LISTEN
This sermon was preached by Tim Simmonds at the CCM Kingsway site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 16th September 2018.
SERIES
This message was part of the ‘SERIES NAME’ series, preached at Christ Church Manchester’s church in Burnage in EARLY/MID/LATE YEAR. The full series included the following sermons:
BIBLE VERSES
This sermon was based on Genesis 18:16-33.
16Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lordby doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
KEY POINTS
God Wants Us Involved in a Way of Life
- To be human is to be involved in the work of God – We are not on the sideline of creation – watching it play out. We are involved.
- Part of that is prayer – talking to God about what we see happening.
- We have a purpose. To image God – to represent him, to look like God on earth, to have conversation with God – to know him.
We Are to Do Righteousness and Justice
- Humans are involved in creation. Suffering, poverty, injustice – it’s easy to blame God. Actually, we are here and have been given purpose by God to DO righteousness and justice.
- As we pray we are to seek out Gods heart for Righteousness and Justice
- God’s heart is not always immediately obvious and sometimes it is not what we expect or would have wanted. (Look at the story of Jonah)
Prayer Reveals Who We Are and Who God is
- Prayer is a bold move! To step toward God and ask a question. Even, to question what Gods up to.
- As Abraham and Jonah talk to God their own hearts are exposed and God’s heart is displayed more clearly.
- Abraham’s relationship with God is deepening as they talk – Abraham is growing in mercy – he’s becoming an image of God.
MORE SERMONS
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