As in the Days of Noah ( the Family of Lot)

[Singing] [Announcer] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home for him. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Singing] [Speaker 1] Almighty God, we are grateful unto you. We thank you again for another privilege to be in your presence, to fellowship together. We thank you, oh Lord our God, for another time of our discipleship class. Lord, we give you all adoration for preservation. We thank you, oh Lord again, for we who are here physically and our brethren who are linking up with us online. Lord, we commit ourselves into your hand that everywhere we are, whether physically, whether online, Lord, we pray that your Spirit will work among us, within us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray. The Bible says Paul plants, Apollos waters; it is God that gives increase. The Bible says no man can receive anything except it is given to him from above. Oh Lord, we pray this evening, open your hands, oh God, and satisfy our desires in the name of Jesus Christ. Attend, oh Lord, unto us in your mercy and do your people good in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As I said last week, we will try and bring the matter of the "As in the days of Noah" to a close today. We have considered how it was in the days of Noah, the need for us not to be faithless. We have considered "As in the days of Noah," the meeting point between the fear of God and the mercy of God. And today, as we try to bring this matter of "As in the days of Noah" to a close, I want us to take a biblical example of this matter of God's mercy and God's fear. We want to see how God relates to his people. We want to take a biblical example: we want to consider the family of Lot. We want to see how God operates in his mercy, the place of godly fear, the place of heeding godly instruction, the place of carefulness, the place of working out our salvation with fear and trembling. That is what we want to look at as we look at the family of Lot. So many things will be said about the family of Lot. The Bible opened up on the matter of Lot as a nephew to Abraham. He was the son of Haran who died, and then the movement from there to the land of Canaan, and Lot journeyed with Abraham. And then the point where the herdsmen of Lot and the herdsmen of Abraham were having issues, that is Genesis chapter 13. In Genesis chapter 13, we saw the issue between Lot, the herdsmen of Lot, and that of Abraham, and how eventually Lot and Abraham had to part. They parted way with Abraham telling Lot that if he goes to the right, he will go to the left; if he goes to the left, he will go to the right. That Lot should be the first to make a choice on which direction he is willing to go. And we saw in that scripture that the Bible says that Lot made a choice. In making the choice, he chose all the fertile land. The Bible says that Lot lifted up his eyes. I'm reading around verse 10 of chapter 13. It says, "And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah)." That was before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That particular area of the land was a well-watered land, green land, that ordinarily looking at it tells you that if you move your herds of cattle or sheep or whatever to that area, since it is green and you are to—it is open grazing as at this time—so you can be sure that you're going to get the best for your livestock. So Lot chose towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Bible says in verse 11 that Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan and Lot journeyed east and they separated from each other. Mind you, Abraham still dwelt in Canaan. That was how Lot appeared, landed in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. In verse 13 of chapter 13, the Bible says, "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord." And so Lot was there in their midst and everything went on until we came to an episode in chapter 18 where the Lord appeared to Abraham. It was looking like God will be going towards the land of—let's go to our chapter 18. I'm just trying to summarize this background story. Now, when we got to chapter 18, we saw God speaking with Abraham from around verse 17, Genesis chapter 18, from around verse 17. It says, "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken.' And the Lord said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.' Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord." And Abraham came near and said, "Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous shall be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" So the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." Then Abraham continued the intercession. "What if there are five less? Thirty, twenty?" Eventually, Abraham got to verse 32. That was the final plea. And he said, "Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty should be found there." And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty." Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. What I want us to see first in the background, as we want to look at "As in the days of Noah," bringing mercy and the fear of God together—we want to take a biblical example of the family of Lot. Now, you can see how mercy began for this family. How did God begin to show mercy towards the family of Lot? The mercy began when God was telling Abraham what he was intending to do. If Abraham did not know what God was intending to do, Abraham would not start interceding. And we know the reason why Abraham was interceding. Why was he interceding? He was interceding because of Lot. Abraham had a clear understanding that Lot was there. The first mercy we see that the family of Lot began to receive was that there was an intercessor. There was an intercessor. Somebody began to plead. They were not even aware that somebody was pleading. And let me tell you honestly, this mercy speaks in several ways for the children of God today on one hand. Why is Jesus able to save to the uttermost? The Bible says because he ever lives to make intercession for us. So we can be sure that beyond what was happening with Abraham, we saw something happening with Jesus all the same. There was an intercessor for Lot and the person was busy interceding. He chose the number and when he got to ten, Abraham just felt as ten, that city will be spared. That city should be able to get mercy. And then the Lord went his way. The whole matter started in chapter 19 when the angels got into Sodom. Again, I want to show again how mercy began to show up for the family of Lot. We are looking at the meeting point between mercy and the fear of God. I want us to look at the family of Lot as a very important consideration to see that for those who fear the Lord, mercy speaks. Yet it is important for us to see the place of godly fear in the midst of God's mercy. Now, the two angels—I'm now in chapter 19. The scripture we actually want to consider, Genesis chapter 19. It says, "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, 'Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.' And they said, 'No, but we will spend the night in the open square.' But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate." The second point of mercy that we are seeing in this place for those who fear the Lord—if you look at how Abraham was visited by the Lord, it was these same people that came to Abraham and Abraham thought that they were just passing by. At first, he didn't recognize them to be angels. He just felt, "Let me entertain them." And in entertaining them, in the midst of it, certain voice began to speak and it became clear to Abraham that he had been visited by the Lord. The same thing is happening with Lot in this place. These men, they just came in as men. Anybody just see them as ordinary men. And so Lot too just saw them. Look at the meeting point between godly fear and mercy in this place. The Bible says let us learn to show hospitality to strangers, for in so doing, some have entertained angels unaware. Now, what brought—I want you to see something very quickly. They were sent to destroy that land on the ground that there must be ten men. Mind you, they were not even up to ten because Lot and his family, they were not up to ten. In the city, there was no godly men. Now, what I'm trying to say is that I want you to look at another scenario. Imagine another scenario that they came into the city and nobody took them in. Nobody took them in. What would have happened? They would have been an encounter with the wicked men that came later. When the wicked men came and they wanted to sleep with them, whether they are male or female, they are not interested. "Bring them out, let us sleep with them." So if they had stayed in the open square, it wouldn't have been an opportunity to single Lot out. What singled the family of Lot out was the fact that there was the place of being moved by godly fear, being moved by scripture, merely obeying scripture, merely being hospitable. I was talking about practical things last week and I'm showing the same connection. Merely being hospitable, the Bible says, "Who loves life and wants to see good days? Let him keep his tongue from lying and from deceit. Let him seek good and do it." And I was connecting it last week and I'm showing the same connection. Ordinarily, the fact that some strangers came into the land and somebody said, "Ah, strangers. What's your direction? Can't you stay? I know, no, don't worry." If it was to be a stingy man when they said don't worry, "Okay, I've invited them, they are the ones that said don't worry." But he insisted. He really wanted—you know there's a way you ask somebody come and eat but you don't mean it. So once he says thank you, you're really grateful that the person did not come because the come and eat is not really come and eat. It's just so that you can say something. You get the point I'm making. But that was not the case of Lot. It was intentional. It was deliberate. It was a conscious thing. He was very intentional about it. So when they said, "No, no, don't worry, don't worry, just go," he said, "No. Will you now be outside? It's not possible. Come into my house." And when he persisted, it looks like he was just being godly. But the truth was that he was also ruled out for mercy. The prayer of Abraham started, mercy began. The angels located Lot by a godly act, by a life of godly act, by a life of godliness. You could have said that they know, they would have also known, they would have also known that it's Lot, they would have located Lot. Yes, God can do all things. But let's take some things back for you to know that in doing these things, God who said his people should fear, his people should obey him, his people should seek him, his people should fear the Lord, let's take several examples back. God could have made Joseph to become the Prime Minister in Egypt without the butler remembering. Is that not true? But what did God do? God made Joseph to interpret, to use his gift for the butler, and then God now used the butler to connect Joseph to Pharaoh. God could have also done otherwise. But God used the obedience of Joseph. The Bible says delight yourself in the Lord and he will do what? He will give the desires of your heart. In that prison ordinarily, Joseph should not be the person to be happy. He should not be the person to be encouraging people. But what did he do? He set aside that and he was making use of his gift. And what does the Bible say? The gift of a man makes room for him. And what made room for Joseph was his gift. Even though it looks as if it connected him to the butler, God was still going to use that butler to connect Joseph to where he was taking Joseph to. So God could have done it any other way. But God used the place of godly fear, the place of obeying God, the place of doing right. Let's look at that again. Let's look at another person that mercy located. This matter of why there is a connection when the Bible says "Who love life, let him obey God, let us be godly, there's the place of mercy and godly fear." And we are using Lot's family particularly. Yes, somebody will say the angels could have also known them even if Lot did not go, they would have entered the house of Lot because Abraham had prayed for Lot. But that was not how it happened. It happened also because Lot obeyed God. He did what was right. He showed hospitality to strangers. And if you look at the case of Mordecai, you find the same thing. God could have saved Mordecai all alone without depending on anything. God could have just sent Angel Gabriel to the King and said, "Oh King, oh King, oh King, don't stop, hold your hand, you cannot do anything, this is my servant, don't touch him." God could have done that. But God did not do that. Rather, God have instructed servants to be faithful to their masters. And as a servant, he was walking in that fear of God. When he noticed that they were to betray, there was a coup against his master, he reported it. It was recorded. And then the matter was left. The day when God want to visit him, God went back to that record. And that is what we are seeing again in this place. Mercy would have visited Lot because of the prayer that had began. Mercy began in Abraham. But mercy is connecting with what? With fear, with godly fear. Because Lot himself was a godly person at that point. "Come to my house, come to my house." He was ready to entertain strangers. And in entertaining them, we begin to see the mercy that began in Abraham. That mercy began to locate itself to the correct person, because of course in that city it was only Lot, his wife, and his two children. I wonder where are all the herdsmen. That's what I did not understand. Because it was the herdsmen that caused problem, that caused the division. And when the angel said do you have anybody here, Lot went your wife and your children. I wonder why, is it that all those servants, they were no more with Lot? We see that the Bible did not say anything about it. We are trying to be silent. But it's something to think about. Honestly, it's something to think about. That where are they? What happened to all the herdsmen that caused the fight and could not stay together and all the cattle? What happened to all of those set of people? We did not really know. But one thing that was clear was that godly fear brought the mercy that had begun with from God through Abraham, it entered the house of Lot by a godly fear. Lot was living a correct life. There's a connection between mercy and correct living. That's the point we are making. And we are using Lot as a biblical example. And we are seeing an extraordinary connection. These are not even ordinary things. Even extraordinary things, that's why I'm using this example particularly. Things that look completely extraordinary. Angels entered a city, people did not know who they are, but they were supposed to locate Lot. But in locating Lot, it was by a correct life. There was a correct life, there was godly fear. And then having located him, they ate. But before they slept, the Bible says some men—that's from verse 4. It says, "Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house." I began to wonder, is it that they don't have another job they are doing in this city? I just wondered. Is the city so small that both old and young, people did not go to their house to sleep except that they want to come and sleep with men? I really wonder or was it a gang up? Somebody mobilized them. "Some strangers have come in, let's go and sleep with them." I don't know exactly what happened, but there was a gathering at the house of Lot. And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." They want to have sex with them. They want to know whatever they want to do with them. They want to abuse them. "Bring them out, where are those men?" Of course, they were supposed to go down and see whether what God had been hearing is true. And if it is true, they should destroy the city. So there's a confirmation that what God has been hearing is really true. Now, so Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly." Which means as even as at this time, Lot did not recognize the kind of people that are inside his house. He didn't know that they are the people to deliver him; thought he's the one to deliver them. But in all of this, I'm showing you the connection between this matter and godly living, being godly. Look at how mercy is mixing with godly fear. That's the point I'm trying to make us see. Mercy and godly fear, you can see how the Bible wraps them together. And that's what we are seeing with this family. Mercy was coming. Prayer had been offered. Something had been said. But godly fear is putting the family within that slot that heaven intended for them. Because heaven actually intended that Lot should not perish following the intercession of Abraham, because when Abraham was interceding, he was interceding concerning these people. So heaven was of course responding to this. But we are looking at this heavenly response in the midst of godly living, in the midst of godly fear, supernatural responses. So as at the time he was acting as a deliverer, he didn't know he was trying to stand as a deliverer to his own deliverer. As at this point, it was not clear. He was just acting godly. He was just putting up a godly front. And then Lot even did something that you wonder how many of us will do it. "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please let me bring them out to you and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof." What is he trying to say? "Since they are under me and I'm supposed to protect them, they are strangers. I'm supposed to protect these strangers. Can you have my two daughters?" I don't know how many of us will do this anyway. But Lot—I'm just trying to make you see the extent to which Lot was sincere in his intention both to feed, to protect, and to defend these strangers that came into his house. And it's something that is an instruction for godly living. And then they said, "Stand back!" 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 against the man Lot and came to break down the door. Of course, they remembered that even Lot was a stranger. You yourself, you're a stranger. Okay, now we are going to gather all the strangers together. You're not part of this place. You know what just comes to my mind? Whether you say racial discrimination or ethnic discrimination has been a very far thing where strangers don't get best. But we move on. When they pressed in, "But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door." So as at this point, the supernatural began to step in. The supernatural, the deliverance of God, the mercy of God gradually began to speak. There's a gradual speaking. The first thing here was that the person who thought he's the deliverer is now the one they came to deliver. He was taken back. And then the men who wanted who were thinking of breaking into the house were struck with blindness. And then I want you to now see this important thing for us as believers. Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, take them out of this place." This is what I said, I'm wondering. They did not ask Lot to take only his family. Are you understanding? This opened the door to the herdsmen. It does! This opened the door to every other people that are connected with Lot. That is why I'm wondering, was it that Lot and the herdsmen that moved to that place and every other person that came with him, was it that they have parted way too? Or was it that those people, they have become so godless? Or they have run away with all the animals that Lot thought will increase? We really cannot tell. But one thing that was clear was that the window that was opened for Lot was not a window for just his family. It was a window for as many as possible. That was the window. And surprisingly, Lot went only to his sons-in-law. To his—yes, to the sons-in-law. Those are the only people he went to. Because in the next scripture, in if you look at verse 14, says, "So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, 'Get up, get out of this place! For the Lord will destroy this city!' But to his sons-in-law, he seemed to be joking." It seemed to be playing. They cannot just fathom how destruction can come. How? Who can destroy the city? Where will destruction be coming from? There's no enemy, no enemy is attacking, nobody is coming. How? How? How? So he seems to be joking. But my point is, he went just to these people and nobody else again. Then when the morning, when the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two sons—your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of this city." I want you to see something about mercy. The first instruction came, please brethren look at it. The first instruction came in verse 12. In verse 12, the men told Lot, "Have you anyone in this place? Sons or daughters-in-law, whosoever you have, take them out of this city." The first instruction to take them out was in verse 12. This was a clear instruction. Now, that night, nothing happened till the following morning. It was like that night, the instruction is gather as many as you want to be saved. That is what that—that of the night means. So Lot went to gather, but he could not gather anybody beyond his immediate family. So nobody could gather along with him for that night. Now, when it was morning, the same instruction came again. Brethren, look at it. The same instruction came again in the—that was in verse 15. When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of this city." The second time the matter of destruction was coming up. And this time, it was coming out more affirmatively than it came at first. Don't forget where we are coming from. Noah was instructed to build an ark, and he was moved with godly fear, he began to build. Lot was receiving an affirmative instruction: Lot, move now! What is happening with Lot? Faith was coming and Lot was not walking in faith. Mercy was coming. Mercy is bringing an instruction so that he can obtain mercy. But what happens? The Bible says in verse 16, "while he lingered." Can we see other translation for that word "lingered"? Can we see other translation for that word "lingered"? Why was hesitating? Why was hesitating? He was hesitating. Is this thing real? Is this thing not real? Are you seeing a dividing line between Noah moved with a godly fear when he was divinely instructed? Are you seeing a difference between Noah and Lot? Are you seeing something? Noah started building. Lot was receiving an affirmative instruction: Lot, move now! What is happening with Lot? He lingered, he was hesitating. Look at how mercy showed up again. Look at how mercy showed up. The Bible says while he lingered, which was wrong. While he lingered, ordinarily, was he supposed to linger? He was not supposed to linger. He has missed the first point. He is not walking in godly fear in that place. He's not obeying instruction. Could have led to what? His being destroyed together with the wicked. That's what would have led to. But mercy showed up again. How did it show up? Mercy showed up. The Bible says while he lingered, which was wrong, while he lingered, the two men took hold of his hand. That was the hand of mercy. That was the hand of mercy. They took hold of his hand and the hand of his two daughters. The father was not giving correct direction. The father was not acting right. He has been getting it right all the while, but at this point he was not getting it right. He wasn't getting it right. So they took his hand, took the hand of the two daughters, and what did they do? They brought them outside and set him—they brought him out and set him outside the city. What I'm trying to make you see, I'm showing you the mercies of God, the how it inter—how there's an interlink between this mercy and godly fear. The mercy that actually came was run, he did not run. That mercy is to bring a godly action. That mercy will be received by a godly action of running. He did not run. He lingered. When he lingered, mercy showed up again in another form. This time, mercy took his two hands, that of his wife, and brought them outside the city. Why? What is the mercy here? He was hesitating because he was distracted. He was distracted because of the so many things I don't know, which one do I pick first? And so the best way to show him mercy is to separate him from his distraction. To separate him from whatever he's thinking about. Maybe he was wondering what do I pick first? As I said this one in one of our meetings, what do I pick first? Do I pick my ATM or do I pick my phone? My handbag or my laptop? My credit card or my—you understand, hesitating. Is this thing really going to happen? Will it not happen? And then the angels took him out of the city. Now you know that whatever is keeping you inside, you are far from it. So now you are just alone outside the city. And when they got outside the city, please look at it. That same instruction of mercy came again. What I'm trying to make you see, brethren, we are using Lot as a case study. That this matter of God's deliverance, God's protection, God's this, God's that, God's—all of these things that we mentioned, all of these privileges and mercies we envision from the Lord, we need to understand that they are all, they are all wrapped up, they are within the context, they are—there is an intermix between them and godly fear. They are wrapped around a lot of things that God will be telling you, instruction that God will be giving you. For example, look at when Isaac wanted to go to Gerar. There was famine in the land. He wanted to go to Gerar. How was he saved? That economic salvation, how did it come? It came by instruction: don't go to that place, stay here. It was a mercy that appeared to him. The Bible says in Psalm 37 that we read, "even in famine, you will be satisfied." What made Adam to be satisfied in famine? What made him to be satisfied? It was because there was an instruction and there was a godly fear. If he had moved to Gerar, what would have happened to him inside that famine? Would he have been satisfied? No. So what I'm trying to make us see, brethren, we are using Lot as a case study. That this matter of God's deliverance, God's protection, God's this, God's that, God's—all of these things that we mention, all of these privileges and mercies we envision from the Lord, we need to understand that they are all, they are all wrapped up, they are within the context, they are—there's an intermix between them and godly fear, between them and godly living, between them and godly life, between them and obedience to instruction, between them and yielding the word of God. So that you are not yielding the word of God, you are not obeying scriptures, you are disregarding scriptures, you might be putting yourself against the mercy of God. And that is exactly what happened to Lot's wife. Look at how mercy began for that woman. But that is why I'm going to conclude. Look at how mercy began with intercession. Somebody was interceding, Abraham. Look at how mercy showed up again. The angels were in their house. Look at how mercy showed up again. They were hesitating. The angels took their hands. It took them from their distraction. Ordinarily, we should be careful about distraction ordinarily. But they could not handle that distraction because the whole thing was coming too suddenly. The Lord understood their weakness. He understood their circumstance because the hymn writer said: Jesus knows all about our struggles He would guide till the day is done There is no other friend like the lowly Jesus No not one, no not one So he knows and he understood the situation around them. So he took their hand, took them away from their distraction, and then gave that instruction again. Hurry! Look at it again. Look at it again. Having said that I've spoken, he now told them again, "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of heaven. So he overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the city, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him. The matter of behind him is a marital matter. But the matter we are looking at here at this point is that look at how mercy was coming from Abraham. Mercy entered the house of Lot. Now mercy is coming in the form of what? Instruction: run fast! Lot was lingering. But that instruction is also the mercy that heaven was giving. Run fast, something is at stake, something is at stake! He didn't know what is at stake but God knew what was at stake. And eventually, mercy showed up again, it showed up, and then they were taken from their distraction. And that is why I keep telling you, let us be careful about distraction ordinarily. By the virtue of what those angels did, Lot knew that they were not ordinary people. How will people want to enter your house and then they could not find the door again? And they said don't worry, let's be discussing. They will not find the door. Will you not know that these people are not ordinary people? So there was an understanding because by the time Lot began to speak with these people, he had began to say "my Lord, my Lord." If you look at his statement in verse 18, then Lot said to them, "Please no, my lords!" So he had come to know that he was not dealing with ordinary people. And these people are speaking to you, instruction is coming very clearly: do this, do that! What I'm trying to make you see, brethren, when the Bible says "Fear the Lord, ye saints," I want you to know it is because the mercies of the Lord in diverse ways is also tied around obedience to the Lord. It's tied around divine instruction. It's tied around divine leading. It's tied—all of these things, there's no want to them that fear him. It is tied around a lot of things that God will be telling you, instruction that God will be giving you. For example, look at when Isaac wanted to go to Gerar. There was famine in the land. He wanted to go to Gerar. How was he saved? That economic salvation, how did it come? It came by instruction: don't go to that place, stay here. It was a mercy that appeared to him. The Bible says in Psalm 37 that we read, even in famine you will be satisfied. What made Adam to be satisfied in famine? What made him to be satisfied? It was because there was an instruction and there was a godly fear. If he had moved to Gerar, what would have happened to him inside that famine? Would he have been satisfied? No. So what I'm trying to make us see, brethren, we are using Lot as a case study. That this matter of God's deliverance, God's protection, God's this, God's that, God's—all of these things that we mention, all of these privileges and mercies we envision from the Lord, we need to understand that they are all, they are all wrapped up, they are within the context, there's an intermix between them and godly fear, between them and godly living, between them and godly life, between them and obedience to instruction, between them and yielding the word of God. So that you are not yielding the word of God, you are not obeying scriptures, you are disregarding scriptures, you might be putting yourself against the mercy of God. And that is exactly what happened to Lot's wife. Look at how mercy began for that woman. For that is where I'm going to conclude. Look at how mercy began with intercession. Somebody was interceding, Abraham. Look at how mercy showed up again. The angels were in their house. Look at how mercy showed up again. They were hesitating. The angels took their hands. It took them from their distraction. Look at how mercy showed up again within that instruction. Run fast! Lot was lingering. But that instruction is also the mercy that heaven was giving. Run fast, something is at stake, something is at stake! He didn't know what is at stake but God knew what was at stake. And eventually, mercy showed up again, it showed up, and then they were taken from their distraction. And that is why I keep telling you, let us be careful about distraction. I want to make this statement. You see, it is one thing to be careful, it's another thing to be fearful. It is one thing to be watchful, it's another thing to be doubtful. They are two different things. Lot was trying to be careful. He was trying to be watchful. But the truth was that he was doubtful. He was not yielding a particular instruction. He was not walking in faith. He was not moving by that instruction. Noah was moved with a godly fear when he was divinely instructed. Lot was receiving an affirmative instruction: Lot, move now! What is happening with Lot? He was hesitating. Is this thing real? Is this thing not real? Are you seeing a dividing line between Noah and Lot? Are you seeing something? Noah started building. Lot was receiving an affirmative instruction. Mercy was coming in the form of instruction so that he can obtain mercy. But what happens? The Bible says he lingered, he was hesitating. Look at how mercy showed up again. While he lingered, which was wrong, he was hesitating. Ordinarily, was he supposed to linger? No. He's not walking in godly fear in that place. He's not obeying instruction. It could have led to his being destroyed together with the wicked. But mercy showed up again. While he lingered, the two men took hold of his hand. That was the hand of mercy. They took hold of his hand and the hand of his two daughters. The father was not giving correct direction. The father was not acting right. He has been getting it right all the while, but at this point he was not getting it right. So they took his hand, took the hand of the two daughters, and they brought them outside and set him outside the city. I'm showing you the mercies of God and how there's an interlink between this mercy and godly fear. The mercy that actually came was run, he did not run. That mercy is to bring a godly action of running. He did not run. He lingered. When he lingered, mercy showed up again in another form. This time, mercy took his two hands, that of his wife, and brought them outside the city. Why? What is the mercy here? He was hesitating because he was distracted. He was distracted because of the so many things. "Which one do I pick first?" And so the best way to show him mercy is to separate him from his distraction, to separate him from whatever he's thinking about. Maybe he was wondering "what do I pick first?" as I said this one in one of our meetings. "Do I pick my ATM or do I pick my phone? My handbag or my laptop? My credit card or my—" hesitating. "Is this thing really going to happen? Will it not happen?" And then the angels took him out of the city. Now you know that whatever is keeping you inside, you are far from it. So now you are just alone outside the city. And when they got outside the city, please look at it. That same instruction of mercy came again. What I'm trying to make you see, brethren, we are using Lot as a case study. That this matter of God's deliverance, God's protection, God's this, God's that—all of these things, all of these privileges and mercies we envision from the Lord, we need to understand that they are all wrapped up, they are within the context, they are—there's an intermix between them and godly fear, between them and godly living, between them and godly life, between them and obedience to instruction, between them and yielding the word of God. There is instruction, and that is the place of the godly fear. The same thing I'm telling you about all that God has said in his word. It is the same thing. I gave this example one time, I don't know whether it was in this meeting. A brother that we both graduated from University of Benin, he was working somewhere with a company. And somehow, there was an offer from another company. That company that is giving the offer is a new company in town. They gave him an interview because he was looking for a better greener pasture, better salary. He got the offer, but there was now a problem. What he was to be paid was about three times where he was coming from. Of course, that was something good. But on the condition that he cannot give those people one month notice. He should resume immediately. Mind you, that place where he was working, he had given a commitment to them that when he wants to leave, he will give them a month notice. That was a commitment he made to them. So he now explained to the new people that wanted to absorb him that, "Please, I'm in a tight corner. That place where I was working, relationship is okay, I don't have problem with them. And there's this commitment I've given to them that they shouldn't worry, if I'm leaving, I will not leave them suddenly. I will give you time, at least I will give you a month to sort things out before I will leave." He's a medical doctor. "I will not leave you suddenly. I will give you a month to sort things out before I will leave." They said, "Okay, if you're not resuming immediately, your offer will go to the number two person." He came first in the interview. He now went back. He considered and considered the scripture. He considered and considered the matter. But one thing that kept coming to him is that he that will dwell before the Lord and abide in his holy hill is that man who keeps a promise even when it hurts. He had made a promise to them. He considered the weight of moving out, the money, this and that, no, he told himself, "No. This is too clear scripture." So he didn't leave where he was before. So in a way, he lost that job. I'm trying to talk about deliverance, I'm talking about mercy and instruction. That's what I'm talking about, mercy and the fear of God. This intermix, that's what I'm showing you, the family of Lot. There's this thing, they are so intermixed because within the workings of God's mercy, there are divine instructions. There are divine instructions. And that is what we are seeing here in this place. Mercy was coming from Abraham. Mercy entered the house of Lot. Now, mercy is coming in the form of instruction: run fast! Lot was lingering. But that instruction is also the mercy that heaven was giving. Run fast, something is at stake, something is at stake! He didn't know what is at stake, but God knew what was at stake. And eventually, mercy showed up again, he showed up, and then they were taken from their distraction. And that is why I keep telling you, let us be careful about distraction. I want to make this statement: you see, it is one thing to be careful, it's another thing to be fearful. It is one thing to be watchful, it's another thing to be doubtful. They are two different things. Lot was trying to be careful. He was trying to be watchful. But the truth was that he was doubtful. He was not yielding a particular instruction. He was not walking by faith. He was not moving by that instruction. And then the supernatural began to step in. The supernatural, the deliverance of God, the mercy of God gradually began to speak. There's a gradual speaking. The first thing here was that the person who thought he's the deliverer is now the one they came to deliver. He was taken back. And then the men who wanted who were thinking of breaking into the house were struck with blindness. And they said don't worry, let's be discussing. They will not find the door. Will you not know that these people are not ordinary people? So there was an understanding, because by the time Lot began to speak with these people, he had began to say, "my lord, my lord." He had begun to know that he was not dealing with ordinary people. And these people are speaking to you, instruction is coming very clearly: do this, do that! What I'm trying to make you see, brethren, when the Bible says "Fear the Lord, ye saints," I want you to know it is because the mercies of the Lord in diverse ways is also tied around obedience to the Lord. It's tied around divine instruction. It's tied around divine leading. It's tied—all of these things, there is no want to them that fear Him. It is tied around a lot of things that God will be telling you, instruction that God will be giving you. For example, look at when Isaac wanted to go to Gerar. There was famine in the land. He wanted to go to Gerar. How was he saved, that economic salvation? It came by instruction: don't go to that place, stay here. It was a mercy that appeared to him. The Bible says in Psalm 37 that we read, even in famine you will be satisfied. What made Adam to be satisfied in famine? It was because there was an instruction and there was a godly fear. If he had moved to Gerar, what would have happened to him inside that famine? Will he have been satisfied? No. So what I'm trying to make us see, brethren, we are using Lot as a case study. That this matter of God's deliverance, God's protection, God's this, God's that, all of these things that we mention, all of these privileges and mercies we envision from the Lord, we need to understand that they are all wrapped up, they are within the context, there's an intermix between them and godly fear, between them and godly living, between them and godly life, between them and obedience to instruction, between them and yielding the word of God. So that you are not yielding the word of God, you are not obeying scriptures, you are disregarding scriptures, you might be putting yourself against the mercy of God. And that is exactly what happened to Lot's wife. Look at how mercy began for that woman. Look at how mercy began with intercession, somebody was interceding, Abraham. Look at how mercy showed up again, the angels were in their house. Look at how mercy showed up again, they were hesitating, the angels took their hands. It took them from their distraction. Look at how mercy showed up again within that instruction: run fast! Lot was lingering. But that instruction is also the mercy that heaven was giving. Run fast, something is at stake, something is at stake! He didn't know what is at stake but God knew what was at stake. And eventually mercy showed up again, he showed up and then they were taken from their distraction. And that is why I keep telling you, let us be careful about distraction. He understood their situation around them. So he took their hand, took them away from their distraction, and then gave that instruction again. Hurry! Look at it again. Look at it again. Having said that I've spoken, he now told them again, "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of heaven. So he overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the city, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him. The matter of behind him is a marital matter. But the matter we are looking at here at this point is that look at how the intercession—mercy was coming from Abraham. Mercy entered the house of Lot. Now mercy is coming in the form of what? Instruction: run fast! Lot was lingering. But that instruction is also the mercy that heaven was giving. Run fast! Something is at stake, something is at stake! He didn't know what is at stake but God knew what was at stake. And eventually, mercy showed up again, it showed up, and then they were taken from their distraction. And that is why I keep telling you, let us be careful about distraction. I want to make this statement: you see, it is one thing to be careful, it's another thing to be fearful. It is one thing to be watchful, it's another thing to be doubtful. They are two different things. Lot was trying to be careful. He was trying to be watchful. But the truth was that he was doubtful. He was not yielding a particular instruction. He was not walking by faith. He was not moving by that instruction. The Bible says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." So that when instruction is coming to us from the word of God, be careful, be watchful enough to understand that it is God that is working. Learn to take things seriously. Don't casualize the word of God. Don't take the things of God trivially. When the Bible says don't lie, take it seriously. That's what you mean by fear and trembling. It's because God who gave that instruction, it is God who is working. You might just be sometimes, I don't know whether you have experienced it even in small things. You might just want to pray, and a heart just trying to pray. A word will just say pray a little more. There's just this burden to pray a little more. What it's trying to say is that don't take these kind of leading things, don't take them for granted because it is God that is working and when God is working, God is working because there is something at hand, there is something at stake. When they were telling Lot to hurry here, was something at stake? The hurry was not for fun. The hurry was tied to something. Time is going. They did not understand and I'm telling you, many times the things of God, you may not completely understand. You may not completely be able to interpret. For example, when Isaac wanted to go to Gerar, there was famine in the land. He wanted to go to Gerar. How was he saved? How did that economic salvation come? It came by instruction: don't go to that place, stay here. It was a mercy that appeared to him. The Bible says in Psalm 37 that we read, even in famine you will be satisfied. What made Adam to be satisfied in famine? It was because there was an instruction and there was a godly fear. So what I'm trying to make us see, brethren, we are using Lot as a case study. That this matter of God's deliverance, God's protection, God's this, God's that, all of these privileges and mercies we envision from the Lord, we need to understand that they are all wrapped up, they are within the content, they are—there is an intermix between them and godly fear, between them and godly living, between them and godly life, between them and obedience to instruction, between them and yielding the word of God. So that you are not yielding the word of God, you are not obeying scriptures, you are disregarding scriptures, you might be putting yourself against the mercy of God. And that is exactly what happened to Lot's wife. Intercession, intervention—now there was intervention. The angels carried their hand. That was a mighty privilege for God to show up in person. It happens in several times even with people today. I know the days of one of our the mommies in our church. She said one day she was driving within Ore-Akure. And then she didn't know what happened, how it happened. She knocked down a boy or a girl, I can't remember the story very well. Knocking the person down around the market area, she was just confused. She just stood. What do I do? Suddenly, a man just showed up. Said, "Mommy, ah, don't worry. This is what you will do. Just, Mommy, follow me." He just took the girl, put the girl inside the car. "Mommy, follow me, follow me, follow me." Still she was still thinking of what she will do. She began to follow the man. They got to hospital. "Please Doctor, this and that and that and that." And attending to the girl. She said she didn't know when the man went off. That she wanted to go and say "Ese," she didn't know how the man, she couldn't, that till today she was telling us the testimony that she cannot explain. So there was intercession, there was intervention. Everything directed towards the wife of Lot. Everything directed towards Lot and his family, everybody in that household. And then it came again as instruction: escape for your life! Do not look behind you! Nor stay anywhere in the plain! Escape to the mountain, lest you die. Look at something again, mercy showing up again within that instruction. Lot said to them, "Please, my lord. Indeed now, your servant, if now your favor have found table in your sight, and you have increased your mercy, for you to know that that was the mercy of God coming to them, your mercy, which you have shown me by saving my life. But I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to and it is a little one. Please let me escape there. Is it not little? And my soul shall live." Look at what happened, mercy showed up again on that. And the Lord said to him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken." Are you seeing mercy? "I favored you. Go that direction." Will you say that God did not show himself several for the wife of Lot not to become a pillar of salt? Will you say that God did not—have you seen the intervention of God in the life of his people? But what I'm trying to make you see is that we should fear. The Bible says let us fear. I'm not talking of negative fear. I said let us be careful. Let us be watchful not to be doubtful, nor to be fearful. But let us be watchful. The Bible says do not be unwise, understanding what the will of the Lord is. Heeding instruction, obeying the Lord, walking in his fear. Because his mercies, they are intermixed within his instruction. They are intermixed within his word. Everything is one package. The deliverance is his word. The mercy is his word. The provision is his word. They are all within it. For instance, he said to Rebecca, "The elder shall serve the younger." Of him are all things. Yet when we got to Hebrews, it said none of you should be like profane Esau who for a morsel of bread sold his birthright. We see responsibility in man, we see divinity in God. We know in part, we understand in part. Brethren, with the almightiness of God, let us be watchful. Let us be careful. As in the days of Noah, looking at the families of Lot. Mercy showed up in intercession. The Lord is interceding for us. Mercy showed up again in intervention. They were hesitating, the angels took their hands. It took them from their distraction. Ordinarily, distraction—we should be careful about distraction ordinarily. But they could not handle that distraction because the whole thing was coming too suddenly. The Lord understood their weakness. He understood their circumstance. Hurry! Look at it again. Look at it again. Having said that, he now told them again, "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Then the sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. He destroyed those cities, the sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. They didn't understand. And I'm telling you, many times the things of God, you may not completely understand. You may not completely be able to interpret. Prosperity is doing what God says. Deliverance is doing what God says. Salvation is doing what God says. How are we saved? He said "whosoever believes shall be saved." Oh Lord, I give my life to you. What happened? We were saved. We obeyed an instruction right from the beginning. Go and check it. Salvation began by obeying instruction. And that is the truth of it! That's the reality of it! And that is what we are seeing in this place. Intercession, intervention—now there was intervention. The angels carried their hand. That was a mighty privilege. For God to show up in person. It happens in several times even with people today. So there was intercession, there was intervention. While the ways of God are unsearchable, while his judgments they are past finding out, because of Him are all things, by Him are all things, through Him are all things, for Him are all things. We see responsibility in man, we see divinity in God. We know in part, we understand in part. Brethren, within the almightiness of God, let us be watchful, let us be careful. As in the days of Noah, looking at the families of Lot. Mercy showed up in intercession. The Lord is interceding for us. Mercy showed up again in intervention. The Lord intervenes in our life in several ways. But we see that mercy also shows up in all of these things in the midst of obedience to instruction. This was sustained and maintained in scripture. And Jesus said, "Remember Lot’s wife." It will be good for us to remember that while there is divine intercession, the Lord is interceding for us, while there is divine intervention, the Lord will take his people home, no one can pluck them out of his hand, there is the place of godly fear taking heed to divine instruction in the midst of the working of God for our salvation. Let us be watchful, let us be careful, as in the days of Noah, is what we are learning. As it was, we find in Noah is that the Lord, the Lord was able to save his own. He saved him, and the Bible make us to see he got a good report because he was moved by godly fear. May our lives not come short of the grace of God in any way. The grace of God in divine intercession, the grace of God in divine intervention, the grace of God in divine instruction and godly obedience. In the name of Jesus Christ. Brethren, let us pray this evening. [Speaker 1 prays] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development and mission help. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 PM, adolescents and singles club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM, marriage forum second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM, family life seminars, regular school outreaches and everyday counseling. For further counsel, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite the Rejoice filling station along Ije road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles, familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.