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Dr. Montia Setzler, Senior Pastor
April 17, 2016
Series: It’s Your Serve
A Family Commitment to Serve the Lord

Joshua 24:14–28 (HCSB)
14 “Therefore, fear the LORD and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.” 16 The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the LORD to worship other gods! 17 For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The LORD drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the LORD, because He is our God.” 19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship Yahweh, because He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not remove your transgressions and sins. 20 If you abandon the LORD and worship foreign gods, He will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after He has been good to you.” 21 “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the LORD.” 22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship Yahweh.” “We are witnesses,” they said. 23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and offer your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the LORD our God and obey Him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. 26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak next to the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone – it will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD said to us, and it will be a witness against you, so that you will not deny your God.” 28 Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

1. CHOOSING TO SERVE THE LORD INVOLVES A DECISION vv 14-15

• We must choose between false gods and the True God.
• Sometimes making no decision is our decision.
• God wants us to choose today.

2. CHOOSING TO SERVE THE LORD REQUIRES A STANCE vv 15d-18

God is looking for:
• Personal commitment.
• Family commitment.
• Corporate commitment.

3. CHOOSING TO SERVE THE LORD DEMANDS DETERMINATION vv 19-23

• Not everyone has what it takes to serve the Lord.
• Not everyone is willing to pay the price to serve the Lord.

4. CHOOSING TO SERVE THE LORD CREATES A COVENANT vv 24-28

• Covenants bring accountability.
• Covenants help us remember.
• Covenants require two parties.

Each family must decide whether or not to serve the Lord. Upon making that decision, it calls us to make a stance to move ahead from that day forward. Serving the Lord then morphs into a covenant relationship to receive all that God promises us.