Venerable Justice Okorwonko. Provincial Prayer Conference. 3rd October 2017.
Lweza Training and Conference Centre.
Based on the life of Lot recorded in Genesis 12 to 19. Lot was a leader, he had a family and an enterprise. The survival of Sodom and Gomorrah depended on the effectiveness of Lot’s ministry.
1. Wrong Foundation
Don’t be a leader who has no personal altar and no personal encounter with the Lord.
Lot was a man following another man. Abraham was responding to the call of God but Lot was simply following his uncle. When Abraham went to Egypt so did Lot.
2. Wrong estimation of self worth.
When strife between the herdsmen of Lot and Abraham made it necessary for the two men to separate Lot chose selfishly.
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord , like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Genesis 13:10-11 NIV
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 NIV
From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 NIV
3. Wrong perception of the world.
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord , like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Genesis 13:10 NIV
There is a problem when you start seeing the land of Egypt looking like the garden of the Lord.
When the church begins to compromise about non negotiables.
There is a kind of bread that kills the one who eats it.
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the desert. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! Lamentations 5:6, 9, 16 NIV
4. No understanding of the times.
Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Genesis 18:17 NIV
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. “My Lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” Genesis 19:1-2 NIV
Abraham who lived far away knew what was going to happen to Sodom but lot who sat at the city gate had no idea that the city was about to destroyed when he welcomed the angels.
Does it bother you when the Lord hides information from you?
Don’t just look at time as kronos but look at time as kairos as events in God’s timeline.
It was impossible for Moses to miss God’s direction because of one often repeated phrase: “Then the Lord said.”
See Exodus 4:6,8,11,21; 6:1; 7:1; 8:1; 9:1; 10:1; 11:1; 12:1; 13:1; 14:1.
5. Having no personal witness.
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.” So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. Genesis 19:12-14 NIV
God is interested in who you have not what you have. The question to Lot was: Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you?
Unfortunately Lot’s sons inlaw didn’t take him seriously.
6. Wrong association with the world.
Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both 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.” Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Genesis 19:4-7 NIV
Lot called men who wanted to rape his visitors “my friends.”
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4 NIV
But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish. Isaiah 1:28 NIV
7. The grave danger of small deviations.
God gave lot four short instructions.
Genesis 19:17 NIV
Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
But Lot immediately asked for a deviation of destination.
But Lot said to them, “No, my Lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar. ) Genesis 19:18-22 NIV
Zoa means a place of small things.
The smaller the organism the greater the danger it poses.
An elephant can kill and so is the lion. Which of the two is smaller and which one is more dangerous?A lion and a snake are both dangerous. Which of the two is smaller and which one is more dangerous?A snake and mosquito are both dangerous. Which of the two is smaller and which one is more dangerous?A mosquito and a bacteria are both dangerous. Which of the two is smaller and which one is more dangerous?A bacteria and a virus are both dangerous. Which of the two is smaller and which one is more dangerous?
It is the small issues that creates the biggest problem for the church leader.
8. Not living for eternity.
Don’t like there is no reward up there and therefore you have to get everything on earth.
9. False family life.
Abraham pleaded with God to spare Sodom if there are 10 people thinking: Lot, Mrs Lot, 2 daughters, the personal servants of the 4 and the two sons inlaw would make the 10 righteous. But even the family of Lot didn’t know the Lord.
Joshua said as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord.
10. No finishing plan. No vision for continuity.
Many leaders live in regret during retirement time.
Unfinished assignments have far reaching repercussions. Saul spared Agag the Amalekait. Hamman who tried to wipe out the jews was an Amalekait and so was Herod.