AN ANGRY GOD
1. Someone once presented a sermon entitled “Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God.”
2. In describing the fate of the unsaved this preacher said,
3. “People will enter into a place that has:
4. Unquenchable fire, darkness, the smell of burnt flesh (he didn’t get this one from scripture),
5. The gnashing of teeth, misery and pain, weeping, yelling, screaming, unsatisfied thirst,
6. No water, frustration and anger, eternal separation, undiluted wrath, no peace, no joy,
7. No rest, no mercy, no comfort, no hope, no way of escape.
8. This man tried to be thorough.
WHEN
WE THINK ABOUT SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF ANGRY GOD WHAT COMES TO OUR MIND? CAN WE ENVISION THE GOD OF THE BIBLE BEING
ANGRY?
1. Amos could.
2. In Amos 9 the prophet presented a rather unsettling picture of God.
3. To really appreciate what the prophet described I want to look at some of the individual thoughts.
A. In the first verse Amos saw God standing beside the altar. READ.
B. Some
think God was standing beside the altar that was in
C. I
favor the view that this says this was a pagan altar, perhaps the one at Dan or
D. God said, “Smite the capitals.”
E. The capitals were things that supported the roof.
F. Imagine a structure with a roof on it.
G. Suppose that someone started to take out the walls.
H. Imagine workmen tearing out the load bearing walls.
I. We don’t need to be an expert builder to realize what would happen.
J. If what keeps the roof intact is taken away, the building will collapse.
K. This is what God had planned.
L. Notice that the first verse says, break them in pieces on the head of all of them.
M. The people had been wicked. God was angry. He was very angry.
N. He said, “bring the building down so the people inside in it will die.”
4. This is harsh. This is not how most people want to think about God.
5. No one wants to believe that they will every stand before this kind of being.
6. Yet, the New Testament says that most will one day see this part of God’s nature.
7. Most will face God’s wrath and miss His eternal saving love.
8. When a building collapses some usually escape.
9. We
saw this with the
10. What did Amos foresee?
11. God said that some might escape but this wouldn’t matter.
12. If the people were not crushed in the building they would die elsewhere.
13. The
first verse ends by saying, I will slay the last of them with the sword.
14. There
shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.
15. If the people did not die in the collapse of the building they would die another way.
16. God said that it was curtains for these people.
17. They had been given multiple opportunities to repent.
18. They refused to do what was right and they refused to listen to God’s messengers.
A. Those who heard the prophets seem to have believed that they could escape.
B. It’s human nature to believe that there are exceptions to every rule.
C. These people believed that they could somehow escape the catastrophes.
D. God said that hope would be vain.
E. Notice verse 2. READ.
F. The prophet referred to sheol (the place where people go when they die).
G. Sheol meant “the realm of the dead.”
H. God said, “Suppose they could dig their way to the place where the deceased are.”
I. This seems to describe the greatest depth known to man.
J. If men could tunnel into this place it wouldn’t matter.
K. God said, “I would still be able to get them and I would.”
L. The second verse refers to “climbing up to heaven.”
19. This is explained by verse 3.
20. The
“climbing to heaven” referred to
21.
22. It also had many caves.
A. A densely populated area is a good place to hide.
B. In recent weeks we have certainly been reminded that caves are a good place to hide.
C. People
in
D. The
E. God said, “the caves and the forests will not help; you can’t hide.”
23. To make this point abundantly clear the thought is continued in 3b.
24. God said, “Suppose you could go to the bottom of the sea.”
25. “Imagine if man could go to the deepest part of the deepest ocean.”
26. God said that even this wouldn’t matter.
27. If man could enter into this far away place God would call on a sea monster (“serpent”).
28. God would have this creature do His bidding.
29. The God of heaven would command that the serpent “bite” the sinner.
A. The word translated “serpent” is a general term.
B. It
described over 30 species that were in the area of
C. There is no way to know what this creature was but it appears to have been deadly.
30. The prophet affirmed that the people couldn’t escape by running away.
31. Since he had made this clear he turned to another possibility.
32. A
time was coming when the Assyrians would take northern
33. Perhaps the people would hope that they could escape from God in a foreign land.
34. If
they were removed from
35. The people would be taken captive (4a) but this would not give them any relief.
A. God said the people would be taken by others but they would be killed with the “sword.”
B. The prophet promised that a foreign land wouldn’t let God’s people escape.
C. The prophet Jonah learned this lesson the hard way.
D. He was unable to flee from God.
E. When he ended up in the sea God commanded a sea creature to swallow him.
F. The 4th verse ends with this chilling statement.
G. God said, I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
H. We have seen times when someone has become obsessed with another person.
I. Stalkers are often obsessed with someone.
J. Celebrities must sometimes deal with people who become fixated on them.
K. God said to His people, “I am going to set my eyes on you.”
L. “I am going to watch you. You will be the focus of my attention.”
M. God promised to concentrate on His people.
N. He said this attention would be for the purpose of harming them.
O. I remember President Clinton saying, “I am going to focus on our economy like a laser beam.”
P. That was a catchy statement.
Q. This
is what God promised to do to
R. He promised to zero in on them for the purpose of chastisement.
36. This is why the fifth verse uses the word mourn.
37. The people were going to pay.
38. God said His people were sinful (verse 8).
39. Because His people were wicked God said His “eyes” were upon them.
40. God
would “destroy”
41. In
722 BC
42. This part of the nation went into captivity and was never restored.
43. Those who had been warned about this didn’t believe.
44. They said this (10), READ.
A. Though people didn’t believe Him God said that He would “sift” the nation (verse 9).
B. He would determine if anyone was righteous.
C. He knew who the evil people were and they would be punished.
D. The punishment is summed up in 10a.
45. IN
ROMANS 15:4 PAUL SAID THAT WE ARE TO LEARN FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.
A. Amos 9 provides us with a great lesson.
B. If we are not in a right relationship with God we are in hot water.
C. Being unsaved means that we will face an angry God.
D. This fate is so horrible people were taught about it in the first century.
E. Listen to Heb. 10:31. READ.
F. We can also back up a couple of verses to Heb. 10:26-27. READ.
46. Falling into the hands of an angry God is so serious even Jesus commented on it.
47. In Mt. 10:28 He said, QUOTE.
48. In 2 Cor. 5:11 Paul said (and this is a paraphrase) “we know the terror of God.”
49. Paul said, “We know what it means to come before God as an unsaved person.”
50. “Therefore, we persuade men.”
51. When unsaved people come before God they face a force that we cannot begin to imagine.
52. C.S. Lewis had some good things to say.
A. One of his observations was this.
B. God is our only true source of comfort.
C. At the same time He is also the supreme terror known to man.
D. God is the one we most need.
E. At the same time He is the one being that all the unsaved want to be shielded from.
F. He is our only ally but He, if we are unsaved, is also our worst enemy.
G. Amos warned the people about God’s wrath.
H. His warnings were not heeded.
I. God’s wrath is coming again.
J. Some do not believe He is coming.
K. Others believe He is coming but they will somehow escape.
L. Still others think that most will avoid God’s wrath.
M. Jesus taught that most will be saved.
N. Most will face God and get to see the side of Him that makes war with sin.
O. Tonight we are reminded of a future and final judgment.
P. When this day comes will we be ready?
Q. Will God be our best friend or our worst enemy?
R. Will He be the supreme source of comfort or the supreme terror when we stand before Him?
S. We decide. Tonight, what decision have we made?
T. Have we made the right choice?