I. Introduction
A. Read Rom. 6:6-14
B. "Are YOU an Instrument or an Ornament?"
C. Every day we must make choices; Choices that effect us and others in our lives.
D. God has made us "Free Moral Agents" in that He allows us the freedom to Choose.
E. With the Freedom of Choice also comes Responsibility!
F. We make choices that often affects us our entire lives; whether good or bad.
G. The older you get, the more important these choices become.
H. Somebody once said, "You know you’re getting older when….."
1. You bend over to pick something up & wonder if there is anything else you can get while you’re down there.
2. Your knees buckle, but your belt won’t.
3. Your back goes out more than you do.
4. You help a rather attractive but old gray-haired lady across the street, then you realize that she’s your wife! (oops!)
I. Paul stresses the importance of Choice in Rom. 6:12-13.
J. If we are truly born-again, then we must make Choices that affect
our Christian Testimony every day!
II. Purpose of Salvation
A. What is the Purpose of Salvation??? Too often we have the idea of what salvation is all about. We are so egotistical and self-centered. We think God owes us something!
B. Rom. 8:28 - "And we know that all things work…..who are called according to HIS Purpose!" Did YOU SEE Whose Purpose???
C. 1 Cor. 1:1 - "Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the Will of God…." Did YOU SEE Whose Will???
D. God has a Purpose & Will (aim; intent; objective; desired end) in the salvation of mankind.
E. It is true that God is longsuffering toward usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance; However, God has a Purpose & Will that He desires accomplished through it.
F. Eph. 2:1-10 - READ
G. Did YOU SEE the Purpose??? vs. 7; 10
H. Salvation is for the Glory of God (vs. 7); We are to be His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS (vs. 10).
I. Furthermore, we have been "CREATED (made; formed) & ORDAINED (blue-printed; poeima)" that we should walk in them.
J. The Choices we make as believers therefore have an affect on how God’s purpose of salvation in our lives is fulfilled.
III. Choices We Make in Our Lives
A. We Choose the Kind of Name We Have
1. Prov. 22:1 - "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches."
2. Discuss how choices affect reputation.
B. We Choose the People We Associate With
1. Heb. 11:24-25- Moses chose not to associate with the Pharaoh but rather to suffer the afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
2. Discuss how some would rather go along with the crowd.
C. We Choose Whether to Be Saved or Not
1. Matt. 16:13- "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
2. Matt. 22:42- "What think ye of Christ?"
3. John 5:6- "Wilt thou be made whole?"
4. Salvation is personal!
D. We Also Choose Whom We Will Serve
1. Josh. 24:15 - "Choose you this day whom you will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
2. Paul teaches us that we should Choose to Be Instruments of Righteousness rather than Ornaments of Emptiness!!
3. An ornament is something to be looked at; something that brings attention to itself.
4. An instrument is a TOOL that has a purpose; it is used by its master to achieve a purpose, aim, goal, or intent.
IV. Example of Making Bad Choices (Gen. 13:7-13)
A. Lot was the nephew of Abraham; He had been reared by Abraham and it is evident that Abraham taught him godliness.
B. Statistics reveal most children "conform to their parents"; but 9 out of 10 teenagers "conform to their peers"!
C. All throughout we find choices playing an important role.
D. 3 Aspects of the Choices of Lot (Gen. 13:7-13)
1. Lot’s Choice Involved Sight (vs. 10)
a. Lot chose the land that LOOKED best to him.
b. Lot never considered his godly uncle, just himself.
c. Lot never consulted God in Prayer; he practiced humanism:
d. 5 Points of Humanism - Atheism; Evolution; Amorality (nothing right nor wrong; no absolutes); Man controls his/her own destiny; & Need for One World Government.
2. Lot’s Choice Invited Sin (vs. 10-13)
a. It is always dangerous to leave God out of our Choices.
b. Sinners don’t need a second chance - they need a Savior.
c. Lot didn’t intend to backslide into deep dark sin; he happened gradually.
d. It began when he left God out of the Choice; then Lot did something else - He Lifted Up His Eyes; He CHOSE the Plain of Jordan; He Separated Himself from his godly family; He Pitched His Tent toward Sodom.
e. Nothing seems to be all that bad at this point - Right???
f. vs. 13 - "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly."
g. Gen. 14:12 - Lot LOOKED; He PITCHED; He DWELT
h. 2 Peter 2:6-8 - Describes what happened to Lot after he made such bad choices - vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.
3. Lot’s Choice Included Sorrow (Gen. 19)
a. Lot lost his burden for souls - Not even 10 righteous people found in the city where he was. (18:32)
b. Lot lost his decency - (19:8) Offered his own daughters to the homosexual men of Sodom.
c. Lot lost his testimony - (19:14) His own sons-in-law mocked him.
d. Lot lost his family - (19:26) His wife came out of Sodom, but Sodom was still in her; Later on his own daughters get him drunk and lay with him bearing two enemies of Israel-Moab (Moabites) & Ben-ammi (Ammonites).
e. Lot lost his JOY!
V. Conclusion
A. All of Lot’s problems were a result of making bad choices in regard to God.
B. Illustration - Woman told her unsaved friend after attempting to win the friend to the Lord - There is only one letter of the alphabet that separates us….I Love the WORD while You Love the WORLD!
C. What do love the most today?? Do you love the world or the Word of God???
D. We could have talked about many others in the Bible who made bad spiritual choices:
1. Adam & Eve chose to disobey God
2. Cain chose to offer a sacrifice unacceptable to God
3. David chose to commit adultery with Bath-sheba
4. Judas chose to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
5. Pilate chose to allow Jesus to be crucified
6. The Jews chose to set Barabas free instead of Jesus
7. Felix chose to wait until some more convenient season
8. Rich man chose to live life without God and woke up in hell
E. What choice will you make sinner friend???
F. What choices will you make Christian friend???
G. The Choices are YOURS to make!
