Delayed Obedience is Disobedience
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said
unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
2 And I will make of thee, a great nation,
and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And,
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee, shall all families of the earth, be blessed.
Genesis 13:1-6 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle,
in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journeys, from the south even to Bethel,
unto the place where his tent had been, at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there, at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
5 And Lot also, which, went with Abram,
had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. Genesis 13:14-17 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed, as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it;
for I will give it unto thee.
God tells Abram of his plan to bless him and make him a blessing. *God also told us, of his desire to bless me and you* Have you ever received a Word from the Lord ???
God then gives Abram instructions to become this blessed man of purpose and promise.
1. He must leave his country and kindred = his relatives, and his father’s house.
2. Then, he must follow, with no knowledge
of where he is going. In total trust and faith.
Abram was surrounded, by an ungodly system of idolatry. God was calling Abram out of that Polytheistic system of many gods.
Like today, they worshiped many gods.
Our God will never be satisfied, to be among the other god’s of your life. Ex 20:3 No Other
Those who would follow God, must follow the example of Abram, and renounce and dethrone, every rival of the One True God, and crown Christ alone as Lord and Master.
Many of Gods people today are trying to serve God,,,, as just one in the number.
You want God, but you worship your career, or your boat, your house, your TV, phone.
You’re trying to fit God into a comfortable little time slot, where He, is in your life, but, He doesn’t inconvenience you.
People worship all kinds of gods.
There are those, who worship the god of convenience, look around, where are they ?
People worship the god of materialism, = (money and wealth) and the god of popular opinion,,,, politically and socially correct.
The god of personal fitness, their own body.
And they worship the god of recreation. (Sunday after Sunday multitudes of people worship the god of recreation, kneeling at the altar of boating, and skiing, and picnicking, and fishing) while the altar, of the one true God,, is left empty and alone.
Just like Nebuchadnezzar, who built a statue of his own,,,,, to be worshipped,,, as god, Multitudes of people in our churches have done the same thing, they have designed their own creation, and call it the God of heaven.
Their God, puts everything above the work of the Lord. Their god never chastises or disciplines them; he never hurts their pride or requires humility or submission. And best of all, Their god doesn’t interfere with their lives, he just sits on a shelf, waiting for them to have a problem, so they can pull him down and rub his belly like a magic lantern, then when everything is back to normal, they just put him back up on a shelf till the next time they have a problem. It’s sad but it is true.
God called Abram to come out of a hostile environment, (not necessarily hostile to Abram, but hostile to the gifts and calling
of God on his life. Hostile to the Lord…
Some of you are in environments, right now, that are hostile, to the anointing of God, that is on your life,,, Every time you get around certain people, they leave you feeling drained, dry and empty. Every time you get around them, they drag you down.
They drag you into some fleshly arena,, that weakens your anointing. You need to learn the lesson Abram learned: The wrong people in your life, can keep you from your destiny.
Many of Gods people miss their destiny because they allow wrong people, access, to their lives. You just can’t hang with everybody, you just have to cut some ties…
*Every preacher shouldn’t have the right to speak into your life. *Just because someone calls themselves a prophet doesn’t give them the right to speak into your life.
*Every brother don’t want you blessed
David’s brother criticized him for coming to the battle front. Josephs brothers betrayed him,,,, threw him into a pit, and sold him.
Some of the greatest enemies, to your destiny, are “or were”, sitting right here in church.
The Israelites allowed 10 of their own, to talk them out of their destiny. It wasn’t the devil, it wasn’t even their enemies, it was their friends, it was the leadership. 10 spies.
Everybody in church, is not ready to press in, and cross over Jordan, and take possession of their promise, and those who won’t cross over, will do their best, to keep you out too.
God told Abram: I’m going to bless you and make your name great and make, of you, a great nation, and that all the nations of the earth would be blessed, in you. What God didn’t tell Abram was, what he was going
to have to go through, before that promise, came to pass. There will be persecution.
Some of you here today, are going through some things, that are absolutely the opposite of your promises. You have a prophetic word, prophecies that you know, are from God, but every natural evidence says,,
it’s never going to happen.
But I came to tell you: Hold on, Hold on, Hold on, change is coming. I said,,,
CHANGE IS COMING, Hold On….
One of the greatest activities of faith, is being able to wait on God, to trust him when you can’t trace him. When all hell is breaking loose against you, to stand like Paul and say: Sirs, I believe God, that it shall be, even as it was told me. Hold On, Hold On, Hold On
Nu 23: 19 God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent, hath he said it, shall he not do it? Hath he spoken it, shall he not make it good?
Abram was like many of us: He had some trouble obeying God. At first glance, it seems as though Abram, is the perfect, obedient servant, but he was only, partially obedient.
Abram delayed his blessing, because of partial obedience, which = disobedience.
Many times we have delayed promises,,, because we have been partially obedient.
Notice vs 7& 8 Abram is building altars,
to God: Abram is praying, but not obeying.
Many of us are praying to get a word,, to get us out of the word,, that God,, has already spoken to us, “or” we’re praying,, for God, to change his mind about the last word He gave.
We are willing to pray, but not obey.
Abram knows that he has to separate himself from Lot, but he’s just like us. We know when God deals with an area of our life,,,,,
we know the conviction of the Holy Spirit…
But it’s hard to get rid of something that is so much a part of us. If it was sin, we would be quick to obey. We know that sin, separates us from God, and will destroy our soul.
Abram wasn’t trying to cover up sin, he was just holding onto flesh, he was just trying to save a little bit, of what God told him to get rid of. That’s what lot represents, a little bit of what God said to leave behind. Lot was Abrams flesh connection to the old country, someone to reminisce with about how great it was. It’s dangerous to run with people, that always want to talk about how it used to be. And how much fun it was, and how crazy you were, and all the crazy things you did before you got saved. When Abram left his country, Lot was just a tag along, a small reminder of the old country, “the good ole days”.
But soon, Lot had increased in strength and number, until, there was strife between them.
In other words, the flesh had increased, until it was almost equal in strength, to the spirit.
The devil doesn’t have to get you to sin, to forfeit your destiny, all he has to do is get you to let the flesh have the upper hand, because he knows that the carnal mind, is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then, they that are after the flesh,, cannot please God.
Abrams delayed obedience, has now permitted his flesh, to reach a place,
where there is strife and contention.
Delayed Obedience is Disobedience
Delayed Obedience is Disobedience
You can never isolate flesh in one little compartment, and expect it to stay there, either the spirit will throw out the flesh,
or the flesh will overthrow the spirit.
Finally, Abram recognizes they can no longer dwell together, the land couldn’t bear them both, there can’t be two land lords, either the flesh will rule or the spirit. Abram tells lot,
It’s time for us to separate, you’ve got to go.
Whichever way you choose, I am going the opposite. Here is a recognition, that the flesh and the spirit are at war. You can not, tame the flesh or train the flesh to be holy, the flesh must be crucified. You have to cut it out…..
Immediately after the separation, God speaks to Abram: Ge 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15 For all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be numbered.
Notice, that now, he is able to see, what God has prepared for him:
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Lot Means = To cover up or to wrap over.
This means, that the flesh, will keep you from seeing and receiving what God, has prepared for you, Only by the spirit can you (see) and receive what belongs to you.
Somebody today is standing on the verge of the greatest breakthrough of your life, you’re getting ready to step into the promise of God, your getting ready to experience the destiny that’s been prophesied over your life.
But there’s one little thing, that will keep you from stepping in. There’s one little thing that stands between you and your breakthrough.
There’s one little thing will rob you of your destiny, “if you let it”, and that little thing is called Lot. Lot is that little part of your flesh that you permit to stay in your life, even though God, has sentenced it to the cross.
It will blind you, to your inheritance and your destiny, and if you don’t deal with it,
it will rob you of your promise and destiny.
“””A little lot is a lot trouble. Cut it off…”””
Just as Abram separated himself from Lot,
we must, separate ourselves from the flesh, and the instrument of this separation,,,,
“is called the cross”. Gal. 5:24 And they that are Christ’s, have crucified the flesh,,,,
Ro 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Colossians 3:1-6 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth, on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection, on things above, not on things of the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid, with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear, with Him, in glory.
5 Mortify, therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desires,
and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things', sake the wrath of God, cometh on the children of disobedience:
2 Cor. 10:5 Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing, that exalteth itself, against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity,
every thought, to the obedience of Christ;
1Sam.15:22 To obey is better than sacrifice
Special thanks to a great man of God and a wonderful friend, Pastor Terry Sisney.
My name is William Poovey, and I pastor at Bethel Church in Olar, SC. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a lot of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
William Poovey
