Sermon Tone Analysis

ATTN

Ever have trouble making decisions?

Or have you ever made a decision quickly, thought you were right, only to have it blow up in your face?

ME

Happened to me back in the summer.

Kathy and I were ready for vacation.

We were going to the National Association Meeting in Oklahoma City.

Since driving there would take us through Arkansas, guess what we did.

That’s right!

We drove!

(The reason for those of you who don’t know is that my grandson and my daughter live in Arkansas, so any excuse to get to see them is good enough for us.)

Now, in case you haven’t driven it lately, its a good long way to Oklahoma City.

Since Kathy and I were not having to purchase airline tickets, we decided to splurge and rent a car for a couple of weeks.

Being frugal (my wife has another name for it, but this is my message!).

Being frugal, I got the car on Price line.

I found a deal.

I could rent a luxury car for less than $200 per week.

I jumped on it.

But I didn’t read the fine print.

You see, when we got to the counter to pick our car, on the way out of town, they told us about the “additional driver” charge.

That’s right, they charged us another $10 a day to add my wife as a driver, and, since I’m notorious for falling asleep behind the wheel, doing all the driving myself was not an option.

All of a sudden my “great deal” went down the tubes.

Then, of course, they asked me if I wanted to add insurance.

I hesitated.

I knew that if something happened, I’d be up the creek.

But they were already into me for over $600 for the two weeks.

I just couldn’t bring myself to pay more.

So I made the choice: I turned down their insurance.

Well, you know what that meant, don’t you?

I was on pins and needles!

I knew that if I had any kind of an accident, this rental company would stick it to me.

I was being so careful.

Everytime I backed out of somewhere, I looked behind me twice.

I looked both ways twice before I pllued through and intersection.

I was doing great, or at least I thought I was.

But then I stopped at McDonalds for a cup of coffee.

I looked behind me, saw nothing, and backed out.

All of a sudden there was that sickening thud.

I couldn’t believe it.

A guy had been backing out of another slot at the exact same time as me and, in a kind of freak circumstance, we collided.

My heart sank.

After I had been so careful, I still had an accident.

Running through my mind was one thought.

“You should have taken the insurance.”

Believe me, I’m still paying for my choice.

YOU

Everyone of you know what I’m talking about because it doesn’t take you very long to learn this undeniable fact of life: Choices have consequences.

Some of you are in the process right now of choosing a husband or a wife.

I say to you, Choose carefully!

Your choice will change your future.

Some of you are deciding what college to attend.

Choose carefully!

Your choice will change your future.

Some of you are about to sign up for another credit card, or sign on the dotted line for that new card!

Ooo! Choose carefully!

Your choice will change your future!

BACKGROUND

Now we all understand the importance of making good choices in those areas (whether we come to that understanding before or after we make a mistake), but we never stop to think about the importance of our choices when it come to God.

Well, if that’s the case with you, the Apostle Peter would take exception to your world view.

O yes!

He has something to say about a very specific choice that every one of us has to make.

He says in 1 Pet 4:1: Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

In v 1, Peter commands us to “arm ourselves with the same mind” (that Christ had).

What mind was that?

He describes it in v 2. There he sets up a contrast of options.

Option number one is living “in the flesh for the lusts of men.”

In other words, just doing whatever feels good to you or satisfies your desire.

Option number two is living “for the will of God.” Now the mind we are to adopt is the mind of Christ who, when faced with a choice between His own comfort and doing God’s will, set His face like flint, the Bible says, to go to the cross.

He made a choice, and that choice had consequences.

It cost Him his life.

He suffered.

But it brought us life—eternal life!

Now, Peter says that we are to “arm” ourselves with the same insight and mindset.

That is, we are to prepare ourselves for suffering by adopting the mind of Christ.

We are to choose to do God’s will, even if it means suffering.

NEED

Now that call to choose divides this group.

There are those of us here who know of this choice, but we are trying to avoid it.

We’ve seen others who sold out to God and suffered.

We’ve seen the movie about Jim Elliott who died at the hands of the Auca Indians.

We’ve seen friends of our who went into ministry and have struggled to put food on the table.

We’re trying to be disciples on the cheap, avoiding the stark choice between what we want and what God calls us to.

Others of us aren’t avoiding the choice, we’ve already chosen.

Our attitude is, “Preach all you want to about me doing God’s will.

Get red in the face; tell your stories, make your points, but the result will be the same: When this service is over, I’m walking out of here in control of my life.

I refuse to give up control.

Well if you’re avoiding or even if you’re dead set against the choice of God’s Will this morning, will you at least listen to this message?

I want to give you four consequences that come when you choose to follow God’s will.

Who knows?

You may just find that when the Holy Spirit drives home the truth of the words of 1 Pet 4:1-6 to your heart, you may even come to desire obedience.

So, what does it mean when you decide to follow God’s will for your life?

What are the consequences of that choice?

Well, in the first place:

DIV 1: IF YOU CHOOSE GOD’S WILL, YOU WILL BE HURT

EXP

Well, there you go! Isn’t that a great way to start?

If you choose God’s will and not your own lusts, it will be painful.

Now, I’d like to sugar coat it, but I can’t.

That’s what it says.

4:1 says, Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.