Choose you this day
Here are the sermon notes from yesterday.
The Lord greatly blessed our service yesterday. I asked him to help us sense his presence in a strong way, and he granted that request. 
The sermon went well, and the worship time was excellent. The song leader even did an excellent job of tying the songs into the sermon. At the end of the sermon I did something different that I learned from doing Children’s Institutes. I was kind of nervous about doing it, but I felt God wanted me to. I preached on Joshua 24 where Joshua says to the Israelites “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Paraphrased version.) So at the end of the message I asked that all those people who wished to decide today that they will serve the Lord, and give their whole selves, their hearts and all that they are, to him…those that would say “Today, I choose to follow the path of Christ, regardless of where it leads”…..I asked all those that wanted to say that publicly, and really meant it, to please stand right where they were. I like this better than asking people to raise their hands with “every head bowed and every eye closed”. It requires more humility, and dropping of the fear of man, to stand up in your seat where you are with everyone watching! 
But it also is more significant.
Any way, everyone stood up! 
I was pleased to see that, but I almost like it better when not everyone stands up, because then you are more certain that the ones standing really mean it, and are not responding to peer pressure. But praise the Lord for those that made their choice. I hope you are blessed and challenged by my notes.
[Edit] “…And a little child shall lead them.” An encouraging end to this post involves a young boy from our church. (I think he is 8 years old.) He also stood when everyone else stood to signify their choice to give God everything and serve him in sincerity and truth. But even his own family didn’t realize what an impact that had on him until later that evening.
He came into his mother and said “That was hard today.” She asked him what was hard. “To stand up and give everything to God.” (I’m paraphrasing.) She asked him why it was hard. “Because of family” he said. You see, I mentioned in the sermon that we need to surrender even our family to the Lord, and not allow them to become “gods” to us. She said, “What do you mean honey?” He started to tear up and had to take a minute before he could respond. He said, “Losing family.” Then his mother understood.
You see, his mother was diagnosed with cancer….last year I think. (Maybe two years ago.) She has fought it, and thanks to the blessing of God it is in remission and her life is not in immediate danger. But for a while it was, and it has been a very faith stretching time for their family.
You see, what happened in this little boys life was that he decided to follow the Lord, and surrender everything to Him, even if that meant that God would take his mother away from him. He made his choice, and by standing up (even though it was hard for him) he was surrendering his mother to the Lord and saying that he loved God more. He was saying that he loved God enough to keep serving and loving Him even if God saw fit to take his mother home. This is so powerful and deep, and it is a place that many ADULTS never get to in their walk with the Lord. And he’s 8! Oh for the faith of a child.
There is not a smiley face big enough to communicate to you how much this story strengthened my heart!!! 
Bless the Lord! It made my day, my week, probably my month!!! I still get teary as I write this. If nothing else good ever, ever comes from my move to Georgia, the last several months of prayer and work, all of it….in my mind it has been worth it. Sometimes you wonder why God sends you to one place or another, or the purposes behind his direction in your life. Well, I’m sure there are other reasons for me being here and all that, but even if this reason was the only one, I’d do it again. My life has touched someone else’s, and God has used me to draw that little boy to himself. There isn’t a feeling like that in all the world! Far from being proud, I am humbled that he would use someone like me, in spite of all my faults. I’m glad God is merciful. But I am proud of my little buddy. (He is one of several.) He made the hard choice that some of us are unwilling to make. May God give us all the faith of a child.
On a side note, I realize I may have some of Calvinist theology in my readership, but I just have to say that anyone who can read the Bible, and especially Joshua 24 and certain passages in Deuteronomy, and believe that we as humans do not have a free will, is just very, very wrong! I love you, if you’re out there, but I have never been able to accept or even understand how someone could come to that conclusion when reading the Scriptures! Thank the Lord that we can choose, and are not pre-programmed machines.
[Edit] And just to be clear, I am not meaning to insult anyone, or label anyone. I hate labels, but I needed some short and easy way to put into context what I was saying.
About The Author
Preacher Dad
Jarod has been a pastor, construction worker, restaurant manager, ministry administrator, children's story teller, author....in no particular order. At heart he is passionate about the Truth, and has been called to proclaim that Truth from an early age. He is committed to his wife and eight children, and seeks to have a lasting impact upon the future by discipling his family. He blogs at PreacherDad.com on parenting, preparing, and cultural impact.
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Well, I read your sermon notes and thought you had a lot of great points.
But what did you mean by dumping people into a category? Makes it sound like if you follow any of Calvanist theology you are wrong! I am a Christian…not a Calvanist. But I do hold to some of Calvanist’ theology. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on what Romans says about being predestined….it is Scripture also.
If we all have free will, and we decide we no longer want to be a Christian…how does that fit in with the verse where Jesus says nothing can pluck us out of His hand? Does the nothing exclude ourselves? That is it up to us to choose for how long we will be a Christian? Then once we pass through this stage of unbelief do we have to go through this process again? And for how long? I know how emotional we as humans can be…does God really cater to the “free will” of our emotions? Do we lose the inheritance we are promised in the verses below as predestined children of God?
Just something to ponder….
Ro 8:29
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Ro 8:30
and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Eph 1:11
also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
Marvelanne,
Thank you for the long and well thought out comment. I like those. I want to say first of all that I didn’t mean to lump everyone into the same category. There is much good we can learn from “Calvinist” theology, and I was given good advice years ago that I should not discount all of that teaching just because I disagree with much of it. I’m not trying to say that ALL the tenents of Calvanism are wrong, but I was simply trying to define what I was talking about. Let me also say that I am not trying to condemn anyone, or any group of people, but only saying what the Truth is as I understand it at this point in my life.
You addressed issues of eternal security in relation to free will. That topic (E.S.) is not one I’d like to get into at this time. It would take too long and is not the point. The point is this: Do we have the ability to choose, or are all of our “choices” predetermined, or predestined, for us? I think to believe that they are all predestined, if you take that belief to it’s logical conclusion, is not Biblical. If everything, including our salvation, has been predetermined, then why do we preach to the lost? Why do we do any kind of evangelism? Because (according to the modern doctrine of predestination) it’s already been decided who will be saved and who will not, and we can’t do anything to change that. And then we have to deal with the aspect of this teaching that says that some people are made just to go to hell. God created them, knit them together in their mothers womb, only for the purpose of burning in hell forever. I will admit that there are verse that I don’t always understand (like “even the wicked are made for the day of destruction”), but I think the whole picture of the Bible does not support this belief. And there is also the fact that you cannot really have true love without free will. If you are preprogrammed to love God (which is a logical outgrowth of extreme predestinationism) then is it really love as described in the Bible? Are we also predestined to “love” our family?
But then what do we do with the verses, like the ones you included in your comment, that discuss the concept of predestination and God’s foreknowledge? You are right, they are also in the Bible and part of the Truth. I don’t claim to have it all figured out. I still sometimes have questions about things. But, we need to look carefully at what these verses are saying. For one thing, it does not say “Predestined to become Christians”. It says “…predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” Being conformed to the image of Christ is something that continues to happen after we are saved, and is a seperate thing from salvation. (Though I will admit that it takes place after salvation.) And what about that foreknowledge, which apparently comes before predestination? What is it that God foreknew which brought about the predestination? Or did they both happen at the same time? These are questions I don’t really think I can totally answer with out a lot more time, study, and thought.
My belief, and I haven’t studied this extremely closely, is this and is based on my own reading and meditation on Scripture over the years. Perhaps God predestines certain groups of people, but not individuals. That is to say, he predestined that the group defined as those “in Christ” will be conformed to the image of his dear Son and will go to heaven, etc., but he did not predetermine which individuals could and could not enter into that group, into Christ. That is their choice to make. But not that they make that choice on their own, he gives them the grace to make the right choice, but they can resist the grace of God and choose the evil. Does that makes sense? Consider this question. Do the verses that talk about predestination refer that concept to individuals or a group? I can’t think of any that are aimed at individuals, but in context usually refer to a group of people. (Namely Christins.)
A good Biblical basis and analogy is the Israelites. God predestined the children of Israel to be his people, set apart unto him. Not for any goodness in themselves, but simply because he chose them and perhaps because of the faith of Abraham. That was decided long ago. But God did not predestine which individuals would be part of Israel. He even made provision in the Law (I think) for Gentiles who wished to become Jews, and enter into that covenant with God, to do so. In fact, those of us who are Gentiles have been grafted in through our faith in Christ. And Israel also gives us a good Biblical basis for the fact that we have free will.
God tells them over and over again “Choose either good or evil, God or idols, etc.” Choose, choose, choose! He promised them that they would posses all the land of Canaan, and that ALL the inhabitants of the land would be driven out and destroyed. However, Israel decided that they were comfortable and had done enough, and did not completely drive out the inhabitants of Canaan. These people became a snare to them, and I don’t think this is what God wanted, even though it’s what he knew would happen. Did their choices, their exercise of “free will”, inhibit God from giving them all the great blessings he wanted to give them? I think so. I do not believe that God predetermined what Israel would do, and that they had no choice in the matter. Could God have over ruled them and given it to them any way, and even forced them into doing what he wanted them to do? Yes…but he didn’t. Just because God can do something doesn’t mean he will.
These are my thoughts on the topic, for your sake and for others. I hope they have helped to make things clearer. I know they might not be very mainstream, but that is how I have resolved the issue in my heart up to now. There are so many things that are in the Bible, and many things I should know but don’t. But I’m always open to be challenged, especially by people that believe the Bible, all of it, is the inspired Word of God. I’ll say this much: If the Bible says it, I believe it. I might not understand it. Might not understand it ’til I get to Heaven.
But I believe it completely. Thank you for your comments. Please continue to leave them. 
(And please forgive my spelling.)
And one more thing, I don’t think our emotions have a free will. I think our emotions influence our free will.
Wow! This has really put me to studying some things out this evening. I’ve often (maybe because of immaturity) considered the discussion on predestination one of those “foolish questions” (2Tim 2:23) Paul warned Timothy and Titus about because no one can fully know the mind of God on the issue. I’m beginning to realize that there is a time discussion is necessary, never to the point of division, but in an effort to work out our “own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12)
Now I need to get my Bible “put back together”. I’ve never had so many strange bookmarks in it at one time! To name a few, I just took a nail set, tiny address book and a checkbook out of it! J
It must be realized that Romans 8:29 was written to believers, people already saved or called by the Holy Spirit. In context, Paul was admonishing them to continue in hope (earlier in chapter 8, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us….for we know that the whole creation groaneth…..waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body…for we are saved by hope…..but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered….And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God…and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose…) The word “love” in verse 28 is “Agapao” indicates a direction of the will and finding one’s joy in something. It is a choice of my will to love the Lord as my friend and to make Him and His ways my joy. It’s the same word used in James 1:12.
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate…” I found these:
Foreknow – “proginosko” – foreknowledge / Predestinate – “proorise” – foreordination
“This foreknowledge and foreordination in the Scripture is always unto salvation and not unto perdition. Therefore, it could be said that the Lord never foreordains anyone to be lost, but those who are saved as a result of their exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ were known ahead of time and thus chosen unto God.” Basically, God knew before the foundation of the world who would choose His Son and who would not, but He made a way for all. Without the wooing of the Holy Spirit, no one comes to the Savior, therefore it could be said that He “chose” (Eph. 1:4-6) us (and remember, He did love us first) out of the world, and praise God, He did. But, 1 John 2:2 clearly states, “and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” All who hear the gospel are responsible and without excuse.
I guess in a way I’m saying there’s room for both views because they brings us back to the same point: the Sovereignty of God and our frail humanity. Do we trust Him to really be the all knowing God that He is? Do we realize we can’t possibly grasp all there is to/of Him?
Jarod, the children of Israel is an excellent example. God chose them to be His people set apart out of whom He would bring the Redeemer. But, He did make a way for a gentile to come into covenant with Him. (Ex. 3:48-49 is one example.) Also, consider Rehab and Ruth. God did “foreknow” what they would do, but He didn’t “predestine” their obedience or disobedience. Thus the need for grace…
Well, this is just a few of my thoughts… The subject is never ending. J But, praise God, He knows.
” and a little child shall lead them”….
Ain’t God good? It’s always nice to know how God is using you. I’m glad He gave you that encouragement!
Thanks for clarifying your thoughts on this subject! I thought maybe that might be where you were coming from…
I have been having discussions about this subject with a couple of people at work so it is very fresh in my mind. I guess I should have asked you your definition of “free will”…I think most of the time we mean a freedom to choose. The association of the popular idea of “free will” to me means something different that what the freedom to choose seems to indicate.
I like your point about Scripture not stating what we are predestined for. I had not really pondered that aspect. I agree with what you said about God knowing what we are going to choose but allowing us the freedom to make that choice. He could divinely step in…yet He doesn’t. Which brings me to wholeheartedly agree with Daughter80..that there is ample Scripture to support both views. I think we have to make sure what context we are talking about as always when discussing Scripture. And we do arrive back at the same place when we work through both views…back at the place where we must recognize that God is sovereign and that we most likely, will never understand this issue totally. Our concern should be our daily walk with Christ. That daily choice we must make to “take up our cross” to choose who we will serve for the day…
BTW – Thanks for sharing the story about the little boy in your church. What a little miracle…oh that we all would have the faith and understanding of a child! By the fruits you shared…it would seem God has you right where He wants you for the time being!
Thanks for letting me continue to comment on these posts! I post long ones…but don’t usually get many repsonses so this talk of theology and such is a real treasure!
I’d like to meet that little 8-yr. old man of valor in your congregation! What a blessing to read of the Spirit’s work in His young heart. How I identify with him, by God’s grace. Oh that I will learn to welcome and embrace whatever He appoints to conform me into the image of His dear Son! Pain, loss, separation, it’s one more link connecting me to His heart. What a God! Thank you for posting for other’s edification. May the Lord strengthen and confirm the works of your hands for His kingdom. hisgrapevine@gmail.com