Impossible Choices

Intro

Hard to do the right thing when you’re standing in the wrong spot

KWD’s

cascade, consequence, sequence, results,

1 Kings 14:8 ESV

8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes,

2 Chronicles 12:14–15 ESV

14 And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. 15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

2chr

CF earlier call that they picked up here--

2sa

2 Samuel 20:1 ESV

1 Now there happened to be there a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said, “We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel!”

INTRO-

SCR

scr narrative w/ key verses

“so” summary

Everything in the story is a process of consequence—this thing resulted in that thing—teh key to consequence is understanding that there is a natural sequence to things in life—and if you want to change the outcome, you must interrupt teh sequence

It’s all about the rule o

It’s all about the law of “so-ing” —you’ve heard of the law of sowing—you reap what you sow; Cf SCR re: this--”whatever a man sows...”

This is similar, but now “sowing” but rather “so-ing”

He ___ SO I ___

She ____ SO I ___

They ___ SO I ___

*** It’s the natural flow of thinsg—Cf Prov re: press the nose...

Consequence is about sequence, so if nothing interrupts the sequence...

*** SOunds like so many discussions in my home with the kids—all six of us!

Used to ask, “what happened...”—now, before long, go back to the beginning...

Lots of wisdom—Cf

*** Interesting thing—each of these men is evaluated with one standard… DAVID--

#8 of 7...

too small to be significant...

Man-pretty musician...

“God sees not as man sees...

“I have found…man after...”

*** Each of them—not w/ whole heart, as David (SCR’s)

Why so important?? THAT’s the key to this

the key to changing the sequence is changing the heart

Nothing changes a sequence of consequences like a change of heart

*** 2 strong forces at work here in both--

The Heart’s Iinfluence

The Heart’s Impulse

Each of these is powerful (self-reinforcing…)

Each of these is choosable (Re went w/ the influence of his choosing…; Jer could have gone either way)

*** BOth were looking at the wrong things--

Principle here—just because he is wrong doesn’t make you right

Principle—just because he acted like that doens’t mean you have to

*** Wrong agenda

*** Cf heat / urgency—possible to wait—Cf “shield of faith”—stops the panic and reactivity and inflamation

Pendulum

?shooting

?Capt. Cook

Axiomatic re: new chapter—every new chapter must start where the old one left off--

** THis is why some think to really change things is implssible—want some kind of maguc to change the things in the white space between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of teh next one. I want to tell you the real answer--

YOu don’t have a better chapter by starting at a better place in the new one—you have a better chapter by changing the end of teh previous one. THAT’s the power of God—to change the ending and set up a better new one

Genius of God—it comes by changing one simple 2-letter word--”So”

You change the power of sow by replacing it with but--

Before, “He looked at me… ...

Now, “He looked at me in a way that made me… but, I ...”

Before, “She said…, SO I...

Now She “She said… but I...”

She…BUT I...

He … But I

*** Another ghreat word… instead...

My first thought… instead...

my first impulse… instead...

Becore I was focusing on… instead...

Before I was listening to people who said… instead I started listening...

My heart changed—I used to do a whole lot of sowing…, now I do a whole lot more butting and insteading...

( CF definition of instead”)

** pendulum (elucidate process)