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So please turn with me this morning as we continue our study the second epistle Second Peter. Second Peter chapter 2. This would be part one. Speaking about the doom of false teachers. The doom of false teachers.
You don't hear a lot of messages on this. It's a judgment message. But I'll be honest we we need to hear this. It did my heart good when I was studying. This Judgment has a two-sided.
Sword.
And one side of it it pains us to see such judgment come. But on the other side we rejoice don't we. Because God's righteousness Is served God's justice and he has to punish sin because as I mentioned he's holy holy holy.
He's a holy God, right? And he will not negotiate his holiness with no one. And when it comes to false teachers that pervert the gospel as brother Keith mentioned earlier the purity of the gospel Has been tampered with and then you have false teachers deliberately Blaspheming God's name taking God's holy name in vain perverting the gospel.
God must judge. And was as we've seen in this there is destructive doctrines Doom of false teachers. We're gonna look at this depravity of false teachers deceptions of false teachers. So let me read verse beginning of verse 4 to 11.
Verse 4 to 11 and 2nd Peter chapter 2. Hear the word of the Living God.
But there were also.
I'm starting verse 1. Let me go to verse 1 false prophets among the people Even as there will be false teachers among you who was secretly bringing destructive heresies to even denied the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction and Many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed by covetousness They would sport Exploit you with deceptive words for a long time.
Their judgment has not been idle Now introduces judgment right here and their destruction Does not slumber and pay close attention from verse 4 to 11 or what he has to say. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned But cast him down to hell and Delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment And did not spare the ancient world but saved Noah one of eight people a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly and Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah Into ashes condemned them into destruction making them in an example To those who afterward would live ungodly and delivered righteous lot Who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked?
For that righteous man dwelling among them tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds Then the Lord knows How to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment Especially those who walk according to the flesh In the lust of the in the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.
They are presumptuous Self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries Whereas angels who are greater in power and might do not bring a reviling accusation Against them before the Lord. Let's stop there and let's pray.
Now let's ask the Lord This morning as we seek his face. And he will he will in a mighty way speak to us.
Through his word.
Let's pray father in heaven Holy is your name? Yes, Lord your Holy mercy reaches unto the heavens and your truth unto the clouds and we pray as David Cried out and sung be exalted. Oh God above the heavens and let your glory be above all the earth.
Lord we praise you this morning. We praise you and we pray that your holy name be honored and glorified this day In this land. Oh God, we need a revival of the majesty and the fear of God Revive your people once again.
Oh God through your words By your spirit Nothing man does but your power and your glory and Only your word can sanctify us by the truth Because your word is truth Sanctify us through and through this morning Lord purge us and cleanse us.
And.
May we leave here today or sanctified and more into the image and the likeness of your dear son And whom you're well pleased in. Father we'll be careful to give you all the praise and glory for this and we ask this in Jesus name.
Amen. As we've seen. Chapter 2 of 2nd Peter. And verses 1 through 3 as I read. You had the destructive doctrines of false teachers. They are destructive very destructive to the souls. Jesus said beware of false teachers.
They don't come to you saying hey, I'm a false teacher.
Right.
No, they wave a Bible. They quote the scriptures. Jesus said they come to you in sheep's clothing. Clothes like a sheep. They come Within the church like the Trojan horse that enters in. As we looked at first Peter the whole Book of first Peter dealt with persecution from the outside.
And that seems to be pretty severe doesn't but honestly it is more severe much more severe. When false teachers like the Trojan horse comes within to deceive and pervert the truth. It's very serious. So in verses 4 through 11, we see the doom of false teachers.
We'll go ahead in this direction. I get this outline right out of the Bible. Verses 12 through 17. We see the depravity of false teachers. And then in verses 18 through 22 We see the deceptions of the false teachers.
Chapter 2 is No doubt the very heart of this epistle. Peter writes this epistle to the believers in Asia minor as he did first Peter. But he gives us ample warning Of the destructive teaching and the doom the depravity the deceptions of these false teachers.
He breaks it down here and well, I'm not gonna get far today. That's why I'm broken it up in part one. We're gonna just look at the three examples he gives in verse 4 5 6 and we'll Lord willing see where we get go to the rest of the.
To verse 11 next Lord's Day, but I want us to look at these three examples. They're powerful examples and. The text today in verses 4 through 11 the Holy Spirit of God gives to us the destiny the doom and the damnation of where these false teachers are heading to.
Scriptures is very clear on this folks it may seem harsh and.
Hard.
But after this message I can assure you. You would see why and of course by the Spirit of God you see why? Because we know we if you have a correct and a proper view of God. That God is high and holy.
There's none like unto him. Scripture says that God will not be bought. He will not be bought and especially when it comes to false teachers that mock his name he would judge. Because God is God. Now the Apostle Peter warned the church about what is so true even in our day as well.
Maybe even more than ever. Because we've never seen Globally so many false teachers arise and Jesus said that's one of the signs of his second coming. Read Matthew 25. Great detail here but the very first sign.
Not talking about all the other signs people look said I like the hurricanes and the winds and wars and rumors of wars and so forth. There are a lot of sign. But the first sign take heed that no man deceive you and then he says many false Prophets will arise in my name saying here's Christ.
Lo don't go there. Don't listen to him. Jesus says so Jesus gave. He said much about false prophets and teachers. But these false teachers are spreading lies or liars. Because they follow their father the father of lies misleading people misleading God's people.
Satan being very successful in this strategy. He's never changed his strategy. He's been very successful in doing his mission and sending forth his ministers. Appearing as angels of light ministers of light preaching another Jesus another gospel as Paul says.
There's not another but they pervert it and say there is another. Apostle Paul warned the elders in chapter 20. The book of Acts in verse 29 and 30. Let me read it again. He exhorts the elders there he calls them to himself.
He says that after my departure savage wolves once again the same language Jesus used. Savage wolves will come in among you in among you. Not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse.
Meaning misleading things to draw away the disciples after themselves. You see they will as Peter says in verse 1 they will secretly bring in destructive heresies. Destructive teachings. Even denying the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction.
It goes on the details. We looked at many will follow their destructive ways many that's sad. Look at today. Do you see this? We see it. Does it grieve us? Yeah, it grieves us. Does it grieve God? Far more does it make God angry.
Folks we don't know but when his.
Character.
Has been blasphemed and his name is being misused and.
The name and.
In his name and then all for pleasure and covetousness. And the way of truth is blasphemed and by covetousness that false teachers motive actually is the love of money and loving themselves and Not loving God.
They love pleasure and they do this in the name of Jesus.
God help us. Judgment is not only here.
But God will eventually judge.
Through and through.
He says they will exploit you with deceptive words. And Peter then by the Holy Spirit gives to us this awesome truth a long time. For a long time their judgment has not been idle and their destruction does not slumber.
Listen to that. That's a revelation of truth that basically judgment to come he now opens up and gives the ultimate doom of false teachers and the text in which we're looking at and This is actually one flow of sentence.
It's one Large sentence by the Spirit of God and we see the doom the destiny and the damnation of these false teachers in the text. And What we're going to focus on today is the three illustrations and believe me the three powerful illustrations of certain doom.
But two of these he lays great stress upon the fact that and this is encourages us That it should apply to us that in the midst of judgment there's hope for the few. And Who's that few when he speaks about Noah?
One of eight people a preacher of righteousness. When the great flood was coming think of a entire world was flooded and destroyed by water. God cleansed it because of such wickedness and we're going to look at that for the reasons why in a minute and They're a preacher of righteousness.
One preacher stood up Against the whole generation for a hundred years and warned that generation and his family got his family in the ark.
In it wonderful a.
Hundred and twenty years a preacher of righteousness and. Then he speaks about lot. Lot was there in a wicked twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah a.
Perversion an.
Immorality gross immorality to homosexuality. We're seeing this today folks. But there's hope Lot was brought out literally the angels that went there. The two angels literally had to take the man out.
He was so oppressed with the wickedness and you know the story Jesus told a powerful sermon in three words. Remember lots wife she turned back because her heart was still loving then what she was going to leave.
She couldn't leave it and she turned back and she was turned to a pillar of salt. Jesus said remember lots wife so the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of the temptation and to keep the Unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment.
Wow. No, let's look at these examples. The first one he gives that of fallen angels. That's the first example it gives now. This could go into a lot of detail. This could be a whole sermon. I'm gonna try to Go through this as fast as I can But as properly as I can because I must give you the right interpretation.
But there are different interpretations to this and I'm not saying that I have the right interpretation. I'm going to say that You do your study and homework on this because there's been a lot of different interpretations.
From Genesis chapter 6 on this The nature of the sin is not mentioned. Okay.
But.
It is elsewhere suggested as having been caused by pride. Now, how do we know that the angels are full of pride? Well, if you noticed right there in the text. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned.
Cast him down.
They will lift it up They will cast down.
Pride.
The awful sin of private. How do we know this? You know, like I said the text says it will cast down to hell Delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment. A better translation as It starts off there is not for if but it is better translated for sense for sense.
Because there is no doubt about the history of the judgment which Peter speaks of here more likely. This is a reference to the sons of God. Now what we're talking about the sons of God Here in that term in Genesis chapter 6 verse 2 we cannot be certain but there is a strong reason by the way to believe that these are the sons of God in The sense that it reads the sons of God Saw the daughters of men in Genesis 6 to That they were beautiful and they took wives for themselves and all whom they chose.
Angelic beings here.
Intermingled with a human race.
Now that's what I see there. You can might see something else. Like I said, the angels are called the sons of God in Job 1 6 Job 2 1. So we definitely know these angelic beings. Peter's speaking of this.
And there's a order. There's a there's an order of judgment here. The sons of God left their angelic position basically assigned to them. And what did they do? They exchanged their dwelling in heaven.
For one on earth, that's basically what happened. They intermixed they intermarried with human wives. Out from that Scripture speaks of the Nephilim. I hope I spoke that right. Basically it was spoken of as Giants.
It was an ungodly breed a race of.
Giants.
Wicked Giants fallen Mighty ones is spoken of on the earth in those days scripture says. And. Also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, that means they definitely had sexual relations.
Of.
Daughters of men and they bore children to them and scripture says those were mighty men. Who are of old of old were of old of renown. Now if you look in Genesis 6 3. Let me go. Turn with me there. I hope you're there and you're looking at this over and looking at your Bible study notes.
There may be in other interpretations to this but it seems like it's very clear what happened here. And even though we don't know a lot about this There is definitely the wickedness and judgment of man here and there's a whole generation of such wickedness That is intermingled because these angelic beings That did this.
God was so extremely displeased and angry with these Abnormal sexual unions that were taking place in Genesis 6 5. Notice what the Lord says then the Lord saw That the wickedness of man was great in the earth.
So it is spread and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart Was evil. Continually. Listen to that the Holy God saw such wickedness That the intent of the thoughts of his heart was evil. Constantly.
Continually verse 6 tells us a lot the Lord was sorry. The old King James says the Lord repented. I had someone once tell me said what God made a mistake. I said, oh, no. Oh, no. No, I said you need to repent what you just said out of your mouth.
God don't make mistakes. There's no sin with God. I Said this is this is Adam's sin. But this is even a deeper level of angelic beings intermingling and wickedness coming out from this and That that and then he says this and that he had made man on the earth.
He was so grieved and he was grieved in his heart. This is God grieved him. And here we see how this sin this terrible terrible sin grieved the heart of God.
Sin.
Beginning in the thought life every intent of his thoughts was in his heart was only evil continually. We see a lot of this today, don't we? The heart is desperately wicked and who can know it? It's full of rebellion and we don't know the wickedness of our own hearts.
But this.
Definitely spread like cancer and it was all over the earth. But in verse 7 God said the Lord said I will destroy man. And I have created from the face of the earth. And again, like I said, there's an order of judgment here as an order of judgment.
Aren't you glad that there was one man during that time that pleased the Lord that was Noah. If you look at verse 11 chapter 6 the earth was so corrupt was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence.
So God looked upon the earth. Indeed, it was corrupt and for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth all flesh. Back to verse 9. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man perfect in in his generations.
Noah walked with God verse 8 going back now. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was among the few folks and that's always the case. Jesus said few there be that's going to find the way. We need to take that serious.
Don't we only few is going to find it many is going to go in the path of destruction many. But that's that's always the way it's been. So the order of judgment here is that God as Peter said. He mentions that God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast him down to hell and delivered them Into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment keep that mind.
They're not judged yet. They're reserved. God could have destroyed them, but he did. There's a purpose for this judgment. They're reserved. God the Holy God was so outraged by this gross gross apostasy of angels from the established order.
Their doom was to be thrown down to hell and reserved. They're committed to the pits of utter gloom until the final judgment morning you know, I really believe that these examples are here right before our eyes to sober us of Judgment that God does not trifle with sin.
He must punish it. We don't hear enough of this folks. People said pastor. Give me the love of God. Give me the good news. Hey folks honest. We can't really Know the love of God and the mercy of God until we know the bad the good news until we know the bad news.
What do we say from? Some say from wrath. God will say from God himself. God saves us from himself through Jesus. Listen to this Jude 6 by the way, Jude if you read this Jude parallels Peter. It's almost word-for-word.
The only the only thing Jude does not bring out and Peter does. Peter brings out the the example of Noah. Jude doesn't bring that out. And he brings out the example of lot and there's a reason why Peter does that he has a different audience folks, but Jude it's the same Holy Spirit, isn't it?
And it's almost exact word for word. Listen to Jude 6. Jude says and the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode. Has read has reserved and he says the same word reserved and everlasting Chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day almost identical same words same thought of the Apostle Peter.
But the apostasy of fallen angels is described as we saw in Genesis 6 1 through 3 Possessing men who then cohabited and and intermingled and intermarried with the daughters of men. So Peter is given examples of judgment to the false teacher.
That's what he's doing. He's going to these examples. Now the second example the first example is the fallen angels and the sin that they committed. Even though we don't know much about it as a small window there, but we do have some revelation verse 5.
It says the world before the flood which is we're disobedient to God. Verse 5 says and did not spare. Notice what he says he sees the same language. Did not spare the ancient world. But saved Noah one eight.
One of eight people a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly so Again, wise Peter given these examples because there's a historical. There's a biblical evidence of God's holy direct intervention in punishing sin.
It seems that. Unfortunately.
Not only a nation that we're living in today and nations don't even recall this and learn from the historical biblical account. But the church has forgotten and it's right here before us. That God will bring judgment and justice.
He has to. Because he's holy. He did not spare the ancient world. Noah was saved. The biblical account there, you know. Relates to the example of the fallen angels. Now in verse 5 he relates to the wicked ungodly people.
The entire race of ungodly people who perished in the flood. He did not spare the ancient world. John MacArthur says this on that specific verse in verse 5. He says this quote. The second illustration.
The second illustration. Serving as a precedent for God's future judgment on false teachers is the judgment on the wicked ancient world through the worldwide flood. Genesis 6 through 8. And he says this the human race was reduced to eight people by that judgment.
In quote as we already looked at first Peter 320 and we as we looked at the Introduction of 2nd Peter if you remember we looked at the critics that tried to say that the Apostle Peter was not the writer of 2nd Peter, but notice this what first Peter 320 Ties in in reference to the text of I just read he says this.
Who formerly were disobedient were once divine long. The divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah. While the ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight souls were being saved through water.
Same.
Holy Spirit same Apostle Oh Beloved. Only Noah and his fam were found found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Aren't you glad. And they sought and found refuge in that ark. And by the way as you will know that ark is a type of.
Jesus Christ.
From the judgment to come Salt found refuge in that ark and he rode that ark and safety Above the great storm that filled the whole entire earth. And God's wrath. Peter reminds us that Noah was at eight one of that one of eight people just a few once again, just that few a preacher of righteousness.
His life spoke of the few that God calls to love him and called him to build that ark. Think of it 120 years that people were mocking and blaspheming God and you could just picture it if you don't mind allow me to Kind of elaborate here.
And his sons Helping him build. Three sons helping and his wives or wives were doing preparing I'm sure meals and getting ready for this great preparation knowing that judgment was coming and God told Noah Judgment is coming.
It's going to pour forth rain. God's going to destroy the entire earth. And you could think of his sons and and Noah was Hammering down and you can hear those hammer blows to build the ark. For I think of a hundred twenty years While people were laughing and mocking God Said you crazy man, you think it's going to rain that much you build an ark that big Laughing and mocking God, but Then the great once the great flood came and you can see the clouds Started thundered in lightning and the flood came and the rain came the mocking stopped.
And once God by the way, if you read the scriptures God closed that door. God himself closed that door.
I.
Had to be a massive door the size of the ark. You can read the account they talks about the gives the lengths of the Heights and the width and everything of it and what I like about if you look in Genesis 7 11 God God silences those that will mock him.
He will silence the mockers, but it's on his timetable. It's his timetable how we know that Genesis 7 11 listen this in the 600th year of Noah's life and the second month. The 17th day of the month and on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven.
Were opened in verse 12 and the rain was on the earth 40 days and 40 nights. You know what that tells us? God has calendar day. He's got a day and when Jesus Christ comes back and power and glory. We don't know what day it is but I'm telling you what just as it says in Genesis 7 11 and it said here 600 year and Noah's life and the Second month on the 17th day of the month on that day all the fountains that was God's calendar day.
And God said that's the day of judgment. And when Jesus Christ comes back, it's gonna be on God's calendar. Aren't you glad you could count it's gonna happen. But it's God's timetable. God has a calendar.
Aren't you glad? And on that exact time and day, we don't know when but God does and he will judge the world in righteousness. Now Peter gives to us the third example. Look at verse 6 Turning to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes.
Listen to that turned in him into ashes a lot of people feel. Some theologians has looked into this and they thought is our volcano that might have done it. Folks I really believe fire came right down from heaven it came from God.
Cuz God we read brother villain read it this morning from Deuteronomy. God is a consuming fire. That was not The writer of Hebrews. He didn't think that up as the same Holy Spirit. He's spoken that he's actually quoted from Deuteronomy God's a consuming fire and this is what happened Sodom and Gomorrah.
God burned him up. Consumed him to ashes fire and brimstone. Actually, you could go to the place where they say that this happened and There's sulfur it's proof this sulfur there there's a destruction making them an example afterward who would live ungodly and.
Then you got today America by the droves people accepting homosexuality and actually the proper term is sodomy. They're sodomites. That's the biblical view. They're not gay. Gay means happy. They're not queer.
Queer means odd. There's sodomites that means perverted and to gross Immorality. Romans 1. We're gonna go there in a minute. God did not spare the angels who sinned. He cast him down to hell delivered him to chains of darkness.
Reserved them to judgment. Verse 5. God did not spare the ancient world. Verse 6 God turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes. It's another example from God that he will punish all sin folks all Wickedness all are the ungodly for a future divine judgment on the wicked.
Any wonder why the wicked liberal theologians Are doing their very best to disprove everything from Genesis. Trying to disprove the account in Genesis, you know, why look at what's found in Genesis. It's all over the pages of Scripture the origins of in the beginning God.
It speaks of the origins of creation. It's that speaks of God created all things and how the earth came into being but it speaks about judgment. The judgment is against sin. Because God is a holy God.
God's a just God and he would judge all sin. Folks that's what the cross is all about. It is the signal warning to the world. There God spared not his son and laid the sin on him. God gives full proof of future judgment of all the wicked and false teachers.
I'll tell you that's why he's bringing that out. It's going to happen. This third example folks is a it's a powerful one because first it speaks against pride. I think there's a scripture I don't know exactly where in Ezekiel.
That it speaks about the pride of Sodom and Gomorrah. The second against disobedience. It speaks of disobedience. But the third here is really against the moral impurity. God will not tolerate Such impurity.
The Apostle Peter pictures a certain punishment of false teachers, but he also paints their character and. You see the pride you receive the rebellion. We see the sensuality we see the perversion. So let me ask the question.
Why did God turn the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes? Condemn them to destruction. Making them an example of those who afterwards would live ungodly. Well, let's go to chapter 19 of Genesis. Let's read some of it.
Now I don't have time to get into. And I'll read as much as I possibly can. But we need to see this account but if you look in chapter 18 of Genesis from verse 16 to 33 we see Abraham intercedes for Sodom and folks, I'm telling the only reason why a lot the righteous like God delivered him out because.
But Abraham his his his uncle Abraham Had a covenant with God. God does not break covenant and you see Abraham. Look at a little bit of this. He bargains with God. He's trying to plead with God and.
He and in his pleading he Begins with a number. He said look at verse 23. Abraham came near and said Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked you think about having a conversation with God?
Suppose we were 50 righteous within the city. Would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the 50 righteous that were in it? Abraham's basically saying look there's got to be some righteous people in there.
You're gonna burn burn up the righteous. And far be it from you to do such a thing as this. And he understood God and his holiness. And then he said but he's pleading for mercy here and he said to slay the righteous with the wicked.
So that the righteous should be as the wicked far be it from you. And then he says this in a wonderful quiet. I love this text. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Oh He can hang on to that one folks.
Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? God will judge fairly always always never injustice with God even those in hell. Everybody in hell would get justice. No one gets injustice. There's a lot of people struggle with that.
But that's really that these these these heretics today. That's talking about annihilation. That believes that there's no punishment in hellfire. They have a problem with the justice of God. It's not not that they know down deep there is the eternal hell they just want to deny it.
But the problem is they cannot see God just.
God's just in every way.
In verse 26 So the Lord said if I find and Sodom and 50 righteous within the city, then I would spare all the place for their sakes. And the plea goes on he get the the number goes down At 45 and then it goes to 40 and then it goes to 30 and eventually it goes down what to 10.
10.
First 32 and he said let not the Lord be angry with me. He said I will speak but only once more he's God keeps going down on the number. He's gracious folks, and he said I Will not destroy it for the sake of 10 and you know the story God didn't find 10 there that were righteous.
So the Lord went his way. As soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham what an incredible story that Abraham speaks with God in person. Abraham returned to his place and then in chapter 19, he goes right into the sodomies depravity.
Two angels. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. There was a you know, the story says it was three men that met Abraham. Two of those were the angels. Two of these was the angels one was God.
It's incredible in it.
In human form. It's almost like God had a cloak himself in human form. It burned up Abraham. But two angels came to Sodom in the evening and a lot was sitting in the gate of the Sodom and When lot saw them He rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
And he said it's almost like he knew. These are angels. He knew they were from the Lord. Oh. His uncle Abraham was pleading and praying for him. Here now my Lord's plea. Please turn into your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet.
He's giving us some hospitality and then may you rise early and go on your way. And they said no. We would spend the night Excuse me in the open square, but he insisted strong. So they turned into him to him and entered his house.
And then he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread and they ate. Now listen to this story here. He's given him to come come to spend the night with him now before they lay down the men of the city.
Oh. You know what? It's this Sodom and Gomorrah is so corrupt. Listen to here. They saw these men these angels come in the form of men. Being a Sodom and both old and young and all the people from every quarter surrounded the house.
It's like a mob of men just men and all the ages corrupted. They wanted to have sexual contact with these.
Fresh.
Angelic men.
They didn't know they it was angels, but They just saw that they were men and they called to lot and said to him Where are the men who came to you tonight? They wanted to bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.
Physically worldly. Immorally. So lot went out to them through the doorway and shut the door behind him and he said please brethren do not do so wickedly. See now I have two daughters who have not known a man.
This is quite a verse here. Please let me bring them out to you and you may do to them as you wish. Only do nothing to these men since these. This is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.
They look they had no interest in his daughters. They were so corrupt. They wanted these men. Lot was doing everything he could in that sense. That's a hard text but Could I do that with my daughters?
I felt like I could not but he knew that these were angelic beings and Judgment was coming.
More on that later verse 10, but the men reached out listen is their hands. I'm sorry, let me back up in verse 9. They said stand back. And then they said this one came in to stay here and he keeps acting as a judge.
Now we will deal worse with you than with them. So they pressed hard Like a mob of them against the man lot and came near to break down the door the mobs of good poured in. And but the men reached out their hands and pulled lot into the house with them and struck the door.
Listen to this and they struck the men with who were at the doorway. Though angels did this of the house with blindness. Both small and great all these wicked perverted young men older men. They were blind they became weary trying to find the door.
They still wanted to press their way in. Now is that bondage? To sensuality. It was so distorted with that then the men said the lot Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law your sons your daughters and whoever you have in the city take them out of this place.
These angels they knew what was about to happen. They were there sent there to get lot and get. If they could find ten righteous, it was not ten righteous. Quite a story folks where we will destroy this place.
Because they outcry listen this because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord and the Lord has sent Us to destroy it. God these angelic beings had that much power. They were going to bring it.
So lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law. His son-in-law and had married his daughters and said get up get out of this place for the Lord would destroy this city. But to his sons-in-law, he seemed to be joking.
No joke.
Listen to this. And when the morning dawned the angels urged lot to hurry Saying arise take your wife and your two daughters who are here Least you'd be consumed in the punishment of the city. And listen this.
And while he lingered. Oh my.
He lingered.
The men took hold of his hands his wife's hand The hands of his two daughters and the Lord being merciful to him and they brought him out and set him outside the city. Little headed to take them out. Verse 17 so it came to pass when they had escaped them outside and he said escape for your life.
Do not look behind or stay anywhere in the plane escape to the mountains least you'd be destroyed. Then lot said to them, please know my Lord's. Indeed now your servant has found favor in your sight and you have increased in your mercy and you and You have shown me by saving my life and I cannot escape to the mountains and lay some evil would take me and die.
He was fearful and he says and see now this city is near enough to flee. There's a little one is a little one. Please. Let me escape. There is not a little one and my soul shall live. First 22 hurry escape there for I have cannot do anything until you arrive there.
Therefore the name of the city was called Zor. Sun had risen upon the earth and when lot entered Zor. Verse 24 tells us what happened. Then the Lord reigned Brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah for the Lord out of the heavens.
That's what the scripture says. Was it a volcano? So he overthrew those cities all the plain and the habitats of the cities and it grew on the ground. But his wife looked back Behind him and she became a pillar of salt.
And you can see this in your mind's eye and Abraham went early in the morning in the place where he had stood before the Lord. Then he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain and he saw Behold the smoke of the land which went up like a smoke of a furnace.
It came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain and God remembered Abraham. That's the reason why a lot was spared folks and sent lot out of the midst of the overthrow and When he overthrew the cities in which lot had dwelled.
I'll tell you that's that that there's the account right there a lot there. But you see the corruption. Folks we're under judgment. I got to move toward Bringing this to a close. How do we know we're under judgment?
Have you read Romans? 127. I'm sorry 126 and 27 recently. Even their women exchanged a natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the man leaving the natural use of the women burned burned in their lust for one another.
Men with men committing what is shameful receiving in themselves the penalty of the error, which was due. Folks those three signs that a nation's under God's judgment here there I give credits to Pastor John McCarthy.
He's got a whole sermon on this and I encourage you to listen when God abandons a nation. That this this is in short number one. These these are the reasons why we're under judgment. Number one sexual revolution.
There's a sexual revolution in Romans 124. Therefore God gave them over and The lust of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves. Number two homosexual revolution.
This is where we are today. Homosexual revolution. Romans 126 27 the woman the women exchanged a natural function for that which is Unnatural in the same way. Also, the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another.
The third sign that we're under judgment is minds that does not function. Don't we see this today a mind that does not function function Romans 128 and just as they did not see fit to knowledge God any longer God gave them over to a Depraved mind that means reprobate mind a mind void of judgment.
To do those things which are not proper at the base mind. You know what? That word debase means in the Greek. It basically is a word that means not passing the test. It does not pass the test. Where does that come from.
That basically comes from Jeremiah 6 28 through 30. I want to read that. It means it's a mind that is useless. A mind that is worthless of metals. Worthless metals discarded because they contained too much impurity.
God tested man's mind and found them worthless and useless because the sin had so corrupted it. Useless minds that cannot function. Have you ever seen in your life? So many minds in our day. That are debate debase like this that shows you we're under judgment folks.
Jeremiah 6 listen this 28. Let God's Word speak Jeremiah 6 28 through 30. They are all stubborn Rebels walking as slanders. They are bronze and iron. They are corruptors. They are Bellows blow fiercely they lead is consumed by the fire.
The smelter refines in vain. For the wicked are not drawn. All people will call them rejected silver because the Lord has rejected them. That's that's judgment. Listen to Jude 7. Has Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them in a similar manner to these leaving given themselves over to sexual immorality?
And gone after strange flesh set forth as an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. So many preachers and so many peoples and that try to do everything they can. There's not no punishment and hellfire.
There's no hellfire. I'm telling you folks. It's all the way through scriptures. There is a hellfire. There is a punishment. God will punish sin.
All.
Against the wicked undergo outside of Christ anyone that's outside of Jesus Christ. Especially the false teacher will suffer the eternal vengeance of fire. Second Thessalonians 1 7 through 10. And to give you listen away starts this out to give you who are Troubled rest with us in the Lord Jesus.
When he is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance of those who do not know God and on those Who did not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that great and that day to be Glorified in his Saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed.
There you have it. Well, let me let me narrow this down. God's gonna have to judge the wickedness of men. Psalm 5. Go with me to Psalm 5. I Want you to see this. Look at 4 through 6. For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness.
Nor shall evil dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood. The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
Very clear in it three negative phrase descriptions following three directly stated affirmations. Reveals God's perfect standard of justice. Folks. God judges sin. Psalm 7. Look at Psalm chapter 7. Look at verse 8 through 13, this is undeniable.
7 8 through 13 the Lord Shall judge the people's judge me. Oh Lord knows he turns the judgment on himself. Oh Lord, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity within me. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just for the righteous God test the hearts and minds.
My defense is of God who saves the upright in heart. God is a just judge a God and God is angry with the wicked every day. I like what MacArthur says. Try that on the church sign sometime. If he does not turn back no knows he was sharpened his sword.
He bends his bow and makes it ready. And he also prepares for himself instruments of death and he makes his arrows into fiery shafts. I Read Spurgeon on this and he said something powerful. Listen to what Spurgeon says on this.
He says the evil generation has labored to take away from God the sword of justice. They have in dear endeavor to prove themselves that God will clear to the guilty and will by no means punish the nickel iniquity.
Transgressions and sin, but 200 years ago. That's from Spurgeon's time when he's writing this the predominant strain of the pulpit was one of terror. It thundered forth and dreadful wrath. It was from the lips of Baxter.
Richard Baxter the Puritan. He speaks of John Bunyan. And he said you heard most terrible the most terrible sermons full to the brim with warnings of judgment to come. Perhaps some of the Puritan fathers may have gone too far and given too great Prominence to the terrors of the Lord in the ministry.
But he says this the age in which we live and he's speaking of hundreds of years ago, you know when he lived. Think about today. He says the age in which we live has sought to forget those terrors all together.
And if we dare tell men that God will punish them for the sins it is charged that we want to bully them into religion and If we faithfully and honestly tell our hearers that sin must bring after its certain destruction.
It is said that we are attempting to frighten them into goodness. We do not care what men mockingly impute to us we feel at our duty when people sin to tell them that they will be punished and As long as the world will not give up its sin we feel we must not cease our warnings.
Amen church. But the cry of this age he says is that God is merciful. That God is love. You know, it's virgin says yes.
Who said he was not?
But remember it is equally true that God is just. Severely and inflexibly just. And if he were not God, he would not be just. And He could not be merciful if he were not just. For punishment of the wicked Spurgeon says is demanded by the highest mercy to rest to the rest of mankind.
In quote and some may say well God's punishment to the wicked to the false teachers is just too harsh. It's too severe. And I was listening to RC Sproul's Powerful two-minute clip once again yesterday.
Before God took him home to be with The Lord. And RC said this two-minute clip listen to it to yourself on YouTube. He says this on a panel someone asked the questions why was if God is slow to anger and patient why was his judgment so severe.
And Sproul turns that why was it so severe? God's punishment for Adam was so severe. And this is the exact word Sproul said this creature from the dirt Defied the everlasting. Holy God. After that God had said that the day that you eat of it.
You will surely die. And of instead of dying thanatos. That day he lived another day and was clothed in his nakedness by pure grace and At the consequences of the curse applied for someone sometime. But the worst curse would come upon the one who seduced him.
Whose head would be crushed by the seed of the woman. And the punishment was so too severe. You can hear RC say that and all of a sudden he burst out. What's wrong with you people? Classic statement in it.
And then there was kind of like laughter.
And he says no, I'm serious.
Laughter stops. He said this this is what's wrong with the Christian Church today. We don't know who God is and we don't know who we are. And then he says this and I think this is really. Hits it over the fence.
The question is the question is.
Why wasn't it?
Infinitely more severe.
That's the question.
And then he goes on if we have any Understanding of our sin and Any understanding who God is?
That's the question, isn't it? God did not spare the angels who sinned. God did not spare the ancient world. He burned up Sodom and Gomorrah and ashes and then in Romans 8 32 he who did not spare his own son But delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him give us.
Also freely give us all things. Again, the cross Spurgeon crosses the danger signal to you. Warns you and me that if God spared not his only son, he will not spare you. It is the lighthouse set on the rocks of sin To warn you that swift and sure destruction awaits you.
If you do if you continue to rebel against the Lord and that's why Jesus said.
Repent.
Or you likewise perish folks. That is the greatest love That we could tell this dying sinful world repent. While there's breath in your body because there's one there's two inevitable truths. We're gonna die everybody's gonna die and We're going to stand before God in judgment.
But which side are we going to be on? God's merciful side or God's wrathful side and the only way that we can be on the merciful side is through our Lord Jesus Christ. And by his precious blood. Let's pray father we thank you Lord you spared not your own son.
You did not spare the angels. You did not spare the ancient world. You burned up Sodom and Gomorrah because you're a holy and just. And God one day you're gonna burn this world up like an oven. Oh We see the cross it is that danger signal.
Set on the hill and Lord You poured out your wrath. You poured out your fire judgment on your son. You paid it all Lord we're deserving of hell. We don't deserve the grace that you've given us, but Lord we thank you for it.
Lord may we be in Jesus. That's the only way we're going to survive That eternal judgment day. But we thank you Lord. There's no condemnation to those are in Jesus Christ. Lord it makes me think of the song and when I think that God his son not sparing sent him to die I scarcely can take it in that on the cross.
Lord my burden Gladly bearing he bled and died and to take away my sin. Lord you sent Jesus to die and Take our place the Lamb of God to substitute. The only way though the way the truth the life not the best way the way oh Hallelujah, what a Savior we have today.
Invitation comes for To come to Jesus. May we come to Jesus and our soul can sing out what a great Savior. And how great you are? We bless your most holy name and we praise you For the salvation that you have made through Jesus Christ and give you praise and glory.
Amen and amen.