DECISIONS

Hebrews 11:25 KJV (WS)

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Decisions

Decision - resolution reached after consideration.

Illustration: Greg Louganis hits his head on the diving board in the 3-meter competition during the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, South Korea. Louganis still won the gold medal. Louganis' coach, Ron O'Brien, knew of Louganis' diagnosis, but believed if the Olympic Committee knew an athlete had HIV, he would not be allowed to compete.

Our text this morning is about the decision of Moses in what he chose to experience.

Moses decisions are much like the one’s we make everyday.

Life is full of decisions.

During the delivery of this message and near the end of this message some of us will have already made a decision.

Which you will chose your experience in the days to come.

You cannot get away from that fact.

Everyday you are making choices.

How important then, is it, to get into the habit of making right decisions and right choices especially in the spiritual journey of life.

Some decision you will make will cost you money and heartaches.

A wrong decision in the spiritual area of your life will bring real problems that can last all eternity.

2. It may cost you your soul.

FIRST DECISION—MOSES CHOSE PAIN

“Choosing rather to suffer affliction.”

Choosing pain in order to do right is not the popular path of life.

Generally, we prefer to choose the path of least pain (which is not necessarily evil).

But there may be times when we have to choose pain over comfort in order to do right.

Drugs

Smoking

Mental Suffering

Telling the truth

Jail

Many will do right if it does not bring suffering, but few have the wisdom and will to choose right when they know it will bring suffering.

But it is better to suffer in doing right than to do wrong.

SECOND DECISION—MOSES CHOOSE A PEOPLE

“With the people of God.”

Moses chose his company carefully.

He chose whom he would associate with and our text says he chose God’s people.

What a wise choice!

Choosing good company is a most important choice.

If we choose to associate with bad company, it can ruin our entire life and eternity. (Peter at the wrong fire / Judas )

When I was a boy, my parents would not let me run with the wrong boys. I protested, of course.

But after years of observance, I greatly value my parents attitude.

The boys whom I could not run with have been in and out of jail and in continuous trouble with the law.

Had I kept company with them I could have ruined my life. Good company is important if you want to live a godly life. Moses chose God’s people, the best or the perfect, company anywhere.

THIRD—MOSES CHOSE PURITY

“Choosing rather to suffer affliction … than to enjoy the pleasures of sin.”

The pleasures of sin will corrupt.

If you would be pure, you must make the choice to be pure and that choice will not be easy for it resulted in Moses’ suffering both physically and personally as he was scorned and laughed at many times in his job of leading the Israelites to Canaan.

FOURTH—MOSES CHOSE A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for season.”

Moses chose a perspective of life. He chose to put his energies on spiritual pursuits with the godly rather than put his energies in pursuits of the pleasures of sin.

He chose a perspective that saw the shortness of the pleasure of sin.

His perspective chose to go God’s way instead of sin’s way for sin’s rewards were not lasting.

This is not the perspective of the flesh which only sees on a horizontal plain.

Moses’ perspective included the vertical view as well. He saw God and gave preference to His ways.