Fire and Brimstone

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 107:23-43

Psalm 107:23–43 ESV

Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Scripture Memory: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: Romans 2:1-5 (Cory)

Romans 2:1–5 ESV

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Sermon:

1

Speaker 1

00:00

Well once again, and as always, good morning church. I was glad when they said to me let us go in Worship in the house of the Lord. Well today, if you can tell by the title of our sermon fire and brimstone, I will be attempting to channel my my Baptist preacher Roots with a little bit of flair and Pizzazz. As the term fire and brimstone. Actually comes from our passage for today. When the Lord is reigning down his judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Last week we looked at the sin of Sauding Gomorrah and saw that.

00:46

They are worthy. If we want to use that word worthy? Of the Judgment that God is going to pour out on them. The text for today, Genesis chapter 19, verses 23 through 29, is a text all about judgment. But just like, last week in a text all about Sin, we saw God's grace was still visible. His mercy is still Shone. So too in our text for today. Though it is a Hellfire and brimstone sort of sermon. God's mercy and his grace will still be on display.

01:28

As we look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah before we dive in and read, it's a shorter text today so we can. We have a little extra time as it were, though I know we're all hungry for the potluck after. I'd like to remind us. That this is not the first time that God's judgment has rained down from. Upon sinful mankind. There are intentionally in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the story of Noah and his Ark. A lot of parallels. And I believe Moses as he wrote. This wanted us to draw some lines and draw some connections.

02:09

Ultimately, the biggest and most important line we can draw is God, the holy, just god of the universe, the one who rules and Reigns in heaven, is the one who will judge the Earth? In his Holiness and his goodness, and his might in his wrath in his Justice. God, the just judge. And if we remember that that was Abraham's language. In chapter 18.

02:43

Shall not the just shall not the judge of the Earth do? What is, just hear the judge of the earth. We'll do. What is just? But what is Justice? It's not just overlooking and minimizing sin. And, and then even we will look at today. Peripheral issues dealing with sin. No, the just judge will judge justly. And he will do so in his strength and in his vengeance. Genesis chapter 19, verses 23 through 29, is our text for this morning. The sun had risen on the earth when lot came to Zore. Then the Lord reigned on Sodom and Gomorrah's sulfur and fire. For ukjv people, there's the fire and brimstone, sulfur, and fire from the Lord out of Heaven.

03:39

And he overthrew those cities and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife behind him looked back. And she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. And he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley. And he looked and behold the smoke of the land went up, like the smoke of a furnace. So, it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham.

04:14

And sent lot out of the midst of the Overflow overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which lot. Had lived. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open with the word of prayer. Oh Lord, O Lord, How Majestic is your name in all the Earth? You are great and greatly to be praised. The just judge of all the Earth? And as we read here of your judgments, I ask that you would speak to our heart. Help us to see clearly you and your work. Help us to see clearly the effects, the weights, and the Judgment upon sin.

04:50

Help us to know and understand your Holiness and our call to live such lives. It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. Amen. This is a text all about God. Judgment. And in fact, there's there's a little clue. That's important that we we check and we understand before we dive into what this judgment looks like, who's being judged all of those things. There's an interesting thought that that I want us to check. We're going to use David's patented tools for reading scripture. And that is when you see a word repeated, it's probably important. And in verse 24 in one verse, we're going to see one very important word repeated twice.

05:39

Verse 24, then the Lord reigned on Sodom and gamora's sulfur and fire from the Lord. The Lord reigned fire from the Lord. What is the point of doubling this the Lord? The point is by is saying this. This is God's judgment. Though people debate, and you can get into the fun debates. Is this a volcano that erupted in the valley? Is this a volcano from somewhere else that then threw all of the debris onto Sauding the war. Is this literally miraculously fire and brimstone raining down from? Those are fun debates, but no matter how we answer it, no matter what answer we find, this is what we know to be true. This is a judgment from.

06:30

The Lord. Because the Lord rained down fire from the Lord, it comes from him. This is his hand of Vengeance and Justice on display. These are God's judgments. And so to anyone, just to start right here to anyone. Who wants to say, well, I don't believe in a god of fire and brimstone? My fire brimstone preaching. We may have all heard that phrase I joked about at the beginning of the sermon. It has a reputation. Well, that's not. That's not loving. That's not kind. That's not godly. The Lord reigned on Sodom and Gomorrah's sulfur and fire from the Lord.

07:17

I didn't vote Helst fire and brimstone preaching Baptist pastors in the early 1800s did not invent Hellfire and brimstone preaching God. Invented Hellfire and brimstone preaching. These are God's judgments.

07:46

The first is, we see, and this is the. Maybe the most important and the most surface level judgment, but it's one we need to note and understand. This is God's judgment upon Sodom. And Gamora. This is God. Judging the sinfulness of these cities? The cities that are so wicked that not, not 10 in. However, many people live there, not even 10 righteous people could be found. A city so wretched and vile that if you go through the rest of the Bible as you go through starting now and going even into the New Testament. These cities are so vile that they become a paradigm for wickedness and sinfulness.

08:35

Right? If you are acting Wicked and you are a nation or a city? You are immediately compared to Sodom. And so this judgment becomes even more heinous. When Israel God's people in the book of Isaiah, when God says you're worse than Sodom and Gomorrah? Because these cities become the Paradigm of a vile wickedness. And so, as we read through this, we understand this is God judging sin and sinners? Matthew Henry says this concerning this destruction. Observe that it is a revelation of the wrath of God against sin and sinners, not just now, but in all ages.

09:21

Let us learn, hence the evil of sin. And it's hurtful nature.

09:29

Leads. To ruin. There are a lot of other lessons we may try to learn here. We cannot move past this one. Sin is vile. Heinous and an affront to a holy God s? Leads to death and destruction, and ruin the wages, Paul says. In Romans of sin is death, and we say that, and we can think that here in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and God's judgment upon these cities, we don't just hear it. We see it and understand it. The wages of sin, what sin deserves, and what sin purchases is fire and brimstone, raining down from Heaven to destroy.

10:16

A sinful Sinners. That is the just and right result of sin. Sin cannot just continue to tarry. Sin cannot go, just unjudged. God will judge sin, and if we learn nothing else from this text, we must see God's attitude toward sin. God is love. And God hates.

10:48

What's bold of you to say God hates sin? I didn't say it. God does read the scriptures go throughout the Psalms, the Old Testament God hates sin. It is an affront to his holy nature and the people that he created in His image as they continue to engage in sin. It pollutes, it corrupts. Ultimately, it destroys, and ultimately, it leads to judgment.

11:15

And we must be a people. Who Proclaim? The Judgment of God upon sin. We should not be a hateful, bigoted people. However. If the world is going to call me hateful and bigoted by speaking the truth that God will judge all Sinners, of which I am the chief.

11:42

Then, I guess they can call me hateful and bigoted. I view it as loving. It is loving to cry out to those in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Judgment of God is coming. It is loving to cry out, repent, and relent from your sin. It is good and right to call people to throw themselves upon the mercy and Grace of God, because God will judge sin. That's the point.

12:14

Ultimately, that is the point of this entire interlude in Abraham's life. We haven't seen Abraham since two weeks ago in the middle of the story of Abraham. We haven't seen or heard for why, because we need to see and first understand this. God will judge sin period. That is what this judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah is.

12:41

That's not the only judgment we see here. There's this very strange and very important. Peripheral tail. So exactly, one verse long. Verse 26. But Lot's wife behind him? Looked back. And she became. A pillar of salts. This isn't just a judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. We actually see also judgment on Lot's wife. Well, it's wife, who doesn't get a name? Lot's wife, who here dies? Without us, knowing and remembering her name. She was married to lot. Lot will appear even later in scripture. His faith is praised that he was a righteous person among a wicked generation.

13:30

His wife. Could have been a part of that. Instead, she is judged. And in the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah. Again, those cities become a paradigm for sinfulness in God's judgment on sin throughout all of scripture. But when Jesus comes to this lesson. He goes to Lot's wife. So I've told this story before. When I was a little little kid, I mean, little, I was Middle School. Went to Sunday school. There was a Sunday school teacher who would, and this dates this story a lot. He would show up to church with a film canister full of quarters.

14:10

And all of us kids in his Sunday school class. Every week, he would pay us a quarter for every memory verse. Every scripture verse we had memorized. And. Caring much more about the again. Dating this story 50 Cent can of soda, you could buy from the soda machine. Did some quick math and realized, like, well, if we just memorized two verses a week, that's a free sold every Sunday. But again, his goal spiritual. Fostering a spiritual atmosphere of children, memorizing scripture, praiseworthy our goal. What's the shortest verses we can memorize to achieve our intended goal? Just be honest.

14:55

And so a new kid would come. We'd pull them aside. Like, can you remember five words because we can give you two verses in five words? First John 11, 35 Jesus wept. Second one, Luke 17, 32, remember Lots, wife.

15:18

And it's funny how God uses his word. The scripture promises the word never returns void. We would memorize those verses first for a free soda. In our mind, it was a free soda. God has used those verses in my life. Many ways. John 11:35. Jesus web might be one of the most important and profound verses in the Book of John, which is saying a lot because John has in the beginning was the word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God in him was life, and the life was the light of men. John has some very important verses, so to say that John 11, 35, is up there.

15:53

Saying a lot. But the fact that Jesus Webb communicates the love and grace and mercy of our savior? It communicates to us that we have a great high priest who can sympathize with us in our weakness. It communicates that when we are in pain and difficulty, Jesus also wept. So when you are weeping in your room, feeling alone and by yourself, your savior hears and knows. John 11, 35, is a very important verse. Luke 17, 32 remember, Lot's wife is also a very important verse. In Luke 17, John sorry, rather, Jesus is speaking to none other than the Pharisees.

16:34

And they've approached him asking about judgments. And when the day of the Lord will come? And Jesus begins to talk about the Old Testament. The Pharisees come in verse 20 of Luke 17 are like, where's the kingdom coming and Jesus? You're not going to see, and no, you will not understand it is coming in ways you have no idea. And then he goes to two important stories in the Old Testament. First, he goes to Noah. He's, like, in the days of Noah. Everyone's just going around having a happy good time. They were drinking and carousing, and it was great.

17:11

So it will be when I come back. You won't be ready for it. Likewise Luke 17, 28, just as it was in the days of lot. They were eating and drinking and buying and selling and planting and building. But on the day when lot went out from Sodom, fire and soul for rain down from heaven and destroyed them all, so it will be on the day when the son of man is revealed when Jesus comes.

17:41

There will be people just. Having a good time living their life, going to work each and every day. With the Judgment of God comes when the son of man comes writing down. This is Daniel 17 language with the son of man comes to judge all of mankind. When that day comes, it'll feel just like every other day. Verse 30, so on the day when the son of man is revealed on that day, let the one who is on the house top with his goods in the house, not come down and take them away. And likewise, let not the one who is in the field, not turn back.

18:17

Well, the son of man comes. There's going to be time to go around fixing and doing stuff. There's not going to be time to go. Put your hand back to the plow stone because the son of man is here. When Jesus comes, it will be too late for. Oops, I'm sorry. The judgment has come, and there is no delay and no. Turning back Luke 17, 32, remember Lot's wife.

18:44

Well, let's remember what happened to her on the day of God's judgment. She turned back.

18:52

And she too fell prey to God's judgment. She was with lot and his daughters escaping towards safety.

19:04

But instead of grabbing hold of the safety that God provided for her, instead, she turned back.

19:14

We might think Y is an important question here, and you could ask why, why did she turn back? We don't know. Some people assume, well, she would have been a sodomite. Lot would have met her in Sodom. And so she was looking back out of concern for people she knew and loved. Maybe doesn't matter. She still receives judgment. Maybe she heard the uproordest Calamity? Hellfire and brimstone are raining down from heaven. Maybe she just want to turn around and see doesn't matter. Why does it not matter? Genesis 19.

20:02

As they brought them out. Once said, Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away. The angel said to lot his wife was there. He said to all of them run. Do not look back because if you do, you will be swept away and God. Always honest. And so here, when Angel of the Lord says, if you look back, you will face judgment. She looked back. She faced judgment. Remember Lot's wife. With the son of man has come and called us. There's no time looking back. There's no use in looking back.

20:45

When I was in high school. Living my my wild life. You can ask my parents all about it. They have freedom to share whatever they want. But when I was living my my Wildlife in high school? One of the these Sparks. In my heart and mind that caused me to go down a sinful and destructive path. Was this? When my friends around me are sinning? And I'm sinning. The only difference is, I feel bad. And so I looked back to a life of sin and shame. And my mind was warped to think, well, I just shouldn't feel bad about it.

21:29

Instead of pressing forward, this is the language of the New Testament. I press on, not that I have already attained, but I keep on pressing on that. I might not be disqualified from the prize that I'm even preaching about, says Paul. For a daily discipline, my body. Striving forward. Not that we are already perfect. Not that we obtain pressure, but I, but I keep on keeping on. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw aside the sin that so easily entangles and run the book of Hebrews says with perseverance. The race marked out for us on the back.

22:07

Remember Lot's wife. The judgment on lot's wife is a reminder to us. To keep on pushing forward. When the day of the Lord comes. Remember Lot's wife? But this then is only half of the story.

22:27

Because there's a third thought we see here. Been gone. For all of chapter 19, but here he appears again. Abraham. On the scene. But while this is judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and judgment upon Lot's wife. There's a little something different here. This judgments. I submit to you today. Is? Abraham. This was for Abraham to. And witness. To be clear. To be very clear. All of God's works are first and foremost for his good and his glory. God is ultimately for God. And so, yes, the ultimate person that this is for. This is for the Vindication of God's holiness. It's for those things, yes.

23:23

But secondarily to that. And I think the lesson for us, that's important, is this judgment is is for Abraham. Abraham needs to see and learn and understand, and also, I believe in my heart be protected from. The sin that is being judged here.

23:44

This passage shows us two things one of my commentators says. It shows us. That if God is a consuming fire to the wicked. He is also the. Of the righteous. Abraham goes up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. This is important. Abraham wakes up early. And he goes and stands in the same place he just a day before. This is. Abraham pleaded. The Angels went away that night. They get to Sodom. Everything happens over the course of the night. Lot wakes up and it's time to go. And by the time the Dawn cracks, the sun had risen when lot came to Zor, and now fire and brimstone. There's 24 hours.

24:34

It's been for us three weeks because we preach slowly. It's 24 hours real time. And Abraham goes back to the place where he had 24 hours before pleaded with the Lord. Begging for God's mercy? And each time he pleaded God relented. What if we find 50? God says, I won't destroy. What if we find 45? God says, I won't destroy 40, 30, 20, 10 each time. God says, I will not destroy. But God doesn't find tent. He finds a lot. He claims a lot, maybe Lot's wife, but she just received judgment so. But maybe we can count her and his two daughters. We're going to see next week County Lotten. His two daughters is righteous in the city. It's a stretch, but we'll do it. We didn't find 10.

25:27

And so Abraham goes to the same place he has pleaded and has seen God's mercy. And he Witnesses God's justice. Verse 28, and he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward the Atlanta Valley, and he looked and behold the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. He sees the smoke, Sodom, and Gomorrah are destroyed. Abraham sees the smoke rise, and he knows. God's just judgment. Has gone out. It's important for God's people to see God's judgments. Because God's people even need to know and understand, God is just. And so, Abraham, as one who has been called this important part of Abraham's call and all the things going on with the Covenant with Abraham and stuff like this. He is to train his children up in righteousness.

26:22

They are to grow up in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord. In part for Abraham. This is a lesson for him if we rebel against God and his ways. Judgment is sure. The Judgment on Saudible is a lesson. Abraham. It's part of it. And then there's a little more, and this is what we'll talk about on in Grace group this week. It's in your Grace. Verse 29. This is not what we read. So it was that when God destroys the city of the valley, God did what God wanted. That's true. That's not what we read.

27:08

So, it was when God destroyed the cities of the valley. God was issuing forth his judgment upon Sinners. That's true. That's not what we read.

27:18

So, it was Genesis chapter 19, verse 20. When God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered. Abraham.

27:33

In the midst of this judgment. In the midst of God pouring out his wrath, God remembers Abraham. And in what is to me, one of the most beautiful and wonderful and strange. And just as I contemplated in my heart, my heart leaps with joy. Lot is delivered because of God's love for Abraham. God remembered Abraham and sent lot out of the midst of the Overflow, not God remembered lot, and so he saved lot. God remembered Abraham. God cares for. Abraham Abraham is his. And so this whole, like protracted and long story of this judgment on Sodom Gomorrah, is at its heart a lesson for Abraham.

28:24

Truly, this is why for us, I believe. This is why this is in scripture. Here's a thought I had this week as I Was preparing this message. How many? Nations and cities and places and people. Has God judged? That's a loaded question. The real true answer, all of them God judges all mankind. But have there been times when God has destroyed places for their sinfulness, I believe so? God is moving and working in ways we don't really have any idea.

29:05

And so, in the course of history, have there been people that God has struck dead because of their sinfulness? I'm sure there have. Had there been cities and nations and places God has judged and overthrown and destroyed, sure.

29:19

I don't think we should go, and every time any bad thing happens, say, well, that's God's judgment upon sin, but I think we shouldn't go the other way and say, well, God never judges sin. If that makes sense, right? Every hurricane is not God's judgment on sin, every earthquake, and. Storm is not God's judgment on sin in a particular location. However, God does judge. But what stories do we know of all of those we don't? What story do we know Sodom and Gomorrah? Why? Because for Abraham. And then let's catch this. The physical and then spiritual descendants of Abraham.

30:03

That's us. This judgment was to teach us. A great many things about that. And so that we often come to texts like this, and passages like this, and we'd rather not. It's difficult. This judgment was for Abraham.

30:23

Abraham pleaded with God. And God remembers Abraham. He saves law. All for God's glory. Let's pray.