A CITY THAT HAD A BAD HAIR DAY! Agape ICA Taipei Taiwan 01 October 2009

Introduction: Last week we saw a person who had a bad hair day. This week we will return to the same part of the world and see a city which has a bad hair day. The location of Sodom, along with Gomorrah and the other "cities of the plain" is subject to speculation. What is known for certain is that it was somewhere east or southeast of Jerusalem, in the area of the Dead Sea, also known as the The Salt Sea. Some believe that it was at the northern end of the Dead Sea, while others say it was at the southern end. We do know that Abraham was able to see it from the great trees of Mamre, near Hebron (Genesis 18:1, 19:27). Hebron is located about 18 miles (29 kilometers) west of the Dead Sea, at a latitude about half-way between its north and south ends.
Choice of Lands: Genesis Chapter 13 tells us of the separation of Abram and Lot. Now Lot, who was the cousin of Abram was changing locations when Abraham moved. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarreling arose between Abraham’s herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot.

Notice the difference between age, youth, and God.
AGE: Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
YOUTH: Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordon was well watered like the garden of the Lord.
God: Lot only saw the well watered valley. God saw the people of Sodom who were “wicked and were sinning greatly”. Lot’s failure to discern and oppose evil brought death and tragedy to his family.

I. Cities With A History of Wickedness – Sodom and Gomorrah.

A. Modern Cities of Wickedness
1. USA, (1) Stockton, California has been the murder capitol of the USA based on murders per 1,000 of the population.
2. Detroit, Michigan is the capitol in rank of size for most murders.
3. Las Vegas, Nevada, is the capitol of sin for gambling and related sins.
4. Events such as the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or the Carnival in South America as events which feature sexual promiscuity

B. What Made Sodom and Gomorrah Sinful Cities?

1. These cities of the planes had ungodly and immoral family lifestyles.
2. The English word sodomy comes from the lifestyle of the people in the city of Sodom.
3. Young and old took part in the acts of sin. All the men, from every part of the city of Sodom, - young and old - surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (Genesis 19:3-5).
4. Ezekiel16:48-50|NIV} God compares Jerusalem to Sodom, saying "Sodom never did what you and your daughters have done." He explains that the sin of Sodom was that "She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me."
5. Classical Jewish texts do not stress the homosexual aspect of the attitude of the inhabitants of Sodom as much as their cruelty and lack of [[hospitality]] to the "stranger."
6. Rabbinic writings affirm that the Sodomites also committed economic crimes, blasphemy and bloodshed. One of the worst was to give money or even gold ingots to beggars, after inscribing their names on them, and then subsequently refusing to sell them food. The unfortunate stranger
(3)
7. would end up starving and after his death, he people who gave him the money would reclaim it.

II. God Declares He Is Going To Destroy the Cities Because of Their Sins.
A. God Executes A Blue Print Plan To Destroy These Two Cities.

a. God Informs Abraham of his plan to destroy the city of Sodom because of its wickedness.
b. Abraham being a righteous man pleads with God not to destroy Sodom
a. Abraham pleads with God to spare the cities if there were 50 righteous people, then 45, then 30, 20, or even ten righteous people.
b. The problem is there were only two righteous people living in the city including Lot, his wife, and two youngest daughters.
c. "The two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city." (Genesis 19:1)
d. "He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom - young and old - surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (Genesis 19:3-5)
e. "The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here - sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to The Lord against its people is so great that He has sent us to destroy it." (Genesis 19:12-13)
f. "By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah - from The Lord out of the heavens. Thus He overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in those cities - and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt." (Genesis 19:23-26)

B. Scriptural Testimony To The Meaning of this Event.
1. "The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves." Isaiah 3:9
2. "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." Jude 7

Conclusion: The questions that face us are these: What can we do as individual believers, a congregation, a denomination, do to bring about a change of "sinful life style" for a city or nation. Anyone can criticize, but only a few know how to bring about change. What are we doing to bring about change in Taiwan, or the countries where we come from. Let us all pray that we may be "change makers."