Joshua 24 “Choose Slavery”

Joshua 24 – Brandon Hatmaker “Choose Slavery”
Austin New Church - South Austin Cares
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." – Joshua 24:15

Ah… there it is. As for me and my house… we will serve the Lord. But what does that mean? What if I volunteer in the children’s area on Sundays? What if I help set up or serve as a greeter before services? How about if I lead a small group?

All these things are great. But serving in the church as we traditionally see it didn’t exist when Joshua first wrote this. It meant something more than that, both specifically and holistically.

The Hebrew word “serve” that Joshua used in this closing chapter meant to be “enslaved”. One who is enslaved does not live for him self, ever. They are not allowed to... they don’t have that luxury. Yet Joshua is submitting himself to this bond. Willingly, because He knows it’s best, and he desires to stay in the favor of His God. Reminds me of Moses when he said in Exodus, “Lord if you don’t go with us, please don’t send us.”

The greatest reminder for me today is that my faith is not to be compartmentalized. It’s not to be offered only one day a week, and certainly not as a guilt offering. It’s not just in serving our own church, our own children’s programs, or own friends and family. That’s not what this is talking about. It’s not just something we do, or go to, but something we are. Therefore it impacts each area of our lives and all of our relationships and priorities. In fact… it fosters new intentional relationships that might have never existed and puts new priorities on our agenda in areas that we, or our church, may NEVER see personal benefit from.

We need to give ourselves permission to do this and make it a priority. This does not happen without intentionality (It doesn’t happen over night either). Becoming this is our journey as we learn to serve the Lord with all our heart, with all of our mind, and with all our strength.

Honestly, we’re all slaves to something. That’s what Joshua is saying. If we don’t deliberately pursue one, we’ll certainly fall to the other (or worse, to ourselves).