Joshua 24:15
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
I’ve often said how I detest people announcing, bragging and showing off for their birthdays. It seems so narcissistic and self-centered to me. But I’m going to have to eat my own words, because today I’m announcing, bragging and showing off for my birthday. Yes today is my 65th birthday and I am indeed happy to be alive to share this special time with all of you.
But don’t worry. I’m not going to share my cash app address or favorite nonprofit for you to donate to. There will be no solicitation for an exchange of cash of any kind. But I do have one big request. I want everyone reading this to commit to following me, as I follow Christ.
I know that sounds super spiritual and not very specific, so from a more pragmatic viewpoint what I’m really asking is for you guys (if you haven’t already) to make sure you sign up for miltonbernard.com. My rationale is simple. There are things I can’t do because they are outside of my control; but there is one thing I can commit to doing no matter what. And that’s serving the Lord. And this personal website is one way to accomplish that. No matter what, I’m determined that for the remainder of my days, I will serve the Lord.
And that’s why I chose the book of Joshua for our discussion this morning. Joshua was one of the older folk that came across the Red Sea, through the wilderness and finally became an inhabitant in the Promised Land. Actually it was only him and Caleb. And as the new leader of the Children of Israel he had the responsibility to express to them the will of God.
I really like Joshua’s style and demeanor in this book. Moses had a fire and brimstone kind of approach to leadership. When he spoke things happened almost immediately. The earth shook, seas opened, manna fell from the sky and fire consumed the guilty. That’s just the way God used him. But Joshua’s ministry was quite different. Joshua was a bit more laidback. His involvement with the people was more direct. He was ‘on the ground’. He was leading by personal example. I certainly don’t mean to imply that one style is superior to the other; but I just want to note that God allows you to work within your style and still be effective.
Allow me to state that again. God allows you to work within your style and still be effective. All too often in Christian circles we are indoctrinated into believing there is some magic formula to successful ministry: the right songs, the right singers, the perfect sermon, etc. But the truth is, God is seeking folk that will simply serve Him from the sincerity of their hearts; and allow him to create the successful leader in you.
Joshua was an extraordinary leader. He won as many battles as Moses. He brought the people into the Promised land. He divided and settled the land between the tribes. And where we pick up the text this morning, we find an older gentleman that’s tired. He’s seen it all, done it all and has decided to let his legacy speak for itself. He can no longer fight like he use to. He can no longer lead like he use to. There are just things his body can no longer do. But his Spirit was still just as strong. In this final chapter of this book (and his life) Joshua made one of the more powerful statements ever penned. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
I can preach until I black out, pray until I’m comatose, fast until I’m skin and bones, but I can’t make one person that doesn’t want to be saved become a child of God. As much as I love preaching, and singing, and writing, nothing I do of myself makes any difference at all. The inspiration must come from above. Only when Christ is drawing does what we are doing work effectively.
Dear Children of God, with all the things swirling in the air right now, there’s no better time than to settle in what your individual response is going to be concerning the things of God. Are you willing to hold on, even if it cost you your life? Are you willing to still follow God, even if it means poverty, pain, suffering and loss? Will you praise him although the virus still rages and injustice is the same? These are serious questions for sure. Personal questions. Questions for each of us to answer for ourselves. But I can definitely answer for me and mine. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
God Bless
