October 22, 2006
“How to Successfully Escape God’s Wrath”
Genesis 19:12-38
If we go to a bookstore or on the internet we will find books, articles, websites and more, all telling us “How TO:” “How to Settle Your Living Trust;” “How to Draw Animals;” “How to Play Guitar;” “How to Change Anybody” “How to Read;” “How to Master Irons;” “How to Grow Fruits, Nuts and Berries;” “How to Pronounce it;” etc…There seems to be unlimited subjects about which people are willing to help you with “How to” information! Yet, in my search “How to Escape God’s Wrath” s one title I have found! Why is that? Well, it is not because this “How To” is unimportant. “How to Escape God’s Wrath” s the MOST IMPORTANT “HOW TO” you will EVER CONSIDER!
I. You must have some understanding of the fearfulness of God’s wrath –
We see the fearful reality of God’s wrath:
1. In the urgency of the angels to move Lot along –
A. They warn Lot to gather his relatives – Genesis 19:12-14
B. They urged him to hurry - Genesis 19:15
C. They physically carried him out of the city – Genesis 19:17
D. They said “escape for your life” – Genesis 19:17
E. They instruct “escape to the mountains” “do not look back” – Genesis 19:17
F. They give in to his senseless pleading, and say, “Hurry escape there” – Genesis 19:18-22
2. In the actual destruction by brimstone and fire – Genesis 19:24
3. In the SALTINESS of Lot’s wife, who merely looked back – Genesis 19:26
4. In the change in Lot’s attitude after this disaster – Genesis 19:30
II. You must understand that it is typical that we tend to take God’s fierce wrath too lightly, we typically do not flee as we should –
In this passage, we see:
1. Unbelievers taking God’s wrath as a joke – Genesis 19:14
2. Lot and his family lingering – Genesis 19:16 and going only halfway – Genesis 19:18-20
3. Lot’s wife underestimating God’s wrath to the point of death, she apparently thought herself “saved” just because she was out of he city and on her way - Genesis 19:26
4. Jesus Himself uses this story to instruct us in regard to taking Gods wrath and judgment too lightly – Luke 17:26-33
III. You may ask, “How are we to flee, when next God’s wrath will burn up the entire universe?” – 2 Peter 3:10-12
1. By not resting in superficial repentance –Matthew 3:7-10; Luke 3:7-9
A. Seek repentance that is by the power of God’s Spirit – Matthew 3:11-12; Galatians 5:16-22; Luke 11:9-13
B. Seek repentance that shows in real life works – Luke 3:10-14
2. Flee wrath by living lives before Him of holy conduct and godliness – 2 Peter 3:11
3. Flee wrath by a looking for the Day of Christ’s coming – 2 Peter 3:12
4. Flee wrath -
A. By being “diligent” to be found blameless – 2 Peter 3:14
B. By embracing salvation provided by Christ’s cross – 2 Peter 3:15
C. By seeking to understand the Scriptures – 2 Peter 3:15b-16
D. By being careful not to fall from steadfastness – 2 Peter 3:17
E. By continually growing in the knowledge of Christ, even until He welcomes you to His Everlasting Kingdom! - 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Peter 1:1-11
“Remember Lot’s wife” Luke 17:32 should drive us to the “Do not love the world...” of 1 John 2:15-17
“To be divided from the world, its possessions, its maxims, its motives is the mark of the true disciple of Christ and in order to keep up the feeling of separateness among His followers the Lord bade them “Remember Lot’s wife.” She is to be a caution to us all, for God will deal with us as with her if we sin as she did… If our hearts are glued to the world we shall perish with the world; if our desires and delights look that way, and if we find our comfort in it, we shall have to see our all consumed, and shall be ourselves consumed with it in the day of the Lord’s anger. Separation is the only way of escape. We must flee this world or perish with it.”
C.H. Spurgeon
