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Road Back to God
There is something in Galatians 3:27-29 that points directly to why the life of Abraham matters so much for the redeemed people of the King. Scripture says:
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
Do you see it there? The if? Not all of God's creation is God's children. But if we are in Christ, then we are heirs of the very promise God made to Abraham back in Genesis 12. And what we are constantly facing, both good and bad, as the redeemed people of the King, is this: understanding the promises of God with everything we've got facing us makes a difference. It makes a difference in my life, and it can make a difference in yours.
That brings us to Genesis 13:1-13.
"So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the Negeb. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, 'Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, and if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.' And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord."
This is some big doings, huh?
A Glance Back at Egypt
Before we dig in, let's do a little back glance to chapter 12. In verses 10 through 20, we see Abram leaving Canaan — and Canaan represents the promised land. It was during a famine that he chose to go to Egypt, and that is a picture of the world: leaving the promised land, going back to the world. We're told that to get to Egypt from Canaan, Abram had to go down. Anytime a believer leaves the place where God has placed them, they are on a downward path. That's a downward spiral, going back on God, going back to the world.
How do we conclude that? Is that just a happy glance by theologians who are bored and have to come up with something? No. Let's look at it. We see the actions of Abram while he was in Egypt in chapter 12. He lied about Sarai in verses 12 and 18. He encouraged her to commit the same sin. He became self-centered in verse 14. He created the potential for others to fall into sin in verses 14 and 15. He left Egypt worse than he found it in verse 17. And he ruined his testimony in the eyes of the Egyptians in verses 19 and 20. To say the least, Abram's little trip to Egypt was a disaster.
However, I am glad to report to you that no failure need be permanent in the walk of faith, not for Abram back then, and not for us today. Verse 1 of our text tells us that Abram went up out of Egypt. While he had taken the downward path to get there, he took an upward path to remove himself from that place. It is the steps Abram took to get back to Canaan that interest me, because it is possible for the wayward saint to return to the place of blessing. But there are certain requirements that must be met by the returning saint.
So today, I want to talk about the truth about the road back, and in our case, the road back to a solid faith walk. For Abraham, it was the road back to Canaan. And it includes both trouble and blessings.
Point One: It Involves Separating and Returning
Focus on verses 1 and 2 of our text. He separated his person, his people, and all his stuff from Egypt. Abram separated himself from Egypt, he placed distance between himself and that place. Separation is a requirement for those who wish to walk in God's blessing. You want to be in God's blessing and power? There needs to be separation.
The real question is, how do we do that? How do we separate while simultaneously being welcoming and loving? Let me show you two passages to kick us off.
"Therefore, go out from their midst and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing, and then I will welcome you." — 2 Corinthians 6:17
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." — Hebrews 12:1
Remember the balance of truth and love? You can get over here on the love side and get so stuck that truth is non-existent, or you get over here on the truth side and you're stuck not loving anybody. You've got to have that balance, separation yet welcoming. Run the race with a welcoming spirit while at the same time in a state of separation. It's possible, and that's what we're talking about today.
Now consider Pharaoh's anger. It was pure grace from God that Abram was allowed to leave Egypt at all. Reading verses 18 and 20 of chapter 12, it was the promise of God that saved Abram's bacon that day. Many of us can make the same testimony — that when it was time for us to separate and return, God made a way where maybe there shouldn't have been a way. If God gave us what we actually deserved, He would destroy us, He would slay us, He would wipe us out in our sin. "My feelings matter more than your existence" doesn't fly very well, but it's the truth of our entitled nature. God does chasten His children, but thank God He always deals with us in love and grace and gives us a path home.
Abram left nothing in Egypt. He took all of his stuff with him up out of Egypt, he did not allow anything he owned to be left at the disposal of that world system. He took his resources with him when he returned to the place of blessing. He also took Sarai with him, because she held within her the promise of the blessing. He now fully understood God wanted to grow this family in Canaan, not Egypt, the place where God had promised to meet with them and bless them.
The Lord wants more than our person and our resources. He also wants our entire future placed in His hands for His disposal, however He sees fit. Here's a question worth sitting with: do we, at our core, honestly want to serve ourselves while honoring God? Because of course we want to honor God. But are we trying to serve ourselves while we honor God, or are we actually trying to be sold-out disciples with all of our being in God's hands? Two different things.
Returning to the Altar
Look at where Abram returned to. He returned to the place of God's worship, where God was working, where the promises of the Lord were found. He left Egypt and made his way back to Bethel. What does Bethel mean? House of God, place of the altar. When Abram was in Egypt, there were no altars. There was no praying. There was no word from the Lord. And the child of God will never be fulfilled until he or she returns to a place where God can be encountered.
This is a place that's welcoming, where people can come in and get a fresh encounter with the Lord. Come as you are, but leave changed. That's key. Abraham returned to the place where God had previously worked in his life. Some say the Lord will always be found in the place where we left Him. Many of God's people need to return to the altars and places where they walked away from God, He's waiting to meet with you right there.
Sometimes it's daily. What's the old hymn? Every hour I need You. That's me. Every hour. The place I'm talking about is where the will of the Lord is paramount in your life. Canaan represented the perfect will of God for Abram. The place where God can bless you the most is the place where God places you. If God places you somewhere, you need to be present in that arena. If God calls you somewhere, you need to go. He'll give you a lot of rope, but in the end, if you want the blessings on your life, you must be in that place near Him.
One of the coolest verses in the Bible is about being near Him, when God agreed to pass by Moses.
"And the Lord said, 'Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock.'" — Exodus 33:21
There is a place by Him. We need to stay in that place by the Lord.
Then He jumpstarted Abram's devotion. Abram came back to the place of the altar, and that's his calling for each and every one of us. There seems to be a renewal in being in the presence of God. Now, sidebar with me on this for a second: it can be said that there is something fundamentally wrong with a believer when they don't have a desire to worship the Lord. When you've lost the desire to worship the Lord, you've lost a lot — and this is true both privately and publicly. I'm not talking about missing a day at church here and there; we don't take attendance. I'm talking about there not being a desire to worship the Lord. Something's amiss. The engine ain't clicking on all cylinders.
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." — John 4:23-24
"Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another all the more as you see the day drawing near." — Hebrews 10:25
Anybody else see the day drawing near? I think many times we just forget what the altar means in our life, what the altar is for the church, what the altar is for the bride of Christ, what the altar is for the sold-out believer who wants to walk as a true disciple. It's a place of sacrifice. Of seeking the Lord. Of repentance. Of surrender. Of thanksgiving. Of forgiveness, both given and received. Of praise and worship. And it's also a place to stand firm on the promises of God and not waver.
Reviving Dependence on God
What is at the heart of all of this is that we can witness Abraham, still called Abram in our text, revive his dependence on God. Some of us need to revive our dependence on God. Abram called on the name of the Lord. He's now through with Egypt, and he does what he should have done in the first place: he relies on the Lord. Instead of looking here and looking there for the help we need, the Lord would have us walk in total dependence upon Him.
And yet I want to take care of myself. I want to serve myself while I honor the Lord, while I give Him credit. No, He wants us to have full dependence on Him. Those are two different states, and if you are an authentic believer walking with Jesus, you know those two states, and you know that there are many days you're in both, on and off, throughout the whole day. It's hard to maintain authentic discipleship at its ultimate because we're fallen sinners constantly in a battle.
Think about hunger. When you're hungry, what do you do? You take in nourishment. When your discipleship is wobbling, what do you do? Take in nourishment and put your dependence back on the Lord.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you. Therefore, don't be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." — Matthew 6:33-34
When you have altars in your life, when you are clicking on all cylinders and surrendered to God, there is a peace and a joy that is so awesome. It boggles my mind that two hours later somebody cuts us off in traffic and we lose it. Crazy, daily.
Look at the phrases in your scripture , "at the beginning," "at first." This suggests Abram experienced a renewal of his first love. Please notice that renewal. If you've been wandering and wobbling, back and forth, I hear people say, "Well, I've got to get myself back to church." No, you need to get yourself back to God. Church will come as a byproduct, because once you're back in the grip of the Lord, you can't help but want to worship Him.
Many have allowed the flames of love for the Lord to become embers in their heart, and we need a renewal. Many times we need to fall in love with Jesus all over again.
"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first." — Revelation 2:4
Days spent out of fellowship with God are wasted days and can never be recovered. I wonder how many would have to admit that they are more down than up in their walk with the Lord. Happens to every one of us. The question is frequency and duration of that time spent away from the Lord. When we are in that down place spiritually, the Lord simply will not use us as He desires to. We need to take the same steps Abram took and come back up again.
If you have a need, come before the Lord and seek His forgiveness. Ask Him for His love. Ask Him out of thanksgiving for all the blessings you have. Pray for the lost loved one. Whatever the reason, come today, and He will gladly meet you. We determine in our hearts that Egypt is no place for us to dwell, and that we're going back to Canaan whatever the cost, because trouble is always crouching right at the door.
Point Two: Abram's Trouble with Lot
Everything isn't smooth sailing for Abram here. After his return to Canaan, there arises a conflict between himself and his nephew Lot. Every time you come back and just have that love for Jesus, you can expect Satan's going to attack in some way, shape, or form, almost consistently, and many times there's trouble right at the door.
This was a conflict between Abram and Lot with serious ramifications, and it had to be resolved. How this conflict was settled is good food for us today. Just like Abram, there are times in life when conflicts and trouble arise, and how we deal with those conflicts and troubles reveals more about our character in those moments than we want to admit. As you'll see with Lot, who's considered a righteous man, he had a moment that wasn't so righteous. When the pressure is really on, that's when we find out who you really are. I've seen many a quarterback who could throw a perfect spiral in practice when no one's rushing him, but can't seem to find that toss when the rush is coming. Follow.
Many times we can rise up in godly ways and win the day, and other times we will sink to our emotional heritage and not act wisely or righteously. It cuts both ways, there are times in pursuing righteousness a perceived harshness is required. But people in modern times often fail on the premise that real Christians always have to be nice. Blessed be the nice. So many times we avoid conflict resolution altogether because it seems like some sort of American unbalanced state shoving love out the door. Remember the balance of truth and love.
In verses 5 and 6, we see straight away the cause of the problem: both Abraham and Lot had gained immense wealth and power. None of that is inherently wrong, as long as they're still controlled by the right spirit. I know many wealthy people who are sold out to Jesus. But when our things control us, now we're talking about a different deal, always headed for trouble.
In verse 7, it tells us their problem remained unresolved and eventually developed into a bone of contention. Each one wanted the best grazing ground for their flocks and herds. Isn't trouble always the focus of life when we remove the Lord Jesus Christ and our focus on Him, and turn the focus to ourselves and our problems, our individual rights, or the things of this world, the things of the Egypt we just left behind.
A Plea for Peace
How Abram and Lot responded to this crisis says a lot about the character of each. In verse 8, we see a plea for peace. Abram displays a loving, gracious spirit when he deals with Lot. He gives a twofold reason why they should live in peace, and his reasons are still valid for our lives today.
First, they were family. They should love and respect one another. The same is true concerning the church.
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." — John 13:35
Even in the best of circumstances, trouble is always a possibility. The Bible tells us that in the church, there should be peace, love, tenderness between the folks. Because we are sinful humans, trouble often arises. Also, when attempting to love others by showing them the truth, showing them their heir, it is often viewed as contentious or controversial. The actual work of the Lord in a saved person's life is to be paramount, there is nothing so important that it should be allowed to tear up the work of the Lord in His church. If there is an atmosphere of discord and trouble, that grieves the Lord according to the scriptures. Sure, we still live in a Romans 8:28 world where God works out all things for good for those who love Him, but many times the road is a lot rougher than it needs to be.
Think about the unbelievers watching, that's actually a concept in our story today. The second half of verse 7 says the Canaanites were living around them at the time. This presented a dual problem in the face of the conflict. First, it placed both Abram and Lot in danger. If these warlike people saw an opportunity to attack them and take their possessions, they would do it in a heartbeat. Secondly, no doubt these people were keenly interested in Abram's God. They would evaluate his religion by the effect it had on his life. Same problems confront the church today. When we fight, Satan has a heyday in the church, and many times issues splatter. Many times the church is standing its ground as best it can, and the division causers create the flock to scatter, and usually the church or church leadership gets blamed.
I carry with me a deep sadness from over 20 years, counseling other pastors, working with other churches and ministries, taking calls on the radio. That sadness is a misunderstanding of standing for truth versus perceived conflict. It's no different here in Iowa. The corn tastes better here, but the same corn is being served all over the country.
A Price for Peace
In verse 9, we see there is always a price for peace. Abram willingly gave up his rights as the elder of the family. He could have chosen first, but he yielded to Lot. He willingly placed Lot's happiness, wishes, and rights ahead of his own. That's not something we see every day, but it's what believers are supposed to try to do. We should never compromise the truth in order to please somebody, discernment, know the difference. However, there are times when we should give in to the wishes, needs, and rights of others, and there are times when we have to stand our ground. You have to know what the Bible says, and you have to have discernment.
There's a promise for peace, too. Abram easily gave up the best of the land to Lot. Here's my take: I think Abram knew his cause was safe with God now that he was back, fulfilling the promise God had made to him in Canaan. The Egypt time opened his eyes to the fact that he can trust God. The Lord had already promised to give him all the land, Genesis 12:7. When a believer's faith truly rests in the Lord, they can afford to hold their possessions and their rights very loosely. After all, it's God, not them, it's God who looks after their interests. Abram didn't get mad, bitter, puffed up when he didn't get his way. He simply did everything in his power to work out the problem. That is the way of Christ and the will of God.
Lot Lived by Sight
Then we see it work out tragically for Lot, because in verse 10 it tells us Lot lived by sight. Lot was using his own vision. He made his decision based on what his eyes told him. He claimed the land that appeared best for raising flocks and herds. He did not consult with the Lord, he just looked until he saw what pleased him, and that is what he chose. He gratified his flesh. He did just what Eve did in the garden in Genesis 3, he allowed his flesh to live for him in this moment.
"For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." — 1 John 2:16
Do you see the reference to Egypt here? Some say Lot must have fallen in love with that country and chose what he did because it reminded him of Egypt. It's a dangerous thing for the child of God to want to fulfill the appetites and lusts of the flesh. Yet anytime we cease to walk by faith in the Lord our God and go after our own path, we are walking by sight. I know you do it. I know I do it. It's what we do. We start walking by sight, and we have to come back to our altars, to the land of blessing.
Lot's choice demonstrated a total lack of regard for the needs of Abram. Lot was all about Lot. Evidently, he didn't seem to respect Abram at all, in this moment. Lot became selfish. There are other scriptures, particularly 2 Peter 2, where Lot is described as a righteous man who lamented and was tormented by the sins of Sodom. Yet here, in this moment, Lot failed in his walk of righteousness. He lived to please just one person, and that person was Lot.
This perfect description of Lot is a perfect description of many in our day: everything is about my rights, my wants, my needs, my life, my way, my feelings. That is not the way of life that is pleasing to the Lord. You and I, we have times when we live like that, don't we? And if you are the kind of person that can't come back to the land of promise and God, you will find yourself always being mad at somebody or something. You will always have your feelings hurt by some issue or the other, till you're surrendered to Christ. Truly surrendered, hour by hour.
Lot Lived in Sodom
In the last two verses of our text, we see that Lot lived in Sodom. He left the life of a pilgrim behind and settled down amongst the sinners of Sodom. He raised his family there. He also lost his family there, and his righteous walk struggled in that place. Sadly, Lot's way of reacting to trouble is the way chosen by many folks in our day. These men needed to separate, but Lot chose the wrong path, and he chose it with the wrong attitude. His choice led him down a wrong path, and it cost him dearly. Abram's choice brought him blessing and honor.
If you have to be honest today and compare yourself to one of these two men, which one would it be? Abram, who took last place so another could go first? Or Lot, who grabbed all he could for himself without regard for anyone else? Remember, Lot was a righteous man who in this testing went full selfish. Ever happened to you? It's happened to me.
I think we could all use help in the matter of responding to conflict and trouble. The way to receive that help is to admit the need, seek the face of the Lord, and let the Lord help you. What's the number one way the Lord helps you? It's through His word. What's the number one thing He helps you with it? It's through your talking to Him, which is called prayer.
Some of us just have natural problems with being self-centered. Why? Because that's the culture that's been pounding on us since all of us were born. Post-World War II, we've become the most self-centered culture in the history of the planet, and yet we're supposed to live up out of that. We come with some stuff that has to be brushed off to actually serve the Lord. Others have trouble forgiving, I'll forgive him, Lord, but after I get my pound of flesh first. Let me taste some revenge, then I'll forgive. You must know that's not biblical.
Whatever your need, there is help in the Lord when you come to Him through confession and prayer. If that's you, don't delay. If you're walking close with God, stay with Him. Stay in that place close to Him. Stay in the word. Stay in prayer. Because then you will have a positive influence on the rest of us as we walk out our journey together.