Challenge of Choice - Deuteronomy 30:19-20

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Mose’s Challenge To Choose

Moses knew it was not enough to just lay the choice before God’s people. There had to be a challenge. A challenge to act and to make the choice now and every time they would make a choice in the future. His challenge is powerful and direct, he tells them, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life!”

Then Moses draws the reason for making this choice to the ultimate in vs. 20. That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life,

The choice they were about to make was so important, important to their conquest of Canaan, important to the settling of the land, important to their keeping the land and important to the generations that would follow them. Their choices on that day counted, it meant something because the choices they would make were about God, and their relationship with Him. “He is their life.”

Nothing in all the world was more important.

Our Challenge Today

When you think about that ceremony, the tribes standing upon those mountains, and the symbolism of blessing and cursing, you can’t help but ask yourself, what mountain am I choosing to stand upon today? Our choices will place on the mount of God’s blessing or His cursing. As it was then with Moses and the Israelites, it is the same with us today. Once again, there is no middle ground. No place where we can choose not to choose.

Nor is it enough just to know and understand the choices. We must answer the challenge just as they did. We must the right choice about our relationship with God and about following Him, today and every time we are confronted with the choice between God’s will and Word or the world’s.

Is this hard, is it vague or obscure, does it take years of research and scholarship? According to Moses, Deuteronomy 30:14 the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

This is the simple rule of choice for us today. So, hear once again the challenge of Moses, it is as clear today as it was those thousands of years ago, “Choose Life!” Choose life because “He is thy life” and there can’t really be any other choice. No choice is more important for today and for eternity.

Choose life! Choose eternal life. Choose life and God’s blessing for your family. Choose life when you choose your friends and choose life when you forgive your enemies. Choose life, do what God’s Word plainly tells us, in all things and you will find the blessings of God will fill your life.

In the Book of Revelation, when Jesus wrote his letters to the Seven Churches of Asia, by the hand of John, one phrase is sent to every single church. We read it Rev 2 verses 7, 11,17, and 29 then in chapter 3: verses 6, 13 and 22. What is this one phrase that it is so important that every single church no matter its circumstance was to hear and respond to.

Revelation 3:13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." That is a challenge to every person to make the right choice. It is a challenge to hear the words of Jesus Christ as they are given to us by the Holy Spirit working through the Bible, working through the sermon, working through our hearts. If you are hearing this then the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Listen and then make the right choice.

In the final appeal to the Church of Laodicea, Jesus says in Revelation 3:20-22
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

Just as Moses stood before the nation of Israel and told them to Choose Life, Jesus stands at the door of the church and knocks, He knocks at our will, he knocks at our heart, he knocks and that knock is a challenge to make the right choice. Choose life, choose to open the door and let Jesus give us life.

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Choice and Consequence - Deuteronomy 30:15-18

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

What Moses told the people was really straightforward, very simple. If the people of Israel would love God and obey Him, they would be blessed by Him and dwell in the promised land in safety and peace, but if they chose to rebel against him and disobey then they would be cursed by Him and driven from the land. This is the Palestinian or Land Covenant.

God’s Word Gives the Consequences of Choice

When God created man, he created him in the image of God. One aspect of that image is free will, the ability to choose, even to choose to disobey God who created him. One of the reasons I have such a problem accepting the doctrine of preordination, the idea that God has already determined who is saved and who is lost, is that the Bible is filled with so many example of God telling man, “Choose.” It is an obvious contradiction for God to call on man to make a choice, if He has already made that choice for him. God cannot contradict Himself, else He is not God. Until someone can fully explain how Calvinism doesn’t make God a liar, I won't believe it.

Look at a few examples in scripture of man’s ability to choose and the consequences of that choice, that man is responsible for, something he would not be responsible for if God has already made the choice for him.

John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Isn’t the entire book of Proverbs about making the right choices? Listen as wisdom speaks in Proverbs 8:32-36 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Those verses and hundreds of others tell us to choose and the blessing or the curse of the choice we make or don’t make. As humans created in God's image we have free will, which was not lost in Eden. God's word is replete with examples of God telling man, "choose!" We must therefore, choose and reap the good or bad consequences of our choice

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From our Bible reading today Joshua 16-17

God's great people do great things for God.

Joshua 17:14-15 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? 15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.

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Conscious and Clear Choice - Deuteronomy 30:11-14

"For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

Moses Declares The Right Choices Are Close

In one way the entire Exodus experience was all about making choices. Beginning with choosing not to be a slave in Egypt and ending with the choice to enter into covenant with God Moses gives here. As you read the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, God, through Moses, lays out the choices the people must make, to follow, obey and trust God or to go in the paths of their past, their pleasure and the pagans around them. With each choice would come the consequence with God’s blessing or punishment.

Here in this ceremony, that Joshua will perform once they are in the Promised land, Moses wanted the people to fully understand that they must make the right choices or suffer the terrible consequences.

Moses tells the people, “The word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart. That you may do it.” He is telling them this is not a hard thing to understand, it is not hard to know what to choose. The right answer is not hidden but directly before them. It is so close that he says it is in their mouth and in their heart so that they can understand and then they must make the choice.

God beginning in Egypt and continuing throughout the wilderness has revealed Himself to His people. God has revealed His word, His way and His will. Now in full view and knowledge of that undeniable revelation of God, they must choose.

The reason the tribes were split between the two mountains was to show that there is no neutral ground, no gray areas when it comes to God’s revealed will, their choices as symbolized by Mt. Ebal or Mt. Gerizim, would bring God’s blessing and fulfillment of His promise or it would bring his punishment and curse.

God’s Word Makes the Right Choices Even Closer

The Word of God reveals the will of God and challenges us to make the right choices. This Word is even closer to us than the word of God given to the Israelites. It is right here and as Moses said it should be, “in our mouths and in our hearts, that we may do it.”

Just look at a few examples. Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Proverbs 1:20-26 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

By our choices we face God as our Lord or as our adversary. By our choices, we find Heaven or Hell as our eternal destination. By our choices we have forgiveness of our sin or judgment of our sin. By our choices we find the blessings of God or the curses of God. The difference is but a choice, and you must make that choice.

These choices continue even after we are saved. We can choose to surrender to our Savior or to serve ourself. We can choose to love and forgive one another or to hate and condemn our brother and sisters in Christ. We can choose to give of our substance to God or to we can choose to rob God in our tithes and offerings. And yes that is what God calls it robbery.

All these choices are right before our eyes. Just as they were for the Israelites, they are in our mouth to say yes or no. They are in our hearts to accept or reject.

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What choice will you make today? You need to quit stalling, quit waiting and choose life in Jesus Christ You need to answer the challenge, make the choice and put your faith in Christ. Perhaps there are other choices that involve the path God would have you walk, and you’re stalled at the crossroad. It’s time to choose life, let Jesus take your hand and lead where He wants you to go. - Pastor Kris Minefee

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Meet Me At Calvary: Choose Life Text: Deut 30:11-20
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Meet Me At Calvary: Choose Life Text: Deut 30:11-20

  Choose Life Text: Deut 30:11-20 Introduction: Moses is instructing Joshua on a ceremony that will be done once they enter the Promis...


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A warm, friendly church serving the Lord in a warm friendly east Texas town. We are independent Baptists not associated with any Baptist denomination or under any hierarchy, we try to directly follow our Savior as he leads us in His word.