MOTIVATED BY TERROR.
By Rev. Irvin L. Mizell
2co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
2co 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
The apostle Paul reminds us that we will all stand before God one day and be judged…
But what catches my attention this morning is verse 11.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men
Paul is motivated to preach the gospel of Christ, because he is unwilling to see anyone have to suffer the terror of the Lord…
Allow me to read you some verses, which have originated from different authors…
David
Ps 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
Ps 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Paul
Philp 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Philp 3:19 Whose end is destruction,
1thes 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1thes 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
2thes 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2thes 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2thes 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Jesus
Mt 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mt 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mt 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Which brings us back to Paul…
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men
Now last week we began to look at evangelism and the charge given to all Christians to share the gospel with the world.
So I thought what better place to look for practical application than the example of Paul.
Let’s look together at the first chapter of Romans.
We’re going to examine chapter 1 verse 18.
And I believe as we examine this very critical verse we find the key that unlocks the gospel, the starting point of evangelism.
Now the Apostle Paul has announced his theme in verses 16 and 17.
Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Ro 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
And now as he moves to verse 18 he begins to unfold in great detail the substance of that theme.
And it all begins in verse 18 with this statement:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
The gospel message begins with a statement about the wrath of God.
Frankly that’s just backwards of our modern evangelistic technique.
Most of our contemporary evangelism purposely avoids that theme.
· We talk about love
· And we talk about happiness
· And we talk about abundant living
· And we talk about forgiveness
· And we talk about joy,
· We talk about peace.
And we offer people all of those things
But we really very rarely talk about judgment.
And I wonder in all of the times that you have presented the gospel to somebody, how many times did you introduce it by saying, By the way, did you know that the wrath of God is revealed against your ungodliness?
I suppose Dale Carnegie has even affected our gospel presentation.
We are in such a hurry to win friends and influence people that sometimes we bypass the starting point.
Now if you think about it, Paul has a very logical reason for starting the gospel message with Gods wrath…
1. How can people understand anything about God’s love if they don’t understand God’s hate?
2. How can they understand anything about His grace if they don’t know about His law?
3. How can they understand forgiveness if they don’t understand the penalty of sin
.
They cannot seek grace and salvation unless they understand the wrath of God that is upon them.
Unless men sense they are in grave danger there’s no need for them to change.
And may I add that God is love,
But you’ll never understand how great His love is unless you know how great His hate is.
I mean, if you understand that God hates sin so profoundly then you will find it all the more amazing that He can love sinners.
I want to take you on a kind of a jet tour through some Scriptures.
Ps 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Ps 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Ps 2:3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.In other words lets do away with God and all that represents Him.
Ps 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Ps 2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Verse 12 says: “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.” In other words, when God just gets a little angry people perish.
Look at Psalm 78 verse 49.
Ps 78:49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.
Ps 78:50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
Ps 78:51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Ps 78:52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
Ps 78:53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
.” God was angry, God was fierce. God had wrath. God had indignation and God brought trouble ... very severe.
Psalm 90 verse 7, it says ... and this speaks of man as he stands before a holy God;
“For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thine wrath are we troubled.” Verse 11: “Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is Thy wrath.”
The prophets spoke often of the wrath of God,
In Isaiah 9:19 it says: “Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts is the land darkened.”? And then this amazing statement: “And the people shall be as the fuel of the fire.”
Jeremiah also spoke of the wrath of God, chapter 7 verse 20:
“Therefore thus saith the Lord, God: Behold, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn and shall not be quenched.”
Ezekiel, the prophet of God, the nineteenth verse of the seventh chapter says that:
“Not their gold, nor their silver shall be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their stomachs because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.”
the same thing is true in the New Testament as well. You see the wrath of God. In John chapter 3,
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
And in 2 Thess.
2th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
And so it goes. In Ephesians chapter 5 verse 6:
“Let no man deceive you with vain words because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.”.
The bad news is... God hates.
The good news is... God loves, but you have to start with His hate.
First the diagnosis then the cure.
Paul says it another way, he says:
“For all have sinned and ... what? ... come short of the glory of God.”
Frankly, folks, sentence has already been passed, the whole human race is condemned.
We are all children of wrath under the judgment of God.
Man is born condemned.
If you’re not saved the wrath of God waits for you.
Like a great dam, the patience of God has been holding back His wrath.
Giving opportunity to man, that he might accept the free salvation offered in Christ.
But for those who refuse so great a salvation, the flood waters of Gods wrath will consume them with great fury.
Now listen, the gospel begins with the wrath of God.
But remember, there is good news and the good news is Christ has taken the full fury of God’s wrath.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
So the apostle Paul looks at mankind and is motivated to share the gospel because he can’t bear the thought of people facing the horrible wrath of God.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men
Beloved if you have any compassion in you at all, it will be of the up most importance to share the good news of Christ with others.
