What response are you going to give to God today?
There are people in the Bible and also among us, faithful believers who have made big decisions , they responded to God and their lives have come to be example for all of us.
My pastors Harry and Helen were an great example of faith for me, they were young and gave themselves to God as missionaries and were sent to Brazil and they started the Shalom Church. They left America to live in a third world country, and they were very blessed in Brazil. Today Shalom has hundreds churches spread all of the world with many thousands of people
We could give biblical examples such as Joseph son of Jacob, Abraham, Job… Men who responded to God and they prospered, were blessed and fulfilled their calling here on this earth.
They were blessed with material things but they also were blessed with great spiritual blessings.
True greatness is not based on what we possess.
“Jesus said : Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Luke 12:15 NIV
True greatness is determined by the things that you posses in your heart, in your spirit and soul.
All these who are considered blessed, like Joseph, Job and David, men who were used by God, they didn’t just wake up one day with a prosperous and blessed life. All of them made some critical decision at some young age. Joseph recognised early on that there were two path ways we can take in life, and he chose the right path.
Jesus spoke about these two roads:
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.“ Matthew 7:13-14 NLT
Jesus said that you always are going to find two paths in front of you: the road that leads to destruction and a narrow road that only a few ever find.
In other words, if you want to go to heaven you cannot take the path that most people choose.
The broad path is filled with pleasure that your flesh likes, (lies, gossip, addictions and things to distract you away from Gods plans and calling), and those who take this path are heading for destruction. Jesus said that only the narrow path will lead you to eternity.
Many people think that everybody is going to heaven, or just because they go to church they are automatically going to heaven, but this is not what Jesus said. Jesus said that most people are actually not getting into heaven.
If you just want to be “normal”, just like everybody else, you are going to hell, because unfortunately that is where most people are headed.
It is an elite group that will find the narrow path, according to the teachings of Jesus!
If you want to be like everybody else, simply take the broad and easy path.
If you look to the life of Joseph, Job and David, you see that they understood this fact at a young age.
There are two things that determine our future.
The two things that determine what our future will be like are: OUR DECISIONS AND OUR RESPONSE TO GOD.
You are a free person, you have free will and God will always let you to choose. God lets you decide how are you going to live.
He will not force you to walk in the right direction, His will cannot be forced upon you.
God says: Your decisions and your choices are up to you. You can choose to serve God or not, you can choose how you are going to spend your life, nobody can make you do anything.
However, you need to understand this: We have the power to make our own choices but our choices are what makes us.
Your choices are what is going to determine your life. So we better choose wisely, and take narrow road.
This is why Joseph fulfilled his purpose on earth, he understood Ecclesiastes 12:1
”Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” Ecclesiastes 12:1 NIV
Remember your creator before you get old, before the burdens of life come on you, when you are young , when you’re strong , when you’re sharp in your mind, remember your creator !
Make a decision to serve God , to honour God, to do what is right in His eyes.
Joseph and Job got it at young age to serve God! I’m going to do it right!
What we have to understand is this: You are laying the ground work for your future right now.
How are you responding to God? Because the only thing that determines how your life will turn out is how you choose to respond to God.
If you are not happy with your life, your qualification, your marriage, with your finances, you have to think back at some point in your young age, and you will see that you made some decision that came to affect your whole life.
Testimony
When I was a young man, I had just started dating Fabiana, I listened to a preaching about holiness in dating, and the pastor challenged every young person to live a life that would please God with their relationship.
Then I decided: I will be faithful to Fabiana and I will not touch her body, I will not kiss her in the mouth, I would have a relationship that pleased God and I would remain faithful to her after marriage .
I decided: I will not touch any part of Fabiana’s body and we will go to our marriage pure. We agreed on this and took this decision. And as result of this decision we completed yesterday 34 years of marriage and have a wonderful and blessed marriage.
Others of my friends’ church did not take this decision and today many of them are no longer married or they have troubled marriages. Why? Because they didn’t respond to God.
I made my choices and my choices made me.
Do what is right!
You’re making choices and your choices will make you !
Your responses to God will make you!
You’ve come to this service, you’re listening to Gods voice right now, what will your response be?
I’m here in Ireland today as missionary because I listened to my pastor , I responded to a preaching that I listened once. Who shall a send? God asked – Here I am, I answered, send me !
This service is almost finished, we had the worship time and the sermon is almost at the end, give your responded to God !
The most important part of the service is not the music (it’s important but not the most important) the most important is not the preaching, (it’s also important but not the most important)
The most important part of the service is your response to God after He’s touched your heart!
Many people listen and have no response. They say, I don’t care, this is not for me!.
In six months you may not remember my preaching anymore, but God will remember your response to what I preached.
He will remember your faithfulness, He will remember that you were so moved that you let tears stream down from your face.
It’s our response that God watches! You are listening this preaching, how will you respond?
Joseph at a young age made a decision: I will walk in purity, I will obey God, I have a vision, I will remain faithful and I will not sin against God.
But one day, after he’d made his decision, troubles came, he was betrayed and was sold by his own brothers and thrown into a pit.
There always comes a day when the decision that we’ve made with God will be tested.
When you make those decisions in a church, you cry and you say: God I promise you I will be faithful, I will serve you, I will use my gifts to serve you , I love you, etc…
But then comes a day when satan will come against you as he did with Job.
There will come a day of test, there will come a day of sickness, unemployment, lack of money and troubles in relationships with people, you will be in the ministry and people will disagree with you or betray you.
What will you do then?
You are making choices now that will determine what happens when that day comes!
Several times I was tempted, I was betrayed by brethren , I was tempted to give up the ministry.
But I say to myself: I made up my mind and I’ve taken on this assignment, I took a decision to serve God until the last day and minute of my life.
Even when I’m tired, when I feel like quitting, I’m not going to give up! I’ve made a decision! I will keep serving God and serving people!
That’s what I’m preaching today!
Satan said:Hey Job, where is your cattle now , where is your gold? You’ve lost everything, where is your health? You’re so sick! Where are your sons and daughters? You lost all of your children in one day !
”Job’s wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”“
Job 2:9 NLT
Even his wife comes to him and says: Are you really going to remain faithful to God? Curse your God and die!
But Job said: Wait a minute, I have made a decision, I made up my mind ! I know my body, my circumstances are all saying: give up, just quit !
“For I know that my Redeemer lives; and at the last, he will come to defend me here on earth.” Job 19:25
When you go through these circumstances, you must make a decision and stay faithful to God until your circumstances are transformed, as it happened with Job and Joseph.
Joseph had a good life with his father, but one day he lost everything, and was thrown in a pit by his own brothers!
But you don’t make your decision when you are in a pit, you don’t make a decision when you are being tempted. You make a decision when you are listening to the word of God!
“His master’s wife grabbed his coat and said to him, “Come to bed with me.” But Joseph ran out of the house so fast that he left his coat in her hand.“ Genesis 39:12 ERV
We must make our decisions in church, in services like this! You don’t wait until you get in the pit to make your decision or when you are being tempted.
You must make your decision now, when you receive Gods Word.
What is important is your response after you’ve listened to a preaching!
What we are doing here is not a game, what we are doing right now is not playing church! What we do here can determine whether people go to heaven or hell.
We are here to restore families, to restore marriages, and build families that will live well.
Are you willing to use your gifts, your house, your car, your time for the Kingdom of God?
Now is the most important part of the service.
Your response! Because God has a plan for you!
Your response to God determines what your future will be like.
What path are you going to follow? The broad road that leads to destruction or the narrow path that leads to eternal life?
If you want to go to heaven you cannot take the path that most take on.
You have to decide today if you are going to serve Him or not, if you are going to use the gifts that He gave you, if you are going to walk in holiness, if you are going to have a pure relationship or if you will do as the world does.
Are you going to invest in your family, in your spouse and be faithful to him or her, or are you going to follow the broad path.
The broad path is filled with pleasures that your flesh may enjoy, but it leads to destruction. Only the narrow path will lead you to heaven.
What is your response to God?
You’re making choices and your choices will make you!
Your responses to God will make you. Your response to God will determine the success of your marriage, your response to the word of God will lead you to eternal salvation!
May God bless you and your family