Choose Carefully

Ever make a real good decision? Not just good, but great, excellent. Best job decision, best $50 car vacation trip, best woman you ever married. Tell your neighbor about it.

In case you’re sitting next to someone who never got fully recognized, the appropriate amount of pats on the back, tell your neighbor - WOW that was an awesome decision.

Truth be told - you probably had no clue at the time what a great decision you were making.

Now what about the other kinds of choices, you know the ones. Nightmares. Moving to new home, quitting a job, or school, uttering words that hurt - the moment they leave your lips - OH NO!

Buying stock from a phone solicitor, parasailing from the back of a plane - the other $50 car - the vacation trip from "You know Where", the first man you ever married.

You are going to pay through the nose for this one. What were you thinking!!!!!!!

Anyone want to tell their neighbor about this one?

The amazing thing is this - you probably thought that it was a good idea at the time.

Often the best choices end up the worst and vice versa.

Today’s story is about a crossroads - a choice that had huge implications in the life of others.

Told for generations around campfires, look for lessons like children and grownups have for centuries. Imagine you are gathered around a campfire.

Since we last saw our hero Abram Famine - trip to Egypt

Gen 12:14-20 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, `She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Pharaoh made a bad deal

Gen. 13:1-18 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.

Land can’t support both - can’t have cake and eat it too

7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot.

Quarreling over what - water, pasture, no! The Prime the Best

The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, "Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left." 10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Foreshadowing 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east.

Lot was selfish - Shallow Hal

Egypt has a hold on Lot - hard to get the Egypt out of lot.

This is why you don’t want to mess around with sin, you might get stuck

Spiritual battle - life by sight not by faith

Best land (but both were blessed)

The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Men of S & G were wicked - sinning greatly against God

Why against God? It was against god’s design.