Life's choices

Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 Moses said,

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 you and your seed may live.    That you may love the Lord thy God, and that you may obey his voice, and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord gave unto your fathers,

 Joshua put it this way in chapter 24: 14-15: Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.  And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, We WILL Serve the Lord!!

These verses show the need for faith, repentance and acceptance of the promises of the Lord.

We are all faced with many choices every day.  But no choice you ever face will have the effect on your life now and for your future life, for eternity, as poignantly as “what will you do with Christ?’ or who do YOU say that I am? Every choice we make determines a part of our future, who we will become. It is very important that we pray and ask the Lord to help us make ‘good’ choices.

 How you answer those questions  is your acceptance of eternal LIFE with Christ or eternal DAMNATION, no longer any influence from God, only the evil will be there to overcome you with ‘weeping, and gnashing of teeth’.  The absence of good and mercy will be a terrible thing to endure.

 But, God gave each of us a right to choose!  The choice is ours; we must have a willing mind and a willing heart to accept the way of escape provided by our Heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem us, each and everyone of us, from the penalty of death, which is separation from a loving God.

 Long ago, God was trying to lead His chosen people out of the slavery, bondage, of Egypt. A young man, named Joshua, served as a spy for Moses to enter the land of Canaan to determine how Israel needed to prepare to take the Land God had promised to them. The report:  a great land flowing with milk and honey and grapes which took several men to carry—BUT there were also ‘giants’ in the land.  It would mean a battle, warfare, to take this land and possess it for themselves.  Ten of the spies agreed, it would be too difficult and dangerous, to hard a task so they voted to NOT enter into the promises of God. Unbelief causes us to err in our choices Bad choices have an eternal effect on our life, and can result in much misery for us to endure...

But Joshua and his friend Caleb said,” NO, we can do this!! Yes it will take an effort but we can take the land for our possession.  Didn’t God give us this land??

The decision: should they proceed to accept this great land for their very own?

OR Should they retreat and not enter in to take the Promised Land which God gave to them?

Because of unbelief, the people spent forty years wandering in circles in a dry and thirsty land.

Then:   
 Once again they approached the border of the land. God had promised this land to them, would they be willing to fight for it.  It takes an effort to gain anything worthwhile. It takes great effort to serve the Lord faithfully, for we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against wickedness in high places.  We battle a spiritual battle against evil and for God.

 Life and death
Remember what Moses said in Deut.30:19, 20: I have set before you:
Blessing and cursing
Chose life that you may live
Love the Lord your God
Obey His voice
Cling to Him, for He is thy life
Fight for the right to claim His promises.

 

God told Joshua, in chapter 1: Be strong and of a good courage for unto this people shall you divide the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then you shall make thy way prosperous and then thou shall have good success.

Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go.”

Joshua made a decision!!

He told the people ‘we shall go in to possess the Land our God has given to us!

The promises have been given to us, BUT we must CLAIM them. His love, his forgiveness, his eternal life, his joy, his peace his healing, his deliverance from all forms of evil, are for us, but each of us must claim them, make them a vital part of who we are.

Joshua 3 tells us how God once again blessed the right choice!!

The people passed over Jordan River, at flood stage, on dry land!

They entered into the Promised Land and though they had to fight for it, they finally drove out the enemy. Battles will come, but they are God’s battles, we are only His instruments which are available for His calling and purpose.

 At the end of his life, Joshua said” make a choice, the true God who has done great things for us, or the gods of this world who can not answer one prayer. 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

 What is your choice? I set before you blessings or cursing? Life or death?  The one true God who loved you so much He gave His only Son, that who ever would believe on Him would have everlasting life.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hat not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God  And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

 What is your choice?  Do you choose life?  This is the way, walk you in it.

 

Sermon for Better Way