1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,300 Well, we’re exploring together some of the roots of doubt and last we focused on doubts 2 00:00:05,300 –> 00:00:08,320 that have their root in the mind. 3 00:00:08,320 –> 00:00:12,880 And we saw that while God does not tell us all that we would like to know, he does give 4 00:00:12,880 –> 00:00:16,040 us a reasonable basis of faith. 5 00:00:16,040 –> 00:00:21,400 And the foundations of faith we saw do not rest on the dogmatic assertions of the church 6 00:00:21,400 –> 00:00:27,260 or the private experiences of an individual, but the evidence that we need to arrive at 7 00:00:27,459 –> 00:00:33,799 conclusions that Jesus Christ is the son of God is given to us by God in his word, which 8 00:00:33,799 –> 00:00:36,040 is the Scripture. 9 00:00:36,040 –> 00:00:41,320 Now today we’re going to come to a completely different variety of doubt that doesn’t have 10 00:00:41,320 –> 00:00:47,459 its root in the mind but has its root in the will. 11 00:00:47,459 –> 00:00:53,139 And for some people this is the primary area of our battle, it’s not so much in the area 12 00:00:53,320 –> 00:00:57,720 of convictions, it lies in the area of commitment. 13 00:00:57,720 –> 00:01:02,700 And a lot of doubts can be traced to that source. 14 00:01:02,700 –> 00:01:09,260 Now I want to begin by describing a fictional character who we’ll call Tom. 15 00:01:09,260 –> 00:01:16,339 And as I tell you about him I want you to ask the question in your mind, what is Tom’s 16 00:01:16,339 –> 00:01:18,239 problem? 17 00:01:18,239 –> 00:01:23,540 See if you can detect a pattern in this fictitious man’s life. 18 00:01:23,540 –> 00:01:26,040 Here we go. 19 00:01:26,040 –> 00:01:30,160 Tom was raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. 20 00:01:30,160 –> 00:01:32,839 His parents divorced when he was 10 years old. 21 00:01:32,839 –> 00:01:38,940 And after that time, he had relatively little contact with his father. 22 00:01:38,940 –> 00:01:42,820 Tom did well at school and liked to play the trumpet. 23 00:01:42,820 –> 00:01:49,180 But he gave it up when he was 14 because he did not really enjoy practicing. 24 00:01:49,180 –> 00:01:53,040 When Tom was in college he dated several girls. 25 00:01:53,040 –> 00:01:56,019 Usually he dated for about six months. 26 00:01:56,019 –> 00:02:00,760 But when a girl began to get serious, Tom backed away. 27 00:02:00,760 –> 00:02:06,379 Tom’s friend said, you could always tell where Tom has been because of the trail of broken 28 00:02:06,379 –> 00:02:10,059 hearts he leaves behind. 29 00:02:10,199 –> 00:02:15,320 When Tom graduated from college, he was hired by a company in the city where he was mentored 30 00:02:15,320 –> 00:02:17,259 in sales. 31 00:02:17,259 –> 00:02:22,000 Over the first two years he brought relatively little profit to the company, but his boss 32 00:02:22,000 –> 00:02:26,660 felt that Tom had great potential for the future. 33 00:02:26,660 –> 00:02:33,619 In his third year Tom found his stride and began bringing in a good return for the company, 34 00:02:33,619 –> 00:02:39,820 at which point a rival company spotted his growing talent and offered him a similar position 35 00:02:39,880 –> 00:02:42,259 with a few additional perks. 36 00:02:42,259 –> 00:02:48,320 Tom thought the offer was too good to refuse and so he made the change. 37 00:02:48,320 –> 00:02:57,839 Tom enjoys reading, he’s bought a lot of books, he’s started many of them but rarely finishes. 38 00:02:57,839 –> 00:03:01,160 His lack of follow-through has created a number of problems. 39 00:03:01,160 –> 00:03:05,580 In his annual review Tom’s boss noted that Tom does not always do well with returning 40 00:03:05,580 –> 00:03:07,300 his calls. 41 00:03:07,300 –> 00:03:14,779 And Tom relies heavily on reminders, he often loses track of action items that were decided 42 00:03:14,779 –> 00:03:18,559 in meetings and assigned to him. 43 00:03:18,559 –> 00:03:21,279 Tom is now 35 years old. 44 00:03:21,279 –> 00:03:27,119 He professes faith in Jesus Christ but he says that he’s having difficulty with his 45 00:03:27,119 –> 00:03:28,440 faith. 46 00:03:28,440 –> 00:03:32,559 He says he seems to have more questions than answers. 47 00:03:32,559 –> 00:03:37,240 He joined a small group last year but it didn’t work out. 48 00:03:37,279 –> 00:03:44,860 Tom has met with a succession of mentors, on and off over the last 10 years, and recently 49 00:03:44,860 –> 00:03:48,320 he spoke to several pastors. 50 00:03:48,320 –> 00:03:53,199 Tom always likes to get a second opinion. 51 00:03:53,199 –> 00:03:56,360 But at the end of all this Tom is discouraged. 52 00:03:56,399 –> 00:04:04,119 He is frustrated with his spiritual life, and as he gets older, he simply gets more 53 00:04:04,119 –> 00:04:05,119 confused. 54 00:04:05,119 –> 00:04:11,899 Now let me say straight away that if you don’t identify with some part of Tom’s story you 55 00:04:11,899 –> 00:04:14,199 must indeed be a very remarkable person. 56 00:04:14,199 –> 00:04:19,640 Let me confess, I gave up learning the piano when I was 14, and I can fill a few shelves 57 00:04:19,640 –> 00:04:22,600 with books that I’ve started and not finished. 58 00:04:22,640 –> 00:04:28,079 All of us have given up on some things, and perhaps sometimes rightly so. 59 00:04:28,079 –> 00:04:31,940 But do you see Tom’s problem? 60 00:04:31,940 –> 00:04:40,739 Here is a man who is 35 years old, and in his life he has developed a pattern of never 61 00:04:40,739 –> 00:04:44,359 really being committed to anything. 62 00:04:44,359 –> 00:04:48,779 That pattern was modeled in his childhood. 63 00:04:48,799 –> 00:04:55,459 It was cultivated in his youth, and now it invades every area of his life and of his 64 00:04:55,459 –> 00:05:00,540 personality, including his faith. 65 00:05:00,540 –> 00:05:05,260 Tom talks a lot about doubts, but his doubts are really very little to do with questions 66 00:05:05,260 –> 00:05:06,260 about the Bible. 67 00:05:06,260 –> 00:05:09,540 In fact, the truth is he very rarely reads the Bible. 68 00:05:09,540 –> 00:05:12,500 I’m tempted to add he started it but didn’t finish. 69 00:05:12,500 –> 00:05:18,019 See, Tom’s problem lies in the area of commitment. 70 00:05:18,820 –> 00:05:24,940 And it’s not just that Tom has a difficulty in committing to Christ. 71 00:05:24,940 –> 00:05:30,320 It is that Tom has a difficulty in committing to anything. 72 00:05:30,380 –> 00:05:32,480 To anything. 73 00:05:32,679 –> 00:05:38,239 He’s dealing with doubts that have their root not in the mind, but in the will. 74 00:05:38,239 –> 00:05:43,820 And the only way in which these doubts can be dealt with and that confusion can be cleared 75 00:05:43,820 –> 00:05:52,779 away is through a whole-hearted, unreserved and irreversible decision. 76 00:05:52,779 –> 00:05:54,600 And there are some folks, and there may be a number 77 00:05:54,600 –> 00:06:00,459 among us here today, who think that their problems are primarily to do with their faith, 78 00:06:00,459 –> 00:06:06,019 but actually your problem lies in the area of your commitment. 79 00:06:06,019 –> 00:06:11,579 Here’s, by the way, a great way to discover a great deal more about yourself. 80 00:06:11,579 –> 00:06:20,459 First, make a list of all the things that you have given up on in life. 81 00:06:20,459 –> 00:06:25,760 I remember very vividly in my early teens deciding that I wanted to quit an afternoon 82 00:06:25,760 –> 00:06:29,239 Sunday school class that I’d become bored with. 83 00:06:29,239 –> 00:06:34,980 I remember mooting the suggestion at home, and it was met with the question, 84 00:06:34,980 –> 00:06:39,260 What did you tell the leaders you would do? 85 00:06:40,140 –> 00:06:42,660 I said, well, I said I’d be there for the year. 86 00:06:43,380 –> 00:06:46,399 Well, then you can quit at the end of the year. 87 00:06:46,399 –> 00:06:49,480 We’ve got to keep our commitments. 88 00:06:49,480 –> 00:06:55,100 I remember very vividly I did not like that a whole lot for the next six months, 89 00:06:55,100 –> 00:06:58,100 but it is the kind of thing that builds character. 90 00:06:58,299 –> 00:07:03,940 For if we do not cultivate the capacity of commitment in small things, 91 00:07:04,000 –> 00:07:09,859 we will not have the capacity of commitment in big things. 92 00:07:10,459 –> 00:07:11,799 And I want to suggest to you 93 00:07:11,799 –> 00:07:15,799 that Tom’s problem is increasingly common in our society. 94 00:07:15,799 –> 00:07:19,640 We live, after all, in a culture that discourages commitment. 95 00:07:19,920 –> 00:07:23,320 We want to live together, people say, but not to marry. 96 00:07:24,320 –> 00:07:28,260 A classic response, I’ll be there if I’m able. 97 00:07:30,420 –> 00:07:32,059 The pressure of that environment 98 00:07:32,119 –> 00:07:36,619 can very easily shape the kind of people that we become 99 00:07:36,619 –> 00:07:40,820 and shrivel our capacity to be committed to anything. 100 00:07:41,279 –> 00:07:43,760 Ask the question of our society. 101 00:07:43,760 –> 00:07:50,140 Do you see evidence of a shriveling ability to be committed to anything? 102 00:07:52,000 –> 00:07:54,899 At breakfast a while back with a college student 103 00:07:54,899 –> 00:07:57,480 and enjoyed a really honest conversation 104 00:07:57,480 –> 00:08:01,160 about where he was at that point in his relationship with the Lord, 105 00:08:01,239 –> 00:08:02,760 and this is what he said. 106 00:08:03,720 –> 00:08:09,200 I take my commitment, he said, on a day-to-day basis. 107 00:08:09,200 –> 00:08:14,959 I see what the day brings and I go with what I feel. 108 00:08:16,019 –> 00:08:19,799 Now, you see, what he was really saying is that he had no commitment at all. 109 00:08:20,339 –> 00:08:24,739 I determine my decisions by the circumstances at the time. 110 00:08:24,739 –> 00:08:27,679 That is zero commitment. 111 00:08:27,679 –> 00:08:33,020 Commitment in its very nature means that certain decisions 112 00:08:33,020 –> 00:08:38,700 are made in advance, irrespective of the circumstances. 113 00:08:38,700 –> 00:08:41,900 Commitment means that I have decided within my mind 114 00:08:41,900 –> 00:08:47,679 I will honor Christ, whatever the pain and whatever the cost. 115 00:08:47,679 –> 00:08:54,359 I will obey his word even if that is the hardest thing for me to do. 116 00:08:54,880 –> 00:09:00,260 I will do what he has called me to do when it’s draining 117 00:09:00,260 –> 00:09:04,460 and when it’s unfulfilling as much as I will do what 118 00:09:04,460 –> 00:09:08,840 he has called me to do when it is the greatest joy of my life. 119 00:09:08,840 –> 00:09:12,599 Commitment means that certain decisions are made in advance 120 00:09:12,599 –> 00:09:15,419 irrespective of the circumstances. 121 00:09:15,419 –> 00:09:21,900 And I want to say this morning there is no other way to follow Jesus Christ. 122 00:09:22,260 –> 00:09:25,299 Businesses, of course, understand the importance of this, 123 00:09:25,299 –> 00:09:27,039 making decisions in advance. 124 00:09:27,039 –> 00:09:29,900 That is why nearly every effective company these days 125 00:09:29,900 –> 00:09:33,179 has a vision or a mission statement. 126 00:09:33,179 –> 00:09:35,979 Why do we do that? 127 00:09:35,979 –> 00:09:39,679 Because successful companies know that you can never succeed 128 00:09:39,679 –> 00:09:44,159 if you shift your objective according to the prevailing winds of the time. 129 00:09:46,039 –> 00:09:49,059 You can’t be deciding on a week-to-week basis 130 00:09:49,119 –> 00:09:50,840 what it is that you’re trying to do 131 00:09:50,840 –> 00:09:53,539 and where it is that you’re headed to go. 132 00:09:53,820 –> 00:09:57,919 You have to have an over-arching objective 133 00:09:57,919 –> 00:10:01,280 over the whole of the company that enables the company 134 00:10:01,280 –> 00:10:05,640 to determine and evaluate priorities and commitments. 135 00:10:06,599 –> 00:10:10,119 And it’s precisely the same, of course, at a personal level. 136 00:10:10,299 –> 00:10:13,940 I have to know who I am, why I am here, 137 00:10:13,940 –> 00:10:16,900 and what it is that I am supposed to be doing. 138 00:10:16,940 –> 00:10:20,780 I have to nail down what it is that is the objective 139 00:10:20,780 –> 00:10:24,159 and define the commitments in the light of that. 140 00:10:25,179 –> 00:10:27,340 Now we’re going to look, very practically from the Bible, 141 00:10:27,340 –> 00:10:29,340 at how we can do that this morning. 142 00:10:29,580 –> 00:10:32,619 Because making a decisive commitment is never easy, 143 00:10:32,700 –> 00:10:34,700 and some of us may already have realized, 144 00:10:34,700 –> 00:10:38,500 look, this is precisely the area of my battle. 145 00:10:38,559 –> 00:10:42,020 I find this extremely difficult to do. 146 00:10:42,700 –> 00:10:46,260 So let’s open the Bible together at Joshua in chapter 24. 147 00:10:46,460 –> 00:10:50,099 Joshua in chapter 24, and we’re going to walk through 148 00:10:50,099 –> 00:10:54,119 three steps to decisive commitment, 149 00:10:54,500 –> 00:10:56,619 and we’re going to see how they’re modeled for us 150 00:10:56,619 –> 00:10:59,760 in the scripture and then try and apply them directly 151 00:11:00,020 –> 00:11:01,900 to our own situations. 152 00:11:04,099 –> 00:11:06,239 Joshua in chapter 24, 153 00:11:07,820 –> 00:11:11,539 they want you to notice that as Joshua brings the people 154 00:11:11,539 –> 00:11:14,460 to, as it were, draw a line in the stand 155 00:11:14,460 –> 00:11:16,640 in regards to their commitment to the Lord, 156 00:11:17,500 –> 00:11:19,080 that the very first thing he does 157 00:11:19,080 –> 00:11:23,440 and the very first thing we need is to face the challenge. 158 00:11:23,900 –> 00:11:24,799 Great question. 159 00:11:24,799 –> 00:11:27,359 What does God want from me? 160 00:11:28,239 –> 00:11:29,500 What is the calling? 161 00:11:30,859 –> 00:11:32,580 Well, Joshua gives us a wonderful answer 162 00:11:32,580 –> 00:11:35,419 to that question right here. 163 00:11:37,099 –> 00:11:38,059 Verse 14. 164 00:11:38,760 –> 00:11:40,580 Fear the Lord 165 00:11:41,500 –> 00:11:43,460 and serve him 166 00:11:44,979 –> 00:11:46,380 with all faithfulness. 167 00:11:47,299 –> 00:11:49,080 Notice that name of God. 168 00:11:49,080 –> 00:11:51,219 He is the Lord. 169 00:11:51,820 –> 00:11:54,619 He calls me to a total exclusive commitment, 170 00:11:54,619 –> 00:11:57,260 whatever the cost and whatever the circumstances, 171 00:11:57,260 –> 00:12:02,000 and that commitment is that I will be his servant, 172 00:12:02,000 –> 00:12:06,859 fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. 173 00:12:06,859 –> 00:12:08,020 So I come to that place 174 00:12:08,400 –> 00:12:10,419 of saying that you are God 175 00:12:13,000 –> 00:12:16,059 and I am your servant. 176 00:12:17,200 –> 00:12:18,239 And what that means 177 00:12:18,239 –> 00:12:23,239 is that my role in life is to do whatever you tell me to do. 178 00:12:26,119 –> 00:12:28,119 Now, of course, the world gets this completely 179 00:12:28,119 –> 00:12:29,440 and not only the wrong way around. 180 00:12:29,440 –> 00:12:31,320 The world wants to say, I’m God. 181 00:12:32,219 –> 00:12:35,919 The world wants to say, I’m the center of all things, 182 00:12:35,979 –> 00:12:38,039 and that in some sense, God, however he is, 183 00:12:38,039 –> 00:12:39,260 has got to be serving me. 184 00:12:39,260 –> 00:12:41,479 He’s got to help me fulfill my objectives 185 00:12:41,479 –> 00:12:43,599 for a happy and a peaceful life and so forth. 186 00:12:43,599 –> 00:12:46,039 That’s what the Tower of Babel was all about. 187 00:12:46,039 –> 00:12:50,239 Remember trying to affirm man’s central greatness. 188 00:12:50,239 –> 00:12:53,640 That’s what evolutionism is all about, 189 00:12:53,640 –> 00:12:55,700 where the cream of the crop, the top of the pile, 190 00:12:55,700 –> 00:12:58,840 and whoever God is He’s there to enhance 191 00:12:58,840 –> 00:13:01,219 the pleasure of ability, the prosperity, 192 00:13:01,219 –> 00:13:04,000 the peace of our lives. 193 00:13:04,039 –> 00:13:06,219 But you see, the Bible has it completely 194 00:13:06,219 –> 00:13:07,900 the other way around from the world, 195 00:13:07,900 –> 00:13:11,299 far from you being the center of all things 196 00:13:11,299 –> 00:13:14,320 and somehow God being there to serve you. 197 00:13:14,320 –> 00:13:16,739 I’ve come to recognize that this God 198 00:13:16,739 –> 00:13:20,260 who reveals Himself in the Bible, my creator, 199 00:13:20,260 –> 00:13:25,320 He is the Lord, and my role as His servant 200 00:13:25,320 –> 00:13:29,520 is to do whatever He tells me to do. 201 00:13:29,520 –> 00:13:32,820 And since God has made me for Himself, 202 00:13:33,000 –> 00:13:35,140 the wonderful thing is that I find myself 203 00:13:35,140 –> 00:13:37,080 in giving myself wholly to Him. 204 00:13:38,359 –> 00:13:41,299 It’s a great irony, if I am made for Him, 205 00:13:41,299 –> 00:13:44,340 I can only find myself in giving myself to Him. 206 00:13:45,719 –> 00:13:49,460 That’s why Jesus said, if you want to save your life, 207 00:13:49,460 –> 00:13:51,039 the only way to do it is to lose it, 208 00:13:51,039 –> 00:13:55,320 and if you try to hold it to yourself, 209 00:13:55,320 –> 00:13:57,299 you will end up losing it in the end. 210 00:13:58,419 –> 00:14:01,179 The only way to find freedom, real freedom, 211 00:14:01,200 –> 00:14:05,679 is to become a slave of Jesus Christ. 212 00:14:06,460 –> 00:14:08,940 And notice that God calls not only 213 00:14:08,940 –> 00:14:10,380 for our total allegiance, 214 00:14:10,380 –> 00:14:13,219 but for our exclusive allegiance. 215 00:14:13,219 –> 00:14:14,900 Joshua goes on to say throw away 216 00:14:14,900 –> 00:14:16,700 the gods of your forefathers, 217 00:14:16,700 –> 00:14:19,859 the ones they worshiped beyond the river and in Egypt, 218 00:14:19,859 –> 00:14:22,900 and in this way, serve the Lord. 219 00:14:22,900 –> 00:14:25,780 When the Bible talks about the other gods, 220 00:14:25,780 –> 00:14:28,219 I find it helpful to translate that into my mind 221 00:14:28,299 –> 00:14:30,460 into this little phrase, 222 00:14:30,460 –> 00:14:35,080 what the surrounding culture calls great. 223 00:14:35,080 –> 00:14:39,419 What the surrounding culture calls great. 224 00:14:40,359 –> 00:14:41,940 In other words, I am to make sure 225 00:14:41,940 –> 00:14:43,619 that what the other, 226 00:14:43,619 –> 00:14:45,500 the surrounding culture calls great 227 00:14:45,500 –> 00:14:48,900 is never allowed to take the place of God in my life. 228 00:14:48,900 –> 00:14:51,780 I have to take it off that pedestal 229 00:14:51,780 –> 00:14:55,400 so that I may serve him and him alone. 230 00:14:56,320 –> 00:14:59,039 Now, remember that there is a great attraction 231 00:14:59,039 –> 00:15:03,080 in the idols and in what the surrounding culture calls great. 232 00:15:03,080 –> 00:15:05,820 One of the draws of idols throughout history 233 00:15:05,820 –> 00:15:06,979 and across many cultures 234 00:15:06,979 –> 00:15:09,539 has been that you can choose the idol 235 00:15:09,539 –> 00:15:12,119 that most suits your needs. 236 00:15:13,359 –> 00:15:15,219 And if one of them doesn’t work out for you, 237 00:15:15,219 –> 00:15:16,380 you go to another. 238 00:15:17,859 –> 00:15:20,159 If one God doesn’t come through for you, 239 00:15:20,159 –> 00:15:21,320 you go to another. 240 00:15:22,299 –> 00:15:26,059 It’s fascinating to see this in a Hindu culture, 241 00:15:26,059 –> 00:15:26,880 for example, 242 00:15:26,880 –> 00:15:29,080 where people will make a sacrifice to one God 243 00:15:29,080 –> 00:15:30,799 but then, if what they’re looking for doesn’t happen, 244 00:15:30,799 –> 00:15:33,159 they’ll go and make that sacrifice to another one. 245 00:15:36,400 –> 00:15:38,900 But the commitment that Joshua is calling for 246 00:15:38,900 –> 00:15:40,700 is nothing like that. 247 00:15:41,880 –> 00:15:45,299 It is to this one God and to be committed to him 248 00:15:45,299 –> 00:15:46,960 and to no other, 249 00:15:46,960 –> 00:15:48,940 whatever the cost, 250 00:15:48,940 –> 00:15:50,760 whatever the circumstances, 251 00:15:50,760 –> 00:15:52,280 whatever happens, 252 00:15:52,280 –> 00:15:54,640 whether he comes through for me 253 00:15:54,640 –> 00:15:57,659 on a particular issue or not. 254 00:15:57,659 –> 00:15:59,380 Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 255 00:15:59,380 –> 00:16:01,340 and the lions in the fiery furnace, 256 00:16:01,340 –> 00:16:03,140 as they were about to go into that furnace, 257 00:16:03,140 –> 00:16:03,979 they said, 258 00:16:03,979 –> 00:16:06,020 our God is able to deliver us 259 00:16:07,260 –> 00:16:11,000 but even if he doesn’t oh king, 260 00:16:11,919 –> 00:16:14,820 we will never bow down to your idol. 261 00:16:15,820 –> 00:16:16,780 That’s a challenge. 262 00:16:18,380 –> 00:16:20,340 This is way, way beyond signing up 263 00:16:20,619 –> 00:16:22,820 to some kind of creedal statement, isn’t it? 264 00:16:24,419 –> 00:16:28,000 It’s a fundamental life value. 265 00:16:31,020 –> 00:16:31,900 Well, that’s the first step. 266 00:16:31,900 –> 00:16:34,140 If we are going to get out of the fog 267 00:16:34,140 –> 00:16:36,320 in which commitment is not possible to us, 268 00:16:36,320 –> 00:16:39,020 we have to start by hearing the call of God, 269 00:16:39,020 –> 00:16:40,500 face the challenge. 270 00:16:40,500 –> 00:16:42,299 Here’s the second step. 271 00:16:42,299 –> 00:16:43,760 Look at the alternatives. 272 00:16:44,520 –> 00:16:47,679 Now notice the first line of verse 15, 273 00:16:47,739 –> 00:16:52,739 but if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, 274 00:16:54,140 –> 00:16:57,619 this is so practical and so helpful. 275 00:16:57,619 –> 00:16:58,940 See, Joshua knows 276 00:17:00,039 –> 00:17:02,179 that it’s one thing for him to stand up on his pulpit 277 00:17:02,179 –> 00:17:04,219 and to set out the call of God, 278 00:17:05,560 –> 00:17:09,880 but he knows that as we hear that call 279 00:17:09,880 –> 00:17:12,140 within our own hearts and in our own minds, 280 00:17:12,140 –> 00:17:15,079 we’re going to be saying, boy, that sounds pretty tough, 281 00:17:16,079 –> 00:17:21,079 but it’s a bit of a stretch that’s being asked for here. 282 00:17:22,280 –> 00:17:24,939 So if that seems undesirable to you, 283 00:17:24,939 –> 00:17:28,099 if you’re struggling with that whole concept 284 00:17:28,099 –> 00:17:31,180 of the kind of calling and commitment 285 00:17:31,180 –> 00:17:33,300 that Jesus Christ lays before us, 286 00:17:33,300 –> 00:17:34,579 here’s what you should do. 287 00:17:36,640 –> 00:17:38,540 “‘Choose for yourselves,’ he says, verse 15, 288 00:17:38,540 –> 00:17:41,959 this day if the challenge seems too much, 289 00:17:41,959 –> 00:17:44,699 “‘then choose for yourself today who you will serve. 290 00:17:45,699 –> 00:17:49,140 “‘Whether it’s going to be the gods of your forefathers, 291 00:17:49,140 –> 00:17:50,660 “‘the ones they serve beyond the river, 292 00:17:50,660 –> 00:17:54,300 “‘or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you’re living.’” 293 00:17:56,060 –> 00:17:57,699 Now you see, the alternative 294 00:17:57,699 –> 00:18:00,020 of what the surrounding culture calls great 295 00:18:00,020 –> 00:18:01,520 does seem very attractive. 296 00:18:01,520 –> 00:18:03,140 It’s certainly less demanding. 297 00:18:04,300 –> 00:18:05,300 But Joshua says, 298 00:18:05,300 –> 00:18:10,099 make sure you take a long hard look at the alternative. 299 00:18:10,199 –> 00:18:13,680 And speaking at his time, he says, 300 00:18:13,680 –> 00:18:15,479 well now what are the alternatives? 301 00:18:15,479 –> 00:18:18,339 Well, there are the gods your forefathers used to worship. 302 00:18:19,239 –> 00:18:20,239 He’s referring of course 303 00:18:20,239 –> 00:18:21,900 to the idols that were worshiped 304 00:18:21,900 –> 00:18:25,180 before God spoke to Abraham many years before. 305 00:18:26,640 –> 00:18:28,160 And of course, at that time, 306 00:18:28,160 –> 00:18:31,479 their forefathers were outside of God’s covenant 307 00:18:31,479 –> 00:18:33,619 and outside of his promises. 308 00:18:34,640 –> 00:18:35,839 And Joshua is saying, 309 00:18:35,839 –> 00:18:38,920 if serving the Lord seems too hard to you, 310 00:18:39,859 –> 00:18:42,180 if the commitment, the exclusive nature 311 00:18:42,180 –> 00:18:45,540 and the totality of it that God places before you 312 00:18:45,540 –> 00:18:49,660 is seeming to you to be beyond what you want to give, 313 00:18:49,660 –> 00:18:52,900 then perhaps you would like to consider the alternative 314 00:18:52,900 –> 00:18:56,420 of going back to the position where you did not know him 315 00:18:56,420 –> 00:18:58,339 and you did not have his promises 316 00:18:58,339 –> 00:19:01,000 and none of them applied to you. 317 00:19:01,000 –> 00:19:02,699 Is that what you want? 318 00:19:02,699 –> 00:19:04,199 Look at that very carefully. 319 00:19:04,859 –> 00:19:09,079 Then Joshua suggests another alternative. 320 00:19:09,079 –> 00:19:11,880 If you find God’s total and exclusive claims 321 00:19:11,880 –> 00:19:13,520 to be too much on your life, 322 00:19:13,520 –> 00:19:17,520 perhaps you could opt for the gods of the Amorites. 323 00:19:18,420 –> 00:19:21,319 This is almost hilarious because, of course, 324 00:19:21,319 –> 00:19:25,859 the Israelites had just routed the Amorites 325 00:19:25,859 –> 00:19:27,400 in the previous series of battles 326 00:19:27,400 –> 00:19:30,400 that had been described in the book of Joshua. 327 00:19:30,479 –> 00:19:31,319 To your culture. 328 00:19:32,219 –> 00:19:33,359 And so Joshua is saying, 329 00:19:33,359 –> 00:19:35,780 if you don’t want to give everything that you have 330 00:19:35,780 –> 00:19:38,239 to the service of the living God of the Bible, 331 00:19:38,239 –> 00:19:41,979 maybe you’d like to choose the god of your enemies. 332 00:19:41,979 –> 00:19:44,359 Which I think would compute fairly quickly. 333 00:19:44,359 –> 00:19:46,199 You mean the gods that just got beat? 334 00:19:47,300 –> 00:19:48,579 The gods that were helpless 335 00:19:48,579 –> 00:19:50,780 in the face of the living God of the Bible? 336 00:19:52,520 –> 00:19:54,060 Look at that very carefully. 337 00:19:55,239 –> 00:19:56,119 You see what he’s saying? 338 00:19:56,119 –> 00:19:58,959 Look at the alternatives. 339 00:20:00,959 –> 00:20:04,859 Now none of us are going to take seriously 340 00:20:04,859 –> 00:20:06,420 that the alternative for us 341 00:20:06,420 –> 00:20:07,859 is the gods of the Amorites 342 00:20:07,859 –> 00:20:10,079 or the gods that Abraham’s ancestors 343 00:20:10,079 –> 00:20:11,359 worshiped beyond the river. 344 00:20:12,599 –> 00:20:14,239 But the principle that applies to us 345 00:20:14,239 –> 00:20:15,599 is if you’re finding a struggle 346 00:20:15,599 –> 00:20:17,680 in making that complete commitment 347 00:20:17,680 –> 00:20:19,339 to the living God of the Bible, 348 00:20:19,339 –> 00:20:21,699 take a look at the alternatives for you. 349 00:20:23,660 –> 00:20:27,359 For if your life is not going to be 350 00:20:27,380 –> 00:20:32,380 at its very core about serving Him, 351 00:20:32,859 –> 00:20:35,719 then what is it going to be about? 352 00:20:38,660 –> 00:20:40,020 A little bit of money? 353 00:20:42,839 –> 00:20:44,400 A little bit of sex? 354 00:20:46,800 –> 00:20:48,819 Gathering some friends? 355 00:20:51,219 –> 00:20:52,939 A lot of laughs? 356 00:20:53,880 –> 00:20:57,020 A shelf full of athletics trophies? 357 00:21:00,859 –> 00:21:05,760 Now, all of these are good in their place, 358 00:21:08,380 –> 00:21:12,140 but is there one of us here who could honestly settle 359 00:21:12,140 –> 00:21:16,180 for saying, that will be my life? 360 00:21:18,719 –> 00:21:19,979 Is there any of us here who would say 361 00:21:19,979 –> 00:21:22,680 that all of them would be your life? 362 00:21:23,660 –> 00:21:28,660 You were made for something bigger than this. 363 00:21:29,420 –> 00:21:33,579 And you see, when Jesus Christ calls us to count the cost 364 00:21:34,640 –> 00:21:37,780 we have to count the cost on both sides of the ledger. 365 00:21:37,780 –> 00:21:40,459 We have to count the cost of following 366 00:21:40,459 –> 00:21:42,719 because it will be a very high price. 367 00:21:43,660 –> 00:21:48,060 But you have to count the cost also of staying behind. 368 00:21:49,699 –> 00:21:50,819 The living God calls you 369 00:21:50,859 –> 00:21:53,479 to this total exclusive commitment, 370 00:21:53,479 –> 00:21:56,380 and if you’re finding that difficult, Joshua says, 371 00:21:56,380 –> 00:22:01,339 take an honest, cold, hard, long look at the alternatives, 372 00:22:02,300 –> 00:22:06,979 to be outside of His grace, to be outside of His promises, 373 00:22:06,979 –> 00:22:11,459 to be identified with those who go down at His coming. 374 00:22:14,000 –> 00:22:15,099 Face the challenge. 375 00:22:16,339 –> 00:22:19,219 See, you cannot be a Christian on your own terms. 376 00:22:19,219 –> 00:22:20,579 God sets the terms. 377 00:22:21,319 –> 00:22:26,319 Look at the alternatives, look at them deeply. 378 00:22:28,500 –> 00:22:31,880 Ask what is your life. 379 00:22:34,839 –> 00:22:36,079 And then the third thing. 380 00:22:37,540 –> 00:22:38,560 Make a decision. 381 00:22:39,719 –> 00:22:40,680 Make a decision. 382 00:22:41,599 –> 00:22:43,099 Look at it in verse 15. 383 00:22:43,099 –> 00:22:48,099 As for me, and my household, says Joshua, 384 00:22:49,020 –> 00:22:52,020 we will serve the Lord. 385 00:22:53,180 –> 00:22:55,599 So Joshua exercises true leadership here. 386 00:22:55,599 –> 00:22:58,060 He draws a line in the sand and he says let me tell you 387 00:22:58,060 –> 00:22:59,459 where it’s gonna be from me. 388 00:23:01,140 –> 00:23:06,140 As for me, I make a personal commitment 389 00:23:06,579 –> 00:23:07,859 to serve the Lord today. 390 00:23:09,939 –> 00:23:13,939 Whatever the cost, whatever the circumstances 391 00:23:13,939 –> 00:23:15,660 and whatever the consequences, 392 00:23:15,660 –> 00:23:19,359 that is how and where it is for me. 393 00:23:19,359 –> 00:23:21,719 Line in the sand today. 394 00:23:25,579 –> 00:23:27,819 Then notice, he says something else very fascinating 395 00:23:27,819 –> 00:23:31,660 because he says not only as for me, I’ll serve the Lord, 396 00:23:31,660 –> 00:23:36,660 he says as for me and my household we will serve the Lord. 397 00:23:38,319 –> 00:23:39,319 In other words, he’s saying that’s not only 398 00:23:39,319 –> 00:23:40,619 how it’s going to be for me, 399 00:23:40,619 –> 00:23:43,939 that’s how it’s going to be within the sphere 400 00:23:43,939 –> 00:23:45,420 of my influence. 401 00:23:46,300 –> 00:23:47,339 My household. 402 00:23:48,780 –> 00:23:51,579 Now, clearly Joshua cannot make a choice 403 00:23:51,579 –> 00:23:54,300 to serve the Lord on behalf of his children. 404 00:23:54,300 –> 00:23:56,199 They, as they grow into maturity, 405 00:23:56,199 –> 00:23:59,420 have to make that choice for themselves. 406 00:23:59,420 –> 00:24:03,739 But what he can say is that within his sphere of influence, 407 00:24:03,739 –> 00:24:07,140 in the ordering of his family, 408 00:24:08,420 –> 00:24:10,939 the fundamental vision and value 409 00:24:10,939 –> 00:24:15,219 and the abiding commitment of this family 410 00:24:15,219 –> 00:24:17,660 will be to serve the Lord. 411 00:24:18,699 –> 00:24:20,619 And so he draws a line in the sand, 412 00:24:20,619 –> 00:24:24,540 not only for himself, but also for his family. 413 00:24:25,579 –> 00:24:27,099 Some of us need to do that too. 414 00:24:29,099 –> 00:24:32,300 Some of us are drowning in activities 415 00:24:33,239 –> 00:24:35,099 because we have never really sorted out 416 00:24:35,099 –> 00:24:38,680 what it is that we, a family, are trying to do. 417 00:24:40,020 –> 00:24:42,040 What is our objective? 418 00:24:42,540 –> 00:24:46,660 What in the light of that are our commitments? 419 00:24:47,680 –> 00:24:49,579 And let me tell you something very practical 420 00:24:49,579 –> 00:24:50,880 that we see quite often 421 00:24:50,880 –> 00:24:53,579 but probably don’t adequately consider the meaning of. 422 00:24:55,640 –> 00:24:58,560 This is why we have a service of dedication. 423 00:25:00,540 –> 00:25:04,599 You see, as soon as a child is born into the world, 424 00:25:06,199 –> 00:25:09,959 the Christian family has the opportunity 425 00:25:10,680 –> 00:25:12,760 of setting the objective, 426 00:25:14,000 –> 00:25:15,099 and so they come here. 427 00:25:16,040 –> 00:25:18,079 Families will line up at the front of the church 428 00:25:18,079 –> 00:25:20,000 and they’ll have their babies in arms 429 00:25:20,000 –> 00:25:21,359 and they will make a commitment 430 00:25:21,359 –> 00:25:22,420 and we, as a congregation, 431 00:25:22,420 –> 00:25:24,180 will make a commitment around them 432 00:25:24,180 –> 00:25:26,640 and at the very heart of that commitment is this, 433 00:25:26,640 –> 00:25:29,079 the objective of this family, 434 00:25:29,079 –> 00:25:31,920 the objective of this father, this mother, 435 00:25:31,920 –> 00:25:36,920 is to raise this child in the knowledge of the Lord. 436 00:25:37,400 –> 00:25:38,140 This is what this family is all about. 437 00:25:38,140 –> 00:25:42,619 We stand at the frontier to say that this, 438 00:25:42,619 –> 00:25:47,459 to us is more important than anything else in all the world. 439 00:25:47,459 –> 00:25:49,959 God has given this incredible trust 440 00:25:52,920 –> 00:25:56,599 and we can hardly express our gratitude for it, 441 00:25:56,599 –> 00:25:59,300 but knowing that this trust has come from Him, 442 00:25:59,300 –> 00:26:01,119 we want right at the beginning, 443 00:26:01,119 –> 00:26:04,439 before we get into all the pressures of life itself, 444 00:26:04,880 –> 00:26:08,219 into all the pressures of life itself in raising a family 445 00:26:08,219 –> 00:26:11,239 to affirm what the objective is. 446 00:26:13,439 –> 00:26:18,439 So then, if my objective is that I am to raise my family 447 00:26:19,000 –> 00:26:20,760 in the knowledge of the Lord, 448 00:26:23,000 –> 00:26:25,880 then I must make commitments that move in that direction. 449 00:26:27,319 –> 00:26:31,239 Commitments to worship, commitments to serve, 450 00:26:32,160 –> 00:26:34,000 commitments to time at home, 451 00:26:35,180 –> 00:26:36,359 commitments to pray. 452 00:26:39,760 –> 00:26:41,479 I tried to search my own heart 453 00:26:41,479 –> 00:26:44,819 in looking at this deeply challenging theme. 454 00:26:46,400 –> 00:26:48,800 Having done that, I share this question with you. 455 00:26:50,439 –> 00:26:55,439 Is what you’re doing going to achieve the objective? 456 00:26:56,439 –> 00:26:59,199 Doing what you’re doing. 457 00:26:59,199 –> 00:27:02,020 Or have you lost sight of the objective 458 00:27:03,479 –> 00:27:07,040 in a multiplicity of opportunities? 459 00:27:10,319 –> 00:27:11,359 That’s very interesting, 460 00:27:11,359 –> 00:27:15,000 that immediately after the challenge is given 461 00:27:15,000 –> 00:27:18,040 and Joshua encourages the people 462 00:27:18,040 –> 00:27:19,719 to reflect on the alternatives 463 00:27:19,719 –> 00:27:22,880 and then he calls them to draw a line in the sand, 464 00:27:22,880 –> 00:27:25,459 you notice that immediately afterwards, 465 00:27:25,459 –> 00:27:27,400 the people respond by saying, 466 00:27:27,400 –> 00:27:30,560 well, we will serve the Lord, verse 16, 467 00:27:30,560 –> 00:27:33,560 far be it from us to forsake the Lord, and so forth. 468 00:27:33,560 –> 00:27:35,199 You get all this spiritual talk. 469 00:27:36,199 –> 00:27:37,199 These people after all, 470 00:27:37,199 –> 00:27:38,560 have been 40 years in the desert, 471 00:27:38,560 –> 00:27:39,380 they’ve been raised there, 472 00:27:39,380 –> 00:27:40,199 they built the tabernacle, 473 00:27:40,199 –> 00:27:41,880 they’re very, very religious people. 474 00:27:43,459 –> 00:27:46,339 And, oh, far be it from us to desert the Lord, 475 00:27:46,339 –> 00:27:48,939 yes, yes, yes, we’re Christian people, and all that. 476 00:27:49,579 –> 00:27:51,819 Joshua, you’re preaching to the choir here. 477 00:27:53,260 –> 00:27:55,920 Of course we’re all going to serve the Lord. 478 00:27:57,819 –> 00:28:01,420 But when Joshua calls for a decision, 479 00:28:01,420 –> 00:28:05,219 he’s talking about something deeper than words, 480 00:28:05,959 –> 00:28:07,939 more than words. 481 00:28:07,939 –> 00:28:10,540 And so he comes straight back at them in verse 19, 482 00:28:10,540 –> 00:28:11,780 this is extraordinary, he says, 483 00:28:11,780 –> 00:28:14,339 let me tell you something, you can’t. 484 00:28:14,339 –> 00:28:16,280 It’s not gonna work! 485 00:28:16,280 –> 00:28:17,520 Say you’re gonna serve the Lord, 486 00:28:17,680 –> 00:28:19,020 say you’re gonna serve the Lord. 487 00:28:19,020 –> 00:28:20,979 It’s not gonna happen, so very well 488 00:28:20,979 –> 00:28:22,699 making this pious commitment here in church 489 00:28:22,699 –> 00:28:25,800 on Sunday morning and not work out in reality in life! 490 00:28:27,040 –> 00:28:29,180 Notice what he says, verse 19. 491 00:28:29,180 –> 00:28:34,180 He’s a holy God, he’s a jealous God and he will not forgive 492 00:28:35,560 –> 00:28:37,380 your rebellion and your sins. 493 00:28:37,380 –> 00:28:39,420 Isn’t that an astonishing verse? 494 00:28:39,420 –> 00:28:42,400 That disturb you that that’s in the Bible? 495 00:28:42,400 –> 00:28:44,280 Did you know that there’s a verse in the Bible 496 00:28:44,280 –> 00:28:46,339 that says God will not forgive your sins? 497 00:28:48,079 –> 00:28:50,260 Gotta work out what it means, don’t you think? 498 00:28:52,199 –> 00:28:54,300 Look with me at verse 23 then, 499 00:28:57,239 –> 00:28:59,180 very important to see what Joshua’s saying here. 500 00:28:59,180 –> 00:29:00,699 Verse 23, 501 00:29:00,699 –> 00:29:04,099 throw away the foreign gods that are, 502 00:29:04,099 –> 00:29:07,760 are, are, present tense, 503 00:29:07,760 –> 00:29:10,640 that are, right now, among you. 504 00:29:13,000 –> 00:29:15,140 And you see verse 23 comes after verse 19 505 00:29:15,140 –> 00:29:16,500 and that’s the whole point. 506 00:29:17,520 –> 00:29:21,160 What we’ve got in Shechem is a bunch of pious people 507 00:29:21,160 –> 00:29:24,839 who say we will serve the Lord or we’ll stand up, 508 00:29:24,839 –> 00:29:26,199 we’ll make that commitment. 509 00:29:28,160 –> 00:29:29,959 Joshua said, it’s not going to work 510 00:29:32,199 –> 00:29:37,199 because you’re hanging on to idols 511 00:29:40,079 –> 00:29:42,819 that are the very center of family life. 512 00:29:43,800 –> 00:29:48,800 And don’t talk about serving the Lord with your whole heart 513 00:29:50,619 –> 00:29:54,359 unless you’re prepared to identify and throw out the idols, 514 00:29:55,219 -> 00:29:58,500 the things that have become bigger than God 515 00:29:58,500 –> 00:30:01,839 for you and for your family. 516 00:30:05,380 –> 00:30:08,959 See, it’s easy to say we will serve the Lord. 517 00:30:09,000 –> 00:30:12,979 The hard bit is to throw out the idols. 518 00:30:12,979 –> 00:30:15,000 But if you say, I’ll serve the Lord 519 00:30:15,000 –> 00:30:17,359 and won’t throw out the idols, 520 00:30:18,959 –> 00:30:19,959 it’ll never happen. 521 00:30:21,719 –> 00:30:24,780 And Joshua’s making the point that will simply not work. 522 00:30:25,920 –> 00:30:28,479 This commitment has to be more than words. 523 00:30:28,479 –> 00:30:32,500 He’s saying it has to be a commitment of your life. 524 00:30:33,719 –> 00:30:38,719 And simply saying we will serve the Lord will not save you. 525 00:30:38,959 –> 00:30:40,199 It’s what we learn here. 526 00:30:41,119 –> 00:30:43,239 You have to throw out the idols. 527 00:30:43,239 –> 00:30:45,280 And if you won’t throw out the idols, 528 00:30:45,280 –> 00:30:47,819 don’t think that you’re forgiven for keeping them. 529 00:30:49,560 –> 00:30:52,280 That’s why the Bible says examine yourself 530 00:30:52,280 –> 00:30:54,280 to see if you are in the faith. 531 00:30:54,280 –> 00:30:55,560 Because think about this, 532 00:30:55,560 –> 00:30:59,780 God never promises to forgive a sin that you won’t forsake. 533 00:31:00,760 –> 00:31:03,839 It’s a lot of nonsense to say, Lord forgive me this sin 534 00:31:03,839 –> 00:31:05,439 and I’m going to keep doing it. 535 00:31:06,119 –> 00:31:09,199 That God will not forgive. 536 00:31:09,199 –> 00:31:11,280 It’s what Joshua is saying. 537 00:31:11,280 –> 00:31:13,619 You cannot go home saying I made a wonderful commitment 538 00:31:13,619 –> 00:31:18,619 today and I’m a whole new cleansed person 539 00:31:20,000 –> 00:31:22,420 and I’m going to continue as before. 540 00:31:26,239 –> 00:31:28,459 A life that’s not changed is the evidence 541 00:31:29,680 –> 00:31:31,619 of a soul that’s not saved. 542 00:31:31,959 –> 00:31:33,560 Of a soul that’s not saved. 543 00:31:35,599 –> 00:31:37,500 And where there is no evidence 544 00:31:37,500 –> 00:31:40,579 of the work of the Holy Spirit in repentance, 545 00:31:41,680 –> 00:31:44,800 there is no good reason to suppose 546 00:31:44,800 –> 00:31:47,160 that a person is forgiven. 547 00:31:48,760 –> 00:31:51,939 So, make a decision. 548 00:31:53,760 –> 00:31:55,160 Face the challenge. 549 00:31:56,760 –> 00:31:58,719 Look at the alternatives. 550 00:32:00,400 –> 00:32:01,359 Make a decision. 551 00:32:02,619 –> 00:32:04,880 But if you’re going to say today, 552 00:32:04,880 –> 00:32:07,439 we will serve the Lord, me and my house, 553 00:32:10,020 –> 00:32:11,819 then understand that that means going home 554 00:32:11,819 –> 00:32:13,400 and scouring the place for idols, 555 00:32:13,400 –> 00:32:15,760 that is to identify those things 556 00:32:15,760 –> 00:32:19,079 that I, we, have put in the place of God, 557 00:32:22,439 –> 00:32:23,579 and to throw them away. 558 00:32:25,979 –> 00:32:27,880 Now I want you to see in just a brief moment 559 00:32:27,880 –> 00:32:30,140 that this is much more than an isolated pattern 560 00:32:30,140 –> 00:32:31,699 in the book of Joshua, 561 00:32:31,699 –> 00:32:34,020 because you see precisely the same pattern 562 00:32:34,020 –> 00:32:39,060 in the life of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. 563 00:32:39,060 –> 00:32:41,239 He faced the challenge. 564 00:32:41,239 –> 00:32:44,020 Remember he spoke about the cup, 565 00:32:44,020 –> 00:32:46,099 the cup that he took after the last supper, 566 00:32:46,099 –> 00:32:49,180 and the cup was a symbol 567 00:32:49,180 –> 00:32:53,020 of the sufferings that he had to embrace. 568 00:32:53,020 –> 00:32:56,060 The cup wasn’t forced down his throat by some other person, 569 00:32:56,060 –> 00:32:59,520 he had to take the cup. 570 00:32:59,520 –> 00:33:03,359 That was a picture of the fact that it involved a choice 571 00:33:03,359 –> 00:33:07,599 to take up that which the Lord had laid before him, 572 00:33:07,599 –> 00:33:10,619 and here to wrestle with the awesomeness of that challenge 573 00:33:10,619 –> 00:33:12,099 in the Garden of Gethsemane, 574 00:33:12,099 –> 00:33:15,000 my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, Jesus said, 575 00:33:15,000 –> 00:33:17,300 and the intensity of that battle, 576 00:33:17,300 –> 00:33:19,699 thinking about what God was calling him to 577 00:33:19,699 –> 00:33:21,420 that would demand everything, 578 00:33:21,420 –> 00:33:25,719 was such that his sweat was like great drops of blood. 579 00:33:26,839 –> 00:33:29,020 The son of God had to face the prospect 580 00:33:29,140 –> 00:33:32,900 bearing the sins of the world, and he staggered, 581 00:33:32,900 –> 00:33:36,500 he staggered at the prospect. 582 00:33:36,500 –> 00:33:39,979 Father, if it be possible, let this cup be taken from me. 583 00:33:41,420 –> 00:33:43,900 But then you remember he looked at the alternative, 584 00:33:44,880 –> 00:33:47,400 this has been the plan of the father and the son 585 00:33:47,400 –> 00:33:49,199 since before the beginning of time, 586 00:33:49,199 –> 00:33:50,739 this is the will of the father, 587 00:33:50,739 –> 00:33:53,819 and the very identity of the son is bound up in it, 588 00:33:55,119 –> 00:33:56,500 to avoid the will of the father 589 00:33:56,560 –> 00:33:59,959 as there would be a denial of who he is 590 00:33:59,959 –> 00:34:02,959 and it would also be abandoning his people. 591 00:34:02,959 –> 00:34:04,959 The New Testament tells us that he endured 592 00:34:04,959 –> 00:34:08,199 the cross for the joy set before him, 593 00:34:08,199 –> 00:34:11,199 that means he looked at the alternative 594 00:34:11,199 –> 00:34:13,100 of letting us go and he couldn’t do it. 595 00:34:14,560 –> 00:34:16,600 His mind was instructed by the Scripture 596 00:34:16,600 –> 00:34:18,699 that says he will see of the fruit 597 00:34:18,699 –> 00:34:21,959 of the travail of his soul and he be satisfied. 598 00:34:23,699 –> 00:34:26,320 Father, not my will. 599 00:34:27,239 –> 00:34:29,560 But yours be done. 600 00:34:31,239 –> 00:34:32,979 Then he returns to the disciples 601 00:34:32,979 –> 00:34:36,040 in some great words of decisiveness. 602 00:34:36,040 –> 00:34:41,040 Arise, let us go, here comes my betrayer. 603 00:34:43,399 –> 00:34:45,580 And in these words, the decision is not 604 00:34:45,580 –> 00:34:49,320 only made but incredibly expressed. 605 00:34:50,120 –> 00:34:51,840 Judas arrives with a large crowd 606 00:34:51,840 –> 00:34:54,040 and swords and clubs and Jesus says to him, 607 00:34:54,040 –> 00:34:56,300 friend, do what you came for. 608 00:34:57,479 –> 00:35:01,020 I want above everything else that this morning 609 00:35:01,020 –> 00:35:03,820 will be, for some of us who’ve lived 610 00:35:03,820 –> 00:35:07,219 in a fog of confusion, a day of drawing 611 00:35:07,219 –> 00:35:09,560 a line in the sand. 612 00:35:12,419 –> 00:35:14,780 And so I want to ask these three simple 613 00:35:14,780 –> 00:35:16,340 and very obvious questions. 614 00:35:17,219 –> 00:35:20,459 Have you faced the challenge? 615 00:35:22,399 –> 00:35:25,080 God is calling you to more than a creed. 616 00:35:26,780 –> 00:35:28,820 He’s calling you more to sign off and say, 617 00:35:28,820 –> 00:35:29,939 oh yes, I believe it. 618 00:35:32,340 –> 00:35:37,340 He’s calling you to serve him with your life. 619 00:35:39,620 –> 00:35:44,159 That means that your schedule, your business, 620 00:35:44,159 –> 00:35:47,979 your gifts, your talents, your money, 621 00:35:47,979 –> 00:35:52,179 are the Lord’s and the only question 622 00:35:52,179 –> 00:35:55,239 is how he wants you to deploy them. 623 00:35:57,340 –> 00:36:01,379 When Saul realized the glory of God on the Damascus Road, 624 00:36:01,379 –> 00:36:05,580 when he saw who Jesus is, his first question was 625 00:36:05,580 –> 00:36:09,219 Lord, what do you want me to do? 626 00:36:11,020 –> 00:36:13,419 And that was a question with no boundaries 627 00:36:14,419 –> 00:36:15,580 and no conditions. 628 00:36:19,860 –> 00:36:21,979 And if you come to that place he will show you 629 00:36:21,979 –> 00:36:23,379 what he wants you to do, 630 00:36:23,939 –> 00:36:28,939 to become the man, the woman, the father, 631 00:36:28,939 –> 00:36:32,699 the husband, the mother, the daughter, 632 00:36:32,699 –> 00:36:36,060 the employee, the boss, the student, the athlete, 633 00:36:38,179 –> 00:36:41,659 the carpet cleaner that he wants you to be 634 00:36:41,659 –> 00:36:43,979 and there are dimensions in every one of these. 635 00:36:46,540 –> 00:36:48,379 So we face the challenge. 636 00:36:50,179 –> 00:36:52,699 Let’s not go on kidding ourselves 637 00:36:53,100 –> 00:36:56,379 as we open the Bible that Christianity 638 00:36:56,379 –> 00:36:58,580 is just adopting some set of beliefs 639 00:36:58,580 –> 00:37:01,300 and carrying on pretty much the same as everyone else. 640 00:37:04,020 –> 00:37:05,899 Have you faced the alternatives? 641 00:37:07,540 –> 00:37:09,979 Have you looked honestly at your own life? 642 00:37:09,979 –> 00:37:13,979 It’s easy to live 20, 40, 50, 70 years and never do this. 643 00:37:14,939 –> 00:37:17,060 Have you looked honestly at your own life 644 00:37:18,340 –> 00:37:21,100 and have you asked the question, 645 00:37:21,159 –> 00:37:26,159 can I live with holding back on Jesus Christ? 646 00:37:29,260 –> 00:37:33,580 Can I live on missing what God has for me? 647 00:37:35,939 –> 00:37:40,659 Dads, have you looked at what it means for your family 648 00:37:40,659 –> 00:37:43,860 if you hold back on the man Christ calls you to be? 649 00:37:43,860 –> 00:37:52,939 Have you really looked hard at what it would mean 650 00:37:52,939 –> 00:37:58,199 to end your life and never become the person 651 00:37:59,060 –> 00:38:00,179 God could have made you? 652 00:38:02,760 –> 00:38:03,879 Then have you made a decision? 653 00:38:04,739 –> 00:38:05,699 I don’t mean words, 654 00:38:05,699 –> 00:38:07,560 I mean a decision in action. 655 00:38:08,979 –> 00:38:11,159 Draw a line in the sand and then you 656 00:38:11,199 –> 00:38:14,679 take the first steps of practical obedience. 657 00:38:19,320 –> 00:38:22,479 We identified a spiritual discipline in each of these 658 00:38:22,479 –> 00:38:24,919 Sunday mornings and the spiritual discipline today is 659 00:38:24,919 –> 00:38:26,260 the discipline of obedience. 660 00:38:26,280 –> 00:38:27,560 That’s where this brings us. 661 00:38:27,560 –> 00:38:30,399 When we clear away this fog that comes from a lack of 662 00:38:30,399 –> 00:38:33,159 commitment, draw a line in the sand and you take the 663 00:38:33,159 –> 00:38:34,479 first steps of obedience. 664 00:38:34,739 –> 00:38:38,239 And you know how that happened right at the beginning 665 00:38:38,239 –> 00:38:38,879 of the church. 666 00:38:38,879 –> 00:38:44,239 See, God has given us, an initial step of obedience for 667 00:38:44,239 –> 00:38:46,500 all those who are ready to draw a line in the sand and say, 668 00:38:46,500 –> 00:38:48,560 I’m Christ holy, completely. 669 00:38:49,919 –> 00:38:50,800 You know what it’s called? 670 00:38:52,219 –> 00:38:52,879 Baptism. 671 00:38:54,340 –> 00:38:54,959 Baptism. 672 00:38:56,080 –> 00:38:57,260 It’s what happened on the day of Pentecost. 673 00:38:57,459 –> 00:38:58,959 Peter preached a simple message. 674 00:38:59,419 –> 00:39:01,280 Jesus is Lord. 675 00:39:04,600 –> 00:39:06,280 We’re going to throw away whatever the surrounding 676 00:39:06,280 –> 00:39:07,840 culture puts in the place of God. 677 00:39:07,840 –> 00:39:09,020 Jesus is Lord. 678 00:39:09,219 –> 00:39:11,320 The people believed that message, many of them. 679 00:39:11,320 –> 00:39:12,719 And they said, well, what are we to do? 680 00:39:12,739 –> 00:39:13,399 What are we to do? 681 00:39:13,600 –> 00:39:15,199 And Peter said, here’s the first thing, you got to repent. 682 00:39:17,199 –> 00:39:18,800 Throw away the idols. 683 00:39:20,320 –> 00:39:22,479 You got to get away from simply conforming to what the 684 00:39:22,479 –> 00:39:24,379 surrounding culture says is great. 685 00:39:26,760 –> 00:39:27,560 And be baptized. 686 00:39:27,580 –> 00:39:29,179 That’s a first step of obedience. 687 00:39:29,219 –> 00:39:32,959 That’s a way God gives you of drawing a line in the sand, and 688 00:39:32,959 –> 00:39:36,340 of saying, from this day forward, my life is going to be 689 00:39:36,419 –> 00:39:40,040 one that is built on obedience to Jesus Christ. 690 00:39:40,620 –> 00:39:42,260 And here’s the first step of obedience. 691 00:39:42,459 –> 00:39:43,620 Just to show I’m serious. 692 00:39:46,199 –> 00:39:49,060 God calls you to a total irreversible commitment. 693 00:39:49,219 –> 00:39:51,860 And the way that you express that, God has given you the 694 00:39:51,860 –> 00:39:55,719 opportunity of expressing that in baptism, in the name of the 695 00:39:55,719 –> 00:39:58,439 Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 696 00:39:58,479 –> 00:39:59,120 That’s what you do. 697 00:40:01,179 –> 00:40:02,600 Not just words, it’s actions. 698 00:40:03,439 –> 00:40:06,159 Three thousand people came forward and said we’re 699 00:40:06,159 –> 00:40:06,659 repenting. 700 00:40:08,320 –> 00:40:09,520 We want to be baptised. 701 00:40:12,699 –> 00:40:13,780 Now, I know. 702 00:40:15,699 –> 00:40:21,239 That some traditions of the church have adapted the practice 703 00:40:21,239 –> 00:40:23,280 of baptism and applied it to babies. 704 00:40:25,239 –> 00:40:26,879 And I want to be sensitive about that. 705 00:40:26,879 –> 00:40:28,360 But to make this single comment. 706 00:40:28,959 –> 00:40:34,699 I want you to know that that is not how it was on the day of 707 00:40:34,699 –> 00:40:35,699 Pentecost. 708 00:40:36,840 –> 00:40:40,820 And I want you to think about what has been lost through that 709 00:40:40,820 –> 00:40:41,419 change. 710 00:40:43,360 –> 00:40:49,800 You see God gave to us a way of drawing an intentional lion in 711 00:40:49,800 –> 00:40:50,699 the sand. 712 00:40:51,840 –> 00:40:56,199 And what has happened is that we’ve taken from a lion in the 713 00:40:56,199 –> 00:41:02,919 sand event to being a kind of passive event. 714 00:41:03,820 –> 00:41:10,000 Something that is done to us that we don’t even remember. 715 00:41:11,800 –> 00:41:16,560 The result is that many have lost the wonderful blessing of a 716 00:41:16,719 –> 00:41:21,679 day and a point where having thought it all through facing 717 00:41:21,739 –> 00:41:24,760 the challenge, looking seriously at the alternatives 718 00:41:26,000 –> 00:41:29,820 and processing it through to make a decision, there was a 719 00:41:29,820 –> 00:41:32,679 day rather like a wedding day to marriage. 720 00:41:34,600 –> 00:41:40,360 Where we said I will serve the Lord, this who I am, baptised in 721 00:41:40,360 –> 00:41:44,340 the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, His 722 00:41:44,340 –> 00:41:47,959 servant, whatever the cost, whatever the circumstances, 723 00:41:47,979 –> 00:41:50,919 whatever the outcome. 724 00:41:50,919 –> 00:41:54,360 Have you been baptised? 725 00:41:54,360 –> 00:41:57,360 Isn’t that something you would want to do? 726 00:42:01,560 –> 00:42:06,419 And if you have, then remember who you are. 727 00:42:06,419 –> 00:42:10,699 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but 728 00:42:10,699 –> 00:42:14,219 Christ lives in me and the life I now live in this body, I 729 00:42:14,219 –> 00:42:16,979 live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave 730 00:42:16,979 –> 00:42:20,739 Himself for me. 731 00:42:20,739 –> 00:42:29,739 I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. 732 00:42:31,679 –> 00:42:33,639 Very short story, and we’re through. 733 00:42:33,639 –> 00:42:37,540 It’s a great story of two men who went into an ancient 734 00:42:37,540 –> 00:42:41,379 church and as they went into the front of this old church, 735 00:42:41,379 –> 00:42:43,899 they saw that there were two plaques at the front. 736 00:42:44,020 –> 00:42:47,540 On one side, there were the words of the creed, 737 00:42:47,540 –> 00:42:48,639 the Apostles’ Creed. 738 00:42:48,639 –> 00:42:50,139 I believe in God the Father, and so forth. 739 00:42:50,139 –> 00:42:55,479 And the other side were the words of the Ten Commandments. 740 00:42:55,479 –> 00:42:57,219 Two men walked to the front of the church, 741 00:42:57,219 –> 00:42:59,199 took some photographs and all this kind of thing. 742 00:42:59,199 –> 00:43:02,840 And one man said to his friend, looking at the words of the 743 00:43:02,840 –> 00:43:06,479 creed, he said, this I cannot believe. 744 00:43:08,780 –> 00:43:11,860 And his friend pointed over to the words of the Ten 745 00:43:12,260 –> 00:43:15,820 Commandments, and he said, are you sure the problem isn’t that 746 00:43:15,820 –> 00:43:19,139 this you will not obey? 747 00:43:21,340 –> 00:43:22,100 Let’s pray together. 748 00:43:22,100 –> 00:43:23,340 Shall we? 749 00:43:28,820 –> 00:43:32,540 Make this, O God, a line in the sand day for many. 750 00:43:35,739 –> 00:43:41,239 Let it be for many of us who know deeply that we are yours, 751 00:43:41,239 –> 00:43:46,419 a day of remembering who we are and who we serve. 752 00:43:46,419 –> 00:43:50,919 That we’re not our own, that we’re bought with a price, that 753 00:43:50,919 –> 00:43:53,919 the issues do not need to be constantly renegotiated 754 00:43:53,919 –> 00:43:55,580 because they are already settled. 755 00:43:55,580 –> 00:43:57,860 And for that we give thanks to you today. 756 00:44:01,600 –> 00:44:03,959 But some of us have lived in a fog of confusion. 757 00:44:07,419 –> 00:44:10,719 And we know today, as you speak to us, that it’s because 758 00:44:10,760 –> 00:44:13,360 there’s never really been a clear line in the sand, and 759 00:44:13,360 –> 00:44:15,360 one day we’re one thing, and one day we’re another. 760 00:44:19,560 –> 00:44:21,479 And today we recognize the challenge. 761 00:44:25,280 –> 00:44:28,520 We hear the truth and we refuse to kid ourselves that 762 00:44:28,520 –> 00:44:33,120 Christianity is simply some kind of believism that allows 763 00:44:33,120 –> 00:44:34,080 us to stay as we are. 764 00:44:34,080 –> 00:44:37,340 We don’t want that anyway. 765 00:44:37,340 –> 00:44:40,199 We struggle with what you call us to. 766 00:44:40,280 –> 00:44:42,040 We know we need the strength of your spirit 767 00:44:42,040 –> 00:44:43,800 if we’re ever to do it. 768 00:44:43,800 –> 00:44:45,879 But looking at the alternative, we know that we 769 00:44:45,879 –> 00:44:47,399 have no other real choice. 770 00:44:50,899 –> 00:44:57,860 And so today we want to draw a line in the sand, and not just 771 00:44:57,860 –> 00:45:04,560 for it to be a touching conclusion to a service, but 772 00:45:04,560 –> 00:45:07,879 for it to be a commitment that will involve the throwing out 773 00:45:07,879 –> 00:45:14,459 of that which we have put in your place, that we may serve 774 00:45:14,459 –> 00:45:18,379 you wholly and fully. 775 00:45:18,379 –> 00:45:29,719 As long as I have breath, I will serve the Lord. 776 00:45:29,719 –> 00:45:36,120 Father, hear this prayer, and may many lines be drawn in the 777 00:45:37,120 –> 00:45:40,939 Sermon that we are about to send today for Jesus sake. 778 00:45:40,939 –> 00:45:42,939 Amen.