How Would You Like Your Judgment? #2

All I can do is tell you is that your response to the things which are hearing today have great consequence for eternity and I'll say it one more time. I want that they go well for you. Scripture would have that they go well for you. Thanks for joining us on the truth pulpit with Don green founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio hi Bill Wright, and today Don continues our series. The art of discernment with part two of a message titled, how would you like your judgment last time Don drew our attention to two manifestations of judgment. God's judgment on non-Christians in hell and his judgment on the lives and works of Christians, we were reminded that there's a correlation between the attitudes we bring to the evaluation of others and our own coming experience at the judgment seat of Christ today. Don will discuss the tailoring of God's judgment to each individual turn in your Bible to Matthew seven let's join Don green now in the truthful God will evaluate our lives, to determine a reward that somehow will echo for us throughout all of eternity. There are eternal consequences to the very thing were talking about right now Martin Lloyd Jones said this on the subject and I quote he said this judgment does not determine our eternal destiny know we have passed through that in Christ, but it is a judgment which is going to affect our eternal destiny by deciding what happens to us in the realm of glory. We are not given any further details about this in Scripture, but that there is a judgment of believers is clearly taught. It will make a difference to me. It is a judgment of my life since I have become a Christian." Now let's step back here. We are all address you all Christians. I don't believe that everyone abusing Christ, but I'm going to assume that what I'm about to say here we are as Christians, we are in Christ we have been saved.

There is a point in which our lives were converted and now we are living for Christ. We are in him and we are safe and secure from eternal judgment. Now what we have to realize is is that this realm of blessing has bestowed upon us is been given to you as a stewardship. What you do with that stewardship is ultimately something that you are going to give an account for with the lives the relationships the resources the opportunities the giftedness that God is given to you there's there's a sense in which there is going to be a time where it is laid out before Christ, and will disable let's see what you did with what was given to you.

What did you do with it and the answer to that question will be reflected in the reward that you were given as you enter into eternal glory. Not that does you know what that does what the reality. The truth of that does make you realize that this life is very significant. Even if it seems like you have been assigned a portion where you don't have much significance.

You're not a high profile person.

You just can't quietly live life. There is eternal sick significance to what you do and you will not be judged by God. According to the opportunities of the been given to me for example I will be judged according to the opportunities and been given to you.

You will have a unique accountability of personal accountability for everything that God gave to you and say okay what did you do with it then and then you realize and you step back a step back and say wow this matters.

There's there's this is of consequence and what should the impact of that be on the way that you think about life in the way that you live in the way that your whole perspective on existence. What should that be well.

Paul says in verse 11 second printing chapter 5 verse 11. Look at it with. He says therefore, because those things about the judgment seat of Christ are true. Therefore, as a consequence of that knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men. Paul says, knowing these things are true instills a fear of God in me that makes me reverent in my approach to life and it causes me to want to persuade men to do to consider Christ for salvation. If they don't know him and to persuade men who are in Christ to take life seriously to be devoted to Christ, the fear, Paul describes the sober reverence that comes from knowing that you will give an account to God that holy fear.

My brother, my sister sometimes and just overwhelmed the consequence of what were saying here.

I think with Paul is adequate for these things. My tongue is not worthy to speak of these things and I realize that some in front of me will blow it off and you to say who's adequate for these things, less the spirit of God helps us were wasting our time. We what that fear should produce in your heart is this it should produce that that holy fear should cause you to take God's word seriously and maximize your life opportunities for his glory.

God given your family got given your spouse. Whatever the circumstances that may be.

It's for his glory.

And you say God what you what you say in your word about how I should deal with my family relationships. I've got it. I want to get this right your body of believers like truth community. God hears my giftedness. What can I do what how did how do I use this. How do how do I live amongst other believers in order to promote the unity of the body for which Christ died and how do I how do I serve in a way that will be pleasing to you in the which will which will position me for report when I stand before you.

These things become matters of greater urgency because because you realize that that the most significant thing is still ahead that that that that time of judgment. You know you live 70 years on this life submits a puff of air compared to the eons and eons of ages of ages. There's just eternal consequence to this window of time that eternal consequences. What really matters, not your job not your profession, not any of this other stuff it's incidental by comparison, so I don't know how else to tell you point you to Scripture plead with you to take it seriously, but ultimately your response to that is not to me. It's before the Lord and what you're going to do with it.

All I can do is tell you is that your response to the things that your hearing today have great consequence for eternity and I'll say it one more time. I want that day to go well for you.

Scripture would have that they go well for you, but I can lead you to the water, but I can't make you drink it you have to respond on your own. You have to believe these things by faith to be true based on the word of God and then work it out. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling is Philippians 2 says point number three will introduce a point by saying this you know, here's the thing. This is with. We've laid the foundation to get back to Jesus's words, if you think for just a moment. This question should become burning burning importance in your mind. Okay, I accept the fact that Scripture tells me that I'm going to give an account of my life before God and that somehow there's going to be a reward to me and there's going to be.

There's going to be some kind of accountability there's going be some kind of judgment. Scripture describes it as. Here's what I want to know if I were you. This is what I would want to know I would want to know this by what standard is God going to judge me what is going to be the basis upon which he makes his determination about the generosity of his reward to me that I'm going to carry throughout all of eternity. What's the measure of that going to be recognizing and understanding that Scripture does not give us everything that we would like to know the quote for Martyn Lloyd Jones spoke about that doesn't tell us everything that we would might want to know about it.

I want to know what's the state would like to like to move my life in that direction in the direction of blessing and reward rather than squandering the opportunity of finding out that I had missed reward that otherwise could have been mine.

Well, Jesus is teaching you that very thing here as we come to point number three.

It's this God will tailor his judgment to each individual. God will tailor his judgment to each individual. Everybody wants teaching to be practical. Nothing could be more practical than this. And what I'm about to say, beloved, the tenor of your life will be the basis for the tenor of your judgment that the way in which you live and interact with men is going to contribute substantially to the standard of judgment that God applies to your life. This is very sobering. This is very sobering to go back to Matthew now Matthew chapter 5 verse seven know when I think about how miserably short of the glory of God.

I fall in my life as a believer is pastor's husband's father when I think about that.

I really want. I am really hoping that God will deal generously with me kindly with me graciously with me because I know that in myself that everything everything that I do is tainted and tinged by sin, but I I myself have squandered opportunity wasted opportunity.

Time and again that my that my my prayers are often so cold and formal and mechanical praying to the God who ordained my salvation. I'm just going through the motions of the world's wrong with me pastor was wrong with me times where his word is been a matter of indifference to me cold in different whatever I think about that in light of these themes of which we speak here today and my heart cries. God don't give me what I deserve.

God be gracious to me. Be merciful to me, give according to your grace and kindness that which goes far beyond what I deserve because it's according to what I deserve. Lord, it's going to be very meager for me now is our basis upon which we might expect. That is her way in which we could orient our life so that that might somehow be true for us. Well Scripture supporting us to the words of hope and direction here. Look at Matthew chapter 5 or seven. Jesus says blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Those who pattern their life in immersive with a merciful disposition are positioning themselves to receive mercy from God at the final judgment. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy, notice, blessed are the merciful, present tense now in this life, merciful, marked by kindness marked by forgiveness marked by grace, future tense people like that are going to receive some manner of mercy they will receive something different from the hand of God than those who were not merciful.

James 31. Listen to what it terms talks about judgment here. Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment not only my making a very small point here. It's very important point, but it's a very narrow point that God is going to apply different standards of judgment for teachers. There's going to be a stricter accountability than those who are not teachers. Those who have those who have taught God's word. Those who have held positions of spiritual leadership a stricter standard will apply to them. There is there is a merciful judgment more merciful judgment that awaits those who have shown mercy in their lives. All you need to say at this point is, this will know exactly what the standards of God are going to be.

We know they're going to be righteous. We know that they'll be right and will be true, but Scripture tells us to recognize that there will be different standards apply now with all of that in mind. Finally, let's get to our text here in the first two verses of Matthew chapter 7 and now we have the groundwork laid so that we can land this plane where it needs to go. Matthew chapter 7 verses one and two with the sober reality of judgment laid before us with the warnings that it's going to matter. Matthew chapter 7 verses one and two. Jesus says do not judge so that you will not be judged for in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

He speaking to his disciples and beloved. Here's what he saying he says you will be judged.

Notice that he doesn't say who's doing the judging. It's a passive voice you will be judged by whom.

Well, it's a divine passive, you will be judged by God he's our only judge she's one to whom we will give final account.

So Jesus says Jesus says plainly, you will be judged now in verse seven he says do not judge so that you will not be judged does not mean that you can avoid absolutely all accountability before God whatsoever.

If you just take an entirely passive approach and exercise notice sermon and say nothing to anyone about sin or error and you can avoid all judgment simply by being a limp Christian is not saying that we establish that last week. Indeed verse to look at verse two says in the way you judge, you will be judged and so he's assuming that there will be a judgment in everything that he saying here is what he say he's talking about judgment in a comparative sense and here's his point how you judge others is somehow going to flavor the manner in which God judges you is what he saying in verse one, when he says do not judge so that you will not be judge it could be translated this stop judging stop being so harsh and judgmental and critical and hard on people. My Christian friend.

He says because that as you live the life that way. God is going to judge you by the same critical standard that your judging others in this life you are setting yourselves up for a difficult time before the judgment seat of God by the harsh critical spirit with which you live your life. So Jesus says stop that, so that your judgment won't be so difficult to word of grace.

It's a word of instruction. It's a word of warning, and this is so sobering, beloved, and think about it in the context of your own family relationships. Think about it in the context of your own marriage, I insist that you do this or other family relationships and realize this, that your own attitudes in the context of those close relationships is somehow going to influence the final reward that you receive from God if you are harsh and unbending. You can expect a stricter judgment. As a result, God will measure out our rewards according to the measure that we used with men.

During our earthly lives. What Jesus is saying is that if you deal generously and graciously and in a forgiving spirit with others. That's the tone of your life.

There is mercy that comes out of you. You can expect the judgment from God is going to be more generous and merciful and gracious as a result, so that so that the reward you will walk away having lived a merciful, gracious life. I'm making this up on just using a picture. You will walk away staggered with rewarding bending under the weight of what God reward you with because he is not applied that strict standard to you, but on the other hand, beloved got to listen to me. You have to.

It's too important it's for your own sake that I insist upon it. If you love to criticize the faults of others.

If you are harsh and unbending in your dealings with men.

He warned God is going to use your own unbending standard on you if you are ungracious and unforgiving.

Don't expect God to be merciful to you.

It's the merciful that are going to receive mercy. Pastor Kent Hughes summarizes this well when he says this in a quote judge mental believers will still be with God forever, but they will have very little reward for their hypercritical spirit will have vitiated much of the good they have done our Lord means to put a holy fear in us so that we will put away our critical hearts.

The tone of our lives is going to become the tone of our judgment." Now, in defense of the holiness of God. God is not going to judge you by the childish way that you and I sometimes act. I want to get him back no God but God's not going to be petulant. The way that you and I sometimes are what God will do is this. He will extract the sinfulness of your attitudes and then apply the overall tone of your standard among men to you and so were left with question my friends that each one of us has to answer how would you like your judgment.

Now you order eggs.

I want my eggs scrambled, fried poached, boiled soft hard. That's how I like my eggs, let's ask more questions. I would you like your judgment to be you wanted to have a disposition of flavor that there's the third of generosity and mercy and leniency in accordance with what you need or do you prefer to get your pound of flesh. Now out of relationships. Choose carefully choose wisely. Further along. Maybe your 5060 7080 and brought under a great weight of conviction. As you realize that the word of God has expose your sinful critical hypercritical spirit and you realize I have. This is the way that I have been all of my life.

What's going to happen to me.

Is there any hope for me. Is it too late for me to avoid the strict judgment that my Christian lifestyle deserves.

Is it too late. I got a long history in ocelots shorter window ahead as I do the math to late well.

Great news for you.

A great news for you the answer that question is no, it's not too late. Even if your old and decrepit. It's not too late.

Jesus's command literally means stop judging, so that you will not be judged that command so that he will not be judged implies great grace.

Christ is telling you now through his word that if you recognize you have lived with that hypercritical spirit and you've been a harsh unbending taskmaster in your relationships.

There still opportunity for Hobie can be different for you.

Your past does not have to define your eternal future. Your reward he says it this this this command is simply a call to repent, to fall before and with your face in your hand and say all God I'm guilty of that. I confess myself and I confess my critical spirit, have mercy on me, and in this window of time that you left for me. Let me be different. Change may because I take eternal reality seriously. I want you to deal with me in kindness. And so, Lord, I would have a kind spirit, for whatever window of time you give me going forward. Jesus says if you will respond in that way you won't be judged according to the harsh standard that your prior life deserved even as a Christian blessing. What grace, what grace God would be delighted to expand the sphere of his grace to you when you stand before him in judgment so here's the question that will reverberate throughout your eternity. My Christian brother by Christian sister. Here's the question that will reverberate throughout all of eternity. How you respond to this very thing to Jesus's words here in Matthew seven wanted to say again how would you like your judgment. How generous, beloved, how generous would you have God be toward you in that day, Jesus says let your answer to that question, guide, watch it, that the answer to that question. Guide the grace, the mercy and the forgiveness that you extend to others how we have that's done green founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, with more of our series, the arch of discernment done will have more for us next time you're on the truth pulpit, so don't miss a moment right now though Don's back in studio with news of a great resource for my friend as we bring today's broadcast to close one offer you a very special gift of special resources that gift from our ministry is my series called trusting God and trying times in this series over the years has proven to be the most popular set of messages that I've ever done.

It helps you know how to trust God as you're going through the deep sorrows that sometimes come to us in life comes from the book of Habakkuk in the Old Testament, and it comes from some very deep sorrows of my own that were present early in my Christian life is very personal. It's very helpful. It's very biblical I would love to see you have it in your hands is available in CD album or by download transcripts are available if you prefer that my friend Bill is going to give you information on how to find just visit our website at the truth.

Pulpit.com to get the resource. Don just mentioned. While you're there, you can also find podcasts of dogs teaching to revisit at your convenience. So let the truth pulpit.com by Bill Wright and will see you next time on the truthful