Where Is Your Tent Pitched?

For example:

(1) SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL DECISIONS

Consider the many decisions an umpire has to make calling “balls” or “strikes” in a baseball game. He can almost rest assured that by the time the game is over he does not have a friend in the stadium. These fellows have a hard job.

Illus: In one baseball game, the umpire was being jeered and heckled unmercifully from the crowd. In the middle of the game, he walked over to the bleachers and sat down next to his chief critic.

• "What are you doing?" asked the spectator.

• "Well," said the umpire, “It seems you have a better view than I have, so I thought I would come over and sit with you so I could see as well as you do!”

When umpires make decisions, they do not have many friends.

Illus: At a professional baseball game, the Gate Keeper called the Park Manager’s office and said, “There's an umpire down here with a friend and he wants to know if they can come in free!”

•“No,” replied the park Manager, “The man's obviously lying.”

• The Gate Keeper said, “How do you know he is lying?”

•“It is obvious he is lying because who ever heard of an umpire with friends?”

(2) SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE MEDICAL DECISIONS

Illus: One day, this red-neck that had a slew of kids went to the doctor. After he had his annual physical, the doctor came out and said, "You had a great check-up. Is there anything else that you'd like to talk about or ask me?"

“Yea, doc. I have been thinking about having one of those operations that keep a man from having any more children.”

The doctor said, "That's a pretty big decision. Have you talked it over with your family?"

"Yeah, and they're in favor 19 to 1."

(3) SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE FOOD WE EAT

Those who are concerned about their waistline always have to make decisions about what they are going to eat.

Illus: I still find it hard to understand how you can eat a pound of ice cream and gain five pounds.

Illus: A woman found her husband standing on the scale and holding his stomach in. She laughed and said, “Holding your stomach in won’t make you any lighter.” He replied, “I know that, but it is the only way I can see the numbers on the scale.”

Anyone who has ever had to lose some weight knows how difficult that is to do.

Illus: A blonde was terribly overweight, so she made the decision to see her doctor for some help.

The doctor said, "I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least five pounds."

When the blonde returned, she had lost nearly 20 pounds.

"Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said. "Did you follow my instructions?"

The blonde nodded. "I'll tell you, though, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day."

“From hunger?” “No, from all the skipping.”

(4) SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WATCH ON TELEVISION

Illus: We men are known for the many decisions we make with the use of the remote control while we watch television. We can wear a good remote control out in a matter of months.

Our life consists of making all kinds of decisions every day. And today we are where we are because of the decisions we have made.

The Bible records men and women that had to make ALL KINDS OF DECISIONS. Lot was such a man, but he was known to make some bad decisions.

Because we do not want to do the same thing, let’s look at some of the reasons why he made bad decisions. We see that-

I. LOT WAS WEAK IN HIS DEVOTIONS

Even though Lot was a righteous man, he made some bad decisions that affected him and his family drastically.

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT LOT WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN? Peter said lot was a righteous man.

2 Pet. 2:8, “(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)”

Now the question is asked by some, “How can a righteous man pack up his family and decide to move them to a place like Sodom and Gomorrah?”

When believers are not DEVOTED TO THE GOD THEY SERVE, they do practically everything the lost world does.

But to understand how he can be considered to be a “righteous” man, we need to consider the word “righteous”.

The Word “righteous” is used two ways in the scriptures.

• It is used when a man lives RIGHT! We say such a person is righteous.