Abraham Father of Faith - 7

1. Abraham Father of Faith - 7 God Overthrows Sodom and Gomorrah

2. Lot Welcomes Two Angels Genesis 19:1-5 MKJVAnd there came two angels to Sodom at evening. And Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot rose up to meet them when he saw them. And he bowed himself with his face toward the ground, (2) and said, Behold now, my lords, please turn into your servant's house and stay all night, and wash your feet, and you shall rise up early and go your way. And they said, No, but we will stay in the street. (3) But he urgently pressed on them, and they turned in to him and entered into his house. And he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. (4) But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. (5) And they called to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men which came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.

3. Different Perceptions • The angels arrive in human form • Lot sees them as divine dignitaries, treats them with respect and invites them home • The people of Sodom see them as human strangers, and as sex objects simply to be gang-raped • Righteous people show love and respect and serve and care for others • Wicked people are “users” and see other people as objects, and think in terms of satisfying their own lusts and ambitions.

4. Wicked Sodom Genesis 19:6-11And Lot went out to the door to them, and shut the door after him. (7) And he said, I pray you, brothers, do not act evilly. (8) Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man. I pray you, let me bring them out to you, and you do to them as you see fit. But do nothing to these men, for this is why they came under the shadow of my roof. (9) And they said, Stand back! And they said, This one came in to stay, and must he judge always? Now we will deal worse with you than with them. And they pressed hard upon the man, Lot, and came near to breaking the door. (10) But the men put out their hands and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. (11) And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

5. The Immoral End Of A Society • Societies can reach a point of no return where they are: • Violent – mob mentality • Predatory – devouring other people • Immoral – group sex, gang rape… • Unnatural – homosexual lust for strangers • Persistent in sin – wearied trying to find the door • Entirely corrupted - “young and old from every quarter of the city”

6. Ineffective Lot • Appeals to conscience “do not act evilly” • Attempts to negotiates a compromise: “I have two daughters” • Ends up in grave danger • Lot fails to realize the irrationality of evil • Fails to enact proper boundaries • Is easily intimidated and manipulated • Lot is weak, compromised and ineffectual • Cowardice is the sin that leads to all other sins – once sufficient pressure is applied

7. The Angels Rescue Lot Genesis 19:12-16 MKJVAnd the men said to Lot, Have you anyone here besides yourself? Bring your sons-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatever you have in the city, bring them out of this place. (13) For we will destroy this place because great is the cry of them before the face of Jehovah. And Jehovah has sent us to destroy it. (14) And Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Get up and get out of this place, for Jehovah will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked to his sons-in-law. (15) And when the dawn rose up, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, Rise up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city. (16) And he lingered, the angel laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters (Jehovah being merciful to him), and they brought him forth and set him outside the city.

8. God Warns But We Must Believe • The angels reveal the fate of the city • Lot being weak dithers about • His sons-in-law think he is crazy • The angels have to drag them out of the house • God warns but we must believe • God protects us but we must cooperate with His protection

9. Some Warning Signs Today • Moral degeneracy • No moral absolutes • Gang violence • Powerful controlling social systems • Selfishness normalized - “the love of many will grow cold” • Predatory conscience-less commercialism • Widespread disparagement of Christianity • Weak Christian leaders in some denominations

10. Zoar Genesis 19:17-22And it happened when they brought him outside, He said, Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stay in all the plain. Escape to the mountain lest you be consumed. (18) And Lot said to them, Oh no, Lord, (19) please now, Your servant has found grace in Your sight, and You have magnified Your mercy, which You have shown to me in saving my life. And I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die. (20) Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. (21) And He said to him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. (22) Hurry and escape there! For I cannot do anything till you have come there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

11. More Cowardice… • Lot finally leaves • Lot does not go to Abraham or to the mountain - but to a small nearby city • Lot simply cannot live without “city life” • Lot cannot take the strenuous risky but better path of fleeing to the mountain • Was Lot avoiding encountering Abraham?

12. God Destroys The Cities Genesis 19:23-26The sun had risen upon the earth, and Lot entered into Zoar. (24) Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from Jehovah out of the heavens. (25) And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. (26) But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

13. Lot’s Wife • Lot’s sons-in-law were killed in Sodom • His wife gets turned into a pillar of salt • Looked back – delayed fleeing, still attracted to the physical comforts of Sodom

14. Abraham Views The Scene Genesis 19:27-29 MKJVAnd Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before Jehovah. (28) And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the lands of the plain, and saw, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. (29) And when God destroyed the cities of the plain, it happened that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

15. Fire & Brimstone • Fire and brimstone rain down from Heaven, in the judgment of God • This is a “type” or miniature example of the end times • Jude 1:7 MKJVas Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, committing fornication, and going away after other flesh, laid down an example before-times, undergoing vengeance of everlasting fire.

16. Lot’s Daughters Genesis 19:31-36 MKJVAnd the first-born said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth. (32) Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, so that we may preserve seed of our father. (33) And they made their father drink wine that night. And the first-born went in, and lay with her father. And he did not notice when she lay down nor when she arose. (34) And it happened on the next day, the first-born said to the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine this night also, and you go in and lie down with him so that we may preserve seed of our father. (35) And they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him. And he did not notice when she lay down nor when she arose. (36) So both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.

17. Wrong Values • Lot may have got his daughters out of Sodom – but he did not get Sodom out of his daughters! • Expediency, sexual immorality and manipulation were still part of their outlook. • Values stay stuck in our minds and hearts • We need to be very careful about the environment we expose ourselves and our families to!

18. Dereliction • Sin gives birth to trouble - that long outlives any short-term benefit gained from the sin • Lot went to Sodom a wealthy young man – but many years later ended up living in a cave and committing incest. • Lot did not create good boundaries in his life which eventually led to his ruin • Having good values is one thing, living them out courageously and consistently is another.

19. Come Out From Among Them! 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 MKJV(14) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what partnership does light have with darkness? (15) And what agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? (16) And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (17) Therefore come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing. And I will receive you (18) and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.