FBCPS
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FBCPS
Finishing Strong | Joshua 23:1-15
What does it truly mean to finish strong in life? In this powerful exploration of Joshua's farewell message, we discover that finishing strong isn't about perfection—it's about living to please God every day.
Through a humorous story about GPS directions gone wrong, we see how our stubbornness often leads us to wrong destinations despite clear guidance. This mirrors our spiritual journeys where we frequently rely on our limited understanding rather than God's eternal wisdom. The central message emerges with crystal clarity: with our power, we finish wrong; with God's power, we finish strong.
Joshua's final address to the Israelites reveals three essential keys to finishing strong. First, remember God's provision—He fights your battles. Looking back at what God has already done provides courage for facing current challenges. Whether you're battling depression, financial strain, relationship difficulties, or spiritual warfare, God stands ready to fight for you.
Second, recognize the cost of sin. Joshua warns that compromise with worldly values becomes "a snare and a trap," eventually destroying what God intends to bless. This isn't about God's rejection but about the natural consequences of choosing paths contrary to His design. As the message powerfully states: sin costs more than you want to pay and keeps you longer than you want to stay.
Finally, make a definitive choice to serve God. Joshua's famous declaration—"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"—follows his challenge to "choose this day whom you will serve." There's no middle ground, no merely "trying" to follow God. The urgency of this choice becomes painfully clear through the story of a man who repeatedly refused Christ even on his deathbed.
Ready to finish strong? Remember God fights your battles, run from sin toward Jesus, and choose to serve the Lord today—because tomorrow isn't promised. What battles are you trying to fight alone? Which throne in your heart holds your ultimate allegiance?
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So we have been going through a sermon series through the book of Joshua, and today's sermon is on finish strong. Somebody say finish strong, finish strong. Okay, that was decent. One more time Finish strong, finish strong.
Speaker 1:So a couple months ago my mom came to visit me. She came here and again, I've been here since October, so less than a year. So I still kind of get confused on where the stores are over in Hiram. I'm like, is it on the right side, the left side? I don't know yet. So my mom, we were in the car. My mom said, hey, I wanna go to Smoothie King. I'm like, all right, cool, I got you. Mom, boop boop, boop, boop. You know, I don't know where it's at. When you get up here you're gonna turn right. And my mom looked at me and she was like nah, I don't think that's right. I was kind of surprised because I'm like well, I don't. No, mom, hey, mom, when you go up here it's gonna be on the right.
Speaker 1:Then my mom again looked at me as she's driving. She's like, nah, just, I'm sure it's by Walmart. And so I'm getting a little frustrated. I mean, I love my mom. Okay, all right, let's be clear. But I'm getting frustrated because one, she ain't listening to me. Two, I'm looking at the GPS right here and I'm seeing it, and so I show her the phone. I said, mom, look it. Says it's up here on the right. Like I showed her the GPS. And you know what she said? No, I just no. I really think it's up here by Walmart and I'm like you gotta be kidding me. So I just stopped talking. I'm like you know what I'm done. I'm done, I'm not gonna say anything. So I'm watching on the phone as we're driving. It's, you know, 9 miles away, 5, 2, .1. Guess where it's at. It's on the right, and guess what we do? We drive right by it, we get into and I'm just, I'm like I can't understand what's happening. So we get into the Walmart parking lot and after my mom drives around again looking for Smoothie King, that isn't there, she stops the car and she looks at me and she goes all right, where's it at? So, my mom, she finished strong. All right, where's it at? So, my mom, she finished strong, but she finished strong in the wrong
Speaker 1:way. So the question for you today is have you ever finished something only to realize you ended up in the wrong place? Because sometimes we think we know best and sometimes we try to tell God what to do. Hey, god, I want it this way. Now we do a little backstreet boys. We say, god, I want it that
Speaker 1:way. But the truth is, when we follow what we want to do, the Bible says in Proverbs, chapter 14, there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Too often we want to do what we want to do and we want to finish strong in how we think we should finish strong. But we are specifically talking about finishing strong for God. Dr Stephen Covey says it this way it's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap. Anybody busy around here, in the busyness of life, to work harder and harder, climbing at the ladder of success, only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall. So sure, you finished, but you finished in the wrong
Speaker 1:direction. The thought for this morning is this we're talking about finishing strong, so let's be clear on what finishing strong looks like. The thought is finishing strong is living in such a way that you please God every day. That's how you finish strong. Finishing strong isn't about perfection, and I am a robot. I will never sin. I am perfection. That's not what we're talking about here, okay, so let's all just like. Let's be real here. Okay, we are a loving church. This is not a oh, he's talking about me. Okay, but we want to live in a way that pleases God. So, when you fall short because you will, when I fall short, because I will then when you do, you say, lord, I'm sorry, help me, give me strength you get up and you move on. That's how you finish
Speaker 1:strong. Because the big idea is this the whole sermon is this, in one sentence, what we're talking about With your power, you finish wrong. With God's power, you finish strong. Your power. Sometimes you want to do, as I've said, what you want to do and how you want to do it, and when you want to do it and what it looks like. But finishing strong is giving God the glory, no matter what circumstance you are going
Speaker 1:through. So why does this matter? Why does this matter that you finish strong for God? Well, it matters because if you don't get this, you will experience a cheap substitute of what God has for you. Because, instead of you saying God, I'm going to be patient and I'm going to trust you throughout these trials and tribulations and these hardships, if you say, well, you know, I just kind of want to do my own thing. It's just hard. But if you do that and you choose to finish strong in your own way, it's really not going to be as good as what God has for you
Speaker 1:Now. Sure, when you're in trials and hardships, it may not feel like God will provide, but, as we're gonna see today and as you should know, is that God will provide, because the bottom line is choose to follow God's plan for your life. Choose to follow God's plan for your life. Too often you see someone else's life and it looks good or it looks easy, they seem to have it all together and you go man, why can't I just have that? Choose to follow God's plan for your life. Let's pray, father, god. We thank you for your life. Let's pray, father, god, we thank you for your word. God, I ask, lord, that you help our hearts receive your word today. God, help us not to just be hearers of the word, but to be doers of the word. God, I ask that you help us to trust you in the areas where we need to trust you the most. And, god, help us to finish strong and help me as I teach in Jesus' name,
Speaker 1:amen. So with this finishing strong, we're in Joshua, chapter 23 and 24, the end of the book of Joshua. Joshua, he has led after Moses. He has led the way. He has told the people about God. They've had numerous battles. Joshua is now old in his years and he is about to die and before he dies, he shares a message. Now, if someone is about to die and they know that and they bring you in to tell you something, you should probably listen up. So, number one, as we're talking about finishing strong, there's three things you need to do, but number one is Joshua reminds him that God provides for you. So chapter 23, verse one, says this this is Joshua Again, a long time afterward, after all the wars and all the battles and all the drama and all the things when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies and Joshua was old and all the things when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in
Speaker 1:years. Somebody say old. He was old and well advanced in years, but the reason why I bring this up is because, no matter your age, you have a message no matter your age, god can use you to lead somebody to Christ, just like with these kids and teens just getting baptized. It's to show you who they follow. So let's be clear here. So then, joshua, he summoned all the leaders. He summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and then he said to them I am now old and well advanced in years and you have seen all that the Lord, your God, has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord, your God, who has fought for you. It's a reminder for them again, that number one, that God provides for you. He's close to death. He has a special message and he's telling them remember who God is, remember what God has
Speaker 1:done. Joshua reminds the leaders that God has provided. He says remember what you saw with your own eyes, so many often that you kind of it's easy sometimes to forget what God has done in your life. It's easy Like, let's just be real, like have you ever been in a very hard situation? You're like Lord, please provide. And then God does and you're like woo, and then like something else happens and you're like, oh Lord, where you been all my life? Lord, hear me but like it's
Speaker 1:human. If you read the book of Psalms, you see, david, it's like God. I love you, god. Where are you, god? I love you, god. Where are
Speaker 1:you? But Joshua's reminding them that God provided and that God fights your battles. He says this. He said it is the Lord who has fought for you. It's a clear reminder of hey guys, let's remember this. It's not because you are all so awesome that we got some rest. It's not because you're all so awesome and strong and amazing that we were able to prevail over these enemies. It is God. And God fights your battles today, book of Ephesians, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. God fights your battles. Now listen, I don't know what battle you are in today. I don't know. Maybe you are exhausted today, maybe you are broke, maybe you are on the brink of divorce, maybe you are stuck in sin. Maybe you are dealing with church hurt. Maybe you're dealing with family hurt or regret. God fights your battles and after he fights
Speaker 1:them. The second part is this Not only did God fight them, but God gave them victory over their enemies. Okay, you know, I don't think we would ever go to a movie, like at the movie theater if we already knew the ending, because we're like, oh man, I'm not gonna pay $80 to go to the movie theater and I already know the ending. But there's a difference, because even in the midst of your battle, you have to remember that we don't fight for victory, we fight from victory. Joshua tells him this in verse six. He says, therefore, be very strong to keep and to do. To keep and to do so. Be a hearer but also a doer, all that is written in the book of the law, turning aside from it, neither to the right or to the left. So he's reminding them hey, guys, god provides, god wins the battle. Hey, and let me remind you also, guys, follow what God says to do, trust his word. He tells them to keep, which is to remember, and he says to do like, get to work, take
Speaker 1:action. That's what Joshua is saying. He urged them to remain loyal. Then Joshua tells them to love and obey God. To love and obey God Verse 14,. And now I'm about to go the way of all the earth. And you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed. Of all the good things that the Lord, your God, promised concerning you All have come to pass for you. Not one of them has failed. That's not just true for the people of Israel, it is true for you. God has not failed you. Now, again, just because you've gone through some difficult seasons, that does not qualify as God not providing for you. He says not one word has failed, not one. So, knowing that no word has failed, it seems that God has a perfect record. He's undisputed, undefeated. He is the alpha and omega. He is the beginning and the end. He will always provide for
Speaker 1:you. So, after Joshua tells the people to remember that God will provide, he goes into more of a warning, more of a prediction of hey, god will provide, we gonna need to talk about this real quick. Of hey, god will provide, we gonna need to talk about this real quick. So, after he talks about God's provision, let's just, as we talk about finishing strong, let's just be real. Number two sin will cost you. It's gonna cost you. Sin will cost
Speaker 1:you. Verse 12, again, god has provided. Remember all that God has done. He has fought for you. Woo, right in here. He's like woo. God provided Rah. But there's a reason Because, again, as I said, we're like Lord. We love you. We go through something, god. Where have you been? God provides Lord. We love you. We go through something, god. Where have you been? God provides Lord. We love you. We go through something, god. How have you been? It's just who we are, and that's why you need a Savior Verse
Speaker 1:12,. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the Lord, your God, here we go, will no longer drive out the nations before you, but they will be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground "'that the Lord, your God, has given you'". Don't you feel good? I know, like you're reading, you're like goodness gracious, a life, holy moly, but it's the cost of sin. Sin comes at a cost. So as we talk about this,
Speaker 1:listen. Joshua is talking about marrying someone of another religion, specifically to the Israelites. He's helping them understand hey, if you do this, then this could happen. He's warning them about clinging to the past and he's saying if you intermarry with someone from one of the nations and you do that, then you would follow one of their false gods, you would turn away from the one true God and you would worship false gods. Verse 16, if you transgress the covenant of die. And he's saying this. Do you think this is important? Now, the thing about this specific verse is this isn't original to Joshua, because Moses actually said the exact same thing to warn the people. So if we go to Deuteronomy, chapter seven, verse three to four, this is what Moses is saying right here you shall not intermarry with them. Giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons For here it is the biggest part is for they would turn away your sons from following me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and he will destroy you
Speaker 1:quickly. God is saying specifically about these intermarriages. It's about who they follow and what they believe, because at the end of the day, they will turn God's people away from him. And so I don't know what you're going through in life. I don't know what may be tempting you, but whatever it is, if it is tempting you to turn away from God, there is a cost. And that's exactly why Moses is trying I mean, excuse me, joshua's trying to help them, but also Moses is trying to help them. They're saying the same message. Why? Because God does not want you to turn away from
Speaker 1:him. Joshua speaks against actively disobeying God. He's saying, hey, don't worship other gods. And today, maybe you don't worship other gods. And today, maybe you have made money, your idol, maybe you have made your job, your God or maybe your family, maybe you've made materialistic things. I don't know what that is, but if there's something that's more important than God, that's what you are
Speaker 1:worshiping. This is the warning, the prediction that Joshua gave the people, and I'm going to say this All right, this is safe space. This is safe space. I'm going to say this God will not bless your mess. Now there's a difference. Let me be clear here. There is a difference between God I have fallen short, help me, forgive me. That's true repentance Versus Lord. I know I probably shouldn't do this, but uh, can you bless it, lord? I know I shouldn't be doing it, but, lord, I just, I just uh, come on now, just uh. One more time, one more time. But again, this this isn't my opinion
Speaker 1:right? This is the warning that josh was giving the people because, specifically, of the actions that they will take will turn them away from God. So in their sin, god would no longer drive out the nations. In their sin, then they would the nations that they previously defeated. They would be a snare against them, there would be a whip on their sides, there'd be a thorn in their eyes. You can't sin and worship God at the same time. Now some of y'all are looking at me like I'm the problem. I'm just reading with. I'm just hey, I've already, like God already beat me upside the head with this message okay, but it's the truth. God will not bless your mess, tom Constable. He says it. Okay, but it's the truth. God will not bless your mess, tom Constable. He says it this
Speaker 1:way. The book of Joshua demonstrates that God is perpetually at war with sin. He hates it and will judge it, not only because it is an offense to his character, but because it destroys the people he created for fellowship with himself. Sin will destroy you, and you've probably seen sin destroy people that you love, and sometimes it looks good, it's enticing, but it's not, but sin will destroy you. I've heard it said that sin will cost you more than you wanna pay and it'll keep you longer than you wanna stay. Is that true or true? Billy Graham says it this way there's no room on the throne of your heart for two gods. There's no room. You have to choose. Jesus said this in Matthew, chapter 12, whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Christ made it very clear Again, because with your power you finish wrong, but with God's power you finish strong. So Joshua is helping the Israelites. He's talking to them about finishing strong. Again, he talked about how God provides for them. Remember that God provides for you. And then he says hey, everybody, sin comes at a cost if you do these things. These are the consequences. And then, lastly, the third point is we're talking about finishing strong. Is this Choose to serve the Lord. Everybody say choose, choose,
Speaker 1:choose. After Joshua, chapter 23, we get to Joshua, chapter 24, and he summons the people again. He summons them one more time and he tells them about how God provided. He lists things all the way from Moses, he lists things from Egypt, he talks about how God provides and then he gets into choice. Verse 15, chapter 24 says this Verse 15, chapter 24 says this and if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether it be gods your father served in the region beyond 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. So, choose to serve the Lord. Number one is this choose this day whom you will serve. That's what Joshua talks about Choose this day who you will serve. You know, in Star Wars there's a quote where they say do or do not. There is no try. And really this is choose or choose not. There is no in between, there's no
Speaker 1:try. You know, I would love to be driving down the road, speeding, which I don't. Okay, this is just a okay, all right, okay, there's an officer in here, I'm just saying so. I would love to be down. You know, driving down the road, speeding, driving 80 miles per hour, making my way downtown, I'm gone, I'm gone. Car pulls me over, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop. It's like hey, can I see your ID? I show up. It's like Mr Wilson, you were speeding, you were going 60 over. And then I look at him and I said, well, I'm trying, I'm trying to follow the law officer. I'm trying. Do you think I'm gonna get out of that ticket or probably could not get arrested? That is a question, yes or no? No, yeah, but I'm
Speaker 1:trying. So you either choose to serve the Lord or you
Speaker 1:don't. Now, I know that it is what it is. That's not my opinion. It's just what the Bible says. He's not forcing them to choose God, he's reminding them to choose God. You can choose to follow false gods. So I wanna make sure you know that you can choose to follow false gods, and this is what Joshua says. He says the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the river. Or you can follow the god of the Amorites in the land you dwell. You can follow those people. The thing is they can't save you because they don't exist. Now. It doesn't matter if you are a good person, it doesn't matter how much you give to charity, it doesn't matter how many followers you have on social media or how much people like you. You cannot work, give, serve, sing or pay your way to heaven. The Bible says this in Ephesians for by grace you have been saved through faith, and it is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of what Works, so that no one may boast. In John, chapter 14, jesus said I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes through the Father except through me. You have a choice to believe, to follow Jesus, that he is the only
Speaker 1:way. I'll never forget there was a clip from Oprah way back on her show and you could watch it on YouTube if you want. But Oprah was talking to people about religion and so one of the panelists was saying yes, and there are many ways to heaven. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. You know had his little suit on Many ways to heaven. And then it got quiet. A lady in the crowd, she was in the audience. She said what about Jesus? And Oprah was like hold on. So she walked over to the microphone, gave it to the lady. She's like well, what'd you say? And the lady said well, what about Jesus? He's the only way. Then the panelists on the stage was like oh well, hold up, hold up. And then there's this big uproar during a live recording of the Oprah show about how to get to heaven. You have a
Speaker 1:choice. To finish, john Acuff. He wrote in his book called Finish, and it's about achieving impossible goals. In his book Finish, the quote says this the future belongs to the finishers. Finish the work that God has for you. Finish the work. If that's to get saved, do it. If that's to get baptized, do it. If that's to get baptized, do it. If that's to start a group or to teach, do it. Whatever God is calling you to do, whatever his plan is for your life, do it. And again, just because it's God's plan does not mean that there are no trials, no tribulations, no
Speaker 1:hardships. Let's see what happened again to Jesus. We serve a personal God who was betrayed by the people who said they loved him. He was hit, he was mocked, he was beaten. And then sometimes we think like, oh man, I got a flat tire, ain't nothing but the devil. See, I knew it, god, I knew it. It's like you got a flat tire. See, I knew it, god, I knew it. It's like you got a flat
Speaker 1:tire. And sometimes, sure, you may go through some very difficult things, there is no question about it, but you are called to finish strong, you're called to finish. Joshua kept the faith until death and just before he died, as he was asking the Israelites. He was talking about them and he said hey, will you serve the Lord? Will you choose to serve the Lord Just before he died? In Joshua, chapter 24, the people responded and they said we will serve the Lord. So they knew that they had a choice and they chose to follow the Lord. And you have a choice to finish strong, and I encourage you to follow the
Speaker 1:Lord. So how do we do that? How do we finish strong, despite whatever you are going through, whatever again, depression, feeling like you are not enough, feeling like God has not provided yet? Maybe you have asked God to move so many times in a situation and it seems like better is never coming. So what do you do? Number one is you remember God fights your battles, not you. God. That's how you finish drama. Number two is you run from sin and towards Jesus. Say Jesus, I'm sorry, jesus, please help me. Run from sin and towards Jesus. Say Jesus, I'm sorry Jesus, please help me. Jesus, show me a better way. Jesus, protect me. Jesus, open the door that needs to open and close the door that needs to close. That's how you finish. Number three choose to serve the Lord now. Now Joshua was 100, he was over 100 years old as he's about to die. But did you know that tomorrow is not promised? So the longer you keep putting off what God has called you to finish, the more you're playing a game of risk. Because why does this matter? If you don't get this, you will cross the finish line, going in the wrong direction. You will attempt to fight your own battles and you will fail. You will run towards sin and stay and, lastly, you will choose to serve
Speaker 1:yourself. About two years ago, a friend of mine. He told me a story about his dad. His dad had gotten sick and his dad didn't have long. His dad was on really the deathbed of the hospital and he was sharing with me that he knew his dad wasn't a Christian and this would be the moment. So my friend told me he's like hey, man, james, as I met with my dad and he's lying there in the hospital bed and I tell him, I said, dad, he was at a point where he couldn't talk, but he could still move his head. He said so, james, what I did was I asked him. I said dad, you don't have long. I know that you've been hurt in the past, but, dad, could you believe in Jesus? Dad, could you place your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, dad please? And my friend, he told me. He said, and my dad slowly turned his head to me and then my father did this and he said well, james. I said, dad, please, dad, I beg you. Dad, today is the day. Dad, follow Jesus, you don't have long, dad, please. His dad turned to him again, slow, he looked over at him and he did this. He shook his head. No, shortly after that his father passed away. And a day after that his father passed away. He had a choice and he made
Speaker 1:it. Hear the words of Joshua, hear the words of God From the Bible. He gives you an invitation to trust and to follow him, because with your power you finish wrong, but with God's power you finish strong. Please close your heads and excuse me, close your eyes and bow your heads. And maybe today you are tired, you're just exhausted, barely came in today. But God has a plan for you and maybe you have been on the brink of quitting at whatever it is. But if you are a follower in Christ, I wanna pray with you because God has called you to trust him and to
Speaker 1:finish. So, for my brothers and sisters in Christ, let me pray and say God, thank you for these brothers and sisters in Christ. God, I don't know what situation they are in, god, some are just hurting. God, we need you to provide and God you will. God, you know the situation, you know the heartache. Father and God, I ask that you help all of us to trust you. Give us strength, lord, to finish well, to finish strong. God, we give you the situation and we give you the glory in the midst of the battle, and it's in Jesus'
Speaker 1:name. And some of you may be in here and you can't say that prayer because you haven't given your life to Jesus, you haven't surrendered and made him the Lord of your life, and I can't do it for
Speaker 1:you. But what I can tell you is that the Bible says confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved. Finish strong and trust him. If that is you and you want to surrender your life to the Lord, all you need to do is just repeat after me. You can say it in your own head, but you say dear God, thank you for my life. Thank you for Jesus dying on the cross for me. Forgive me of my sins. Forgive me of my sins. Help me to live for you. Be the Lord of my life. Help me to finish strong, and it's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Put your hands together for anybody who surrendered their life to Jesus. Jesus, as we're talking about finishing strong, what an opportunity we have to respond in worship. What an opportunity you have to finish strong this morning and to sing out to God, whatever your situation is. Trust him, finish strong. So why don't you go ahead and stand up, everybody, as we worship the Lord with our final song?