CHOICES
Job 34:2-4
Hear my words, wise men; and give ear to me, you who have knowledge; For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food. Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.
Introduction: There is a story about a man named Fred who inherited $10 million, but the will required that he had to accept it either in Chile or Brazil. He chose Brazil. Unhappily it turned out that in Chile he would have received his inheritance in land on which uranium, gold, and silver had just been discovered. Once in Brazil he had to choose between receiving his inheritance in coffee or nuts. He chose the nuts. Too bad! The bottom fell out of the nut market, and coffee went up to $1.30 a pound wholesale, unroasted. Poor Fred lost everything he had to his name. He went out and sold his solid gold watch for the money he needed to fly home. It seems that he had enough for a ticket to either New York or Boston. He chose Boston. When the plane for New York taxied up he noticed it was a brand-new super 747 jet with red carpets and chic people and wine-popping hostesses. The plane for Boston then arrived. It was a 1928 Ford tri-motor with a sway back and it took a full day to get off the ground. It was filled with crying children and tethered goats. Over the Andes, one of the engines fell off. Our man Fred made his way up to the captain and said, "I’m a jinx on this plane. Let me out if you want to save your lives. Give me a parachute." The pilot agreed, but added, "On this plane, anybody who bails out must wear two chutes." So Fred jumped out of the plane, and as he fell dizzily through the air he tried to make up his mind which ripcord to pull. Finally he chose the one on the left. It was rusty and the wire pulled loose. So he then pulled the other handle. This chute opened, but its shroud lines snapped. In desperation, the poor fellow cried out, "St. Francis save me!" A great hand from heaven reached down and seized the poor fellow by the wrist and let him dangle in midair. Then a gentle but inquisitive voice asked, "St. Francis Xavier or St. Francis of Assisi?" [James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 153.] While we laugh at a humorous tale like this, Everyday we are confronted with many choices. We often do not realize how vitally important these choice are and how they impact our lives. In Genesis we get a glimpse of how choices effect us as we look at the lives of Eve and Adam, Lot, Abraham, and Esau. As we consider their choices, may we see that the choices we make will determine our character, our influence, our commitment and relationship to Christ, and ultimately our destiny.
I. CHOICE DETERMINES DEPTH OF ONE’S CHARACTER
A. Eve’s and Adam’s choices - Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Is it so that God has said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as God, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. And the eyes of both of them were opened. And they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made girdles for themselves.
B. American Dictionary of the English Language defines character as the stable and distinctive qualities built into an individual’s life which determine his response regardless of circumstances. ["to cut, engrave"]
C. Someone has said it is who you are, even when no one is watching.
D. Adam and Eve were given a choice which engraved man’s character.
E. Romans 5:12 Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed on all men inasmuch as all sinned:
F. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ...if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
G. Every choice you make helps define the kind of person you are choosing to be.
H. Paul calls on us to make the right choices in Romans 6:13, 16 Do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God, as one alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God…Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves to him whom you obey; whether it is of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness.
I. “True CHARACTER is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature.” - Robert McKee, Structure and Character.
J. Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones. - Phillips Brooks
II. CHOICE DETERMINES DEPTH OF ONE’S INFLUENCE
A. Lot’s Choice - Genesis 13:9-11 Is not the whole land before you? I pray you, separate yourself from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the circuit of Jordan, that it was all well watered (before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,) like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar. And Lot chose all the circuit of Jordan for himself. And Lot journeyed east; and they separated themselves from one another. Genesis 19:14-15 And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But HE SEEMED AS ONE THAT MOCKED UNTO HIS SONS IN LAW. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
B. As your choice determines your character, your character impacts your influence on others. Your influence on others is positive or negative, but never neutral.
C. Lot chose based on the material world and lived a carnal life. He lived for the world and lost his ability to positively influence even his own family.
D. Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men.
E. Contrast Joshua with Lot - Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
F. During a visit to the children’s Bible class, a preacher looked into their serious faces and asked, "Why do you love God?" After a moment a small voice came from the back: "I guess it just runs in the family." - David L. Roper, Judsonia, Arkansas. Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom."
G. My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done; Leave countless marks for good or ill, ere sets the evening sun. This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray: Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.
III. CHOICE DETERMINES ONE’S DEPTH OF COMMITMENT
A. ABRAHAM’S CHOICE - Genesis 22:1-3 And it happened after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Behold me. And He said; Take now your son, your only one, Isaac, whom you love. And go into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will name to you. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. And he split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went to the place of which God had told him. Genesis 22:10-12 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. And the Angel of Jehovah called to him from the heavens and said, Abraham! Abraham! And he said, Here am I. And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since YOU HAVE NOT WITHHELD YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY ONE, FROM ME.
B. Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time, year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism.
C. Jesus Christ said that we demonstrate the reality and depth our love for Him by keeping His commandments (John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.) not just by saying words.
D. "A young man, who was desperately in love with a young lady, wrote her that he would be willing to endure the cold of the Frigid Zone, or cross the burning sands of the desert, or climb the highest mountains, or swim the ocean, just to be in her charming presence." Then he closed his letter by saying, "And I will see you Wednesday night if it does not rain!" How many claim to love the Lord devotedly, and demonstrate just the opposite by the choices they make? – Adapted from William Moses Tidwell, "Effective Illustrations."
E. Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD
IV. CHOICE DETERMINES ONE’S DESTINY
A. Esau’s Choice - Genesis 25:30-34 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
B. In choosing to sell his birthright, Esau chose to gratify his momentary physical desires at the cost of being ancestor of the promised Messiah, and heir of the promises in Him. His decision cost him eternity!
C. Mark 8:36-37 For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
D. People once bragged that all roads led to Rome. It was not true of course. It is never true that all roads lead to the same destination. Realize that when one chooses a road he chooses the place it leads to. – copied
E. Deuteronomy 30:19 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:
F. Everyone faces this choice--Christ or condemnation. It is never too early to choose for Christ, but the time will come when it will be too late.
