In 2010 Stephan Tchividjian died. For most people beyond his immediate family his death was not a major event. He wasn’t particularly well-known, but his father-in-law was Billy Graham.
In 1962 Stephan married the oldest daughter of Ruth and
Billy Graham, Gigi. Together they had seven children including their son Tullian.
In his book, One Way Love, he tells
of an incident he had with his father when after trying everything from private
schools to counselling, his parents kicked him out of the house. And as he
writes about it, it sounds a lot like Lot. Tullian writes:
A couple of years after I was
kicked out of my house, when I was living in an apartment with some friends, I
called my dad and said, “Rent’s due and I don’t have any money.”
My dad asked, “Well, what happened
to your job?” I made up some lie about cutbacks or something. He said, “Meet me
at Denny’s in an hour.” I said okay.
After we sat down, he signed a
blank check, handed it to me, and said, “Take whatever you need. This should
hold you until you can find another job.” He didn’t probe. He didn’t give me a
limit. And I absolutely took advantage! I not only remember taking that check
and writing it out for much more than I needed. I remember sneaking into my mom
and dad’s house on numerous occasions and forging his signature. I mastered his
signature. I went six months at one point without a job, because I didn’t need
one! I completely abused his kindness and he knew it. Years later he told me
that he saw every one of those checks being cashed, but he decided not to say
anything. It didn’t happen immediately (the fruits of grace are always in the
future), but that demonstration of unconditional grace was the beginning of God
doing a miraculous work in my heart and life.”
Steve Brown once told me something
I will never forget. He said, “Children will run from the law, and they’ll run
from grace. The ones who run from law never come back. But the ones who run
from grace always come back. Grace draws its own back home.”
The name “Lot” comes from the Hebrews verb, “lut” meaning,
“to wrap closely,” “to envelop.” And from the first mention of him in Scripture
that’s what we see the Lord doing.
In Genesis 12, after the death of his father, Haran, his
uncle Abram takes him under his wing and they set out on a journey from Ur of
the Chaldean’s to a land the Lord would show him. In chapter 13 his uncle gives
him the best of the land of Canaan (see Genesis 13:10-11). In chapter 14 his
uncle rescues him from the hands of his abductors. In chapter 18 his uncle
intercedes for him and the city of Sodom. And in chapter 19 Lot and his family
are saved from their certain destruction by two angels. His entire story is a
picture of God’s enveloping grace, for there is nothing in him to commend him
to God or to us.
Arthur Pink once said, “There are those who speak of grace
as unmerited favor, but I disagree. Grace is divine favor in the face of
absolute demerit.” That’s what we began to see in Lot last week as Henry
preached from the first half of chapter 19. That’s what we will see in the
balance of his story. It’s not just mercy that God dispenses, it’s pure
150-proof grace.
In preparation for Sunday’s message entitled “Salvation at
Sodom,” you may wish to consider the following:
1. On what grounds does Peter refer to Lot as righteous in II
Peter 2?
2. Why does Abraham stop with the number 10 in his pleading in
Genesis 18?
3. What does verse 29 of Genesis 19 tell us about God and the
grace He dispenses?
4. How is Lot a perfect portrait of a carnal Christian?
5. Why do the angels give Lot the same instruction four
different ways in verse 17?
6. What is the significance of 19:17(b) when the angels tell
him to escape to the hills?
7. Why does Lot ask for something that’s in opposition to God’s
will for him and his family? And why does the Lord agree to it?
8. What’s the name Zoar tell us about God’s grace?
9. What’s verse 22 tell us about God’s grace?
10. How do the words of Ezekiel 16:53-63 show us the difference
between God and us?
See you Sunday!
