INTRODUCTION:

ARE YOU ON YOUR WAY TO MAKE A DECISION IN YOUR LIFE?

Are you going to buy that car? That house? Which insurance company are your going to choose?
What cell phone or cell phone plan do you want? Are you going to take that vacation or do you need
to stay home and keep the dogs out of the garden?

Decisions. They keep coming at you, fast and furious. School? Which one? What major? Doctor?
Surgery? Medicine? Treatment? Join the army? Job? Loss of job? Second job? New job?
Promotion? Marriage? Kids? Bills? Loan? Re-finance? Home equity? Lawsuit? Investments?

Columbia researcher Sheena Iyengar has found that the average person makes about 70 decisions every day.
That's 25,500 decisions a year. Over 70 years, that's 1,788,500 decisions.

LIFE IS NOT A SERIES OF CHANCES BUT A SERIES OF CHOICES.

TITLE: CHOICE

TEXT:

Genesis 13:11 ESV

So, Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus, they separated from each other.

Every moment of our life we make decisions, big or small.

From Lot, we can also glean valuable lessons in...

a. The art of decision making
b. The importance of making proper choices

[We will first take an overall look at the life of Lot, and then focus upon a decision he made and how
it affected his life...]

I. LOT’S CHOICE

A. IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS, LOT IS INTRODUCED TO US AS...

1. The nephew of Abraham who sojourned with him - Gen 12:15; 13:1

2. A man who like his uncle became quite wealthy - Gen 13:2-5
a. Because of the combined wealth of Abraham and Lot, they were forced to separate - Gen 13:6-9
b. Given the opportunity to choose where he could go...

1) Lot made a choice, which on the surface was a good one - Gen 13:10-12

NOT ALL THAT GLITTERS ARE GOLD

ILLUSTRATION: UNCOMPROMISED GODLY CHOICE NOT PROS AND CONS

 John Huffman recently shared this in a sermon: Dr. James Dobson’s ministry circulated an insightful
story of a father who was trying to enforce a family rule that his teenaged children could not attend R-
rated movies. His three teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that was playing at the local
theaters. It was rated “R.”

The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their family’s church to find out what was
offensive in the movie. The young people made a list of pros and cons about the movie so as to convince
their dad they should be allowed to see it.
The cons were that it contained only three swear words, the only violence was a building exploding, and
you actually could not see the couple in the movie having sex. It was just implied sex off camera.

The pros were that it was a popular movie—a blockbuster. Everyone was seeing it. It was a good story
and plot. It had some great adventure and suspense. It would probably be nominated for several awards.
Many members of their own church had seen the movie and said it wasn’t very bad. Therefore, since
there were more pros than cons, the teenagers were asking their father to reconsider on just this one
movie and let them have permission to see it.

The father looked at the list and thought for a few minutes. He asked for a day to think about it before
making his decision. His teens were thrilled, thinking, “Now we’ve got him! Our argument is too good!
Dad can’t turn us down!”

The next evening, the father called his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room.
On the coffee table he had a plate of brownies. The teens were puzzled. The father told his children he
had thought about their request and had decided that if they would eat a brownie then he would let them
go to the movie. But before they did it, just like the movie, the brownies had pros and cons.

The pros were that they were made with the finest chocolate and other good ingredients. They had the
added special effect of yummy walnuts in them. The brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful
chocolate frosting on top. He had made these fantastic brownies using an award-winning recipe. And
best of all, the brownies had been made lovingly by the hand of their own father.

The brownies only had one con. He had included a little bit of a special ingredient. The brownies also
contained just a little bit of “dog poop.” But he had mixed the dough well—they probably would not
even be able to taste the dog poop, and he had baked it at 350 degrees so that any bacteria or germs from
the dog poop had probably been destroyed. Therefore, if any one of his children could stand to eat the
brownies that included just a “little bit of crap” and not be affected by it, then he knew they would also
be able to see the movie with “just a little bit of smut” and not be affected. You know the result. None of
the teens would eat the brownies, and the smug smiles had left their faces.

2) As good as it may have seemed, it resulted in much sorrow and hardship for Lot!

B. AS A RESULT OF HIS CHOICE, LOT SUFFERED...

WE CAN CHOOSE OUR CHOICES, BUT WE CAN'T CHOOSE OUR CONSEQUENCES.

1. War - Gen 14:11

2. Kidnapping - Gen 14:12
3. Oppression and torment by the citizens of Sodom - 2 Pe 2:7-8; cf. Gen 19:1-11
4. Loss of all his material wealth - Gen 19:15-16, 24-25
5. The death of his wife - Gen 19:17, 26
6. The shame of incest with his daughters - Gen 19:30-36

-- All these things happened DESPITE the FACT that Lot was a RIGHTEOUS PERSON - cf. 2 Pe
2:7,8

[The example of Lot should impress us with the importance of making the proper choices in our lives.
In view of what happened to Lot, we will now consider:

 Some of the choices we make that greatly affect our lives

 Some suggestions on how to make the right decisions
 What to do when we realize that we have made the wrong ones
Consider, then...]

II. OUR CHOICES

A. WHAT CHOICES DO WE MAKE THAT GREATLY AFFECT OUR LIVES...?

CHOICES WE MAKE GREATLY AFFECT OUR LIVES BECAUSE IT HAS

IRREVERSIBLE
LIFETIME
COMMUNAL

1. Choosing to follow Jesus

a. The one that will affect your life more than any other!
b. It will determine your place in eternity
c. It will have a bearing on every other choice you make; for as a follower of Christ you will be
concerned with doing His will, not your own

2. Choosing your career

a. The choice you make can have a lasting effect upon your marriage, family, and your service to God
b. Even from a worldly viewpoint, your choice is important, for the job market can change drastically

3. Choosing your mate

a. The decision made will determine your degree of happiness in this life
b. It will have a permanent bearing on your children and their emotional well-being!
1) You may think you can simply divorce a person who turns out to be a bad choice
2) But once you have children, there is no way to reverse the choice you made as to who is the mother
or father of your children!

In this life, you cannot choose your parents and your siblings, but you can choose your mate, so
choose well.

4. Choosing your friends

a. Having close friends can be a wonderful blessing - Pro 17:17
b. But the wrong friends can be a curse for the righteous - Pro 12:26; 1 Co 15:33

5. Choosing where you will live

a. It was in this choice that Lot made his mistake
b. It might just be there are some modern-day “Sodoms” and “Gomorrahs”!

B. HOW CAN WE MORE LIKELY MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE...?

1. Ask God for wisdom - Ja 1:5-8

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will
be given him.

Prov. 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

2. Seek advice from others - Pro 11:14; 12:15

Pr 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Pr 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

a. Discuss your alternatives with older, mature Christians

b. Consult the wisdom found in the Bible (especially in a book like Proverbs)

3. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord’s sake - cf. Psa 37:5-6,23-26; Ja 4:15

Ps 37:25 NLT I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children
begging for bread.

Pr 3:5-6 MSG Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen
for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

C. WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN WE REALIZE OUR CHOICE WAS WRONG...?

The wrong thing to do is to continue in the choice because of pride or some other reason!

(although there are some choices we must live with...)

1. Do what Lot did...

a. Heed the word of God (as in fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah)
b. Do what is right without reservation (remember Lot’s wife!)

2. Do what Peter did after he denied Christ...

a. Repent, if there is sin involved in the choice made
b. Resolve to serve the Lord

3. Do what Paul did after persecuting the church...

a. Accept the forgiveness Jesus provides
b. Determine to live for the Lord the rest of your life to the best of your ability

CONCLUSION
2 Pet. 2:7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that
righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds
that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous
under punishment until the day of judgment,

1. The example of Lot should serve...

a. To teach us that making the proper decision is very important

b. To warn us not to make our choices lightly

2. Remember Lot the next time you are faced with an important decision...

a. Seek to make that decision based upon the will of the Lord and not your own
b. Your eternal destiny (and that of those you love) might rest upon your choice!

Have you made the most important decision you will ever face? The decision to follow Jesus as your
Lord and Savior? If not, why not today? - cf. Mt 28:19-20; Ac 2:38