I read the sermon “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God” this weekend. It was written by Jonathan Edwards in 1741. Talk about putting the fear of God into someone. The condensed version:
God is talking about the Israelites who have turned away. In the preceding and following texts, you come to the conclusion that God is pretty unhappy with them. The text for the message suggests that their doom is eminent. It will happen in due time (God's time). Mr. Edwards is describing the scene he sees (almost like recording the scene of an accident).
These people are already condemned to hell. They are actually hanging over the very pit of hell, perhaps by a tiny thread. Great tongues of fire are licking all around their feet. Satan and his devils are waiting, ready to fall upon them when they plunge. They appear to be blind to this predicament. The reason they do not fall is because they are being suspended or held; held in the hands of God. Their condemnation is sure. The timing is held by God.
They have chosen this destiny for themselves. They have mocked God. They feel that they have evaded death thus far in their own power. It has been something they have done to dodge the sting of death. They think that because they have avoided death and damnation to date, they are free and in the clear. They don't realize that it is only in God's timing. By His mercy they hang.
They feel they can escape hell by their own schemes. They hear that only a few are saved from hell, but they are certain they will be in that number. They have a plan plotted out. This plot is certainly more creative than those that have plotted and schemed before them. Those that schemed, but failed in saving themselves. Certainly their plans are better thought out. God is under no obligation to hold onto this people.
God is not happy about dropping these people into hell, but God will not be mocked. His anger is kindled against these people. “His wrath is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is topped, the more rapid and mighty is it's course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the flood of God's vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.”
Today, you live in a day of mercy. God has given you an opportunity to stay in the shelter of His hand forever. Christ is knocking...calling....crying for your salvation. But He is a gentleman. He will not force you to do anything. If you deny Him once again, you will wish you had never heard this message. Your stay in hell for eternity will be plagued with this message of urgent warning. There will be no better time than now.
“Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation: Let every one fly out of Sodom: 'Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.'”
*Italicized words are quoted form his sermon.
Pretty intense. For me to preach a sermon like that, I would want to make for sure that this message came from the Lord. Once again, this has been greatly paraphrased. The real sermon printed out was 9 ½ pages long.
At first, I didn't really know how to take this writing. It seemed harsh. I've never been one to try to convince someone of anything using fear. The Bible does say that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...” (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10). This, like I said, would put the fear of the Lord into a person. But then I thought, how many people truly realize the state of their soul? This is actually a very merciful sermon. It wakes you up to a very real picture. Certainly a picture you don't get from many pulpits. It definitely lays out the fact that everyone has to make a choice: live your life like the devil and spend eternity in hell, or give your life to Christ and spend eternity with Him. It also reminded me of one of my favorite verses. Matthew 21:44 says “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind Him to powder.” Allowing the Lord to break you is not a bad thing. It is a sign of weakness; realizing that we can do nothing without Christ. That is how we can sacrifice to God today. In Psalm 51:17 it says “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
If you are out of Christ today, make it right today. Don't wait. God's love endures forever, but His mercy runs out in His time.
God Bless!
“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14
1 comment:
I read a book that was released eight years ago titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church." It was real good.
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