Brief overview of Abraham and Lot’s Life together—the reason that Lot chose the plains of Jordan and the cities-large assets and fighting between the Lot’s employees and Abraham’s employees.
Read Genesis 19:1-26
The Affects of Worldly Affairs
Introduction: What do I mean when I talk about worldly affairs? The term “world” has a 3-fold meaning in scripture.
First-The round world or the earth that God created
Second-The inhabitants of the World-John 3:16
Third-Worldly affairs or this Worldly Society and Environment, which stir our desires and seduce us from God, so that they are obstacles to the cause of Christ
I would like for us use the story of Lot and of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to understand that there are 4 areas of a person’s character that are negatively affected by our environment (society). Many people might say that the people they choose to hang around with and the places that they frequent do not have an impact on their character. I through looking at the story of Lot and out of personal experience believe that that statement is erroneous- it is false. The people we choose to be our friends, partners and spouses and the places that we choose to live, play, worship and earn a living do affect our lives and our character-either for the better or for the worse.
So now let’s look at the first area of Lot’s character that was affected by his environment.
We can see that Lot’s Contentment and Peace of Mind was Affected by his Society and Environment by
I. Contentment
A. His Pleading with the Angels v.2
a. He had a knowledge of right and wrong-He was partially raised by Abraham a friend of God
b. Fear of Being Revealed v.3-Come in the house-Fear of being found out will affect your Contentment and your Peace of Mind
B. Firmness with his Neighbors v. 4-7
a. Ashamed of being associated with the people v.6
b. Ashamed of the sin and wickedness of the people v.7
He was fine as long as he was prospering and the people where buying his products and helping him live a wealthy lifestyle. But Lot was living a lie. Deep down he knew right from wrong and when you try to go along with this world for pure pleasure of the flesh or financial benefit you will never have true peace and contentment in your life.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 but godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Jesus said that you cannot serve God and Mammon or Material Wealth—
Not only was Lot’s Contentment and Peace of Mind Affected by his Society and Environment but if we look deeper we realize that his environment had affected his
II. Morals
A. Living there Deliberately—That environment will not affect me
A. He reasoned with Himself-He was a selfish man
B. We will have water for our flock
C. People to buy our products
D. I will be able to better provide for my families-but yet his family was negatively affected by what he thought would be helpful
B. Giving his daughter freely v.8
a. Chose lesser of two evils
b. Tried to justify his actions-I know that the culture of Lot’s day was a bit different than it is today but this shows how Morally bankrupt lot was
c. Romans 12:1-2
We see that Lot’s Contentment and Morals were affected by the Society and Environment he had chosen to live in but it also affected his
III. Witness
A. His neighbors not listening v.9
a. Not worthy to be a judge-Why condemn us now you sat here and was in a leadership position and you have said nothing up to this point.
b. Was not Respected-He lost his testimony-His integrity—Your integrity is the only thing in this world that you have total control of—Why waste it!
B. Future sons-in-laws laughing v.14
a. Was not an example
b. Was not a good influence-You crazy old man what a hypocrite-Youth can find hypocrisy faster than any people I have ever seen
C. Christ said to go into all the world and preach the gospel but how can we go and give this liberating gospel to the world if we ourselves are part of the world
D. 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 (KJV)
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Lot’s Contentment, Morals and Witness were affected by the his environment he had chosen to live in but lastly we need to note that your environment will affect your
IV. Relationships
A. Relationship with your family
a. Sons in law laughing
b. Wife being turned into salt
c. His daughters having an incestual relationship with him.
B. Relationship with God
a. Disobedience to God
i. He lingered in Sodom v.15-16—With destruction assured he still wanted to stay
ii. Stayed in Zoar v. 17-22
1. Doubted God would provide and take care of him
2. He compromised with the angels
a. Lot thought the world was his security
b. He was unwilling to accept the simple precept that God knows best and He will provide
c. We today have the promise that
Psalms 37:25 (KJV)
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
b. Absence of God—Where was God – He was with Abraham – although he saved a believer or righteous man he cannot go into his house and be comfortable and have a relationship with him-God did not fill comfortable in Lot’s house
James 4:4 (KJV)
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Conclusion:
Sometimes God puts us in places where society and our environment are not focused on the things of God. We have the example of God putting Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon and Esther in Persia—and God used all 3 of them in spectacular ways because they kept their heart focused on what God wanted them to accomplish.
Lot chose Sodom and it engulfed his heart-His heart was in Sodom long before his body arrived. If we get our focus off of God and we do not put him first in our lives then trust me we will end up just as Lot—a broken down believer with no contentment, no moral compass, no integrity and witness and most of all no meaningful relationship with God.
Let us not forget that Christ came and died for sinners and that God rescued lot even though he was spiritually bankrupt—He is willing and able to do the same for us today.
Lastly let me paraphrase some verses in 2 Peter 2;
If God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly and if he rescued Lot a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men. Then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment.
Do you need to be rescued today? He is able.
