Why Do You Get So Mad?
Whether it’s at Missouri State University, Planned Parenthood, Pridefest or downtown Springfield, MO, I’m always amazed at how mad unbelievers get over the Gospel being proclaimed in the open-air. Some people get so enraged they don’t know what to do. They stomp around and usually cuss out the open-air preacher and vehemently claim that God isn’t real. If this describes you tonight, why do you get so mad?
Seriously, why do you get so mad about hearing the name of Jesus? I really doubt that you’d get so upset if we were sharing some Buddhist or Hinduist sayings. In fact, you might even stop and listen to some eastern religious comments. But why do you get so mad over hearing the Gospel – the Good News of Jesus Christ? We had two guys and one woman that were upset last Friday. So why does the name of Jesus cause people to become so angry?
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (Psalm 2:1-3).
Man After God’s Own Heart
David, a man after God’s own heart spoke these words in Psalm 2, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why do you get so mad? Why do the heathen rage? Why do God deniers who are really God haters, hate God so much? The Bible answers this question for us. Let us break their bands in to and cast their cords away from us. Or as the New Testament says, “We will not have this man reign over us.”
Unbelievers, atheists, humanists are all God haters (even though they deny God exists) because they love their sins. They do not want to be confronted with their unrighteousness and God’s righteousness, His Holiness. Sinners want to live in peace in their delusion of there being no God. They suppress the truth in unrighteousness because they want to sin without any interference.
Why do you get so mad? Because there is no neutrality when it comes to Jesus. The Lord says you are either for Him or against Him. You either love Him or hate Him. You are surrendered to the King of kings and the Lord of lords or you are still in rebellion against Him. Tonight, you are saved or lost. Your spiritual eyes are open or you are still blinded by the little g god of this world – the devil. See, you serve someone. Who’s your daddy?
Why Do The Heathen Rage?
Why do the heathen rage? Why do you get so mad? Because no matter how hard you try to deny God, no matter how much you wish for it to be true, wishing and hoping doesn’t make it so. Being accountable to an all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God drives you absolutely berserk. You deny God because you love your sin. The heathen rages because the heathen wants to sin and pretend that there are no consequences for their unrighteousness.
But there are consequences. There are consequences in this life because of sin. My wife and I are faithful to each other. I love my wife very much and she loves me. We are faithful to God and to each other. I don’t have to worry about catching a sexually transmitted disease because neither one of us are unfaithful. People that are sexually immoral can’t say the same. They are at risk every time they are sexually active outside the bonds of biblical marriage between a man and a woman.
Not only are there consequences in this life, but there also are eternal consequences. Those who do not put their trust in Jesus, those who rage through their whole lives, will die in their sins and suffer eternal consequences for their earthly thoughts, words and actions. Even your secret thought life will be judged on Judgment Day. Your secrets are not hidden from God. Again, He’s all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present. God knows your next thought before it even pops into your head. On Judgment Day, all your sins will be brought forth before every human being to see.
No Excuses
You will have no excuse on that great and terrible day of the Lord. All rebellious, unrighteous, God-hating, God-mocking anti-Christs will bow their knee and confess with their tongue that Jesus is Lord. But it will be too late. He will have His servants cast you into the lake of fire and brimstone where you will suffer forever.
Do not be deceived tonight. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Why do the heathen rage? Why do you get so mad? Because you are a sinner. One sin especially that unbelievers commit is idolatry. We are to have no other little g gods before God. When you deny God, when you hate the very God that you say doesn’t exist, you are an idolater. You are putting yourself above God. This is blasphemy and this is a very great sin. God will not hold you blameless or guiltless.
Psalm Two
Early in the message I read Psalm 2:1-3. Now I’d like to read the rest of Psalm 2, so you can hear what God thinks of all God-mockers and God-haters. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Is God Laughing At You?
Did you hear that? God is sitting in Heaven laughing at you while you rage against Him. He will have you in derision. Oh, but don’t miss the next part; God’s wrath abides upon you. God is going to break you with a rod of iron, dash you in pieces like a piece of pottery that is smashed to pieces.
To avoid the severe punishment that awaits you, recognize that you are a sinner. Confess your sins to God. Cry out for God to have mercy upon you. Repent from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. It’s ok to fear God. In fact, it’s a good thing to fear God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge. Come to the Lord in fear and trembling for your rebellion against Him.
Kiss The Son
Kiss the son lest He be angry with you and you perish, while His wrath is kindled against you. He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:18-19).
John 3:36 says: He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him. Don’t continue going through life with God’s wrath abiding upon you. Don’t continue rebelling against God. Oh, don’t continue hating God, when you know that He exists. Kiss the Son before it’s too late. Bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord. Repent and surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. Rage no longer against God. Repent from your sins and trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on December 7, 2018)