Sermon Starters -- "On God's Side"

Occasion: Silver Lake Wesleyan Camp, Sunday, July 10, 2022

Text: Joshua 5:13-15 

Introduction

• Joshua is about to conquer Jericho, and the commander of the LORD's armies appears to him. Joshua asks him if he is on Israel's side. He is on neither side.
• I always found this story puzzling. How could he not be on Israel's side?
• Background: when cities and empires went to war, their gods were also going to war (Trojan War was a battle between gods. Roman practice of invoking gods of a city they were attacking)
• It dawned on me. God is on his own side. God has his own agenda. Israel's defeat of Jericho was on God's agenda. But Israel would lose their next battle against Ai. We need to be on God's side!
• Think of the time of Jeremiah, when again Israel assumed God would always be on their side.
• God is not on our side--we had better be on God's side!

1. God was on a mission long before we arrived. If Jesus tarries, he will be on a mission long after we are gone.

• Our chickens' view of the world
• Our view of space -- William Shatner's trip to space
• God made the sun! Think of some of our squabbles (Should you say "crap" or "darn"?)
• Our view of time -- getting through high school once seemed like forever. I used to be the youngest everywhere (high school at 17, college at 20, seminary at 23). Not any more. I can picture how my mom feels at 96.
• Setting dates for the Lord's return. God must shake his head. Not again.
• We are pea-brains... even with our interpretations of the Bible

2. Our earthly "teams" come and go. They are eternally trivial.

• The Corinthians -- Apollos group versus Paul group
• Do you have to be a Democrat or a Republican to be a Christian? Stories of people who've said one or the other
• Posts and feeding frenzies on Wesleyan Pastor's group on Facebook
• Hutu and Tutsi, Civil War
• At some point we need to splash some water in our faces, humble ourselves, and recognize it's not my team or their team. We had both better be on God's team.
• Paul and Barnabas knew how to agree to disagree (argument over Mark and Antioch)

3. Our team can get very upset with us when they are out of sync with God's team.

• Joshua 24 -- "You cannot serve the Lord... Who is on the Lord's side?" 
• Parenting with different children. The one that is strong willed. The one that is soft-hearted. I image God deals with us in the same way. Some of us need a little bit of holiness and fire. Some of us God is gentle with.
• Those of us who are most stubborn about our team are probably the ones who need the most reminding that God's the one in charge.
• John Snow, mercy to the people north of the wall, his murder for mercy -- something much bigger was going on. They kill him for doing the right thing.
• Full surrender can be painful. It can go farther than our pea-brains can go.
• Love God, love neighbor -- these are the principles that cut across all distractions.

Conclusion

• My own heart. I'm so convinced I know what's up. I've got to listen. I've got to be disciplined not to throw stones (or too much sarcasm). Not everyone who disagrees with me is my enemy.