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  THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO SODOM
  by Carter Conlon
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Summary: The Christian response to Sodom is to make a radical difference
in our generation by being a demonstration of the power and spiritual
authority given to those whose ways are right in the sight of God.

Duration: 47:28 Topics: "Evangelism", "Redemption"
Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of making a difference in the
world by reaching out to those who can still hear the message of God's
love and salvation. It highlights the need to step out in faith, take
people by the hand, and lead them to safety in Christ, pointing them to
the cross as the place of redemption and transformation. The speaker
encourages the congregation to embrace a mission of impacting lives and
bringing others into the kingdom of God, showing mercy, clear direction,
and spiritual authority in their interactions with others.

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CONTENT
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Hallelujah. How wonderful it is to come back to New York and to just be
immersed in the presence of God. Pastor Trace and I were away for a few
weeks and we were resting.

We practiced doing nothing with all of our might. You have to work at
it. If you're used to being busy, you've got to actually work at doing
nothing.

Because the trend of thought when you get up in the morning is, what are
we going to do today? You have to fight that thought. Praise God. But we
were part of the online church and streamed the services.

What a blessing. Brother Vest, Pastor William, Brother Crandall, the
Word of God that was brought in this congregation. I thank the Lord.

Makes me want to shout. Drove back to Pennsylvania two days ago and
yesterday morning to see somewhere between three and four hundred
Christian people from the local community out near Summit International
School of Ministry coming in to play volleyball and to have a tournament
of eleven churches and just to see such life, such joy, such happiness.
I thank God with all of my heart.

It would be very difficult to be separated as much as we are if we
didn't see this kind of fruit being born for the kingdom of God. I thank
God for that with all my heart. Today I'm going to be speaking from
Genesis chapter 19, and Lord willing, next week I want to speak to you
about the greatest enemy you will ever face.

The enemy that can take you down, took Satan down, took Adam down, took
Eve, and many, many righteous and godly people through the ages. It's an
enemy simply called boredom. I want to talk to you about it.

I want to unlock it from the scriptures and pray together next Sunday
that God forbid that we should ever become bored with the battle or the
blessing of God. I want to speak this morning about the Christian
response to Sodom. The Christian response to Sodom.

The days are very dark that we're living in. There's an increasing
darkness coming almost hourly now on our society. I want to talk about
how can we make a difference, you and I. And the Lord's given me
something that is very attainable for every person here.

It's not some kind of a pie in the sky we're going to go out and preach
to hundreds of thousands. No, it's something that will affect you, it
affects me, each one of us. I believe that the Lord's given me something
that's clearly attainable for every Christian believer.

Father, I thank you Lord with all my heart. God, you don't choose us
because we're strong. We're all weak.

And the greatest grace and blessing comes to those who have the sense to
admit it. Without you Lord, we don't have the strength, we don't have
vision, we have no heart, we have no mind to perceive the things of God.
We have no authority to stand against darkness.

It all comes from you. Thank you Lord for giftings and talents and such
light that you give. But Lord, unless you are the power source of our
lives, we stand as a deficient testimony in the dark in time.

I ask you God to come upon me, give me ability far beyond anything that
I would naturally have. Lord, let your word have weight today. Let it
find a lodging place in each of our hearts.

I pray that you'd help us to grow in grace. In grace Lord. Let our
hearts be warmed with faith.

And I thank you for it in Jesus' name. Genesis chapter 19, only one
verse. Verse 1, the Christian response to Sodom.

And there came two angels to Sodom at evening, that means the evening
time. And Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to
meet them.

And he bowed himself with his face towards the ground. It was a dark,
dark, dark time in history. Mankind in its own blind rebellion against
the Holy God had allowed itself to come to a place where God looked down
from heaven and said, I can't let this go on anymore.

There has to be a judgment. No doubt there were warnings throughout the
years. Perhaps one of them was a time of increased prosperity.

Another was a time of some form of calamity. I don't know what kind of
warnings, but the Lord will never do what was about to be done to this
society without giving sufficient warning. And now it had come to the
end.

The last of the last days. And there were two messengers came walking
into a city that almost had no ears left to hear. And they came to get
those who could still hear.

Now there are certain things that God will not hide from those whose
hearts and ways are right in his sight. In Genesis chapter 18, for
example, the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?
Seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and a mighty nation, and
all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him
that he will command his children and his household after him, and they
shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, that the Lord
may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.

Now God looked down and Abraham was not a perfect man. He was an
ordinary man. He was very human.

He made some very real mistakes in his journey. But he was honest in his
relationship with God, and that's all God has ever looked for. God
looked down at Abraham, and he said, I'm not going to hide from him the
things which are coming on the earth, which I'm about to do, because
there's an inherent source of life that is God given in this man, and in
his own weakness he's going to pursue and lay hold of the strength that
only God can give, and he's going to increase in might, and as he
increases in the might that comes from God, there's going to be a
blessing that flows through him to all people around him.

The Lord said, I know him. He'll command his children in his household
after him to keep the ways of God. I know him.

Yes, he makes mistakes, but he's not a light man. He's not a treacherous
man. He's not looking for ways around the things that God has spoken to
his heart, and even though he does fall, he'll get back up again, and he
will increase in might and increase in strength, and of course God was
speaking through Abraham right down to you and I today, the church of
Jesus Christ, for we are the fulfillment of the promise that God made to
Abraham.

Through Abraham came the lineage of Jesus Christ, and through Christ
came the church of which you and I are a part, and so we can draw the
conclusion if we're walking in right relationship with God, God says
should I hide from you the things that I'm about to do. First
Thessalonians chapter 5, the Apostle Paul speaks of a time coming on the
earth when it seems that mankind has arrived at the place where people
thought we would be living in peace. We have obtained our objectives,
but he said it's a day when the Lord himself will come as a thief in the
night.

Then he goes on to say, brethren, you don't live in darkness that that
day should overtake you as a thief. You don't, you don't live in such a
manner that tomorrow's headlines could be something that you and I have
never anticipated in our lifetime, but yet somehow it takes us unaware.
We're not living in that kind of a day.

Paul says in 2nd Timothy chapter 3, the last days as we know them will
be characterized by an incredible personal, social, and moral departure
from truth. We're living in that day folks. If I ever doubted it, all I
had to do is walk from the parking garage to the church last night, and
I began to realize, oh God, oh God, oh God, how long will you endure
with this generation? Evil will become good, and good will become evil.

That which God declares to be good will now be narrow, bigoted, corrupt,
and everything that the Bible declares to be evil will become good. Many
people will claim association with God, but within themselves will have
no power to make any difference in their generation. Paul says they'll
have a form of godliness, but deny its power.

A form. He actually says they'll be always learning, but never brought
to the place where the learning should have brought them to. Form.

Exteriorly, they look to be Christian. They've cleaned up their
clothing, their vocabulary, go to church on a regular basis. Like Lot,
they can recognize the messengers of God.

Remember he was sitting in the gate of Sodom, and when he saw the
messengers coming, he got out of his seat and fell on his face and
worshiped, bowed before them, because there's a recognition. Maybe even
some here this morning, you say, I know I'm hearing from God right now.
I know this is true.

I know this is not a light message, and there's something in my heart
that says this is right. Having a form of godliness. Always learning.

Paul likens it to the two sorcerers who stood at the throne of Pharaoh
to resist Moses. Now when you look at it in its context, Moses was
standing before the power of that day saying that God has a people who
will be separated unto him to worship in the wilderness, in a place
where there's really the comforts of Egyptian society are left behind
them. They're not governed by them anymore.

It doesn't mean that they don't have on their possession some things to
make the journey. It just means they're not governed by it anymore.
Their value system is not there.

They were willing to make that separation from the value system of a
fallen society around them. But there is a certain ministry that resists
separation and tries to have God while at the same time intertwining the
people into a fallen value system all around them, thus producing a form
of godliness with no power. You and I are not just to go to church on
Sunday and try to hold the fork till Jesus comes.

We're to make a radical difference in our generation, you and I. We're
to be light, we're to be salt in this generation. The presence of God
within us needs to be reckoned with. Whether it's somebody bending the
knee or throwing curse words at us, there has to be a reckoning if God
is in us.

If Christ has a hold of my life in my heart, there will be a reckoning.
Genesis chapter 19 verse 1, there was this man Lot who could have
claimed an association rightly with Abraham. I am of the family of
faith.

I traveled with uncle Abraham from the original place we left. I am
related to him. The promise of God was given to him and through him all
the people in the earth were going to be blessed.

We had conversations along the way, and he rightly could claim that. As
many people sitting in churches this morning can claim an association
with Christ, and it's not like it's complete falsehood. But he lacked
the power to bring even his own family out of danger.

In Genesis 19 14, it says when he went out and spoke to his son's-in-law
who married his daughters, and he said I'll get out of this place for
the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed like a man who was
jesting to his son's-in-law. I mean I can I can see it in my mind's eye.

He finally has caught the message. But listen to his son's-in-law when
their father-in-law comes and he's trying to get his family out of this
place, and they said Lot you're a good man, but if this place is about
to be judged, why are you so tied to it? Why are you so enamored with
it? Why are you sitting in the gate every day? Why is your whole sense
of worth based on what you possess and what new deal you can swing in
the gates of Sodom? Because that's the place of commerce basically in
culture. Why so tied? If you're so tied to it, oh that's funny.

That's funny Lot. I'll see you at the gate. I can see Lot walking away
so discouraged just as many people can become discouraged today and say,
oh God how can I make a difference? Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 tells us
that empty religion and ungodliness will abound in the last days to the
point where the iniquity abounding to the point where the love of many
shall wax cold.

And this is this is how I read this. Ungodliness will increase to the
point that many will lose their love for that which is the work of God.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.

It's so easy just walking from a parking grounds to a church apartment
last night. I can't even describe to you what I walked by and I won't
even attempt to. I don't think it's appropriate.

It would be so easy in the human heart to say let them all go to hell.
Why should I be given for this? It's so easy because iniquity abounds to
let the the love of God that is still there for all people no matter
what their lifestyle or where they're living or what they're doing.
There is a passion in the heart of God through his Son Jesus Christ that
they may be saved.

When you look at the time in which we're living, it's difficult to trust
anybody in public office anymore. You don't know if people are speaking
the truth and honestly it doesn't matter now anymore whether they are or
aren't. People say what they need to say to get into positions of power.

You look at it everywhere. Iniquity abounding. And I can only imagine
what many of you have to go through in the work environment.

The vile disgusting conversation that you hear on the street now. The
the lewd jokes which people will go out of their way to get out of their
mouths just because you walk into the room. The constant mockery of who
you are and what you believe in.

All designed to cause you and I to cower and to close our mouths and to
be of no effect in our generation. But what should our response be to
these times? How can we make a difference? Now we see a type of it in
the actions of the two messengers sent to Sodom. Now these are angels
but the word is also transposed and used commonly with the word
messenger.

In any event they're messengers. They're sent to Sodom. They're sent in
that society to pull out those that can still hear.

They can't hear very well but they can still hear. Firstly they didn't
stay separated from those with whom they obviously couldn't agree. But
as Christ would they went to those who could still hear.

They didn't stay separate. Yes separate from their behavior. Separate
from their conversation.

Separate from their value system but not separated from them.
Intermingling among the people of the city as it is. As a matter of fact
their original plan was to stay in the street all night looking for
those who could still hear.

For those who still had a heart for truth. Secondly their lives were a
demonstration of the fact that there's incredible power and spiritual
authority given to those whose ways are right in the sight of God.
Remember they went into Lot's house and after they were in Lot's house a
group of sensual depraved given to depravity people gathered outside of
the door of Lot's house wanting in to do things that were unspeakable to
the visiting guests.

In a chapter 19 verse 10 and 11 it says the men put forth their hand and
pulled Lot into the house to them and shut the door. There is an
authority given to the true believer in Christ and folks we're going to
have to lay hold of that authority in this generation. I give you power
to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy
and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

When you lead someone to Christ in this generation all hell is going to
come to the door to try to get them back but God has given us authority
and God has given us power in prayer and if the one place it must not be
vacated in this generation is that intimate secret place of prayer and
that corporate meeting of prayer that you and I are called to. We're not
just shouting into the wind there's authority in prayer. God's given us
power as the church of Jesus Christ and he smoked them that were at the
door of the house with blindness both small and great so that they
wearied themselves to find the door.

He's given us power to bring in that which can still hear and power to
keep that out which never will. I often pray that here and I don't want
you to misunderstand but I pray a prayer quite often Lord God those who
will not hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and you know all hearts those
who only come to the church to cause trouble and division and difficulty
but will never be converted have them take the wrong train on Sunday
morning and not find this church. It's the power to keep out that which
does not belong and to invite in and to hold those who are coming to the
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Yes coming through confusion coming through darkness coming through
compromise but thank God they're coming into the house of God. Thirdly
their words were clear and direct in Genesis chapter 19 verse 12 and 13
it says the men said to Lot hast thou hear any besides son-in-law and
thy sons and thy daughters and whatsoever thou hast in the city bring
them out of this place for we will destroy this place because the cry of
them is waxing great before the face of the Lord and the Lord has sent
us to destroy it. First Corinthians 14 8 the scripture says that the
trumpet gives an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the
battle.

I believe in the importance of saying things clearly saying them
profoundly and powerfully. This world is under judgment yes it thinks in
its arrogance it's going to go on forever but it's not in a day when
they say peace and safety sudden calamity is going to come upon them. I
often say this to some people one nuclear bomb can change your whole day
can change your whole theology as well in a moment of time we live on
borrowed time all of us this world hangs in space under the hand of God
and it's only God's mercy that keeps it now it's only God's mercy until
the last of the last of the last of the last as in the day of Sodom who
can hear will hear and come into the kingdom of God.

Fourthly they were the embodiment of the mercy of God and this is what I
want to really speak to you about today.

Genesis chapter 19 verse 16 says while he lingered this is law he can't
quite make up his mind he knows he's hearing the truth he knows he has
to leave even family members behind he knows how difficult and dark the
days are going to be while he lingered says the men laid hold upon his
hand and the hand of his wife and the hand of his two daughters the Lord
being merciful unto him and they brought him forth and set him outside
or without the city the Lord being merciful took him by the hand as a
matter of fact if you can see it in the scriptures each of the angels
had two people one in each hand they had two people with them one on the
left and one on the right as they walked out of that city they had loft
they had his wife and they had his two daughters and they had them by
the hand and

it says the Lord being merciful mercy is the heart of everything that
God is it's the heart of everything that God does it's the heart of who
we are as the representatives of Christ in our generation never forget
the Tuesday night here in this church room right here at the altar there
was a young man who responded and he responded with tears and he was
about 25 years of age had on only a leather vest on the top and he was
crying he had his head down on the altar rail and he beckoned me with
his hand to kneel down and he wanted to say something so I went over and
I knelt beside him and he looked at me and he was crying and he said I
am that's a young man raised he's raised here in New York City you have
to understand he's 25 years old he's raised in this culture he said I am
an actor in

the pornographic film industry is that sin is that sin folks we're
living in a generation that has been completely robbed of gospel truth
he had no idea what sin is he had no idea what right is what wrong is is
that sin very sincere and I looked at him I said yes it is sin he said
if I leave if I leave this I make a lot of money I don't know how I'm
going to pay the bills I'll lose all my income and I said you will he
said to me is is that what Jesus wants me to do and I said it is and he
said then that's what I will do and he put his head down and kept on
crying now I want you to know I could have destroyed him there I could
have destroyed him while he lingered I could have said some things to
him I could have unlocked some scriptures I could have used the word of
God and beat him to

death right at the altar but would that really represent the Christ who
went to a cross for fallen humanity no it's better to take him by the
hand as much as he wanted to follow and say listen you got to get in new
believers class now you got to learn who you are in Christ you got to
help you got to you got to let us help you we'll take you by the hand
we'll walk with you it's not going to be easy it's going to be hard
you're the old things in your life have a real grip on you but we'll
walk with you and we'll help you get out of this place we're not just
going to point the way to the gate and say now go Godspeed I hope wish
you a great journey no as the church of Jesus Christ we've got to take
people by the hand now that's why mentoring on Wednesday night is so
important please be here

we must learn to mentor others and to disciple others it's more than
just bible knowledge it's more than pointing the way to room 302 or 203
whatever it is where new believers is it's more than a sign on on the
wall it's you and me getting a hold of the hands of those who are not
sure whether they want in or want out and walking with them and say I'll
come with you Friday night I'll sit in new believers class with you on
Friday night call me when you get confused if you need prayer I'll pray
for you I'm not going to leave you to walk this on your own there are so
many people today that are so confused one of the key questions that
some of the youth may answer in this generation or ask rather is why
does there need to be a God and who is that that's why we speak so
plainly now on Sunday

night for people don't know they don't understand the language they've
been raised in a culture that tells them there is no God they don't go
to church like many of us who are older once did in our youth they don't
have a frame of reference anymore when you say to young people you've
sinned against God they have no idea what you're talking about but when
they hear the truth they melt we've seen that in the cross and the
switch play drama on Friday nights as I'm told by pastor Patrick there's
been over 500 young people have given their lives to Jesus Christ
they've gotten up and come forward when they finally realize there's a
right and there's a wrong there's a way to live in a way not to live
there's a place of safety but it requires more than just preaching
requires you and I to take

people by the hand now here's where it applies to us everybody in this
church can do this you can make it through this journey in New York City
or wherever else you might happen to be from and you could have when you
get to the throne of God it is possible to have one person in your left
hand and one person in your right somebody that you brought to church
somebody that you walk with somebody somebody you just said you walk
with me I'll show you the way I'll help you I'll give you clearance to
I'll tell you what God says somebody that was able to reach out in the
tenderness of Christ and take somebody by the hand if in the years to
come each of us did this in this church that means there'd be at least
24 000 people at the throne of God from New York City it's not something
that is out of

reach I feel the Lord speaking in my heart this morning not to set the
bar so high and quite often we do that as preachers we talk about going
out win your neighborhood win your apartment building win your office to
Christ well it's great but it's not going to work in many cases but in
your neighborhood in your office in the places you and I travel there
have to be two people there somewhere are still able to hear the word of
God and in spite of their confusion we can take them one in our left
hand and one in our right and say come with me to the house of God and
more than that open the Bible with me let's put our hands together and
begin to pray I'm not going to let you go I have a couple of friends in
this church and I tell them if I have to drag you by the feet I'm going
to get you

over the finish line into the kingdom of God I'm not leaving you behind
I refuse to leave you behind and lastly they pointed the way to safety
Genesis 19 17 it said it came to pass when they had brought them forth
abroad that he said escape for your life don't look behind you neither
stay in the plane in other words don't stay in a place where your
enemies can get a hold of you again don't stay in that place of
indecision make a decision to go with God and walk away from what you
need to walk away from that once captivated you once took away your
strength once made you blind walk away you know what that is that you
need to leave and they said escape to the mountain lest you be consumed
in other words lest the judgment that's coming on this society become
yours as well escape to the

mountain there is only one mountain in the Christian church and that's
the place called Calvary and our message must be clear it is at the
cross that the power and the penalty of sin were destroyed it was at the
cross that everything the devil had against us was blotted out by the
blood of Jesus Christ it was at the cross that we were given by God the
right to be born again as if we had never sinned it was at the cross
that God accepted the sacrifice of his son and no matter what we've done
he declared us as righteous as God in Jesus Christ amazing amazing it
would seem blasphemy if it wasn't written in the scriptures amazing when
you look at it it was at the cross that we were given the promise of
power to stand and be witnesses for Christ through all the place where
we live and

everywhere that God would send us in the world it was because of the
cross that God's Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost and took
120 fearful afraid ordinary people like you and I and empowered them
with the Holy Spirit of God it was because of the cross they walked out
of that upper room quickened by the Holy Spirit given giftings that
natural men don't have natural women don't have these giftings it was
because of the cross that those who could still hear heard that day they
heard they'd heard a lot of religion they'd heard a lot of quoting of
scripture they'd heard a lot of singing but they'd never seen nor heard
anything like this they were looking at 120 people who are literally
empowered by the passion of God and the power of God and they knew that
these people were

risking their reputation they're risking their life they're risking
their all to stand in that marketplace on that day because their master
had just been crucified and they knew it and they said if these people
are willing to step out if they're willing to give their all for me if
they're able to communicate with me in the language that I'm used to
speaking then whatever they've got I want that and that day 3,000 that
could still hear entered into the kingdom of God and became part of the
church of Jesus Christ we have to point the way to safety your life and
mine are to be signposts in this generation we're not called as law to
be sitting in the gate of commerce bowing every Sunday to the message
but being of no effect in their generation I thank God for the past I've
had a lot of

privilege over the years I've traveled in many places I've preached I've
seen the miraculous it's been awesome but it's passed from this day
forward personally I want to make a difference in my generation and I'm
not talking about just from the pulpit I'm not talking about the fact
that these messages might be downloaded around a good part of the world
I'm not talking about that I'm talking about me as a man walking the
streets of New York City and seeing somebody crying on a park bench
that's what I'm talking about I want to make a difference I want
somebody in my left hand and somebody in my right hand when I come to
the throne of God just like everybody else not laying burdens upon
people and finding myself unwilling to lift them with even one of my
fingers it's a reasonable goal one

in my left hand one in my right hand two people that may not have been
able to hear had I not come to them two people standing walking sitting
somewhere with a deep question in their heart years ago it was a Tuesday
night I finished a service here pastor Claude Hood had been speaking
went to a local restaurant not far from here and when we got into the
restaurant there was a table and there was three or four men there and a
girl I don't know what she was I don't want to speculate but the
conversation was inappropriate in places where inappropriate
conversations are allowed it was just disgusting but they were speaking
talking cursing the the sexual talk it was absolutely disgusting to the
point where the owner of the restaurant came to my table and said pastor
I'm so sorry that you have

to hear this and other people were embarrassed by it said I prepared a
table for you in the back of the restaurant if you'd like to go and sit
there so you don't have to listen to this so closely I said just a
minute just one minute I felt something stirring you know it's so
important to to follow that stirring of the holy ghost and and not be
led by your natural mind I get out of my seat pastor Claude tells the
story to his church frequently and he told me one time he said if I
hadn't been there I wouldn't believe it but I was there I saw it so I
got up and I stood by the table and there's four men and a woman and I
said I am pastor Carter Conlon from Times Square Church just not far
from here and we have a service coming up and I'd like to invite you to
attend I said you look like the

types that might like to go to church and so the biggest mouth of all of
them he said oh the guy standing and sitting in front of he's a real big
sinner man he really needs prayer I said okay let's pray I put my hands
on his shoulders and I began to pray oh Jesus show him your love show
him the cross help him to understand you died for his sin turn him God
from what's going to destroy his soul and turn him to life in Christ
change him help him God and I truly interceded for him the pastor Claude
told me he said when you began to pray everybody in the restaurant put
their knives and forks down about their head so now now the biggest
mouth at the table really loses it and starts to curse me out and I'm
not going to obviously say the words he said so you have to fill in the
blanks as I tell

you exactly what he said who do you think you are what right do you
think what right do you have to get up and come to our table and do this
we don't want you we don't want your religion we don't want all the
stuff that you represent and and numerous other things you had to say
what gives you the right to do this was his last question I said I am a
believer in Jesus Christ the Bible teaches that God indwells those who
believe in him who turn to him and not only does he indwell us but he
speaks to us and I feel God's Holy Spirit telling me there's somebody at
this table that is desperate to know who God is at that point the man
with the big mouth started to cry he said it's me it's me I've got to
know I've got to know who God is I I've had this question inside for
years my mother died and

he started telling me about his family says I gotta know and he started
crying so hard he took the dinner napkin wiping his face and at that
point the fellow I prayed for said I'm going back to my hotel room the
girl got up and left another guy says I can't handle this I'm out of
here and I ended up sitting at the table and explaining the way of
salvation so clearly and he promised me he would go back to his hotel
room he said I have to call my wife first he's from out of the country
said I need to call my wife but I'm going to give my life to Jesus
Christ so I have to trust that he would have done that that night they
pointed the way to safety they didn't separate themselves from those who
could still hear although they couldn't agree with their conversation
and the way they were living

their lives were a demonstration of the fact that there's incredible
power and spiritual authority given to those whose ways are right in the
sight of God their words were clear and direct they were themselves an
embodiment of the mercy of God and never said a word about their
conversation never said a word about only talked about Christ and the
cross and the mercy of God and invited them to church and they pointed
the way to safety they said don't stay in a place where you can be
overtaken again or you could you're not far enough away that you can't
be enticed to turn around and go back escape to the mountain there's
only one place of safety and that place of safety is in Jesus Christ I
want to encourage you live in the supernatural don't sit at the gate
powerless and blind walk with God

it means stepping out it means it means it's not a program it's the
person of Christ inside it means doing things that other people would
think are odd it means taking a step of faith when everything in the
natural eye looks like whoa this is not going to work pastor clode said
to me what was what was your plan b i said well the only thing i thought
of is you used to be a street fighter so i thought we had a chance if
everything went wrong that was the only plan b i had at the moment
hallelujah the willingness to step out the willingness to walk up to
somebody i'm seeing so many people in the last several months crying on
the street the willingness to walk up and just start talking about the
love of God the willingness and the cry of my heart today for you is
that lord in this church give

us one person in our right hand one in our left that when we get to the
throne of God say lord i heard i heard your word i heard and i wanted my
life to make a difference and that's really the the point that's the cry
that's what was in my heart when i was a young christian it's Jesus i
want to make a difference i don't want to just go through the motions
and go to church and sing the songs and then be embarrassed to speak
your name outside of your house i want to make a difference you know i
never could have dreamt where God would take me and that he would
actually answer that prayer because i didn't think i had the skill set
to make a difference as a matter of fact i didn't but he did you'd be
amazed what God will do the boldness the words he will put in your mouth
the lobby will place

in your heart if in your heart you just say i don't want to be like a
lot i don't want to be blind in the day of judgment i want to make a
difference and i thank God for that with all my heart father thank you
for enabling me to share this word today i thank you Lord God Almighty
with everything in my heart that this will be a church that does make a
difference in New York City i thank you Lord for our brother and sister
churches all through the city oh God send an awakening to New York City
in this last moment of time that we're living in and let it begin with
us each of us Lord that are here nobody left behind i thank you for it
in Jesus name i i want to give an altar call this morning and it's
twofold for in in one case it's for people who just say i i really need
to get out of

something to get into what God has for me and you know what that is i
don't have to explain it to you but you'll just know you got to get out
before you can get in and secondly it's for those who just say pastor i
want my life to make a difference i'm tired of being afraid and ashamed
and quiet and selfish i i want to make a difference and i believe the
Lord has laid a goal before us today one person in each hand one person
in each hand and i believe that if you'll embrace that today have been
exciting year for you let's stand together if that's your heart please
just join me at the front of this church and they you can stand between
the screens in the annex and at Roxbury as well and those that are
watching at home maybe you can just go to your knees around your coffee
table moms and

dads and children God bless you Emily this morning Emily Skelding is a
little girl battling leukemia that wrote the book picnic pals and she
streams with her mom and dad on Sunday morning we love you Emily
hallelujah hallelujah make a difference oh God make a difference you
know one of the ways that we can begin to do this if you find it hard to
speak for example you can take somebody by the hand and bring them here
Sunday night to hear testimonies to hear a clear presentation of the
cross and Christ and just with a promise that I'll walk this with you if
you want to walk with God if you want to go down to the altar I'll go
with you if you want to walk with God I'll walk with you I won't leave
you behind I know it's going to be hard to make the break but I'll be
there with you and I'll be

there for you and for those that are streaming this morning very shortly
we're going to live stream Sunday night and I want to encourage people
that are maybe maybe you can't make it to church but you can bring
people to your home your neighbors and friends your family say look it's
only an hour and a half six to seven thirty the testimonies some singing
and a message that you really want to hear and you can you can bring
them in kids in your neighborhood that you never believed would ever
walk with God you can invite them to come we we must now we must reach
out we must father I thank you with all my heart lord for clear vision
for this church thank you lord that you give us a word and you say this
is the way walk in it and as we choose to obey you you bless and I thank
you lord that

when we get to your throne one day that when we raise our hands there'll
be another hand inside of ours our hands won't be empty there'll be a
hand holding us and we're holding them god I thank you for it lord bring
in those who can still hear you know the cry of every heart Jesus you
know in spite of their conversation and defiant lifestyles there's still
that inner cry god almighty send us send us as you sent the angels into
sodom send us oh god and give us the ears to hear when you speak let the
tenderness of Jesus be in our hearts let our message be clear father I
thank you by faith would you lift your hands and just say these words
with me lord Jesus Christ one day I will stand before your throne and by
grace my hands will not be empty my left hand and my right hand will be
holding

the hands of somebody who could still hear you and you used my life to
bring them into your kingdom I am forever grateful I embrace this by
faith and I thank you for it in Jesus name amen hallelujah hallelujah we
sing the song I love you Jesus you know that one hallelujah let's just
go let's sing this song before we go god bless you father I thank you
for this church I thank you for these men and women of god I thank you
for the bond of love and unity that's here and the sense of vision and
mission that you've given to us as a people help us not to be about
ourselves but to be about others and father I thank you for it bless
this church oh god bless this church with your presence in Jesus name

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Audio: https://sermonindex1.b-cdn.net/25/SID25029.mp3
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/ajG5aoZc2nw.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/carter-conlon/the-christian-response-to-sodom/
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