Protecting Your Future - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child standing for Monday, December 27, when faced with a decision, it's imperative to consider the long-term ramifications learn some practical lessons that will guide you in protecting your future. What is the biggest mistake you provided your life is, or will abate some and down not too sure on that with the Lord is what is well. We all make mistakes. Sometimes a small mistake some doubt the big mistakes sometimes they have little or no consequence. Sometimes the hip very long lasting consequence. We all make them some of them we just so looks they will forgive and move on or I'll correct this. Some of them are irretrievable. You can't go back. You can't make it right once it's happened and one of those mistakes that I want to talk about in this message is one of them was mistakes that many people are making and do not even realize it. If you ask of you think that's a mistake. They said no and someone you turn if you will, to the 25th chapter of the book of Genesis and here is a very graphic picture of a mistake that many people are making in their life and what they're doing is simply this, they are simply sacrificing their future for the pleasure of the present moment that even realize it. Because you see the not looking ahead. They're doing those things that seem to be the natural normal thing to do so will you notice something here Abraham's son Isaac, two sons Jacob and Esau.

This is all about. One event, one incident in the relationship between Esau and Jacob saw just begin with the 27th verse speaks of these two young men when the boys grew up. Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man living in the tents.

Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game but Rebecca love Jacob Negrete notices regular conflict. His family already.

When Jacob had cooked stew. Esau came in from the feeling he was famished and Esau said to Jacob. Please let me have a swallow that red stuff, for I am famished. Therefore, his name was called Edom because it was read but Jacob said first sell me your birthright.

Esau said, behold, I'm about to die. All of what you stand is the birthright to me and Jacob said verse swear to me.

So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew.

The ate and drank and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. That some medicines will what's that got to do with me as a whole lot to do with all of us because here is the question.

The question is, what, what's going on in my life. If I'm willing to sacrifice my future for the pleasure of the moment when does that happen in the person's life is what happens we sacrifice the future for the pleasure of the moment when we are blind to the values in life when we are blind to the values in life that what happens here. Well, what happens is this the firstborn I had the birthright that was significant about that is was significant about the birthright was the most valuable thing possible for young man to have because it is what it meant. Then the father passed on that he became the head of the family that he got a double portion of the family wealth he was the ruler of the family he would oversee what went on, and the truth was, he also had the responsibility of being the priest so to speak to God in worship.

This was before the tribe of Levi came along and the God of the worship of the families and also the temple and so forth.

So this was a very responsible position and a position of great opportunity because you see not only would he be affected by, but his children. Children still know it's this was the most valuable thing he could possibly have. But because of his attitude and because of the way he evaluated and because of the way he looked at it and because of what he wanted at the moment he was willing to give up his birthright for one bowl of stew that we look at that and say well that's just ridiculous, but let me ask a question. Is there a bowl of stew in your life. Is there something you're into thinking about a decision something you've been contemplating some relationship you have that when you look at it very carefully.

It could influence and affect the rest of your life. It could impact your whole future. If you make the wrong decision about this.

It can impact your whole future. I think about then. For example, who are in business and the most valuable thing in your life is your prestige, your popularity, your prominence, your prosperity, your wealth all the things your reputation.

All that's the most important thing in your life so you neglect your wife. You neglect your children you give them almost no time they not just second-place. Their third and fourth place in your life, and after a while what happens.

Your wife walks away.

She divorces because she never sees you. The kids never see you and so they walk away didn't want anything to do with and so out there in the future. What you have. You have no relationship with your wife, your children don't care anything at all about you and that you've got money popularity prestige prominence but you have no intimate relationship. And so all of a sudden here's what happens, you begin to think, well, they're gone. So what will I do I'll just stir it up. I'll just make it work and you just plow into make more work so you have more prosperity and more prominence and more prestige and more the rest of more of this and more.

The other, but deep down inside you dying a little bit of the time. You know why you made a mistake because you did place the adequate value on your family what you did that you decided what you thought was important, and the result was and the result is and it happens every day that people whose wrong since the values they make decisions for the pleasure of the moment. Like in all this money love this prestige love this acceptance letter love all this, promise, love being president of this and love being on the stage and love being six speaking here love all this recognition only to lose the most valuable thing you have in your life. So that's one way you can sacrifice your future for the pleasure the moment a second way that is revealed as this is when we are ruled by our appetites rather than the spirit of God, a person is ruled by the appetites of the spirit of God is going to sacrifice the future.

So think about this here comes Esau hungry. First, the just dying for something and so his appetite is ruling him for the moment, and when appetites rule get ready for trouble because we know we all have appetites and there's nothing wrong with having an appetite.

God's given us. We have God endowed appetites for food for rest.

For example, from relationships on appetite for many things in life, sex, whatever it may be, but all of our appetites are to be ruled by the spirit of God within us and so when a person just yields to what is before then you see this is one of Satan's most powerful ways of bringing a person down. He shows it to you. You see it you feel it.

You touch it, you tasted whatever it might be and all of a sudden everything else is secondary.

When a person is ruled by the appetites they make very foolish decisions they make decisions that not only hurt them for the day but oftentimes those decisions don't show up in the consequence until later on and they look at their life and they look back and they say will now what could I have done differently and what they don't realize is this most the time people who make those come decisions there ruled by the appetites in many areas of their life. What do I want to see you and I live in a very materialistic age is what you see what you feel, what you touch and so all the propaganda and all of the advertisements present they make him look shiny. They make you look beautiful but they make you look masculine. They let this wealth and all the prosperity and all the things all of this is just just what is it doing just poison the people's minds.

And what happens when I have this gut I have. That must have this anytime somebody says if you don't get it today, you won't get it and tell him that keep it because it is a danger and so people ruled by the appetites and if you ruled by your appetite, you will not make wise decisions in life because God gave us the Holy Spirit gives what he said he said one of the fruits of the spirit of God living within us is what self-control that doesn't mean that I necessarily control myself but it simply means this, that the spirit of God within me. I am to yield to him. So when God says don't do that. What does that mean it doesn't mean on the play with it, consider a taste of his beloved touch it and then make a decision means I'm not the best minute and you see when you and who believers find ourselves tempted for things that are not of God. He is going to send us a signal. Don't do that don't move in that direction don't touch that don't build that relationship don't go there. But you see if you controlled by what you feel, what you what you see and and these desires within you to get out of control you had in the wrong direction. You can make a decision that Scott cost you in future consequences. So what ruled Esau would ruled Esau was not wisdom, it was not knowledge. What ruled him where feelings that he had and some of the people will say more but you know I did.

This is why I feel you can feel many things, but feeling sometimes the first step toward trouble. Hardy disaster and regret in life. We all have feelings about different things at different times so if you are ruled by your feelings and your appetites my desires. Somebody says will everybody has desires and so this happens to be mine and and since this is what I want to and I can have it. You see, watch, since this is what Satan says Satan says why not.

There it is its present it's available you like it you needed you wanted take it and what happens is you take something that is before God's timing is something that is not of God, and you suffer the consequences's ask your question. Do you have a Super Bowl in your life. Is there something that you are contemplating doing it before.

This message is of you going to stop and think am I willing to sacrifice my future. Over this thing, this relationship going in this direction moving here taking this job when everything in your says don't do that and you see God isn't going to shout every once a while. I think sometimes operating shout, but the truth is, he doesn't he just speaks the rest. Now watch this when you refused to speak to the spirit of God, and you refuse to respond to the spirit of God.

How many times is he going to say it. I don't know that I just noticed that after a while the longer you say I'm to do what I want to do the more you believe that the more you feel that the more you touch and feeling more than seeing and you're in the presence of whatever that is. You know what you doing you just backing off from God and what's happening is you hear less and less. It becomes less and less painful lesson is clear because what you've done, you begun to listen to the wrong voices. You cannot live by your appetites. You must live by the wisdom of God that indwells every single believer so you ask yourself the question, is there something in my life that's drawing me away from what I know is right in my life and I think 1/3 evidence. For example, 1/3 way we sacrifice our futures. Is this just what we are saying here. We talk about the fact that we have to have it now, that is immediate gratification and I think about how many blessings God has for his children at all, blessings for his children. But you see, if I have to have it now, and here's what I'm saying. I'm saying I'm smarter than God, I'm saying I'm wiser than God emphasize that it is something that I want one not take it now. Here's the reason. Sometimes you and I are not ready, even for the blessing that God has for us. And so when we reach for what we are not ready for.

Here's what happens.

We foul it up. We mess it up. In fact, weakens oftentimes put ourselves in a position that we don't ever receive it because we grappled for before God's timing inhabited times if you heard me say when you reach for something before God's timing. Watch this.

You may get it, but it all turned to ashes. At some point in having the people would have to say that I knew I made a wrong decision and now look at how many times have I heard this if I only had no where this was going to leave me I would never have taken that step I made that decision is the it's that immediate thing I've got to have it now, and this is the power of temptation and if Satan can say to you, and you can believe it. There is its present. Why not take it now it's available. Those of the words of the devil take it now it's available. Look at that you don't lose that. How many people. For example, it made the wrong person because they thought while this is exactly what I want, they never stop to ask what God wants. And secondly, I better get it now because I don't get it.

Now I will never get it.

Who said you wouldn't. And it may be, for example, if you got your on the wrong thing in life of the wrong person in life don't you know that if you willing to wait, that God will guide you to the right thing or the right person in your life. You see if you got to have everything right now. You mark this down you going to miss the best in life. God is the one who plans the best he's plan the very best possible for every single one of us and therefore if I reach for it and take it ahead of time. Never be able to enjoy to the maximum potential number one. Secondly, if I reach for something that is not of him. What I've done is I have forfeited, and I have sacrifice the best for second or third or fourth or fifth Bethel maybe something that will never bring happiness and joy and peace in my life and too few people are willing to wait. So let me ask you the question if you not willing to wait, do you think that you are going to get God's best. When you choose to move ahead of him do it your way and your timing and the answer is no, you cannot. And so when you look to see what Esau is doing here. He wanted stew right now. He could've said I'm famished and I'm thirsty and I think I'm good about diabetic Highway least 15 minutes. I wait 30 minutes what you put in that's doing away, though he wanted right now and you see that many people have gotta have it now. This is the power of sex when it's available. You wanted. Now it's the power of an awesome material opportunity. The monies on the table. You have the opportunity to make a deal.

It's a big deal. It's a good deal. Everything about it is right you better do it now while you can without stopping to ask the question, what are the consequences of this you go in a prison in the world and ask people what are you doing here and minimum of course will say well I was not guilty but those who probably on this most the time will say I made a mistake. If I had only known where that decision was going to lead me I would never have made and they will say to you when you sacrifice your future for the pleasure of the present moment.

It is a very foolish, costly, unwise decision who's going to teach your children.

This principle is going teach your grandchildren's principal before they ever leave home. This principle should be grounded in the left thinking and that is you can sacrifice your future for the pleasure of the moment, whether it's reaching for something or someone, or whatever it might be that I hear all kinds of excuses and people get well let me tell you, but my situation is this in my situation is that living is a listing God has the best resume the questions and you willing to wait for the best. Thank you for listening to protecting your future if you like to know more about Charles Stanley intact ministries nine intense tantalizing after the presentation and index ministry in Atlanta, Georgia