The Final, Final Decision Series

Introduction

When I got my driver’s license as a teenager, my parents did not automatically buy me a car like parents do today. So, I would make some decisions with my friends what we wanted to do over the weekend, and then I would have to go to my dad and ask him if I could borrow the family car. He was the final decision; what he said goes.

When Anne and I picked out the first home that we wanted to purchase, we knew that was the house we wanted when we walked in, and so we made the decision to go for it and signed the purchase agreement. But we had to go to the bank and give them all of our financial information, and then we had to wait for someone we did not know to make the final decision. What he or she said was going to be the final decision if we got the house or not.

And I learned it was not much different in the business world. I would make some decision about what I planned to get done at work that day, but then sometimes my boss would come to me and say: put everything you are doing on hold; we got to get this done immediately. I made decisions about my activities for the day, but my boss was the final decision, what he said goes.

And so, what I learned through these experiences is that it is good to be able to make decisions; I don’t want to be one of those people who are unable to decide; but I need to know that there is usually someone over me that makes the final decision.

And then in August 1976, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and my spiritual eyes were open. And one of the things that I discovered as I began to read my Bible and walked my spiritual journey is that there is another layer of final decisions over that initial layer. In other words, what I am trying to say is Jesus is the final, final decision. When it is all said and done, He makes the final call; He makes the final decision and what He says goes. I can make a decision; someone can make a final decision about my decision, but you got to recognize that Jesus will ultimately make the final, final decision.

And so, in our passage of Scripture today, Joel is telling the people of Israel: wake up, Jesus is the final, final decision and everyone will stand before Jesus as He gives that final, final decision about your life. You have a free will to make decisions about how you chose to live your life; whether you want to accept Christ as your Savior or not; whether you want to live your life daily for Him or not, but you need to understand that you are not the final, final decision maker. So, let’s read our Scripture then make some comments as to how to align our lives to agree with the One who will make the final, final decision.

Scripture

Joel 3:1-2 (NKJV)

1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Jehoshaphat means God has judged; God has made the final, final decision.)

Joel 3:14 (NKJV)

14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (It is another way of saying no one has missed the final, final decision that Christ will make about their life. Make no mistake about this: Jesus will make a final, final decision about each one of our lives.)

So, how do I line up my choice to be in sync with the One who makes the Final, Final choice. That is what we are going to answer today.

Points

#1

GOD TELLS ME THAT I KNOW ENOUGH IN ORDER TO ALIGN MY DECISION ABOUT THE WAY I LIVE MY LIFE WITH THE FINAL, FINAL DECISION MAKER’S DECISION REGARDING ME.

Romans 1:20 (NKJV)

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

With the Scripture right here, God has taken away one of the greatest excuses that mankind has ever had. “I didn’t know.” I made my plans dad to use the car because I did not know that you and mom were going to need the car over the weekend. I might tell my boss that I did not get done what you asked because I did not know how important that was. I might tell the bank approving my loan that I did not know that buying that new car months before I decided to buy the house would throw my lending ratios out of wack.