God's Glory Church

Last time, we talked about how we all want God’s guidance on where to go this year, what to do, and what service the Lord sees us in. Today, allow me to pester you a little longer and share with you where we definitely shouldn’t go. There are many aspects to this issue, and I will try, with God’s help, to share the most important ones.

Let’s look again at the life of Abraham today, but I want to draw your attention more to his nephew Lot. In Genesis 12, we read:

“And the Lord said to Abram, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.’ 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. I will bless those who bless thee, and curse him who curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’ So Abram went as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-7)

The first revelation I see in this passage is this: It is good to follow God’s vision, even if it is not yours.

Lot followed Abraham, although God did not call him to leave Haran. And as long as Lot walked with Abraham, God blessed him too.

Already in the New Testament, Christ speaks to us of this, speaking of us as slaves to whom He entrusted His talents:

“Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew you that you are an hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered.’ So I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth. There you have what is yours. His lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter straw. Therefore you should have given my money to the merchants, and I would have received it with interest when I came. Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:24-29).

What is Jesus telling us in this passage? He is saying that when we don’t have our own revelation of where to go and what to do with the talents God has given us, we should give our time, energy, and abilities to those who already serve God and know where to go. God approves and blesses this, which is why God blessed Lot along with Abraham.

A little further on in Genesis 13, we read about this:

And he continued his journeys from the south to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had first made there. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds, and tents. But the land was too small for them to dwell together, for their substance was so great that they could not dwell together. (Genesis 13:3-6)

Notice how much God blessed Lot. Lot was so rich and prosperous that it was too crowded for him and Abraham to live together. Was this due to Lot’s efforts? No. The blessing that the Lord spoke of to Abraham was at work here. When Abraham obeyed God and went to Canaan, he became a blessing to those around him, and Lot also received this blessing.

But a little further on we read what happened in Lot’s life when God blessed him and expanded his territory:

Now there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites were then living in the land. And Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between me and you, or between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brothers of kin. Is not the whole land before you? Separate now, I pray thee, from me: if thou go to the left, then I will go to the right; and if thou go to the right, then I will go to the left.” Then Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of Jordan, how it was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even to Zoar. So Lot chose all the plain of Jordan for himself. And Lot journeyed eastward. And they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. (Genesis 13:7-13)

First, we see that Abraham and Lot’s shepherds began to argue over pastures, and this situation clearly reveals the feelings of Abraham and his nephew Lot. Abraham sought reconciliation and took the initiative to prevent the conflict from escalating. Lot, however, showed no humility or desire to yield the best land to his uncle. He simply chose what looked better and more attractive.

Let me tell you a story:

One day, an elderly woman came to see Abraham Lincoln, then President of the United States. “What can I do for you?” Lincoln asked. “Nothing. I just heard you liked these cookies. I baked them and brought them to you,” she replied. “You’re the first person who’s come to me not to ask, but to give!” the President said admiringly.
This example confirms the truth that there is a serious problem in the world: the vast majority of people seek their own interests. God, through the Apostle Paul, commanded: “Let no one seek his own interests, but each one the interests of others.”

Therefore, the next revelation is this: Not everything that looks attractive to us will bring blessings into our lives.

What was the problem with Lot’s choice? He chose the easier path, but in doing so, he turned a blind eye to the fact that the place where he planned to live and raise his children was filled with sin and evil.
Is it normal to associate with sinners? Yes, it is, if we associate with them with the goal of leading them to the Lord. But if we simply live among sin and do nothing to influence our surroundings, whether we want it or not, those surroundings will influence us.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes the following: “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

Note that it’s not the other way around. There’s a very good example our missionaries often showed us: If I stood on a chair and tried to pull any of you onto it, I wouldn’t be able to. But if any of you yanks me out of my chair, they’ll be able to drag me down without a problem. It’s the same with sin. If we associate—have a very close and heartfelt connection with those who live without God and aren’t embarrassed about it—it won’t be long before problems come into our lives.

Therefore, parents, while your children live with you, it’s your responsibility to discourage them from close association, much less build relationships, with those who live without God. In our church, I observed one thing: all the sisters who married unbelievers not only failed to bring them to the Lord, but also left the church and God themselves. And those who waited and married believers today have wonderful families and children. Therefore, it’s worth waiting for a vision from God for you, and not jumping at what seems attractive. We need to learn this ourselves and teach our children.

Sometimes we should say, as one of the film’s characters says: “Don’t go there, go here…”

Lot made one wrong choice, and problems immediately began in his life. The kings were settling their differences, and Lot, who lived in Sodom, was taken captive. We read about this in chapter 14 of Genesis:

“Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and departed. Then they took Lot, Abram’s nephew, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. Then one of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, who then lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorrean, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner, who were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he armed his servants, three hundred and eighteen of his own household, and pursued them as far as Dan. He and his servants divided themselves and attacked them by night, and defeated them. He pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left side of Damascus. He also brought back all the goods, including his kinsman Lot, and his goods, the women, and the people. (Genesis 14:11-17)

And who do you think rescued Lot from the problems that began to arise in his life? His uncle Abraham.

God warned Lot, but he did not listen, and so the troubles in his life did not end there. What would you do if serious problems arose in your life because of the environment in which you live? What would you do if you were told you’d be fired from your job for refusing to agree to cheat? What would you do if you saw your children falling under the bad influence of their peers?

Lot did nothing. He simply continued to live where he was comfortable, and Abraham continued to pray for him:

Then the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grievous. I will go down now and see whether they have done according to the outcry against them that comes to Me, or not; then I will know.” So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will You also sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:20-23)

But even Abraham’s prayers couldn’t help Lot avoid further trouble. He was forced to leave Sodom, but in doing so, he lost all his possessions and even his wife:

“Then Lot went out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. So he dwelt in the cave, and his two daughters with him. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man upon the earth that can come in unto us, after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and lie with him, and let us raise up seed of our father. So they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in and lay with her father: but he knew not when she lay down, nor when she rose up. And the next day the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay with my father yesterday: let us make him drink wine this night also: and thou shalt go in and lie with him, and let us raise up seed of our father. So they made their father drink wine that night also: and the secondborn went in and lay with him: but he knew not when she lay down, nor when she rose up. And both of Lot’s daughters conceived by their father: and the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: he is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben-Ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.” (Genesis 19:30-38)

It’s hard to lose what you’ve accumulated over the years. But the saddest part of this story is that Lot’s daughters were imbued with the sin of Sodom and slept with their own father. And it was because of this sin that two nations arose—the Moabites and the Ammonites. Nations that subsequently greatly oppressed God’s people—Israel.

And the final revelation I see in this passage is that Our example of disobedience to God will be reflected in our children and their descendants.

Do we want to be blessed in our lives? I think we do. And do we want our children to inherit a blessing? I think we want that even more. Therefore, our choice to follow God or our own desires is precisely the example we will set for our children. An example that will shape their worldview and understanding of what is good and what is bad. What is worth sacrificing their energy and time for, and what is not.

In conclusion, I’ll tell you another story from the life of Abraham Lincoln:

US President Abraham Lincoln once said, “I owe everything to my angel mother… all that I am and all that I will be.”

During the Civil War, Lincoln often experienced difficult moments. One day, a general came to his home late at night with important news. The maid politely said,

“The President is already asleep.”

“But I hear his voice,” the general countered, and went inside.

When he carefully opened the door to the president’s room, he saw him kneeling in prayer.

The president had not forgotten the legacy of his prayerful mother.

What example are you setting for your children? What example am I, as a believer, setting for those around me? Do the people around me see that I follow Christ? Do my children see it? Will my grandchildren see it? Do I follow only what I like, or do I seek and follow God’s vision?

Let’s follow God’s vision, even if it’s not ours. Let’s choose not what’s more attractive, but what’s God’s. And let our lives be a good example for our children and their descendants.

Pastor Alexander Koltukov.