March 4, 2004
By J. Rob Hutto
It didn't occur to me at first. Certainly I was troubled, but the "coincidence" of nearly simultaneous events escaped my attention until I spoke with another pastor.
The events were these. First, we have had a gay rights movement for a little over thirty years. But in the past three or four weeks there has been a disturbing attempt by homosexuals to get married in spite of laws forbidding the practice. Suddenly the country is up in arms, so to speak, as state legislatures attempt to write legislation forbidding the practice, again, in spite of laws already forbidding gay marriage. The President of the United States is calling for an amendment to the Constitution recognizing heterosexual marriage as the only appropriate marriage. The courts are involved as they are increasingly seen as liberal entities intent on overriding the laws already in place.
The second event has been in the making for some time. Mel Gibson, famous actor and movie producer, has produced a movie giving a very graphic depiction of how Jesus Christ might actually have suffered in His final twelve hours on the earth. The movie was criticized long before it was released, the media has attempted to discredit it, churches have rented theaters to allow entire congregations to see it, and it is selling, I think, tickets far beyond what was expected.
What do these two events have to do with each other? They seem unrelated, and in the eyes of the public may well be. But in Genesis we find some things relative to our current situation. Genesis 18:17-22 says,
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 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 hath spoken of him.
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 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.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
This passage points out some things we already know, at least if we have been in a Bible-believing church for any length of time. First of all, God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their gross sin, best demonstrated by their homosexuality. This sin and its resulting degradation is referred to in Romans 1:26 as "vile affections." In fact, homosexuality is sometimes referred to as "sodomy." If we read on in the first chapter of Romans, these vile affections were not limited to homosexuality, but were accompanied by such things as murder, pride, and other sins (verses 29-31). Homosexuality is a part of a bigger problem. Our society has sunk to a level that is dangerously out of sync with God's will.
In this chapter in Genesis, we find that God wants to show Abraham what He, God, is about to do. He makes it clear to Abraham that the time has come for something to be done about Sodom and Gomorrah. If we read the nineteenth chapter, we will see that these people were ravenous in their desires as they attempt to invade Lot's home to be able to have their way with the two visitors God has sent to him. Their morals have gotten so low as to become almost non-existent. God has had enough! God is going to do something! But, He wants to tell, and does tell, Abraham about it first.
It seems to me as I reflect on these two recent events and their happening within a few days of each other that "coincidence" is not a proper description for them. They are each extreme events. The marriage of gay couples represents one of the worst consequences of homosexuality. It says to our kids, "this is normal." "This is okay." But it isn't okay! Nevertheless, we have begun the journey to a level of depravity that has destroyed other cultures. The movie is extreme in that no holds were barred in the representation of the horrible suffering Jesus endured. It is a movie that has generated a lot of responses, but ironically it is difficult to find words to adequately describe it.
This gut-wrenching movie grabs your attention. Funny that it does so at a time when the country is holding its collective breath to see if we will take the plunge into legitimizing a sin that a little over three decades ago would have caused disgust, shame, and correction. It seems very likely that God is trying to tell us something. "Wake up!" "Don't you see what is happening all around you?" "Don't you see that it is chillingly similar to what was going on in Sodom and Gomorrah?"
Abraham immediately finds himself alone before the Lord. The visitors he has entertained, possibly the same ones that would visit Lot, have left, but Abraham is still in the Presence of God. What does he do? He begins to beseech God to spare the lives of the righteous.
I am proud to be an American- most of the time. But it now seems a little too obvious to me that God is fed up with America. Of course, this is not hard to believe if we look at the scripture. After all, God destroyed two cities once they went beyond the point of no return. His wrath waxed hot against them! Can we honestly sit back and call the release of this movie, at the same time the homosexuals are trying to validate their degeneracy, a coincidence? You can feel that way if you want to. But I think God is calling us to pray.
A number of good people have attempted to stop the gay initiatives by marching on their respective state capitols. There is nothing wrong with this. Some, perhaps, are calling or writing state legislatures, and perhaps the United States Congress. This is fine. But it seems to me that something else is needed. We have a history of marches, some of which made a difference for the positive, some of which did not. Christians are more likely in this day and time to contact government representatives with an opinion on pending legislation. The advent of the internet, along with cell phones, has made it ever so easy to "make a difference." I am not criticizing this. But I am also not advocating it. I just don't believe God is calling most of us to march or make phone calls. Maybe He is calling some to do so. But I believe very strongly that God is indeed calling His people to their knees! The time for prayer has come!
Let me repeat that- God is calling His people to their knees! This is not just another 9/11. That day was terrible and will be seared in my memory as long as I have the capacity to think in this body. Perhaps, as some think, that day was the judgment of God. I don't know. But what we are facing now is the possibility of giving full assent to one of the lowest forms of evil I know. The consequences could be even worse than 9/11, and much broader in scope!
As God looks down, does He see the wave of immorality that has begun? Of course He does. I'm afraid He has been seeing it for quite some time. This is just a part of the problem. But we have heard all the stories of this society and how it has essentially turned from God, and this in spite of a multitude of churches. But churches do not equal holiness!
What we need is a move of God. But how do we pray for it? What exactly do we pray when we go before God? Abraham prayed, oddly enough, for the righteous. We don't even find him praying for his own nephew. Maybe he had Lot in mind. But Abraham does not even call his name.
No, Abraham prayed for the righteous. I think God's people in this country have been in trouble for a long time. We have no passion for the lost. We aren't winning souls. It troubles me greatly. One of the largest countries in the world with so many churches you can hardly count them, and people aren't getting saved on anything remotely similar to a large scale. A few churches do well, but many churches feel more like funeral chapels than houses of worship.
I think our influence in this society has become non-existent in far too many cases. If the homosexual agenda is allowed to become public policy, I'm afraid our influence will suffer even more. Already some churches are allowing homosexuals to hold positions of authority. Homosexuals holding any position in a church is a mockery to God! I believe we should love homosexuals with everything that is in us, but if we don't respond to the call now and stand against this sin, we will lose even more influence in America. America may become like Rome, who fell because of the excess immorality that became common place there. Or we will become like Sodom and Gomorrah, which no longer exist, destroyed by the wrath of God.
Genesis 19:29 says, "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." When Abraham responded to God's Voice, God answered by saving Lot. When we begin to pray, God will do things we haven't even asked for. But we must pray. The call has gone out. But does God have your attention yet?
I know people affected by this current movement. I love them a great deal. But all I can do is cry out, "Oh God!" As I have prayed about this, my heart aches and my spirit groans. Words are few as I pray, but God hears the cry of my heart. He knows the pain.
The church, the people of God, must stop and understand what is happening. If we believe the Bible, then we cannot discount the nineteenth chapter of Genesis as metaphorical or fictional. We have to see it for what it is. It is an example of how far God can be pushed. Perhaps you think we have not gone that far. How far away are we from becoming just like Sodom and Gomorrah? Can we take the chance that we will skate through this without a scratch? I think not!
Please pray! You may see me as an alarmist or a crackpot. That is unfortunate. You will have to decide if or how you will judge me. But please be right. We can't afford to be wrong about this. Again, the stakes are too high, the price is too great. How can we ignore the signs around us and not feel somewhat desperate? Let us rise up, not in revolution against our leaders, but in revolt against sin and its influence in our country, and yes, in our churches. If we are to be God's church, we must rise up. The righteous are at stake. The influence of Jesus in this country is at stake. Please answer the call to pray. After all, the call comes not from me, but from God! Will you respond?
For a link to my review of the movie The Passion of the Christ, click this link.