Drew’s Blog - Drew Boswell

“The Founding of the Philippian Church” Acts 16:1-34 (Part One)

The Founding of the Philippian Church

Acts 16:1-34

(Part One)

Introduction

When I was a kid, Saturday mornings meant one thing – cartoons. And one of those cartoons, on one the three channels we had, was the strategic genius of Wily E. Coyote and his eternal chase of the Road Runner. With large batches of anvils, giant rocks, rocket-powered roller skates, tornado seeds, explosive tennis balls, TNT, mallets, painted tunnels into a rock face – he was always trying a new way to outsmart the Road Runner. But we see in episode after episode that his tools and outfits from the ACME catalog never actually produce the result he wants. The Road Runner outsmarts him every time.

It’s easy to think of reaching our community for Christ and mission as “big tools” we hope will work out, like dynamite strapped to a rocket with a fuse – what could go wrong? The church has a tendency to look for programs, new tools, or events (we flip through the ACME/Lifeway catalog) – but this is not how the NT shows us that the early church grew. Today we will look at Principles for Acts 16 on how the early Christians shared their faith.

Prayer

Four Principles That Led to a Growing Church (vv. 1-10)

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him[1] because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra” Paul has already been to these cities two-three years before proclaiming the gospel, healing the sick, and he was stoned there (Acts 14:19). The scars would have still been on his body. So now Paul goes back to strengthen the young churches.

(v. 1) Paul normally does not travel alone, but he and Barnabas had and argument about another young protégé named John-Mark. Their argument was so heated that they decided to part ways. Barnabas took John-Mark and went in one direction, and Paul set out in another direction with Silas. So, Paul is doubling back over previous covered territory that he had already been through with the gospel but he is also intentionally looking for someone to help him in his ministry, to do what John-Mark did in their ministry.

#1. Don’t Do Ministry Alone—Find Someone to Invest In.

It is more than likely Timothy’s father was a non-believer (Christian or Jewish), and it is likely that Timothy and his mother were converted in Paul’s earlier visit to this area.[2] In between then and now Timothy’s mother and grandmother were growing in their walk with the Lord, 2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well,” and 2 Timothy 3:15 “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings.”

(v. 3) Timothy was “well spoken of” meaning he had a reputation among the people of the city. He was known, his father was known, and his mother was known. As Paul and Timothy would have traveled from there to town to town this reputation (even though it was good), everyone would have wondered why he had not been circumcised – it would appear that he was refusing to adhere to the law.

“Timothy was both Jew and Greek and would continually give offense to the Jews . . . so for the sake of expediency, “because of the Jews,” Paul voluntarily removed this stumbling block to the ministry of Timothy. Otherwise, Timothy would not have been allowed to preach in the synagogues.”[3] We need to move past this lesser argument or discussion to get to the things of greater importance – they would constantly face this lesser issue, and it would be a stumbling block to them getting to the gospel.

And Timothy taking this step would have a favorable impression on the people they were trying to reach. “It was no question of enforcing circumcision upon Timothy as if it were necessary for salvation; it was simply a question of what was necessary under special circumstances in which both he and Paul were to seek to gain a hearing for the Gospel on the lines of the Apostolic policy; “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Also, Timothy was willing to endure pain for the sake of reaching other people with the gospel.

#2. Having a Good Reputation and Getting Rid of Unnecessary Obstacles

Opens the Door to Conversations about the Gospel. Prioritize Life.

Earlier in Acts 15:1-2 Paul and other church leaders were discussing doctrine, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.”

So that by chapter 16:4 “they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem” – the Church was just beginning and they were working through foundational doctrinal questions; so Paul and Timothy as they went from town to town, they would instruct these groups of new believers the decisions that had apostolic authority. The result of sound doctrine is that “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”

#3. Solid Doctrine is Essential to a Strong Growing Church.

1 Timothy 4:16 “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

(v. 6) “having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” – “Passing through it but not preaching the gospel,”[4]

“immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia,” – Once Paul and Timothy had a clear direction from the Lord, they did not delay, but immediately started in that direction. It is also at this point the pronouns, for Luke the author of the book, move from them to we and us, “immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us,” It was at this point of the missionary journey that Luke joins the team.

All the things that came before chapter 16 were Luke going and gathering witnesses and other’s account of what happened, here he can give a firsthand account of what happened. Some scholars believe that Luke was a resident of Philippi or the surrounding area and became a convert as Paul passed through. And look how quickly Luke goes from convert to traveling missionary.

(v. 10) “concluding that God had called us,” – The word used for concluding means to “make to go together,” “to knit together,” “to make this and that agree.” “This is a proper use of the reason in connection with revelation, to decide whether it is a revelation from God, to find out what it means for us, and to see if we obey the revelation when understood.”[5] “Because of Paul’s obedience at this point, the gospel went westward; and ultimately Europe and the Western world were evangelized. Christian response to the call of God is never a trivial thing.”[6]

#4. Life Changing Ministry Must Be Spirit Led.

These Four Principles 1) Doing ministry in teams 2) removing obstacles and prioritizing 3) watching our doctrine 4) and being Spirit Led – now lead to a new church in Philippi. Let’s look at the characteristics of this new church plant and then ask, “Is this true of our church?”

Characteristics of a New Church (vv. 11-34)

People are Saved (vv. 11-15)

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.[7] 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

As far as we can tell, there were some Jewish women who gathered to pray, but there seems to be no church, no synagogue – but God is going to establish a church in this area referred to as Philippi upon women who had gathered to pray. Zechariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (NLT)

(v. 13) “and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.” – The custom of Jewish teachers was to teach from a seated position, “Luke’s use of the first person plural implies that each of the four (Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke) preached in turn, with Paul as the chief speaker.[8]

“The Lord opened her (Lydia) heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Salvation has two parts; 1) The Lord opening her heart and 2) the girl paying attention to the gospel. God through the Holy Spirit showed her sin and need for a Savior, she paid attention to Paul’s sharing of the gospel and responded in faith.

Darkness is Broken (vv. 16-24)

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.[9] 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

(v. 16) As Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke were going to the “place of prayer” they were met by “a slave girl who had a spirit of divination” – the type of divination mentioned is where we get the word ventriloquist[10] The demonic spirit would speak through the girl – who is just as much under its control as the demonic (Matthew 8:28). The darkness is her complete control by the demon and that there was a company (multiple business owners) who used this girl to make money through this demonic possession.

Paul “said to the spirit,” not the girl. The girl has no control over what is happening. Notice that the demon says (through the girl), “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” It is speaking the truth, there is a recognition of who they are and what they are doing, similar to the demons recognizing Jesus, His authority, and what He was doing; Luke 8:28 “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”

Why does Paul not permit the demon to continue yelling that they are servants of the Most High, and that Paul and the others are proclaiming the way of salvation? Do you allow the testimony of evil men, because the testimony in itself is true?[11]

“The hour of gravest peril for the Gospel in Philippi was not the hour when they put Paul in prison; it was the hour when the girl with the spirit of divination told the truth.”[12] Evil can tell the truth, but it can just as easily tell a lie. It can take the truth of the gospel and twist it just enough to make it a false gospel. “Every time a demon confirmed that Christ was the Son of God, Jesus rebuked it – every time!”[13]

The girl returns to being a normal girl – free from demonic possession and it enrages the slave owning businessmen. The church should not be surprised when the gospel is shared, the darkness is broken, that those that profit from the darkness become enraged and angry. Nor, should we shy away from the consequences of sharing the truth. For Paul and Silas it cost them being lied about, severe beatings, and imprisonment. Again, there is pain for those who seek to share the gospel.

These two characteristics of 1) the gospel being shared and people coming to know the Lord, and 2) darkness being broken, are two of four characteristics of this new church (we will look at the next two characteristics next week).

__________________

So Does Wiley E. Coyote ever catch the Road Runner? Wile E. is chasing the Road Runner through a series of pipelines, which causes both of them to emerge in a greatly shrunken state. Upon discovering their situation, they re-enter the pipeline and be transformed back into full size. The Road Runner emerges at normal size, but Wile E. is still in small size when he comes out. Upon discovering this turn of events, the Road Runner stops and allows his rival to “catch” him.

The Coyote does not notice anything until he steps over his opponent’s feet, and looks up to see he is massively outgunned. The Road Runner utters a low-pitched “beep beep”, much to Wile E.’s horror. He can only hold up two signs to the audience stating, “Okay, wise guys, you always wanted me to catch him.” and “Now what do I do?” So when the world comes to the church and the Holy Spirit is working in their hearts – we must be ready “to give and answer for the hope that we have.”

1 Peter 3:15-17 “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

___________________________

[1] Regarding the idea that Paul seems to argue against this later in Galatians, “Those who deplore the absence of consistency from Paul miss the higher consistency which is aimed at bringing all the activities of his life and thought ‘into captivity to the observance of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:5) and at subordinating every other interest to the paramount interests of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:23).”

[2] W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967) 339.

[3] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 3 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1930) 244.

[4] Nicoll, 342.

[5] Robertson, 248.

[6] Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John & Acts, Volume 9 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1981) 458.

[7] See also Luke 24:45.

[8] Robertson, 251.

[9] “They were handed over to the lictors – the magistrate’s police attendants – to be soundly beaten. The lictors carried as symbols of office bundles of rods, with an ax inserted among them. . .” Bruce, 315.

[10] Nicoll, 349.

[11] G Campbell Morgan, The Acts of the Apostles (Old Tappan, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Company, 1924) 385.

[12] Morgan, 385.

[13] R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word, Acts, The Church Afire (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Books, 1996) 215.

“The Heart of Giving” Malachi 3:1-12

“Simplify” Doing What Matters Most

Sermon Series

“The Heart of Giving”

Malachi 3:1-12

Introduction

One Sunday morning because the mother was sick she sent her son on to the country church without her. The said now “You go straight to church.” Before the small boy left his mother gave him two quarters. She said “One quarter is for you to get some ice cream on the way home and one quarter is for God.”

So putting the quarters in his pocket, he left for church. On the way he stopped momentarily at a bridge on leaned over the side to see the water. When he did this one of the quarters fell out of his pocket and fell into the river below. He jumped down and checked for the other quarter. Having found it he said “which I sure am glad I didn’t lose my quarter for ice cream!”

Often times we have the same attitude toward giving as the little boy. When we have gotten what we wanted we have nothing left to give. God is warning the Israelites through the prophet Malachi that they should prepare because a king was coming who would judge them on how they worshiped God, specifically on how they worshiped Him with their giving. This morning I want you to understand that this is not a message on tithing, but a message on how we are to worship and show loyalty to our Lord.

In terms of the number of verses on a topic, the subject of money and wealth is the second most dominant theme in the Bible, second only to idolatry. The Bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2000 verses on money and possessions. Jesus talked more on money than heaven and hell combined.

Why? Because we hold money very close to our hearts. God knows that money is the chief rival for our heart’s affection. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

This is an Old Testament passage, aren’t we under grace now? First tithing was done before Moses and the Law. In Genesis 4:1-8 Cain and Abel tithe off of their first fruits. In Genesis 14:20 Abraham tithes to Melchizedek, the priest of God. This was before the Law was given.

Secondly, in the New Testament Christ had the perfect opportunity to do away with the tithe when talking with the Pharisees. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Jesus encourages us to continue to tithe, but with the right heart.

Prayer

I. Our Hearts as it Relates to Worship (vv. 1-5)

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.”

(v. 1) “my messenger” is a reference to John the Baptist. Jesus 400 years later referring to John the Baptist says in Matthew 11:10 “For this reason is he of whom it is written:‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’

“prepare the way” It was custom of the Near Eastern kings to send messengers before them to remove obstacles to their visit. He would go through the towns and the people would fill in any holes In the road, clean up, etc…

God is giving the people a warning, to get their lives right, to repent and turn from their evil ways before the king comes in judgment. He had sent messengers like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. God had sent many messengers, but now the king was coming Himself.

“suddenly” does not mean immediately, but instantaneously and unannounced. When all things have been prepared Jesus will return to rule (Matt. 24:40-42).

We are now in between the messenger of the covenant, and His second coming in judgment. We are in a state of grace. It is a day for repentance (or turning from our sin) and salvation.

“whom you desire” is likely sarcastic. They are saying that they are seeking him but in reality this is shown to be false because of their actions. According to the prophet, the people were guilty of many serious sins. The priests were offering blemished animals in a formal but insincere religious ritualism. They were going through the motions.

Many were divorcing their wives to marry unbelieving women. Most had been disobeying God’s laws by withholding tithes of their harvest. And they were accusing God of loving them only halfheartedly and of being unjust in his dealings with them – because he had had not prospered them adequately.

In essence they were saying “God look at all this we are doing for you, what have you done for us lately? We believe that we should have much more material possessions for as much as we serve you.” (Do you see the irony? They were doing nothing that pleased Him.)

(v. 3) “a refiners fire” and “a launderer’s soup” — fire is a reference to burning off dross of silver or impurities and launderer’s soup is a reference to alkali that whitens fabrics. When a silver smith would work silver he would heat up the metal to a boiling point where the impurities would rise to the surface. He would then skim off the impurities. He would do this until all the impurities were gone and he could see a perfect reflection of himself in the silver.

If God is not pleased with our worship of Him he will heat up our lives to remove the impurities until he can see His Son in us. A launderer would use the harsh and abrasive alkali to whiten cloth. When we go to heaven we will wear white because we have been cleansed by Jesus’ death on the cross.

It is only when those who present the offering have been cleansed that the offering would be acceptable. This is also a reference to the motive behind the offerings. Simply presenting the offering to God is not enough. It must be done with a clean heart, a pure motive, and obedience to God.

Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”

The Pharisees would bring their tithe of everything down to the spices in their cabinets, but their motives were so that people would see them and say “wow aren’t they religious!” They did it for the glory it gave them from others.

“swiftly” Jesus second coming will happen suddenly in “the twinkling of an eye.” His judgment will be quick as well. He will testify against “I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, . . . and do not fear me” In other words those that do not respect or fear the Lord.

Malachi is saying that Jesus will return and He will sit in judgment of those who do not fear the Lord. The Israelites did not fear God because they gave with wrong motives, they gave their second best, and they were unconcerned about their sin. While the Lord is a God of wrath he is also a God of mercy, longsuffering and grace. The Lord’s response to the people’s rebellion and sin was to say that he does not change.

Our Hearts as it Relates to Money (vv. 6-12)

6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. 12 Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts”.

“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed Genesis 15:9 ff. God made a promise to Abraham and to his descendants that they would be His people. It is because of this promise that no matter what Abraham’s family did God would still keep his promise. It was because of this promise they had not been destroyed because of their sin long ago.

In theology this doctrine is called immutability. It means that, being perfect, God cannot and does not change. God cannot get any better nor can he get any worse, either would mean that he was not God to begin with. It is therefore we who change. It was because of this character of God that the people were not destroyed.

They thought that God was not being faithful to them, even tough it was them who had changed, showing disrespect and sin toward God. There is a pattern all throughout the Old Testament. God will bless the nation, and they love God. Over time they grow complacent and forget God and that it is He who had given them all that they had.

They then become involved in any number of sins and after warnings from various prophets they are judged by God. The people would then repent and turn back to God who would then forgive them and bless them, and they would follow His ways again.

“Return to me, and I will return to you,” The people have always had the option of returning to Him through repentance and renewed obedience. God’s people asked what have they done that they needed to return from. Did they not know what they were doing wrong? They ask “How are we to return, we haven’t done anything wrong?” “You are the one who has been unfaithful.”

God says that they were robbing Him “In tithes and offerings.”

What is a tithe? An offering? The meaning of the word ‘tithe’ is 10%. God says that we are to bring the whole 10% of their income into the storehouse. The storehouse was a section of the temple where the agrarian Israel would give their grain, animals, etc… It therefore is a reference to the Church. Tithes are to go to the local church. Offerings are what we give above and beyond the tithe.

The reason for the tithe is so that “there may be food in my house.” Ministries within the Church are dependant upon the faithful giving of each member. God has not designed any other way for fund raising than the tithe and offerings. The financial stability of the church is dependent upon the member’s hearts being right with the Lord.

God promises that if we will tithe, we will be blessed. How are we blessed? (v. 11) “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.”

(1) protection from destruction – plagues have throughout the Bible been a way that God would judge Israel. Lev. 26:24, 25; Deut. 28:21; Egypt 12:29, 30. When we choose to be disobedient we step out of God’s protective circle. But if we are obedient we remain within God’s protective graces.

A curse therefore may be that our possessions or what we depend on for our income may be destroyed. He would do this to strip us of what we idolize so that all that would be left is God – because He is faithful to discipline us as his children. Discipline hurts.

(2) productivity in labor — “fields will not cast their fruit.” Our work will yield a harvest. When we are obedient to God our efforts will be multiplied because God is directing it instead of us.

A curse therefore would be that no matter how hard we toil we can never seem to get ahead. We sink deeper and deeper in debt. We become anxious and worried because we are depending on ourselves instead of trusting in God to provide.

(3) popularity – when we are obedient to God will bless us because it is His desire that His name be lifted up. We can say when I added up all that I owe (to God and the world) and the money that I am taking in I would not have enough. God provided the money that I needed to do both. The blessing is that we will be able to be a witness of what God as done with our lives. There will also be joy in your household because of your relationship with the Lord.

A curse therefore would be that we have robbed ourselves of the blessing that comes from giving. We have no testimony of how God has done the impossible with our finances and lives. People will not call us blessed but instead will know that we have done it our way and in our own strength.

Still not convinced about this whole tithing thing? This is the only place in the Bible where man can test God. “Test me in this.”

Another reason God requires a whole tithe is that tithing ultimately is a test to determine if we trust God. It reveals the reality of whom we love more God or money.

“The Heart of Giving” Malachi 3:1-12

“A Call For Commitment”

Drew Boswell Ministries

“A Call For Commitment”

00:00 / 00:42:12

Joshua 24:14-33

“A Call For Commitment”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_SyrU5fqag

“Simplify” Doing What Matters Most

Sermon Series

“A Call For Commitment”

Joshua 24:14-33

Introduction

Commitment is one of those words we throw around but often times do not stop to consider the cost. Jesus told a set of parables that illustrate this point. A man will not set out to build a house unless he first makes sure that he will be able to afford to complete it, and a king will not declare war on another king unless he is sure he will be able to defeat him. Commitment costs us something.

The same is true about Christianity, about our commitment to God. Many professing Christians fail to consider how costly their relationship to God will be. They think that commitment is simply walking the aisle and getting saved, but my friend, that is only God’s commitment to us. Our commitment to Him is lived out for the rest of our lives after we leave the church building. This morning Joshua is going to call the Israelite people to a commitment to God and it will cost them the pet sins that have crept into their lives over the years.

Prayer

I. The Cost of Commitment (vv. 14-18)

“Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers 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.” 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods, 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

(v. 14) “Now therefore fear the LORD” in light of all that God has done, and God has just spoken through Joshua reminding them of all that He had done for them. To “Fear the Lord,” is to treat him the way he deserves and requires that we treat him. When we were younger we loved, depended on, respected, and feared our parents. We know that if we stepped out of line or disobeyed then there would punishment.

“And serve him with all faithfulness.” Joshua says you know that God loves you, because he just went through a brief history of the Israelite people. Now in light of this love serve him. But notice that fear comes before service.

When we serve first, without fear, then it is done to make us feel good, or to make us look good, or for any other reason then to bring glory to God. But when fear comes first, we serve out of love, a humbleness of who we are before a mighty God, we serve out of a thankful heart.

“Put away the gods,” or “Throw away the gods” – In the minds of the people, these gods were much like the Greek and Roman gods: very petty in their jealousies, childish in action. They would fight and kill one another only to be resurrected again. The religion appealed to the Hebrews because it was very materialistic. “Fulfill my needs,” they said. “Give me pleasure.”

“choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” –To serve comes from the Hebrew word “avath” which means “to be a bondservant.” A bondservant was a person who placed himself in service to another man. He gave himself as a slave to that man because of a debt he owed him or because he was too poor to support himself or his family.

Hebrew law said that after six years, the slave was to be set free, but if he said, “I love my master, and I will not go free,” he was to be taken to the door of the temple where he would receive the mark of a bondslave, an awl would be driven through his earlobe, and he would serve the master forever.

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” – “No irresolution, no more debate, no more discussion; I am determined. I am resolved. I have decided, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

A person can not be in-between. He’s either dead or he’s alive. He’s saved or he’s lost. He’s justified or he’s condemned. We’re with God or we’re against Him. Jesus said that: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30). We’re either one or the other.

You either give yourself as a bondservant to God by faith in Jesus Christ or you give yourself as a bondservant to the rulers of this world, the powers of darkness, Satan himself. There is no neutral zone. You cannot serve “no one.” You cannot serve “both”. You must choose to whom you will give your allegiance.

Matthew 10:32-33 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

Romans 10:9-10 “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

There are two ways that you can not follow the Lord – First, you simply decide not to choose at all. All you want to do is to live for yourself. But to live for yourself is to take yourself outside of God’s grace and to place yourself in Satan’s realm. Second, you decide to grab all of life that you can. Enjoy yourself. Eat, drink, and be merry. But know that the rest of that sentence says, “for tomorrow we die.”

That’s the bad part of serving Satan. One day your life will end and where all delusions and lies of the world end up. The Bible says that those who follow after the things of this world will find themselves spending eternity in Hell. That is a hefty and costly commitment. Our commitments cost us something.

Notice also in “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” He does not give his family a choice. He does not say “Hey kids do you want to go to church today, or do you want to help at this church event, or do you want to be apart of this program?” He says we will serve the Lord.

Duet. 6 “as you go . . .” encourages us to take them with us as we seek to serve the Lord, and develop this relationship in the context of love for the Lord. I believe that a family that serves the Lord together is just as powerful and meaningful as sitting in a stadium or going fishing. A mother and daughter helping another family, or making cookies for a neighbor is just a powerful if not more than going to the mall shopping. Serving God does not have to be independent of family time – make service family time.

II. The Choice of Commitment (vv. 19-21)
“But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.”

The reason “You are not able to serve the LORD” is because you cannot serve God and the world at the same time. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

With regard to prayer James 1:6-8 says “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” We cannot serve God because we are double-minded.”

When we seek to live for ourselves and follow the ways of the world; then we are committed to the world. Service to God then becomes trifle and meaningless. We are also seeking to serve God “in the flesh” or doing it in our own strength. Instead of being guided by the Holy Spirit’s wisdom we are guided by what seems right to us at the time.

“He is a holy God”– He is unapproachable in His being set apart and different from mankind. He alone is sovereign, He alone is perfect, He alone is all knowing, and ever present. Because of these things He alone is worthy to be praised and worshipped. When anyone worships another other than God, His response is one of jealousy. God’s jealousy is just because He alone is God.

“He will not forgive your transgressions(rebellion) and your sins.” – We should not always count on forgiveness of sin as being an option. The fact that we are forgiven is due to the miracle of grace. There is always punishment of sin by a holy God. His wrath and jealously must be poured out on someone, someone must pay the price of the people’s rebellion and sin. God in being a faithful and just God cannot wink or ignore sin.

III. The Consecrated Life in Commitment (vv. 22-27)

“Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for zit has heard all the words of the LORD that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.”

The whole context of this passage is that the nation of Israel is confirming their covenant with God, so the dialogue takes on the feel of legal proceedings. In this legal context witnesses are called to witness the agreement between two parties.

They would never forget the solemnest of this day; but, if hereafter they should break this covenant, he assures them that the professions and promises they had now made would certainly rise up in judgment against them and condemn them; and they agreed to it: “We are witnesses; let us be judged out of our own mouths if ever we be false to our God.”[1]

“Then Joshua said to the people,” – “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD” – In light of this supposed commitment, and a saying that they followed the Lord, Joshua commands them to throw away gods still in their possession.

There must always be a calling to commitment and a purging of sin from the family and home because it constantly creeps in. Sin seeks to imperceptibly slow and make it’s way into the heart.

You take an action further that you have ever gone before, you watch something longer than you know you should, but the next time you watch it longer. Influences that may have bothered you a year ago have become a way of life.

Where did these people get the gods or idols? v. 15 “whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living” They got them from their parents who got them from their parents. In other words the family tradition that is passed down is one of hidden sin and rebellion not of righteousness and right living. The legacy is one of sin and not faith. Is there anything that goes on in your family that is not glorifying to God that you learned from your parents and that you are passing down to your children?

They also get these gods from those whom they have conquered! The Israelites had won victory after victory but they were also exposed to these people. It is in this exposure that they begin to take on the characteristics of the enemy. Mainly, their gods. It was God who gave them the victory, but they are secretly bowing to other gods. We must be an influence in the world, not allowing the world to influence us!

It is entirely possible that where Joshua sets up this memorial under the oak that it is the same spot where Abraham had worshipped (Gen 12:6), and at the root of which Jacob buried the idols and charms found in his family (Gen 35:4: cf. Josh 12:4, Allon-moreh, oak of Moreh or Shechem).[2]

It is time not to dig up the idols of the past, but to dig another hole and bury more idols next to it. We need to come back to a place in our lives where we evaluate whether something has crept into our lives that does not please the Lord.

There has to be a time in every generation where the people say I renounce the false gods (even of my father) and choose to follow the One True God. As Joshua is about to die, he demands a commitment from the next generation to follow God wholeheartedly. There will be a time, as this aged father knows, when the next generation has to step up and make a commitment. He is about to die, and someone will have to be the leader. Joshua is about to go the way of all men, who would stand for God in the tribes as they go on their ways?

When we make a commitment that engages the whole person, heart, mind and soul, then we will never forget it. I remember the classroom where a pastor led me to the Lord, the baptismal pool that I was baptized in, and the first Bible that I truly studied until it fell apart so that is was unusable anymore. You remember the places of the commitments because of the cost of commitment.

When we make steps of commitment toward God we don’t forget about it. Shechem would be a special place for these people, because it was there that they renewed their commitment to the Lord. The rocks and geographical features of the landscape would remind them of their commitment.

Why have this public display and call to commitment, why not just send them off to claim their promised land? When people are at rest and they have no battles to fight, when they have no armies on the horizon, or enemies to their rear, they forget God. They forget all that God has done for them and it this relationship with Him is the reason that they are safe and at peace.

As the Israelites are going to a land of peace and rest, Joshua wants to give them one last reminder and encourages them to re-commit to the Lord. If they turn from God, it will not be long before all the work and battles they had fought for, would be taken away by the enemy and God would allow it to happen in judgment.

Conclusion

Let us have the wholehearted commitment to the Lord as Caleb and the resoluteness to stand for Him as Joshua.