Text: Joshua 24:1-28

Title: Renewal of Covenant

Objectives:
 To remind us about God’s Greatness
 To challenge us again in serving Him
 To choose to serve God

Introduction:
 Renewal of ID’s

Body:

I. Reviewed the Greatness of God vs. 1-13

When Joshua reviewed the history of Israel in summary, he was telling the greatness and
goodness of the Lord.

How God became great?

A. Called to Righteousness verses 1-4 (explain short)

B. Freed from Slavery verse 5 (explain short)
C. Protected from Enemies verses 6-7 (explain short)
D. Fought against the Enemies verses 8-12 (explain short)
E. Gave the Promised Land verse 13 (explain short)

I praised God because He already answered my question, “Bakit noong naging Kristyano
ako nakakaranas ako ng persecution, struggles, various kinds of problem, and etc?”. And
God answered me “I want to show you how great I am in your life. You will never
recognize how great I am if all is well.”

Siguro naging tanong na din po natin ito and this is the answer.

Principles:
“Sometimes we need to face problems to see how Great is our God.”

“If we feel cold in God and in His ministry remember what God did for us, or what God did
for you personally.”

“God’s greatness is enough to serve Him and stay with Him faithfully.”

Joshua reviewed God’s greatness to all Israel to show them that God is the Only One
worthy of all praises and they must commit their live in serving God.

Challenge:
Ikaw kapatid, is God’s greatness in your life enough to serve Him faithfully?
Introduction:
 Are you a Christian? Who has the courage to stand up and say I am a Christian?
 Now, do have an evidence that you are a Christian?
 What must be the evidence of a Christian that he is a true Christian?

II. Response to God’s Greatness

Joshua 24:14
“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods
which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!”

There are two responses that we must do

First is fear and second is serve

Fear – not just being afraid but giving a high respect/giving honour to God
Serve – worshipping God, working for the Lord with effort, giving your full strength to God

These two must be the automatic response of Israel to what God did to them

Now the question is,

1. Sincerity – Free from hypocrisy
2. Truth – Fidelity or Faithful or Legit

How can we prove our sincerity and faithfulness?

1. By putting away all the gods vs. 14 & 23

Why do they need to put away the gods that they have?
 Because gods take the time to serve to the true the God
 Because gods take the effort to serve to the true God
 Because it takes the opportunity to serve to the true God

You can’t serve two masters just like Jesus said in Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other,
or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.”

We cannot serve two parties

Now, just like Joshua said in verse 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.”
 Implication: What is it for us today, brethren? What are the gods of your life
that takes place God in your life? Can you put all the gods away in your life for
Christ sake? And what are the main gods can you give up for Christ?

Lessons:
 If Christ is the enough for you, it is easy to give up everything for Him but
if not, it is hard to give up everything

Illustration:
(There is a Christian that destroy his sports car for Christ because the
sports car takes the time in serving God)

 If you cannot give up everything for God it means Christ works are nothing
to you

Now brethren, are you sincere and true in serving God? Then, put away all the
things that take His place in your life.

2. By desperately choosing God to serve

If you are desperate…

 You will choose to serve even though others are not v. 15
 You will choose to serve even there’s someone discourages you vs. 19-21
 You will choose to serve even there is a great demand – you should live
with righteousness vs. 19-21

Implication: Where you always apply your desperation? Are you desperate in
Jesus or in others?

The apostles are the best example for me that shows their desperation in serving
Christ. They were all willing to die for Jesus Christ

Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Lessons:
 Applying our desperation in Jesus Christ shows our sincerity to serve Him
 Desperation in Jesus Christ is one of the evidences that we truly love God
 It is better to be desperate in Christ than to fall in love in this world

3. By making a covenant vs. 19-28