Sermon Series
How to Face Our Future! – Part 3
"How to Make Up Your Mind"
Pastor Jerry
James 1:5-11
------------------------------------- Message Synopsis -------------------------------------
We are constantly bombarded with advertising messages. It's everywhere. We are inundated by a flood of extravagant claims. We hear things like: MRACULOUS!” …“Revolutionary!” …“Greatest ever!” The product assures that they are capable of changing our lives. For only a few dollars we are guaranteed these items will bring happiness, friends, and the good life. But talk is cheap, and we soon realize that the claims were far from the truth.
Christians also make great claims:
“Jesus is the answer.” Our Christian claims are often guilty of being devoid of our actions. Professing to trust God and to be His people, we cling tightly to the world and its values. Possessing all the right answers, we contradict the gospel with the way we live.
Life is full of decisions and life is basically a series of choices we make every day. The quality of your life will be determined by the kind of decisions you make in life. Some of them we regret, some of them we feel good about.
The fact is, because we are human we all have a great possibility for error. Some of you are facing difficult decisions this very day. Some of you don't know it yet but you'll have a major decision tomorrow. Life is full of choices.
Will you be happy with your decision …or will you regret it?
James talks about how to make decisions. How do you make up your mind? He gives us the
problem, then he gives us the
prescription, then he gives us the
promise from God.
- THE PROBLEM of INDECISION
(v 8) "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." In Greek, the word "double-minded" literally means pulled apart in different directions, -- when you're trying to do two things at the same time. Double-mindedness is devastating, debilitating. It makes you unstable. The word is translated "confused" in many parts of the Bible.
Three ways indecision makes you unstable:
(1) Unstable
emotions. It's a strain when you can't decide. You worry and you're confused. You can't sleep and can't eat. It creates emotional instability.
(2) Indecision causes: Unstable
relationships. Lack of commitment destroys marriages. Do I want in or do I want out? What am I going to do? Indecision causes instability in relationships. Causes unstablity on the job and switching back and forth between careers.
(3) Indecision causes: Unstable
spiritual life. (V 7) "That [person] will not think that they'll receive anything from the Lord." It blocks your prayers. Indecision keeps God from giving and you from receiving what God has to offer. Double-mindedness produces a double life, an unstable life.
The problem is indecision: emotionally, relationally, spiritually. What's the solution?
- THE PRESCRIPTION is to GET WISDOM
James says,
“Get wisdom”.
(v 5) "If any of you lacks wisdom you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him." James gives three practical steps TO GET WISDOM. You
admit, you
ask, you
anticipate.
- Admit your need. (v 5) "If any of you lacks wisdom..." We all lack wisdom. It is universal. Wisdom is different from knowledge. Wisdom is seeing life from God's point of view. Wisdom is making decisions the way God would make decisions. We need WISDOM …we need to admit that!
- Ask for wisdom. (v 5) "If any man lack wisdom he should ask God." How do you get wisdom? You ask by praying to God. The reason we don’t have wisdom is we don't ask. James 4:2 "You have not because you ask not." Twenty times in the New Testament it says, "Ask, and it shall be given." We need WISDOM …we need to ask God for it!
- Anticipate it. Expect an answer in faith. (vs 5-6) "When you pray, if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask of God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when he asks he must believe and not doubt." The key to wisdom is humility, the door to wisdom is prayer, the condition is faith. Doubt hinders God from working in your life.
If you want to walk on water you've got to get out of the boat. You've got to take risks in life if you're going to live by faith. When Peter starts walking across the water. He's got his eyes on the Lord. All of a sudden he looks away and instantly sinks. The moment you get your eyes off the Lord and onto the circumstance, you're going down!
Some of you may face a major problem this week and have to make a decision. Get your eyes on the Lord. You must believe God is able and not doubt.
Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." If you want to receive anything from God you've got to believe He wills it. That's faith.
III. THE PROMISE is to know that GOD WILL GIVE IT!
(v 5) "If any man lacks wisdom he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." God wants to give you wisdom. He is eager. It pleases God when we come to Him. Ask God. God is a giving God. God loves to give. And we are instructed to be like God. To be like God we need to become giving people. God wants us to give continually, generously, and cheerfully.
Of all the areas that James could have chosen to give as an example, he chose money. Why? More people are double-minded and unstable when it comes to dollars than any other area. Jesus said you can't serve two masters. You can't love God and money at the same time. We need to decide.
God's wisdom is found in God's word. If I want wisdom I've got to get into His book. The Bible says in Psalm 119:105
"God's word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." It shows the way. He lights the path. That's why you've got to pray in faith, not doubting but believing.
What is James saying? The quality of your life is determined by the decisions and choices you make and the wisdom that is behind those decisions and choices. James is saying that when we do not trust God it produces a lifestyle of instability in our lives. A deeper issue is my inability to trust God and lay it all in His hands and ask for wisdom. Where are you double-minded?
I want to talk to you about life's greatest decision. The greatest decision you'll ever make in life is this: Who's going to be number one in your life? There is only one thing that will produce stability in your life. That's when God is number one in your life. No man can serve two masters, Jesus said. You'll hate one and love the other.
The most important decision you can ever make is to make Jesus Christ number one in your life.
"Lord, you guide my life. The smartest decision you'll ever make is to put Jesus Christ number one in your life. Who's going to be number one? You decide!
