Where to go? Decisions, decisions
Every day, so many decisions
Most of them fairly simple – what to wear, what to eat...some of them a bit more complicated...who to phone, who not to phone, what to buy, what not to buy...some of them very important, where to live, where not to live; what to study, what not to study; who to marry, who not to marry...these sort of decisions will have a massive effect on the rest of your life.
So, without doubt, how we make a decision is very important. Get it wrong, and we can face misery; get it right, happiness.
Ahmad faced misery. I knew him in Karachi. He was an Iranian. He became a Christian. He faithfully came to our meetings. He got accepted to go to Canada. Then he made a very bad decision. He wanted to make a life for himself once he got to Canada, but he didn't have any money. Well, if you are living in Karachi and going to Canada there is a very easy way to make money. You buy heroine in Karachi and you sell it in Canada. That's what Ahmad did. I don't think he prayed about this. I don't think he talked to us at the church. He just saw something that could be good for him and went and did it.
When he came to Karachi airport to get his flight to Canada things started to go wrong. There were dogs there. They smelt the heroine.
Ahmad never went to Canada that day.
He went to Karachi prison.
A bad decision can bring misery.
So...we need to learn how to make good decisions.
In the Bible there is a story that shows us how to make a good decision.
The herds of Abraham and his nephew Lot had got too big for the land they were sharing. So, they needed to separate. They had to make a decision about where to go.
This was a decision that had to be made. Sometimes that happens in our lives. We must decide where to go.
Let's listen to the story and see how these two men made their decisions. You will see they went about it very differently.
READ PASSAGE GENESIS 13: 8 – 18
There is a truth for everyone in this passage.
When making a decision about where to go, don't choose for yourself, let God choose for you.
What differences in how this choice is made do we see between the man who chooses for himself and the man who let's God choose for him
I see at least three in this passage
Difference One: How They Look
Both men have to look to see where they want to go. That's just like us. We have to first look. But you'll see in this story that Abraham and Lot look in very different ways.
Let's consider Lot first, in verse 13: 10. The Bibles says, 'Lot looked about him…' He looked long and hard. He saw Abraham as a competitor. If he didn't see the best land first, Abraham would...so he needed to look well. He was looking for himself. This was all about him. All about Lot. As he looked he was thinking...what is best for me, for my family, for my life…
Then he sees something - the plains of Jordan. They are 'well watered'. That is crucial for his herds. He needs plenty of water. And they look great, like the garden of the Lord, like Egypt. From the outside, from his look, everything looks fantastic. For Lot this is definitely the place to go…
Notice something about this look...there is no looking to God – is this what God wants? And there is no looking to morality...is this right? Is it right to take all the best land and leave the worst to Abraham. No...there is only one person in the frame when Lot looks. Lot.
How about us...how do we look at where we want to go? Is it all about us and our family, where we or our children are most likely to prosper……
Now let's look at Abraham in verse 14. It's so different. While Lot was looking all around him for the best land, Abraham wasn't looking at all. We know he wasn't looking because the Lord says, 'Raise your eyes'. His eyes had been looking down. He hadn't been looking for himself. He knew that he wouldn't be able to choose just by looking. He needed help. So he is looking down. He is waiting on God, expectant that God will show him where to look.
And that certainly happens. God tells Abraham where to look, God shows Abraham where he is to go….and then, and only then does Abraham look.
For Lot is was all about looking for himself, for what he wanted
For Abraham it was about looking to God to see what God wanted.
About fifteen years ago there were thousands and thousands of Iranians in Turkey. Some of them faced horrible problems in Iran; most of them were wanting a better life in the West. Some of them were Christians. Some of these Christians just did what they thought was best for themselves and their families. Some though were like Abraham. They looked down and waited to be shown where to go. One of those Iranians was Farhad Soheil. He waited with his eyes down, and as others were getting on planes and going to America, guess where God sent Farhad: to Van. Farhad looked to God to see what God wanted, and God wanted a church in Van. And, praise God that church is still here today.
It's all about how you look.
How about you, how about me...how are we looking? Are we like Lot...all about our lives, our material success, our families...no prayer, no consideration of morality; or are we like Abraham...are we looking first with our eyes down, waiting for God to show us where to look?
That's the first difference, how they looked.
Here's the second.
Difference Number Two: How They Choose
Oh dear...Lot's character here isn't very pleasant. Verse 11 says Lot chose 'all the plain of Jordan for himself'
Let's notice two things here about how he chooses.
One...he chooses 'all' the plain of the Jordan. That little word all tells us a lot. He was greedy. This is the well watered land. This is the best land. And he wants it all for himself. Here he is with his uncle, the man who has helped him so much...don't you think he could have said...'Look uncle Abraham, this plain of the Jordan, this is where the water is, so why don't we share it. I will take half, you take half.' No, there's no tarrof. Nothing. He takes it all.
And then the second thing...he takes it all...for himself. It's all about Lot. It's all about what he can get. It's all about his bank account. He sees the water, he sees success. He chooses what he thinks will make him a great and important man.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Now let's look at how Abraham chooses. And here's the big point. He doesn't choose for himself. He lets God choose for him. And God does. God chooses the land...and God gives it to him. In verse 15 and verse 17, God says...I will give you this land.
So different from Lot.
Lot chose the land for himself. For Lot it was about what he can get.
For Abraham it was all about what God was giving him.
How about you, how about me...when it comes to where to go is it all about what you can get; or is it about what God is giving you.
You say...ah, but this is Abraham. He was a prophet, of course God was going to give to him. I am just an ordinary Ali, Hassan, or Hussein. Not true. If you are a Christian Jesus is the good shepherd, and He leads everyone of his sheep into good pasture.
I am a very ordinary Tom (Tom, Dick, or Harry). There is a Christian organisation that had two large ships that sailed the world. I thought I should become an important person on one of these ships. But that wasn't God's will. And he showed me. He gave me no peace about working on those ships; but he gave me great peace about going to Pakistan. This was not a country I would choose to go to. It is hot; I don't like heat; and the food is hot; I have never liked hot food; and it was very poor, living conditions could be dirty. I liked comfort. I had every reason not to go to Pakistan; but this is the country God showed me and I went. Praise God. Jesus is the good shepherd. It was there in Karachi I met my wife Mojdeh. He knows.
God has a place for all of us to go...but we have to be like Abraham. Keep our eyes down, and let him speak.
He will.
It's all about how we choose.
We've seen two differences between how Abraham and Lot...the first is how they look; the second is how they choose...
What's the last one
Difference Number Three: How They Lived
Because of the decisions they made, Lot and Abraham lived different lives.
Let's look at Lot in v. 12. He heads off for those plains with all the water. He was now going to live out his decision. He was going to live for himself and his family and for the good life. He should have known better. When you make decisions for yourself; when you go after the so called good life; this road takes you away from God and near to the world. And that is exactly what happened to Lot. He put up his tent near where, near Sodom...and then the Bible tells us that Sodom was a very wicked (shareer) city. Lot was living near the enemies of God. He thought he knew best. He was Mr Clever. He was Mr I Know How To Get Rich. He was Mr I Know Best For My Family.
And where did it take him...to the enemies of God.
There is no prayer in Lot's life; no fellowship with God's people; no worship; nothing. Just the noise of the discos of Sodom coming into his tent.
How different to Abraham. Abraham who had kept his eyes down; Abraham who had not complained when Lot greedily took the best land; Abraham who waited for God to tell him where to look...Abraham goes and settles by the oaks (ba lut) of Mamre.
Oak trees. They are strong. Solid. Their roots go down. They give shade to others. This was Abraham's life. It wasn't about Abraham; it was about others.
And...this we see at the end of our story. It was about God.
He built an altar to God. Worship and prayer was right at the centre of his life.
What a contrast (tazad)...there is Lot in his tent near the discos of Sodom; and here is Abraham, near the altar of God.
What about you and me...where are we going to? Are we going to where God wants us to be...near an altar of worship, giving shade like the oak trees to others. Or are we going to a place where there is no prayer, no worship, just the noise of the world?
A few months ago someone I know well went to America to visit some Christians who had been here in Turkey. There is sadness in this story. Yes they had their nice homes; yes they had their nice clothes, yes I am sure some of them had their nice cars.
But they were not happy.
There were problems.
So much travelling. So much dreaming about America. But still not happy.
And then it came out...some of them were not going to church. Oh yes, facebook, TV, films – the noise of the world...but no altar, no worship...and so no deep joy, no real blessing.
What about you? What about me? Are we going to the oaks of Mamre to build an altar to God; or are we going to the rich plains of the Jordan to put our tent near Sodom?
CONCLUSION
Lot ended up near Sodom, and Abraham in Mamre because of the way they took their decision. It is the same for us. We will end up either nearer God or nearer the world depending on how we make our decisions. This passage sets out very clearly that there are two choices, the way of Lot and the way of Abraham.
This is the way of Lot – you look for yourself, you choose for yourself, you go and get for yourself.
This is the way of Abraham – you let God look for you; you let God choose for you, and you let God give to you.
One way is all about you; the other way is all about God.
The choice we make will impact the rest of our lives…
Lot's life was ugly. He soon moved to live in Sodom and here he had no real friends. Then when God judged the city he ended up living in a cave (gar). Here he drank a lot and committed sexual sin. The Bible does not even tell us when he died.
Abraham's life had many challenges, but it had great dignity. When he died the Bible says he was full of years and was buried by his sons in the same grave as his wife. Today millions recognise him as the father of their faith.
How your life and my life is all depends on how we make our decisions.
My prayer is that we will all make decisions like Abraham, and not like Lot.
Every day, so many decisions
Most of them fairly simple – what to wear, what to eat...some of them a bit more complicated...who to phone, who not to phone, what to buy, what not to buy...some of them very important, where to live, where not to live; what to study, what not to study; who to marry, who not to marry...these sort of decisions will have a massive effect on the rest of your life.
So, without doubt, how we make a decision is very important. Get it wrong, and we can face misery; get it right, happiness.
Ahmad faced misery. I knew him in Karachi. He was an Iranian. He became a Christian. He faithfully came to our meetings. He got accepted to go to Canada. Then he made a very bad decision. He wanted to make a life for himself once he got to Canada, but he didn't have any money. Well, if you are living in Karachi and going to Canada there is a very easy way to make money. You buy heroine in Karachi and you sell it in Canada. That's what Ahmad did. I don't think he prayed about this. I don't think he talked to us at the church. He just saw something that could be good for him and went and did it.
When he came to Karachi airport to get his flight to Canada things started to go wrong. There were dogs there. They smelt the heroine.
Ahmad never went to Canada that day.
He went to Karachi prison.
A bad decision can bring misery.
So...we need to learn how to make good decisions.
In the Bible there is a story that shows us how to make a good decision.
The herds of Abraham and his nephew Lot had got too big for the land they were sharing. So, they needed to separate. They had to make a decision about where to go.
This was a decision that had to be made. Sometimes that happens in our lives. We must decide where to go.
Let's listen to the story and see how these two men made their decisions. You will see they went about it very differently.
READ PASSAGE GENESIS 13: 8 – 18
There is a truth for everyone in this passage.
When making a decision about where to go, don't choose for yourself, let God choose for you.
What differences in how this choice is made do we see between the man who chooses for himself and the man who let's God choose for him
I see at least three in this passage
Difference One: How They Look
Both men have to look to see where they want to go. That's just like us. We have to first look. But you'll see in this story that Abraham and Lot look in very different ways.
Let's consider Lot first, in verse 13: 10. The Bibles says, 'Lot looked about him…' He looked long and hard. He saw Abraham as a competitor. If he didn't see the best land first, Abraham would...so he needed to look well. He was looking for himself. This was all about him. All about Lot. As he looked he was thinking...what is best for me, for my family, for my life…
Then he sees something - the plains of Jordan. They are 'well watered'. That is crucial for his herds. He needs plenty of water. And they look great, like the garden of the Lord, like Egypt. From the outside, from his look, everything looks fantastic. For Lot this is definitely the place to go…
Notice something about this look...there is no looking to God – is this what God wants? And there is no looking to morality...is this right? Is it right to take all the best land and leave the worst to Abraham. No...there is only one person in the frame when Lot looks. Lot.
How about us...how do we look at where we want to go? Is it all about us and our family, where we or our children are most likely to prosper……
Now let's look at Abraham in verse 14. It's so different. While Lot was looking all around him for the best land, Abraham wasn't looking at all. We know he wasn't looking because the Lord says, 'Raise your eyes'. His eyes had been looking down. He hadn't been looking for himself. He knew that he wouldn't be able to choose just by looking. He needed help. So he is looking down. He is waiting on God, expectant that God will show him where to look.
And that certainly happens. God tells Abraham where to look, God shows Abraham where he is to go….and then, and only then does Abraham look.
For Lot is was all about looking for himself, for what he wanted
For Abraham it was about looking to God to see what God wanted.
About fifteen years ago there were thousands and thousands of Iranians in Turkey. Some of them faced horrible problems in Iran; most of them were wanting a better life in the West. Some of them were Christians. Some of these Christians just did what they thought was best for themselves and their families. Some though were like Abraham. They looked down and waited to be shown where to go. One of those Iranians was Farhad Soheil. He waited with his eyes down, and as others were getting on planes and going to America, guess where God sent Farhad: to Van. Farhad looked to God to see what God wanted, and God wanted a church in Van. And, praise God that church is still here today.
It's all about how you look.
How about you, how about me...how are we looking? Are we like Lot...all about our lives, our material success, our families...no prayer, no consideration of morality; or are we like Abraham...are we looking first with our eyes down, waiting for God to show us where to look?
That's the first difference, how they looked.
Here's the second.
Difference Number Two: How They Choose
Oh dear...Lot's character here isn't very pleasant. Verse 11 says Lot chose 'all the plain of Jordan for himself'
Let's notice two things here about how he chooses.
One...he chooses 'all' the plain of the Jordan. That little word all tells us a lot. He was greedy. This is the well watered land. This is the best land. And he wants it all for himself. Here he is with his uncle, the man who has helped him so much...don't you think he could have said...'Look uncle Abraham, this plain of the Jordan, this is where the water is, so why don't we share it. I will take half, you take half.' No, there's no tarrof. Nothing. He takes it all.
And then the second thing...he takes it all...for himself. It's all about Lot. It's all about what he can get. It's all about his bank account. He sees the water, he sees success. He chooses what he thinks will make him a great and important man.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Now let's look at how Abraham chooses. And here's the big point. He doesn't choose for himself. He lets God choose for him. And God does. God chooses the land...and God gives it to him. In verse 15 and verse 17, God says...I will give you this land.
So different from Lot.
Lot chose the land for himself. For Lot it was about what he can get.
For Abraham it was all about what God was giving him.
How about you, how about me...when it comes to where to go is it all about what you can get; or is it about what God is giving you.
You say...ah, but this is Abraham. He was a prophet, of course God was going to give to him. I am just an ordinary Ali, Hassan, or Hussein. Not true. If you are a Christian Jesus is the good shepherd, and He leads everyone of his sheep into good pasture.
I am a very ordinary Tom (Tom, Dick, or Harry). There is a Christian organisation that had two large ships that sailed the world. I thought I should become an important person on one of these ships. But that wasn't God's will. And he showed me. He gave me no peace about working on those ships; but he gave me great peace about going to Pakistan. This was not a country I would choose to go to. It is hot; I don't like heat; and the food is hot; I have never liked hot food; and it was very poor, living conditions could be dirty. I liked comfort. I had every reason not to go to Pakistan; but this is the country God showed me and I went. Praise God. Jesus is the good shepherd. It was there in Karachi I met my wife Mojdeh. He knows.
God has a place for all of us to go...but we have to be like Abraham. Keep our eyes down, and let him speak.
He will.
It's all about how we choose.
We've seen two differences between how Abraham and Lot...the first is how they look; the second is how they choose...
What's the last one
Difference Number Three: How They Lived
Because of the decisions they made, Lot and Abraham lived different lives.
Let's look at Lot in v. 12. He heads off for those plains with all the water. He was now going to live out his decision. He was going to live for himself and his family and for the good life. He should have known better. When you make decisions for yourself; when you go after the so called good life; this road takes you away from God and near to the world. And that is exactly what happened to Lot. He put up his tent near where, near Sodom...and then the Bible tells us that Sodom was a very wicked (shareer) city. Lot was living near the enemies of God. He thought he knew best. He was Mr Clever. He was Mr I Know How To Get Rich. He was Mr I Know Best For My Family.
And where did it take him...to the enemies of God.
There is no prayer in Lot's life; no fellowship with God's people; no worship; nothing. Just the noise of the discos of Sodom coming into his tent.
How different to Abraham. Abraham who had kept his eyes down; Abraham who had not complained when Lot greedily took the best land; Abraham who waited for God to tell him where to look...Abraham goes and settles by the oaks (ba lut) of Mamre.
Oak trees. They are strong. Solid. Their roots go down. They give shade to others. This was Abraham's life. It wasn't about Abraham; it was about others.
And...this we see at the end of our story. It was about God.
He built an altar to God. Worship and prayer was right at the centre of his life.
What a contrast (tazad)...there is Lot in his tent near the discos of Sodom; and here is Abraham, near the altar of God.
What about you and me...where are we going to? Are we going to where God wants us to be...near an altar of worship, giving shade like the oak trees to others. Or are we going to a place where there is no prayer, no worship, just the noise of the world?
A few months ago someone I know well went to America to visit some Christians who had been here in Turkey. There is sadness in this story. Yes they had their nice homes; yes they had their nice clothes, yes I am sure some of them had their nice cars.
But they were not happy.
There were problems.
So much travelling. So much dreaming about America. But still not happy.
And then it came out...some of them were not going to church. Oh yes, facebook, TV, films – the noise of the world...but no altar, no worship...and so no deep joy, no real blessing.
What about you? What about me? Are we going to the oaks of Mamre to build an altar to God; or are we going to the rich plains of the Jordan to put our tent near Sodom?
CONCLUSION
Lot ended up near Sodom, and Abraham in Mamre because of the way they took their decision. It is the same for us. We will end up either nearer God or nearer the world depending on how we make our decisions. This passage sets out very clearly that there are two choices, the way of Lot and the way of Abraham.
This is the way of Lot – you look for yourself, you choose for yourself, you go and get for yourself.
This is the way of Abraham – you let God look for you; you let God choose for you, and you let God give to you.
One way is all about you; the other way is all about God.
The choice we make will impact the rest of our lives…
Lot's life was ugly. He soon moved to live in Sodom and here he had no real friends. Then when God judged the city he ended up living in a cave (gar). Here he drank a lot and committed sexual sin. The Bible does not even tell us when he died.
Abraham's life had many challenges, but it had great dignity. When he died the Bible says he was full of years and was buried by his sons in the same grave as his wife. Today millions recognise him as the father of their faith.
How your life and my life is all depends on how we make our decisions.
My prayer is that we will all make decisions like Abraham, and not like Lot.
No comments:
Post a Comment