Jump Start # 1958

2 Peter 2:7-8 “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 after day by their lawless deeds)”

What a sad picture of Lot. This certainly didn’t turn out as he had planned. What a mess he was in. Our passage, one of several O.T. examples drawn to show the judgment of God, is used by Peter to remind brethren what God will do with false teachers who were corrupting and distorting His truth. Peter draws from angels that were judged and the world that was judged during the flood in Noah’s day, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemned during the time of Abraham and Lot.

The background to this event with Lot is interesting. Abraham was on the move. God had called him to leave Ur. Lot tagged along. Both had large flocks. The land couldn’t contain all the flocks and the servants of both men were fussing at each other. It was time to separate. Abraham, being older, should have been the one to make the choice. Abraham was on a mission for God. Lot was just going along. But, Abraham allowed Lot to pick the area. He saw the valley was well watered and good for his flocks. He chose the land near Sodom. It had great curb appeal, as we say today. We remember that Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good to the eye. David saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing. There is more to things than what we see with our eyes.

Genesis tells us that the city of Sodom was wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. Genesis tells us that Lot moved his tents as far as Sodom. The next chapter in Genesis has Lot living in Sodom. By chapter 19, Lot is sitting at the gates of Sodom, a place where community discussions happened. Lot is right there. He is among them.

When God is finally out of patience with Sodom, He tells Abraham that He will destroy it. Abraham pleads for God to spare the cities because of the righteous who may be there. God would save the cities if ten righteous could be found. TEN. Ten could not be found. Angels take Lot out of the city and the warning is given to not look back. We know what happens. Lot’s wife turned and she became a pillar of salt. Immediately, Lot lost his companion. The words of Jesus, echo so loudly here, “Remember Lot’s wife.”

Our verse today shows the negative impact that Sodom had upon Lot. It was wearing him out spiritually. He was dying. He felt his soul tormented day after day. What he saw and what he heard coming out of those men who had no regard for God crippled his heart. Why didn’t Lot stay out in the fields and away from the city? Why was he there?

There comes a time in our lives when we must admit that we made a wrong choice. Lot made a wrong choice. The land was great for sheep, but the area was terrible for Godly hearts. His sheep thrived while he was being crushed spiritually. And this ancient story, first coming from Genesis and later from Peter, is relived over and over today. Righteous people making wrong choices. Righteous people dying spiritually as a result of those choices.

Here are some examples of modern choices like Lot:

Your child gets a scholarship to play ball in college. Division 1. Impressive. Great opportunity. Full ride. Expenses paid for. Maybe a stepping stone to the pros. Papers are signed, suitcases are packed and off goes your child. Little thought is given about whether or not a congregation is in the area. Very little investigation is put into what that church is like. Surrounded by unprincipled young people, your child plays and graduates in four years. Meets a girl on campus. Gets married. But the cost has been heavy. He hasn’t worshipped hardly at all while in school. Demands of sports, keeping up his grades, social life, and his faith in God has died. Oh, there are great memories of great games to be talked about for years to come, but he has no place for God anymore in his heart. The fields looked good but it was the wrong choice.

A family is worshipping with a small congregation. The congregation is old, not in the people, but in the thinking. Little is done. Little is expected. There are so few kids in the congregation that the fifth grader is put in with the two high school students. It’s the ole’ one room school concept. But here, it’s Bible class. This small church can not afford a preacher. Some someone usually gets up and reads a few verses and a prayer is offered. No depth. No challenging thoughts. No teaching. There are other options. There is a larger congregation but it’s about thirty miles away. They have an eldership, tons of kids and they are growing. They are doing things, and they are doing them right and Biblical. Do we stay and try to help this small church or do we move? Do we drive the distance every week? Mom and dad kick around the options. They really love their house. They don’t want to move. They decide to stay. Week after week, they are slowing dying because they are not being fed spiritually. They could have Bible studies in their home, but they don’t. They could invite families over and try to be a spark plug for the place, but they don’t. They just show up and go home. Week after week. Their kids grow up and have never really been taught. They fall away. The house this couple lives in is loved. The fields looked good but it was the wrong choice.

A man is offered a senior position at work. It is a premium job. Many would love to have this opportunity. It comes with a large salary and many perks. But the hours that this job requires and the travel that he now must do, takes him away from family. His name has been kicked around at church as a future elder but he can’t do that now. He’s way too busy. He is asked to teach a class at the congregation. He has to turn that down. He’s in and out so much that he can’t teach. The lifestyle he now lives puts him around some high rollers. He’s meeting people that he never thought he’d ever know. Name dropping, arrogance, and high spending have taken over his life. He’s feeling more and more out of touch with the people down at the church house. He’s changing. He’s becoming more and more like the people he is running with. Social drinking now crosses his mind. The others are doing it. He is attending less and less with God’s people to worship. The promotion, like the fields of Sodom, looked so good. But it wasn’t a good choice.

Now, I have known people who have gone through all of these examples, and not only kept their faith, but influenced others and did well. I know the college kids that played sports and influenced team mates to attend with them. These kids grew, got married and are serving amazingly in the kingdom. I’ve know families that worshipped in small congregations, but they were able to be great influences and bring life back to those groups. I’ve known brethren who took those senior positions at work, and didn’t allow their hope, character or outlook to change. It can be done. But I also know far too many that were crushed because of the unprincipled people around them.

You realize that your choice wasn’t right when it starts affecting your faith and conviction to Christ. When you see yourself changing and not for the good, it’s time to pull the plug on your choices. A person may have to switch schools, drop sports, move, or turn down the promotion. Those are hard choices. But in the words of Jesus, ‘what does it profit if you gain the whole world and lose your soul.’ Lot lost a wife. Later, his two daughters made terrible choices. Lot felt tortured while in Sodom. Why stay? It’s just a job. It’s just a house. It’s just a school. Are those things worth losing your soul for?

Some choices cannot be walked away from. This is especially true in marriage. Many a person will say, “I married the wrong person.” What they want is the exit door, so they can get out of that poor choice. It’s too late. God only allows one cause for divorce. This is why so much thought must be put into the person one dates. Some people change after marriage. Some get worse rather than better. A person has to try all that they can to make things better.

We must develop better vision to see beyond the fields of Sodom. What’s on paper may look good, but what’s the atmosphere like? Do some homework. Talk to people. Do your own investigation. Visit congregations a few times before final decisions are made. Think about the spiritual impact not just on yourself but upon your family. Is this a good choice? Is this a spiritual choice? Five years down the road what will this choice to do me spiritually?

Had Lot asked those questions he may never have chosen the rich fields of Sodom. What’s good for sheep, and what’s good for scholarships, and what’s good for the paycheck, may not be good for the soul. Making a wise choice based upon God is first.

Roger

Jump Start # 1194

2 Peter 2:7-8 “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 after day by their lawless deeds).”

Lot was a good man. He gets beat up often in our sermons. When talking about Lot’s men and Abraham’s men, and the area being too crowded, Lot chose the area of Sodom to move to. It was fertile and great for raising sheep. It wasn’t a great area to raise a family. Abraham was Lot’s uncle. Abraham was older. Abraham was following God’s command. Lot was tagging along. It would make sense for Lot to let Abraham pick first. It didn’t happen that way.

As Genesis unfolds, Lot moves closer to Sodom. Then Lot is in Sodom. Then it seems Sodom is in the lives of Lot’s family. God told Lot to flee. He was putting an end to the wicked and vile Sodom. God said to flee, but Lot delayed. God sent an angel to lead Lot out. They were told not to look back. His wife looked back. She became a pillar of salt. Then Lot’s daughters, fearing that there were no one left to marry and have children, got their father drunk and had sexual relations with him. Tragic disaster for a good man’s family.

There’s a lot of finger pointing and negative preaching about ole’ Lot. Poor choices. Poor leadership in the home. But that’s not a complete nor true picture of Lot. Our verse tells us that God viewed Lot as righteous. The text calls him: righteous Lot, that righteous man, righteous soul. God saw righteousness in Lot. Sometimes we don’t credit Lot with anything worthwhile. It helps us to see as God does. God rescued righteous Lot. The Lord didn’t rescue the wicked.

Some lessons:

1. It is possible to be righteous when those around us are wicked. How easily Lot could have said, “I can’t help it.” But he could be righteous. He was righteous. He chose to be righteous when others were wicked. Imagine walking in the shoes of Lot. He didn’t have a congregation to attend where folks are trying to do right. No encouragement. No reminders from the pulpit. No daily Bible readings. He lived with men who had no principles. They had no anchor, foundation nor moral compass. Their deeds were called lawless. They were saying and doing wicked things. Lot didn’t become like them. He remained righteous.

– You may have your own Sodom. It may be the school you attend or the work place, or sadly, even your family. The language is rough. The attitudes wrong. Greed, gossip, and filthy talk fill the air. Making fun of people becomes sport with some. Cheating and dishonesty is a game. These folks don’t care, especially about others. They don’t care about the hurt, the harm and the trouble they cause others. It’s all about self.

– Lot’s example reminds us that we can be righteous when in Sodom. It’s not easy. It’s hard on families. You need to work hard to keep yourself faithful to the Lord. It is always easier to go downhill than it is to go up hill.

2. What happened in Sodom bothered Lot. Our text states that he felt his righteous soul tormented day after day. Older translations use the word “vexed.” Lot felt his soul vexed. This wasn’t a one time situation. This happened every day. “Day after day,” is how the passage reads. He was bothered. He was tormented. He was vexed. To say what others do does not bother me, is not the situation here. It did bother Lot. The wrong of others hurts. It hurts God and it hurts those who love God. It hurts because the air is filled not with the glory of the Lord, but with sin. They live mockingly of God’s existence and authority. It hurts because righteous people care about others. These people were destroying their lives. Sin doesn’t add value nor years to one’s life. Sin drains life. Some of the consequences of sinful living is poor health, addictions, diseases and a calloused heart. God made us for better things. Some folks have more compassion on an abused puppy than they do an abused soul.

– there are many bad, ugly and unrighteous activities taking place today. It ought to bother us. Hearing little kids cuss isn’t cute nor funny, it’s shameful. Seeing college kids guzzle alcohol until they pass out ought to break our hearts. The cheating, dishonesty, breaking vows, ought to trouble us. These days are not safe. This is the time for prayers. We need to pray for our safety and pray for people to change.

3. The flow of our passage indicates that Lot was having little influence upon Sodom. Things were not getting better. They were getting worse. Lot remained true, but it doesn’t seem that anyone was joining him. So it may be with us. You may feel that you are losing the battle. You may feel that no one is listening to you. That may be true. From Lot, we learn that he remained righteous even when no one was listening. That’s discouraging. That makes you feel like you are wasting your breath and your efforts. Lot journeyed on with the Lord. The discouragement didn’t defeat him. He remained righteous. He didn’t get disillusioned thinking that maybe they were right. There are so many of them. How could they all be wrong. He didn’t go there. He didn’t compromise to get along. He remained righteous. There were lines drawn in the sand that could not be crossed. Lot was in Sodom but Sodom was not in Lot.

– this is the point where many of us stumble. We feel compelled to find a bridge of compromise to make things peaceful with others. The unprincipled ones do not feel that way. It’s in your face. It’s rude, obnoxious and offensive. They have no intention of crossing a bridge half way. They want nothing to do with  decency, goodness or helping others. If there is any bridge crossing, it will be by the righteous people. The unprincipled ones are determined to continue in their ways. Maybe, instead of building a bridge that we must cross, it’s time to cut the ties. Maybe some bridges shouldn’t be built. When some refuse to show kindness, but rather they continue to ridicule, mock and put down the very things you cherish, what bridge do you intend to build? Why do you want to cross over to that side? Wicked hearts that do not care nor want to change, ought to be left alone, even if in the family and especially in the family. For the sake of the children, if loudmouth uncle can’t keep from cussing, putting people down, mocking religion, talking offensively, then tell him to stay home. He’ll blow a gasket and chew you out. But it’s your home. Family or not, don’t put yourself nor your kids through that ugly display of immaturity. Even if it’s a family reunion or home for the holidays, parameters and boundaries need to be established. The unprincipled want no one talking religion, however, they expect everyone to give an audience to their spew of poison that comes from their mouth. No sir. Not any more. It’s not a one way street here. It’s not you get to call the shots. If that’s the way family gatherings are going to be, then firmly, but kindly say, “I won’t be there.”

Why be tormented and tortured emotionally and spiritually for the sake of getting the family together. The guy is uncontrolled and he is hurting himself and others.

Lot was tormented. God got Lot out of there. It wasn’t safe—physically, morally, emotionally or spiritually. Sometimes we must do the same. You may have to find another job—and that’s hard in this economy. You may have to put some distance between some in the family—and that’s really hard. You do this for the sake of your soul and the souls of your family.

Lot was righteous. He remained righteous. That’s what God wants from you. Stay righteous. Do what you must to remain righteous. Do not become unrighteous. Do not throw in the towel with God. Do not become like those around you. We may live in Sodom, but Sodom doesn’t have to live in us.

Roger