Day of God's Wrath (1996 Conf. in CA)

The point: Proclaim the solemn, sobering subject of God's wrath upon impenitent sinners in due proportion and with a spirit of brokenness and deep concern.

Martin references his previous sermons on Luke 18:9-14 (publican and Pharisee) and John 14:6 (Jesus as the Way, Truth, Life) to set the context for the current, more solemn topic of God's wrath.

The church is in the evening, so in a very real sense, the meetings of Thursday and Friday and tonight have formed a unit of opportunity for public ministry of the word of God. And in the two previous evenings, I have sought by the help of God with an open Bible before us to take you to the very nerve centers of the gospel of the grace of God and to bring you to the very nerve centers of the gospel of the grace of God in our lives. Lord Jesus Christ. On Thursday night we took a guided tour through the picture gallery, the portrait gallery painted by our Lord Jesus as we looked at Luke chapter ...

2:59 - 4:19 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He establishes that while God's wrath has been displayed in the past (e.g., the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah) and is presently displayed (Romans 1), there is a climactic, unique…

The account of Noah's flood is used as an example of God's terrifying wrath displayed in the past, blotting out all but eight people.

According to the scriptures, God's wrath has been displayed in times past in nothing less than terrifying ways. We open our Bibles in Genesis. Genesis chapter 1. And it isn't long before we come to chapter 6 and the description of the abounding wickedness that reached the very heavens of our God and caused God to say, I have had it.

7:41 - 8:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He establishes that while God's wrath has been displayed in the past (e.g., the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah) and is presently displayed (Romans 1), there is a climactic, unique…

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone is cited as another marked manifestation of God's wrath against perversity.

My spirit will not always strive with man. And we have the account of that flood in which all but eight men and women were blotted out. In a matter of hours or days when God poured rain out of heaven and broke up the fountains of the deep and all but Noah and his family safe in the ark were utterly destroyed in one stroke. God's wrath was manifested in the flood. God's wrath was manifested in the most marked way again when on the cities of the plains, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the homosexual perversity became aggressive as it is in our own day. And God said, I have had enough. An...

8:11 - 9:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He establishes that while God's wrath has been displayed in the past (e.g., the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah) and is presently displayed (Romans 1), there is a climactic, unique…

The Old Testament account of the earth opening to swallow men who rebelled against God's leaders is given as an example of God's wrath.

My spirit will not always strive with man. And we have the account of that flood in which all but eight men and women were blotted out. In a matter of hours or days when God poured rain out of heaven and broke up the fountains of the deep and all but Noah and his family safe in the ark were utterly destroyed in one stroke. God's wrath was manifested in the flood. God's wrath was manifested in the most marked way again when on the cities of the plains, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the homosexual perversity became aggressive as it is in our own day. And God said, I have had enough. An...

8:11 - 9:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He establishes that while God's wrath has been displayed in the past (e.g., the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah) and is presently displayed (Romans 1), there is a climactic, unique…

God sending His covenant people into captivity is presented as a manifestation of His wrath.

My spirit will not always strive with man. And we have the account of that flood in which all but eight men and women were blotted out. In a matter of hours or days when God poured rain out of heaven and broke up the fountains of the deep and all but Noah and his family safe in the ark were utterly destroyed in one stroke. God's wrath was manifested in the flood. God's wrath was manifested in the most marked way again when on the cities of the plains, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the homosexual perversity became aggressive as it is in our own day. And God said, I have had enough. An...

8:11 - 9:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Mark it well that a unique, final, climactic, and irreversible day of God's wrath shall come.

The certainty of the coming day of wrath is compared to the certainty of January 27, 1996, dawning and concluding, emphasizing its infallible arrival.

The wrath of God is coming upon such sons of disobedience. And therefore, when we read in our text as we have read tonight, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand, we are warranted to assert that a unique day of God's wrath is surely coming. In fact, the language of our text puts it in the tense as though it had already come. It is so certain, it is so infallibly certain that such a day is coming that the Spirit of God can say the great day of their wrath has come. And who shall be able to stand? Mark it well, boys, girls, men, and women, that as surely as th...

14:19 - 15:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that each one of us by nature is a legitimate candidate for that coming day of wrath.

Paul's inclusion of himself (a blameless Pharisee) with idol worshippers and pagans in Ephesians 2:3 illustrates that all are 'children of wrath' by nature, regardless of moral background.

Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 through 3. And you did he make alive who were dead through your trespasses and sins wherein you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, now follow closely, and were nature children of wrath, even as the rest. And here the apostles, describes all of the Ephesians in spite of the great spectrum of diversity in their background as those who withou...

17:11 - 18:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that each one of us by nature is a legitimate candidate for that coming day of wrath.

God's wrath is distinguished from sinful human irritation or unbridled passion, described as His holy and righteous indignation and determination to execute punishment without taint of vindictiveness.

with respect to my outward life touching the law, I was blameless. Describing the Ephesians some of whom were idol worshippers and worshippers of the occult and involved in all forms of pagan immorality and utterly lawless lifestyles from the proud, separated, morally upright, blameless Pharisee to the profligate who consults the stars and consorts with temple prostitutes as part of his worship. He said, in this we are all together children of wrath even as the rest. Children of wrath means objects of God's settled righteous indignation, and the rest of the world. And the determination to exec...

18:38 - 19:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Embrace the biblical doctrine that your age and day of accountability came and went in the Garden of Eden, acknowledging your sin in Adam.

The concept of an 'age of accountability' is refuted by stating that humanity's day of accountability came and went in the Garden of Eden through Adam's sin.

When did all sin? All sinned in Adam's first transgression. And few doctrines are more offensive to our crass, independent spirit than the biblical doctrine, my friend, that your age and day of accountability came and went. In the Garden of Eden.

22:10 - 22:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that your wretched crowning sin of unbelief means God's wrath abides upon you presently.

The present tense of 'the wrath of God abides upon him' (John 3:36) is illustrated by a ceiling hanging over heads, signifying that God's wrath is currently suspended over unbelievers.

as I quoted earlier, the wrath of God, it doesn't say, shall come upon those who believe not. It says the wrath of God, present tense, is abiding upon those who obey not, who believe not the Son. And surely as this ceiling is presently hanging over all of our heads, it is not something that shall be true tomorrow if God enables us to meet and we must wait till tomorrow to say this roof is abiding over us. It is true right now.

26:28 - 27:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that your wretched crowning sin of unbelief means God's wrath abides upon you presently.

The immediacy of God's wrath is further illustrated by holding a handkerchief over someone's head, ready to fall if the hands are removed, symbolizing God's sustained breath and life.

And if you do not believe with what the Scripture calls the faith of God's elect, with a faith that is the result of God's supernatural regenerating work in your heart, God's wrath hangs over your head as you sit here. As surely as if I were to come to the place where you sit, and open my handkerchief and spread it out and say, John, Mary, Sally, Susie, my handkerchief hangs over your head and all it would take to have it rest upon your head is to remove my hands. So the wrath of God hangs over your head and all it would take to bring it crashing down is for God to say, no more breath for you....

27:11 - 28:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Returning to Revelation 6, Martin vividly describes the universal terror when the day of wrath arrives, with all classes of humanity desperately seeking to hide from the face of…

Isaiah 53's description of Jesus as a lamb before its shearers is used to highlight His docile, non-resistant posture during His first coming, contrasting with His wrathful second coming.

That we can understand. But this phrase, the wrath of the Lamb, it's a reference to the Lord Jesus. And we know from such passages as Isaiah 53, when he is revealed as the Lamb of God, we are told, as a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Children, listen.

44:34 - 45:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Returning to Revelation 6, Martin vividly describes the universal terror when the day of wrath arrives, with all classes of humanity desperately seeking to hide from the face of…

Jesus driving out money changers from the temple with a scourge is cited as an 'adumbration' or foretaste of the wrath of the Lamb.

But in the day of his second coming, the Lamb will not come in that lamb-like docile picture and posture of his firstborn. He will come in all of the manifestation of his righteous and holy anger against his enemies. It flashed out now and then in the days of his flesh. Mark tells us, he being grieved for their hardness of heart, looked round about them with anger.

46:37 - 47:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Reject the idea that serving God is optional after receiving pardon; true salvation involves a disposition to serve God out of gratitude and love.

Paul's statement about not needing to report on the Thessalonians' conversion (1 Thess 1:9) is used to illustrate that true conversion is evident in turning from idols to serve God, not just outward religious acts.

In the language of the hymn writer here, Lord, I give myself away. It is all that I can do. Is that true of you, my friend? Could Paul say of you, as he said of the Thessalonians, I don't need to give a report.

53:08 - 53:24 Read in full sermon

The point: If your professed salvation has not led you to repudiate the worship of anything or anyone, turn from your idols to God, and serve Him in love, then you have not been delivered from the coming wrath.

Martin contrasts the Thessalonians' conversion with a hypothetical scenario of 'gales of holy laughter' to emphasize that true conversion is marked by repentance and service, not emotional displays.

And how did you know that it came in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance? Oh, Paul, we heard. Everybody fell off the chairs with gales of holy laughter. The Holy Ghost was coming.

53:45 - 53:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not treat the truths of God's wrath and eternal torment lightly, for the smoke of their torment shall ascend forever and they have no rest.

A stanza from a hymn is quoted to express the believer's confidence and deliverance from wrath through Christ's righteousness.

But thank God, every penitent, believing, converted man, woman, boy or girl shall be delivered from its fury. Bold shall I stand in Thy grace, without fear or doubt that, as I cannot paint my face, nor bueno. that I shall not look unto a rich God, that I shall not see for myself any removing of bunları mark that may lead unto against T旨 upon those that towards the most most look against it and which I chocolate with shame and desire their storm360 disappears, a faith which at this moment will shed corpse atv and shall be changed to fried unto another man who he will burn as many as am 37 who h...

56:11 - 57:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not treat the truths of God's wrath and eternal torment lightly, for the smoke of their torment shall ascend forever and they have no rest.

Jesus' imagery of the 'worm that dies not' in hell is explained as the gnawing of conscience and memory, constantly feeding on past rejections of Christ.

and forever and they have no rest day nor night God help you if you treat these things lightly the smoke issuing from their torment shall ascend up forever and forever and they have no rest Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus meek lowly tender Jesus said it is a place where their worm dies not and the fire is never quenched if a maggot is to live it must have something to feed upon Jesus uses gross imagery he said in hell their worm never dies the gnawing of conscience and of memory bringing back nights like tonight when a preacher dies and he told you of a coming day of wrath and he told you you deserved...

57:38 - 59:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider where you will be on the day of wrath: begging mountains to crush you, or standing bold, covered in Christ's righteousness and transformed by His grace.

The 'fire is never quenched' in hell is explained by the continuous supply of fuel, symbolizing God's frightening support of the body and soul to vent His fury forever.

in the conscious torment of separation from God their worm dies not because it always has something to feed upon and if fire is never to be quenched it's because fuel is continually there to be consumed if you do not continue to put the logs in the fireplace eventually the embers die down and the fire goes out if the fire is never quenched it's because the fuel is ever supplied there will be a frightening support of almighty God God of the body and soul of everyone in hell that his fury and his wrath will be vented forever it's a frightening thing to be born a human being it's a frightening th...

59:02 - 60:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider where you will be on the day of wrath: begging mountains to crush you, or standing bold, covered in Christ's righteousness and transformed by His grace.

The difference between a dog's death (the end) and a human's death (eternal destiny) is used to highlight the frightening reality of being a human being facing judgment.

in the conscious torment of separation from God their worm dies not because it always has something to feed upon and if fire is never to be quenched it's because fuel is continually there to be consumed if you do not continue to put the logs in the fireplace eventually the embers die down and the fire goes out if the fire is never quenched it's because the fuel is ever supplied there will be a frightening support of almighty God God of the body and soul of everyone in hell that his fury and his wrath will be vented forever it's a frightening thing to be born a human being it's a frightening th...

59:02 - 60:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He concludes with the lyrics of an old gospel song depicting the judgment morning, where the lost cry for rocks and mountains, and their prayers are too late, reiterating that…

The lyrics of an old gospel song about a dream of the great judgment morning are quoted to vividly portray the despair of the lost and the finality of their fate.

a song that was sung at such meetings and these are the words I dreamed that the great judgment morning had dawned and the trumpet had blown I dreamed that the nations had gathered to judgment before the white throne from that throne came a bright shining angel and he stood on the land and the sea and he swore with his hand raised to heaven that time was no longer to pass and oh what a weeping and wailing when the lost were told of their fate they cried for the rocks and the mountains they prayed but their prayer was too late the moral man came to the judgment but his self-righteous rags would...

61:57 - 63:21 Read in full sermon