Covenant 7/26/2020

Please be seated. And for those who are worshipping with us at home. I hope you sing loudly enough to make all of your neighbors think you've gone mad. It is a two-way communication with our lives screaming. I would ask people how many people at home sing out loud at home. Well, I know you guys do cuz you come out here and share it with us. I'll have to ask for my family members who are who are Sheltering in place and watching at home? We have been going through a series of Pastor. Rick has been teaching on some of the forebears of our faith. Bernie was Adam and Eve and that was a story that went sour in a hurry paying and Abel Noah and last week. He was he started on the story of Abraham. And if you've read the story of Abraham in Genesis, you know that we could give a whole series on Abraham but this morning I want to the messages about lot his nephew because everything that we know about Abraham is mirrored in the negative to some extent in a lot They're like mirror images going in different directions. And if you read the scriptures you find even the scripture give opposite descriptions of lot. In Genesis, we're going to find out what his life was like and then of the New Testament Lea Reed how God viewed him. Are scripture reading Old Testament scripture. This morning is from Genesis 13. And lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well-watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt in the direction of Zohar. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah zlatko's wear himself all the Jordan Valley and Lot journeyed East. Plus they separated from each other. I live alone all the way to the second letter of Peter in the New Testament eater record the word of God about lot as follows. And if he that is God rescued righteous lot greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked or as that righteous man lived among them day after day. He was tormenting his righteous Soul over there Lawless Deeds, but he saw and heard the Lord knows how to rescue The Godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement. Well, that's a nice a description of lot. That's why I want to go all the way back. Do when a lot and Abram before he was renamed Abraham and redundant Cannon together lot was the son of Abraham's brother her on who have passed away will become into the story and a lot with his Elvis and so he was the inheritor of his father's estate which was primarily walks in herds and and herdsmen that came to work for him. He was the grandson of Tara Abraham's father. and he grew up in How many of you know anything about her? If anyone says to err is human to forgive is divine, I'll know who put you up to it. Are the Chaldeans was a magnificent City and some archaeologists and historians say it was second only to the wealth of Egypt. And so what has early days growing up in the big city with all of the amenities that that brings It's so when Tara Abraham's father the side of the van is going to move out of her and when God then subsequently called Abram to leave even the village they went to and go into this desolate place of Canaan lot must have gone through some culture shock. He would be like God saying to you. I know that you love living in New York City with all of the plays and and all of the the benefits of big city life, but I am going to take you to Hooterville. How many remember that Green Acres Program where the couple from living Madison Avenue or 5th Avenue had the husband want to be a farmer and I finally told he couldn't have a farm on the balcony of their condo and he says all right, we're moving and they went to Hooterville and the whole story is how on Earth the city folks, especially his wife adjust with a small town. Remember, there's a World War one song that said how will you keep them down on the farm after they've seen paree at all these young man who are going over to the some of the major cities of Europe to fight in World War 1 and will they ever be content going back to that small village? And I mentioned that is that I'm always looking for what is the motivation of lot lot name actually means bail or wrapped up as so much of what we do know about lot is overwhelming what we don't know about him. We can only look his actions will see if he's living up to his name which means all of his motives are veiled all of them are. Unclear Because when a lot goes from her on the little village that was away from her and then goes with Abram who is the patriarch of their family. He goes stimulate willingly admit. He's been cultivated have a whole lot to say about it because the patriarch of the family spoke and everybody said yes, sir, but he follows him and he brought all his herds that blocks all his herdsmen because Shepherd servants and they went to a place where God was going to leave them. Abram didn't even know for sure where they were going there in a situation where God said pack up and leave and I'll show you where you're going when she leave. A few people have the most of us know if we can't find it on Google Maps. We're not ready to pack up. We want some assurances. Abram is a man who is kind of a righteous because he believed God. What followed his uncle Abram but I'm not sure that his confidence in God what do the extent of the Abrams was As they left her on and it moved into Canaan. Even there if you read the stories of Abram he interacts as little as possible with a Canaanite. He really wants to be out in the pasture lands find some well water pasture land for his flock and he lived in tents and they sojourned there and if you've read the story that let it are all Tesla trading this morning, you know that they prospered they prospered to the point where Abraham's Abraham's blocks and lots blocks were overgrazing the land. They had become the first agro-business. So to speak it was major major hurting a sheep and a colorful processes and the land will not sustain both those groups and when they go out to find a watering place for the Sheep the surface of a room in the Servants of lot would argue with each other we got here first. No, no, we got here first. I just like 21st century people and we got back to a remedy and he went to a lot and he said this shouldn't be so look around Hayden has all sorts of land that is open that is not being held by our enemies places where you can go and what are your flocks? And so he was talking to a fairly high plays that overlooked as much of Canada's population. I tell you what, You decide if you want to go One Direction. I will go the other you choose. I will make it your choice entirely that we are read that and we say well that was a gracious offer. One of the things though that we don't miss a pickup on it. We're not Scholars a middle eastern culture is that it the patriarch of the family says you choose where to go. Politeness would require that you leave the better choice for him as a sign of respect. Let me put that into terms that those of you who grew up with Southern parents will understand. I was taught how to be a gracious guest if I visited somebody and here's what my mother always told me and my grandmother and every other Georgia relative in our family if you were offered something and you notice it on the plate. There are two pieces of cake and one is a little bit bigger than the other or one has more icing than the other you choose the Lesser that's courtesy that's custom that tradition because clearly people in Georgia are all directly from the Middle East to make it times. I do not do that showed a disregard for your host. And in this case, I'm Scholars was able lot for a little bit of disrespect to Abram because he looked out and he found a sweet choicest land that he could see And a Lion's Share of it, and he said the The Plains of Jordan or well water the flood Plains of the Jordan River over in the direction of bottom. A lot so we'll all go that way but we're not told of Abram said to him. That might not be a good choice. There's a lot of sin and evil over there all we know is it Abram? Gave him what he wanted and they harder than Pace, but here's what was taking place at that time lot started his engagement with the world if you will and a very visible way because he didn't just set up his tent in the broader plain of Jordan. We're told him he went toward Sodom and he set up his pimp pretty close to the city. He figured if your watch these these home shows where they're trying to find a house and they always said well, we want something that's close to the city because we like to go in and enjoy City Light. Fat lot did not move into Sodom, but he pitched his tent right close to it. But that might seem irrelevant. But what it tells us is that lot was putting his interest and his Security in being near fortified City and also being drawn to some of the pleasures of Sodom which were Godly and some which were not even when locked move in that direction. He knew enough about the Canaanite to know that all of Canaan was going to be given over to Abram at some point. And the reason for that was incredible sin and idolatry of the cities of Canaan. Abram in his confidence in God stayed away for that influence lot further put his confidence in human civilization. I want to be where this a fortified City. I want to be where the people who will protect me if needed. I won't go in your those words. I'll stay in my tent out here. I won't get involved in anything that maybe ungodly. Well, I would get as close to the ungodly as I can. The amount may be reading into it. But how many of you if God said relocate to a place where you going to stablished a Godly Kingdom a Godly Community how many of you would choose right now, Portland, Oregon or Seattle? And the list goes on. Work. You say first of all this violence there. Well, it was violence in Sodom. Well there they have in Grain Bin there. Well, they made grain says Autumn but lot, but will I'm only Outside The City Gate. And that was his first move with turn it was slippery slope a slide toward ungodliness not necessarily for him in his beliefs, but for him and his environment and that's where it begins. As he was sojourning that is camped out but sojourning sounds so much classier when you find the theology sojourning their living is 10.

A war broke out between a number of kings in the surrounding area coming together and Alive battle against Sodom and Gomorrah and at other cities in that area. And there was a vicious fight. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah Enzo are lost. And guess who was taken into captivity as a slave lot. What? And his family and his herdsmen. We're all taken as the plunder of War.

I want to be able to do when he heard about this. First of all the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah then nothing to rescue him. They just close the city Gates and said well we didn't do very well on this one, but when we're got to Abram Abram took his Shepherds. Is herdsmen who are armed with what? rod and staff the tools are Shepherds. At all sorts of storytellers of tried to depict what that look like and how honor the shepherd's won the battle because they went out and they found this combined Army camped out overnight. With guards all around heavily armed with chariots and swords and bows and arrows. And I suppose they waited too late by the down or until the soldiers were drunk and their celebration but these hertzman risked their lives to rescue lot and his family. And by the way, many residents was Sodom and Gomorrah also been taken as slaves and plunders of War. I'm not going to preach on the this week. But at some point we will talk about when Abraham came back in the king of Sodom wanted to give him a tenth of all of the plunder of the enemy because now you see the enemy has been defeated in Sodom and Gomorrah felt like they were victorious because this band of shepherds protected that it was really the mighty hand of God. I thought you might be thinking. Wow, that was a wake-up call to a lot that the gates of Sodom and Gomorrah and gave him no protection whatsoever.

But his uncle and his Shepherds were able to rescue me. I will stay with those who put their faith in God, you know, the scripture that says some trust in the strength of horses and chariots, but we trust the name of the Lord Our God, but lot didn't pick up on that Abram came back. He refused to take anything other than what belong to the people that have been abducted and he returned to the same distance away from those centers of sin because he was waiting for God to build a righteous Kingdom through him. Hemlock was waiting to be protected by an unrighteous Kingdom that seemed to be strong. So what a lot due to make himself safer if he follow Abram back and say uncle Abram. I think I made a bad mistake. Maybe I'll go in a different direction. Let's go by the land in the different direction by stay within the city. AA many votes as is with what he did that or not. I presume you read the story. What did he do? What stage of the slippery slope he is now a resident of SimCity in the Canaanite area. I suppose he felt that it was safer. I maybe was just a rationalization to get closer to where the amenities were closer to where shopping was nice till you get out of the greater Sodom and Gomorrah mall with probably spectacular. There was a wealthy city as well and he he settled there with his wife and with his daughters. Labrum with the other direction to be isolated from sin. You see how it going in different directions. Lot still believe in The One and Only God greater of Heaven on Earth still believe that God was faithful that God was the only God and that the god of Israel if you'll later be called was The God Who prevailed over every idle. And we're not told that lot participated anything immoral. But as we go on with the story, here's what we find lot begins to absorb some of the culture of that City in spite of the fact that in 2nd Peter we read that he was grieving the spirit all the time watching what was going on.

Do you know people person people who truly love Christ and they are grieve by the sand they see around them and yet little by little they will participate in things. They would not have participated in a few years earlier.

What are the things that I noticed? Rod tell the story sometimes because when I was in South Florida Mary and I were leaders in the pro-life community and we were always put out one of our brochures had a list of the positions of candidates running for office.

I was very clear cut you may have seen those over the years where it says the best candidate wants to legalize abortion from conception up to the day of birth and late-term abortions. And for any reason only pro-abortion human life begins at conception. It needs to be protected and I will act to protect it and we have our meetings with people Christian Community comes together and I'm in the one man was just absolutely adamant that he was going to protect life. and after the election when the pro-life candidate lost I said well we all voted for the right person and we didn't win. We'll just move forward. They see why I could I go to for the other guy. Why well because there was an ad on TV that said the pro-life candidate was going to take my Social Security away from it.

Where is his truck is a trust in God first of all? No one has ever campaigned all I'm going to take your Social Security away from you. But this man was frightened by possibly being in want by doing what God wanted him to do it. So while he was still adamantly in favor of protecting unborn life, so adamantly declaring his faith in Christ his fear and influence of the culture and a sense of security him the support something that was ungodly and his actual core value and that happens repeatedly asks is one example, you can fill in your own. I'm sure that we're not told a lot does anything at this point participating and idolatry, but what was life like for lot and Sodom Well, one of the things we notice is that ring took refuge in the city. The next thing that happened was he is show is trying to appease the city. That's what we see a lot. Now, let's appease our culture. You've heard Rick reach on that and I've preached on it. We working in here and there because it's a prevailing theme in the scriptures and a prevailing theme in our culture that something new comes along. We're suddenly the the worldly voice says oh, this is fine. This is fine. If if your 5 year old boy says I think I'd rather be a girl honor that because gender is fluid. Gender is not fluid gender is an attribute of God. It's over here that and what they want us to do is to not only receive it and not find it but to endorse it and to encourage it and to move it forward what did lot do with long those line. Well, yeah, let's look at Abram when Abram finally had his son. Black chili his wife helped a little when Isaac was born. And I thought it was old enough to take a wife. Where did Abraham go to find a wife for him? He said his servant all the way back to her on which was inhabited by people who followed and worship gone because he didn't want his son to be married to a Canaanite woman or any other idolatrous woman because he might want to know Powerball for all of his feed to be joined together with righteous people people were not right is because of their holy Behavior, but people who work out has right of scratches because they trust in God and obeyed God. So what did lot doing his when his girls were the age where he's husbands? Did he go back to her on or send the servant there to see if there any husbands that might want to marry them? No, because later on when the Angels come to Solomon and are there to rescue lot and his family and all of their family we find out they're both girls were betrothed the men of Sodom. We're idolaters. Embraced the immorality of those City. And you can tell that when they are asked to pack up their things that lie because God was going to judge the city. They thought I was a big joke. And they refuse to go. Their wives are the patrols were going and they didn't care enough about them to go with them. They just stayed and these were the men that lot had to approve or his daughters. We remember the part about when the Angels got there and and lot offer to send the daughters out the men who are banging on the door. That we forget that long before then he had approved their betrothal the unbelievers. New Testament very clear on that and we are not to be unequally yoked with those who do not Revere the name of God those who do not trust them. They Enterprise those who do not put their confidence in their creator. And throw themselves on the mercy of the gospel for the mercy and Grace of Christ Alone brings. And yet we see it repeatedly Even in our day. I'm just curious how many of you know of Christian families. Simply overlooked and would not address the issue that one of their grown children Was preparing to marry someone who was an unbeliever or antagonistic to ATIV. It happened and I heard people say well we are sure that love will prevail and that the one who is a Believer will draw the other one to Faith. God does that. But there's no promise. I sometimes it cause a tremendous Horror Night. Because of all the things that we have to have compatibility our spiritual commitment is the primary one but what you see and made accommodations to the city, he did not go through the city streets as far as we can tell telling them about their sin falling into faith in God know whatever he was doing accommodated them to the point where he was one of the men who sat in the City Gate. That might not be in too much these days but to sit in the city Gates imply that you were one of the leaders of the community lot. Somehow had been elevated to being of Oliver on our city councillor city councilman along those lines, but he was highly regarded among the Elders of Sodom. If you're going to be highly regarded among idolaters, how local do you think he was about the sin of idolatry. don't know some of this is speculation, but I can only go by the actions that I see you later on because when Abram finds out Sodom and Gomorrah going to be destroyed you remember he bargained with God one of their 10 righteous man. This of course. Because basically he knew that he would be removing Abrams relatives from Sodom not because of their righteous actions, but because they belong to a righteous man and their beliefs we're trusting in God, but their actions are not Alot Like so many of us was Torn Between Two Worlds.

Both of you have been around for a while.

If you go back and look how the world has changed a lot of improvements. Medical advances or wonderful technology is great. But what about moral codes? You remember when? I remember when almost every store closed on Sunday so that nobody would have to work and this church. Yes, I can't see everyone in the back row, but I can see gray heads nodding. Thank you. That's my generation. I'm gradually nothing but now don't raise your hand. This is not public confession. We already had our prayer of confession. And when they started to open on Sundays how many of you said? Oh thank goodness for Publix. They're not going to cave in. But how many do you got to wear when Publix finally quit closing on Sundays found yourselves? Oh, we're low on and agree that we need for Sunday night dinner and you go to Publix I do. If we're going to rush wife says it will there open anyway, why not? But you see that part of the culture that is clinging to me. Those of you who remember Betsy Copeland all the days of her life, he would tell us if we would have her place work for lunch after church. He said well, I was going to have such and such but I didn't have it and read it and I won't go to Publix on Sunday. Well good for her. Because our actions should be based on what we believe that was still considered a righteous man, cuz he saw all the stuff going on and he hated it.

That when it comes to the next step we find that when the Angels come to his house and he takes the man. The middle song I'm sure with the door and they're pounding on the door about to break it down. I think send out those men that we might have sex with them. It would have told you it was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was lack of hospitality. That is totally fiction. Unless you consider homosexual rape to be hospitality. They were after those men because they wanted to use them as a sexual object. Now. What did you do? If he say to the people out there, these are angels of the most high God do not knock on our door down because they have the power of God and their hand.

No. Did he say I will come out there among you and you can victimize me however you want because it was men they were looking for. But leave these two guests of mine a lot. Do you say that note? Let me remember what he said. He said take my daughter. Abused my daughter. Treat them like objects of your loss. It was interesting. I said I'm going to compare a lot to Abram and Abram by then known as Abraham was called by God to sacrifice his one and only son Isaac. Why would Abraham say yes to that? Because you trusted God. He was willing to sacrifice his son in obedience to God what was going to sacrifice his daughters and obedience Ultra. See the polar opposite.

The whole point that I'm getting to hear with lot is it we need to look at lot and ask ourselves. Are we doing any of those things that cause lots of slide from being an adherent for his faith to being a Believer who does not act a Believer who has been so late in compromised. but even within his family buy the world not by the truth of God's word. And you remember how that goes? Then the Angels go out and they strike those men blind. And I pulled the daughter's back in and even said get together all your family and is I reminded you that the sons of Los arbitros sons of law. Thought it was a joke, and they would not go but now he find out that even wants wife did not want to go. The daughter who had just been threatened with unspeakable atrocities still didn't want to go they had bought into that whole culture and says that the angel book them by the hand. I picture it is like Well, I can remember. Times when I had to go to the doctor before school started up and get that evil thing. I didn't understand what good they did. All I knew is some nurse was going to come in with a harpoon.

And my rear end was Moby Dick apparently. And I can remember times when my parents would say while you are coming with us. They took me by the hand and started to drag I don't be rash while I walk but I would not have gone in have they not take me by the hand That's What Angels of God did they took lot and his wife and his daughter's son's Allah wouldn't come and they let them out by the hand and said don't look back and I picture here lots of wife. Being drawn out by an Angel halfway has her will I'm going to get outside the city Gates and it start going up towards the mountains. She can't help her. So she has to take one more look and she turns with one hand in the hand of God's messenger returned with the other hand and looks back at the city of sin. He can't let go of it. Yeah, even with the angel of God holding her hand. She still has to take one more look and we remember that that's when she became a pillar of the community. Turn the salt when people lie so well because the Hebrew word for salt and Ash are the same thing. He simply was destroyed. by the wrath of God coming upon song a lot and his daughters were still going following the angels. Where we go from there, they they're fleeing the world now, perhaps not up by their own will but at least they are obeying what the messages of God say come with us and where they taking them for taking them to the mountains. God said to me go to the mountains, that would be the easiest command of God. Yes, sir. Absolutely. Blue Ridge Smoky Mountain Park you tell me

But they got hold it away from Sodom and Gomorrah and what did lot say? Reince priebus little bit when you get home today and you see how the pieces fit lot turn to these messengers of God the voice of God, you know, what an angel speaks. He's not making a decision. He's telling you what God has decided. And so lots of him though. The mountains are too far. Let me turn aside to this little town called Zohar. Know if you were taking copious notes earlier. What do you know about so far? OA words or means little town not quite Hooterville, but really small.

What do you remember about Zoloft from this morning that you knew there be quiz, Zohar was an alliance with Sodom and Gomorrah. It was under the same cultural group as Sodom and Gomorrah but much smaller and therefore the extent of the sin. Was not as intolerable.

But lots of I can't make it all the way to the mountains, please turn the side of this little town. Angel finally relented and so lot and his daughters set up shop. They are in SoHo. And then we find. Those are playing the world. But not too far.

You look lost his wife. They lost the hearts of his daughter. He lost the promise of God lot who originally. Had gone towards Sodom and Gomorrah for protection of his family protection of his flocks and it's hers and it's herdsmen. And now he leaves a city under siege from having a cell with nothing. the wife No sustenance. Two daughters who don't believe what he believes. And they wind up in this little town. And the next one is the one that we don't teach in children's church. The girls at some point look around and they say there are no eligible men in the Civil War. Maybe it was retirement community for the retirees from Sodom and Gomorrah. There were no men there age. And they said well we want to have children. The desire to have children was more important than the desire to honor God or follow the laws of God of the decrees of God. That's so what did they do the most logical thing in the world? Of course, they got their father drunk.

And one night one of them got their father drunk and slept with him and became pregnant. The other sister said well that worked. Well the night we got to drunk again and I'll sleep with him and he read that portion of Genesis you find they both became pregnant and they both had Sons. Do you know who the sons were?

One was Amon. Amon means little or no I am I mean up from my people. at Moab which means from my father even his name was boasting that this child was fathered by my father incest. Rita to New Kingdom if a man sounds familiar is the capital of Jordan. Because the amorites are moabites inhabited that side Easter Jordan, which is now entirely in the nation of Jordan. And ammonites in the millibites were known for tremendous idolatry their always warring against the people of God. It is real they were idolaters of the worst sort moab's were worshipers Molek. the god that the mat infant

so what starts off like all of the relatives of Tara he was a monotheistic he trusted in God you worship the one true Living God but a little by little chasing after the things which he thought were important the things which he thought would make him safe make him prosperous and ignoring what God was trying to do and we split into a position where his beliefs were in keeping with God, but his actions were not And what was his legacy? Is Legacy were two Nations that warred with the people of God and even to this day?

That one side bar is that God is gloriously merciful even to those who go wildly astray those who belong to him who have put their trust in him at anytime still remain in his care. There are consequences to send. You see what happened to a lot was he called a righteous man in 2nd Peter and God was so good to him that he not only preserve Ammon and Moab from Destruction for Generations, but he even allowed a moabite has become one of the ancestral forebears of Jesus Christ. Bruce Noah Bible God brings good even out of our intent to ignore him. But the real Legacy of lot is all negative. Which brings us to the question we all have to face.

But what we can be righteous and what we believe. If I had a question you how many of you believe in the inerrancy of scripture? Most of you would say yes, how many of you believe in the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ who will be king of kings and Lord of lords. I will judge overall at the end of time. You would undoubtedly say, yes. How many do you want to see what you pray the Lord Prayer by Kingdom Come On Earth as it is in heaven. Yes. We want to see the kingdom of God made manifest over above and in spite of the kingdoms of the world. We belong to Christ. We do not belong to the world. Are you with me? Then here's the homework. Do we have to do everyday? Is a store sells am I following the path of lot? Am I being drawn towards something because I don't want people to be mad at me. And so I begin to conform to the culture. Do I keep my mouth shut about the things of God because I don't want to upset the culture or people that I like who are a part of this world. We two can be caught between two worlds a lot is just a dramatic example of what happened with the wrong world first to win. But we have that possibility as well. What reason we come together for worship in the study the word together so that we can sharpen each other and remind each other. And look back to the word of God and understand that we live in a foreign world like lot did and we are also are we not distressed by the filthy lives of Lawless people? Because we are at heart righteous. And yet we know that lot and also we ourselves if we are not careful and drift into not only being disgusting with the concept. And participants in the outcome. Little by little the slippery slope the frog in the kettle. We come before God today looking at the story of Abram versus the story of lot, and he stay we have to decide which path we're going to follow we can become World in our choice God's grace will still protect us. We will not be lost. But you know New Testament Paul himself says that if we build our lives on anything other than the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ sooner or later everything that we have done is a be tested by fire the fire of the purifying word of God and that which is built on. Hay and stubble will burn away. But we will ourselves will not be lost. And he's just so build with that which is precious build your life with that which is Godly which is in keeping. With the person and teaching of Christ. Because when judgment comes and purging comes all of the built on a shaky Foundation of this world will be swept away. If you do not want to be found like a lot who himself to save all that he wants treasure. I've been taken away and rosin to smoke itself. What world will we honor? Which Canaan we serve wholeheartedly? Well, we haven't gotten to the Book of Joshua. But I'll tell you what to look for or Joshua summarizes at all. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I'm in. All we do all we believe all the way think all the way. Hope for is Anchor not in this world, but in Christ alone, but standing sing together our closing hymn.