Tribulation and Wrath

I had heard that Brother Chris and Sandy were going to share their testimony this Sunday, and having just had our Lord's Supper two weeks ago and feet-washing, I thought maybe it would be good to postpone our remembering the Lord's Supper until the first of next month. And so that's why we're not having the Lord's Supper here this morning, and then things changed there with the testimony. But everything worked out, everything will work out.

And so I'm thankful. Last Sunday I was going to share this message, and I told Loyal he teed me up really good there at the beginning with his opening comments, and didn't get a chance last week to share on the subject. But then this week he really teed me up good.

Brother John did, and Brother Yossin. And I don't know who you're talking about there, Brother Yossin, but I do want to share some things on prophecy and a prophetic message this morning. Although knowing and sharing this, it's educational.

It's something that you need to put in the back of your mind and remember as we approach things that are coming to an end. But I'm also wanting to try to make the message practical as we go through here for everyday life. And so thinking of face-to-face with Christ, my Savior, and the Lord's return.

By the way, the Lord is coming back. He is coming back, and he promised us that he will return. The angel said in Acts 1, This same Jesus which is taken up from you, as you have seen him go into heaven, he will return the very same way in the same manner.

And so I'm looking to the Lord's return. By the way, it's nearer than when we first believed. Well, the first words that Jesus spoke when he was asked about the signs of the end, the disciples were, like many people today, they were concerned about how are we going to know when the return of Christ is and the end of the world.

And you know, the Lord, at the very beginning, he says to them, the first words out of his mouth, he says, Take heed that no man deceive you. That was the uppermost thought in his mind right at the beginning. Take heed that no man deceive you.

Because this time is going to be a time of deception and difficulty. And then Paul writes, and by the way, this is going to be more of a study this morning. I want to encourage you to try to stay with me.

And we're going to be looking at a number of Bible verses here. But in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 1, Paul writes to the church, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means.

And so he goes on and he gives some signs, some of the signs or one of the signs in particular that Jesus gave. And so deception. Deception is something that is associated with the end.

We're told in the book of Revelation, the devil's come down having great wrath because he knoweth he hath but a short time. His time is very limited. And so all of his efforts and all of his powers are going to be poured into those last months, those last years.

And by the way, he is the deceiver, the great deceiver. From the very beginning, deceiving Adam and Eve, but he is a great deceiver. And so, you know, people say this whole subject of the second coming and all the things that are associated with it is so confusing.

It's really not confusing. It's not confusing. And God is not the author of confusion.

And the Lord didn't try to confuse us. It's not a confusing subject. We've preached through the Bible here for the last 20 years.

And I don't feel like there's anything that we need to do somersaults and try to twist and turn and shake up to try to get the thing to say something that we wanted to say or say something, you know, that we think might be right or according to our denominational. We just say what it says. And it's not been confusing.

And the Bible doesn't contradict itself. So this morning, I want to look at two words. And we're going to look at them in our personal life, but also make a prophetic message today.

And some of you here, especially young people, you might think, well, this is not that big of a deal. You're going to need this subject here this morning. So I'd like you to listen and let the word of the Lord help you understand.

And I trust it will clarify many things that are confusing in many people's minds. And by the way, this is something important. Paul said to Timothy, he said, the things that thou have I have taught you are committed to you the same.

I want you to commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. There will come a day when people will be confused and God needs people who teach them what the truth is and help them through confusing and difficult times. And so these two words I'm going to look at this morning, and I trust this whole thing will come clear in your mind and will help you.

And then we'll talk about some practical things too. Tribulation is the first word I want to look at. Tribulation, brother John mentioned it here this morning, is a biblical word mentioned oftentimes in the scriptures.

It comes from a Greek word thlipsis, and that means this, trouble, affliction, and persecution. Trouble, affliction, and persecution. Tribulation, tribulation.

I'd like you to turn with me to John chapter 16 for our first verse. John chapter 16 and verse 33. I'm going to ask you to turn to a number of places this morning.

John chapter 16 and verse 33. So tribulation is trouble, affliction, and persecution. And it's primarily used in the Bible for tribulation that comes to us because of our Christian life.

Because we associate ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, we face trouble, we face affliction, we face persecution. Here in John 16 and verse 33, just one verse. Jesus said, Now the Lord Jesus gives his disciples the exhortation here that in this world you shall, not you might, you shall have tribulation.

You shall have trouble. You shall have affliction. You shall have persecution.

But be of good cheer. In other words, internally, have cheer, have joy, because I have overcome the world. As one person said here this morning, or the Austin said, there's a kingdom I've established, I have overcome.

We've won the victory. As we sang this morning, our God is the mighty God. He is the overcomer.

Be of good cheer. I've taken care of it, and I have overcome the world. And so we are light in this world, and this world is a place of darkness, and darkness hates light, and so you're going to have troubles.

And that's something to be expected, and the Lord warns us ahead of time. This is reality. This is the truth.

And the early church experienced this. If you read the book of Acts, they had troubles, and they had afflictions, and they were persecuted. I want to read to you Paul's example, his own testimony here.

He says, Of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes, save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I stoned.

Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and day I have been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils amongst false brethren. That's tribulation.

That's a difficulty. Affliction. And so Jesus said to us, In this world you shall have tribulation.

That's a part of the Christian experience. One more verse turned with me to Acts chapter 14. I like this one.

In Acts chapter 14, in the early church, churches were being established. Excuse me. And Paul and Barnabas are traveling about.

And in Acts chapter 14, verse 21, it says this, And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples. They had just planted churches in those three cities. Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.

Now here it's much tribulation. So if Paul were here today, I mean, here we're a church just like those churches. He would stand up in front of you, he and Barnabas, and say, Listen friends, we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.

It was not something that was questioned back in those days. That tribulation, and here much tribulation, is a part of the Christian experience. Difficulties, afflictions, and persecutions.

Verse 22, it says this, Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must, notice that word there, we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. Thank you. So this is not an option.

It's not an option, it's a must. Not only is it a must, but it's a much. We must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.

And so the early church had that understanding. Hey, it's going to be a rough road. It's going to be a difficult road, but we have a hope out in the future.

An eternal hope and an eternal life. And God has loved us and he has offered us salvation. And we're willing, as a follower of Jesus, to go through much tribulation.

We must go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of God. Now let's face it, we as humans, I'm this way, we tend to seek out the easy road. We like the easy road.

And one of the reasons why there's a lot of false teaching is because false teachers appeal. You read 2 Peter, you read Jude, they appeal to the flesh. They appeal to the easy life, human life.

Everybody should be rich. We should all drive these nice cars. We should all have boats.

We should all have all these wonderful comforts in life. By the way, we're king's kids. And because we're the king's kids, we should be rich.

And so those things appeal, the prosperity gospel. It appeals to the human nature of us. My wife and I, we got some napkins for our wedding many years ago.

And on the napkin, someone had embroidered sayings, good sayings about life and biblical principles. But one of the napkins that we got says this, seeking the path of least resistance makes men and rivers crooked. Isn't that true? The river is looking for the place of least resistance.

And that's why the rivers go down like that, because they're looking for a soft soil that they can break through. And so seeking the path of least resistance makes men and rivers crooked. But we as humans, let's be honest, don't we as humans fight against the desire to seek the path of least resistance? It's natural for us to find the easy way to get through situations.

Jesus said this to anyone who wanted to follow him, deny yourself. Deny that human nature in you to seek the path of least resistance. Deny yourself and take up the cross.

There you go. Take up difficulties. Take up the affliction.

Take up tribulation and follow me. Some of you young people, I do you a world of good. It helped me out tremendously.

And I know that people don't like the idea, but it'd be great just to take five or ten of you out into a public arena, even on a college campus, and just stand up and say who you believe in. Just stand up and say I'm a believer in Jesus Christ and bring it on. And let people just pound on you for a little bit.

Let people suffer some tribulation for being a Christian. Amen. And take a little bit of the cost.

I'm not ashamed of saying I'm a believer. I'm not ashamed of standing for righteousness and holiness, and I'm willing to be public with it. You know, that's really lacking today.

You know, the early church was public with their Christianity. Out in the streets, in the temple, they were public. And it'd do you good just to go out and just be public with who you are.

If you're not willing to do that, listen, you're heading down a road where you're going to be forced to be public. And so to just be public and be open with who you are. The church at Laodicea, the Scripture says, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.

Life is easy. Life is easy. We're rich.

We're increased with goods. We have need of nothing. You know what the Lord counsels that church? He says, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire.

What you need, here's some counsel for you. You need some fire. You need some affliction.

You need some persecution. You know, that's what you need. That's the counsel from the Lord to the church who says we're rich.

We're increased with goods. We have all of our physical needs met. And we don't have need of anything.

Some people would think, well, that's the blessing of God. The Lord says, boy, you're lukewarm. I'm going to spew you out of my mouth.

What I'd like you to do is buy of me gold tried in the fire. That's what you really need. And, you know, it would do all of us good to just be tried in the fire.

And that's not the message here this morning. But I counsel thee to buy gold. Buy some tribulation from me.

That will be helpful for you. I'm going to go down through the New Testament here. You don't have to turn to these passages and just give you some of these passages that talk about tribulation.

And somebody read this one here at the beginning, Romans chapter 5. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Verse 3 of Romans 5 says, And not only so, but we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience. Oh, there's a good one.

We glory in it. And I know this is a hard message for us to accept that. But to glory, you know, glory in tribulation, knowing, and here's why you glory in it, knowing that tribulation is a refining aspect of life, and tribulation will produce patience.

And patience goes on here, and we talk about hope and all the good things of the Christian experience. All these things come because of tribulation. Tribulation, the fires of life.

Peter says, The trying of your faith, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto praise and glory at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, if you have a piece of gold that's got a bunch of junk in the gold and you want to refine it, you know, you sit it on the table here and you let it sit for a couple of weeks or months and just make it easy and polish it, make it easy, and it'll be refined, won't it, after a few months? No, it won't. It won't change it at all.

But if you take some gold, like your faith is a piece of gold to the Lord, but it's got a lot of impurities in it. There's a lot of issues, like we shared this morning. We as a church have issues.

We as individuals have issues. And God says, Well, let's put a little fire to this thing, and we'll try it, and we'll test it, and we'll heat it up. And that heat, how many of you know, and I've experienced this in life, it's always through the times of difficulty and affliction that we get refined.

Amen. How many times have we been refined just when things are going easy? It's always when the fire is turned up that we are refined. Tribulation is good for us.

It's good for the child of God. It produces patience. You know how that is.

So here comes a difficult experience. I don't like it. But what I need to do, and I learned this very early in my Christian experience, I need to just sit here and bear through it.

Amen. I need to learn to be a patient person in this difficult situation and smile and have grace. Patience.

It works. Patience. I remember when I was in Texas back in the early 20s, I was a young guy.

I told you in my testimony last week, if you were here, I lost all my security blankets, and I was down there, and two or three months the Lord just started to hammer me. I mean, I went through some real deep, dark valleys, and the thought came to me, just run back home. Just run back home to mom and dad.

Just run back to your security blanket. And I made a wise decision back then. I didn't understand it all back then, but I said, I'm going to stick it out.

And I knew God was putting me through the fire, and I was going to just stay here and endure the affliction. And it was the best thing I ever did. Just endure it.

And have patience in affliction. Patience in the fire. Fire will purify your faith.

Lukewarmness will not purify anything. Amen. You need some heat.

You need some fire. So the Lord says, I counsel you to buy me gold tried in the fire. I'll give you tribulation.

I'll give you difficulty. I will bring some stuff to your life that will refine you. Now, most of us say, I want an easy life.

I don't want to have to deal with all this kind of stuff. I just want to go through life and go on into heaven. I can promise you this.

You might get there, but you're going to get there unrewarded. My Bible says if you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him. And if you want to be refined, you might as well just say, Lord, I'm going to ask you to try me in the fire and to try my faith.

And so it says here in Romans 5 that tribulation works patience. Let me just say this to you. If we don't take the tribulation that we're getting and we bear up in it and are patient through it and say, Lord, I'm just going to stick it out, then you jump out of the hot pot, guess what's going to happen? Another six months, you're going to be right back in it.

The Lord's going to say, I'm going to put you right back in the next one. And if you jump out of that one, you're going to get right back in the next six months until you learn to say, I'm going to endure it and have a good attitude in it. A couple of chapters later in the book of Romans, Romans 12, 12, it says this.

Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation. Patient. That means to just bear it.

Bear it. I know it's hard. I've lived 66 years and I've gone through some pretty deep, dark valleys.

But I've tried to stay in them until the Lord brings me out and try to learn. Lord, what do I need? As I'm going through this fire that I'm in, but patient in tribulation. And there's many I could read here this morning about tribulation.

By the way, if you just want a life of ease and comfort and do your own thing, you know, Christianity is not for you. You should probably just go ahead and check out now, because it's not going to be real in your experience. So just go ahead and acknowledge.

I don't want to deny myself and take up a cross. I don't want to stand for Jesus. I don't want the world to hate me, and I don't want to suffer anything.

So check out now, because you're going to check out sometime in the future anyway. You might as well just face up and realize, hey, I'm either in or out. And if I'm in, I'm all in.

And if I'm out, I'm all out. Right? 2 Corinthians 1 says this. You have to turn there.

Blessed be the God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are also in trouble. So God has given us the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is given to us to be a comforter. Comforter.

Comforter. That's his name there in John 13, 14, 15. The comforter.

Well, a comforter needs to be there because you're going to go through tribulation. That's normal for the child of God. 1 Thessalonians 3, 4 says, For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that you should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass, and you know.

This is the message of the early church. This word right here is normal. As a matter of fact, it ought to be welcomed because it is refining and produces something that is good.

Gold tried in the fire. 2 Thessalonians. I'm still on the word tribulation.

We'll move to the word wrath here in just a minute. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, or chapter 1, verse 3. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly. I wonder why that is.

And the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds. Boy, that's a good testimony, isn't it? Faith is growing exceedingly. Love toward each other is abounding.

Maybe we should read the next verse. So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure. That's how they get such a growing faith and a vibrant love for each other.

So that's a good thing. It's a good thing. You know, I feel like sometimes I'm up here trying to encourage us to go to the dentist.

But it is a good thing to go to the dentist. You need a root canal every once in a while. You need your cavities filled.

I don't like that drill. But I tell you what, I'm happy after that hour or two, I'm in there and that numbness wears off that I went and now everything is good. So tribulation, it's normal.

It's good for us and it purifies us. Now, we're going to get into a prophetic here tone. But there's a deception that I'd like to just call out here this morning because it's something that I hear oftentimes on this subject.

We're going to talk about the great tribulation and things of that nature here in just a little bit. But here's how many people have been deceived in this whole subject. I remember a pastor and I've heard this before.

A pastor stood up and tells his people and the people just like are gullible. Yeah, that sounds good to me. But stands up and says, how many husbands take their bride out and beat them up before the wedding? People are like, yeah, that's not right.

Who is going to take that bride in that beautiful white dress and go and drag her through the mud and beat her up before the wedding? Loyal is not here, but I don't think he did that with Naomi. Probably none of you guys did that. And yeah, that's not a very good thing to take your bride and beat her up before you get married.

Let me show you something here in Revelation. You probably already understand this. Look at Revelation chapter 7 just to answer this whole concept, this whole deception or lie.

And, you know, the problem is that too many people are in the natural. They're thinking natural. Yes, that's true.

Who wants to beat up their bride before they bring them into the wedding? And so that's why the church is not going to go through any tribulation before the wedding. Well, look at Revelation chapter 7 here for a moment. The context here is actually the catching up of the believer up in heaven, up in the clouds.

And it says here in verse 13 of chapter 7, and one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto them, Sir, thou knowest. He's talking here to John. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.

You notice what it says there? That this tribulation they've come through has enabled them to be white, and the blood of the Lamb has washed them. You know, the problem is we think of too many things on a natural carnal level, but the truth of the matter is God is looking for a bride who is white and pure, and that white and pure bride is one who, through great suffering and difficulty and tribulation, has honed its heart into love Jesus Christ in sincerity. You know, that bride may be beaten and martyred and be in prison and chained, but the affection and love and the spirit of man is refined.

Amen. He doesn't want, you know, maybe a bride that's fleshly and lukewarm and careless. That's a bride that is dirty, but he's looking for a bride that has an affection that is pure, and that affection is one that becomes pure because of going through tribulation.

There's another word that we'd like to look at here, and that's this word wrath. It's a Greek word, orge, which means punishment or vengeance or indignation. It's most often talked about with regards to the wrath of God, the wrath of God towards sin and towards sinners.

So I'm going to read a couple of verses here, and then we'll look at a few. Romans chapter 1, you don't have to turn there. Let me read to you.

There's familiar verses. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against sin and unrighteousness.

Romans 2, 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath. By the way, that's when the Lord returns. And the revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds.

To them who by patient continuance and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, but unto them that are contentious. You don't want to be contentious. And do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath, anguish upon every soul.

So the wrath of God, vengeance towards sin and towards sinners. The Bible calls it the day of wrath or the day of judgment. Follow along here.

Ephesians chapter 5. You don't have to turn there. I'm going to ask you to turn here in just a minute. But Ephesians 5, verse 5 says this.

For this you know, that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. That's wrath, vengeance, punishment because of sin.

Same book, Ephesians chapter 2 says this. Verse 2. Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. That's wrath.

Children of wrath. In other words, I'm going to get punished. Vengeance is coming my way because of sin.

Now I'll ask you to turn to Revelation chapter 6. We'll read this one together. Revelation 6 and verse 12. Revelation chapter 6, verse 12 says this.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth, even as a fig tree cast her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it's rolled together, and every mountain and every island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him.

They see something. These even unbelievers see this. The face of him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.

For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? Here's a passage that teaches us that the unbelievers will look up and see him coming. And they'll say, Whoa, we're in trouble. We're in trouble.

And he's angry. And vengeance, wrath, indignation is coming upon us. By the way, praise God, if you're a Christian here this morning, you don't have to face wrath.

Amen. You know, you don't have to face the wrath of God. Let me read to you one more passage here in Revelation 19.

It says in verse 11, And I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse, verse 11 of chapter 19, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he's the judge and make war. His eyes is a flame of fire. This is describing the return of Christ.

And on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Now, it's described here as a winepress.

You know, back in those days, probably Brother Austin maybe knows more about this, but you put grapes in a press, and either whether maybe mechanically, but people could step on them, and press them, and smash them, and to cause the juices to flow, and that way they would make wine. The winepress of the wrath of God. It's like the Lord is going to step, and just like Scripture says, to fall upon that stone, lest that stone fall upon you, and grinds you to powder.

Grinds you to powder. A winepress pressing upon people to smash them. Very serious.

The wrath of God. And that's something that is coming. It's a time where there's vengeance, and it's because of sin.

God is going to judge sin. He's going to bring vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Do you know the Lord? Do you obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? So folks, listen. There's a very clear difference between tribulation and wrath. Tribulation, is this good for us? Is this good for us? No.

It's not good. As a matter of fact, we're not going to face it. Now I'd like you to turn.

I have a couple more verses here. First, Thessalonians. I know all of you love the Scriptures, and you love to learn, and so we want to use many Scriptures here this morning.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, here's some good news. Paul writes to church at Thessalonica. Evidently, they had a lot of deception, because he talked a lot about the second coming.

Tried to straighten them out here in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, but in 1 Thessalonians 5, he says this, verse 8, But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Good news today.

God has not appointed us to this. And the context here is the second coming of Christ. If you read it from verse 1, He's not appointed us to wrath.

However, God says this over here. Good thing. It's a good thing for you.

You need tribulation. No, no, nothing here. We're not going to do anything there.

Jesus died for your sins. He suffered the wrath of God. Amen.

And you, underneath the cross, you believe the gospel. God has not appointed you to wrath, but to obtain salvation. Back in chapter 1 of 2 Thessalonians, in verse number 9. Let's see here.

Oh, let's see. 1 Thessalonians. I'm sorry.

1 Thessalonians. My mistake. 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 9, says this, For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

There's a coming wrath. There's a coming day of judgment. You know, I can't force you into believing those things.

You either believe the Bible or you don't. You either have faith in God or you don't. So I believe there's a coming day of wrath, that everyone's going to get their due.

God is going to judge humanity, and they're going to be sent to hell because they violated the law of God, and I don't want to face the wrath of God. I want to escape the wrath. And so I run to Jesus for refuge from the wrath to come.

Now notice something very clearly here. Paul in Barnabas says we must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of God. But God has not appointed us to wrath.

Now those two words are important. Tribulation and wrath. Tribulation, yes.

Wrath, no. Now here is where there's a large mistake. It's an error.

It's a deception that I want to throw out so you all aren't deceived. You can help others get through this deception. And it's because many people don't like the idea of going through a time of fire and purifying called the Great Tribulation.

They choose to call the Great Tribulation a time of wrath. They call it the wrath of God, and so since we are not appointed unto wrath, we will not be in the Great Tribulation. Now that's a lie.

That's a twisting of words there. The Bible calls, Jesus said, these shall be times of great tribulation. He doesn't say great wrath.

Those are two different words entirely. We're appointed to tribulation. We are not appointed to wrath.

He could have said, for then shall be great wrath, such as will not since the beginning of the world at this time no one ever shall be. No, he didn't say that. He said great tribulation.

And so if I had a line here, and I started back in the early church until the time that Jesus came, Paul and Barnabas are saying we should through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. We're going to go through much. Then as time gets closer to the return of Christ, at the end, the Lord says it's going to be a time of great tribulation.

All this period of time, much and great, is something that refines us, that purifies us. And then when Jesus appears at the end of the world, that's when we are going to see the wrath of God. They look up.

Oh boy, we're in trouble. And they see him coming. And they run to the mountains and the rocks and they hide.

The great day of his wrath has come. Guess what? When they see him and run to the rocks and mountains, what happens to us when we see him? Brother Chris? Yeah, when we see him, we're taken up. Why are we taken up? We're going to get away from the wrath of God, amen? And that's God's plan.

By the way, the Lord likens his coming to Noah. What happened in Noah's day? Well, Noah was on the earth until the moment the rain started to fall. And the Lord said that last day, get in the boat.

I'm going to judge the world. And I'm going to go judge you because you believe in me. Get in the boat.

And you'll be safe in the boat. I have not appointed you to wrath. I know you've had a lot of tribulation.

People laughing at you, mocking you. You're building this boat. But it's time for me to pour out my wrath.

Lot, I want to get you out of Sodom, Lot, because I'm going to judge this whole city. We're going to destroy them. They're going to enter the winepress of the wrath of God.

Lot, I'm going to get you out. And as it was in the days of Noah, and as it was in the days of Lot, the same day that Noah entered into the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. And Jesus said the same day that Lot went out of Sodom.

He didn't get out very far. Boom! The fire fell and destroyed them all. Even so shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

The same day you and I are caught up to meet him, just like Lot and Noah, and he will start to judge the world. And you and I, the Bible says in the book of Psalms, only with our eyes shall we see the desolation of the wicked. Does that make sense to everybody? Wrath and tribulation.

Now turn with me to Matthew chapter 24, because the Lord actually teaches this very clearly, as he does when he was asked from the disciples, what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the world? Here's what he said. In Matthew chapter 24, and we will go down through here rather quickly. He talks about earthquakes and wars.

And in verse number 9, he says, Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted. There's that affliction, tribulation. And shall kill you.

By the way, people will bring tribulation and anguish upon you. And you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Are you ready for that? Say, I'm not ready for that.

Well, you better get ready or get out. Amen? Get ready or get out. Verse 11, Many false prophets shall rise, shall deceive many.

Verse 12, Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. People will hate each other. But he that shall endure.

I like that. You know, when God brings us into tribulation, we need patience. Consider the patience of Job.

He endured affliction. God blessed him when he brought him out, enduring unto the end. Verse 15, When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.

Whosoever readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. Now, here is a situation where the Antichrist, Paul talks about this in 2 Thessalonians 2, will take his place in the temple in Jerusalem and claim to be God.

A human claiming to be God. Now, you know, I can see that coming here in the future. The whole world coming under one authority, and this individual taking his place, claiming to be God.

Verse 16, Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. Listen, that's going to happen in Jerusalem, and that's going to be where everything starts. Right there.

Right there. Everybody better run. Flee.

If you're in Jerusalem, flee. And that persecution is going to spread to all the world. America is going to get it too.

Verse 19, Woe unto them that are with child, to them that give suck in those days, but pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath. Verse 21, For then shall be great tribulation. Now, notice here that this great tribulation is caused not by God, but caused by the devil, the Antichrist.

And it's an affliction, a persecution that's coming upon God's people. An affliction that has not been since the beginning of the world at this time, no, nor ever shall be. Now, the Lord gives this as a sign.

Here, when you see this, you know my coming is near. And so, again, a time of great... He's speaking to the disciples. When you see these things, it's a sign to the believer.

You can read 2 Thessalonians 2. You don't have to do that now, but Paul says the same thing, that Christ is not going to come until the man of sin is revealed, who stands in the temple and claims to be God and opposes the Lord and His name. And let's just keep reading here. There'll be a time of great deception.

Verse 24, For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders. This will be a time when the devil's come down on you and he's trying to deceive you. It's just time is short.

Great signs and wonders. Boy, you better know the Bible then. Amen? Unbelievable things.

It says, fire coming down from heaven. Book of Revelation says, trying to deceive the very elect. Verse 25, Behold, I have told you before, wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he's in the desert, go not forth.

Behold, he's in the secret chambers. Believe it not, for as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. By the way, we're supposed to be looking up this way.

Amen? You see, the Lord is coming from heaven. So you're looking up in the sky. Someone says, he's in this secret temple.

Go see Jesus, the Messiah. Say, forget it. He's coming from this way.

He's out in the desert. Go out. The Messiah is here.

No, he's not. He's coming from heaven. I'm to look up, not around.

A lot of people will be deceived. False Christ. But then verse 29, notice this.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be dark, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Now, God is going to let the devil have his moment. It's going to be a three and a half year period.

He'll have his time. And you and I just need to endure it. And it's going to refine us.

It's going to make us worthy of a wedding. And we endure. And we go through it.

It says, the stars fall from heaven, the powers of the heavens are shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And I want you to notice what it says next. And then shall all the tribes of the earth.

What's the next word? Mourn. All the tribes of the earth mourn. And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

What do you think they're mourning about? It's kind of like this. If you're a thief and you're in someone's house stealing, and all of a sudden you hear, woo, woo, woo. And you hear a knock on the door.

Police, surrender. It's like, oh boy. We're done.

So they see him coming. And they mourn. Revelation 1, verse 7 says, Behold, he comes with clouds and every eye shall see him.

And they also which pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Oh, oh my. Now something is very clear.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days, T, T, the Lord comes and the people say, the great day of his wrath has come and we're in trouble. And they wail. And they mourn.

I think it was the same way when the rain started falling in Noah's day. And the earth opened up and the floods came and the people started to say, they started to scream, let me in. And they wanted access into the ark.

They wailed. But there was nothing to do at that point. By the way, the Lord is going to close the door someday.

Amen. The door will be shut. Many will come to the door and say, Lord, Lord, open unto us.

And he'll say, I don't know where you are. I've often said that's the description of being lost is when the Lord doesn't know where you are. Wow.

It's one thing that your parents don't know where you are. But when the Lord himself says, I don't know where you are. That's the definition of being lost.

So you have these, this period of great tribulation. I understand it to be three and a half years. And then the Lord appears.

And here's a beautiful verse. After they mourn and wailing, verse 31, and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet. And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.

Hey, there's us. So what's going to happen is this. We're going to go through a time of great tribulation, a time of great affliction.

The devil and humans pouring out their anger and wrath upon us. And then in the midst of it all, the Lord will appear. And the people look up who are unbelievers and say, oh my.

And you and I are looking up, looking for his return. And we're going to be caught up to meet him in the clouds. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.

God has not appointed us to wrath. However, this is something you ought to welcome. Because it tries your faith and produces a purity.

And there's no doubt that the Lord is going to bring the church through a time of great testing to purify it for the wedding. And so if you and I get the privilege of living to see those days, let's keep that in mind. And if you want to teach people and help people through all the confusion, one way to do so is very simple.

Two words, tribulation and wrath. Tribulation is in the Bible a good thing. We embrace it.

Wrath is not a good thing. Let's keep reading here just to close. Verse 37 says this, But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking. And I don't know how much tribulation Noah was facing, but he probably was being laughed at, ridiculed. He was a preacher of righteousness.

His family was probably being ridiculed for building this colossal boat. Verse 38 says, For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And they knew not until the flood came and took them all away.

So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken. That means taken to be with the Lord, and the other will be left to be judged.

Two women shall be grinding at the mill. The one will be taken to meet the Lord, and the other will be left to face judgment. So those two words will help you, I think, and help others if you teach them.

Hey, God has appointed us to tribulation. Tribulation is good for you. It produces patience.

Patience produces experience. Experience, hope. You need to embrace it, not run from it.

And by the way, in life, don't run from it either. Here, now, learn from it. Learn to respond to difficulties with grace.

That's what God has tried to teach us. Tribulation or wrath. I'd like to open it up, anyone here this morning.

I'm done. If you have any thoughts or comments about those two words, feel free to share. Anyone have anything they'd like to share this morning? On tribulation or wrath.