Settling For Sodom

The question is why? Sodom had no Bible but Sodom did have Lot but he had no influence for God in this wicked place. He was like the man I read about in an illustration entitled:

THEY NEVER GUESSED

ILL - A certain man, a Christian, accepted a new job among very profane people. He was very anxious and fearful about how he would be received. When he came home from the first day on the job, his wife asked how it had been. He replied, "Wonderful! They never guessed that I was a Christian."

That's Lot's problem! There was no witness for God, no one to cry against the sins of Sodom, no one to warn them of coming judgment. Lot is a perfect example of "...salt that had lost its savor..." There are many Lot's in our day. Why do you think that we are witnessing the decline of our great country today? Christian's are called to be "salt and light" but for in large part we are neither, the salt has lost its savor! The men of Sodom cried, "... (My translation) Who made you the judge?" In v. 9 they had no respect for Lot's witness because of his compromising, accommodating, appeasing lifestyle!

ILL - There is a plaque on a church building in England that reads like this: "In the year 1653, when all things sacred throughout the land were either demolished or profaned, Sir Robert Shirley built this church. His singular praise is this: To have done the best of things in the worst of times." In 17th century England it was the worst of times. King Charles I had been tried for treason and been beheaded. Injustice was reigning throughout the land. The churches were harassed and many were closed. It was a dark time. But Sir Robert Shirley used the things God had given him and he built a church. He invested in the Kingdom, he did the best of things in the worst of times. What are we doing with our things? It's a dark time in many respects for us right now: War, aids, abortion, divorce, child abuse, pornography. "Everything sacred is being profaned." The question still must come back to each of us- When the Master returns for the final accounting, what will He realize from His investment in us? Are we doing the best of things, in the worst of times?

My friend, we are called to be a witness for Jesus in both our beliefs and our behavior. We can trumpet our beliefs from the rooftops but if our behavior is not consistent with what we believe then we are unless to this God forsaken, sin soaked, sin cursed world, worse than useless for we have the answers that this world needs to hear but our witness is rendered ineffectual by our compromising, accommodating ways. Have you ever been skinned or scalded by a sermon? Have you ever felt like your toes have been stomped on by a sermon? That's the way I felt when I put this message down on paper. God has plowed me good and proper but I needed it and I'm convinced that I'm not the only one! The people of God all over this nation need to get on fire for God! The church needs to stop it's compromising accommodating ways and become salt and light once again. Do you recall our Lord's word to the lukewarm ones in Laodicea?