Place: Lurgan Baptist 8:8:2002

Reading: Genesis 19:1-26 Luke 17:23

" REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE "

There are few warnings in Scripture more solemn than that which Christ gives us in ( Lk 17 ) when He says,

" Remember Lot's wife." Here was a woman who had the privilege of being married to a " righteous man,"

( 2 Pet 2:8 ) She left the city of Sodom the same day as Lot, but she was destroyed because she disobeyed God's express command, and now the Lord Jesus holds her up as a beacon, a warning light, He says,

" Remember Lot's wife." Here was a woman who was turned into a pillar of salt as the fringes of the Judgement of God overwhelmed here where she stood. My .... the erosions of time and weather have obliterated that mournful statue now, but the Lord Jesus has embalmed her in the Bible as warning to us all.

" Remember Lot's wife." Its a solemn warning when we think of:

1. The PERSON Christ names:

The Saviour does not ask us to remember Abraham, or Isaac or Jacob. No, He singles out one whose soul was lost for ever. He cries to us " Remember .... wife."

2. The SUBJECT Christ is speaking on:

The Lord Jesus is speaking about His Second Coming.

He is describing the awful state of unreadiness in which many will be found. The last days are on His mind when He says, " Remember .... wife."

3. The PERSON who gives it:

The Lord Jesus is full of love, mercy and compassion. It was He who wept over unbelieving Jerusalem, it was He who prayed for the men that crucified Him, yet even He thinks it good to remind us of lost says. Its the Saviour who says, " Remember Lot's wife."

4. The MANNER in which it was given:

Christ does not merely says, " Beware of following .... take heed of imitating, .... do not be like Lot's wife." No, He uses a different word. He says, " Remember

.... " He speaks as if we were all in danger of forgetting, He stirs up our lazy memories, He bids us keep this woman ever before our minds. He cries, " Remember Lot's wife." Whenever I remember Lot's wife, a number of things come to my heart and mind. I think of:

(1) SPIRITUAL DEVOTION

For here was a woman who was surrounded by spiritual devotion. Now in the days of Abraham and Lot there were no Bibles, no ministers, no tracts, no churches. The greater part of society were living in spiritual darkness and sin.

My .... compared with millions of her fellow human beings who were hurdling on to eternity, Lot's wife was a privileged woman. Think of:

(a) THE RELATIVES SHE POSSESSED:

1. She was Married to a BACKSLIDDEN Man:

Somewhere along the line Lot, like Abraham put his faith and trust in the Lord and was accounted righteous in Heaven's sight. ( 2 Pet 2:8 ) Indeed, God calls him

" that righteous man." But we would never guess from what is revealed in our passage that Lot was a believer. Were it not for the fact that the Lord notes that Lot was righteous we would probably write him off as one who merely professed to believe. An old English proverb says, " You can't have both the penny and the bun." Like some of you here this .... Lot wanted both. Here was a man who had a saved soul but a lost life. My .... which world are you going to live for ? (a)

2. She was Related to a BETTER Man:

Abraham. Uncle Abraham ! My .... when Abraham first received the promises from God that God was going make of him a great nation its probable she was there.

( 12:2 ) When Abraham built an altar unto the Lord between Hai and Bethel, its probable that she was there. ( 12:8 ) When Melchizedek, King of Salem, came forth to meet Abraham with bread and wine, she was there.

( 14:18 ) When the angels came to Sodom and warned her husband to flee she saw them, she was there. I tell you, the faith, the knowledge, the prayers of these two men, especially Abraham could have been no secret to her, yet in spite of all these privileges she lived and died without God, without grace, without hope ! My .... do you see that the possession of spiritual privileges will never save you ? Think of the privileges God has given to you !

The Privilege of a Favoured Land: Where in all these islands has the gospel been preached with more faithfulness and fervency than in Ulster ?

The Privilege of Bible-Believing Churches: Have you enjoyed the best of preaching and the choicest of instruction over the years ? Have you dwelt in the midst of gospel light, knowledge, holiness, all this .... and still not saved, and may be lost for ever !

The Privilege of a Christian Home: Is there a greater privilege to be the child of a godly father, or mother to be brought up in the atmosphere of prayer ? From earliest days to hear of sin, salvation, heaven and hell !

My .... are you resting on religious privileges ? Do you think that you'll enter heaven on the credit of your parents faith ? If you do, then I say to you, " Remember Lot's wife." (a)

(b) THE PRAYERS SHE PROVOKED:

For did Abraham not pray for this city ? Did he not draw nigh to God and say, " Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked ?" ( 18:23 ) And " God remembered Abraham." ( 19:29 ) Indeed, the deliverance of Lot's family was an answer to prayer. My .... here was a woman who was the object of Abraham's prayers but she was lost !

How many of you here this .... are the subject and object of prayer ? Many an hour has been spent in prayer to the Lord for your salvation, many a tear has been shed for your soul. Some of you here are the children of believing parents, the relative's of believing people and how they have cried to God for your salvation, but you could be the subject of prayer and be lost ! My .... what are you relying on this .... ? Are you relying on the fact that your parents pray for you ? That you have a faithful pastor ? That you attend a Bible-believing church ? Then I say to you this ....

" Remember Lot's wife." (1)

(2) SHAMEFUL DEPRAVITY

In our culture people who indulge in the vile passions of Sodom are termed " gay." They demand their rights. They parade and demonstrate. They broadcast their shame on radio and television talks shows. What are we talking about ? The abomination of homosexuality ! My .... let the psychiatrists define it, how they will, unbelievably some describe as being " normal," let the law of the land legalise it as it has done, but let us be under no illusion how God regards it. God's Word says,

" Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind it is abomination." ( Lev 18:22 ) God's Word says, " If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, they shall surely be put to death." ( 20:13 Rom 1:26 1 Cor 6:9 1 Tim 1:10 ) How does God regard this sin ? Well, did He not destroy Sodom. You see,

(a) THIS SIN WAS PREVALENT:

It was not that one or two individuals sneaked through the night to perform their sins in private, behind locked doors. It was an accepted way of life. Do you see what they say to Lot in ( 19:5 ) They sought homosexual relations with these visitors. What a place for a professing Christian. (a) Some years ago the mayor of one great American city went so far as to proclaim,

" Gay Pride Week," to honour them and gave then public recognition. But that's old hat now. They have been in the city hall. We hear them regularly on T.V. describing their new found liberty. Its an accepted way of life. (a)

(b) THIS SIN WAS PERSISTENT:

For struck blind these hounds of Sodom still persist in searching for the door. My .... can you see them hammering on the door, " Where are the men ? Bring out the men ?" they cried. It was the vilest, most degraded, unholiest demand that can possibly come from the lips of men. Just as a cancerous cell in a healthy body grows and spreads until it destroys the health of the whole body, so perverted lust entrenches itself and takes over the life. Persistent ! Incidentally, is your sin persistent ? Is there a habit that you cannot defeat ? A sin that you cannot overcome ? A lifestyle that you cannot control ? My .... Christ breaks the power of cancelled sin, and only He can set you free.

(c) THIS SIN WAS PUNISHABLE:

Not by the laws of Sodom, perhaps but certainly by the laws of God. My .... if society will not punish that form of behaviour, then God most certainly will. The Bible says, " The way of the transgressor is hard."

The Bible says, " Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap."

( Prov 13:15 Gal 6:7 ) God's judgement was coming on Sodom, but what about Lot's wife ? Was she warned ?

(3) SIMPLE DIRECTIONS

My .... don't complicate the gospel. Its so simple. The Bible says, " Believe .... saved." ( Acts 16:31 ) " For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." ( Rom 10:13 ) Here's how it was put to Lot's wife, " Escape for thy life .... lest thou be consumed."

( 19:17 ) Simple Directions ! Indeed did you notice:

(a) There was an Element of FIDELITY here:

For the messengers were faithful in delivering the message of God ! Oh, its probable that she had seen these angelic visitors enter her home. She had heard the news of God's impending judgement from these messengers. She had looked on the anxious countenance of her husband. She had watched him as he drank in the angels message, and then went out to plead with his sons in law. My .... did she not hear the warning of the angels ? Did she not see the anxiety of Lot ? Was she not faithfully warned ? Have you not been faithfully warned ? Have I not acted as a watchman to your soul and warned you of the coming judgement ? Has it not been heralded from this pulpit, " Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die ?" ( Eze 33:11 )

Hell, hell fire, the damnation of hell, the place of torment, outer darkness, the worm that never dies, the fire that is not quenched, the place of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth these are the words which the Saviour Himself employs to describe the reality and eternity of hell ! (a)

(b) There was an Element of URGENCY here:

For we read, " And when the morning arose then the angels hastened Lot .... " ( 19:15 ) The thought of sacrificing his goods, his friends, his home made departure difficult, yet what are material possessions in an hour of such impending judgement ? My .... are you in entangled in this old world, and is this world about to be judged ? Has the morning almost arisen, the morning of God's judgement day, and yet you're still delivered ? Is the harvest past, summer ended and still you're not saved ? My .... why are you lingering ? Some years in Pennsylvania, a small town stood near a river. Just above a large dam was built across the river, which held back a great volume of water. Then came extra heavy rains and the rose to a level unknown before. Engineers were anxiously watching and asking, " Will the dam hold ?" Suddenly, a crack was noticed. The engineers gave the warning. " Flee at once to the hills, the dam is breaking, the flood is coming." But that dam had been there many years and no flood had ever been seen. Some of the townspeople doubted and said, " What do these young fellows know about it ?"

They refused to leave with those who had already gone.

Then suddenly with a tremendous roar the dam burst and millions of gallons of water swept down the valley sending 300 souls to their death. When the disaster came there was no time to get away.

My .... do you realise that there's an urgency regarding your salvation ? The Bible says, " Now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." ( 2 Cor 6:2 )

You may not be here next week, Christ could have come, death could have called, and you would be in eternity, but where ? Did you notice:

(c) There was an Element of Clarity here:

For Lot's wife knew the WAY of Escape: " Escape .... look not behind thee." She knew the WHERE of Escape: " Escape to the mountain." She knew the WHY of Escape: " Lest thou be consumed." She knew the WHEN of Escape: " Arise." It was immediate ! Are you unclear this .... as to how you might be saved ? Are you unsure this .... as to how you might get right with God ?

Well, let me tell about another mountain. Its called Mount Calvary ! There the Lord Jesus bare your sins in His own body on the tree. There God smote Christ instead of you ! There Christ by the shedding of His blood opened a way back to God. And this .... " There's a way back to God .... " Did Lot's wife heed the

warning ? (1) (2) (3)

(4) SUDDEN DESTRUCTION

Can you picture her running out of the city ? Lot's in front of her. He's running for his life. She's at his heels.

Then suddenly she thinks of her home, her daughters, her friends. Could these messengers of judgement be wrong ? " But his wife .... salt." ( 19:26 ) She being often reproved hardeneth her neck, was suddenly destroyed and that without remedy. ( Prov 29:1 )

Did you ever think of:

(a) WHAT SHE BELIEVED:

She believed not the Word of the Lord. She doubted whether God was really going to destroy Sodom ! Oh, the moment a man begins to think that he knows better than God, and that God does not mean what He says that man's soul is in danger. Are you like Lot's wife ?

You don't believe in the danger of your situation, don't believe that judgement is coming, don't believe that if you die without Christ, you'll be lost in hell !

(b) WHAT SHE BETRAYED:

She revealed a love for the world. " His wife looked back." It was a steadfast, earnest, wistful, lingering, hankering look. Her heart was in Sodom though her body was outside. She looked back and longed for the delights she was leaving behind. She preferred the friendship of the world to the friendship of God.

( James 4:4 1 Jn 2:15 ) Which will it be for you this .... ?

The world or Christ ? The pleasures of this world, or the pleasures of the world to come ! Did you notice:

(c) WHAT SHE BECAME:

" But .... a pillar of salt." From living flesh and blood she was turned into a pillar of salt. I'm sure Lots love for his wife brought him back to visit that monument of vengeance.

" Speak to her Lot," but she'll not hear. " Cry to her Lot," but she'll not respond. " Urge her to flee, Lot,"

but she'll not move. She's dead, she's lost for ever !

" Remember Lot's wife." Is her story yours ? Have you enjoyed privileges from God ? Do you know your need of salvation ? Are you still reluctant to let go off the world and turn your back on it ? " Remember Lot's wife." Oh, remember she came so far out of Sodom,

and she came so near to the door of salvation, she was almost saved but lost. Several years ago two evangelists were making their way up the east coast of Scotland. They arrived at one particular city and port, and one of the evangelists related this story. He said during the war I was a chaplain with the Royal Navy and for a long time we were out on the North Sea looking for German destroyers. The men were tied for they had no break.

Eventually, word came from the Captain that they we were coming into this port for a few days break. The men were excited, and one lad especially, for his mother lived in this city. The chaplain continued. This same boy came to me and asked me to ask the captain if he could go and see his mother. The request was granted, the lad was excited. Indeed so excited was he that when the ship was about to dock beside the wall, he couldn't wait and he jumped but he missed the wall, and he went down between the wall and the ship .... drowned.

I was asked, said the Chaplain to find his mother and relay the sad news ! The chaplain records how it was with a heavy heart that he made his way along those streets looking for that home. Eventually, he came to a little apartment. This was the lady he was looking for.

He broke the news as tenderly as he could. But he said,

" I will never forget the expression on that mothers face as she leaned back and cried, " Almost home, but lost."

My .... will this be said of you ? Almost saved but lost.