18 pax made a great choice to beat the fartsack early this morning and come post at The Armory (wait, are we THE or just ARMORY?). We all make thousands of choices everyday, and we obviously started well. Will it continue? Are you committed to God honoring choices? Let’s search the Scriptures and find some answers and encouragement. Here are my notes, and I have further helpful references I didn’t include for time purposes if anybody desires.
Tha Thang
Disclaimer.. Gonna be more Scripture and less of mine and your words.
Brief intro into choices- Whose choices, the stakes, the consequences. The only thing I contribute to my salvation is the sin that makes it necessary- Edwards
Pray – God’s words, not mine.
5000 choices every day. Seems like a lot. Well, I made a decision to get out of bed. I made a choice to put on my shoes and run at 5 a.m. These shoes, don’t fartsack, eat this, grab that light, go here, run the red light or not,etc…
Perhaps you heard a word like Isaiah 30:21, And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (ESV)
From the moment you get up in the morning until the moment you lay your head on your pillow, you will have made hundreds—maybe even thousands—of choices. Some are simple choices that don’t mean a lot, and others are choices that mean a great deal. It comes down to this: If you want to grow spiritually, you will. And if you don’t want to grow spiritually, you won’t. It is not the luck of the draw or something that only happens randomly; it is making the right choice to do the right thing.
- First lets look at some decisions in the Bible, then lets look at who is making the choices in your life.
Garden of Eden/Booted- The fall. High stakes; Death, pain, labor, separation from God.
Joshua 24- Joshua 24:15 And if is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose thes day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whoe land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
israel chose God, yet later broke the covenant. And was attacked by canaanites in result.
Judas- follow or Betray Jesus, later killed self. Stakes and consequences.
What do we see in these examples regarding choices? (pax input)
2.So, lets move into examples of the choices that affect our life now
2 levels of choices, with vastly different stakes. The most important one is God’s decision, and the lesser but more daily and active is yours. Lets look at both
- God- For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourselves. . . it is the gift of God, not a result of works., so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ep 2:8-10
Acts 16:14. Speaking of Lydia, it says, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” In other words, God made her spiritually dead heart come alive so that she could hear and respond to the gospel message. Another helpful verse is John 6:65, where Jesus says, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
So do we choose God? Absolutely. We make a real to choice to repent of our sins and choose to follow God. But, scripture is also clear that God chooses us before we choose him. John 1:12-13 is a perfect example of this.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 — “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”
Ephesians 1:3-5 — “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
2 Timothy 1:9 — “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”
- Man- Psalm 146 Praise the Lord! Praise the lord, o my sou! I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.” Are you only going to do this when you feel like it? Are you only going to open your Bible when you have lots of down time?
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.—2 Timothy 2:22
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)
Conclusion
We can choose whom we serve (Joshua 24:15), how to spend our time (Luke 10:42), and to pursue God’s wisdom and live according to his value system rather than the riches and value system of our society (Proverbs 16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.). For every choice we make, there is a reward or a consequence (Galatians 6:7). Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Just as God gives us the free will to choose to do things, He also gives us the power of the Holy Spirit not to do things that are contrary to his will and to the Word of God. There is no addiction he can’t deliver us from, no sin he can’t forgive. Ask God for wisdom to make the right choices and the courage to trust and obey Him in all things.
Finish with a commitment to choose, like Joshua 24 “as for me and my house…”. When you get cut off in traffic, when your wife or kids tick you off, when your boss does something foolish, when you have an unfiltered internet browser open and a locked door, are you going to choose the Lord? Are you going to choose the abundant life he has called you to in every small and big decisions of the day? Are you going to run with perseverence the course He has laid out for you? (Heb 12:1)
Pax input- thoughts, encouragements, scriptures to share
Prayer requests
Goodpasture family who lost a child, Fish family- RCSD who committed suicide, Taurasi’s wife with shingles, Robber’s brother’s friend who died’s family
BOM
Dismissed to post wherever (I saw every local AO represented, great job men!)