A 32-year-old man was just appointed president of the bank he worked for. He never dreamed of being president, and certainly not at such a young age, so he was a bit intimidated. He sought the advice of his gray-haired predecessor: “Sir, what has been the secret of your success?”
The old man responded, “Two words: right decisions.”
“That’s really helpful, and I appreciate it,” the young man replied. But he was hoping for a bit more help than that, so he ventured on. “Can you be more specific?” he asked. “How do I make right decisions?”
The wise, old man simply responded – “One word: experience.”
Well, that thoroughly frustrated the young executive. “That’s just the point of my being here,” he said. “I don’t have the kind of experience I need. How do I get it?”
The old man smiled. “Two words,” he said: “wrong decisions.” (Ted W. Engstrom and Edward R. Dayton, editors, “Murphy’s Law,” Christian Leadership Letter, February, 1981, p.1; www.PreachingToday.com)
We learn a lot through our mistakes, don’t we? We learn a lot through wrong decisions, but it doesn’t have to be that way especially for the child of God.
We, as believers in Christ, have supernatural resources. We have spiritual assets that can help us make the right decisions no matter what our experience has been. All we have to do is utilize those assets, and God will lead us down the right path. You say, Phil…
What are those supernatural resources? What are those spiritual assets that will help me make the right decisions in life. Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Acts 1, Acts 1, where the first church is faced with its very first decision. They cannot draw on years of experience, so they draw on the supernatural resources they have available to them. Look at it.
Acts 1:15-26 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (ESV)
The first decision of the first church was a leadership decision, and it was a very important decision since leadership can make or break an organization, especially one that’s just getting started.
So how did the first church make that decision? From what spiritual resources did they draw to make the right decision? Well, did you notice, the first words out of Peter’s mouth were, “Brothers (vs.16), the Scripture had to be fulfilled.” And then he goes on to quote a couple of verses in the Psalms. Verse 20: “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it.’” That’s Psalm 69:25. “And, ‘Let another take his office.’” That’s Psalm 109:8.
Now, when you at these psalms, you see that they are talking about the enemies of Israel’s king. There is actually no direct reference to Judas at all. So how does Peter make the jump from the enemies of Israel’s king to Judas? It’s very simple. Judas was an enemy of Israel’s Primary King, Jesus. And as an enemy of Israel’s Primary King, Judas had to be treated the way Scripture says all enemies of Israel’s kings need to be treated.
Peter draws a principle from scripture, which applies across the board – in his own day, as well as in David’s day, 1,000 years earlier, when the Psalm was written. The principle he found in Scripture is this: the King’s enemy must be replaced.
Well, if they’re going to replace Judas as an apostle, then the man they choose to replace him must also be an apostle. He must be one, who, like the other apostles, was with Jesus the whole time from his baptism to his ascension (vs.21-22). That narrows their options down to two (vs.23): Joseph and Matthias.
By applying the principles of Scripture, Peter narrowed their choice of candidates from 120 to 2, and that’s what we need to do, when we have a decision to make. We need to use God’s Word to narrow the choice of options.
When we have to decide about who to marry, what car to buy, or who our next elder should be, we’re not going to find a verse in the Bible which says, “Marry Sandy,” “Buy a green Mercury Marquis, or “Appoint Dennis Corbett.” No. What we’re going to find are principles which apply, like “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” “Pay what you vow.” And “an overseer must be above reproach.” But these principles will greatly narrow our choice of options, and make the decision a lot easier to make.
God’s Word is the first spiritual resource we have to help us make the right decisions. So when you have a decision to make, any decision, first…
CONSULT THE BIBLE.
Find out what God has to say about it in His Word, and apply the principles of Scripture.
You see, too many Christians are waiting for a sign from God when God has made His will very clear in His Word. Christian comedian, Ken Davis, tells the story about such a man who waited for a “sign from God.” He got on an empty city bus, walked to the rear, and sat down.
“Lord”, he prayed, “if you want me to speak to someone about you, please give me a sign”.
At the next stop another passenger boarded the bus, went all the way to the back, and sat down right next to the Christian. The passenger asked the man, “Do you know anything about Jesus?”
The Christian excused himself for a moment and slowly bowed his head. Once again, he prayed, “Lord, if you really want me to talk to this stranger, I need just one more sign. Please turn the bus driver into an armadillo.” (Clare De Graaf, The 10-Second Rule, Howard Books, 2013, page 51; www.PreachingToday.com)
How many of us are praying for “armadillos”? How many of us are waiting for a sign from God, which we hope never really comes, because we have no intention of doing what we already know He wants us to do. He has made many things very clear in His Word; but if you’re not really serious about following Christ, you look for signs instead of looking into His Word.
Many of you, no doubt, have heard of the phrase, “turn a blind eye”, which means to ignore undesirable information. The phrase actually comes from a 19th century British naval battle.
On April 2, 1801, during the Battle of Copenhagen, the British fleet was attacking the combined navies of Denmark and Norway. Three British ships ran aground, so the admiral, Hyde Parker, decided that the fire of battle was “too hot for Nelson to oppose.” Parker sent an order, through signal flags, to the younger admiral Horatio Nelson that he should “Discontinue Action” and withdraw.
But when Nelson heard his own signalman relay the order, he pretended not to hear him. Mesmerized by the thrill of battle, Nelson had no intention of obeying the order. He turned to his captain and said, “This day may be the last for us at any moment,” even as a Danish cannonball struck his ship's mainmast, scattering splinters all around him.
Now, that was typical of Nelson's stubborn and aggressive approach to war. In fact, he'd already lost sight in his right eye in a previous battle. So when he was pressed again to respond to Parker's order, Nelson told his flag captain Thomas Foley, “You know, Foley, I only have one eye – I have the right to be blind sometimes,” and then Nelson held up his telescope to his right eye and said, “I really do not see the signal!” He had turned his blind eye to the signal. (Christopher Hibbert, Nelson: A Personal History, Basic Books, 1994, pp. 260-261; www.PreachingToday. com)
Sometimes, that’s the way we behave when we get a signal from God in His Word. Like Nelson, we have no intention of obeying the order, so we turn a blind eye to it. But that’s when our whole lives come crashing down around us.
I think of the girl who prayed on her wedding day: “Dear God. I can hardly believe that this is my wedding day. I know I haven’t been able to spend much time with You lately, with all the rush of getting ready for today, and I’m sorry. I guess, too, that I feel a little guilty when I try to pray about all this, since Larry still isn’t a Christian. But oh, Father, I love him so much, what else can I do? I just could give him up. Oh, You must save him, some way, somehow.
“You know how much I’ve prayed for him, and the way we’ve discussed the gospel together. I’ve tried not to appear to religious, I know, but that’s because I didn’t want to scare him off. Yet, he isn’t antagonistic and I can’t understand why he hasn’t responded. Oh, if only he were a Christian.
“Dear Father, please bless our marriage. I don’t want to disobey You, but I do love him and I want to be his wife, so please be with us, and please don’t spoil my wedding day.”
Do you know what she was really saying to God? “Lord, I know what your Word says about being ‘unequally yoked with unbelievers,’ but I have no intention of obeying you. If you don’t like it, then go bury your head in the sand, and please don’t spoil my plans.”
All too often, we make our own decisions and then ask God to bless our disobedience. That God cannot and will not do.
So when you have a decision to make, seek Him first. Consult the Bible. Find out what God has to say about it in His Word, and apply the principles of Scripture to your situation. And then…
PRAY.
Ask God to direct you. Ask God to guide you in the decision-making process. You see, in addition to the Word, we have prayer as a supernatural resource to help us make the right decisions.
It’s a resource upon which the first church relied. Verse 24 says, “And they prayed.” First, they consulted the Scripture. Then they prayed.
Acts 1:24-26 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (ESV)
The principles from God’s Word had narrowed their choices down to two men. Now, they needed God’s direction to choose the right one. So they prayed, and God directed the decision-making process. In this case, He directed through the casting of lots.
And that’s exactly what we must do, not cast lots, necessarily, but pray. Pray, trusting God to direct us in the decision-making process.
The fact is, this is the last time in the Bible that anyone casts lots. They did it throughout the OT to determine God’s will, and they do it here. But after the Holy Spirit comes upon every believer in the next chapter, there is no mention of casting lots ever again in the Bible.
Why? Because there is no more need for the casting of lots, after the Holy Spirit comes. Before this, the Holy Spirit did not live in every believer, but after this, He does. Romans 8 tells us that the Holy Spirit lives in and leads every believer.
Now, we don’t always follow His leading. We don’t always pay attention to what He’s telling us, but the Holy Spirit DOES guide us, if we choose to listen. All we need to do is ask.
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became pro baseball's first black player when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But there's an amazing story of faith and courage behind Robinson's entry into baseball.
Branch Rickey was the Dodger's baseball executive who eventually signed Jackie Robinson. Rickey's pastor was Wendell Fifield, from the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn. (This church had a history of working with the “underground railroad” to help free slaves.) While Rickey was trying to decide if he should sign Jackie Robinson, he paid a visit to Rev. Fifield. He barged into the pastor's study and told Fifield, “Don't let me interrupt. I just want to be here. Do you mind?”
According to an eyewitness report written by Fifield's wife, June, the two men passed the time without words. The pastor continued his work and Rickey energetically paced the floor, stopping occasionally to look at the pastor's window. For forty-five minutes he continued pacing, pausing, pacing, and then pausing. Finally, Rickey broke the silence by pounding his fist on the pastor's desk as he shouted, “I've got it!”
“Got what, Branch?” the pastor asked.
June Fifield said that Rickey finally relaxed on a chair and told his pastor, “This was so complex, fraught with so many pitfalls but filled with so much good, if it was right, that I just had to work it out in this room with you. I had to talk to God about it and be sure what he wanted me to do. I hope you don't mind.”
“Wendell,” he said, “I've decided to sign Jackie Robinson.” Then Rickey straightened his bow tie, put on his hat, and left the room as he said, “Bless you, Wendell.”
As word got out, a well-known journalist told Rickey that “all hell would break loose”. Rickey quietly countered, “I believe all heaven will rejoice.” (Jamie Crawford, “How church helped sign Jackie Robinson to Brooklyn Dodgers,” CNN, 4-14-11; www. PreachingToday.com)
He had settled it with God. Ricky knew what the Bible said – that “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). That was the biblical principle. He just had to work out the details in prayer; and when he did, he became so confident of God’s direction, he could withstand the onslaught of public opinion that slammed against him.
The same can be true for you and me. We can be confident of God’s direction if we consult the Bible and make it a matter of prayer. The Holy Spirit WILL guide us if we choose to listen!
But somebody says, “How?” How will the Holy Spirit guide me? Will He write it across the sky? Will He speak to me in an audible voice? Will He impress me with certain thoughts in my head? How will God show me what he wants me to do?
Well, I like the way Tim Stafford described God’s leading when he was talking to some students some time ago. This is what He had to say:
“I [used to think the Holy Spirit] lived in me like an apartment dweller. Somewhere down in my torso was a spiritual lower floor where the Spirit monitored my life. When I was doing something he didn’t like, he’d bang on the pipes to make me stop. When a decision had to be made, he’d relay his view over the intercom: ‘This is the Holy Spirit speaking. Take the job.’
“But,” Stafford continues, “the New Testament offers a different picture. It tells about the filling of the Holy Spirit. This is hard to conceive: God fills me. He fills everything – my words, my actions, my thoughts, my prayers. There is a union between us so that I am transformed. I am to live ‘in Him.’
“This has great implications for finding out what God wants. It means that I don’t have to distrust my own feelings and intuitions… In general, our feelings, our inclinations, and our ideas are God-given if the Spirit is really [filling] us. They are, in fact, the primary ways God wants to guide us, because they represent the union of our lives with his Spirit.” (Campus Life, May/June 1992; www.PreachingToday.com)
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” In other words, when we submit to God, our desires conform to His desires. And when His desires become our desires, then we know we have the desires of our heart. Then, and only then, we can move forward with confidence like Branch Rickey did when he signed Jackie Robinson.
My dear friends, when you have a decision to make, don’t go it alone. Instead, utilize the supernatural resources you have at your disposal as a child of God. Utilize your spiritual assets of the Word of God and prayer. First, apply the principles of Scripture to the decision, which will narrow your options. Then ask the Holy Spirit to direct your thinking, and trust Him to do it, as you choose one of those options.
I like the way Thomas Merton expressed it in a 15-line prayer found in his book, Thoughts in Solitude. It has become known as “the Merton Prayer”, and I think it is a good prayer to pray when we face difficult decisions. It goes like this:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
And the fact that I think I am following your will
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
Though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust you always
Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
And you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
(Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999, p. 79)
