Grace World Outreach Church
The Failures Of A Father
Lessons From The Life Of Lot
Deuteronomy 5:9–10 (ESV)
9 “…I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
For better or for worse the single greatest influence upon the life of a child is that of the father.
Radical Truth: One godly decision can forever change the direction of your generational legacy
Main Text: Gen 19
Gen 19:1 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 bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof…”
…30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
Lot’s failures results in two sons fathered in incest through his own daughters
Moab – “My Fathers Seed” becomes the father of the Moabites
Ben-ammi – “Son of incest” becomes the father of the Ammonites
The Moabites and Ammonites would represent a constant thorn and temptation to Israel until their exile. 1,200 years later Solomon would marry a Moabite and Ammonite and invite Israel into great apostasy
1 Kings 11:7–8 (ESV)
7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
There is no such thing as a benign decision. Our decisions determine our destiny
THREE FAILURES OF A FATHER NAMED LOT
- LOT’S FIRST FAILURE CAME WHEN HE FORFEITED THE BENEFITS & BLESSINGS OF BEING AT ABRAHAM’S SIDE FOR THE FLESHLY TEMPTATIONS FOUND IN THE PLAINS AROUND SODOM
Genesis 13:9–11 (ESV)
9 Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.
Lot’s private longings became his families permanent location
The Six Steps Of Apostasy
(Rom 1:18-32)
Step One: Replace the TRUTH with lies (18-22)
Step Two: Remake God after the image of man (23)
Step Three: Raise feelings/emotions over facts (24)
Step Four: Rewrite core values and beliefs (26-27)
Step Five: Reinforce with a chorus of similar voices (28-31)
Step Six: Reeducate and Preach the new Ideology (32)
Radical Truth: What one generation will tolerate in moderation the next generation will celebrate in excess
Four Foundations To Reinforce
- Re-anchor your Families To God’s Truth
- Rededicate your Homes To the Lord
- Raise your Children In the Fear Of The Lord
- Reteach your Children the ways of His Word
- LOT’S SECOND FAILURE CAME WHEN HE FOOLISHLY OFFERED HIS OWN CHILDREN TO BE RAVISHED BY HIS NEW SOCIETY
6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please.
“Children from fatherless homes are more likely to be poor, become involved in drug and alcohol abuse, drop out of school, and suffer from health and emotional problems. Boys are more likely to become involved in crime, and girls are more likely to become pregnant as teens.”
Helpful Tools For Protecting Your Families
https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-parental-controls-iph00ba7d632/ios
- Internet Filtering Software for Home and Cell
https://join.clearplay.com/home/
Fathers…
Wake Up (This is a spiritual war)
Sober Up (Deal seriously with your own sins)
Step Up (Fully embrace your role & responsibility)
- LOT’S THIRD FAILURE WAS IN HIS INABILITY TO RECOGNIZE HIS SIN AND HIS REFUSAL TO LEAD HIS FAMILY INTO GENUINE REPENTANCE
Hebrews 3:7–14 (ESV)
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11 As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
My Pastoral Advise For Lot: The moment the severity of your sin became apparent
- Repented Before The Lord and His Family
- Return To Abraham
- Reinforce righteousness everyday with a spirit of humility
What every child needs to hear from their father
Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
A word of Identification “You are my son”
A word of Affirmation “I love you”
A word of Validation “I am proud of you”