1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,200 Yeah, it was good singing. We're going to turn to God's 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,480 Word. We're turning now to First 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:10,720 Thessalonians chapter one, First Thessalonians chapter 1, and 4 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:19,080 we're going to read together the 1st 10 verses, 10 verses of 5 00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:25,440 chapter 1. This will be the final time when 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,400 we'll read from this particular chapter, the series of messages 7 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,400 Thessalonians chapter 1. We'll read from verse one to 10 8 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,120 for those online. The words will come up on 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,440 screen. And the words, of course, are 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,600 from the Authorised Version, the most faithful and reliable 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,240 translation of the Holy Scriptures. 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:01:03,200 Let's hear God's word, Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus unto the 13 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:08,760 Church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father and 14 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:15,120 in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you and peace from 15 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,720 God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 16 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,600 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you 17 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:30,040 in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of 18 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,440 faith and labour of love, patience of hope in our Lord 19 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:37,960 Jesus Christ, in the sight of God in our Father. 20 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:43,760 No one, brethren, beloved, your election of God for our gospel 21 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,560 came not unto you in Word only, but also in power and in the 22 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,800 Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what 23 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,520 manner of man. We were among you for your sake, 24 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,280 and he became followers of us and of the Lord, having received 25 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,520 the Word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. 26 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,160 So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and 27 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,160 Akaia. For from you sounded out the 28 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:14,080 word of the Lord, and not only in Macedonia and Akaia, but also 29 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,600 in every place your faith to God were to spread abroad. 30 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,480 So that we need not to speak anything. 31 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,640 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we 32 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:31,600 had unto you, and how you turn to God from idols to serve the 33 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:36,040 living and the true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, 34 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:42,240 whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us 35 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,400 from the wrath to come. Amen. 36 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,640 We know that the Lord will stamp with His own approval and 37 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:52,400 blessing this reading of His own precious infallible word. 38 00:02:54,760 --> 00:03:00,200 Now my text today is taken from First Thessalonians chapter one, 39 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,360 verse 10. And I want us to think of the 40 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:09,640 words which delivered us from the wrath to come and to wait 41 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:13,880 for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus 42 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,760 which delivered us from the wrath to come. 43 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,480 And I want to ask the question today, and it's this are you 44 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,200 delivered from the wrath to come? 45 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,520 Now, looking at this text of Scripture, setting aside a much 46 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:34,000 lengthy introduction, I want us to think of four things today. 47 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:41,040 First of all, the declaration about God's wrath. 48 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:47,320 Think of the word wrath. You see, the subject of God's 49 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,920 wrath is out of step with our modern society. 50 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,840 That is to state the obvious, this subject is not the most 51 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,880 pleasantest of subjects. Sadly, many don't like this 52 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,720 subject. They deliberately shy away from 53 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,600 it. They ignore it or they're 54 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,200 offended by it. They're horrified at the thought 55 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:15,920 of God's wrath. And you see, sadly today and 56 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,959 sinfully, many so-called professing Christians and even 57 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:27,240 some evangelical churches completely minimise any mention 58 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,120 of God's wrath. Many openly state that they're 59 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,440 embarrassed by the concept. Oh, is that in the Bible? 60 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,760 I don't like that. And many openly state that they 61 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,640 don't believe, even though it's found in the Bible. 62 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:50,880 See, some preachers professing Christians state rather 63 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,920 arrogantly. But I believe in a God of love. 64 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,480 They don't understand God is love. 65 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:06,720 They tell us proudly, I don't believe in a God of wrath, a God 66 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:11,800 who hates sin and judges all on godliness and on righteousness. 67 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:16,720 And as I've said often, many professing evangelical teachers 68 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,920 and preachers ignore the full revelation of who God is and 69 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,480 what he is like and what he's done. 70 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,480 In the Bible, they ignorantly stayed with the God of the Old 71 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:28,320 Testament. He was an angry God. 72 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,600 OK, well, he's a God of wrath. But in the New Testament, he's 73 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:38,240 revealed as a God of love, a much nicer person, a much nicer 74 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:42,960 old man, always loving, never, never judgmental. 75 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,840 But they don't understand the scriptures. 76 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,520 In fact, we would say they err, not understanding the 77 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,720 scriptures. How many seeker sensitive 78 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,440 churches today? Mega crowds of hundreds and 79 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,840 thousands, lots of money, great buildings and buses. 80 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,280 But they never, ever mentioned sin. 81 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,840 They never, ever call for repentance of sin. 82 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,720 They never warn of judgement to come there. 83 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:17,320 There's no mention of a holy God who is fully justified in his 84 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,760 wrath against all sinners. See, I want to say this morning, 85 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:32,120 liberalism, a lopsided gospel, only focuses on the positive 86 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,280 aspects of the gospel. In liberal churches where 87 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:39,880 there's a lopsided gospel, modernistic churches, you'll 88 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,880 hear this. Well, God loves you and God 89 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:51,400 offers you new life, a life of peace now, life of joy, a life 90 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,920 of love. Here's a God who will help you 91 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,920 with all your problems. He wants you to be happy. 92 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:04,200 He wants you to be filled. But I want to tell you that is 93 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:09,560 only half the gospel. That is a a lopsided gospel. 94 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,760 That's not the gospel of the New Testament. 95 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:20,680 I repeat, in these liberal churches with a lopsided gospel, 96 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,400 there's no mention of sin or repentance. 97 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:27,960 There's no mention of a holy and just God who is fully justified 98 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,800 in his holy wrath against sinners. 99 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:37,000 And you see, today's liberal, lopsided gospel stands in 100 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:42,000 contrast to one of the most famous sermons ever preached in 101 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,760 the United States of America. A man by the name of the 102 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:51,840 Reverend Jonathan Edwards in Enfield, CT, the 8th of July 103 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:57,480 1741 preached one of the most famous sermons. 104 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:03,480 Here's the title Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. 105 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,560 Before he preached it, he spent three days in prayer. 106 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,520 That sermon had a powerful effect. 107 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:16,240 That particular day he read the sermon word for word, and there 108 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,320 was people clinging to the pillars, crying out for mercy 109 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,640 and asking to be saved, unseaved because they feared they were 110 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,760 going to drop into hell. Thousands were convicted and 111 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,320 glory to God, thousands were converted. 112 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,919 Now, why did Jonathan Edwards preach in such a way, in such a 113 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:37,960 manner of what he did? Because he believed the Bible. 114 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:45,360 You see, here's the Apostle Paul and he's writing this letter to 115 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,280 one of the New Testament churches that he helped found 116 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:52,800 under God along with Sylvanus and Timotheus and the team that 117 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,040 were with him. This letter was written, 118 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,080 remember, about 11 months to a year after he had saw them 119 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,760 converted and formed into a New Testament church and he's 120 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:06,600 writing to encourage them. They're in the midst of 121 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,200 persecution. He introduces himself and his 122 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:15,600 team, verse one. It then says in verse 2 he gives 123 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:20,360 thanks to God for them all and states that he's making mention 124 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:26,240 of them in his prayers. He says in verse 3, remembering 125 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:30,600 without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love, 126 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,400 patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of 127 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:39,480 God and our Father. He's remembering the genuineness 128 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,640 and the reality of their New Testament Christianity. 129 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,920 Work of faith, labour of love, patience of hope. 130 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,080 He then states a great truth about the validity of their 131 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,320 election. Knowing, brethren, beloved, your 132 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,720 election of God. He then makes a very definitive 133 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,880 statement about them. For our gospel came not unto you 134 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:03,920 in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in 135 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,200 much assurance, as you know what manner of men we were among you 136 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,320 for your sake is he hears the effects of the gospel in their 137 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:14,680 lives. Those who experienced genuine 138 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:20,440 conversion of Christ, they became genuine, effective 139 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:25,480 evangelist in helping to spread the gospel in Macedonia and in 140 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,280 IKEA. And last week, remember, we 141 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:33,120 looked at the characteristics of genuine conversion from verses 142 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,280 9:00 and 10:00, and we thought about how they received the 143 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,840 gospel not as the word of man, but as the word of truth. 144 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:47,920 Remember these genuine believers, there was the genuine 145 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,960 turning to the true and living God from idols, and there was 146 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:57,240 the genuine serving of that living and the true God, and 147 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,800 there was a genuine waiting for his Son from heaven. 148 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,000 And there was the genuine proclaiming of the gospel 149 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,120 message. And part of that gospel message 150 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,640 that they proclaimed, part of that gospel message that Paul 151 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:17,080 taught them was this which delivered us from the wrath to 152 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:18,640 come. You see, I put it to you this 153 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,200 morning in this declaration about God's wrath. 154 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:26,560 You can't deny the Bible. Do you know there's 179 times 155 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:31,080 the Holy Ghost uses the word wrath? 156 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,520 Search the Old Testament, search the New Testament. 157 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,120 I know some of the references are references to the wrath of 158 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,360 men, but a number of them are references to the wrath of God. 159 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:48,720 In Exodus 15 and verse 7 we read Speaking of the song of Miriam 160 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,640 after the overthrow of Pharaoh and his horsemen in the Red Sea. 161 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,480 That, and in the greatness of thine Excellency, thou has 162 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:58,680 overthrown them that rose up against thee. 163 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:05,800 Thou sendest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 164 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,440 It was Job who believed in wrath. 165 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,200 Listen to these words. Job 14, verse 13 Oh, that thou 166 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,720 wouldst hide me in the grave, that thou wouldst keep me secret 167 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:22,360 until thy wrath be overpassed, that thou wouldst appoint me a 168 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,040 set time, and Remember Me. Job 14 and 13. 169 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,600 And remember, of course, what the psalmist was able to say in 170 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:36,480 Psalm 2 and in verse 5, Speaking of God. 171 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:41,680 Then shall He speak unto them and His wrath, and vex them in 172 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:45,640 his sore displeasure. And then whenever we come into 173 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,400 the New Testament in Matthew chapter 3, we read there in 174 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,440 Matthew chapter 3, verse 7, O generation of Vipers, this is 175 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,880 the preaching of John the Baptist, who hath warned you to 176 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:01,840 flee from the wrath to come. And when we come into the New 177 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:06,440 Testament, then again in Romans chapter one, we read this in 178 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,600 verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed 179 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,640 from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness 180 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:15,240 of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. 181 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:20,640 In Romans chapter 2 and in the verse 5, we read these words. 182 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,160 But after thy hardness and penitent heart treasures up unto 183 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,720 thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the 184 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,520 righteous judgement of God. And once again then when we come 185 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,480 into the New Testament even further, in the book of 186 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:41,840 Ephesians, we read in Ephesians 2 and verse three, he says, 187 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,720 Among whom also we all had our conversation, and time passed, 188 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,160 and the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the 189 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:51,280 flesh and of the mind. And we're by nature the children 190 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:57,320 of wrath, even as others, Paul added in Ephesians 5 and 6. 191 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:02,160 Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these 192 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:06,320 things cometh the wrath of God on the children of disobedience. 193 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:14,200 And one further reference out of that list of 197 we read there 194 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:18,800 in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation chapter 6 it says 195 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:23,480 in verse 16 and said to the mountains and rocks fallen us, 196 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,000 and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and 197 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,200 from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath has 198 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:36,360 come, who shall be able to stand 197 times. 199 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,880 Brethren and sisters, the word wrath is used in the Bible and 200 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:45,480 many of them in reference to God and his dealings with the 201 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,320 children of men. And it's tremendous of course 202 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:52,560 just to remember that here in Thessalonians, the apostle Paul, 203 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:57,440 he mentions the word wrath 3 times in his first letter. 204 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,880 He mentions it in our text Thessalonians chapter one verse 205 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,960 10. He mentions it in 216 forbidding 206 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:10,440 us to speak to the that they might be saved to fill up their 207 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:16,800 sins always, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 208 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:21,880 And in chapter 5 and verse 9 he says this, for God have not 209 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:26,120 appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord 210 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,040 Jesus Christ. 3 is the number of witnesses. 211 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,960 So three times in this letter to this church. 212 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:36,680 That was the second church that was founded in the continent of 213 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,320 Europe. Remember Philip I was the first. 214 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:44,400 Thessalonica was the second, probably about AD 49AD50. 215 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,080 And Paul had spent time with them and here he is reminding 216 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,040 them of the truth that he has taught to them. 217 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,520 One of his subjects was the wrath of God. 218 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,480 Paul believed that God is love, but he also believed that God is 219 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,000 a holy God. He is justified in His holy 220 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,400 wrath against sinners. And that's the teaching of the 221 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,240 Bible. And I call preachers today, I, 222 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:12,600 I, I, I call those who are Christians who profess the name 223 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,320 of our Lord Jesus Christ, who claim to be saved. 224 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:20,560 I call them back to the Bible. I call them to listen to the 225 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:25,160 word of God, the declaration about God's wrath very quickly. 226 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:29,240 Secondly, the definition of God's wrath. 227 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,160 Now, what do we mean by God's wrath when it says here in the 228 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,440 text the raft to come? What does that mean? 229 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,440 Well, let me tell you what it doesn't mean. 230 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:48,240 We need to get rid of the notion of someone with a bad temper, 231 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,560 someone who just flies off the handle at the slightest 232 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,400 provocation. SH don't say nothing to him. 233 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:01,160 Don't get her started. You know what they're like. 234 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,000 They've got a bad temper. That's not the meaning now. 235 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:13,760 It includes anger, but not human anger, not the anger of a man, a 236 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:21,800 holy anger, a burning anger. You see, God's wrath is a part 237 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,960 of his holy nature, and some of the old divines have described 238 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,400 God's wrath as this. I quote God's settled, 239 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,600 determined act of holy opposition to all sin. 240 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:40,720 Let me repeat that God settled, determined act of holy 241 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,880 opposition to all sin. And God says I am the Lord, I 242 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:47,040 change not. Therefore you, sons of Jacob, 243 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,800 are not consumed. The God of the Bible is a holy 244 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:56,280 and just God who hates sin and loves righteousness. 245 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,400 You see, if God loves righteousness, then he must of 246 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:08,280 necessity heed evil. If God were only love and no 247 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:13,600 wrath, then he would not be good at all. 248 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:19,600 Could you imagine a judge? And he's all love and only love? 249 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,080 Such a lovely person. Here's a child molester in front 250 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,320 of him and he doesn't want to sentence him or punish him. 251 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,600 He's a cold blooded murderer. And he gets out of the the bench 252 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:34,440 and he says come here and let let let me give you a hug. 253 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:37,640 Somebody mustn't have hugged you during your life, but I'm going 254 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,040 to hug you now. And what would the people think? 255 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:46,160 What would the paper say? The papers would say he's not 256 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:50,880 fit to be in the bench. He may be a loving judge, but 257 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,240 he's not a wholly righteous judge. 258 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:59,280 He's not a good judge. You see, when we talk about 259 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:09,600 God's wrath, remember righteous anger over things we perceive to 260 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:14,920 be wrong. Often times that righteous anger 261 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:20,720 slipped from being righteous anger to unrighteous but not 262 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,520 God. He is the living and the true 263 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:30,160 God, and this God of love out of His holy nature. 264 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:36,960 If he didn't react to evil in the world, if he didn't react in 265 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:42,080 wrath and righteous judgement, then he would not be the holy 266 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,880 good God that the Bible teaches Him to be. 267 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,520 You see, sin violates the holy character of God. 268 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,360 This wrath is settled. That doesn't change. 269 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,520 This wrath is determined. God doesn't fly off the handle 270 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,760 like men. This wrath is angry. 271 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,440 The Bible says God is angry with the wicked everyday. 272 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,840 Think of this for a moment. You're familiar with John 3 and 273 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,240 16. For God, who loved the world, He 274 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,640 gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 275 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:19,000 should not perish, but have everlasting life. 276 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,920 Funeral undertaker one time printed cards with those words 277 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,520 on it, John 3 and 16. But he left 3 words out. 278 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,040 Here's the words that he left out should not perish. 279 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,800 And of course the preacher was giving out these cards, probably 280 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,920 like me, never read them, just automatically assumed that they 281 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:42,880 were a faithful, reliable translation of John 3 and 16. 282 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,560 And then one of his elders rightly pointed out to him that 283 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:48,960 the words should not perish are missing. 284 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,240 And he went back to the undertaker in all fairness, and 285 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,120 pointed this out to the undertaker, and told the 286 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:59,600 undertaker that the words should not perish have been left out. 287 00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:06,040 And these words mean to come under God's eternal wrath, who 288 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:11,720 has got a settled, determined, active, holy nature to all sin 289 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:15,760 and wickedness in the world. Of course, the undertaker was a 290 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,880 bit flustered, and he decided with consultation with the 291 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,760 preacher, whom he knew to be a good and faithful minister of 292 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,960 the Gospel, that he would change the wording. 293 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,160 But it just shows you how subtle that that can be. 294 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,520 He picked it off the Internet, and of course it hadn't got. 295 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:38,240 Those words should not perish. The Bible tells us he that 296 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,920 believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. 297 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,560 Neither believeth not the Son shall not snee life, but the 298 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,800 wrath of God abideth on him. See, we're not speaking about 299 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,600 the wrath of an earthly father. We're not speaking about the 300 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,360 wrath of an angry bear coming at you in the forest. 301 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:59,600 We're not speaking about the wrath of unleashing a bomb, even 302 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:06,680 a nuclear bomb in some city. Far more, we're saying God's 303 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:11,120 wrath is real. It's a real and righteous wrath. 304 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,800 It's a wrath revealed from heaven in Romans 118. 305 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,600 Those words revealed from heaven adds weight to the revelation. 306 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,520 It's not an idea that Paul dreamed up, not something that 307 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,360 popped into his head one day and thought that would be a great 308 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:28,640 thing to scare people. No, this is a revelation from 309 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,200 God himself, the definition of God's wrath. 310 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:43,160 It is God settled, determined and active attitude to all sin 311 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:50,200 and wickedness in the world. His holy opposition to all sin 312 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:56,520 very quickly. Thirdly, the day of God's wrath. 313 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,160 Notice the words here from the wrath to come. 314 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:05,160 And I want to tell you this morning, there's a future day of 315 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,280 wrath coming on the world. How do we know that? 316 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:10,240 Well, that's what the Bible teaches. 317 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:15,000 Look again at 2 verses very quickly, Romans chapter 2 and 318 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:19,000 verse 5. Romans 2 and five have already 319 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,240 read it, but it's worth reading again. 320 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:26,040 But after thy hardness and impenetent heart treasures up 321 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:29,320 unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath. 322 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,160 So the Bible mentions the day of wrath and revelation of the 323 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,920 righteous judgement of God. And then if we come over there 324 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:42,120 to the last book of the Bible, Revelation chapter 6. 325 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:48,680 And remember we read in verse 17 Revelation 6 and 17 for the 326 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:52,640 great day of His wrath has come. Notice the adjective describing 327 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,520 the day, the great day of His wrath has come. 328 00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:01,560 And who shall be able to stand the wrath to come? 329 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:07,160 There is a future day of wrath that's coming, and it's coming 330 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,400 in the final judgement. And Paul in this second letter 331 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:15,600 to Thessalonians says this unto you, your troubled rest with us, 332 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,360 when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his 333 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,680 mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance, and them that 334 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,440 know not God, and it be not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 335 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,520 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the 336 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:33,400 presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. 337 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:39,240 There's a future day of wrath that's to come. 338 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:45,160 But let me point out something. There's not just a future day. 339 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:52,720 There's a feasible day of wrath. You see, the wrath of God is 340 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:58,720 already being revealed today. It's a present revelation. 341 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:06,280 If we look around, we can see the evidence of God's wrath in 342 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:11,680 all the effects of the afore, both in creation and in human 343 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:16,880 misery and suffering. Why do we see floods and 344 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:23,040 earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, hurricanes, famines, disease, 345 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:27,560 war, untold suffering and death, terrorism in the world? 346 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:34,800 You see, I believe that these are a manifestation of a 347 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,520 feasible day of wrath to come. These are harbingers. 348 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,680 These are pointing us to this future day. 349 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:46,040 There's a direct link between sin and the world and God's 350 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:50,920 judgement in this feasible way, giving them up to uncleanness, 351 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,200 giving them up to your reprobate mind. 352 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,160 You think of the AIDS epidemic. You think of the explosion of 353 00:25:57,360 --> 00:26:01,480 homosexuality and all the diseases that comes from that 354 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:06,040 lifestyle of immorality, the harmful effects of drugs and 355 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:12,680 alcohol, terrorism in our land. We glanced through past history 356 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,360 and the Bible, and outside of it we have evidence of the ongoing 357 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,200 wrath of God. He destroyed the world by a 358 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,560 flood, Noah's flat. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah 359 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:28,520 with fire and brimstone. Think of the judgement of God 360 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,760 and Israel who forsook him and forgot him, The judgement of God 361 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,600 and we Judah who forsook and forgot God. 362 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,240 My people have committed 2 evils. 363 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:39,360 They have forgotten me and forsaken me. 364 00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:42,280 The fountain of living water and is not true of Ulster. 365 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:45,440 That's why we call the people to repentance. 366 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,600 This this we province is right for judgement. 367 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,080 Not only this we province but our United Kingdom despite our 368 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,520 adherence to the Protestant reform faith. 369 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,880 See God even allowed in Israel and Judy invading armies to come 370 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:07,160 kill 10s of thousands because of their sin and their wickedness 371 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:10,200 before God. And of course, the greatest 372 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:14,000 example of God's outpouring of his wrath was his own dear Son 373 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:17,280 on the cross. For he that is God. 374 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,880 Think of God the Father now at work with the cross. 375 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:23,160 Physical men have done their worst. 376 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:26,720 Think of the physical sufferings of Christ. 377 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,800 We'll go beyond those physical sufferings. 378 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:35,840 For he that is God have made him that is Christ to be sin for us 379 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,800 who you know, sin that is a sin offering. 380 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,400 And the wrath of God was poured out upon the Lord Jesus Christ, 381 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,880 and he suffered the guilt and punishment of our sin until he 382 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:52,120 cried out, My God, my God, why hast thy forsaken thy and the 383 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:58,400 Lord Jesus fully satisfied and fulfilled the righteous 384 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,960 judgement of God? Isn't it tremendous that Paul 385 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:07,840 was able to preach there in Mars Hill Speaking of the Lord Jesus 386 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,640 Christ? He says in Acts 17, verse 31 387 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:15,280 Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the 388 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:19,920 world, and righteousness high by that man whom he hath ordained. 389 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,240 For off he had given assurance unto all men, and he erased him 390 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,120 from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is 391 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:32,280 proof of this future day of judgement of coming and this 392 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:37,040 frightening world that we live. It's a feasible study of the 393 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:42,560 ongoing wrath of God poured out in this world because of sin and 394 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:47,160 because of uncleanness. One final thing I want you to 395 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,560 think about the deliverance from God's wrath. 396 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,160 We've thought about the declaration. 397 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:58,040 We've thought about the definition of God's wrath and we 398 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,000 have thought about the day of God's wrath. 399 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,400 So we're thinking and finally now of the deliverance of God's 400 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,080 wrath. If you look at our text very 401 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,360 simply. And to wait for his Son from 402 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:10,920 heaven, whom he raised from the dead. 403 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,840 Even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 404 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:15,880 Who delivers us from the wrath to come? 405 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,840 Jesus, the just one, the eternal one, the unique 1, the 406 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,000 sacrificing one, the saving one. Do an acrostic in the name of 407 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,560 Jesus in your head. You've got to think of his 408 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,680 person at work, God, manifest in the flesh. 409 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,160 You've got to think of him with a true human body. 410 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:35,080 The incarnation was necessity, the the sinless life that he 411 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:38,160 lived, the atoning death that he died on the cross. 412 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:43,360 Who? Who delivered us Jesus, What 413 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,480 way? Notice these words, whom he 414 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,960 raised from the dead, Even Jesus. 415 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,720 There's the crucifixion, raised from the dead, the dead he died 416 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,760 an atoning death for thee, whom he raised from the dead. 417 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:00,520 There's the resurrection. You've got to think of the death 418 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,600 of the Lord Jesus and the cross, where he's paying a price for 419 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,400 our redemption and shedding our blood, the blood of atonement 420 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:08,760 and, and, and that price was accepted. 421 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:12,560 And here's the proof connected up with Acts 1731. 422 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:17,920 The empty tomb. The Lord Jesus satisfied the 423 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:23,400 wrath of God. What did he do? 424 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:25,640 He delivered us from the wrath to come. 425 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,160 That is, He rescued us. Let me tell you a little story 426 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,600 in closing. This is a true story. 427 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,040 It was corroborated by Doctor Henry Ironside. 428 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,760 A young lady was brought up in a Christian home. 429 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:52,600 She had a godly mother. Father was dead, crawl along to 430 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:56,360 church, Bible believing church. Grew up in that church, very 431 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,680 good looking young girl. But that young girl went off to 432 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:05,320 university, fell into sin, lived for sin in the world. 433 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:11,800 She rejected God, forsook him, forgotten, refused to read the 434 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,400 Bible, refused to come to church anytime she was home from 435 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,920 university. Then her mother took sick and 436 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,680 she moved in with her mother at their university and started 437 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,480 work and she was caring for her aged mother. 438 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:27,200 And one night her mother was awoke. 439 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:32,440 The girl was crying. Here was the cry. 440 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:39,120 Mummy, there's a presence in this room and mummy, I'm afraid. 441 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:45,600 And mummy, this presence is telling me to read a portion of 442 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:49,000 Scripture and I've asked who is it? 443 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:53,440 And I've got the voice. The voice in my head tells me 444 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,360 that it's Jesus. And here's the portion of 445 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:04,280 Scripture and Ezekiel Chapter 7 we read in verse 8. 446 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,040 Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish 447 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,600 mine anger upon thee, and I will judge thee according to thy 448 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,480 ways, and recompense thee for all thine abominations. 449 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,200 And thine eyes shall not spare, neither will I have pity. 450 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,000 I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine 451 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,000 abominations that are in the midst of thee, and ye shall know 452 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:28,200 that I am the Lord that smiteth. She says it was the presence in 453 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:34,560 the room telling her to put on the light and read those two 454 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:39,680 verses of Scripture, listen to what was being said. 455 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:44,280 She became terrified. She started crying for her 456 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,200 mummy. Her mummy talked the gospel to 457 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,520 her. She said she couldn't sense it. 458 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,720 She says mummy, I can't find peace and and and the mummy 459 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,760 urged her to cry out to Jesus to be saved. 460 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:02,640 That young girl in the cry of the night, head hit the pillow. 461 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,560 Henry Ironside. She said she never spoke again. 462 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:18,280 A presence in the room, a text of Scripture, a settled fear and 463 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:22,920 an exhaustion. That's the way she died. 464 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:30,280 The book of Job said this in Job 36. 465 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,480 I believe it is Job 36 and verse 10. 466 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:42,880 Listen to these words. He that openeth also their ear 467 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,800 to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity. 468 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:51,360 Verse 18 says, because there's wrath, beware lest they take 469 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,760 thee away with a stroke. When a great ransom cannot 470 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,440 deliver thee, who delivers us from the wrath to come? 471 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:02,120 It's the Lord Jesus. What way does he do it? 472 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,080 Through his cross work, Through his resurrection. 473 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,199 What does he do? He rescues us from wrath to 474 00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:11,840 come. How dare a postmodern world 475 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:18,159 reject the idea of divine wrath, Declare that no deliverance is 476 00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:20,639 needed, or no deliverance is heated. 477 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,120 What are they doing? They're suppressing the truth. 478 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:27,040 They're holding it down. They deny it, they know that 479 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,840 it's true, but they want to hide it from you. 480 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:35,719 Now. I believe in a day of judgement, 481 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:41,520 a day of wrath now, because that wrath is already revealed from 482 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:46,560 heaven, but also in a day of judgement to come. 483 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,960 And in the afterlife, if you die in your sins without Christ, 484 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:55,520 you'll go to a place of eternal punishment, and you have 485 00:34:55,520 --> 00:35:00,120 forsaken Him and forgotten Him with all your lies and their 486 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:04,680 lifestyle, your abandonment of His name, His day, His 487 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:08,480 commandments, your sin will be inexcusable. 488 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:13,880 And you'll realise that ungodliness is the root of sin. 489 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:18,440 You'll realise that unrighteousness is the fruit of 490 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:21,080 that ungodliness. It's the result, two different 491 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:25,640 aspects of sin. And here's the purpose in Christ 492 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,280 coming that we should not perish. 493 00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:34,560 That's part of the gospel. If you die in your sins, you'll 494 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:37,800 receive eternal punishment. You'll feel constant pain 495 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:39,600 forever. It'll be continued. 496 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:43,960 I say this in finishing. Imagine putting your hand over a 497 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:49,240 flame or into a fire. If I put my wee finger in a 498 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:51,600 candle and I'm getting the wee bit of fleam, I'm pulling it 499 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:55,400 away immediately. I can't stick pain. 500 00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:04,200 But imagine being an eternal punishment in hell, in eternal 501 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:08,120 flames of fire for all eternity, who you're constantly feeling 502 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:11,520 that pain and want to pull your arms and legs and self out of 503 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:19,120 that and cannot because that's a final thing, deliverance from 504 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,400 God, the wrath. It's only in Jesus. 505 00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:26,040 It's only through the cross. And here's what he's come to do. 506 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:30,560 Here's part of his purpose to save us from wrath to come. 507 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,360 Are you saved? Are you delivered from wrath to 508 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:36,600 come? Only you can answer. 509 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:40,920 And I pray those without Christ they'd realise what a novel day 510 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:45,360 is weaving, and they'd repent of their sin and receive Christ as 511 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:46,720 Lord and Redeemer.