A Modern Lesson From the Ancient World
Text: Gen. 19:1-29
Introduction
1. Illustration: Billy Graham once said, "If God doesn't judge America He'll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."
2. Another godly man, who recently passed away, Chuck Colson said, "The ship is sinking. We’re not going to have any society left if we don’t protect the marriage bond. And the homosexual movement is trying to unravel it. You’ve got to stop it. We have got to talk about this lovingly, openly and honestly. I think this is the #1 domestic issue facing America today, and I don’t see how any self-respecting preacher can ignore it."
3. This is an issue that is dividing not only society, but also the church. However, we cannot ignore what the Bible says about homosexuality. It plainly says that homosexuality is a sin and perversion of God's order and plan for the human race.
4. In the narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah we learn that...
a. God makes the rules; not society.
b. We must stand for the truth regardless of the costs.
c. We must not compromise.
5. Let's all stand as we read together Gen. 19:1-29
Proposition: Homosexuality is not an alternative; it is a sin!
Transition: First, we must understand...
I. God Makes the Rules; Not Society (1-11)
A. Don't Do Such a Wicked Thing
1. Our story begins after Abraham's intercession that the righteous of Sodom be spared God's wrath.
2. The text begins by telling us, "That 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.”
a. The entrance of the city was the meeting place for city officials and other men to discuss current events and transact business.
b. It was a place of authority and status where a person could see and be seen.
c. Evidently Lot held an important position in the government or associated with those who did because the angels found him at the city's entrance (Life Application Study Bible).
d. Even though lot was living in a wicked city he still demonstrated the same kind of hospitality that his uncle Abram had displayed.
e. He bows to the strangers as a sign of respect then invites them to come to his home so he can wash their feet and make them something to eat (Horton, 155).
3. After Lot convinced the visitor's to spend the night with him trouble soon began. In verse 4 we read, "But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
a. That all the men were involved in this demand is emphatic and shows that Abraham's hope that there would be 19 righteous men simply was not true.
b. It shows that homosexuality was not considered a sin in Sodom. Their consciences were seared as with a hot iron (Horton, 155).
c. There are some that have suggested that the sin here is not homosexuality but rape.
d. However, the verb for sexual aggression is nowhere in this text. The issue is not one of sexual aggression, but of men wanting to have sexual relations with other men (Hamilton, 35).
e. The men wanted Lot to surrender these visitors to their evil lusts.
4. Lot tried to protect his guests against the evil desires of his neighbors. He tells them, “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”
a. He calls the men of Sodom "my brothers" and begs them not to do this wicked thing.
b. He felt responsible for his guests safety, which was a common belief held by tent dwellers, and in fact, is something still practice by tent dwellers to this day (Horton, 157).
c. He offers to substitute his two virgin daughters in place of his guests.
d. This may seem like a calloused thing for Lot to do, and it is hard to say why he makes this offer.
e. Perhaps he is hoping the mere shock would deter them, or perhaps he is trying to point out how evil what they are planning really is in God's eyes (Horton, 157).
f. However, this does not excuse Lot's hypocrisy. While it may have been a "less" evil alternative, it was still sin.
g. It doesn't matter if it is homosexuality or fornication; sin is sin! While he had some righteous standards he was willing to compromise and this will never do no matter what the situation (Ross, 360).
5. Things then began to get out of control when Lot's neighbors demanded, “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door. 10 But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. 11 Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside."
a. Obviously, Lot had tried to speak out against their sinful lifestyles but they would not listen to him because he was an outsider.
b. They accuse him of being judgmental. Sound familiar? When we stand up against the sins of our society we are accused of everything from insensitivity to hate.
c. However, we must speak the truth because it is God who makes the rules not society.
d. After reaching out and pulling Lot inside the house, the visitor's struck all the men outside with blindness so that they could not find the door.
e. It is unlikely that a mob stricken with blindness would not be able to find a door when they are only a few feet away.
f. Obviously it was a miraculous act that caused them not only to be able to see, but also eliminated their desire to break down the door.
g. It is curious that they were too blind to find the door, but managed to find their way home since they are not outside the door in the morning (Hamilton, 37-38).
h. The point is that no matter what any society may feel about homosexuality the Bible clearly says it is sin.
B. The Voice of Authority
1. Illustration: There are certain times when public opinion is the worst of all opinions. Nicolas Chamfort
2. Society calls homosexuality an alternative; God calls it sin.
a. Leviticus 18:22 (NLT)
“Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.
b. The Hebrew word translated detestable (toʾebah) indicates strong disapproval and disgust (NLT Study Bible).
c. It is not an alternative lifestyle.
d. It is not a sexual orientation.
e. It is a sin!
3. Those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
a. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
b. You cannot call yourself a Christian and practice homosexuality; it is contradiction in terms.
c. It is like calling yourself a Christian thief, a Christian adulterer, or a Christian prostitute.
d. Christianity and homosexuality are incompatible.
4. Societies that embrace homosexuality will be judged.
a. Jude 1:7 (NLT)
And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
b. The Greek empire embraced it and crumbled.
c. The Roman empire embraced it and crumbled.
d. If America continues to embrace it we will also crumble.
Transition: In spite of public opinion...
II. We Must Stand For the Truth Regardless of the Cost (12-22).
A. Thought He Was Only Joking
1. One of the challenges of standing for the truth in a sinful society is that it will cost you.
a. It will cost you friends.
b. It will cost you family.
c. It will cost you professionally.
d. However, if you don't stand it will cost you spiritually.
2. We can clearly see this scenario in what happens next in our text. In vv. 12-13 it says, "Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13 For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it.”
a. The two angels reveal who they are and what their mission is in Sodom.
b. They tell Lot that they have been sent by the Lord to destroy Sodom because of its wickedness.
c. The word "destroy" in this verse is the same word that is used earlier in Genesis for the flood in Noah's day. Let there be no mistake, God intended to wipe Sodom and Gomorrah off the map (Ross, 360).
d. Since the word "angels" means messenger they were revealing that they had been sent by God not only to destroy the city but also to warn and protect Lot and his family (Horton, 159).
3. Heeding the angel's warning, "Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking."
a. Lot goes only to the men who were engaged to his daughters.
b. Marriages in those days were arranged by the parents, often for business or social advantage.
c. Lot had been so overtaken by his desire for material wealth that he let it alter his judgment.
d. Perhaps he was so taken with acquiring wealth that the men of Sodom did not take his religion seriously, which is evident by the fact that the two young men thought he was joking (Horton, 159).
e. Lot had lived so long and was so contented among ungodly people that he was no longer a believable witness for God.
f. He had allowed his environment to shape him, rather than he shaping his environment.
g. Do those who know you see you as a witness for God, or are you just one of the crowd, blending in unnoticed?
h. Lot had compromised to the point that he was almost useless to God. When he finally made a stand, nobody listened (Life Application Study Bible).
4. Now we begin to see the effect that all of this had on Lot spiritually. It says, "At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!” 16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful."
a. This verse is an indication as to how Lot's priorities had become misguided.
b. The angels had to warn to get his family and get out of the city. Why did he hesitate when he had already been told what was going to happen?
c. It may be that he was not so willing to leave without some of his wealth.
d. In fact, he hesitates so much that the angels had to take him by the hand and drag him out of the city.
e. The whole reason for this is because the Lord was merciful to him (Horton, 161).
f. The word "merciful" used in this verse is predominately used in Scripture to indicate a compassion that leads to delivering or sparing from danger (Ross, 361).
g. We must show our gratitude for God's mercy toward us by standing for the faith.
B. Standing Strong
1. Illustration: Adrian Rodgers said, "It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills. It is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It’s better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately succeed with truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie."
2. Unbelievers will not be able to comprehend our stand.
a. 1 Peter 4:4 (NLT)
Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.
b. Some will ridicule you for your beliefs.
c. Some will turn against you for your beliefs.
d. Some will say that you are intolerant, prejudice, and hateful.
3. However, we have to stand for the truth even when it hurts.
a. Jude 1:3 (NLT)
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.
b. We must stand in the face of criticism.
c. We must stand in the face of opposition.
d. We must stand in the face mob rule.
e. We must stand together for the faith.
f. We must agree with the Reformer Martin Luther who said, "Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason...I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Here I stand."
Transition: Furthermore...
III. We Must Not Compromise (23-29).
A. But Lots Wife Looked Back
1. The judgment of God comes down on Sodom and Gomorrah as soon as Lot was safe. However, not everyone in his family was so fortunate.
2. We can see God's mercy toward Lot in the fact "Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24 Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation."
a. There are some who have argued that this was an earthquake, a phenomenon to which the Jordan Valley was very prone.
b. Lightning would ignite the pressed gases underneath the surface of the ground causing a great explosion (Hamilton, 47).
c. The text is very clear, that whatever happens here to the city, that it was the Lord who caused it and it was a judgment for sin.
d. Notice also that he completely destroys everything in the city. He not only destroys the people, but also everything that had any sense of life, even the vegetation (Ross, 362).
3. However, now the text delivers a tragic twist when it says, "But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt."
a. An important part of this narrative that cannot be overlooked is Lot's wife.
b. Her action of looking back is in direct defiance to the order given in v. 17.
c. We are not told why she looked back, and the text doesn't indicate that she did so because of here affection for the city.
d. However, she looked back, compromised, and took her eyes off of where they should have been (Hamilton, 48).
4. Our text concludes with an equally important lesson for us...God answers prayer. Notice what it says in v. 29, "But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain."
a. The verb translated "listened to," means to "think about, meditate upon, pay attention to, or remember" something (TWOT, 551).
b. The Lord listened to Abraham's request and kept his promise to Abraham.
c. We must never forget that although we must stand with the truth it must always be in love.
d. We must always pray for God's love to break through and for transformation to take place.
B. Hand to the Plow
1. Illustration: "A father and son were raking leaves when they noticed something darting in and out of the piles. After careful effort they uncovered a chameleon . It was difficult to see among the brown leaves. It had blended with them by turning brown, too. After catching the little creature, they put it in a jar of green grass, where it immediately turned green. When they added some red berries, the chameleon began to take on that color. Some people are chameleons in character; wherever you put them, they turn that color. Their thinking and their behavior depend on their environment" (Miller, p. 36). The conduct of Christians is not to be compromised. If we who are Christians compromise our conduct as being dependent upon our environment, then we fail to be obedient as God’s children (First Peter 1:14). We have to remember that we have been called out of the world.
2. We cannot compromise with the homosexual community or our society.
a. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
b. The can call it a sexual orientation.
c. The can call it an alternative lifestyle.
d. The can call it the new normal.
e. However, the Bible calls it sin and we cannot compromise that fact!
3. We must speak the truth in love.
a. Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
b. We cannot compromise the truth, but we also cannot distort the truth by being un-Christ-like toward homosexuals.
c. We must love them as Jesus does - unconditionally.
d. We must love them and reach out to them.
e. Homosexuality is a sin, but it is only a sin.
Transition: Homosexuals are like the rest of us; sinners in need of God's grace.
Conclusion
1. In the narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah we learn that...
a. God makes the rules; not society.
b. We must stand for the truth regardless of the costs.
c. We must not compromise.
2. When it comes to the topic of homosexuality we have a choice.
a. We can give in and agree with society that it is acceptable, or...
b. We can stand for the truth and show them the love of Christ.
3. We must stand behind the truth that marriage is ordained by God to be between a man and a woman.
4. However, we cannot be haters...for God so loved the world that He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
