Sometimes it doesn’t feel like we have choices, but the truth is we all do. I want to be bold and say that at the end of this article you will have one of those moments and opportunity to make a choice that can affect the rest of your life massively, now I know that seems perhaps an arrogant or bold statement but if you stay with me, I believe I can back it up.
But let’s go back to choices in general.
Now not all choices have life changing, earth shattering results. Some do.
What socks you choose to wear, probably not the most life changing.
Whether to start an affair or to walk away, life changing.
Tea or Coffee, probably not life changing.
To believe in who Jesus is, let’s comeback to that.
Some things happen where we have control, sometimes things happen to us.
Ultimately some moments and some choices matter more than others.
Ultimately some choices are easier to make than others, let’s explore this for a moment,
Why are some choices easier than others. Let me suggest some reasons:
- The outcome, the result of those choices is minimal, think socks!
- We don’t know what the outcome will be.
- We don’t care what the outcome will be.
I want to say that for some of you this morning it will be a mixture of both, a choice and a moment.
So, when it comes to my statement that today you are going to be presented with a decision that I believe is the most important you will ever make I want to be able to alley those reasons.
To do that we have to see the significance of a couple of moments:
This article is written with Easter Sunday just around the corner, a day when followers of Jesus remember a moment in history that had a profound effect on humanity.
To understand this moment, we need to rewind a bit, to another event, an event we remember on the Friday before Easter Sunday.
Jesus was crucified on the cross.
Jesus died.
A moment in history where Jesus’ enemies thought they had triumphed.
A moment where people who had chosen to follow Jesus were confused to say the least.
You see Jesus died for a reason.
Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
You see Jesus died for a reason.
You form part of the many.
His life formed your ransom.
Jesus died to pay the price for yours and my sins.
The world under the influence of satan doesn’t want you to believe this, doesn’t want us to acknowledge that we are sinners.
Satan wants us to experience death, death which is eternal separation from God. It is our choice.
Later in Matthew 28 we come to another recorded pivotal moment, the moment some of the followers of Jesus are told that He has risen from the dead:
Matthew 28
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
These two moments build up form part of what I believe is our most important decision.
You see Jesus died for a reason.
You form part of the many.
His life formed your ransom.
Jesus died to pay the price for yours and my sins.
Romans 10:9
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Before we get to decision time, I realise that not everyone has the same decision to make today.
There will be people here this morning who know Jesus but perhaps have let things slip, perhaps have walked away from their faith, for those the decision is to comeback.
There will be people here this morning who are adamant being a follower of Jesus isn’t for them, I respect that as someone’s right, all I ask is perhaps to be open to exploring, there decision is nothing changes.
Then there will be people here right now who are thinking I need to accept Jesus into my life, in which case there will be an opportunity a moment to do that in minute.
First, I want to pray for those who have walked away and need to comeback.
Dear Lord,
I realise that I have turned away from you, from my faith. I have not been living it out as I should have.
I want to say sorry, to seek forgiveness for anything I have done wrong.
I want to return to you.
In Jesus’ name
Amen
Now I want to with those who would like to receive Jesus into their lives:
Dear God,
I want to acknowledge that I have done things that have damaged my relationship with you, that I am a sinner. I want to say sorry and to turn away from those things.
Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross, to pay the price for my sins, that He defeated death and rose from the dead three days later.
I want to accept this gift of salvation; I want to accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.
In Jesus name
Amen
If you have said either of these prayers please email us at admin@livingsprings.cc as we would love to hear from you.
