Apply Within

Guest (Male): You're a righteous judge. If I find 50 living in Sodom, I'll spare the whole city. How about 45? I will spare the whole city. How about 40? The whole city. 30? I'll spare the whole city. 20? How about 20? I will spare the whole city for 20. What about 10? God's basic language: even if I find 10, I will spare the whole city. I will not destroy it for the sake of the righteous. Abraham stopped at 10.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Apply Within, a verse-by-verse study of the word of God with Pastor Bob Davis of North Country Chapel. We invite you to join with us as we, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, apply what's within our own hearts as we study line upon line, precept upon precept, verse by verse through the Bible. Continuing in Genesis chapter 18, Abraham learns what's coming for Sodom and pleads on their behalf. Here's Pastor Bob.

Pastor Bob Davis: And verse 16. Well, let me stop there. Look what just took place. Abraham sits down with the Lord and the two angels. "Where's your wife?" "Oh, she's right inside the tent there."

He says, "Abraham, Sarah's going to have a baby about this time next year." Sarah's standing back behind Jesus where she can't be seen and inside, probably around the door opening of the tent. When she heard Jesus say that, she laughed in her heart. She didn't laugh out loud. And she said, "Right, I'm going to have a kid. Right." Jesus heard her heart. He heard her laugh because he knows what we're thinking.

And he asks Abraham, "Why did your wife Sarah laugh?" Men, be quiet right there. Don't say anything because anything you say can and will be used against you as soon as the company's gone. "Why'd you have to tell him that?" Abraham, I hope he just said, "I didn't hear nothing. I missed it." It's not smart to speak for someone else. Just leave that alone.

He heard her heart. "Why'd your Sarah laugh?" Then Jesus repeated himself. He says, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" In spite of Sarah's doubt, her faltering faith, her lack of faith, Jesus promised again. At the appointed time, listen to the promise: "I will return to you and Sarah will have a baby boy." It's going to happen. I'm telling you. It's a promise. This is not up for debate. It's going to be done. A baby boy.

God knows what's going on in my heart. He knows what's going on in yours. So it doesn't matter what you tell anybody and it doesn't matter how you tell them. God knows. Talk to him. You're not going to hide your faltering faith. He knows it. He loves you. Sarah's going to have a baby boy. I don't care if she likes the idea or not. She kind of loves the idea, but she's going to have a baby boy. Verse 16 now, we go on.

The men got up. They rose up from there and they looked towards Sodom and Abraham walked with them to bring them on their way. It's kind of like sometimes you have company. They come and when they're ready to go, you walk with them out to the car or whatever to make sure they can find their way. You're not trying to get them out of here. You're trying to help them. So Abraham, well, he's got nothing but a dirt path and so he just starts walking with them as they head towards the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah.

And the Lord said, as Abraham's walking with the Lord Jesus and two angels, the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do, what I'm planning to do? Seeing, verse 18, that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him and through him." For I know him. Listen to this. He's talking about Abraham, the Lord is. "I know him that he will command his children and his household after him."

Whatever I tell Abraham, I know he will tell his servants and his family. "This is what God says. This is what we're going to do. This is what God says. This is where we're headed. This is the way it's going to be." I know Abraham will do that. He'll tell his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.

And the Lord said, "I've got to tell Abraham what I'm going to do. He's my friend. I've got to tell him and I know he can be trusted." And so the Lord says, verse 20, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down there now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come to me. And if not, I will know."

The men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom. The two angels turned and headed on down. But Abraham and the Lord stopped and stood to talk a little bit. Now it's just those two. The angels have headed on down towards Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham walks with them a little way just to kind of send them off on their way in peace. And as they walk, the Lord speaks. The Lord says, "All nations will be blessed through you."

"See, Abraham, I know you will teach your children and your household. So I want to let you know what I'm doing and the reason why. Get it, put it together. I'm going to tell you what I'm doing and why and I know you'll teach that to your children. You'll pass it on to your children and their children." God wants everybody to know why he's doing what he's doing and he trusts Abraham to pass it on.

Just like he wants the world today to know what he's doing and why he's doing it and he's trusting you to go ahead and share that. He knows you're faithful. You belong to him by grace through faith and you're going to tell others what's coming. You know, we are the ones who know what's coming. Clearly, Congress doesn't know what's coming. They're making it happen, but you can see the trouble that the whole world is headed for.

And we're the ones, just like Ezekiel, the watchman on the wall. We see it's coming. If we don't tell them, God will hold us accountable for that. Ezekiel, I put you as a watchman on the wall. You tell them what you see. If they don't listen, that's their problem. But if they don't know because you didn't tell them, I'm going to hold you responsible for that. All of us have the Gospel and we should be giving it out because we're the ones who know what's coming.

And that's what he's saying about Abraham. "I know you'll teach your children and I want to let you know what I'm doing and the reason why. Teach them." The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grievous. The language means dangerous, critical, mortal, and deadly. Their sin is critical, deadly, mortal sin. And the Lord says, "I'm going to go and see it firsthand." Now think about that. Is that humility? Is that grace? Is that kindness?

He knows what's going on there. He knows what Sarah's thinking. He knows what's going on in those people's hearts and their minds. But he says, "I'm going to go look." Basically what he's telling you and me and Abraham is he knew the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. He knows it's an abomination. But he wants to demonstrate or to reveal his mercy and his grace and his justice to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

They're going to say, "Why did you do what you did? You just don't like us." "No, I loved you. And I made it a point to warn you and warn you and warn you until finally there's a point of no return." So God wants us to see his grace. He could say from heaven, "I'm just going to blast them." "No, I'm going down there, Abraham. I want them to know. I want you to tell your children the mercy that God is showing."

And they keep spitting in his face and spitting in his face and they keep turning their backs and their sin is grievous. It's deadly. They're dying. Another thing I think is also being communicated here. He wants to see his mercy, his love, his grace, but his justice at the same time. If their sin is complete, meaning if that's as far as it can go, it's the point of no return, in other words, then they will be completely destroyed to save the people around them.

The two angels keep walking, but the Lord and Abraham stop. Verse 23. Abraham drew near and he said to the Lord, "Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure, what if? Let's say, what if there be 50 righteous within the city? Will you also destroy and not spare the place for the sake of the 50 righteous that are therein?" Then he doesn't stop. He says, "That would be far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked."

Abraham knows you will never slay the righteous with the wicked. And if there's 50 in there, you wouldn't destroy, would you, Lord? "That be far from thee, verse 25, to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked. That be far from you. Shall not the judge of all the earth do righteousness, do right?" I love this guy. He knows God well.

And the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom," and people believe there may have been as many as 350,000 in that city. Huge city. "If I find 50 people, 50 righteous within Sodom, I will spare the whole city for the sake of the righteous." God, listen closely, Christian. This is important. He will never destroy the righteous with the wicked. He will never punish. He won't send the punishment. Think about the Great Tribulation. That punishment is coming in full bore, the wrath of God.

And Abraham answered, "Behold now, I've taken upon me to speak to the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Peradventure, what if there lacks five of the 50 righteous? Will you destroy all the city for the lack of five? In other words, what if there's only 45?" And the Lord said, "If I find 45, I will not destroy that city." And he spoke to him yet again and said, "Peradventure, what if there are only 40?"

Jesus said, "I will not do it for the sake of 40. I will save the whole place." And he said, "Okay, don't be angry, Lord. Please be calm here. What if there are 30, only 30?" And the Lord said, "I will not do it if I find 30. I will save the whole city." "Okay, now don't be mad. Just be calm with me." See, he's got relatives there and there are most people figure there are about eight.

Lot, his wife, two daughters that are married and their intended, and then two other daughters. So that's about eight minimum. There could have been more. But that's what Lot's working towards. He is making intercession for the righteous, isn't he? He's praying for the righteous. Who's doing that now? Jesus Christ, our high priest in heaven. Well, behold now, verse 31, "I've taken upon me to speak to the Lord. Peradventure, what if there are 20?"

He said, "I will not destroy for the 20 sake." He said, "Oh, let not the Lord be angry. I'll speak once more, just once. Peradventure, 10 should be found there." God said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of 10 righteous people. I'll save all of Sodom and Gomorrah if there are 10." And the Lord went his way. Notice the Lord didn't leave till Abraham is through praying. Notice that? Abraham stopped at 10 and the Lord said, "Okay, I wouldn't do it for 10."

"Okay, thank you." Abraham turns around and walks home. God says, "Okay, as long as you want to pray, as long as you want to talk to Jesus, guess what? You can stay right there. You got him. As long as you want to talk, as long as you have requests, as long as you have questions, as long as you are just pouring your heart out, he's right there." The Lord went on his way and as soon as he left communing with Abraham, Abraham returned to his place.

Put it all together and we'll stop. He's making intercession. What does that mean? Intervention on behalf of the righteous. "Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked? You wouldn't do that, God. That's just not you. You're the God of righteousness. You would never destroy the righteous with the wicked. You would never allow the righteous to go through the suffering of the wicked." Never means never. Good.

"Would you? You wouldn't do that, Lord. What if there were 50 righteous in that whole city? What would you do, Lord?" God said, "I would spare the whole city. I'd spare the whole city for the sake of 50 righteous people. I will not harm them." Listen to him. His heart is good here. "You're the judge of all the earth. You are righteous. You would never destroy the righteous with the wicked." Abraham knew his God. Do we know ours? It's the same God.

The way we talk sometimes and argue over scriptures, we show we don't really know who our God is or what he's all about. But Abraham knows. He said, "You would never do that. You would never destroy the righteous with the wicked. You would never. You're the king of righteousness." He says, "You are righteous. It would be far from you. The judge of all the earth will always do what's right."

"You're a righteous judge. If I find 50 living in Sodom, I'll spare the whole city. How about 45? I will spare the whole city. How about 40? The whole city. 30? I'll spare the whole city. 20? How about 20? I will spare the whole city for 20. What about 10?" God's basically the language: "If even if I find 10, I will spare the whole city. I will not destroy it for the sake of the righteous."

Abraham stopped at 10. But I've read on. You can do it. We'll do it next week together. But you can read on too. You're going to find something cool. Abraham stopped at 10. You'll see that God went all the way down to four. He found four and he took those four out of the city and then one of them became a pillar in her community. She turned back. So only three actually left.

But God went all the way down to four. Had there only been one, you think God would have saved it? At that point, he would save that one. He took out the four and Lot's wife looked back. See, that's where her heart was. That's where her stuff was. That was her home. You know, we don't forget this is temporary here. I'm in Idaho. It makes perfect sense why God has me here because I could leave it at any time.

This is your home, some of you. Born and raised. Just love it as much as you want, but remember, we're leaving here. We're going home. Abraham stopped at 10 in chapter 19. God goes all the way down to four and one of them backed out of the deal. I believe that the Great Tribulation is coming sooner than anybody thinks. Now we're all talking about it, but I think you are seeing it set up. I don't know how you can miss it.

And I believe that the Great Tribulation is coming soon. But God, in his grace and his mercy and his kindness, and I think it's according to the word of God, he will take all the righteous out of and away from and then he will pour out the judgment just like in Sodom and Gomorrah. He will take the righteous out. I think the Bible bears that out. Now everybody's fighting about it.

"Will Christians go through the whole tribulation or just the first half of the tribulation?" And then you've got the partial rapture theories. According to God's word, according to Abraham, who knows his God, "Lord, you wouldn't do that. You would not do it. You would never allow the judgment to come down upon the righteous. The judgment of the unrighteous upon the righteous." Think about it.

Great Tribulation is coming. God in his grace, love, kindness, and mercy takes all of the righteous out of and away from and then the judgment is poured out. The wrath of God upon the entire planet. No one escapes. So think about this right before we just sing for a moment or two and praise God. Your personal witness today actually means more than you thought it did, doesn't it?

You see, the Holy Spirit, we'll read through 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, the Holy Spirit is hindering the coming forth of the Antichrist. The Holy Spirit himself. And God says he's going to take the Holy Spirit out of the way. Once the Holy Spirit is removed, Antichrist will show up. Everything comes to a close, the wrath of God. Well, if God takes the Holy Spirit out, who else does he have to take out?

All that have the Holy Spirit. He's never going to take his spirit from me. So if his spirit goes, you go, I go, we go. So we're actually doing something here. You wondered about that, didn't you? We're actually doing something. Your personal witness today means something, no matter how insignificant you think you are or how insignificant you think your little testimony is. Your witness may mean the very existence of the city of Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, the very existence of Spokane Valley, or wherever you live.

You're the righteous that's there. Are we perfect in every way? No. We're saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. But notice something. America is still going because there are a few righteous in it. And if you take a look at the numbers, the true believers more and more claiming less and less to be true believers. Churches are all joining together and accepting this and accepting that.

It's happening right before your very eyes. But it's not going to happen with us. Your witness, my witness, may mean the very existence of the nation that you live in, whatever nation you live on on the earth. By God's grace, if my people called by my name would repent, would turn. We're forgetting it. We're thinking no pressure. But we need to start to believe what God's telling us.

We need to start walking in it and living in it. Not just, "I don't like you. You're a Christian but you're a jerk." Hey, that's not us. We love one another. Remember, do this. "Oh yeah, that's right." And we love everybody out there. And it doesn't matter what they are or who they are or what they say they are. We love them and we have a message for them. And that's where you work.

That's where some of you go to school. That's where some of you have to shop. And it's out there right among them. And you just let your lights glow in the dark for Jesus and make intercession just like Abraham did for the righteous. Let's bow our heads.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to Apply Within with Pastor Bob Davis. Apply Within is a radio outreach ministry of North Country Chapel. Our Sunday morning Bible studies are 9 and 11 a.m. We also have a Friday evening Bible study at 7 p.m. and a Monday evening Bible study at 7 p.m.

You can download today's message in its entirety at NorthCountryChapel.com/studies. That's NorthCountryChapel.com/studies. If you would like a copy of today's message, write to us and ask for the message with today's date. The address is Apply Within, 2281 West Seltice, Post Falls, Idaho, 83854. Or call us at 1-800-572-8851. That number again, 1-800-572-8851.

Our mobile app is available for iPhone and Android. Download it to listen to full-length studies, watch the live stream of our services, or to find out more about church events. If you have been blessed by the teaching or have prayer requests that you would like to share with us, write, email, or call us as well. Please join with us every Monday through Friday as we study together verse by verse on Apply Within, sponsored by North Country Chapel.