Oak Hill Church of Christ 6-30-24 Message: "Exit Strategy"

Oak Hill Church of Christ preaching minister, Randy Sterling, delivers a message on the importance of trusting God through Christ to grant us salvation.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and part of that wisdom is formulating a plan of action before taking it. Jesus says in Luke 8:28, "For which of you wanting to build a tower, does not, having first sat down, count the cost whether he has the things for completion?" Before you begin, have a plan to finish. Don't start until you know how it's going to end.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to hear those words of wisdom. Some find themselves prone to taking rash action, letting their emotions lead them by the neck. Still others are unable to take action in any instance. For them, the skies are never clear enough, the wind never favorable enough.

For most troubles in life, poor decisions may be corrected, even if over years. Mistakes may be undone, and problems addressed. We may formulate a plan to leave a bad relationship, a bad school environment, a bad work environment, an ungodly fellowship, and so on. We count the cost, weigh the options, and make our choice. We have a good idea of how our choices will end, both the benefits and the drawbacks.

Unfortunately, many people fail to exercise this same wisdom and judgment when it comes to their immortal soul. They don't plan for "leaving" this world and entering the next one. They may have some idea of what should happen, generally, but they haven't sat down to think it through. They haven't counted the cost.

God calls upon us to count the cost of salvation. Shall we turn to Him through His Son Jesus, quit our lives of sin, and live lives of Godliness and obedience, knowing that such a choice will bring us into eternal union with our Father in Heaven. Or, shall we worship another?

According to God, your loving Father, you do get to make your choice. You get to choose what you'll sacrifice and receive what was promised accordingly. You don't get to not choose.