Fool Proof Decision Making - [1 Corinthians 16:5-11]

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My question for you this morning is how do you make decisions? Got a big decision to make
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What kind of thought process do you go through? How do you make a decision? Well, it seems like just yesterday, but in 1974
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I had a decision to make and So what do you do when you have to make a decision you ask your mom or your dad dad wasn't around so mom said
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Well, I know what to do Said come over to the kitchen table. I still remember it to this very moment
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We sat down she opened up this board And she put her hands on one side of the list little plastic thing that was kind of pointed and had a compass looking thing
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On it. I put my hand on the other side of the compass thing We started asking this board questions
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Hoping for the answer on the Ouija board come a long way, baby, right?
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People have a hard time making decisions People have a harder time making good decisions
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Does the Bible address decision -making? Actually, there are a lot of bad decisions in the
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Bible Ezekiel 21 talks about Nebuchadnezzar how he would make bad decisions
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One of the ways he made bad decisions is something called Rabdo Mansi, and you would take a quiver and put in two different Arrowheads if you're at a fork in the road
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Jerusalem's over here and Rama's over here you put the names on the arrowhead shake them and then roll one out
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It's a Jerusalem go that way Bellomancy was the same thing do
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I marry? Jill or Julie write their names on the arrowhead shake it and what everyone comes out first Thus says the
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Lord Ezekiel 21 also talks about Nebuchadnezzar Consulting household idols
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Just get a little mini GI Joe version of your your great -grandfather and pray to him ancestral worship
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Ezekiel 21 also talks about Nebuchadnezzar looking at the liver
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How do I make a decision? Let's go down to Haniford buy some liver and look at it That's called a
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Pedoscopy the study of the liver they didn't think the mind really resided here are here
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They thought the mind reason resided in the in the belly and the splinton in the guts, and so let's look at that Hydromancy That was another way
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Nebuchadnezzar and others tried to divine the future just take a little gold dust put it on the top of a water bowl and then look and For those of us that don't have any extra gold dust around you pour some oil on the top and how the lights would come down You look at it.
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You say yeah, that's what God wants Our Isaiah chapter 47
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God lives in heaven and maybe the way he's trying to talk to us is through stars
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And maybe if Jupiter aligns with Mars, and I can kind of figure out what's going on I'll go to astrology that will help me understand the future
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And if none of those work bad decision -making 101 ends with let's put a fleece out
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So the question is this morning. How do you make decisions? We have so many decisions to make a day
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One after another after another and some of us have big decisions to make how do we make decisions?
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one potato two potato rock paper scissor shoot Flip a coin
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Horoscope Dionne Warwick psychics hotline I Memorized that number by the way 1 -800.
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I am foolish. It's easy one for me to remember But you know here's the thing
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Christians have their own Bellomancy kind of techniques they read livers to By praying about something and saying
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I have a piece about it. Therefore. It must be God's will I Just have their own way of reading the stars by saying well
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I just heard from God God literally told me to my spirit that I was to do such -and -such sometimes
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Christians say well, I'm just gonna play Bible twister, and I'm just gonna try to find a verse that matches up my my
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My theology my decision and left hand on this chapter right foot on that verse there.
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It is. It's bellomancy is what it is I know I think I'll know what I'll do
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God if this happens in my life, then this condition that I put up there if that happens
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I'll know it's time to go forward No, let's see. I've got another idea I just won't eat for like four days and then try to make a critical decision that'll work
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I kind of have an impression.
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I know I know the Bible says something different, but God's speaking to me I Have this impression so this morning.
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We're going to look at biblical decision -making What does the Bible say and you know God in his goodness and his generosity
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He has not just left us to try to figure out the world without any decision -making what father?
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What mother would just say all right? seven -year -old just Hope you make it.
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No. There's leading and guiding and scriptural wisdom, so let's turn our Bibles to 1st Corinthians chapter 16
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Here's the plan today the plan today is we're going to look over About six verses seven verses found in 1st
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Corinthians that talk about Paul's travel plans Now since these verses aren't directly applied to you that is they're not
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Instructions written for a church something like the Church of Thessalonica rejoice always again. I say rejoice
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They're not that they're describing Paul's travel plans. It's like opening up Paul's itinerary
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You're opening up Paul's I calendar his outlook his daytimer We're gonna look at Paul's daytimer, but you'll see laced through these plans
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Paul was saying I'm gonna submit to God's Word. I'm gonna submit to God's will if God wants me to do this
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I'll do that so here's what we're going to do this morning We're gonna just teach through these verses because I'm committed to teach through every verse of the
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Bible even about Paul's travel plans Then when we have time after that and we will have time we're gonna look at biblical decision -making
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The biblical principles aren't necessarily found in these verses, but the idea is there and then we'll run with it
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So first Corinthians chapter 16 verses 5 to 11 this morning and then biblical decision -making good.
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Is that a good choice? Good decision. All right now to set the stage a little bit.
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Let me say this Paul was criticized By the false teachers as being fickle
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Paul says he's gonna visit he doesn't visit But Paul wanted to visit but circumstances prevented him
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He wasn't sovereign. He didn't rule the universe Remember Paul wanted to go to Thessalonica and first Thessalonians 2 18.
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It says Satan hindered me because when he was wanting to go to Macedonia and So Paul says earlier in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 4 Some are arrogant as though I were not coming to you, but I will come to you soon if the
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Lord wills So you think I don't keep my word you think I'm fickle you think
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I don't love you I do keep my word by the grace of God I do love you, but God sometimes doesn't allow our plans to come to fruition
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And so you'll feel that here as we read these verses in Paul's travel plans I don't have these verses underlined in my
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Bible but I think they're parts of these verses you can underline because you'll see how Paul is submitting to the sovereign
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King and his plans and his will first Corinthians 16 5
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Here's Paul's travel plans. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia.
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This is news to them They didn't know he was going to do this. So he informs them for I intend to pass through Macedonia and For us pass through might be
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I'll spend the night. I'll spend the weekend here. It's a little longer. I'm going to Macedonia I'll pass through I'll stay there for a while, but I intend to come to you soon enough
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I intend Verse 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter so that you may help me on my journey
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Wherever I go I've got a new plan and that plan is I'm gonna go through Macedonia And then
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I want to come to you before winter I right around September the storm started coming on the sea you couldn't travel in a boat
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So wherever you were you were all there So Paul says I'm gonna stay with you and you can help me with my missionary
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Support with me bringing money to other churches that need it and certainly Paul probably thought and you guys have enough trouble
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It's gonna take me months to fix it But there's no definiteness to his plan that is to say he knows
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God is sovereign and if God wills I'll do this or do that Well what actually happened 2nd
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Corinthians tells us that He made an emergency voyage to Corinth and that was a disaster
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Paul called that in 2nd Corinthians the painful visit Verse 7 goes on to say, oh, you know what?
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I'd like to do read 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 15 to 17 In your Bibles as I read it out loud 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 1 15 to 17 Maybe a little bit farther. You'll get the idea of of What Paul was battling against when it comes to these false teachers trying to say he doesn't keep his word 2nd
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Corinthians 1 15 It says because I was sure of this I wanted to come to you first so that you might have a second experience of grace.
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I Wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way
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To Judea when I was vacillating was I vacillating when
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I wanted to do this Do I make my plans according to the flesh ready to say? Yes Yes And no no at the same time as surely as God is faithful our word to you has not been yes
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And no for the Son of God Jesus Christ whom we proclaimed among you Silvanus and Timothy and I was not yes and no but in him is always yes
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And then he just launches off into this mini doxology for all the promises of God find there.
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Yes in him That is why it is through him. We utter our amen to God for his glory
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I'm not being fickle. I'm not saying Some lies or fib I wanted to come to visit you but God prevented me
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That's the point now back to 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 7 And again, we're just gonna work through this quickly so you understand the context if you ever read it again
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We'll talk about some decision -making shortly For I do not want to see you now just in passing verse 7
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I Hope to spend some time with you and then see it again if the
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Lord permits I'm submitted to God's will
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I Want to show up, but I'm God's servant. He calls me and I go he says yes,
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I say yes. He says no I say no I'm submitting all my plans to God Verse 8 but I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost We think of Pentecost now with the coming of the
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Spirit of God in Acts 2 But really Pentecost was the 49 days after Passover 49 plus the 150 days
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Pentecost is the Greek name for the Feast of Weeks But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost late
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May early June For a wide door for effective work work has opened to me
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Usually we think open doors. That's the easy way for Paul when there's an open door for gospel ministry There must be what
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There must be a lot of people After him there must be opposition because where God's Word is to be found and God's Gospels to be preached
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Satan is there with his minions and There are many
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Adversaries Now what this particular thing was we don't really know probably it was
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Acts 19 Remember Paul comes along and says you know all those little silver goddesses that you have around that Demetrius makes those don't really represent anything except the idolatry in your heart and they didn't like it because they were worshiping
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Diana of Ephesus right Artemis and there's a huge riot there lots of opportunities to preach the gospel but many
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Adversaries, I do find it interesting if you look at the verse The door is open perfect tense and stands open.
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There is this great Open door for gospel ministry. I think some of us underestimate just how
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Precarious it was to preach the gospel in those days at the risk of your life
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Then he says in verse 10. Here's a request on behalf of His son in the faith
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Timothy when Timothy comes See that you put him at ease among you
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For he's doing the work of the Lord as I am So let no one despise him
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Remember what he said to Timothy when he wrote the pastoral epistles because he was young Timothy don't let anyone but despise you because of your what youth
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Yeah, he's young but he's doing the work of God. He's doing the work of the ministry. He's all about Christ Jesus Help him on his way and peace.
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What does that mean help him? How do you help a missionary? Who's with you? Be warm be filled How do you help a missionary food clothes?
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Funds help Timothy with gospel ministry That he may return to me.
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That's what verse 11 says for I'm expecting him with the brothers He's gonna show up don't intimidate him because you're older don't intimidate him because you're the leader of the patriarchal system
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Double honor for those elders who preach and teach the word study hard Don't despise him honor him not because of him but because of the work now if I was kind of a funky
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Bible exegete and interpreter I would say Now when you go to Ephesus for Pentecost your spiritual
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Ephesus, here's what I'd like you to do, but this was for Paul So what do we do when it comes to preaching it?
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I want you to see over and over and over again look back at verse 6 perhaps verse 7 if the
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Lord permits verse 9 Open door wide door is open to me
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That kind of language makes me want to say do you know the elders at Bethlehem Bible Church, we want you to make good decisions
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We have some examples in our church of people that have made great decisions They've they've made decisions in an honoring way to God And when we see that we just rejoice
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You know what I'm gonna say next though, right We've seen some people here Who have made tragic decisions?
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horrible decisions Now God's grace is greater than all our sins and all our foolish decision -making
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But all this talk about Decisions and I'll do this if God permits in the time we have left
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Let me give you a biblical paradigm for decision -making that will help you. I think the rest of your life
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Now if you're a visitor, I'm not a Southern Baptist, but this is going to be alliteration
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I usually don't do alliteration. I don't always alliterate but the Bible actually does use some alliteration for helping and So let me give you six
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W's six considerations in making godly decisions You know, here's the great news think about this
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If you've made a sinful decision in the past and you're a Christian guess what? forgiven
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Guessed who we worship. We worship Jesus Christ the risen Savior who never made a bad decision
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Never made a sinful decision never had a regret with his decisions And so the great news is when we come to this,
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I hope you say in the future I'd like to do this by the grace of God But if you've got decisions that you've made in the past that have long affecting negative consequences
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The good news is they won't last forever The other good news is we have been forgiven of those bad
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Decisions that we have made the sinful decisions and guess what? God does God is so powerful and so generous and so gracious to his children
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He can take what we meant for evil what we went for sin what we meant for stupidity and turn it out for His glory and what?
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our good So if you you say yeah, I've made some tragic decisions in my life.
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Well, then learn from them ask God for forgiveness Live under the consequences
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Temporally, and then here we move forward six considerations in making biblical decisions and beloved
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Let me say this. These are in order if ever made a list of ten things you say no particular order
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This is a very particular order. It starts here. Sometimes we bypass it.
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We want to go to number five first I'm sorry, it is alliteration, but I don't have three points nor do
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I have a poem Six points if you must have three points, then you can count each of these as half a point
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I listen to SOS Johnson the other day He said I always have to have three points and he said my sermon only had two points today
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So I numbered number one one and I numbered point two three just so I felt better about having three points
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So you can do these by halves if you like if you must have three points in order of importance
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We start here at the top six W's to help you when you need to make a decision
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Do I leave a church? Do I join a church? Do I marry this particular person?
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How about confronting this person? How about covering the sin of this person? What do I do interpersonally?
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What do I do at work? Do I take this job? Don't I take this job? Do I move? What do I do? I Think it'll be helpful
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W number one the will of God Consider the will of God Turn to Ephesians chapter 5, please
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We do with the Bible what we always do if we're not careful God's will turns into God's will for my life
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Let's think about God's will first. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 5. I was a kid
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I'd love this verse because In the Greek it says stupid and so there's a time to say stupid and this is the time
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Ephesians chapter 5 verse 17. So then do not be foolish. Don't be stupid
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Paul likes to do this antithetical thing. He says in verse 15 be careful
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Don't walk as unwise but walk is what wise he likes to teach this way and here he says don't be foolish
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But understand what the will of the Lord is not what the Lord's will for my life is that would be more foolishness
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It would be stupid to say God's will now. I turned it into some Mike Center thing
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God's will for my life Don't be foolish but understand what the will of the
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Lord is That's interesting. He says imperative Present tense.
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Don't be foolish. Stop being foolish Senseless But do understand present tense what
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God's will is how would we know what God's will is? How do we decide if we were a Bible student? I I'm supposed to be knowing what
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God's will is. What is it? Well, here's the great news. It's found in chapter 1 of Ephesians If you can't understand a certain verse in the
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Bible Then the best thing to do is to read the whole book that it's in And if that doesn't read work then read the book that's before it and the read the books after it and keep going only 66 total
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Here the answer is found in Ephesians chapter 1 How great is this if decision -making starts with will of God?
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What is the will of God? verse 9 of Ephesians 1 Making known to us the mystery of his will
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According to his purpose which he set forth in Christ And as says he made known to us the mystery of his will
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Paul says early on here Let me tell you the mysteries of the world and he pulls back the curtain of the
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Godhead and says This is the mystery of his will this is something that's happened But you would never know
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By eating spicy food staying up late at night and then having a dream you have to be told by God He pulls back the curtain and what's the mystery of God's will?
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God saves people then Ephesians chapter 1 verses 4 through 6 He elects people in eternity past and then in verses 7 to 12
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He sends the Son to die for them in a substitutionary death He raises them from the dead and in time
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He brings the Spirit of God to make people born again to make them alive the whole world that revolves around Jesus is glorified
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The world exists to say ascribe glory and honor to Jesus Now what does it say in verse 10?
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It gives us a little more information as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth the creator of this universe has a purpose for this universe and the goal is the exaltation of Jesus Christ the elect coming in we come to What's God's will for my life?
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There's a bigger issue in the world than your life or mine Listen to what
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O 'Brien says the commentator The will of God is closely related to even identified with God's gracious saving plan
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The Lord's will is frequently understood by Christians to refer to matters of personal guidance but rather God's gracious saving plan and as a significant element of this the formation of a people into the likeness of Christ who will be pure and Blameless on the final day
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No wonder Ephesians 26 times lord lord lord lord lord lord everything
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Exists for the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. So for us So I've got a decision to make here's the first thing that you consider
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Which decision of the two are the three are of the many will exalt Christ more?
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Contribute to the saving gospel It's not God's plan for my life
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But the eternal plan of God does this factor into the eternal plan of God?
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That's a completely different perspective basing your decisions on God's eternal saving plan
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Reflecting the son's glory in my decision No wonder Jesus said doesn't this seem to make sense now?
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But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be what? Added unto you we shoot too low.
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We're thinking too much about ourselves Not personal guidance, but does this give
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God the most glory everything falls into that umbrella Second W. There's more to be said we have to go through this quickly
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My old pastor used to say anytime a pastor says there's more to be said it means he's ran out of information
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But he just says that so but there is more to be said number two What should memorize these will of God number two starts with a
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W word of God? consider the Word of God in the old days
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God led by a Pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and today he guides us through the
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Word of God applied by the Spirit of God period paragraph Listen to some of these verses
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Psalm 119 Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path The unfolding of thy words gives light it gives understanding to the simple
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Give me understanding according to thy word Psalm 119 So you say all right?
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I want this decision to glorify God. That's the main thing number two What does the
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Bible say that's a way you could go about it. What does the Bible directly say? Well, I've been divorced. I'd like to get remarried.
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What does the Bible say about godly remarriage? Maybe you just have to go for principles and say you know
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I'd like to marry either this girl or that girl What are the principles derived from the Bible even though it might not explicitly say?
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Also in this Word of God decision -making how about let's not be consumed in trying to make a decision
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While we forget about what God already says to do So the word already tells us this is
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God's will for your life true or false to give thanks and everything First Thessalonians, this is
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God's will how about to submit to the government? This is God's will for your life first Peter chapter 2
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How about? sexual purity This is God's will for your life that you abstain from sexual immorality
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First Thessalonians chapter 4 so you need to make a decision, but instead of becoming engulfed with the decision -making
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Study for a decision do what the Bible says about the decision, but make sure you obey what the Bible already says
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One writer said the insistence of Jesus and the Old Testament writers was not on the importance of discovering the will of God but always upon the necessity of Doing it
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So you obey what the Bible already says and by the way the last component to this word letter is
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Read the Bible saturate your mind with the Bible Bruce Waltke wrote a good book about decision -making and he said if you're struggling with a specific question
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Rather than trying to magically divine God's answer Spend time drawing close to him
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To the many Christians who spend time trying to divine the will of God I ask So somebody says I'd like to know
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God's will for my life in this. Here's your retort Here's your question here's your no -compromise radio response
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I Didn't write this though, but it would I wish I would have How much time have you spent reading your
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Bible say well? It doesn't even address do
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I take this you know do I go to Merck or do I do I go to? EMC the Bible didn't say anything about that Well what
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Waltke was trying to get you to do is to so read the Bible that you're thinking about things from God's perspective
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You read I tell people all the time you need to make an important decision in your life read first and second Kings Why?
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Well, I just picked it first and second Kings No, I did more than just pick it because Kings is history written from a theological perspective
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And you're reminded when you start reading Kings. You know God's in charge of this whole thing and I need to be reminded
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This is God's universe God's omnipotent God's immutable God's holy and everything is going according to plan
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I need a rest in that and so if you have a hard time making a decision Make sure you read your
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Bible saturate your mind with the Bible And then you're going to avoid things that are so much less than the word like what?
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feelings You can have a perfect peaceful easy Eagles feeling and be totally out of God's Word and disobeying
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Just like Jonah at the bottom of the boat He had a peaceful easy feeling
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Luther's right feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving My warrant is the
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Word of God not else is worth believing Too many Christians lead with their feelings
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It's like a referee you see a football game and there's a guy with a black and white striped shirt on You're like well the my black and white striped shirt my referee my umpire is going to be my feelings
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Oh friends Yeah Packers right when he said we can never distrust ourselves too much
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Yeah, but the pastor the fruit of the Spirit's peace Yeah, it is, but it has nothing to do with making decisions peace
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Just think about how many people have been misled by their feelings. They think they're in love and Really, they're dating some unbeliever, and they mistake the feelings of love for simple lust or stupidity
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Or maybe a little bit of both Oh, I'm in love It inhibits critical thinking if you're not careful one man said
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How often people say they feel led to get married when all they are really describing is a particularly novel state of endocrine balance
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If you're in the word it trumps you looking at circumstances wrongly You say well this circumstance is all put together
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Sometimes you can misread circumstance can't you it's like that Rorschach Text test that you look at and the thing about that test had
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Robinson's right It tells you more about you than it does about what the test is and so you look at the circumstances, and you go, huh?
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Paul went over to get a stick to put in the fire Acts 28 the snake bit him and everybody looked at that circumstance and said sinner
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Justice of God he's dead then Paul shook it off, and then they said hmm only a
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God could do that Praise be Paul misreading circumstances
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The word is so much better than this whole open door closed door deal doors closed could it mean?
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Knock it down by faith of course in the Lord Open door don't go through it only a fool would walk through that That's why the word is so important David had an open door to kill
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Saul. He walked right up to him past all the guards Circumstances were right his feelings were probably right
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And he walked right up to Saul and he cut off the robe of Saul secretly he had an open door
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But it was contrary to Revelation was it wasn't it stretching out his hand against the
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Lord's anointed. He knew that God forbid that When you study the word then you get away from things like this well
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God talks to me when I pray He does You know it's good
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If you mean verses come to your mind great If you mean God talks to you through scripture you talk to him through prayer
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And then God answers back out loud in your gizzard in your mind in your reef for a whole
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Refried beans frijoles at midnight or something. I don't know what that is, but the Bible doesn't teach that God talks to you through prayer
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That's when Jack Hayford said while alone and quiet listen with your heart Don't strain your ears for an audible sound the
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Bible describes. This is God's still small voice true or false the
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Bible Regularly commands you to tune into your inner voice It never does true or false the
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Bible says listen for God's audible voice in prayer. No Impressions are impressions.
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That's all they are Number three how do
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I make a decision six considerations in order? Will of God word of God and the consideration number three wisdom from God I'm telling you sooner or later somebody's gonna call you and say
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I have a decision. I need to make could you help me I? Want you to think will of God word of God now wisdom from God turn your
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Bibles to James chapter 1 Please you're familiar with the passage. We need God's wisdom.
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Don't we the Bible never says Here's God's plan for your life look for it
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But it does say get wisdom Ecclesiastes says wisdom is better than strength better than the weapons of war
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Proverbs 3 better than silver more precious than rubies Nothing you desire can compare with wisdom
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And you know it can't be bought God has it
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And God says get it the beginning of wisdom is what? Get wisdom
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It's a good verse Robert's for and Here, can you imagine?
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There's a trial going on and James's time Trials go on for us. You don't know what to do
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You're surrounded by a various kind of trial all kinds of things are happening and God is gracious.
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God cares for his people James 1 verse 5 Says if any of you lacks wisdom what he should act he should ask
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God excuse me Very pastoral there notice. He doesn't say you don't have wisdom
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But that's what he means you don't have wisdom so ask God Pride says
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I can do this on my own I'm a self -made man or woman I have all the resources in and of myself to handle my trials and God says just ask me your daughter comes to you and says
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I could use some help dad and some advice and If a husband or a father could give advice because he loves his daughter how much more
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So you ask from God God, please give me wisdom, and he's a generous God He gives you ask in faith just like the rest of the verse says and then there's also wisdom found someplace else
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And that wisdom is found in other believers who are mature Proverbs 11 where there's no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors.
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There is what? Victory Proverbs 12 a wise man is he who listens to counsel
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Proverbs 13 Presumption comes with nothing but strife, but with those who receive counsel is wisdom
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Proverbs 15 without consultation plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed
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Proverbs 19 listen to counsel Proverbs 20 make war by wise guidance
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Prepare plans by consultation And maybe my favorite one Proverbs 27 verse 9 oil and perfume make the heart glad So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend
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So you find somebody who's mature and you say could you help me? I've got the situation here, and would you please give me your advice?
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It only takes about three minutes for me in my Study when someone says can I get some advice from you and they tell me what's going on And then
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I I tell them what I think they should do and I can see it in their eyes When they say to themselves,
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I wanted a different answer He didn't give it to me. So do you have Steve's number?
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I'll get somebody to go with what I want. That's not what it's talking about here Now I don't give inerrant counsel
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Steve surely doesn't give inerrant counsel, but you find someone you say what do you think?
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That's why I don't mean mine, but that's why gray -haired people are such an asset to the local church
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That's why youth Needs to find older people That's why
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Titus to exist in the Bible. So you find those older people to say, you know what? I don't know if I'm thinking right or not rightly or not, but could you just help me?
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Here's what's going on my life and then you listen to them. I Another group of people though that I notice make a lot of bad decisions are super smart people
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Because they're so smart They can try to figure out their own rationalizations and get to where they think they want to be even though it's wrong
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The smartest people I know make the stupidest decisions But wise people listen will of God Word of God wisdom from God and we got three more to go and we're gonna do them rapid -fire number four in order wish
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Do what you wish to do See why they're in order How about if somebody comes you and say pastor?
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I'd like to make a decision. Could you help me? Sure, do whatever you want to do What you do do quickly
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Calvin said love God and do what you please Love God and do what you please how could he say that because if you're walking by the
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Spirit you won't fulfill the lust of the Flesh if you're in the word thinking about God's glory thinking about Christ's redemption
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And how that's the ultimate purpose of life and you're thinking this way you're praying You're getting wisdom from other people from God then make a decision
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I know it's hard to make decisions in America because we have too many decisions to be made you walk in and there are 49 kinds of popcorn to buy.
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I mean it is really it's apoplectic where you just like I It's paralyzing you can't
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I can't make a decision Turn to Psalm 37 and I want you to see this is what
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David did when you delight yourself in the Lord make a decision This is the kind of thing that got
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Luther to say sin if you're gonna sin sin boldly Of course, we would take issue with the way he said it, but that's the point
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Once you're doing these things Then make a decision Walk by faith not by what?
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sight wish Do what you wish? Psalm 37 for delight yourself in the
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Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart Because the desires of your heart were given to you by God implanted by God so you say yeah,
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I'd really like to do that Because if you're walking by the Spirit and you're doing what the other earlier W's are saying then you go
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Okay, I just need to make that decision No wonder Spurgeon said men who delight in God desire are asked for nothing.
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But what will please God? Hence listen, 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 a wise mother isn't going to tell her daughter
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Every step of every decision of everything she ever has to make decision wise
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Prepare them make responsible choices Send them out and we have the
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Spirit of God living in us, too We have the anointing from the Holy One and you know all No wonder then
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Paul says to the Church of Corinth in 1st Corinthians 7. She is free to be married to whom she wishes
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First Corinthians 10 if an unbeliever invites you and you wish to go Go Second Corinthians chapter 9 let each one do just as he is purposed in his own heart
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Ezra chapter 7 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers do
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Joshua chapter 9 do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us many more illustrations but lastly acts 15
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Then it seemed good to the Apostles and the elders and the whole church to choose men with from among them to send to Antioch Number five two more.
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They're quick Can you figure out the kid you have the first four memorized? number one the will of God number two word of God number three
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Boy, the first service was so much better than you guys know wisdom from God number four wish
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What do you wish to do number five? Wait, I? Think too many times we are paralyzed with decisions
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But sometimes we just can't make a good decision. And so we wait look at Psalm 37. You're already there
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So go to verse 9. This is a refrain in the psalm sometimes take a yellow marker pick a different color pick
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Sky -blue pink marker and every time you see in the Psalms they wait on the Lord wait for the
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Lord wait in the Lord Underline it and you'll see the refrain And you'll start saying you know what
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I'm in pretty much a hurry all my life And I don't think God's quite as much in a hurry as I am Look at verse 9, but those who wait for the
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Lord. They will inherit the land One of the best translations of weight is eagerly anticipate.
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I know God's gonna do something Not making a decision is even a decision, but I'm just going to wait
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I'm gonna wait with Anticipation for God to bring more information to light so I can decide between the two and then lastly number six worship number six worship
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Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do including making hard decisions worship trust in God and act
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Romans 8 says we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to his purpose
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Walk you would say above all fear making a mistake and then never choosing So we don't presumptuously say
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God will just clean up my messes anyway. I'll just do whatever But we said you know I I've I've considered your program
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God your will I've looked at the word I've got wisdom from you in prayer and from other people. I think
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I'd really like to do this I've waited long enough, and now I just need to make a decision and do it and by this action
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May it please you and you just do it and of course God does Clean up things if we do make a mistake.
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We're not trying to and so we worship and it's in that order
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So the next time you have a decision to make Should I do this or should I do that? super simply
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Go through and say would this decision? Here exalt
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God in his kingdom in a saving plan more than this one I Better be in the
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Bible Instead of trying to find a solution to my problem. I'm just gonna make sure I'm in the word God give me help find other people ask them do what you like If you can't make a decision wait, and then worship as you go, so you don't have to fall into the
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Christian version of Tassio man see who's who knows what tassio man see is reading tea leaves
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Make a decision and make it boldly so you don't have to fall into lacanomancy
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What's lacanomancy? Throwing stones into water and looking at the ripples.
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I always call that skipping rocks How about seroscopy?
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How do I make a decision throw some wax on the water and then see I have my own air didn't didn't seem to make sense
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But it was throwing earwax on the water and then making a decision that would be even more unwise You know what
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I'll do. I think I'll go to that woman who lives in a cave Sybil and I think I'll ask her She's got the gift of prophecy.
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Well. You know I live by the New Bedford, and there's a lot of rats there, so I'll go to myomancy the divination involving rats
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We have everything pertaining to life and godliness in the word so don't do this
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I got an impression God had to talk to me God if this happens, and I'll know it's true Because everything less is simply
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Omphalomancy, what's on phallomancy you ask?
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Divination By the navel and with that music
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Donna you know what God just spoke to me. That's a sign will of God word of God wisdom from God and from other people wish wait
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Worship father if it wasn't for your grace
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We'd be right there with Nebuchadnezzar and the rest of the world trying to figure out our life by horoscopes by Karma by signs and wonders
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By divination of who knows what? Yet, we're your children because of Christ.
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Jesus's work for us, and you care for us Father I pray that you'd help us to walk by faith and not by sight
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She'd help us to be about the business of the kingdom and everything else will fall in line I pray for the dear members of Bethlehem Bible Church some do have to make decisions about work and Marriage and other things and I pray that you'd guide them and that you'd lead them
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Father may we never be presumptuous on making bad decisions, but we all praise you together That even though we've made some horrible decisions in our lives
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You're greater and your grace is greater than all our bad decisions because we have a Savior Jesus the