Yes and No: The Two Shortest Words That Decide Your Life

Sermon outline

God has given you the right of choice, so your life is the sum total of your decisions: remain in Christ the vine, ask big, and make quality decisions, learning to say yes and no wisely, because decisions will make you fly higher or crash.

1. I am the vine, you are the branches

   When you bear fruit, God prunes you, so challenges can be a sign you are in the right place; the closer you get to God, the greater the challenges. You are already clean through the Word, God knew and called you before you were born, and like Adam you must stay in the place where He put you. Remain in Him and let His words remain in you, then ask whatever you wish, because you have not because you ask not; he admits he has missed God at times because he was afraid to ask. Jesus calls us friends, not servants.

   Illustration: It is as if your mum and dad said they don't want to be just mum and dad but your friend.

   “Every word of God is a building block in your spiritual DNA.”

   • John 15:1-16
   • Jeremiah 1:5
   • Psalm 139:13
   • Genesis 3:9
   • 2 Corinthians 4:7
   • James 4:2

2. You are in control: your right of choice

   God has given you charge and the mandate to make decisions: how high you climb, how far your business grows and what level you will settle for. Your self-value, identity and desire all depend on this power secret that you alone control. Many voices compete, from God, the devil, the human spirit and the world's philosophy, so make sure the voice you follow is Word-based. You cannot blame God for a choice, such as a marriage partner, that you made yourself.

   Illustration: He worked one job from the age of 18 until nearly 40, never hopping from place to place, because God cannot trust you with His anointing until you show yourself committed and faithful. Taking stock of a month of helping others, he realised he could not have done it if he had been in lack himself.

   “Down people can't help down people. It's only when you're up you can reach down and pick somebody up.”

   • Luke 19:13
   • Luke 16:10
   • Philippians 2:13

3. You are deciding for yourself: yes and no

   Decisions are spoken with the two shortest words in the language, yes and no, and the Bible tells us to use them carefully. You can't say yes to every opportunity that comes your way, and family, friends and colleagues who think they know best should not decide for you; it would be foolish to say yes to co-signing someone's big debt. Decisive people create circumstances instead of waiting for favourable ones, and winners make clear choices and put them into action.

   Illustration: He quotes a philosopher named Munger: the heaviest charged words in our language are the briefest, yes and no. Indecisive people are like a twig near the edge of a stream, caught by every weed and whirled in little circles, while winners, like Caesar, burn their ships behind them so there is no retreat.

   “Decisive people create circumstances.”

   • James 5:12

4. How much is enough for you?

   Your decisions define what you want in life, and the law of sowing and reaping guarantees a harvest from every choice and every thought. Success does not fall into people's laps; studying for a degree takes commitment and hard work. Sunday is your one shot in the week for the Word to wash away the fear, doubt and negativity of the week, so don't miss it, and train your children young so that they never separate godliness from their worldly status.

   Illustration: A young man in the church qualified as an engineer at the first attempt, while someone at another workplace took about 15 attempts; when congratulated he humbly thanked God, but it was also a quality decision and hard work.

   “Your life is a sum total of decisions.”

   • Galatians 6:7
   • John 15:3
   • Ephesians 5:26