← ArchiveUNDEFEATEDMake your choiceDateMarch 14, 2021SpeakerDr Josh BurnhamText—Passages in this sermonJoshua 242:48Joshua 13:12Hebrews 1222:16Jude 2437:38TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00We'll be right back. Test, test. Okay. Try it again. Sorry. My name is Josh, the lead pastor here. And, you know, people ask me, are really, do we have guests in every single Sunday? And I say, yes, we do. We have a gentleman here I met for the first time. Says his first time back in many, many years. And he asked, he said, well, do you have life groups? I said, you came on a good Sunday because we're announcing that today.0:30Test, test. Okay. Try it again. Sorry. My name is Josh, the lead pastor here. And, you know, people ask me, are really, do we have guests in every single Sunday? And I say, yes, we do. We have a gentleman here I met for the first time. Says his first time back in many, many years. And he asked, he said, well, do you have life groups? I said, you came on a good Sunday because we're announcing that today. So a lot of great things happening. My name is Josh, lead pastor here at Bethel. And we gather today, Sunday, the Lord's Day for one reason. It's because Jesus rose from the dead.0:59That's why we orient our lives on the first day of the week. That's why we call this day the Lord's Day. It's the day that the women ran to the tomb looking to prepare his body to make him not smell as he deteriorated.1:12And they go in the tomb. And they go in the tomb. And there's nothing there. And they think like we would think, right? Someone stole the body of our rabbi.1:31And then they see angels and the angels say, why are you looking for the living among the dead? That is why we worship. Because we have a risen Savior. He is not dead. He is living. And there is no religion that can say the same.1:59That our teacher, our Messiah, died on the cross and rose three days later. We say it easy around here. Simply, it's the gospel. It's Jesus in our place. So today we finish a series in the book of Joshua called Undefeated because we believe our God is undefeated. The Amorites could not defeat the Lord. The Canaanites could not defeat the Lord.2:28Satan could not defeat the Lord. Death could not defeat the Lord. And your sin cannot defeat Jesus Christ. He has paid the price. He has canceled that. And so if you've come here for the first time, you're thinking, man, the pastor's coming in hot today. Yeah, we're ending the sermon series, Joshua 24. And it's a verse that many of you know. I call it our coffee mug verse. It's a verse that ends up on a coffee mug.2:59Joshua 24. And it's actually the latter part of verse 14 and 15. Some of you have it on your homes, right? It's this verse that be strong and courageous, Joshua 1 says. And then at the end, Joshua is about to depart and he says, choose this day who you will serve. Right? When I drink my coffee, that's what I drink it triumphantly.3:26Right? Choose this day, caffeine, who you will serve. But this is a verse that's touched many of our lives. I believe there are certain verses in Scripture that change us and mold us. We know that every word in Scripture is inspired. Every word in Scripture changes lives. But there are certain verses that many of us hold dear. This is one of those verses. It's triumphant. It's bold.3:56It's bold. It's convictional. And it requires you to make a stand. So today's message is simple. It's called this. Make a choice. Make a choice. And if you're here for the first time watching online, thank you guys for joining us. Turn with me to Joshua 24. And I'm going to read verses 14 and 15 shortly as we end the book of Joshua and the finality of Joshua's last days. So keep in mind, not only is the book of Joshua ending, but this prophet is about to die.4:25So there's another leadership change in the people of God. Joshua speaks into this community for one final time. And what's quite interesting is that he uses his last breath to speak about worship. Now, as Pastor Jared shared last week, verses 1 through 13 is God speaking.4:52God is the I. Yahweh is saying things that I took your father Abraham from the region in verse 3. I took Jacob and his sons in verse 4. I sent Moses in verse 5. But in verse 14, there's a shift that takes place. It's a shift of attitude, mood, and voice. Joshua begins to speak. So the I become this leader.5:21It's a dramatic pause. And as Pastor Jared again shared last week, he said verses 1 through 13 is God doing. And verses 14 through 28 is now what you should do. I think I said several weeks ago that God doesn't move parked cars. It's a reminder God didn't call you to sit. He calls you to serve. So we have an obligation to serve the Lord.5:51If he is who he says he is, we have an obligation to do something. And this is where Joshua comes in. And Joshua says this in verse 14. He says, Therefore, fear the Lord. Worship him in sincerity and in truth. Get rid of the gods of your fathers. The ones that worship beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt.6:20And instead, worship the Lord. Verse 15. But if it does not please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourself today who you will worship. The gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River. Or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. And this is the coffee mug portion.6:49But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Let's pray and then we'll jump in. Father, we ask today because you are the great teacher. Lord, we can know nothing apart from your holiness. We can know nothing about an infinite creator, a sovereign God, other than you revealing yourself to us.7:13So, Lord, would you teach us once more today. And, Lord, we don't want to learn so that our heads and our hearts will be puffed up. Lord, we want to encounter you face to face. We want to know you so that we can live for you. Father, help us today again make a choice. Whether we choose to worship ourselves and the gods of this land or whether we will decide to take a stand for Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.7:43Lord, I thank you for a man in Joshua who stood up and said, for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Father, may we make the same declaration because you are worthy. Lord, this is my prayer we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. And, amen.8:12And, amen. Joshua, spending his last breath. So, let me give you a literary hack really quick. So, verse 14, Joshua says this, therefore. So, anytime in scripture you see the word therefore, you have to ask what it is there for. So, we're going to look at that right now. So, why would Joshua say this? He says, so therefore, what you've heard God say in the 13 verses, therefore now you do something.8:39And he says, fear the Lord. It's a reminder that your worship costs something. Your worship costs something. You don't come to God on your terms. We go to God on his terms. And I know that's not a popular message.9:08Because for many of us, we assume or we think that God needs us and so he's just waiting for us to come to him. That way he can be complete again. It's as if Jesus is begging us. But our worship costs something. A cost is a necessary effort or a requirement. So, look at what Joshua says about our worship. Look what he says to the community of faith.9:38He says, therefore. You've heard God speak, so now you do. Therefore, fear the Lord. The first cost of our worship is that you fear God. You fear him. Now, Joshua is not saying that you should be scared of God or you should be terrified in your worship. The biblical basis of fear is this understanding of awe and reverence. It's the understanding that when we come to God, he is something that we are not.10:08And I think the danger often in the concept of Western worship is that we have gone out of our way to make God accessible. You know, we say things, and I think they're true, but if we reiterate this against God's holiness, it could be dangerous. We say things as, just come to God as you are. You come to God and he will clean you, give you clean hands and pure hearts.10:39But if we're not careful, then we think that we can come to God any way we want. That's not what the Bible says, is it? You and I must have a deep reverence and fear when we come to God. It's a reminder that we give him our sole allegiance. We give him our sole authority. I love what one commentator said about this.11:08His name is J. Budziszewski. I practice that. He says, we do not fear God because he's bad. We stand in utter awe before him because he's so good it's scary. Do you approach God this way? When you came here this morning, did you come with a fear and awe in your life?11:34I believe it's impossible to worship something that you do not hold in high regard. That's a necessary requirement for worship, is that we hold something that is set apart in our lives. And I wonder, as I look at what Joshua is speaking to us today, have we lost our awe and fear of the Lord?11:54Have we lost that? I believe we have, and that's why it's easy for so many of us just to walk away. To see worship as something that is supplemental to our life. Many of us see worship as, if I have time, I'll get to it. And yet Joshua spends his final breaths telling us that Yahweh is not non-essential.12:24Let me use COVID language. God is an essential worker in your life. Have we lost our fear and our awe of God? Because Joshua says, therefore, fear the God. When was the last time you had a holy reverence for the Lord? That made a difference in your life?12:54We must get back to the cost of worship. But Joshua doesn't stop there. He says, hey, fear the Lord. Israel, wake up. Fear God and worship Him. And worship Him in sincerity. Now, how do we do this? So sincerity is a characteristic of being blameless, of being spotless, sound, complete with integrity.13:18Sincerity is the bridge that you always trust to get you across the ravine. It's the bridge that you don't even hesitate to walk across because you know it is sound and it has always been sound and it will always hold you up. It is internally, structurally good.13:48In essence, Joshua is saying, God will never let you down. He is always, always sincere. He is always loyal. He is always authentic. And I believe what Joshua is asking us is this. When you worship Christ, are you all in? Are you all in?14:17Does your heart match what you portray yourself as being? Joshua is saying, I know you call yourselves sons of Abraham. I know he had many sons. And I am one of them. And so are you. And let's praise God. But when we do, worship Him in sincerity.14:44Your heart has to be in. Are you fully engaged today? Are you fully engaged? God deserves our whole attention. Give Him your heart. Be fully sincere in the way that you worship. And He also says, not only sincere, but in truth. Truth is, if sincerity is a condition of the heart, truth is a condition of the will.15:13Really, Joshua is saying this. Truth is something you can stand on. He's saying you can depend on God. Abraham depended on God, and he found Him faithful. Jacob depended on God, and he found Him true. So Joshua is saying that our worship mirrors the God that we worship, mirrors Yahweh. And if Yahweh is true, if Yahweh is sincere, then we should also worship in a way that is sincere, hearts engaged, and lives on fire.15:41So can God depend on you today? So can God depend on you today? I think Andy led us in that prayer. Some of you here today, and he might have been speaking to me. We pray, God, raise up workers for the harvest. But what if that worker is looking at me in the mirror?16:10And as I've been reflecting on this text, I ask myself, God, can you depend on me? I want to be dependable towards the Lord because He is always dependable for me. Worship Him in sincerity and in truth. And it's a reminder here that God will not accept worshipers who do not fear Him. He will not accept worshipers who do not revere Him and hold Him in awe.16:37It's a reminder that God will not accept half-hearted worship out of convenience. And if we're honest, how often do we come to God? Only when it's convenient. And Joshua says, this is not the God that we serve. And may our worship never be cheap. May our worship never be cheap.17:07I think our brothers and sisters in Iran are saying, give God your full heart. Even if it costs you your life, He's worth it. Our brothers and sisters in North Korea, in the underground church in China, are screaming at us. God is worth your full heart. He is worth your dependability. Even in the midst of persecution, God is worth it. Church, there is a cost to our worship.17:38May we never offer to God cheap worship. He is worth everything. And then in verse 14, Joshua says, not only is there a cost to our worship, but there is a choice in your worship. Verse 14, he says, get rid of the gods of your fathers. It's Joshua's way of saying, stop it. Don't do this. And Joshua is saying that God gives you a choice.18:08Look at verse 15. If it doesn't please you to worship the Lord. Literally, in Hebrew, Joshua is saying, if it's bad to you, don't worship the Lord. You know what? You run after the Amorite gods. And if that doesn't suit your taste, hey, you know the gods across the Euphrates? Worship them. Or the gods of Egypt. But you have a choice to make.18:38You are worshiping something. It's the reminder that we still live in a world that says, do what makes you feel best. Joshua is saying to us, the Lord is saying to us, you know what? If money is what floats your boat, worship that. But your bank accounts makes a horrible God. Parents, you know what?19:07Go ahead and live through your kids. Worship them. But if your boy, if your girl is anything like ours, your children make horrible gods.19:29Your relationships. If your identity is caught up in who you are dating or who you are married to. If your identity is on the other side. I'm single and I will never amount. Or I don't like this place in my life. If your identity is found in anything else other than the one true God. You are misplacing your worship. And we still live in a world that says, do what makes you feel right. But Joshua says, you do what makes you feel right.19:56But I'm going to do what is right. All of us are making a choice today. All of us are worshiping something and what you worship gives you your identity. Joshua is saying, Israel, if you want to identify as an Amorite, go to it. If you want to identify as a Republican, go ahead. If you want your soul identity to be as a Democrat, go ahead.20:23If you want your soul identity to be in the color of your skin or anything else, feel free to do that. But it is a false God. Make the choice that will change your life. If it doesn't please you to worship the Lord. Listen, I'm not going to make you worship Jesus Christ today. And God will never force himself upon you. But he is the way.20:53He is the truth. And he is the life. And if you choose Jesus, something changes in your life. Go back to verse 14. If you choose Jesus Christ, something radically changes in your life. I love how Joshua speaks because I just, I'm a simple guy, right? He doesn't beat around the bush. Fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth.21:21Get rid of the gods of your fathers. Can it be more clear? God is saying, in essence, listen, when you turn to Jesus Christ, you turn away from yourself. I cannot hold the gods of the Euphrates in one hand and the one true God in the other hands. Get rid of anything that competes. The word get rid of is often used in the Old Testament to pronounce loyalty or to denounce loyalty from something.21:51When God asks you to get rid of your sin and get rid of the other gods, he's saying, denounce loyalty to that and proclaim your allegiance to me again. We need to get back to this. This is the choice that we all make in worship. And I believe this is exactly what the writer of Hebrews is saying in Hebrews 12 and 1 and 2.22:16The writer in the New Testament says, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses around us, let us lay aside, let's get rid of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run with perseverance.22:44Let us fix our eyes on Jesus Christ. You see, Martin Luther once said that anything that you rely on, anything you trust, is a God. Now, I know you think we're more sophisticated than this, right? Some of you are saying, well, I don't go home and worship the Amorites. I don't go home and worship my children. I don't go home and worship my spouse. I don't go home and worship these things.23:13But if your hope is in that, let the stock market drop 10% tomorrow and see what our hope is in. You scroll through that and if anxiety begins to overflow, well, maybe the reality is many of us depends upon stuff more than we realize. Maybe that's our God. Joshua says, get rid of that.23:42Hebrews says, lay this aside. Now, let me ask you right now. What would your life look like if there was nothing holding you back? We all have excuses, right? We all have needs. And many of us come to God and we say, God, I will worship you. I will go wherever, but. And I've heard that the word but is an eraser word. Anytime you use the word but, whatever you said before, you can erase that.24:13So, God, I will worship you, but. It's a blank slate. But you know I have this responsibility. God, you know my life is comfortable. God, you know how hard I've worked for this promotion. God, you know how much this relationship means to me. God, I can't let this go. And to you today, Joshua would say, choose. Choose who you serve.24:44But as for me and my house, I will serve the Lord. And I want to have a life. And I'm here saying I have not figured it out, but I desire to live a life where there is nothing holding me back. Where when I come before God, I say, God, here is a blank check to my life. Lord, I have signed it. I don't know what you're going to do, but I want what you want in my life. Right now, you're making a choice.25:16Will you choose to run to Christ? I'm reminded of what Pastor J.D. Greer says. He challenges his college students all the time to give two years after they graduate. Give two years to God. Go on missions for two years. And you know what he often says in his sermons? He says, the college students are not the issue. You know why they don't go on missions for the Lord? It's the parents. He said, for how many of our students are the parents holding them back from being all that God wants them to be?25:47May we lay aside, get rid of anything that holds us back from the Lord. And so this is what happens. Look at verse 16. The people hear this and they say, well, we understand the cost. And we understand the choice. And they declare in verse 16, the people replied, and this is how they did, I'm sure.26:13We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods. Look at verse 18, the end of that. We too will worship the Lord because he is our God. And then we have this reply in verse 19. One scholar describes Joshua's answer as the most shocking statement in all of the Old Testament.26:42Joshua has worked hard at encouraging the people, challenging them, worship the Lord. He is worth it. He is the only one that is worthy of your praise. And then Joshua says this in verse 19. Joshua tells the people, you will not be able to worship the Lord because he is a holy God and he is jealous. It's like someone coming forward today saying, I want to follow Jesus Christ.27:12And I say, no, you don't. You can't. Go back to your seat. What is going on here? This is the challenge of worship. And Joshua is saying it's impossible. See, Joshua describes for each and every one of us the challenge of worshiping because we see the character and the nature of God. And Joshua gives us two theologically loaded terms.27:41He says, first, you can't worship the God of Abraham because he is what? He is a holy God. And once you get past that barrier to entry, he is a jealous God. So let's unpack those quickly. To be holy means to be one of a kind, to be set apart. Joshua is saying this. You've never seen a God like this.28:10He's not an Amorite. He's not a Canaanite. He's not a parasite. He doesn't live in the Euphrates. He doesn't live in Egypt. He created all of that. This God is one of a kind. He is not just any old God. And the holiness of God for each and every one of us presents a barrier to worship. Because if God is who he says he is, you can't worship him any way that you say you want to.28:38And so really, Joshua in 20-20 language of the people, he's saying, before you commit to this God, you better understand what you are seeking, because it's requiring a life change from you. He is holy. He is set apart. You cannot just enter into his presence and say, God, here I am.29:05And he is worthy of our fear. And he is also jealous. What does it mean that God is jealous? Or as some of your translations say, zealous. One scholar said that this is the central concept of the Lord in all of the Old Testament. It really simply means that the father is intolerant of his undivided attention.29:35But really, being zealous for the holiness of God is, God will not let our sins slide. It is against his character to you to have divided attention. And so if you are to commit your life to this God, you are fully committing forever. You don't just walk in and out of faith.30:03This is not another idol or another trophy to put on your mantle. This is not something to add to your calendar. This God is worth everything in your life. And he is holy. He is unique. And he is zealous. He will not let your sinful conduct slide. And hearing all of this, the people answer in verse 21.30:28No. We will worship the Lord. We will worship this God. And in verse 24, they say it again. This is the fourth time now. We will worship the Lord, our God.30:58But they add something. I think the Lord is working in their hearts. I think he's working in their minds. We will worship him. And we will obey him. They're saying God will get rid of those things that have no place in our life. God will get rid of the sin. God will get rid of the distractions. Lord, we will obey your word.31:26Because to follow you and to worship you is to obey you. It is to say to God, God, when I follow you, I don't have any right ever again to tell Jesus, I don't want what he wants for my life. They say, God, we've understood the cost. We understand the choice. We understand the challenge. And we want this God. And in verse 25, on that day, Joshua makes a covenant for the people at Shechem.31:54Now, it's interesting here in Shechem. Pastor Jared shared a little bit of background last week. But Shechem was the exact location where Jacob had buried his gods. It was the exact location that Jacob took the gods of Rachel and Leah and he buried them.32:22It's the exact location that Jacob buried and got rid of all of the distractions that compete for the Lord's attention. And we don't know I'm going to ask this question in heaven. I have a lot. I'm the guy who always asks why. But I wonder, I wonder if they were on top of the exact location where those gods were buried.32:45I wonder that when they buried their gods, when they made a commitment to the one true God, if they were at the exact pivotal location where Jacob turned away from the false gods. As a reminder that when you turn to Jesus, you are turning away from everything else. Because He alone is worth it.33:14So what do you choose today? Verse 15, if it doesn't please you to worship the Lord, you know what, leave here today as exactly as you came in. Pretty happy with your life. Pretty good person, right? You keep your nose clean. You're not too crazy on social media.33:44Kind of keep a low profile. You go to church. You would just live that life. But that's not the Christ life. God did not send His Son to die to make good people a little bit better. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to make rebels lay down their arms and turn back to Him.34:07To make those who were dead live again. Choose this day who you will serve. But as for me and my family, Joshua says, I don't know what you're going to do, but I can only focus on myself.34:32Self-care, Joshua says. As for me today, I will serve the only God who is worthy of my affection. I will serve the only Lord who created the heavens and the earth. I will serve the only one that pursued me and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, that while I was dead in my sins, He would offer me eternal life and forgiveness from all the guilt that we bear.35:00As for me and my house, I will serve that God. So as we enter into a time of response, I'm going to ask you to do this. I'm going to ask you to stay seated and begin to pray.35:29Because Joshua is asking us to take a stand for God. Would you search your heart? Maybe like I've done this week and say, God, can you really depend on me? God, when I come here, am I really worshiping you with authentic heart? Because I look really good and you guys think my heart's in it, but only God knows my heart. God, if I have to take a stand again today, what will I choose?35:57Because taking a stand for Jesus Christ is not a one-moment decision. It's a life. Say, Jesus, I will take a stand for you today. And I will do it again tomorrow and the next day because you are worth it. So as we sing a song of response, I'm going to ask you to stay seated and do not stand up until you can say in your mind and your heart, God, I'm ready to take a stand again. God, as for me, I don't know what the world's going to do, but as for me, I will serve you.36:27Are you willing to take a stand for Jesus today? That's not a question for lost people. That's a question for the people of faith. Maybe you're here today and the stand you need to take for the first time in your life is God has been impressing upon you that you need to get baptized.36:50You have said yes to Jesus, but you have never been baptized like he wants you to do. Maybe today is a day where you say, God, I'm ready. I'm tired of playing games. Today is a day of truth. Maybe for you today is the day that you say yes to Jesus for the first time. Maybe you've heard what Joshua has asked and you say, well, how can anyone worship this God?37:22How can anyone worship a God who is completely holy and completely jealous for his glory? Listen to what Jude 24 says about Jesus. Now to Jesus, who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory. This is what Jesus does for you. He presents you to God without blemish and with great joy.37:52How could I ever stand before a holy God? I cannot, but Jesus stood on the cross to make you holy now and forevermore. Without blemish. Without blemish. And Jesus Christ does not present you before his father begrudgingly, but Jesus with great joy.38:15That's what Jesus does for you. And if you've never asked forgiveness of your sin, today is the day. Today is the day that you choose life and not death. Would today be the day where you would take the stand, as for me and my house, we will serve. Would today be the day where you say, I want to be before God without blemish.38:44Only Jesus can do that. Maybe you need to pray that prayer of an authentic heart and say for the first time, God, I know I'm a sinner. And today I choose you. I need Jesus. I believe he died for me. I believe he lived a sinless life. I believe he rose again. And I believe today that you will take my sin and make me without blemish.39:11Would you take a stand for Christ? Maybe again, maybe for the first time. But he is worth it. He is worth it. Father, thank you.← Previous in UNDEFEATEDHistory of Faithfulness
