Sunday Sermons

Our Pastor has been preaching some really awesome sermons lately....well they are all wonderful but the last few have REALLY spoken to me so I thought I would share some of the notes I have been taking.

This sermon was preached on January 9th...

It comes from 1 John 2:15-17
Love not the world, neither the things that are int he world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

The story we look at is in Genesis 13 (get out your Bible and read this account ~smile~)

The notes I took are in point form (hope that is ok and that you are able to understand them)
- Choices should never be taken lightly.
- No Christian paid more dearly for his sin than Lot.
- Making the choice was not wrong - what was involved with the decision was wrong (Lot was given the choice by Abram where he wanted to go)
- Lot lost everything even joy and peace with God.
- Worldliness - was why it happened to him.
- He felt here's my opportunity to get what I want.
- Attitude - Lot was worldly in his attitude.
- He looked out for himself - little care for Abram.
- We make choices and perhaps at first don't have much consequences but they can have profound effect.
- Lot walked by sight.
- 2 Cor. 5 Believers walk by faith not by sight.
- Even choices that seem small can affect us for a long time.
- We should base our choices on what God has to say.
- Live by faith. Consult God on our choices.
- Lust of the eyes made Lot's choice.
- When we walk by faith - what a glory He sheds on our way.
- Make walking by faith a purpose for this year.
- Lot made his decisions based on what he thought was best for him. Abram waited for God.
- Ambitions - Lot was worldly in his ambitions.
- Progress = move ahead. Regress = move away.
- Lot regressed.
- Lot's worldly choices caused him to move away from God.
- Lot's ambition was to city lights, to a city about to experience the wrath of God.
- Lot moves to Sodom
- Sodom and Gomorrah gave themselves over to evil thoughts.
- Perhaps he thought he was strong enough to live in the midst and not be affected - we often rationalize the same way.
- 2 Peter 2 - Lot had faith in god but his ambitions took him in the wrong direction.
- Associations - Lot was worldly in his associations.
- Gen. 19:1 - Lot was on the "welcoming committee" to Sodom. Only political leaders could sit in the gate.
- He was on the plain looking at the city - then in the city - now a city leader.
- Lot made a little choice where to go and now he is in the most evil city - there are men who want ot have sex with angels and now Lot calls them brothers. How far one little decision can take someone.
- How should we live? How should we conduct our lives?
- 2 Cor. 6 - Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers...come put from among them and be separate.
- Lot's testimony before those he tried to save was zero.
- Affections - Lot was worldly in his affections.
- He was trying to give them his virgin daughters. He's been so changed he doesn't even know what is right and wrong anymore. Man's vileness was matched by Lot's hypocrisy in willingness to give his daughters.
-Lot because of choices he made was brought to this place.
- Actions vs. 32 - He was worldly in his actions.
- Lot and his daughters escaped to the mountains.
- Lot so successfully taught his children by his example that it didn't matter what you do with your life that his daughters would do this incest.
- Don't presume that it begins with this awfulness - it started with a decision not based on faith but on sight.
- He lost everything.
- We have the choice to walk by faith. All it takes is to make a choice based on what I think is best for me, not what God says.

I hope these notes were clear enough for you. It was just such a great sermon!
Happy Sunday!
Blessings,
Liisa