Joshua

Is There a Doctor Bob in the House?

Joshua 10:6-14

 

Opening Words: Today we continue Joshua’s story. The military campaign is underway. The Israelites have already defeated the cities of Jericho and Ai. The news of those victories is spreading and the inhabitants are responding. Some of the people form military alliances the Israelites. The Gibeonites find a more creative way to defend themselves. They fouled Joshua and the leadership. They portrayed themselves as something they were not, poor distant strangers. Due to this deception, Joshua entered into an unwise treaty. Once the truth is revealed, Joshua makes the best of a bad situation. The Gibeonites are made the lowest of that society, wood cutters and water carriers. This week we find out the Gibeonites cause more problems for Joshua.

 

In the first five verses of the tenth chapter we learn the five Amorite kings in the area hear of the treaty between the Gibeonites and the Israelites. They form an alliance between themselves and decide to attack Gibeon. The Gibeonites sent word to Joshua of the impending attack. Being a man of integrity, Joshua sends troops to Gibeon’s aid. Did you hear what I said? Joshua defends the people that have deceived him. That is were the scripture comes to life. The scripture lesson for weekend is Joshua 10:6-14. Let me call this message: Is There a Doctor Bob in the House?

 

Joshua 10:6-14 6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us." 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you." 9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great victory at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. 12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:

"O sun, stand still over Gibeon,
O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon."

13 So the sun stood still,
and the moon stopped,
till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,
as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!

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His name was Doctor Bob. He was the weatherman for New York City television station WPIX. He was excellent at what he did and became a local celebrity. His popularity grew and soon the nation was introduced to him. He had a nationally syndicated weather program. He was hired by WCBS, Major League Baseball, the New York Times and the Long Island Railroad. In 1979 he was 40 years old and living his dream. That all changed with one anonymous letter. Dr. Bob was a fraud. He said he held a Ph.D. from Columbia in geophysics. That wasn’t exactly the truth. Yes, he had studied math, physics and geology at three colleges but he never graduated. When the truth came out Dr. Bob’s life began to unravel. Instantly, he was fired by both WCBS and The New York Times. Dr. Bob was convinced he would never work in the media again.

 

Can I ask you a question? Is there are Dr. Bob in the house? Or perhaps this is a safer question. Do you know of any Dr. Bob’s? There are many Dr. Bob’s in our society. There are many people who are comfortable shading the truth. There are many people who are comfortable telling half truths. There are far too many people in our society who are comfortable telling an outright lie. I hate to ask the question again. Is there are Dr. Bob in the house?

Can I make a little confession? As this sermon series on Joshua unfolds I am finding myself relating more and more to Joshua. I am more like Joshua than I ever expected. The story does not try to hide his imperfections. I don’t try to hide my imperfections. It does not try to promote him to sainthood. It exposes his humanness. In other words, Joshua made mistakes and he had to live with the consequences. Last week is a perfect example. If you were with us last week you will remember that Joshua had a little trouble in the area of his foreign policy. He was tricked and entered into an alliance with the Gibeonites. When the truth finally came out it was too late. However, the story did end because they made a mistake. Joshua made the best of a bad situation and gave the Gibeonites the lowest position in the society, wood cutters and water carriers.

 

This week we learn the problem with the Gibeonites got worse. Gibeon is about to be attacked by the five Amorite kings and they call on Joshua to defend them. It was part of the treaty. Did you hear what I said? The people who fooled Joshua are now asking for his help. It would have been easy for Joshua to look away and let them die. However, he couldn’t do it. Why? Because, Joshua is a man of integrity. What he said, he did. His word was as good as gold. Joshua comes to the Gibeonites aid because he entered that regrettable alliance.

 

Today, I want to look at three alliances you have entered into in your life. I am going to ask you if you are more like Joshua (man of integrity) or Dr. Bob (the master of the half truth). Is your word as good as gold or do you still have some work to do? If you are ready to begin say, “Amen!”

 

People

Recently, I officiated at a funeral for a woman in the area. The deceased had been married for fifty-one years. They had two daughters. It was a difficult funeral because it was an emotional funeral. When I stood up to offer words of hope the words did not come easily. The grieving husband’s mind was in decline. He couldn’t remembers anyone’s name. The one daughter was young and healthy. The other daughter was young and sickly. The sickly one had cancer. There would be no treatments because there was no hope. The story gets worse. She was diagnosed during a pregnancy. She opted for no treatments early in the pregnancy because she wanted the child inside of her to be healthy. The day before that funeral they celebrated that baby’s first birthday. The mother was so weak she could hold her own baby at the party. I was told the mother wouldn’t be present for the baby’s second birthday. It was a difficult funeral because there was nothing to say. My words seemed insignificant and shallow. Wouldn’t it be nice if we handled all the relationships in your lives that way? How careful do you handle the relationships in your life?

 

Is there a Dr. Bob in the house? Are you living up to the alliances you have made with the people in your life? How much are you willing to sacrifice for the people in your life? Are you the best spouse you can be? Are you the best parent you can be? Are you the best child you can be? Are you the best neighbor you can be? Are you the best citizen you van be? Are you like Joshua who was a man of integrity? Or are you like Dr. Bob who mastered the half truth? Answer that question in your heart. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

Church

One of the things I love the most in the ministry is welcoming new members into the life of the church. New people mean new ideas and energy. Have you ever read the confession that new members take upon joining the church? It is found in the hymnal. It says we will support the church with our prayers, presence and talents. Those words are not just for new members. Those words are for all members. Those words are for you! Are you living up to your membership vows? I am not talking to the 80% of our community who doesn’t attend church. I am not talking to church drop outs. I am talking to you!

 

In the life of the church there is something called the 90/10 principle. What is says is that 90% of the work is done by 10% of the people. It also passes over into the financial end of the church. In others words, 90% of the money is given by 10% of the people. The 90/10 principle explains a great deal about the church. It is why some people are here and other never come. It is why the church is always financially strapped. How much more could we do for Jesus if 50% of the people gave their time and money? Are you part of the 90% or are you part of the 10%? If we are all held to the same membership vows then why do some do so much and some do so little? Why do some give so much and some give so little? Are you like Joshua who was a person of integrity. Or are you like Dr. Bob who mastered of the half truth. Is there a Dr. Bob in the house? Are you living up to the alliance you made to the church? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

God

Several weeks ago I preached on the story of the battle of Ai. Do you remember the story? Joshua had just defeated the great city of Jericho. The spirits and the confidence of the people were high. The military experts said the city of Ai would be defeated easily. They were wrong. The defeated the Israelites! They lost because of the sin of one man, Achan. He had taken some of the plunder and damaged the people‘s relationship with God. Does this sound familiar? They heart of the message said: sin is anytime we damage relationships. Sometimes it is the things we do. Sometimes it is the things we should do.

 

I am usually critical of my own sermons but that must have been a good one. People heard what I was trying to say and didn’t really care for it. A half a dozen people have found it necessary to give me the details of their lives. Someone did something to them and they responded. They haven’t spoken that that person or group of people in years. In their mind each one of them has an excellent excuse for damaging a relationship in their life. The problem is each one is a sinner. Let me say this clearly.

 

I am not paid to be your friend or to entertain you on Sunday morning. I am not paid to grow your church or coordinate activities. I am really paid for one reason. I am paid to teach you about God. I don’t make this stuff up. It is Bible! You sin anytime you damage a relationship in your life. That is not something Russ Adams created. That is from the God of the universe. So let me ask you this question.

 

Is there a Dr. Bob in the house? Are you living up to the alliance you made with God? You know you are saved by grace and by grace alone. You are going to heaven when you die because of what Jesus did for you. You can not earn your salvation but you may what to thank God for saving your soul. How do you thank God for saving your soul? Are you doing something for someone else? Are you mending a damaged relationship in your life? How much time have you spent this week helping someone else? How much time this week have you spent mending a broken relationship in your life? Are you like Joshua who was a man of integrity? Or are you like Dr. Bob who mastered the half truth? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Let me end where we began.

 

At forty years of age Dr. Bob was living his dream. Then an anonymous letter showed up and the truth came out. Dr. Bob didn’t hold a college degree. He was fired by WCBS and the New York Times. His story got national attention. He was on the Today Show, the Tomorrow Show, and in People Weekly, among others. He thought he would never work in the media again. He was wrong! Several days later the Long Island Railroad and Major Leagues Baseball’s Bowie Kuhn announced they would not fire Dr. Bob. He was doing a fine job. With that recommendation WNEW-TV gave him a job. Dr. Bob learned from his mistakes. He said, "I took a shortcut that turned out to be the long way around. I will be sorry as long as I am alive."

 

I hope your story ends as happily as Dr. Bob’s. However, what I really hope is that you don’t have to learn from your mistakes. I hope you are a person of integrity from the very beginning. And if you are a person of integrity then you will be just like our man, Joshua! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”