Chuck Smith emphasizes the importance of making a wise decision in serving God, as he reflects on Joshua's call to the Israelites to choose whom they will serve. He highlights the necessity of revering God and serving Him sincerely, while warning against the polytheism that can infiltrate lives even among those who profess to worship one God. Smith stresses that the act of choosing is a sacred gift from God, and that true belief is a matter of the heart rather than mere intellect. Ultimately, he encourages the congregation to declare, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,' as the wisest decision one can make.

"A WISE DECISION" Intro: "Now therefore" the aged Joshua has gathered the elders of Israel for the last time. They now possess the land. He briefly rehearses their history in relation to YAHWEH their God. I. THE EXHORTATION OF COMMITMENT. A. Fear YAHWEH "reverence, stand in awe of." 1. This is the emotion whenever you truly see His power and greatness. a. Looking up into the night sky and contemplating the Universe. b. Studying any form of life. B. Serve Him. 1. Yield your life to His control. 2. How are we to serve Him? a. In sincerity (without wax). b. By putting away the other gods. Many who by profession are mono-theistic are by practice polytheistic. many sub-gods. II. THE CALL TO DECISION "CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE." A. The choice is not whether you will serve God or not, but which god you will serve. 1. He knew that every man has a god. a. That master passion by which his life is governed. b. Even the man who avows atheism is only avowing his disbelief of YAHWEH, while he bows his knee to his intellect. c. Their are those who worship knowledge (Baal. today. 1. They have their little ritual of worship. 2. They evangelize. 2. In those days there were many choices of gods. a. The gods that Terah, Abraham's father served (BaaI). b. The gods of the Egyptians, Sun, ox, frog, flies, Nile, Created things (Mammon). c. The gods of the Amorites. 1. Who lived for sensual excitement (Molech.. B. The power of choice is a sacred gift of God. 1. We should recognize it as such and use it discreetly. 2. Some exercise such poor judgment we must develop laws to restrict their choice. a. They choose to rob banks or beat up on weaker people, or destroy. 3. Believing on God is a matter of choice. a. You can choose to believe. 1. You will discover all you need to intellectually support that choice. b. You can choose not to believe. 1. You will then develop arguments to Support your position. The intellectual factors do not determine your choice but are developed after your choice is made. 4. Choice of God is a faculty of the Spirit not the intellect. Of the heart, not the mind. 5. Now if you choose to believe, look at all the benefits that are offered to you. 6. If you choose not to believe what hope do you have? a. Your strongest hope is that Yahweh does not exist. III. A WISE DECISION "AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE YAHWEH." A. The wisest way to exercise this freedom of choice is to choose to submit your choices to one who is far wiser than any man.