morning everyone. It's great to see you. And if this is your first time to this church, we want to give you a very warm and special welcome. We are a Bible believing church and we read the Bible and we speak from it and we are followers of Jesus Christ.
And it's just great to have everyone come together to open the Word of God and to hear what God has to say to us today. I'd like to speak to you today about a message that I have entitled, Joshua's Last Speech. So if you've been following my messages, I've been going through the book of Joshua. And today I want to share with you Joshua's last message to the people of Israel.
I think probably most of you will remember this slide. So some of my messages that I've had here before, we've talked about four principles for a successful life. These are four lessons that we have learnt as we've studied the life of Joshua. God told Joshua to meditate on the law of God and not to turn from it.
God told Joshua really to cut off or mortify sin because what we've learned from that is sin will destroy your life. And thirdly we have learned that God wants us to move in His will, move and step with God. Well today I really want to focus on this last principle about serving God and Him only and choosing whom you will serve and making life-altering decisions that will benefit you and your family and to cling to the Lord and allow no idols in your life. Joshua's last speech.
I'd like to invite you to turn to the book of Joshua chapter 23 and we're going to read verse 1 and I've asked them to bring up the scripture on the screen. So if you don't have a Bible you can follow along with it. We're reading from Joshua chapter 23 and we're reading at verse 1. A long time afterward when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies and Joshua was old and well advanced in years and Joshua summoned all Israel and the elders and its heads and the judges and the officers and he said to them, I am now old and well advanced in years and you have seen all that the Lord your God has done unto these nations for your sake.
It is the Lord your God who has fought for you. Behold I have allotted to you an inheritance to your tribes. If you go down to verse 5 halfway through it says and you have possessed their land just as the Lord your God promised you. Therefore be very strong to keep all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses.
Do not turn aside from it neither to the right hand or to the left that you may not mix with those nations remaining among you nor mention the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done it to this day for the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations and no man has been able to stand before you this day. Verse 11, be very careful therefore to love the Lord your God for if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations that remain among you and make marriages with them and associate with them that are with you know for certain that the Lord will no longer drive out these nations before you but they shall be a snare and a trap for you a whip on your sides and a forms in your eyes until you perish from off the good ground that the Lord your God has given you. Then in verse 14 he says, I am about to go the way of all the earth and you know in your hearts and in your souls all of you that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All that God promised came to pass and not one of them has failed.
Verse 16, if you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God which he commanded you and if you go and serve other gods and bow down to them then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you. Now if you look at chapter 24 and verse 13, this is Joshua's summary. He says, I gave you land which you had not labored and cities that you had not built and you dwell in them. You eat of the fruit of the vineyards and all of orchards that you did not plant.
Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him with sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your Father served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord and if it seemed evil in your eyes to serve the Lord then choose you this day who you will serve whether the gods your Father served in the region beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord and if you look at verse 31 this is so interesting. It says Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel. Now if you turn over a couple more pages to Judges chapter 2 we're going to read what happened in the end.
Judges chapter 2 and verse 8 and Joshua the son of the servant of the Lord died at the old age of 110 and they buried him and if you look at verse 10 and all the generation also were gathered to their fathers. Now catch this phrase and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel and all the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and they served bales and they abandoned the Lord the God of their fathers who had brought them out out of the land of Egypt they went after other gods from other gods of other peoples who were around them and they bowed down to them and they provoked the Lord to anger and they abandoned the Lord and they served bales and astrothe so the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them and he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies that they could no longer withstand their enemies. Joshua's last speech I want to encourage you today to serve the Lord. In my message is basically a word of encouragement but it's also a word of warning just like Joshua in his last speech he warned the people of God to serve God and not turn from serving God.
I want to ask you three questions today I've got a slide that's coming three questions these are the three questions I want to ask you today my message why should I serve God I really want to ask us all this question why should I serve God and then the second question I want to ask is what if I don't serve God and the third question is very very important what will happen to my children if I do not serve God those three simple questions why should I serve God? Joshua's message was choose this day who you will serve but as for me in my house we will serve the Lord why should I serve God what if I don't serve God and what will happen to my children if I don't serve God let me summarize for you what we read in case you didn't get it I want to take the key points and I want to summarize for you Joshua's last message to the people of Israel here's what he said he said I am old and my life is over and my course has finished I am going to heaven and then he said to them God has been faithful to you he reminded them that all the promises of God have been fulfilled and not one promise has failed could you say that in your life I think we can Joshua reminded these people that when they went into the land it was God who fought for them he cut off their enemies he made them victorious in fact he did more than that he carved out a new land for these people to live in and he gave them an inheritance he gave them cities that they didn't build he gave them houses that they didn't make he gave them trees and crops and fruits to enjoy that they never planted he gave them spiritual substance and stability and Joshua is saying to these people listen God gave you all these things don't squander it God gave you all these blessings don't squander it he said if you turn away from the Lord and if you serve other gods you will lose everything that matters most if you serve other gods and you turn away from the one and only true God you will lose everything that matters most didn't Jesus say something like that in Mark chapter 8 verse 36 he said what shall it profit a man if you were to gain the whole world and lose his own soul well what shall the man give in exchange for his soul Joshua said choose choose this day do you know what's interesting about Joshua's last speech it almost seems if you are a Bible studier and if you're familiar with the Bible Joshua's last speech is a little bit repetitive where did Joshua hear something like that before I'm asking a turn to Deuteronomy chapter 30 in Deuteronomy chapter 30 we have something very very similar Moses last speech Moses is old he's about to die and what does he say to the children of Israel look at this do do do do do it on me chapter 30 and verse 15 he says I have set before you this day good and death and evil verse 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you I have said before you life and I have said before you death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that you and your children your seed may live that you may love the Lord your God and that you may obey your God and that you may obey his voice that you may cleave unto him for he is your life okay watch what happens in chapter 31 Moses is about to die and if you look at verse 14 the Lord said unto Moses now the Lord is saying to Moses behold the day's approach that you must die called Joshua call who Joshua he's a young man at this point he's about in his 40s he's called Joshua and come into the tabernacle this is a meeting that Moses and Joshua had with God and this took place before they ever entered the land here's what God said the Lord appeared in the tabernacle the pillar of the cloud in the pillar of cloud and he stood over the tabernacle the Lord said unto Moses you will sleep with your fathers and this people they will play the harlot and they will follow after strange gods that go among them and they will forsake me and they will break my covenant that I have made then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them and I will hide my face from them that they shall be devoured by many evils and troubles that shall be followed them and they will say in that they are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us and I will surely hide my face in that day from all the evils that they have wrought and they will turn unto other gods why did Joshua say so passionately not to forsake God because he knew what God had told Moses many many many years before that there's people are going to turn away from the Lord so I have a question for all of us since it's the tendency of my heart full disclosure I will confess to you I am a sinner I have an evil wicked sinful heart within me that tends to follow my own lusts and my own ways and unless I am in tune with God I will go straight you are the same in fact the Bible says all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned everyone to our own way and it is the Lord Jehovah who laid on Jesus the iniquity the sin of us all and if it worked for the provision of God we would all self-destruct because we have a sinful nature that has a bend in it to follow our own path into destruction we go astray from birth the Bible says speaking lies this is what's in our heart the nature and so God has made it so clear that he wants us to serve God so I'm gonna ask you this question question number one why should I serve God I'm gonna give you a number of reasons why you should serve God because of his character because God is a good father he is faithful Psalm 100 verse 5 says the Lord is good and his mercy endures forever and his faithfulness is shown to all generations why else should you serve the Lord because he satisfies our souls do you know that nothing in this world will truly satisfy your soul you could be wealthy and rich and famous you could have all the pleasures that this world could ever afford and if your life is without God and if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you will never be satisfied the pleasures of this world can never satisfy the soul but God satisfies the soul here's what Psalm 107 in verse 8 says all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness because he satisfies the longing soul could I tell you something today there is something within every human heart that is longing for satisfaction and the only thing that can satisfy your soul for eternity is personal faith in Jesus Christ is knowing God as your Savior believing in Jesus and walking with him that is the only thing that will satisfy your soul why should I serve God because he satisfies my soul because of his grace you know what grace is it's undeserved kindness unmerited favor do you know that God has shown you grace the very fact that you are here today you had a healthy meal you had a good night's sleep you had a roof over your head you're sitting here today your heart is beating you have oxygen God is good God has shown you grace and mercy that you don't deserve and God's mercy is forever here's what the Psalmist said in Psalm 103 he redeems my life from destruction a life without God is bent on destruction and it will end in destruction and that's why he says choose you this day whom you will serve you want to tell you a personal story when my children were young we were reading through the book of Deuteronomy and those words impressed me so much when Moses gathered the children of Israel together and he said I'm gonna die he said this is my last message to you he said I have set before you the right way and the wrong way choose life that both you and your children will benefit you know what I said to my children choose life every single day choose life follow the right path because there is a way that seems right unto a man and the end of that path is death and destruction choose life I burned it into the souls of my children choose life one day my son Jesse was 23 years old and he said to me dad he said I do you remember all the times that used to say to us choose life I said yeah he said would you do me a big favor I said yeah what's that he said just write it on a piece of paper in your own handwriting and email it to me he was in Toronto I'm like what he said just just write it in your own handwriting choose life I wrote in my handwriting choose life and I sent it to my son he came home the next week with a tattoo on his bicep in big bold letters in my handwriting choose life you know that's a story that I tell you because it made an impression on my children choose life every single day we make choices we can choose to serve God or we can choose not to serve God why should I why should I serve God not only because of his character and I don't want anyone to miss this we should serve God because of his cross let me bring you to the cross do you know what God has done for you and maybe maybe you're here today and you're hearing this for the first time I don't know but Jesus Christ died on the cross on behalf of every man every single human being that has ever been part of this world Jesus Christ died for them in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14 it says this it is the love of Christ that constrains us why we're drawn to him why because he died for every man he died for all that henceforth those who live should not live unto themselves but unto him who died for them maybe this is a revelation to you do you know that Jesus Christ died for you do you know that he took the punishment of your sin the sin that you've committed your whole life he took it upon himself and he bore it before God he said I'm gonna stand between God and John Wells and all the sin that John Wells has committed his whole life Jesus Christ said put that on me put it on my account I will stand before God and he's the only one that could because he's the righteous one he had no sin of his own if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the satisfaction to God for our sin and not for our sin only but for the sins of the whole world amen why should I serve God why should I serve Jesus Christ because he loved me and he gave himself for me have you ever discovered that that Jesus Christ loved you and he gave himself for your sins that's why you should serve God not only that Jesus Christ has given to every person who believes in him a special gift do you know what it is it's the gift of God's righteousness you see you have no righteousness in yourself and neither do I there is nothing that we could bring to God to show God how good we are well you know not like other people I don't commit adultery I don't take God's name in vain I help people know there is nothing that I can bring with my staying sinful hands to God so that God will show me mercy you know that song that my grandfather loved rock of ages clever me let me hide myself in the nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling naked come to the fordress God has given to us the gift of righteousness him who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and every person that takes him as their own personal Savior not only has the gift of righteousness not only has their sins forgiven something they never worked for or couldn't earn but they have a desire in their heart to please God to serve God upon that moment the Holy Spirit God enters my body and I become a new creation in God why should I serve God because of the cross because he loved me because he gave himself for me and I have the promise of his presence he will never leave me or forsake me you know that this salvation is not performance based it's not something that I have to strive for so that I can keep no it is the gift of righteousness unmerited unearned given once for all the gifts of God are irrevocable when God gives you the gift of righteousness he will never take it back why should I serve God because of the cross he offers me victorious living I'm gonna go to question number two and I want you to listen carefully to this what if I don't serve God what if my life is all about me what if it's all about pleasing me what if it's all about building my kingdom what if my life is all about how much fame and fortune that I can gather up building castles in the sand what if that's all my life what if I choose not to serve God I'm gonna tell you four things okay are you ready for this number one then you will serve idols unquestionably if you do not serve God then you will serve idols number two if you do not serve God then you will serve your own loss that's just a natural law if you do not serve God you will serve your own loss you will become a slave to sin you will John chapter eight in verse 34 says whosoever commit sin is the slave to sin is the servant to sin fourthly if you do not serve God you're going to be condemned you will die in your sins and you will end up in hell and that is the very sad misfortune for countless people that are living on the world today they're serving themselves they're serving their loss they are slaves to sin and they will have momentary pleasure and they will die without God and they will wake up in hell and it will be lost forever you know I want to counsel you today choose choose you this day whom you will serve God has given every one of us a free will yes we have a sinful nature and left to ourselves we will gravitate toward those sinful us but God has given an opportunity to every single person to come as you are believe on the Lord Jesus Christ bow your knees and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and receive the gift of righteousness the gift of forgiveness of sins and have your sins forgiven and become a child of God and serve God as a willing participant in God's kingdom I'm gonna go to number three what will happen to my children if I don't serve God you know what's so interesting and I don't know if you caught it or not but it says in Joshua 24 that Israel served God all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua that were influenced by Joshua but then they all died and if you go over to judge chapter 2 it says this Joshua died at 110 and all the generation died and there arose a generation that did not know the Lord and what happened and they abandoned God and they served idols and they served Baal and they worshiped idols and they bowed down to idols and they committed evil practices and they died of their sins without God you know it's one thing to live your life without God it's another thing to die without God what's important on your last day is how you should live your life every day you know there's a person in the Bible that said let my last end be like the righteous we experienced this week some sad news that Genesis father's brother Genesis uncle died it wasn't really sudden but it was kind of a little bit unexpected that it happens so quickly he had cancer and he died he's about 75 years old and it brought to my mind some of these things that I'm talking about today because my father-in-law Genesis father was raised in a very godly home they had 13 children and they all heard the gospel and they all went to Sunday school and they all were taught the Word of God but they didn't all get saved and they didn't all follow the Lord and they didn't all serve God there was about six of them that were saved and there was about seven of them that never made a profession of faith and here's a man who lived his life without God knew the gospel I don't know if he ever got saved or not but I know this the six that believed and knew God they taught the gospel to their children and the seven that didn't follow the word of God and never did believe their children they don't know the gospel and their children's children don't know the gospel and what happens is you have a tremendous opportunity as a father and as a husband to establish in your home a family altar and be a role model and to teach your children truth what's so interesting about this is those that didn't follow God and didn't know as soon as that generation passed there arose a generation that didn't know God husbands and fathers I want to speak to you in this church you have a responsibility to raise your children for God to raise your children with the truth of God to teach your children the Bible to teach your children the gospel to set the standards in your home to teach your children and hold them accountable to the word God your life and your role model speaks louder than your words your priorities and your principles that you set become the template that is automatically set in the minds and hearts of your children you know what happens to us just by nature we default to the way our parents raise us you usually discover this in your 30s when you raise your own children and something happens and you react and your wife says well why'd you do that well I don't know that's what my father did it just happens because in our mind we have a template of what we saw and what we heard and it's actually etched into us as fathers and husbands you have a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous responsibility to set the standards and teach your children the word of God your priorities and your principles will become theirs let me give a little practical word here if it's not a priority for you to be at Rejoice Club why is it a priority for your children if it's not a priority for you to be at the Lord's Supper why would it be a priority for your children if it's not a priority for you to be following the Lord and setting up a family altar and reading the scripture in your home and praying with your children and teaching them the word of God why would it be a priority to them if your priority is to go out there and make the best living that you can and earn the most amount of money and am mass the most amount of toys that you possibly can and then go to church on Sunday and hopefully your kids will get everything else you know that the the burden of teaching your children should not come from the church it starts in the home and so Joshua's last speech to the nation of Israel was this choose you this day who you will serve why because you're responsible because you're accountable because life is not a dress rehearsal you just don't go back 30 years and say you know I think I'm gonna do that one over again no every single day you're setting the standard you're teaching truth you're building priorities you're impacting your children you are following God or you are not following God life is not a dress rehearsal you have the tremendous opportunity and privilege to choose to serve God maybe you've come to this church today and this is all new to you and I apologize if my message wasn't really something that you could connect with forget my message for a second let me tell you the absolute bare facts that you need to know there's one God only one and there is one mediator between God and men it is Jesus Christ and no one can ever come to God but through Jesus Christ he said I am the way I am the truth I am the life no man comes to the Father other than by me Jesus Christ he is the only way to God why do you need to serve God why do you need Jesus Christ because you and I and all humanity are sinners we have syndicates God we have fallen short of God's glory and we have a sinful nature and a propensity to continue to commit sin our sin will destroy our lives it will ruin us and the only way to have our sin forgiven is not prayer not good works not attending church not baptism it is repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ the only way any person will ever be right with God and have their sins forgiven is when they come humbly and they bow their knees before God and they say oh God be merciful to me a sinner and to understand that God has made a provision it's in the person of Jesus Christ God son he died on the cross for your sins his precious blood was shed to wash away your sins and he offers you forgiveness as a free gift what do you need to do believe it believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and you will want to serve God because you'll be a new creation in Christ Jesus all things are passed away all things are gone all things become new and you have a desire to live your life for God and to serve him and if you serve God you will do yourself a favor and you will do your family a favor because you will set the standard it does not mean that all your children will be saved and it does not mean that you will have a life without trouble but it does mean that you will set the truth as a standard and they are responsible as they move into the next generation choose you this day who you will serve but as for me in my house we will serve the Lord let's pray father we thank you today for the word of God we thank you father for the truth that you have so clearly laid before every one of us and we thank you for the person of your son Jesus Christ who came into the world and died for our sins and rose again to to set us free to make us children of God we thank you Lord that we can have this opportunity of reading the scriptures and exhorting this church and Lord to set these standards that we would all follow not just for us and our homes but for our children and for the next generation we love you God and we thank you that you have blessed us with so many things for this beautiful day and all the kindness of God that you have given we give thanks and we pray that you would bless us as we part this to this day commit us to you in Jesus name amen