What Will It Take?
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· 28 viewsWhat is it going to take to get us to turn from our lingering sin and turn completely to God?
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Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
Tonight if you would like to follow along in your Bibles we will be looking at Genesis 19.
Specifically, we will be taking a look at verses 15-26.
And, we are picking up toward the end of a very familiar account of God's judgment on unrighteousness and sin that is recorded in the Bible.
Specifically in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah.
We don’t talk about it much but this is also an account of God's mercy and His grace on Lot and his family.
And just to back up and give some history, Lot had come to Sodom after he and Abram, or Abraham as we know him, his uncle, over a land dispute.
And quarreling arose between Abram’s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
So, Abram gives Lot the choice to choose which way he wants to take his herds and flocks.
Lot chooses the valley of Sodom.
Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.
And the reason Lot, chose this land because to him it was more beneficial and he could have the "good life" in the plain, rather than in the mountain region.
Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
So, Lot goes his way and settles in the valley near the city of Sodom, but at this time Lot hasn't fully embraced the city.
He is getting closer, but still is outside of Sodom.
A little while later, while Lot and his family are still dwelling in the valley outside the city, Sodom and the cities surrounding Sodom are overthrown and Lot, his family, and all his livelihood are taken prisoner.
This in turn prompts Abram to launch a rescue mission in which Lot, his family, servants, and all his goods are returned to him.
However, this close call, apparently doesn't get Lots attention because the next time we find him, he is not only living in Sodom, as opposed to outside, but we find him at the city gate.
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
And being at the city gate meant that Lot had attained some level of authority in the city.
Those that sat at the gate were the city leaders and that is where all the city business took place.
This is where the people of the city would come for advice and to do business.
Now, we are coming up to the judgement on Sodom and Gommorah.
Two “men”—actually angels, visit the town.
And the two angels find Lot there at the city gate and he apparently recognized them as more than just men, because he bowed before them, "with his face toward the ground."
And we know how the account goes, Lot talks them into coming home with him for the night, cooks them dinner, and as they are ready to turn in for the night, the men of the community come to Lots wanting him to bring the men out so they can have sex with them.
Instead though, Lot goes out and offers the men his two daughters instead, which further enrages the crowd.
The angels pull Lot back into the house and strike the men outside with blindness.
They then tell Lot about the impending destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah and gives him an opportunity to warn his family, resulting in only him, his wife, and two daughters heeding the warning.
Which is where our passage picks up this morning.
So, Genesis 19, starting in verse 15 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.) By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Lingering in Sin
Lingering in Sin
Now, there was a lot that took place in what I just read, so what I’d like to do is break it down just a bit.
So, again starting in verse 15 . . .
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.
So, the sun rises and the angels, it says urged Lot, telling him to gather his wife and daughters and leave before they are consumed by the punishment of the city!
That little word "punishment” means a lot.
Not only would they be consumed by the upcoming judgment and destruction of the city, but if they stayed any longer THEY TOO WOULD BE SWEPT UP IN THE SIN THAT SURROUNDED THEM.
That’s the part I want to focus on for just a minute, being “swept up in the sin that surrounded them.”
Throughout Lot's life after he and Abram parted ways, we see a downward spiral of things.
First he chooses the valley next to the evil city, choosing the easy way and the "good life," thinking he could co-exist with it.
IT WOULD BE LIKE AN ALCOHOLIC THINKING THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO STAY SOBER LIVING NEXT DOOR TO A LIQUOR STORE.
Lot's convinced himself that he will not be influenced by the city.
He will reap all of the benefits of it, but not be soiled by it's sin.
However, Proverbs reminds us that . . .
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
What happens is Sodom begins to wear off onto Lot and his family.
He becomes too comfortable with his surroundings and the next time we see him, he has a house in the city and is now a city official.
SO IF WE ARE USING OUR ALCOHOLIC ANALOGY, NOT ONLY DID HE MOVE INTO THE LIQUOR STORE, BUT HE IS ALSO WORKING BEHIND THE COUNTER.
How many of us are like that?
We started out on the edge of sin, co-mingling with the world.
We are not engaged in the sin, but we also are not taking a stand against sin.
We are happily "co-existing."
Or maybe we've moved past that and the world has crept in and is ingrained in our everyday life.
We are no longer a separate and holy people as God calls us to be, but our decisions are influenced by what the world will think rather than what God thinks.
This is what Lot had done and why he lingered around not wanting to leave.
Lot lingered because he did not want to give up the easy life.
He did not want to separate from the world.
Lot had been putting his faith and trust in himself, and did not want to give up control and put his faith and trust in God.
So, he lingered.
So much that the angels of God had to grab him, his wife, and two daughters by the hand and basically pull them out of the city!
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH TODAY JUST LIKE THAT.
THEY ARE SO ATTACHED TO THE WORLD AND THE THINGS IN IT GOD IS LITERALLY TRYING TO DRAG YOU OUT OF HELL.
How so?
By exposing you to message after message warning you of the consequences of not changing your ways.
By allowing you to endure the full consequences of your sins and actions in an attempt to get your attention.
By bringing Godly witnesses and reminders into your life every day to remind you of your condition and what you need to do about it.
We’ve read it many times . . .
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God is willing to do whatever it takes, but . . .
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
Still Looking Back
Still Looking Back
And that is what is getting ready to happen here in Sodom.
Judgement is coming and it is coming quickly!
As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
So, God is warning them to give up Sodom, to run for their life, run toward the salvation of God, found in the mountains.
However, Lot still wanted to compromise.
He still wants to call the shots here . . .
But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”
Even though God was offering the way to salvation, Lot still didn't want to do it God's way.
Lot wanted to make a deal with God.
He still wanted to live in the comfort of town instead of the harsh life of the mountains.
He wanted the easy way out.
He wanted to operate in GOD'S PERMISSIVE WILL and not GOD’S PERFECT WILL.
Like many of us, He was saying ,"Lord I'll follow you" BUT _______ (Fill in the blank).
The Lord granted Lot's request, but it came at a cost. He allowed Lot to escape to Zoar, and held off destruction until he got there.
He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.) By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.
However, we know what happened next.
Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.
The Cost of Compromise
The Cost of Compromise
But that wasn’t the end of it all.
There was one more thing that happened . ..
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
She couldn't let go of Sodom.
Couldn't let go of the world.
And it cost her, her life.
Not only did it cost Lot's wife her life and cost Lot his spouse, it also cost Lot a great price.
We know that Lot was saved but look at the price he paid for sin . . .
Because of Lot’s stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to God, it cost him:
His wife
His home
Ultimately his good life. He moved from Zoar to a cave in the mountains
Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.
Lot was afraid because he knew that Zoar wasn't God's will so out of fear he moved to a cave.
Le left his fortune and all his belongings (He was living in cave).
His dignity. (He had incestuous relationships with his daughters)
This resulted in the birth of Moab and Benammi (the founders of the Moabites and Ammonites), future mortal enemies of Israel.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
All because Lot continuously refused to listen to God, it cost him dearly.
It took all of this to get Lot's attention and convince him to follow God.
What is it going to take for us today?
God is continuously trying to get our attention.
He is trying to tell us that the world is not our friend.
The world is not going to get us to heaven.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
What is it going to take to get us to understand this?
Let’s pray . . .