Bowls of Wrath

READING — Re: 15-16

INTRO — 3 Types of Dads (going to scouts, church, school events, etc. and meeting other dads.)

Helicopter Dads — don’t let their kids find trouble. (Guy who is a History Teacher at Scouts)

Withdrawn Dads — let their kids do whatever they want as if they have no responsibility. (We see this in teaching and in ministry, a lot—always causes major issues in the family.)

Prophet Dads — teach and warn about danger, but allow kids to make mistakes in order to learn from them. (My old neighbor (guys-guy), who is also a good friend of mine—knew (when his kids were still at home) when to keep his kids out of danger and when to send them into the battle; always trying hard to equip them to persevere in life and to do well in life.)

BODY 1 (reflect on the reading)

[Is God the Helicopter Dad?] Free Will — God is a Father who cares, but he’s not a helicopter dad who denies his children their own will, pursuits, desires, and creativity.

Decisions have consequences — God allows us to sin.

Appropriate logical effects

We aren’t protected from those

ILL: Israel made a bad deal with Assyria and then ended up under their control when the deal went south—part of the issues that led to the exile. (God didn’t intervene, but let it play out).

[Is God the Withdrawn Dad?] — God is not the Withdrawn Father. (Love)

Not clockmaker theory (deistic religion)

God loves the world he created (John 3:16)

God is active in the world (he sent his son; the Word is living and active; the Spirit is our helper and counselor (John 14:16)

[God is the Prophetic Dad] Prophet (He is the prophetic Father) — God teaches and warns about danger, but allows us to walk through danger.

The pattern of the Judges and Israel

BODY 2—I thought we were in Revelation? [TITLE]

Context—the bowls of wrath are all about God’s anger exercised on the human race.

He has warned

He has taught

The world has not followed

The consequences are logical

The nature of sin is to destroy

God’s mercy through history has been to hold back the natural destruction of sin

The angels pouring out the bowls is symbolic of God letting back his hand so that the natural consequences of sin ensue.

Plagues, natural disasters, wars, etc.

Is God an angry God? — (Like Shamanistic deities who need appeased)

Count suffering as discipline. (He 12:7)

‘Giving them over,’ language.

ILL: 1 Cor, give him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that he may be saved on the day of the Lord.

How can God be a God of love if he is also so angry at humanity?

God’s love is the mercy of the Father who never gives up on his sons. (Wrath on the world is necesary for God to fully love Israel (us)—hard truth)

Never? ?Never ever? — the only unforgivable sin is the sin of lacking faith in Jesus. [refusal to acknowledge him as Lord]

Sometimes suffering comes to its ultimate fulfillment.

The pouring of the bowls is final

“seven last plagues” (15:1)

All language vs. 1/3 in seals and trumpets (describing the period of this life/tribulation).

“It is done” (16:17)

EXH: [TITLE SLIDE]

People think that Christianity is about hating people who lead different lives with different moral standards or political views or something like that.

Everyone agrees on murder, steeling, etc.

But when we talk about gender, sexuality, abortion and other hot topics like that—Christians just hate people who don’t think like them, right?

And some people think all Christians are capitalists who are stingy and don’t want to help the poor—which is historically ironic. But, is that Christianity? Being against social program and activity?

Christianity is not about either of those things.

The overarching purpose of the Bible actually goes back to free will (at least to some degree)

—God always lets people believe what they want

—God always lets people do what they want

—God always gives people what they want (when it comes to eternal things)

Everyone is under his wrath, because all have sinned—all of us have wanted to sin and chosen what is not God, holy, righteous. (fallen short language)

Christians don’t hate people who are different than us; Christians love people who are exactly like us—and if someone wants to yell and say hateful things about fellow sinners at gay pride parades, then they don’t understand what it means to be a Christian.

God loves everyone and has offered everyone a way of escape from his wrath through Jesus.

That’s something we don’t deserve at all and not something we would have by nature chosen.

The question: Can people repent and give their lives to Jesus during the final times? — we are not there yet.

No one can enter the temple (15:8) — seems to be a travel ban.

They don’t (16:9-11) — regardless of if they can, the hardness of heart is too great once the final judgment arrives.

The time is now. (This is really the point of the whole book of Revelation—to show you where you are now, under the trumpets, and warn you about the end.)

It takes time to believe.

But, at some point you need to make that decision to give your whole life to Jesus.

That might mean getting baptised.

That might mean taking intentional and sacrificial steps to learn to follow what Jesus has commanded us as Lord and King.

If you…