Sermon 4
First, The Bad News
Romans 1:18
I have some good news and some bad news. The gospel is good news! That's actually what the word "gospel" literally means - good news! The gospel is good news about your forgiveness and good news about your future.
But before the good news there is some bad news that you need to know. That's where Paul, begins his carefully constructed case for the gospel. Before the good news, comes the bad news. First, the bad news.
The same gospel that reveals the righteousness of God (Romans 1:17) reveals the wrath of God (v. 18). The startling starting point of Paul presentation of the gospel is "the wrath of God."
What is meant by that phrase - "the wrath of God"? The word "wrath" according to Strong's means "anger and punishment." The Bible uses that phrase (wrath of God - wrath of the Lord - Lord's wrath - his wrath) many times (48 that I am aware of).
Psalm 90:7, 11 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Isaiah 9:19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire:
Jeremiah 7:20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon ... man, ... and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
When the Bible refers to the wrath of God it is in 5 categories.
5 Categories of God's Wrath
1. Sowing / Reaping Wrath - Penalty built into the behavior. All sin has built in personal consequences.
2. Cataclysmic Wrath - Flood; Sodom
3. Wrath of Abandonment - God says, "God ahead."
4. Escatalogical wrath - The Great Tribulation. Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
5. Eternal Wrath - Hell. John 3:36 (read) II Thessalonains 1:7-9 "... the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power...
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment...
To put it simply, the wrath of God is the righteous punishment of man's sin by God. God hates sin. God punishes sin. The consequence of sin is, and always has been death. In the garden, God forbade one thing. Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Ezekiel 18:4 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Romans 6:23 - The wages of sin death. All men are without excuse before God, Romans 1:20. Every person is under the condemnation of God, John 3:18. God's wrath is upon all sin, John 3:36. Thus, the whole human race is under the wrath of God and is doomed for the eternal flames of hell. That is the bad news. That's the startling starting point of Paul's presentation of the gospel.
Now, the truth is, most modern methods of presenting the gospel don't start like that. Most methods start with a felt need. You feel bad and Jesus can make you feel better. Your marriage is falling apart? Trust Jesus and He can help you put your marriage back together. Your life empty? Receive Christ and He can give your life meaning and fulfillment. Many modern methods of evangelism start with some human felt need. Others start with God's love. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Guess what? That's not how Paul presented the gospel. Here was his method. "You are a guilty sinner, without excuse and under the condemnation of God. God will not overlook your sin, not one of them. Your are headed for eternal hell." It is a startling confrontational way of presenting the gospel. You may indeed feel bad. Jesus surely can make you feel better. But that is not your biggest problem. Your biggest problem is not your marriage, not your personal happiness. Your biggest problem is that you are a hell-bound sinner!
And in our fear of offending people with such strong confrontation, we have softened the message of the gospel. Just suppose ... If you look out of window and see your neighbor's house is on fire, you don't phone him and say, "Hi neighbor, if you'll come over to my house right now, I have something that will your life more meaningful and make your home happier." No! You say, "Neighbor, your house is on fire. Run to safety now!" Yet while the world is sleeping in a burning house, we are trying to figure out a non-threatening way to persuade them to come over to our house for tea and crumpets. It's enough to make me wonder if we really believe that there house is on fire. That is, do we really believe in hell? We live like we don't.
And while that method sounds so shocking, it really makes sense. You see, before a person can ever understand the grace of God, he/she must first understand the law of God. Before they can every truly understand forgiveness they must first understand guilt. Before they will appreciate the cure for their soul's disease and accept the cure, the must first hear the diagnosis. Before you understand that there is a Savior, you must first know that you are a sinner who needs a Savior. Before there can be full understanding of salvation, there must be an understanding of condemnation. Before a person can ever truly understand the love that God has for them, he/she must first understand the righteous wrath of God upon all sin.
Then, after boldly declaring the wrath of God upon all sin, Paul explains it more fully (vs 19-32). It's almost as if he anticipates the objections that are bound to follow such a shocking statement.
"Wait a minute," someone is likely to say, "I know that some people are really wicked - Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson and such - nobody's perfect, but not everyone deserves hell. How can you say that the whole human race is going to hell? Other people are sincere in their religion. That's what counts, one's sincerity. And, be-sides that, how can God send a person to hell who has never heard the gospel?"
We'll take up those questions next time as we arrive at verses 19-32.
When I lived in Kentucky and pastored my first church, I was also a substitute school teacher. I was surprised to discover in the high school literature textbook a sermon. But there it was. Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was probably one of the most brilliant men in America's history. He graduated from Yale at age 19 and became a pastor. Later, he became the President of the University of New Jersey which today is known as Princeton. Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God was the most famous sermon of its time and perhaps the most terrifying sermon ever preached. I re-read that sermon this week because it is about the wrath of God against all humanity. One of the most famous sermons in history one that is included in modern high school literature books, a sermon that came from the pen and lips of one of the most brilliant minds of America, was a warning for men to flee from the coming wrath of God, from hell, by coming to Jesus Christ.
That is my message to you today. The first thing you must know is that you are a guilty and inexcusable sinner in the hands of a holy and righteous God. You must know that you are under the penalty of sin which is death, eternal death in hell, the lake of fire. Court is now in session. God is on the bench. You are guilty of capital crimes. That's the bad news. You must cast yourself upon the mercy of God. That mercy is available to you only through Jesus Christ.