"Giving Your Best to Be Bless"

Sermon Text: , cp

• that should stir us to seek God and His promises with more diligence than ever, just as Abram did.

• that should frighten us to flee the world—its bright lights, pleasures, and possessions—the very thing that Lot failed to do.

The subject is this: Abram Separated From Lot: Selfish Vs. Unselfish Faith, 13:5-18.

1. Abram and Lot faced a threefold problem (v.5-7).

3. Lot was misled by the lust of the eyes and by what looked good: by appearance (v.10-11).

4. Abram lived where he could prosper spiritually; Lot where he could prosper in the world (v.12-13).

5. Abram's faith was rewarded (v.14-17).

6. Abram's faith continued on (v.18).

This passage is an eye-opener into faith: it is a passage...

• that should stir us to seek God and His promises with more diligence than ever, just as Abram did.

• that should frighten us to flee the world—its bright lights, pleasures, and possessions—the very thing that Lot failed to do.

The subject is this: Abram Separated From Lot: Selfish Vs. Unselfish Faith, 13:5-18.

1. Abram and Lot faced a threefold problem (v.5-7).

2. Abram sought to solve the conflict (v.8-9).

3. Lot was misled by the lust of the eyes and by what looked good: by appearance (v.10-11).

4. Abram lived where he could prosper spiritually; Lot where he could prosper in the world (v.12-13).

5. Abram's faith was rewarded (v.14-17).

6. Abram's faith continued on (v.18).

"Giving Your Best to Be Bless"

God has no policeman to pass around and grab us by the neck and say you must read your Bible, or you must go to Church, or you must give to Missions. When God created man, He made man superior to all other creatures. He gave man the power and privilege of CHOICE. Up to now the Lord respects that privilege. He will not force us. With that privilege of Choice, goes the terrible responsibility of abiding by the results or consequences of our choices.

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Comments

Hell is paved with good intentions, not with bad ones.

—George Bernard Shaw

God has no policeman to pass around and grab us by the neck and say you must read your Bible, or you must go to Church, or you must give to Missions. When God created man, He made man superior to all other creatures. He gave man the power and privilege of CHOICE. Up to now the Lord respects that privilege. He will not force us. With that privilege of Choice, goes the terrible responsibility of abiding by the results or consequences of our choices.

I will put you at mind by this statement from George Bernard shaw, Hell is paved with good intentions, not with bad ones.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5306 Man’s Power of Choice

God has no policeman to pass around and grab us by the neck and say you must read your Bible, or you must go to Church, or you must give to Missions. When God created man, He made man superior to all other creatures. He gave man the power and privilege of CHOICE. Up to now the Lord respects that privilege. He will not force us. With that privilege of Choice, goes the terrible responsibility of abiding by the results or consequences of our choices.

This passage is an eye-opener into faith: it is a passage...

This passage is an eye-opener into faith: it is a passage...

• that should stir us to seek God and His promises with more diligence than ever, just as Abram did.

• that should frighten us to flee the world—its bright lights, pleasures, and possessions—the very thing that Lot failed to do.

And God will bless you when you give your best.

The subject is this: Abram Separated From Lot: Selfish Vs. Unselfish Faith, 13:5-18.

When Lot's father, Haran, died, Abram took Lot in and reared him just as he would his own son. But as we shall see, Lot paid little attention to spiritual matters. This is what this passage is all about. The passage draws a sharp contrast between Lot and Abram, between a carnal, worldly believer and a spiritual believer. It gives us a picture of unselfish faith vs. selfish faith.

1. Abram and Lot faced a threefold problem (v.5-7).

1. Abram and Lot faced a threefold problem (v.5-7).

2. Abram sought to solve the conflict (v.8-9).Abram lived by faith; Lot lived by sight (; ). ⇒ Abram was giving and unselfish; Lot was greedy and selfish (; ). ⇒ Abram was humble and respectful; Lot was prideful and self-exalting (; ).

Abram lived by faith; Lot lived by sight (; ). ⇒ Abram was giving and unselfish; Lot was greedy and selfish (; ). ⇒ Abram was humble and respectful; Lot was prideful and self-exalting (; ).

1. First, Abram suggested the need for keeping peace between them and their workers. They were brothers and brothers should not fight; brothers should care for each other and look after each other.

2. Second, Abram offered to give the best pasture land to Lot, offered to sacrifice his right to claim the best for himself (). Abram had the right to choose first, and he deserved that right.

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" ().

3. Lot was misled by the lust of the eyes and by what looked good: by appearance (v.10-11).

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" ().

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" ().

"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace" (). "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" ().

"Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!" ().

"Trust in the LORD, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed" ().

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man" ().

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" ().

. Lot was misled by the lust of the eyes and by what looked good: by appearance (v.10-11).

Abram sought after God and His promises; Lot sought after the bright lights, possessions, and pleasures of this world (; ).

Point 1: Too many of us are selfish. We want the best for ourselves even if we have to neglect our parents and those who have helped us so much in life. Too many of us are unthankful and show little appreciation to those who have made us what we are.

"Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" ().

4. Abram lived where he could prosper spiritually; Lot where he could prosper in the world (v.12-13). Abram was spiritually minded; Lot was worldly minded (,; ).

Abram was spiritually minded; Lot was worldly minded (,12; ).

,

12

The wrong committed by Lot was this: he became part of the world. He not only lived in the world, he participated in its worldly pleasures and sins, its greed and wickedness. Lot moved right in with the worldly and ungodly of this earth.

;

).

Point 2. Scripture is clear about separation from worldliness, from the pleasures and possessions of the world.

5. Abram's faith was rewarded (v.14-17).

"And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward [crooked, perverse] generation" ().

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall man give in exchange for his soul?" ().

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [self-indulgence], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares" ().

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (). "Where

fore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" ().

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" ().

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" ().

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier" ().

"Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" ().

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" ().

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not the Father, but is of the world" ().

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing: go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD" ().

5. Abram's faith was rewarded (v.14-17).

Thus God had to stir Abram to separate from Lot so that God could bless Abram. Scripture declares that God does not pour out His blessing upon a believer when he is unequally yoked with a worldly person (cp. ). Once Lot was separated from Abram, God could then speak to Abram and meet his need.

Point 3. God's presence and power are only available to those who are... • set apart—separated—from the world and the lust after its bright lights, pleasures, and possessions. • set apart—separated—unto God, wholly given over to Him, to seeking Him and His promises.

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat" ().

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" ().

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful" ().

"Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them" ().

6. Abram's faith continued on (v.18).