The King Judges Unbelievers Part 1

Morris looking to Jesus phone number for you. Do you final judgment of many people, they can conceive God would send anyone to a fiery hell today sobering look at what the Bible teaches about the final destiny of all, who never believed in Jesus for salvation from the church in Chicago. This is with Dr. when Sir clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. You see hell as endless torment or place of annihilation, you know. David reminded to decide.

Definitely would choose ways of annihilation that seems more merciful and even seems more consistent with God. But you know what we bow to the truths of Scripture. I've given a great deal of thought to the doctrine of hell, and as I frequently have mentioned the night before I preach a message like the one that people are going to be listening to in a moment. It's very difficult for me to sleep but I have to ask this question in my being a good neighbor in my being more loving to keep people from this doctrine, or is it important for me to show my love and my concern for them by preaching God's word because after all, I'm not the one that makes the rules. I'm not the one that determines people's destiny. Now I need to emphasize that the reason in this will become clear in the message.

The reason that hell is important and the reason that it is eternal is because believe it or not, people are eternal beings and they will be eternally guilty if they have not taken refuge in Jesus Christ. So I say to all those who are listening. This is a very important message.

You might want to get on your phone and even call a friend and invite them to listen because the truth that we are going to be presenting is terrible but it's necessary for people to hear to keep them from the wrath to come. And by the way, we are making this sermon series available to you.

We think it will be of tremendous help in your walk with God for a gift of any amount.

It can be yours. Of course the sermon series is called the King is coming for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337, but for now let us listen. Let us listen with open ears, and remember that God makes all the rules and evangelist made the statement that more people come to saving faith in Christ through preaching the love of God been through the judgment and that might be true but I need to say that we don't really understand the love of God until we understand the judgment of God in that sense, the two attributes of God are related. Today's message is a very hard message.

It's one that I have been thinking about for weeks actually because it is difficult to preach and for some of you it's going to be very difficult to receive but I need to begin by saying that what God is going to do and the description that is laid out for us in the script is not something that he particularly enjoys doing Bible says that he does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but the judgment happens because of necessity given the attributes that God has let me say also that as I speak. I hope that you will not be judging God would be easy to sit back and perhaps fold your hands into say you know that's unfair. Cooper said that there were those who took from God's hand in the balance on the rod they judged his justice and became a judge of God and I warn you not to go there. Perhaps you remember a story that I probably told you before about me being on a plane and an older woman sitting next to me and I was witnessing to her and she was from a very liberal church that didn't believe in hell.

And one thing she said is that if there's anything I know for sure hell doesn't. I said that's interesting. And then I smiled. You always try to work up a smile at a moment like that and I said you know you put me in a really difficult dilemma, because on the one hand, I wish that you were right, but on the other hand, though Jesus said mentioned hell at least 11 times more than he did have and so put me in a predicament because either I have to go with you or I have to go with Jesus on this one. Don't feel to hurt but I'm going with Jesus.

Alright I'm going with newsflash about this topic. Your opinion doesn't count. Remember that your opinion doesn't count. So instead of hardening your heart, and many of you are going to be tempted to do that and to say how could God do that instead of hardening your heart what you pray right now and ask God to soften it. When you open your heart to what God may have to say because I have no doubt that for some of you this is your moment to believe on Jesus and you say well how do I know whether or not I'm in that number and that is if you have no assurance that if you died today you go to heaven. I'm particularly talking to you.

Of course I'm talking to all of us. Well, the topic comes up in the book of Revelation, which you can turn to Revelation chapter 20 Revelation chapter 20 and if you have a Bible like mine. It's probably on page 1040 and 1041. I'm going to read in these five verses and then were going to go through the text. Basically, almost phrase by phrase and then we'll see what there is to learn and what God has to teach us. Chapter 20 of Revelation beginning of verse 11 then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.

From his presence earth and the sky fled away. No place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and the 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 and the sea gave up the dead who were in it, death and 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 lake 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. This is the judgment, the mother of all judgments.

This is the judgment that is frightening and yes chilling.

Let's move through the text.

First of all, we begin with the one who was seated on the throne. You'll notice he says I saw a great white throne.

The throne is great because it is majestic.

This is the throne of God. This is the throne. Indeed, that is forever the throne that exists from all of eternity. God is on this throne and it's a white throne absolute holiness. Absolute purity no one able to tweak things to make them look better. No possibility of bribery because we are now in the presence of the sovereign. The judge who will do justly, and do what is right. It is a pure and holy throne and him who sat on it and who sitting on it while the Bible in Revelation speaks about the throne of God and of the Lamb. But here, of course, we know it is the Lamb. We know it's G because in John 522 Jesus said the father has committed all judgment to the son, and Paul said in the book of acts sent in Athens. He says God is appointed a day, by which he will judge the world by one man but is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who was on bathroom, the meek and mild Jesus. The people of the Christmas little baby that you can take out a Christmas and then tucked away for the rest of the year and pull him like a book off the shelf and and be there again next year that this little baby.

The Redeemer has become the judge you so where is this throne.

You'll notice that the text says that everything fled away from his presence, and there was found no place for them. It was found no place for this throne. Now we have to back off and remember the rest of the series that we've had this far. Remember the last time I spoke to you about the millennial kingdom how Jesus rules and then at the end of that kingdom, he delivers it to the father.

The Bible says and that transitions into the eternal kingdom and it's during this period of time of transition that the Scripture is fulfilled, but the world and all of its works shall be burned up. Scholars differ as to whether or not God is going to annihilate the present universe entirely and create a new one out of nothing, or whether or not the earth is going to be re-created.

But one thing is sure it's can be burned with fire, and during this transition. When people are standing before the great throne. There will be nothing to see except the throne. No galaxy is insight and they are all standing there with a fear if you think that people fear judgment today when they are being tried. Multiply that by about 100 because they have a good inkling as to what it is that is in store for them and then we have the defendant's not sure that I should call them that because this is in exactly the same kind of trial that you find on earth but it says I saw the dead is small and great, standing before God, where did they come from.

Later on in the text. You'll notice it says that the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up their dead, you know it.

There there there because God summons them from the entire world from the beginning of time. All unbelievers are summoned to this judgment, you know, it was said in ancient times that if you died at the sea. If you were ground and of course, probably the sharks would eat you or if you were cremated and her ashes were sprinkled on the sea, not even the gods could ever retrieve you for an afterlife was sort of an insurance that once you died. That way you are secure from any final judgment. God takes those who are in the sea and calls them for these dead come from tombs long ago forgotten.

They come from earthquakes where bodies have been destroyed and turned into dust. God calls them forth from coffins that were lying to beautifully with satin as well as those who have died in her run this conditions because of hunger and because of poverty. They are all called for. One writer said to God knows every spec of human dust in every strand of DNA and he calls it forth from deserts, caves, jungle sees tombs, ghettos and palaces and they are all there. Their bodies had been resurrected. Judgment day has come and and what does it say Hades delivered up the dead which were in them well. For that we need a little bit of review.

Again, don't remember in the first message in this series I preached how that when the rapture comes Christians go up because today when a believer dies their body is put into the grave and yet their souls are in heaven and so what happens is they are raised from the dead and they are joined with their souls. The people in heaven today are in some sense incomplete separate topic, but they are some in some sense incomplete and they are joined together to become fully the human beings. They were here on earth with of course some radical changes in their bodies and their souls the same thing happens here Hades we learn from the New Testament used several times is the place where unbelievers go today has absolutely nothing to do with purgatory. That's also a separate subject, but it is there that Jesus talked about Hades you member which is a translation of the Old Testament word. She'll and there they are today, and so because their souls are there those souls also have to be going out to their bodies. So the same people who lived on earth have indestructible bodies and here they are now standing before God, fully cognizant of who they were, in whatever generation they lived in they are there, standing before God to because judgment day has come. It's a day to day now you'll notice it says that small and great, stood before God. John undoubtedly wants us to understand that this means that people of different rank the king over here is standing with those who died of poverty and sickness. Hitler is standing there and next to him are some people who spent their lives in an good work in helping the poor and raising funds for the less fortunate.

They're all standing together. There is diversity in rank. There is diversity and works as we shall see. Undoubtedly, there's also diversity in religion. It is chilling to think that some people who are listening to this message to days someday may find themselves in this judgment. If they don't take advantage of what God has prepared for them. As will become clear. A little later on in this message and does so there will be Protestants there. There will be Catholics there. There will be Buddhists and Muslims and all the different religions of the world disabled. What is it that unites them.

What unites them is that they do not have the one thing that God requires for entrance into heaven. So there they are lacking.

The one thing they desperately need. And so they're all united standing before the throne will now it's time for the evaluation. It is time for the records to be examined so we open our Scriptures and we see here that the books were opened. We don't know exactly how many books we know that there were at least two because there is this one books that contains all their works and then there's the book of life that we shall comment on in a moment so they are standing there and the books are opened and suddenly they realize that God has been keeping meticulous records regarding their record. It is an individual judgment, as indeed it must be everyone singular is judged according to his works. Obviously if it's to be adjusted. Judgment, it has to be a singular judgment, person by person. We don't know how long it takes God to do this, of course, because it's taking place in another realm time may be different, as we understand it today, but every one of them has their moment before God and the books are opened and other works are examined and that is just not there works.

The Bible says that their words will be examined.

Jesus said by your words you will be exonerated or condemned. So all of their words. Every word Jesus said the word man speak, they will give account for the day of judgment. Can you imagine those who really swear a lot and say based things.

I mean it's it's all there, and there's not a single thing that's overlooked. It's there in the book, but more than that. It says in the book of Romans that there's another way that the book can be viewed and that is that God is going to judge the secrets of man, oh my.

Now we get to motive the people are going to see their secrets.

You know those secrets that lie hidden and all of the lies that have been told to cover up those secrets.

Guess what, they are all exposed, and God looks at at the end of the person looks at it. Nobody debates what God sees, because you will know intuitively it is meticulously accurate. The person you know who did good works and they even paid money because they they wanted to help the poor. Ineffective.

Their motives will be exposed in the motives were actually much more selfish than they appear. It is just that in doing good, and they felt good about themselves and they could tell other people about the good that they did.

What appears to us to be good may have some very base motives, but it's all there.

Now you have to understand that the principle by which God is going to judge is simply this, people are going to be judged on the basis of what they did with what they knew.

Based on their conscience based on the light of nature, and based on whether or not they ever heard the gospel.

All of that factors in any nobody is going to stand there who's never heard of Jesus they'd never heard the gospel. Some pagans somewhere and God is going to say to them while I'm sending you to hell because you didn't believe on Jesus and I would be manifestly unjust.

How can you hold people accountable to respond to a message that they never heard so that's not going to be a part of the. The thing is going to be what they did with what they knew intuitively because of conscience. They knew that lying was wrong and yet they live intuitively because of conscience.

They knew that immorality was wrong and yet they were immoral. There was something deep within them, that told this is not the way it's to be and they squelched their conscience. The light of nature reminds them of the greatness and the grandeur of God.

If they had contemplated that they have known that as well.

And then if they heard the gospel. My, how much more responsibility. They would have Jesus made the statement. He said that it it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment that it will be for those cities that rejected me when I was here on earth. Why, because of so much more light will my friend, this is Pastor Luther and I want to emphasize once again that throughout all of eternity. We will sing just and true are thy ways without King of Saints. I also believe that even those who face eternal punishment are going to agree that the punishment was just and that's why it is that here at the ministry of running to win. We urge people to believe in Jesus Christ because he shields us from God's coming wrath and what we must do is to realize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is God's answer to our deep sinful need.

If you have never believed on him, believe on him today. Right now we're making this sermon series available. It's entitled the King is coming, and in this book I delineate 10 events that are still future, that all of us in one way or another are going to be involved in. I think that is very important that you have this sermon series to listen to again and again.

Here's what you do for a gift of any amount you can go to RTW offeror.com that's RTW offeror.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. I want to emphasize that this sermon series is available to you as a resource. Also a book by the same title. Go to RTW offeror.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for you to ask Pastor Luzerne, a question about the Bible or the Christian life will heaven be all gladness in light.

A listener named Gary is not so sure.

He says I know the Bible says there won't be any tears or sadness in heaven. But how can we be happy knowing that people we love are not in heaven but in hell. Well first of all let me say this Gary that your question is an excellent one and we've all wrestled with it, but I think the best we can do is to understand that when we get to heaven.

We are going to view things from God's standpoint. If God can be glad if God can be content throughout all of eternity. If God can be joyful and happy and by the way, Gary, how could we possibly rejoice in the Lord unless he were a rejoicing God, but my point is this. If God can be content with what is happened.

We also will be I think it was Jonathan Edwards and I hope that I can now quote this in a general way at least correctly. He said that we will rejoice in God's judgment in heaven, not because we are unloving but because we are perfectly loving, just like God. So if you think of it. From that standpoint will see things from God's point of view and I believe that we will be satisfied that God did right and that yes we will be enjoying God throughout all of eternity. Despite the reality of hell. Some wise counsel on a tough issue from Dr. Erwin Luzerne. Thank you Pastor Luther if you'd like to hear your question answered. You can go to our website@rtwofferor.com and click on ask Pastor Luzerne or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 it's never easy to grapple with the reality of an eternal hell. Many people find the idea of how repugnant, but the Bible teaches that there is an ultimate lake of fire for the devil and his angels have all those who never believed in Jesus. Next time I'm running to win. We learn about the basis of judgment for those who never heard the gospel and the basis for those who did. Thanks for listening to our series on the return of Christ running to win is sponsored teacher