Temple Baptist Church - 6-15-2025
Joshua 24:14-25
Introduction:
A. Father’s Day typically takes a back seat to Mother’s Day, and I have no problem with that. We need to celebrate our precious wives and mothers due to their significant role in the family structure. We honor the ladies and should continue to do so because we love them and are proud of them.
B. This is Father’s Day, and today we will exalt the man and praise him in the position that the Lord gave to him.
1. He is the glory of his children - Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
(Daddy, you are so critical in the lives of your family and especially in the lives of your children!)
2. He is the head of his home - 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (The father is the spiritual leader, and as goes the father, so goes the home! Weak fathers = weak homes. Strong fathers = strong homes. Spiritual fathers = spiritual home.)
a) He is to take that responsibility seriously!
b) The wife is willing to give him that headship. Dr. B. R. Lakin used to say, “Some husbands are so henpecked that they roost on the foot of the bed at night.” America needs men who are born again, with a strong spiritual backbone, who will begin to lead their families.
C. Only time and eternity will show the fundamental importance of men in both the family and the work of the Lord.
D. In our text, we find that wonderful testimony of Joshua as he declared to the people that he and his house would serve the Lord.
1. Joshua is well known in the Bible for his unwavering faith, commitment, and fearlessness in battle. Joshua 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
2. Joshua was a man of God!
3. But little is said about Nun, Joshua’s father.
a) We know that he was of the tribe of Ephraim. Numbers 13:8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.
b) The word “Nun” means (30x in the Old Testament) – to propagate or perpetual; resprout or continual. Faithfulness in Guidance.
The Hebrew letter NUN is the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. NUN means “faithfulness.” The Psalm begins with Guidance in verse 105.
Psalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
c) Enough said about Nun as the Bible says nothing else but we can see the product of Nun in Joshua. The phrase “Joshua, the son of Nun” is found in 29 of the 30 mentions of Nun. When Joshua Was mentioned, it told us who raised him!
d) Thus, Nun was a man who probably passed on his integrity and faithfulness to his son, Joshua, who became one of the greatest leaders in Israel’s history.
e) Nothing is also said concerning Joshua’s children. We do not know if he had or how man children he had as the Scripture does not carry Joshua’s lineage forward. Therefore, I will not speculate their outcome if he had children, but I will discuss the role that Joshua played in his home and in Israel.
1. Joshua Was A Man Of Unashamed Conversion (Saved and know it!) – (Joshua means Jehovah is salvation.) Exodus 33:9-11 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. (10) And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. (11) And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
At Jerico, we find Joshua’s respect, reverence, and worship expressed. Joshua 5:13-15 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? (14) And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? (15) And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
Later, during his leadership of Israel, we find the worship of Joshua. Joshua 8:30 Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,
a. God, Give Us Men Who Are Not Ashamed Of Their Salvation - Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
(Let the world know that you are saved and love the Lord!)
2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
b. God, Give Us Men Who Are Not Ashamed Of Their Associations - 2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
(Love and spend time with God’s people!)
2. Joshua Was A Man Of Unblemished Character (Saved and show it!) – Joshua 11:15 As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
a. God, Give Us Men Who Are Sober – “watch ye” (Spiritually discerning.)
b. God, Give Us Men Who Are Steadfast– “stand fast in the faith” (Doctrinally correct.)
c. God, Give Us Men Who Are Strong– “quit you like men, be strong” (Unwavering.)
3. Joshua Was A Man Of Unwavering Commitment (Saved and owe it!) – Joshua 23:1 (Joshua, as an old man was still committed.) Judges 2:8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
a. God, Give Us Men Who Are Sold Out To God - Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
(Serving as an example to others.)
b. God, Give Us Men Whose Families Are Sold Out To God - Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
(Serving as an example to the home.)
Happy Father’s Day! I love the men of this church! Be a good Christian and then you will be a good Dad! God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment