The
Power of Our Choices
11/5/00
Deut 30:19-20
19 I call heaven and earth to record
this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life,
that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the
LORD thy God, and that thou mayest
obey his voice, and that thou
mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy
days:
that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy f
athers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob, to give them.
Matt 7:13-14
13 "Heaven can be entered only
through the narrow gate! The highway
to hell is broad, and its gate is
wide enough for all the multitudes
who choose its easy way. 14 But the Gateway to Life is small,
and the road is narrow, and only a
few ever find it.
Rom 6:16-17
16 Don't you realize that you can choose
your own master? You can
choose sin (with death) or else you
can choose
obedience (with acquittal). The one
to
whom you offer yourself-- he will
take you and be your master, and
you will be his slave. 17 Thank God
that though you once chose
to be slaves of sin, now you have
chosen to obey with all your
heart the teaching to which God has
committed you.
THIS MORNING I
WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE IN THE SERIES: THE POWER OF OUR CHOUCES. HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO CONSIDER THE POWER
OF YOUR DECISIONS AND CHOICES. WEBSTER
DEFINES CHOICE AS THE RIGHT, THE POWER AND THE CHANCE TO CHOOSE, IT MEANS THE
RIGHT TO PICK OUT BY PREFERENCE FROM
WHAT IS AVAILABLE, TO TAKE AS A CHOICE.
AREN’T YOU GLAD GOD CREATED YOU IN HIS OWN IMAGE AND LIKENESS WITH THE
PRIVILEGE OF SOVEREIGNTY. HE CREATED
YOU WITH FREE WILL, SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE LIFE WITH THE FREEDOM OF YOUR PERSONAL
CHOICES AND DECISIONS. THE PREMISE FOR
THIS SERIES ON THE POWER OF CHOICES IS BASED ON THIS STATEMENT I MADE ABOUT A
MONTH AGO: THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF OUR
LIFE IS MADE UP OF THE LITTLE CHOICES WE MAKE EVERY DAY OF OUR LIVES. WE ARE COMMANDED IN SCRIPTURE TO STRIVE FOR
EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING WE DO SO WE MUST BE CONSISTENT IN MAKING RIGHT CHOICES
AND DECISIONS IN OUR LIVES BECAUSE THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR DECISIONS
AND CHOICES. WE READ IN DEUT. THAT WE
SHOULD CHOOSE BLESSING AND LIFE BECAUSE THE ONLY OTHER CURSING AND IT’S
CONSEQUENCE. WHICH IS DEATH. IN PROV.
WE READ THAT WE SHOULD CHOOSE THE FEAR OF GOD OR BE READY TO EAT THE FRUIT
OF OUR CHOICES TO REJECT GOD. IN
MATT. WE READ ABOUT 2 GATES ONE IS STRAIGHT AND NARROW AND LEADS TO LIFE AND
THE OTHER IS BROAD AND WIDE AND REPRESENTS CHOOSING THE EASY WAY THAT LEADS TO
DEATH. AND IN RM.6 WE CAN CHOOSE TO MAKE SIN OUR MASTER AND REAP THE
CONSEQUENCE OF DEATH OR WE CAN MAKE OBEDIENCE OUR CHOICE AND EXPERIECE GOD’S
ABUNDANT LIFE. THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE
OF OUR LIFE IS MADE UP OF THE DECISIONS AND CHOICES WE MAKE EVERY DAY OF OUR
LIFE.
ONE OF THE GREAT
GIFTS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US IS THE GIFT OF CHOICE. WE DON'T ALWAYS GET TO CHOOSE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE THE CHOICE OF OUR
RESPONSES TO THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. NOW
IT’S IMPORTAN FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST NEVER REACT TO SITUATIONS BUT
CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO THEM ON THE BASIS OF BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF
CONDUCT.
EX: 1. YOU, ALONE, CAN'T GOVERN THE ECONOMIC CYCLES IN WHICH
YOU LIVE, BUT YOU CAN CHOOSE WHAT THINGS YOU PLACE A HIGH VALUE ON. ( A
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, FAMILY, CHURCH, TITHING, THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE AND
INTEGRITY)
2. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS MAKE OTHER PEOPLE TREAT YOU FAIRLY OR
WITH RESPECT, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE THE WAY THAT YOU REACT OR RESPOND TO
THEM.
LET ME ASK YOU
THIS MORNING, HOW ARE YOU USING THE POWER OF CHOICE? MANY AMERICANS ARE TOO LAZY AND
IRRESPONSIBLE TO EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE A CHOICE. IN OUR CURRENT CRAZE
OF 'VICTIMHOOD', WE SEARCH FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME FOR OUR PRESENT STATE AND
SEARCH FOR A RESCUER TO CHANGE THAT SITUATION FOR US. GOD AND GOVERNMENT ARE
CALLED ON CONSTANTLY TO INTERVENE IN OUR LIVES TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF OUR
THOUGHTLESS, IRRESPONSIBLE DECISIONS.
I’VE BEEN READING
A BOOK ALONG WITH TIS SERIES BY BARBRA HANSEN CALLED THE STRENGTH WITHIN. SHE SAYS:
LIFE IS LOUSY—AT TIMES. LIFE
ALWAYS WILL BE LOUSY—AT TIMES. BUT WHEN
LIFE IS LOUSY MOST OF THE TIME, SOMETHING IS INHERENTLY WRONG. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT ON ANY DAY MORE PEOPLE
ARE BATRTLING LONLINESS AND DEPRESSION THAN ARE SAVORING SATISFACTION AND
JOY. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. BECAUSE WHAT IS
INHERENTLY WRONG IS INTERNAL, WE OFTEN HAVE THE POWER TO SHAPE. MOLD AND CHANGE
IT BY THE POWER OF OUR DECISIONS AND CHOICES.
THE JOURNEY
THROUGH LIFE HAS MANY STOPS WE’D ALL JUST AS SOON NOT MAKE., AND I’VE HAD TO
MAKE MANY OF THEM. BARBRA WRITES: MY FIRST JOY-DESTROYER STOP WAS ON A DRY,
LEVEL INDIANA HIGHWAY OVER FORTY YEARS AGO.
A JUNIOR IN COLLEGE, AN HONOR STUDENT, A LEADER IN MY YOUTH GROUP, I WAS
LIVING A STORYBOOK LIFE. THIS MARVELOUS
EXISTENCE CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT. AT
NINTEEN, I WAS IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCICENT THAT SEVERED MY SPINE AND LEFT ME
PARALYZED FROM THE CHEST DOWN. THE JOYLESSNESS THAT GERMINATED ON THAT LATE
AUGUST AFTERNOON WAS LATER TO GESTATE AND BRING ME PERIOUSLY CLOSE TO
SELF-DESTRUCTION UNMTIL I REALIZED THE POWER OF TENACITY AND THE POWER OF MY
CHOICES. LATER ON IN HER BOOK SHE
WRITES A SECTION ENTITLED: CHOOSING OUR
RESPONSES TO REALITY. TENACIOUS PEOPLE
MAKE A CHOICE TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT, RATHER THAN CLING TO AN UNATTAINABLE
PAST. WE MUST BECOME TENACIOUS PEOPLE
WHO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR LIFE
EVEN WHEN THINGS GO WRONG AND DREAMS
DIE. BARBRA WRITES: TENASIOUSLY TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
FOR OUR RESPONSE TO LIFE’S ROTTEN DEALS IS ALWAYS OUR CHOICE. SOME PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THIS AND ARE
CONVINCED THAT THEY ARE VICTIMS OF THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES. TENACIOUS PEOPLE ARE NOT VICTIMS. IF WE WANT TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S ABUNDANT
LIFE, JOY, PEACE, CONTENTMENT AND SUCCESS THEN WE MUST FIGHT THIS VICTIMS
MENTALITY THAT CURRENTLY PERMEATES OUR SOCIETY. WE CAN DO THAT IN FOUR WAYS:
1.
WE MUST
CORRECTLY PROCESS THE PAIN OF THE PAST.
HURTING IS PART OF BEING HUMAN.
NOT FACING AND FEELING HURT IS A BIG MISTAKE.
2.
WE MUST
CHOOSE OUR RESPONSE TO REALITY.
3.
WE MUST STOP
MAKING OURSELVES VICTIMS.
4.
WE MUST
BECOME TENACIOUS PEOPLE, FIGHTING HARD TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES AND DECISIONS
IN OUR LIFE. ITS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES IN OUR LIFE. IN
FACT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT IT REQUIRES STRENOUS DISCIPLINE AND HARD WORK.
I WILL BE SHARING
MORE COMMENTS FROM BARBRA HANSENS BOOK NEXT WEEK AS WE DISCOVER HOW TO BECOME
TENACIOUS PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES IN OUR PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE AND
FULFILLING OUR DESTINY IN CHRIST. NOW
LET’S LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER AT WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT CHOICES.
