Introduction
When I got my driver’s license as a teenager, my parents did not automatically buy me a car like parents do today. So, I would make some decisions with my friends what we wanted to do over the weekend, and then I would have to go to my dad and ask him if I could borrow the family car. He was the final decision; what he said goes.
When Anne and I picked out the first home that we wanted to purchase, we knew that was the house we wanted when we walked in, and so we made the decision to go for it and signed the purchase agreement. But we had to go to the bank and give them all of our financial information, and then we had to wait for someone we did not know to make the final decision. What he or she said was going to be the final decision if we got the house or not.
And I learned it was not much different in the business world. I would make some decision about what I planned to get done at work that day, but then sometimes my boss would come to me and say: put everything you are doing on hold; we got to get this done immediately. I made decisions about my activities for the day, but my boss was the final decision, what he said goes.
And so, what I learned through these experiences is that it is good to be able to make decisions; I don’t want to be one of those people who are unable to decide; but I need to know that there is usually someone over me that makes the final decision.
And then in August 1976, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and my spiritual eyes were open. And one of the things that I discovered as I began to read my Bible and walked my spiritual journey is that there is another layer of final decisions over that initial layer. In other words, what I am trying to say is Jesus is the final, final decision. When it is all said and done, He makes the final call; He makes the final decision and what He says goes. I can make a decision; someone can make a final decision about my decision, but you got to recognize that Jesus will ultimately make the final, final decision.
And so, in our passage of Scripture today, Joel is telling the people of Israel: wake up, Jesus is the final, final decision and everyone will stand before Jesus as He gives that final, final decision about your life. You have a free will to make decisions about how you chose to live your life; whether you want to accept Christ as your Savior or not; whether you want to live your life daily for Him or not, but you need to understand that you are not the final, final decision maker. So, let’s read our Scripture then make some comments as to how to align our lives to agree with the One who will make the final, final decision.
Scripture
Joel 3:1-2 (NKJV)
1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Jehoshaphat means God has judged; God has made the final, final decision.)
Joel 3:14 (NKJV)
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (It is another way of saying no one has missed the final, final decision that Christ will make about their life. Make no mistake about this: Jesus will make a final, final decision about each one of our lives.)
So, how do I line up my choice to be in sync with the One who makes the Final, Final choice. That is what we are going to answer today.
Points
#1
GOD TELLS ME THAT I KNOW ENOUGH IN ORDER TO ALIGN MY DECISION ABOUT THE WAY I LIVE MY LIFE WITH THE FINAL, FINAL DECISION MAKER’S DECISION REGARDING ME.
Romans 1:20 (NKJV)
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
With the Scripture right here, God has taken away one of the greatest excuses that mankind has ever had. “I didn’t know.” I made my plans dad to use the car because I did not know that you and mom were going to need the car over the weekend. I might tell my boss that I did not get done what you asked because I did not know how important that was. I might tell the bank approving my loan that I did not know that buying that new car months before I decided to buy the house would throw my lending ratios out of wack.
And neither can I stand before Christ at my death and tell Him that I did not know that my decisions about how I was living my life was going to affect your final, final decision about whether I spend eternity in heaven or hell. And Jesus response is going to be to everyone who tries to use that excuse that you knew enough.
#2
GOD TELLS ME THAT I HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO ALIGN MY DECISION ABOUT THE WAY I LIVE MY LIFE WITH THE FINAL, FINAL DECISION CHRIST WILL MAKE REGARDING ME.
Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
1 Kings 18:20-21 (NKJV)
20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.
With these two Scripture right here, I am told it is in my hands to decide if I want to align my life with God or to do my own thing. When Jesus arose from that grave on Resurrection Sunday, He gave me the power to make that choice. He hopes I make the choice to follow Him; but I am free to make any choice I want.
And let me make sure you understand what that means. Your mom and dad might be good Christian people, but they cannot make that choice for you. Joshua was pretty specific: “chose for yourself this day.” And Elijah was pretty specific: “If God be God then follow Him.” Your praying grandma cannot pray you into heaven. Her prayers may move God to put you in situations where you might be given the opportunity to choose to follow Him, but you alone have the power to make that choice. You cannot stand before Christ on the Judgment Day, and say I thought my parents, or I thought my grandma took care of that for me. Parents and Grandparents take care of a lot of their kids’ stuff today, but they cannot take care of their salvation.
And you cannot use the excuse I did not want to make the wrong decision, so I made no decision at all. And there are people who have what I call “paralyses of making a decision;” they cannot make one. There is one in the book of Acts who makes no decision.
Acts 26:28 (NKJV)
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
Agrippa says Paul almost convinced me to become a Christian, but I made no decision. But what Agrippa didn’t say is just as important. Agrippa didn’t say that I am more convinced now having listened to you that following the roman gods are the way to go. What he just said I did not decide.
When you stand before Jesus, He is going to tell you that you had the power to make the right decision, so the wrong decision or no decision is not an excuse. That is why one of the goals of every message Bro Greg and I preach is to have you walking out of here having made some decision.
#3
GOD TELLS ME THAT SINCE I KNEW ENOUGH TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION AND BECAUSE I HAD THE POWER TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION THAT WHEN THE FINAL, FINAL DECISION IS MADE BY CHRIST, IT IS ALL ON YOU.
Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
It comes down to this. You can make your own choice about your life (that is called freewill) but understand the One who makes the final, final chose will make sure that you will receive your reward or punishment based upon your choice. The One who makes the final, final choice says if you chose to live to something other than God: corruption. The One who makes the final, final choice says if you chose to live to God: eternal life.
So, what this tells me is that when you make your choice- the final, final decision made by Christ will be to make sure that the consequences go along with the choice you had made.
So, no one can say if they are sent to eternal hell that Christ did this to me. What is going to be terrible for those in hell is to know that they did this to themselves. To me, know that I put myself there will be just as bad as the fire. (You know how we beat ourselves up when we do something stupid. Well, the person who put themselves in hell, did the stupidest thing that they can do.)
Conclusion
If I don’t remember anything else about this sermon. Remember this: there is One, His name is Jesus who is going to make the final, final decision.
Let us pray!
