit of the Lord that’s in me is in you then we in for an exciting time in the land of Israel But also we’re in for some instructions from the Lord and a warning from the Lord that was given to the children of Israel And so as we are in keeping with how we are, let’s go to Joshua chapter 24 We’re gonna be reading a little bit a whole lot We are a learning church We are an eating church So if you’re coming here for just a shout, well, we shout too We love the shout. We love the run.

We love the dance. We love to get down on our knees and worship We done brought flags into the church. And now we waving the banner of the Lord around but one thing we Really like to do is we like to eat the Word of the Lord And so we do some reading in this church.

We like to get the whole crux of the matter. What’s going on? Let me get some contacts Let me get some timeline who what when where and why?

Let us talk about making up our minds Joshua chapter 24 starting at verse 1 and I’m gonna be reading from the New King James version, please. Whatever version you have read from it if you’re there Let’s go if not and you need me to wait say hold up if you forgot your Bible for some reason It’s on the screen and if you at home It should be on your computer if my son is doing it, right but you gave me a thumbs up in the years Joshua chapter 24 verse 1 then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to sham and Where my scholar at help me with that word Shut him, huh? Shut him.

Yep and call for the elders of Israel for their heads for their judges and For their officers and they presented themselves before God and Joshua said to all the people of Israel thus Says the Lord God of Israel your father’s including Tara the father of Abraham and the father of Noah dwelt in On the other side of the river in old times and they served other gods Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river led him throughout all of the land of Cana and Multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau to Esau I gave mountains of seer to possess But Jacob and his children went down to Egypt So I sent Moses and Aaron and I played Egypt according to what I did among them Afterward I brought you out Then I brought your father’s out of Egypt and you came to the sea and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea so they cried out to the Lord and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time and I brought you into the land of the Amorites who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan and they fought with you, but I Gave them into your hand that you might possess their land and I destroyed them before you then bow the son of the boar king of Moab rose to make war against Israel and Sent and called Balaam the son of boar to curse you But I would not listen to Balaam Therefore he continued to bless you isn’t it interesting when they send people to curse you and they try to pray to the Lord for them to Bring forth your downfall.

The Lord will not hear vain prayers and will not hear prayers against his will However, he will cause a person to then have to bless you If you read the story of Balaam, you can rest assured that Words that are against the will of God that go up to him do not they return Void because he is not gonna honor anything that is not in his will. So be careful what you pray for Because look what he says in verse 10, I would not listen to Balaam Therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand Then you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho and the men of Jericho fought against you and also the Amorites and the Pesasites and the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Jezusites and the Hivites and the Jezevites.

Oh my yeah, whatever all them mites All them ites came after you Mosquito ites and all the bug ites and in this ites All of them came after you But I did here’s the bigger part is the breast part is the part I love but I delivered them into your hands I Sent the Hornet before you which drove them out before you also the two kings of the Amorites But not with your sword or with your bow Whoo, come on now the Lord fights my battles the Lord fights my battles Vengeance is who mine says the Lord And when we let God take the right vengeance take his vengeance do his thing We just bless him when we just do what he says Obedience better than sacrifice when we just listen to his words and follow his guidance He tells us this in verse 13. I have given you a land for which you did not labor and Cities, which you did not build you dwelt in them you ate of the Vineyards and the olive groves you did not plant now therefore fear the Lord serve him in sincerity and in truth and put away The guys with your father’s served on the other side of the river and in Egypt serve the Lord and if it seems evil and if it seems and If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord Here’s the emphasis choose for yourself this day Choose for yourself this day Verse 15 is what we’re really gonna be looking at today if it seems evil.

God is giving you a Choice, he gives you and I a choice on whom you’re going to serve He is not going to force you to serve him, but he has laid his case out Before you and I and all to witness that it is up to you To choose this day as he says as he was talking to the Israelites coming off this great battle coming off of this Wonderful time they have crossed over into the promised land Some context what’s going on? They have defeated and they they they walked over Jericho They don’t beat all them sites.

I’m not about to go through all of them and They have now entered into the land Flowing with milk and honey they have walked into the place that God has has told their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob that they were going to be They have entered into that place And now the Lord is giving them an ultimatum When the ultimatum is simply this choose them gods or choose me let me lay out what they have done and now let me show you what I have done and Then choose this day We can move forward to the Prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel where he said Build your altar.

I’m a paraphrase it build your altar I’ll build mine and the God that answers by fire that you will serve him you will serve It says Can only imagine how silent they was at this point too So verse 15 if it seems evil To you to serve the Lord choose for yourselves So I’m not gonna force you. I’m not gonna I’ve given you all the evidence And so it’s up to you. It reminds me of Deuteronomy 30 and 19.

I Charge heaven and earth before you this day That I’ve given you Instructions, let’s say for good and evil life and death blessings and curses Choose life That you may live and your descendants may live So he says here Whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites In the land, which you dwelt You know Jacob is talking says but as for me in my house Y’all can choose whatever you want to Under my roof. He says we will serve the Lord And so the people answered and said far be it from us that we should should forsake The Lord to serve of the gods for the Lord our God is he who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way That we went and among all the people through whom we pass and the Lord drove out From before us all the people including the Amorites who dwelt in the land We also will serve the Lord for he is our God But Joshua said to the people

You cannot serve the Lord For he is a holy God He is a jealous God He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins

If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign guys, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after he has done good and the people said to Joshua No But he will serve the Lord

So Joshua said to the people you are my witness against yourselves Hmm You are my wit you you are I’m sorry you are witness against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves to serve him and they said We are witnesses Now and therefore he said put away the foreign guys which are among you and Incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel and the people said to Joshua The Lord our God we will serve and his voice we will obey So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made for them a statue and an ordinance in Shalem Then Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord and Joshua said to all the people behold this stone shall be witness to us For it has heard all the words of the Lord which he spoke to us It shall therefore be a witness to you least you deny your God So Joshua let the people depart each to his own inheritance these were mighty Strong days go back to verse 15 Choose this day Choose this day.

He’s trying to find it Verse 15 choose this day whom you’re going to serve It’s time to make up our minds. We have to make up our minds It was a very dangerous time for the children to celebrate They were to be reminded continuously throughout all their generations through all of them Their children to remember these times and what God has done for them It was even such so that we as being grafted in were to remember what God did for the children of Israel to understand in Then what that shadow was what Christ does for us and has done for us and so in the midst of this situation After this great victory when they have defeated all of these enemies that outnumbered them Ten maybe a hundred to one That the Joshua’s was to deliver a challenge of sorts to the children of Israel and This challenge was to come directly from the Lord our God And God wanted them to make up their mind once and for all now We know that the children is aware back and forth back and forth back and forth between other guys and we see that as we go into the first Kings You just go back well first Samuel second Samuel first Kings second Kings judges just counted Matthew Mark Luke John acts First and second Corinthians just keep on going We see that the children of God have gone back and forth between the Lord our God and other gods To include themselves multiple times and God has to remind them So in the midst of this situation God has given a challenge to Joshua to the people and God wants them to Dedicate themselves to him and to his work He does not want them trying to live for him on the one hand and then for the gods of Cana on the other hand He don’t want them split between two opinions choose this day. Who

is gonna be God God or them?

He wants wholehearted dedication Nothing more. Nothing less It is a very clear message in the passage that that we see God has laid out his case It’s very interesting. It seems almost like a court case and he is presenting evidence and this is evidence more like a Not like, you know a different one like a a class-action lawsuit or or a Something for damage is done, you know I’m prison.

I’m showing you all that I have done that that I may be awarded might just do so if you did me wrong I am I am presenting evidence based on what I have done You know, I’ve done this for you all of this time and then therefore this is do this is my character And so I am old this so he is presenting his case in a in a court like appearance in this way and And so he he shows how much of a dangerous time that they were in He shows just what he did to bring them through and he showed him it was not by Anything they have done. Let’s take it fast forward because the church today is in a dangerous dangerous place These are dangerous times for those who are children of God It is dangerous time for those who say they believe in God.

We are seeing the church itself not Christ Church We’re seeing the man-made institution of church develop an appearance that’s more like the Church of Lace Odea in Revelations chapter 3 a Church that has has gone away from his first love a church that has everything that it needs Except The present power and glory of God So so so it’s a dangerous time But it’s a time where we can be very easily manipulated and tricked because of our own Understanding the church in Lace Odea was was was that way they had everything they were abundant The one thing lack though was the presence the power the glory of God So just as the Lord issued this call from Joshua We have to issue this call also from our own voices Today as centuries ago and say almost like in Revelation chapter 2 return to your first love So he issues this call to the people.

Let’s take some time this afternoon and really think about what’s going on here. Remember? Remember last week we talked about how we are going to respond We got Passover coming up we get to remember two events in Passover we get to remember when when when when when the children of Israel were in Egypt as God is talking about here with with with Joshua and the deaf angel skipped over them because the blood the Blood made way the blood from the doorpost made way that the deaf angel would not touch anybody found under the blood And so in the same aspect, but even greater we find that the deaf angel Would not touch those who are found under the blood the everlasting blood of Christ Jesus And so we get to experience Passover in our everyday lives but we get to remember Passover biblically as it is coming up and So here we can find that we have everything we need in Christ Jesus To include but not limited to the presence the power and the glory of God So it has come a time where we his people also issued the same call Make up your mind this day Who you gonna serve so we’re gonna talk about that Hopefully we all have the opportunity to really take in What’s going on

because Joshua begins his remarks by calling them to a time of Contemplation I want you to think about all that is going on. He wants them to remember Who they are Sometimes I think we forget who we are We forget who God has called us to be We forget that that week where we came from and how God got us from point A to point Maybe W.

I don’t know It is it is good to think back not dwell, but think back and remember how good the Lord was It brings a Compliment to what God has done for you I can look back and I can see that it was not by my might or my power Then I that anything that I’ve made it through I got through and so they are Reminded in verses 1 through 12 of all of the things that God has done for them How he chose Israel how he called Israel how he brought Israel out? Before Israel was Israel and Israel was Jacob but before there was Jacob that was Abram and even before then God had a plan and Their name was written in that plan.

And so we can now jump forward again. I’m going several thousand years in the past to the present Because we’re lining these things up And so just several thousand years in the past with our four brothers and four fathers and four sisters Who were known before they were known to us or to themselves or even had a name? to to claim behind God also knew and predestined and ordained and called us to purpose and So he is now reminding us as he’s reminding them that he is a God of what?

Purpose a God of purpose uses purpose. God does not do anything by mistake I was talking to a man of God last night as we had a wonderful wonderful Discussion. I want to throw something in there real quick coming up in August around I think the 17th I send it to somebody we having a night of worship in, Texas We’re gonna be packing up and I’m gonna be driving down to Texas to be in a night of worship there And then we’re gonna look about bringing it back here again y’all like the night of worship we had last time when we brought Minister Broderick Maddox up here and we worshipped in the place and and the atmosphere the Lord moved because we were willing vessels So I’m throwing that in but I had a conversation with him last night And and when I was talking to him and I was speaking to him I said God does nothing by mistake Everything happens for a reason everything everything under the Sun around the Sun above the Sun below the Sun everything from the from soul out to every star has Purpose he designed it with purpose because if you think about it if you do the math none of us should exist But it’s by his excellent and perfect design that we are here So we’re reminded about God’s choice to call us He is called each and every one of us just as he called Israel He redeemed each and every one of us who have accepted him Just like he redeemed to deliver the children of Israel out He manifests his power and his glory in our lives in that way and time and time again on behalf of his word because he will not lie He will not lie.

So Therefore it’s him being Faithful Unto his word full unto him. So we messed that up We think when we read that he’s unfair. He’s faithful to the unfaithful What he’s talking

about He’s faithful to his word even when you unfaithful to him [Speaker 3]
Because he does not need to apologize so what happens is in the Compliment to God’s glory in their life and the remembrance he reminds them of victories Sometimes we got to be reminded that we are victors and not victims Because it’s very easy for our minds to attach to the the victim mentality of things in the world and He has to show us that that even though it was rough. He brought us from trouble to blessings and And he and he has to show that he did all this and he even complimented us in it And so he wants us to remember where we were found that hole that he dug us out of He wants to remind us of what he did for us.

He is pleading his case. It’s interesting that the Lord God Felt it necessary to plead his case before his children So that again, it could work out on their behalf for his glory He has to remind them that when they prayed he answered and he met their needs Although they did not know him or come to him for over 400 years But in his power in his might the enemies that were theirs were his and they were defeated Israel is Reminded of God’s presence in their lives That he has always been with them Even when they were not with him everything that they faced They faced with him He was there to help them. He the Bible says he was he was a help ever-present help in a time of trouble Ever- present help in a time of trouble.

He was there to see them through we have to remember the same way today. [Speaker 3]
I Know things are hard in life. I Know we want to throw in towel in life [Speaker 1]

I know we don’t want to believe what the prophet says because we haven’t seen the prophets reward I I know that it’s taking human time longer than human time would say It should take

For This thing to happen, but I’m telling you God

The children of Israel set in bondage for over 400 years And when they went in they went into favor, they went into favor, but were in bondage and they stayed there They

stayed there so long.

They barely knew I was You know But deep down inside something remained Train up a child in the way they should go when they get older like this. You’re not a part of faith somewhere in life Something remained and when it got too much they cried out when they got to when they got too much they cried out They cried out to the one who could save the one day who could heal the one who could deliver and the one who heard Because he wasn’t sleeping They didn’t have to scream They didn’t have to cut themselves He answered And when he answered He delivered now. Let’s go back to that time It wasn’t the day that they cried out. They still in the process of the delivering live through the locusts It lived through the drought They witnessed the death angel Skip about they were there through it all and then when they finally got free cuz May you know for people may not have seemed like it was God It may just seem like this Pharaoh this man just got fed up like you know, what Jonah get off my boat Wait all my people gone who gonna work my land go get him if they won’t come back kill him and so now they see an army of of trained soldiers Charging for him and they in the middle of a river That is a sea or whatever ocean that is split apart Somehow the land is dry and there’s walls of water on each side In front of them is cliffs behind them is the Egyptian army charging full steam from them and they got Farmers Sharecroppers Left they and they just dropped everything that they own Took what they could carry and then they’re running across this dry God’s way don’t make human sense God’s way does not make human sense.

So so when we’re waiting on the Lord Stop using our human minds Gotta ask God to open our spiritual eyes Because here it is The day that we were saved by grace.

It actually doesn’t make sense if You try to can compute it Rationalize how we’re saved by grace. It does not make sense It makes more sense for God to have forsaken us according to his word But by grace we are saved through faith in Christ Jesus, I think I got this in there Hebrews 13 5 He said this I want you to remember this let your conduct be without covenants Be content for us with such things you have For he himself said I will never leave you Nor forsake you.

It don’t make sense In in the midst of a mighty enemy Charging down upon you. You know, he has the power to destroy them But you see them charging towards you he wants you to remember this day The day fill in the blank that your life should have been snuffed out But he said I will never leave you nor forsake you but you say Lord, why would you suffer? He’s this evil to happen Aren’t you a loving God?

Heard his argument He’s a loving God why the babies die He’s a loving God Why these things he’s a loving God, why is there not peace everlasting Well, Jesus very simply I didn’t come for peace, but a sword Jesus said I came to turn father against son Mother against daughter Daughter law against mother-in-law. I came to turn the things upside down on itself Do you know what has to happen for peace to come?

The everlasting peace that we’re wanting Do you know the perilous times that has to come that great and terrible day? Peace is coming But it’s coming with a sword. Don’t be found in the riverbed when the floodgates open That’s why he wants us to remember Remember how far I’ve brought you Remember how much I’ve given to you.

My logic does not make sense to you I’m going to send my son whom I love who is perfect and he is going to come as Savior Redeemer King and conqueror, but he’s gonna die first that you may live Afterwards Then he’s gonna get up and he’s gonna leave you for several thousand years And on a day that not even he knows cuz he’s too empathetic for you He loves you too much to let you suffer. He would have came back the day he went up But I’m not even gonna tell him cuz he’d tell you just the day I’m coming back God knew better than to tell Jesus the date and the time of his own return And he is the son of man. He is the son of God Tell my son almost everything he said I can’t tell him Cuz if I tell him he loves you so much He’ll spill the beans Jesus wouldn’t be able to hold the water.

He spilled the tea God said he don’t even know hold on to him Cuz when I let him loose Those who are not found with him How could a loving God do that you made your choice But I want you to remember why you have time while there’s still breath remember what I did To know that I’ve never left you I’ve never forsaken you and then I keep giving you opportunity after opportunity of the opportunity and I’m giving you provisions even right now in The midst of your problems in the midst of your sins in the midst of your transgressions. I’m giving you I’m giving you I’m giving you provisions to sustain your life in my son. So I want to remind you To enjoy the blessings that you do not deserve To

what it don’t make sense.

It don’t make sense. The Word of God is not supposed to make human sense Spiritually it is off the chains and radical is great I love it because I’m saved by grace not by my might because I’m not strong enough to save myself Hmm so so clearly now I can understand and I am a partaker of grace and I have more of it than I could ever imagine So why waste the why waste an ounce? We have to compliment the fact that this afternoon.

We have something that we just simply don’t deserve I Laugh because I don’t deserve this I’m saved secure and headed to heaven and I shouldn’t be Anybody ever got out of a ticket and you like I I’m guilty Charge me. How dare you not keep the law right, but thank you Man you the best corrupt cop I’ve ever seen. Thank you for not giving me that ticket I’ll walk away with this warning and be content in such things Because nothing I did got me out of that ticket Nothing on I did got me out of that pittance of hell Nothing that I did got me out of that thing that I should be in prison for But I’m here because of the grace of God Because because the blood has covered me.

I now know that the death though has passed over me and so I am free and So I I know this because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who reassures me and Therefore has witnessed also against me Because I said I believe Man I got spoke Deuteronomy 30 and 19 to me several years ago when I was a very very very very very young pastor And it I did not understand it You know what? It’s so Ignorance is stupid, but it’s also bliss I was ignorant and he said it to me and I got offended and I don’t even understand why I’m not offended Just like how do you get offended by something that actually was meant to bless you because I didn’t understand it I’m standing outside one night at the Bible study Man, God says something to me. I just I didn’t understand it.

I all I heard was the first part of it Is it Yeah, yeah, yeah He 30 and 19. You know, I’m at 30 19. He said I and he quoted it without his Bible in his hand.

It messed me up He said I call heaven earth as a witness today against you I didn’t even know the man of God was blessing me and releasing me out to do what God has told me to do Because I was so ignorant. I was I was blind to the fact sometimes we people can bless you and because of your ignorance You think they cursing you? He said I call heaven and earth as witness against you today that I have set before you Life and death blessings and curses therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live Verse 20 that you may love the Lord your God That you may obey his voice that you may cling to him for he is your life and The length of your days and that you may dwell in the land Which the Lord swore to your fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give them Now we have reached the crux of the story where they are now dwelling in the land when he said that to me I had no idea. I was Giving you everything I have to give you man of God go Do what the Lord has for you? These are the truths That I wonder why so many of God’s children seem just to have a hard time.

I The Bible this is me So this one you can lay claim to me. You can say it’s my fault If I mess you up, I think it’s because of our ignorance and putting human intuition into the Word of God too much and Not praying to get the revelation from the Holy Spirit to understand his way Because it boils simply down to loving him, but in loving him it is so Much and so wide but so easy and so simple Cuz serving him should be easy and simple loving him in tells a lot But in that loving him it is something that should become natural It is a want and a desire to do Because by loving him there are things that I will do and things that I won’t do because those things show that I love him and By showing that I love him They show that I’m with him and by showing that I’m with him and show that he’s with me And if he’s with me, he’s covering me.

He’s leading me. He’s guiding me Therefore there is nothing new because if he who created it all is with me There’s nothing new for me for he will reveal all things in its Time according to his will to me. I’m not saying we’re gonna know everything in all things I’m saying that we have the ability whatever God wills to show us to get if we’re with him And he’s with us if we love him If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I am my father will make our abode and the everlasting God will be with you Jesus says that You know people get mad at me when I quote literally the Word of God I’ve never seen someone get mad because I say the Lord said The reminder of what Jesus said It’s real just like I and you were guilty on walking out on God and Jesus says if you love me You’ll keep my commandments and this is what will happen So if you don’t love him, this is what will happen you won’t get those things But just like you and I Israel was guilty of walking out on God when he had been so good to him Isn’t it messed up when we walk out on him?

I wonder how we could commit to some type of sin in that way Everything under the Sun is allowed Before the Lord our God in our lives. He let us do anything. That’s why Paul says I mean everything is I Do whatever I want.

I’m free to do whatever I want if I want to go there and backhand Ivy It’s wrong Morally, but I mean I’m free to do it. I will not hit my wife So we are clear. I Didn’t want to say mama cuz Sean would come up here and punch me in the face I didn’t want to say Mary cuz Lee would drop kick me and man.

I’m scared of you The only person I figured I can run out of this building fast enough from and Apologize to all night. I have to cook. I’m probably gonna have to do dinner tonight or something like that But it is us.

So look I just use it. I’m not cooking dinner. I just use it as an example, okay?

Somebody be like that pastor talks about slapping his wife in church All things are lawful for me I’m free. I got free will He’ll tell me what I’m about to do is wrong that I shouldn’t do it when I can do it I’m gonna pay the consequences just cuz I can do a thing don’t mean I ain’t gonna pay a consequence for a thing Perhaps we need to contemplate what

the Lord has done Maybe one more time Remember how it’s found us
Just one more time

So just maybe just maybe just maybe it is time for a little confrontation in our lives Brawling we’re not fighting but a little confrontation God is gonna confront you about something and here’s what we get into verse 14 and 15 This is the point where God’s Confrontation with the children of Israel comes in this is where God’s confrontation with us comes in God is now confronting us He’s calling us out. He’s putting our teeth on the big screen He ain’t playing now.

He’s in look gonna laid it out. Here. It is a threefold command He says first and foremost fear God Clean up your life and put away them other gods.

You act like he don’t see him. I created everything Everything I created things you do not know of and has not discovered I knew about the Higgs boson before you knew about it. I Knew that the earth was not the center of the universe before you figured it out.

Some of you crazy still think the earth is flat You don’t know if the universe is gonna rip or do a big crunch Lord does He knew when he created it he designed it it’s like the computer program telling me I don’t know when it’s gonna stop. I programmed you when you gonna stop. I know when your clock gonna run out.

I made you

And if I want to I can change you so he commands them clean up your life Put away the other guys and

Serve the one true living God This will put you in a position They have God back in the forefront of your lives This is also a commandment that we have to hear today, it’s a commandment that we have to preach today today of all days There’s a day where we have to go out and say this is the day of the Lord repent But this is the day of the Lord John the Baptist witness and said repent for the day of the Lord is at hand Repent for this is the day of the Lord We don’t know when he coming back see they were waiting for him to pump we wait for him to come back We don’t know when so this moment this time this day in this hour in this minute And this second is the time the hour the second of the Lord repent. Oh, we don’t want to hear that Yeah, well we won’t open referee and you get a car and you get a car and you know That’s not the gospel The gospel is repent

this puts you in a position God at the forefront of your life Fear the Lord is the beginning of blessings You have to have reverence and honor for him He deserves to be respected and loved think about it men you go out You work hard during the day You deal with minimum pay they don’t pay you what you worth in a capitalist society you don’t get paid what you were You don’t you won’t it don’t make sense in a capitalist society for everyone to get paid what they’re worth

It doesn’t work that way

But you get paid And whatever you get paid you expect it to work and literally bring forth profits of at least triple of Whatever it is.

You’re getting paid. So if you getting paid $20 an hour, I need you to bring $60 worth the revenue in To earn your pay And there’s a whole but big matrix in there But you know insurance and all that other mess that has to go in to hourly rates, but you do that you work hard For this pay which may be good. It may not be good to pay tax on So that when you buy something you pay tax on it That when you take it in you pay tax on it again and if you saw having to have a house you pay tax every year after that offer that money you made to pay tax on About a house to pay tax on and so you get done and you come home at the end of the day and you tie I Don’t know when I did all this All this food home and did this and my children don’t even respect me when I tell them to do something They say I don’t have to do what you say.

I’m my own person. I didn’t ask to be born I’m trying to let everybody see Our God Mama goes out nowadays work all day Come home to this ungrateful husband Cook dinner wash the clothes mop the floor change the dirty diapers Take care of this idiot, and then he don’t even respect her and the kids disrespect you The point is our Father who art in heaven created it all perfect design delivered us Pick us up when we fell off our bike and busted our chin open. He healed our wounds. He saved our life He forgave us every time we disrespected him and we told him we hate him He says fear me respect me honor me Just like when we go home we we expect the respect from our loved ones Especially us who toll in the dirt Who Remits the sins of our own children and many of us of our own spouses.

Thank you.

I He says put away of the gods stop trying to go outside of our house I built this wonderful house for you I Sent my son to give you a promise of a room that is being prepared for you Don’t own some of us ain’t never had our own. I remember when I first bought my I’m in my first house I’ve ever bought my life. I remember when I first bought it I was my own first time I actually own I don’t have an acre First time I ever own some land it may not be an acre. It may be a quarter acre, but it’s my quarter acre I’m so happy about my quarter acre because I’d never own land till I was in my 40s.

Never own my own home. I rent it. I lived in bondage under landlords And now I have my own little slice Little slice.

It’s a little bit of slice, but it’s my slice.

It’s my promise land He says why you going outside the house just like me Having my own little piece of land Then going to living on his and paying him for it Wow It’s mine Go live my own. He said I got this house. I am your Lord.

I am your God I have brought you from this place and giving you a place of your own

All those things that you put ahead of me should not be put it away be done with it forever Live under the eternal security, which is me and serve me with sincerity fulfill the very role of a servant because when you do that my possessions are your possessions where I live you live wholeheartedly Completely when you serve me you are where I am because a servant doesn’t go nowhere without his master and the master ain’t going nowhere without his servants He need him there. He want him there and a good master gonna take care of him It’s like a part of not having hands as a servant without a master, but we’re confronted in the big confrontation I believe that many of us have even today as they did then was a challenge of choice This is the one part I just don’t understand what our Lord he gave us choice Choose this day who is gonna be You ain’t gonna have me And the mother gods Ivy ain’t sharing me with nobody else. It came a point in our marriage. You said it’s either me Or them you have a choice I’m gonna love you either way, but one way you can be with me the other way you got to go And you will pay for it the same standard stands before us Is the standard that stood before?

The children go back to verse 15 son Joshua 24 15 This is where we come to the to close to the close He challenged him with a standard of choice So eloquently the Bible puts it And we see as a choice because it says if it seems you have the right the privilege from a benevolent God to choose on the day of the Lord for yourself Who you are going to follow after how you’re gonna follow after him That’s why in Romans.

It says seek out your own salvation Try to make sure I scared in the whole room. So nobody think I’m talking to any individual Wish I had just I wish we could just preach with a big mirror in front of us So all I have to do is look at myself. Nobody think I’m talking to directly to do like he was talking to me No one choose for yourself Seek out your own salvation with the fear in the trembling So he says choose this day who you gonna follow Who you gonna serve?

Who you gonna submit yourself to? What you gonna do? Whether it be the guys with your father sir That were on the other side of Jordan before the owner other side of Jordan is a representation of before you was with Christ When we’re here on the other side of the Jordan the land of Egypt with it with the gods of the Amorites This is this is before you came into the promise of Christ Jesus I’m not speaking to people who are not saved by grace.

I’m speaking to people who have come to know God To come to know the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ There were some unsaved folks in here Then the message would be a little bit different God will be moving in a little bit of different way But he is talking to people who know him Who have heard about him who have had the gobs of meshes preached to them and they said yes These are the same children. These children of Israel have come to know God and they said yes, they said yes, I know you Yes, I want to be with you, but then they went on to other gods He says choose this day Who is gonna be he knows they’re gonna mess up That’s why grace abounds But their choice has to be the choice So here’s the challenge get off the fence It’s me or it’s not. I’m not gonna force you either way the Lord has showed me When he dealt with me personally, I’m not gonna force you.

I’m not gonna force you Before my marriage started getting better. I realized my wife was not gonna force me to love her. She was gonna love me regardless Even if loving me

that meant losing me God loves you so much That he will let you leave I have loved people and watched him walk away So then realize Just a smidgen less than the acreage that I have on this plot of land on this earth I learned just a smidgen of the feeling of the father when his child walks away Could not comprehend with how the father feels Because I don’t love like the father. I wish I could One day I hope to get but he loves him so much That although he could force you to stay He won’t so he gives us a choice if it seems evil For you to serve me If you think that I am a horrible God Leave choose for yourself who you’re gonna serve Whether it be that before you met me Or me now the people had to be confronted again That’s how much he loves us The same statement basically was made in first Kings 1821 You cannot have both God in the world

He said how long are you gonna follow between two opinions? How long? He said it then he’s saying it now how long this is the problem with the church how long Are you gonna be between these two opinions?

You can’t serve Val and serve me if the Lord is God follow him Elijah the prophet is standing up there one against If God be God follow him If bow be God go choose for yourself this day who you gonna serve His challenge a little bit different he said look We don’t build these altars The one that answered by fire is the God that you need to follow you can’t have him In the God of distractions. He’s the first place Well, you got a different God. That’s what I came up with That’s how I look at it.

You may look at it differently as it is your prerogative. It is your Salvation to seek out what fear and trembling I’m only giving you how I see it for myself and why I am the way I am either he’s first place or I Found myself in idolism and I have found myself there many a times So don’t think I’m standing up here all self-righteous Because I got my own little many guys that I’m trying to kick out of my Spiritual house too. I got to get rid of some things myself So I’m guilty just as much as anybody else.

Maybe I you know what? I’m more guilty than all of y’all Don’t think I’m standing up here all high and mighty. I got my own self-doubt.

I got my own self-loathing I got my own little self-pride that I have to deal with from time to time and and My wife is really good about rebuking me about it But still I have to kick that devil out of my life sometimes dying daily actually dying daily daily sometimes dying twice a day There’s sometimes I’m dying hourly But the question comes to mind why would we think is evil to serve God? I Can’t answer that question Somebody put it in telegram why you think it would be I? Can’t answer that.

I can’t XO do that statement. So I just say the same question. Why?

Would anyone think it’s evil to serve the Lord? and So here we are in the B clause of verse 15 confronted by this challenge Joshua sets it out and lays it down. This is the gauntlet You kind of went over it.

We need Joshua’s gauntlet in our life today It is clear who you gonna serve, that’s it Questions who today to today. I have given you Deuteronomy 13 19. I didn’t set it before you It’s his word It’s not my word Who you gonna serve?

Christ and his word or the world in their way We need someone who gonna set the example for others, but we have so many Bad examples, I need some men and women in in my life who were willing to forsake their whole life. I Need some disciples in my life and no one you can’t be a disciple. Jesus told us.

Yes. I know it’s hyperbole But the hyperbole is meant to hit home in this way for a reason The hyperbole is you can’t be his disciple his student unless you hate You reject your mother your father your sister your brother even yourself and Follow him Meaning you put everything aside for him nothing else matters, but him and Here’s the great thing about that. Let me let me help you out help some people out with this Yes in order to be his disciple what Jesus says he is using verbally, but what he is saying is that you must reject The ways and the sayings of your mama your father your sister your brother even yourself and Come in line with what I am saying Let it go Then you could be my disciple.

This is what he’s saying So he’s using hate in such a way that it is it is supposed to get under your skin So how mama them did it rejected how daddy them did it rejected how sister does it rejected how your brother does it rejected How the world says is done rejected how whoever is in office in whatever? part of the world and Rejected it is Christ and Christ alone. This is who I follow.

This is who I seek after Now, I know I am his disciple if Jesus won’t this way That’s the way I’m gonna walk if Jesus talked this way, that’s the way I’m gonna talk I don’t care how any of the father any of the mother. I don’t care what church they came from I don’t care how long they served him if it is not Christ. I do not follow Period I don’t even care how I feel forget my feelings We get too wrapped up in our feelings forget my feelings it feel bad to serve this way So what I look stupid I started wearing seat seats again just to look stupid Cuz it’s a reminder.

I got so caught up and in things when I was working I started wearing them so I could so every time I felt down and I could feel him It was the reminder cuz the word said it Ain’t telling nobody else to do it Do this I’m doing this for me. This is my fear and trembling Cuz I ran in Jesus world and I want to for again feel like I’m walking directly in his footsteps I Give myself that right a challenge. You got to have some backbone of steel to follow him in today’s society You got to be bold to follow Jesus in today’s society cuz they don’t like Jesus of Nazareth him take y’all back to a little old-school Damascus it like Jesus from Nebraska Mama knew where I was going didn’t you knew I was like I used to

say Jesus not from Nebraska all the time.

That was one of my favorite sayings He from Nebraska. I Don’t know why I said Jesus not from Nebraska. I don’t know why Nebraska is nothing really special about Nebraska when it comes biblically or even Like when it comes to even American spirituality.

Yeah, I I don’t even know maybe it just rhymed No idea why I was using Nebraska to figure that out one day. So I did some research on Spirituality in Nebraska and I came up empty So if anybody got any ideas on why Nebraska was significant for me to say Jesus is not from there Please let me know but we have to have this backbone. We have to have steel Anybody ever rather die for something didn’t live for nothing.

Oh man, I Told somebody once I said look I know what science is. I know what the math says in certain million thousand trillion trillion trillion years The last black hole is gonna evaporate and we’ll go into what’s called a heat death and that will be everlasting nothing I said I’d rather believe in God and then there’d be nothing Then believe in God and then not believe in God and get Dan was like, but the math said When I should have put a one What it was a zero? So I messed up on that calculation now.

I spent eternity where I didn’t believe whatever happened I believe I rather believe in something and End up with nothing then believe in nothing and miss out on everything, but I have this unquenchable belief that he is Who he says he is as he is bore witness in my life not only in physical form but in present deed and the Holy Spirit and so just like in Joshua’s day in our day this Backbone of steel that we have to have is something that we would rather die from look at Daniel 1 1819 I am NOT going to serve your gods. I don’t care how hot the fire is If I die, I die those three boys said So be it That’s a that’s a that’s a high level of faith to attain Ain’t saying go get in no fiery furnace somebody be talking about I can walk through fire But does your life stand the challenge of God? Would you like the encouragement to live godly because it’s either one live godly or not.

You can’t have it both ways So lastly is verses 16 through 28. It’s a time of consideration after this the people have to resolve in Their minds what it is they’re going to do After considering all that the Lord has done for them They declare their allegiance to them It almost seems ridiculous when offered the opportunity to serve all the odds you don’t have these uh You don’t have these all these rules and regulations Same as our choice If the Lord has to compete for your time your intention your money your love It calls your whole profession of him in the question If you had to rank God on the list of priorities in your life My question my fellow brothers and sisters this day only answer in your mind. Don’t even tell your spouse This day, where is he? Take this opportunity To remind yourself that God is holy and righteous And wherever wherever ever he is put him higher if you are to serve him.

I Know that he will bless you if you would rely on him. He will he will uphold his agreement But if you don’t there is Unfortunately a high price to pay Every now and

again, we God’s people need a reminder That God is not one to be played with or toyed with But he is a God of love He is a God of grace He is a God of mercy. He is still holy.

He is still righteous He is the a man he is the Alpha and the Omega and he will not tolerate his Children just throwing away their lives. This is why Christ ain’t came back Friends it’s a terrible high price to pay for disobedience. Trust me.

I know I Know what it feels like to hear the Lord tell you If you don’t get it, right You will die This day I tell you that there’s a man who’s heard God.

[Speaker 6]
Tell him If you don’t fix it now [Speaker 1]

You won’t make it That’s why I can stand here through all of the mess that I’ve been through and say God got me through Sadly many people are going to pay the price Understand that you do reap what you sow and that’s Galatians 6 and 7 puts it but that’s also a good thing Don’t look at it so negatively All right Maybe we sow some bad seeds Go pick them things up and throw them away and then the whole way you’re sold I’m put some blessing seeds in there put some good seeds in there.

Oh watch what happens God is so gracious. See where everything you did up to this moment is gone is past He will forgive it and you can start now planting some good seeds some seeds that’ll produce good fruit It’s of some good fruit that will last some good fruit that will sustain it and it ain’t He gon’ he gon’ he gon’ do everything look a little check this out. He gon’ give you the seed He gon’ give you the water He gon’ give you the blessing that they may grow and he gon’ give you the time to watch it grow The only thing you got to do is take it and put it in the ground Matter of fact, sometimes God’ll send somebody for you to plant it because you ain’t strong enough to put the seed in the ground So he gon’ send an errand to you to say hey man of God God gave me these seeds for you God gave me these seeds for you.

Let me go ahead. See let me wait You don’t know what a good ground is Come on I’m gonna take you to where good ground and see that ground you on is thorny ground and that ground over there is rocky ground And that ground ain’t fertile but this ground right here. Yeah, this is perfect ground Matter of fact, this was mine, but God told me to give you this patch of land So I’m gonna give you something that was not yours that God gave me that was not mine I’m gonna give you this land so that you can plant your seeds But because you don’t know how to plant good seeds I’m gonna plant your first seeds for you So you can get your first harvest for free and you ain’t gotta do nothing.

All you gotta do is watch me This is what prophets do you just gotta watch me and then after you see me do what I have done You just need to do the same thing Follow me as I follow Christ right there And God’s gonna provide the water.

Thank you Lord. Here you go. And God’s gonna provide the blessing.

Thank you Lord Here you go. And now all I gotta do is just be patient and wait for the blessing Oh, how long do I gotta wait? Sometime the blessings isn’t awaiting you ever waited for a blessing you ever waited for a blessing It’s coming if you see a spot just a little bit don’t don’t get too impatient don’t be like Sarah And give that blessing to Hagar.

You didn’t get mad When that boy started mocking no blessing. No, no. No watch it.

Oh, we’re just proud.

Thank you It took six months for it to get him but there is I can see Just a portion of the blessing.

Oh Yeah, um, this is supposed to be a oak tree But it’s supposed to be an oak tree I Ain’t got long. I ain’t got long We’ll get big enough. We’ll start producing his own seeds now I can take that seed and I can go over here I can plant even more and then God sends somebody to me who now I take under my wing and I take a little bit of my seeds from the first oak tree that I got from that other private and I take them to a part of land because God has expanded my Territory because my roots that was in that tree is now spread out over Acres and acres of land because I have gotten more than I ever could have Received and I take them to this little portion that God said now give that to him And I say here you go man of God Let me show you what God did for me several years ago when a man of God came in my life and he took me by the Shoulder, and he led me to this place that I did not know He knew he maneuvered me around the rocky land and the thorny land and the dry land To a land flowing in milk and honey And he told me before I was the cross into this land that I have to pick this day Whom I was gonna serve either I could go back to my rocky location back to my thorny Location or I could step them to this final ground and learn from you how to plant this seed and receive my blessing how to plant this seed and receive my more than enough how to plant this seed and to see my Deliverance how to plant this seed and receive my breakthrough how to plant this seed and receive the will of God for my life And if I chose to just walk away God preserve it for me for so long Because there is a great and terrible day that I don’t really don’t want to talk about right, but that is coming.

I Really just stick on that that seed ground. This is the decision.

And so how will we? respond Going back to last week We respond by setting the business of serving the Lord We set up a memorial to God in the place of our deliverance a Record of our decision a record of a decision to hold ourselves accountable Sadly Israel did not keep their vows to the Lord and they paid a high price All you got to do is read Judges Samuels Kings and Chronicles God keeps good records. He gonna hold on to what we have done and the vows we have made Serve him with everything that you have Don’t think for a moment that we have time to make up our minds making up the day If the Lord be your God serve him.

I have a place called there that the Lord wants to take us to and if no if somebody knows a Way better than where I am. I I gladly will allow you to take me by your hand or by my hand lead me to the fields that I have not been to And if somebody has not been to the field that I have not been that I have been to I will take you there Myself and the seeds that I have they’re yours as a believer. I refuse to not live for the Lord and Be a poor advertisement for Christ Jesus While life has power in my body there shall be victory in Christ Jesus Advertised in my life, but that’s me.

I can only speak for me You can’t speak for no one else My job is simply to attempt to persuade you to make the choice of Christ and Christ alone Ultimately, it’s up to you my friends whether you choose him or not know that God loves you But let’s set the record straight You cannot serve God and any other idol. There’s breath So there’s a moment of time For the glory of God to grow in each and every one of you To include myself made a piece of God be with you in Jesus name father. I thank you That your word reigns true in the life of your believers I asked him Lord That on this day that decision be made.

I Pray Lord with everything that is in me that that decision is you That every day that I wake up every day that we wake up We choose you once again as we continue to grow closer to you Lord Let us choose you Let us choose your way. I Thank you this day For all that you have given us and Keep us Lord Let not one person leave this place the same But forever be changed by the choices they make I pray that choices you As we are on this road of sanctification Let this be another lesson to add to our cool toolkit That reminds us of your goodness and your grace That can forever abound in our lives With the choice of you I Choose you today Lord.

I Choose you to take wash away everything that is unlike you in my life That all that is me is you That all that I am reflects you I’m tired of Not being like I’m tired And so I give

up I Have reached and come to the end of myself and all I want is you nothing else I Can’t live with these other gods. I can’t live with myself If you’re not there take me where you will Do it be what you want.

I thank you Lord In Jesus name Amen get the children when we get done if anyone needs or desires prayer me and lady Ivy will be available Gabe when you get a chance, I want you to see I Want you to see Cynthia? Want you to go to Cynthia? Okay When the children come out do me a favor clap for them they did beautiful today, let’s celebrate our children as they come out Let’s celebrate our children as they come out How wonderful our children did as they went and learned to the Lord some of our children understand this parents Our children if they don’t hear praise from us They’ll never hear praising.

Most of them will never hear praise in their lives If we do not praise our children the likelihood Of them getting any praise that is true outside of us It’s so unlikely So when they do good Let’s ensure that they know that they did good. So they may imitate those actions over and over again Because the world is not going to compliment them for doing good For doing what is right? especially our boys especially our boys Fathers mothers make sure you let them know when they have done good and reward them accordingly But sometimes the only praise that we get is from our parents So as a church, I really when these babies do good.

I want to celebrate them So Cynthia next week, let’s do pizza for the children Let’s do pizza for the children next week Because they did good today and I want to celebrate them. So I’ll give them a hand again Don’t ruin it All they heard was pizza they hit nothing else

A Blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken And so I say to you the Lord keep you from all harm or watch over your life The Lord keep watch over you come and go both now forever. May the Lord bless you May the Lord keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you May the Lord turn his face towards you give you peace According to Deuteronomy 1 and 11 middle or God of your father’s make you a thousand times more numerous than you already are and bless you of your promise and in the name of the Father Son of the Holy Spirit this day I decree and declare that you’re Blessed the head and not the tail above and not beneath a victim and never anybody’s victim And so I say to you so long peace harmony holiness loneliness competency well-being I’m willing to give you what you now forevermore Shalom Pause we will see each other again in the mighty name of Jesus