Determined Decisions
Selected Passages
December 30, 2007
Morning Service
Parts of this message are adapted from the Decision Making devotional included in John Maxwell’s One Hour with God.
Former president Ronald Reagan once had an aunt who took him to a cobbler for a pair of new shoes. The cobbler asked young Reagan, "Do you want square toes or round toes?" Unable to decide, Reagan didn’t answer, so the cobbler gave him a few days. Several days later the cobbler saw Reagan on the street and asked him again what kind of toes he wanted on his shoes. Reagan still couldn’t decide, so the shoemaker replied, "Well, come by in a couple of days. Your shoes will be ready." When the future president did so, he found one square-toed and one round-toed shoe! "This will teach you to never let people make decisions for you," the cobbler said to his indecisive customer. "I learned right then and there," Reagan said later, "if you don’t make your own decisions, someone else will."
Decisions are made even when we think that we aren’t making them. We decide not to decide. The truth of the matter is simple, we cannot choose not to decide.
One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt
A few days after Christmas, people start thinking about making resolutions for the upcoming New Year. They start thinking about things that need changing in their lives and seeing some difference in their routines. These resolutions are nothing more than determined decisions. Decisions that help move us forward in making positive changes to our lives.
We make decisions each and every day. Many times they are decisions that may not be big but they effect us all the same. Often we make them without even really thinking about them.
• What we are going to wear
• When we are going to get up in the morning
• Where we are going and how we are going to get there
Many times we are misguided by misconceptions about making good decisions. Let’s take a few moments to examine some of the misconceptions about making good decisions.
Misconceptions about good decisions
Good decisions are always made quickly
There has never been a good decision made in a moment. There is no such thing as a good decision made quickly. Often quick decisions, that turn out well, are made based on the foundation of good decision making. Making good decisions take time and effort.
Good decisions involve only ourselves
Many times decisions are made involve other people. The decisions that you make will affect those that are around you. When you make a personal decision, it affects your family. When you make a professional decision, it affects those who work with you. When you make spiritual decisions, it affects the church family around you.
Good decisions are reached without pressure
Many times we think that good decisions are ones that don’t involve any kind of pressure. Every good decision I have ever made, had some degree of pressure to it. This is especially true of the church. Every decision made in the church effects people not only here but perhaps in eternity. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard certain decisions could not be reached because someone would get upset. If the church has to consult everyone before every decision is made we start following the will of members instead of the will of God.
Good decisions are reached without the input of others
Good decisions are made with the input of those others. When we make decisions there is a need to see how this will impact others. If decisions are made that create changes, those being effected by the changes should be consulted. For example: If there is a decision being made to change the time of Sunday School, the Sunday School teachers should be informed.
This is especially true of spiritual decisions. We can never make a good spiritual decision without the input of God. We gain God’s input through scripture, prayer, worship and Bible study.
Good decisions are never cause disagreement
There is no statement more wrong than this. There are times when good decisions have to be made that some people will not like. That is a simple fact of life. We do not make decisions to please those around us, we make decisions to please Christ.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
All of this leads me to a couple of basic questions: If we are disciples of Jesus, shouldn’t we want to make decisions the way that He did? Of course! How did Jesus make decisions?
Jesus fixed His life on His mission and purpose
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38
Jesus may not have asked this question but it fits: How does this decision line up with my mission and purpose for life? The important thing to understand here is that we can never make good decisions until we know what our mission and purpose are. We cannot make good decisions until we understand the assignment that God has for our lives and for the life of the church.
What are some things that God wants for every person?
1.) Relationship
The desire of God is for every person to have a personal and dynamic relationship with Him. In fact, we were created to have a relationship with God. God made us so that we could know Him.
2.) Service
If we are really following Jesus, we will want to serve Him. It is the desire of those who know Christ to serve Him. Serving Jesus is not this massive, mystical thing. There are so many opportunities to serve Jesus in the church, we can’t count them all. Here are a few examples that might not come to mind: ushering, greeting, and so on. Anything that you do for the church and for Christ is serving Him.
3.) Worship
God desires that His people would give Him worship. Worship is simply our acknowledging who God is and what He has done for us.
What mission has God laid out for your life?
Jesus looked to the scriptures
`Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ " Matthew 4:4
When Jesus was being tempted by Satan, He answered by showing His reliance on scripture. Jesus was intent on doing the work of the Father by standing on the promises found in scripture. Jesus never made a decision based on human reason and intellect. Jesus made His decisions based on the foundation of scripture.
Why did Jesus do this? Scripture brings us God’s answers to the human questions of life. Scripture provides clarity in the midst of the confusion of life. Too many times we listen to many different voices in life and not nearly enough to God.
Most of the troubles that we face come either directly or indirectly from not following the example of God’s word.
Jesus focused on the needs of others
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
Jesus helped others before He did things for Himself. To say that Jesus was others focused would be an understatement. Every moment that Jesus lived, He was focused on the needs of others.
There had to have been times when people took advantage of Jesus. Think how hard that had to have been for Him. These were people that Jesus genuinely loved and cared for used Him for nothing more than they could get from Him. We never see Jesus become bitter or hold resentment toward anyone.
Even on the cross Jesus was concerned about others. Jesus reached out to the criminal on the cross next to Him and asked for God to forgive those who crucified Him. We need to remember that no one took Christ’s life. Jesus willingly gave His life as a ransom for us all. Jesus gave Himself for us.
Jesus followed the will of God
Jesus did what God wanted even when it was difficult. Jesus followed the will of the Father and gave His life on Golgotha. Before He did this, Jesus spent an agonizing time in prayer in Gethsemane. The essence of His prayer was to do the will of God and to have the strength to complete the mission. Jesus surrendered His will to the will of the Father.
Jesus not only knew the will of God but He also obeyed it. We will never know the will of God for our lives until we surrender our will to Him.
Jesus faithfully prayed
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
One of the realities of the earthly ministry of Jesus was His prayer life. Luke tells us that prayer was a major part of who Jesus was and the model He laid for us to follow. Throughout the course of His ministry Jesus prayed before major decisions or events.
One of the best examples was the night before He chose the apostles. Luke records the events in a specific sequence. Jesus left the group and went to a mountainside to pray. Jesus spent the night in prayer and then came and chose the apostles. How often do we make decisions without basing them in prayer? How often do we truly seek the direction of God before we take action?
Jesus made His decisions with the guidance of God through seeking Him in prayer. Many times I have heard Christians say that there are decisions they can make without God. If Jesus needed the direction and leading of God, so do we. If Jesus needed to pray, so do we.
Conclusion
During World War II Winston Churchill was faced with an agonizing decision. The British military reached a major strategic breakthrough by deciphering the German military codes. These codes would make the Germans vulnerable to attack by the British. This would be a major advantage but there was a problem. When the code was broken, the British learned that the Germans were going to bomb Coventry.
Here is the decision that Churchill faced. He could evacuate Coventry, saving hundreds of lives, and let the Germans know that their codes had been broken. He could allow the bombing of Coventry to continue without evacuation, so the Germans would continue to use their broken codes and save even more lives. Churchill decided to allow the bombing of Coventry to proceed and use the code against the Germans.
Questions to ask before making major decisions
How does this decision line up with my mission and purpose for life? How does this help me achieve my mission in life or fulfill my purpose in life?
What does the Bible tell me about this decision?
Is this decision based on myself or is it focused on others?
Have I sought the will of God in this decision?
Have I spent time in prayer to seek God’s guidance in this decision?
