A Sermon Outline By BILL PRATER

FAITH IS THE VICTORY

JOSHUA'S FINAL WORDS
Joshua 23 & 24

Beginning with chapter 13, the work and ministry of Joshua changes considerably. All of the standing
armies and strongholds of Canaan have been conquered. All that is left are remnants of Canaanites which,
if the tribes will apply the principles that they have learned to this point, they will be able to vanquish
without much difficulty.

Joshua was about to go from being a General to being a Governor. It is now up to Joshua to divide the land
among the tribes of Israel. This was to be done by "lot." Each tribe was to receive a portion of land, and
it would be up to each individual tribe to establish themselves within their given boundary.

In Joshua 23 & 24, we find Joshua calling the Israelites together for what would be his farewell address.
In his last words to the Israelites, he focuses on two areas. First of all he expresses his Concern about
Apostasy, and secondly, he Challenges them in Service.

I. THE CONCERN ABOUT APOSTASY
At the time that Joshua addressed the Israelites in chapter 23, more than 20 years had passed since
they first entered Canaan. From what we read in 23:1, Joshua is now well up in years and no doubt
the intensity of the battles and the responsibilities of leadership have taken their toll. But perhaps
nothing had taken its toll any worse than what he saw happening around him.

All around him, Joshua had seen people he had led into the land of blessing settling down, apparently
content to share the occupation of the land with the people whom God had commanded them to drive
out. As the time of his earthly life was drawing to a close, Joshua sensed the danger of their
compromise and he confronted the people. First of all, he spoke concerning The Prevention of
Apostasy.

A. The Prevention of Apostasy

ILLUSTRATION: I read a story about a man who lived in Atlanta who noticed an ad in the Yellow
Pages, under restaurants, for the Church of God Grill. The name aroused his curiosity do he dialed
the number and asked them how they came by the name Church of God Grill. The man on the other
end of the line began explaining how the name came about.

It started out as a Church of God mission in downtown Atlanta, and in order to help pay the bills they
started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday. The man said that the people liked the
chicken so much and that they did so much business, that they eventually cut back on the church
service and finally ended up closing the church altogether. The man said that they decided to pursue
the restaurant business and they just kept the name they began with.

This incident is not unlike many well-meaning Christians who over time, just drift away from their
original purpose. No one begins the Christian life with any thoughts of drifting away from the Lord
and going the way of the world. But it can, and it does happen everyday to people just like you and I.

If the Israelites had any hope of firmly establishing themselves in the Promised Land, they were going
to have to be a spiritually disciplined people. And by the same token, our only hope of being all that
we can be for the Lord and having God's best is by building into our lives some spiritual disciplines.

There are several ways that we can avoid apostasy or falling away from the Lord.
1. Exalting God
a. Joshua begins his address in regards to the danger of apostasy by exalting the Lord
for all that He had done in the past. Joshua exalted the Lord for His punishment of
the enemy, for the possession of the land, and for the power to conquer.
b. vs. 3, 5, 9-10
c. When we're busy praising God for the good things He's done in our lives, we're not
likely to have much time to become discontent and to begin murmuring and
complaining. It's when we possess a negative, critical spirit that we are most apt to
fall away from the Lord.
d. When we give the God of heaven His due honor, we're not likely to forsake Him for
the false gods of this world.
e. Psalm 18:46-49, "The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my
salvation be exalted.
It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise
up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing
praises unto thy name."
f. Psalm 97:9, "For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far
above all gods."
2. Obeying God
a. v. 6
b. Our obedience must be Complete.
(1) In an earlier message I referred to a statement that I read that said, "It is the
exactness of obedience which constitutes the essence of obedience."
(2) To the degree that we are willing to obey God's Word is the same degree to
which we will be blessed.
(3) We can't have God's full blessing while we practice partial obedience.
c. Our obedience must be Courageous.
(1) Joshua knew what it was like to obey the Lord in the face of much opposition.
He and Caleb took their stand against the other nine spies.
(2) It takes courage to practice complete obedience because there will always be
those who are more than willing to criticize you. But just remember: Every
baseball team could use a man who plays every position perfectly, never strikes
out and never makes an error. The trouble is, there's no way to make him lay
down his hot dog and come down out of the stands.
(3) Complete obedience takes courage because at times it may cost you
something.

ILLUSTRATION: One day a Russian by the name of Boris arrived at the Pearly Gates and was
welcomed by St. Peter. After showing him around, Peter told Boris that he could go anywhere he
wanted to go except on the pink clouds. Naturally Boris asked Peter why he couldn't go on the pink
clouds, and Peter said, "The pink clouds are reserved for people who have had courage to stand in
the face of opposition." Boris said, "I did have courage to take a stand in the face of opposition."
Peter said, "What did you do?" Boris said, "I made a speech at the Kremlin against the Russian
officials. Then I urged the people to revolt." Peter asked, "When did you do that?" Boris looked at
his watch and said, "About two minutes ago."

(4) I like this, "Only by desertion can we be defeated. With Christ and for Christ
victory is certain. We can lose the victory by flight but not by death. Happy are
you if you die in battle, for after death you will be crowned. But woe to you if
by forsaking the battle you forfeit at once both the victory and the crown."

C. Separating from things that are opposed to God
1. Joshua gave the Israelites some very strict instructions regarding their relationship with the
Canaanites. These same instructions need to be followed by you and I if we hope to prevent
apostasy in our lives.
2. They were not to Walk with the Canaanites. v. 7a
a. The bottom line is, those who walk in the counsel of the ungodly will eventually stand
in the way of sinners and sit in the seat of the scornful.
b. Paul said, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."
c. Listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
(1) Proverbs 1:10, 15, "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path."
(2) Proverbs 13:20, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a
companion of fools shall be destroyed."
3. They were not to Worship with the Canaanites. v. 7b
a. The greatest apostasy that is going on today is the forsaking of Biblical doctrine for
the sake of unity.
b. Paul asked in 2 Corinthians 6, "What concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part
hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols?" The answers to Paul's questions are NONE, NONE, and NONE!
4. They were not to Wed the Canaanites.
a. Joshua made mention of marrying the Canaanites in v. 12, and in doing so he was
echoing a warning given earlier by Moses.
b. Deuteronomy 7:3-4
c. Moses knew what he was talking about. But it doesn't seem to make any difference
what you say to a person, their marriage is going to be the one that is the exception.
d. The first qualification for a marriage partner is spiritual compatibility.

D. Cleaving to God
1. We are not only to separate FROM sin, but we are to separate TO God.
2. v. 8
3. To "cleave" means to be firmly attached. We need to be "firmly attached" to the Lord and
His work if we hope to prevent our falling away.
4. It was their loyalty to the Lord that had brought His blessings to the Israelites and it would
be their disloyalty later in history that would bring about God's judgement upon them as
a nation.

E. Loving God
1. v. 11
2. Failure in any of the areas mentioned above can be traced back to this one point: WE
DON'T LOVE GOD LIKE WE SHOULD!
3. The test of love is not emotion or feeling or speaking, it's doing. Jesus said, "he that
hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me" (John 14:21).
4. The surest way to keep from falling away from the Lord is to love Him. When our love for
God declines, our love for the world increases.

B. The Punishment for Apostasy
1. The punishment for apostasy is Sure
a. Notice the opening words of verse 13, "Know for a certainty..."
b. Verses 14-15
c. The Lord's faithfulness goes both ways. He is faithful to bless when it is appropriate,
and He is faithful to punish when it is called for.
2. The punishment for apostasy is Severe
a. Falling away from the Lord results in the loss of Power
(1) Verse 13a
(2) Without the power of God working on their behalf, the Israelites would not be
victorious. They were absolutely dependent upon the power of God.
(3) One of the most vivid illustrations of the loss of spiritual power if found in
Judges 16. After Delilah had "pressed upon him daily with her words, and
urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death", Samson finally
compromised and gave away the secret of his strength. As the result of his
compromise we read some of the saddest words in all of the Bible. Judges 16:20
says, "And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him."
(4) A lot of Christians live their lives without any hint of the power or presence
of God whatsoever. Little by little they've cooled off in their devotion and their
service to the Lord and are now living a mere existence in terms of spiritual
things. There's no real joy, there's no real contentment in life, and it's all
because they've lost the power of God.
b. Falling away from the Lord results in the loss of Protection
(1) Verse 13b
(2) In Joshua 20 we read about the establishment of what were called "Cities of
Refuge." These cities were set aside to protect those who had accidentally killed
someone. They could flee to these "Cities of Refuge" and be protected from
the family members of the one they had slain. As long as they stayed with the
confines of the "City" they were protected, but once they stepped outside of the
"City", they became an open target and were absolutely powerless to defend
themselves.
(3) I like to think of the will of God as a refuge. As long as we're living within the
confines of God's will for our life, we enjoy His protection, but the moment we
fall away from the Lord and begin to live outside of the confines of His will we
become an open target for Satan and his army of demon spirits.
(4) Psalm 91
c. Falling away from the Lord results in the loss of Peace.
(1) Verse 26
(2) Don't think that the Lord will sit idly by while we slowly drift away into
spiritual complacency and mediocrity. He will arise in His anger and will act
in a way that is intended to bring us back to Him.
(3) A truly backslidden Christian (I say a "truly" backslidden Christian because
some of those who we think are just backslidden have never been saved in the
first place) may be able to exist away from the Lord, but they CANNOT be
happy.

II. THE CHALLENGE FOR SERVICE
The final words of Joshua to the children of Israel were words which challenged them in their service
for the Lord. The word "serve" or "served" is used 16 times in 11 verses in Joshua 24. No other place
in the book of Joshua are these words used more frequently.

This same challenge awaits all of those who desire to be victorious Christians. I want us to notice 8
aspects of service.

A. The Obligation for Service
1. In verses 3-13, Joshua shared with the Israelites the words of the Lord concerning their
history, but notice verse 13.
2. The bottom line is, everything Israel had was given to them by the Lord. It wasn't because
they were strong or talented or resourceful. It was because of the mercy and grace of God
that they were now living in the Promised Land. And notice the words of Joshua in the
beginning of verse 14.
3. "Now therefore", on account of the fact that God has been so good to you, "serve Him."
4. If we've been saved and born again by the grace of God, we have an obligation to serve
Him.
5. "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe."

B. The Specifications for Service v. 14a
1. Our service is to be in "sincerity and in truth."
2. We ARE NOT to serve Hypocritically.
a. Our service is to be from the heart. That means that it is to be more than mere words
and outward show.
b. Paul said, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"
3. We ARE to serve Honestly.
a. We are to be honest with the Lord in all that we do.
b. That word "truth" not only means honesty, but it also means something else. It comes
from another Hebrew word that means "stability." In other words, if we TRULY love
the Lord, we will be stable in our service for Him. We'll not be on and off. We'll
not be in church for awhile then out of church for awhile, and then back in church for
awhile, and so on.
c. James 1:8, 4:8
d. Who are the "double minded?"
(1) James 4:4
(2) Notice what Joshua said in the last part of verse 14.
(3) Until a person makes the decision as to whom they're going to serve, they will
continue to be unstable in all that they do. That's why Joshua told them to "put
away" all the false gods and serve the true and living God.

C. The Invitation for Service Verse 15a
1. This was an Unbiased invitation.
a. Joshua's invitation to service was unbiased in that it presented two alternatives to
service. Joshua exhorted the Israelites to consider the options, and then choose
whoever they thought was better. If they thought that serving the God of heaven
called for too much sacrifice and involved too much effort, then they could serve the
false gods of their fathers.
b. There are two things to consider when faced with making the same choice that the
Israelites were faced with making. One must consider both the present and the future.
(1) Serving the God of heaven will no doubt call for some sacrifice and hardship
in this life. But in the end, the rewards will be great.
(2) Serving anyone else but the God of heaven may mean an easier life, and a
life without so many restrictions and requirements, but in the end, there will
be nothing but regret.
c. There are alternatives to serving Christ, but there are also consequences.

2. This was an Urgent invitation.
a. Joshua told them to choose "this day."
b. Perhaps at no other time in history has the need for dedicated, consecrated Christians
been greater than it is right now. For sure, there has never been a time in history when
the coming of the Lord was as near as it is right now, and for that reason alone, I
would urge you to make your choice NOW to live for the Lord.

D. The Declaration of Service v. 15b
This is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest statement that Joshua ever made. In making this
declaration, Joshua set a standard that has remained the standard for thousands of years.
1. This was a Public declaration.
a. This was not a private decision, this was an open declaration. Joshua went on record
as to Whom he, and his house, were going to worship. You talk about accountability,
Joshua was now accountable, not only to God, but to the entire nation of Israel.
b. Charles Spurgeon said, "Does not Joshua's outspoken avowal make you blush? You
are espoused to Christ, you say, but will there never be an open marriage? Will you
never take Him publicly before the eyes of men to be your Lord and husband for ever
and ever? Does Jesus agree to secret nuptials?...Shall your Captain's colors never
adorn you?...That is sorry courage which skulks (moves stealthily, cowardly) behind
the bushes; that is poor loyalty which never utters the king's name; that is
questionable decision which dares not own itself to be on the Lord's side...Run up
the colors to the masthead where every eye may see them."
c. READ "THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED."
2. This was a Pronounced declaration.
a. This was not some mealy-mouthed, weak, little statement made with a trembling
voice as Joshua stood there wringing his hands, wandering how he was going to be
received.
b. Neither was it a statement that was made in boastful arrogance.
c. It was a dogmatic declaration of decision.
3. This was a Proven declaration.
a. To quote Spurgeon again, he said, "The clear avowal on the part of Joshua was not
a trick of eloquence, a resolve made for the first time in order to influence his
audience. He had so lived that his avowal carried weight with all who heard it, else
it had been idle to have uttered it. He had always been a man of firm step and
determined mind."
b. Joshua lived what he declared.
4. This was a Personal declaration.
a. Joshua's voice was not an echo of something that he had heard someone else say.
Joshua's statement was a statement of personal choice.
b. Joshua didn't look around to see where everyone else was standing, it didn't make
any difference to him. He was going to take his stand and that was that.
5. This was a Parental declaration.
a. In Joshua's home, it wasn't a matter of "are we going to church today?" It was a
matter of "we ARE going to church today!"
b. Joshua didn't sit around and let his wife take care of the spiritual needs of the family,
he did it.

6. It was a Persuasive declaration.
a. Joshua's stand was persuasive in the fact that it influenced those around him.
b. Verse 16
c. (We'll look more at our influence later)

E. The Examination of Service
1. Joshua did a very strange thing after the children of Israel made their declaration that they
too would follow the Lord.
2. Verse 19
3. Joshua was testing the resolve of the Israelites. He was letting them know that God was
holy and that He expected His people to be holy and that He would not tolerate the worship
of other gods.
4. It doesn't take long to discover who the determined followers of Christ really are. I'm afraid
that we are raising a generation of spiritual softies. Their resolve to follow Christ is weak
at best, and when it is really put to the test, I'm afraid that the majority of them are going
to be found wanting.

F. The Preparation for Service v. 23
1. In essence Joshua was saying, "If you really mean business for the Lord, then get your life
cleaned up, get your priorities straight, and turn your heart toward spiritual things."
2. People have the mistaken idea today that they can serve the Lord just like they are. To their
way of thinking, all that the Lord requires is a willing heart. Well, it does take a willing
heart to serve the Lord, but it also takes a clean life.

G. The Duration of Service v. 31
1. Joshua's influence lasted some 30 or 40 years after he died. He had a great impact on those
around him.
2. All of us are an influence. We may not influence a nation, but we do influence the people
around us. If people follow your example, what will they do spiritually? Where will
you lead them by your example? Will they follow you into a life of victory, or will they
be content to settle for a life of mediocrity?