Abraham and Lot Divide the Land, by Claes Cornelisz. Moeyaert, 1640
Claes Corneliszoon Moeyaert (1592-1655) was a Dutch painter, etcher and draughtsman. He was the most prolific of the history painters now called the Pre-Rembrandtists, whose representations of biblical and mythological narratives, as well as of more recent history, give particular emphasis to dramatic and psychological effects. After Rembrandt arrived in Amsterdam in 1632, Moeyaert’s style became more lively: he used more intense color and more varied motifs and created more animated figures. This 1640 painting “Abraham and Lot Divide the Land” depicts the story told in Genesis 13:5-13, in which Abraham and his nephew Lot separate, as a result of the quarrel among the shepherds. The dispute ends in peaceful way, in which Abraham concedes a piece of the Promised Land, which belongs to him, in order to resolve the conflict peacefully.
Call to Worship – 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Invocation
O God of the still, small voice, quiet our inner spirit. Help us to focus upon You, and You alone, to hear Your voice within. There are so many other voices demanding our attention. But we cannot attend to them without You…. “Be still and know that I am God,” You say to us as You said to Elijah…. May Your voice speak through us.
In weakness, be our strength. In poverty, be our wealth. In depression, be our joy. In apathy, be our love. We cannot sing Love’s song, O Lord, unless it be Your voice singing in us. Take this heart, and with this mouth make Your praise and thanksgiving a reality here and now. Because of, and in the name of our Messiah, Jesus. Amen.
O Come to the Altar
Are you hurting and broken within?
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling.
Have you come to the end of yourself?
Do you thirst for a drink from the well? Jesus is calling.
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait, Jesus is calling.
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born, Jesus is calling.
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ
Oh what a Savior, Isn’t He wonderful, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him for He is Lord of all, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Oh what a Savior, Isn’t He wonderful, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him for He is Lord of all, Sing alleluia, Christ is risen
O come to the altar, the Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ
Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you’ve found
By Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
© 2015 Music by Elevation Publishing
CCLI # 2487144
Children’s Sermon
Prayer and Intercession
By faith
We gaze up to the heavens
and know
within its vastness
that this is your creation
planned and effected within eternity.
By faith
We pluck an ear of corn
and know
within its symmetry
lies the chemistry of life
the potential of creation within our hands.
By faith
We listen for your voice
and know
the whisper that we hear
breathed a world into existence
yet listens to the prayer within our souls.
By faith
We strive to do your will
and know
the door that we approach
may lead us to shadows
where our role is to become your light.
By faith
We cling to your word
and know
the strength that we receive
has its source within the love
that is at the centre of all things.
Please take a few moments to pray for:
-
- The Paradee Family
- Howard Deuso
- Donna Waguespack, our missionary in Mexico
- Healthcare workers
- Other personal concerns
Scripture Reading – Genesis 13
Abram and Lot Separate
13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.
Sermon
Living by Faith, Not by Sight by Dr. Jason R. McConnell
I Lift My Eyes Up
I lift my eyes up, up to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from you, Maker of Heaven,
Creator of the earth.
Oh, how I need you, Lord,
You are my only hope, You’re my only prayer.
So I will wait for you to come and rescue me;
Come and give me life.
I lift my eyes up, up to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from you, Maker of Heaven,
Creator of the earth.
Oh, how I need you, Lord,
You are my only hope, You’re my only prayer.
So I will wait for you to come and rescue me;
Come and give me life.
I lift my eyes up, up to the mountains.
Where does my help come from?
Words and music by Brian Doerkson
© 1990 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing
CCLI # 2487144