Title : Lot
Theme:
Text: Genesis 19
A few chapters back we read of the parting of Lot and Abraham. It seems that there two live stock had gotten so big that there was no way they could dwell in the same land. There was just not enough grazing land for the both of them. They had to part ways. Abraham being the head of the tribe and the eldest of them all had to make the decision. He had a right to chose any part of the land he desired. But with the heart of God he allows Lot to chose. Telling them that if he chose to go to the right he would go to the left and if Lot chose to go to the left he would go to the right.
Lot reminds me of a person who is a just man but who lives on the edge. Lot was a tolerant person. He looked past the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah and it almost cost him his life. But it did cost him his family and all of his possessions.
I. This is the first mistake Lot made. He saw with his spiritual eyes.
The Bible tells us that Lot, “chose the plain of Jordan, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Lot walked by sight and not by faith. When you walk by sight and not bay faith you will always be influenced by appearance. If it looks good you will do it. But we learn that even if it looks good it doesn’t mean that it is always good.
If you are going to make a decision you need to make sure you are using your spiritual senses. You need maker sure you hear the voice of the Lord with your spiritual ears. You need to make sure you feel the warmth of his spirit giving approval and energy with your spiritual touch. You need to make sure you can smell the spirit of the Lord all around you. Most of all you need to looking not with the physical eyes but with the spiritual eyes.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Now don’t get me wrong Abraham was also looking toward a city but the city he was looking toward “a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:10. Are you looking for that city?
If we follow our sight then we will be pitching our tents toward Sodom and walking by sight as we will see will always lead to destruction.
The next we read of Lot is he is in this city. He pitched his tent toward the city probably with no intention of going inside but soon we find him there. If you stay around sin long enough you will be enticed to get in. If you keep allowing yourself to be in the places that you know will tempt you, you will give in.
II. Second mistake: He found more comfort in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than in
Abraham
Then we pick up in chapter 19 and Lot is at the gate. Lot found companionship and partnership in Sodom. Surely it may have only been for business reasons. He only wanted to make some money. But if you stay around ungodly long enough they will influence you.
Lot’s first mistake was when he left from the godly influence of Abraham. If you want to be godly you have to find people who are godly and stay around them.
III. Lot’s warning
But thank the Lord we might back away from the Lord but he will never leave us. For just as God told Abraham of his plans he sent two angels to tell Lot. The city would be destroyed but Lot could be saved.
God was coming to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and all its wickedness but thanks be to God there is still salvation. God would not be God if he did not bring judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah. The thing is Jesus tells us that it is even worse today than as was in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, and as some say, “If God don’t judge America for its sin and wickedness then he would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” For people who look at destruction and sickness and use it as a excuse not to believe or to hate God don’t understand God. He always offers a way of salvation.
Yet the wicked must be judged and destroyed and the wicked things.
IV. Third Mistake: A lost testimony
One of the saddest parts of this story is when we read of the testimony of Lot. He is sent to get his son-n-laws. They must come also. Yet the Bible says they, “mocked him”.
It seems that Lot was in the city. He worked in the city and in his heart he served the Lord but he kept it to himself.
I do believe that Lot was a just man. The Bible tells us this in
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:7-8 AV)
In his heart there was a hatred for sin. I believe that the people could see that he was different. He was honest. His word was his word. But he never told anybody why. It is important to live our lives before men but we must also tell them why we are so different. We are to let them know whom our God is.
V. Lot’s deliverance
Lot was saddened. All he had gained. His family. His possessions would be lost. All for naught. All in vain. He could have used some of the wisdom of Solomon who once he looked over his kingdom and saw all that he had accomplished proclaimed “all is in vain”
The angels took him, his wife, and his two daughters and led them out of the city.
VI. Lot’s wife
They were led out of the city and given two instructions 1) don’t look back 2) escape away from the city.
Sadly enough Lot’s wife looked back. Maybe it was that she missed her friends. Maybe she missed all they had gotten. But she looked back. She disobeyed the Lord and she was turned to a pillar of salt. Gen. 19:26
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back (staring to the past), is fit for the kingdom of God.
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
You can’t do much for the kingdom of God if you are looking back and not forward. This includes missing the life of the past. Some people’s testimony that I hear you would think they almost missed the past.
The other thing is forgiving yourself for past sins. If God has forgiven you then you are forgiven. These are now lost from his mind.
There is just so much we can learn from Lot. 1) you can’t serve God and manna one will eventually win out. Money, power, prestige will lead to destruction. 2) We must learn to be with those who are godly. 3) we must learn to look through our spiritual eyes 3) we must never look back.
