'WE'VE COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW - Sermon Outlines. …
"WE'VE COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW!”
JOSHUA 24:14-21
INTRO: Friends, we stand here this morning with a new year before us. A
year full of possibilities and a year full of opportunities. Someone
said, “Soon in your hand will be placed a priceless gift. Look at it
closely. There is no price maker stamped on it. It cannot be weighed,
because no scale can balance its value. A king's ransom in
comparison is as nothing yet it is given to beggar and prince alike.
The giver asks only that it be used wisely and well. This jewel, rare
and unique, is not displayed in any shop window. It cannot be
purchased, cannot be sold. No other treasure holds the possibilities
this gift offers -- none can surpass its golden splendor. Of all gifts,
this is one of the most precious. It has been offered many times
before; today, from the depths of a limitless love it will be given again.
It will be left to you to find the golden thread running through it.
Only with great care will the jewel retain its luster. Carelessness,
ingratitude and selfishness will tarnish the brilliance, break the
unspoiled thread, mar the perfection. Guard it closely, lest through
weak fingers it slips from the hand. Look often at its faultless beauty.
Accept it as it is offered from the heart of the giver. Consider it is the
most treasured of possessions, for of all gifts it is by far the greatest.
It is the gift of the New Year. (The Timothy Report,
, December 27, 2004).
I'd like to title the message this morning, "We've Come Too Far Too
Turn Back Now!" In Joshua 24, Joshua calls all the tribes, elders,
officers, and people of Israel together to Shechem. He reminded them
of all the glorious things God had done for them. How beginning with
Abraham had chosen Him out a people. How He had multiplied his
seed. How his son Isaac had received the promise and passed it on to
his sons Jacob and Esau. And how Jacob and his children went to
down to Egypt. He reminded them of Moses and the plagues God had
used to secure their release from Egyptian bondage. How God had
intervened for them at the Red Sea and took care of them all of their
journey even until now. Then in vv. 14-15, Joshua makes his final
plea to the people, "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in
sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers
served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the
LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this
day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the
LORD.”
Joshua, in essence was saying, "Make your choice whom ye are going
to serve, but I've come too far to turn back now, So me any my house,
we will serve the LORD!" I want you to know this morning if you have
been saved one day, No, one hour, No, even one minute, you've come
too far to turn back now! I want us to see this morning how we keep
going forward for Jesus in this new year!
LET US,
BY:
(1) FAITH GO FORWARD
JOSHUA 24:14a—“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in
sincerity and in truth..."
A. THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAITH. Joshua told the people, “Now therefore
fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth…”. Friends, it takes
faith to serve God. Faith is the motivating factor in the walk of the Child of
God! The more I trust Him the farther I will go with Him! David Livingstone
said, "Without Christ, not one step; with Him, anywhere!" (Albert M. Wells,
Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 68). There are two
components of faith found in v14:
➢ Fear. "Fear the LORD". The word "fear" used here comes from a Hebrew word which means "to revere and trust". So many today are lacking a wholesome fear of the Lord. Friends, if I fear God I will honor Him and serve Him! That means I will not have to be begged to come to Church, read my Bible, give to the Lord’s work, nor witness to the lost. That means I will realize that all I have or ever will have comes to me by His grace! The psalmist wrote in Psalm 4:4—“Stand in awe and sin not…”. If we would we more awe from God’s people we would see more affection for God. Friends, our problem is that none of us reverence God as much as we ought! If we would “fear the Lord” then we could truly be the servants He has called us to be. Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells us—“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
➢ Faithful Service. "Serve Him in sincerity and in truth". There are two interesting words in this portion of Scripture: "sincerity" the word is translated from a Hebrew word which means “completeness” or "wholemindedness" and "truth" translated from a Hebrew word that means "faithfulness". “Sincerity and truth.” God would have all of us to serve Him that way. Doing all He says out of a heart of love! (John 14:15).
B. THE REALITY OF FAITH. A. W. Tozer said, “God is looking for people
through whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the
things we can do by ourselves.” (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f.
Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
Friends that is not faith! Faith never knows where it is being led but
lovingly follows because it trusts the One who is leading! When confronted
by the naysayers and doubters we must boldly let them know, “I believe
God!” Friends, we are going to face many difficulties in this new year but
we cannot allow these difficulties to deter us from seeking and doing the
will of God! To go forward for the LORD we must have a loving trust in
ALL HIS PROMISES!
ILLUS: One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to
the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched
arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy
had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was
flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to
leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But
the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But
I can see you and that's all that matters." (Bible Illustrator For
Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons
Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
Friends, physically I can’t see God but I do believe His promises because I
know He sees me! His Word promises in Psalm 34:15—“The eyes of the
LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” Because
we belong to Him, we have been given precious promises so let us go
forward by faith! His Word promises us we have everything we need to
serve Him and be acceptable unto Him (2 Peter 1:3-8).
WE’VE COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW! So let us by FAITH GO FORWARD, let us…
(2) FORGET OUR PAST FAILURES AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
JOSHUA 24:16-18—“And the people answered and said, God forbid that
we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; For the LORD our
God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of
Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs
in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and
among all the people through whom we passed: And the LORD
drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which
dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is
our God.”
A. A REMEMBRANCE OF THE PAST. The people told Joshua—“…For the
LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of
Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our
sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the
people through whom we passed: And the LORD drove out from before us all
the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land.” (vv. 17-18a). The
past is both a friend and a foe to us. A friend in that we can remember our
past victories and recall our defeats so as to motivate us into the future!
But a foe in that if we dwell on the past we become discouraged,
despondent and lose our will to go on! The apostle Paul refused to do that
he said in Philippians 3:13-14—“Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Someone
has said, "The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post." -- L. Thomas
Holdcroft (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary &
Classical. p. 149).
B. A RESPONSE TO THE PRESENT. Notice the people’s response to Joshua’s
command—“And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should
forsake the LORD, to serve other gods…therefore will we also serve the LORD;
for he is our God.” The Israelites recalled the good and the bad and
declared, "We will serve the LORD." (vv. 16-18). We must do the same!
(Hebrews 12:1-2). Friends, God has blessed each of us in this past year!
We have suffered some losses, some hurts, and some discouragements but
all in all we can all say it was a good year! Let us now focus our attention
on the opportunities God has given us as this new year begins. Let us not
wallow in past regrets but let us rejoice in present opportunities! The past
can not be altered now! Therefore we MUST MOVE INTO THE FUTURE by
focusing our eyes on what lies ahead! God has blessed us with a great
work! Our city is teeming with opportunities. Let us not grow weary in
well-doing! 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 encourages us—“Therefore seeing we have
this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced
the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the
word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending
ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”
This forward Look MUST BE A LOOK OF HOPE AND ANTICIPATION of good
things ahead! God has something better in store for us! Paul said in
Romans 8:18 us—“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are
not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
(Philippians 3:20-21). Heaven awaits us! But there is much work to do
before we reach HOME! "The future is as bright as the promises of God." –
Adoniram Judson (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary &
Classical. p. 77).
WE’VE COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW so let us by FAITH GO FORWARD, let us FORGET OUR PAST FAILURES AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE and let us…
(3) FORSAKE OUR OWN WAY AND FOLLOW GOD'S WAY
JOSHUA 24:14b-15—“… put away the gods which your fathers served on
the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day
whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve
the LORD.”
A. A TIME FOR SEARCHING. Joshua commanded the people—“ put away
the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in
Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.” As we step across the threshold of a new
year it is a good time for us to take a personal assessment of ourselves.
Where are we spiritually? Are we closer to God now than we were at this
same time last year? Is there anything in our lives which demands more of
our attention than the Lord? If so, it is our god and we must “put it away
and serve the Lord.” Spiritually, we must be moving forward for the Lord! If
we would turn back, it would be of our own choosing! V15 says, "Choose
you this day whom ye will serve...". Obedience to God is a choice we all
make daily! God forces no man to obey!
B. A TIME FOR SURRENDER. To follow God rightly we must be willing to
give up all for Him! Jesus speaking of discipleship said in Luke 14:33—“So
likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple.” Joshua laid a challenge before the people—“…
choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers
served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
They could either choose the true God or else they could go on serving the
gods of the heathen but they had to make a choice! Friends, daily we have
the same choice laid before us. Which will we choose? The tendency of all
of us is to serve ourselves and our own desires. But God would have us to
forsake our way for His! Let us say with Paul—“For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). It amazes me that many times those
who complain loudest about the ministry of the Church are those who
cannot even get their own families faithful to the Lord’s house! Friend, if I
put ANYTHING above assembling with God’s people to worship, praise and
adore the Lord it is my god and it needs to be put away! Someone has
pointed out, "There is only one way to bring peace to the heart, joy to the
mind, and beauty to the life; it is to accept and do the will of God." --
William Barclay (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary &
Classical. p. 194).
ILLUS: During the time of Alexander the Great, a commander who held a
rock fortress in India, which he thought to be impregnable,
surrendered himself and his stronghold to Alexander. Alexander
made him a governor of it and the surrounding country, saying, "I
take this for a wise man who chose rather to commit himself to a
good man than to a strong place." Every man who delivers up the
stronghold of self to God and His Will makes a wise surrender.
(Elon Foster. 6000 Classic Sermon Illustrations. p. 720).
We must not turn back on our own way, but follow God in ALL! Why?
Because Jesus tells us in Luke 9:62—“No man, having put his hand to the
plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” All the world's ways
soon pass away, but he that doeth the Will of God abideth forever! Friends,
let us move forward for the Lord, not looking back in remorse, but forward
with anticipation! Hebrews 13:13-14 encourages us—“Let us go forth
therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we
no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” Let us “Go forth from the
unbelieving and rebellious camp which sent him forth to die. Let us follow
him. Bearing his reproach. The reproach of the cross of Christ.” (B. W.
Johnson. The People’s New Testament. e-Sword. Version 7.7.7. Copyright
2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).
WE’VE COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW so let us by FAITH GO FORWARD, let us FORGET OUR PAST FAILURE AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, let us FORSAKE OUR OWN WAY AND FOLLOW HIS WAY and finally let us…
(4) FOCUS OUR EYES ON THE LORD AND FOLLOW HIM IN EVERYTHING
JOSHUA 24:19-24—“And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve
the LORD: for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not
forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the LORD,
and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and
consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people
said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. And Joshua
said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye
have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are
witnesses. Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods
which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of
Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we
serve, and his voice will we obey.”
A. APPRECIATE HIS CHARACTER. Joshua told the people—“…Ye cannot
serve the LORD: for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive
your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange
gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath
done you good.” How could Joshua say such a thing? Because he knew
how lapse the people had been in their devotion to God. How they had
wavered between Him and other gods. “Ye cannot serve the LORD…”-- in
the state of mind in which ye are at present, or “by your own resolution
only, and without the assistance of divine grace, without solid and serious
conversion from all idols, and without true repentance and faith” (J. H.
Michaelis) (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on The Bible. e-Sword. Version
7.7.7. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).
The people needed a new appreciate of the character of God—“he is a
jealous God…”. He will not share His worship, glory or praise with anyone.
Our God is a jealous God and wants all of us! We can't serve Him with a
divided heart! Jesus said in Matthew 6:24—“No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold
to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” All of
us have things in our lives that we should forsake so that we could follow
Him more closely! As David prayed let us also pray—“Search me, O God,
and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24).
B. AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT. The people’s response to Joshua is found
in v21—“Nay; but we will serve the LORD.” They affirmed their commitment
to the Lord. They said, HIM and HIM ONLY will we serve! Friends, as we
enter into this new year this is a commitment we all need to make! Joshua
told the people in v22—“Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have
chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.” Upon
this repeated declaration Joshua says to them, “ye are witnesses against
yourselves,” i.e., ye will condemn yourselves by this your own testimony if
ye should now forsake the Lord (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on The Bible.
e-Sword. Version 7.7.7. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights
Reserved Worldwide). Joshua tells Israel two things they needed to do to
make their commitment binding:
➢ Put Away All Idols (v23a). The sin of idolatry that plagues the modern world is a "me first" attitude that gives God the leftovers in though and life. - W. Werning (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).
➢ Purpose In Your Heart To Serve God (v23b). I want you to notice the word "incline". It is translated from a Hebrew word that means “set or stretch your heart toward God" (Colossians 3:1-3).
For us to keep going for the LORD, we must do those two things also! To
keep going for the LORD, we must look to Jesus! The problem is that too
much of the believer's heart is in the world! We are too busy with earthly
things instead of heavenly things! (Matthew 6:19-21). We owe this World
NOTHING! We owe God EVERYTHING!
ILLUS: George Beverly Shea is known as "America's Beloved Gospel
Singer." Shea yielded his talents and his life to the service of Christ
at a early age, and God has rewarded his faithfulness. Because he
realized that in this life only what is done for Christ is of any
lasting value.
In his early years, Shea had had his share of lucrative offers of this
world, but he thoughtfully turned them down to become a singing
servant for the Savior. His most famous hymn is the motto of his
life:
"I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I'd rather be true to His Holy Name
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom,
He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs,
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.
Chorus:
Than to be a King of a vast domain,
Or be held in sin's dread sway;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything;
This world affords today. (Lindsay Terry. Stories Behind
Popular Songs And Hymns. Pp. 196-197.
The Israelites, after Joshua had finished speaking, made a covenant to
follow God and not forsake him! The covenant was written in stone and
placed before the Sanctuary of the LORD, lest the people deny God. (vv.
25-28).
CLOSING: What do you strive most for this morning? Paul said, "That I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." (Phillippians 3:
10).
God has saved us this morning and called us to holy and faithful
service. He has blessed us with a good Church. We have some of
the best people around. He has given us another year to serve HIM
and bring HIM glory. The question is, “What will we do with it?” I
know we have in the past committed ourselves to Him and followed
Him. But let us all again; afresh and anew commit ourselves to the
perfect Will of God for our lives! Because "We've Gone Too Far To
Turn Back Now!” I am going to ask you this morning to commit
yourself to the Lord. If you are able I ask you to come to this altar
and make that commitment public and offer a prayer of
commitment to the Lord. If you are unable to knee at this altar I
ask you to make that commitment there where you are seated.
God has something GREAT in store for us if each will surrender
themselves to the will of God. WE’VE COME TO FAR TO TURN
BACK NOW so let us by FAITH GO FORWARD, FORGET OUR PAST
FAILURES AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, FORSAKE OUR OWN
WAY AND FOLLOW THE LORD’S WAY, and let us FOCUS OUR
EYES ON THE LORD AND FOLLOW HIM IN EVERYTHING. Will
you make that commitment?
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