The Healing Word

Guest (Male): The healing word ministry on one place is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in him.

Pastor Jack Morris: Something is leading you. Now, you do have a choice. You can decide who or what your shepherd will be. But you have a shepherd. No doubt about it. Everybody is being led by something by your wants, by your wishes, by the opinion of others. But you can decide who your shepherd is.

Guest (Male): Each and every day is full of decisions we have to make. Many are small, but some can carry with them good outcomes or undesirable consequences. Today, Pastor Morris has a very practical message about making the right decisions and how involving God can provide peace and confidence as we move through each day. Let's join the congregation at the Largo Community Church for the message making the right decision.

Pastor Jack Morris: Do you ever make a decision? You make them all day long, every day of your life. So this is one of the most practical sermons that I have preached here at the church because we're always making decisions, but not always are they the right decisions. Sometimes they are and sometimes they're not. Today, I'm going to talk to you about how to make right decisions and enjoy the blessing of life more completely and fully than at any other time in your life. There's a plaque on the Florida Singing Tower that says these words. I come here to find myself.

It's so easy to get lost in the world. And that's why I come to church and I think maybe that's one of the reasons you come to church. We come here to find ourselves. We have so many things happening and scattering our thoughts, our attention, our resources, our energies during the week and we come here to this sort of pull ourselves together again to find ourselves. It's it's just so easily to to get frayed and to go off in in all these various directions. And when we make decisions, listen, we live with the consequences. We live with the aftermath, whether it is a good decision or a bad decision.

Many of our decisions, we don't know whether they're good or bad until the passing of several days, weeks, perhaps even years. And we think, oh, I wish I had not made that. But a little tiny decision made here will go way out there somewhere and when it finds its destination, it'll be either a happy or a joyous time or a very sad and difficult time. We live with the consequences of our decisions. So it ought to be very very important to pay attention to know how to make a good decision since we live with the consequences of all of our decisions.

A little girl was misbehaving and her mother told her she said, now I'm telling you if you don't stop that, you're going to live with the consequences. She just started crying. The mother said, I haven't done anything yet. What's wrong? She said, I want to live with you, mommy and daddy. I don't want to live with the consequences. We live with the consequences, whether we want to or not, no way. The scripture says, listen to this. Proverbs 23, a prudent man foresees the danger of ahead of him and takes precaution. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

God saved me from being a simpleton. I want to make the decisions that will glorify him and bless my life. Now, I want you to look at the screen and we're going to look at Psalm 23 verse 3. Now, notice and read it out loud with me in unison. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Now, notice those first three words. He guides me. Now, there are two personal prepositions there, he and me. He and me. It's always he and me. But in between, there's a sweet word that bridges he and me.

The word is guides. He guides me. You see David wrote this Psalm. Before David became king, he was a shepherd, a shepherd boy up on the mountain, staying out days and weeks at a time before ever coming in alone with his harp and with his worship to God. He cared for the sheep. He would kill the lion. He would kill the bear that would attack the sheep. God's blessing was upon him. So he knew sheep very well. And now that he becomes king of Israel, he's going to shepherd people. But going back to the to the the animal, the sheep, you see sheep can get lost so easily.

And Jesus likens us to sheep. You want to turn to a neighbor and say hi sheep? Sheep can get lost so easily. Now, I'm not finished. Listen. What I'm saying is who's leading you? Who's feeding you? Who's taking care of you? Now, we all have a shepherd. We all have someone or something leading us. All of us here this morning, we're following something or someone. It's not a question of do I have a shepherd? Do I want a shepherd? Or do I not want a shepherd? There you have no choice at all. You have a shepherd.

It may be he, the Lord Jesus, or it may be listen your own opinions. You may have been listening to your own thinking. You may are already being led by your own rationale or your own emotions or your own feelings are leading you down a path where you're going to fall over a cliff if you don't follow the Lord Jesus Christ. It may be your private notions. But something something is leading you. It just may be it's the the star or the sign that you've been born under. But something you're paying attention to something is leading you.

Now, you do have a choice. You can decide who or what your shepherd will be. But you have a shepherd. No doubt about it. No question, no argument. Everybody but everybody is being led by something by your wants, by your wishes, by the opinion of others. But you can decide who your shepherd is. All right. He guides me. They put up the second one now. Right. So read it all again. He guides me in the paths of righteousness. Now, where does he guide me? When I make him my shepherd, look at what the underline is the paths of righteousness.

You know, the scripture says again in Proverbs, the book of wisdom, there is a way that seems right to man. But the end thereof is death. You follow anything or anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And most of us, we are very convinced that we're intelligent thinking people. And we start thinking our carnal thoughts that are being provoked by our emotions, by what's going on around us. Our emotions and what's going on around us is our shepherd. We're following that. Our emotions are conditioned by that. And when our emotions are conditioned by that, our behavior comes out of that then.

But we're following something. But there is a way that seems right. But you follow that way and the end thereof is death. Spiritual death, death to happiness, death to joy, death to everything that is prosperous.

Guest (Male): Are you seeking a way to start your week filled with hope and inspiration? Every Monday morning, receive a fresh devotional delivered right to your inbox to uplift your spirit and encourage you throughout the week. Pastor Jack Morris carefully crafts each message with scripture that speaks to the heart, reflections to inspire growth, and practical steps to help you live out your faith every day. These are words of hope and strength meant to meet you right where you are. Ready to begin? Just visit the healingword.com and click the banner to sign up. Start each week with renewed purpose, feeling connected to God and ready for what lies ahead.

Pastor Jack Morris: Human nature. Now, this is this is human nature. Human nature wants to follow the path of least resistance. We want to do it our way. And our way is usually the most convenient way. It's like water. Where does water run? Does water run uphill? No. Water runs downhill. Do you know why it runs downhill? Because it takes no effort. It's the way of least resistance. So we look at our lives and we think, well, what's the easiest for me? What's going to make me happy? What's the most convenient for me? Now, we don't go through that that liturgy of asking all those questions.

It just happens that we think we're just number one, that we are just very very special. And this is how we want to do it. And we don't want to do it any other way. And this is the best way because this way is the easiest way. And then that's the way we follow it. That that's human nature. That's how humans behave. Now, take your bulletin, open your bulletin. Yeah, I'll wait just a moment. Open it up. There's a checklist for you to put some check marks by. This checklist, you take it home with you, put it in your Bible, put it on your dresser.

Every day look at it, follow it. You'll walk with Jesus. Here's your checklist. There are lots of ways I can go. So the first thing I have to ask, do I know him as my savior? Do I have a relationship with him? But not only do I have a personal relationship with him in the born again experience demonstrated and manifested by being baptized in water, but do I have a relationship right now in this decision that I'm about to make? Am I talking to him about it? In am I relating this to him? Do I have a relationship, not only a born again saved relationship, I'm a Christian, but do I have a relationship with him in the decisions I'm about to make?

Have I put those decisions in his hand? Are you with me this morning? You're still with me? Okay. All right. What's the second one?

Guest (Male): The word of God.

Pastor Jack Morris: The word of God. The Psalm says, thy word have I hid in my heart or have I stored in my heart through reading it, through memorizing it. I've been storing it up. Thy word have I stored in my heart that I might not sin against you. Now, anything contrary to the word of God is wrong. It's not whether I've had people dare dare me. You know, I've been a pastor almost 55 years. That's a long time. I was figuring it out the other day and I said to how long have we pastor here 40 years, all going on 40 years, pastor 15 years before coming here.

Wow. And I'm so young still. Started when I was 3 years old and No. But anything that is contrary to the word of God and here of the people will come to me all through these years and they'll say pastor but these are the circumstances. The circumstances don't change the word of God. That doesn't change God's word. Pastor, if you knew the circumstances and the situation well, God knows the circumstances and the situation, but his word is forever settled in heaven. Heaven and earth will pass away, but the word of God will stand forever. Do you know there's such a thing as the bureau of standards that guarantees uniform system of measurement, the bureau of standards?

The bureau of standards says this. There are 16 ounces to a pound. The bureau of standards says there are 36 inches to a yard. Now, regardless of the circumstances, a yard is a yard. A pound is a pound. I can't say well, look, this is only 30 33 and a half. Oh, let's just call it a yard. You can call it anything. But the bureau of standards says a yard is 36 inches. I can say well, this is this is a 10 and a half pounds. I'll just call it a pound. Now, this is 10 and a half ounces.

Let's just call it a pound. I can call it anything, but the bureau of standards says a pound is 16 ounces. Now, God's standard is his word is his word. I I can't twist it. I can't twist it in any way. It it's forever settled. Now, here's how some a few at least one one person did it. I was in Bible college my first year and the teacher told us about one of the students I think was there. And he he was in love with a girl called her name was Phoebe. And he loved Phoebe.

And he wanted Phoebe to be his wife. And he knew that they were going to have a great ministry together. And he prayed that Phoebe just wasn't showing him a whole lot of attention. And some of his friends said, maybe you ought to look and get another girlfriend other than Phoebe. And so he he prayed God give me Phoebe. He didn't say God, do you want me to have Phoebe? I am praying God give me Phoebe. So he he did the first thing wrong. Then he went to the Bible. And do you ever see people do this?

This is what he does. Puts his Bible down, puts his head back, closes his eyes and and then he goes like this. And his finger his finger went right down on Romans 16:1 where the apostle Paul said, I commend to you our sister Phoebe. And he said, that's it. That's it. Oh, I know it's God's will. You know, you you can work things and twist things and make things come out pretty much the way you want them to. Can you Is that true? Can you say amen? And then I need to check my will. I need to check my wishes.

Is it in line with the word of God? I can't say well, pastor, if you knew the circumstances and the situation and what proceeded and and blah blah blah baloney baloney baloney. No. God doesn't change like that. His word is his revealed will. And there are consequences if I do not follow his will. And then my prayers, I learned by asking and listening. And those prayers that are prayed in private before the Lord have a way of turning out to be the right decision if I'm listening to the Lord. Now, sometimes the Bible just doesn't tell us everything.

It just doesn't reveal to us a a chapter and verse that will help us to know. For instance, if a person is going to move into a city and they know they're not going to be there very long because their job's going to take them out and they need to they're trying to determine whether should I buy or should I sell? What should I do? Now, you're going to not be able to find a chapter and verses that will say thou shalt buy, thou shalt not rent. That's not there. You're not going to find that, but I'll tell you what will happen.

There will come the voice of God to your heart, the feeling, a sensation, an urge, a motivation. But more than all of that, there will come a peace. Did you hear me? You know, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. And wherever Jesus, the good shepherd is leading, the Prince of Peace is leading. And if you are feeling a peace in your heart and you pray about it again and that peace is there and then you pray about it the next day and the next day and that peace is still there, that's Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace.

The scripture says in Colossians 3:15, listen to this. Listen to this. Let the peace of God rule in your heart. Now, this is how I have made most of my decisions that I couldn't find them in the word of God. I couldn't find a chapter and verse. This is how I have personally made almost all of my decisions. And when I didn't make a decision this way, I always made a wrong decision. But I have prayed and I have asked God, God, what shall I do? When we built this building, I talked to a man the other day who was the treasurer of the church years ago who told me just the other day two or three days ago, he said, pastor, I remember when I was treasurer, when I went over the figures, it didn't compute.

We couldn't do it. We just couldn't build that building. And I told you so. But he said, you talked faith and went ahead and you built the building. And thank God it's paid off today. And I had that peace. Friend, when you pray sincerely, God, if this isn't your will, let there come a grave feeling, just a cloud over me. And that has happened to me. And I've backed away from those things and I told the Lord Lord, I I feel cloudy about that. Feel cloudy, but I feel a peace over here. Follow the peace.

The scripture says let the peace of God rule. Now, the word rule means like an empire at a ball game. You don't argue with the empire, do you? Oh, I know some of you would. Some of us would, yeah. But when the empire says out, you're out. When he says it's a strike, it's a strike. And the Lord Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke in Colossians 3:15 and said, let the peace of God be the empire in your heart. When you can't find a chapter and a verse, you're going to buy a new car, you're going to take a vacation, you're going to sell your house, whatever you're doing, pray about it, put it in God's hands and then let the peace of God overshadow you and flow in your heart.

Now, he's got a a a reputation to keep. That's that's what that means. For his name's sake, people either have a good name or a bad name. You mention their name, you think of the good things they've done or you think of the bad things they've done. So God has made many many promises in the scripture. And then he says he's going to guide you. Look, he guides me for his name's sake. He guides me in the paths of righteousness. That means the ways that are consistent with his will for his name's sake. He does all of this to keep his reputation intact.

Never failed me yet and you never will. He'll never fail you. The scripture says in Hebrews 10:23, he is faithful who has promised. Say those words with me. He is faithful who has promised. That's what that means for his name's sake. For his name's sake, he's going to guide you if you follow this checklist, if you follow prayer, if you follow his word. He'll move heaven and earth, but he's not going to let you down because if he lets you down, he lets himself down. He has a reputation to keep for his name's sake. Now, what do you do about the decisions that you've made that turned out to be bad decisions, decisions in the past?

Do I have your attention now? Okay. What do you do about those things? We know what we're going to do beginning right now today. We've got a checklist we're going to go by, but we didn't have that checklist yesterday or last week or last year. And we made some decisions and we found out oh oh, that was not a good decision and now I'm stuck with the consequences. So what do you do? You can't go back and unrace. You can't expunge. Uh you can't undo. You see God never goes back and rewrites history. God goes back and forgives history.

You didn't get that, did you? Oh, you didn't? Okay. He forgives when you take it to him and say God, I made a wrong decision. I made a wrong decision then. You made a wrong decision. Don't berate yourself. Don't call yourself names. Don't say oh, I was so stupid. Well, that's that's true. You I shouldn't have done that. Of course you shouldn't have done that. But you were so caught up and perhaps very innocent, naive in that whole situation. And now you're thinking oh, how could I have done such a thing as that? Well, you can go on indefinitely forever and ever berating yourself, but stop that.

Say like the uh the boy did in the pig pen. Say I will arise and go to my father. I still have a father. He'll give me a shepherd. He'll get me out of here. He'll bless me. He will forgive me. He'll give me new life. He'll take care of me. This is what he'll do. Can you say praise the Lord? Now, look up at the screen and we're going to read the conclusion together. Jesus is my good shepherd who guides his word by answers prayer and by giving me peace. I am his sheep and I know his voice.

Guest (Male): We hope that today's message has been a blessing and has strengthened your faith in God. But before we go, here is Pastor Jack Morris with a special invitation.

Pastor Jack Morris: Have you ever asked God why? Why this sickness? Why this divorce? This disappointment? Why these troubles and problems? Why God? Friend, I've just completed an e-book entitled from asking why God to trusting him. It's a faith journey. I'll be glad to send it to you free of charge simply for asking. Some of the life situations addressed in the e-book are God's timing in answering prayer, a journey of faith through suffering, reasons for unanswered prayer and more. For your free copy, go to the healingword.com and sign up. That's the healingword.com and I'll send you a free copy of from asking why God to trusting him.

I'm Pastor Jack Morris.

Guest (Male): Join us tomorrow for another healing word message. Until then, blessings on you.