Sinners in the Pierced Hands of an Angry God

I have decided to put up little re-caps of each of the messages (slowly but surely) I was blessed to hear at he Resolved conference in hoping that it will encourage each of you and spur you on to further study in His word.

Message Date: February 16, 2007
Pastor Rick Holland
Grace Community Church
Passage: Romans 5:6-11

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."


Many of you, if not all of you are well aware of Johnathan Edwards heart-wrenching and provocative message, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Many people over the centuries have read the sermon, and many including Christians have come to the conclusion, "MY GOD IS NOT THAT GOD!". But the truth of the matter is although God is just, merciful, and loving, he is angry...very angry at sin.

The good news? God has satisfied His wrath through Christ and He holds YOU (if you are a believer and saved by Him) in His pierced hands.

Rick asked the question...What's so great about the gospel?


V6- THE GOSPEL SATISFIES THE GREATEST NEED OF MANKIND- A SAVIOR
-The Christian faith is about judgement, condemnation, and God's wrath...but all of that has been nailed to the cross for the saved sinner
-We are UNDESERVING of God's love and mercy!
-Many people think their way to heaven is by being good "enough" or religious "enough" etc., but the question lingers on how much is ENOUGH? It paralyzes you. You don't think you can read, pray, study, go to church etc. enough. Nothing is enough! Only Christ's righteousness imputed to you because of the cross is enough. God loves you because He sees cleansed with the blood of Christ, and He loves you in spite of sin.
-We must realize that we are helpless in our eternity and in life in general.
1 Corinthians 2:14 : "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."Romans 3:11 : "there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God."- We must see that we are ungodly and that we have a fierce opposition to God!
Romans 1:18: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness..."
V7-8: THE GOSPEL DEMONSTRATES THE GREATEST LOVE LAVISHED UPON SAVED SINNERS AT THE CROSS
- God's love is perfect, so different than human love, it is unexplainable
- "But God..."- His manifested love in Christ
-The sacrifice on the cross makes no sense to human wisdom...think about it for a moment this way. You have a child (either you do or dont, and if not pretend for illustration sake), and this child is your world I am sure. You would do anything as to not allow harm to come to this child. Now you decide that you love someone so much, someone who by the way HATES you, treats you terribly, rejects you in everyway possible etc. that you are going to sacrifice your child for that person to live? Does it make sense? And this wasn't any child...this was the Son of God!!! God in human flesh.

V9- THE GOSPEL EXTINGUISHES THE GREATEST THREAT- GOD'S WRATH, SEPARATION ETERNALLY
-There had to be blood...look in the old testament
Hebrews 10:11 "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins."-What is the wrath of God? A sentence of eternity apart from Him in hell!
-FEAR GOD! We see throughout scripture that a healthy fear of God is important
Luke 12

V10- THE GOSPEL MEDIATES THE GREATEST CONFLICT-
-If God reconciled us as enemies on the cross, He will save us as friends. How amazing is that!
-He had to ressurect! Without that we wouldn't be saved.
- Reconciliation, how is that possible? God sent Jesus as our ultimate reconciler.
"Amazing Love How Can It Be? That You My GOD Would Die For Me?"

V11- THE GOSPEL THEREFORE MUST PROVOKE THE GREATEST RESPONSE
-Exalt according to definition is to jump up and down with gladness, overflow with joy, spew forth joy, happiness
- EXALT HIM! Our joy should be found in the Savior
- Our response to this act? PRAISE AND WORSHIP
- The love of Christ that Has been bestowed upon you should overflow and spill onto others...be an example!
- Praise God that we aren't in trouble with Him anymore!
Oh the power of the cross!

"And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God…Are there not many here who have lived long in the world, and are not to this day born again? And so are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and have done nothing ever since they have lived, but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath? …Your guilt and hardness of heart is extremely great. …And let every one that is yet out of Christ, and hanging over the pit of hell, whether they be old men and women, or middle aged, or young people, or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God’s word and providence. This acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favor to some, will doubtless be a day of as remarkable vengeance to others …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." -Johnathan Edwards