THE MAKING OF GREAT DECISIONS
INTRODUCTION:
1. For approximately six hundred years, Jerusalem and Judea
were in a decline. The powerful Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, claimed its spoil, and
took many people captive. Lets pick up an important story in
(Daniel 1).
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered
Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from
the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in
Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in
some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men
without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of
learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the
king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the
Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from
the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they
were to enter the king’s service.
Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name
Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah,
Abednego.
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and
he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but
the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned
your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other
young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
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Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten
days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then
compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal
food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he
agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than
any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their
choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables
instead.
To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all
kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and
dreams of all kinds.
At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official
presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he
found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they
entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than
all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom" (Daniel 1:1-20).
2. These four Hebrew young men faced a very difficult situation.
Their own nation crumbled to pieces and was completely
destroyed before their own eyes. Then suddenly, they were
given a tremendous opportunity to rise in their new nation.
They would be trained, given special privileges, and then
placed as rulers in key positions among their own people,
possibly in their own land. But there was one problem, the
change would also involve their religion. They would need to
eat things that were not legal for Jews to eat. They would
need to do things that would not be acceptable to God.
Therefore, these four young men made a very courageous
decision. They went God’s way rather than the appealing,
lucrative, flattering way of the Babylonians. Their decision
was one of the greatest and most thrilling recorded in the
entire Bible. Their decision led them upward to greatness.
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3. The story in Daniel is an ideal introduction to the theme
which I want to discuss with you this morning…The Making
of Great Decisions.
4. Throughout each of our lives, we constantly face the
responsibility of making decisions. In fact, making decisions
is both the most difficult and most important activity of our
lives. The success which we achieve both here and hereafter
depends largely upon the decisions that we make.
5. This responsibility is both frightening and thrilling. It is
frightening when we think of the magnitude of the effects of
our decisions. It is thrilling to realize that we have the
privilege of making these decisions. When God created man,
he made him different from every animal on earth. Only man
was made in the image of God and this included the privilege
of being a people of choice. Man alone has the ability to make
decisions and to determine his course in life and his ultimate
destiny.
THIS MORNING, WE ARE GOING TO
EXAMINE SEVERAL POINTS ON THE
MAKING OF GREAT DECISIONS.
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I.
FIRST OF ALL, LETS LOOK AT AN
OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE OF A
GREAT DECISION.
1. Throughout the Bible, we are introduced to hundreds and
hundreds of characters. All are interesting, because they are
real-life people in normal situations such as we face today.
2. They are particularly interesting because we have the
privilege of seeing them at the climactic moments in their
lives when they make major decisions.
a. For example, in (Gen. 12:1-3), we are introduced to a man
named Abram…a man who had a difficult decision to make.
In (Gen. 1:1), God extended Abram this important invitation…
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“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to
the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will
bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
b. Abram was living in Ur of Chaldees at the time which was the
most advanced civilization of the day. God called him to leave
Ur, with its known and familiar way of life and with its family
and friends, in order to move into a strange new land which
he had never seen before. Abram made a great decision to
follow God’s directions. His decision eventually led to the
development of a great nation - known as Israel which
brought forth the savior of all mankind - Jesus Christ.
Abram's decision led him to move upward to greatness.
3. Throughout our lives, God requires us to make important
decisions…life changing decisions. In fact, you may be
facing an important decision right now in your life. God may
be calling you to a place of greater service and usefulness for
Him. If He is, don't let the comfort and security of your
present position make you miss God's plan for you. Make the
decision that will move you upward to greatness.
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II. SECOND, LETS NOW LOOK AT A
NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLE OF A
GREAT DECISION.
1. The opening paragraph of the fifth chapter of Luke tells the
thrilling story of Christ working a miracle among a group of
Galilean fishermen.
a. After Jesus had miraculously provided a great catch of fish,
Peter fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, "Go away from me,
Lord, I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8). Jesus responded, "Don't
be afraid, from now on you will catch men." (Luke 5:10). The
story ends with the words "so they pulled their boats up on
shore, left everything and followed Him (Jesus)" (Luke 5:11).
b. Peter, Andrew, James and John made the decision to leave
their home, occupation, and way of life to follow Jesus into
the unknown future. In doing so, they made a decision that
moved them upward to greatness.
2. Both the Old & New Testament contain stories of people who
made great decisions…decisions that impacted their lives
and the Kingdom of God.
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III. THIRD, HERE ARE SOME
SUGGESTIONS FOR MAKING
GREAT DECISIONS.
1. Every day we are faced with making important
decisions…some minor and some are major. Just how are we
to make these decisions? What guidelines are there? Let me
suggest a few.
(1) SUGGESTION 1 - EVERY DECISION MUST BE MADE IN A
WAY THAT PLEASES GOD.
1. When we make decisions that please God, we will be blessed.
So before any decision is made, we should ask the
question…will this decision please God.
(2) SUGGESTION 2 - OUR DECISIONS MUST NOT BE MADE IN
HASTE, BUT ONLY AFTER WE HAVE EXAMINED ALL THE
FACTS.
1. In (Luke 15), we read the story of the prodigal son. Rashly and
without full consideration, he asked for his inheritance and
immediately went into a far country and wasted his life in wild
living. If he had taken more time to make his initial decision,
had talked with wise counselors, and had faced all the facts,
he would not have found himself in a pigpen in a foreign land.
2. Many bad decisions that we make are the result of fast and
not well thought out decisions. Before we make decisions,
we should pray, ask God for His direction, and consult with
family and friends. The more we investigate…the better our
decisions will be.
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(3) SUGGESTION 3 - OUR DECISIONS MUST NOT BE MADE
WITH EMOTIONS ALONE, BUT WITH THE MIND.
1. In the Old Testament we read the tragic story of David’s sin
with Bathsheba. His emotions carried him away and before
the story had ended he had committed adultery, had lied, and
even had Uriah murdered.
2. How different it would have been if David had made his
decision concerning Bathsheba with his head instead of his
emotions. We must use our rational mind (not our emotions)
in our decision-making.
(4) SUGGESTION 4 - OUR DECISIONS SHOULD BE BASED
WITH ETERNITY IN MIND.
1. In (Luke 18:23), we read the story of the rich young ruler who
came to Christ asking what he needed to do to be saved.
Jesus told him to keep the commandments and then told him
to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. The story ends
as the young man departed sorrowfully, for he was one who
had great possessions. He gave up his soul for worldly
possessions. He made his decision not with eternity in mind
but with temporal pleasure and satisfaction in mind. To
often, we make worldly decisions instead of heavenly
decisions, and when we do, we find ourselves in a mess.
2. Brethren, every decision that we make must be based with
eternity in mind…Amen.
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(5) SUGGESTION 5 - OUR DECISIONS MUST NOT MERELY
FOLLOW THE CROWD, BUT MUST BE BASED UPON THE
RIGHT OR WRONG OF THE SITUATION.
1. In (Mark 15:8-15), we are told that Pilate upon the facts of the
case found no fault in Jesus. He considered him both
unworthy of death and of imprisonment and tried to release
him. The multitude insisted on Barabbas, so ultimately Pilate
washed his hands of the whole matter and caved in to the
pressures of the crowd. Right led one way, social pressure
led the other. Pilate made the wrong decision.
2. My friends, our decisions must be based upon what is right
and wrong and not based upon the pressure of our peers.
CONCLUSION:
1. All in all, we must all strive to make great decisions.
2. The most important decision that we must all make is the
decision to follow Jesus Christ and accept the gift of
salvation. We must decide our eternal destination. No one
else can make that decision for us.
3. This morning, you have a decision to make. Do you want to
give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized for the
forgiveness of your sins?
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4. As you contemplate this decision, listen to this story?
According to writers Kent McDill and Melissa Isaacson, Don
Calhoun worked for five dollars an hour at an office supply store
in Bloomington, Illinois. He had attended two Chicago Bulls
basketball games in his life, and now he was going to his third.
When he strolled into Chicago Stadium, a woman who worked
for the Bulls organization walked up to him and told him they
were selecting him to take part in a promotional event during the
game called the Million Dollar Shot.
The Shot came after a time-out in the third quarter. If Calhoun
could shoot a basket standing seventy-nine feet away that
means he had to stand behind the free throw line on the
opposite end of the court and throw the ball three quarters of the
length of the court-he would win one million dollars.
Calhoun played basketball at the Bloomington YMCA but he had
never tried a shot like this before. He took the basketball in his
hands and looked over at Michael Jordan and the rest of the
Bulls. He could see they were pulling for him.
Calhoun stepped to the line and let fly. As soon as the
basketball left his hand, coach Phil Jackson said, "It's good."
Indeed, the ball went through the basket in a swish. The stadium
crowd went wild. Calhoun rushed into the arms of Michael
Jordan, and the Bulls players crowded around slapping him on
the back.
When Don Calhoun went home that night, he had only two
dollars in his wallet, but he would receive fifty thousand dollars
a year for the next twenty years of his life.
Sometimes one action, one decision, one moment can change
everything for you. So it is when you choose to receive Christ
into your life.
5. If you decide to give your life to Christ this morning, that
decision will change everything for you. You will receive
more than fifty thousand dollars a year for 20 years…you will
receive eternal life in heaven…please, make the decision to
come to Christ now as we stand and sing.
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