Hallelujah, yes, let's look to the word one more time. Let's just close our eyes till our Spirits prepare our minds and say, "God, here am I to listen to your voice," and ask God, "Lord, I want to hear you speak to me and I would like to align with your word." Lord, dear God, we want to thank you for your presence. We thank you, Lord, for the immeasurable blessings that each one of us has received from you. Lord, as we look to your living word, God, may your Holy Spirit, the author of the scriptures, come alive in our lives and speak to us and bring change and transformation. Holy Spirit, take control all this time. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen.

I just said that the lines Joshua was speaking something about decisions. You heard that, will of God, surrendering, yes? So I'm going to continue on that theme today. I'm going to talk about how do we make Godly decisions, very simple and practical, but I want all of us to consider, think about it, how do we go about in making decisions in our life? There's no choice, all of us, we have to make decisions all the time. Every day we make a lot of decisions. This morning, you made a decision to be here, all right? And there are some small decisions that we make in our lives. There are quite big decisions that we take in life. Small decisions could be what do you wear, which color dress you want to wear, what do you eat? That need not make a great difference or impact upon your life. Those are small decisions. But sometimes we tend to give more time and thought to small decisions rather than big decisions. Big decisions could be, of course, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is a big decision that we can take. And after that, whom do we marry?

Where do you choose a school or college? What course to take? What business to undertake? What partnerships to get in? Which company to choose from the several decisions that we'll be facing, if not day today, at least regularly, big decisions. So how do we, as people of God, as believers, go about making decisions? Very important, for I believe the quality of our life depends upon the quality of decisions that you take. If you are good at taking decisions, it will lead you to a life that is good, prosperous, blessing, successful. But if you're bad at making decisions, it will lead to a life of failure and facing odd circumstances.

Often, I like what John C. Maxwell said once. Of course, he's known for his leadership books, expert in all our leadership topics. He makes this profound statement, simple but profound. "It is our decisions, not our conditions, that determine our quality of life." Just think about it. Many times, we tend to blame our condition, the kind of family that we are born into, the kind of spouse that we are married to, the kind of circumstances that we are in. We tend to blame those kinds of things. Yes, they might have a role to play. I'm not ignoring or denying about that fact. But life depends more upon the decisions. If you know how to take good decisions, you can actually overcome all the negative side of the conditions that you might be facing. So, I would like to encourage you this morning as children of God, as people who believe in the word of God, how do we go about making Godly decisions in life? Let me also share a disclaimer here. I'm not standing here taking all great decisions in my life, perfect decisions in my life. That's why I'm not standing here sharing this. I have made plenty of wrong decisions in my life. I have disobeyed God many other times. But I always run to the grace of God.

I always run into the hands of God and He has always worked through all of that. So, here might be people who are sitting or currently at this point of time at Crossroads or about to make some decisions in your life. This word might be a timely word for you. But there are other people or may not be making decisions currently at this point of time in your life, but you have made several decisions in your life. Some of them have gone wrong and you're experiencing the consequences of it. There is hope. That's why I said about my story. Okay? God can work all things together for good. No, if you only know that we are, we love God and we are called by God. Hallelujah. So, we don't have to regret about the wrong decisions that has happened in the past. But we cannot undo.

We cannot undo the past. But if you surrender those regrets, if you surrender to God, accept, "Yes, Lord, I made wrong decisions in my life," and offer it to God, God is able to work through those things and turn those things for your good and God's glory. Amen. In any case, this word is for all of us because all of us will be facing several decision-making moments in our life. And I would encourage if you go by the word and do the decisions Godly way, we'll end up making Godly decisions that will take us to a destiny that God has planned for us. Amen? Hallelujah. Let me also quote about this famous evangelist Billy Graham said once, "The strongest principle of life and blessings lies in our choice. Our life is the sum result of all the choices we make, both consciously and unconsciously. If we can control the process of choosing, we can control all aspects of our life. We can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of our life. So start with what is right rather than what is acceptable. If you don't make a decision, then time will make it for you and time will always side against you."

It's a very powerful statement. We need to make decisions, decisions that are Godly, decisions that are good, to experience the life that God has for us. Amen? Hallelujah. I want to drive this point in the beginning itself to all of us. The quality of our life is determined by the choices that we make, the decisions that we take. I would like us to share some principles, three in fact, simple principles. How do we make Godly decisions? By looking at a person called King Rehoboam. His story is recorded in 2 Chronicles chapter 10. Come with me to that scripture portion. In fact, it would have been nice if I could read the entire chapter, but due to the lack of time, I'll just read till verse 11. Okay? I would want all of you to pay careful attention and we'll draw some powerful principles about making Godly decisions in our life.

Rehoboam went to Shechem where all Israel had gathered to make him King. When Jeroboam, son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt where he had fled to escape from King Solomon. The leaders of Israel summoned him and Jeroboam and all Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. "Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us, then we will be your loyal subjects." Rehoboam replied, "Come back in three days for my answer." So the people went away. Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?" The older counselors replied, "If you are good to these people and do your best to please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects." But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisors. "What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?" The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden. My father's little finger is thicker than my father's waist. Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier. My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions." And you know the consequences of it. There was such a tragedy that happened after this that the glorious nation of Israel got divided into pieces, the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom because of this one wrong decision that King Rehoboam took. King Rehoboam was the son of King Solomon and grandson of King David.

King Rehoboam was the choice of King Solomon. There's no debate or no conflict with him becoming the king. There came a time where he was to be coronated as king of Israel. So all the people had come to meet him at a place called Shechem and they made a request to him. All the people of Israel came and requested him, saying, "See, your father had put a huge burden on us, huge taxes upon us. Lighten our burden, accept our request, and we will be loyal to you all our lives." So let's go about how Solomon, how Rehoboam considered what decision to make. First thing is he asked them for three days' time. Now, let me ask you, was that the right decision that Rehoboam took, asking for three days' time? [Someone says, "Yes."]

So, we all agree that Rehoboam did the right thing of taking three days' time to make his decision. Absolutely, you're right. Always take time to decide. The first step in making decisions in our life is not to be hasty but take time to think, to contemplate, to weigh all the options, and not just go by the spur of the moment, not just depend upon our feelings and circumstances, especially never make any decisions when you're emotionally high or low, when you're too excited or too sorrowful. Always come to a point where you are balanced in your mind and your emotions before making decisions. So, Rehoboam did the first thing right. He took time to make decisions. So, never be hasty because we are only control we have control over the decisions that we make but we don't have control over the consequences of our decisions. The consequences cannot be undone. Sometimes it could be very fatal and the consequences can be too high. So, we need to always take time before we make any decisions.

I understand there might be sometimes that we will be in emergency situations where we have to take quick decisions. You are in the operation theater and a doctor comes and says it's a life and death issue, the operation has to be done. Then you can't say, "Please give me three days' time." Okay? There are exceptions in emergency situations, you will have to act quickly. But generally, before making any decisions, always take time. Is it clear?

The second thing that King Rehoboam did was he consulted counselors, advisers. One group were the older people who used to be advisers to his father King Solomon, and another group were the young people who grew up along with him, who were his peers, who were now his advisers. Now, let me ask the second question to all of you: Was it right for Rehoboam to consult the advisers? [Everyone unanimously says, "Yes."] Yes, King Rehoboam did the right thing. After taking time, wise people will always consult, will take advice. There are many scriptures that I would like to bring, you know, quickly read through so that I could finish in time. There are quite a few verses, Proverbs, known as the book of wisdom. Many times, we tell our children there are 31 chapters in Proverbs, please read one for a day. That was what I was told, okay? It's good advice. You can just still follow it. You can avoid a lot of problems in your life if you always take wisdom from the scriptures.

Proverbs 11:14 says, "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." If you do not have counsel, you tend to fall. But consult people. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise." How many of you think that you're right in your own eyes? If you think that, you know what Bible calls you? Fools. You know, many, if you're not consulting, if you're not taking advice, then we can be categorized into the section of being foolish. "But in the multitude, but he who heeds counsel is wise." Proverbs 13:10, "By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom." One of the things of not taking advice and counsel is a sign of pride. I want you to think about it. Pride. People would not want to take counsel because they think they have answers for all the questions, they know anything about everything, and they're omniscient, that means they know all things. So, we need to be careful about allowing pride to hinder us from consulting. Take advice, take counsel, go to wise people.

Proverbs 15:22, "Without counsel plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established." You might have great plans, but if those plans are to be executed, implemented, established, you need to take wise counsel. However good the plans might be, the Bible says, if you do not take counsel, seek advice, and think through everything, those plans will go awry. Proverbs 19:20 says, "Listen to advice and accept instruction that you may gain wisdom in the future." How many of you want to gain wisdom? You need wisdom. Then listen to wisdom, listen to wise people, take advice. Proverbs chapter 24:6, "For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors, there is victory." We keep fighting plenty of battles at different fronts regularly in our life. You want to have victory in your life? Victory over your battles, overcome your issues? Then you should have quite a few counselors. Having read this, I want, did you note that nowhere it says you should allow other people to make decisions for you?

The scripture only tells, take advice, take counsel, go to wise people. But it never ever says, let them make decisions for you. Let no man make decisions for you. I don't make any decisions for anybody, especially being in Pastor Ministry. People come and ask for suggestions, advice. I can pray, but I never make decisions for them. I will not, especially in marriage situations. Some people have this, you know, I don't know what to call that, you know, this thing that Pastor can pray, close his eyes, and God will show whom that person has to marry. At what school and say, "Pastor, you pray and tell me." Then what are you here for? I will only say, my stand is always this, and I think I'm right scripturally. I said, weigh all the options. I can advise you, I can suggest to you from my experience. You are the one going to make the decision, so that tomorrow you cannot blame anybody. So, you take the decision, and then as a pastor, I'll stand with you, whether good or bad. What are the consequences? I'll stand with you. But decision will be yours. So, all and any decision, but we seek advice. Sometimes, I might not be an expert in all. Sometimes, business and finances, I'm very bad.

The corporate problems you go through, I might not be, you know, competent person. I will refer you to some of our people among you who are expert in those fields. Like, go and talk to that person. It's always good. We have, why should we go out of the body of Christ to seek counsel from ungodly people, when God has blessed such people of wisdom within the body of Christ? Whom are you heeding, whom are you consulting? Be very careful. I know there are people when manages go wrong, they go to wrong people, and they add their philosophy. It's not working, live it. That's the counsel you get, and you think that's right? No, absolutely. You know, you have to consult godly people, and we have plenty of wonderful people in the body of Christ, you know, that who can guide you properly. So, that's having said that. Now, there were two options that Rehoboam had. One is to consider the advice given by the older counselors, another is the advice given by the younger counselors. The older counselors said, "Just heed to them, just give to them, just listen to them, they will be loyal people forever." The younger people said, "No, don't do it, increase their load, increase their labor, because tomorrow, today you give to this, tomorrow they might come with some other request, they'll sit on your head. So, be careful that you don't heed to their decision." So, Rehoboam went about taking the advice of the younger.

**Begin Transcript:**

People asked a question: "No." How many of you said no? Others are saying, "Yes." The people who said it was a wrong decision because you know the consequences of it. What happened, because you know that the decision went wrong, the people rebelled and the kingdom got divided. You know the story. That's why it's the wrong decision. What if the people are submitted to Rehoboam? Rehoboam did not have the advantage of what would happen to the decision, right? What if the decision advice that Rehoboam took worked in his favor? What if all the people submitted to him? Would you still say it was the wrong decision? I want to tell you, the question of right and wrong, good and bad, wise and foolish, does not depend on the decision itself. So sometimes, this is very obvious here, that there are two contrasting options for you, and you're very easily saying yes or no confidently. What if you have three or four equally good decisions? You want to choose a good job. You have four great companies lined up for you. How will you choose which is the right and which is the wrong? You have four wonderful proposals that come by, all eligible bachelors, wonderfully smart-looking. That's what many see out of appearance much, okay? Then doing great and earning well and all the four guys excellent. Whom will you choose, or women? How will you choose? Four excellent colleges, all the colleges you got admission to. Which one would you choose? From four different positions, all excellent. Which will you choose? From all confident say yes and no. That's why I said, the question about whether right or bad is not depending on the decision itself, but the fundamental problem with King Rehoboam was he did not consult God. The third step that I'm sharing is what differentiates the people of God from the rest of the world. Everybody takes time. Everybody consults, whoever it might be, but they don't consult God. But we, sometimes, many believers, we also go about the same. We only think naturally, logically, you know, we use our wisdom, and we think we are making smart decisions. I have made a lot of messes in my own life, but thankfully, God has restored me. Thankfully, God's grace has worked through it, because I come back and told God, "Lord, I'm sorry, I have taken a wrong decision," and God has worked through it. God has been merciful to me. So, the first thing that we have to do is seek God in our decision-making. Then, take time. Then, pray. Our decision has to start from before making any decision, especially if you're making a big decision—job, marriage, relocation, ministry. You have to start in prayer. Sometimes, you have to fast and pray for God to guide you. Do not be hasty in your decisions because consequences can be too fatal. It cannot be undone easily, and the restoration of God also does not happen instantly. You just come, say, "Sorry, God, forgive me," you think everything will be undone? No, you will have to go through the process of pain. Through that process, He will teach you how not to make that mistake again. So, we need to be very careful. So here, we see the decisions made by Rehoboam was costly for him because he failed to seek God first. First, we come to God in prayer and ask, "Lord, from prayer, you should arise." Whom should you consult? When should you consult? And then take the counsel, come back to God, and say, "Lord, these are all the options that I have. Which direction, which guidance do I need to take?" And then, when you go, you will have the hand of blessing upon your life. Another mistake I commonly see in people, being a pastor, is this: They don't consult God in the decision-making, they don't pray, but they decide and then pray and then expect God to bless them. Have you seen such people? Yes. They will decide first itself through their own wisdom whom they should marry, example. Okay? Only example. Oh, they should marry, and then pray, "Lord, you bless this marriage," and then call the pastor also to solemnize and bless your marriage. Just because you called your pastor to bless your marriage when you're not consulted God, not done the will of God, you think God is obliged to bless your marriage now? Don't think about any of your marriage now. Just because there are problems even after consulting God does not mean that is not God's will. That's a different question altogether. But there are people who buy plots, who build houses without consulting God, going to a lot of consequences, probably called pastor also to pray for the house dedication, giving biryani and offering and all of that. Just because you serve pastor biryani offering, you prayed, will everything become blessed? Hey guys, think. Think. You have to have a right understanding of what men of God are supposed to do, what men of God supposed to be. I'm not that Midas touch pastor's hand, you know, whatever touches become gold. We have to consult God, depend on God, seek counsel. There's so many decisions I see people making, pick up the wrong college, pick up the wrong company. Excited, they see only what's outward, what is going well. They just go by feelings and circumstances and emotions and make decisions, and later suffer. And then you come back and cry and pastor, pray, what I can do? I can also cry with you and pray because the Bible says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep." I'll weep with you, I can pray for you, but you cannot undo the damages. So, Rehoboam did that costly mistake of not consulting God before he took the decision. That became very costly. You see, such a glorious kingdom, the history of Israel would have been so different if Rehoboam had consulted God. The nation of Israel would have been still united, two parts, the kingdom that God had blessed, the kingdom of God's people, torn into two pieces, ten pieces going to Jeroboam and two pieces, two tribes coming to King Rehoboam. That was such a tragic thing happened in the history of Israel. So, this could have been avoided if he would have learned to seek God in his decision-making.

We have a great example in Lord Jesus. You look at Lord Jesus, his whole life was soaked in prayer. All night, he prayed. Day times, he prayed. And before he could make any decisions, he spent time in prayer. We observe that in scriptures in Luke 3:21-22. Before he stepped out into ministry, before he stepped out into the mission that God had sent him to this world, he prayed 40 days. He fasted and prayed. Even while he was getting baptized, the Holy Spirit, he prayed. Second thing we see, Luke 6:12-13, a time came where he has to choose who are going to be the 12 disciples.

When Jesus was on this Earth, there were multitudes used to follow Jesus, and among them, he had chosen 70 to be disciples. And there came about the time Jesus was about to choose 12 disciples who are going to be very closely journeying with him, be with him wherever he goes. And this is a very critical decision. And to make that decision, he spent the whole night in prayer. You read the scripture, it will tell you, the whole night he prayed. And then, came and took the decision. Jesus, being the Son of God, if he had to depend on God, pray so much before taking any decisions, how much we need to pray before taking any decisions in our life. You see, thirdly, before going to the cross, he was tempted to give up. He knew what the cross would mean to him. He knew what the pain that he would have to go through. He knew how his death that would be.

So, whole night he was tempted and prayed, "Lord, if there's any other way, let this cup pass from me." Then when he realized that there's no other way, he said, "Lord, not my will, but your will be done." God is only committed to bless what we do in his will. Let us be people who seek the will of God above all things, not just do whatever we think is right, not just go by our feelings, not just being pressurized by the circumstances, but come before God, pray, ask God, counsel, ask, talk to people, go before God, and then take decisions. Then you will see your life being blessed.

I will conclude with C.S. Lewis, a very profound statement that he made about decisions: "Every time you make a choice, you are turning the central part of you, the part that chooses, into something a little different than it was before, and taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable decisions, you slowly turn the central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature by simply making decisions that you make. You see how the transformation is happening? How you're getting transformed? How you're becoming like Jesus? How you're growing in godliness? How you're growing in maturity? You know how does that happen? By learning to take godly decisions." Now, I understand there might be some of you who are very afraid of taking decisions in life. Probably you want to leave all the decisions outsourced to your parents or spouse or somebody else. You don't want to make any decisions, so afraid of going wrong. You'll have to slowly let go of that and learn to take small decisions one at a time. And even if something goes wrong, all right. So one thing beauty about God that I've learned in my life is this: As long as my heart is right, I sought God. I would have committed blunders, but if I come back to him, He's always there for me. Did you understand what I said? As long as my heart is right, right?

My conscience is right. And committed some wrong decisions, but I come back to Him. God will work through my situations and circumstances and still bring me to where I am supposed to be. Amen. So that's a very profound statement C.S. Lewis makes. Every time you're learning to make decisions, I want this morning all of you to decide to make godly decisions in your life. I don't know how you have been making your decisions so far, but I want you to consider and make a decision to go this way, a godly way. You see, what is the first thing? Let's talk about the three steps. What is the first step that we should take before deciding? Take time. Step two, take counsel. Step three, do you think that's the right order? I might have put it in that order to bring about light, the important third point. That's not the right order. That's a wrong order. Which should be the step one? Seek God first. Then take time. Then pray. You know, surrender to God, and then take right decision. Shall we all arise in God's presence this morning?