In The Know Part 2: Intercession for the Future

Genesis 18:17-33 NKJV  And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,  (18)  since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?  (19)  For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”  (20)  And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,  (21)  I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”  (22)  Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.  (23)  And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  (24)  Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?  (25)  Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”  (26)  So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”  (27)  Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:  (28)  Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”  (29)  And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”  (30)  Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”  (31)  And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”  (32)  Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”  (33)  So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

• This morning, we continue talking about the fruits of friendship with God.
  • How wonderful it is to know God as a friend.
  • Last week we really flushed out this concept, that when we are saved and walking uprightly, as Abraham walked uprightly… when we practice pure religion and have a good relationship with God, then God no longer calls us simply servants, but He calls us friends.
    • And one of the perks, if you will, of friendship is that you get to know what God is doing!

John 15:14-15 NKJV  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  (15)  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

James 2:23 NKJV  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” And he was called the friend of God.

Genesis 18:17 NKJV  And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

• My strong desire for you, as your pastor, is that you would be born again, but not just born again… that you would be living for Christ in such a way that He calls you friend.
  • I want you to be more than a religious follow of Christ, though I certainly want you to practice pure religion, taking care of the widows and orphans and staying unstained from the world…
    • I want you to have good religion and good relationship, so much so that you truly can say “I am a friend of God”.
    • That you would walk WITH God and talk WITH God, as Abraham is literally and physically doing here… that this would not be a foreign concept, some story that you read that sounds a bit like a fairy tale… but that this would be the reality that you are living… a Christian who walks with and talks with his savior… who walks with and talks with his God.
      • This can be YOUR story. God can look down on you and say “That’s my friend”.
      • And once God sees you as friend, He will proclaim “Shall I hide from them what I am doing”?
      • When you are friends with God, you get to know the plans and strategies of the Lord. You get to know what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do… You get to be in the Know!

• In the know, part two: Intercession for the Future
  • Let’s Pray.

• So last week as we examined the first half of this passage we talked about three reasons that God tells us what He is doing…
  • Because that’s what is going on here, God is very intentionally telling His friend Abraham what He is doing… that’s what James says Jesus will do with His friends, He will very intentionally tell us what He is doing…
  • So we listed from this passage in Genesis three reasons God tells us what He is doing:
• THREE REASON GOD TELL’S US WHAT HE IS DOING
• 1) He Does Not Withold Good From His Friends
• 2) He is a Generational God
• 3) He Wants You to Intercede

• Now last week we went over the first two of these reasons.
  • First, God calls us friends if we obey His commands, that is what John 15:14 tells us, and then verse 15 shows us that God tells His friends what He is doing… that it is good for God to share with us, and God does not withhold good from His friends!
  • Second, God is a generational God. In the passage of Genesis we just read, God says “Shall I keep from Abraham what I am doing… For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD”.
    • Thus we talked about how we as parents and generationally minded Christians must be teaching our children and grandchildren what the Lord has done, is doing and will do…
      • That they need the hear the promises of God and see them come to fulfilment.
      • I can imagine Abraham bringing young Isaac down to the glass pit that will become of Sodom and Gomorrah and saying “See how the sand has turned to glass? There used to be two wicked cities here… the sin they committed cried out to God, and God brought me here to show me what He would do… and I watched as God did exactly what He said He would do, raining down fire and brimstone!”
        • Young Isaac could then see with his own eyes that God did exactly what God said He would do!
    • So this morning I want to focus on the third reason God tells us what He is doing: He Tells Us What He Is Doing Because He Wants Us to Intercede.
      • Let me put you in that sentence: God wants to tell YOU what He is doing because He wants YOU to intercede!
      • He wants you to be involved with His plans… He wants you to be a part of the process…
        • It is a beautiful dichotomy, Casting Crowns has a song about it from back when I got saved, the lyric that springs to mind is “How refreshing to know You don’t need me, How amazing to find that you want me!”.
          • God doesn’t NEED you to be a part of the process… but God WANTS you to be a part of the process…
        • Now, before we get into what that entails, I think we need to spend a little bit of time this morning talking about the justice of God, because in this discourse that Abraham has with God, at the center of it is the question of God’s righteous Justice…
        • So point one this morning “The Lord is Just, but not Unreasonable.”

Point One – The Lord is Just, but not Unreasonable

Genesis 18:20-21 NKJV  And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,  (21)  I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

• Would you notice here how God puts things into our perspective…
  • Humans, we are so quick to anger, aren’t we? We are so quick to wrath…
  • And I want to be clear that it is OK to be angry, it is OK to have wrath… there are things in this world that SHOULD anger you.
    • Sin should anger you.
    • Faithlessness should anger you.
    • Heresy should anger you.
    • The church mixing with the world should anger you.
    • People attacking God’s people should anger you.
      • It is ok to be angry, it is an attribute of God, after all, God get’s angry… He has wrath.
      • BUT HERE IS THE KEY. God’s Wrath is Just and Reasonable.
      • The Lord is Just. YHWY is Just, but not Unreasonable.
  • You see our anger can sometimes be unjust, can’t it… we hear a rumor and get angry…
  • We listen to some gossip and let it enrage us.
    • We see the meme, we read the headline, we are so quick to anger… and our anger is not always just.
      • But it should not be this way… instead as Christians we should be slow to Anger and we should be quick to listen… we should seek first to understand.

James 1:19 NKJV  So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

• God demonstrates this wisdom as He handles the issues with Sodom and Gomorrah.
  • He says “There is a great outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah, let me go down and see if this outcry is true… if they are really as evil as I am being told”.
    • Now this is an interesting thing for God to say… because God is Omniscient, right?
    • Why would God need to go down and see it, He should already know, shouldn’t He? He is all knowing after all…
      • Well, church, I think God here is going down to see it with His own eyes as an example to Abraham, and as an example to us.
      • God is saying “Don’t just listen to the outcry, see it with your own eyes! Seek to understand if there is truth in the outcry before you let your wrath build inside of you”.
        • In other words, church, never get mad because of a news headline… they are designed to drive you to wrath…
          • Instead read the article and do research… especially now in election season, so many headlines are manipulative and dishonest.
        • Saints, never let gossip sway your opinion of someone else… instead be the voice of reason and truth, when Gossip arise about someone you know, squash it “I don’t know, fam, I have only known that person to be loving and kind… let’s not gossip about it”.
        • When drama arises, choose first to understand, instead of choosing first to feel a certain way.
          • Feelings are liars and make horrible guides. Let truth and justice be your guide in all situations.
• Genesis 18:20-21 NKJV  And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,  (21)  I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
• God’s wrath is not a gut reaction… but God’s wrath is JUST.
  • If they have done what they are accused of, then God will pour out His wrath justly, and if not, God says “I will know”… meaning that He will have no wrath to pour out.
• But remember church, this message is called “in the Know”… and we are talking about why God want’s us in the know… And it is because God WANTS us to intercede… He wants us to be a part of the process… That is my second point this morning.

Point Two – The Lord Want’s us to Intercede

Genesis 18:23-26 NKJV  And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  (24)  Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?  (25)  Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”  (26)  So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

• First, notice how Abraham address YHWY here in this passage… He says to God “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right”.
  • Abraham recognize a couple of things… God is going to be VERY ANGRY when He sees what is happening in Sodom and Gomorrah… but also, that God is Just… and that the wrath of a Just God should not be poured out on the righteous.
  • So Abraham starts his line of petitioning the Lord by saying “God You are Just! You will do right! Therefore, here is my intercession…”
    • Then of course Abraham goes into this long intercession with the Lord… “Would you Spare the City for 50 righteous? Yes, awesome! What about 45, would you spare it for 45… what about forty? What about thirty? What about twenty? Lord would you spare the city for the sake of TEN righteous people? And of course, God being just, says that He would spare the city for 10 righteous people…

Genesis 18:32 NKJV  Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

• So throughout this dialog we see God’s reasonable wrath and complete Justice… But here is my suggestion to you…
  • One of the main reasons God kept His friend Abraham in the know was because God WANTED Abraham to have this conversation with Him.
  • God already knew who is righteous or not in the city.
    • God already knew Lot was there and would need rescuing.
    • God already knew that aside from lot, and maybe his daughters and wife… aside from the five of them there was no other righteous.
      • Interesting as it is, there was one, maybe five righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham’s intercession stopped at TEN… if there were TEN righteous… But that is nether here nor there…
    • God KNEW the whole situation, God knew every detail… yet I believe that God wanted Abraham involved in the process.
      • God wanted Abraham to intercede, and I think God wants us to intercede as well!

1 Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV  Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  (2)  for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  (3)  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,  (4)  who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

• I just want you to consider Abrahams intercession, his prayer, his pleading with God.
  • Abraham is pleading for the two most wicked cities ever to be known by man.
    • Abraham is crying out to God… but what about the righteous? What about the innocent? What about those who don’t participate in the wickedness?
    • Abraham does not ignore the fact that these cities are wicked… he doesn’t suggest that God is being to harsh… but Abraham does have a heart for the people.
      • So let me ask you, is this how you intercede Church?
      • Do you pray will all supplications, prayers, and intercessions for all men?
        • Or just the ones you like?
  • I know that I had to change the way I pray recently… I used to say “Turn the middle east into glass”.
    • Nuke Iran, level Palestine, destroy them all!
      • And people would push back “But what about the children, what about the innocent men and women‽”
      • And I would respond “Their blood is on the hands of the terrorists!”
        • But I don’t pray that way anymore… that is not how Abraham prayed.
      • Yes I know that Hamas and Hezbollah put rocket sites in school playgrounds, and they build military bunkers under hospitals and residential buildings… Yes I know they use human shields as a tactic…
        • I know that to be evil, for sure it is evil… but it is not the children’s fault, it is not the men and woman who are just trying to live their lives fault…
        • Do those children not deserve to hear the Gospel?
        • Do those men and women not deserve a chance to be saved?
        • Should we not desire that God would be patient with them as He was with us?
        • What about the terrorist themselves? Does 1 Timothy not say that we should pray for ALL men because God desires ALL men to be saved?
          • The terrorist DESERVE the wrath of God… but, dare I say it, so did we before Christ.
          • Christ died for them just as much as he did for me.
        • “But pastor how can you say that, these people live their lives killing God’s people!”
          • Yeah, and so did Paul… Paul was the middle eastern terrorist… there is no way around that fact… he murdered Christians for a living… And God saved him and used him.
• Listen Church… I am in the know… I know what is going to happen to the Middle East… I know what is going to happen to Gog and Magog, which I believe to be Russia and surrounding countries, I know what is going to happen to Israel… I am in the Know, God revealed it to me, and all of His friends through the book of Revelation.
  • Jesus talks about it in Matthew 24… saying we need to pray for those fleeing the wrath of God… because the tribulation will be so great that no one would survive if God did not cut the tribulation short.
• Church I have read and understand Romans one…
  • And when I look at our nation I see Romans chapter one being played out in front of me.
  • God has us in the know, telling us what He is going to do to our nation, in Romans Chapter one, if we do not repent.
    • Are we interceding for America like Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gammoroh?
      • Do you pray for Biden’s salvation?
      • Do you ask that our next president, be it Trump or Kamalah, would have a radicical encounter with God… that God would use them for the good of His Kingdom and the revival of this nation.
      • Do you intercede for your nation, church… Praying that the just wrath of God would not consume us, because there are still more to be saved…
        • Or, do you like so many other people, shake your fist.
          • THE DEMOCRATES WILL DESTROY THIS NATION WE CANT LET THEM BE ELECTED!
          • TRUMP IS GOING TO DESTROY THIS NATION WE CANT LET HIM BE ELECTED!
          • RFK… SOMEHOW… IS GOING TO DESTROY THIS NATION, WE CAN’T LET HIM GET ELECTED.
• What? NO! Stop being so quick to anger and wrath… you are IN THE KNOW… The Republicans are not going to destroy this nation, the democrats are not going to destroy this nation… the LGBTQ alphabet mafia is not going to destroy this nation…
  • No… GOD IS GOING TO DESTROY THIS NATION.
    • And you can blame the LGBTQ movement, you can blame the Democrats or the Republicans… but at the end of the day, the world is going to act like the world… the real blame, in my eyes, will be on the Christians… because God has so clearly shown us what He is going to do to our nation if we don’t repent… and we as God’s people are not praying, we are not turning from our wicked ways, we are not interceding as Abraham interceded.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV  if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

• So what is the inverse of this scripture? “If my people who are called by My name will not humble themselves, if they don’t seek my face, if they don’t pray, if they don’t turn from their wicked ways… Then I will not hear them from heaven, I will not forgive their sin, I will not heal their land.
  • If God’s wrath is poured out on our land, and we haven’t been interceding… then that is on US! As God’s people, that is on us! GOD WANTS US TO INTERCEED.
    • If you know someone who doesn’t love Jesus… God has you in the know… you know what will happen to them when they die.
      • Are you therefore interceding for them?
    • If you are counciling someone in unrepentant sin, and they refuse to repent… you are in the know… you know what God says will happen to them.
      • Are you interceding for them.
    • You see what is happening in our media, and our politics, in our public schools and local governments… You know how this ends…
      • Are you interceding for them?
    • When you see wickedness in the land do you shake your fist, or do you intercede…
      • “Lord, Your poured out your blood for that person, for those people… would you please save them before it is too late!”
      • “God you are just and gracious, all your ways are right. You were patient with me, be patient with them… draw them to you that they would repent before it is too late”
      • “God I don’t want my wayward children, or wayward husband, or wayward family, or wayward friends to die in their sin… Bring them back to the family of God!”
• This is how we intercede, church… we cry out, and we press in, we cry out, and we press in.
  • For the sake of fifty Lord, save them!
  • For the sake of forty five Lord, save them!
  • For the sake of thirty, YHWY, save them!
  • For the sake of twenty, God, save them!
  • For the sake of ten, Father, save them!
    • God if there are fifty people in Beirut Lebanon who have yet to hear the Gospel, spare them that they may receive you.
    • Jesus, if there are 40 Palestinians who need just one more chance to come to you, spare them.
    • Savior, if there are 30 Hamas terrorist who have never heard your name, be patient with them.
    • Jesus if there are 20 hurting homosexuals who have looked for love in all the wrong places, but not look towards you, draw them to you and repentance.
    • King of Kings and Lord of Lords, if it at all be possible, if there are 10 democrats in Washington who need one more chance to receive your saving grace, SAVE THEM LORD.
• Pray for your children who don’t know Jesus this way. Pray for your neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
  • Put their names on sticky notes and put it up where you pray. Seek the face of God, intercede for all people… GOD HAS PUT YOU IN THE KNOW… DO SOMETHING WITH THAT KNOWLEDGE! INTERCEDE AND KEEP INTERCEEDING… LIKE A WIDOW PLEADING BEFORE A JUDGE… LIKE A MAN ASKING FOR BREAD AT MIDNIGHT. DON’T GIVE UP UNTIL THE JUDGE HEARS YOUR CASE, UNTIL THE MAN GETS OUT OF BED AND BRINGS YOU BREAD.
    • God has put you in the know so you can intercede.
      • And don’t worry, Hamas, if they don’t repent, is getting what is coming to them.
      • Hezbollah, if they don’t repent, will receive the just and reasonable wrath of God.
      • You won’t see me shedding a tear when God drops fire and brimstone down upon the wicked and vial Sodom and Gomorrah…
        • But while there is still time, while I am walking with and talking with God… I will intercede for His patience and grace and mercy.

James 2:13 NKJV  For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Conclusion

• Today I just want to conclude with the Gospel…
  • Because it is the Gospel that saves… it is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that any are found to be righteous.
    • Abraham said “If you find but 10 righteous” but Jesus said “None one is  good except for God”
    • Abraham said “If you find but 10 righteous would you spare them” but Romans 3:10 says there is none righteous not even one.
      • So then if everyone is wicked and no one is righteous, how can anyone be saved… This is a great mystery church… but if you obey the commands of Christ, then you are His friend… and He reveals His mystery to His friends.

Colossians 1:26-28 NKJV  the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.  (27)  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  (28)  Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

• The mystery has been revieled to His saints, that means to those who are saved, if you are saved and living for Christ the Bible calls you saints… the mystery is revealed to you, to His friends… that Christ can come and live in us and through Him and His righteousness we can be made righteous, we can be made perfect… therefore it is our job to preach Christ to every man!
  • So at CLC we preach the gospel of Christ every service.
• Gospel Call

Join us this Sunday at either 8:30AM or 10:30AM for worship followed by this message from the Word of God. Christian Life Church of Cedar Rapids. 2808 Schaeffer DR SW, Cedar Rapids, IA   52404. www.CedarRapidsChurch.com