Do Not Live like Lot Who Was Not Able to Leave Sodom

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Sermon

Lot lived with the people of Sodom even though he saw them commit sin. Ultimately, he left empty-handed and pitiful when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. If we doesn’t trust in oneselves and compare our thoughts to the Word, we will throw them away immediately. However, if we start to accept our thoughts little by little, we will be led by sin.

BEFORE SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE DESTROYED

In Genesis 12, God called Abraham out of his country, kindred, and father’s house and led him to the promised land of Canaan. Abraham left everything behind and went to the land of Canaan. When God gave Abraham hardship through a drought, Abraham left Canaan for Egypt and went ended up losing his wife Sarah to Pharaoh. When Abraham prayed to God, God blessed him and returned Sarah.

Abraham returned to Canaan with much cattle and wealth that he obtained through Sarah. Lot also went to Egypt and returned to Canaan with his uncle Abraham. Lot also had many sheep and cattle. Abraham’s and Lot’s shepherds started to fight because they had many sheep and cattle. Abraham started to think, “Why are the shepherds fighting so much?” One day, he made up his mind and thought, “It’s great that Lot and I are together, but bad things will happen if he stays with me.” He told Lot, “Separate from me. If you take the left, I will go to the right. If you take the right, I will go to the left.”

That’s how Lot left Abraham. Lot chose the plain of Jordan before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. It was well-watered and a great place to keep sheep. However, it is written in the Bible, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” Lot might have felt uncomfortable about it, but he thought, “In the end, a plain is better to feed my sheep. I have to choose the plain of Jordan!”

TO REMOVE THE HEART OF TRUSTING ONE’S SELF

There is one thing born again brothers and sisters should know when they serve the Lord. It’s great if we can serve the Lord by reading and following the Word, but Satan prevents us from living spiritual life by continually giving us thoughts. Just as the devil put in Judas Iscariot the heart to betray Jesus in John 13:2, Satan continually gives us the thought of liking the flesh and the world. If we are led by those thoughts, we will turn our backs to God and leave Jesus. Many people actually live like this.

That is why a clear line needs to be drawn when we start to live spiritual life. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.” It is also written in Isaiah 55, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts” and “For my thoughts are not your thoughts saith the LORD.”

A person who trusts himself in spiritual life follows every thought that arises within. If we do that, we will eventually fall into sin. That is what Satan wants. He makes us think it is burdensome to walk in faith by believing in the Word of God. He plants the thought that things will not work out and we will fail, and it is better to follow the methods of man. If a born again person believes in the Word of God, that person will live a powerful life of faith because the Word lives and works inside of him. On the other hand, if he accepts Satan’s thoughts, then he won’t be able to live spiritual life. Thus, brothers and sisters that happily served the Lord after receiving salvation gradually fall back into the world, and turn away from God like Lot.

The most important thing is to remove the heart of trusting yourself. The thoughts that arise from within are from Satan; therefore, we need to think, “Is this thought correct? Is it consistent with the Bible? Is God pleased with it?” However, people who trust themselves accept the thoughts that seem good in their eyes.

HE LEFT SODOM BUT HIS WIFE TURNED INTO A PILLAR OF SALT

A war broke out as Lot entered Sodom and Gomorrah. After the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated, Lot was also taken prisoner. Abraham went to save Lot.

God gave such hardship to Lot because He wanted him to leave Sodom and Gomorrah. He wanted him to depart that sinful city and be together with Abraham, the man of God. Yet Lot was not able to bring himself to it. Eventually, sinful Sodom and Gomorrah were cursed by God and destroyed with fire and brimstone. Lot remained in Sodom until the end and left with help from an angel. Unfortunately, his wife turned into a pillar of salt, and his two daughters gave birth to Moab and Ammon, sons by incest. Lot left all his cherished sheep and cattle to burn in Sodom and came out empty-handed. We see how pitiful Lot become.

Satan is using the same method on born again children of God to make them fall into hardship and failure. Therefore, we should not trust ourselves when we live spiritual life just as Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.” If I trust myself, I will follow my thoughts. However, I don’t immediately listen to someone I distrust. First, I try to figure out whether that person’s story is true or not. Likewise, we shouldn’t follow our thoughts but rather ask ourselves, “Is this thought the same as the Word of God or is it from Satan?”

If we don’t trust ourselves but compare our thoughts to the Word, we can throw them away. We will think, “Oh, this is wrong. I will fail if I follow this thought.” However, if we follow our thoughts little by little, we will become incapable of throwing away what is bad.

UNABLE TO RUN AWAY EVEN THOUGH WE SEE THEM DOING WRONG

It is written in 2Peter 2:6-7, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.” Lot was just and man of God, but the Bible said, “For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.”
The following is written starting with verse 9.
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption (2Peter 2:9-12)

Lot’s righteous soul was vexed when he was with people that walked after the flesh, and defied and despised God. Later, Lot saw them do wrong, but was unable to turn away. He spent time with them, and lost everything and left in a pitiful state when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

That’s why the Bible is telling us not to trust our thoughts. All our thoughts come from Satan; so it is telling us not to follow them. When thoughts arise, we must judge if it come from God or from Satan. If it is different from the Word, we must throw it away, and yearn and seek for the Word of God.

ARE MY THOUGHTS THE SAME AS THE WORD OF GOD

Many people follow their thoughts if they seem good because they trust themselves. The Bible is showing us that we will end up like Lot if we live that way. We can live a blessed life if we always yearn for the Word of God and not trust ourselves. On the other hand, we will eventually turn away from God if we trust and follow our thoughts just because they seem right. Many people fall and are unable to live spiritual life when they live believing in themselves.

Many people serve God with thanks and joy after receiving salvation. However, there are those that are saved but walk the path of destruction after turning away from God because they followed their thoughts. Do not accept your thoughts because they seem right. Judge whether it came from Satan or not. Search the Bible often to find whether your thoughts are the same as the Word, and have faith in following the Word of God.