A Compromising Faith: Part 2

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have a Bible, open ‘em up with me to Genesis chapter 19. We’re gonna be looking at the last parts of this chapter.

If you were with us last week, we started digging into this story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Of course, two angels, they visited Lot…they warned Lot of God’s coming judgement of the city…they warned him of the city’s destruction. And listen, what we saw was a response completely unexpected from someone who’s claimed to be righteous in the New Testament, right? It says after the angels warned him…it says he lingered in the city. Lot was so consumed with the city…he wanted the city life so badly, he looked past the sins of the city even when he knew just how disgusting it was. And listen, he didn’t really care how it was shaping him or how it was influencing those he loved.

Now hopefully, even amidst this disgusting story…seeing this filthily city…watching Lot make a mess of his life…hopefully, you can see the gospel shine through it, right?

The Bible says, we’re all sinners…and that the wages of sin, its death (Romans 6:23). It says there’s nothing we can do about that on our own…but it also shows us that God, loving us so much, sent His Son Jesus, to die for us…to take on our sins. And the best part of the Bible’s message to us, its that it’s all a free gift. We don’t have to be good enough…righteous enough…all we have to do is repent and believe. Turn and believe that Jesus’s work, it’s sufficient enough to save us from our problem.

Guys, can’t you see that in Lot’s story? I mean, it’s pretty clear here, he’s a sinner, right? And even when God sent a messenger…and even when God revealed exactly what He was gonna do to the city, Lot couldn’t change his desires…He desired the world…But God, being gracious and of course remembering Abraham, He dragged Lot out of the city, right? And there wasn’t anything Lot had to do in the process…God decided to save him and there wasn’t anything that would change God’s mind…not even Lot. It was a free gift.

But listen, the thing that just really muddy’s the water here…its that Peter calls Lot righteous in the New Testament, right? Even though we know salvation belongs to the Lord…even though we know salvation’s a work of God…we expect someone whose been set apart to act out in a certain way…like Abraham!

This week, as I was studying for this message, I read of a pastor who left his wife to marry his secretary, who left her husband. And listen, that’s bad enough, but then they both murdered their former spouses! The pastor, he disguised himself as a robber, he shot his lover’s husband with her help in full view of the man’s children! And then to top it all off, the pastor and his new wife, they planned to move to another state and set up a counseling ministry!

Listen, when we hear of professing Christians falling into serious sin like this, we ask ourselves, “How did they ever get to this point?” I mean, if the people hadn’t made claims of being Christians, it would be one thing…but when they make these kind of claims and then commit some of the worst kind of sins, it just makes us wonder, right?

Guys, as we finish up Lot’s account this morning, understand that’s Lot’s story. If Lot wasn’t a believer, if he wasn’t declared righteous, we’d just say, “Well, that’s just the way this evil world is.” But instead, when we read about his daughters and when we see what it is they do, we think to ourselves, “How’d they get to this point?”

Guys listen, what I’m hoping you see through this text this morning…Lot’s story, I hope it makes you realize that while we’re saved by grace…while we’re set apart by the blood of Christ…while we’re sanctified by the Holy Spirit…I hope you realize, its very possible to be a genuine believer today, to have all the securities that come with being a child of God…and yet, fall into sins that are just as bad and just as disgusting as those committed by unbelievers…sins that come with terrible and tragic consequences. We already saw that with Lot’s wife last week.

Remember how we closed the service last Sunday, are you who you are today because of God remembering someone else…or is God working and moving in your life today because He’s remembering you?

And so listen, if you’re there with me…let’s stand and read our passage together. It says this, starting in verse 30:

Genesis 19:30–38 (ESV)

Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi (Ben-a-me). He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

Our four points this morning…number 1, Compromise leads to fear…number 2, Compromise results in family dysfunction…number 3, Compromise ends in immorality…and then number 4, Compromise sows seeds of ungodliness.

And so, with that, let’s jump into our first point.

I. Compromise Leads to Fear (v. 30)

Compromise, it leads to fear.

Look at verse 30 with me again. It says, “Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.”

I think it’s kind of funny that Lot ends up in the same place he was originally commanded to go, right? If you remember last week, verse 17, the angels, they commanded Lot to flee to the hills. And you remember what Lot asked? “No, please! Don’t make me go to the hills…let us go to the city!”

And listen…now, it says he’s afraid in Zoar. We don’t know exactly why…maybe it was the citizens…some scholars think Lot saw their wickedness and fled. I don’t think that’s the case because, being just, God would’ve destroyed them as well…and as we’ve seen already…Lot’s righteousness wasn’t enough to save Sodom, it’s certainly not gonna save this city…Maybe he sees all this destruction and he’s wondering is God gonna keep His promise? Will God hold to His promise to not overthrow Zoar?…But personally, using the surrounding context…I believe Lot, who again is righteous…meaning, he’s been set apart by God…he’s being convicted. And so naturally, he runs to the one place he was told to run, right? I think he’s afraid of facing God with his decision to flee to Zoar. Seeing Sodom’s destruction, I think it was a wake up call for him.

And listen, there’s a lot of contrast that we see here. Notice it says, “So he lived in a cave with his daughters,” right? In a cave, it says! Guys, that’s a huge difference from a house in a prosperous city…or even a tent with his uncle in the wilderness.

And listen, you might ask yourself, “Like, why doesn’t he just go back to Abraham? Wouldn’t that fix everything?” You wanna know why he doesn’t do that?…To do that, he’d have to repent…he’d have to confess that he was wrong and turn from those things. He’s too proud for that. And so, instead of confessing and repenting, he chooses to put his family in a cave in complete isolation. Remember Genesis chapter 2, God says in verse 18, “[It’s] not good for man to be alone.” We were made for community…for relationship. And so, Lot’s failure to repent, it leads to fear and isolation.

His decision to remain unrepentant, it mirrors Genesis chapter 3, when Adam and Eve had sinned, what was their immediate response before repentance? They hid and they covered themselves. Ultimately, they now feared God…and they wanted to isolate themselves from each other and God. And so, that’s what Lot does…because he’s too proud to address his mistakes. He’d rather live in a cave…and he’d rather be isolated from the rest of the world. That’s not a picture of what God’s intends for us.

And again, remember who Lot is…the Bible says he’s righteous…that he belongs to the family of God. Meaning, application for us…if we live unrepentant lives, its very possible to live in fear of God…its possible to live in fear of God’s people…and it’s possible to isolate yourself from those things. Meaning, if you refuse to address your sins, it will lead to fear and in turn, isolation. And listen, everyone of us, as 1 John tells us, we’re all sinners and even as believers we still sin…so we should all be repenting constantly!

Guys, this a constant in the life of a Christian. We’re to seek repentance daily, understanding the grave consequences if we don’t. And listen, repentance, I know it’s a churchy term…a lot of us, we don’t know what it means. A lot of us, we think repentance is about seeking forgiveness, right? But listen, that’s not it at all. Our forgiveness…past, present, future…it was won for us at the cross. We acknowledged that when we turned to Christ. His work, it’s sufficient for the forgiveness of our sins. Repentance isn’t about saying “I’m sorry” every time I mess up…its about acknowledging that I did in fact mess up and choosing to turn from that thing. It’s a change of mind…I’m leaving all that behind and I’m confessing so that others’ll hold me accountable. Without genuine repentance…there will never be joy…you’ll never be satisfied…and guys, you’ll always, if you’re honest with yourself…you’ll always be fearful of exposing yourself to God and God’s people…and it’ll drive you to isolation. It’ll set up this false theology that all you need is Jesus and that you can have that minus the church. Paul says in Romans 12:2:

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

[Don’t] be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…

He says don’t conform to the world…and you do that by renewing your mind…changing your mind, daily…Guys, that’s repentance.

And if we don’t live repentant lives, Lot’s example might just become our reality.

I think it’s ironic that Abraham…who we’ve seen seek the Lord…turn back to the Lord when he’s messed up…he lives comfortably in a tent, with tons of companionship. And listen, he has the joy of God’s friendship. That’s a stark contrast to the relationship Lot has.

Listen, they might both be considered righteous…but I don’t know about you…I don’t wanna live in the same ways as Lot. I don’t want my life to look like that.

And listen, here’s some of the reasons why.

II. Compromise Results in Family Dysfunction (vv. 31-32)

Point number 2…Compromise, it results in family dysfunction.

Look at verse 31 and 32 with me again. It says:

Genesis 19:31–32 (ESV)

And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”

I mean, WOW! Lot was about 65 years old…we know his daughters were virgins according to this chapter earlier on. I mean what a perverted perception of what God commanded in Genesis 1, right?

First, they create a false crisis…like a worse case scenario saying, “There aren’t any men on earth we can marry!” I mean, it certainly couldn’t have been too difficult for them to find the caliber of men that matched the guys they were gonna marry in Sodom, right? But they push the panic button. And then they add this noble reason to make it sound spiritual, “We need to preserve our family line!” They’re rationalizing their gross sin, twisting God’s Word, to justify their desires. I wonder where they got that from? Who they learned that from?

Notice, when Lot choose to flee Zoar and go to the hills, their wasn’t any seeking the Lord…there wasn’t any prayer, trying to discern the Lord’s will or seek His help. And so, naturally, here’s this real crisis for his daughters and so why would they seek the Lord for husbands?

I mean, compared to what they were used to seeing in Sodom, drunkenness and incest, it certainly wasn’t that big of a deal, right? Especially if it served a noble reason. Once you adopt the values of the world, your whole worldview and your whole perception, they’re corrupted.

That’s why John says in 1 John chapter 2:

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV)

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

And so, let’s stop here for just a moment. What’s worldliness? How can we define it?…I’ll make it simple. It’s materialistic…it’s pleasure-seeking…it’s entertainment driven…it’s conformity…it’s addiction to the lusts of the flesh…John says, flee that stuff, right? Isn’t that what Lot gave himself to?

I mean, my heart, it just goes out to his daughters…yea, they come up with a pretty perverted plan…but I mean, it’s all they knew. They say, “Let’s make him drunk…let’s lie with him.” Guys, the fact that they have access to wine while they’re isolated in a cave says a lot about their materialistic desires…or their addictions. And listen, notice the connection between alcohol and sexual immorality as well. If Lot had refused the wine here, he probably would’ve refused the immorality as well. Isn’t it interesting that even though the family had just lost everything, they managed to have plenty of wine to get drunk? People enslaved to alcohol, they might not be able to pay for rent, but by golly they’ll always have alcohol on hand…and then they’ll argue they need it for their enjoyment or their pleasure or whatever…trying to use God’s Word to justify themselves. That’s another sermon for another day…but understand there’s addiction going on here. And this was the life they set up for themselves back in Sodom. No one ever gets addicted to something up front. It always starts by drinking a little…and then it turns into something much greater. You wanna know if it’s an idol in your life or an addiction?…Have someone tell you to give it up, regardless of the reason, and see how you respond. Heck some of you are mad at me right now.

The second thing here, take note that when a father’s passive, his family members, they’re oftentimes gonna get frustrated and they’re gonna move in to take the leadership he should’ve been exercising. And most often, that family’s gonna go in the wrong direction because they’re being lead in a way that’s not God’s design. Lot’s daughters were frustrated because their father was passive about his sin, and they found themselves sitting in a cave, as a result of his sin, with no prospects for marriage in sight. And so they decided on this shameful method of having children.

Guys, if you’re a passive father, just letting your own spiritual life and your family’s spiritual life drift away, you’re creating frustration in them that’s likely to result in them taking charge of the situation and moving in the wrong direction. And listen, as a result…its gonna lead to family dysfunction.

III. Compromise Ends in Immorality (vv. 33-36)

But listen, it doesn’t stop with them just thinking these things…Compromise, it ends in immorality. That’s the third point. It ends with them actually acting out these disgusting things.

Look at verse 33 through 36 with me again. And so, their plan, it succeeds. The first night, the oldest daughter, she gets Lot drunk and she lies with him. And then the second night, the younger daughter, she repeats the process. And listen, the result, according to verse 36, its that both daughters become pregnant by their father.

And listen, for a lot of us, we’d chalk that up as them just living in Sodom…being consumed by that culture, right? But this sin, this sin of incest, according to a lot of scholars, it was abominable, immoral even by Sodom’s standards. And understand, these types of sins, they don’t just happen overnight. You saturate yourself in the culture…one sin leads to another sin…you begin to compromise…you become fearful and isolated…it leads to dysfunctional relationships…you begin to introduce things outside of God to coupe with those anxieties…like what we see with alcohol here for example.

You know what I think’s interesting? Adam and Eve’s sins, the very thing that introduced sin to the rest of humanity, it started with the fruit of the vine. Fruit that altered their senses, their reality, right? And then Noah, just after the flood, what led to his sin? What led to his nakedness? The fruit of the vine, right? I know you might think you have it under control, I know we all have freedoms in Christ, but why play with fire and why risk allowing it to compromise your ability to know right from wrong?

That’s what happens with Lot here, his drunkenness, it lowers his guard…which is why his daughters get him drunk…it causes him to lose every moral fiber in his body…And listen, once they have him in that state, they manipulate him and they manipulate situation. That’s sin’s progression in our lives…it leads to immorality (whether we intentionally mean to do immoral things - like his daughters here…or whether we unintentionally do immoral things - like Lot here)…it all leads to immorality. It traps us…it enslaves us…and it causes us to manipulate people…and situations…and eventually God’s Word to justify our desires. I mean, isn’t that what Lot’s daughters do here? They justify their sins by saying they wanna preserve Lot’s line, right?

Guys, if you know this to be true about sin…if you know it’s after you…then why do we keep playing with fire…why do we do things that help it along? Why do we place ourselves in situations where immorality can grow and fester? Remember that your heart, according to the Bible, its selfish and wicked…and remember that sin, it seeks to exploit that truth about us…Quit giving it room in your life to do that very thing. And listen, I’m not just talking about alcohol…I’m talking about relationships we have…I’m talking about things that we invest in, with our time and money…I’m talking about the things we give ourselves to…Quit giving sin the ground to cause immorality. Remember Lot was considered righteous just like a lot of us…don’t think you’re immune to sin.

And listen, just look at this situation…some sin, it can’t be forgave away. Some sins, they can’t be undone. You can seek forgiveness…you can repent…you can do everything to turn from that sin…but with some sin, we just have to live with the consequences.

I mean, isn’t that what we see here with Lot’s daughters getting pregnant. Some sins, you can’t change the outcome once its happened. It’s like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. You can’t do it…As I said last week…understand sin…understand what it seeks to do.

IV. Compromise Sows Seeds of Ungodliness (vv. 37-38)

Which leads us to our last point…compromise, it sows seeds of ungodliness.

Look at verse 37 and 38 with me again. It says:

Genesis 19:37–38 (ESV)

The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi (Ben-a-me). He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

Moab, that name means “from my father!” Just in case she ever forgot it, I guess. And Ben-ammi (Ben-a-me) means “son of my people.”

Based on the names given, neither daughter had any regrets about what had just transpired.

If you know your Bibles, both of these sons, they would lead to great nations…specifically the Moabites and the Ammonites. The Moabites lived just east of the Dead Sea and their chief god was Chemosh…And listen, it was the Moabites that would eventually lead Israel into Baal (Bail) worship.

The Ammonites, their chief god was Milcom or Molech. Molech was a fire-god with the face of a calf…and his images had arms outstretched to receive the babies who were sacrificed to him. They also worshiped the goddess Ashtaroth…she was the goddess of sex. And listen, what would happen, these people in worship of Ashtaroth, they’d have these sex orgies…and then 9 months later they’d have these unexpected surprises of life…and there Molech was with his arms wide open to take their babies off their hands.

Guys, don’t think for a second that some how this problem we deal with in 21st century America is just a problem for us. This isn’t about women rights…This is about destroying the image of God on earth…and demons have been leading mankind to do this for a millennia. The problem is, we’re just as stupid today. And listen, I wanna pause for just a moment here. In November, you have the chance to voice your opinion. You’re not voting on personalities…you’re not voting on character…you’re not voting on someone because of their claimed religious affiliations. God has given us a unique opportunity, an opportunity that most of the world across the history of our planet didn’t have, He’s given us an opportunity to show that the image of God matters…that life matters…that His image in marriage matters…How you vote says more about what you think about the gospel and the mission Christ has given you. Listen, I’m not trying to get political. Normally I don’t…you guys know that…but never before, in the history of our country has life and marriage been more challenged. That’s the primary issues…don’t let them divert your attention. Christians choose life…and we choose biblical, heterosexual, lifelong marriages because Jesus has changed everything about us and because He’s given us a mission. Quit falling into the same cycle that’s existed for thousands of years. The Israelites fell into it…and unfortunately the church today is falling into it. Care about God’s glory by preserving things that reflect His image.

Guys, set your eyes on Jesus…let Him dictate your decisions, and your actions, and your will…everything! Understand that Jesus, He can bring reconciliation and restoration to any situation.

I think any of us here this morning, we hear this story and we all agree its pretty disgusting, right? But do you realize that Jesus brought restoration to this situation? The Moabites and the Ammonites, they’d become big problems for Israel later on…we know this. But what we forget, its that Jesus used these two people groups…people groups that came from this disgusting situation…He used ‘em to bring about Himself.

Ruth, if you know that story, she was a Moabite…and Boaz, an Israelite, became her redeemer…He married her and through that marriage, it led to King David. Likewise, Naamah (Nay-a-ma)…an Ammonite, she would become one of King Solomon’s wives who gave birth to Rehoboam. And listen, if you’re familiar with Jesus’s lineage…both of these women…both of these people groups…both of Lot’s daughters for that matter, are among those that led to Jesus.

Closing

Listen, in closing…understand that sin, its real…and the consequences of sin, they can be tragic. And guys, this is true of believers and unbelievers alike. The reason for that, its because we’re all sinners...sinners tempted by the flesh. And the Bible, it says, the consequences of our sin, its death, right? That’s what we saw with Sodom and Gomorrah…God’s judgement of man’s wickedness. It’s what they deserve, its what we deserve.

But guys, all of this…even this disgusting story…it all points to Jesus. Jesus, who is God, He came to us. He took on our sin…He took on our death…or our destruction so to speak. He became Sodom for us…so that His own wrath would be poured out on Him. And listen, the greatest news that’s ever been given to mankind, its that its all a free gift to us…the salvation that He offers. We don’t have to be good enough. We don’t have to be righteous enough…we don’t have to be clean enough. I mean just look at Lot here. Him and his daughters, they’re disgusting…and yet, Lot was righteous…and Jesus used his daughters to bring about Himself.

Guys, don’t think for a second you’re immune to sin…that you got it all figured out. Understand that by turning to Jesus, believing in Him…not only does He save you…but He gives you His Spirit which allows you to live in a way that sees sin and chooses not to sin.

But listen, also…don’t think for a second that you’re too far gone. Jesus can take any broken situation, any broken decision…and He can use it all for His glory.

Every head bowed and every eye closed.

The praise team’s gonna come back up…the altar’s open…I’ll be down front if you need to talk to me…maybe you have questions or you want me to pray with you…but I just want you reflect on your life…if you’re a believer here this morning…is there anything you’re giving yourself to that might lead to tragic consequences? Things that might impact those you love?…Turn, repent from those things.

If you’re an unbeliever here this morning…I want you to take this time…think about the things I just mentioned and I want you to turn to Jesus and place your trust in faith in Him. Tell Him that you recognize you’re a sinner, that’s there’s nothing you can do about that on your own…acknowledge Him as God, that He died for your sins…that its all a free gift. You do that…and Romans 10, it says you’ll be saved.

And so listen, whatever it is, you take this time and I’ll close us in just a moment.

[Prayer]