MF Blume
August 6, 2000 am
In this scripture, we read that believers can build one of two kinds of structures atop the foundation that all believers have.
Verse 15 is actually saying that if we build using wood, hay and stubble, when the structure is tested by fire, we will find our selves saved, but only saved as a man running out from inside a burning house.
Building using wood, hay and stubble is interpreted as living a Christian Life without regard to the will of God.
All of us can do what we want with our time.
There are two men in the Bible who portray Paul's lesson very well.
Genesis 14:8-24 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
After Abram defeated the 4 kings, who defeated the 5 kings included Sodom and Gomorrah's kings, Melchisedek came to him.
Melchisedek noted that God was possessor of Heaven and Earth.
Then Sodom's king did his thing.
Notice Abram's response.
"I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."
Abram indicated that the king of Sodom was trying to give Abram all the glory.
Abram looked at the bountiful treasures that the enemy kings lavished to themselves in the conquest.
But the truth was that God was the reason for the victory of Abram.
There is more in existence than this present world and age.
Right now, God is wanting us to be concerned with His Kingdom.
Anyone of us could say that we are only going to live for ourselves, and that we are going to forget everyone else.
Abram was on his way to a city built by God.
But Abram heard Melchisedek say that God is possessor heaven and earth.
After Abram chose to continue to put God first, and take time to touch souls and please God, we read these enlightening words:
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Why would God say that?
When Abram sacrificed all those treasures and goods, having committed himself to follow God and never sit down in the lap of luxury in this life (he said he lifted up his hand to God), he most likely worried about perhaps not having needs met should he sacrifice those treasures.
God would protect Abram (I am thy shield).
God would make sure Abram had what he needed (I am thy great reward).
God wants you to sacrifice, too.
Sodom offered Abram all the wealth it could offer.
The world can offer you many things that are in and of themselves innocent!
You can forgat bout God's will and ease your mind, putting anything to do with YOUR PART for the kingdom out of your mind.
Matthew 24:38-39 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
There is nothing wrong with eating, drinking and getting married.
How many people today say they do not have the time to come to Church?
But the souls who looked forward to eternity and understood that its as sure as coming as life and death is sure, have sacrificed and put time in for God's kingdom.
God wants to minister to a lost and dying world.
Matthew 25:24-27 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
It was not enough to be in the Master's family.
I appreciate the Sunday school teachers who take time out of their weeks, without pay for it, and study a lesson to teach my two little girls about Jesus.
And God promised Abram, that if he would get concerned about His kingdom, then God would take care of Abram's needs.
Matthew 6:25-33 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Are you fearful you will not have what you need, Abram, if you sacrifice those goods and keep the souls I want you to affect?
A week is 168 hours.
But you will have to sacrifice some time to come to church.
If I miss you in service, how much more does our Father miss you?
Commitment to God's will has its rewards.
Look at what Lot looked at.
Abram and Lot had to part company due to the overcrowded servants and cattle.
Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Abram simply took what was left.
But later, compare what Lot looked at here in 13:10 with what Abram saw as follows:
Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
I know that God was trying to convey the number of children Abram would have.
What happens to the man's house that was built from wood, hay and stubble?
What happened to SODOM, where Lot chose to BUILD HIS HOUSE?
Luke 17:30-33 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
No wonder Jesus said, "Remember Lot's wife!"
This world is only less than a speck on the rim of a galaxy so big that we could not barely imagine it.
To forget about God's Kingdom and your part in that kingdom, and drown out your conscience with what is actually so minute a pleasure that our minds cannot grasp how SMALL it is, is to ultimately be a fool!
If the world is less than a speck in an infinite universe, how much smaller was the piece of land that Lot looked at?
The universe is physical and infinite.
Lot enjoyed Sodom's goods, but was taken captive along with those goods.
Paul spoke about financial sacrifice in the following scriptures, but we can apply that to any kind of sacrifice for God's will.
2Corinthians 9:6-8 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Paul made sure to ley us know that if we sow bountifully, God's grace will abound to us and we will always have sufficient of what we need.
Get concerned about Eternity today.
Matthew 6:9-10 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
What about MY NEEDS, God?
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Don't worry, child of God.
Matthew 6:11-13 Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
A church sign read, "SHORT SERMON, SHORT SERVICE."
This generation does not want to sacrifice ANYTHING!
God is reaching out to us, asking us if any of us would be willing to take His burnden for souls upon ourselves, and sacrifice some of our time and the Sodom's goods for God's will.
Will you be like Abram?
Genesis 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
Abram's hand in the sky meant that a vow was made to God to do His will.
When God called me to the ministry, this scripture spoke that calling to me.
Isaiah 6:8-11 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
Get concerned over eternity today.
Sodom offers you all its goods, but you cannot have them and the souls, also.
You cannot work for God and touch souls if you are going to spend your time enjoying the lap of luxury and worldly pleasures.
We can all enjoy life and enjoy some things in the world.
"If you forget about souls, Abram, and think about yourself, look at all the material goods that I will give to you."
Genesis 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
Abram chose God to be his reward, and not a mere king of earth.
Romans 8:17-19 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Get concerned over eternity TODAY.
God wants YOU!
Limit yourself to the submicroscopic pleasures of this life, and miss out on eternal joys and rewards that will never fade away.
Why did you suffer the stoning and keep preaching, risked to be stoned again, Paul?
2Corinthians 4:15-51: For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
While Lot looked at the visible things of the world, Abram looked by faith at that which was not seen yet.
Lot's wooden , hay house burned up in wooden, of-hay-and-stubble Sodom.
Genesis 19:12-13 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
Gene 19:24-25 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
But look at Abram's city.
Revelation 21:16-21 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
Take this life, where your skin will wrinkle after time, and your treasures that are susceptible to age and degradation, and theft, and I will take the eternal things that I can enjoy forever and ever! I am concerned with eternity today!
Sodom or Glory?
Let me close with one more note.