Introduction:Fear of making a wrong choice can sometimes cause us to procrastinate until the decision is made for us. We feel like the “experienced” paratrooper who was asked how many jumps he had to his credit. “Twenty-five,” was his reply. But then he added sheepishly, “Really only one. The other twenty-four I had to be pushed.”Source Unknown
God has a plan for our church and for every one of our lives that He wants us to follow. Following that plan will involve many decisions. Sometimes making decisions can be a very difficult task. This task can be made easier if we learn from those who have gone before us.
Transition:Read Joshua 9:3-16. God included this event in the Bible so that we can learn from Joshua’s mistakes. In this chapter, we find several guidelines that can help us make right decisions.
The first guideline is
1. Never make a decision based solely on circumstantial evidence (v.3-13).
A. Circumstantial evidence is often tainted.
(1) In Joshua’s case, unsaved people deceived them (v.7). They should have asked more questions.
(2) (Proverbs 18:13) “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.“
B. Circumstantial evidence may become a trap.
(1) The princes and Joshua gullibly accepted the false evidence that was presented (v.14).
(2) Had they carefully thought, they would have asked …
(a) If they were from a very far country, why did they want a league?
(b) If they were from a very far country, how did they know so many details?
(c) What will a league benefit Israel?
(d) (Proverbs 22:3) “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.“
C. Circumstantial evidence can lead astray.
(1) It may tug our emotions in the wrong direction.
(2) It is vital that we die to self and truly desire only what the Lord wants for us.
D. Circumstantial evidence should always be tested.
(1) Test it with Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22) “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.“
(2) Seek the counsel of an unbiased friend.
(3) Joshua and his staff should have sought counsel from others before making the decision (v.18). (Proverbs 11:14) “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.“
The second guideline is
2. Never make a decision contrary to God’s Word.
A. God had clearly forbidden leagues.
(1) He commanded Israel not to make any leagues with the people of the land.
(3) Though the deceivers claimed to be from a far country, they should have realized that the principle still applied.
(4) We need to be careful to follow both the clear teaching in the Bible and biblical principles.
B. Here are a few questions that can help us.
(1) Could this decision cause me to disobey the clear teaching of the Bible?
(2) Could this decision cause me to disobey a biblical principle?
(3) Could this decision hurt my testimony?
(4) Could this decision open the door to sin in the future?
The second guideline is
3. Never make a decision without God’s peace.
A. Ask the Lord for peace before deciding (v.14).
(1) We should always seek the LORD’s will in every decision we make, prior to making it. We must be careful not to work out our plans on our own and then ask the Lord to approve them.
(2) Note the advice Solomon gives in (Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” [Comment on each point.]
(3) God’s leading is like a lamp; it lights more of the path as we walk ahead in what has already been revealed.
B. A preacher once listed three ways through which God directs His children.
(1) Through our desire. “The best I know, I am right with God and I have a longing to do this that doesn’t go away.”
(2) Through our dissatisfaction. “Though I cannot say exactly why, I just am no longer at peace about my present situation.”
(3) Through the Word of God. Sometimes God will cause a verse of Scripture to seemingly “jump” off the page at us without having been looking for it to give us direction.
(4) To these three, we can also add, Through inner peace. God frequently gives inner peace to help lead us in his direction.
(5) We must always remember … God’s will never contradicts His Word.
The fourth guideline is that
4. Never make a decision without thoroughly considering the consequences (v.16).
A. The consequences of Joshua’s wrong decision affected Israel for the rest of time.
(1) They could not destroy them as God had commanded.
(2) They had to settle to make them slaves.
(3) They had to live with their sin, never to completely know the perfect will of God.
B. Joshua should have considered the possibility of their deceit.
(1) He should have thought, what would happen if the foreigners were deceiving him?
(2) This is one of the few times that “What if” questions are in order. A list of all the pros and cons should be written out.
Conclusion: God has a plan for our church, for your life, and for mine that He wants us to follow. Finding that plan and following it involves many decisions. If we learn from the mistake that Joshua made and follow the guidelines that we have found in this text, we will rejoice in knowing and doing God’s will.
Many times, wrong decisions cannot be altered. If you have made some wrong decisions, learn from them, ask God to forgive you for them, make the best of them, and do not repeat them.