You know, if that song doesn't
prepare your heart to preach and to worship, I'm afraid nothing
will. Open your Bibles again with me
to Genesis chapter 18. I have a message this evening
that has just absolutely thrilled my heart as I studied it this
week, and I pray that it will for you this evening. I've titled
the message, How Christ Intercedes for His People. Our text, we
read earlier, gives us a good picture, it's a picture, of how
Christ the Savior intercedes with his Father for his sinful
people. And my desire tonight is that
we leave here tonight finding great comfort for our hearts
in knowing Christ the Savior is interceding with the Father
for me right now, for you right now. And knowing why the Father
always hears the intercession of his Son. and always grants
it. Now you'll remember earlier in this chapter, we saw three
men appear to Abraham. I told you two of them were angels
and one of them is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. And there's
no doubt about that now in these verses, is there? Abraham wouldn't
be praying to anybody but the Lord. But look here at verse
20. And the Lord said, because the
cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is
very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have
done altogether to the, according to the cry of it, which has come
unto me. And if not, I'll know. And the men turned their faces
from fence and went towards Sodom and Abraham stood yet before
the Lord. And you'll notice there in verse 20 and verse 23, the
word Lord is in all caps, capitals, capital L, capital O, capital
R, Capital D. The word is Jehovah. This is
God with us. That's who Abraham's speaking
to. He's speaking to the Lord Jesus Christ here. And we know
what the Lord's getting ready to go do. We already know the
story. He's going to go down and he's going to destroy Sodom
and Gomorrah. Now, we tend to think, well,
Sodom and Gomorrah deserved that for their sexual perversity that
was going on there. And homosexuality is the sin
that we're talking about. That's a sin that's associated
with Sodom and Gomorrah. And we tend to think, well, this
doesn't apply to us because we don't live in that lifestyle. And I would warn us all to be
very careful about that and don't become self-righteous in thinking
that. We need to remember this. Their sin, Sodom and Gomorrah,
is no worse than my sin or your sin. Sin before God is sin. And as a matter of fact, homosexuality
is not the worst thing going on in Sodom. And I can show you
that if you look with me to Ezekiel chapter 16, I believe you'll
find this very interesting. Ezekiel chapter 16. And verse 49, Ezekiel 16, verse
49. Behold, this was the iniquity
of thy sister Sodom. Pride, fullness of bread, and
abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters. Neither
did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they
were haughty and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them
away as I saw good. Now the number one sin of Sodom
that the Lord mentions here is pride. And if we're honest, every
one of us can identify with that. How prone all of us are to false
pride in the flesh, falsely thinking, I can do something good. At least
we think, well, I can do better than somebody else, or certainly
I can do better than somebody who's in false religion. Some
heathen has never heard the gospel at all, you know, I can do better
than And worse yet, we fall into pride of grace. Pride that we
know something, that we believe something that's true, that most
of the world doesn't know. Now God had to reveal that to
us by His grace. He had to give that knowledge
and that faith to us by His grace. And now we become proud of it?
Shameful, isn't it? Shameful. The first sin of Sodom
the Lord mentions is pride. And I'll tell you why human pride
is so offensive to God. Because human pride says, I don't
need Christ to save me. Human pride says, I don't need
to be saved by grace, I can do this on my own. How offensive
that is to God. Then he mentions abundance of
bread. They were so full, they had so much, they didn't think
they needed anything. They had material blessings,
so they thought they didn't need any spiritual blessings. They
didn't seek God. You'd think if God would just
bless you so abundantly, that'd cause you to seek him. And that's
not human nature, is it? They had abundance of goods,
so they didn't seek God. Then he said, even though God
made them so rich, they're selfish, wouldn't help the poor and the
needy. And in the middle of all that, he mentions haughtiness,
pride again. And last of all, he mentions
abominations, which we normally associate with the sexual sins
of Sodom. But you know that word, abominations
there, most usually in the Old Testament is used referring to
idolatry. Now the sin of homosexuality
is probably not something any of us have a problem with, but
we sure do have a problem with the rest of those sins, don't
we? We have a problem with pride, thinking that we're better than
we are. We have a problem being full. When the Lord blesses us,
we tend not to seek him. The only time we seek the Lord
is when he lays us low. We have a problem being selfish, wanting
to hang on to what we got. We have a problem with idolatry,
our flesh constantly making us want to worship ourselves. When
our flesh wants to trust in our own works of the law, that's
what that is, it's idolatry. And here's why I point all that
out. So that we know, each of us, we need somebody to intercede
for us with God, just as much as the people of Sodom needed
Abraham to intercede for them. We need never forget how poor
and how needy we are. And if you look over Matthew
chapter 11, I'll show you another really good example that fits
like a hand in a glove to this congregation. Matthew 11 verse
20. Then began he to upbraid the
cities where most of his mighty works were done, because they
repented not. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe
unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which
were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would
have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you,
it should be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of
judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if
the mighty works which had been done in thee had been done in
Sodom it would have remained until this day. But I say unto
you that it should be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the
day of judgment than for thee. Now people want to say that the
sin of homosexuality is the worst sin. And you know why they want
to say that? Because of every sin that you
can think of, that's the only one you don't have problem with.
So we want to say that's the worst sin. And that's wrong.
Our Lord tells us here the greatest sin is hearing the gospel preached
and refusing to believe on Christ. It's the greatest sin, the sin
of unbelief. And every one of us can identify
with that. Because we haven't always believed, have we? We
haven't always believed. The only reason we believe now
is because of Christ. And this is a, like I said, this warning
fits like a hand in a glove to this congregation. It's really
hard for me to imagine a group of people in a town who have
had the gospel preached to them more clearly and more powerfully
and more consistently than this town and this people have for
many, many, many years. In Ashland, Kentucky, the gospel
has been preached here for 60, 70 years. I don't know how long it's been.
The gospel every week has been preached here, clearly, powerfully,
faithfully. Yet how many people believe?
How many people? If we don't believe, if we don't
believe the Christ that we've heard preached, we've sinned
against greater light than the people of sovereignty. Because
of all the clear, good gospel preaching that we've heard. And
again, I'm pointing this out so each of us will know how much
this message, this lesson applies to each of us. We desperately
need someone to intercede for us with God. And the one we need
interceding for us He's not Abraham, it's the Lord Jesus Christ. But
before we get to that, do you know we can also intercede for
each other? And we should, we should intercede
for each other, we should pray for each other. And Abraham does
a mighty good job of showing us how that's done. Number one,
if we would plead with the Lord, we would intercede with the Lord
for one of our brethren. Plead the character of the Lord. You never plead with the Lord
like, well, Lord, you know, I don't deserve this, or they don't deserve
this, or they've done something good. Don't plead that. Plead
the character of the Lord, not our character, his character.
Plead for mercy. Look at verse 21 back in our
text again. The Lord says, I will go down now and see whether they
have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come
unto me. And if not, I will know. Now,
the Lord's not going to go down to Sodom to find out what's really
going on down there. He's not wondering, I've heard
all these things about Sodom. Is that true? The Lord already
knows that, but he knows what's going on there because the Lord
knows everything. There's nothing that's hid from
him. I tell you what the Lord's doing here. He's being patient. The Lord always leaves room for
repentance. The Lord always leaves room and
time for mercy always. Now time's going to run out.
Eventually woman, there's going to be a time of justice eventually,
just like there was for Sodom. But nobody in Sodom could ever,
nobody in Sodom who went to hell could ever say the Lord did not
give me a long time and plenty of time to seek mercy. The Lord
was very patient before he destroyed them. And I'll apply that to us today.
It'll remind us today, is the day of salvation, today. Today
is the day of mercy. I know today's the day of mercy.
The Lord's still being merciful. The Lord's still saving his people
because he hasn't destroyed the world yet. We have loved ones
that don't know Christ. The Lord's being patient, isn't
he? He hadn't destroyed them yet.
The Lord's leaving time for mercy. And if we would intercede for
them, ask the Lord for mercy. because that's the character
of the Lord, to be merciful to sinners, not because we deserve
it, but because God's merciful. That's his character. Number
two, when you plead with the Lord for God's people, you intercede
for one of God's people, plead the justice of God. Look here
at verse 23. And Abraham drew near and said,
well, thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked per venture. There'll be 50 righteous within
the city. will thou also destroy and not spare the place for the
50 righteous that are therein? That be far from thee 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 thee. Shall
not the judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said,
if I find in Sodom 50 righteous within the city, then I'll spare
all the place for their sakes. Now, when you plead with the
Lord for another believer, plead the justice of God. Now we're
asking for mercy, but ask the Lord to be merciful. Ask the
Lord to not destroy them. Ask the Lord to not let them
go off into apostasy, to not go down the wrong path because
for God, if God would allow one of his people to do that, that
would be unjust. That would be against the just
character of God. If the Lord let them go down
that road and then destroy them, well, that would be unjust. Because the father already punished
Christ in their place. Their sin's already been punished
in the death of our substitute. Now, the Lord can't punish somebody
for their sin if he already punished Christ for it. He can't punish
two people for the same sin. That would be unjust, wouldn't
it? So plead the justice of God. Ask for mercy through Christ
our substitute. Ask for mercy because Christ
already satisfied justice for us. We know this. The judge of all the earth shall
do right. I can't tell you how many times
I've quoted that verse to myself when things have gone on in my
life. It's painful, you don't know what's going on, and this
has been such a comfort. The judge of all the earth. shall
do right. He'd never done anything wrong.
Never. It's right because he does it.
So the Lord will never destroy the righteous. He'll never destroy
the people that he has made righteous because there's no reason for
him to. There's no reason for the Lord to destroy the righteous.
They don't have any sin. So his verdict will always be
right. He'll never do wrong. So if you
would intercede for one of God's people, plead God's character,
please his justice. God be merciful because you already
punished Christ for their sin. Right? Number three, when you
intercede for someone, don't be impatient. Don't quit begging. And here's why you don't quit
begging because of the Lord's patient kindness. Look at verse
27. And Abraham answered and said,
behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which
am but dust and ashes. Pertventure, there lack five
of the 50 righteous. But thou destroy all the city
for lack of five? And he said, if I find there
40 and five, I'll not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet
again and said, Pertventure, there should be 40 found there.
And he said, I'll not do it for 40's sake. And he said unto him,
Oh, let not the Lord be angry. And I'll speak per venture. There's a 30 be found there.
And he said, I'll not do it if I find 30 there. And he said,
behold, now I've taken upon me to speak unto the Lord per venture. There shall be 20 found there.
And he said, I'll not destroy it for 20 sake. And he said,
Oh, let not the Lord be angry. And I'll speak yet. But this
once, Port Venture 10 should be found there. And he said,
I'll not destroy it for 10's sake. Now it sounds like Abraham
is slowly negotiating the Lord down from 50 to 10, doesn't it? Sounds like he keeps trying to
sweeten the deal. And that's not what's happening at all.
Do you know why Abraham keeps asking for more mercy? It's because
of the mercy and the tenderness and the approachableness of the
Lord. The Lord keeps granting mercy.
So Abraham keeps asking for mercy. The Lord is abundant in mercy. You never have to worry about
asking for so much mercy. His mercy will run out. Abraham
kept asking for mercy because the Lord's abundant in mercy. The scripture tells us that believers
can come boldly at all times. anytime you want, boldly before
God's throne of grace. Now, why can a sinner come so
boldly in the presence of Almighty God and continually ask for more
mercy? Why can we do that? Well, first,
we come boldly because of the Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice
has opened the way to God. He's opened the way to the throne
of grace. We don't have to go to a throne
of justice. We go to a throne of grace. Christ's blood, the
blood of his sacrifice, the blood that he shed for the sin of his
people has put that sin away. So God's people can come boldly
to the father, knowing that because of the sacrifice of Christ, because
of the power of his blood, there's no reason for the father not
to hear us. There's no reason for the father to cast us away.
The blood of Christ has made us without sin. So because of
the person of Christ, we can come boldly to the father. Second, we come boldly because
of God's grace that has made us children of God. Children
are not afraid of a good and loving father. I'm reminded of
a story Brother Mike Walker told. He was there somewhere in maybe
a conference or something. He had a sign on his door that
nobody come in. He was studying back there. Hail
of three-year-old granddaughter, Macy. And she found out that's
where her granddad was, and she went right on in. Somebody said,
wait a minute, that sign says don't go in there. And she said,
that doesn't mean me. She went in, Mike put her up,
put her right on, oh no, on his knee, yeah, she. A child has
no reason to ever fear coming into the presence of a loving
father. Our heavenly father is a good and loving Heavenly Father. We never have to be afraid coming
to His throne, begging Him for more mercy, like He's going to
get tired of us asking for mercy. Never! Because He's made us His
children. But now remember this, we come
to our Father boldly, but we come to Him humbly. Humbly. We come before a throne of grace,
but let's never forget, we're not talking to an equal here.
We're talking to God on the throne. It's a throne of grace, but it's
a throne. We're calling on our father who is in heaven, but
our father who is in heaven is almighty God too. So we speak
to him carefully and reverently. Isn't that how Abraham spoke
to the Lord? Verse 27, Abraham answered and said, behold now,
I've taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, and I'm but dust and
ashes. Verse 30, he said, oh, let not
the Lord be angry, and I'll speak. Verse 31, behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. In verse 32, oh, let not
the Lord be angry, and I'll speak yet but this once. Don't ever
be afraid to call on the Lord, asking for mercy, but remember
who you're talking to, and do it humbly. If that is the only
right way for the creature to talk to the creator, It's the
only right way for a child to talk to our father, isn't it?
It's the only right way. All right, number four. This
can be a tough one. When you intercede for someone,
yourself or someone else, intercede, ask God's mercy, and then wait
on the Lord. Verse 33, and the Lord went his
way. As soon as he had left communing
with Abraham, And Abraham returned unto his place. Abraham interceded
for Sodom and then the Lord went his way. He went his way to do
what it is that the Lord does. The Lord went his way to do what
God, only God can do by his sovereign will and his sovereign power.
And what did Abraham do? Abraham returned to his place.
Abraham went back to the tent door to do what men do, wait
on the Lord. Now isn't that a good pattern?
You see a good pattern when we intercede for each other with
the Lord. That's a good pattern. But the
real blessing and comfort for the hearts of God's people is
this is a picture of Christ our Savior interceding for His people
with the Father. I'm so thankful to ever find
out one of you is interceding and praying for me. I'm so thankful.
I thank God for that. But I tell you what I need. I
need Christ the Savior interceding for me with the Father. And Abraham
is a picture of Christ making intercession for his people,
but this is just a picture now. Abraham is just a two-dimensional
picture. It's not a three-dimensional
thing. It's a foggy picture. We see Christ in this through
a glass darkly. Here's why I say that. First
of all, when Abraham made intercession for Sodom, Abraham didn't know
if the Lord would grant his request or not, did he? He didn't know.
But when Christ, our mediator, makes intercession for his people,
the issue's not in doubt. Christ knows his Father will
give him what he asks. Because when Christ, our mediator,
makes intercession for his people, he's pleading the justice of
God. There's never a doubt that he's going to get what he asked
for because he's pleading for justice, what he purchased by
his death for his people. Now I know Abraham pleaded with
God's justice too. It wouldn't be right for you
to destroy the righteous with the wicked. Abraham said, that
just wouldn't be just. And you always do what just,
what is just, but Abraham didn't know. Is there any righteous
people in Sodom or not? I mean, he may have thought his
nephew Lot was, but he didn't know. Is there anybody there
righteous? He didn't know. When Christ intercedes
for his people, he knows the father is going to give him what
he asked for because our mediator is asking for what his blood
already purchased. His blood already paid the sin
debt for his people in full. So when he asked the father for
forgiveness, he knows he'll have it. Because payment has been
made. The Father already accepted the
payment. See, the Savior is not asking for a favor when he intercedes,
is he? We might feel like we're asking
God for a favor. Would you intercede for my friend?
Christ's not asking for a favor. He's asking for what his blood
purchased under God's justice. So our mediator knows this. He
knows the Father will be merciful to his people. because he bears
the scars, he already satisfied justice for them. The father's
not going to destroy his people. Christ already died in their
stead. There can be no condemnation to them where you're in Christ
Jesus, because Christ was already condemned for us. I want you
to think about what that means. For those of us who believe Christ,
what does that mean? Well, it means this. If the Lord Jesus Christ died
for our sins, I can tell you what he's doing this very moment. He's making intercession for
his people. If Christ died for our sins, the father hears that
intercession and we can never perish. If Christ is interceding
for you, you can never be punished for your sins and your failures
because Christ is already punished for you. Let me show you that
in Hebrews chapter seven. Hebrews chapter seven. In verse 25. Wherefore, he is able also to
save them to the uttermost, to come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Our mediator is never
off the job. He's always heard of the Father.
So he is able to save to the uttermost the worst sinners you
could ever think of who had come to God by him. If you trust Christ,
if you come to God by Christ, you can never perish, never. A second, Abraham knew his nephew
Lot was in Sodom. He probably figured Lot was a
righteous man. But he didn't know. Is there
anybody in that town? Is there anybody in that whole
plain that God will save? Is there anybody? Abraham didn't
know everybody he was interceding for. I heard that there was over
half a million people lived in that town of Sodom. Abraham didn't
know that many people. He didn't know. He didn't know
who he was interceding for. But Christ our Savior personally
knows every single person he makes intercession and he never
forgets. Look at Luke chapter 22. He never
forgets to intercede for his people. Nothing is going on that
is so great, that's so much bigger and more important than us, that
the Lord will forget to make intercession for one of his people. Luke 22, verse 31. The Lord is getting
ready to go be made sin for his people. What a night he's preparing
to have. In verse 31, can you imagine
what's on his mind? The suffering, what he's getting
ready to accomplish. And poor old Simon, Simon Peter,
is not so insignificant that the Savior doesn't stop to take
care of him. The Lord said, Simon, Simon. Behold, Satan hath desired
to have you, that he may shift his wheat, but I prayed for thee,
that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren. Now this was a prayer that the
Lord made for one of his sheep, specifically for Peter, that
his faith fail not. And you'll notice, the Lord had
no doubt his prayer would be answered. He's the mediator,
the Father always hears his intercession, because he says, when you're
converted, He didn't say if you're converted. He didn't say if you
survive this. Peter, when you're converted,
when you learn something and you grow up a little bit, strengthen
your brethren. He knew his prayer would be heard.
And sure enough, it was wasn't it? Peter stumbled, but his faith
in Christ didn't fail. And you know why it didn't fail?
Because the Lord made intercession for him. The Lord prayed for
him. Now in that great hour, I mean,
this is approaching the hour of hours. The Lord could stop
and not forget Peter, and not forget to pray for him, to make
intercession for him. I'm pretty confident nothing
else is gonna go on it so big that the Lord's gonna forget
to pray for you too. He prays this way for all of
his sheep in every situation. Now look back at our text again
quickly, verse 26. Genesis chapter 18. And the Lord said, if I find
in Sodom 50 righteous within the city, then I'll spare all
the place for their sakes. Now, if the Lord could have found
50 righteous in the city, that whole plane would have been spared
destruction for their sakes, for their sakes. Have you ever
wondered, our world has just gone so far off the rails, why
didn't the Lord just destroy us? Why didn't He just wipe out
this old thing right now? How could the Lord keep being
so patient with us? Well, I can tell you why. Because
of the righteous few that are left in it. Because of the righteous
few who have yet to be given saving faith in Christ. Maybe
they're not even born yet. And they're going to hear the
Gospel and believe on Christ. And the Lord does not destroy
this whole creation for that remnant sake, for the sake of
his people, the Lord cannot destroy this creation until all of his
people are taken out of it because he cannot and will not destroy
the righteous with the wicked and the savior sits at his father's
right hand. And I've told you this so often,
I love this. that he doesn't have to constantly
be saying, Father, forgive them, Father, forgive them, Father,
forgive them, forgive them for that one, forgive them for that
one. Father, I paid, now don't, don't, don't, wait a minute,
don't throw, hit him, strike him with lightning, I paid for
that. All he does is sit there beside his father with those
scars evident in his body. And that's all the intercession
that we need. The father's satisfied. But I wonder, I wonder, what
would it sound like to be in heaven right now and
hear the Son talking to the Father, making intercession for His people?
I think in general terms, I'm pretty sure of this, we'd hear
prayers that our sin be forgiven, that His people be given eternal
life and faith in Christ, that His people be preserved. for sure some specifics. I know
he prays for eternal life for his people, that we would know
God, that we'd be kept by his power, that we'd have joy in
Christ, that we'd be kept from evil, that we'd be given holiness,
that we would all be of one, one, one mind, one mind with
each other and one with Christ. He prays that we would all know
the father loves us. How do you know the Father loves
you? Because He crucified His Son for you. That's how you know.
And He prays that when our trip through this veil of tears is
done, that we be with Him in glory. I know that. How do I
know that? John 17. Look over there. Let's read it. John 17. This
is our Lord's great high priestly prayer. In short of glory, This is as
close as we are ever going to get to hearing the Savior make
intercession for us. And I thought as I was sitting
up here earlier as we were singing, I'm not going to add anything
to this. I'm not going to pray after I read this prayer of our
Savior. So this will serve as the close of the message and
our closing prayer. In light of everything we've
been talking about, listen to this. This is Christ making intercession
for His people. and he's gonna have everything
he asked for. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes
to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy
son, that thy son also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him
power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the
earth. I finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now,
O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine
they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given
me are of thee. For I've given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine, and all
mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them.
And now I'm no more in the world, but these are in the world, and
I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. While
I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. Those
that thou gavest me I've kept, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition that the scriptures might be fulfilled.
And now come I to thee, and these things I speak in the world,
that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them
thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not
that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify
myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also, which shall
believe on me through their word. That they all may be one, as
thou father art in me, and I in thee. That they also may be one
in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the
glory, which thou gavest me, I have given thee. that they
may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that
thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father,
I will, that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me,
for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. Oh,
righteous father, the world has not known thee, but I've known
thee. And these have known that thou
has sent me and I have declared under them thy name and will
declare it that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be in them
and I in them. Amen. All right. Sean, come lead
us in song.