The ministry of the Word of God. Let us turn tonight to the book of Genesis chapter fourteen. Genesis chapter fourteen. We're seeking to walk by faith. We're in the school of faith with Abraham. Genesis chapter twelve we began. And in chapters twelve and thirteen we examined how to walk by faith. Now tonight we want to deal with how to war by faith. So before we do, let's just again look to the Lord. It's a delight, Father, to come into your presence and to ask you to work in our midst. Give us something from yourself tonight. Deliver us from anything that would be cracked. And may our hearts and our minds be set upon things above. upon thee our gracious God, and upon that which is before us. I will thank you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Previously we studied how to walk by faith, and we learned that faith provides five great ministries for us as a child of God. First of all, faith brings us out. And second, faith brings us in. And then when we go astray, faith brings us back. And then when more problems develop, faith brings us through. And then finally, faith brings us on. And we find that in Genesis chapters twelve and thirteen. Now, after you've learned to walk by faith just a little bit, get ready for the battle. because warfare follows walk. The walk is always followed by the warfare. When God sees that his child has learned to walk by faith, then his child needs to be tested. Not that God doesn't know, but the child has to grow. And this is very important. And that is where the battle comes in. This is where the battle comes in. When you start living by faith, your enemies go to work. And if you're seeking to live by faith, then the enemies go to work. And you have three in particular. You have three enemies. And they are the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are outlined in the Word of God. Now the world doesn't like someone who walks by faith because faith contradicts the philosophy of the world. The world's philosophy is seeing is believing. You see, if you can explain it, then it's real. If you can't explain it, it's phony. But the man who walks by faith simply believes God. without being able to explain. We don't have to explain. We believe the promises of God. If someone were to ask Abram what God is going to do with him in the promised land, the land of which he was told him to go, he would have had to say, I don't know. I don't know. But by faith he entered, by faith he walked, and by faith he was. So you see, The world doesn't like the man who walks by faith because it's contrary to the philosophies of the world. But then second, the walk of faith contradicts the motivation of the flesh. The flesh says, you can do it yourself. You don't need any help. You're self-sufficient. You're a self-made man. The works of the flesh. But faith says, no, no. you can't do it yourself you have to have God working in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure so you see not only is the world against the man who walks by faith the flesh is against the man who walks by faith and then the devil all of it if there's anything the devil doesn't want he doesn't want me to walk by faith because it is a one weapon that Satan doesn't know how to handle. He doesn't know how to handle faith. You see, he can answer my arguments. He can do that. He can refute my logic, and he can twist the scripture. Satan can do all those things. But he doesn't know what to do with faith. The Bible says, this is a victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Notice it doesn't say even my faith. Even our faith. And this is so important. Why? You see, it takes more than Phil Bomberger to get something accomplished. A lot more than me. And I believe that what he's saying here is what we would call the community of faith. God has placed every saved individual with other believers in what we call the family or the community of the church. And we need each other. And if we're loners and we're walking all by ourselves, we're usually in trouble. We need one another. This is a victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Now, it's not merely the content of our faith, our doctrine, knowing what we believe. It's a practice of it. It's a practice of it. This is what brings a victory. This is a victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Now, in Genesis chapter fourteen... We have the first recorded war of Scripture. There are four kings that descended upon the five cities of the plain, and Lot was living in one of them. And there's a war. There were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Zoboam, and Adma, and Zohar, these five cities. And if you want to know why Sodom lost the battle, you have to read the book of Ezekiel chapter sixteen and let's turn to Ezekiel chapter sixteen and we'll read just two verses there's a lot more to read there but we'll just read two verses chapters forty verses forty nine and fifty of Ezekiel sixteen and God is using Sodom as a contrast the iniquity of Sodom as a contrast with the iniquity of Judah, his own people. And in this passage in the Greater Context, he tells them very emphatically that you are worse than your sister Sodom. But in verse forty-nine he said, Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom. Cry, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness. was in her, and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away as I saw good. Now these sins of Sodom, for which God judged Sodom, are very prevalent in America today, cried. I deserve it, says one TV commercial. Abundance of bread. We're full. Abundance of idleness. We have our long weekends. And oh how we love them. Our long weekends. And they'll soon be hearing those words. I've got to go to the beach. I've got to go to the beach. We hear them. You see, all these things were prevalent in Solomon. Along with all the sins that are known by her. So if you want to know why they lost the war, it's right there in Ezekiel chapter sixteen. Now, the first thing that we learn concerning war here has to do with three things concerning victory. You see, if one of the first things that my wife asked me when I get home on a Saturday morning, for that's when she first sees me, Because I get up real early to go play tennis, usually. And first thing when I get home, who won? Who won? And you know, I always have to say, ooh, baby. Because I haven't won for so long. It's pathetic. But anyway, that's how it is. But I want to talk to you tonight. And in this portion before us are three victories. And there are three victories that we need to win that Abraham won. Victory number one is victory over people. Faith gives you victory over people. Oh, how important this is. Now, I'm not going to read the first ten verses for a number of reasons. Number one, I don't know how to pronounce a lot of the names. And all I have to do is look in one direction and see somebody with a grin in their face when I make a mistake. So I'm not going to read those verses because of the difficulty with the name, like Shadeh or Omar and all these others, you know. I remember a number of years ago at Greenwood Hill, at the Youth Congress, we had a quiz on the book of Genesis. And it was coming up to the final night. And there was one little girl there that was from a small assembly north of Pittsburgh. She was the only young person in that meeting. Sometimes they say, oh, we don't have any young people. I'd love to see a lot more, by the way. But she was the only person. So as the staff is making these questions, Stacey Wood, he was a great preacher, by the way. He's the one who started international students, and he's the man who started the intervarsity Christian fellowship. And we got to be real close friends that week. But he said, give them fifty points, anyone who can tell you the names of the nine kings of Genesis four, please. Anybody who's read this passage, you know what I mean. All you got to do is read the opening words. And this little girl jumped up. And she just quoted those nine kings to the amazement of everybody on the staff. And you know, those things you never forget. At least I don't. But I'm not going to read those nine kings, but we're going to begin in verse eleven. Where we read and they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah. and their rituals and what their way. And they took Lot, Abraham'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 memory, the Amorites, brother of Eshkel, 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 the master. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. Now that will Suffice our reading for the present time. Faith gives us victory over people. In verses thirteen and verse sixteen, we learn that the only reason Abraham got involved in this war was for his brother's sake. I want you to notice in verse fourteen we read, And Abram heard that his brother was taken captive. His brother. Now, when you read verse twelve, we read, and they took Lot, Abram's brother's son. He was his nephew. But when he heard that he was a captive, he treated him as a brother. Verse sixteen. And he brought back all the goods and brought, and also brought again his brother Lot. and his goods. That teaches me something. Faith gives us victory over people. Abraham is living outside of Sodom, and he knew more that was going on and had a better answer for it than Lot, who was living in Sodom. And the child of God who is walking with God, he knows more than the man who's on the inside of sin, and iniquity. You see, now there are times when God drops his ambassador in a place like that. God had Joseph in Egypt. God had Daniel in Babylon. God had Nehemiah in Persia. He had Esther in Persia. And he had Paul at Corinth. But God never put Lot in Sodom. Lot put Lot in Sodom. He put himself there. Now Abraham got himself involved in this battle where nine kings were involved. He got involved for his brother's sake. Now if Abraham were like some believers are, he would have gone out and fought his brother instead of rescuing him. He didn't go out to fight Lot. He went out to rescue Lot. That's what he did. You see, now, Abram could have said, Oh, let him stew in his own juice. Look what he did to me. Oh, my. Look what he did to me. You see, a lot of treated Abraham very badly. And if Abraham had not known the Lord, if Abraham wouldn't have had an altar, And if Abram would have said, Lot got himself into trouble, let him get himself out. Let him stew in his own juice. He could have done that. But you see, Abraham remembered. He remembered that one day he got into trouble. And God got him out. In Egypt, he lied about his wife. And God rescued both Abraham and his wife from that predicament. You see, this is what Christian love is all about. This is what it's all about. It is, I treat you this way, because this is the way God treats me. That's Christian love. You see, Christian love is not a feeling that you work up at the communion service. That's not Christian love. Oh, no. Christian love is God is patient with me, and I'm going to be patient with you. That is Christian love. God forgives me, and I'm going to forgive you. God gave me another chance, and I'm going to give you another chance. You see, without knowing it, Abraham was practicing Galatians chapter six, verse one. If a man, if a brother be overtaken in a fall, ye who are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, lest they be tempted. You see, Abraham's problem was not with a king. His problem was not with those kings. Abraham's problem was lost. That was his problem. And Abraham knew before he left that the victory was his. Isn't it nice to go into a war before you ever do any fighting to know that you're won? Abraham knew this before he left. You see, we as believers don't fight for victory. We as believers fight from victory. The victory is ours. If God be for us, who can be against us? You know, if we learn this and learn it well, it will change our whole outlook toward how we deal with others. We don't fight for victory. We fight from victory. Abraham was practicing with us what I need to practice more. Maybe not you. You may not need this. But I need it. It is this. Be not overcome of evil. but overcome evil with good. Oh, I need to practice that. I'm aware of it, and I'm aware of it every day. But this is God's directive to his children. And faith will give us victory over people. You see, I don't have a problem with these nine kings. My problem isn't the damage. Unsaid people don't create a problem for me. They are lost. They are walking according to the course of this world, according to the dictates of the God of this age. They're walking according to the spirit of this age, and Satan is working in their lives. But when Christians cross me, when they cut me, when professed believers hurt me, Now that's rough. That's rough. You see, it's difficult to turn the other chief to a brother. It's real difficult. It is difficult when the other brother has hurt me, stabbed me, wronged me, but by the grace of God, I'm going to overcome evil with good. This is what Abraham is doing. And this is the victory that God gives us, victory over people. And it's ours by faith. Now there are only four levels on which you can live. You can only live on four levels. Level number one, you can return good for evil. Now that's God-like. You can live on that level. But level number two, you can return good for good. That's manlike. That's how a lot of men live. Ordinary men. But then third, I can return evil for evil. That's animal life. That's what animals do to each other. Or the fourth level, I can return evil for good. And that is how Satan operates. Now let's look at these for just a moment. There's some people who live in the lowest level. Then there are others who are like animals. You leave me alone or you're going to get it. That's how some people live. And then there's a human level. If you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back. That's a human level. And often, this is where you find people living. You find people living there the day, but the divine level is to return good for evil. How can I do that? You want to know something? God does it to me all the time. You ever realize that? God does that for me every day. He returns good. for evil. How many times have I broken God's heart? How many times have I disobeyed His words? And there wasn't a one time that I can ever count that God ever turned His back on me. He's returned good for evil in my life every day. He has never turned His back on me. Oh my, he is always ready to bring me back, to forgive, to restore. Victory over people. Was it worth all this to save a lot? Here's a question you have to ask, because you see when somebody turns evil in your life, in your sight, and toward you, You have to ask yourself the question, is it worth it to forgive him? Was it worth this to Abraham to forgive it for him to forgive Lot? Was Lot worth it? Good question, you know. You see, I believe it was. I believe it was. But you consider, so he got in trouble again. In chapter nineteen, you read how he got in trouble again. And what a sort of mess it was in chapter nineteen. It's worse than it was before, but he got in trouble again. You see, Lot, he becomes a good example of what not to do. And if we as believers would just take Lot, and by the way, it's one family in the Bible we're told to remember. The Bible says remember Lot's wife. And you can't remember Lot's wife without remembering Lot. You see, And Lot becomes a good example of what not to do. For beloved years later, one of Lot's descendants, a beautiful character by the name of Ruth, comes on the scene, and she marries Boaz. Now, this Ruth becomes an ancestor to King David. And she's in the genealogical rhyme of our Lord Jesus Christ. Victory over people. See, only God can take a man's darkest hours. And I'll tell you, these were the darkest hours. Chapter nineteen, when he committed incest, twice. And when the children that were born, Moab and Ammon, They became a continuous thorn in the side of Israel. But remember, there's one Adam Moab, whom God chose, who became a sweet person in Israel, Ruth. Now, only God can take a man's darkest hours and add his grace to it and bring something good out of evil. Our beloved, we have to be careful here. We don't sin that grace may abound, and we don't do evil that good may come, and that we may see God bring some good out of it. Oh, no. But only God can take a man's worst mistake and bring some good out of it. And a good example is David. David committed two great evil. The first had to do with his affair with Bathsheba. And we all know about that. The second one was when he numbered the people of God, when he numbered Israel. And a multitude of people died because of David's sin when he numbered the people. Oh, the wrath of God that was poured out on Israel because of David's sin. But when David realized that David did three things, number one, he bought a piece of property, the threshing floor of Arunach. Then second, he built an altar. And then third, he prayed. And God saved the plague. God saved the plague. Well, what about that Shiva? That Shiva gave birth to a son whose name was Solomon. And then Solomon used that piece of property that David bought. And there he built the temple, which became the house of God and the glory of God's builders. You see, only God can take a man's two biggest mistakes and make a temple out of it. And that's what God did. And beloved, this is why we have to be patient with each other. We may stumble and fall. I may hurt you. Be kind to me. Because everybody you meet is fighting a battle. I don't know a Christian today who's seeking to walk by faith who isn't fighting a battle. This is why we need to be kind one to another. This is why we need to forgive one another. And this is why we need to walk with the Lord. We need to be loving and forgiving. Victory number one. is victory over people. By faith. Now it takes real faith to be kind to some people. As one brother put it, to live above, to dwell above with saints above, or will not that be glory, to live below with saints we know. Now that's a different story. Ah, true it is. Victory number one is victory over people. You know anything about this. What level are you living at? Are you living at the level of man returning good for good? Are you living at the level of animals? You know, be careful, be very careful. Returning evil for good is to live at the level of Satan. but to return good for evil is divine. This is what Abram was doing. This is what Abram was doing. Now, I noticed the clock, and I'm fighting with myself. I'll start the second point. I have three. I know I'll never get to the third, and I'm not going to finish the second. But I want to go a step further with you. Not only does faith give us victory over people, but not as a more insidious victory. In his faith gives us victory over things. Victory over things. And now we begin our reading at verse seventeen. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, that is Abram, after his return from the slaughter of Shador la Omar and the kings that were with him at the valley of Sheba, which is the king's dale. and Melchizedek, King of Salem brought forth bread and wine, and he was a priest of the Most High God, and he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, for Jesuit of heaven and earth, and blessed be the Most High God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hands, 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 shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, for as thou shouldst 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, Hainer, Eschel, and Memory, let them take their portion. Victory over things. This is more insidious, beloved, for us than victory over people. Abram now comes back from the battle. The battle's over. Our biggest battle always comes after a victory. For when you come flush from victory with the joy of victory, you see, the word of God says, Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. And this was so in the life of our Lord. No sooner had our Lord come out of the waters of baptism, where when he was baptized, the heavens opened. There was a voice of the Father. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. There was a descent of the Holy Spirit and it abode upon him. But there was also waiting for him, Satan, to be tempted in the wilderness. As soon as he came forth from that glorious victory, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan. What about Elijah? After Elijah had the great victory over the four hundred churches, prophets of Baal and Mount Carmel, he runs from a woman. Jezebel. I'd probably run from her too. I'll tell you that. I want you to notice the king of Sodom now goes out to meet Abram. The king of Sodom goes out to meet him. And Melchizedek goes out to meet him too. You see, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, he brings forth bread and wine. How true that is. For you see, Abram needs two kings here, the king of Sodom, and he needs the king of Salem. The king of Sodom represents the flesh and the world that is in defiance against God. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, only mentioned twice in the Old Testament, here in two places in the Old Testament, here in Genesis and in the hundred and tenth psalm. And he becomes a theme for the middle chapters of the great epistle to the Hebrews. Now kids are there. He represents righteousness. He represents peace. And he represents the most high God who is the possessor of heaven and earth. Now Abraham has won the battle. And by all the rules of war, all the spoils belong to him. Abram can now become wealthier than he ever had been in his life. For all the spoils of war belong to him. And it says so. Now back in verse eleven. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the rituals and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram's son. Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom and his goods and departed. And verse sixteen says, And he, that's Abram, brought back all the goods and also brought again his brother Lot and his goods and the women also and the people. Now it all belongs to Abram by virtue of the rules of the war. Melchizedek comes forth and Melchizedek blesses Abram. In the name of the most tied God, the one who possesses heaven and earth. And Abram gave him tithes of all. Now the King of Sodom came out to Abraham. But watch. I want you to get this if you don't get anything else. There's one word that isn't on the King of Sodom's list. Bless him. You know what the first thing is he says? Don't look. You remember what the first thing is he says. Give me. Give me. Give me. The king of Sodom isn't able to bless anybody. I want you to listen to me well. The world, the flesh, and the devil can never give a child of God a blessing. It will never happen. It will never happen. And with this I'm going to clear. I want you to listen. You meet these two kings every day of your life. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, the king of peace, the king priest, the one who is the most beautiful picture of our Lord, as it were in the Old Testament. He's a type made to order, if I may use that expression. as we read in the book of Hebrews chapter seven. You don't read that, but all that it says about him who? You meet the Melchizedek, the king of peace, but you also meet the king of Sodom. Which one are you going to serve? Remember what Abram said? He said, I won't even take a shoe match and I don't want a shoe string. I'm afraid it'll ruin my walk. If you lace your shoes with the shoe strings of the world, it'll ruin your walk. Abram says, I don't even want a shoe string. I've lifted up my hand to the Most High God. This is a victory. These are victories that taste is. Taste is your victory over people. And faith gives you victory over things. And I haven't finished this second part. But I'm not going to go any farther because I'll keep you way too late. And then there's a third part as well. Beloved, are you interested in walking by faith? If we're going to walk by faith, it isn't long after we start. We're going to have to walk by faith. But the victory lies. Oh, may God enable us to thus walk that the sweetness of victory will be ours. We win over people. Victory over people. What a blessing. But then victory over things. Let's pray. Our Father, we are living in an age that the king of Sodom is in control and he's continuously crying out through the media and through other areas, give me, give me, give me. On the other hand, there's the king of chief, the king of righteousness, the king priest who continually blesses his people, and Abram gave to him a tithe of everything he presents. Oh, help us to realize just what the teaching of this is in order that we may enjoy the victory that you provided for us by divine grace. Hear us in this hour. Dismiss us with your blessings. And deliver us, O God, from the kings of Sodom that we may know the blessings of Melchizedek. For Jesus' sake, amen.