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[0:00] Last week, we began looking at the divine judgment of false teachers.

[0:20] ! That was under a banner, the precedent of judgment.! Principally, what caused these judgments? And the first judgment we examined was the judgment of angels.

[0:36] Lucifer, the chief angel, the highest created being. Sometimes people birth up that and say, well, Jesus is higher than He is.

[0:47] Well, Jesus wasn't created. He's eternal. But He was the highest created being until He got expelled from heaven, took a third of the angels with Him. We don't know how many, but there was a lot.

[1:05] So we looked at that last week. This week, we're going to start out tonight with the judgment of the ancient world. In 2 Peter 2, verse 5, we read this, And He did not spare the ancient world, speaking of God, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.

[1:47] And just as God brought a judgment, a terrible judgment, on sinning angels, and in fact, when He kicked them out of heaven, they didn't remain angels. They became demons.

[2:02] And Lucifer was no longer the exalted angel. He was Satan. And He brought a terrible judgment on those sinning angels, and later He brought a terrible and deadly judgment on the ancient world.

[2:21] Now, as far as a timeline, this occurred in that period of time we refer to as pre-Abrahamic history, when this judgment fell, Abraham was still very far off from any end of the world.

[2:43] God brought this judgment on the unsaved and ungodly peoples of planet earth at that time. That term ungodly is interesting.

[2:54] It's a Greek word. And it refers to a complete lack of reverence or reverent worship or fear of God.

[3:08] It was a term used by the early church fathers. That's the guys in the basically the second century. and the early church fathers to describe an atheist and a heretic.

[3:25] But the people back on the earth at the time we're going to talk about tonight, they died by way of a universal flood.

[3:39] The flood, in my opinion, was higher than the highest mountains. I always remember when Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest and he would never say he was the first to get to the top because the Sherpa that was with him as a Nepalese guide, he said, we both by plan touched the top at the same instance.

[4:13] And he gave credit to the Sherpa as well as himself. But Sir Edmund Hillary looked down on the top of Mount Everest and laying there was a seashell.

[4:27] And birds don't fly that high. Not enough oxygen. 29,000 feet. We learn why God chose this drastic action in Genesis chapter 6.

[4:44] I'm reading from the Legacy Standard Bible. Genesis chapter 6 verses 5 to 7.

[4:56] Then Yahweh, reverent holy name of God, saw that the evil of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

[5:19] And Yahweh regretted that he had made man on the earth and he was grieved in his heart. And Yahweh said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, for I regret that I have made them.

[5:46] Now we don't know how many people died in the universal flood. The best I can tell you is they all died with the exception of eight people.

[6:02] There could have been hundreds of thousands or could have been millions. But we do know that eight people survived the flood and that truth is contained in Genesis chapter 6 verse 8.

[6:17] But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh. And the word favor there is the same word for grace.

[6:29] And some translations, particularly King James, will say, and Noah found grace in the eyes of God. We want to be careful on this point.

[6:44] Noah was not spared because of his good works. He was not spared because he was a good guy. It's interesting to me that Noah shows up in the great chapter of faith in the book of Hebrews chapter 11 Let me read verse 7 of that chapter of Hebrews.

[7:11] By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, in reverence, prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

[7:35] Well, where did this faith come from? By which Noah was in a right relationship with the God of heaven and earth. Well, that faith came from the same place where all true faith comes from.

[7:53] It came from the triune God of the universe. That is where all saving faith originates. Paul tells us that in Ephesians 2.

[8:06] You're very familiar with it. 8 and 9, For by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves. That faith is not of yourselves.

[8:17] It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. God was merciful to Noah and He was also merciful to Noah's family.

[8:38] But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh. And these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among those in his generation.

[8:57] Noah walked with God and Noah became the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And there's something I need to stress here, an important point.

[9:15] Noah was declared blameless by the Spirit of God. but Noah was not sinless.

[9:27] He was not sinless. Like all men in every generation, he was sinful. Having received grace from the Lord, his sins had been forgiven.

[9:42] How were they forgiven? The same way yours were. By the cross of Christ. Now that creates a problem because the cross didn't occur for a few thousand years.

[10:04] But that's okay. The atoning sacrifice of Christ on Calvary, though it was thousands of years yet in the future, was the basis of Noah's being forgiven and receiving grace.

[10:27] We need to remember everyone and anyone ever saved is saved by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

[10:38] Now people back yonder, and that's a long yonder, they look forward to the cross. and they didn't have deep understanding of that.

[10:52] They understood a little bit, but not deeply. How could you? How could you? I'll guarantee you we know a lot more today than Noah knew, but they look forward to the cross.

[11:09] We look back to the cross. Luther looked back to the cross. Augustine looked back. There was a point in time where people looked forward and then all of a sudden started looking back.

[11:27] But it's the same atoning sacrifice whether Noah's looking forward or we're looking back. The same atoning sacrifice by which our salvation is accomplished.

[11:42] Well, Noah began to labor. He began building an ark.

[11:56] Never mind there wasn't much water around and never mind that he'd never seen a boat before. But God gave him instructions. and at the same time that Noah labored building an ark and it took around 120 years, at the same time he also labored because he'd been called to ministry.

[12:26] He was a minister of the gospel of Christ although that was yet future. he became a preacher of righteousness and his ministry was to warn people that death was coming and unless they repented everyone on earth was going to die.

[12:54] That was his message. He preached that same message every Sunday for 120 years. it's a good message to warn people.

[13:09] This was a death caused by divine retribution and Noah preached a message of repentance.

[13:21] He had to turn from your wicked ways and this earth was wicked. I'm not saying it's as bad as it is now but it was wicked. it was wicked. Well at the exact appropriate time God we know sent a devastating flood.

[13:43] And again this kind of begs an interesting question. How universal was the flood? flood? I ask that today because people in churches and people in pulpits sometimes disbelieve that the flood covered the entire earth.

[14:04] I've had people say well God would never do that. Oh I didn't know you spoke for God. I'm surprised. I know you pretty well. I'm surprised you're speaking for God.

[14:18] But there's a lot of disbelief about that. Many and I had a professor one time argue for a localized flood. It was a flood trapped by the mountains of the Mesopotamian valley and it filled up with water because of a lot of rain and Noah was worried that his family was going to drown so he built an ark and they were floating around this lake in the Mesopotamian valley and I wasn't too impressed with that professor.

[14:57] So he asked me he said well how widespread do you believe the flood was? I thought I came up with a great answer. He didn't. I said how widespread was sin on the earth.

[15:15] If sin was everywhere the flood was everywhere and we know sin was everywhere. You know I thought about his premise that it was in that valley and I could just see Noah out there and his wife and three sons and three daughters-in-law and they're floating and every now they float by and people are up on the land and hey he's coming back by let's wave at him and how ridiculous is that?

[15:45] flood. A few pieces of information and then we'll move on. Flood is from a Hebrew word cataclasmos we get the English word cataclysm from that and I thought more if the flood was local that it might have been a nuisance you can't get to the convenience store and it may have been sad to see your neighbor lose his house but it would be hard to classify it as global cataclysm what Noah and every human on earth experienced was cataclysm an unparalleled tragedy unparalleled to that time and we know that the earth is never going to be destroyed again by water but plenty of fire insurance because it is going to be destroyed by fire

[16:52] God looked down upon the earth and this is what he concluded Genesis chapter 6 verses 11 to 13 now the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence and God saw the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth then God said to Noah the end of all flesh has come before me for the earth is filled with violence because of them and behold I'm about to destroy them with the earth and we know it was bad back then we read about it in Genesis but let me tell you they're rounding up

[18:00] Christians in northern Nigeria I've been there taking them outside the church tying the posts and burning them alive killing whole congregations they're doing that in Saudi Arabia not the government that we know of but some mullahs other places Iran this world has not ceased being violent particularly toward those who embrace Christ well God fulfilled his promise and he destroyed all flesh on the earth with the exception of Noah and his family I'd like to say there was never any more need for judgment but there's going to be some more and the next thing we're going to look at is the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah and if he condemned the cities of

[19:07] Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter and if he rescued righteous lot oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men for by what he saw and heard that righteous man while living among them felt his righteous soul tormented day and night by their lawless deed that's 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 8 I can't imagine living in Sodom and Gomorrah I don't believe I could have done that so we'll look at another instance of God handing out divine judgment the destruction against Sodom and Gomorrah and there were actually five cities three smaller ones they were all destroyed what was their sin you know guys we can't dance around this we can't equivocate it was a sin of homosexuality

[20:32] I saw a thing on educational TV years ago five or six years ago it was really well done until they got to the end and it said fire and brimstone came from the sky and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and then the announcer said but we know that was not a judgment of God and we especially know that was not a judgment of God on homosexuality because God loves homosexuals he made them the way they are and this was just a freak of nature I want to choke the guy to death but that wouldn't be very spiritual today I think we would include in this conduct lesbianism transgenderism and sex change operations even with little children and without parental notification there are many who will one day be judged and condemned not only for committing this sin but supporting this sin and I think today we see people in high places we see former presidents of the

[21:58] United States Supreme Court justices congressmen senators I challenge you if you don't necessarily believe me go and read the platforms of both major political parties you'll be amazed what's in there you can get that on the internet well what do we know about Sodom and Gomorrah they were the main cities on the Jordan plains that's on the southeast corner of the Dead Sea and because of their gross sin they were condemned by destruction by God all of the citizens of these two areas perished in fire and in brimstone from heaven

[23:04] I looked up the 1828 dictionary our brother in Christ Noah Webster wrote and he said brimstone is burning rock probably sulfur a very strong piece of sulfur and it was rained down from heaven and you know they have found evidence of even a substance over there in archaeological digs that looks like asphalt solidified asphalt that came down in Genesis chapter 19 verse 24 and 25 we read this and Yahweh rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh there's the source it came from God from Yahweh out of heaven and he overthrew those cities and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities and he burned up everything on the ground and every citizen of those towns cities were destroyed plus one more and that was Lot's wife you remember he told

[24:34] Lot he said tell your family when they escape don't look back they're going to hear the noise of the destruction don't look back and Mrs.

[24:46] Lot looked back and became a pillar of salt interesting it mentions the destruction of crops at one time we know that this area was very good at growing crops and raising farm animals of course all that was destroyed in this terrible judgment of God because of gross sin conducted and even glorified by these cities both were destroyed by the Lord and like the citizens all died their death was not by water but by incineration and asphyxiation prior to the destruction

[25:46] God visited with Abraham and told him what he intended to do he came to visit Abraham remember the second person of the trinity Jesus and two angels came and Abraham went out and he was called Abram then and God had visited Abram the night before and he said I'm going to change your name to Abraham and then these two visitors showed up and he went out and he bowed down to them and he invited them into his tent and he fed them and this is a Middle Eastern thing I've experienced this in the Middle East in the Arab world and I mean they take care of you they'll defend you with their life if you're under their roof but it was very pointed if you read

[26:48] Genesis closely because when the one angel who was Christ the other two angels started toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the one angel remained that was Jesus and he said should I tell Abraham what I'm about to do and Abraham has got to be there how do he know that only God knows that I'm going to be he starts figuring out who this is shall I tell Abraham not Abram Abraham Jesus was the first person to call him Abraham on earth well Abraham has got a problem because he's got his nephew Lot living there and he enters into a bargaining with

[27:48] God the second person of the Trinity and they go through these numbers you know we won't do it tonight but and finally Abraham says will you not destroy those cities if you can find as few as ten righteous inhabitants he's gone from 50 to 45 to 40 to 30 now he's down to if there's ten righteous people in those cities will you not destroy them and the Lord said if I find ten I will not destroy them well we know what happened even that small number out of thousands of people apparently could not be found there was not ten righteous people in that town but God rescued Lot and his two daughters and we remember the death of

[28:53] Lot's wife she looked back and Lot was grieved by the lawless deeds he witnessed in Sodom and Gomorrah he was against those doctrines and those immoral practices but he liked the town he was an official there he sat at the city gate and these people he knew were enemies of God and God destroyed them so what what's our analogy for what we're talking about in 2025 back then these were enemies of God and we have enemies of God today there are false prophets and false teachers and they teach abominable things and they're enemies of

[29:57] God and one day they will be destroyed absent any genuine repentance they'll be annihilated and I'm sure you're like man I don't take joy in that but I do rejoice in the judgment of God that it's always right now Lot made a lot of mistakes and yet in at least two or three books of the Bible he's referred to as that righteous Lot where'd that come from Jesus Christ Lot has the imputed righteousness of Christ in him he was a follower of Yahweh that's the same righteousness every true believer possesses the righteousness of

[31:04] Christ he who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him great verse of scripture now the entire lesson tonight has been under the banner of the precedent of judgment we brought that over from last week but now we're going to go to a second section briefly we're going to look at the pattern of judgment I'm going to read to you second Peter chapter two verse nine and ten the first part of verse ten then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment and especially those who go after the flesh in its corrupt lust and who despise authority beginning with

[32:18] Adam God always knows whom to judge and God also knows whom to rescue and he never makes a mistake about that hundreds of years or thousands I don't know but at least hundreds of years before Peter came on the scene scripture established God's pattern of judgment I've been teaching in here 25 or 26 years I think this is the first time I'm going to quote from Malachi in all those years I don't think I ever quoted from Malachi Malachi chapter 3 verses 16 and 8 then those who feared Yahweh spoke to one another and

[33:21] Yahweh gave heed and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear Yahweh and who think upon his name and they will be mine says Yahweh of hosts on the day that I prepare my own treasured possession and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him so you will return and see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked between one who serves God and one who does not serve him and then we're going to keep reading in Malachi but now in chapter 4 verses 1 to 3 for behold the day is coming burning like a furnace and all the arrogant and every worker of wickedness will be chaff and the day that is coming will set them aflame says

[34:28] Yahweh of hosts so that it will leave them neither root nor branch but for you who fear my name the son of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings and you will go forth and skip like calves from the stall and you will tread down the wicked for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing says Yahweh of hosts the Lord of all heaven and earth knows how to deal with the wicked at the same time the Lord of hosts knows how to rescue the godly and to keep us from falling into temptation where the unrighteous people that have died but not yet been subjected to full judgment they are under punishment awaiting full and final justice according to the second chapter of

[35:44] Romans they even now are accumulating even more guilt until then they await an event yet future but closing in on us called the great white throne judgment that's the judgment of the unsaved and they will be fully and finally judged as ungodly people and then be cast into the lake of fire where they will spend eternity some of those awaiting final judgment are false teachers and false prophets and theirs is an even greater condemnation well I want to close tonight on a positive note that would be nice the Lord by his work on the cross has already rescued us he's already rescued every true believer from such horrible fate that I've been reading to you tonight and these are the words of the apostle

[37:00] Paul in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verses 3 to 10 5 we're always to give thanks to God for you brothers as is only fitting because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of each one of you all toward one another increases all the more so that we ourselves boast about you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure this is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which indeed you are suffering since it is right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give rest to those who are afflicted and to us as well as the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire executing vengeance on those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed for our witness to you was believed that day's coming maybe not in my lifetime

[39:07]  I'm getting old but it could well be in the lifetime of some of you guys in here be ready and make sure your family's ready we've all got members of our family that are not ready be praying for them and witnessing to them what a deal you