HCBC Sunday School - “Friends” Class
Where Wickedness Rules (Genesis 18:20-25; 19:12-16)

1) First Thoughts
a. Our actions have consequences. Learning about consequences is one of the most important lessons believers can learn as they progress in Christian maturity.
b. Chapters 18-19 of Genesis teach us about consequences, and remind us that both judgment and grace flow from the character of God, who is holy and loving.
2) Understand the Context
a. The Bible records the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. After the Lord appears to Abraham along with two angels (where God repeats the promise, Sarah laughs, and the Lord reminds that all things are possible with God), they discuss the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asks God to spare cities for the righteous, angels go to the city, find Lot, ugly exchange follows, God’s judgment on the wicked was final, and Lot and family escape the destruction just in time.
3) Explore the Text
a. Man’s Sin (18:20-21)
i. “the cry” was “great” – The outcry comes from victims of the sinful actions, the prayers of the righteous for deliverance from this evil, or both.
ii. “sin is very grievous” – a pattern of rebellion, people ignore God’s commands. A just God rightly punishes sin.
iii. All stand in great need of God’s grace because all have sinned against Him.
b. Abraham’s Intercession (18:22-25)
i. “said” – Our relationship with God as believers allows us to humbly intercede for others. We can pray for the lost and spiritually wandering family members and friends, asking the Lord to intervene in their lives.
ii. humble boldness. Boldness – absolute confidence that the Lord hears us. Humble – not on the basis of our work, but through the work and shed blood of Jesus Christ.
c. God’s Grace (19:12-16)
i. God’s grace is never far removed from His judgment. His warnings are an extension of His grace to us. An understanding of God’s judgment is a reason for wanting others to know the Lord as their Savior and Redeemer.
4) In My Context/Memory Verse:
a. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. ~ Genesis 19:29