Would you turn with me to First John 4? Tonight, we will look at two subjects together realizing that they are separate. The two subjects we’re going to look at are the world and the Church. We’re going to start in First John 4 and then First John 5 identifying who we are and who we are not.
So, in First John 4, beginning with verse 4.
(4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
The word “of” is the Greek word EK. It means “source of origin.” Our source of origin, now that we are born again, now that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is God. God is now our source of origin.
In contrast (5) They are of the world: [Again, “of” is EK. There source of origin is the world. They are not born again. They have a sin nature.] therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
Now turn to First John 5 and look at verse four.
“For whatsoever is born of God [is EK of God] overcometh [This overcoming is not a one-time thing. It is supposed to be continuous for us. Why? We are of God! God is our Father!] the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [And this is a big one ladies and gentlemen. Say it with me.] even our faith.”
Because so many in the Church don’t know who they are, what they say – what they believe – resembles the world more than the Bible that they profess to believe. We’re going to see a type and shadow of this in the record of Sodom and Gomorrah. But our focus will be more on the impact that Sodom and Gomorrah had on the life of Lot.
Before we go there, turn back to chapter two. We’re going to read verses 15, 16 and 17 because they are pivotal to what we are going to see tonight.
(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
(16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
I want to read verse 16 out of the Amplified Bible. It says, “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things] – these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself].”
What we just read describes many in the Church today. With this in mind, turn to Genesis 18. We know the story. The angels come to meet with Abraham and Sarah to announce that the promise God made to them that they would have a baby – the time has now come. She would have a child within nine months.
Now, let’s jump down to verse 16.
(16) And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
(17) And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
(18) Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
(19) For I know him [I love that ladies and gentlemen. God says, “For I KNOW him.” That’s what I wany my Father to say about Barry – “I KNOW him.”], that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
(20) And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
What made Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin great and very grievous? I believe part of the answer is found in verse 19 where it says of Abraham and his household: “they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment…” We are not going to see this in Sodom and Gomorrah, ladies and gentlemen.
(21) I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
When you read “see whether they have done altogether,” the Lord is saying He is going “to see if the sin and wickedness is as bad as the cry says it is.” The Bible is a textbook that shows us how God operates. In my mind, this is a teaching moment for Abraham. The Lord wanted Abraham to hear why a righteous and just God was going to Sodom and Gomorrah.
What was THE sin of Sodom and Gomorrah.? When you read Genesis 19:1-9, you see aggressive homosexual behavior, every imaginable act of sexual perversion, and violence. And we are going to read this passage in a moment. And what I just described also applied to the women of the city.
How did this happen? They had rejected God. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul lists the sinful behaviors found in those who turn their backs on God.
• In verses 18 and 19, they knowingly reject His truth in favor of their sin. Are we not seeing this today, ladies and gentlemen? There are folks in the Church who know what the Bible says and yet there are still living in sin. Can you say co-habitation with me? That’s an easy one.
• In verses 20 through 22, they determine for themselves what is right and what is wrong. In other words, they have become the standard by which they judge what is right and what is wrong.
• In verses 23 through 25, we read that they bow the knee to the pleasures of the flesh.
• In verses 26 and 27, they reject God’s design and purpose for the human body. I don’t even need to get into that one. We are bombarded with that every single day.
• And then verses 29 through 32, we see that they push God out of their lives.
Ladies and gentlemen, we know that the Book of Romans is not addressed to the unbeliever. Are you following me? Everything we just read that we see in the Church can be found in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jude 1:7 says, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after (pursuing) strange flesh (This is the Greek word heteros, means “another that is different. There is also the Greek word allos, which means “another that is the same.”), are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Jude chapter one verse seven tells us that the men and women in the Church who are doing these things because they believe God loves them and they can be a Christian and still live this way – the Bible says they are going to suffer “the vengeance of eternal fire.”
There are not even men and women, like me, standing in the pulpit and telling them this. Truth is what the Church needs, ladies and gentlemen. The time of sugar coating sin is long past. And for those in the pulpit who are still sugar coating the sin, on their day of judgment, God is going to have a conversation with them, and it’s not going to be pretty.
I asked the question earlier, what was THE sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. But there were others and we’re going to look at them. Keep your finger in Genesis and turn to Ezekiel 16. We’re going to read verses 49 and 50.
(49) Behold, this was the iniquity (sin) of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
(50) And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
Here in Ezekiel, we see that pride, luxury, idleness, ignoring the needs of the poor, being puffed up with prosperity, and openly sinning in God’s face were also part of what we see in Sodom and Gomorrah in addition to the homosexual aspect of their lifestyle.
Turn to Jeremiah 23 and we’re going to read verse 14. “I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.”
Let’s not confine the word “adultery” to the sexual aspect of it because we’re talking about how God views prophet who are standing for Him. He says adultery, a lifestyle of lying, affirmed evildoers who never turn from their wickedness. The people were not being taught that what they were doing was sin.
One more. Isaiah 3 and we’re going to read verses eight and nine. We’re still talking about the other sins of Sodom.
(8) For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
(9) The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
The “shew of their countenance” represents showing respect to those individuals who had power and money. Individuals from whom they could benefit in some way.
Here in Isaiah, we see that they intentionally provoked God with their speech and actions and were public with their sins (no fear of God). In these verses, the Lord is talking about His people acting this way.
Now turn back to Genesis and we’re going to chapter 13, which is very important in my mind for us to see because it says a lot about Lot.
We’re going to begin with verse eight. In the first seven verses we read about the tension that arises between the men who took care of Abraham’s flock and the men who took care of Lot’s flock. So, Abraham begins to address the situation in verse eight.
(8) And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
(9) Is not the whole land before thee? [What whole land is he talking about? The land that God had given to Abraham.] separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
(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.
(11) Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; [Repeated “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.
Abram dwells in Canaan and Lot in the cities of the plains. Why is this distinction important? Hold your finger here and turn to Deuteronomy 11. We’re going to begin with verse eight.
(8) Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
(9) And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
(10) For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
(11) But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
(12) A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
What we see here in Genesis 13 is Lot essentially making a decision to leave the land of Canaan, the land that God had promised to Abram, to go into a land filled with wickedness.
We’re back in Genesis 13. Let’s read verse 13. “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”
The word “wicked” adds another layer of understanding of the wickedness of Sodom. It means “to break in pieces, destroy and afflict.” And we can look at it this way:
• The word is talking about people who break the established order of things.
What is one of the established orders that God has said in His Word? Marriage is between a man and a woman. And don’t forget that what we’re reading here is prophetic talking about God’s people.
God also establishes in His Word the family unit, which has been redefined in this country. It is no longer a father, a mother and their children. Does it change what God says? No!
• The word “wicked” is talking about people who destroy and confound the distinctions between right and wrong.
• It’s also talking about people who afflict and torment themselves and others.
That’s the definition of those who are living the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. No how often and loudly they tell you that they are happy, their behavior tells you the opposite. And then they’re going to tell you to accept what they themselves are not entirely happy with.
The word “sinners” in this verse means “to miss the mark, to step wrong, to miscarry.” Because the sinner is dead on the inside, the person seeks happiness where it can never be found. (Repeated) Examples include worldly honors, possessions, and sensual gratification like alcohol, pornography, and adultery. You will not find true happiness in any of these things.
Wicked and sinful hearts produced sexual deviance and violence in the men of Sodom, and it’s still doing the same thing today.
With all this in mind …
Genesis 19:1-16
(1) And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
Lot had become so immersed in the city’s culture that he was now one of its ruling elders.
(2) And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
(3) And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
(4) But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
Men from every part of the city of Sodom were at Lot’s door. I’m saying every single man, but there was not a part of the city of Sodom that was not represented.
What I want to bring your attention to is the word “young.” The word can define a child from an infant to adolescent and is someone who is emotionally and intellectually immature.
Follow me closely. I read this and the word “grooming” came to mind. The word means “to build a trusting relationship with a minor to exploit them, especially for nonconsensual sexual activity.”
The verse says men “both young and old.” The men of Sodom had been grooming children to follow in their footsteps so that they would become just like them. It is happening today!
When we were still living in Cookeville (Tennessee), two lesbians built a home on property next to ours. For all practical purposes, they were nice people, but their lifestyle was the issue. They wanted our daughter, who was nine or 10 at the time, to come over and watch their cats when they were not at home. We knew that was not going to happen. We were not going to allow our daughter to be around women who lived this way.
So, we see here in verse four that the men of Sodom were grooming the next generation of homosexuals.
(5) And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Genesis 4:1 says, “And Adam knew (the same word as “know”) Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.” We know what they meant when they said that they wanted to know the men who had come into Lot’s house.
(6) And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
(7) And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Lot knew the level of Sodom’s depravity and yet he didn’t leave. I want you to see what is recorded Second Peter 2. We’re going to read verses six through eight.
(6) And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
(7) And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation (behavior) 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.
The word “vex” means “an examination by torture or torment. To torture, afflict with pain, harass.” The Amplified Bible says, “greatly worn out and distressed by the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless.”
I cannot image living in that type of environment every single day when I have the option to leave.
Why did Sodom and Gomorrah vex Lot’s righteous soul? Lot allowed himself to be vexed. How did he do that? Romans 6:12-13 tells us how.
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
(13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
The word “yield” in the Greek means “you present yourself available.” That is what Lot did. He made himself available to the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah.
We are to present ourselves available to God not to sin. I know Lot did not have a born again nature like we do. I get understand that. But he had the option of not making himself available to all of that filth. The principle is the same for us. We will either present ourselves available to God, or we will present ourselves available to sin.
Look at verse eight.
(8) Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
I want to jump to verse 14 for a moment.
(14) And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
Depending on who you read, one person says that Lot’s sons in law were in fact already married to his daughters. Another says they were betrothed to them like Mary was to Joseph. Either way. Whether they were actually married to Lot’s daughters or betrothed – this is messed up.
Lot had lived among wickedness and spiritual filth for so long that it had affected his way of thinking, and his offering of his daughters represented the outcry of the gravity of sin that the Lord went to see.
Can’t you see this among Christians today. They spend so many hours on FaceBook, Tictok, Instagram and all the ungodly stuff they present. At some point, it is going to affect how you think and live.
Second Peter chapter two, and we read it earlier, says Lot was a righteous man. Look at the impact Sodom and Gomorrah’s culture had on him – righteous man. And we are seeing this play out in many Christians today.
Lot was willing to sacrifice his virgin daughters to protect his guests – an indication of how much Sodom had corrupted his thinking.
After living in Sodom for years, Lot had become accustomed to the city’s wickedness, perversity, corruption, filth, and lawlessness. His daughters had been betrothed to men who were like the ones beating on his door. So, when he approached his sons-in-law about leaving with him, they laughed at him. After all, and this is important ladies and gentlemen, Lot had lived among them for over 15 years in silence watching their wickedness day after day and they had taken his silence as acceptance.
Here me. People died because of Lot’s silence. People will die when we are silent. I am not going to stand before my Father on my day of judgment and have that hanging over my head. When we remain silent, there is a possibility people will die.
(9) And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
As long as Lot was silent – and remember, when you hear me talking about Lot, hear me talking about the Church today – the men of Sodom left him alone. But the moment he took a stand, they turned against him. They showed him their true faces – they took off their masks.
This is happening today. The moment you take a stand for God and His Word, you are going to see the true faces of people. You are going to see the true faces of people of some of them are going to break your heart because they’re going to be people you love, people you know and people who are family.
(10) But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
(11) And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
(12) And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
(13) For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
(14) And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
(15) And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
(16) And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
The angels told Lot we are going to destroy this city, and yet, he lingered. He lingered, ladies and gentlemen! He did not want to give up what he had in Sodom. Why else would he linger?
When we think about Lot offering his daughters to a mob of wicked, perverse, and violent men who wanted to rape and physically abuse his guests, we are appalled that he could do such a thing.
But my question is why? Why do we find what he did so repugnant and disturbing? Remember the definition of wickedness from Genesis 13:10?
For 15 years, Lot lived in a city that had no regard for the established order of things.
For 15 years, he lived in a city where the distinction between right and wrong was determined by the individual.
And for 15 years, he lived in a city where the people tormented themselves with their perverse lifestyles, and then forcibly inflicted that lifestyle on those around them.
Ladies and gentlemen, what have I just described? The United States of America.
But you know something? We don’t live here! Turn to Ephesians 2.
(Sung) “This world is not my home. I’m just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. Oh Lord, you know, I have no friend like you. If heaven’s not my home, oh Lord what will I do? The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
Ephesians 2:5-6
(5) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
(6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Colossians chapter one. Verses we’re very familiar with – 12 and 13.
(12) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
(13) Who hath delivered us from the power (authority) of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
What did we see in Lot’s life in Sodom?
1) Lot did not change the culture.
2) The culture changed Lot.
3) Lot tolerated and accepted the ungodly behavior of the people because it provided him with the benefits he desired.
4) Lot had become accustomed to living comfortably and unnoticed.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are different from Lot! We have something Lot didn’t have – God’s life and nature living in us. Remember the first thing I pointed out in this message is that we are not of this world. When we accepted our Father’s gift of His Son as our Lord and Savior, we were birthed into His world, His kingdom – a kingdom of light.
The story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah is a warning to the Church of how subtle, slowly and methodical Satan can be in blinding us to accepting this world, America – a place that has fallen – as our world instead of home – the kingdom of God.
The Bible says that we are the lights in a world of darkness – a light that is not be hidden under a bush. The Bible says that our fruit – what we say, what we do, and what we produce – is supposed to be different from the fruit of the world. The Bible says we are the salt the world needs and that to change a life, we must not lose our saltiness.
What are the four takeaways from this message?
(1) We will not change the culture. Don’t get upset. Don’t be disappointed. It’s simply the truth.
(2) We can’t change the culture, but we can change people’s lives, even those living alternative lifestyles.
Do you remember when the Lord agreed with Abraham not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if he found 10 righteous souls?
(3) We must never be silent in our faith and love for Jesus. We are after the 10!
(4) We must never compromise the truth of the gospel. We are after the 10.
Please stand.
