CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY
Joshua 24:14-15
INTRODUCTION
1. Following Moses - Joshua. Conquered land, but not driven out all of the inhabitants. They a 'stumbling block' for the children of Israel.
2. Joshua about to 'depart' - hence pleads with them to make a firm choice of life.
3. Familiarity - soon begin to worship the idols as other people. Had worshipped in Egypt, had worshiped in Desert, would again.
4, God demands absolute faithfulness to Him, a jealous God, are to have NO OTHER Gods, Cannot serve God and idols, must make a choice!
1. OUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE
A. Some - 'unlimited', the human potential movement. But that is NOT true!
1. Limited by physical - too small, too old, too handicapped - there are always some limitations upon us!
B. Some others - NO ABILITY - fatalism and Calvinism. What ever will be will be! whether chosen by 'the fates', the 'stars', the 'gods' - it all amounts to the same thing, denial of CHOICE.
1. Besides our text - other OT passages demand such choice of us:
Deut. 30:19-20, set before you life and death, choose !
1 Kings 18:21 - how long halt between two opinions - (Elijah)
2. New Testament / Jesus also -
Mtt. 23:37 - I would.....ye would not
John 5:40 - you would not come!
C. Heredity and Environment completely condition us? NO - NO - NO
1. I can't help it - the excuse of the times, homosexuality, drunkenness, wife-beating, rape, etc. etc. - ALL FALSE.
2. Denies the very core of human responsibility before God.
3. God will bring us into judgment for what we DO - because we can make such moral choices!
4. When one offers these as the complete alibi for his misconduct, there is very little reason for hoping that he can be reformed.
2. THE TIME ELEMENT OF FREE CHOICE
A. Choose you THIS day - that is the only day I can make THIS choice! Tomorrow will present a different choice - one that has been changed by today's decision! To decide not to decide is to decide!
B. Passing of Time closes some doors to our choices.
1. Young people in school - have many choices of vocation. However, once 'chosen' it become much harder (impossible in many cases) to choose!
a. Harder to begin at 50 -
2. Too old - age takes its toll upon our choices -
C. Choices restrict later choices:
1. Primary elections - general elections - sorry choices in all!
2. Buy car - not choose NOT to PAY without consequences -
3. Deut. 24: - put away wife, not have her back again!
4. Choose to live an ungodly life, makes it hard to live DOWN, and makes undoing difficult!
D. the drift of life may carry us beyond the point of free choice -
1. boat on Niagara River, can choose to turn back ONLY UP TO A POINT!
2. Esau and his inheritance - could find NO PLACE OF REPENTANCE! -
E. HENCE - the importance of THIS day decisions that are correct:
1. Isa. 55:6-7 - seek the Lord while he may be found.
2. 2 Cor. 6:1-2 - receive not the grace in vain, set before you an acceptable day!
3. Hebrews 4:7
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
3. SOME CHOICES OPEN TO US - IF WE ACT IN TIME
A. Choose our mental inheritances -
1. Eph. 5:17 -
2. 2 Pet. 3:18
B. We can choose our environment - at least can begin going in the correct direction.
1. Not all people in poverty and slums are evil! Their choice!
2. Keep ourselves from bad situations:
"Speaking at the time of the abdication of Edward VIII, William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "The occasion for Edward's choice ought never to have arisen. It has happened to many a man before now to find himself beginning to fall in love with another man's wife. That is the moment of critical decision, and the right decision is that they should cease to meet before passion is so developed as to create an agonizing conflict between love and duty."
C. We can 'choose our 2nd nature' -
1. our 'automatic response', this is a condition that is brought about by discipline and practice. It is brought about by making right / wrong choices - and such choices become 'automatic' -
2. Ordering same thing at a particular restaurant - until the waitress knows when you walk through the door.
3. Bad habits - were not BORN with them!
D. Everyone is free to accept the Lord's invitation - choose ye this day!
Mtt. 11:28-30, Rom. 1:16-17; Acts 2:38-41.