Lot The Liberated

Wednesday Evening Sermons

Lot the Liberated

Pastor Don Carpenter

Bible Boneheads / Second Chance / Genesis 14

Listen to a partially embellished STORY of the SERVANT who escaped to Abraham…

The sun was just rising in the east. Abram’s entourage had grown significantly since Lot departed. They had settled in the land of Mamre the Amorite, finding water and shade in the forest, and an alliance with Mamre and his brothers. Security was a constant concern. Abram had accumulated much, and he was determined to protect his family and his possessions.

The morning watchmen were just about to take their positions, replacing the tired young men who had posted guard all night. One of the bleary eyed servants notices a figure appearing out of the east, looking as if he were rising with the sun. He was running. No not really running, it was more like staggering.

The watchman sounded the alarm. Everyone’s eyes were tuned to the approaching figure. He didn’t seem to be a danger, really more pathetic than anything else.

By this time Abram was awake, dressed and out of his tent. Always on guard, the stately old man he had already grabbed his spear, ready to face whatever danger was approaching.

As the man approached the camp, Abram was the first to meet him. “Who are you, where have you come from?”

“The Kings of the East defeated the Kings of the Plain. We were routed by them. Most of the solders were killed. Some died trying to escape. Lot has been taken captive!”

For a portion of time measured only in microns, a thought passed through Abram’s mind. Something along the line of “see, I told you so.” But before those thoughts had enough time to be formed into words, altogether different words came out of Abram’s mouth, words that reflected the true character of his heart.

“How many men.” “What kind of weapons?” “Who was their leader?” “Which way were they headed?” “Were Lot’s wife and daughters taken captive also?” The mighty patriarch peppered the terrified soldier with questions demonstrating both his concern and the a strategy was already being formed in his mind to go and rescue Lot.

Abram stepped into action. Carefully, precisely and quickly, he spelled out his plan through the series of orders given to his attentive servants.

“You, gather my captains and have them meet me in my tent.” “You, harness all of our camels. Give them plenty to drink.” “You, take five servants and gather as much food and water as we can carry.” “You, get the weapons ready.” “You, get this man some food and new clothes. Put him on my best camel because he has to show us the way.”

Everyone knew the danger of the mission Abram was planning. The entire region was terrified of the Mesopotamian kings that had been extorting money from everyone in the land of the Jordan Valley. Only the shrewdness and skill of Mamre and his Ammorite brothers had kept them from becoming entangled in the conflict.

Nichol, Abram’s most trusted confidant and leader was concerned enough to speak up. He took great risk in questioning the man of God, but this was a suicide mission and Nichol feared that Abram’s emotions had gotten the best of him.

With great respect, Nichol asked for permission to speak. Quietly, so that the other servants would not hear, Nichol leaned to Abram and said, “But Abram, the five kings have already escaped, you’ll never catch them.”

Abram replied with confidence: Lot’s in Trouble. He’s my responsibility, and I love him.

Next, Nichol mentioned what should have been patently evident to Abram. “But Abram, the five kings already defeated the kings of the plains. You are no match for them”

Again, Abram responded with the same conviction. Lot’s in Trouble. He’s my responsibility, and I love him.

This time, Nichol spoke slightly louder, no longer concerned whether or not any of the nearby servants overheard his advise to his wise master. “But Abram, everything you value could be lost.”

Abram’s reply was no different. Lot’s in Trouble. He’s my responsibility, and I love him.

“But Abram, it’s a lost cause”

Lot’s in Trouble. He’s my responsibility, and I love him.

“But Abram, you’re too old, let the young men go and try”

Lot’s in Trouble. He’s my responsibility, and I love him.

“But Abram, after all Lot’s done to hurt you, he doesn’t deserve for you to risk your life and possessions to save him.”

At this, Abram responded in the most stern manner. With great conviction and determination, he emphatically said,

Lot’s in Trouble. He’s my responsibility, and I love him.

_________

This section records the first war mentioned in the Bible, and it would not be included here had it not involved Abraham. The Bible records a great deal of history; but, as Dr. A.T. Pierson said, “History is His story.” What is written helps us better understand how God worked out His great plan of salvation in this world. In the Bible, historical facts are often windows for spiritual truth.

The five city-states in the plain of Jordan (14:2; see 13:10) had been subject for twelve years to the kings of four eastern city-states (14:1) and finally revolted against them. This, of course, was a declaration of war; so the four kings invaded the plain of Jordan to bring the five kings into subjection. From our modern viewpoint, the invasion was a minor skirmish; but in that day, it was considered a major international conflict.

Certainly five kings ought to be able to defeat four kings, especially when they are fighting “on their own turf.” But the army of the cities of the plain was soundly defeated by the invading kings! Apparently the five kings did not even know their own land because they were trapped in the slime pits (14:10). All their army could do was flee for the hills.

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (p. 32). Victor Books.

Lot Was Enslaved Because of His Choices.

Genesis 14:11–12 KJV

And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 

And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

He looked toward Sodom

Genesis 13:10 KJV

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

He moved toward Sodom

Genesis 13:12–13 KJV

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled 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.

He started Living in Sodom

Genesis 14:12 KJV

And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Psalm 1:1 KJV

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.

He Knew Better

2 Peter 2:6–8 KJV

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 

And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

He Became a Friend of the World

James 2:23 KJV

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

James 4:4 KJV

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.

While in Egypt with Abraham, Lot had gotten a taste of the world and enjoyed it. Scripture doesn’t record that Lot ever built an altar and sought the Lord, as did his uncle Abraham. Abraham was the friend of God (James 2:23), but Lot was the friend of the world (4:4). Wiersbe

He Conformed to the World

Romans 12:2 KJV

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.

He was condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 11:32 KJV

But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Lot Was Enslaved Because of God’s Chastening.

Proverbs 3:11–12 KJV

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; Neither be weary of his correction: 

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Hebrews 12:5–8 KJV

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Lot’s capture was God’s way of disciplining him and reminding him that he had no business living in Sodom. No doubt Abraham was praying faithfully for his nephew that he might separate himself from the world and start living like a true “stranger and pilgrim.” God disciplines His children because He loves them and wants the best for them (Prov. 3:11–12; Heb. 12:1–11). If we don’t listen to His rebukes, then He has to get our attention some other way; and that way is usually very painful.1

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (p. 33). Victor Books.

Lot Was Liberated By Grace.

Philippians 1:6 KJV

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

God Used His Man

Genesis 14:13 KJV

And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

God Used Family Ties

Genesis 14:14 KJV

And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

God Restored Everyone – even Sodomites!

Genesis 14:16 KJV

And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

God was honored because Abraham learned his lesson in Egypt.

Genesis 14:21–24 KJV

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. 

And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, 

That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: 

Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Lot’s rescue was God’s Grace at work giving him a chance to grow, learn and repent.  

Abram operated under the kindness that Grace provides.

John 1:14 KJV

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

onclusion:

Have you recently gone through a near miss? Is God trying to get your attention. Have you been recently restored? This is how our Savior works. He loves you! He wants to restore you. He wants you to respond before you lose everything. Learn from Lot the Liberated.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 7:03 PM March 22, 2022.

Two Offices

Sunday Morning Sermons

Two Offices

Pastor Don Carpenter

Baptist Basics

Two offices within the church. Scripture only mentions two church offices—pastor (also referred to as elder or bishop) and deacon. These two offices are to be filled by godly men of integrity in each local church. (See Philippians 1:1; Acts 6:1–7; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9; 1 Peter 5:1–4.)

Let us take one final look at the illustration we introduced at the beginning of this series. Picture this scenario if you will. You wake up at three in the morning with a splitting headache. You must get relief right now. You stumble out of bead and struggle to get to the medicine cabinet. Every pulse of your heart brings an audible wave of pain radiating from the base of your skull, through your temples and settling behind your eye sockets. You must get relief and must get it now! You do not dare turn on the light for fear of more pain. Once you open the cabinet, you see shadows of perhaps a dozen different bottles and containers. It is a medicine cabinet… it has medicine… surely any bottle would be better than no medicine at all right? Wait a minute… It may be wise to know the difference between pain reliever, laxative, or a Beta Blocker for your heart. Yes it is all medicine, but you need the right one for you and for your symptoms. Even more important than taking the time to read and understand the label is that the label and the product match. If I have a bottle that says Aspirin, it would be dangerous if someone switched the aspirin with an antidepressant. Labels mean something.

This is the last of a seven week a dive into the meaning of the sign in front of our building: Evangelical Baptist Church. We have discovered that it is important to know not only that there is spiritual medicine in this church, but what kind it is. We used an acrostic to remember some basic doctrines and teachings that make up Baptist Distinctives.

B -Biblical Authority

A- Autonomy of the Local Church

P -Priesthood of all Believers

T – Two Ordinances

I – Individual Soul Liberty

S – Saved Church Membership

T – Two Offices

As we have seen through out this study, labels are important. We need to not only know what spiritual medicine we are taking, but we also must be careful to make sure that the medicine is properly labeled. Such is especially the case with this last distinctive. There is an alarming trend among Baptists to abandon their Biblical and traditional stance on church polity in favor of a Presbyterian, elder rule style. As we have discovered, we all have individual soul liberty and are to follow our conscience as we follow the word… but drop the Baptist label if you are dropping the Baptist distinctives. Some day, hopefully many many years from now, some in this congregation will have to choose the next pastor. You will need to decide if you wish to remain a Baptist church. You will need to guard against slick speaking folks who want to come in and undermine the historical and Biblical Baptist distinctives. There will be a time where you will need to go back into the archives, and blow the dust off of this sermon series to remind yourself why we stood for what we did. With that in mind, let us see what is unique about holding the Two Offices, Pastor and Deacon, position.

There Are Three Terms For The New Testament Church Leader.

Elder – Position of Rank and Responsibility

Acts 14:23 KJV

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Titus 1:5 KJV

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Bishop – Overseer

Philippians 1:1 KJV

PAUL and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

1 Timothy 3:1–2 KJV

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Pastor – Shepherd

Ephesians 4:11 KJV

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

These Three Terms are Interchangeable

 Titus 1:5–9 (KJV)

 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 

 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 

 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 

 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 

 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

 Acts 20:17 (KJV)

 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

 Acts 20:28–30 (KJV)

 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 

 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

 1 Peter 5:1–4 (KJV)

 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 

 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 

 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 

 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Some Churches Had Multiple Pastors/Elders/ Bishops – But They All Served In a Pastoral Capacity.

Acts 20:17 KJV

And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Titus 1:5 KJV

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

James 5:14 KJV

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

These Were Elders, not Deacons.

The Deacon Is A Servant Not a Ruler

Acts 6:1–6 KJV

And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 

And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 

Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

 • Practical needs were not being met.

 • This was not the role of the Pastor/Elder/ Bishop

 • Men were chosen to meed needs and diffuse conflict, freeing the pastors to do pastoral stuff.

 • These were not a board over the pastor, they served at the will of the pastor(s)

Labels mean something. Obviously, to be Baptist is not a requirement of Salvation. There are Christians with different interpretations of scriptures, and that is fine… that is between them and God. We here at Evangelical Baptist Church have embraced what we believe to be the Biblical Baptist distinctives. Hopefully you have gained a deeper appreciation and understanding for what it means to be a Baptist.

B -Biblical Authority

A- Autonomy of the Local Church

P -Priesthood of all Believers

T – Two Ordinances

I – Individual Soul Liberty

S – Saved Church Membership

T – Two Offices

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 5:42 PM March 16, 2022.

Lot The Leaner

Wednesday Evening Sermons

Lot the Leaner

Pastor Don Carpenter

Bible Boneheads / Compromise; Direction and Orientation / Genesis 13:1–13

How in the world did Lot end up in such a mess?

One word—choices.

—Something each of us has in common. Every single day… every single moment we make choices.

—What to eat. What to wear. What to say. What to do. How to act.

—You’ve made a thousand choices before you arrived here this morning!

—A choice to argue with your wife. A choice to yell at the kids. A choice to spend some time with the Lord in prayer. Choices.

The choices you make today are the ones you’re going to have to live with tomorrow.

____

Tonight we are launching a brand new series entitled “Bible Boneheads” We will be studying three different folks who were given everything they needed to serve God effectively, but, being Boneheads, they squandered all that they were given and ended up reaping terrible consequences for their actions. The men we will be studying are all believers. They all knew better. They all belonged to God. They all suffered needlessly because of the choices they made.

Most of us know the basic story of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. He came out of the Pagan land with his uncle. He learned to worship the One True God, yet he ended up in a city that was judged by the Fire of God. He lost almost everything because of the choices he made. Tonight we are going to see where it all started to go wrong.  

Lot and Abraham started together but ended up is vastly different places because they were pointed in different directions.

Abraham Was Headed Away From Sin

He Left the Bad Choices of Egypt Behind.

Genesis 13:1 KJV

And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

Abraham learned his lesson, repented, and “went up” out of Egypt (13:1). When you disobey the will of God, the only right thing to do is to go back to the place where you left Him and make a new beginning (1 John 1:9). No failure is permanent in “the school of faith.” Abraham went back to his tent and altar and the life of a “pilgrim and stranger.”

A casual observer of this episode might conclude, “What happened to Abraham wasn’t all bad. Pharaoh gave Abraham a lot of wealth (Gen. 12:16; 13:2), and Sarah was given her own maid, Hagar (16:1). God forgave Abraham’s sin, and he started over again. So, what’s the big problem?”

The “big problem” is that everything Abraham received in Egypt later caused trouble. Because of their great wealth, Abraham and Lot could not live together and had to separate (13:5–6). Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant, brought division and sorrow into the home (Gen. 16). Having had a taste of Egypt (the world), Lot started measuring everything by what he saw there (13:10–11); and this led to his downfall and the ruin of his family. There are no benefits from disobedience.

The practical lesson from all of this is simply never abandon your altar. Stay in fellowship with the Lord no matter what the circumstances may be. If you have disobeyed and God is disciplining you, go back to the place where you left Him and make things right. Remember: “The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.” That is not an excuse for sin, but it is an encouragement for repentance

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (pp. 25–26). Victor Books.

Proverbs 24:16 KJV

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.

He Was Headed Back to Bethel

Genesis 13:3 KJV

And he went on his journeys from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beth-el and Hai;

Genesis 12:7–8 KJV

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Bethel = House of the Lord

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

He Was Headed Back to the Altar – Repentance and prayer.

Genesis 13:4 KJV

Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

He Called on the Name of the LORD – Jehovah

Genesis 4:26 KJV

And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 12:8 KJV

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

 Genesis 21:33 (KJV)

 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.

Abraham Was Headed Away From Selfishness.

Genesis 13:5–9 KJV

And Lot also, which went with Abram, 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 Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 

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. 

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.

Did you notice this statement: “And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land?” Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen are fighting, and then Abram and Lot disagree. The very interesting thing is that then the Canaanite probably whispered over to the Perizzite, “Look at them! Fightin’ again! When they came into this land and built an altar to the living and true God, how we looked up to Abram! When he first came here, we thought he was such a wonderful man. We knew he was honest, we knew he was truthful, but look at him now. Look at the strife they’re having!” I do not think the Perizzite and the Canaanite were very well impressed by Abram and Lot at this time.1

1 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Law (Genesis 1-15) (electronic ed., Vol. 1, p. 180). Thomas Nelson.

James 3:13–16 KJV

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 

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.

It was bad enough that this dispute was between brethren (Gen. 13:8); but even worse, the heathen people of the land were watching and listening (13:7). When Christians have disputes, it hurts the testimony of the Lord. In my pastoral ministry, I frequently visited the unsaved relatives and friends of church members, seeking to interest them in spiritual things, only to discover that they knew about every “church fight” in town. No wonder our Lord prayed that His people might be one, that the world might believe (John 17:20–23). Christian unity is fragrant and fruitful (Ps. 133), but disunity turns that fragrance into a stench and the garden into a desert.1

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (pp. 26–27). Victor Books.

Philippians 2:2–4 KJV

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

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.

Hebrews 12:14 KJV

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Romans 12:18 KJV

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

I wonder how many family fights have been caused by the love of money. The newspapers often publish reports about families battling in court because of an inheritance or a lottery winning. People who used to love each other and enjoy each other start attacking each other just to get money, but money cannot buy the blessings that families freely give.

Abraham may have failed the first two tests, but he passed this third test with great success. The test was not an easy one, for it involved land and wealth; but Abraham is the example of what every believer should do when there are disputes about material things.

Abraham determined to be a peacemaker and not a troublemaker. The problem between Abraham and Lot was not caused by the land, the famine, their wealth (both of them were rich), or even their herdsmen (13:7). The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Lot’s heart was centered on wealth and worldly achievement, while Abraham wanted only to please the Lord. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:31

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (p. 26). Victor Books.

Lot Was Headed Away From God and His People and Toward the World

Genesis 13:10–13 KJV

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 

Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled 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.

Covetousness—an insatiable appetite for more things—leads to all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10). In order to get more money, people will lie (Prov. 21:6), mistreat people (22:16), cheat (28:8), and even trouble their own families (15:27). “Covetousness is both the beginning and the end of the devil’s alphabet,” wrote Robert South, “the first vice in corrupt nature that moves, and the last which dies.”

Abraham had caused trouble in Egypt because he was out of place, and Lot caused trouble in Canaan because he was out of place: His heart was really in Egypt (13:10). According to 1 Corinthians 2:14–3:3, there are only three kinds of people in the world: the natural (unsaved), the carnal (saved but living for the world and the flesh), and the spiritual (devoted to God). You find all three in Genesis 13: the natural (13:13), the carnal (Lot), and the spiritual (Abraham). Lot was a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7–8) but not devoted to the Lord. He could not walk with Abraham because Abraham was the friend of God (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8) and Lot was a friend of the world (James 4:4). Many church splits and family fights are caused by carnal Christians who are not walking with the Lord or with other believers.1

1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1991). Be Obedient (pp. 27–28). Victor Books.

1 John 2:15 KJV

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.

Proverbs 24:19 KJV

Fret not thyself because of evil men, Neither be thou envious at the wicked;

 Feathers for Arrows (Light—Detested by the Wicked) C. H. Spurgeon

 A …housemaid when scolded for the untidiness of the chambers exclaimed, “I’m sure the rooms would be clean enough if it were not for the nasty sun which is always showing the dirty corners.” Thus do men revile the gospel because it reveals their own sin. Thus all agitations for reforms in Church and State are opposed, and all manner of mischief attributed to them as if they created the evils which they bring to light. The lover of the right courts anything which may manifest the wrong, but those who love evil have never a good word for those disturbing beams of truth which show up the filthy corners of their hearts and lives.

Lot started to be interested, then tolerant, then apathetic to wickedness around him. It was much easier to ease up to Sodom as he grew more and more carnal, than it would have been to be around Abraham as he grew closer and closer to God. Lot and Abram started in the same place. But Lot was leaning in the wrong direction. Take care that you do not follow the same habit of Lot the Leaner.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 7:41 PM March 15, 2022.

Anchored to Hope in a Stormy World

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The storms of life’s heartaches sometimes seem overwhelming. God’s Word offers hope that transcends the grave! Join us each Sunday at 11 am as we discover life changing truths to which we can anchor our souls! Will we see you in church this Sunday?