CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES. WHEN I BOUGHT MY FIRST COMPUTER A FRIEND OF MINE CLUED ME IN TO THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF WHAT I WANTED, I WENT TO THE COMPUTER SHOP BOY I WAS GEARED UP. I COULD TALK AT’S AND XT’S AND 286’S AND 386’S, 1.44 AND 1.2 MEGS. I KNEW EGA, CGA AND VGA, RAMS AND ROMS, HARD DRIVES AND FLOPPIES, CLOCK SPEEDS, . I HAD ALL THE BASES COVERED TIL THE MAN SAID AND WHAT TYPE OF CASE WOULD YOU LIKE THAT IN, AHHHHH.
WHEN I GO TO A CHINESE RESTAURANT I AGONIZE OVER WHETHER I WANT THE LEMON CHICKEN, HONEY CHICKEN, GARLIC CHICKEN OR NO CHICKEN, WON TON OR EGG DROP SOUP, EGG ROLLS, SPRING ROLLS OR DIM SIMS.
AT MACDONALDS I’M NEVER QUITE SURE IF I WANT A BIG MAC OR QUARTER POUNDER UNTIL THE WORDS LEAVE MY MOUTH.
CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES I HATE MAKING CHOICES. MY RESPONSES IS ALWAYS A DEFINITE MAYBE AND I TRY MY BEST TO LIVE IN THE WORLD OF INDECISION. IN MOST INSTANCES IN LIFE OUR CHOICES AREN’T ALL THAT SIGNIFICANT, AFTER I BOUGHT MY TOYOTA STATION WAGON IN WHITE I THOUGHT I SHOULD HAVE ORDERED THE BLUE.
BUT THAT DIDN’T HAVE ETERNAL IMPLICATIONS. SOMETIMES I ORDER PIZZA AND FELT LIKE MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE GONE FOR CHINESE, NO MAJOR PROBLEM.
HOWEVER IN MATTHEW 7:13-14 CHRIST IS TALKING ABOUT A CHOICE THAT WILL BE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE YOU WILL EVER MAKE. ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW GATE. FOR WIDE IS THE GATE AND BROAD IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY ENTER THROUGH IT. BUT SMALL IS THE GATE AND NARROW THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO LIFE, AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT. THE NKJV SAYS IN VS 14 BECAUSE NARROW IS THE GATE AND DIFFICULT IS THE WAY WHICH LEADS TO LIFE.
LIFE IS FULL OF CHOICES, SOME OF NO SIGNIFICANCE, SOME OF ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE, AND IT USUALLY FOLLOWS THAT THE MORE SIGNIFICANT THE DECISION THE HARDER IT IS. TO DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE SHOULD BE A TOUGHER DECISION THEN WHETHER TO GO TO MACDONALDS OR BURGER KING. WHO YOU SHOULD MARRY SHOULD REQUIRE A LITTLE MORE THOUGHT THEN WHO YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE TO THE MOVIES TUESDAY NIGHT.
I WAS BORN IN CANADA AND REALLY HAD NO CONTROL OVER THAT, I DID NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE TO BE BORN IN CANADA, I DID NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE TO BE A CANADIAN, MY CITIZENSHIP WAS DETERMINED AT BIRTH. ON THE OTHER HAND WHEN WE MOVED TO AUSTRALIA IT HAD TO BE A CONSCIOUS DECISION. I HAD TO DECIDE I WAS GOING TO GO, I HAD TO FILL OUT VAST AMOUNTS OF PAPER WORK, I HAD TO BE EXAMINED BY DOCTORS, HAVE BLOOD TAKEN BY LABORATORY WORKERS, I HAD TO BE X-RAYED BY RADIOLOGISTS, SCREENED BY THE LOCAL POLICE AND THE MOUNTIES, I HAD TO PROVIDE EVERY BIT OF DOCUMENTATION THAT HAD EVER BEEN PRODUCED ON DENN GUPTILL IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE, AND THEN SOME MORE, I HAD TO HAVE PICTURE TAKEN FOR PASSPORTS, AND MORE PICTURES TAKEN FOR VISAS, I HAD TO PUT EVERYTHING IN AN ENVELOPE ALONG WITH VAST AMOUNTS OF MONEY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT THEN I HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE POST OFFICE AND MAIL IT TO TORONTO.
AND THEN I HAD TO PURCHASE AIRPLANE TICKETS, MAIL MY BELONGINGS, GET ON A HOLLOW METAL TUBE WITH WINGS ON IT FLY 28 HOURS WITH A SIX YEAR OLD AND A THREE YEAR OLD HALF WAY AROUND THE WORLD. I HAVE SAID THAT TO SAY THIS I HAD TO CHOOSE TO GO TO AUSTRALIA.
REMINDS ME OF THE STORY OF THE KIWI WHO GOT TO THE AIRPORT AND FOUND THAT HE WAS TWENTY CENTS SHORT OF THE FARE TO FLY BACK TO NEW ZEALAND SO HE WENT UP TO A FELLOW AND SAID "EXCUSE ME COULD YOU LEND ME TWENTY CENTS SO I CAN FLY HOME" AND THE FELLOW SAID, "SURE MATE HERES A DOLLAR TAKE FOUR OF YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOU."
NOW THEN I HAVE SAID THAT TO SAY THIS WE ARE BORN IN SIN, WE ARE BORN OUT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, AND IN ORDER TO GET INTO FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, IN ORDER TO GAIN CITIZENSHIP INTO HEAVEN, WE HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE. YOU SAY BUT THAT’S NOT FAIR. WELL IT WASN’T ALWAYS THAT WAY. WAY BACK IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, AND THAT IMAGE WAS HOLY, AND THAT IMAGE WAS RIGHTEOUS, AND SIN WASN’T A PART OF THAT IMAGE.AND GOD PLACED ADAM AND EVE, THE FIRST MAN AND FIRST WOMAN IN THE WORLD AND THEY COULD DO ANYTHING THEY WANTED, ANYTHING EXCEPT ONE THING.
HEY WHAT IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT YOU WEREN’T ALLOWED TO DO. JUST ONE THING, AND WHAT IF THAT ONE THING WAS THAT YOU COULDN’T EAT THE FRUIT OF ONE PARTICULAR TREE. THAT WAS IT, IN GENESIS 2:16 AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN "YOU ARE FREE TO EAT FROM ANY TREE IN THE GARDEN; BUT YOU MUST NOT EAT FROM THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, FOR WHEN YOU EAT OF IT YOU WILL SURELY DIE."
THAT WAS IT, NO BOOKS OF COMMANDMENTS, NO LISTS OF DO’S AND DON’T, AT CREATION GOD COULD HAVE SAID "WIDE IS THE GATE, EASY IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE." BECAUSE IN ALL THE WORLD THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING THAT THE ORIGINAL COUPLE COULDN’T DO, AND THAT WAS TO EAT OF THAT ONE PARTICULAR TREE. THEY COULD LOOK AT IT, THEY COULD TOUCH IT, THEY COULD SPIT ON IT, THEY COULD CHOP IT DOWN AND USE IT FOR FIRE WOOD. AND INSTEAD OF OBEYING THEY REBELLED AGAINST GOD, AND TURNED BEAUTY INTO UGLINESS, GOLD INTO ASHES, JOY INTO SORROW, AND FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD INTO REBELLION AGAINST GOD.
THE RESULT IS FOUND IN ROMANS 5:12 THEREFORE, JUST AS SIN ENTERED THE WORLD THROUGH ONE MAN, AND DEATH THROUGH SIN, AND IN THIS WAY DEATH CAME TO ALL MEN, BECAUSE ALL SINNED.
YOU HAVE ALL HEARD MY VIEWS ON ORIGINAL SIN, THE GREATEST EVIDENCE OF ORIGINAL SIN IS IN YOUR CHILDREN, WELL PROBABLY NOT IN YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE PERFECT AND THEY NEVER REBEL, OR TALK BACK OR DISOBEY, BUT IT IS EVIDENCED IN EVERY BODY ELSES CHILDREN OK. YOU DON’T HAVE TO TEACH A KID HOW TO SAY NO, OR DON’T, OR CAN’T OR WON’T. THINK ABOUT IT CAN YOU HONESTLY REMEMBER SITTING JUNIOR DOWN AND SPENDING HOURS TEACHING HIM HOW TO THROW A TANTRUM. "NO, NO KID YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG, YOU GOTTA SCREAM LOUDER BOY AND KICK THOSE LEGS CHILD, I WANT TO SEE SOME RAGE IN THAT FACE." UH-HUH THAT’S NOT THE WAY IT IS, YOU JUST DON’T HAVE TO TEACH KIDS THINGS LIKE THAT, WHY BECAUSE IT IS MAN’S NATURE, HE IS BORN REBELLIOUS.
WE ARE BORN WITH A BENT TOWARD SIN AND THAT IS WHY CHRIST SAID THAT THE WAY TO DESTRUCTION IS WIDE & BROAD & EASY, BECAUSE ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO CONTINUE ON THE WAY WE ARE HEADING.
WHEN I WAS FOURTEEN YEARS OLD I HAD AN AFTER SCHOOL JOB AS A PILOT. A LOCAL FARMER BY THE NAME OF MURRAY CROWLEY HIRED ME, WE WORKED TOGETER HE WOULD CUT THE WOOD AND I WOULD PILE IT. AND I DISCOVERED IF YOU WANTED TO CUT A TREE DOWN AND IT WAS LEANING TOWARD THE SOUTH, IT WOULD FALL A LOT EASIER SOUTHWARD THEN IT WOULD TO THE NORTH. IF YOU CUT IT AND LET IT FALL IT WOULD FALL THE WAY IT WAS LEANING. IF PERCHANCE THERE WAS A HOUSE TO THE SOUTH AND WE DIDN’T WANT SAID TREE TO BECOME PART OF THE LIVING ROOM FURNITURE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO REDIRECT IT’S FALL AND THAT WASN’T NECESSARILY AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.
THE ROAD TO HELL IS EASY BECAUSE WE WERE BORN ON IT, AND POINTED IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO GET OFF IT, IT WILL BE THROUGH THE NARROW GATE OF JESUS CHRIST.BECAUSE CHRIST SAID, IN JOHN 14:6 I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.
NOW WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS DID NOT SAY I AM ONE OF THE WAYS, I AM ONE OF THE TRUTHS AND I AM ONE OF THE LIFES, AND NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER UNLESS THEY ARE SINCERE, OR GOOD OR RELIGIOUS, THAT’S NOT WHAT HE SAID, WHAT HE SAID IS THIS "I AM IT, AND ALL THE OTHER WAYS ARE THE WRONG WAY, AND ALL THE OTHER TRUTHS ARE LIES, AND ALL THE OTHER LIFES ARE DEATH." IN JOHN 3:3 JESUS DECLARED, "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, NO ONE CAN SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD UNLESS HE IS BORN AGAIN." YOU CAN BE RELIGIOUS AND GO TO HELL, YOU CAN BE SINCERE AND GO TO HELL, YOU CAN BE MORAL AND GO TO HELL. PETER LAID IT OUT IN ACTS 3:19 REPENT, THEN, AND TURN TO GOD, SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE WIPED OUT, THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE LORD.
IF’N WE ARE ALL SINNERS, AND IF’N SIN WILL KEEP US FROM GOD, THEN WE NEED TO GET RID OF OUR SINS, RIGHT? AND THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IS TO ASK GOD TO TAKE THEM AWAY. AND SO THAT IS REPENTANCE, IT IS SAYING TO GOD, "I’M SORRY I HAVE OFFENDED YOU WITH MY SIN" BUT MORE THEN THAT IT IS SAYING, "AND I AM SO SORRY THAT I WON’T DO IT AGAIN" THAT’S WHY PETER DIDN’T JUST TELL US TO REPENT, BUT HE ALSO TOLD US TO TURN TO GOD.
AND WE ARE TOLD IN JOHN1:12 WHAT HAPPENS AT THAT POINT, AT THE POINT OF REPENTANCE, YET TO THOSE WHO RECEIVED HIM, TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, HE GAVE THE RIGHT TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD. THAT MY FRIENDS IS THE NARROW GATE, NOT BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH, BUT BECAUSE IT REQUIRES LEAVING THE MAIN ROAD, IT REQUIRES A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO DEVIATE FROM THE PATH OF THE MAJORITY AND THAT IS NEVER EASY. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO HOW EASY IT IS TO FOLLOW THE CROWD, NOT TO BE LABELED AS DIFFERENT.
NOW WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT CHRIST IS TELLING US HERE IS THAT HE IS BRUTALLY HONEST, HE DOESN’T TELL US THAT ALTHOUGH THE GATE IS NARROW ONCE YOU’RE THROUGH THE ROAD IS WIDE, AND SMOOTH AND EASY TO TRAVEL ON. THE ACT OF SALVATION MAY BE EASY, REPENTING OF YOUR SIN AND ACCEPTING THE SALVATION THAT CHRIST OFFERS. HOWEVER THE LIFE OF THE CHRISTIAN ISN’T ALWAYS AS EASY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME HIGH PROFILE MINISTERS TELL US.
SOMETIMES BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS BEING OSTRACIZED BY FRIENDS, IT MAY MEAN LOSING YOUR JOB, OH COME OFF IT PASTOR THIS IS CANADA IN 1997, YOU WOULDN’T LOSE YOUR JOB BECAUSE YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN, OH YEAH ASK THE NURSE WHO WON’T ASSIST IN THE OPERATING ROOM WHEN ABORTIONS ARE BEING PERFORMED, TELL THAT TO THE SECRETARY WHO WON’T LIE FOR HER BOSS. NOBODY REALLY MINDS YOU BEING A CHRISTIAN, AS LONG AS IT ISN’T ALL THAT OBVIOUS. BUT CHRIST TELLS US THAT BEING A CHRISTIAN WILL BE RADICALLY OBVIOUS. AND THAT WILL BUG PEOPLE.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS WROTE ABOUT NOAH IN HEBREWS 11:7 BY HIS FAITH NOAH CONDEMNED THE WORLD. NOAH DIDN’T HAVE TO VERBALLY CONDEMN THE WORLD. HIS ACTIONS, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS CONDEMNED THE WORLD, AND PEOPLE DON’T ENJOY THAT. BLACK DOESN’T LOOK SO DARK UNTIL IT’S COMPARED TO WHITE. AND SIN DOESN’T LOOK SO BAD UNTIL IT COMPARED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
CHRIST WAS NEVER SHY ABOUT WHAT CHRISTIANITY WOULD ENTAIL. REMEMBER BACK IN THE BEATITUDES, HE TOLD US THAT WE WOULD BE BLESSED WHEN PEOPLE INSULTED US, PERSECUTED US, AND FALSELY SAID ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST US. HE DIDN’T SAY WE’D BE BLESSED IF PEOPLE DID THAT HE SAID WE’D BE BLESSED WHEN PEOPLE DID THAT. PLEASANT THOUGHT ISN’T IT? AND BECAUSE THE ROAD CAN BE DIFFICULT NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO TAKE IT. AS A MATTER OF FACT CHRIST SAID, ONLY A FEW FIND IT.
HAVE YOU FOUND THAT ROAD, ARE YOU ON THE PATH TO ETERNAL LIFE. YOU SAY WELL BROTHER I CERTAINLY HOPE SO, BUT WHO CAN KNOW FOR SURE?" YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH LIFE GUESSING WHAT YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION IS GOING TO BE. I JOHN 5:13 I WRITE THESE THINGS TO YOU WHO BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. THE BIBLE DOESN’T SAY SO YOU MAY HOPE YOU WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE BUT SO YOU MAY KNOW.
DO YOU KNOW? IF YOU WERE TO DIE RIGHT KNOW DO YOU HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT YOU ARE RIGHT WITH JESUS CHRIST? IF YOU DON’T THEN YOU NEED TO GET THINGS RIGHT WITH HIM. YOU MAY NEED TO PRAY DURING THE LAST HYMN AND ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS AND TO GIVE YOU ETERNAL LIFE. AND IF THAT IS THE CASE WHEN YOU HAVE ACCEPTED HIM AS LORD AND SAVIOUR THEN YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LET SOME ONE KNOW, AND THE SOONER THE BETTER BECAUSE IT WON’T GET EASIER. YOU SEE THE BIBLE DOES TELL US IN MATTHEW 10:32 WHOEVER ACKNOWLEDGES ME BEFORE ME, I WILL ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM BEFORE MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. BUT WHOEVER DISOWNS ME BEFORE MEN, I WILL DISOWN HIM BEFORE MY FATHER IN HEAVEN.
