Participants: John Lomacang, Pastor
Series Code: POF
Program Code: POF000008A
|
00:25 I would like to welcome every one of you to the
00:28 3ABN Worship Center right here in beautiful southern Illinois. 00:32 It's always a joy to have our 3ABN family to be a part of 00:37 these special events that we have. 00:39 And you know, we have 3ABN viewers from television, 00:42 we have 3ABN listeners from 3ABN radio, 00:46 and we just welcome every one of you. 00:49 You know, today we are continuing in our series, 00:53 of our, Pillars Of Faith. 00:55 And Pastor John Lomacang is our speaker. 00:58 And the name of his series is, The Anatomy of a Crisis. 01:02 This is the third sermon that he's done in this series. 01:07 The first one was, The Crisis in Heaven. 01:10 Then the second one, The Crisis in the Garden. 01:13 And we're continuing today with, The Crisis in the Family. 01:17 And it's always an honor for me to be able 01:20 to introduce Pastor Lomacang. 01:22 He's my pastor. 01:23 And he's the pastor of the 01:25 Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 01:27 who happens to be here in the 3ABN Worship Center. 01:32 But not only is Pastor Lomacang my pastor, 01:35 I'm honored to call him my friend. 01:38 And so he's going to be coming out here in just a moment 01:41 to share the crisis that's in the family. 01:43 And we know that's a real issue and a problem 01:46 in the world today. 01:48 But before he comes out, I want to share the scripture reading 01:52 before I share the prayer. 01:54 The scripture reading is Luke 17:32. 01:58 And the scripture reading is this, 02:00 "Remember Lot's wife." 02:03 Now let's pray and ask God, by the power of His Spirit, 02:07 to touch every one of our hearts to draw us into a closer 02:10 relationship with Him and be conformed to His image. 02:14 Father, I praise You and I thank You 02:16 for the power that's in Your Word to work a good work 02:19 within each one of us. 02:21 And I thank You, Father, for the gift and the calling 02:25 that You have placed upon Pastor Lomacang's life. 02:28 And I ask now, oh Father, that You would stir up that gift 02:31 that is within him. 02:32 Let that anointing flow forth and touch 02:35 every one of our hearts. 02:36 I pray for every person that's listening to this sermon, 02:40 and every person that's watching and viewing, 02:42 Father, that You would touch all of our hearts. 02:45 Open us up, oh God, and let us be vessels 02:48 that You can flow through; 02:50 vessels, Lord, that will hear Your word, 02:52 receive Your word, change and be conformed 02:55 to Your very image and likeness. 02:57 And we praise You and thank You for it. 02:59 In Jesus' name, amen. 03:01 Now I invite Pastor Lomacang to come. 03:04 Pastor, we certainly do welcome you. 03:06 Thank you, Mollie. Thank you very much. 03:09 And thank you, friends, for joining us for this 03:12 continued series, The Anatomy of the Crisis. 03:16 Surely we live in a world that's replete with crises 03:19 of every description. 03:21 And the crisis in the family is no less important than 03:24 all the other crises that we face and talked about thus far. 03:29 And I asked Mollie to pray for us today, and I'm going to 03:32 allow that pray to be sufficient. 03:35 But as I get into the message, I want you to put your 03:38 thinking caps on today because the scripture reading 03:42 is one of the shortest verses in the Bible. 03:45 The only one that challenges it is, "Jesus Wept." 03:49 This is a verse with only three words in it. 03:53 "Remember Lot's wife." 03:55 And when you approach the scriptures, you discover 03:59 that nothing inflames the desire of a preacher more than 04:03 trying to discover what those three words mean. 04:07 Every word has a very significant meaning behind it. 04:13 "Remember," for example. 04:14 You find the Bible replete with the word, "remember." 04:17 "Remember the Creator in the days of thy youth." 04:19 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." 04:22 The thief says to Jesus, "Remember me when 04:24 You come into Your kingdom." 04:26 And it screams at us, to say to us, it is of utmost eternal 04:33 importance when the Bible says to remember, 04:36 that we not forget. 04:38 And so, not only is the word, "remember," 04:40 included in the verse, but the name of a man. 04:44 "Lot" 04:45 And I would say, when you consider how the story 04:48 of Lot's life unfolds, Lot was in a lot of trouble. 04:53 And so today we're going to see our families, 04:56 whatever the description of your family, 04:58 whether American, or from Australia, or from New Guinea, 05:01 or from the Caribbean, or from the Philippines, 05:03 wherever you may be from, you could be from Mexico or Canada, 05:07 wherever you're from, you might see the anatomy of the crisis 05:12 that may have come or can be forming in your family. 05:15 And hopefully you can receive the instruction of God's word 05:19 to find a way around the crisis. 05:21 And truly, the only way around any crisis 05:23 is by the blood of Jesus. 05:28 The third word in this short scripture, 05:30 Luke 17:32, is, "wife." 05:33 After being married 32 years, going on 33, I can honestly say 05:38 that the wife you choose, or the wife that chooses you, 05:43 can either enhance your life or destroy your life. 05:47 The mate that you choose, the husband that you choose, 05:50 the spouse that you choose, can either enhance 05:54 or turn your life into a life long experience of misery. 06:00 And so we're going to see so many components 06:02 in this sermon today. 06:03 "Remember..." Do not forget when God says, "remember." 06:06 "Lot..." Who are you and what impact do your decisions have 06:11 on your spouse? 06:12 And may of you know the end of the story, 06:14 but I'll hold onto that so that I can release that later on. 06:17 And then your spouse, the wife. 06:19 What did she do that has been forever chronicled 06:23 in the pages of God's Word? 06:27 Now Lot was not by himself. 06:29 Lot was the cousin of a man by the name of Abram, 06:33 who later on by God's grace changed his name to Abraham. 06:37 Abram and Lot were richly blessed by the Lord. 06:42 For a time they lived in the land of Canaan. 06:46 But because they were blessed with the abundance 06:48 of livestock, there was often strife between their herdsmen. 06:55 The herdsmen of Lot fought against the herdsmen 06:58 of Abram, his cousin. 06:59 And in order for the purpose of peace, 07:02 Abram decided to make a suggestion. 07:06 He says, his family... 07:08 And you'll discover this sometimes, some of the most 07:10 difficult situations to navigate is strife in the family. 07:15 I mean, think about that for a moment. 07:16 The Bible says a man's foes will be those of his own household. 07:22 And so we know today there's family disputes, 07:25 there's family division, family strife. 07:28 One person hates the other, the other one is not 07:31 talking to the other. 07:32 There are individuals in families that haven't 07:35 spoken for years. 07:37 And often times, something that could be easily handled 07:40 by a friend, a job or a co-worker, or someone that 07:44 you are casually acquainted with, can become a major crisis 07:47 in your family. 07:49 Often times we treat strangers better 07:52 than we treat family members. 07:54 I remember saying to one person that I know very well 07:56 that was a family member, and I knew that this individual 07:59 had a temper, and I said to that person, I said, 08:02 "Treat me like a stranger." 08:04 Because I noticed that whenever they met a stranger, 08:07 they always put their best foot forward. 08:10 They always smiled, they were always cordial. 08:13 If the stranger made a mistake, they were very quick to forgive. 08:16 And I said, "I'd like you to treat me like a stranger." 08:19 And they said, "What do you mean?" 08:21 I said, "I've noticed you are kinder to strangers 08:24 than you are to your family. 08:26 You hold them to such a strict standard. 08:28 You appear as though you are the only one that's perfect 08:32 in the family, and no one can make a faulty decision." 08:36 And so we see that Abram decided, "In order for 08:40 our family to be low on strife and high on unity, 08:45 we've got to make a decision." 08:46 They could not solve the decision among the people 08:49 that worked for them, for there was constant strife. 08:52 Sometimes their cattle herds were intermingled 08:56 and they argued whose sheep belonged to whom, 08:59 for whose cow belonged to whom, or whose goat belonged to whom. 09:02 And so they made a decision, found in Genesis 13:9. 09:07 Abram said to Lot, his cousin, "If you take the left, 09:13 then I will go to the right. 09:15 Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left." 09:22 In other words, "Whatever direction you go, 09:24 I'm going to go in the opposite direction." 09:26 And some of you feel that way today. 09:27 Some of you say to your family members, 09:29 "Wherever you're going, I'm not going. 09:31 Wherever I'm going, I'm not inviting you to go." 09:33 Because of the conditions that exist in our hearts, 09:36 our families are often at odds with each other. 09:39 Sometimes you have a family that you work with every day at work. 09:42 And you find that wherever certain people are, 09:44 you don't want to be there. 09:45 Have you ever felt that before? 09:47 There are some individuals in our family circles 09:49 that the moment we see them coming, feelings 09:53 of discomfort begin to rise in our spirit 09:57 and we begin to imagine what kind of conversation 10:00 we're going to have. 10:01 There are some family members that are always sick 10:04 no matter what the doctor does. 10:06 There are some family members that are always begging 10:09 for money no matter how much money they get. 10:12 There are some family members that are always finding fault 10:15 with someone else because they're not taking the time 10:18 to look at themselves. 10:19 And so Abram said to Lot, "We need to make decisions 10:24 to have a better family life. 10:26 And until that happens, you go left, I promise I will go right. 10:30 You go right, I promise I will go left." 10:34 And so Lot exercised his right to choose. 10:37 And the Bible said in Genesis 13:11-12, 10:41 "Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan..." 10:47 He looked out at what God had laid before him 10:51 and he chose all the plain of Jordan. 10:54 And it continues in verses 11 and 12 of Genesis 13, 10:59 "...and Lot journeyed east. 11:02 And they separated from each other. 11:05 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, 11:08 and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched 11:12 his tent even as far as Sodom." 11:17 When I read that scripture, I thought to myself, 11:19 what does the Bible mean, "even as far as Sodom"? 11:21 What that means is, it was obviously understood that 11:25 Sodom was such a city that the farther away from that city 11:29 that you can remain, the better. 11:32 But Abram decided that he was going to the west, 11:35 obviously because Lot decided to go to the east. 11:38 They went in opposite directions. 11:39 And Lot risked the future of his family by going even as far 11:47 away from Abram as the city of Sodom. 11:50 In other words, if you begin to understand the context 11:53 of the story, the very influences of Sodom began to 11:57 leak into the family of Lot. 12:00 His children, his wife, his sons, his daughters. 12:05 Obviously, the people that worked for him were affected 12:07 by the city of Sodom. 12:10 They went as far as Sodom. 12:13 You know, there's a point I want to make 12:14 that I don't want you to forget. 12:16 The environment we choose will influence our family. 12:21 The place we choose to live, the city we choose to live in, 12:26 the environment we choose to establish our families in, 12:29 will, without mistake, affect our family life. 12:33 I mean, there's no two ways about it. 12:35 It's not possible to live in darkness and find light. 12:40 It's not possible to live in degradation 12:43 and find exalted righteousness. 12:44 It's not possible to live in a city laden by corruption 12:49 and find peace. 12:51 Lot chose the city that would inevitably impact 12:55 those three words, "Remember Lot's wife." 12:59 You know, we're told about the importance of the company 13:02 we choose in 1 Corinthians 15:33. 13:05 Look at that verse with me. Look at it. 13:07 The Bible says, "Do not be deceived." 13:09 Very powerful. 13:11 "Evil company corrupts good habits." 13:16 When I was being raise, my mother would say, 13:17 "Choose your friends wisely." 13:19 And I'd say, "Why?" 13:20 She's say, "Because all friends are not always friends." 13:23 All the people that you associate with are not always 13:26 thinking the best for you. 13:28 Some people get close to you to find out ways of 13:32 bringing you down. 13:33 Some people get close to you just to become jealous of you. 13:38 Be careful. 13:39 "Evil company corrupts good habits." 13:42 Pray about the people you choose as friends. 13:46 Because not everybody that says they're a friend is a friend. 13:49 Matter of fact, the way that you can examine 13:51 whether or not a person really is a friend 13:53 is if they risk telling you things that you need to hear 13:57 rather than things that you want to hear. 14:00 Matter of fact, the wise man Solomon said, 14:03 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, 14:06 but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." 14:10 Look at scripture up in the book of Ecclesiastes. 14:12 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, 14:14 but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." 14:16 Sometimes our friends will tell us something that hurts us, 14:20 but they want to give us direction for the 14:24 blessings of our lives. 14:25 But our enemies will tell us what we want to hear. 14:28 You know what somebody once said? 14:31 You can always tell who your friends really are. 14:34 Friends continue to stay with you when all of your possessions 14:40 and your money is exhausted. 14:41 But people that are not really your friends, 14:43 they are there for your possessions, 14:45 for your finances, for your money. 14:47 And when that's exhausted, they're gone. 14:48 But a true friend will be with you, will support you, 14:52 will hang around you, will be the person you can lean on 14:56 even when you are at the lowest point of your life. 14:59 And some family members are that very same way. 15:02 You can trust them, you can rely on them, 15:05 you can call on them, because their great interest 15:08 is a relationship between you and themselves. 15:11 What a city Sodom was. 15:13 If you look at history and read what archaeologists 15:16 are beginning to discover about this location of the world, 15:20 some are saying that it was the most beautiful among the cities 15:23 of the Jordan valley. 15:24 All year long it was fertile with vegetation. 15:28 Abundant gardens, and even tropical plants 15:31 were in the city of Sodom. 15:32 It is said that some people, as gifts, brought certain plants 15:36 that could not naturally survive in other parts of the 15:39 Jordan plain but they did survive in the city of Sodom. 15:42 So Sodom was blessed with plants that could not exist 15:46 in other regions, but somehow would thrive 15:48 in the city of Sodom. 15:50 Sodom was covered with flocks and herds. 15:52 The hills that surrounded this great metropolis, 15:55 Sodom and Gomorrah, the sister cities, 15:58 were abundant with flocks and herd. 16:01 The influence of the city, art and strong industrial commerce, 16:06 encircled this proud city. 16:08 If I could make some comparison today, it would be like 16:10 New York City, or Chicago, or Los Angeles, 16:13 or Denver, Colorado, or Paris, or London. 16:18 Major cities. Australia, Dubai. 16:21 Major cities where there was no shortage of anything. 16:25 Strong industrial commerce. 16:28 Not only that, according to archaeology 16:31 the treasures of the east adorned her palaces. 16:35 Some of the most beautifully lavished structures 16:37 were in the city of Sodom. 16:39 Gorgeous buildings, lavished with gold and silver 16:42 and ornamentation. 16:44 And so Sodom was also a city that not only had great 16:47 influence at the ground level, but it was a city that attracted 16:50 the human eye. 16:52 When you walked among its streets, when you looked 16:54 at its buildings that seemed to have touched the skies, 16:57 you were influenced that this was a city like no other. 17:02 Not only that, caravans... 17:05 I could use the word today, trailer trucks. 17:07 ...filled with goods supplied her places of 17:10 trade day and night. 17:12 Sodom's highways were synonymous with the freeways 17:15 that lead into the large cities like New York, 17:18 Los Angeles, and San Francisco. 17:20 And everything that the human heart desired, 17:23 everything that the human heart could want, 17:26 could be found in Sodom. 17:28 But Sodom had a sister city. 17:31 Gomorrah. 17:32 And it matched her in almost every category. 17:38 Listen to Luke 12:15. 17:41 When you ever get surrounded by the things that seem to take 17:45 your attention away from the important avenues of life, 17:48 don't forget this verse. 17:50 Luke 12:15 17:52 "And He said to them," that is Jesus speaking, 17:54 "Take heed and beware of covetousness, 17:57 for one's life does not consist in the abundance 18:01 of the things he possesses." 18:02 You see, it's not what we possess, 18:04 but it's what possesses us. 18:06 Some people are possessed by their possessions. 18:09 There's nothing wrong with having possessions, 18:10 but don't let your possessions possess you. 18:13 Sodom was the city that possessed its inhabitants. 18:16 The possessions possessed those who 18:18 possessed these possessions. 18:20 Try to say that five times. 18:22 That's the kind of city it was. 18:23 You could walk down the streets and the store windows 18:25 were replete with choices of every kind of item. 18:28 The competition to sell was great. 18:30 And there was no lack in this great city. 18:32 But the one thing that this city lacked was the moral 18:35 fiber and character and the exalted presence of God. 18:40 The record goes on to say there was no problem 18:43 finding a job in Sodom. 18:44 Every walk of life could be supplied. 18:46 And the whole year seemed to be one round of festivity 18:50 and merrymaking. 18:52 Cities by cities, county by county, 18:55 community by community. 18:58 These cities had every desire, except a desire to know God. 19:03 Listen to Genesis 13:13 as this city is further described. 19:11 "But..." 19:13 You notice that verse 13 begins with the word, "but." 19:16 Reversing what verse 12 says. 19:17 "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked 19:22 and sinful against the LORD." 19:25 A city with so much, but it lacked the very element 19:28 that it needed. 19:29 The men were exceedingly sinful and exceedingly wicked 19:34 against the Lord. 19:35 I grew up in New York City. 19:37 And I remember in my younger days going to Manhattan 19:41 as a teenager, going to Manhattan when I was 19:45 there in my twenties. 19:46 And there was a particular street. 19:48 If you're a New Yorker, you know it. 19:50 It was called 42nd Street, between 8th Avenue and Broadway. 19:55 I would say it use to be the wickedest street in the entire 20:04 city of New York. 20:05 42nd Street. 20:07 It was not wicked. 20:09 It was exceedingly wicked. 20:10 It was not sinful. 20:12 It was exceedingly sinful. 20:14 You could walk down that street and people walked past you and 20:17 they'd try to sell you drugs. 20:18 I remember the words they use to say. 20:20 "Coke and speed and THC." 20:22 Trying to inadvertently sell their wares by telling you 20:27 the kind of drugs that they had on their possession, 20:30 on their person, to try to sell to you. 20:32 And it was hard to walk past one smut shop after the other. 20:36 The billboards were replete with immorality. 20:40 And people lined those cities. 20:43 Prostitutes and pimps and drug pushers. 20:46 But somebody, the mayor of the city of New York, 20:49 one day said, "Enough is enough." 20:51 And they cleaned up that city. 20:53 Now when you go to New York City, 42nd Street is now 20:55 synonymous, not with wickedness and sinfulness, 20:58 but 42nd Street is now looked at as a family street. 21:02 Family stores, family entertainment. 21:05 They cleaned up all the sinfulness and all the 21:08 wickedness of that city, of that particular street. 21:12 Well, when the Bible says that the men were exceedingly 21:14 wicked and sinful, it describes clearly 21:17 what kind of men they were. 21:19 Romans 1:21-24 21:22 I'm turning in my Bible there and I'm going to read 21:25 what the Bible says as it describes the men of Sodom. 21:28 Romans 1:21-24 21:32 The Bible says, "...because, although they knew God, 21:36 they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, 21:43 but became futile," or vain, "in their thoughts," 21:45 their imaginations, "and their foolish hearts were darkened," 21:50 the Bible says. 21:51 And then goes on to say, "Professing themselves to be 21:54 wise, they became fools..." 21:55 A city of intellectual stamina. 21:57 A city of intellectual giants. 21:59 They thought they were wise, but in fact, 22:01 when you put God out of your wisdom, the Bible says 22:04 they became fools. 22:06 And notice what else they did in verse 23. 22:09 "...and changed the glory of the incorruptible God 22:12 into an image made like corruptible man: 22:16 and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things." 22:20 And verse 24, "Therefore God also gave them up 22:23 to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, 22:28 to dishonor their bodies among themselves..." 22:33 You know, I want to just say this very carefully. 22:36 And I'm going to say this with as much love in my voice 22:38 as I possibly can. 22:39 We live in a world that is not just a location like 22:42 Sodom and Gomorrah, but all of our major cities 22:45 fit the description that the Bible just gave. 22:48 Cities of lust in their hearts, 22:51 dishonoring their bodies among themselves. 22:53 Men with men. 22:55 The Bible makes it clear. 22:56 I'll go to those verses in just a moment. 22:58 But to summarize, the Bible says they knew God 23:00 but did not give God the glory. 23:03 You know, when somebody says they don't know God, 23:05 they know of God, but they may not know God personally. 23:09 Because they use God's name in profanity. 23:11 They use God's name in blaming. 23:13 They use God's name when they want to look to someone 23:16 who they believe is responsible for their plight, 23:19 or their devastation, or their destruction. 23:22 The Bible says they were not thankful. 23:24 In other words, all they were concerned with was getting more, 23:27 and taking more, and having more. 23:29 But they never thanked God for even good health. 23:33 The Bible says their minds were filled with things that 23:37 were pointless and empty. 23:39 That's why you have to choose your entertainment nowadays. 23:42 I remember being in the city of New York a few years ago. 23:46 And the attraction of Time Square is being there 23:52 around midnight. 23:53 The later the hour, the brighter the lights. 23:56 And so my wife and I, just to remind ourselves 23:59 of the kind of city we were raised in, 24:00 we went to Time Square. 24:01 It seemed as though, in any other major city 24:03 it would have been quiet, but in Time Square 24:06 all the lights were flickering, the cars were passing by, 24:10 the buses were filled, 24:11 the taxi cabs were carrying there passengers. 24:14 And you could see sights and hear sounds of every 24:17 form of life in the city. 24:20 As a matter of fact, the temperature in Time Square 24:24 was warmer than off Time Square because it was so much lights. 24:28 So much neon lights, and led lights, and billboards that were 24:33 fifteen stories high of flickering lights. 24:35 The heat from these radiating lamps kept Time Square warmer 24:39 than other places. 24:41 But I'll never forget what I saw one evening. 24:43 It was about 11:30 in the evening. 24:45 And there was a long line that had formed for two blocks. 24:48 And I wondered what possibly could be the 24:50 reason for this long line. 24:52 Talking about being filled with pointless and empty things. 24:56 And I went and I inquired, and somebody said, 24:58 "Well, this long line is for the opening of Toys R Us." 25:04 And I said, "But Toys R Us has been opened for years." 25:06 They said, "No, they're closed right now, but 25:08 at midnight, at midnight they're going to open their doors 25:13 and they are going to unveil the newest gaming system." 25:17 And I said, "You've got to be kidding me. 25:20 This crowd that's two blocks long and curving around 25:26 the corner, they're waiting for a gaming system? 25:29 And they're going to buy it after the doors 25:30 open at midnight?" 25:33 And I thought to myself, amazing. 25:35 People will stand in line for two blocks, circling the block, 25:38 for a gaming system. 25:40 And on the other side of that, it's hard to get people to even 25:44 be interested in the things of God. 25:46 Stadiums are filled with fans, arenas are filled with fans, 25:51 theaters are filled with entertainment fans, 25:55 concert venues are filled with music fans, 25:58 stores are filled with merchandise fans. 26:01 But the churches are often empty in major cities, 26:04 because the cities give them pointless and empty things 26:09 on which to focus their minds. 26:11 The Bible goes on to say that their hearts were dark. 26:13 They could not be trusted. 26:15 They were wise in temporal things, but foolish concerning 26:18 those things that are eternal. 26:20 They distorted the meaning of God and saw Him as irrelevant. 26:24 Today one of the greatest downfalls of humanity 26:26 is they think that God doesn't count. 26:29 They say that God is old fashioned. 26:30 They even try to distort the description of God in the Bible. 26:34 They say He's an old man with a long beard and a white robe, 26:37 and He's irrelevant; doesn't fit into society today. 26:40 But I want to tell you, friends, that's a wrong approach to take 26:43 towards a God who is the only one that 26:46 can offer you hope and freedom and eternal life. 26:49 The Bible goes on to say and describe clearly 26:51 they worshiped, but they worshiped creatures 26:54 and creation, not the Creator. 26:57 They believed in the theory of evolution. 26:59 And some people believe somehow they were the result 27:01 of an explosion. 27:03 Friends, I want to remind you, we are not the result 27:05 of an explosion. 27:07 We are the result of the hand of the Almighty loving Creator. 27:12 God formed us, He molded us. 27:15 He made us in our image. 27:16 But the problem is, when you tell somebody 27:19 that they are an accident, they live that kind of life. 27:22 A life that is filled with accidents. 27:24 When you tell somebody that their ancestors are monkeys, 27:27 they start acting like their ancestors. 27:30 If you tell somebody that they came from the hand 27:32 of a wise God, a Creator, a Lord of great intelligence, 27:37 they begin to believe it, accept it, and live it out. 27:41 But in this city, they worshiped creatures and creation, 27:45 not the Creator. 27:46 And then the most debasing thing; they perverted love 27:50 and replaced it with demonic sexuality. 27:53 Look at Romans 1:26-27. 27:56 The family was influenced. 27:57 Lot's family was influenced by this kind of environment. 28:00 What a crisis in his family. 28:03 Verse 26 of Romans 1, "For this reason..." 28:06 The decisions that men made. 28:08 "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. 28:12 For even their women exchanged the natural use 28:16 for what is against nature." 28:18 Verse 27, "Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use 28:23 of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, 28:27 men with men committing what is shameful, 28:30 and receiving in themselves the penalty of their 28:33 error which was due." 28:35 In other words, like today. 28:36 Our world, our nation, America, has become... 28:39 It's joined the ranks of those who have taken another step 28:43 down in immorality. 28:44 Right now in America, same-sex marriage is being 28:49 touted as a great accomplishment. 28:51 Men marrying men, women marrying women. 28:54 But the Bible made it clear that this was not the plan that 28:58 God had from the Garden of Eden. 29:00 Men with men was not God's plan. 29:02 Can you imagine if God made two men in the garden? 29:05 There would be no procreation. 29:07 Because men cannot procreate with men. 29:09 If God made two women to be joined together, 29:12 women cannot procreate with women. 29:14 They cannot produce any seed, 29:16 they cannot produce any offspring. 29:18 Humanity would have died in the Garden of Eden. 29:21 So God's plan is the best. 29:22 A man to marry a woman, and a woman to marry a man. 29:27 Those two opposite sexes complete the image of God 29:32 in the human race. 29:34 So when man and woman comes together, 29:36 the image of God is represented in the human race. 29:40 That was not the case in Sodom. 29:41 But they also had one other problem that affected 29:43 the family of Lot. 29:45 Ezekiel 16:49 29:47 The Bible says, Ezekiel 16:49, "Now this was the sin 29:52 of your sister Sodom: 29:54 She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, 29:58 and unconcerned. 30:00 They did not help the poor and the needy." 30:04 They not only ignored God, 30:06 they also ignored the poor and the needy. 30:09 That was the environment that Lot and his family lived in. 30:12 But God had a plan. 30:14 You see, we are accountable about our attitude 30:16 and involvement with the less fortunate. 30:18 That's why the Bible says, "As much as you've done it 30:21 unto the least of these, My brethren, 30:23 you've done it unto Me." 30:25 Well, at the time that Lot moved to Sodom, 30:28 corruption had become almost wide spread. 30:32 And God, in His mercy, permitted rays of light to shine 30:36 amid this moral darkness. 30:38 For some time God pleaded with the inhabitants of Sodom, 30:41 but even God placed a limitation on the extent of the wickedness 30:46 of Sodom. 30:48 And that's why in these last days we have to be honest 30:50 about our stand with God. 30:52 And we have to be firm in our faith and our commitment 30:54 to the God of heaven. 30:56 Notice 2 Corinthians 6:17. 30:58 Look what the Lord says. 30:59 This applied to the city of Sodom. 31:01 This also applies to the cities of our day. 31:04 Listen to the words of the converted man 31:07 by the name of Paul. 31:08 2 Corinthians 6:17 31:11 The Bible says, "'Come out from among them 31:13 and be separate,' says the Lord. 31:15 'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'" 31:20 When the world wants to corrupt you, the Bible says, 31:22 "Come out from among them and be separate." 31:24 Separate yourselves from those polluting environments. 31:27 Separate yourselves from those elements of pollution. 31:30 Separate yourselves from the practices of pollution. 31:33 "Come out from among them and be separate, 31:35 and then I will receive you." 31:38 So remember that. 31:40 God does not receive the corrupt, 31:42 but He can clean the corrupt that they may be acceptable 31:46 in His presence. 31:48 He says, "Come out, be clean, and then I will receive you." 31:51 Mark Twain once said, "It is easier to stay out 31:55 than to get out." 31:56 It's easier to stay out of corruption than to 31:58 get out of corruption. 32:00 You see, friends, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah 32:03 were confined to the plains of the Jordan. 32:05 But today the same practices are found in cities 32:08 all over the world, the cities of our age. 32:11 A very important quotation I found in the book called, 32:14 Christ's Object Lessons, page 54-55. 32:17 Listen to the description of our world today. 32:20 "The cities of today are fast becoming 32:22 like Sodom and Gomorrah. 32:25 The many holidays encourage idleness. 32:28 The exciting sports: theater-going, horse racing, 32:31 gambling, liquor drinking, and reveling, 32:35 stimulate every passion to intense activity. 32:39 The youth are swept away by the popular current. 32:43 Those who learn to love amusement for its own sake 32:46 open the door to a flood of temptations." 32:51 That's how the cities are today. 32:53 That's how the world is today. 32:54 And not only that, but what the devil has done 32:57 for those that don't live in the city, 32:59 he's created another way of getting into our homes 33:01 even if you live in the country. 33:03 Through satellite and cable television. 33:06 He's pumping the very same things that corrupt the cities 33:09 into our homes. 33:10 So not only do you have to stay out of the cities 33:12 that corrupt you, but you have to keep the corrupting 33:14 influences out of your home. 33:17 One person once said, "Flee temptation, 33:19 and don't leave a forwarding address." 33:21 Run for your life, in other words. 33:25 And the reason is clear. 33:26 Satan knows that if he can get our focus off of Christ 33:31 and onto the world, it's just a matter of time, 33:34 here me carefully, it's just a matter of time 33:37 before we are swept away by the influences, 33:40 by the winds of destruction. 33:42 Just like the antediluvian world and just like the cities of 33:45 Sodom and Gomorrah. 33:48 You see, friends, the fact is, the record of crime and iniquity 33:50 in the large cities of the land is appalling. 33:53 The wickedness of the wicked is almost beyond comprehension. 33:57 Many cities are becoming like Sodom in the sight of God. 34:02 But here's a reality. 34:03 You can pass laws that seem to favor the inhabitants 34:06 of these corrupt cities, but here's the reality. 34:08 Hosea 8:7 says, "You sow the wind, 34:12 you will reap the whirlwind." 34:13 No matter what you sow, you will reap. 34:17 No matter what you've done, it'll come back on you. 34:20 You see, Lot lived in the city. 34:22 And as time went on, he began to discover 34:25 the influences of the city. 34:26 And so Lot began to plead to God. 34:29 He began to plead for there to be a change. 34:32 And so Abram, considering the environment that his cousin 34:35 was in, he also began to plead to God. 34:38 You see, you read, counting the members of Lot's family, 34:41 there were very few righteous people left in those cities. 34:44 Abraham petitioned God. 34:46 He said, "Lord, what if there's fifty in the city, 34:48 would you save the city?" 34:50 And God said, "Yes, I would." 34:51 He said, "Okay Lord, what if there's forty-five?" 34:53 "Of course I would." 34:55 "Well what if there's forty, would you still save the city?" 34:57 He said, "Of course I would." 34:58 "Well Lord, okay, what if there's thirty?" 35:01 Now think about New York City. 35:02 "What if there's thirty in New York, would you save the city?" 35:05 The Lord says, "Of course I would." 35:07 "Okay, Lord, what if there's only twenty, 35:10 would you still save the city?" 35:11 The Lord said, "Of course I would." 35:13 Now let me say something, friends. 35:14 Does that sound like a God who's not filed with mercy? 35:17 If there's only twenty people in this entire city, 35:19 He said, "I will save it." 35:21 And finally Abram said to God in Genesis 18:32, 35:26 "Then he said, 'I will speak but once more. 35:30 Suppose ten should be found there?' 35:35 And He said..." God said. 35:37 Listen to God, the God of mercy. 35:38 The God who's not willing that any should perish. 35:40 "He said, 'I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.'" 35:48 Does that sound like a God that wants to destroy us? 35:51 Does that sound like a God who's hurrying to condemn us 35:56 or wants to burn us in the fires of hell throughout eternity? 36:00 No it doesn't. 36:01 That's what Satan does. 36:02 He attacks the character of God and says, 36:05 "He's the God that's hunting you down. 36:06 He wants to convict you and destroy you and persecute you 36:09 and torment you endlessly throughout eternity." 36:12 But He said, "No, that's not who I am. 36:14 I'm not willing that any should perish. 36:16 Why should you die before your time?" 36:19 Ezekiel 33 and also chapter 18. 36:22 "Why, sinner, should you die before your time?" 36:26 Well the sad fact is, Lot was not even aware that 36:30 judgment was at hand for his city. 36:34 The last night for Sodom and Gomorrah was like 36:37 any other night. 36:40 And so God, knowing that judgment was at hand 36:42 for that great and corrupt city, He sent messengers 36:46 to the family of Lot to get them out of that city 36:49 before destruction would come. 36:51 Genesis 19:1, God's messengers came. 36:55 The Bible says two angels were sent to Sodom. 36:58 And verse 2, and Lot invited them to his house. 37:01 But the angels told him that they wanted 37:03 to stay in the city square. 37:07 But here's the point I want to make. 37:08 Every major city has a square. 37:10 I talked about Time Square. 37:12 But Lot was so clear about the kind of city he lived it 37:15 that he would not allow the angels to stay in that city. 37:20 The Bible says in verse 3 of chapter 19 of Genesis, 37:24 "But he insisted strongly...and so they entered his house. 37:28 Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread," 37:32 the Scripture says, "and they ate." 37:35 Sodom was bustling with activity. 37:37 The streets were still crowded late at night. 37:39 Highways were still packed with travelers. 37:41 Stores were busy with buying and selling. 37:44 Restaurants were active with indulgent multitudes. 37:48 Pleasure seekers were bent upon the enjoyment of the hour. 37:51 Maniacs and violent criminals were busy applying their vices 37:56 while the clock of judgment was ticking down 37:59 for that immoral city of Sodom and Gomorrah. 38:02 Persistive, these cities were morally corrupt. 38:05 And Lot took on an alternative. 38:08 The city was so corrupt... 38:09 Let me emphasize this clearly here. 38:11 The city was so corrupt that when Lot decided 38:16 to invite these angels, these visitors to the city, 38:20 when he decided to invite them to his house, 38:23 he took an alternate route to his house 38:26 to lose the men of the city. 38:29 Now you've got to think about that. 38:30 He tried to lose those that were following these 38:33 strangers to the city. 38:34 The men were so corrupt, they knew who visitors were. 38:39 They were so familiar with the corruption and the 38:43 corrupt of the city that they said, "Hey, these are people 38:46 that we've never met before. 38:47 These are new men in the city." 38:49 And they desired to know these men. 38:50 So Lot, in an attempt to lose these corrupt people, 38:54 he made turns to try to lose them through the city. 38:59 And chapter 19 verse 4 made it clear. 39:05 "Now before they lay down..." 39:09 They got to the house of Lot safely. 39:11 Before they went to bed. 39:13 Verse 4, "...the men of the city, the men of Sodom, 39:16 both old and young, all the people from every quarter..." 39:22 You've got to get that. 39:23 All the people from every quarter. 39:27 You've got to think about that. 39:29 The inhabitants of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, 39:32 these corrupt men from every quarter surrounded the house. 39:37 And verse 5, "And they called to Lot and said to him, 39:39 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? 39:42 Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.'" 39:47 Now that may sound... 39:49 That's a hard scripture to read. 39:52 But what that in essence is saying is that's how degraded 39:55 the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had become. 39:58 No wonder families are messed up today. 40:00 No wonder there are crises in the families 40:02 when they watch this on television. 40:03 Today our world is busy trying to make this kind of 40:06 activity entertainment. 40:08 They call it the new normal. 40:09 They give it names that you laugh your way into carnality, 40:13 you laugh your way into immorality. 40:15 Look at the shows on television. 40:16 They try to act this out in front of you. 40:18 The lesbian, the gay, the bisexual, the transgender. 40:21 I know it's not a popular topic, but the reason I'm 40:24 preaching about it is because this is what's messing up 40:27 the families of our society today. 40:29 Not just in the world, but also in many of our churches. 40:32 We see these things, we watch them, we laugh about them. 40:35 We become active visitors. 40:37 We follow these shows from week to week. 40:39 Sitcoms and television shows and movies. 40:42 And after a while, these little dripping drops of immorality 40:46 begin to erode our moral fiber until they become 40:52 the new normal. 40:53 Don't allow corruption to become the new normal. 40:56 Don't allow degradation and vice to become the new normal. 41:00 Well Lot made very attempt he could to quiet the mob. 41:03 But he was so affected by the city that instead of trying 41:08 to just persuade the men... 41:10 This is amazing. 41:12 ...instead of just trying to persuade the men 41:14 to leave them alone, Lot went so far... 41:17 Affected by the city. 41:18 The family will be affected by the city. 41:21 He was so affected by the city that he offered the men 41:25 of the city his daughters, to corrupt them, 41:30 rather than to protect his family. 41:33 I see why Martin Luther King Jr. said what he did. 41:36 He said, "He who passively accepts evil 41:40 is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it." 41:45 He who accepts evil without protesting against it 41:49 is really cooperating with it. 41:51 That's exactly what happened to Lot. 41:52 His heart was twisted, his mind was twisted, 41:55 his morality was twisted. 41:56 He had some semblance of righteousness, 41:58 but he was so affected by the city he offered these 42:01 corrupt men and alternative. 42:03 Going so far as even offering his daughters to these men 42:07 that they might be corrupted by their vices. 42:10 Albert Einstein said, "I do not fear the explosive power 42:15 of the atom bomb. 42:17 What I fear is the explosive power of evil 42:21 in the human heart." 42:24 That's exactly what gripped the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 42:27 You see, when you say your heart is good, 42:28 you have to read what the Bible says about the human heart. 42:31 Jeremiah 17:9 42:33 "The heart is deceitful above all things, 42:37 and desperately wicked. 42:39 Who can know it?" 42:40 And so the message: 42:42 You see, friends, the only hope for the family 42:44 is a spiritual heart transplant. 42:48 What was the message to Lot and his family? 42:51 The first message was, as they were growing up, 42:53 is get the city out of your family. 42:56 The first message was, get the city out of your family. 42:59 Now hear that carefully. 43:00 Those of you that live in the city, get the city 43:03 out of your family. 43:05 Some people are in church, they're in church, 43:07 but we are praying for the church to be in them. 43:10 Get the city out of your family. 43:12 Now I know what I mean by that, because I've moved from 43:15 New York City many years ago. 43:17 But I find myself sometimes singing the little town blues. 43:21 Sometimes I say, "Oh, I miss New York." 43:23 You know why? 43:24 Because after living in such a city, after a while 43:27 we have to pray for God, not just to take us physically 43:30 out of the city, but for the city to be taken out of us. 43:34 That's why David the psalmist prayed the prayer 43:36 that we should pray. 43:37 Psalm 51:10 43:39 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, 43:41 and renew a right spirit within me." 43:46 You see, the fact of this is, the heart of the matter 43:49 is the matter of the heart. 43:52 The heart of the matter is the matter of the human heart. 43:56 Sydney J. Harris wrote these words 43:59 that I admire what he said. 44:01 He said, "The difference between a good person 44:04 and a bad person is really very simple 44:07 at the bottom point. 44:09 The good person loves people and uses things, 44:12 while the bad person loves things and uses people." 44:16 That was the kind of city Sodom was. 44:18 The used people because they loved things. 44:22 They came to Lot's house to use the men 44:24 because they loved their vices. 44:27 The men were so corrupt they tried to break down Lot's doors. 44:30 They were so blinded by lust that even when struck 44:33 with blindness they stumbled over each other 44:36 trying to find the way to get to the guests at Lot's house. 44:42 But for the angels, but for the grace of God, 44:46 Lot would have been torn apart by the men 44:49 of the city of Sodom. 44:52 You see, many of us listening to the message today 44:55 have to keep this reality in mind that we are still alive. 44:59 And I praise the Lord for the statement. 45:01 We are still alive. 45:03 Because when the devil could have snatched us out, 45:06 when the devil could have taken our lives, 45:08 when he could have closed our record while we lived 45:11 a corrupt life, God in His mercy reached out 45:14 and snatched us in and saved us at a critical moment 45:19 where we could have lost our lives. 45:20 Praise the Lord for that. 45:22 "The angels of the Lord encamp around those that fear God, 45:27 and deliver him." 45:29 Psalm 34:7 45:30 The angels of God still surround the people of God. 45:34 Amen for that. 45:35 Praise the Lord for that. 45:37 You see, probation, my friends, was fast closing for that city. 45:40 And the angels of the Lord brought the final message. 45:46 Here was the message: 45:47 Not only get the city out of your family, 45:49 but get your family out of the city. 45:51 In these last days we've got to make choices. 45:54 The cities are becoming corrupt by the moment, 45:56 by the tick of the clock. 45:58 If you can't get the city out of your family, 46:00 get your family out of the city. 46:02 You see, in these last days God is sending the same message; 46:06 "Get our family out of the city." 46:09 He is calling us out of corruption. 46:11 He's calling us out of halfhearted living 46:14 and worldliness, out of indecisiveness 46:17 and vanity and pride, out of conformity to the world. 46:22 In this critical hour, what a moment it was. 46:24 The men corrupted by the city, Lot pleading with his family. 46:28 Lot asking them to make a decision to turn 46:30 their lives over to Christ. 46:32 Lot saying to the family members, 46:34 "God is trying to save you." 46:36 But I'll tell you what. 46:39 The challenge that Lot had is the same challenge that 46:43 many of you are facing with your children; 46:45 mother's facing with their daughters, 46:47 father's facing with their sons or their daughters. 46:50 Uncles and aunts trying to convince 46:52 family members the right road. 46:54 You may have been a Christian for a long time, 46:56 but sometimes you come up against a wall when you're 46:59 trying to say to people that are so influenced and 47:02 so saturated by darkness. 47:04 You try to give them direction, 47:05 given them words of encouragement. 47:07 You try to say to them, "This is the better life." 47:10 But they're so saturated by the world around them 47:13 that the family institution becomes the victim. 47:17 They victimize themselves by their own choices, 47:20 their halfhearted living, their worldliness, their pride, 47:24 their indecision. 47:25 You know, what's amazing to me is that when Lot went to 47:28 his sons and his daughters to try to convince them, 47:32 they minimized the urgency of the hour. 47:34 They minimized the things that Lot had said to them. 47:39 The angel told Lot to get His family out. 47:42 He appealed to his sons-in-law. 47:44 And they thought that he was joking. 47:47 They could not fathom their lavished homes 47:51 and the city that they lived in being destroyed. 47:54 That's why when September 11th happened in New York City, 47:57 it was such a shake-up to those who lived in New York. 47:59 It was a shake-up to me. 48:00 Because we couldn't fathom for a moment 48:02 that such violence would come to such an advanced 48:06 metropolitan city like New York. 48:08 We couldn't fathom that such a fortress like the Pentagon 48:11 could be impregnable by an attack from outside. 48:14 We couldn't fathom that. 48:16 We couldn't fathom that these skyscrapers, these buildings, 48:19 these World Trade Center buildings, could come 48:21 crumbling down in just a matter of minutes or hours. 48:24 We couldn't fathom that. 48:26 And in the very same way, there are people today that are 48:28 so packed by possessions they cannot fathom that 48:31 their multi-million dollar home, their very expensive home, 48:35 or even if it's a calm and very quaint 48:38 or very conservative home, some people are so 48:41 in love with their possessions they cannot fathom leaving 48:44 these things for their own safety. 48:47 And so they hold on. 48:51 Lot's family could not imagine giving up their lifestyle. 48:54 They could not stomach leaving their 48:55 high paying jobs behind. 48:57 They were enamored by the view. 48:59 They loved looking out of their windows 49:01 over the great metropolitan area of Sodom and Gomorrah. 49:04 They loved seeing the success, the wonderful suits, 49:08 the high fashion lifestyle, the beautiful shiny cars, 49:11 the fast machines. 49:13 They loved the stores with great choices and possessions. 49:16 They loved the quaint restaurants and the tinkling 49:18 glasses of champagne and alcohol. 49:19 They loved all these things. 49:21 They could not fathom leaving their high paying jobs. 49:24 They could not stomach leaving the very things that they have 49:29 placed their passion and their love and their desire in. 49:34 The songs of the world meant more to them 49:36 than the songs of eternal life. 49:37 And the very idea of walking away from it all 49:41 seemed to be meaningless. 49:44 You know, there's a text in John 10 where Jesus says, 49:47 "My sheep will hear My voice." 49:48 You know, friends, I'd rather be a dumb sheep and be saved 49:51 than be a very head-strong goat and be lost. 49:54 There are some people that hear the voice of God 49:56 calling them; family members, their brothers, their sisters, 49:59 their uncles, their aunts, the father, the mother, 50:01 God has called endlessly on some of you watching this program, 50:05 but you'd rather be a hard-headed goat and be lost 50:08 than be called a dumb sheep and be saved. 50:09 But I want to tell you this. 50:11 If you follow the Shepherd, you're not a dumb sheep. 50:13 You are listening to the voice of the only One 50:14 that can save you. 50:16 But Lot's family was stuck. 50:19 Friends, I tell you what. 50:22 We can get to heaven without wealth, without riches, 50:24 without honor, without learning, without friends, 50:27 but we can never get to heaven without Jesus. 50:30 Well, as I wind up the story, I have a better ending. 50:34 The only ones that made it out of the city 50:38 were Lot and his two daughters. 50:42 You see, when the call had come to Lot, 50:45 had he made up his mind at that critical moment, 50:48 had he said, "Okay, heavenly Father, You've told me to leave. 50:54 I'm not going to hesitate. 50:56 I'm going to leave." 50:57 But Lot hesitated. 51:00 Lot hesitated. 51:02 He was also affected by the city. 51:04 He looked at all that he had worked for, 51:05 he looked at the cattle he had, the possessions he had, 51:08 the house he had, the furniture he had, 51:10 he looked at the family photo albums, 51:12 all the things that he had saved up, 51:14 he was possessed by his possessions. 51:17 But he was fighting between what he owned 51:19 and the one that owned him. 51:22 After many points of hesitation, he finally turned his affections 51:26 to the God that called him out of Sodom. 51:30 But the problem was, Lot's hesitation 51:33 affected the life of his wife. 51:37 Her affections for her lifestyle 51:39 were greater than her love for Christ. 51:41 And the Bible says, when God was calling them out... 51:44 As a matter of fact, it became so critical, 51:46 as they neared the hour of judgment 51:49 the angels had to grab their hands and cause them to 51:53 flee the city while destruction was being rained down. 51:57 While destruction was nearing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah 52:01 God had to pull them out of the city. 52:03 And on their way out, between being lost and being saved, 52:09 between salvation and destruction, 52:11 Lot's wife made the critical mistake, the critical mistake 52:16 of looking back. 52:18 She made the critical mistake of looking back. 52:20 You see, the Bible says, "He that puts his hand to the plow 52:23 and looks back is not worthy of Me." 52:28 There are those that God is calling out today. 52:32 They're sitting in the comfort of their offices. 52:35 They're sitting in the leather seats of their cars. 52:37 Nothing wrong with your possessions. 52:39 But if you're more possessed by your possessions 52:41 than filled by the Holy Spirit, you are in the same position 52:44 of Lot's wife. 52:45 She's caught between the safety of God's deliverance 52:49 and the hand of the destruction of those cities 52:52 for which she has fallen in love. 52:54 God is calling someone today to make a decision, 52:56 to come out of the darkness into His marvelous light. 52:59 To leave the things that have held you 53:00 to the God that wants to hold you. 53:02 To lay down your life that you have constructed 53:06 to accept the life that Jesus is constructing for you. 53:09 To leave the city that you have built 53:12 to look forward to the city that God has built. 53:14 That's why Abraham said... 53:15 And I understand these words now more than ever before. 53:18 When Abraham said he's looking for a city 53:21 which has foundations whose builder and maker is God, 53:24 he's looking for a city because he knew that his nephew 53:26 chose the wrong city. 53:28 He came from the wrong city. 53:31 But he said he's not going to stop traveling 53:33 until he finds the city of God. 53:37 She lost her life between what she wanted 53:42 and what the Lord wanted for her. 53:44 There are those of you today 53:45 that are in the same predicament. 53:47 What do you want? 53:48 Is what you want more important than what God wants for you? 53:51 Is what you've worked for more important 53:54 than what God is working for you. 53:57 Are the sacrifices that you have made greater 53:59 than the sacrifice that Jesus has made? 54:02 Is the world that you live in greater, offering you more 54:06 than the world that Jesus is preparing for us to live in? 54:09 The Bible says, "Eyes have not seen and ears have not heard, 54:13 it hasn't even entered the hearts of men, 54:16 the things that God has prepared for those that love Him." 54:20 So today, friends, it's time not to look back. 54:24 Time is winding down. 54:25 God is pleading with us, "Don't look back." 54:28 Walk away from man's traditions and follow 54:31 the truth of God's word. 54:32 Walk away from false worship, from traditional worship, 54:35 and turn your life over to Jesus. 54:37 Walk away from sinful pleasures and worldly fashion. 54:41 Walk away today in this critical hour 54:43 from the destroying health practices that wrack 54:46 your body day to day. 54:48 Walk away from violating the Bible Sabbath 54:51 and begin to trust your life in the hands of God 54:53 who can more than provide your needs. 54:55 Walk away from a lack of love and invite Jesus to come in. 54:58 Walk away from indecision and get onboard with Jesus. 55:03 Walk away from a world that promises to destroy you 55:07 while it claims to enhance your life. 55:11 Look beyond the lights of the here and now 55:13 to the glory that shall be revealed in the hereafter. 55:17 Look beyond the things that you have labored for, 55:19 the money that you have stored. 55:21 One day every dollar you have saved 55:23 will be of no value at all. 55:25 That's why, friends, I'm not looking for what's in my 55:27 bank account, but I'm looking forward to the day 55:30 when I can give an account. 55:31 And I can thank the Lord for all that He has provided, 55:34 all that He has stored, all that He has saved, 55:36 all that He has done. 55:38 I remember as a young man when I had to make a decision 55:41 when I was locked into my life of music and disc jockeying, 55:49 when I lived in those moments of the pleasure that I had sought. 55:52 Surrounded by the 400 record albums that I had, 55:55 surrounded by the two turntables, the mixing board, 55:58 the gigantic speakers. 55:59 I remember the parties in the World Trade Center, 56:02 the parties on Broadway, the parties on downtown Manhattan, 56:06 uptown Manhattan, the house parties, the club parties. 56:10 I remember the day when I was in my car on my way 56:13 to what I said was my last party. 56:17 And I almost lost my life in a car accident. 56:20 I was between God's gift and my desire. 56:24 I was between what God was offering me 56:26 and what I had a desire for myself. 56:28 And the Lord, in His mercy, reached into that position, 56:32 that moment, that hour, and took me out to give me 56:35 what He's given to me today. 56:36 So friends, whatever your family decision may be, 56:40 don't hold onto the things that you have embraced. 56:43 Be willing to let go of the things that 56:44 you have labored for. 56:46 For the best is yet to come. 56:49 The crisis in the family can be replaced with the Christ 56:53 in the family today. 56:54 You've got to say it like the songwriter; 56:56 "I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; 56:59 I'd rather be His than have riches untold." 57:03 Today, fathers and mothers, pray for your children. 57:06 Children, pray for your parents. 57:07 Pull the family together so that one day when the heavenly 57:11 call is made, when the account that we must give to God 57:15 for the children we have raised, when that time comes, 57:17 you'll know by God's grace that He has saved you 57:20 from the crisis in your family and has placed within you 57:23 the endless hope of Christ in your heart. 57:26 God bless you. |
Revised 2017-02-27