COMPROMISED

I believe. with a scripture is god-breathed it's inspired and flows from the heart and the wisdom. of the Creator guy and I believe a scripture says that because it is god-breathed. It is useful.

It's it's useful. It's relevant. It actually makes a difference and that scripture tells us that the scripture is god-breathed and it is useful for correctly

for reproving training in righteousness

that the word of God is given to us because we need it. without it We don't know what it means to live a righteous life without it. We don't know what it means to be the people that God made us to be we don't know what to do without it.

the with it God speaks. He can fix. And by his grace and kindness he gives us the ability to repent. So often repentance is seen as a very negative thing almost and repentance. What a gift. Without the gift of repentance we would have no. Hope a man. magadh God calls us when he shines a light upon us and in his light we see true.

And that truth is to move us to repentance. to align ourselves to the truth of who God is

renounce and leave behind anything that comes in between God and us

this message this morning. It's just been building on my heart all week ever since last week. We looked at the story of lot and Sodom and Gomorrah and this issue of a righteous, man. Who compromised? bought compromised himself and the consequences of it are unbelievably tragic. I want us to think through that story again together this morning and and more specifically apply it to ourselves because the scripture is useful. It's useful for us and I believe that this story is extremely on you and relevant for where we are today as a culture. And as a community and for us as a spiritual family, so we're going to look at Genesis 19 again and talk and think about being compromised. We first met Lots way back in Genesis 13 lot was a relative and nephew of Abram the man that was called and chosen by God to be God's instrument and vesicle to bring about blessing not just to Abram and his family, but ultimately through Abram who got changes his name to Abraham that through Abraham will come a seed that will be a blessing to all people.

Question we began to wrestle with last week was is there another way to find blessing? Is there another road or path to peace and prosperity outside of the path that God has laid out. lots of a shot lot took a shot at finding blessing outside. of God's blessing what we sought back in in Genesis 13 Lot, and Abraham are having conflicts because God is blessing them. So great good problem to have the conflicts arising because they are there. They're being so prosperous under God's blessing. So Abram takes it upon himself and says to a lot let's separate so that we don't have this conflict and that we can each experience God's blessing and grow and that piece can be between us. Let's let's let's remove the problem and Abraham took it upon himself. He said you choose wherever you want to go if you can or if all goes south if you go east I'll go west you you pick what you want. This texture Genesis 13. It says end lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well-watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord like a land of Egypt in the direction of Zohar. This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah just a simple concept. He lifted up his eyes and saw. It says just that it was well water just like the garden it takes us back to the garden and we've seen this before Eve lifted up. She looked and saw that the fruit was useful, but it was good that it offered her something that she thought God was holding back from her. Just like he looks and he sees something that from Human appearances from an Under the Sun mentality looks like it offers lesson. But this land like he's looking at is not the land that God has promised to Abraham and his family. It's outside of the Covenant in that season of history in that season of God. God had promised a blessing to a specific place and a specific family until through that family. The one that was promised would come and bring that blessing to All Peoples and all places. That's the time we live in now Jesus is the promised seed the descendants of Abraham. The one that has come to bring God's blessings to everyone everywhere. That's the reality we live in now but at that time in that season God was working in one place through one family to bring a blessing. It's a lot looks and sees it and I want to go there looks good. It it it it it looks so prosperous and so fertile and In a classic example of be careful what you wish for. it was it was extremely fertile. It was extremely wealthy. And as that wealth and prosperity progressed. The people they're moved farther and farther away from righteousness. Sometimes as I said last week Prosperity leads not to righteousness, but the greater wickedness.

Maybe not even just sometimes. Maybe it's most of the time. Maybe it's all of the time. well Prosperity the pleasures of this Earth

stand as an alternative

an alternate for our affections, that should belong to God and God Alone. What looks and he sees it and he wants it. So he takes it lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and lot Journey East. That's they separated from each other.

The story picks up in Genesis 19. Let me let me just read the the beginning of the narrative again. If you weren't here last week jump online. take a listen to last week's sermon but two angels come to Sodom in the evening in lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. So now he's not only moved to the area. He's not just in the valley dwelling among them. He's now living with them in the city and to stand at the gates is to take the place of an elder in the community. He is fully invested in the life of Sodom. He's standing at the gates where business transactions in marriage Patrol Those in all of the important facts of life in the community would take place at the gates of the city and they're Lots it's as one of the elders and when he sees these two men come in and says he rose to meet them about himself and set his face to the Earth and he said my lords, please turn aside to your Servants house spend the night wash your feet then you may rise up early and go on your own way. They said no we will spend the night in the Town Square.

But he pressed them strongly. Enough that they turned aside to him and entered his house and he made them a meal and baked unleavened bread and they ate but before they lay down the men of the city the men saw them both young and old all the people to the last man store rounded the house. And they called talot. Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know.

What went out to the men at the entrance shut the door after him instead I beg you my brothers do not do this wicked thing do not act so wickedly.

What we see again, this this reality of lot, he now identifies with the people of Sodom as his family. I bet you my brothers.

My family, don't don't do this wicked thing. I've brought wealth to you. I've become a part of your community. I don't partake in your wicked things, but I'm here and then please please listen to me.

Listverse again. I don't I don't even have words.

Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you and do them as you please only do nothing to these men for they have come under the shelter of my roof.

Lots decision to compromise had unbelievable consequences for him and for his family. His compromise turned him into the kind of person whose value system was so upside down that he put the hospitality of these men. They were Angels. You didn't quite know that I don't think that you put the hospitality responsibility of protecting them above the responsibility of a father protect his daughter believable.

But isn't that the way of compromise? Doesn't compromise lead us to do and say and be things that we never thought we would do or say or be.

I don't think I'm talking to a room full of Perfect People. I imagine I'm talking to people that have had moments of clarity where you stood back and looked at yourself and look at what you've done and look at what you've become and said that's not me.

Play Milos moments of clarity. If we examine what happened, you can trace it back to a series of compromises. That's the way it works.

When we compromise. We become compromised. So often it's well-intentioned. ISO offense, we think if I make this little compromise here. It's actually going to equal greater blessing. It doesn't seem like such a big thing. I don't think it's seems like such a big thing to a lot. He knew the land borders that God had promised as just over the Border. I mean, it's close enough. I mean, maybe we can just redraw the map a little. And maybe maybe my meet going here and and in seeking the prosperity. Maybe I can bring that blessing of God to these people over here. Even though God hadn't told him to do that. God had told them where to be and it wasn't there. It might seem like such a small thing. It almost always seems like such a small thing. No one. Very few people wake up in the morning and say I'm going to do something egregious and terrible today.

But bit by bit Slowly by slowly compromised by compromise. We can very quickly become. What kind of person? But does the kinds of things? That would horrify us. This is why.

Not going to read through the whole story that if you were list with us last week the consequences of it are unbelievable. The chickens come home to roost. Lot who offered his daughters to be raped by the crowd ends up being raped by his own daughter? there is a Divine irony at play

we reap what we sow We reap what we sow lot was compromised. He comes out and please but they say Stand back get out of our face. Who Do You Think You Are? They said this fellow came to Soldier. He's become the judge. Here's what's going to happen. We're going to deal worse with you than with them. And they pressed hard against the man Loft and Drew near to break down the door, but the men reached out their hands and brought lot into the house with them and shut the door and they struck with blindness the men who are at the entrance of the house both small and great.

so that they themselves were they wore themselves out groping for the door.

in spite

a lot of compromise God's grace and his mercy and God's faithfulness to the Covenant of Abraham the Covenant to bring a savior to this world through Abraham's family. God shows Mercy on lot. protects him

this is the story and I mention that last week is a a clear warning for us about how we engage in the systems of the world how we engage to the power structure? The economic structures the political structure how we choose to represent ourselves how we choose to align ourselves and ultimately what we put our faith in.

lotos to align himself with a system of the world that was radically opposed to got and he paid an incredible price. He became deeply compromised.

Yoked himself. I mentioned this text last week from 2nd Corinthians. 6:14. Do not be unequally yoked. With unbelievers what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? What what Fellowship has light with Darkness? Imagery from farming to plow a field you take two or four oxen and you put a yoke upon them and a plow behind them and you would till a feel.

He says in the same way that you wouldn't put a giant aux on one side and a Shetland pony on the other. Just don't be unequally yo.

Don't oblige yourself. Don't invest yourself. in a system

that isn't the Lord's. I want to make a distinction. I'm going to make this distinction as we walk through several text after this but that there's a very important distinction between the systems of the world and the people that are in the world.

We are called absolutely and unequivocally to love every man woman and child made in the Imago Dei in the image of God. We are called the absolutely love people not just good people not just righteous people. We're called to love all people when Jesus called us to love our neighbor as ourselves. He knew that many of our neighbors were going to be really rotten broken people just like we are without Jesus through this it's not about hating the people. Let's not let's just start there and say we are called to love everyone everywhere because they are made in the image of God.

But this is where we make a mistake.

We are able to love the people. And not love the system.

Not love the hierarchies not love the power structures not love the ways of life that go against the righteousness of God. Are you with me this morning? This is a distinction. The we've got to wrestle with. Cuz I've been as I've been just selling in this text. I'm more and more convinced that we have been compromised. Like lot was compromised by the culture of Sodom and Gomorrah we have been compromised. When I say we I mean the American church, we have been compromised by our culture. We have been compromised we who were called by Jesus to be Salt and Light to the world around us.

Have become compromised. Buy the system of the world.

We watch the news and I I hear it from you. I hear it on social media hear it from so many in the church with a how could this happen? How could we be at this place for the vast majority of Millennials and younger Generations are condemning and hating? America we've had marches in our country in cities in California and other places where people have been marching through the streets chanting death to America. Captain America is like watching something out of Iran for seeing it right. Here. We say how can this happen? How did we get here? And that's a complex question that deserves complex answers all I can think about this morning is our role in it. Our role in it and let me let me just be real blunt. This is our role. We have embraced. Democratic capitalism to the point that we have equated it with God's kingdom and the church in such a way that we lost our prophetic voice against the evil and wickedness of democratic capitalism. Yes. I said that

We've lost our prophetic voice to speak out against the evils of democratic capitalism. That are so obvious to those who look around and see the evils of it. And because we've compromised Whip-It we've lost the ability to speak out against it and we're losing the generation.

And let me be real specific about what it is.

It's Bree. The every system is broken. Outside of King Jesus can we agree on that this morning? We look at fascism. It's easy to see the evils of the Nazi party. We look at communism. It is evil at its core and if you don't believe that book at the death.

The fastest killed six to eight million people. The marxists Communists have killed probably a hundred million people.

And yet we've got our young lady of walking through the street staring the hammer and sickle.

Why?

Because we have not spoken out about the evils. Of democratic capitalism, which at its core is greed. Grease, every system is broken. Every system has its flaws Democratic capitalism has a terrible weakness in that it tends to move along the lines of Greece.

And we've been compromised.

Here's how we've been confident. There's so many ways, but think about the Prosperity Gospel.

That's an American invention by the way. Can you fry rice?

The economic and political system of democratic capitalism and embraced its values to the point that we've been superimposed those values on to the gospel. So now the gospel is not believe in its surrender and pledge allegiance to King Jesus. Now the gospel is if you pray the right prayer you can be rich. You can be comfortable you can have peace. outside of God you are so 22nd I will not compromise. You're not paying attention were compromised.

We put temporal Earthly peace and prosperity before the kingdom of God. Jesus said seek first the kingdom and his righteousness in those things will be added to you if we go, we'll speak the stuff first and hope that we get Jesus on top of it. We turned Jesus into the cherry on top rather than the pearl of great price. We've been compromised Church.

and I have grid Works its way through our culture the balance of power the balance of economic power continues to spread and the rich get richer the poor get poorer and anger and here's the thing.

The rich are being ruled by because it's never enough. It's never enough that's the word greed comes from the old English word graded which means voracious it literally means never satisfied. Never Satisfied how much is enough?

If if you if I would hand you a lottery ticket this morning. I stay here. I want to give this to you. This lottery ticket is worth a hundred million dollars. I'd be your new best friend, right?

If you don't think we're compromised by greed just examine what happened to your heart right now right here in this place while we're talking about greed. If that can happen what happens?

Here's the thing. If I said you only give you this hundred million dollars, but you got to promise that that's going to be enough that you're going to be satisfied you go. Yeah, no problem that hundred million dollars would totally satisfy me and you would probably believe that but you'd be dead wrong. And all you have to do is look at everyone everywhere who's had a hundred million dollars and it was never enough for them. It wouldn't be for you. Does the pump on the lower end right the Have Nots? You're talking about equality so often if not, always boils down to is a sense of green that I want what they have and if they have it and I don't have it all at least feel better if they don't have it.

Are you with me chair?

Did you don't have to like me this morning? You just don't?

I'm not sure. I like me this morning.

We need to hear this because we've been compromised. We've been compromised. We place our comfort our security and our prosperity. over and above the power of Jesus and his kingdom we tried to merge them. We've rationalize we Justified we have compromised. I have I've been repenting all week. I have not preached consistently. About the dangers of greed in our culture. I have not repented the Lord. I'm repenting to you.

We both lost our prophetic was I want it back. We need it back. The world needs it back.

I can't change the university system's. I can't change the political dynamics of a two party system. All I can hope is for God to change me forgot to change us as the church and I believe in the power of God. I believe in the power of the church to actually be Salt and Light. I believe the God can use us to make a difference in this world and in this culture today, but he won't do it when we stand in a compromised state.

So we need to think about this we need to think about. Ecclesiastes 5-10 which says he who loves money. Will not be satisfied with money nor he who loves well with his income. This is also of vanity of vapor of breath.

He goes on to say all you can do is watch other people. Enjoy it. Cuz you can't hold on to it and you can't take it with you. He who dies with the most toys die.

2 vanity it's a vanity.

He who loves money he who loves well. Cannot be satisfied will not be satisfied. It's the nature of that love. It is consuming. It is voracious.

Jesus spoke about this so clearly Matthew 6:24 says no one can serve two masters.

You cannot do it. It is a logical impossibility. To serve a Master with wholehearted Allegiance demands wholehearted Allegiance so you can't serve your master with wholehearted Allegiance and give another part of your heart to another master. It is physically impossible and yet so much of the American church has been trying to straddle this fence. Yeah. I love Jesus. I'm down with these I don't want to go to her house. I want to go to heaven, but I also want

I also want

Any compromises us? We've heard a lot about the racial Injustice has in our country and our culture and our communities. I hear every week racism is America's Original Sin. Actually disagree with that. Greed is America's original sin? It is greed that caused racism and slavery to flourish in the first place and church. Listen to me. It was free. because the church has to stay silent in the face of systemic racial oppression and Injustice to use black men and women made in the image of God has property and the church has sat together in their sanctuaries and sing Kumbaya evil prospers, and we didn't because

And I'm afraid we're doing it again today.

You can't serve two masters. If you want to be rich Own It claim it as your master and let's see what the heavens.

But if you want Jesus to be your tank. There's no room for another master. No, one can serve two masters. He will either hate the one and love the other will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and money. mammoth

You can. Put you cannot do it. It may look like you can. It may appear to those around you that you're doing it may appear to the world that you're doing it but to the eyes of God, which frankly are the only eyes account. You cannot do it.

Which of the profit a man if he gains the world but loses.

Other time Luke 12:15. Jesus said to them. Take care.

Stand on guard against all covetousness. For one's life does not consist.

in the abundance of his possessions That's not me talking. That's Jesus.

Be careful not talking. Them out there talking to his followers. Be careful. The fact that you have gone in with Jesus does not offer automatic protection from covetousness and greed. You chosen to follow Jesus good. Be careful.

Be careful. not embracing the lies of the world

It says that your life can be valued. How much you own? What was that?

Just money and wealth it can also be physical Beauty could be Fame. It could be power. It could be any of these things that capture our hearts.

But it's never enough.

Jesus says to me to you.

Because much like lot that compromise. That seems so small. It seems so insignificant that seems to make so much sense. According to the systems of the world it will eat you up.

Careful your life. your value not determined. How much money you have? How much wealth you amassed? How much Fame you possess how beautiful you are? How many people fear you?

the value of your life Is determined by the author of life? And your connection to him?

far too often We've been far too easily satisfied.

Paul clips of this way in 1st Timothy godliness What content? Is great game. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

I want to learn how to be content.

I want us to learn how to be content.

to be set free by the power of Jesus from the I need I want I must have so if only I had all then I would feel better all then that would give me

great game we brought nothing into the world and we can't take anything out of the world. Jokes Reddit naked I came from my mother's womb naked I will return.

But if we have food and clothing with these we will be content.

Those are the things that sustain life if if we have the things that will sustain life. We really content.

But those who desire to be rich.

Those who desire to be rich another to the Bible makes some very important distinctions that are sometimes. So difficult for us to Grass tonight. I've never quite understood why.

The Bible makes a distinction it never says being rich is sinful. But it will say that the desire to be rich can be very simple.

There are many that have great wealth. and great righteous And they use that well for righteous thing. the problem is not In the things it's in our relationship to the things. And I know I've said this before but far too often. We don't own our possessions are possessions in the pony.

Paul says Rich fall into temptation into a snare into mini senseless and harmful desires that funds people into ruin and destruction if that's not a sentence that describes Lots life. I don't know what it is.

Desire to be rich felon Temptation into a snare in the mini senseless and harmful desires that punch people into ruin and destruction For the Love of Money is a root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many.

I'm not sure we think about it that way. You think about what are what are the great temptations that lead us away from God what it what are the things that can ship wreck our faith? We might go right to sexual sins and they can and they're terrible. When I go to murderer or or or there's something about human nature, we like to go to extremes because we think that we're not capable of extremes and then it it makes us feel good about the less extreme sins that we just accept on a regular basis.

but a little bit of yeast worked into the dough eventually spreads to the holdo

the desire to be rich the desire to have more coveting what other people have that you don't have? Is a danger to your face?

It shipwrecks.

Mini and leads them into great pain.

Jesus I'm sorry. Let's go to James 1st.

Book of James. You need to read something right now start reading through James.

speaks much about what we're experiencing as a culture and what we need to hear from the Lord. He says it's what causes quarrels and fights among you is it not this that your passions are at War within you?

you desire and do not have so you murder Do not see that on the news everyday this week.

Covet and cannot obtain. So you fight and coral you do not have frankly because you do not ask and when you do ask you don't receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.

Jesus in Jesus name I claim a million-dollar. In Jesus name I claim that new Mercedes in Jesus name as you ask but you don't receive asking trying to Jews Jesus to serve your master, which is really your wealth in your comfort and Jesus doesn't answer those prayers. Don't care how much money you sent it to that televangelist.

Ask and do not receive because you ask wrong way to spend it on your passions. Listen. Like talking to the church y'all. You adulterous people?

when we live a life driven by the Love of Money it is like we are cheating spouse. We are committing adultery against God. You are my husband. You are my wife. I am betrothed and committed and Covenants it to you, but I'm sleeping.

You adulterous people. Do you not know? friendship with the world now can let me remind you this sanction not talking about being friends with somebody that doesn't know Jesus. We called the love everyone everywhere. Say it everyone everywhere. Tech And at the same time friendship with the world is enmity with God. Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

So if you love the Republican party and think that it is the hope of the world you've made yourself an enemy of God.

If you love Democratic capitalism and think that it is the Hope for the Brokenness of sin in this world, you're committing adultery against God. If you think that vitamin Harris are going to fix everything that Trump has broken in this country.

I'm not saying don't be political. I'm not saying don't vote. You should know.

What I'm saying? the way you Ville is more important than how you

if you are lying yourself if you invest in any system of this world. And give it the allegiance and the affection spit Jesus and Jesus alone deserves. You set the picking a fight with God. You're picking a fight with God. Do you really want to do that?

He always wins.

You're going to lose.

And even if in his mercy and Grace, he rescues and redeem you there still be a price to pay. Just asked a lot and his daughter.

Friendship with the world is enmity with God there for whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

For too long and too often. We have aligned faithfulness with Jesus and the gospel to a political party and an economic system. And because we have done that we've lost our ability to speak into the culture about the Real and True. Hope that Jesus offers. Are millions upon millions of Millennia Millennials and younger people that have absolutely zero desire to set foot within the church because the church has aligned itself with something that they see is obviously broken.

And they're rejecting Christ not because of Christ, but they're rejecting Christ because of our greed.

And are compromised.

I have to stop with us.

Jesus said if the world hates you.

Know that it hated me before it hated you. welcome to the club Jesus s but don't talk. Guess what? He's saying? What is what is the reality that you're going to experience as a follower of Jesus as a man or a woman that's been adopted and accepted by God because of Jesus into the family of God. What does it mean? And what does it look like for somebody that's a part of the kingdom of God who is now living as an alien and stranger in the world around them? What should we expect? It's not what we want. I know what I want. What should we expect these? Like it don't be surprised if the world hates you because it hated me.

If you were of the world. Brother, love you as its own. Not experienced, right? Who is this guy? What's done everything he can to compromise with solemn? He's invested in southeast names himself as one of them. He sat at the gate as an elder. He calls them brothers and they look at them and they say you're not one of us.

You are the world the world would love you as its own but because you are not of the world. But I chose you out of the world therefore the world.

the system of the world

the system of the world will absolutely hate anyone that offers an alternative to that system. If you confront the Power Systems of this world with the power of Jesus and his kingdom, this is what you can expect hatred from the system. You are confronting.

That's enough. That you be not judged for with the Judgment you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye. How can you say to your brother? Let me take the speck out of your eye when there is a log in your own eye you hypocrite first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's by.

from social media post the magazine and newspaper articles what I see consistently from the American church is a victim mentality. It's not our fault. It's their fault. It's the liberal universities. It's the whatever she or it's this it's that it's this. Deming or judgmental were harsh or brutal and were blind You are complicit participation.

In a system that is run and perpetuated. not by the generosity of God, but by the greed of man This week we've got to take that log out of our us if we want to speak into the Brokenness of this world. If we want to shine light we have to shine it on ourselves first.

call

We called by Jesus.

judgment begins with the house of the Lord

started by saying repentance is a great gift from God.

and I hope Because misery loves company. I hope that you feel. a little bit of condemnation then a little bit of Rights of Shame. Not the same note the world works, but the shame of conviction the shame that leads us to repentance.

I hope that like me because my eyes have been. open

to see a layer and level of sinfulness within me that I didn't know existed.

To see a complicit participation in a system of the world a love for the world that has compromised my love for God and for the kingdom.

And I find repentance delicious. like a good Maple donut

You're welcome.

We should run to repentance not from it. We should embrace our shame because when we embrace it and Own It Jesus Takes it from us. We don't have to stay in shame. We don't have to drag our guilt around because he takes it upon himself rather than joking ourselves with the broken systems of this world to church with yolk ourselves with Jesus because his yoke is easy and his burden is Jesus came not to find people that weren't full of Shame and Brokenness. Jesus came to find men and women just like me and you men and women who have become complicit with the broken systems of the world and men and women that need to be set free. It is for freedom. The Christ has set us free. So do not yoke yourselves again. to a system of slavery But stay close to Jesus.

Church if you like me. a guilty I'm allowing greed. The love for the world and the things of this world. the compromise your heart join me. in coming to the God of all Grace and repenting because of the Beauty and the goodness of Jesus.

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