Back to the Future (Part 4)

As I bring this series of messages on the second coming of the Lord Jesus will close. I want to remind you of what I said at the very beginning. This all of the discourse that we have been looking at from Matthew 24 and 25 and I told you that this is the longest answer that Jesus had given to any question. There's ever been asked. Now that in itself ought to make you sit back and take notice because Jesus obviously wants to communicate some things to us, namely that you and I who know the Lord Jesus Christ must take his second coming very seriously. He does and therefore you are not ought to Jesus wants his own to live expectantly of his return that Jesus wants his own to be prepared for his second coming that Jesus wants to warn his own to be careful to be forewarned of false teachers and false messiahs and false preachers and false teaching.

In fact, Jesus spoke more about heaven and hell than anybody in the Bible and he spoke more about hell that he spoke about heaven that ought to tell you something.

He spoke about how in the most dire and vivid descriptive language that you'll ever find in the Scripture. And here's a fact. Most of what we know about hell is not all that we know about hell comes from the lips of the Savior. That's really all we know. And yet he spoke of judgment and the judgment day with the most caring passionate and compassionate language in the Bible. Why, because he knew what it is like he is the creator of the universe and is the creator of the universe. He knows what that place is like it's prepared originally for Satan and his demons and that is why he pleads with people to repent. He pleads with him to accept God's plan for salvation as the only way for salvation that he is pleading with people to take refuge in him to take refuge in his cross to take refuge before the wrath of God is revealed. He is pleading with people to escape the judgment of God.

He is pleading with them to come and be redeemed and beer. Turn the lycée. He's pleading with people.

The count, the high cost of rejecting him as the only way to the father is the only way to heaven is on the way to salvation. You will never hear him speak with with vengeance or with hostility or and and got no no no, you can find that in the Scripture. He spoke tenderly about the day of judgment. He spoke empathetically about the day of judgment. In fact, he wept over Jerusalem as he looked over from the mountain as he looked down and he wept tears over the fact that they have rejected him. The Lord of life. The only way for their eternal salvation. He wept because he knew that he and he alone is the way to heaven, and eternal life. He alone knows that when he returned to take his own home that is going to be a day of separation is going to be a day of finality is going to be a day of judgment for those who are indifferent toward him, indifferent toward his message indifferent toward his invitation. I'm convinced of my own heart that if you ask a genuine Christian, a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and you say why did you become a Christian. He's not going to say to your well I just really wanted to improve my life wires really thought like to improve my marriage I become a Christian because I want to improve my attitude by become a Christian. Because of this, so that no no no no no no. A true and genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ understand that he or she have become believers have become Christians because they want to be in heaven because they want to escape the wrath of God that is coming upon the world because they want to escape the judgment of God that is coming upon those who have rejected him because they realize that God has provided only way for salvation and they received Christ as that way and in the last few verses of this called all of it discourse you see the most compassionate, which is really ironic that the most compassionate words of the Lord Jesus and yet they're the most turn in the most hoping words that you hear in the Scripture, and that is why I want to summarize them for you on the four headings to make it easier for you to remember the four headings turn with me please to Matthew 25 the last verses in the passage in the four headings of these there is a person that is a place that is a process and there is the pronouncement that is the person the place.

The process in the pronouncement the person who is that person. Jesus makes it very very clear that the judge of all the earth in the day and the last day is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself in John chapter 5 verse 22 and 23 he said for the father judges no one that he has committed all judgment to the son, that all may honor the son just as they honor the father and he who does not honor the son does not honor the Father who sent him. People running around the city and always lead to heaven all the way leads to God where we are going to make it in the end, though you want he said he committed all judgment to the son so that they may honor the son and believe that he sent him for the one who died on the cross is no other than the King of Kings and the King of glory who one day coming to reign and rule forever and that is why those who belong to King Jesus. Those who worship King Jesus. Those who bowed to King Jesus. Those who serve King Jesus with all of the heart. Those who love King Jesus those who will pay King Jesus.

There are the citizens of the kingdom of God and their under the rule of King Jesus hears the first time in all of the gospel writings the first time that Jesus actually refers to himself as king did together is the first time he's ever referred to himself as king. You see, Pontius Pilate asked him the question, are you the king, and he said what you said it, but here it spells it out. He spells it out. He leaves you no doubt issue throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus talked about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of God. But in order to avoid misunderstandings on the part of those who want to make him an earthly king and liberate them from Rome in order to avoid misunderstanding on the part of those who want to see Jesus what they want to see in Jesus in order to avoid that misunderstandings he did not talk about himself as King until here. Toward the end of his earthly life is saying the Son of Man, who died in humility on the cross is no other than the king who will rule with an iron scepter. He will rule with a rod of iron, beloved, I know and you know that there are so many misguided preachers and so many misguided priests and so many misguided teachers who are running around saying yes Jesus is the Son of Man, but they never acknowledge him as the coming King and the ruling king. They will never believe in him as the judge of the world. They said he is so good and he is so loving he'll never judge anyone they want the meek and mild Jesus, the milquetoast Jesus, but they never proclaim the whole of Jesus that he is the judge of the universe. But listen, in reality, we should not marvel or even doubt the fact that he will come with power and great glory. And that he will judge the universe we should rather marvel at the fact that he ever came in humility and to offer grace and forgiveness towards whoever comes to him. We should never marvel or doubt the fact that he will judge sinners who have rejected him and live the lives indifferent to him, but we should rather marvel at the fact that he offered pardon and forgiveness to whomsoever that he offered deliverance from judgment to whomsoever coming to him. We should not even be surprised that he will condemn sinners that he condemned sinners, but we should marvel at the fact that he came to redeem sinners who are worthy of judgment is a question when will the judgment begin.

The moment he appears immediately after the stars and the moon doctrine immediately when the heaven was shaken immediately after those earthquakes and tsunamis immediately when those who have rejected him.

The mighty men, and powerful man will be running from mountain to mountain weeping and crying and wailing asking the mountain stuff on the rocks to cover him from the face of him who sits on the throne immediately when you begin to see people die of fright. He will come with power and great glory. Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 and 12.

Listen carefully is what the apostle John said then I saw the great white throne and him who sits on it.

Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them and I saw that dead, great and small, standing before the throne, my beloved friends. Every one of us when we die we live again. The question is where will you live where will you spend eternity.

They said I saw that dead, great and small, standing before the throne and he said then the books were opened.

Another book was opened, which is the book of life.

The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books they may ask your question is your name written in the book of life is your name written in the book of life. If it is not you can be sure it's written today come to Christ while the opportunity is here so that your name be written in the book of life. The person the place.

The place is the great and glorious throne where judgment will take place in a way the whole world become sentimental and feel kind of warm and fuzzy feeling about Jesus. Around Christmastime and then the rest of the your neighbor think of him. But listen to what the angel think with new with new mind with new ears with new eyes of the words that the angel spoke to Mary.

He was so troubled that the fact that she's never been with a man that she's a virgin and yet she is pregnant in her womb, and here's what the angel said there said, behold, you will receive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the mighty God and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and his kingdom will have no end.

His kingdom will have no in this kingdom will have no in his ear when he comes in rain on rules could LW forever and ever and ever and ever. The Bible said this a perpetual time. At that time and at that place is going to be too late for those who have rejected him as their own. The Savior will be too late.

That is why the time is now the hour is now the opportunity is here in the place of repentance is right here and right now don't postpone it. Don't put it off for that place on the day of his return is going to be a place of separation is going to be a place of separation. Listen to what the prophet Joel hundreds of years before Christ said about that day in Joel chapter 3 verse 16 he said at that time the Lord will roar from Zion, the heaven and the earth will tremble, and that place the whole world will be judged every person in every country and every tribe and every nationality will be judged every person in every generation in every nation will stand before him at the great throne of judgment. The time is now, not later. The person the place.

The process in the Middle East, even the people who lived in the cities like myself.

We are aware of how she and goats heard together during the day, not a nighttime. Did you get that they heard together during the day and from a distance they are both fully get creatures they may look alike from a distance they may even sound alike. At times, but from that point on they are totally different in every way the different in temperament the different inhabits the difference in behavior. The cheapest domicile and compliant.

They are eager to follow the shepherd.

There's a certain signal that a shepherd can make, and the sheep immediately run to the shepherd they love to be with the shepherds that have comfort in being with the shepherd but not the goats.

The goats on the other hand are rambunctious and unruly creatures. They really are. They are stubborn as exercise, stubborn as a goat is what comes from their stubborn creatures. They are independent and they often compete for leadership with the shepherd.

The shepherd was a ship to go this way. They try to mislead them to go this way. They determined to go their own direction. They are capricious and impulsive.

They are unpredictable, they are never contented. They butt heads all the time and they delight in misleading the sheep. They really do and that is why even though they sometimes hang out together during the day that nighttime.

The wise shepherd, separate them from each other.

You know why you know why because the sheep would never be able to rest the goats will forever try to disturb the peace that forever try to make them restless throughout the night and that is why often Jesus speaks of his own in terms of shape he never said my goats hear my voice and follow it.

You will never find that anywhere in the Scripture piece of my shape will hear my voice, and that will follow my voice. Why, because the goats would never obey the voice of the shepherd sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd and owner follow the shepherd but the goats to them. One sounds as good as the other one shepherd is as good as the other to the goats. All the roads lead to the same place all the road leads to a God somewhere to the goats. One shepherd is as good as another.

To the goats. One religion is as good as the other to the goats. All the ways again lead somewhere that they have no discernment. They have no understanding day have no desire to follow the shepherd. They cannot tell the truth from falsehood and that is why the end of the day. He separates the two. The sheep will go to the fold in the goats will go to their fault and beloved this was going to happen on the day of judgment. That's what Jesus is saying here. The good shepherd the great Shepherd of the sheep.

He loves his sheep too much to let them spend eternity with the coats and he divides between those who are into religions from both a rental relationship with Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd he will divide those who thought that they can get into heaven by their own steam. Those who thought that they can get to heaven by what they consider their own good work from those who through their service and through their obedience to the great Shepherd. They will prove their salvation. It will be a separation between those who think that they are good enough for God from those who serve God out of a heart of obedience. He will separate those who thought that God will let everyone into his heaven from those who know that only through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Can they make it to heaven. He is going to separate between those who think that they can earn that inheritance from those who have received their inheritance because of the family connection to Jesus.

That's what's gonna happen in that last day will be a separation of the good Shepherd hereon on this one.

The good deeds that Jesus is talking about here are the fruit of salvation, not the root of it, for no one is going to be saved by good works and that is why you notice that neither the sheep nor the goats were surprised at the place where they are in the last day in the day of judgment. Those who end up in judgment and punishment and eternal condemnation in the gonna be surprised and then not even going to say to God, God, you give me her ordeal. The one doing it this it yeah we rejected Jesus is the only way and we know why we hear neither of them a surprise for where there are no other surprises that were surprised for the reason why they're there. And these the two different places. The surprise of the reason you see, the judgment will be based on how true Christians treated Christ on how they treated his followers how they treated his children and how they treated those who belong to Jesus. That's why said talks about my brethren. One of the least of my brethren, those who belong to me. The sheep because they are true sheep of Christ, they subconsciously love others, they subconsciously serve others, they subconsciously give of themselves, they subconsciously sacrifice of themselves, they subconsciously reach out to others may subconsciously care for one another without even realizing what they're doing because that is the proof of the renewed nature in Christ and this is when did we do that there was surprised resiliency.

Did you know most of the people who really do serve God of the quiet ones that you probably will not ever hear about what they do. But heaven is watching heaven is watching is the fruit of the new nature. The goats on the other hand, who gave crumbs and thought there were the last of the big spenders. Those who enter charity and charitable work.

Those who have given lip service.

They're the ones are going to be the surprise of his recently done some good. The process of separation. The process of judgment is very simple, beloved, listen to me.

It is very simple.

We complicate things.

He said the leftist economy on the left and the right is gonna be on the right is not a political statement.

By the way, Jesus describes how the separation is going to be one will be on one side and will will be on the other. Those who personally and intentionally know all the good shepherd and serve him by serving his children by serving his disciples. Those are the ones who gonna make it to heaven because imagery is so familiar.

When Jesus spoke those words which I can I can explain it to you as clearly as I know how the disciples understood that this was just a part of everyday conversation about the sheep and the goats they understood it. That's why I'm taking time to explain it to you in the bottom line is this. If you have placed your complete trust in Christ for your salvation, and that you are obeying him. As you walk in this life. Your sheep if you are full of your own idea of who God is and how you going to get to him. Your adult if you will humbly acknowledge that you're a sinner and deserve eternal judgment without Christ and therefore you sought that salvation from his hand.

Your sheep if you think that God should accept you into his heaven, because you are a good person, or you have done few good things than your guilt.

If you walk with Jesus and obedience in serving him by serving his church with all of your heart. Then, if you love him with all of your heart and your sheep if you think that you are a Christian, but you never walk in obedience with him, have never rejoiced in his presence, your goat, but his.

The good news is the good news you read for attainment the day of judgment is not here yet.

The fact that you still alive is a good news because every goat can become a sheep and make no mistake about it all, everyone of us were born, the guilt everyone of us within only but had with one another rebutted head of God, and only the grace of Jesus Christ can make your sheep can do that today. Today today, this moment, wherever you are the person the place a process, and finally, very quickly. The pronouncement on the day the goats are going to be consigned to eternal punishment because of their unbelief because they fail to recognize Jesus as the only way because they have failed to serve him in obedience because there will be unfit for his kingdom because they have persecuted Jesus's followers because they have despised Jesus's followers all the derogatory terms of people use to describe those who believe there's only one way to salvation, and the call is every name in the book because of the mocking of Jesus's followers because they have belittled the claims of Jesus Christ that he is only way to the father in heaven. Listen how Jesus himself describes hell. This is a place of everlasting punishment, none ceasing fire. Remember when Moses saw the bush burning but is not consumed.

That fire goes on and on and on but is not consuming is a place from which is no escape. It is a place from which is not a leaf is a place from which is not rest.

In fact, the Greek word is used here.

The word means perpetual never-ending on the other hand, those who have taken on the righteousness of Jesus Christ mother alone, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted Jesus as payment on the cross to be for them. Those who have acknowledged their sin and their desperation without Jesus Christ. Those who have gratefully accepted the gift of forgiveness and eternal life, and share it with others. Those who walked with him in obedience and service and in humble service. There will inherit an eternal bliss.

Beloved, listen to me. The contrast could not be more stark and the time to prepare for the day of judgment is now is now is now. Not tomorrow. Now listen to what Jesus said in Mark 1335 and 36 and 37 watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening at the midnight at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning last, coming suddenly, he finds you sleeping sleeping and what I say to you, Jesus said, I say to all watch watch what shall we pray together with the Holy Spirit has spoken to you if you say I am not really sure which side I'm going to be on the net last day today. You can absolutely be sure and say Lord Jesus come into my life. I repent of my sins, I receive your forgiveness and he will do just that, a father with a joists that you leave yourself not without a witness that you are the one who speaks to our hearts and knew the one who be the judge you the one who give us mercy now and you're the one who sit on the bench on that last day I pray that every single person who was at the sound of my voice this day, the day of testimony for them that they have been transformed internally and I pray this in Jesus name. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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