Genesis 19:1-17 Time To Leave

[0:00] Lord, you are so merciful, Lord, that you come to us when we're in a place we shouldn't be, and you're telling us to get out. And Lord, even sometimes our stubbornness, you are so willing to rescue us, Lord.

[0:12] And Lord, that's what you did on the cross. You rescued us when we were stubbornly refusing to come to the light, stubbornly refusing to let go of our sin. Lord, you came and you died in our place, and you made a way for us.

[0:23] And then by your grace and your goodness, the goodness of God leads a man to repentance. And so Lord, I pray that through the scripture this morning, through the evil of sin, we would see the goodness and grace of God.

[0:35] In Jesus' name, amen. The man was ecstatic. The job offer had been accepted. And he and his family were about to receive the opportunity of a lifetime.

[0:48] Not only would he have the notoriety and prestige that would come with such a position, but he would be able to afford the best things for his family and the best schools for his children.

[0:59] There was also the possibility of partnership and perhaps one day, politics. As the years passed, the dream had become a reality. His children, having grown, had been educated by the best minds and in the most prestigious of schools, and they were now holding down impressive careers of their own.

[1:20] Politics had also become a part of that reality. The man felt he was doing, he was really doing some good for his community. No, church and God had most definitely not been the first priority in his home, but he had made sure to raise his children with a high sense of moral value.

[1:38] They knew what it was to make a difference in their community. After all, they had learned from the best. True, the views of his children were a bit more culturally advanced than his own, but he was certainly understood the importance of God and country.

[1:55] Holiness? I'm sure, but not at the expense of entertainment, not at the expense of embarrassment with his friends, not if it would cost him his career or, heaven forbid, his position in the community.

[2:09] God was gracious after all, and surely God understood the price one had to pay to do some good in this world. Surely God didn't expect a man to live without having to make some compromises.

[2:20] Did he? Yes, God does understand the price it costs to do some good in the world. It costs a life. I think this is Lot's attitude as we dive into the scripture.

[2:33] I think this is where he's at. I don't think he came to Sodom thinking, oh good, me and my family are gonna be destroyed and totally corrupted. As we've looked back over the scriptures, when him and Abraham first part ways, and Lot is given the opportunity to go whatever direction.

[2:54] Remember back in chapter 13, it says he lifted up his eyes, said he chose him, he pitched his tent towards. He's moving in this direction towards Sodom.

[3:07] And then as he continues on, he's found to dwell in Sodom. And then lastly here, we see in verse one of chapter 19, it says now he's sitting in the gate.

[3:19] I think in the beginning, Lot looked at this as a fabulous opportunity. Oh, I mean, who would pass this up? It says it was watered as the Garden of Eden. And he could give his family the best things.

[3:29] And sitting in the gate, and as we're gonna see as we go through this, his response to these men, I think he thinks that he can make a difference here. Because scripture's gonna tell us that Lot was a righteous man, and his soul was vexed daily by the wickedness that he saw.

[3:47] So I guess you could say the theme for today's message, and into next week even, is time to leave. Comes a time to leave. 2 Peter chapter two, verses four through nine.

[3:59] It says, for if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved under judgment, and spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, and condemned them with an overflow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.

[4:34] For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and in hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

[4:51] And that's kind of what the New Testament lens, looking back through the cross, looks at Lot, looks at Sodom and Gomorrah. It's interesting where it says, Lot was vexed daily by what he saw and heard. Was that forced upon Lot?

[5:04] No, it wasn't. It was his choice to be there. And so Lot is sitting in the gate. He's sitting in the gate. He's among the men. The gate would be the place of leadership, of decision-making.

[5:16] It's also the place of entrance, right? If you're in the gate, you're gonna see those coming in and going out. Remember we saw in the previous chapter, Abraham sat in the doorway of his tent. He was in the place where you're gonna come in and out to his house.

[5:29] It was also the place you could find the leaders, right? You're not gonna call them up. You're not gonna text them. It wasn't a city hall. If you needed something, you'd go to the gate. If you remember with, in Ruth, Boaz, when he's going to do the, purchase the price of the kinsman redeemer, he takes the nearer of kin, and they go to the city gate and the elders who were there at that time would have officiated his case.

[5:55] So Lot has gotten to that place. He's risen to that place as one of them. But Lot, he's going to pay a high price for what he thinks is his prestige. He's made it. Lot believed he could influence the culture of Sodom for good by being a voice of influence.

[6:11] Unfortunately, the good Lot believed he could do could not offset the compromise and influence that he had opened himself and his family up to. Lot thinks he's gonna influence the culture for good.

[6:23] We're gonna get through here and find out he didn't do nothing. And we're gonna see why as the scripture speaks to us. But there's only one influence, right? That can influence, that can overcome the influence of sin.

[6:34] And what is that? It's the influence of a changed heart. It's the cross. Without a changed heart, you're not gonna have a changed mind. Without a changed mind, you're not gonna have a changed society, a changed culture.

[6:46] Unfortunately, I think there's still a lot of people today who have righteous and godly motives. And they think they're gonna do good, but they're going about it kind of like Lot. They think if I can gain a position of influence, I can do some good.

[7:00] Instead of realizing the people I'm trying to influence, they hate the light and they won't come to it. And so Lot is attempting to change the culture of Sodom. Without first changing the heart of the Sodomites.

[7:14] And as he sits here, it says, Lot saw them and rising up to meet them, he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. There's some type of recognition that's happening here that he recognizes these are men that are not like any other man.

[7:26] I don't think he did this with everybody who came into the town. There's something about them that he recognizes. These men, they are men after my heart, a righteous heart.

[7:38] And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house and tarry all night and wash your feet. You shall rise up early and go on your ways.

[7:50] And they said, No, but we will abide in the street all night. And that was a cultural thing to stay in the streets if there was no kind of inn or whatever.

[8:00] They would just stay in the streets. The climate was acceptable for that. There was no reason they shouldn't. But Lot knew. And I wonder how many times had he done this before? Was this his thing? Was he kind of like, I'm in a place where I can protect God's people.

[8:14] I can help them. You know, I mean, yes, it's compromise. Yes, I'm surrounded by all this garbage. But you know, if I wasn't here, who's going to protect these guys? Who's going to protect God's people?

[8:25] Tells us in verse one that there were two angels. So these were the men who were with Abram or Abraham and they just called them men, the scripture did. Now we know they're angels. Do you think the angels needed any help being protected?

[8:37] No. Does God need help protecting his own? No. We'll never need to compromise to do God's will. Very basic. But unfortunately, so often, not the voice we hear coming from, I want to say the world, the world, but also much of the Christian community.

[8:56] So he says, turn in and you shall abide. They said, no, we'll stay in the street. And then he pressed them. He pressed them greatly to the point of rudeness this is.

[9:10] It's one thing to offer hospitality, but this is like he is just badgering them. And so they entered into his house with him. You know, tolerance of sin is humiliating.

[9:22] And I think for a lot, he's experiencing that. It's humiliating to tolerate sin because you're going to have to compromise with one side or the other. You're either going to tolerate sin and be humiliated because of those who recognize what sin is and are turning away from that, or it's going to be humiliating as you try to somehow make sin more acceptable than those that are all in on sin.

[9:49] It's going to be humiliating. And I think Lot is kind of just feeling that, that he's recognizing he doesn't want these men to know. Come into my house. I don't want you to know what's really going on here. I don't want you to know the debauchery and the lifestyle that I've allowed myself to become part of and that I'm now actually in authority in.

[10:07] And so in offering the men shelter, Lot is attempting to shelter his pride from exposure. He doesn't want them to know. But in reality, Lot is only offering the illusion of shelter. There is no shelter here.

[10:19] Psalm 127.1 tells us that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain to build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. And here's Lot sitting in the gate of the city and God is sending two men to destroy the city that he thinks he's going to do some good for.

[10:38] He's going to turn them to righteousness. Proverbs 16.8 says, better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

[10:49] False spirituality accepts his hypocrisy in the place of holiness. And so here you see this false spirituality. You just look at this where Lot says he brings them into his house, he makes a feast and they bake unleavened bread and they did eat.

[11:03] And that just kind of speaks to me like of Lot trying to show like, oh, I'm a Christian. Oh yeah, I'm with Yahweh. You know, the unleavened bread that represents there's no sin in it. And it just seems to me like Lot is trying to put on a show for these guys.

[11:17] Matthew 15.7-8 says, you hypocrites, Jesus speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, well, did Isaiah prophesy of you saying, this people draws near unto me with their mouth and honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me.

[11:32] If you love me, keep my commandments. There's an outward effect that happens because of the inward change. John 12.42-43 says, nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue.

[11:53] They love the praise of men more than the praise of God. It's our buddy Lot. That's the life he's in right now. So he brings them in. He's putting what he thinks is a good face on this.

[12:06] You know, he doesn't know who they are. He just sees them as honorable men and so he's brought them into his house where he can shelter them, he believes, from the society that's around him. But, before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compass the house round about, both old and young, all the people from every quarter.

[12:30] So at evening time, I was looking the statistics. So in 2017, an estimated 1,247,321 violent crimes occurred nationwide.

[12:44] More than half of police incidents took place during the day. More than half of these, the reason police were called, took place during the day. Larceny, theft, drug violations, simple assault, and property crimes were slightly more likely to happen while the sun was out.

[13:00] But the more violent crimes, such as driving while impaired, murder, assault, if you know what I mean, for the little ears, and robbery were more frequently reported at night.

[13:14] Dastardly deeds are done in the dark. It's when sin comes out. And so it's evening. And perhaps these were men who held down respectable jobs. They were people that maybe you interacted with every day.

[13:28] And it says, they compassed the house both old and young, all the people from every quarter. There's no differentiating here between age, between status, between the jobs they held, between their positions in society.

[13:44] It completely had permeated. Sin demands participation. Holiness welcomes into unity, right? We are one in Christ. Endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace.

[13:56] Sin will demand your participation. It's gonna throw it out there and say, you must do this. Look, my job, you know, I work full-time for a civil engineer at an architectural firm and we have our yearly training.

[14:11] In fact, I have to do it now. It's come up again. So many hours of safety training and so many hours of harassment training. And every year gets a little worse. We're in the world, but we're not of it.

[14:24] That's gonna be there. But there's a level of interacting with the world and there's a level of trying to be a part of the world. And Lot here has gone beyond just being in the world.

[14:36] He's now attempting to be of the world. But unity comes through holiness. Whereas compromise here has led to entrapment for Lot.

[14:49] He's trapped. What have they done? They've surrounded his entire house. And they called into Lot in verse 5 and they said unto him, Where are the men which came into you this night? Bring them out unto us that we may know them.

[15:03] You turn over Romans chapter 1. Like we said before as we're going through scripture when we're looking at this might have been Hagar and Abraham and just scripture is so 100% the purest form of truth.

[15:25] It's not like God could have wrote this any different. My daughter right now is at a Calvary Bible Institute in California and they're going through the book of Isaiah in a very condensed amount of time.

[15:36] Like a couple weeks go through the whole thing and she's like I don't understand this and she's trying to figure it out. You think Lord you could have wrote it a little more easy to understand. You could have. But no, the word of God is there's no better way God could have done this.

[15:49] And you know the word is at some places right in our face with the sin and yet it's never untasteful. You know you can hand this to a child and say read the word and they can read it and it's not going to defile.

[16:03] The word never defiles. And even as we go through this section with Sodom and Gomorrah the word itself so much more eloquently can speak to us of what's going on.

[16:15] Romans chapter 1 if you look down at verse 21 it says because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations their foolish heart was darkened.

[16:31] They knew God they glorified him not as God they were not thankful to their creator for what they had and their thoughts became empty empty pointless you jump down to verse 26 so that's the root cause and then as they continued to spiral down for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meat and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge only God gave them over to a reprobate reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient the most basic of things that we that our existence is based on basics of our nature you know the enemy twists it and tries to have us work against our own good and here you see that's the place now where Sodom has come to and so in verse 5 they call unto him the men of Sodom seem like they were used to Lot doing their bidding because they call out unto him and say hey bring them out unto us you know

[17:51] Lot now it doesn't seem like this has happened before because of Lot's response to this it seems like his house from what he's used to has always been a safe haven that they tolerated this like okay all right Lot's Lot's a Christian you know so he does that his thing over there it seems like his house was a safe place we're gonna see this idea of the door over and over and over he goes in and out he shuts the door shuts the door shuts the door it seems to be this was an expected safe haven for him and now they're coming and they're asking of him something they hadn't before and that's what sin and compromise always will do you'll think well see the enemy's voice comes and gives conditions always one more thing well if you just do this you know whether it's fear whether it's guilt or doubt whatever it is he will tell you oh that'll go away if you just do this one more thing the Lord doesn't do that the Lord comes and he gently leads us the enemy comes and says I have a condition for you and that's what here Lot is discovering and then sin unfortunately makes animals out of the most decent of people and so here you have men from every walk of life from every quarter of the city young and old and it's turning them into animals worse than animals and it's interesting because you think look at our society where we've come from we made animals out of people literally well you came from monkeys you know you're animals so why is it strange if I act as an animal that's what we are we have no higher consciousness than what the neurons and whatever have evolved into but Sodom is a society in full decline what we just saw in Romans 1 completely given over to sin how do we know it's completely given over to sin how do we know when a society is in full decline a society is in full decline when sin is openly practiced and celebrated okay there's a lot of societies like that but then I think the last one is the kicker and when sin is expected as a right when sin becomes my right and you cannot keep me from my right to sin when society is in a full decline it's past the point where you could say oh well you know

[20:00] God won't judge this society God's gonna rescue this society we can turn it around with our influence in our culture but when we celebrate sin and we practice it and then as soon as we make it a right and we're demanding it not even my right but I demand it of you you must join me in my sin and our society is the one that's pushing that the society's in full decline you know when we were at the pastor's conference one of the teachers I don't know what it was specifically on but he was going through the Shunammite woman when Elisha comes and he raises her son from the he prophesies she's gonna have a son and her son dies and then she runs to him and he comes back and eventually raises the son but in the beginning of that section it says the child died and she went and laid him up in the room and then she went and eventually told she gets to Elisha and she says my son is dead and the pastor teaching he said there's no point in denying the truth there's no point in denying that there's nothing to do any good to deny the son is dead you know but then she says it is well and God raises it up and I think for us there's no point in denying where we're at as a culture and a society as much as we would like to think that you know

[21:16] America we can turn it around this nation was founded upon Jesus and Paul both tell us we should know the times that we live in the times and the seasons Lot didn't that doesn't mean you cannot do good for the kingdom in a society like this Lot just went about it the wrong way and so Lot brings them into his house the men come and surround it and they seem to be pressing upon him to do something he'd not done before and Lot went out of the door unto them and shut the door after him it's one of my one of those phrases in scriptures I just love it when you come across these they don't need to be there I love sections of scripture it could have said Lot went out of the door unto them and spoke to them but specifically the Holy Spirit wants us to know and shut the door after him it's like why?

[22:02] what's going on? Lot why did you do that? and I think Lot again is trying to compartmentalize he's got the world out here his life out here and he's got life at home Lot was not the same person at home as he was in public and he didn't want these guys to know that he's trying to hide from that is what he's doing Jesus says in John 17 verses 14 through 18 and then verse 21 he says I've given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world I pray not that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil they are not of the world even as I am not of the world sanctify them through thy truth thy word is true as thou hast sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world that they all may be one as thou father art me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me and then

[23:05] John 3 19 and this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil for everyone that does evil hates the light neither comes to the light lest his deeds should be reproved but he that does truth comes to the light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God and then lastly Matthew 12 33 lastly for this section either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt for the tree is known by his fruit and so Lot's trying to kind of play both sides here he's trying to compartmentalize and he thinks he thinks he's protected his home that in his home at least there's righteousness in his home the influence hasn't reached him but man we're gonna see next week that the influence of his home wasn't any good either and so Lot went out and shut the door after him and he said I pray you brethren do not so wickedly behold now have I two daughters which have not known man let me I pray you bring them out unto you and do you to them as is good in your eyes and unto these men do nothing for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof brethren he calls them brethren his brothers either make

[24:27] Lot make the tree good or corrupt these are not your brethren what does light have to do with darkness buddy and look at the condescending nature that he talks to them you know he can't even stand up to them he's just kind of like oh oh oh no no please please don't do this and compromise will never endear us to the word to the world never they know when you're compromising and it just causes them to look down on us with condescension and then we see here that Lot's sense of morality has totally been corrupted by the society he's worked so hard to be a part of because what does he say he says unto them brethren do not so wickedly but I pray you do what is do you to them to his daughters what is good in your eyes how sad when the world's deciding the morality for the church and that's where Lot's at Lot is like you decide what's good I'll go along with it and then how just it's hard to even read but Lot's compromise has caused him to willingly place his family in harm's way for the sake of his reputation among the most irreputable of people

[25:30] Lot is more concerned about what these animals think than he is about the safety of his family and we're going to see next week that his daughters are some interesting girls but they know their dad doesn't love them at this moment they know their dad is not out to protect them that his only concern is for himself and it's no wonder how how they end up and so Lot Lot believed that the ends justifies the means because his compromise was for a good cause in his mind he was doing his part to protect God's people unfortunately he was willing to sell out his family for the sake of getting along we never have to sell out our families ever husbands you never have to sell out your wife wives you never have to sell out your husbands you never have to sell out our kids and vice versa ever ever God will make a way where there seems to be no way and so he this is what he says to them and he has this idea this inflated sense of his own ego where he says well because these men came under the shadow of my roof this is untouchable you can't you've never come across this boundary before wait wait wait

[26:41] I mean I've compromised with you I've gone this far okay I agreed to work with you on these things I'm not standing against you those are your own choices it's your life if you identify that way that's great I'm not standing against you but you're not coming to my home you're not gonna come in here this is my home and then look how they respond to him they said stand back they said again this one fellow and it's like derogatory like we don't even know this is a nobody he came into sojourn literally to abide to dwell sad testimony and he will need to be a judge and we will do worse with you than with them and they pressed sore upon the man even Lot came near to break the door the world will tolerate put up with and even use God's people but they will never accept them the world will never accept us this is one of my favorite scriptures and speaking to this topic John 15 verse 18 then we'll jump down to verse 24

[27:43] Jesus says if the world hate you you know that it hated me before it hated you if I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not sin but now have they both seen and hated both me and my father so Jesus is saying because of who I am I'm not gonna change this is who I am and the works that I do because of who I am my relationship with the father they're gonna hate me because of that they do hate me so guess what they're gonna hate you you can't change that unless you change who you are unless you attempt to compromise this is why you can only go so far in the world system before either you have to compromise or the world jettisons you right the enemy is not too worried about us as much when we're not messing with the system but there are those people God calls to be part of the world system to work directly with the movers and shakers shall we say of this world which is the enemy's kingdom and God will give you if he does call you that the grace you'll never need to compromise but recognize the world's gonna hate you they're not gonna be like oh good you wanna pass a law that outlaws sin well let's do it well in a society in full decline where sin is practiced accepted and expected they're not gonna thank you for that and so here you see with Lot something's begun to happen the mask is slipping with hypocrisy the mask will always slip eventually it can only stay on for so long and they said to stand back and they pressed hard upon him and to break the door down so Lot didn't want the angels to know that he was associated with these wicked men he has this door between him he didn't want the men of Sodom to know he was associated with God's people and what was it doing to him it was crushing him it was absolutely crushing this man trying to live in the middle between these two but thank the Lord

[29:36] God's mercy is not dependent on our will is it God is merciful and is not dependent on what we choose and he reaches out these men through these men the men put forth their hand pulled Lot into the house to them and shut the door and they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness both small and great so that they wearied themselves to find the door because sin never knows when to quit sin will just keep going and keep going beyond all reason and physical tolerance a man driven by sin will persist in his downward spiral until destruction or deliverance so you see the same with both groups here but Lot and Sodom Lot was delivered but these men continue to persist in their downward spiral and so they bring him in and they close the door and they smite the men with blindness this is God's mercy as well not just on the men so much as Lot now sees whoa these guys are more than I thought they were these guys they're from God because we know

[30:39] Lot is a righteous man in that he has believed in the same God of Abraham he's not living it so he recognizes whoa these guys and then how sad for these men right they're already living in blindness and eventually we reap what we sow right and so then God just essentially confirms them in their state like he says about Pharaoh he says he hardened his heart in other words he just confirmed the state he'd already chosen to be in and so they strike them with blindness and they still keep looking for the door and the men said unto Lot have you here any besides son-in-law and sons and your daughters and whatsoever you have in the city bring them out of this place I'd never noticed this until I'd studied this through this time myself that he had sons I didn't realize that I thought he just had daughters and sons-in-laws but it says here do you have any here besides son-in-law and your sons and your daughters he doesn't even bother to go to his sons it's like he knows they're too far gone

[31:45] I don't even have a chance with them as he's waking up to the point of what he has done Lot was not responsible for the choices of his children God doesn't put that on him but he was responsible for the influence that led to those choices when God gives us children and they're in our care we are responsible for the influence that we allow to shape their lives the choices they end up making as adults God doesn't put that on us that's on them he's not going to hold Lot responsible for the fact that his sons-in-laws and sons and daughters didn't come with him but he was responsible for the influence that led to those choices and it is always a father's place to lead no matter how old you are it's not your place dads to be authorities in your kids your grown kids lives but it is still your place to lead and so Lot runs out and he went out and spake to his sons-in-laws which married his daughters and said up get you out of this place for the Lord will destroy this city but he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-laws literally is joked like that he was making a big joke they're like seriously oh what are you talking about what kind of joke is this we don't believe in that we don't we're not no no no no we're not pre-trib

[32:57] God's not going to bring wrath to this world and take us out in the rapture no it's like fairy tales and fantasies what are you crazy the truth the truth was so strange on the lips of Lot that it came across as a joke when he started to speak truth to his sons sons-in-laws sorry and when the morning arose then the angels hastened Lot saying arise and take your wife and your two daughters which are here lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city consumed literally means to be scraped off or wiped out lest you be scraped off in what God is doing here and it says lest you be scraped off or wiped out in the iniquity of the city now that can be interpreted punishment but I like that it says iniquity man he's been so consumed by the sin of this place and we can too we can get way too consumed by the sin of this world not even in it like I'm not going to be a part of that but we can get so consumed by the sin the world is doing that we are so focused on the wicked and the evil and what needs to be done and how could they do that that we can become unfruitful that we can be in a place where God's not able to use us because we're focused on this world and its problems instead of on Jesus who is the solver of this world's problem which is sin and while he lingered the men laid hold upon his hand upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters so you got two hands one for each angel grabbing one person each of these four people the Lord being merciful unto him personal events do not change

[34:29] God's timetable the personal events that you have in your life and my life don't change God's timetable God has his timetable that's happening in this world and it's will we be a part of it do we want to be a part of it do we want to take part but thankfully God is not dependent on us for whether he will work at the moment of Lot's personal testing he failed to fully appreciate the signs of the times Lot was not ready to go but he was still taken we live in a time where we expect Jesus at any time right look up for your redemption draws in us when all these things begin to come to pass look up don't look at them right when all the bad things are happening earthquakes wars and rumors of wars look up because your redemption draws in you you know I'm not always ready to go because sometimes I'm less ready than others but thank the Lord it's not dependent on me when the trumpet sounds I get to go Lot was still taken look it if God can take Lot he can take us none of us in here at the point of Lot the moment the twinkling of an eye the last trump the dead shall be raised incorruptible and so Lot by God's mercy is taken out and it came to pass when they had brought them forth abroad that he said escape for your life look not behind you neither stay neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountain lest you be consumed do you know who's in the mountain remember this slide from last week remember that

[36:05] Abraham's up 3,000 feet above sea level Lot is down you know 4,500 feet below him guess who's in the mountain Abraham Abraham's in the mountain Abraham's in that higher elevation and so the angels are telling Lot Lot Lot escape to the mountain go home Lot go back go back to Abraham and I believe the specific actions of God's mercy here towards Lot is a direct result of Abraham's intercession as we looked at last time Abraham interceded and God heard that as we close Lot is on his way out he's told escape to the mountain lest you be consumed you know will he where does he end up we'll find out next week see what he does but our past failures are never an excuse for future compromise Lot had a chance here he could have gotten out he could have gone back he could have said man I've

[37:07] I've blown it and I've caused it's cost the lives of members of my family but kids we're gonna do it right we're gonna we're gonna seek the Lord and so same with us our past failures they're no excuse to compromise in the future the enemy will tell you that you know what you failed there before what are you gonna do now go and be all Mr. Holy when you never were before you're gonna go and tell him you love Jesus when you never talked about Jesus before the effect of the past is meant to be forgotten in light of future promise that is in Philippians Philippians 3 12-16 Paul says not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after you know Lot wasn't perfect he had not attained if that I may apprehend that for which I am also apprehended of Christ Jesus if I may somehow grasp this idea of what Jesus has done for me that he's grabbed a hold of me can I grab a hold of him brethren I count not myself to have apprehended

[38:13] I'm not there yet okay it's okay not to be there yet it was okay for Lot not to be there but this one thing I do I forget those things which are behind because we shouldn't remember the past no but for the purpose of reaching forward under those things which are before because the past is meant to be forgotten in light of future promise because something greater than the past replaces those memories and it's the hope of a future promise forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus let us therefore as many as be perfect or complete or whole in Christ not in ourself be thus minded and if anything you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you if God can come into Lot's despicable world and point out to him the areas that he needed to change then he will for us even that much more those of us in Christ he shall reveal to us those areas that need to be changed in our minds nevertheless whereunto you have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing continue on and continue forward

[39:27] I don't know where you're at I know where I'm at I know the things the Lord's been speaking to me this isn't a fun section of scripture but I can look at it and see that man what's God calling us to leave what's he calling me to leave he told Lot it's time to leave and Lot lingered he stayed there and he had to pull him out if he had run when he was told to would his wife survive maybe but he lingered and then he loses his wife because of that I don't know what you're lingering at you don't know what I'm lingering at but I know there's things that the Lord would tell us time to leave that behind and it may not be the sin of Sodom right it may just be the sin of unbelief it may just be that my heart won't accept that God really wants to do for me what he said he would and I'm basing that off of a failure in the past or I'm basing it off of something that I know I haven't been able to live up to or don't have within myself well Paul's telling us turn away from that recognize where you've been brought to already are you in Christ okay then look where

[40:28] God's brought you don't look where you're not and where you think you might want to be or should be and then look forward to him the other thing is is there compromise is there compromise that is causing the world to look at us and kind of shake their heads and just think that's I don't want that it's not real so I'm going to pray and you know just pray with me in your hearts if that's you Father thank you so much Lord just this picture of a man a man who we will meet in heaven we will see him seated clothed in his right mind at the feet of Jesus he'll be complete sanctified body soul and spirit and he'll also say to us oh if only I could have done it different my wife the delight of my eyes my dear friend I lost her my sons my daughters because I compromised because I thought

[41:34] I could do more good by trying to get along than just standing in the truth and Lord I see that in my heart I know it's there Lord but I just want to confess that Lord I want to confess that there are things in my life you're saying get up and leave leave it don't look back at it look forward unto me and leave that behind and I just want to say yes Lord I don't want to linger any longer in doubt or fear I don't want to linger Lord thinking that maybe you're not going to be as faithful as you said you were about whatever that was no Lord I want to in faith turn away from that reaching forth unto that which is before pressing forward and Lord that picture of pressing forward is like wading through like quicksand or going against the wind or against the current pressing on not giving up and then Lord I also want to just ask Lord that you would purify the inmost desires of my heart you search my heart oh God and try me and see if there be any wicked way in me Lord

[42:36] I don't want to be compromising Lord I don't want to be exchanging holiness for hypocrisy so Lord we love you we're your people Lord I love that scripture the people of your pasture and sheep of your hands every time I hear that I think it's backwards it should be the sheep of your pasture but no Lord we're the people of your pasture you've taken us you've led us beside still waters you've made us to lie down in green pastures Lord and the sheep of your hand that just shows the closeness the care that you have are such dumb creatures as sheep Lord it's the care you have for us and we're so foolish Lord we worship you this morning thank you Lord we live in a society like Sodom Lord how are we supposed to be lights in this world we look at a man like Lot who tried so hard and got it so wrong so Lord instead of dwelling in the gates of Sodom Lord give us a heart to desire to dwell in the gates of the Lord and instead of trying to guard the door to our own exposure

[43:45] Lord let us hear your hand knocking saying behold I stand at the door and knock if any man would open unto me I will come in and sup with him Lord would you come in would you come in now and shine your light into those dark areas of our hearts in Jesus name Amen Amen Amen Amen

[45:36] Amen Amen Amen

[47:06] Amen Amen Amen

[48:36] Amen Amen Amen

[50:06] Amen Amen Amen

[51:36] Amen Amen Amen

[53:06] Amen Amen Amen

[54:36] Amen Amen Amen

[56:06] Amen Amen Amen

[57:07] Amen