Part 5: Actions
Sunday, February 1
Teaching Series: Making Wise Choices
You are responsible for the choices that you make in life. No one else. You are responsible for the path that you choose. It has been your choices that got you where you are today. But there’s good news. God created you for a purpose, with a purpose. If you want to live the life you were created to live, then …
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! (Proverbs 3:5-7)
Where you end up in life is based on seven things: the words you allow into your heart, your thinking, your emotions, your decisions, your actions, your habits, and your character. All these things will direct your life.
Actions
Today we are going to talk about the fifth step in Making Wise Choices – actions. This is where we start to see the fruit of the seeds planted in your heart. Jesus said …
You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. (Matthew 7:16-20)
If you have God’s Word in your heart and get rid of everything that opposes His Word, then you will have actions that line up with God’s Word. The Bible says that “you will always harvest what you plant” (Galatians 6:7). God’s Word – the incorruptible seed, the seed that cannot fail – will now produce God’s harvest in your life.
But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. (James 1:22)
If you are only going to hear God’s Word and not do what God’s Word says, you are deceiving yourselves. Hearing God’s Word is good. Going to church is good. Thinking about God’s Word is good. If you want to see the fruit that God promised then you are going to have to do what God’s Word says.
You have got to be ready to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. In short, obey the message. Obey God’s Word. Then you will reap what you sow. Then the incorruptible seed will produce that very harvest in your life.
Actions God Honours
What actions will honour God?
Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Whatever action you are doing, God wants it to be a love action. If you want to honour God, He requires love actions. God is telling you to love. The devil wants you to think that love is weak and insignificant. The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:16). Every time you talk about God, you’re talking about love. Love actions always keep the door open for God to come in to do more in your life. In all of life you are to be acting in the love of God. God’s love should be evident in your life.
Why be willing to love? “You don’t know how they mistreated me. You don’t know how they hurt me. You don’t know what they said to me. They don’t deserve love!” Most people think that love is weak. Then they try to take advantage of people without realizing that love never fails. Even when you take advantage of me, God will give me the advantage.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:18-21)
Don’t crown yourself god of your life. Leave the way open for God. When you don’t avenge yourself and act in love instead, it leaves the door open for God to come in and fight your battles. Your love action is what guarantees God’s action on your behalf. But if there is no love, God will not act on your behalf. If you refuse to develop love actions, then you cut off God’s will for your life.
Rooted in Love
… you have been rooted and grounded in love. (Ephesians 3:17)
The roots of your life must be love. The world thinks that love is a weak root. But that’s your power. That’s how you overcome the contradictions of the world. It is the love of God in us that never fails. Be rooted and grounded in love.
[When] you love someone, you will always be loyal to [them] no matter what the cost. You will always believe in [them], always expect the best of [them] and always stand your ground in defending [them]. (1 Corinthians 13:7)
Making Wise Choices series