Making Decisions (pt-2) - [Ephesians 5:17]

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Well, we've made a lot of decisions already today, haven't we? Whether to come to church, whether or not to come to church, what to have for breakfast, what not to have for breakfast.
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But there are deeper decisions, more important decisions to make than that. And I have a question for you this morning.
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How do you go about making those decisions? Work, school, friends, what doctor to go to, what church to attend?
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I found some bad ways to make decisions this week. You've probably heard of dowsing, right?
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Water dowsing. Tea leaf reading, you've heard of that.
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I found some more interesting ones, though. How about this one? Shell scrying.
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You take a seashell from the shore and put it up to your ear and listen for God to tell you exactly what to do.
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Divining bird patterns are listening to some of their songs to understand what to do.
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Throwing stones into water and seeing the ripples. That might tell you something, but I don't know if that'll help you make decisions.
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How about this one? Very interesting. Not palm reading, but feet reading.
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They would use that in the old days to find out where the thieves were. Yeah, it's true.
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They drop metal into water. They could drop wax on water. They look at laurel branches.
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Sometimes they would go to a woman who lived in a cave whose name was Sybil to try to find out what to do in the future.
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Julian the Apostate sacrificed young children and looked at young children and looked at their intestines to see what to do in the future.
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Some people look at flour, barley, rats, eggs, not all together and not for cooking, but all separately to try to figure out what to do in the future.
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There are people known as belly talkers, mediums with a demon in their belly.
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Poppy seeds, rose leaves, beans, and my favorite one of all, gyromancy.
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You go ahead and put all the letters of the alphabet in a circle and then you begin to spin and whirl around like a top until you fall down.
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And when you fall down and your hand lands, that's the first letter to the answer to your question.
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How do you make decisions? Are they biblically based decision making?
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Well, let's turn our Bibles to Ephesians chapter five and continue our series through the book of Ephesians and more specifically, how to make biblical decisions.
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Some people say the Bible is not relevant anymore. And, you know, the last several weeks we've looked at how to deal with anxiousness and worry and now decision making.
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What could be more practical? And like every section of scripture, Paul just does not start with practical issues to begin with.
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He says, let me teach you some doctrine and then you can make application out of what you know. And he does the same thing in Ephesians chapter one through three.
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He teaches us about doctrine and then he tells us how to live that out as a local church in verses chapters four, five and six.
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Now we'll have some review and we'll look at basically the title today and the theme is six factors in making decisions.
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How do you make a decision? Let me give you six ways, six biblical aspects of making a decision. And not only do
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I want you, beloved, to remember what is on this list, I'd like you to remember what is not on this list. Not just what is on the list, but what is not on the list.
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And that'll be more obvious as we go. Six factors, I'm not really big into alliteration, but I've done it this time because it's important for us to remember and it worked out easily.
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They all start with W. The first one, and the order is important, the will of God.
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The will of God. Instead of what's God's will for my life, what is the will of God? Look at Ephesians chapter five, verse 17.
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We've got to start off here because God wants us to think theocentrically with God in the center of our lives versus we are at the center of our lives and everything about God is set up for moi.
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So instead of what is God's will, we have turned it into what is God's will for my life?
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Look at Ephesians 5 .17. I'll be in the NAS this morning. So then do not be foolish.
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This is the second antithesis he's giving in this short section. But understand what the will of the
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Lord is. He says, now, I don't want you to become literally foolish, but I want you to understand what
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God's will is. And that word foolish is a little bit different than the word in verse 15. That here it means in verse 17, you know the right information, but you're not applying it.
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And I said last week, for those of us that want to use the blunt word, it's don't be stupid. You know the right things to do.
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Chapters one, two and three and four. But now I want you to understand what God's will is.
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He says the command right there. But do understand what God's will is. Use your mind.
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It's a word for mental acumen, for using our our intellect to figure it out. Far removed from lay back and let
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God think. Don't be foolish, but understand what
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God's will is not God's will for my life. When you see the will of God, remember last week we saw that it's not about God's will for my life as I make personal decisions.
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But more importantly, it's about God's eternal plan. God's saving plan. The will of God that made people
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Christians. The triune God that said the father, I chose. I choose people before eternity passed.
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I have Christ die 2000 years ago for them. And I have the spirit open their minds for salvation.
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This great triune plan of God, God's will. And he wants us to know that he's taught us
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God's will. In chapters one, two and three. Now he says, I want you to know what that is so it affects the way you live.
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Look back in Ephesians chapter one, verse nine, just quickly, so I can show you part of this will, because it's not secret anymore.
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In the old days, how would God ever save man? How could God take a sinful person and bring him into his thrice holy presence?
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We weren't too sure. Angels, it says in first Peter one would long. They would stoop down to see what this great plan of salvation was because angels don't know about salvation.
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Third of the angels sinned. God said, I'm just but I'm not going to give you grace. There's no salvation plan.
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And so they can't figure out salvation. But we can because God has told us. Verse nine of the first chapter of Ephesians.
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He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to the kind intention which he purposed in him.
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Mystery in the Bible here is not some kind of mystery and some kind of vague nebulous mystery.
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It's something that was known by God, but we didn't know until he told us.
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God has told us not only does he delight in creating people, but he delights in saving people.
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And he told us exactly how. And Paul said, I want you to really remember that. There's that old story about Jesus, the movie, what's it called?
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The greatest story ever told. I don't know if it's a good movie or not, but here
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Paul is saying in Ephesians one, this is the greatest story ever told to us. We get to know.
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It's not a mystery any longer. There's lots of things we can't know, but we can know this. Job chapter thirty eight.
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The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding who set its measurements since, you know, or who stretched the line on it.
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Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or have seen the storehouse storehouses of the hail? Who has put wisdom in the innermost being or was giving understanding to the mind?
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There's all kinds of things we don't know. But now, by God's grace, we know the triune plan of God. We know he saves people.
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Not only does he save people, he enjoys telling people that he saves those. Look down in Ephesians chapter three as we expand this a little bit more.
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There's all kinds of people today that wear little angel pins. And if you have one on. That's fine.
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I'm not after angel pin wearers, but if angels wore lapels, I think they'd have a little pin on their.
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You start talking like that. They don't have anything that they wear. They're not having clothing. But if you let me speak this way, there's a little church pin on every angel lapel.
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If it was true. The angels are looking at the church. Well, what do you mean, pastor?
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Take a look at Ephesians chapter three, verse nine. What does this have to do with decision making? I'm trying to give you the large picture of God's eternal plan.
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So every decision you make will first look from that perspective versus. Looking down at your own perspective,
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Ephesians three, nine, Paul's mission was not only to talk about great grace, but verse nine and to bring to light the
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Greek word there is where we get the word photo and to bring to light. What is the administration of the mystery for the ages has been hidden in God who created all things.
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Paul said, my job is to make this eternal, mysterious plan of salvation known to people.
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Verse ten, in order that the manifold wisdom of God, how wise
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God is, might be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in heaven and places.
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God said, I'm going to make my plan of salvation. My will known through the church to all the demons, to all the angels.
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And it's going to be a huge show for the ages that the church will be center stage and all the demons and all the good angels and everybody else will just look at what
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God can do with his people. The church, you can look at Jewish history and find some wild things.
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Abraham chosen to be a father of the nation. God choosing Isaac, not Ishmael.
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God choosing Jacob, not Esau. Moses in the Red Sea and redemption. But the angel saw that and they haven't seen anything yet until they see that God could save a bride and call her to him and make her like himself.
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So if you have a decision to make, well, what should I do? Where should I live? What should I where should I go to church?
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What should I do? Who to whom should I marry? Well, the first of all, God wants you to think about his eternal plan so you can be part of it.
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Not that God is is kind of this genie God and God, I need all your influences. I have to make this decision.
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It's OK to involve God in decision making. We'll see that soon. But here we have everything right side up.
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So God is at the center. An African missionary asked if he really, really liked his missionary assignment.
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He was shocked when they asked him this question. Do I like this work?
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No, my wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonably refined sensibilities.
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We do not like crawling into vile huts through goat refuse. But is a man to do nothing for Christ?
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He does not like God pity him. If not liking or disliking has nothing to do with it.
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We have orders to go and we go. Love constrains us. Isn't that good?
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It's not all about me and it's not about all about you. The first step in decision making to say, God, it's all about you.
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It's all about your eternal plan. It's all about me being more like Christ to show to the world. And so in light of that,
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God, and now that I have that settled, how else should I make a decision? The second W, the word of God.
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First of all, our attitude, our framework of reference is the will of God. Second of all, what does God's word say?
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And beloved, the order is important. Because if you start going on feelings and everything else, you're going to be in big trouble.
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The word of God. Turn to Psalm 119, if you would, please. Psalm 119.
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We preach verse by verse at the church here instead of picking just different topics. But this is a verse by verse message that spins into a topical message in a sense, because the topic of making decisions is covered in a variety of different places.
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What is God's will versus God's will for my life? Secondly, what does the word of God say about my decision?
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And I want to show you here in Psalm 119, the largest, the longest Psalm in the Bible, how
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God uses his word to guide us. Psalm 119. Look at verse 16.
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We'll just look at a variety of these, and I will try to make an impression in your minds that God uses his word to guide.
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119, 16, I shall delight in thy statutes. I shall not forget thy word. Verse 18, open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from thy law.
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It's a great book. It's a great testimony. And what does it do? Verse 24, for our point today, thy testimonies also are my delight.
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They are my what? Counselors. Verse 30, I have chosen the faithful way.
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I have placed thine ordinances before me directly correlating decision making and guidance in the word.
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Verse 35, make me walk in the path of thy commandments, for I delight in it.
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Verse 40, behold, I long for thy precepts. Revive me through thy righteousness.
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Verse 46, I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings. I shall not be ashamed. You know this song, probably, you know this from song rather.
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Verse 105, thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It gives me guidance. It helps me make decisions.
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130, unfolding of thy words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.
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The word of God will counsel you. We know that. First thing you can do when it comes to the word of God is say,
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I've got a question. Let's say divorce and remarriage. What does the Bible teach about that? And let's figure that out.
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So if you have a decision to make in life, ask yourself this question. First of all, does the Bible directly speak of this issue?
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Seven years ago, one of the most popular Christian singers was told by her counselor,
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God made marriage for people. He didn't make people for marriage. He didn't create this institution so he could just plug people into it.
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He provided this so that people could enjoy each other to the fullest. So the singer said, if you have two people that are not thriving in a healthy situation in marriage,
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I say, mark that, I say, remove the marriage, let them heal.
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So one year later, she told her husband, I believe and trust that I've been released from this marriage. But what does the
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Bible say? That's the issue. If the Bible says something, here are the ways for biblical divorce and they're not those.
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It doesn't matter what we say. We look to the scriptures and say, God, we submit. It's your word. You can also find indirect principles in the word, can't you?
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Well, the Bible doesn't directly speak to it, but indirectly it can help us. What I love about studying the
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Bible, if you don't find your answer, OK, should I take this new job? Should I marry this person?
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It doesn't tell you if you should or not, does it? But as you begin to read
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God's word and you begin to study, you start seeing things from his perspective. God starts changing your heart and your mind.
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You start having the mind of Christ. You start drawing closer to the Lord and you think, what a great way to make decisions for John.
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Right. White is right. Deep in your heart is not guidance that you want so much as a guide.
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I want to be close to the guide. I don't need to know all the details. It's like the kids being in the car with you and they're really little.
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Dad, do we turn here? Dad, do we go there? What about this stoplight? Have you gone too far? What about that intersection up there? What about that over there?
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Over, back and around? Do we have enough gas? It's enough to know, kids. Dad's right here.
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We'll get there. Don't ask me those questions anymore. So you begin to pour yourself into the word of God.
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You become closer to God. He starts chiseling away at you. And even though the answer to your question, should
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I? It's not there, but being close to the Lord is.
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Bruce Waltke said, if you are struggling with a specific question, rather than trying to magically divine God's answer, spend time drawing close to him.
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Then your character and perhaps your perspective will change. That is so good.
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But you know what? It's hard. How hard is it? I have a tremendous decision to make, God. Well, you know, should
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I marry Jack or Larry? You know, I need to know instead of pouring through the scriptures and finding the mind of God and seeing what he wants.
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And how can I glorify God more with the spouse and all these other things? God, I want to live for you. And it's all about your plan.
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It's not me. You're driving down the street and it's Larry Boulevard. And you're like, wow, I've got a sign. And you laugh, but people have done that before.
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I'm refraining myself. I'm refraining. If you need to make an important decision, would you just pour yourself into the word of God?
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The daily bread is a good place to start, but it's not enough, beloved. Pour yourself into the word of God.
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And even if it's the Old Testament and you see how God's got a plan and God is great and God guides his people, his people can trust him.
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And so you just submit yourself to the word. The third W, wisdom.
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When you need to make a decision in this order, what's God's plan? And how could I fit in?
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It's not all about me. Just like that missionary. God, if you need me to be in Africa, I'll go to Africa. It's not about me.
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I might not like to go, but it's all about you. I want to serve you. I've been bought with a price. I love you.
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You've loved me first. Second of all, pour yourself into God's word.
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Third of all, get wisdom. Proverbs chapter four says, The first thing about wisdom is to get it.
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You want to be wise, get wisdom. And we need that so much. I don't even have to say you need it because I'll say
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I need it. I'm simple. I'm ignorant to certain facts. I'm sinful. How can
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I make a decision just based with my own resources? I need help making a decision.
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And so I say, God, you are going to have to give me wisdom. You've said wisdom is at a premium in your scripture.
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Ecclesiastes 9 .16, wisdom is better than strength. Two verses later, it's better than weapons of war.
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Proverbs three, it's more profitable than silver. The next verse, it's more precious than rubies.
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Proverbs eight, nothing you desire can compare to wisdom. What do you long for?
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Nothing's better than wisdom. And the only person that can bestow wisdom,
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Job 28 says, it's God. So if you don't have wisdom and you need to make a decision and you know
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God likes to give wisdom, what ought you to do? Ask God for wisdom.
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And God says, how could you? I wouldn't give you a thing. Let's turn to James chapter one and find out what happens when you ask
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God for wisdom. There's nowhere else to get it necessarily than God and God's people.
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James chapter one is a beautiful chapter because it's talking about trials. And when you're in the middle of a trial, ask for wisdom.
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Many decision making practices are trials. Should I change jobs and what ministry should
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I have in the church? Or do I invest my money? I mean, there's a thousand trials.
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But how does it how does God respond when you, a child, go to him as a father and you ask for wisdom?
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What does he do? James one five, James, inspired by the spirit, says if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask
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God. Now, James is a lot more kind and compassionate in the way he words things than I am.
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He's basically saying, I know you don't think you need wisdom, but you do. So go ahead and ask
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God. That's really what he's saying there. You don't have all the resources, so you need to ask
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God. Ask God who gives. Look at how he gives two different ways. He gives generously.
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That word just means freely and without duplicity. Psalm 81 says,
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I'm the Lord, your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open your mouth and I will fill it. God, I need wisdom, not only generously, but look at how else he gives it.
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But the other way, he gives it generously to all without finding fault.
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Can you imagine? God, I need wisdom. I want to make an important decision. And God says,
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I rebuke you. You've insulted me. You've snubbed me and I'm going to snub you.
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Let's see. I'm going to remember all those past sins that you've committed against me even today.
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And I'll look at those and you're not going to get. This is a reciprocal deal. And you haven't kept your end of the bargain.
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So I won't give you any wisdom. He's not that way at all.
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Aren't you glad? I am. That's probably how I would act if I was God. Dworkinson said he will not send you away empty.
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He stands ready to help you again and again. There is no end to his mercy. It should encourage you constantly to seek the
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Lord for wisdom. I'll never forget it as long as I lived. Mark Bailey was going to be the president of Dallas Theological Seminary.
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And a lot of the seminary professors were there in California and others. And they brought him up to the front and said,
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Dr. Bailey, we want to pray for you. What can we pray for you about? And Dr. Bailey said, well, there's only one thing I really am requesting, and that is wisdom.
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You think about how when Solomon asked for wisdom, he could have asked for anything else. God gave him wisdom and was pleased.
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If you have a hard time making a decision or you don't know what to do, ask for wisdom. And God will not be like that Santa Claus down at the
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Greendale Mall that sits there nicely and listens to all the kids. Oh, you want that new PlayStation? You want that new G .I.
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Joe? You want that new Barbie? OK. And doesn't deliver because he hasn't told the parents what the kid has asked for.
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That's why moms always say, what would you ask Santa for? Not that I'm advocating Santa.
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I used to go to Santa before I was a Christian. That's just an illustration. God's not like some
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E .R. triage God. Well, the ones with the biggest requests, we have to take them first.
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And that's not a very big decision for wisdom over there. So you stand in the triage line and we'll take care of you based on need.
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Well, God has another way we get wisdom, and that is through godly people. We pray for wisdom.
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Secondly, we go to others to get wisdom and not just anyone and not just I'm going to call people on the phone until someone gives me what
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I've already decided to do. And when they do that, that's God's stamp right there. Yep. That's I know
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I should do that. Turn to Proverbs 11 and let me just show you a few verses that emphasize.
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Again, this is more of a topical message, exegetically based from the scriptures. But Proverbs 11 says a lot about getting counsel from others.
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Why do smart people make stupid mistakes? Well, number one is they think they're smart enough to cover all the bases.
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But second of all, they don't get all the counsel that they need from other godly people. That's what's so great about a local church.
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We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and together, God keeps us strong. Proverbs 11, 14, where there is no guidance, the people fall.
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But in abundance of counselors, there's victory. Look at the next chapter.
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Chapter 12, verse 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
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Proverbs 13, 10. Through presumption comes nothing but strife. But with those who receive counsel is wisdom.
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It's not only good to get wisdom from others. If you get wisdom from others, you're showing wisdom. Proverbs 15, 22.
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Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors, they succeed.
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And I'll just read these next three. Proverbs 19, 20. Listen to counsel and accept discipline that you may be wise the rest of your days.
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Proverbs 20, 18. Prepare plans by consultation and make war by wise guidance. My favorite one is
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Proverbs 27, 9. Oil and perfume make the heart glad. Especially in those days, oil was a commodity used for all kinds of things, medicinally and for lights.
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Perfume was important in those days for all the reasons why it was important in these days, except even more back then, because you didn't have showers everywhere.
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Oil and perfume make the heart glad. So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend.
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God, I need to make a decision. A, it's not about me. B, what does your word say? C, get wisdom from God and from other people.
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That's why if you have circumstances in your life, it's wrong to read the circumstances just as circumstances.
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But it is not wrong to say, I have some circumstances and an open door here. An open door does not mean rush through.
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An open door means, God, that door should be evaluated in the light of,
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I'm here to serve you. What does the word say? I don't want to walk into something that's obviously sin.
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What does wisdom say? God, give me wisdom to look at that door. And by the way, elder at the church or godly lady mentor, what do you think about that open door?
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Because I'm not so sure I should be walking through that. Open door, closed doors and circumstances are not bad, but they need to be evaluated with the will of God, the word of God, and with wisdom.
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Friesen said circumstances define the context of the decisions and must be weighed by wisdom, not read as road signs to God's individual will.
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Number four, wish. The will of God, the word of God, wisdom from God, and now, what do you desire or wish?
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Did you know God gives those who delight in him, all right,
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I'm going to force the issue to make you listen, a blank check. You're saying, what are you talking about?
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Are you some word faith guy or what's happening? Turn to Psalm 37 verse 4 and let's work that out a little bit.
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That was just to get your attention and now let's see if that's exactly true. Psalm 37 verse 4, one of my favorite verses in all the
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Bible, a wonderful psalm of assurance. A psalm that talks about if our delights are in the
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Lord, he will give us our desires, which are really his desires, implanted in us.
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Psalm 37 verse 4, delight yourself in the Lord, in Yahweh, the personal name of God, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
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Now, you don't say, well, I get everything I want from God and all my motives are bad. When you're delighting yourself in the
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Lord and seeking his way and asking for wisdom and praying and in the word and serving, John Calvin said, here's how you make decisions, love
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God and do what you want. More recently, John MacArthur has said the same thing. If you are trying to obey
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God's revealed moral will, the Bible, and you're attempting to try to please him, and if you have a desire to do something, then just do it.
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Because you can know that God's given you those desires in your own heart. Charles Spurgeon said, every name, attribute, word, or deed of God should be delightful to us.
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And in meditating thereon, our soul should be as glad as it is the epicure who feeds delectably upon a profound relish of dainties.
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Men who delight in God desire are asked for nothing but what will please God. Hence, it is safe to give them carte blanche.
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Their will is subdued to God's will, and now they may have what they will. And as unbelievers delight in all the carnal, fleshly, worldly things, we're to delight in God.
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So then when we ask for something, really it's underneath the umbrella of his will. It was said of Martin Luther that he could have anything that he would of Almighty God.
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Did you get that? Because he was walking so close to him that if he asked God for something, well, his asking was influenced by the word and wisdom.
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Certainly it's right when Philippians 2 .13 says, for it is God who works, it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
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And think about it even logically. How do you guide your kids? Some of you have 16 and 17 and 18 year old children.
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I'll be a special prayer for you after the service. What are you trying to teach them?
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When they're three and four and five, you teach them. Now, this is what you do. This is what you don't do. You're going to do this little flow chart right here and you walk them through.
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And as they mature, you give them a little bit longer leash and you give them bigger boundaries and you kind of let them go.
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So you're trying to teach them how to make wise decisions. Does it make sense that God would have to tell us every little tiny detail for every little decision we'd have to make?
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First of all, the Bible would be about this big. Second of all, that's not what a father does with his child anyway, or a mother with her daughter.
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She teaches and loves and gives a little more leeway. So what's been taught, they can make those decisions.
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And that's exactly how God does it. Freson said, does the wise father guide his child by formulating a plan that covers every detail of the child's life?
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And then revealing that plan step by step as each decision must be made? Of course not. The father who truly is wise teaches his child the basic principles of life.
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He teaches what is right and wrong, what is wise against what is foolish. He then seeks to train the child to make his own decisions, making proper use of these correct guidelines.
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That's what's happening here. Delight yourself in the Lord and He'll give you the desires of your heart, which are
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God's desires that He's given into your heart. Love God and do what you please. Do you know there's some
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Bible verses that even say that almost? Do whatever you wish. Do what you wish.
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You say, where are those verses? Well, let's find out. Let's turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 7.
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And I want to show you that often the New Testament describes or lets the believer know, do what you purpose in your heart, do what seems best to you, or do what you wish.
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Now, obviously, if somebody's not in the word and prayer and using their gifts, it's not going to be do what you wish. It should be more do what the
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Bible says. But here, I want to show you that oftentimes there is this word wish, or purpose, or seems best.
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And the Christian can just use good judgment. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 36.
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But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she should be of full age, and if it must be so, let him do what he, what?
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Wishes. He does not sin, let her marry. But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.
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Look down to verse 39. A wife is bound as long as her husband lives, but if her husband's dead, she is free to be married to whom she what?
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Wishes only in the Lord. 1
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Corinthians chapter 10 verse 27. I'll just read it. If anyone, unbelievers invite you, and you wish to go eat anything that is set before you.
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How about giving? There is no command for you to give a certain percentage to the church here.
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How should you give to this church? If you are thinking about the will of God, you're thinking about what does the word say?
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What does wisdom say? Well, the next one is wish. Here's your New Testament giving verse, 2
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Corinthians 9, 7. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
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Whatever you wish to give, give. How about Acts 15, 22?
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It seemed good to the apostles and the elders with the whole church to choose men from among them. That's a good idea. That's why when people say, oh, well,
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George Mueller had some kind of impression for those orphans, and he had some kind of, he was led by God and everything else.
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The biblical way to think about that is, he saw the needs of orphans. He knew that the
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Bible talked about the needs of orphans, and he said, God, I'm all about you and your kingdom. The Bible says, that's really true religion is to take care of them.
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Give me wisdom so I can figure out how to take care of all those kids, and I desire to do it. And his burden for the kids was certainly
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God's and planted in him. Boy, this is so much better than trying to lead with my emotions, because if my first desire is what do
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I wish, I think everything gets all messed up. If my first thought is, it's about your will,
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God, not mine. It's what does your word say? What does wisdom say? And now if I've been doing those things, then step into what
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I wish. Number five, two more to go.
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Number five, wait. If you're undecided about the future and you can't make a decision, wait.
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Boy, that's hard to do, isn't it? That person down there at Price Chopper, they had 13 things in their grocery cart and the sign said 12.
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Maybe I'm the only one that has a problem with that. I was the one who had 13 the other day though, so I'm on the other end of it.
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If you get two candy bars, that only counts as one item. Look at Psalm 37, verse nine, if you're still in Psalm 37, verse nine.
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Waiting is good. You have two things that seem equal. Should I take this job or should
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I take that job? You can't make up your mind. God, I wanna take the right job so that I can preach the best to people and be an outstanding light for you and I'm all about the demonstration of the triune, eternal, salvific plan of God.
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I'm all about that. I've studied your word and everything's fine and I wanna be close to you and I still can't make up my mind.
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God, give me wisdom. I need to figure it out. I've already asked for other people's wisdom. They don't know what to do either.
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My wishes are many, many, mighty more. I mean, I don't really know. So the next one is wait for more information because God will give you enough information to make the right decision.
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Look at Psalm 37. Waiting is so hard to do, but it is commended in scripture.
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It's really trusting God. For evil doers will be cut off, but those who wait for the
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Lord, they will inherit the land. In that context, all that God has promised will come to realization.
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J .I. Packer said, "'Wait on the Lord' is a constant refrain in the Psalms and it is a necessary word for God often keeps us waiting.
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He is not in such a hurry as we are and it is not his way to give more light on the future than we need for action in the present, art to guide us more than one step at a time.
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When in doubt, drum roll, do nothing, but continue to wait on God.
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When action is needed, light will come." And often that word, especially you hear in Psalm 37, the word wait can be translated eagerly expect.
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Eagerly expect God is going to do something. Looking eagerly. We read it today.
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Lewis read it. Those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength. That's an amen
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I'll take in a Baptist church. Psalm 52,
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I will give thee thanks forever because thou has done it and I will wait on thy name for it is good.
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It's good to wait. Last night I went to the dragway up in New Hampshire and they had these jet cars.
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And my son looked at me and he said, dad, that sounds like an airplane. I said, it is.
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Mike told me it was a helicopter jet engine. And they start revving those things up and the loud sounds.
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And then all of a sudden the big billows of smoke, 50 feet and a hundred feet up behind the back. And then the 25 foot trailer of fire, just everywhere, just shooting back out there.
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And I have no idea how I was going to use that in a sermon. No, wait, it has a point, but I just don't know how.
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Where was I going? Yeah, that's right.
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Just wait. It's a W so it's easy to remember. This is a monomic sermon device.
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When are they going to take off, dad? When are they going to get going? What's all those lights? You know, there's a little tree. One guy's up to the front and he's ready.
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The other guy's up to the front. They're ready. And it's like yellow, yellow, yellow, green. 275 miles an hour, 5 .8
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seconds, down a quarter of a mile thing. And you just stand there and you can feel everything. You can smell the gas, the jet fuel.
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You can feel the heat way up in the stands. You can hear it all. You got your fingers like that. It's like, whoa.
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Now, truth be told, I didn't use that illustration for wait. I wanted to use it for something else, but I can't remember.
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So we'll just keep it in for wait. Just wait, son. Now we could use this as a crutch because really no decision is still a decision.
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But if you have a hard time and you have two kinds of things that you can't decide about, just keep praying to the
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Lord and beseeching Him and study the word and wait and other information will come up. Oh, I just found out this particular job is going to require me to be away from my family four nights a week.
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And I have four little kids all under 10 and I can make $20 ,000 more here. And this one over here,
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I can be home every night. I make a little less money. And I just learned all about that all yesterday. Well, then things become a lot clearer to make the decision.
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Number six and finally, how do I make a decision? The will of God, the word of God, wisdom from God, wishes given by God, waiting for the
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Lord and sixly worship. Sixly worship. You could do this while you were waiting if you wanted to, but I just added it as worship because I think it's so important.
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1 Corinthians 10, verse 31 makes it clear, doesn't it? Whether you eat or drink or make a decision, do all for the glory of God.
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Now you can sing whistle while you work, but it should be worship while you wait.
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Worship while you're making a decision. You say, my natural instincts are this. These are my natural instincts.
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God, I have to make a decision. It's going to be life changing. My entire life could be changed by this decision that I'm going to make.
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And I don't know what to do. I'm not sure. If I make the wrong decision, what might happen? This is very difficult.
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What should I do? There are stakes on the line. Well, worship God anyway.
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Worship a God that can take your wrong decision seemingly from the human perspective and make it for your good and for his glory.
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You worship anyway. You say, if God can take the Joseph's brother's story where the Joseph's brothers were wicked and sinful toward him and made it out for good, can't he do that?
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If I make a decision that seems right now, but later I learn it wasn't such a good decision.
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That's like people will say, well, I tried to invest my money properly and I had good motives and it was going to be money used for the
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Lord. And for all the right reasons, I had two choices, mutual fund A or stock item
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B. And I put it all in this one and I look back and everything's just gone. You're like,
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I can't believe I did that. And it haunts them over and over because they've lost all that money.
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Well, can't you worship God? And wasn't God sovereign over that? And wasn't God in control enough for you to say, God, blessed is the name of the
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Lord, whether you give or take away. God, you're sovereign. Romans 8 .28 is a reality even as we make decisions.
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I love Revelation 19 .6. Hallelujah for the Lord, our God, the almighty reigns. We don't have to fear making a mistake.
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Should I move across country? Paralyzed with fear, I don't know if I can. Well, worship
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God, praise him. Frederick Faber said, there are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God.
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And do you know when you get to heaven, if you're a Christian, first of all, you have to be a Christian to get to heaven. But if you're a
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Christian and you get to heaven, may I suggest that you won't look back at your time on life and say,
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I should have done that. I could have done that. Oh, that open door there, I didn't walk through because I made a decision a day before I heard that six point
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W series that Evendroth gave. Oh, my. You're gonna look up in heaven, probably after about 90 billion years of looking at Christ.
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And then by that time, you'll say, I just wanna take a peek and see some of your glory and how you work things providentially,
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Lord. I can't believe that every one of those decisions that I made in ignorance or sin or with good motives and they turned out bad are all according to your eternal decree anyway.
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And I'll continue to worship you, not just down in heaven, but now up in, not on earth, but now in heaven, I'll worship you too.
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And that's why I preach the sovereignty of God in this church so often, because it is such a glorious doctrine next to the salvation of my soul and your soul, that God is the king, that's what
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I need. In a day of people who want to be king, God is the king and I can worship
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God. If you're having a hard decision to make, instead of all this, well, I'm not sure and I don't know what to do and everything else, how about God, I praise you that even if I make the wrong decisions with seemingly good motives, you'll work it all out for your glory.
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And you'll do things in the future when I move to that town or marry this lady that I never even planned on, but you knew it.
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This is so important. The will of God, God, I'm here for you.
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The word of God, what do you say directly, indirectly? Let me draw near you, let me have your mind. God, give me wisdom, ask your friends for wisdom.
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God, my desires seem to be good and my motives are pure and I'm not in this for sin, so I think this will benefit your kingdom.
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I'm going to delight myself in you and now I'll do what I just wish to do. I can't make a decision right at this moment, so I'll wait and then the whole time we just worship
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God. And it's so much better than saying, I've prayed about it and I have a peace.
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I'm not concerned that if you pray about it and have a peace has nothing to do with Christianity. It does, but it's in order and it's number four.
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And that peace is that wish, you say, God, I've thought about your kingdom, I've looked at the word,
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I've asked for wisdom, I think I should do such and such and I've got a pretty good conscience about it, I've got a peace about it and so now
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I'll go ahead and make the decision. Where peacemaking is wrong is if you bypass the first three and say, well,
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I've prayed, I don't want to study, I don't want to do all this stuff and God, give me peace and I'm anxious and give me peace and now
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I have peace, I'll make the decision. Those things are good, but it's right order is important. There are things, beloved, that we will have to do as Christians that aren't easy and aren't feeling generated so these will really help us.
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What about the bride and the groom? We'll stand here or we'll have a bride and the groom stand down in Auburn or out in New York.
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Do you think if they are feeling oriented and they'll decide based that day on their feelings if they should get married or not?
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I don't know about you, but I was so nervous, I couldn't get any spit. All my, the hydration was all coming out my forehead, that's why.
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Every single Sunday morning, Sunday night, I sit there on that chair and I go, oh God, help me. I'm nervous, the bad kind of nervous in public speaking is
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I want people to think I look good, vanity. The good kind of nervous is I'm about to stand up and say, thus saith the
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Lord and preach the word of God, let not many of you be teachers, James chapter three, verse one, oh God, help me. I talked to a pastor here,
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I moved into town seven years ago and I met with a pastor in another town over and I said, well, what are you preaching through?
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What series? He said, well, just kind of doing some topical things and God led me the other day not to preach.
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Well, I don't know what God that was, but second Timothy chapter two and four tell you what to do. I could sit there all day long and say,
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I'm not led to preach today because I have to get up and preach. So and so brought their family and so and so brought their friends and somebody else brought their boyfriend and I'm gonna get up here and preach on sin and hell and repentance.
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I don't wanna do that. People say, well, you know, I've got decisions to make and I don't know whether to stay with my husband or not or it has nothing to do with feelings.
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You start going through that list and you say, I've been bought with a price. Say, well,
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I have kids and I really, I can't spank them, you know,
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I can't discipline them because it's the culture. I don't feel right about it. Beloved, think about the decision -making process.
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If you lead with feelings, of course you never will. Gracie ran out in the street the other day and she was not allowed to go and what did
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I do? Good job, Gracie, just run more often and run harder next time. And I'll give you some horse blinders too.
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What did I say? My heart was broken. I said, Gracie, what's the rule here? No going in the street.
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Daddy loves you. You go up on, get on daddy's bed. And the whole time I'm thinking, I hate to spank kids.
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I can't stand to do it. I don't feel like that. But what's the right decision? She needs to learn that before she runs out into that street again, there's going to be a little past tingling sensation on her bottom that will remind her, is it better to have freedom or is it better to have daddy's love and care and that no spanking?
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If I felt like spanking, I never would. But my clockwork is not run by my lone life because I don't trust myself.
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Secondly, it's not run by the world that says you can't do it. So I say, Gracie, go get on daddy's bed.
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You know, daddy loves you. I'm not mad at you. You're my number one kid. I just love you to death, but daddy told you not to go on the street.
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And you need to remember that if you go into the street again, you're going to get another spank. So I'm not mad.
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And right afterwards, we're going to be best pals and everything. And you can ask for forgiveness. And if my feelings took over,
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I guarantee you, I know what I would do. Well, kids today, it's going to be a demonstration of mercy. Mercy is not getting what you deserve.
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So instead of having justice today, how about mercy? Or today's a demonstration of grace.
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Instead of not having mercy, which is not getting justice, I'll give you grace, which let's go have an ice cream cone instead. Those are all fine to do, but exceptional.
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Once in a while, here it was like, God, I don't want to discipline my kid. I don't want to do that.
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But it's about your kingdom because I want my little Gracie to be a little marcher soldier for God. And I want to be the one who breaks her will so then
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God breaks her will. And I actually want a strong will child. So after God breaks that strong will, there'll be strong will for him.
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Then I'm going to say the word of God says, if you don't spank your kids, you don't love them. God, I love my kids.
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I'm going to do it. What does wisdom say? God, if I ask for wisdom on something that's already in the Bible, you're not going to say something new.
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I'm just going to have to obey. Ask other people. Oh yeah, did your kids live past the age of 20 if you spanked them? Yes. Okay.
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I'll go ahead and do it. What do I wish to do? I don't wish to. But if you're delighting yourself in the
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Lord, you will submit anyway. In a few moments, we'll have a church discipline situation.
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And if anyone thinks that I love church discipline or I want to do it, you have another thing coming. If the
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Bible teaches we are to say something or do something, I will not say feelings number one,
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I don't feel like it. Because frankly, I don't feel like it. And I've never felt like it. But I'm a man under a charge and a duty and I will fulfill that.
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So when you have a decision to make, just step back a little bit and say, God, it's your will.
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It's your word. It's your wisdom. It's my wishes because I'm delighting in you.
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I don't have to rush through this. I can wait. And God, I will praise you all day long, even when I'm in a trauma.
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Let's pray. Father, we thank you for our time today. And Father, I praise you that you can work through people who haven't arrived, both in the pew and in the pulpit.
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And Father, we have all made wrong decisions, yet you've been sovereign over all that. And we praise you for that.
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I pray, Father, that the people here today would be good Bereans, that they would study your word.
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And Father, they would make decisions that would glorify you. And Father, we're thankful that when we look back in the past, we see your providential hand.
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And we look in the future and today, we don't have to see anything except your tender mercies, knowing that you love us.