Snoop Dogg Was Right.

ME

Title of today’s message is “Snoop Dogg” was right. The main idea was inspired by a quote from Snoop, who said, “you can take me out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of me.” Today we are going to see that you can take us out of Sodom, but it is much harder to take Sodom out of us.

Try to see your life the way you see Lot’s Wife- Not worried about the judgement of God but willing to tolerate sin. What are you putting up with in life? What are you tolerating. What are you no longer looking to align your heart to?

I’m willing to bet many of us in here, almost all of us are fudging our numbers somewhere. It starts with taking pens from the office and slowly grows. Viewing pornography, hiding an addiction. It could be that you are telling lies to your spouse. one way or another , Sodom has gotten in you. The trick isn’t just getting out of Sodom, the trick is getting Sodom out of us.

Raising kids in Sodom is a whole new ballgame. Maybe his daughters were dressing just like everyone else After a while, he just let them be. Who was it harming. Social Media, all of it. When in Sodom, do what the Sodomites do. By the time Lot leaves Sodom, he’s no longer worried about his girls. He offered them out to strangers in one of the most appalling acts of a father in history.

“Don’t be fooled, if it is wrong, it is a big deal , if it is a habitual wrong, it is an even bigger deal. “ Chuck Swindoll

YOU

GOD

This story is very reminiscent of Noah. Destruction and one family saved, followed by a drunken indiscretion. Remember that the way ancient middle east writers showed important things was through repetition. This is important.

We’ve been skipping entire decades of Abraham’s life and now we just sit down on 3 days. There are themes here that are important.

30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

Lot ends up right where God wants him. In the hills.

31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth.

They know this is not the apocalypse. They just went to Zoar and saw people. They are saying that no one will want to marry them because they are connected with Sodom. They are going to be viewed as cursed.

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

Quick geography lesson- SAME

This explains the ammonites and Moabites, two of Israels enemies and combatants .

“You can take me out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of me” - snoop dogg

Sin stains. When you allow it near you it stays with you and affects those around you.

The angels have rescued Lot and his virgin daughters from the Sodom mob; now they sacrifice their virginity and their father’s honor when there is no actual danger.

Years of letting his daughters play with people who did not share their morals have led to this.

Years of not taking his children to worship have led to this.

His daughters obviously got their morals from him. He gave them away, so they don't have morals.

Once we get out of Sodom, we must keep Sodom out of us.

English Standard Version (James 1:27)

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

EXP 2 ways to remain unstained- avoid and remove. Girls avoid mud, boys look for it. So girls clothes are clean because they avoid. Boys are only clean when the stains were removed.

Unstained from the world is a tall task. It has two parts. Knowing how to avoid being stained and knowing how to remove stains.

1. Avoiding Stains

We must be intentional, not passive, with our convictions to avoid the stains of sin.

Lot has been passive. As a follower of God; as a husband, as a father. He did not intend to change Sodom. He desired to become a citizen of Sodom. He thought they had the best way of life. He had separated godly morals for ease and comfort. He wanted to be a ‘brother’

Salt and Light are intentional

Salt and Light says I’m going into a dark place to shine a light.

Lot said, “it looks comfortable over there”

Salt and Light says, “I’m going to intentionally teach my kids who God is”

Lot said, —nothing--- he was silent. He let the culture of a wicked city speak to them.

Lot had no intention of converting Sodom. He was no missionary. He didn’t remove stains, he got stained and so did his family.

How do we avoid stains

1. Set our nonnegotiables.

Define your uncompromises or non-negotiables.

We know God through Spiritual habits disciplines.

I will go to church each week.

I will read my bible daily.

I will eat with my family 3 times a week.

I will limit TV.

I will talk with my kids about Jesus.

2. Let people speak into us.

We grow in the image of God when we let people speak into us. We can see our blindspots. Of course he thought he was still holy, he was not close to holy people anymore.

EXP

It is at least 15 years since Abraham rescued Lot and saw him. So Abraham was praying for Lot, but Lot had separated himself from Abraham. He had moved away from Salem, which we know has a priest of YWHW. So there were no godly people speaking into him. If you go 15 years

ILL

Sum of the 5 closest friends.

APP

I intentionally meet with John Williams weekly and my brother, an elder, every other week. They can speak into me. I have a group that speaks into me and prays for me. This session of groups, speak into each other. Encourage one another to be ruthless in eliminating sin from your life.

2. Removing Stains.

We must allow Jesus to remove our stains

Jesus removes stains. 1 John 1:9

English Standard Version Chapter 1

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Makes me think they should have had someone speaking into them.

Lot had cut Abraham off. He wasn't teachable.

He wasn't letting people speak into him.

EXP

English Standard Version (Matthew 11:23–24)

23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that git will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jesus’ home base of Capernaum was ignoring the signs and therefore worse off than Sodom!

How much more should we take repent?

How much has God done on our behalf that we ignore and forsake? We are blessed beyond belief. We don’t pray for our daily bread, we pray for that we won’t have to dip into a savings account. We pray that we will have enough extra for our pool, or patio, or car. God is moving all over our country and we allow sin to just sit.

ILL

Ruth Graham- If God doesn’t punish the United States, he’ll have to apologize for Sodom and Gomorra.

APP

The number one response to the judgment of Sodom and Gomorra is to repent and trust God to save us as well. But not just remove us from sin, remove the is from us! Only God offers that- he can make you clean and all you have to is ask.