FAITH WORTH FOLLOWING: STANDING UP IN YOUR FAITH

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Genesis 18:16-19 

1. Faith Brings Favor 

Genesis 18:16-26 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 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.”

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare itfor the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

• God had promised to make Abraham a great nation, here He honors that commitment by sharing his intention with him
• Verse 19 clearly indicates God’s view of Abraham as the reason He shares the punishment to come for Sodom and Gomorrah
• The following negotiation to save them from destruction again indicates God’s view of Abraham

2. Faith Brings Wisdom

Genesis 19:1-3a 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. 2 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.” 3 But he insisted strongly…

• Lot was attempting to insert himself into the “leadership” of Sodom as he was “sitting in the gate”
• Yet, Lot also recognized the visitors as “different”
• Even as Lot attempted to fit in, his faith led him to clearly see the identity of his visitors

3. Faith Brings Protection

Genesis 19:9-11 And 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 near to break down the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

• Lot was fully aware of the evil which existed in his adopted hometown
• Lot’s insistence to protect his guests leads to the protection of God Himself

4. Faith Brings A Future

Gen. 19:12-17 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! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 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. 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 the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

• God made a way of protecting Lot and his family. In part, due to his relationship with Abraham.
• Verse 16 points to a typical response from many of us – “and while he lingered…”
• God’s patience with us in our inclination to linger is an encouraging truth
• God’s desire is to deliver us; at times, even from ourselves

Takeaways:

1. Be deliberate in strengthening your faith as it positions you closer and closer to Him
2. Spend more time looking for the “visitations” of God than the accolades of men
3. Don’t cling to what is and miss what can be