2. “Choose this year whom you will serve/worship.”
Joshua 24 v15
“…then choose this day whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (NLT)
“…then choose right 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! (CEV)

3. Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God.
2 Joshua said to the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River,[a] and they worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac….EGYPT…
11 “When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. 12 And I sent terror ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. 13 I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build - the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.
14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone.
15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
16 The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt….
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem,

4. Take some time to reflect upon:
where you have come from,
what God has done for you and your family,
and how faithful you were to God in 2018, in worship, service and obedience?

5. What does the phrase “fear the Lord” mean to you?
v14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols of your ancestors….Serve the Lord alone.
What does the phrase “fear the Lord” mean to you?
Verse 15 begins…
But if you refuse to serve the Lord… (NLT)
…if you are unwilling to serve the Lord… (NRSV)
…if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you… (NIV)
…if you don’t want to serve the Lord…(CEV)
then choose today whom you will serve/worship,
whether the gods of your ancestors… or the gods of this land.
But as for me and my family (household), we will serve/worship the Lord.”

6. your resources and affections in 2019?
So how are you feeling this year about serving the Lord; to what will commit your time and gifts,
your resources and affections in 2019?

7. Gotta Serve Somebody
You may be an ambassador to England or France You may like to gamble, you might like to dance You may be the heavyweight champion of the world You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve somebody, It may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve somebody. Might be a rock 'n roll addict prancing on the stage Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage You may be a business man or some high degree thief They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief.

8. You may be a state trooper, you might be a young turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name.
You may be a construction worker working on a home You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome You might own guns and you might even own tanks You might be somebody's landlord you might even own banks. You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir. You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

9.   Emperor Nero (AD 37-68) and General Vespasian
"We, the wrestlers, wrestling for thee. O Emperor, to win for thee the victory and from thee, the victor's crown.“
"Forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory, and from Thee, the victor's crown."  

10. c