Study Notes

I.      Theirs is no verse of scripture that exempts the believer from experiencing pressure.  There are however many verses of scriptures that exempt the believer from experiencing defeat in the pressured situation.

A.    We have an adversary who comes to steal, kill, and destroy-1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10

B.     We should not be surprised or think it to be strange when we experience pressure-1 Peter 4:12

1.      The righteous will experience affliction, persecution, and pressure, but if they will live by faith and obey God they can experience victory no matter what they may be facing-Psalm 34:19

2.      John 16:33-Be of good cheer, you can have victory in the middle of a pressured situation

C.    Psalm 40:1-3-God is a God who delivers people from the pit, the dark place, the pressured situation

1.      In the midst of pressure it’s your responsibility to resist the enemy steadfast in faith, standing on God’s word refusing to cave in under the pressure-James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9

II.     You have to make a decision, you have to choose --- I WILL ______________

A.    You’ve allowed the Word to be final authority in your life and now you must make a decision in line with what that Word says

B.     Deuteronomy 30:19-God laid it out before you and you have to choose

1.      Life and death, blessing and cursing, joy and depression, peace and anxiety, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty etc. are sitting before you

2.      Proverbs 3:31-Choose none of Satan’s ways; Don’t choose what Satan wants for your life

a.    If you’re not resisting it, you’re accepting it; If you’re not refusing it you’re selecting it

3.      There’s a difference between well I’d kind of like to and making a decision by faith based on the Word of God backed by the Holy Spirit

C.    Do you have to make a choice? Or if it’s the will of God will it just happen

1.      Just because something is God’s the will of God for your life doesn’t mean that it is automatic in your life; you have to make a choice

a.    All-powerful doesn’t mean all-controlling

b.    Let’s take it to salvation: Did you have to choose Jesus? – 2 Peter 3:9

2.      Joshua 24:15-It sounds to me like you have to choose

3.      Proverbs 1:29-You’re going to have to choose to live by the Word

4.      Psalm 25:12-God will teach you what to choose, but won’t make you choose it

5.      Isaiah 7:15-Did Jesus have to choose or was he just a spiritual robot sent by God? Did Jesus have to refuse evil? Then it wasn’t just automatic, but rather he made choices

a.    Luke 22:44-He’s making a decision: “I will not be moved by this.”

b.    Isaiah 50:4-11-He’s making decisions

c.     Hebrews 4:15-When you’re tempted you got to make a decision

6.      Psalm 23:4-David was in a pressured situation, but he made a choice

7.      We are not opening our mouths and exercising our will like this as much as we should be; you have to make a decision on purpose; it’s the establishing of your heart-Psalm112:8, Hebrews 13:8

a.    You’re settling it right now based on the word

D.    One of the most powerful things that you can do in your life is exercise your will and make a decision

1.      Is there power in your will? Power enough that it kept you from going to hell and changed your eternal destiny forever

a.    (Because of what Jesus provided) A decision kept you out of hell and I’ll submit to you that a decision can keep you out of depression, fear, poverty, sickness

2.      A decision can start a manifestation or spark destruction, a decision can cause a revolution or it bring desolation, a decision can lead to restoration or devastation

a.    Decisions determine direction and direction determines destination

b.    Nothing begins until somebody makes a decision nothing

1)       By not choosing God by default you get the enemy

2)       Your turn around begins with a decision

3)       Decisions effect destinies

c.     One of the most powerful things you can in life is exercise your will and make a decision

d.    Decisions determine allegiance and establish agreement; they authorize angels to go to work in your behalf, they authorize God to manifest His grace in your life, they authorize the favor of God for your life

e.    A decision is the spark of every spiritual explosion-Daniel 3:14, 1 Samuel 17:45

3.      After you’ve made your choice you’re going to have to make subsequent choices to keep that choice established in your life  

E.     When you make an “I will decision” that’s based solely on faith it will be the access point that grants God access into your life to manifest the grace need; in times of pressure you’re going to have to make some “I will” and “I will not” choices

1.      Psalm 118:1-29-He a time of distress he’s making choices

2.      Psalm 23:6-The choice better have been made before you get to the valley, but once you’re the valley you reaffirm that choice 

F.     Satan has no authority to make you do or be anything that you refuse to be; in fact when you resist him you take a way his ability to choose, he has to flee-James 4:8

1.      John 14:1-2, 20:25-I will believe