*Recap of*
*Be Inspired Bible Studies Thursday 4th July 2019*
*Anchor:* Sis Leah Adepeju
*Topic:* Indecision
*Text:* Luke 9:57-62
As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He said to another, “Follow Me [accepting Me as Master and Teacher].” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord [as Your disciple]; but first let me say goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.”
LUKE 9:57-62 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/luk.9.57-62.AMP
The portion of the scripture posted above we might have read, studied it or be taught about it. The topic is *Indecision.*
In your own word what is indecision? 🤦🏽♀🙆🏾🤕
*Sis Queeneth:* When someone doesn't have a definite conclusion of something important.
*Sis Leah:* Indecision is a state of uncertainty, dubiety, ambiguity that is state of doubt, it could be as a result of lack of trust or being unsure of the outcome of a thing because you haven't been or might not have full trust to be in that situation.
This morning on my way out, I passed by a bakery and the smell of lovely freshly made croissant🥐🥐 filled my nostril. I was salivating and couldn't just wait to get it. Anyway I entered the shop and looked round. Unfortunately the croissant I could smell wasn't the one on display. I stood there hesitating on: should I or should I not buy? I perambulated the shop for few seconds then I was like, this is greed, I have food in my bag. Then I left.
I displayed a form of indecision there. The fact that I didn't see what I smelt caused a doubt to my sense of making decision to buy the croissant🥐🥐 and I had to leave.
This is just to give us an highlight of things that we can easily point at as indecision.
In the above scripture Jesus and the disciples were on a mission of massive ministerial duties. In the previous verses to the ones we have here the disciples were sent to neighbouring places to preach the gospel with specific instructions. The words got to Herod that John the Baptist had returned, some even said it was Elijah because the kind of miracles, signs and wonders that was taking place was jaw dropping.
Anyway, they carried on.
Earlier on in the chapter, 5 loaves with 2 fishes was used to feed the multitude.
So it was not a shock when one of the disciples who was unnamed said I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus told him foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nest but the *Son of Man has no place to lay His head.*
Jesus was telling this disciple: Well it all looks rosy as you have witnessed diverse miracles, signs and wonders but the road ahead physically is not a smooth sailing one.
Earlier in this same chapter Moses and Elijah had appeared to Jesus talking to him about His departure from the earth in flesh.
So Jesus was indirectly informing this disciple that: You know what? there is something greater ahead are you sure you want to follow me?
Then Jesus said to another one: Follow me (that is, accept me as Master and Teacher), but he said, allow me to first go and bury my father...
His father wasn't even dead but he wanted to go and bury him before coming to follow Jesus. Jesus told him: Let the dead bury their dead but as for you share the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Then another said: I will follow you...
Hang on a minute! These disciples are on follow-follow level but very indecisive.
This one said: I will follow you as your disciple but first let me say goodbye to those at home🙆🏾🤦🏽♀.
But Jesus said to him: *No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back to the things behind is fit for the kingdom of God.*
Okay, I personally believe they were in the euphoria of the wonderful encounters and manifestation they had seen from the beginning of the chapter so they desired to see more but now only by following Jesus Christ but the thing was they had to let go of self to actually follow Jesus.
They needed to be ready to face forward.
When you are driving a car, your centre or inner mirror makes the car behind you seem a lot closer than it is while the side mirror gives you a reasonable distance.
If you are driving and constantly keep looking at the centre mirror and think you will go forward, you will only slow yourself down.
You cannot want to drive forward and keep your gear box in reverse, you need to keep it on drive or the right gear to move the car.
Neither is it possible to move a car with the ignition off except you want to carry the car by towing it away.
So here Jesus is telling these disciples: Indeed your ignition is running but what is your gear box saying, reverse or drive?
Your gear box is saying drive but which way are you looking? Backward when you need to go forward? Whatsup with you?
Then he used a practical farming technique to describe it that you do not put your hand in the plow and look back.
A bit of research that I did into plowing let me understand that it is the turning over of the upper layer of soil bringing fresh nutrients to the surface while burying weeds and remains of the previous crops and allowing it to decay.
When it decays, it produces nutrients to the soil and makes it more fertile. Also in the process it releases a lot of carbon dioxide.
As human beings, we breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide. So imagine if a farmer left the plow not fully done the gas in the area will be toxic for even the farmer.
So Jesus is saying here: You cannot be unsure of what you want to do as a believer.
Many of us wake up and sleep with so much indecision.
We wake up to social media lies and fake lives and sleep having it hanging over our head.
Many of us start our days unsure.
But as a true child of God, that is not the plans of God for us.
If we start our days with God, we erase any form of indecision that may arise as the day goes by.
Your quiet time with God each day is the time you release your all to God in a father-child communication.
No wonder we are not even sure of what God is saying because we are like: Yes God, I want to hear you but hang on a minute, can I take this voice mail?
Or No, God just give me a second, I need to see what is trending.
Or God please, I will study that chapter later but can I? Hmmm, I mean I need to catch up on this or that.
We kinda put God on hold over things that are meant to actually be on hold.
I heard a story about a lecturer who gave his students a jar to fill with rocks - smaller ones and a giant one.
They had to fill the jar up with all stones. These students started filling it with small stones by the time they wanted to put the big stone there was no space.
So he told them to empty it and put the big stone in first.
Alas! When they did that they were able to fit all stones in including the big and small.
God is the main factor we must put as the primary thing, not tertiary or secondary thing.
These disciples had good reason like you and I would have.
They wanted to go and bid farewell, bury their parent and God knows what, yet they wanted to follow Jesus.
Does it mean God doesn't want you to love your parents? No.
Does it mean God doesn't want you and I to fulfill plans in life? No.
The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 that we should Seek God first and every other things will fall into place.
Do you think Jesus wouldn't have allowed them to fulfill those purposes?
If it is according to His will and not trumping over His will for them.
Indecision is what makes you have God's plan and man's plan.
Obviously man's plan will initially look great.
Yes, they offer this and that and God's plan might not look all so great initially but the end result is, and you are like: Yeah🤦🏽♀🤦🏽♀🤦🏽♀!
You know what? I'm gonna do this and that and still do this then do that.
Indecision is a factor that leads to lukewarmness.
God is saying to you: Set time apart for me.
Do you know 15 mins you spend with God trumps every other 15mins you can spend with anything?
Many of us want blessings,miracles, signs and wonders but we have so much doubt. So much uncertainty. So much Indecision released in our sense and our thinking and our health.
God says: You know what? In me you are healed. In me you have no sorrow. My yoke is light. I will carry your burden. I will see you through. I am not promising a life that is all rosy but in all you have overcome. Because I dwell in you and you are like, but...? God I mean ermm, you know, ahh 'cause 💂...
You are questioning His authority by being uncertain about what you want to do.
You say: I want to follow you Lord, but can I keep this?
Is like taking your child to the shop, they request new clothes👠👕👚👖👗👖👕🧵👠👘🥿🧣🎩🧢. They came with a bag and you promise to fill that bag with new clothes but this child packed the bag with old worn out apparels and you are like, empty the bag to refill it.
This child is like, but can I just take this and not throw that away?
I mean, you want them to change the whole clothing including what the child is wearing yet this child is hugging this old worn out things.
Would you not say: make up your mind, do you want to stay in the rags or have new clothes?
That is what indecision does.
It could be in any aspect of life where we are allowing indecision to trump His will.
He told you: Don't worry, you will be mother to nations, put your mind at rest, your children will surround your table. And you are like, but I am in menopause stage.
Or I am yet to marry.
*Bro Zino:* Being indecisive is like engaging your gear on neutral, which means you are not going anywhere.
*Sis Leah:* Or He tells you I will make you fisher of men.. you are like, God I don't understand the Bible, I am not eloquent.
He told you don't worry. That land I will establish you there, and you are like, Hmmmm, God, with this government in power?
He said I will promote you cause promotion comes from me not from east or west.
*Bro Zino:* Yes, you did something, but, not what you expected to do.
*Sis Leah:* And you are like, Ahhh, that CEO is something else. Do you think God's promotion is limited to man-made company?
He can make a slave a king maker.
He says: Do not worry, I have gone ahead of you, and you are like, I heard someone who has been in that situation before said it's not easy...
When the Creator of heaven and earth said I have gone ahead of you.
Indecision is a dream killer.
Indecision is pace slower.
Indecision is what makes a royal begin to walk like a begger because they doubt who they are.
Can I just encourage us today: if you want to take heed and follow Christ, looking back isn't an option.
Following Christ has no plan B.
Honestly you must be ready to go ahead and follow His lead.
I don't know how much Indecision and doubt have eaten up in you but today you must be ready to renounce it.
Be ready to say: I come to you today. I release it all to you. Have your way in my life in Jesus name.
Heavenly Father, remove from me every Indecision that is allowing me stay in places I do not have to be in Jesus name.
Lord help me to always let go of all irrelevant situations and face that which is relevant in Jesus name.
Lord help me to be devoted to you more in my prayer life and all other aspects in Jesus name.
Lord help me to shut out the noise that keeps me far away from you in Jesus name.
Abba, take control of my life henceforth and let me live a life that says: Here I am lord have your way and use me always in Jesus name
*Personal Prayer.*
Thank you Jesus for answered prayers in Jesus name.
*Amen.*
