He sat there at the gate of the city, watching the sun as it started its descent over the roof tops of the skyline of the city and slowly disappeared into the western horizon. This day like so many other, had brought with it the typical events that had become the trademark for this town. Passing across his desk that day, had been the complaints of some city residents who thought that recent night life arrests were perhaps unfair, a few disturbance of the peace complaints, and the reminder from his wife, that n a few weeks he needed to be booking the band, and banquet hall for his two daughters upcoming weddings.
HE really wasn’t overly fond of those soon to be son-in-laws. In fact the word on the street was that both of them were regulars down at the gay bar, he had tried to talk to his daughters, but both of them and their fiancés seemingly just always laughed him off.
And his wife, What was happening to her anyway? It seemed that lately all she thought about was getting ahead of the Jones, and he couldn’t recall the last time he had seen her even open her bible other than Sunday mornings down at 1st church.
Church, now there was another interesting topic, each week the attendance had been dropping, in fact recently even someone had said after the morning service: “It won’t be long at this rate until there’ll probably be less than 10 people here.”
Twisting the lid on his canteen of water, for some reason the memory of his childhood came to his mind. How can anyone forget: “the hurriedness of the evening” the huddles of relatives and the shushed conversation” he knew dad was sick, but he never realized his dad was this bad. And then his uncle came, with a tear in his eye and told him, “Your daddy’s passed away son” and you’re coming to live with my wife and I.
Yes, he had suffered his share of hard knocks you might say but through it all he had seen his uncles Love for not only him, but his love for God!
Then, just as if it were yesterday he remembered the night his uncle had given him his first herd of cattle, “All yours,” he said: “Make yourself successful boy!”
And by all indications he had done just that! Soon one herd bred another and another until before long his livestock company was thriving. And then came the time when his uncle brought him in for “the famous talk”. The time had come to part their ways, and being the great uncle he had come to expect the decision was given to the nephew to pick his land.
AH yes, he remembered the choice, saying goodbye to uncle, aunt and cousins, and moving to the “big city”.
But because he had been the recipient of such a great childhood from his uncle, it didn’t take long until he had been votes to serve on the city council, then the mayor’s spot came open, and almost like a fairy tale he won the election by a landslide.
It was somewhere in those first few years when he first saw her. Wow, the hometown fair queen…did she ever look beautiful, and for her, finding out his wealth only “enhanced” her desire to become the wife of the Mayor!
So the wedding was planned, the years had passed, and they had been blessed with two lovely girls: the apple of their daddy’s eye!
But now sitting there on the bench by the gate, a tear began to form in the corner of his eye, as he reflected back, and then he brought out his handkerchief and wiped the scalding tear.
God, the church, his wife, his girls, the city…it seemed as if he was losing them one by one!
Oh the economy was good, building was up, people seemed happy…but the church, his relationship with God, his family’s relationship, especially his wife, it almost seemed non-existent!
Hummmm….he muttered to himself, this coming church year, we really do need to get re-committed!
Half asleep and lost in his thoughts he was somewhat rattled when seemingly out of no where appeared to men. Although they appeared very road weary, there was an unbelievable glow in their faces…why he though to himself they almost look like angels!
Rising with little effort he stood to his feet and greeted them "My lords," he said, "come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up in the morning as early as you like and be on your way again."
"Oh no," they said, "we’ll just spend the night out here in the city square." But he insisted, so at last they went home with him. HE hurriedly ran to his wife and daughters and told them to fix some extra supper tonight, and before long He set a great feast before them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast.
Oh he thought to himself we made it, and knowing the type of activities that happened in town during the night he was determined to get his guest into their rooms before he the mayor would be embarrassed by the local activists, but After the meal, 4as they were preparing to retire for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5They shouted to Lot, "Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out so we can have sex with them."
6Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 7"Please, my brothers," he begged, "don’t do such a wicked thing. 8Look--I have two virgin daughters. Do with them as you wish, but leave these men alone, for they are under my protection."
9"Stand back!" they shouted. "Who do you think you are? We let you settle among us, and now you are trying to tell us what to do! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!" And they lunged at Lot and began breaking down the door.
10But the two angels reached out and pulled Lot in and bolted the door. 11Then they blinded the men of Sodom so they couldn’t find the doorway.
12"Do you have any other relatives here in the city?" the angels asked. "Get them out of this place--sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13For we will destroy the city completely. The stench of the place has reached the LORD, and he has sent us to destroy it."
14So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, "Quick, get out of the city! The LORD is going to destroy it." But the young men thought he was only joking.
15At 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 of here right now, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city."
16When 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. 17"Run for your lives!" the angels warned. "Do not stop anywhere in the valley. And don’t look back! Escape to the mountains, or you will die."
18"Oh no, my lords, please," Lot begged. 19"You have been so kind to me and saved my life, and you have granted me such mercy. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. 20See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved."
21"All right," the angel said, "I will grant your request. I will not destroy that little village. 22But hurry! For I can do nothing until you are there." From that time on, that village was known as Zoar.
23The sun was rising as Lot reached the village. 24Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, eliminating all life--people, plants, and animals alike. 26But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
And Luke 17:32 says “Remember Lot’s wife!
What an unusual story found in scripture! A woman, wife of the mayor of the town, flees from a doomed city, looks back, freezes in her tracks and dies…
Honestly, doesn’t it sound like something you would see on the Lifetime movie channel?
But JESUS read this story and formed an altogether different opinion. HE heard those death frozen, salt preserved lips preaching a sermon that needed to be heard by his followers and we still need to hear 2000 years later, and Jesus says “ REMEMBER LOTS WIFE!”
Who was this woman? What was so special about her?
1. She belonged to an excellent family
She married into and became a member of the family to which this world owes more than to any other family that has ever lived. She was a part of the select group that has given this world its greatest prophets. She was even a shirt tail relative to him through whom God would send the world its Savior! She was a niece by marriage to Abraham!
2. She shared the faith of this family
Her name no doubt was on the membership list down at Sodom 1st. In fact for some time she may have even headed up the ladies group. Having Abraham as an uncle and Lot as her husband it is fair to assume that she was a lady enriched by the knowledge of God.
But something had happened, you see instead of just living in Sodom somehow she had gotten to the point spiritually where now Sodom was living in her!
Oh scripture tells us that Sodom was a wicked city! Its disgusting rottenness was a stench in the nostrils of God!
Yet this lady, perhaps a one time board member in the church had fallen in love with Sodom!
IN spite of every bit of religious exposure she had been subjected to: on this night of heavenly visitation: Mrs. Lot was found to be seemingly under the evil spell of Sodom-hood!
3. But even then she was not left alone!
No doubt the name of her and her husband rolled from the lips of Uncle Abraham every night before he pillowed his head!
Yes my friend even God still knew her address, and when the day of ruin was to come to Sodom God sent His messengers to HER HOUSE!
Certainly she couldn’t say that she was not warned. No scripture shows she was a woman who had the opportunity to escape!
But in spite of a visitor from heavens warning SHE STILL FAILED!
Say church: have you ever wondered HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
How could she have such a horrible end to life when she had been so faithfully warned?
1. She didn’t fail because of unbelief
When the angels came and gave the warning …She believed them! Scripture never tells us that she laughed at them, or made fun of them.
No she even allowed her belief to put her in the small minority of the entire city!
Not even 10 people could be found, but listen she was one that believed!
And might I hasten to say that not only did she believe, but;
2. She even responded to the message:
Granted we don’t find a lot of enthusiasm but she did respond! In fact she did exactly what her husband did…she lingered!
Life and promise was waiting for her at the top of the hill, death was pressing in at her ankles, yet she lingered!
She was determined to cling to Sodom just as long as she could! In fact verse 16 says “the angels seized the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city”
Say church before we get to hard on Mrs. Lot, it might so us some good to evaluate our own situations!
For some of us here this morning have lingered until the best years of our life has slipped away!
Some have lingered until our children have grown up in a Christ less home and now live a life without Jesus!
Some have lingered until the worlds grip is so strong: that even when we do try to move towards Him it is next to impossible!
But verses 16 & 17 tell us that even though reluctantly she did make a start!
Oh how sad this morning to realize that this woman of failure did something that some we know have NEVER DONE IN THEIR LIFETIME!
Oh we know them by name: Men and women who live their entire lives and NEVER take a step toward God!
Some even come: dare I say…even to Valley Mission…week after week, service after service, revival after revival, Pastor After Pastor, month after month, year after year and NEVER MAKE A STEP TOWARDS REPENTANCE!
But she did start, she did begin…but what happened?
The bible says: “She Looked back!”
Come on Pastor that seems sort of harsh doesn’t it!
Might I suggest that the wrong was not so much in the physical act of looking, as it was in what this look actually indicated!
For this look you see indicated:
1. A divided Heart!
It indicated an unsurrendered will! The reason that Mrs. Lot looked back was because she was still in love with Sodom even though her steps were turned away from it!
And dear friend today the message is still the same! Unless you are surrendered totally to God, the divided heart will be your downfall!
Oh Life was calling from the hills, but Sodom was screaming from the lowland…She was torn, so with a divided heart, an unsurrendered will, SHE LOOKED BACK!
But I think it is important this morning to realize exactly what this divided heart done to her!
A. It robbed her of her Joy!
Oh the warning was clearly given! Doom and destruction are coming in the morning. One would think that she would have been running even faster than the messengers, but her heart was divided: Sodom didn’t really look all that bad to her, and in wrestling with the two choices of Sodom or Safety her joy had slipped away!
Friends today my fear is that some perhaps even here this morning could testify to the fact that divided hearts are always unhappy!
Listen: No half hearted Christian is a joyous Christian! No gladness, no joy, the Journey is more of a labor of duty than a trail of happiness!
THE yoke seems so heavy… The reason…a divided heart…
Not willing to surrender self!
Not willing to get involved!
Refusing to allow God to change their way of thinking, their attitude toward what God is trying to do!
The JOY IS GONE…
Oh this divided heart also:
B. Slowed her forward progress!
Notice what the scripture says, now the NIV doesn’t use this language but this is one time I like the KJ translation better; Listen “26But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him”
Sad but true is the fact that it doesn’t take long for the divided, unsurrendered heart to fall behind!
Oh God is moving, the church is growing, things are happening, it’s forward progress, and God sends His angels to tug at our heart,
But the divided heart, the unsurrendered will cripples our walk, it weakens our power, it diminishes our prayer life, it flounders our devotional time to the point that it is obvious by our walk that we are crippled, and we cannot possibly keep up!
Finally this morning this divided heart;
C. Cost Her, Her Life!
Can you see the struggle this morning? Every step becomes slower than the last, the others are pressing on to freedom with God, but watch her she is slowing, and then she stops…
Listen you hear the voice “GO BACK turn around, that’s where all your friends are, your family, just over your shoulder is where all the good times are”
Softly in the other ear we hear “ Go on, climb to a new heights, keep on the journey, better days are ahead.”
Self says “DON’T Go forward”
God says” GET MOVING”
Now we see her standing at the point of decision: why she even hears the roar of the rain of fire and brimstone, the hot molten lava is now making its way into the openings of the sandals on her feet, between her toes her skin begins to feel the intensity of heat like she never has felt before…
It’s decision time now Mrs. Lot…One last time her divided heart and unsurrendered will rises its voice and say’s “DON’T GIVE IN, TURN AROUND AND GO BACK HOME”
then just as her ankles become submerged in the puddle of fire she hears “ Come on daughter, a new day is just ahead for you, don’t turn back, and press on to a new way of living”…
Lot, his daughters, the angels there are now well ahead of her climbing up the hill and out of the valley…and scripture says “she looked back”
And IMMEIADTELY she became a pillar of salt…No 2nd chance, no next revival, next Sunday school…
IT WAS OVER…Her divided, unsurrendered heart became her DOOM!
And Jesus said ““Remember Lot’s wife!”
Dear friend; could it be this morning that God has sent his angel to your house with the message of deliverance from the wrath to come.
Could it be that someone here today needs to Remember this story and take appropriate action…
A divided heart is a wretched heart!
A divided heart means no real progress!
A divided heart in the end means moral death!
If you are in doubt listen to the words of Jesus; ““Remember Lot’s wife”
