Note: This message was inspired by Cast of Characters by Max Lucado. Published by Thomas Nelson. Some of the notes are mine and yet the basic outline and thoughts are from this book. Makes a great message about making choices in our life.
Title: Choices
Theme: To show that we all have a choice and it is part of God’s plan.
Text: Luke 22:32 – 33, 39 – 43
Luke 23:32-33 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. (33) Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there—Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.
39-43 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you're at it!" 40 But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you are dying? 41 We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." 43 And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."
Opening Illustration (verified as authentic)
I want to introduce you to Edwin Thomas, a master of the stage. During the latter half of the 1800s, this small man with the huge voice had few rivals. Debuting in Richard III at the age of 15, he quickly established himself as a premier Shakespearean actor. In New York he performed Hamlet for 100 consecutive nights. In London he won the approval of the tough British critics. When it came to tragedy on the stage, Edwin Thomas was in a select group.
When it came to tragedy in life, the same could be said as well. Edwin had two brothers, John and Junius. Both were actors, although neither rose to his stature. In 1863, the three siblings united their talents to perform Julius Caesar. The fact that Edwin’s brother John took the role of Brutus was an eerie sign (omen) of what awaited the brothers—and the nation—two years hence.
For this John who played the assassin in Julius Caesar is the same John who took the role of assassin in Ford’s Theatre. On a crisp April night in 1865, he stole quietly into the rear of a box in the Washington theater and fired a bullet at the head of Abraham Lincoln. Yes, the last name of the brothers was Booth—Edwin Thomas Booth and John Wilkes Booth.
Edwin was never the same after that night. Shame from his brother’s crime drove him into retirement. He might never have returned to the stage had it not been for a twist of fate at a New Jersey train station. Edwin was awaiting his coach when a well-dressed young man, pressed by the crowd, lost his footing and fell between the platform and a moving train. Without hesitation, Edwin locked a leg around a railing, grabbed the man, and pulled him to safety. After the sighs of relief, the young man recognized the famous Edwin Booth.
Edwin, however, didn't recognize the young man he’d rescued. That knowledge came weeks later in a letter, a letter he carried in his pocket to the grave. A letter from General Adams Budeau, chief secretary to General Ulysses S. Grant. A letter thanking Edwin Booth for saving the life of the child of an American hero, Abraham Lincoln.
How ironic that while one brother killed the president, the other brother saved the president’s son. The boy Edwin Booth yanked to safety? Robert Todd Lincoln.
Edwin and James Booth. Same father, mother, profession and passion—yet one chooses life, the other, death. How could it happen? I don’t know, but it does. Though their story is dramatic, it’s not unique.
Men in the Bible who had choices
From the very beginning we see this in the first family of Adam and Eve who had two sons named Abel and Cain.
Abel and Cain, both sons of Adam. Abel chooses God. Cain chooses murder. And God lets him.
This idea of choice continues on in another family that the Lord calls to leave the Ur of Chaldeans and follow His vision of a better land. The first family of Israel.
Abraham and Lot, both pilgrims in Canaan. Abraham chooses God. Lot chooses Sodom.
David and Saul, both kings of Israel. David chooses God. Saul chooses power.
The final reminder of the this choice is found in the area of betrayal. The ghastly sin of denying Christ.
Peter and Judas, both deny their Lord. Peter seeks mercy. Judas seeks death.
We often times focus on Judas and his betrayal during this season. He sold his Savior for 30 pieces of silver and later hung himself. We forget about Peter who did the same thing. Why? Because one made the choice to turn back.
God Lets Us Make Choices
In every age of history, on every page of Scripture, the truth is revealed: God allows us to make our own choices. And no one delineates this more clearly than Jesus. According to Him, we can choose:
• a narrow gate or a wide gate (Matt. 7:13-14)
• a narrow road or a wide road (Matt. 7:13-14)
• the big crowd or the small crowd (Matt. 7:13-14)
We can choose to:
• build on rock or sand (Matt. 7:24-27)
• serve God or riches (Matt. 6:24)
• be numbered among the sheep or the goats (Matt. 25:32-33)
This is where we struggle in parenting often times First not given our children a choice and second not given them responsibility to make that choice. So we go through life always trying to make the choice for them.
Three Crosses
As you look at the crosses behind me I want you to notice a few things about them First there are three. Two criminals on one side and Jesus in the middle. Why Jesus is in the middle is significant, it seems because Jesus is always in the middle of our choices.
The two criminals have so much in common. Convicted by the same system. Condemned to the same death. Surrounded by the same crowd. Equally close to the same Jesus. In fact, they begin with the same sarcasm: “The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus” (Matthew 27:44, CEV). Both mocked him. Both in anger and pride went along with the crowd and question His decision to go to the cross. In fact questioning God’s decision to put him there. But one changed.
One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself and us.” But the other criminal stopped him and said, “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:39-43). A statement of faith and belief in the Savior.
IOW “I trust you Jesus that you are the Messiah and when you establish your plans and kingdom I want to be with you. Take me with you. Jesus said on this day you will be right with me. You will be by my side.”
God uses different messages at different times to get our attention. There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as He honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.
The problem comes when we chose to ignore his calling. He calls and calls until finally his listens to our own desire to chose our own eternity our own way.
Some things in life we have no choice for
And what an honor it is! In so many areas of life we have no choice. Think about it. You didn't choose your gender. You didn’t choose your siblings. You didn’t choose your race or place of birth. As the saying goes, “You can chose your friends but you can’t chose your family”
Adam, Eve & the Tree of Life
All complaints were silenced when Adam and his descendants were given free will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next.
Wouldn't you agree? Would you have wanted otherwise? Would you have preferred the opposite? You choose everything in this life, and He chooses where you spend the next? You choose the size of your nose, the color of your hair, and your DNA structure, and He chooses where you spend eternity? Is that what you would prefer?
Have we been given any greater privilege than that of choice? Not only does this privilege offset any injustice, the gift of free will can offset any mistakes.
Think about the thief who repented. Though we know little about him, we know this: He made some bad mistakes in life. He chose the wrong crowd, the wrong morals, the wrong behavior. But would you consider his life a waste? Is he spending eternity reaping the fruit of all the bad choices he made? No, just the opposite. He is enjoying the fruit of the one good choice he made. In the end all his bad choices were redeemed by a solitary good one.
Conclusion
You've made some bad choices in life, haven’t you? You’ve chosen the wrong friends, maybe the wrong career, even the wrong spouse. You look back over your life and say, “If only...if only I could make up for those bad choices.” You can. One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth.
The choice is yours. Is it that simple? Yes. We get to chose. It is our choice. What power. What authority. What responsibility.
How can two brothers be born of the same mother, grow up in the same home, and one choose life and the other choose death? I don’t know, but they do.
How could two men see the same Jesus and one choose to mock Him and the other choose to pray to Him? I don’t know, but they did. And when one prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him. And when the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him.
He allowed him the choice.
He does the same for you.
Other areas we get to chose in:
• Our attitude
• Our values
• Our desires
