1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,340 Alright, if you'll open your Bibles with me to Genesis chapter 13, Genesis chapter 13 2 00:00:06,340 --> 00:00:07,340 is where we're going to be. 3 00:00:07,340 --> 00:00:13,740 We're going to be looking at the life of Abram and Lot, and we'll be looking at family 4 00:00:13,740 --> 00:00:19,640 rights, and that'll be our topic for tonight, and so we'll be getting on to it. 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:27,420 So what I need to know, first of all, the very first thing is I need some of the causes 6 00:00:27,420 --> 00:00:30,300 of conflict. 7 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:33,600 Causes of family conflicts, so don't be surprised if I call on you. 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,440 Yes, how are you? 9 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:36,440 And your name is? 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:37,440 Michelle. 11 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:38,800 Michelle, nice to have you here, Michelle. 12 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,660 Michelle, give us the first answer tonight. 13 00:00:41,660 --> 00:00:44,320 What is one of the causes of conflict? 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:45,320 Stress. 15 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:47,520 Stress, but what causes stress? 16 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,520 Mourn a dog. 17 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:50,520 No. 18 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:51,520 Alright. 19 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,520 And when that interfaces with the neurons. 20 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,360 Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. 21 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:58,360 There you go. 22 00:00:58,360 --> 00:00:59,360 Yes. 23 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:00,360 Religion. 24 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,880 That's not one of my answers, but I'll take it. 25 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:04,880 Yes, ma'am. 26 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:05,880 Money. 27 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:06,880 Money. 28 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:07,880 Absolutely. 29 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:08,880 Yes, sir. 30 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:09,880 Pride. 31 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:10,880 Jealousy. 32 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:11,880 Jealousy. 33 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:12,880 You hear that? 34 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:13,880 Okay, it's a good one. 35 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:14,880 Yes, ma'am. 36 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:15,880 Polite. 37 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:16,880 Polite. 38 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:17,880 Oh. 39 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:18,880 Whoa. 40 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:19,880 I better go back. 41 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:27,880 Now for that one, politics. 42 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,880 Even the first one I can. 43 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:33,880 Whoa. 44 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,840 There are many emotions. 45 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:42,880 Motions that come from money, a lack of, or for some people too much of. 46 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:44,880 Okay. 47 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,880 Anger. 48 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,880 Misunderstandings. 49 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,880 Pardon me? 50 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:53,880 Favoritism. 51 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:54,880 Very good. 52 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,880 I like that. 53 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,880 Guilt. 54 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,880 Anger. 55 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,880 Historical stuff. 56 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:14,880 Things from the past that unsolved the unresolved conflict. 57 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,880 Jealousy. 58 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,880 And many other actions. 59 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:25,880 All these things, and on and on and on, can cause conflict within families. 60 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,880 And we're going to be looking at some of those tonight, and particularly conflicts that's 61 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,880 going to involve Abram and Lott. 62 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:35,880 So we'll be looking at that. 63 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:41,880 So, many eruptions of anger or dysfunction in the workplace. 64 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,880 And we're going to be looking at some of the most horrific sporting activities, like booing 65 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:47,880 the umpire. 66 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:49,880 Who's ever done that? 67 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,880 Some of you are really telling the truth. 68 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,880 Some of you are not. 69 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:02,880 Unconstructive conversations can stem from unresolved family conflict. 70 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,880 And so from the insight of the book of Genesis tonight, we're going to be looking at, we're 71 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:12,880 going to be looking at family conflicts rather than avoiding, denying, fleeing, blaming, 72 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:13,880 or repeating. 73 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,880 We'll be looking at all these conflicts and how they look. 74 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:17,880 Okay. 75 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,880 So navigating family conflicts. 76 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,880 Avoiding family conflict. 77 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:24,880 Some people just voted by many things. 78 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,880 We're going to be discussing that. 79 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,880 Denying, fleeing, blaming, repeating. 80 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,880 So avoiding family conflict. 81 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:41,880 Avoiding the subject or sitting further away from each other does not solve anything, does 82 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:42,880 it? 83 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:50,880 Have you ever been to a church or been to a setting or someplace where the husband is 84 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,880 sitting here and the wife is sitting here? 85 00:03:54,880 --> 00:04:03,880 And they're just smiling like smiling and everything is just, but there's, there's, why, why wouldn't, 86 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:11,880 the president talking about you, Judy? 87 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:18,880 This is going to be a long night. 88 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:25,880 The wife is sitting over there and the husband is sitting over here. 89 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:26,880 Wow. 90 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,880 But it doesn't solve anything. 91 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:30,880 Okay. 92 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:32,880 Denying family conflict. 93 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:40,880 You can deny all you want or delay the inevitable, but it takes work to repair and restore broken 94 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,880 relationships, broken fellowship. 95 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:44,880 Okay. 96 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,880 So that's another one of the things that we're going to be looking at tonight. 97 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:49,880 Avoiding. 98 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:50,880 Did I go the wrong way? 99 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:51,880 Yeah, I did. 100 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:53,880 Fleeing family conflict. 101 00:04:53,880 --> 00:05:01,880 You know people that run away from their problems or they try to avoid them? 102 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,880 And so you can run, but you cannot hide. 103 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,880 And then there's always the blame game. 104 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:09,880 Yeah. 105 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:10,880 Blaming someone else. 106 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:15,880 You know, we can be very accurate about other people's faults. 107 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:16,880 Amen. 108 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,880 I can spot Justin's fault a mile away. 109 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:21,880 Right? 110 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:22,880 Look at that. 111 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,880 That guy, he's this and he's that. 112 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:27,880 And everybody goes, yeah, that's right. 113 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:28,880 That's right. 114 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:34,880 So we can see that, but then, but the only thing that or the problem we have with it next is 115 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:42,880 that we excuse ourselves from that and we excuse ourselves from that responsibility of conflict. 116 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:44,880 Would you get that please? 117 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:52,880 Amy, you're causing conflict. 118 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:57,880 And then there's the whole idea of repeating family conflict. 119 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:02,880 His fault, her fault, their fault, but not me. 120 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:10,880 And so for ourselves and others, we need to desire that we stop making mistakes and repeating 121 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,880 the conflict only brings pain. 122 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:16,880 So we'll be looking at some of that tonight. 123 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:17,880 Okay. 124 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:25,880 So families make up a very large part of our culture. 125 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:34,880 And our culture is shifting because now a family can be a mother and kids. 126 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,880 It can be Steve and Steve and kids. 127 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:48,880 It can be many multiple other designs that have been brought about by our culture, social 128 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,880 order, different things like that. 129 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,880 But there's one fact that still remains. 130 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:58,880 There are no perfect families. 131 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:00,880 Wow. 132 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:06,880 Have you met a family that you thought, man, they're as close as they can get it. 133 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:14,880 But if we were, if we had the ability to sift through the inertia of all the fluff, we could see that 134 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:21,880 everybody's got something in their life that's messed up. 135 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,880 And so we're going to be able to find a way through these. 136 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:32,880 And tonight, hopefully we will be able to grab some insights that we can take with us. 137 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:40,880 So we're going to trust God when challenged over your rights or your possessions. 138 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:42,880 What are, give me some rights. 139 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:44,880 What are your rights? 140 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:46,880 What are your rights? 141 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,880 Right to free speech. 142 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:50,880 What are your rights? 143 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:52,880 Freedom of religion. 144 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:57,880 Randy, what's your right? 145 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,880 John's going to take up for you. 146 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:02,880 Okay, a good meal. 147 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,880 I'm not going to say anything. 148 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,880 Did you guys come together, by the way? 149 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,880 You're right not. 150 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:17,880 There are two counseling sessions, the pastor. 151 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:22,880 Okay, we can only do what, that when we adapt these three values. 152 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:24,880 And we're going to look at those values tonight. 153 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,880 The first value is care. 154 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,880 Seek to be a peacemaker. 155 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,880 I am the oldest of the last three. 156 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:39,880 So I have three brothers and sisters up here and I got the next three. 157 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:41,880 And I'm number one. 158 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,880 I'm number two. 159 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,880 I have three brothers and sisters up here and I got the next three. 160 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,880 And I'm number one of three in the last of the three. 161 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,880 That's my claim to fame. 162 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:55,880 The oldest of the last three. 163 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,880 So tonight in our study, we're going to be looking at this man Abram. 164 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:07,880 So if you'll go with me to Genesis chapter 13, verses five through eight. 165 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,880 I'm going to start off in verse three and read five through eight because, excuse me, verse one, 166 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,880 I want more than I want to try to squeeze in. 167 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,880 And Abram went up out of Egypt. 168 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:24,880 He and his wife and all that he had and lot with him into the south. 169 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:33,880 Genesis chapter 13 verse one, verse two, and Abram was very rich and cattle and silver and in gold. 170 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:44,880 And he went on his journey from the south, even to Bethel and to the place where his tents had been at the beginning between Bethel and Hayi. 171 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:54,880 And to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. 172 00:09:54,880 --> 00:10:01,880 This was the first instance where Abraham actually took the opportunity to when God spoke with him. 173 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,880 But here we have him calling upon the name of the Lord. 174 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:05,880 It's an act of worship. 175 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:14,880 It's an act of coming to the God of glory, the God of heaven, the God of earth and making petitions with him. 176 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:21,880 Now verse five and lot also which went with Abram had flocks and herds and tents. 177 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:31,880 So you've got Abram who is very well off and his nephew lot, the brother Heron, who had died. 178 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:42,880 And we can infer that Abraham had maybe adopted lot because he's traveling with him and he left other family members and lot came with him. 179 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:48,880 And so verse six, and the land was not able to bear them that they might dwell together. 180 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:54,880 Further substance was great so that they could not dwell together. 181 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,880 That's a very key word there, not dwell together. 182 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:07,880 Now, and there was a strike between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle and the Canaanites and the Parasites. 183 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,880 Dwelled then in that land. 184 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,880 And Abram said unto Lot, Let not there be strife. 185 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:23,880 I pray thee between me and thee and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen for we are brother. 186 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:28,880 And so we see that there's something about this man Abraham. 187 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,880 Even though he is very well off, he's got plenty. 188 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:35,880 The Lord has blessed him. 189 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:37,880 Question. 190 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:42,880 So God blessed Abraham. 191 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:47,880 Was it because Abraham was so good? 192 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,880 Does God bless us because we're good? 193 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:57,880 Does God punish us because we're good? 194 00:11:57,880 --> 00:11:59,880 Got you off the cart, didn't I? 195 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:04,880 Does God punish us a whole from us when we're not good? 196 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,880 Let's leave that right there for just a second. 197 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,880 I'm going to come back to it. 198 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:18,880 Abraham, Abram, I'm squealing. 199 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:33,880 Abram, even though he was very well off and God had blessed him, had something about him that many of us probably wish we had. 200 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:37,880 He had a humble spirit. 201 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:45,880 And he saw the contention and the strife between his herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. 202 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:48,880 Pitter in your mind if you would. 203 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:53,880 Sheep all over this area here. 204 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:55,880 We've got the herdsmen from Abram. 205 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:57,880 We've got the herdsmen from Lot. 206 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,880 We've got this one watering hole. 207 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,880 And Lot's sheep get there first. 208 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:05,880 Abram's sheep come behind. 209 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,880 And his herdsmen drives away those sheep. 210 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,880 And those herdsmen of Lot gets upset. 211 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,880 So what do you have going on? 212 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:16,880 Conflict. 213 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:21,880 And the conflict is there because they both have a right. 214 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:23,880 Now this is what's really key. 215 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:30,880 They both have a right to the water. 216 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:37,880 But they don't have the right to push someone else away. 217 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,880 I have lots of rights. 218 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:45,880 I have a right to want a good meal at my house too. 219 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,880 But that might mean going out. 220 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,880 My wife has a right not to have to cook. 221 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:55,880 We all have rights. 222 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,880 But who's right in a situation like that? 223 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:04,880 Is it first come, first serve in this life? 224 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:12,880 Is it first come, first serve in this life? 225 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,880 It shouldn't be. 226 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,880 But is the first always given more grace 227 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,880 and things go better because they got their first? 228 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:24,880 I was their first. 229 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,880 I mean, when I was a small boy, I had it first. 230 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:30,880 I was here first. 231 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:32,880 You can't cut in line. 232 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,880 Get behind me. 233 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:38,880 Compromise. 234 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:40,880 Compromise to a four-year-old. 235 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,880 How does that work? 236 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:43,880 You're smiling. 237 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:44,880 How does that work? 238 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:45,880 Tell me. 239 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:46,880 That's the question. 240 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:47,880 It depends on the four-year-old. 241 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:48,880 Oh boy. 242 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:50,880 It depends on the adult. 243 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:52,880 But there was contention. 244 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:54,880 And there was, next thing you know, these guys are fighting over 245 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:57,880 who can get to the water first. 246 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:02,880 And they're just, things are not developing right. 247 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,880 And Abram saw that there was a problem. 248 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,880 He said, until a lot, let there be no strife, I pray, 249 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,880 between me and thee. 250 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:14,880 Notice he said, me and thee. 251 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:18,880 Because it could have soon escalated to where lots, 252 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,880 herdsmen come to, come to a lot. 253 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,880 Abraham, herdsmen, they come. 254 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,880 And next thing you know, they're saying what the other did. 255 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:31,880 And then you got a problem brewing. 256 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:39,880 And so Abram has something that we learn in scripture, 257 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:40,880 Matthew 5.9. 258 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:47,880 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 259 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:49,880 Peacemakers. 260 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:52,880 What is Dave a peacemaker? 261 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:54,880 Don't answer yet. 262 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:56,880 I'm going to ask somebody else. 263 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:57,880 What is a peacemaker? 264 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,880 Don't answer. 265 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,880 And what is a peacemaker? 266 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:05,880 You're number three. 267 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:08,880 Dave, peacemaker. 268 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:20,880 Someone who is a better, less stressful than what they might be. 269 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:22,880 Yes, sir. 270 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:25,880 A soft answer. 271 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:27,880 Yes, sir. 272 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:33,880 Trying to make peace between the two. 273 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:39,880 And those situations, soft answer. 274 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:41,880 Proper 15-1. 275 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,880 So that peacemaker is trying to bring. 276 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:51,880 So when you were growing up, you ever have conflict? 277 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:53,880 We all said yes, amen. 278 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,880 How did you resolve it? 279 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,880 Yes, how did you resolve your conflict? 280 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:01,880 You fight with them. 281 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,880 And you? 282 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:09,880 Oh gosh, did you beat them up? 283 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:10,880 I usually told them. 284 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:13,880 Told one of them. 285 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:21,880 So Abraham saw that if he didn't do something, there was going to be big problems. 286 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:30,880 Sometimes just getting it out, that soft answer, going to that other person and saying, 287 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,880 we may have a problem. 288 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:42,880 Getting it out to where people can at least digest it in small bites rather than big bites. 289 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:48,880 But often this requires sacrifice. 290 00:17:48,880 --> 00:18:01,880 It takes a Christ-like, meagerness, faith, insurable trust in God that God can work things out. 291 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:03,880 A whole lot better than I can work them out. 292 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,880 He will and he can work them out. 293 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:16,880 When I was growing up, my dad was a Baptist preacher and I can remember having conflicts in our family. 294 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:18,880 Yes. 295 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:30,880 And I remember my dad so clearly said to me, Justin, he said, you know, if you don't back off, you'll be wrong and not her. 296 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:32,880 Wait a minute. 297 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,880 She treated me wrong. 298 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,880 She lied on me and that was wrong. 299 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:45,880 And he said, be careful because you'll be wrong. 300 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:47,880 How does that work? 301 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:56,880 Randy, how can John do something to you? 302 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:00,880 You have responsibility of yourself. 303 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:06,880 So John can treat me bad and I have to take it. 304 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,880 I don't have to take it. 305 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:18,880 What do I do then? 306 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:28,880 John, you bother me. 307 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:30,880 You're egotistical. 308 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:32,880 Let's work it out. 309 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,880 I'm a humble guy. 310 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:37,880 You bring me a chocolate chip cookie. 311 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:44,880 He just won my heart over. 312 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,880 Being a peacemaker is not easy. 313 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:50,880 It's not. 314 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,880 Sometimes you have to take a deep swallow. 315 00:19:55,880 --> 00:20:02,880 I've got a brother in Christ that he and I have philosophical conversations occasionally. 316 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:12,880 And the last time we talked, he and the other, so there was three of us on this call, we were talking and we were having a great time, I thought. 317 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:18,880 And then they started siding against me. 318 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:33,880 I was like, whoa. And I wanted to so bad say, hey guys, you're kind of leaving me out of the conversation and you're putting me down. 319 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:39,880 But we hung up before I could get what was on my mind and on my chest. 320 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:54,880 I got to call him back and complain. And I was convicted two Sundays ago because of the sermon that our pastor preached because he was preaching only to me that morning. 321 00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:05,880 And I thought, you know, they did some things to me that wasn't right. But that's okay. 322 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:12,880 And it was hard to get to that point. Trust me. I think some of you tonight would even say this hard. 323 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:19,880 What about that in North Carolina? Is that hard? You know it was wrong what they did. 324 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:27,880 And you say, it's okay. And the next time you're with them, you smile and you treat them nice. 325 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:40,880 This is just basic. Get along 101. Get along 101. Yeah. Very base stuff. Sage advice. 326 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:51,880 I'm just throwing this out there. Want to see what you think. If you don't defend yourself, who will? God will. 327 00:21:51,880 --> 00:22:01,880 A question that's asked in many marriage counseling sessions. Do you want to be right? Or do you want to be married? 328 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:10,880 You want to be right? Do you want to be married? I've been married 48 years. I've been wrong a lot. 329 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:22,880 And sometimes I embrace my wrong. Sometimes being right, being favored, or winning the property line battle is just not worth it. 330 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:35,880 Case in point. Property owner bills fence through pool. This guy went and he bought two lots. 331 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:44,880 Tore down the homes on the two lots. Built one home, one massive nice house with a pool. 332 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:52,880 Things happened in his life that he needed to sell. And a really smart realtor came along and decided that they would sell a property, 333 00:22:52,880 --> 00:23:02,880 sell two properties instead of one. So Chanel, they sold the two properties. 334 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:07,880 The one family gets ready to use their pool. The other people come along and says, 335 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:17,880 our property evaluation says we can't bill because part of our property is in your pool and in your garage. 336 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:31,880 Move it. And these fights happen in America time after time after time. Who's right? Who's right? 337 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:40,880 He only owns half of it. 338 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:51,880 You going to share your pool? You used to, but not anymore. 339 00:23:51,880 --> 00:24:03,880 These are tough. I mean, so right now it still exists just like this. Neither wanting to budge. 340 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:13,880 Another instance was a man who family moved in and the property lines were so close that they could be at the back porch 341 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:22,880 and people could look right out of their kitchen right to where they were and they thought, let's just plant some nice shrubbery all along here. 342 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:35,880 They spent thousands and they planted all those shrubbery right there. Two weeks later, they came outside and all the shrubbery was cut down. 343 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:44,880 They called the nursery and said, hey, my neighbor cut down all this and they said, well, I'll tell you what, we'll try to support you and we'll replace half of them for you. 344 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:50,880 That's just not right. So he went and got another property evaluation. 345 00:24:50,880 --> 00:25:02,880 Come to find out his property line is 11 feet into the guy's property who cut down his trees and stuff. 346 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:14,880 He wouldn't budge and they fought for months until finally law enforcement came out and had to actually draw the line and said, this is yours and this is yours. 347 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:20,880 Just stay apart from each other. They planted more shrubbery there, but this guy lost. 348 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:28,880 He started complaining and he said, nah, that's your own property. This is mine, mine, mine. And he lost, lost, lost. 349 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:34,880 And sometimes that's that can happen to us in relationships. That's mine. That's mine. That's mine. No, no, no. 350 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:46,880 And then all of a sudden it's like that person's out of your life and you can't get them back because you've blown too many bridges and you've caused so much anger and so much pain. 351 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,880 They don't want to deal with you. 352 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:59,880 Oh, man. I remember the first time when I was in the corporate world, I had to fire someone. 353 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:10,880 And firing someone was a long drawn out ordeal. You had to document. He had to have employee performance improvement plans. 354 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:19,880 And I went through all this stuff and a year later, it was time to fire this guy. 355 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:29,880 He got sick on the day of his termination and was in the hospital. 356 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:40,880 And I had to drive down to where he was and give him his separation papers. 357 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:49,880 His wife looked at me like you are scum of the earth. I felt like it too. 358 00:26:49,880 --> 00:27:02,880 So I called back to headquarters and I said, do I have to do this now? So if you don't do it now, you'll have to deal with him for another year. 359 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:10,880 Dave, I was the HR guy that was with me and said, let's go do it. Let's get it over with. 360 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:20,880 And he said, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. 361 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:30,880 And he said, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. 362 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:41,880 And everything, he should have been fired the very first time it happened, but it kept giving him grace. 363 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:48,880 It's tough. Family conflicts can be that way too. 364 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:54,880 They've done something that's unforgivable almost and you have to take a stand. 365 00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:04,880 And when you take a stand against someone like that, you cause conflict and you cause disagreements and you cause hurt feelings and you cause separations. 366 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,880 Don't you? 367 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:15,880 Man, I don't ever want to live that again. That was one of the toughest days I've ever had. 368 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:29,880 So, oh, it's 7.30. I got 30 slides and I'm on number 14. 369 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:38,880 We'll just keep going. So there was strife between the herdsmen. There was fights. There were quarrels. 370 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:45,880 Scripture mentions 43 other instances of people having strife with one another. 371 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:55,880 Quarrels, clashes, competitions, disagreements, opposition, and downright knock down drag out fights. 372 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:06,880 They fought in the Bible days just like they do today. Amen. 373 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:15,880 But he came to him and he said, you know, look, let's not do this. We're better than this. 374 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:22,880 Let's not allow ourselves to be angry with each other. 375 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,880 Here's something I remembered that is kind of interesting. 376 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,880 I could fight with my brother Dennis. 377 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:36,880 Man, we didn't have knock down drag outs. 378 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:41,880 And I remember one time he and I were just into it. We were just yelling back and forth with each other. 379 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,880 And another kid jumps in to yell at Dennis. 380 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:55,880 And I went, whoa, that's my brother. You can't do that. We both turned on him. 381 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:06,880 I mean, we were kids. We were kids. But isn't that strange how I can fight with my family, but you can't. 382 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:13,880 I can do this, but you can't. Abram said, let's don't do this. Let's try to be bigger than this. 383 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,880 He said, let's don't let there be strife between the two of us. 384 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:26,880 And then the second value is worship. Be Christ-like in our actions. Be Christ-like in our actions. 385 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:36,880 Christ was me, Ken Lohle. He never sinned. He never got angry. He never punched anybody in the face. 386 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:38,880 He didn't do anything worthy of death. 387 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:47,880 And Christ was the example of what the first Adam should have been out for the rest of his life. 388 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:55,880 But Christ came along and he fulfilled the law. He didn't do anything that was wrong in his whole entire life. 389 00:30:55,880 --> 00:31:06,880 Now, he says, is not the whole land before the separate that self, I pray thee from me, and if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right. 390 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,880 If you depart and go to the right, then I'll go to the left. 391 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:19,880 And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan that it was well-watered everywhere. 392 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:24,880 Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, there's a peace there that he puts in it. 393 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,880 I wish I had time to cover it tonight, but I'm going to have to keep going. 394 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:33,880 Even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zohar. 395 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:50,880 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan and Lot journeyed east and they separated themselves from the other. 396 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:56,880 Abraham was gracious and he deferred to Lot. 397 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,880 There's a good example for us. 398 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:06,880 Are we gracious and ready to defer compliments? 399 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:12,880 Are we gracious and ready to defer bad things? 400 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,880 I'll take that. You don't have to take that. 401 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:20,880 Lot jumped at the opportunity and then Lot was impulsive. 402 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,880 What else is true about Lot? 403 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,880 What else is true about Lot? 404 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,880 We've all seen people like this. 405 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,880 It's like, you want this, you want this. I'll take that. 406 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:34,880 What does that say about a person? 407 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:36,880 They're pretty what? 408 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:38,880 Self-first. 409 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:43,880 Selfish. Selfish. 410 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:46,880 If you're going to give it to me, I'll take it. 411 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:48,880 I've met people like that. 412 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,880 Hey, would you like one of these pies? 413 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:54,880 Well, yeah. You got another one? 414 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:57,880 You want two? Yeah, I'll take two. 415 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,880 The more you offer, the more they take. 416 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:06,880 It's called GR greed. 417 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,880 No one in here suffers from greed. 418 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:10,880 Amen. 419 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,880 We can move on to the next topic. 420 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:15,880 Greed. 421 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:17,880 He was impulsive. 422 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:23,880 He pretty much said to himself, this is too good to be true. 423 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:29,880 He's going to give me all this and just go. 424 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,880 You would think Lot would have said, no, wait, wait. 425 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,880 Let's turn the lines this way. 426 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,880 That way you can have some lush and arid, 427 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:42,880 and I can have some lush and arid. 428 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:51,880 But instead of coming this way, he said, I'll take it all. 429 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,880 And Abraham said, go ahead. 430 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,880 See, sometimes we have to say, go ahead. 431 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,880 Yeah, it hurts. Yeah, it stings. 432 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:10,880 But who's really in charge of handing out the blessings? 433 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,880 Lot showed a noticeable lack of restraint. 434 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,880 He didn't consider the cost when he said, yes, 435 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:22,880 I'll go this way. 436 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,880 You would have thought that they would have taken their time 437 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,880 while they were negotiating, come up with something a little bit more diplomatic 438 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,880 than what they had. 439 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:38,880 Now, I need three people to answer this next question. 440 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:39,880 Three people? 441 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:44,880 Okay, you'll be the one. 442 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:48,880 When you finish your drink of water, you'll be number two. 443 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:53,880 And England, you'll be number three. 444 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:57,880 All right, I should have stayed up here. 445 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,880 I walked all the way. I'm wasting time. 446 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:05,880 Okay, I need an answer really quick on this. 447 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,880 What does that mean to you? 448 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,880 Yes, sir. You were the first one. Yeah. 449 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,880 Compromise. Okay, he said compromise. 450 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,880 He said it the best. 451 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:24,880 Was that compromise or what did that sound like to you? 452 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:27,880 Compromise. Yes, sir. 453 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,880 You would agree. Miss Jan, what would you say? 454 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:41,880 Agree to disagree. 455 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:49,880 Home run. I disagree, but that's okay. 456 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:54,880 Because Miss Jen said, how many times do you... 457 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:59,880 No, I don't want to do that. I want you to agree with me. 458 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:02,880 You got to agree with me. 459 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:07,880 Now, when my kids were little, they agreed with me, 460 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,880 whether they liked it or not. 461 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,880 I was the dad. 462 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:16,880 But now that they've grown up and I tell my son something 463 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,880 and he's in his 40s now, he goes, dad, come on. 464 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,880 And I go, dude, I'm your dad. 465 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:26,880 I know, but you're wrong, dad. 466 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:31,880 And I can't go to San Antonio and punch him one, but... 467 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:33,880 So right. 468 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:38,880 Two different options and they can both be right. 469 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:41,880 How is that possible? 470 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,880 Can me and Dave be right about something? 471 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:49,880 And then philosophically, there's a little difference in the background? 472 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,880 Yes. 473 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,880 You haven't had that at your house, have you? 474 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,880 You didn't say yes and you didn't say no. 475 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:01,880 Okay. 476 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:04,880 But she agreed to disagree. 477 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:06,880 She agreed to... 478 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:11,880 Mr. Van Hoos, your wife won't answer questions when she's asked. 479 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:19,880 Okay. 480 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:21,880 Let's move on. 481 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,880 Philippians 2, verses 3-7. 482 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:34,880 Let nothing be done through strife or vanglory. 483 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:43,880 But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. 484 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:48,880 Let there not be any strife amongst us. 485 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,880 If you choose to go to the left, I'll go to the right. 486 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:54,880 If you go to the right, I'll go to the left. 487 00:37:54,880 --> 00:38:00,880 But I want to esteem you better than me. 488 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:11,880 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 489 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,880 This is mine, Michael. 490 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:15,880 I agree. 491 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:21,880 But if you want it, you can have it. 492 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:25,880 You stay out of this. 493 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,880 I was talking to him. 494 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,880 I pulled it away because she said, take it. 495 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:43,880 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 496 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:49,880 Ms. Laurie, if you bake me a pie and bring it Sunday, 497 00:38:49,880 --> 00:39:00,880 I'll give Justin a slice about that wide. 498 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:07,880 Paul goes on to say, let this mind and this psyche, this way of thinking, 499 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:14,880 this person who I am, that heart of me, let this mind be in you, 500 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:22,880 which was also in Christ Jesus. 501 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:28,880 His mind and the mind of God, his mind, and Jesus was a man. 502 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:32,880 So his mind and what he remember, his earthly father told him, 503 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:37,880 his mind with what his mother told him, his mind with what God says, 504 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:41,880 let this mind be in you, everything that's about me. 505 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:49,880 Let it, let it, let it, let it be in me, which was also in Christ Jesus. 506 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:56,880 The epitome of growing in faith and knowledge and in spiritualness 507 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:06,880 and in superiority of who we are in Christ says that my mind is made up about what I should be in Christ 508 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:12,880 and I'm going to strive to be exactly that. 509 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:16,880 And I'm going to push other things to the side and I'm going to make it a point 510 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,880 to look to the author and the finisher of the faith. 511 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:28,880 Because my mind is like what Jesus' mind was when he wanted to do the Father's will. 512 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:34,880 Your mind should be on what Jesus was doing to be able to do what the Father wanted him to do, 513 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:37,880 and so should we be ready to do what the Father tells us to do. 514 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:46,880 Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, 515 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:52,880 kind of a play back to Lucifer and the other demons, 516 00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:56,880 who being in the form, they were angelic, 517 00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:04,880 but they wanted to rob God of who he was so that they could become a God themselves. 518 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:09,880 They made himself of no reputation. 519 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:14,880 I'm going to put who I am to the side. 520 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:21,880 And for some that means I'm going to agree to disagree. 521 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:27,880 Am I the best at who I should be? Not even close. 522 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:35,880 But everything I have, I should be willing to give for the sake of Christ. 523 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,880 Everything. 524 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:43,880 And when I can position myself to that point, then I can say, 525 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:45,880 go to the right, go to the left. 526 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:47,880 You have your way of doing it. I have my way of doing it. 527 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:53,880 But we can both get along real quickly. 528 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,880 I thought it was interesting last night. 529 00:41:56,880 --> 00:41:59,880 I was up at 4 a.m. 530 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:03,880 I couldn't stay up to see all the elections. 531 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:09,880 I fell asleep, but I got up to see who won. 532 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:15,880 And I saw where one person was given a speech of saying, 533 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:19,880 hey, I'm the new president, but the other person didn't come along and say, 534 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:26,880 yeah, you're the president. 535 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:32,880 Whether I stand, whether I fall, whether I go right, whether I go left, 536 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:38,880 whatever I do is for the glory of God. 537 00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:43,880 And I shouldn't be upset or angry with myself, with my circumstances, 538 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:47,880 because God has everything under control. 539 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:52,880 Man, don't you know that God blessed Abraham, 540 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:58,880 even though he was in the arid desert with his flocks? 541 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:08,880 Lot chose the lush, the easy money place, and it cost him dearly. 542 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:12,880 Number three, real quickly, worship. 543 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:18,880 And the Lord said to Abraham that after that lot was separated from him, 544 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:24,880 lift up thine eyes and look from the place where thou art. 545 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:32,880 Look northward, southward, east and west. 546 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:36,880 Everything you see, everything, I'm going to give it to you. 547 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:44,880 And to thy seed, I own some of that property too, because I'm of the seed of Abraham. 548 00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:46,880 And so are you. 549 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:47,880 Okay? 550 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:53,880 And I will make thy seed as dust of the earth so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, 551 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,880 then shall thy seed also be numbered. 552 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:04,880 There's another portion of Scripture where God compares his prodigy as like the stars in the sky. 553 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:09,880 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breath of it, 554 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:11,880 for I will give it to thee. 555 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:13,880 It's yours. 556 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:18,880 Then Abraham moved his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, 557 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:20,880 which is in Hebron and built. 558 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:23,880 Now this is the best part and you can't miss this. 559 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:31,880 And built there an altar to the Lord. 560 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:39,880 Man, an old Negro spiritual, that God has taken me a mighty long way. 561 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:42,880 He took Abram a mighty long way. 562 00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:47,880 And when Abram, every place he stopped and pitched his tent, he made an altar. 563 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:49,880 What was he doing? 564 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:57,880 He was giving glory and honor and giving reverence to the God of the heavens, 565 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:03,880 the God of the earth, the creator, the sustainer. 566 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:04,880 And so that's what he did. 567 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:05,880 Now let's keep going. 568 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:13,880 God's promise to Abram is based on God's premise to Abram. 569 00:45:13,880 --> 00:45:19,880 This is one of those theological, we're going to have to go deep. 570 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:28,880 Okay, now the Lord said to Abram in verse 12 and verse 1, he said, 571 00:45:28,880 --> 00:45:34,880 Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house. 572 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:38,880 Those two things, from thy kindred and from thy father's house. 573 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:40,880 What did he tell Abram? 574 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:45,880 Separate yourself from everybody. 575 00:45:45,880 --> 00:45:48,880 You can't love mother and daddy more than me. 576 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:51,880 You can't love sister and brother more than me. 577 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:58,880 Ooh, I got to be sold out for Jesus, Miss Laurie. 578 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:00,880 Sold out. 579 00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:07,880 So he gave him a promise, but the promise was in the premise that he gave him also. 580 00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:12,880 In verse 4, so Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him. 581 00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:14,880 But here's a kicker. 582 00:46:14,880 --> 00:46:20,880 Verse 4 of chapter 12, and Lot went with him. 583 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:23,880 God said, separate yourself. 584 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:24,880 But what did he do? 585 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:26,880 Come on, Lot. 586 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:28,880 What does that call? 587 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:33,880 Disobedience. 588 00:46:33,880 --> 00:46:37,880 God specifically gave him instructions. 589 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:46,880 And he specifically did what God told him not to do. 590 00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:50,880 There might be somebody tonight that has some conflict going on in their lives, 591 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:52,880 and they're wrestling with it. 592 00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:56,880 And God says, let it go. 593 00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:58,880 Trust me. 594 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:01,880 I got it all under control. 595 00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:06,880 Will you believe me enough to try me? 596 00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:13,880 The Lord requires full obedience and full compliance with his commands. 597 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:17,880 That, when I was studying and preparing for this, 598 00:47:17,880 --> 00:47:23,880 Brother Dave was one of those, ooh, moments. 599 00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:27,880 The Lord requires that Michael give full obedience, 600 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:32,880 and that Michael is in full compliance with God's commands. 601 00:47:32,880 --> 00:47:41,880 So is Bill, so is Mark. 602 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:47,880 This is the greater Israel when you begin to look at what was really promised. 603 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:52,880 The Fratige River, the Nile River, the Red Sea. 604 00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:59,880 That's a big portion of land there, and they're still fighting over it today. 605 00:47:59,880 --> 00:48:01,880 But who's still there? 606 00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:04,880 Israel. Who's going to be there? 607 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:07,880 Israel. Who's going to all come upon Israel? 608 00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:10,880 Every nation in the world is going to come down on Israel. 609 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:14,880 But what is Israel going to do? They're going to be victorious. 610 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:21,880 Man, we are on the cusp of seeing some miraculous things. 611 00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:24,880 I think it's close, and it's getting closer. 612 00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:25,880 We've got to hurry. 613 00:48:25,880 --> 00:48:29,880 Worship of the Lord characterized Abraham's life 614 00:48:29,880 --> 00:48:34,880 as indicated by his building of altars as he moved from place to place. 615 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:35,880 Okay? 616 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:41,880 Actions to take when you encounter conflict with a family member. 617 00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:43,880 Two more minutes. 618 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:46,880 Go directly to where? 619 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:50,880 God. 620 00:48:50,880 --> 00:48:57,880 Not your uncle, not your mama, not your daddy, not grandpa. 621 00:48:57,880 --> 00:49:03,880 But go to God. 622 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:09,880 The Lord requires full obedience and full compliance with his commands. 623 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,880 Go directly to God. 624 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:17,880 The next thing is, go directly to the source. 625 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:25,880 If Randy is not getting meals at home. 626 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:28,880 Okay, John, stand here with me. 627 00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:37,880 You've got to go to Judy and say, feed me. 628 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:39,880 Go directly to the source. 629 00:49:39,880 --> 00:49:47,880 Go diplomatically, but with humility. 630 00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:55,880 Father God, we thank you for this night and for what we've been able to learn in this lesson. 631 00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:59,880 Lord, we may have those times when we agree to disagree. 632 00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:03,880 We're going to have those times when we feel wronged. 633 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:10,880 We're going to have those times when we're confused about how could another person think and act that way. 634 00:50:10,880 --> 00:50:27,880 While it's really easy to point the finger at someone else, and sometimes when we do that, we forget that many times we should be considering our own selves in light of what your word says. 635 00:50:27,880 --> 00:50:31,880 In light of what the situation is where we are in. 636 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:35,880 We are Nike. 637 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:38,880 We are overcomers. 638 00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:53,880 We are the ones that help us, Lord, to live humbly as overcomers in the world that doesn't understand and can't comprehend what your grace and what your mercy is all about. 639 00:50:53,880 --> 00:51:00,880 And Lord, now as we continue to pray for others in our congregation, we just pray that your will will be done. 640 00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:06,880 And more than anything else, Lord, you promised us that you would give us the desires of our heart. 641 00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:09,880 Let us force our desires to you tonight, right now. 642 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:38,880 We pray in Jesus' name. Let us all say, Amen.