WEBVTT 0 00:00:04.890 --> 00:00:07.354 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons podcast. 1 00:00:07.482 --> 00:00:11.150 This is where you can find audio from Sunday morning messages and more. 2 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:14.442 Make sure you're subscribed so that you don't miss future episodes. 3 00:00:14.506 --> 00:00:16.030 And thanks for listening. 4 00:00:20.050 --> 00:00:21.280 Well, good morning. 5 00:00:22.050 --> 00:00:28.402 If you have your Bibles with you today, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join me in Genesis chapter 14. 6 00:00:28.546 --> 00:00:29.798 That's where we're going to be. 7 00:00:29.884 --> 00:00:32.194 If you notice, Berger and I having a little discussion. 8 00:00:32.242 --> 00:00:34.262 He said there is an announcement video. 9 00:00:34.316 --> 00:00:35.490 You're just out of practice. 10 00:00:35.570 --> 00:00:38.582 So that's why I walked back over and you heard that there's a lot of things going on. 11 00:00:38.636 --> 00:00:43.690 And we're excited as unfortunately for all of our kids and teachers, right. 12 00:00:43.760 --> 00:00:45.706 The school year is getting ready to start back up. 13 00:00:45.728 --> 00:00:50.060 It feels like we just blinked and they were out, but now we blinked and they're back in. 14 00:00:50.430 --> 00:00:51.418 I'll be honest with you. 15 00:00:51.424 --> 00:00:52.906 I'm a little bit okay with that, right? 16 00:00:53.008 --> 00:00:54.394 But school year is starting back. 17 00:00:54.432 --> 00:00:56.074 A lot of things are happening around our church. 18 00:00:56.122 --> 00:00:58.014 Want you to be a part of that. 19 00:00:58.132 --> 00:01:06.078 If you are a first time guest, on behalf of all of us that call this wonderful church home, let me tell you thank you so much for worshipping with us today. 20 00:01:06.164 --> 00:01:10.510 We would love to know that you are here in worshiping with us and you can make us aware. 21 00:01:10.590 --> 00:01:16.706 You'll see there's a little card at the end of the row at either side that you're sitting on at some point in time during the service. 22 00:01:16.808 --> 00:01:18.706 Fill that out and you got two options. 23 00:01:18.808 --> 00:01:28.710 You can either drop that in the basket underneath the exit sign right here in the back, or this is what I would personally prefer, because I'd like to meet you, introduce myself to you, let you introduce yourself to me. 24 00:01:28.780 --> 00:01:32.470 I'll be back at this table to my left at the end of the service. 25 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:34.506 And you can come back there, drop that off. 26 00:01:34.528 --> 00:01:44.998 And then if you have any questions about us as a church, who we are, what we do, I would love to be able to answer any of those questions for you before we get into Genesis 14. 27 00:01:45.094 --> 00:01:46.506 Want to give everybody a quick update. 28 00:01:46.538 --> 00:01:48.974 I heard from a lot of people, how was Black Mountain this week? 29 00:01:49.012 --> 00:01:50.126 How was Black Mountain this week? 30 00:01:50.148 --> 00:01:52.814 So let me share how Black Mountain week went. 31 00:01:52.932 --> 00:01:59.074 This past week we had 60 youth and adults that went and served at Black Mountain's Children's Home. 32 00:01:59.192 --> 00:02:04.670 I had the wonderful pleasure of serving this team along with my wife Aaron and Tim Schultz, in the kitchen. 33 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:14.610 And we learned a lot of things about this group of adults that went and this group of students that they are really hardworking. 34 00:02:14.690 --> 00:02:21.862 I want to share something about our youth pastor because we're going to add like, lumberjack to his title. 35 00:02:21.926 --> 00:02:28.490 So we're in the kitchen one day and Tim says, oh, Joel's about to cut down a tree. 36 00:02:29.550 --> 00:02:39.546 So I walk out into the porch, and there's this dead oak tree that's kind of hanging, and it can kind of hang toward a cabin. 37 00:02:39.578 --> 00:02:41.482 It can hang toward a truck. 38 00:02:41.546 --> 00:02:43.954 It can hang a fall a lot of different ways. 39 00:02:44.072 --> 00:02:53.890 And I look out there, and if you want to describe the look of Christmas morning on the face of an adult, it's Joel Van Ham. 40 00:02:54.630 --> 00:02:57.334 The smile is like Santa's here. 41 00:02:57.372 --> 00:02:58.534 You know what I mean? 42 00:02:58.732 --> 00:03:08.318 And he's got laid out a row of chainsaws and other tools, and he had an apprentice with him, Cooper Brewer. 43 00:03:08.514 --> 00:03:16.490 And they were over there, and they had this slingshot that you could use to get this rope high up into the tree. 44 00:03:16.830 --> 00:03:19.478 Joel said, I don't need your slingshot. 45 00:03:19.654 --> 00:03:22.954 I got Cooper, which Cooper's like, eight foot four. 46 00:03:22.992 --> 00:03:24.730 So he's halfway up it anyways. 47 00:03:25.310 --> 00:03:27.166 So he grabs I think he chunks it up there. 48 00:03:27.188 --> 00:03:28.462 They wrap the ropes around. 49 00:03:28.516 --> 00:03:29.806 They get it pulled right where it is. 50 00:03:29.828 --> 00:03:39.060 Now, I can't hear Joel, but I can see Joel talking to the director as he sees cabins, trucks, everything. 51 00:03:39.510 --> 00:03:41.490 And Joel points at that tree. 52 00:03:41.990 --> 00:03:43.490 He says, this is what I'm going to do. 53 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:45.086 I can read his lips. 54 00:03:45.198 --> 00:03:52.834 I'm going to bring it, and it's going to graze that tree right there, and it's going to fall in this gap in between these two trees. 55 00:03:52.882 --> 00:03:55.640 It doesn't look it'll work, but it'll work. 56 00:03:56.010 --> 00:03:57.910 I'll be honest with you, that had my doubts. 57 00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:03.370 Then what I watched, it was like Michelangelo, right? 58 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:05.286 But Joel's tool is not clay. 59 00:04:05.318 --> 00:04:06.630 It's a chainsaw. 60 00:04:06.790 --> 00:04:13.486 As he worked his way around that tree, got it going, and then all of a sudden began to make that cut. 61 00:04:13.668 --> 00:04:20.526 And as he made that cut, that tree fell exactly where he was lined up, where he'd have it go. 62 00:04:20.628 --> 00:04:23.630 And the look on his face was satisfaction. 63 00:04:24.210 --> 00:04:28.074 Later that night, we were getting ready to eat dinner, and I walked out, and Joel was still messing with that tree. 64 00:04:28.122 --> 00:04:29.246 I said, man, you ready to eat? 65 00:04:29.268 --> 00:04:31.166 He goes, Nah, I need some therapy right now. 66 00:04:31.188 --> 00:04:36.422 I'm just out there just cutting it up, doing even more, but just wonderful time to be able to see that and to experience that. 67 00:04:36.556 --> 00:04:39.746 Here's what I'll tell you about these students and these adults. 68 00:04:39.938 --> 00:04:41.350 They worked hard. 69 00:04:41.500 --> 00:04:42.294 They worked hard. 70 00:04:42.332 --> 00:04:43.266 They cleared trails. 71 00:04:43.298 --> 00:04:44.706 They cut down other trees. 72 00:04:44.818 --> 00:04:48.818 They painted, they did landscaping and a lot of other hard jobs. 73 00:04:48.914 --> 00:04:57.642 They came in to lunch, and they came in for snacks at the end of the workday every single day, but equally dirty and smelly, right? 74 00:04:57.776 --> 00:05:00.540 So, you know, they worked really, really hard. 75 00:05:00.990 --> 00:05:02.298 They played hard. 76 00:05:02.464 --> 00:05:03.274 They played hard. 77 00:05:03.312 --> 00:05:05.054 They played crazy games from kids camp. 78 00:05:05.092 --> 00:05:07.018 They played volleyball, they played basketball. 79 00:05:07.114 --> 00:05:08.334 They played nine square. 80 00:05:08.452 --> 00:05:11.134 We went whitewater raft and almost lost Mike C. 81 00:05:11.172 --> 00:05:12.640 But we got him in, right? 82 00:05:14.070 --> 00:05:15.362 We'll tell that story later. 83 00:05:15.416 --> 00:05:16.900 Joanne pushed him out. 84 00:05:19.430 --> 00:05:23.700 And every night some of you like to watch MMA right? 85 00:05:26.010 --> 00:05:32.600 I saw the Willow Ridge version of MMA every night called Spoons, all right? 86 00:05:33.130 --> 00:05:40.626 And watching, like, middle school girls tackle adults in order to get spoons. 87 00:05:40.738 --> 00:05:41.414 They played hard. 88 00:05:41.452 --> 00:05:46.042 They worked hard, but God worked in their lives while they were there, and it was incredible to see. 89 00:05:46.096 --> 00:05:46.602 Each morning. 90 00:05:46.656 --> 00:05:52.678 They started the day off with a quiet time, and every evening, Joel led them in a wonderful lesson. 91 00:05:52.774 --> 00:06:00.634 And what was really cool to see as a pastor but also as a dad, was to see that we had small groups would happen after the evening. 92 00:06:00.682 --> 00:06:04.798 Lesson led by high school students, and that was just really cool. 93 00:06:04.964 --> 00:06:08.338 So, parents, here's my challenge to you before we get the message this morning. 94 00:06:08.504 --> 00:06:12.674 If you had a kid that went, your message is two part, and here's the part. 95 00:06:12.712 --> 00:06:15.022 Number one, they are grumpy. 96 00:06:15.086 --> 00:06:17.010 They are tired, right? 97 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:17.314 Yeah. 98 00:06:17.352 --> 00:06:20.120 You said now, let me say this to you. 99 00:06:20.650 --> 00:06:29.638 You go do manual labor for about 50 hours a week and sleep on the most uncomfortable bed of all time while you were covered in chigger and tick bites, right? 100 00:06:29.804 --> 00:06:31.538 You'd be grumpy too, all right? 101 00:06:31.644 --> 00:06:33.254 So extend them grace. 102 00:06:33.302 --> 00:06:34.294 They need to sleep. 103 00:06:34.342 --> 00:06:35.370 They need to do nothing. 104 00:06:35.440 --> 00:06:36.170 That's okay. 105 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:39.482 But, parents, here's what I want to challenge you to do with this. 106 00:06:39.536 --> 00:06:42.886 Number one, ask them what they did and listen to their stories. 107 00:06:43.078 --> 00:06:49.374 Ask them what new skill they learned, what new tool they used, what it was like and the work that they were doing. 108 00:06:49.492 --> 00:06:51.134 Ask them what they did. 109 00:06:51.252 --> 00:06:53.770 They did some incredible things for the Lord. 110 00:06:53.850 --> 00:06:56.034 Ask them why they did them, because most of them know. 111 00:06:56.072 --> 00:06:59.314 Because they understand the Ministry of Black Mountain Children's Home. 112 00:06:59.432 --> 00:07:00.706 Ask them what they did. 113 00:07:00.808 --> 00:07:03.522 Number two, ask them, what did God. 114 00:07:03.576 --> 00:07:07.160 Teach them, and let them process that with you. 115 00:07:07.610 --> 00:07:14.486 So many times, we, as parents, unwillingly kill the spirit of God working in. 116 00:07:14.508 --> 00:07:15.480 The life of kids. 117 00:07:16.650 --> 00:07:17.850 We don't want to process. 118 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:18.730 We don't want to listen. 119 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.090 We're too busy. 120 00:07:20.430 --> 00:07:26.220 And they had a whole week of the Lord working in their life. 121 00:07:27.950 --> 00:07:31.578 Maybe they need some time to process that's, okay? 122 00:07:31.744 --> 00:07:33.918 What that means for you and I. 123 00:07:34.004 --> 00:07:37.518 Is we need to keep that conversation going, all right? 124 00:07:37.684 --> 00:07:39.662 Ask him what the Lord taught him. 125 00:07:39.796 --> 00:07:44.546 Joel was telling me this morning just random side conversations that he had with kids. 126 00:07:44.648 --> 00:07:46.546 Parents, push into. 127 00:07:46.728 --> 00:07:50.286 Do not let them leave their encounter. 128 00:07:50.318 --> 00:07:52.340 With the Lord away from your home. 129 00:07:52.790 --> 00:07:54.514 And bring it in, okay? 130 00:07:54.712 --> 00:07:56.334 Wonderful, wonderful week, church. 131 00:07:56.382 --> 00:08:02.022 Thank you so much for allowing us to go and to do and to be a part man. 132 00:08:02.076 --> 00:08:10.070 These kids and adults, they ate 60 pounds of linked sausage. 133 00:08:10.890 --> 00:08:12.018 Do that math. 134 00:08:12.114 --> 00:08:15.942 60 people went 60 pounds of linked sausage, right? 135 00:08:16.076 --> 00:08:20.586 40 pounds of bacon, 30 pounds of egg. 136 00:08:20.698 --> 00:08:26.110 One night for dinner, they consumed 30 pounds of ham. 137 00:08:27.170 --> 00:08:27.982 They ate good. 138 00:08:28.036 --> 00:08:29.806 Thank you for letting us spend that money to do it. 139 00:08:29.828 --> 00:08:30.480 All right? 140 00:08:30.850 --> 00:08:37.678 I want to thank Shane for preaching again so that we could be gone, Aaron and I, and to be able to prepare for the group and have night away. 141 00:08:37.764 --> 00:08:38.994 Thank you, brother, for doing that. 142 00:08:39.032 --> 00:08:40.498 I appreciate you so much. 143 00:08:40.664 --> 00:08:46.050 Before we get in Genesis 14 next week, all right, next week we're going to take a four week break from Genesis. 144 00:08:46.550 --> 00:08:47.458 Just four weeks. 145 00:08:47.544 --> 00:08:52.978 We're going to pause for about a month and we're going to start a new series on discipleship. 146 00:08:53.074 --> 00:08:58.550 We typically do that in August as we prepare back for the fall season, but this year it's different. 147 00:08:58.620 --> 00:08:58.998 Okay. 148 00:08:59.084 --> 00:09:02.538 And I really want to encourage you to be here for this. 149 00:09:02.624 --> 00:09:14.874 I know there's this tendency as school is approaching and we're getting back in our routines for just one more time away, one more time to sleep in and really want to encourage you to be here and to join. 150 00:09:14.922 --> 00:09:34.494 US as what we're going to do as we preach and teach about discipleship is we've been evaluating and are evaluating our discipleship process and the strategy that we have and we're excited through this series for me to able to be share with you where we feel like the Lord is leading us as a church to go and do in the area of discipleship. 151 00:09:34.542 --> 00:09:34.946 Right. 152 00:09:35.048 --> 00:09:36.162 That's an important part. 153 00:09:36.216 --> 00:09:37.090 That's why we're here. 154 00:09:37.160 --> 00:09:38.942 God says to go and make disciples. 155 00:09:39.006 --> 00:09:42.930 And so with everything that we're doing, we want to make disciples of Jesus. 156 00:09:43.010 --> 00:09:51.174 And so we want to invite you to be a part of that because what we want you to do is figure out where do you fit in on this, where are you in this? 157 00:09:51.292 --> 00:10:01.974 We've talked a lot over the last several weeks about what does it mean for you to look at where you're at and take that next step of faith in your walk with the Lord, that next step of obedience in your walk with the Lord? 158 00:10:02.022 --> 00:10:09.790 And we want to challenge you to do that, to sit there and to look at that and see like, am I the disciple that God has called for me to be? 159 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:13.454 Are there areas in my life that I'm willing to grow in? 160 00:10:13.492 --> 00:10:13.646 Right. 161 00:10:13.668 --> 00:10:19.442 We would all admit there are areas of our life that we need to grow in, but are we willing to do that? 162 00:10:19.576 --> 00:10:22.866 Are we willing to take that next step of obedience in that? 163 00:10:22.888 --> 00:10:23.774 And so I'm excited. 164 00:10:23.822 --> 00:10:35.014 For four weeks, we're going to look at this by looking at the Book of Acts and seeing and understanding like the first church that we see in Acts, what is their discipleship process? 165 00:10:35.132 --> 00:10:44.842 And then looking back for us and say, okay, Lord, we want to take that and we want to apply that to our setting, to our culture, to our context, and to see that lived out. 166 00:10:44.896 --> 00:10:53.054 All right, so I'm really excited about it and I want to invite you to join us and be a part of that as well. 167 00:10:53.092 --> 00:10:57.070 So we'll start looking at that starting next week. 168 00:10:57.140 --> 00:10:57.406 All right? 169 00:10:57.428 --> 00:11:00.890 So we're going to be in Genesis, chapter 14. 170 00:11:00.970 --> 00:11:12.542 This morning I told somebody, if you've read ahead, if you've read this, I said, man, reading some of these names and places, I miss the days of the Genealogies. 171 00:11:12.606 --> 00:11:13.010 All right? 172 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:15.302 So bear with me again. 173 00:11:15.356 --> 00:11:19.222 I'm going to try to say them confidently and quickly. 174 00:11:19.356 --> 00:11:22.774 If you know a different pronunciation, bless you. 175 00:11:22.812 --> 00:11:25.160 All right, we'll just try to go from here. 176 00:11:26.730 --> 00:11:29.466 Three, two, one. 177 00:11:29.648 --> 00:11:30.406 Chapter 14. 178 00:11:30.438 --> 00:11:31.900 Let's start in verse one. 179 00:11:33.070 --> 00:11:56.878 In the days of Amrfel, King of Shinar Ariak King of Elazar K Dor Lemon King of Elam and Title King of Goyheim These kings made war with Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shanab, king of Admah, shimabur, king of Zeoibim, and the king of Bela, that is Zoyar. 180 00:11:57.054 --> 00:11:59.986 And all of these joined forces in. 181 00:12:00.008 --> 00:12:04.702 The valley of Sidom, that is, in the Salt Sea. 182 00:12:04.846 --> 00:12:12.322 Twelve years they had served K Dorlemur, but in the 13th year they rebelled. 183 00:12:12.466 --> 00:12:25.942 In the 14th year, KDOR Lemor, the kings who were with him came and defeated the Refaim in the Karaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and EMIM in the. 184 00:12:25.996 --> 00:12:26.550 K. 185 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:27.514 Whoo this one? 186 00:12:27.552 --> 00:12:28.490 Take me a minute. 187 00:12:30.510 --> 00:12:53.010 Shava Keatam and the Horites in their hill country of sear as far as Elperan, on the border of the wilderness, they turned back and came to in Mishpat, that is Kadesh, and defeated all of the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites, who were dwelling in Hazaron Tamar. 188 00:12:53.350 --> 00:12:54.274 Verse eight. 189 00:12:54.392 --> 00:12:56.718 Then the King of Sodom, the king. 190 00:12:56.734 --> 00:12:58.738 Of Gomorrah, the king of ADMA, the. 191 00:12:58.744 --> 00:13:15.286 King of Zeboim, the King of Bala, that is Zoar, went out and they joined battle in the valley of Saddam with Cade Dormar, king of Elam, Tidal of Goiheim, amrafel, king of Shinar, and Ariak, king of Elazar. 192 00:13:15.398 --> 00:13:17.386 Four kings against five. 193 00:13:17.568 --> 00:13:27.982 Now, the valley of Saddam was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell, some fell into them and the rest fled to the hill country. 194 00:13:28.116 --> 00:13:35.154 So the enemy took all of the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all of their provisions and went their way. 195 00:13:35.192 --> 00:13:37.426 So let's pause here for just a moment. 196 00:13:37.528 --> 00:13:39.214 So, Genesis 14. 197 00:13:39.342 --> 00:13:42.066 This is some significant stuff in the history of the world. 198 00:13:42.168 --> 00:13:51.430 What we see is of international importance, and we read about the first war that scripture records that we know of in history. 199 00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:54.610 That's what we just saw in this context, in this setting. 200 00:13:54.690 --> 00:13:58.822 This is the original world war that happens and takes place. 201 00:13:58.876 --> 00:14:10.202 Now, I got my undergrad is in history and I wish we had the time to take this historical approach and understand the battles and the war tactics that are used here. 202 00:14:10.256 --> 00:14:12.202 In fact, in college I took two classes. 203 00:14:12.266 --> 00:14:15.120 There were some classes that you're like, oh, I have to take those. 204 00:14:17.730 --> 00:14:20.302 I took a Russian history class one time. 205 00:14:20.356 --> 00:14:22.350 And if you think these names are difficult. 206 00:14:22.500 --> 00:14:23.650 It ain't even close. 207 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:27.282 All right, so that was one of those you have to take. 208 00:14:27.336 --> 00:14:35.074 But then I got to take two History of Warfare classes way cooler than either one of these. 209 00:14:35.112 --> 00:14:36.766 I got to write a paper on the patriot. 210 00:14:36.798 --> 00:14:38.082 I thought that was pretty neat, right? 211 00:14:38.136 --> 00:14:41.814 So I wish we could take that time, but we don't have the time. 212 00:14:41.852 --> 00:14:48.474 So here's what I want us to just kind of glean from this as we move on to this next part pretty quickly. 213 00:14:48.592 --> 00:14:55.820 Always understand this, that the Bible is both theologically true and historically true. 214 00:14:56.430 --> 00:15:00.170 It is theologically true, and it's historically true. 215 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:02.400 And sometimes we try to separate those. 216 00:15:03.170 --> 00:15:04.846 It is theologically true. 217 00:15:04.948 --> 00:15:10.510 The Bible teaches proper belief about who God is and what God desires for your life. 218 00:15:10.580 --> 00:15:15.780 And that hasn't changed from Genesis one until today. 219 00:15:16.710 --> 00:15:20.398 It teaches about who God is and what God desires for your life and mine. 220 00:15:20.414 --> 00:15:26.530 So as the times change, as standards change, god does not god's standard does not change. 221 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:29.314 The Bible is theologically true, and we can hold to that. 222 00:15:29.352 --> 00:15:32.566 That doesn't mean that some things aren't hard, that some things aren't difficult, that. 223 00:15:32.588 --> 00:15:34.082 Some things can even be confusing. 224 00:15:34.146 --> 00:15:37.942 They can be all of those things, but it is still true. 225 00:15:37.996 --> 00:15:39.062 And we cling to this. 226 00:15:39.116 --> 00:15:42.362 The moment we begin to take this and say, well, this is no longer true. 227 00:15:42.416 --> 00:15:46.266 The moment we invalidate all that's here, we don't want to invalidate it. 228 00:15:46.288 --> 00:15:47.466 God has validated it. 229 00:15:47.488 --> 00:15:50.574 It is true, and we cling to that, right? 230 00:15:50.612 --> 00:15:51.854 So it's theologically true. 231 00:15:51.892 --> 00:15:52.622 But I love this. 232 00:15:52.676 --> 00:15:54.640 The Bible is historically true. 233 00:15:55.010 --> 00:16:12.978 So when we read stories in the Bible as crazy and as far fetched as they may seem to be in our mind, the stories in the Bible are true, just like the story in your life is true. 234 00:16:13.064 --> 00:16:16.638 So this is just as true as what happened in your life yesterday. 235 00:16:16.814 --> 00:16:20.774 The people in the Bible are just as real as you and I are. 236 00:16:20.972 --> 00:16:31.420 And so when we look at this, this is not some mythological book where we read this and we glean some lesson off of it, it's true. 237 00:16:32.510 --> 00:16:38.486 These people we read about walked this earth in the time that God had set them onto this Earth. 238 00:16:38.518 --> 00:16:44.240 The events that happened are true, and so we can hold all to it as true. 239 00:16:44.610 --> 00:16:51.790 But sometimes we get to passages like this, and honestly, they're difficult to preach. 240 00:16:52.130 --> 00:16:57.042 They're difficult to teach, they're difficult to have on our quiet times when we study. 241 00:16:57.096 --> 00:17:00.194 But God has given them us for a purpose and for a reason to. 242 00:17:00.232 --> 00:17:02.434 Continually teach us that God's word is. 243 00:17:02.472 --> 00:17:04.686 True and can be trusted fully. 244 00:17:04.798 --> 00:17:06.306 So everything that we go from, we. 245 00:17:06.328 --> 00:17:09.414 Draw in, and we begin to see more and more about who God is. 246 00:17:09.452 --> 00:17:10.502 And trusting within that. 247 00:17:10.556 --> 00:17:12.374 So let's continue on. 248 00:17:12.572 --> 00:17:14.198 This war happens. 249 00:17:14.364 --> 00:17:15.926 This war takes place. 250 00:17:16.028 --> 00:17:19.022 There's probably some places that you've recognized. 251 00:17:19.106 --> 00:17:25.034 They're going to resurface later on when we jump back into Genesis here in the next few weeks. 252 00:17:25.152 --> 00:17:40.400 But then verse twelve, as this war happens, they also took Lot, he's back, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom and his possessions and went their way. 253 00:17:40.850 --> 00:17:53.278 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew who was living by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eskol, of Anor, these are the allies of Abram. 254 00:17:53.374 --> 00:17:56.318 So this is these last two verses that we see here. 255 00:17:56.344 --> 00:18:06.086 And we were reminded of this dynamic with Abram and Lot all the way back when we originally saw God call Abram to go and to follow him. 256 00:18:06.188 --> 00:18:10.838 God said, you're going to leave your country, you're going to leave your home, you're going to leave your family. 257 00:18:10.924 --> 00:18:12.054 But what did Abram do? 258 00:18:12.092 --> 00:18:12.714 We talked about this. 259 00:18:12.752 --> 00:18:16.314 We saw some of this obedience in Abram and he's growing in that. 260 00:18:16.352 --> 00:18:20.682 But there's this tendency in him to kind of modify what the obedience or what he's called to. 261 00:18:20.736 --> 00:18:26.960 And so he leaves his home, he leaves his country, but he brings Lot with him. 262 00:18:27.570 --> 00:18:29.182 He brings lot with him. 263 00:18:29.316 --> 00:18:34.610 And since then, Lott's kind of been this piece of a little bit of conflict in the story. 264 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:47.490 In fact, two weeks ago in Genesis 13, we looked at this and we saw where due to land and resource issues, there was tension between Lot and Abram, largely between those that were working for them. 265 00:18:47.560 --> 00:18:53.526 And they chose, they agreed that we're going to go separate ways and they're going the separate ways. 266 00:18:53.628 --> 00:19:06.246 Abram, even though he had the right to say, this is what I'm going to take as the elder, this is what I'm going to take as the one who has the covenant, this is the one that I'm going to take, because Abram's the uncle, Lot is the nephew. 267 00:19:06.358 --> 00:19:11.680 Instead Abram says to Lot, you choose, you choose. 268 00:19:12.210 --> 00:19:13.146 And Lot chose. 269 00:19:13.178 --> 00:19:15.630 And he chose the area near Sodom. 270 00:19:16.210 --> 00:19:20.174 But Abram received then the land that. 271 00:19:20.212 --> 00:19:22.030 The Lord had for him. 272 00:19:22.180 --> 00:19:24.100 And so we see the difference. 273 00:19:24.950 --> 00:19:27.502 Lot takes what he wants, abram receives. 274 00:19:27.566 --> 00:19:29.300 What the Lord has. 275 00:19:30.070 --> 00:19:40.390 That will be Lot, what looks good to him, what seems right to him, what he desires and what he wants is then what he is going to take. 276 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:46.040 And then Abram, on the flip side of that, will receive what the Lord has for him. 277 00:19:46.410 --> 00:19:47.926 And so here's what we see in. 278 00:19:47.948 --> 00:19:51.546 This passage of scripture and in a lot of things we can kind of. 279 00:19:51.568 --> 00:19:52.950 Journey through as we read at Abram. 280 00:19:53.030 --> 00:19:55.094 And Lot and kind of see God's. 281 00:19:55.142 --> 00:20:00.140 Standard for us in Abram and our rebellion in Lot. 282 00:20:00.590 --> 00:20:04.190 And we can ask ourselves the question, are we set in or are we set apart? 283 00:20:04.850 --> 00:20:07.466 Are we set in or are we set apart? 284 00:20:07.658 --> 00:20:09.200 Look back at verse twelve. 285 00:20:11.410 --> 00:20:16.286 It says they also took Lot who was dwelling in Sodom. 286 00:20:16.318 --> 00:20:22.530 So let's look at Lot's journey, let's look at where lot has lived. 287 00:20:22.870 --> 00:20:26.774 It says that he sees Sodom and. 288 00:20:26.812 --> 00:20:32.360 It appeals to him the land and the things that are around. 289 00:20:32.970 --> 00:20:35.334 He glances over and he sees it. 290 00:20:35.372 --> 00:20:37.480 And it kind of draws him. 291 00:20:38.830 --> 00:20:40.460 Sin ever do that to you? 292 00:20:43.650 --> 00:20:44.880 I see it. 293 00:20:47.570 --> 00:20:51.470 I will feel good, but I love the Lord. 294 00:20:52.310 --> 00:20:53.860 I'm just going to get close. 295 00:20:54.630 --> 00:20:56.180 I'm just going to get close. 296 00:20:56.870 --> 00:20:59.300 And so Lot got close. 297 00:21:00.230 --> 00:21:07.670 And what we saw was that he set his tent in 13 towards Sodom. 298 00:21:08.570 --> 00:21:10.360 It's close, he's not there. 299 00:21:12.650 --> 00:21:13.880 Where is he now? 300 00:21:14.730 --> 00:21:17.750 Dwelling in Sodom. 301 00:21:18.170 --> 00:21:19.740 That's how sin works. 302 00:21:20.510 --> 00:21:22.762 That's what begins to happen. 303 00:21:22.896 --> 00:21:24.986 Where we see this and look back. 304 00:21:25.008 --> 00:21:27.014 At what Genesis 1313 said about Sodom. 305 00:21:27.062 --> 00:21:31.190 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. 306 00:21:31.270 --> 00:21:42.942 And so what Lot does is in this is he sets his eye, he begins to see what's there and he moves closer and he moves closer and he moves closer. 307 00:21:43.006 --> 00:21:48.114 And the culture that had permeated that city, what the Bible tells us, that. 308 00:21:48.152 --> 00:21:50.802 Once great city, right? 309 00:21:50.856 --> 00:21:54.770 That's the description that we get, but is now wicked. 310 00:21:55.430 --> 00:21:57.670 That's where he finds himself. 311 00:21:58.410 --> 00:22:00.950 It's what we saw with Lot when. 312 00:22:01.020 --> 00:22:06.374 He was in Egypt, in Genesis chapter twelve, is that when it came time to pick the land that he wanted. 313 00:22:06.412 --> 00:22:08.886 In Genesis 13, that his mind journeyed. 314 00:22:08.918 --> 00:22:10.906 Back to what Egypt was like and. 315 00:22:10.928 --> 00:22:12.506 How good Egypt was. 316 00:22:12.608 --> 00:22:22.670 And he saw the things of Egypt that he liked in Sodom and he becomes set in to the culture. 317 00:22:23.730 --> 00:22:30.702 Paul in Romans chapter twelve, it's a verse, romans twelve one is a verse many of us know. 318 00:22:30.756 --> 00:22:40.542 Paul writes as I appeal to you, therefore brothers, by the mercy of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 319 00:22:40.606 --> 00:22:52.726 Then verse two do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 320 00:22:52.828 --> 00:22:59.978 And when we read verse two, we oftentimes focus on the positive, the positive command what we get in relationship with God. 321 00:23:00.064 --> 00:23:06.090 Be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what the will of God is. 322 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.186 What is good and acceptable is perfect. 323 00:23:08.288 --> 00:23:18.142 But here's what begins to happen that so many times we get so close to the world, that what the world does is the world begins to mold and shape who we are. 324 00:23:18.196 --> 00:23:22.270 It begins to change how we think, it begins to change how we speak and how we feel. 325 00:23:22.340 --> 00:23:25.642 And so now Romans twelve two, where it says do not be conformed. 326 00:23:25.706 --> 00:23:30.382 What happens in our life we can begin to see as Lot moves closer and closer and closer. 327 00:23:30.446 --> 00:23:54.314 Is it's not that I'm not no longer going to not be conformed, but instead I am conformed and how I speak and how I think and how I feel is not based in the standard of God's truth, but it's based in the standard of this world and what the world does so often. 328 00:23:54.512 --> 00:23:59.622 I don't care if we're looking all the way back at the fall with Adam and Eve. 329 00:23:59.686 --> 00:24:01.382 I don't care if we're looking at babel. 330 00:24:01.446 --> 00:24:04.682 I don't care if we're jumping back to the time with Noah and Ham. 331 00:24:04.746 --> 00:24:07.582 I don't care if we're looking at this time with Lot or to today. 332 00:24:07.716 --> 00:24:15.380 What the culture does so many times in our life is it says, hey, you and me, we're number one. 333 00:24:16.550 --> 00:24:19.890 Look out for me, look for what I want to do. 334 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:22.546 And this is we found with Lot. 335 00:24:22.728 --> 00:24:26.274 He looks and he sees and he determines for himself, this is what I. 336 00:24:26.312 --> 00:24:28.840 Want, this is what I do. 337 00:24:29.530 --> 00:24:31.414 And so this is what I'm going to take. 338 00:24:31.612 --> 00:24:38.780 Let me give you a very passive way how this works in our world, but rings all too often true in my life. 339 00:24:40.190 --> 00:24:42.060 You ever done something good for someone? 340 00:24:42.590 --> 00:24:43.900 You have, right? 341 00:24:44.350 --> 00:24:48.854 You've done some good things, you've done kind things, you've done caring things for. 342 00:24:48.912 --> 00:24:53.434 People, you've sacrificed for others, you've served. 343 00:24:53.482 --> 00:25:03.060 Others, you've submitted to them and you've helped them, and you've poured in and you've invested non ask you a question. 344 00:25:04.070 --> 00:25:05.540 Why did you do it? 345 00:25:07.590 --> 00:25:08.980 Why did you do it? 346 00:25:10.870 --> 00:25:12.194 Do you know why we do things. 347 00:25:12.232 --> 00:25:17.560 Sometimes the ultimate reason for why we do even kind things like that? 348 00:25:18.650 --> 00:25:24.920 I know I do because it makes me feel good, right? 349 00:25:25.370 --> 00:25:26.920 It makes me feel good. 350 00:25:27.310 --> 00:25:31.930 So I do that because ultimately it makes me feel good. 351 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:35.034 Well, here's the counter to that then. 352 00:25:35.072 --> 00:25:38.940 I wouldn't have served them if it didn't make me feel good. 353 00:25:39.950 --> 00:25:47.054 The moment they become someone I don't want to serve instead, someone that I want to reject, then serving them no longer feels good. 354 00:25:47.092 --> 00:25:50.510 It feels sacrificial, it feels costly. 355 00:25:51.350 --> 00:25:54.100 So I no longer do that. 356 00:25:54.710 --> 00:25:56.610 You see, that's what the world teaches. 357 00:25:57.270 --> 00:26:13.062 But the Bible teaches that we love others because God has loved us, that we forgive others because God has forgiven you and I, that we serve others because Jesus Christ has served us. 358 00:26:13.196 --> 00:26:25.260 And so all we do now as followers of the Lord, we do because it's for God, regardless of how it makes us feel. 359 00:26:26.270 --> 00:26:31.854 Now, I'm not saying that we don't enjoy that feeling, because we do. 360 00:26:32.052 --> 00:26:33.934 And God gives us that. 361 00:26:34.132 --> 00:26:35.760 It's a beautiful thing. 362 00:26:36.530 --> 00:26:51.460 But if we're not careful, we become so rooted in our own selfishness that we've conformed so much to the world that what happens is I now only do for others based off of the pleasure that it brings my sinful heart. 363 00:26:52.310 --> 00:26:55.606 That's what we begin to see happen. 364 00:26:55.788 --> 00:26:57.670 But look at verse 13. 365 00:26:59.450 --> 00:27:10.650 Then the one who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew who was living by the oaks of Mammary. 366 00:27:11.630 --> 00:27:19.130 So while Lot is set in, Abram is set apart. 367 00:27:20.210 --> 00:27:26.430 Abram's not involved, he's not connected. 368 00:27:27.010 --> 00:27:31.470 He's not associated with the kings or the kingdoms. 369 00:27:32.150 --> 00:27:42.434 He's simply known as Abram the Hebrew, which means the outsider of all that. 370 00:27:42.472 --> 00:27:48.002 The world had to offer, of all of the kings and the kingdoms. 371 00:27:48.066 --> 00:27:55.270 And what we're going to see is that Abram had some power, abram had some influence. 372 00:27:55.930 --> 00:28:07.558 Abram could have started what Abram wanted to do, but what he's known as is as the outsider, those that are set apart. 373 00:28:07.654 --> 00:28:24.180 Paul in three of his letters, peter, twice in one, peter and even David in the Psalms says this, that we as followers of Christ are foreigners in a foreign land, that this world is not our home, that this is not our land. 374 00:28:25.910 --> 00:28:36.340 As Abram the Hebrew, because we're not defined, we're not set, we're not determined by this place. 375 00:28:37.770 --> 00:28:42.178 We've been purchased by the blood of the Lamb. 376 00:28:42.354 --> 00:28:46.966 The old has passed away, the new has come. 377 00:28:47.068 --> 00:28:52.266 We are not who we used to be, but now we are sons and daughters of the living God. 378 00:28:52.368 --> 00:29:01.646 Being transformed by the spirit of God is what scripture teaches us and this is who we are. 379 00:29:01.828 --> 00:29:03.918 So what does this mean for us? 380 00:29:04.084 --> 00:29:18.340 How do we live as men and women who have this spiritual citizenship in an earth where we have earthly citizenship, which isn't bad. 381 00:29:18.790 --> 00:29:23.790 This isn't going to be a message of a criticism of our country, of our state, of our town. 382 00:29:23.870 --> 00:29:34.600 I love and praise the Lord for the time and the place in which he has set my years on this earth, and I'm grateful for it. 383 00:29:35.290 --> 00:29:42.342 But what does it mean then, that we have a spiritual citizenship that's elsewhere? 384 00:29:42.486 --> 00:29:45.254 So let's look and let's see how Abram responds. 385 00:29:45.302 --> 00:29:49.194 He hears lot has been captured, lot has been taken. 386 00:29:49.312 --> 00:29:56.974 Like, I just feel like for him, there had been that moment with me that would have said these wonderful words, I told you so. 387 00:29:57.012 --> 00:29:57.920 You know what? 388 00:29:58.770 --> 00:30:00.240 He doesn't say that. 389 00:30:01.430 --> 00:30:08.050 When Abram heard that his kinsmen had been taken captive, he led forth his. 390 00:30:08.120 --> 00:30:13.870 Trained men born in his house, 318 of them. 391 00:30:13.960 --> 00:30:16.054 So this is that moment. 392 00:30:16.252 --> 00:30:20.920 He's not just an isolated man living out in the country, right? 393 00:30:21.610 --> 00:30:39.294 He's got people, 318 trained men, and went in pursuit as far as Dan, and he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and. 394 00:30:39.332 --> 00:30:45.070 Defeated them and pursued them to Hobi, north of Damascus. 395 00:30:45.970 --> 00:30:56.580 Then he brought back all of the possessions and also brought back his kinsmen, Lot, with his possessions and the women and the people. 396 00:30:56.950 --> 00:31:12.070 Now, after his return from the defeat of Leomer, the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Chavez, that is the king's valley. 397 00:31:12.810 --> 00:31:17.318 And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. 398 00:31:17.414 --> 00:31:32.574 He was a priest of God most High, and he blessed him, saying, bless be Abram by God most High, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God most High, who. 399 00:31:32.612 --> 00:31:35.920 Has delivered your enemies into your hand. 400 00:31:36.610 --> 00:31:40.400 And Abram gave a 10th of everything. 401 00:31:41.910 --> 00:31:49.620 And the King of Sodom said to Abram, give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself. 402 00:31:50.230 --> 00:32:04.946 But Abram said to the King of Sodom, I have lifted my hand to the Lord God, most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours. 403 00:32:05.138 --> 00:32:09.770 Lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. 404 00:32:10.430 --> 00:32:17.962 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten and the share of the men who went with me. 405 00:32:18.096 --> 00:32:22.414 Let ANR and Escol and Mamri take their share. 406 00:32:22.612 --> 00:32:23.694 So we see. 407 00:32:23.812 --> 00:32:36.100 Abram goes out, leads his men in battle, they divide, they conquer, they defeat the armies who were there. 408 00:32:37.670 --> 00:32:42.610 And now it's figuring out, what do we do with the trophies? 409 00:32:44.010 --> 00:32:45.720 What do we do with what's left? 410 00:32:47.050 --> 00:32:51.750 And we have these two different kings. 411 00:32:52.570 --> 00:32:56.310 That bring forth two different solutions. 412 00:32:56.890 --> 00:32:58.760 So let's go back to our question. 413 00:32:59.070 --> 00:33:06.038 How do we live as men and women who have a spiritual citizenship and an earthly citizenship? 414 00:33:06.214 --> 00:33:07.466 What we see here in the life. 415 00:33:07.488 --> 00:33:09.610 Of Abram is by action and faith. 416 00:33:10.270 --> 00:33:11.510 By action and faith. 417 00:33:11.590 --> 00:33:17.870 Warren Weirsby said this about Abram he was separated, but not isolated. 418 00:33:18.450 --> 00:33:22.190 He was independent, but not indifferent. 419 00:33:23.510 --> 00:33:27.780 Abram engaged in the matters of this world. 420 00:33:28.870 --> 00:33:48.810 While we are foreigners in this foreign land, god has us here not to isolate ourselves away, but to engage strategically that we may be independent, but we are not indifferent. 421 00:33:49.150 --> 00:33:53.446 We may be separated, but we are not isolated. 422 00:33:53.558 --> 00:33:57.994 And what we see is Abram engaged in the matters of this world. 423 00:33:58.112 --> 00:34:03.310 He took action, but with his action did not come compromise. 424 00:34:04.050 --> 00:34:05.520 He sees a problem. 425 00:34:06.290 --> 00:34:07.914 Lot's been captured. 426 00:34:08.042 --> 00:34:09.278 He cares for Lot. 427 00:34:09.364 --> 00:34:10.542 He wants to save him. 428 00:34:10.596 --> 00:34:11.686 So he partners. 429 00:34:11.738 --> 00:34:20.130 He mobilizes 318 men of action to go and to bring peace into this conflict. 430 00:34:20.790 --> 00:34:34.790 And you and I, as missionaries in this world, are not called to live in isolation, but instead to press into this culture while being transformed and not conformed. 431 00:34:35.770 --> 00:34:38.774 We can't ignore with what's around us. 432 00:34:38.972 --> 00:34:43.866 We can't block ourselves away from people we don't agree with, with people we don't like. 433 00:34:43.968 --> 00:34:52.800 We can't avoid all of the things that are around us as we live in a land that is not run by the things of God. 434 00:34:54.530 --> 00:34:58.480 So what do we become then? 435 00:34:59.170 --> 00:35:00.560 We press in. 436 00:35:01.350 --> 00:35:03.460 But there's got to be this litmus test. 437 00:35:04.630 --> 00:35:08.018 How do I do this into my life? 438 00:35:08.184 --> 00:35:09.426 Here's the litmus test. 439 00:35:09.528 --> 00:35:13.918 When I press into culture, who do. 440 00:35:13.944 --> 00:35:15.320 I resemble the most? 441 00:35:17.530 --> 00:35:25.000 If the answer is the world, well, friends, then we are being conformed by the world. 442 00:35:25.850 --> 00:35:48.640 But as I press in more and more and more, if what I see is the same compassion that Jesus had as Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and wept for the sins, then I'm being transformed by God. 443 00:35:49.490 --> 00:35:54.206 It can be our tendency to pull back and isolate. 444 00:35:54.318 --> 00:35:59.490 But folks, we need transformed men and women in politics. 445 00:36:01.430 --> 00:36:05.240 We need transformed men and women in business. 446 00:36:06.650 --> 00:36:16.040 We need transformed men and women in education, in the arts, in athletics, and in every facet of this world. 447 00:36:17.150 --> 00:36:22.234 We need that group of students that went and cut down trees in black. 448 00:36:22.272 --> 00:36:28.090 Mountain, yes, to become pastors and missionaries. 449 00:36:29.070 --> 00:36:30.854 But we need them to become plumbers. 450 00:36:30.902 --> 00:36:32.670 And school teachers and doctors. 451 00:36:33.490 --> 00:36:37.246 We need them to take what is being transformed in their life and to. 452 00:36:37.268 --> 00:36:39.280 Go and carry it as they go. 453 00:36:39.890 --> 00:36:42.340 I read a statistic this past week. 454 00:36:43.190 --> 00:36:45.762 The statistic that I read was based. 455 00:36:45.816 --> 00:36:49.010 Off of inviting lost people to church. 456 00:36:50.070 --> 00:37:00.200 It said that of the lost people in the survey that came to church, 5% came because a pastor invited them. 457 00:37:01.530 --> 00:37:05.030 5% came because they were curious. 458 00:37:06.750 --> 00:37:12.860 90% came to church because their friend invited them. 459 00:37:14.830 --> 00:37:15.980 90%. 460 00:37:17.630 --> 00:37:22.830 Not because they saw on Facebook, not because there was a YouTube video put up. 461 00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:25.406 Not because it said so on a billboard sign. 462 00:37:25.588 --> 00:37:29.520 Not because they were bored one morning and thought, I'm going to go check that out. 463 00:37:30.530 --> 00:37:38.210 But because men and women of faith being transformed by the gospel where they live, they work and they play, said, hey, man, what are you doing on Sunday? 464 00:37:39.430 --> 00:37:41.300 Why don't you come to church with me? 465 00:37:43.270 --> 00:37:45.638 Can I talk to you and tell. 466 00:37:45.644 --> 00:37:47.080 You about who Jesus is? 467 00:37:48.170 --> 00:37:54.562 They took a step of faith, and they did that because they're being transformed. 468 00:37:54.626 --> 00:37:58.966 And so Abram, what we see, was a man of action in this. 469 00:37:59.068 --> 00:38:00.922 He engaged in this. 470 00:38:00.976 --> 00:38:02.534 But he was also a man of faith. 471 00:38:02.582 --> 00:38:05.002 And God gives him a wonderful stage here. 472 00:38:05.056 --> 00:38:12.330 Abram had two choices to make the way of king sodom or the way of the king of Salem. 473 00:38:12.410 --> 00:38:13.822 And what does Abram do? 474 00:38:13.876 --> 00:38:15.360 Well, here's what they had to offer. 475 00:38:16.290 --> 00:38:21.230 The king of sodom offered him all of the spoils. 476 00:38:21.990 --> 00:38:33.730 He said, just give me the people, all the grain, all the fruit, all the food, all the gold, all the precious stones. 477 00:38:34.890 --> 00:38:36.360 He offered it all. 478 00:38:37.690 --> 00:38:43.830 The king of Salem, he offered bread and wine. 479 00:38:45.850 --> 00:38:48.922 Now, which one would you take? 480 00:38:48.976 --> 00:38:49.820 Be honest. 481 00:38:50.830 --> 00:38:51.900 Be honest. 482 00:38:52.510 --> 00:38:54.730 You want a loaf of bread and a bottle of juice? 483 00:38:56.590 --> 00:38:57.850 We're Baptist. 484 00:39:00.530 --> 00:39:08.590 Or you want all the spoils, you want the gold? 485 00:39:09.730 --> 00:39:12.100 You want a lifetime worth of security? 486 00:39:12.950 --> 00:39:14.980 You want the retirement early? 487 00:39:15.670 --> 00:39:19.380 You want to not have to worry about anything again. 488 00:39:20.950 --> 00:39:22.740 But who are you tied to? 489 00:39:24.490 --> 00:39:28.770 Because the king of sodom represented the ungodly. 490 00:39:28.930 --> 00:39:39.580 Not the ways of the world, I mean the ways of the world, but the king of Salem, he represented the Godly, the way God had called him to. 491 00:39:40.190 --> 00:39:41.980 And so what did Abram choose? 492 00:39:43.310 --> 00:39:44.970 He chose the way of faith. 493 00:39:46.270 --> 00:39:48.220 I will not partner myself. 494 00:39:49.150 --> 00:39:51.260 I will not connect myself. 495 00:39:52.030 --> 00:39:54.078 This will not be what defined me. 496 00:39:54.164 --> 00:39:57.578 Because you can say to me what he says to the king of sodom. 497 00:39:57.754 --> 00:40:02.820 He says, if I take this, you get the glory for what God is going to do. 498 00:40:04.870 --> 00:40:17.190 But if I take this, if I take the bread and the wine, if I take the minimal that's there, then only God can receive the glory. 499 00:40:17.850 --> 00:40:19.400 So what did Abram choose? 500 00:40:20.570 --> 00:40:22.150 He chose the Godly. 501 00:40:25.530 --> 00:40:37.530 And I'm sure as people around watched this happen, they thought, you fool, you fool. 502 00:40:38.430 --> 00:40:40.400 Do you know what you could do with that? 503 00:40:41.570 --> 00:40:43.840 Do you know what you could make out of that? 504 00:40:44.610 --> 00:40:47.280 Did you know what we could become out of that? 505 00:40:48.130 --> 00:40:56.340 It's legal, it's earthly, right, it's what culture says. 506 00:40:59.190 --> 00:41:05.190 But Abram says I choose Godly. 507 00:41:08.810 --> 00:41:18.570 Many ways of this world are legal, but that doesn't mean they're Godly. 508 00:41:20.350 --> 00:41:30.270 And all too often we as Christians compromise and be conformed. 509 00:41:32.210 --> 00:41:34.270 Not when we go to Sodom. 510 00:41:36.050 --> 00:41:36.414 But. 511 00:41:36.452 --> 00:41:51.890 When we begin that dangerous journey of looking at it and saying I can handle it, I can do this, I'm strong enough, I've arrived. 512 00:41:52.790 --> 00:41:58.680 And in all that it points back to me. 513 00:42:02.920 --> 00:42:16.810 This week, maybe even today, you're going to have to make a decision and the choice that you make is going to reflect your heart. 514 00:42:18.300 --> 00:42:27.740 Are you going to choose the ways of the King of Sodom and all that it provides and all that it offers? 515 00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:37.600 Or are you going to choose that of the King of Salem, the Godly, the priest, the way of faith? 516 00:42:38.660 --> 00:42:57.220 Abram, yes, yes, a man of action, go and do, go and become, go and be a person of influence. 517 00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:11.080 But the path that you take there, may it be the path of faith, not in yourself, but in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 518 00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:12.830 Would you pray with me? 519 00:43:16.400 --> 00:43:22.510 God, thank you so much for this time and this opportunity, Lord, that we had to be here to open your word. 520 00:43:23.440 --> 00:43:31.650 Lord, we thank you for the wonderful offering that you give us to live in this day, in this time that we live in. 521 00:43:32.180 --> 00:43:38.340 Lord, we thank you for all of the provisions that you have given us and given us freely. 522 00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:46.230 Lord, we thank you for this place, for our country, for our home, for our community. 523 00:43:46.680 --> 00:43:54.360 But Lord, may we understand that we are not a people to be influenced by the world around. 524 00:43:54.430 --> 00:44:14.350 But Lord, we've been set apart like Abram the Hebrew, to be an outsider in the land, to be a ray of light in the darkness, to be a person who chooses the way of the Lord and not the way of the world. 525 00:44:22.720 --> 00:44:36.160 So many times when we talk about our faith, we share our faith, we invite our friends to small group, we invite our friends to church. 526 00:44:38.580 --> 00:44:57.770 And they're hesitant, Lord, not because they don't believe what we're saying is true, but because what we say we're a part of is disengaged from how we live. 527 00:45:01.980 --> 00:45:11.180 Lord, may we be people that are not conformed, but may we be people who are transformed. 528 00:45:13.600 --> 00:45:37.568 May we be people of hope, people of joy, people of peace, people of kindness, people of compassion, people of sacrifice, may we truly embody who Jesus was on this earth as he walked and aligned that with our life and said, lord, what would this look like if I took this into my classroom? 529 00:45:37.664 --> 00:45:40.356 What would this look like if I took this into my office? 530 00:45:40.458 --> 00:45:43.360 What would this look like if I took this onto my sports team? 531 00:45:43.450 --> 00:45:46.360 What would this look like if I took this into my neighborhood? 532 00:45:52.220 --> 00:45:54.200 Because I want to be more like Jesus. 533 00:45:56.720 --> 00:46:00.110 In a world that desires for me to become more like it? 534 00:46:03.520 --> 00:46:06.830 God, I just pray for myself. 535 00:46:07.760 --> 00:46:20.690 I pray for our church, Lord, those areas of sin in our life that somehow sinfully, we've made peace with. 536 00:46:21.480 --> 00:46:26.470 We've just accepted that that's who we are, and that's how we're going to be. 537 00:46:27.080 --> 00:46:27.536 Lord. 538 00:46:27.568 --> 00:46:32.710 In the power of your Holy Spirit, lord, would you convict us of that? 539 00:46:35.900 --> 00:46:40.090 Would you point us back to Your word and Your standard? 540 00:46:44.140 --> 00:46:48.270 Lord, as Leslie and Joel led us. 541 00:46:49.040 --> 00:46:50.670 In what You've done. 542 00:46:53.440 --> 00:46:59.184 Jesus, you didn't save us so that you could leave. 543 00:46:59.222 --> 00:47:02.176 Us right where we are at and. 544 00:47:02.198 --> 00:47:04.050 Say, Well, I'll be back to get you one day. 545 00:47:06.020 --> 00:47:23.056 You saved us so that you could transform us and grow us and sanctify us, so that we become stronger in our action, stronger in our faith, stronger. 546 00:47:23.168 --> 00:47:26.184 In men and women of God, not. 547 00:47:26.222 --> 00:47:29.400 So that we can sing our praises, but so that we can sing Yours. 548 00:47:33.420 --> 00:47:37.356 So, Lord, bring us this morning at. 549 00:47:37.378 --> 00:47:38.940 A place of conviction. 550 00:47:40.160 --> 00:47:51.040 Lord, if there's anyone here and they don't know Jesus, they may know about Him, but they don't know him as their Lord and Savior. 551 00:47:52.020 --> 00:47:56.130 Lord, may today may Your spirit draw them to yourself. 552 00:47:57.140 --> 00:48:02.550 Lord, today I pray that they would know that there is nothing that they can do to save themselves. 553 00:48:03.960 --> 00:48:05.956 We cannot clean ourselves up. 554 00:48:06.058 --> 00:48:07.972 We cannot make ourselves right. 555 00:48:08.106 --> 00:48:29.710 We cannot earn Your favor, but that Jesus paid the price for our sins on calvary since past, since present, since future, and in the work of Christ on the cross, our sins are paid for in full. 556 00:48:31.120 --> 00:48:38.430 And through the power of the resurrection, Lord, we walk as saved, redeemed people. 557 00:48:42.180 --> 00:48:43.680 Living in Your grace. 558 00:48:44.980 --> 00:49:08.180 And if that's them today, Lord, pray that in this moment between you and them, they would acknowledge that they're a sinner, that they would believe who Jesus is and what Jesus did, and confess them as Lord and Savior. 559 00:49:08.600 --> 00:49:10.272 It's in his name we pray. 560 00:49:10.416 --> 00:49:11.300 Amen. 561 00:49:14.520 --> 00:49:19.016 Thanks again for listening, and be sure to check back next week for another episode. 562 00:49:19.128 --> 00:49:26.840 In the meantime, you can visit us@willowridgechurch.org or by searching for Willowridge Church on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.