Lot's Lessons

Lot’s Lessons

Genesis 19:1-38 (NLT)

. Intro: Life Lessons, sometimes they are hard aren’t they? I have a Question for you, how many have ever learned a lesson the easy way? It seems all lessons are learned the hard way. I used to think that if I could only get my children to listen to me, to heed my advice, that I could spare them many hardships and pain that come with life. Sadly they insist on learning them themselves. We sometimes do get through though. Here are some of the life lessons that my parents taught me and I tried to teach my children.

. My mother taught me about me about religion:

When I spilled grape juice on the carpet, she instructed, "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet."

.My dad taught me logic with these unforgettable words:

"Because I said so, that’s why."

. My mom taught me foresight:

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."

. My dad taught me irony:

"Keep laughing, and I’ll give you something to cry about."

. My mom taught me about weather:

"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

. My dad taught me about stamina:

"You’ll sit there ’til all that spinach is finished."

. My mom taught me about behavior modification:

"Stop acting like your father!"

. Finally my dad taught me the true meaning of the circle of life:

"I helped bring you into this world, and I can take you out."

. We learn many different lessons from many different people.

. This morning our scripture is going to point out some very valuable lessons about life and especially our spiritual life.

. We can learn many lessons from the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

. We are back in Genesis this morning Chapter 19.

. When we were last in Genesis, we saw that God had reassured Sarah and Abraham that indeed they would have a son, even in their old age. Then God told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah as punishment for their sin and wickedness.

. If you remember, Abraham pleaded with God and finally made a deal with God that if 10 righteous people could be found, the cities would be saved.

. Let me stop right here in the story. Many times we get confused about righteousness. When we read this, we say surely there are 10 good people there in the cities. How can there not be 10 good people down there. We have to remember that righteousness comes from faith in God, not what we do. Basic theology. We use Abraham as a mighty testimony to righteousness through his faith, not through his action. Abraham did many things in his life that would disqualify him as a righteous person if he received his righteousness through his actions.

. Back to our story.

. God made a deal with Abraham that if 10 righteous people were found, believers in God, then the cities would not be destroyed.

. Lets read the first three verses of chapter 19.

1That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.

2“My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”

“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”

3But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate.

. The Angels had left Abraham and went to the city of Sodom. There they found Lot sitting at the gates of the city. We will come back to that in a few minutes .

. Lot saw them and immediately went to talk with them and invite them into his home for the night. They declined but Lot insisted.

. If you go back to the original Hebrew language there is more than just an insistence. They language gives a sense of urgency. Lot knew what would happen to these men if he let them camp out in the city square and he insisted that they come to his house for the night.

. They finally agreed and they went to Lot’s house and he prepared a meal for them.

. The story then gets interesting. After the sun went down and just before bed time, the men of Sodom surrounded Lots house and and told him to bring those new men out so that they could have sex with them. Blatant homosexuality seemed to be one of the problems there in Sodom.