Well it's great to be here in Tucson fondly down here preaching and I hope to come down
here many more times this year and we're working on getting a better building but just remember
that Bible story where they were all hanging out the window and hanging out the doors and
they filled up the house.
Remember they had to rip off the roof and lower the guy down in?
So throughout the Bible they didn't always have the best seating arrangement, amen?
So you guys are the diehards who are coming in the early days.
So keep it up, thank you for being a part of this church and for coming.
But I want to focus on 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 beginning in verse number 5.
The title of my sermon is God's Wrath is Justified.
God's wrath is justified.
Look what the Bible says in verse 5, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment
of God.
The word justified means to be declared to be righteous.
And so when I say God's wrath is justified, what I'm saying is that God is right to judge
the wicked, God is right to be filled with wrath, God is right to be angry with the wicked
every day.
Everything that God does is right and God's wrath or God's anger is justified.
The Bible says, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye
may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer, seeing it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.
So the Thessalonians have been persecuted.
If you remember back in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, he talked about how they had suffered tribulation
and persecution at the hands of their own countrymen.
Their own fellow Greeks had persecuted them.
Because in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, and if you would actually just flip over there,
it's so close you might as well just look at it over in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, it
says in verse 14, For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in
Judea are in Christ Jesus.
For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen even as they have of the Jews.
So he's saying, look, over in Judea, the Jews were persecuting the Christians and the Thessalonians
were getting persecuted by their fellow Greeks.
They were actually getting persecuted by their fellow countrymen, the Bible says.
So in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 6, it says, it is a righteous thing with God to
recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.
So when people persecute Christians, when people persecute us, when people persecute
God's people, it's a righteous thing for God to trouble them.
He will trouble those who trouble us.
He will recompense tribulation unto those that trouble us.
Notice how similar those words are, trouble and tribulation.
Notice the T, the R, the B, the L, right?
In fact, one of the early prophecies of the tribulation is back in Daniel chapter 12 and
it says there shall be a time of trouble such as was not since the beginning of the world.
And then Jesus when he's preaching in Matthew 24, he calls it a time of tribulation.
Daniel called it a great time of trouble.
So those words are connected.
So he's saying, look, people persecute you, people trouble you, it's a righteous thing
for God to turn around and give them some trouble, amen?
It says in verse number 7, and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on
them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory
of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them
that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
So the Bible is teaching here that at the second coming of Christ, he is going to punish
the wicked in flaming fire and it's going to be a day when those who believe, those
who are saved are going to be rejoicing and they're actually going to stand back in admiration.
They're going to admire what Jesus Christ is doing and we're going to see that in the
book of Revelation tonight, we're going to flip over there, but it's going to be a terrible
day for the unsaved when he punishes them in flaming fire.
Now you say, flaming fire, isn't that a little bit redundant?
I mean, is there any other kind of fire?
Well guess what?
There are all kinds of people today who don't believe it's a literal fire.
When we talk about the wrath of God, when we talk about the judgment of God, or when
we talk about the punishment in hell, they want to say, oh that fire there is just figurative.
So that's why God calls it flaming fire, just to let you know, it's the kind with flames.
Now flip over if you would to Revelation, because the Bible told us in 2 Thessalonians
that when Christ Jesus is revealed from heaven with his angels to punish the wicked in flaming
fire, that he is going to be glorified in his saints at that time and he's going to
be admired in all of them that believe at that time.
So those that believe are going to be excited, they're going to be rejoicing, the wicked
are going to be punished by God's wrath.
Now look at Revelation chapter 19, what's the title of the sermon?
God's wrath is justified.
It's a righteous thing for God to pour out his wrath, he is right to do that.
Look at Revelation chapter 19 verse 1, and after these things I heard a great voice of
much people in heaven saying, Alleluia, salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord
our God.
Now Alleluia is just basically a Greek version of the Hebrew Hallelujah, right?
Most of the songs in the hymnal spell it out as Hallelujah, right?
With an H at the beginning, Hallelujah, right?
So Hallelujah is just saying in Hebrew, praise the Lord.
That's all that means.
Hallelujah just means praise the Lord.
So that's what they're saying here.
They're saying praise the Lord, right?
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God, watch this, for true and
righteous are his judgments.
For he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication
and at the bend of the blood of his servants at her hand.
And again they said, Alleluia, and her smoke rose up forever and ever.
You say, well that's not very Christian of them.
Getting all excited about Babylon being destroyed, getting all excited about the great whore
being judged, being all excited about the wrath and judgment of God.
But wait a minute, these people are in heaven.
Isn't that what it says in verse 1?
He said, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven.
Well let me ask you this, is there any sin in heaven amongst God's people?
I mean do God's people when they die and go to heaven do they continue to sin up there?
No, there's no sin going on in heaven because of the fact that the only reason that we sin
is because we're still in our sinful flesh.
When we go to heaven we will have shed our sinful flesh and we know at the second coming
of Christ we'll be changed to be like unto Christ.
We'll change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.
So if these people are in heaven, they are not wrong to have this attitude.
They must have the right attitude, right?
Because if they're in heaven, they're glorified, they have the right attitude and they're saying
true and righteous are God's judgments, hallelujah, praise the Lord.
Why?
Because he judged the great whore.
Why?
Because he destroyed Babylon, hallelujah, and her smoke rose up forever and ever.
Is that a wrong attitude?
Apparently not since it's coming from heaven.
Go to Revelation chapter 6.
Revelation chapter 6 verse number 9 says, And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw
under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony
which they held.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, does thou
not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was said unto them that they
should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren
that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled.
Again, we have the souls of people in heaven, the souls of just men made perfect, and they
are saying, Lord, how long are you not going to judge and avenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth?
Boy, these people are looking forward to the wrath of God.
They're celebrating God's wrath.
Why is that?
Because God's wrath is justified.
God is righteous to pour out his wrath.
What he does is right.
Everything he does is right.
Amen?
Revelation chapter 9, Revelation chapter 9.
Now why is God justified in pouring out his wrath on this earth?
Well, we see God's wrath begin to be poured out in chapters 8 and 9 of Revelation.
Right?
At the end of chapter 6, it says that the great day of his wrath has come.
Then we have that interlude in chapter 7.
And then in chapter 8 and 9, we have the trumpets of God's wrath.
Chapter 8 has the first four trumpets.
And then in chapter 9, we have trumpets 5 and 6.
And these trumpet judgments are very serious judgments upon the earth, where God rains
fire and brimstone out of heaven, burns up all the grass, burns up one third of the trees.
And he ends up turning the ocean into blood and poisoning the water and men are scorched
with heat.
And you have these locusts from hell in chapter 9 with the fifth trumpet.
And then you have these horsemen with the tails like scorpions and all these horrible
things.
Right?
And after six trumpets of just God slamming this earth with his wrath, and this is a long
period of time.
One trumpet alone lasted for five months in the case of the locusts from hell.
Look what it says in verse 20.
It says, and the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, so I mean they
survived the fire and brimstone, they survived the ocean and the water being poisoned, they
survived the scorching heat, they survived the locusts, they survived the armies.
It says, the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented
not of the works of their hands.
You see, and look, they still did not change.
They still did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship
devils and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which neither can see
nor hear nor watch.
After all that, they're still worshiping idols.
They still have their little statue, they still have Buddha, they still have their Hindu
gods, they still got their little plastic Jesus or whatever fake idol that they're worshiping.
They did not repent of their idolatry.
Verse 21, neither repented they of their murders.
I mean they're still committing murder, they're probably still having an abortion or murdering
people, they're not repenting of their sorceries, they're still into witchcraft, they're still
into voodoo, they're still doing all this demonic stuff.
They didn't repent of their fornication, they're still sleeping together out of wedlock
during this time, and they did not repent of their thefts, their stealing, their looting.
Look, God pours out his wrath on man, he pours out his judgment in an unprecedented way,
and what do they do?
They just keep on sinning, just keep on fornicating, keep on murdering, stealing, continuing idolatry.
God's wrath is justified.
And you see why God is so mad?
I mean they just keep on being a sorcerer and a murderer and a thief and everything else.
Look at chapter 11.
Chapter 11 verse 16, and the four and twenty elders which sat before God upon their seats
fell upon their faces and worshiped God saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
which art and was and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and
has reigned, and the nations were angry, and thy wrath has come, and the time of the
dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants
the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldest
destroy them which destroy the earth.
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there were seen in his temple the ark
of his testament, and there were lightnings and voices and thunderings and an earthquake
and great pain.
You know, if you read the book of Revelation, there's a certain feeling that you get from
it in chapter 1, chapter 4, chapter 5, and I'll tell you what that feeling is that you
get from the mood of the book of Revelation is one of triumph.
Even though it's such a negative book, even though there are a lot of people being killed,
even though the earth's being destroyed by plagues and so forth, you get a really triumphant
feel and a triumphant mood from the book of Revelation.
From chapter 1 you get that, chapter 4, I mean in chapter 5 everybody's rejoicing.
The Lamb has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof, and there's
great excitement and rejoicing and praising God, and in fact Revelation probably has more
praises to God of any New Testament book.
I mean almost every chapter is mentioning the power and strength and glory and honor
and might unto the Lord our God, you know, to give him thanksgiving and wealth and everything,
you know, everything goes to the Lord, all glory, everything was made for him and for
his glory.
I mean just over and over again they're just praising God, praising God, praising God.
And a lot of people are pretty happy in the book of Revelation, there's a lot of rejoicing
and shouting and singing praises to God in the midst of all the carnage, in the midst
of all the destruction, it's Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
We give thee thanks, your wrath is come, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus.
I mean that's the way the whole book is, 22 chapters of just victory and triumph, right?
God's wrath is justified, we don't need to be ashamed of God's wrath or shy away from
talking about God's wrath or say, you know, well it's too bad, God has to pour out his
wrath, you know, and it's just really such a shame, yeah it is such a shame that people
reject a free gift when it's offered to them by the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a shame that people just live their whole lives in wickedness and sinning and
they just don't repent of their fornication, they don't repent of their theft, they don't
repent of their murder, they don't repent of their sorcery, they don't repent of their
idolatry and God ends up having to judge nations, God ends up having to destroy cities and burn
them to the ground.
I mean look, just recently there's been a lot of talk in the news about how New York
has made these horrific styles of abortion legal and of course all of abortion is murder
but even these horrific late term abortions, the partial birth abortion, the 9 month pregnant
abortion, don't get mad at God when he destroys New York, don't get mad at God when he pours
out his wrath, don't get mad at God when he punishes that obscene wickedness that just
for year after year after year in America we're being de-Christianized, year after year
we spit in the face of God as a nation, year after year the murder, the sodomy, the fornication,
the wickedness, you know what, one day God is going to judge and you know what I'm going
to say?
Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, he judged the great whore!
Amen, her smoke grows off forever and ever.
See well that's not very Christian, it's actually very Christian because this is the revelation
of Jesus Christ.
The Christ in Christian, the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him.
So the Bible teaches this, look at Revelation 16 verse 5, this is in the midst of God pouring
out his wrath in the seven vials.
So we have the seven trumpets over in chapters 8, 9, and 11 and then in chapter 16 we have
the vial judgments right?
So there's a vial here that's poured out in verse 4 upon the rivers and fountains of waters
and they became blood.
Now look at verse 5, and I heard the angel of the waters say, thou art righteous O Lord.
Look folks, what does justified mean?
It means to be declared righteous.
Isn't it interesting that when God is judging and pouring out his wrath he keeps being declared
righteous over and over again?
Over and over again somebody is there to declare him righteous.
The apostle Paul was doing it in 2 Thessalonians and said hey it's a righteous thing with God
to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.
It's the righteous judgment of God when he comes in flaming fire to take vengeance upon
them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And here in the midst of God pouring out his wrath, somebody is there to say thou art righteous
O Lord.
You are right, what you're doing is right, amen.
Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shalt be because thou hast judged us.
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and thou hast given them blood to
drink for they are worthy.
And I heard another out of the altar say even so Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are
thy judgments.
Man you are right to give them blood to drink.
Hey they shed the blood of the saints and prophets, they deserve to drink blood.
Hey they've been wicked, they've troubled God's people, they've persecuted God's people,
they've spat in the face of God, give them O Lord.
What wilt thou give them?
The Bible said in the Old Testament, a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
That's what it said in the book of Jeremiah I believe.
So over and over again God's judgment is declared to be right.
It's declared to be righteous.
Now flip over if you would to chapter number, well actually let's go back to Colossians
chapter 3.
Let's go to the epistle of Paul to the Colossians chapter number 3.
So Revelation is just chock full of this idea of God judging, God pouring out his wrath
and being declared righteous for doing so.
He's told to be doing the right thing.
So there's nothing to shy away from preaching the wrath of God.
And you know it needs to be preached in pulpits all over America that God's wrath is justified
today.
And look I'm all for preaching on the love of God and it's the love of God that even
allows us to be saved.
I mean we'd all be doomed without the love of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God.
But let's not forget about the wrath of God.
And God's going to judge our nation and he's going to be right when he does it and we ought
to rejoice when he does it.
Why rejoice?
Because in everything give thanks.
In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
And you know everything God does is right at the end of the day.
Now it's hard for us to understand that.
You know we're human and we're living in this world and we're attached to the things of
this world.
Because we're here in this flesh and we go through life and we get attached to all the
things of this world.
You know the places and the people and the things and so forth.
But you know one day, one day we're going to leave this world and we're going to go
to be in heaven and it's all going to be burned up, everything that's here.
You know that's why the Bible says set your affection on things above, not on things on
the earth.
So it's easy for us because our affection is often on the things of earth and we often
are attached to the things of this world and we have the mentality of this world sometimes.
We look at the wrath of God or the judgment of God as a really negative thing.
Like we love Jesus, we love the cross, we love the resurrection, we love the birth of
Christ, we love the miracles, but we're kind of like why does he have to be so mean or
why does he have to wipe out whole cities and why does he have to send people to hell
for all eternity.
But you know what that's just because we're human because one day when we get to heaven
and we understand everything and we're no longer having a wrong attitude or the sinful
flesh, we're just going to literally just have the popcorn out and just be like this
is great as we watch the plagues pour out.
We're going to be loving it.
Now that might sound morbid to you, but hold on a second, everything God does is right.
And so I do believe that we will be up there rejoicing and you know what, we're just going
to be so excited to be in heaven and we're going to be so blown away by the holiness
of God and being in the actual physical presence of God himself and beholding our savior Jesus
Christ face to face that we're not going to be sitting there saying, oh do you have to
destroy America?
We're just going to be like, you are so right, you are so justified, you gave them every
chance.
I mean you sent prophet after prophet after prophet rising up early and sending them right
as they said in the Old Testament.
Boy how many times did God send prophets to Israel and prophets to Judah rising up early
and sending them and what did they do?
They mocked them, they beat them, they harassed them, they treated them bad and finally God
says that's it, I'm pouring out my wrath and all God's people said hallelujah, amen.
Praise the Lord.
And it's the same way in America.
I think in fact America probably has more prophets than Israel ever had.
America's had more prophets than Judah ever had.
I mean in America the gospel is preached in so many places, in so many ways.
I mean there are so many churches, so many preachers, so many Bible verses, so many chances
of people getting their door knocked or somehow getting the gospel of Jesus Christ and what
do they do?
They scoff at it, they mock it, they're too caught up in the things of this world.
Well someday it's going to catch up with them folks.
Look at Colossians chapter 3.
Why is God justified in pouring out his wrath?
The Bible says in verse number 5, mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness
which is idolatry.
And then it says this, for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of
disobedience.
So you want to know why God's wrath is on the children of disobedience, you want to
know why God is turning water into blood, raining fire from the sky in Revelation, destroying
entire cities and leveling them to the ground?
Well it's because of fornication.
It's because of uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness which
is idolatry.
What is evil concupiscence?
Well think about Cupid.
What is Cupid associated with?
Like Valentine's Day, falling in love, the little fat little naked angel shooting little
heart arrows at people to make them fall in love, right Cupid?
Well this comes from the same root word as that person Cupid, concupiscence.
So when we talk about fornication, when we talk about uncleanness and when we talk about
inordinate affection, lasciviousness, concupiscence, these are really just a lot of different ways
to kind of describe the same thing or the same category of things.
What we're basically talking about is all different types of fornication and adultery,
prostitution, you know we're talking about sins of that nature, sins of that kind.
That all falls under lasciviousness, concupiscence, concupiscence is desiring those wrong things.
And the Bible says that that stuff makes God mad.
And then in addition to that of course is the covetousness which is idolatry where people
are serving mammon instead of God.
They're serving money instead of God.
They're covetous of all the goods and the material wealth and that's who they serve
and the Bible says that's idolatry.
When you're going to just put making money as the purpose of your life and acquiring
goods and possessions as your aim in life, you say you're an idolater, you know that's
your God.
You can't serve God and mammon.
You have to choose which one you're going to serve.
And so the Bible says because of these things, God's wrath comes on the children of disobedience.
But I'll make you think twice about committing fornication or any of these other sins of
the bedroom that are listed here and folks if you love money, you say well I'm a pretty
good guy.
I mean I'm a nice person, I don't do anything to hurt anybody.
But let's say your whole life is just wrapped up in just making money, that's all you care
about.
No time for church, no time for soul winning, you're not reading the Bible, you're just
all into getting wealthy, making money, eating, drinking, and being married.
Well guess what?
That makes God mad too.
God doesn't want to be ignored.
God didn't create you so you could just please yourself, serve yourself, do everything for
yourself.
He created you for His pleasure, He created you to serve Him and if you're going to ignore
Him, or even worse yet, bow down to some statue, some little Buddha, or whatever the false
God of Hinduism, or whatever the idol and praying to some saint so and so, some fake
made up long haired hippie that you pray to, or whatever praying to Mary or whatever else
you make an idol of or a false god or goddess out of, you know what?
God is angry with the wicked every day and God's wrath comes upon the children of disobedience
because of these things.
So He's saying, look, mortify those things, put those things to death.
And He says, in the witch, verse 7, you also walked sometime when you lived in them, but
now you also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out
of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that you've put off the old man with his deeds and put
on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.
Go through it to Romans chapter 1, Romans chapter number 1, Romans chapter number 1,
God's wrath is justified.
Look folks, the reason why we need a sermon like this is because God's wrath is probably
going to come on America in our lifetime, even if we're not living in the very last
days, even if the great tribulation doesn't happen in our lifetime, even if the second
coming of Christ doesn't happen in our lifetime, bad stuff is going to happen to America in
our lifetime.
There's going to be some kind of a natural disaster, or there's going to be some kind
of a horrible recession or economic depression, there's going to be some kind of an invasion
or attack.
You say, well how do you know that?
Because God's not mocked.
And whatsoever a man soweth, that soweth also reap.
And we are being de-Christianized so fast in this country, we are going to reap the
whirlwind.
Whether it's the book of Revelation or not, we are going to reap something in our lifetime.
I guarantee it.
And when those bad things happen, what's your attitude going to be?
Because you know what some people's attitude is when bad things happen?
Is to just get all sad and depressed and maybe even get upset at God.
Oh this isn't fair God, why are you doing this?
Maybe even charge God foolishly and blame God or something like that.
But you know what, whatever happens to Arizona, we deserve it.
Whatever happens to California, we deserve it.
Whatever happens in the United States, we deserve it folks.
We just sent, in this state of Arizona, I just found this out less than two weeks ago,
that we elected a sodomite to the United States Senate.
Who knew that?
Nobody cares about politics.
Nobody knew.
One person knew.
Everybody's like, I don't know.
We have sent a full blown sodomite to the United States Senate to represent us.
And you know senators, they're in there for how long?
Six years.
So for the next six years, an open lesbian is going to be representing the state of Arizona
in the United States Senate.
And folks, Arizona is not the most liberal state.
You think like Arizona is a little bit more normal or conservative.
Think again.
I mean we just sent an open sodomite to represent our state in the United States Senate.
So look, let's say God brought judgment upon the state of Arizona in whatever the format.
Let's say he sent some kind of a drought or let's say he sent some kind of an epidemic
or he sent some kind of an economic downturn.
Would you really blame him?
I mean could you really say, well God how could you?
We're nice people and we live here.
You know you'd have to sit there and say, well I don't blame him because I mean when
people are just going to spit in his face and just send open sodomites to the capitol
to represent our state, then obviously that's disgusting in the eyes of God.
That's an abomination in the eyes of God.
And you know what?
At that point all we can do is just pray for God to protect us and pray for God to protect
his church and pray for God to protect his people.
But we cannot even for one second lament the fact that God is sending his judgment.
Now one of the good things when God sends his wrath and judgment is that often it's
a wake up call that will call people to repentance.
You know if he did send some kind of a judgment to Arizona or California or the United States
in general, usually it will cause people to get right with God.
Now some people are never going to get right with God like those Revelation 9 people who
just wouldn't repent no matter what happened.
But think about when 9-11 happened.
I mean people for a couple days there sought after God.
I remember I went to church on Sunday right after 9-11 happened and the place was packed.
I mean you could not even get a seat.
It was packed.
Now why is that?
Why did September 11th boost church attendance?
And I think churches all over America were packed.
Why?
Because people were scared.
People were afraid.
I mean people didn't know what's coming next so they're like, man I need to go to church.
They started seeking God.
It's like the saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes.
When people are at their wits end and when people are scared or going through punishments
or judgments, man they seek the Lord.
And so sometimes God has to send that stuff to wake people up.
You know when the economy is good, the soul winning isn't as good.
When the economy tanks, the soul winning gets better.
In fact, we used to have this area that we would go soul winning in Phoenix and I called
it Samaria.
And the reason that I called it Samaria was that they had built all these really fancy
nice subdivisions of really fancy houses.
But then the economy crashed back around 2006-2007 when the economy went really bad and the housing
crisis just crashed.
I bought my house at the worst possible time.
I don't have any regrets though because I bought the house in order to start a church
in it.
And so I started Faithful War Baptist Church in the house that I bought and it was important
to me to live in the city because I didn't want to start it out in suburbia.
I wanted to start the church in the city.
And so I bought the house and I paid $225,000 for my house.
And this is an old, beat up, 1290 square foot house from the 50's, galvanized plumbing,
single pane windows, just a lot of things falling apart about it.
But it was a good deal believe it or not because they were asking $240,000 and everything that
was $250,000 and $225,000 was much lesser of a house.
So we were excited to pay $225,000 for this 1290 square foot beat up house from the 50's.
But it was a good neighborhood, it was right on the corner, we were happy, it was in the
city.
Great, right?
We bought that house and after we bought it, the appraisal was $225,000 and then we watched
on Zillow go up to $240,000 and then we watched it drop and the value of our house dropped
to where at the low point it was worth $69,000.
So can you imagine paying $225,000 per house and then it was worth like $70,000 at the
bottom of the market.
So that was a major crash and then it took years and years and now our house is finally
back to being worth what we paid for it.
But for years, we were upside down on our house for many, many years.
It was worth $70,000, $80,000, $90,000, $100,000.
But who cares, I mean if you're going to live in it, it's just a number, just ignore it.
Just keep paying your monthly payment and just forget about it, you know it doesn't
... so he's crying or spilled milk, right?
But guess what?
There were all these fancy neighborhoods and they were built like right before that housing
crash where things went from being $225,000 to $70,000, right?
So these subdivisions ended up just being like abandoned like they couldn't sell the
houses.
They could hardly even give the houses away for what it cost to build them.
So there's all these fancy neighborhoods but a whole bunch of poor people moved into these
houses because all of a sudden they got really cheap.
So actually you'd walk in these neighborhoods and it was all these fancy houses but everybody
who lived in them were basically just poor people or working class people, just average
people.
So usually when you go to a fancy neighborhood, the soul winning is not that good, right?
Because it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to
be saved.
But we would go to these nice areas and they were filled with receptive people because
it was a lower class of people that were not as prideful and arrogant as the rich
often are or the well off are.
And so we ended up doing a ton of great soul winning and we called it Samaria because it
was like where they took all the rich people into captivity and then they brought like
the poor of the land and the poor of the land kind of took over the houses and took over
the farms and took over everything.
So we called it Samaria because of that and we would go soul winning over there and have
a great time.
You know, a lot of these wealthy areas, a lot of these areas that are unreceptive to
the gospel, you know what?
I wonder if God might just have to bring an economic recession in order to basically humble
these people.
If their stocks would crash and if their investments would crash, then maybe that could humble
them and then maybe they could actually listen to the gospel and go to heaven because you
know what?
Getting saved and going to heaven is way more important than your portfolio.
It's way more important than whatever wealth you have in this life is just like a vapor
that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
You know, my grandpa was very successful in business back in the 1950s and the early 60s.
He was in a booming economy there in Los Angeles, California.
Right after World War II in LA, it was like a land of opportunity.
So all throughout the 50s, he was making just huge amounts of money, insane amounts of money,
just filthy rich, but he was not saved.
And my grandma prayed and said, Lord, if it will mean him getting saved, let us lose everything,
Lord.
You know, I'm willing to lose the standard of living.
I'm willing to lose money.
And you know what?
He ended up losing all that money, losing his business, having problems financially
and losing it and just being humbled financially and then he ended up getting saved.
And you know what?
If that hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here, right?
Because that's how my grandpa and my dad got saved, was because he had to be brought
down a notch, folks.
So look, if America is brought down a notch, our attitude should be, Hallelujah.
Praise God.
Praise the Lord.
And you know what?
If it affects us a little bit, well you know what, we're willing to suffer for the cause
of Christ.
We're willing to go through hard times and hardships if it means people getting saved,
right?
And so thank God we're not going to be here for all that crazy stuff in Revelation with
the water into blood and the fire and brimstone coming out of the sky.
We're not going to be here for that stuff, but you know what?
Even throughout our lives, there are going to be other smaller judgments that God brings.
There are going to be other judgments that come upon America or upon Arizona.
Folks, it has to happen.
When we spit in the face of God as a nation, it will happen.
God's not mocked.
What's our attitude toward that?
Is it to whine about it, complain about it, be down about it?
And then when a preacher gets up and says, this is the judgment of God!
You know what a bunch of whining Christians will do?
Oh, that's so insensitive.
Isn't that what they'll do?
Bad things will happen and a preacher will get up and say, you're being judged by God!
This is God's wrath!
And everybody flips out and even saved Christians will start whining about it because they didn't
hear preaching like this.
That's why this sermon is important.
So that we know how to react when bad things happen because of the fact that when 9-11
happened, there were preachers who came out right away when 9-11 happened and you know
what they said?
This is the wrath of God.
When 9-11 happened, they said, this is a judgment from God.
This is God warning us.
He's trying to warn us about the abortion and the sodomy and you know what?
When they did that, people got really mad at those preachers.
I believe it was Jerry Falwell, who was kind of a famous preacher that would be on TV a
lot and stuff like that, and he's a compromiser, but he got up and said it was the judgment
of God and then a few days later he apologized and said, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that.
And I was watching it on TV with my dad at the time and I think it was Geraldo Rivera
or something was interviewing him.
Forgive me if I get the details wrong, but I believe it was Geraldo Rivera is interviewing
him and he's just like, what were you thinking, you idiot?
And he's just like, I know, I'm stupid, I'm an idiot.
You know, why?
Because that kind of preaching is not popular.
Look, men of God, they should be ready when the judgment of God happens to justify God.
To justify God.
The Bible says, you're in Romans 1, but just over in Romans 3, it says in Romans 3, verse
4, God forbid, ye let God be true, but every man a liar as it is written, watch this, that
thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Boy, God is justified in his sayings and in his judgment.
God is declared to be righteous.
And when God punishes the wicked and judges the wicked, we ought to immediately declare
him righteous and say, you know what, God's right, we deserve this.
Repent, get right with God.
Straighten up America, wake up America.
That's what we ought to be preaching.
Look, that's what every preacher ought to have preached after 9-11 or any time other
bad things happen.
They should be getting up and preaching hard preaching that calls people to repentance,
that calls people to get right and get the sin out of our lives so that God will spare
us.
Look, what did Jonah preach?
Jonah went in and he preached, get 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
And what was the result of that hard preaching?
We know he had a bad attitude.
He didn't have a good attitude at all.
He wanted it to happen.
He preached and he said, get 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
And what was the result of that hard preaching, that spirit-filled preaching from a man of
God, Jonah?
You know what?
They turned from their evil way.
They repented.
And you know what?
They said, we need to put on sackcloth, we need to fast, we need to pray, we need to
beg God for mercy.
And they said, you know what, not only are we going to put on sackcloth, we're going
to put sackcloth on the dog.
We're going to put sackcloth on our animals.
We're going to put our pets in sackcloth.
I mean, these people, they were so freaked out at the judgment of God.
They're just trying to cover all the bases.
And then I think God's kidding at the end.
I think God's joking at the end when he talks about all the people in the city and
much cattle, you know, because even the cattle was repenting, even the cattle was in sackcloth.
That's the funny part of the story.
But look, here's what I love about that story is that Jonah didn't even preach 40 days
Nineveh is going to be overthrown unless you get right with God.
Is that what he said?
There's no mention of Jonah giving any pathway for these people to get it right.
He just got up and just preached wrath.
He just got up and just preached judgment and punishment.
And yet, what did the people do?
They responded to it and they figured, you know what, who can tell if God will be merciful?
Maybe God will be merciful.
Maybe if we just fast and you know what, God is merciful and God spared them.
So look, I'm not saying that Jonah is our role model, okay, because obviously Jonah
had some problems, but you know what, I'd rather be Jonah than a bunch of liberal watered
down preachers who aren't accomplishing anything.
I like Jonah because at least Jonah got something done.
At least he got a bunch of people saved and even if he had a bad attitude, at least he
preached the word of God boldly and even though God kind of had to put a gun to his head to
get him to do it, at least he did it and he did a good job and he got something done.
Folks, God's wrath is justified.
We need to preach the wrath of God.
We need to preach on hell.
We need to preach on the book of Revelation.
We need to preach on the trumpets and the vials and preach about God's anger and wrath
because it calls people to repentance.
Now some people are reached by the love of God and some people are reached by the wrath
of God.
The Ninevites, they responded to the wrath of God.
Who knows if they would have repented if he would have come in preaching a loving sermon?
And maybe God even picked the angriest, most bad attitude preacher that he could find who
had such a bad attitude he didn't even want to go there and then after they repent, he's
like, I want you to judge him anyway and sets up a little booth so that he can watch God
destroy the city just hoping it gets destroyed even after they got right.
Look, maybe God sent such an angry, bad attitude preacher because he knew that's what they
needed to hear was the hard preaching.
Why?
Because the Bible says, of some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear,
pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garments spied by the flesh.
You know, some people are going to get saved not because of preaching on God's wrath.
Some people will get saved because of just the beauty of the story of the birth of Christ.
Some people are going to get saved because the story of Jesus Christ coming to this earth
and dying on the cross for us and rising again is the greatest story ever told.
And some people are just going to be moved by his compassion.
They're going to be moved by his love.
They're going to be moved by his mercy.
They're going to be moved by the beauty of that Gospel story.
But you know, other people are going to be reached by some hellfire and damnation preaching
that just scares the hell out of them.
Right?
And they're going to be like, I need to get saved.
I mean look, there have been preachers throughout the generations that have gotten up and screamed
and yelled and hollered and preached hellfire and damnation and people trembled and feared
and got saved as a result.
And then there have been other preachers who have preached loving, compassionate, merciful
sermons and people responded to that.
Okay?
There's more than one way to reach people with the Gospel.
There's more than one way to reach people with the Word of God.
So there's having compassion of some, making a difference, and others saved with fear.
Both are needed.
Amen?
They both have their place.
They're both legitimate, folks.
That's why we need to preach the whole Bible.
Okay?
Some preachers are meaner than others.
Some preachers are softer than others.
But you know what?
God uses all preachers of the Gospel who are actually preaching the right Gospel, He's
going to use them all to reach different kinds of people.
Okay?
But we all need to preach the entire Bible and not shy away from God's wrath or shy away
from the judgments of God.
Let's not shy away from the book of Leviticus or shy away from Romans 1 or shy away from
the book of Revelation.
Folks, that stuff is right.
Revelation is just as right as John 3.16.
Leviticus is just as right as John 3.16.
It's all God's Word.
So let's close in Romans 1 here.
It says in verse 18, for the wrath of God, what's the title of the sermon?
God's wrath is justified.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is
manifest in them for God has showed it unto them.
For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being on the
understood by the things that are made, even as eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse.
Hey, is God justified in pouring out His wrath on them?
Yes, they are without excuse.
Oh, it's not fair.
It's fair.
It's right.
God is just.
Why?
Well, because when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God.
But neither were thankful, though it became vain in their imagination and their foolish
heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
And you know what?
The United States of America today has become like one great big fat church of Laodicea
is what we've become like in America today.
Why do you say that?
Because he told the church at Laodicea, he said, that you know not that you are wretched
and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
He said, thou sayest, I'm rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.
Boy, that's America today.
Oh man, we're rich, we're increased with goods.
You know what?
That's what we hear when we knock on the door of prosperous people.
I'm good.
Thanks.
We're good.
We have need of nothing.
We're okay.
We're good.
I'm good.
Thanks.
No, we're good.
We're good here.
We're all good here.
How many times have you heard that?
We're already good.
We're good.
We're good here.
But they don't know that they're wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
Because behind that fancy house and fancy car, they're poor because that stuff's all
going to burn up.
They don't have any treasure in heaven.
They're not even going to heaven if they don't believe in Jesus.
They need to be saved, folks.
God's wrath is justified.
He's right in everything He does.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Whatever God does is right.
His wrath is justified.
And look, when God's wrath comes, whether in a small way or in a large way, we need
to have a good attitude about it.
We need to have a good attitude and look on the bright side and say, hey, you know what?
America's suffering right now?
Good.
You know, like a grumpy cat meme, right?
Oh, America's being judged right now?
Good.
Oh, the great whore is judged?
Good.
Oh, Babylon has fallen?
Good.
Oh, they're drinking blood over there?
Good.
Fire and brimstone raining from the sky?
Good.
The grumpy cat face, right?
You picture it?
It is good.
Everything God does is good.
Everything He does is right.
And you know what?
Oh, the economy's crashing?
Good.
Why?
Better soul winning.
Right.
Amen.
Hey, God can feed us.
God can prosper us.
God can take care of us.
We can live in the land of Goshen while Egypt is suffering, folks.
But whatever happens, let's have a right attitude.
And you know when a preacher gets up and condemns our country, or gets up and condemns our city
or our state, and a preacher gets up and says, this is the wrath of God on America, when
a 9-11 type event happens?
You know, we ought to say, amen.
Amen.
Right.
Now, how could you?
You're so insensitive.
What about the victims?
What about their families?
What about God?
Yeah.
What about God?
What about His feelings?
He's angry.
He's mad.
He's right.
He's justified in His wrath.