July 7th 2019 Sermon Notes

OPERATING UNDER THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

Speaker:Apostle Chris Baird Theme: The greatness of God - If you say it do it Text: 1 Joshua 24:14- 24

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”
“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.
23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

Success is only achieved if you commit yourself to do what you say.

If you say something to God you must do it, God takes promises seriously.

God made a promise and everything He has spoken He has fulfilled, some are still to be fulfilled but they all will come to pass.
He takes His Word seriously.

Nothing happens on earth unless God permits it.

Words have consequences.

Psalm 145:8-21
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.
14 The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

God does what He says.

Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

God’s greatness is untouchable, unsearchable, indestructible and faithful.

Gods greatness is demonstrated in His love it is unconditional. No one can escape God’s love and He has a message.

God’s Love has no boundaries and His grace has no measure.

God is a God of compassion, endless and inexhaustible compassion God has for us. It is demonstrated in the Parable if the Good Samaritan.

The first passer by was the Priest who had no compassion same as the second passer by bit not the Good Samaritan.

Not only is God compassionate but He is just, He is fair in His judgement.

One cannot fall deep enough or be loss enough for God not to find you and pull you out.

Even when we fail His Mercy is extended to us once we repent and turn from our wicked ways.

God will not leave you, you must leave Him.

No matter how much you hide from Him He will seek you out.

Joshua told them then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
God has brought them through the Red Sea, He protected them and cared for them in the wilderness. They walked under the shade of a cloud by day and were warmed by the pillar of fire by night.

When the Egyptians chased them God put a barrier between them and the Israelites.
It was time for them to make a choice. To accept and serve God is life.

Make yourself available and God will use you.

Joshua told the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

God is going to come though for you, wait on Him, His Word will come to pass because He is a faithful God.

So be like God if you say it, do it.

Verse 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

Do what you say, keep your promise.

Another example of having to make a choice.

Ahab turned to idolatry and led Israel astray
But God sent Elijah to Ahab.

1 Kings 18: 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

So Elijah set a challenge and he made it difficult for God

I Kings 18:33-35
33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”
34 “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.
“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

Elijah set God a challenge

1 Kings 18: 36-39
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”