Sunday Worship Service - September 6, 2026

[music]

Heat. Heat.

[music]

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> Heat.

[music]

Heat.

Good morning.

>> Welcome to worship.

We are here at Alexandria Presbyterian

Church, 1300 West Bradock Road. But if

that's all we're doing, if we're just

coming to a a building, an address, or

group of people,

this worship service is not very likely

to have much lasting impact on us.

Our God in our call to worship is about

to remind us of his greatness that can

never be contained by a building, by a

people.

And yet he's going to give us good news.

So let's first read uh Isaiah 66 verse1.

Thus says the Lord, heaven is my throne

and the earth is my foottool.

What is the house that you would build

for me? And what is the place of my

rest? All these things my hand has made

and so all these things came to be

declares the Lord.

Then he goes on to say this but this is

the one to whom I will look. That should

get our attention.

How

do we come into the presence of God this

morning? How do we

by his sheer grace get his attention?

This is the one to whom I will look.

He who is humble and contrite in spirit

and trembles at my word.

In other words, we are gathered as the

people of God this morning to say, you

are God

and we and I am not.

You are holy

and we and I am not. You are worthy

therefore of my praise

even of my trembling.

And certainly I want to come this

morning not just to be with people, not

just to to sit in a place, but I want to

come before the feet of Jesus and bow

down and worship him for his power and

indeed for his attention. We come this

morning into the presence of the one

true infinite perfect God.

Will we not worship him together?

Let's stand together as we sing.

>> [music]

>> Sing. [music]

Oh, hail the power of Jesus

[singing and music] name. Let angels

prostrate fall.

Bring forth [singing] the royal diadem

and crown him lord of all.

Bring forth [singing and music] the

royal diadem

and crown him lord [singing]

of [music] all.

Crown him the lord of all. [music]

Crown him ye [singing]

martyrs of your God. Move from his

[music] altar call.

Extol the stem of [music and singing]

Jesse's rod and crown him [music] Lord

of [singing]

all.

Extol [music]

the stem of Jesse's rod and crown him

[music and singing]

Lord

of all

[music]

ye seed [singing] of Israel's chosen

[music] race here ransomed of the fall

[music]

[singing] him who saves you by what

grace and crown him Lord of all.

Hail him [music and singing] who saves

you by his grace and crown him Lord

[singing]

of all. [music]

Let every kindred, [music] Let every

kindred, every [singing]

tribe on this [music]

terrestial

ball. [singing]

To him all majesty [singing]

tribe and crown him Lord [singing]

of all.

to [music] him all majesty [singing]

ascribe and crown him [music] Lord

of Lord.

[music]

Oh that with [music] yonder sacred

[singing]

throng weary at his feet may fall

[music and singing]

we'll join the everlasting

song and crown him Lord of all. [music]

will [singing] join the everlasting

song and crown him Lord

[music and singing] of all.

Yes, [music]

we join. Oh that

Oh that [singing] with yonder sacred

throne we at his feet may fall

will join [singing] the everlasting

song and crown [singing]

him Lord of all

will join [singing] thee everlasting

song and crown him [singing and music]

Lord

of all.

Amen. Lord, we fall

at your feet.

You are the creator of heaven and earth

and all that is in them. And nothing can

contain you.

And yet, Lord, you promise that you as

we bring our praise to you, that you

will look upon us, that you will speak

to us. And Father, that is our only hope

this morning, we rejoice because you do

speak to us, because you do love your

people.

And that by beholding you, we see more

of your glory. We see only more reasons

to praise you, more reasons to fall on

our feet before you, fall on our knees

before you at your feet. Lord God, would

you please

visit us this morning by your spirit?

Our hope is in you. Our joy is in you.

We do not want to leave here the same

way that we came. Would you receive

praise and honor from your people in

this place? We thank you for visiting

this place. So we know you will by your

spirit. So we thank you in Jesus name.

Amen.

Be seated.

In these words we're about to read in

Hebrews 10, they remind us of the

immense privilege of having Christ as

our high priest,

as our perfect priest who humbly died to

grant us access into heaven itself

and bring us to God. Having been granted

this access through his blood, we are

bold in our approach to him, drawing

near with an honest heart and full

assurance of faith for both forgiveness

and life. Yet these words not only speak

of privilege, but with necessary alarm.

Just as a father disciplines those he

loves, God issues warnings to his

children.

We are warned to take sin seriously,

understanding that there's great danger

and trifling

with what God opposes.

Our role as God's children is to

encourage one another to endure in the

fight against sin, turning from it and

turning to Christ.

In doing so, we spur one another on to

the day when we will receive the

glorious crown of eternity with him.

And so we read beginning Hebrews 10:1

19-31.

Therefore, brothers, since we have

confidence to enter the holy places by

the blood of Jesus, by the new and

living way that he opened for us through

the curtain, that is through his flesh.

And since we have a great priest over

the house of God, let us draw near with

a true heart and full assurance of

faith.

with our hearts sprinkled clean from an

e evil conscience and our bodies washed

with pure water. Let us hold fast the

confession of our hope without wavering.

For he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how to stir up one

another to love and good works. not

neglecting to meet together as is the

habit of some, but encouraging one

another, and all the more as you see the

day drawing near.

For if we go on sinning deliberately

after receiving the knowledge of the

truth, there no longer remains a

sacrifice for sins, but a fearful

expectation of judgment

and a fury of fire that will consume the

adversaries.

Anyone who has set aside the law of

Moses dies without mercy on the evidence

of two or three witnesses.

How much worse punishment do you think

will be deserved by the one who has

trampled underfoot the son of God and

has profained the blood of the covenant

by which he was sanctified

and has outraged the spirit of grace.

For we know him who said, "Vengeance is

mine. I will repay.

And again, the Lord will judge his

people. It is a fearful thing to fall

into the hands of the living God.

And so may we heed these words with the

appropriate sobriety

and bring an honest heart to our high

priest, trusting that we remain under

his precious blood. And so I'd invite

you now to come as God has just

instructed us to draw near

and yet to do so with a true heart. Not

excusing sin, not minimizing it, but

drawing near with an honest heart

and yet at the same time with a view to

his mercy. We can't give ourselves to

honest confession if we don't know his

blood to be sufficient

to be applied to all our sin. And so

let's come with that hope and that

confidence. And so I invite you to to

bring your prayers and silent confession

to him now.

The Lord

is convicting you, piercing your heart,

new ways,

this song is for you.

And if you

look back at what we just read and you

say,

"Full assurance of faith,

our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil

conscience and our bodies washed with

pure water." and you say, "I don't know

how that could be me."

This song is for you.

Because the only hope of righteousness,

[music]

whoever we are,

is not in us,

but in the Lord Jesus. We worship.

Stand and sing.

No list of sins I have not done.

No list of virtues

I pursue.

No list of those I am not

can [singing]

myself.

>> Oh God [singing]

[music]

to me.

I am a sinner

through and through.

>> My [singing] only hope of rightousness

[music]

is not in me.

No humble dress, no fervent prayer,

no lifted hands, no tearful song,

no [singing] resitation

of [music] the truth can justify

[singing]

My [music] rightousness

is his life.

My death was [singing] made [music]

by Jesus death. My [singing] weary alone

was born by him [music]

and he alone [singing]

can give me rest.

Friends, this is good news. Let's sing

again. No humble dress,

nothing [music] I do. No humble dress,

no [music] fervent [singing]

prayer, no lied.

Not even our singing, [music]

noritation [singing]

of the truth

can justify. [singing]

But Jesus, you can. My rightousness

[music]

in Jesus [singing] life. My de [music]

was made by Jesus death. My real love

was far more

than he alone.

[music]

No separation [singing]

from the world.

No work I do. No gift I give can cleanse

my conscience,

cleanse my [music and singing] hands.

I cannot cause my [music] ses.

And Jesus died [music and singing] and

arose again.

The power

is [music and singing] over.

My God is merciful

to [music] me

and merciful.

[music] My righteousness, my

rightousness

is Jesus.

My death was [music] saved by Jesus.

[singing]

My weary love

was

and he [singing and music] alone

can give me rest and he [singing] alone

can give me rest.

This is true. Only Jesus can give us

rest

from a guilty conscience,

from a heavy burden.

But because we are entering into

heaven's worship this morning by faith,

Jesus, our great high priest,

is there to pronounce forgiveness to

those who come, to give rest to the

weary. Please be seated.

So, Father, we we are coming right now.

Here we are. We're not at 1300 West

Bradic Road as much as we are in the

very courts of heaven. But Lord, as we

began this worship service with this

call to worship,

Lord, we pray that like the angels who

fall prostrate pos that Lord, that we

would we would be humbled to be in your

presence. That we would be grateful to

be in your presence. That we would not

take for granted

that we through the work through the

life and the death of the great high

priest.

It's only by that that we're here in

your presence.

So Lord, we pray that you would keep

speaking to us this morning. We pray

that we would in fact tremble at your

word.

Lord, how long has it been since we've

trembled at your word.

A double-edged sword that pierces,

Lord, that cuts through.

that cuts through so much pretense,

that cuts through so much pride

and self-righteousness.

Oh spirit, lift your sword, wield your

sword, the sword of your word

and cut through. Untangle everything

that is keeping us from understanding

and appreciating and reveling in the

finished work of Jesus Christ.

Lord, we're here to petition as well,

not only to confess, but to ask. Lord,

we're here to knock at midnight as you

instructed us, Lord Jesus. And so, we

continue to pray for Dorothy Taft.

Father, we thank you that she was

discharged from the hospital this past

Tuesday.

Father, we know that she has an

important meeting coming up this coming

Tuesday as she sits with the team of

surgeon and doctors. And Lord, as they

talk about a plan of treatment going

forward,

Lord, we pray. We pray for healing. We

pray for wisdom and discernment to the

doctors and to the team. And we pray for

your continued peace that you would give

to your daughter as she waits.

Uh, Father,

we pray not only for our sister,

even as we looked last week at

intercessory prayer, Lord, who are the

what are the names of the people that

we've been lifting up in intercessory

prayer this past week?

Those names are not far from our minds

because we've been praying for them.

And so by your spirit now hear the

continued intercessory prayers of many

people in this room. The very ones that

you've put on our hearts.

Those who are lost in their sin. Those

who are going through times of

discouragement and hardship. Those who

are going through transitions in life

that can be hard. Those are off to

school. They've moved away.

Lord, there's so many things

you know them.

Jesus, great high priest.

We believe that you're praying with us

and we believe that you're praying for

us. Keep praying and keep us praying. In

your name we pray. Amen.

Would

the ushers please come forward? Would

you pray with me?

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for this

beautiful day where we can gather

corporately to bless your name and give

you the praise and honor and glory that

you're due. Together, we agree to crown

you Lord of all as you deserve so

rightly.

Lord, we thank you so much for the

abundant resources that you give us each

um that you have given us to steward for

our time here on earth. We thank you for

the great debt that you've paid on our

behalf. And would you help us to be

generous in our hearts according to your

will for our lives

based on um how you've loved us and how

you've given so much for us. would we

give out of a generous spirit of loving

you back and I just pray that you would

cut our hearts through this service and

through this time that we share together

in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Just a reminder that there are no key

equipping classes tonight for any age

due to the holiday weekend. Hope to see

many of you back next Sunday night.

Our passage this morning in our sermon

series on the life of Abraham, the

living by faith.

Do you struggle with that? I do.

Living by faith lessons from Genesis.

We uh we're in a series. We're asking

God to teach us how to live by faith.

This morning, the passage comes from

Genesis 19.

I'm not going to read this long text.

I'm going to tell you the story.

We left Abraham off last week

interceding

for people he loved

and for people he didn't even know. The

city of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot, his nephew, was living there and

his wife and daughters. And we see

Abraham, a friend of God, pouring out

his heart on behalf of people that he

loves in a city he doesn't even know.

We thought about that. We considered

that. What does that look like in our

lives today for the city of Alexandria,

Washington DC? our church.

And so now we saw in last week we saw

Abraham with the three angels that came

to his house, came to his tent, he

entertained them, and then he's walking

with the angel of the Lord we saw last

week, who is Jesus himself,

pre-incarnate,

and then there were two other angels.

And the two other angels are now headed

toward Sodom.

And that's where we pick up this story.

These two other angels go to this city

Sodom

next to Gomorrah.

And they go to warn Lot.

And they have much to warn Lot about

because of God's coming judgment because

there were not 10 righteous people found

in that city. And so God said, "I'm

going to destroy this city if there are

not 10 righteous people found here." And

this is the story today before us.

And so the two angels go to Lot's house

in Sodom. Not the suburbs of Sodom, in

Sodom.

And they say, "We have a message for

you. Get out.

God is about to destroy the city in

which you live because of the great

wickedness in this city." God is about

to do this. It's time for you to flee.

And Lot

struggles with this. He doesn't want to

go. He doesn't want to leave.

We'll get into that more.

And the angels said, who appeared as men

said, "No, no. Uh, God's judgment is

coming soon, like within hours,

and we're going to go outside and we're

going to we're going to wait." And Lot

says, "Oh, no, no, don't do that. It's

not safe in these streets, especially at

night, because of the wickedness of the

men of this city.

They would want to abuse you.

They would want to take advantage of

you.

Please don't go sleep out there. You

stay inside with me and my family

tonight."

And so the angels are persuaded and they

accept the invitation. And soon there's

a loud noise and there's a ruckus

outside the house. And there are there's

a mob.

It's a mob of wicked, violent men who

are intent on satisfying their own lust.

And they're knocking on Lot's door and

they're pounding on Lot's door.

And Lot thinks that he can dissuade them

from this. He thought he had the power

of persuasion. He did not. And so pretty

soon as Lot is out there saying, "Please

don't don't abuse my visitors.

Please don't." And he's getting

increasingly worried and anxious.

And he does the unthinkable. He does the

despicable.

He says, "Look, I'll give you my

daughters.

do with my daughters as you will.

Can you imagine?

Can you imagine any father

saying that?

That's how clueless Lot was.

The men, the angels inside the house had

to pull him back inside and close the

door and bar the door. And even that

wasn't enough because then God had to

strike the mob with blindness.

blindness.

That was the only way to stop them. That

was the only way to restrain their evil.

He strikes them with blindness.

So, they're now helpless to inflict this

wickedness

on these two righteous men.

And then the or early morning hour comes

and the angel says, "Flee now is the

time."

Is there anybody else righteous that

needs to go with us? And Lot says,

"Well, I've got my two sons-in-law." And

they weren't techn technically married

yet, but they were engaged, which is as

good as being married back in that day

in culture.

But they they refused to go. They they

said, "No, no, we're we're we're not

what what is that all about? No, we're

we're safe. We're fine. We're good. So,

it's time to flee. No more arguing.

No more persuasion. It's time to flee.

And so they do. Lot, his wife, his two

daughters,

they get out by the skin of their teeth.

They just get out. And the angel, the

angels are holding them by the hands and

dragging them.

That's how close to disaster they came.

And the angel said, "Flee to the

mountain."

And Lot says, 'I I can't get to the

mountain. I don't have the energy. I

don't have the strength, whatever.

And so he negotiates and they settle

short of the mountains, but they get out

of the sea, the

the danger.

And sure enough, let's pick up with

Abraham from last week. Abraham, after

all this pleading with God, but no,

there were not 10 righteous people

found. Abraham comes back to the same

spot. There's this vantage point on the

hill where he can look down over the

cities to see if in fact what God is

going to do. And sure enough,

God sent sulfur and brimstone. It says

from heaven just in case there's any

doubt. Was this a coincidence? No, it

wasn't a coincidence. This was divine

judgment

on these wicked cities.

And God destroyed these wicked cities.

God said, "Get out. Get up. The Lord is

about to destroy."

As the morning dawn, but then the text

tells us this. Even up to the last

minute, Lot lingered.

Is he nuts? Is he crazy?

Does he not believe God's word?

Lot lingered

because Lot had set his heart on a

compromised life. The word of God tells

us. Let's go back and trace our

histories of this series of sermons.

Remember, first he looked towards Sodom.

There was something very attractive. It

was the rich fertile green fields,

pastures.

First he looked towards Sodom and then

what?

He he settled in s Sodom.

He made his home in Sodom.

And then he didn't stop there. The

passage before us tells us that he had a

place at the gate, at the city gate,

which is a euphemism in the Hebrew

culture. He became kind of on the town

council.

He was understood to be somewhat of a

leader

among these people.

Lot was way more influenced by Sodom

than he ever influenced Sodom, which is

oftentimes the case still today. He

wasn't ready to leave this life. What

was it we have to ask ourselves that he

was so attracted to?

On the one hand, he rejected some of the

culture, yet on the other hand, there

was something there that drew him in. he

could not let go of.

That's the power of sin.

He couldn't let go. So the men seized

him and his wife and his daughters.

And the text tells us that the Lord

being merciful to him and they brought

him out.

I've been thinking about that this week.

I've been thinking about you this week

in my own heart, my own journey.

The Lord being merciful

to us.

How much danger has he brought you out

of?

How much danger has he brought you

through?

How have you escaped for your life?

And I think I suspect

more than I know about my life and I

suspect more than you know about your

life.

Perhaps there are situations that we can

think of. Oh, it was he had to take me

kicking and screaming or he had to seize

me or he Okay,

don't ever forget that was his mercy.

It wasn't because you were so smart.

It wasn't because you all of a sudden

became so wise. It was the hand of God's

mercy

that draws us out. Escape for your life.

Have you ever been seized by God by his

mercy and delivered from evil and so to

speak escaped with your life?

I'll bet you have.

I suspect we all have.

Maybe you know, maybe you don't about

these things. Has the Lord had to pull

your hands off of something that gripped

you so tightly

that doing great harm that was doing

great harm to your soul? Right now is an

act of worship. You thank him

right now as an act of your worship this

morning.

You can thank him later if he brings to

memory, brings to your mind. But

whatever you know now, you thank him

now.

This is how we worship.

Something that we just we white knuckle.

What is it that we white knuckle in life

thinking we need it?

Thinking somehow it's bringing comfort

or it's bringing something to satisfy.

It's not.

It's not Jesus does

something that gripped you so tightly

that in fact was doing great harm to

your soul. Thank him this morning.

The first point this morning we've

already essentially covered great sin.

Great sin. What was Sodom's sin?

Unless we think we know, well,

everybody, even non-Christians, know

what Sodom sin was. It's just so

infamous.

The Bible says more.

So, let's just look very quickly at

Sodom's sin.

Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22 tells us,

"Do not lie with another man as one lies

with a woman, for that is detestable to

the Lord.

Yeah.

Jeremiah chapter 23:14,

the sin of Sodom, they commit adultery

and they live a lie.

Their lying hearts

are condemned.

Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 49 Sodom is con

is is

guilty of the sin of pride and arrogance

because they did not help the poor. They

did not take mercy on those who were in

need.

And so we see that the sins are are many

including sexual immorality for sure.

But not just that.

And then we read the word of God.

We read passages

like 1 Corinthians chapter 6.

And there is hope in the gospel.

There is hope. 1 Corinthians chapter

6:9. Do you not know that the

unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom

of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the

sexually immoral,

nor idolattors, nor adulterers,

nor men who practice homosexuality,

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor

drunkards,

nor revilers,

nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom

of God. You see, the list is broad.

But listen to these next words from the

word of God. And such were some of you.

But you were washed.

You were sanctified.

You were justified in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of

our God.

Some of the most beautiful words in the

Bible.

And such were some of you.

But you've been freed by the blood of

Jesus Christ.

You've been washed.

You've been cleansed.

The Westminster Confession of Faith,

the chapter on repentance,

by the way, the chapter title is not

simply repentance. Okay? I want you to

hear this closely. The title is

repentance unto life.

Repentance always leads to life.

Not penance.

Repentance,

not

what is repentance. Martin Luther said

it's desparing of our righteousness.

It's desparing of our righteousness, our

alleged righteousness, and running to

God

for his righteousness,

for his forgiveness, for his mercy.

So, so let's go. Let me go back to

Westminster Confession of Faith, the

chapter of repentance unto life. As

there is no sin so small, but that it

deserves damnation,

so there is no sin so great that can

bring damnation upon those who truly

repent. Did you hear that?

As though there is as there is no sin so

small. So we don't sit here today and

just judge Sodom and say, "Oh, I would

never do that. I couldn't." No, that's

horrible. God, give it to him.

What about my unrighteousness?

You heard the list. I think the list

covers all of us.

As there is no sin so small, but that it

will bring damnation for those outside

of Christ. But here's the second part of

that. There is no sin so great.

your sin, my sin.

There is no sin

so great

that it will bring damnation

to those who truly repent and flee to

Jesus Christ.

Oh, this morning we're looking we're we

see great sin in front of us.

We see great sin in front of us.

Do we see great sin within us?

This is why we've structured this

worship service as we have this day,

including that those moments, not

seconds,

to come to God in confession

and to say, "God, show me my own

self-righteousness.

Show me my own unbelief.

Show me my pride."

Second point this morning, not only is

there great sin, but there's great

judgment,

great judgment. We saw in the text,

verse 27, and Abraham went early in the

morning to the place where he had stood

before the Lord the day before. And he

looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah

and toward all the land of the valley.

And he looked, and behold, the smoke of

the land went up like a smoke of a

furnace. And we know we know from

history that that once fertile green

pasture field

is a desert land. It's a wasteland. It's

been that way ever since, including the

Dead Sea.

Jesus tells us about this judgment, this

great judgment that's coming

in the Gospel of Luke.

Jesus. Listen to the words of Jesus in

chapter 17.

This is the word of Jesus. These are the

words of Jesus. In verse 28,

he says, "Just as it was in the days of

Noah, so it will be in the days of the

son of man. They were eating and

drinking and marrying and being given in

marriage until the day when Noah entered

the ark and the flood came and destroyed

them all. Likewise, just as it was in

the days of Lot, they were eating and

drinking, buying and s selling, planting

and building. But on the day when Lot

went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur

rained down from heaven and destroyed

them all. But Jesus isn't done talking

to us. So will it be on the day when the

Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let

the one who is on the house talk with

his goods in the house, not come down to

get them. Likewise, let the one who is

in the field not turn back.

Remember Lot's wife, Jesus said.

Let's go back to another gospel.

Matthew chapter 11. Right before some of

the most precious words in all of the

Bible that many of us know, many of us

find comfort in which which we should.

Right before those words, let me read

other words that we may not be as

familiar with. In verse 20 of chapter

11, Matthew, then Jesus began, Jesus

began to denounce the cities where most

of his mighty works had been done

because they did not repent.

Woe to you Corazin. Woe to you Bethesda.

For if the mighty works done in you had

been done entire in Siden, they would

have repented long ago in sackcloth and

ashes.

But I tell you, it will be more bearable

on the day of judgment for Ty and Siden

than for you. And you, Capernium, will

you be exalted to heaven?

You will be brought down to Hades.

[clears throat] For if the mighty works

done in you had been done in Sodom, it

would have remained until this day some

of the most sobering words in the Bible.

But I tell you that it will be more

tolerable on the day of judgment for the

land of Sodom than for you.

Did you know that there are degrees of

punishment?

The Bible's very clear. There are

degrees of punishment in hell.

That's another day, another sermon.

Oh, let me finish the words of Jesus.

At that time Jesus declared, "I thank

you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

that you have hidden these things from

the wise and understanding, revealed

them to little children." Let me

paraphrase that. Lord, I know, Jesus

says, "Father, I know that many who hear

my words will ignore them will just wash

them off.

They will scoff at the threat and the

promise of judgment. They will say,

"Come on, that's not going to happen."

And they still do.

Yes, Father, for such was your gracious

will. All things have been handed over

to me by my father, and no one knows the

Son except the Father, and no one knows

the Father except the Son, and anyone to

whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Now,

the words now, now the words that you

know, come to me

all you who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me

for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And

if you're thinking, wait a minute, what

the juiposition?

Do you see that?

Severe warning.

Promised judgment

followed

by the most tender words we could expect

from Jesus.

How do we make sense of severe judgment

and rich mercy?

I want to tell you this morning, they're

not contradictory.

No, they're not.

It will be far more bearable for Ty and

Siden in hell

than for the cities that house Jesus.

Capernium.

Isn't that wasn't that his home base?

Yeah, that was Jesus's home base for

ministry.

Why would Capernium be more judged more

strictly

than than the Old Test with Sodom and

Gomorrah?

Because they knew more.

They knew more.

Heaven

came down through the word of God.

Listen to Jonathan Edwards preach the

great sermon. I'm not going to preach at

it all. I'm just going to preach a

paragraph or two.

The destruction of which you are in

danger is infinitely more dreadful than

the destruction of the literal Sodom

from which Lot fled. The destruction of

Sodom and Gomorrah in a storm of fire

and brimstone was but a shadow of the

destruction of ungodly men in hell.

The misery of hell is set forth by

various shadows and images in scripture.

He goes on talking about that. You have

therefore much more need to make haste

in your escape and not to look behind

you than Lot and his wife had when they

fled out of Sodom. For you are every day

and every moment in danger of a thousand

times more dreadful storm coming on your

heads than the people in Sodom and

Gomorrah.

Why?

because they knew more.

Verily, I say to you, it will be more

tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than

for you.

You got this right.

To whom who much is given, much more is

required.

How much more have we in this country,

many of us heard the gospel.

It's not against the law for me to

preach the gospel in this country. It is

in many countries.

How many times have you read your Bible?

How many sermons have you sat under?

It makes me stop.

It makes me stop. Does it make you stop?

Are you spurning the grace of God?

Have you taken grace for granted?

Have you fallen into the heresy that God

owes us his mercy?

May you be delivered today if you do.

That's a lie.

That's a lie.

Judgment is sometimes delayed, but

judgment from God is certain.

In these word pictures of sulfur and

fire and burning, it's it's dreadful

symbols.

But hear me, this the reality of the

symbols in the Bible always exceed the

symbols.

Did you hear that?

There is not adequate language for our

human minds and comprehension to fully

understand

how dreadful hell is.

Nor are there do we have the ability to

fully understand how glorious heaven is.

So God gives us symbols.

And the symbols for hell and destruction

are are dreadful.

They're intended to wake us up

that we believe the word of God and we

flee to the mountain of refuge.

Are you with me? The reality always

exceeds the symbol.

And one day we will know

how much more glorious heaven is

than even the most descriptive language

in the Bible conveys.

What's the second point we've been on?

There's a great judgment coming. The

last point

is a great warning.

A great warning to flee to Jesus for

refuge.

Flee to Jesus.

You're hearing through this series some

of my favorite Bible scholars.

I I find myself oftentimes going back to

people before my generation. I think

there's good things, but I like to go

back hundreds of years ago.

Sometimes I think those people had more

time to think. I don't know.

FB Meer is one of them.

The course of every sin is against a

succession of menacing red lights and

exploding fog signals warning of danger

if we continue on the path of

destruction. Just as the quivering of

the nerves tells us when the system is

overstrained and demands immediate rest

at the risk of certain paralysis

if we disregard the signals.

So has God arranged that no downward

step can be taken without setting off a

vast number of shrill bells that tell of

the danger ahead.

We have a member in our congregation

that's got a warning device system for

his heart.

It's a necessary warning device. It went

off Thursday night.

You remember Thursday night

the storm

I heard reports that maybe a tornado

touched down in DC. Great damage.

This member they lost their power th

Thursday night about midnight. Sharon

and I were just in our house and it was

like a light show.

The lightning was just lighting up the

sky. The rain was beating against our

window.

His power went off.

Thankfully, he had a device

that was so loud it woke up people two

floors up in his house.

and they came running down with their

cell phone lights, flashlights,

and they were able to help him change

the batteries,

which was critical to do in a timely

manner.

Let me tell you a little more from FB

Meyer. To regard these alarm tokens is

to be saved. To disregard them,

persevering in spite of all, is to

deaden the soul and harden the heart and

run the risk of blasphemy against the

Holy Spirit. For the unpardonable sin is

not an single act we commit.

But it's a state of the heart, the

condition of the soul that does not and

cannot feel what we ought to sense.

And so we ignore the signal.

I'm here this morning

by the spirit of God to tell you from

the word of God, don't ignore the

signal.

I don't It doesn't matter whether you

grew up in the church

or not.

Is there is there a reason for your

assurance of your salvation?

Don't rest. in the fact that you made a

profession of faith. It's not professing

faith that saves you. Did you know that?

It's not professing Jesus that saves

you. Jesus said, "On that day, many will

come to me and say, Lord, Lord, did we

not prophesy in your name? Did we not do

this? Did we not do that?" And he's

going, "What is he going to say? Depart

from me. I never knew you." And you say,

"But look what all I did for you in the

church." He says, "Get away. I don't

know you." What?

It's not simply professing the words

that saves anybody. It's possessing

faith in Jesus Christ.

And anyone who

has faith in Jesus Christ and runs to

Christ for mercy will be saved.

And that includes you.

But don't give yourself false hope

by how much you've done in the church.

Don't do that.

This is a great warning.

God does not always act with justice. In

other words, getting what we deserve.

Sometimes he acts with mercy.

Listen to this. Mercy is not justice,

but neither is it injustice.

We may see nonjustice

in God, which is mercy, but we never see

injustice with God. I read those words

decades ago, Narcy Sproul's book, The

Holiness of God.

Did you catch what I just read?

Justice and mercy are not incompatible.

When God does just and punishes the

wicked, he does justly.

Because back in the Garden of Eden, they

were warned, "The day you sin, you will

die."

He didn't mean just spiritually, but

physically. But we're still here.

Sinners are still here. That's his

mercy. May his may his kindness lead us

to repentance.

It's not injustice.

No one will ever accuse God of injustice

in heaven or in hell.

God's patience is designed to lead us to

repentance.

Flee to the mountain.

Not the mountain the angel told Lot to

flee to. But there's a different

mountain. It's called Calvary.

Flee to that mountain.

Is there hope for you? Yes. because

Jesus has already taken the most severe

judgment of all.

And so before I close, I want to just

turn your eyes to the mercy of God, to

the great act of judgment, not on

sinners,

but on the sinless one, Jesus. These

words Sharon and I use in our walking in

the spirit class

when we talk about the rupture. These

are words written by a pastor that

Rosemary Miller included in her book,

Impossible and Nothing's Impossible with

God.

She This pastor pictures what was

actually happening when Jesus was

crucified on the cross. They lift the

cross. God is on display and he can

scarcely breathe. But these pains are a

mere warm-up to his and others growing

dread. He feels dirty.

Human wickedness starts to crawl upon

his spotless being. The living excrement

from our souls. The apple of his

father's eye turns brown with rot. His

father. He must face his father from

heaven. The father now rouses himself

like a lion disturbed. He shakes his man

and roars against the shriveling remnant

of the man hanging on a cross. Never has

the son of God seen the father look at

him like this. Never has he even felt

the least of his hot breath. But the

roar shakes the unseen worlds and

darkens the visible sky. The son does

not recognize these eyes.

Son of man, why have you behaved so? You

have cheated. You have lusted. You have

stolen. You have gossiped. You have

murdered. You have envied. You have

hated. You have lied. You have cursed.

You have robbed. You have over spent.

You have overeaten. You've disobeyed.

You've embezzled and you've blasphemed.

I hate I loathe these things in you.

Can you not feel my wrath? The father

watches as his own heart's treasure. The

mirror image of himself sinks, drowning

into raw liquid sin.

The Lord's stored rage against humankind

from every sension

explodes in a single direction.

And what did Jesus say at that moment on

the cross?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken

me? But heaven stops its ears. The sun

stares up at the one who cannot, who

will not reach down a reply. Two eternal

hearts are tearing apart, their intimate

friendship shaken to the depths.

The Trinity had planned it, and now the

Father was accepting the sacrifice of

his son.

But no, it wasn't his sin.

He had no sin.

It was your sin. It was my sin.

This is the only explanation

for this table.

And it makes me tremble sometimes

how globally we can say Jesus took my

place. Wasn't that nice?

If that's the attitude of your heart,

you have not accepted Christ.

What does it mean when you say Jesus

took my place? At that moment, all of

God's fury was lashed out on his son,

Jesus, on the cross. That's why Jesus

cried out, "My God, my God, why have you

forsaken me?" Because he was taking our

place.

Mercy triumphs over judgment at the

cross.

I'll go back to

Dr. Sproul. The most violent expression

of God's wrath and justice is seen in

the cross. If a person had room to

complain of injustice, it was Jesus. He

was the only innocent man ever to be

punished by God. If we stagger at the

wrath of God, let us also stagger at the

mercy of God on the cross. Here is where

astonishment should be focused. If we do

think we have caused for moral outrage

against God's judgment, let it be

directed at Calvary.

The cross was at once the most horrible

and the most beautiful example of God's

wrath. It was the most just and the most

gracious act in history. God would have

been more than unjust. He would have

been diabolical.

He would have been diabolical to punish

Jesus

if Jesus had not first willingly taken

your sin and mine.

Once Christ had done that, once he

volunteered to be the lamb of God

laden with our sin,

at that moment he became the most

grotesque and vile thing on the planet.

With this concentrated load of sin he

carried, he became utterly repugnant to

the father

so that you would not be.

so that I would not be.

And now he calls us friends.

Hebrews tells us he's not ashamed to be

your elder brother.

Wow.

Here was God's holy justice being

perfectly manifested.

It was done for us.

Stop looking at Sodom.

Start looking at Calvary.

Stop looking at the things that cause

the hands of our hearts to clutch,

things that invite us in, things that

seduce us. Stop looking at Sodom this

morning and look to Calvary this morning

and understand that there's a savior

that loved you that much,

that stood in your place.

Run to Jesus now.

Whether it's the first time you've done

it or the thousandth time you've done

it, run to Jesus. Come to Jesus. He will

receive you.

He will

come unto Jesus

all you who are weary. Come to the mercy

seat. Fervently kneel. Here bring your

wounded heart broken and needy. Come

unto Jesus mighty to heal.

My job this morning is to point you to

Jesus's promises.

Jesus knows what to do with your weary,

broken heart.

Jesus knows how to give you refuge.

Jesus knows to heal what is broken. And

Jesus knows how to take you by the hand

and pull you from the fire.

If you can't pull yourself,

his hand is there to pull you and to

bring you.

He brought me.

He's brought a lot of us.

And he's here to bring you.

That's all I can tell you.

So we pray.

Father,

we want to thank you for your mercy, but

Lord, we would be we would be in error

if we did not al did not also thank you

for your justice.

Forgive us when we squirm talking about

your justice

as though it was not glorious.

forgive us when we are embarrassed

talking to non-Christians or people that

don't understand or other Christians.

God, we

we just thank you that your justice is

always perfect

when meed out against sinners.

We thank you that your mercy is always

perfect when received by sinners like

us.

Today we would flee into the arms of

Jesus, our refuge. Only by the power of

the Holy Spirit do we come.

Holy Spirit, take our hands

off of whatever wickedness

would seduce us.

Point us to our savior.

Oh, how we love you, Jesus. Because you

first loved us. Amen.

I've been thinking about this a long

time. Maybe you guessed

the sermon has been burning in my soul,

but it's not the ultimate. This table is

what's been burning in my soul most this

week and beyond.

This is the table of mercy. This is the

mer This represents the mercy seat of

God.

Mercy triumphs over judgment

because our savior took our punishment.

Because our savior took our judgment.

Christian, hear me. There is no judgment

for you.

May we never get over that.

There is no judgment. There is no

punishment for you or for me,

but there is so much mercy.

How how could we listen to the word of

God by the spirit of God this morning

and go home like we were like we came?

How can we do that? I I don't think we

can.

Unless the spirit has not been working

in your heart, then you can't.

[snorts]

May the spirit be

crying out to your heart this morning.

We come to this table.

We come to this table.

We come to the words of scripture.

That's Isn't that what we need at all

times? The word of God. The Apostle Paul

said,"For I received from the Lord what

I also delivered to you." That the Lord

Jesus on the night he was betrayed took

bread and when he had given thanks, he

broke it and said, "This is my body

which is for you.

This do in remembrance of me."

In the same way also he took the cup

after supper, saying, "This cup is the

new covenant in my blood. Do this as

often as you drink it in remembrance of

me. For as often as you eat this bread

and drink this cup, you proclaim the

Lord's death until he comes.

Whoever therefore eats the bread or

drinks the cup of the Lord in an

unworthy manner

will be guilty concerning the body and

blood of the Lord. Let a person examine

himself.

Don't ever come to this table without

examining yourself.

Is my faith real?

Is the grace of God more convincing to

me even than my sin?

This is not a time just to look at your

sin, although it is. This is a time to

look to the one who bore your sin

and to believe that what he did for you

is enough.

For anybody who eats and drinks without

discerning the body, eats and drinks

judgment on himself.

That's why on that night, the last night

that Jesus spent with his disciples,

that night, he took that bread, he broke

it, and he gave it to his disciples. He

said, "This is my body which is broken

for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

And that's why he took the cup and said,

"This cup is the new covenant in my

blood. Drink it all of you.

This this represents the very blood of

Jesus shed for sinners. Drink it all of

you.

So if you have put your faith in nothing

but the precious blood of Jesus Christ

to save a sinner even like you.

Come

let Jesus hold you.

Let Jesus hold you. Let Jesus speak to

you. Let Jesus encourage your soul. The

purpose of this is not simply to convict

us of sin, but to convince us of his

righteousness. And there's a big

difference.

We don't want to be a church that is

just convicting of sin. No, we want to

be a church that is convinced of his

mercy.

If you haven't come to that point yet in

your life,

don't you dare come

because that would just bring more

judgment.

Those are hard words,

but we've heard a lot of hard words,

haven't we?

Don't presume upon the grace of God.

Accept the grace of God

and let him build you up today. Let him

feed you today.

Let him warm your hearts with his mercy

today

and you will not go back the way you

came today.

Father, would you please take these

elements ordinary in themselves but use

them? Use them. Yes.

to awaken us, to remind us, to convince

us

that there is no more judgment. There is

no judgment for us because of what Jesus

has done for us. Let that change us even

today.

Amen.

And so this morning, as the elders come

and receive these elements that I pass

on to them, and they're going to pass on

to you,

take,

take, eat upon,

feed upon the finished work of Jesus.

As the music begins to play, come

forward. If

if Jesus is calling you to come forward,

come forward.

Come to Jesus all you are.

Come to the mercy seat [singing]

heavenly.

Hearing [music]

your wounded hearts broken and need

to Jesus

mighty to me.

Joy of [music] the comfortless

tight for the stream.

Hope of the

peace in [singing] our strength.

Here speaks a comfort

tender.

My yoke is easy. My burden is light.

Come unto [singing]

Jesus.

Come unto [singing]

Jesus.

[music] Lay [singing] down your

he is in.

Come to Jesus.

Rest in his heart.

Come taste [music and singing] the bread

of life broken for s.

Drink from [singing and music] the cup

of his promise made sure.

Peace at his table [singing and music]

as sons and as daughter.

Ever [music]

it's yours.

Come unto Jesus.

Come unto [music]

Jesus.

[singing]

He is love.

Come [music] on to Jesus.

Rest in his love.

>> [music]

>> Come thou and follow him. This life

forsaking

all that was gain count as nothing

[singing]

but loss.

Trade all [music] this world for his

kingom of [singing] faith.

Come unto [music]

Jesus.

Take up your cross.

Come [music] unto [singing]

Jesus.

We go to

[music] life [singing] everlasting

the alto

[music]

Jesus

to Jesus.

Lay down your heart. [music] He is

enough.

Come unto [singing]

Jesus.

Rest [music] in his love.

Come unto Jesus.

Come on to Jesus.

[singing]

[music]

He is

[music] to Jesus.

rest.

Come unto Jesus.

Rest. [music]

Come unto [singing and music] Jesus.

Come unto [singing] Jesus.

[music]

Lay down your burdens.

He is [singing]

unto [music] Jesus.

Rest in his love.

>> That's exactly what we need to do

right now. Come to Jesus

and rest in his finished work.

This is the body of the Lord broken for

you. Take and eat and do this in

remembrance of him.

Can you see the glories of heaven right

now?

[snorts]

Can you see the love of Jesus for you

right now?

Jesus said, "Take this cup. This cup is

the new covenant in my blood. Drink it

all of you.

Father, we are eternally thankful

for what you have done.

The sacrifice you have provided in your

son Jesus, we accept, we believe, we

rest in today.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Amen. As we close the

service, please stand and respond in

song.

Oh, to see the dawn

of the [singing] darkest day. [music]

Christ on the road to Calary. [singing]

Tried by [music and singing] sinful men,

torn in deeds in them, [singing]

nailed to a [music] cross of war.

This the power [singing]

of the cross. [music]

This is the power Christ [singing]

became

sin [music] for us. He took took the

blame, [singing]

bore the wrath. We [music and singing]

stand for given.

Oh to see [singing and music] the pain

written on your face.

>> [singing]

>> Bearing the awesome

weight of what await

every bit [singing and music]

my thoughts

my deeds [music]

[music and singing] the power

of the

Christ [music and singing] begin

[music]

to [singing]

forgive

[music]

[singing] at

your cross.

[music]

Thank you.

Now the daylight [singing]

flees

[music]

[singing]

the race [music]

[music]

is the [singing]

[music]

Christ.

for the

[singing] for [music]

see my name.

Lord [music] to see [singing] my name

risen in the world.

for [music]

your suffering. [singing]

I am I am ready.

[music]

[music]

>> [music]

>> is [singing] the

[music]

son of God.

>> [music]

>> What [music] the cost

[music] of the cross is the power

is the power

of the cross.

Son of [singing] God,

slain for us.

What a love, [singing]

what a cause. We stand for

now.

>> [music]

[music]

>> Let's go share this message this week.

There's somebody that you know that

needs to [music] hear this.

Let's share the good news.

Let us go forth and serve our city and

our world. As those who love the Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ,

>> we will go forth and serve our city and

our world

>> in the name of Christ.

>> Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ, the love of God the Father, the

fellowship of the Holy Spirit [music] be

with you now and forever more. Amen.

before you're dismissed. Again, no

ministries tonight.

And if you need to pray,

Elder Ryan Ferguson, Stacy Root, and

Nathan Flehacker are going to be up

front. Would you come forward now at

this time so people will know who to

come to? If God has put something on

your heart for which to pray, come and

pray. You are dismissed. Thank you.

Hallelujah.

That's right.

[music]

Good to see you.

Christmas.