I do appreciate your kind words. I'm not sure if it's my age or whether it's the spirit of the living God, or maybe it's just the fear of you folks. I don't know what this is, but I really feel emotionally moved. Before coming out here, I was contemplating what was going on in Peru. And boy, how in the world am I going to get through all this? This is amazing. But they are persevering in Lima, Peru this morning preaching the word, for which I give thanks. Please know that you're part of all that. You were instrumental. If you had not stood with us, we could not have gone. So I praise the Lord. I give thanks for you. And we have stood together. And great things have been accomplished. Wow. I'm going to preach on Sodom and Gomorrah this morning. It's probably not the appropriate passage, but it's... Last week we were in Genesis 18. We focused upon Sarah, her relationship. to Abraham, the news that in her advanced age, she would bear a child, and there would be this established godly line through which the Redeemer would come. Wow, that was great. Now this week, I'm going to continue in the same chapter. However, we're going to focus upon Abraham and his intercessory prayer for Sodom. So the reading of God's word will continue here in Genesis chapter 18 and verses 22 through 33. So the men turned from there and went towards Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are 50 righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the 50 righteous who are in it? 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? And the LORD said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake. Abraham answered and said, Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the LORD, I who am but dust to ashes. 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 45 there. And he spoke to him and said, suppose the 40 are found there. He answered, for the sake of 40, I will not do it. And he said, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak, suppose 30 are found there. And he answered, I will not do it if I find 30 there. He said, behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose 20 are found there. He answered, for the sake of 20, I will not destroy it. Then he said, oh, let the Lord be angry, and I will speak again. But this one, suppose 10 are found there. He answered, for the sake of 10, I will not destroy it. And the Lord went his way. when he had finished speaking to Abram. And Abraham returned to his place. Now this passage is unique in a number of ways because it gives us a glimpse of the pre-incarnate Son of God. It's also special because it can be viewed as a prayer. You see and hear something of the nature of God. But you also see within this passage the certainty of divine judgment and justice, and it vividly displays the necessary work of the Redeemer, the heart of God, His provision. So as we look at this, let's ask God's blessing and guidance as we study the Word. Sovereign Lord, creator of heaven and earth, we approach you through the work of Jesus Christ, the righteous one. Guide us, direct us. May we have a sense of your presence, spirit of the living God, come upon us now. We pray through Jesus, our risen Lord. Amen. Now back in verse 16 we see that the men rose after eating and sharing the prophetic word about the child to come. Sarah was taken back. And after all of this, then Abraham went with them for a time. walking with them, which was customary according to the culture and the traditions of the time. It was traditional for a host to escort the guests a little way. And that's also true today in Latin America, especially guests are generally accompanied out of the house. It's a common courtesy. You don't say goodbye to the folks at the door and let them go. No, no, you walk out and you see them off. And it was at this point that the Lord said, and I'm quoting from verse 17, shall I hide from Abraham what I'm about to do? Now the one who spoke, to Abraham was none other than the Lord, a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus. In theology, it's called a theophany or a Christophany. So this passage, it's unique because of the appearance of Jesus, the appearance of Christ. Now, we don't have a lot of detail, but it is with him that Abraham begins to intercede. Abraham was informed about the coming judgment and he began to intercede for the city. And it's a prayer. James Montgomery Boyce remarked that this is a remarkable example of prayer. The prayer of intercession. It's the first in all the Bible. It's remarkable on God's part that He would allow Abraham to negotiate with Him. It's remarkable on Abraham's part, too. And it shows the degree to which Abraham had progressed in his friendship, fellowship, relationship with God. Now, I'd like to divide our thoughts, our study this morning, into three parts. First of all, we really need to see and recognize the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Secondly, the certainty of divine judgment. And then we'll conclude, and this will be the part that's the most difficult for me. It's the wonder of divine grace. Let's begin with the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It's a biblical expression. The short, generic letter of Jude, the earthly brother of Jesus, described the nature of sin in graphic terms, speaking of the ungodly, and there are ungodly deeds, there are ungodly speeches, and how all this was given by ungodly sinners. Jude went on to describe them as filthy dreamers, defiling the flesh, despising dominion, speaking evil of dignitaries. They are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts. And the ESV describes them as loudmouth boasters, showing favoritism just to gain advantage. And then Jude goes on to mention Sodom and Gomorrah. in the surrounding cities as another example of the exceeding sinfulness of sin as they indulge in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desires and serve as an example for us by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." That was from Jude. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can also be described as self-exaltation, pride. I'm sure, considering the average age of this congregation, I am sure you remember the popular song going back to the 50s or 60s, I'll do it my way. It was performed so well by Frank Sinatra. It was released March of 1969. And I would acknowledge that many have been encouraged by that particular tune. And some have used it to persevere in very difficult circumstances, whether family problems, a terminal disease, it's been used. So I'm not totally discounting this tune. And if you want to hum it after the service, it's OK with me. However, there's a theme that runs through this popular song that undermines the needed dependence upon God that we must have if we are to know Him and walk with Him. Because it's void of any sense of humility and it displays a sense of pride and hope in self. Now, here's an example of the lyrics. I'm just going to read this. Now the end is here, and so I face that final curtain. My friend, I'll make it clear. I'll state my case of which I'm certain. I've lived a life that's full. I've traveled each and every highway and more, much more. I did it my way. For what is a man? What has he? If not himself, then he has not. To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows and did it my way. Yes, my way. This is a theme that is so prevalent in our culture today, and it was also dominant in Sodom. Those in Sodom would have insisted that they had their rights, it was their time, it was their way, it was their choice, and it was their bodies. Now this is the part of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It is a demonstration of self-centeredness or selfishness. It's pride. Now this can be displayed as a quiet demonstration of rebellion against established authority. or an open manifestation of rebellion with a clenched fist raised in anger against God's rule and dominion. However, no matter how is it expressed, it is exceedingly sinful, and it cannot be confined to just the individual making the expression. And what I mean is that the exceeding sinfulness of sin carries residual effects. The effect of sin, your pride, your self-centeredness, your lust, it's not just a little splash or a ripple of one. but it is more like a stone which is thrown into a placid pool producing ripples or a little wave that crosses the entire pond. What I'm saying is that a display of unbelief, self-centeredness, pride, lust cannot be limited to the perpetrator. Sin is exceedingly sinful. It is contagious and it will touch everyone around you. In Jeremiah chapter 32, the prophet addressing his Lord said, You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts. You see, this is the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It's a cancer that grows and spreads. It's not just you and your private little sin or your twisted moral values or your thoughts and habits or your doubts. It is the effect that your unregenerate thoughts will have upon those around you, children, your children's children, friends, and community. When Moses received the second commandment, he was told, I'm quoting from Exodus chapter 20 in verse 4, you shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God. The commandment did not end there. It continues saying that the Lord your host visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me. but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." Now, this means that a disregard for the second command will have a ripple effect and be passed down as a generational sin infecting the children's children. You see, this is one of the most horrible aspects of sin. which is that it often infects and harms other people, especially those closest to the person committing the sin. Now, I would add that this cycle of sin and suffering, it can be broken through repentance, but the exceeding sinfulness of sin must be viewed as a lion that would devour us. Now, would you like to do it your way? Sodom did. Sodom wanted to do it their way, and it is all exceedingly sinful. Sodom had to be destroyed with everyone within it. Everyone. or the ripple effect would have corrupted even more of the world around them. Now, that brings us to the certainty of divine judgment. The Lord said that the cry of the wickedness of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had reached Him. The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grievous, exceedingly sinful, that I will go down and I'll see what they've done to see if it isn't as bad as the outcry which has reached me. This is not only saying that God knows and He hears, but that He comes down and He is involved in our lives. God is not ignorant of any wickedness. You cannot hide it from Him. He's not indifferent to any cry of the oppressed. When Cain killed Abel, God said, What have you done? Listen, your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. It cannot be hidden. It will be exposed. And now the destruction of Sodom, it's a warning of the certainty of God's ultimate judgment on all sin. God wanted Abraham to understand this truth and to pass it on to his children and to his children's children, and we have it here this morning. The apostle Peter wrote, that he condemned, this is 2 Peter 2.6, he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly. It's the certainty of divine judgment. R.G. Lee. was a Southern Baptist minister who pastored the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee for years. He also served as a president of the Southern Baptist Convention for a number of years. His best known sermon was entitled, Payday Someday. It is said that he preached that sermon, and this was before videos and sermon audio and all of this, but he preached that sermon over 1,200 times in pulpits across the United States. Payday Someday. It starts off with an introduction to the major characters. There was Naboth, the devout Israelite, and then there was Ahab. And he described him in these terms. He said, that vile human toad who squatted upon the throne of his nation, the worst of Israel's kings. And then, the wicked queen Jezebel, he described her as the evil genius of her dynasty. And the main thrust of this sermon reminds us that no sinner can escape the wrath of God. Payday will come someday for every rebel. It is a certainty of divine judgment, and the only way to escape the coming payday is through Jesus Christ. Quoting R.G. Lee, he said, did God mean that he said, Or was he playing a prank on royalty? Did payday come, really? Payday someday? It is written in the constitution of God's universe. The retributive providence of God is a reality as certainly as the laws of gravitation are a reality. And to Ahab and Jezebel payday came as certainly as night follows day because sin in itself carries the seed of its own fatal penalty. the certainty of divine judgment fell on the people of Sodom. And the outcry of their wickedness was made worse by the many displays of mercy that they had received. They had witnessed the power and the grace of God more than any of the other cities in Canaan. When they had been defeated by the four kings of the east, It was God, through his servant Abraham, who rescued them and delivered them from slavery. They had had contact, and undoubtedly they had heard of the life and the testimony of Melchizedek, and had witnessed the example of Melchizedek interacting with Abraham. And then later, Lot was a witness to Sodom to some degree, though the witness must have been weakened by his indecisive life. However, these testimonies were utterly ineffective for Sodom and Gomorrah were concerned because they were completely indifferent to the reality that sin demands judgment. Now at the same time we have the prayerful intercession of Abraham and this highlights the wonder of sovereign grace. As we begin this section, I would mention that Abraham began with a rhetorical question, and it's found in verse 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? Now that is rhetorical. In other words, It is a question asked in order to create a dynamic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. Of course God is just. Of course God will do what is right. He is saying that it is impossible for him to do anything that is perverted or unjust. God will do what is right. Abraham is saying that God will act according to His nature. This is the premise. God is just, He is pure, He's holy, He's righteous. Man by his fallen nature is unjust, impure, and sinful. Quoting Romans chapter 3 and verse 10, there's none righteous, no not one. No one understands. No one seeks God. All have turned aside together. They've become worthless. No one does good, not even one. We are all accountable to God. He is our only hope. He is the ultimate judge of all creation, and He is worthy of all praise and all adoration. This is the premise. And it is theologically sound. All authority rests with God. He alone is the supreme ruler. And he can raise up and he can put down. This is wonderfully illustrated by Isaiah in chapter 40. When he asked the question, who has measured the spirit of the Lord? Or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult? Who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice and taught him knowledge or showed him the way of understanding? The Lord is supreme. Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are accounted as the dust on the scales. Behold, he takes up the coastlines like fine dust. Our Lord is sovereign, and he does what is right. And this is what Abraham was expressing. And he not only expressed it, but he did so humbly. Abraham spoke well when he said, I am nothing but dust and ashes. He wasn't lifting himself up. But the wonder of grace is brought to the front as Abraham was allowed to interrogate God. The questioning revolved around the possibility of a reprieve based upon the application of the righteousness of one group to another. And God allowed himself to be interrogated. Wow. This is an unexplainable wonder of grace. This interaction with God and then also righteous for the unrighteous. It's an amazing concept that Abraham was just beginning to understand as he spoke with the very son of righteousness. This brings me to the principle of transferral or transmission. And this began back with Adam, who was a legal representative of the whole human race. And as a representative, when he fell, he brought us all down so that we are born with a fallen nature. This is a biblical doctrine, one which is perhaps easier for some cultures to understand than others. For example, a communal culture can more easily understand how the scent of one individual might affect the whole. It's a little harder for our present generation in the United States as we stress individuality more than a communal concept. However, the biblical pattern is that of one representative for the whole. And this is what Paul explains so well in his letter to the Romans and to the Corinthians, quoting Romans 5 to 12. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all have sinned." In other words, the concept that everyone is his own Adam is not correct. I am a born sinner, and because of the representative principle, found an Adam. However, if this is true, we should also recognize the converse of the negative exchange. There can also be a transfer of blessings or a benefit which can be passed from one group to another based upon righteousness, and this might easily be understood in a communal culture. For example, Laban's flocks were multiplied for Jacob's sake. It was a transfer. Potiphar prospered because Joseph worked for him. There was a benefit. God saved all those who were traveling to Rome by ship with Paul because Paul was with them. It was a transfer. And Paul wrote to the Corinthians that unbelieving husbands were to be sanctified by their believing wives. 1 Corinthians 7.14 For the believing husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. You see, it is not that they were converted, but that the influence of the believing spouse would put them and their children in a believing position, in a better position to hear and to understand the gospel. See the transfer? And so Abraham, in prayer, he acted upon the assumption that mercy might be extended to Sodom based upon the presence of others who were righteous or right with God. In other words, that they would benefit from the goodness or the right living of others. Again, this transfer of benefit from one group to another was understood, especially in the communal culture. Well, there are some characteristics of this prayer that should be found in our prayers. For example, there is true humility here, but it's also combined with a certain boldness and a persuasive perseverance. There's nothing state or formal. There's an interchange. And this is how Abraham prayed. But it was not because those of Sodom merited mercy. They were corrupt, sensual. They were self-indulgent, self-reliant. They were completely indifferent to the authority of the Creator God. They had no relationship with Abraham, nor with his God. But yet, Abraham prayed for them. and was based upon the concept that the Lord of the Universe would do right. He's just. Abraham does not plead that the wicked may be spared for their own sake, or because it would be just too severe to destroy them, but rather on the basis of a possible transferable righteousness that would preserve them and would be all of grace. And so Abraham, in prayer, he said, will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of 50 righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you. Will not the judge of all the earth do right? He was resting on that premise. It was only righteousness and only the application of righteousness that could be made as a plea before God. It was not only by, it was not by downplaying the law or by making excuses for Sodom. but by pleading for the application of a righteousness that was not their own. Now, this plea was being made to the one who, according to Hebrews, was made perfect, who became the source of eternal salvation to all who would obey him, being designated by God as a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. So the negotiation began with 50, but Abraham knew that that would be impossible, so he reduced it by five. What if the number of the righteous is five less than 50? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people? Now again, remember, who was speaking to Abraham? It is the pre-incarnate Christ. It is the son of all righteousness. And he said, if I find 45 there, I will not destroy it. And once again, Abraham spoke to him. What if only 40 are found there? And the conversation continued. We can almost sense Abraham starting to become animated. Three? How about 20? Why not 10? Abraham said, may the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just one more time. One, if only 10 can be found there. He answered, for the sake of 10, I will not destroy it. But it is here that the prayer ended. Abraham could go no further. Verse 33, when the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left. And Abraham returned home. The prayer concluded. Abraham went home. There was nothing more to be said because Abraham knew that 10 could not be found. However, if Abraham had continued, the next question would have been to ask that if there was one righteous person, if one could be found, Could not the city be spared? But Abraham never asked that question about the one because he knew that there were none righteous there. No, not one, not even a lot. No one could have been able to stand as a righteous representative sufficient to extend hope to the unrighteous. And so he was silent, the prayer ended, and the city was judged. Now, we might think that Abraham failed in his prayer. He stopped praying. He returned home. Now, of course, Lot did escape, but the city was destroyed. However, what Abraham could not see at the time was that he had touched upon the essence of the gospel in his prayer, and he had opened up. He had exposed the wonder of grace. Through Him all the nations would be blessed, because through Him a perfect Redeemer and a righteous substitute for sinners would come into the world. This was given for those who would follow in anticipation of God's great provision. What a wonder of grace. In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 5.21, Paul explained that Jesus became our substitute, the righteous one for the unrighteous, to bring a people to himself based upon the work and righteousness of Christ. Nothing of us, all of him, to him be the glory. That's the wonder of grace. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, that in him we might become the righteousness of God. You see, the perfect righteousness of one was imputed. It was given to a chosen people, but in return, the righteous one would become a sin bearer of all the guilt and filth. And that's the glorious interchange. Now in Spanish, this is the part that's the hardest for me. Because when I was working through this, I had to wipe away the tears. In Spanish, there's a hymn entitled, Glorioso Intercambio. And we don't have it in English. That's our loss. But I'd like to share with you just a portion of the chorus because it upholds what we have before us here this morning. And it goes like this. He took my wickedness upon me. His righteousness by faith is mine. You see, it all reflects 2 Corinthians 5.21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. You see it? It's an unbelievable display of love, the righteous for the unrighteous. It concludes with these words, Alleluia. Glorioso intercambio. Hallelujah! What a glorious interchange! Oh, quán gran misterio! Que por gracias suavos soy! Oh, what a great mystery that by grace I am saved! Did you see it? Can you feel it? Spurgeon wrote at one time, though the dead cannot, The wicked will not, and the careless do not praise God, yet we will shout hallelujah forever. You see, if you understand this truth, if it's been applied personally, You will. There's something within us that will shout hallelujah. It's a glorious interchange. We have what we do not deserve. He took our guilt on the sin. He died for sinners that we could live. This is the wonder of grace. There's the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the certainty of divine judgment, but now there's hope. My dear friends, do you have that hope? If you have it, rejoice in it. Lift His name, sing His praises, participate in the Lord's Supper, worship Him, and may Jesus receive glory. That's the wonder of grace. If you've seen it, then you will bless the Lord from this time forevermore. Praise the Lord. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the work of Jesus. And we pray that you would strengthen us now through the feast that's laid out for us, that we might remember his redemption, his work, that he might receive glory as we pray in his blessed name. Amen.