Read at beginning of service:
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
This morning I don?t have much to say but I do want to talk a little bit about choices. We all face choices in life.
Now I must acknowledge – there are few things that we have no choice over.
We don?t choose what family we?re born into, we don?t choose the disabilities we enter life with, we don?t choose the environment we grow up in.
We don?t choose what others say or do to us: That child didn?t choose to have the adult they trusted, abuse them and maim them. That jogger running down the street didn?t choose to be crippled for life by someone behind the wheel of a weapon created by their drunkenness. The family sitting at a caf? for a nice afternoon lunch didn?t choose to be at ground zero of a terrorist rocket. That man bicycling through town picking up empty beer bottles to turn in for spare change didn?t choose the emotional trauma of his Daddy calling him a “worthless tramp” and a “loser who will amount to nothing”.
We don?t choose the weather! Although some of us wish we could. I often joke with others that if it was my choice, there?d be barbecue weather all year round ? not too hot, not too cold ? just right. The truth is, we have no control over the hurricanes, the tornadoes, the typhoons, the winter storms, the floods, the earthquakes, the volcanoes and the wildfires in this world.
And finally, we don?t choose our death. The truth is, every single one of us knows we will die some day. We don?t know when, or where, or even how we?ll die, but we will die. Even the suicidal individual is deluded in thinking they have control over this great mystery of life. In reality, they died long before they pulled the trigger, or grabbed the razor, downed the pills, or turned the ignition of a vehicle laden with explosives.
Yes there are some things we have no choice over. Then there are other things in which we do. Some of the choices we make in life are really insignificant. Things like what brand of cola you drink, whether or not toilet roll goes over or under, or what color paint you are going to put on the wall.
Some choices are of great importance.
Now I don?t have time this morning ? and probably talking a whole week for 24 hours each day wouldn?t give me the time ? to go over all the important choices in life. But I do have the time to tell you about the most important choice you will ever face. In fact this most important choice will have direct bearing on every other choice you make in this life.
God first laid this choice out for mankind way back at the dawn of time. After looking over everything He had created ? including man and woman, Adam and Eve ? God thought to Himself, “it was very good”. Then in one of His first activities with Adam, God took this first man among the trees and beautiful canopy of Eden and pointed out two trees in particular. The “Tree of Life”, and the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”. In my minds eye, I can see God the Father reaching out His gentle hands and softly turning Adam to face Him so He could get Adam to look in His eyes as He delivered this most important choice,
Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV)
? “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 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.”
God had placed before Adam and Eve the choice of life or death and because He is a loving God He was giving them that choice. Unfortunately Adam and Eve, chose to eat of the forbidden fruit and unleashed the curse of sin upon the world. But, our Father in heaven wasn?t about to give up on His beloved creation ? for in His great foresight and understanding He had a plan.
Fast forward a few thousand years and you find this same choice offered. God?s chosen people are gathered together a few miles before the promised Land and in his final words to his charge Moses delivers the message God gave him to present,
Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)
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
Again, the choice is given between life and death ? LIFE being obeying and serving God, and DEATH being turning away from Him and serving your own way.
But that isn?t the only time God has issued this choice. The entire Bible is full of stories of events, circumstances, and incredible history where time and time again God presents mankind with a choice between life and death. The most important choice.
Our heavenly Father?s wish ? his deepest desire ? is that His creation would choose Him ? and choose life. You know what the cool thing is? After all is said and done ? it is God who chose you first! How do I know this?
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Though all mankind is born into this world with the curse, the corruption, and consequence of sin, God wasn?t about to abandon man to our wrong choice. The penalty still had to be paid, justice still required resolution, death was still necessary. But in coming to earth as Jesus Christ, God rewound the clock at Calvary where he paid the penalty, satisfied justice and willingly laid down his life on the cross ? so that you and I and all mankind can have same choice Adam and Eve had. The choice between life and death.
You see, life really doesn?t begin in the womb of our mother, and death doesn?t take hold when the last breath has escaped the body. Life is more than the assemblage of certain chemicals and components, fluid, and signals. Life is the breath of God. Life is the soul He creates. The person He brings into being. Life is measured by connection with the Divine Creator ? and not defined by His creation.
You all know this ? don?t pretend you don?t. Friends, the more God?s life penetrates your being and the more of Him you embrace ? the more you really start living! Your happiness, your joy, your peace, your love, your fulfillment, your contentment, and your impact are all components of this most fundamental choice. When you choose Christ, you choose life and His life starts to filter through everything you experience, every challenge that comes your way, every valley you wade through, every reaction you have, and every choice you make.
Friends you may have not chosen the womb that carried you into this world ? but you can choose who will father you into the next. You didn?t choose the disabilities you have ? but you can choose to gain meaning and significance from your weaknesses. You didn?t choose the environment you grew in ? but you can choose the environment you create because of the river of life flowing through you.
You don?t choose what others say or do to you ? but can choose what you say and what you do. You can choose to be bitter, envious, jealous, or full of revenge or you can choose to rise above all those things and be full love, forgiveness ? and experience the fruit of peace, and joy in spite of what others may say or do because of Him who gives you the ability.
You don?t choose the weather ? but you can choose Him who grants the ability to weather the storms we encounter.
And finally, friends, you can?t choose your death, when or where ? or even how you die. In fact, for those who have not yet chosen Christ, life as you know it is but a shadow of what your life can be. We can?t choose when we exit this world ? but we can choose the world we enter now. It?s true that this most important choice God offers us is where we choose to become a citizen of heaven or remain a prisoner of hell. In a moment Fred Kabbes is going to come and present a picture of the difference between the world of the living and the world of the dead but I want to conclude with this final request.
In this question posed, between life and death ? choose Christ, in Him is faith, hope, and love – choose LIFE!
Tags: Outreach