We're going to be in second Peter chapter two. You want to find that second Peter two and then we're going to turn back to Genesis chapter 13. So, second Peter two and then Genesis chapter 13 this morning. Abraham or Abram believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. We're justified not by works but we're justified by what?

By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the promises of our Lord, the same as Abraham was saved, counted right eous in the sight of God because of his faith. There was another person in the story not just Abraham, Abraham but also a man named Lot. Now Lot, the nephew of Abraham, left with Abraham to go to the promised land. He put his faith in the Lord and his promises Also, and followed his uncle and the Lord to Canaan. And then after a while, there after their return from Egypt, their possessions just became so great and vast that they couldn't travel together anymore.

So, they had to to divide and go separate ways. We looked at that last week and the decision that Abraham made that demonstrated his faith and trust in the Lord. However, Lot made a different, a different decision and we're going to get to that in just a moment in Genesis 13 but first, I do want us to look at second Peter chapter two because it kind of clears up something on Lot that I think is important that we grasp a hold of here. Lot was a man of faith but a man of struggling, weak faith, and that weak faith that didn't grow to the extent that his uncles did got him in what? And got him in trouble.

Why do I say was a man of faith? Well, he left with Abraham. Why do I say he was a man of faith? Well, because God calls him righteous here in the passage we're about to read. Why do I call him that?

Because God protected him and delivered him from destruction in Sodom as we will see. Look if you would in second Peter two verse six and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, that is God doing so. Condemn them with an overthrow, making them an in sample or example unto those that after should live ungodly. In other words, you reap what you sow, don't be deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever man soweth shall he also reap and that's what the people of Sodom and Gomorrah found out, how be it because of their unbelief, they found out what? Too late for them.

Verse seven, and God delivered just lot, righteous lot, vexed with the filthy conversation or behavior, lifestyle of the wicked. For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust for the day of judgement to be punished. Who did God deliver out of Sodom? He delivered Lot and he calls him here a righteous man who was vexed, frustrated, brought down by the wickedness that he was surrounded by in his day in the city of Sodom.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for this passage and the clarification that just that Lot was a righteous man not because his works always demonstrated it because of his faith. We, sadly, Lord, are not always righteous in our actions either. Lord, I pray that you would forgive us for our failures and our sins, for not being as righteous children sometimes as we certainly ought to be but we thank you Lord that we have an advocate in heaven. Jesus Christ, the righteous, who intercedes for us, who forgives all of our sins, cleanses them, washes them all away by the blood of Jesus Christ.

But Lord, I do pray that we would grasp a hold of the message concerning the life of Lot. And the important warning that we find there. We may not lose our soul but there is a lot to lose here. If we do not put you first and choose to walk by faith in our daily lives and not by sight. Bless our time together today.

May you be honored and exalted. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Based on the passage we just read and on God's actions, continuing interest, and protection of Lot, I can only surmise that he did have a relationship with God, a relationship based on faith by which God counted him, his faith for righteousness, the same as his uncle Abraham. However, saving faith and relationship with God does not assure one of success and blessing in life particularly particularly if we do not choose to nurture that faith and that relationship with God or if we often make decisions in life which run contrary to it.

Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean that everything is going to be great. Just because you're a Christian doesn't even mean that God is going to bless you. Now, he's promised you a home in heaven. He's promised he'll never leave you nor forsake you but he also tells us in his word, if we do wrong, he'll what? He will chasten us.

He will chasten us. Why? Because he loves us. That in itself is a blessing to us. However, it's not something that we want to spend most of our life in, okay?

The chastening hand of God. He is an almighty God. He is a god of wrath. He is a god who will deal with his children as is necessary. Do not be deceived.

Do not think that we can just ignore our heavenly father and everything is going to go honky dory. Lot found that out the hard way. So, thus, we have Lot. He was not ruined by one bad decision but by a series of bad decisions as he chose to ignore the challenge of this verse. Let's go back to that verse again.

There we go. Proverbs three, five, and six. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thy what? Own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him and all thy ways acknowledge him.

His will and he shall direct your path. If you listen to the Lord, if you're, if you go to the Lord, if you need wisdom, he says, come ask of me and I will give you. And you need it. Sadly, sometimes we don't think we need it. We think we got it all what?

Under control. Be careful. If you think you stand, lest you what? Lest you fall. And boy did that did Lot fall.

Notice if you would, the centerpiece of God's promise and blessing upon Abraham concerning his descendants. I want you to take note of this before we finish to get to the end of our story today. A lot of God's promise of blessing was not upon just Abraham himself but a large part of the blessing of Abraham was upon his what? Descendants was concerning his descendants. Personal comfort, pleasure, power, fame, in the short span we live on this Earth is worth very little.

In comparison, in comparison to the impact, we have the opportunity to make through our offspring and others whose lives we affect for Christ. Our lifespan is like a vapor which is here for a moment and then what? Gone. But the offspring that you leave behind and the peoples whose lives you affect for Christ that you leave behind, that continues what? Generation to generation, on and on and on in this life, in this world.

Indeed, children are a treasure from God which continues to give long after we leave this mortal coil. Sadly, the offspring of Lot left behind a much different testimony than some of Abraham's and that begins in Genesis 13. With Sodom. Genesis 13, if you would, please turn back there. Genesis 13.

As we talk about Lot this morning, I want you to notice one other thing. I'm afraid we often more resemble Lot than we do Abraham. And I want you to consider that possibility as we look into God's word today. We are awful quick to hold up Abraham who, by the way, had his own faults, wasn't perfect. And we're also very quick to condemn who?

Lot. And think that we are so much better than he. But be careful. Be careful. Genesis 13 verse eight.

And Abraham said to unto Lot, let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee, between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen, for we be brethren. It's not the whole land before thee, separate thyself, I pray thee from me. If thou will take the left hand, then I will go to the right, if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes. Lifted up his eyes.

Come back to that. Behold all the Plain Of Jordan. That it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah even as the garden of the Lord, he smote. Even as it were the garden of Eden. Like the land of Egypt is thou cometh to Zoar.

Then Lot chose him all the Plain Of Jordan and Lot journeyed east and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan. Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. As I mentioned, it's not just this one decision but it's a series of decisions that keep Lot going in the wrong direction.

You know, if I were going to take a bow and arrow and shoot it and try to hit a bull's eye on that backdoor back there, I would have to have it right dead on right on course. If I move just a tiny bit, a half an inch, a quarter of an inch to the left, by time the arrow gets back there, it's now two feet off to the left, you see? Sometimes things start with one seemingly insignificant decision but if you don't correct course, you end up what? Way off course if you continue in that on that path. And this is what we see from Lot.

A series of bad decisions continuing on a wrong path that led to his destruction and particularly that of his family. That which certainly he valued above the other possessions. Poor choice number one. He chose to pitch his tent toward wasn't in, wasn't in Sodom, just what? Towards Sodom.

That was Lot's choice when Abraham gave him a choice. Now, Lot could have bowed to the seniority of Abraham and said, no, I will take what is left. That would have been the or the proper thing to do was for Lot to say no. I'm the younger, you're the what? The elder, you choose and I'll take what's left.

He should have bowed to the Lord and sought his what? Guidance. Sometimes, we have decisions to make. We don't know which way to go. Again, God says in his word, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of who?

God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not doesn't hold back and it shall be given him. So, if you've got a decision to make, you're not exactly sure which way to go, you're not exactly sure what God wants you to do, would you please make sure? You can. Talk to him about it. If you really want to know, I mean, if you really want to know, I believe God will show you.

I believe he will. I've been in that position several times and every time I prayed and I asked God, what do you want me to do? And I really meant it. God showed me. He showed me when I left college to go to Georgia.

He showed me when I left Georgia to come to Florida. This wasn't my will. This was his will and I'm sure of that. God knows what he's doing but if you want to know what he wants, sometime you have to what? You have to ask.

Ask and it shall be given. Ask him. Lot didn't ask. Lot could have taken the least and left the best for Abraham. Instead, Lot took what he thought was the best for who?

For himself and left whatever was left for Abraham. So, he chose selfishly for himself. He didn't esteem others better than himself. He took it for himself. Took the biggest slice of pie.

For himself. He took what looked best. Notice, he lifted up his what? His eyes. He had herds.

He had cattle. And they needed a fertile place to graze. He needed a place where he could raise food and so, the the Valley Of Jordan at that time was evidently just north of the Dead Sea was very fertile area. And so Lot looked down went, well, that's perfect. That's perfect.

Look, it's got everything I need. Well, I'll take that. I'll take that. He walked by sight and not by what? Not by faith.

Number three and and by the way, again, we are quick to we're quick to condemn Lot but many of us would have made the same decision. You know, hey, that that has what I need. I will trust in what I see. Be careful. Number three, chose to ignore the wickedness of Sodom and place himself and his family in a place of great temptation.

He didn't think about, okay, I'm going to be just outside the city of Sodom. I'm going to be doing commerce with Sodom. My kids are going to be with the kids of Sodom and this could be a what? A dangerous situation. Number four, he chose to go the direction of the world.

The Bible says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. It tells us that the world is what? Passing away. Sometimes, it looks appealing. Often, it looks appealing but it is passing away but he that doeth the will of the father will endure what?

Forever. Get your eyes off of things that are passing away. They will not bring you joy. They will not give you what you need. God will.

Choose God, not the world. Poor choice number one. Poor choice number two. Look in Genesis fourteen ten to 12. Fourteen ten.

Just a little background here, there were several armies that came up against the city of Sodom and they defeated Sodom and took spoil of things that were in the city. Abraham, hearing upon hearing the news, gathered an army together and went and defeated the army that spoiled Sodom. Why did he do that? Well, because Lot and his family had been taken captive by the conquering army. So, verse 11, and they took verse 10 and the veil of Sodom was full of slime pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there and they that remained fled to the mountain there there and they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their victuals and went their way and they took Lot, Abraham's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom and his goods and departed.

So, when they conquered Sodom, they also took Lot with them and his family and his goods. And when Abraham heard, he gathered this army, he went and he got Lot back. Inevitably, living on the edge of sin will eventually get you pulled where? Inside. Inside.

Blessed is the man who walketh not in the council of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful who puts his delight in the law of the Lord but conversely, cursed is the man. Foolish is the man. Who chooses to walk in the council of the ungodly, to stand in the way of sinners, to sit in the seat of those who scorn the Lord. If you hang out with partiers, you will eventually become a partier. If you hang out with the promiscuous people, you eventually will probably become promiscuous person.

If you hang out with drunkards, you too are likely to become a drunkard. If you hang out with Hollywood, this is a problem a lot of Christians have today. Too much. That TV set that you watch, then you will become more and more like the thing that you put before your eyes day in and day out. Proverbs twenty four one says, be not envious against evil men neither desire to be with them.

First Corinthians fifteen fifty three, be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Don't be deceived. If you surround yourself by the wicked, it is going to cause you harm. It is going to affect your fellowship with the Lord and your testimony for the Lord.

If you choose to surround yourself with the ungodly and this is what happened a lot. He pitched his tent towards Sodom and here we find out that he was in Sodom. So, when the enemy came, guess who got taken? Lot did. Lot was taken.

Praise the Lord by God's grace and mercy. He was saved by Abraham's swift action but he did not learn his what? Lesson. You know, sometimes we do have to learn lessons. Sometimes in life, particularly young people but not exclusively young people.

Get in with the wrong what? Crowd and they make bad decisions. Now, it's always best to not get in with the bad crowd to begin with. But if you do get in with the bad crowd and God delivers you from a mess you put yourself in, then you best learn your what? Lesson and not go back to it.

And not go back to it. Which brings us to poor choice number three. Lot went back into the city of Sodom. He went back after God had yanked him out, after Abraham had delivered him from the enemy because he was there, he was taken. He went back.

Look, if you would, chapter 19 verse one and we'll read down through verse 11. Chapter 19 verses one through 11. Nineteen one, there came two angels to Sodom at even and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Now, these two angels along with, I believe, it was a pre incarnate appearance of Christ, had just spoken to Abraham in chapter 18 and Abraham had even requested that if they had found at least 10 righteous people in the city of Sodom that God would not destroy it with to which God agreed and I think Abraham when he got down, got God down to 10 righteous people in the city of Sodom. I think Abraham felt good because knowing Lot was there, certainly he thought there were at least 10 people that surrounded Lot that were righteous people.

10 people whose lives he had affected and brought to the Lord. He thought certainly there will be 10 people. So, two of those angels who appeared as men left Abraham after that discussion. They came to Sodom and even and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom and Lot seen them rose up to meet them and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground and he said, behold now my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house and tarry all night, wash your feet, you shall rise up early and go on your ways. In other words, he met them.

I think, I don't know if he knew they were angels but I think he did recognize there was something about these men and so, he quickly grabbed them as they were coming in the city and said, here, come to my place. You know, stay with me and then get out in the morning, okay? Let's make this a short overnight stay, okay? What did they say? They said, for in the verse two, nay, but we will abide in the street all night and he pressed upon them greatly and they turned in unto him and entered into his house and he made them a feast and did bake unleavened bread and they did eat But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, and they called unto Lot and said unto him, where are the men which came unto thee this night?

Bring them out unto us that we may know them. That is physically, carnally, sexually. Verse six, and Lot went out at the door unto them and shut the door after him and said, I pray you brethren, do not do so. Do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man.

Let me, I pray you bring them out unto you and do you to them as good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. How terrible a situation How terrible an offer Lot made. Verse nine, and they said, the men of the city said, stand back. They said again, this one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a be a judge.

Now, will we deal worse with thee than with them and they press sore upon the man even Lot and came near to break the door but the men put forth their hand that is the angels and pulled Lot into the house to them and shut the door and they smoked the men that were at the door of the house with blindness both small and great so that they wearied themselves to find the door. So, Lot came back to the city after being delivered by Abraham, settled back in. He even sat at the what? Gate which seems to be he was somehow involved with the government of the city in some manner and welcoming people into the city. So, he had very much become a part of it.

And it will cost him. He lost his testimony to the extent that the people that surrounded his house that night thought they could force themselves upon his guests and he would let them. Did they really think that he was going to let them do that? Well, it would seem that they did think he was going to let them do that. That tells me that his testimony was not as sterling as it should have been.

Number two, the decisions he had made had put himself in a terrible pickle. Terrible pickle. He had invited these men to stay under his roof. Therefore, particularly based on that culture, he was responsible for their well-being. And he needed to protect them.

What was he going to do? There were hundreds or thousands of people outside his door. They were going to rush the house, break in the door, and come take all of them. So, out of panic and not out of what? Faith, he made a deal or tried to make a deal.

Figuring that they were going to do as they pleased anyway. He said, well, you can have my daughters just leave the men alone. What a terrible deal to make but that's where sin puts you. It puts you in places that you don't want to be and having to make decisions that you should never have to make. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.

Lean not unto thine own understanding. All thy ways acknowledge him. He shall direct thy paths. Will Jesus ever put you in this position? I doubt it.

It was Lot who put himself between a rock and a hard place. It was Lot who walked by sight and not by faith. It was Lot who was quick to offer up his daughters because he didn't recognize that the man inside of his house had the power of God on their side. And he didn't need to fear. His influence for God upon that city was weak and it seems he brought not one to faith in God Not even those espoused to his daughters as we'll see in a moment in verse 14.

By God's grace and mercy once again, God's foolish child is going to be saved and delivered. But at what cost? Look if you would in verse 12 verse 12. And the man said unto Lot, hast thou hear any besides, son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever, thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is wax and great before the face of the Lord and the Lord has sent us to destroy it and Lot went out and spake unto his sons in law which married probably betrothed to his daughters and set up get you out of this place for the Lord will destroy the city but he seemed as one that mocked unto his son. They just laughed at him.

They thought, oh, he's just joking. He's just crazy. Verse 15, when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot saying, arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters which are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. I can imagine maybe they were trying to pack, you know? Oh, I gotta have this.

Oh, I gotta get that. Can't leave this behind. Can't leave that behind. Oh, I just and they're they're dawdling and they're not getting out. They're not hastening.

They don't see how desperate the situation is and the angels are trying to, you know, get em going. They hasten Lot saying, arise, take thy wife, thy two daughters which are here, lest thou be consumed iniquity of the city and while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him and they brought him forth and set him without the city. And it came to pass when they had brought them forth abroad that he said, escaped for thy life. Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain, escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed and Lot said unto them, oh no, oh not so, my Lord. Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight.

And thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast showed unto me in saving my life that I cannot escape to the mountain. Lest some evil take me and I die. Lot's faith, I tell you. It has become weak because he has been complacent and he has been infected, affected by the city in which he lived and he just couldn't think he could live without all of those luxuries. Now, again, I ask you, don't be too quick to judge Lot.

We think a lot of our luxuries too, don't we? And it might come a time in this country where you have to choose between your luxuries. And your God. I hope that God will not have to drag you kicking and screaming away from the luxuries. But I'm afraid in some cases, he will.

Not finished. I'm going read down through verse 26 here. Look in verse 23. The sun was riven upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar and the Lord reigned upon Sodom and upon 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 up on the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him.

And she became a pillar of salt. They were told, don't look what? Don't look back. But his wife His wife's heart was where? It was in Sodom And she just couldn't let it go.

And she looked back and that was the end of her life. Take solace in God's deliverance of Lot. God said, I will not forsake thee, and he did not forsake Lot. But do not become complacent or indifferent concerning what is right and good and concerning your relationship with God and your service to him because it will not end well and I know Christian after Christian who are suffering And they're not suffering some some Christians suffer like Job because of God is testing them. Yes, true.

But some suffer because they've become indifferent to the things of God. They don't darken the door of a church. They hardly ever open their Bible. Their prayers are few. And God is not part of their daily life the way he ought to be.

They walk by faith, by sight, and not by what? Faith. And it's not going to end well on this Earth. What happened a lot? Well, he left behind his sons in law.

Betrothed to his daughters. They were gone. He lost his wife who could not bear to let it go. For where your treasure is, there were your heartbeat also. That poor choice of going back to Sodom after God brought him out.

Really really ruined his life. But that isn't the end of it I'm not going to read the remainder of the chapter but you might want to read it on your own for the sake of time But Lot's daughters, eventually, Lot did end up in a mountain, did end up in a cave. His daughters thinking there would be no men to father children, got their father drunk, committed incest, and gave birth to two sons. Those sons became the fathers of the nations of Moab and Ammon. Those peoples fathered by Lot and his two daughters were vile idolatrous nations who had no stomach for God and no interest in righteousness and they were two of Israel's greatest enemies.

That was the legacy that Lot left behind on the earth. Those were the descendants that Lot left behind on the earth. Not people that had an interest in God but people who had an interest in wickedness, in vileness, and in fighting against the people of God. Thus, in the end, lost all his possessions. He essentially lost all his family to the world.

He lost his testimony. He lost his honor and he lost his legacy. He started well. And it seems he never lost his faith entirely. Lot did not turn to idolatry.

Lot did not turn to immorality like the people in the city he lived in but he played with fire and his family got burnt. He did not nurture his faith. He did not stand up for what was right. He was not salt and light in Sodom like he ought to have been. And it brought ruin into his life Don't choose the same path If you need to live in Sodom, if you do not need to live in Sodom figuratively or literally, move.

If you do have to live there, then be salt and light because if you don't, the darkness and wickedness will destroy you and your testimony here. That is the warning of lot. If you don't have to go there, don't go there. If you have to go there, well then you better be what? Better be salt and light.

For if you're not, the darkness will get your family. And the darkness will take your joy. Trust in the law. What? Who?

Lord, with all thine heart. Lean not into thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall what? Direct thy paths. Say, well, pastor, I made a wrong choice. Well, welcome to the group.

We've all made wrong choices. Again, Lot's demise was not just one wrong choice, it was why. It was continuance of wrong choices on a wrong path of which he did not see because he wasn't looking with eyes of faith at what was going to be the consequences in the end. Be not deceived. God is not mocked.

Whatsoever man soweth that shall he also reap. We make decisions every day which affect our family, our relationship with the Lord. The wrong decisions most often the easiest and the most attractive. Plain of Jordan. Make sure that God has first place.

Everything else will fall into place. Disregard the warning we see in the life of Lot. Make friendly with the wicked world system and you will lose and lose and lose. Make no mistake, the place we live looks a lot more like Sodom. Every day.

Particularly the cities. A lot more like Sodom every day. Be careful. Trust in who? The Lord.

Let him direct your paths. You won't end up like Lot. Take it in your own hands. Become indifferent to the Lord. Don't be salt and light.

And it will not end well. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord for Jesus Christ, our savior. Thank you, Lord that despite foolish decisions we make, you've promised not to leave us nor forsake those who truly have put their faith in you. But Lord, I desperately pray for this congregation.

For myself and my own family. Lord, that you would help us to heed the warning of lot in our own lives. Lord, maybe we've made some bad decisions. Maybe we have faced the consequences for those. Lord, help us.

Lord, to take a different route, to point our path in a different way, to choose to put you first and repent and allow you to change our life from where we are. Lord, it isn't too late. Lord, I pray if there's one here that's never trusted Christ as savior. It's not too late. The city has not been destroyed yet.

The door to the ark hasn't been closed yet. Lord, I pray that they would put their faith in you before they meet. The end of the people of Sodom. And end up in a place called the Lake Of Fire Lord, I pray they'd come this morning before it's too late but I pray for us that are Christians that we would take to heart the warning we see in Lot and what followed in his life that we might trust in the Lord with all our heart. Lean not unto our own understanding.

Acknowledge you in all our ways Knowing that you will direct us in a way that is good and right and just. Lord, help us. Lord, forgive us