The blessing of faith - Genesis 13
This is a sermon by Peter Birnie from the Riverside Church service on 18th January 2026.
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Intro: (Slide 1) Why are we so delighted by the parable of the prodigal son – the story Jesus told to explain how kindly God treats people who make a mess of things and then come to him in need? Why does the historical account of the thief on the cross encourage us so much – where the dying criminal simply calls out to Jesus and Jesus tells him that today he will be with Jesus in paradise? Why does the parable Jesus tells of the workers who worked for very little time getting the same wages as everyone else impact us so much? Why are these events and teachings so fascinating for us? It is because they are all about grace – where people get treated really well by God even though they haven’t done anything to deserve it (and often actually deserve to be treated badly instead).
(Slide 2) Grace pours out from the Triune God of love and transforms the people it pours into. If a person is a Christian, then at the centre of their story and the story of their local church is this incredible gift of grace. We do not deserve to have had our sins forgiven, but through faith in Jesus that is just what has happened at the cost of the blood of Jesus. We do not deserve to be called children of God, but through faith in Jesus that is just who we are by the sovereign will of the Father. We do not deserve to have new eternal life flowing through our veins but through faith in Jesus that is just what we have obtained by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. When people say to us “I wish I had your faith” they don’t realise just how much they should want it, how jealous they should be, and how quickly they should put their trust in God.
(Slide 3) In Genesis 13 and 14 today we see the grace of God poured out on Abram and the transforming power that this brings with it in Abram’s life. But we also see the sad story of a person who sees this grace first-hand and yet somehow misses the whole point. God’s grace causes God’s people to love God himself above everything else. That is what happens in Abram’s life. And that is what you should be desperate for in your life – the blessing of faith, a life filled with God’s grace.
1) God’s extravagant grace calls us home to him (v1-4)
(Slide 4) Abram has been in a real mess – he left the land God took him to (because of famine), he lied about Sarai being his wife, and he brought trouble to Pharaoh and his household as a result. What a fall this was from faithful trust and obedience and yet God has protected him and even blessed him, so in verse 1 we read; “So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” No losses and instead gains.
(Slide 5) There is definitely something of the prodigal son in this narrative. Abram falls into sin and doubt and yet look where he ends up in verse 3 and 4, back home, back where God had brought him before, back where he had built an altar, look what he ends up doing in verse 4, “calling on the name of the LORD” – back in close relationship with God, depending upon God for all he needs, and as we have seen already look how he ends up at the end of verse 4, wealthy and blessed. These 3 facts show the totally undeserved nature of God’s love and God’s blessing. They are full of grace.
And so, without any delay, I want to call you this morning to take a look at your own state before God right now.
- Where are you right now? Are you where you should be in life, trusting God, following his paths or are you in a mess of your own making, full of sin and doubt and failure? God’s grace calls you back home, so if you are in Egypt, don’t wait, come back now – if God was so kind to Abram, he will be so kind to you as well.
- What characterises your life right now? Is it a close relationship with God where you call upon his name day in day out, where you depend upon him for everything? You run to him quickly for forgiveness and ask him for the strength you need to press on. Or are you stuck in depressing self-dependence, too ashamed to come close to God, afraid he might not listen to you anyway? Don’t delay, realise that God is the God of incredible grace, he is ready to forgive and renew, he did it for Abram and will do it for us.
- How are you right now? If you are a believer in Jesus then you have every spiritual blessing in Christ. Every reason to be full of thankfulness and praise. You may have forgotten this, and as a result temporary circumstances may seem more important to you than eternal realities right now. God’s grace calls to you now and reminds you that you already have eternal life united with Jesus. God will not stop blessing his children, he did it for Abram he will do it for you and I.
(Slide 6) This is actually what we have already remembered and celebrated in our service today as we gathered around the Lord’s table. God has poured out extravagant grace upon his people, calling them close to him, home with him, to be eternally blessed by him. Wherever you are at right now, hear his call to close, loving, blessed, dependent relationship with the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And if you are not a believer yet, realise what you are missing, respond this morning by putting your faith in Jesus. The extravagant grace that calls Abram home in Genesis 13 points us to the cross and the empty tomb where Jesus did everything needed for any of us to come home to him and have a life full of joy in him.
2) God’s extravagant grace is missed by those who see only what is in front of them (v5-13)
(Slide 7) It was nice to watch a movie with some of you yesterday – I wonder if you watch films and TV programmes the way I do now – enjoying the parts where everything is going well for the main characters, but always waiting for the point where it will all go wrong (I don’t think I used to watch stuff with that sense of impending doom so maybe that is just getting older and naivety dying). Genesis 13 starts so well with this incredible demonstration of grace and this beautiful return home, but then, verse 5 (Slide 8); “Now Lot …” Only 2 words, but suddenly the whole atmosphere shifts because Lot’s attitude to life and Lot’s response to all that God is doing and to God himself is a really sad one which has huge implications for his family in years to come.
Lot saw first-hand how good and generous God is and so should have every reason to want to get as close to the God of blessing as possible! God’s blessing of Abram and Lot is so generous that it means that their herdsmen are arguing about pasture and land, there are so many animals that making sure they have enough food has become a problem. The grace that God had poured into Abraham pours out towards Lot and he lets Lot choose where in the land to settle. (Slide 9) But Lot chooses really badly because he only sees what is right there in front of him and this seems to blind him to the amazing and generous grace of God. Lot chooses what he thinks is the best, while Abram lets God decide for him. Lot’s choice looks good and is awful – there is so much misery ahead for Lot and his family because he is living by sight instead of living by faith.
(Slide 10) Yes, the plain of Jordan towards Zoar looked really attractive, well-watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt where Lot had just been, but read verse 13; “Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.” So not only does Lot choose land outside of the place where God had brought Abram, he chooses a place where sin and sinners are everywhere – basically he makes a choice that banks on human wisdom and desire rather than on God’s promises and grace. In fact, what I think Lot is doing here compared to what Abram is doing is this; Lot chooses what he thinks he needs to be happy while Abram chooses God. By doing this Lot somehow misses just how wonderful it is to belong to God, to be close to God, to walk the paths God would have for him - choosing trash not treasure, the rubbish dump rather than the promised land.
(Slide 11) As we go through this series we will see this challenge again and again – choosing God is far better than anything we could get for ourselves. For your own good, the long-term good of your family, the eternal good of this church family, for the glory of God, let me exhort you to the life of faith in God rather than the life of grabbing what you can see in front of you. God is so kind and full of grace that choosing faith in him and obedience to him is the right choice no matter what it looks like right now. Abram got that. Lot didn’t.
3) God’s extravagant grace is where we should make our permanent home (v14-14v24)
(Slide 12) And that is made so very clear in the rest of this chapter and in all of chapter 14. Keep your bible open as we skim through this quickly, highlighting the huge contrast between Abram and Lot from start to finish.
- (Slide 13) Lot makes his home in the wrong place. He goes off to settle down near Sodom (13v12) and this then becomes in chapter 14 v12 in Sodom. He starts near people who were wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord and soon he is living among them. Sin does this – it creeps and grabs at you (crocodile!) We will see in later chapters the destruction this brings. Abram on the other hand makes his home with God. God meets with him again and in 13v14-17 God tells him that all of the land he can see will be given to him. His offspring will be like the dust of the earth, uncountable. While Lot makes the world his home, Abram gets to walk the length and breadth of the land knowing that God himself is his home.
- (Slide 14) While Abram enjoys God’s blessing, building another altar to the LORD and delighting in the relationship that God has called him into at the end of chapter 13, Lot, in chapter 14 v 1-12, gets dragged into the middle of the chaos and war that sinful people are so good at bringing about. There is a huge fight between different rulers in the area, Sodom and Gomorrah are overrun, and Lot and all the stuff that matters to him so much, gets carried off. Faithful obedience brings blessing to Abram, human foolishness brings chaos to Lot.
- (Slide 15) And in the rest of the chapter, the contrast continues. Lot is left utterly helpless, tied up by his own sinful choices and the sin of those around him. Abram hears of his plight and with God’s strength is able to fight and win and rescue Lot and everything that belonged to him.
There is probably loads more that could be said and points that could be laboured. But surely by now we can all see that Abram living by faith in God is infinitely superior to Lot living by human sight. Abram making his home with the God of extravagant grace is infinitely superior to Lot making his home where it looked good to him. (Slide 16) So let me run to the cross before we finish with 1 application for our practical daily living. At the cross of Jesus Christ the extravagant grace of God is on offer to and on display for all who would get their eyes off themselves and this world and lift them to where they should be fixed. At the cross all God’s promises were kept.
So wherever you are living by sight right now, holding on to things that you think will make you happy instead of letting go of them and holding onto God instead, consider the cross of Christ, realise how much he loves you, realise how much grace he pours out on your life. There is no need to fear following him in obedience and making him your home. Stay far from Lot and walk closely the path that Abram walked.
Conclusion (14 v 17-24)
(Slide 17) And as you do that, here is a very practical application of these chapters. At the end of chapter 14, 2 different people come to meet Abram.
- The King of Sodom comes to offer him plunder and wealth as a reward for Abram rescuing them. Abram refuses – he wants nothing to do with the things that make sinners happy, because he is happy with God.
- But there is another person who meets Abram, a mysterious figure called Melchizedek, who is a king and a priest, or a priestly king (a foreshadowing of Jesus). He comes and blesses Abram, read verse 19. And what does Abram do? He gives a tenth of everything to this priestly King. The grace that God has poured out on Abram causes Abram to become a generous, worshipping blesser of God and others.
There is the practical application – when a believer realises the depth of God’s grace, the kindness with which he treats us, then that believer’s heart is changed. We become worshippers and givers instead of proud entitled takers. Think lots about God’s grace, delight in him and he will transform you.
Intro: Stories of grace
- God’s extravagant grace calls us home to him (v1-4)
“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him…”
God’s grace to Abram is incredible;
- Where
- What
- How
Wherever you are at right now, hear his call to close, loving, blessed, dependent relationship with the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- God’s extravagant grace is missed by those who see only what is in front of them (v5-13)
“Now Lot …”
- Lot chooses by what he sees Abram lets God decide
- Lot chooses what he thinks he needs to be happy, Abram chooses God
“Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.”
- God’s extravagant grace is where we should make our permanent home (v14-14v24)
- Abram makes his home in God, Lot makes his home in the wrong place
- Abram enjoys God’s blessing, Lot is dragged into chaos
- Abram acts in God’s strength, Lot is left utterly helpless
God’s extravagant grace is far better than anything we can get or see – run to the cross of Christ!
Practical Application (14 v 17-24): It is God’s grace that transforms God’s people into generous, graceful worshippers. Think much on God’s grace this week.
| Memory verse: Genesis 14 v 19-20 “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
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| My own questions for later:
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| Life Group Questions:
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