Break Free

6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

Text: V9

Introduction:

Hinderance – Something that interferes with (or delays) action or progress. A deterrent, impediment, or obstruction.

Hinderances stop the progress and momentum and interferes with things that we are trying to accomplish. They slow us down.

It’s like trying to run a race but strapping 10lb weights to your feet, slowing you down and draining your speed and stamina.

Paul and I working on the car (both huffing and puffing because we have a big hinderance in the way when we bend down – our belly)

Here in our BR we see that Abram had a hinderance.

God had called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees and issued him a promise.

12:1-3

God had promised that he would bless Abraham. He said that he would make of him a great nation.

This is the beginning of the Dispensation of Promise. God had let mankind serve him and govern themselves by their own conscience (as we are learning in Romans, man fails at this). Then God allowed man to set up rulers to govern over mankind, but the rulers caused men to serve themselves rather than God.

So now in this Dispensation of Promise, God was going to separate himself a people that he would call his own. And he chose this man Abram, because he believed God.

God had laid out this amazing promise:

To make of him a great nation.

To Bless him

To make his name great

To bless those that bless him

To curse those that cursed him

And through him would all families be blessed.

God was going to make him famous throughout all of history (And God has done just that). God is not slack concerning his promises.

I. Abrams Hinderance. Lot.

V.5. Abraham took his brother’s son Lot with him.

Read 12:1. God had instructed Abram to separate himself from his father’s house and from his kindred. But we find that Abram brought his brothers son (his nephew). With him.

This was not what God said.

So he brought with him a hinderance. God could not fulfill his promise upon Abram so long as Lot was with him.

It was nothing against Lot per se. Lot may have been a good man, maybe he looked up to and admired Abram. No doubt Abram had the best of intentions to show lot how to walk with the Lord.

But God wanted Abram to separate himself.

We have to be willing to surrender and sacrifice everything for the Lord! But in the end we will GAIN HIM!

In Phillipians Paul listed all of the things that he trusted in, circumcision, Jewish heritage, religious standing, respected life.

Phil 3:7-9(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him not having mine own righteousness…

We have to be willing to separate ourselves from the hinderances of the world that hold us back.

Sometimes God wants to get us out of our comfort zones so that our focus will be on HIM. Rather than on our familiar surroundings.

God had to get Moses out of Egypt in order to get his attention.

II. Strife and Struggle

Abraham left out of his homeland, and immediately ran into trouble in Egypt. Fearing for his life he lied, and when he was caught in his lie he was cast out of Egypt.

13:1-3 So after a bad experience in Egypt he found himself right back in place where he’d been before. He had made a circle. He hadn’t gone anywhere and wasn’t closer to his promise.

Why was this? Lot was still with him. He still hadn’t broken free.

V4. Abram Prayed.

Oftentimes in our walk with God through our own doing, we find ourselves in hardship.

It’s been said that we are the sum total of all of the decisions that we have ever made.

It’s a truth: Every decision what we have made in our life has brought us to the place where we are right now!

But we don’t have to be content with the place where we are right now. We don’t have to accept out LOT 😊 in life! We don’t have to live in the decisions of yesterday, but we can begin to make better decisions that will align us with what God wants for our life!.

Abram prayed! Abram didn’t like the situation that he was in, he didn’t like the way that things were going, and HE WENT TO GOD ABOUT IT!

He wasn’t content to ride it out, HE BROUGHT GOD INTO THE EQUATION!

Immediately after Abrams prayer, God revealed to him the source of his problem.

V6,7. The strife revealed.

God’s answer came pretty quick. The Bible doesn’t say that God told Abram what the problem was, but he prayed, and them the problem manifested itself.

But really God didn’t have to tell him what the problem was, it was there for him to know, because God already told him “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house”

It took the hardship for those words to sink in.

V10. Here we see the reason why. Lot looked at the sin and pleasures of Sodom and Gomorrah and desired to go there. Lot’s priorities weren’t Abram’s priorities. Abram was looking for a city whose builder and maker was God. Lot was looking to get away from Ur of the Chaldees to get a taste of sin.

Abram wanted to go toward God, and Lot wanted to go toward the world.

All of Abram’s intentions for his nephew couldn’t change what his nephew wanted.

When it comes to serving God and our salvation, we have to seek out our own salvation.

We have to live our own lives! We can’t allow the decisions that other people make to be a hinderance in our walk with God.

FOR ABOVE ALL ELSE I MUST BE SAVED!

So Abram parted ways with Lot, and was now in full compliance with God’s word.

III. God’s Promise Reaffirmed

V.14. A renewed vision and instruction came from God.

Obedience to God’s word will put is right in God’s favor!

God said to look in every direction, as far as you can see, that is what I have given you!

Abram Prayed, God revealed to him his problem. He made the hard choice and acted. And God moved. Abram was back in business!

V16,17. God gave him greater detail concerning the promise.

Here this time Abram didn’t even realize that he was already in the land, but it wasn’t HIS until he obeyed.

V.18 Abram begin to move and live in the land, and live in God’s promise.

Conclusion

God has given us these examples, Abram, David, Moses, Joshua, and others as examples. These were real people who dared to believe God and take God at his word.

But we have to get rid of the weight, the distractions. Cut ourselves off from the hinderances. BREAK FREE

Heb 12:1,2 (1) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.