Could God Be Angry with Me?

Prior to Passover, we understand that we need to be using God's Word as that spiritual mirror to help us examine ourselves for sin in our lives. Now, of course, when we examine ourselves in this way, it's not unusual that we might wonder if God ever gets angry with us, with you and me. Now, the Bible provides ample evidence that we human beings can provoke God to anger and sometimes even to outright wrath. And we're especially mindful of God's anger upon Pharaoh during the time of the Exodus, and then later, during the 40 years, the children of Israel were in the wilderness. And, of course, part of what we learn from that is that none of us should want to be on the receiving end of God's righteous anger, and God's anger is always righteous, and it's always just. But God is not a wrath-filled tyrant. He's not cruel and mean-spirited, as some believe and some want to foist off on an unsuspecting world and a world that does not know. Instead, as God tells us, he tells us in—God's Word tells us in Psalm 145 verse 8, for example, and you don't need to turn there right now, but Psalm 145, 145 verse 8, The Lord is gracious, the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He is slow to anger and great in mercy. Not quite the God some want to tell us about. And God has called us also to have a right relationship with Him. And that means we need to stop doing things, of course, that provoke God to anger. It's part of some of the lessons we learned in our studies.

We know that we need to please God. We need to glorify His name by living life His way, and becoming more like He is.

Now in Romans 15 verse 4—there's a verse, we're probably familiar with it—Roman tells us that whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we, through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope, much like the hope we heard about in a very beautiful way in today's special music. And so in today's sermon, we'll consider several things in ancient Israel did that provoked God to anger. Why? Well, it's a lesson for us so that we ourselves will be warned and that we would avoid doing them too. We want to learn from other people's mistakes. No matter how many thousands of years they may have occurred, we need to be learning these things. And the sermon will also be reminded and encouraged about how long-suffering and merciful our God actually is, and always has been and will be. And then finally, I'm going to present to us some options—some options we need to think about and then choose so that we might have a right and pleasing relationship with God. And so I've entitled the sermon for today a question The title and question is, Could God Be Angry With Me? Now that's a question we ask ourselves. Could God be angry with me? So we're going to begin back in Psalm 95, and the question we're going to approach as we start off with is, What did the children of Israel do that provoked God to anger? Now of course there are many, many different things we could probably focus on, but Scripture reveals at least three things, and we're going to focus on three today. So what did the children of Israel do that provoked God to anger? Well, one of the first things we find—and one of the first things we're going to talk about anyway, let's put it that way—is number one, rebelliousness, defiance. Rebelliousness, or if you want to call it defiance, that's fine.

Sometimes we talk about disobedience, and yes, we don't want to disobey God, but sometimes disobedience is done innocently. Sometimes we don't know. We don't understand. But from what Scripture tells us, Israel's problem at that time was rebelliousness. That meaning they were defiant. They are obstinate, for example. So in Psalm 95, we see the psalmist writing this song of praise to God. It's a hymn of praise. But along with declaring why God is worthy of worship, the psalmist includes a warning from their history—the psalmist writing this centuries after the days of the wilderness, the years of the wilderness, travels of the children of Israel—the psalmist includes, in this praise to God, a warning for God's people not to be like their rebellious and defiant forefathers in the wilderness. And we're going to read bits and pieces. Let's look at verses 6 through 11. 6 through 11, the psalmist exhorts the people to worship and obey God.

Worship and obey. These two Acts must work together as one. They really go together, although we often separate them out. And so we read verse 6, So come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice— and then here's his quote—do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. This is a voice as if God Himself is speaking, inspired of God.

The psalmist is writing these words. Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness when your fathers tested Me, God says. They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation and said, It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways. So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest. And when we read about the accounts that happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness, we see time and again that despite what they'd witnessed, despite what they experienced for themselves, they had lived through it, coming out of Egypt and crossing the Red Sea.

Time and again, we and their ancestors, those children of Israel, they saw how their forefathers had rebelled against God. Over time and again, they were obstinate. They were defiant. Now the rebelliousness, let's look at Deuteronomy 9 verse 7. Their rebelliousness was not a one-time event. Sometimes scriptures refer to the rebellion. But their rebelliousness seemed to be a rather constant thing for 40 years, even as the psalmist was inspired to write here. In Deuteronomy verse 9 and 7, let's look at Moses had to say. Moses is speaking at this point. He's speaking to the children of Israel.

They've gone through the 40 years at the end of that period. And now they're about to enter the Promised Land by crossing Jericho, excuse me, not Jericho, the Jordan River up to Jericho. But in Deuteronomy 9 verse 7, Moses declared very clearly that their rebellious was a long rebellion. Their rebellion was a long rebellion. Verse 7, he tells them, Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness.

From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt. So that very day and night, Mr. Lucas is talking to us. From that very day, Moses said, from the day you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against God.

That's an amazing thing. Let me see it over and over again in Scripture. Now, though they may have been rebellious for 40 years, a lot of scholars point out, and one of them is Adam Clark in his commentary of the Bible, they note that perhaps the greatest provocation the children of Israel against God and provoking him to anger occurred when the people refused God's instruction to enter Canaan from Kadesh. And let's read about that. Let's read Numbers 14. Just want to spend just a brief amount of time here.

So if you go a little back one chapter, Numbers 14, from where we were in Deuteronomy. Numbers 14. And I'm just going to point out a few scriptures. We probably read this in our Bible reading program a few weeks ago, but here we are again. It's very timely. God had ordered Israel to go up into Canaan, and this was about two years after they'd left Egypt. And so they sent out 12 spies. God allowed them to set up 12 spies to see the lay of the land, so to speak, and they returned. But when they returned, there was disagreement.

Ten of the 12 spies gave terrifying accounts of giants and fortified cities. In that report, as we can read, they panicked. They caused panic among the children of Israel. In the vernacular, we might say, they kind of freaked out. They kind of freaked out. They panicked, and they cried in fear.

And verse 4 tells us how...look at the response. And again, this is one of those episodes, perhaps one of the most rebellious times, some think. Verse 4, and so they said, the children of Israel, they all said to one another, let us select a leader and return to Egypt. Let's get out of here.

That's defiant. They want to go back to Egypt. Now, two other spies, Caleb and Joshua, they disagreed. They urged the people, trust God. Trust God. And they said, verse 9, they said, only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. We're gonna eat them up. They're nothing. Their protection has departed from them. And the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. Very positive, encouraging message, right?

But how did the rest of the community of Israel respond? Verse 10, and all the congregation said to stone them with stones. So when you take time to read this chapter, you can see this is a very dark time. They were in a very sour and rebellious mood. And so they did provoke God to wrath. In fact, he was ready to disinherit them and to make of Moses, verse 12, a nation greater and mightier than they. God was ready just to let them all be wiped out, and he was going to start anew in this part of his plan of salvation with Moses. But Moses, we see in verse 17, Moses prayed for the people, and he asked God, verse 17, to be long-suffering, merciful, and forgiving. He says, now I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just if you spoke and saying, it's actually verse 18, the Lord is long-suffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

But he by no means clears the guilty. And so God is a God of justice. God's will will be done.

But God relented from his plan to start again with Moses, and he pardoned him, verse 20, and the Lord said, I have pardoned according to your word, according to Moses' prayer.

And now, although all those from 20 years old and above, as we can read in verse 29, all those 20 years old and above, except for Caleb and Joshua, died in the wilderness, they did not enter the Promised Land. Who did? Their little ones, their children. And so the descendants of the children in Israel, looking back, they could recognize those that were obedient to God. And we can see, too, God can be provoked to anger. And he was at that moment when the children of Israel refused to move into Canaan from Kadesh. But God was merciful because he had been ready to wipe them all out. Instead, he punished the adults who should have known better, and he allowed their children to enter into the Promised Land.

Let's look at Hebrews chapter 3, verse 12 through 15 next, because this concept, this idea of the rebellion, that time of rebellion, appears in the book of Hebrews. Many of these same words we read earlier from the Psalm, Psalm 95. And so in Hebrews 3, verse 12 through 15, Hebrews 3, 12 through 15, again, we find this reference to Israel's rebelliousness.

Here, those who follow Jesus Christ, that would be you and me, we have this warning, Be aware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. And as we saw, their unbelief revealed itself in their defiance, their rebellion. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said, today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. And we read about part of that rebellion. Verse 16, For who, having heard, rebelled? Well, we know. Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses? Well, then we are asked now, with whom was he angry? God angry, forty years. Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? Yes, that's true. And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey? They are rebellious.

And so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Their rebelliousness is all part of their defiance, their rejection, their distrust of God. And more on that later. And so the children of Israel, again, they'd witnessed God's wonders, and yet they refused to submit to God. And, of course, this lesson is for God's church today as well. We must believe God and commit ourselves in total submission to Him. Total submission. We must be believing and doing His will.

And when we find it hard to do, that's when we ask God to help us do that, and He will help us.

Now continuing on the next chapter, Hebrews 4, verse 11 through 16. Hebrews 4, 11 through 16. We have some good, I guess you could say, a good bit of marching orders here.

We, as Christ's followers, are then urged, in Hebrews 4, 11 through 16, to not be obstinate.

We are told to not be defiant of God's authority through His word and His will.

So verse 11, so let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest any one fall according to the same example of disobedience, that defiant, obstinate, rebellion. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any to its sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and morrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

That's one of the reasons we're to be spending time prior to Passover in the days of 11 Bread, using the Bible, God's word, as that mirror, as that sharp two-edged sword to help get to the those little places, those little crevices in our minds, let's say, in our hearts where we don't always like to look. So we can better discern our thoughts and our intents of the heart.

And verse 13 continuing, And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him, to whom we must give account.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Let's hold fast that commitment. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, and yet without sin. And so yes, Jesus understands what it's like for us to face temptations, to be weak, to the flesh. He was tempted to, yet he never sinned. He never gave into it. Let us therefore, verse 16, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And so it becomes very clear that God is for us. He's not against us. He's not wanting to destroy us. He takes no pleasure in death. He takes no pleasure in having to punish. Punishment is there ultimately for the benefit of those who are being punished. God wants us to be ever faithful to Him. God is slow to anger. We've already seen a bit of that slowness to anger. He could have wiped the entire children of Israel out, all of them, but He did not. He is compassionate. He is merciful. And He has made Jesus Christ our high priest. And Christ knows intimately, intimately just how tough it is to be a human being.

And that's why we can go to Christ with whatever problem, whatever challenge we have. We can go to Him and we can trust that He, nobody else may understand the troubles we've seen, but He does. He does. And when we seek God's help boldly, meaning confidently, when we boldly and confidently approach His throne through that living faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins, we know that God will help us. It'll be according to His will and way in His time. It may not be the way we would like to choose, but it is the way that God knows is best for each of us, each in our own unique way. But we see from this first example, this first point, we must not provoke God to anger by rebelliousness and defiance. What's the number two reason? The number two cause for God's anger. What do we learn from Scripture? The second reason from the children of Israel, their example we see was the second cause for God's anger was their disbelief, their disbelief and faithlessness.

We've seen a bit of that talked about in Psalm 95, but let's now turn to Psalm 78 where we learn more. In Psalm 78, the psalmist is identified here, the psalmist is Asaph, a seer of God, a prophet of God, and he reminds the people in this psalm about how God, again, had delivered their forefathers from Egypt and how He had provided for all their needs in the wilderness. But again, he points out that their forefathers were seldom content. That's a kind of a common theme. So in Psalm 78, let's read a bit here in verses 12 through 17. And again, he begins, Asaph begins with praise to God, for God is worthy of praise, always. Verse 12, marvelous things God, He did in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and He made the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also, He led them with the cloud and all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink and abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. So these weren't little trickling springs or a pool.

These were rivers. These were gushing streams of rivers, able to quench the thirst of hundreds of thousands of people and all their livestock, too. This was an amazing, simply amazing miracle. And God did it because He had compassion on His people. He loved His people. But verse 17, But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.

Again, there's that connecting point of their rebellion. So again, after the rebelliousness is mentioned, we see it again. But if we continue on now in verse 19 through 24, Asaph also explains that their disbelief and faithlessness were also part of what provoked God's anger.

And again, it seems the more that God did for them, the more Israel seemed to expect and then would still rebel. Continuing now in verse 19, And yes, they spoke against God. We saw that earlier. And they said, this is how they tried God, they said, can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Behold, He struck the rock so that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed.

Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?

Well, therefore, the Lord heard this and was furious. So a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel because they did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation. Of course, salvation in their minds was keeping them alive day by day, getting them through this wilderness. But for followers of Christ, these words mean something more profound, don't they, than just physical existence. Because they did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation. Verse 23, continuing, and yet what had God done? And yet He had commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, had given them of the bread of heaven. And I like this next phrase, men ate angels' food. Isn't that incredible?

Isn't that wonderful? It's not incredible because God did it, but it's certainly amazing. And yet Israel disbelieved. They continued to be faithless. They were not steadfast.

And that's part of the point. Despite their disbelief, their distrust, their faithlessness, what could God do? Yes, He is angry, but God remained faithful to provide for them. God revealed Himself to be merciful to His unruly people. And we see that, again, let's continue also now in verses 36-39. And so they continue in their ways. It says, nevertheless, they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue. They gave Him lip service.

Their hearts weren't in it. Verse 37, their heart was not steadfast with God, with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. He certainly could have. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. They should have been glad for that.

Verse 39, and why was God so compassionate?

For He remembered that they were but flesh. They're just flesh. A breath that passes away and does not come back again, does not come again. Do you ever see people vape? That vapor comes out of the car.

That's what our human existence is like. It's just like that. It's gone. God knew that.

God understands, and He is compassionate then, and God remains compassionate now.

But the point is, despite all the good that God did for them, their lack of belief and faithfulness and commitment to trust God provoked His anger.

God does not want flattery. He does not want lip service. God does not want forced submission.

He's not going to coerce anyone into obeying Him. But He does want our total trust and confidence in Him. And so a lesson we should take from this second part is that we must not provoke God to anger through our own disbelief and faithlessness. A third reason for God's anger. A third reason, number three, forsaking God.

Forsaking God. It seems when you read the accounts, it's repeated, talked about over and over again, and we see it in the histories of Israel, the children of Israel were constantly turning away from God. They'd have good moments, and they'd be close, and then they'd be followed by a next generation that would turn away. It was up and down. They constantly would turn away, forsaking God, turning unto false gods and idols. Let's look at Deuteronomy chapter 4, and then we'll go back to the book of Psalms again. So if you want to keep a book marker there in the book of Psalms, that's fine. Deuteronomy chapter 4, verse 23 through 26. Again, we're back in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses is giving some of his last instructions to Israel. Deuteronomy 4, 23 through 26. Moses here is warning Israel about their unruly ways. Remember, he's lived with them 40 years. He has some insights into how they are, how they think, and what motivates him.

And so he warns them, inspired of God, he warns them. Deuteronomy 4, verse 23, Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which he made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day. In other words, you've heard it here first not to do this, and it's a warning what will happen. That you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess. You will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And of course, Scripture history recorded in Scripture reveals that God's warning through Moses eventually in time came to pass. And we understand that both kingdoms, first the kingdom of Israel and then the kingdom of Judah, forsook God. They do it off and on, but it finally became so much God's anger so provoked, he did become a consuming fire, as it were. Their cities were destroyed and the people taking the captivity because they had finally provoked God to that level of wrath. Now let's turn to Psalm 106. Psalm 106. For in Psalm 106 was apparently written after the Babylonian captivity. So this is after God's compassion became more obvious to the children of Israel, to their descendants.

And they could see God's hand was merciful. And so again, the Psalm begins. Psalm 106, verse 1, says, "'Pray the Lord, O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.'" This comes from a people that just been severely punished and now are able to return.

But in the other parts of the Psalm, the Psalmist confesses. In a sense, he's confessing the nation's sins, Israel's sins, especially that of ingratitude in forsaking God. Let's look at verse 35 through 41, for example. And this is what they recognized. Verse 35, "'Part of what their forefathers did, what they themselves had done. But they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare to them.

They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. And the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works.

They did it to themselves, and they played the harlot by their own deeds. They had turned their back on God, and like a wife that was not loyal to her husband, they played the harlot.

They played the harlot by their own deeds. And therefore,' verse 40, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people, at fire, his jealous ire, so that he abhorred his own inheritance. And he gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them.'" And so it's interesting. Again, we see the psalmist inspired of God to give voice, to confess, to let it be known, to let it be recorded in God's scripture what Israel had done, how unfaithful they had been, how in this case they had also forsaken God.

And so it is, though, they have perspective now. And so while the psalmist confesses the people's sins, he also knows and does praise God for his mercy and long suffering. As we see more of this, again, let's look at verse 44 through 46. And nevertheless, despite he was angry, nevertheless, he, God, God regarded their affliction. And when he heard their cry, and for their sake he remembered his covenant, he remembered his promise that they would be his people, and he would watch over them and make, keep them his special people. And he relented according to the multitude of his mercies. He also made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive. And again, as part of that pity, eventually, King Darius would, and others would, bring about their ability to return and rebuild Jerusalem and in time the temple. Verse 47, save us, O Lord, our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise. And so we see great humility here. There's this confession. There's recognition of their sin. There's this repentant attitude. There's confession. And then we also see, even as we're told to be like in Hebrews, there's this boldness, there's this confidence that they can trust God, that they can trust God to continue to help them. They had to keep repentant, of course. And so a lesson for us. We must not turn from God.

We must not abandon God to worship other things. Or maybe we should say to covet other things. Covetousness is adultery. And sometimes the things we covet are ourselves, our own attitude, our own ideas, our own sense of right and wrong. We're not supposed to forsake God for anything else. God must be first and foremost. And as God makes very clear, forsaking God does provoke God to anger. And so now that we have reviewed some of these things, some things that angered God, the children of Israel did that angered God, now that we know the attitudes and mindsets of rebellions, now that we understand a little bit about what angers God, the disbelief and faithlessness, now that we understand more about how forsaking God can provoke God to anger, I go back to the title of this sermon. Knowing what we've read, could God be angry with you and me?

Could God be angry with you and me? Yeah, quite possibly. Why not? We are flush. We are flush, too. We have our struggles. So if God could be angry with you and me, what do we do about it? What are our options?

What are our options? I have four options. Option number one.

What do we do about it? What do we do if we think God may be angry with us? Now, option number one.

Shall we simply ignore God's instructions and warnings?

Some of you are smiling and shaking your heads. Okay, it's an option. You know, you make your list of pros and cons, being very humanly logical here. Shall we simply ignore God's instructions and warnings? Should we be unworried about what we read? Should we just believe that God, well, God could never be angry with us. He could never be angry with me.

We're part of God's own special people. 1 Peter 2.19 calls us his own special people. We're special.

We're his favorites. He'll ignore our sins, won't he?

I wouldn't expect that. I wouldn't encourage that because the answer is no.

God does not play favorites. He treats all with love and justice. You might jot down Job 34.19. I'll read it to you. These are the words of Eli who Job 34.19.

It says, it states, yet God is not partial to princes, or princes or kings to be, nor does he regard the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.

Now if you turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1, Peter has something to say, something to instruct us about how God is not partial.

In 1 Peter 1, 17-19, it is because God is impartial, because God is impartial in his judgment, we whom God is called to salvation especially cannot and dare not ignore sin in our lives. We dare not ignore it. 1 Peter 1, 17-19.

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here, throughout your your life, in fear, knowing that you are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by the tradition of your fathers, but with, we are redeemed with, the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

And so we need to remember the price paid for our redemption, the price paid so that we might have that hope of salvation, that we might have hope of overcoming our sins, that we might hope that we never have to anger God. And so we dare not ignore God's instructions and warnings. And so just so you know, that's not an option that we want to take. We're not going to do that. Now what else might we do if we believe that God could be angry with us? Option number two. Should we simply duck and cover? Any of you old enough to remember that?

Duck and cover? That's how we used to prepare for atomic warfare back in the 50s, 60s, 40s. Duck and cover! Just find a low spot, get underneath the desk. In other words, should we just try to hide? Should we somehow hide and hope that God's anger somehow misses us?

Well, that's not a good idea. Am I speaking like a fool, maybe? Because I am foolish sometimes.

But look, let's, here's what Jeremiah, again, I'll read this. Jeremiah 23-24.

Jeremiah 23-24, these are the words of God. Can anyone hide himself in secret places? So I shall not see him, says the Lord. To I not fill heaven and earth, says the Lord. Yeah, no good trying to hide from God. In fact, I seem to remember somebody trying to hide in the woods with fig leaves, and I don't think it worked well. Yeah, I'm talking about Adam and Eve, right? Yeah, just so you can, just testing you. It doesn't work to try to hide. And we already read this in Hebrews 4.13. Earlier I'll read it again, Hebrews 4.13. And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him, to whom we must, must give account. We're going to be held accountable for what we know and what we do with or don't do with what we know. So again, trying to hide from God, it's never going to work. No matter what, God knows all that we do, and we each are going to be held accountable. Option number three. What about feeling really bad and guilty for our sins? Will only feeling bad about sinning be good enough to not provoke God's anger?

Now, did you all hear my extra emphasis on the word only? Okay. Will only feeling bad and sinning be good enough to not provoke God's anger? No, it won't. Feeling guilty for our sins is an absolute positive step in the right direction.

But feelings like thoughts are not enough. We must do what? We must take action. We must do.

We must be doers. In fact, you probably recall James 1-22. James 1-22, it's just a few pages back. James 1-22. But be doers of the word and not hearers only. Deceiving yourselves.

We can trick ourselves into thinking, well, I feel bad, so that should be good enough. That should be good enough to keep God from being angry. Well, there's probably more that we need to do. Also, James 4-17. James 4-17. Another good reminder. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. And of course, we might remember the words of Jesus Christ. Jesus gave a similar warning.

Jesus said, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will, he who does the will of my Father in heaven. That's Matthew 7-21.

Matthew 7-21. So again, knowing God's will without doing his will is not how to avoid God's anger.

We need to be active. We need to do something.

So then, so if ignoring God, hiding from him, or only feeling guilty and bad about sin are not viable options, what options left? If we believe that God could be angry with us, the best and only viable option is repentance. It's repentance.

We must choose to believe God, repent of our sins, and willingly submit to him.

Let's turn to Joel 2, Joel 2, 12-13. You've got Daniel, and then you've got Hosea, and then you'll find Joel. Joel 2, 12-13. Familiar Scriptures, perhaps? God pleads with us to repent and submit totally to him. Joel 2, 12-13. Now therefore says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart. How much of our heart?

Can we hold some back and reserve? No. All of it. All your heart. Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. And so rend your heart and not your garments.

Ripping up your clothes, we recall, is a way of showing your grief, your sorrow, your mourning. God wants us to rend our hearts. Return to the Lord your God. Return means to repent. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful. We've seen this. He's slow to anger and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm. We've seen this. We've read about this. Many of us have experienced it. Now we can't repent by our own strength of will alone.

We should know that, or we'll learn it. But with God's help and faith in Christ's death for our sins, we can repent. We can confess our sins to God. We've seen examples of that from the Psalms already. And God will forgive us. And that's what we're told in 1 John 1. 9. 1 John 1. 9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It's an absolutely wonderful promise that we can count on and take that promise and boldly confidently go to our Father. And so God's law and way is the way. God is always expected and meant for humanity to live. And God wants us to believe Him to choose repentance so that we might experience all the good things God has to offer us now and certainly forever, such as true peace and hope and love and joy and more. God wants us to turn away from fear and doubt and anxious care. He wants us to turn away from covetousness, which is idolatry. Colossians 3, verse 5, and to put on His mindset, He wants us to think and reason the way He thinks and reasons.

Now when we consider these four options, four options, options one, two, and three, I hope you'd agree with me, are spiritually immature things to do.

We might not realize it, but ignoring God, trying to hide from Him as it is, or only feeling guilty and bad about sin, we might not realize it, but those things can actually be ways that we are defying God, being obstinate. There can be ways of showing disbelief in Him, of not being steadfast and trusting Him. There might even be ways of forsaking God.

It's only option four that is a spiritually mature and right thing to do if we believe that God could be angry with us. So what's so important about repentance? Why is repentance important to God? How important, we might ask, how important is our repentance to God?

Let's look at Luke 15. Luke 15. If you're encouraging words here, because I think we all agree we're going for option number four. Okay. Luke 15 verse 7. Do you recall Christ encouraging words about repentance here? Let's look. Luke 15 verse 7. Jesus said, I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance.

Or maybe 99 persons who don't think they need repentance, because I think we probably all need repentance. Verse 10. Let's go a little further down. Verse 10. Likewise, Jesus says, likewise I say to you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Do we believe that? We better, because when we repent, isn't it nice to think there's some rejoicing going on in heaven? Because we're keeping ourselves on track, we're getting back on track. Some of us may have been off track for a long time, and we're getting back on it. That's a good thing. And so we may be fearful that God is angry, really angry, but we can't forget that God is rich and abundant in compassion and grace. He wants us to repent. He's doing everything he can to help us to come to that point. And so repentance is no insignificant thing to God, and neither should it be for us. In fact, if we read a little further down, let's we see in verses 11 through 32.

Verses 11 through 32, Jesus emphasized the importance of true sincere repentance through the parable. It's probably, I would suspect it may be a favorite for all of us, the parable of the prodigal son. In this parable, Christ shows how God, like the father in the tale, is slow to anger.

He is rich in mercy, and he is ready to forgive Scripture of the day.

And the prodigal son, the prodigal son represents every man. He represents you and me.

Let's read a bit. Let's read about the prodigal son. Verse 11. And then Jesus said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. And so he divided to them his livelihood, and not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and he journeyed to a far country, and there wasted, wasted his possessions with prodigal living, being foolish, not doing things he should do. Verse 14. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. He really began to feel what it means to be in need.

And then he went and joined himself to the citizen of that country, and that citizen sent him into his fields to feed swine, to feed the pigs. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the pigs ate, the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. Not a thing.

Verse 17. But when he came to himself, now what do you suppose he'd been doing when he came to himself?

Sounds like he'd been examining his situation. How did I get here? Why is this happening to me?

He's been examining himself. He's been examining his life. And he said, how many of my father's hired servants have bred enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? You know, that's probably popping himself in the head. Duh! What am I doing? What have I done? I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. And so what is a young man doing?

What's going on? He's repenting. He's come to see what a terrible mess of things he's made of his own life.

And he's repentant. Seems to be repentant, perhaps, who he might save his self-centered, covetous ways. He sees life much differently now. Verse 20, and he arose and came to his father, but when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. He doesn't ask any questions. He just acts. He sees a lot. He knows a lot. He's a wise father. And the son said to him, Father, just like he rehearsed, I have sinned against heaven, against God, and in your sight, and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

What's he doing here? He's confessing. He's not holding anything back. He's confessing.

But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best robe and put it on you. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, and bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this my son, he calls him my son. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found, and they began to be merry. Of course, that means they're having a big feast. They're celebrating. This is a big occasion to celebrate. The angels rejoicing in heaven, and they're celebrating with family there on earth. And so the father rejoices for his son's return at his heartfelt, and I would think, at his heartfelt repentance.

I hope we can see that in many ways the parable acts as a model of sorts for our own repentance, our own confession to God. But Jesus didn't end his parable at this point. Why?

Well, obviously there's more that we need to understand and learn from the older son.

The older son is also every man. The older son is also you and me. Now, the older son could not understand why his brother's return should be celebrated. The servants told him all about it. He's coming in from working all day, and they're having a party.

He couldn't understand why his brother's return should be celebrated. And after all, he'd lived a... his brother lived this wasteful life, done perhaps terrible things. And so the older brother feels hurt. He feels envious. And yes, he feels angry. Verse 28. But he was angry, and he would not go in. He would not go into the celebration. And therefore his father came out, came out to him, and pleaded with him. And so he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years I have been serving you, I never transgressed your commandment at any time. And yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, the son who is also your brother, my brother, he should say, but as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him. And he the father said to him, But son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

In a roundabout way, the father is reminding the older brother, you've suffered no loss.

This is nothing to you. There's no skin off your nose. Verse 32, It was right that we should make merry and be glad. For your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.

The older son could not comprehend his father's mercy.

Do we understand that? He could not comprehend his father's mercy and compassion and forgiving his repentant brother. That would mean that he probably could not comprehend why he should rejoice in his brother's repentance.

And sadly, that means he does not understand the importance of repentance. He does not understand what mercy is about. He does not understand compassion. Now, remember I said, the older son is also every man. The older son is also you and me, on the flip side, you might say.

The question then becomes for us, do you and I truly understand and appreciate repentance? Do we understand mercy and compassion? And we probably do, and especially when we seek it for ourselves. When we seek mercy and compassion, we probably do appreciate it. But when it comes to God's way of love, we need to be practicing both sides of repentance. You see, sometimes that means we need to repent and seek mercy and forgiveness. I'll repeat that. Sometimes we need to repent and seek mercy and forgiveness. At other times, the flip side, we need to repent and give mercy and mercy and forgiveness. Again, we are both these sons at different times.

The parable of the prodigal son teaches us that one's repentance does give great joy to God, and the repentance of others should also give us great joy. The repentance of others should also give us great joy. And so, option number four, repentance gives God no cause for anger.

Neither should repentance give us cause for anger.

But here's a check for us. Here's something to think about. But if another's repentance does make us angry, if another person's repentance does make us angry, such as we saw with the older son, then we'd be wise to prayerfully examine our hearts and attitudes. There may be something amiss.

There may be something amiss. So should we ever worry that God is angry with us? Well, he may be. Well, then we need to examine the things we're doing or maybe not doing. We need to check our attitudes, our motivations. We need to humbly ask God to help us identify our sin and then to help us repent of it. He's ready. He's willing. And we must remain determined to be putting sin out of our life no matter how long it takes. We must repent, confess our sins to God because God is faithful to forgive us, 1 John 1.9.

And we understand or should know and believe it and ask God to help us believe it, that we must be bold and confident to accept these things and to make those life changes with His help.

Ask for God's help and He will help us. So yes, the answer to the question, could God be angry with us, with me? Yes, He could be, especially if we're provoking Him to anger due to any of our own rebelliousness, disbelief, or faithfulness, or even in some ways maybe we're forsaking Him. Perhaps we're trusting too much in ourselves, perhaps we're trusting too much in other things. That's a human thing we do. But we need not fear God's anger if we're striving, if we're striving to repent of these things, striving to submit ourselves totally to Him.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, I encourage us all to be examining ourselves closely and think about these things we've heard of today we've read from Scripture.

And let's be faithful to confess our sins to God, to repent, seek His forgiveness, and to continue building a right relationship with God with the help of His Word and His Holy Spirit.

And also, we mustn't neglect with the help of our brethren. We need to be praying for one another, praying that we can all have a very meaningful spring holy day season, that we can have time to think deep and ponder God's Word, and that we can offer words of encouragement. We all have reasons to be dis- to be dis- not be encouraged. Discouraged, thank you. But we need to be praying for one another and helping one another. We are brethren, we are part of the body, we are intricately connected by God's Spirit. And so, brethren, I hope these words be helpful for us all, something to think about. And let's stay committed to God in His way, so that we might receive God's gift of everlasting life in the kingdom and in the family of God.