The Final Judgment

Have your Bibles with you today. Turn with me if you would to Revelation chapter 20 will be looking at verses 11 through 14 this morning, then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them in us all the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was open, which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done in the sea gave up the dead who were in it, deafen, Hades gave up the dead who were in them and they were judged, each one of them according to what they had done.

Then death and Hades were thrown into the like of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire spray heavenly father.

What a powerful passage we have before us today a passage Lord that out to shake every single one of us in this building today as we realize that that great day will come when we stand before you. We will give an account for what we done in our body, whether good or bad.

Heavenly father, we would ask that you help us is as we realize that this day is coming. May we rejoice in the fact that for us as believers. There is therefore now no condemnation, but Lord, also that there is a time for us to be judged for our works and rewarded for what we have done, or loss of rewards for what we have not done got to direct us to this passage today. Jesus, may you be uplifted and exalted through it. May this congregation beatified by and is in Jesus holy and precious name we pray. Amen.

You may be seated. Last week we were looking at the last battle in the defeat of Satan. Let me very quickly refresh your memories. What's going on at the end of the thousand years, which symbolically is at the end of history.

What takes place. Satan is released for a short season for what purpose for the purpose that that he might once again deceive the nations that he might gather together the unbelievers in defiance and anger against the Christians, but before Satan can accomplish is evil.

Something glorious happens. Jesus calls his bride to himself. Those that are are in heaven that have died that are Christians are there in the spirit they will be resurrected at that point in time and they will be with the Lord in the clouds and then we who are alive and remain. We that are Christians here will be translated taken to be with the Lord in the clouds and then we will all immediately returned with Jesus to put into the battle site will be cast into the burning like a fire, and the Jesus will say the word and the unbelievers will be concerned. The folks this is not their end. This is not there and for immediately after the us that the dead will and the unsaved dead will be resurrected and the bodies of the resurrected unsaved dead will be eternal bodies, but they will not be bodies like our glorified bodies. They will be bodies that can experience pain.

There will be bodies that have the capacity to fear there will be bodies that have the capacity to hate, they will be bodies that have the capacity of the sin nature that sin nature will never leave them as is a body that can never die, but is a body that can experience pain and that the this that nature that they had on earth will follow them into this resurrection, and so the drunkard will still crave his alcohol.

The latest that heroin addict will still crave his drugs.

The pedophile will still crave children, the sex addict will still crave his perversions and people like Saddam Hussein and Stalin and Hitler will be there hungry steel for power, but it never being satisfied. Look at me again at verses 11 and 12 that I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

Then another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done no let me read you the parallel passage of the us from the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 25 Marie verse 31 to 34 in verse 41 through 46. Who the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, that he will sit on his glorious throne before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and you place a sheep on his right, but the goats on the left and the king will say to those on the right.

Come, you are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world that he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you curse it into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels froze hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me naked and you did not clothe me sick and in prison, you did not visit me then they will also answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you, then he will answer them, saying, truly, I say to you as you did not do it to one of the least of these my brethren, then you did not do it to me and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life that dispensationalism will tell you that the next thing that will happen in prophetic history is the rapture of the church and then immediately after the rapture of the church that the Christians will be judged and there'll be a seven year period of tribulation here on earth.

They say and then at the end of the seven year period of tribulation Christ will return and Christ will return at that point in time he will set up a literal 1000 year Golden age where he sits in a throne in Jerusalem, a literal throne and he reigns for a thousand years, literally, at the end of that thousand years.

Then there will be the judgment of the unrighteous or the judgment of the unbelievers, so in that system in that scheme. You have a separation of the, the judgment for the believers and the judgment of the unbelievers. That is a 1007 year separation punch that is not what Jesus said here in Matthew chapter 25, and in fact, Jesus is telling us that the resurrection of the saved and the resurrection of the unsaved will take place almost simultaneously, that he will be seated on his throne that the, the sheep will be on his right hand. That's the believers. The goats on his left hand. That's the unbelievers and I would suggest you that what Jesus said in John chapter 5 backs this up with great power. John chapter 5 verse 28 to 29 says this. Do not marvel at this for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Jesus said that the resurrection of the just and the unjust will not take place without thousand and seven year separation, but they will happen when Jesus said in that same hour. Look at verse 11 with me again that I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. Man if you want to be all.

If you want to be wild if you want to have your socks knocked off then take this verse and study it. Read it and meditate on it. Here's the Lord God Almighty on his throne. He says the word and earth and sky flee from his presence and why's that necessary will, it is necessary because earth and sky are tainted with sin. They have been since the fall of Lucifer and then the fall of Adam and then all the way through history as mankind is live in sin and had a sin nature to date and have to deal with. And so what happens here. The Lord says the word and the earth and and and sky is purged and its purified as it flees away from him that Peter spoke of this very thing in second Peter chapter 3 verses 10 through 13 listen and see how the pieces together. He said, but the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved in the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved in the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn, but according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Verse 11 says and no place was found for them. Who is the them that they on his unbelievers. The unbelievers with heaven and earth made new and purified and made perfectly sinless.

The unbelievers are not welcome and they will be judged at this point in time, and cast into the burning like a fire.

Verse 12 tells us that the day had great and small, will stand before the throne and here we see that nobody escapes judgment. GK Beale said the following, the term small and great, is used of all classes of believers in Revelation 1118, and of all classes of unbelievers in Revelation 1918, so that the same wording in Revelation 2012 may be all-inclusive reference to both believer and unbeliever, the basis for judgment of the Empire's is the record the evil deeds written in the books the record books are metaphorical for God's unfailing memory, which at the end provides the account of the misdeeds of the wicked, to be presented before them all right over the next few weeks. What I like to do is to delve into these two judgments for the this week and next week will be looking at the believers judgment and then the following week will be looking at the unbeliever's judgment today what I want to do is to take this passage and see how it relates to second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 that verse says this for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what is done in the body, whether good or evil that verse right there throws a lot of Christians into a tizzy because it's a judgment on our works and what people say is that white a minute were not saved by works, so how are we saved we are saved by grace through faith plus nothing. That's how we are saved we are saved by grace.

It is not by works. We need to to to understand that. So if you're a born-again believer then you can claim Romans chapter 8 verse one there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But what of the works prove the works prove the reality of our salvation. James said that faith without works is dead.

The and alone works do not save us, but they are the proof of our salvation human with historian in first Kings chapter 3 of the two harlots that came to King Solomon asked him to settle an argument, answer these two harlots common and King Solomon says okay tell me what's going on. One of the lady says well we we live together in the same house.

We sleep in the same room. We both had had little babies little newborn babies and she said in in this one said that as we were sleeping.

The other lady rolled over on the on the baby as she was sleeping her baby and suffocated her baby and the baby died and then while I was sleeping.

She got up she took the dead baby and she swapped it for my hola baby and phone. I woke up my baby was gone and I had the dead baby and she said this is wrong. I will my baby nail and so the other lady gave her side of the story told the same story. Only she reverse the roles answer King Solomon said okay will get a good so I won't you bring me a sword, take this baby, take the baby and cut in half. Now give you 1/2 and I'll give you 1/2.

One of the ladies jumped up said oh no, please don't do that please don't hurt the baby. Give the baby to the other lady it's okay I walk away from the situation. The other lady said well that's what you gonna do you gonna do neither one of us will have a baby and Solomon pointed to the one lady said this lady who is willing to give the baby up. Who would not let the baby be harmed. This lady is the mother give the baby to her now. What was Solomon looking for. He was not looking for a deed that would earn that child for the mother he was looking for a deed that would prove that child belong to the mother. This is the way that God looks at our works. He is not looking for works that purchase our salvation.

He is looking for works that prove that we are truly saved these works. Don't save us, but they are evidence that we belong to Christ, Jimmy Wolf was preaching on the believers judgment one Sunday and he was weak in specifically putting a lot of emphasis on maternal rewards somebody in the church. After the service and while tell you what a set of God will put me on the back row of heaven, and I own a three legged stool wildly happy and Jamila said he understood with the guy was saying he was he was saying that I'm an undeserving sinner and and if I just if God would save me from Halen and just give me this least degree of heaven. He said that would be much more than I deserve but that man's remark betrays a serious misunderstanding of the nature of eternal rewards. This new quote from Jimmy Wolf. The people who jealously care so little about eternal rewards are often killing themselves trying to accumulate a great reward nail. They profess to be content with the little shack in heaven, but they want a much bigger one on earth. The Bible teaches that there is nothing wrong with ambition, just so long as we focus on it and focus on heaven rather than earth's list. Take a look today at the character of the believers judgment. Three things I want to share with you three points that I want to share with you today. Number one, we will be judged fairly fairly. Look at verse 12. I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was open, which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done so, who is doing the judging Jesus is doing the judging Jesus, the one who died for us on the cross is doing the judging. Why did Jesus die for us on the cross he died for us for the glory of his father, but he also died because he has such a great love for us. I don't know about you but I'm glad that the devil is not my judge. I'm glad that the Pharisees are not my judge.

I'm glad that the unbelievers are not my judge. I am glad that Jesus is my judge for his field with mercy and filled with great love and although I have often failed them and although I know that things are going to be brought up there to make me weep. I also know this about Jesus. He is my Savior. He is my King.

He is my provider my protector. My deliver my defender. He is field with mercy, mercy and great love. There been times in my life as a Christian, where I have known what I should have done and I didn't do it instead of being obedient to the Lord. I was obedient to my flesh and I did what I wanted to do instead of what he was calling me to do.

Unless I missed my guess every one of you can say the same thing. There have been those times in our lives. Those times will shame me when they are revisited in the last day that the Scriptures teach. In Revelation 21 that the day is coming when God is going to wipe away every tear from our from our eyes but you know that day doesn't come before this judgment. That day will come when the new heavens and the new earth come, but this day of judgment will be first Christians, we will be judged by a Lord of mercy and the Lord of compassion. His father is our father and this is family business here but don't take it lightly.

If you were and faithful on this earth. This judgment will not be a joy in second Corinthians 510, Paul said we shall be recompense for the things done in our body, whether whether good or bad and then Paul immediately makes this statement.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men. Paul connects the fear the Lord with the judgment seat of Christ that they are some who teach that that this is this judgment of the believers is to be a positive experience for every believer. I don't believe that's true.

I think some believers will be very fearful at this judgment. In fact John who wrote the book of Revelation. In first John said that some believers will be ashamed at the coming of Christ first John chapter 2 verse 28 says this and now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

Our Lord Jesus will administer only that which is right and only that which is just PE will not wink at our disobedience.

He does not play favorites and nothing will slide by him unnoticed. So what did I do with my life with my abilities with my talents with the spiritual gift that God graced me with that I take Jesus and push them back to the back burner, or did I die to self, so that Christ might be preeminent books we need to consider what our testimony will be like on that last day we need to have a testimony like Paul had when he came to the end of his life knowing that his head was good to be chopped off and he wrote these words down so that we would have them and I meditate on these words a lot because I know this is the kind of testimony that the Lord would have me to have pulsate from there ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand from all the good fight, I finished my course of The faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only the all them also who love his appearing. So first of all, the Lord will judge us fairly.

But point to the Lord will judge us thoroughly. Second Corinthians 510 for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

The word appear in the phrase that we shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ is a Greek word for Nehru and it means to make manifest. Philip, you said this to be laid bare stripped of every outward façade of respectability and openly revealed in the full reality of one's character. All of our hypocrisies and concealments all of our secrets intimate scenes with faults and needs will be open to the scrutiny of Christ in first Timothy chapter 5 verse 24. Paul said some men sins are clearly evident proceeding, then to judgment with those of some men follow later.

God commands us to confess our sins now I am one of the I think the one of the reasons for that is because when we try to cover our sin. Bad things happen don't think I evident in Proverbs chapter 28 verse 13 was King Solomon who said he who covers his sin will not prosper, but he confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy in David's prayer in Psalm 51 David Tuck told us how God desires truth in the inward parts, how God wants us to be open and transparent how God wants us to to to run from hypocrisy and run away from revealing and trying to cover over sin. Listen to what Earl Lichter said about this because Christ is ignition every single detail can be brought into the final verdict with every motive in action accounted for in context. Everything hidden today will be relevant in that day. We've all known churches that is split over one or more issues sometimes doctrinal sometimes personal. Some will the pastor to stay. Others will a pastor to leave room or circulate from one member to another telephone lines buzz with chart charges and counter charges. Usually people are heard on both sides and hidden animosities. Simmer for years to come.

The Corinthian church had the tendency to fight and bicker among them sales just as we often do in first Corinthians, four, five, Paul admonishes them and says this, therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.

Then each one received his commendation from God. Some disputes will not be resolved until that last day as a reason for that. When we look at people what they're doing all we can really see as their behavior.

We don't have the ability to look into the heart and to see the motive and the intent with their trials that are going on in our world today, and this is been all the way through history, the prosecutor will go out and try everything he can to get all the evidence that he can try to find out where the.

The person that is being accused was at the time of the crime of the crime. He'll try to find out if the person is said anything about it and what he's been doing in the past will try to put all this evidence together so we can try to determine the motive and intent that never happens with God. God never has to ask questions because when he has us before him in judgment.

He will look at us and not only will we know our actions and what we have done with the motives and intents of the heart. That's the negative part of the judgment, but there's also a comforting part of this judgment. We are to he is dealing with here not just the bad things that we've done, but also the good things member the story of Jezebel and how she falsely accused Naboth of of terrible things like blasphemy, she did that so that that they would have to to kill Naboth that he would be E punished if they would take his life. Why because she wanted Naboth's vineyard. She wanted to be able to take Naboth's vineyard and give it to Ahab as a birthday present. But Naboth would not sell his vineyard so she got mad. She accused him falsely and they took him because of those false charges. They took them out and they stoned Naboth the dead to death and he had done absolutely nothing wrong limitation that last day Naboth will be vindicated. Jesus said that even a call up a cup of cold water given in his name will be remembered by God. Yeah, I look around at some of the people in this church and you do things for other people that most people never know. You take meals over to sick people or grieving people or people are just just day only need some help. If there's a person who is needing money you go to those people you help them out financially. If there's a family where there's a dysfunction in the family and there's children layer you go there, behind the scenes.

Most people don't see it but your ministry to those kids and helping them through a difficult time. Those things will be brought up in heaven. Charles Long's dear, dear friend of mine. He was missionary to Vietnam for 17 years. The man that I had just great great respect for his in his house one night one day in Vietnam and and man Dr. came running to his house and he said Charles I need your help to there's been a bomb in it hospital and three of the nurses have been killed and Scott take three days to get the replacement nurses in can you come and help Charles City would he went immediately back with the daughter.

The hospital was a leper hospital.

It was his responsibility to clean the wounds put in new medicine, and re-bandaged his wounds, he started working. He said the stench of that decaying flesh was so bad he would have to run outside and vomit and then run back in. He worked for 72 hours without stopping. No meals, no rest, no breaks, nothing change in those wounds ministering to those lepers filing the replacement nurses got there.

When they got there. Charles City just walked out of the front of the hospital so there was a tree and he walked over and set plopped down under that tree and he said he looked down at his hands and they were covered with stained blood and they were just smell horrible. He looked down at his hands and quarter these hands doing here in Vietnam. He said these hands can be in the hands of the surgeon of the hands of the law. Your are the hands of the salesman who had a lucrative business. I can been doing that, the United States, he said, what are these hands doing in Vietnam and he said all of a sudden it hit him like a ton of bricks. He said to himself, those hands are here in Vietnam because Charles those hands are not your hands. Their gods, he said he felt so convicted that he just rolled over on his face and just wept at there in the grass and a bag the Lord for forgiveness. Charles said that that lesson he learned that day that he would never forget for the rest of his life. He did that for Christ sake.

He did that for Christ sake, and it will be brought up someday in the future and all of us will see it. Charles contracted a liver disease while from a parasite while he was over in Vietnam eight years ago. He died because that liver disease.

He died is a relatively very young man if he had it to do over again would he do it. Absolutely he would do it because this was his motto, only one life will soon be passed in only what's done for Christ will last. Woodrow Kroll said it this way it will be both a day of indication of the day of disappointment. No time will be needed to gather evidence.

No jurors will be selected to hear the argument.

Every detail is been known by Christ from the foundation of the world. If we have a question, it will be answered, but it is more likely that we will be speechless.

We will see what he sees and knows that his verdict is eminently just .3 as we will be judged impartially. Romans chapter 12 verse 11 says for God shows no partiality that the literal Greek says that God is not a face taker and what that means is that God is not swayed like you are.

And like I am by human things. He's not slay swayed by appearances not swayed by personality. He doesn't have to be because he knows us inside out. Yes, interesting door to watch her situation out on the highway where there's a traffic jam and also people trying to get over the lane and no Violetta man if there's a beautiful lady that's in the car trying to get in at all. She's got to do is turn around about her eyes merely slammed on brakes and she'll just go right through that everything's fine, if there is no ugly man that's out there trying to Guinean Hill just sit out there till he rots while what we do that because were influenced by outward appearance. God is not he is not well bar talents. He's not wild by intelligence, there will be no special advantage for the wealthy here on this earth. When the judgment comes nor will pastors and missionaries be given preferred treatment pastors and missionaries may get special rewards for their service. If it was real service for Christ but pastors and missionaries are going to be judged by a higher standard. James 31 says that those who teach the word of God will be judged by stricter judgment to whom much is given much is required under missionaries right now. Been on the field for years and they have suffered. Maybe they risk their lives and they worked hard and they were their hands the bones. I preached hard and yet they seem very little visible fruit. Very few people coming to Christ. There some missionary that comes on the field and he preaches and all of a sudden there's a great host of people coming to Christ. How are those two can a fair in the last judgment. How are they can a fire but God will not just look at the human results. He will look at the faithfulness of this missionaries that's what matters. One great American General said it like this. The duty is hours.

The results are left up to God. When George Whitfield was on his deathbed, he asked them to put this epitaph on his tombstone here lies George Whitfield what sort of man he was the great day will discover from what I understand, that request was not granted.

They do not put that on George Whitfield's gravestone. They did not do that. But I tell you what I love the heart that that said, it I love the heart that wanted that to be put on his grades gravestone, for he was saying God will not judge me according to my reputation and God will not judge me according to what the newspaper said God will judge me righteously and impartially books how will God judge us as believers, he will judge us fairly. He will judge us thoroughly and he will judge us impartially. You know, we need to do. We need to meditate on this doctrine, we need to meditate on this truth. For the Scripture says we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ is pray. Heavenly father, we thank you and praise you for this great passage of Scripture that tells us Lord that that day is coming Rudy to stand before you and Lord, you've given us the us that we might know it, that we might understand it that Lord we might prepare our sales for that day. Heavenly father, may we die with the testimony.

Like Paul, head who came to the end of his life and was able to say that he fought the good fight. He finished the course.

He kept the faith.

Heavenly father, may that be true of all of us, and now Lord as we get ready to partake of the Lord's supper. We we come with great anticipation that we can experience your presence in a very sweet and very wonderful way oppressively father that you would just pour your spirit out, upon this congregation nail as we prepare our sales to celebrate your supper guide and direct us fluid may Jesus be honored and it and it's in your holy and wonderful and precious thing that we pray. Amen