Standing in the Gap!

Prayer: Father, we need you, every hour we need you. Every moment of every day. You are our supply and you are our help in our time of need. We pray now that you will bless the preaching of Your word. May it be written on our hearts and may it light our paths, so that we may not sin against you. Teach us now as only you can. Transform us and conform us now as only you can. And unto you, be the glory, and honor, and power. Forever and ever. In Jesus name, Amen.

Introduction:

Amen.

Illustration: The great preacher - D.L. Moody told the story of his conversion this way: “When I was in Boston I used to attend a Sunday school class. Well, one day I remember my teacher came to my work, and around behind the counter of the shop, and put his hand upon my shoulder, and talked to me about Christ and my soul. I had not felt that I had a soul till then. I said to myself, ‘This is a very strange thing. Here is a man who never saw me till lately, and he is weeping over my sins, and I never shed a tear about them.’ But I understand it now, and know what it is to have a passion for men’s souls and weep over their sins. I don’t remember what he said, but I can still feel the power of that man’s hand on my shoulder tonight.” It’s said, The concern and tears of a godly teacher resulted in the conversion of a man who saw a million souls saved in his evangelistic campaigns.

Amen. What a wonderful story.

A lesson for Sunday school teachers and all of us. It’s not just about teaching, and this building. It’s about meeting people where they are. Caring about their souls, and leading people to Jesus.

But another lesson about this Sunday School teacher is he wept over Moody’s soul and sins, and Moody had never shed a tear over his sins.

The title of the message is Standing in the Gap! And Moody’s story is at the heart of what we see Abraham do in this text.

And I tell you this morning, and I do not mean to jump ahead, but every Christian here this morning, there was someone, who while you were lost, prayed for you, shared with you, encouraged you, maybe even brought you to church. We all have that somebody, and if we didn’t have that somebody, where would we be. And it’s not about us, or that person, it’s all about God. And God chooses to use us to reach other people. Someone else was there for us, and we need to pass it on to more and more other people. Standing in the Gap.

In Genesis 18, we pick back up where we left off last Sunday. Abraham was at home on a hot day, and he had three heavenly visitors, and one of them was God.

And we saw in that text, Abraham’s hospitality, but moreso God’s faithfulness to Abraham.

So God come to Abraham for two reasons, First, to remind him of his promise for Abraham.

And second, in our text today, God is going to tell Abraham about his judgement over Sodom and Gomorrah.

So let’s jump into our text,

And the first lesson we will notice is GOD’S JUDGMENT IS SURE TO HAPPEN.

God’s judgment is sure to happen. Vs 16-17

Genesis 18:16 “Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.”

Genesis 18:17 “The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,”

And what is God about to do? Judge and destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now, we need to begin with this understanding.

The Lord said, WHAT I AM ABOUT TO DO.

God’s mind is set, and he has decided.

Did God already know what Abraham would say? Did God already know what Abraham take into account his conversation with Abraham?

Our all knowing God, who stands outside of time, he knows. He knows all and he determines according to his will. He knew Abraham would ask about 50 righteous and go all the way down to 10.

Yet, here, God intended to tell Abraham what he would do.

Why? Was it so God could learn something? So God could find out what Abraham thought? No, God know the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God tells Abraham and is teaching him something every important.

The Lord’s reason for allowing Abraham to know of his judgment is not because God was asking for advice, but for Abraham to know God’s judgement is sure to happen.

And we need be reminded, that this is a result of the fall.

God told Adam, he would surely die if he at of the fruit, and he at, and death entered into the world.

And death spread to all men because all sin.

Yet, as God had determined to judge Sodom and Gomorroh.

Judgement is sure to come.

Hebrews 9:27 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,”

All men, all of us when we die, the text says, after that come judgement.

Now, God is a perfect judgement, he will judge rightly, but he will surely judge.

He shows to partiality, to nationality, race, rich or poor. No, one can escape this.

Why is there a judgment?

GOD’S JUDGMENT IS BECAUSE OF SIN.

God’s judgment is because of sin. Vs 20

Genesis 18:20 “Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,”

These cities were so wicked right, their sins were so Great, the earth cried up to God. Their victims cried out to God.

The text says, their sin is very grave. There is a reason that God decides to do this. Sin.

Now, God’s judgement which will surely happen, it tells us something about God.

God’s judgment tells us something about ourselves.

We always say, God is good, all the time, and all the time God is good.

God being good is a good thing, and a bad thing.

It’s good because of his goodness and blessings,

It’s bad, because we are not good.

God is holy, and we are sinful.

No one is good, not even one. No one seeks after God. There are none righteous no not one.

I know when we think of Sodom and Gomorrah, many think of how wicked they are and how sinful their sins are, and they deserve this, but at the same time, have the tone, their really bad, but I’m not that bad.

But, we sin, too.

And Abraham sinned, too.

I’m afraid as we continue to look at Abraham, the tendency for many is to make him out to be a hero.

Or that Abraham’s faith in God, earns God’s favor.

That because of Abraham’s actions, then God blesses him.

When, Abraham was saved by faith, he was a sinner, that needed a savior, and he believed in God.

The story of Abraham, and of Moses, and David, is that God is faithful. And God is gracious, and God saves sinners.

So it is because of sin that we will be judged.

AND GOD’S JUDGMENT IS JUST.

God’s judgment is just. Vs 21

Genesis 18:21 “I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.””

Now, this is an interesting, God going to see, and he will know.

This is Anthropomorphism. A way of describing in human terms in what God is doing in this moment of time.

The spaceless timeless God, steps out of eternity and into this moment in time, and as he hears the outcry and sees in this moment, we simply have this description for our frail human comprhension.

One author writes, “Anthropomorphisms can be helpful in enabling us to at least partially comprehend the incomprehensible, know the unknowable, and fathom the unfathomable.”

So God will judge, he will judge sin.

And his judgement will be just.

All will get what they deserve.

Breaking God’s law, their is a punishment for the crime, for the sin.

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Are you ready for God’s judgment?

We will all die. We will all be judged.

Are you ready?

Have you gotten right with God? Not through works and good deeds?

But through a relationship with Jesus.

And it is he who pays the penalty for our sins.

Those sins/crimes we have committed, the penalty is death. And the death of Jesus on the cross paid for the sins, of all who have faith in God.

And therefore, therefore, when we die, and are judged. We are declared righteous. Not sin unto death, but righteous into glory.

But when we are saved, our lives change. We live differently because we are born again and we are a new creation.

That’s why WE MUST PRACTICE RIGHTEOUS LIVING.

We must practice righteous living. Vs 18-19

Genesis 18:18 “seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?”

Genesis 18:19 “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.””

This is a description of what God has done for Abraham.

God chose him. out of the blue. Why? Because of God’s good will and pleasure.

God also commanded he and his descendants to do righteous and justice.

Meaning live for God.

If you’ve been saved by God, you will do what God has commanded.

It’s not, if you do what God has commanded, and then you will be saved.

It’s redeemed, and then service unto the Lord.

And we need remember the greatest example of faith and obedience is Jesus Christ.

Abraham points to Jesus.

Jesus the promised see in Genesis 3:15 which will crush the serpents head.

Jesus who in the form of God took on flesh and lived an perfect life. Obedient in every way to the father.

And in doing so, he is the perfect sacrifice for ou rsins.

And in doing so, he is our example for righteous living.

So we have this text of God intending to Judge these cities, and he is going to have this conversation with Abraham about it.

We must pray for God’s people. Vs 22-33

Genesis 18:22 “So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.”

Genesis 18:23 “Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”

Genesis 18:24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?”

Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?””

Genesis 18:26 “And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.””

Genesis 18:27 “Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.”

Genesis 18:28 “Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.””

Genesis 18:29 “Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.””

Genesis 18:30 “Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.””

Genesis 18:31 “He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.””

Genesis 18:32 “Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.””

Genesis 18:33 “And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.”

Now, let’s be honest here.

Why did Abraham plead with God to save the city?

Did he love the people? Did he think they were good and deserving?

No, I’d say it’s because of Lot.

Lot lives in Sodom.

Lot is his nephew, and if God destroys Sodom, Lot would be killed.

But there is this theme throughout this text.

vs 23, the righteous with the wicked?”

Genesis 18:24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous fifty righteous who are in it?”

Genesis 18:25 “put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked!

Genesis 18:26 ““If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.””

Genesis 18:28 “Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. forty-five there.””

Genesis 18:29 “40 - 40

Genesis 18:30 30 - 30

Genesis 18:31 20 - 20

Genesis 18:32 10 -10

The theme is that Abraham is interceding for the righteous.

And how many righteous were in Sodom.

1. Lot - 2 Peter 2:7 “and if he rescued righteous Lot,”

But the principle for us is this, WE MUST PRAY FOR GOD’S PEOPLE.

We can pray for alot of things. Pray for the sick. Pray for our country.

But we should be known for praying for God’s people.

Jesus did this.

Luke 22:32 “but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.””

Paul did this

Ephesians 6:18 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”

Church, we need to pray for each other. Strengthen each other. And especially pray for our brothers and sisters across the world who are being persecuted for their faith.

Lastly, WE MUST PRAY FOR THE LOST

We must pray for the lost. Vs 22-33

IN PRAYING FOR MERCY FROM GOD, for the entire city, Abraham would be praying the lost wouldn’t be judged.

He asked about the righteous, but the implications, is God’s mercy for the sinners.

He may not have prayed specifically here, but it is important.

Does the Bible ever tell us to pray for the lost?

Romans 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

praying for the lost - begins with the heart.

God’s heart.

Our heart.

Their salvation.

We must pray for the lost. and we must pray for them specifically.

Listen to this quote, “Prayer is the lifeline of New Testament evangelism, the oxygen for its holy fire. The New Testament was born in prayer. It knows no evangelism without prayer, and no prayer which does not lead to evangelism.” Those are the words of Armin Gesswein, There is no evangelism without prayer and no prayer that does not lead on to reaching the lost for Christ.

I pray God gives you a heart for the lost.

Do you want the lost to be saved? We all say we do, but are we praying for them. Specifically.

And I’m convinced, if you will pray for them, you will tell them about Jesus.

If you pray for them, you’ll be like the Sunday school teacher who went to DL Moody’s work.

What are you willing to do to reach the lost?

Are you willing to sacrifice your time. your comfort. get out of your comfort.

Church, It’s time to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.

You know yesterday, what delighted my heart at our outreach event.

There was an elderly lady. I’ll not guess how old.

She was in a wheel chair. And she got here early, and she was waiting at that first table for the first pot of gumbo, and she scooped bowl after bowl of gumbo.

And she stayed after we cooked the first 1000 meals, and when the second 1000 meals were done, this elderly lady in a wheel chair, scooped bowl after bowl of gumbo.

She was here for hours. Not able to do many things, but she did what she could. Who knows that meal was given to someone, who would come to the revival or to church, and be saved. And if she can do that. I felt, what is my excuse.

And I think of Mrs Brenda being up here, with her medical issues, but she was here all day and one of the last to leave.

And I think of Mrs Mary, who help fix the first 1000, delivered 27 meals by herself, and then came back and helped with the second thousand.

what are you willing to do to reach the lost?

You see we talk the talk. We want to reach the lost, we celebrate when they are saved, but do we have the heart of Abraham.

Standing in the Gap.

Oh, Lord save them.

Oh, Lord, use me reach to the lost.

God judgment is sure to happen because of sin.

But may we be a people rescuing the perishing, snatching them out of the eternal flames, and leading them to Jesus.