What Are You Doing In Sodom? Series

Our passage gives us a powerful lesson concerning worldliness. The key question from Genesis 14, “how close can you get to sin before it corrupts you?”

The key verse, is Genesis 14:12. There we learn that while Lot first “pitched his tents near Sodom, now we read that Lot was living in Sodom.

What does SODOM represent?

It represents WORLDLINESS.

It represents the enticement of the world.

It represents WORLDLY wisdom.

It represents HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.

It represents SELF-WILL.

4,000 years after these events, we ask the question, Lot, What are you doing in Sodom?

The main character of these chapters of Genesis is certainly Abraham. He is the man of faith. He is the one through whom the Promise will be fulfilled. But along side of the great man of faith is one whose faith is weak. There is almost as much information concerning Lot as there is concerning Abraham in these chapters. Lot provides the antithesis for Abraham. Although a believer in God, Lot demonstrates that we can flounder in our faith and waste the opportunities and resources that God gives us. There are powerful lessons for us to learn from Lot.

We begin by providing some important observations that might have helped Lot avoid the disasters of his life.

Lot, You’re Not as Strong as you Think You Are

Lot made an intentional decision to live near Sodom. He thought, “I will not succumb to the temptation of worldliness in Sodom. This was a foolish mistake. 1 Corinthians 10:12 "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."

Lot, Sodom is MORE CORRUPT than you think it is!

Lot knew there were dangers in Sodom, but he failed to recognize how pervasive the evil had become. Sodom was a lost cause. It’s judgment was already secure. Sodom was so immersed in sin that they had removed themselves from God’s grace. Romans 1 describes this descent into the abyss of immorality. The end of the road in Romans 1 is the same as experienced in Sodom - the defilement of the most sacred human relationship.

Those that rebel against God are given over to a REPROBATE MIND (Rom 1)

When you and I are faced with this kind of environment, we are to FLEE from the corruption of sin. 2 Corinthians 6:17 "Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”"

Christian: FLEE from corruption and temptation!

Flee the desires of youth. 2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Flee sinful desires. 1 Peter 2:11 "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul."

Flee sexual immorality. 1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body."

Sometimes we confuse cleansing and contamination. We know that we need a clean rag to wash something that is dirty. Remember that you are using the clean rag to remove the contamination. Introducing something clean into a contaminated environment only pollutes that which is clean. Impurity is never removed by introducing something clean. The impurity can be diluted, but it can never be removed. It brings up two important principles:

The principle of CLEANSING is that we remove the impurity

The principle of CONTAMINATION states that something dirty contaminates something clean.

Christians, we are clean (John 13:11; 1 Cor 6:11). We must keep ourselves clean by avoiding that which is dirty.

Our sinful nature teaches us otherwise. These are the Games Christians Play:

“I know how far I can go.” However, sin CAPTURES us. It entices us. In one of the Spiderman movies, starring Toby McGuire, the superhero becomes infected by a mysterious black web that overcomes him. It grabs hold of his entire personality and can only be removed by the force of his will. The black web represented pride and selfishness. Even mighty Spiderman could not overpower the temptation. It was a picture of the power of being enticed.

Proverbs 1:10 (NIV)"My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them."

James 1:14 (ESV) "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."

A second game Christians play is discovered in the statement, “I know when to quit.” How deceiving! Samson played this game and quit too late, after his blessing and strength were stolen by Delilah.

Some say, “I won’t stay long.”

Some say, “I’ll never know if I’m a strong enough unless I try.” Parents play this game with their children and teens. When facing the choice of Christian school, some say “he’s going to have to stand in the world someday...” Parents, you MUST shelter your children from corruption! Keep them innocent!