How God Builds Your Faith

6 Pentec= ost, Proper 10

July 12,= 2009

Rev. Ken= Wratten at St. Stephen’s, San Jose

Six Phases of Faith

Part 3: Making Wise Decisions<= /o:p>

Two weeks ago I presented the idea that God = grows our faith by allowing circumstances in our lives that can teach us to know Him. He has a very specific process. If you don't underst= and this process you can't co-operate with it.= This process is the Six Phases of Faith: Dream, Decision, Delay, Difficulty= , Dead End and Deliverance.

Last week we looked at the first phase - God= has a dream for your life. By see= king to discover God’s dream for you, you begin to see His purpose at work. You begin to realize that you are = not here on earth by accident. You begin to understand what God wants to do with your life.<= /p>

But a dream is worthless unless you wake up = from the dream and go to work on it. Today we are in Phase 2 of the process of building faith, the Decision Making Pha= se.

If you choose to accept Jesus Christ into yo= ur life, your eternal life and your life on earth will be radically different = from what they will be if you choose not to accept him. It is a decision God presents for you to make; and as I have said to you before, that decision changes everything.

One of the core things it changes in your li= fe is how you will make decisions. Without faith in your life, your process for making decisions can take many different forms.

Which decision is easier;
which decision is going to make me feel better;
which decision has less consequence for me;
which decision is more fun;
which decision gives me the most benefit?

But when you choose to accept Jesus Christ i= nto your life, there is a different process for making the right decision; for making the wise decision. And that is what we are going to look at today.

Whether you need to make a decision about yo= ur career, marriage, finances, health, children, or your future, the Bible is = full of guidance for making wise decisions.&nbs= p;

Step 1. Pray for Guidance

"Show me the = path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow." Psalm 25:4 You need something greater th= an intuition, or a gut feeling to guide you.&= nbsp; You need to ask God. I know how easy it is to forget to ask God for = help in making a decision. It is usually Ruthie who reminds me by saying, “= ;Have you asked God yet?” And= I usually answer, “Actually, no. I hadn’t thought of that yet.” Over time, prayer for guidance has become part of our life.

Ask: What does God want? Not what do I want?.

2. Get the facts

Proverbs 13:16 "Every prudent man acts = out of knowledge." Proverbs 18:13 "What a shame, what folly, to give advice before listen= ing to the facts.”

A right decision is one that is based on good information; not suspicions or gossip. How quick are you to offer an answer= , a solution, or wise counsel to others, before you let them tell you the whole story, or before you have checked out the other side of the story? Raising two daughters, I have learn= ed that there are always at least two sides to every story. =

Ask: What do I need to know before I make this decision?

3. Get good advice

Proverbs 24:6 "The more advice you get,= the more likely you are to win.” It is wise to learn from experience, but= it is wiser to learn from the experience of other people who have been through the issue you are deciding. You and I don't have time to make all the mistakes there are to make= in life. We try to have our kids= learn from our mistakes, but do we try to learn from other people?

The Bible says, "Get good advice and you will succeed." Proverbs 20:28. The problem is that we= think if we ask questions we'll look like a dummy. It is smart to recognize that all = of us are ignorant about something. That's why we need each other, and we can help each other. Find someone with the experience y= ou need.

We are a church based on a tripod of understanding God through; Scripture, tradition, and reason. These are all sources of advice for making informed decisions. What does scripture say? W= hat do the people of history say? What do reasonable, experienced people say ab= out what I’m trying to decide? It takes time to work through this process, but it is worth the time to make a wise decision.

Ask: What can I learn from Scripture, from history, from experienced people?

4. Calculate the Effect

Proverbs 20:25 "It is a trap for= a man to dedicate something rashly and only later consider his vows." It is being smart when people pres= sure you to make a decision, but you say, "I'll get back to you." It is almost always more important= to make a wise decision than it is to make a quick decision.

Psalm 79:9 “Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the honor of your name.” You know you are maki= ng the right decision when what you decide brings honor to God, rather than co= nsidering only what brings honor to you. This is about making choices that you can be proud to tell God about.

Ask: What decision will bring honor to God?

5. Prepare for Problems

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said this in Proverbs 22:3 "A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks and suffers the consequences." Problems are inevitable; they are = a part of life. Expect God to work i= n your life, but also prepare for the problems that are coming.

Ask: What could go wrong? What could realistically happen if it does go wrong?

There's an important difference between p= reparing for a problem and solving a problem. If you try to solve every problem = before you make a decision, you'll never make the decision. Don’t get stuck solving thin= gs that may never happen.

6. Face your fears

Fear is at the root of most indecision.

God has a dream for your life. But are you might be thinking, &qu= ot;I don't have the time, I don't have the money, I don't have the experience, I don't have the education, I don't have the contacts, I don't have the resou= rces. If only I were married, If on= ly I were unmarried, If only I were older, or younger..." These are the sounds of fear.=

Listen to this instruction from, Eccl. 11:4; "If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done.&#= 8221; If you're waiting for the = perfect person to come along and help you - they're not coming, because nobody is perfect. If you're waiting fo= r the perfect situation, or certain things to finish before you really commit to a decisi= on -- it's not going to happen, because perfection is in heaven, not here. The commitments of life have to be= made in the middle of the stuff of life.

The vaccine against fear is faith. Romans 8:31 "If God is for us= , who can be against us?" You = need to decide to trust God and start moving; in spite of problems, fears, or doubt= s. If you know it's God's dream for y= ou, make the decision, move against the fear, and watch God do the miracle in t= he relationship, in the problem, your finances, or whatever it is.

What decision do you need to make? Please, for God’s sake, and = for your sake, do not waste your life. Do not live a lukewarm life. Do not just exist. Mak= e the decisions that will empower you to fulfill the plan God has for you.

There are four basic, but life changing decisions that are waiting for you:

1. Commit your life to Christ and become a part of His family. If you haven't done that, what are= you waiting for? Not deciding is a decision. <= /p>

2. Make a decision to commit to the habits that will help you grow spiritually. Pray, read Scripture, have a quiet= time every day, meet with a spiritual friend or small group. Don't be a lukewarm= Christian. Be all that God wants you to be.

3. Use your talents, gifts, and abilities to serve God and others. If you have been sitting on the be= nch, it's time to get in the game.

4. Share Jesus Christ with others. Onc= e you know the good news, become a carrier, a messenger. Just walk across the roo= m, introduce yourself, and leave the rest to God.

This church family is here to support you in= these decisions. =

Let it be our goal as a faith family not to = stop at realizing God’s dream for us,
but to take the next step,
to make wise decisions that fulfill God’s dream. Amen.