What is a Christian: By Disassociation

Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight and a chance 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 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 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'd 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 up his cross and follow the Christ. That's Luke 9:23. Having made a decision, that Christian is defined by Philippians 3, verse number 3, he worships God in spirit, he boasts only in Christ Jesus, and he puts no confidence in the flesh.

That definition is described in 2 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 1:21, for as Paul says, for me to live as Christ and to die as king. All Christians, all genuine true believers live for Christ and not for themselves.

And then 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 8. And then they devote themselves to one ambition, and that is to please only Christ. 2 Corinthians 5, verse number 9, seven key characteristics of a Christian.

Seven key characteristics that help you understand what a Christian really is. Number eight 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 number 4, that to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God. The believer understands that. The believer understands 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 a 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 a 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 number 22, Christ begins to talk about His coming again, His second coming, His coming in judgment.

And as He talks to those around about Him, He wants them to understand that His judgment 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 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 number 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 second 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 judgment. Because not only will He be revealed in all of His glory and splendor, but He will reveal the hearts of everyone He's come to judge.

This says in verse number 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 judgment, 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 three words that describe a biblical character without a name, whose body never to corruption came, who died a death no one ever died before, whose shroud is found in every grocery store. Verse number 32, remember Lot's wife.

That's the biblical character without a name. She's referred to three times in Genesis 19 as Lot's 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 is 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 judgment 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 and turn and look at your field as if you'll never see it again because you won't.

Just remember Lot's wife. 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. And so, our Lord refers to this scene when he says, remember Lot's wife. Genesis 19 verse number 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 one 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 Lot's wife, Mrs. Lot, her character was revealed. And I want you to notice three things about her character, four things about her character, excuse me. Why does she look back? Why do we 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 in Sodom had Mrs. Lot's attention. As we talked about a couple of weeks ago, the Bible says set your affections on things above, not below.

Mrs. Lot would set her affection on Sodom. She couldn't bear to live without her friends in 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, number two, scold her. And number three, 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 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 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. 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 think that it's an act. It's something we do.

No, worldliness is an attitude. Physically, 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 are hiding from everyone. And they can continue to camouflage their Christianity. Excuse me.

But the bottom line is that they don't want to be seen because they're only 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 J.C. Ryle 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's about. Christ would go on to say in verse number 33, whoever seeks to keep his life in Luke 17 will lose it and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

He says, I tell you on that night there will be two in bed. One will be taken and the other will be left. The one taken is taken into judgment.

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 into judgment, 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 judgment and the other is not.

There'll be two people in the same job location. One taken into judgment, the other not. Why? Because one desires the things of the world and one does not.

Matthew chapter 13, this is the thorny, weedy soil. 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 have family members and maybe one of the family members is yours.

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 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. 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 wanna be with the people of the world and they don't wanna 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 Christless eternity. Don't just placate your children by thinking and convincing them that they love the Lord when in 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 number 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 wanna walk on the fringe as if it's okay.

But you gotta remember Lot's wife. The angels wanted it to be clear that separation must be complete and total. Not partial, but total.

So her character is defined by number one, because she desired the world. Because she desired the world, number two 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 through the angels. It was a blatant defiance.

Proverbs 13:13, he who despises the word will be destroyed by that word. Proverbs 29:1, 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 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 number three, 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.

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 her 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 number 29 that it came about when God destroyed the cities 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 number 12, there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death, not life. What a warning. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.

The Bible says the ways 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 chapter 6, verse number 7, do not be deceived. God is not mocked. That whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

Do not be deceived. But we are. We do not think that God's gonna do what he said he's going to do.

But he did. So remember Lot's wife. Very important not to forget her.

Judgment came and judgment was swift. But notice this about the judgment 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 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.

In all the words that he would say and all the things that he would do, you'd think that she would learn from her husband. But she did not. She might've looked like she learned from her husband.

She might've looked like the faithful wife. She might've 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.

Judgment's 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 firsthand 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 number four, she watched the miracle of the blinding of the homosexuals outside her door.

She watched it. She saw firsthand 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 firsthand 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 judgment awaits those who are poor stewards of spiritual opportunities. The greater the opportunities not used, the greater the judgment.

For the judgment 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, having been partakers of the Holy Spirit, having 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 it.

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 judgment 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 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.

Do 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 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 gonna do what he says he's going to do. Well, he might have done it to Sodom and Gomorrah.

He might have done it during the days of Noah and the flood, but he's not gonna do it to me. So we say or so we think. When you 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 Lot's wife becomes the answer to Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death.

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

Follow. She had opportunity to deny herself. She didn'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. 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 wife 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 En Gedi and stop by the Dead Sea.

We would open our Bibles to Genesis chapter 19. And we'd 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.

What we have a hard time getting a grip on is 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'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, huh? Why not just zap her? Incinerate her. Why a pillar of salt? 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 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 began with Lot. It says in verse number 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, like the land of Egypt. Why is that important? In Genesis chapter 12, there's a famine in the land. 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 were 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 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 had 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. Sure enough, in verse 12 of 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.

He 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 in Genesis 19, verse number 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 it 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, and the hand of his wife, and 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 renewal of your mind, and those who care for the world, and those who become companioned 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 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 his city. And Lot would lose his testimony because Lot had lost all credibility. He lost so much.

It 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 warning is 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, Lot's wife. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you, Lord, for tonight. We thank you for your word. Lord, 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.

They really 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 is Christ, to die is gain. We make it our ambition to be well pleasing in your sight. May that be us tonight, Lord.

May we learn from what we have just heard and follow you completely. In Jesus' name, amen.