Importance of Wise Choices in Spiritual Well-being
BEING MINDFUL
OF THE CHOICES
WE MAKE
INTRODUCTION
Each day of our lives is filled with
choices, some more important
than others
Each choice has a consequence
The consequences of some
choices are fairly benign
(harmless)
Other choices have far more
serious consequences
Physical, spiritual or both
INTRODUCTION
In our lesson today we are going
to consider some serious choices
we all should be concerned about
Q: Why?
Because they could have a
major impact on our relationship
with God
They involve our spiritual well-
being & ultimately our eternity
INTRODUCTION
To help us appreciate the
importance of these choices we
will look to the Bible, OT & NT
The nature of many of the choices
we face today is no different than
that faced by individuals of old in
the Bible
(Ecclesiastes 1:9)
We will consider some Bible
accounts where individuals were
called upon to make some
important choices
INTRODUCTION
As we noted earlier, choices come
with consequences
We will consider some of the
consequences of choices that
individuals made
Finally, we will consider some
applications for us today
To remind us of our need to
make wise choices
GENESIS 4:1-8
The account
The sacrifices of Cain and Abel
GENESIS 4:1-8
The choices available
Choose to do well
(V7)
Offer a sacrifice acceptable
to God
Choose to not do well
(V7)
Offer a sacrifice
unacceptable to God
GENESIS 4:1-8
The choices available
The text strongly infers Cain
knew what was involved in
offering an acceptable sacrifice
(Hebrews 11:4, James 4:17)
GENESIS 4:1-8
The choice made
Cain chose to not do well
The evidence suggests Cain
did not correct his error
regarding his sacrifice
Cain compounded his error
by making another bad
choice, he murdered his
brother Abel
(1 John 3:10-12)
GENESIS 4:1-8
The consequence of the choice
made
God placed Cain under a curse
(V11)
The ground would no longer
yield it strength [fruitfulness]
(V12)
A fugitive & vagabond
(V12)
Cain went out from the presence
of God
(V16)
GENESIS 4:1-8
The application for us
We too must choose between
doing well and not doing well
Sin is crouching at the door and
wants to pounce on us, but we
must resist
(1 Pet 5:8, Jam 4:7-8)
Failing to keep our emotions in
check can negatively influence
our choices
GENESIS 4:1-8
The application for us
One bad choice often leads to
more bad choices
The snowball effect
Choosing foolishly can result in
the innocent getting hurt
Choosing foolishly can result in
us being cursed & banished
from God’s presence
(Matt 7:23)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The account
DEUTERONOMY = Second Law
To prepare the people to enter
the Promised Land, Moses
repeats the law of God to Israel
Received ~40 years earlier at
Mount Sinai
In CH30 Moses addresses Israel as
he nears the end of his life
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The choices available
Choose life
By loving God & obeying Him
Walk in His ways, keep His
commandments…
(V16)
Choose death
By being disobedient to God
Turning their hearts away &
worshipping other gods
(V17)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The choice made
Though Moses set this choice
before the people
“today”
, in
reality he was looking forward to
the future when Israel would
take possession of the Promised
Land
(V16b & V18b)
The choice had both a present
and future component
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The
future
consequence related to
each choice
Choosing life would result in…
Good [prosperity, NAS]
(V15)
Live & multiply in the land
(V16)
God’s blessings on them
(V16)
Both you and your
descendants may live
(V19)
Ability to dwell in the land
(V20)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The
future
consequence related to
each choice
Choosing death would result in…
Evil [adversity, NAS]
(V15)
The people would perish
(V18)
They would not prolong their
days in the land
(V18)
A curse instead of a blessing
(V19)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The application for us
Even today God sets before men
life and death
The choice is ours to make
To dwell eternally with God in
heaven (our Promised Land) we
need to choose life today
By loving God and keeping His
commands
(Jn 14:15, 1 Jn 5:3)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20
The application for us
A choice to disobey God is a
choice for death
Eternal separation from God
Sadly, the majority will choose
spiritual death over spiritual life
The broad way
(Matt 7:13-14)
“Judge yourselves unworthy
of eternal live”
(Acts 13:44-46)
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The account
Joshua’s farewell address to the
children of Israel
The children of Israel are now
living in the Promised Land
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The choices available
Serve the gods of your fathers
Their forefathers before
Abraham worshipped idols
(V2)
Serve the Lord (Jehovah)
The One True God
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The choice made
Multiple times in this chapter the
children of Israel declared their
choice,
to serve the Lord God
See
V16-V18 (V18*)
See
V19-V21 (V21*)
See
V22-V28 (V24*)
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The choice made
Joshua 24:31
records these
words:
31
Israel served the Lord
all
the days of Joshua, and all the
days of the elders who
outlived Joshua, who had
known all the works of the Lord
which He had done for Israel.
The children of Israel were
faithful to their choice,
for a time
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The consequence of the choice
made
Though not explicitly stated, we
can conclude Israel enjoyed
God’s favor & blessings while
they served God
Recall God’s promises to Israel in
Deuteronomy 30:11-20
JOSHUA 24:14-15
Sadly, Israel did not remain faithful
to their choice
Things took a drastic turn for the
worse after the death of Joshua
and the elders of his generation
See Judges 2:10-15
This tragic pattern would be
repeated over and over again
and ultimately lead to the
downfall of Israel
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The application for us
We too must choose who we
will serve
Other gods (Satan) or the
God of the Bible
(Matt 6:24)
We may be called upon to
forsake the gods of our fathers
The gods of this world can come
in many different forms
(Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5)
JOSHUA 24:14-15
The application for us
The choice to serve God is not a
one time event, but an ongoing
action
(Revelation 2:10)
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The account
Elijah’s victory over the prophets
of Baal at Mount Carmel
Another dark account in the
history of OT Israel
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The choices available
Follow the Lord (God)
Follow Baal
Follow:
To walk after or behind
(i.e. to go in the same direction
as another)
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The choice made
“The people answered him not a
word” (V21)
– They responded
neither for or against God
It was at that point that Elijah
proposed a contest between
himself and the 450 prophets of
Baal
(V22-V24a)
The people were pleased with
Elijah’s proposal
(V24b)
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The consequence of the choice
made
The failure of the people to
respond in the Lord’s favor was in
reality an endorsement for Baal
Surely God was not pleased with
the people’s silence
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The consequence of the choice
made
The Lord was compelled yet
again
to prove Himself to an
idolatrous people
That He alone is God
It was at this point Israel
acknowledged God
(V36-V39*)
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The application for us
We need to decide who the
one true God of this universe is
and choose to follow after Him
Follow Jehovah God
God has proven Himself again
and again
We should not foolishly put
Him to the test
(Matthew 4:7)
1 KINGS 18:17-21
The application for us
Choosing to remain silent when
called upon to pledge one’s
allegiance to God is in reality a
choice against God
(Matt 12:30)
LUKE 10:38-42
The account
Jesus visits with Martha and
Mary
LUKE 10:38-42
The choices available
Choose to sit at the feet of Jesus
and listen to His word
Choose to busy oneself being a
good hostess
LUKE 10:38-42
The choice made
Mary chose to sit at the feet of
Jesus and listen to His word
Martha chose to busy herself
serving her guests
She became upset with Mary
and asked Jesus to order Mary
to assist her
LUKE 10:38-42
The consequence of the choices
made
Martha was mildly rebuked by
the Lord
(V41)
“You are worried & troubled..”
Mary was commended by the
Lord for her choice
(V42)
“Mary has chosen that good
part”
[what is better]
LUKE 10:38-42
The application for us
Becoming distracted by the
cares of this life can influence
the choices we make
Choices are not always a
matter of good versus bad
At times choices are a matter
of good versus better
The choice that results in the
greater spiritual good is the
better choice
CONCLUSION
We’ve considered some Biblical
accounts where God’s people
were called upon to make a
choice
Sometimes between good and
evil
Sometimes between good and
better
CONCLUSION
The choices we studied came with
serious consequences
Physical, but primarily spiritual
We considered some applications
for us as the nature of many of the
choices we face today is no
different than in times past
We conclude our lesson by asking
the question:
ARE WE BEING
MINDFUL OF THE
CHOICES WE
MAKE?
Each day presents us with choices that can have varying consequences, especially impacting our relationship with God and spiritual well-being. By examining biblical accounts like Cain and Abel’s sacrifices in Genesis 4:1-8, we learn the significance of making wise choices to avoid detrimental outcomes.
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Presentation Transcript
BEING MINDFUL OF THE CHOICES WE MAKE
INTRODUCTION Each day of our lives is filled with choices, some more important than others Each choice has a consequence The consequences of some choices are fairly benign (harmless) Other choices have far more serious consequences Physical, spiritual or both
INTRODUCTION In our lesson today we are going to consider some serious choices we all should be concerned about Q: Why? Because they could have a major impact on our relationship with God They involve our spiritual well- being & ultimately our eternity
INTRODUCTION To help us appreciate the importance of these choices we will look to the Bible, OT & NT The nature of many of the choices we face today is no different than that faced by individuals of old in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 1:9) We will consider some Bible accounts where individuals were called upon to make some important choices
INTRODUCTION As we noted earlier, choices come with consequences We will consider some of the consequences of choices that individuals made Finally, we will consider some applications for us today To remind us of our need to make wise choices
GENESIS 4:1-8 The account The sacrifices of Cain and Abel
GENESIS 4:1-8 The choices available Choose to do well (V7) Offer a sacrifice acceptable to God Choose to not do well (V7) Offer a sacrifice unacceptable to God
GENESIS 4:1-8 The choices available The text strongly infers Cain knew what was involved in offering an acceptable sacrifice (Hebrews 11:4, James 4:17)
GENESIS 4:1-8 The choice made Cain chose to not do well The evidence suggests Cain did not correct his error regarding his sacrifice Cain compounded his error by making another bad choice, he murdered his brother Abel (1 John 3:10-12)
GENESIS 4:1-8 The consequence of the choice made God placed Cain under a curse (V11) The ground would no longer yield it strength [fruitfulness] (V12) A fugitive & vagabond (V12) Cain went out from the presence of God (V16)
GENESIS 4:1-8 The application for us We too must choose between doing well and not doing well Sin is crouching at the door and wants to pounce on us, but we must resist (1 Pet 5:8, Jam 4:7-8) Failing to keep our emotions in check can negatively influence our choices
GENESIS 4:1-8 The application for us One bad choice often leads to more bad choices The snowball effect Choosing foolishly can result in the innocent getting hurt Choosing foolishly can result in us being cursed & banished from God s presence (Matt 7:23)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The account DEUTERONOMY = Second Law To prepare the people to enter the Promised Land, Moses repeats the law of God to Israel Received ~40 years earlier at Mount Sinai In CH30 Moses addresses Israel as he nears the end of his life
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The choices available Choose life By loving God & obeying Him Walk in His ways, keep His commandments (V16) Choose death By being disobedient to God Turning their hearts away & worshipping other gods (V17)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The choice made Though Moses set this choice before the people today , in reality he was looking forward to the future when Israel would take possession of the Promised Land (V16b & V18b) The choice had both a present and future component
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The future consequence related to each choice Choosing life would result in Good [prosperity, NAS] (V15) Live & multiply in the land (V16) God s blessings on them (V16) Both you and your descendants may live (V19) Ability to dwell in the land (V20)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The future consequence related to each choice Choosing death would result in Evil [adversity, NAS] (V15) The people would perish (V18) They would not prolong their days in the land (V18) A curse instead of a blessing (V19)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The application for us Even today God sets before men life and death The choice is ours to make To dwell eternally with God in heaven (our Promised Land) we need to choose life today By loving God and keeping His commands (Jn 14:15, 1 Jn 5:3)
DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20 The application for us A choice to disobey God is a choice for death Eternal separation from God Sadly, the majority will choose spiritual death over spiritual life The broad way (Matt 7:13-14) Judge yourselves unworthy of eternal live (Acts 13:44-46)
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The account Joshua s farewell address to the children of Israel The children of Israel are now living in the Promised Land
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The choices available Serve the gods of your fathers Their forefathers before Abraham worshipped idols (V2) Serve the Lord (Jehovah) The One True God
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The choice made Multiple times in this chapter the children of Israel declared their choice, to serve the Lord God See V16-V18 (V18*) See V19-V21 (V21*) See V22-V28 (V24*)
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The choice made Joshua 24:31 records these words: 31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. The children of Israel were faithful to their choice, for a time
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The consequence of the choice made Though not explicitly stated, we can conclude Israel enjoyed God s favor & blessings while they served God Recall God s promises to Israel in Deuteronomy 30:11-20
JOSHUA 24:14-15 Sadly, Israel did not remain faithful to their choice Things took a drastic turn for the worse after the death of Joshua and the elders of his generation See Judges 2:10-15 This tragic pattern would be repeated over and over again and ultimately lead to the downfall of Israel
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The application for us We too must choose who we will serve Other gods (Satan) or the God of the Bible (Matt 6:24) We may be called upon to forsake the gods of our fathers The gods of this world can come in many different forms (Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5)
JOSHUA 24:14-15 The application for us The choice to serve God is not a one time event, but an ongoing action (Revelation 2:10)
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The account Elijah s victory over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel Another dark account in the history of OT Israel
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The choices available Follow the Lord (God) Follow Baal Follow: To walk after or behind (i.e. to go in the same direction as another)
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The choice made The people answered him not a word (V21) They responded neither for or against God It was at that point that Elijah proposed a contest between himself and the 450 prophets of Baal (V22-V24a) The people were pleased with Elijah s proposal (V24b)
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The consequence of the choice made The failure of the people to respond in the Lord s favor was in reality an endorsement for Baal Surely God was not pleased with the people s silence
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The consequence of the choice made The Lord was compelled yet again to prove Himself to an idolatrous people That He alone is God It was at this point Israel acknowledged God (V36-V39*)
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The application for us We need to decide who the one true God of this universe is and choose to follow after Him Follow Jehovah God God has proven Himself again and again We should not foolishly put Him to the test (Matthew 4:7)
1 KINGS 18:17-21 The application for us Choosing to remain silent when called upon to pledge one s allegiance to God is in reality a choice against God (Matt 12:30)
LUKE 10:38-42 The account Jesus visits with Martha and Mary
LUKE 10:38-42 The choices available Choose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His word Choose to busy oneself being a good hostess
LUKE 10:38-42 The choice made Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His word Martha chose to busy herself serving her guests She became upset with Mary and asked Jesus to order Mary to assist her
LUKE 10:38-42 The consequence of the choices made Martha was mildly rebuked by the Lord (V41) You are worried & troubled.. Mary was commended by the Lord for her choice (V42) Mary has chosen that good part [what is better]
LUKE 10:38-42 The application for us Becoming distracted by the cares of this life can influence the choices we make Choices are not always a matter of good versus bad At times choices are a matter of good versus better The choice that results in the greater spiritual good is the better choice
CONCLUSION We ve considered some Biblical accounts where God s people were called upon to make a choice Sometimes between good and evil Sometimes between good and better
CONCLUSION The choices we studied came with serious consequences Physical, but primarily spiritual We considered some applications for us as the nature of many of the choices we face today is no different than in times past We conclude our lesson by asking the question:
ARE WE BEING MINDFUL OF THE CHOICES WE MAKE?
