The Little Pebble in my Shoe

The little pebble in my shoe   Genesis 19:30-38 (NLT)

• • The other morning, I was taking my morning walk and after a while I realized that I had a small pebble in one of my shoe 
  • I could tell that it was pretty small because it kept shifting ever so slightly- One minute I could feel it, but the next it was nowhere to be felt, and other times- it was not slightly annoying- Almost like it was playing hide and seek with me 
  • For a minute there I contemplated whether it was annoying enough to stop and remove it- the sun was already coming up, and I was so close to my 3-mile goals – I reasoned in my thoughts – is it that really bad or can I just take care of it when I get home?
  • So, what happened? – Well, you will have to wait until the end of the message to learn who won 

• Sin is like this small pebble 

• James 1:14-15 (AMP) -But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). 15 Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.

• • Simply put – Desire → Temptation → Sin → Bondage → Death
  • In our story today – which most of us will agree that it very gross – we see two daughters that do the unthinkable
  • It was a sin that God had warned the Israelites against and He did not take it kindly 

• Leviticus 18:6 (AMP) -No one shall approach any blood relative of his [b]to uncover nakedness (have intimate relations). I am the Lord.

• • And there were serious consequences regarding this 

• Leviticus 18:29 (NKJV) For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be [a]cut off from among their people.

• • Sin starts like the little pebble in my shoe -settle, just like a gentle whisper 
  • These two daughters didn’t just wake up one morning and say – Lets have sex with my father to save the generation 
  • You just don’t wake up one morning and say, let me ruin my marriage, my family, my job, my career, my business, my relationship, my church – Let me ruin that which God has entrusted me with 

• It all starts slowly because of what we allow 

What did Lot allow

• • If you have been with us on Wednesday as we have been going through the book of Genesis you can already see that Lot has not been doing good and just when you thought it was over, we now have Genesis 19: 30-38
  • Pastor Jay spoke about the state of the people of Sodom (where Lot was living) and as a matter of fact, was a leader in that city 
  • The Bible say that Lot sat at the gates of the city and historically here is where all the cases were decided by the men (leaders) of the city 
  • Lot knew and saw everything that happened in the city – He raise his family in this city and was very aware of the sin nature of this place 
  • We cannot begin to understand the sin the daughters committed unless you look at their upbringing – without excusing the sin -what led them to this point 

• What did Lot allow in his household? 

• Genesis 13:11-12 – Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. 12 So Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. 

• • Lot did not immediately move to Sodom – He chose a place near Sodom 
  • The Bible does not tell us when Lot moved to Sodom – but we can tell that there was a draw, a desire to move to Sodom 
  • It’s interesting because most of the thing that bring us down, the things that the enemy uses to Kill, Steal and Destroy starts by us allowing a little bit at a time 
  • Genesis 13:13 – But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord – Sodom was full of sexual immorality
  • And God is very clear – Run from Sexual Immorality -1 Corinthians 6:18 (NLT) 

• God knows the strength of sexual immorality that He commands us to now even take a longer look, try to fight, debate it, reason with it, or even pray about it But to Run as you pray

• Lot did not run away from Sodom but he was drawn towards it 

Sin has a strong grip

• Genesis 19:15-16 (AMP) When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot [to hurry], saying, “Get up! Take your wife and two daughters who are here [and go], or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But Lot hesitated and lingered. The men took hold of his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the Lord was merciful to him [for Abraham’s sake]; and they brought him out, and left him outside the city [with his family].

• • Here we can see the strong grip of sin on Lot – vs.16 – But Lot hesitated and lingered 
  • Lot was not in a hurry, he did not want to leave Sodom, he did not want to leave sin 
  • To a point where the angels had to take his hand, his wife’s hand and the daughters in order to rescue them 
  • From this we can tell that the grip of sin was so strong in their mind, they were choosing Death. Remember Desire → Temptation → Sin → Bondage → Death

• And the Bible is very clear that the only reason they were save was because of Abraham’s sake vs 16

• We have seen it over and over, where someone is being warned multiple times:
  • Stop going to that place, stop hanging out with that person, flee from that person, watch your back, stop allowing that in your life
• And they don’t even listen and unfortunately it always led to death – to begin with spiritual death in one way or another 
• Here is a clear example of the prison they were in and only God could grab their hand and pull them out of Sodom 
• Thank God for His mercies 

That which you allow affects your family 

• Lot intention was not that one day his girls would do the unthinkable and sleep with him as a detestable sin to the Lord 
• It all started when he inched closer and closer to Sodom 
• Maybe his uncle (Abraham) warned him – and he refused to listen, maybe he cut wise council and justified what he was doing -IDK
• All we know is that it cost him dearly 
• Spurgeon said, Lot was someone who was saved from a burning house – SAVED- but lost almost everything 
• Living in Sodom had a great and harmful effect on Lot’s family – His compromise affected more than himself 
• This is a major issue we only think of ourselves – We need to magnify sin 

The truth in Sin 

• • Lot and his two daughters are saved and escape to the small town of Zoar, there after the Bible says that he was scared and fled to the mountain 
  • This is very interesting because this was not the first place was supposed to flee to, but he pleaded with the angel that he would go to Zoar 
  • Really quick – from the Bible Genesis 19:21–22 (NLT) – 21 “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 
  • Zoah would have been destroyed as well if Lot had not pleaded with the Angels 
  • Meaning –my own thoughts -that Zoar was immoral as well 
  • Lot not only didn’t want to leave Sodom, but he chose little Sodom (less people) 
  • Lot then flees Zoar and finally heads to the mountain 

• Lot’s sin followed him wherever he went 

• • If you remember from last week, Lot was willing to offer his daughters to the town people and now we see that; 
  • Ironically, in his own drunkenness Lot carried out the shameful act that he himself had suggested to the men of Sodom: he slept with his own daughters – Watch out for that which we allow
  • It’s not a surprise that the daughters would come up with this very thought 
  • There is truth hidden in sin for the benefit of deception -We can see the Truth in Sin in: 

• Vs 31-32 – One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”

• • Truth – Our father is aging 
  • Lies – There are no men left in the anywhere in this entire area 
  • Most sin that we commit has some twisted truth – there is an offer 
    • I am having a bad day(T)- It’s just a glass of wine (L)
    • It just showed up on my feed (T) -It’s just a 10 sec video, I am not hurting anyone (L)
    • You don’t know what he or she is going through (T) -They just wanted someone to listen to (L) they want more
    • It’s just a call, text, coffee, email e.t.c -– soon you are trapped 

• 1 Corinthians 10:12 (AMP) Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].

• Sin doesn’t know boundaries and doesn’t care

• • Its start out by inviting you to look over to Sodom, next it leads you into Sodom, Provides a temporary Camping in Sodom, Helps you becoming part of Sodom by offering you a villa and a title. And finally, even after been rescued from Sodom, Sodom finds you in bed with your own blood!

• Be careful of what you allow 

• • Lot’s daughters are not innocent – they knew exactly what they were doing 

• After all Sodom was still in them

• That is why God say’s I will take out the old heart and give you a new heart- Ezekiel 36:25–26(NLT)

• • Because the old heart is still in Sodom regardless of the change in area code 

• Genesis 19:34(NLT) –4 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him.

• Sin has a strong grip – how often do we deceive ourselves that we are aware of what we are doing; getting close to sin only to end up birthing Moab and Ben-ammi

Justification and consequences 

• Genesis 19:34(NLT) As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi. He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

• • We often speak of Ismael, but we don’t speak enough about the Moabites and the Ammonites
  • These two sons were born out of gross sin end up being enemies of God 
  • They:
    • Lead Israelites into Idolatry and sexual immorality – Numbers 25:1–3
    • They continuously fought against Israelites – Judges 3, 1 Samuel 11
    • They hired Balaam to curse Israelites – Numbers 22–24

• They mocked God people – Zephaniah 2:8-9 (NLT) – I have heard the taunts of the Moabites and the insults of the Ammonites, mocking my people and invading their borders 9 Now, as surely as I live,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab and Ammon will be destroyed -destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.

• What we allow is far greater than today! – it can and will affect our generations to come. It will either be blessed or cursed by the Lord 
• Remember the pebble in my shoe -Here is what I learnt from the WWW
• Pebble – Walking continuously with a pebble in your shoe concentrates your body weight onto one tiny point. This localized friction and extreme pressure will quickly cause painful corn or callus, localized blisters, or even skin tears. Over time, it can alter your gait, leading to ankle, knee, or back pain
• Ignore the pebble and The Body is affected!! Next it affects the rest of the church body 
• Some of you are in a place where our gait has changed because of your decisions this far – it’s time to stop, ask the Lord to remove the Pebble and restore your gait 

Redemption

• 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent.

• I love that even in such a sinful state the Lord still redeems, and we see the Lord redeem regardless of where we came from or what we have done!
• It doesn’t matter what you have allowed this far- today if you hear His voice and repent – you will be restored as well 
• In Ruth 4:17 and Matthew 1:5 – we see a Moabite woman become an ancestor of Jesus Christ as a great-grandmother of King David
• You will have to read the book of Ruth to see this beautiful redemption, and you too have access to this same grace if only you are willing to recognize “The little pebble in your shoe”
• I did stop to remove my physical pebble before I took another step, and I am praying that God removes any unseen pebbles in my heart!