Last week we talked
about Sodom and Gomorrah.
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This is one of the saddest
stories the bible shares but,
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understanding its significance
is so vital to our salvation.
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We have to revisit it
again for one more week.
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We invite you to
analyze your own life.
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As we discuss the story
again and see if there are any
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parallels that might
get you off track as we
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rapidly approach the
close of earth's history.
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Stay tune and
discover some hopeful gems
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from the days of
Sodom and Gomorrah.
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Welcome to another
edition of Bible Alive.
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My name is Dwight
Hall and I'm your host.
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And my co host is a good friend
of mine, Pastor Mark Howard.
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Pastor, it's good to have
you here on the show today.
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Yeah, it's great
to be here today.
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We've got an exciting
story to get back into.
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To get back into. That's right
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And Dane, you know,
I said it last time.
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25 years we're still friends.
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Yup. Good friends.
00:01:08.64\00:01:09.62
It's good to have you here
and again, what do you have?
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You have a
ministry called Lifestyle.
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Lifestyle Matters.
Lifestyle Matters is just
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basically teaching people how
to live by the owner's manual.
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Simple way. And you know,
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it amazes me how
science is just catching up with
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the principles we
find in the Word of God.
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Science always is catching up.
You know, man thinks towards...
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we think we're so smart that
we're going to tell God what's
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going on and yet for thousands
of years He's been trying to
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tell us and
we're just catching up.
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I'm glad that
you're exposing that.
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That's tremendous.
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We're happy we have
books. We have DVDs.
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We have programs that
people can do in their homes
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to help their
neighbors find it out.
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We have a lot of information.
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And they can get that on?
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Lifestyle Matters. com
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In Lifestyle Matters.
com. So make sure you get that.
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Lot of great information.
But before we get started,
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We always want to have a prayer
and ask the Lord to enlighten
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our minds, to open our hearts.
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So if you bow your
heads, right where you're at
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with me and let's have a prayer.
Father in heaven, oh Father.
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You know that we
come in the name of Jesus.
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And You've said that we
could come boldly to the
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throne of Christ, in Your name.
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We do that right now with faith.
And Father we're coming because
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we are just mere men
and women just wanting to
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understand Your
Word. How it's practical on
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our everyday lives. I pray right
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now Father that You would
push those evil angels away.
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You would fill us
with Your Holy Spirit.
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Give us understanding.
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Give us a
discerning heart, Father.
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That we may not,
at the end just say,
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"Lord, what must
I do to be saved?"
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But we would take
those necessary actions.
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And Father especially that
these stories will come... so...
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Become so practical
and so simple that even a
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child may
understand. Thank you Father
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for hearing and answering this
prayer because we pray it in the
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name of Jesus
and in faith. Amen.
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Ok. If you don't have your
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Bibles, get them right
now. And we're going to get back
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into Genesis 19. While
you're looking that up,
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I'm going to get
into my little laptop
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We're going to
get it on the screen
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So I'm going to get
in here, Genesis 19.
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And you open it up.
We're going to start again
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where we left
off. We were only gonna
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do one program but.
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Too much to cover.
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Yeah, after the show ended,
we said that we can't leave it
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in just one
program. It's too much.
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That's one thing I've noticed
about the Bible, Dwight, is you
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would think you're going to read
one little passage and you'll
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going to be able to breeze
through it for your devotion.
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You suddenly find that you've
taken an hour to read one verse.
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And really dwell. And
that's why God wants us to
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read the Bible. Not so
many people brag they've
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read the whole
Bible two or six times.
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But, what did it do for you?
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Yeah. That's right.
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You know, I'd rather read one
chapter and have it change my
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life than to read the whole
Bible and have to do nothing.
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And not that you can't
read the whole Bible through.
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Everyone ought to be
reading the Bible through.
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But I'm the same
way I've always not...
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I've never been a
really fast reader.
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But I want to know
what it says to me.
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How can I take this,
you know, what is it?
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4,000 years ago or something
with Sodom and Gomorrah.
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Whatever it's
been, a long time ago,
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thousands of years
ago. How can I take this
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one chapter, Genesis 19,
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which is power pack and make it
practical in my life for today.
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And that's what we want to do
with your life so that you can
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have a better way of
life. So let's get into it.
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Yeah, you know. You
bring that up Dwight.
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Now I just want
to touch on that.
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You know, a lot
of people do that.
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We look at our generation
today, our culture today.
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We are so
technologically advanced.
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And we go back to
something in Bible times not
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realizing that even
200 years ago we were still
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probably about as
advanced as they were back then.
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It's been in the last
couple of hundred years we have.
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Of course, we
have all our media.
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We have all the electronic
age and all of these things.
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Travel and
transportation. But people..
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What we find in the Bible
is that people are the same
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throughout, you know.
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People deal where the
characters are the same.
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People are dealing
with the same issues and
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sometimes we just
don't look hard enough into
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the stories of the
Bible and begin the see the
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characteristics in
the struggles and realize.
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Wow! Whether these guys
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had a TV or not?
Whether they had some
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of the
technology we have or not.
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They still have the
same types of struggles.
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This is what we find
in the story of Sodom.
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This is what we
find in so many stories.
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And we were reading in Genesis
19 and we talked last time.
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We kind of came to
the end of the story,
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at least, Sodom and
Gomorrah where the Lord
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rain fire upon them. And
I wanna start in verse 26
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of Genesis 19. It
says that when the fire
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came down from
God, it says that,
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Interesting. God
remembered Abraham.
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We talked about how
Abraham had bargained with God
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as it were. God
remembered Abraham
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No if there are
10 righteous people.
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I won't destroy the
city. Well, there weren't 10
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righteous people. The
ones that were righteous
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God lead them out by the hand.
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Well, think about it.
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I mean, it wasn't 10.
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How many? It was four.
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It was Lot, his wife
and the two daughters.
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And it wasn't that
they were so righteous even.
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But He remembered...
I think it's amazing.
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He said He remembered Abraham.
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He didn't remember
Lot. We know he doesn't
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forget anybody. But He...
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The fervent prayer of a
righteous man avail that much.
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I mean, Abraham had
such a love for his nephew
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and for that family. I
mean, if you went back a
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couple of chapters in Genesis.
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Remember when Lot was
taken over by some enemies.
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Yeah I say it loud. Forgive me.
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Sodom was taken
over and what happened,
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Abraham got his
servants and went back and got
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all those people
back. And then he wouldn't
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even take anything.
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So, I mean, if you think
about how much Abraham cared
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for his family.
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It is interesting.
It's in that story.
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That we find tithe
for the first time.
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Abraham paid tithe. That
where the first principle
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of tithe comes into the Bible.
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And we just, you know,
the thing just strikes me
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about the story is
the power of prayer.
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We as parents, some
parents may have saying,
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"How're my children
ever gonna be saved? "
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Remember the story
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
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A praying uncle
saved his nephew.
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He won't likely
say, "You know what Lot?
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You're getting
what you deserve pal.
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You took that selfishly.
" That wasn't Abraham.
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Abraham had a humble spirit.
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How important for us to
realize. Are we praying for our
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lost relatives? Are
we praying for people
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around us that are lost?
There is power in prayer.
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The story proves it.
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And something else I think it's
important is that sometimes..
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For those viewers out
there that are watching.
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You know, maybe
you've lost all hope.
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And you think that the
sin that you've committed
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is so bad the God can't
forgive you and it bothers you
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But think about this. In
the Bible it says that even
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with Sodom and Gomorrah
is wicked as that city was.
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There was a number of things
that was wicked about the city
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One was, homosexuality.
But as wicked as it was,
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God said that even
Sodom and Gomorrah was
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better than the Jewish Nation.
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I mean, He said He
was gonna take care
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of that in a way better than
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they were not gonna be as, what?
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Jesus said, "If
you don't repent,
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with all the light you have,
if you don't repent it would be
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better for the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah than for you on
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the day of judgment. "
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So don't lose hard. Sin
is sinning, yes there's..
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I think in some ways degrees
of sin but God hates the sin but
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loves the sinner. And so
this to me gives me hope.
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There is no sin to
big for God to forgive.
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When you look at
Manasseh, Manasseh sawed
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the Prophet Isaiah in a
half and yet he was forgiven.
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God forgave. If God can forgive
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killing a Prophet.
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Yes! And what about Saul
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before he became Paul.
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I mean, that
should be give you hope.
00:09:18.88\00:09:20.77
So never despair. No.
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But the thing with
this we need to be open
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and we know that God has the
power to save to the outermost.
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And that's to me this
stories give us that hope.
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There is two lies that
Satan likes to tell us.
00:09:30.37\00:09:31.88
Number one. Sin is no big deal.
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If we buy that, we're doomed.
00:09:34.28\00:09:37.07
But the other lie he tells us,
once we do buy the first lie is
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God can't forgive you now.
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You went too far.
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That's right! The
only time you've gone
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too far is when you
refuse to repent or when you die
00:09:47.28\00:09:50.84
without repenting. But
if you hear the voice of God
00:09:50.87\00:09:54.46
speaking to your heart
that means that God loves you.
00:09:54.49\00:09:57.47
Absolutely.
00:09:57.50\00:09:58.47
And he say's "Look, come
to me, I can forgive you.
00:09:58.48\00:10:00.21
My son, Jesus, died for that. "
00:10:00.24\00:10:02.67
So there is no sin
too big, too heinous
00:10:02.70\00:10:06.60
or that lasted too
long for God to forgive.
00:10:06.63\00:10:09.63
Is it gonna be a
hard to climbed out of it?
00:10:09.66\00:10:11.27
Absolutely! But
Gods power is there.
00:10:11.30\00:10:14.80
And we know from science that as
you make new choices your brain
00:10:14.83\00:10:18.74
begins to remake
itself. Rebuild itself.
00:10:18.77\00:10:20.83
Remap itself. So God
designed us for recovery,
00:10:20.86\00:10:24.62
renewal and restoration.
That's a loving God.
00:10:24.65\00:10:27.71
Absolutely. That's great.
00:10:27.74\00:10:29.36
So don't despair. Ok, now.
00:10:29.39\00:10:31.80
So let me talk. Let's go back to
00:10:31.83\00:10:34.52
family a little bit.
we're talking about the...
00:10:34.55\00:10:36.84
You know, Lot's
family. As the story goes on,
00:10:36.87\00:10:39.73
If you read on
there in Genesis 19,
00:10:39.76\00:10:41.50
what happens is after
the cities are destroyed,
00:10:41.53\00:10:44.06
Lot and his two daughters cause
the wife became a pillar of salt
00:10:44.09\00:10:47.50
they go to the city of Zoar
and the daughters figured that
00:10:47.53\00:10:52.49
everybody has been annihilated
except for their father.
00:10:52.52\00:10:55.44
And in order to continue on the
family name they decided to get
00:10:55.47\00:10:59.39
their father drunk
and sleep with him.
00:10:59.42\00:11:01.27
Which is really. I
mean sometimes people read
00:11:01.30\00:11:03.91
this and they say,
"Why is this in the Bible?"
00:11:03.94\00:11:06.41
God is just trying to
shows us to the depravity of sin
00:11:06.44\00:11:08.59
which we talk about in a minute.
So both of his daughters get
00:11:08.62\00:11:12.86
pregnant by their father
and end up having what becomes
00:11:12.89\00:11:16.68
the Nation of Ammon, and the
Nation of Moab which became two
00:11:16.71\00:11:21.98
key enemies of God's people
and there's a lot in there
00:11:22.01\00:11:24.38
that we're looking at.
But what I want to talk about
00:11:24.41\00:11:27.73
is just, you
know, that how could
00:11:27.76\00:11:30.42
somebody like Lot who would come
out with his Uncle Abraham from
00:11:30.45\00:11:35.39
the land of Err. Come
out to take stand on God.
00:11:35.42\00:11:38.94
Following God.
Putting God first in his life.
00:11:38.97\00:11:41.36
And wreck his
family the way that he did.
00:11:41.39\00:11:44.65
I mean his
daughters and Son's in law
00:11:44.69\00:11:47.92
wouldn't even come
out of the city of Sodom.
00:11:47.95\00:11:49.44
His wife turns back
become a pillars of salt.
00:11:49.47\00:11:51.81
his Daughters here are so
corrupted in their mind that,
00:11:51.84\00:11:56.46
because of their time in
Sodom. What happened here,
00:11:56.49\00:11:58.76
for the families watching
who don't wanna make the mistake
00:11:58.79\00:12:02.38
with their families.
00:12:02.41\00:12:03.38
You know, I've shared
it before with our family
00:12:03.39\00:12:09.32
because I wanna
draw closer to the Lord;
00:12:09.35\00:12:11.57
I have what I
called a wilderness
00:12:11.60\00:12:13.26
experience and we all can have
00:12:13.29\00:12:14.92
wilderness
experience where we're at today.
00:12:14.95\00:12:16.57
But to me that
wilderness experience,
00:12:16.60\00:12:18.77
if you look at Moses, he
had a wilderness experience.
00:12:18.80\00:12:20.87
But I went out the woods.
We home school our children.
00:12:20.90\00:12:23.59
Not that
everyone has to do that.
00:12:23.62\00:12:25.19
Maybe everybody can. But
I believe it's everything
00:12:25.22\00:12:30.64
to do about the father.
He's the priest of the household
00:12:30.67\00:12:33.72
He is the leader.
Someone has to be a leader.
00:12:33.75\00:12:36.48
It doesn't mean that the wife or
the woman isn't just as smart.
00:12:36.51\00:12:40.79
You know isn't it
amazing if you go back.
00:12:40.82\00:12:42.96
Just go back a
little bit with the Levi.
00:12:42.99\00:12:45.13
I mean, the Levis were not
smarter than the rest of the
00:12:45.16\00:12:47.95
eleven tribes of Israel.
But God appointed a tribe,
00:12:47.98\00:12:51.08
of course, it was
something they did.
00:12:51.11\00:12:52.48
they did not fall
down to that calf.
00:12:52.51\00:12:53.86
They had leadership.
00:12:53.89\00:12:54.86
They had leadership and
they didn't go down to the...
00:12:54.87\00:12:56.39
They didn't start
worshipping that golden calf
00:12:56.42\00:12:58.17
But the point is God
put them in charge of the
00:12:58.20\00:13:01.43
priestly responsibilities.
It wasn't that they were
00:13:01.46\00:13:04.61
the smartest
men and women on the
00:13:04.64\00:13:06.35
face in the Earth. He
said this is what I want
00:13:06.38\00:13:08.19
and you know, you give them
the core dates in the bible.
00:13:08.22\00:13:10.12
We won't go there but
they were all just jealous.
00:13:10.15\00:13:12.08
They said, "We're just
as holy as you, Moses. "
00:13:12.11\00:13:13.94
The point of this, God appoints
certain responsibilities
00:13:13.97\00:13:17.15
to certain... I was
asking Deb the other
00:13:17.18\00:13:18.94
day and I know,
you might laugh at this
00:13:18.97\00:13:20.36
but I did it to make fun.
00:13:20.39\00:13:21.52
I said, "Deb, I just
don't think it's fair that guys
00:13:21.55\00:13:23.52
can't have babies. "
She said, "Well, you never
00:13:23.55\00:13:25.58
can take the pain. "
00:13:25.61\00:13:26.58
You know, and so we
laughed about it but I said,
00:13:26.59\00:13:28.48
"But why can't
a man have a baby?
00:13:28.51\00:13:29.91
God could have created
man to have babies too. "
00:13:29.94\00:13:32.51
It says, "God
created man and women to have
00:13:32.54\00:13:36.08
certain roles. It
wasn't about how smart
00:13:36.11\00:13:37.85
they were. And
we have to trust God
00:13:37.88\00:13:39.73
on those roles. And
Lot did not take care
00:13:39.76\00:13:42.04
of his role. I
mean, you think about it.
00:13:42.07\00:13:43.39
Number one, he was selfish.
He should have never went into
00:13:43.42\00:13:46.71
the city. But before that,
00:13:46.74\00:13:47.82
he should have
allowed Abraham as we talked
00:13:47.85\00:13:50.08
to make the first
choice. Then he pitched his tent
00:13:50.11\00:13:53.32
and I imagine his
wife and said, "Come on.
00:13:53.35\00:13:55.77
It's safer in
there. They have walls.
00:13:55.80\00:13:59.69
We've got walls. The
shopping is better in there.
00:13:59.72\00:14:02.12
I mean, I have to get on my
camel and I have to ride that
00:14:02.15\00:14:05.34
thing in there and I have to
find a place for it to park it
00:14:05.37\00:14:07.91
sort of speaking. I
mean, think about all this.
00:14:07.94\00:14:09.52
It's just
inconvenient to live out here
00:14:09.55\00:14:11.90
when we can have
all these conveniences.
00:14:11.93\00:14:13.36
And a better school over there.
00:14:13.39\00:14:15.19
Our daughters,
there's more friends there.
00:14:15.22\00:14:16.75
I mean, they're living out here.
00:14:16.78\00:14:17.75
They'll know you're gonna
grow up to know anybody. "
00:14:17.76\00:14:19.35
There's a lot of excuses. And
Lot, as a priest, he gave in.
00:14:19.38\00:14:25.53
The Christian
principle that we see in this,
00:14:25.56\00:14:27.83
as Christians, as followers
of the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:14:27.86\00:14:31.57
we don't make decisions
like the world makes decisions.
00:14:31.60\00:14:34.88
Our decisions are
not based on convenience.
00:14:34.91\00:14:37.89
They are based on
Spiritual Eternity.
00:14:37.92\00:14:40.24
They're based on what does
God say, not what does man say.
00:14:40.27\00:14:44.11
Abraham based his life on,
God what do you want me to do?
00:14:44.14\00:14:47.50
Lot seemed to base his
life, based on the evidence of
00:14:47.53\00:14:51.07
what's best for me.
00:14:51.10\00:14:52.17
Yeah that's right!
00:14:52.20\00:14:53.33
Based on worldly consideration.
The minute we let worldly
00:14:53.36\00:14:57.18
consideration,
dictates spiritual decisions,
00:14:57.21\00:15:00.05
how you raise your family.
That's a spiritual decision.
00:15:00.08\00:15:02.63
How you treat your family.
That's a spiritual decision.
00:15:02.66\00:15:05.23
So when we use worldly
methods, like you know.
00:15:05.26\00:15:09.30
Sarah used a worldly method
to solve a spiritual problem.
00:15:09.33\00:15:12.61
God said that he was gonna
have, that Abraham gonna have,
00:15:12.64\00:15:14.97
the seed of Jesus
would come through him.
00:15:15.00\00:15:16.87
He didn't have any children.
So Sarah say's, "Hey let's use
00:15:16.90\00:15:19.44
a worldly method.
Take my concubine.
00:15:19.47\00:15:21.69
You know, take my servant.
" That's a worldly solution
00:15:21.72\00:15:25.94
to a Spiritual problem.
So Lot did the same thing.
00:15:25.97\00:15:28.92
You take it. We
as Christians need
00:15:28.95\00:15:30.94
to make sure that we are
not using worldly standards
00:15:30.97\00:15:35.04
to solve spiritual issues.
00:15:35.07\00:15:37.09
How I treat my
family? How I worship God?
00:15:37.12\00:15:38.93
Where I'm gonna live?
God has given us counsel
00:15:38.96\00:15:41.23
on those things. Absolutely!
00:15:41.26\00:15:42.23
You know, I wanna speak to this
idea of leadership for a minute.
00:15:42.24\00:15:45.33
As a Pastor, one
thing I've notice is that
00:15:45.36\00:15:48.43
there tend to be more women
in our congregations today than
00:15:48.46\00:15:53.81
there are men.
Actually, spiritual leaders.
00:15:53.84\00:15:56.18
Sometimes the
family comes as a couple
00:15:56.21\00:15:57.54
but I have a lot of
women that will come to church
00:15:57.57\00:15:59.52
even with their kids
and the father's not there.
00:15:59.55\00:16:02.60
And I wanna go back to this.
You know, I point it out to
00:16:02.63\00:16:05.61
people in the Book of Genesis.
And I think you accurately
00:16:05.64\00:16:07.74
point it out that God
never expected the man to be
00:16:07.77\00:16:10.76
a dictator in his
home. That wasn't the idea.
00:16:10.79\00:16:13.00
You know, what's happened is
our society in fighting against
00:16:13.03\00:16:16.42
men who perverted the role and
become dictators has swung the
00:16:16.45\00:16:20.55
other direction so that now
the man hasn't even expected
00:16:20.58\00:16:23.58
to be a leader. And I
think if we go back to
00:16:23.61\00:16:26.66
the bible and
look very carefully.
00:16:26.69\00:16:27.79
Even in the very beginning
00:16:27.82\00:16:28.79
when man sinned, God
didn't come to the woman
00:16:28.81\00:16:32.37
but he came to
the man very first.
00:16:32.40\00:16:35.67
And when the Bible
record sin in the book of Roman
00:16:35.70\00:16:38.12
it says, "By one man
sinned into the World"
00:16:38.15\00:16:40.19
It doesn't say by one
woman even though she ate first.
00:16:40.22\00:16:42.32
Then so it shows us that God
holds the man responsible for
00:16:42.35\00:16:46.93
the spirituality of his family.
And I think it's important
00:16:46.96\00:16:50.17
in this story of
Lot. That you know,
00:16:50.20\00:16:52.41
this is what
we're talking about,
00:16:52.44\00:16:53.41
is Lot neglected the spiritual.
You know, even if his wife said
00:16:53.42\00:16:57.30
you know it's
more convenient and
00:16:57.33\00:16:58.81
this would be
easier for me here.
00:16:58.85\00:17:00.26
As a spiritual
leader, Lot should evaluated,
00:17:00.30\00:17:03.00
as Dane said, not
from the convenient stand
00:17:03.03\00:17:06.10
point but from the
spiritual stand point and been
00:17:06.13\00:17:08.20
able to tell his
family and tell as wife,
00:17:08.23\00:17:10.07
"You know, honey, I understand
the convenience aspect but
00:17:10.10\00:17:12.62
But the
spirituality of this family is
00:17:12.65\00:17:14.97
what's most important. "
00:17:15.00\00:17:15.97
By beholding, we're
gonna become changed.
00:17:15.98\00:17:18.36
Look, we have our
children to be concerned about.
00:17:18.39\00:17:20.57
You can see what's
going on that city.
00:17:20.60\00:17:22.66
And if they grow up in this,
what looks evil to us today,
00:17:22.69\00:17:27.17
10 Years from today
might not look so evil.
00:17:27.20\00:17:29.75
When I think
that's what happened.
00:17:29.78\00:17:30.81
A powerful point in this,
you compare Lot with Abraham.
00:17:30.84\00:17:33.83
When Abraham took
Isaac, up to Mount Horeb.
00:17:33.86\00:17:36.81
Yeah, Mount Horeb, to
sacrifice as a sacrifice.
00:17:36.84\00:17:40.73
When he said to that 18
old boy, Abraham by that time
00:17:40.93\00:17:45.15
is about 110, 115 years old
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.56
he looks at an 18
year old boy and say's,
00:17:47.59\00:17:48.91
"God told me to kill
you today. " Because...
00:17:48.94\00:17:52.96
Isaac had seen
leadership in his father,
00:17:52.99\00:17:59.82
consistently, he didn't
even question his father.
00:17:59.85\00:18:02.51
He said, "Dad if you
say it, I believe it. "
00:18:02.54\00:18:04.30
And is says in
the Bible that Abraham
00:18:04.33\00:18:07.93
commanded his
household after him.
00:18:07.96\00:18:10.18
I mean, there's
a huge difference.
00:18:10.21\00:18:12.73
And Lot on the other side of it,
00:18:12.76\00:18:14.29
he allows this to happen.
However, I mean, we could be
00:18:14.32\00:18:18.48
speculating some but we know
that they end up in the city.
00:18:18.51\00:18:21.48
And the reason we're
saying this is because
00:18:21.51\00:18:23.05
when he does decide to get out,
00:18:23.08\00:18:25.27
They can't live.
00:18:25.30\00:18:26.27
Nobody wants to go. And the...
00:18:26.28\00:18:27.91
But listen, what so
important about this is
00:18:27.94\00:18:31.45
even though Lot finally,
when the angel grabs his hand
00:18:31.48\00:18:35.19
and is dragging
him out of that city,
00:18:35.22\00:18:37.15
what did he say? "I
might get eaten by a lion
00:18:37.18\00:18:40.04
if I go to the
mountain. Let me go to Zoar
00:18:40.07\00:18:42.58
for it is a small
plain. He doesn't call it Zoar
00:18:42.61\00:18:44.93
at that time. He
says, "Let me go down here
00:18:44.97\00:18:46.56
for it's a small.
Zoar means small place.
00:18:46.59\00:18:48.96
He says it's a small.
In other words he's saying,
00:18:48.99\00:18:51.03
"Well, the big cities are
wicked but the little cities are
00:18:51.06\00:18:53.90
gonna be ok. Even
though they were all
00:18:53.93\00:18:55.44
homosexual cities.
Sin perverts judgment.
00:18:55.47\00:18:59.59
And Lot had a
problem. He didn't see
00:18:59.62\00:19:02.64
the sinfulness of sin.
00:19:02.67\00:19:03.64
Well, and it's amazing that
when we moved out to Montana,
00:19:03.65\00:19:08.01
we move out to
Montana, we were 50 miles from
00:19:08.04\00:19:10.81
the nearest town. With
grizzly bears that would
00:19:10.84\00:19:12.93
come to our yard. And
when people would come up
00:19:12.96\00:19:14.85
to our place, they would say,
00:19:14.88\00:19:16.78
"Dwight, aren't you
afraid of your children?
00:19:16.81\00:19:19.96
They're out in
the yard. I mean...
00:19:19.99\00:19:21.06
Cause we would have, seriously,
00:19:21.09\00:19:22.32
We would have bears would come
up into our yard while our kids
00:19:22.35\00:19:25.15
are playing out there.
And we always had prayer, say,
00:19:25.18\00:19:26.97
"Lord, we have guardian
angels and they protect us. "
00:19:27.00\00:19:29.47
And again that's another
story. But God does protect us.
00:19:29.50\00:19:34.28
but when we...
00:19:34.31\00:19:35.28
So long as we're
not being presumptuous.
00:19:35.29\00:19:36.34
Yeah. As long as
they're not being presumptuous.
00:19:36.37\00:19:37.99
We tell the kids.
Please don't go up
00:19:38.02\00:19:39.63
and try to hit
the bears or pet them.
00:19:39.66\00:19:40.79
They just don't do
that. But when we go against
00:19:40.82\00:19:44.04
God knowingly,
then his protection...
00:19:44.07\00:19:46.75
His hands are like tight
because Satan says, "Look at,
00:19:46.78\00:19:50.24
they're not..
They're knowingly are doing
00:19:50.27\00:19:52.63
wrong and you can't
break the rules guys.
00:19:52.66\00:19:55.21
So there mine. "
Cause you're either for God
00:19:55.24\00:19:57.29
or against God.
That doesn't mean that
00:19:57.32\00:19:58.36
God has left you.
It just means that
00:19:58.39\00:19:59.80
there's consequences.
And so the thing with this,
00:19:59.83\00:20:02.56
here Lot was so
afraid of what was out there.
00:20:02.59\00:20:07.02
The bees, the wild
bees. Not afraid of the city
00:20:07.05\00:20:09.32
where God could have
protected them there.
00:20:09.35\00:20:11.37
And yet in that city of Zoar,
what happened, it wasn't long
00:20:11.40\00:20:14.38
before he was so
afraid of that city.
00:20:14.41\00:20:16.06
He left and went up to
the mountains to a cave.
00:20:16.09\00:20:18.22
I mean, he just went
flap foot flap so much.
00:20:18.25\00:20:20.81
The bible says in
James, "An unstable man is..
00:20:20.84\00:20:24.55
A man that doesn't
have God is like the waves
00:20:24.58\00:20:26.79
of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed. "
00:20:26.82\00:20:28.64
They make a decision.
They're against the decision.
00:20:28.67\00:20:30.32
They make a decision
or against the decision.
00:20:30.35\00:20:31.60
Why? Because they're going
00:20:31.63\00:20:33.15
by worldly standards. Now.
00:20:33.18\00:20:35.46
The Good news of the story is
that in the Book of 2nd Peter.
00:20:35.49\00:20:40.17
If you look at 2nd Peter
chapter 2 verse 7, it says,
00:20:40.20\00:20:44.19
So in the end,
something happened.
00:20:57.00\00:21:00.05
Lot finally had an "Aha!" moment
00:21:00.08\00:21:01.66
Where you see,
you know what Lord,
00:21:01.69\00:21:02.68
I really messed up.
And God forgave him.
00:21:02.71\00:21:05.66
Amen. And that means?
00:21:05.69\00:21:06.82
He forgave him.
00:21:06.85\00:21:07.82
That is so neat.
00:21:07.83\00:21:09.10
And that's why you never ever,
you want to read this stories
00:21:09.13\00:21:12.70
and take hard because we
have such a forgiving God.
00:21:12.73\00:21:16.71
He loves us so much but
we need to admit our fault.
00:21:16.74\00:21:19.38
If we don't admit, like
you said the disciple of sin
00:21:19.41\00:21:21.61
you've got to know it.
00:21:21.64\00:21:22.61
Yeah, we don't want to
wait. We don't want to wait
00:21:22.62\00:21:24.21
to have our "Aha! " moment.
00:21:24.24\00:21:25.39
For the angel to come
and pull us by the hand
00:21:25.42\00:21:27.38
out of the city. Because...
00:21:27.41\00:21:28.89
Because he lost everything.
00:21:28.92\00:21:29.92
Yeah, he could
have. He could have gain.
00:21:29.95\00:21:31.53
And let's talk
about that just briefly.
00:21:31.56\00:21:33.28
We talked about it earlier.
So because Lot chose the plains.
00:21:33.31\00:21:37.79
You know the land of Sodom, he
got everything he wanted, right?
00:21:37.82\00:21:41.37
While Abraham, he got the
short end of the stick, right?
00:21:41.40\00:21:43.40
At first it seemed that way.
00:21:43.43\00:21:45.47
Yeah, it seem that way,
but what ended up happening?
00:21:45.50\00:21:47.35
It ended up happening
that everything Lot thought
00:21:47.38\00:21:49.88
he would get, he lost.
Everything you thought Abraham
00:21:49.91\00:21:53.05
wouldn't have, Abraham got.
But that's the way God works.
00:21:53.08\00:21:56.64
God says I will
stand for the righteous.
00:21:56.67\00:21:58.64
I will honor
those that honor me.
00:21:58.67\00:21:59.92
That's right! You know!
00:21:59.95\00:22:00.92
So Lot ends up
really losing everything.
00:22:00.93\00:22:04.70
Lot put his family
first. He put his own
00:22:04.73\00:22:07.86
considerations
first. And I say he put his
00:22:07.89\00:22:09.43
family first.
The reality is if we
00:22:09.46\00:22:11.57
don't put God first,
our family isn't first.
00:22:11.60\00:22:13.51
Because the only way, you know,
00:22:14.16\00:22:15.36
I've talked to
church members about this.
00:22:15.39\00:22:17.71
There's nobody who
cares about our families more
00:22:17.74\00:22:19.57
than God does. And
the best thing we can do
00:22:19.60\00:22:21.45
with our
families is put God first.
00:22:21.48\00:22:23.06
And Lot, he put
his own interest first.
00:22:23.09\00:22:25.00
He put his
family's conveniences first.
00:22:25.03\00:22:26.46
He didn't act as
a spiritual leader.
00:22:26.49\00:22:27.97
And like you said,
he lost everything.
00:22:28.00\00:22:30.10
I don't think we're
gonna understand until we make
00:22:30.13\00:22:32.97
it to Heaven. How
critical male leadership is.
00:22:33.00\00:22:37.40
I don't think we understand
it even those of us who are
00:22:37.43\00:22:39.84
trying to. It's
a hard job because
00:22:39.87\00:22:42.37
everything in our
society demeans man.
00:22:42.40\00:22:44.75
Situation comedies demean man.
00:22:44.78\00:22:46.72
Commercials demean man.
Women's liberation demeans man.
00:22:46.75\00:22:50.25
Satan is trying to put man
in a cubicle refills worthless.
00:22:50.28\00:22:53.99
It's the only thing man is
good for is earn a pay check.
00:22:54.02\00:22:56.19
Man judges his worth on this
society by how big a car he has,
00:22:56.22\00:23:00.00
a big a house he has, how
much money has his bank account.
00:23:00.03\00:23:02.46
God say's that
doesn't mean anything.
00:23:02.49\00:23:04.36
Or maybe what
his credentials are.
00:23:04.39\00:23:05.56
Yeah, God says what is
important to me is character.
00:23:05.59\00:23:09.65
Are you willing to
take the tough stands.
00:23:10.19\00:23:12.51
You know, the beautiful
thing about this whole thing is
00:23:12.54\00:23:14.53
Jesus uses the marriage
relationship many times in the
00:23:14.56\00:23:17.44
bible to describe
his role to the church.
00:23:17.47\00:23:19.72
And just like Jesus
said, I and my father are one.
00:23:19.75\00:23:22.90
He still said my
Father is greater than I.
00:23:22.93\00:23:25.86
So what does that show?
In a marriage relationship,
00:23:25.89\00:23:28.78
the husband and wife are equal
in every way but the husband
00:23:28.81\00:23:32.82
in God's eyes is the
final authority in the home.
00:23:32.85\00:23:35.40
Absolutely.
00:23:35.43\00:23:36.40
That's the way it is.
00:23:36.41\00:23:37.38
Okay, we got a few seconds
before we have to take a break.
00:23:37.39\00:23:41.24
You have a comment?
00:23:41.27\00:23:42.43
Well, again, let's not
wait to have our "Aha!" moment.
00:23:42.46\00:23:46.05
I think we need
to make sure that
00:23:46.08\00:23:47.88
when we see ourselves in a wrong
position look at God's mercy
00:23:47.91\00:23:51.81
expressed in this story and say,
"Hey, let me return to God with
00:23:51.84\00:23:54.62
all my heart now. And
maybe I've made mistake
00:23:54.65\00:23:56.52
with my family,
with my children.
00:23:56.55\00:23:57.88
Then let me return to the Lord
with all my heart and plead with
00:23:57.91\00:24:00.96
the Lord to have
mercy on me and my family.
00:24:00.99\00:24:03.05
And help me to pick up
what I've dropped in the past. "
00:24:03.08\00:24:05.79
And remember
the power of prayer.
00:24:05.82\00:24:07.50
Even if your children don't
come along with you right away.
00:24:07.53\00:24:10.05
Don't give up. Keep praying.
00:24:10.08\00:24:13.19
God answers prayer.
00:24:13.22\00:24:14.91
Okay, we're gonna
take a short break.
00:24:14.94\00:24:18.14
Don't leave us.
We'll be right back.
00:24:18.17\00:24:20.38
Welcome to the last
study Bible you'll ever need.
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The new Remnant Study Bible
has all the study aids serious
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00:24:31.83\00:24:33.91
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00:24:33.94\00:24:36.07
an extensive concordance,
00:24:36.10\00:24:37.61
over 40,000 cross references,
words of Christ in red,
00:24:37.64\00:24:41.43
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with hundreds of other study
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From the hottest pen since the
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and the 2300 Day Prophecy.
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Equip yourself today.
00:26:20.34\00:26:22.56
Thanks for sticking with
us. We're gonna wrap this up
00:26:25.28\00:26:27.59
But I wanna make a plea
with you in a couple of points.
00:26:27.62\00:26:32.19
We talked a lot this time about
how important it is husbands,
00:26:32.22\00:26:37.33
men to be leaders.
And wives and women,
00:26:37.36\00:26:41.18
let the men be
leaders but leaders in Christ.
00:26:41.21\00:26:44.46
Men don't be dictators.
You know, with my wife,
00:26:44.49\00:26:47.77
she's always said that she wants
me to lead and we don't always
00:26:47.80\00:26:51.56
agree on everything.
And I love her so much,
00:26:51.59\00:26:53.69
like the bible says we
need to love our wives more
00:26:53.72\00:26:57.23
than ourselves. And
so when I have to make a
00:26:57.26\00:26:59.87
decision, she knows that I'm
00:26:59.90\00:27:02.32
thinking of her.
It's not because of my
00:27:02.35\00:27:03.77
selfish decisions. Why?
00:27:03.80\00:27:05.25
Because every day that goes
by, I'm doing all that I can
00:27:05.28\00:27:09.52
to please her. I
want her to be happy.
00:27:09.55\00:27:11.65
And that's so
important. Never forget that.
00:27:11.68\00:27:14.06
The other thing is
this, Lot, in Chapter 19 of
00:27:14.09\00:27:17.70
Genesis here,
because he wasn't the leader
00:27:17.73\00:27:20.32
that he should have
been, when it finally came
00:27:20.35\00:27:22.46
to crunch time, when
those angels told him,
00:27:22.49\00:27:26.03
"You've got to go
to your sons-in-law.
00:27:26.06\00:27:28.36
Go to your
daughters. Go to your friends.
00:27:28.39\00:27:31.06
Anybody that will listen
to you because this city will
00:27:31.09\00:27:33.84
be destroyed. And he went there.
00:27:33.87\00:27:35.93
And think of what it
says in Genesis there.
00:27:35.96\00:27:37.95
It says that his son
in laws laughed at him.
00:27:37.98\00:27:40.97
They mocked him. Why?
00:27:41.00\00:27:42.40
Because they did not
think he was serious.
00:27:42.43\00:27:43.76
you know why?
Because all those years
00:27:43.79\00:27:45.34
in that city, even
though Abraham was vexed,
00:27:45.37\00:27:47.78
it says all those
years what took place?
00:27:47.81\00:27:50.22
His walk was
different than his talk.
00:27:50.25\00:27:54.16
And you and I need
to be walking a walk.
00:27:54.19\00:27:56.65
Because sometimes we don't
get, we're not getting anywhere
00:27:56.68\00:27:59.09
with our families because
we're saying things but were not
00:27:59.12\00:28:01.04
living it. And I'm asking you to
00:28:01.07\00:28:03.35
ask the Lord to
come into your lives
00:28:03.38\00:28:04.64
and to live that
life of Jesus Christ.
00:28:04.67\00:28:08.11
Let's learn to walk the walk.
Then when we're serious people
00:28:08.14\00:28:11.52
will believe us
because of our testimony.
00:28:11.55\00:28:13.22
And so practice that and
we'll be praying for you.
00:28:13.25\00:28:17.22
And until the
next time we see you,
00:28:17.25\00:28:18.97
you know that you can
have a better way of life.
00:28:19.00\00:28:21.68
So what? Don't, put it off.
00:28:21.71\00:28:24.47