of Genesis chapter 19. The book
of Genesis chapter 19. Those of you that were here last
week remember that we began a message on Lot and the fact that he lingered
as the scripture testifies here in verse 16 of Genesis chapter
19 The angels, the two angels had come to his house in Sodom
and Gomorrah, and they had hastened Lot, they tried to hurry him
up to get him to come out of the city, and the scripture says
that he lingered in verse 16. I'd like to read beginning with
verse 12, read down through verse 17, before we get into our message
this morning. And the men said unto Lot, that
is the angels said unto Lot, hast thou here any besides son-in-law,
and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the
city, bring them out of this place. For we will destroy this
place, because the cry of them is waxen 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, Up,
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. And when the morning rose, then
the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife and thy
two daughters, which are here, lest thou 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. 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. Most of you recall that last
week we spent considerable time showing you that Lot, while he
was an example in the Word of God, that the Word of God gives
us examples not only to follow but also to avoid. And certainly
Lot is one of those examples that we ought to avoid. And we
want to learn, if we can, all the Word of God would have us
to about this man's case in order that we might be able to make
application to our own lives in these days in which we live.
Now, there are two things that I'd like to say at the outset
this morning. I don't want to go back and recapture
everything or recap everything that we said last week, but I
would like to say a word or two about this man we pointed out
last week, that he was a righteous man. We wouldn't have known that,
would we? Unless the word of God would
have plainly stated that he was a righteous man. And I want to
say just a word or two about that. If you would turn back
with me to the book of 2 Peter, I'd like for us to look first
of all in the second chapter, and then we'll say a few words
about the third, some verses out of the third chapter that
our brother has faithfully read to us this morning. But in the
second chapter of 2 Peter, We're told here in verse 6, and turning
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with
an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after
should live ungodly, and delivered just Lot. Now the word just there
means that he was a justified man. It means that he was just
before God. It means that God had declared
him or had given him a standing before him just as if he had
never committed a sin. Now I believe that Lot was a
believer and that he looked forward to the coming of the Messiah,
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe that God
saved people in the Old Testament just like he saves them in the
New Testament. He saves them by grace and he
saves them by faith. Those in the Old Testament looking
forward, believing that the types and believing that the shadows,
believing that the offerings offered by the priest in the
Old Testament that they was a type of Jesus Christ who was to come
and fulfill them all. Lot was a just man, he was justified. Now under the old covenant, the
old covenant asked of man what it never got. It asked of man
what it never got from man, that is a perfect obedience. because
it was not in man to give it. It was not in man to give it.
No man since the fall has ever been able to render a perfect
obedience unto God. Thanks be unto God for the God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who by his obedience unto God hath given
us a righteousness which is equal to the righteousness of God,
and a righteousness which is the righteousness of God, which
gives us right standing before God. Now the new covenant, now
hear me on this, the old covenant could not, man under the old
covenant was not able to render perfect obedience. I know Lot
did not become just before God, he did not become righteous before
God by his obedience. But the new covenant guarantees
all blessings through the work of another. It guarantees all
blessings through the work of another. We believe that through
our surety, the Lord Jesus Christ that we have, have had everlasting
righteousness brought in and that through faith that righteousness
has been, that it has been imputed, accredited, reckoned to our count
on the books of God. And we believe today that all
those who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they
have a standing and an acceptance before God in the righteousness
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the knowledge of this, and
from the knowledge of this, that we are in the Lord Jesus Christ
and that we're looked upon by God and looked upon him with
favor, even as he looks upon his own son, the knowledge of
this, from that springs the desire to obey our God, to obey our
God and to be subject to Him because we have become the recipients
of such marvelous, wonderful, amazing grace. We believe that
we should obey the Lord, that we should follow the Lord, that
we should walk in obedience to Him. Because He first loved us,
we love Him, and we believe in sincerity. We're to follow Him,
obey Him, and to be a witness to Him and for his glory in this
world in which we live. But Lot was a just man, and the
scripture says he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the
wicked. He was uncomfortable living where he lived, and he
was uncomfortable with these wicked people living around him. In verse 8, for that righteous
man dwelling among them and seeing and hearing, he vexed his righteous
soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. We said considerable
last week about God bringing his judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah,
making them an example unto those that would afterwards live ungodly. Now this morning, if you would,
turn on over to chapter three, the chapter that our brother
read. I just want to kind of give another word of preface
here before we get into the message. We've established that Lot was
a righteous man, that he was a Christian, that he was a believer,
But yet he was not a perfect believer. There were many imperfections
and many blemishes and defects in his life. He was a Christian
nevertheless, but he was not as he ought to have been. And
there are very few of us that I know of, if any of us, that
are exactly what we ought to be as the children of God living
in this world. Notice in verse 11. seeing then
that all these things shall be dissolved. He's been talking
about how that the Lord is going to come back, and how that He
has reserved unto fire the earth, and how that He's going to bring
judgment upon the earth, and the end of all things is at hand. seeing then that all these things
are going to be dissolved, all these earthly things, all these
things that we can see with our eye. What manner of persons ought
ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness? The word conversation
here is behavior, in all holy behavior. That is, be ye holy
as I am holy, saith the Lord. and walk as he walked. If any
man says he knows him, let him walk even as he walked. And in
all manner of holy conversation and godliness, looking for and
hastening. Now that word hastening, we'll
see it again back in Genesis, or we did see it there this morning
in our reading. Hastening, hurrying up as it
were, looking for and hurrying up the coming of the day of God,
wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The people of God
are hurrying up, as it were, the day of God by earnestly desiring
it, by living in this world as they ought to live, and making
the profession before this world that they are strangers and pilgrims
here, and they're looking for that day when the Lord's going
to come back. That day when the earth is going
to burn up and all these things will be dissolved and the elements
will melt with fervent heat. It reminds us of what happened
to Sodom and Gomorrah, that the Lord reduced them unto ashes. Nevertheless, in verse 13, We,
that is the people of God, that is the people of faith, that
is those that believe, they according to His promise, and God has made
the promise, they look for new heavens and a new earth. We believe
that God is going to send down a new heaven and a new earth.
wherein will dwell righteousness. Righteousness will dwell. It
won't be like Sodom and Gomorrah. It won't be like the cities in
the state of Montana. There will be righteousness dwelling. Righteousness will cover the
earth from sea to sea. Righteousness will cover the
earth. Our Lord will rule with a rod of iron. In verse 14, wherefore,
beloved, seeing that you look for such things. We're looking
for a new heaven and a new earth. We're not necessarily looking
for a hole in the ground. We're looking for one in the
sky. We're looking for Christ to come back. We believe that
He is coming. And we believe that we should
be looking for such things. That that's the very posture that we should be in,
looking for a new heaven and a new earth, and do not live
as if this was all, and do not look upon this as being everything
to us, and making it everything to us. God's gonna do away with
this, and those things that are seen are temporal, but the things
that are unseen are eternal. And so he says, wherefore, beloved,
seeing that ye look for such things, are we looking for such
things? Are we looking for a new heaven
and a new earth? Or are we so taken up with this
world and this earth and our success or the lack of it here
that we're so bogged down and so disturbed that we just hardly
can make it one day after another? But are we really looking away
from this creation unto that new heaven and new earth? And
he says, wherefore, beloved, then, seeing that you look for
such things, be diligent. Be diligent. Be diligent that
you may be found of him in peace." Well, I believe that what this
means is that you may be found of him in peace, that you'll
be at peace with God. at peace with God. Now this is
very important to see that as we live in this world that we
ought to be in agreement with God. We ought to be at peace
with God. Certainly by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
Bible says in Romans 5.1, therefore being justified by faith we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We do have peace
with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But then there
are those that have peace with God because they're reconciled
unto His will. They're reconciled unto His way.
They're reconciled unto His providence, whether it be, as far as they're
concerned, good or whether they determine it to be an ill providence. What is your situation? Are you
at peace with God? Are you at peace with Him this
morning? Are you at peace with His providence? Can you say,
Lord, whatever You will, I will. I want to will Thy will. I don't
want any other will except Your will. Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. I'll be happy and satisfied if
Your will is done wherever it places me. Wherever I'm found,
if Your will is done, then I'll be happy. I'll be at peace. And
so, as God's people, that we may be found diligent and that
we may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless. We
may be found of Him, when He comes, that we'll be attempting
to make our state in this world As far as our outward lives are
concerned, just like our position is before Him. Now I have no
problem with a fella that tells me that he's aiming every day
to be like his Lord. I have no problem with that.
But if a man tells me that he hits a bullseye every time, then
I question that. I say that we ought to be aiming
to be like our Lord and like our Master. And I know that as
we stand before Him this morning, that we are without spot, without
blemish, and without blame before Him in love. Positionally, that's
the way we are as God's children, standing, having a standing in
our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. However, our state is
not that. There are many spots. There are
many blemishes. There are many defects, and in
lots of life, we see some of those defects, some of those
blemishes. But you and I ought to be attempting
to make our state like our position, and we're not going to become
braggarts and say that we are making it or that we are there
yet. We have not laid hold fully of
that for which we've been apprehended of God, but we're pressing on
and pressing in that direction. Now then, he says, in account
that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our
beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him
hath written unto you. And so we're to look upon the
fact that, as our brother mentioned, it's been 2,000 years since these
scriptures were written. And the people of God were looking
then and were exhorted to look. And how do we account for all
of this time that has elapsed and that the Lord has not come
back? Well, we're to believe that it's salvation. Verse 9
says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promises. as some men count
slackness, but is long patient, is long suffering to usward,
not willing that any of his people, not any of those that have been
chosen of God, not any of those that he set his love and affection
upon from before the foundation of the world, not any of them
that he's chosen unto himself and give to Christ in the eternal
covenant, not willing that any of them should perish, but that
every one of them should come to repentance. And so beloved
believe that God is saving his own, he's calling a people. out
from among the Gentiles for himself. And these people that belong
to him, they're his sheep from old eternity. He knew them in
old eternity and he's calling them out. And God will have out
of every generation that has lived upon the face of the earth
a people. And that's why the Lord has not
come back yet. He's still saving his own. Christ
will see the travail of his soul and he will be satisfied. And
we need to believe that and believe that God is in this business
of bringing a people unto himself. Many sons will he bring home
to glory. He'll bring them all the way
home to glory. And that's why we have this the
Lord being long patient and that's why we need to in faith be diligent
and be at peace with God and be without spot and blemish and
hasten up the day of the Lord, hurry up the day of the Lord
by living in obedience and being an instrument in his hands to
do and to be what he would have us to be. Now then, that is the
preface this morning, and I must get into the message now. I want
to say, what does the text tell us about Lot's behavior? If you're
back in Genesis chapter 19, what does our text tell us about Lot's
behavior here? Now the words are indeed astonishing
to me. It says in verse 16 that he lingered,
that he lauded, that he trifled, that he lingered. Now the more
we consider the time and the circumstances, the more astounded
we become. Now Lot knew the awful condition
of the city in which he lived. He knew the awful condition.
His soul had been vexed with the filthy conversation of the
wicked. The cry of its abomination had
waxen great before the Lord. In verse 13 it says, and yet
he lingered, Lot lingered. Lot knew the fearful judgment
of God was coming down upon all that was within the walls of
that city. The angel had said plainly in
verse 13, the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. The Lord hath
sent us to destroy it, and yet he lingered. Lot knew also that
God was a God who always kept his word. Now, how important
is that? Beloved, we need to, and certainly
if we're here this morning, we may say, well, I believe that.
I believe that God is a God who always kept, that he always keeps
his word. Now if he said a thing, he would
surely do it, and Lot knew that God would keep his word, that
he sent these angels down here to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah,
and he surely was going to do it. He was Abraham's nephew,
and he lived with Abraham, and Abraham was a friend of God.
Abraham was a man who talked to God as he would talk to a
friend. And Abraham surely taught those
in his household and taught his young nephew Lot that God was
a God of his word and what he promised he was able to perform,
yet he lingered. Furthermore, Lot believed that
there was danger, for in verse 14, he went to his sons-in-law
and warned them to flee. to flee because judgment was
coming. Look at that in verse 14. Lot
went out and spake unto his sons-in-law, which had married his daughters,
and said, Up, up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will
destroy the city. But he seemed as one that mocked
unto his sons-in-law. And yet he lingered, Lot knew,
and he warned his son-in-laws that the Lord was going to destroy
the city. Yet the Bible says he lingered. Lot saw the angels
standing by, waiting for him and his family to get out. And
they hastened him. There's that word. They hastened
him. They hurried him up. They said, come on, lot, get
with it. You need to get out of this city.
God sent us to destroy it. Judgment's coming. Hasten and
get up. There's no time for loitering,
no time for trifling. Get up and get out of this city. And oh, for those of you that
are yet outside of the grace of God, those of you that have
never tasted of the grace of God, those of you whom Jesus
Christ has never been revealed in His glory, the glory of His
saving efficacy, I say to you this morning, and you may say,
well, now preacher, you've said God has a people, and we've said
that, we really do, we did say that, and we believe that with
all of our hearts. We know though also that it's
your responsibility to flee the wrath to come. It's your obligation
and responsibility. to flee from the judgment that
is coming upon the world of the ungodly. The wicked shall be
turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. God is a God of judgment and
you need to flee from that judgment and flee unto that mountain,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Lot was slow when he should
have been quick. He was backward when he ought
to have been forward. He was trifling when he should
have been hastening. He was loitering when he should
have been hurrying. Cold when he should have been hot. And
it seems incredible, but the Spirit of God writes it down.
He lingered. Now there's an old Spanish proverb
that says, the fool does in the end what a wise man does at the
beginning. And so Lot, he was a very loitering
man. I fear that there are many of
the Lord's people that are just like Lot. There are many who
are real children of God who appear to know far more than
they live up to. Do you live up to everything
you know? Do you live in obedience to everything that God has taught
you in His Holy Word? They see more truth than they
practice. Always wanting to hear more,
hear more, hear more truth. But do they practice what they
hear? It kind of reminds me of the story of the preacher that
was invited to come and preach for a church. And he came, he
preached a message, and they liked it. They liked it real
well. And so they had him back again. He came back again. He
preached the same sermon over again. And well, they liked it
pretty well, but they wondered a little bit about it, but so
they had him back again. Came back, preached the same
one again. So some of them got together and said, we ought to
talk to this man. He's preached the same sermon here three times
in a row. And so they came to him and said,
you preach this sermon three times, we'd like to know why.
And he said, well, I'll quit preaching it when you start obeying
it. When you start practicing it, then I will preach something
else to you. So then, are we living up to
the truth that we know? Now they like sound preaching,
everybody does, and they give mental assent onto everything
that they hear. To every gospel truth they hear,
they give mental assent to it. But still, there is an indescribable
something which is not right about many of us. an indescribable something which
is not just right. They are a disappointment, these
people are, who are lots of brothers and sisters. They are a disappointment
to themselves and to many others around them because they're trifling,
they're lazy, they're laundering, they're indifferent, they're
callous souls, they're asleep. as it were. Now they believe
in heaven yet they just faintly long for it. Can you really and
truthfully say that you've got a groaning in your heart for
heaven? We're reminded of the words of
that old song that everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody
wants to die. Listen, are we longing for heaven? Do we have that groan in us that
the Word of God speaks of concerning leaving this world and going
up yonder to be with the Lord? They believe in hell, yes they
do. And all of us would profess that we believe in hell, but
will not open the mouth to warn the ungodly souls of their danger. Never would open their mouth.
let their own children go to hell, let their own relatives
go to hell, never open their mouth to say a word about them. You will take note here that
these angels And I would ask you this morning whether you
agree with me or not. It wouldn't really matter, I
guess, a whole lot as to what I have to say about this, but
do you believe these angels knew that Lot was one of God's elect?
I believe they knew that. And I believe that they had been
sent there specifically by God to deliver old Lot out of that
city. I believe that with all my heart.
Yet I want you to take notice here about what happened. In
verse 16, after the scripture says he lingered, the men laid
hold of his hand. The men laid hold of his hand.
Now remember, there's two angels here. They've got two hands apiece. They laid hold of his hand, and
upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters,
Now that's what we call a sufficiency of instrumentality. We have here
four hands, and we have a hand laid on Lot, we have a hand laid
on his wife, and we have a hand laid on his two daughters. And
so, beloved, this is important to see. You say, well, why in
the world would they lay their hands on him? Why do you suppose
they laid their hands on Lot and his wife and his two daughters?
It was that they might be able to impress upon him the need
to get out of that place. And they laid hold of him, being
merciful, God being merciful to him. This is over with, and
we're not trifling here anymore. Come on and get on out of here. Come on out of this place. And
you know, we believe in hell and we believe judgment's coming.
We believe the earth's going to be burned up. We believe the
time's coming when the fire's going to come down and the elements
are going to be consumed. We believe it. We believe it.
But would we say anything to anybody? I read a story one time
about some twins, two twins boys. One of them became a believer
early in life, was a Christian. And he once in a while would
drop a little hint to his brother that he ought to be a Christian
too. He should be one. Well, his brother went on with
his life and the two of them kind of, you know, got separated
a little bit. But every once in a while, this first brother,
the one that was a believer, would just drop a word now and
then that his brother ought to be saved. Well, after a while
they got up in years a little bit, and this brother that was
not a Christian, he became terminally ill, and he was dying. And unbeknownst
to the first brother, the one who was a Christian, this sick
brother, he sought the Lord and he was saved. And so the two
got together right before this brother died. And this brother
said to him, the one that was dying, he said, now brother,
you every once in a while very quietly drop the word now and
then to me, but why did you not plead with me? Why did you not
get a hold of my shoulders and shake me? Why did you? I almost,
he said, I almost trifled away my life, almost sinned my way
into hell. And you, just once in a while,
just dropped a little word, never said anything. Now beloved, I
realize that we don't want to become obnoxious to our relatives,
and obnoxious to our friends, and obnoxious to hell, you know,
to those that live around us and so on. But really and truthfully,
do we believe in hell? Do we believe in judgment? Do
we believe that people that die in their sin go to hell? Do we
believe that really? Do we really believe it? If we
do, then I believe that we should begin to lay hold, as it were,
with a hand, at least lay a hand on the shoulder and say, my friend,
You have an ever-dying soul, and you're going to spend eternity
somewhere, either in the realms of darkness, either under the
judgment of God, or in that place of heavenly bliss, in the glory,
in the glory realm, in that place where God dwells with His angels. Do we really believe in hell? enough to where we could become
a messenger that is earnest and zealous and enthusiastic about
presenting the message of the gospel to those around us. Now
these people love the Lord Jesus, but half-heartedly, if at all,
keep His word. The Bible says, if you love me,
keep my commandments, keep my word. They hate the devil, but
they appear to be trying to tempt him to come to them. They flirt
with sin. They know the time is short,
but they live as if they were going to live here, right here,
forever. And they make their plans to
live a long life, and they make their plans to enjoy themselves,
like that rich fool that the young people and I were talking
about the other night in the Bible study. Oh, my soul, take
thine ease, and be merry, because ye have much goods laid up. And
so enjoy yourself in this world. They say that they know that
the Christian life is a fight of faith with the world, with
the flesh, and with the devil, but they're at peace with all
three. There's no fight in them. There's
no fight in them. Am I describing you this morning?
They know there's a race to run, yet they're often caught standing
still as if their feet were set in concrete. How about you? Are
you up and about? They are children of the day,
but often appear, really, to be of the night. Astonishing! They should be what they are.
They should be what they are, and yet be nothing more than
they are. Is it not astonishing that you
can say this morning, I'm a child of God. I'm a child of light.
I'm a child of God that's been delivered out of the kingdom
of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. I'm on my way
to glory. Isn't that astonishing that you
can say that and yet, that you're nothing more than what we are
this morning? Isn't that astonishing? I mean,
does this not challenge us? Does this not get a hold of us?
Are we not dull? Are we not lifeless? Has this
world not cast a blanket upon us? The love of many waxes cold
because iniquity abounds. There's but one description,
I think, that fits all of us, and that is that we're brothers
and sisters of Lot. Now, they get the notion in their
minds that it would be impossible, these people, for them to be
any more than what they really are. Any better life is out of
the question. It's out of reach. Don't expect
anything more out of me. Don't want you to be expecting
it. I'm not going to be anything more. I'm going to go on and
lauder my way to glory. I'm going to live as if my heart,
you know, the Bible says where your heart is, There will your
treasure be also. Now, they are they who dread
sacrifice, and they shrink back from self-denial. They never
are able to apply our Lord's command to take up the cross
and to follow Him, cut off the right hand, pluck out the right
eye. Oh, they don't deny that He says this, but that doesn't
belong in their religion, doesn't fit in their religion. They seemingly
are spending their lives making the gate wider and the cross
lighter, and it will not work, my friend. It will not work.
They try to keep in with the world, make excuses for not separating
themselves from the world, and I tell you, they are brothers
and sisters of Lot, and I believe that there are many of us here
that have to admit to that. Now, these are they who cannot
find it in them to quarrel with their besetting sin. Whatever
it may be, they're not going to quarrel with it. They allow
it to remain an undisturbed tenet of their heart. They will not
quarrel with it. Lingering souls are not happy.
A lingerer's conscience forbids him to enjoy inward peace in
this life. You're following the Lord, my
friend. You're following him for all. Well, number three,
what may account for Lot's lingering? What is it? How can we explain
this? To know the root of a disease,
somebody says, is one step towards a remedy. Do as he did, and it
will be a miracle if you do not get into the same state of soul
at last. Now, I tell you, many of us do
not feel that our actions, especially when we're younger, has anything
to do with how things will be with us when we get older. We
feel that we can do whatever we need to do. People talk about
sowing their wild oats and doing all these things, and they feel
that there's no price to pay, that there isn't any scars that
will be left, that there won't be any effects of it, and that
you'll be fine when you get older. You'll just outlive it. It'll
be fine. But I'm telling you, you make the same mistakes that
Locke did. And I'll tell you what, you're
going to wind up in the same kind of state at the end. Now
you remember that, and I believe that Locke, and one of the ways
that I account for him being so wishy-washy and so lingering
and so laundering and trifling at this time, is I believe that
back in his life, If you were to follow the word of God and
read in the 13th chapter of the book of Genesis, you'd see that
there was a time when he made a wrong choice. Abraham and Lot,
you remember they lived together, and I told you that, and they
both were rich. And the day came when they could
no longer live together. So Abraham, the older of the
two, in the spirit of humility, he gave Lot the choice of the
country where they resolved to part company. He said, if you
take the left hand, I'll go to the right. If you take the right,
I'll go to the left. So he chose by sight. because
you remember that Lot chose that way towards Sodom because the
ground was fertile, it was green, and it was a wonderful looking
place, so he chose to go that way. And he asked no counsel
of God. to keep himself back from making a mistake. No, he
said, I'll just go that way. Because it looked best to him,
and it looked best to the flesh. He looked to the things of time
and not of eternity. He said, I've got all these flocks,
all that grazing up through there, that's the way I'm going. Now,
he thought like a worldly sinner would think. Only what would
help him at this time, right now, in this life, Sell it all,
whatever's right, right now, whatever would be best for me.
And then secondly, Lot mixed with sinners when there was no
occasion for his doing so. Now Lot ended up over in Sodom
and Gomorrah. You remember Paul's made this
statement, he said, that company corrupts good manners. But the
next time that Lot is mentioned, I think I showed you this, that
he pitched his tent towards Sodom. That was read out of the first
part of the scripture here. But the next time that he is
mentioned, we find him actually living in Sodom itself. He's
actually living there. Now the Spirit said he dwelt
in Sodom, Genesis 14 and verse 12. That means he left his tents,
that means he left the country, that means he left the rural
life, and he moved into Sodom and Gomorrah. He occupied a house.
He had a house in that wicked city. Now we're not told the
reason, but I'm quite sure that it was not by God's command.
I'm quite certain that God never told him to go into Sodom and
live in that wicked city. Well, perhaps his wife liked
the town better than the country. I'm quite sure that she had some
influence on him, being she was from Sodom and Gomorrah. That's
where she came from. It's plain to see that she had
no grace herself. And maybe she influenced him.
Perhaps it was his daughters. who met and married men from
Sodom. And so he had sons-in-laws there,
and his daughters were living there, and he said, surely it'd
be right for me to move in there, too, and to live there, and to
be comfortable. After all, it'd be much more
comfortable for us to live in the city. And so he did so. Now, if a child of God does these
two things, he will turn out, I believe, in the end to find
that his spiritual life has been greatly dulled by these two things. Number one, making a wrong choice,
choosing always what's pleasing to the flesh, and secondly, having
company with and associating with the wicked when there's
no occasion for doing it. Okay, this will make your soul
lean, my friend. And this will take the edge off
your feeling about sin, and you'll become blunt and dull as a Christian. And this will dim the eyes of
your spiritual discernment until you can no longer distinguish
between that which is right and that which is wrong, and everything
will just become gray to you. And this will bring more palsy
to your soul. This is the way to give the devil
the high ground in the battle. is for you to look out for your
life here and say that's all I'm interested in or for you
to associate with the ungodly. It's to tie your hands. It's
to drive the sources of your strength. It's to cripple your
soul. It's to cut off your own hair like Samson and give yourself
into the very hands of the Philistines. To put out your own eyes and
to grind at the mill and to become a slave unto the devil and to
sin. Beware, my friend, of Lot's choice. Remember this. in choosing a
place to live. Listen to me, is Christ preached? Is Christ crucified preached
next door to your house or in reach of your door? Is he preached? I mean, can you hear the message
of the gospel in the area in which you live? Remember this,
in choosing a profession in life, Be very careful when you say,
well this is what I'm going to do with my life. And be careful
that you don't end up later on suffering spiritually for what
you choose to do. Remember this too in choosing
a husband and a wife. It is not that your eyes are
pleased, that's not what it's all about, that your tastes are
met. That your mind finds congeniality? That's not it. That there is
a promise of comfort and a promise of a good, comfortable home for
life? That's not what it's all about.
Think of your soul. Will your soul be helped upwards
or dragged downwards? downwards by the union that you're
planning. Will your soul be made more earthly
or more heavenly? Will it be drawn nearer to God,
nearer to Christ, or will it become more worldly by the choices
that you're making? Think, my friend, and think again
before you commit yourself. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians
6 and 14, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Matrimony,
as Bishop Ryle says, is nowhere in the scriptures named among
the means of conversion. You say, well, I'm gonna marry
this person and I'll convert him. Well, you'll find out how
many Lot converted when he was in Sodom. Lot didn't convert
anybody in Sodom, and we'll see that quickly. You may be an earnest
Christian now, And you may feel like David, I shall never be
moved, Psalm 30 and verse 6, but don't be deceived my friend,
you walk in Lot's shoes and you will some, you'll come to Lot's
state of soul, bewaring of doing what Lot did. Number four and
last, let me tell you what kind of fruit Lot's lingering spirit
bore at the very end. I must not pass over this point.
I believe that this is very important to say Some would say, well,
after all, preacher, you've admitted Lot was already saved and we're
sure that he went to heaven. And after all, that's all I really
want to do. I don't care much about anything else, just as
long as I get in. That's all I'm concerned about.
I knew a fellow in Indiana, he's a truck salesman, and that was
his attitude. He said, oh, I started trying to talk to him about trying
to believe the truth of the gospel. He said, oh, that's not necessarily
important. I'm not going to put myself out
with anything. All I'm concerned about is just
getting in. If I can just get in, that's all that's necessary
to me. Just get in. Well, my friend,
there's more involved in this thing than that. When God saves
a person, He saves that person for that person to become an
instrument in His hands and for that person to become a witness.
The elect of God are the witnesses of God in every generation in
which they live. Their lives are to tell out a
story. Their lives are to tell out a
story of victory and power and grace. Well, I hope I can change
your mind about this. I contend that holiness and usefulness
are very closely connected in this life. That true happiness,
following the Lord fully, goes side by side. Sin and peace and
rest are incompatible. The two won't go together. Rebellion
and peace are not compatible. You're not going to have, you
cannot have the two. If you're going to walk in rebellion
to God, you're not going to be at peace in your soul. Now note
here that Lot did no good among the inhabitants of Sodom. He
moved there, he lived there, And I do not know how long he
lived there. I know nothing about that. I
don't know anything of his opportunities to speak for God there. I don't
suppose that they ever said, hey, we got a beating place over
here. Nobody's preaching. Come on over and preach. I don't
suppose that ever happened. He appeared to have no effect
or influence with the people that were around him. Not one
righteous person could be found in all Sodom outside the walls
of Lot's home. Not one. Not one. And that's
why God said, we're going to destroy this place. Abraham,
you remember, interceded for this place. Interceded before
God. In all of his humility, he had
interceded. As one, he said, I'm as dust
and ashes. And he interceded that God would
spare that city. But there was none righteous
outside of Lot's home. Not one of his neighbors ever
believed anything he said. Not one of them. Not one seems
to care for his opinion. When he tried to restrain their
wickedness, they said, he came here to sojourn and he will needs
be a judge. He's become a judge. They did
not believe anything. His life carried no weight. His
words were not listened to. His religion drew none to follow
his God. Next lot helped none of his family
or his relatives toward heaven. I do not know how large his family
was, but we know that he had at least a wife and he had four
daughters. And this apparently made up his family. And one thing
is clear to me, that there was not one of them that feared God.
Not one of them. It was as if they were saying,
who cares about anything you believe or anything you say?
They mocked him. His son-in-laws mocked him. He
said, the Lord's going to bring judgment on this city. And they
mocked him. What about his wife? Well, she
left the city with him. But she did not get married for
a graceless soul, a forgotten woman, as it were, in a place. Scripture says don't
forget her. Jesus said, remember Lot's wife.
Remember her. She was a graceless soul, but
he apparently had no effect on her, none whatsoever. And she
was from Sodom, as we mentioned. I feel he was partly to blame
for her turning and looking back. because he was a compromiser. He let her rule the roost, I
suppose, one day when she said, we're just going to live in the
town here. And if you don't want to live in the town, I don't
want to live with you. And he compromised, I suppose, and let
her tell him what she was going to do, what they were going to
do. And it ended up here that whenever she left the city, she
just could not stand to leave all that. She couldn't take it. All of her goods were there.
All of everything she had in that house. She couldn't stand
to leave it. She turned around and she looked
back. And I'll tell you what now. The
scripture here says, now look at verse 17. And it came to pass
when they brought them forth abroad that he said, escape for
thy life. Look not behind thee. What's involved here? Your life.
your life, the life of your soul. Your life is involved in this.
Now I'll tell you, the Bible says that if a man starts plowing
and he looks back, that he's not fit for the kingdom of God.
And you know, you say, well, preacher, I mean, you know, I
mean, we're talking about believers here and unbelievers. And he looks back, he's not fit
for the kingdom of God. And you say, well, I started.
I started. Where are they now? They started,
but then they went back. And I'll tell you that God's
people will persevere. They will persevere. They must
persevere. You say, don't you believe in
security? I believe in security. I do. I believe with all my heart.
But I'm telling you this, that if you turn around and look back,
Now we're talking about leaving a world of sin. We're talking
about leaving a world that the judgment of God is coming upon.
We're talking about leaving a world that the fire of God is going
to come down from heaven and purge this old earth. God's fire
is coming down. Escape for thy life! My friend,
you're escaping from this place where the judgment of God is
coming unto that place that God has prepared for his people,
a place where eye has not seen, ear heard, neither has it appeared
into the heart of man. This place, this place, we're
fleeing from this world unto that. They escaped. Well, what
about his daughters? They escaped. They escaped, but
only to do the devil's work. In short, Lot was not made the
means of keeping one soul back from the gates of hell. Lingering
souls are seen through by their own families, and when seen through,
they're despised. Their nearest relatives understand
inconsistency. If they understand nothing else
in religion, they understand inconsistency. Lingering parents
seldom ever have godly children. The eyes of the child sees more
than the ear can ever hear. What do you do more than you
say? And as we finish up this, Lot
left no evidence behind him when he died. No evidence behind him
when he died. I do not know how long he lived
after he escaped from Sodom. I don't know how long he lived.
I do not know where he died. I don't know when he died. Whether
he saw Abraham again, do you suppose he ever saw Abraham again?
What he said after this, No, what he thought after this, these
things are all hidden to us. We're told of the last days of
Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Joseph, of David, but not
one word about Lot. What a gloomy deathbed the deathbed
of Lot must have been. There's a painful silence. about
his end. Lingering believers will have
little peace at the last when their spirit is departed. Oh,
they reach heaven to be sure, but weary, foot sore, weakness
and tears and in storm, and I figure that's the way all of us are
going to be. They're saved, but so as by fire, 1 Corinthians
3 and 15. Brother, sister, well, I think it is almost impossible
not to see the connection here between Lot's choice and Lot's
lingering. And between Lot's lingering and
his unprofitableness to his family and the world, I believe the
Lord would have us all to see it. I believe he would. Lot is
a beacon to professing Christians. The lessons we have tried to
draw from the history of Lot deserve serious reflection by
all the people of God. away with the idea that the Christian
life requires no sacrifice, that it entails no cross-bearing,
away with that idea. Let us behave like strangers
and pilgrims in this world. Bear a faithful witness For our
Lord Jesus, be distinct from the world to leave a savior,
to leave a savor of our Master in the end. A savor, a sweet
smell in the nostrils of those that have lived around us when
our end comes. May we leave that sweet savor
of the Master. Now do not be a lingering soul.
Let not one of us linger. Let me tell you something, time
does not linger. Let me tell you something, death
does not linger. Let me tell you, judgment does
not linger. The devil does not linger. The
world does not linger. It's all serious. It's serious. Now, if we see one another lingering,
what do you suppose we should do? Let us not be afraid to say,
wake up. Wake up, my friend. Escape for
thy life! Wake up! Let's lay a hand on
the shoulder and say, it's time that you be disturbed, my friend,
and that you wake up, that you wake up, and be not another lot. Do not linger, my friend, on
your way to glory. John Bunyan said, on this side,
the river of death, there is no place to sit down and rest. No place. You rest in the Lord,
but you be on your way. You be on your way to glory.
This is not your rest. The Bible says this is not your
rest. It is polluted and it shall be destroyed with a great destruction. My friend, press on and be diligent
and be at peace with God and be without spot and bless the
message to your souls. Father, in the name of Jesus,
do thou be pleased to strengthen and press, our Father, these
truths upon our hearts. May there be a time of revival. Confess in our hearts the need,
Lord, to draw near thee, the need to turn around, the need
to become more circumspect in this world, the need to become
more fervent in our service unto our God. Forgive our shortcomings,
forgive our weaknesses, and I repent for myself, and I repent on the
behalf of these people before me. I repent in the name of the
Lord for our coldness, our lukewarmness, our indifference, for our being
asleep half the time. Lord, strengthen us as believers
and may we be all out living for the glory of God, sold out
entirely, lock, stock, and barrel unto our master, the Lord Jesus.
We pray it in his name and for his sake. Amen.