Givers And Takers

Died in it. Did it while it was a beautiful day. I didn't say too much sun today at my house but it did Shine a timer 20. Alright well we're glad that you are here tonight. And remember last week we finished up the financial system of the church. So what are we going to do tonight? You say, well we move to another system. Well, I would but I'm not ready to move to another one yet. So what I'm going to do tonight is I'm going to preach the sermon that comes out of Genesis, and you can go ahead and turn the chapter 13 if you like and I think I do have the title of the sermon.

And there it is, givers and takers. You know, we been talkin about financial stewardship And so tonight, I'm going to preach a sermon entitled givers and takers. You know, when you look at this world and the people in the world, you can basically boil it down to two types of people, givers and takers. That in the Bible say, is more blessed to do what to give than to receive.

And we're blessed in the in the Greek can actually mean happy or joyful. And the Bible teaches that we find true Joy. When we learn what it means to give. So we can divide people up into two group, some people just seem to give their time in their treasure and their money, just wherever they are, and whatever they do. They are givers and then you have others who are looking for something more. They're waiting for someone to give them something and they just want to take, take take take, but they don't want to give when you in the reason I like this. This subject in the Bible is because the Bible gives us contrast of givers and takers. Now, just think about this for a second and a nice instafire They were takers. Barnabas was a giver. Mary was a giver. And Judas was what he was a taker. And look how each of those who were takers, how their lives ended. And so tonight, what I want to do, if I want to contrast to other people in the Bible, Who were givers and takers and that is Abraham and locked remember lot, okay? You probably remember the story a lot. If, if not, we will, we will go over it a little bit here. But if you remember a lot was Abraham's, nephew and when God called Abraham to leave earlier of the Kaldi's. Well, he took his nephew with him. And so lot went with Abraham and Abraham was very wealthy, and he was very rich and he had herds and he had flocks. And he had men servants and maidservants and a lot of wealth. But when faced with the decision of giving or taking Abraham, was always a giver and lot was always a taker, And we going to see this in this story tonight and this contrasts between lot and Abraham is kind of a clear picture of the difference between a giver and a taker and how God blesses one and does not the other. So, givers and takers. Genesis 13 to 19 will probably mostly be in 19, but we're going to start here in 13th. So let me give you the first point tonight. And we're going to look at lot first and the reason lot was a taker. Number one is because he became interested. In going in the wrong direction. Now let's look at it in Genesis 13. And so, let's start out in verse 1. April went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that. He had a lot with him to the South. It says Abraham was very rich in livestock and silver and gold and he went on his journey from the south as far as Bethel to the place where he can't have been at the beginning tween Bethel. And AI to the place of the altar which he had made their at first and their Abraham called on the name of the Lord. Now look what it says here in verse 5, lot also who went with a bomb had flocks and herds intense. What how did he get those? Well, they were Abraham's Abraham's and Abraham had given those to lock. Now, look what it says in 6. Now the land was not able to support them that they might dwell together for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. So, here we had Abraham and lot and a half. So many flocks and herds and all, they didn't know. There was not enough grass, not enough water, whoever they went. So they had to disperse. And look what it says in verse 7 in there is Strife between the husband of Abraham's, livestock, and herdsmen of locks livestock's in Denver state. So Abraham said the lot please, let there be no Strife between you and me and between my husband and your husband for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you please separate from me. And I watch what he says. If you take the left, then I will go to the right or if you go to the right then I will go to the left was Abraham doing, he's giving lot W his choice. Abraham was a giver Abraham said, well, he'll only reason you're wealthy is because of me. So I'm going to take what I want and like you can have whatever. I don't think that's not what he did. He said lot. He said there's no sense and these herdsmen arguing and it's not going to cause a strike between me and you. So I tell you what you do, you take what you want and I'll take what's left. Now look at verse 10 and lot lifted. His eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan that it was well water everywhere. Before the Lord destroyed, Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. As you go toward Zoar, then lot chose for himself. All the plain of Jordan and lot Journey East in, they separated from each other Abraham, dwelt in the land of Canaan and lot, dwell in the cities on the plane, and pitched his tent, even as far as Sodom, But the men of Sodom were exceedingly, Wicked and sinful against the Lord. So, light was given a choice. He could stay close to Abraham, or he could kind of set out on his own. He looked around. He noticed the plains of Joy. Wow, look at all that luscious grass. Look at the water, just look at everything. This is what I'm going to take. I'm going to take the best for myself and so he forgot about Abraham's generosity, and he chose the land for himself in the Bible says that he decided to pitch his tent close. To the city of Sodom. Never heard about the city of Sodom, Sodom and Gomorrah. We all know how that ended. Well, the city of Solomon or Sodom had long been used to kind of symbolize evil and sexual immorality. Matter fact, we get our word sodomy from this name of this city bottom and Genesis 13. We read says that the men were exceedingly, Wicked and sinful against the Lord. Now 2nd Peter verse chapter 2, verse 7 and 8. This is what it says about Sodom. It speaks of the filthy conduct of the wicked. And in Jude chapter 7 says it's Solomon was such an evil city that was set forth as an example, suffering and Vengeance of Eternal fire. That's what Jude says. It was a vile place. But who wanted to go and make his home there lot, he pitched his tent right outside the city of Sodom. Well, you see what happened is. A lot had been given all these wonderful opportunities he was wealthy, but he became enamored with Sodom and he settled into a life of wickedness and this was his first step in his downfall. This is what I see from this story. When you become comfortable with seeing that is often the first step in a downhill. Slide away from God when you're comfortable with sin when it doesn't bother you anymore, not how much someone else is saying about your own sin, when it doesn't bother you anymore and sometimes we'll walk with God. But then we'll notice something. Looks good. It sounds like fun, it entices us and pretty soon. We've taken off our eyes off the Eternal things and we have become enamored with the things of this world. And that's exactly what happened to lock. He became interested in the wrong direction. He went the wrong way. Number 2, He became insensitive to God's voice. This is how another way we know that lot was a taker. He started listening to the wrong voice friends, when, when we listen. To the world. When we listen to their philosophy into their psychology, we will begin to tune God out, is what we'll do. We'll tune God out. Now, why is a perfect illustration of what happens? When a man becomes insensitive to the voice of God? He moved to solve them. We're going to find out in a few minutes that he became involved in the city. And it was he was just wrapped up in their culture. One day, the city was attacked and saw them and lot, and his whole family was taken captive, nephew to Ben Abraham and you found out that your nephew had been taken captive after. He had already dished, you and took the best land and all what would you do if it's probably me, I'd probably say, you know, something that serves him, right? Let him suffer the consequences of his choices, but Abraham didn't do that. He got his servants together and he went and rescued. Now, you would think after being rescued, or being captured by a bunch of pagans and enemies miraculously delivered by the grace of God and by Abraham's Grace that lot would have stopped and thought for a minute, you know, something I'm in the wrong place. This is not the place for me. What am I doing here? How did I get involved with people like that? But instead what did he do? He went right back to Sodom. Where he was captured at, he went right back and so as a matter of fact, the next time that he appears, if you look at it, turn the chapter 19 and look at what verse 1 says about. Lot chapter 19, the Genesis verse one. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and lot was sitting in the gate of fall of Sodom who sets in a gate a judge He judges all the things that going on between people and he would judge what's right? And what's wrong? He was a judge in the city. I mean he was wrapped up in the culture, he was a main leader of Sodom. And then later, if you remember the story, when God told Sodom and his a lot, and to get out of Sodom and his family, all of a sudden, light starts argument God, what, what I have to leave for, have to go up to the mountain. I don't want to go there. I want to stay here. I mean, you see how he became just entangled in this culture. Freezeless. When we start listening to the advice of the world, we stop listening to the voice of God. That's just the way it is. Number three. another reason we know he was a taker, He became. Incompatible with himself that you say, what do you mean by that? Got one scripture, I want to show tonight. 2nd 2nd Peter 2:6, the right? Look at this and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly. And delivered, was it say about lot righteous lot. What was a Christian? He was righteous. But yeah, listen to the world and pitched his tent. And then all the sudden became a leader in this debased city and delivered, righteous lot who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. For that righteous man dwelling among them. Speaking of light, here tormented his righteous soul from day-to-day by seeing and hearing their Lawless deeds and look what it said. He saying here, that lot was tormented Day after day by seeing and hearing of their Lawless Deeds friends list if you hang around with the wrong crowd in the only thing you hear and only thing you see is wickedness guess what's going to happen to you? You going to be Wicked to and this is exactly what happened to righteous lot. All he did all day was just listen to these men and women or whatever talking about all their evil Deeds. I've only heard about. That's all he saw. So, look what happened to him. So lot started Living in that City thinking, it was going to be a wonderful place and he was wealthy, and he discovered how awful it really was all around him. Was unrighteousness. The Bible says, and lot deep down inside had a heart to please. God, but light was always compromising that desire to please God to satisfy his appetite for wealth. For money, he was a taker he disliked being among them people, but he was willing to stay there and be tormented every day, just so he can make more money. So he can fill up his billfold. Now, do you think he was happy living there? Of course he wasn't happy, the Bible says he was oppressed and tormented he was a miserable man, but he tried to establish his happiness through material wealth, and not through a relationship with the Lord. Lot was a taker and he suffered because of it, and he was interested in the wrong direction in sensitive to God's voice and he was incompatible with himself deep down, he wanted to serve God, but he compromised so much that he wouldn't do it. And he picked money and temporary things over God and eternal things. lock was a taker number for, In friends, when you become incompatible with yourself and you become a compromiser and you look in the wrong direction and you listen to the wrong voice, guess what? The last step is you going to fall into sin and that's exactly what lot did. He was an influential man in Sodom. Remember, he was sitting at the gate so he would be judging disputes among the people. And the Bible says that when he went there, he pitched his tent toward Solomon, Asylum. So that means he set up his tent. So that when he open the flap, he could see saw them. But he went live in there and then you get to chapter 19. What is he? He's a judge sitting inside the gate so he had already got out of his tent and moved in there. It was inevitable. That lot would become involved in the Sin of Sodom what was Psalms means in. Sexual immorality, homosexuality and all other deviant behaviors. Now. and then when the people came after Representatives that God sent, what did something else? That's just incredible to me. Want you to look at it and chapter 19.

Chapter 19. And I want you to look beginning in verse

SC. No, it's not that. Let me see, 19.

And let's begin in verse 1. Now, the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom when Lots all them Heroes to meet them. He bound himself with his face toward the ground. He said here, now my Lord, please turn into your Servants house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise early and go on your way, and they said, no. But we will spend the night in the open Square, so light, he was very friendly, and invite him to his house, to stay all night and have food, but he insisted strongly. So they turned into him and entered his house and he made them a feast and bake unleavened bread. And they ate now watch this. Now, before they lay down the men of the city, the men of Sodom both old and young, all the people from every quarter surrounded the house. I know what they called a lot and said to him, where are the men? Who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them. That word know them means sexually. The men surrounded, the house both young and old and said those visitors lock that can't you send them out to us? Because we want to get to know them looking for 6. So light went out to them through the doorway and he shut the door behind him and said, please, my brother do not do so wickedly. Now watch what he does in per state. See now I have two daughters who have not known a man. Please let me bring them out to you and you may do to them as you wish. Now what what father would do that? What type of man is locked. He's a taker, but he's absolutely incredibly. Evil. He said, don't don't take these visitors. These Gap. Take my daughter's. They've never known a man and you just do what you want to do with them. What type of oil a father would do that. And he says Only do nothing to these men since this is reason they have come under the shadow of my roof. So here is locked. And we see him wanting to give his daughters to these men. He didn't want those men to take the men that had come to visit him so he was going to give his daughters away. What what an evil father that was well do you think he was really that evil? Let's go to verse 30. Now, you going to find something? Ben Lot. This is when they had left side on been locked, when up out of zor and dwell in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him for he was afraid to dwellings or, and he and his $2 dwelled in a cage. So, he is, is his wife. It already been turned into a salt shaker and so-and-so lot. It was just him and his $2, and they were up there in the mountain in a cave. Now, the firstborn said, to the younger, talk about his two, girls are father's old, and there is no man on the earth to come into us. As is the custom of all the Earth come let us make our father, drink wine and we will live with him that we may preserve the lineage of our father. So they made their father, drink wine that night and he was drunk, of course, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father. And he did not know when she lay down, a windshield Rose, it happened. On the next day, that the firstborn, said to the younger and deed. I lay with my father last night, let us make him drink wine tonight, also and you go in and lie with him. That we may preserve the lineage of our father, then they made their father drink wine that night also in the younger Rose and lay with him and he did not know when she lay down or when she a roast, that's both the daughters of Life were with child by their father. Incest. He going to give them to any man. But then he turns out and he lays with each of them. And have a child by his daughters. What has happened to Lot? He is a taker. Always and you see what happened? When he went to Sodom now. Now look what it says here in verse 37. The firstborn bore a son and call his name. What Moab member the moabites? That's where they come from. Always fighting with Israel. Come from lot and his daughter, incestuous relationship. That's where the moabites come from and then look the second one. And the younger. She also Boursin called his name, being a me, he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day ammonites and more bikes just a hated enemies of Israel. That's where they came from. Because of Sodom in this, incestuous relationship was a taker now, let's talk about Abraham will give you three points about him and we'll be finished house, Abraham different. He was a giver in what way he gave away, what he had. That's the first point. Number five, Abraham gave away. What? He had lot didn't have anything until he left with Abraham and Abraham gave him flocks and everything. And I'm not only that, he let him pick the land that he wanted. Abraham was generous enough to give Laura the First Choice. You see lot. Should have insisted no. No, I mean, you taking me, you're showing me how to do this, how to run a business out of 10 to fly. Know you pick, you should do that. Your older you should pick, but lots all his chance to make it till in. And he grabbed the best that he could find. Abraham other hand, he trusted God that would provide for him all throughout his life. All you have to do is read the book of Genesis. You see Abraham was just proved time and time again. He was a giver, he treated the king of Salem with generosity. How about the little handmade that he had a child with Ishmael, he treated him with generosity. He took care of all those in his camps, he always gave away what God would give him and what happened. Got always returned it to him. He always ended up with more than what he gave away friend. He was generous, you know, we've been talkin about the time. We've been talkin about financial stewardship. It's hard to understand. It goes against our nature, but the more we give away the more we get back to God, the more he gives to us so that we can give that back to him. That's just the way that it is Abraham, gave everything away. He rejected materialism and he didn't lose. He always gained he allowed lot to take the best of the land and what did God say to Abraham all the land? Which you see I will give to you and your descendants and giving away what he had. He actually gained, more Abraham gave away. What he had Abraham was a giver Number 6. not only did he give away what he had but he gained position at home, Genesis 18, verse 19 says this And this is the Lord for. I have known him in order that he may commend his children and his household after him that they keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and Justice. That the Lord, my brain to Abraham, what he has spoken to him. You see that he gained position at home contrast that with lot who ended up in a cave with an incestuous relationship with his own daughters. And hear the Lord says about Abraham, he will command his children and his household after him, they're going to keep the way of the Lord, and righteousness and Justice. That's what happens to a giver. That's what happens to a giver. Lot is a taker and we see what happened to him. You see the fact that Abraham was a giver, didn't make him a loser, he gave up temporal things, he couldn't so he could gain Eternal things that he could never lose you. See? That's what Abraham did. And then, lastly, Abraham gained prosperity for his family. You see, God always gave Abraham back everything, it was given, and then some after that, Abraham, never lost his fellowship with God. He remain close to God and I think one of the key reasons is Genesis 13 18, it says Abraham moved, his tent and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees which are in Hebron and build an altar there to the Lord, watch running down here and saw them. He's over here, he wants to be a leader and a wicked City. He doesn't care. And then when the Lord says I'm going to burn it down Lots on. Don't do that. Let me stay. I don't want to leave. Let me stay here. He was going to give his daughters to all the men who surrounded the house, then he made incestuous relationship with his daughters. What has happened to Lot? He is listening to the voice of the world and he is tuned out the voice of God. Guess what has happened? So we see here, lot chase after the unimportant but Abraham followed that, which was eternal. He kept his family together, protecting them from seeing maintain a close walk with God and he gave generously to others. And in the end, he didn't lose anything, he gained everything, it was locked, who lost everything, friends. This world is made up of givers and takers. Lotte gain the wealth of Jordan, but lost his companionship with Abraham. He gained the home and saw them.

But he didn't have a home like 8 Abram did in Hebron. Matter fact, he brought you what it means communion with God. Abraham dwelt. With communion with God lot, dwelt in a wicked evil city. He gained influence in that City, but he lost his influence in his own home. When he slept with his daughters. He gain the Friendship of the sodomites. But he lost fellowship with his Heavenly Father. You see, the Bible reveals what happens when a man faces The Challenge, and let's just call it what? It is of materialism, materialism. We either become a giver or taker. Those who are takers are ultimately destroyed lot. Put himself first and the result was his own destruction Abraham, put God first and the result was eternal blessings. Amen. So let's determine tonight, whatever we do that, we're going to be givers and not takers. Father. We thank you, and praise you and love you tonight. Lord for this story. Lord, I know we went quick tonight and we could have studied it much deeper. The Lure we understand the principle here in the principle is that we need to be generous that we need to be givers. And if we are you going to bless us you will bless our families and you will get back to us more than we could ever give to you Lord. As we think of our financial stewardship. Lord, let us clean to this promised Lord. Let us understand that the Bible is always given us contrast and let us understand that is more blessed to give than to receive and let us remember that. Jesus said, I did not come to be served but I can to serve Lord help us tonight. To be Godly givers in Christ's name. I pray. Amen. All right.