It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the word of God in
the heart of his people today in Jesus' name.
This morning I will be sharing with us on a message title:
Choice
What is Choice?
Choice, according to a word dictionary, is an act of selecting or making a decision when faced
with two or more possibilities.
As we live our lives daily, we are faced with challenges which require us making a choice. Some
of us are in church today because we made a choice to be in church. We could have been
somewhere else. Our lives is a sum total of choices made at different time or the other.
“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.” Joshua 24:15(NKJV)
And a mixed multitude went up with them.” Exodus 12:38 (KJV)
“And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel
also wept again, and said, who shall give us flesh to eat? – Number 11:4 (KJV)
Joshua took time to remind the Israelites all the goodness of God in their lives. How God
delivered them from their enemies and gave them rest, cities they did not built, vineyard they did
not plant among other good things. He challenged them to make a choice of who they were going
to serve; however, despite the statement of commitment to serve the Lord, they did not follow
through with their commitment.
Mixed multitude …
When the Israelites left Egypt, the Bible recorded that a mixed multitude followed them. These
mixed multitudes later became a snare unto the children of Israel; they influenced the Israelites
to disobey God. The mixed multitude did not know the Lord; they were only motivated when
they saw miracles that God did in Egypt. Joshua was aware of the mixed multitude who are now
part of the nation of Israel, he called them to surrender their lives unto the God of heaven, to
serve him and not the foreign gods in their midst.
Today, we found out that, there are mixed multitudes who are drawn to the church because of the
miracles, signs, and wonders. In reality, they are not born again; they may have a form of
godliness but always deny the power thereof. They dress like a Christian, even sometimes speak
like Christians but have not had an encounter with Christ. I come to inform you like Joshua, you
have got to be saved to be safe. Repent; surrender your life to Christ. Repent ye therefore and be
thou converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from
the presence of the Lord - Acts 3:19. (NKJV)
Adam’s Choice
In Genesis chapter 3 we saw that God gave an express command vs4 “but the fruit of the tree
which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die. God gave them this instruction to test their loyalty and obedience to him. But they
chose to follow self to break God’s command. The consequence of their action was that “their
eyes were opened and they knew they were naked, they sewed fig leaves together and made
themselves aprons” they were naked before this incident yet were not ashamed because God’s
glory was their covering, when they broke God’s instruction, they were exposed, struggling to
cover their nakedness.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and
death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live -
Deut 30:19 (NKJV)
God has given us the freedom to choose life over death, I encourage you, brethren, to choose to
serve the living God in 2021 and be devoted to him. Enough of playing churches, if you want to
serve God, serve him.
Evaluation of people who made wrong choices
Lot’s wife: Jesus was warning his disciples never to look back when he said, remember Lot’s
wife. Who was Lot’s wife? The Bible did not reveal her name, but we can deduce she met her
husband in Sodom, probably born in Sodom. God has given them a rare opportunity to escape
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra at the time. Angels warned Lot and his family to escape
to the mountain and never to look back. But Lot’s wife doubted, she looked back, and she became
a pillar of salt. She did not make it. She made a wrong choice. Charles Templeton cited
Remember Lot’s wife indicates that the story is not a fiction; names and places were mentioned
to authenticate that the event actually happened to warn everyone that looking back should never
be an option “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back,
is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
“For yet a little while And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.38 Now the just
shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we
are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the
soul.” Heb. 10:37-39
“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Cor. 10:11
Rich man’s wrong choice Luke 12:16-21(NKJV)
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man
yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I
have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns
and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to
my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink,
and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of
you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up
treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
The rich in the passage read was called a fool because of his poor choice. Jesus gave this parable
to illustration the heart of people towards material acquisition without God. People who derived
their joy and happiness from the material substance or worldly accomplishment are not rich
towards God. There is nothing wrong with working hard to get a great result, what was wrong in
this man’s effort was his plan never to share and non- acknowledgment of God in his plans.
Purpose pursuit without God is an exercise in futility.
“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto
everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father
sealed.” John 6:27 KJV
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else
he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)
Esau’s wrong choice
Esau is known as one who sold his birthright for a morsel of food. How are people selling their?
birthright today? Birthright is not a competing position; one does not need to apply for it. It is
God who decided who comes first. It is not your fault; you are blessed to be the first. Birthright
is very important to God, Bible says every first belongs to God, “Sanctify unto me all the
firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast:
it is mine.” Exodus 13:2
Esau’s rejection of his birthright could be viewed as one who rejected God’s grace conferred
upon him. People are selling their conscience for money/gains just like Balaam, who because of
the gift of Balak was ready to curse God’s people in defiance of God’s directives
Evaluation of people who made the right choice
Jabez’ choice 1 chronicle 4: 9-10 (NKJV)
And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez,
saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh
that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me,
and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that
which he requested
In his prayer, Jabez made four requests of God:
First, "Oh, that you would bless me." "To bless" means to ask for God's favor.
Second, Jabez prayed, "Enlarge my territory." In that time and place, he was asking for riches
Third, Jabez prayed, "Let your hand be with me." God's hand represents His power and His
strength. He is asking for God's power to be made real in him and through him.
Fourth, Jabez prayed, "Keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." He is asking for
safety and protection
Jabez recognized his need to call on God for his miracles; God granted him that which he
requested. Prayer is the link between the needy and the Great Provider, the more we pray in the
new year, the better for us. Prayer shows that we depend on God to help us navigate and align
with his plans for us. Jabez became an honorable man because he prayed.
Prodigal son’s Choice Luke 15:17-20 (NKJV)
17 And when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have
bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am
no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he
arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him,
and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
The passage reveals the nature of repentance and readiness of God to forgive and welcome us
back. Repentance is the way to go when in need to reconcile with God.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
everywhere to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Our God is a merciful God; He will pardon us when we repent genuinely. We cannot
assume everything is ok when we are still sinning secretly. “Remember now thy Creator
in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when
thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them” Eccl 12:1 (NKJV)
Prayer point
*Holy Spirit invades my life
* Let your power rest upon me * Guide me, oh Lord.
