Lessons from Lot

[0:00] Just Lot, a righteous man, is described in 2 Peter 2, from verse 7.

[0:19] ! He's described as righteous, but he made some faulty decisions. Now who can identify with that? You've got to be one of God's people and you've made a few mistakes. Well, thank the Lord. His Word shows us warts and all, doesn't it?

[0:33] How God's people at times failed and made the wrong decisions. And 2 Peter 2, from verse 7, it says, And the Lord, speaking of the Lord, delivered just Lot.

[0:46] He delivered just Lot, or righteous Lot. He was vexed with the filthy conversation, the way of living of the wicked. He was vexed with it. He was completely worn down by the manner of life of the wicked.

[0:59] And verse 8 of 2 Peter 2, For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.

[1:12] The righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.

[1:22] So their unlawful deeds, their lawless way of living. He was tormented with it. He was vexed by it. Sodom had a terrible effect on Lot and his family.

[1:36] It's been said, Lot got into Sodom, and Sodom got into Lot. And some things we can learn from Lot's life. We see from verse 10 of Genesis 13.

[1:51] Genesis 13 from verse 10 through 11. And the context here is where Lot and Abram had prospered, and they had many cattle, and lots of following amongst them.

[2:12] They had flocks and herds and tents. They had a great substance, it says, in verse 6 of Genesis 13, so that they could not dwell together. And their herdsmen started to argue with one another as they started to run scarce of feed and land.

[2:29] And Abram offered to Lot to make a decision, to choose where they could separate, and gave Lot the first option as to his choice, what he would choose.

[2:45] And verse 10 of Genesis 13, it says, And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as they comest unto Zoar.

[3:07] Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves, the one from the other. I'll put it to you that Lot had faulty vision.

[3:20] Faulty vision. Now, I've got faulty vision too. I sometimes wear glasses. I probably should wear them more, especially when I'm driving. But I need them for that long-distance vision, because some of you on the back row there, you just look a bit fuzzy to me.

[3:36] Must be the glory of God on your faces, but you look a bit fuzzy to me tonight. Because my vision's somewhat faulty. But we're not talking about that kind of faulty vision tonight. We're talking about the fact that Lot had a faulty decision in what he chose.

[3:54] In that the vision that he had, the looking that he had, and the choices that stem from that, was that with Lot, it was an entirely carnal decision.

[4:05] It was an entirely carnal choice that he made. As he looked up and he saw the well-watered areas of Sodom. He looked up and he saw the plain of Jordan.

[4:18] He saw the land that was fertile, as the garden of the Lord, we read there. Perhaps he saw, as he looked with that faulty vision, as it were, with those lenses, with those rose-coloured glasses, as it were, of the world's way of thinking, of carnal and fleshly kind of thinking, that Lot just seemed to have that tunnel vision, of seeing the prosperity of the land ahead, of seeing perhaps the affluence and the comfort of that well-watered place.

[4:53] But he didn't seem, it would seem, or didn't regard, it would appear, the culture of violence and lust and sin of that place.

[5:05] The lens through which he looked was not a godly one. It was a faulty vision. And we could see, in contrast with Abraham, Abraham built an altar unto the Lord.

[5:18] And he made a practice of calling on the name of the Lord, when he would confer with the Lord about choices and about steps that he would take in his life.

[5:29] We see that marked Abraham. There was something about Abraham that marked him from Lot. And for example, Genesis 13, 4, we see that Abraham had that practice where it says there was an altar there.

[5:46] So there was a sense where he went to sacrifice, he went to the Lord in that personal devotion. And we see that, for example, again in Genesis 19, verse 27, where it says, And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord.

[6:04] So he got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord. So it was a practice in Abraham's life to have devotions, to have time with the Lord in prayer.

[6:16] And yet, in contrast, we see with Lot, it never mentions an altar with Lot. We can't find it in the Scriptures. It would appear that he was not so devout in his devotions.

[6:29] And you could consider his decision, that Lot's decision, you could consider it as a prayerless one, a prayerless decision, a selfish decision, a godless decision.

[6:42] Now I'm not wanting to read things into this, but you could see that that could be the case, potentially with Lot's decision.

[6:53] He just looked up, he saw that it was good, and he said, Yeah, I want that. I want that. It was something Lot did without, it seemed, any regard for the spiritual consequences.

[7:06] He picked what was best for himself, for himself. For the here and now, that lush green pasture, he saw that it would be good for his flocks, for his herds.

[7:18] And, yeah, he should have had greater foresight about the spiritual factors that were at play here. And his choices were made based on what he could gain. It wasn't the kingdom of God and his righteousness that he was seeking.

[7:33] It would seem that prompted his choices. He went for what was going to be easy and prosperous for himself and for his carnal, I suppose, his carnal mindset.

[7:48] You could see, in a sense, that that could be what was behind his choice. Instead of laying up treasures in heaven and considering what that would mean for his family to move to that place, it would seem that he was purely motivated by what appeared to be a good thing at the time.

[8:08] And, yeah, the Bible says, we read clearly in Psalm 1, verse 1, for example, that it says to us that blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, etc.

[8:21] We shouldn't be in that company, in that place, in that environment where we are with the ungodly. We ought to be where the godly are and we can be blessed in that company.

[8:36] And so, Lot, it seems, gave little regard for the consequence of his decision. The consequences to his family, to his morals, to his relationship with the Lord.

[8:49] And we could ask the question, what of our vision? What of our vision? What are those glasses that we wear? What are those lenses through which we look about the decisions that we make? Is it just that it seems a good idea at the time?

[9:02] Or it might suit our love of ease or our own comforts without thought to the spiritual damage that it can do. What about your vision?

[9:13] What do you lift up your eyes and see that motivates you, that moves you? How often, and I say for myself, how often do we make hasty choices that may have little regard for what is truly, truly God's will and God's best for us and for our loved ones?

[9:34] So, faulty vision. Could say faulty values too. Faulty values in that we see Lot's choices meant that company that he would be keeping.

[9:45] In Genesis 13 from verse 12, Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent towards Sodom.

[9:58] But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. Faulty values. There was values here in this place to which he would go.

[10:10] He pitched his tent towards this place so that, as it were, the opening of his tent was facing that place. The values of that place, the values of that people would impact and it would seem that, as someone has put it, he thought that it would be a good place to raise his cattle but he did not consider whether it would be a good place to raise his children.

[10:37] And we all need to think of that, of the next generation to come, of our spiritual choices that we made. Now that should help us choose about where we want to fellowship and where we want our heritage to be, the legacy that we leave behind that God willing it will be in a godly church and a godly fellowship.

[10:59] Before long he was living in the place, he was living in Sodom. He would sit at the gates of the city and it would seem from many people's understanding of someone who sits at the gate of the city that they have a responsibility in that place.

[11:19] So whether a responsibility of business, of government, of law, he became one of the city officials in Sodom. Administering the laws of this vile city, you could say he was in effect on the city council.

[11:35] He was in some place of government, whether it be business or law keeping or the city administration in some effect. This was the sense of sitting at the gates as we read of the Proverbs 31, husband 2.

[11:49] They sat at the gates. So he had a place of responsibility and yet was he salt there? Was he salt there? We could consider perhaps not. We're not to know what influence he did have.

[12:03] We know that he was vexed with the conversation of the wicked. We know that he was called righteous and we're not meaning to denigrate dear Mr. Lot but we know that it seems that whilst he had some responsibility there, it seems that the values of that place were certainly godless and he was in a place where the values were shaping the world view of that city and of that people and it would seem with Lot to a degree that he valued pleasing men more than pleasing God.

[12:38] For example, we read of the account, you can read it in detail, we won't touch every aspect but messengers of God, the angels came in likeness of men that they were endangered by the men of the city and Lot was willing to give his daughters instead of the angels and so you wonder was he more interested in pleasing the men of the city of the populace there rather than pleasing God and neglecting his fatherly responsibilities too.

[13:06] You would question that as to the values of Lot as what really counted, what was he really doing there and then you see the response of his sons in law when he was exhorting them to leave the city again read this in detail for the finer points his sons in law did not respect him they did not respect him the ways of Sodom were too deeply entrenched in their hearts that they just scoffed and mocked scorned him again was it that the values of the city that his even being there damaged his testimony that his witness that his voice was really not heard because of the damaged testimony and we read in Genesis 18 22 the angels came to Abraham and it says Genesis 18 22 the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom but Abraham stood yet before the

[14:06] Lord and Abraham drew near and said will thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked here is Abraham Lot's uncle interceding we see through Genesis 18 he pleaded with God Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city to spare the souls if he could but find ten righteous souls and God said in verse 32 of Genesis 18 I will not destroy it for ten's sake and so apparently it would seem there was not even ten not even ten righteous in all that area and God was to pour out his wrath upon that place on that people you know it's somewhat alike to I suppose Noah's day the vast populace was godless and anti God and we see that they were wiped out and some have said it's quite a significant number I haven't got that figure handy but I think certainly in the hundreds of thousands hundreds of thousands if not even millions in Noah's day you think only eight were saved as we read in the scriptures that many there go there out in that way of death and few there be that find it that narrow way the way that leadeth unto life think of that the contrast of eight versus hundreds of thousands and likewise in Lot's day how many got saved very few got saved very few were even righteous in the city and very few were saved from God's wrath but we see for Lot we see the faulty vision he looked up he saw the plain he saw the well watered land he didn't seem or seem to take care or know of the sin he had faulty vision he had faulty values in the choices that he made as we see in his behaviour with his family with the messengers and with the values of the city it seemed like he had little if no impact as much as he was vexed he was frustrated and tormented by the godless behaviour of the city and then we see he had a faulty voice you could say his voice was faulty in that as I said earlier that when he went to exhort the sons in law that we see what they did as we read from Genesis 19 from verse 12 from verse 12 the angels were beckoning to Lot and his family and it says there the men said unto

[16:52] Lot hast thou here any besides son in law and thy sons and thy daughters and whatsoever they hast in the city bring them out of this place for we will destroy this place because the cry of them is waxed and great before the face of the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it and Lot went out and spake unto his sons in law which married his daughters and said oh 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 again his voice was such that it wasn't heard it wasn't heard anymore his voice had been drowned out by his life by more his doing than what he was saying he'd become a part of that sinful city in effect such that he'd lost his voice he was scorned and unheeded the salt had lost its savour

[17:56] Lot had blended in he lacked that convincing testimony to the lost of the city and he was just mocked by his very family his sons in law and we see that they would be burnt up it could well be others in his family were also destroyed because they did not hear his voice he lacked that convincing testimony to the lost and friends we see the choices that Lot made and friends we can be urged personally I trust by what we can learn from Lot how we can learn from Lot and I know for myself that the choices that we made can have dire consequences and consequences beyond the present and the immediate into the future the choices that we make for example young people the choices that we made in who we choose as our mate as our spouse can have dire consequences those we choose for our friends those we choose to have friendships with the choices that we make about the career the work choices that we might make the study choices that we might make everything that we choose to do we can learn from a lot can't we

[19:19] I trust that it won't be just that which I can get for myself that which I can see as beneficial in finances or in comforts but rather what are the spiritual consequences of my choices and for example with friendships we see the word exhorts us often along such lines for example 1 Corinthians 15 33 that evil communications corrupt good manners evil communications or companionships those with whom we would be mixed together in companionships in communications be not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners we see that sadly with many Christian youth that they might mix together with others that haven't got the same testimony the same standards the same biblical foundations we see the damage can be done and it's all too sad to see and from

[20:24] Genesis 19 from verse 15 we see what happened to Lot and his family and the morning came and verse 15 then the angels hasted Lot saying arise take thy wife and thy two daughters which are here lest they be consumed in the iniquity of the city 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 verse 17 and it came to pass when they had brought them forth abroad that he said escape for thy life look not behind thee neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed escape for thy life and yet verse 15 we see it would appear almost a reluctance there amongst them a reluctance to flee the evil as we see they had to be taken by the hand verse 16 they lingered a reluctance there to flee the evil god forbid they didn't have 40 days like in Jonah's day 40 days to hear the preaching of the word or many years like in Noah's day they only had moments before destruction would fall escape for thy life look not behind thee what did

[21:59] Lot's wife do Lot's wife looked behind her Lot's wife looked behind at what God had saved her from as if there was a longing there for what they had left behind and certainly Lot lost everything in the city didn't he that city that he went to to make a big name for himself to make a prosperous life for himself it was all wiped out anyway when God's hand fell on the city and Lot's wife she lingered she looked back she did not escape she looked back with you could think of somewhat of a longing perhaps as she lingered as she might have thought of those things that she was leaving behind in the city and yet should we look back brother sister should we look back should we look back to those idolatrous things to the worldly influences of Sodom shouldn't we rather escape for thy life shouldn't we we must we must God tells us to hate such things to hate evil and then the Lord from verse 24

[23:00] Genesis 19 then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah bring stone and fire from the Lord out of heaven and he overthrew those cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities which grew upon the ground but his wife looked back from behind him and she became a pillar of salt we don't know how this might have occurred it could be the residue of the city as it was evaporated as it were with the ashes and the great fire the great destruction but certainly she was left she lingered she was lost and friends what a sad testimony and again a testimony of Lot that had he not made wiser choices it may not have happened and verse 27 Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain and beheld and lo the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace like Lot we live in a wicked world we see

[24:20] Sodom and Gomorrah all around us yet we cannot excuse our sin because of it we need to be still as righteous Lot as just Lot yet God willing not making the faulty choices that Lot made not having the faulty decisions not having the faulty vision the faulty values the faulty voice but to be rather as Abraham and if we can't make the right decision the first time make the right choices the first time to have as Abraham had a biblical vision a biblical vision that his choices were those that were honouring to the Lord biblical values in how he led his life and his family a biblical voice to be that man of God and friends if we fail we can make today a turning point we can take today as that decision point and we can be righteous even in the midst of violent sin as we know our world is sinful and it's ever so ever more so what can we learn from Lot today friends we can learn about biblical convictions we can learn that the choices that we make about the companionships we have about the fellowship we keep about the values that guide us about the world view that a whole mindset is driven by it's not about what the world would chase or deem important but laying up treasures in heaven but a considering of what is of spiritual value what is of spiritual benefit that we can have godly faithfulness like

[26:12] Abraham had that our Christianity will be a grassroots Christianity a Christianity that it's biblical culture and biblical priorities that determine the choices that we make for our lives and I trust that we all can be exhorted to do more so that we can learn from Lot learn from Lot's mistakes and not make them ourselves and friends I exhort you along that line that we can whilst our righteous soul might be vexed and tormented as we turn on the TV set if we do so or read the newspaper and we see the chaos we see the judgment coming that we'll be ready we'll be ready we won't linger or look back like Lot's wife but we'll flee for our life let us pray heavenly father we thank you that your word is truth and it's a challenge as we read of men and women of

[27:18] God through history that some have heeded your word and some have neglected it and some have had to suffer to realise the truth and to be saved as by fire Lord we thank you that you tell us to flee the sinful city help us Lord to be ever mindful of our choices that we made that we might be salt where we are as you help us to be in whatever influence we can be and yet Lord we know that this world is close to judgement ever closer to that judgement day help us Lord to flee that which is not of you and to take as it were by the hand those that we can with us to flee the judgement to come help us Lord to point others to Christ if there be any here present who know you not yet Lord they might realise the great peril that we don't know when that fire will fall as it were that your judgement will come the final judgement of which there's no time beyond

[28:31] Lord that we don't want to leave it too late tonight if there are any who haven't made peace peace with you through Christ tonight that they will know what it is to escape to escape and Lord that we might not look back or linger that we might look to you and thank you for your mercy and saving grace to help us to find safety to find refuge that sure and certain shelter from your judgement because at Christ's cross Lord you paid it all every bit of your wrath and anger the judgement against our sin was fully vented there and Lord we can only thank you for that grace and mercy tonight we praise you Lord and thank you if there be any who haven't yet trusted you that they will seek counsel and say to know how

[29:32] I can be saved and to find that peace everlasting that peace with God and Lord for we that believe help us to be ever wise about the decisions we make and the eternal consequences of them in Jesus name Amen I love to tell the story of haunting things above of Jesus and his glory of Jesus and his love God him his love to him to him to him to him to him to!