Spiritual Stability comes from wise decisions, not just passion. God gives us the choice between life & death, but God won't choose for us.
That's why we need a biblical framework for decision-making:
It is my responsibility to choose what God has chosen for me.
Thanks so much for listening to the Believers Center podcast!
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Spiritual Stability comes from wise decisions, not just passion. God gives us the choice between life & death, but God won't choose for us.
That's why we need a biblical framework for decision-making:
It is my responsibility to choose what God has chosen for me.
Thanks so much for listening to the Believers Center podcast!
Service Times:
Sundays at 10AM (online + in-person)
Tuesdays at 7PM (in-person only)
Follow us on Instagram @believerscenter
To learn more about Believers Center, visit https://www.believerscenter.com
To submit a prayer request, or to get connected with a pastor, visit https://www.believerscenter.com/prayforme
We're in a series this is week two of a series that I've entitled spiritual stability. In fact, if you have notes you can write that down spiritual stability and for me, the observation that kind of brought this series out was that there are far too many people who start the Christian faith, who love the Christian faith, who are passionate about the Christian faith, only to have it fizzle out and for them to fall away. And for far too many people, of course, they come to the Christian faith but they find that the temporary faith for them is a temporary phenomenon. Some people, they come to the Christian faith and I'm ringing it a little bit Some people, when they come to the Christian faith, they will, it'll change their life forever, I'll never be the same, and then they just hit the ground running and they keep going. Other people, they do the Christian faith, they're passionate, they're full of inspiration and emotion and motivation, and it's really beautiful, but it just doesn't seem to last. And the question is why? And so for me, what I am arguing in this series is that it's not from a lack of passion, it's not from a lack of intensity, it's not from a lack of, like spiritual experience, like they haven't come to enough loud services, like because they don't have enough LED walls and smoke and lights and subwoofers in their life. I love all that stuff, but I don't think that that's why people don't last in the Christian faith. And I'm arguing in this series that the reason people don't last in the Christian faith is because of a lack of spiritual stability. Will you say that word stability with me? Stability. And so in this series we're talking about the determining factors in my studies, the determining factors that determine whether or not people are stable in the Christian faith or unstable in the Christian faith.
Speaker 1:And Deuteronomy, chapter 30, is where we're going to be this morning. I've got just a couple of verses to read for you, well-known scriptures. Beginning in verse 19 says this this day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord, your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. So I'm going to preach for a few minutes this morning from this subject framework for decision making Framework for decision making. Let's pray, father. Thank you for your church, thank you for your word. We ask that you help us to receive it with humble hearts and with open hearts, and we know that you're here with us to help us and it's in your sons name we pray and everybody said Amen.
Speaker 1:So 20 years ago or so I was in. 24 years ago or so, I was in Bible college in Colorado Springs and I worked at a place called Joe's Crab Shack. I don't know if anyone has ever been to Joe's Crab Shack. It's like this weird seafood restaurant and the lights go down and then all the servers like jump on the walls and we do the YMCA and it's like a whole dumb thing and the food is fine. That's how I paid to get through Bible college. And one day I went there and there was a big table that was sat and it was so big that one person couldn't work it, so it had to be split up between two people. I'm sure you've seen that before. So it's like 20 people, 25 people at this top and so me and my friend Sean were assigned to work it together, and so that's cool. So the people are there having a good time, they're ordering margaritas, they're ordering my ties, they're ordering crab legs, they're having fun, everything's cool.
Speaker 1:And after a certain point, like when they're kind of getting close to the end of dessert, I looked to my friend Sean and I say this Time for the check, like that time for the check Question mark. He says yeah. And so here's what I meant by that. I meant, sean, are you, sean, ready to get the check for them? What he heard when I said ready for the check, time for the check. He thought I was saying should I, david, go ahead and prepare the check? And so, as a result of that, neither of us got the check for this big table, because we thought the other person did it. Because I just said time for the check, I didn't say can you get the check. I was unclear.
Speaker 1:And so they were just hanging out and we were thinking like, okay, okay, it's like, can you get the heck out of here? You know, it's like do you know how waiting tables works? You have to go for more people to come, and so eventually they're just hanging out and just kind of waiting around and looking kind of bored. I go up to the guy. Looks like kind of, looks like he's in charge. I walk up to him and I'm like, hey, man, it's been great having you guys. You guys are great, but you could take off anytime. And he's like, really, I was like, yeah, he says we're all set to go. I was like, yeah, he said OK, so they get up and they go.
Speaker 1:And so it's not until later in the evening that Sean and I realize that there's a table that's still not closed out, like on our little thing, and it's this table that has like a $600 tab that nobody paid for. And so we're thinking uh-oh. But we're also thinking this Well, there's no point in us both getting in trouble. Might as well one person takes the fall for this. And so I was thinking and I went up to him and I was like Sean, I was thinking Because I'm here in Colorado by myself, I'm in Bible college and I'm just a little guy. So I was thinking maybe I've never been a little guy, I'll never be. So I said now I was thinking maybe you take the fall. And he's like, oh, that's real funny D. Because I was thinking maybe you take the fall for this one Because I have a mortgage and you just have rent. So we were in smack dab in the middle of, I believe, what the old shows used to call a Mexican standoff, so we didn't know what to do.
Speaker 1:Eventually, what we decided to do is we're just going to flip a coin. So, heads, I take the fall, tails, sean takes the fall. And so I'm praying like, oh, dear Jesus, here I am, in call. I'm just a little guy, I just need you to help me with this one coin flip. I'll never break the speed limit again, I'll never jaywalk again. I'll never eat the grape out of the bag before I pay for the grapes, because I know it's my weight. That's uncool, that's my bed, it's my bed. I'll never do that. Just help me with this one time and I'll love you forever. So we flip the coin, I win, because God loves me more than everybody else. I've told you that You're just going to have to come to grips with that. So, sean, he takes the fall, he goes and he tells the manager, he gets written up, he does not get fired.
Speaker 1:But of course I'm sure you would agree with this is that flipping a coin is not a great way of stewarding your destiny. But, tragically, that's how I see a lot of people, that they have no framework for how they make decisions in life and so, because of that. They just do whatever comes naturally to them. And the way that I figure it is, the odds of doing whatever comes naturally to you leading you to the right choice, is about the same odds as flipping a coin 50-50. And I don't have time to get into it, but there's a part of you, even as a Christian, even if you've been following God for 70 years, there's a part of you that wants to do the right thing and there's part of you that wants to do the wrong thing. Paul talks a lot about this in Romans, and so you can't just say I'm just going to do what comes naturally to me and expect that to be the right choice anymore than flipping a coin. But that's what you see in people's life right, financial decisions flipping a coin. Business decisions flipping a coin. Relational decisions flipping a coin. Family decisions right, flipping a coin.
Speaker 1:And am I saying, like, when you make wise decisions, there's never risk? No, I'm not saying that. Like, almost everything has some risk. But there's a difference between making wise decisions that have a degree of risk and making decisions listen to me recklessly. There's a difference. There's a difference between making wise decisions that have risk and making decisions recklessly. And so what's the solution, then, for reckless decision making? Well, I would say it's this it's having a framework for how you make decisions. When you have a decision to make, how do you make it? That's the question.
Speaker 1:And in Deuteronomy, chapter 30, where we just read, we get to Eve's drop on God. He's having a conversation with his people through this great man named Moses, who many of you probably know. And so this is God speaking to his people through Moses, and he says this this day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live. So what's God saying here? Well, he's saying this that there are two paths that he's putting in front of you. There's two ways to live your life that he puts in front of you, and there are two paths that lead to different destinations. And God's saying there's one path that leads to life, peace, vitality, joy, passion, purpose, and there's another path that leads to death, discouragement, disillusionment and, let's say, despair. So one path is a life of blessing, and the other is a path of a life of curse, and not a curse like a witchcraft, not like put a hex on you or something like that. It's cursed in, that it's doomed for destruction. But what I'm hoping I want to communicate to you this morning is this is that God is saying I'm setting before you two paths and I'm giving you the choice on which path you're going to choose. But what's cool is he also tells us which path he wants us to choose. He says, therefore, choose life. And I think this conversation proves something that is incredibly important and if you can get it, I think it can really change your life. And it's this I've got it on the screens the fact that God tells them to choose is an indication that he's not going to make the choice for them. Did you hear that? The fact I want to read it again the fact that God tells them to choose is an indication that he's not going to make the choice for them.
Speaker 1:And that's exactly what's happening in this story, if you know, just for context, in the story is that God has delivered the Israelite people right, his people. He's delivered them out of Egyptian slavery and he has chosen a place that he wants them to live. Does anyone know where that is? The Promised Land, also known as Canaan. It's this place called the land of Canaan, and this is the place that he has for them. And this is right, as they're on the precipice of entering into Canaan and God tells them this that I have set before you two paths, and he's promised them Canaan. Canaan is the thing that he for sure wants for them, this is the Promised Land for them.
Speaker 1:But God is saying that that's one path you can take, and there's another path that leads to death, and so you have to choose Israel, which path you're going to take. We've talked about this before, but it's a desired destination. A desired destination and and God will walk the path with you. But God will not walk the path for you, and so you've got to walk it, and we've talked about this. That your purpose is. It's defined roughly as it's. It's God's preferred future for you, right? So God has a future for you that he wants. It's it's. It's what he wants to partner with you in accomplishing. It's what he wants to. He'll do miracles to make happen. It's the thing that he wants for you in life, but he will not choose it for you if you don't choose it, and I want you to appreciate maybe the first part of that first.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you read the first part of the verse, but I think it was very interesting that some people miss again verse 19. It says this this day, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you. What does that mean? God's calling heaven and earth as witnesses against you? Well, what's he saying is this, he says he says listen up, because I'm about to say something big and I want I want heaven, so I want the angels and I want humanity to witness what I'm about to say, because I don't want any confusion in what I'm about to say. So I'm, I want witnesses. It's like if you're yet written up at work and so you sit down with your boss and the boss says, well, I've asked HR to be here with us today, right, because they want to witness about what they're going to say. And so God is saying this that I want witnesses that are going to witness what I'm about to tell you.
Speaker 1:And so why does God take that? Why? Why is that a big deal? What is he want witnesses to witness what he's about to say to these people. The answer is this is because God takes his credibility seriously, and so he doesn't want you to choose the wrong path and end up in a place that he doesn't have for you. And then you come back later and blame him for it, because it's easy to spiritualize your stagnation right and blame God after you've gone the wrong path and you say, well, I guess it wasn't God's will right. And so God is saying this. I'm just wanting to make clear in front of you, in front of all the angels and in front of everybody, that I have placed before you two paths. Is everybody clear, like God's saying? I want witnesses to attest to the fact that I have placed before you two paths and I have given you the ability to choose. And you walking in your destiny requires you making the correct decisions.
Speaker 1:Last week we talked about Adam and Eve, that Adam and Eve, there, there in the garden, the enemy comes and he kind of like, shows arguments. And Adam and Eve, because of choices they made, they end up outside of the garden, outside of God's will, outside of God's protected provisional place. Listen to me, because of a choice that they made, not a choice that God made, but a choice that they made. And so I'm hoping that you can see the consistency between the weeks here, in that there's. There's Genesis and there's Deuteronomy, and in both cases, the proposition from God is the same. It's this you have a choice. I want you to make this choice, but in front of you is two choices and you have to choose and I will not make the choice for you. I will help you in it, I'll walk with you in it, but I will not walk it for you. And, to be clear, like I was thinking about it's like I want you to know this is not legalism, this is not. This is not works, righteousness, because your willingness to make the right decisions is an expression of faith. Right, and so you could. You could write it down like this it's my responsibility to choose what God has chosen for me. It is my responsibility to choose what God has chosen for me.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I'm going to take a brief interlude for 45 seconds and I'm going to talk about a theological concept with you. Some people love that, some people hate it. I want to talk about predestination. I'm not getting in a theological argument with you over predestination. I've got lots of talks on the internet where I talk about predestination in depth. We're not doing that, but I'll just say this that there are some people because it says in scripture that we're predestined and there's different camps in the Christian faith that interpret that to mean different things.
Speaker 1:And so there are some people in the Christian faith that when they hear predestination, they say and they think well, because God has predestined me, no matter what God's going to put me where he wants me, so it doesn't ultimately matter. You know like we watch Survivor, this show, and there's this crazy 19-year-old super, super Christian, you know, but he, whenever the game was happening, he was like man. You know, it's just like it's all part of God's plan. Man, it's all part of God's plan. It's like he didn't win. Remember, there's people that think that because God predestines us, that no matter what happens, that we're ultimately going to end up where God wants us.
Speaker 1:That is a view of predestination. That's not my view of predestination. I'll say that that's not the view of predestination from this church. And the reason that I reject that view of predestination is not because I don't have the stomach for it. I for sure do. I even see the appeal of it right to think that, no matter what I do, god's plan is just going to happen perfectly. There's a lot of comfort in that right because it lets you off the hook from decision-making, right. So I don't mind the idea. I even like the idea, right. But the reason that I reject it is because I see time and time and time and time again, god working with and alongside free will, not overriding it.
Speaker 1:Right, when you read Scripture, you can see that there are things that God is ready to do, willing to do, eager to do, but does not do because of a lack of participation from his people. Right, it even says in the New Testament that God was Jesus, was able to perform no great works because of their unbelief. Right, and so God has a great plan for you. But that does not let you off the hook from making wise choices, because you can always pull yourself off the path, unfortunately. Right. And so people come and say, oh man, god's got a great plan for my family, and look, he for sure does. But that does not let you off the hook from making wise choices when it comes to your family. Right, like God has a plan for our church, and he for sure does. But that does not let us off the hook from making wise choices when it comes to leading the church. Right, god's got a plan for our nation. Oh, I'm going to get in trouble, right, and look, he for sure, he for sure does. I think God's got a plan for every nation, he's got a preferred desire destination for every nation, but that does not let us off the hook from making wise choices, right? And so what I want to present to you is what I think, and it's a real simple idea like.
Speaker 1:This is not. This is not technical preaching. This is easy. This is hopefully clear and applicable to you, but I'm wanting to give you a framework for how to make decisions. So, if you have something big coming up in your life, you're trying to decide small, medium, large, all that, that. This is a way that you can process the decisions that you have to make. That, I believe, will lead you on the right path, and they're again right.
Speaker 1:Found, found right in Deuteronomy, chapter 30. I'm going to read it to you again. It says this beginning of verse 19. This day, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live Verse 20, listen to this and that you may love the Lord, your God. Okay, that's one. Listen to his voice. That's two, and hold fast to him. That's three, for the Lord is your life and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, abraham, isaac and Jacob. So again he's talking about them choosing to go into the land of Canaan.
Speaker 1:But those are the three points that I'm wanting to talk about just briefly. It's number one is this love the Lord, your God. Number two is this listen to his voice and you can wait for those. Love the Lord, your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. It's funny I hardly ever give my points in advance, but I've done it two weeks in a row where I just tell you my point. I usually keep you guessing in suspense, but we're going to go through those three points. So number one is this love the Lord, your God. Step one for wise decision making Love the Lord, your God.
Speaker 1:And I know people are thinking like, oh, it's kind of like a throwaway point and it's like, of course I love God. You don't love God, I love God. We all love God. Right, of course God is love. We love God, of course. Yeah, it's like love God, that's easy. Nope, nope, that's not what this word means, because, listen to me, love is more than affection. Right, it can begin with that, it can begin with a feeling, but I have, this is David Eifford's definition of love, and it's this you can write it down Love is affection that results in action, affection that results in action.
Speaker 1:I remember years ago there was a movie I don't even remember what it was called, but there was a couple, a married couple, and the husband was cheating on the wife and so he stayed out one night. He stayed out all night because he was cheating on his wife. And so he comes to it, comes home the next morning and, needless to say, she's furious with him and he keeps saying all this nonsense oh, but I love you. But I love you. Oh, but honey, but I love you, but I love you. And she looks to him and says, well, love would have brought you home last night. Right, because, because love is not just about feeling something. And, again, it can start with that, and that's totally fine.
Speaker 1:But the result of real, authentic love is action. And if your love is real, then your actions will show it Right, so, like, if you're physically abusive to your wife, you don't love her. Yes, I did. No, no, you don't. Right. You might love her in a the bachelorette kind of oh who gets the last rose, kind of, but, like biblically speaking, you don't love her. Right. If you're physically abusive to your children, you don't love them. Right, because love is not just affection. Right, love is affection that results in action. Love is a noun and a verb. Dc talk taught me that love is a verb Right.
Speaker 1:And so so when scripture talks about affection, when he talks about, like, loving God, what it's talking about is affection that results in action. Are you with me? Right? And so I love my family, and so my actions reflect that love. I love my business, so my actions reflect that love. I love my church, so my actions reflect that love. I love my friends, so if the bottom falls out and they need me, I'll be there because my love has actions associated with it. Right, christ's love took him to the cross. Right, it wasn't just a feeling he had about you, but it was an affection that he had for you that resulted in an action. And so when scripture says love God, what it's talking about is cultivating an affection that results in action. That's what it is, and your love relationship with God.
Speaker 1:If you don't know this, it's like any love relationship it has to be nurtured to grow, right? If you starve it, it dies. If you nurture it, it grows. You can write it like this Love that you don't cultivate will dissipate. Now that is like a cringe level, dad rhyme, I know, I'm just, I'm just hoping you you get it right that it's like man.
Speaker 1:If, if, if you want love to grow, you have to cultivate it, you have to keep it going. Like my mom can tell you that plant my house is where plants go to die For sure, Right? Like, don't give me a plant unless you hate it. Then you can give it to me. Giving me a plant should be considered like plant cruelty because I will neglect it.
Speaker 1:I'm not, that's not for me, and so that's how some people are with their relationship with their friends, you know, but they starve it. The difference is I'm not surprised when the plant is dead. You're surprised when you don't have any friends, right, and that's how some people are with, like their spouse, you know, like they're. They're surprised that the love is gone, but they've starved it. Like that they cut off love and then they wonder where it went and people will come up to me, come up to Marshall and Cindy, and say, like man, I just feel like we're kind of stuck.
Speaker 1:It's like, no, you're not, you're just moving backwards, but slowly. And sometimes you're moving backwards so slow that you don't realize you're moving, until you're way down the road you recognize that you're moving and by that time you have so much momentum Heading in the wrong direction that it becomes hard to turn around. Right, and same is true for your love for God. Right, if you want it to grow, if you want it to be deep on the inside of you. If you look at people, it's like man. How is it that, malin, I don't know whatever, malinda how is it that these people have, like this great, amazing faith? It's like deep on the inside of them. Well, I'll tell you. One of the ways is this as they cultivate, nurture water, tend to care for their love for God, right, they don't just, they don't just leave it in there and go check on it every 30 days and they're surprised when, when it's dead. Here's what I'm getting at.
Speaker 1:If you're thinking, what does this have to do with decision-making? It's this, and I've got it on the screen when you really love God, you take God into consideration when it comes to your decisions Right. When you really love God, you take him into consideration when you have decisions to make right. So step one for better decisions Is this cultivating a greater love for God. That results in you considering him when you have a decision to make Right. And that might seem obvious, but I'll say this most people don't do that. Most people in churches do not do this right man I was. I was, I was offered a job and it seems pretty good and it makes more money, but I want to just make sure that that's what God has for me. Most people do that. Most people just like more money. Yeah and so.
Speaker 1:So if you want a, if you want a biblical framework For making better decisions, you can't, you can't start anywhere else besides this God, do I love you enough to consider what you want when I'm trying to get clear on what I want? That's number one love the Lord, your God. Number two is this if you're taking notes, obey his voice when we read the verse again Deuteronomy 30 19. This day, I call the heavens and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live Verse 20 and that you may love the Lord, your God. That's number one. Listen to his voice, listen to his voice. Listen to his voice, okay.
Speaker 1:So you might be thinking, pastor David, like, what is God's voice? It's his words, right? And? And you say, okay, and so how do you learn the words of God? Well, there's a number of different ways, but I'll say primarily and and certainly first of all, the way that you hear and learn the voices of God is through scripture.
Speaker 1:Right, and so step two is this if you want to make decisions that are wise, learn to make decisions that are in line with scripture. Right, that's why, that's why coming to church is important. That's why reading and understanding the Bible for yourself is important. That's why going to a group to study the Bible together is important, right, because there is there's no greater source of information To inform your decisions than scripture. And so it's like here's a question. I just I think it's a great question that you can ask yourself more Are you ready?
Speaker 1:What does the Bible say? What does the Bible say? Right, like you can walk into any situation, any scenario, any setting, any circumstance. And you can ask what does the Bible say, right, like? Or what does Jesus say? I appreciate what the doctor says, but what does the Bible say? I Appreciate what the therapist says, but what does the Bible say? I Appreciate what Tucker Carlson says. Anderson Cooper says right, but what is? What does the Bible say? I Appreciate what my heart is saying, but what does the Bible say? I? I appreciate what my friends are telling me, but what does the Bible take?
Speaker 1:Bible say that's right. That's why, for me, it's like I could just say for me and this church, the Bible will always be the final authority, always. We don't have anything besides that. But if that foundation goes away, everything goes away. Right, and not everyone's always going to celebrate that, not everyone's going to appreciate that, right, because the world is getting crazier and crazier and crazier and for a lot of people scripture is getting harder and harder and harder to stomach. Let's say like we're just not gonna be ashamed of it, right? So we're gonna preach it, we're gonna sing it, we're gonna live it, we're not gonna be ashamed of it, right? It's like what does the Bible say? We're gonna, we're gonna form our lives around what it teaches us and we're gonna form our church around what it teaches us, and you should be the same way in your life, right? So, before any major life decision, before any big move, before you go flipping a coin, right? Just ask this question Well, what does scripture say?
Speaker 1:Hey, people, people talk about finding God's will. Right, like you're gonna find God's, as if it's like lost Right, or like he's like he's hiding it from you. Right and God's will, it's right. There in the Bible. You can write this down you find God's will in God's word. You find God's will in God's word.
Speaker 1:And I'm sure you've noticed, if you've ever tried reading your Bible, it doesn't always help you with a Specifics, right. It doesn't tell you this job or this job. It doesn't necessarily tell you this relationship or this relationship. Do I stay in the relationship? Am I? It's not always like super clear and specific, but there are always principles in scripture that you can apply to every decision you'll make. And and that's that's one thing for me like I know I'm an academic guy, so I know I'm a Bible guy, because that's just how God made me. But I'll tell you this is I think this is true no matter how spiritual, no matter how clearly you believe that you hear the voice of God's. Scripture is the clearest form of the voice of God in your life period and it will always be, and nothing, nothing that Scripture, nothing that God will tell you specifically, will go against the principles that he tells us all generally.
Speaker 1:Look at this. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12, says this for the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Is that amazing? It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. So it's like man. This I'm feeling this. Is this a good thing to be feeling? Is this a bad thing to be feeling? How might we know Scripture right? The words of God is sharp and it judges even the thoughts and feelings that you have in your heart. You know, I think a core Thanks to Netflix and like the, the algorithms that recommend movies.
Speaker 1:I don't know if your Netflix is like this or if mine's broken. Jordan says mine's broken. It just recommends foreign films to me all the time. It's wrong, and so if you're anything like me, you are watching more foreign films now than you ever have in your life, and there's some, some pretty good ones, but, man, when I'm watching a foreign film, I only speak one language and so I'm super dependent on these people that can translate and interpret that movie and turn it into subtitles or overdubs if you're sick in the head, but just subtitles, right?
Speaker 1:And since, like, I need someone who understands that to make it clear to me. And that's what that's what scripture does when it comes to the voice of God. Right is a scripture interprets and it clarifies God's voice, and that's why. That's why people who claim to hear God's voice super clearly but just have a fundamental understanding of scripture can be so dangerous To themselves and to other people, because they have no criteria from which to judge what they're hearing. Right, did you know? God's not the only one trying to speak to you? So how do you know, right? Well, how do I? How do I even know I heard a voice that says do it? Is that God? It depends what he's saying. Right, and I can't tell you whether or not that's God unless I know what it's talking about. And the way that I would be able to judge whether or not that is a godly, righteous voice is by understanding the principles that are revealed to me in scripture.
Speaker 1:Right, it is the bedrock From which all moral decisions can be made, right and so if the decisions you want to make don't line up with scripture, well then you can change course. My ancestors like now you here's what I feel, here's what I want, here's what I think, here's my opinion, but here's what the Bible says, and I'm going to stick with Scripture. If someone agrees with that, say amen. Number one is this love the Lord, your God. Number two is this obey his voice. Number three and I'm done Can have keys come up is this hold fast to him. Hold fast to him. Can read the verse one more time this day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God. That's one. Listen to his voice, too, and hold fast to him. Hold fast to him, hold fast to him. It's one thing to grab on to God. It's another thing to hold on to God, to be consistent, even when seasons change.
Speaker 1:Consistency, habits, patterns, and we're thinking, yeah, ok, but what does that have to do with decision making. It's this. Bad patterns will spoil even the best intentions. Bad patterns will spoil even the best intentions. Patterns matter more than ambition. Patterns matter more than moments. Patterns matter more than inspiration. Patterns matter more than motivation. It's not about what you sometimes do. It's about what you consistently do, and you can write this down. Your decisions will eventually submit to your patterns. You can self-will your way through just about anything like five times, but given enough time, the thing that will win in your life is the patterns that you've chosen.
Speaker 1:And so it's great that you get a gym membership to the nicest gym in town. That's cool. But if your pattern is to just sit on the couch and eat 1,000 Twinkies, your gym membership is not going to trim your belly. You know what I mean. Not until you change your pattern. It's great you can go on Amazon and buy the most expensive Bible on the whole site, and that's super cool and super great. But until it becomes part of your pattern to read your Bible, that pretty Bible on your nightstand is not going to help you. I wish it was like the Exorcist movie they're afraid of the physical book. It's not the case. It's great to buy an incredible parenting book, but if your pattern is to yell at your kids and lose your temper every time you get frustrated, then the parenting book is not going to help you until you change your patterns. Your decision making is only as good as your patterns. There's this cool Australian author, f M Alexander. He says it like this People don't decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.
Speaker 1:People don't decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures. But right now there's thousands of people in our city, people who I love deeply and you know that I'm committed to living on the streets, hooked on drugs, and many of them did not choose that so much as they chose habits that produced that. You understand what I'm saying. There's people, great people, on their fourth, fifth, sixth marriage cannot stay with a spouse, and they didn't choose that so much as they chose habits that produced that. And so we're talking about stability. We're talking about how to survive in the Christian faith.
Speaker 1:Many people, most people, would say don't choose stability or instability. They choose and adopt habits that result in them being stable or unstable. And so you get to choose Like you get to choose. You don't always get to choose where you end up, but you choose what direction you walk, and so you don't choose a strong marriage so much as you choose habits that produce a strong marriage. Do you hear me? You don't choose to be successful in business so much as you choose habits that produce success in business. You don't choose to be an incredible musician like Garrett just by like. I can choose that so much as you choose habits that produce that. But you don't. You don't choose to thrive in the Christian faith so much as you choose habits that cause you to thrive in the Christian faith. And, like I said last week, if you can own your part in breaking it, you can own your part in fixing it. You know most of us, of course, have heard this quote. It's my last one. It says this we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit Right, and so stability right being stable in the Christian faith in your walk, is not built on, just like, the huge decisions you make. It's built on the small decisions that you make over time.
Speaker 1:In 2018, there was this book like blew up. Some of you probably know it's called atomic habits everywhere. Right, like New York Times bestseller, atomic habits on habits and the idea of the book, and I'll butcher it all. You have read it. You'll think you're saying it wrong I'm sure I am, but the idea is this start Ridiculously small, right, so small that it's hard to mess up, and then gradually add to it over time Right, and so that's how it can be with your Christian walk. You're like mess. It's so cool that you have like a prayer life. You know like you guys pray every day. Really, really, you literally pray every day. It's like, yeah, I said boy, I'd love to do that. Well, how do I do that? Right, start ridiculously small, right. How about this? Before you go to bed, say, thank you Lord for today, that's it Right, can you do that? No, okay, cool, once a week, saturday, thank you Lord for this week. Fine, right, you start ridiculously small and then you slowly add to it over time. And that's not a book, that's not an idea.
Speaker 1:That came from a book written in 2018, like that's in scripture, over and over and over. Here's a few examples Zachariah, chapter 4, verse 10 do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Small beginnings, small beginnings. Your destiny is not about huge decisions sometime in the future. It's about small decisions. Now. Matthew, chapter 13, verse 31, says this Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field, though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch on its branches Right. So a tiny seed that's nurtured and watered and planted, that grows into something huge. That's how it is with our habits. Luke, chapter 16, verse 10 whoever can be trusted with very little Can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
Speaker 1:So the three points simple. Number one love the Lord, your God. Number two listen to his voice. Number three hold fast to him. Here's my closing statement. It's this. Spiritual stability comes from wise decisions, not just passion. God gives us the choice between life and death, but won't choose for us. That's why we need a biblical framework for decision-making, and here it is. Number one love God. Love is affection that results in action. So love God enough to consider him when making decisions. Number two obey his voice, find God's will in God's word and make decisions based on the principles found in scripture. Number three hold fast to him. Your decisions will eventually submit to your patterns. So build wise patterns through small decisions.
Speaker 1:It is my responsibility to choose what God has chosen for me. It is my responsibility to choose what God has chosen for me, which, of course, takes us to Jesus. You know all of this talk About the Christian faith, all of this that we're here and you get to choose to follow God and you choose to. I'm a, I'm a Christ follower, I'm a Christian. All of that is only a choice for you, because, because Jesus chose you first Well, like you don't get to choose Jesus first, he chose you first, right? So he gives you the choice and the way that he gave you the choice was by him choosing you.
Speaker 1:And it wasn't just an idea, it wasn't just a pretty thought. It came with suffering, it came with pain, that Jesus would come. He would, he would give up his heavenly position and come down Onto earth, fully God, fully man, right, clothed in flesh. And he was mocked and spit on and hated and tortured and beaten. Scripture says he wasn't even recognizable as a man anymore. But he would come and he was brutally killed and then he was put in a grave, but on the third day, the father right raises him from the dead and he comes and he offers forgiveness, love, reconciliation, eternal life. And that's a choice that you get to make. It's not a choice that we can make for you. We want to make it for you, we can't make it for it. We can make it compelling, as compelling as it can be, but at the end of the day, no one will choose it for you. It's a decision that you have to make, to follow after Jesus and to say yes, I will follow you, I will choose you the way that you chose me. I.