Remember, Love, & Obey

You can watch the sermon here.

This week we wrapped up our sermon series Joshua: Presence & Promise. We have been in Joshua off and on for a while, and chapter 24 does a god job wrapping up the big narratives of what we’ve seen God do, while encouraging the people to be faithful to God with all their hearts as they move forward in the Promised Land.

Verses 1-13 recount some of the significant and miraculous events in Israel’s history and end with God, through Joshua, reminding the people that they not inhabit a land they did not win for themselves, and houses and cities that they did not build.

He goes on in the rest of the chapter to show that the only reasonable response to what God has done it to love him and serve him with all their hearts. Some points we saw were:

Everything that happened in Israel’s story, God did it for them, just like he promised.

When we look deeply at who God is and all he’s done for us, the only reasonable response is to love and serve him forever.

God is asking us to serve him with single-minded and wholehearted obedience.

Two ways we do that are…

• Drive a stake down in your heart to turn from other pursuits and selfish desires to follow Jesus.
• Create intentional habits and rhythms in your life that point your heart to Jesus.

And we summed it all up saying: Remember the faithfulness of God and let it drive you to love and obey him with all your heart.

Then we looked at some of the things God has done in and through our church over the last year, including giving us this campus and some major remodels (all debt free), sending teams overseas, partnering with Radiant Church in Syracuse, NY, serving our city and Dunaway Elementary, and others.

And while God has done so much, we don’t stop to rest on that. There is more to be done with our campus, with ministry in our neighborhood and city, and to the nations. So we remember the faithfulness of God and press on, asking “What is God asking of us?” and “How will we obey?”

Discussion Questions:

• As you listen to the sermon and read the passage, what do you sense God saying to you?
• What things encourage you and strengthen your heart in faith?
• What things challenge you?
• What are 2-3 specific ways God has been faithful to you and to us as a church family? How have you experienced his grace personally?
• Are there things in your heart or life that you have been reluctant to let go of that need to be “put away” (v. 23) in order for you to follow Jesus with wholehearted obedience?
• Do you sense that God might be asking something specific of you as you follow him in faith-filled obedience?
• What is one step you can take moving forward to respond to God and obey?