Thanks for joining us again at Burnip Island Church. This week, Pastor Hopkins will be addressing the sin of homosexuality. His sermon is entitled, The Grievous Sin of Sodomy and the Destruction of Nations. Turn with me in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Genesis. Chapter 18 we'll be reading in a moment, verses 20 through 33.

Some of you, maybe all of you saw the text I sent out yesterday to the men of the church, alerting you all to the passing of a new law in the nation of Canada. Sounds like more like China, but it's actually the nation of Canada, which went into effect on January 8th, making it effectively illegal to preach the gospel to, and I used this with quotes around it, homosexuals. There is no category of human beings called homosexuals because it is not a class but it is a behavior. But the law which is aimed at so-called conversion therapy makes it a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to if a person engages in any, quote, this is the actual wording of the law, practice, treatment, or service designed to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual. How about that?

Or quote, change a person's gender identity. End quote. Or quote, repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior, end quote. Wow. Wow, a crime.

Basically, to preach the law of God concerning homosexuality to someone who's engaging in that sin, and of course you cannot preach the gospel without bringing in the law, because the law is the schoolmaster that drives men to Christ. Anyone who preaches the gospel of Christ or shares the gospel of Christ with a person who's engaging in homosexual behavior, who pretends to be a gender that they're not, can be charged with a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. And this is an interesting thing. They tried to put this through a couple of times and it failed. This time it went through with a unanimous vote.

100 percent of those in their House voted for this, both the liberal wing and the so-called conservative wing of the House. Not a single voice of dissent from the conservative party. As I said in my text yesterday, pastors all over Canada, I'm told 300 of them plan to defy that law and address the sin of homosexual behavior this morning from their pulpits and preach on the subject of God's design for marriage and sexuality. In a letter addressed to John MacArthur, one of the Canadian pastors wrote, quote, faithful men across this country and many in the United States as well will be preaching on God's design for marriage and a biblical ethic of sexuality. We will be doing so illegally here in Canada, declaring to the state that there is one God and one Lord over his church, and that Christ alone gets to both define marriage and dictate what is required in the pulpit.

We are honored that our American brothers will be joining us in this. I read that as I said earlier, 2, 700 pastors in America are planning to preach on these topics this morning in addition to unknown thousands around the globe. Of course for us at this point there's no cost, right? But we need to count the cost. We've been talking about this for years in the group that I'm with with pastors all over the country, hundreds and hundreds of pastors around the country, that the day is coming where we may be sharing jail cells together for simply opening up the Word of God and preaching maybe from Leviticus 18.

I ended my text to the men of the church yesterday with these words, may the Lord bless his church in Canada and all who stand for and preach the truth of His holy word, no matter the cost." The title of my sermon this morning is, quote, the grievous sin of sodomy and the destruction of nations. And I wish I had two hours, but I don't, and I'll try to keep it under one hour today. Genesis 18 is where we're going to begin and if you would stand with me for the reading of the Word of God. If you will just follow along with me as I read since we have many passages, just follow along we'll begin in verse 20 and read through verse 33. And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me.

And if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thins and went towards Sodom. But Abraham stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near and said, wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy and unspare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee. Shout out the judge of all the earth, do right.' And the Lord said, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, behold thou, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which is in but dust and ashes. Peradventure, or perhaps, there shall lack five of the fifty righteous, will thou destroy all the city for the lack of five? And he said, if I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.

And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure, there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, O let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Peradventure, there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

And he said unto him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Peraventure, there shall be thirty found there." And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet, but this once. Paraventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left, communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place Let's go to the Lord Father we ask that you would bless the Preaching of your word this morning that you would open up our understanding, that you would help us to see wonderful things in your Word, O God, and that you would conform us more to the image of Christ, that you would grow your people in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. For we do ask it in His holy name, amen. Let's be seated. One of the darkest chapters of human history is upon the generation in which we live. Back in 2015, when the news came of the United States Supreme Court Obergefell decision that they had intended and actually carried out the perversion of the institution of marriage by law.

This was in the summer of 2015. I was in the middle of a Bible study with my family that morning, And when the call came, someone had called us, or maybe it was a text. I remember falling on my face on the living room floor and just crying. It was very similar to the day that I saw, for the first time, a photograph of a victim of abortion. The charred body had seen a charred picture of a charred body of a pre-born baby girl that had been pulled from the dumpster behind an abortion clinic.

I believe it was in Houston, Texas. Same thing, all I could do was cry. They really weren't words. How many today have grieved for the abominations that have been done in our country? How many of you have grieved?

I know you have. How many continue to grieve and mourn and sigh and cry. How many? Many? Yes.

In Ezekiel chapter 9 verse 4, the Lord said, Go through the city, through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof in that passage God Sends destruction upon the wicked but he spares all those who have the mark of God in their forehead, and all those who had the mark of God in their forehead that this man was sent in to mark their heads from an angel were those who sighed and cried and grieved at all the abominations that were being done in their nation. These were spared and the rest went to destruction in Jerusalem at that time. I believe we have 7, 000 in America, figuratively speaking, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. I believe we have that. In a few moments we're going to begin to look at the account of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by God, or actually what preceded that, for the abomination of sodomy.

In those passages we're going to see God deliver righteous lot and punish the wicked. But before we look at those, I want us to understand something. The Genesis account of the destruction of these two cities does not indicate that the sin of homosexuality was, or homosexual behavior, was institutionalized in Sodom or Gomorrah. You understand what I'm saying? It's been institutionalized in America, but it wasn't necessarily institutionalized.

It was rampant, it was accepted, it was everywhere, but there's nothing that indicates that it was actually institutionalized by law as it has been in America. The Supreme Court of the United States struck down the laws of the 50 States against sodomy in 2003. I remember the day that that happened as well. Texas had laws on the books. I was on a jury that put a man in prison, a child molester in prison back in the late 1980s who was, had a record this long.

And one of the things on his record as he probably was doing terrible things to little boys was that he was arrested in Dallas, Texas in Dallas County for homosexual contact in 1985 and served in the local jail. They were arresting in the state of Texas and putting men in jail for homosexual contact as late as 1985. And then in 2003, the laws of the 50 states were struck down, Texas was struck down. But what happened in our nation in the summer of 2015, 12 years later, with the Obergefell decision, was worse, far, far worse. And you might even say, well, it was worse than what was taking place in Sodom and Gomorrah, because it was the institutionalization of homosexuality through the perversion of marriage, and that, of course, goes straight for the gospel.

This summer, if our nation survives, we'll mark the seventh year of really the grossest, most abominable, most vicious, horrendous assault on Christ and his bride and the gospel ever conceived by any government in the history of the world. You understand how bad this was, what took place in 2015. The legalization of sodomite marriage. Legalization of sodomite marriage. Everyone's familiar with Ephesians chapter 5.

We'll get to our passage in Genesis in a moment, but Ephesians chapter 5 on marriage. But just turn there with me for just a second and read this because I'm going to focus on a few words here in Ephesians chapter 5. I want you to see how horrible this is, what took place in 2015 and what an assault it was upon God and upon Christ and upon His church and that relationship that is called marriage. Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the church, everybody knows this. Gave himself for it.

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5 25, that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So I am to love their wives as their own bodies, he that loves his wife loves himself. No man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord, the Church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife and they too shall be one flesh.

They too shall be one flesh. Think of this as you think of the assault upon marriage by the Supreme Court of the United States. He goes on to say, this is a great mystery, but I'm talking to you about Christ and His Church. I speak concerning Christ and His Church. Here is in these passages both the model for marriage on earth and the purpose for marriage on earth.

The marriage of one man to one woman is intended by God to be both the model and a picture of Christ and his church. Marriage is all about the relationship between Christ and his church. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." It's a great mystery but I'm talking to you about Christ and his church. I'm talking to you ultimately about the holy union between Jesus Christ and his church. That is marriage.

And you understand that when anyone claims to speak concerning marriage, he is also speaking concerning Christ and his church. There's no way around it. Marriage was instituted by God, and by it God speaks concerning Christ and His Church. Well, the Supreme Court of the United States also spoke concerning marriage when they handed down the Obergefell decision. And make no mistake about it, they spoke concerning Christ and His church.

When they spoke concerning marriage, they spoke concerning Christ and His church. You can't speak about marriage without saying something about Christ and his church. That's what we learned from this. And in a brazen, bold-faced, high-handed revolt against the Almighty, the Supreme Court of the United States in the summer of 2015, nearly seven years ago now, spoke concerning the Lord Jesus and his bride, and what they spoke they published to the ends of the earth, and the nations of the world followed us. They assaulted, yes, the institution of marriage in the civil sphere.

They, yes, perverted the definition of marriage before all, but when they delivered or rendered the decision in Obergefell, they did something far more hideous and evil, something far more grievous and treacherous. They spoke concerning Christ and his relationship with his bride, the church. And look what they said. They painted a new picture on the minds of men and women and children all over the world, a blasphemous picture of Christ and his church. The new picture, the new emblem of Christ and his church says the Supreme Court of the United States will be two men engaging in abominable and filthy acts so vile, so heinous that they can't even be described without defiling the minds of the hearers.

The apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5-12, it's a shame to even speak of those things which are done of them in secret. The US Supreme Court said, that's what we think of your gospel, Jesus Christ. That's what we think of you, Christ, and your church. That's what we think of you and your bride. We redefine marriage and with it the gospel.

Now what are you going to do about it? That's basically what they said. In effect, our federal government challenged the triune God to a duel. And I can tell you that they will not prevail against the Almighty. Have you noticed the past seven years, the decline in the country?

The destruction that's already overtaken our cities. The destruction that's already overtaken our institutions in the past seven years. We've seen things that we never saw in the history of the country. We've seen rioting and murder in the streets and lawlessness and violence in our major cities since that time like nothing in our nation's history. We've seen the dissolution of the family in ways like that we can't even it's unbelievable.

Our political institutions have been reeling They're actually tottering like a skyscraper that's swaying back and forth and ready to fall. Many don't seem to notice. It's all in disarray. But I want to encourage the congregation this morning as we look at these passages concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, because there really is some hope in the text, because as we will see those cities could have been spared. That's really what all this is about.

They could have been spared. The inference is that those cities could have been spared. And I don't know about you, but I see God doing the work at our time. And I believe that we were born for such a time as this. We weren't put here by accident in this time and in this age.

When we began homeschooling our children 35 years ago, we didn't imagine how rapid the descent into moral anarchy the nation would be. But God knew, And he keeps growing our families. Have you seen that? Numerically and spiritually. As the nation is collapsing morally, God is planting.

Have you noticed that? It's not specific here either to Burnett Bible Church. But I mean, you look around you, maybe not today with so many out, but you look around you, you see what God is doing. Young Christian couples with babies and growing families are everywhere. Every one of them desiring with all their hearts to raise their children in the nurturing instruction of God in his word.

That's a work of God, God is doing something, and he always uses remnants, he never uses the majority. He always uses a small minority to accomplish his work. Think of Gideon, Gideon's army. Again, it is an exclusive DeBernet Bible Church, I talked to other pastors. I think we were born for such a time as this.

But let's look at the destruction of Sodom and see if there's any incursion force in the text. I may have to do some of it next week, but let's begin with verse 20. And the Lord said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great I want to I want us to look at some things here and learn about how bad this this this sin of sodomy is and why God is willing and does carry out the destruction of city-states because of the grievousness of this sin. But he says, the Lord God said, because of the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, it's great. And because their sin is very grievous.

Look at those words. Because their sin is very grievous. People want to minimize the grievous nature of homosexual perversion, homosexual acts. There's this talk among some professing Christians today that goes something like this, well you know all sin is sin. You know, the little seven-year-old boy that stole the pencil from someone in school, same thing.

It's all just sin. It's all the same before God, not true. All sin is grievous, but the sin of Sodom, look at the text, was very grievous. It was very grievous, what was taking place. If you'll flip back a few pages to Genesis chapter 13 and look at verses 12 and 13 real quickly, we read there Genesis 13 beginning with verse 12, Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom, but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly." He sets this sin apart.

He sets it apart. We've got young people, I was listening to a Vodi Bakum sermon yesterday. He was talking about the young people he's running into in churches everywhere that are full on in acceptance of homosexuality, even in reformed churches that are saying, well, you know, as long as it's a monogamous relationship or what have you. It's just unbelievable, the stuff that's happening. I say professing Christians because I don't believe you can be a Christian and be deceived on this.

I don't believe it's possible for you to be a true believer in Jesus Christ and to accept something as good and holy and righteous and acceptable that God says is a sin that is very grievous and those who do it are sinners before the Lord exceedingly. I don't believe that. I don't think the Holy Spirit will allow you to go on in that. You might be deceived for a time, but you can't remain deceived. The next time someone tries to tell you that the sin of Sodom is no worse in the eyes of God than any other sin, take them to these two passages.

By the way, men who engage in these perverse acts, and women, want every person in their community to participate in it. When you look at the passages about Sodom and Gomorrah, what do they want? They want, they demand a participation. We start off, what you start off with is you start off with them saying, well, we just want to be accepted. And then after they are accepted, then they want celebration.

We just want you to fly our flags over your courthouse or what have you on certain days of the year. Then, eventually, they demand participation, and that's what we see in Sodom and Gomorrah. They want everyone in their community to participate in it. Even every visitor to their city. That's the nature of sin though, right?

You want everybody to engage in that sin. Whatever the sin is, you want them to engage in it with you because it makes them feel like it's okay. Well, if we're all doing it, then it's okay. You know? The drunkards hang out with the drunkards.

It's all okay. We're all drunk. You know? Misery loves company. But don't be deceived.

Nothing has changed. Nothing has changed. What God has said is abominable, very grievous, exceedingly wicked, is still abominable, very grievous, and exceedingly wicked. The men of Sodom were demanding participation, that's why the cry lifted up to heaven for the vengeance of God. That seems to be the point in which God acts, when participation is compelled.

Verse 21 says, I'll go down now. Of course, God doesn't have to do this, but he's working all this out in front of Abraham. This is what is termed a theophany, by the way. Theophany would be an appearance and then theophany a god appearance. Christophany a Christ appearance or appearance of Christ.

This is what is termed a theophany or a Christophany a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. One of the three is the Lord. One of the three is the Lord, if you look at your text. John Gill writes, this is, quote, the Son of God in a human form now with Abraham who proposes to go from the place where he was, which perhaps on higher ground to the plane in which Sodom and Gomorrah stood. By the way, if this is a, and it is, a Christophany, an appearance of Christ, you understand what's taking place here?

The next time someone says Jesus never did anything or spoke about sodomy or homosexuality, You tell them Jesus dropped the bomb on Sodom and Gomorrah. This is an appearance of Christ. Tell them you know not the Scriptures neither the power of God. There will be an investigation into the cry of the inhabitants of Sodom to see if the reports are true, to see whether the men of Sodom have done altogether according to the cry of it. God always, you know, let's have a hearing.

And the men, verse 22, that is the two angels turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. Okay, so this is that pre-incarnate appearance of the second person of the Holy Trinity. And here Abraham has a question for the Lord and it concerns the justice of God. But a question he already knows the answer to, Abraham's June year, verse 23, and said, will thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Abraham knows the answer to the question.

Abraham knows the character of God. Abraham is also well acquainted with the character of Lot and seems to assume that Lot must have had a larger, a greater impact upon the men of his city. He must have had a greater impact upon them. He knows his character over in 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 7. Peter speaks of Lot as being a just man who was vexed or tormented with the filthy conversation or behavior of the wicked.

So Abraham pleads with the Almighty here. Certainly lot must have had an impact on the city, some sort of impact. Verse 24, paraventure, or let's say perhaps, there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?" That's a legitimate prayer. That's a legitimate request, right? Gil writes that's the right kind of pleading with God.

Note also that it is intercessory. He's pleading for others before the throne of God. He doesn't want the entire nation state to be destroyed. He doesn't want all these people to die. He seems to even be pleading for the wicked here.

Will you not spare the entire place or the city for the sake of 50 righteous men? Maybe they can be converted. I don't know. No doubt Abraham hoped against hope. Surely 50 righteous men can be found in this vastly populated city where a lot has been living.

A righteous man. Abraham displays no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He doesn't want the wicked to die. I think he hopes against hope for a turnaround. Maybe 50 righteous could turn the city around.

We should hope for that in the United States. Maybe 50 righteous men could turn the city around. Remember, it happened in Nineveh. There was a turnaround. Jonah didn't even want Nineveh to turn back to God.

Abraham seems to want to. Jonah didn't. He went out and set out the edge of the city and waited to see the destruction from God. He wanted the whole thing to come down. But it didn't, and Nineveh did repent.

And it was a national revival, by the way, that lasted a hundred years. Did you know that? After Nineveh repented, there was a hundred years where the nation was following, or city-state was following God. Nineveh was spared for a hundred years at the preaching of Jonah, one man. God turned away the destruction of that city.

So maybe Abraham's hoping for such a turnaround. Think we should. I pray for such a time in our country. Verse 25, that be far from thee to do after this man, or to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked. That be far from thee.

Shun not the judge of all the earth. Do right, of course. It's God's nature to do only right. The destruction of the righteous along with the wicked does not agree with the character of God. But notice what's going on here.

Abraham is really kind of wrestling with God in prayer. God likes it when his people wrestle with him in prayer in situations where they they are persisting in a just cause. Verse 26, the Lord said if I find in Sodom 50 righteous within the city I'll spare the city for their sakes. God spares entire cities even nations for the sake of a few righteous men who keep His word and remain faithful to Him. I wonder how many times God has already spared our nation because of the righteous dwelling herein.

I wonder when the books were all written if we get to see them I wonder how many times God has already spared our nation because of a handful of righteous men. America would already be toast I think for sure if it weren't for the people of God living here. Jesus you remember said to his followers, you are the salt of the earth. You know what that means? I was explaining it to my children.

The salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative. As long as salt retains its saltiness, it retains its preservative quality. But if it should lose its ability to preserve, it's good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under the feet of men. That's what Jesus said.

In other words, you lose your saltiness. You stop your ability to be a preserving quality upon your country. You're good for nothing. You might as well be thrown out and be trampled under the feet of men, swept away with the rest of the wicked. When the people of God are humble, when the people of God are set apart unto God, holy, When the people of God are continually turning from sin and from temptation, when they are increasing in obedience to God, when they're growing in love for their Lord and seeking His face and in living for His glory, they can also hope to preserve their nation from destruction.

300 pastors in Canada are doing just that this morning. They're defying the government and the unholy and unjust laws that are attempting to forbid them to do what God commands and they're doing what God commands. They're going ahead and preaching the truth of God's Word and it may cost them. I don't know if they've got spies in the churches, you know, recording their messages. It happened over in Houston, you know, It happened over in Houston.

They had a sodomite mayor that demanded all of the sermons of pastors be submitted to the local government at one point in time because they were preaching against homosexuality. That got shut down pretty quick, praise God. But we should be praying that God uses what's going on in Canada to his glory and that he might be pleased to cause it to be the season of revival in that country. Canada needs a revival. Canada's a wicked nation as well.

Verse 27, Abraham answered and said, Behold now I've taken upon me to speak of the Lord which I'm dust and ashes. He's approaching God, he's boldly approaching God, he's humble, he's reverential, He's beholding the holiness of God before him. Seems to sense his unworthiness before God. He knows he's just dust on the scales, dust and ashes before God. Yet he continues, look here, to trust in the mercies of heaven.

He continues to approach God, like Esther did, entering the court of King Ahasuerus, trusting that the golden scepter would be extended once again. That was a quote, by the way, and I can't find out who that quote was from. I thought it was good though. Trusting that the golden scepter will be extended once again. Peravidchena Shalek five of the fifty.

I won't destroy it. If there's 45 I won't destroy it. Calvin has a comment here that's very interesting. He says, certainly, you know, he's thinking that some just persons may be concealed in the city somewhere. It's a horrible prodigy, says Calvin, that the filth of iniquity should so pervade the whole body as to allow no member to remain pure.

We are, however, taught by this example how tyrannically Satan proceeds when once the dominion of sin is established. And that's what's going on in this country. The dominion of sin has been established, and so now there's like a tyrannical procession to involve everybody in it. It's not surprising, he goes on to say, that one should be corrupted by another till the contagion reaches every individual. God have mercy.

May it not happen in our country. I was in Austin getting some tests done a few weeks ago and two sodomites were standing out in front of a IHOP. I was thinking about going in and I decided not to because my stomach was turned, but they decided to come out on the right in front of the front doors and begin engaging in stuff that I won't even describe here. But it was so sickening and disgusting. What about for 40?

No, I won't do it for 40's sake. Each time the answer comes from the Lord Abraham, you realize the destruction of Sodom in the neighboring towns is imminent. Being void of the number of righteous men, he hopes to be found in the city. He doesn't want to displease the Lord, But he goes on, what if there's 30? I will not do it if I find 30.

Behold, I've taken it into me to speak unto the Lord here, and he seems to be like almost surprised by his own boldness in the grace of God being shown to him. What if there's 20 that are found? He said, I will not destroy for 20 sake. So let not the Lord be angry. I will speak yet, but this once.

Peri-Venture 10. Certainly there must be 10 righteous men in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Perhaps ten shall be found there. Certainly there's ten men in the city of Sodom and the surrounding cities who haven't given themselves over to debauchery. I won't destroy it for ten's sake.

Wow. Look at the mercies of God. Look at the mercies of God. Look at the mercies of God. I said we're gonna go for an hour but we're gonna get out in 40 minutes.

As we close great is the mercy of the Lord. Great is the mercy of the Lord. I want to go forward next week and actually go through the passages about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and also talk about the arguments that are coming out that are being made by professing Christian sodomites. You guys know that's huge on the internet, huge. Trying to get all of the young people to think, to pervert their thinking on this issue, and to think, well, the Bible only has six passages, is what they say.

Now The Bible has thousands of passages. Every time God speaks about marriage he's speaking about homosexuality. Well Jesus doesn't talk about it. Well we're gonna show what Jesus does talk about it. Some more of those.

But as we close, great is the mercy of the Lord that for the sake of ten righteous men He would spare an entire city from judgment Some people think there were millions that were living in that city at that time I've seen the pictures of the plane where they believe that this took place and it's just like a dust bowl today. But I want to encourage the congregation. I said I believe there's cause for encouragement in this text. I want to encourage the congregation again. Speak out.

You have to speak about these things. People are afraid. The media wants to make everyone afraid. They want to make you not say anything to anybody for fear that everybody thinks something different than you. But when I preach on the streets of Burnet, I found out, you know, I find out A lot of people really agree.

A lot of people are with us. Even people who are not Christians know deep within themselves that this is something that is greatly evil. This is wrong. But it's also an issue that brings out, as I said, the demons. And I've had four police cars, you know, every sheriff's, local authorities, and you know, the burden authorities, and then the state troopers and everybody there, because someone is really, really, really upset.

And they think that everybody else is upset with them. And we need to get this guy off the street corner of this street preaching on homosexuality needs to stop. But there's a lot of support, but we need to be speaking. And every Wednesday when I preach, I like to bring in, at least for a time, a portion of the time of that 45 minutes or an hour, Romans 1. You know, it speaks about this so clearly.

And God, you know, handing people over to a reprobate mind to follow their vile affections. The nation needs to hear this. And they need to understand that, as I've said so many times, homosexuality is not a life choice, it is a judgment from God. People are handed over to homosexuality as a penalty for previous sin. That's what Romans 1 teaches.

But there's a great reluctance of Christians to openly talk about the sin of sodomy. The media, of course, portrays anyone who opens his mouth about the sin of sodomy as a bigot. But if we clam up now, all will be lost. We don't want to go the way of Canada. And we need to be speaking out.

Remember that you are the salt of the earth. Don't lose your savor. We're commanded by God to have an answer or give an answer to every man of the hope that lies within us. Christ. Our hope and the only hope for our nation and the world is Jesus Christ.

And he dropped the bomb on Sodom and Gomorrah. The world needs to hear the truth about Christ and the gospel. We need to be offering the sure mercies of heaven through Christ to everybody, telling them the Bible is very clear. Everyone who repents and believes the Gospel will be saved. But we also must warn men that to fail to turn from their sins and from this sin means destruction for their souls.

It means eternal damnation. And that nations and states and cities throughout history which we're gonna look at next week have been utterly wasted that embrace this crime against nature and nature's God. We'll be looking at Rome and Greece and the Aztecs and the American Indians that engaged in these things. Yes, all of the evidence of this is in, is in the history books. God deals severely with these crimes against him and against his law.

And like Abraham we should be praying that the righteous might not be swept away with the wicked. And we should be praying that even that our nation would be turned around, that there might be a remnant here, and that that remnant might have an impact upon the country. And then finally, it's a time for repentance within the churches of America. We can't point the finger at the sodomites and the homosexuals if we're engaging in secret sin ourselves. You know, they talk about it a lot.

What is that secret sin? Pornography. You know, I see a lot of big tough guys out in the streets and they'll, yeah, talk about those homosexuals. And they're, you know, feasting on pornography on their iPhones. God will judge.

A secret said. Eric brought that out earlier and we've talked about it in previous messages. It's a time for repentance within the churches of America. Yes we need to take the truth to others but we need to be repenting and cleaning our own house. Clean the inside of the cup.

The outside will be clean too, Jesus said. It's a time to look at our own lives and beg God for growth and holiness, for increasing the fear of the Lord and for an ever-increasing love for Christ. And with that we will close. Father, we do thank you for your Word. We ask you, Lord, to bless this preaching of your Word, to use it for your glory, use it for the advancement of the kingdom of your Son, use it for the edification and building up of your church, of our growth and holiness, and in conformity to the image of Christ.

In His name we pray these things, amen.