Handling the Choices Ahead

Trickery. Deception. Hiding a true identity.

It is a part of the plot for so many stories and films… it has almost been overdone… almost.

In many adventure films or popular stories, we see a hero emerge that is up against the toughest odds. he or she partners up with folks that will help them get to the desired goal.

This team works hard together, they do all they can to help propel the hero on to success! But then… it happens. One of the team members who appeared to be all-in, was really working to in secret to make sure the hero ended up all out.

it usually ends up being someone the hero trusts. And when the reveal happens, the hero is devastated. They didn’t see it coming. They trusted this person but in the end… this person was against them the entire time.

“Why would you do this?” Exclaims the hero as they look for answers. And the typical response almost always comes back to self. The deceiver operated in this way for personal gain or glory.

So why do you think so many stories include this kind of plot twist?

Deception is a part of our culture. Self is a well-known motivator.

Everyone knows what it feels like to have their trust broken. Therefore, the audience can empathize with the hero. We can relate to that disheartened state. Those feelings compel us to root for the hero to overcome the damage that had been done and win the day!

We continue our series New Normal with a message that is going to look at the choices we make. The focus is not going to be placed on the kind of choices we make, but rather on how we make the choices that we do every single day.

When it comes to making decisions… we are professionals. Some experts believe that a person will make over 30,000 decisions in just one day! That is a lot of choices! No wonder our minds are tired when we finally get to kick the shoes off!

The choices will vary depending upon our different circumstances. But the choices I want us to hone in on are the new choices that WILL appear as we enter the new normal God has for us.

new circumstances, new surroundings are going to require new decisions. We will face new realities that we have never faced before. And that is a GOOD thing!

So let’s look quickly at where Joshua and the people of Israel are in their journey into the new normal.

God has brought them across the Jordan river.

God led them to be fully obedient to His directive and instruction.

God delivered the fortified city of Jericho into their hands.

Remember the embarrassing defeat they experienced by what seemed to be an easy opponent? After the sin was dealt with in the camp, God led the people to victory over Ai and made it a heap of ruins.

it would appear that things were back on the right track. Some wrongs had been righted and God was bringing the victory once again.

But soon the Israelites would be presented with… you guessed it… a choice. They would be presented a unique opportunity… that almost seemed too good to be true.

Before we get to that choice… I want to give you the main point of the sermon today… and I pray it is something you will never forget.

Where God desires to bring you victory… the enemy desires to deliver defeat.

We serve a very real God who is able to do all things. We also know there exists a very real enemy who desires to separate you from the victory God wants to give you.

The enemy does this with distraction and sin.

Satan will do all he can to stop you from entering into God’s promises He has ahead. The devil will put up detour signs, he will tr to redirect your steps. He will align his agenda with your self… with your flesh… to try to entice you to do something that could jeopardize your walk with God.

We must protect ourselves from such attacks. We must choose to be aware of these attacks and en guard against deception.

The weapons God has given us to help us in such times are:

Prayer

Discernment.

These two spiritual disciplines are critical to our decision making process… or at least they should be.

Joshua and the people found themselves in a position of relief. They were back on course and things were going their way. They were living in the comfort of victory… and somewhat taking that position for granted.

The neighboring kings began to hear of what the people of Israel were doing. One group decided they were going to act before Israel wiped them out… so they came up with a plan.

That group was the Gibeonites - a people that were only 25 miles away from Israel’s current position.

They presented themselves as… in need. They came to Israel with worn out sacks and old wineskins that were cracked and mended. Their food supply was old and crusty.

They presented themselves as lowly and they came to make a treaty with Israel.

No battle to be fought? No enemy to overcome? No sending the army or preparing the weapons? This looks good! No… this looks REALLY GOOD! Almost too good to be… true!

So the people heard their story. Joshua listened… and then he observed… and if we read our main verse too quickly… we might miss what the people missed.

Joshua 9:14 NIV

14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.

So it looked like their story checked out… this traveling group truly was as desperate as they said they were. So what did Joshua do?

Joshua 9:15 NIV

15 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

PEACE! Oh baby! Everyone likes peace! This truly was a great day in the Lord! But was it? Go back to verse 14… although they had brokered a treaty of peace… they had FAILED to inquire of the Lord. In other words… they failed to seek God regarding the decision they had just made.

Israel had just been duped! The enemy had just pulled the wool over their eyes! And when the truth came out… the people grumbled against the leaders of Israel… yet nothing could be done. An oath had been made. Israel would have to remain faithful to that oath.

Israel had just made a HUGE mistake! That mistake was made in not seeking God in a moment when they needed Him most!

There was no river to cross, no wrongs to make right, no walls to come down and no sin in the camp to be dealt with. The peace treaty looked like the obvious way to go! The Gibeonites told a good story and presented corroborating evidence. It was another one of those, “we got this” moments.

Problem was… they got had! They let their guard down. One bad choice had led to another.

Bad choice number one: they chose not to talk to God.

bad choice number two: they chose according to their own understanding.

OUR CHOICES MATTER! Especially when there exists an enemy who is looking to steal from you, to kill you and to destroy you

When the pressure is on… you need to seek God’s help with the choices you make.

When the pressure is off… you need to seek God’s help with the choices you make.

And I would add… it is within these choices… the so called obvious choices… that we really need to be hearing from God on.

This morning I want to give us some reminders regarding HOW we make the choices we make. Our minds are constantly processing… constantly choosing… constantly navigating our surroundings.

Sometimes the enemy’s attacks are obvious… like Jericho’s walls obvious. But other times… they are sneaky, subtle, and even undetectable.

WE NEED GOD’S HELP as we move from day to day. This is especially true as we enter into the new promises God has for us… promises the enemy does NOT want us to experience!

Reminder One: What You Choose TODAY Will Impact How You Live Tomorrow.

What felt like the obvious way to go caused a great deal of trouble for the Israelites. The land the Lord had given them would now be shared with an enemy who fooled them.

Only three days passed between the time the treaty was made and the day the Israelites were made aware of the deception. And because of the oath they had made, they could not attack their cities. Ouch.

It only took three days for the deception to catch up with them… and the Israelites would have to contend with the Gibeonites for a long time after.

After the Gibeonites tricked the Israelites into making a covenant with them, the people of Israel were forbidden from harming them. By the tie we get to the narrative of 2nd Samuel, we see that Saul and David are still wrestling with what to do with the Gibeonites.

My point is simple… the decisions we make in a moment… can impact us for life.

Maybe we get caught up in the excitement. Maybe we get caught up in a sales pitch. Maybe we get caught up in a deadline, or in a place of comfort, or in a place of peer pressure. Maybe we want to be like the rest or look like the “best.”

There are many, MANY influencers on how we make decisions. With every decision we make lies a reason of why that decision was made.

When I wake up, I do so because I do not want to be late for work. I take a shower for cleanliness sake. I brush my teeth so my teeth are cared for AND so I don’t have bad breath. I get dressed and put on shoes because bare feet and Kansas stickers do not sound fun to me.

Making sense? We have a why behind EVERYTHING we do!

In the case of the Israelites, their why revolved around a “too good to be true” scenario.

The enemy even came using “God talk!” Look at Joshua 9:9-10

Joshua 9:9–10 NIV

9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

Everything looked good and sounded good… until it wasn’t.

Just because something looks right doesn’t mean that it is right. Just because someone uses “God talk,” doesn’t mean they come bearing God’s will.

Often times, the better something looks, the less we feel as if we need to seek God. The truth is, the better it looks, the MORE we need to seek God!

The enemy doesn’t tempt us with things we don’t like… he will tempt us in ways that appeal to our flesh. That is what make it… tempting!

Before you risk shaking hands with the devil… stop and take time to seek the will of the Lord!

One bad choice in a moment can lead to a lifetime of pain and regret.

God can absolutely redeem that choice, but the earthly consequences often stay in effect. This is why we must allow God to be in control… not our emotions, feelings, desires, or self. GOD WILL NEVER LEAD YOU ASTRAY!

The enemy wants to get you caught in a trap. Although we may not be able to detect that trap… God can see it clear as day!

IF we truly believe God has a plan for us… then we will recognize the need to make sure that the choices we make in life line up with His plan.

So here are a couple of simple check points to consider:

If the choice goes against the Word of God… don’t have anything to do with it.

If the choice goes against the Spirit’s direction… don’t have anything to do with it.

If the choice leads you away from God and closer to the world… don’t have anything to do with it.

Church… it is not over the top dramatic to say… YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT!

Israel ended up having to share with the enemy after they had been deceived by said enemy. They went their own way and… oops… didn’t see that one coming.

The choices of today will determine how you live tomorrow. Therefore… make a point to cover those choices… in prayer.

Reminder Two: Take it to the Lord in Prayer

We have a friend in Jesus. Do you believe that? We have a friend in Jesus!

Jesus is NEVER that guy in the story that has an ulterior motive. Jesus is NEVER that guy who is playing games, misleading, or misdirecting. Jesus is NEVER that guy who will betray or let down. Jesus IS the friend… our SAVIOR… who truly has our best interest in mind… EVEN when we don’t know what our best interest even is!

There is an old hymn that does well to capture this truth regarding who Jesus is and what He desires to do. The lyrics say this:

What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit Oh, what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer

The other verses begin by saying

We have trials and temptations… can we find a friend so faithful… are we weak and heavy laden… do thy friends despise, forsake thee.

The answer given is “take it to the Lord in prayer” and the point being made is Jesus IS THAT FRIEND who will carry our burdens and help us in our journey.

Church… in these last days… we cannot afford NOT to take our decisions and choices before God! We need His help every single day!

Now… do not hear me wrong. We do not need to live in fear, panic or paranoia. We do not need to walk down the street while looking over our shoulder. Although the enemy is looking to deceive and to destroy, never forget that

1 John 4:4 KJV 1900

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

We do, however, need to ask God about everything. We should never assume we know the answer. Presumption can be our worst enemy. Prayer truly must become a central focus in life. Prayer doesn’t make you more spiritual or wiser than anyone else… it simply makes you more dependent on God.

Prayer is the KEY to everything in our walk with the Lord.

If we pray… rather if you pray… GOD WILL SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO.

God ALWAYS answers prayer. Sometimes that answer is yes… and sometimes it is no… but He always answers. And sometimes… that answer may not make sense to us in the moment. Our flesh may say, “yes, yes, yes!” but the Spirit says, “Have nothing to do with that.”

Hear me clearly: IF WE ARE WILLING TO ASK… GOD IS WILLING TO ANSWER!

And look at what James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” In context, James is addressing the quarrels, the battles, the desires, the lack the people are facing. The cause is simple. The people found themselves in friendship with the world… instead of friendship with Jesus!

Life choices made without God’s counsel will lead to hardship ahead. The enemy will use your lack of consulting with God AGAINST YOU.

We resist the devil by humbling ourselves and seeking the face of God. As James 4:7-8 says, the devil will FLEE from us as we draw closer to God. Why? Because the light of God cal and will fully expose the darkness of the enemy!

A life of prayer and discernment is the only way a believer can continue to walk faithfully with God. A life of prayer places God’s wisdom ahead of our own as we make decisions and life choices.

I want to give a couple of testimonies on how God helped me and my family make the right choices in moments we thought were n brainers.

Several years back, we were looking at two ministry opportunities. One in Kansas, one in Indiana. Both had tremendous potential. Both were in churches that might be described as dream places to work.

One had a youth sanctuary that sat 1500 students. It had a balcony full of great things for kids to do. It came with a healthy paycheck and a parsonage to boot.

The other involved working with one of my dearest friends in a context ripe for harvest. It was a dream come true! Until… God closed the door on both opportunities.

In BOTH situations, the pastor left within 6 months of us saying no meaning… we may not have had a ministry position either.

God kept us safe. We wanted to be there… but God kept us out of the mess.

Several years back a district official told us it was time to resign. The church we served in as youth leaders was struggling. Division was everywhere. The path of least resistance for us… was to leave. But God said… NO.

We stayed on… and in that next year and a half, we watched God more than double that youth ministry. From 30 to over 100 students… God did what only He could do.

If we would have conceded and walked away… we would have missed out on some of the most incredible moments we have seen in full-time ministry.

Four and a half years ago… I got a call asking, “Would you consider Agra?” Where in the world is Agra? And when I found it… I was shocked. My flesh did not want to go to rural Kansas. My flesh did not want to go to what appeared to be the middle of nowhere.

But then… i met the people. Then God turned my attention to the kids. Then God turned my heart to the call. And now… there is NO OTHER PLACE THAT I WOULD RATHER BE THAN AGRA KANSAS!

ALL of these decisions were made with the help of my God. And without His help, my flesh would have led me in the wrong direction.

Church… we have not because we ask not. A person might find themselves lacking direction and guidance because they failed to take their nee to God in prayer. WE HAVE A FRIEND… HIS NAME IS JESUS!

He will never leave you, forsake you, or steer you in the wrong direction.

Closing

So with these reminders in mind… WHAT DO YOU NEED TO TAKE TO GOD IN PRAYER RIGHT NOW? What looming decision do you need God’s help with right this moment?

It might be an intense situation… it might be a no brainer. It might be a mental wrestling match… it might be a “too good to be true” circumstance.

Let God help you today. Give Him the opportunity to come alongside you in your decision making.

Joshua and the Israelites FAILED to take the need to God… and that failure landed them in a problem that lasted generations.

One moment… that’s all it takes. One impulse, one emotionally swayed choice… one thought or fear of missing out… and the enemy can get you hooked.

DO NOT FALL FOR HIS TRAP TODAY! Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Before potentially shaking hands with the enemy… are you willing to spend a moment on your knees with God?

Praying has NEVER hurt anything. But not praying can lead to a world of hurt. This morning… your pastor is encouraging you to pause… to take a moment to place God back in control of the decisions you are facing.

Line the decision up with His Word.

Find confirmation of the decision through His Spirit.

Take the decision to God in prayer.

God desires for you to walk in victory… but the enemy would like nothing more than to get you stuck in his defeat. Resist the devil by drawing closer to God today.

Are you ready to seek Him? Are you ready to give that need… that decision to God in prayer?