Can't Take The City Out Of The Man?

Take your Bibles this morning and turn to Genesis chapter 19. Genesis 19. Let's bow together in prayer. Father, we're thankful again for your word, for it is a revelation from you. It is your self-disclosure. It is your word to us. we pray now that as we consider this familiar story that you would cause us to think not just of what happened long ago in the city of Sodom but that you would help us to look at our own hearts as a result of this you've told us Lord that in your word we will find that which teaches us convicts us sets us up and trains us in righteousness And so, Father, I pray that that would be the case today as your word is preached.

Help us to give attention to your words to us. In Jesus' name, amen. On my first trip to Romania, I was traveling with Pastor Benny and Pastor Marine. and I can see vividly in my mind's eye this abandoned old plant right outside the city of Piatra Niems. And as I looked there, I asked about it. And Pastor Marine said that everyone in town worked there when the communists were in charge.

But now that they were gone, nobody worked there any longer. It was totally abandoned. He said everyone had a job under communism. well I'm sure that the people are glad that communism has fallen I replied and I forget what Pastor Marine said he said not entirely you see you can take the people out of communism but you can't take the communism out of the people thought wow hadn't thought about that well let's take a look in Genesis chapter 19 because that's what you find here you can take Lot out of the city, but it seems hard to take the city out of Lot.

You follow along as I read this chapter. The two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said My lords please turn aside to your servant house and spend the night and wash your feet Then you may rise up early and go on your way They said, No, we'll spend the night in the town square.

But he pressed them strongly. So they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread and they ate. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them.

Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him and said, I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men for they have come under the shelter of my roof. But they said, stand back. And they said, this fellow came to sojourn and he's become the judge.

Now we will deal worse with you than with them. Then they pressed hard against the man, Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

Then the men and said to Lot, Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, Up, get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.

But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city. But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him. And they brought him out and set him outside the city.

And as they brought them out, one said, Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. escape to the hills lest you be swept away. And Lot said to them, Oh, no, my lords. Behold your servant has found favor in your sight and you shown me great kindness in saving my life but I cannot escape to the hills lest the disaster overtake me and I die Behold this city is near enough to flee to and it is a little one Let me escape there.

Is it not a little one? And my life will be saved. He said to him, Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife behind him looked back and she became a pillar of salt. Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

And he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley. and he looked and behold the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived. Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters for he was afraid to live in Zoar.

So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. And the firstborn said to the younger, our father is old and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth come let us make our father drink wine and we will lie with him that we may preserve offspring from our father so they made their father drink wine that night and the firstborn went in and lay with her father he did not know when she lay down or when she arose the next day the firstborn said to the younger behold i lay last night with my father let us make him drink wine tonight also then you go in and lie with him that we may preserve offspring for our father. So they made their father drink wine that night also.

And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both of the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ami. he is the father of the Ammonites to this day wow that's in the Bible sure enough is that doesn mince words when he talks about these things does he You know as we enter Genesis chapter 19 you might think that the main point of the chapter is God anger at homosexuality And that indeed reveals, it does reveal God's hatred of homosexuality.

You can't deny that. That's why he destroyed that city. And it's confirmed by the rest of Scripture. We read in other places of Scripture what God thought of that city and what was going on there. and that's the reason why he destroyed it. However, when you look at it that way, it seems out of place with the greater narrative, the greater story, the greater idea that we've been coming across about Abraham and his faith.

You see, ever since we embarked on this biography of Abraham, the author's intention has been to tell the story of God's promises and Abraham's faith in those promises. And Moses relates the story of a man who's strong in faith and at other times who is weak in faith. And so with that in mind, it becomes clear that Lot in this chapter serves as a contrast to Abraham.

In other words, look what happens to a man who has nearly no faith at all. Look, it happens to someone who compromises. Now the contrast becomes clear when you compare the structures of chapter 18 with chapter 19. If you can remember, it's been a while since we've been in chapter 18, but remember how that story was structured and then see how chapter 19 is structured and you'll see that Moses intended to show a contrast between these two men.

Both scenes open with the same thing. The arrival of some messengers, the greetings by the host, a welcome into the home, and the serving of a meal. Happened in 18, happens in 19. After the meal, in chapter 18, the angels ask where Sarah is. After the meal in chapter 19, the angels ask Lot if he has any relatives in the city, any sons, daughters, sons-in-law.

When she hears that she'll bear a son, Sarah laughs, right? When Lot's relatives hear of the city's imminent destruction, they laugh. Although I think because they say, the text says, they thought he was telling a joke when he said the city's going to be destroyed. Sarah repents of her laughter and receives a rebuke. Lot's sons-in-law do not repent and lose their lives.

You see, Abraham's leadership and speaking skills, even as he debates with God, Lot exhibits this painful reluctance and his inability to convince even his own family. And then lastly, Abraham pleads for the righteous in these evil cities. Lot pleads for one of the cities on the basis of self-interest. Don't destroy that city. I want to live there. Okay?

So when you compare the two, the structure of the two, it seems clear that the writer wants you to see the difference between Abraham and Lot. Now someone might object, and I know from the scripture reading this morning, which was chosen on purpose, that someone's going to say this. wait a minute, how can the Bible call Lot a righteous man? None of you were asking that question this morning, were you?

As we heard that from 2 Peter. Well, the Apostle Peter identifies Lot's righteous character in his hatred and torment over Sodom's sensuality. It seems that Lot hated what was going on in that city. And you see the evidence of his righteous character in the actions recorded in our text. For example, his greeting and his hospitality to the messengers. He's the only one who offered them a place to stay.

I believe he attempts to prevent their injury by leaning on them heavily. Don't stay in the square tonight. Come to my house. He tries to protect them from that violent mob intent on rape. and I know what you're thinking. Yeah, but he offers his daughters. I realize that.

But at least he's, and we'll get to that. All right? We won't leave that alone. But at least his intent is to protect these men and he calls their intended actions as what? Wicked. So in some sense, Lot is a righteous man.

But the point of the passage is for you to see the rotten fruit that grows from a life of compromise or little faith All right Now recall we got to understand we got to remember the story of Lot Recall that Lot was extraordinarily prosperous because of his uncle Abraham. But he chose to live near this wicked city. Turn back to chapter 13. Let's get our bearings a bit and see the difference. the difference that's first brought, the difference that you see between the men as they part company.

You remember the story that both men are so prosperous that there's not enough land for both of them, so they have to split up. Verse 8, Then Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between you and me, between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? separate yourself from me if you take the left hand and I'll go to the right or if you take the right hand then I will go to the left and Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord like the land of Egypt and the direction of Zohar this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah so Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and Lot journeyed east thus they separated from each other Abram settled in the land of Canaan while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. By the way, look at the very next verse. The Lord said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, lift up your eyes. Do you see? Lot lifted up his eyes and saw one place. The Lord says to Abram, now you lift up your eyes.

What's the point? You remember the point that Lot did not choose on the basis of faith. But on the basis of sight, he doesn't take into consideration what God had said, but what made sense to a man who had it all figured out. He wasn't living by faith, he was living by sight. And remember we saw in chapter 12, in Abraham's own life, that horrible stew of sin that resulted from Abraham's lack of faith.

So this chapter then gives us the rest of Lot's story, a contrast to the faithfulness of Abraham. And here you see a man of compromised faith. Now, question. How do you compromise your faith? You do not compromise your faith just by living among wicked people All right That not what I mean It not what I mean when I say Lot compromised his faith because he lived with wicked people Can't be.

We live with wicked people all the time, don't we? And the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 said, in a church discipline passage, he says, don't associate with someone who calls himself a brother who does all these wicked things. I don't mean not to associate with the people of the world because then we'd have to what? Leave the world. So compromising your faith doesn't come just because you live among wicked people.

No, Lot compromised his faith in a different way. You compromise your faith when you live less by what God says, when you live less by what God promises, and more by what you think is wise. Let me say that again. You compromise your faith when you live less by what God says, when you live less by what God promises, and more by what you think is wise. Now, what is faith?

Let's review that. Remember what faith is. Faith is taking God at His word. Right? Taking God at His word. Believing what God says, even if the situation says differently.

Alright? Now, as we've gone through the book, you remember that God had promised that those who bless Abraham would be blessed. Abraham was a channel of God's blessing. But you remember from chapter 13 that instead of relying on God's promise, Lot figured the way of blessing was in the obviously fertile Jordan Valley, near the city of Sodom, which had already gained a reputation of wickedness. that is to say he looks at Uncle Abe who has the promise of God but just the promises of God right the promise of a great name the promise of a land the promise of a child who would be a channel of blessing to the nations and the promise that he would be the channel of blessing for those who blessed him and Lot looks at that fertile valley and he says I know what God says but obviously the way of blessing is in that valley He didn say no Uncle Abraham you make the choice because I know that whoever blesses you is going to be blessed You the answer No What does he do He says I know what God says but you know what That's where blessing lies in that valley.

I know what God says. I know what God has promised. but come on living with a nomad when i can settle down there where the valley's fertile or i can make a good living and hanging out with this old man who just has promises from god i'll take that see he's got it all figured out right he compromises his faith instead of living by what god had promised he lives more by what he thought was wise now the spark of faith is not entirely distinguish if we're to believe Peter. However, he continues living more by his wisdom, less by the promises of God.

Now, can you see how you compromise your faith? When we say compromise our faith, typically we mean I give up some doctrine. We're not talking about that. We're talking about compromising that trust that you have in the promises of God. right let me just give you an example is it wrong to work on Sunday no it's not sometimes you have to but what if what if you're looking at that and they say you have to work every Sunday and you say well you know what God says that I need to be with the people of God but you're going to live by faith or are you going to live by what you think is the best way to go?

You've got to think about that, right? When God makes a promise, are you going to live by the promise or by what seems to make more sense in the situation? Now, it doesn't mean you're not supposed to be wise. It doesn't mean you think about these components. I've got to make a wise decision. But oftentimes the promise of God is straightforwardly not what that situation says. which you're going to go with.

Which you're going to go with. Okay? So, Lot compromised his faith. He wasn't living by the promises of God. He lived by what he thought would be the most, the best way of getting blessing. And that was in that valley.

Well now, what happened? when you compromise your faith. What have we already learned from the life of Abraham? Remember, the lack of faith leads to the birth of sin. Unless faith grows, sin blossoms. Write that in chapter 12. Write that in chapter 12.

That's the big point, I think. The lack of faith leads to the birth of sin. Unless faith grows, sin blossoms. This whole study has been instructive to me in this whole issue of faith. We think more often of sin as, okay, don't do this and do that. But at the bottom of it all is, do I believe God?

And where I'm not growing in believing God, sin is going to blossom. It just is. At the root of sin is the lack of faith, the lack of believing the promises of God. Well, let's look at this. when you compromise your faith you compromise your ethics when you stop living by god's promise you inevitably start compromising your ethics how do i know that well look at what he says first of all in the first eight verses we won't read through all this again but in the first eight verses he's trying to protect these guys lot verse six lot went out to the men at the entrance shut the door after him all right he's not going to let them get those guys he said i beg you my brothers do not act so wickedly behold i have two daughters who have not known any man let me bring them out to you and do with them as you please lot exhibits tremendous courage in standing up to this mob a mob driven by all-consuming driving insatiable lust these are these are men who will not be stopped from their wickedness.

And he stands up to them. But look at the alternative he suggests. He jeopardizes his daughters in the process. What is going on? Well, you know, as I look at this, I see the radical holiness. I don't see the radical holiness required by God, but an ethical system that's one notch higher than the prevailing morality.

All right? You see what I'm saying? he's instead of this radical holiness that God requires he got an ethical system that not quite the same as the world it about one or two notches above prevailing morality That as far as he goes He got this idea I got to protect these men at all costs Let me give you my daughters. Great courage. The determination that you're not going to get to these guys.

That's really commendable. But what? Do you understand what I'm saying? If you do not live believing God and his promise, you inevitably stop living in the way that God expects you to live. For example, Jesus says it's better to love your enemy than to retaliate. Do you really believe that?

Do you believe that? Or are you just like one notch above prevailing morality? Prevailing morality says don't let anybody get the best of you. So you're one notch above. I may not start the fight, but I'll sure finish it. right? Today, people, a lot of us are, a lot of people are one, their morality is one notch above prevailing morality.

A lot of people against homosexuality. Oh my, that's awful. Homosexual marriage, oh, that's awful. And yet, we don't say anything anymore about people who live together without being married, do we? we don't take a stand against divorce do we we've come to accept those things as opposed to the radical holiness that god calls us to in jesus christ so like lot when we stop living by promises we start we start accepting the prevailing morality except we're not quite as bad as everybody else.

No. No. God calls us to a radical holiness. When you compromise your faith, you pursue the impossible. See what happens in verses 9 through 14? Let's look at that.

But they said, stand back. And they said, this fellow came to sojourn and he's become the judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them. What's happening here? Understand that Lot held a position of significant power in this city. When the narrative opens up, where is Lot?

He sitting in the gate Now you know we tend to think oh there a guy sitting in the gate What the matter Doesn he have a job To sit in the gate the gate was where the gate of the city wasn't just this opening. There were rooms in the gates and so forth. The gate was the place of civic power. This is where the court cases were heard. This is where people brought their complaints.

This is the city hall, if you will. And to sit in the gate means that you've achieved a position of prominence and power. So Lot has achieved a position of prominence and power in this city. But now when he does try to do what's right, quotes, with his compromised morality, those who once respected him turn on him. Jesus said, expect the world to hate you.

But when you go along for the purpose of gaining influence, you end up with none. you understand now i don't know if lot's intention was to gain influence in order to be a a a force for righteousness in that city i don't know that but i do know this he had influence he had influence he did do some things to get there but when he decided to stand up for what might be called right they despise him they absolutely despise him too often we're tempted to go along so people will accept us and we compromise and they hate us in the end the apostle james said friendship with the world is enmity with god do you believe that do you believe that or do you think well in this case it might be better to just kind of go along look at verses 12 through 14 he talks to his sons-in-law when you compromise your faith you lose godly influence with those who are closest to you does that surprise you once you forget the promises of god you can be sure that those closest to you will not automatically get the idea that they ought to live by faith. I mean, I want to look at... He goes to his future sons-in-law and says, Hey, I just got a word from God.

He going to judge this city It time to get out Now what does that require Faith Has it happened yet No God says he's going to destroy the city. Let's get out of here. That requires faith. They don't have a lick of it. No wonder they laugh at him. He has no or little influence on his wife right verse 26 she can't she can't bear the thought of leaving the city and the comforts and everything else in it and so she looks back she wants to go back and she's judged and then of course what happens in the last part with his daughters right they are in a panic you see in that day and if you didn't have a family line that was it that was the end that was shameful.

That was awful. We've got to keep the name going. All right. They're in a panic. There's no way that they will have children. Really?

Is there no way that they're going to have children? None? Can God provide for them husbands? Well, yeah. What does that require? faith do you believe that god can take care of you can he sure he can but they don't believe it that requires faith boy just think about that when you don't live by faith you can lose the influence with those closest to you when you compromise your faith you get attached to the comforts of this world and forget what god promises this is the one as i thought about this this is the one that hurt the most i think because i think this is the one where we probably struggle the most i don't know i wonder sometimes if people who suffer aren't more aware of something that God promises, something better that God promises, as opposed to those of us who live in luxury.

And folks, as I'm looking at this huge congregation, I don't see very many poor folks here. We live in luxury. Now, I know you're going to disagree with me, but we do. in verses 15 through 22 there is Judgment coming. Look at verse 16. Look at verse 16. But Lot lingered.

Lot lingered. So much so, they grabbed him by the hands and hauled him out of the city. And then what does he do? He says, let me go to this other city. Now, I don't think that Lot loves the evil of the city, but he sure loves the comforts. He sure loves the comforts.

Look at the contrast with Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11. Alright? Hebrews chapter 11, beginning in verse 8. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man and him as good as dead were born descendants, as many as the stars of heaven and as many as innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they'd gone out, they would have had opportunity returned.

But as it is, they desire a better country that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Do you see the difference? Abraham was looking for another city. Lot, this city is just too comfortable. Abraham could live the life of a nomad because he was looking for something better.

But Lot had to have the comforts of this life. He quibbles, he wheedles, he lingers in order to get a concession from God. One writer put it this way, not even brimstone will make a pilgrim out of him He must have his little Sodom again if life is to be supportable Wow. I think he's right. Lot just got really comfortable and to flee into the hills. Whoa.

Wait a minute, God. Whoa. Lot left the city, but the city stayed in Lot. you know, this is when we got to ask this question, where do you find your refuge? God's promises or the world's comforts? Be brutally honest with yourself. If things were taken away from you, if you can imagine losing worldly comforts, where would you find refuge?

Would you give yourself to this incredible task of getting it all back ask yourself that question where am i finding my comfort now where am i finding refuge now right i think for a lot of us in our culture you know what it is when i'm feeling low and when things aren't going well i run to entertainment i try to lose myself in fun things to take the pressure off where we find our refuge. Again, in verses 15 through 22, when you compromise your faith, you start growing in fear. Fear will take the place of faith.

You see that Lot believes he's safer inside another city rather than outside in the hands of God. He's got to be in that city. Not believing the promises of God, he fears living in Zoar and heads for the hills. Did you notice that? He's afraid, and so he asks to go to Zoar. And notice what it says in verse 30.

Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He was afraid to live there too. Fear starts taking over the man. and then fear drives him into the city and fear drives him out so here our question how is your fear factor how is it in your life Do you find yourself afraid of a lot of things Here the last one When you compromise your faith you lose your legacy.

Now this is the epilogue to the story, verses 30 through 38. This is the epilogue. It's just added on. Why do I say that? Because you'll note that both scenes in chapter 18 and chapter 19 end the same way. Okay?

In chapter 18, the scene ends with Abraham on the mountain looking over the valley to Sodom and Gomorrah and pleading with God. Right? And this scene ends with Abraham looking on that hill again, looking over the valley and seeing Sodom and Gomorrah burning. And by the way, did you notice every bit of vegetation in the valley is gone too. Along with any animals, everything destroyed in that valley.

So, scene chapter 18, Abraham looking over the valley, speaking with God. Scene chapter 19, Abraham looking over the valley, seeing all the destruction. and then verse 30 is the epilogue. And I think this is kind of the, this is kind of Moses saying, you need to really look at what Lot had, what Abraham has, and compare the two. Lot loses his legacy. First of all, his legacy of blessing.

He left the tents of his uncle. he left think about this just this is what i call sanctified imagination are you ready i think it's within the bounds of scripture because you got to think about this he leaves the tents of his uncle and ends up with a house that's probably bigger than his uncle's tents right but now where is he living in a cave right before he had livestock he had servants he had possessions so much that he and uncle abe had to split now you see a pathetic trio living in a cave right he even loses custody of his own body in the whole process Now, please hear me out. That is not to say that today the sign of God's blessing are possessions and riches. Okay, that's not what I'm saying.

In the Old Testament, in those early days of the people of God, that's what it was. But that's not the way it is today. Our blessings are much more intangible. But so let me ask you this. You start living by sight. You start living by your wisdom as opposed to the promises of God.

Watch what happens to your love. Watch what happens to your joy. Watch what happens to your peace. All those marvelous, rich possessions that we have in Christ. Watch what happens when you start compromising your faith, when you start living by. I know what God says, but that just doesn't make sense.

I need to do this. this is where it's at when you start doing this watch what happens to those things that you can enjoy as a Christian they start to fade you lose a legacy of blessing he loses the legacy of a godly prosperity a posterity please look at this and and this was written what to the people of Israel as they're going there they're on their way to the promised land and and this epilogue is telling them where the Moabites and the Ammonites came from. There are two people that they're very familiar with. And as they proceed in their history, guess what?

The Moabites become the means by which these women seduce, Moabite women seduce all kinds of Israelite men into worshipping Baal. Numbers chapter 25. It's this incredible story of the Moabites of Balaam saying, I can't curse them, but this is the way to get to them. Send your women. Seduce them so that they start worshipping Baal. And then God will get them.

So the Moabites, the posterity of this man in this situation, becomes a curse to Israel. The Ammonites, you know what happens with them? They introduce into Israel the worship, the most perverted religious worship of the day, the worship of Molech. And who Molech was? If you can imagine this, in Israel, they adopted the god of the Ammonites, Molech. He was an idol.

And he had his hands outstretched like this. And they would heat his hands until they became red hot, and they put their babies in there. That's what happened. So here's the thing that strikes me. Here's the thing that strikes me. You notice here this great contrast.

Abraham lived by faith in the promise of God, the promise for the land and the seed, which proves to be a blessing to the nations, Lot ends up living not by faith, but by his wisdom rather than faith. And he ends up with nothing and descendants that are a curse rather than a blessing. Now, does God intend to scare you into faithfulness? No. Because you know what?

You can't be scared into faithfulness. You can't be scared into faithfulness. Faith does not grow by God scaring you to death. All right? Now, faith might start that way, but it won't grow. It won't grow.

No. Fear is not going to produce a life of faithfulness. and besides that in our battle against the flesh and the devil and the world our faith will always be imperfect All right As we've already seen in the life of Abraham, the man of faith, it's not always perfect. In fact, very next chapter, we'll see it again. Abraham is weak in faith. So this isn't intended to produce in you a great life of faithfulness.

I think it is intended to stand as a warning and to say, you know, when you're tempted to go with your wisdom as opposed to the promise of God, when that becomes a temptation, remember, remember this. Unless faith grows, sin will blossom. The lack of faith leads to the growth of sin. Be aware. Be aware of that. but what will cause faith to grow in your life there's only one way and that's looking to the lord jesus that is the only way that faith is going to grow is constantly consistently looking to jesus as the one to whom you must always trust it's looking to christ that will cause your faith to grow when you are faced with the choice and we always are i can't think of a week.

I can't think of a day where you're not faced with a choice between faith and your own wisdom Right Can I get real graphic here Guys it like this The vision of that bikini goes by. It's there in the store. It's there on the news. When you open up your internet and it goes to that news page that you have, and there's, you know, some half-naked woman in some news story, all right?

This is where faith comes in. My wisdom says there's going to be some kind of fulfillment in pursuing that. And God says, no, there's no fulfillment in that. Believe me, that's not good. What I have for you is better. Right?

That's faith. That's faith. And so if we're going to grow in our faith, we look to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because you know what? Romans 8, 31 and 32. Let's look at that.

Here's why. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Do you believe God's for you? Do you believe that God is for you? You know that whenever we transgress, we are in essence saying, God, you're against me.

Do you ever think about that? God is for you He wants what best for you He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously give us all things When I am tempted not to believe God, I need to remember he gave up his son. he gave up Jesus as a guarantee as a guarantee that he will always give us what we need he will never let us down do you believe that your faith will grow as you look to Jesus your faith will grow as you remember there on the cross is the guarantee that God is for me your faith will grow as you look to Christ Father thank you for your word Lord strengthen our faith help us to be people who live by faith who believe what you say who believe the promises help us Lord to always be aware when we are thinking that we know best living by our wisdom rather than living by the promises of God help us to do that help us to be ruthless in that and lord help us then to look to christ father we thank you for your word we thank you for the warning we ask now that you would work in jesus name amen