Make a Choice (1 of 6)
Series: Who Are You?
Jeff Strite
Galatians 1:1-12
There is the story of the ''good old boy'' who came down out of the mountains one day. He was all dressed up and carrying his Bible.
A friend saw him and asked, ''Elias, what's going on? Where are you going all dressed up like that?''
Elias said, ''I've been hearing about New Orleans. I hear that there is a lot of free-running' liquor and a lot of gambling and a lot of real naughty shows.''
The friend looked him over and said, ''But Elias, why are you carrying your Bible under your arm?''
Elias answered, ''Well, if it's as good as they say it is, I might stay over until Sunday.''
Now, obviously, that's a joke. No one would really do stuff like that... would they?
Well, actually they would. There are people who live one way at church and live entirely different the rest of the week. They do things throughout the week, that they wouldn't dream of doing at a church building. They've bought into a strange theology. They don't mind being religious, just not TOO religious ... and just not quite all the time.
Paul tells us that he never bought into that kind of theology. In Galatians 1:10 he writes: ''am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.''
What's that mean? It means Paul made a choice between Jesus and something else... and Jesus won. That also means that WE have a choice - a choice to please Jesus, or a choice to please the world.
John said it this way: ''Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'' 1 John 2:15
So... make a choice!
The thing about making a choice is that if I choose FOR one thing, I have to choose AGAINST something else. As Jesus said: ''No one 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 despis ...
Series: Who Are You?
Jeff Strite
Galatians 1:1-12
There is the story of the ''good old boy'' who came down out of the mountains one day. He was all dressed up and carrying his Bible.
A friend saw him and asked, ''Elias, what's going on? Where are you going all dressed up like that?''
Elias said, ''I've been hearing about New Orleans. I hear that there is a lot of free-running' liquor and a lot of gambling and a lot of real naughty shows.''
The friend looked him over and said, ''But Elias, why are you carrying your Bible under your arm?''
Elias answered, ''Well, if it's as good as they say it is, I might stay over until Sunday.''
Now, obviously, that's a joke. No one would really do stuff like that... would they?
Well, actually they would. There are people who live one way at church and live entirely different the rest of the week. They do things throughout the week, that they wouldn't dream of doing at a church building. They've bought into a strange theology. They don't mind being religious, just not TOO religious ... and just not quite all the time.
Paul tells us that he never bought into that kind of theology. In Galatians 1:10 he writes: ''am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.''
What's that mean? It means Paul made a choice between Jesus and something else... and Jesus won. That also means that WE have a choice - a choice to please Jesus, or a choice to please the world.
John said it this way: ''Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.'' 1 John 2:15
So... make a choice!
The thing about making a choice is that if I choose FOR one thing, I have to choose AGAINST something else. As Jesus said: ''No one 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 despis ...
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