God Destroys Sodom

Welcome to Built on God's Word, the preaching and teaching ministry of Highland Park Baptist Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.! Willard Lyons teaches on the life of Abraham.

! That's in the city. Recall that now they have made themselves known to Lot as to who they are as the messengers of God and the purpose for their being there.

And that is to bring destruction upon that city, Sodom, as well as Gomorrah and some others that take place because of the ungodliness and wickedness and lack of repentance in their lives.

And so the messengers are now doing their best to hasten Lot and his wife to get out of Sodom and go to the place where they tell him to go.

And verses 15 and 16, don't forget, when the morning came of the day they were going to destroy the city, Lot and his wife and daughters were just kind of lingering around, not in any big hurry to leave.

And so the messengers end up taking them by the hand, ushering them out of the city. And then remember it said in verse 17, it came to pass when they had brought them forth abroad, that is outside the city, 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.

All right, now, verses 18 and 19 is kind of where we left off last week. We saw this a little bit. Lot responds to what they say here after they tell him to take your family and escape and go up into the mountains.

All right. In verse 18 and 19, Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord. Oh, no, no, I can't do that. All right. Not so, my Lord. Behold, behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight.

Thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life. And I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die.

Now, recognize the fact here that Lot recognizes that these two men have gone above and beyond because they're sparing his life.

They've come to destroy the city and they've told Lot now to get out, escape, go to the mountain. All right. So he sees the reality that, hey, God spared his life here.

All right. And his family. Now, but as we saw last week, recognize something. He contradicts himself here. All right. God, I recognize that you have already shown me your mercy and your grace in abundance.

You've shown me that in the fact that you're now saving my life. But I can't go to the mountain. All right. Can't escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die.

Amazing, isn't it? Amen. Man, God is sparing his life, showing him grace, showing him mercy, deliverance.

But yet the same God that did that is not strong enough to protect him while he's in the mountain, especially in the fact that God told me to go there. All right.

Yeah. As if probably he had a place all fixed up for them. Right. Reserved for them in the mountain. But no, I can't go there, lest something evil might come upon me and I die.

Now, don't believe he thinks that the mountain is going to be consumed here. The mountain is the mountain. It's the valleys that are going to be consumed here. God's told him that. Now, last week, well, verse 20.

Behold, now this city is near to flee unto. And it's a little one. Oh, let me escape thither. All right.

And my soul shall live. Is not this a little one? Is not this a little city? Now, the messenger that made statement to Lot, he says unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also.

In other words, okay. I acquiesce here. I'll let you do this. I will not overthrow this city for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee.

Escape thither. For I cannot do anything till thou become thither. Therefore, the name of the city was called Zoar. All right. So, God's going to spare the city for Lot's sake.

All right. At this point. Now, recognize also. What's the difference here in Lot's so-called intercession for Zoar and Abraham's intercession for the people of Sodom?

What's the difference? Abraham interceded. For Sodom. If you find 50, 40, 30, 10. All right.

Will you spare the city? Yes, I will. Here, seemingly, Lot intercedes for Zoar.

What's the difference in Abraham's intercession and Lot's intercession? It's self-interest on the part of Lot here. It's no sympathy thing here.

Abraham's intercession. But Abraham's intercession was out of compassion and sympathy for the people of Sodom. For the righteous that may be living there.

So, you see the difference here between the two. And so, now, God grants Lot's request and is going to spare the city of Zoar.

There's some things Lot's going to learn through his own experience in the future here, near future. God's allowing this to take place.

Knowing what's going to happen. To show Lot how much better it was, it would have been, to obey what God said to begin with, than to try to change his mind and do otherwise.

God said, go to the mountain. I can't go there. Something will happen to me. You're strong. You're mighty. You're graceful. But you can't protect me, is the idea. So, let me go to Zoar.

If God were operating in the flesh, I think his attitude would be, all right, you go right ahead.

And I'll show you what happens here. All right. All right. So, let's move on. Verse 23 through 25 here. So, Lot has moved on to Zoar.

So, God's going to spare the city of Zoar. Not to say that he's not going to feel some heat, but he's going to spare the city from destruction. Verse 23 through 25.

The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. In other words, it's morning. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon the Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

And he overthrew those cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which grew upon the ground. Now, we've had some tremendous thunderstorms and lightning storms in Oklahoma.

Yeah. Some of them get pretty scary at times. Sometimes they hit trees. Sometimes they hit dwellings. Create destruction.

But this was no ordinary thunderstorm. It wasn't thunderstorm. God literally rained fire and brimstone down upon those places and consumed everything he said he was going to consume.

All right. Not only the towns, the buildings, the structures, the people, but even the ground. Even the ground. Even the ground. With sulfur, they say, and asphalt.

Caught fire. Burned. Now. Anybody still use matches? Wooden matches?

Yeah. Yeah. What do you smell when you strike that match? Smells like sulfur. Yeah. Yeah. Can you imagine the aroma of the sulfur as it rises from all the destruction and the fire and the brimstone?

Now. Now. Everything perished. Sodom. Probably the chief city of the valley of Siddam.

Gomorrah. The whole valley. As well as all those cities that were situated there except for Zohar. Now. Even to the present day, they say.

The Dead Sea. Even today. Smells like sulfur. Blocks of sulfur laying all around it. It said no. No. Life of any kind.

In the Dead Sea. Not even tadpoles. All right. Nothing. No vegetation. Nothing. It bears testimony to what happened there.

In reality. From the hand of God. Now. Remember. Let me back up here just a minute. Remember. When he told. When he tells them to get out.

All right. He said. What? Don't look back. Don't look back. The man ushered Lot and his family.

Including his wife. Out of the city. But she's hanging back behind Lot a bit. Notice what it says in verse 26. All right.

His wife looked back from behind him. She became a pillar of salt. All right. God's judgment upon her. Don't know.

Don't know. You know. You know. Scientists and all of that. No doubt. Have tried to explain. How and why that happened. Because. Perhaps it's because of what came down from heaven. As far as elements.

Or whatever. Heat from the. Brimstone. And all of those things. Whatever it was. She turned into that pillar of salt. All right. Now. Everybody escaped.

Except Lot's wife. In spite of what God commanded. She looked back. Remember. Luke chapter 17.

Jesus speaking here to his apostles. About the idea of his coming back. After his death. But in verse 22 and following. I'm going to read it out of the amplified here.

It gives us a good spiritual principle here. That applies to what we see with Lot. And his family. And his wife. Verse 22 of Luke 17.

He said to his disciples. The time is coming. When you will long to see. Even one of the days. Of the son of man. And you will not see it. And they will say to you.

Look. He is here. Or there. Look. But do not go out. Or follow them. For like the lightning. That flashes. And lights up the sky.

From one end to the other. So will the son of man. Be in his own day. But first. He must suffer many things. And be disapproved. And repudiated.

And rejected. By this age. And generation. And just as it was. In the days of Noah. So will it be. In the time of the son of man. People ate. They drank.

They married. They were given in marriage. Right up until the day. When Noah went into the ark. And the flood came. And destroyed them all. So also. It was the same. As it was.

In the days of Lot. People ate. They drank. They bought. They sold. They planted. They built. But on the very day. That Lot. Went out of Sodom. That rained fire.

And brimstone. From heaven. And destroyed them all. That is the way. It will be. On the day. That the son of man. Is revealed. On that day. Let him.

Who is on the housetop. With his belongings. In the house. Not come down. And go inside. To carry them away. Likewise. Let him. Who is in the field. Not turn back.

Remember. Lot's wife. Now verse 33. Here's the principle. Whoever tries. To preserve his life. Will lose it.

But whoever. Loses his life. Will preserve. And quicken it. I tell you. In that night. There will be two men. In one bed. One will be left. Taken. The other left.

And so forth. He goes on down. It's difficult. For mankind. In their humanity. To really try to comprehend.

The glory. Of what it is. To surrender life. To Christ. And all that he has. To offer. Through the salvation. That he gives.

But that's the thing. That we need. To recognize here. That God. Has saved us. And. He intends. To.

Use us. But for that to happen. We have to surrender. To him. Now. How much. Do we have. To surrender. Well. Think about it.

Just a moment. In Romans chapter 12. We've looked at this. A number of times. That I want to remind us here. Romans chapter 12. Verse 1.

I beseech you. Amplified said. I appeal to you. Therefore. Brethren. And beg of you. In view of all the mercies of God. To make a decisive.

Dedication of your bodies. Now. Notice that. A decisive. All right. Intentional. If you will. Dedication. Of your bodies. Presenting all your members.

And faculties. As a living sacrifice. I like to think about that idea. As us. In our totality. All right. Present your bodies. In all that we are.

Present that. All right. As a living sacrifice. When that's holy. That's devoted. Consecrated. And well pleasing to God. Which is your reasonable.

Or rational. Intelligent service. And spiritual worship. How we do that. Stop being conformed to the world. He goes on. But be transformed.

By the renewing of the mind. So that you might prove. What is that good. And acceptable. And perfect will of God. In other words. So ordering our life. And surrender to him.

And being in his word. That we recognize. And be able to think. The way God thinks. In this. The best we can. In this. Particular life.

All right. So it's imperative. That we renounce ourselves. And surrender it all. To Jesus. Remember the old song. I thought about this song. When I was getting this all together.

Here a while back. All to Jesus. I surrender. It's amazing to me. You know. We sing. Of course. We don't have sung that song. In a long time. Some of those old songs.

Really had some stuff to say. But. But. How many times. Have we sung those things. And we get so accustomed. To singing them. Because we know the words.

That we just sing them. We like the melody. Amen. Amen. But remember what it says. All. A-L-L. All to Jesus. I surrender. All to him.

I freely give. Freely give. Amen. Yeah. It's not like the old guy. The deacon. Is going to confront this guy. Because he hasn't been given.

Any financial giving. To the church. They wonder why. The guy said. Well don't you know. The Bible says. I was saved by grace. Which is free. Amen. Yeah. All to him.

Everything. I freely. Give. I will ever. Love. And trust him. In his presence. Daily live.

All to Jesus. I surrender. Make me savior. Holy thine. Let me feel thy Holy Spirit. Truly know that thou art mine. All to Jesus. I surrender.

Lord. I give myself to thee. There he is. I give myself to thee. Fill me with thy love and power. Let thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus. I surrender all. I surrender all. All to thee. My blessed savior. I surrender all. You know.

If we've never done it before. We ought to do it. And I challenge you to. Go to the Lord. By yourself.

Nothing else. Contemplate what God's done for you. In the saving grace. Plus the living grace. He's given you since then. But in particular.

The sacrifice of his son. And ask God. To really speak to your heart about that. To the point where you can just come to him and say.

Lord. Here I am. Here I am. Take me. Whatever you want to do. Wherever it leads.

Take me. And produce. Your will. Through me. And when we do that. Be ready.

Amen. For whatever happens. The good. And the difficult. Alright. And even in the difficult. If we've surrendered ourselves to the Lord.

Given ourselves to him. Then we can say. As the Apostle Paul wrote. I think. To the church at Thessalonica. Lord. We just pray. God. Thank you. For this.

In everything. Give thanks. For this. Is the will of God. In Christ Jesus. Concerning you. Yeah. Lord. Take me.

And use me. Again. In Matthew chapter 16. Jesus said. To his disciples. If any man come after me. You know it well.

If any man comes after me. If anyone wants to follow me. What's the first thing he's got to do? Let him deny himself. Literally. That's dying to yourself.

Take up your cross. And follow me. For whosoever will save his life. Shall lose it. Whosoever will lose his life. For my sake. Shall find it. For what is a man profited.

If he gained the whole world. And lose his own soul. And what shall a man give. In exchange for his soul. For the son of man. Shall come in the glory of his father. With his angels.

And then he shall reward. Every man. According to. His works. God's got a tremendous. Tremendous. Future.

For the redeemed. Amen. If we can be sure. To keep our eyes. On the future. And what he's got in store for us. That will enable us. To really be serious.

About our yieldedness to him. Now. Look at the contrast. That we find. In Romans chapter 8. In verse number 14. Romans chapter 8.

Verse 14. And following. Alright. For all who are led. By the spirit of God. Are the sons of God. For the spirit. Which you have now received.

Is not a spirit of slavery. To put you once more. In bondage to fear. But you have received. The spirit of adoption. That's the spirit. Producing sonship. In the bliss.

Of which we cry. Abba. Father. That's father. Father. Of course you know. The spirit himself. Testifies together. With our own spirit.

Assuring us. That we are. The children of God. So. There's that witness. That we have. Born to us. By the spirit of God. That dwells within us. That we are his.

But he doesn't stop there. Alright. Verse 17. And. If we are his children. Then. Then we are his heirs. Also.

Heirs of God. And what. Joint heirs. With Christ. Challenge you. A good study. Would be. To go.

And see. What. The inheritance. Of Christ is. Alright. What has God said. He's going to do. With and for the son. In eternity.

Future. What you going to do. In that then. We are. Joint heirs. We will share. In the inheritance.

Of. The son of God. Alright. Only. We must share. His suffering. If we are to share. His glory. Now. But what of that. For I consider.

He's contemplated. When he says. He's considered it. Paul means. I've really. Contemplated this. And I've come up. With a conclusion. And here's what it is. I consider.

That the sufferings. Of this present time. This present life. Are not worth. Being compared. To the glory. That is about.

To be revealed. To us. And in us. And for us. And conferred. On us. Now. You stop.

And consider that. Contemplate that. What glorious. Provision. That God has made. In that for us. In our position.

With God. In Christ. We stand. Right beside. Jesus. In all that he is. Alright. The honor.

And the glory. That the father. Will give to the son. And does give to the son. He gives to us as well. That's how he. Sees.

Us. Yeah. Yeah. What a tremendous. Picture. He paints for us there. Now. Go back to Genesis 19.

One other thing to consider here. Verse 27 and 28. Abraham got up.

Early in the morning. I don't know what kind of night. Abraham had. Whether it's been a restless night. Wondering what's going to happen.

Or what. But he rises from bed. Early in the morning. What does he do? He goes to the place. Where he stood before the Lord.

Lord. Alright. Probably thinking about it all. He gets up. And he goes to that very place. Where he stands before the Lord.

And appeals. Makes an appeal. God. If you find. 50. Righteous people. Will you spare the city.

For 50 righteous people. I will. 40. I will. And on down he goes. Lord.

What about for 10? If I find 10 righteous. I'll spare the city. Now. He stands there.

In that place. And he looks towards Sodom. And what does he see? Most of us probably have seen.

On the TV news. The present day. Wildfires that are going in Arizona. Yeah. And.

I mean. Miles and miles. Of nothing but flame rising up. Can you imagine. What Abraham saw here? He didn't just see.

Sagebrush burning. Or houses burning. He saw the smoke. Rising from even the ground. Burning. Oh. What do you think.

Abraham thought. When he saw that. I think Abraham recognized. Wow. Yeah.

God had said. To Abraham. I've come. To go in. To Sodom. Because the cry of that place. Has come before me.

And I'm going down. To see. If it's just. As the cry says. Not even. Ten righteous. In the whole bunch.

Now. No doubt. When he got up. To look. He wondered what. And. Wonder. Probably. And hoping.

If. His intercession. Had done any good. All right. And of course. What he sees. He realizes.

That. There weren't. Even ten. Now. Everything. Is nothing. But smoke. And fire. And ash. He didn't.

Ever. Think. That God. Didn't. Uphold. His promise. He just. Realized. He couldn't. Find. Ten. Righteous. People. Now.

Verse. Twenty. Twenty. Twenty. Came. To pass. When God. Destroyed.

The cities. Of the plain. That God. Remembered. Abraham. And sent. Lot. Out of the midst. Of the overthrow. When he overthrew. The cities.

In which. Lot. Dwelt. Now. He's just. Kind of. Reviewing this. The idea. In all of this. God. Did not. Forget. Abraham. All right.

He remembered him. All right. In remembering. Abraham. Abraham. He delivers. Lot. Picture. Is this. God. Delivered.

Lot. For. Abraham's. Sake. What does that mean? God. Remembered. Abraham. And he. Delivered. Lot. As a result. Of what.

He was. To Abraham. And Abraham. Was to him. So. For Abraham's. Sake. And maybe. In his. Intercession. He did. Spare the one.

That he found. In his. Family. All right. But it was. Lot. Even if. Lot. Was a righteous. Man. It doesn't mean. We kind of get the idea. From how he confronted. The ungodly.

For the lack. Of better expression. He was not. A sold out. Righteous man. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. He still had a lot.

Of earthiness. In him. Now. Consider this. With me. Just a moment. God. Spared Lot. For Abraham's. Sake. Why. Did God.

Save us. Why. Did he save us. Why. Did he. Give. To you. And I. The precious. Gift. Of salvation. Why. Did he do that.

He saved us. For Jesus sake. Is the picture here. Remember. What he says. In Philippians. Chapter 2. With the apostle Paul. Writes to us. All right. In verse 5.

He said. Let this mind. Be in you. Which is also. In Christ Jesus. Who being. In the form of God. Thought it not. Robbery. To be equal with God. But made himself. Of no reputation. Took upon him.

The form of a servant. Was made. In the light. In the lightness. Of men. And being found. In fashion. As a man. He humbled himself. And became. Obedient. Unto death. Even the death.

Of the cross. All right. So there's a picture. Of self emptying. And death. That produces. For us. A sin sacrifice.

That enables us. To be deemed righteous. All right. Wherefore. As a result. Of that. God. Hath highly. Exalted.

Him. Okay. He's highly. Exalted him. Given him. The name. That is above. Every name. He didn't save us. Per se.

For our sake. Though we needed it. He did it. For the benefit. And for the sake. For the sake. Of the son.

Who is obedient. Unto death. They'll produce for us. Saving grace. Okay. Always remember that. Any believer.

That tries to get. In his mind. Kind of high. And mighty. Forget it. He didn't save you. From who you are. He saved you. For Jesus. Sake.

All right. Remember earlier. We said. God. Let him go to Zoar. Because he's going to prove to him. A point. Out of his personal experience.

We find that. In verse number 30. Lot went out. Of Zoar. Dwelt in the mountain. And his two daughters. With him.

For he feared. To dwell in Zoar. And he dwelt. In a cave. He and his two daughters. Now. What happens.

After that. Is the reason. God let him go to Zoar. To show him. That you do things. Your own way.

You have a price to pay. All right. Interesting scenario. That takes place here. And after that takes place. God's finished with Lot.

God. Okay. And we'll pick up there. Next week. Let's pray. Father again. Thank you for your loving kindness. And for your goodness. And grace today. And for the privilege of the evening together.

And I thank you now Father. For the word you've shown us tonight. And reminded us. Of your faithfulness. Your goodness to us. And Lord. I ask that you do that work.

Continually within us. That will enable us to recognize. Who you are. And who you are. In our lives. And the things that you are. Desiring to do within us.

That would bring further. Yieldedness to us. So enable us. To surrender to that. I pray. Thank you again. For these that are here. For their love for you. And your word. And ask that you just. Continue to speak to us.

Through all of this. In the week to come. I will thank you for it. Praise you for it. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. To learn more.

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