A Saved Soul - A Wasted Life

PP0917 DATE

"A SAVED SOUL, BUT A WASTED LIFE"

2 Pet 2:4-8.

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; (What does God call those of Sodom? He calls them “ungodly”. Thus, that term is used to define that lifestyle.

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: What is this? It is the conduct – the conversation of the wicked or the sodomites. American culture has accepted this. We have accepted the conduct of the wicked.

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (KJV) His soul was vexed but he did nothing to correct the situation.

Notice in Vs 8….” vexed his righteous soul from day to day….” Day by day the vexation will decrease and finally that which vexed him will appear to be a normal thing.

INTRODUCTION: Every person will live their earthly life for some cause – some for God – some for self – some for the devil. No one can live all three at the same time. There is but a fine line between living for self and living for the devil. A life is a precious commodity to waste.

Lot was not mentioned in the hall of fame chapter, Hebrews 11. The only real thing we know about Lot is that he was a very weak Christian. There is really nothing good said about Lot.

Let’s Look at Lot and see how he lived his life. Lot is a perfect example of a man who had no spiritual energy or desire to change the society he was part of. He was willing to live and let live. Jude 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: (KJV) Every generation must do all that is possible in making a difference. Most people that go to hell do so because there was not enough spiritual compassion to make a difference in their generation. Lot was this sort of person. America today, is a perfect example of what happens when we take the attitude of Lot. Sin takes over.

When We Look At Lot We See Him As:

A. A Carnal Person. Gen 13:10-13.

1. Carnal in his choices. Vs. 10.

Ge 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. His decision was made on what he saw. He did not seek what God would have wanted. When a person chooses to please self or chooses to please the eyes he is making a choice that will, at the least, be very limited, if not totally destructive.

2. Carnal in his convictions. Vs. 11.

11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. Where did God tell Abraham to go? To Canaan. When he got there he stayed there. Lot wasn’t that obedient.

13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. (KJV)

Early on in Lot’s experience with Sodom he saw its wickedness and had the opportunity to reject it and get his family out of there.

B. A Captured Prisoner. Gen 14:12-14 His carnality got him in great trouble. May we, here today, learn from Lot’s mistakes.

Ge 14:12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. First, he looked in the direction of Sodom, then he pitched his tent toward Sodom so he could see what was happening in there, then he moved into Sodom. When you look long enough and you are interested in what you see, you will eventually become part of what you saw.

Notice that between chapter 13 and chapter 14 Lot was taken prisoner. When he went to Sodom he was captured. After he left Abraham he got into trouble. Everything in Sodom should have been avoided by Lot. A child of God should never accept any of the Sodom lifestyle. It will bring doom to any and all that accept it. God burns it up. All of Lot’s problems came to him because he was in Sodom.