Between Two Kings: Choosing God's Way in a World of Compromise

Announcement

Dear Church Family,

Today, I want to share an incredible opportunity that's right here in our midst – a chance to make a lasting impact on young lives while enriching your own faith journey. I'm talking about serving in City Kids, our Sunday School ministry.

Imagine being part of a child's first encounter with Jesus. Picture yourself guiding young minds as they discover the love of God. This isn't just about teaching – it's about shaping the future of our community and our faith.

By dedicating just a few hours one Sunday a month, you can:

Witness Spiritual Growth Firsthand: There's nothing quite like seeing a child's eyes light up as they understand God's love for the first time.

Strengthen Your Own Faith: As you teach, you'll find yourself learning too. Many of our volunteers say their faith has deepened through serving.

Build Meaningful Relationships: Connect with the families in our church in a way that Sunday greetings just can't match.

Be Part of Something Bigger: You're not just filling a slot on a schedule; you're contributing to the spiritual foundation of the next generation.

Be an Integral Part of Church Growth: When young families come and they experience the care and concern for their child (their most precious possession), it communicates the depth and breadth of what we preach on a Sunday morning. When people feel loved and cared for (by loving and caring for what they love and care for), they want to be a part of that.

To our amazing educators and teachers – we know you give so much during the week. Your skills and experience are invaluable, and even if you can only serve occasionally, your impact would be immense.

Remember, you don't need to be a Bible scholar or have years of experience. We provide training, support, and all the materials you'll need. What's most important is your willingness to show up and share God's love.

This is more than a call to fill a need – it's an invitation to be part of a transformative experience. For the children, for our church, for our community, and for your own spiritual journey.

Will you prayerfully consider joining our City Kids team? Your commitment, even just once a month, can make an eternal difference.

After the service, our City Kids director will be in the lobby to answer any questions and help you get started. Let's invest in the future of our faith, one child at a time.

Thank you, and may God bless you as you consider this opportunity to serve.

Introduction

The story of Desmond Doss is a powerful example of courage, faith, and service.

Background: Desmond Doss was born in 1919 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was a Seventh-day Adventist and held strong pacifist beliefs.

Military Service: Doss enlisted in the army in 1942 during World War II. He served as a combat medic assigned to the 77th Infantry Division. He refused to carry or use a weapon due to his religious beliefs.

Conscientious Objector: Doss was classified as a conscientious objector, though he preferred the term "conscientious cooperator." He faced ridicule and persecution from fellow soldiers and superiors for his stance.

Heroic Actions: The most famous of Doss's heroic actions occurred during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. On Hacksaw Ridge, Doss single-handedly saved 75 wounded soldiers. He lowered each injured man down a 400-foot cliff to safety, all while under intense enemy fire. This rescue operation took place over a 12-hour period.

Other Acts of Bravery: Prior to Okinawa, Doss had already distinguished himself in combat on Guam and in the Philippines. He treated wounded soldiers in the field, often in direct line of fire.

Recognition: Doss became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor, America's highest military award. President Harry S. Truman presented him with the medal on October 12, 1945.

Later Life: After the war, Doss suffered from combat injuries and tuberculosis. He dedicated his life to his faith and worked with his church. His story was largely unknown until the release of the 2016 film "Hacksaw Ridge," directed by Mel Gibson.

Legacy: Doss passed away in 2006 at the age of 87. He remains an inspiring figure of faith, courage, and selfless service.

Doss's story exemplifies many of the themes that we’ll find in our text this morning: rescue at great personal risk, standing firm in one's beliefs despite opposition, and serving others sacrificially. It's a powerful illustration of how one can engage with the world (even in extreme circumstances like war) while remaining true to one's faith and values.

If you have your Bibles or on your devices, you can turn to Genesis 13. If you are willing and able would you stand with me as I read God’s word this morning… this is the word of the Lord… let us pray… amen… you may be seated.

The Great Rescue

Lot is caught up in the politics of the day and is captured by warring nations.

Genesis 14:11–12 “The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.”

(MAP)

Attacking Kings (From the East) Rebelling Kings

Amraphel, king of Shinar (Gen 10:10; Babylon) Bera, king of Sodom Arioch, king of Ellasar Birsha, king of Gomorrah Kedorlaomer, king of Elam Shinab, king of Admah Tidal, king of Goyim Shemeber, king of Zeboyim

So Lot is caught in the middle and gets consumed by what is taking place.

We’re not given a lot of details, but a man escapes the battle, goes to Abram and lets him know that his nephew has been taken. Abram gets his men together and they go and trounce these kings.

(MAP)

Genesis 14:16 “He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.”

Where else do we see this great rescue? Where one goes at his own expense, entering into suffering, to bring deliverance?

God, Himself enters into the event in the Garden when the man and woman sinned

Abram, as God’s chosen man to represent Himself to the world, goes and rescues Lot from the invading kings.

God sends Moses into Egypt to rescue His people

Jesus, God the Son, puts on flesh and enters into our world that He would deliver us from principalities and powers of this world, from the power of sin and death.

There is nothing that God has not given up that you would know Him and be with Him. Nothing. Paul the apostle would put it this way; Romans 8:38–39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Have you allowed Him to rescue you? Have you allowed Him to deliver you from your present situation?

Ephesians 2:1–2 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

Ephesians 2:4–7 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

The Great Rescuer

After this exciting moment from this great deliverance, we see in the narrative that the king of Sodom goes out to meet Abram.

Then abruptly, another King slips in. Melchizedek, the king of Salem (shalom) enters.

His name means = וּמַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙

King of Righteousness and King of Peace… this is what He brings.

He brings out bread and wine...

Church this should point us to what we have in the sacrament of communion.

The bread=body of Christ

The wine=blood of Christ

There is no way that Abram would know the significance. Yes, it was significant for him, but how much more for us. Abram didn’t produce this for the King, but the King produced it for him.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

It is God who provides this for us. This great and beautiful salvation is a gift from Him. We can’t produce it. But he offers it to us. Take, eat, take, drink… receive my righteousness, receive my peace.

It’s available for us.

Melchizedek then blesses Abram… the greater blessing the lesser:

Genesis 14:19–20 “and he blessed Abram, saying, “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.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

God wrought this victory. God did this. The battle belongs to the Lord. He is fighting it on Abram’s behalf. Abram went in there and swung the sword did the work, but it was God who brought the victory. Were not God there, Abram could have done the exact same thing but loss everything.

But God… God wrought the victory.

Melchizedek according to the New Testament is resembling the Son of God; Hebrews 7:3 “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.”

Hebrews chapter 7 goes on to quote a Psalm of David in Psalm 110:4 speaking of the Messiah, the promised one of God that would come and be the mediator of the new covenant: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.””

Some theologians believe this is Christ in the Old Testament (Christophenes), some believe it is not Christ but it is to resemble God the Son. Melchizedek is only mentioned three times in the Bible. Genesis, Psalms, and the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament. To try and solve this question is great endeavor, but it’s not what it’s here for so we won’t spend any more time on it.

What the author of Hebrews is saying is that Jesus (though born of the tribe of Judah) is a priest from this order of Melchizedek. This role that Jesus plays allows Him to be our priest. So here we see that because of Melchizedek, Jesus is prophet, priest, and king.

The Great Gift

Abram recognizes that this priest is aligned in worship of YHWH.

Though no law has been given, we see the first instance of where a tenth is given of all that he had to this priest. This would be a practice in the Levitical law. That people would bring a tenth of what they had to the temple as a sacrifice and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness.

It was an act of loyalty, thanksgiving, and a public declaration of their worship of God.

Throughout church history and even going as far back to Genesis 4 we see people who follow YHWH are taking from what they have and giving a portion to God as a demonstration of loyalty, thanksgiving, and acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness.

10% is an Old Testament model

The NT model is 100%. If we are bought by the blood of Christ (sinner, redeemed, made new, now living to and for the glory of God), then everything we have is under Christ’s purview. It’s all His. We become stewards of the things we have been given.

In giving our tithes and offerings to the Lord, a few things happen:

We tell our money and resources, “You do not own us, you are a tool of God, and will be used accordingly.”

We worship God, we use it as a medium to give thanks, and tangibly profess that we are loyal to God first and everything else second.

Giving is a spiritual discipline. Jesus says in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Meaning that what we spend our money on, what we do with our treasure, is where our heart is. It’s one of those tangible proofs that can be a moment of clarity for us as to what we value.

All this to say… that it’s not just 10%. If God puts a number on your heart for a season, Praise be to God. Some have sought to live off 10% of their income and give away 90%. I can’t do that, but we are compelled to give more than 10%. A majority of that is to the church, but there are children we sponsor through Compassion International, local non-profits that we support, and we give to individuals and ministries as the Lord prompts us.

Our family has known challenges (like health challenges) that have caused us to not be as generous as we would like… the Lord knows. In every season, we seek to be content. Some days I’m good at that, others I’m not.

What is beautiful and special here and the invitation for us is to be generous to God through giving to the church, giving to His work, and giving to be obedient as a response to His good and wonderful work in our lives.

Here’s the thing. I’m convinced that God puts this on our hearts. As God is a good gift-giver and He conforms us to the image of Jesus, we too want to be generous. Because HE IS GENEROUS. Sometimes we put ourselves in difficult situations to be generous, sometimes circumstance doesn’t allow us to be as generous as we like… but the more we can move into a position to be as generous as God is, we can experience more of what He has for us.

Luke 6:37–38 ““Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.””

Malachi 3:6–12 ““I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.”

Now I recognize that these scriptures have been abused. They have been used to manipulate people, but this is a reality that God has walked with His people on for generations. I’m confident if you want to draw near to God, if you want to know Him deeply, if you want to be conformed more into His image, He’ll graciously lead you into how you might be generous with your time, money, resources, and talents for His honor and the building up His kingdom.

(So we’re going to pass the plate… AND DIG DEEP!!) Just kidding.

But it’s worth noting now that the king of Sodom comes back and says… take whatever you like… Genesis 14:21 “The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.””

Abram says… no thanks.

This passage contrasts the Old Testament approach to holiness with the New Testament perspective. In the Old Testament, exemplified by Abram, God's people were called to keep their distance from evil, with the expectation that their prosperity would attract others to God. However, this approach was compromised by the people's sin. The New Testament, while still emphasizing holiness, shifts the focus to active engagement with the world. Jesus commands his followers to go into all nations to make disciples, and Paul clarifies that Christians should not avoid associating with non-believers. Instead, they are to engage with the world for the sake of the gospel, while remaining morally distinct. The key is to interact with unbelievers without participating in their sinful activities, being "wise as serpents and innocent as doves" as Jesus instructed.

Conclusion

As we conclude, let's return to Abram in the aftermath of his great rescue. Having liberated Lot and the people of Sodom, Abram finds himself at a crossroads. The king of Sodom offers him worldly riches, but Abram chooses instead to honor God, giving a tenth to Melchizedek. This moment echoes through time, pointing us to an even greater rescue – the one offered by Jesus Christ. Just as Abram didn't rescue Lot for personal gain, Jesus offers us salvation freely, not because we've earned it, but out of love. Like Melchizedek appearing with bread and wine, Jesus extends to us righteousness and peace. And just as Abram's faith led him to act boldly and give generously, God invites us into a deeper relationship with Him – one that transforms us and empowers us to live differently in this world. Today, I encourage you to receive this free gift of salvation if you haven't already.

And for those who have, pay attention to the ways God is calling you deeper. He may be prompting you, like Abram, to step out in faith, to give more generously, or to stand firm in your convictions even when the world offers enticing alternatives. Remember, our God is the Great Rescuer, the one who called Abram and who calls us today.

He's inviting each of us to play a part in His ongoing story of redemption, to be people who, like Abram, are willing to engage with the world around us while remaining distinct in our values and allegiance to God.

Let’s pray.