Sunday March 16th
From Wrath to Hope​

Welcome to The Journey Church. I'm Pastor Paris Pasch.

​

I hope your view of God grew a bit last week.  I hope you saw an even greater benefit to seeking to know God better.  I pray that you are seeking to follow God’s plan.

In my past I remember hearing threats made by people who announced that the wrath of God would fall on some certain groups or individuals that had committed some form of infraction.  Hitler, Mussolini and Ganga’s Khan come to mind, but probably many others.  The idea was that some catastrophic consequence would befall someone who messed up really bad or did something really evil.  And yet it also seemed like so many got by with murder, but did they?

In our feel good world, where as long as I appear kind or speak in a soft tone, I’m probably going to heaven.  However we must see that there is always a consequence for disobedience toward our perfect God.  God cannot make room for rebellion and sin because it cannot survive in His perfection.  So you might ask; What is the wrath of God?  Is there really a wrath of God?  Today I’d like to help us grasp what Gods wrath is really like according to the scriptures.

Many people think of God as a mad boss who wants to fire his reckless employees.  God’s wrath has been depicted in many forms like firestorms from heaven, crashes of lighting and again for the Indiana Jones people, some mist of evil images swirling around melting people’s faces off.  But what does the word say to us?

Revelation 16:1 (NIV) Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

What are the 7 bowls of God’s wrath?  Revelations describes them in detail and why are they being poured out.  If you read the chapters before this verse you find out that God’s glory is so overwhelming that no evil, sin or darkness can stand before it.  The end of creation as we know it will be everything being presented before the holy being of God Almighty and only those things that are pure and holy will be able to survive in the midst of His perfect holiness.  No single person will avoid God’s perfect justice.

Revelation 16:7 (NIV) And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”

The implication is that God’s wrath is a scary awesome thing to have imposed on everybody who has rejected God and His plan.  People who have lived their whole lives believing that they got by with sin will come to know the opposite is true.  This why so many people wonder why evil has seemingly free reign on the earth, why bad people seem to get by with murder and why crime sometimes really pays.  But you need to have the bigger picture of God, so come up on the mountain with me and see what can be seen from the pages of scripture.

Romans 1:18–20 (NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Galatians 6:7–8 (NIV) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Here are the facts.  Nothing done while we live our lives goes unnoticed by God.  We don’t need to exact personal retribution because God has it covered.  This releases us to love people into the kingdom of God and know that they will be ultimately judged only by God, no need to be judged by us.  As for our life style as Christians we are given clear instruction also.

Ephesians 5:3–6 (NIV) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

So God’s wrath is still to come and He has given direction to all of humanity.  The reality is that some have decided to reject that direction and so God is holding them guilty of disobedience.  Fair or unfair?  FAIR!!  But that doesn’t tell the whole story.  God’s plan is not filled with emotional anger, but rather with hope filled redemption for the repentant.  His plan is, rather than exact His wrath now, He will extend mercy to those who need it and receive it.  His wrath is ultimately reserved for judgement day.

Romans 9:22–24 (NIV) What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Romans 5:9 (NIV) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

God’s wrath is simply our loving God carrying out His justice or judgement on rebellion, evil and sin.  He did that first and foremost at the cross and for those who are believers His wrath has been fully satisfied, but for those who continue to reject the cross, after God’s extended mercy, the judgement must still be enforced.  He must be perfectly just or he’d be merely human.

Have you heard the truth yet?  God’s wrath must be revered and feared, but it has been fully satisfied by the work of His Son Jesus at the cross.

Romans 5 :9–11 (NIV) : Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Are you getting our story and comparing it to the lost world’s story?  We have been moved from receiving the wrath of God to having His wrath satisfied by the hope that comes with salvation. It is my observation that many Christians misunderstand what this hope is.  They state that they hope they will go to heaven.  But hoping in that is not like a wish or a desire.  The true God kind of hope is founded on God’s promise which is unwavering.  Our hope is rock solid based on our faith in His word.

Psalm 33:18–22 (NIV) But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Our godly hope is based on Faith that what God said He meant; we are safe from His wrath.  We have moved from wrath to hope.  We are going to heaven period, because of what Jesus did, not what we did.  Rid yourselves of the sins that try to keep you ineffective in your witness to those who need salvation.  Hope is essential and hope is rock solid.

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Let me pray a biblical prayer over you as we conclude

Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

​

Next week Pastor Paris will address our future

​

      Message Questions

1. According to the Bible is God justified in exacting His wrath?

2. Is God’s wrath poured out because He is mad at human beings?

3. What satisfies God’s wrath?

4. What about Christians who sin?  Do they get God’s wrath?

5. Tell in simple words the shift from God’s wrath to hope in heaven.

6. How does Pastor Paris describe biblical hope of Heaven?