It is very easy, sitting here in comfort on a Sunday morning, to condemn Peter for denying the Lord Jesus. We have grown up enjoying the blessings of liberty as Americans. One of those blessings is what we often refer to as freedom of religion. For that reason many, if not most, Americans take that freedom for granted. They have the attitude, “I’ll go to church if I want to, and if I don’t want to go, I won’t.” They believe that “the church will always be there,” and “I will always have this liberty.” However, that may not always be so. There is a rapidly growing anti-Christian sentiment in this nation. Interest in satanism and the occult is growing among our youth. What many call “traditional worship” is difficult to find in many churches. (It has taken on a more worldly approach in order to attract the world.) And Islam, which forbids any mention of Christ or the Bible, has made inroads in America. So, let me ask you this, if you were put into a situation (as Peter was) where your identification with Jesus could cost you your life - would you profess Him or deny Him? It is easy in our sense of security (because we don’t think we could ever be put in that situation) to declare that we would never deny Jesus. But be careful. Peter did the same thing, but when it came time to “Stand up, stand up for Jesus,” Peter denied his Lord. But we might not have to be put in a life or death situation to deny Jesus, and it is possible that we could do it every day. We do it when we who are saved live like the world and have the world’s priorities. We do it when we are with friends but refuse to talk about Jesus because we fear their ridicule. We do it when we intentionally fail or refuse to witness of Him among friends and family alike. (Sometimes this failure is because we depend upon ourselves and not upon Him.) As Jesus closed the prayer of John chapter 17, we are told that He and His disciples then went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Of course, we are familiar with the events that took place there. It was there that: 1) Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done;” 2) His sweat was as it were great drops of blood; 3) He came back and found Peter, James, and John asleep. This is also where Judas betrayed Him with a kiss, and He was bound and led away. As we come to vs. 15 we find Jesus before the High Priest Caiaphas, and we see Peter as he denies the Lord. From the events surrounding Peter’s denial of Jesus, we can learn some lessons about our denials of the Lord and how to avoid them in our lives. We see:

I. PETER'S CLAIM.

II. PETER’S COURAGE.

III. PETER’S CONTRADICTION -- VV. 15-27.

CONCLUSION: PETER’S CONVICTION.

In case you haven’t noticed, in our society today it is politically incorrect to claim Jesus, to  speak of Him, or even to invoke His blessings upon our nation, our homes, or our families. Now, I’m speaking of acknowledging the REAL Jesus. I’m speaking of the Jesus of the Bible. The “hip” religious crowd today is offering the world a different Jesus – a “modernized” version of the Son of God. (And many have bought into it.) They have crafted a watered down version of the Jesus of the Bible. They offer a Jesus who is tolerant of sin, not expectant of holiness. (See Matthew 5:48 ; I Peter 1:15-16), and politically and socially correct. Even in Paul’s day “another Jesus” and “another gospel” were being presented. Listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say in II Corinthians 11:1-4: “Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. (2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” And in Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus said: “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” But I am here to tell you this morning that there is only one Jesus, and He is NOT the politically correct Jesus many are promoting today. God only had one Son. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The Bible is a picture of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, and if you change even one little thing about Jesus, you change the picture into something that does not even resemble the Jesus who came to this earth and went to the cross to die for our sin. What our nation and what our world want today is a watered down Jesus, a “modern” Jesus, a “trendy” Jesus, a Jesus who is tolerant of sin, a Jesus who expects no holiness from His people. Instead, we need the Jesus of the Word of God -- Who condemns sin but loves the sinner, Who is the way, the only way to the Father, and Who those that have gone before us served and worshipped in spirit and in truth. For the next few weeks – all the way to Easter – we’re going to look at this Jesus and what He has done for us. But first we want to view Him as the politically incorrect Jesus. In America today many people (and some of them profess to be Christians) do not want to acknowledge the reality of God or confess the deity of Jesus. This is sad! A 2022 Gallup Poll said belief in God in America had fallen to its lowest point with only 81% of Americans professing a belief in God. This is sad because our founding fathers quite obviously believed in God and in creation. They said all are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” Yes, in America today it is politically incorrect to believe in, to talk about, or to stand up for Jesus. But it has always been so when you take you stand for the Jesus of the Bible. In II Timothy 3:12 Paul said: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” We will see in this message that even in Bible days, Jesus caused quite a stir.

  I. JESUS WAS POLITICALLY INCORRECT.

 II. JESUS IS RELIGIOUSLY INCORRECT.

III.  JESUS IS ALWAYS CORRECT WITH THE FATHER.

There is an unbridgeable gap between the best of human wisdom, human understanding, and human counsel and the sovereignty of our God. The writer of Proverbs, Solomon, declares that none of these can stand “against the Lord” (AGAINST = in opposition to; which can be compared to; which can avail, or prevail against Him) Someone put it this way, “Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived can get the better of God.” To fight against God is to fight a losing battle. We can never succeed when we go against the Sovereign Creator of the universe. This means, God wins and ultimately all His purposes will be accomplished. The ways of this world seem so subtle, so clever, so cunning in antagonism to God, and, yet, look again. The futility, feebleness, and failure of this antagonism has been revealed. Listen to what the Bible has to say about those who ignore or oppose Him. Job 5:13: “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.” (FROWARD = perverted, false, deceitful ; HEADLONG = easily). Matthew Henry put it this way, “He snares them in the work of their own hands . . . ” Psalm 9:15 says, “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.” Psalm 33:10: “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect” (COUNSEL = advice ; DEVICES = contrivances, intentions, plans. ). Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” Whatever our plans, whatever our devices, these may fail, but the counsel of the Lord will stand sure. Proverbs 21:30 teaches that opposition of any kind toward God will never succeed. Let's notice:

I. MANKIND’S WISDOM VS. GOD’S WISDOM.

II. MANKIND’S UNDERSTANDING VS. GOD’S UNDERSTANDING.

III. MANKIND’S COUNSEL VS. GOD’S COUNSEL.

The believers to whom Peter is speaking are being encouraged to continue in the faithful, sanctified life EVEN IN THE LIGHT OF PERSECUTION and because of the day in which we live. In vv. 1-2 he says “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” Vs. 4 speaks of not running with the world so that “they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot” and thereby speak evil of you. Vs. 7 is a warning. “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” Vv. 12-14 instruct us to endure persecution (some can endure anything but persecution) with rejoicing because: 1) When we are persecuted for the cause of Christ, we are partakers of His sufferings. (That was Paul’s desire - Philippians 3:10); 2) “. . . for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you . . . ” (While the world speaks evil of Christ, our testimony and faithfulness, even in persecution, we are to bring Him glory.) In vv. 15-16 he says, “Do not suffer because you deserve it -- “. . . let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” But if you suffer for serving the Lord, DO NOT BE ASHAMED! So, in this context of faithful living, and maintaining a sanctified life, and of enduring ridicule for the Lord, Peter reminds us that JUDGMENT IS COMING! I assure you today by the Word of God that every man, woman, boy, and girl is going to come face to face with God, with the Lord Jesus to be judged by Him. The saved will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ - II Corinthians 5:10 ; Romans 14:10. The Lost - will stand before Him at the Great White Throne Judgment of God - Revelation 20:11-12. And look at where that judgment is to begin -- vs.17- “at the house of God,” and notice that he says that “time has come that judgment must begin” there. (TIME = proper time; suitable place.) Vs. 17 also says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God . . . ” Well, what is the house of God? I’m glad you asked. I Timothy 3:15 says, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” What is the house of God? It is the church - each and every New Testament church. And Paul says two things about what the Lord’s churches are supposed to be: a) PILLAR = a column or pillar; used of any firm support. (These were also often ornate.); b) GROUND = basis; foundation. It refers to that which is fixed, settled, stationary. I Peter 2:5 says “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Obviously, Peter is speaking of the body, not the building. And, he says 3 things about it: a) A New Testament church is a spiritual house -- Ephesians 2:19-22 ; b) We as saved members of a New Testament church make up a holy priesthood. (HOLY = sanctified; set apart. Means we are to be different from the world.) We are to offer up spiritual sacrifices (Hebrews 13:15-16) that are acceptable to God. And Hebrews 10:21 says we have a high priest who is over the house of God, and 4:14 names Him - Jesus the Son of God. And I would suggest to you today that the Lord’s churches may already be being judged by God. Sometimes He allows the fruit of our actions (or inactions) to be the punishment for those actions. And we know that (James 4:17) when we know what we should do and don’t do it, it is . . . SIN! What do we see in this nation today? Churches with low attendance. Churches with few (if any) being saved. Churches with a membership that has little commitment to Christ. (Some excuse themselves by blaming the pastor or the “staff,” but neither your pastor nor the “staff” can do the work God expects YOU to do.) And listen to what the Lord says to other of His churches. “Repent; or else . . . ” 1) To Ephesus (Revelation 2:5) “. . . I will come unto thee . . . and remove thy candlestick . . . ” 2) To Pergamos (Revelation 2:16) “. . . I will come unto thee . . . and will fight against them . . . ” 3) To Thyatira (Revelation 2:22) “I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” 4) To Sardis (Revelation 3:3) “I will come on thee as a thief . . . ” 5) To Laodicea (Revelation 3:16) “I will spue thee out of my mouth.” I want to share with you very briefly 7 things that God may be judging in His churches today as He prepares to clean house in His churches.

I. UNLIVED MORALITY.

II. UNHOLY MERGERS.

III. UNSCRIPTURAL METHODS.

IV. UNCONCERNED MEMBERS.

V. THE UNSHARED WITNESS.

VI. UNBENT KNEES.

VII. UNCONFESSED MISCONDUCT (SIN).

We have studied the holiness of god and the sovereignty of god, and we have seen: 1) God’s holiness is His chief characteristic; 2) God is sovereign because, “It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves.” God’s great love for us comes out of His holiness and His sovereignty. The word that is used to relate the love of god is, of course, the word “agape” (AGAPE = good-will, benevolence, love.) It is raised to its highest level when it is used in relation to God. “Agape” refers to a love that is unconditional and sacrificial. God places no conditions upon His love for mankind. It is this love that caused Him to make the ultimate sacrifice in sending His only begotten Son to the cross. As our society drifts farther from God, it is not surprising that many are skeptical about the possibility of having a truly loving relationship. One reason is that so many do not know God. God does not attain love, then maintain love. Love is simply the structure of His being. First John makes 3 comprehensive statements about God: 1) God is light -- pure righteousness, holiness; 2) God is Spirit. (No man hath seen God.) 3) God is love. As we attempt to get an understanding of the love that god is, i want to present 3 thoughts about the subject.

I. GOD’S LOVE IS A REVEALED LOVE -- VV. 8-9.

II. GOD’S LOVE IS A REDEEMING LOVE -- VV. 9-10.

III. GOD’S LOVE IS A REASSURING LOVE.

As we consider the sovereignty of God, I want us to first look at a few verses from the Old Testament that deal with this subject.

Deuteronomy 4:39 -- “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”

Deuteronomy 10:14 -- “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.”

Deuteronomy 32:39-41 -- “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. 40 For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever. 41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.”

Nehemiah 9:6 -- “Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”

Psalm 24:1 -- “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

Psalm 89:11 -- “The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.”

The New Testament also declares God’s sovereignty and creation:

Revelation 4:11 - “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Acts 17:24-25 - “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things . . . ”

Sovereignty means (Webster) supreme excellence; supreme power; freedom from external control; autonomy. Sovereign means (Webster) possessed of supreme power; unlimited in extent; absolute. As applied to God, “sovereignty” means (among other things): a. He is the only true God; b. All authority exists with Him -- Matthew 28:18; c. Since God is the Creator of all things, He can do whatever He desires with them; d. Whatever God does is right -- period. Sovereignty, then, is God’s exercise of His supremacy. In Psalm 2, God is revealed as looking down on mankind and observing him from Heaven. He sees the heathen raging, people with empty (vain) imaginations, and kings at war and kings in rebellion. His response? He shall laugh and have them in derision. Why? Because He is sovereign and knows their beginning from their end. God is sovereign by right of creation, by right of position (He is God and He is in Heaven), and by right of power. Psalm 100:3 says, “Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves . . . ” This is a simple fact that mankind, in this day of atheism, agnosticism, humanism, and the teaching of evolution has forgotten. Mankind has become a god in his own mind and has forgotten the true and living God. We must remember: God can exist without man, but man cannot exist without God - (Colossians 1:17: “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”) However, the fact of God’s sovereignty should be comforting to us who are saved because we know that God rules, overrules, and sanctifies even under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, and in affliction, persecution, illness, and even death. He is the ALL POWERFUL GOD!! Thank God He is on His throne, high and lifted up, and sovereign over all creation! I want us to notice:

I. GOD’S WILL IS SOVEREIGN.

II. GOD’S WORKS ARE SOVEREIGN.

III. GOD’S WAY IS SOVEREIGN.

God has become so casual (so human, so buddy-buddy) in the thinking of many today, that they do not understand the whole perspective of His utter holiness. The Scripture says our God is a consuming fire, and He has a holy indignation against sin. It is possible to flippantly rush into His presence, with lives unattended to by repentance and confession of sin so that we are vulnerable to His holy reaction. Remember, John leaned on the bosom of Jesus in the Upper Room, but he fell at His feet as he beheld Him as Sovereign in Revelation 1:17: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.” (How do we come before God?) At the burning bush Moses was told he was on holy ground. (Why? What made it holy?) Because he was in the presence of God.The language of Israel’s worship makes it clear that the Israelite thought of God as being locally present. And we know that He is present with this church when we come together to worship Him. Matthew 18:20: Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” The quality of anyone’s worship depends upon and is conditioned by the object of his worship, and an underlying cause of much shallow worship is failure to recognize the holiness of God. Most Bible commentators rank love as the primary attribute of God. Many churches have distorted the love of God to make Him appear indulgent of sin and indifferent toward justice. Someone said, “An understanding of God as He truly is, the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, inflexible in His holiness, righteous in all His ways, unwilling to countenance sin, even in His own children, but gracious beyond all human capacity because of the eternal sacrifice of His Son, would be reflected in the worship of His name and thus would certainly bring glory to His person.” The key to understanding biblical worship is an appreciation of the attributes of God – especially His holiness. We must comprehend the exalted character of God (with holiness as the primary attribute) in order to understand our need as worshippers. In Isaiah 6:5 Isaiah saw the Lord and realized his contrasting condition. “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Until we understand ourselves as weak and needy and God as “lofty and exalted,” we will be unable to grasp the significance of God’s holiness and thus give Him “acceptable” worship. The average person, even among believers, often thinks, “I did this. I got this degree. I got this job” when in reality, without God’s working our lives we would not have those things. Hebrews 12:28-29: “ . . . let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.” One man said this about holiness: “ There is a simple yet profound word which occurs 900 times in the Bible. You see it first in Genesis . . . You see it in the closing chapter of Revelation where we are told about God’s creation of a new heaven and a new earth. But except for a few grand old hymns of the faith, you do not see this word much today. The word is holy.” (When was the last time you heard a message, or read a devotional or a lesson on holiness?) I fear that when we consider the thought of holiness, of consecration, or of dedication to God, we are tempted to compare ourselves to someone we less mature, less consecrated, or less holy than ourselves. We find it easier to measure ourselves and our service to God using an imperfect standard – one another rather than God or the Lord Jesus. Someone said this: “God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered . . . Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard . . . ” Now, why did God say to Israel in Leviticus 20:26 and to us through Peter in I Peter 1:15, “Be ye holy?” It is because He is holy! And because He is holy, His attributes are holy. That is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy. But what do you think of when you consider the holiness of God?

I. THE HOLINESS OF GOD -- (“for I the Lord am holy.”)

II. THE HOLINESS OF GOD’S -- (“Be ye holy . . . ”)

Hopefully I am not presenting this message for anyone who is present in the services today. At the same time, however, I am sharing it for everyone that is here today. You say, “That’s confusing, Preacher.” I hope no one here needs this message because you are lost, but we all need this message because we are saved -- 1) To be reminded of what awaited us before we accepted Christ as Savior; 2) To help us to be thankful to God for what He has done for us - not only in saving us but in preserving our lives until we came to the point that we accepted Christ; To remind us of our family, friends, co-workers, classmates, neighbors who may not have a saving relationship with the Lord. Hell is not a subject you hear preached on much today. Because it is not a “popular” subject. It is considered "rude," “crude,” and “ill mannered” to suggest that there are some who will die lost and spend an eternity in hell. Possibly, also, because the saved quit bringing/inviting the lost to church so that the preachers felt there was little need to preach on the subject. However, the subject of hell is relevant because hell is a real place where real people will spend eternity. And before we will actively try to lead men to Heaven, we must first realize the reality of hell. We must get a vision of hell. We must envision the flames, the torment, and the eternity of it. I feel as though I was offered a challenge this week when I read the following post on Facebook: "The friendly preacher who fails to warn of the reality of hell, betrays the Son of God with a kiss” (Ray Comfort). Too many modern day preachers do not care to preach on sin or Hell. By their actions they betray the command of Christ who specifically stated that we who are saved are to warn the lost of their impending doom. John 3:17-18: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Acts 1:8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The simple fact is that many of God’s people and God’s preachers ARE NOT doing this today. So this morning we are going to hear about hell, and we are going to consider:

I. THE REALITY OF HELL.

II. THE RESIDENTS OF HELL.

III. THE "REACH" OF HELL.

There is a difference between reasons and excuses. A reason is a statement offered in explanation or justification; a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense. An excuse is an attempt to remove blame; attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify; an explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense. George Washington said, “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” Benjamin Franklin stated “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” George Washington Carver offered, “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” Someone said, “The trouble with excuses is that they become inevitably difficult to believe after they’ve been used a couple of times.” Whatever our excuse, I’m sure the Lord has heard it before. The life of Moses can be divided into three 40 year periods -- The first 40 - His life in Egypt, the second 40 - His life in the wilderness, and the final 40 - leading Israel to the Promised Land. Notice, 2/3 of Moses’ life was spent preparing him for this one task. Just because you have years on you does not mean that God is ready for you to retire. In Exodus 3 we see the beginning of the final forty years of his life. We find him on the “backside of the desert.” (Exodus 3:1: “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” This is where he encountered the burning bush and the call of God to lead Israel into Canaan. God clearly stated what He wanted Moses to do and even promised His presence with him. But Moses, like us, offered excuses as to why he could not perform God’s will for him. The excuses Moses offered were just that - excuses, attempts to lessen the blame for his failure and refusal to serve God as God intended. In all of his excuses (and we do the same) Moses was effectively telling God, “You don’t know what you are doing calling me.” Here is a problem in the Lord’s churches today, so many members know about God, but they don't really know God. Many believe only pastors and missionaries are supposed to leave the place where they grew up, quit their jobs, sell their homes, leave their family and friends and move their wife and children to some unfamiliar place where they know no one, and depend on God to take care of them. How many of us, if God so led, would be willing to leave all behind to go and serve God on an unfamiliar field? We’re going to take a look at Moses’ excuses in Exodus 3 and see if they remind us of some we have used or warn us against excuses we might use for not serving God . . . faithfully!

I. THE “UNWORTHY” EXCUSE - “I AM A NOBODY” - VS. 11.

II. THE “UNLEARNED” EXCUSE - “I HAVE NO MESSAGE” - VS. 13.

III. THE “UNAUTHORIZED” EXCUSE - “THEY WON’T BELIEVE ME” - 4:1.

IV. THE “UNABLE” EXCUSE - “I AM NOT ELOQUENT . . . I AM SLOW OF SPEECH” - 4:10.

V. THE “UNAVAILABLE” EXCUSE - “LORD, SEND SOMEONE ELSE” - 4:13.

We don’t usually associate laughter with God’s Word, but it is there. There are several references to laughter in the Bible.There is good cheer and laughter of all kinds. In Nehemiah 8:10 the Scripture records that Nehemiah encouraged those who were helping rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, “. . . neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” And Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance . . . ” There are different kinds of laughter for different reasons. There is the innocent laughter of children and the wholesome laughter of pure joy. There is good laughter and bad laughter. Remember what Ecclesiastes 7:6 says about the laughter of the wicked: “For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.” (What an apt description that is! It makes a lot of noise, but it doesn’t last long.) To the lost in Proverbs 1:24-26 God says: “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh . . . ” To saved sinners James 4:9 says, “. . . let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” In II Chronicles 30 King Hezekiah called the people to repentance and revival and sent messengers throughout the land to tell the people, but they laughed them to scorn. Nehemiah and the people were trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem when we are told that their enemies mocked them and laughed them to scorn. Mark 5:38-40 Jesus Himself was laughed to scorn in the house of the ruler of the synagogue prior to raising Jarius’ daughter from the dead. In Acts 17:22-34 After Paul spoke eloquently on Mars’ Hill the Scripture says, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked . . . ” There is the laughter of the world. Americans are laughing themselves to death today trying to forget their trials and tribulations. There is the laughter of the believer. Even though we may weep now, we shall one day laugh when we see the cause of Christ triumph and see truth vindicated. Psalm 52 was written to evil people and says: “1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. 6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him . . . " That brings us to the laughter of the Almighty. Psalm 37:12-13 is speaking of the wicked again: “The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” GOD WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH! Let’s look right quickly at these first four verses of Psalm 2 and see how they remind us that we can be, we should be bold for our Lord today. They remind us first of all of:

  I.  THE REBELLION OF MAN – VV. 1-3.

 II.  THE RESPONSE OF THE MASTER – VS. 4.