FATHER ABRAHAM (pt. 7)

How many times have you negotiated with God?

Sometimes we intertwine our negotiating skills with our relationships.

God’s grace comes before His justice.

Grace Invites Us into Conversation (Prayer)

God’s justice is real, but His first move is grace.

God’s justice protects the integrity of His grace.

Justice IS NOT the opposite of grace.

Where have you lowered your standards of personal holiness under the excuse that “God’s grace will save me”?

Who are you praying for that doesn’t believe in Jesus?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

You're listening to the New Beginnings Church podcast from Delaware Live. To learn more about the New Beginnings Church, visit us online at Delaware NewBeginnings.com. Today's message is from Pastor David Porter.

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So uh we're continuing with Abraham, our story of Abraham, where our overlying theme is faith isn't a straight line of perfect performance. It's a messy journey of relying entirely on God's grace. And I ask this every week how many of you have had a messy journey this week? Just a few of us? Alright, alright. We'll do some convicting today. How many of us have bought a car? Probably most of us. How many of us enjoy haggling with the salesman? Terry, that does not surprise me. Are you one of those guys that wastes all his time so he doesn't mess with anybody else? Nice. I knew I liked you. I mean, really, it's about the negotiations. You know, there's that dance between you and the salesman, or maybe you're selling your car and there's the dance between you and the buyer. One starts high, the other one goes low, and you kind of do this until you guys what? Settle on what you feel is a fair price, even though the seller always feels like he or she's not getting enough, because you know we want as much as we can. But my question for you is this how many times have you negotiated with God? How many times have you haggled with God on some things? God, if you just would. You ever prayed that? I I've prayed that a lot. If you would just do this, or if you would just, I just need this, God. If you were to do this, then I will do this. I think it's a natural habit for us. We live in a world of negotiating where we got to negotiate a lot of different things, but sometimes we begin to intertwine our negotiating skills within our relationships, too. You ever caught yourself doing that? Whether it's your relationship with God or your relationship with your spouse or your best friend or your neighbor, you know, if you don't stop shooting off fireworks, it's a negotiation, isn't it? Had to have fun with that one. We're going to, I think we're going to see today, Abraham negotiates with God, but not in a way that we're maybe used to seeing. Uh, he does it as an intercessory for the people of Sodom and the people of Gomorrah. And in set uh, I'm sorry, intercessory negotiations. In fact, you could probably call them like a mediator or an arbitrator in this time. My hope today is that we come to understand this because we're not gonna completely be preaching about Sodom and Gomorrah itself, but I hope we see this: that God's grace comes before his justice. I mean, we all know the story. Does everybody know the story somewhat of Sodom and Gomorrah? You know, I think most of us do. I mean, I even learned it in Sunday school, and and and usually we we focus on the story of what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah. And I don't want to focus so much on the story in Genesis chapter 19. I want to focus on the second half of Genesis 18, if you will, the precursor of what happens before Sodom and Gomorrah. Now let's just take us back a couple, three, four weeks in Genesis 13 and 14. If you remember, after Abraham goes to Egypt, comes back with Lot, and they have all this, all these herds. You remember they had to divide that Abraham had stayed in the promised land. Lot went over to uh Sodom so that because the land just couldn't handle all that they had. And so in that time frame, then a war happened, a regional war with Sodom being part of it. Lot was there. And remember, Abraham went all Chuck Norris-like, and he went and he saved Sodom and Lot. Well, we don't hear much from them, except now we we start to hear in the story of 18 and 19 that Sodom has kind of went down this, if you will, slippery slope of sin. And Lot has stuck around. He still lives there. And what we'll hear in our reading is that the angels go to Sodom, uh, but then once they get there, they go to become guests at Lot's house. And the people of Sodom, they they see these guests are there, and and and I think the best way we can put it is this is they plan to violently assault the guests. Well, Lot, angels warn Lot, this is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels warn Lot to take his wife and his daughters and to flee. And there was also the command of don't look back. And we all know the story, what happens? Sarah looks back and she turns into, or Sarah, Lot's wife turns back and turns into a pillar of salt. So that's the story we know of Sodom and Gomorrah in chapter 19. It's a chapter that teaches us moral compromise, the refusal to turn from sin even after God's warning, God's justice and his judgment are shown. But what many people think of Sodom and Gomorrah when they think of this story is this. What a great example of an angry, unjust God. You ever heard anybody say that about that? How can a God do that? How can a, you call your God loving, how would a loving God destroy a whole city because of what they choose to do? Now, I don't know about you, but rules, I believe, are established to keep us what? On the on the right path, the good path. And typically when rules are established, the consequences are set as well. So as parents, we do this, right? Don't do that, or you're gonna be grounded. Don't do that, or there's gonna be a uh some kind of punishment. Uh we we have this in jobs, we we have our operating procedures, we have these things. This is how you do it. If you don't do it this way, here's the consequence. And it's not even bad consequences. With our rules come good consequences, too. If you do it this way, here's the good consequence. You know, you're gonna rise up in the company, whatever it might be, but rules come with consequences. What maybe we don't realize when we think about rules and consequences is this that they're filled with grace. That grace is the underlying theme, if you will, of rules and consequences. If you do this, this good thing could happen. If you do this, this bad thing could happen. You can even say that it keeps our relationships intact. When Tracy and I were married, we took vows, we promised, we set the rules that we would be what? One. That we would be one, that there would be nobody else in our lives. And if one of us were to break that rule, there would be consequences. It's the same thing with our relationship with God. That's why we say sin breaks our relationship with God, because we are literally cheating on God when we do things that God has called us not to do. And so what I hope we see this week in this precursor to Sodom and Gomorrah is that God's grace comes before his judgment. That God isn't a vengeful God, but a merciful, grace-filled, just, and righteous God. Because of what he does before justice and judgment. So let's read uh Genesis 18, verses 16 to 19, first here. Now remember, this takes place right after last week. We talked about Sarah and her laughing about having a child. So this takes immediately right after that part. When the men got up to leave, they looked down towards Sodom, and Abraham walked with them along with them to see them on their way. This was hospitality again. You know, we would walk someone to the door and then sit at the door for a half hour before someone actually leaves. What I read was, and I didn't know that this until this week, that they would actually get on their horse or their camel or whatever, or walking and walk with them for a mile or two as they left. So it was a really long Midwest goodbye. Really. So he walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him. What might you hear in these verses? Well, the first thing I hear is the repetition of a promise. We hear this a lot with Abraham, don't we? Like just about every week we we hear the repetition that Abraham is gonna be the father of many nations, and many great people are gonna come from Abraham and from Sarah. Oh, it's all gonna happen. But but what about that question? Should I hide from Abraham what I'm about to do? What do you think that might mean? Here's what I think it means: it's an invitation into a conversation. This is God's grace inviting Abraham into conversation. God invites us into a conversation with him. Then we do this through prayer. Before God even follows through on his justice and his judgment, what does he do? Does he just get up and do it? How many times have we said, Oh, I can't believe he's doing that. I'm going to take care of it right now. God pauses. The Lord is patient. God doesn't need to explain himself. We have no right to get any explanation from God because he is God of the universe. We believe that he is full of love and he is full of truth and he is righteous. He doesn't have to explain his decisions to us. And yet, what does he do? He invites Abraham into a conversation and he discloses his plans because of what is happening over at Sodom. This is just another example, at least for me, that within the mess of this world and within the darkness of sin, that God's grace goes before. That we don't always work walk the perfect straight line, that we live a messy journey, totally relying on God's grace. And so God's grace goes before his justice. And so God is inviting Abraham into a dialogue before Abraham even knows what's going on. I mean, he just they just finished up a conversation with Sarah, and he was gonna have a son, an heir. I believe this shows us, one, that God's justice is real, but two, and I think this is even more important, but his first move is always grace. God's justice is always real, but his first move is always grace. His grace precedes his judgment, his judgment, his justice. In fact, I think we can say that grace envelops his justice, that his justice is grace. And yet we wonder how does such a good and gracious and loving God, why, why, why must he still be one of justice and judgment? Well, let's hear why in this case, in verses 20 to 21. Then the Lord said, The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin is so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know. What do you hear? There's an outcry that there's this distressful cry. And it's interesting because there's some dialogue on if this is a literal or a figurative outcry. Were people literally outcrying to God in distress? Or was this like Cain and Abel, where the blood of Abel cried out to the Lord for the grievous sin that had just happened? Just an interesting perspective that I read. Never thought of it that way. But whatever it was, what do we know? That it was so grievous, the sin was so grievous, it's almost as if God quantifies this sin right now. That it's so bad that he says, I've got to investigate it. The cries are so loud, I have to go see if what I am hearing, what I am feeling, whatever it might be with God, is true. I failed as a father at times, and and I think one of the greatest ways, and Tracy and I have talked about this, is that one of the greatest ways that we failed as parents was let's see if any of you have done this, not always following through. Anybody? That that that you say, here's the rules, and if you don't do this, then this is gonna happen. And there, I would set the rules, I would speak the consequences, and and and sometimes I just wouldn't follow through. Still figuring out that grace piece. Well, grace is forgiveness. If I forgive him, will he go, oh dad forgave me, I'm gonna change my ways. Boy, that doesn't work all the time, does it? Now, I love my son, but I also know he's pretty smart, and he figured out how to use grace as a loophole. Well, Dad, you're a pastor. Aren't you supposed to be teaching forgiveness? Haven't we done that though? Haven't we done that? Oh, I know I did that, but they should have more grace than that. When we use grace as a loophole, it weakens the integrity of grace. And justice, when justice has to happen or discipline or consequences happen, we go, well, that just isn't fair. I was only doing 100 miles an hour and a 55. Why do I get a $400 fine and points off my ticket? Everybody does it. Can't they have a little more grace? Can't they knock it down for me? See, we we do things like that. I've never gotten a speeding ticket that bad. Just letting you know. I've had my share of speeding tickets, not that. God's justice, God's justice protects the integrity of grace. If there were no consequences to actions, would we need grace? Would grace even we would even need a savior? If there were no consequences to actions, to the sin in our lives, we wouldn't need any of that. But God acknowledges the outcry against the cities. And if God were to ignore the outcries, he isn't being a gracious God. He is actually what? He would be he would be cruel to the victims of those who are victimized, who were the weakest, the least of these. Do you see where I'm going here? These are the ones that Jesus did what? He went to and he loved. Justice is vital in our lives, not just in the human world, but also in, if you will, or spiritual sense within our souls. But here's what I want us not to think is that justice is different than grace, because justice is not the opposite of grace. Justice is not the opposite of grace. Justice is grace for the oppressed. It is the boundary that keeps grace from being cheap or even a loophole. It helps keep the integrity of grace. And so hearing that can bring us into this tension, right? It brings us in. If God is just and judges sin, then can we truly survive? Can any of us truly survive on our own? Well, we know the answer is no, as followers of Jesus. And it's because God's love is active. It's because God is love, it's because God wants people to be saved. He wants all people to be saved. Sin doesn't care. It doesn't care. And so God's mercy exhausts every option before his justice, before his judgment. Let's read verses 22 to 33, the rest of 18 here. The men turned away and went towards Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. So the angels went. Then Abraham approached him and said, Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? You hear that intercessory going on here, this negotiation? Are even the good gonna be swept away with the bad? 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 the 50 righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing. He's pleading with God here, the character of God, the God of love, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you. Will you not, will not the judge of all the earth do right? Now you you can go, that's pretty bold, isn't it? And yet, what do we know about Abraham? He's righteous, he has great faith. And so he's not trying to get one over on God, he's pleading because he knows the character of God. He knows who God is and how much God loves his world. And so the Lord said, verse 26, if I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake. Then Abraham spoke up again. Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am not though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for a lack of five people? If I find forty-five there, he said, I will not destroy it. Once again he spoke to him, What if only forty are found there? He said, For the sake of forty, I will not do it. Then he said, May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there? And he, the Lord, answered, I will not do it if I find thirty there. Abraham said, Now, now that I've been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there? And he said, For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it. Then he said, May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. I probably would have been sent to my room by now. Right, Ma? What if only ten can be found? And he answered, For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it. When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left and Abraham returned home. Intercessory negotiations. We call it intercessory prayer. Praying on the behalf of somebody. And on this prayer, I believe, in this discussion, in these negotiations, Abraham is saying, God, your grace comes before your justice. Goes from 50 righteous, negotiates all the way down to 10 righteous. And every time God concedes, this is not a reluctant parent. This isn't a reluctant God. This is a God of mercy. This is a God of grace. This is a God of love. But there is a debt to be paid, there is justice to be given. But His justice is wrapped in grace.

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God

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Is open for a way to save. God is willing to spare the vast majority for the faith of a few. For the faith of ten. And so he waits until the absolute last moment, until all options are exhausted. I wonder why Abraham stopped at ten. I mean he was bold enough to go down from fifty. We don't know how many people were in Sodom at that time. Rough guess is about two thousand people. Ten people out of two thousand people. Anybody really good at math, really quick? Half a percent. Half a percent of the population. Abraham was asking for half a percent of the population to be righteous, to believe in God. And the tragedy is that ten people could not be found out of around 2,000 people. That's the tragedy of it all. We had Lot, we had his wife, we had his two daughters. There's four. Now his two daughters, if you go and read 19 this week, which I encourage you to, his daughter, the daughters were actually engaged, but they thought this was all a joke, so they stayed in town. Couldn't even find 10. And we know what happened to Lot's wife because she didn't obey as well. So really, three, if you will, survive. Can you think of another time in the gospels in which grace was given to the very last moment? I I come to the thief on the cross. Whole life. Whole life of breaking laws, being nothing but a menace to society. On the cross, he knows that he should be there, but he also knows that Jesus should not be. And he has this conversation. I don't know if I'd call it negotiation, but I guess you could a little bit. Will you remember me? Today, truly, you will be with me in paradise to the very last moment. God's grace, Jesus comes before. Even in knowing how the story of Sodom and Gomorrah ends, I hope that we are left in awe of God's grace and not focused on the judgment that happened because we have all sinned. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. We all deserve God's judgment. It's written throughout Scripture. For 250 years, this country has been and it has not been perfect. There are countries that have come before us that we can look at history that were not perfect. We today are still facing outcries of brokenness within our country and all over the world. And we know judgment is coming, we know Jesus is coming back. But my question for you is this is God asking for a certain amount of righteous people? No. You know why? Because he gave one. He gave his one and only Son, the only one who could be righteous, not just for himself, but for all people, for all who could believe. He is the one who is completely righteous, and he took his full righteousness, and he stepped into our guilty world. And then he took the burden of all our guilt and all of our sin, all of our darkness onto the cross, where perfect justice against sin was met with perfect grace for sinners. And the result by his wounds we are healed. Amen. By his wounds we are healed. Debt is paid to all who believe, who repent, who turn away from their past lives and follow Jesus. His grace comes before his justice and his judgment. So maybe we should ask ourselves is this is where have I lowered my standards of personal holiness, of living a better life than what I have, if you will, under the excuse, under the guise that God's grace will save me. My get out of jail free card. I believe in Jesus, so I can go do what I want because I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. Instead of accepting sin, we should be running from sin because we know the cost. We know the cost that it took to forgive it. The cost that would give us true freedom and true salvation. What about others? Who are you praying for that doesn't believe in Jesus? Growing in grace, growing in holiness means we work not only daily on our souls, but for praying and talking to those who don't know or believe in Jesus. We are called to be a testimony of God's grace and mercy that comes before the judgment. God's grace comes before his justice. And God is calling out to you to claim or maybe even reclaim the free grace that he offers to us. And he does it with mercy. Mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve. And he does it with grace. Grace is receiving something good that we do not deserve. By God's grace and mercy, we receive salvation instead of condemnation. Through Jesus Christ, we receive eternal life and not eternal death. Hear these words from Micah chapter six. This was in the video too. I was really in awe. Two things I had planned, and I hadn't watched that video yet. But listen to this, Micah chapter 6. He has shown you, God has shown you through the Old Testament and the New Testament, through before Jesus and after Jesus. He has shown you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you?

SPEAKER_00 28:26

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.com. We'll see you next week.