1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,960 Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight and a chance to, to be 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:04,920 together. And we're grateful for how you 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,120 answer prayer. And we're grateful, Lord, for 4 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,680 the word of the Lord, we thank you that we can study the 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,680 scriptures. We thank you, Lord, for the for 6 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:14,920 the insight you give us as we study them. 7 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:19,000 And you open up to us, our hearts and minds to be able to 8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,440 behold your beauty tonight. Lord, I, I pray that you work in 9 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,720 all of our hearts. Help us to examine our lives in 10 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,520 light of what Your Word says, that we might understand the 11 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,680 essence of true, genuine biblical Christianity, and that 12 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:35,920 we might live in light of what Your Word says. 13 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,840 Forgive us, Lord, for falling short at times. 14 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,880 Forgive us, Lord, for our sinful behavior. 15 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,000 We know that you are a great, forgiving God. 16 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:46,920 And our prayer, Lord, is that we would live for your glory and 17 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,720 honor that you be pleased with how we seek to honor You each 18 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,280 and every day, and that as we learn tonight, we would take 19 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:57,080 with us those things that we have learned and apply them to 20 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:01,760 our lives for your glory in Jesus name, Amen. 21 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:11,280 What is true about a Christian is that a Christian purposes in 22 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:16,960 his heart to make a decision, and that decision is to deny 23 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:22,400 himself and take of his cross and follow the Christ. 24 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:30,080 That's Luke 9/23 having made a decision that Christian is 25 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:35,400 defined by Philippians 3 verse #3 He worships God in spirit, he 26 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:40,280 he boasts only in Christ Jesus, and he puts no confidence in the 27 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:47,440 flesh. That definition is described in 28 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,720 Second Corinthians 5/17, that if any man be in Christ, he is a 29 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,360 new creation. Christians are described as 30 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,400 being in Christ and Christ in them. 31 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:06,840 That description is then declared by the believer in 32 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:12,080 Matthew 16 because he declares that Jesus Christ is the Son of 33 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,920 the living God. He understands the deity of 34 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:20,840 Christ and believes that fully. That declaration leads to a 35 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:27,040 dedication, and that dedication is summed up in Philippians 121. 36 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,120 For, as Paul says, for me to live as Christ and to die as 37 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:37,080 gain. All Christians, all genuine true 38 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,360 believers live for Christ and not for themselves. 39 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:48,840 And then they, they denounce and they destroy those members of 40 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,600 their body that keep them from being all that Christ wants them 41 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,400 to be. That's Colossians 3 verses 1 to 42 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,960 8. And then they devote themselves 43 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:05,160 to 1 ambition, and that is to please only Christ. 2nd 44 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:12,640 Corinthians 5 verse #9 seven key characteristics that help you 45 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:16,400 understand what a Christian really is. 46 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:26,360 Number 8 is that that Christian disassociates from the world and 47 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,720 all of its evil. There is a disassociation from 48 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,680 loving the world to loving Christ. 49 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:44,840 The believer understands James 4 verse #4 that to be a friend of 50 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:50,920 the world is to be an enemy of God. 51 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,080 The believer understands that. The believer understands that 52 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:04,080 that if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in 53 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:10,680 you. And yet so many people are 54 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:19,880 deceived, self deceived into thinking they love the Lord, but 55 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:27,000 in reality they love the world. I want to show you how that 56 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:36,960 happens this evening through an illustration, a three word verse 57 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,920 that's illustrating the principle of someone who did not 58 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:46,720 disassociate from the world, but wanted to associate with the 59 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,880 world. Let me say it to you this way. 60 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:59,680 This person is a biblical character without a name, whose 61 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:08,080 body never to corruption came, who died at death, no one's ever 62 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:16,080 died before, whose shroud is found in every grocery store. 63 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:23,360 Let me say it to you again. This biblical character is 64 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:30,040 without a name. Whose body never to corruption 65 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:36,920 came, who died to death, no one's ever died before. 66 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:45,320 Whose shroud is found in every grocery store. 67 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:52,120 That's the person. That person is found in the 17th 68 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:58,960 chapter of Luke. In the 17th chapter of Luke in 69 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:05,920 verse #22 Christ begins to talk about His coming again, His 70 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:11,200 second coming, His coming in judgement. 71 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,480 And as He talks to those round about Him, he wants them to 72 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,200 understand that His judgement is going to be like the days of 73 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:27,560 Noah. That is, men and women will be 74 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,680 drinking, they'll be getting married and being given in 75 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:36,080 marriage. They'll carry on as if nothing 76 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,880 bad is ever going to happen, but it will. 77 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:48,000 And then he says, it'll be like the days of of Sodom when they 78 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,880 were eating and drinking, they were buying, they were selling, 79 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,440 they were planting, they were building, they were carrying on 80 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,560 everyday activities because they were indifferent to the fact 81 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:12,880 that God was going to judge man. And so it says in verse #30 of 82 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:18,720 Luke 17, it will be just the same on the day that the Son of 83 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,560 Man is revealed. Interesting. 84 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:27,360 It says in Luke's Gospel, the 2nd chapter, that as Simeon 85 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:34,200 would talk to Mary at the dedication of their child, the 86 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:40,800 Lord Jesus, Simeon would say that the hearts of many will be 87 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:46,680 revealed by your son. There's something about our Lord 88 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,360 that truly reveals what's on the inside of man. 89 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,240 And nothing will be more revealing than when He comes in 90 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,680 judgement, because not only will He be revealed that all of His 91 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,040 glory and spend the splendor, but He will reveal the hearts of 92 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:06,920 everyone He's come to judge. This is the verse #31 of Luke 93 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,720 17. On that day, the one who was on 94 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,880 the House stop and whose goods are in the house must not go 95 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:17,440 down to take them out, and likewise the one who was in the 96 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:23,360 field must not turn back. In other words, the day of 97 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:29,800 judgement, there is no time to collect your possessions, but 98 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:34,600 only those who turn around to go back will see the value of those 99 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,120 possessions as more important than Christ Himself. 100 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:43,320 And He says those famous 3 words that describe a biblical 101 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:49,680 character without a name, whose body never to corruption came, 102 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:55,520 who died of death, no one ever died before, whose shroud is 103 00:08:55,520 --> 00:09:05,920 found in every grocery store verse #32 remember Lot's wife? 104 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,440 That's the biblical character without a name. 105 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:18,280 She's referred to three times and she's 19 as lots wife. 106 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,480 We don't know her name. She was turned into a pillar of 107 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,600 salt. That's the shroud that's in 108 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:33,080 every grocery store. And yet she becomes the supreme 109 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:43,360 example in Scripture of someone who looked like her husband but 110 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:51,920 was completely different than her husband, and she would be 111 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:55,120 destroyed. She would be judged. 112 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:02,360 Because she is the example of self love in the Bible. 113 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:10,000 She becomes the example of worldly love in the Bible. 114 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:18,080 She's the example of someone who comes so close to being 115 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:25,760 delivered, but it's not someone who was on the brink of 116 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:34,360 deliverance, but her heart was exposed and she died along with 117 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:41,480 those in Sodom and Gomorrah. She becomes a warning. 118 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,680 That's why Christ uses her as an example. 119 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:53,520 When the judgement of God comes, don't go back to your house to 120 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,960 collect your possessions because you can't take them with you. 121 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:02,800 When you're judged, don't go back internal. 122 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,760 Look at your field as if you'll never see it again because you 123 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:19,040 won't just remember Lot's life. She turned back and she was 124 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:23,480 destroyed because the true condition of her heart was 125 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:32,000 revealed, that she really didn't love God, she simply loved 126 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:39,840 herself. And so she becomes the example 127 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:45,920 of those who love darkness rather than light because their 128 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:52,840 deeds are evil. So turn with me, if you would, 129 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,200 to the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter 19. 130 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:10,800 And so our Lord refers to this scene when He says remember 131 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:19,680 Lot's wife, Genesis 19 verse #26 But his wife from behind him 132 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:30,240 looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 133 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:42,280 There's a reason why you are to remember Lot's wife because her 134 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:48,320 example is 1 of worldly love and self love. 135 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:58,360 Excuse me? Her look, her looking back 136 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:06,400 revealed the true nature of her character. 137 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:16,920 The most insignificant acts that you do reveal more about the 138 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,000 condition of your character than anything else you do. 139 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:36,280 The small insignificant acts truly reveal your character and 140 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:47,200 Lots wife misses Lot. Her character was revealed and I 141 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,080 want you to notice three things about her character. 4 things 142 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:55,080 about her character. Excuse me, why does she look 143 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,760 back? Why are we? 144 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:03,440 Do you remember Lot's wife? Number one is because she 145 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:10,840 desired the world. She desired the world. 146 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:24,080 Her heart was truly in Sodom. Her body was out of Sodom, but 147 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:36,840 her heart was still in Sodom. Her affections were in Sodom. 148 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:49,280 Her attention was in Sodom. In fact, a man's attention will 149 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:55,760 always determine his decision. Your decisions will always 150 00:14:55,760 --> 00:15:01,240 determine your direction. Your direction will always 151 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:06,440 determine your destination, but it's all based on your 152 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:12,640 affections, all based on that which has your undivided 153 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:19,200 attention. And Sodom had Missus Lott's 154 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,640 attention as we talked about a couple of weeks ago, the Bible 155 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:30,120 says set your affections on things above, not below Missus 156 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,560 Lott which that are affection on Sodom. 157 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:40,120 She couldn't bear to live without her friends and Sodom. 158 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:46,560 She couldn't bear to live without all the opportunities 159 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:51,880 that Sodom offered her. She loved the world. 160 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:57,120 She desired the world. But notice what it says. 161 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:06,280 But his wife from behind him? That's just a marvelous 162 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:12,280 statement. She was behind for three 163 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,480 reasons. Number one, no one could see 164 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:20,560 her. If they could not see her, they 165 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:28,800 could not #2 scold her. And #3 if they could not scold 166 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:38,440 her, they could not stop her. That's why she was behind. 167 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,280 She wasn't about to walk side by side with Mr. Lot. 168 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,280 She wasn't about to do that because then he would be able to 169 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:57,000 keep her from looking back. The children, the daughters, 170 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:00,680 they would not turn back to see what was happening with Mom 171 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:06,720 because the command was don't turn back, don't look back. 172 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,760 So while she's behind them, she knows they're not going to turn 173 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:16,000 around and see what she's doing because they were given a 174 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:21,960 command by the angels. Do not turn around, do not look 175 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,599 back. So she would stay behind because 176 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:33,720 she truly desired the world. People who desire the world 177 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,640 endeavor to conceal their activities. 178 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:46,240 They don't want to be seen, so they hide in the dark places. 179 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:51,680 They they stay behind where no one can watch them, no one can 180 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:56,280 see what they are doing. That is a characteristic of 181 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:01,720 someone who desires the world. They stay behind so no one can 182 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,680 see. If they cannot see her, they 183 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,360 cannot scold her. They cannot say to her, what are 184 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,320 you doing, Mom? You can't do that. 185 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,800 People who desire the world do not want their deeds to be 186 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:23,120 censored. They don't want to be seen and 187 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:26,640 they do not want to be told what to do. 188 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:34,440 They don't want to be scolded by parents, by pastors, by friends, 189 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:39,840 by anybody, because they are an entity of them to themselves. 190 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:48,960 They want to perform their deeds as they see fit, and so they 191 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:55,280 don't want to be seen. So they lag behind and they 192 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:59,240 don't want to be scolded by anybody because they do not want 193 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,800 to be held accountable for anything that they do. 194 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,200 So they can't be seen. She could not be seen. 195 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,720 She could not be scolded. Therefore she could not be 196 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,600 stopped. And the person who desires the 197 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:18,040 world doesn't want to be stopped because they love the world. 198 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,320 You see, worldliness is not an act. 199 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,920 Worldliness is an attitude. We we think that it's an act. 200 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,960 It's something we do. No, worldliness is an attitude. 201 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:38,560 Physically her, she was outside of Sodom, but her attitude was 202 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,600 in Sodom. That's what she really wanted. 203 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:50,760 That's where she wanted to be. And so therefore we see where 204 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:59,240 she truly desired the world. You know, I think about people 205 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:06,120 who claim Christianity, they claim to love the Lord, but down 206 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:11,080 deep they really love the world. They're the people that do not 207 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,760 want to be seen. So they do what they do in 208 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:19,000 secret where no one can see them, thinking they they are 209 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:25,760 hiding from everyone and they can continue to camouflage their 210 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:30,440 Christianity. Excuse me, but the bottom line 211 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,560 is, is that they don't want to be seen because they don't want 212 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,880 to be told what to do. They don't want anybody 213 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:40,320 interfering with their love for the world. 214 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:47,560 And so they continue to hide so they can't be scolded. 215 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:55,480 Bishop JC Rile in the 1800s said these words. 216 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:01,360 I believe there never was a time when warnings against 217 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:07,680 worldliness were so much needed by the Church of Christ as they 218 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:15,160 are in this present day. That was said in the 1800s. 219 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:21,000 I wonder what he would say today if he was alive. 220 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,760 Because worldliness has crept into the church. 221 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:35,440 Because people who love the world are in the church. 222 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:49,560 The Angel had taken her by the hand to remove her from the 223 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:55,480 city. How grateful it was for God to 224 00:21:55,480 --> 00:22:01,840 do that, and yet that meant nothing to Lot's wife. 225 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,640 One author said it this way. Some people are so taken up with 226 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:14,600 material things that Christ thinks it necessary to warn them 227 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:20,440 that on the very day in which He will be revealed to execute the 228 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:27,640 wrath of God on evil centers and conglomerations of human 229 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:33,080 iniquity, they will be tempted to go back to the house or city 230 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:38,240 to get their favorite possessions, because they cannot 231 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:44,160 imagine life without them. For the sake of things, they 232 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:51,240 will lose life itself. So true. 233 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:58,280 For the sake of things, for the sake of friendships, for the 234 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:03,360 sake of affection, they're willing to lose their life. 235 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:08,240 That's what Luke 17 is about. Christ would go on to say in 236 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,720 verse #33 Whoever seeks to keep his life in Luke 17 will lose 237 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,640 it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 238 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,720 He says, I, I tell you on that night there, there will be two 239 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:25,280 in bed. One will be taken and the other 240 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:29,320 will be left. The one taken is taken into 241 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,120 judgement. The one left is left to go into 242 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:36,920 the Kingdom. There will be two women grinding 243 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,680 at the same place. One will be taken, the other 244 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:45,160 will be left. Two men will be in the field, 245 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:50,040 one will be taken, the other will be left. 246 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,320 In other words, two people in bed. 247 00:23:55,360 --> 00:24:01,080 Two people in bed believe they're united together, but one 248 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,720 will be revealed that they are not true, and the other one will 249 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:08,120 be revealed that they are true. One will be taken in the 250 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:12,920 judgement, the other will not. There'll be two people working 251 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,920 side by side in the same workplace, presumably thinking 252 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,080 that they both know the Lord, but one is taken into judgement 253 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:26,120 and the other is not. There'll be two people in the 254 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:34,920 same job location, 1 taken into judgement, the other not Why? 255 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:37,800 Because one desires the things of the world and 1 does not. 256 00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:43,800 Matthew, chapter 13. This is the thorny, weedy soil 257 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,600 who falls away because of the cares of this world or because 258 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:56,200 of the deceitfulness of riches. My friends, this is so 259 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:00,640 important. Christ says, remember Lot's wife 260 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,080 because she did not disassociate herself with the things of the 261 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,960 world. She wanted to remain associated 262 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,760 with the things of the world. But true Christianity 263 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:16,120 disassociates with the world so many times. 264 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:19,960 We, we, we have family members and, and maybe one of the family 265 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:25,480 members is yours. They, they just can't depart 266 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,520 from the things of the world. They love to be in the world. 267 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:33,800 They love to be with the world. They love to do worldly things. 268 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,680 Their interests are in the world. 269 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,480 They're the kind of people that that that show no interest 270 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:48,760 necessarily in church because they'll schedule their work on 271 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,160 Sunday so they don't have to go to church. 272 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:58,640 That's a Lot's wife. That they will schedule things 273 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,440 around church activities so they don't have to be involved in 274 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:03,840 church activities. That's a Lot's wife. 275 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:10,120 That's a self deceived person who wants you to think they love 276 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:13,040 the Lord, but in all reality they love the things of the 277 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:15,800 world and they want to be with the people of the world and they 278 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,760 don't want to be with the people of God or in the Church of God. 279 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:25,600 That person is the lot's wife. They desire the world. 280 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,680 And maybe you're a parent today and that's one of your children. 281 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:34,120 Then you need to talk hard and long with that child about 282 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:35,320 whether or not they know the Lord. 283 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:41,280 Hard and long because as a parent you are held responsible 284 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:49,400 for their spiritual direction. If you don't tell them, how sad 285 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:53,000 would that be if they end up in a crisis eternity. 286 00:26:54,760 --> 00:27:02,200 Don't just placate your children by thinking and convincing them 287 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:05,880 that they love the Lord when a reality they truly love the 288 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,360 world. Be very, very careful about 289 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:15,080 that. That's why the Lord puts us in 290 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:22,520 here. It's interesting that in verse 291 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:29,120 #17 it says when they had this is Genesis 19, I'm sorry. 292 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:32,360 When they had brought them outside, one said escape for 293 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:35,440 your life. Do not look behind you and do 294 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:41,320 not stay anywhere in the valley. Get completely away. 295 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,560 Don't stay in the valley. Disassociate yourself with any 296 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,400 of the surroundings of that which is going to be destroyed. 297 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:57,480 But we find ourselves wanting so badly to dabble in the things of 298 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:02,440 the world we want to. We want to walk on the fringe as 299 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:07,720 if it's OK. But you got to remember lots, 300 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:14,440 wife. The angels wanted to be clear 301 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:20,280 that separation must be complete and total, not partial. 302 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:31,080 The total. So her character is defined by 303 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:39,640 #1 She desired the world because she desired the world #2 comes 304 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:44,760 into play. And that is she despised the 305 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:51,560 word. She despised the word. 306 00:28:53,200 --> 00:29:00,360 She despised it so much that when the warning was given, she 307 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:07,720 completely and totally disobeyed because she did not delight in 308 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:13,480 the word of warning. She despised the word of warning 309 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:22,840 because it went against her love for the world, and therefore she 310 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:26,680 would despise what God said to the angels. 311 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:35,120 It was a blatant defiance. Proverbs 1313. 312 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:40,000 He you despises the word will be destroyed by that word. 313 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:43,880 Proverbs 29. One. 314 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:48,480 He who stiffens his neck against much reproof will be destroyed 315 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:56,680 without remedy. So many times we play with the 316 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,400 authority of God's Word, and you cannot do that. 317 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:08,800 She despised the word of the living God. 318 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:14,920 When God says not to do something, He tells you not to 319 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:21,160 do it for for your sake. He doesn't do it to punish you, 320 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:24,280 doesn't do it to make you uncomfortable. 321 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:29,200 He does it because He wants you to live for Him and honor Him. 322 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,240 John tells us that his commands are not burdensome. 323 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:39,120 They don't weigh you down. To an unbeliever, they're 324 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,480 burdensome. To the believer, they're 325 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:47,240 delightful, and one of the ways you know someone's a believer is 326 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:48,880 when you talk to them about the Word of God. 327 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:54,960 They don't see it as a burden to obey, they see it as a complete 328 00:30:54,960 --> 00:31:02,600 and total blessing to obey. Her character was revealed in 329 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,680 her looking back because she desired the world. 330 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:14,760 She despised the Word and #3 she disbelieved the warning. 331 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,960 She disbelieved the warning. God's not going to do that. 332 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,240 God's a loving God. He's a righteous God. 333 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,880 He's a kind God. He's a merciful God. 334 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,640 He's a patient God. God's not going to destroy Sodom 335 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:40,000 and Gomorrah. She disbelieved the warning. 336 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:50,480 Every act of disbelief demonstrates the fact that I do 337 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:54,400 not believe that God is going to do what He said He's going to 338 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:59,520 do. It denies the authority of His 339 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:04,840 Word. God had already shown a mercy by 340 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:07,400 taking her by the hand and moving her outside the city. 341 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,960 Because they weren't moving, lot included. 342 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:17,000 In fact, when the warning had been given, they went to bed. 343 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:20,640 The Angel had to get them up the next day. 344 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,200 It's time to go. Why are you still here? 345 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:28,080 This is going to be destroyed. You got to go. 346 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:32,720 And they hesitated. So the Angel had to take them by 347 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:41,960 the hand and physically remove them for Abraham's sake, because 348 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:47,600 Abraham had prayed. The Bible tells us in verse #29 349 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:52,040 that it came about when God destroyed the cities of the 350 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:57,320 valley of the valley. That God remembered Abraham and 351 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:00,480 sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow. 352 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,920 When he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. 353 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:13,360 God did it because of Abraham. God remembered Abraham and 354 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:20,000 spared Lot and his girls. You know there are so many 355 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,200 warnings in the scripture. The Bible says in Proverbs 14 356 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,800 verse #12 there is a way which seemed with right into a man, 357 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:31,280 but the ends are over the ways of death not life. 358 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,800 What a warning. There is a way which seemeth 359 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:42,240 right into a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death. 360 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:50,280 The Bible says the wages of sin is death, the payment for sin is 361 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:55,160 death, and it's only because of God's mercy and grace that we 362 00:33:55,160 --> 00:34:01,360 live when we sin and do not die. The Bible says in Galatians 363 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:04,680 chapter 6 verse #7 do not be deceived. 364 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:11,000 God is not mocked that whatsoever man sows that shall 365 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,920 he also reap. Do not be deceived. 366 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,520 But we are. We do not think that God's going 367 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:23,040 to do what he said he's going to do, but he did. 368 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:33,199 So remember lots wife, very important not to forget her 369 00:34:35,679 --> 00:34:37,679 judgement came and judgement was swift. 370 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:40,600 But notice this about the judgement upon her. 371 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:46,960 She had all the reasons not to look back. 372 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:56,080 She was on the brink of deliverance, just about to be 373 00:34:56,080 --> 00:35:04,560 saved, but she perished because her heart was revealed. 374 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,920 She was the wife of a righteous man. 375 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,200 You would not know that by reading Genesis. 376 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,760 We know that because of Peter. In Second Peter chapter 2, Peter 377 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,920 tells us he was a righteous man. We would never know that by 378 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:25,680 reading Genesis 19. In fact, looking at Lot's life, 379 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,280 you wonder how could he ever be righteous? 380 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:35,240 But he was right before God, and she was the wife of a righteous 381 00:35:35,240 --> 00:35:38,440 man. She had that advantage. 382 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,480 She was married to a believer. She was married to a righteous 383 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,480 man. And all the words that he would 384 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,720 say and all the things that he would, he would do. 385 00:35:46,720 --> 00:35:52,840 You'd think that she would learn from her husband, but she did 386 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,240 not. She might have looked like she 387 00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:58,840 learned from her husband. She might have looked like the 388 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:02,280 faithful wife. She might have looked like a 389 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:08,000 righteous person. But God revealed her heart. 390 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,600 She was not a righteous person, but she was the wife of a 391 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:20,880 righteous man. Not only that, she had the 392 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:28,280 warnings from the Angel. Three of them, one at night, one 393 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:33,520 in the morning and one at the outskirts of Sodom. 394 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:36,520 She had the warnings from the Angel. 395 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:38,600 Do not look back. Don't do that. 396 00:36:39,240 --> 00:36:42,080 Judgments coming. You don't want to be judged. 397 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,920 You don't want to be condemned. Do not look back. 398 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:48,880 Three warnings. The wife of a righteous man. 399 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,120 The warnings from the angels. How about this? 400 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:58,960 She even welcomed the angelic visitors into her home. 401 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:09,040 She welcomed them into her home. She had a first hand account of 402 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:16,560 entertaining angels unaware, but I believe she would end up 403 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:21,600 knowing that they were angels. So not only was she the wife of 404 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:24,800 a righteous man, not only did she receive warnings from the 405 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:30,360 angels, not only did she welcome in the angels, but #4 she 406 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:35,240 watched the miracle of the blinding of the homosexuals 407 00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:37,800 outside her door. She watched it. 408 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,920 She saw first hand account of how all these men who wanted to 409 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:47,240 have sexual relationships with these angelic beings who were at 410 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:50,760 the door and Lot was trying to keep them out of the door. 411 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:56,040 They were struck blind and she was able to view that miracle 412 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:01,360 from a first hand experience. But it did not change the 413 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:07,840 condition of her heart. She desired the world, she 414 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:15,360 despised the word, she disbelieved the warning, in 415 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,080 spite of the miracle that was before her. 416 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:24,000 Just to show you that miracles do not change people's lives, 417 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:27,560 only the message of the Gospel does. 418 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:34,560 That, one author said. We have so many spiritual 419 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,160 blessings today in our land, yet by the looks of the lives of 420 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,800 most, the opportunities have been completely ignored, yes, 421 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:46,160 even scorned. Much judgement awaits those who 422 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:49,320 are poor stewards of spiritual opportunities. 423 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:54,280 The greater the opportunities not used, the greater the 424 00:38:54,280 --> 00:39:00,520 judgement, for the judgement is related to the opportunities one 425 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:05,160 has received. That's why the Bible says in 426 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:11,720 Hebrews chapter 6, Having tasted the good word of the Lord, have 427 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:14,480 you been partakers of the Holy Spirit? 428 00:39:15,720 --> 00:39:20,280 Have you been afforded the wonderful opportunities of the 429 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:25,880 Scripture? Unless you repent, you will 430 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:30,720 perish because it will be impossible to renew you to 431 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:35,840 repentance once you've seen all the obvious evidences and turn 432 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,600 your back on. So important. 433 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:47,800 She desired the world, she despised the word, she 434 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:52,920 disbelieved the warning. So the consequence? 435 00:39:54,040 --> 00:40:02,560 She died on the way. And her death was sudden, 436 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:13,440 shameful, specific and severe. Her death was sudden. 437 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:22,480 She looked back and she was judged immediately. 438 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:27,720 She was turned into a pillar of salt. 439 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:35,440 God's punishment overtook her on the spot. 440 00:40:37,720 --> 00:40:39,960 It was sudden and without remedy. 441 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:47,280 No opportunity to repent, no opportunity to ask forgiveness, 442 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:52,320 no opportunity to speak to her husband, no opportunity to get 443 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:58,280 things right with her family. She came to ruin because her 444 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:03,000 judgement was sudden. It was shameful because she died 445 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:07,280 in the act of her sin. She died in the act of 446 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:11,600 rebellion. She was turned into a pillar of 447 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:15,600 salt, looking back at that which was she's told not to look back 448 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:22,520 at, and she died a shameful death. 449 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:30,400 She died a very specific death at a very specific time, at the 450 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:34,360 exact same time that the cities were being burned with fire and 451 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:39,600 brimstone from above. That was the time that she was 452 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,520 judged and turned into a pillar of salt. 453 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:54,040 And it was severe because she perished along with the 454 00:41:54,040 --> 00:42:05,200 occupants of Sodom and Gomorrah. How incredible is that? 455 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,720 When you desire the world, you will despise the Word. 456 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:21,600 Your children despise the Word. Or do they delight in the Word 457 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:25,560 of God? Do they want to read the Word? 458 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:31,640 Do they want to hear the Word? Or do they do they despise the 459 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:35,440 Word? They despise it because they 460 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:38,640 desire something other than the Lord. 461 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:43,600 They desire the world. And when you despise the Word, 462 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:45,840 you will disbelieve the warnings of the Word. 463 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:52,080 They made no difference to you. God's not going to do what He 464 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:54,720 says he's going to do. Well, he might have done at the 465 00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:57,320 start of the Gomorrah. He might have done it during the 466 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:02,080 days of Noah and the flood, but he's not going to do it to me. 467 00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:12,520 So we say, or so we think. We desire the world. 468 00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:23,880 Then you will always suffer. You need to detest the world, 469 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:29,080 not desire the world. You need to delight in the Word, 470 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:35,440 not despise the Word. You need to believe the warnings 471 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:42,800 and not disbelieve the warnings. You need to regard the walk of 472 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:47,280 the godly, not disregard the walk of the godly. 473 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:56,840 You need to live and not die. For a Lot's wife becomes the 474 00:43:57,160 --> 00:44:02,040 answer to Romans 623. The wages of sin is death. 475 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:08,120 That's the payment. She had opportunity to believe. 476 00:44:08,120 --> 00:44:12,400 She had opportunity to follow. She had opportunity to deny 477 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:15,120 herself. She don't want to do that. 478 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:24,120 She loved the world and she loved herself she loved herself 479 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:28,120 more than she loved her girls. She loved herself more than she 480 00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:32,960 loved her husband. But you know, they never really 481 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:42,480 knew that until it was too late because she, being from behind, 482 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:53,400 looked back and she, she was changed or became a pillar of 483 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:58,600 salt. I don't know where you are, 484 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:03,120 where your family is, your husband, your wife, your 485 00:45:03,120 --> 00:45:10,760 children, your friends. But remembering Lot's life is 486 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:18,560 absolutely crucial in our journeys to the land of Israel. 487 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:28,960 We would stop on our way back from Masada, on our way back 488 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:34,240 from and Getty and stop by the Dead Sea. 489 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:41,960 We would open our Bibles to Genesis chapter 19, and we'd 490 00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:46,480 read the story, the accounts of what took place in that region. 491 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:56,040 It was a beautiful region at one time, a beautiful region, but it 492 00:45:56,040 --> 00:46:02,240 was destroyed because of the sin of the people in the city. 493 00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:09,680 But we understand that well. We have a hard time getting the 494 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:13,600 grip on his Lot's wife. What happened to her? 495 00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:20,560 I'm sure the girls believed that she was a follower of the Lord 496 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:25,080 God of Israel. I'm sure her husband believed 497 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:27,760 that his wife was a follower of the Lord God of Israel. 498 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:30,480 At least she played along that way. 499 00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:36,880 That that's why the series What is a Christian is so important 500 00:46:39,080 --> 00:46:41,920 because people are so easily self deceived. 501 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:46,560 You know what? I bet you even Lot's wife 502 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:54,280 thought that she believed in the Lord God of Israel until the 503 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:59,800 true nature, the true colors were exposed. 504 00:47:02,240 --> 00:47:05,880 She was turned into a pillar of salt. 505 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:12,280 Why a pillar of salt? Interesting. 506 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:16,320 Why not just zapper? Incinerator. 507 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:23,880 Why a pillar of salts? I have my ideas. 508 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:29,080 The Bible says you are the salt of the earth. 509 00:47:29,080 --> 00:47:33,600 You are the light of the world. You're in a world that's 510 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:39,040 decaying. Salt retards corruption in a 511 00:47:39,040 --> 00:47:46,320 world that's dark. Light reveals the Christ who is 512 00:47:46,320 --> 00:47:53,800 the true light. But my reason is this is that 513 00:47:54,200 --> 00:48:06,640 it's a reminder to Lot that he was in the city where he was not 514 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:14,640 effective as salt because he did not retard the corruption of the 515 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:18,640 city. And even though he was a 516 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:22,760 righteous man, I, I think that we need to quickly, and I mean 517 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:25,800 quickly look at what happened to Lot. 518 00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:33,040 And if you're a husband today, you need to examine your life in 519 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:37,200 light of that. And so just let me take you back 520 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:43,120 a couple of pages to Genesis chapter 13 and show you how it 521 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:51,600 began with Lots says in verse #10 Lot lifted up his eyes and 522 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:56,040 saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered 523 00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:00,640 everywhere. This was before the Lord 524 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:04,360 destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord 525 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:11,320 liked the land of Egypt. Why is that important? 526 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,160 In Genesis chapter 12, there's a famine in the land. 527 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:20,600 Abraham did not seek the Lord. Abraham did not pray. 528 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:22,400 What do I do when there's a famine in the land? 529 00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:26,880 What did Abraham do? He went to where there was food. 530 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:31,200 So he went to Egypt. He went down to Egypt. 531 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:37,320 Egypt is symbolic of the world. In the Old Testament, Abraham 532 00:49:37,320 --> 00:49:43,520 went the way of the world, and Lot was with him, and Lot 533 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:50,320 journeyed back with him. And Lot got a taste of Egypt, 534 00:49:51,840 --> 00:49:57,480 got a taste of the world. And once he got the taste that 535 00:49:57,480 --> 00:50:02,680 longing in his heart, it caused him to look One Direction. 536 00:50:03,360 --> 00:50:05,560 When he and Abraham, we're going to part ways. 537 00:50:05,720 --> 00:50:08,480 Abraham said, you can go this way or you can go that way. 538 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:12,640 Choose which way you will go. And he looked towards Sodom and 539 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:17,720 he saw the lushness of it. It was like Egypt and it and it 540 00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:20,080 affected the longing of his heart. 541 00:50:22,240 --> 00:50:31,400 Abraham had a negative effect on his nephew Lot, And Lot, when he 542 00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:34,320 looked towards Sodom, saw the lushness of it. 543 00:50:34,320 --> 00:50:37,040 It was just like Egypt. That's what I want. 544 00:50:39,240 --> 00:50:50,640 So because Lot longed for Egypt, Lot looked toward Egypt. 545 00:50:52,240 --> 00:50:58,440 And because he looked toward Egypt, I like this, he leaned 546 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:03,480 toward Egypt. Look at verse 12 of chapter 13. 547 00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:07,440 Abraham settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the 548 00:51:07,440 --> 00:51:12,840 cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom. 549 00:51:14,840 --> 00:51:19,200 Once you long for Egypt, you will look toward Egypt. 550 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:23,560 Once you look toward Egypt, you will begin to lean in the 551 00:51:23,560 --> 00:51:29,360 direction of Egypt. And once you lean in that 552 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:34,080 direction, you will live in Egypt. 553 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:40,880 And sure enough, in verse 12 with chapter 14, Lot, Abraham's 554 00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:47,160 nephew and his possessions departed for he was living in 555 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:52,960 Sodom. Once you long for Egypt, you'll 556 00:51:52,960 --> 00:51:57,400 look toward Egypt. When you look toward Egypt, 557 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:02,600 you'll lean that direction. Remember, Egypt is symbolic of 558 00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:09,920 the world, and once you lean that direction, you will live in 559 00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:12,440 that arena. They did. 560 00:52:14,200 --> 00:52:19,000 But it gets worse, because as you move on to Chapter 19, it 561 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:23,320 says now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot 562 00:52:23,320 --> 00:52:25,760 was sitting in the gate of Sodom. 563 00:52:28,480 --> 00:52:35,160 Only those who led in the city would sit in the city gates. 564 00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:45,800 Once you long for the world and look toward the world and lean 565 00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:50,240 toward the world, you'll live in the world, and you will then 566 00:52:50,240 --> 00:53:00,200 lead in the world. And Lot did, but it gets worse 567 00:53:01,600 --> 00:53:08,000 because he's just 19 verse #7 he says to the men in the doorway. 568 00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:18,560 My brothers do not act wickedly. Your brothers, the homosexuals 569 00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:24,040 were your brothers. They become his brothers. 570 00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:29,800 Because once you look toward the city, because you've already 571 00:53:29,800 --> 00:53:35,720 longed for the city, and you lean toward that way and you 572 00:53:35,720 --> 00:53:44,200 live that way and you lead in that place, you love that place. 573 00:53:45,880 --> 00:53:55,880 Lot loved Sodom, my brothers. He loved us so much that when it 574 00:53:55,880 --> 00:54:03,880 came time to leave, he lingered in the city, it says in verse 575 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:05,800 16. But he hesitated. 576 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:11,240 So the men seized his hand in the hand of his wife, in the 577 00:54:11,240 --> 00:54:15,000 hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was 578 00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:23,040 upon him. He lingered because he loved the 579 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:28,160 city, because he led there, He lived there. 580 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:37,200 He leaned there because he looked there, because he longed 581 00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:43,240 for the world. That's why it's so important to 582 00:54:43,240 --> 00:54:56,240 understand the Scriptures when the Bible says so explicitly 583 00:54:56,240 --> 00:54:58,360 that we are to disassociate with the world. 584 00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:08,360 When you care for the things of the world, you end up being 585 00:55:08,360 --> 00:55:16,480 companioned with the world. Those who become companioned 586 00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:25,680 with the world become contaminated by the world, and 587 00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:33,480 those contaminated by the world then become conformed to the 588 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:36,480 world. When the Bible says do not be 589 00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:39,880 conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of 590 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:44,280 your mind. And those who care for the world 591 00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:48,680 and those who become companion with the world, and those who 592 00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:53,760 become contaminated by the world and those who become conformed 593 00:55:53,760 --> 00:56:01,240 to the world, they then become controlled by the world. 594 00:56:03,480 --> 00:56:10,360 That was Lot. The difference is, is that Lot 595 00:56:10,360 --> 00:56:15,320 was a righteous man. His wife was not. 596 00:56:18,120 --> 00:56:20,280 She was condemned along with the world. 597 00:56:23,080 --> 00:56:28,880 Lot was not. Lot was in no way a perfect man. 598 00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:34,600 In many ways he was a horrible husband and a horrible father. 599 00:56:36,720 --> 00:56:41,200 But the Bible does say he was a righteous man. 600 00:56:43,920 --> 00:56:47,680 And yet there were a lot of things he probably could have 601 00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:52,160 done a lot differently than he did, but he didn't. 602 00:56:55,200 --> 00:57:03,320 We did a series years ago called Lot's Loss in Life. 603 00:57:06,040 --> 00:57:10,880 What did Lot lose? Lot would lose his family. 604 00:57:13,520 --> 00:57:22,760 Lot would lose the city and Lot would lose his testimony because 605 00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:30,320 Lot had lost all credibility. He lost so much. 606 00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:35,200 Didn't have to be that way for us at all. 607 00:57:36,600 --> 00:57:42,080 Not at all. But he had a wife that was 608 00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:45,920 turned into a pillar of salt to remind him that he could have 609 00:57:45,920 --> 00:57:50,720 retarded corruption in the city. But he didn't because he loved 610 00:57:50,880 --> 00:57:56,520 the city, the city in which he led in, the city in which he 611 00:57:56,520 --> 00:58:00,040 lived in. We are of the world. 612 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:02,840 We are in the world. We're not supposed to be of the 613 00:58:02,840 --> 00:58:07,840 world. So important come out from among 614 00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:09,680 them and be separate, says the Lord. 615 00:58:09,920 --> 00:58:12,640 There is to be complete separation, a complete 616 00:58:12,640 --> 00:58:15,720 disassociation with the things of the world. 617 00:58:17,120 --> 00:58:21,560 You have to ask yourself, do my children disassociate themselves 618 00:58:21,680 --> 00:58:25,320 from the world or do they find themselves wanting to associate 619 00:58:25,480 --> 00:58:31,360 more and more with the world? Beware or your wife or your 620 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:38,080 husband. There should be a direct 621 00:58:38,160 --> 00:58:41,760 disassociation with the things of the world and all of its 622 00:58:41,760 --> 00:58:46,200 evil, because all it does is ruin people's lives. 623 00:58:49,280 --> 00:58:54,880 So where are you? Where's your family? 624 00:58:56,880 --> 00:59:01,400 Have you disassociated with the things of the world or are you 625 00:59:01,400 --> 00:59:03,520 still hanging on to different parts? 626 00:59:05,640 --> 00:59:09,960 The warnings given when Jesus returns don't go back to your 627 00:59:09,960 --> 00:59:11,360 house to collect your possessions. 628 00:59:11,360 --> 00:59:14,080 They mean nothing. They're of no value whatsoever. 629 00:59:14,760 --> 00:59:21,200 Don't look back at your field. Remember lots, wife. 630 00:59:23,680 --> 00:59:26,640 Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for 631 00:59:26,640 --> 00:59:29,440 tonight. We thank you for your word. 632 00:59:31,520 --> 00:59:37,520 It's very clear. You have made it crystal clear. 633 00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:42,640 And our prayer, Father, is that we would be people who 634 00:59:42,640 --> 00:59:44,760 disassociate with the things of this world. 635 00:59:48,840 --> 00:59:53,520 It's not easy sometimes, Lord, but that's because we have a 636 00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:59,000 wrong perspective. Our affections are not above, 637 00:59:59,000 --> 01:00:02,320 they're below. Our mind is set. 638 01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:05,720 On things below and not on things above. 639 01:00:07,560 --> 01:00:14,720 For once we get a clear glimpse of our Savior, we get a clear 640 01:00:14,720 --> 01:00:22,880 understanding of our Lord. Things on earth are irrelevant. 641 01:00:24,120 --> 01:00:28,600 Everybody mean nothing, so we deny ourselves. 642 01:00:28,600 --> 01:00:35,120 We take up a cross daily and we follow you because we love you. 643 01:00:36,560 --> 01:00:43,680 We love you more than our own lives for to live as Christ, to 644 01:00:43,680 --> 01:00:50,280 die as gain, we make it our ambition to be well pleasing in 645 01:00:50,280 --> 01:00:54,000 your sight. May that be us tonight. 646 01:00:54,000 --> 01:01:00,480 Lord, maybe learn from what we have just heard and follow you 647 01:01:00,480 --> 01:01:03,240 completely in Jesus name, Amen.