Steve W. Reeves
stevereevesoutlines.blogspot.com
INTRODUCTION:
A. In my library is a book entitled, Great Quotes From Great People. Among the notable
sayings in the book are these.
1. “Personally, I am always ready to learn although I ddo not always like being taught”
(Winston Churchill).
2. “Speak softly and carry a big stick” (Theoddore Roosevelt).
3. “Nothing pains some people more than having to think” (Martin Luther King).
4. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to
excellence” (Vince Lombardi).
5. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself” (Franklin Roosevelt).
6. “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country”
(John F. Kennedy).
7. “Some battles must be fought more than once to be won” (Margaret Thatcher).
B. Although I have great appreciation for these statements I believe they pale in
comparison to the one I want to share with you. This statement comes near the end
of Joshua’s life during his final message to the people of Israel.
1. Beginning in Joshua 24:1-13, Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to
Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges
and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all
the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your
fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the
father of Nahor, and they served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham
from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied
his descendants and gave him Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to
Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to
Egypt. 5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its
midst; and afterward I brought you out. 6 I brought your fathers out of Egypt,
and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and
horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 But when they cried out to the Lord, He put darkness
between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered
them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness
for a long time. 8 Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond
the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took
possession of their land when I destroyed them before you. 9 Then Balak the son of
Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned
Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So
he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. 11 You crossed the Jordan
and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the
Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the
Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. 12 Then I sent the hornet
before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not
by your sword or your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and
cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of
vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’”
2. After reminding the people of all that God had done for them Joshua issed a
challenge. “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth;
Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve
Amorites in whose land you are living. but as for me and my house, we will
3. Here is the statement I want you to hear. “But as for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord.”
want to focus on the last half of verse 15, “as for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord.”
1. Joshua took his responsibility seriously.
2. Each of us must address the three areas of responsibility set forth by Joshua in
this verse.
I,.PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
A. It is significant that Joshua began his statement, “as for me.”
1. He did not say, “as for them,” or “as for my wife and children.”
2. Joshua understood that first and foremost he was accountable to
God for his own soul.
3. Significantly, the book of Joshua ends as it began. In chapter 1 it was God \
communicating to Joshua, “Be strong and of good courage.” At the end dit is
Joshua communicating, “As for me I am going to serve God.” Whatever the rest
of you choose make up yyour mind but I am serving God.”
B. Dahiel Webster, thee great American legislator, asked, “What is the greatest
thought that can occupy a person’s mind?” He answered, “Our personal
accountability to God.”
1. The Old Testament prophet Amos spoke to Israel 700 years before Christ. The
people had become wicked, idolatrous and rebellious. According to Amos 4 a
series of calamities fell upon the people. There was famine, drought, scorching
wind, disease and war. At the end of each of these is the statement, “Yet you did
not repent.: Finally in verse 12 God said, ““Therefore thus I will do to you, O
Israel; Because I will do this to you,Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” A day
of accountability was coming.
2. In Matthew 25 Jesus told a story about a man with three servants. When the
man went away on an extended journey he distributed a sum of money to each
one according to his ability. To one he gave five talents, to another two and to a
third one. While the man was gone the five talent man earned five more. The
two tqalent man earned two more. The one talent man, however, buried his
talent,. Notice the two :abilities” each man received.
a. Responsibility. Each man was given a measure of responsibiolity. None were
given more responsibility than thety could handle.
b. Accountabiolity. When the ruler returned each one had to give account for
what they had done with the resource they had been given. The one talent
man was rebuked as a “wicked,, lazy servant” and cast into outer darkness.
3. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:10 wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
4. The Hebrew writer added, “It is appointed once to die and after this the
judgment.”
C. In our country today we have a government printing trillions of dollars without any
accountability. There is lawlessness in our cities without any accountability.
Everyone wants to hold someone else accountable without accepting any
accountability themselves. Joshua was strong enough and courageous enough to
say, “It starts with me. I cannot expect anyone else to serve God if I am not willing
to do it myself.”
II. FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY
2. He had served as Moses’ military general. The leader of Israel’s army.
3. Upon the death of Moses he had been appointed leader of Israel by God
Himself.
4. He commanded the people as they crossed the Jordan river, conquered the land
and apportioned it to the tribes of Israel.
5. Near the end of his life, however, his greatest concern was for his family to
serve God.
6. You may graduate with honors. You may graduate “Cum Laud,:” or “Mqagna
Cum Laud.” You may land a job with a prestigious title or a six figure salary. It
will mean nothing to you if your home life is in shambles.
7. When Trey and Lea Morgan were with
us for a Marriage workshop a couple of years ago he told the story of meeting a
man in Florida who was a multi-illionaire. The man had several houses across
the country, expensive cars and even a private jet. As Trey and the man ran
along the beach the man asked Trey, “What do you do?” Trey told him he was a
ministe for a church in a small Texas town. He told him that he had been
married to Lea for over twenty five years and they had three boys. Suddenly the
man stopped, looked Trey in the eye and said, “I would give everythiung I have
for what you have.”
B. In 1 Peter 5:8 the Bibble says, “Be sober. Be vigilant, for your adversary the devil
walks around like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour.”
1. In his book,Victorious Christian Living, Doug Parsons tells the story of a young
couple in Tennessee who somehow had adopted a lion bub as a pet. It was so
furry, cute and cuddly. They thought they could train it and keep it. One day
when their backs were turned the growing lion they thought was so cute bit three
finge4rs off of their toddler. That is how Satan is. Some of you are trying to make
a pet out of the devil. You qare playing with him. You think it’s fun and you have
him under control. You cannot tame the devil. He will bite you every time and his
bite is deadly.
C. We need spiritually minded young people who will become spiritually minded
adults.This takes the same type of intentionality expressed by Joshua when he
said, “As for me and my house.”
III. SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBIOLITY
14 and continuing through the remainder of the chapter. There are three
characteristics of this phrase we need to notice.
1. It is easy to say we will serve the Lord. The people of Israel readily agreed with
Joshua and said, “We will serve the Lord” (vs. 18). This was an emot5ional
response fueled by the significance of the moment. They had heard a revival
sermon. Their hearts had been touched by the realization of God’s bleassings.
They had been challenged by Joshua. All of the people began saying, “we will
se4rve the Lord.”
2. It is difficult to serve the Lortd. In verse 19 Joshua said, “You will not be able to
serve the Lord.” Joshua knew the holiness of God. He understood the fickleness
of the people and the idolatry of the Canaanite people who still lived in the land.
He knew it would be difficult for theem to maintain the integrity of their faith.
Even today, as sincere as you and I may be, it is a difficult thing to maintain faith
in a pagan culture.
3. Serving the Lord requires strong leadership. As the book of Joshua concludes in
verses 31-33 Israel continued to serve the Lord as long as Joshua and the
elders of the people lived. That generation of leaders provided a strong example
of faithfulness and spiritual leadership. Judges 2:10 states, “and there arose
another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which
He had done for Israel.”
B. How long did it take for Israel it forsake its commitment to serve the Lord? One
generation.
1. Can tthat happen today? It already has. God is no longer welcomed in the public
arena and in public discourse. We are told to keep our faith to ourselves and in
our homes and church buildings.
2. Notice the tragic results described in Juddges 21:25, “No there was no king in
Israel. Every man did what was right in his own eyes.:”
C. May God help each of us to understand our spiritual re3sponsibility to “serve the
Lortd.”
CONCLUSION:
A. The story is told of two steamboats on the Mississippi river that left Memphis loqaded
with cotton and supplies bound for New Orleans. Somewhere around Helena or
Greenville the crew on the boats challenged each ofther to a race. They feveriously
shved coal into their boilers to generate enough steam. Eventually they ran out of
coal and began burning their cargo. By the time they reached New Orleans the
victorious crew had burned all of their cargo. They won the race but at what sacrifice.
1. Maybe you are racing through life trying to win the race of piopularity, prosperity or
privilidge. At what cost?
2. Are you sacrificing your family, your faith and your soul?
B. Hear Joshua. “As for me and my house. We will serve the Lortd!” Will you commit
yourself to serving the Lord today for the res
