Who Will You Serve

Lesson Objective

To enable believers to appreciate the context and significance of Joshua’s challenge, while recognizing that serving God is a deliberate and ongoing choice. This involves identifying the modern-day idols that vie for our loyalty and committing to a renewed faithfulness in our personal and household devotion to the LORD.

Lesson Introduction

Every day, we make countless choices that reveal what truly matters to us. While many of those decisions seem small or routine, together they shape our loyalties and direct our lives. In Joshua 24, Israel stands at a defining moment. Having experienced God’s faithfulness and settled in the Promised Land, the people are confronted with a clear and unavoidable question: Who will you serve? The Book of Joshua, chapter 24, records Joshua’s final address to Israel. The nation is settled in the Promised Land, enjoying peace, provision, and inheritance. Joshua gathers the people at Shechem, a location rich in covenant history {Genesis 12}. Joshua recounts God’s faithfulness - from Abraham’s calling to deliverance from Egypt to the conquest of Canaan, and then confronts Israel with a decisive moment. 

This is not a call to the unsaved, but a challenge to a people who already belong to God.

Joshua 24:14-15 (CEV)

“Then Joshua told the people: Worship the Lord, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. “But if you don't want to worship the Lord, then choose here and now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you're living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you'll worship their gods. I won't. My family and I are going to worship and obey the Lord!”

Joshua’s challenge reminds us that faith is not inherited, assumed, or maintained by habit - it is a deliberate and ongoing choice. Our lesson this evening invites us in this New Year to examine our own allegiances and to consider what it means, in practical terms, to serve the LORD wholeheartedly in today’s world.

The Importance of Making a Choice 

Serving God is not automatic. Faith must be chosen intentionally.

Joshua makes it clear:

• Neutrality is not an option
• Delayed obedience is still disobedience
• Yesterday’s faithfulness does not substitute for today’s decision

The Competing Allegiances

Joshua names specific alternatives:

• The gods beyond the River (our inherited idols, traditions, family patterns)
• The gods of the Amorites (the cultural pressures, popular beliefs, societal values we encounter daily)

Today’s “idols - gods” may include:

• Success and achievement
• Comfort and security
• Relationships or family expectations
• Image, reputation, or approval
• Technology, social media, or entertainment
• Ministry itself, when it replaces devotion to God

PowerPoint

> Idolatry is not about what we possess, but what possesses us.

Joshua’s Personal Declaration

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua:

• Does not wait for consensus
• Does not follow the crowd
• Takes responsibility for his household

***This is a public, covenantal statement rooted in conviction, not convenience.

Serving the LORD with Integrity 

Joshua urges Israel to:

• Fear – worship the LORD
• Serve Him in sincerity and truth
• Put away false gods
• Serving God involves: 
• Reverence (who God is)
• Loyalty (exclusive devotion)
• Obedience (how we live)

PowerPoints

> Faith does not eliminate commitment; it deepens it and empowers us to keep it.

> Faith must be renewed continually, not assumed permanently.

The Call to Decide Now

Joshua presses the issue:

• The covenant requires a response
• God’s faithfulness demands faithfulness in return

PowerPoint

> This lesson is not about guilt, but clarity. Not fear, but freedom. Not pressure, but purpose.

Here are our “actionable steps” we can take daily:

• Examine our hearts honestly
• Declare our allegiance clearly
• Live out our commitment faithfully

Lesson Summary

Joshua 24:15 calls God’s people to intentional and exclusive devotion. Joshua makes it clear that serving the LORD requires a conscious decision, especially in the presence of competing influences from culture, tradition, and personal desire. The lesson highlights that idolatry is not limited to ancient statues but often takes the form of modern priorities that quietly claim our loyalty. Joshua’s declaration (“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”) models courageous leadership and personal responsibility. 

Ultimately, our lesson challenges us to renew our commitment to God daily, choosing faithful obedience not out of obligation, but in response to God’s proven love, faithfulness, and grace.