Sojourners: All That Glitters
[powerpress] Abram and Lot
Last week, Daniel King spoke about a wealthy man named Zaccheus who came to know Jesus. Today, we will continue our Sojourners series and see what Abram learned from a similar station in life. Abram's first lesson was to obey God and go to the land to which God sent him even in the midst of famine. The second lesson that Abram would learn is that the things that look like blessings aren't always so.
So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 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. 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, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole 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 around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward 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 tents near Sodom. (Genesis 13:1-12 NIV)
Abram and his family were nomadic in the sense that they were moving from place to place to find proper feeding grounds for their livestock. It is similar to you moving around from apartment to apartment or searching for the right job in the city to which God has called you.
Being spiritual does not mean that you are an ascetic, unconcerned about or negligent of the daily affairs of life. It means that you invite Jesus to rule over them.
If you are a sojourner, there will ultimately be a question about what it means to be successful. Will I ever have financial stability? How long before I pay off my student loans? What should my life consist of?
To begin, we can learn from Abram that it is important to make sure that you are building the right altars in your life (a place of sacrifice to and request for intervention from God). Make sure you are building altars to Jesus and not some other ruling force in your life (i.e. - social norms or family expectations).
Three Ways People Grow in Wealth
1) Inheritance and family wealth
2) Unjust gain
A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. (Proverbs 21:6 NIV)
3) Wholistic biblical stewardship
The right place to start:
Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9, 10 NIV)
The right heart:
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25 NIV)
The right perspective:
Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow. (Proverbs 13:11 NIV)
The right discipline:
The blessing of work/life can be lost through poor stewardship.
"According to Sports Illustrated, 78% of NFL players will file for bankruptcy or face financial hardships only two years after playing their last game. NBA players face a similar fate with, 60% of players going broke five years into retirement." -Foxbusiness.com article 2/1/13 "Why Athletes Go Broke" by Kathryn Buschman Vasel
Most people spend it as soon as they get it and it amounts to waste. As their income levels rise, so does their spending, not their generosity or investing, so they end up in debt despite their salary. They live above rather than below their means.
Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich. (Proverbs 21:17 NIV)
The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. (Proverbs 21:20 NIV)
The right attitude:
You are blessed to be a blessing.
The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:25, 26 NIV)
Whatever your lot, it is God's wise and sovereign choice for the beginnings of your sanctification and character formation. Whether beginning rich or poor, each have their challenges on the road to Christ-centered living and godliness. Each man and woman must daily submit their lot to God and decide how to progress as an act of worship. Lot lost this as a priority and suffered for it (Genesis 14, 18). Abram trusted God and ultimately received the promise.
"I would rather have it said, 'He lived usefully,' than, 'He died rich.'" -Benjamin Franklin
The question that Abram and Lot were asking was, "How do I prosper while following God wholeheartedly in obedience?"
Be careful what you wish for:
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: (Genesis 13:10-11 NIV)
What is your gaze upon? You become what you behold. You must continually build altars in the private place to help fix your gaze on Jesus.
Lot lost fire for God the further away he was from the altar and gravitated toward what he saw in Sodom. Abram learned the secret of keeping the fire by continually building altars.
What do you do when you leave this place where the fire is kindled? See Luke 11:34-36 (Matthew 6:22,23 in regard to serving money).
You have to be close with someone to really trust them. Are you familiar enough with God's Word (the Bible) and intimate enough with the Holy Spirit to know what promises Jesus has made to you?
Because you know that your lot is secure, it allows you to bless and be excited for others when things are going well for them, not envious or jealous.
The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper. (Proverbs 28:25 NIV)
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:14-16a NIV)
It's about where you fix your gaze.
Abram chose what seemed to be the lesser looking land, trusting God for his inheritance. It ended up being the better land.
Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the 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, 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 went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord. (Genesis 13:13-18 NIV)
You can trust Jesus in the workplace.
When you put Jesus first in your life, you do not have to worry about getting passed over for a promotion if what the job will require of you takes you out of the priorities God has set in front of you through His Word. These priorities are growing in the knowledge and love of Jesus, being an active participant in His church community and actively finding ways to shape the culture in which you find yourself with the kingdom of God. Like Abram, God will bless you and take you where He wants you to go.
In my own life I have found that what may seem like an appealing option may actually be a big distraction from what God said to do.
Lot was pierced with many griefs when he chased what glittered rather than the gold found in the wisdom of God's Word.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV)
What can free my heart from this bondage to fear and trappings of my heart? The gospel and cross can free you.
When you prosper, it must be a by-product of your relationship with Jesus, godly decisions and a result of your calling. Anything else is a trap. The key is focus:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)
How was Jesus our example?
Jesus left his throne in Heaven and chose the lesser land (earth and a human form) to get us as an inheritance. Follow His example. It's about people and impacting the land in which you live with the gospel.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9 NIV)
We need to all get to the point where we can say, "I don't want what everyone else has. I want only what Jesus has for me in my story, nothing more, nothing less so that I might bring him glory with my life." If you desire more than what Jesus has for you and wisdom brings, you will, like Lot, pierce yourself with many griefs. If you settle for less, you are in sin because your life is to be a stewardship to bring Jesus maximum glory with the package that He's given you, including your talents, opportunities and resources. This is the safest and most fulfilling place to be. It is where you are blessed and the world is blessed through you.
Second City Church- Sojourners Sermon Series 2014