Saved Through Fire
God's mercy means salvation for sinners.
Genesis(37) (Part of the Origins(36) series)
by Stuart Johns(39) on April 6, 2025 (Sunday Morning(48))
Holiness(2), Justice(4), Mercy(6), Prayer(1), Salvation(11), Witnessing(1)
Origins
Saved Through Fire
(Genesis 19:15-29)
INTRODUCTION
“If your house was burning, what would you grab on your way out the door? That question intrigued photographer Foster Huntington, so he gathered his must-save belongings and took a picture. Then he asked a few friends to think about that question and photograph their must-save belongings. The burning-house question raised an issue that people wanted to both answer and discuss. In May of 2011 Huntington launched a website with photos of personal items that people would grab on their way out the door. Within a year, Huntington received thousands of photos from around the world that captured people's answer to the burning-house question.
Here are a few of the items people said they'd grab if their house caught on fire:
One husband, one son, and three cats
The film The Princess Bride on Blu-ray
My daughter—everything else can be replaced
A few packs of favorite green tea in case I'm thirsty
Favorite earrings I wore to my wedding
Ring I got from my Dad when I was 12
Mystery Box (my father put something inside before I nailed it shut, forever closed until I am an old man and he is long gone)
My grandfather's Bible
Ernest Hemingway's selected letters
iPhone 4
Wallet
Purse
Very old teddy bear of my childhood
Moleskin journal which contains all of my thoughts and ideas
House key, because you need it, even though your house is burning
My globe to always remind me of all the places I dream of seeing
flip flops, a bikini and a skirt (because if my house burns down, I'm going to the beach)
[#1 – Young people, circle all the items that some people would grab if their house caught on fire.]
Huntington says that this project has taught him a valuable lesson about material possessions. The question forces people to think about what they want versus what they really need. For instance, Huntington's first photo included 18 must-have items. But after thinking about the question for over a year, his list dropped to only two absolutely, irreplaceable items.”
Source: Foster Huntington, The Burning House (It Books, 2012); Maria Popova, "The Burning House: What People Would Take if the House Was on Fire," Brain Pickings blog (7-19-12).
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2012/august/5080612.html]
BODY
ME
Living in California
I mentioned several weeks ago that we experienced wildfires when we lived in California
One of the things we put together was a bin filled with our valuables
It included such things as picture albums, birth certificates, vehicle titles, and other important papers and items
If the wildfires threatened our home, we could very quickly grab our children and the bin and leave
WE
If your house were burning, what would you grab on your way out the door?
Lot, his wife, and his two daughters did not have time to decide what to take, as the angels of the Lord hurried them out of the city. The angels were not allowed to complete their task until Lot and his family were safe. They experienced God’s mercy, because of Abraham’s relationship with the Lord. They were blessed instead of burned because of their relationship to Abraham. Our relationship with the Lord, or lack thereof, will determine whether we are blessed or burned at the final judgment. We will see today that . . .
BIG IDEA – God’s mercy means salvation for sinners.
Let’s pray
GOD (Genesis 19:15-29)
Boosted (vv. 15-22)
Coming of dawn
This statement lets us know that everything that happened in the beginning of this chapter took place in one evening
The angels arrived in Sodom
The young and old men of the city demanded that Lot bring the two angels outside
The angels struck the men blind
Lot spoke to his sons-in-law
As the sun began to rise, the angels expressed urgency
Angels urged
They knew what was about to happen
They urged Lot to take his wife and two daughters and leave the city, or they would suffer the same fate as the inhabitants of the city
Lot hesitated even after being told that the city was going to be destroyed (Gen. 19:13)
Lot hesitated
Perhaps this shows us the kind of faith Lot had
“Lot felt more secure inside an evil city than outside of it with God (see 19:18-21).” [Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary, 278]
Maybe the sky was clear and Lot did not see any impending doom approaching (raiding party, etc.)
He was going to have to trust God, by faith, that the city would be destroyed
And yet, he hesitated
We are not told why he hesitated (any attempt to determine that would only be speculation and a waste of our time)
His faith in God must have been weak, because he did not obey immediately
We know that he compromised on multiple levels in order to be where he was at this point (needing to be urged to leave a city that God was going to destroy)
When God instructed Noah to build the ark, he obeyed
As far as we know, he did not hesitate
He built the ark, by faith, even though he had never seen rain before
When God called Abram to leave his family and country and go to a place that He would show him, he obeyed
As far as we know, he did not hesitate
He started the journey, by faith, without knowing his final destination
Maybe Lot hesitated, because his faith in God was weak (he could not see how the destruction of an entire city could happen)
So, the angels grasped Lot, his wife, and his daughter’s hands and led them safely out of the city [#2 – Young people, what did angels do to get Lot and his family out of the city (grasped their hands)]
Fortunately, God’s mercy was not based on the strength of Lot’s faith (we will see at the end of these verses what God’s mercy was based on)
God’s mercy
Lot, his wife, and his daughters were saved because of God’s mercy
Titus 3:4-5a, But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
God’s mercy means salvation for sinners.
Lot, his wife, and his daughters were sinners, just like every human being
PRINCIPLE #1 – God is merciful!
God’s mercy means that He does not give us what we deserve
Lot
Lot, his wife, and daughters deserved to be punished along with the inhabitants of the cities of the plain
They had become part of the evil in this world
John 17:14-19, I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Us
We are just as guilty as Lot and his family
We have become part of the evil of this world and deserve to be punished
Yet, God does not give us what we deserve
We should be very grateful for that
2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had not sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Paul was referring to Jesus
Jesus became sin for us, so that in Him we might be in a right relationship with God
Jesus took our sins on Himself when He died on the cross
Isaiah 53:4-6, Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
We have all gone our own way and deserve to be punished for our rebellion and sin
Jesus took our punishment for sin on the cross
John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This is God’s mercy in action for every human being
#1 – My Next Step Today Is To: Thank God for His mercy and choose to believe in His Son, so I can be saved today.
The Lord showed mercy to Lot and his family
As soon as they were outside the city, one of the angel’s gave them some instructions
Angel’s instructions
Instructions [#3 – Young people, circle the instructions that the angels gave Lot and his family.]
Flee for your lives
Don’t look back
Don’t stop anywhere in the plain
Flee to the mountains
“Throughout Scripture, the Lord continually calls His people to the mountains . . .
With Abraham, who was ready to sacrifice his son in obedience to the Lord’s command, He calls us to Mt. Moriah, the Mount of Devotion
With the Israelites, who gathered to receive His commandments, the Lord calls us to Mt. Sinai, the Mount of Instruction
With Elijah, whose prayer brought down fire from heaven, He calls us to Mt. Carmel, the Mount of Passion
With Peter, James, and John, who beheld the glory of the Lord, He calls us to Mt. Hermon, the Mount of Transfiguration” [Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary, Old Testament, Volume 1: Genesis—Job, 82]
What Mount is God calling you to, today?
The result of not following the angel’s instruction would be death – they would be swept away
Lot’s plea
Lot asked if he and his family could flee to a small town that was close
We are not given the details of why Lot felt like he was unable to flee all the way to mountains
It seems as though he felt like they would not make it to the mountains before disaster fell
“Lot’s fear illustrates the irrationality of unbelief. God has sent his servants to rescue Lot, and Lot still fears he will not be protected.” [Waltke, 278]
Lot acknowledged the angel’s favor and great kindness in sparing his life, so he felt comfortable enough to make this request
God’s mercy
The angel granted his request
The small town of Zoar and its inhabitants were spared, because of Lot and his family’s presence there
God’s mercy was extended to the inhabitants of Zoar through Lot
PRINCIPLE #1 – God is merciful!
His mercy is incredible
The inhabitants of Zoar deserved to be punished with the other four towns in the plain, but God’s mercy spared them
The Lord had not found ten righteous people in the town of Zoar, so they were going to be destroyed also
God’s mercy means salvation for sinners.
Zoar means small
Lot and his family were boosted from Sodom before it burned
Burned (vv. 23-26)
Timeframe
We are not given the amount of time it took Lot and his family to travel from Sodom to Zoar
It was before sunrise that the angels urged Lot and his family to flee the city
The sun was up when judgment fell
“In the ancient Near East, court was held symbolically at the rising of the sun.” [Waltke, 278]
Punishment
Destruction of four cities
Moses only mentioned Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis
He does mention that the Lord overthrew the entire plain
In Moses third address to the Israelites in Deuteronomy we see the names of the four cities that the Lord overthrew in the plain
Deuteronomy 29:23, The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur – nothing planted, nothing sprouted, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.
Not only were the cities destroyed, but all living things
Destruction of all living things
The people living in the cities were destroyed
It is not mentioned specifically, but it goes without saying that all animals living in and around the cities were also destroyed
Destruction of vegetation
What had been a well-watered, lush plain was now a dry wasteland
Nothing would be able to grow there
PRINCIPLE #2 – God is holy and just.
The Lord was not destroying the cities of the plain without good reason
He recognized the evil that was running rampant throughout these cities and knew that there were not even ten righteous people in the plain
God’s justice can be sudden, so we have to ready
Luke 17:26-30, "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”
In both of these examples, people were going about their regular routines when God’s judgment fell on them
It will be the same for us when Jesus Christ returns
Matthew 24:40-42, Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
We will be working at the factory, teaching children, going fishing or hunting with a friend, shopping with our girlfriends, doing yard work, having a meal with family or friends, etc.
The Lord’s final judgment will fall, perhaps when we least expect it, which is why we must keep watch
We must live lives that are holy, pure, and righteous, with expectation of Christ’s return
“When the judgment comes, will you be like Abraham and not have to worry about the wrath of God? Or, like Lot, will you be saved ‘as by fire’? Or, like the people of Sodom, will you be lost forever?” [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Pentateuch, 95]
Isaiah 55:6-7, Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
God’s mercy means salvation for sinners.
#2 – My Next Step Today Is To: Keep watch and live my life in such a way that I am ready for Jesus’ return.
The inhabitants of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim were not keeping watch or living godly lives, which is why the Lord punished them by destroying them
His justice is right
Lot’s wife
We see God’s justice in action with Lot’s wife
In the instructions that the angel gave to Lot and his family, they were told not to look back or to stop anywhere in the plain
Lot’s wife did not obey those instructions
Perhaps she was longing for the possessions she and Lot had accumulated
Maybe she was thinking about and desiring to see family or friends
Luke 17:31-33, On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife!
Jesus was teaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God
“The memory of Lot’s wife serves as a reminder to us not to turn back, no matter how temptingly the things of this world may beckon (Luke 17:32). Her hesitation cost her everything she had, including her very life (Youngblood, 178).” [Gangel & Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary, Genesis, 169]
There is nothing in this world that we will be able to take with us to heaven
There is nothing in this world that we should turn back for after we have turned to Jesus for salvation
Satan will try to convince us that we still need …
“Clovis Chappell wrote in his book of sermons Feminine Faces:
‘When Pompeii was being excavated, there was found a body that had been embalmed by the ashes of Vesuvius. It was that of a woman. Her feet were turned toward the city gate, but her face was turned backward toward something that lay just beyond her outstretched hands. The prize for which those frozen fingers were reaching was a bag of pearls. Maybe she herself had dropped them as she was fleeing for her life. Maybe she had found them where they had been dropped by another. But, be that as it may, though death was hard at her heels, and life was beckoning to her beyond the city gates, she could not shake off their spell. She had turned to pick them up, with death as her reward. But it was not the eruption of Vesuvius that made her love pearls more than life. It only froze her in this attitude of greed.’”
Source: N. Bruce Creswell, Jr. Leadership, Vol. 10, no. 4.
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1997/january/2223.html]Application
So, when you are struggling financially, don’t look back or look around at others, look up to Jesus
When a relationship at work or at home is difficult, don’t look back or look around, look up to Jesus
When school is tough, don’t look around, look up to Jesus
Lot’s wife should have continued to look forward instead of backward, because God’s mercy was providing her with salvation
The consequences of her disobedience
She became a pillar of salt [#4 – Young people, what kind of pillar did Lot’s wife turn into? (salt)]
“Anthony, my four-year-old grandson, was excited about the story he had learned at Christian day school. ‘Grandma,’ he said enthusiastically, ‘it's about a woman God told not to look back.’
‘You mean Lot's wife?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ Anthony's face brightened. ‘And you know what? She looked back and turned into the Statue of Liberty!’”
Source: Lorene Saylor, Hollsopple, Pennsylvania. Christian Reader, “Kids of the Kingdom.”
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1998/june/3813.html]Don’t look back, because you may turn into the Statue of Liberty
While Lot experienced heartbreak at losing his home, possessions, and wife, we see in these final verses that he was blessed through his connection with Abraham
Blessed (vv. 27-29)
Recognizing God’s justice
Abraham went back to the place where he had stood before the Lord and sought His mercy for the cities of the plain
He knew when he saw the dense smoke rising, that the Lord had not found even ten righteous people there
He understood that God’s justice was right, even if it was difficult to handle
We are not told if the Lord revealed to Abraham that Lot and his family would be saved
Recognizing God’s mercy
Lot and his daughters were saved because the Lord remembered his covenant with Abraham
Read Genesis 18:17-19
“An individual who does not deserve to be spared (Lot) is spared because of another (Abraham).” [Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 18-50, 49]
God’s mercy means salvation for sinners.
PRINCIPLE #3 – God’s desire is that we be His intercessors and witnesses.
Abraham interceded for the people of the plain as we saw in Genesis 18:16-33
I’m sure he witnessed to Lot about God Almighty
Jesus died for the sinners in Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim
Jesus died for sinners today
“Jesus is still the Friend of sinners and will save all who come to Him in true repentance and faith.” [Wiersbe, 95]
2 Peter 3:18, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. . . .
Romans 5:6-8, You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
#3 – My Next Step Today Is To: Pray for and tell ______ (person’s name) about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Who do you need to intercede for and witness to?
YOU
Do you need to thank God for His mercy and choose to believe in His Son, so you can be saved today?
Are you keeping watch and living your life in such a way that you are ready for Jesus’ return?
Who do you need to pray for and tell about the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
WE
We need to thank God for His mercy.
We need to keep watch and live our lives in such a way that we are ready for Jesus’ return.
We need to pray for and tell others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
“For eleven years a man named Merhan Karimi Nasseri was a man without a country. For eleven years he lived in a Paris airport. [#5 – Young people, where was Mr. Nasseri stuck for 11 years? (airport)] He had no passport. He had no citizenship. He had no papers that enabled him to leave the airport or fly to another country. He had been expelled from his native country of Iran. Then he was sent away from Paris, France, because he lacked documentation. He said his Belgian-issued refugee document had been stolen. He flew to England but was denied entry and sent back to Paris. When he was returned to the Paris airport in 1988, airport authorities allowed him to live in Terminal 1, and there he stayed for eleven years, writing in a diary, living off of handouts from airport employees, cleaning up in the airport bathroom.
Then in September 1999 the situation reversed. French authorities presented Nasseri with an international travel card and a French residency permit. Suddenly he was free to go anywhere he wanted. But when airport officials handed him his walking papers, to everyone's surprise, he simply smiled, tucked the documents in his folder, and resumed writing in his diary. They found he was afraid to leave the bench and table that had been his home for eleven years. As the days passed and Nasseri refused to leave, airport officials said they would not throw him out of the airport, but they would have to gently and patiently coax him to find a new home.
Can you imagine a more unnatural home than an airport? It is bustling, it is interesting, but it is not home. When we come to Christ, we have a move to make that can be as frightening as the move Alfred had to make from the airport. We are beckoned from the unnatural home of the ways of this fallen world to our new home: the ways of the kingdom of God. Don't hold back.”
Source: Adapted from: Ray Moseley, "At Last, Airport 'Prisoner' Gets His Walking Papers," Chicago Tribune (9-21-99); Suzanne Daley, "11.
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1999/october/12044.html]
