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JOSHUA 24:15

"THE CHOICE"

I. MAN HAS THE CAPACITY OF CHOICE.
        A. It is a God-given capacity.
                1. Man was created in the image of God.
                        a. God is a self-determinate being.
                        b. He created man a self-determinate being.
                2. This was necessary if God was to receive meaningful love and worship
                   from man.
                        a. The kisses of the kissy doll are meaningless.
                                1. You know they are mechanical.
                                2. They lack soul.
                        b. I can choose to love God or not.
                        c. I can choose to serve God or not.
                        d. "Choose you this day."
        B. It is an awesome responsibility.
                1. God honors the choice I make.
                        a. Otherwise the power of choice would be meaning-less.
                2. I have the power to determine my destiny.
                        a. No one can force you to believe in God.
                        b. No one can force you to serve God.
                        c. No one can force you to go to heaven.
                        d. These are all choices you must make for yourself.
                3. There are two powerful forces seeking to influence your choice:  Satan
                   and God.
                        a. Satan appeals to your body appetites and pride. He uses fear.
                                1. These are strong motivational forces.
                                2. He also uses lies and deceit.
                                        a. Happiness is         .
                                        b. Happiness is booze.
                                        c. Happiness is a God-free conscience.
                        b. The Holy Spirit uses the motivational force of love.
                                1. He seeks to appeal to your reason.
                                        a. "Come now let us reason together."
                                2. He seeks to lead you to truth.
                                        a. To follow body appetites will never lead to
                                           satisfaction.
                        c. "Choose ye this day..."

II. YOU'VE GOT TO SERVE SOMEBODY.
        A. No man is an independent island.
                1. Each man is ruled by some guiding force or principle.
                2. Certain concepts or principles guide your actions. 
        B. Every man has his gods or God.
                1. The gods your fathers served the other side of the flood. or the gods of
                   the Amorites.
                        a. Who were these gods?
                                1. Gods of pleasure.
                                2. Gods of force,  power.
                                3. Gods of man's intellectual powers.
                2. If you do not choose to serve the true and living God,  you are serving
                   some god.
                3. Every man has his master passion which becomes the guiding principle of
                   his life.

III. "AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."
        A. How great it is when the father can speak for the house. He rules his house well.
                1. So many dads seeking to escape the responsibilities of the family and home.
                        a. They are strangers to their own children.
        B. What a strong influence the father has on his family.
                1. Your son is learning his father roll from you.
                2. The influence can be for good or evil.
                3. How reprehensible when a father has an evil polluting influence on his
                   family.
                        a. He is not just going into the pits himself, but dragging his
                           family with him.
                        b. Some children never have a chance.
                4. How beautiful when a man will lead his whole family to serve the Lord.
                   How blessed are his children.

(My head is bloody but unbowed.