I.
Intro – Covenants
As
we trace the story of God and God’s relationship with humanity we are also
tracing a story about covenants. The
first covenant God made was made with Noah after he and his family emerged from
the Ark. Then there was the covenant
with Abraham and then that covenant was extended to Isaac and then to Jacob. And of course there was the covenant at Mount
Sinai, which we looked at last week. And
as Christians we talk about the New Covenant which is made through the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Of all the covenants God made with
people, the one that was made at Shechem is one the one none of us ever forget.
(or perhaps all of us forget)
II.
Coming to an understanding of the text
A.
Where we came from
1.
We have come a long way since last week
where we met the Israelites at Mount Sinai
a.
40 years across the desert
b.
Moses has died
c.
They have come into the land – God is in
the process of giving them the promise – even as they are inhabiting the
promise land
2.
Joshua’s life is about over and he calls
the people together to renew their covenant with God
3.
Before he calls them to do so he reminds
them of their history with God:
a.
From Haran – where they worshiped false
gods
b.
God brought Abraham up out of that land
through the river, away from those gods
c.
The part that is skipped brings them up to
this point in their history - they are
living in the land promised to Abraham – God has been faithful to fulfill that
promise
B.
Exodus language
1.
It not just that Joshua is reciting their
history beginning with Terah living in Heran beyond the Euphrates but the
language used is very deliberate language
2.
Language that speaks of God bringing
Abraham up out of the land of false gods in the same way that they usually talk
about how God brought them up out of the land of slavery
3.
Comparing the worship of false gods to
slavery
4.
God brought them up out of that
a.
God revealed
God’s-self to Abraham and his descendants.
b.
God, by bringing Abraham out of Haran
effectively has brought the people gathered there that day with Joshua (as the
descendants of Abraham) out of Haran
c.
The bringing of Abraham out of Haran is set
in parallel to God bringing the Israelites up out of Egypt – Abraham leaving
Haran is seen as an Exodus
d. God
brought them through the river – meaning
the Euphrates river (similar to the Red Sea crossing)– bringing them out of the
land where they worshiped false gods
e.
God promised to give them a new land, a new
land where name would be great and he would “father” a nation-the same land
given to Abraham is now given to them. The land of the promise is now theirs
f.
The people that were standing there at
Shechem were that promised nation, they were the descendents promised to
Abraham and they were in the land that was promised to Abraham
5.
God had been faithful, God had brought them
up out of so much, not merely out of Egypt, the land of slavery, but God had
been at work before that bringing up out of the land.
C.
Why would we want to go back?
1.
God has brought you so far and done so much
for you
2.
Why go back to false gods? Why turn back to
life the way that it once was?
3.
Why go back to slavery whether it be Egyptian
or false worship?
4.
God has worked for you and proved himself
faithful why would you turn your back on that?
D.
Who will you serve? – God
A.
Its decision time? For the people of God
B.
Joshua is asking them :
1.
Who will be your god? Will God be your God
or will the gods of this land be your gods?
2.
Will you go back to that kind of slavery?
3.
I will serve the Lord, what are you gonna
do?
C.
They choose to serve the Lord
1.
They see his logic
2.
Why would they go back to that?
3.
“Far be it from us that we should forsake
the Lord. . .” vs 16-18
E.
Are you sure? - We will serve God
1.
Joshua tells them this is not a decision to
make lightly
2.
They just can’t say this and not follow
through
3.
God will take them seriously
4.
I will be your God if you be my people is a
big commitment
5.
They will have to listen to God, worship
God, and obey the commands and statutes given to their “parents” on Mount Sinai
F.
Renewing the promises
1.
They are renewing the promises that were
made by their parents
2.
They are renewing the promises that were
made to Abraham and Isaac
3.
The story had begun with Abraham but I
would only continue on if they choose to follow God as they had done
III.
Applying the text
A.
What God has done in the past
1.
The Bible is the story of God’s
relationship with humanity
2.
God has brought us up out of the land of
slavery to false god and of sin
3.
God has loved us and taken care of us
4.
God has guided us and worked on our behalf
5.
Now we are in God’s sanctuary this morning
6.
We have the same decision that the
Israelites had
7.
We can choose to worship God or we can
choose to go our own way
8.
We can turn our back on his faithfulness
and his love or we can accept it and embrace it, choose God above all other
things
B.
Serving God is serious business
1.
I am sure all of us are saying, Yes we will
serve the Lord
2.
But this is serious business
3.
God will take our decision seriously
4.
If we choose to the Lord it is no half
hearted thing, we have to really and truly be in it
5.
We have to make a whole hearted decision
6.
Can’t just serve God when it is convenient
or easy
7.
Can’t just do it on Sundays and special Holy days
8.
It is a full time commitment
9.
You have to serve God at all times, in all
circumstances
10.
Trust God no matter what
11.
Choose you this day whom you will serve!
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