I want to challenge your faith!
Section Three: "Feel the Wrath!"
"Feel the Wrath!" A Historical Parallel
Jeremiah 39
To be the "Jeremiah Generation" you must understand the complete nature of God. Many mega-churches have been built upon the themes of grace, mercy and love. While all of these are qualities are undeniably God, it must also be understood that God is just. He knows His enemies and has proven Himself to be quite able to humiliate and destroy them effortlessly. As the world continues to unravel, Christians should be asking what does this mean for my unsaved neighbors? Just as in the days of Jeremiah, God’s people need to cleanse themselves of complacency and return to the battle for men’s souls.
In Jeremiah 39:1-9, we have the following description of the wrath that God poured out on the unrepentant citizens of Jerusalem and their king.
“In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king's garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.”
“But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.”
“The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.”
Although the words above are horrible, they are tame compared to the phrases used in other passages which describe God's wrath. Consider Proverbs 1:24-31 and the three ways Solomon describes God's fury toward those who have been warned but refuse to repent.
1. God Laughs When Disaster Comes
Proverbs 1:24-27
“But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.”
God takes it personally when people refuse to accept His mercy, especially now, since it has been bought by the blood of His only Son. Do you have friends who are selfishly rejecting God's "stretched out ... hand" and ignoring His loving "advice"? When God's patience is finally exhausted, His wrath will come. He will laugh at the disaster that falls upon His enemies. Until that day comes, the "Jeremiah Generation" must be in a full sprint to draw as many as possible to Him in these remaining hours.
2. God Refuses to Answer When They Call
Proverbs 1:28
"Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.”
Perhaps the most tragic part of God's just response is that a person can reach a point at which God no longer hears when they call. Hell is dark, painful and eternal. But these are not even close to being the worst attributes of that place. The worst part of Hell is that God is not there and He never again will hear the cries of those who are.
To be the "Jeremiah Generation", you must hurry into the mission field and urgently present the message of salvation to everyone who will listen. Do not be distracted by those in the church who wish to change your focus to non-salvation issues. Do not be discouraged by other Christians who find greater satisfaction in arguing issues than they do in saving souls. Nothing is more important or more urgent than drawing men into the saving embrace of Christ.
3. God Makes Them Eat the Fruit of Their Ways
Proverbs 1:29-31
“Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.”
At first glance, this last description of God's wrath may seem anti-climactic. But consider the full meaning of these words. The person who has been distracted by sin and refused God's loving way of escape will not only be punished but they will see the full results of the decisions they have made. Forgiveness is sweet, but even then some consequences still linger. (Example: A teenager may come to the Lord after being sexually active, but that does not remove the very real possibility that they have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. Their soul may be cleansed, but their physical body is still subject to the consequences of sin.) If that is true of forgiven sinners, how much more horrible must it be for those who are unforgiven? Nothing is more tragic than a person who refuses God's way of escape and, therefore, chooses to endure not only the temporary physical consequences of his actions but must also eat the eternal "fruit of their ways". The "Jeremiah Generation" must divert as many as possible from this horrible fate.
In the closing verses of Proverbs 1, the wise man summarizes the reason God's wrath is felt by the wicked. "For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them." (Proverbs 1:32) With the words "waywardness" and "complacency", Solomon drew two vivid descriptions of the world and even many within the church today. In the next two sections, we will address the "waywardness" and "complacency" of both the world and many within the ranks of God's people. It is the responsibility of the "Jeremiah Generation" to expose both groups and offer them help. Will you join the "Jeremiah Generation"?
Copyright 2006 by Childs Family Publications