Billy Joe Daugherty - The Warnings of God

The Warnings of God

By

Billy Joe Daugherty

Contents

Natural Warnings

In the natural world, people receive warnings about many circumstances and situations. When a hurricane is approaching, a warning flag is raised . When you drive down a road, there are signs alongside the road that indicate what you need to do. A DEAD END sign means you will have to turn around. You may be on a DEAD END road today in your life, and it's time for you to turn around.

In Noah's day, there was a sign given by an ark that was being built , CAUTION FlOoD COMING, but all the people, except for Noah and his household, ignored the warning.

Then there's the sign, STOP AHEAD. The bridge may be out the way you are going, and God in His mercy sends you a warning.

When you get in your car and you go a little fast, the policeman steps out and says, "Whoa, buddy. Let's have a little fellowshipnot over the meal, but over the wheel!" You have a little eye-to-eye contact, and he explains to you that you were violating the law.

It is mercy in your behalf when the policeman opens up his little book and gives you a warning ticket. There's a penalty down the road, but the warning comes first.

In the fourth quarter of professional football, before the game is over, there is a two-minute warning. I believe God is giving us a two-minute warning. The end is approaching. There are warnings in this hour that we must hear and heed.

There's nothing angry about a spiritual warning. There's nothing condemning about it. I am not going to condemn you or put you down either, but I am going to warn you, because God warns us out of His mercy and love.

WARNING!

NOW IS THE TIME TO REPENT.

The Purpose of Warnings

Paul said:

Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you ; the hope of glory.

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

Colossians 1:25-29

Paul said the goal or purpose of preaching the Gospel is "...that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus" (Verse 28). The word perfect in the Greek is TELEIOSIS, which means "fully mature, fully complete, brought to total fruition." It is God's plan through the preaching, the warning and the teaching that you grow up to be the full measure of Jesus Christ that God has ordained for your life.

Paul was saying, "We do this, not by our own power, but by His mighty power that works on the inside of us. I am made a minister for this purpose, and this is why we labor."

When you get in your car, you turn on the ignition and start to move, but you haven't buckled your seat belt, a little beeper goes off. I am thankful for that reminder. Many lives have been saved because of a seat belt warning that reminded people to buckle up.

Warnings are given to cause people to change, alter their course of action or redirect their pathway. Warnings are given to keep you from experiencing the penalty, the problem, the difficulty, or the obstacle that is ahead. Warnings are also given to prepare you for something that is yet to come.

When you heed a warning, you can benefit. You can be blessed . You can avoid disaster and inherit something good. Paul was saying, "I was made a minister by the grace of God to bring you His Word that you would know the mystery of the Gospel. The mystery of the Gospel is Christ in you. He is your hope of glory, whom we preach."

In Acts 20:31 ,32 , Paul wrote to the elders at Ephesus:

Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

And now , brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders that wolves in sheep's clothing would come and try to rip the church apart and destroy their faith.

In Corinthians 4:14, Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you."

Sometimes people interpret a warning as discrediting, shaming, or condemning. Paul wanted to make it clear. He was saying, "I'm not shaming you. I love you as beloved children, and I am warning you by the things that I have written."

To the church at Thessalonica, Paul wrote, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly..." ( Thessalonians 5:14). In other words, warn those who are undisciplined, those who won't come under authority and those who are rebellious and disorderly.

Psalm 19:11 says, "Moreover by them [God's Word] Your servant is warned...."

Perhaps you have been warned in your spirit about things in which you are involved from which you need to be separated. Or you have been warned about things in which you need to become involved. Maybe you have put aside those warnings. I'm saying to you, let the warnings of God be stirred up inside of you, and determine to heed them.

Examples of Natural Warnings

There are many examples of warnings in the Bible, but I want to give you two natural illustrations.

Before Mount Saint Helens erupted, there were rumblings, tremors and indications that a volcano was going to erupt. Because of it, the U. S. Forest Service and the Park Service notified all the people in that area. They talked again and again to one older man who would not leave.

This man had lived there many years, and a volcano had never erupted in a way that endangered him. Today, that man is buried below several feet of ash because he did not heed the warning.

When someone comes to us with warnings, we need to be prepared to listen to the Spirit of God and ask, "Lord, is this of You ?"

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, about 7:57 a.m., the first bomb fell on Pearl Harbor. At 7:02, there were two men manning a radar station on a little island off the coast of Oahu, who saw planes coming, one after another. Immediately, they radioed their supervisor concerning what they saw on their radar. The supervisor dismissed it saying, "It's probably some B17's coming from the mainland." He didn't check it out, and he didn't warn any of our people.

Think about it! If he had given a warning, our people would have had 55 minutes to move the boats out of Pearl Harbor, to man the anti-aircraft guns, to get our planes in the air and Pearl Harbor would have been a surprise attack in reverse. The warning was there, but it wasn't interpreted properly.

I am not condemning that individual, but I am using this as an illustration to point out to you that we need to heed the warnings of God. When there is an attack planned against you, God will send notice ahead of time. You have to interpret and respond appropriately, not in fear or terror, but in faith.

If you are warned and you heed it, you can avoid disaster. But if you don't heed the warnings, you can be destroyed. By the mercy and love of

God, He is sending warnings to each of us today.

Examples of Old Testament Warnings

There are many Old Testament examples of the warnings of God, but I will share only four.

Adam and Eve Disobeyed Gods Warning

In Genesis 2:16 ,17 , God warned Adam and Eve.

...Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat ;

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.