Choosing Life Not Death. Real God, Real People Part 4 Series

Choosing Life Not Death Part 4

Real God, Real people

We’re going to be wrapping up our stewardship month today. We have seen that , Making a decision to choose God or putting God first in our lives is a decision to choose life, and it positions us to receive His Blessings.

Deuteronomy 30:19

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

As good Stewards, when we put God first in our lives, it’s truly amazing how things just seem to come together.

Stewardship > the management of my God-given resources for His glory, and the good of others. The use of our time, talent and treasure wisely for His glory.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

5 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.

6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. 7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

God is saying so clearly to us. TRUST HIM. He is greater than this worlds system. We’re not saying we’re not to be involved with the world. We’re saying trust Him.

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

I would like Scott & Brandy to come up and just share, that when they made a decision to put God 1st in their Time, Talents and Treasure how things have turn around.

We also have to understand, that for us Christian’s the curse has been removed by Jesus Christ, and so I don’t have to live under it anymore. But again it takes a decision in my life. I could continue to live the low life, or I can say, AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

Proverbs 26:2

2 Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.

Proverbs 26:2 (MSG)

2 You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow.

Why is that? Because we as Christian are not under the Curse anymore. Jesus removed it for us. PTL.

Galatians 3:13-14

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Did this happen to people in the Old Testament also.

Joshua 2:1-21 Rehab was slated to be killed in Jericho. She was under the curse, but she made a decision to believe in the one true God and because of that a Blessing came. Instead of Death, Life came. Because of her faith, her choice or decision, and I believe Stewardship. She gave of her Time, Talent, and treasure, she was greatly rewarded.

James 2:25

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

Hebrews 11:31

31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

The amazing thing is that because of her faith, an ex- prostitute was place in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Matthew 1:5

5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

Don’t tell me that God can’t turn things around for us.

How about Ruth, I just saw her name there in genealogy of Jesus also.

Ruth 1:14-18

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.