Quality Decisions

Eddie Fleming

What Does God Say • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

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Wise Living

Text: Ephesians 5:15-21

We parents know that we cannot always be there for our children and grandchildren. More than likely we will die many years before them. But there is a way to help them even after we are long gone. The key is to pass on to them what God has passed on to us. Hopefully this message will help us see clearly what God has passed on to us--principles from God’s Word on how to lives wisely.

Kids learn more from watching us, than they do from listening to us. So if we learn to live wisely, according to God’s Word, they will learn to do the same.

Can there be anything more beneficial to us, our children, and grandchildren than being equipped with principles for making quality decisions, wise living is nothing more than making wise decisions. Wise decisions can save us all a lot of heartaches and pain. Our heavenly Father cares about what we go through in life. He cares about the hurt and pain that comes our way.

In Jesus said, “Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Just as we parents want to give good things to our children, even more so does God want to give blessings to His children. It is not God’s will that we experience loss, pain, and heartaches due to foolish mistakes and unwise decisions. He wants to help us. He wants to protect us. He wants to equip us. But will we let Him? Many refuse to do so.

He has given us valuable principles in His Word to help us make quality decisions. It is not God’s will that we experience loss, pain, and heartaches due to foolish mistakes and unwise decisions. He wants to help us. He wants to protect us. He wants to equip us. But will we let Him?

Politicians, big name movie producers, hall-of-fame coaches, and police officers can all be found in recent news stories of having made bad choices and are now paying the price for those unwise decisions. And sadly many in everyday life do the same, including church members.

Many refuse to let Him. Politicians, big name movie producers, hall-of-fame coaches, and police officers can all be found in recent media accounts of having made some bad choices and are now paying the price for those bad choices.

We live in times of deception, therefore, nothing can be more relevant, or important than making wise decisions in our lives.

Good decisions benefit us physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Good decisions bring glory to God, benefits others, and rewards us. This is true for Christians and non-Christians, for religious and non-religious people, for everyone benefits from making wise decisions.

The damaged lives of the young and old, the rich and poor, the famous and not-so-famous can all be traced back to poor decisions.

Listen to what God says through the apostle Paul who wrote the book of Ephesians. Turn with me to or turn to page 1244 in the Bibles provided in the pews.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. This should not be. We can be wise in an age of evil. We can be wise, when all those around us are being foolish in the decisions and actions.

There is no one passage that provides all the principles we need to embrace, so we will be jumping from one passage to another in our message. We begin with Ephesians 5:15-21

Read Ephesians 5:15-21

God is telling us here how to make the best use of our time. We do it living wisely in an unwise and evil world.

Life is too short to spend it in jail, in debt, consumed with emotional and relational hurt, or fighting an illness that could have be avoided. We live in a sin plagued world, so there will be some unavoidable sorrow, pain, and heartache , but a large degree of the suffering in society is brought on by bad decisions.

Jesus said in , “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus was not only referring to eternal life, but an abundant life prior to our eternal life in heaven. The principles provided us in God’s Word helps to make this abundant life possible.

Our text says that key to living wisely and not living foolishly is to understand what the will of the Lord is. He further explains what he means by saying in verse 18, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,...”

It so that we will bring glory to God, and we do that by not making decisions that will bring offense to the Jews, Greeks, or the church of God. In day that this was written, the Greeks represented all people outside the Jewish faith. With the establishment of the church, we had three groups of people, the Jews, the Greeks, and Christians—followers of Christ.

He’s not just saying don’t get drunk, he is saying, instead of letting your life be controlled or influenced by the stuff of this world, let it be controlled by the Spirit of God. But sadly, the church has allowed the world to impose it’s idea of what it means to be filled with the Spirit rather than what the Bible teaches. To be fill with the Spirit means to be filled with His Word. It means to live your life according to the principles in God’s Word. And the first principle for living wisely is to understand what the will of God is.

The Jews represented the religious people of that day, and the Greeks represented the intellectuals, the philosophers of that day. As Christ followers we need to live our lives in such a way to not offend the religious people and the intellectuals of today. While it’s impossible to totally not offend, because the Gospel itself will be offensive to both groups, we will be better received and will offend a lot less people if we base our decisions on the principles of the Bible.

Consequently, we need to ask this question before making major decisions, “What’s My Motivation?”

I. Examine Your Motivation

NLT says, “People may be pure in their own eyes, ut the LORD examines their motives.”

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,

but the LORD examines their motives.

We need to examine the motive behind our decision. Is my decision likely to be in God’s will? Am I motivated by something outside God’s will, like anger, or greed? Is my decision based on false information? More than once I’ve made comments about a news story on the internet, only to learn that it was a lie. It’s not God’s will that we promote lies or spread unfounded rumors. Now before I make a comment about something I check it out through snopes.com. Christians should be people of truth, so confirm before conveying it to others.

4. What Possible Motives Are Driving My Decision?

A decision made out of anger is usually wrong. An decision made in the midst of high emotion, is usually wrong.

All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.

Who can say, ”I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”’?

We need to examine our motives for the decision we are about to make. A decision made out of anger is usually wrong. An decision made in the midst of high emotion, is usually wrong.

Emotions are are designed to motivate us, not direct us. So ask yourself, is this an emotional decision or one based on truth? For instance, do you want a newer car or a bigger house because you need it, or because you need to feel better about your life, about yourself, or about your marriage? If so, in no time you will be making another bad decision to make you feel better about your life.

For instance, do you want a newer car or a bigger house because you need it, or because you need to feel better about your life, about yourself, or about your marriage? If so, a newer car or bigger house will only give you a temporary fix. In no time you will be making another bad decision in an attempt to make you feel better about you life.

Some debt is necessary, for instance if you want to buy a home, or if you’ve experienced circumstances out of your control, such as an illness. But most people in America are up to their eyeballs with debt because of bad decisions. Many Christians can’t even pay their tithes because they’re debt ridden. Do you know what God says about the dangers of debt? More importantly, do you care about what the Bible says about being in debt?

The world is constantly telling us we can’t enjoy life if we don’t have this product, this car, this cell phone, along with 10, 20, or 36 affordable monthly payments, with low or even no interest for one, two, or three years.

1. Acknowledge that you have “blind spots.”

But what the marketers don’t tell you is that the interest is built in. If you offer them cash you can buy the product at a discount.

So examine your motive before you make a decision. Ask yourself, will my decision glorify God?

should play a role in all our decisions. It reads, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,...”

English Standard Version Chapter 10

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,

In fact God has given us an overriding principle in to guide us. This should be our main motive in all that we do.

Do you give your tithes and offerings as a means of showing thanks to God for all He has done for you, or do you do it grudgingly, simply out of duty, or not at all? In whatever we do, our motive for doing it matters a great deal to God. In fact God has given us an overriding principle in to guide us. This should be our main motive in all that we do.

If you’re a follower of Christ, this principle is vital to you. Although it doesn’t tell us how to make quality decisions, it does tell us what our motivation should be for making good decisions.

2. Honestly assess your motives, both good and bad.

There is no one passage that provides all the principles we need to embrace, so we will be jumping from one passage to another in our message. We begin with .

If you’re a follower of Christ, this principle should be an over riding factor in your decision making. Although it doesn’t tell us how to make quality decisions, it does tell us why we should make good decisions.

We are created to glorify God. We glorify God when our decisions don’t bring offense to the Jews, Greeks, or the church of God. In the day this was written, the Greeks represented all people outside the Jewish faith, but with the establishment of the church, we then had three groups of people, the Jews, the Greeks, and Christians—followers of Christ.

The Jews represented the religious people of that day, and the Greeks represented the intellectuals, the philosophers of that day. As Christ followers we need to live our lives in such a way so as not to offend the religious and the intellectuals of today, that is, as much as possible. The Gospel itself will be offensive enough to both groups, but we will be better received and less offensive if we base our decisions on Biblical principles.

When David, the little shepherd boy showed up at the battle field to bring food to his brothers, he was shocked that Israel’s army was making God look bad not standing up to the Philistine giant Goliath. In David said this words to King Saul of Israel, “Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

Loving God this way means doing everything we can in a way that honors God. To love others means doing everything we can in way that shows love, respect, and concern for them.

In defying the armies of God, Goliath was making the army of God, and thus God himself look bad. David couldn’t stand for that to continue. He believed in God and the power of God. He trusted God to deliver Goliath into his hands just like God had done with a lion and a bear in times past.

The glory of God and the good of others should be our main motivation for what we do.

3. Give others permission to speak in to your life.

The second principle is “Do I have all the facts?”

II. Gather the Facts?

Decisions made without knowing all the facts or details don’t usually turn out well. There’s a reason for the fine print at the bottom of a contract or loan agreement. People who take advantage of us, don’t want us to have all the facts—all the details. God’s Word warns us about this.

states,"Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.”

but a fool flaunts his folly.

The key to making right decisions is having all the facts. When went looking for a used car to buy this past May, I had a limited amount of money saved up, but I wanted a decent car that I could depend on. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough money, unless I bought one that had a rebuilt titled, meaning it had been totaled by an insurance company, but then repaired and sold. A rebuilt titled will lower its selling value anywhere’s from 20-50 %. But how can you know if the damage done to it will cause you trouble down the road? I paid for a CarFax report that gave me the details of the damage done to it.

We can make right decisions if we have the facts. This is true in car buying, as well as, in spiritual matters.

Many young people today are walking away from their faith because they don’t have all the facts about Christianity. They are listening to atheistic teachings in schools and on the internet, and making decisions without listening to Christian apologists that can answer their questions or help them with their doubts.

reads, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;”

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

8 the precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

God's Word makes us wise, it enlightens our eyes. In other words it enables us to see things as they are, so that we can make wise decisions in life.

Satan is the master at blinding us to the truth. We can’t make wise decisions if we can’t see the truth and don’t know the facts.

Satan tells us that this world is all there is to it, so make the most out of it. Get all the pleasure you can out of life. Don’t worry about the consequences because there are no consequences past this life. But the truth is that this life is just a brief moment in our lives. The real life is forever after this short stay, so we’d better live for eternity, not for this short stay on earth.

Jesus said the truth will set us free. It will free us to make the right decision. It will free us to live for the life to come. It will free us to make the right decision concerning Christ.

The apostles gave us there jobs because the role that God had for them required it.

The abundant life is not about partying as much as you can, as often as you can down here. It’s not about experiencing all the pleasures you can in the few short years you have in this world. It’s not about storing up your treasures so that you can retire and take it easy. The abundant life is a life that has purpose and meaning that transcends this life and this world. It’s a life that is focused on the long haul, not the short run.

A third essential in making quality decisions is “Have I considered the possible consequences?

III. Consider the Possible Consequences or Outcomes

states, The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.”

The simple or unwise person believes everything. They believe everything will work out no matter what they do.

For instance, sex outside of marriage is not a big deal. Why should I be concerned about the consequences? Why should I be concerned about an unexpected pregnancy, an unexpected sexually transmitted disease, a marriage down the road that will be more likely to fail, a blow to my self-image, an emotional hurt to my parents, my grandparents, and others who love me? What do I care about what others think of me, it’s my life, my body, my decision? Well, it is your life, your body, and your decision, if you don’t claim to be a follower of Christ. But there will still be consequences to our actions. And if you claim to be a Christian, you actually have no right to do as you please for you belong to Christ.

The Bible says, “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay” (). A person who commits his or her life to Christ, has made a vow to live for Him. Only a fool would break this vow.

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Only fools ignore the consequences.

God says in , “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

When God calls us to salvation, He also calls us out of sin, all types of sin. To go back into sin, to break our vow to Him is foolish. And sooner or later we will suffer the consequences. Therefore examine your motive behind your decision, make sure you have the facts, especially the Biblical facts, and consider the possible outcome or consequences before making your decision. And whatever you do, don’t rush into a decision.

IV. Don't Rush

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but you have to decide now.” “Only one left, so buy it now.” “This is the last day to take advantage of this opportunity, so decide today.”

We’ve all heard these sell pitches. They are meant to rush us into a decision. They are meant to prevent us from thinking through our decision. They are meant to prevent us from examining the facts and to bar us from consulting with others for advice. They are designed to get us to sign our life away on the dotted line. They are meant to manipulate us and eventually enslave us.

Young people, Satan is a good used car salesperson, and yes I know I just stereotyped all car salespeople, but in most cases you know what I mean. They will tell you anything, especially what you want to hear to get your money.

But in Satan’s case he wants to destroy you life. He will tell you, this is your last chance. You better marry this guy or that gal. It doesn’t matter if you don’t love him or her, it’s your last chance. It doesn’t matter that her or she is not a Christian, it may be your last opportunity. Those bad traits that she or he has, well it’s better to live with them, than to live alone the rest of your life.

Or even worst, Satan will say, If you don’t give in to their wishes and sleep with them, you may lose your only opportunity to get a husband or a wife.

Listen to me, Satan lies, the world lies, your hearts lies, so don’t listen to them. Don’t let them rush you. Don’t let them trick you. Don’t let them convince you to ignore the consequences.

Instead, listen to God. God can and will help you find the right person, someone who will share your values, your love for God, and be concerned about meeting your needs, not their own needs.

Satan will try to rush us into bad purchases, bad relationships, and bad spiritual decisions.

In , page 1111 of the pew Bible, Jesus warns us about making a decision to follow Him before we count the cost. READ .

Jesus don’t want quick decisions, He wants thought out decisions. He doesn’t emotional decisions that will fade along with the emotions, He wants decisions that are based on truth, decisions that will weather the storms of persecution and the ravages of time. He wants a commitment that has considered the rewards of heaven and the cost of discipleship. For to make a vow to God and not keep it, is worse than never making a vow to God.

Jesus doesn't want quick decisions, He wants thought-out decisions. He doesn’t want emotional decisions that will fade when the emotions fade. He wants decisions that are based on truth, decisions that will weather the storms of persecution and the ravages of time. He wants a commitment that has considered the rewards of heaven and the cost of discipleship. For to make a vow to God and not keep it, is worse than never making a vow to God.

So don’t rush when it comes to major decisions in your life. The main reason that Satan and the world tries to rush us is to prevent us from seeking counsel from others. Our last principle is to seek counsel from others.

V. Seek Counsel

Only a fool thinks he or she knows it all. Only a fool would reject or not seek counsel from others. Seek out what wise people. Consult with them.

A. Consult Wise People

states, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

This is why our new Constitution and By-laws requires, not one, or two, or three, but many, which in our case is twelve, who make up our church leadership council. They in turn make decisions concerning the church, but the Constitution requires that the major decisions have to include the whole church. This allows for quick decisions on the smaller stuff, but makes us take our time and think more thoroughly about the big decisions.

but with many advisers they succeed.

Before making important decisions in our lives, we need to consult with others. Oh how I wish, that all young people, as well as old, would seek out spiritually wise people, either in person, or by way of books or the internet before walking away from the church and their faith. Too many are listening to the world and accepting their take on God and Christianity, instead of seeking wise spiritual counsel.

But most of all, we need to seek out the One who has all knowledge, Jesus the Savior.

B. Consult Jesus

God loved us so much that He gave His only Son up to die on the cross. Jesus loved us so much that He went willingly to the cross for us.

There is no good that He would hold back from us. This Book has been given to us for our benefit.

He wants us to come to Him. He wants us to make requests of Him. He wants us to know the truth. He wants to help us, enlighten us, direct us, and save us, not just eternally, but also from making bad and costly decisions.

We are told in “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

We can know what is best for us. He will give us the wisdom we need. Christ has all knowledge. He has all power. He not only knows what is best for us, He can help us with anything in life.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

This is what Billy Graham did. When his co-worker changed his mind about the trustworthiness of the Bible and planted doubts in Billy Graham mind about the Bible. Billy went out into the woods and knelt by a tree stump and cried out to God in prayer most of the night. And God answered him. Billy never doubted God’s Word after that.

Conclusion: So as we close, I’m sure all of us can look back at some mistakes we’ve made and bad decisions that have cost us. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about the past except learn from it and be forgiven of it.

God tells us in , If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can put the past behind us, but having done so, we need to focus on the future. God wants to limit the pain and heartaches we experience in this life. He wants us to become His child and let Him be our heavenly Father. If we will and will listen to His advice on how to lived wisely in an unwise world, we can have the abundant life that Jesus tells us about in .

God wants to limit the pain and heartaches we experience in this life.

The abundant life begins by letting Christ become your Lord and Savior.

Let’s pray.

the counsel of others.

Furthermore, we have blind spots and we are very good at deceiving ourselves as to our real motives. This is why we need to listen to others. We need to seek the counsel of others.

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