Watch What You Choose
(The Danger at Looking Towards Sodom)
Genesis 13:10-13
Genesis 19:12-26
Today I want us to look at the life of a man by the name of Lot. Lot truly is a picture of the child of God that walks by sight instead of by faith. If we did not have the words of 2 Peter 2:7-8 we would have a hard time believing that Lot was even a child of God. Note what that text says:
2 Peter 2:6-8 says, “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; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.)”
As we read that text we learn that Lot had union but he did not have communion, he had sonship but he did not have fellowship.
Note four things with me this morning concerning Lot and the life that Lot chose to live and let God use it to teach us that we have to be careful what we choose.
I. The Splendor of Sodom (13:10-13)
As we study these verses there are three phrases that show us how Lot walked by sight instead of by faith. Note these phrases:
• “Lot lifted up his eyes…” (10)
• “Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan…” (11)
• “…pitched his tent toward Sodom.” (12)
There are three things about Sodom that we need to note:
A. It was Well Watered
“…that it was well watered everywhere…”
The beauty of Sodom drove a desire in the heart of Lot to fall for its snare. And the same thing happens today. That is why Hollywood wraps sin in such pretty packages.
B. It was Wasting in Wickedness
“But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.”
The sin of Sodom did not just happen over night, but rather it was a sin that had been brewing for many years. The entire plain area was wasting in the wickedness of sin.
C. It was Waiting for Wrath
Although the wrath of God was not on the scene yet, it was on its way. The same held true for that day that the “wages of sin is death.”
The splendor of sin is never worth the outcome.
II. The Sin of Sodom (19:1-11) {5}
As we look at these first eleven verses we find that two angels have come to the place where Lot is and have gone to his house. Then we begin to read that the men of the city came wanting these men for their own sexual pleasure. Instead of telling these men about the wickedness of their desire we read that Lot offered his virgin daughters to these men.
Not three things about the sin in this city:
A. Iniquity of the Sin
The sin that these men where given to were the sin of homosexuality. In Romans 2 we read that because men left the natural affection of a woman and burned for another man that God turned them over to a reprobate mind.
B. Impact of the Sin
This sin did not only affect the men that were involved in it, but it affected the entire plain area. When God judged the plain area he did not just judge these men, but he judged the entire plain.
Friend don’t say that the sin you are doing does not hurt anyone but you; I got news for you that it effects many.
C. Ignoring of the Sin
Instead of standing up again the sin of Sodomy, Lot ignored this sin and offered to give them his virgin daughters.
How sad a state one is in when he or she can ignore the wickedness of sin that is driving a wedge between he and God and continue to live that way.
III. The Separation from Sodom (12-16)
Note three things concerning this separation:
A. Plea to Separate (12)
As we read we find that the two angels tell lot that he needs to take his family and get out of Sodom because God is going to destroy it.
Today God may be telling you to get out of the sin that you are in because He is going to judge that sin and it will affect all that are left behind.
B. Plan to Shatter (13-14)
In these two verses we find the men telling Lot how that God had sent them to destroy the place and that destruction was on its way.
Note that the son-in-laws thought that Lot was making a joke. When a man lives in sin he automatically looses his testimony and no one believes what he or she ahs to say any more.
C. Probing to Scatter (15-16)
We find the men coming and taking Lot and his family by the hand of leading them out of Sodom. But we soon learn that it was only Lot and two daughters that escaped.
IV. The Slaughtering of Sodom (23-26)
In the closing verses we find three things.
A. Source of Destruction (24)
The bible says that God poured out fire and brimstone on the land. And we read later that the entire land was destroyed because of sin.
B. Subjects of Death (25)
We note in this verse everything that had to die because of sin:
1. Plains
2. People
3. Plants
C. Symbol of Defilement (26)
Lot’s wife had her heart set on Sodom and could not let it go. Thus we read that she looked back and God judged her by making her a pillar of salt.
He set forth a symbol that day to let us know that sin will always be judged.
I most say to you today that we should never sacrifice the permanent on the alter of the immediate. And this is exactly what Lot did.
Note the path the Lot took:
Admiring the Beauty of Sin will put you under the Burden of Sin and when you look back and Behold the Sin then you will be in Bondage to the Sin.
And this is what happened to Lot and when he escaped with his two daughters they went to the mountain and got him drunk and had intercourse with him and produced two children that became biter enemies and are warring to this day which are the Moabites and the Ammoniates.
So I say inclosing watch what you choose because your sin may affect many in the future and may be the cause of sending many to hell.
