Evening Sermon

January 13, 2008

ADVICE FROM AN OLD MAN

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Joshua 23

It is for me to imagine the feeling of completing the work which God has given me on this earth. In my heart, and in my mind, there is so much more that I want to do for him. I have known a number of men who gained that sense during their lives, and I deeply respect and honor the example and the wisdom of those who have remained faithful to God's calling all their life in order to complete the tasks assigned to them.

The Apostle Paul was such a man. As he approached his own death, he wrote great words of encouragement to Timothy, his young son in the faith. He describes his own life in words that I would aspire to be able to say of myself many years from now. Paul writes about his own life,

2Tim. 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."

Paul is not boasting. He simply rests in the satisfaction of having accomplished what God had called him to do. What a wonderful view of life! We have reached a similar stage in the life of Joshua. Joshua is now near his death. He is 110, and some 20 years have passed since the passage we studied last week. The land is settled, the conquest is completed, the victory is won, and God's people are at home. They are at rest. v.1-2

With that background, we have here in Joshua 23 some very godly advice from an old man in the faith, an elder who has fought the good fight and has finished his race.

I love to listen to the wisdom of godly older men who have remained faithful to God all their lives. I love to gain the wisdom that such men have obtained through their fruitful and godly lives. I want us to gain some of that wisdom today. What does Joshua have to say?

We will find nothing new, nothing profound, nothing very difficult or strange. Just a straightforward message. Joshua's final words are an exhortation to remain faithful to God, knowing that God has remained faithful to us. Let's look more specifically, first, at God's faithfulness:

I. GOD WORKS HARD TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIS PEOPLE. And God's faithfulness is the ground of our faith. Our faith doesn't rest on our emotions. Our faith isn't some mystical or mysterious religious philosophy. Our faith is not irrational or illogical. Our faith does not deny the evidence or contradict scientific study. There is no such thing as "a leap of faith," as if our faith had to leap over and ignore historical and scientific truth. Our faith does not contradict the evidence. Rather, our faith is established by the evidence.

And what is that evidence? God's actions in space-time history. Our faith must be built on the very significant and very obvious fact, that God has acted in history. Our faith is rooted in the historical reality of God's sovereign activities in the life of his creation, and especially in the lives of his people. v.3a

Why is that important? Because we tend to base our faith on our own subjective feelings. We often base our faith on our ever-changing emotions, and how we feel becomes more important than what God has done. What is of greatest concern is not how you feel, but on what God has done in your life. My biggest encouragement to you, when you are grieving or discouraged, is to remember what God has done, and what he is capable of doing. That is the foundation of our faith. At least it was the foundation of Joshua's faith.

Joshua knew, that,

A. God fights for his people. v.3b

What a wonderful summary of this entire book. What have we been studying for 22 weeks? We have been studying how God has been fighting for his people. And God is still fighting for his people. v.9-10

I want you to apply that to your situation today. If you are one of God's children, through faith in Jesus Christ, then God is fighting for you. And that is exactly Paul's message in Romans 8, when he says,

Rom. 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

Often we take one verse out of context, or we understand it superficially. But the question is, how do we know it? How can we know that God works all things for good? You can really know that, only if you really know that God fought for you while you were still his enemy; if you know that God saved you because of his predestinating love. In love, God chose you before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. And so Paul says in,

Rom. 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified."

And that faith in God's electing love is the basis for our confidence that he is fighting for us now. Rom. 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Do you know what gives me the confidence that God is fighting for me? I know that God has acted in my life. I know that my salvation is a direct result of God's love in choosing me. And if he hadn't chosen me, I would not have chosen him. I know that at a certain point of time, now over 30 years ago, God changed my heart. There is no other explanation. God gave me a new heart, and has been changing my life ever since then.

I know that God is fighting for me. And not because I'm a good guy. I know it because of my understanding of his election. He chose me. He began a good work me, and he will finish that work. I know that. And I know, therefore, that God is actively involved in directing the daily affairs of my life, and God is fighting for me because he keeps his promises. God works hard to be faithful to his people, and

B. God keeps all his promises. v.4-5 "as the Lord your God promised you." v.14

God has never failed to keep one of his promises. And that is the foundation of our faith. God works hard to be faithful to his people.

That is the strong encouragement I want to give you this evening. That is the only message that will really soothe a trouble heart or strengthen a weary soul. That message is spoken by a man 110 years old, a man who has learned through the trials of his life that God has kept all his promises.

I need that encouragement. I get impatient sometimes. I look at a situation, and I get upset or discouraged. I wonder what God is doing. And sometimes I try to do something about it myself. I need to remember that God fights for his people and God keeps his promises. I need to remember that God is faithful to his people.

And deep down, I really do believe that. Deep down, I really do believe that the sovereign God of the universe does work all things together for my good. I do believe that God will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I also believe that everything that I need for life and godliness is right here, written down for my edification.

As we approach the end of this great book of Joshua, I want you to learn this lesson from Joshua the old man. God is faithful to keep every one of his promises. You can depend on it. And you can build your faith on it.

So don't build your faith on your emotions. Rather, build your faith on the solid rock of God's actions in history. Build your faith on the historical evidence of God's work in your life.

Look at your own life. Identify how God has worked in your life. Identify ways in which God has answered your prayers and identify great things that he has done in your life. Look for the evidence of God's faithfulness in your life, and you will find it. Build your faith upon that evidence.

There is a second part of Joshua's farewell address. There is nothing new in this, either. Since God works hard to be faithful to his people,

II. GOD'S PEOPLE NEED TO WORK HARD TO BE FAITHFUL TO GOD. I hope that you see the connection between those two things. This is not a system of works salvation. This is not a system of legalism, in which we must achieve a certain level of faithfulness to earn God's approval. This is not a system of self-help, nor is it a system of fatalism.

But the Bible is consistently clear on two very specific ideas. God is faithful to us. Therefore, we are called to be faithful to him. God loves us, therefore, we must love him. God rescues us, therefore we must honor him. God saves us, therefore we must worship him.

Everything that we do, everything, is a response to what he has first done for us. And we must work hard in responding to him appropriately. Specifically,

A. We must work hard in our obedience. We are commanded to obey, and our obedience is the measure of our faithfulness. Joshua's final message is very similar to his earlier messages. He exhorts the people to obey. v.6

Strength is obedience! Joshua is saying literally, "be strong enough to obey." "Be courageous, be firm, be sure and steadfast in your obedience."

And he defines the standard of that obedience--the written word of God. Same standard today. If you want to know God's will for your life, then read the written word of God. It is God's will that you obey his law. Period. End of sentence. End of discussion.

It takes more courage and more strength to obey God's law than to disobey it. It takes strength to resist temptation, it takes strength to go against the peer pressures of this world. It takes great courage to be different from the world around us.

And that is one specific example of obedience: v.7

Do not be involved in the religion of the world around you. Do not associate with the world so intimately that you take on its characteristics.

The NT says exactly the same thing in a little different way: Rom. 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

1John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

1Pet. 1:14 "...as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Be holy. Be separate from the world by acting differently. Let me read a list of those differences.

Gal. 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

And what is a description of obedience? Gal. 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

Joshua tells the people so very clearly, "Since God works hard to be faithful to you, you must work hard to be faithful to him by obeying his word."

And Joshua isn't afraid to warn the people against disobedience. v.15-16

If you live in open disobedience to God's word, and live in open rebellion to God's law, then you are rejecting God's love and demonstrating that you are indeed without hope. And if you harden your hearts and refuse to repent, you are without God's mercy and will face his anger.

Therefore, knowing that God has been faithful to us, we must work hard in our obedience. And,

B. We must work hard in our devotion. God wants our devotion. You see, God is not interested in superficial or merely external obedience. He is not interested in slavish legalism. He is not interested self-righteous Phariseeism. What God wants most of all is our heart. He wants your whole-hearted devotion. Simply put, God wants your love. v.11

Love is not sentimentality or merely emotional expressions. Loving God is clinging to God. v.8 Hold fast. KJV--"Cleave unto the Lord your God."

If you are wondering, that is the same exact Hebrew word used in, Gen. 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

"Be joined". Literally, that word means to stick together. It means to cling together in mutual loyalty and mutual faithfulness. And that is the essence of a marriage. A marriage, by definition, is between two people, a man and a woman. A marriage is two people who cleave together, who stick together. And a third party destroys the whole essence of marriage.

So it is with our relationship with God. We are married to God. We are his bride. And we are to cleave to him in love.

And we cleave to him by being a servant. That love is the love a servant. Loving God is serving God. Deut. 10:20 "You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name."

All too often today Christians become religious consumers rather than devoted servants. Too many Christians see themselves as consumers in their relationship with God, and with his church. Consumers are ones searching for the best product to meet their needs. But God has not called us to be consumers. He has called us to be servants, worshipers, to surrender our whole life in committed service to God. And that is what love really is.

Jesus teaches us in no uncertain terms that we cannot cleave to God and cleave to the world at the same time, we cannot serve two masters.

Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Yet that is just exactly what many professed Christians in America are attempting to do. And Joshua warns us against the dangers of being unfaithful to him:

v.12 Same exact word used as in v.8, to cling to the other nations. Example, by intermarrying with them, the most intimate relationship possible. Warning of judgment. v.13

Joshua says cling to God. Love the Lord your God. Be devoted to God. Everything that we do for God, most especially our obedience, must be an expression of our devotion.

Illus: Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness: "Devotion is not an activity; it is an attitude toward God. This attitude is composed of three essential elements: the fear of God, the love of God, the desire for God." He goes on to say that "this devotion is the only motivation for Christian behavior that is pleasing to God. This motivation is what separates the godly person from the moral person."

You see, you can be a moral person and not truly godly. The difference is in the heart, the motivation.

Bridges quotes another definition of devotion given by William Law: "Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted to God. He therefore is the [godly] man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who make all the parts of his common life, parts of [his godliness.]

Bridges goes on to define godliness as devotion in action. We could define true obedience the same way. True obedience is devotion in action. True obedience is love in action.

Mary and Martha give us a good illustration of devotion in action. Luke 10:38 "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

You would think Martha was the one showing her love, but Jesus praised Mary for her devotion. Martha's fault was her concern with outward things overshadowed the true devotion of he heart. She was busy doing things, but she wasn't really demonstrating her love for Jesus.

Joshua's exhortation is very simple. The advice from this godly elder is very simple. "Be very careful to love the Lord your God, to obey all that is written in the Book of the law of Moses."

Yet we are often very careless. I doubt that you often go out and sin deliberately, but we do often sin in our carelessness. We are careless about learning what the law really says. We are careless in applying it consistently. We are careless when we pick and choose, emphasizing parts of the law and ignoring other parts. We are careless in applying that law to the many situations of our life. We are careless in considering only the external form of the law while ignoring the inward reality of our heart. We are careless because we are lazy, and we don't want to work in our spiritual life. And we are careless because we don't fully understand this idea of devotion. I believe that we don't fully think about what it means to love God, to be married to God.

My friends, God works hard to remain faithful to you. He is a faithful and loving husband. Everyone of his promises is true. In Christ, God has loved you with an everlasting love.

Now, in response to his love, be faithful to him. Love him. Work hard in your obedience. in response to his love. And work hard in your devotion to him. Love him with your whole life. Love him so much that you can't bear to spend a day without him. Love so much that just want to give him everything you have. Love him so much that you just can't wait until the next time you can worship him with the rest of his people. Love him so much that you just have to learn more about him. Love him so much that you just don't want to hurt him or offend for anything. Love him so much that you just love to please him and love to honor him.

May our hearts never grow cold in that love. So today, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

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