Flee From The Wrath To Come
This Convention Theme “The Judgment seat of God and this teaching topic is clearly a message of LOVE admonishing us all (no matter our religious standing) to taking immediate steps that would remove us from the fiery anger of God which now burns and will perfectly be unleashed on the judgment day. It should be a deep great concern of every one of us to flee this wrath.
THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH NIGERIA YEAR 2024 LAWNA CONVENTION TEACHING DELIVERED BY PASTOR E. L. ABEDNEGO
TOPIC: FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME (MATT. 3:7)
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: MATT. 3:1-10, GEN. 19:15-29
INTRODUCTION: John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus’ Redemptive ministry, majored his teachings on calling men to repentance from sin. To him came all classes of persons for varying reasons.
* The highly religious Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes whose lives, in many spheres, ran contrary to God’s kingdom principles.
܀ The lowest esteemed publicans (tax collectors) and harlots categorized as sinners.
܀ The Israel national sovereignty liberation fighters (Zealots)
܀ The non Jewish nationals (Gentiles)
As John the Baptist preached, he never minced words declaring to each group in his audience what would deter them from being accepted into God’s kingdom. And so our topic title comes out of John’s declaration to the Pharisees and Sadducees.
“O Generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. And think not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our father: .. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” Mtt. 3:7-10.
John’s warning FLEE FROM THE WRATH, very similar to the angels charge to Lot, ESCAPE FOR THY LIFE, LOOK NOT BEHIND THEE (Gen. 19:17) is a call on you and I in this Convention to have a deep thought and also take positive steps at avoiding the horrors of spending eternity in hell.
In this discuss, we shall endeavour to briefly define some vital terms in the topic, examining God’s wrath (its nature, to whom and when) and the Act of fleeing (requirements/form). “There is a wrath to come beside the present wrath, the vials of which are poured out now, there is a future wrath, the stores of which are treasured for hereafter”
(A). TERMS DEFINITIONS.
(i). Flee: The Oxford Learners Dictionary defines flee as “To leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible dangers”.
Contextually viewed, flee is an admonition bearing an element of imperativeness which if not complied with has dire, terrible consequences.
(ii). Wrath: Expresses several emotions, including anger, indignation, vexation, grief, bitterness, and fury. It is the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice. Both humans and God express wrath when used of God, wrath refers to His absolute opposition to sin and evil2
The Roman Catholic Theology views wrath as “one of the deadly sins. Wrath is defined as a strong feeling of hatred or resentment with a desire for vengeance. This overwhelming feeling and desire for revenge distinguished wrath from anger that is balanced with reason, which is not a sin
B. GOD’S WRATH, ITS NATURE; A BALANCED BIBLICAL VIEW. God’s wrath is not capricious but always a moral and ethic reactions to sin. (God’s) “wrath to come” is not vengeful act. It is a righteous judgement against sin and human disobedience. Its never a retribution. He will judge us according to His righteousness. “God’s wrath remains tempered by His mercy down through the ages until He will finally pour out the seven bowls of wrath in the time of the tribulation’ Rev. 15-16.
In the prophetic books the wrath of God is commonly presented as a future judgment. It is usually associated with the concept of the day of the Lord, Zeph. 1:14-15. That day will be a great and terrible day, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of vengeance of God Joel 2:2, 11 – A final act by which the world and its inhabitants will account to God. 1Thess 5:19, 2 Peter 3:10. The wrath of God awaits the devil, his angels and all humanity except believers in Christ who are to be delivered.
“Rom. 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth in their wickedness. Rom. 2:4-5 (Paraphrased) Why? should you toy and despise God’s goodness and forbearance through your stubborn and impenitent evil heartedness yet hoping to escape God’s wrath which shall be revealed in the judgment day?
Dr. C. H. Spurgeon expounding on his message titled ‘flee the wrath to come’ implored his listeners to escape by “quitting their sins, and lay hold on Jesus and do it thus very moment… Escape steps must be taken else perish in the common destruction which will engulf all ungodly men. This wrath will come in part fall upon men at death and move fully at the day of the judgment and will continue to flow over them forever and ever… The wrath is absolutely just and necessary if there be God, he cannot let sin go unpunished. If he really be God and the judge of all the earth, he must have an utter abhorrence of all evil… He will one of these days let loose the fury of his wrath against sin… This is the inevitable consequence of sin, there is nothing arbitrary about such a result for sinful action, they must appear at the bar of God
FLEE THIS COMING WRATH… ESCAPE NOW FOR YOUR LIFE
ON WHOM WOULD GOD’S WRATH FALL?
1. All unsaved humanity. Rom 3:23, Rom1:19, Rom. 6:23
2. All who reject Christ’s atoning work, Jn. 3:16-18. It is Jesus alone that can and does deliver from the wrath to come Rom. 5:9, 1Thess. 1:10
3. All who practice ungodliness and unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18), be he a “Christian” or an “unbeliever”
4. Believers whose eyes/heart let not go of Sodom Gen 19:17 Compare Lk. 9:62
THE FLEEING OR ESCAPE REQUIRES
Accepting Jesus as the only way: How? Acknowledge that
You are a sinner 1Jh. 1:8
Confess those sins Prov. 23:13
Repent from the sin – Acts 3:19
Accept Jesus as your personal Saviour and Lord – Jn 1:2, Rom. 10:9
An immediate, swift action. Man is required never to waste time to get our now form this city of destruction (Sin, Sodom, Babylon). All that live in it will perish with it. Gen. 19:15. One who flees does not creep, crawl but runs at utmost speed Gen. 19:16.
Fleeing condones no looking back. Gen. 19:26. Jesus says “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God Lk. 9:62
The Fleeing is Repentance in very practical terms. John the Baptist emphasized “bear fruits that befits repentance” Mt. 3:8. “Repented” and sin must part ways, else Christ and such an one can never keep company.
Fleeing goes with absolute obedience to God’s will, fleeing is “direction defined’. Escape to the Hills, live not in the plains. Only a straight immediate look at crucified Christ on Calvary guarantees deliverance from the bite poison of sin Num. 21:8,9 and its consequential end in hell fire flames.
CONCLUSION: This Convention Theme “The Judgment seat of God and this teaching topic is clearly a message of LOVE admonishing us all (no matter our religious standing) to taking immediate steps that would remove us from the fiery anger of God which now burns and will perfectly be unleashed on the judgment day. It should be a deep great concern of every one of us to flee this wrath. Let all self-deceit like the Pharisees/Sadducees be done away with. Let all “publicans” living be given up. Lets lay hold on Jesus – our only escape route and do it now. We may never have another opportunity. Acts 17:30
God bless.
