We'll be looking at the second half of Joshua 23 this morning. Last week, I was going to retain the same title and just have it part one and part two. This will be a part two of that message, but I'm going to change the title to Love's Warning.

Joshua 23, verses 11 through 16. Let's read these verses together. Joshua 23, verse 11. Take good heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. Else if you do in any wise, go back.

Now, where did they come from? If you're going to go back, it means that you've come from someplace. Well, he chose us, he said, out of this world, out of heathen idolatry. That's where we come from. And that's what he's telling them. If you do in any wise go back and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, these nations out of which you were chosen, even those that remain among you and shall make marriage with them, and go in unto them and they unto you, know for a certainty. Don't let there be any doubt about this. Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out those nations from before you, but they shall be snares and traps unto you and scourges in your sight.

Anybody here know what a scourge is? They used to call it a cat of nine tails. It's got leather things coming down, little pieces of glass and metal tied to them. And they'd lash you on the back. And he's talking about your sides, that tender meat on your sides, that thing coming around and just raking the flesh off. And that's what he's telling them. There are going to be scourges in your side and thorns in your eyes. Can you imagine anything more that would more torment you than that.

We're clearing off our property and doing it by hand. I'm telling you, I meet up with briars and you get aggravated and pull on them and they just get you worse. It just gets worse. It don't get better. And he's talking here about thorns in your eyes. until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you."

What he's telling them is, I'm going to make you miserable. If you do this, you're going to be miserable. Absolutely miserable.

And behold, this day, this is Joshua talking, I'm going the way of all the earth. What's that talking about? What's the way of all the earth? Well, he said heaven and earth shall pass away. This planet, this universe is dying. It's being preserved of God until he's accomplished his purpose with it, and then heaven and earth are going to pass away. He said, Thus thou art, and to thus thou shalt return. I'm going the way of all the earth.

And you know in your hearts and in your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God hath given you." Nothing. Not one thing. Everything God told you comes past. All are come to pass unto you.

You know, you think about this, I think about old Joseph and all that happened to him. This is God's man. Well, you'd think, well, he's just going to cruise through life. It didn't happen that way. His own brothers dug a pit and put him in it, sold him into slavery. He got down there, and a woman lied about him, and he had to go to prison. But God raised him up, and he was second in command over all Egypt. Not one thing had failed.

Joseph, when he reconciled his brothers, they all came down there for food. They didn't have any food. And when everything was said and done, he said, you meant it for evil. He said, I know how you meant it. You meant it for evil. But God meant it for good. And then Egypt, he preserved his seed, didn't he? You know, our Lord, There was an evil king trying to destroy him, and they went to Egypt. And God preserved his seed in Egypt. Talking about the Lord.

But down in Egypt, a new king came into power. God's grace delivered him from the bondage of Egypt and watched over him for 40 years in the wilderness. And that all took place before Canaan. And this old saint, who's an eminent type of Christ, is telling them to remember God's hand of mercy and grace and the many gifts his love has bestowed upon them.

They do us good every now and then just to sit and ponder on the gifts that God's given to us. And why did he do it? Because he would. No other reason. I know back in religion, we used to think that because we made this decision or that or did this or did that, then the blessings of God came on us. That's just not so. Just not so. And he's telling them, you remember. You remember this.

God himself has He fought for them. He arranged their victories. He allowed them the spoils of his power and his will and his might. And now he tells them that God's love and favor have a warning. Now, I want to say something here. None of the commentaries I read have anything to say about this. I read these men, and on this subject, they made no distinction as to believers and unbelievers.

But there is a distinction between God's providence toward his people and God's providence toward unbelievers, a vast difference. The apostle Paul says in Hebrews 4, he shows this distinction, he said, These promises did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that received it. Of this mass of people, there were some who did not profit of God's promises because they had no faith.

I want you to hear what I'm saying. This is important to the message. There is no if in salvation. His gifts are not blemished or flawed. What comes from God our Father are good and perfect gifts. And there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning in him. He's not going to turn away from that. He's not going to forget what he's done for you. He's not going to compromise his purpose or his character for any reason.

Every man that God has chosen to save, he's going to save. And in that day, they're going to be just like Christ. They're not going to be a vacant seat in glory. Not one. Christ said, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I'm coming back. And I'm going to receive you unto myself, that where I am there, you may be also. Not one vacant seat.

What comes from God our Father are good and perfect gifts. But there is in the midst of this assembly a host of men and women who are there in name only. Our father, Jacob. All 12 tribes were out there, weren't they? They all came from Jacob. God called him Israel, didn't he? And Paul says their failings, rejections, and disobedience did not make the word of God without effect because they are not all Israel, God's elect, that are of Israel, Jacob.

But in Isaac shall thy seed be called. He's the son of promise, the son of a miraculous birth, having his being by the hand of God and called according to his purpose and grace. I want you to hear me. Believers are not going back on God. It'll never happen. They may go back a step or two, all of us do. But we're not of them who draw back under perdition. We're not going back where we were. And that's what he's talking about here, going back where you were. We're not of them that draw back under perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Salvation of the Lord. It's all of God and it's all of grace. What's that mean? That means there's nothing about you in this thing that's going to preserve you. It's all about God. All about God. and all about grace.

Well, you're saying that believers don't have to persevere? Well, of course they have to persevere. But what I'm saying is they persevere because they're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Where'd that faith come from? It comes from God. Well, you reckon God's going to start a work and then quit? We're kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. And it's ready to be revealed. I mean, in its perfection in that day. And their confidence is in God, who when he begins a work, he'll continue that work until the day of Jesus Christ. I think that's Philippians 1 6.

We're saved by grace. Well, let me say it this way. We're not saved by grace and then kept by works. Does that make sense? Salvation is all grace, every aspect of it, all grace.

There's nothing in love's warning for a believer to fear, but a great deal to fear if you're not. The evil report of the spies was this. If we go in, we might not make it. We might not gain anything. That's not faith. But this is the Israel that's born of blood, except for a few that's born of God. Even so, I look at your faces and say these things knowing that there's a distinction. There's always, in any assembly that comes to worship God, there's always those who don't believe, who don't believe.

And the warning, I mean, people, you know, you might get confused over there in John where he talks about branches being grafted in, and then he said those that don't produce fruit He cuts them off, throws them in the fire. Well, if you grafted into the vine, you're going to bear fruit. But they, in their mind, in this thing of faith that's being represented here, men graft themselves in, don't they? They come down an aisle, sign a card, make some kind of agreement, make a deal with God. Whatever it is they do, they graft themselves in. but they can't bear fruit because they're not really grafted in. Every branch grafted into the vine will bear fruit.

And I look at your faces and knowing that there's a distinction made by God, a distinction of grace and love in Christ. And our Lord said, of all which he has given me, I'll lose nothing. No possibility. I lose nothing. Do you know if God lost one of his elect, he'd be the loser? He'd be the loser. This is his work. This is his character, his power, his strength. To lose one of his sheep would be dishonorable to him, and Joshua's not telling these people to add something to their salvation, he's telling them to take good heed unto themselves, to love the Lord your God. Be sure that that love you have is the love of God. Rest in him, submit to him, receive his gifts with gratitude and joy.

But there's always going to be some that won't. And I'm saying will not instead of cannot because there are cannots and there are will nots. Our Lord said you will not come to me that you might have life. He didn't say you couldn't come. He said you won't come.

But there is a can't. He said no man can come to me except my father draw him And as he reveals himself, they're going to be taught of God by God's means, God's messenger, God's ways. They're going to be taught of God and all that are taught of God is going to come to him. And as he reveals himself to that man through the gospel, he works in him both the will and to do of his good pleasure.

And I'm sure that Judas Iscariot thought he was a child of God. I'm positive of that. He thought he was a child of God. But the promises he clung to were not mixed with faith in him. And I'm sure Demas thought he was a member of God's church. But faith don't vanish. It doesn't just one day disappear. I believe one day. The next day, I don't believe. That's not faith. That which God begins, he finishes. And every branch grafted into the vine produces fruit.

So what's Love's warning all about? He's warning all those who are looking to their flesh and things concerning God and salvation. That's what he's... Can I do this thing? No, you can't. I'll just tell you up front. With man, it's impossible. But with God, all things are possible. And there is no mixing faith with this world's religion. It's like oil and water. It won't mix. You can stir it all day. Once you get done, it's still separated.

Both to the Jews and also the Gentiles, he's telling us that there is faith. True, saving, God-given faith. And all the rest, all of it, is idolatrous. It's not similar with a few variances. It's another gospel, another Jesus, and another spirit. They're not close. I've heard people say that. Boy, they're close to us. They're not close. They're worshiping another god. They're just close in their intellectualism.

Now listen to me. I'm not trying to make you doubt God's power to save, but I am warning every one of us that a mere profession of faith is not going to save your soul. Giving assent unto the doctrines of grace is not going to save your soul. Salvation is in Christ. And if you lay hold of Christ, he's going to go inside, in here. In fact, your laying hold of him already testifies that he's gone in here. And he's going to do something for you. He's going to take out that stony heart.

You know what that is? I tell you, a young boy can sit there hard as a rock, and his mother's tears running down her cheek has no effect on him whatsoever. He's still going to do whatever he wanted to do. That's a stony heart. And you can talk and preach until you're blue in the face, and a stony heart, boy, it's just like flint. It just bounces off. It just bounces off. But the Lord said, I'm going to go take that stony heart out. And I'm gonna put in him a heart of flesh. What's that? That's a heart that can be touched. It's a heart that can be reasoned with. It's a heart that can believe and commit. It's a heart that'll look and rest in Christ and rejoice in him and be thankful.

We were talking this morning about, she woke up and told me, she said, you know, I've been thinking all morning about worship. This is our day of worship. And she said, I'm not really sure I know exactly what worship is. I don't know if I've ever worshipped God. Well, it's gratitude of heart. That's what it is. You hear these things and, oh, God, thank you. Thank you for not leaving me to myself. What if God had just lifted his hand and said, OK, Brian, you just go your way. Do your thing. Huh? And he has with something. lifted his hand.

And I'll tell you this, God who gives faith is going to prove that it's his work. He's going to prove what's of him and what's of you. And boy, it's painful when he does. It's painful. Oh, you mean this thing I call righteousness You mean that thing is filthy rags? Yeah, that's what I mean. And I'm going to show it to you. I'm going to let you experience it. I'm going to let you taste it. I'm going to prove what's his and what's yours.

And here's what's going to happen. You're going to be going your way. You're going to be going to church and going home and this and that. And all of a sudden, there's going to be an investment opportunity, one of a kind. One of a kind. Going in as an equal partner with some unbelieving rebel. Some business opportunity to leave you close to the beach. I know a pastor. I knew him, fellowship with him, preached to his people. Seemed to be a great guy. He died. You know where his wife went? Went to the beach. Moved down on the beach. Lovely home, lovely place. And about two months later, she called me and she said, Brother Pruitt, she said, do you know of any grace ministry anywhere near me? Well, shouldn't that have been your first thought? Before you had the land, load your furniture up, do you know where you're going to worship? You see what I'm saying?

This is what the Lord's telling about these nations. He's not talking about nations in particular. He's talking about their religion. This whole world's swallowed up with the beast. They're swallowed up with false religion, idolatry, imaginary worship. Or maybe this, a beautiful lady comes into your life. And she tells you pretty much whatever you want to hear. Same thing, I'm talking about men and women. Same thing. It might be a beautiful young man comes into your life. He's going to tell you whatever you want to hear. And then you get joined together, and what happens? All of a sudden, it comes into view that your God is not her God and your preacher is not her preacher. He's too dogmatic, he's too strict, he's too this, he's too that. And all of a sudden there's a division. That's what the Lord's warning them about. He said, you're going to go in and make marriages with no consideration of the love of God and those gifts and things that he's given to you. You're just going to throw them out the window because of what you want. Does that make sense?

And here's what the Lord said, know for a certainty that the Lord your God will not fight your battles anymore. You know what? Israel couldn't have fought one battle without the Lord. They'd have been crushed at Jericho. He's not going to restrain them or you anymore. They're going to be like a scourge on your side. There's a thorn in your eyes, a torment to say the least. And you're going to make marriages with them and them with you, alliances with them. And in so doing, you're going to wind up compromising the way of God.

My friend, we carry Our Lord, one of his names is Jehovah Nishti, the Lord our banner. I pray I got that right. He's our banner. We're going into battle and we got a banner. We're going through this life and we're carrying his banner. He's our banner. He's the way, the truth, the life. Carry that banner. Don't lay that banner down. Don't lay it down and that's exactly what he's warning you. Don't lay that down. Christ is all. He's all. And you better let Him be the heart of every decision you make, every step you take.

We carry the banner of Christ, Christ crucified, God in Christ reconciling us unto Himself. And it's a high privilege. I don't know if you even realize that or not, but it's a high privilege to be around God's people as they're the only ones in this world with any light. You are the light of the world. Isn't that what the Lord said? They're the only ones. You're not going to get any light out here. There's no light out there. That's darkness. He called you, Peter said, out of darkness into his marvelous light. And it's a high privilege not only to know one of God's sheep, but to gather with them, assemble with them, and be with them.

But some are going to leave these privileges, which are given by the mercy of God. They're going to leave these things, and here's what he's saying, you're going to suffer for it. You're going to suffer for it. Oh, the restraining grace of God could be you're here today. Let me change that and say this. You are here today by the merciful hand of God. And I pray God will allow you to know it and take advantage of it. But to ignore it is utter disaster. That's disastrous.

He that believeth not shall be damned. Boy, when the Lord says shall be, he means shall be, don't he? And I ain't talking about some future date. I'm talking about right now, here and now. Our Lord said he shall not see life. He's not going to be able to perceive it. I'll take these privileges from him. He shall not see life, Christ said, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

What's he talking about? He's talking about no interest whatsoever. I'm just interested in my job and I'm interested in playing and I'm interested in this and that and who knows what, but I'm not interested in the grace of God or the gospel of God. Not interested. Oh, what a warning. God lifting his hand of mercy, turning you over to yourself. How shall we escape if we neglect? God's people don't neglect, but there are some that will. Well, how are you going to escape if you neglect so great salvation?

God called us out of this world, a world that he calls this present evil world. And what John said, the whole world lies in wickedness. What could we ever want that they don't have to give? We want things and think the world can give it to us. The world don't have anything to give you. God's the giver of gifts. Where do we look for knowledge and wisdom? Within? Oh, I hope not. Boy, you talk about a black hole. Start looking for something of God in here. You're going to be disappointed. But I suspect some do. Well, where else would I look? In the world? That's even worse. The world, John said, heareth their own. They won't hear the servant of God. They have no knowledge of God. They hear these men because they have common ground, darkness and ignorance and self.

I've been around for a while, and I've seen men and women go back to the world. I've seen that. And I've seen their misery and heartache. And I've seen those who are faithful, God's hand intervening on their behalf and constraining and pushing back their enemies and giving them these precious gifts and joy and an honorable death. I've seen it. And so had Joshua. And so he tells him, give good heed to yourselves that you love the Lord your God.

What God? The God of this Bible, the living God. God is testified of himself. May the Lord himself bring it to pass. Secure us, preserve us, and keep us unto the day of Jesus Christ. Amen.