A New Attitude

Preacher: Reverend Vernessa L Watson

                 Associate Pastor

Hurst Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church

28 ½ Bernard Avenue – St Augustine, Florida

 

Date: December 31, 2017 – 10:00am Worship

 

 

To God be the glory, great things God has, will and is doing.  I greet you with Jesus’ joy. To the Under-Shepherd of this flock of which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being the Shepherd, Reverend Alton Coles. To our Queen Mother, Sister Dorothy Coles, to the officers, members and you my dear brothers and sisters of the faith.  It’s good to be in the number one more time. Just for a few moments, we call your prayerful attention to the Old Testament Reading, coming from Joshua 24: 1-15 and I am reading from the King James Version.

 

Text: Joshua 24:1-15 (Key Verse: 15) KJV

 

1)  And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Schchem, and called for the elders of Israel, and their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

2) And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served other gods.

3) And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.

4) And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

5) I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward, I brought you out.

6) And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red Sea.

7) And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwell in the wilderness a long season.

8) And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan: and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land: and I destroyed them from before you.

9) Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balak the son of Beor to curse you:

10) But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.

11) And ye went over Jordan and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.

12) And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.

13) And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

14) Now, therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

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.

 

Using as a Sermon Title: I GOT A NEW ATTITUDE

LET US PRAY

 

Oh, thou in whose presence my soul takes delight. In whom in affliction, I call. My comfort by day and my song in the night; my hope, my salvation, my all.  We pause for a moment to say thank you.  Lord, we praise you, we adore you, we give honor to your Holy Name.  Oh Dear Sweet Holy Spirit, Vernessa humbles before your throne with thanksgiving. Holy Spirit, you are welcomed in this place.  Speak Lord, for your servant, is listening. In the Name of Jesus’ Mighty and Majestic Name we pray.  Amen.   

 

I GOT A NEW ATTITUDE

While examining this text, wanted to quickly answer this question; who was Joshua? According to the Books of Exodus and Numbers, Joshua was Moses’ assistant who resumed leadership of the Israelite tribe after the death of Moses. According to the Scriptures, Joshua was born in the New Kingdom of Egypt. Joshua, who is also called the son of Nun, was born of the tribe of Ephraim and his name was Hoshea (Numbers 13:16. Then his name was shortened from his actual Hebraic name of Jehoshua to Joshua (Nehemiah 8:17).  The name Joshua was given to him by Moses.  

Joshua was one of the twelve spies of Israel that were sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan.  The land of which God had promised to the children of Israel.  The story goes as yes, the twelve spies went over and observed and everything God had promised was just as God said. But out of the twelve only two came back with a positive report.  The other ten said; using my spiritual vernacularian accent: Yeah man, it’s off the hook over there.  They got everything. The milk, the honey; man everything is fat over there. Joshua and Caleb agreed that it was all good over there and God is so awesome of a God to grant this to us.  Now, the but clauses started pouring in from the other ten.  Moses, those people are huge, the houses and buildings and land are all huge.  Those folk is living large over there.  How we gone get that? We don’t stand a chance against them. Here Joshua and Caleb; Moses is as they say but our God is Mighty and God said we can have then we two believe it then we can achieve it.

We witness what God had done in the past. How God brought from slavery to freedom.  How God made a way out of no way.  We believing God will stand faithfully on God’s promise. It is amazing how we miss out on God’s blessings because we get the misconceived idea that our God is too little to deliver the impossible. Oh, but I stopped by on my way to heaven to let you know that you are bigger than your problem(s). You must believe, know and trust God in its entirety.  God deals with the whole and not the part.  You got to know that this is not your thing but a God thing.  

This particular chapter here marks the finality of Joshua’s leadership; so he thought.  There was still a greater work for Joshua to do.  God never leaves a work half done, therefore, we too as children of the most High God must develop the same attitude towards our work in Kingdom Building.  There’s no short-changing to God’s divine plan for our lives.  It’s simply all or nothing.  Joshua calls all of the children of Israel together. I love the roll call order. Joshua called all of the top dogs and their leaders on the scene as well as all of the people to gather together.  This was not a time for being engaged in your favorite cliché. Everybody was called out to meet in one place. Joshua goal here was a final attempt to speak life, forgiveness, love, and God’s redemptive power into their hearts. In spite of their waywardness, Joshua continues to point out God’s mercy and love for God’s people. Joshua tells this new breed of Israel of how God delivered their ancestors out of slavery, and do to their lack of faith and rebellion against God they wandered in the wilderness for a long season (40 years), and during that long span God never forsook them but took care of them. Joshua reminded this new breed that when they exited Egypt, Pharoh’s chariots came after them to destroy them but God blocked Pharoh’s chariots and the children crossed the Red Sea on dry land. That same God who was with them in the wilderness and took care of them and they witnessed God’s Mighty works and miracles even as they chose to serve other gods.

Then Joshua finally declared that as for him and his household they will serve the Lord.  In using my spiritual vernacular again, Joshua may have said to them.  I know what the Lord has done for me.  I know the Lord has brought me from a mighty long way and I won't; no I won't turn back.  I got a new attitude about this thing.  I bear witness this day that the same God who brought your ancestors out is the same God who is bringing you out.  Joshua said to them that you are blessed. You reap what you have not sown, you live in houses that you did not build, you eat all of this good food that you did not grow but yet you can’t see the goodness of that God who is able to keep you, sustain you, love you in spite of all of your short-comings, have mercy on you and yet forgives you of all of your sins, then most of all saves you by God’s grace. Oh what a Mighty God we serve! Angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him.  Oh what a Mighty God we serve.  

It’s time to have a new attitude. Using some of the lyrics from one of Patty LaBelle’s super hits: “A New Attitude.” I’m feeling good to my hat to my shoe, know where I’m going and know what to do, I’ve tidied up my point of view. I got a new attitude.  In Patty’s terms, she has it all by herself but I had to think that I am nothing without God.  I am not in control as my God is in control of my life and I have not a clue as to where I’m going except God is my help.  With God in control, my worries are few, ‘cause I got a love like I never knew.  Oooh oooh, I got a new attitude.  I don’t about Patty’s experience in this song, for she could have been letting her lover know that she now has found a new direction in her life and it began with her having a new attitude.  This morning, I declare and decree that I have a new attitude for God have charged me as he did Joshua.  Thank you, Joshua, for setting me up for a new attitude.  Praise the Lord! I don’t know about you this morning but I’ve Got A New Attitude.  Thank you, Jesus, for saving me.  Thank you, Jesus, for delivering me.  Thank you, Jesus, for dying for me that I might live.  Hallelujah! Glory to God! God’s name is praised in the House today. God bless you all is my sincere prayer.  Amen.

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