I am sure many of you remember the Incredible Hulk, he used to say,

Surely one of the most frightening things is to meet someone who is angry, someone who has lost their cool.

The Prime Minister Tony Blair was angry with the BMW Company recently.

63% of people loose their temper once a week.

Nine out of ten people surveyed in the UK, say the hustle and bustle of life makes them more likely to loose their tempers.

Perhaps in the light of this, it would seem strange to say that God gets angry, but when we think of our anger, very often it is unjustified, it is sin, when we consider God’s anger, it is always righteous anger.

Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

I wonder do you fear God’s anger?

You should fear God’s anger.

The wisest thing you could do is to flee from the wrath to come and to the arms of a loving God.

In the book of Judges we read about God being angry.

Hot means to blaze, God was furious with Israel, why?

God’s anger is never unreasonable or unrighteous.

Judges 2:7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.

We could ponder many of the great works that the Lord did for Israel.

But the one thing that stood out for Israel, was God’s deliverance of them from Egypt.

Remember how the lamb was slain and the blood applied, then we read:

That night all who where under the blood where delivered.

In spite of the great work he did for Israel, We find God angry with them. Let us now consider the greatest work of all, Calvary. Let us look at the Lamb of God.

Rev. 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Rev. 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

In spite of the great work that God did for Israel we find him in Judges chapter two, angry with them, perhaps in spite of God’s great work on

the centre cross for you, God could be angry with you even tonight?

Judges 2:19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

They followed other gods, they served them and bowed down to them.

They broke God’s holy law, God was angry because of their idols.

Our God is the person we think most precious, the one for whom we would make the most sacrifice, one who moves our heart with the warmest love, the one who, if we lost him we would be desolate.

If that person in your life is not the Lord, then you have idols.

What god are you worshipping?

When we look at some of the cases of idolatry in the word of God, we discover many gods that are still around today.

While Moses was on mount Sinai, the children of Israel became impatient and began to worship idols.

Exodus 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Here we find the god of carnality, all sorts of ungodly behaviour, and for many this is their god, a god of pleasure.

Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

Children were sacrificed to this god. You may say, "I wouldn’t do that." I know but still many today worship gods of cruelty.

Your god is yourself, it does matter who gets hurt, who it annoys, I come first.

I must have my way, do my own thing, and build my own empire, gods of cruelty.

• God of carnality.

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

How to make God angry. Consider all that the Lord has done, consider Calvary, then reject Christ and follow some idol.

Your idol is whatever is more important than Jesus Christ.

Look how serious it is, look where idolaters go.

Judges 2:19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

I was reading the other day about the most popular song for funerals in England, it was some pop song, but last year number two was "My Way."

Many people leave this scene of time, and when they face God they will be able to say, " I did it my way."

Jesus will say:

Remember Adam and Eve, they tried to cover their sins with fig leaves.

Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

God showed them that the blood had to be shed and he provided a covering for their sin, it was through the shedding of blood.

Cain knew God’s way, was by blood and yet.

Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

Have you your own idea about salvation?

Many people are like Naaman, when told to wash in the river Jordan he had a much better idea.

Until he came God’s way, he could find no cleansing.

Dear unsaved friend you may have your own ideas, but if you are going any way, but the way of the cross, you’re going to hell.

Consider again Calvary and what the Lord has done in order to save you.

Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

If you can get to heaven your own way, then Christ died in vain, no wonder God’s wrath will be poured out on those who so despise his love.

Again we are considering how to make God angry, worship some idol, have your own idea about salvation and now we want to see something idiotic.

Judges 2:19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Here we find stubbornness.

In scripture we find many stubborn men, Pharaoh stands out for me.

Remember how Moses and Arron approached pharaoh but he wouldn’t let them go.

The plague of frogs was sent upon the land. Pharaoh knew something of the judgement of God.

Pharaoh appeals to Moses and discovers something of the goodness and mercy of God.

How did pharaoh react, knowing the judgement of God, knowing the goodness and mercy of God?

It means to see clear evidence of the hand of God at work and still refuse to accept his word and bow to his will.

In spite of all that the Lord showed Pharaoh, he rejected God and hardened his heart.

Are you being idiotic, hardening your heart against God in spite of his goodness and mercy?

Will you stubbornly reject the saviour?

Israel continued in their own stubborn way and God was angry with them.

This is where the Lord is now.

Will you open or stubbornly refuse?

Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Are you going to face an angry God?

Praise God there is still time.

Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.