“The Choice”

February 13, 2011

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

For a lot of us we knew we were about to spend an interesting and exciting hour in front of the television
when we heard these words…

“Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you choose to accept it…”

Of course, these are the words that began many of the episodes of Mission Impossible, but they also
represent something that we face every day of our lives. Choice. Our choices shape us and reveal who we
are. Not surprisingly, because choices are so central to our existence, many of the heroes in the movies have
something to say about choices as well.

Lord of the Rings - We never choose what comes to us. We only have to choose what to do with the time
we've been given.

Gladiator - Proximo: In the end, we're all dead men. Sadly, we cannot choose how, or when. But what we can
choose is how we decide to meet that end, so we are remembered forever as men.

Anna and the King (the modern remake of The King and I) - If Love was a choice, who would ever choose
such exquisite pain?

The Matrix - Why Mr. Anderson? Why do you persist? Is it that you think you are fighting for something?
What is it? Do you even know? Is it freedom, or independence, or is it for love? Lies, Mr. Anderson, all lies
created by a race searching for meaning or purpose, all as false as the matrix itself. Although only a human
mind could create something as insipid as love! Why Mr. Anderson? WHY DO YOU PERSIST?

Neo: Because I choose to.

Spiderman 3 – Whatever comes our way, whatever battle is raging inside us, we always have a choice… It’s
the choices that make us who we are; and we can always choose to do what is right.

Finally, we come to a story about choice that comes to us not from the movies but from poetry. This is one
of the few poems that is known even by people who don’t care much for poetry.

The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
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 Somewhere ages and ages hence: I took the one less traveled by,
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— And that has made all the difference.

Our lives are filled with choices and as Robert Frost and many others have pointed out, out choices make a
difference. Our choices shape us and mold us and reveal our true character to the world. Even the simplest of
choices can change our lives forever. Not surprisingly, this idea of choice is central to scripture as well…
In Deuteronomy 30:15-20 the people of God are asked to choose between life and death. Like us, they will
not simply choose to live or die today, but choose between life and death every single day with every choice
that they make…
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 obedience to him, 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 the heavens and the 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.

As the people of God, we are asked to reveal our love for God in every choice that we make. We often deceive
ourselves into believing that our choices are trivial and unimportant but they are not. Each day it is life and
death that we choose. We do not choose between work and leisure or between hardship and comfort. Each of
our ordinary choices, even the petty and the trivial reflect on our relationship with God. Each of our ordinary
choices has the potential to turn our hearts away from God and even though we are thousands of years and half
a world away from the original message, the message of God continues to resonate with his people and we can
still hear a message being spoken into our modern lives. Life will not always be easy, but all of life’s
adventures, both the good and the bad, will be better with God than without him. The path that leads to death
will often seem easier and will almost always be more popular. Our calling is to allow our love of God to be
reflected in all of our choices.

In Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus is interpreting scripture for the crowd but his interpretations go well beyond what
they expected…
21
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders
will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject
to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ [which literally means empty-head, we
would perhaps say, idiot] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the
fire of hell.
23
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has
something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then
come and offer your gift.
25
“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on
the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer,
and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

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 27
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks
at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to
stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole
body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is
better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31
“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you
that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone
who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the
Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s
throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do
not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply
‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Jesus tells us that following the rules is a bigger deal than a strict interpretation of the rules might indicate. A
part of his message is that God will judge us not on how well we followed the letter of the law but on how well
we followed the intent of the law. God is far more capable than any human judge and as such will judge not
only on what we were able to do but on what we intended to do, not only on what actions we took but on the
thoughts that we allowed into our minds. In every area of our lives, each and every choice that we make is
important.

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul included this difficult criticism (1 Corinthians 3:1-9) …
1
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still
worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you
are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not
worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow
Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
5
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the
Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7
So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The
one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their
own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Paul tells the people of Corinth that he has more advanced stuff to teach them, but they simply weren’t ready
for it yet. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.
When Paul looked at the church he saw jealously and quarreling and petty bickering over little things that were
of no consequence. They argued over which teacher was better and Paul tells them that it isn’t the teacher that
matters. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who
plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. Translated into our world,
Paul is saying that it isn’t about Pastor John and it isn’t about Pastor Tom [my predecessor here at Barnesville
First]. It isn’t about Billy Graham or the evangelist that first told you about Jesus or the pastor who was your
youth leader. For many of us, great moments in our Christian walk came about because of lay people but Paul
reminds us that the message isn’t about them either. The message is the message of Jesus Christ. Paul says,
we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

You are what God is building. You are what God is growing.

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All of these voices are telling us that Christianity is not something that we do on Sunday morning but a way of
life that shapes us and directs us every minute of every day. Following Jesus is not what we do on Sunday but
something that is becoming who we are, it is a way of life that allows Christ to lead us not only on Sunday but
a condition of the heart that gives Jesus authority over every part of us, every single day of our lives.

The message isn’t about evangelists or pastors or lay people, it’s about Jesus.

Every one of us is supposed to be working together, co-workers in God’s service. You are God’s field, god’s
building. You are what God is building. You are what God is growing.

Each day we choose between life and death. Each of our choices, even the petty and the trivial, reflect on our
relationship with God. Each of our choices has the potential to turn our hearts away from God. God’s word
tells us that life will not always be easy, but all of life’s adventures, both the good and the bad, will be better
with God than without him. The path that leads to death will often seem easier and will almost always be
more popular. Our calling is to allow our love of God to be reflected in all of our choices, every minute of
every day.

Our lives and our choices will not be easy but if we remember the importance of our choices, even the ones
that seem insignificant, then perhaps, on the Day of Judgment, we will be able to echo the words of Robert
Frost…

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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
You have been reading a message presented at Barnesville First United Methodist Church on the
date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor of Barnesville First.
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