PART A
PART B
TEXT: Luke 17:26-33
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot’s wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Living in the Days of Noah and Lot, Part 2 (Pilgrim’s Progress According to the Bible #36)
Last week, we began looking at the somewhat surprising words from Jesus Christ which shed light on the condition of the world in the end times. These words are surprising to us because, often, we focus on the terrible signs of the times — such as an increase in war, violence, disasters, disease, and sin. But, Jesus informs us that in the midst of all that, many people will be going about their daily lives as though nothing is out of the ordinary.
Jesus parallels this condition with two examples out of the Old Testament — the days of Noah and Lot. We looked at Noah as an example of a wise man living in perilous times. Noah was obedient to God and he led his family to be obedient to God. On top of that, he was a faithful witness to his generation, warning them of the judgment that God had promised to send because of their disobedience.
Today, we are going to look at the example of another man living in similar times. This man is Lot, the nephew of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham. Jesus says, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.” Just as in Noah’s day,Just as in Lots day, and just as in our day, people are continuing on in their daily routines while sin and immorality is on the rise and while the condition of the world is rapidly deteriorating. J.A. Martin says, “the materialistic, indifferent people of Sodom (eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building) were not prepared for God’s judgment. They were living in sin, oblivious to God. Therefore they were destroyed.”
People in our day have claimed that God is dead, that he is just a phantom made up by feeble minds, or that he is just a figment used by religious institutions to control the masses. Secularists and atheists are trying to erase any mention of God from government and public society. Many today are like the people of Lot’s day — oblivious to God. And when judgment comes, they will be surprised, and it will be too late for them to do anything about it.
Some scholars have pointed out that marriage is not mentioned in Jesus’ description of the conditions of Lot’s day as a normal part of life that people were engaged in. Perhaps, this is a reflection of the spirit of the times. Perhaps, people in Sodom and Gomorrah were so far gone that they no longer had respect for the institution of marriage. If so, it is a striking parallel to the conditions of our day — increased divorces, many young people choosing to delay marriage, cohabitation, and on top of that, homosexuality and homosexual marriage.
In the midst of these conditions, we find the man Lot, his wife, and his family. From what Scripture tells us, he had two or more daughters. We are introduced to Lot in Genesis 12:4-5, “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.”
From reading the story of Lot as it is intertwined with the story of Abraham, we learn some troubling things about Lot’s character. His story serves as a warning for Christians living in today’s perilous times.
First, we see that Lot loved wealth and ease. The Bible informs us of a time when Lot’s shepherds and Abraham’s shepherds argued over the use of the land they were living on. It got so bad that Abraham decided they needed to go their separate ways. Abraham gave Lot the first choice of the land, and Genesis 13 tells us that “Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan.”
With no regard for his uncle, Lot chose the best land for himself. He was only concerned about his flocks having enough land to graze on and enough room to grow. The Bible goes on to tell us that “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.” Lot, who was only concerned about his own prosperity, moved in with people who were living in a manner that was displeasing to God. He wanted to maintain his wealth and his status so much that he didn’t mind living among people who were unrepentant sinners. And, unlike Noah, Lot did not try to preach righteousness to the people of Sodom. He was afraid to rock the boat. He knew that if he opposed the sinful lifestyles of the people of Sodom, he would be laughed at, ridiculed and persecuted. But, probably more important to him, he didn’t want people to stop doing business with him. Perhaps he was afraid that folks would boycott his business — that they would stop buying the wool, milk, and meat that came from his flocks. Perhaps he was afraid that they would run him out of town.
How many Christians remain silent on the sins of our day because they are afraid of losing their wealth or their easy lifestyle? Ask yourself the question: Am I living silently among sinners? It’s okay for Christians to live among sinners. But we must not remain silent among sinners. We must not love our money or our lifestyle so much that we do not say what God would have us to say.
But it was not only wealth and an easy lifestyle that had Lot in the clutches of silence; it was also power. Genesis 19:1 tells us that “Lot sat in the gate of Sodom.” Back in those days, the gate of a city was like city hall; it was the place where the elders of the city gathered to make laws, to make trade deals, and to resolve disputes. The fact that Lot sat in the gate of Sodom tells us that he was a respected member of society, and he helped guide the legal policies of the city. You might wonder, if Lot was in a position of power in the city, did he use his influence to guide the city away from homosexuality and the other sins that it was engaged in. Apparently not, because the very night that the angels came to Sodom and found Lot sitting in the gate of the city, a homosexual mob was in the city ready to assault the angels.
Lot said nothing about their sin because he didn’t want to lose his position in the city. In fact, Lot had remained silent and complicit for so long that when he finally went to the houses of his sons-in-law to tell them that judgment was coming and that they needed to get out, the Bible tells us “he seemed [to them] as one that mocked.” Even his family members did not believe him when, in a last-ditch effort, he told them that judgment was coming.
We see a clear contrast between Noah and Lot. They were both living in perilous times with God’s judgment looming over their societies because of sin and degradation. However, Noah boldly and uncompromisingly preached righteousness. Lot compromised and remained silent until it was too late. Even then, Lot did not want to leave the city of Sodom. Genesis 19:16 tells us that “he lingered” so much so that the angels had to lay “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 bring them forth, and set them without the city.” Even as he saw the judgment on the horizon, Lot did not want to leave his comfortable, easy lifestyle behind.
Turning our attention to our day, where there is an increase of sin and immorality, where there is an increase in wars and rumors of wars, where numerous tragedies and disasters strike the globe, we must ask ourselves, what kind of Christians are we? Are we like Noah or are we like Lot?
In these last days, we must consider if we love wealth, the world, power, and influence so much that we are remaining silent on the sinful issues of our day? I am afraid today that some of us, including some preachers, have remained silent for far too long — we have compromised and remained complicit so much so that if we spoke up now, people would laugh at us and think we are just joking.
God is not eager to judge His creation. As we saw in Noah’s day, He waited 100 years before sending the flood. In Lot’s story, God allowed Abraham to bargain with Him for Sodom and Gomorrah. God agreed to spare the cities if He could find just 10 righteous people in them — just 10! — but He couldn’t even find that many. God is showing His longsuffering and merciful hand in our day as well. While we have a chance, are we being obedient to God? Are we speaking out against the evil of our day? Are we warning people of the wrath to come? Are we working to see souls saved and lives changed so that more people will escape the coming judgment and be ready for the Rapture and the coming kingdom of God?
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If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to share with you briefly how you can be saved from your sins and be guaranteed a home in Heaven with God today.
First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God’s laws. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Please understand that because of your sins, you deserve eternal punishment in hell. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death…This is both physical death and spiritual death in hell. That is the bad news.
But here is the good news. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University School of Divinity. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for over twenty-seven years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.
BCNN1 WP 