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5/27/26 Wednesday Evening Bible Study - Pastor Charlie Branch - Meadows Baptist Church · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

1:10
Heat.
1:32
Heat. Heat.
2:07
Heat.
2:25
Heat. Heat.
3:02
Yeah.
3:10
Heat.
3:20
Heat. Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
6:57
Amen. Well, good evening everybody. Good
6:59
to see you in the house of the Lord
7:01
tonight. Forgive us for starting just a
7:02
little bit late. We're going to go ahead
7:04
and get started off with a song tonight.
7:06
So, if we could have some youngans come
7:08
forward and everybody stand. We'll sing
7:10
together tonight. He keeps me singing.
7:13
We'll sing all five verses tonight. If
7:16
he keeps me singing,
7:19
let's all stand together.
7:22
All right, young and y'all come on. Get
7:23
around your flag in your Bible. Let's
7:25
sing it out tonight. There's within my
7:28
heart a melody.
7:31
Jesus whispers sweet and long.
7:36
Fear not, I am with thee. Peace be still
7:40
in all of life and flow.
7:44
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
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Sweetest name I know.
7:53
Fills my every longing.
7:57
Keeps me singing as I go.
8:01
All my life was wrecked by sin and
8:04
strife. Discord filled my heart with
8:08
pain.
8:10
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
8:14
stirred the slumbering courts again.
8:18
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
8:23
sweetest name I know.
8:27
Fills my every longing.
8:31
Keeps me singing as I go.
8:35
Feasting on the riches of his grace,
8:39
resting neath his sheltering wing.
8:44
Always looking on his smiling face. That
8:48
is why I shout and sing.
8:52
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
8:56
sweetest name I know,
9:01
fills my every longing.
9:05
Keeps me singing as I go.
9:09
Though sometimes he leads through waters
9:12
deep. Trials fall across the way.
9:18
Though sometimes the path seems rough
9:20
and steep. See his footprints all the
9:24
way.
9:26
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
9:30
The sweetest name I know.
9:34
fills my every longing,
9:39
keeps me sing. I like this verse. Let's
9:41
sing it out together tonight. Soon he's
9:43
coming back to welcome me far beyond the
9:48
starry sky.
9:51
I shall wing my flight to worlds
9:54
unknown. I shall reign with him on high.
9:58
Lift your voice. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
10:03
The sweetest name I know
10:08
fills my every longing.
10:12
Keeps me singing as I go.
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Amen. I enjoyed that. Didn't you? Amen.
10:19
I'm glad there's a song on the inside.
10:22
Amen. I appreciate you being here
10:24
tonight. Let's get started off with our
10:25
pledges tonight. All right. We'll do the
10:28
American flag. Attention. Salute.
10:31
Pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag
10:35
of the United States of America and to
10:38
the republic for which it stands, one
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nation under God, indivisible, with
10:44
liberty and justice for all. Now our
10:47
Christian flag. I pledge allegiance to
10:51
the Christian flag and to the Savior for
10:54
whose kingdom it stands. One savior
10:57
crucified, risen, and coming again with
11:01
life and liberty to all who believe. All
11:04
right. Now, our Bible. I pledge
11:07
allegiance to the Bible, God's holy
11:10
word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet
11:13
and a light to my path, and I will hide
11:16
its words in my heart that I might not
11:19
sin against God. Amen. Thank you,
11:21
youngans. Amen. And well, it's good to
11:24
be in the house of the Lord tonight and
11:26
I appreciate each one of you being here
11:28
this evening. And I trust you've had a
11:30
good week this week and I thank the Lord
11:32
for his blessings and appreciate the
11:34
rain. Somebody say amen and I thank the
11:36
Lord for that. Appreciate God blessing
11:38
us uh with those showers from heaven.
11:40
Amen. We certainly need them and I pray
11:43
that God will continue to help us. Amen.
11:44
Bless us these days. All right, let's
11:46
get into our announcements tonight. a
11:48
few things make mention of here and then
11:51
we'll go on uh with the service this
11:53
evening. I do want to say thank you uh
11:55
once again to everybody that came and
11:57
all the labor that went in um to the
11:59
service on Sunday. What didn't we have a
12:01
good day on Sunday and I appreciate
12:03
everything that was said and done. It
12:05
was such a blessing and I appreciate God
12:07
helping us and by grace was a blessing
12:09
as they always are. And it was so nice
12:12
to meet brother Anderson and I enjoyed
12:14
his message. I believe it was a help on
12:16
Sunday evening and I appreciate him uh
12:18
coming and being with us and I
12:20
appreciate him taking out time out of
12:22
his busy schedule. I know he had a
12:24
cancellation and uh come up and that was
12:27
how he was able to be here with us. If
12:29
you y'all know him, he's normally booked
12:31
out um over a year in advance. And so um
12:34
I was thankful that he actually sent me
12:36
a message and said, "Preacher, I can
12:38
come uh on this Sunday night if you've
12:40
got to open him." And I appreciate him.
12:42
He could have just went somewhere and
12:44
rested for a night cuz I know that he
12:45
probably needs that. But I do appreciate
12:48
him coming by and being with us in that
12:50
evening service. And I do thank you once
12:52
again for all the hard work and labor
12:55
that went in on Sunday. Do remember
12:57
those souls that were here Sunday
12:58
morning left lost. Amen. Dean spirit of
13:01
conviction here on Sunday morning. Let's
13:03
pray for those. Um but just a few
13:04
announcements here. Um we are going to
13:06
postpone youth Sunday. So remember that.
13:08
I'm just going to hold that off for the
13:10
time being. um just due to a few
13:12
different things. So, we're going to
13:13
hold that off for right now. I'll let
13:14
you know when we get it rescheduled. Um
13:16
but we will be having ladies and men's
13:18
fellowships on next week um on Monday uh
13:21
ladies there and on Thursday uh Monday
13:24
the 1st and then Thursday the 4th. So
13:27
remember that um ladies and men and then
13:30
they're coming up in June. Got a busy
13:31
schedule in the month of June. So
13:33
remember the dates coming up. junior
13:36
camp there the week of the 8th um
13:38
through the 11th and uh then uh VBS will
13:42
kick off on the 14th and we'll run
13:45
through the 17th and so remember that be
13:47
praying about that and we're going to
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try to hit some uh knock some doors real
13:51
heavy in the coming weeks and the next
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two weeks leading up to that. So
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remember that if you would please. And
13:57
then our Father's Day outing on the
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20th, don't forget about that, okay?
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I've got everything almost worked out.
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Not going to let you know what we're
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doing just yet. I'm going to try to make
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it uh have us make us have a good time
14:08
that day and I'm looking forward to it.
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We had a great time on our men's outing
14:12
earlier this year and so I want you to
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please mark your calendar for that and
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we're going to have a good time of
14:17
fellowship that day. There will be food
14:19
involved. Somebody say amen. And uh I
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know y'all can get on board with that. I
14:23
thought anyway, somebody say amen to
14:25
that. Amen. Food is involved. All right.
14:28
But uh on the 20th, so remember that.
14:31
And then homecoming and Father's Day
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will be on the 21st. No evening service
14:35
that day, but there will be a meal um
14:37
immediately following the morning
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service there, covered dish. So, um
14:40
remember that uh coming up. And then I
14:43
want to let you know if you have not
14:45
already registered uh your children for
14:48
Bible school, you need to go ahead and
14:49
do that. Okay? And last we checked, I
14:51
don't think anybody has at this point in
14:53
time. And so, need to go ahead and get
14:55
registered um for Bible school and be
14:57
telling those that's going to be coming.
14:59
If you got family and friends, things of
15:00
that nature, that you've invited, be
15:02
telling them to register as well. And
15:04
then if you're going to teen camp, you
15:07
need to see Sister Brooke for
15:08
registration for that. Um they're at
15:10
Power of Two. That's going to be here
15:11
before you know it there July the 6th
15:13
through the 9th. And so remember that if
15:16
you would please. And then um I do want
15:18
to make mention of this. Um I'll be
15:20
helping there with you camp at Light on
15:22
the Mountain the 22nd through uh the
15:25
25th. And just due to um kind of the
15:27
lateness of us getting involved with
15:30
that, it's kind of last minute type
15:31
deal. Um I wasn't able some asked me if
15:34
we could if they could go to that and
15:36
their camps already full. Um but what I
15:38
want to do is is we will plan on um
15:41
taking a group up there next year. They
15:43
do two weeks of camp and they're pretty
15:45
much always those same two weeks in
15:47
June. And so um we'll try to get ahead
15:49
on that a little bit, but just keep that
15:51
in your mind. I know next year is next
15:52
year, but just keep that in your mind.
15:54
Um we'll try to do that uh on next year
15:57
and be praying for those weeks. I'm
15:58
excited uh that they've asked me to come
16:00
help with that. It's a I was down there
16:03
in that meeting in Connesty a few weeks
16:06
ago, couple weeks ago, and the preachers
16:09
that were there, a lot of the young
16:10
preachers my age were preachers who had
16:12
either gotten saved or saved and called
16:14
to preach. And it happened at Light on
16:16
the Mountain. And that God had used that
16:18
camp in a great way down through the
16:20
years. Um, some great men of God. Um,
16:22
Brother Paul Moss, um, Brother Steven
16:25
Aldridge, lots of great preachers. They
16:27
grew up going there and God used them.
16:29
They got married there, called to
16:31
preach, all kinds of different things.
16:33
And God has used that in a mighty way
16:35
over the years. And so, we want to
16:37
support that. Amen. That's things been
16:38
going on for probably 30 years. And so,
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um, if you would just pray for them as
16:43
that gets closer. And that's all I'll
16:46
say at this time. Uh, do remember the
16:48
cleaning schedule is out there in the
16:49
foyer for those of you that want to help
16:51
with that. I appreciate everybody that
16:52
works so hard cleaning the church. Thank
16:54
you for doing that. And all everybody
16:56
that labors, we appreciate it this
16:59
evening. All right, let's get to our
17:00
prayer request here. Forgetting
17:02
anything, dear.
17:04
Prayer request tonight. If you would
17:06
please this evening, remember little
17:07
Miss Charlie, that is Marty uh uh Robin
17:11
and Marty's granddaughter. She is still
17:14
at the hospital Brinards as of right
17:16
now. and the last I heard and he he gave
17:18
us an update, but I don't want to just
17:20
disclose everything, but we do want you
17:22
to pray, okay? Um, pray for the little
17:24
baby and looking like a little it's
17:25
going to be a pretty lengthy stay there
17:28
for a while till they can get some more
17:29
answers. I've not heard anything else.
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Have you heard anything? So, let's pray
17:33
for them uh during this time. Please
17:34
pray that God uh would help and touch
17:37
them. Scary thing. I will say this, they
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did do think that she had a seizure.
17:41
That's what they think she had um there
17:43
when she was with I guess they was with
17:45
Marty and Robin when it happened. I
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think that's what he told me. So
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>> it wasn't a seizure.
17:54
>> Okay.
18:01
>> Okay. All right.
18:04
>> Okay. Well, that's great. Did was that
18:07
sent out earlier?
18:10
Okay, that's okay. Yeah. All right.
18:14
Everybody's got these text chains and I
18:16
don't know anything about what's going
18:17
on. So, anyway, if you gossip on that,
18:20
God help you. All right. But anyway,
18:23
oh me, where do I where am I at now?
18:28
Continue to remember baby Charlie.
18:30
That's good news though. Praise the Lord
18:31
for that. Um it's not seizures.
18:34
Hallelujah for that. Um let's remember
18:35
Miss Tracy Fortune.
18:38
The text there come out. She fell
18:39
yesterday and broke her ankle. Okay, so
18:41
let's remember her in prayer. Bless her
18:43
heart. Let's remember that this evening.
18:45
And uh something else I was going to
18:48
make mention of. It just left me. I've
18:51
got about 50 thoughts that just hit my
18:53
mind all at the same time. Has anybody
18:54
else got a prayer request tonight before
18:56
we pray?
18:59
Yes, ma'am.
19:15
there.
19:32
I'm still in shock.
19:38
I'm just so grateful for
19:43
everything.
19:54
>> Amen.
20:08
for him. I know it's hard to say.
20:26
>> Amen. God bless you, sister. Let's do
20:29
indeed pray um for Chase. And uh tell
20:33
you this, God gave him another chance.
20:35
>> And uh we ought I y'all to never take
20:40
that for granted. And uh I I thought
20:43
about that. There's been some days in my
20:45
life and accidents I could have been in,
20:48
I was just seconds away from and uh God
20:51
spared me. And uh he's got a reason for
20:53
us to be here. And uh let's indeed pray
20:56
pray pray that God will touch him and
20:58
help him. Amen. All right. Someone else
21:01
tonight. Yes, sir.
21:05
Amen. Let's continue to pray for John.
21:08
Let's remember Don and Eric as well.
21:10
Pray for them,
21:12
their family. God knows
21:19
someone else.
21:24
Amen. Let's remember Miss Haley in
21:27
prayer.
21:30
What's her last name now?
21:33
>> Blackwood.
21:34
All right. I won't have no trouble
21:36
remembering that.
21:41
That's a lie. Amen. Anyway,
21:46
go ahead, sister.
21:58
All right, let's remember that, brother
22:00
Todd.
22:03
>> Yes.
22:08
Pray for Miss Marylu and Todd tomorrow
22:11
to go to the doctor. Maybe they get some
22:13
help.
22:15
Amen. Someone else. Yes, ma'am.
22:30
He was here. Where'd he go?
22:34
>> Okay.
22:37
>> All right.
22:39
Let's remember brother Paul in prayer.
22:52
All right. Some
22:56
>> Okay,
22:58
let's remember that this evening.
22:59
Someone else tonight.
23:06
All right,
23:07
let's remember brother David in prayer.
23:13
Someone else.
23:16
Yes, ma'am. Amen.
23:25
Someone else tonight.
23:29
Yes, ma'am. Amen. Let's remember brother
23:32
Mike in prayer. That was the one I was
23:33
trying to think about. If y'all wouldn't
23:34
remember him, they had a long day today
23:36
and uh doctor's appointments, different
23:38
things, and he was in a lot of pain um
23:41
this evening. So, um, pray specifically
23:44
God will give him rest from the pain,
23:45
but also pray specifically there's
23:47
nothing wrong because he didn't go to
23:49
the doctor after he had his fall last
23:50
week. And, uh, pray that God will just
23:54
fix that. Amen. Pray God will bless him.
23:57
He can do that, you know. He He very
23:58
well can do that. Amen. So, let's
24:00
remember him in prayer. Miss Carolyn as
24:03
well.
24:09
Anything else tonight before we pray?
24:20
>> Amen.
24:22
>> Amen. Praise the Lord for that.
24:29
Anything else tonight before we pray?
24:34
Amen.
24:37
Amen. Well, let's remember our
24:39
missionaries in prayer and pray that God
24:41
will bless that. Be praying for upcoming
24:43
services here. Got pray for special days
24:46
coming up, different things going on.
24:48
Let's pray especially for young people
24:50
these days and devil's fighting them.
24:53
And uh and I don't want I don't want to
24:56
give him the victory. And so what I
24:58
choose to do is I'm going to keep
24:59
preaching.
25:00
>> And uh whether it's a house full,
25:02
whether there's five of us here,
25:04
>> Amen. I'm going to preach anyway. And uh
25:07
long as God will keep the Hey, I God can
25:09
keep the lights on. Amen. I'm not
25:11
worried about that. And Brother Grley
25:13
said this one point in time. He was
25:15
talking about preachers pastoring in in
25:18
rural places where there's just a
25:19
handful, five or 10 people coming. He
25:21
said, "I think the greatest work of God
25:23
is done in those little towns where God
25:25
has just kept the light of the gospel
25:27
shining every Sunday and Wednesday night
25:29
for 10, 20, and 30 years with just a
25:32
handful of people. Because if that
25:33
church shut down, they wouldn't be a
25:35
gospel witness there. And uh I really
25:37
believe we need it in these days. And
25:39
you say, "Preacher, well, churches are a
25:41
dime a dozen around here." Well, this is
25:42
the church in Meadows.
25:44
>> Amen. And God put it here for a reason.
25:47
>> And we going to serve and we going to
25:48
stick with it until Jesus comes back.
25:50
Can I get an amen right there?
25:52
>> Amen. We're going to hang with this
25:53
thing. Amen. Praise the Lord for it. I
25:56
love each one of you and thank the Lord
25:57
for you. And uh Miss Stacy, did we reach
26:00
the $5,000
26:02
on Sunday?
26:04
Not sure. Okay. Didn't know if we looked
26:06
over that or not. Know Sunday was a
26:08
hectic day. So, um but anyway, thank you
26:11
to all that gave. I think all that we
26:12
needed was like $1,000 for that and the
26:14
offering plate was full last when I we
26:17
put it in there. So, um thank the Lord
26:19
for that. I appreciate God's blessing uh
26:21
there. We'll get that to them here just
26:23
directly. Do pray for our missionaries
26:25
and pray for the places that they serve.
26:27
Pray for these ones that'll be coming uh
26:29
to missions conference uh that God will
26:31
provide the funds to take them on. Pray
26:33
for the classes tonight and that God
26:35
will bless the teachers and help us
26:37
tonight. So, let's all can and will come
26:39
to the altar and pray uh this evening.
26:41
Didn't mean to take all that long. A lot
26:44
of stuff to pray about. And let's pray
26:46
tonight. Pray for each other and uh
26:51
pray God to keep us strong.
26:54
He'd love to tear your home all to
26:55
pieces. He'd love to tear mine up. And
26:59
uh
27:00
there's men and women falling out left
27:02
and right. Stay with it, church. Stay
27:04
with it. Love the Lord and love your
27:06
family. And uh be everything God wants
27:10
you to be. Let's pray tonight.
27:17
Father, thank you for this day. Thank
27:19
you for your grace and kindness to us,
27:22
Lord. We realize, Father, that we're
27:24
we're nothing tonight and undeserving of
27:26
the least of your mercies. But God,
27:27
you've been so good. We thank you,
27:29
Father, for your kindness towards us.
27:32
Thank you, God, for the blood of Jesus,
27:33
Lord, that was shed on Calvary, Lord, to
27:36
pay the sin debt, Father, Lord, that I
27:38
owed and that the world owed, Father.
27:40
God, I know, Lord, if it were not for
27:42
the grace, Lord, that was manifested
27:44
that day, Lord, as that crimson blood
27:47
poured out your side, Father, Lord, the
27:49
grace that was manifested there, Lord, I
27:51
know I'd be lost, God, even today if it
27:54
were not for your hand. And I thank you
27:56
for that. God, I pray tonight, Lord,
27:58
number one, you would cleanse me of sin
28:00
and self forgive me. I pray, God, that
28:03
you would help me. Lord, I realize,
28:05
Father, that we need you in these days.
28:07
And God, if we're going to have any help
28:09
from you, Lord, we're going to have to
28:10
get ourselves right and clean. And so,
28:12
Lord, I pray you cleanse us of all sin,
28:14
draw us near unto you. Rid us of the
28:16
flesh. God, we pray that all the will of
28:18
God would be done, Lord, in this service
28:20
tonight in every heart and every life. I
28:23
pray, God, that you would bless each one
28:24
that's here. God, thank you so much,
28:26
Father, for how you've helped us in
28:28
these days. God, I thank you, Father,
28:30
for these faithful ones, Lord, that
28:32
you've blessed, God, in these days to be
28:34
here. here. And Lord, thank you for our
28:35
health and strength that allows us to be
28:37
here. I know there's many, God, that
28:38
would love to be here tonight, but Lord,
28:40
because of their health, they're not
28:41
able, God. We pray you'd be with them
28:44
tonight. And we ask you for the many
28:46
requests of prayer that were mentioned
28:47
this evening. God, you know each and
28:49
every situation, every heart and life.
28:51
And God, we know, Father, Lord, that
28:53
you're able to help us. And God, I pray,
28:55
Father, that you would help us according
28:57
to your will tonight. Lord, I ask you,
28:59
God, humbly, Lord, that you would exalt
29:01
your word tonight. Get glory unto
29:02
yourself. And God, I pray, Father,
29:04
you'll give strength, Lord, to each one
29:06
that's downtrodden. I pray you'll
29:08
encourage those, Father, uh, Lord, who
29:10
are discouraged tonight. And, God, I
29:12
pray tonight, Father, we'd all leave
29:14
closer to you than we were when we came
29:16
in. God, I pray that you'll help each
29:18
home and each heart here that's tonight.
29:20
God, I pray, Father, Lord, more than
29:22
anything, if there's somebody here in
29:23
our midst that's lost, God, I pray you'd
29:25
save them by your grace. God, please
29:27
help us tonight. God, we need you, Lord.
29:30
We're asking you, Father, would you
29:32
please help us, God? We need your touch
29:34
in these days. And know we pray, God,
29:36
that you would continue to build a hedge
29:38
about this church and about each family
29:40
that's here. And God, that you would get
29:42
glory and honor, Lord, in the way that
29:43
only you can. Well, we sure love you.
29:46
And thank you so much for loving us. We
29:48
ask all this in Jesus name. Amen.
31:08
Genesis chapter 12 tonight.
31:14
Genesis chapter 12. We'll begin reading
31:16
in verse number four
31:20
tonight.
31:22
Two messages here in the life of
31:24
Abraham. This will be our third this
31:27
evening. And uh just praying what the
31:31
Lord would have us to do. Series is
31:33
good, but series without God is just a
31:35
waste of breath. And so um I just want
31:38
to follow him. Um but I do believe he's
31:41
led us back here again this evening. So
31:43
let's look in verse 4 of Genesis 12
31:46
tonight. The Bible says, "So Ab Abram
31:49
departed as the Lord had spoken unto
31:51
him, and Lot went with him. And Abram
31:55
was 70 and5 years old when he departed
31:57
out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his
32:00
wife and Lot his brother's son and all
32:04
their substance that they had gathered
32:07
and the souls that they had gotten in
32:08
Haran and they went forth to go into the
32:11
land of Canaan and into the land of
32:14
Canaan they came. And Abram passed
32:18
through the land under the place of
32:20
Sycam unto the plain of Mora. And the
32:23
Canaanite was then in the land. The Lord
32:26
appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy
32:28
seed will I give this land. And there
32:31
builded he an altar unto the Lord, who
32:33
appeared unto him. And he removed from
32:35
thence unto a mountain on the east of
32:37
Bethl, and pitched his tent, having
32:40
Bethl on the west, and Ai on the east.
32:43
And there he builded an altar unto the
32:45
Lord, and called upon the name of the
32:48
Lord. And Abram journeyed, going on
32:50
still toward the south. Father, I ask
32:55
you humbly tonight that you would help
32:56
us. God, I realize, Father, Lord, that
32:59
once more, I have nothing to say if you
33:01
do not speak through me. And Lord, I
33:04
pray that you would hide the ignorance
33:05
of my youth. And Lord, allow me to speak
33:07
with the tongue of the learn tonight.
33:09
Lord, give me liberty and give me
33:12
uncction. God, I pray that you would
33:14
fill me with the spirit of God. And
33:16
Lord, I pray, Father, Lord, for each
33:18
person that's here tonight, God, that
33:20
you would bless and touch every life as
33:22
a result of this time. May we take your
33:24
word and apply it to our hearts and
33:26
lives. And Lord, may we live what we
33:29
read out in shoe leather these days.
33:31
God, I thank you for this church. Please
33:33
bless each one that's here. And we'll
33:35
thank you for it because we ask it in
33:36
Jesus name. Amen. Genesis 12. Of course,
33:41
we have studied the life of Abram up to
33:44
this point in the text. We have
33:45
considered uh the beginning of Abraham.
33:48
We've considered the blessedness of
33:50
Abraham. And if you want to alliterate
33:53
it, you can call tonight's sermon the
33:55
building of Abraham. But I just want to
33:57
look at the text tonight and simply give
33:59
you uh what the Lord has put on my heart
34:02
this evening. And uh we noted here
34:05
concerning the blessedness of Abraham on
34:08
last week that it was only found when
34:10
Abram stepped out in faith. And I'm
34:12
reminded of this fact in my life and
34:15
yours that we will never experience
34:18
God's blessing in our life until we just
34:20
simply obey. And it just seems like
34:23
that's been the thought that the Lord
34:24
has driven home in every one of these
34:27
sermons. It's been the the beginning and
34:29
the ending of all of these messages
34:31
really. And I want you to notice in the
34:34
text tonight, the Bible tells us that
34:37
Abram left Haran there in verse number
34:40
four when he was 75 years old. Lot is
34:42
with him. And the Bible says in verse 5
34:45
that he took Sarah, his wife, Lot, his
34:47
brother's son, and all their substance
34:49
that they had gathered, and the souls
34:52
that they had gotten in Haran, and they
34:54
went forth to go into the land of
34:56
Canaan, and into the land of Canaan,
34:58
they came. And so Abram here in the
35:01
text, he is finally obeying God. He is
35:04
finally doing what God had asked him to
35:06
do. But what I find is interesting in
35:09
this text, and you could look at it one
35:11
of two different ways. I'm going to
35:12
choose to look at it in one manner, is
35:15
Abram is still hindered in this text.
35:17
And you say, "What do you mean by that?"
35:19
Well, I notice in verse number five,
35:21
four five four things that I want to put
35:24
on your heart by way of introduction.
35:26
And I don't want you to miss these
35:27
thoughts this evening. The Bible says
35:30
there in the text that he gathers his
35:32
family. Now, it mentions Sarah, his
35:34
wife, and Lot, his brother's son. And
35:37
so, his family is found there in verse
35:40
number five. And then there's also a
35:43
fortune that's mentioned there in verse
35:45
number five. And all their substance,
35:47
their possessions, notice this, that
35:50
they had gathered. And then not only
35:52
there's his family, his fortune, and
35:54
then there is his followers or his
35:57
servants. The Bible says, "And the souls
35:59
that they had gotten in Haran, and they
36:02
went forth to go into the land of
36:04
Canaan, into the land of Canaan they
36:06
came." And and this thought has been
36:08
really just rolling around in my mind.
36:10
Abram leaves Haran in this text with a
36:13
lot of baggage. You say, "What do you
36:16
mean by that?" Well, notice what's said
36:17
there in the text. Now God highlights
36:20
everything that Abram has. And we know
36:23
that later on in Abram's life, it would
36:25
be considered a prosper prosperous
36:28
blessing. What Abram his blessing was
36:31
given to him. It was a land. It was
36:32
inheritance. It was a I I guess you
36:34
would say a possessional or a monetary
36:37
inheritance. But what I find in this
36:39
text is Abram's disobedience is
36:42
following him. You say, "What do you
36:43
mean by that?" Well, the Bible says that
36:45
these the souls that are mentioned, the
36:48
substance that's mentioned, and also
36:50
this son of of uh his brother here in
36:53
the text, Lot is mentioned. All of these
36:56
were gotten to Abraham in Haran. Now,
36:59
what do we know about Haran? Haran was a
37:02
place Abram was never supposed to be.
37:05
>> Right?
37:05
>> Amen. Abram picked up a whole lot of
37:08
baggage in Haran because he went to a
37:10
place that he was never supposed to go
37:13
in the first place.
37:14
>> I want to say this to you tonight. You
37:16
need to be careful where you spend your
37:18
life, what you invest your life in,
37:19
where you allow yourself or a husband or
37:22
a wife where husband where you allow
37:24
your wife to go, wife, where you allow
37:26
your children to go. You ought to be
37:28
careful where you find yourself because
37:31
Abram in this text picked up a lot of
37:33
baggage that he would not have had
37:35
otherwise.
37:36
And the Bible says here in the text that
37:38
his future is seen. In verse five, they
37:41
went forth to go into the land of
37:42
Canaan. And into the land of Canaan they
37:45
came. And so we're thankful that Abram
37:47
has made it out of where he was. He's
37:50
made it out of Haran. He's come into
37:52
Canaan land. But we know there's going
37:54
to be problems that go from this day
37:56
forward. And I don't want you to miss
37:59
tonight the truth that's found in this
38:01
text concerning the building of Abram.
38:03
But Abram's building is going to be
38:05
hindered in this text because of his
38:07
disobedience. But when Abram finally
38:10
leaves the place where he was never
38:12
supposed to be, the Bible says that into
38:15
the land of Canaan they came and Abram's
38:19
75 years old and he's finally getting
38:21
where God has desired for him to be. I
38:24
would I would hate to know that I waste
38:26
over half of my life
38:28
>> just trying to get to the place where I
38:30
know I was supposed to be anyway.
38:32
And that's what I'm convinced and I I
38:35
don't really the the rest of the message
38:37
is not this real tone, but just
38:39
something that's ringing in my heart
38:41
this evening is I'm convinced that 50 to
38:44
75% of Christian saved Bible believing
38:47
church people who are faithful, who love
38:50
God, will spend the majority of their
38:52
Christian life wasting it, wandering
38:54
around in a place they never should have
38:56
been. Right?
38:57
>> And so I want to exhort you tonight. If
38:59
God's telling you to go, get out and go.
39:02
I'm not talking about the church. I'm
39:04
saying and whatever he's telling you to
39:05
do, get out of that place and go where
39:09
he's telling you to be. Right?
39:11
>> You say, "What is that?" Well, it it
39:13
could be anything. You know, in your
39:14
heart what that is tonight. And so, I
39:17
notice in this text, you say, "Well,
39:18
preacher, if you're telling me that I've
39:20
got to go, what what what is the reason
39:22
why I should go?" Well, number one, God
39:24
told you you should go.
39:26
>> You're right. But number two, there's a
39:28
lot of things awaiting you over there
39:29
that you're not going to realize. You're
39:31
not going to be you're not going it's
39:32
not going to be revealed to you until
39:34
you get there.
39:37
And so in the text, I noticed the Bible
39:40
says in verse number six, look what your
39:42
Bible says. And Abram passed through the
39:44
land. He's finally come to the place
39:47
where God has desired for him to be. And
39:49
we know that the land of Canaan is still
39:52
Israel's ownership to this day. Can I
39:54
get an amen?
39:55
>> Right. That whole land belongs to Israel
39:58
and they're going to get it one of these
39:59
days regardless what Donald Trump or
40:02
Benjamin Netanyahu or anybody else has
40:04
to say about it. They will get their
40:07
entirety of their land. Amen. God shows
40:09
it to Abraham in Genesis chapter 13.
40:12
We'll look at that in the coming weeks.
40:14
But they will inherit that land. And I I
40:17
notice what's mentioned in this text.
40:18
The Bible says Abram passed through the
40:20
land into the place of Sych the plain of
40:23
Moa. and the Canaanite was then in the
40:26
land. And I want to lay just a few
40:28
things I I guess if you uh numbered them
40:31
tonight, five things on your heart
40:33
concerning what you'll find when you
40:35
enter the land of Canaan, the place
40:37
where God desired for you to be.
40:41
I notice in this text and this is just a
40:43
simple simple uh thought directly out of
40:46
the verses tonight. I notice first of
40:48
all the first place Abram comes to when
40:51
he enters into the land of Canaan is a
40:53
place called syum. Now when you look up
40:56
that word syum in your Bible, it
40:59
translates to a city that many of us
41:01
would know well is called Sheckchum. And
41:04
Sheckchum all through the Old Testament
41:07
is mentioned as a place where the word
41:09
of God was heard. And I'm not going to
41:10
run references tonight because I don't
41:12
want to get ahead of myself, but I
41:15
simply want to give you the definition
41:17
tonight. And so what Abram found when he
41:20
entered into the land of Canaan, when he
41:22
got out of Haram and when he got to the
41:24
place he was finally supposed to be,
41:26
number one, I would say Abram found
41:29
instruction.
41:30
He found instruction. Now, what do I
41:33
mean by instruction? Well, the Bible
41:34
says he came, he passed through the land
41:37
unto the place of Sheckchum. Notice
41:38
this. Unto the plane of Mori of Mori.
41:44
And so this plane of Mori here in the
41:46
text, that word plane literally means a
41:48
tree. It's not talking about a piece of
41:50
land or a or a a parcel of ground or
41:53
even a large parcel of ground. What's
41:56
mentioned later on in the text when Lot
41:58
chose him all the plain of Jordan. It's
42:01
a different word. That word plain means
42:03
a tree. And that word mory in the text
42:06
means this. It means uh let me get this
42:09
get the definition up here. It's teach
42:11
it means a teacher or instruction. And
42:15
so when Abram come to the place of
42:17
Sheckchum here in the text, he come to
42:19
this tree in that place called Mory. And
42:22
this this tree represents instruction.
42:25
Now what's interesting to me in this
42:28
text is all the typology that's seen
42:30
here in the text. Now Abram has believed
42:32
God. He has left his father. He's left
42:36
his brethren in the Caldes. He left his
42:38
father in Haran. He's finally journeyed
42:41
to where God is wanting him to be. And
42:44
he gets to this place. And what's the
42:45
first thing he finds? A tree.
42:49
Now, there's no coincidence in that
42:50
tonight. What did Jesus tell his
42:53
disciples? Matthew 16:4. I'm just going
42:56
to be real simple tonight because I
42:58
believe this is what we need. Amen. He
43:00
said this. Matthew 16:24, "If any man
43:02
will come after me, let him deny
43:05
himself, take up his cross
43:08
>> and follow me." And the truth is, in all
43:11
of our lives, when you get to the place
43:13
where God wanted you to be, the first
43:15
thing you're going to find is a cross.
43:17
>> You're right.
43:18
>> You're going to find a tree. And what is
43:20
this tree represents? It represents
43:22
instruction. Now, I mentioned sheckchum
43:24
already, but here's what that word
43:26
psychum. Sheckchum means in the text it
43:29
means shoulder or strength. And so what
43:33
I'm finding here what the emphasis of
43:35
this text by application sense is Abram
43:38
came to this tree and it was a place of
43:41
teaching. It was a place of instruction
43:43
for him that did what? It gave him
43:46
strength. You're not going to find
43:48
strength in a church service in an
43:51
emotional heightened moment. You're not
43:54
going to find strength somewhere uh
43:56
having a a spell or on a creek bank or
44:00
even on an altar in such a sense as
44:02
having an experience. And experience is
44:04
not going to give you strength. You're
44:06
>> right.
44:07
>> Strength comes from instruction. And you
44:09
know where instruction comes from?
44:12
>> It comes from the word of God. You're
44:13
>> right.
44:14
>> Prayer functions. What does prayer
44:16
function off of? It functions based off
44:18
of the scripture. And so if you're
44:21
needing strength tonight, if you're
44:23
needing encouragement, that word
44:24
sheckchum literally means shoulder.
44:26
Abram found out when he left Haran, the
44:29
place where he was never supposed to be,
44:31
he would come to a place called
44:32
Sheckchum. The first place he came, and
44:35
the name of it means shoulder, he would
44:37
find a shoulder to lean on. He would
44:40
find strength that he did not have
44:42
before.
44:42
>> And now, let's be real honest tonight.
44:44
How many of you need a shoulder?
44:46
>> Amen.
44:47
>> How many of you need some strength?
44:48
That's right.
44:49
>> Get out of her.
44:53
>> Get out of the place where God never
44:56
told you to be.
44:58
>> Right.
44:58
>> You say, "Preacher, how is that?" And I
45:00
keep going back to this because it's
45:02
just it's just on my heart right now.
45:04
You realize that Haran I did some more
45:06
studying on this today. You realize that
45:08
Haran between the Caes where Abraham
45:11
began, the Bible tells us that God spoke
45:14
to him there in Haran and then in the
45:17
Caldes and and so when God spoke to him
45:20
there, they left there and went to Iran.
45:21
Well, Haran is some 600 miles from the
45:25
Caldes. But you know how far Haran is
45:27
from Canaan's land from where God wanted
45:30
him to be? It's about 600 miles. And so,
45:33
you know what Abram did? He got halfway
45:38
>> and stopped.
45:40
You know what? I'm seeing that happen a
45:41
lot,
45:42
>> right?
45:42
>> I'm seeing people put one foot in
45:46
and the other one's out.
45:49
And here's the thing about the Christian
45:50
life. It don't work that way.
45:52
>> You're right.
45:53
>> You're either fully invested.
45:56
You say, "Preacher, well, I'll dab my
45:58
toes and what you'll find is you going
46:00
to fall off the back and drown." Amen.
46:01
on the other side
46:04
>> because a double-minded man's unstable
46:06
in all his ways. But when ca when when
46:08
Abram got to the place where he was
46:10
supposed to be, there was instruction.
46:13
Now, I know this tonight. We're all
46:15
looking for answers. We've got different
46:17
problems. We've got different
46:18
situations. We are in different places
46:21
and we're all looking for instruction,
46:23
but it's not going to be found until you
46:25
get out of the place where God never
46:27
wanted you to be. But when you get to
46:29
Canaan land, there will be instruction.
46:32
There will be strength. And it comes
46:34
through this teaching, this instruction,
46:37
this tree. It is your cross. Now, people
46:40
talk about a lot of times, you know, my
46:42
suffering. You know, well, it's my
46:44
cross. No, that's not the way that
46:45
works. A cross is something you had long
46:48
before your suffering. You're
46:49
>> right.
46:50
>> If you got saved, what you were called
46:52
to do the after you got saved, you were
46:55
saved to do what? Serve. Isn't that
46:57
right? And so, you know what? Since the
46:59
day you've got saved, you've had a cross
47:01
to bear, and that is obedience to
47:02
Christ.
47:03
>> You're right.
47:04
>> Amen. Now, there's a lot of things that
47:06
get hung on the cross.
47:10
There's a lot of things that you need to
47:11
hang on the cross.
47:12
>> You're right.
47:13
>> I'm not preaching this tonight, but I
47:15
just I don't know. I'm just trying to
47:16
mind the Lord. Okay? Just bear with me.
47:19
There's some things in your life that
47:21
unless you bring them to that place of
47:24
instruction and let them die there, you
47:27
know what it'll do? End up taking you
47:28
out.
47:29
>> You're right.
47:30
>> The strength comes through the
47:32
instruction that's given at the tree.
47:36
Notice this. You see, there's a lot of
47:39
things that happen at this tree. And you
47:40
say, "Preacher, is instruction the only
47:42
thing that happens here?" No. Look what
47:44
else takes place here in the text. The
47:46
Bible says there in verse number seven
47:49
or verse number six, "And Abram passed
47:51
through the land and the place of Saikum
47:52
under the plain of Mory and the
47:54
Canaanite was then in the land." All
47:56
right. Now, you probably going to be
47:57
able to identify a little more with
47:59
this. Okay? When you get to the place
48:01
where God wants you to be, there'll be
48:03
instruction. Let me just remind you of
48:05
something. There's going to be some
48:07
irritation.
48:08
>> You're right.
48:09
>> Look what your Bible says. And the
48:11
Canaanite was what? Then, that's present
48:14
tense. right now then in the land. What
48:18
was the Canaanite people to Israel? They
48:20
were a thorn in their side,
48:22
>> right?
48:22
>> For all of history. And here's what you
48:25
got to realize that just because you're
48:28
out of har just because you are headed
48:30
to the place where God wants you to be.
48:32
You're finally getting there. You are
48:34
not free or exempt from struggles.
48:36
You're
48:37
>> right.
48:37
>> You're not exempt from the enemy. Matter
48:40
of fact, you're going to meet an enemy
48:42
that you never met before when you get
48:43
in that lane. You're right.
48:45
>> Because look what the Bible says there
48:46
in the text. The Canaanite was then
48:49
what's them last three words? In the
48:51
land. The Canaanites wasn't fought with
48:54
on the outside.
48:55
>> You're right.
48:56
>> You were dealing with yourself. Abram
48:57
was fighting with his family. When he
48:59
was in Haran, you know what he found
49:01
out? When he got over into where God
49:03
wanted him to be, then the enemies from
49:05
the outside started working in. When he
49:08
finally done what God told him to do,
49:10
then he realized there's another enemy
49:12
that he's going to have to deal with.
49:13
And let me say this to you, child of
49:14
God. Do not think, listen to me, do not
49:17
think that you're ever going to get to a
49:18
point in your life as a Christian that
49:20
you will not have an enemy.
49:22
>> You're right.
49:23
>> If you are saved, you have an enemy from
49:26
the moment that you were saved before
49:28
you were saved. From the moment you were
49:30
saved until the day of your death,
49:32
>> you're right.
49:32
>> You will have an enemy. You say,
49:34
"Preacher, but it's but but right now
49:36
I'm okay." Well, just beware. You may
49:39
not see him.
49:40
>> You're right.
49:41
You see, this text reveals to us that
49:43
when you get to where God wants you to
49:45
be, there will be some irritation. And
49:47
and the thing about is I think our
49:49
problem this day and time is we paint
49:50
the Christian life as some pretty rosy
49:53
picture that always works out perfectly.
49:56
But you know what happen? You know what
49:57
the problem with that is? There's people
50:00
we pray for that die loss without God,
50:02
>> right?
50:03
>> There's people that we witness to that
50:05
don't come to church. There's people
50:07
that we try to help and try our best to
50:10
give them aid, but for some reason they
50:12
don't get right. You say, "Preacher,
50:13
THAT'S DOOM AND GLOOM." NO, IT'S THE
50:15
TRUTH.
50:16
>> RIGHT.
50:17
>> AMEN.
50:18
>> But that's not to affect you.
50:20
>> You see, Abram's present in the land was
50:23
not stringent on the Canaanites present
50:25
in the land.
50:28
>> They would always be present. You're
50:30
always going to have problems present in
50:32
your life, but you should not allow that
50:34
to kick you out of the land.
50:36
>> You're right.
50:37
>> Getting ahead of myself here, but what
50:39
happens just a few verses after this,
50:40
Abram goes through all this great
50:43
spiritual awakening in this text and
50:45
just literally less than six verses
50:47
away, Abram leaves the land because he
50:50
decides it's too bad there.
50:54
You got to stay in spite of the
50:56
irritation
50:58
there. And there will be, believe me,
51:01
irritations. Irritants. Amen. People.
51:05
Amen.
51:06
>> Some people I think their last names
51:07
irritation.
51:09
>> Amen.
51:11
I'm just being real tonight. They have
51:13
no concept of who God is or how God
51:16
works. And when you talk to them, you
51:17
might as well be talking to that pull
51:18
pit trying to talk spiritual sense into
51:21
them. And you know the reason why that
51:22
is? Number one, they probably not saved.
51:24
Number two, if they are, they ain't
51:26
never read enough Bible to know right
51:28
from wrong or up from down. Amen.
51:30
>> Right.
51:32
>> And the truth is, you know what that is?
51:33
That's a that's an enemy. Not the
51:35
person, but that mindset,
51:40
irritations.
51:42
There's instruction here. There's But
51:44
there is irritation here. And I'll say
51:46
this, all right? And I don't think I've
51:48
got any more negatives after this. The
51:49
Lord may change that, but we're going to
51:51
try to stay positive. Okay, notice verse
51:54
7. And the Lord appeared unto Abram,
51:56
said, "Unto thy seed will I give this
51:57
land." Now number three, we see not only
52:00
there's instruction, not only there's
52:02
irritation, but there is inspiration.
52:05
I don't know about you, but in these
52:08
days, I need something more than just a
52:12
a quote
52:14
on a Facebook post to encourage me.
52:18
>> Go ahead. I need something that's going
52:21
to give me some life. It's going to get
52:24
me from one day to the next. Here's what
52:27
I think's happened to us. We've become
52:28
so shallow, we've forgotten what it's
52:30
really like for God to move.
52:32
>> Amen.
52:34
>> Notice this. The Bible says, "And the
52:36
Lord appeared unto Abram." Now, you know
52:40
what had not happened since the day that
52:42
Abram was in the Caldes? God's not
52:45
spoken to him again.
52:48
Do you realize that God does not speak
52:49
to him while he's in her?
52:51
>> Right?
52:52
>> According to what Steven said in Acts
52:54
chapter 7, Acts chapter 7:2, Steven said
52:58
God spoke to him when he was in
52:59
Mesopotamia. That was of the Caldes. God
53:02
didn't speak to him when he was in Iran.
53:04
But he gets to Canaan's land. Who shows
53:06
up?
53:08
God does. You know why? Because God was
53:09
there
53:11
>> waiting on him to get there.
53:12
>> Amen.
53:13
>> You say, "Preacher, well, God's always
53:15
with you." You know what I'm saying?
53:17
God, you know where you're supposed to
53:18
be. And until you get to that place,
53:22
God's not going to speak to you
53:25
>> the way he did. You say, "Well,
53:26
preacher, he spoke to me when I was out
53:27
in sin." He ain't obligated to do that
53:29
at all. If he does it one time, it's his
53:31
grace,
53:32
>> right?
53:33
>> Abram was called out of vericalities by
53:35
God's grace, and that alone, that was
53:37
it. God saved you by his grace. But if
53:40
you do not follow his will or obey his
53:44
word, God is not obligated to speak to
53:46
you again. You're
53:47
>> right.
53:48
>> The Holy Ghost will convict you because
53:51
he lives on the inside. But the longer
53:53
that you shut that out, the less he will
53:55
speak to you. That knocking that Jesus
53:59
talked about the church of Leosy in
54:01
Revelation chapter 3, that knocking just
54:03
gets quieter and quieter.
54:06
And the truth is, if we need some
54:08
inspiration, we're going to have to
54:10
realize when we get to this place, we're
54:12
going to have to have God appear. Now, I
54:14
put this in in my in my margin here. You
54:17
see, where there's an appearance of the
54:19
Lord, there should be an altar
54:22
built to the Lord.
54:24
You say, "What do you mean?" Well,
54:26
notice the text. And the Lord appeared
54:27
unto Abram, said unto thy seed, will I
54:29
give this land. Notice this. And there
54:31
buildeth he what? An altar. He built an
54:35
altar. You see, where God shows up, that
54:38
ought to be a place you want to come
54:39
back to,
54:39
>> right?
54:40
>> This what I can't figure out for the
54:42
life of me. Why would anybody want to
54:44
leave a church where God has been has
54:46
has moved and we've seen him move and
54:48
it's going in the right direction?
54:50
>> Why would we walk away from that?
54:52
>> Amen.
54:53
>> Why would we do that?
54:55
>> Here's what it is. It's because our
54:56
flesh has decided it's better back in
54:58
Haran.
54:59
>> You're right.
55:01
>> Because you know what? all them
55:02
irritations, irritants
55:05
that wasn't in her hand or present.
55:08
>> You're right.
55:12
>> I don't know who needs this tonight, but
55:14
I pray that you'll take this. I'll be
55:15
honest with you. Truth is for my life. I
55:18
understand we all need what I'm saying,
55:19
but God's nailing somebody tonight. I
55:22
hope you'll listen to him. This
55:24
inspiration, you see what what is this
55:26
inspiration reveal in the text? Well,
55:29
the Lord appeared unto Abram and he
55:30
speaks to him and the Bible says, "And
55:32
he said, "Unto thy seed will I give this
55:34
land." Now, what does that mean? Well,
55:36
that phrase speaks of three things.
55:38
There's a people under thy seed. There's
55:40
a promise will I give. And then there is
55:42
a place, this land.
55:45
You say, "How what does that fit?" Well,
55:47
this is a deeper revelation of what God
55:50
is going to do. You remember when Abram
55:51
was given the command, notice it just a
55:53
few verses earlier, the Bible says in
55:55
verse one, he said, "Thy he Abram, the
55:57
Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out
55:59
of thy country and from thy kindred and
56:01
from thy father's house unto a land that
56:03
I will show thee."
56:06
Abram would have never saw the land if
56:07
he hadn't left.
56:09
>> Right?
56:10
>> But in this text, God gets him to the
56:12
pl. He finally gets to the place where
56:14
he's supposed to be. And God says, "All
56:15
right, this is the land that I'm going
56:18
to give to you. what you're treading
56:20
upon. This belongs to you.
56:24
You say, "What is that?" Well, it's the
56:26
inspiration. You say, "Preacher, why why
56:28
should I go on another day?" Because
56:30
there's a land that you're called to
56:31
inherit.
56:32
>> You're right.
56:33
>> You know what that is? That's victory in
56:35
Christ
56:36
>> over yourself. You know what your number
56:38
one problem is? Go
56:39
>> ahead.
56:40
>> It's not the regrets you have. It's not
56:42
the fears you have for somebody else.
56:44
It's it's not the disappointment you
56:46
have in somebody or something else. Your
56:48
number one biggest problem is yourself.
56:51
You're
56:51
>> right.
56:52
>> Your reaction, Amen, is more important
56:54
than anybody else's action.
56:56
>> You're right.
56:57
>> Did you hear what I said? Your reaction
57:00
is more important and will always be
57:02
more important than anybody else's
57:04
action. Abram in this text could have
57:06
missed a blessing if he hadn't come to
57:08
where God told him to be. But you see,
57:10
when he got to this place, he realized
57:12
that there would be some people who
57:14
would be blessed because of his
57:16
obedience. There would be a promise that
57:18
would be fulfilled because of his
57:19
obedience. And this place would be the
57:22
symbol
57:23
forever of Abram's obedience.
57:26
I wonder what land, let me listen to me,
57:29
mom and daddy. I wonder what land your
57:30
children are to inherit because of your
57:32
obedience. But if you don't obey, what
57:34
are they going to miss?
57:36
>> Right?
57:38
>> What inheritance are they going to have?
57:41
>> Because we're too afraid to face that
57:44
irritation. Go ahead.
57:51
this inspiration. He says in the text,
57:54
notice that he said, "I unto thy seed
57:56
will I give this land." And Abram, look
57:57
what his response is there. He builded
58:00
an altar unto the Lord who appeared unto
58:04
him. You say, "What does that
58:06
represent?" Well, I I've said all that
58:08
to say these these truths here. There's
58:10
instruction. There's irritation. There's
58:11
inspiration here. But there ought to be
58:13
an indication
58:15
when you get to the place where God
58:17
wants to be. And what is that? An
58:19
indication is not something that God
58:21
sets up, but it's something that you put
58:24
up to go back to the place where God
58:27
showed you something that you couldn't
58:29
see. You say, "What is that?" Well, God
58:32
didn't write a deed.
58:33
>> You're right.
58:34
>> All right. Hang with me. Okay. God
58:36
didn't give Abram a deed.
58:39
>> You're right.
58:40
>> That was handwritten by the fingers of
58:42
God and said, "This is your land and
58:44
sign God at the bottom of it."
58:46
>> He didn't do that. You know what? God,
58:48
your salvation that you've got, he
58:50
didn't write you a letter of salvation.
58:53
>> Amen. I know we've got the word of God.
58:55
Just hang with me. I'm making a point
58:56
here. God didn't write you a letter of
58:58
salvation say such and such date, such
59:00
and such time, such and such was
59:02
preaching. You got saved. sign God on
59:05
the bottom of it because that's not how
59:06
it works.
59:07
>> Right?
59:09
>> You say, "How does it work, preacher?"
59:11
Well, when God meets with us, he has
59:13
designed us in such a way that we're to
59:16
mark where he met with us.
59:19
>> Right?
59:21
>> You say, "Preacher, I don't understand."
59:23
Well, you remember when Noah got off
59:24
that ark, what was the first thing he
59:25
did? Built an altar,
59:28
>> right?
59:28
>> To remember that God brought him safely.
59:33
>> You know what? There was nothing. No, he
59:34
couldn't go through that storm again.
59:37
Thank God he couldn't. Amen.
59:42
But you'd be honest with me tonight and
59:43
say there's probably some of you that
59:44
wished at some point in time in your
59:46
life you could get saved again so you
59:48
could feel what it feels like to do it
59:50
again.
59:52
You know what your problem is? You
59:53
didn't set up a marker. You're
59:55
>> right.
59:56
>> You say, "Preacher, what's that
59:57
indication?" Well, let me say this. I I
1:00:00
want to draw your attention back to the
1:00:01
text here for just a minute. Look what
1:00:03
he says. There builded he an altar unto
1:00:05
the Lord. He doesn't only build one
1:00:06
altar in this text, but he builds two.
1:00:08
Look what the Bible says. Verse 8. And
1:00:10
he removed from then unto a mountain on
1:00:12
the east of Bethl and pitched his tent
1:00:14
having Bethl on the west and a on the
1:00:16
east. And what's the Bible say, church?
1:00:18
And there he builded an altar unto the
1:00:21
Lord. So here he builds a second
1:00:24
indication. All right. He comes into the
1:00:27
land. the first place he goes, that
1:00:29
place of instruction, that place of
1:00:30
strength, that place of encouragement,
1:00:33
that place where he found the shoulder
1:00:35
that he would need to lean on for his
1:00:37
stay in Canaan land. He leaves that
1:00:40
place, but only after he'd made an
1:00:42
indication.
1:00:45
He set up some tent pegs.
1:00:48
Remember what I believe it was Jeremiah
1:00:50
said? He said, "Remove not the ancient
1:00:52
landmark
1:00:54
which thy fathers have said." You know
1:00:57
why this generation struggles so much?
1:01:00
Because we've watched a bunch of people
1:01:01
go around pulling up landmarks. You're
1:01:03
>> right.
1:01:06
>> Because here's the thing about it. Those
1:01:08
indications in your life, there's so
1:01:10
much I could say about this. All right?
1:01:12
Those indicators in your life are put
1:01:14
there for you to have a place to come
1:01:16
back to.
1:01:17
>> Because in your flesh, just like Abram,
1:01:19
you know what he does just a few short
1:01:20
verses later? He goes back to Egypt. And
1:01:23
I'm getting ahead of myself so much, but
1:01:25
notice what the Bible says in verse one
1:01:27
of chapter 13.
1:01:32
Actually, notice verse three of chapter
1:01:33
13. After Abram left out of Egypt,
1:01:36
according to verse one, verse three, and
1:01:38
he went on his journeys from the south,
1:01:39
even to Bethl unto the place where his
1:01:42
tent had been, what's that say? At the
1:01:44
beginning, between Bethl Ai, unto the
1:01:47
place of the what? Altar which he made
1:01:50
there at the first. And there Abram
1:01:52
called on the name of the Lord.
1:01:55
Let me ask you, how long's it been since
1:01:57
you've been back to that place? I'm not
1:02:00
talking about a physical place. I'm
1:02:02
talking about that spiritual place in
1:02:04
your life where you know that God met
1:02:06
with you.
1:02:08
You say, "Preacher, what is that?"
1:02:11
It's not a geographical location,
1:02:14
>> right?
1:02:15
>> You're not going to find it on a map.
1:02:17
But you know what you'll do? There's
1:02:19
some verses that God will give you and
1:02:21
it's all diff different for all of us,
1:02:23
but I got some
1:02:25
indicators stuck up in here in a few
1:02:27
places where God spoke to me at once and
1:02:30
I can go to that verse and you know what
1:02:32
immed immediately will happen to me.
1:02:33
It's a good reason why you write in your
1:02:35
Bible too. You're
1:02:36
>> right.
1:02:37
>> Write dates, times, events when God
1:02:40
helped you. But I can go back to that
1:02:41
place and most time I don't even I don't
1:02:43
even have to have a date or time. I can
1:02:45
look at them flags that stuck up and
1:02:49
find where God spoke to me. There's an
1:02:52
indicator left.
1:02:54
God spoke to you there using this vi
1:02:57
this verse. Notice this. I'm moving
1:03:00
quickly. I need to get done.
1:03:03
When you get to where you're supposed to
1:03:05
be, there ought to be an indication that
1:03:07
you put up, but there also ought to be
1:03:09
some identification that's given.
1:03:12
I ain't got time to labor this point,
1:03:13
but I want you to miss this. All right.
1:03:15
The Bible says that when he removed from
1:03:18
Sheckchum in the text in verse number
1:03:20
eight, he removed from then unto a
1:03:22
mountain on the east of Bethl and
1:03:23
pitched his tent. Notice this, having
1:03:25
Bethl on the west and Ai on the east.
1:03:29
Now, simply put tonight, Bethl means
1:03:31
what, church? The house of God, right?
1:03:34
What does Ai mean? Means a heap of
1:03:38
ruins,
1:03:40
a heap of ashes. You say, "What does
1:03:42
that represent?" tent. Well, notice
1:03:43
where Abram built his altar and pitched
1:03:45
his tent in the text. He pitched his
1:03:47
tent having Bethl on the west and Ai on
1:03:49
the east. And there he builded an altar
1:03:51
under the Lord. He pitched his tent,
1:03:54
that's his dwelling place. And he built
1:03:56
his altar
1:03:58
between the house of God and the heap of
1:04:02
ruins. Now, what does that represent?
1:04:06
That represents the life of you and I.
1:04:08
When we get saved, what happens to us?
1:04:11
We get saved and one becomes two.
1:04:15
>> And you know what we spend the rest of
1:04:16
our life doing?
1:04:18
Choosing
1:04:20
between the flesh, that heap of ruin,
1:04:23
>> right?
1:04:23
>> And between the house of God, that
1:04:25
spirit. You see, the Bible tells us that
1:04:27
our body is the temple.
1:04:30
>> Ain't that right?
1:04:31
>> We're the house of God.
1:04:33
>> Abram built his tent between this. And
1:04:36
you know what this does? This sets up
1:04:38
the scope for the rest of Abram's life.
1:04:41
every decision that he makes is going to
1:04:43
go one of two ways.
1:04:46
Why did he do this? Because he needed to
1:04:48
realize where his center point is.
1:04:52
You see, he could have built that tent.
1:04:54
He could have put that tent. He could
1:04:55
have put that that altar anywhere. But
1:04:58
what does this represent to us? Well,
1:05:00
the tent, one writer put it this way. It
1:05:01
represents that we're pilgrims.
1:05:04
We're living between the house of God
1:05:06
and a heap of ruins. This world is not
1:05:07
our home. Abram was what? He was a
1:05:10
pilgrim in Canaan land. Paul said it
1:05:13
this way. He said he looked for a city
1:05:15
that hath foundations whose builder and
1:05:18
maker's God. What was it? That's an
1:05:19
eternal city. That's heaven,
1:05:21
>> right?
1:05:22
>> And he built he put up his tent here.
1:05:24
But you know what he also built? He
1:05:26
built an altar unto the Lord. What is an
1:05:28
altar? It's a place of sacrifice. It's a
1:05:30
place of supplication. And it's
1:05:32
mentioned the last phrase in verse
1:05:34
number eight. Notice the text. And there
1:05:36
he built an altar unto the Lord. what
1:05:38
your Bible say and called upon the name
1:05:41
of the Lord. You see, God will give you
1:05:44
instruction.
1:05:46
There going to be some irritations, but
1:05:48
he's going to give you some inspiration
1:05:50
to help you. The spirit of God will
1:05:53
inspire you. The scriptures will
1:05:54
instruct you. But you see, out of that,
1:05:56
you have a responsibility.
1:05:58
You ought to put up some indicators.
1:06:01
You ought to make a place of
1:06:04
identification. You say, "What? What is
1:06:06
that, preacher?" Well, this is the
1:06:07
bottom line. This is who I am. You ought
1:06:09
to decide in your heart tonight and
1:06:11
realize, all right, you're not perfect.
1:06:14
When you got saved, God didn't make you
1:06:16
sinless. You're
1:06:17
>> right.
1:06:18
>> And so, what is this place of
1:06:19
identification? It's showing, all right,
1:06:21
I've got to b I've got to battle myself,
1:06:24
>> right?
1:06:24
>> Every day. But then thirdly, not only
1:06:27
this indication and identification, but
1:06:29
there is for sake of literation, and I
1:06:32
probably need to stop doing this, but I
1:06:33
I do it because it helps me. So, just
1:06:35
forgive me. There's a place of invoc
1:06:37
invocation in the text. He called upon
1:06:40
the name of the Lord. You see, this is
1:06:43
the fulfillment of who we are as
1:06:46
Christians.
1:06:48
The only desire that God has for his
1:06:51
people is that they would speak to him.
1:06:56
Do you realize that out of talking to
1:06:59
him? You say, "Preacher, but he wants me
1:07:01
to read his word." You understand that?
1:07:03
That all that goes hand in hand,
1:07:05
>> right?
1:07:06
>> Your conversation with God is prayer and
1:07:08
Bible study. That's what it is. And all
1:07:10
he asked of us is that we speak to him.
1:07:13
And Abram decides that that indicator
1:07:16
was the altar, the place of his
1:07:18
sacrifice. The in the identification
1:07:20
showed his dwelling where he would
1:07:22
ultimately live his life between these
1:07:24
two places.
1:07:26
And his prayer was made on that altar to
1:07:29
his Lord. And you say, "Preacher, but
1:07:32
what if I fall?" Well, you notice in the
1:07:34
text, he falls right after this,
1:07:36
>> right?
1:07:37
>> Notice verse nine.
1:07:40
And Abram journeyed going on still
1:07:42
toward the south. Now, some writers in
1:07:44
their ignorance have said this. Abram
1:07:45
was always going forward.
1:07:48
You better be careful with somebody
1:07:49
that's always going forward.
1:07:52
You say, "Preacher, but some change is
1:07:54
good
1:07:56
sometimes."
1:07:58
But notice what's happened. You see, up
1:08:00
to this point, Abra Abram moving has
1:08:02
been good. But you see, his journeying
1:08:05
was not good in verse number nine
1:08:06
because of his direction.
1:08:09
You ought to be careful to never be
1:08:11
still, but you also ought to be careful
1:08:13
about where you're going when you're
1:08:14
moving. You're
1:08:15
>> right.
1:08:16
>> Say, preacher, well, how do I know what?
1:08:18
Well,
1:08:19
simply put, David said it this way. Thy
1:08:21
word is a lamp into my feet and a light
1:08:24
into my path.
1:08:26
the instruction that you're going to
1:08:28
find at that tree.
1:08:30
That's the only way you can keep it in
1:08:32
the bounds. You're
1:08:33
>> right.
1:08:34
>> And you're going to have to hide it in
1:08:35
your heart. Thy word have I hid in my
1:08:38
heart that I might not sin against thee.
1:08:42
And then and only then will you pray and
1:08:44
then will you find deliverance. You see
1:08:46
these build this building that Abram
1:08:48
does in the text. And I didn't really
1:08:51
get time to emphasize this. There was a
1:08:53
lot more I wanted to say, but I believe
1:08:55
the Lord got across what he wanted to.
1:08:57
Abram could have built a lot of things.
1:09:00
He could have went to one place, you
1:09:01
know, he could have built his house and
1:09:04
put his stakes down and did all of that,
1:09:06
but that wasn't what God wanted him to
1:09:08
do. All throughout this this story of
1:09:11
Abram, you'll find in chapter 13, he
1:09:13
journeys on, leaves that place at
1:09:16
Sheckchham, goes to the plains of Mamry,
1:09:18
and God blesses him there in the plains
1:09:20
of Mamry, and then he journeys all
1:09:22
throughout the rest of his life. Why?
1:09:24
Because he was a stranger.
1:09:27
But you know, Abram was all was fine
1:09:30
traveling as long as he was in the place
1:09:31
where God called him to be. And what was
1:09:34
that? That was Canaan land. Anytime
1:09:36
Abram got out of Canaan land, what
1:09:38
happened? There was trouble.
1:09:42
You've got a realm of life that you can
1:09:44
live in. And in that realm, there's
1:09:46
freedom.
1:09:48
But you say, "Preacher, well, that's not
1:09:49
enough freedom for me." What you're
1:09:51
going to find is there's going to be
1:09:52
destruction on the outside of it. You're
1:09:53
>> right.
1:09:54
>> And you know what sets the bounds?
1:09:59
Where this thing stops,
1:10:02
>> right?
1:10:04
Because the land of Canaan is your
1:10:06
Christian life.
1:10:08
And that victory is only found when you
1:10:10
live inside the bounds
1:10:12
of the map.
1:10:14
You're
1:10:14
>> right.
1:10:15
>> I hope you don't miss that. Father,
1:10:18
thank you for the time tonight.
1:10:20
Lord, it's different service tonight. My
1:10:23
flesh don't like it, but God, I pray
1:10:25
somebody's got some help tonight. Lord,
1:10:28
I know there's so much so many things
1:10:30
going on. We all got stuff in our minds,
1:10:33
thoughts, heaviness, burdens.
1:10:37
But Lord, I pray that each individual
1:10:39
before they leave here tonight would
1:10:40
realize, God, that just because there
1:10:42
wasn't an altar called doesn't mean this
1:10:43
altar wasn't open.
1:10:45
And Lord, I believe tonight that each
1:10:48
one of us, Lord, ought to put up one of
1:10:50
those indicating marks on this altar
1:10:55
cuz Lord, I've watched you do it in the
1:10:56
last two years. these precious people.
1:10:58
Some have been here 30, 40 years and
1:11:01
they've seen you do it over and over and
1:11:05
over again. And Lord, they've got those
1:11:08
marks up. Maybe it's time for them to
1:11:10
revisit them again. Lord, would you help
1:11:12
us to be obedient to you? God, help us
1:11:15
to identify ourselves, who we really
1:11:17
are, and put ourselves in perspective to
1:11:19
make the right decisions. And Lord, help
1:11:22
us to always be people of prayer. God, I
1:11:25
realize that many of us live busy
1:11:27
schedules and God, we don't have the
1:11:30
time that we want to. But Lord, I pray
1:11:31
that you would help us throughout the
1:11:34
day, Lord, to be in a mental state of
1:11:36
prayer. God, as we go, Lord, you bring
1:11:39
somebody across our mind, Lord. We know
1:11:41
that we can bow our head in just a
1:11:43
moment and pray and lift their name up
1:11:44
to you. Lord, we know if there's a
1:11:47
sinner, Father, that we come in contact
1:11:48
with, God, we know that we may not even
1:11:50
know their name, but you do. and we can
1:11:52
call out to you and pray for them. But
1:11:55
Lord, I pray you would help us all stay
1:11:57
in the place where you put us. And God,
1:11:59
if there's somebody here tonight in a
1:12:00
place where they're not supposed to be,
1:12:02
halfway between where they was lost and
1:12:06
where they're found, God, I pray you'd
1:12:07
get them to the place where they need to
1:12:09
be tonight. Lord, I love you. Thank you
1:12:12
for loving us. We ask it in Jesus name.
1:12:15
Amen. I love you.
1:12:16
>> Thank you for joining our service today.
1:12:19
We'd love it if you'd join us in person
1:12:21
the next time you are able at Meadows
1:12:23
Baptist Church. Our physical address is
1:12:26
2988
1:12:28
Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
1:12:30
Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
1:12:33
school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
1:12:35
worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
1:12:38
worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
1:12:40
evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
1:12:43
more information, visit us at
1:12:45
meadowsbaptisturch.com.
1:12:47
Thanks again for tuning in.