Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
“You Can Always Choose God
Because He Always Chooses You”
Joshua 24 November 9, 2008
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” John Newton penned those
words shortly after he realized that despite all his failings, despite his thoughtlessness, despite his
vulgarity, God still loved him and died for him.
It dawned on him that long before he was born, God had already chosen him to become one of his
beloved sons. It just took him a while to realize it. Then the enormity of it all hit him and these
words, that speak of God’s amazing grace, came to him like a mighty river.
The truth is that sometimes we don’t realize how blessed we are until after we have been on our
journey a while.
I heard about a husband who really enjoyed the meat his wife had served for dinner one night. He
asked her, "What did you marinate this in?" Well, his wife immediately went into a long explanation
about how much she loved him and how life wouldn’t be the same without him. She began to talk
about some of the special moments they shared, about the children and a few of the ways he made
her feel special. Eventually, his puzzled expression made her interrupt her answer with a question
of her own: "Why did you ask me that?" When he repeated his question again, she chuckled and
said, "I thought you asked me if I would marry you again!"
As she left the room, he called out, "Well, would you marry me again?" Without hesitation, she
replied, "Vinegar and barbecue sauce."
Would you marry me again? A lot of couple renew their vows in response to that question. After
they have been married for a while, they look back and see how their love has grown. It is richer
and deeper than it was when they began. This second wedding is much more meaningful because
it is bourne out of experience.
You see that is what John Newton found out that day. He was told God loved him, but now he
knew it with all his heart. He gave his life to Christ and recommitted himself to serving God.
Which brings us to our text today. Joshua, the successor to Moses, had been leading the people
for many years. His end is coming. Before he goes, he wants to make sure the people know how
much God loves them. He also wants them to renew their commitment to God.
Knowing something and acting on it are two different things. We live in a day and time when a lot
of people shy away from the word "commitment". They don’t want to lock themselves in to a
particular course of action; they want to keep all their options open.
That’s why what happened here this morning is so important. Mark and Bonnie brought their
beautiful daughter, Trinity Kathleen, here to say thank you to God. Then they took the next step.
They made a commitment. They promised to raise her in a Christian home and to teach her all
about God. They promised to share their faith with her so that it might become her faith. Today
they took a stand, not unlike the one Joshua took that day several thousand years ago when he
uttered those famous words, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
The truth is that we need those times where we slow down and think about what is important in
our lives. We need those times when we renew our commitment to the people and things that are
most important in our lives. We need those times when we make our choices publicly known so
they can stand as a witness to a world that is lost and confused.
That is why I am so proud of people like Amanda. You heard what she had to say today. She
doesn’t pull her punches. She is making a difference in the world today. She has touched and
changed lives. She is doing it for the Lord and being blessed at the same time.
The truth is that we all need to renew our commitment to the Lord and Joshua shows us how. In
our text today there are six steps that can be taken that lead to this renewed commitment.
The first is acknowledging what God has done. Starting in verse 2, Joshua reminds the people of
Israel of all the wonderful things God has done for them. He talks about how God blessed
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then he talks about Moses and Aaron. He talks about how God
brought the plagues on the Egyptians. He talks about how the Lord led the Israelites through the
Red Sea and how the Red Sea closed down on the Egyptians and what a great victory it was. And
then he takes them to the edge of Canaan and he talks about how God gave them the promised
land. Basically he gives them a quick historical account of God’s dealings with his people, and how
faithful God had been through the years.
Joshua did this because whenever you’re about to make a commitment, it’s important that you
have a reason for confidence. We are engaged in our annual stewardship campaign right now. The
truth is that every year we ask you to make a commitment to the ministry of our church. We ask
you to make a pledge and to agree to support the church both financial and with your gifts and
talents.
Well there is no way any of us would do that unless we paused to remember what God has already
done for us. It may involve things that happen in and through the church. It may be the grace or
the strength or the presence of God you felt when you were going through a trial. But the truth is
that any commitment today is based upon the realization that God has already chosen you and me
and showered us with his love and grace.
You see that is how God works. He doesn’t ask us to choose him first. He already chose us and
began treating us like his family.
We get a test drive. We get a thirty day, no money down, trial. We get to live it before we ever
have to buy it.
That was what Joshua was reminding the people about that day.
Then he goes on to step two. He then challenges them. He asks them to do something bold. Joshua
comes to these people he says, You need to throw away these gods that you’ve accumulated. You
need to serve only the Lord.
People respond to great challenges. I think one of the great problems in this country is that people
are afraid to challenge us.
Why was Churchill such an effective leader in World War II? It wasn’t because he promised the
British people a life of ease. It was because he said, "I promise you nothing but blood, sweat, toil
and tears." And people responded to that message.
Why was Jesus so effective with people? Because he challenged them to their core. You see Jesus
saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."
The truth is that making a commitment means doing something. It may mean changing our
priorities. It may mean redistributing our finances, or reallocating our time. But just as the Isrealites
were challenged, so are we.
The third component is our free will to choose. In our text Joshua says, "Choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve."
You know, one thing we need to understand about serving God is that it’s always voluntary. You
don’t have to do it. If you don’t want to, don’t do it. There is great freedom in that. The Lord
never created any of us to be robots. He doesn’t want any of us to do it just because we’ve got to
do it. But rather he wants us to freely choose.
Jesus never begged anybody. Because the Lord understands that at the very core this is everybody’
s choice.
We see it in Jesus. We see it here in Joshua. "Guys, you choose what you’re going to do. I know
what I and my family are going to do. But you do whatever you want to do." You know, there’s a
freedom to that. Every now and time, we need to say to ourselves, this is my choice.
Fourth, we always get and example of commitment. Joshua says at the end of verse 15, "But as
for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." That’s an example of conviction. If you keep
reading, you see where they say, "No, Joshua, we want to serve the Lord." But it took that one
voice. Sometimes it only takes one person willing to step out and say, "God, I want to serve you."
The problem with most of us is that we don’t want to be the first one, to take that step, to stick
out. Most of us are waiting for that. This challenge from Joshua says, "You guys do whatever you
want to do, but let me tell you this. I know what me and Mrs. Joshua and our little ones are going
to do. We’re going to serve the Lord." We need that in the church today, don’t we?
Thank God for examples like Amanda, like Mark and Bonnie and so many others who are sitting in
the pews beside us. It’s that example of conviction that makes a difference in people’s lives.
Fifth, we need a picture of the consequences if we choose otherwise. The world tells us that we
could go on just as well without God. Yet we see movie stars in and out of rehab. We see financial
institutions in chaos. We see war and hatred and violence out of control.
Even if we choose God, we may still be touched by this, but it will be far less often than if we
jumped out and embraced it. Joshua points this out and t affirms what they already decided to do.
The people said, we want none of that.
Finally, we need to make the commitment, to write it down, to mark the day. Joshua called the
people to set up a memorial. That is what they did back then. They took a pile of stones and
prayed over it. In a couple of weeks we are going to do the same thing. Well not exactly the same
thing, but something similar.
This fall we are asking everyone to make a commitment to God through the ministry of our
church. We are asking you to make a pledge. I choose you. I love you and I want to be part of
what you are doing in the world.
Our theme for this year, as Curt pointed out, “Is unearthing your treasure, Growing our ministries
at First Baptist Church. Leaves are the symbol of our ministries. So on November 23rd, we are
going to be handing our leaves and asking you to help us make a visible reminder of our
commitment. Everyone will get a leaf and be asked to place it on the communion table as a symbol
of your decision to choose God. I hope you will be here. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving
Sunday and this is just one more way to say thank you god for choosing me. Now I am choosing
you.
Amen.
Because He Always Chooses You”
Joshua 24 November 9, 2008
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” John Newton penned those
words shortly after he realized that despite all his failings, despite his thoughtlessness, despite his
vulgarity, God still loved him and died for him.
It dawned on him that long before he was born, God had already chosen him to become one of his
beloved sons. It just took him a while to realize it. Then the enormity of it all hit him and these
words, that speak of God’s amazing grace, came to him like a mighty river.
The truth is that sometimes we don’t realize how blessed we are until after we have been on our
journey a while.
I heard about a husband who really enjoyed the meat his wife had served for dinner one night. He
asked her, "What did you marinate this in?" Well, his wife immediately went into a long explanation
about how much she loved him and how life wouldn’t be the same without him. She began to talk
about some of the special moments they shared, about the children and a few of the ways he made
her feel special. Eventually, his puzzled expression made her interrupt her answer with a question
of her own: "Why did you ask me that?" When he repeated his question again, she chuckled and
said, "I thought you asked me if I would marry you again!"
As she left the room, he called out, "Well, would you marry me again?" Without hesitation, she
replied, "Vinegar and barbecue sauce."
Would you marry me again? A lot of couple renew their vows in response to that question. After
they have been married for a while, they look back and see how their love has grown. It is richer
and deeper than it was when they began. This second wedding is much more meaningful because
it is bourne out of experience.
You see that is what John Newton found out that day. He was told God loved him, but now he
knew it with all his heart. He gave his life to Christ and recommitted himself to serving God.
Which brings us to our text today. Joshua, the successor to Moses, had been leading the people
for many years. His end is coming. Before he goes, he wants to make sure the people know how
much God loves them. He also wants them to renew their commitment to God.
Knowing something and acting on it are two different things. We live in a day and time when a lot
of people shy away from the word "commitment". They don’t want to lock themselves in to a
particular course of action; they want to keep all their options open.
That’s why what happened here this morning is so important. Mark and Bonnie brought their
beautiful daughter, Trinity Kathleen, here to say thank you to God. Then they took the next step.
They made a commitment. They promised to raise her in a Christian home and to teach her all
about God. They promised to share their faith with her so that it might become her faith. Today
they took a stand, not unlike the one Joshua took that day several thousand years ago when he
uttered those famous words, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
The truth is that we need those times where we slow down and think about what is important in
our lives. We need those times when we renew our commitment to the people and things that are
most important in our lives. We need those times when we make our choices publicly known so
they can stand as a witness to a world that is lost and confused.
That is why I am so proud of people like Amanda. You heard what she had to say today. She
doesn’t pull her punches. She is making a difference in the world today. She has touched and
changed lives. She is doing it for the Lord and being blessed at the same time.
The truth is that we all need to renew our commitment to the Lord and Joshua shows us how. In
our text today there are six steps that can be taken that lead to this renewed commitment.
The first is acknowledging what God has done. Starting in verse 2, Joshua reminds the people of
Israel of all the wonderful things God has done for them. He talks about how God blessed
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then he talks about Moses and Aaron. He talks about how God
brought the plagues on the Egyptians. He talks about how the Lord led the Israelites through the
Red Sea and how the Red Sea closed down on the Egyptians and what a great victory it was. And
then he takes them to the edge of Canaan and he talks about how God gave them the promised
land. Basically he gives them a quick historical account of God’s dealings with his people, and how
faithful God had been through the years.
Joshua did this because whenever you’re about to make a commitment, it’s important that you
have a reason for confidence. We are engaged in our annual stewardship campaign right now. The
truth is that every year we ask you to make a commitment to the ministry of our church. We ask
you to make a pledge and to agree to support the church both financial and with your gifts and
talents.
Well there is no way any of us would do that unless we paused to remember what God has already
done for us. It may involve things that happen in and through the church. It may be the grace or
the strength or the presence of God you felt when you were going through a trial. But the truth is
that any commitment today is based upon the realization that God has already chosen you and me
and showered us with his love and grace.
You see that is how God works. He doesn’t ask us to choose him first. He already chose us and
began treating us like his family.
We get a test drive. We get a thirty day, no money down, trial. We get to live it before we ever
have to buy it.
That was what Joshua was reminding the people about that day.
Then he goes on to step two. He then challenges them. He asks them to do something bold. Joshua
comes to these people he says, You need to throw away these gods that you’ve accumulated. You
need to serve only the Lord.
People respond to great challenges. I think one of the great problems in this country is that people
are afraid to challenge us.
Why was Churchill such an effective leader in World War II? It wasn’t because he promised the
British people a life of ease. It was because he said, "I promise you nothing but blood, sweat, toil
and tears." And people responded to that message.
Why was Jesus so effective with people? Because he challenged them to their core. You see Jesus
saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."
The truth is that making a commitment means doing something. It may mean changing our
priorities. It may mean redistributing our finances, or reallocating our time. But just as the Isrealites
were challenged, so are we.
The third component is our free will to choose. In our text Joshua says, "Choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve."
You know, one thing we need to understand about serving God is that it’s always voluntary. You
don’t have to do it. If you don’t want to, don’t do it. There is great freedom in that. The Lord
never created any of us to be robots. He doesn’t want any of us to do it just because we’ve got to
do it. But rather he wants us to freely choose.
Jesus never begged anybody. Because the Lord understands that at the very core this is everybody’
s choice.
We see it in Jesus. We see it here in Joshua. "Guys, you choose what you’re going to do. I know
what I and my family are going to do. But you do whatever you want to do." You know, there’s a
freedom to that. Every now and time, we need to say to ourselves, this is my choice.
Fourth, we always get and example of commitment. Joshua says at the end of verse 15, "But as
for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." That’s an example of conviction. If you keep
reading, you see where they say, "No, Joshua, we want to serve the Lord." But it took that one
voice. Sometimes it only takes one person willing to step out and say, "God, I want to serve you."
The problem with most of us is that we don’t want to be the first one, to take that step, to stick
out. Most of us are waiting for that. This challenge from Joshua says, "You guys do whatever you
want to do, but let me tell you this. I know what me and Mrs. Joshua and our little ones are going
to do. We’re going to serve the Lord." We need that in the church today, don’t we?
Thank God for examples like Amanda, like Mark and Bonnie and so many others who are sitting in
the pews beside us. It’s that example of conviction that makes a difference in people’s lives.
Fifth, we need a picture of the consequences if we choose otherwise. The world tells us that we
could go on just as well without God. Yet we see movie stars in and out of rehab. We see financial
institutions in chaos. We see war and hatred and violence out of control.
Even if we choose God, we may still be touched by this, but it will be far less often than if we
jumped out and embraced it. Joshua points this out and t affirms what they already decided to do.
The people said, we want none of that.
Finally, we need to make the commitment, to write it down, to mark the day. Joshua called the
people to set up a memorial. That is what they did back then. They took a pile of stones and
prayed over it. In a couple of weeks we are going to do the same thing. Well not exactly the same
thing, but something similar.
This fall we are asking everyone to make a commitment to God through the ministry of our
church. We are asking you to make a pledge. I choose you. I love you and I want to be part of
what you are doing in the world.
Our theme for this year, as Curt pointed out, “Is unearthing your treasure, Growing our ministries
at First Baptist Church. Leaves are the symbol of our ministries. So on November 23rd, we are
going to be handing our leaves and asking you to help us make a visible reminder of our
commitment. Everyone will get a leaf and be asked to place it on the communion table as a symbol
of your decision to choose God. I hope you will be here. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving
Sunday and this is just one more way to say thank you god for choosing me. Now I am choosing
you.
Amen.
| Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Norwich 239 West Main Street Norwich, Connecticut Phone: 860-889-0369 |
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