Making Right Decisions

Rev Gideon Lee

I have only been here about a year and during that time I got to know brother Freddy and the thing that strikes me about him was that he was always smiling. And when he was in the hospital and whenever he felt better he would go around the hospital beds to share Christ.

But today though we miss him, he is in a better place. Tonight, let's celebrate life at the wake service. Brother Freddy lived his life as a person with hope. Hope that God will somehow heal him, but he said he was okay even if God takes him home.

Friends, we need to look at life not just here on this earth but we need to look at life in terms of eternity. Death is but a door. We have no fear of death. Don't get me wrong, we believe God heals, we believe in divine healing but in death, we are free from all pain. Today he is there with Christ. He is in a better place. God has His plan and He does thing His way and He is sovereign.

This morning I want to share from the book of Genesis.

Genesis Chapter 13

1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.

14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.

Everywhere Abraham went, he pitched a tent, he built an altar to praise the Lord.

Here is also a place where the people needs to be united. As the enemies are also in that land.

Sodom and Gomorrah was mentioned to remind him that though the land was pleasant, it was once Sodom and Gomorrah.

Let's look at the chapter before this.

Genesis 12:1-4

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country,

from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy- five years old when he departed from Haran.

5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.

Let me tell you the story. Many of you would have heard this many times before.

The bible says God called him to move but did not tell him the destination. If I was Abraham, I'd ask go where? But God never told him, so Abraham just packed up and go. And Lot followed him. God has blessed Abraham so much and Lot was also blessed. God blessed Abraham first and Lot knew that if he followed Abraham, he'd be blessed too.

Can you imagine you are blessed so much that Penang cannot contain you. This was what happened. Back in those days, you are known to be rich by the number of livestock you have.

They were competing for land for their livestock and quarrels started.

Abraham called to solve this and initiated a resolution. Uncle and nephew also quarrelled so he came up with a solution.

Abraham gave Lot the first choice. That's unheard of back in those times, maybe even now. He was so generous in that sense.

Lot looked up and saw the land was so nice, like the garden of the Lord not knowing Sodom and Gomorrah was there.

Can you imagine that the city was so bad that God wanted to destroy it and Abraham had to plead with God to spare the city.

He left with only his family and left everything behind, all his possessions but his wife that looked back become a pillar of salt.

We want to draw lessons here on making decisions.

1. Lets not make decisions based on greed.

Some decisions we make are irreversible. We cannot turn back the clock. There are consequences. Like our choices for studies, work and even a life partner. Don't make them solely on greed. Don't get me wrong, most of us here in general are selfish. We choose the best for ourself. Nothing wrong with that. We are not just human beings but we are Christians. There is always the call to think about the other person. It is more blessed to give than to receive. The world is mainly about what we can get.

Even companies understand CSR, corporate social responsibilities. Giving back to society and thinking about the environment. Lot made his decision based on greed. He forgot his uncle. He should have thought about his uncle, the reason he was blessed up till then. What he left Abraham was stones and barren land.

2. Don't base your decision on only what you see.

He saw and said it looked good but he forgot about Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now is the durian season. How do we choose your durian. We first look at the shape. And whether got holes. You don't want durian with holes. We also make sure the stem is there. So it's fresh. Then we shake and if it rattles, it's ripe. Then we smell. Even then we can't be sure. Then we ask them to open to see. They open a slit, the best part for you to see. Even in buying a durian, we don't base decisions just on what we see.

My wife was away for three weeks. First week she had eye infection, conjunctivitis, then she was in Klang. When we got married we went to Bali for honeymoon. Romantic right. Then the people there try and sell you stuff. This guy came up and wanted to sell us a dolphin carving.

When I held it in my hands, it was quite heavy so it felt like good wood. I asked what wood it was and he said ebony, an expensive black hard wood. It was priced high and after some bargaining I bought it. One day I placed it on display and it fell down and broke. The inside was not black. It looked like, smell like and was heavy but when it broke it I can see it was not ebony. Inside was not black. It was not what we saw.

Don't be like Lot when making decision.

3. Don't make your decision solely in the logical.

We can start with the logical as God gave us a brain to think. But we must end it with the spiritual.

Like in an interview, you may say the pay is good, working hours great and benefits good. But you may have to bring this to the Lord and look at the spiritual. Maybe the working hours may take you away from the Lord. Or the work circumstances may take you away from God.

Why did God reminded Abraham. If you have me, you will have success. That was why God wanted to tell Abraham. And Abraham understood that. Remember, don't only seek the blessing but the blesser. No matter what happens, you will have success.

We should make our decisions this way.

1. Always think of others.

As a church we make decisions that benefits the body. Abraham considered his nephew Lot. We need to consider others.

2. We should make our decisions acknowledging God.

Everywhere Abraham went he built an altar to worship God. Did the bible mentioned Lot doing that? When you acknowledge God we will have success. We need to put God in the picture. He knew it was not the circumstances but that if he was in God's will he will have success. Look at us, we are here because of his decision.

3. Submitting our will to God

When you bring an issue to the Lord do you submit to the will of God? At the Hokkien service I mentioned this. When choosing a partner do not be unequally yoked. That is God's criteria to us and it's important if not we cannot run together. When you pair horses for a chariot, you don't put a fine horse with one that's lame. It just won't work. After that, other physical attributes are your choice. Fat thin dark fair is your choice. That's why we have physical attraction. Don't say we have no choice. I am not a subscriber to choosing a partner for you. I can help bring to person together to meet but the choice is theirs to make. We need to submit to the will of God.

As Christians, let's not make our decisions based on greed. Let's not make our decisions based on what we see. As Christians we will make decisions that acknowledge God and not just because its the logical choice.

How many of you know I have to shift house again. One day our landlady called and said she wanted to see me. On passing me the receipt, she said she needed to take back the house. When she rented she said it was long term. But she said she needed the house as she wanted to get married. What can I say, but okay.

When she told me I said to myself I don't want to shift. I told God I already got so much to do but please help me to sort this out. Unknown to me, here was what was happening behind then scene.

My children plays at the playground and there was a Christian family nearby and their children just clicked with mine. The youngest daughter decided to go kindergarten with my son (laughs).

When they heard we wanted to shift, they said they don't mind renting the place to us but the timing was wrong as it won't be in time for us.

But again God is so good. The wife has three sisters and they have another house a few doors away. The sister were ready to shift and suggested the sisters house instead, two rows down our house. And to make it even better, she gave us the rent at the same price and she even will do the cabinets for us. They never intended to rent out due to bad experience with tenants in the pasts but they were willing to rent only to us.

I told my landlord and she was happy that I found a place and be her neighbour and she was willing to also give me the place one month free rental for the move. Same deal with the new landlord. So I have one month free rental from both landlords. That confirms to me God wants me to be here.

That was because I made my decision to move from Klang to pastor this church based on what we learned today.