2024.06.02.Sermon Notes. Judgment Day. Sodom and Gomorrah
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Our nation has hit an all-time low level of depravity. It cries out to GOD to be rescued and returned to the root of its foundation upon the principles of GOD’s Word. Yet, as in the days of Noah, and as in the days of Lot, so it will be when the Son of Man is revealed. Sense the urgency of this statement, JESUS is Coming…
Scriptures: Luke 17:26-30, Genesis 18:1-15, Psalms 139:2, Romans 8:22, Genesis 18:16-33, Matthew 3:12, 2 Peter 3:9, Hebrews 13:2, Genesis 19:1-38, Luke 17:20-30, Proverbs 16:18, Psalms 14:1-3, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 63:4, Romans 12:19, Matthew 5:22, Jeremiah 21:12, 2 Peter 3:7
Luke 17:26-30
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?
Genesis 18:1-15 (NKJV)
1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
So he said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
YOU CAN’T LIE TO GOD.
Psalms 139:2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
SIN CRIES OUT TO GOD FOR HIS RESTORATION
GOD CREATED THE WORLD, AND IT WAS GOOD. THE EARTH GROANS FROM THE SINS OF MAN.
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Genesis 18:16-33
16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
THE OUTCRY AGAINST SODOM AND GOMORRA IS GREAT, THEIR SIN IS VERY GRAVE
ABRAHAM INTERCEDES FOR SODOM, MORE POINTEDLY, FOR HIS OWN FAMILY, LOT’S FAMILY.
22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
Matthew 3:12 (NLT)
He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So He (THE LORD) said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So He (THE LORD) said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So He (THE LORD) said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
So He (THE LORD) said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
And He (THE LORD) said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
THE LORD IS PATIENT, DESIRING ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
GOD KNEW THERE WOULD NOT BE EVEN 10 RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE CITIES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH. SO HE SENT 2 ANGELS.
Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
MEETING AT THE GATE
IN THOSE DAYS, THE OLDER MEN WOULD SIT AT THE GATE OF THE CITY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS, AND GREET THOSE WHO WOULD ENTER.
Genesis 19:1-38 Sodom’s Depravity
1 Now 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 he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
SODOM’S DEPRAVITY…HOMOSEXUALITY WAS PREVALENT IN THE CITY.
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
LOT, OFFERING HIS VIRGIN DAUGHTERS TO THE DEPRAVED MOB!!!
WHAT A HORRIBLE FATHER. DISGUSTING.
9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.
THE ANGELS CAUSE THE MOB TO NOT FIND THE DOOR.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
(Matt. 11:23, 24; Luke 17:28–32)
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE MISS UNDERSTANDING THE SENSE OF URGENCY?
THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY FOR OUR OWN NATION TO CHANGE, TO GET OUT OF THIS CURRENT CONDITION WE FIND OURSELVES IN AS A NATION.
WE NEED REPENTANCE, TO TURN, TO CHANGE FROM OUR CURRENT COURSE. TO TURN BACK TO GOD.
OUR LEADERS HAVE FAILED US. WE SEE CORRUPTION ON EVERY LEVEL. AND THE SINS OF OUR NATION ARE CRYING OUT TO GOD FOR HIS JUDGMENT.
ARE YOU HEARING ME?
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
SENSE THE URGENCY…TIME IS SHORT…PEOPLE WILL PERISH.
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
THE LORD REMOVED THE RIGHTEOUS AND DID NOT IMPART HIS JUDGMENT UNTIL THOSE RIGHTEOUS WERE SHELTERED IN A PLACE OF SAFETY.
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
NEVER TURN BACK. WITH OUR MIND, OUR FOCUS ON JESUS, RUN THE COURSE TO THE VERY END.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
ABRAHAM SAW THE DESOLATION OF DESTRUCTION AS THE SMOKE ROSE FROM THE LAND.
WHEN I VISITED ISRAEL, AND THE CITY OF MASADA, THE GROUND WAS LITTERED WITH BLACK FLAKES OF SHARP STONE. THESE WERE REMNANTS AND A WITNESS OF GOD’S WRATH. THESE BLACK FLAKES WERE THAT OF BRIMSTONE THAT ROSE IN THE AIR WITH THE SMOKE AND SETTLED IN THE HIGH PLACES. AS WE LOOKED TOWARDS THE DEAD SEA, ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS THE REMAINS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH, WHERE GOD’S JUDGMENT BY FIRE DESTROYED THE WICKEDNESS THERE.
THE DESCENDANTS OF LOT
30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.
NOW, LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT. LOT TOLD THE ANGELS HE WOULD DIE IF HE WENT TO THE MOUNTAINS, SO HE ASKED THEM TO GO TO ZOAR. NOW HE’S AFRAID TO LIVE IN ZOAR, AND SEEKS A CAVE IN THE MOUNTAINS. WHAT’S UP WITH THIS GUY?
IT’S NEVER GOOD TO MAKE OR TAKE SHORTCUTS OF GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS.
31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
34 It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” 35 Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.
HERE WE SEE MORE DECEPTION AND DEPRAVITY. AND WE WILL HEAR MORE OF THESE DESCENDANTS OF LOT, MOAB AND AMMON AS WE CONTINUE IN THE SCRIPTURES.
AS IN THE DAYS OF LOT.
BUT FIRST, UNDERSTAND THIS PRINCIPAL FACT. GOD’S KINGDOM IS HERE, NOW. IT’S IN YOU AS A BELIEVER IN CHRIST JESUS.
Luke 17:20-30 (NKJV)
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
JESUS WAS TELLING THEM THAT HE WOULD SUFFER REJECTION BY THE PEOPLE OF THAT DAY.
AND YET, HE CONTINUES TO SUFFER REJECTION EVEN TO THIS DAY.
AS LIGHTING FLASHES IN ONE PART, AND SHINES ON ANOTHER, WE ARE THAT SAME LIGHT. AS JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, HIS LIGHT SHINES FORTH IN EVERY BELIEVER, ALL OVER THIS WORLD. WE CARRY HIS LIGHT, AND MUST SHINE FORTH IN EVERY DARK CORNER OF OUR WORLD, TO BRING THE LIGHT OF HIS REDEMPTION AND SALVATION TO THOSE AROUND US.
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, THE RIGHTEOUS EIGHT (8) WERE SEALED IN THE ARK OF SAFETY AS THE JUDGMENT OF WATER FLOODED THE EARTH AND DESTROYED THE WICKED.
IN THE DAYS OF LOT, THE RIGHTEOUS 3-4 FLED TO SAFE HAVEN, AND THEN GOD’S JUDGMENT RAINED FIRE AND BRIMSTONE UPON SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND DESTROYED THE WICKED AND DEPRAVED.
GOD REMOVES, SAVES, AND SEALS THE RIGHTEOUS IN HIS SAFE HOUSE, WHEN THE WRATH OF HIS JUDGMENT IS UNLEASHED.
I LOOK AT OUR NATION, AND THE DEPRAVITY THAT HAS SETTLED IN THE LAND. THIS IS JUNE, AND THEY ARE CALLING IT, “PRIDE MONTH”.
IT’S SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT AND CELEBRATE THE LGBTQ AGENDA, WHICH IS CLEARLY IN OPPOSITION TO GOD’S WORD.
THEY CALL IT “PRIDE”. BUT IT’S REALLY DEFIANCE. SHAKING A FIST IN THE FACE OF GOD.
THE OUTCRY AGAINST AMERICA IS GREAT, OUR SIN IS VERY GRAVE!
PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION AND A FALL
Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Psalms 14:1-3 (NKJV)
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good, No, not one.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
WE ARE ALL SINNERS AND IN NEED OF A SAVIOR
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
THE OUTCRY IS FOR GOD TO INTERVENE.
VENGEANCE IS MINE SAYS THE LORD.
Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come.
Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT, RESERVED FOR HELL FIRE.
Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
Jeremiah 21:12 O house of David! Thus says the LORD:
“Execute judgment in the morning; And deliver him who is plundered out of the hand of the oppressor, Lest My fury go forth like fire and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
2 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)
7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
THE SCRIPTURE ARE CLEAR WITH A MESSAGE OF URGENCY.
What occurred in the days of Lot, of Sodom and Gomorrah are foreknowledge of what is yet to come.
We see the same depravity not only in our nation, but as a worldwide epidemic. The whole earth cries out to GOD for HIS judgment.
And one day, suddenly, GOD will call out those who are clothed in the righteousness of the blood of the lamb, sealed by HOLY SPIRIT, to HIS place reserved in heaven, so that HE can unleash HIS Wrath upon this earth once again, to destroy the wicked with eternal fire.
But GOD’S desire is for all to come to repentance. HIS Love is for all who will listen.
We are living in the last days. Time is short, and the urgency of the gospel message must be heard. Many of us have family who are lost. And as Abraham prayed, we too must pray for GOD to move on their hearts to surrender from their pride, and submit to the LORD GOD.
FATHER, we come, with an urgency for our family and friends who are lost. Send us, send others, pour out YOUR HOLY SPIRIT upon their hearts, to break the chains that hold them, and lead them to the WAY, TRUTH and LIFE of THE SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
We pray that they would come to the knowledge and understanding of their current condition, and that they too would cry out to YOU for YOUR Forgiveness and Cleansing. And we pray for the people of our nation, and the nations of the world, that those whose hearts can be changed, will be changed, for there is nothing to difficult for YOU LORD GOD. We ask, with great expectation, that YOUR MERCY and GRACE would find its way to these hearts and souls, in JESUS Name, Amen.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Bill
