Have you ever found yourself in a desperate situation?
Perhaps, you’ve found yourself surrounded by people that didn’t mean you any good.
Perhaps, you’ve found yourself overwhelmed with financial stress and strain.
Perhaps, you’ve found yourself going through some type of personal problem within your family life that has caused you to find yourself trapped in the difficulty and dilemma of desperation.
Have you gotten to a point in life where it seems as if the enemy has kept you from the destiny that G-D has ordained for you?
Have you gotten to the point where you’re just about ready to give up?
Does it seem like your FAITH has FALTERED GUMPTION is GONE
Your HOPE has been HALTED
YOUR VICTORY has VANISHED
If so, you have a choice to make....
Do you remember the game show “Let’s Make a Deal” w/ Monty Hall and later w/Wayne Brady?
The premise of “Let’s Make a Deal” was such that contestants were selected from the audience who would adorn themselves in crazy costumes to catch the attention of the host; the contestants were referred to as “traders” and in most cases the “trader” would be offered something of value and given the choice to keep what they have been given or perhaps exchange it for something else.
What is unknown to the “trader” is what the other item is – so they have to choose what’s behind “Door Number 1” “Door Number 2” or “Door Number 3” and hoping that whatever they choose they don’t “Zonk Out” – but as we all have come to learn is, life is no game show...
Now the last time Abram had gone to Egypt it was because of famine, but prior to that the L- RD (in Chapter 12) had given Abram instructions for his destiny.
Abram was told:
1. Leave your Country
2. Leave your Family
3. Leave your Daddy’s House
4. Get to your Destiny (the land I will show you)!
So what does Abram do, he leaves Haran at the age of 75 with his wife and his nephew....
They leave Haran, go into Canaan, travels through (I’m still in Chapter 12 of Genesis verse 6 now), Shechem and at this time Canaanites were in the land.
G-D says to him (Abram), “I’m going to give this land to your children”. With such a mighty WORD from the L-RD comes a time for worship, so Abram builds an altar unto the L- RD. He moves on east of Bethel and pitches a tent with Bethel now on the west and (H)Ai on the east and then builds another altar unto the L- RD (watch this now, he builds himself a tent, but builds G-D an altar) and begins to worship our G-D.
In verse 9 it lets us know Abram kept moving towards the South (Negev); and then there was famine so severe, they go to Egypt.
Now Abram (although given promises by G- D), but his faith was tested, and he fails this test miserably....but isn’t it just like G-D that when we fail HIM, HE is yet faithful towards us?
The commands of G-D are always attached to a Promise; HE told Abram to separate himself from his country, kindred, his father’s house and go to your “Destiny”!
Now look what happens here in our text (back in Chapter 13), Abram returns to this land what was promised to his children; and he goes back to the place where he originally built an altar.
G-D had shown HIMself faithful and blessed Abram with wealth and possessions, but before he goes back to the place where he worshipped G-D, our text in Verse 1 says that Abram left Egypt and went South (the interesting thing about this South is, this is the same direction Moses takes Israel when they make their Exodus from Egypt, they too go South, we refer to this place as “the wilderness” (there they wandered for 40 years).
Likewise Abram goes through this “wilderness”.
Do you see what’s happening here? In Chapter 12, Abram messes up, he doubts G-D; he got off track, so here he is back-tracking!
Abram is retracing his steps and heading back to the place where he first came, heading back to the place where he first called on the NAME of the L-RD, but before he does this he goes through a wilderness experience.
Then, verse 4 says to us, ‘Abram finds himself at the altar which he made there at first and begins to call upon the L-RD.’
So you see, Abram is giving us a pattern (a methodology) towards DESTINY!
Abram messed up, but he remembered the best way to get back on track is to go back to the place we were before we messed up! So, Abram worships the L-RD.
And it’s a good thing he does this because Abram is about to face another test...
So Abram worships G-D, and the next thing we see in verse 5 and a few following verses is that Abram and his nephew Lot had so many sheep, cattle and tents that the land wasn’t enough to sustain them; not only that but verse 7 lets us know that in addition to Abram and Lot and all their possessions, herdsmen that there were Canaanites and Perizzites (this is why Sunday School Mama Cleo Pollard is important) dwelling in the land (perhaps they had their own sheep, cattle and tents). The Bible says that (not just a fight), but quarrels/strife broke out between Abram’s and Lot’s herders.
Now remember back in Chapter 12 Verse 1 where G-D told Abram, “Get out from your country, leave your family and get out your father’s house.”
Abram did leave Haran, he did leave his Terah’s house, but he did NOT leave his family, but rather, he took his nephew Lot with him...
The promise G-D made was with Abram; not with Lot! So Abram has this test, but unlike the last time where he failed the test, this time, he passes.
Bishop Chambers what was the difference between this time and the last time (I’m glad you asked)? Worship!
So in verse 4, Abram worships; now in verse 8 Abram says to his nephew Lot, “let’s not fight no more, after all, we kinfolk.” “Tell you what Lot, You Go Your Way...I’ll Go Mine!”
In other words Abram has to now trust in the promise G-D had given him...
It’s funny how we constantly live in the past It’s funny how we concentrate on how things used to be; what we used to have; what we used to do.
There’s nothing wrong with memories; it’s good to look back (my soul looks back), but you can’t get to your destiny holding on to people you should have left in your past.
The L-RD has been constantly proving HIMself to us, taking us through dangers seen and unseen. Yet every-time HE tries to take us to the next level, we stand there holding onto everything and everybody, the L-RD told us to leave alone....
Tell your neighbor, I’m tired of just settling for stuff; I need what HE’s promised me!!!
If you and I are going to move on to our Destiny – we’ve got to let Lot go!
Come here Eryka Badu, you remember the song “Bag Lady” where she speaks to women not being able to move forward because they’re holding onto their past, there in that song she prophesies, “Pack Light...cuz one day all ‘dem bags ‘gon get in your way...”
I stopped by 1231 Garfield to tell you to drop the excess; drop off the people G-D told you to leave alone...because if you keep carrying them around, “one day they ‘gon get in your way...”
So Abram says, “...if you go to the left, I’ll go to the right, and if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” “You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine”!
In Verse 10, Lot chooses first and sees as far as he can towards the plain of Jordan, “it was well watered (like Egypt)”. Lot chose the land that looked fertile, well-watered, good for his business...Abram doesn’t choose based upon necessity, by faith he gives his nephew Lot first dibs...
Notice here in Verse 14 what happens next (and we’re going home), after Lot leaves and goes his way, the L-RD again says, “Look, north, south, east and west.” Verse 15, “Everything you see I’m giving it to you and to your seed for ever...”
So how do you get to your Destiny Bishop? Let me give you my outline.
My First Point, we must not be blinded by positive results
My Second Point, don’t underestimate the impact of negative consequences
My Third Point, you have to learn how to worship G-D in spirit and in truth
My Fourth Point, you have to learn how to Let Go!
How do you let Go....easier said than done....Trust in the L-RD with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, but in all thy ways acknowledge HIM and HE shall direct your paths.
How do you do that....you do it by Faith; what is Faith...
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
By Faith, the elders obtained a good report
By Faith the world was framed by the WORD of G-D
By Faith Abel offered G-D a more excellent sacrifice than Cain
By Faith Enoch was translated; and before that he had this testimony, that he pleased G-D.
But without Faith, it is impossible to please HIM: for he that cometh to G-D must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarded of them that diligently seek HIM.
By Faith Noah listened to G-D and built an ark and became the heir of the righteousness which is by Faith.
By Faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should have receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
By Faith he traveled in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from G-D.
Abraham was waiting for the city that G-D had designed and built, a city with permanent foundations.
Through Faith Sarah received enough strength to conceive and deliver a child when she was past the age of child-bearing.
Abraham was as good as dead. Yet from this one man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore.
All these people died having faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them....We’re here at 1231 because William Frank Taylor had Faith...because Leviticus Boswell had Faith....
We’re still here because Reverend William B. Hurse had Faith
We’re still here because Reverend Henri Lawson had Faith
We’re still here because Rev. Calvin Phillips had Faith – they didn’t see the Promise; but they saw our Destiny!!!
We’re still here because Bishop James Tindall has Faith
We’re still here with Bishop and Lady Bryant – we’ve come this far by Faith...Leaning on the L-RD, trusting in HIS holy WORD, HEs never failed us yet...
