Our Choice

Follow Along with the Message

He is an old man.  110 years old.  See 24:29.  30 years their leader.

Everyone has a choice.  God, yes?  God, no?  Everyone makes that choice every day.

     "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side" (James Russell Lowell).

A few BIG moments.  Mostly small choices.

--GRADUAL

     Pick up your cross daily.

     "Bring forth fruit in keeping with your repentance"(Matthew 3:8).  Plant, cultivate, harvest, repeat

--PERSONAL

     "If you love Me, keep My commandments"(John 14:15).

     "Why are you persecuting Me?"(Acts 9:4).

     Joshua wanted them ALL TOGETHER.

--RECIPROCAL

     "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain" (John 15:16).

     We love because we have been loved.  Debtors. Obligated.  The only fair thing.

     "The Irresistible and the In Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use.  Merely to override a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless" ( C. S. Lewis).

     MORAL force, only.

Choose!  Choose God over other gods!  Choose for yourselves!  Choose today!

     SPIRITUAL SYNONYMS

     To choose is to CLING.  23:8. The danger of inclusiveness.  Not just tolerated, celebrated!

          "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of he wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers" (Psalm 1).

     To choose is to FEAR.  24:14.

          "You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God.  He is a jealous God, He will not forgive your transgression or your sin.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after he has done good for you"(24:19-20).

    To choose is to SERVE.  24:14.

         "Let My people go that they may serve Me"(Exodus 8:1).

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     "I have noticed that a man is usually about as happy as he has made up his mind to be" (Abraham Lincoln).