Class Lesson July 19, 2015

It’s time to lead. Be strong and courageous.

Joshua

Based on the past five lessons and your previous Bible studies, what are some reasons Joshua was a good leader?

Who are some of your favorite leaders from history?

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The Lincoln Memorial

Standing with my kids on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we had a splendid view across the Reflecting Pool and up to the World War II Memorial, with the majestic Washington Monument towering in the background. Looking behind me, Abraham Lincoln sat deep in the shadows of his own memorial. I noticed Lincoln's Gettysburg Address graved on one of the walls. With that speech, Lincoln made a courageous call for his nation to strive for unity even in the face of a terrible cost.

Decades before me, Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on those same steps, calling his nation to racial equality. Rev. King stood on the proverbial shoulders of Lincoln, a leader who had called people to a higher and nobler ground.

Godly leaders influence others by calling them to the place God desires for them to go. Moses did this for Joshua at the end of his life. And, as we'll see in this session, Joshua did the same for his people after bringing them safely to the Promised Land.

Today we complete our study on leadership from the book of Joshua. We will see how Joshua helped his people understand what it meant to serve the Lord and led them to commit to do so. Leaders set the example and call others to follow God.

Joshua assumed the leadership of the children of Israel as they lay on the brink of moving into the land God had promised Abraham so many years before. Under his leadership, Israel entered Canaan and slowly took control of what was becoming their national homeland. In his final act of public leadership as recorded by Scripture, Joshua challenged the nation to choose decisively whether they would follow God or follow other gods.

I. SET THE EXAMPLE

Joshua 24:14-15

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

At the end of his life, Joshua assembled the Israelites and called them to renew their loyalty to God. He began by reviewing the history of God's involvement in their lives (see verses 1-13). The word "Now" in verse 14 is an important transition. "Now," based on how God had worked among His people throughout their history, they were to "fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness." The fear of God includes the knowledge that His character demands us to honor and reflect His holiness.

As we "fear the Lord," we are also to "serve Him with all faithfulness." There's a connection between fear and service. Whatever we fear or revere will become what we worship and devote our lives to serving - it will also become what we depend on. For that reason, how we choose to live is always shaped by what we fear, revere, and desire most.

So Joshua called the people to make a choice. They were free to choose for themselves who they would fear and, as a result, whom they would serve. Joshua declared that he and his family would fear the God who had worked on their behalf. They would serve the Lord.

Joshua led not only with his words, but with his example as well. Today, we lead others when we:

1. examine our hearts to see whether we are cultivating a fear of God above everything else.
2. communicate clearly where God has asked us to go and what He's asked us to do.
3. live as examples of what God has said.

 

 

What choice did Joshua confront the people with? What did he urge them to do?

• Renew their absolute loyalty to God.
• Fear the Lord – to be frightened of or to stand in awe of or to reverence. It also means to be submissive and obedient to Him.
• Serve the Lord – theologically this means to worship Him. The Old Testament frequently warns against serving or worshiping other gods. There was always the temptation to serve other gods – just as there is today. It doesn’t always mean that you’ve adopted other gods as your own, but on occasion you may succumb to their influence. Joshua said to throw them away.
• Choose for yourselves – notice the free will, they could choose for themselves which way they would go. They had to choose whether they would reject or accept the Lord.
• This day – meant immediacy and urgency, it was too important a decision to delay.
• The most critical decision we will ever make is to declare that God will be the Lord to us.

What would choosing the Lord demand of them?

• Complete loyalty. The Lord’s demands this and is worthy of our complete loyalty.

What was Joshua’s personal choice? What broader influence did his choice have?

• One’s relationship to God is a matter of personal choice, not one’s heritage or culture.
• Our choice of God as the Lord will influence others, especially those in our own household. 

What's the value of making commitments in a public way?

II. DECLARE GOD’S GRACIOUSNESS

Joshua 24:16-18

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

It takes courage to call people to a commitment. It takes even greater courage to put your own reputation on the line by pointing to your own example and allowing others to watch you live out what you say. So, where do you find such courage?

We've already seen how Joshua reminded the people of God's work on their behalf. The people were to respond to God because of what He had done for them in the past. Joshua led the people with confidence because God had powerfully led the people in faithfulness.

And the people agreed with Joshua. It's as if Joshua had pulled back the curtain to allow them to see the full measure of God's faithfulness. Once they saw the wider perspective, they were filled with confidence in their decision to serve God alone. How could they follow other gods and forsake the God who had worked so mightily on their behalf? "We too will worship the Lord, because He is our God" (v. 18).

My father drove a tank in the army. Life inside the tank was tight, crammed with the loaders and gunners. As the driver, he could only see through the periscope. But the commander sat above him with a window that enabled him to see in every direction - front, sides, and rear. Although my father had limited vision, he knew he could trust the voice of his commander who saw it all.

That's what leaders - husbands, wives, parents, teachers, coaches, managers, and Bible study leaders - do.Like the commander who sees the full panorama of what God has done and is doing, they remind those confined in limited viewing quarters that God has not forsaken them. Leaders remind others that the same God who has worked mightily in the past can do mighty things today.



How did the people respond to Joshua’s appeal?

• Another word for “Far be it” would be “God forbid” in other words – “we will certainly not” or “we would never” do such a thing.
• Our confession that the Lord is our God is to be heart-felt and expressed with the upmost sincerity.

On what basis did the people respond as they did?

• The people cited their own historical summary of God graciousness toward them.

How had God acted on their behalf?

• Brought them out of Egypt (slavery), performed great signs before them, protected them on their entire journey in the wilderness, drove out the other nations including the Amorites.
• A retrospective of our lives reveals that God has faithfully acted on our behalf over and over again. 

When have you been a witness to God's work in the world?

III. COMMEMORATE A COMMITMENT

Joshua 24:24-26

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechemhe reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

How can we lead our community in commemorating our commitment to God?

For the Israelites, monuments served as significant markers of God's provision on their behalf. Several are mentioned in the Book of Joshua alone (see Josh. 4:1-9; 22:26-29).

In chapter 24, Joshua raised another monument as a way to remind the Israelites of their commitments in vs. 21-24 - and as a way to bind them to their promises. Specifically, he set up a large stone next to the sanctuary. Perhaps the idea was that, as the people came to the sanctuary for worship, the monument would remind them that their promises of faithfulness needed to extend into their daily lives. The large stone was a "witness" regarding the people's commitment to follow and obey God. 

All of us can have "monuments" - different ways to remember and commemorate what God has done in our lives and the lives of those we lead. Consider these options, for example:

• A day. Look back to a specific day marked on your calendar or in your journal where God stepped into your life and did something special.
• A place. Remember a hospital, chapel, or camp where God called you to a place of greater understanding and commitment.
• A picture. Find and display a picture of a place where God stirred your heart, or of a person who influenced you greatly.
• A book. Choose a passage from a book God used to turn your heart toward Him.

But don't stop at simply setting up a monument for yourself. Lead others to see what you've gained and what that monument signifies for you. Help those you lead by showing them those tangible, memorable events that moved you. Then pray that the "witness" God has given you will move them, as well.

How can we lead our community in renewing a commitment to God?

"The title of Christian is a reproach to us if we turn ourselves away from Him after whom we are named." - William Wilberforce

LIVE IT OUT

How will you set the example and call others to follow God this week? Consider these suggestions to get started:

• Create a monument. Find something tangible that serves as a reminder of God's work in your life. Display that monument so that you'll see it every day.
• Teach about monuments. Look for opportunities to encourage others to set up their own monuments as reminders of God's faithfulness.
• Find a mentor. Pray about entering into a relationship with someone who is leading in an area where you desire to lead well. Be open to new influences and new ideas.

We've been blessed throughout history with godly men and women who have led well and done wonderful things. Now it's your turn. Live your life as a monument that calls others to follow God.

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, may my personal commitment to You be so evident and true that others will be encouraged to declare the Lord is their God. Amen

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan