We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers.
Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.
We buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses with smaller families.
More conveniences, but less time.
More degrees, but less common sense.
More knowledge, but less judgment.
More experts, but more problems.
More medicines, but less wellness.
Get too angry to quickly.
Stay up too late, get up to tired.
Increased our possessions, but reduced our
values.
We have learned how to make a living, but
not a life.
We seldom watch TV too little.
Talk too much, love to little.
Lie too often.
We have added more years to life, but less
life to years.
The heart and core of Christ’s kingdom
is about making good decisions. It is about making decisions about
our lives from God’s perspective. This is the challenge of the rule of
God’s kingdom in every age. The kingdom of God in its simplest form is
about the rule of God in our daily lives. The question boils down
to, should I make a living, or should I make a life? This is really
the heart and core of our daily decisions.
Evangelism
requires more than bringing friends to church; it involves showing them
how to make decisions to live for Christ through allowing them to see that
what we believe makes a difference in our lives.
Making
Good Decisions
The first thing the book of Genesis
reveals to us is the importance of making good decisions and how our decisions
determine the quality of our lives. Actually this is the theme
of the entire Bible. Sometimes all our Bible knowledge blinds us to this
aspect of Christ’s kingdom.
By the time you get to Genesis chapter
six, God judges the world for its bad decisions. It all began with
a single important decision: Shall I eat of the fruit of the tree
of knowledge? It was a simple decision, with momentous consequences either
way. We face this same question everyday of our lives. The question
may be asked differently, but essentially it is the same question.
The higher
a man's call and vision, the more choices are given him. This is our work
in creation: to decide. And what we decide is woven into the thread of
time and being forever. Choose wisely.
Enjoying the good life has to do with
making good decisions. Good decisions bring forth good consequences.
Bad decisions bring forth bad results. Decisions, good or bad, affect multitudes
of people around us. They affect our families to the third and fourth generation
and beyond.
Essentially God told Cain that if he
made bad decisions he would be mastered by them.
Genesis 4:6-7
6 Then the LORD said to Cain,
"Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right,
will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." NIV
Do you consult God about the daily decisions
you make? Our circumstances are given to help us refine our thinking
so that we can make better decisions. Daniel lived through troublesome
times. God revealed himself to Daniel in a vision in Daniel chapter eleven.
God revealed the difficulties that would come upon the world saying:
Daniel 11:33-35
33 "Those who are wise will
instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned
or captured or plundered. 34 When they fall, they will receive a little
help, and many who are not sincere will join them. 35 Some of the wise
will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until
the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time. NIV
Daniel indicates that sometimes the
wise are given situations that make them stumble in order to make them
wiser. Daniel writes, "Some of the
wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless
until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time."
Our circumstances test our devotion to the Lord. They test
our willingness to allow our lives to be governed by God’s law.
It is
our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
The price Jesus paid for my salvation
reveals the value of making right decisions. Forgiveness must force
us to face the necessity of making decisions to set our lives apart for
God’s holy purpose. The
Grace is never cheap. Karen
R. Morerod writes: "I was in a store shopping for a sweater. The cost needed
to be minimal, so I went to the clearance rack to start looking. As I flipped
through the sweaters, one caught my eye. It was the right color and the
right size, and best of all, the price tag was marked $8.00. Without much
more thought, I made my purchase.
"At home I slipped on the sweater. Its texture
was like silk. I had made my purchase so quickly that I hadn't noticed
how smooth and elegant the sweater was. Then I saw the original price tag:
$124.00!
"I gasped. I had never owned any clothing
of that value. I had come home with what I thought was a "cheap buy," but
the original price was quite high. I had been oblivious to its value.
"Just as with my sweater, I have often treated
the power of Jesus' blood like a "cheap purchase." His grace, though free
to me, carried a high price tag—the life of his very own Son." (Citation:
Karen R. Morerod, writer, "Lesson Learned from a Sweater," Decision
(November 1999), p. 39)
The church is not a garbage dump to
dispose of our sins. Grace doesn’t encourage us to go on creating
more garbage knowing that there is a place we can dump it. The church is
a place of refuge designed to give you the power and presence of God so
that you can begin life anew. This new life begins with the daily decisions
we make.
Decisions go beyond commitment; they
involve surrender. A foreigner said Americans love the ideal of
commitment because commitment puts them in control of their circumstances.
She indicated that the language of her country had no word that corresponded
to the word "commitment." The word "commitment" was hard to translate into
her language. The closes word for the word "commitment" was the word "surrender."
Surrender has to do with relinquishing
control. Commitment leaves us in control. Think about it; there
is a vast difference. Imagine raising your hands in surrender to a robber
who is pointing a pistol at you. You are no longer in control. Christianity
is putting God in control of my life. Christianity is built upon the idea
of surrender.
Christianity
is about Sanctification
Christianity is about deciding to live
a sanctified life. Sanctification has to do with cleaning up our
lives for the purpose of living better lives. Forgiveness cleans the slate—it
keeps the slate clean—but it goes beyond forgiveness. Forgiveness is a
means to an end; it is not the end product. Becoming a member of Christ’s
body through baptism for the forgiveness of sins is only a means to the
end.
The sanctifying work of God’s powerful Holy
Spirit which is at work in our hearts is to bring every thought captive
to Christ.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15
13 But we ought always to thank
God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God
chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through
belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel,
that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then,
brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you,
whether by word of mouth or by letter. NIV
God’s sanctifying work is done as we
surrender our lives and follow what we believe—as we hold to the teachings
that have been passed down to us.
1 Peter 1:1-2
1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ,
To God's elect, strangers in
the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus
Christ and sprinkling by his blood: NIV
Forgiveness is found in Jesus Christ,
but the power to live for Christ is discovered in sanctification.
God’s power is discovered in the process of setting my life apart for God’s
holy calling.
2 Kings 18:1-8
18:1 In the third year of Hoshea
son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to
reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned
in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of
Zechariah. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just
as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, smashed
the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces
the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had
been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
5 Hezekiah trusted in
the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings
of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast to the LORD and
did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses.
7 And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.
He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 From watchtower
to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its
territory. NIV
I like this part "And the LORD was with
him; he was successful in whatever he undertook." Deciding to live
under the authority of God brings God’s power to play in our lives.
The king of Assyria came to make war
against Jerusalem.
2 Kings 18:28-32
28 Then the commander stood
and called out in Hebrew: "Hear the word of the great king, the king of
Assyria! 29 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you.
He cannot deliver you from my hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you
to trust in the LORD when he says, 'The LORD will surely deliver us; this
city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'
31 "Do not listen to Hezekiah.
This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out
to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and
drink water from his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you to a land
like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards,
a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! NIV
2 Kings 19:1
When King Hezekiah heard this,
he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the
LORD. NIV
2 Kings 19:5-7
5 When King Hezekiah's officials
came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, "Tell your master, 'This is what
the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard-those words with
which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Listen!
I am going to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report,
he will return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with
the sword.'" NIV
This is what happens every time we decide
to live for God—Satan declares war on us.
The Old Testament battles foreshadow for us
the physical realities of the spiritual forces seeking to control our world
today. The lesson I learn is that God is in control and his
power is experienced by those who surrender to his will.
God simply said, "Listen! I am going
to put such a spirit in him that when he hears a certain report, he will
return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the
sword." That is precisely what God did. Hezekiah didn’t have to
raise a finger to fight the enemy.
Making
Decisions with Godly Discernment
David was called a man after God’s own
heart because he made decisions with godly discernment. Out of
envy king Saul pursued David to kill him. After David killed Goliath the
women in Israel taunted Saul by saying, "Saul has killed thousands and
David has killed thousands." Saul’s envy drove him to seek David’s life
on numerous occasions.
1 Samuel 24:1-15
4:1 After Saul returned from
pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi."
2 So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to
look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
3 He came to the sheep pens
along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David
and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, "This is the day
the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your
hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed
and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken
for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, "The LORD
forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed,
or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." 7 With
these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul.
And Saul left the cave and went his way.
8 Then David went out of the
cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind
him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
9 He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming
you'? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered
you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared
you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is
the LORD's anointed.' 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe
in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now
understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion.
I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12
May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs
you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying
goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you.
14 "Against whom has the king
of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15 May the
LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold
it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand." NIV
David’s men said, "This is the day the
LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands
for you to deal with as you wish.’" In response to his men David
said, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master,
the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed
of the LORD." But later when David confronted Saul, David said,
He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming
you'? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered
you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared
you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is
the LORD's anointed.'"
Do you see the confliction David finds
himself in? His head is telling him that the Lord has delivered
Saul into his hands, but his heart is telling him not to raise a hand against
the Lord’s anointed out of respect for the Lord.
I have difficulty understanding why
David didn’t take Saul’s life, until I realize that David wanted to make
his decision with a pure heart. Even though his head was telling
him the truth, his heart knew that if he killed Saul—it would be with an
improper motive. He believed that God delivered Saul into his hands, but
he was conscious stricken because of the motive of his heart.
David knew that God was concerned about
the motive of his heart. David refused to bow to the demands of
his peers. It takes a great deal of maturity to look at the actions you
are about to take and know that there is nothing wrong with what you are
about to do, but you realize that heart is not right. This is especially
true when your peers are urging you to do wrong.
David feared God more than he feared
Saul. He went the second mile in order to make sure that he didn’t
violate God’s law. He went the second mile seeking to convince Saul that
he was not out to dethrone him. This is the most difficult thing for me
to understand because God had already anointed David to be king in Saul’s
place. God had told Saul that he had anointed a man that was after his
own heart. Saul knew this; David knew this. Why didn’t Saul step down?
Why didn’t David take what was his? David discerned the motives of his
own heart were not right in spite of knowing that God fully intended for
him to be king.
Decisions are important, but they are
not near as important as the motive with which we make them. Christianity
is about making properly motivated decisions that will allow us to experience
God’s power to live a life set aside to a holy calling.
Conclusion:
Christians have experienced God’s forgiveness,
but we must go beyond forgiveness if we wish to experience the power of
God.
When the fear of God is gone, the decisions
of daily life are threatened.
Ulysses S. Grant used to say he knew officers
who would risk their lives in battle, but who lacked "the moral courage"
to make decisions for which they would be held accountable.
