Lesson 44

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Bible Study 1 - Genesis 18

 

Series # 4:             FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH

Lesson 44:            Genesis 18:16-23 AS IT WAS SODOM AND LOT IT SHALL BE WITH US

 

Abraham has had two angels to come and visit him and those angels gave him some mighty revelations.

 

After this we begin reading here in Genesis 18:16-23 (KJV)  "And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"

 

INTRODUCTION:

 

This is a much longer Bible Study than usual but you will see that it is intense and personal, which makes it more in-depth so naturally it is going to be longer but I feel very necessary to each of us as we examine our lives and take a careful look at Sodom and Lot and look at our own lives and make some serious evaluations before God.

 

Sodom is mentioned 6 times in the Old Testament and 4 times in the New Testament. When Sodom is mentioned it is always mentioned with a sense of threat and fear because it was an exceedingly wicked city and God destroyed this city with fire and brimstone. The Bible tells us in 2nd Peter 2:6, that God "turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”

 

The smoking ruins, the devastation, and the judgment of Sodom is God's classic example of how He feels about the sin of Sodomy. The Bible tells us very clearly and plainly that what happened to Sodom should be an example to us. You see, God doesn't change. The Bible tells us He said,  "I am the Lord, I change not!" So, you can count on it, given the same set of circumstances, what God did before God will do again. The Bible tells us in Luke 17:28-30,  "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." What happened to Sodom so long ago we are seeing and going to see happen to our world? What did Abraham do and what are is our responsibility? We know what is coming, so what is the reality that we can expect in the end for our world when the “Son of man is revealed”?

 

INTERPRETATION:

 

THE PERVERSION OF SODOM.

Verse 20 says,  "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous."

 

Just what was the sin of Sodom? What was it that these people were doing that caused God to destroy them? The Bible says in Ezekiel 16:49-50, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good."

 

THERE WAS THE SIN IS PRIDE.

 

There is a sin that God hates more than sexual perversion and that is pride. There are many people who will never become sexual perverts who are eaten up with pride. Pride is the very first thing that God listed among the sins that He hates. As a matter of fact Prov. 6:16  says, "These six doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (And number one the list is) A proud look" The Bible says in James 4:6  "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." God doesn't only fail to help us when we are proud but He actually stands in our way. All of heaven is set up against a proud person. There are people who are right when they are in the  worship service              who will not get saved because they are too proud, They are cowards and they won't admit their need of Salvation. There are people right here in this service today who will not walk down this isle during the invitation because their pride says, "Don't you admit that you have a spiritual need."Friends, Jesus reserved His harshest words for the Pharisees who were eaten up with pride and he said, John 9:41  "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."  There are so many who come to church Sunday after Sunday and sit there so proud and haughty and unbroken before almighty God and God hates pride. Sodom is a testimony as to how God hates the sin of pride.

 

THERE WAS THE SIN OF GLUTTONY.

 

In Ezekiel 16:49 the Bible calls it the "fullness of bread." That's just God's way of saying they were materialistic. These people were not thinking about the things of the Spirit, but they were thinking only about the things of the flesh. These people were living to gratify the flesh, they were living lives of glutinous excess. These people were pampering the flesh while they were forgetting the Spirit. These people were caring for the body while they were neglecting the soul.

 

THERE WAS THE SIN OF IRRESPONSIBILITY.

 

The Bible says "and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters." They had become lazy, work had become a thing of the past. They had great prosperity and their prosperity had become their curse. The Bible says in Exodus 20:9  "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work" Even when you get retired from that job or business, that does not mean that you are not to keep working for the Lord. Retirement means you are to work even harder now that you have the time for the Lord Jesus Christ. Folks, God intends for us to work until we turn up our toes and die! You are not supposed to just sit around in a rocking chair every day and do nothing, but you are to serve the Lord! Folks, there is something for everyone of us to do. The worse thing that can happen to a nation or a church is for people to get the idea that they are not supposed to work anymore. America today is filled with people who want to be free, but they want to be free from any kind of responsibility – the begin to feel entitled! But when we get that kind of freedom we lose every other kind of freedom and we will become enslaved.

 

THERE WAS THE SIN OF SELFISHNESS.

 

The Bible says here, "neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." Folks, in this county and in every county there are people who desperately need our help. We as God's people ought to be looking for people that we can help. Mr. Business man do you want to be blessed?  Find somebody that you can help and help them. Let me tell you the kind of "welfare reform" we need in America today: It's time that God's people started tithing like we are supposed to and commanded to instead of finding excuses not to. It's time we stop depending on the Government and welfare to take care of needy people. It's time we started realizing how God has blessed us and start taking that blessing and begin to bless the those around us. Go to the needy and God will bless you but fail to do go to the needy and you will become like Sodom of old.

 

THERE WAS THE SIN OF IMMORALITY.

 

Verse 50 says, “And they were haughty, and committed abomination" The abominations they committed were sexual perversions. I don’t see how they could have been any worse than our day when so many are so disgusting, sickening, and every other negative adjective you can think of with their Satanic sexual perversions. They want to say the church is judgmental and unfair when we condemn their lifestyle choices and practices, but we are only standing upon the Word of God and I will give you a few examples.  You may wish to jot down these references somewhere.  Leviticus 18:22  “  Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 20:13  "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination:" But not only did they commit abominations but they came out of their closets to do it. They were proud of it, they were haughty, they could no longer blush. Now I remind you that this was in the Old Testament and they were under a theocracy. Again Leviticus 20:13 says,  “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination:” and the rest of that verse says, “they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. ” We do not go by that law today because the death penalty is not commanded today for that sin. But I want to tell you it may not bring about physical death but it brings Spiritual death Rom. 1:24-31 "Wherefore God also gave them up [There are certain people that God just seems to give up!] to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:” People have the idea that if we don't get right with God He is going to judge us. Friends I want to tell you that sexual perversion [is] the judgment of God. When God gives a nation up, when God takes His hands off of a people, then these things are a part of the judgment of God. Romans 1:26 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;" Romans 1:32  “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Today we have actually entertained ourselves by watching sexual perversion in movies and on television. May God have mercy upon our Nation because this was the sin of ancient Sodom and this is the sin of America.

 

When a nation is proud and will not accept God's way, then that nation is wrapped up in sinful pollution, but when that sin never satisfies, it turns to perversion.  This is what happened in Sodom, this is what is happening in America, this is what is happening in the world. God says in 2 Peter 2:6 he left smoking Sodom as "an example unto those that after should live ungodly;" When you have a society made up of dishonest leadership, evil men, disobedient children, and domineering women, that society is on its last leg. Isaiah 3:8-9 says   "For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. 9 The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.” Verse 12 says, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them." That's what God said ruined Jerusalem. Now if you are one of the supper-feminist, don't you come up and try to argue with because I don't have time for that - go argue with Isaiah he's got all eternity. Here was a nation who was arrogant in their sexual immorality, with children who had no respect for the ancient, with women doing what the men were ordained and commanded by God to do.

 

EXPLANATION:

 

THE PRAYER OF THE SAINT.

 

Abraham began to pray when God told him what He was going to do to Sodom. If you go back to Gen 18:17 we read, "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do" Amos 3:7 says "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Abraham was a prophet of God and Abraham knew what was going to happen. At this time in his life Abraham was not a VIP but Abraham was an MIP. Abraham was NOT just A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON. Abraham was THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON. Abraham stepped in between God and His judgment toward wicked Sodom. Abraham became an intercessor and he started to pray for Sodom and his carnal nephew Lot. Do you know what America Needs today? Folks, the thing that America needs most today is intercession on the part of God's people! This society will be no greater than my prayers, your prayers, or our prayers before God! May God help us to learn a lesson from Abraham. Gen 18:22 says,  "And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD." Here are the angels of God about to bring the judgment of God upon Sodom, "but Abraham stood yet before the LORD." That is, Abraham inserts himself between these men and Sodom, and Gen 18:23 says, "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Abraham started to plead with God in intercession, and because of his prayers and intercession we're going to see that God delayed His judgment upon Sodom and worked in the heart and life of Lot who did not deserve it. At that moment, Abraham becomes THE IMPORTANT PERSON.  What the councils, what the diplomats, what the philosophers, what the mayor, what the armies what the wealth of Sodom could not do; Abraham did because he knew how to pray!  Lot was not praying while he was in Sodom, he was carnal, living on the border line of sin, therefore he could not see the hand of God raised in judgment. But there are many Christian people today living in fool’s paradise on the borderline of sin blind to the hand of God that is raised in judgment.  There are many who are living the life of a carnal Christians and they don't pray, they don't intercede because they can't see past their own sins to see the judgment of God. But Abraham, the friend of God,  the one who knew what was happening decided that he had better pray, and because he prayed God moved in answer to his intercessory prayer.

 

Let's think about what kind of prayer this was.

ABRAHAM’S PRAYER WAS A COURAGEOUS PRAYER.

 

Gen 18:22  says "Abraham stood yet before the LORD." He interposed himself between God and judgment, and in the right way he started arguing with God and holding God to His word. Genesis 18:23 says  "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Abraham said, "Lord this is not like you to do this.  If you were to destroy Sodom right now, those righteous people who love you would be destroyed also.”

 

ABRAHAM’S PRAYER WAS CONTRITE A PRAYER.

 

Gen 18:27  "And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:" Even though Abraham is arguing with God in prayer, there was no arrogance in his prayer before God. There is a reverential awe, there is a trembling before God, there is a coming before God with a contrite spirit. We need to be broken and prostrate before God. Yes, we should remind God of His promises. Yes, we should remind God of His mercy. Yes, we should remind God or His character. But Ladies and Gentlemen, we must come before God in intercession, in brokenness, as dust before God, in reverential awe and trembling in His presence.

                               

ABRAHAM’S PRAYER WAS A COMPASSIONATE PRAYER.

 

Abraham was not praying for himself but he was praying for others. When was the last night you missed a night's sleep with hot tears streaming down your cheeks praying over some soul that is mortgaged to the Devil? When was the last time you came to God with a broken heart and prayed for some wicked sinner? Ladies and Gentlemen, will you humble yourself and plead with God on behalf of this church family, this community, this county, this state, this country? Will you ask God to move on the hearts of those who are not saved and those who are who are caught up in sin and carnality?

 

ABRAHAM’S PRAYER WAS A CONFIDENT PRAYER.

 

Gen 18:25  "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Abraham had such a confidence in God, he believed that God was going to do what was right. Abraham based his prayer on what he had learned and knew about God. Abraham knew the ways of God because he had spent much time with God and was a friend of God. That's the way to pray, to know God, to know the righteousness of God.

 

ABRAHAM’S PRAYER IT WAS A CONQUERING PRAYER.

 

Gen 19:29  "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." Lot was delivered from the overthrow of Sodom, not because of Lot, but because of Abraham. Abraham was an intercessor - here was a man who knew how to intercede. Folks, the sin that amazes God, is the prayerlessness of His people.  With all of the great and mighty prayer promises in the Word of God, God marvels that we do not pray any more than we do.   The Bible teaches us that we are to pray.   1 Timothy 2:1-3  "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;" The future of America does not lie in Washington, the future of America lies with the people of God who will get on their knees and pray. Abraham did something that the Sodomite parliament could not do, and he got a hold of God. Do you know how to do that? Do you know how to pray? Do you know how to intercede? You can change the destiny of a nation, a church and an individual by your intercession. There were times when God would have spared His ancient people Israel but He did not because no one interceded. We read in Ezek 22:30 that God said, "I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." The need of the hour is not eloquence, the need of the hour is not energy, the need of the hour is not enthusiasm, the need of the hour is intercession! The greatest ministry of this church or any church is not primarily preaching or singing, but praying and seeking the heart of God. The success of any ministry is in direct proportion to our prayers.

 

APPLICATION:

 

THE PROPHECY OF THE SECOND COMING.

 

Luke 17:26-30  Here Jesus speaks and says, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Now just keep this Scripture in your mind: "And as it was in the days of Noah ... Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ... thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."  Now go back with me to Genesis 19:22, The angels of God are ready to bring judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah because all of the intercessions in the world will not stay the hand of God when it is the  time for God’s judgment to fall. Judgment is about to fall and I want you notice what happened here in Genesis 19:22. Here is what the angel says to this carnal believer, this backslidden Christian named Lot: "Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou become thither." The angel said, "Lot, hurry up and get out because I cannot do anything until you are out." Now remember that Jesus said, "And as it was in the days of Noah ... Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ... thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."  *  This means that before God poured out His wrath in the flood He put Noah in the Ark.          * This means that before God poured out His wrath in fire and brimstone upon Sodom He took this believer Lot out of Sodom.        *  This means that before God pours out His wrath upon this world His saints are going to be taken out at the rapture.

 

The tribulation is called The Great Day of God's Wrath but the Bible tells us in 1 Thess. 1:10  we are to "Wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."  1 Thess. 5:9 says,  "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation (or deliverance) by our Lord Jesus Christ." The church is going to be ruptured at any moment. There are some people who are teaching that the church is going to go through the great tribulation, but I believe the Scriptures teach us differently.

 

WHAT DOES JESUS SAY THEY WERE DOING IN NOAH'S DAY?

"They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." They were not in the great tribulation when evil filled the whole earth, they were just living their lives as they always did taking no thought of tomorrow. But then the drops of rain began to fall and the rain covered the entire earth and destroyed the whole earth. But before the flood came and destroyed the earth,  God's children were safe in the Ark.                                           

 

WHAT DOES JESUS SAY THEY WERE DOING IN LOT'S DAY?

 

"They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all." They were not in the great tribulation when they were living in such sin and perversion, they were in the normal course of life and things were going on every day as usual. Then suddenly, just like that, the fire fell from heaven destroyed them all! But before that fire could fall,  God's man had to be taken out.

 

Noah went into the Ark.   Lot went out into the Mountain.   The angel said to Lot: "Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou become thither." So there is a deeper lesson here: 1. Surely it shows the power of intercession. 2. Surely it shows God's care for a backslidden child of God. 3. But Jesus also made an illustration out of this for His second coming. He is saying "I want you to see that as it was in the days of Lot—thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."  Now I want you to pay close attention because everybody here needs to hear what I am about to say. When Jesus comes again it will be as it was in the days of Noah, and it will be as it was in the days of Lot. When Jesus comes again there are going to be 3 classes of people living on earth.            

THERE ARE GOING TO BE THE NOAH TYPE PEOPLE.

Spiritual people who love God taken out before judgment.

 

"And as it was in the days of Noah ..." Noah was a type, a picture, or an illustration of a Spirit-filled Christian. The Bible says that Noah was a perfect man,  Noah loved the Lord, Noah obeyed God, Noah built the Ark, Noah lived as he ought to live. When Noah gladly went into the Ark he went into the fullness of its provisions. When Noah came out of the Ark he came out into a full reward and became the inheritor of the whole earth. Noah had an abundant entrance!

 

When Jesus comes again there are going to be some people like that. There are some people who are going to be glad because they are going to hear our Lord say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

 

Noah typifies that person who is loving Jesus, living for Jesus, serving for Jesus, looking for Jesus, waiting for Jesus, longing for Jesus, taking his loved ones with him to Jesus.

 

THERE ARE GOING TO BE THE LOT TYPE OF PEOPLE.

Carnal people saved and backslidden taken out before judgment.

 

The angel had to come and argue with Lot in order to get him out and had to say "Lot hurry up!" But Lot didn't want to go and there he was clinging to Sodom  and the angel had to pull him out, as it were. Lot doesn't take his whole family with him, but he leaves them behind and they perish in the flames. He finds himself up there in the mountains and everything he has schemed for, dreamed for, everything he has sold his soul for, all that he has lived for as a backslidden carnal believer just goes up in smoke! Lot is a type or a picture of a carnal, backslidden Christian who is truly saved but will be shameful when Jesus comes. I believe if Jesus Christ were to come back today there would be some Christians who would be so ashamed. There are some who have hatred in their heart, booze in their refrigerator, God's tithe in their pocket, and pornography in their reading materials, There are some who has no true love for the church, no real care for the lost, no zeal to  God and  are as Carnal as Lot of old. Oh, they may be saved!   But they are just like Lot! They are living in the suburbs of Sodom! They are a friend to this vile world that killed Jesus! Lot had to be dragged out of Sodom! It wasn't a rapture for Lot, it was a rupture! Lot missed the fire and brimstone of Sodom but some of his loved ones perished because of the carnal life that he lived. When Jesus comes again there are some Christians whom may miss the fire and brimstone of hell but some of their loved ones are going to perish because of the carnal life that they are living.

 

THERE ARE GOING TO BE THE JUDGED TYPE OF PEOPLE.

These were not the Spiritual believers nor were these the Carnal believers, they were Unbelievers.

 

Upon these people, the flood came in Noah's day. Upon these people, the fire fell in Lot's day. When Jesus comes the Noah type people and the Lot type people will be taken out, then the flood of fire of God's wrath will fall on all who are left behind after the rapture. There are those to think I am just a foolish old Preacher teaching the same thing that Preachers have been preaching and teaching for Centuries, but that’s all at their expense. There are those who will not agree with me, and they will think I do not know what I am talking about right now. They didn’t think Noah knew what he was talking about either. However, I want to tell everyone a fact according to the Bible, there will come a time when everyone, at least for a moment, will change their mind.  There will come a time when every unbeliever will find themselves on bended knees with their heads bowed in shame and fear before the All Mighty God of Heaven and Earth. God is going to judge this world and then they which do not believe will not have to listen to old preacher/teachers like me anymore because they will see firsthand what we have been warning about for thousands of years. All I am is a simple man of God, called by God, trying to teach the true Word of God, in the mighty Spirit of God.  I am just passing along  a  message from God who is the Editor and Chief of this script.  God knows every name just like He knows mine, they are all written down, and He IS going to judge this world so when those who do not believe come face to face with Him at His Great White Throne Judgment He will know they have been told what was coming. Some day God is going to say, “Today is the last day.”  It could be today, tomorrow, next week or next year – no one knows but God Himself,  but that day Will come. My question to everyone is this, what will our position be, where will our be in the Lord when this takes place?

 

CONCLUSION:

 

NOW LOOK CLOSELY AT LOT'S CALAMITY.

 

I want to do a little role playing for just a moment. I'm not going to read the whole story but I want you to see that now God begins to send judgment –

  1. The Bible says in Genesis 19:24, “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;” 

If you are wondering how God feels about the sin of perversion, I want you to note that God left Sodom with its smoking ruins as an example for those who would after live this kind of ungodly lifestyle.

  1.  The Bible says in Gen 19:25, “And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground”

  2.  The Bible says in Genesis  19:26, “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Now, skip on down to verse 35 where it talks about Lot's daughters.

  3. The Bible says in Genesis 19:35-36,  “And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.” 36. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.” 

 

God sent judgment to Sodom, and the corpse of sin was now bloated and ripe for the vultures of judgment. God would have spared Sodom if He could have found 50 righteous people in it. But they could not find 50, nor 40, nor 30, nor 20, nor 10 righteous people in the city. God called Lot out of the city, and the 2 angels had to practically drag Lot out, because he is still there looking over his possessions, checking his bank-books, bidding his friends good-by.

 

You remember the story how his wife looked back and lingered and was turned to a pillar of salt as the fiery judgment overtook her. We see Lot up there in a cave now, with his 2 daughters who got their education in Sodom, his 2 daughters that he wanted to be sophisticated, his 2 daughters that he wanted to have the advantages of this world. There are his 2 daughters who have become so confused with the philosophies of Sodom, so depraved and carnal in their minds that they get their father drunk as they hide out in a cave. The first sister goes in and lies with her father, then the second one goes in and they have an incestuous relationship and they both become pregnant by their father. This is such a sordid, terrible story of a man who simply pitched his tent toward Sodom. Listen friends e had better measure a thing, not more by where it is but where it is headed.

 

I WONDER, WHERE ARE SOME OF US HEADED.

LET'S USE OUR IMAGINATIONS FOR JUST A FEW MOMENTS AS I COME TO A CLOSE.

LET'S JUST SUPPOSE THAT WE COULD BRING MR. LOT UP HER ON THIS PLATFORM

AND ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS.

 

 #1. Mr. Lot you lived in Sodom for 20 years, you had money, prestige, position, and power, but were you really happy?  Did you really have joy down in your heart those 20 years down in Sodom?

 

"NO, I DID NOT.  TO BE HONEST, FOR 20 YEARS I WAS PERFECTLY MISERABLE."

 

The reason I believe that would have been his response is because the Bible tells us in 2nd Peter 2:8, “8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)”  That word "vexed" is translated in Rev 20:10. The Bible tells us  about those who are in hell and it says, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."   Lot was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day. Lot was a child of God, but life for him was hell on earth the whole time he was down there in Sodom. The most miserable man on earth is not the lost man, the most miserable man on earth is the saved man playing around in Sodom and out of fellowship with God. When God saves you He doesn't fix you so that you can't sin but He fixes you so that you can't sin and enjoy it for very long. If you can hobnob with Sodom and live in the suburbs of sin, if you can fellowship with Sodomites and it doesn't torment your soul, then you have never been saved to begin with.

 

#2. Mr. Lot, while you were living down there in Sodom, how much influence did you have there?              

 

There are a lot of people today who have the idea that in order to win the world we've got to become chummy with the world and drink beer with them and run around with them and do the things they do to get in good with them so they will listen to us. Then after we do that we can invite them to church and maybe they will come when they see that we are people just like he is.  What do you think?

 

#3. Mr. Lot, how many did you win to the Lord while you were in Sodom?  Did you win a thousand?  Did you win 50? Did you win 10?

 

"NO, I DIDN'T EVEN WIN 10 PEOPLE IN THE 20 YEARS I WAS IN SODOM.  MY INFLUENCE LIVING AMONG THEM WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE IN SODOM."

 

Folks, when you become carnal like Lot, you may go to heaven when you die but there are a lot of other people who may go to hell because they failed to be a witness because they failed to have Jesus in their life, who is the power of God in their life.

 

#4. Mr. Lot, you say that you were not really happy and you didn't have any influence over Sodom. What about your family, what influence did you have on your family while you were down there in Sodom?  Did they have respect for the decisions you made?

 

Lot's chin begins to quiver, his eyes fill with tears and he says, "AS I LOOK BACK TODAY, AS I SEE FROM HIND-SIGHT, I CAN SEE THAT I WAS SUCH A FOOL!  I LOST MY CHILDREN!  MY DAUGHTERS MARRIED SODOMITES!  WHEN I WENT TO WARN THEM TO TELL THEM THAT GOD WAS GOING TO DESTROY THE CITY WITH FIRE THEY JUST LAUGHED AT ME AND CALLED ME A RELIGIOUS FANATIC.  I LOST MY MARRIED DAUGHTERS AND THE ONES I GOT OUT OF SODOM WERE SO CORRUPTED THAT HORRIBLE THINGS HAPPENED.  MY WIFE TURNED TO A PILLAR OF SALT.  I LOST MY WHOLE FAMILY! MY HEART IS SO BROKEN AND I FEEL SO DEFEATED AND SUCH A FAILURE. MY WHOLE LIFE HAS COUNTED FOR NOTHING FOR GOD AND I HAVE NOTHING."

 

#5. Mr. Lot, surely you salvaged something. You went down to Sodom a very wealthy man.  You had a lot of flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. How much of this worlds goods did you bring out of Sodom? How much material wealth did you gain from Sodom?

 

"I WAS A FOOL, I LOST IT ALL, I ENDED UP LIVING IN A CAVE WITH MY 2 DAUGHTERS WITHOUT ONE CENT TO MY NAME."

 

Folks, just as Lot got out of Sodom and fire destroyed Sodom, the Bible says the carnal Christian is going to face the judgment of God and his life is going to go up as wood, hay and stubble. He is going to be saved yet, so as by fire. Everything the Carnal Christian lived for, dreamed for, and schemed for, will be gone. Just as Lot lost it all, so the Carnal Christian will lose it all.

 

You can go back in the 13 chapter and the Bible says that Abraham told Lot "You go East and I'll would go West, you go North and I'll go South." When Lot went his way East – The Bible says that God appeared to Abraham and said "Abraham you look to the East, look to the West, look to the North, look to the South.  Abraham, do you see it all?  Abraham, I'm going to give it all to you, it all belongs to you, even that portion which Lot took.  Abraham, not a stick, not a stone, not a grain of sand will belong to anyone else but you."  Folks, it pays to serve the Lord! Folks, that land still belongs to Abraham and in the great resurrection, in that great getting up morning it will still be Abraham's land because God gave it to him.

 

When I was a child there was a little saying, "FINDERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS." I have learned that the Bible teaches something different, it is not "FINDERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS." In the Bible Jesus said, "Whosoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel, the same shall find it" therefore "LOSERS ARE THE KEEPERS, AND KEEPERS ARE THE WEEPERS." Abraham did what God would have him do and God rewarded him. In the Bible Jesus said in Matthew 19:29, "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."

 

#6. Mr. Lot, I want to thank you for talking with us, but there is one other thing I would like to ask you before we go.  I'm teaching a group of people who sometimes don't pay much attention or really listen to what I am trying to tell them and sometimes they don't even apply what I am teaching to themselves. So Mr. Lot as I close, what advice would you give to us in this Bible study?

 

“WELL, THERE ARE 4 THINGS I WOULD WANT TO TELL THEM.

 

  1. I would tell them to be careful about the decisions they make because their decisions will determine their destiny.

     

  2.  I would like to caution them to watch the small decisions and never compromise with sin, but deal with sin when it first rears its ugly head.

 

  1. I would tell all of those Christians out there who are not walking with God to repent and get right before judgment falls.

 

  1. I would caution them not to be as foolish as I was and lose it all.

 

The Bible tells us that "If we judge ourselves we shall not be judged" and that is a privilege that God has given us and that's what we all need to do.

 

DO YOU NEED SOME HELP?

To find more help in receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please go to the Bible Study Title Page “ETERNAL LIFE.” Please send me an email and let me know about any decision for Christ you make so that I may pray for you. Feel free to send me any questions, comments, or responses you may have as well. For those who are already Christians I invite you to also please let me know of any decisions you make in your Christian life for Jesus. Please send me your questions, comments, or responses and let me know if the Bible Studies are helping you.

<rfdenning1951@gmail.com>

 

ALWAYS REMEMBER!

The support of your local Church ministry and the ministry of your Pastor should be the first priority of your Christian life and your service to the Lord. Be faithful to prayerfully prepare and attend Sunday School and Worship Service this Sunday and participate in worship as your Pastor preaches the Word. Do not forget to give the Lord at least your TITHE through your local church from your gross income – that is your first fruits. Any other other giving is an offering to a ministry unto the Lord. Honor the Lord in all you do and with all that you have. Always remember that everything you have and all you are belongs to the Lord. It is on loan to you – so manage it well! There will be an audit one day! Make sure the Books Balance!

 

All Bible Studies Are Prepared by Pastor Frank Denning And May Be Be Used By Permission.