Choose ye this Day

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But As For Me And My House Family Leadership: Lessons from Joshua

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The Context: Canaan has been taken and the land is at rest God’s power has been demonstrated Canaan has been divided among the 12 tribes of Israel Joshua is about to die Joshua’s leadership transitions to a new generation Israel is at a “Crossroads”

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"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." (Joshua 24:15 NKJV) Joshua’s Famous Challenge:

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Our leadership reflects either allegiance to God or Satan Every man must decide how he is going to lead his home Our children won’t get to heaven on the coattails of others Ultimately it is the father’s job to be the Spiritual Leader God will not accept passivity or “whimpiness.” Each Father Has A Choice Will “Real Men” Please Stand Up!

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Joshua’s Final Farewell Joshua Realizes He is mortal and that someone needs to take over Joshua Remembers God’s Blessings and who gets the credit Joshua Reminds Israel to follow God’s Law and keep the faith Joshua Restrains Israel from making pagan alliances with paganism

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Now it came to pass, a long time after the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: "I am old, advanced in age.” (Joshua 23:1-2 NKJV) Joshua Realizes

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A Godly Father Realizes That he is mortal and that the baton must be passed That the spiritual success of his family depends on how well he has trained and nurtured his children That the future success of the church depends on his children and grand children That his greatest legacy is for his children grow into men and women of faith. Life is lived in the shadow of Death

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Joshua Remembers "You have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He who has fought for you.” (Joshua 23:3 NKJV)

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A Godly Father Remembers Whose Side He’s Own The Goals God Wants Him to Attain The Successes God has Given Him Not By Our Own Might – But By God’s

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"Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, "and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, "but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.” (Joshua 23:6-8 NKJV) Joshua Reminds

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Fathers Remind Their Families To Know All of God’s Law 2. To Keep All of God’s Law a. Not to turn to the Right b. Not to turn to the Left c. Not to swear by or serve false gods (ie: acknowledge them)

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How Do Fathers Teach Gods’ Law? "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NKJV) Personal: Put It In your heart first Priority: make it a priority to teach it diligently Perennial: every occasion: walking, sitting, laying down, rising up Permanent: permanent and conspicuous part of your home

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Joshua Restrains "Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God. "Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations-these that remain among you-and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you, "know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. . . . "Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. "When you have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you." (Joshua 23:11-16 NKJV)

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The Key Points of Joshua’s Restraint Love God Do not marry unbelievers Sin has terrible consequences Do not follow false religion Restraint includes Positive and Negative Admonition

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A Father Restrains His Children We are responsible for our children We are their parents – We are not their “best friends.” A Godly Father will lay down rules in love Then the LORD said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. "In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. "For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” (1 Samuel 3:11-13 NKJV)

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A Godly Father Restrains His Children From Pagan Marriages God has always wanted His people to marry His people We must instill “marriage values” in our kids We must teach our kids the perils of pagan marriages But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites- from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. (1 Kings 11:1-2 NKJV)

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Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old. And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the LORD which He had done for Israel. (Joshua 24:29-31 NKJV) Joshua’s Legacy

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Fathers, What Is Your Legacy? Children Who are Sports Fanatics? Children who are intellectual pagans? Children who are worldly church members? Children Who Will Carry the Cross of Christ to the Next Generation