FHBC Sermon Notes

Joshua 22:1-34 - A remarkable story here in which the purpose and unified desire of the people of Israel was tested.

How important is Unity?

In the army, in hospitals, in life. Unity is very important. In the army, orders are followed, and signal purpose and plan must be followed. In medical care multiple doctors work to the same purpose, the care of the patience. What about in the building of a house? Contractors must work in a given order, so that ones work does not undo another's. Ha, this one is familiar.

What about the church? Are just a place of free associates, that all just "likes" the same things? No! It is so much more. We see this unity throat scripture. We see it here in this passage, with the nation of Israel.

In this account the work of the inheritance is done, and the three tribes that live on east side of the Jordan return to their land. As they do they build a big alter. This becomes a point of conflict as their brothers think they are building an alter other than the alter God had commanded them to build. But no, they built it as a reminder to their people, to their children and all the other tribes, they they shared unity in worship in the presence of God at the tabernacle.

This is a narrative not just old but in full application to today.

1. God desires and demands His people to live in unity.

John 17, Psalm 133 - how cool is it that I listened in my reading that passage just this week. Yes, God does lead us in unity.

Consider v. 33. This is what would have happened if the people has abandoned their unity. This word for devastation is used here only in the book of Joshua. This meant that they would have been utterly destroyed. Even more so than the canaanites whom they had just destroyed.

God commands that unity must be their. If we are truly the church, then we cannot be separate. It isn't about just my desires and opinions. It is about unity in the word and will of our Lord.

2. Attention to the essentials of the faith foster unity among God's people.

How are we to promote this unity, what contributes to it? We cannot come in with our own hobby horses, an simple pursue our own personal agendas. There are many essentials,it this passage highlights two specific ones.

A. The essential of proper worship.

In this story the Israelites saw that alter the eastern tribes built as a rival alter. They were going to war for this. We can commend them for their zeal, but they needed to show wisdom and discover what the purpose was before they attack. This is an important reminder to us. After all, how many times do we feel we need to complain and attack first without seeking understanding and unity first.

B. The essential of correct doctrine.

What Jim means by doctrine is the unified essential understanding of our faith. The western tribes had precluded that the eastern tribe were seeking idols and other Gods. Yet, see v. 22 as the eastern tribe provides an great exhortation to the greatness of God.

A common worship doesn't rely on our desires , preferences and demands, but on the unified acknlegement of the greatness of our God. Think how awesome it is that we can go all around the world, in different languages, with different songs, and still worship in unity, because we all know the wonders of our salvation found in our Lord Jesus.

3. The unity of God's people bears witness to His activity among them.

We do not naturally have unity. By our nature, we are selfish creatures, wanting our desires first. Only in the power of God did these people not dissolve into war. This is true of us as well. Only by God's power do we stand together in his presence.

V.33-34 They blessed God for the report. He had saved them from themselves. This is how we also know that God is among us, that we have unity among us.

This unity is more than a reminder for oursleves, it is our testament for ourselves.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."