[0:00] typical uncommitted Christians. Now this morning, I preached from Jeremiah 6. Did you ever find it? I called it Jeremiah 16 when we started.
[0:13] It says in there that God wants us to go to the old path, which is the good way, and walk therein, and then the people said, we will not walk therein.
[0:24] That's right. I want to give you an example of one of those kinds of people of mine, Brother Lot. He was an uncommitted Christian.
[0:39] God makes one thing very clear, and we would not really know this about Lot if God had not had Peter put it in his book.
[0:50] But it says, he delivered in verse 7, chapter 2, this is 2 Peter 2, verse 7. He delivered just Lot, just Lot, vexed with the filthy behavior of the wicked.
[1:06] Vexed! For that righteous man dwell among them and see and hear him. Vexed his righteous soul from day to day with him in wrong.
[1:18] He makes you sound like a saint, doesn't he? One thing for certain, he's telling us, Lot is a saved man. Right? Yeah.
[1:30] That makes the lesson one for you and me. Yeah. He's a saved man. You don't doubt about it. Now, you know the story, and I won't get into it very deeply, but angels came one day and told Lot that they were going to destroy us.
[1:46] Son of the Lord probably would be wickedness there. And he went to his family to try to get them to leave with him. And they all said, You're crazy, old man.
[1:58] You're trying to get us to be religious now, and you haven't been in all of years. And he couldn't get one of them. He had married daughters, sons of all, and sons, and not one of them would follow him out of sight.
[2:11] Right. Not one of them. He had two unmarried daughters that he could still control them, and that was the authority of them. He made them go with them. And yet they were not saved. I don't think they were saved.
[2:23] They became the progenitors of Moab and Ammon, terrible enemies of Israel, all the tribes. And those are the only ones he saved.
[2:35] The wife of the Lord was an unmarried daughter. Now, I believe that his wife was a Christian.
[2:47] Nobody should say, let me tell you why I think that. She turned into a pillar of what? Salt. Salt is a preservative. And I think God's trying to tell us that this woman was saved.
[2:59] I'll turn here into Philip's office. And then I read further and studied further. In Luke chapter 17, Jesus was talking to his disciples about the end time.
[3:11] There was not an unsaved person in that audience. He was telling them that in the days of Lot and Noah, it's going to be that way in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.
[3:21] He's telling them that there's going to be a day of the coming of the Son of Man. That's the focus. Tell you about a day when the Son of Man's coming. I don't know about you, but I wish he'd come on.
[3:33] I find myself quite often praying that prayer. Even the Son of the Lord Jesus, come quickly. And we're supposed to pray in the Lord's prayer. Thy will be done.
[3:47] Thy kingdom come with me done. On earth is this heaven that's asking God's kingdom to come. Right? So, he's talking to his disciples.
[3:59] And in that scripture, Luke 17, he has a short verse that says, remember Lot's wife. Talking to Christ.
[4:11] The next verse says, he that will save his life shall lose it. He that loses his life from Isaac shall save it.
[4:25] Amen. In the context of remembering Lot's wife. Yeah. All of the Christians. Amen. Amen. He's saying, you live in the world, and you try to save your own life, live your own life like you want to, you're going to lose it.
[4:40] Just like Lot's wife did. But if you'll lose your life for my sake, you'll save it. Now, Lot's wife is a Christian.
[4:52] She was used as an example of a lesson to Christians. And, that verse seals it. You live like the, like your flesh wants to live, you're going to lose your life.
[5:08] And she did. Yeah. So, his example proves to me that she's saved. Now, Lot and Mrs. Lot were both saved.
[5:23] They had to get out of sight. And they desperately wanted to take the children. Wouldn't you? They tried hard.
[5:36] But to know they, they had at least two sons, for it says sons, could have been more. They had at least two other daughters, for he talks about sons and maw, married daughters, at least two, could have been more.
[5:56] They could have had two grandchildren, pretty good sized family. they didn't get any of that. They didn't get any of that. No wonder that Mrs. Lot longingly looked back, realizing that because of her uncommitted Christian life, and that of her cousins, they had no influence at all over their kids.
[6:23] And they all were together. for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone was a symbol of heaven. And God's judgment on sin being the leg of fire.
[6:38] She had to realize that for her grandkids, if they were older than others. At least they died, died physically, even better than none. And all of her children, her own children, were in heaven.
[6:51] That's tough. No wonder she looked back, even though she was told not to. Well, she had at least six children, died in the Sodom and some believers, and perhaps some grandchildren.
[7:08] Longingly looking back, she lost everything. Including six of her eight kids, maybe more.
[7:20] And God, young community Christian, lost his wife. They were losers. Somebody said, hey, what about the old dad?
[7:33] Walk therein. But, Mr. Locke said, we will not walk therein. I want to show you what the results of that lifestyle is. And how similar things can happen to us today.
[7:48] Number one, Lot left his support group of strong Christians behind. Lot is not a strong Christian, but Abraham was.
[7:59] Now, a little bit of history, not much. Abraham's father's name was Terah, T-E-R-A-H, and Terah had three sons.
[8:12] One of those sons' name was Haran, H-A-R-A-N. Haran had three or four kids, and one of them's name was Lot. Lot. Terah died, but before he died, his son, Haran, died, leaving Lot and the other kids up on that girl as orphans.
[8:34] Terah took Lot in to take care of him, and his dad died. Then Terah died, and at that time, God came to Abraham and said, oh, come out of that country, and go to a land that I'll show you.
[8:49] And Abraham did that, but who's going to take care of Lot? My dad's dead. He's an orphan. So Abraham took Lot with his nephew.
[9:01] And that's how they got to be together. By and by as the time went on, Lot gained wealth, and his flocks and herds and their servants began to argue with Abraham over the pasture land.
[9:18] They didn't have enough room for everybody sheathed and cows. And so Abraham said, there's no need for us to fight. We're brethren. Why don't you just choose which direction you want to take your flocks?
[9:33] I'll take what's left. And that's the point at which Lot should have said, we've got to find some other way. I'm not going to leave.
[9:47] You are my spiritual strength. I'm making it fine as long as I'm with you and your family and your group.
[9:59] Remember when God said, why did I choose Abraham? Because I know him. He'll command his children after him and they'll follow me. Abraham was strong. Good, strong father and leader.
[10:12] And Lot was under his nephew kind of like his son. But he left that support system. Hey, you've got a good strong support system right here.
[10:25] Amen. Come on. You've got me and Brother Griffin both of us believe exactly the same way and preach the same. He just preached better than I knew.
[10:37] We preach the same old-fashioned gospel. You've got a good support group here. You've got people safe on the field with you. Father said, well, after I preached this morning, when I said I gave up a lot of stuff for coming into the church, and she said, what about all those Catholics?
[10:52] They gave up a lot of stuff too. I don't know what they are. We've got a church full of people who gave up a lot of stuff. And many of you gave up family. Family didn't understand what you did.
[11:04] They still don't understand. You've got some strong people around you in this church. I was going back over my old sermon a while back to see what I used to preach to you 20 years on my 20th anniversary.
[11:19] And I preached the most elementary stuff, just basic stuff. Milk. It was milk. And I remember telling you, we've got a bunch of new Christians here, and you're not ready for me.
[11:30] And so I'm going to just basically teach you from the ground up. And some of those sermons were so simple. But now you're veterans. You've been through the war.
[11:42] You found some of your friends that met you. You've stayed. You've heard people criticize you preach you're in the church. You didn't put up with it.
[11:53] And broke friendships over it. You're veterans. You have studied your Bible. I've been asking you to listen to thousands of sermons. You ought to figure out sometimes the length of time you've been here with two preachers.
[12:08] You can see how many sermons that you have heard. And you've listened and you've learned from you. We're not any of us where we all be. Nobody's arrived.
[12:20] I haven't been. Nobody's arrived. We've been growing all the time. But you're not the same group you were 20 years ago. you're veterans.
[12:32] And because of that, some of you in this church and other new ones that come in, you are surrounded by some veteran Christians.
[12:47] And if you need somebody to provide faith on who can help you. You're around, you have folks around you that have been where you are and to face things you may face.
[13:00] And that's a very, very strong position to be in. That's the position a lot was in. And he left that position. He gave up that support system.
[13:12] May I say that we've had many, many people to give up this support system. They didn't make it. If they did, it's the mercy of God.
[13:25] And if you are one of the weak ones, you don't consider yourself a veteran, maybe you're not one of the real strong ones that knows your Bible and prays like you're supposed to and does all the things that a mature Christian does, you have to admit, if we have to miss people in our church, they have to miss me as the older one.
[13:46] Tell you something, you better stay where you are. You better be very careful about leaving. That's why this story is in the Bible. I'm sure.
[13:57] And that's why he told us in Peter, we're talking about a saved man here. This man makes these righteous gold every day. He was a just man and saved.
[14:09] And he lost everything in control of these things. and he was a warning to all of us. You have if you get a little cross way and somebody better get straight down.
[14:22] Stay in the storm runs. Brother Stark reaches until 1230 something night and you get mad. You better just come back and maybe you won't do it next time. better get over the past.
[14:37] They're not fine excuse the beat because what started the downhill slope and they had at least six kids in hell because they left for support. He was an unclean Christian that needed strong people around him and when he left he dragged his family down with him.
[14:56] They hadn't even had to go next to him one time. They were in a war and he was captured his hostage. Abraham went and got him back. He felt responsible for Lot.
[15:08] And Lot should have said brother I have been taught that I need you. I can't do it without you. We'll find some other way to work out our flocks and herds but I got to stay with you.
[15:24] Oh I've seen so many now through the years. We're good people. They just needed strong people around them. As long as they stayed in that place they made them back.
[15:36] when they got out from under that umbrella protection they went down. Some of you will not make it if you don't stay here.
[15:52] God put you here for a reason. I think one of the biggest changes in Christianity in my life is how easy do people move around. Old Bethany Baptist Church when I was born I was born right across the street they didn't get me the office mom didn't make it off I preached in that old church when I got known I still in the denomination church there I could stand in a little bit look through the back window and see the very room right across the road it's a street that looks like road little town when I was born there was a poor people when I was 20 25 back there preaching people didn't leave churches back there and stayed it's different today leave for all kinds of reasons it's so easy to move
[16:58] I don't like people want to lose a life that's a job you have people up and leave town for whatever it is well I got a promotion I've got a better job but it does take me to out of town be careful how many times have we said rather have a church than looking for a job and have jobs I will never leave unless God led me to a church in my new area and told me it was a good church you may be tempted to leave because of a better job or better climate or more lenient church well I don't plan to do all that stuff in preaching so why should I stay there and do it because you need it you'll be better than you would be if you weren't to hear it you do 5% of what you hear you're better off than if you got out hungry just trust me more than that and I am so grateful for this
[18:07] I tell God every night! thank you for that end of protection around my church that other couple is there many of you are not quite the Christians you ought to be involved with so they are so much better off I wondered how many times somebody gets on plenty and he's a good old Christian the rest of them that plenty they don't realize that plenty could crash it when you go to some place that building is going to be safe there won't be any moms to grow up in that building no fire is going break out there God protects many many places!
[18:50] people because his children are there happens all the time now interpolate that back to what we're talking about you stay here you stay here you wouldn't be anywhere else the devil can get you until he can separate you from your support system that's what he'll do if he can number two without Abraham's strength Lot could not keep his family close to God he is a just man he is being vaccinated by the unrighteous around him he knows right and wrong and is burdened and bothered by all the sandals around him being a weak leader and a weak father he was not strong enough to march in one day even before his kids married they had a house full of them they had a lot she's got on her beautiful stuff she bought in sod she likes to go shopping down in the shopping kitchen she's got all her new duds on jewels hanging out everywhere he didn't have the strength to march in some day and said folks
[20:07] I made a great mistake when we came here we came here for prosperity we came here for money we came for the wrong reason it's going south with us you people are not close to God and we're going back to Abraham oh he had a war but while they were still under his thought he couldn't leave him yes sir but he wasn't able to do without Abraham strength Lot just simply could not keep his kids in a spiritual condition Scott it's so true what you say so much your children will center their lives on your perimeters you slip a little bit to the depth where do you slip to your kids will center their lives they'll slip a lot we've seen it over and over and over and over you leave our church for whatever reason or any good church you leave the church just because you want better situations you're going to live in your family that's just the way it is
[21:22] I've seen it to my own broken heart and people I love uncommitted Christians you hear the old fashioned news God says there's a good way it's the old way and you say I will not walk there I want a different kind of church or an easier church I want to have a soul running pour down my throat I want to sing more songs whatever your excuse I will not walk there you are going to drag your family to hand some of these things I didn't know years ago I know about one now that Abraham's dream God could not keep his family from God even though you can read Peter verses and know he was chilling him he wants to be different he wants family but he made the wrong choice number three
[22:26] God was the typical double man Christian churches were full of them I want my cave and I want to eat I want to be known as a good Christian I want to shop in the world I want to ride the fence when there's a good something going to church I thought when there's something really interesting in the world I thought it was the typical double man Christian he knew what God wanted he was vexed day by day with his neighbors and how they were licking and all the corruption that was around him he was vexed he couldn't sleep he couldn't eat it bothered him his burden worried him he knew what was right but he wanted that money and he wanted that power that he was elected into the council and was one of the rulers down there when he got in and embedded like that he just kept on putting more of his own tentacles in the lot and binding him more than more than he could get lose and his mind was partly on sovereign partly on
[23:59] God he wanted the well watered plain he wanted success and fortune maybe he wanted an easier life away from all the they were out the room!
[24:10] no maybe you might have it easier away from all the room I had one guy leave my church in another state and he said I tell you what I'm just tired of telling me how I'm supposed to run my house and rest my life I can do what I want to do and that's not your business so we gotta have!
[24:35] the!!!! that's just the plain thing he left his family making over the home because he spit in the face of God and God see that's all but it and I didn't have much of a sermon with that God I didn't say much about it I just preached to God what else can you do you gotta be careful double minded Christians are headed for a fall he wanted life that he could control what he wanted to do so he made his choice for the world hoping that people would still think they were Christians and keep they here his heart am I talking about taking his hand are you solid secure his head back
[25:38] Bible says he said fast time and move yeah anybody here is not like that maybe everybody let this going to power number four five things one 25 sir wow never when the Lord said he that's around the world and number four in Christ
[26:44] God found that he had no influence on his family by his neighbor those that are close to you I don't have any influence on your wishy-washy remember old Joshua Joshua was an old man he had a great ranch he said that's for me I don't know what you're going to do that's for me in my house who's hurt the Lord those little old 20 year old grandkids said yes sir we should and that influence all the way down to the man such influence he could stand and say see all this crowd here you won't have any influence you won't stand for something you get your heels dug in somewhere where it's right and stay there one of these days the crisis is coming you wish somebody listened to you these wishy-washies that are out there in the world in liberal churches when the crisis comes that's why this story he didn't have any influence on his neighbor he was elected to the council still one night when those angels came they were in the bodies of men they were in it all his neighbors surrounded his house and said deliver them to him we won't have homosexual relations with him that's what sodomy is that's why it's called it's hard it's why it's destroyed and Lot said no
[28:26] I can't do that and the wishy-washy we rascal said I do have two unmarried daughters in heaven what a man and they said who is this man who came here to sojourn among us and now will be our judge but he will have sex with you if you're not careful that's what they're doing oh didn't have a lot of room for it to be made people don't respect the government you look if you stand too tough on something you stand anyway you'll be more respected than somebody is wishing washings there you go in a crisis he found it he went to his sons-in-law who married his daughters and he said up get out God's going to destroy this city and the Bible says to him he seemed that one that walked to his sons-in-law we don't get the old story sometimes
[29:27] I wish I heard the could hear the old conversation I'm asking a boy and say okay Bob you sure haven't been lived in much Christian life now you come in here and talk about fear of God you sound like a mockery to me why don't you live it before you tell me how to live it that's the way they took you and that's the way they'll take you too send it one of them all to his sons-in-law and his neighbor said this fellow comes along they want to be our judge who sodomized you that boy they know it's meant on anybody didn't even say that old white lost everything why is this story about you agree that perhaps I'm knocking at the door of what it might be warning of those of those that might believe the strength of good church or for whatever reason and then later on try to influence their children or they see them going farther to the left than they meant and they are expecting to go on down
[30:31] Scott I don't believe we lost a kid in this church that we didn't have an issue while you're cranking the person I don't think we have when you got a good solid father especially he may make some mistakes and the kids know they still respect him because he breathed genuinely and I was glad that we went to the church in Cincinnati Lizzie family for us over in East Cincinnati it was called Salem Andrews Church it was a good church it was a good church on the sign it says KJV only solar buses warrior all the things you want to talk to the pastor reading his list of missionaries there was a name called Gensmer on there Matt Gensmer and I got to the pastor at the church and I said hey Matt Gensmer here you support him oh yeah brother Matt wow he's a good missionary we love him and really sailor
[31:35] Baptist in Cincinnati well look at that can I touch you you know what he said one time when I was making Matt family he said something like and I told him that Matt he called my name my other man he didn't remember you you were with Matt he told me that and I didn't think you were talking about because I didn't think you'd be a parent you know I just wanted to let that go I thought but I was glad that people would say well that's whole family in our church you got a daughter you know they're married you got a son you got kids his father and mother they're all of solid good I love my stupid chance about when I said I'd like to brag on you you know and hey it is no accident that his kids are all serving God because those two when they got in they got in all and they can't respect them and if they didn't respect your religion and your church they can talk that goes for anybody all of you you're going to have to earn the respect of your children and your neighbors and all and others and you won't have any of all you'll be wish washy washy don't leave your religion even though you're just in here for sake we know!
[33:17] church one of these days the crisis will come you know a long time to die of Christ has come I did sorry to all you know what happened in the act of terrible situation and more of them we can!
[33:49] to them! children grand children let's pray through