Sunday Morning - March 29, 1998
Text: Genesis 18:20-23 "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21. I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 23. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
DAYS OF LOT
Genesis 18:20-21 "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21. I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know...."
THE SON OF MAN IS REVEALED
Luke 17:28-30 "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed."
THE LORD COMES WITH HIS ANGELS
Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:"
THE ANGELS WENT TO SODOM
Genesis 18:22 "And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom:..."
TWO ANGELS
Genesis 19:1 "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;"
ANGELS GATHER THE OFFENDERS
Matthew 13:41 "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;"
ANGELS GATHER ELECT ISRAEL
Matthew 24:31 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
IS LOT A TYPE?
2 Peter 2:7 "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:"
ANGELS USED IN JUDGEMENT
Revelation 7:1-2 "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, ...2. And I saw another angel ...and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,"
ANGELS DELIVER GOD'S WRATH
Revelation 16:1 "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."
THE LORD STAYED WITH ABRAHAM
Genesis 18:22-23 "... Abraham stood [other translations: abide, endure, dwell, establish, remain, present] yet before the LORD. 23. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
LET US DRAW NEAR
Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
GOD WILL DRAW NIGH
James 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
TO DRAW NEAR IS GOOD
Psalms 73:28 "But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works."
ABRAHAM CAME CLOSER
Genesis 18:23 "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
COME NEAR AS PRIEST
Exodus 19:22 "And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them."
THE BLEMISHED PRIEST DENIED
Leviticus 21:21 "No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God."
THE CHOSEN COME NEAR
Deuteronomy 21:5 "And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:"
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
1 Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
ABRAHAM INTERCEDED
Genesis 18:23-24 "...And Abraham ... said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?"
KINGS AND PRIESTS
Revelation 5:10 "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
PRIEST OF GOD REIGN
Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first [best] resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
ELECT BELOVED BRETHREN
1 Thessalonians 4:13 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 1:4 "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."
BRETHREN WHO BELIEVE
(present active)
1 Thessalonians 4:14 "For if we [elect beloved brethren] believe [present active indicative] that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we [elect beloved brethren] which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them [elect beloved brethren] which are asleep. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead [elect beloved brethren] in Christ shall rise first: 17. Then we [elect beloved brethren] which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [elect beloved brethren] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we [elect beloved brethren] ever be with the Lord."
EXHORT ONE ANOTHER
1 Thessalonians 4:18 "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
1 Thessalonians 5:6,8-9 "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." "8. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,..."