Yes, let's open your Bible. Bring your Bible.
When you if your kids go to
youth, get them a Bible. Tell them to carry it.
Tell them to take it. When you go for a cup of coffee
with a friend, take your Bible. You might not read it, but take
it. Just sit it there.
You might read it while you're waiting.
You're going to read it. If your friend turns up and
you're speaking about, well, what's the Bible there for?
Take your Bible with you. Take your Bible with you.
Wherever you go. If you're going to wait, man, if
you're going shopping, you can read the whole Old Testament.
I can always tell when I go into a shop that a guy has done
something because they've put a chair there.
I go. A bloke thought of that.
Take your Bible. You'll be amazed how much you
can read it. How much you can read it.
Revelation chapter 16. We're hoping to have a number of
Calvary pastors come and speak with us.
We spoke to them. Things are pretty tough around
the world and the Calvary's didn't close down during COVID.
They refused to. Many of them were taken to
court. They said have a go and they
really stood fast. They said no, the law of the
land says we will worship with God.
Your law doesn't tell us to do that.
So we're we're we're worshipping God.
Our God's law says above that. So it's interesting to talk to
the guys. The difficulties that they face
went through, but they stood for you.
The question titled this morning's message in Revelation
16 is, is God fair? Is he just how often used to
hear kids when you're dealing with kids, especially if you ran
youth groups? We ran youth groups.
We taught Sunday school for many years.
And there's always something that's not fair.
It isn't fair, it's not fair. Is God fair?
Is he just? But, you know, it's interesting
that such a question usually is raised only by people who
actually don't believe in God. Atheist agnostics.
It's got fear. We don't even believe in him, so
why are you even asking the question?
Yet it is they who usually make or repeat such statements.
It's got fear. Is he just the prophet?
Joel wrote of the time we'll be examining this morning in
Revelation 16, the Great Tribulation period.
So we're in over halfway now. And Joel referred to it as the
day of the Lord. He actually said these words.
Joel chapter 2, verse 11 for the day of the Lord is great.
And he wasn't saying great in the sense of wow, it's awesome,
but great in enormous magnitude. And he said and very terrible,
very terrible for the judgement of God has been poured out upon
humanity. And Joel finishes that verse.
He says, who can endure who? Who will survive it?
Revelation 16 verse one, let's read.
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven
angels, So on a different group of angels, go pour out the balls
of the wrath of God on the earth. 7 Seal judgments, 7
trumpet judgments, and now 7 ball judgments.
A loud voice from the temple cried out over 29 times in this
prophetic book. We read of a loud or a great
voice saying something speaking. Why is it loud?
Why does it say that? What does it say in a voice
said? Why does it say in a loud voice?
Because it's grabbing our attention.
Hey, listen up. Something cataclysmic is about
to happen. I got your attention.
Go and pour out the balls. Could it be that the voice that
cried out? Could it be that the angels who
are holding the balls are aware, totally aware of the momentous
events and the plagues and the destruction that they hold in
each of their bowls that they're about to pour out upon a Christ
annoying world? These are the most horrific
judgements soon to fall. Is God having to command the
angels hesitancy? Pour out the bowls, proceed the
wrath of God. This too is about to fall.
Pour out the balls the judgement of God.
Pour out the balls of the wrath of God upon the earth.
You know, the word or the term the wrath of God is mentioned
over 375 times in the Bible. It's mentioned more the wrath of
God than the love of God and the grace of God.
Interesting. It's interesting that it's not
mentioned in many churches. Who will come to church if
you're going to hear about the wrath of God?
I mean, no, it's here. I want to hear about how to be a
good bloke and how to be do well in business and stuff like that
and how to be happy, you see. And that's the man centred
gospel. A man centred gospel appeases
you. It scratches, sorry.
It helps the scratch that you have, which is the time in which
we live. It's like the kids coming to the
table and go what? Dad, at moment, you know, I'm I
want chocolate cake for breakfast, ice cream for lunch
for tea, crumpets and honey and more cream.
You go. No Brussels sprouts.
Parsnips. Who invented parsnips?
Parsnips. Cauliflower.
When I was a kid, it was beetroot.
Look at beetroot. I touch on that.
I love beetroot. Now that's funny.
You see when you come to church and you open your Bible, you are
to get what God says you need, not what I want.
Otherwise we're spoiled. And those that give to support
children only raise more sport children, The wrath of God.
You know the devil does not want us to know about judgement.
The Jehovah Witnesses remember knocking on our door one time
saying, well you're God, he's created, He's got a hell.
He sends people hell. No, a hell was not created from
humanity. He was created for the angels
who left and lost their first place.
B People. God doesn't send anyone to hell.
People choose to go to hell of their own accord.
Besides, you don't even believe in hell, so why are you
questioning me about that? The devil does not want to know
us about to know about judgement.
You know. Knowing that judgement is coming
can change our lives. I've seen that when I've been in
hospices, when people are knowing they're about to die,
they don't know Christ. They know judgement is coming.
But but because I start to get fearful of death and death is
the last great enemy of us all, every one of us is going to die.
My brother rang me yesterday. He said Keith back in hospital,
he's quite a bit older than me. I need you to come up, bring a
pen and paper. We're going to organise his
funeral. So we're going to go through
that and part of that organising will be me saying and talk to
him about his walk with God, his salvation, so that when I do his
funeral, I'll be able to say I know where he is, I know what's
happened changes the whole matter.
He's going to get his house in order.
Have you got your house in order?
Are you ready to make God? Because each and every one of us
will die. We don't know when, but each and
every one of us will. Knowing judgement is coming can
change our lives. So God commands the wrath of God
is going to be poured out. You know that actually, as we
read through the Book of Revelation, you know, we're
heading to one place. We're heading to the great White
Throne judgement where every man, every woman, every child
who has rejected Christ will be raised and stand before God.
They'll stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne
judgement, and no one who comes up in the second resurrection
will go to heaven. And so all of earth, those who
reject Jesus Christ, all of earth are moving towards
billions of people moving towards this place this day when
they will each stand before God and having rejected Jesus Christ
as the Lord and Saviour will be cast into eternity of darkness,
loneliness without God. Verse 2 So the first went Angel
poured out his bowl upon the earth and a fowl and loathsome
saw came upon the men who had noticed it only affected a
certain group who had the mark of the beast.
Remember the Antichrist is ruling the world at this time.
He's the world's most powerful dictator to ever come.
He's taken the mark because you don't have.
You don't have his mark. You can't buy.
You can't eat. They'll kill you.
You don't take his mark means you're a believer.
You're a Jesus Christ. You'll die for your faith, but
billions of the world will take them out.
Yeah, I'm following him, man. Yeah.
I'm. I'm for him.
They receive his mark. I'm, I'm, I'm.
I'm all for. They worship his image.
This judgement, bold judgement is poured out upon all the men
who had the mark of the beast and those who worship the image
to worship his image. And remember, halfway through,
remember Israel has rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem.
That's been happening and going along.
Then on the abomination of desolation on that day, the
Antichrist arrives. They all welcome.
Yeah, man, he's the guy that helped build the temple.
He goes into the temple, says stop everything, worship me,
take my mark. The Jews will have to flee, run
for their lives, literally, literally not grant, not go back
and get in, Just take off, run. And from that moment he will be
worshipped as God, and he sets up in that new temple to be
built his image, and people will worship his image.
It says of the sores in the old King James Version.
It says noisome. Other translations have
loathsome sores. In the Greek it means evil.
This is the physical description, evil, bad, wicked,
malignant source, festering, painful, horrific source,
meaning these sores will be festering, painful and
incurable. But it's only on those who have
rejected Jesus Christ, who have worshipped the Antichrist, who
have chosen to follow the Antichrist, who have taken upon
themselves with great joy to bear His mark, to identify fully
with Him. I worship him.
Look, it's on here and here. But these saws will not affect
believers at this time. Drop down to verse 11 very
quickly. Verse 11.
Notice 1611. They blasphemed the God of
heaven because of their pains and their sores.
They did not repent of their deeds.
These sores don't go away. They had them forever.
While they live, the sores are still inflicting them, still
uncured. We find the people with these
sores and that notice what's happened.
They're beyond repentance even though they've been afflicted.
That I don't want God beyond repentance.
There is a place, the book of Romans chapter 1 and 2, read it
carefully. It says there is a line in the
sand. There's a place when God's Holy
Spirit continues to talk to you, talk to you, woo you, guide you,
lure you, try and get you. There's a place in the sand
where you go no, no, no, no, no. And the God says, OK, as you did
with Pharaoh, OK, all right. And God gives you over, God
gives them over to a reprobate mind.
God gives them over a place in the line on the sand where you
can say no too many times. These people, no matter what's
happening to them, it says, and they did not repent of their
deeds beyond repentance. Verse 3 Then the second Angel
poured out his ball on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead
man. And every notices every living
creature in the sea died. Every living creature in the sea
died. The second bold judgement, the
sea. This is the entire, all the
oceans of the world took on the form of the blood of a dead man.
Now I've seen that it's not not pretty.
It's clotted. It's dark, gelatinous.
It's foul. It's rank.
Every sea creature perishes. Not one fish, not one living
thing in the world's oceans escapes death at this time.
It's like it's choked. You know, we see it every
occasionally in the Swan River. You know, the algae comes and
stuff. But this is, it's, it's the
whole, the oceans of the world are choked.
Everything dies. Everything dies.
Nothing escapes death at this time.
And so there is now no life on 71% of the Earth's coverage,
which is the ocean. There's not an ounce of life on
there. Think about it here where we
are. It's similar to the first plague
that fell in Egypt in Exodus 7, verse 20 to 24.
And it's similar to the second judgement.
But the second judgement that occurred trumpet judgement.
It was only a small area, an area of the ocean.
But here it's all the oceans of the world.
As I said, 71% of the Earth's surface is now dead.
It's now like blood, stinking death, full of death.
Every dead fish, every dead animal, they're all floating.
It's just. And they're all just perishing.
The ocean, which we take so much for granted today, will become
one giant pewter pool of stinking death.
There's 4 and the third Angel poured out his ball on the
rivers and springs. Notice springs.
Springs come up out of the out of the ground from the bottom,
don't they? They spring up.
That's what I call springs, springs of water.
And they became blood. The third Angel pours out his
ball and the world's total water supply two becomes undrinkable
as it assumes also the likeness of blood.
So what will be left for people to drink or to die of thirsty.
Think of Australia. W Australia, we have desalina
tion plants not going to work because the Ocean's full of
can't pump that in all our dams. It's 1 river, all the springs
that that pour out of the ground or just going to be bubbling
blood, nothing to drink so great first and besides the ocean, how
many people live off the ocean? Think of the Asiatic lands, I
mean the sea Polynesian islands, they they their whole lifestyle,
their diet is on the oceans. Each of the bold judgements at
this time in the great tribulation that occur, besides
being horrific in their destructive effect, there's
something else that's occurring that hasn't happened before this
time. The judgements are cumulative.
You know, before we've had demonic things coming out the
pits and they've lasted for a period of five years, five
months, and then gone away. This has happened and it's
finished. It's going to, these aren't
going away. The saws aren't going and it's
not for a period of time, the pollution of the ocean and the
waters. It's not just for a period of
time, it's done. This is for good.
And this is what makes the bold judgements even more devastating
as they remain and build up one upon another.
The Ocean's putrid rotting stench of death.
Decaying bodies of every sea creature decomposing in the
coagulative blood like waters, the rivers and spring waters
polluting, becoming like blood. There is nothing to drink.
In addition, you remember back in Chapter 11 verse 6, two
witnesses. Remember those guys, 2 witnesses
and God had given them power to halt the rain for a 3 1/2 year
period. It says in Revelation 11/6 these
have power to shut heaven so that no rain falls in the days
of their prophecy and they have power over waters to turn them
to blood and to strike the earth with all plagues as often as the
desire. So besides these events
happening, the spin offs of all these things, you know, death, I
mean, and and they contagion that that breaks out the the
disease and plagues and pestilence that comes from from
being around death and putrefaction.
So the question is, how can a God of compassion, mercy, grace,
how can that God send such horrific judgements?
Upon humanity during this time, Maybe you're thinking that well,
I mean, this is how can he do that.
It's been said if God's great love for you does not bring you
now to repentance, 2025 God's great love, then in the future
if you miss the rapture of the church and you are left behind,
then the future judgments of God either won't bring you to
repentance. In other words, you've had your
chance here, you missed out. There's a good chance.
Why would the judgments of God then turn your heart to God?
In Romans chapter 2, verse four in the new living Translation,
Paul puts it this way. He speaks to us now.
He says, don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant and
patient God is with you? He is with that, with you now,
right now. We're living in a period called
grace. Does this mean nothing to you?
Paul's ass? Paul goes on to say, can't you
see that his kindness, God's kindness to you now, is intended
to turn you from your sin? In other words, you think, well,
I'm going OK. I mean, I'm, I'm going, well,
you're living. You're going good.
That's God's blessing. The fact that your heart keeps
beating is God's blessing. The fact that you have food,
that you have a job, that you live in Australia.
I mean as you travel, and I hate travelling, done with it.
As you travel, you come back to Australia, we have clean air, no
rubbish. And you know, we take Australia
especially. This is the judgement that's
going to come on. Aren't we one of the most
blessed nations in the world? We have this huge landmass,
there's only 27,000,026 million of us.
We have land, we have food, we're in the top 3% individually
of the wealthiest people in the world.
And yet we've walked away from God.
And this is the kindness of God. This is what Australians don't
get. We are living in the kindness of
God right now, and yet we're, we're, we're, we're turning our
backs upon Him. Listen carefully.
If a person continues to resist God's goodness, his kindness,
his grace, then in the end the Bible tells us that person will
receive judgement and this they will have chosen for themselves.
It says in the book of Romans that when we each stand before
God, and I'm saying not us Christians, but non believers,
when they stand before God and people say, well, when I stand
for oh God, I got some questions for him.
You know, you ever read those magazines and they'll have you
know what, when you go to heaven, what you got to say,
Well, if there is a God, and I'm going to just no, because the
Bible says when you stand before God as an individual, you know
what? You'll say nothing because you
know, you'll know you're guilty. You'll know you're guilty,
guilty of your sin. These bold judgments will occur.
They are a certainty. We are reading the word of God.
This is prophetic. These events are going to
happen. Jesus is telling John, this is
what's going to happen to our world.
This is what's coming these judgements to come.
They are not some speculative propaganda or press release from
a group of brainstorming pro climate change scientists
collaborating their research study.
They've just told us again now this week I heard that polar
aspects going to flood and we're we're all done.
We're all going to be, you know, all this.
Well, actually they're just a a bit out.
I'm not funny at the moment, but in the Book of Revelation, it's
going to happen. It's coming.
God's Word says all this is going to happen.
But in the same manner, as real and as terrible as we read that
these judgments are, I want to remind you of something else,
that the forgiveness of God, the grace of God, He's offered to
you today of his forgiveness and that there is a place called
heaven that he wants you to go to that he has prepared for you
is also as real. Jesus says, I go to prepare a
place for you. That's that's an actual location
that where I am, there you may be also.
And so as real as these are, you see, here's the conundrum.
There's only two groups in the world, believers and non
believers. It's not a split up of
religions. There's only those who believe
in Jesus Christ because Jesus says I am the way, the truth and
the light. There's no other way, no other
path. And those who reject Jesus
Christ. The question we want to ask
again today is, is God fair? Is he just?
Do you ever think God's unfair, that he's unjust?
Is God fair? Is he just?
Verse 5 And I heard the Angel of the waters saying you're
righteous. Oh Lord, the one who is and who
was and who is to be we, who is that?
That's Jesus Christ, isn't it? Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
today and forever, because you have judged these things and
here's the reason why he judged these things for they that is
the earth dwellers, those who's the judgement is falling upon
those who had the mark of the beast, For they have shed the
blood of Saints. That's Christians and prophets.
And you have given them blood to drink.
They've shed the blood. So here it goes.
Here's here's the judgement. Whatsoever a man sows, so shall
he reap. They sow death killing believers
during the tribulation period. They're going to drink blood.
And it says for it is their just Jew.
And I heard another from the altar saying Even so.
So a different voice, This voice is coming from the altar of God.
Even so, Lord God Almighty, notice what this voice says.
True and righteous are your judgments.
What you're doing, Lord, is exactly right on.
These are witnesses. This is the angels.
This is another voice from the altar of God.
What you're doing is absolutely perfect.
God in this, in his judgement, absolutely right on.
Then the 4th Angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and power
was given to him to scorch men with fire, and men were scorched
with great heat. This is coming from the sun.
And they and what did they do? They blasphemed the name of God
who has power over these plagues, and they did not repent
and give him glory. In the midst of the outpouring
of these ball judgements, the third Angel, the one who's
poured his ball out upon the springs and the rivers, makes
this profound statement as as he's saying, well, what we're
doing what you're this judgement exactly right.
The Angel says, this is exactly right, Lord.
He declares for all to hear. You are righteous.
Oh Lord, the one who is and was and who is to be because you
have pledged these things, you have judged these things.
This is their just you. So three things.
One, God's judgement of sinners is always and at all time
unquestionably righteous. Why?
Because he's the holy God. Whatever he does, it's always
righteous. That's his character.
He can't make doesn't go. Oh, that's Oh yeah, that was a
bit of a mistake. Whatever God does, the holy God
and he makes a judgement, it's absolutely righteous to.
Although God's wrath is terrifying and deadly, it is.
The Bible says just in other words, it is an appropriate
response to sinners rejecting him.
How often have you and I watch the courts?
It's go to court, people go to court, they kill someone, they
do this and all like this horrific thing and they're out,
they're gone. You got that?
Well, that's not judgement. That's not just, oh God, when he
makes his judgements with these judgements, they're exactly
right on. Thirdly, those who have spilled
and taken innocent blood during the Tribulation, those who are
serving the Antichrist, killing all the Christians at this time,
are given, fittingly, blood to drink in the angels.
Chilling words in this interlude he says the Angel says for it is
their just Jew or in other words, they deserve it.
Well, they're what's happening. They get they're getting exactly
what they deserve. Now remember back a few chapters
in chapter 6, there was a group of people, Revelation chapter 6,
verse 10, who are believers who die for their faith.
The word of the testimony of the blood of the Lamb did not take
the mark of the beast. They die for their faith during
the tribulation period. And as they've died, they are
before the Lord under the altar. And it says, and they cried,
this group with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy
and true, until you judge and avenge our blood, our deaths on
those who dwell upon the earth. They were killed by the
followers of the Antichrist. How long, Lord, before these
people that killed us because of our faith and love in you, we
would not deny you, and we died forever.
How long, Lord, before they're judged?
And in verse 11 it says, then following that verse, it says a
white robe was given to each of them.
It was said to them that they should rest a little while
longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their
brethren who would be killed, believers as they were, was
completed. These judgments that are
occurring, these bold judgments are an answer to their prayer,
to the prayers of those Saints who die during the Tribulation
period, who are murdered for their faith during the
Tribulation period, for following Jesus Christ and
refusing to worship the Antichrist, refusing to bow down
to his image, refusing to take his mark.
And for this they were executed. But there also comes another
voice came from the altar. This time it comes directly from
the altar and I heard from the altar saying Even so, Lord God
Almighty, true and righteous are your judgments in the book of
Romans chapter 12, verse 19, the writer says, beloved, do not
avenge yourselves. You know you and I really want
to take matters in their own hands often.
Don't we ever done that and found out.
Oh, well, that was I made a blue.
I mean, we had four children and you know, you'd go into the room
and there's chaos in the room is that little and they're all
going. It was him, it was her.
And so we used to line them up and smack them, smack them all
and some innocent kids going well, what the heck come, it was
you and that would happen when you walk out there.
And so we can't we can't even decide where their own kids is.
No right or wrong, but God does. That's why judgement is left to
him. He says in Romans 12/19
vengeance is mine. I will reply.
That's the thing, you know, how often have you said, well,
people are getting away with things?
No, they're not. They appear to be getting away
with things, but they're not kind of.
No one's going to get away with anything because God is holy,
right? Just vengeance is mine.
I will replace as the Lord again and again.
The Lord will judge his people. Hebrews 10/30 having willfully
rejected the knowledge of the truth, Hebrews 10/26 says to
those who reject Jesus Christ, don't want the gospel, don't
give me any. You know your church stuff, I'm
not interested, OK. And God says if we sin willfully
after we have received the knowledge of truth, you've been
told about Jesus Christ, you know, John 316, you know that
God is real. Yeah, I know.
I remember walking up, there was some US sailors that had come to
shore. We were witnessing in the
streets of Perth. We used to do that on a Friday
night, go to Perth and witness and give out tracks.
And these sailors went up to these sailors and they went,
Amen. Look, I know what you're saying
is true, you know, and everything.
I know God is real Jesus Christ. I know that, but I'm here to
sin. So.
So they have the knowledge, but they make a choice.
Hebrews 10/26. If we sin willfully after we
have received the knowledge of the truth, notice these words.
There no longer remains A sacrifice for sins.
It's done. There's nothing left for the
unbelieving world but to receive what they deserve.
And that's why these bold judgements are coming out upon
people to have taken the mark of the beast.
And at the end of each one, they, they, they blasphemy God.
The 4th Angel poured out his hand upon the sun, ball upon the
sun. Power was given to him to scorch
men with fire. The men were scorched with great
heat and they blasphemed you and I.
You know, we. Who's had enough winter?
Yeah, we've had enough winter, you know.
And you know what we'll be doing soon as the summer comes, man,
it's hot. Oh, it's too hot.
Let's wish it was winter again. We're so fickle, aren't we?
At least I am. I know.
And I complained. We were away at the conference
place and it was hot now, which we were looking to stay in the
shade. It's too hot.
Come back here.
It's freezing. You know, it's draining.
So the sun God gets the thermostat and goes and it just
powers on and it gets hot. Now at this moment, at this
judgement, the 4th bowl judgement, the ice caps will
melt. They will melt and massive
flooding all here, Secret harbour everywhere.
We'll all be lent like that. Those are left and the ocean
remember is stench. All that flooding.
We just move inland all the coastal areas because the pole
oz caps will melt. The fifth ball this 10.
Then the 5th Angel pulled out his ball on the throne of the
beast. On the throne of the beast.
See how specific the judgements are?
There's not RAA, check it over here.
That'll do. The 5th bowl is poured out on
the throne of the Antichrist, and it says.
And his Kingdom, all that he rules, became full of darkness.
And we're talking darkness that you cannot see a hand in front
of your face. And it was so dark.
And it's like the plague in Egypt, so dark people can't,
can't see, can't see the person next to them, can't see where
they're walking. It's so dark that they gnawed on
their tongues. Where are we?
What's going on?
Because of the pain, they blasphemy the God of heaven.
Because of their pains and their sores, the sores are still
pulsating and did not repent of their deeds.
You'll note now in our text how the followers of the Antichrist
at this time have adopted the character of the Antichrist.
The character is what the continually blaspheming God Bob
Dylan wrote a song. Everyone's got to worship
somebody. You all bow down to somebody
what you worship, what you worship, you become like you can
talk to people, you can go out and and when you have discussion
with people, whatever they worship, whatever they're really
into, they are you know, if they're into their career, it's
just solely about on the phone. Yeah, yeah, I'm going to do
this. And and that's they, they're
just living their career. If it's sport to the NTH degree,
it's just everything. It's about that whatever,
whatever you worship, whatever you are giving your life, your
time, your resources, your finances and your passion to
whatever you worship, you will become like.
That's why the Bible says we are to become like Christ.
Why? Because we should be worshipping
Him. And the more you and I worship
Jesus Christ, then the more and more each day you should take on
His character. So if you go, well, I, this is
how I am. Well, have a look what you're
worshipping because I'm going to tell you, you've got something
else in place of God. But if you're becoming more like
Christ, more gracious, more kind, more loving, more giving,
more forgiving, comforting, if you're becoming like that, then
you are worshipping the one who is like that.
But if you, if you're unhappy with the way that you are now,
it's either you don't know Christ or be you have got an
idol in place of Christ and you are becoming, you will become
whatever you worship. And you know, The funny thing
is, or the sad thing is, as people get old, you know,
getting and you talk to elderly folk.
And I'm getting there. You see so many sad elderly
situations because they have risen to the place of what they
have worshipped, whether it be selfishness or or criticism,
sarcasm, whatever. They have worship and given
their life to their career. The kids aren't interested in
them. They don't have a relationship
with their kids. No, no one's interested in them
and him. No one visits them.
They don't have friends or anything like that because
they've been their own worshipper of another idol.
But if you are a worshipper and a follower of Jesus Christ,
you'll attract people. People wanted to be with Jesus.
Kids want to hang out with him. People want to be with you.
They know you're kind, you're generous, you're comfy that
would you give your life to we who worship Jesus Christ become
like our Saviour. So the question is, is God
faithful? Is he just?
Let us all today be reminded that God's wrath and his
judgement. And I want to bring us to the
point. Here is what we each actually
deserve. No one in this room deserves
mercy. God, to rightly judge us, should
judge us because we're sinners. We're full of ourselves.
We live simple lives. We have simple thoughts.
We do terrible things. We say terrible things.
Let us all be reminded that God's wrath and his judgement is
what we each actually deserve. There is none righteous.
The Bible says no, not one. We've all fallen short of the
glory of God. No one said, well I'm a good
person, yeah, but you're not good enough in comparison to who
else. In Luke 23 verse 39, remember
Jesus is hanging between 2 criminals, 2 thieves, and one of
the criminals who was hanging blasphemed Jesus saying if you
ever Christ save yourself and ask, do something.
But the other answer rebuked the other thief saying do you not
even fear God seeing you under the same condemnation?
And then the thief says this we indeed justly, for we receive
the Jew reward of our deeds. We're thieves, we're criminals,
but this man has done nothing wrong.
But God and his great love sent his only begotten Son Jesus to
rescue you and I. He came to suffer in our place
to take God's wrath, which is deservedly to come upon us.
Step aside and says no, I'll take it for you.
I'll take what you deserve upon me.
Is God acting too harshly in these judgments we read?
We are told to remember Christ each time we gather at the
Lord's table for communion. Remember what?
Remember that He stood in our place.
God's wrath is exactly what befell our Saviour on the cross
of Calvary. Jesus, the Son of God took the
wrath of God upon Himself for was doing during His torturous
crucifixion, as those great spikes were driven in and
through His hands and driven in and through His feet.
Pain, agony, torturous. Remember the blackness of
darkness that fell on Calvary as our Lord Jesus hung in agony
there on that cross for those three painful hours in complete
darkness. It was at that time that the
full weight of God's wrath that we're reading about here was
pressed and crushed Him, and it was poured out upon the innocent
Lamb who was bearing all our sins, your sin, my sins upon
Himself. Isaiah 53 verse 5.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised
for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him. He was oppressed, He was
afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth.
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.
Jesus voluntarily. He didn't have to took our wrath
upon Himself. Mercy is what He offers us.
Mercy is what He offers you. Separated from the Father.
That's what death is. When people die without Christ,
they'll be separated from God forever.
That's what death is. Jesus hangs on the cross.
What does he cry out as he feels the wrath of God that I should
take? He says, my God, my God, the
only time he calls his Father God, why have you forsaken me?
So that I wouldn't be forsaken? So that you wouldn't be
forsaken. He takes it upon himself, he who
promised the living waters, remember to the woman at the
well. He says, I, I can give you water
that you'll never thirst again, never thirst again.
He's at he says that in John chapter 4.
And now as he hangs upon the cross, he says I first, he's
first thing. Why?
Because he's, he's taken the place where I'm going to be
without him first thing forever. Unquenched at first.
And from the moment they threw him down on the cross and they
got those great spikes and they drove them into his hands and
his feet, he was saying what? Father forgive them.
Father, forgive them over and over.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Father, forgive them. Father, forgive them so that you
and I might receive forgiveness and be given eternal life in
heaven. So I asked you a question, is
God just? Is he fair?
John chapter 3 verse 14, it says as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of man be lifted up,
that whoever believes in him should not perish.
That's all you have to do. But have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, not be
judged, but have everlasting life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it,
no, but that the world through Him might be saved.
He who believes in Him is not condemned.
If you're a believer here today, judgments don't fall upon you
because they fell upon Him. But he who does not believe is
condemned already. If you don't know Jesus Christ
and you're here today and you're not a Christian, my friend,
judgement sits upon you right now.
If you were to die, if your heart was to stop at this
moment, you would face the judgement of God.
If you reject Jesus Christ and continue to live on after the
rapture and still reject Jesus Christ, these judgements will
occur upon you. He who believes in Him is not
condemned, but he does not believe, is condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son. For those who refuse Christ,
those who reject the gospel, the righteous wrath of God, God
still awaits them. It will come.
This is going to happen. Is God just?
Is He fair? Is there no hope for me?
You might be thinking this morning, Well, I'm a Sinner.
Yes, there is hope for you. Our Lord's death on the cross
had to happen because the whole world was in sin.
And our transgressions, our iniquities, we deserve
judgement. We are helpless and hopeless.
We can't save ourselves. We can't do anything.
He had to come, He had to come and rescue us, and He has come
and He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.
There's a classic hymn, The Rock of Ages that says this.
Not the labours of my hands can fulfil thy laws.
Demands could my zeal no respite, no could my tears
forever flow, Or for sin could not atone.
None of those things will save you from your sin.
You must save you alone. Nothing in my hand I bring
simply to the cross. I cling naked.
Come to thee for grace, foul I to the fountain.
Fly or wash me, Saviour, or I die.
Is God just? Is he fair?
He has given his all for you. Today will you receive his
mercy. If you're here today, you don't
know Jesus Christ. I beg you, repent.
You deserve judgement just as I do.
But God says I ioffer you mercy. But God loves you, for God so
loved the world. He offers you his love today He
suffered and died for you. If you say no, I don't want it,
then judgement awaits. You will know the reality of
these things, but today, right where you are, you can repent
before He was holy and receive His forgiveness right this
moment. Let's pray.
If you're here today and you're not a Christian and you're
fearful of the things that we've read, and God wants you, He's
warned you to say today is the day for you to commit your life
to Him, to repent of your sins. Yes, you're a Sinner.
I'm a Sinner, So what do you do? You say Father, forgive me for I
have sinned and he will. Father, I believe Jesus Christ
died in my place and He did. Father, I ask you to come into
my life right now. I accept you as my Lord and
Saviour, and He'll come and you'll be saved right this
moment if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart.
The Bible says that Jesus is Lord.
You shall be saved. If you're here today and you
prayed that prayer, whether you're young, old, or whatever,
whether you've been coming to church for a long time, maybe
you've never committed your life to Christ.
You got to do that. You don't get into heaven by
assimilation. You get into heaven by Jesus
Christ and Him alone.