fred torres ministries

 

YOUR CHOICE!

 

SERMON DATE:                  Feb. 8, 2009

LOCATION:                          Ridgeview

 

 

1. WE ALL MAKE CHOICES EVERY DAY.
   1. To get out of bed or not.
   2. What we are going to have for breakfast.
   3. How we may drive to work
   4. What we are going to do today.
   5. Are we going to eat out or cook at home.

 

1. MANY CHOICES ARE SIMPLE
   1. Made every day
      1. They don’t even feel like decisions or choices.
      2. But they are!
2. SOME OF OUR DECISIONS OR CHOICES ARE A BIT MORE DIFFICULT.
   1. Which car do I buy?
   2. Do I refinance my home?
   3. Managing our finances
      1. The stocks we invest
      2. The banks we choose
3. CHOICES PERTAINING TO OUR FAMILIES.
   1. SCHOOLS WE CHOSE FOR OUR CHILDREN
   2. WHERE WE LIVE
   3. THE MEDICAL SERVICES WE ARE GOING TO USE
      1. THE TYPE OF MEDICAL INSURANCE WE HAVE

 

THESE TYPES OF CHOICES AND DECISIONS ARE MADE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.

 

THE MORE DIFFICULT OR THE DECISIONS WITH HIGHER CONSEQUENCES MAY ONLY BE MADE EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, BUT NONE THE LESS, THE OUTCOME OF THE CIRCUMSTANCE OR THE SITUATION WE ARE IN, WILL BE DIRECTLY AFECTED BY THE DECISION WE MAKE.

 

WE ALL MAKE THESE DECISIONS:

BUT DO WE ALL WANT TO ACCEPT THE OUTCOME WHEN WE MAKE A BAD DECISION?

 

ISN’T IT AMAZING HOW WE TEND TO SEEK ADVICE FROM THOSE WHO ARE MORE MESSED UP THAN WE?

 

 

 

 

THE DECISIONS WE MAKE AND HAVE MADE DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF A PERSON WE ARE, OR WE ARE GOING TO BE. THE DECISIONS WE HAVE MADE OR MAKE DETERMINE THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH WE LIVE. AND THE DECISIONS WE MAKE ARE ONE OF THE VERY BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR CHARACTER.

            WHO WE ARE

            HOW WE ACT

            WHAT OTHERS MAY THINK OF US.

 

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME FOLKS ARE BORN JUST PLAIN EVIL OR BAD?

            UNLUCKY?

            HAVE MORE PROBLEMS THAN OTHERS?

 

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES YOU WERE JUST DEALT A BAD HAND?

 

MAYBE THE BAD HAND OR WHAT SOMEONE PRECEIVES AS LUCK HAS SIMPLY RESULTED FROM A BAD DECISION OR PERHAPS A SERIOUS OF BAD DECISIONS.

 

DO YOU THINK YOUR CHARACTER OR THE CHARACTER OF SOMEONE IS BECAUSE THAT IS JUST THE WAY THEY ARE?

            COULD IT BE FROM THE DECISIONS THEY HAVE MADE?

 

ROMANS 2:5-10 / But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

 

VERSE 5 tells us if we are going to be hard and store up treasures for ourselves, in other words be greedy, self-centered, we are making a decision to store up wrath when all the while we think we are storing up treasures.

 

VERSE 6 tells us God will render (or give us) what we deserve according to what we decide to do.

 

VERSE 7: if we continue to seek and give glory to God, doing good we are seeking immortality, seeking to please God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

VERSE 8: If we do to reverse, we are going to get the reverse.

            Paul then says this means everybody.

 

EVERYONE MUST CHOOSE.

 

VERSE 5 LETS US KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION THAT IS GOING TO NOT ONLY CAUSE THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE FACE AT JUDGMENT, BUT ALSO IS IMPORTANT IN THE MOLDING OF OUR CHARACTER.

 

WE MAKE A CONSCIENCE DECISION TO STORE UP FOR OURSELF OR FOR GOD. TO SERVE MAN OR TO SERVE GOD.

 

LUKE 16:13/ “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon

MATTHEW 12:25/ But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand

 

A DECISION MUST BE MADE

            1.         LEFT OR RIGHT

            2.         STOP OR GO

            3.         DEMOCRATE OR REPUBLICAN

            4.         BUY OR SELL

WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS WHEN WE CANNOT HAVE BOTH.

THE WAY WE MAKE OUR DECISION IS BASED ON OUR CHARACTER WHICH WAS MOLDED BY THE DECISIONS WE HAVE MADE OVER THE YEARS.

 

Sometimes, we confuse the difference between good people and bad.

 

Romans 2 shows us there is a clear distinction between Good and bad, right and wrong.

Those who submit or accept God and those who reject God.

 

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOU CHOOSE YOUR MASTER.

YOU CHOOSE EITHER THE MASTER THAT LEADS TO SIN AND DEATH AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

           

            OR YOU CHOOSE GOD, WHICH LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

YOU MAKE THE DECISION: YOU

 

BUT WE SEEK ADVICE.

(NORMALLY FROM THOSE WHO ARE MORE MESSED UP THAT WE ARE)

IF YOU ARE MAKING A CONSCIENCE DECISION TO TAKE ADVICE FROM SOMEONE, THEN AGAIN, YOU ARE MAKING A DECISION BASED ON YOUR CHARACTER.

YEP:

            LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BLAME?

            SHIFTING THE RESPONSIBILITY?

 

NO ONE IS BORN WITH NAUGHTY OR BAD OR EVIL

PEOPLE DEVELOP A CHARACTER ALONG THE WAY, BY A SERIES OF DECISIONS THAT MADE THEM THE WAY THEY ARE.

 

SEE, WHEN WE ARE DISSATISFIED, OR DEPRESSED OR FEEL LIKE WE HAVE BECOME VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCES, WE SAY, GEE, THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF I HAD BEEN DEALT A BETTER HAND.

 

BUT WE HAVE “FREE WILL”

            GOD GAVE

US

FREE WILL

                        THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS

 

WE BECOME THE PRODUCT OF THE DECISIONS WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO MAKE.

 

            THE THINGS WE THINK OR THOUGHT, WORDS WE HAVE SPOKEN, THINGS WE HAVE DONE MAKES US WHO WE ARE.

 

OUR CHARACTER WASN’T DETERMINED BY OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT WHAT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO DO WITH THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

 

 

 

 

           

THE BIBLE PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THIS.

1. THE DECISIONS WE MAKE
2. THE CHARACTER WE HAVE
   1. THE OUTCOME OF THOSE DECISIONS
      1. THAT FORM OUR CHARACTER

1. OLD TESTEMENT
   1. SAMUEL
   2. SAUL
   3. DAVID
      1. SAMUEL
         1. last Judge
         2. prophet
         3. anointed Saul

 

Israel

wanted a king

            God told Samuel, they turned there back on me, not you.

Saul was Chosen

            Don’t need to go through that story.

Saul became King

BUT WHAT HAPPENED.

SAUL MADE A SERIES OF BAD DECISIONS.

1 SAMUEL 13 SAUL HAD JOHNATHAN ATTACK THE PHILISTINES WHICH ENDED UP REALLY TICKING THEM OFF.

            Remember, the Philistines knew Iron and how to forge it.

                        Israelites needed a plow, or sword or knife anything made of metal, they had to deal with the Philistines.

Needless to say, the only one with a spear was Saul and his son. (not good)

Troops were fleeing

Saul scared.

SAMUEL HAD TOLD SAUL TO CHILL FOR 7 DAYS

SAUL WAITED, SAMUEL DIDN’T SHOW

            (HERE COMES THE NEXT DECISION)

SAUL GOES AGAINST GODS WILL (THE DECISION) AND SACRIFICES MEAT AT THE ALTER

SAMUEL SEES THIS, TELLS HIM, YOU BLEW IT.

 

SAUL CHOOSE NOT TO WAIT FOR SAMUEL

CHOOSE TO SACRIFICE

NOW, THE CIRCUMSTANCES

            FACING A HUGE ARMY (WHO HE MADE MAD)

VIOLATED GODS ORDERS

 DIDN’T STOP THERE.

SAUL JUST WENT NUTS

            SOUGHT OUT A WITCH

DAVID WAS CHOOSEN.

WHY.

           

            DAVID WAS JUST A BETTER GUY.

                        HAD BETTER CHARACTER BECAUSE HE HAD MADE BETTER CHOICES.

 

SAUL MADE HIS BED.

 

OF COURSE WE KNOW SOME OF THE DECISIONS DAVID MADE OVER THE YEARS.

 

WE NEED TO BE READY TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBITY FOR THE DECISIONS WE MADE.

 

We are a self made person

The decisions we make have a snowball affect.

Even the little choices or decisions we make have an affect or a cause something to happen, they have an outcome.

 

No one is the same after a decision.

We are shaped by those choices our character is molded by those choices.

 

How do we shape the character?

What is it that makes us develop the character to be good or bad, nice or mean.

 

WE DON’T STAY IN

ONE PLACE

 

EACH DECISION WE MAKE BRINGS US EITHER CLOSER TO GOD OR CLOSER TO SATAN. ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

 

EVEN THE SLIGHTEST DECISION HAS AN AFFECT WE

ARE BUILDING

OUR CHARACTER WITH EACH ONE.

 

Matthew 12:36 tells us that we are going to be Judged for every idle word. That we will give an accounting for it.

 

See, this isn’t like a playground. We are not kids anymore.

            Oh, that didn’t count.

                        I want a do over

                        I had my fingers crossed.

GOD JUDGES ON WHAT HE SEES.

            CAN YOU IMAGINE TRYING TO GIVE GOD AN EXCUSE?

WHAT FRUITS DO YOU HAVE FROM THOSE THINGS OF WHICH YOU ARE NOW ASHAMED? (ROMANS 6:21)

 

 

 

 

THOSE BAD THINGS YOU DID

            MAY HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT AND TEMPORARLY IT MAY HAVE GIVEN SOME SATISFACTION, BUT WHAT WILL YOU SAY ABOUT IT IN FRONT OF GOD?

 

GOD ISNT GOING TO ACCIDENTLY PUT ANYONE INTO THE PIT.

NOT GOING TO DO IT BY MISTAKE

            NO DO OVER

 

HE WILL ONLY PUT THOSE THERE WHO CHOOSE TO GO THERE BY THE CHOICES THEY HAVE MADE.

 

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON WROTE “SOONER OR LATER WE WILL SIT DOWN AT A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES”

 

FACE IT. IT IS PRETTY DANGEROUS TO SAY “NO TO GOD” EVEN ONCE

HEB 12:25 / Make sure that you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at

Mount Sinai

. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven?

 

BUT SEE THAT IS THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT CHOICES.

WE CAN MAKE THE CORRECT CHOICES. WE CAN CHANGE STUFF

 

WE CAN CHOOSE TO SERVE MAN OR WE CAN CHOSE TO SERVE GOD

WE CAN CHOSE TO BE RIGHTEOUS.

 

EVERY ACT COUNTS THE OTHER WAY

WE NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED BY KNOWING THAT

 

WE CAN NEVER SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN DEALT A BAD HAND, WE ARENT LUCKY HAVE A BAD DEAL

 

TAKE REFUGE IN KNOWING THAT IT ISNT HOPELESS OR WE ARE NOT HELPLESS

 

WITH GOD, THERE IS NO STALEMATE

WE TALKED ABOUT SAUL AND DAVID

HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF DAVID

            MAKE THE PROPER CHOICE

IF YOU FOLLOW GODS RULES THE BEST YOU CAN, MAKE THAT COMMITMENT WITHOUT THE EXCEPTIONS OR CONDITIONS

 

 

 

 

MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL ALTER THE OUTCOME FOR THE GOOD.

 

ILL WALLET, REPO ETC

WE CAN ACT IN FAITH, TAKE STEPS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THE DIRECTION OF GOODNESS. IF YOU FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD, USE THAT AS A GUIDE INSTEAD OF ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO IS MORE MESSED UP THAN YOU, YOU WILLMAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES

 

GOD DOESN’T REQUIRE LARGER STEPS THAN WE CAN TAKE

            JUST SMALL STEPS TAKEN IN FAITH

HE ISNT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN DO ANYTHING, JUST LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO DO WHAT THEY CAN

 

HEAVEN WILL BE THE OUTCOME FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE THE ACTION IN GOD’S DIRECTION.

 

WE HAVE A CHOICE TO WIPE OUT OUR OLD SINS, OUR

OLD WAYS

. 

WE CAN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BAD CHOICES AND BAD DECISIONS WE HAVE MADE AND CHANGE THE DIRECTION. ALTER OUR CHARACTER.

 

EVEN SMALL ACTS OF FAITH WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

 

 

"WE MUST CARRY   INSURANCE"

                OCT. 2008

Preached at Mohave Desert Christian Church, Barstow, California

---

We must have insurance. Common sense tells us and

THE LAW TELLS US THAT WE MUST HAVE INSURANCE

It isn’t enough to know of an insurance company or to know an insurance agent. It isn’t enough to have had insurance at one time but no longer have insurance and it isn’t enough to think about having gotten insurance but not done anything about it.

1. When you get pulled over, what is the first thing the police as for
1. Your license
2. Registration
3. Proof of insurance

We have insurance on our cars in case we get into an accident

                                    On our homes

                                    Fire

                                    Flood

                                    Damage

                                    Or if someone gets hurt

Insurance protects us.

            Against being sued

And against having to pay for damage whether we caused it or it was caused by someone else or something else.

 

AS CHRISTIANS, WE NEED AN INSURANCE POLICY AS WELL

 

But as Christians, why do we need insurance, what do we need to insure ourselves against?

 

WE NEED TO INSURE OURSELVES OR WE NEED INSURANCE THAT WHEN CHRIST RETURNS, WE ARE READY.THAT WE WONT BE LEFT BEHIND.

 

Just like it isn’t enough to know an insurance agent or company, a person cant go around

saying Oh, I know about Jesus, or I know Jesus is the savior, or yeah, I have heard of Jesus.

 

Just because a person goes to Church on Easter and on Christmas and have a Bible in the top drawer of the night stand next to the bed, does not give them a policy or protect them against loss.

 

We all need to be insurance agents!

                        We need to sell policies, to insure our friends, and our neighbors.

Jesus wants us in his personal ministry. In Matthew 28 and verse 18, Jesus says, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit” JESUS is telling us, giving us or license to sell insurance, to be his insurance agents (story about in sales, not upper management) JESUS not only told everyone of us to go out,  

 

HE GAVE US THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT. TO SELL,

SELL THE PROTECTION AND COVERAGE THAT CAN ONLY BE RECEIVED THROUGH THE DECLARATION PAGE GIVEN TO US BY JESUS CHRIST.

 

WE NEVER KNOW WHEN WE ARE GOING TO NEED OUR INSURANCE, RIGHT

1. Don’t know when an accident may happen
1. When we may hit someone or they may hit us

 

1. Don’t know when we are going to get sick
2. Don’t know when there may be a flood

Hurricane

Tornado

 

I Thessalonians 5:2 tells us; For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

NO ESCAPE! And you women, you know about Labor Pains… first, a little cramp, then a little more, then the water breaks, then contractions, maybe every 30 minutes, then 15 then 10, 5. until finally when the baby is ready, it comes.

 

JUST LIKE THAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR THE RETURN. AND WE DO IT THROUGH PROPHECY.  OPEN BIBLE TO ISSAH 1.

“everything is peaceful and secure”…. Then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor”

 

1.         WHEN THAT HAPPENS YOU BETTER BE IN “GOOD HANDS” AMEN!

2.         YOU’RE GOING TO NEED MORE THAN A GOOD NEIGHBOR WHO WILL BE THERE.

1. AND THERE ISNT A LITTLE LIZARD WITH AN AULSTRIAN ACCENT IN THE WORLD WHO IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOU OUT OF THIS ONE!

 

No, we need to have the right Insurance policy and that policy is Jesus Christ!

 

            Our declaration page is Our Love of Christ, or faith in God and that Coverage will protect us through not only the coming of Christ, but anything that may befall us before.

 

SOMETIMES WE KNOW DISASTER IS COMING. BUT WHAT IS DISASTER FOR SOME, IS WELCOME BY OTHERS.

 

I Thessalonians 1:10;And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

 

And that is what insurance does for us with our cars, homes, boats and RV’s, it rescues us from either the financial disaster the damage we couldn’t have been able to repair without the insurance.    

 

REMEMBER KATRINA?

 

The weather reports gave warning

The

National Hurricane Center

gave warnings

The Government gave warnings.

 

BUT MANY IGNORED THE WARNINGS.

            THEY STAYED IN THERE HOMES

            THEY DIDN’T EVACUATE WHEN THEY WERE TOLD

                        THEY KNEW BETTER, THERE KNOWLEDGE WAS GREATER

 

THEY KNEW THAT WAS COMING, THEY KNEW WHEN.

            Maybe they underestimated its fury

ISSIAH 13:8 BEHOLD, THE DAY OF GOD IS COMING AND WITH ANGER AND FURY!

HOW MANY ARE UNDERESTIMATED THE FURY OF GOD. How many think their policy covers them but find out after its too late that they weren’t carrying enough insurance or the proper policy.

 

The Bible has given us warnings in the way of Prophesy.

 

I Thessalonians 5:4    But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.^[b] 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

 

 

Our insurance policy tells us we aren’t in the dark.

            We accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior

            We have heard and listened to the word of God

            We Have believed, repented, Confessed and were baptized

 

We have been forgiven and we follow in the light

            We listened when they told us the storm is coming.

                        But you aren’t in the dark about these things,

                        you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.

 

We took out the insurance. We guarded ourselves,

            We wont be asleep when that Hurricane hits, or that Tornado

 

You always hear how people describe the noise, like a freight train, and lions roaring.

How about:

I Thessalonians 2:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.

 

Trust me, the sound of Katrina will pale in comparison with the sound when Christ returns.

 

Matthew 24:36 Jesus said “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

 

Then in verse 37, Jesus said  “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes”.

 

 40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left

 

BELIEVE ME CHURCH, THIS IS NO TIME TO HAVE YOUR INSURANCE LAPSE! TO EXPIRE OR TO HAVE NOT PAID YOUR PREMIUM.

 

In

California

, they know the big one is coming.

            They have been warned

            Science has told them

            They have seen it before

 

Yet

            Buildings are 60 stories high

            They continue to Build freeways 100 feet in the air

                        People ignore it,

Most don’t strap water heaters, use Velcro on pictures securing them to the wall, bolt down dressers, mirrors….

 

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD YET PEOPLE IGNORE IT, THEY HAVENT ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST THEY LIVE LIKE THIS WORLD IS GOING TO SAVE THEM.

 

But we have been warned, we have been told and we have seen it before

            Warned in the Bible, by prophesy

            Told by Jesus Christ, by scripture

            And we have seen it in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

 

WARNED: so we are “live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

 

TOLD: 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.

 

THEY THINK IT IS FOOLISH, ALARMEST TALK.

 

WELL, KEEP SOUNDING THE ALARM!

 

Invitation