Brief Summary
This sermon emphasizes the power of choice in a believer's life, rooted in God's grace. It challenges the idea of blaming external factors for personal struggles, asserting that individuals have the freedom to choose their master—whether it be God, sin, or worldly desires. The sermon encourages listeners to take responsibility for their decisions, aligning them with God's word and choosing a life of holiness and obedience.
- Grace frees individuals to choose their master.
- Personal responsibility is key to spiritual growth.
- Choosing God leads to a life of holiness and joy.
Introduction
The sermon begins with a call to balance the demonstration of God's power with the teaching of His word to avoid straying from the right path. The congregation is encouraged to engage with their Bibles, recognizing it as the ultimate standard for living and the guide to eternal life. The importance of physical engagement with the Bible is emphasized, cautioning against over-reliance on technology and encouraging a deeper, more personal connection with scripture.
Grace Frees You to Choose Your Master
The core message centers on Romans 6:16, highlighting that grace empowers believers to choose their master. This choice determines whether one serves God or is bound to sin, sickness, or other negative forces. The speaker emphasizes that God has relinquished His right to act independently in believers' lives, urging them to stop asking God to do what He has already enabled them to do through their own choices.
Personal Testimony of Healing
The speaker shares a personal experience of physical healing, emphasizing the importance of being in God's presence and actively worshiping Him. During a time of ministry and worship at a funeral, the speaker felt the Holy Spirit lead them to place their hand on their body where they had previously experienced vocal cord cancer. Through faith and obedience, the speaker experienced immediate healing, reinforcing the power of God's presence and the importance of acting on faith.
Choosing Your Master: A Call to Responsibility
The sermon challenges the prevalent culture of blaming external factors for personal problems. It asserts that individuals choose their own paths, whether it be depression, fear, or poverty, through their decisions and actions. The speaker urges listeners to stop blaming God for circumstances they have created themselves and to instead choose to serve God with gladness.
Breaking the Blaming Spirit
The speaker identifies a "blaming spirit" as a pervasive issue, encouraging listeners to take responsibility for their actions instead of making excuses. Using examples such as traffic violations and financial mismanagement, the speaker illustrates how people often deflect blame onto others or external circumstances rather than acknowledging their own choices. The importance of adhering to God's rules and principles, such as tithing, is emphasized as a key to avoiding poverty and living a blessed life.
The Choice is Yours
Drawing parallels to military discipline, the speaker contrasts the strict obedience demanded in basic training with the often lax approach to spiritual discipline. Just as a marine willingly submits to the authority of the drill instructor, believers should willingly submit to God's authority and make the choice to follow His commands. The speaker criticizes "faulty conversions" that lack the element of sacrifice and commitment, urging listeners to embrace a life of holiness and obedience.
Living a Life of Choice
The sermon continues to emphasize the daily choices that shape a believer's life, from personal habits to relationships. The speaker shares personal anecdotes about their marriage, highlighting the importance of choosing love and forgiveness. The message is clear: God calls believers to be holy, not just happy, and true joy comes from aligning one's choices with God's will.
Liberty vs. License
The speaker clarifies that liberty in Christ does not equate to license to indulge in sinful desires. Just because one "can" do something does not mean one "should." The sermon challenges listeners to control their fleshly desires and take authority over them, rather than allowing them to dictate their choices. The speaker addresses specific issues such as lust and abuse, emphasizing that individuals always have a choice to break free from destructive patterns and embrace a life of righteousness.
Daily Choosing Life
The sermon reiterates the importance of daily choosing life by consuming edifying content and disassociating from negativity. The speaker emphasizes that a believer's life is hidden with God in Christ Jesus, and this union empowers them to make choices that align with God's will. The call to "daily pick up your cross" signifies a commitment to self-sacrifice and obedience, allowing God's blood to cover all areas of life.
Marriage Advice and the Importance of Soft Answers
Offering marriage advice, the speaker encourages couples to communicate with kindness and consideration, using soft answers to defuse conflict. The speaker underscores the profound gift of choice that God has given humanity, emphasizing that while salvation requires being born again, believers have the freedom to choose how they live their lives in accordance with God's principles.
Grace and the Freedom to Choose
Returning to the theme of grace, the speaker reiterates that it is through grace that believers are freed to choose their master. This freedom comes with the responsibility to align one's choices with God's word and to pursue a life of godliness. The speaker references Proverbs, highlighting that there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is death, urging listeners to choose the path of life through Jesus Christ.
The Blood of Jesus and the Opportunity for a Do-Over
The speaker emphasizes that God offers believers a "do-over" through the blood of Jesus, enabling them to cancel out negative choices and start anew. The congregation is encouraged to thank God for His grace and to make the right choices in every situation, choosing life over death.
Prayer for Choosing Life
The sermon concludes with a prayer, asking God to help the listeners remember that it is their choice to choose life in every situation. The prayer covers various scenarios, such as dealing with theft, traffic incidents, and attacks on the body, asking that believers respond in obedience to God's guidance.
Invitation to Salvation
An invitation is extended to those who are unsure of their salvation to raise their hands and receive prayer. The speaker emphasizes that salvation is not just a past event but a present reality, urging listeners to ensure that everything is under the blood of Jesus and that they are right with God.
Closing Remarks and Benediction
The service concludes with a final encouragement to choose life and give one's life to God completely. The congregation is led in a closing song, celebrating the victory and freedom found in Jesus Christ.
