THE Seed From which Our Choices Grow;
Choices for Eternity
Choices – are important
The choices we make on a daily basis shows what type of character we have
The reasons we make the choices shapes our character.
Choices are born from the principles we embrace.
The philosophy of our lives dictates the direction of our choices.
People in the bible who made choices and the bases for these choices
Objective: Let God’s kingdom be priority in our lives and our choices will reflect it.
Everyday we make choices, simple choices:
Watch a movie or not
Stay or leave
Drive faster or Drive slower or even continue to drive at the speed you’re driving at.
Walk away or fight.
Each of these decisions say a little bit about us and each one of them is tied to an underlying seed which informs our choices.
There was a little Canadian bird who decided not to fly south for the winter. “If other animals can stay,” he reasoned, “why can’t I.” Against the better advise of his elders the little bird stubbornly decided to stay.
Very soon, however, he realized his mistake. The winter cold arrived with such force that the little bird had to fly south. But things didn’t turn out well. During the flight, a freezing rain began to fall, and the little bird’s wings started to freeze. A moment later, the little bird crashed into a grain elevator.
No sooner had the little bird fallen down to the ground, when a cow emptied her intestines all over him. Disgusted, he complained, “This is all I need! I’m freezing to death in this strange place, and now this!” He was resigned to die, when after several minutes, he discovered that his body was warming. The heat of the manure was melting his frozen wings, and the little bird began singing with happiness.
What the little bird didn’t imagine was that his song would attract the local farm cat, “Isn’t that the song of a little bird?” asked the cat, surprised, “I thought all of them had flown south.” The cat went to confirm his suspicions, and sure enough, there was the little bird! The cat carefully cleaned the cow manure off the little bird, and then he ate it.
This bird was ruled by the “I principle”. He was stubborn and rebellious. Out of this seed was born his choice to stay. As expected he reaped the consequences of his decision. Every decision has consequences whether they be good or bad.
The choices that you make can cause you your life.
Prayer
The choices that we make each day reflect our character.
They do not determine our character.
The principle which govern our choices;
The seed from which our choices grow ;
The principles which we embrace;
The philosophy on which we run our lives;
These are the things which shape our character
These are the things which determine our final destiny!
Let us turn in our bibles to Matt. 7: 21-23
Mat. 7: 21-29 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
There is something wrong with this picture. Jesus says in one breath Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Then in another he says that many will confess that they have done many wonderful works, they have cast out devils and prophesied but yet he will tell them I never knew you!
Isn’t this, what the Father would have us to do, cast out demons and do many wonderful works in his name? Yet these are cast out and the works are called works of iniquity!!
What is wrong with this picture?
Once upon a time God sent Samuel to anoint him king of the sons of Jesse. And as he looked upon Jesse’s sons it is reported 1Sam. 16:6,7… he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’S anointed is before him. 7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Again when God called the Israelite to give gifts for the building of the sanctuary he asked of those who was of “a willing heart.”
God’s focus is on the heart.
You can come to church and sing joyfully,
pray with the tongues of angels and be in the field from morning to night
if you are doing it for the wrong reason then it is in vain.
Paul expressed it succinctly in 1 Corinth. 13:1-3
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity,
I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries,
and all knowledge;
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
and have not charity,
I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Some people do good things to impress people,
to become known;
to feel good about themselves;
to further their agenda.
They total interest is themselves. They are heading for destruction. Jesus went on to illustrate this in verses 24 to 29 of chapter 7
The only way to obtain Gods accreditation is to have our actions spring out of the Word of God.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
What words are Jesus is speaking about? Jesus was at this time giving the principles by which persons should live by; The principle which should undergird their decisions.
He was moving the people from a religion of show to a religion of meaning;
From a religion of self to one of selflessness.
Jesus was admonishing the people to do good but not for the praise of men but for the glory of God. In Matt. 5: 16
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
One of the main principles of God’s Kingdom is that He comes first. All glory belongs to him. The works that we do must not be for our own personal glory but for the glory of God.
The man who builds his house upon the rock is the one who has incorporated the word of God into his philosophy of life. His first priority in life is the Kingdom of God. Jesus said in Matt. 6:33
3But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The betterment of God’s kingdom must be top priority in our lives. When we have incorporated the love of God in our hearts to the extent where our decisions are based on whether the outcome will bring glory to God’s kingdom or not then we know that we are being transformed. This change can only occur, however, if we meditate on the word of God on a daily basis.
Paul admonishes us in Rom. 12:2
2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Our minds must be transformed;
The root from which our thoughts spring
The Fountain from which our motives are produced
The foundation of our philosophy of life
The well from which our choices are made
Must all be centered in the Word of God.
The “I “ mentality must be change to the “God” mentality; to the “Jesus” mentality.
When we build our philosophy on the Word of God and we place in our memories its precious sayings then from it will spring choices which will reflect the character of God.
We will rejoice when persecuted for righteousness sake
We will forgive when offended
We will give sacrificially without looking for a reward
We will walk with humbled hearts and not for the applause of men
We will trust in God to provide our daily needs and avoid being filled with anxiety.
We will never get weary in doing good.
We will overcome the frustration which seeks to overwhelm us when doing God’s work. Because we know it is for God and not for man.
We can only succeed in accomplishing these when the principles from which our choices arise are grounded in the Word.
Thus when the winds of illness assail us we would not despair but like Job we would declare 15Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: (Job 13:15) . When tempest of temptation beset us and seeks to pull us down we can like Joseph say how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Gen. 39:9
When troubles weigh us down and we figure there is no way to turn. When we pray to God and it seems that he has not heard us. When the devil whispers in our ears that he does not love us we will remember Rom. 8:35-39 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When the waves of death is about to engulf us we would like Paul declare with confidence 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Tim. 4:7, 8
We can shout aloud 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Cor. 15:55
Thus our house will remain standing because it is built on the solid rock of Jesus’ word
But the man who built his house on the sand is quite different. The adversities of life will cause him to despair and lose heart. His principles will change according to the situation. Like the seed which fell amongst thorns his interest in Godly things will decrease as temptations and troubles of this life increases. Eventually his house will fall because he did not build on a solid foundation. His principles were not established in the truth, his choices which he made were flawed because they arose out of error.
The Psalmist adequate depicts the two types of person in Psalm one
Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither
; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Perhaps you have not been building your life on the Principles of Jesus Christ. Perhaps you have been making your choices based on the principles laid down by the world “Me first any one after.” The “I”Syndrome mentality and you would like to change. If it is your desire to build on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, then please stand.
