Morning. Turn to Genesis chapter
13. Let's read the first, well let me just read
this whole chapter. And Abram went up out of Egypt,
he and his wife and all that he had and a lot with him into
the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle
and silver and in gold, and he went on his journeys from the
south even to Bethel and to the place where his tent had been
at the beginning between Bethel and Hai, and to the place of
the altar which he had made there at the first, and there Abram
called on the name of the Lord. Lot also went with Abram and
had flocks and herds and tents, 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. And there
was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen
of Lot's cattle. and the Canaanite and the Perzite
dwelt then in the land. And Abram said of the Lot, let
there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee and between
my herdmen and thy herdmen, for we be brethren. 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 wilt depart to the
right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his
eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered
everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the
garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest
unto Zor. Then Lot chose him all the plain
of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves,
the one from the other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan,
and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent
toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked
and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. And the Lord said unto Abram
after that lot was separated from him, lift up now thine eyes
and look from that place where thou art northward, southward,
eastward, and westward. For all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever. And I will
make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can
number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the
breadth of it, and I will give it unto thee. And Abram removed
his tent and came and dwelt in the land of Mamre, which is in
Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. Our Father, I pray that you'd
bless us this morning. that you would instruct us and
teach us by your spirit and give us a spirit of worship. Enable
us to listen, enable us to learn, enable us this morning to give
unto you the glory due unto your name. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Now I'm going to use a title. I think
I've used this title before, but it's the title that just
stood out to me. as I was reading this this week.
And the title is this choices have consequences. And I seem
to be like I used that title before, but here it's just so
appropriate because we know the outcome of a lot. And we see
here how a lot chose. To leave Abraham when Abraham
said to, we need to separate here. It was a lot. It was like,
okay. Yeah, but you don't sit here
and argue it. And I'm gonna show you something here in a little
bit. But choices, choices have consequences. Now I believe,
I believe that one of the greatest trials for me is for God to give
me a choice. I believe that's one of the greatest
trials. It's for God to give me a choice. I've learned that
I really don't know what to choose. I really don't. I have too much
self-interest still in me to choose what's really right. There's
too much self-interest. My prayer, and I say this honestly,
my prayer is, Lord, you, you choose, you choose. You know anyone wiser to choose
for us than God, than our Father? All right, let's look into this. Abraham leaves Egypt. If you remember back in chapter
12, verse 10, it says Abraham went down, down into Egypt. Everything that leads us away
from Christ, everything, that leads us from worship is down. It's just down. I don't care.
For the flesh, it may look like it's up, but spiritually it's
down. Down. Remember Jonah went down
to Joppa. And as he kept going down, he
kept getting in trouble. Trouble, trouble, trouble. Everything
that leads us from Christ is down. And notice when he went
to Egypt, he took his family with him. And I think that's just one of the
saddest things that can be done is when you take your family
away from the place of worship, the place where the gospels preached,
the place where God revealed himself. The saddest day in anyone's
life is when they take their family, not just themselves,
but their family, He took his family down to Egypt with him. And you know, we looked at it
last week, Pharaoh took his wife and he let it happen. In fact, he told her to, if they
take you, go ahead and go with them. That's a sad, sad day. But God blessed Abraham. God
blessed Abraham in spite of his sinfulness. Can we not say that? Can we not say that God has blessed
us in spite of ourselves? In spite of ourselves. Can we
not say that God has blessed us for Christ's sake? I know
and I realize now, more than ever, that everything I have,
God's given to me for Christ's sake. God has blessed me for
Christ's sake. I can look at myself, I can look at you and I can say,
God didn't bless us for our sakes. He blessed us for Christ's sake,
didn't he? I know you because I know me. We're just alike. We're twins.
We're twins. We're kindred spirits. But we've
been blessed for Christ's sake. Now in verse three, Abraham goes
back to Bethel. He leaves Egypt, takes his family,
and finally he goes back to Bethel. He goes back on his journey.
He goes back to his beginning. He says back into the place where
his tent had been at the beginning. Oh, if he had just stayed there.
If he had just stayed there, Sarah would not have had to gone
through what she had to go through. Abraham would not have made the
choice that he made if he had just stayed where the place of
worship, the place where he built that altar and worshiped God.
The place is called the house of God. But he goes back to the
place where he worshiped God and there he worshiped God again. There he worshiped, he worshiped
God. It says in verse four, unto the
place of the altar which he had made, there at the first, there
Abram called on the name of the Lord. We do not hear of Abraham
calling on the name of the Lord. We do not hear or read of Abraham
building an altar in Egypt. You don't read that. He didn't
build an altar in Egypt. No, God took him, he had to come
back out of that place. When he did, it says, Abraham
built an altar again, and there he called on the name of the
Lord. And he went back to the place of his beginning. Now, verse five and six, we see
this. We see that Lot was rich also, but it proved to be his
undoing. It proves to be his undoing.
Riches, I know this about riches. Riches divide. Riches divide. They're divisive. Riches divided him from Abraham
here. All this cattle, all these things
he had accumulated, it divided him and Abraham. It did bring
them together, it divided them. It divided them from Abraham
who had the promises. A lot should have clung to Abraham. When Abraham said, our herdsmen
are fighting, our brethren are fighting. He said, we be brethren,
this ought not to be, we should not, this shouldn't be going
on. So we need to separate. You know what he should have
done? He should have said, no, no. Whatever I have to get rid
of, whatever I have to do to remedy this situation, I'll do. But don't tell me to separate.
Don't tell me to separate. Turn over to Ruth. Over to Ruth. Look in Ruth chapter
one. When I read that, this verse
of scripture just struck me immediately. Now, you know the story of Ruth.
Her two sons had died, and she had two daughter-in-laws, and
she tells them to leave. In verse 11, and Naomi said,
turn again, my daughters. And that's exactly how we ought
to see Our daughters-in-law have daughters. She didn't call them
daughter-in-law, does she? She calls them her daughters.
Turn again, my daughters, why will you go with me? Are there
yet any more sons in my womb that they may be your husbands?
Turn again, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to
have a husband. If I should say I have hope,
if I should have, having husband also tonight, and she bare a
son, would you tarry for them till they are grown? Would you
stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters, for it grieveth
me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out
against me." Now listen to these next few verses. And they lifted
up their voice and wept again, and Orpha kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth claimed to her. She just, she claimed to her. And she said, behold, thy sister-in-law
has gone back unto her people. She said, okay, I'll take your
advice. I'll see you later. She's going
back to her people and unto her gods. This is interesting language. Return thou after thy sister-in-law.
And Ruth said, entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from
following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go. And where
thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people,
and thy God my God, and where thou diest, will I die, and there
will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more
also, if ought but death, pardon to thee and me. Boy, if Lot,
if Lot had just had that attitude, If he had claimed to Abraham,
who had the promises, who was the head of that family, who
led him in worship, who built the altar, and they was able
to, there as a family, as a family, they were there able to worship
together. But instead he looked at the well-watered plains of
Jordan. He said, okay. He said, okay,
I, I agree. I agree. No. No, he didn't do that. Riches. Riches are a great trial. Now the world doesn't want to
hear that. The worldly person doesn't want to hear that. They
want to hear the opposite. They want to hear messages on how
God wants to bless us and God wants us to be rich and God wants
us to be healthy. I'll tell you what God's desire
is for you as a believer, is to be conformed to the image
of his son. Now, if that takes me being poor,
then so be it. If that takes me being sick,
then so be it. But riches are a great trial.
Paul wrote to Timothy. But they that will be rich, they
desire it, they go after it. They that will be rich. It's
one thing, listen, it's one thing to be rich if God just blesses
you. Like he did Abraham. He just blessed him. He blessed
him. But he says here, but they that
will be rich fall into temptation. They fall into temptations that
poverty will never bring you into. And a snare, a snare. And into many foolish and hurtful
lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition. Riches are a great trial now,
that riches are a greater trial than poverty. I guarantee you,
greater trial than poverty. Riches often bring strife and
not unity. I have not known in all my life,
I have not known one family separate from each other over poverty.
But I have known and I know families that have separated over riches.
Mom and dad die, they start dividing things up, and somebody's upset. Somebody's upset. Paul said this in 2 Timothy,
for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. He
left the gospel. At one time, he recommended Demas. At one time, Demas was someone
that Paul had confidence in. Then he said, he's forsaken me,
having loved this present world. It says there in verse 7, there
was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen
of Lot's cattle. And that divided them. Abraham was mature enough to
say, Lot, we'd be brethren. This ain't gonna happen. Isn't
this the maturity of Abraham? There's no room for division
among brethren. There is, now listen, there is
no room for division among brethren. Because we agree over the gospel,
don't we? Don't we love the same Lord? Do we not have the same
Father? Do we not have the same Father?
And I know we all have different personalities, some raisers get
along with others, I know that. But there's no reason for division
among brethren. That's what Abraham says to Lot.
We'd be brethren. There's no reason for that. We're
brethren. We're brethren. And Abraham shows his real maturity
here. He chooses unity over riches.
He chooses peace over strife. As much as it's possible to live
peacefully with all men is what the scripture teaches us. Let there be no strife, Abraham
said in verse eight, let there be no strife between me and you. This just can't be, it can't
be. Now true riches, true riches
bring us together. But what are true riches? It's
all the riches, it's all the blessings that we have in Jesus
Christ. True riches is what God has given
us in Christ. And they unite us. They never
divide us. They never divide us. But worldly
riches usually separate. They're deceitful. They're deceitful. Now, if used properly, there
can be a blessing. But not too many use them properly.
Not too many. We got too much flesh in us.
Too much flesh. It's evident, you know, I have
what my heavenly father has given me. And he's given me what I
can wisely handle. If you could handle more, he'd
give it to you. But he's given you what you can wisely handle. Now, Abraham shows by his choice
that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, is his portion. If we really ever come to really
get a hold of this, if we can really get a hold of this, that
Christ is my portion, God is my portion. God said to Abraham,
I am thy exceeding great reward. I am. Then we'll be able to use these
things the Lord gives us properly. We'll be able to use them and
they won't use us. There's a difference. Moses, when he had come to years,
it says in Hebrews 11, that he esteemed the reproach of Christ,
greater riches, greater riches. He esteemed the reproach, the suffering that he endured
for Christ's sake. esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." And Egypt at that
time had a lot of treasure. He says, you know, he's saying,
what I've gone through is worth far more than all the treasures
in Egypt because it's bringing me to God. It's bringing me to
Christ, it's conforming what I'm going through. And what God's
given me is conforming me to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's priceless. That's priceless. It says, for he had respect to
the recompense of the reward. Abraham said to Lot, is not the
whole land before thee? There in verse nine, separate
thyself, I pray thee, from me. And look here what Abraham says
to him. You know, Abraham's the elder here, right? Abraham could
have said, Lot, you go that way. You take that land over in that
area. You take the lower 40. And I want to take this. But Abraham shows where his real
interest is. And it wasn't in thing and it
wasn't in land. It wasn't in the material things.
Because he says, if you'll take the left hand, I'll go to the
right. If you go to the right hand,
then I'll go to the left. It would have been wiser on the
lost part if he'd have said, Abraham, if he'd have said, Uncle
Abraham, you'd make the choice. You'd just choose what you think's
the wisest. Here's what happened. Lot takes
the best land. Lot lifted up his eyes and he
looks around. He just looks around and he sees
the land, the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere. It was very fertile. It was very
fertile. And notice something here in
this language in verse 10. It says as the garden of the
Lord, but it says here, it was like the land of Egypt. You see, Lot, when Abraham took
the family down into Egypt, Egypt got into the heart of Lot and
his wife and his family. When he looked at it, he just
said, it's like the land of Egypt. He fell in love with Egypt. Fell
in love with Egypt. Lot chose his place. God chose
Abraham's place. As I said in the beginning, the
worst trial we can have is for God to give us a choice. Abraham
said, Lot, you choose and I'll take what's left. I'll take what's
left. I'll go the other direction.
You just do it. Go where you want to go. Take
your family. Go where you want to go. And they separated themselves
from one another. And what a sad day that was for
Lot and his family. What a sad day. Lot chose him all the plain of
Jordan. That's where he went. And Abraham
dwelled in the land of promise. Caleb. He dwelled in the land of promise
while Lot dwelled in the land of wickedness. What was in Sodom? Nothing but wickedness. Nothing
but wickedness. God was not in Sodom. God was
not there. You know, if I have to move,
or if I had to move, I want to move where the gospel
is, not where it's not. You know, when, uh, 40, 40 years
ago, when I heard Henry preaching the gospel and I heard the gospel
about a year later, we packed our bags and moved to Ashland.
I wanted to be, and I wanted my family to be where the gospel
was and where the people of God were at. And we could fellowship
with them, be close to them. I don't care if you get a job
that pays you a million dollars a year. And you're offered a job that'll
pay you $50,000 a year. Well, that $50,000 a year job
is, and the gospel's there, and the million dollar a year is,
and there's no gospel there, take the 50,000. Take the $50,000, buy you a small
house, and sit under the gospel. Because life will be gone that
fast. Life will be over that fast. And it won't mean nothing. What
you made won't mean a thing. But the men of Sodom, in verse
13, I'm going to close with this because I'm going to pick up
verse 14 and go on after that about Abraham. Because after
a lot separated, then God speaks to Abraham. He said, now Abraham,
You look! You see, Abraham said, Lot, you
look, and you just go where you want. Then God, who owns it all,
this is my father's world, the one who owns it all, said, Abraham,
you look, and I'm gonna give it to you. I'm gonna give it to you. North,
south, east, west. You and your seed. But it says
in verse 13, but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before
the Lord exceedingly. And that's where Lot ended up
taking his family. And we'll see the consequences
of that choice in just a few more chapters. Choices have consequences. They
do. All right.