Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to be here with you all this morning.

I love when I am given the opportunity to come up here and encourage, instruct and edify you through the preaching of God’s Word.

And I hope that my words to you all today are just that; encouraging and edifying.

Today I want to speak to you about a topic, or rather doctrine, that I believe we in the current Christian culture have forgotten, or worse, have largely misunderstood and misrepresented.

That is the doctrine of justification.

Let’s Pray.

Pray

The Wrath of God

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to be here with you all this morning.

I love when I am given the opportunity to come up here and encourage, instruct and edify you through the preaching of God’s Word.

And I hope that my words to you all today are just that; encouraging and edifying.

Today I want to speak to you about a topic, or rather doctrine, that I believe we in the current Christian culture have forgotten, or worse, have largely misunderstood and misrepresented.

That is the doctrine of justification.

Let’s Pray.

Ask: “How many of us wake up in the fear of God’s wrath?”

I.

The Wrath of God

How many of you today woke up in the fear of God’s wrath?

Probably none of us here did.

Now the fact that none of us woke up in fear of God’s wrath can be, as well as is, both good and bad.

The subject of God’s wrath is a topic that we do not discuss any more in our culture, community and even churches.

The topic of the wrath of God has become taboo

How many of you today woke up in the fear of God’s wrath?

Probably none of us here did.

Now the fact that none of us woke up in fear of God’s wrath can be, as well as is, both good and bad.

The subject of God’s wrath is a topic that we do not discuss any more in our culture, community and even churches.

The phrase, “God’s Wrath” has become somewhat taboo.

“God showing wrath?

Isn’t that the God of the Old Testament?

Isn’t our New Testament God gracious and kind?”

When presented with the question or topic of God’s wrath, we ask ourselves and each other these questions, as if God were double minded and changing.

The phrase, “God’s Wrath” has become somewhat taboo.

“God showing wrath?

Isn’t that the God of the Old Testament?

Isn’t our New Testament God gracious and kind?”

When presented with the question or topic of God’s wrath, we ask ourselves and each other these questions, as if God were double minded and changing.

Here in the subject of the wrath of God the inconsistency of lukewarm Christianity exposes itself; lukewarm Christianity wants to believe that God is unchanging, that he never makes up his mind and then changes it when he is presented with new information.

This is 100% true.

But at the same time the lukewarm Christian will argue that God determined to be harsh and mean in the Old Testament, only to change his nature in the New Testament in the context of Christ salvific work.

In other words, once Christ died, God decided to be nice.

That is what makes Christianity lukewarm; when we decide to interpret scripture and deal with God in a way that is comfortable given the context of our culture.

This topic exposes our lukewarm Christianity

Here in the subject of the wrath of God the inconsistency of lukewarm Christianity exposes itself; lukewarm Christianity wants to believe that God is unchanging, that he never makes up his mind and then changes it when he is presented with new information.

This is 100% true.

But at the same time the lukewarm Christian will argue that God determined to be harsh and mean in the Old Testament, only to change his nature in the New Testament in the context of Christ salvific work.

In other words, once Christ died, God decided to be nice.

That is what makes Christianity lukewarm; when we decide to interpret scripture and deal with God in a way that is comfortable given the context of our culture.

Now I’m not here to argue that each and every one of us believes that about God and his wrath.

Such a statement would be wildly fallacious.

But I will argue that by and large, the culture, and the church, whether its phrased or worded differently, believes that about God and His wrath; that he is no longer a God who hates, or rather abhors sinners but a God who loves and adorns all things whether good or bad.

We have created a God who is incapable of righteous hate.

Now I’m not here to argue that each and every one of us believes that about God and his wrath.

Such a statement would be wildly fallacious.

But I will argue that by and large, the culture, and the church, whether its phrased or worded differently, believes that about God and His wrath; that he is no longer a God who hates, or rather abhors sinners but a God who loves and adorns all things whether good or bad.

We have created a God who is incapable of righteous hate.

Our general attitude is that we flinch from the topic.

Why?

Our attitude towards the wrath of God begs the question: Why do we shun from it?

Why do we spiritually, morally, and emotionally flinch when it is mentioned?

Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 6.

Our Response To God’s Wrath

Our attitude towards the wrath of God begs the question: Why do we shun from it?

Why do we spiritually, morally, and emotionally flinch when it is mentioned?

Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 6.

Read

A. Our Response to His Presence

Our knee jerk reaction to Isaiah’s vision is “Awesome!”

Read

If at all possible we must drop our preconceived notions this morning while looking at this text.

While this passage, verses 1-7, our very encouraging, verses 1-5 should strike a healthy dose of biblical fear in us.

Most of us read that Isaiah sees the Lord and our knee jerk reaction is, “Woohoo!!!!!!!

He sees God!!! Awesome!”

But note the prophet’s response to the presence of God:

And I said: “Woe is me!

For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!

Isaiah was not excited or happy about seeing the Lord

If at all possible we must drop our preconceived notions this morning while looking at this text.

While this passage as a whole (verses 1-7) our very encouraging, verses 1-5 should strike a healthy dose of biblical fear in us.

Most of us read that Isaiah sees the Lord and our knee jerk reaction is, “Woohoo!!!!!!!

He sees Jesus!!! Awesome!”

But note the prophet’s response to the presence of God:

Does that sound like an exciting moment for him?

In our ESV we read Isaiah proclaiming he is lost.

Other translations render this word as ruined, or destroyed.

In verse 5, Isaiah is brought to the realization of his own sinfulness, even more, his sin nature, further still the wickedness of his own people.

But what has brought the prophet to this realization?

It always troubles me when I hear other Christians say, “I wish I could see God.” Or “I wish I could be in the physical presence of God, that would just be so awesome.”

And I can’t help but laugh and think to myself, “Surely these people have not read scripture,” because every time we read in scripture of an individual encountering the very presence of God (shakina glory), it doesn’t go well for them and they are not overly excited about it.

I should have said, “Blessed art thou, who hast been thus highly favoured, highly honoured, and dignified, for a time, with the privilege of those glorious beings that always behold the face of our Father.

Blessed were those eyes which saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and those ears which heard the angels’ praises.”

And, one would think, he should have said, “Happy am I, for ever happy; nothing now shall trouble me, nothing make me blush or tremble;” but, on the contrary, he cries out, “Woe is me! for I am undone.

Alas for me!

I am a gone man; I shall surely die (; ); I am silenced; I am struck dumb, struck dead.”

Thus Daniel, when he heard the words of the angel, became dumb, and there was no strength, no breath, left in him, , .

And I said: “Woe is me!

For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!

He, along with other (; ) are rendered speechless, powerless, etc. in the presence of God