July 16, 2006
“Seeing God’s Wrath in Action against Sinners”
Genesis 7:17-24; 2 Peter 3:3-7

* In Genesis 6, God had pronounced a righteous death sentence upon a sin-filled world – Genesis 6:5-7; & :17
* At the start of Genesis 7, we saw Noah making preparation for protection and salvation during this time of God’s wrath – Genesis 7:1-16
* At this last part of Genesis 7, we have the actual execution, or outpouring of God’s wrath in the form of a dreadful worldwide flood – Genesis 7:17-24

We live in a time of scoffers, many people do not take God, His word, the flood or wrath in general very seriously and yet they should, we are warned – 2 Peter 3:3-7

We should make it our aim to know what God’s wrath is all about, that we might escape it –

I. God’s wrath commands a mighty fearful army -
Here God’s army (of wrath) consists of prevailing waters. The word “prevail” here is a military term
1. These waters surround a helpless enemy - :18
2. They overwhelm even the safest (highest) places - :19-20
3. They snuff out all life - :21-23
4. They continue their battle to the end – :24
5. God’s weapons of wrath and judgment are not limited to water – 2 Peter 3:10; Genesis 19:24-25; Exodus 7:20; 8:6; 8:17; 8:24; 9:6; 9:10-11; 9:23-26; 10:13-15; 10:22-23; 11:4-6; Acts 12:21-23

II. God’s wrath always gets its man, woman, child, animal, etc … there is no escape for unrepentant sinners -
1. It is a great deception, born of the Devil, promising unrepentant sinners, safety from God’s wrath – Genesis 3:4; Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11; 23:16-17
2. It is a message that must have been quite popular in Noah’s day, before the flood –
A. It seems to have overcome Noah’s message, he was a preacher of righteousness but seems to have had little impact on his world – 2 Peter 2:5
B. Jesus tells us people were quite at ease in Noah’s day, right up to the day of the flood, why? They did not believe Noah, but believed the scoffers – Matthew 24:37-38
3. It is a message that is popular today, today we even have Great Flood cartoons –
4. Nothing will be funny in the great day of God’s wrath, there will be no place to run, no place to hide – Revelation 6:14-17

III. God’s wrath shows no mercy, it is powerful, it is painful and ultimately it is eternal!
1. No lethal injection, no annihilation, sin must be punished, note the flood seems violent – Genesis 7:17-24
2. We live in a day that does not believe in “punishing” sin –

Burlington, Vermont -- January 4, 2005
There was outrage Wednesday when a Vermont judge handed out a 60-day jail sentence to a man who raped a little girl many, many times over a four-year span starting when she was seven.
The judge said he no longer believes in punishment and is more concerned about rehabilitation.

3. Yet, God’s judgment is eternal and right – Deuteronomy 32:22; Psalm 9:17; Proverbs 24:12-14; Matthew 5:22; :29-30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15 & :33; Mark 9:43-47; Luke 12:5; even fierce and fearful – Revelation 14:10-11!
Why is God’s judgment so fierce?
1. He has a right estimation of sin –
2. Sin is a great, great evil –

Pastor Arnold Brevick