Series Introduction: 

This morning we will continue our sermon series on the life of Abraham. Last week, we continued our journey with Abraham in Genesis 18, where we witnessed a remarkable encounter between him and the Lord. In the scorching heat of the day, Abraham was sitting by the entrance of his tent when three mysterious visitors appeared before him. In this encounter, God reaffirmed His promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would bear a child in their old age. Sarah, who overheard this promise, couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. But God gently reminded her that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Before the Lord departed, He told Abraham that Sodom and Gomorrah would be visited and judged by God's angels. Abraham interceded boldly for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, displaying both his concern for others and his trust in God's justice. 

This morning we will delve into Genesis 19, confronting the complexities of God's judgment and mercy. We will witness the devastating aftermath of a city consumed by wickedness. We will also gain insights into the righteousness of God and the importance of leading righteous, faithful lives in a world often marked by sin and depravity.

Scripture Reading: 

Genesis 19:1-29, ESV: The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square." But he pressed them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it." So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, "Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city." But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city." But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away." And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!" He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 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 toward 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 and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.

Opening Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, we come before You grateful for the opportunity to learn from the life of Abraham and Lot. Open our hearts to receive Your Word and to be transformed by it. As we study the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, help us understand Your righteousness and mercy. May we be challenged to live lives of faith and obedience, trusting in Your promises. In Jesus' name, amen.

Introduction: 

Many of us have known believers who tried to have the best of both worlds. They want to enjoy all the blessings of God while indulging in worldly pleasure and influence. These believers want the crowd to accept them, and they want friendship with the world, even if, deep down, they know that the world's immoral behaviors do not align with their beliefs. At one time or another, we have all struggled with the temptation to live like this. This temptation to have the world and Jesus all at once is nothing new, but the life of Lot stands as a testimony to the dangers that can come from living a life of compromise. 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2, ESV.

God gave Lot every possible advantage to live a fulfilling life in the knowledge of the Lord. Still, his story is a cautionary tale of how believers slowly but surely become consumed by the world's temptations. Abraham took Lot in and raised him up as a part of his journey of faith. However, it seems that Lot was not paying much attention to the testimony and witness of Abraham. He started out on a journey to the promised land with Abraham, but along the way, he became drawn to the bright lights and opportunities of Sodom. When Abraham gave him the first pick of land, he selfishly chose to settle in the fertile land near Sodom. Lot was later rescued from enslavement, but instead of returning with Abraham, he chose to go back to Sodom.

Scripture paints a vivid picture of Lot's gradual descent: he first lifted his eyes to gaze upon Sodom and the rich, fertile valley where it stood. Then he pitched his tent towards the city and eventually moved right in. Bit by bit, he became more and more attached to the city until he was fully immersed in its ungodly way of life. 

Compromise With Worldliness 

Our passage begins this morning with an account that sounds familiar if you were able to join us for our message last week: 

"The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, 'My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.; They said, 'No; we will spend the night in the town square.' But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate." - Genesis 19:1-3, ESV

Heavenly visitors visited both Abraham and Lot, and both Abraham and Lot offered to take the visitors in, wash their feet, and to provide a meal for them. What distinguished Lot and Abraham was where God's messengers found them. Where Abraham was dwelling in the land that God had given him, Lot was found residing in the wicked city of Sodom. While we are called in scripture to be a light in the darkness, we are also warned that bad company has a way of corrupting good character. 

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” - Psalm 1:1, ESV

Jesus himself told his disciples that they should not expect friendship from the world. He warned them that if they lived faithful lives, obedient to his commandments, the world would mistreat them just as it first mistreated him. 

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. - John 15:9, ESV

Sadly Lot appears not to have been a shining beacon of righteousness but more like what Jesus would compare to "a lamp hidden under the bushel basket" (Matthew 5:15, ESV). In today's world, he would be like the Christians who never want to draw attention to themselves or the God they believe in. They are content to blend in with the world around them rather than stand out for the gospel's sake. 

I fully believe that Lot was a believer. The fact that Lot had backslidden into compromised and sinful living did not invalidate his faith. Even the most righteous among us can stumble and fall if we compromise our values and entangle ourselves with the world. The apostle Peter tells us that Lot was bothered by the wickedness he saw in Sodom: 

"for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard" - 2 Peter 2:8, ESV

The problem was that Lot did nothing about it. Many Christians today fall into the same pattern. They are bothered by the sinfulness around them, but they say nothing. They may feel deep guilt about the sin they see in their own life, but they don't take steps to change. They may even see the world's corrupting influence taking hold of their family, but they feel like there is nothing they can do about it. Why do we feel and think this way?

If we are honest with ourselves, this comes from fear. There is a fear that we will be judged, mistreated, misunderstood, or hated if we speak up, if we act, if we fight against the corrupting influences of the world. Make no mistake, those things will happen to you if you take a stand, but the alternative is surrender to the enemy, and the only person Christians surrender to is Christ! We need to be bold like the Psalmist who declared:

"I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me." - Psalm 101:3, ESV.

Depravity and Immorality

Lot had been wise to insist that his angelic visitors get off the streets and into his home as soon as possible. The streets of Sodom were not safe, especially at night. Sadly, we read Lot was not fast enough. Some people had noticed Lot's visitors and gathered a mob of both young and old to surround Lot's house. They wanted to have their way with Lot's guests, harm them, and use them for their twisted pleasures. 

Lot at first does the right thing. 

"Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, 'I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.'" - Genesis 19:6-7, ESV. 

Lot places himself between the crowd and his guests, risking his own life and safety to protect his angelic visitors. However, in the next breath, Lot attempts something incredibly wicked. 

"Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof." - Genesis 19:8, ESV.

In the ancient pagan world, it was sadly not unheard of for fathers to sell their children. We know from Biblical accounts and from modern archaeology that child sacrifice was a pagan practice in that day. This was also something that horrified the heart of God. Any such practice was strictly forbidden among God's people, and anyone who engaged in something like this was risking the wrath of God. 

How could a man once called righteous fall to such depths of selfishness and compromise? Backsliding into sin, compromising with the world, and refusing to take a stand for righteousness will lead you to places you never thought you'd ever find yourself. 

"Sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay." - Greg Laurie 

Praise God that the mob was not interested in Lot's perverted bargain. Notice the words that the mob speaks to Lot in response:

"But they said, 'Stand back!' And they said, 'This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.' Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down." - Genesis 19:9, ESV. 

The Sodomites essentially were saying, "Get out of our way! You can't judge us! We will make your life miserable if you try to stop us!" Does this sound familiar to anyone? It is the same thing that the world has been shouting at faithful followers of God from the beginning. If you try to stop people from sinning, they will demand that you get out of their way. If you warn them about sin, they will tell you to stop being so judgmental. If you hold your ground, they will do what they will punish you for making it harder for them to do what their sinful hearts desire. 

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." - 1 Peter 4:12-14, ESV

Lot's Powerless Testimony

To Lot's relief, the angelic visitors pulled him back safely into his home and struck the mob at the door with blindness. The visitors then told Lot what was about to take place. 

"Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it." - Genesis 19:12-13, ESV. 

As the city of Sodom faced imminent destruction due to its wickedness, the angels warned Lot to save his family. He heeded the warning and earnestly tried to alert his loved ones to the impending judgment. However, as we read in verse 14, his family ridiculed and mocked Lot's warnings. His message of judgment fell on deaf ears, and his testimony had lost its power.

We are called to be a light to our families and the world around us, but Lot's life has become entangled in the ways of the world for far too long. Lot had kept his faith a silent and private matter, and now when it really mattered no one took him seriously. Maybe the reason we do not share our faith with others more often is because if we did they would be shocked. One of the saddest things a Christan could ever hear is "I didn't know you were a Christian?" 

In order to fit in with the world, Lot had inadvertently sacrificed his ability to point his family, especially his children, toward God. Let us not repeat the mistakes of Lot. As parents and guardians, we have a solemn responsibility to lead our children to Christ and teach them the ways of the Lord. The scriptures tell us to diligently teach God's commandments to our children:

"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." - Deuteronomy 6:7, ESV.

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4, ESV.

May we never become complacent in our walk with God, but instead, let us shine brightly as beacons of light in our families and communities. By leading our children to Christ and teaching them His ways, we can sow seeds of faith that will bear fruit for generations to come. 

Judgment

Lot cannot convince his extended family about the dangers that are coming. The angels tell him to stop trying to convince them, to take his wife and daughters and flee lest they all perish in the judgment. Still, in verse 16, we read that Lot lingered despite the clear and dire warning. The thought of leaving behind his home, business, and possessions made it incredibly difficult for him to obey God's command. One could hardly blame God if He decided to abandon Lot to his fate, yet God intervened in His mercy. We read that the angels firmly grasped Lot's hands, along with those of his wife and daughters, leading them away from the doomed city.

"Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground." - Genesis 19:24-25, ESV. 

Lot's trust in the world led to the loss of his world. Amid the fiery hail and brimstone that poured down on the wicked cities, we are reminded of the impending judgment that awaits those who rebel against God. Those who choose to embrace immorality, lawlessness, and rebellion are standing against the Lord just as people did in the days of Lot. The scriptures tell us that those who don't know God and refuse to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ will feel the full force of His righteous vengeance.

"This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." - 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8, ESV

We ought to be grateful for the Lord's patience and mercy because every day is another chance for people to repent and receive the good news:  

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9, ESV.

However, we should not presume upon the Lord's patience. We need to be aware of the impending judgment and the fate of those who are wicked and refuse to repent: 

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." - 2 Peter 3:10, ESV.

Lot and his wife were fleeing the destruction of Sodom, but while Lot found safety, his wife was still longing for the world she had left behind. She hesitated and looked back, yearning for the familiar comforts of her previous life - the bright lights, social scene, and all her possessions. Unfortunately, her heart's desire led to a tragic end, as the judgment of God swiftly fell upon her, turning her into a pillar of salt. We must never allow our hearts to linger in the allurements of this world. Instead, we should follow God wholeheartedly and forsake the temporary sinful pleasures of this world for the eternal blessings of His presence. 

Prayer and Salvation:

As we bring this account to a close, I want to draw our attention to verses 27-29: 

"And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. And he looked down toward 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 and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived." - Genesis 19:29, ESV. 

When Abraham rose early to survey the aftermath of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction, he was overcome with sorrow. He had prayed that Sodom might be spared and had been told by the Lord that he would not destroy Sodom if even ten righteous men were found. Now, as dense smoke filled the sky, Abraham knew that not even ten righteous men were found in all the land. 

Remarkably, verse 29 tells us that Lot's deliverance was not a consequence of his own righteousness or devotion to God. He had lived a worldly, carnal life, focusing on the pleasures, wealth, and honors of this world. There was little to applaud in Lot's walk with God, yet he was saved for one reason: Abraham's prayer. 

"The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." - James 5:16, ESV.

In this world of moral decay, let us pray fervently for those around us. Like Abraham, may we intercede for the lost, the backslidden, and those entangled in the world's snares. Let us be the salt and light that preserves and guides others toward the path of righteousness. Our prayers have immense power as agents of God's mercy and intervention, especially in dark times like these. Your prayers have the power to save, deliver, and transform lives. Maybe one day we will learn that our prayers were the instrument that lifted many out of judgment and into salvation. 

Closing Prayer:

Gracious Heavenly Father, as we conclude this sermon, we are reminded of the depths of Your mercy and the gravity of Your justice. Your Word has shown us that sin is a devastating force, corrupting societies and individuals alike. We confess that we, too, are prone to wander and fall short of Your glory. But we are comforted by the good news of the gospel, knowing that in Your great love for humanity, You sent Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Through His death and resurrection, we find forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration.

Thank You, Jesus, for bearing the weight of our sins on the cross. Your sacrifice is beyond comprehension, and we marvel at the depth of Your love. As we meditate on the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, we are reminded of the urgency of sharing the gospel with a lost and broken world. Your grace is available to all who would turn to You in faith, and so we pray for hearts that are moved with compassion for the lost and a desire to spread the good news to the ends of the earth.

Help us, Lord, to be fervent intercessors like Abraham was for his nephew Lot. Teach us to pray boldly and persistently for the salvation and deliverance of those trapped in sin and darkness. May we never underestimate the power of prayer to change hearts and alter the course of history.

As we leave this place today, may the truth of Your Word transform our lives, making us more like Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds. May we be lights in the darkness, proclaiming Your truth and love to a world desperately in need of both.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.