The Folly of Looking Back

Jonathan Edwards wrote a sermon on the folly of looking back at Sodom when we are told to flee. This is a good sermon to include in this series on the doctrine of eternal punishment.

Call to Worship

Sunday School

Studies in The Sermon on the Mount
by Martyn Lloyd Jones

Sunday Service

Pastoral Reading

Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord‘s and the fullness thereof,[a]
    the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[b]Selah

Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory!

Opening Song

Crown Him With Many Crowns (TH #295)

1 Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne;
hark! how the heav’nly anthem drowns
all music but its own:
awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.

2 Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
rich wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified:
no angel in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends his burning eye
at mysteries so bright.

3 Crown him the Lord of peace;
whose pow’r a scepter sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease,
absorbed in prayer and praise:
his reign shall know no end;
and round his pierced feet
fair flow’rs of paradise extend
their fragrance ever sweet.

4 Crown him the Lord of years,
the Potentate of time;
Creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime:
all hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me:
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.

Prayer

Focus this week:  Dorothy MacArthur, Scotland

Song

The Works of His Hands (CRC #36)

Chorus
I give thanks to the Lord, Sing Praise to His Name
Declaring His Love in the Morning
For You O Lord, have made me glad
And I sing for joy at the works of Your Hands

Verse 1
The works of His hands, my heart will praise
In the company of His people
Splendour and majesty are my delight
And His goodness endures forever

Verse 2
The works of His handsHis wonders declared
Providing for those who fear Him
Gracious and merciful, is our Lord God
Remembering His cov’nant forever

Verse 3
The works of His hands, are faithful and just
Shown through His pow’r to His people
All of His precepts are worthy of trust
And they are established forever

Verse 4
The works of His handsHis promise made firm
Redemption sent to His people
Holy, and Awesome, is His Name!
His praises endure forever

Song

God the Uncreated One (CRC #12)

Verse 1
God the uncreated One the Author of salvation
Wrote the laws of space and time, and fashioned worlds to His design
The One whom angel hosts revere, hung the stars like chandeliers
Numbered every grain of sand, knows the heart of every man
He is King forever, He is King forever, He is King forevermore

Verse 2
God our fortress and our strength, the Rock on which we can depend
Matchless in His majesty, His power and authority
Unshaken by the schemes of man, never changing Great I am
Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, He is faithful through it all
Crown Him King forever, Crown Him King forever, Crown Him King forevermore

Verse 3
Mighty God in mortal flesh, forsaken by a traitor’s kiss
The curse of sin and centuries, did pierce the lowly Prince of Peace
Lifted high the sinless man, crucified the spotless Lamb
Buried by the sons of man, rescued by the Father’s hand
To reign as King forever, reign as King forever, reign as King forevermore

Verse 4
King eternal God of grace, we crown You with the highest praise
Heaven shouts and saints adore, You’re holy holy holy Lord
What joy in everlasting life, all is love and faith is sight
Justice rolls and praises rise, at the name of Jesus Christ
King of kings forever, King of kings forever, King of kings forevermore

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Scripture Reading

I Samuel 15

And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction[a] all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword.But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”22 And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has also rejected you from being king.”

24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” 26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore.28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord.

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully.Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Preaching the Word

The Folly of Looking Back

Luke 17:32  Remember Lot’s wife.

Luke 16:19-31

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.[a] The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

Closing Song

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name (TH #296)

1 All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all;
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.

2 Crown him, ye martyrs of your God,
who from his altar call;
extol the Stem of Jesse’s rod,
and crown him Lord of all;
extol the Stem of Jesse’s rod,
and crown him Lord of all.

3 Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
ye ransomed of the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all;
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.

4 Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
go, spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him Lord of all;
go, spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him Lord of all.

5 Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe,
on this terrestrial ball,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all;
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.

6 O that with yonder sacred throng
we at his feet may fall;
we’ll join the everlasting song,
and crown him Lord of all;
we’ll join the everlasting song,
and crown him Lord of all.