Jonathan Edwards "Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God"

[torcot]

Just read this sermon and let me say WOW!!! I can see why he led hundreds of people to Christ. Very scary. But it seems that he focuses way too much on hell and not enough on Christ's redeeming work to keep us from hell. If you have read it, what do you think of it? I am still undecided whether I like it or not

 

[wpage]

Much of the old time Baptist preached the "fire and brimstone" message. ..

LIke Old Testament vs NT. Much of the messages today are molded around the NT.

Christ's message was love is the answer.

 

[Hammster]

Without a framework of what you're being saved from, the Gospel is only good advice, not good news. Our sin us pervasive and deadly. It needs to be shown how offensive it is to a thrice holy God.

 

[OzSpen]

torcot,

Just read this sermon and let me say WOW!!! I can see why he led hundreds of people to Christ. Very scary. But it seems that he focuses way too much on hell and not enough on Christ's redeeming work to keep us from hell. If you have read it, what do you think of it? I am still undecided whether I like it or not

It's a while since I read it, but at the time of reading it I considered that it was an accurate picture of the biblical material.

However, we have to remember that this is only ONE sermon of Jonathan Edwards. He preached many others on different themes that are in print today.

Dr John Gerstner wrote a book, Repent or Perish, that stunned me when I read. Since then I have read extensively on "the conservative revolt against hell", have spoken to evangelical leaders in my country of Australia and have concluded that evangelicalism is in deep trouble in its doctrine of judgement and punishment.

Dr Gerstner’s statement about Jonathan Edwards is the one I want to be asking my generation: "Don't you warn people when their house is on fire to get out or be burned alive? Is that so unfriendly?... They cannot believe that their spiritual house is on fire" (p. 27).

I have considered publishing a tract, "Wouldn't you want to be warned?" or "Do nice people really go to hell?" (sub-title of Jay Carty's book, Playing with Fire).

'For more and more Americans, hell is a myth. In a survey released [in 2008][1] by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, just 59 percent of 35,000 respondents said they believe in a hell "where people who have led bad lives, and die without being sorry, are eternally punished." That's down from the 71 percent who said they believed in hell in a 2001 Gallup survey. And it is lower than the 74 percent who said they believe in heaven in the recent Pew poll'.[2]
[1] The original said, "This summer".
[2] Charles Honey, Religion News Service, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 'Belief in hell dips but some say they have already been there', August 14, 2008, available at: http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/Belief-in-hell-dips-but-some-say-theyve-already-been-there.aspx (Accessed 27 April 2011).

The Evangelical Alliance in the UK has called for a renewal of preaching on hell.

Oz

 

[miamited]

Hi guys,

I agree with Hammster. Until you know the consequences of living the life of rebellion towards God, then what does it matter how one lives? If we're all going to receive the same 'eternity', then we should surely eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and we all receive the same reward, punishment or non-existence, but...

If there is a God given instruction for how we were created to live and there is a consequence of living as He created us to live and another consequence for living opposed to His instruction and the separate consequences are peace, joy and eternal life or strife, pain and eternal suffering, then I believe that anyone will agree that to make the best decision one needs to have as much infomation that applies to that decision as possible.

God bless you all.
In Christ, Ted

 

[RobertZ]

I think it was a good sermon that was a wake up call to many.

 

[98cwitr]

Without a framework of what you're being saved from, the Gospel is only good advice, not good news. Our sin us pervasive and deadly. It needs to be shown how offensive it is to a thrice holy God.

qft.

 

[RobertZ]

I know many people who are offended by this sermon, they say its too harsh and that God is "Love love love love love!!!" I tell them yeah, he is love but because he is love he must also be just!!! Its hard for some reason to convince people that God has a Just side to him as well.

 

[torcot]

Oh, I am not offended by this sermon, and I know that hell exists. But the book I read about this sermon said he could preach it for hours at a time and it seems that speaking for hours on nothing but hell seems to be attacking peoples fear rather than letting the Holy Spirit convict of sin. He barely mentions Christ redemptive work in this sermon. I think it should be balanced, let them know of hell, but also let them know how to escape it.

 

[RobertZ]

Oh, I am not offended by this sermon, and I know that hell exists. But the book I read about this sermon said he could preach it for hours at a time and it seems that speaking for hours on nothing but hell seems to be attacking peoples fear rather than letting the Holy Spirit convict of sin. He barely mentions Christ redemptive work in this sermon. I think it should be balanced, let them know of hell, but also let them know how to escape it.

Sorry, I didnt mean for it to sound like I was accusing you of being offended, that wasnt my intent at all. As for letting the Holy Spirit convict I dont think thats up to us, the Holy Spirit will do what he was sent to do with or without us.

I do agree with you though on the part about preaching nothing but Hell and neglecting to preach about Christ, I think I was brought up around a lot of this kind of teaching hence its probably one of the reasons that im having such a hard time with understanding the Love side to God but of course I take full responsibility for my own sin and rebellion.

 

[JM]

If you liked that one try the evangelistic Rolfe Barndard's sermons. You can find them on SermonAudio.com

The God of the Bible Kills People is pretty good.

 

[Diane_Windsor]

As a historical sermon it is very interesting. If memory serves this sermon went on for hours and the congregation was scared to death. I wouldn't mind sitting through this sermon if it were performed by an actor portraying Edwards. I think bringing history to life is fun and exciting

In practical terms it is a weak sermon as it scares people into converting, and it is similar to a forced conversion. A forced conversion to any religion is no conversion at all.

 

[JSGuitarist]

I"d remember the context too where this sermon was preached. It was first preached to a church during the Great Awakening that despite the tremendous move of God taking place remained cold and unaffected, which to Edwards was a bad sign concerning the health of that church. The Holy Spirit working so powerfully and obviously yet a church stands aside and nothing about it stirs them at all? It probably seemed to Edwards and others that the condition was enough to warrant that many in that congregation were unconverted. I'd argue that the sermon was more than merited. It produced powerful results when he preached it, people were crying out for salvation before he was even finished. Fascinating, because he preached it in a monotone voice while looking slightly over the heads of the congregation.

Of course he did preach the same sermon in his own church, though it had a lesser effect because they were used to this kind of preaching. Though, I'd think that a sermon even in a more established church is sometimes very necessary for the sake of those there that are unconverted, and it will still be edifying to the converted, yet in a different way.

 

[Sovereign Grace]

A wondeful and blessed sermon that has withstood the test of time...

 

[Avid]

A wondeful and blessed sermon that has withstood the test of time...

Without a framework of what you're being saved from, the Gospel is only good advice, not good news. Our sin us pervasive and deadly. It needs to be shown how offensive it is to a thrice holy God.

... I agree with Hammster. Until you know the consequences of living the life of rebellion towards God, then what does it matter how one lives? If we're all going to receive the same 'eternity', then we should surely eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die and we all receive the same reward, punishment or non-existence, but...

In practical terms it is a weak sermon as it scares people into converting, and it is similar to a forced conversion. A forced conversion to any religion is no conversion at all.

What is not understood by some people is that unregenerate man does not respond the way "Easy-Believism" thinks they do. People were not FORCED to do anything under this sermon. The sermon was not yet over, and people were hiding under the pews for protection from the wrath of God. Some came forward in the service to beg for help before the sermon was finished, and while Edwards was still preaching.

These people saw the truth for the first time, and people who think this is not the proper way to do things may have never had such a clear conviction of their sin as was reported from this sermon preached over 270 years ago.

If you liked that one try the evangelistic Rolfe Barndard's sermons. You can find them on SermonAudio.com

The God of the Bible Kills People is pretty good.

There was a time when Rolfe Barnard was preaching that a group of Baptist Churches asked him to preach for a time on the radio. I am not clear whether it was every evening for a week or two, or was indefinitely. They would pay for the radio time, and provide everything, but the message.

The only stipulation these Churches made was that he was to only preach about God's wrath and righteous judgment on sin. He was not to make any pleas to people to do anything. He was not to offer any invitation for them to do anything. The fact is that there was an overwhelming response to this series of messages.

One fellow, a banker, had been embezzling from accounts where he worked, was actually packing to leave town with the stolen funds, and heard the broadcast on the radio. This man came into the meeting where Brother Barnard was preaching, and confessed his sins in front of everyone. He knew it meant that he would go to prison, but did not wish to face God in judgment. Though he may have escaped judgment here, he was now convinced he would not escape the righteous judgment of the Almighty God.

One time, he was asked to fill in for a speaker who was not able to address a few young girls at a Baptist Youth function (RA's, GA's or something.) He spoke to them about how Jesus is our LORD whether He is anything else at all. Jesus was LORD from the beginning, He is LORD over everything, and He is LORD over the righteous and the wicked alike.

Some time later that afternoon, one of the young girls came to him to ask if he could return, as the lady who was presiding over the meeting had a question. He asked what question, and was told that she was upset, and he should return. When he arrived, the lady was overcome with amazement and concern that she did not know that, and had not heard that before, though she had been in the Baptist Church all her life!

Rolfe Barnard stated that only one sixth of the Gospel had been preached from pulpits in America for all of the 20 century (all his lifetime at that point.) It is worse now that another 50 years have passed.

.

 

[JM]

Thanks for the history lesson. God uses the weak things of this world for His glory.