What is a Christian: By Disassociation

Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight and a chance to, to be

together. And we're grateful for how you

answer prayer. And we're grateful, Lord, for

the word of the Lord, we thank you that we can study the

scriptures. We thank you, Lord, for the for

the insight you give us as we study them.

And you open up to us, our hearts and minds to be able to

behold your beauty tonight. Lord, I, I pray that you work in

all of our hearts. Help us to examine our lives in

light of what Your Word says, that we might understand the

essence of true, genuine biblical Christianity, and that

we might live in light of what Your Word says.

Forgive us, Lord, for falling short at times.

Forgive us, Lord, for our sinful behavior.

We know that you are a great, forgiving God.

And our prayer, Lord, is that we would live for your glory and

honor that you be pleased with how we seek to honor You each

and every day, and that as we learn tonight, we would take

with us those things that we have learned and apply them to

our lives for your glory in Jesus name, Amen.

What is true about a Christian is that a Christian purposes in

his heart to make a decision, and that decision is to deny

himself and take of his cross and follow the Christ.

That's Luke 9/23 having made a decision that Christian is

defined by Philippians 3 verse #3 He worships God in spirit, he

he boasts only in Christ Jesus, and he puts no confidence in the

flesh. That definition is described in

Second Corinthians 5/17, that if any man be in Christ, he is a

new creation. Christians are described as

being in Christ and Christ in them.

That description is then declared by the believer in

Matthew 16 because he declares that Jesus Christ is the Son of

the living God. He understands the deity of

Christ and believes that fully. That declaration leads to a

dedication, and that dedication is summed up in Philippians 121.

For, as Paul says, for me to live as Christ and to die as

gain. All Christians, all genuine true

believers live for Christ and not for themselves.

And then they, they denounce and they destroy those members of

their body that keep them from being all that Christ wants them

to be. That's Colossians 3 verses 1 to

Colossians 3:1–8

8. And then they devote themselves

to 1 ambition, and that is to please only Christ. 2nd

Corinthians 5 verse #9 seven key characteristics that help you

understand what a Christian really is.

Number 8 is that that Christian disassociates from the world and

all of its evil. There is a disassociation from

loving the world to loving Christ.

The believer understands James 4 verse #4 that to be a friend of

the world is to be an enemy of God.

The believer understands that. The believer understands that

that if you love the world, the love of the Father is not in

you. And yet so many people are

deceived, self deceived into thinking they love the Lord, but

in reality they love the world. I want to show you how that

happens this evening through an illustration, a three word verse

that's illustrating the principle of someone who did not

disassociate from the world, but wanted to associate with the

world. Let me say it to you this way.

This person is a biblical character without a name, whose

body never to corruption came, who died at death, no one's ever

died before, whose shroud is found in every grocery store.

Let me say it to you again. This biblical character is

without a name. Whose body never to corruption

came, who died to death, no one's ever died before.

Whose shroud is found in every grocery store.

That's the person. That person is found in the 17th

chapter of Luke. In the 17th chapter of Luke in

verse #22 Christ begins to talk about His coming again, His

second coming, His coming in judgement.

And as He talks to those round about Him, he wants them to

understand that His judgement is going to be like the days of

Noah. That is, men and women will be

drinking, they'll be getting married and being given in

marriage. They'll carry on as if nothing

bad is ever going to happen, but it will.

And then he says, it'll be like the days of of Sodom when they

were eating and drinking, they were buying, they were selling,

they were planting, they were building, they were carrying on

everyday activities because they were indifferent to the fact

that God was going to judge man. And so it says in verse #30 of

Luke 17, it will be just the same on the day that the Son of

Man is revealed. Interesting.

It says in Luke's Gospel, the 2nd chapter, that as Simeon

would talk to Mary at the dedication of their child, the

Lord Jesus, Simeon would say that the hearts of many will be

revealed by your son. There's something about our Lord

that truly reveals what's on the inside of man.

And nothing will be more revealing than when He comes in

judgement, because not only will He be revealed that all of His

glory and spend the splendor, but He will reveal the hearts of

everyone He's come to judge. This is the verse #31 of Luke

17. On that day, the one who was on

the House stop and whose goods are in the house must not go

down to take them out, and likewise the one who was in the

field must not turn back. In other words, the day of

judgement, there is no time to collect your possessions, but

only those who turn around to go back will see the value of those

possessions as more important than Christ Himself.

And He says those famous 3 words that describe a biblical

character without a name, whose body never to corruption came,

who died of death, no one ever died before, whose shroud is

found in every grocery store verse #32 remember Lot's wife?

That's the biblical character without a name.

She's referred to three times and she's 19 as lots wife.

We don't know her name. She was turned into a pillar of

salt. That's the shroud that's in

every grocery store. And yet she becomes the supreme

example in Scripture of someone who looked like her husband but

was completely different than her husband, and she would be

destroyed. She would be judged.

Because she is the example of self love in the Bible.

She becomes the example of worldly love in the Bible.

She's the example of someone who comes so close to being

delivered, but it's not someone who was on the brink of

deliverance, but her heart was exposed and she died along with

those in Sodom and Gomorrah. She becomes a warning.

That's why Christ uses her as an example.

When the judgement of God comes, don't go back to your house to

collect your possessions because you can't take them with you.

When you're judged, don't go back internal.

Look at your field as if you'll never see it again because you

won't just remember Lot's life. She turned back and she was

destroyed because the true condition of her heart was

revealed, that she really didn't love God, she simply loved

herself. And so she becomes the example

of those who love darkness rather than light because their

deeds are evil. So turn with me, if you would,

to the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter 19.

Genesis 19 · chapter mention

And so our Lord refers to this scene when He says remember

Lot's wife, Genesis 19 verse #26 But his wife from behind him

looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

There's a reason why you are to remember Lot's wife because her

example is 1 of worldly love and self love.

Excuse me? Her look, her looking back

revealed the true nature of her character.

The most insignificant acts that you do reveal more about the

condition of your character than anything else you do.

The small insignificant acts truly reveal your character and

Lots wife misses Lot. Her character was revealed and I

want you to notice three things about her character. 4 things

about her character. Excuse me, why does she look

back? Why are we?

Do you remember Lot's wife? Number one is because she

desired the world. She desired the world.

Her heart was truly in Sodom. Her body was out of Sodom, but

her heart was still in Sodom. Her affections were in Sodom.

Her attention was in Sodom. In fact, a man's attention will

always determine his decision. Your decisions will always

determine your direction. Your direction will always

determine your destination, but it's all based on your

affections, all based on that which has your undivided

attention. And Sodom had Missus Lott's

attention as we talked about a couple of weeks ago, the Bible

says set your affections on things above, not below Missus

Lott which that are affection on Sodom.

She couldn't bear to live without her friends and Sodom.

She couldn't bear to live without all the opportunities

that Sodom offered her. She loved the world.

She desired the world. But notice what it says.

But his wife from behind him? That's just a marvelous

statement. She was behind for three

reasons. Number one, no one could see

her. If they could not see her, they

could not #2 scold her. And #3 if they could not scold

her, they could not stop her. That's why she was behind.

She wasn't about to walk side by side with Mr. Lot.

She wasn't about to do that because then he would be able to

keep her from looking back. The children, the daughters,

they would not turn back to see what was happening with Mom

because the command was don't turn back, don't look back.

So while she's behind them, she knows they're not going to turn

around and see what she's doing because they were given a

command by the angels. Do not turn around, do not look

back. So she would stay behind because

she truly desired the world. People who desire the world

endeavor to conceal their activities.

They don't want to be seen, so they hide in the dark places.

They they stay behind where no one can watch them, no one can

see what they are doing. That is a characteristic of

someone who desires the world. They stay behind so no one can

see. If they cannot see her, they

cannot scold her. They cannot say to her, what are

you doing, Mom? You can't do that.

People who desire the world do not want their deeds to be

censored. They don't want to be seen and

they do not want to be told what to do.

They don't want to be scolded by parents, by pastors, by friends,

by anybody, because they are an entity of them to themselves.

They want to perform their deeds as they see fit, and so they

don't want to be seen. So they lag behind and they

don't want to be scolded by anybody because they do not want

to be held accountable for anything that they do.

So they can't be seen. She could not be seen.

She could not be scolded. Therefore she could not be

stopped. And the person who desires the

world doesn't want to be stopped because they love the world.

You see, worldliness is not an act.

Worldliness is an attitude. We we think that it's an act.

It's something we do. No, worldliness is an attitude.

Physically her, she was outside of Sodom, but her attitude was

in Sodom. That's what she really wanted.

That's where she wanted to be. And so therefore we see where

she truly desired the world. You know, I think about people

who claim Christianity, they claim to love the Lord, but down

deep they really love the world. They're the people that do not

want to be seen. So they do what they do in

secret where no one can see them, thinking they they are

hiding from everyone and they can continue to camouflage their

Christianity. Excuse me, but the bottom line

is, is that they don't want to be seen because they don't want

to be told what to do. They don't want anybody

interfering with their love for the world.

And so they continue to hide so they can't be scolded.

Bishop JC Rile in the 1800s said these words.

I believe there never was a time when warnings against

worldliness were so much needed by the Church of Christ as they

are in this present day. That was said in the 1800s.

I wonder what he would say today if he was alive.

Because worldliness has crept into the church.

Because people who love the world are in the church.

The Angel had taken her by the hand to remove her from the

city. How grateful it was for God to

do that, and yet that meant nothing to Lot's wife.

One author said it this way. Some people are so taken up with

material things that Christ thinks it necessary to warn them

that on the very day in which He will be revealed to execute the

wrath of God on evil centers and conglomerations of human

iniquity, they will be tempted to go back to the house or city

to get their favorite possessions, because they cannot

imagine life without them. For the sake of things, they

will lose life itself. So true.

For the sake of things, for the sake of friendships, for the

sake of affection, they're willing to lose their life.

That's what Luke 17 is about. Christ would go on to say in

verse #33 Whoever seeks to keep his life in Luke 17 will lose

it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

He says, I, I tell you on that night there, there will be two

in bed. One will be taken and the other

will be left. The one taken is taken into

judgement. The one left is left to go into

the Kingdom. There will be two women grinding

at the same place. One will be taken, the other

will be left. Two men will be in the field,

one will be taken, the other will be left.

In other words, two people in bed.

Two people in bed believe they're united together, but one

will be revealed that they are not true, and the other one will

be revealed that they are true. One will be taken in the

judgement, the other will not. There'll be two people working

side by side in the same workplace, presumably thinking

that they both know the Lord, but one is taken into judgement

and the other is not. There'll be two people in the

same job location, 1 taken into judgement, the other not Why?

Because one desires the things of the world and 1 does not.

Matthew, chapter 13. This is the thorny, weedy soil

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

who falls away because of the cares of this world or because

of the deceitfulness of riches. My friends, this is so

important. Christ says, remember Lot's wife

because she did not disassociate herself with the things of the

world. She wanted to remain associated

with the things of the world. But true Christianity

disassociates with the world so many times.

We, we, we have family members and, and maybe one of the family

members is yours. They, they just can't depart

from the things of the world. They love to be in the world.

They love to be with the world. They love to do worldly things.

Their interests are in the world.

They're the kind of people that that that show no interest

necessarily in church because they'll schedule their work on

Sunday so they don't have to go to church.

That's a Lot's wife. That they will schedule things

around church activities so they don't have to be involved in

church activities. That's a Lot's wife.

That's a self deceived person who wants you to think they love

the Lord, but in all reality they love the things of the

world and they want to be with the people of the world and they

don't want to be with the people of God or in the Church of God.

That person is the lot's wife. They desire the world.

And maybe you're a parent today and that's one of your children.

Then you need to talk hard and long with that child about

whether or not they know the Lord.

Hard and long because as a parent you are held responsible

for their spiritual direction. If you don't tell them, how sad

would that be if they end up in a crisis eternity.

Don't just placate your children by thinking and convincing them

that they love the Lord when a reality they truly love the

world. Be very, very careful about

that. That's why the Lord puts us in

here. It's interesting that in verse

#17 it says when they had this is Genesis 19, I'm sorry.

When they had brought them outside, one said escape for

your life. Do not look behind you and do

not stay anywhere in the valley. Get completely away.

Don't stay in the valley. Disassociate yourself with any

of the surroundings of that which is going to be destroyed.

But we find ourselves wanting so badly to dabble in the things of

the world we want to. We want to walk on the fringe as

if it's OK. But you got to remember lots,

wife. The angels wanted to be clear

that separation must be complete and total, not partial.

The total. So her character is defined by

#1 She desired the world because she desired the world #2 comes

into play. And that is she despised the

word. She despised the word.

She despised it so much that when the warning was given, she

completely and totally disobeyed because she did not delight in

the word of warning. She despised the word of warning

because it went against her love for the world, and therefore she

would despise what God said to the angels.

It was a blatant defiance. Proverbs 1313.

He you despises the word will be destroyed by that word.

Proverbs 29. One.

He who stiffens his neck against much reproof will be destroyed

without remedy. So many times we play with the

authority of God's Word, and you cannot do that.

She despised the word of the living God.

When God says not to do something, He tells you not to

do it for for your sake. He doesn't do it to punish you,

doesn't do it to make you uncomfortable.

He does it because He wants you to live for Him and honor Him.

John tells us that his commands are not burdensome.

They don't weigh you down. To an unbeliever, they're

burdensome. To the believer, they're

delightful, and one of the ways you know someone's a believer is

when you talk to them about the Word of God.

They don't see it as a burden to obey, they see it as a complete

and total blessing to obey. Her character was revealed in

her looking back because she desired the world.

She despised the Word and #3 she disbelieved the warning.

She disbelieved the warning. God's not going to do that.

God's a loving God. He's a righteous God.

He's a kind God. He's a merciful God.

He's a patient God. God's not going to destroy Sodom

and Gomorrah. She disbelieved the warning.

Every act of disbelief demonstrates the fact that I do

not believe that God is going to do what He said He's going to

do. It denies the authority of His

Word. God had already shown a mercy by

taking her by the hand and moving her outside the city.

Because they weren't moving, lot included.

In fact, when the warning had been given, they went to bed.

The Angel had to get them up the next day.

It's time to go. Why are you still here?

This is going to be destroyed. You got to go.

And they hesitated. So the Angel had to take them by

the hand and physically remove them for Abraham's sake, because

Abraham had prayed. The Bible tells us in verse #29

that it came about when God destroyed the cities of the

valley of the valley. That God remembered Abraham and

sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.

When he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

God did it because of Abraham. God remembered Abraham and

spared Lot and his girls. You know there are so many

warnings in the scripture. The Bible says in Proverbs 14

verse #12 there is a way which seemed with right into a man,

but the ends are over the ways of death not life.

What a warning. There is a way which seemeth

right into a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.

The Bible says the wages of sin is death, the payment for sin is

death, and it's only because of God's mercy and grace that we

live when we sin and do not die. The Bible says in Galatians

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 verse #7 do not be deceived.

God is not mocked that whatsoever man sows that shall

he also reap. Do not be deceived.

But we are. We do not think that God's going

to do what he said he's going to do, but he did.

So remember lots wife, very important not to forget her

judgement came and judgement was swift.

But notice this about the judgement upon her.

She had all the reasons not to look back.

She was on the brink of deliverance, just about to be

saved, but she perished because her heart was revealed.

She was the wife of a righteous man.

You would not know that by reading Genesis.

We know that because of Peter. In Second Peter chapter 2, Peter

2 Peter 2 · chapter mention

tells us he was a righteous man. We would never know that by

reading Genesis 19. In fact, looking at Lot's life,

you wonder how could he ever be righteous?

But he was right before God, and she was the wife of a righteous

man. She had that advantage.

She was married to a believer. She was married to a righteous

man. And all the words that he would

say and all the things that he would, he would do.

You'd think that she would learn from her husband, but she did

not. She might have looked like she

learned from her husband. She might have looked like the

faithful wife. She might have looked like a

righteous person. But God revealed her heart.

She was not a righteous person, but she was the wife of a

righteous man. Not only that, she had the

warnings from the Angel. Three of them, one at night, one

in the morning and one at the outskirts of Sodom.

She had the warnings from the Angel.

Do not look back. Don't do that.

Judgments coming. You don't want to be judged.

You don't want to be condemned. Do not look back.

Three warnings. The wife of a righteous man.

The warnings from the angels. How about this?

She even welcomed the angelic visitors into her home.

She welcomed them into her home. She had a first hand account of

entertaining angels unaware, but I believe she would end up

knowing that they were angels. So not only was she the wife of

a righteous man, not only did she receive warnings from the

angels, not only did she welcome in the angels, but #4 she

watched the miracle of the blinding of the homosexuals

outside her door. She watched it.

She saw first hand account of how all these men who wanted to

have sexual relationships with these angelic beings who were at

the door and Lot was trying to keep them out of the door.

They were struck blind and she was able to view that miracle

from a first hand experience. But it did not change the

condition of her heart. She desired the world, she

despised the word, she disbelieved the warning, in

spite of the miracle that was before her.

Just to show you that miracles do not change people's lives,

only the message of the Gospel does.

That, one author said. We have so many spiritual

blessings today in our land, yet by the looks of the lives of

most, the opportunities have been completely ignored, yes,

even scorned. Much judgement awaits those who

are poor stewards of spiritual opportunities.

The greater the opportunities not used, the greater the

judgement, for the judgement is related to the opportunities one

has received. That's why the Bible says in

Hebrews chapter 6, Having tasted the good word of the Lord, have

Hebrews 6 · chapter mention

you been partakers of the Holy Spirit?

Have you been afforded the wonderful opportunities of the

Scripture? Unless you repent, you will

perish because it will be impossible to renew you to

repentance once you've seen all the obvious evidences and turn

your back on. So important.

She desired the world, she despised the word, she

disbelieved the warning. So the consequence?

She died on the way. And her death was sudden,

shameful, specific and severe. Her death was sudden.

She looked back and she was judged immediately.

She was turned into a pillar of salt.

God's punishment overtook her on the spot.

It was sudden and without remedy.

No opportunity to repent, no opportunity to ask forgiveness,

no opportunity to speak to her husband, no opportunity to get

things right with her family. She came to ruin because her

judgement was sudden. It was shameful because she died

in the act of her sin. She died in the act of

rebellion. She was turned into a pillar of

salt, looking back at that which was she's told not to look back

at, and she died a shameful death.

She died a very specific death at a very specific time, at the

exact same time that the cities were being burned with fire and

brimstone from above. That was the time that she was

judged and turned into a pillar of salt.

And it was severe because she perished along with the

occupants of Sodom and Gomorrah. How incredible is that?

When you desire the world, you will despise the Word.

Your children despise the Word. Or do they delight in the Word

of God? Do they want to read the Word?

Do they want to hear the Word? Or do they do they despise the

Word? They despise it because they

desire something other than the Lord.

They desire the world. And when you despise the Word,

you will disbelieve the warnings of the Word.

They made no difference to you. God's not going to do what He

says he's going to do. Well, he might have done at the

start of the Gomorrah. He might have done it during the

days of Noah and the flood, but he's not going to do it to me.

So we say, or so we think. We desire the world.

Then you will always suffer. You need to detest the world,

not desire the world. You need to delight in the Word,

not despise the Word. You need to believe the warnings

and not disbelieve the warnings. You need to regard the walk of

the godly, not disregard the walk of the godly.

You need to live and not die. For a Lot's wife becomes the

answer to Romans 623. The wages of sin is death.

That's the payment. She had opportunity to believe.

She had opportunity to follow. She had opportunity to deny

herself. She don't want to do that.

She loved the world and she loved herself she loved herself

more than she loved her girls. She loved herself more than she

loved her husband. But you know, they never really

knew that until it was too late because she, being from behind,

looked back and she, she was changed or became a pillar of

salt. I don't know where you are,

where your family is, your husband, your wife, your

children, your friends. But remembering Lot's life is

absolutely crucial in our journeys to the land of Israel.

We would stop on our way back from Masada, on our way back

from and Getty and stop by the Dead Sea.

We would open our Bibles to Genesis chapter 19, and we'd

Genesis 19 · chapter mention

read the story, the accounts of what took place in that region.

It was a beautiful region at one time, a beautiful region, but it

was destroyed because of the sin of the people in the city.

But we understand that well. We have a hard time getting the

grip on his Lot's wife. What happened to her?

I'm sure the girls believed that she was a follower of the Lord

God of Israel. I'm sure her husband believed

that his wife was a follower of the Lord God of Israel.

At least she played along that way.

That that's why the series What is a Christian is so important

because people are so easily self deceived.

You know what? I bet you even Lot's wife

thought that she believed in the Lord God of Israel until the

true nature, the true colors were exposed.

She was turned into a pillar of salt.

Why a pillar of salt? Interesting.

Why not just zapper? Incinerator.

Why a pillar of salts? I have my ideas.

The Bible says you are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world. You're in a world that's

decaying. Salt retards corruption in a

world that's dark. Light reveals the Christ who is

the true light. But my reason is this is that

it's a reminder to Lot that he was in the city where he was not

effective as salt because he did not retard the corruption of the

city. And even though he was a

righteous man, I, I think that we need to quickly, and I mean

quickly look at what happened to Lot.

And if you're a husband today, you need to examine your life in

light of that. And so just let me take you back

a couple of pages to Genesis chapter 13 and show you how it

Genesis 13 · chapter mention

began with Lots says in verse #10 Lot lifted up his eyes and

saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered

everywhere. This was before the Lord

destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord

liked the land of Egypt. Why is that important?

In Genesis chapter 12, there's a famine in the land.

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

Abraham did not seek the Lord. Abraham did not pray.

What do I do when there's a famine in the land?

What did Abraham do? He went to where there was food.

So he went to Egypt. He went down to Egypt.

Egypt is symbolic of the world. In the Old Testament, Abraham

went the way of the world, and Lot was with him, and Lot

journeyed back with him. And Lot got a taste of Egypt,

got a taste of the world. And once he got the taste that

longing in his heart, it caused him to look One Direction.

When he and Abraham, we're going to part ways.

Abraham said, you can go this way or you can go that way.

Choose which way you will go. And he looked towards Sodom and

he saw the lushness of it. It was like Egypt and it and it

affected the longing of his heart.

Abraham had a negative effect on his nephew Lot, And Lot, when he

looked towards Sodom, saw the lushness of it.

It was just like Egypt. That's what I want.

So because Lot longed for Egypt, Lot looked toward Egypt.

And because he looked toward Egypt, I like this, he leaned

toward Egypt. Look at verse 12 of chapter 13.

Abraham settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the

cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

Once you long for Egypt, you will look toward Egypt.

Once you look toward Egypt, you will begin to lean in the

direction of Egypt. And once you lean in that

direction, you will live in Egypt.

And sure enough, in verse 12 with chapter 14, Lot, Abraham's

nephew and his possessions departed for he was living in

Sodom. Once you long for Egypt, you'll

look toward Egypt. When you look toward Egypt,

you'll lean that direction. Remember, Egypt is symbolic of

the world, and once you lean that direction, you will live in

that arena. They did.

But it gets worse, because as you move on to Chapter 19, it

says now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot

was sitting in the gate of Sodom.

Only those who led in the city would sit in the city gates.

Once you long for the world and look toward the world and lean

toward the world, you'll live in the world, and you will then

lead in the world. And Lot did, but it gets worse

because he's just 19 verse #7 he says to the men in the doorway.

My brothers do not act wickedly. Your brothers, the homosexuals

were your brothers. They become his brothers.

Because once you look toward the city, because you've already

longed for the city, and you lean toward that way and you

live that way and you lead in that place, you love that place.

Lot loved Sodom, my brothers. He loved us so much that when it

came time to leave, he lingered in the city, it says in verse

16. But he hesitated.

So the men seized his hand in the hand of his wife, in the

hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was

upon him. He lingered because he loved the

city, because he led there, He lived there.

He leaned there because he looked there, because he longed

for the world. That's why it's so important to

understand the Scriptures when the Bible says so explicitly

that we are to disassociate with the world.

When you care for the things of the world, you end up being

companioned with the world. Those who become companioned

with the world become contaminated by the world, and

those contaminated by the world then become conformed to the

world. When the Bible says do not be

conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of

your mind. And those who care for the world

and those who become companion with the world, and those who

become contaminated by the world and those who become conformed

to the world, they then become controlled by the world.

That was Lot. The difference is, is that Lot

was a righteous man. His wife was not.

She was condemned along with the world.

Lot was not. Lot was in no way a perfect man.

In many ways he was a horrible husband and a horrible father.

But the Bible does say he was a righteous man.

And yet there were a lot of things he probably could have

done a lot differently than he did, but he didn't.

We did a series years ago called Lot's Loss in Life.

What did Lot lose? Lot would lose his family.

Lot would lose the city and Lot would lose his testimony because

Lot had lost all credibility. He lost so much.

Didn't have to be that way for us at all.

Not at all. But he had a wife that was

turned into a pillar of salt to remind him that he could have

retarded corruption in the city. But he didn't because he loved

the city, the city in which he led in, the city in which he

lived in. We are of the world.

We are in the world. We're not supposed to be of the

world. So important come out from among

them and be separate, says the Lord.

There is to be complete separation, a complete

disassociation with the things of the world.

You have to ask yourself, do my children disassociate themselves

from the world or do they find themselves wanting to associate

more and more with the world? Beware or your wife or your

husband. There should be a direct

disassociation with the things of the world and all of its

evil, because all it does is ruin people's lives.

So where are you? Where's your family?

Have you disassociated with the things of the world or are you

still hanging on to different parts?

The warnings given when Jesus returns don't go back to your

house to collect your possessions.

They mean nothing. They're of no value whatsoever.

Don't look back at your field. Remember lots, wife.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Lord, for

tonight. We thank you for your word.

It's very clear. You have made it crystal clear.

And our prayer, Father, is that we would be people who

disassociate with the things of this world.

It's not easy sometimes, Lord, but that's because we have a

wrong perspective. Our affections are not above,

they're below. Our mind is set.

On things below and not on things above.

For once we get a clear glimpse of our Savior, we get a clear

understanding of our Lord. Things on earth are irrelevant.

Everybody mean nothing, so we deny ourselves.

We take up a cross daily and we follow you because we love you.

We love you more than our own lives for to live as Christ, to

die as gain, we make it our ambition to be well pleasing in

your sight. May that be us tonight.

Lord, maybe learn from what we have just heard and follow you

completely in Jesus name, Amen.