The story of Abraham | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from at church. We hope this message

will light up your day. Turn with me to Genesis chapter twelve. Okay,

I'm gonna read some scriptures and then we will we will go from there.

Okay, Janis chapter twelve. I'm gonna read here from verse one,

and he says, here, now the Lord had said to Abram, get

out of your country, from your family, and from your father's house,

to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great

nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, and you

shall be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and

I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of

the earth shall be blessed. I'm gonna reading here from verse four. So

Abraham departed as the Lord has spoken to him, and Lot when with him,

and Abram will seventy five years old. When he departed from Haran.

Then Abram took Sarah his wife, and Lord his brother's son, and all

their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in

Haran. And they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they

came to the land of Canaan. Abraham passed through the land to the place

of Cham as far as the terrible Tree of More and the Canaan knights were

there were then in the land. All right. So in Genesis chapter twelve

we get introduced to the family of Abraham as well. So we have a

slide here, you guys, get my slight. Oh yes, fantastic,

All done, So I send it to you guys without informing you. Okay,

praise the Lord. So we have a bit of a family tree here

of Abraham. So Abraham's father was Terror. Okay, in a short while,

I'm gonna show you where in front of the met where they came from.

So abrahm okay, fantastic. Okay, we'll stick with this one first.

So Tara had three children nahor na hoo okay, Abraham and then Haran

okay so, and then Haran had a son called Lord, So technically they

mix Lord Abraham's nephew. Okay, three three sons, and Abraham was the

oldest and also the surviving one. Okay. Now, Tara lived for two

hundred and five years and then uh yeah, and I think he ran yeah,

let's go to the map again. Go to the map. The next

map. You have a map. Ah, Okay, fantastic. Okay.

So if you look at this map, can you guys see all right?

So can you see from the right side there near the Persian Gulf? Okay,

Babylon. Okay, there's a modern day Iraq there. You see the

place called Okay, where do you come from? I come from a place.

Oh, this is a place you come from? Oh? Yeah,

you know. It came from a place called Okay, So it came from

a place for earth, and it's basically Babylon. They came from there and

then they went up Okay to horround there to stay. Okay. Now,

Terror, who was Abraham's father, was if you if you read in the

New Testament that if I'm not mistaken, it was in the Book of Hebrew.

Okay, you will hear Paul talking about the righteousness of God and the

faith and all those uh, whether the forefathers all have faith, and how

they displayed faith all the way from Abraham. And he talked a bit about

Abraham's father very briefly. And Abraham's father Terror was h have a lot of

idols. He made idols, okay, and we know why because Babylon was

the place where it was polyphistic, worshiping many different gods, so they made

different idols, you know, around And I had a chance to visit the

Vatican Museum. Did you know that the museum hosted fifty thousand artifacts. Twenty

thousand was in display and they say if you spend two to three minutes on

each artifact, it would take your tree in a half years. I was

like, why would they have so much artifact? Right? I was literally

walking through the museum. I can see places from Babylon, from Egypt,

from all the artifacts, Like, why would they want to keep it here?

Well that's for another story, okay, But it was just fascinating.

I see some of them, not different things and people carvings, and I

was walking through. I can imagine like why at that time people were worship

because the grander, the masterpiece it was. It was quite awesome, you

know when you actually when you put it in a it's actually quite a awesome

scene and sight. But and they made so many of them at that time.

And you actually make a lot of money if you especially when you're really

good, you can be very rich and So Abraham came from a decently wealthy

family. Okay, So they moved up there when there was in Haran,

I think Haran. The brother was there was there, and they eventually the

brother died and Lord was the only surviving from his family. So they lived

there for a while, and Abraham actually had what they call it the right

to become the first the eldest son, and so he received a double portion

of inheritance. Okay, he basically hit his life set. Ready, Okay,

what all this means is that Abraham had a life set. Don't have

to worry so much. He's got a beautiful wife. Okay. The beauty

of his wife was legendary, Okay, status legend not just good, not

just nice, not just excellent, but it was legendary, not legendary,

beautiful wife. You know, the only thing that he missed out was that

he was not having children. Okay, And so he has a life set.

And yeah, suddenly he received this call from God saying, they leave

your father's house, leave everything that you are privileged to that you're entitled to

live there to a place that I will show you. But God did not

give him ab n b and ab and b address. It's like, how

many of you right now would like to go to KL but you cannot use

waste of Google Map? How many of you remember the day so it will

go to KL to find an office without ways and Google help? You remember

those days? Different generations? Ready? Right? When I remember when I

came down to start working in KL in two thousand and six or five here

two thousand and six, okay, I came, I flew down, okay,

straight away the next I was supposed to start work. I have no

idea how were given a small car? Just drive through this building? That?

Where is it? Then they just just take the highways. There's so

many highways. And you know in Malaysia you're so scared to miss the exity

resident you missed it, that's it gone, bye bye. Even with ways,

you're scared to make the exit, isn't it. I tell you it

was terrified. Now, Abraham did not get accordinated from God. God,

just say leave and I will show you how many of you like to do

that. And this is not just going to work. You know, this

is immigrating. You know you're immigrating from another place to a place with no

booking, no A B and b no hotel and go say just go,

So I tell you to stop, you stop. That's a lot of faith.

Leave your house, leave your inheritance, go to a place you have

no idea what holds for you. That's faith, you know, it's reallyy

crazy faith. And so Abraham in the books of God, in God's book,

he's after a great start displaying a lot of faith, you know,

crazy faith. Okay, to go to a new place. Okay. So

and and God was pleased with that, okay. So what happened after that?

Okay? It says there that Abraham took his wife, okay, his

nephew, and he was at that time seventy five years old. Seventy five

at that time at the ature then what do they call it? Century or

timer? It's crazy, Okay, when I was, when I was,

when when I went overseas, right when I was studying you all about the

people, you know, like the pre middle aged timer, the average life

of an adult was about forty five years old. If you live beyond forty

five year considered all some of words I forty five were just beginning. Man,

we're just playing to retire or maybe not ten more years to retire.

Forty five. That's the average expectancy, you know. So this guy lived

to seventy five, he was already very blessing or very very blessed in our

equivalent age. That's like living up to one hundred twenty years, you know,

and one hundred and twenty years your grandmad grandfather decided, let's immigrate to

a place we had no idea of. If your grandma, if grandfather will

city today you think like the cuckoo bit, you know. There you have

like not me lived. Actually you have end of life crisis. You know.

Seventy five even right now, seventy five is crazy, you know.

Okay, So he decided to leave the Ima great to go to a new

place, have a new adventure as seventy five years old, okay. Now

it says that he went down south all the way to the land of Canaan,

Okay, and he came to this place of Sakab and this name I

need you to remember it for a long long time. Kay Checham is a

very important place throughout the Old Testament and sometimes in the New Testament as well.

Okay. There are many cases where many stories and in parts of the

scripture that will be brought up. It is a place where, if you

read the incident of Dinner, What's happened in Norway Dinner, the daughter was

actually raped. Sekhem was the place of burial of the four fathers as well.

Abram was buried their Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, even though he

was in Egypt. Okay, he died in Egypt, but he was not

buried in Egypt. When the Israelites eventually will come out, okay, we'll

be delivered by Moses. Right. Joseph made the Israelites before he died,

made promise me that you will bury me with my fore fathers in Shacham.

And so when they left Egypt, what they carried the remains of Joseph with

them, and they fulfilled the promise when they arrived at the Promised Land as

well. So it's a very very important place in our current time right now.

Shackam is actually on the West Bank there, okay, just slightlyness to

the to the west and then north of the West Bank. It's called the

west Bank. Yeah, yeah, okay, called the west Bank. It's

on the west it's on the west Bank, but it's on the east side

of Israel. Okay, it's called the west Bank because it's on the west

side of the Jordan River. Uh, not based on Israel. Okay,

So now everybody, okay, so that's a very quick introduction. Okay,

So let's move on here. And now we read here in verse seven,

it says that then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, to your descendence,

I will give this land. Notice that this is very important. You

can I like it. The Lord appeared to Abraham. It's like you drive

on a pit stop. Start right now. This is the place where I

will give this land to your descendants. And but if you read this blessing,

if you compare it later on to the later part of the chapter,

you will realize that this blessing is kind of short compared to the initial part.

When you read in verse one right when God ask him to come U

right, the blessing was a lot longer, isn't it the first part?

But this part was very short. Now why it was that short? I

believe it was intentional because some of the blessings are still depending on Abraham fulfilling

some requirements. It's like you met a milestone. I will give you a

part of the blessing if to fulfill more of the milestone, I will give

you and eventually the complete blessing. So now Abraham arrived there, and God

said, I will give to your descendance this land full stop. Okay.

And then what do we see here? Eventually he says here um, And

then he says it. And there Abraham built an altar to the Lord who

appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain ist of Bethel,

and he pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and I on

the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the

name of the Lord. So he went there and he pitched his tent.

Now you realize that he didn't build a house. You, No, he

pitched his tent. Let me give you. Let me ask you a question.

Throughout Abraham's life, okay, in the land of Canaan, right,

did he ever build a house? Did he did he buy a condo?

Even he even rented a condor? No, throughout his entire life he lived

in a tent. In a tent, living in a tent has significance one

no spiritual and physical significant as well. How many of you like to live

in the tent? Right now. No, everyone, Hey, for life.

You know most of you are you know, I don't know. I

don't I can't speak. I'm a Chinese. Yeah, but most of our

Chinese are, our fathers are, and our mothers are. Tell us when

you grow, when you work, the first thing you do best investment is

to buy a house. Never rent, true or not. Everybody's like,

yeah, I would dispute that, but anyway, there's another thing. Okay,

but that's the that's the goal of every father for their sons and daughters.

You know, buy our house, don't ever rent. You know,

if you rent, you are okay, whatever it is. It doesn't make

economic sense. But if you tell no, father, I want to rent

forever for my for the rest of my life. That's one thing. But

to say to live in a tent, that's worsenal. You go to any

tamana or any housing area, you see people rent, but you don't see

people living in a tent. One and not ten minutes that you don't own

the landing you're living as a refugee. Did you know that you are an

alien? You're telling everyone you're in an alien you don't belong here, You're

just temporary and this is what tends me is to be temporary. Did you

not understand that? And this guy coming from all the way from the north,

coming down south, is living among us here, and he told us

the reason why he come down is because God gave him a vision. God

told him He's gonna give him all this land work. He's living in the

tent and God is going to make a nation out of him. Do you

think everyone will believe him? You wouldn't write. And this guy out of

nowhere is living in a tent seventy five years with no children. It was

the impossible of the impossibles. You got me right in the eyes of society.

He's living in the impossible of the impossible. Okay. But he went

there. Now, if you read verse nine, right, he pictured ten

and he worshiped the Lord. He says here, So Abraham journey going on

still toward the south. Why is he going still further south when the Lord

appeared to him? Now I move on to the second part, okay,

And in verse ten we find out the reason. Because there was a famine.

There was a famine in the land, and Abraham went down to Egypt

to dwell there. Okay, For the famine was so severe in the land,

really severe famine. God called Abraham out to a land that he promised,

but the land was suffering from famine, and Abraham was pushed, okay

to make an economic decision for his mad family. Okay, an economic and

survival decision for his family. So he moved to Egypt. Now, let

me ask you this question. Should he had moved to Egypt? Don't show

the slide yet? Should he have moved to Egypt where everybody is so quiet?

Think it's a trick question, isn't it In your own life? Right

now? God called you. God is with you, isn't it. God

is spoken to you, giving you your word. Come to a promised place.

But suddenly in that place there is a famine affecting you, affecting your

family and you as a husband, as the inheritance of God's friends promises,

have a big decision to make you know, should you go to Egypt?

I told you we can learn a lot from the life of Abraham. I

told you already. How many of you know in our lives we medi this

tal situations in one form or another. Should he have moved to Egypt?

Did God tell him to go to Egypt. Where did God appear him to

him? Ah, that's the important thing to remember. Let's study a bit

further. Okay, let's study a bit further. Sometimes you can tell a

decision is up to really not good by the things that to happen after that

happened. That starts to challenge not just your faith, but starts to challenge

your morality as well. It says here in verse eleven, the first challenge

happened ready, and it came to pass where he was close to entering Egypt,

that he said to his wife, indeed, I know that you are

a woman of beautiful countenance. Oh women, are you scared when men give

you a compliment? A compliment that came out of nowhere? You know this

is not just a typical or dear, I thought you did a nice job.

I told you it was a nice and beautiful dress. But this guy,

he pulled out the biggest compliment, and on the biggest car of all,

and he said, indeed, of course, I know you know,

you should know as that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. But he

didn't stop there. He complimented her, But then he qualifies it and turns

that compliment into something else. What did he turn it to he? In

verse twelve, he says, therefore it will happen when the Egyptian Issua see

you, they will say this is my this is his wife, and they

will kill me, but they will let you leave. He turned the compliment

into a burden because you are so beautiful, they are going to kill me.

I thought it was supposed to be a compliment for me. Now you're

blaming me. You know, it's true. It's true. Sometimes you know,

if you don't read the whole thing, you think it's a compliment.

But you read the whole thing. He's placing a blame on her. So

to remove this blame you you owe me some thing. You are me the

responsibility of for a wife, to preserve my life. Therefore, what should

you do. You must tell them you are my sister, that it may

be well for your sake, and then I might leave because of you.

Oh so a compliment turns into a burden, isn't it into a responsibility for

her? Now she has a burden to lie. He transferred his but his

decision was to come down to Egypt, and as he approached the gate,

he started to realize, this is a culture that I'm not familiar that I've

heard of, but I don't believe in it. But I know, and

what was the culture. It was very well known at that time. People

are quite barbaric. If they saw a girl that they like, they just

kill and take one. It's it's it's it's quite common. It's not.

It's not only in the Bible. It's very common. And especially if your

wife is very beautiful, people will chase up. That's why people kill.

And still not just for live stocks, for wives as well for men.

I don't know that, but but at least they's do it for wives.

So and it says that because of that, they're gonna kill me. But

it was not my decision. But you chose. God did not ask you

to come down, but you chose to come down. And now you cannot

fulfill your husbandly duty and responsibility. You blame it on me, and now

now you ask me to lie. Not off to a good starter when you

make a decision that involves and drags people into your problem and you make them

responsible over your fault, is that the will of God? It's not off

to a good start. I know God will never Okay, God may put

us in a difficult sitution. But he will never compel us to leave our

wife or husband or leader any responsibility to do one not to do to survive.

No, no, no, he will because God created marriage, true

or not? Why would God ask you to to to define and to act

contrary to an institution that he started? Isn't it if I start a company

when I hire you, I asked you to act on its disservice or to

lie? No, why would I do that? So the first time we

see is that Abraham is beginning to sing and as a husband here okay,

Now, actually you can see a lot of parallel from here, atially with

Genesis chapter three as well as in there. How Adam singer is in there?

When Adam and all? When when God asked where are you? You

know you know I'm here? First the first thing God asked, Dam is

where are you? What is a position with God? There is a way

to your wife? Then what have you done? Then Abram said, I

know I eat it? But is the woman you created, the woman you

gave to me, made me eat it? So he's not only blaming the

white he's blaming God as well. That's the sin of Abra Adam. You

know it's always blaming the wife, and ultimately you're not blaming your wife,

you're blaming God. You think we're always blaming people. People. People are

the reason that I sin or I did wrong. I'm in my mistake.

I blame my son, I blame my wife, I bet everything. But

ultimately, when you blame everyone else, you are actually blaming God because you

say, God, you place them around me. So God takes it personally

when we blame people. Did you know that God takes it personally? You

know you're not blaming that, you're blaming me. Ultimately, if I hired

you and I place the manager over you, and you blame your manager,

you are technically baming me. Although you don't like the manator, you're blaming

because I hire the managers in it. You hire. Why they're put that

manager over you, Why they're put that law over you. So you're not

just complaining to your wife, You're complaining to God, and you're complaining about

God. There's a lot of things to learn here. Isn't it very very

powerful? Now? It says here, So it was when Abraham came into

Egypt that the Egyptian saw the woman that she was very beautiful. The princess

of Pharaoh also saw her and commanded her to Pharaoh, and the woman was

taken to Pharaoh's house. Legendary all the way to Pallas status. Okay,

she treated Abraham well for her sake, or so legendary. He went in

empty, and what he got he got sheep, He got arcs, male

donkeys, male and female servants and all. What kind of girl are you

marry? I can get slaves. Whan, No, that's what next level

of people, next level beauty. Okay, you marry her, you get

slaves and then the servants, you know, okay, and females and female

donkeys and camels. He actually, I was reading somewhere before that Sarah's beauty

was so legendary that there was even a recorded in the carvings of the Egyptian

archaeology, you know, so beautiful, that said that she made all the

other women look like monkeys. There was, according to legend and now legendary,

being that look like monkeys. Not because they said her skin was so

fair. So I don't know how they just defined their lab They say everybody

looked like monkeys because monkeys. They're laughing away legendary beauty. Okay, compare

everybody to monkeys. Oh, okay, So Abraham got a lot of dowries

of it. Okay, but he's gonna lose the wife, okay. In

verse seventeen, but the Lord played Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because

of SARAHI Abraham's wife. Now, why did the Lord to action because of

Abraham or because of Sarah's sake? Who was the Lord taking action on?

Behalf of was see it for Abraham? For s Abraham? Saying no,

Sarah didn't do anything, you know, say it? What was it for

Abraham? Wash? He did not say. But we know one thing.

When God gave Abraham the promise, it was both to Abraham and to Sarah,

because the two of them are one. Ah. There's another important principle

that you have to learn when you're married. Right, God sees you,

and every blessing he pronounces you, especially you're marrier, is one. Your

wife and your children receive it as one because it's a law. It's an

institutional law that God has given. So that's why if you read later in

Genesis thirteen fourteen fifteen, right, if you read truer Sarah couldn't have a

children at all. So what Abrahm thought that maybe it's not for me,

true my wife, Maybe it's for me, but through another servant. And

so Sarah right, I took on Hagar as a surrogate wife, you know.

But God said no, when they say it's for you, it's for

you and your immediate wife. God became specific. No, Sarah your wife.

God had to say it out to him and not in case you are

confused, It was to Sarah, your wife. Ah. So Abraham could

not did not understand it. But God sees it in that way. God

never breaks his law one and no. And so when he saved sarahright,

it was to say for both of them. I did it for Abraham.

But you are part of Abraham. You are you guys are one. That's

why God moved. God came into the picture. And so when you make

a decision in your own life, and the next time when you for your

whether you're married or getting married, or for your children, tell your children

next time. Remember marriage is sacred and God sees it as one institution.

When you make a choice, well, God gives you a vision or a

promise is for you and your household never the other way one, not just

for you only. No, it's a very powerful institution. Okay. Now,

and in verse eighteen, and Pharaoh called Abraham and said, what is

this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me she was

your wife? Why did you say she is my sister? Basically, Pharaoh

is like berating him. Lie, you know you gave me because of your

life. You know, you almost you know, caused me to sin against

your wife. I might have taken her as my wife. And he says,

here now, therefore, here is your wife, Take her and go

away. So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him and then sent him away with

his wife and all that he had. Okay, now that is the end

of Egypt and the Egypt. You think everything has done ready, So let

me revisit the question again. Should he have gone to Egypt to not convinced?

Let's read further. So we see him fulfilling something, missing out on

his responsibilities, being berated by Pharaoh, and God had to come in intervene

and clean up his Messinos will not be the only time that God comes in

and clean up his macey. There'll make many other events. But we see

further what happens from Egypt. Okay, now we turn to Genesis chapter thirteen.

Here Intia, and then Abraham. Genesis chapter thirteen. Yeah, correct,

chapter thirteen, verse one. Okay, I'm moving on to my third

and almost final part. Ready. Then Abraham went up from Egypt, he

and his wife and all that he had and lot with him to the south.

See when he says and verse two, when Abraham was very rich in

livestock, in silver, and in goal. He came in with nothing.

He came out, although he messed up, he came out rich and blessed

with a lot of gold, with a lot of live stock. And you

will say, hey, pastor, that's an indication he did not make a

mistake. Although yes, he made some mistake. But see, Egypt got

him a lot of good things as well. Uhhah, that's what you think.

And he says, yeah. And he went on his journey south.

From on his journey from the south as far as Bethel to the place where

he tends at being at the beginning. He went back to the place where

he pitched his tenth. I told you what the tenth means in there to

live as an alien. He went back to become an alien again, is

it is? It is? Would you rather be in Egypt where there's plentiful

or you'd rather be an alien? By it within God's promise? You know

what I mean? Right? Sometimes we're always looking for a place to belong,

you know. But it doesn't mean and that when you are within God's

promises that you always feel belong one. You are there because out of faith,

even when it's uncomfortable, even you can't find and your footing or your

place we come fit now. But you are there out of faith. And

that's what we're called to do. Isn't it to anchor down based on faith,

Not because there's no there is no family, not because I can have

a fixed condor, but there because out of faith. Now, it says

here in verse four, to the place of the altar, which he had

made there at first he went back to the place where he made a commitment.

God gave him a promise, and he made a commitment to the very

place of where he committed to your first love, to where you committed to

and there Abram called all the name of the Lord. When you went to

Egypt, when you tasted the garlics, they are all their good things and

you know in Egypt, and you made a mistake. You went back to

the what to your first love, to the commitment to the Lord. But

then in verse five we see Lord also his nephew who went. If Abram

had flocks and herds and tents, okay, now the land was not able

to support them. They might dwell together, for their possessions became so great

that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the hurtsman of

Abram's livestock and the hurtsman of Lord's livestocks, and the Canaanites and the parasites.

Then dwelt in the land. Now you say that, hey, Abraham

went there. He wasn't supposed to go there. He lied, Okay,

he got his wife into a lot of trouble, but he came out plenty

rich, with a lot of things as well, not just here, but

his nephew. But when they bring these things, they are out of Egypt.

Okay. God did not specifically ask them to have, and they bring

it back to the place where God had called them to be. It doesn't

mean that you have things of abandons and means it fits into God's plan.

No, no, no, no, true or not doesn't mean you have

a lot of things of the world. Doesn't mean if it's into God's plan.

One and No, every time we think that, oh this is thank

you God for god blessing and you God, this doesn't mean that you're beating

God's planning. One. No, because these things, what happened with them,

these things that so called our blessings started to betray Abraham start to betray

a lot. They came in together as a family, you know, but

because they're bringing the baggage of Egypt into God's promises, that started to quarrel,

start to lose their family. A blessing has become a burden. See

when you come out of Egypt, but you don't always come out clean one

another. When you go to the place you're not supposed to go, when

you see the things you're not supposed to see, when you experience the things

are not supposed to experience it, it brings a stay with you. That's

a danger you don't see immediately. That's why I say it's important to study

the life of Abraham. What happened, and you understand why and with everything

that's happened in his life. But there is always the word of God.

That is that that is always been compared to why it happened? Why did

not happen? What did God said? And now we see things transpiring betraying

Abraham not betraying a lot between them as well. So the blessing has become

a burden to them and started to fight. Okay, now, okay,

so what did Abraham do? He had to solve it. He had to

solve it. So Abraham said to Lord, remember when Abraham came back all

this way, God has not spoken a word, and not sometimes God when

God said, but God doesn't say anything, I tell you, when God

doesn't say anything, it's always it's always a big sign. When you go

back to your house and your wife doesn't say a thing to you, you

know something is wrong. Now we're complaining God. You never say anything.

You never speak to me, means God is serious with you. We say

that God's silent, but means God's slum is God is serious to you?

You could be doing something really wrong and you know the answer. You will

have the answer, just that you don't want to face it. Oh dangerous,

isn't it now? So Abram said to Lord, please let there be

no strife between you and me between my hurtsman and your hurtsman. For we

are brethren. It's not the whole land before us. Please separate from me

if you take the left, and then I will go to the right.

If you go to the right, I will go to the left. So

to keep the things that they're brought from Egypt, they have to separate them.

Isn't it just to keep the things that got from Egypt? Sometimes the

things of the world will cost you just to keep it. Isn't it always

the lesson in the world. Isn't it just to keep it? Isn't it?

Now? Let's lift up? This is that it's like draw to us.

Eventually are close here Verse ten, And Lord lift us his eyes and

saw all the plane of Jodren. This is the very important decision making time.

One gets to choose first, isn't it? Wow? What a privilege,

you know? Abraham, although he's the older one, he's the senior

one, he is the uncle, and all he gets, he should get

the choose he was. He's the one who made the decision to come,

he was the one who followed God. He should get first. Deep But

in his wisdom he made a good sense. He decided to give that up,

probably because he realized that he made a lot of mistakes. He started

to see what his decision has caused to his wife and to his nephews.

He said, I don't want any more fight. You get to choose first.

And sometimes, and this is a very important rule, you know,

sometimes actually not a lot of times, when we are in a fight with

people. If you want to maintain that relationship, and you want to know

the type of decision that God will be pleaseder is the one that is self

sacrificial for the benefit of others. Love your neighbor as you love your self.

God. Abram did not see himself as better. You know he loves

and if you read too the chapters, you will see many instances Abraham loved

Lord. He saved him from the enemies many times as well, save him

from sodom and gomorrow as many times as well. He loved Lord, and

he loved him as himself so much. Well, let you have your first

choice. You choose first. So they think this thing that Abraham did was

right. What's right? Okay? And he believed that God rules. God

is sovereign. Okay, Now it's easier. And Lord lifted his eyes.

Okay, underline this partner, and saw tell me what he sees. He

saw all the planes of Jordan. Jordan is on the east side. I

told you the west bank, and it's the east bank, isn't it?

So the east bank care and it was well watered and everywhere. Read the

description. Okay, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah like the garden of

the Lord now pauset. Therefore, while when how does Lord make a decision

in his life where to pivot, where to settle down? When he saw,

he saw it was beautiful. He looked and he sought to see that

the land was fertile, was green. Okay, of course you want to

stay in a place where it's beautiful. Isn't it that it's you know,

has a future when you start to see the land. What do you start

to see a future? When you go to a house and when you buy,

when you what do you go to into a house to look for?

Or I want to know where there's a there's a walking closet, isn't it

Whether there is a nice marble kitchen, there's a big living room. You

may look for all these distinctive qualities are but the most important feature that you

look for in the house is what whether there is a future, Whether can

you imagine yourself and your family living there? True or not? It may

be big meaning nize, but if you cannot imagine you spending the rest of

your life and your future there, you wouldn't commit the same as marriage as

well, you commit because I can imagine myself spending the rest of my life

with you, true not. We always make the decision because we can see

a future. So when Lord saw the place, he didn't just see a

town light. He sees a future. And what does that future look like?

It says, Yeah, it looks like the garden of the Lord.

It looked like the garden of Eden. You know, has he been to

the garden of Eden before? How would he know that it looks like the

garden of Eden? He probably heard legendses in it. What the garden of

Eden looks like? He said, Wow, this place is beautiful. This

must be God's plan for me. This must be where if I go to,

God's presence will be with me. And when we when we make decisions,

are we are biased? One? You know, like you're not.

We are all prejudiced one? Because why we have a certain perception. We

think that this job, this person, this is where God will bless me

because we are influenced and infiltrated by our past experiences or by other people's experiences.

True, you're like you or not, and you might think that this

is God's plan, But no, you are imagining based on your own experience,

based on your own prejudice, and you will justify this is the place

where God wants me to be. A lot did that? Now? He

said, this must be God like the like the God of the Lord.

This must be God's place for me. This is where God's presence will be.

But then you read after the comment he says, but like the land

of Egypt. As you go towards soa why did the Bible include death?

Because Lord initially justified his decision by saying, this is where God wants me

to be. But then the final reason, the actual reason why he went

there is because the place reminded him of Egypt, not because it's the place

of God. And the reason why he wanted Egypt because he's been to Egypt.

See, Egypt still comes and haunts them. Egypt leaves a stain.

Is when you go to the place you're not supposed to go. Even your

future decisions, your so called godly decisions, gets polluted by Egypt. Wow,

scary, isn't it? So what does it mean for believers? What

does it mean for our decision making? For the things that you're black?

It's very hard sometimes to really admit God all the things that I desire.

Actually, I think it's studying is beginning to betray me. You know,

I'm so self justified and so self righteous in what I want, and I

tell people and I tell myself as well, Lord is telling himself and all.

But when you circumcise enough, you peel back enough the reason why it's

about all about you, not about God. And so my advice is this,

when you want to make a big decision, you must take time to

seek the Lord, really, because there's so many layers to peel. You

know, you got to peel the layers of your eyes what you see.

You've got to peel the layers of your self righteousness, your own self religion

and what you think God wants for you. You got to peel back the

layers of your background what you really want, and there what it is at

the end, dare why are you there? See Abraham may and mistake to

go into Egypt. Now Lord is making the same mistake of going to a

place it's not supposed to go. It's passing down scary, isn't it very

very scary? We make decisions we don't realize it's just so wrong, so

so wrong. But now I don't know how many years, five thousand and

seven thousand, eight thousand years later we see this at this man's life.

We're realizing, Man, this guy is making the same mistake that I want

to avoid, isn't it We don't have to rush with decisions. Whan,

No, no, we don't really have to rush one know, he says.

Here then they say, like the garden of the Lord, like the

land of Egypt as you go towards Messa. When I went to Egypt,

oh, before I even reached Egypt, it was so beautiful, the cafes,

the lattes, the nice team sums, you know, all the things,

you know, the future for my children, Oh God, can I

imagine. I'm sure that when he left Egy, he paid him to leave

Egypt, you know, so the next bad thing was for him to find

another Egypt. He says, sir. Then Lord chose for himself all the

plane of the Jordan and Lord Journey is okay, and they're separated from each

are them? Aprahl dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lord dwell in

the cities of the plane and pitch his tent. This is very important as

far as Sodom, But the men of Sordom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against

the Lord. Now what does that mean? He says that he reminded of

Egypt. But even when he knows that Egypt, as far as that direction

right, the planes that are on the Isa contains Soldom and Gomorraha. He

was blinded. We know he was blinded because he was willing to pitch his

tent there, because and so Lord became consumed. We wanted to fulfill his

dream even though there was something that was sinful against the Lord. You compromised,

true, isn't it? That's how the devil works to manipulate our visions

and our dreams and desires. Want to know, show you what you like.

But then he plays a stumbling block there and God watches, Okay,

Lord, what are you going to do? Yes, it's beautiful. It

reminds of Egypt, which you shouldn't be going. But there if you see

saw them and God mora than God, It's okay. I will not touch

it one God, I want to touch it. I want to go.

But as he journeyed, right, as he walked, he walked further and

further and further, you see him. When you get into a sinkhole,

you go deeper and deeper and deeper. Want to know things that you say

you will never do you end up doing true or not? People, how

many of you had been there before? I've been there before. People.

Things you say you will never do, you end up doing so. The

wise thing don't test God, don't test yourself. Don't be so self righteous

and say that you will never do it. Get me right. God doesn't

need your courage. God needs your obedience. I told you already. This

is a It's a lot of guidance in it. But the guidance comes from

really purifying our hearts. What do you really want? And sometimes you realize

that, Hey, God, is this is my decision? Can I work

with this company? Although this company practice not that where? And yeah,

my mister Sunday, but Sunday, and I think it's just really no no,

No, it's asking you to compromise one thing and another. But it's

not so much debt on When you get into the scene, you go deeper

and deeper way you never imagine. You know that he eventually pitches them right

in front of Sodom, you know, right in front of Sodom and all

where the place God eventually destroyed it all, and God had the personally come

and send an angury to save him. Wow, it's not It's such a

simple thing, isn't it. But yeah, it's so much consequences and detriment,

isn't it. Okay, So what what should we do? We must

take our time learn from these things. Okay, we could remove every layer

of prejudice, everything of layer that our flesh wants, our burden ones and

all the really say, God, what do you want? What do you

say? Even Lord? In a place where I can't see the things that

I like, the Egypt, the planes, the Lord. But if your

word has caught me to be staying here, even though I'm an alien,

I will stay like Abraham did. And then you see, as my daughter

are closed here in verse fourteen, So what happened to Abraham? He choose

to be second is the first. And know the laser be the first,

and the first of be the last. Isn't it kind of funnier? He

chose to be an alien, you know, in a plan that is not

flowing. You know, it's certain kind. And the Lord finally spoke.

God was quiet, always like, and God finally spoke to Abraham. He

says that verse four things. And the Lord said to her Abraham, after

the Lord has separated from him after you know, so that means God was

watching this interaction all the time, and he finally sees this Egypt, the

final part of Egypt, leaving Abraham, leaving Abraham. Isn't it what God

desire? Egypt leaving out of us? Lord God came minister to Abrahama,

while this Egypt, which is inherited by a lot I, still remains,

you know, like that's why God, that's why the Bible says the scene

is like a yeast. You know, it permits everything. You know,

you cannot leave even one dot there, you know, you get mean,

right, chose to separate in peace. You go, You're gonna go,

you go, Okay. Then after that God released his word, say lift

up your eyes now and look from the place where you are north, southeast

and west. For all the language you see, I give to you and

your descendants. Wow, this blessing sounds a bit longer. You know why,

because Abraham finally pleased God. Makes sense. He finally pleased God even

though he has failed, even though he makes so many God remained faithful.

God remain faithful. Okay, And in verse six things and now will make

your descendants as the does of the earth, so that if a man could

number the dots of the earth, then your descendants could also be numbered.

Arise, walk in the land through its length, and it's with before I

give it to you. It's totally different blessings. You know, from the

early part when he arrived, it was I give you this land to your

descendant, that's it. But in this part God sees everything. Abraham transformed

from his failure. He asks Abrahm walk up right now, stand up and

start to walk. Why did he ask Abrahm to walk as a draw to

a closure? What is the power of walking through the length and breath of

a place? I told you before. When you buy, when you go

and check out a new property is in there. You don't buy a new

condor from Shoppy and Lasada. Hey click today, Shoppy, your purchase has

been completed. This our minds be deducted from your Maiben card. You know

whatever it is. You know you don't buy like that? Why because you

cannot see a future from there? You say that, Hey, agent,

can I make a visit? Not just one time, two time, three

times? First time I go, second time I go with my wife,

Third time I bring my children. First time I bring my inlaws all together?

True or not? You bring up to day, you bring the whole

church together. It come and see you. I buy it or not?

I hope you don't do that. But anyway, you know why you invite

everybody to go there because you want them to imagine. If you can,

there be a future you yourself go you feel goal. I can think I

can stay there, and you bring a wife, I think, and we

can be married inside here. When you be your children, I think we

can grow up together and fun have memories. When Abraham start to stand up

here, even though he was childless, even though he has made mistakes,

even though he is an alien, he starts to walk, and the more

he walks, it's a mazing thing. It's like you're living in a tantina.

This what the tent represents, the circumstances of the world, his barrenness,

his alienhood, everything that you know he left, his inheritance. This

is the tenth. But when you step outside of your tent, you start

to walk into the promises of God, into God's realm, and not not

yet colme, but in God's word. You start to work and you start

to begin to birth the future according to God's word. You see, yeah,

we can birth future from God's word or from the from the wilderness,

from the wildliness. When future can come two places from God and from the

world. When you start to walk God, I believe and I see Yes,

God gives you the vision and vision you start the future. You start

to imagine. It comes to a flesh and when he walks north southeast where

he fully becomes engulfed with faith that God is able. God is able.

God is able to do exciting and abandantly, even though I don't see it

now, even though the country is good or bad, even though this job

is good back in even my band by says it's good. But God is

able. But many of us we do not project that future from the world

of God, the future that we have is birth from the world. You

know what I'm saying. What I'm saying, you're stuck in this tent.

But God said, arise and walk the length and breath and today I hope

that you guys, all of us here as we imagine, if we begin

to take the next important step, there is going to affect you, your

family and your future. That you begin to make your decision based on God's

word and not on the egypt that you see in this world, whether it's

a path present nor that will clean our hearts layer after layer and begin to

birth forth a future and a hope and a hope based on God's word.

Amen, you believe it? How many if you'll believe that this is you

know that God has spoken to you today? How many you're you feel like

God, you are always faithful to equip me with everything that I need to

make the next step so that you will never feel like you're checkmated. Tuy

not this tendi is like being checkmated, isn't it? Oh? God,

I don't have this. I don't have that checkmated. But God doesn't play

by our rules. Series are God rules and God over rules? You know?

Heaven rules and heaven over rules. We hope you've been blessed by this

message. For more information on our church, please visit as church org.

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going to be a good week. I hit for you. God bless