Genesis
12:1-3 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; I will bless you and make your name great; And
you shall be a blessing. 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.”
Have you ever heard
of the phrase “This is my lot in life”? The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines
the word “lot” as: The part, division or fate which falls to one by chance,
that is, by divine determination. This last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued in
his sermon series based upon the book of Genesis stating that bad lots in life
are many times within our control. Either way, God is still there to pick up
the pieces. It is the Lord that gives grace and opportunities to repent.
Christians have to remember that we direct people to Jesus, but we cannot be
Jesus for people. Abraham’s nephew Lot led the patriarch into one bad lot after
another. Lot did not deserve to be saved, but Abraham saved him anyway.
Ultimately, you and I do not deserve to be saved either, but God sent His Son
Jesus to intercede and save us.
Ezekiel
33:11 Say to them: ‘As I
live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked,
but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!
For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Kyle
gave us three lessons learned from a “bad lot”. (1) There is grace for
disobedience … and a high cost. Many times we deal the “bad lot” to ourselves
by stupid choices we make and they follow us around. So many requests to God
are to deliver us from our circumstances, then we go back to those same
circumstances. Question 1: How many others would be saved if God granted all of
our prayer requests? Question 2: How would you live differently if God granted
all our prayer requests and started living them out? (2) Lot’s rescue is a
picture of salvation, and starts with intercession. Knowing that God gives
second chances, somebody stands in the gap for others. Who are you interceding for
today? (3) Circumstantial deliverance does not always lead to life transformation
when the same sin lifestyle lingers where we ought to be; when we are not
rejoicing in our deliverance but knowing and willingly mourning the lose of our
beloved sin.
Genesis
18:17-19 And the Lord said,
“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his
children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord,
to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham
what He has spoken to him.”
Kyle
gave us two keys to “bad lot’ proof our life. (1) Do the “right” thing –
aligned with God’s perfect Word, Will and Way. You know it in your heart. He
wrote it there. (2) Prayer changes things. Prayer to God is the first thing. “Almighty
us” is pretty weak and cannot do much, but “Almighty God” is all-powerful and
can do anything.
Matthew
6:9-13 In this manner,
therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom
come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do
not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen.
In
Christ, Brian
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