Duck dynasty and Phil Robertson part #4 of 5

3. The Prophets of the Old Testament speak against it.

Isaiah 1:9, “Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”

Isaiah 3:9, “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.”

Isaiah 13:19, “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Lamentations 4:6, “For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.”

Ezekiel 16:49, “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.”

4. The New Testament speaks against it.

Romans 1:26-32, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 Timothy 1:9-10, “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;”

2 Peter 2:6, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”

Jude 7, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

(A very nice concluding comment by the author)

Revelation ({e}, the rapture part 2)

We've been talking about the rapture. One of the great promises of the church's rapture is given to us by the Lord, Himself, when He spoke to the Apostle John concerning the seven churches. He said something very significant to the church at Philadelphia, in Revelation 3:10, "Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."
This message represents Christ's very own words. It transcends that little church there in Asia because that church has long been extinct, and the hour "Which shall come upon the whole world" has not yet taken place.
It doesn't really matter, in context with this verse, whether you believe the seven churches represent seven types of churches, or whether you believe each church represents seven time periods.  What is important to us in this text is what is being said. I would like you to go back and read that scripture verse again and again so that you're familiar with it.
Now, the first part of the verse, "because you have kept My (Jesus) command to persevere", this is obviously speaking of Believers so we have a handle on that part of the verse. But in the next phrase the Master Himself says, "I (Jesus) also will keep you (the believer) from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.'  I embolden the word 'from' because that word literally means 'out of.'  What Jesus is saying to John as he wrote this verse is "I will keep you 'out of ' the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world."  That word is derived from the Greek word "ek", and is a very ordinary word. It is used over 800 times in the New Testament. Every time it is used, it is translated 'out of.' It is always used to mean 'out of'.  (The only place it is used in another word form is Galatians 3:8.)
Revelation 3:10 teaches us that the faithful church-which will not deny His name, but will practice good works, evangelism, and missions-will be kept 'out of' the hour of trial (the Great Tribulation) that will test and try the whole earth. Everybody realizes that becoming a Christian does not save them from the ordinary tribulations that plague this world and those of us who dwell on it. History is filled with suffering saints and martyrs. Trials are not an option to this life, they are a standard part of existing in this fallen world. But Jesus tells us that the great tribulation is not a standard trial but would be a very specific judgment of God. Jesus said, "for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened" (Matt 24:21-22).
Someone will say, "But Pastor, the church doesn't deserve to be saved from the wrath that will try and test the whole world". I have only one answer and it is supported throughout the Bible; none of us, not one of us, deserves the deliverance from the hour of wrath that Jesus is speaking of. But God deals with us on the basis of grace when we turn to Him in faith.  The church today, with all its carnality, worldliness, and sin, doesn't deserve to escape from the Tribulation; but typical of His sovereign grace, God will save us from the wrath to come, not because we deserve it but because of His great mercy. 
Think about it. Did Israel deserve to be saved over the Egyptians who were drowned? Not much later in the trip they acted so badly that God had to destroy some of them like the Egyptians. Did we deserve Jesus to lay His life on the cross in our place? Do we as American's deserve the great benefits of this wonderful country when in Africa, Syria, or Egypt our brothers and sisters in Christ are being tortured and dying for their faith? Do we deserve the Holy Spirit, or heaven? I think not.
Why, if we went on the merit of deserving something, we would be bankrupt of many things. It is because of the grace of God that we have so much that we don't deserve, and that includes escape from the great wrath to come.
(Another scripture concerning Revelation and the rapture of the saints)