C.S. Lewis made this statement which is rather sobering. “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, Thy will be done, and those to whom God says, All right, then, have it your way.” Some people just don’t budge when it comes to making choices, especially those of Life or Death. Yes, I am not speaking of the physical, but the spiritual. You see friends, from the dawn of existence, mankind was given the choices to make. These choices runs rampant even today. From What to eat. What to wear. What to say. What to do. How to act. Before even coming here to worship today, each of us have made a thousand choices; one of them is ‘should I go to worship God with fellow believers, or stay home?’ Look around, what choice did you all make? Today, you made a wholesome impact based upon your choice, for yourself and for others. You made a life giving choice, to seek, to cherish, to serve, to worship and obey the living God. But the choices for God are not just for Sunday morning. A choice to argue with your spouse. A choice to yell or scream at the kids. A choice to spend time with the Lord in prayer. Tomorrow starts the new work week for many people, and within it lies a host of unknowns. Even when we leave here to go home, choices still must be made; and it is very fitting here to say, we do not know what’s going to happen in the very next moment, so we need to be ready to make Choices that includes our Life and our Death, even when we least expect it. How do we make life giving choices verses the choices that will ultimately destroy us? We should all turn to God first, period!
When looking back in humanity, we are drawn to the book of Genesis I believe as a reminder how Adam and Eve took on the role of sin in their life where the choices all began. I firmly believe if they only knew how much an impact it had on their future and us today, I think they would have thought twice about their decision. In the start of our journey today in the spirit of the life changing choices, let us read Genesis 2, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.”
If I was to pass around a jug of pure clean water, and say, if you drink of it, you will certainly die. Would you drink it? Probably not. No doubt the concept of death comes to mind even if looking at the pure water seems harmless, refreshing and satisfying, yet your decision will be solely based upon if you believe me in what I said, that if you drink it, you will die; such as what happened with Adam and Eve to Gods instruction. A simple and small disobedient choice was made. When thinking about spiritual death, several concepts come to mind; death in both the physical and spiritual was NOT in Gods original design. 1 Corinthians tells us “For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” God originally designed mankind to live forever here in Gods garden, yet, forced loved is not true loved; hence God gave us choices. Next, spiritual death can be avoided. 1 John 5 “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” Proverbs 8 “But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.” The only source to life and avoid death, is found in God, as Jesus tells us, I am the father are one, no man comes to the father except through me.
Another is spiritual death ends all hope, it collapses any essence of love when our spirit is destroyed, destined to no longer be of life. The concept of life is so opposite its not funny. Romans tells us For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are destined to live forever [physically and spiritually], but where are we to live forever at? The bible makes it rather clear where our focus should be in Romans 8, There is therefore now no condemnation [disapproval] for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Choosing life friends is choosing Christ and life eternal with our heavenly father by setting us free. We whom are of Christ are free indeed.
Another concept of death it has no future, its immediate. Just as God proclaimed Adam and Eve would certainly die, the physical and spiritual. Jesus tells us Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. Notice passed from death to life. This means there is hope. There is an option for us to choose.
At the very beginning, Adam and Eve never experienced true death, but God warned death will happen if they disobeyed. We are not sure if they understood death as we do from the very start of their lives; but they threw caution into the wind didn’t they! The choice they made was based upon a concept where mankind knows whats right and God does not. Mankind has the best interests in mind, and God does not. Mankind has it all under control, and God does not. All because of a single disobedient choice. Notice, it doesn’t take much.
In the reading today from Deuteronomy 30, we find the people of Israel whom has fallen from God is now been freed from slavery. Moses has already received Gods Ten Commandments and after decades of wandering in the wilderness, the people of God were losing hope, complaining, wanting to turn back, fighting with enemies and so much more, and they were almost to the land God promised them. Yet, their fallen nature has caused them separation from God. Then, God reminds them the Choice they have to make of Life or Death. “See, I have placed before you today life and happiness, and death and adversity, 16 in that I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, so that you may live and become numerous, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to take possession of it.“ 17 But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but allow yourself to be led astray and you worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you will certainly perish.” I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.
If there is ever an eye opener here, it’s the mere fact that they are seeing firsthand how their sour choices have now caught up with them. Their sin seeked them out. Their blatant disobedience, the unholy behaviors, their breaking Gods laws; like Adam and Eve, they threw Gods living instruction into the wind; all because they obviously knew what was best for themselves, and did not depend on God. Then it goes on So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding close to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days….”
Let me ask you a question. What wilderness have you went through that was ripe with unknowns, dangers, land mines? You seem to try all that you could do and it didn’t go as planned, or even you didn’t succeed at all. What hurricane, tornado or disaster have you been through where God was not at the forefront of your minds? Then if you have succeeded in the journey, what have you done to pass the experience along, as did Moses? As I stated last week we are to be a living testimony of the ‘light of the earth’ to share with others, by being the salt of the earth. Moses gave instructions and guidance to His people, all based upon what God gave Him. As a community of believers, in the small community of Summit Point, what wilderness has this church been through over the many decades of existence that God has restored it and His people? What are we going through right now that we cannot afford to do alone without God at the helm? What choices of life and death are each of us making that quite possibly could destroy us even further than what we already are?
Physical death is inevitable friends, but spiritual death can be avoided; and life is now, this very moment, not tomorrow. We can be alive, go to the movies, visit family, go to church, and still be dead. The Gospel of Matthew tells us Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you.” To me, those are terrifying words. I NEVER KNEW YOU.
There is HOPE! God has conquered death, hell and the grave through His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. There is something that is beyond all words that can and will happen to each of us. It is by choosing life. Life by way of the Spirit of the living God, and no other. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perished but have everlasting life. Even though friends, the choices we make have physical death instilled in the end, God placed a mechanism in the law, to give us redemption, a second chance and to restore our spirit, which is found only in His beloved son, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Romans tells us Nothing in earth, on earth and under earth, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing can separate us from His majestic love. NOTHING. We have to choose. Revelation tells us He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. What a wonderful and glorious event to experience, when we meet God in person, in the heavenly realm. No more sin, no more death, no more crying, no more pain, all because we choose life with our Mighty God.
Choose life friends, for as proverbs tells us Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. So friends, what do we do? What steps do we take to ensure we have life eternal and not spiritual death? Proverbs tells us My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Gospel of John tells us I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser…Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Choices of life and death is at our door step everyday. To choose life is to find God. To choose death, is to separate from God. God made a real promise that we can live by in Jeremiah You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. For as the hymn says, Trust and Obey for there is no other way. Amen.