And last, it is in the 19th of Genesis, following the awful account of the ongoing insolom. We pick up the account following that destruction. We read in 1923 that the sun had risen upon the earth when the lost entered Zor. The Lord reigned brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of the heavens. So he overthrew the cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and grew on the ground. The lost light looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt. The Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. Then he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and tore all the land of the plain, and he saw and behold the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the myths of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt. Our Father, we would be true sons of Abraham and have it marked in the record that sons, we are they who stand before the Lord. So few do make us a part of that company,
teach us in these ways to be like Abraham. So used by word this night, we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. And as is chapter 19, it is in principle about sexual perversion.
It is not principally about judgment. It principally has to do with Abraham's prayer. For we have in chapter 18 and chapter 19, a man who stood before the Lord, and in this have an answer a record of God's response to Abraham's supplication.
You remember with me, even as we looked at it last Sunday evening, Abraham's supplication, not his bargaining, for fifty lightest would you destroy the whole city, and in boldness that is the face. He goes back and forth with the Lord in this supplication, stopping at twenty because you'll know that it is the Lord who stops it. Now you know reading chapter 19, how many righteous were in Sodom? Somebody give me the number. One, one in all that place. As we look at God's response, his answer to Abraham and to Abraham's prayer, first we have to see the reason for the deliverance of only one but the deliverance of that one lot. It is for two reasons according to Genesis 19 for Abraham's mediation. With Abraham stood before the Lord, he stood between the Lord of judgment and judgment on lot. Abraham was led to pray, was led to intercede, not because conditions were so dreadful and desperate, but because of his part concern for the condition of the righteous line, his concern first was for the righteous line. Now it says very clearly in this which we read, verse 29, God remembered Abraham and sent Law out. Law is delivered because of Abraham. Law is a believer, but he is not delivered for that reason. There is a very real sense in which Abraham is the mediator, not between God and men, but between God and his judgment and his great plea and prayer chapter 18 is this mediation. It is not only explicitly stated, but if you'll notice in chapter 18 at verse 23, it says Abraham came there and said to the Lord, would you, Lord, destroy the righteous with the wicked? Now quite literally what is translated destroy is would you sweep them away, the righteous and the wicked together. In chapter 19 at verse 15, it says when the morning dawn, the angels, the messengers which had gone down to psalm, urged Lot to hurry saying, arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Let you be swept away. The very thing that he asked is the very thing, the angels, messengers of God speak. Again in verse 17, so it came to pass when they had brought the mouth wide that he said, it's shaped for your life, do not look behind you nor say anywhere in the plain, it's shaped to the mountains, less you be swept away. Law has saved because of Abraham's mediation. God delivers in response to Abraham's mediation,
but there's a second thing about this deliverance of Lot from Sodom. It is in the verse 16, the Lord being merciful to Him singular, allows Lot's wife and family to escape as well. God has mercy on Lot. It does not say here or in second Peter too, that God took note of Lot's faith. This is sheer mercy from God. Yes, because of Abraham's mediation, but so far as God the judge is concerned, we may infer, Lot would clearly have been swept away with the whole of them, but for Abraham's mediation and God's mercy, what is mercy? Grace is receiving what you don't deserve, isn't it? Mercy is withholding what you do deserve. Why would Lot have deserved to be swept away in the judgment? In second Peter chapter 2, as the New Testament comment on the life of Lot, 2nd Peter chapter 2, and beginning at verse 4. 2nd Peter chapter 2, at verse 4. For a God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment. And did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example for those who afterward would live ungodly, and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed with a filthy conduct of the wicked. For that righteous man dwelling among them tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deed. Why does the Scripture not say God took cognizance of this and delivered Lot? It isn't enough that he vexed his soul and saying, oh, where on earth down here at Sodom? Lot, what are you going to do about it? Why are you saying? What about your own household? It is true, Lot was saved. It is true. Peter knows that he vexed his righteous soul, that is, he was made righteous in God's sight, but he didn't do anything about it. And I'm not saying that he is to blame for not turning Sodom around, apparently there in such a condition that there was no turning Sodom around, but he did not. God had mercy and delivered him.
Not enough just to admit what's wrong, retesence is action. It is a turning from wrong to the Lord actively, intentionally, doing whatever is necessary to show fruit, need for repentance. Very likely Lot would have said, oh, this place really needs to repent. Do it, Lot. He did not do us and but for Abraham he would have been swept away in the judgment. Secondly, in addition to the deliverance, obviously clearly, destruction, destruction for two reasons. Destruction because there is defiance, degeneracy. The angels appear in the form of men.
You know the record. In the open square with everybody watching, they wanted to act perversely.
No shame, no embarrassment, no blushing, defiant degeneracy. It's one thing to be guilty of sin.
It's another thing to be brazen. Are we right for judgment? But let's get credit to our first material brethren and the denomination we left. You know that sometimes I worry, I won't say it.
Past a wonderful amendment to the constitutional standards of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. It was written chiseled by an astute woman preacher. We might not listen to her because we don't believe in women preachers, but I believe in her for what she did in the general assembly of that denomination. She crafted an excellent statement of biblical morality and past. Subsequently, at the next General Assembly in Syracuse, New York, the other side prevailed and they passed to the amendment, nullifying her amendment. You follow me? And opening the door for defiance degeneracy and the church and the church and the church. It has been defeated two to one, gift thanks to the brethren who stayed and who stand. I pray for them, some of my friends are there.
There is a group of about a hundred more light churches. They've gotten more light in the scripture's gift. That's why they call themselves more light. Great old Presbyterian church of Princeton is in that movement where once they sang great God of wonders who is a partening God like you who has great so rich and free. I do it. I want all of our students from churches, school and Augusta, don't even go in the building. And they have openly stated, we will defy the standard now passed. Unashamed, open, defiance, sin is said to have inherent in it a cry finally. It calls for judgment. The sin by its very nature has inherent in it a cry finally that rises to God and calls for judgment. There is the destruction in Sodom and Gomorrah
because of defiance degeneracy. It lost the ability in our land to be ashamed. The second reason there is destruction in the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah is divine decree. The God will judge sin and sinners. And we have to come to grips with this. I am willing to live with our human endeavor to grasp the ways of God when we say in this day of salvation and grace God hates the sinner, makes the sin loves the sinner. There is some sense in which we can make a gospel appeal with that. I don't think it's the purest word of the gospel. We can live with that but we must understand finally it isn't just sin that is judged. It is sinners. Thought of my indicates judge hypocrites deniers of truth. The decree of God is for judgment and you say it every Sunday he shall come again to I forgot the word. Help me judge. To judge wrong the apostles creed says to judge the living and the dead people. Sure he judges sin and wrong. This is the ancient belief of the church and the apostles creed is not so names because it is written by the apostles. The origins are obscure to us from ancient church history. It is called the apostles creed because it is apostolic and doctrine and apostolic Christian faith understands and believes what was witnessed in Sodom and Gomorrah on the plains there and ancient Palestine. Yes destruction came because of defiant degeneracy but because of divine decree the decree has been made and will not be altered somehow somehow the church in this land must recover that despite personal denials that we don't believe that I speak wegenerically or scoff at it the church must know the divine decree of final judgment steps already issued he withholds it only because he is merciful and good allowing people to be saved. Deliverance destruction a demonstration to Abraham of answered prayer as we have indicated Abraham's request was for the righteous line of which lot was a part you remember why lot shows Sodom Gomorrah that precinct. So feeling so economically beneficial and Abraham said I'll go the other way and he went to the hills rolling hills lot went to the plains he was associated there merely likely for worldly advantage he didn't praise for his own deliverance you know that in fact what does it say here about took his hand his wife's hand hurry judgment is coming Abraham prayed for him he didn't pray for himself and Abraham is now standing before the Lord where he made this application recorded in chapter 18 the heart of our thinking this night is there verse 27 of chapter 19 Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord and he's doing it again standing before the Lord and getting the answer how does he know to stand in the hills stay away from the plain why for example as compared with lost wife who had specific instruction to get out of there and don't look back Abraham without specific instructions concerning this judgment has what I like to call a spiritual with him he had spiritual withs about him which blessing seems to emerge from those who call on the name of the Lord who stand before the Lord who have fellowship with the Lord that without specific instruction in a particular situation there just is a something wrong there and this is the place to be and there are Christians who haven't developed that and it's something every one of us need to develop so many times when a matter is called to our attention we say oh I didn't see that I didn't realize that start realizing it an artist reliever told me not long ago of the decision it was made unpopular decision and I said how did you come to it what gave you the strength of spirit the resolution of will to do that this was the answer I just had a sense I just had a sense that the other was wrong
within a cognizance a consciousness and awareness without specific instruction what's wrong what's right and I'm not talking about great black and white moral issues I'm talking about where to be and was told to be associated and timing those kinds of things Abraham had it sons of Abraham children of Abraham must develop it Abraham's request pleasing God obeying God now receiving the request there isn't a word of objection see this strange occurrence was not at all some random event of natural disaster though God views the ingredients of nature it is his decree being worked out
and the language here indicates it is a fearsome site like an exploding furnace of some kind enveloping the people the territory raining salt tar over the whole area killing the soil killing the sinners and Abraham stands before the Lord for this is a working out of the truth he said before the Lord in prayer the truth is in 1825 I underscored it for you last Sunday night I do this Sunday night shall not the judge of all the earth do right and here before his eyes is the demonstration of the Lord of all the earth doing right here's the Lord's response the Lord's resolution to Abraham's request demonstrated enjoyment he had prayed for the city the city was not spared there was only one righteous man but in something of a gentle accommodation to Abraham God spared soar because of one man
it is a city all seemed to understand would with Sodom and Gomorrah and others surrounding smaller towns villages soar what have been destroyed not some spared but soar and accommodation to lot and to Abraham the gentleness of God even in judgment which is right the goodness of God for Abraham who prayed to a person who saw it who did not accuse God who saw demonstrated before his eyes that the judge of all the earth will do right don't ever forget that truth and salvation the sentence of judgment God always does right let us pray oh Lord God so often we rail against the accused the criticizing depart from the betray the or disloyal to the because we don't like what thou hast done multitudes lead church had never returned having once confessed Christ having once ended into his praise and worship apparently because of something to think thou should not have done or thou should have prevented spare us from that kind of condition by affirming to us this night that whatever thou does do is right whatever thou does do is right the Lord gives the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord help us to stand before the O Lord like Abraham a whole in supplication and intercession that is bold and even bargaining in a sense and behalf of the law or we know what's coming the awful final judgment of which this is not a forte and symbol
oh God here are prayers teach us to pray enable us in our prayers and supplications truly to mediate in behalf of those who are headed for destruction and death they may escape judgment by the mercies of Christ our Lord the answer was given to the question Abraham raised shall not the judge of all the earth do right yes yes the thousand yeses help our belief strengthen our belief in thee and receive our thanks that we have escaped the coming judgment because he took our judgment our sins in his own body on the tree all the wonder of it all the wonder of his great salvation receive our praise and thanks we pray in Jesus name oh man