How To Make Good Decisions

A Sermon By Jim Hammond from Hebrews 11:24-28

Decisions. Is it hard for you to make decisions? It seems like there are so many more options now than there used to be. It’s not just Baskin Robins 31 flavors, there are hundreds of choices for EVERYTHING. What kind of shampoo did you last use? (on 3) What kind of tooth paste? (on 3) There are so many options. Decisions, decisions, we begin to believe just making a decision is a good decision. You’d think we are so practiced choosing would become easier. Do you find that making good decisions is easy? Are you like the man who had to fill out a job application. One question said, “Do you have trouble making decisions?” The man replied, “Well, yes and no.”

I believe good decisions improve our lives and bad decisions make our lives more difficult. Are we agreed on this? We can’t control what happens to us, but we can decide how to respond when something happens to us.

Today we will be focusing on how to make good decisions.

I. Good Decisions Require Faith

It is erroneous to think that faith is unique to Christianity. God wove faith into our system when he created us. It is impossible to live without faith. By faith you automatically committed yourself to the chair to hold you, whether you were a Christian or not. Most of you got here by car, and when you turned the key in the ignition you had faith that the car would start. Some of you don’t have a clue as to what goes on behind the ignition system. You can't explain the process. If I’m driving and the car makes a funny noise, I stop and open the hood, which is really funny, because I have no idea what I’m looking for or what I’d do if I found something obviously wrong. I drive by faith, Faith in the car, and faith in someone else to fix it when it has a problem.

Have you ever had a doctor write out a prescription you couldn't read? What did you do with it? You went to the Pharmacist believing he could read it. You have faith in the doctor, and you have faith in the pharmacist. The pharmacist then took the prescription and disappeared behind some wall or screen. Isn’t that right? What in the world does that guy do back there? He must pull out some handwriting deciphering code book or something. But he comes back and gives you a little bottle and says, "Take it three times a day," and by faith you do exactly what he tells you to do. Faith is woven into the system.

Faith however is not blind. We trust for some reason. The skeptic looks around and since everyone else is in line getting prescriptions, this guy must be okay. We trust until there is reason not to believe. And so, we make decisions all the time based on faith.

Successful entrepreneurial people are people who have faith, but their faith isn’t always Christian faith. It may be faith in themselves. It may be a belief in an achievable future accomplishment. We call that kind of faith “Vision.” It doesn’t have to be Christian faith to have some positive effect. That kind of faith works to a certain degree. That kind of believing, believing in the possible, makes a difference in how decisions are made today. However, this is faith in the generic, it is not necessarily Christian faith.

The Bible never tells us to simply believe. It always tells us to believe in something. Have faith in Jesus Christ. Or have faith in God. It is what we believe that is important, not simply that we believe. Everybody believes something. The question is what do you believe. You can have little faith in thick ice, and you survive as you walk over a frozen lake; but you can have great faith in thin ice and you drown. It's not the amount of faith, it’s the object in which you place that faith that is important.

This morning we are going to look at the life of Moses as summarized by the author of Hebrews. He is one of the heroes in Hebrews Hall of Faith in Chapter 11. The kind of faith Moses had was the kind of faith that says the future, and not the past, molds the present. This kind of future looking faith works particularly well when it is anchored on something as solid as the past promises of God.

Focus: Our decisions will affect the quality of our lives. We can learn from Moses how to make good decisions.

Hebrews 11:24-28 (NIV) ²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. ²⁶He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

A. Faith Enables Us to Choose God’s plan over our own.

In general terms, it is faith that helps us choose God’s plan over our own. That’s what Moses did. The plan of our own making may please us more for the short term. The plan of our own may even seem to make more sense. It is faith that tells us otherwise. It is my faith based on the promises of God that helps me see that trying to improve God’s plan by substituting my own plan leads to frustration and problems. However difficult it may be for us, we must yield our plans to his plans.

If you don’t trust God enough to yield to him, then here’s my advise. Try him. Get to know him. Try to discover what is keeping you from trusting his plan for your life. I’m convinced our loving heavenly father’s plan for us is best. I’m convinced that as the creator who designed me, he knows best what will make me happy and fulfilled. I am also convinced by the incredible sacrifices he made for me that he must be good and loving. His plan for me, then must also be good. It is trust that helps you choose God’s plan over your own. It is God’s own demonstrated consistency of character that allows me to trust him.

1. Choose authenticity over prestige (v. 24).

²⁴By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

From a worldly perspective, it appears that Moses was giving up everything: all the prestige of the royal family. He was adopted as a son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He was in line to rule. He was big stuff. So why did he throw all that away to identify with Hebrew slaves? It was an encounter with God that changed Moses.

The things that count greatly in this world are of little concern when compared to what counts for eternity. What is a little wealth and a little prestige compared with a relationship with the Almighty? It was an easy choice intellectually when you knew the facts. It’s only when your picture is too small that the choice seems difficult.

Ultimately we all have to settle the question of our identity. Who are we? The answer is that we are God’s own children. We ARE the King’s kids. And every knee will bow, even all the knees of all the Pharaohs of the world.

We need to choose authentic honest relationship with God. No more, no less. Let God deal with the rewards. There is reward enough honoring God. You need to notice that when I say this, there is a shift in focus as it relates to decisions. When we make decisions, we usually ask, “What’s in it for me?” But the shift goes something like this for the Christian, and it doesn’t come all at once. We shift from “What’s in it for me?” to “Does this honor God?” This is a attitudinal change that affects everything. It affects why we go to church, and what we are doing while we are worshipping. It is true that with that attitudinal shift, God rewards us with what is best for us, but that isn’t the reason for our shift. The reason for the shift is that God becomes bigger in our focus, as self focus becomes less important. This concept shows up in the next point.

2. Choose self-denial over pleasure (v. 25).

²⁵He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

Some Christians are shocked to hear a preacher say the following comment: “Sin is fun”. That may sound shocking, but it is true. Otherwise people would not sin. It is fun but only for a season, and the price we pay later is no fun at all. If there were no immediate pay offs for sin, people would avoid it, because in all sin there is hidden a barbed hook ready to snag us and call the shots.

Sin is usually the easiest choice, but the path of least resistance is often a deadly road. Many lives have been ruined by the inability to say no to that which is dishonorable but pleasurable. With some sins, saying yes once traps you with a lifetime of pain. With some drugs, experimenting once is all it takes for a person to ruin his entire life. Why? Because that first try created so much momentary and elusive ecstasy, it is continuously chased down a steep hill to destruction. God created pleasure but Satan takes what God created, and twists it into illicit and destructive practice. That is why God gave us moral instruction to protect us. Over time, practicing life the way God designed proves to people, God can be trusted.

There’s nothing wrong with pleasure. But if that pleasure is in conflict with God’s will for your life, if it is in conflict with God’s revealed moral will, there is a reason for that. Even if you aren’t sure of the reason, you would be making a wise decision to deny yourself rather than choose to continue the practice God forbids.

As Christians, we need to learn the value of self denial. It is a mark of our Christianity. Jesus said, if you would be my disciple you must deny yourself and pick up the cross daily and follow me. We should be practiced at self denial. Do you realize self denial was the one thing God was asking from Adam and Eve? In its simplest terms, the first sin was a blown diet!

Self Discipline is a good thing. We must learn the art of self denial because it produces spiritual strength and fitness.

3. Choose heavenly rewards over earthly riches (v. 26).

²⁶He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

In Pharaoh’s house, Moses would have had all the riches a man could ever want. Look at the opulence of the pyramids. Moses could have had that kind of wealth. Moses could have been buried there in one of those magnificent tombs. Instead, he was buried in an unmarked grave on a lonely hill in the desert and God was the only one presiding at his funeral. Still, he made the right choice. Who remembers any Pharaoh like the world remembers Moses. Moses changed the world. Moses lived for the invisible heavenly rewards.

4. Choose God Pleasing over People Pleasing (v. 27)

²⁷By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

It was a personal relationship with God that changed Moses. Moses’ whole reason for being, changed once he knew God was real, God was personal and God cared. Everything else paled in comparison to God’s glory. This is as it should be. Who cares if Pharaoh got angry? You want to see WRATH? Pharaoh, just watch and I’ll show you WRATH. 10 judging plagues teach who is the one we should want to please. It taught the Israelites who was more important!

Moses feared Pharaoh at first, but he went through God’s school of training. He used to fear the king’s anger. That’s why he fled from Egypt. But over time, and experience with God, Pharaoh was reduced in Moses’ mind. Pharaoh’s army was reduced. Pharaoh’s wealth was reduced. Pharaoh’s gods were reduced. Everything looked small in comparison with the God who was revealing himself layer by layer, power by power, one plague after another. You spend time with the real God and you will have a bigger view of who he is and a smaller view of who you are, or anyone else. Choose God Pleasing over people pleasing. This is a daily choice. It starts with self denial choosing to honor God with your day rather than self. Then it moves to choosing to not worry about what others think and say, so much as what God thinks, and what he has to say.

It all boils down to a question of love. Who do we love more? Ourselves? Others? Or God?

5. Choose God’s Revelation over Human Rationalizations (v. 28)

²⁸By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Can you imagine Egyptian parents trying to comfort their children on the night of the Passover event (cf. Exodus 12).

Picture a 10 year old Egyptian boy’s conversation with his dad at bedtime. “Dad, I heard one of the slave children saying that a destroying angel was coming tonight and all the first born children are going to be killed tonight unless we sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood on our doorposts.”

“Little Ramses, I thought I told you not to be playing with the Hebrew slave children. They are a bad influence!”

“Oh, Dad, I wasn’t playing with them, I was ordering them to do stuff just like you do. I was giving them an order when one of the boys told me a destroying angel is coming tonight. I really think he believes it.”

“You can’t believe them. Why should a death angel come and kill you and all the first born in Egypt. That’s silly. Besides, why in the world would blood on a door do anything to stop a death angel like that even if there were such a thing? And why would a death angel decide to only kill first-born children. None of that makes any sense. Now relax and go to sleep. You know our household idols will protect us from any of the silly gods of the Hebrew slaves. Whose god is more powerful, the gods of Egypt? Look at our pyramids, look at our houses, and look at our wealth. Compare what our gods have given us with what their god has given them? Their god must be small to make them slaves to us and our gods. If the Hebrews god was so powerful why are they the slaves?”

“I never thought of it that way, Dad.”

“Do you feel better now, Ramses?”

“Yeah.”

“Sleep peacefully, my son.”

“Goodnight, Dad.” It wasn’t a good night. That dad never spoke to his son again.

Rationalizations always sound good. When we rationalize we believe a rational lie. What a shock the morning brought. Contrast that with the conversation that took place across the tracks, in the Hebrew neighborhood.

“Father, why is everybody killing lambs today?”

“Son, tonight God is sending an angel of death, the last plague showing that He really is God and the Egyptian gods are but demons.”

“But Father, why do we need to kill a lamb?”

“I don’t know for sure, son, except that God told us to do this. He said if we kill the lamb and put the blood on our door posts it will be a sign to the angel that we trust God and he will Passover us and our first born children will be safe.”

“Father, why must we wait until twilight before we kill the Lambs?”

“I’m not sure, son, but that is what the Lord has told his servant Moses. So that is what we are going to do. Do you always have to know why before you are to obey me?”

“No, you tell me I don’t have to know why. I obey you because you are my Father and you love me.”

“That’s right. And that is why we are killing the lambs today. We don’t know everything, but we believe and obey God. We don’t have to know why. Did our father Abraham know why God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac?”

“No.”

“Was he obedient anyway?”

“He was obedient but he didn’t have to do it because God provided a Lamb.”

“And so it is here. God is providing a lamb. So, like our father, Abraham, we obey even if we don’t know why he has asked us to put blood on the door posts. Better the lamb dies than you, don’t you think?”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’m also glad he provided a lamb just like He did for Abraham to save you, my son.”

Decisions make a huge difference. Just ask the Egyptian dad who decided not to listen to his son’s concern. He decided to comfort his son with rational lies. He decided to take comfort in man’s wisdom. He decided to place his trust in Egyptian gods. That’s what made sense to him. HE DECIDED WRONG.

Maybe while you listen to me tell this story, you are thinking, how could God be so cruel. How could he kill Egyptian children? This too is one of the tough questions. Couched in this question is another human rational lie. The rational lie goes something like this. A loving God could never really condemn so many to eternal hell. This concept that God could never do this sounds rational, but revelation tells us something else. Here we are at the crossroads trying to decide which to believe, God’s revelation or human rationalization.

God has revealed that his holiness demands righteousness. His revelation says that his judgment demonstrates justice. Perhaps if we never had any earthly demonstrations of God’s wrath and judgment we would never believe a wrathful judgment in the future could be possible. But since God demonstrated judgment in history and people witnessed it, we have reason to believe in a God who will judge. Each time these judgments fell, God warned in advance. There was a way of escape presented. These historical judgments are only small pictures of the final judgment to come. They serve as snapshots of a future reality. He gave us these snapshots so that we would believe it when he says he is holy and he will judge.

But let’s not stop with a negative message. The Bible tells us that God desires that no man should perish (2 Peter 3:9; 2 Timothy 2:4). God has done everything he can do to keep people out of hell. He has done everything necessary to keep people from the judgment his holy justice demands. He sent his son to take the punishment sinners deserve. Jesus paid our debt for us. Jesus became our substitutionary lamb! All we need to do is believe God’s promise and the life he offered us through Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of the Passover. Moses chose to trust, will you?

When you are at a crossroads and a decision is to be made it isn’t the way but the end of the road that helps you determine your choice. God has given us a map, but some of us in our pride don’t like maps, or asking directions. We like to be the masters of our own destiny. God says, look further down the road. I’ll show you. I’ll take you. But I can’t choose for you. The decision is still ours. Will we trust God or not? God already made his choice, to offer life to you through Jesus Christ. Now the choice is up to you.

Below, you will find two prayers. One for the Christian, the next for someone who wants to become a Christian.

If you are a Christian, maybe the following prayer will help you in the decision making battles you have been having:

Dear Lord,

Help me to remember to look further down the road on all my choices. Lord, when I am tempted, I take my eyes off of you and my life loses focus; I begin to look with self-focus rather than with a view to honoring you. Forgive me for not looking to you. Lord, I have a tendency to look only at the immediate pay off of pleasure, rather than how the particular choice or temptation affects my future and smears your glory. Thank you for forgiving me in Jesus. Lord, I choose today to look to you. I want to fill my mind with your truth, and fill my focus with your glory, that I might look forward by faith. Lord, allow me to know my identity as a child of the King of the universe. Help me to make decisions today based on a solid settled view of my future. Help me not to sacrifice my futures on the altar of the present. I know that for me, little decisions affect the big ones. I choose to deny myself in the little ways, like making sure I keep my appointment every day to meet with you for prayer and reading of your word. I want to hear from you and have my faith focus adjusted by you. Please fill me with your Spirit and strengthen me today.

Lord, if there is something else any of us here need to decide right now, like boldly turning away from a particular sin pattern show us. Help us to choose you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

If you would like to choose to accept God’s offer through Jesus, pray a simple prayer such as this one.

Dear Lord,

I have been trying to run my own life and make my own choices. You know that I have made a mess of my life. I don’t want the destination my choices deserve according to your justice and holiness, instead, I want what you offer me through Jesus according to your great grace, mercy and love. Thank you for making the full payment for my debt sin. I want to accept the forgiveness you extend to me through Jesus. As the Hebrews painted the blood on their doorposts, I will trust what you have asked me to do, to believe in the shed blood of Jesus as the only thing that can save me from the coming judgment. I don’t know exactly how it works, but I choose to believe you that it does. Apply Jesus shed blood, his death, his burial, and his resurrection to my life. I need new life. Thank you for offering forgiveness and new life to me. I choose to follow you from this point forward. Show me what it means to have a relationship with you.

In Jesus Name Amen.