The Revelation Of God's Wrath Series

New Sermon series starts today, “The Wrath of God.” Why such a subject? When I look at the world and I see atrocities. People cheering when they pass a law in NY allowing abortions up to the day of birth. A state Governor advocating for post birth abortion (think about that). Biological men claiming they are female, allowed to use any bathroom or locker room they choose, and there are laws penalizing anyone who objects. In just about every state in the union you can change your sex on your birth certificate and drivers license. Many states allow for an “X” for “non-binary” gender on both the official birth certificates and driver’s license. The State NY recognizes 31 different genders. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Our government is functional atheistic. Without any God, who is to say what is right and wrong. Who is to say up is down and down is up? I wonder if Isaiah understood how close to the mark he was when by the Spirit of God he prophesied:

Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe to them indeed. Those who do so are under threat of the judgment of God. But herein lies the problem. The world does not fear the judgement of God. They do not fear His wrath.

You have heard it said, God is love, and a loving God would never punish anyone to hell. That is not true. God is holy. Anyone who is opposition to the holiness of God, faces His wrath. Otherwise God would be tolerant of sin, any and all sin, and forgiveness would be a cheap gesture. As we will see, God’s wrath is eschatological (meaning it will be displayed in the condemnation to hell of the wicked at the end of time), but it is also a present reality.

Today’s sermon we are exploring “The Revelation of God’s Wrath”

Romans 1:16–18 (NKJV)

In writing this letter to Rome, Paul looked forward to the day when he could preach the gospel in Rome.

Romans 1:15 (NKJV) So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Warren Wiersbe commented: Rome was a proud city, and the Gospel came from Jerusalem, the capital city of one of the little nations that Rome had conquered. The Christians in that day were not among the elite of society; they were common people and even slaves. Rome had known many great philosophers and philosophies; why pay any attention to a fable about a Jew who arose from the dead? [1]

Romans 1:16 (NKJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel. The Gospel is the theme of the book of Romans. The very word “Gospel” in mentioned no less than 4 or 5 times (depending on your translation) in the first 16 verses. The Gospel of Christ is the answer in one form or sense or another, to all of mankind’s problems. Paul was not ashamed, even though through the eyes of world it is foolishness:

1 Corinthians 1:23 (NKJV) but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

Why was Paul not ashamed? “for it is the power of God to salvation” The gospel, the good news about Jesus, is the very power of God. Rome understood power. To really hear the Gospel is to experience the very presence of God. And Paul knew the power of the message of the Gospel.

1 Corinthians 2:4 (NKJV) And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

God’s power was not in Paul’s ability to preach, but God’s power was in the message of the Gospel. But that power is not just a display of power, but the effective working of that power , leading a sinner, a person separated from God, to believe. The power of the gospel gives the power to believe, the power to have faith.

“for everyone who believes” No unbeliever can possess this power. But this power is “for who soever.” In the Greek, the word believe is tied very closely to the our word trust. For one to believe, not just know out the Gospel, but to trust the gospel to salvation, and this is available to all.

“for the Jew first and also for the Greek” Salvation came through the Jews. Jesus said in John 4:22, that “salvation is of the Jews.” The Jews had first chance to accept the gospel, and having rejected the gospel, it is now available to all.