Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
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Intro:
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The title of my message today is [Decisions, Decisions, Decisions].
Life is full of decisions. Often, the importance of the decision depends on the person making the decision. Every day, we have to make decisions.
Will we go to work
What will we wear
What will we eat
What will we say
There are decisions that can change our lives forever
Who will I marry
When will I have kids
Where will I live
What will I do when I grow up
Then there are spiritual decisions that mold us into who God wants us to become
Will I accept Christ as my Savior
Will I ask Jesus to baptize me in the Holy Spirit
Will I remain faithful to church
Will I trust God with my finances and return to Him what is already His
Will I pray, fast, and study my bible
As one pastor told me, when his daughter was littler she would say, Decisions, decisions, decisions.
In the genius of God, He allows us to decide our level of commitment and faithfulness. He does not force us to serve Him. However, the blessings of God flow upon those who DECIDE to faithfully serve the Lord.
Likewise, distance from God and difficulties follow those who make poor spiritual decisions.
Adam and Eve—foolishly decided to eat the fruit
Abel— wisely decided to give God his best
Cain— foolishly decided to kill his brother
Noah—wisely decided to build the Ark
Abraham— wisely decided to trust God with His life
Moses—wisely decided to obey God’s direction in free the Israelites from slavery
The ten spies—foolishly decided to avoid the Promised Land because they were afraid
When Moses died he instructed God’s people:
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Joshua and the Israelites— wisely listened to Moses and entered the Promised Land
He too instructed the people:
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
King Saul— foolishly decided to disobey God
King David—wisely became a man after God’s own heart
These are only a few examples of the difference in people’s decisions. Some people chose wisely while other decided to foolishly live for themselves.
By the time we arrive to the book of Joel, the prophet described a time where multitudes would have to decided who they will serve. Should they serve God, they will have to decide HOW they will serve Him.
14 Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the Lord will soon arrive.
Joel spoke of how they world will look in the Last Days. What are the Last Days?
They are the days prior to the coming of Christ. In scripture, the Last Days describes the events and attitudes that people will adopt just before Jesus comes.
We can look around us and see the reality that Jesus is soon to return! God knows the future, however He allows us to decide where we will be and how we will live in the last days.
This morning we will look at two passages of scriptures, written by two different men. Both passages are inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, both passages describe two different pictures of the Last Days.
Which one is right? We will see how they are both right and we get to decide where we will stand before the coming of the Lord. We get to decide what will happen in our church before the coming of the Lord.
We are in a valley of decision! Will we decide, [A Great Rejection] or [A Great Revival].
Let’s begin
1. A Great Rejection
1. A Great Rejection
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
The first author we will read today is the Apostle Paul. After writing the majority of the New Testament and spreading the gospel to much of the then known world, he was imprisoned in Rome, awaiting his death.
The interesting thing about his time in prison is that it could all been avoided. Had Paul continued to live for himself instead of God, persecution would have never come to him.
However, he followed God’s plans and decided to surrender everything to God, including his life.
Imagine him in prison, writing a letter to his spiritual son Timothy. As he nears the end of his letter, he speak of a day where PERILOUS times will come.
The word perilous also means:
difficult
harsh
hard to bear
vicious
dangerous
menacing
Prior to Christ’s coming, the world will seem unbearable. For the sake of time I will not read the next three verses, but listen to this description of those who reject God:
§ Lovers of self- selfish to the point of self-love, assuming the entire world revolves around them.
§ Lovers of money- greedy people whose love of money is the driving force behind every decision.
§ Boastful- is an ancient description of a con-artist. The type who takes advantage of people and then brags.
§ Arrogant- people who act as though they are better than others.
§ Blasphemers- live in defiance to God.
§ Disobedient to parents- people who have issues with authority, something that started in the home.
§ Unthankful- people who walk around with a feeling of entitlement.
§ Unholy- people who refuse to abide by the rules of common desency
§ Unloving- hard hearted people who offer nothing without expecting a return
§ Unforgiving- never admitting wrong and always blaming others
§ Slanderers- also known as gossips who create division
§ Without self-control- following their desires and doing what they want.
§ Brutal- exhibiting extreme violence
§ Despisers of good- this person finds great joy in the corruption of the word.
§ Traitors- betraying others for personal gain
§ Headstrong- stubborn people who are easily provoked, reacting without thinking through
§ Haughty- or conceited people puffed up with pride
§ Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- pursuing worldly pleasure at all cost
As I typed these descriptions I thought how those ancient words depict our society. But the worst on the list describes the type of people who look the part of Christian but do not live the part of Christian.
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
When we decide we want our way over God’s way, we willingly reject God’s plan and take our lives into our own hands.
We expect the world to live the way Paul describes. However, sadly, many Christians have decided to adopt the world’s culture while carrying the title of Christian.
They look the part, but never live the part. They say they are a Christian, but never display the love of Christ. Therefore their lives are void of supernatural power. Paul’s instructions, STAY AWAY from these types of people.
We live in the perilous times. We see a great rejection. However, we have to decide, will we tolerate immorality, idolatry, false doctrine, or spiritual indifference, we set ourselves up to be a part of the great rejection.
The decision is ours. Do we want a Great Rejection or...
2. A Great Revival
2. A Great Revival
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’
Peter declared these words on the Day of Pentecost, which was the second most important day in the early church after the resurrection of Christ.
The scene is simple, 120 gathered in the Upper Room, waiting for God to send the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit came, all 120 began to speak in tongues, which gathered a crowd of 3,000.
Peter explained what happened. It is all a part of God’s end time plan for the last days. God knew perilous times would come. Therefore, He sent the necessary power to equip us to live for Him.
Through Peter’s discourse on Joel’s prophecy, God outlined His plans for a great revival in the last days. When we see the difficulties plaguing our world, we have to see through the eyes of the Spirit.
Sure time are tough, but we hold onto God’s promise that He will pour out His Spirit. The same power that Jesus had on earth can live within us through the Holy Spirit.
When we have this power, God equips us to see signs, wonders, and miracles flowing in us. That means when we decide to be a part of the great revival He has planned, we can expect to see:
the miracles
healings
deliverance from addication
events that are beyond human control
However, in the great revival God has planned, He will pour out His Spirit and show us His signs so that people can experience SALVATION.
Salvation is the single GREATEST miracle. The same day Peter explained what comes with this great revival, 3,000 people were saved, baptized in water, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
The revival Peter preached about on the day of Pentecost was not a single, one-time event. Oh no, if Peter were here today he could testify to this truth, telling story after story.
God used to him to heal a man who was injured from birth
He escaped from prison more than once
He even raised the dead.
Great things happen when we decide, I want to be a part of the great revival God has prepared. For the beauty of God’s plan is, He intends to send revival in each generation of His church until He comes!
What comes with this great revival?
We will face spiritual attacks, but we will also have spiritual victories!
Peter explained:
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Lately it seems that God’s people are tried on every side. However, we have joy that this trial will only last for a while. For if we keep praying, fasting, worshipping, and livign for Jesus, there will come a day when:
The wind of God will blow
The fire of God will glow
The Spirit of God will flow
and we will experience the greatest revival of our lifetimes. I am ready to see:
the sick healed
deaf ears hear
blind eyes opened
addicts delivered
marriages restored
SINNERS SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD
Listen, it is not only possible, it is promised, in the last days He WILL pour out HIS Spirit. The question is not will God do this, but will we decide to become a part of this great revival.
To do so, we must:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Satan wants to stop us, but I have decided, I am going to get involved with God’s plan for our church and my life!
There is a place we have yet to go, and I want to go there.
Close:
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
The decision is ours. Will we align ourselves with the Great Rejection or will we join in with the Great Revival?
Here is the deal, God lets US decide. He is not a God who coerces us to do the right thing. He might convict us, showing us the error of our ways.
But He will not manipulate us, forcing us to do and live right. That is not His nature. He wants people who WANT to follow Him, not those who are only concerned with appearances.
Should we reject God, we will find ourselves on a path of perpetual disappointment and discouragement.
Should we seek God for revival, we will find that He will do something supernatural in these last days.
Today, we are in the valley of decision.
Look at our world. Pay attention to our nation. God is TRYING to get our attention.
How then does rejection start? One decision at a time.
How does revival start? One decision at a time.
Therefore, we must decide:
prayerfulness or prayer-lessness
holiness or worldliness
Spiritual empowerment or spiritual weakness
faith or fear
fulfilled dreams or unrealized potential
hope or sorrow
revival or rejection
The decision is ours
For God is looking for more than a one-time prayer, He wants a lifestyle of commitment.
Let’s decide, at Vulcan Assembly, we will NEVER reject the call to pray and spend time in the presence.
Instead, we will wholeheartedly surrender our lives and let Jesus revive us, using us in these last days!