Lot's Wife - Genesis Part 43

You know about you but when I fly commercially and they show that safety video are basically pay no attention. However, there is one thing that they say during that the videos it really bothers me and conflicts me and that is when they say if an emergency evacuation becomes necessary.

Please leave all carry-on items behind. Now whenever they say this I always sit there in my seat and say no way.

I me know what their things in my carry-on. I love there are things in my carry on their very important to me.

There are things in my carry-on that I don't want to lose my laptop for goodness sake is in my carry on and unless this plane blows up in flight. I am going to try to get all my carry-on before I go out of that airplane. If they do succeed in forcing me down at little slide without my carry on. I can promise you want to go down that live. Looking back at the carry-on been you know the overhead bins and breathing those overhead bins as I go down and longing for what is not knocking any of you guys really that failure yeah well you know there's a person in the Bible who could relate to that to her name is lots wife. That's all we know.

I will really put our names, lots wife was.

That's all we know you would want to say no. She can't relate to flying obviously and going out will you know without arterial on but she can relate to.

Looking back at things she would love and things she was going to miss and grieving those things and that's what we're going to talk about today when a verse by verse study of the book of Genesis and were picking up in chapter 19.

So are you ready to go. Okay now just before we launch let's do a tiny bit of review.

If you remember in Genesis 818. Abraham was living in the town of he brought just south of Jerusalem and there were three men who came to visit two of these three men were angels in human form and the third was the Lord Jesus Christ himself in human appearance and after they had had a meal together the two angels continued on to the city of Sodom in order to destroy.

So that's what we did. Let's pick up chapter 19 verse one here we go. So to man. That is, the two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening and lot was sitting in the city gate and when Lot saw the two men he rose and went to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground that lots of errors please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night there and then go on your way early in the morning.

So before they went to bed. All the men from every part of Sodom, both young and old surrounded lot south and they called to lot and said where are the men who came to you tonight. Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them. So Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said no my friends do not do this wicked thing and they kept bringing pressure on lot and moving forward to break down the door but the two men two angels reached out and pulled lot back into the house and they shut the door.

Then they dropped the men at the door.

Young and old with blindness and then these two men said the lot. If you have anyone else in this city who belongs to you anybody you care about anybody you love get them out of here because we are going to destroy this place. Now when we read the rest of the chapter we learn that Lot went around trying to get people to leave and nobody would leave is a matter of fact, even his wife and the two daughters he had lived in his house resisted leaving verse 15 and with the coming of dawn the angels urged Lot saying hurry take your wife and your two daughters or you will be swept away with the city is judged and when Lot hesitated. That is to leave the city because his wife was hesitating and his daughters were hesitating. The Angels grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters and pulled up there, out of the city and as soon as the mentor brought them out, they said, flee for your lives.

Don't look back and don't stop anywhere in the plain or you will be swept away.

Then the Lord rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, and thus he overthrew those cities and the entire play south of the dead.

The and all the vegetation in the plane but in direct disobedience to God.

Verse 26 lots wife looked back and became a pillar of salt is, there are logbook look at their stop. You really believe this I mean you really believe that this woman was run along to look backwards and all of a sudden she became a pillar of light.

NaCl, like real salt.

I mean you're an educated man you honestly believe that that happened. All I certainly do and I'll tell you why I believe it.

I believe it because the Lord Jesus Christ himself believed it. Watch Luke chapter 17 verse 28 Jesus said it was the same in the days of Lot.

People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all now in these verses, Jesus tells us that he believed that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened exactly the way the Bible said that it was a literal historical event more than that.

He also believed that the story of lots wife being turned into a pillar of salt also happened exactly the way the Bible said that it was a real historical event.

Look, we continue. Verse 30. Thus, it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed were talk about his second coming on that day. Let no one on the roof of his house with his goodness inside the house go down to get the likewise let no one in the field go back for anything.

Here it comes.

Remember lots wife. So what this means is that for those of us here, as followers of Christ to accept the inerrancy of the Bible and and we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is God himself in the flesh who knows everything about everything and who cannot lie. This means that Luke 1732, when Jesus said, remember lots wife. This certifies to us that Jesus believe that lots wife turning into a pillar of salt was not a myth.

It was not a legend.

It was not a fanciful story, but it was utterly historical fact now that the stars were to go in Genesis 19 is going to stop now and were going to ask our most important question of the day so everybody knows what this is all you folks at Loudoun and all you folks at Bethesda and down in the edge of the Prince William and around the world on the Internet here Tyson's we read eight we read eight. Come on now, here we go one on a good long look yapping. So what I mean even if I believe this really really happened to this woman.

I mean, I don't even add salt to my food. So what difference does any of this make me. Well, let's talk about that showing first let's ask the question what do we really know about lots wife.

Well, we don't know much. We don't even know her name. We do know that Lot was a bachelor when he moved to Sodom in Genesis 13 that no family. So our assumption is that he met this woman in Sodom and that she was a native of Sodom. We also, the Bible doesn't tell us we don't know whether she was a true believer in Jehovah God or not. The Bible doesn't make that clear.

We don't really know much about her but the really important question is what was so wrong about what she did. I mean, why was looking back at Sodom so bad that God turned her into a pillar of salt.

Well it's interesting that Jesus answers that question for us in the New Testament book.

Remember, here in Luke 17 Jesus is talking about a second coming and he says, verse 30. Thus, it will be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one was on the roof of his house with his good inside should go down to get likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember lots wife. But Jesus doesn't stop there. He goes on and explains to us. The point he's trying to make next first for whoever seeks to hold onto his life shall lose it. Jesus said, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall keep it you say are Lot 1 is that mean to lose our life from Jesus to say well all is simply means to lose our life for Jesus's sake means making our hearts hundred percent his forgetting about everything else we got in all the goods that are in our house and everything else that belongs to us and making our heart 100% Christ in the D's coming than what difference is anything they were leaving behind it. He's first in 100% in our heart we understand what he saying yeah okay now by looking back at Sodom lots wife revealed that her heart was not 100%. His dinner heart was divided that she still desired the things of Sodom and she still love the things of Sodom and that she was going to miss the things of Sodom so and this is the key point. Make sure you get this.

It wasn't looking back at bottom if well that was the problem with lots wife gets what that looking back revealed about this peerage will day of her heart that her heart was not 100% God we got that. That's the key to the whole passage. Everybody got that okay good you know Jesus even commented on this, he said, Luke 962.

No one, after putting their hand to the plow to the plow of the kingdom of God.

No one, after putting their hand to the plow, knowing me in a personal way. And what's the next words looking back. Who do you think he had mine, yet lots wife in mind, of course, no one, after putting their hand to the plow and looking back like lots wife did is this for the kingdom of God. Now in contrast to lots wife. We have the wonderful example in the Bible of the great man of God Elisha let's look at historian first Kings 19 Elisha's predecessor, the prophet Elijah came to Elisha and told him that God was calling him in the ministry. The God was calling him Elisha to be a prophet. Now the time Elisha was a very wealthy farmer but I want you to see what Elisha did in light of God's call to his life. First Kings 19 verse 21, so Elisha took his oxen that he used for plowing and he slaughtered. He also burned his plowing equipment was made out of wood and cook the meat and gave it to all the people he'd gather there. Is that what people well when he found out that God was calling him to be a prophet. He sent to all his neighbors and set on having a party from another particle Clarkson come on over and they all came over and they had a big barbecue eaten his farm animals right there and they ate and then Elisha arose and followed Eli jaw and ministered to him.

Burning his plowing equipment and by killing his oxen. Elisha was trying to tell every body there hey folks, I'm not coming back.

God called me to go be a prophet. He's called me to leave my life as a farmer and go serve him and even though it means I'm going to be living on a meager income and I'm going to be delivering an unpopular message and the lots of people are going to like me all the time. It doesn't matter because my heart is 100% God's therefore for me.

Friends, there's going to be no turning back. And there's going to be no looking back and there's going to be no secretly longing to go back go back to what killed my animals burned up my equipment.

I'm not coming back. God's calling me in the God calls me. I follow that's where my heart is friends in order. Contrast the lots wife Elisha's heart for God was undivided Elisha's love for God was undivided. Elisha's loyalty to God was undivided. We all season. Yeah okay. In fact, having this kind of undivided heart for God is with the first two of the 10 Commandments are all about commandment number one I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, you shall have no other gods before me commandment number two you shall not have for yourselves any idle of any kind, nor shall you bow down and worship them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God. I want hundred percent your heart. 90% is not good enough. 95% is not good enough. I don't want the kind of divided heart that lots wife offered me and I don't want the kind of divided heart that lots of us modern idolaters offer God you say what the dog modern idolaters were talking about lawn.

I don't have a little stone statue in the front of my house would little horns on it that I go out at night by torchlight dance around. I don't think I will have alter my living room why sacrifice gerbils honey what are you talking about modern idolaters will friends we don't have to have altars and we don't have to have little statues in order to be idolaters, listen what ever sets up a rival interest in our heart, absorbing the love and the loyalty in our heart that belongs to God alone is is another God in this is an idol, not the lots wife her idle for the pleasures of Sodom is why she would back but today our idols can be money power or prestige or human recognition or greed for material things, but you know an idol doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be career success or golf or tennis or sailing or having a beautiful lawn or or some hobby.

It can be a girlfriend or boyfriend us mousy to be even our children. In fact, often idols are good things, things that we have allowed to divide our heart and feel the place.

There God says belongs to him alone and please don't make the mistake of believing that idolatry is only something that nonbelievers can do not know we as believers, we as followers of Christ we can be wonderful idolaters.

This is why the apostle John said. First John 521, little children now he's talking. As believers, little children, keep yourselves from what's the next word stalking us folks. You know I will be going to footsteps up all toward one of the places that we stop all the time is the city of Ephesus which is in Western Turkey.

Today the country of Turkey, and it isn't just an unbelievable excavation. Ephesus was the third most important city in the Roman Empire at the time of the apostle Paul, just behind Rome and Alexandria and the apostle Paul spent two years here in Ephesus setting up a massively effective church. I mean just an incredible church a few years later, Jesus wrote a letter to this church that's recorded in Revelation chapter 2 and here's what he said. He said I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance, and that you have endured many hardships for my name and not grown weary. You done some great stuff she's but I have just one thing against you, and that is that you've lost your first love me. Jesus, remember from where you fall and Jesus says, and repent and do the deeds you did at first it would mean a first well at first means when we were young believers will win your work.

When we first came to Christ were brand-new in the faith. Now I can really relate to what Jesus is saying that I better you can to. I mean, when we first gave our lives to Christ. We were passionately in love with Jesus. There was an arrival for him anywhere in our heart. He was number one Willie Hart was 100% is but then other things began to creep in slow erosion began to happen in the friends we didn't go apostate and we didn't deny the faith and we didn't forsake the Lord we Doing all the things we were supposed to do to go to church to read our Bible to pray before meals with we did all kinds of good things. Just like the Ephesian believers were doing all kinds a good thing, but that inner passion that inner fire that 100% loyalty that we once had for the Lord Jesus Christ had cooled off and we became like Easter eggs. So we mean will all pretty and decorated looking good on the outside sucked dry with no life on the inside near the apostle Paul talked about Easter a Christian. He said in second Timothy three verse five he said they hold to a form of godliness on the outside. They look godly but they miss its power. The apostle Paul said that Easter egg Christians miss the power of God in their life and let me tell you why is because the power of God in our life does not come from doing the right things on the outside it doesn't come from going to church it doesn't come from praying before meals. It doesn't come from any act that we do real power in the Christian experience comes from being passionately and utterly in love with Jesus having an undivided heart for Christ in our life.

So this narrative, God can love the wildlife. Yes, the outward things we do are good and important, but they don't provide the power for the Christian experience. It's an undivided heart Christ that provides what is an undivided heart for Christ. With that look like our friends at the heart where our allegiance to Christ is absolute.

We burned blouse and we kill the oxen because there's no going back were doing whatever God calls us to do. If the heart where our love for Christ is unadulterated and where our affection for Christ is on rival by anything are lawn our hobby husband or wife, our children, money, power, nothing. It's the kind of hard.

Elisha did have an is the kind of heart that lots wife didn't have so enclosed.

What I want to say is that if you're a follower of Jesus here today. I want you to be honest as you look at your heart and ask the question that I've been asking myself all week and that is has there been lifted in my heart I mean MI no longer a person with an undivided heart for Christ if I let other things creep in their habit is a bit erosion have become like up like a like a Easter, a Christian if I become like lots wife have lost my first love. I want you to be honest and ask and then as Jesus said, Revelation chapter 2 we need. If this is happened to remember from where we have fallen, and repent. We need to make a spiritual U-turn in our hearts is to belong. I'm probably my problem is that no matter how hard I try to keep Jesus number one in my heart hundred percent. I can't do it.

I mean stuff just creeps in here. I mean only wanted to creep in there, but it just does not know, and I got a divided heart.

Again I salon.

I gotta be honest and tell you I am a hopeless idolater will meet to.

I am to but I got some good news for you. If it was about time not good news for you. Psalm 130 verse three David wrote. If you oh Lord kept a record of sins. Oh Lord, who could stand but there is forgiveness with see how great is that matter how many times we repent and come back to the Lord and say well I did it again. Lord, you know, I mean I stop my heart to be undivided for you, but I thought I did it again please forgive me and were genuine from the heart. He always forgives us justice all fix this up and says okay strike you see how we do this time is great news and then the great news is, there was salon what what are we saying here was the bottom line for the day. Well it is this number one that leaning on the Holy Spirit's power because this is the only way we can do it. We need to try hard every day to be like Elisha with his beautiful, undivided heart Christ then number two what I'm saying is that when we fall short, and we will all fall short from time to time. Maybe every single day. We end up looking like lots wife friends we need to repent from the heart. We need to be sensitive to where our heart is going and we need to repent. Knowing God will forgive us and then finally number three when God does forgive us. We may need to say thank you thank you thank you Lord for your sweet mercy and your sweet forgiveness because without it. Every single one of us here today would be a pillar of salt. The understand we all be a pillar of salt. If you don't believe that, then I'm sorry you're in worse shape than I thought because that's the truth about us were idolater's part of our flesh the way we are but that's okay because when we repent God forgives and says the stride again and again and again and us great) with our heads bowed in her eyes close. I like to give us a moment to do business with God. If you are here in your follower of Christ in this slippage in your heart and you know honestly that you've lost your first love that I want to give you these quiet moments to repent and say Lord Jesus, I'm so sorry. I remember how I used to love you and how you used to be. Everything I need to get back there helping Lord, if I have to walk away from something like Elisha did. That's what it takes. Lord, I'll do it. You take a minute and speak with the Lord showing now for those of us who are passionate about having an undivided heart for Christ. There's an answer him but I call it the anthem for the undivided heart if you can stand with me a moment if you can sing this hymn and you can sing it authentically from your heart.

You're one of those people who are passionate about an undivided heart. I hope you can withstand. I do to have me. I cross the cross learning turning none go.

Still, I will though none of none go to know turning have ye have these in 20G no Lord Jesus. We know this is what you want, though none go with us. Still, we from mother or father or brother or sister. Our friends, even our husband or wife or children. They want to go will is their choice but we are following all of our so make us people of the undivided heart make us the congregation of the undivided that you might flow through us and use us to impact the city and we pray these things in Jesus name God's people said