A Man Named Lot (Part B)

Life lot supposed to be a deterrent for us to live more the Lord you will being raised in Christian homes. You are at a higher risk to be like lot, then perhaps some of the others who know what life is without the life of Christ in the home. See you get so used to all the Bible talk, it becomes trivial doesn't have any punch is no kick to this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with part two of a study called a man-made lot in Genesis chapter 14 and verse 22 Genesis 14 he quotes what Melchizedek said to him, he close effectively Scripture to them. He says I have raised my hand to the Lord God most high. The possessor of heaven and earth right away is using holy language to people who are themselves not wholly right away.

He can't wait to share the Scripture verse he got in church with those who needed I get goosebumps reading this because only the God of the universe only L Elian possessor of heaven and earth can make such things. So in print after having them first be so. In fact, in life, so one can be saved and remain dominant, dangerous to others. Or one can be saved and begin to receive from those who are more advanced and begin to use with a receipt that would I first receive I've given to you posted. I have given to you. A portion of that which I have received from sitting in the presence of the Lord that is supposed to be the Christian life.

We said we gain when I used to sit in the pew I take notes.

I learned what I was being taught and then I go to work the next day and I couldn't wait for a chance to preach. Thank God I preached it often and I think that is the biblical example.

Another lesson we learn is that one can be saved and be a nuisance to others who saved they can be a burden to others who are saved from listening to this and say to myself, okay, I don't want to be that guy. I do not want to be a burden, the stumbling block a nuisance of past two other believers. I want to learn where to live. I want to know how to live. I want to have those things big about me that God would have big about me all this lot did not do mentally and spiritually lot was an unarmed man in dangerous territory. He had savvy enough was spiritual, spiritually speaking from what God wanted from this man lie though God loved him. Again, cannot emphasize that enough lot was not where it was supposed to be if you were to say lot was your armor, you know, while many guesses do I get would have been one of his comebacks. Perhaps we read in Ephesians about stand therefore, having girded your waist in truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace is his body armor because you need it in a violent environment. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, and then it goes on and take the helmet of salvation the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and what comes after the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints when it came time for God to share with Abraham that he was going to annihilate Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham and to see what God again.

We would touch this briefly God, if there are righteous people there. Can we not spare the city. He did not want to just save the righteous. He wanted to reach the lost. That was the burden for Abraham but he was wise enough to know that he could not live amongst them when they were that far gone and still expect victory lot.

However, when he is told that the city is going to be destroyed never intercedes prayer as far away from. It's a skill that he is not developed. It is not been available to him. I don't care how weak you are Christian with their are any of you here. You see, you know what I'm one of the Greek Christians I am a lot you can always pray you can always fight hell.

You can always undermine the causes of the great Dragon through prayer, you can interfere with his convoys through prayer lot did not do that response that we have is what am I going to do the consequence of being distracted in spite of a righteous status is a prayerless life because this underlying all this a fear of God is a healthy fear of God, and there are unhealthy fields of God to be afraid that God is going to somehow use me and humiliate me call me to do that which I cannot do that us and immaturity that belongs to many Christians who mature in their immaturity, they get better at being immature. As time goes by, to live as such, we invite shame in the midst of truth which belongs to our faith to live and to work so far from God insults logic which is an added pressure we put upon ourselves. Listen to this lot set as a judge in the gate this Amanda could make no choice right for God and yet the world promotes him to make choices for them. We know something of a whole city of the District of Columbia village people who can make no right choices for God with a make choices for others. Have you ever met a Christian whose life is entangled with just everything should be and whenever they exhaust one series of wrong decisions. They create another series. The sequels and yet they want to still give advice and there is always someone willing to come under their teaching the knowledge that there there.

The guidance Jesus said when the blind lead the blind.

They both fall into a ditch. Don't be that Christian if your life is messed up is like you know I can. I don't want to. If I have a blood problem. I don't want to donate my blood until I get over that problem. That's how we've got to see it lot had a wrong spouse, wrong house, wrong friends and wrong in all of it lined up. He married the wrong person. He never raised his children right.

He lost two daughters to the judgment and the other two. They were more concerned about having kids in righteousness their despicable behavior again. A stamp on the pages until the Lord comes again. I don't want to wrong spouse.

I don't want to wrong house. I don't want to live in the wrong place.

Lots house was it Sodom. I don't want the wrong people around me who can give me position in the claim that they've made me and I don't want to wrong in a granted when we get to heaven, lot will have none of these problems any longer.

But while we are not looking to pick on him were looking to learn from him is like, you know that time of year with a put the wreckage of automobiles on the high school campuses as a warning to the students. Don't drink and drive.

Because this can happen to you. That is what stories and people.

The characters in Scripture, such as lot are a wreckage put out so that this should not happen to you. I don't want to see the jaws of life ever guy Gabi I don't want that.

I want to stay out of trouble. It's easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble. Once you have gotten into trouble but that does not mean that once we are in trouble or to hang our heads low and give up surrender we're still to persevere still to call out to the Lord.

So the only message that comes to us from the silly lips of this man lot is don't live your life like me. We see lot in heaven again. His life because this is what God does would have served to save countless numbers of believers from follow maybe maybe I'm sitting here right now and there's some Christian here that is think I need this I need to hear this.

Or maybe you're hearing it is think I needed but not so much for me. This is the message I need to give to someone else. I do know if the Lord will allow me but in either case, it belongs to the gospel.

Why then was lot so drastically different from Abraham in every way was like is a little different this nothing similar between the two, except they were both righteous men, not enough satisfied with that.

Remember good is an enemy of excellence in this sense is satisfied with good, when you could've gotten excellence. That's less than ideal. Why the drastic difference in here's the answer. I think he's one of them lots relationship with God was in addition to his life. It was not the biggest thing about him. It was there yeah I know who God is. I will bow down to no other God.

That's about as far as it went. Fear living close to God. Abraham was the opposite. Abraham's relationship with God was not in addition it was life itself is not afraid of God, reverently in that inner sense of reverence. Abraham was set to sacrifice his son for God lot was set to sacrifice his daughter's first visitors.

The company for guest Genesis chapter 19 verse eight we read about it, you read it and you almost faint. There's lots speaking.

This is when the town people had come to molest to sexually molest the Angels would come to the city lot had approached them. As he sat in the gate he saw these two visitors he said listen guys, you can't stay out here at night. It's bad place and he brings them inside.

And while there there. They have dinner. They have unleavened bread which speaks of the urgency of the matter, and then these base men surround the house looking to perversely engage these visitors and what does lot due to defendant.

See, now I have two daughters who have not known a man that is a distinction between his other two daughters who were married. He had son-in-law's to son-in-law's net telling allotted at least for daughters to perished in the judgment to made it out and were very confused about life, see now I have two daughters who have not known a man.

Please let me bring them out to you and you may do to them as you wish only do nothing to these men.

Since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof, what are you talking about lot. What could Jake see the expression on the Angels faces as they hearing this man say this. Whether he was intending to do it or not, whether was a bluff or not. Abraham would never have said such a thing, the Angels, they can't talk to jaws a stock open in shock like you know what this is push him out and locked the door. That's what how I would've handled that there one last burden.

Sorry lot. It is expedient that one be given for aggressive and in any way, Abraham's relationship with God. As I mentioned was not only the biggest thing about him.

It was the deepest thing about it you could not ask any of the nomadic people of the area where Abraham lived about him without them sitting upright in talking nobody. Abraham lived like to us down by Abraham of you.

You going to go that way watches got the 318 men. They knew this was a righteous man. They knew he was a godly man the New Testament Scripture mentions his faithfulness in the letter of Romans.

The letter to the Galatians James mentions it. I want to take one excerpt from Romans chapter 4 verse 20 says he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief. I have to stop there and midstream quote the man didn't botch it didn't flinch when God said this is it. That was it.

I'm not like that. I go to God very crime more like Jeremiah.

I whine and complain not to you, but to God. I want to be more like Abraham and God's been you know when I give certain sermons.

They ministered me to. I see you know what that's going to stick with me for a while. I'm going to make that work.

I needed to hear that.

Lord, thank you for letting me share what I needed to hear. He did not waver the promise of God through unbelief but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God and being fully convinced that what he had promised. He was also able to perform that is God, and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. The outstanding thing about Abraham is the father of faith, according to human beings.

Abraham let God choose for him versus lot letting lot choose for lot. Now we go back again to chapter 13 again. The 10th verse where it says lot lifted his eyes to see when Abraham said lot choose a place wherever you choose a go the other way God will show me where I need to go lot did not say will let me pray about this. Let me seek the Lord.

He says you know does a good question let me just look at this a minute and he took matters into his own hands and he got his own results, but of Abraham in chapter 14. Once he separated from lot.

Listen to this.

And the Lord said to Abram after lot had separated from him, lift up your eyes now and look from the place we walked northward southward eastward and westward for all the land which you see, I give to you and your descendents or ever man, it's how to do it. That's the guy I want to be you know when your little boys. I want to be.

That's him it's me that's on them. I'm a hero when I look at Abraham.

I said that's why want to be.

I want to be that man. Every Christian should say I want to be that man see lot again. He lifted up his eyes.

He looked but he did lift them up high enough Abraham separated from lot the distraction and that's when God began to bless him some of you can't be blessed, because you will separate from ungodly alliances.

God loves you still going to heaven.

If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, another for your salvation, but but is that is that should distribute you say you know I've tried. Of heard sermons before of gotten up the fight and I always slide back. So what get up again do it again and next Sunday will be here again unless the Lord takes his own and do it again is not your cue to give up because you have not succeeded otherwise is no such use of the word perseverance was perseveres me his keypad. So what the bullets are flying again. I love to say this about Stephen. He never saw the stones wasn't interested in stones busy preaching behalf of those who try to kill did kill him. Abraham let God choose for him. These are the principles that rule their lives. One man chose for himself. That principal ruled his life landed him in Sodom and he lost everything in one day. The other man let God choose for him and he gained everything into this day. He is a champion of faith. There's more.

There's more to the distinctions between these two men and a different principles. Abraham remained in a tent significant read about Isaac living in a tent after Abraham died because Abraham never moved into a house, as did lot now doesn't mean we should give up the house a single live everybody down to Dick's Sporting Goods for contents symbolism is the message within this lot had a house in Sodom. Abraham had a tent somewhere out there in the land of promise. Hebrews chapter 11 picks up on this assessment.

By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him. Same promise, for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. You catch that the tent was a testimony to the world as your coming to church is a testimony to the world that he is a stranger on earth that God has something more for him that this is not enough that he's not comfortable here, but there's no gain worth sitting in in this place, the altars that Abraham littered across the landscape with a witness that he was a citizen in heaven. One was that I don't belong here. I'm only here for a little while a passing through on the Pilgrim. The other, the altars God.

That is where my citizenship is with God to go together.

They cannot be separated. Many people of had tents big deal, but not many people have had altars on to Ellen Elian God most high Abraham was a pilgrim lot was a citizen in this world.

Abraham was not comfortable here lot was too comfortable here.

Philippians 320, our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham lived the heavenly city lot lived for Sodom and what he could squeeze out of it probably felt pretty good about sitting in the gate secret of Abraham's life could be told in a single sentence. He trusted God. He trusted God Wendy Truscott know know is when did he not trust God will there were few blips on the screen. He did make a few mistakes has Sarah you are too beautiful. People kill me for you to marry that woman to hold hope on it trusted in God. Now this is something significant because this is what I want you to come away from here this morning. I want all of us to leave here with this emphasis this morning. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ trust him. When Jesus said to the fig tree that bore no fades though it promised fruit is said to be cursed and that was in the known but get fig from you anymore that treat died the next day. The apostles were coming, but the trees on by overnight units shooting with a Canon and this still be green the next morning to broken up a bit, but there still green and in fact you can cut a tree down and in the spring. The stump will begin the spot a little bit the end of the stump still attached to the ground. The log from it. So my point is when he curses treat it was dead the next day. That was something to talk about and what was Jesus response to them.

Very simple. Mark 1122 Jesus answered and said to them, have faith in God that typifies the life of Abraham. That should be the life of every believer will be closing with this section on the strength of all of this. What does God want to be the biggest thing about me. What was the biggest thing about Abraham.

Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. He did not stagger when God said it's going to be so that was it.

What we do we let that the devil tempted as well.

Maybe the Bible is wrong here, maybe maybe there's not going to be a heaven like you think there is maybe.

Maybe you're doing too much for this Church of Christ or whatever. That's what he does. Why does he do that because it works when tested. Given a choice between his own interests and that of the Lord's own interests. One that was lot when it came down to pressure. What am I going to do my going to hold the line or my going to crack detract. What would what he wanted his daughters did the same thing are we going to be moral. They knew this was a sin. That's why they had to get him drunk. Do the deed came down to Tracy did what they wanted to do what God said to do but what if we don't get it.

What if I don't get the sale of I don't tell is little lie and I missed the big sale. What happens if you tell the lion you get the sale and you are like a man name lot.

Let God bless you. Maybe God doesn't think you need all the listen part of the Christian life is learning to decrease learning to do without humming it doesn't mean of God blesses you that you're supposed to, you know, treat it as junk. It's not the not at all that would be that would be very wrong, but it does mean that you have to live within the means of God has given you a quote a W toes are means put your goggles on. Buckle up because this one's for you. Our era today is that we do not expect a converted man to be transform a transformed man. We did not expect the converted man to be a transformed and as a result of this era. Our churches are full of substandard Christians, patio that got somebody got me.

I don't want to be a substandard anything that's good I want to be a transformed man into the image of Christ and not to quit my quest for this simply because I fail. That's not a good enough excuse to backslide close with this.

What we don't hear about this matter lot that we do hear about Abraham. We don't hear the Bible say the God of lot see them say the God of Abraham, we do not hear the Bible say and lot built an altar to the Lord. We hear said many times of Abraham. We do not hear the Scripture say lot called on the name of the Lord, we do not hear the Scripture say lot obeyed the Lord, we do not hear the Scripture say God spoke to lot that you will that be you. Maybe you're on that course now. Maybe somebody here is said that messing with sin. Maybe you've come to realize that you got roving eyes looking at things you hospitals be looking at what was Sampson doing in the vineyard. He was a Nazirite he was supposed to abstain from the ground divine shortcut to the snack on the way. This is a surprising middle line at the end, the wreckage of the life of lot supposed to be a deterrent for us to live more for the Lord, you are being raised in Christian homes. You are at a higher risk to be like lot, then perhaps some of the others who know what life is without the life of Christ in the home. See you get so used to all the Bible talk, it becomes trivial to have any plunge when you hear the words thus says the Lord more thinking well house is going. I think when a believer is flaming for the Lord hears the words thus says the Lord campus goes move.

You've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. This teaching is available free of charge at our website. Just visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick you can do so@crossreferenceradio.com or search for cross reference in your favorite podcast app store.

That's all for today joined Pastor Rick for more character study right here on the cross reference or a