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.
14 The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
ROM. 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
So you see - The path you choose really matters
The Road Not Taken - BY ROBERT FROST
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Prepare people for next week. - Gen. 15 - Communion
