September 9, 2007am         Pro Life Choice       Deuteronomy 30:15-20

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

 

Legend Of Midas

According to legend, Bacchus once offered Midas his choice of gifts. Midas asked that whatever he might touch should change into gold. Bacchus consented, though sorry that he had not made a better choice.

Midas went his way, rejoicing in his newly-acquired power, which he quickly put to the test. He could scarcely believe his eyes, when he found a twig of an oak, which he had plucked, become gold in his hand. He took up a stone; it changed to gold. He touched a sod; it did the same. He took an apple from a tree; you would have thought he had robbed the garden of the Hesperides.

His joy knew no bounds; and, when he got home, he ordered the servants to set a splendid feast on the table. Then he found, to his dismay, that, when he touched bread, it hardened in his hand, or put a bite to his lips, it defied his teeth. He took a glass of wine; but it flowed down his throat like melted gold.

In consternation, fearing starvation, he held up his arms, shining with gold, to Bacchus, and besought him to take back his gift. Bacchus said, “Go to the River Pactolus, trace the stream to its fountainhead, there plunge your head and body in, and wash away your fault and its punishment.” Thus Midas learned to hate wealth and splendor. [1]

 

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

                17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

                19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. [2]

 

Choices.  God doesn’t want his children to die, but gives them a choice to live. 

  1. God gives the right to choose to his children.  Free will is a right that we all have.  It is a gift from God.  Hundreds of unborn children are not given the right to choose when they are aborted.  Their lives are prematurely ended.  Their cry is not heard.  What were they supposed to be?  God could have taken away our right to choose, but he chose to allow us to decide. 

 

  1. The first choice is the right to life and prosperity.   He controls the world.  He can give life and he can give prosperity.  But those who choose life and prosperity must do as He says.  If this is your choice, what does he say to do?
    1. Love the Lord your God.  Remember that love is a choice.  It is an action.  The proof of your love for God is your love for others. 
    2. To Walk in His ways. Healthy lifestyles that lead to life. 
    3. To walk in his decrees and laws. Follow God and live.  God’s ways are the ways of life.  Then you will live and increase.  Live as you were created to live.  God loves you and the little children. 

 

  1. The second choice is the right to die and be destroyed in this world.  This is the deceptive choice.  On a game show parity the contestant won a big fish.  It was a delicious red snapper. But then the contestant was offered a choice.  She could keep her fish or she could trade the fish for what was in the box.  After some deliberation the contestant finally chose what was in the box.  She was hoping the box contained something that was better than the fish.  What was in the box?  Nothing.  The contestant lost everything.  The choice is clear. 
    1. If your heart turns away
    2. You are not obedient
    3. You are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them.  Serving other gods lead to death.  Killing the children for the sake of convenience will eventually lead to the annihilation of the human race.  Homosexuality will lead to no more children.  Bad life styles and wrong choices will eventually lead us off the cliff into the gorge below

 

  1. God calls the witnesses.  The witnesses are heaven and earth.  Choose life and life.  You and your children will live.  Love God listen to his voice and hold fast to him.  Hold on to what is right by the words of the Lord.  He is your life.  He will give you many years in the land he swore to your fathers…  Love the Lord, Listen to his voice, and hold fast to Him.  This is our choice.  What is yours?

 

What Is Sin    Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.

Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.

Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.

Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.

Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.

Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.

Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.

Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.

Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.

Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.

Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness.

Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness. —Moody Monthly[3]


[1]Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).

[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984). Dt 30:15-20.

[3]Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).