CHOOSE GOD’S WAY
Introduction:
– In the Old Testament there is a story about a man named Noah.
– It is a remarkable story of a good man who walked with God and did what God told him to do.
– The end result was that God used him in a remarkable way to save humanity.
– The account of Noah and the flood are recorded in Genesis, chapters 6 to 8.
– There were certain things about Noah that made him unique.
– Genesis 6:8 ‘Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD.’
– Genesis 6:9 ‘Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation.’
– Genesis 6:9 ‘Noah walked with God.’
– Genesis 6:22 ‘Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.’
– Genesis 7:5 ‘Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.’
– Genesis 7:16 ‘A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them.’
– Genesis 8:1 ‘God remembered Noah!’
1. CHOOSING OUR WAY OR GOD’S WAY
– Life is full of choices.
– Every day, as we take on the joy and challenges of life, we are confronted with many decisions and choices.
– According to research it is estimated that the average adult makes many thousands of decisions or choices per day, perhaps as much as 35000 per day.
– Some research has established that we make hundreds of decisions regarding food alone.
– Almost every second of our lives there is a demand to decide or choose.
– Is it any wonder that we are the result of our choices and decisions.
– Our choices can make or break us.
– This means that there is something very important or even sacred about our choices.
– Good choices can lead to success and blessing and bad choices can rob us and bring regret and sorrow.
– Years ago, there was a famous singer who sang a popular song entitled: ‘I did it my way!’
– ‘MY WAY’ seems to be the preferred option these days, but I believe there is a higher way and that is ‘HIS WAY!’
– Choosing God’s way, as our default option, will lead to many blessings, in particular the blessing of being used by God and being part of something meaningful with our lives.
– In the life of Noah, we can see such an illustration.
2. CHOOSING GOD’S WAY REQUIRES FAITH
– It would appear that Noah started making the right choices long before it became apparent as to how God would use his life.
– Perhaps the good decisions already started in his youth?
– Noah could never have imagined how things would end up, but he knew that his decisions were important and that his choices to put God first were the right thing to do.
– At that stage in history humanity was making bad choices and choices that would lead to their downfall, but Noah was making good choices.
– The scripture tells us that Noah was a righteous man who was blameless compared to others in his generation. It also tells us that he walked with God and obeyed God. These attributes were a direct result of his choices.
– His choices were not the majority choices of the day, in fact they were very limited, almost exclusively, to this one man, Noah.
– He could never have imagined how these choices, made on a daily basis, in obscurity, would one day lead to him playing a role in a global calamity.
– Sometimes we do not see the immediate benefits of choosing God’s way.
– Sometimes it is only time that will reveal the results because we do not have the benefit of seeing the end from the beginning.
– And so, when we decide to choose God’s way above our personal way or preference, it requires faith.
– We make the choice and follow the path and the future and the end result is in the hands of our faithful God.
3. CHOOSING GOD’S WAY INVOLVES WAITING
– It is seldom that we choose God’s way and see immediate or instant results.
– It is not like a recipe or a formula that yields instant outcomes.
– Noah chooses God’s way over time and over time it says that Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.
– It is almost as if God is closely watching us as we follow Him and make the right choices, even when it is not comfortable or expedient.
– But there comes a time when this life that we have chosen begins to bear fruit and God uses this obedience in ways we could not have imagined.
– Most times the end result comes through the test of time, and waiting, while we faithfully follow God.
– Even after God had told Noah to build the ark it took over 100 years before the rain came. This is plenty of time to doubt or second guess yourself.
– The waiting can be very hard to endure. We may wish that we could just rush out and get the job done or take the ground we think we should.
– Our focus should not be set on what can be achieved in the short term but rather on what God will do in His time.
– We are here for the long-haul not the 100-yard dash.
4. YOU CAN SET AN EXAMPLE
– You can be an example of someone who chooses God’s way.
– If you are endeavoring to do this, I want to honour you.
– I can imagine that there are many people, who, while no one sees, are trying to follow God and are choosing His way on a daily basis.
– Let me remind you that God sees all things and while others may seem to get away with living just as they please, I assure you that no one gets away with anything before God.
– He will reward you for your faithfulness and the daily choices you have made to choose good over evil, righteousness over sin, integrity over corruption and faith over fear.
– You may not have always been victorious, but you have aimed towards a higher goal and God will be with you!
– Just as all of humanity remembers this unusual story of Noah, so too, others will see your life and be inspired to live a life of choosing God’s way.
– Your children are watching you, your family can see what you are aiming for, and your friends and colleagues are reading the book of your life.
– Set an example of choosing God’s way, it will be worth it in the end.
5. CHOOSING GOD’S WAY BRINGS SECURITY
– There is something about doing what is right and following God’s ways that brings a sense of security into our lives.
– If I was Noah and God had told me to bring two of every creature into the ark, I would be overwhelmed. God did not give Noah any strategy to achieve this impossible task. But when the time came, it happened. Perhaps it was a miracle, or perhaps after all the years of Noah obeying and following God, he reaped the fruit of all the animals following and obeying him? I don’t know… but it happened.
– Perhaps, because Noah was under divine authority, so were the animals?
– Genesis 7:16 ‘A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them.’
– The last thing that happened was that God closed the door behind them.
– The door was probably the weak spot on the ark, as it is on many ships. It is the place that can allow what should be outside to come inside and jeopardise the whole thing.
– When we choose God’s way we don’t want anything that could sink our ship to get in and scuttle our progress.
– God, in His faithfulness, closed and sealed the door behind them and the rest was up to God.
– Some years ago, when my late wife had been diagnosed with cancer, we went through a very difficult season as a family. We had faithfully, over time, served the Lord and longed for His Kingdom to be expanded. Now we were facing our own flood. During that time we went away for a break between chemo sessions. While we were away it was as if every demon from hell was out to get us. If I were to tell you what we faced physically in one week, you would not believe it. We reached a very low point where we felt everything around us was collapsing. As my wife and I sat on our bed talking about all that had happened, we felt that we needed to ask the Lord to come and close the door of the ark of our lives and seal it so that nothing further could touch us. We prayed together and asked the Lord to close the door behind us. All the tormenting and struggle stopped and we were never plagued by such horrors again.
– In the end God took care of Noah and his family and God took care of us as a family.
– Although we may pass through storms, we have a joy of knowing that as we follow Him, He is with us and He will shut the door and He will open the door when His time is right and when His purposes have prevailed.
– I encourage you to live a life of choosing God’s way.
By Andrew W Roebert
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