Sermon Tone Analysis

Worse Than Sodom \\ Luke 10:10-16 \\ \\ \\ INTRODUCTION \\ Could there be people in Lubbock who are worse than the people of Sodom?

Jesus Christ thought it possible.

\\ This is a sobering possibility.

In the Biblical world Sodom and Gomorrah represented the ultimate in degradation \\ and destruction.

Yet Jesus suggested that it will be easier for Sodom in the day of judgment than for some of the \\ villages to be visited by his messengers.

\\ \\ The woes of several ancient towns come before us in our text.

"Chorazin" was a small town about two miles from \\ Capernaum.

While we do not know what works Jesus did there, this lets us know that He did visit the town.

\\ "Bethsaida" is another small town located a few miles from Capernaum.

It was probably the hometown of Andrew \\ and Peter.

Jesus also visited this community to make His claim known.

"Capernaum'' was the most privileged of \\ all.

It became the base of Jesus' operation in Galilee.

We do know a few of the "mighty" works that Jesus did in \\ this privileged community.

\\ \\ "Tyre and Sidon" are the two coastal cities that still find their way into the news.

In the Old Testament days, they \\ were a wealthy Phoenician seaports.

They were denounced by the Old Testament prophets for their pride, \\ cruelty and corruption.

Their downfall was predicted by the prophets.

Yet the towns of Galilee are warned that \\ their plight will be worse in the day of judgment than that of these two Phoenician cities .

\\ \\ Where do we fit into this picture?

A close look at this passage will put us in the same category as the town of \\ Galilee.

We, too, may be worse than Sodom.

There are two things for us to consider.

\\ \\ ¬I.

WHEN WE REJECT THE GOSPEL, WE ARE GUILTY OF A WORSE SIN THAN SODOM \\ This is the basic thrust of this passage.

While the sin of Sodom.

was shameful and worthy of judgment, the sin of \\ rejecting the Gospel is worse.

\\ \\ A. The Sin \\ We know about the sin of Sodom.

Their sin was that of building a life without God.

The two cities of the plains \\ were well situated so they became prosperous centers of commerce.

This material prosperity led to moral \\ degradation.

When God finally decided to destroy the cities, they had slipped into real moral corruption.

Sexual \\ perversion had become a way of life.

To this day homosexuality still bears the name of "Sodom".

They had \\ become so depraved that when the messengers of God went to deliver them from the city before it was \\ destroyed, they had to use supernatural powers to prevent the men of the city from sexually assaulting them.

\\ Things were pretty bad in Sodom, but they may be worse in our town!

\\ \\ The sin of Sidon and Tyre were very similar to that of Sodom.

They, too, were materially prosperous.

They, too, \\ developed a life that left no room for the true God.

They, too, became known for their pride and cruelty.

As you \\ read the prophetic denunciation of their sin, you are made to realize the seriousness of their sin!

\\ \\ But what was the sin of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum?

What evoked such an outcry from our Lord?

Their \\ sin was spiritual in nature.

The word of God came to the citizens of these communities in power.

Jesus and His \\ disciples declared the gospel of the kingdom.

The reliability of the message was indicated by the many miracles, \\ the signs that were performed.

But in spite of all this, the word was rejected.

The people chose not to submit to \\ the claims of Christ upon their lives.

They chose not to receive Him as Lord.

They were ready to benefit from His \\ power, but not ready to receive His word.

\\ \\ Is there a city on the earth where there has been more of the word of God rejected than Lubbock, Texas?

I do \\ not know of a city on the earth where there is more opportunity for people to hear the word of God than in \\ Lubbock.

We have strong churches of every flavor.

There have been aggressive witnessing Christians in the city \\ through the years.

There are Bibles everywhere.

There is a Christian radio station that sends out the Word daily.

\\ There are Christian programs that go into every home by television.

Yet thousands of our citizens, yes, even a \\ majority of our citizens, are like the people of Capernaum.

They are ready to benefit from the influence and \\ power of Christ, but they do not have a place for His Word in their hearts.

They are not ready to submit to His \\ claims on their lives.

This is our sin and it is worse than the sin of Sodom, Tyre and Sidon.

\\ \\ B.  The Principle: \\ The principle that makes our sin worse is: The greater the light, the greater the sin  the greater the message \\ rejected, the greater the sin.

At best Sodom and Gomorrah had a very limited opportunity to know the word of \\ God.

About the only light that came to them was that which comes through natural revelation.

About all they \\ knew of God was what they could learn through nature.

They did have the privilege of having a lukewarm saint in \\ their midst for a few years, but it is doubtful that they learned vary much about God from Lot.

Yet God held them \\ responsible for the light they did receive.

\\ \\ The situation of Tyre and Sidon was very similar.

They were pretty much confined to natural revelations.

They \\ did have as a neighbor Israel, which had knowledge of the true God, but it is doubtful that they benefited very \\ much from this.

Yet, God felt they had enough light to have lived a better life than they were living.

\\ \\ But for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.

it was different.

God Himself came to their town in the person of \\ His Son.

Many indisputable proofs were provided.

Never did a people have a greater opportunity to know the \\ mind of God, but they set it aside.

They rejected it.

This made them guilty of a worse sin.

\\ \\ Are not the citizens of our community in the same situation?

Our community has literally been flooded with the \\ light of the Gospel.

Not one soul is without opportunity to hear it.

Yet many have deliberately refused to give \\ place in their heart to the Son of God.

Our sin is surely worse        than the sin of Sodom.

\\ \\ II.

WHEN WE REJECT THE GOSPEL, WE ARE WORTHY OF A WORSE JUDGMENT THAN SODOM.

\\ Here is the focus of our Lord's attention!

The passage begins as a word of encouragement to His witnesses, the \\ seventy, that are being sent forth.

They are assured that God will deal with those who refuse their message on \\ the Day of Judgment.

\\ \\ A.  The Judgment.

\\ We know about the temporal judgment that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

\\ While Lot was being hastened across the plains by the Angel of Mercy, \\ God poured out upon those wicked cities His fiery indignation.

"Fire \\ and brimstone" literally consumed the city.

Evidently all of nature \\ participated in removing from the earth all evidence that the cities \\ ever existed.

\\ \\ The temporal judgment of God that fell upon Tyre and Sidon was of a different sort but just as destructive.

God \\ used invading armies and natural tragedies to bring destruction to those two proud port cities. Jesus is not \\ predicting that this kind of judgment will fall upon Chorazia, Bethsaida, and Lubbock.

Rather, He is anticipating a \\ day when the cities of all the earth will stand before God in Judgment.

In the first instance He refers to it simply \\ as "that day".

In the second, He refers to it as "at the Judgment".

The Son of God assumes that every citizen of \\ the ages shall stand before God in "That Day" to have judgment passed upon his life.