Text: Luke 17:20–37; 2 Peter 2:4–8; Genesis 19

When Jesus spoke of His second coming, He pointed His disciples backward in history—to the days of Noah and Lot. Both men lived on the brink of judgment. Both were delivered by the hand of God. And yet, their testimonies stand in sharp contrast.

Noah, who “moved with fear” and prepared an ark (Heb. 11:7), is remembered as a preacher of righteousness. Lot, though called “just” by Scripture (2 Pet. 2:7–8), left behind a legacy of compromise, silence, and loss.

Noah and Lot represent two types of believers we find in the end times. The question is: Which one will you be?

Conviction in Their Day

Peter tells us Lot was “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked…from day to day” (2 Pet. 2:8). The sins of Sodom grieved him, but they never moved him to speak or to shine. He had no salt, no light, no testimony.

By contrast, Noah spoke boldly. He was not merely a boat builder—he was in scripture as “a preacher of righteousness.” His conviction was not just internal but vocal.

Christ warns us that in the last days people will live as they did in Noah’s and Lot’s times—eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling—unconcerned with eternity (Luke 17:26–30). Indifference, not hostility, will characterize many. Just as Capernaum’s apathy was judged more severely than Sodom’s (Matt. 11:23–24), so too our generation’s casual disregard of Christ is no light matter at all:  “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” (Matthew 11:23-24)

We Must Influence

Lot was influential—he sat in the gate of Sodom, a place of authority (Gen. 19:1). Yet his position did not change the city. Noah, on the other hand, influenced his household for God.

The lesson? Use the depth of your influence, and let God take care of its breadth. You may not reach thousands, but you can reach your children, your family, your church.

Even Lot’s disposition showed flickers of light—he welcomed the angels into his home. But hospitality without holiness is powerless. Influence without testimony is empty.

We Must Instruct

Lot lost his family long before Sodom burned.  His daughters were exposed to compromise (Gen. 19:8).  His sons-in-law mocked his warnings (Gen. 19:14).  His wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26).

Jesus tells us, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Almost saved is still lost.

By contrast, Noah “prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Heb. 11:7). No one else walked the aisle. No one else believed his preaching. But his family was saved. Sometimes the greatest ministry you can have is right inside your home.

Abraham was commended because he would “command his children and his household after him” (Gen. 18:19). D.L. Moody, reflecting on his life, said near death: “If I had to do it all over again, I would give my entire ministry to reaching and instructing children.”

Our families are our first mission field.  Noah preached for one hundred and twenty years while the ark was being prepared, and only eight souls were saved by his ministry.  They were all members of his family (I Peter 3:20).  Was his faithfulness to the Lord worth it? And all God’s people said, “Amen.”

We Must Intercede

One of the most sobering truths about Sodom is this: there was no one inside the city to pray for it. Abraham prayed outside the city (Gen. 18:33; 19:27), but within its walls, no voice was lifted to God.

What about our city? Our church? Our home? Are we a house of prayer?

Matthew Henry once wrote, “Wherever a man pitches a tent, God should have an altar.”

Even Lot’s small, anemic prayer for Zoar was answered (Gen. 19:18–21). God listens when His children pray. Imagine what might have happened if Lot had prayed sooner, or if Sodom had more witnesses. Jesus said that Sodom would have repented if they had seen the mighty works shown in Capernaum (Matt. 11:23).

Two Types of Believers

Both Noah and Lot were saved. Both were delivered by the mercy of God. Yet the record of their lives tells two very different stories.

• Noah saved his family and stood as a preacher of righteousness.
• Lot escaped with his life but lost nearly everything else.

The return of Christ is closer today than ever. Which example will you follow?

Conclusion: Which One Will You Be?

The days of Noah and Lot are here again. The world eats, drinks, buys, sells, and builds without thought of God. Judgment is certain, but deliverance is offered.

Will you be like Noah, faithfully influencing, instructing, and interceding? Or will you be like Lot, vexed but silent, delivered yet fruitless?

The choice is ours—but the time is short. LOT or NOAH?