Responding To The World's Allurements
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good Morning. Do you have a favorite cereal? If you do, I’ve always wondered how do they get all that goodness packed into a small package. I don’t know how they do it, but when you’re taking a bite, each bit is filled with flavor. After you’re done chewing for a bit, the flavor does stay for just a moment, but not too long, till the next bite. It reminded me of a place I use to work at. This place was about a half-mile from a General Mills plant. Talking about smell good! Some mornings it smelled like Cheerios, Lucky Charms. For the chocolate lovers, when Coca Puffs were on the production schedule — the whole area smelled like chocolate sweetness. Some of my favorite mornings were when they were making the Captain Crunch berries of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. All that was needed some mornings was a bowl, some milk and to show up at the entrance gate. The good smells were strong enough to grab the attention of many, to focus for just a moment on the smell and start thinking — I could go for a bowl of cereal about now!
What’s that one, two or three things in your life that can easily allure you? There are many things in our world that can allure us. Sometimes easier than the smell from the cereal plant down the way. This morning we’ll be talking about Responding To The World’s Allurements. Our passage comes to us from the 19th Chapter of Genesis. I’d like to invite you to open your Bibles with me as we begin reading in verse 23.
23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.
28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
Pastoral Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
Our passage brings us to a section in the Bible that is dedicated to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. To give us some background, Ezekiel describes some of the sin as pride, excess of food, and an abidance of idleness to name a few (Ezekiel 16:49-50). The things going on in Sodom and Gomorrah were things the Lord God was going to deal with. Our passage tells us that sulfur and fire rained out of heaven. We know these things. But! Let’s back up just a moment to a few chapters earlier. In Chapter 14, we learn about Lot being rescued by Abram. Lot. Abram “heard that his kinsman had been taken captive” (Genesis 14:14). Lot was one of the captives. That’s the past. We have Lot taken captive, and Abram providing a life-line. Or another way to put it, a way out of the cell. Lot was recused! He was brought out of a place that, if he wanted, he would never have to return. Where is Lot found this time? That’s right! He’s returned to the place that enslaved him. He went back. This time he has another way out of an area that promotes a destructive life style. The only difference this time, he will not be returning to a city he has become familiar with, a home he made, a culture he learned to navigation.
Has there been a time in your life where the Lord provided rescue from either a destructive situation? This could have bee a time of great rejoice! Thank you Jesus from pulling me from that situation or destructive life style. You could have been celebrating — FREE AT LAST! I’ve been set free, I’ve repented, I’ve felt the grace of Almighty God on my life. And, you’ve made resolve never to return to the situation! As life goes on, sometimes we can forget what the Lord has rescued us from, and we return to that situation or lifestyle. When the Israelites were finally given a way out of Egypt, there was a mass exodus. The Israelites were given passage to leave a land with a one-way ticket. Along the way, the Lord was providing for their need as they made their way to the promise land. Not every one was happy with Moses and the Lord. They were in the middle of no-where eating manna and quail. Some of the Israelites were remembering the “comforts” of where they came from. They were remembering the good tasting food, all while forgetting about the bondage. Their eyes where on Canaan, but their heart were stuck in Egypt. Do you feel like this sometimes, where our eyes are focused on the promised land, but the journey to get there is long and hard, that we start reflecting on where we came from? Is your heart stuck in Egypt? Perhaps Egypt is no longer but might be looking back.
[Display Verse 26]
The Bible tells Lot’s wife looked back. There is a lot of speculation as to why Lot’s wife looked back from, attachment to a lifestyle, a love for the city, to thinking of friends she had left behind, to hearing the destruction going on behind her. Whatever it was, she was allured to look back. While these could be true in some aspect, the Bible does not give us that detail. In stead of focusing on what caused her to look back, lets simply focus on the action of looking back.
God is the Master Architect. God is the Master Engineer. He is the creator. He has created these earth suits we are privileged to live in for a season. Part of the design is we have sight. Our eyes are facing forward. They help us to see what’s in front. We don’t have eyes on the back of our heads. If God wanted eyes on the back of our head, they would have been there! Our eye helps to move forward. When we move backwards it involves two actions, which can equate to twice as much work. We have to first stop what we are doing. Second, we have to turn around and refocus on where we came from. It’s unproductive! We not only waste time, we waste God’s resources. There is nothing there for us. That’s why they call it “in the past.” Let’s look again at the first step — stop. There’s two characteristics with the word stop. First, no action. Nothing is happening. Second is paralyzed. When you’re paralyzed there is no movement. Looking back can cause us to become paralyzed. We begin turning inward to self. We’re focusing on the temporal allurements! Things that simply will not last. We’re focusing on things or situations.
Let’s rewind to the sermon from two weeks ago, “Overcoming Discouragement.” Elijah was dealing with a situation that was causing him great stress. The stress was so great that he asked the lord to “take away my life” (1 Kings 19:4). Jezebel was the cause of his stress. What Elijah had forgotten about was some significant wins for the Lord. Life was happening. The weight was coming down, and Elijah was focusing on that. It caused him to become paralyzed. Elijah’s focus turned inward. It was similar for Moses. In Exodus we can find Moses pleading with the Lord:
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
Like with Lot’s wife. When we stop or become paralyzed. There’s a couple spiritual problems happening here. First is disobedience. Verse 17 says:
17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
Leading up to verse 17, over and over again Lot strongly encouraged other to “UP!” He was trying to get those around him motivated to get going. “The Lord is about to destroy the city.” Everyone knew what was about to happen. Sodom and Gomorrah are going to be destroyed. The point here we can pull is consequence is connected to our actions. It’s been said the Word of God is our play book, and it is. God’s word contains everything we need to live life. Second is a problem with her faith in disbelief. Did she look back because she did not believe the Lord would what was said. Or, was the Lord bluffing. We don’t know. The Bible does say right there in the middle of verse 17, “escape for your life, do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley.” God was giving a direction — that way — that’s the way from danger!
Now let me ask you, which way are your feet pointing? Most of us would say, in front, or that way. Some years ago, I was moving a cooler. I lifted wrong and injured my sciatic. I remember the pain was severe, that when I wanted to turned to walk, I had to make either a hard right or a hard left. The stride to make a curved walk was just too long. I had to stop and point my feet into the direction I wanted to go. But, before I point my feet, my eyes had already focused on where I wanted to go. My eyes were fixed. The point is, whatever we set our gaze on determines our path. The parable of the Prodigal Son talks about this with the younger son. His eyes were set on the world’s allurements. In Luke Chapter 15 in verses 13 and following, we can read about how he “took a journey into a far country, and there here squandered his property in reckless living.” On the other side of the coin, is the Word of God. God’s Word keeps in going in the right direction. I know you all will know this. The longest Psalm in the Bible talks about feet and path. Psalm 119:105 says:
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
The world can be alluring. There are things in the world that can pull us from our Christianity. In the New Testament there are two people who knew Jesus Christ to be real. One person was Judas Iscariot. Judas as allured away from Jesus. He was enticed with money. The other person is Saul, who is later referred to as Paul. Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus. When don’t know how Paul must have felt. Paul’s experience was powerful. So powerful that it changed Paul’s life and direction. That’s what Jesus does. Jesus changes the direction. In the end, one followed the world, and the other followed Jesus Christ.
Application
Application
What are we to do? How do we respond to the world’s allurements? One way we can respond to the world’s allurements is through word of God! We see right there in Psalm 119:105 what the Word of God provides. In this single verse, we see the Word of God provides “a lamp.” And the function is to provide “light.” The Word will help us navigate the world’s allurements. Think back to when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. Satan approached our Lord three times. Every time He was tempted, He quoted scripture! The shows the power of the Word of God! Satan had no choice but to retreat.
Second our response can come our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Turn with me to one more verse.
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We have talked about verse 33 a number of times. Today, lets focus on the last five words, “I have overcome the world.” Jesus Christ overcame the world in every sense of the meaning. This assurance comes from seeing the Word of God put into action, and knowing Jesus Christ has already won the ultimate victory! Death could not Him! The grave could not hold Him! The world’s allurements could not entice Him! Responding to the world’s allurements of Who Am I In Jesus Christ, this means there is power to over the world’s allurements. We don’t have to be enslaved by the world. It means we have the confidence and power to overcome anything we may encounter on this rock, including the world’s enticements and allurements! That’s because of Jesus!
Is there something in your life causing you to be allured? Do you find yourself looking back? Why not allow the Word of God to create a bridge for you, and allow Jesus Christ do the heavy lifting? There is help from the cross!
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
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