If It's Going To Be, Its Up To Me

I want to, I'm going to preach in a little while, but there's a few things I

want to say and do before then.

A couple of weeks ago, we had Carolyn and Brad's son, Matt, and his partner,

Molly, here with us shortly before they jetted off to Mexico.

And they're over in Mexico now. And you know what?

Over the last couple of days, I've had quite a bit of contact with them through

text and email, which has been fantastic. And I really felt the Holy Spirit

say, and I know they're listening in at the moment on the podcast.

So I heard the Holy Spirit say, give them a church protection over them.

Give them a church covering over them. Until they're able to find their own

church over where they are, we will be their church. We will be their prayer covering.

We will be their providers of blessing and comfort for them.

And they actually asked me yesterday to go to the extent of discipling them and offering them that.

So, and of course, I'm not going to say no, am I?

I'm just going to do it with all my heart. Even though there's a long distance,

we're going to disciple them and protect them and cover them. And, you know, it's...

It's Mexico, it can't be easy over there, can it? It can't be easy,

but we're sure with God's covering over them. Can you just turn me down a little bit, Josh?

I'm sure with God's covering over them that they'll be fine.

They're going to be great. With our prayers and our love for them as well.

So why don't we pray for them right now?

Lord, I just lift up Matt and Molly, Lord God, in Jesus' name.

Lord, we lift up members of this church, Lord, who are currently in Mexico seeking

a future, Lord God, and a future that I pray is firmly cemented in your love

and protection over them.

I felt to share with them, Lord, that during these times, they need to run to

that hiding place and that safe refuge, Lord.

So, Lord, I pray that you open up the gates of heaven for them and you protect

them and you love them and you nurture them.

And Lord, you give us, Lord, the passion to be able to pray for them and love

them and support them, Lord God, and be here for them.

Lord, that's what we choose to do as a church, Lord God, to bless them.

Lord, I bless you both. I bless you, Matt.

I bless you, Molly, with a future and a hope in Jesus' name.

And I bless you with the words of number six where it says, the Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace. Amen. Amen.

Awesome. Let's continue to pray for that couple and uphold them and love them

and support them as churches do. Amen.

Excellent. All right. I felt to preach this morning.

God hasn't changed my mind yet, although I've still got that sermon on favor, waiting, waiting.

But we're not there now. Where am I? I'm lost. That one there.

That's it. So this morning, the title of my message is this.

If it's going to be, it's up to me.

Or if it's going to be, it's up to you guys. Okay?

And if I was to summarize this sermon in one sentence or two sentences, it would be this.

Noah didn't expect God to build his ark.

God's the master planner. He's got the master plan over us, but he's left the building to us.

He's left the building up to us. So I want to read, and I touched on it last week.

I love when I read Bible passages in the previous weeks, and it just hits me.

And I know as I read that passage, I make a decision there and then.

But that's what I'm going to preach on.

So Joshua 24 contains my favorite verse in all of the Bible.

But let's read it. I'm going to read all of Joshua 24 to put it all into context.

And the title in the New Living Translation of this scripture,

this chapter is The Lord's Covenant Renewed.

Then Joshua, so chapter 24, starting at verse 1.

Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders,

leaders, judges, and officers.

So they came and presented themselves to God.

Joshua said to the people, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says.

Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham,

and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshipped other gods.

But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led

him into the land of Canaan.

I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac.

To Isaac, I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau, I gave the mountains of Seir,

while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I bought terrible plagues on Egypt.

And afterward, I bought you out as free people. But when your ancestors arrived

at the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers.

When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians.

I bought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them.

With your very own eyes, you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.

Finally, I bought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan.

They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you I gave you victory

over them and you took possession of their land Then Balak, the son of Zippor.

King of Moab, started a war against Israel He summoned Balaam,

son of Beor, to curse you But I would not listen to him Instead,

I made Balaam bless you And so I rescued you from Balak When you crossed the

Jordan River and came to Jericho the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites,

the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites,

the Jebusites, and funny people would say, and the Vegemites.

Ha, that's just for me to take a breath. But I gave you victory over them.

And I was not your swords or bows that bought you victory.

I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build,

the towns where you are now living.

I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.

So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your

ancestors worshipped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River.

And in Egypt, serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord,

then choose today whom you will serve.

Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates,

or will it be the gods of the Amorites in the land you now live?

But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

The people replied, we would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods.

For the Lord, our God, is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery

in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes.

As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us.

It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here

in this land. So we too will serve the Lord for he alone is our God.

Then Joshua warned the people, you will not be able to serve the Lord for he

is, you will not, you are not able to serve the Lord for he is a holy and jealous God.

He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the Lord and

serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you even though he has been so good to you.

But the people answered Joshua, no, we will serve the Lord.

You are witnesses to your own decision, Joshua said. You have chosen to serve

the Lord. Yes, they replied.

We are witnesses to what we have said.

All right, then Joshua said, destroy the idols among you and turn your hearts

to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Then the people said to Joshua, we will serve the Lord our God.

We will obey him alone. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at

Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord.

Joshua recorded these things in the book of God's instructions.

As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath

the terebinth tree beside the tabernacle of the Lord.

Joshua said to all the people, this stone has heard everything the Lord said

to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God.

Then Joshua sent all the people away to their own homelands.

There's a summary for you. There's a commitment for you.

You know what? I've got a challenge for you today. I've got a challenge for

you today, and it's this.

Whenever you make a decision, whenever you make a decision, big or small,

will you repeat the words of Joshua?

No matter how big, no matter how small the decision, will you say these words?

As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

For every decision, big or small, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

Around the world on any given Sunday, people meet in churches to hear a preacher

or a teacher talk to them or preach to them and exhort to them about the love

of God and what God has the power and the desire for us to do.

But not many people will, not many will be telling the people what their responsibility is.

Perhaps the greatest thing that God has ever given to us is the privilege and the power of choice.

Okay. Joshua said these words, choose today whom you will serve,

tells us that you are responsible to choose.

You're responsible to choose and that you have the privilege and the power to

choose right or wrong. Okay.

These words tell us that you are in charge of your destiny. God is not in charge of your destiny.

God designs your destiny. Yes, He designed it, but it's our responsibility to discover your destiny.

Let me say it another way for you to make it really clear. The future that you

experience is the future that you create.

Just as Noah built an ark over a period of time, you and I are building our future, okay?

One day at a time, one choice at a time, and one act of obedience at a time.

Our responsibility to choose.

Your future and your destiny is not a miracle.

It's not a mystery. It's a harvest.

It's a harvest that comes from what we sow into our future.

There's a very powerful verse in

Hosea 8 and verse 7 Which says They have planted the wind And will harvest the

whirlwind Notice they reaped exactly what they sowed They reaped exactly what

they sowed They sowed the wind But they reaped a tornado Right?

You cannot blame anyone else for the life. You cannot blame anyone for the life

you have, good or bad, because it's our responsibility to create it by choice,

by making the right choices.

Yes, I know that many things can happen in our lives and it can affect you for

better or for worse, but ultimately, no one can choose your destiny but you, but you.

You cannot always control what happens to you, but you are the governor of what happens in you.

I hope this is making sense. It's a deep Sunday in church today.

For years, the focus and the content of my preaching has been on the Holy Spirit

and the power of the Holy Spirit and the operation of the Holy Spirit.

But this week, it hit me. It hit me.

Most of my ministry has been telling people about God and about his power and his faithfulness.

In other words, all about God's part in our life.

But the point of change and transformation has never been on God's side. It's on our side.

God's side is constant. God's side is settled.

It's established. This is where the words fit. It is what it is.

We never have to worry about God being faithful, do we?

We never have to worry about there being enough power for us from God.

We never have to worry about God loving us, do we?

We never have to call God's mercy into question.

It is what it is. God is love and he always will be. So where does that leave us?

Where does that leave us? That leaves us in the same place that Joshua was in,

the place of decision, because decisions decide destiny.

Change happens at the speed of your decisions. You can either run into your

future Or you can crawl into your future Your future can be terrible Or your future can be glorious.

God designs our destiny. You have to discover it. Your decisions decide it.

Joshua exhorted the people to choose. Then he was quick to say,

I've made my decision because as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

What decisions do you guys make on a weekly basis?

What decisions have you made that are affecting your future?

After accepting Jesus into your life, the most important decision you will ever

make is to obey the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a great teacher, the greatest instructor,

and the greatest mentor.

We need the Holy Spirit. Remember this. If you're going to remember anything

today, decisions decide destiny.

Decisions decide destiny. God decides your harvest 30, 60, or a hundredfold,

but your decision to sow schedules your harvest.

Your decision to sow sparingly determines that your harvest will come back sparingly as well.

2 Corinthians 9 and verse 6. I'm reading from the Passion Translation,

and it's the title of this little section of the Bible in the Passion Translation.

Is titled, Hilarious Generosity.

Hilarious Generosity. It says, here's my point.

A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous

spirit will reap an abundant harvest.

They're all our decisions that we need to make for our future.

Your decision to sow generously determines that your harvest will come back to you generously.

Let me ask you some very important questions this morning. You ready?

Here's some very important questions.

Who have you decided to listen to?

Here's the first one. Whose words have you decided to believe?

What part of God's word have you decided to believe?

Because the only part of God's word that will work for you is the part that you believe.

What part of God's word have you chosen to obey?

What part of God's word have you chosen to ignore?

What battles have you chosen to fight? What battles have you chosen to ignore?

There's some questions for you. Just let that mull over for a little while.

Now, are you ready to answer these questions? Here's some more.

Who have you chosen to honor?

Who have you failed to honor? Because every sin is birthed out of dishonor.

Every sin is birthed out of dishonor. Dishonor for parents.

Dishonor for a husband or a wife. Dishonor for an employer. Dishonor for God and his word.

Dishonor for authority.

Dishonor of yourself. They all birth sin.

I suggest to you that you can go to any prison in the land, any prison in the

land, and you will find that every person in there is there because they chose to dishonor.

Wrongly putting it in prison. Sure. They're there. They are there.

I accept that. I accept that.

People are getting released every day because they were found to be innocent. Yeah.

Your life today is the product or the fruit of your decisions.

Your future is being decided by your decisions today.

The only future God can endorse to you is a future you authorize him for.

The only future God is authorized to endorse is the one you create with your

decisions. That's God calling right now, saying, how are those answers going to those questions?

In other words, God's not going to get involved in your future unless you honour

his word and you agree with his word and you obey his word, his word.

Jeremiah 29 11 says this, it says, for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.

They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

They are God's plans for us.

The thought here is that God has plans for your life and mine.

He has already designed the blueprint, but he's not going to build my house or your house.

God designed and created this world with his words, didn't he?

Now, it's up to you to create your world with your words.

And it's up to me to create my world with my words.

Yes, God's word has creative power. We know that. And God created everything with his words.

But it's not what God has said that will create your world.

It's what you say that will create your world and your future.

I'm going to give you a little bit of shock treatment right now. Are you ready?

Are you ready for this? A sinner, a sinner that boldly speaks what they believe

has more creative power working for them than a quiet, born-again,

spirit-filled child of God.

Do you hear that? A sinner, a sinner that boldly speaks what they believe,

has more creative power working for them than a quiet, born-again,

spirit-filled child of God.

What? Yeah, you heard right. You heard right.

The law of confession works for anyone, anyone who works it.

Have a look at these few verses. I'm going to prove it from the Bible for you

just to make it clear, okay?

Proverbs 18 and 21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue and those

who love it will eat its fruit.

Notice it doesn't say those that pay their tithes and speak in tongues shall eat its fruit.

It says, they that love it shall eat the fruit.

Proverbs 18 and verse 20 says, a man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit

of his mouth. from the produce of his lips, he shall be filled.

Notice it doesn't say a godly man or a righteous man or a holy man.

It just says a man, a man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth.

Spiritually speaking, many people in the world have fat,

full bellies, but many believers have flat empty bellies because there is no

fruit of their lips because they aren't speaking God's word.

Jesus said in Matthew 12, verse 37, it says, For by your words,

Matthew 12:37

you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned.

Notice it says your words and not God's words.

It's your words. It's what you confess. It's what you say.

And Mark 11, verse 23, talking about what you say, Mark 11, verse 22 to 23 says,

Mark 11:23 Mark 11:22–23

So Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God.

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to his mountain,

be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt it in his heart,

but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

And then, of course, it says, and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb

and the word of their testimony.

That's Revelation 12 and verse 11. Josh, come up for me. Josh,

come up for me and continue.

No, you play there.

So God created the world with his words.

We all know that. We all read that. God created the world with his words.

What kind of world are you creating with your words?

What kind of world am I creating with my words?

Even Noah or Mrs. Noah must build his or own ark.

God gives us the materials as he did for Noah.

He gives us the plan, but you decide what kind of boat you want to build.

It's up to us. The boat represents your future and your life.

Do you want an ocean liner or will you be satisfied with a rowboat?

Our decisions, our words is what we say.

I'm not authorised to build your lives. I'm not authorised to build your lives.

I'm a visitor in your world.

I can only give advice. I can only give instructions as you give me permission,

but I'm not responsible for what you do with it.

The future that you desire is waiting for you to create it. the power is in you.

You have the material to create your future. And you know what that material is?

It's God's Word. It's God's Word.

Now create, create your future with God's Word.

Because if it's going to be, it's up to me.

If it's going to be in your life, it's up to you.

Music.

Holy Spirit, that you fill our lives. Thank you, Holy Spirit,

that you give us instruction.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are always there, Lord.

Holy Spirit, you are always there. When we go about our daily tasks,

and we come up with questions that need to be answered, we come up with problems

that a decision has to be made over,

Holy Spirit, you are always there.

You are still that small voice telling us what to do.

So Holy Spirit, as we go into our world, as we go into our life,

as we go to our families, as we go to our jobs and our workplaces,

Holy Spirit, I pray and I ask that you would prompt us to make wise decisions, big or small,

big or small.

God, I praise you for the fact that you created everything around us with your voice, with your words.

You spoke creation into existence by your words and by the power of your words.

And Lord, you have given us the ability, the gift, the privilege to be able

to make decisions in our own lives.

Lord, I pray this morning that as we come up against things in our lives,

that we are able to quote the Word of God, to speak the Word of God,

to confess the Word of God over every decision that needs to be made.

And in doing so, we will be creating a future that, Lord, You describe as being a future of hope.

That You are providing, Lord, our future to us if we choose to make wise decisions

and if we choose to speak Your Word and Your words.

We speak the power of your words over our lives Lord we make that declaration

that Joshua made when we come up against decisions in our lives whether we say

it out loud whether we speak it out in our spirits,

Lord help us to remember and to say as for me and my family we will serve the

Lord over every decision that needs to be made,

I'm speaking to Matt and Molly right now.

Matt and Molly, every decision that you need to make about your future,

my advice to you is to use those words as for me, as for us and our families, we will serve the Lord.

Every decision that needs to be made.

Music.

You that we have the ability to choose our future and to put our future,

which is a future that you have put into place, Lord.

We have the ability to choose that future and to seize that future by the power

of what we say and what we believe.

Thank you, Lord. Help us, inspire us to read our Bibles, Lord,

and to speak our futures into being based on what we read in our Bibles.

It's full of amazing facts. It's full of history, but it's full of promise. It's full of faith.

It's full of a way for us to move forward. It's full of a way for us to overcome

everything that comes up before us.

So Lord, we choose Your Word.

We choose Jesus, our Word, to come into our lives.

We choose the Holy Spirit to prompt us as the decisions that we need to make. We choose you, God.

We choose you, God, because you've given us a future and a hope.

We choose that in Jesus' Name.

Thank you, Lord. Pray for every person here this morning.

Perhaps there's someone here this morning or who is listening to me right now

on the podcast who has decisions to be made.

Lord, I pray that those decisions will be soundly based on Your Word,

soundly based on Your Word and soundly believed from Your Word, Lord.

Music.

Thank you, Lord. So every decision that needs to be made, Holy Spirit prompt with the answer.

And I know the answer. I know the answer is to stand on the Word of God.

Don't step away from it, to stand on it and to declare it over that situation in your lives.

So we thank you, Lord. Hallelujah.

Bless these people, Lord God. I bless you all in Jesus' Name.

I bless you all with a week where you will be inspired with the decisions that need to be made.

That the decisions that need to be made will be based on God's Word.

And you would declare that. I bless you with the ability to quote the Word of

God this week over every decision that needs to be made.

In Jesus' name. Hallelujah.

Music.

Blessing and honour to you, Lord God.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for all that you do for us, Lord God.

Thank you for the provision. Thank you for the blessing that you bring our way, Lord God. We receive.

We choose to walk in your way.

Praise you, Jesus. Praise you, Lord God. Hallelujah.

Amen. Amen. Bless you all. Go this week and remember those words.

It's going to be. It's up to me.

Jesus' words. Hallelujah.