The Choices of a World Changer - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, you want to hear from you.

Would you consider emailing me you can reach me at greg@harvest.org again that's Greg harvest.org and you can also make me one of your friends on Facebook and drop me a comment here is Abraham along the required ring while Abraham was convicted with his lot lot want to hold lawn more. Each man made very different choices.

Pastor Greg Morey points out, our choices affect our doing and they can be our undoing. You want to because they want to be the world what what it's Abraham wanted anyone choices to make in life and little bend in the road was a choice we make some choices took a straightahead mother choices on one of the two today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie helps us make wise choices will do a case study will examine the logic to biblical characters and see how two very different outcomes be traced back to the choices made choices have consequences, and we need God's wisdom well they were faced with all my I don't know if it's thousands or hundreds of things like golf, but just countless choices, every kind of choice imaginable from all whatever you eat for breakfast with them of aware what route of identity will begin the email whom I can respond to all the things that run through our minds.

Choices that were going to make.

I don't know about you but when I pull up to a take-out restaurant. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by too many choices you have all these things and then there's the pressure of people behind you and they want to order so your cyclic United yes can I help you I went to Taco Bell the other day.

By the way, I love Taco Bell. I love talking I would pick Taco Bell over many restaurants that cause much more.

Trust me because I do think their food is fantastic, and there's something on the Taco Bell menu and giving you a food tech now so it you'll thank me for this later because I told you about getting a burger at in and out right. I told you to get it animal style. Have any of you ever tried it on.

Please note when I give food to solicit okay when I give you the word of God really loves about food tips up there to okay so wanted to get to the next level. I told you animal style with chop jalapeno pepper. Remember member, then exhibited it out, but Taco Bell back to them theirs and I used to be on their menu years ago. That's no longer on their screen. Of all these thousands of new things to loop, but will a little about what I don't even know these things are you ready for it's called the insured Rito the end she read it.

It's not for but it's still in existence today still not I make it and it's good.

What is indigent Rito US. It's like an enchilada on steroids in Canada which is good. But all these decisions and get those decisions don't matter a lot unless you eat too much and inflated by you pay for it later world of the phase 3 C's of life challenges, choices and consequences. Again, challenges, choices and consequences those challenges may come as an opportunity or a temptation.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross, in which bridge to burn because choices are important as we will see in the story before us. Here we have side-by-side to believers, Abraham and Lot 1 Abraham most of the time made the right choices in life and the other lot made a series of wrong choices that he lived to regret what just goes to show that your choices do matter. So now let's look at the world changer who made the right choices. Let's go to Hebrews 11 verse eight we come back to Abraham by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance and he went out, not knowing where he was going by faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. There, Abraham is uniquely introduced to us in Scripture is the friend of God and one day God said to his friend Abraham that he wanted him to follow him leave his life of paganism and worship of false gods and leave his family and pack his bags and go Abraham obeyed sort of. He did leave that was a big step. He did leave his family. That was a bigger step putting took one family member along with them and that was lot lot was his nephew. Now flip over to Genesis 13 to read verses 1 to 13 by the way I'm reading from the new living translation. So Abraham left Egypt. It says Abram, but I'll sing Abraham because his name was later changed. Abraham left Egypt and traveled north into the Negev, along with his wife and law and all they own. Abraham was very rich in livestock silver and gold from the negative continue traveling by stages, toward Bethel and they pitch their tents between Bethel and AI where they had camped before. At the same place or Abraham and built the altar and worshiped the Lord again lot was traveling with Abraham had become very wealthy with lots of sheep and goats. Herds of cattle and many tens but the land could not support both Abraham and Lot with all the flocks and herds living so close together so disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot that's on Canaanites and parasites were living on the land. Finally, Abraham said the lot.

Let's allow this conflict to come among us or our herdsmen. After all were close relatives. The whole countryside is open to you. Take your joints of any section of validity one will separate. If you want to go to the left I'll take the land on the right.

If you prefer the limb on the right will go to the left you this law took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan River at the direction of Zoar.

The whole area was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. So live took the land that reminded him of Egypt.

That's before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them and he went there with this flocks in the servants and parted company with this uncle Abraham.

So Abraham settled in the land of Canaan and lot. This tends to a place near Sada and settle among the cities of the plain with the people of the area were extremely wicked, continually sinned against the Lord. There are, I so here's the operative statement for the moment you make your choices and then your choices make you secured Abraham a lot.

They've acquired quite well. Abraham was content with his lot, but lot wanted a lot more lot wanted to stop Abraham wanted God what you want. See if you seek God first, if you seek him in his kingdom. First, what is Jesus promised all these things shall be added unto you.

But if you're all about getting that stuff and getting a head and being successful in on you go then then your going to lose twice, you will get the Lord in very likely will get the stuff you want even if you get the stuff you want. You probably will be satisfied with that because you'll still want more stuff and this was the problem of lot he wanted to have all this world offers but he still wanted friendship with God and the Bible warns in James four for you adulterers, don't you realize friendship with the world makes you an enemy with God.

I say it again if that your rain to enjoy this world you can't be a friend of God. So make a decision you want to be God's Trinity want to be the world trip lot wanted to be the world friend Abraham wanted to be God's friend and lot wanted to have it both ways. See the problem with lot was. He didn't believe. Don't forget he's identified in the New Testament as a believer, but he sort of leaned on Abraham, it comes under this Abraham walk with God, but lot walk with Abraham lot needed uncle Leigh to cut out: lot needed this man of God, the kind of people moving forward. He couldn't do it on his own.

He hadn't developed his own close relationship with the Lord and their people like this that are constantly drawn to the world and a lot of times the people I find that are the most drawn to the world are people who sometimes are raised in the church see when you're not raised in the church and he lived in that world and you've seen the underbelly that you can become pretty disgusted by. But when you've never lived that life and you've been relatively sheltered and you know you never watch secular cartoons you only watch veggie tales and you only what the Christian movies and you didn't even have devil's food cake because I was evil.

You know in your parents were doing the best they could try to raise you in a godly way. But maybe there were a lot of rules and regulations and and then you and friend you met at school and what the public school may be or what may be the Christian school and you know they're out there doing this other stuff and all that looks so exciting. You look so attractive before like the monster on the life hard to get over there.

You know and that's how lot was all men are drawn to these things. I'm attracted to these things, but when you've been in that world Yorty know what it is you know when I came to Christ for me it was, to some degree a process of elimination. I knew where the answer was not because I saw everything the world had to offer. And then something my mother's life and to some degree through my own dumb decisions. I knew that somewhere was that so I was stronger that like maybe some are temptations are always there for anybody but here is a person lot is drawn to those things. But Abraham is drawn to God. You see, it was Abraham's love for the Lord that kept everything in perspective, coming up after Greg explains how to ring these insights on wise decision-making indoor homes and places of work. Stay tuned. Pastor Greg we have something exciting. We just tallied up the numbers in this year just since January, we've now seen 100,000 professions of faith to harvest ministers, which is absolutely yes, David is incredible and the way it came about is even more incredible because of the beginning of 2020 we went before everybody in our church in our ministry and said we have a goal this year. Some of you may remember this. I've seen 100,000 people make a profession of faith. I'll be honest with you I had some doubts like I we can really get this number but I thought why not shoot for will see what the Lord does well covered 19 get so we went exclusively online with our weekend program that we call harvest is basically a church service that you want in your home, but each week I've been inviting people to come to Christ and on one particular Sunday we had 7000 people make a profession of faith.

So now as we tallied the numbers. We've reached the hundred thousand Martin we reach in an unexpected way.

So what that says to me is what we have the right idea, but the Lord had a different way of bringing it about. So we displaying to God be the glory.

Let's just keep going because were passing that number now listen to this. The Bible says there is joy in heaven over one sinner that comes to repentance and we have seen 100,000 people in just months make this profession of faith to follow Christ.

So we join the Angels and rejoice today. Pastor Greg is helping us consider the importance of the choices we make wishing how Abraham made wise choices his nephew Lot made on wise choices in their lives, bore the consequences. It was Augustine's love God and do as you please add some to get crazy statement.

Do as you please. Yeah but if you really love God is you want to love God, you will want to do what pleases God and Abraham understood that he had his focus on eternal things he was looking to the Lord, but lot was drawn to these other things when they break up not knowing up our company. Now let's try to part as friends and Abraham was a peacemaker. He wasn't a troublemaker. Choices listen nephew I'll tell you what you choose what you want it.

We were we want to go. I'll let you go. You want to go to the left to go to the right go the right to go to the left. You decide. Genesis 39 is not the whole land before you separate from me and he says go wherever you want. He gave the best choice to lot didn't get a set I get the best choice. I'm in charge here know you said you did whatever you want to go the other way. Abraham figured he would leave the choice and outcome to God. So make your choice now in Lot made his choice and it was certainly the wrong one. Are you in a similar situation right now. You don't know if you can totally be honest and forthright in your business, because if you are, you're afraid that line sheet of a competitor will take advantage of you, and you might even lose some business if you do things ethically and with integrity it's easier to cut a corner it's easier to not do it the way you ought to do it, but here's a question you have to ask yourself, are you more concerned with the fast buck, or the approval of God. Maybe you're in a situation where you want to tell some of your friends about the Lord, your concern is if you tell them it might cause friction with that. In fact, if you tell them about your faith in Christ. It might bring a division of those people won't even one to be your friends any longer. So you're reluctant to listen to this.

Jesus says in Matthew 1034 don't imagine I came to bring peace on earth I came to bring a sword I came to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be those of your own household what what the very friction you're dreading may be the thing that brings conversion in the life of your friend. Do you know what a conflict you want to get along with everybody. If you stand for Christ.

It might bring friction yeah here's a question. Do you want harmony with people in friction with God or harmony with God in friction with people when I see friction. I don't mean that you're being mean or heavy-handed. But what I mean is you make your stand for truth that causes a temporary tension because a person is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Now you pray for them to come to their senses and then they come to Christ and you are the ultimate unity in the real peace and God wants to bring into your home.

We have choices to make in life Lot made the wrong choices and there were a series of steps that led to them ending up in the wrong place was a series of small choices that lead to bigger and worse choices in sin. It's always little things that turn in the big thing for like falling into sin is a lot like gaining weight and no you say I don't I don't want to get heavier. I want the skill to go left not right okay so you try, but then you cheat, you know you go to talk about with Greg late at night and you get the answer.

Rita that's about enough then you go over to In-N-Out Burger, and you get the ghetto doubled double animal solid chopped jalapenos and additional heartburn. You notice that your gaining weight. But here's what happens is a clarity messed up. I might as all you know, get to know large stack of pancakes for breakfast and you rest.

I will have already messed up a medical just keep messing up my morning off my diet. It took some work. I'll do this little sin, and yet I know I should know but I just don't want to need it. Well, I already did that, I might as well do the other thing already did the other thing I might as well do that other other thing in little things turn into big things and that's exactly what happened with lot how to the end up in the worst city on earth saw them tomorrow. You're taking notes is principle number one.

He looked the wrong way.

Verse 10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan that it was well watered like the land of Egypt. Genesis 13 verse 10 looked the wrong way. Notice of loss point of reference was Egypt. And why was he drawn this on and because saw them reminded him of Egypt. So what's your point of reference lot looked around, saw Zona McMorran he took the first step down. By the way, this was not a casual glance, the phrase look means he looked with longing.

Have you ever looked with longing at anything like I want that that car on the showroom floor that outfitted in the window that donates you know coming down the conveyor belt at Krispy Kreme confessing all of my bad food issues are tell her I'm not that attractive girl or guy whatever it is all delinquent longing. I want that I desire that sword started with a look.

This is what happened to even remember which unit of the forbidden fruit. We read in Genesis.

She saw the tree was good that it was pleasant to the eyes desired to make one wise, and she took of the fruit and ate it.

She saw instead of looking his eyes at the heaven lot lifted his eyes of the plain of Jordan verse 10 it took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley listen the IC with the heart. Love Abraham had taken a lot out of Egypt, but apparently you couldn't get Egypt out of lot and Outlook determines outcome Abraham walk by faith world changers do lot walk by sight.

This second step down was lot separated himself from godly influence now this was a good thing for Abraham but a bad thing for lot and a sure sign of spiritual decline is when we find ourselves wanting to get away from godly we find ourselves wanting to get away from godly people. So if you find when you're around Christians and it's kind of a drag and you don't enjoy it that that's not a good sign. It's a good sign when you say I want to be around the people of God when your wife says the honey of time for church.

Anything that's a good sign slacker husband when you're the one thing the car is ready, let's go church. I can't wait to get there. That's a good sign when you're thinking about people to be around or maybe take your vacation with her spend extended time with you want to be around believers.

That's a good thing when you want to avoid believers. That's not a good thing. Number three is third step down was. He moved to stand to a place near Sodom. Genesis 13 verse 12 he moved his chance to a place near Sodom, fascinated by the freewheeling lifestyle and their disregard for God lot thinking he could handle it edges even closer now if you were to ask lot at that point him and what you doing why you moving close to this wicked city. He might've said well you know I don't approve of what they do. Your global opportunities and I could go there and influence people and probably do a lot of good. Yeah, maybe you could, and maybe it will influence you. That depends on you know there's a twist in the story. Sodom is attacked by another army from another city and of all things lot is taken hostage. She's not even a real citizen of Sodom. But he's taken hostage because he's in the wrong place at the wrong time of the wrong people do check it out. Abraham the warrior. He gets an army together of his service, they go over and they get lot free from this kingdom bring them back again, that's amazing the hundreds lot shows gratitude toward his heroic uncle. He moves to Sodom, it wasn't done enough to be living near Sodom know he moves to sonnet you know sometimes God will send warnings to get our attention were just getting a little too close to sin in the be those little warnings like you shouldn't be doing that.

The relationship with a coworker at work, a member of the opposite sex is getting a little too close of that habit you have of stretching the truth so you tell another lie to cover up the law. You previously told and if you don't watch out in the like lot you make your choices and then your choices great insight importance of wise choices. Pastor Greg Laurie with another message in his world changers series, we're focusing on the choices made by Abraham and by lot today your on the new beginning and if you'd like to preserve the insight you heard plus a great deal more get in touch for a permanent copy of the study called the choices of a world changer, just call us anytime night or day at 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org then were so glad to have some special guests with us today.

In addition to pastor Greg's wife Kathy.

We have authors Jeff and Chante felt Hahn who written a new book thriving and love and money.

It's based on in-depth research into the habits and attitudes of hundreds of married couples shanty herself as a data analyst, Jeff and Chante say if money is a problem in a marriage, money is not the problem in the marriage money stress is a symptom of a problem in the relationship. I will couple relate to each other and understand each other and communicate about money is fascinating insight.

Chante and Jeff in the last chapter of your book you speak of how this information changed your marriage. How is your marriage different. Now, after putting your discoveries to work, but I'd say that's a you know it's it's deepened our understanding our respect for each other, our love for each other. I just, you know I hated having this script run through my mind and it was it was it wasn't necessarily a conscious decision that whenever we would have any sort of a disagreement about something.

I had something that said Chante wasn't correct or wasn't doing things right and now all of a sudden I check that and it is been, whether it's in money or are other things I a check that really quickly when those thoughts start to come and I look for the more generous answer for why she's doing something yes and it it it look we all want peace in our household and we have peace it's it's been fantastic.

It has been so fascinating to see how I would have described our marriage as being a great marriage before I had no idea there was a whole other level that we were missing. I had no idea that there was a whole other level of oneness and intimacy and closeness that was close – – because there was this area of marriage that just was time it was the third rail right it was that area that we chest avoided at exactly it. I'm excited because I feel like even if there's just one member in household that will take the time to read this book that it'll help Karen begin that conversation because rather than thrust a book and disseminate you know your spouse's hands and you need to read this book itself will help you to begin to phrase those first my First question you gave us which was so guide what is the one thing that I could do that would help you decanted help me understand and talk about money with me. I mean, that's question is just the opening of a nice conversation rather than just you need to do this differently and you need to understand what I'm thinking, here is the site help me understand so that we can have this conversation. I love think you Chante and Jeff for being on a show in writing this book thriving in love and money and I hope that our listeners will order their own copy because it can really enrich number one your life number two your marriage and help you know how to deal with your finances in a godly way from a biblical perspective.

And so we want to send you your own copy for your gift of any size to our ministry here at a new beginning because as you know we love to teach the word of God. This is just an illustration of that were helping you to see how Scripture applies to all areas of your life including your finances and that we also proclaim the gospel and give people an opportunity to believe in Jesus so whatever you send will invested in this ministry and will get you your own copy of this book by Chante and Jeff felt Hahn thriving in love and money. Yeah, that's right, we have a copy here waiting for you in touch and requested will send it to say thank you for investing in these daily studies.

You know they touch lives each and every day and you have a part in that spiritual fruit when you invest so the studies can continue.

And when you send that investment today. Be sure to ask for thriving in love and money you can write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 seven again at 1-800-821-3300 was online to harvest more next time will see that Abraham's life continued to prosper and lots life because of his poor choices to breaking point. Find out what happens next time you beginning possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org