1 00:00:00,950 --> 00:00:02,730 My name is, uh, Daniel Samogyi. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,960 Uh, I have the honor and privilege of serving here in Orange County as a part 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,790 time youth minister along with my wife, Savannah, and we have Jessica Stephan. 4 00:00:08,790 --> 00:00:13,650 We help lead the high school ministry specifically, and it's been truly 5 00:00:13,650 --> 00:00:17,010 a blessing just seeing some of these teens just grow before us. 6 00:00:17,010 --> 00:00:19,800 I mean, all of us, I mean, Jess and Savannah, we, we grew up in the church, 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,910 we grew up in the teen ministry. 8 00:00:20,910 --> 00:00:23,930 So we see a lot of ourselves in the teens today. 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,029 Um, but with that being said, you know, last week, I don't know if you guys 10 00:00:27,030 --> 00:00:28,620 know, but we started a new sermon series. 11 00:00:28,965 --> 00:00:31,145 Called, The Journey of Faith. 12 00:00:31,405 --> 00:00:34,225 And, you know, we go through the life of Abraham. 13 00:00:34,245 --> 00:00:37,855 And, um, we also have, sorry, real quick, we also have a handout. 14 00:00:37,885 --> 00:00:40,545 Um, we passed that last week, but it's also on the church app. 15 00:00:40,715 --> 00:00:43,105 But we're going through the life of Abraham. 16 00:00:43,305 --> 00:00:45,384 But this is way before he's called Abraham. 17 00:00:45,385 --> 00:00:49,735 We know Abraham as, you know, the man who has many sons, right? 18 00:00:49,735 --> 00:00:50,705 Father Abraham. 19 00:00:50,995 --> 00:00:53,005 But we're going through the life of Abram. 20 00:00:53,005 --> 00:00:56,765 So this is before all the promises that God gave him. 21 00:00:57,065 --> 00:00:58,265 Delivered that came true. 22 00:00:58,265 --> 00:01:02,665 So we're going through the book of Genesis and last week Marcel preached on 23 00:01:02,665 --> 00:01:07,565 Genesis chapter 12 and we talked about the call and we see that in Genesis 12 24 00:01:07,575 --> 00:01:11,775 in the beginning, God called Abram to leave his land, you know, because he 25 00:01:11,775 --> 00:01:15,734 promised him a new land and he promised him a nation made of his descendants. 26 00:01:15,914 --> 00:01:20,485 He promised blessings on blessings on blessings and we see and we 27 00:01:20,485 --> 00:01:24,304 see Abram answering that call, but later we see we didn't go over, 28 00:01:24,304 --> 00:01:25,845 but hopefully in our family group. 29 00:01:26,150 --> 00:01:28,990 Uh, we see later in Genesis in that chapter that he left that 30 00:01:28,990 --> 00:01:30,100 land out of fear of famines. 31 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:31,010 We went to Egypt. 32 00:01:31,410 --> 00:01:34,530 And when he leaves Egypt, or he goes to Egypt, he says, you know, Oh, 33 00:01:34,570 --> 00:01:37,679 my wife Sarah, that's, that's my sister, cause he was scared, whatever. 34 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,979 And, uh, next you know, he gets, you know, the Pharaoh rebukes him. 35 00:01:40,979 --> 00:01:43,348 And he leaves the land of Egypt even more rich. 36 00:01:43,450 --> 00:01:44,689 Which doesn't make any sense. 37 00:01:44,729 --> 00:01:46,190 But, you know what, I'm like, alright. 38 00:01:46,210 --> 00:01:48,729 Like, when I get in trouble, I Don't get rich at all. 39 00:01:48,729 --> 00:01:52,119 So it doesn't encourage me to, to, uh, you know, get in trouble, 40 00:01:52,220 --> 00:01:54,869 but we see, we're going to pick up here in Genesis chapter 13. 41 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,509 We're going to see him as he leaves Egypt and goes back to the promised land. 42 00:01:58,759 --> 00:02:01,869 So the title of my lesson today is called, uh, 43 00:02:04,679 --> 00:02:05,079 I don't know. 44 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:06,229 It says when God's called, doesn't it? 45 00:02:06,270 --> 00:02:08,070 But it's called watch where you are looking. 46 00:02:08,169 --> 00:02:09,709 That's the title of my certain state. 47 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:10,919 Watch where you are looking. 48 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,840 And this is a phrase we've heard many times in our life, right? 49 00:02:13,959 --> 00:02:15,100 Watch where you are looking. 50 00:02:15,409 --> 00:02:18,960 You know, when I, uh, When I started driving, you know, my mom always 51 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,010 told me she was training me, man, you better watch where you're looking. 52 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:22,360 You don't want to hit anyone. 53 00:02:22,370 --> 00:02:25,720 You don't want to run over a pedestrian and go to jail for that 54 00:02:25,730 --> 00:02:27,799 or go to prison when you're cooking. 55 00:02:28,100 --> 00:02:29,570 You have to watch when you're cooking. 56 00:02:29,829 --> 00:02:32,418 I remember when Savannah told me, Hey, watch this crock pot because 57 00:02:32,418 --> 00:02:33,379 I have some chicken in there. 58 00:02:33,950 --> 00:02:34,659 I didn't watch it. 59 00:02:34,659 --> 00:02:35,940 And then we had to eat dry chicken. 60 00:02:35,950 --> 00:02:37,570 So, you know, I have to watch it. 61 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,610 Something I've also learned is you got to watch when you spend, you got to 62 00:02:41,610 --> 00:02:42,950 watch what you're spending your money on. 63 00:02:44,179 --> 00:02:49,010 You know, so in Genesis 13 here, we're gonna see a powerful story about Abram 64 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,320 and his nephew Lot, two men who made choices based on where they were looking. 65 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,350 And I want to explore the consequences of those choices and what they mean for us. 66 00:02:58,579 --> 00:02:59,029 Amen. 67 00:02:59,269 --> 00:03:01,219 So we're gonna get into Genesis chapter 13. 68 00:03:01,219 --> 00:03:03,500 So please open up your Bibles, and if you don't have one, please 69 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:04,690 ask the person next to you. 70 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:06,100 If not, it's gonna be on the screen here. 71 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:09,809 I'm gonna pick up in Genesis chapter 13, verses 1 through 4. 72 00:03:09,810 --> 00:03:10,570 We'll start here. 73 00:03:11,860 --> 00:03:16,110 And it says, So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev with his wife and 74 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:17,910 everything he had, and Lot went with them. 75 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,070 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. 76 00:03:22,420 --> 00:03:26,840 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, 77 00:03:27,119 --> 00:03:30,960 to the place between Bethel and Ai, where his tent had been earlier and 78 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:32,650 where he had first built an altar. 79 00:03:33,090 --> 00:03:35,350 There Abram called on the name of the Lord. 80 00:03:36,260 --> 00:03:39,500 So, like I said, going back, he went to Egypt, or he was called, the 81 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:41,100 promise, you know, that God gave him. 82 00:03:41,230 --> 00:03:44,290 He built a tent and an altar there, obviously he left, went to Egypt, 83 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:45,870 left Egypt, and then came back. 84 00:03:45,870 --> 00:03:50,339 So now we see that he returned to where he first built his altar there, 85 00:03:50,339 --> 00:03:52,089 where his tent had been earlier. 86 00:03:53,149 --> 00:03:56,829 And we see that he'd become very wealthy in livestock and silver and gold, 87 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,150 and it says here that he went between Bethel and Ai, where his tent had been 88 00:04:01,150 --> 00:04:02,640 earlier, where he first built the altar. 89 00:04:02,740 --> 00:04:06,910 So we see here that Abram veering away from God's promise. 90 00:04:07,580 --> 00:04:11,270 And now we are witnessing Abram returning to the promise that God had for him. 91 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,060 You know, Abram went to where his tent was earlier, to where he first 92 00:04:15,060 --> 00:04:17,209 built the altar to worship God. 93 00:04:17,769 --> 00:04:20,300 And I think that's an incredible gesture right there. 94 00:04:20,369 --> 00:04:20,810 You know what I mean? 95 00:04:20,810 --> 00:04:24,250 That he built an altar based on a promise. 96 00:04:25,110 --> 00:04:27,030 And the promise hasn't even been fulfilled yet. 97 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:29,570 You know, think about it for us in our life. 98 00:04:29,930 --> 00:04:31,940 You know, I remember when I was younger, my parents would 99 00:04:31,940 --> 00:04:32,850 be like, Oh, guess what, Jay? 100 00:04:32,850 --> 00:04:33,789 We're gonna go to Disneyland. 101 00:04:34,229 --> 00:04:35,760 You know, I was like, okay, cool. 102 00:04:35,950 --> 00:04:38,330 But like, I'm not gonna get excited over that, right? 103 00:04:38,429 --> 00:04:39,940 Like, I need to see it happen. 104 00:04:39,940 --> 00:04:42,770 I will get excited when I see my parents show me the tickets, 105 00:04:42,929 --> 00:04:45,479 and we're actually going in the car, driving to Orange County. 106 00:04:45,479 --> 00:04:47,510 We're going inside, and I see Mickey Mouse. 107 00:04:47,510 --> 00:04:49,070 You know, that's when I would get excited. 108 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,590 But Abram was getting excited over a promise. 109 00:04:53,679 --> 00:04:54,870 You know, what was the promise? 110 00:04:55,719 --> 00:04:57,679 God promised him land. 111 00:04:58,049 --> 00:04:59,369 He promised him a nation. 112 00:04:59,370 --> 00:05:01,439 He promised him being blessed by God. 113 00:05:01,439 --> 00:05:02,499 Blessings from others. 114 00:05:03,310 --> 00:05:05,549 You know, all the promises has not happened yet. 115 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,729 But yet we see Abram here rejoicing in the fact like, Man, God is promising me. 116 00:05:09,729 --> 00:05:10,370 That is so awesome. 117 00:05:10,380 --> 00:05:11,909 Let me go build an altar. 118 00:05:13,609 --> 00:05:18,489 You know, this reminds us that faith is not based on what we can see in 119 00:05:18,489 --> 00:05:19,780 our own hands physically, right? 120 00:05:20,250 --> 00:05:22,049 You know, trusting God's Word and His character. 121 00:05:22,049 --> 00:05:26,900 Just as Abram worshipped over the promise that wasn't to be fulfilled yet, we too 122 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:31,020 are called to trust in God's promises, even when we don't see immediate results. 123 00:05:31,690 --> 00:05:35,479 You'll write me of this scripture in Hebrews 11, verse 1, says, Now faith 124 00:05:35,510 --> 00:05:40,510 is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 125 00:05:41,429 --> 00:05:44,229 And that's important for us to remember as we're going, you know, 126 00:05:44,229 --> 00:05:47,599 as we continue reading in Genesis, but also just for us, is man, faith 127 00:05:47,629 --> 00:05:50,090 is confidence in what we do not see. 128 00:05:50,469 --> 00:05:54,419 And we're gonna continue reading here, we're gonna see how Abram was clinging 129 00:05:54,419 --> 00:05:59,250 on to God, how he really had the faith in God that he will deliver the promise. 130 00:05:59,250 --> 00:06:04,090 We'll As we continue here in Genesis 13 verses 5 through 7 it says, Now 131 00:06:04,099 --> 00:06:08,690 Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 132 00:06:08,969 --> 00:06:12,309 but the land could not support them while they stayed together, for 133 00:06:12,309 --> 00:06:16,320 their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 134 00:06:16,969 --> 00:06:19,950 And quarreling arose between Abram's herders and Lot. 135 00:06:20,250 --> 00:06:24,520 The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in the land at the time. 136 00:06:25,739 --> 00:06:28,940 So, now we're introduced to Lot, as I mentioned earlier, that's his nephew. 137 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,250 And, you know, Lot, uh, went with Abram everywhere, when you think about it. 138 00:06:33,340 --> 00:06:36,469 You know, Lot went with Abram from, uh, Ur to the Chaldeans. 139 00:06:36,630 --> 00:06:38,520 He went with Abram to Haran. 140 00:06:38,770 --> 00:06:43,430 He went with Abram to, to Canaan, which the, the land God promised Abram. 141 00:06:43,580 --> 00:06:46,690 He went with, uh, Abram out of Canaan into Egypt. 142 00:06:46,729 --> 00:06:50,230 And he went with him out of Egypt back into where we are right now 143 00:06:50,230 --> 00:06:51,800 here in this verse, back into Canaan. 144 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,460 So Lot here was a constant companion of his. 145 00:06:56,094 --> 00:06:59,235 And as we read here, we'll see an argument about to take place. 146 00:06:59,565 --> 00:07:02,794 You know, it says in verse 7 here, In quarreling arose between 147 00:07:02,854 --> 00:07:04,294 Abram's herders and Lot's. 148 00:07:04,425 --> 00:07:07,205 The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in land at the time. 149 00:07:07,914 --> 00:07:09,395 You know, something had to be done here. 150 00:07:09,974 --> 00:07:13,875 You know, Canaan was predominantly a land that was dominated by 151 00:07:13,895 --> 00:07:15,854 people who worship other gods. 152 00:07:15,854 --> 00:07:18,474 You know, they practiced polytheistic belief here. 153 00:07:18,474 --> 00:07:22,824 And the Canaanites and the Perizzites, they're watching Abram and Lot, people 154 00:07:22,824 --> 00:07:25,610 who are, oh, like They claim to know God. 155 00:07:25,610 --> 00:07:26,100 You know what I mean? 156 00:07:26,100 --> 00:07:28,130 There's a different God on the block type of thing for them. 157 00:07:28,130 --> 00:07:31,640 And they're seeing these two men and their herders argue 158 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,580 with one another over resources. 159 00:07:34,219 --> 00:07:36,249 And it wasn't just a private family matter. 160 00:07:36,249 --> 00:07:39,830 Obviously we see that it was made public about the dispute. 161 00:07:40,239 --> 00:07:42,179 And this brings me to my first point today. 162 00:07:42,610 --> 00:07:45,510 Is we have to watch who is looking. 163 00:07:46,409 --> 00:07:47,330 We have to watch who is looking. 164 00:07:47,330 --> 00:07:50,869 It's important to watch who is looking because the people who watch us influence 165 00:07:50,869 --> 00:07:52,980 our actions, attitudes, and decisions. 166 00:07:52,980 --> 00:07:57,140 It's You know, we tend to have, uh, different, act differently when we, 167 00:07:57,140 --> 00:07:58,950 uh, know we're being observed, right? 168 00:07:59,310 --> 00:08:03,339 It's just like when we're driving on the freeway, and usually the speed limit's 169 00:08:03,340 --> 00:08:07,589 65, but we go 80, 85, and we see that cop car, we, we hit the brakes, right? 170 00:08:07,589 --> 00:08:11,199 We slow it down, we're like, oh, ooh, okay, we gotta go back and, you know, I 171 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,850 don't wanna be in trouble, you know, I'm getting observed by the cop right now. 172 00:08:14,780 --> 00:08:17,400 You know, the same applies when it comes to our faith. 173 00:08:18,265 --> 00:08:21,155 You know, we have to watch who is looking because the people around us 174 00:08:21,155 --> 00:08:25,245 are observing our actions and how we handle conflict reflects our faith. 175 00:08:26,385 --> 00:08:28,704 So if we're gonna get into a disagreement with one another, which 176 00:08:28,704 --> 00:08:32,115 is common here, alright, we can get into disagreements and that's okay. 177 00:08:32,584 --> 00:08:37,845 But it's the way we deal with it is how it all matters when people watch us. 178 00:08:37,845 --> 00:08:41,755 You know, so if I get in a disagreement with Michael Morris over here, and our 179 00:08:41,755 --> 00:08:45,194 way of disagreeing and to talk about it is by never talking to each other again. 180 00:08:45,194 --> 00:08:45,235 Alright. 181 00:08:45,475 --> 00:08:48,765 Giving each other a dirty look and talking bad about one another to everyone. 182 00:08:49,665 --> 00:08:51,765 What does that say about our faith right there? 183 00:08:52,814 --> 00:08:55,854 Does it reflect us truly obeying God's word there? 184 00:08:55,854 --> 00:08:58,865 Are we really seeking the peace that God wants for us? 185 00:09:00,865 --> 00:09:03,314 You know, I imagine that the Canaanites and the Perizzites, you 186 00:09:03,314 --> 00:09:06,765 know, they were, they were watching Abram and Mot just argue, right? 187 00:09:06,765 --> 00:09:09,675 And like I said, they probably just thought to themselves, wow. 188 00:09:10,064 --> 00:09:12,055 You see, they're, they're just like us. 189 00:09:12,925 --> 00:09:14,774 They say they worship another God. 190 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:20,640 They say their God is the one true God, but they argue just like us. 191 00:09:22,060 --> 00:09:25,460 You know, this is probably how other people who do not know God see 192 00:09:25,460 --> 00:09:28,650 us when we argue with one another and don't resolve in a godly way. 193 00:09:29,350 --> 00:09:32,709 You know, it reminds me when I grew up, I grew up in the metro LA region of 194 00:09:32,739 --> 00:09:36,730 the church and I was part of the teen ministry there, uh, and I think I was like 195 00:09:36,730 --> 00:09:38,560 a junior or a sophomore in high school. 196 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:38,579 So, yeah. 197 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:42,710 But I remember I was a disciple at the time, and I was inviting my 198 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:43,910 friend, Nehemiah, from high school. 199 00:09:43,910 --> 00:09:45,460 I was like, bro, you gotta come out to my church. 200 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:46,710 Bro, you will love it. 201 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:48,620 The teens there, they're awesome. 202 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:50,560 My church is, man, it's totally different. 203 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:52,280 And he was like, yeah, I'll come on out. 204 00:09:52,370 --> 00:09:53,140 And I was like, cool. 205 00:09:53,410 --> 00:09:56,500 So it was a Friday Diva, and I just remember I was introducing the people. 206 00:09:56,500 --> 00:09:57,789 I was like, guys, this is my friend. 207 00:09:57,969 --> 00:09:58,889 Oh, he's awesome, man. 208 00:09:58,919 --> 00:10:00,299 This person's awesome in the ministry. 209 00:10:00,459 --> 00:10:01,769 This person's awesome in the ministry. 210 00:10:02,059 --> 00:10:06,380 And then there was a teen there who I had a conflict with that was not resolved. 211 00:10:07,074 --> 00:10:09,435 And I remember telling Nehemiah, everyone's queer. 212 00:10:09,435 --> 00:10:11,395 But I remember, I pointed to that teen. 213 00:10:11,395 --> 00:10:13,935 I was like, that teen, oh, you gotta stay away from her. 214 00:10:14,484 --> 00:10:16,375 And I remember, yeah, I know. 215 00:10:16,734 --> 00:10:18,064 I remember that teen. 216 00:10:19,324 --> 00:10:22,964 That teen saw me point at her and she pretty much, I mean, I didn't really care. 217 00:10:23,025 --> 00:10:24,324 She knew I didn't like her and type of thing. 218 00:10:24,324 --> 00:10:25,194 She didn't like me. 219 00:10:25,475 --> 00:10:28,965 But she saw it and then she came and she was like, Hey, if you have a 220 00:10:28,965 --> 00:10:30,505 problem with me, say it to my face. 221 00:10:30,515 --> 00:10:32,645 And I was like, okay, like, let's do it right here, right now. 222 00:10:32,645 --> 00:10:33,645 So we were arguing. 223 00:10:33,985 --> 00:10:34,304 All right. 224 00:10:34,305 --> 00:10:35,695 I was like, man, I don't like when you do this. 225 00:10:35,695 --> 00:10:36,964 And then she was going back and forth. 226 00:10:37,184 --> 00:10:40,204 My friend, Nehemiah is just kind of, well, what's going on here? 227 00:10:40,215 --> 00:10:42,584 Like, whoa, parents had to split us up. 228 00:10:42,635 --> 00:10:43,725 And I was like, all right, whatever. 229 00:10:43,895 --> 00:10:45,045 You know, the event was over. 230 00:10:45,705 --> 00:10:48,215 We were waiting for my mom to pick, pick us up from the event. 231 00:10:48,805 --> 00:10:50,385 And we're sitting in the church parking lot. 232 00:10:51,115 --> 00:10:53,025 And I put my arm around my friend, Nehemiah. 233 00:10:53,670 --> 00:10:55,620 I just looked at him and was like, So, you want to study the Bible? 234 00:10:58,260 --> 00:10:59,140 You want to know God? 235 00:11:00,180 --> 00:11:02,770 And he just looked at me like, Are you serious? 236 00:11:02,770 --> 00:11:03,120 No. 237 00:11:04,130 --> 00:11:04,709 I don't. 238 00:11:05,589 --> 00:11:07,489 And I'm going to be honest, at the time I was really surprised. 239 00:11:07,490 --> 00:11:08,670 I was like, Why not? 240 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:09,890 Why don't you want to know about God? 241 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:11,220 You told me you want to know about Him. 242 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:12,830 And then he told me something. 243 00:11:12,850 --> 00:11:15,160 He was like, Well Danny, I don't want to know, I don't want to study 244 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,810 the Bible with you because you told me that your church is different. 245 00:11:18,350 --> 00:11:19,830 You told me something was different there. 246 00:11:19,830 --> 00:11:22,859 But man, you're just like all the churches I've visited with my family. 247 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:25,570 And I was like, wow. 248 00:11:26,629 --> 00:11:29,790 You know, it really took, you know, the scripture in 2 Corinthians, by, you know, 249 00:11:29,790 --> 00:11:34,119 being Christ's ambassador, you know, it really had a new meaning for myself. 250 00:11:34,129 --> 00:11:36,959 Thinking about, wow, okay, where I go, what I do in my life, man, I 251 00:11:36,959 --> 00:11:40,469 really represent, not only Christ, but the church I attend as well. 252 00:11:40,769 --> 00:11:41,369 You know what I mean? 253 00:11:41,369 --> 00:11:43,329 I really have to, uh, think about that. 254 00:11:43,329 --> 00:11:44,410 And I was like, okay. 255 00:11:45,019 --> 00:11:48,949 Alright, so if I'm really gonna say I'm a disciple and claim to be set apart, 256 00:11:49,269 --> 00:11:50,719 I can indulge in things like that. 257 00:11:51,290 --> 00:11:53,010 I can't be in arguments like that. 258 00:11:53,079 --> 00:11:54,839 And if I am in arguments, I gotta settle. 259 00:11:54,839 --> 00:11:58,240 I gotta really, you know, try hard to, to make amends with them. 260 00:11:58,459 --> 00:11:59,699 To be at peace with them. 261 00:12:01,449 --> 00:12:04,799 So it's important that we have to watch who is looking. 262 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:06,770 Because people are watching us. 263 00:12:07,209 --> 00:12:10,469 Neighbors, coworkers, students, friends, and even unbelievers. 264 00:12:11,050 --> 00:12:15,430 The way we navigate conflicts and even blessings and challenges 265 00:12:15,439 --> 00:12:16,969 speaks volumes about our faith. 266 00:12:18,050 --> 00:12:20,730 Now we're going to read here that Abram knew he had to end the 267 00:12:20,730 --> 00:12:22,010 argument between him and his nephew. 268 00:12:22,890 --> 00:12:24,130 People were looking at them. 269 00:12:25,510 --> 00:12:28,469 And like I said, just as important it is to handle conflict, we also 270 00:12:28,490 --> 00:12:31,469 know we gotta, we have to understand how to handle blessings, too, right? 271 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,930 Think about it, you know, when I get showered in blessings, man, I start 272 00:12:34,939 --> 00:12:36,559 to believe that I'm the hot stuff. 273 00:12:36,619 --> 00:12:40,439 Like, man, yo, I, my life is the way it is because I did this. 274 00:12:40,449 --> 00:12:41,089 You know what I mean? 275 00:12:41,279 --> 00:12:42,809 I start to become self righteous. 276 00:12:42,809 --> 00:12:44,640 I start to look down on others. 277 00:12:45,475 --> 00:12:49,375 And we see here that the strife between Abram and Lot happened because 278 00:12:49,745 --> 00:12:52,665 their possessions were so great. 279 00:12:53,765 --> 00:12:56,555 You know, God really blessed Abram and his family. 280 00:12:56,645 --> 00:13:00,305 Their possessions were so great that they couldn't live off of each other. 281 00:13:01,314 --> 00:13:03,645 And although they had great possessions, we're going to see 282 00:13:03,645 --> 00:13:07,615 something different with the possessions that Abram had and Lot had. 283 00:13:08,155 --> 00:13:10,375 You know, we'll see later in future chapters of Genesis, just a 284 00:13:10,375 --> 00:13:13,235 spoiler, Lot's wealth possessed him. 285 00:13:13,235 --> 00:13:18,020 We'll But Abram, he had great possessions, but his wealth didn't possess him. 286 00:13:19,099 --> 00:13:22,599 And because of this, because of possessions and wealth, and the land, 287 00:13:22,699 --> 00:13:24,650 they could no longer live off each other. 288 00:13:24,650 --> 00:13:27,379 So Abram made this generous offer to Lot. 289 00:13:27,959 --> 00:13:30,389 Now before we look at the next verse, I want to remind you guys, I want to, you 290 00:13:30,390 --> 00:13:34,589 know, this is back then, this is near, you know, Eastern tradition here, but the 291 00:13:34,660 --> 00:13:37,420 elder was really valued above the youth. 292 00:13:37,430 --> 00:13:38,420 He had more honor. 293 00:13:38,430 --> 00:13:40,550 So what the elder said, it went. 294 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:41,699 All right. 295 00:13:42,230 --> 00:13:43,790 So this is what Abram said here next. 296 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:49,620 So Abram said to Lot, Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, 297 00:13:49,990 --> 00:13:51,140 or between your herders and mine. 298 00:13:51,170 --> 00:13:52,780 For we are close relatives. 299 00:13:53,130 --> 00:13:55,240 It's not the whole land before you. 300 00:13:55,630 --> 00:13:56,469 Let's part company. 301 00:13:56,469 --> 00:13:56,799 Here it is. 302 00:13:56,950 --> 00:14:01,500 He says, If you, Lot, go to the left, I'll go to the right. 303 00:14:01,870 --> 00:14:05,610 And if you go to the right, then I'll go to the left. 304 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:09,509 What a remarkable gesture right there. 305 00:14:09,740 --> 00:14:10,689 I mean, just remember. 306 00:14:11,270 --> 00:14:13,349 God promised Abram the land. 307 00:14:13,660 --> 00:14:15,449 He didn't promise Lot anything. 308 00:14:15,770 --> 00:14:17,770 But yet we still see here, Abram would be like, You know what? 309 00:14:18,170 --> 00:14:19,040 I gotta be at peace. 310 00:14:19,069 --> 00:14:19,589 You know what I mean? 311 00:14:19,599 --> 00:14:21,249 I gotta be at peace with my nephew here. 312 00:14:21,359 --> 00:14:21,879 You know what? 313 00:14:22,139 --> 00:14:23,929 Hey Lot, I'm gonna let you choose first. 314 00:14:24,399 --> 00:14:26,169 You decide which one you want to go with. 315 00:14:26,989 --> 00:14:31,949 I want to point out that, you know, Abram didn't yield to Lot there out of weakness. 316 00:14:32,109 --> 00:14:35,599 He didn't yield to Lot because he was afraid of him, or because of fear. 317 00:14:35,970 --> 00:14:41,330 He yielded to Lot because he had trust and he knew God loved him. 318 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:46,069 By allowing Lot to choose first, Abram trusted God's plan. 319 00:14:46,660 --> 00:14:49,389 You know, Abram believed that God's promise to give him and his 320 00:14:49,399 --> 00:14:53,230 descendants the land would be fulfilled, regardless of which way Lot chose. 321 00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:58,760 Abram's choice to let Lot decide showed his willingness to release control. 322 00:14:59,380 --> 00:14:59,760 Think about that. 323 00:15:00,655 --> 00:15:01,725 Abram released control. 324 00:15:01,725 --> 00:15:06,074 That's something that we as humans, man, it's so hard for us to release control. 325 00:15:06,385 --> 00:15:09,435 But yeah, Abram did that, and he trusted God would take care of him. 326 00:15:10,364 --> 00:15:15,155 And he didn't grasp the best part of the land, you know, he trusted in his plan. 327 00:15:15,175 --> 00:15:18,804 You know, he knew that God's plan is greater than his own understanding. 328 00:15:19,924 --> 00:15:23,115 You know, to a man of faith like Abram, a few acres of land 329 00:15:23,115 --> 00:15:24,324 was not worth fighting for. 330 00:15:24,855 --> 00:15:26,415 He had an internal perspective. 331 00:15:27,140 --> 00:15:29,800 You know, I like to think he fulfilled this new principle, the 332 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,160 New Testament principle of love. 333 00:15:31,469 --> 00:15:35,189 You know, Philippians chapter 2 here, verse 3 4 says, Do nothing out of 334 00:15:35,199 --> 00:15:37,109 selfish ambition or vain conceit. 335 00:15:37,500 --> 00:15:41,260 Rather, in humility, value others above yourself. 336 00:15:41,479 --> 00:15:44,859 Not looking to your own interests, but each of you, each of you 337 00:15:44,859 --> 00:15:47,130 to the interests of others. 338 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,339 You know, if Abram were the type of person to look for his own interests, he would 339 00:15:51,339 --> 00:15:53,000 have dictated the terms to Lot, right? 340 00:15:53,510 --> 00:15:55,449 He would have said, all right, well, I'll take the right side. 341 00:15:55,449 --> 00:15:56,790 You're going to take the left side and settle it. 342 00:15:57,129 --> 00:15:58,129 That's what he would have done. 343 00:15:59,790 --> 00:16:02,660 But Abram had the right, and he had the right to do that, but he didn't. 344 00:16:03,359 --> 00:16:06,650 Abram was not only going to look out for his interests, but 345 00:16:06,660 --> 00:16:08,139 also the interests of others. 346 00:16:09,289 --> 00:16:12,780 Once again, Abram having this deep trust in God. 347 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:15,859 You know, that's why he said, if you go left, I'll go right. 348 00:16:15,859 --> 00:16:17,020 If you go right, I'll go left. 349 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,329 Right or left, Abram knew God was going to be with him. 350 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,990 He learned God can provide for his needs and not worry about being 351 00:16:25,010 --> 00:16:26,579 too generous to someone, right? 352 00:16:26,980 --> 00:16:29,400 You know, it's like when we give for a weekly offer, you know, we don't have 353 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,610 to worry about being too generous, you know, out of a generous heart. 354 00:16:32,860 --> 00:16:36,039 And when we give, we're demonstrating generosity and selflessness. 355 00:16:36,310 --> 00:16:39,350 And we're trusting that, man, God, what you're gonna do with our finances, 356 00:16:39,670 --> 00:16:42,720 with our money that we're tithing to you, man, you're gonna take it far. 357 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:44,470 And we've seen God do that, right? 358 00:16:44,620 --> 00:16:48,870 We've seen many church plantings, not only here in the United States, but outside. 359 00:16:49,079 --> 00:16:51,209 And it's like, wow, we have brothers and sisters in Christ. 360 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,860 Ah, the generosity of our heart right there, right? 361 00:16:54,740 --> 00:16:57,829 You know, Abram knew that whatever lot chose, God would make 362 00:16:57,829 --> 00:16:59,760 sure that Abram would prosper. 363 00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:03,090 You know, going back to chapter 12, right, to the last chapter, when he 364 00:17:03,090 --> 00:17:06,615 went to Egypt, You know, Abram thought he had to take matters in his own hand. 365 00:17:06,855 --> 00:17:09,385 He thought he had to take fate in his own hands by lying to the Pharaoh, 366 00:17:09,395 --> 00:17:11,555 saying, uh, his wife was his sister. 367 00:17:12,484 --> 00:17:17,135 But we see here, in Genesis 13, that Abram is wiser, right? 368 00:17:17,344 --> 00:17:20,575 That he learned from his bad experience in Egypt, and now, willing to have 369 00:17:20,753 --> 00:17:22,743 God look out for his best interests. 370 00:17:23,414 --> 00:17:26,234 Again, right or left, it didn't matter, but God was gonna be there. 371 00:17:27,494 --> 00:17:29,615 Now, with that in mind, what did Lot end up choosing? 372 00:17:29,615 --> 00:17:30,545 Which part of the land? 373 00:17:31,594 --> 00:17:32,904 We'll pick up in verse 10 here. 374 00:17:33,645 --> 00:17:37,225 It says, Lot looked around and saw the whole plain of the Jordan toward 375 00:17:37,225 --> 00:17:41,925 Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. 376 00:17:42,515 --> 00:17:44,985 This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 377 00:17:45,024 --> 00:17:48,825 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. 378 00:17:49,175 --> 00:17:50,434 The two men parted company. 379 00:17:50,644 --> 00:17:53,935 Abram lived in the land of Canaan while Lot lived among the cities 380 00:17:54,055 --> 00:17:58,085 and plain, uh, cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom. 381 00:17:58,590 --> 00:18:02,810 Now, the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. 382 00:18:02,810 --> 00:18:04,920 This brings me to my second point today. 383 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,720 And that is, where are you looking? 384 00:18:08,309 --> 00:18:11,710 You know, the direction of our gaze often determines the path we choose, right? 385 00:18:12,099 --> 00:18:14,779 Meaning, whatever has our attention or focus, we tend to 386 00:18:14,889 --> 00:18:16,700 make decisions based off that. 387 00:18:17,510 --> 00:18:21,380 And it says that, you know, Lot looked over and saw the whole 388 00:18:21,390 --> 00:18:23,310 plain of the Jordan towards Zoar. 389 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,760 You know, Lot looked toward the well watered plains. 390 00:18:27,150 --> 00:18:31,420 An area that appeared more fruitful and prosperous, however in choosing what 391 00:18:31,420 --> 00:18:36,630 looked best on the surface, Lot moved closer to a morally corrupt city of Sodom. 392 00:18:37,010 --> 00:18:40,930 And he prioritized, uh, material gain over spiritual gain. 393 00:18:41,510 --> 00:18:44,400 Making a decision that would bring future troubles, as you'll see later on. 394 00:18:45,149 --> 00:18:48,850 You know, Lot's decision was driven by what looked best on the surface. 395 00:18:49,460 --> 00:18:52,810 You know, it says we can, you know, we can be guilty of that at times, right? 396 00:18:53,010 --> 00:18:55,760 We can make decisions that is best on the surface. 397 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,799 You know, when I was, uh, in college, back in community college, I was 18 at 398 00:18:59,799 --> 00:19:01,349 the time, I was working, I had money. 399 00:19:01,890 --> 00:19:04,289 And, but the only way I could get to school or work was either through the 400 00:19:04,290 --> 00:19:06,429 bus or my parents dropping me off. 401 00:19:06,710 --> 00:19:10,530 And, you know, having your parents drop you off at, you know, college or work, 402 00:19:10,530 --> 00:19:12,630 it's not really a pleasant feeling. 403 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,340 You're kind of like, ooh, like, I'm a little too old for this. 404 00:19:15,410 --> 00:19:17,489 Especially my dad, when he dropped me off, he would always make a 405 00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:21,220 scene and be like, I love you, son, out loud, and I'm like, oh gosh, I 406 00:19:21,220 --> 00:19:22,190 just put my head down and walked. 407 00:19:22,190 --> 00:19:23,260 But, so I was like, you know what? 408 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:24,510 I need to get a car. 409 00:19:24,780 --> 00:19:25,660 I need to get a car ASAP. 410 00:19:25,690 --> 00:19:28,770 So I, you know, I went home one day, and I went on a off road. 411 00:19:28,820 --> 00:19:30,979 And I was like, alright, I just need to find a car. 412 00:19:30,980 --> 00:19:33,800 I need four wheels, and that drives, and I'm good to go. 413 00:19:34,489 --> 00:19:35,119 I had a budget. 414 00:19:35,179 --> 00:19:36,340 It was about a thousand dollars. 415 00:19:36,390 --> 00:19:37,300 I found a car. 416 00:19:38,230 --> 00:19:42,160 It was a 1994 Honda Civic EX Hatchback. 417 00:19:42,550 --> 00:19:43,060 Alright? 418 00:19:43,580 --> 00:19:46,300 It didn't look pretty, but it just reminded me of the car Paul Walker 419 00:19:46,300 --> 00:19:47,440 drove back in Fast and Furious. 420 00:19:47,450 --> 00:19:50,890 So I was like, alright, I'm about to be like a low budget black 421 00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:52,609 Paul Walker from Fast and Furious. 422 00:19:52,609 --> 00:19:53,170 You know what I mean? 423 00:19:53,940 --> 00:19:56,189 So I go to the, the, the owner of the car. 424 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,260 You know, what are you supposed to do when you go check out a car? 425 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:00,410 What, what are you guys supposed to do? 426 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:02,509 Test drive it? 427 00:20:02,860 --> 00:20:03,620 Ask questions? 428 00:20:03,620 --> 00:20:05,360 Hey, let me see the engine real quick. 429 00:20:05,940 --> 00:20:07,220 I didn't ask any of that. 430 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:09,830 All I did, I started the car. 431 00:20:10,230 --> 00:20:11,380 I drove it around the block. 432 00:20:12,985 --> 00:20:13,795 Yeah this is it! 433 00:20:14,525 --> 00:20:18,145 Gave him the money That's it, alright, drive home Man, I'm awesome, know what 434 00:20:18,145 --> 00:20:22,724 I mean Five days later, alright I have, I planned a big group date We were going 435 00:20:22,725 --> 00:20:27,144 to Magic Mountain I had, uh, two couples in my car We're driving, we're on the 5 436 00:20:30,925 --> 00:20:36,634 See smoke I was like, what the heck is going on here I pull over, man, it, it 437 00:20:36,635 --> 00:20:42,530 overheated But, when the me uh I got it towed to my mechanic You And the mechanic 438 00:20:42,530 --> 00:20:47,320 was like, Alright, so, the mileage is a lot higher than what the owner told you. 439 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:49,660 Uh, the timing belt broke, and you need a new engine. 440 00:20:53,430 --> 00:20:54,550 Yeah, exactly. 441 00:20:54,930 --> 00:20:56,570 Five days that I had that car. 442 00:20:59,350 --> 00:21:00,479 Yeah, I was furious. 443 00:21:00,479 --> 00:21:01,429 Yeah, I was furious. 444 00:21:01,429 --> 00:21:04,459 I wasn't, I was fast and very furious right after. 445 00:21:07,999 --> 00:21:12,009 But man, as you see, I made a short term, immediate, 446 00:21:12,009 --> 00:21:14,419 gratifying decision right there. 447 00:21:14,419 --> 00:21:15,830 To purchase an old car. 448 00:21:16,189 --> 00:21:18,550 You know, I didn't think about the issues of the car, I just 449 00:21:18,550 --> 00:21:20,269 saw the car and said, yes. 450 00:21:21,419 --> 00:21:24,159 You know, I don't know why, but I told Savannah earlier, I was 451 00:21:24,159 --> 00:21:25,239 like, yeah, the hood was broken. 452 00:21:25,239 --> 00:21:26,399 It was held down by two bolts. 453 00:21:26,399 --> 00:21:28,669 I should have known that was a red flag, but I still got it. 454 00:21:28,830 --> 00:21:29,669 I still bought it. 455 00:21:31,549 --> 00:21:32,739 But why do I share this with you? 456 00:21:32,789 --> 00:21:36,879 Because when we make short term decisions, we miss out on the long term effect. 457 00:21:36,879 --> 00:21:41,919 And Lott, he prioritized material gain over consideration. 458 00:21:42,735 --> 00:21:46,764 His choice reflected a preference for immediate benefits rather than long 459 00:21:46,764 --> 00:21:48,764 term consequences or spiritual values. 460 00:21:49,715 --> 00:21:52,195 That's why we have to ask ourselves, you know, where are 461 00:21:52,195 --> 00:21:53,764 we looking at today, Church? 462 00:21:54,625 --> 00:21:56,874 Where are you looking when you make decisions? 463 00:21:57,814 --> 00:22:00,415 You know, are your eyes focused on what looks good now? 464 00:22:00,774 --> 00:22:02,064 Maybe it was a 94 Civic. 465 00:22:02,845 --> 00:22:03,985 Maybe it's comfort. 466 00:22:04,495 --> 00:22:05,504 Maybe it's wealth. 467 00:22:05,945 --> 00:22:09,155 Maybe it's, you know, status in school or in your job. 468 00:22:09,155 --> 00:22:09,294 I don't know. 469 00:22:09,874 --> 00:22:13,774 Or are you seeking God's guidance, even if his path seems less obvious? 470 00:22:14,754 --> 00:22:19,104 Like Lot, we can be easily led astray by what looks appealing on 471 00:22:19,104 --> 00:22:23,944 the surface, but God calls us to a deeper trust in his direction. 472 00:22:24,764 --> 00:22:29,985 You know, Abram was looking at either land knowing that God was going to be with him 473 00:22:30,304 --> 00:22:31,955 and bless him regardless where he went. 474 00:22:32,675 --> 00:22:36,594 You know, Lot decided to take the land by Sodom based on what 475 00:22:36,594 --> 00:22:38,374 he could see with his own eyes. 476 00:22:39,254 --> 00:22:41,544 And he only cared about the material abundance of the land. 477 00:22:41,555 --> 00:22:44,595 He was not concerned about the culture of the land or how it would spiritually 478 00:22:44,595 --> 00:22:46,685 impact him or his family later on. 479 00:22:46,685 --> 00:22:51,585 But where Abram had faith, Lot did not have faith. 480 00:22:51,585 --> 00:22:56,860 You know, faith means that we, uh, we do not walk, faith means that 481 00:22:56,860 --> 00:22:59,905 we do not walk by what we see but what we know to be true in God. 482 00:23:00,345 --> 00:23:05,095 You know, in 2nd For we walk by faith, not by sight. 483 00:23:05,875 --> 00:23:07,655 And we see Abram was walking by faith. 484 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,800 A lot with only walking by sight. 485 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:13,120 You know, are we church today? 486 00:23:13,350 --> 00:23:14,840 Are we walking by faith? 487 00:23:15,620 --> 00:23:17,640 Or are we only walking by sight? 488 00:23:18,450 --> 00:23:21,400 You know, it can be very easy to walk by sight. 489 00:23:21,750 --> 00:23:22,170 You know what I mean? 490 00:23:22,170 --> 00:23:24,689 You just look around and you're like, Man, our church is this and that. 491 00:23:24,689 --> 00:23:26,850 It's like, man, you can get consumed with it. 492 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:29,050 And it's, it's very tempting to be. 493 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,769 You know, it's easy for us to walk by sight when the world offers quick rewards. 494 00:23:35,230 --> 00:23:37,580 Walking by sight usually promises immediate results. 495 00:23:38,420 --> 00:23:42,030 Like Lot who saw the well watered plains, he, he chose that 496 00:23:42,030 --> 00:23:43,170 because it looked prosperous. 497 00:23:43,900 --> 00:23:47,590 We too are often, you know, drawn to the things that look prosperous to us. 498 00:23:47,819 --> 00:23:51,739 Something that's quick, quick success, some comfort, some, some pleasure. 499 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,679 You know, in verse 12, you know, it explained that while Lot lived 500 00:23:55,679 --> 00:23:59,080 among the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom, now the 501 00:23:59,090 --> 00:24:02,750 people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. 502 00:24:03,190 --> 00:24:05,320 We again see a, you know, a tent being pitched. 503 00:24:05,330 --> 00:24:07,380 And we're going to see this, uh, we saw this last. 504 00:24:07,824 --> 00:24:09,725 Uh, chapter in Genesis where Abram pitched his tent. 505 00:24:09,725 --> 00:24:12,124 We see it earlier here in this chapter, Abram pitched his tent. 506 00:24:12,195 --> 00:24:14,884 But here we're going to see, uh, Lot pitched his tent. 507 00:24:15,425 --> 00:24:17,024 But he didn't build an altar right after. 508 00:24:17,304 --> 00:24:21,514 He also pitched his tent closer to the wicked city of Sodom. 509 00:24:22,155 --> 00:24:25,685 And we'll see later in Genesis that he becomes a future leader of that city. 510 00:24:26,425 --> 00:24:30,314 You know, Lot's choice to pitch his tent near Sodom, despite its moral corruption, 511 00:24:30,314 --> 00:24:35,274 shows living close to corruption or sin can expose us to greater temptation. 512 00:24:36,105 --> 00:24:40,595 He may not have intended to participate in the Sin City initially, but 513 00:24:40,595 --> 00:24:44,985 proximity made it easier, and it was shown through his lifestyle over time. 514 00:24:45,965 --> 00:24:47,795 I want to speak to that reality sometimes. 515 00:24:48,514 --> 00:24:50,255 You know, like Lot, our hearts can drift. 516 00:24:50,705 --> 00:24:54,204 You know, maybe we can, you know, we don't even notice it at first, but the decisions 517 00:24:54,204 --> 00:24:56,504 we make reflects what we've been seeing. 518 00:24:57,574 --> 00:25:00,185 You know, that our eyes have shifted away from God's guidance 519 00:25:00,185 --> 00:25:01,725 and toward the things of this world. 520 00:25:02,885 --> 00:25:04,715 But here's the good news, though, alright? 521 00:25:05,355 --> 00:25:09,445 No matter how far we've wandered, God's promises remains. 522 00:25:09,815 --> 00:25:14,775 His love never fails, and His arms are always open, ready to bring us back. 523 00:25:15,015 --> 00:25:17,885 You know, I love the song we just sang, you know, Come to the altar. 524 00:25:18,295 --> 00:25:20,795 The Father's arms are open wide. 525 00:25:20,865 --> 00:25:23,504 God is waiting for us to return. 526 00:25:24,744 --> 00:25:26,004 God is faithful to us. 527 00:25:26,014 --> 00:25:29,924 He calls us to turn our focus back to Him, to trust in His 528 00:25:29,924 --> 00:25:31,704 direction, to rely on His provision. 529 00:25:31,704 --> 00:25:31,734 Amen. 530 00:25:32,670 --> 00:25:35,730 So if you feel like today, you know, your heart has drifted, know 531 00:25:35,730 --> 00:25:37,230 that it's never too late to return. 532 00:25:37,230 --> 00:25:40,190 You know, God's promises are still true. 533 00:25:41,139 --> 00:25:44,069 Church, where are you looking today? 534 00:25:45,049 --> 00:25:49,040 Are we prioritizing professional growth and accolades over spiritual growth? 535 00:25:50,029 --> 00:25:53,429 Are we trading the kingdom of God for a luxurious lifestyle? 536 00:25:53,430 --> 00:25:57,670 Are we looking for, for popularity or people pleasing rather than 537 00:25:57,860 --> 00:25:59,980 pleasing the one who created us, God? 538 00:26:01,185 --> 00:26:03,465 For Lot, it made sense to him where he was looking, right? 539 00:26:03,725 --> 00:26:07,084 He saw this lush land, and he was like, Man, I can make a quick buck here. 540 00:26:07,084 --> 00:26:08,034 I can make a profit. 541 00:26:08,614 --> 00:26:12,484 But he disregarded the culture that would affect him and his family later on. 542 00:26:13,864 --> 00:26:15,475 You know, Lot probably thought this. 543 00:26:16,204 --> 00:26:20,455 I can serve God as well in Sodom as I can anywhere. 544 00:26:22,054 --> 00:26:24,985 Lot deceived himself, just like many of us have done since. 545 00:26:25,645 --> 00:26:27,454 You know, it's common for us to trust our heart. 546 00:26:27,995 --> 00:26:32,814 But what I love here in 9 says the heart is deceitful above all things 547 00:26:32,814 --> 00:26:35,254 and beyond who can understand it. 548 00:26:36,264 --> 00:26:38,334 You know, the heart is incredibly deceptive. 549 00:26:38,904 --> 00:26:43,104 The heart often seeks what feels good or beneficial for them in the moment, but 550 00:26:43,105 --> 00:26:48,274 when our hearts are driven by emotions such as fear, envy, lust, grief, they can 551 00:26:48,274 --> 00:26:52,235 cloud our judgment and make it difficult to see what God has for us clearly. 552 00:26:52,235 --> 00:26:55,735 You know, a lot will eventually end up losing everything. 553 00:26:56,475 --> 00:27:00,354 But Abram endured a legacy that he got to pass on to his family. 554 00:27:02,034 --> 00:27:05,014 Now after Lot and Abram, they separate, we're gonna see what 555 00:27:05,034 --> 00:27:06,735 the Lord has to say to Abram here. 556 00:27:07,854 --> 00:27:11,784 Because I hear in Genesis 13, verse 14 through 18, it says, The Lord said to 557 00:27:11,804 --> 00:27:15,644 Abram after Lot had parted from him, Look around from where you are, to the 558 00:27:15,644 --> 00:27:19,124 north and south, to the east and the west, all the land that you see, I will 559 00:27:19,124 --> 00:27:21,314 give to you, and your offsprings forever. 560 00:27:21,845 --> 00:27:25,385 I will make your offsprings like the dust of years, so that if anyone 561 00:27:25,405 --> 00:27:27,754 who could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 562 00:27:28,085 --> 00:27:31,354 Go walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you. 563 00:27:31,455 --> 00:27:35,955 So Abram went to live, uh, near the great trees of Mamre at, uh, 564 00:27:35,984 --> 00:27:37,855 Ebron, where he pitched his tent. 565 00:27:38,414 --> 00:27:40,595 There he built an altar to the Lord. 566 00:27:43,105 --> 00:27:46,745 You know, after Lot separates from Abram, God speaks to Abram. 567 00:27:47,285 --> 00:27:50,235 I believe that was very intentional because, once again, God promised 568 00:27:50,485 --> 00:27:52,845 everything to Abram and not to Lot. 569 00:27:53,895 --> 00:27:57,484 And here, God reassures to Abram, Man, look what you're seeing, man. 570 00:27:57,485 --> 00:27:59,315 Like, man, all this is yours. 571 00:27:59,985 --> 00:28:01,085 The land is yours. 572 00:28:01,214 --> 00:28:02,515 Your nation is coming. 573 00:28:02,515 --> 00:28:03,015 You know what I mean? 574 00:28:03,175 --> 00:28:05,595 You know, the promise has not yet been, uh, fulfilled, but 575 00:28:05,595 --> 00:28:08,175 yet he, uh, reminds Abram. 576 00:28:08,185 --> 00:28:09,385 Just like how we need reminders. 577 00:28:09,405 --> 00:28:11,175 Like, man, God's promised. 578 00:28:11,175 --> 00:28:12,265 Man, it's gonna happen. 579 00:28:13,045 --> 00:28:15,245 Again, God repeated the promise to him. 580 00:28:16,100 --> 00:28:20,740 Which brings me to my last point, is what are you looking at? 581 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,570 You know, we see that fixing our eyes on God's promises 582 00:28:23,580 --> 00:28:25,170 leads to faith and contentment. 583 00:28:25,660 --> 00:28:28,990 And Abram was looking at God's promise, not at what seemed 584 00:28:29,030 --> 00:28:30,900 advantageous at the moment. 585 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,679 Even though the land lot left him might have seemed less, you know, 586 00:28:34,749 --> 00:28:39,820 fruitful, less likely to make a profit really, Abram trusted in the Lord. 587 00:28:40,330 --> 00:28:43,180 His eyes was fixed on a bigger picture. 588 00:28:43,860 --> 00:28:46,470 You know, when God tells Abram, lift his eyes, I believe it was 589 00:28:46,470 --> 00:28:49,390 really telling him like, hey man, get your human eyes out of here and 590 00:28:49,390 --> 00:28:51,100 look at the promise I have for you. 591 00:28:51,100 --> 00:28:53,540 Look in the lens that I see for you. 592 00:28:53,540 --> 00:28:56,770 You know, are we fixing our eyes on God's promises? 593 00:28:57,490 --> 00:29:01,620 In our own lives, we can be caught up in temporary concerns, but this passage 594 00:29:01,620 --> 00:29:06,410 reminds us to look beyond the things and focus on God's promise for our future. 595 00:29:07,100 --> 00:29:11,850 You know, as we focus on what looks good now, God's Are we lifting our eyes to 596 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,990 God's promises, trusting that He will provide in His perfect time, not our 597 00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:18,230 perfect time, but His perfect time. 598 00:29:19,030 --> 00:29:23,800 Like Abram, we are called to worship and trust God's faithfulness, even 599 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:25,910 when the fulfillment is on the horizon. 600 00:29:27,510 --> 00:29:29,780 So what does that mean for you and I today, Church? 601 00:29:30,420 --> 00:29:33,780 As we look at, you know, Abram's journey here in Genesis 13, we see the 602 00:29:33,780 --> 00:29:37,150 importance of not just making choices, but we need to watch what we're looking 603 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,400 at, both physically and spiritually. 604 00:29:40,010 --> 00:29:43,630 Abram kept his eyes on God's promises, even when he didn't 605 00:29:43,630 --> 00:29:44,820 know what would unfold. 606 00:29:45,510 --> 00:29:50,320 In the same way, we are called to hold on to God's promises. 607 00:29:51,139 --> 00:29:55,130 No matter what circumstance we face, when life gets hard, when the road 608 00:29:55,130 --> 00:29:58,960 ahead looks uncertain and we're tempted to take matters into our own hands. 609 00:29:59,935 --> 00:30:01,885 You know, I want you guys to, to remember this. 610 00:30:01,895 --> 00:30:06,355 These are just the, the surface levels of just some of the promises God has for us. 611 00:30:06,355 --> 00:30:11,175 You know, that He will, God promises to be with us even when we feel alone. 612 00:30:11,595 --> 00:30:14,835 His promise is to provide for us even when we're in need. 613 00:30:15,415 --> 00:30:18,895 His promise is to guide us even when we don't know the way forward. 614 00:30:19,515 --> 00:30:22,535 You know, His promise is to give us peace even when life is chaotic. 615 00:30:23,705 --> 00:30:27,155 Like I said, these are just the tip of the iceberg of, you know, some 616 00:30:27,155 --> 00:30:28,605 of the promises God has for us. 617 00:30:29,550 --> 00:30:35,200 But to experience these promises, Church, we must watch where you are looking. 618 00:30:36,150 --> 00:30:40,610 You know, we focus on the world's solutions, like Lot who chose what 619 00:30:40,610 --> 00:30:43,760 looked good to him in the moment, but led to spiritual danger. 620 00:30:43,870 --> 00:30:47,960 Or are we going to be like Abram, trusting God even when we step into the unknown? 621 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,460 You know, where we look shapes where we go. 622 00:30:52,390 --> 00:30:55,890 So we need to keep our eyes on God. 623 00:30:56,930 --> 00:31:01,260 When the world tries to pull your focus away with distraction, fears or 624 00:31:01,630 --> 00:31:06,720 temptations, remember that the path God is leading you on is filled with promises 625 00:31:07,510 --> 00:31:09,650 and God is faithful to fulfill them. 626 00:31:10,940 --> 00:31:16,750 So as I close out today, church, I really want to urge you and encourage you to hold 627 00:31:16,750 --> 00:31:19,120 on to God's promises with all your heart. 628 00:31:19,750 --> 00:31:23,400 Watch where you are looking and keep your eyes fixed on him. 629 00:31:24,005 --> 00:31:27,215 And you'll see his promises unfold in his perfect timing. 630 00:31:27,415 --> 00:31:28,095 Amen church? 631 00:31:28,715 --> 00:31:28,915 Amen. 632 00:31:28,935 --> 00:31:29,355 Love you guys.