4.9.22 am

[0:00] Good evening, a warm welcome to the service this evening. Let's begin with a word of prayer. Let's pray.

[0:16] Our Heavenly Father, we thank you that at the end of this, your day, we are able to gather together as your people in the name of Jesus. We thank you that we have the calling that we'll sing in just a moment in the psalm, that we are to lift our eyes from this world and look to you.

[0:39] And we pray that you would help us this evening to do that. You know how many distractions there can be. You know how full our minds can be, how full our lives can be.

[0:51] You know, Lord, how much we are in need of you. And so we pray that you would meet with us and that this hour would be a holy hour.

[1:04] Create in us, we pray, that sense of expectation that we would truly meet with you. That's your promise that where two or three meet together, in your name you will be with us.

[1:15] And we thank you for each other, that as we look around, we see each other. But we pray, Lord, that we would know that you are close. That we would hear your voice, that we would sense your presence.

[1:27] And as we open our mouths, that we would sing your praise from our hearts. So hear our prayers, take away our sin. And lead us and guide us, that we may be in the spirit on the Lord's day.

[1:41] That we may give you the worship that you are due. And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's sing now to God's praise. Psalm 121 and the first two verses, or the first two stanzas of the psalm.

[1:58] I to the hills will lift mine eyes. And after we've sung that, Angus Alec will lead us in prayer in Gaelic. In Motion of Dop death, I have died in prayer in this prayer.

[2:12] May God, please listen to your love with you. I will take them as an W synergie. Oanto, does I wear a angel or demonstrate? Shabbat will así.

[2:23] You can only wear these things to bind them to others. Help me in prayer as a present! There will get them to me starting to do. I keep allowing you to understand the Greetings of God. O adapted to life with life.

[3:03] Go gegen's! Thank you.

[3:42] Thank you.

[4:12] Thank you.

[4:42] Thank you.

[5:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[6:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[7:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[8:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[9:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[10:12] Thank you. Thank you.

[11:12] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[11:44] Thank you. Thank you.

[12:14] Thank you. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Amen.

[12:26] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let's sing again to God's praise.

[12:42] From Mission Praise 201. The words on the screen. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah. forgive me, O Thine, give him a wealth.

[12:55] Amen. Red of heaven, red of heaven, feed thee now and evermore.

[13:35] Feed thee now and evermore. Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow.

[13:53] When the fire becomes fast, when it may all my journey through. Song deliver, song deliver, feed us still my strength and shield.

[14:15] Feed us still my strength and shield. When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fear subside.

[14:33] Death of death and hell's destruction, let me save our Canaan's side.

[14:43] Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee. I will ever give to thee.

[15:01] If you could turn now in your Bibles please to Genesis chapter 13.

[15:15] Genesis chapter 13.

[15:26] We looked briefly at the first few verses of this a couple of weeks ago. But we'll read the whole of this chapter. This is God's word.

[15:39] So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev with his wife and everything he had. And Lot went with him.

[15:51] Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel. To the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar.

[16:09] There Abram called on the name of the Lord. Now Lot who was moving about with Abram also had flocks and herds and tents. But the land could not support them while they stayed together.

[16:21] For their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarrelling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.

[16:35] So Abram said to Lot, Let's not have any quarrelling between you and me or between your herdsmen and mine. For we are brothers. It's not the whole land before you. Let's part company.

[16:48] If you go to the left I'll go to the right. If you go to the right I'll go to the left. Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered.

[16:58] Like the garden of the Lord. Like the land of Egypt towards Zor. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan.

[17:11] And set out towards the east. The two men parted company. Abram lived in the land of Canaan. While Lot lived among the cities of the plain. And pitched his tent near Sodom.

[17:23] Now the men of Sodom were wicked. And were sinning greatly against the Lord. The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him. Lift up your eyes from where you are.

[17:35] And look north and south and east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you. And your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth.

[17:46] So that if anyone could count the dust. Then your offspring could be counted. Go walk through the length and breadth of the land. For I am giving it to you. So Abram moved his tents.

[17:58] And went to live near the great trees of Mamre. At Hebron. Where he built an altar to the Lord. Amen. And may God bless that reading. Of his word to us.

[18:11] We'll sing again. From God's. To God's praise. From Mission Praise 494. The words on the screen. Oh for a closer walk with God.

[18:22] A calm and heavenly faith.

[18:52] How light to shine upon the road. That leads me to the land.

[19:07] Where is the blessedness I knew. When I first saw the Lord.

[19:22] Where is the soul-refreshing view. Of Jesus and His word.

[19:37] What peaceful lives I once enjoyed. How sweet can memory still.

[19:52] But they have left a making point. Like the world can never fill.

[20:08] Return, O holy, done return. Sweet messenger of rest.

[20:24] I hate the sins that gave me more. And drove me from my rest.

[20:40] The nearest light of life. I have known. Whatever's eyes on me.

[20:55] Help me to take it from thy throne. And worship only thee.

[21:11] So shall my Lord be close with God. Come and set in my faith.

[21:24] So pure light shall mark the road. That leads me to the land.

[21:41] Amen. Let's pray as we turn back to Genesis 13.

[21:59] Lord, we thank you for your word. And we thank you that in these chapters we see. We see something. We learn lessons about what it looks like to walk with you.

[22:12] We thank you that you're the God who has made us to walk with you. We see it in the Garden of Eden. Before sin came in.

[22:24] Adam and Eve walking with the Lord. In that perfect communion. And then as we see sin come into the world.

[22:34] Their walk is distanced. The blessing that once was known was broken. And there was trouble.

[22:46] There was difficulty. We thank you that in our sin you saw us. And we thank you that such was your love for us, Father. That you sent Jesus from heaven to this world.

[23:00] To be our saviour. To take our sin away. And yet we know that as Christians, if we are Christians, we still struggle with sin.

[23:12] As we sang, we know the reality of these words. Words that there are sins which grieve you. Which we confess day by day. There are idols which get in the way of our walk with you.

[23:27] That we need day by day to be smashing. And so we pray that you would help us to walk close with you. And help us to see the privilege that we have of being able to walk close with you.

[23:40] Help us to not lose or to rediscover, perhaps for some, the sense of wonder. That the God who created all things.

[23:51] The God who holds all things together. That the God who sought us and saved us. Did not just save us from sin. And from a lost eternity.

[24:03] But saved us into that walk that we can have day by day. Where there is blessing. And there is joy. So grant to us, we pray, that close walk with God.

[24:15] Grant to us the joy. Or the rediscovery of the joy of your salvation. And enable us, we pray, to know your blessing in this hour.

[24:26] And each day, as you call us, to come close to you. So hear our prayers. Help us, Lord, to listen now to your voice as we read the scriptures.

[24:37] Speak to us, we pray. And open our hearts to what you have to say. And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Genesis chapter 13.

[24:51] As we continue this study in the life of Abram. Who becomes Abraham. And just a quick recap.

[25:01] Very, very quick recap in terms of where we've got to. We started in Genesis 12 there. We restarted in Genesis 12. And in Genesis 12, we see there that Abram, who is miles away from God.

[25:17] Has no thought of God. Comes from people who have nothing to do with God. His soul is awakened. God comes to him. And calls him to follow him.

[25:30] And Abram, he hears the call of God. He believes the promises of God. And he starts to follow. So to use the phraseology of the last hymn.

[25:44] He's walking with God. But already there's been some bumps in the road. Already he's taken a wrong turn or two.

[25:56] As we see Egypt and all that happened there. And already we could pause and just take in the application of that. Because if we are walking with God, we know the reality of these things.

[26:13] Sometimes when we're seeking to follow the Lord, we can lose our bearings. Sometimes we can fall behind him. As he calls us on.

[26:26] Sometimes we can get excited and run ahead of him. And find ourselves in places that we weren't supposed to be. Sometimes we can't see the way that he's leading us. And sometimes we can see the way that he's leading us.

[26:41] But we don't want to go that way. We can see a better way in our own minds. And so we, sometimes even willfully, we get off course. And Abram has already been off course in Egypt.

[26:55] But as Genesis 13 begins, we see Abram and he is back in the right place.

[27:06] The place that God has shown him. And he is doing the right thing. He's seeking to follow God as the Lord guides him.

[27:18] And it's always a question that we should allow ourselves to be asked. Am I in the right place? Spiritually speaking.

[27:29] Am I in the right place? Doing the right thing. But that's a prayer that we should often pray. But be careful with it. Because it's a prayer that can change the whole direction of your life.

[27:44] But Abram, he finds himself now. And he's in the right place. As God has led him. He's doing the right thing. As he seeks to be guided by God.

[27:56] And what I'd like to think about tonight. In the time that we have. It's good to see the young ones here. We'll be finished by seven. And I want to think in the time that we have. About guidance.

[28:09] How we are guided. And lessons that we can learn. Lessons that we can import from Abram's life. Into our lives. As we seek to follow the Lord.

[28:21] So the first point. That I want to highlight. Is prayer. The first thing that we need to see. As those who are asking the Lord to guide us.

[28:32] Is we need to be in prayer. And that's where we find Abram. At the beginning of this chapter. Look at verses one to four. So Abram went up from Egypt.

[28:44] To the Negev. With his wife. And everything he had. And Lot went with him. Abram had become. Very wealthy and livestock. And in silver and gold. From the Negev.

[28:55] He went from place to place. Until he came to Bethel. To the place between Bethel and Ai. Where his tent had been earlier. And where he had first built an altar. There Abram called.

[29:08] On the name of the Lord. Which is another way of saying. He prayed. He's been in Egypt.

[29:19] As we glance back. He'd set his own course for a while. He'd headed away from the land. That God showed him. Because of the famine.

[29:32] And because of the direction. That Abram himself decided to go. He ran into all kinds of trouble in Egypt. But now.

[29:42] As the chapter begins here. He's repented. He's changed direction. Literally. He's now. Verse 3. Back to where he'd been earlier. He's at the altar.

[29:54] He calls on the name of the Lord. And so he's in prayer. So this chapter begins. And if you fast forward.

[30:05] To the very end of it. You'll see it ends. With prayer. And the application here. Is not complex.

[30:15] But it is crucial. If we are going to. Follow the Lord. If we are. Going to be people.

[30:26] Who. Who know. The way the Lord. Would have us go. If we are those. Who. Who actually want to. Seek. The Lord's guidance. And go the way. That we. He would direct us.

[30:37] We. We need to be those. Who are. Who are calling. On the name of the Lord. In prayer. And that's true for us. As individuals. It's true for us. As a congregation.

[30:50] I was thinking back a little. And. I think this month. Will be. Eight years. Since we began.

[31:02] Our. Our journey. As a congregation. And you were. A congregation. Before I came in. But when it began. There were no buildings.

[31:13] We didn't have this. When we began. There was no money. You didn't take any. And yet.

[31:24] There was that clear. Recognition. That we need the Lord. We need. His guidance. There was an acute. Sense of that.

[31:37] And so. My memory. As I go back. To the very beginning. Was. Was prayer meetings. Were absolutely. Jam-packed. Full. There was that sense.

[31:49] Of God's presence. There was. That sense. Of excitement. That sense. Of dependence. On the Lord. Now. If we fast forward. Now eight years. To the present tense.

[32:01] We have. Buildings. For which we're thankful. And we have. Some money. For which. We're thankful. But we have. No less need.

[32:13] Day by day. Of the Lord's guidance. And direction. And strength.

[32:27] And life. So we need to be careful. Not to neglect prayer. That's the point. Let us be careful.

[32:43] Whatever we do. Not to neglect prayer. Both corporate prayer. And the prayer meeting. And private prayer.

[32:55] In the secret place. So this begins. As Abraham is. Seeking the Lord's guidance. It begins with prayer. And I want to just underline a phrase.

[33:08] Before I move on from this point. And it's a phrase that we. We find in verse three. And it tells us. That Abraham. Went to the place. Where his tent.

[33:19] Had been. Earlier. So he's been away from God. For a period. He set his own course. For a period. But then. As the Lord deals with him.

[33:29] And disciplines him. In great love. He's brought back. To the place. Where he had been. Earlier. And there are times.

[33:42] In our lives. Where the Lord. Will ask us. To go back. To the place. Where we had been earlier. I was thinking about.

[33:55] The church. In Ephesus. In fact. Turn there for a moment. To Revelation. Chapter three. In fact.

[34:06] Revelation chapter two. Sorry. And in this. Section in Revelation.

[34:17] We have. Letters. To various churches. Jesus writes. Letters. To various churches. And. There's a letter.

[34:27] That goes. To the church. In. Ephesus. This is a church. That was. A big church. It had a. A good reputation. And.

[34:39] We have there. In verse one. To the angel. Of the church. In Ephesus. Right. These are the words. Of him. Who holds. The seven stars. In his right hand. And walks. Among the seven golden lampstands.

[34:50] I know your deeds. Your hard work. And your perseverance. I know. That you cannot tolerate. Wicked men. That you have tested. Those who claim to be apostles. But are not. And I find them false.

[35:02] You have persevered. And have endured hardships for my name. And have not grown weary. All these things. Are commendations. Encouragements. For the. For the. The Christians. As they gathered in Ephesus.

[35:14] Yet. Says Jesus. I hold this. Against you. You have. Forsaken. The love. You had. At first. To Jesus.

[35:27] The great physician. Is looking in the door. Of this church. And he's. He's saying. There's an illness. In Ephesus. And the illness.

[35:38] Was. That. They had forsaken. The love. That they had. At first. For Jesus. So what was the solution? What was the medicine? Well look at verse.

[35:50] Five. Consider. Says Jesus. How far you have fallen. Repent. And do.

[36:01] The things you did. At first. Do the things you did. At first. Go back. To where you had been.

[36:12] Earlier. That's what Jesus. Was saying to them. You need to remember.

[36:23] The things you did. At first. When you first. Came to know me. Remember. The time. Says Jesus. When you had.

[36:35] The thrill. The thrill of salvation. You had that. Sense. Hour by hour. Of the fact. That you are saved. Saved from hell. Saved. Secure. With this.

[36:46] Place in heaven. Remember the joy. That gripped your life. When you. First. Began to walk with me. The blessedness. That there was. Remember.

[36:57] Says Jesus. To the. The Christians. In. In Ephesus. Remember. Remember. When your love. For me. Was so hot. When you were. Reaching out. To everybody. Around you.

[37:08] To tell. Them. About me. When you. Couldn't be kept. Away. From the door. Of a prayer meeting.

[37:18] Never mind. Having to be. Coaxed in. Remember. That says. Jesus. Jesus. And it's something that.

[37:31] The Lord Jesus. Says to us. Even as we look. At the life. Of Abraham. He. Abraham was told. Or he's brought back. To the place. Where his tent. Had been earlier.

[37:43] Perhaps. For some of us. That's a. A word tonight. The Lord is saying to us. I want to take you back. To where you used to be.

[37:58] And it's prayer. That takes us there. It's that time. With God. And prayer. That. That takes us there. I mean.

[38:11] Think again. About the words. Of the hymn writer. Who's lamenting. The loss. Of a close walk. With God. Where is the blessedness.

[38:21] In you. He says. When first. I sought the Lord. Where is the soul. Refreshing view. Of Jesus. And his word. What peaceful hours.

[38:31] I once enjoyed. How sweet their memories still. They've left. An aching void. The world can never fill. Not with money. Not with power.

[38:42] Not with hobbies. Not with whatever it is. That's gripping us. Then there's the prayer. Return. Oh holy dove. Return.

[38:53] Sweet messenger of rest. I hate the sins. That made thee mourn. And drove thee from my breast. So he's repenting. The dearest idols.

[39:03] I have known. The things that are filling his hands. And filling his mind. Whatever that idol be. Help me.

[39:14] To tear it. From thy throne. And worship. Only thee. So shall. My walk.

[39:25] Be close with God. Calm. And serene. My frame. So a purer light. Shall mark the road. That leads me. To the lamb.

[39:39] So Abraham. We find him back. Where he was. At first. He's back to the place. Where he'd been. Earlier. And he's calling. On the name of the Lord.

[39:50] He's in prayer. As he seeks. The Lord's guidance. The same thing. We can note here. Is there are problems. Just because he's back.

[40:02] In the right place. Doing the right thing. Doesn't mean everything. Is going to be smooth. There's problems. Now Lot. Verse 5. Who was moving about.

[40:13] With Abram. Also had flocks. And herds. And tents. But the land. Could not. Support them. While they stayed together. For their possessions. Were so great. That they were not able. To stay together.

[40:24] And quarreling. Arose. Between Abram's. Herdsmen. And the herdsmen. Of Lot. The Canaanites. And the Perizzites. Were also living. In the land. At that time.

[40:36] So there's problems. Tensions. Divisions. Friction. Enemies. Who are watching. On the sidelines. To see. Can they.

[40:47] Exploit this situation. And I want us to note. First of all here. What caused the problems. And the thing that caused the problems. It wasn't poverty.

[41:02] It was prosperity. Which is kind of ironic. Because remember. Abram. He. He. He veers off the track.

[41:14] That God would have him be on. Because he's fearful of poverty. He. He. He goes to the place. That the Lord showed him. And when he gets there.

[41:24] There's a famine in the land. He says. This is problems. I need to go somewhere. Where there's not a famine. So he. He sees Egypt. There's no famine in Egypt.

[41:34] So. So he heads there. Into. Egypt. And what we actually discover. Was that in Egypt. That's where there was problems. So Abram's logic is.

[41:45] Poverty equals problems. But the Lord's logic. Actually is. Prosperity equals problems. For Abram. So now we see Abram. And Lot.

[41:56] And. They're in the right place. They are. Rich. In flocks. And tents. And herds. And possessions. And they're falling out now. Because the land isn't big enough.

[42:09] For both of them. They've got too much stuff. Too many beasts. So they're doing the. The kind of island crofter thing. Of arguing about fences. And boundaries.

[42:19] And sheep. And cattle. And they just can't get on. And their. Their neighbours. Who are always. Ready for the attack.

[42:30] Are watching the situation closely. Because they're thinking. Well. If these two. Turn on each other. We can get in here. And we can really cause some trouble. So there's all kinds of problems.

[42:45] And there's a couple of lessons here. In application. And the first. Lesson is. Is concerning. What happens. After we repent. You know.

[42:57] When we. When we veer off. The Lord's will. As Abraham did. When we repent. When we move into. The territory of sin. As we.

[43:08] We know that we do. And then we repent. We confess our sin. Then the promise of God. Is we are forgiven.

[43:19] Our sin. As far as the east. Is from the west. They're taken away from us. We're cleansed. Of our sin. That's the truth.

[43:32] But the thing is. Our sin. Even though it's. Crenched. Even though it's been. Taken out of our account. Our sin. Often has consequences.

[43:46] Our forgiven sin. Can still be the cause. Of problems. And so we see that. In. In Abraham's life. He's back.

[43:58] Where he should be. With the Lord. But he's back. With a whole lot of stuff. That he's picked up. On the way. And that stuff. Is going to cause. A whole lot of problems. We can think about. The life of David.

[44:09] But as well. The psalmist. He sins. In. Adultery. He confesses his sin. Psalm 51. Psalm 32.

[44:20] He's forgiven his sin. But he has a whole lot of problems. In his. In his family life. After. His sin. Even though it's cleansed.

[44:32] Because. Sin has consequences. And. These. Can often come. In the forms of problems. In the way of application.

[44:44] Is. Just because we. Encounter. Problems. Doesn't mean. We're on the wrong track. Because that's so often.

[44:54] What our mind tells us. That's what. The enemy would tell us. We know this. From our own experience. You know. When things are going fine. We think. We think. God must be happy with us.

[45:07] But then. When we. Get in a situation. Where we're facing problems. When. Things start to go wrong. Very often. Our first instinct. Is to say. I must be out of God's will.

[45:19] This must be happening. Because I'm. I'm doing the wrong thing. Because. I'm getting off track. But Abraham. Wasn't off. God's will. He. He was in God's will. But still.

[45:29] There was problems. And that's something. That we have to get into our minds. That we have to get into. Our heads. The prosperity gospel. Is nonsense. Follow Jesus.

[45:42] And have no problems. Health. Wealth. Happiness. That's. That's lies. That's heresy. That's rubbish. Jesus. Jesus.

[45:53] Told us. If you're going to follow me. You're going to have to take up your cross. There's going to be a cost. There will be problems.

[46:09] In this world. Says Jesus. In John. 16. 33. You will have trouble. You will have problems. But take heart. Because I.

[46:21] Says Jesus. Have overcome the world. One commentator. Eveson. Says. The life of faith. Is rarely. Straightforward.

[46:32] Now that fellowship. With God. Has been restored. It did not mean. The end. Of frustrating. And testing. Experiences. So Abraham. He encounters. Problems.

[46:43] And we will. Encounter. At times. If we are following God. If we are. Seeking to follow. His guidance. If we are walking. His way. Guaranteed. The world.

[46:54] The flesh. The devil. Will. Will unite. To cause us. Problems. So don't be. Overly. Perturbed.

[47:06] When you and I. Hit problems. We'll sing. At the end. Do thy friends. Despise. Forsake thee. And sometimes. They do. Is there trouble.

[47:18] Anywhere. Nothing. There is. We should never. Be discouraged. Take it to the Lord. In prayer. Prayer.

[47:30] And problems. Third thing. Is providence. So we see. Abram. And Lot. Coming to. A solution. In verses 8.

[47:40] To verse. 13. Abram. Said to Lot. Let's not have any. Quarreling. Between you and me. Or between your. Herdsmen. And mine. For we are brothers. It's not the whole.

[47:54] Land. Before you. Let's part company. If you go to the left. I'll go to the right. If you go to the right. I'll go to the left. Lot looked up. And saw. That the whole. Plain of the Jordan. Was well watered.

[48:05] Like the garden. Of the Lord. Like the land of Egypt. Towards Zohar. This was before. The Lord destroyed Sodom. And Gomorrah. So Lot. Chose for himself. The whole plain. Of the Jordan. And set out.

[48:16] Towards the east. The two men. Parted company. Abram. Lived in the land. Of Canaan. While Lot. Lived.

[48:26] Among the cities. Of the plain. And pitched his tents. Near Sodom. Then the men of Sodom. Were wicked. And were sinning. Greatly. Against the Lord. There's a dispute here.

[48:41] Over land. Who's going to get to go where. And where the boundaries are. Where the fences are going to go up. And there's a whole lot of tension.

[48:53] And. I'm told that some of the calmest people. You could ever meet. If you take them to a flank. And catch them on a bad day.

[49:04] Tempers will boil. Very very quickly. Or some of the calmest people. You'll ever meet. You get into a disagreement with them.

[49:14] Over a fence. And where the posts should go in. Tempers will. Will very quickly flare. So we can only imagine.

[49:24] The tension. And the fallouts. Between the herdsmen. Of Abram. And the herdsmen. Of Lot. As they try to manage. All these flocks. In this.

[49:35] Little area of land. So Abram. Seeing all that's going on. He says. That's. Enough's enough. We need to spread out a little. There needs to be an amicable.

[49:47] Separation here. But the question was. Who goes where. There's going to be a separation. And the land is different. In terms of the quality. Who goes where.

[49:58] And. What I want us to see. Is that. Abram. Seems to lose no sleep. Over that question. And the reason. He loses no sleep. Over. Whether he goes to the right. Or to the left. Is because he's.

[50:08] He's trusting the providence of God. He has promises from God. He believes these promises. From God.

[50:19] And so. He isn't overly disturbed. By the outcome. Of this. This decision. And yet.

[50:30] Lot. Is a very. Different perspective. It says. That when it comes to. When it came to decision time. Lot. Looked up. Verse 10. But Lot. Didn't look far enough up.

[50:43] Lot. Just looked up. And he saw the land. He's looking at the value. Of the land. He isn't thinking. About the. The risks.

[50:54] Of falling into sin. If he. If he parks up. Too close to. To Sodom. Lot. Is only thinking. About the risks. Of losing money. And having scrawny sheep.

[51:04] So he makes this decision. Based on that. Just on. On this world's riches. Which was unwise.

[51:17] One commentator. Boyce. Says. You may think. You are different. From Lot. But if you have put your job. Ahead of your family. Spiritual life. If you have put your social.

[51:28] Advancement. Ahead of proper. Association. With God's people. If you have let. The choice of a home. Keep you from a church. Where you can grow. In faith. And worship. You have moved. From the highlands.

[51:39] To the plains. Of the Jordan. Meaning. Your decision making. Is the same as Lot. Lot's just looking at.

[51:49] Pounds and pence. But Abram. Is trusting. In the Lord. He's trusting. In the Lord's. Providence. And because of that. Abram. When there's this dispute.

[52:01] He doesn't stamp his feet. He doesn't shout about his rights. To having the better land. Because of his seniority. Because strictly speaking. Abraham did have.

[52:12] The right to make the decision. Because he was the senior man. But he doesn't use his rights. To assert. His will. He's a peacemaker.

[52:27] He takes the initiative. He takes the first step. In trying to. To bring a resolution. I suppose there's a. A point and application there. For all of us.

[52:38] When we're in. Difficulties. When we're. Struggling with tensions. Of this and that. Do we ever take the first step. Husbands. Wives. Where there's tension.

[52:53] Are we. The people who take the first step. Or are we sitting there. With our arms folded. Saying well I'm not in the wrong. They can move.

[53:04] Abraham could have. He could have done that. Very easily. And said. Lot. Down the road. I'm the boss here. But he doesn't do that.

[53:15] He. He doesn't insist. On his. On his own rights. But he shows grace. And he trusts. The Lord's. Providence. Spurgeon says.

[53:26] Providence. Is the only soft pillow. For. The anxious heart. And Abraham. He's able to trust the Lord.

[53:39] He's able to. To hold on. To God's promises. He's able to rest his head. On the. On the faith.

[53:51] That he had. In God's providence. That he would make good. On the promises. That he had made. And that's. It's a lesson. That we need to all.

[54:01] Take on board. Providence. Which. Boys and girls. Just means. The way that God. Works things out. In our lives. The way that he orders. Our lives. Providence.

[54:14] Is a pillow. That we should rest on. A bit more. We all need to do. Less scheming. To get our own way.

[54:26] And trust the Lord. To take us. His way. The final point. Here very briefly. Is. Is a promise.

[54:40] The Lord said to Abraham. Verse 14. After Lot parted from him. Lift up your eyes. From where you are. And look north. And south. And east. And west. All the land.

[54:50] That you see. I will give to you. And your offspring. Forever. I will make your offspring. Like the dust of the earth. So that if anyone could count the dust.

[55:00] Then your offspring. Could be counted. Go walk through the length. And breadth. Of the land. For I. Am giving it to you. And where we finish here.

[55:14] Is. Is God and his grace. Saying to Abraham. Remember my promise. You can trust my promise.

[55:27] You might not be able to trust my promises. Sometimes about seven o'clock. I'm trying hard. But you can always trust God's promises. And God has made a promise to Abraham.

[55:42] And he will keep it. But. So he says to Abraham. You might be in the. You might be in the. The less fertile part of the.

[55:53] Of the land here. Your sheep might not be as fat. As lots of sheep are. But. Remember my promise to you. You're not going to be.

[56:05] You're not going to be short changed. Look around. Any direction. And. I'm telling you that.

[56:17] I will give this land. To you and your offspring. That was God's promise. And it's a promise. That he kept. And all God's promises.

[56:29] Are. Are kept. And the evidence of that. Is seen most clearly in Jesus. Who would come down. The line.

[56:40] Of the offspring. Of Abraham. And who through his life. And death. And resurrection. Would bring blessing. Blessing.

[56:52] Blessing that comes all the way. From there. Back then. To here. To us tonight. If we are believing.

[57:04] In Jesus. This. Promise. And the final thing. Is prayer.

[57:15] I'm not going to. Give you a point on it. Just want you to notice. It begins with prayer. And it ends with prayer. Abraham moved his tents.

[57:28] And went to live. Near the great trees. Of Mamre. At Hebron. Where he built. An altar. To the Lord. Where he would be.

[57:40] Found in prayer. Let's pray. And well let's close with. That hymn. What a friend we have in Jesus. All. Our sins and griefs. To bear.

[57:50] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[58:01] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[58:12] Amen. Amen. Amen.

[58:28] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Oh, what need does pain we bear? Or because we do not carry everything to God in prayer, how with trials and temptations mix their trouble anywhere.

[58:57] We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer.

[59:09] Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.

[59:31] Are we weak and heavy laden? Come, work with the Lord of care. Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

[59:51] Do thy friends despise forsake me, take it to the Lord in prayer.

[60:03] In his arms to take and shield me, thou wilt find us all is there. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit, be with us all now and forevermore.

[60:23] Amen.