Genesis 19
Show me the Genesis chapter 19. We're going to look into this thing about lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. What really happened at Sodom and Gomorrah? We've heard of that about that. If you've been in church, any. Of time you've heard of Sodom and Gomorrah and and today is not a popular day. This is cited as not a popular Society to share this kind of story and why? Because we don't want to hear about it. Is what we hear in the news around. This is what's going on in the world around us in our own communities and maybe sometimes and some houses some lives when we get away from God, when we stop doing the things that God has called us to do. When we started looking at the things of the world and seeing the things of the world, as being more glamorous and glorious, in the things of God. We have issues. There are problems. I want to introduce you to one of the main characters of the story and that is locked himself. Lot was a righteous man. We're going to see you that the Bible tells us that he was a righteous man, but he gets away from the things of God, and he allows the things of the world to oppress him. An issue has happened, not just in his life, but in the lives of those around him. Good to be back with you today. We were away. We were here last Sunday mini. If you don't know, I was sitting on the back row. You just walked right by me and didn't see me cuz that's me. I'm stealthy that way. It's good to be back. We spent a few days with our grandson, Quentin in Yellowstone. National Park in the beautiful place. A beautiful place to go visit. If you've never gone, this is really the time of year to go. Don't wait few more weeks or a month and get all those things and people there. Getting your way stopping and looking at the animals. Getting out and Shay. We saw that anyway, get people getting that looking at black bear from here to the wall away, taking pictures. I'm thinking how stupid is that? God gave us a brain. We ought to use it, right. Then you see all these videos of people getting out and trying to touch a buffalo or bison, and that's just not smart either. So stay in your vehicle's, be safe. Enjoy the beauty of God. I mean, right there. You can reach your hand outside the window of the car sometimes and touch him if you wanted. Would suggest it but you could, if you want, I didn't do it. You see one picture of Quentin. He's at the back of the car. Were we were safe. We're on the other side of the road. They say this stay two bus loads or bus links away from the from the Bison, right? You got to take a picture of him and he was a little nervous cuz we had said that he had heard that and we're like they are on the other side of the road. And we're parked on the, on the edge of the road and they're over their graves and he's at the back of the door was open. I could have grabbed him and got him in there any time and then came our way right now, but he was a little nervous cuz he heard us. Say, two busloads bus links away. So I said to him, well, if they were short buses. Anyway, you got to think these things. We do the same thing with the word of God. Do we not? Here's what the Bible says. What was just the way it is. Not the way God wants us to be in Genesis chapter, 19, read with me this morning. As we look at verses 1 through verse 11, Now, the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom, woodlot. Saw them Heroes to meet them and he bowed himself with his face towards the ground. He said. Tell my lords, please turn into your Servants house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise early and go your way and they said, no, but we will spend the night in the open Square, but he insisted strongly that they turned into him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread and they ate. Now, before they lay down the men of the city, the men of Sodom both old and young, all the people from every quarter surrounded, the house, and they called a lot and said to him. Where are the man who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them. Carnally, the doorway shut the door behind him and said, please my brother do not do so wickedly. See now. I have two daughters who have not known a man. Please. Let me bring them out to you and you may do them as you wish. Only do nothing to these men since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof and they said stand back then they said this one came in as a judge. Now. We will deal worse with you than with them. So they pressed hard against the man lot and came near to break down the door, but the man reached out their hands and pull blood into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness both small and great so that they became very weary trying to find the door. Play the predicament. We find mr. Lot and mrs. Lot in. We don't know what. Mrs. Lots name is before. We just know her as Lot's wife will mrs. Lot.
How did they get in this predicament? While there is a story as you probably know the story. Lot was Abraham's, nephew. And when God said to Abraham and Sarah. Hey, I want you to pack up your belongings. I want you to go into a far country are, and when you get there, I'll tell you, when you arrived. So you're moving. So guys, you got to go home and you got to say to the wife, honey. Let's pack up the housework. We're moving. There's a question that your wife is going to ask you, right? What was that question? Be where to to go to question. Right? And the answer was I don't know. Got to let us know when we get there. What do you mean? You don't know what God says to pack up and move in to be obedient to God. We got to pack up and move and he'll let us know when we get there. You read the rest of the store. You see that that happened. They they began to travel all the sudden got comes in and says, hey, you have a ride, all the land that you can see all around. You is yours for the taking as far as your eye can see is yours. Good deal. Lock prospered, Abraham prospered. The land became too small for them to be so close together. So a lot one day comes to his uncle. And today, they're fighting over these animals. We got to do something. It's a lot. Like anybody would say, well all is well and that you see God has given to me. So here's what I want you to, I want you to go over there and no, that's not what he said. Abraham said to lot where all the land that you see is been given to me, you choose where you want to go and I'll go in the opposite direction. Who does that? Who gives up their land? Would you choose whatever? I mean, you can have the best piece. I'm sure God gave it to him. It was all good, right? You had that whatever peace you want. I'll go in the opposite direction. So, lot lifted up his eyes and he saw all the towns of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. I miss all the excitement of community and all the things going on, everything that you can think of that was happening in the Big Town to Big City. Let's go there. And he packed up his family packs, up his hers and they move the shopping tomorrow. Fast forward a few years. He's now in a very important person in the city. He's sitting in the seat in the, in the gates of the city, which means he's some kind of a judge. He's there. Greeting people as they come in doing business in the gates. These two angels show up.
What new? What kind of City he lived in? He knew what this was all about. He knew that these strangers walking in town. This is not going to be good. So hey guys, you're coming to town. Once you come stay at my house. Come spend the night with me. No. No, we're going to go stay in your open the square. I wouldn't recommend that, buddy. You better come stay. So we entice them to come to his house and stay with them. And we know why? Because scripture tells what happened shortly. The people the men of the city gathered around the house. They were after the two men that came in so that they could be with them as professors carnally.
What are cities to live in? We would never see anything like that in the world. We live in today, right? Or is it all around us?
And we're going maybe that's true in extreme. If we allow things in our life. That shouldn't be, there's nothing new. There's nothing new going on here because the same thing happened in the Garden of Eden write, pretty much got that. Adam Eve of all the places I've created for you all the garden, you can you can have any place you want. Just leave that tree alone. And their eyes were drawn. To that tree The Forbidden place. Satan comes in Satan. Trick some pics of Truth. Bit of a truth. Mixes it with a lie, and that's not what God said. Here's what he said when you. And which one of us this morning. Would not want to be known as a God. I mean look at this.
Right. Wright Quarry, come on, speak up. I can't hear you. I know you don't want to be like this cuz I know this and you know, I want you to be better than this. I want you to have your eyes, fastened on not on the things of the world, but the things of the world, grab ass or things of the world, begin to pull a sin in the things of the world, begin to run our lives. To the point, we make stupid decisions. What father? What father would do? What lot did all these guys in when the city gathered around to molest these guys? He said no, no take my $2. I have not known a man, you can do to them. Whatever you want.
And an Essence in our world today in our world today. We have pretty much done that with the world with our children. Take my children do with them. Whatever you want.
Why we are not things that we allow into our lives things that we allow to become a part of us that begin to control us. That we get to a point in time in my life when we go, how in the world did that happen. I didn't see that, But at the same time, none of this, none of this takes God by surprise. Because God sent these two angels. The lot for a reason. They came into lots of. Hey, listen, we have come to destroy this city. We're going to do away with it. It's going to be done. Why? Because of the wickedness that's going on. In Genesis chapter 6 and then verse five in the days of Noah. They were so much wickedness going on. The god looked down and saw a man. And he said it'd be displeased him that he even created, man. So he called Noah and his family. Eight people to do a work to build an ark because he's going to send the floor. They had no idea what the flood was. They've never seen a flood before. They never seen an ark before they didn't need an argue in the middle of a desert. What you going to do with all my heart? Build it. Scripture tells it a hundred twenty years later. They're building the ark and people are really killing them, making fun of them and mocking them hard. Look at his heart. You're so far away from water. What are you going to do? I have to worry about you because God brought the water to them. Did he not? It began to rain and it rained, and it rained, 40 days and 40 nights in the dark begin to lift up off the ground. And God protected, Noah and mrs. Noah. We don't know her name either.
His sons and their wives. Shem, ham, and japheth. And all the animals, two by two, that he told Noah to get into the ark. The only that we think of that picture that doesn't make sense. How can all the animals get into the yard for thinking of us being full? Grown? I got eight new chicks at my house. Let's chickens, right? Legghorns Bell look-alike. You're all very small, but one day. One day, they're going to be about 10 size bigger than they are now and they're going to start producing hopefully. Some eggs. If they don't produce some eggs, they produce chicken nuggets.
There's a reason. There's a reason God has given us these things. Right? The thing is these animals begin to grow and as they begin to grow, we know what God has told. No, he's told, man, kind of very very, very beginning told Adam. And Eve. I want you to go to replenish. I want you to populate the Earth. That's a big job for Adam and Eve to do. And now here's Noah and his family got to start all over. Repopulating the Earth, doing the things that God has called. Why? Because he destroyed the Earth because of the wickedness. Of the people.
Look at our world today.
What do you think God is today? Do you think maybe he's turned his back on his head? The moment, but he turned his back on his own son because of the send that was placed upon his own son result. He saw what his son is going through the sins of the world will pay us back in Jesus at that moment in my God my God, why has Thou forsaken me?
And yet we see the story of lot. Allowing.
Encouraging. The men of the city that take my daughters, do whatever you want to do then. I don't know about you guys, but I've got a daughter and my thought would be, hey, you know, somebody try to do whatever they want to do. My daughter, not just my daughter, but my children, I'm not a fighter but there's going to be a little bit of a fight. There's going to be a little bit of something to happen if those kind of things are going to take place.
Lot chose to live in Sodom. Mark chose to take his children, his family to Sodom lot chose because he thought, you know what, there's a spot here for. There's a spot here. Maybe the climb the ladder and not to say that there's anything wrong with that. For the right reason. With all the following were thinking about is ourselves and how I can make myself better than somebody else. We have problems, the philosophy of the world. Has entered in the people, the philosophy of the world has entered into Christians and we allow the philosophy of the world to guide us more than the word of God. And the reason for that many times, residual the word of God that was written two thousand years ago. It's it's outdated. Where is he does say if your hand offend either cut it off. Is that really what he's talking about? That's what they would do to thieves back in the day. Somebody get caught stealing, they would cut their hand off. There's a sign that this person is a thief, but what are you saying? It doesn't change your life, if there's something in your life that's going on, change it. What God wants you to be, not what the world wants you to be cuz you know, in your heart. Where you stand? Judges chapter 21 verse 25. Scripture says that each man did that which is right in his own eyes. Why? Because there was no judge in Israel. And when there's no judge in Israel, hennything goes When you don't get judged for doing things wrong, what happens? Well, we know we have children, right? You raise a child up. If they can get away with anything, they get away with anything and they try to help me more. So next time, unless there's a judgment for it. Sometimes it's got to be more than a timeout, right? We need we need to know that God has a plan in the purpose. And he said, the light, listen, this is part of your blessing, but you chose to go to Sodom. You could have picked all the other places. That I've given to your uncle, Abraham to live and you chose this place a place of wickedness. It didn't turn Wicked because he moved there. It was wicked. Prior to him going there and yet he went, we see the Judgment that takes place with that, go to 2nd, Peter chapter 2. 2nd, Peter chapter 2.
We see the same has seen their Shameless, seeing there in Genesis, 19 with lot and his family. Look what the scriptures. Tell us about lot. He wasn't a wicked man. He was a righteous man. And yet he did things. He shouldn't have done. Do reverse for 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse for God did not spare the Angels, who send but cast him down the hill and deliver them into the change of Darkness to be reserved for judgment, and did not spare, the ancient world, but save Noah, one of eight. want to make people a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood on the world about the ungodly and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes can them them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live Godly and delivered ready for this and delivered who Righteous lot who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked? For that righteous man dwelling. Among them for a minute. Is righteous soul from day-to-day by seeing and hearing their Lawless Deeds.
He was oppressed. How by the Wicked the righteous man. Was oppressed by the wicked? Here's the warning label that needs to be put on each and every one of us. You can be a righteous man. You can be a righteous woman, but if you hang out with the oppressed among that long enough. You might fall into that. What else is it saying? In the Preston? He saw the wickedness that was going on. He didn't like it. It concerned them. What about today? Society concerns you? Back in verse 8, the righteous man to Walling among them tormented his righteous soul from day-to-day seeing and hearing their Lawless Deeds.
I understand that some want I listen to what's going on in the world around us. I listen to what's going on in our own Nation. I hear what's taking place, but the sinful Deeds of the world creeping into the church and creeping into Christian lies and creeping in. Where it needs not be? Well, it's all around us. You know, when in Rome you do as Romans do. Why not stand up and be different? Why not stand up and be a? No, I'm not staying up and being able to do where they perfect know, they weren't perfect either. And neither are you and me, but they stood up for what was right. Why? Because the blessing of God is what's important. Or the destruction of God is what takes place.
I listen to the news. Hard to tell what the truth is anymore, even from those who might trust, you don't really know what the truth is because we all have our our processes of thinking tainted by something. And if my processor thinking is going to be tainted. I wanted to be painted by the word of God, cuz the word of God tells you that you shall know the truth. And the truth. Shall what? Set you free in as Bob rich and used to say you. But first, it'll make you miserable. If you know the truth and you don't do the truth, it makes you miserable. That's where a lot was. His soul was tormented by the oppression around him. He knew he didn't need to be here. He knew he shouldn't be in this place, but he was more concerned about being recognized in the Gaze of about having a position and whatever else may come with that. Then he was about his own children in his own family.
The rest of story tell us was that lot was told by the angels to get your family together and get out of here.
He says, well, I I can't even find 10 righteous people in this city. Can you imagine ten ten righteous people? He couldn't find them. He gets his stuff together whenever they control over their shoulders, as wife is his three daughters and they take off the son-in-law's. Didn't want anything to do. They like this in if they're staying, so they stay behind. And as you're walking out of the city mrs. Lot turned around and look back at the city was smoking and being destroyed, and the label says she turned into a pillar of salt.
If the salt. Has lost its savor. What good is it? If you and me as a Believer, we are to be salt and light in this world.
I pretty much know. When I get a cut. Oh, my hands. We we got some sodium in our water at our house with their, there's a assault dispenser down in the basement to help keep the sulfur smell away for my when I wash my hands. I know when I get a cut. You know how? I know because that saltwater is holding water. A little bit of it, gets in there. There it is. I can feel it. But when the salt loses, its Savor, what good is it? You know, what they do is salt when it lost it, say, when it was no good for anything. They throw it on the pathways. They would walk upon it. That would be where they would walk along.
How often? How often do you feel that? Maybe God desires are throw you on the pathway of life? What good are you? I can't answer that I can tell you what, I think, what good I see you within you. But each and every one of us here this morning knows exactly where we are before. God. Am I doing what he's called me to do. Am I doing the things of the world? Which am I more prone to do what God wants or what the world war?
And lot at falling into the process of life to the point where he was willing to give up his own daughter's for the desires of the world, the world currently.
Did the move. Process. He loses his family. He loses. His wife. Thomas Jefferson. Made a statement concerning the moral standard. Of our government. He said, there are govern those who are govern. Those are governed best to our governing least.
When God created the universe, when he created the world, when he put man upon it, he gave him one rule. You know, that rule was. Enjoy the garden. Enjoy the garden. Leave that tree alone.
How many rules do we have today?
Go out and have your family and enjoy the the produce at God's Garden will provide for you and now because of that sin in the garden because of their desire to do, what they wanted to go where they deserve to go. We have pain and sorrow.
Even sweat. Right. I cranked the air conditioner up. I crank the fans up because somebody told me is on. Is get less people in here would be less hot. Have you need to go? I know. I'm just kidding.
The problem is we get it too cold in here in the early service and they're all freezing, cuz it's too cold, but then bodies come in and here we are. But that's the way of the world write sweat pants are o death and destruction. Comes upon the world wife because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Scripture says by death, sin. Came into the world of ice and death came into the world because of the sin of Adam death, came into the world.
We have him to thank for that. Why you mean Adam? It was a woman who ate of the fruit.
But so did Madam. And the problem wasn't the problem, wasn't eating the fruit. The problem was touching the fruit. See before you can really eat the fruit. You have to touch it. Am I right? Get that Apple pay says that. We don't know that it was an apple. That's what everybody says. But whatever that fruit was you could you take it and you partake of it. And she gave it to Adam to partake of it as well. He had a responsibility. This is a response to the spiritual responsibility. Of men not to say that women are especially responsible that spiritual responsibly a man to be the leaders of their house by doing the right thing. The right thing is not my way or the highway. I had a boss. That was that way. I hated that job for that period of time. That that was his mindset. It's my way or the highway.
I'm thinking what you're wasting so is, right. No, it wasn't Scott stroke when I was working for him.
And the other guys on the team that were under him, they didn't like it either. You want somebody to show you the way not tell you how to do it?
If lot was showing the way he was doing the wrong things. He took his children, his family to a place of wickedness and part took of the wickedness. And now the wickedness was gathering around his house. And what do we do? And yet scripture tells us that he was a righteous man oppressed by the ways of the world.
Cuz he allowed it to keep coming. God establishes moral laws for mankind. Aroma 7:7. The question was asking. What should we do? Is show me, show me, keep on sending the answer is, no, don't keep on sinning. So that Grace May abound, you want more grace. Send more know. That's not how you do it. We have Grace. What is Grace? Grace is God's, unmerited, love is unmerited favor. He gave it to us and we did nothing for it. He loved us enough to send his son to die in across that whosoever believes in Him. Should not perish but have everlasting life. Good works. Do not get us in the heaven. But if we're on our way to heaven, we ought to be doing good works. Make sense, right? Be like Christ be christ-like. None of us are perfect. And I say that and I don't want to walk. People are going to believe what I'm saying. Strive to do the right thing when we were in the midst of Oppression, when they were in the mist of Sodom and Gomorrah. And people are after our families and our children. We should have began the battle prior to the hatch. Not when the battle ensues be prepared. God forbid. He says that we should do that relationship. 4647 be not deceived. God is Not mocked whatsoever. A man soweth that, shall he? Also reap. That makes sense the law of sowing and reaping. You going to go hang out in your garden? You're going to plant some some vegetables. You, you're hoping that you reap the vegetables that you plant. If you're planting peas, you want to reap, he's if you're planting potatoes, you want to read potatoes. If you're planning cranberries, you can have them.
They're good for somebody just not want something. I would want in my wife wants to plant cranberries. Okay, she can have them. I'm not desirous of cranberry. But the point is what you plant is what you expect to get back. If we're planning good, senior going to get good things if you're planning, bad seeds are going to get bad things.
God's plan. The blessing of some of that is, we don't always reap what we sow. And when it comes to the sinful things, we should be very thankful that we have it reap. All of the things that we have sown. Amen. Thank you. Lord, for getting me through that. Thank you. Lord, for getting me beyond that but there's got to be a change in our lives. We can't be living one foot in the world. And one foot with God and expect to be blessed by him the way we want to be blessed. And that's where our society is today. Saturday. That's where a lot of churches are today. You cannot serve, God, and Mammon. Choose you this day. Whom you will serve nothing wrong with God. Bless you. If it's his first.
But if it's all about you.
When that stuff burns up gets dented, get stains and whatever happened to that stuff in that bothers, you more than anything else. Then we began to realize where it is.
Where is America today? Where is our country? Where is our people? Back in Genesis chapter 19, verses 1 through 5 verse 5. We see that because Jesus did not feel at home with lot in Sodom. He sent to Angels. To help helping out. The question is, does he feel at home with us? Look at back at Birth to now to Angels worse ones and Zack chapter 19. Genesis 19 verse one. Not two angels came to Sodom in the evening and lot was sitting in the gates of Sodom. When lot saw them. He arose to meet him in about himself with his face toward the ground.
Well, why do we think? It was a lot that they came after because he was the one righteous person in the city. It's tough. It's tough when you're around unrighteous people.
And I'm not saying I'm a racist person. I'd be the last person to tell you that I'm a righteous person, but what I don't like is when I walk into An eating establishment or Stewart's or whatever it is. And you hear somebody say straighten up the reference here.
Don't straighten up because I'm here. I'm not important. Straighten up because God is present and God is present wherever we go. If you're here this morning, you know, God as your lord and your savior of Jesus's is your lord in your savior. He is present with you. Everywhere you go. So if you're going places, you shouldn't be going, he's with you. You're taking him there. He dwells in here. This is his holy Tabernacle within me. He's with within you we take him wherever we go. There are things in places that we go that we try to set him aside and we can't, if he's in us he's in his lot was in a wicked place, but he was still a righteous man is oppressed by the things on the world. He wasn't doing righteous things. He was getting pulled down by the things of the world. But God knew his heart because of his face.
You ready for this? Here's my Baptist background coming out. My belief is once a person truly knows Christ as their lord and their savior. They are a child of God forever. Keyword truly. If you truly know him, it's not a well. I'll try him on this and see if it works and if it works, okay, if it doesn't I what am I lost that? Excuse that I use with, with my wife, when I asked you to marry me will, will you marry me just in case nobody else comes along? No, I didn't say that to my wife. I did have to ask her three times. However. Third, time's a charm. Julie true. Will you marry me? Because nothing better comes up. My all that's not how this works either. You believe. Or you don't? And even in that scripture says, remember the man's the Lord, I believe, help my unbelief in those moments. When we made that what God has done, those moments were in the lot, We may get oppressed by the things of the world or tragedy or trial and tribulation whatever might be and we begin to doubt who God is. Believe. You know why? Because he says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I believe that.
Go with me as we close this morning to the book of Jude. The book of Jude, you want to know what chapter? You get there, you'll find out what chapter. Right before Revelation. It's only 25 versus the whole book of Jude. Hey, Jude.
Begin Again, verse 23. But others have had save with fear. Pulling them out of the fire hating. Even the garment defiled by The Flash glory to God verse 24.
Nottingham, who is able to keep you from stumbling into Brazil at you faultless before the presence of his glory? With exceeding joy to God? Our savior who alone is wise, be glory and Majesty dominion and power both now and forever. Amen, There are those in this world who have stumbled who have fallen, who feel like God has cast them away. If you're a child. He hasn't because right there is his to him who is able to keep you.
From stumbling. But we got to follow him. We got to trust him, or we begin to stumble on the things of the world.
Stumbling hurts. Have you noticed?
I woke up yesterday morning. My right knee is swollen up and got bruises on both sides. I have no idea really what I did to it.
Are you okay? I'm going to live. I don't know if I twisted the wrong way. I don't know exactly what it what I do. Remember, is kneeling down upon it, one Friday. And I got up and I said, well that, that hurts a little bit, just from kneeling on my knees. Good thing. I don't pray a lot. We don't have to kneel to pray. You know that right? You can pray in your car. If you're driving, Don't Close Your Eyes. I would suggest that talk to God all the time. Farmers. You can pray on the tractor. That's a long days on the tractor. Some days, you pray to God, God guide us. God directions. God help us. God. Show me the way you want me to. We can pray all the time.
You can play when you're at work. I wouldn't suggest all day praying at work. Give your boss, what's due to them? And that's not what you think. It's due to the end. That's what they expect of you to do for them. Prayers in Portsmouth injury comes and injury goals. But here's what I do know. Whatever injury, I have or whatever tribulation, you might be going this too shall pass. When we trust God to guide us and direct us and help us along his path. Go back to verse 1, just real quick. I don't believe we share this with you. True. Believers are preserved in Jesus Christ, verse 1, do it a bunch of the Jesus Christ, and brother, James to those who are called those who are Sanctified by God, the father and preserved in who? Preserved in Jesus Christ.
The other day, Friday, I think it was Anna came to our house. She wanted some pickles. She saw some pickles and canned pickles in the refrigerator and she wanted some chicken leg. Mater pucker up and she put them back. As we're walking out of the house to go to a ball game to watch one of her and her brother can play ball. She sees up on the Shelf, going down the stairs week where we store our canned food and there's pickles are another thing that Lori has scanned and put up there and she said pops, you better hurry up and eat that stuff up before it goes bad.
Has it. Well, that's the good thing about can stop it. It can last for a while. The thing about you and me, is we been can, if we know Jesus has nothing not in a bad way. We've been kinder to go to a. We will preserve the man. Preserve look at verse 21. Keep yourselves in love of God. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm too. Eternal life. You proved this by keeping themselves in God's love, not the world sloth. Keep yourself in God's up. And then lastly, verse 24 verse 25, which we already read to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present. You faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our savior who alone is wise be glory. Majesty. Dominion and power both now. And forever, his power, his Dominion will never end. That's why I want to be on his side. That's why I want to be on his team. That's why I want to encourage you to stay with God. Trust him follow his guidance. Not the world's guy in this. It's messed up.
Psalm 1:1 blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth, in the way of Sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his Delight is where in the law of the Lord, and in his law, doth, he meditate day and night. Where's your Delight today? The things of Sodom the things of the world. Are the things have got. So he gives us a choice. You and I have a choice everyday. Who were going to serve. That's what Joshua is choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Father. We thank you. We. Thank you for your goodness, your mercy and your love. We thank you for the way that you provide for each and everyone of us.
Father, you know the burdens on each heart and needs a nice life. We ask that you take care of those as you see fit help us to trust you. It's not going to get easier as we go forward because you tell us in this in your word that in the last days, perilous times will come. We see some of those times around us or at least we think we do. I think we haven't seen anything yet. But we see the beginnings of the birth pangs. We see the beginning of the trials and tribulations that we need to be aware of help us to trust you to see history. Help us. The following your leadership, none of us in this room today or perfect. That's why we need a savior. That's why Jesus died on the cross because then therefore, with the shed blood of Jesus Christ with were made perfect to the shed blood of Jesus Christ, help us to live up to that, not for the world, but for you. And when we live up to that for there for you, then we are a blessing to the world around us, guide us and directors. As only you can in Jesus name, we pray.