Let Lot Go - Genesis 13:1-9

Outline

Introduction

There is often an unspoken even rhetorical question in each of our lives that says number 1 where has God called me to go and to do and number 2 who has God called to go with me

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime… and when God shows you which it is for each person in your life He’ll instruct you on exactly what to do

People who are in your life for a reason: could be a good reason or a bad reason.

People in your life for a season could change the entire trajectory of your life in good and/or bad ways

People in your life for a lifetime are those who God has called to be there through the ebb and flow of your life

But you’ve got to ask God to show you every person that enters into your space why they are there and how long they are supposed to be there

sometimes we keep people too long

other times we are quick to let folk go to quickly

then at times we abuse, misuse, or mishandle people whom God has intended to be in our lives for a lifetime - most times because we’ve had bad experiences with those seasonal people that we don’t know how to properly handle the lifetime folks

There are some folk who will come in your life to test you

They’ll introduce drugs to you

They’ll introduce alcohol to you

They’ll introduce to lust to you

These young people are not people you want to keep in your life.

There are some folk who God will ask you to remove

I ought to put a pin right there and say whenever God is to remove someone from your life sometimes they will remove themselves but there are also times when you’ve got to be strong enough and wise enough to remove them yourself. Because God is not going to force you to do anything - He will simply through His spirit tell you - now you know he doesn’t mean you any good. Now you know this woman is going to make a fool out of you

God will ask you in your life to remove some folk who will cause you not to give Him the glory. And you indeed and in fact exists on the planet earth to give God glory and you ought to be able to separate yourself from anyone and anything that will inhibit you from doing so.

And sometimes that might mean putting some distance between you and your own family.

There is some stuff out here young people that is trying to kill you. And when we do not recognize those people in our lives who do not mean us any good or trying to spend time giving them the benefit of the doubt they will take us unaware and bad company will corrupt good character.

You’ve got to beware of the enemies tactics that first he will lure you in, then he will blind you, and then he will conform you. And then the next thing you know you’ll be stuck with habits you can’t break, spirits that have such a stronghold on you that seem hard to break.

But if you would just trust God for the foresight to follow the example of an uncle and nephew you’ll be able to:

Identify the Conflict

Initiate tough Conversations

Institute Covenant

If you do not identify the conflict, initiate hard conversations, you will miss your ability to inherit covenant. The primary objective of the enemies using of people who shouldn’t be in your life is to cause you to forfeit your inheritance in God - that which God wants to give you.

Everybody can’t handle where God wants to take you and what God wants to do in your life

And every now and again God will cause some mandatory separation so that He can do what He wants to do in your life for His glory.

It is important to know that there are some folk who are going to try and latch on to you because they cannot hear God for themselves.

Genesis 12 begins with God telling Abram to leave his country, kindred, and father’s house and go to the land in which God would show. In Genesis 13 verse 5 we see the words “and Lot also, which went with Abram.” God did not tell Lot to go, He told Abram to go; sometimes you will have people who will leach on you because they cannot hear God for themselves.

But after while God will cause a separation because every man has got to hear God for themselves. You’ve got to have a relationship with God for yourself!

You’ve got to be intentional about asking God about who is in your space. Having the wrong people in your space can be dangerous, detrimental, and disastrous costing you your peace of mind, your joy, costing you more money than you want to pay, and efforts that you put out that are not reciprocated.

We see that Abram was able to identify the conflict (Genesis 13:6-7)

Many times in our relationships we try to act like what we see is not actually what you see

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then Aflac its a duck.

And we’ve got to quit calling a duck a chicken. If we don’t call the duck what it is it will be successful in its deception that will attempt to pull us off of God’s course for our lives.

You can’t be so insecure, so desperate, so needy that you will hold on to somebody for convenience. You’ve got to be bold and see them for what they are - identify the conflict and let God give you the strategy, the strength and the courage to deal with the conflict.

Some of us got with some folk who we shouldn’t have got with and then we are stuck with bad habits all because we stuck with the wrong people!

After you’ve identified the conflict, you’ve got to initiate tough conversations.

This is where I figured I would lose some folk

It is our human nature to know that somebody ain’t good for us but we’ve gotten so comfortable and used to that which is not good for us. Now you’ve finally come to the realization I can’t go on like this… this conflict will not allow us to keep going like this and I’ve got to talk

I pray God to loose a spirit in this house that will give you the courage and the strength to have tough conversations and to be disciplined enough to stick with the decisions made from tough conversations

Once you’ve identified conflict, you’ve got to initiate tough conversations.

If you recognize a problem and do nothing about it - you have become a part of your own problem!

Abram said no hard feelings Lot and I’m summarizing and paraphrasing - this is a big world that we live in - you can go your way and I will go mine.

You can’t babysit nobody who doesn’t want what God wants for you

You can’t babysit nobody who can’t hear the voice of God for themselves. Either you get right with God or you got to go.

I’ve got to remind you that Lot is Abram’s nephew… at times you’ve got to have some tough conversations even with your family

Where you say I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice… I’m not turning back! The cross before me the world behind me… no turning back, no turning back!

You’ve got to be willing to have tough conversations in love. And say brother/sister I mean you no harm but my life is not my own… I belong to the Lord and I’ve come to the realization that He can’t get any glory out of me as long as you are around so bye-bye

I pray that God will give some of you the gift of goodbye...

I’ve got to get out of here lastly when you’ve initiated tough conversations God will then institute covenant.

The Bible tells us that Lot pitched his tent as far as Sodom the sinful and wicked city

Because there comes a time when those who are connected to you either sink or swim. They will sink if they can’t heard God for themselves but they will swim and thrive if they can hear God. But Lot was just leaching of of Abram’s connection with God

So he took his family to dwell in the sinful and wicked city of Sodom. In other words, Lot went for everything that the world was offering because he couldn’t hear God for himself. And when you can’t hear God for yourself you will wind up in some trouble.

Lot even civil servant in the town council.

Oh but Abram… glory to God God’s promise was renewed in his life (14-16)

And I want to let somebody know keeping Lot in your face and in your space can’t even compare to what God has for you

Don’t you forfeit your destiny for the convenience of keeping Lot around.

Closing

Touch somebody and tell them it’s time… to let Lot go.

I don’t know what Lot is in your life… but its time to let him go.

You’ve got life to live and blessings God wants to give… you can’t get them holding on to Lot.

Lot you’ve held me down and held me back long enough.

Give me my life back

Give me my stuff back

I want it all back!

Give me my time back… I spent so much time dealing with the ramifications of Lot…

But like Maxine Waters… I’m reclaiming my time

You’ve gotten enough of my energy.