1 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,640 If you have your Bible, we'll make your way to Genesis 18 as 2 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:16,120 we continue in our series titled Answering God's Call. 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,120 Genesis 18 we're going to pick up in verse 22. 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,920 We're going to make it through chapter 19, verse 29 today. 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:24,400 So we're going to cover a lot of texts. 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,680 This may not be a text that you would expect on Mother's Day, 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,200 and quite honestly, I really didn't either. 8 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,360 I wrestled with God about that a little bit, got a piece about 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,080 it, but I really feel like the Lord wants to use this text to 10 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,720 speak to us today. I also want to give you a heads 11 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,960 up that as we walk through it, I want you to be thinking about 12 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,680 the two different men we're going to meet because really 13 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,560 this text is a tale of two different men in two different 14 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,760 lives. But before we get there, I want 15 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,520 to admit to you that when I get to the get to the opportunity, 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,680 I'm going to stand before the Lord face to face. 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:58,800 I've got some questions that I want to ask. 18 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,560 I mean, it may not be right off, but whenever Jesus gives me a 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,640 chance to ask some questions, I want to ask, right? 20 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,200 So like God, how long were Adam and Eve in the garden before 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,720 they sinned? You know, was it 3 minutes or 22 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,520 was it like 30 years, right? I mean, how long did they make 23 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:13,840 it right? I want to ask that question, 24 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:17,000 God, what really happened to the dinosaurs or God maybe what's 25 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,680 the exact age of the earth or God, could you kind of tell me 26 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,600 how Cain's wife, how all that worked, how closely she was 27 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,120 related or not? All right, God, can we talk 28 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,440 about Genesis 6 like the sons of God, the daughters of men, the 29 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,400 Nephilim and God, what exactly happened right there? 30 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,680 All right, God, why mosquitoes? I could keep going. 31 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,080 I got I got a list right that I'm going to be ready for when 32 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,720 God gives me a chance. But praise God, we might have 33 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:46,120 all sorts of questions, many of them good ones, but praise God 34 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,640 that God has answered for us already. 35 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,360 The primary questions we need to know the answers to in order to 36 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,560 know him, live for him, and honor him as followers of his 37 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,520 Son Jesus. Praise God, God has answered for 38 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:03,080 us in his word those primary questions. 39 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,480 And in fact, when we're going to read this morning the beginning 40 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,360 part of this text, we're going to hear two of the most 41 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,080 important possible questions ever that God could be asked by 42 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:14,760 man. I want you listening for those. 43 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:18,320 And then I want you following along on the two men, Abraham 44 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,400 and Lot, and the tale of two lives that we're going to see 45 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,080 this morning. Let's pick up reading Genesis 46 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:29,680 18, beginning in verse 22. So the men turned from there and 47 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,240 went towards Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 48 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,560 And then Abraham drew near and said, Will you? 49 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,400 Here's the question, number one. Will you indeed sweep away the 50 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,920 righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are 50 righteous 51 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:48,400 within the city. Will you then sweep away the 52 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,360 place, and not spare it for the 50 righteous who are in it? 53 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,720 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to 54 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,200 death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the 55 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,880 wicked. Far be it, far be that from you 56 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:08,760 question #2 Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is 57 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,080 just? And the Lord said, If I find at 58 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,320 Sodom 50 righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for 59 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,760 their sake. Abram answered and said, Behold, 60 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,080 I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and 61 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,280 ashes. Suppose five of the 50 are 62 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,640 lacking, will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? 63 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,520 And he said, I will not if, if it if I find 45 there again He 64 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,680 spoke to him and said, suppose 40 are found there. 65 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,240 He answered, for the sake of 40, I will not do it. 66 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,720 And then he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, then I will 67 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,640 speak. Suppose 30 are found there, He 68 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,600 answered, I will not do it if I find 30 there. 69 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,320 He said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. 70 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,720 Suppose 20 are found there, He answered, For the sake of 20, I 71 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,080 will not destroy it. Then he said, Oh, let not the 72 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,000 Lord be angry, and I will speak again, but this once. 73 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,200 Suppose 10 are found there, he answered, For the sake of 10, I 74 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,520 will not destroy it. And the Lord went his way when 75 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,040 he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to 76 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,480 his place. Question number one that we 77 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:24,400 heard right out of the gate is will God sweep away the 78 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,800 righteous with the wicked? Remember the situation. 79 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,160 Three men have paid Abraham a visit. 80 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:37,440 These are no ordinary three men. Two of them are angels and one 81 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,280 of them is the Lord himself, the Son of God, the second person of 82 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:44,560 the Trinity who's been from everlasting eternity past. 83 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,920 Who's the one who spoke all of creation into existence, The one 84 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,320 who would take on human flesh that we would call Jesus and 85 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,960 call Jesus now, who's eternally existed and is now appearing 86 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,240 even in human form in the Old Testament with two angels that 87 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,560 have come to visit. Now their primary destination 88 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,720 was not Abrahams address if you remember they visited him, but 89 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:09,080 their primary destination is the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 90 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,960 Why? Because the sin of these cities 91 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,240 has risen so high. Because it's gotten so deep and 92 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,760 so bad and so broad, and the rampant wickedness has become so 93 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,400 unjust and so much unrighteousness is flowing 94 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,360 through their streets that the cries of the oppressed, the 95 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,320 cries of those suffering under the injustice, and the 96 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:31,480 unrighteousness of Sodom and Gomorrah has risen so high. 97 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,840 It's reached the ears of God Almighty. 98 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,320 And the Lord himself has decided to investigate and see for 99 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,080 himself. Don't miss Abraham's Abraham's 100 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,520 position in verse 22 like we read. 101 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,720 So the men turn from there. That is Abraham's tent and went 102 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,720 towards Sodom. But Abraham here it is stood. 103 00:05:52,720 --> 00:06:00,200 Watch this before the Lord. Abram is positioned between the 104 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:06,200 Lord and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, as he knows his nephew 105 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,680 Lot, and Lot's family lives there. 106 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,960 And so here before the Lord, Abraham is boldly chosen, if you 107 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,200 will, just like you read and and heard. 108 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,880 He's acting as a mediator. He's acting as a intercede, or 109 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,440 he's acting as an advocate. He's acting as a negotiator, 110 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:26,000 like a spiritual negotiator, if you will, before the Lord. 111 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,600 And before we answer the first question that we heard, we learn 112 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,200 a lesson from Abraham here. Who's before the Lord. 113 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,640 That's like this lesson #1 in your notes, God calls us to 114 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,560 intercede for the sake of others. 115 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:44,200 God calls you and me as followers of Christ to intercede 116 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,600 for the sake of others. You say, Kyle, what is it? 117 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,560 What does it mean to intercede? Well, just the general term, to 118 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:55,440 intercede means to engage or to act on behalf of someone else. 119 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,000 It's when you're seeking their good and you position them 120 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,880 yourself or act yourself on their behalf. 121 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,840 What we're talking about, to intercede is to intercede in 122 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,160 prayer. And So what we're talking about 123 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:11,320 is this going before God in prayer on behalf of others. 124 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,520 Why is this intercession, this intercessory prayer, so 125 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,640 important? Because of this truth. 126 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,600 The fact of the matter is that only God, and only God alone can 127 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,560 truly change the heart of a man or a woman or boy or girl from 128 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,320 the inside out. There's lots of things we can do 129 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,920 to serve someone, to show someone God's love, but the only 130 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,640 way a human being experiences, and it's the change of the power 131 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,520 of God for themselves, is for God to do it from the inside of. 132 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,080 This is why our intercessory prayer doing and asking for God 133 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,200 to do what only He can do is so critical. 134 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,200 It's a core part of Our Calling. In fact, I would say we cannot 135 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,600 fulfill Holy God's call on our lives without intercessory 136 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,280 prayer being a core part of what we do as followers of Christ. 137 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:55,480 I just want to talk to you about an example of that for a moment. 138 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,040 I've been reading a missionary biography that I just finished. 139 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,400 I'd encourage you, as I've told you before, if you read 140 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,840 different categories of books as a Christian, you ought to read 141 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,560 biographies of those who went to the mission field. 142 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,440 Let me give you 1. You ought to read Hudson Taylor 143 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,040 is his name. He was the establisher of the 144 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,080 China Inland Mission, they called it. 145 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,520 So he went to China in the early years, around the same years 146 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,200 that Lottie Moon would eventually go as a missionary 147 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,960 there. And intercession was part of the 148 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,440 DNA of this man's life before he was even born. 149 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:26,520 For example, his father prayed that God would give him a son 150 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,560 who would be a missionary to China before Hudson was ever 151 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,919 born, interceding on the son's behalf that he did not yet have. 152 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,360 And then furthermore, when Hudson was young, Hudson's 153 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,799 mother was about 70 to 80 miles away when her son was a 154 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:43,640 teenager. And all of a sudden, after 155 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,600 dinner, she had this overwhelming impression that she 156 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,240 needed to plead for the salvation of her son, who had 157 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,400 not yet come to accept Christ yet as his Savior. 158 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,520 And so after dinner, she goes to her room and she takes the key 159 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,120 and she said she locks the door. She said she was going to give 160 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:02,440 herself hour after hour to prayer until God responded 161 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,480 positively to her request. And so hour after hour passed as 162 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,280 she prayed, and eventually she said it was almost like God 163 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:11,920 overwhelmingly impressed upon her. 164 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,960 She needed to stop praying and start praising God that he had 165 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,600 answered her prayer. For at that very hour, Hudson 166 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,720 Taylor had been saved, unbeknownst to him that his 167 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,400 mother had been praying for hours until he'd accepted 168 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,520 Christ. Later on, Hudson picks up a a 169 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,320 journal, a diary in their home. He thought it was his he was 170 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,560 about to write. In it, he looks, he sees it's 171 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:35,400 his sister's, but immediate. Instead of immediately closing 172 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,240 it, God allowed him to see a line that he needed to read, for 173 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:43,480 she had written there an entry that was one month ago that said 174 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,720 on that day she had decided to give herself to intercessory 175 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,760 prayer for the salvation of her brother daily until he was 176 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,040 saved. Hudson Taylor was a man who 177 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,400 marked the world, but was marked beforehand because people 178 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:01,840 interceded for him in prayer. This man said these words 179 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,960 brought up, he says, in such a circle of people and saved under 180 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,840 such circumstances. It was natural that from the 181 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,040 commencement of my Christian life, I was led to feel that the 182 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:16,560 promises of God were very real and that prayer was in sober 183 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:20,480 matter of fact, transacting business with God, whether on 184 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:24,760 one's own behalf or on behalf of those those for whom one sought 185 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:27,600 His blessing. Lesson #1 is God calls us to 186 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:28,920 intercede for the sake of others. 187 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,320 How many of us are where we are because our mothers interceded 188 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:38,400 for us for maybe hours and days that we knew not, and yet God 189 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:44,200 heard a mother's cry for her son or for her daughter, just like 190 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,440 in Hudson Taylor's case. That's lesson #1 but don't 191 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:50,880 forget question number one. Will God sweep away the 192 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:52,840 righteous with the wicked? What's the answer? 193 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,120 Well, what is God's repeated answer to Abraham when he 194 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,640 negotiates God down from 50 to 10? 195 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,160 That's an interesting way. I don't know that I'd envision 196 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:02,840 myself negotiating with God like that. 197 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,600 But here Abraham is interceding and he's negotiating one number 198 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,240 at a time. What is God's answer? 199 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:11,240 Every time from 50 to 45 to 10? He says if he finds just 10 200 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,920 righteous in the city, God says he would spare it on their 201 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:17,600 behalf. Now, obviously to get a little 202 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,720 bit ahead of myself, God is not going to find 10 righteous in 203 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:26,120 the city as you know the story. In fact, I think you can 204 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:31,080 accurately say that God is only going to find one righteous in 205 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:34,320 the city and he will destroy the cities as we're going to see, 206 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:38,080 but not before He rescues the righteous. 207 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:42,040 Will God, Will God sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 208 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:47,080 The answer is never ever, which allows us also to immediately 209 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,520 answer question #2 Shall not the judge of the earth do what is 210 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:51,840 just? Verse 25? 211 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:56,000 The answer there is yes both now and forever. 212 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,520 Yes always, both now and forever. 213 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,360 So watch and see what God does. Beginning in chapter 19 verses 214 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,520 one through 11. The 2 angels came to Sodom in 215 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:10,320 the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. 216 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:15,080 When Lott saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with 217 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:17,240 his face to the earth. And he said, My Lords, please 218 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,040 turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and 219 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,000 wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and 220 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,680 go on your way. They said no, we'll spend the 221 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:29,240 night in the town square. But he pressed them strongly. 222 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,480 So they turned aside to him and entered his house. 223 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,920 And he made a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 224 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,040 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of 225 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:47,880 Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, 226 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,440 surrounded the house, and they called to Lot. 227 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,160 Where are the men who came to you tonight? 228 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,720 Bring them out to us, that we may know them. 229 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,840 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after 230 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,120 him, and said, I beg you, my brothers, do not act so 231 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,440 wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who 232 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,080 have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, 233 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:09,920 and you do to them as you please. 234 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,600 Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the 235 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:16,040 shelter of my roof. But they said Stand back. 236 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,680 And they said this fellow came to Sojourn and he has become the 237 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:21,920 judge. Now we'll deal worse with you 238 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,480 than with them. Then they pressed hard against 239 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,400 the man lot and drew near to break down the door. 240 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,520 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the 241 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,040 house with them and shut the door. 242 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,000 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance 243 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,360 of the house, both small and great, so that they wore 244 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,360 themselves out groping for the door. 245 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:46,040 When the 2 angels arrive in Sodom, Lot is sitting at the 246 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,400 gate. Now that's biblical terminology 247 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,840 that Lot was a man of influence. Lot potentially and probably had 248 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,280 some sort of leadership position or place in this city. 249 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,120 Maybe he was a part of the Chamber of Commerce, or maybe he 250 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,640 sat on the the City Council, or maybe he was elected to the 251 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,000 school board or he Lot Lot did something that gave him a place 252 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:10,080 at the gate where the elders are leaders of the city would sit. 253 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,160 As soon as Lot sees these guests, he bows down to them. 254 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,080 He runs to the then he offers hospitality to them, but they 255 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,480 don't accept it at first. Why? 256 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,240 They say we're going to stay in the city square, out in public. 257 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,920 Why in the world would that be? Probably to get a full scouting 258 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,040 report of the city for which they've come. 259 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,360 Lot doesn't give up. He presses upon them. 260 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,400 No, stay with me, stay with me. Finally, they give give in. 261 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:36,760 Just before bedtime though, the city, every man to the last man, 262 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,480 turns into a mob, surrounds Lot's house like a pack of 263 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,680 wolves and demands that Lot give them the men. 264 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,800 Lot refuses to do so, seeks their protection, and then comes 265 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,080 up with an idea that quite honestly, I don't know if you 266 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:52,800 have times like this. There's times I read my Bible 267 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,120 and I read something I read and I think to myself, did I just 268 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,400 read what I thought I just read. Y'all been there before? 269 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:05,160 He does something that quite honestly, one could not imagine. 270 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:10,640 The angels, the men refuse. The angels have to get involved, 271 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:15,920 supernaturally shut the door, snatch, slot in to the house and 272 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,840 they strike the men groping at the door with blindness, who 273 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,280 continue to seek out the fulfillment of their desires 274 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,480 despite the fact that they can't see their face in front of them, 275 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:26,920 their hand in front of their face. 276 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,240 Now, there's a lot we could talk about here, but I want to 277 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:32,800 address the thing I brought up earlier. 278 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,680 You know, when you read something in your Bible and 279 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:36,960 maybe it caused you to scratch your head and just wonder what 280 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,960 in the world did I just read? Specifically this horrific 281 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,280 portion of the story? How in the world could Lot make 282 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,680 such a wicked offer regarding his daughters? 283 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:51,520 The idea is shocking. It flies in the face of 284 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,440 everything good, right and true, and just does it not? 285 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:57,280 How could Lot think of such a thing? 286 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,960 The reality is though, to be honest, that the thought or the 287 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,880 act from Lot should not catch us by surprise. 288 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:10,360 Why is that? Because Lot has been on the 289 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,640 wrong trajectory for quite a while now. 290 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:19,160 Lot's life in his life, He's been making unwise decisions for 291 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:23,600 years now. Lot's been living away from the 292 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,880 will of the Lord for a long time now. 293 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,520 Lesson #2 is this. If you love the world, you will 294 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,680 eventually live like it. If you love the world, you can't 295 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,040 be shocked. You can't be surprised if it 296 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,640 eventually starts creeping in your house, if it starts 297 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:45,200 creeping in your life, if you start looking like what you're 298 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,200 loving. Remember, Lot is not in Sodom 299 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:54,440 because God called him there. Now there is second Peter 27, I 300 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,840 believe, a little New Testament verse that describes Lot as 301 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,120 righteous. And you wonder, well, how in the 302 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,400 world was he a righteous man and how in the world did he do this? 303 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,040 But I think those things are completely compatible because 304 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,800 Lot, it says, was not living the lifestyle of every other man in 305 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:09,640 Sodom. He was not. 306 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,640 In fact, he it even says that such a lifestyle and wickedness 307 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,440 around him was tormenting his soul, but it obviously wasn't 308 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,200 tormenting his soul enough to leave. 309 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:26,160 All right, so Lot's not in the place of his address because 310 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:28,960 God's called him there. He chose the place because it 311 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,320 looked good to his eyes. It looked good according to the 312 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,520 ways of the world. It looked like a place he could 313 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:35,880 prosper physically and financially and have what he 314 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,560 wanted to have and do. What he wanted to do wasn't 315 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,920 according to God's call. Abraham, on the other hand, has 316 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,480 been living in answer to the call of God, and here's why. 317 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,760 I really want you to zoom in and begin to notice the different 318 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:52,120 trajectories of life between Abraham and Lot. 319 00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:55,760 While Abram is answering God's call, Lot is living as if there 320 00:17:55,760 --> 00:18:02,560 is no call of God. The way one preacher put it is 321 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,880 like this. Lot was in the worst of possible 322 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:06,080 places. I want you to listen to this 323 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:10,120 statement and see if you can identify Lot had too much of the 324 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:14,640 world to be happy in the Lord, and too much of the Lord to be 325 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,080 happy in the world. This is why you've heard the 326 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:19,760 statement. Christians can sometimes be the 327 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:23,520 most miserable of people. If you fall out of love with 328 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:28,200 Jesus because you get entranced with the world and start leaving 329 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,920 the route in the will of God for you, you got too much of the 330 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,000 Lord to be happy in the world. Too much of the world to be 331 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,280 happy in the Lord and you can't make up your mind and can be the 332 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:40,480 most miserable of men or women. This is where Lot is. 333 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,000 Let me be even more specific. Lot, I believe, shows us that 334 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:50,200 it's possible to have a saved soul and yet live a wasted life. 335 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:57,080 It's possible to be rescued ultimately, but for one's life 336 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,720 to accomplish nothing, for the Kingdom of God to be fruitless, 337 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,480 if you will. If Lot let me say it like this 338 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,520 when it comes to his daughters, I think this will help make it 339 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:11,040 make sense. If Lot had compromised his own 340 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:15,040 life with the world, what makes us think he wouldn't compromise 341 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:20,480 his own family? So this shouldn't shock. 342 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:25,080 Sin, as you've heard said, will take you farther than you want 343 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:29,720 to go, will cause you to stay longer than you want to stay, 344 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,800 and it will cost you more than you want to pay. 345 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,800 Let's pick up in Genesis 19, verse 12 through 14. 346 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,720 Then the men said the Lot. Have you anyone else here? 347 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,760 Sons in law, sons, daughters or anyone you have in the city, 348 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,720 Bring them out of this place. We're about to destroy this 349 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,800 place because of the outcry against its people has become 350 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,240 great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. 351 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,560 So Lot went out and said to his sons in law who were to marry 352 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:00,680 his daughters up, get out of this place. 353 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,280 For the Lord is about to destroy the city, but he seemed to his 354 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,640 sons in law to be jesting, that is to be joking. 355 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,080 God is about to annihilate the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 356 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,480 Y'all and the angels asked the most gracious, merciful question 357 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,360 they could possibly ask. Have you anyone else here? 358 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,640 Now let me say what the question is not. 359 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,400 The question is not lot. Is anyone else here righteous? 360 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,560 That's not what they're asking. This is a more merciful question 361 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:28,680 than that. The question is not Lot. 362 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,080 Is there anyone else here that deserves to be saved? 363 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:32,800 The question is more merciful than that. 364 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,880 The question is Lot, does anyone in this city belong to you so 365 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:38,720 that we can rescue them on your behalf? 366 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,400 And of course, Lot has a wife and two daughters and two sons 367 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,240 in law, to which his daughters were about to be married. 368 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,440 No, Again, I may be wrong when I get to heaven about this, but I 369 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:53,800 think this is probably the case. His wife, never mentioned until 370 00:20:53,800 --> 00:21:00,440 now, was probably from Sodom. His two daughters had obviously 371 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:06,280 been born and raised in Sodom. Where were his two sons in law 372 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:13,240 from Sodom? Lot immediately warns his sons 373 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,080 in law, but they think he's only joking. 374 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:18,960 Kind of have to read between the lines right there, but I think 375 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:24,000 it's a pretty obvious reading. Why in the world, in a 911 376 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,880 spiritual nuclear situation, would they think he's only 377 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,000 joking? Well, no doubt, because I'm 378 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,000 sure, as is obvious, they've never heard Lot talk like this 379 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,920 in his life. They may have never heard Lot 380 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,560 bring up the Lord, talk about salvation, share with them how 381 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,480 to be saved, talk about faith, talk about the call of God on 382 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,120 his life. They've never heard this man 383 00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:48,960 speak of these things. All the sudden he's screaming 384 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,720 and shouting at the top of his lungs because it's 911. 385 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:56,160 And they're like, who is that? They think he's joking. 386 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,000 They don't take him serious because he's never been serious 387 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,960 about his faith before. Potentially in front of them, 388 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,400 right? So lesson #3 is y'all Lost 389 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:08,520 people don't take save people seriously until they see we're 390 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:13,920 serious about what we believe. Lost people don't take save 391 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,440 people seriously unless they see we're serious about what we 392 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:19,960 believe. Let's go back to Hudson Taylor. 393 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:24,000 As a young man, he was skeptical of Christianity before he was 394 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,240 saved, and so were his friends. Here's what he says. 395 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,720 Here's what was to blame, he says the inconsistencies of 396 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,920 Christian people who, while professing to believe the Bible, 397 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:39,120 yet were content to live as if there were no such book. 398 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:42,560 These had been one of the strongest arguments of my 399 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:47,520 skeptical companions and myself, and I frequently felt at that 400 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:51,040 time that if I ever got to the day that I pretended even to 401 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:54,760 believe the Bible, I would at least attempt to live by it. 402 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,000 Friends, here's just a good place That sometimes there are 403 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,720 realities that are so real and carry such gravity that are 404 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,640 difficult to speak of. The realities of heaven and the 405 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,920 realities of hell. The realities of life and the 406 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:15,280 realities of death. The realities of salvation and 407 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,880 the realities of judgement. This is a moment in time and a 408 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,760 place in Scripture where we need to remember that so often we as 409 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:29,480 believers can live our lives so casually that those who are lost 410 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:34,520 around us don't know when to take us seriously. 411 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:40,760 Part of Our Calling as Christians is to witness and 412 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,080 warn of the salvation and judgement to come. 413 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,320 I came across some words by the famous preacher Jonathan Edwards 414 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,000 that again, these are convicting for me and this is I. 415 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,680 I don't think you can say it more straight than this. 416 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,480 Listen to his words. He says. 417 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:58,320 How can you call someone your friend if you believe there is a 418 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,560 coming judgement but you've never warned them? 419 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:05,160 What will your friends say to you at the judgement if you 420 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:09,680 never told them? The greatest hypocrisy, he says, 421 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:14,320 is this is saying you believe in hell and not doing everything 422 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,080 you can to keep those you care about from going there. 423 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:22,200 I'm going to pick up reading in verse 15 of chapter 19. 424 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:27,720 As morning dawned, the angels urged lot saying up, take your 425 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,960 wife and two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in 426 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,600 the punishment of the city. But he lingered. 427 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,440 So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by 428 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,720 the hand. And the Lord being merciful, 429 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,720 look at God, the Lord being merciful to him. 430 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,840 And they brought him out and set him outside the city. 431 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,640 And as they brought him out, one said, escape for your life. 432 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,600 Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley, escape 433 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:53,280 to the hills, lest you be swept away. 434 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,080 And Lot said to them, Oh no, my Lord, behold, your servant has 435 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,440 found favor in your sight, and you've shown me great kindness 436 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,680 and saving my life, but I cannot escape to the hills lest the 437 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,840 disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough 438 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:09,480 to flee to, and it is a little one. 439 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:11,800 Let me escape there, is it not a little one? 440 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,760 And my life will be saved. And he said to him, Behold, I 441 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,600 grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of 442 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,200 which you've spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can 443 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,360 do nothing to you. Arrive there, there. 444 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:25,840 For the name of the city was called Zoar. 445 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:31,480 The angels told Lot to leave, but he lingered. 446 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:34,800 You know the feeling, right? In the mornings early. 447 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:36,120 Maybe it's going to happen tomorrow morning. 448 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:37,840 Your alarm goes off and you what? 449 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,560 You linger there in bed, hit the snooze. 450 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:47,280 Why? Because you're so comfortable, 451 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:49,760 right? You just don't want to move yet, 452 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:51,680 you know? I don't know why. 453 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,120 Why does the bed not feel that comfortable when you first get 454 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:55,560 in it as when you're about to get out of it? 455 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,080 Y'all ever wondered that? Oh my God, you could have 456 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,160 reversed this. Made life a whole lot easier. 457 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:00,840 Anyway, that's a different set of story. 458 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,800 So you know what this is like. Lot's been lying in bed and 459 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,400 Sodom for years now. This is where he's comfortable, 460 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:09,360 This is what he knows. This is where he wants to be. 461 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,320 And Lot lingers so long the angels have to physically seize 462 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,640 him, his wife and two daughters. By the hands, maybe by the 463 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:19,400 collar. It sounds like they literally 464 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:23,560 have to pick them up and take them out by force. 465 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,480 And yet they do. Out of the mercy of God, Not 466 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,080 because they deserved it, but because of God's mercy. 467 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:31,360 They bring them outside the city. 468 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:32,760 You heard the instructions they gave. 469 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,240 Escape for your life. Don't look back. 470 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:37,200 Don't stop anywhere along the valley. 471 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:38,880 Get to the hills. Run for your life. 472 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,240 Judgment is coming, but Lot still doesn't want to run. 473 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,000 Lot still really doesn't want to leave. 474 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:52,760 Lot's life is so compromised he can't take God seriously. 475 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,160 Lot asked to go to a nearby city. 476 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:01,280 They grant him his request, and once they arrived safely, God 477 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,040 did in his complete and perfect justice what he said he was 478 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,520 going to do. He rained down judgement for the 479 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,600 sin of these cities, the entire valley and its inhabitants. 480 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:17,240 Look at verse 26 again, it says. But Lot's wife behind him looked 481 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,200 back and she became a pillar of salt. 482 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:23,760 Now #1 that's just weird right there. 483 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:25,120 That's bad. That's just weird. 484 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,320 You know, it's interesting that the Dead Sea is also called the 485 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:33,800 Salt Sea. Archaeologists believe that 486 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:36,280 these cities may be buried underneath that very place to 487 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:37,880 this day. It was once a very beautiful, 488 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:41,280 fertile, incredible geographic area. 489 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:46,360 Let me, let me, let me try to make clear what happened with 490 00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:52,320 Lot's wife. She had left physically, but she 491 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:56,680 had not left spiritually. She was taken out of Sodom, but 492 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:01,920 Sodom had not been taken out of. She had heard the warning, but 493 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:07,160 she didn't heed it because she really didn't 100% believe it. 494 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,440 And maybe this more than all, she wanted Sodom more than she 495 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:19,280 wanted her own salvation. Luke 17, verse 27 through 33. 496 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:20,920 Here's some words of the New Testament on this. 497 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,120 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in 498 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:28,800 marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark and the flood 499 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,400 came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the 500 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,120 days of Lot, they were eating and drinking, buying and 501 00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:39,480 selling, planting and building. But on the day when Lot went out 502 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,240 of Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed 503 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,520 them all. So it will be on the day when 504 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:50,000 the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is 505 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:53,440 on the housetop with his goods in his house not come down to 506 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,200 take them away. And likewise the one who was in 507 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,720 the field not turned back. Remember Lot's wife, whoever 508 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,480 seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his 509 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:09,360 life will keep it. In other words, the New 510 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:13,560 Testament goes out of its way to warn us as followers of Christ, 511 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,320 as we approach the return of Christ, that the final judgment 512 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,960 at hand. Let no Christian have a heart 513 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,600 like Lot's wife. You know what they say on an 514 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:27,080 airplane in case of emergency, as you approach the exits or 515 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,040 find the nearest exit. You know the other instruction 516 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:32,200 they give you? Let me see if I can start it for 517 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,880 you. Leave all carry on baggage 518 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:41,640 behind. Escape with yourself. 519 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,000 Don't look back. Don't try to hang on to anything 520 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,200 you had in the life before the plane crash. 521 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:55,280 Just embrace the future you have without that. 522 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,640 Leave it behind. Proceed to the nearest exit. 523 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:02,400 Lot wanted Lot's wife wanted her bags. 524 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:07,960 She wanted the life she had left behind more than she wanted the 525 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:15,200 life God had in store for her. Which life do you want more? 526 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:18,800 Which life are you living for? Lesson #4 Is this. 527 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,680 If you're not ready to leave now, you probably won't be ready 528 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,760 to leave then. If you're not ready to leave 529 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,600 now, you're not ready to leave now. 530 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,240 You probably won't be ready to leave then. 531 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:35,120 Let's finish the last set of verses 27 to 29. 532 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,320 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he 533 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,800 had stood before the Lord. And he looked down towards Sodom 534 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:44,880 and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley. 535 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,280 And he looked, and behold, the smoke of the land went up like 536 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:50,640 the smoke of a furnace. So it was that when God 537 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:57,080 destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham 538 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:02,280 and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew 539 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,400 the cities in which Lot had lived. 540 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,400 Why did God rescue Lot? Let me put it like this. 541 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:14,480 Did God rescue Lot because of Lot, or did God rescue Lot 542 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,400 because of Abraham? Specifically, the Bible says 543 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,880 because God remembered Abraham. Who stood where? 544 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:26,480 Remember before the before the Lord who had placed himself in 545 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:31,240 intercessory prayer before the Lord, because Abraham stood 546 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:35,200 before the Lord on his behalf and interceded, Lot was saved, 547 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:39,400 y'all because Abraham prayed, the angels physically snatched 548 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:41,840 Lot up. Because Abraham prayed, 549 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,880 Abraham's intercession saved Lot's life. 550 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,800 Lesson #5 is this. Our prayers impact eternity. 551 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,680 Our intercession impacts eternity. 552 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,480 Only God can change the heart. When we partner with God in 553 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:58,000 prayer, God promises to hear what we lay before Him, and our 554 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,960 prayers impact eternity. Writing of the impact of prayer 555 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,480 warriors in his Life in ministry, Hudson Taylor said. 556 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,280 As I think of those prayer warriors in my life in ministry, 557 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:14,120 I'm reminded how much the cause of missions is indebted to many 558 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,960 who are never themselves able to physically go on the mission 559 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,440 field and who never were able to largely give up their means even 560 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,480 to missions. And yet will not be a little 561 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:27,080 surprised, but greatly surprised in the great day to see how much 562 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:31,080 their work has been advanced by their love, their sympathy in 563 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:37,080 their prayers. Our prayers impact eternity. 564 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:39,960 I'm going to ask John and praise team to come out. 565 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:44,280 And before we observe the supper in just a moment, I'm going to 566 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,120 I'm going to ask you to respond to what you've heard this 567 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:51,200 morning like this. I asked you earlier on which man 568 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,760 you might most identify with Abraham or Lot. 569 00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:01,240 And my question for you is this, in our time of response, are you 570 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:05,800 answering the call of God on your life and can identify as 571 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:11,000 Abraham because you've said yes, you've realized you've been made 572 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,400 with a purpose. You've said yes to Jesus who 573 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,280 lived a sinless life for you, died on the cross for you, paid 574 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,800 your sin debt, rose from the dead for you, and you've said 575 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,080 yes to him. And you're living as far as it 576 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:24,200 says depended on you to answer God's call and will for your 577 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,480 life. If so, can I ask you, are you 578 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,360 interceding? Are you interceding for the lots 579 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:35,400 in your life? Here's what I'm going to ask you 580 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,080 to do. If you identify with Abraham 581 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:39,840 this morning, I'm going to ask you during the invitation to 582 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,120 come and intercede for the lots in your life. 583 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:44,800 You know the people. You know where you live, work 584 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,120 and play, your family, your friends, classmates, teammates, 585 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,800 Co workers that God's put you in their path. 586 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,400 God's called you to intercede on their behalf. 587 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:57,840 We ought to take every opportunity to do that, knowing 588 00:33:57,840 --> 00:33:59,920 our prayers impact eternity. I'm going to ask you when we 589 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:02,640 sing in just a moment, if you know a lot in your life, you'd 590 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:04,800 come out and just maybe kneel, heal, or stand here, and we just 591 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,880 have a time of responding to intercede for the lots in our 592 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:09,280 lives. Maybe it's your own. 593 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:11,440 Maybe it's a child or a grandchild who's far from God. 594 00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:17,639 But I also want to ask you this. What if you don't identify with 595 00:34:17,639 --> 00:34:20,120 Abraham? What if in all honesty, you 596 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:25,280 identify more with lot? Maybe you know the Lord. 597 00:34:27,199 --> 00:34:29,960 Maybe you just know the Lord. You know you're not saying yes 598 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:34,520 to his will for your life. Maybe you know that you're 599 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,280 living as if God doesn't have a call on your life, when actually 600 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,360 He does, and you know it. You've just been ignoring it, 601 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,040 maybe rejecting it. And maybe you've been hearing 602 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:48,040 God's call and you continue to linger. 603 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:55,520 What if, what if, what if, what if you just said Gordon. 604 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,040 Lord, I, I don't want to linger any any longer. 605 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:03,960 Lord, I'm ready to leave. God, I don't want you. 606 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:05,440 I have to snatch me up. I'm ready to go. 607 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,400 I'm, I'm ready to follow. I want what you want. 608 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:09,840 I want the life you want from me more than the life I've been 609 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:11,160 living. God, I want what you have in 610 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,640 store more than the bags of the world that I'm carrying that I 611 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,840 think are my life and are worth more than what you have to 612 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,760 offer. And so maybe even as those who 613 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:20,880 identify with Abraham come down, maybe you'd be willing to 614 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,160 identify as a lot and come down. And you don't have to tell 615 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:25,320 anybody the difference. You can just lay before the Lord 616 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:29,400 the fact you're willing and ready to leave and say, God have 617 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:30,560 me. I'm saying yes today. 618 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:34,560 And if that's you, I want you to come too. 619 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,520 So I'm going to pray and then I'm going to ask you to stand 620 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:40,400 and we're going to respond. If you need to talk with me, I'm 621 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,680 going to be here. If you need to trust Jesus, you 622 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,680 come tell me that you come do business with God in prayer, 623 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:47,920 whichever way you identify today. 624 00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,520 All right, Heavenly Father, I want to ask that wherever each 625 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:54,640 one of us stands right now, Lord, that we'd rightly respond 626 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:58,200 by faith to you that God either we would in faith intercede the 627 00:35:58,200 --> 00:35:59,800 God, we would either in faith leave. 628 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,480 But God, whatever it needs to be, help us say yes to you and 629 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:05,120 have your way. I pray in Jesus name and all 630 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,560 God's people said, would you stand with me? 631 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:09,240 Would you come? We're going to have encouragers 632 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:10,960 that'll be closed. This altar is open. 633 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:14,480 Abraham or Lot, whichever it may be, or somewhere in between, you 634 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,360 come. Let God have his way in your 635 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:17,520 life as we sing and worship.