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Even Sodom
by Francis Frangipane
It
is not God who hinders the healing of our
land. Rather it is our apathy, our own unbelief,
that keeps us from grasping the potential
offered in the Gospel of Christ! Do not
marvel when I say entire cities can be saved.
The Scripture tells us that nations will
come to our light and kings to the brightness
of our rising! (Isaiah 60:1-3)
All
We Lack is Christlikeness!
"He then began to denounce the cities in
which most of His miracles were done, because
they did not repent" (Matt. 11:20). Jesus
has a word to say, not only to us as individuals,
but to entire cities as well. In anger He
rebuked Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum
(Matt. 11:21); with tears, He cried out
to Jerusalem (Luke 13:34). If He expected
cities to repent in the first century, He
expects cities today to repent as well.
It
was in this very context of reproving cities,
however, that Jesus made a statement which
unveiled the scope of God's redemptive power.
Listen to His rebuke, but also to its hidden
promise. He said, "For if the miracles had
occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred
in you, they would have repented long ago
in sackcloth and ashes" (Matt. 11:21).
Tyre
and Sidon were Gentile cities known for
their debauchery and sin. Yet, Jesus said
that His life, revealed in power, can bring
even the vilest of cities, places which
ought to be destroyed, to "sackcloth
and ashes." The strategy, therefore, to
win our cities is for the church to reveal
Christ's life in power. Yes, the revelation
of Christ in us as individuals, and the
power of Christ displayed corporately through
us, can turn our worst cities back toward
God!
Today,
many cities are ripe for revival. What hinders
the turning of the people's hearts? Part
of the answer lies with the church, with
our sins of self-righteousness, indifference
and unbelief. The Lord said if His people
would humble themselves and pray, seek His
face and turn from evil, He would then heal
their land (see 2 Chron. 7:14). The future
does not belong to the world; it belongs
to the transformed church. Indeed, let us
never forget: God "desires all men to be
saved" (1 Tim. 2:4). With this in mind,
Paul taught that entreaties and prayers
should be made on behalf of all
men, "for kings and all who are in authority"
(1 Tim. 2:1-4). The sacrifice of Christ
provides for the salvation of all men. Heaven
waits only for the church to act.
One
may say, "But, that was then. Our cities
are worse. They are beyond redemption."
Not so. Jesus continued His rebuke of cities,
saying, "If the miracles had occurred in
Sodom which occurred in you, it would have
remained to this day" (Matt. 11:23). Amazingly,
when Christ is manifested in power, Jesus
said even Sodom could find repentance!
I
have heard many ministers compare Los Angeles
or New York to Sodom. Good. These cities
have seen hell, now let the church show
them heaven. They need to see Jesus revealed
in His church. The promise of Christ is
that even Sodom could repent in the atmosphere
and revelation of Christ's power. If there
is hope for Sodom, there is hope for your
city as well!
The
Obstruction to Revival: Complacency
When we picture cities, we tend to see skylines
and factories, streets and schools. Jesus,
however, sees people. He beholds
husbands arguing with wives while their
children tremble in fear. He sees drugs
being sold on playgrounds and teenagers
having abortions. He suffers at the bedside
of the infirm. The heart of Christ grieves
with the loneliness of the elderly and identifies
with the struggles of the handicapped.
Yes,
the eyes of the Lord probe the spirit
and humanity of the city. From
His eternal perspective, He also beholds
the most terrible event known to man. He
sees the overwhelming horror, the utter
despair an unsaved person experiences as
he realizes he is, indeed, dead and going
to hell. And, in the midst of it all, He
sees the church - His church, purchased
at the cost of His own precious blood -
sitting comfortably and amused, remote control
in hand, watching television.
Jesus
does not have a problem with the hot or
cold dimensions of life. It is the lukewarm
that He will spew from His mouth (Rev. 3:15-16).
What stopped the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida
and Capernaum - communities that already
had the blessing of Christ's healing - from
embracing ongoing renewal? They
assumed Christ's love was given only to
enrich them. All they saw were the rewards
of Christ without understanding His requirements.
The
church today is frighteningly similar in
attitude to these ancient cities. The majority
of the first century saints gave their lives
to Christ with the full knowledge they would
face persecution, suffering and, possibly,
death for their faith. Such was the character
and vision of the church in the first century.
The
main emphasis of much of our Christianity,
however, is to help believers become "normal."
So much of our contemporary teaching keeps
alive the very nature Jesus calls us to
crucify! We need to reevaluate our preaching.
Are we preaching the cross and the call
to follow Jesus? What are we training our
people to become?
Please
hear me, the Father's goal is not merely
to bless us, but to transform
us into the image of His Son! He desires
to use us to turn our cities back to Him.
But God has made no provision for the
healing of our land apart from us becoming
Christlike! Once we realize this vital
truth, we shall return to the source of
New Testament Christianity, and our cities
will have hope for redemption. When the
church demonstrates the love and power of
Christ, repentance and revival can occur
even in a place like Sodom.
Lord,
forgive us for our unbelief and apathy.
You have promised that even Sodom would
come to You at the revelation of Your character
and power. Transform us, Lord Jesus, for
the sake of your glory and the renewal of
our cities.
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Francis
serves as senior minister of River of Life
Ministries in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 
