Abram and Lot: Seperate

Good morning everyone! Oh how i love so much to see you all and to worship together with you. Right now all of our kids are heading out to their class so that they can learn about God in a way that makes sense to them. We have amazing teachers who volunteer to prepare a class and teach these amazing kiddos. I also want to welcome those of you joining us online. Whether you are joining us this morning, afternoon, or evening we are so glad that you decided to be a part of our extended spiritual family. We truly want to thank you....if there is any way that we we can be a blessing to you please do not hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can best serve you, wherever you are.

I want to briefly tell you about an amazing movement that is happening right now. There is a school in Kentucky called Asbury University. Now, Asbury University was founded by a guy named John Wesley in 1890, and John Wesley was a part of the Methodist Denomination in the 1800’s. Now, you will remember that the Methodist denomination started as a result of a guy reading the Bible and deciding to start a few Bible studies that was done in a specific way. So, there is a direct line to what happened in the 1700’s to what seems to be happening right now. On Wednesday Morning at Asbury College there was a chapel service that really dealt with confession and repentance. As a result of that chapel, there was a group of students who felt they needed to stay and spend some additional time with the Lord. They did that, and then others began to come back and as of last night they were still worshiping and praying and refocusing on the Lord together, so far over 90 hours straight. Now, I want you to hear me…this was not a few different “revival meetings” This has been a NONSTOP worship experience that is led entirely by 18-25 yr old men and women. What is interesting is that this school has a history of this type of thing happening, back in 1970 a very similar thing happened there lasting over 144 hour of straight worship. Why do I bring this up…because this is what happens when a few people decide to focus on the Lord and don’t let one or anything get in their way…There are students from nearby colleges, and even surrounding states that are driving to join in this moment of focusing on the Lord and revival. I mention this because it is important for us to know that God is working all around us, and if a group of students in Kentucky can respond to the Lords leading…then why can’t I…why can’t you…or maybe even all of us together can be a part of a revival that impacts Leaf River, and this whole region for the Lord!

Now this year we are on a journey to do some things as a church. One of those things is to spend time reading Gods Word for ourselves, that is where revival truly starts. As a matter of fact, there is a group of people that are trying to help each other out and hold each other accountable to be sure and read, or listen to Scripture every single day. Then there is another pretty good size group of around 20 ish people that are spending time every single day reading with the goal of reading through the entire Bible this year. Those of you that are reading along, congratulations because as of this Saturday, you will have finished the first 4 books of the Bible. That is fantastic! For some of you this is a HUGE step, and for others this is a smaller step…but do you know what this is for every single person that is spending time in Scripture this year? This is an opportunity for you to read all about the promises of God for yourself. Through the course of this year you are going to see some pretty big promises, and while you know God is big, you are gonna wonder how he is gonna pull that off. For instance, in our current study we saw last week that God promised a 75 year old man that he was going to be the father to an entire nation…I mean that’s pretty cool…except that this 75 year old man doesn’t have any kids yet…at least not when God made him this promise. To make matters even worse, his wife is unable to have any children…So, how in the word is God going to fulfill this promise to this guy. Well, theologian and author Matthew Henry once said,

God never promises more than he is able to perform. — Matthew Henry

That’s true…that means that whatever I read in Scripture…whatever promises are made in Scripture, I can have faith to know that the promise is not more than God can deliver. That is really encouraging to me to be honest, because there are times I kind of feel like Im spinning my wheels and Im unsure what to do. Well, if I can rely on God’s promises then I just need to search Scripture to see what promises apply to my situation, then I should worship God in response to his promises…Just like this group of students are doing in Kentucky right now…I can come expectantly to God in worship!

This morning we are going to see the first of three big Abram and Lot stories while we are in this series. We are going to see some stark differences in the way they each respond to things and the way they will each choose to trust God or reject God’s promises. Now, for this morning, let’s...

Set the stage:

So, lets take a minute and remember what we talked about last week. Last week we saw that God promised Abram that he would give him land, a large number of descendants, and blessings. Then we saw that Abram went into Egypt and he decided he would be better off handling his fear rather than trusting the Lord. Now, I know for a fact that pretty much every single one of us in this room have been at that exact place before in our own lives. We felt like maybe God was to busy to deal with the intricate issues of our lives, and so we decided that we would take on our issues ourselves, rather than relying on God to work through those issues. I also know that this is not something that typically goes well…It might end well, but not because our way was better, because God worked through us despite our lack of faith. However, I can tell you that the road to get there was a difficult road instead of a smooth road.

You will all remember the illustration I gave last week about using Google maps to get somewhere new. Well, there have been times that I got where I was going, so it ended well…but the road was filled with construction or accidents, or traffic or something to that effect. Google Maps was trying to spare me from all of that, but I knew better so I went through all of that. It’s the same with God. You see, Abram leaving Egypt ended well…I mean look at what Egypt gave him as he left. However, it was a bumpy path that he traveled when it could have been very smooth had he simply relied on the promise that God made to him. Well, that picks us up where we are this morning. Lets take a look at

Genesis 13:1 (ESV)

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

So they leave Egypt together to head back to the southern part of modern day Israel. (show map) Now everything looks great so far…We are about to see that they are both very rich and that how that might cause some issues. However, we are also about to see that a problem arises and how each of these men will respond to this problem. So…what is

The problem:

We are about to take a look at the next part of this passage. While I am bringing this up, I want to encourage you to see if you can spot the problem, then, I want you to see if you can spot the solution that actually caused a greater problem for one of these men. So, let’s take a look at

Genesis 13:2–13 (ESV)

Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

Ok so, we have here the entire company of Abram and Lot, who are quite wealthy now, they are traveling back from Egypt and have traveled to the place where they stopped previously and worshiped God. Remember this is a place that Abram built an alter to the Lord and worshiped him after God told him that this would be the place that he would give his ancestors. However, there seems to be a bit of an issue here at the moment. The problem that they are encountering is a problem of land resources.

You see, in this area (show map) we have Abram, and all of his flocks and people. We have Lot, and all of his flocks and people. Then, on top of that…there are the groups of people who already live there the Canaanites and the Perizzites. So Abram and Lot are foreigners coming in and using the resources of these others tribes. So not only are the resources more limited because it is not just these two groups of people. Especially in the summer months when it is more dry, there is no possible way for this section of land to supply the needs for four growing tribes and flocks…it just can’t happen. Because of this, the shepherds were all starting to fight and quarrel, likely over whose flocks are able to graze around which sections, and who would be around the limited water supplies. Thats a very real problem that we have all had at some point in our lives, right? I mean a disagreement over resources, desk space, backseat space, the arm rest in the movie theater between two seats…disagreements about resources are pretty common.

Now, Abram does something pretty interesting, and frankly, petty amazing here. You see, Abram offers a solution. However, the solution that Abram offers is a solution that favors Lot. The thing is that Abram was the older, and therefore was the one that should have taken the choicest of lands, but instead Abram offers to Lot the best of whatever Lot desires. This is interesting and shows a little wisdom from Abram here. You see, they were at odds over resources, but they weren’t alone. Abram likely understands that it would be unwise to fight more with Lot while they are also sharing the lands with these other tribes. If they continue to fight, then they will potentially invite conflict with others that will come in and harm them. Therefore, their safety is at risk the longer these quarrels continue. So, Abram allows Lot to choose whatever he wanted for himself, and Abram will take the leftovers.

However, what Lot chose is very unwise. Actually we see that Lot looked at the land and simply looked at the outside beauty of the land and not the promises of the Lord. (show map) There is a very similar story that the writer of Genesis alludes to here. You see, this passage reads that Lot saw the valley was well watered like the garden of the Lord. This is a picture of the beauty of the Garden of Eden. Not only is there a reference to the beauty of this land, we also see a similar choice being made by Lot and Eve. Remember what Eve did in

Genesis 3:6 (ESV)

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

You see, what Eve did was look to what was a delight to the eyes, instead of stay focused on the promise of the Lord. This is the same thing that Lot is doing here. Yes, Abram told him to choose, however, he did not have to choose a place outside of Canaan the land that God has promised to Abram. Lot made a choice to leave the promise of the Lord to go to a place that his eyes found favorable. Now, let me ask you today…how many times do you do that exact same thing? How many times do you choose to leave the safety of the promises of the Lord for what looks pleasing to the eyes?

Look, we live in a culture today where people all around us are looking to what is is pleasing to they eyes instead of staying in the promises of God. Just this past week if you watch Hollywood you would see that the Grammy’s had a special musical performance by someone named Sam Smith, where he was dressed up in a way that represents Satan while he was surrounded by fire and transsexual dancers…This was praised by Hollywood. It was praised because we live in a culture that desires what is a delight to the eyes instead of relying on the promises of God. We have groups of churches all around the US and around the world that openly criticize anyone who holds to the truth of the Gospel, because we live in a culture that desires what is a delight to the eyes instead of relying on the promises of God. This is played out in the modern belief that everyone has their own truth…I will live my truth, and you live your truth is simply a way of saying I want to do what I want to do, and you can’t tell me that it’s wrong. This is why there are court hearing across the US fighting for the rights to kill the pre-born, and fighting for the right to mutilate children, and we are very close to having laws that make pedophilia legal…We know that because there is a campaign to rename those that engage in actively assaulting children to minor attracted persons. We live in a culture that is seeks to do what delights the eyes…another word for what delights the eyes, is sin! We live in a culture that glorifies sin. Now, you may say Pastor Billy how did you get there simply because lot chose the land that looked best. Well, look at where we are simply because Eve chose the fruit that looked best.

So Lot chose a place to go and live that was not just a green pasture…No, Lot chose a place to live that had more than farm land around it. Lot actually chose to go and live in a city named Sodom. Sure, he had a tent outside of Sodom so that he could manage his flocks, but he chose to live in Sodom and we see from this passage that Sodom was filled with men who were were wicked and were great sinners against the Lord. You see, sin is a delight to the eyes, and when we choose sin, we reject the promises of the Lord. let that sink in to your heart a little bit…When I chose sin, I reject the promises of the Lord. That’s important for you and I to face the reality of that truth right there…That means next time you know you shouldn’t gossip and you choose to do it anyway, you are rejecting the promises of the Lord. Next time you recognize your own pride, but you choose to ignore it…you are rejecting the promises of the Lord. Listen, Im just as guilty as anyone else about this…that is why I am so grateful for the promises of the Lord…Promises like we see in

Acts 3:19 (ESV)

Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

Amen to that…I only need to repent and worship the Lord. Now, while Lot is choosing what is a delight to the eyes, let’s take a look at

The promise:

You see, Abram didn’t forget God’s promises this time. You remember last week Abram chose to rely on himself rather than rely on God’s promises, but this week we see that as Abram has been traveling back up from Egypt he has had time to think and remember the promises of the Lord, and then take a look at what happens after he separated from Lot.

Genesis 13:14–18 (ESV)

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Wow! I mean, God has already made this promise to Abram previously. However, this time it hits a little different. This time God is reminding Abram about what is coming, and giving him an even bigger picture than before. In this encounter with the Lord, Abram is reminded of two of the three promises that have been made to him. The Lord starts off by telling Abram to look around where he is. He tells him to look in all directions and everything he sees will be given to Abram. Then he tells him that his offspring will be like the dust of the Earth…That is alot of offspring ya’ll! Here Abram is reminded of God’s promises of land and descendants.Now, there are still others living here, and Abram still has no children, so these will have to be acts that only God can do.

Do you know what I love about this interaction here...Lot has gone to what was a delight to the eyes, and now God is giving Abram a visual illustration of his promises. In other words, God is putting delight into Abram’s vision instead of Abram chasing the delight of his eyes…How cool is that. Look at what God had him do. God told him to walk the land, the length and the width in order to see what all is there…all of this is what the Lord will give Abram. God is literally showing him and allowing him to delight in God’s promises. So, after seeing the result of these promises Abram chooses to worship God. Look at

Genesis 13:18 (ESV)

So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Abram settled down and built another alter to the lord. (show map)Abram is able to see the promise of the Lord and while he has no idea how it is going to happen and when it is going to happen, he is choosing to believe these promises and worship the Lord. It’s amazing to me becuase Abram could say, “but God when...”, and maybe he did do that from time to time, but look at what we see that Abram did…Abram worshiped the Lord. Abram could have questioned God about why he couldn’t have already done this so that he and Lot would not have had to separate, and maybe he did that at some point as well, but do you see what Abram did…Abram worshiped the Lord.

Look Abram went through alot. He has left everything, and he has been walking a VERY long time. He has been to Egypt, where he thought he knew better than God, and then he is walking right back again…I mean, he could even ask himself, why didn’t God just let me stay here the first time I was here, and maybe he did…but do you know what we see?

Abram worships…will you?

Yeah, through all of that Abram chose to worship. Abram has been on a journey and it hasn’t necessarily been easy, and he still has a ways to go…but even in the midst of all of that Abram chose to worship. What will you do? You know the promises that God has made, we talked about some of them last week. Do you know that God actually has a plan for your life specifically? Like, I don’t mean eventually maybe something will happen, but I mean God has actually planned good for you, and that God has actually planned to use you in some way for His good…so, what will you do with that knowledge? Look at this passage in

Psalm 32:8 (ESV)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

That is beautiful promise that shows us God is looking out for us, so what will you do in response to that promise? What about

1 John 1:9 (ESV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Your sins…my sins will be forgiven…that is a promise, so what will you do in response to that promise?

You see, Abram took up residence in the place that God showed him. Abram moved in, built an alter to worship, and lived there…Abram believed God’s promise despite not seeing all of the details about how that promise will be fulfilled…What will you do in response to God’s promises?

This morning as we sit here I want to encourage you to respond to God’s promises in worship…just like Abram did. In a moment the worship team is going to come up and I want to ask you to worship the Lord in response to his promises…I don’t know what you have going on in your life, but I do know what the Lord has promised you. I don’t know what your specific situation is, but I do know that the Lord has made promises to you. If you are here this morning or joining us online, and you are unsure how God’s promises apply to you, then let me encourage you to reach out and lets have a conversation. We can search the Scriptures together and see what promises apply to your situation. Then, you can respond to God...

Abram worshiped God in response to God’s promises…what will you do?

Let’s pray