Sermon Tone Analysis

*Genesis 13** – 19** -* *Five Ways To Be A Great Dad *

 

            What do you think is the most difficult job that a dad faces?

It is spending time with his family.

You see, there are so many things to take dad's away from their family.

Today, there is the health club, the gulf club, the rotary club.

Dads, how do you measure success?

You can use most any measure when you are speaking of success.

You can measure it in a fancy home, or expensive car, or even a dress.

But the measure of your real success is one you can not spend, it is the way our son describes you when he's talking to a friend.

And of course, that depends on how old the child is.

Because when the child is 4 years old, he says, "My dad can do anything.

At 7 hears old he says, "My daddy knows a whole lot."

At 8 years old he says, "My father doesn't know everything."

At 14 years old he says, "Dad is hopelessly old fashion."

At 21 years of age, he says, "Dad is out of date.

At 25 years of age, he says, "Dad knows a little bit about life.

At 30 years of age, he  says, "Let's find out what dad thinks."

At 35  he says, ""Let's get dad's advice."

At 50 years of age, "What would dad have thought about it.

At 60 years, "My dad know literally every thing.

At 65 years of age, "I wish I could talk it over with dad."

We are going to look at lot and his leadership in his home.

As we look his life, we will see that he made 5 fatal errors.

And it cost him his family.

I can understand a man losing his job, but losing his family?

*FIRST -- HE PLACED FINANCIAL PROSPERITY ABOVE HIS FAMILY.

* 

 

            Lot Got his priorities all messed up.

*Genesis 13:8-11*

*/8 /**Then Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.**/

9 /**“Is not the whole land before you?

Please separate from me: if /to /the left, then I will go to the right; or if /to /the right, then I will go to the left.”**/ 10 /** And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—/this was /before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.**/  11 So/** Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed eastward.

Thus they separated from each other.

NASV*

 

Now if a business man would have come up next to Lot, he would have said, "Lot, you have great business sense.

You made a brilliant choice for your business.

Why, Lot you can make a quick decision."

If you could go into Lot's library you would see books like, How To be #1, How to Reach For The Top, How To always Win.

But wait a minute.

Look at verse 11 and see what it says,  It gives us a strong clue about Lot.

Notice what verse 11 says.

*Genesis 13:11*

*/11 /**So** Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed eastward.

Thus they separated from each other.

NASV*

 

            Lot was thinking, "I could form a great business in the community of Sodom.

But Lot forgot about something.

Do you know what he for got about.

He forgot about the influence of Sodom on his family.

I wish I could interview Lot.

I would ask him, "Lot have you first found a church home?

He would have to say, "No."

Well is there a place for your kids to attend Sunday School?

No.

Well, have your found some other Christians you could fellowship with.

No.

I am amazed that families that will move because of their job, without even checking first into a church home.

You say, "Pastor, why are your bring this up?

Because that is the same mistake Lot made.

He considered his business first.

Lot actually mad a decision based on a business deal.

Dad's, I believe that god will reward you on how you led your family.

But God is not going to regard you how well you made a business deal.

God is far more concerned about how you led your family.

Do you know what is sad about most Christians?

They will move, and they will find themselves a home, and they will find themselves

a job, and then and only then will they find themselves a church.

That's what lot did.

He put his financial prosperity above his family.

FIRST -- HE PLACED HIS FINANCIAL PROSPERITY ABOVE HIS FAMILY.

*SECOND -- HE EXPECTED HIS FAMILY TO BE IMMUNE TO SIN.*

 

            Lot thought that he could take his family and put them down into a very wicked city and that the sin of Sodom would not effect his family.

*Genesis 13:12-13*

*/12/**/ /**Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.**/

13 /**Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.

NASV*

 

            Lot thought of Sodom as a business venture.

But when his family moved to Sodom, they saw it as a source of temptations.

Do you know why Sodom became a source of temptation?

It became a source of temptation because when Lot was out making money, his family was out making friends.

It is a true saying, Birds of a feather flock together.

Did you know that the environment of a family is very important?

Dad's it is your responsibility to make sure the environment is right for your kids.

Let me live you a very basic principle.

Here it is.

Where you go determines who you will meet.

I'll tell you how it works.

After this service, just get into the car with me and I can tell you where you and I will have wholesome thoughts.

Or I could take you to a place that would move us to think ungodly thoughts.

Isn't that true?

 

            Isn't that true.

Lot somehow thought that he could just move his family into Sodom and they would come out smelling like a rose.

There is the story that back in the 1800's, in the city of Portland, the town drunk got saved.

Every time he would come into town, he would pull up to the hitching post, in front of the saloon, ties his horse up, and get a drink.

That was before he got saved.

He did great for 4 months.

They asked the preacher what happened?

How could he go back to drinking?

The preacher said, As near as I could see, he never changed his hitching post.

No mater how spiritual you think you are.

If your continual to hang around the same sinful crowd, you will soon begin to act just like them.