INTRO.- We’re all given choices in life. Some good, some better and some best.
ILL.- The college faculty was in their annual meeting when, suddenly, an angel appears. Turning to the Dean, the angel said, "I will grant you one of three choices -- infinite wisdom, infinite wealth or infinite health."
The Dean thought for a minute, then replied "Wisdom." "So be it." And the angel disappeared.
In the silence that followed, the Dean sat thoughtfully, saying nothing and staring off into the distance. Finally, one of the other faculty members exclaimed, "Do you have anything to say? What words of wisdom can you give us?" Said the Dean, "I should have taken the money."
I think that perhaps in our day and time most people would have chosen the money as well. We figure that money may well be the “wisest” choice and we hope to buy some good health with it.
We all are given many choices in life and perhaps more than we realize.
ILL.- Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude.
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
A friend said to Jerry one day, "I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."
"Yeah, right, it’s not that easy," his friend protested. "Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life."
Brothers and sisters, I believe this Jerry is right. This matter of choice is given in Scripture.
Deut. 30:19 “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
We have the choice of life or death. We can choose to live as fully as possible by following the Lord or we can choose the cursed way of life by turning away from the Lord.
Josh. 24:15 “If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD ."
People choose whom they wish to serve in life even when they don’t realize it. If they don’t choose to serve the true and living God then they will serve another god, even if that god is self.
PROP.- For most of us, there are three roads that can be taken in life. And generally, they are a matter of choice.
1- The Good Life – born and raised in America
2- The Better Life – born again and raised in the church
3- The Best Life – buried and rejoicing in heaven
I. THE GOOD LIFE
Born and raised in America.
I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
This Scripture can apply to any and all rich people of the world, but it definitely applies to most of us who have been born and raised in America.
ILL.- HE GREW UP poor in West Texas, but Edwin C. of Knoxville, Tennessee says his family was always "in the chips"...cow chips, that is. "Wood was scarce," Edwin explains, "so in winter, we had to burn cow chips for heat. Our family had a few cattle, but not enough to supply fuel for the winter. So we ’mined’ the chips left behind by herds driven past our place to market."
As soon as a herd had moved on, Edwin’s entire family visited the trail--pitchforks in hand--to turn over each individual chip to dry. "After they were turned over, the chips became private property," Edwin says. "This was an unwritten law."
"It took many wagonloads to fill up our ’chip shed’ each fall. The smaller kids would gather dried chips in sacks, and when they were full, the big kids would dump them in the wagon to haul home." The whole family felt satisfied and secure when the chip shed was filled to the brim for winter.
"I’ve often thought there should be some sort of monument erected to the one thing that enabled families like ours to survive winters on the rugged plains of Texas," Edwin chuckles. " As to what the monument would look like...well, I’ll leave that to your own imagination!"
I’d say those people were indeed poor. Some of you may have considered yourself as poor in America, but poor in America isn’t all that bad.
Brothers and sisters, we recognize there are truly some poor and hungry people in America, but compared to other countries, the percentage is small. I’m not trying to minimize the poverty in America, only point out how rich we really are in America.
ILL.- The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:
- 46 percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
- 76 percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
- Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person. The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
- Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
- 97 percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions. 78 percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
- 73 percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.
Most poor children today are, in fact, super nourished and grow up to be, on average, one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier that the GIs who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II.
What do these figures tell us? That even the poor in America are rich compared to other people in the world. WE ARE INDEED RICH! We are blessed to have been born and raised in America!
ILL.- My friend Ruben Casas lives in Covina, CA, and preaches in East LA. Ruben was born and raised in old Mexico. He had to sleep on a dirt floor in a one-room house with no electricity and no running water. They only had one blanket to cover three boys in the winter. His daily diet consisted of beans and tortillas, which was the best of what he had at that time in his life. His got his first pair of shoes when he was 13 years old. Prior to this his he either went barefoot or his shoes were made from rubber from an old tire, which were strapped to his feet.
Ruben came to US at the age of 19 as immigrant worker without papers. He finally became a US citizen at age 35. Since living in the United States he has said many times, “No matter how bad life is here it is still better than where I came from.”
Ruben said that $6.75 an hour is the minimum wage in CA and rates a person in the top 11% of the wealthiest people in the world.
Brothers and sisters, we are rich! How should we feel about all this? What should we do? We thank God continually and be quick to share. We can’t thank God enough for what He has given us! We should count our blessings every day and praise Him continually. Beyond this, we must share with others.
I Tim. 6:18 “Command them (the rich of this world) to do good, to be rich in good, and to be generous and willing to share.”
Heb. 13:16 “Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
When you see someone in need and you can help to take care of that need, THEN DO IT! You’ll bless them and be blessed in your doing.
II. THE BETTER LIFE
Born again and raised in the church.
ILL.- Two Chinamen were heard discussing the denominational difference between the Baptists, Methodists and English Friends. One of them said to the other: “They say these denominations have different beliefs. I wonder what the difference is?”
“Oh,” said the other, “Not much! Just big washee, little washee and no washee, that is all.”
People can argue religious positions and convictions all day long and get nowhere. In fact, the Scripture warns against such arguments.
II Tim. 2:24 “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
The way to convince people of the truth of Scripture is to lovingly care about them and lovingly teach them. If we can’t act kindly from a heart of love then we should keep our mouths shut.
While I believe that Bible baptism is immersion and that all people who believe in Jesus need to be immersed, I am thankful for any church that preaches Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
We should be thankful that we have been raised in churches that preach the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world: Baptist, Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, Nazarene, Assembly of God, or whatever.
ILL.- Someone wrote these interesting words about “DIVISIONS WITHIN CHRISTIANITY.”
“Christianity is the general religion with three main divisions - Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox. All of these divisions accept each of the following doctrines of the life of Jesus Christ, the divinity of Christ, and the Trinity. These doctrines are what make each division Christian. But there are many differences between the three divisions. These divisions occur in the areas of communion, salvation by faith alone or salvation by faith and works, Scripture and Church Tradition, End Times Prophecy, Interpretation of Scripture, and so on. Should there be divisions within Christianity? No but we humans are imperfect. We Christians should look to what unites us - Jesus Christ.”
Even though there is some division in Christianity, we all need to be thankful if we have been raised in any church that preached and presented the Lord Jesus Christ.
ILL.- My own background is Southern Baptist. I remember my mother, Juanita Shepherd, being baptized in the First Baptist Church of Webb City, MO, which is next door to Joplin, MO. Mom took us kids to Sunday School and church. We also attended some youth meetings at night and nearly every Vacation Bible School. I loved Sunday School and VBS. Naturally, they were geared for young people and that’s where we learned the most.
Admittedly, I didn’t care much for church because I thought it was boring and the preaching was boring. The services were dry and I was always sleepy. But I am so thankful for being raised in a church that preached Jesus Christ. Had I never heard about Him I might never have eventually accepted Him into my life. Thank you, Lord!
Some of you should be even more thankful if you were raised in a Christian home and came to accept Christ at an early age and have lived the Christian life all your life. Thank God for your home life. Thank God for your godly parents and Godly heritage!
ILL.- It’s like what Brother Bill Griffin said to me the other day after Elmer Schilly’s memorial service. Bill said that he had a grandfather who was a Christian Church preacher. Thank God for that heritage that Bill has! No doubt, it had a very positive influence on Bill and his family.
1- The good life – born and raised in America
2- The better life – born again and raised in the church
III. THE BEST LIFE
Buried and rejoicing in heaven
ILL.- An 85-year-old couple, having been married almost 60 years, died in a car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years mainly due to her interest in health food, and exercise.
When they reached the pearly gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion, which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and master bath suite and Jacuzzi. As they "oohed and aahed" the old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. "It’s free," Peter replied, "this is Heaven."
Next they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges everyday and each week the course changed to a new one representing the great golf courses on earth. The old man asked, "What are the green fees?" Peter’s reply, "This is heaven, you play for free."
Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the cuisines of the world laid out. "How much to eat?" asked the old man. "Don’t you understand yet? This is heaven, it is free!" Peter replied with some exasperation. "Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol tables?" the old man asked timidly. Peter lectured, "That’s the best part...you can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven."
With that the old man went into a fit of anger, throwing down his hat and stomping on it, shrieking wildly. Peter and his wife both tried to calm him down, asking him what was wrong. The old man looked at his wife and said, "This is all your fault! If it weren’t for your blasted bran muffins, I could have been here ten years ago!"
Brothers and sisters, the truth of the matter is that heaven will be better than we have ever imagined. We want to believe this and should believe this, but most of us are not in a hurry to get there.
John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Jesus has prepared a special place, a special home for us all. It will be better than any home on earth.
Phil. 3:21 “The Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
In heaven, we’re going to get a new body. PTL! Frankly, I don’t know of many who like their own bodies. Our bodies are weak and frail, they sag and bag, they ache and hurt. And some of you are hurting pretty badly. I can tell by the look on your face!
ILL.- I heard Red Williams talking after Brother Elmer Schilly’s funeral the other day. He said to Bill Griffin and others, “If you don’t think God doesn’t have a sense of humor just take off your clothes and stand in front of a mirror.”
Thank God that some day it will be a different story. We’ll have perfect bodies, just like the glorious body of Jesus. That’s God’s promise.
Rev. 14:13 “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord….they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Rest and reward will come to us in heaven. What kind of rest and reward? I have no idea, but the thought is very good. I personally have never been rested enough in this life and I’m looking forward to being rested and refreshed.
Now as far as reward is concerned, I just don’t know. I figure it this way: since the Lord will be dishing out the rewards, He’ll figure it right. He’ll do the right thing by all.
I have always looked at this way, however. As long as I got in the door I’d be happy. Just let me in and let me serve. And let me praise Him forever and ever!
ILL.- I dearly love the poem NO DISAPPOINTMENT IN HEAVEN
There’s no disappointment in heaven,
No weariness, sorrow or pain;
No hearts that are bleeding and broken,
No song with a minor refrain.
The clouds of our earthly horizon
Will never appear in the sky,
For all will be sunshine and gladness,
With never a sob nor a sigh.
We’ll never pay rent for our mansion,
The taxes will never come due;
Our garments will never grow threadbare,
But always be fadeless and new.
We’ll never be hungry nor thirsty,
Nor languish in poverty there,
For all the rich bounties of heaven
His sanctified children will share.
There’ll never be crepe on the doorknob,
No funeral train in the sky;
No graves on the hillside of Glory,
For there we shall never more die.
The old will be young there forever,
Transformed in a moment of time;
Immortal we’ll stand in His likeness,
The stars and the sun to outshine.
I’m bound for that beautiful city
My Lord has prepared for His own;
Where all the redeemed of all ages
Sing “Glory!” around the white throne.
Sometimes I grow homesick for heaven,
And the glories I there shall behold:
What a joy that will be when my Savior I see,
In that beautiful city of gold!
~ F. M. Lehman
CONCLUSION-------------------------------
ILL.- The words of Eleanor Roosevelt ring true: “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”
Choose you this day what you will do in life and whom you will serve. May we all say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
