This is your first time being able to be here in this meeting,
we're glad you're here, and I hope you'll pick up your Bible
this morning and follow along the things I have to say, is the
most probably the most important thing.
I know it's the most important thing that you're going to think
about this week because it's something that we all will
absolutely face. There's an old poem by Isaac
Watts written in 1706. It's called the day of
judgement, When the fierce North win with this Airy forces, rears
up the Baltic to a foaming Fury and red lightning with a storm
of hail comes rushing down, how the poor Sailors, stand amazed
and tremble. While the Thunder like a trumpet
Roars allowed on set to the gaping Waters quick to devour
them such. Shall the noise be in Wild
disorder? Such shall the dire Terror when
the Great Archangel shakes, the creation, tears down, Wrong
pillars in the vaults of Vault, of Heaven, breaks up old marble,
and the Repose of princes sees the graves, open and Bones,
Rising, Flames all around them hark, the shrill out, cries of
the guilty. Retches Lively bright horror
amazing. Anguish stare through their
eyelids, while the living worm lies knowing within them
Thoughts like old vultures Prey Upon their heartstrings and the
smart twinge. When the eye beholds, the lofty
judge frowning with a flood of Vengeance.
Rolling before him hopeless Immortals, how they scream and
shiver while Devil's push them to the pit wide, yawning,
hideous and gloomy to receive them headlong down to the
sinner. Stop here.
All the way ye horrid, doleful ideas, come arise to Jesus.
How he sits like God with the Saints around him thrown yet
adoring. Oh may I sit there when he comes
triumphant dooming the nation's, then Ascend with him to Glory
while our hosannas All Along The Passage.
Shout Redeemer Redeemer Redeemer Jesus is your judge.
If you ever needed a neon sign in front of your house in your
mirror on a daily basis, this is that opportunity for you the
scripture. Absolutely.
Tells us that Jesus is the big deal.
Some of you hear me say that a lot.
Jesus is the big deal. Not only is he big, he's
powerful what happens to a lot of people is they see Jesus and
they see the idea that he was meet and they talked about
Jesus, like he was humble and they even draw pictures of
Jesus, like, he was some sort of a soft soap dish water hand,
effeminate man in pictures, Jesus is almighty God.
Jesus is the son of God, when you think about power, you've
never understood, we've never been able to comprehend or wrap,
our mind around the kind of power that it took to be this,
because it's exactly what Sinners Like Me.
Sinners like you needed. John would say, Behold the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sins of the world and we see a
pitiful little lamb, don't think of it like that, think about it,
as a perfect unique, the only one, That's who Jesus is.
Think about the one that literally could raise the dead.
You don't have that power. The brightest position in the
world doesn't have that power. Nobody has that power.
Jesus Does. We're all in every nation headed
toward a day where everyone is going to get to meet him.
And some people it's going to be a wonderful thing to others.
It's not only not going to be a wonderful thing.
It's going to be an awful thing. And there are sermons that
strike fear and there are sermons that provoke.
Hope this is one that can do both depending upon where you
sit with Christ. There is never a time where a
preacher should preach a sermon. When you are in a relationship
with God and Christ and you're following him where you feel
like that, you don't have any hope.
You know, what hope is? I want to get this straight
right now. Do you know what hope is?
It's not. I hope I win the Publishers
Clearing House. Sweepstakes Sweepstakes, you
know, that ain't going to happen.
They give it to somebody that doesn't exist.
I think it's the same fake house.
Every February I filled out, my junk.
All, I gets junk mail, didn't happen.
I'm telling you hope is not. Oh I filled out.
Oh maybe I'll win this. That of the other hope is
earnest expectation. It's going to happen.
Because God is faithful that promised, that's who our God is.
That's who Jesus is. And that's where our hope lies
this morning in John are Matthew chapter 24 and verse 36.
Here's what the Bible says. But of that day and hour
knoweth, no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father
only. It's like a surprise visit and
it's the last visit. There's not going to be another
one you can get and you can destroy oi the whole fear
concept. Listen, we live in a world today
where people are afraid and people don't understand and
people don't have a clue about Jesus.
And so, some preacher plays on that and fear mongers people
into thinking. There's going to be a Rapture in
a Left Behind series and all that stuff.
That is not biblical. There is no evidence in
scripture to support that whatsoever.
If you think that you need to study the word of God, I will
give you the materials to do that, that's not right.
Right. And here's why I want to show it
to you in first Thessalonians chapter 4.
Here's what the Apostle Paul is writing to the church here and
they had people that were coming to them and telling them that
there was not going to be a resurrection because it didn't
happen right now. Here's what he said in verse 13,
but I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning
them, that are asleep. And other words, your loved ones
that are dead. You need to get this.
I don't want you to be ignorant about this Brethren concerning
them, that are asleep, that ye sorrow, not even as others,
which have no hope. There's that word hope again.
Read on, for, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him
for this, we say, unto you by the word of the Lord, that we,
which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them, which are asleep. So, let's think about this.
We got dead loved ones. That died faithful to God.
They're in the ground today. And we're alive and Jesus shows
up God's not going to make a distinction between us who are
alive. Live.
We don't get special privileges just because of that, in fact,
it's the opposite way around. Listen to what happens first for
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with
the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the
dead in Christ shall rise first. Your loved ones that are in the
ground today. Those tombstones that we have to
go visit all of those. One day are going to be
Resurrection sites, and don't you ever forget it?
Every Cemetery in this world is going to unveil its going to be
an unbelievable sight and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we burst 17 which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air. And so we shall ever, we will
ever be with the Lord, wherefore Comfort one.
Another Either with these words, does that comfort you?
Do you know the people that Comforts that Comforts the
people that are following Jesus Christ that Comforts The People.
That are saved. You know what?
That passage doesn't do, it doesn't do anything to comfort
sitters. Do you know the scriptures and
these letters that were written to churches?
They were written to help people that were saved.
Sinners can't even pray to God and be heard because Jesus said,
we know, God does not hear sinners prayers.
Paul wanted to give hope to people that were saved yet
discouraged. Paul wanted people to have an
Earnest expectation. Not to be afraid.
Do you know what? I want the church to not be?
I don't want the church to be afraid.
I want you to be able to look forward every night and every
day to the coming of Jesus Christ.
Because it's the one and done. It's going to happen, one time
and it's all going to be over as far as this life is concerned.
Listen to what God did for Jesus.
The Bible says in John 5:22 for the father judges, no man, but
hath committed, all judgment unto his son when Paul was
writing to the Athenians on Mars are not writing preaching to
them on Mars Hill in Acts the 17th chapter.
Here's just take a look here in Acts chapter 17.
He comes up and he preaches to them had never known about God
and he preaches how that God of one blood made all the nations
of the earth and he walked him through history and how that God
had woven, this amazing tapestry of redemption and finally it
culminated in Jesus Christ and his death, burial and
Resurrection. Here's what he said at the times
of this ignorance, God winked at but now commandeth all men
everywhere to repent. Why?
Because He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world
in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.
Whereof, he hath given assurance and that he hath raised him from
the dead. When Jesus got up out of the
ground, it's cemented his judgment.
It's cemented Judgment Day. In fact, not only did it cement
that it's cemented, our responsibility in preparing for
that day. Again, the sermon on judgment
will be a great exciting thing for people that are following
Jesus Christ, and it is a terrible thing for people that
are not. If you're here and you're not
right with God, I don't want you to leave here.
I don't want you to go to bed tonight and sleep.
Well, I'm not opposed to fear. The Bible says it's the
beginning of understanding. When I preach Jesus and him
crucified, the Bible teaches that produces love for God and
people's hearts. But fear has a place we're going
to exempt. We're going to talk about that
place this morning. Listen in 2nd Corinthians
chapter 5 and verse 10. Paul told the church for, we
must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ.
That every one may receive the things done in his body
according to what he has Done. Whether it be good or bad.
There's a video playing. You know, everybody.
All these Superstars and NFL players that whoop their wives
and drag people out in the streets and do all kind of crazy
stuff on camera. They sure wish it wasn't on
camera because then they would say well it's just your word
against mine. God has a camera so to speak on
our life. God's taking video evidence of
our life. I'll tell you what I want.
I want some of the parts erased, don't you?
You know where he gives you that ability to do that, when you
follow Jesus Christ unto him, who loved us and washed us from
our sins by his own blood. You don't follow Jesus, you
don't get to erase it. In other words, you're going to
sit there before the god of heaven and it's going to be
outlined and we're going to receive the things that we
deserve and there will be no defense attorney.
There will be nothing there except pure exactly what we have
coming. Unless you follow Jesus.
And then you don't get what you really deserve.
Because you're forgiven. I've got to hurry and talk about
Jesus. Our Judge, first of all, he is
righteous. According to second, Timothy 4 &
8. He is faithful and true, and
Revelations 1911, and in righteousness.
He doth judge Christ will be impartial.
First Peter 1:17, God who without respect of persons
judgeth, according to Every Man's work, John 8:16.
If I judge my judgment is true for, I'm not alone, but I and
the father that sent me to all those.
There are very few passages that people know very Be well that
are not religious. One of them is don't judge me.
You're judging me. You ever heard that before you
ever used that before? Don't judge me, you're judging
me. One day, the one that made you
the one that created you is gonna judge you.
That's gonna happen. And all the, all the thinking
and although whining in the world that our culture has given
people to rationalize sin will be on a shelf and it will not be
admissible. The god of Heaven is going to
give exactly what people deserve according to his righteousness,
his Holiness. And it only only can be
different if you've been washed in the blood of the lamb and you
are now Justified, you want to know how I know.
This is a big deal today. You may carry a lot of guilt, I
run into people all the time that have guilt complexes and
have a difficult time for giving themselves.
Let's see if this works for you think about this know, ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
First Corinthians, 6 & 9, don't you know, that the unrighteous
are not going to go to heaven. What?
That's not what our culture
says. I'm a good person.
Don't, you know, I'm a good person.
I'm real nice. That's not what it says.
Don't you know that, the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God, but do not be deceived neither.
Fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor
abusers of themselves. With mankind, nor thieves nor
Covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners shall
inherit the kingdom of God. I live about 20 minutes from
long haired Duck Dynasty. T they didn't get the passage
about First Corinthians, 11 1 through 16, but they're pretty
good guys. He read this to somebody doing
an interview and they called it a homophobe and a bigot.
You can wrap all the people up that want to say that when you
read the word of God, that makes you a homophobe or that makes
you a hater or that makes you judgmental.
And you can just put them on a shelf because the creator of the
universe is not interested in the unrighteous creative
self-justifying sin justifying habits of mankind.
He's not Here's the hope I was going to give you.
Nor thieves nor Covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers nor
extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you, that means that there are people
right here in this audience, that fit the bill on pretty much
anything you want to write right there though.
It up in the air, find a bunch of names.
You're going to find mine in there.
You're going to find yours in there and listen to what he
says. Here's the hope.
And such were some of you but ye are washed.
Ye are Sanctified ye are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of our God.
You want to get rid of your guilt complex, get rid of your
sin, you can't do it by yourself.
You can't get rid of sin by yourself.
The only one that can get rid of sin is Jesus.
I am the way, the truth and the life.
No man cometh unto the father. But by me, it's my stripes that
would heal you you won't figure out a new way to get to God.
Only through Jesus, he's righteous.
He's also knowledgeable in Romans 2:16 Paul said in the
day, when God shall judge, the secrets of men by Jesus Christ,
according to my gospel, there are things that Jesus knows that
nobody else knows about me or you moving on.
Jesus will not be deceived. This is a big one in John
chapter 4, Jesus, sat and talked to a Samaritan woman.
Two things are big about that. First of all, Jews didn't talk
to me. Most women.
Especially not Samaritan women and have a spiritual
conversation with her. And in that moment, she had been
married, divorced, and remarried way too many times.
I'm going to give you the whole deal about marriage divorce and
remarriage real quick. You're ready for it.
God wants you to be married and stay married.
Your whole life. If somebody commits adultery on
you, Jesus said you can put them away for adultery and you're
innocent and you can marry again.
Sit this whole 345 marriage junk that our society is dishing out
is garbage. It's going to be judged by the
king of kings and Lord of lords who created marriage.
He Oughta Know How many times we can get married or not, not our
society. So, Jesus tells her, yeah, you
really don't have a right to the man now and she was shocked.
You know what the Bible says she did.
She went into the City and said, come see you A man, which told
me all things I ever did is not this the Christ.
Yeah, she was smart. She was smart.
She was not fool or he was not fooled in the least in
Ecclesiastes 12:13. The scripture says, the whole
duty of men of man is to fear God and keep his Commandments.
Listen verse 14, says, for God shall bring every work into
judgment with every secret thing.
Whether it be good or whether it be evil, I don't want to leave
you scared today. I don't want you to leave here
guilty today. What I want you to recognize is,
there's one thing that can do something about all that fear
that these passages can. Happen or to place in your
heart. Listen, here it goes blood.
If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have Fellowship
one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us.
You know what that means keeps on, cleansing us from all
unrighteousness. You don't go home.
You don't go to bed, scared of God.
Unless you want to live that life.
Then you better go home, and you better go to him to bed, scared
of God. God is Not immune to wanting
people to fear Him. God is not afraid of that, but
that is not the relationship God wants.
Fear is one of those things. Again, that is the beginning of
understanding. God will bring every secret
ill-will and Malice, and hatred, and envy, and jealousy.
The things that you think of that, sometimes nobody else
knows that you think of those of the things that Jesus knows.
Think about this. The standard Jesus will use on
Judgement Day is the word of God John 12:48, he that rejecteth me
and receiveth. Not my words.
Hath one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken.
The same shall judge him in the last day.
The Bible says Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.
Let's get this straight Grace. You know what?
Grace is. It's a gift, you don't deserve.
Unmerited favor that's Jesus for the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared unto all men.
Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.
We should live soberly righteously and godly in this
present age. Listen to this, though, he said
grace and truth comes by Jesus Christ.
John 1:17. The standard of Truth.
What is it? John 17:17 the savior of mankind
said, sanctify them, through thy truth.
Thy word is truth. You better get your Bible out,
you better start looking at your Bible because if you want Jesus,
you've got to pay attention to his word.
There's nothing more disrespectful and more
disgusting today. Those suggesting to them to a
world that are religious world's does, which basically says you
can have Jesus, you can have a relationship with Jesus and
ignore everything. He says, if you don't like it,
don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.
That's not what you find in scripture, what you find in
Scripture. Is that the word will be our
judge and nothing else is more important than that.
What about people? That tell you things?
What about people that change the word of God?
What about that in Revelation 22:18-19?
Here's what the Revelator said. I testify unto every man.
That heareth, the words of the prophecy of this book.
If any man shall add unto the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life
and out of the holy city, and from the things, which are
written. Written in this book.
Well, that's pretty plain. Why do you think John the
Revelator said that while why do you think he was inspired to say
that? It's because John was in the
middle of a big-time theological fight over Jesus.
Let me explain to you how this worked.
The gnostics would teach that there is a separation between
the Flesh and the spirit the flesh, the body it would do bad
things. But the spirit, oh, it was good.
It was good, they would apply that to Jesus.
And there were certain Gnostic teachers that would even teach
that Jesus didn't really come in the flesh.
In 1st John, the guy that wrote the Book of Revelation wrote
this to listen, that, which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon and our hands have handled the Word of Life verse 3
that which we have seen and heard declare, we unto you, that
ye may have fellowship with us and truly.
Our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus.
Jesus Christ, notice he said, and I write these things unto
you. That your joy may be full.
You want to know why? It's a big deal that you read
the Bible cover to cover? And you know what the scriptures
teach? It's because this is the way
Jesus communicates, this is the way that Jesus is followed.
Jesus said, if you love me, keep my Commandments.
John 14 15. Jesus said.
If you keep my words, my father and I will come and will make
our Abode with you. You want God the father and God
the son and God the holy spirit in you, you want their presence,
you want their favor, you want Their Blessings, listen to them.
Listen to them. Every one of you in this room
have parents. Every one of you in this room,
know the parental and family laws that you live by.
There are boundaries and every single one of your homes.
If you go to a certain point and you violate those boundaries you
just jeopardized and perhaps even destroyed that
relationship. How on Earth can we get that
among our own physical families here and not recognize that when
it comes to God almighty? He cares and the standard, he's
going to judge us by Is truth. We're not going to be compared
by each other we run into people.
Sometimes it's a you know what, I'm a better person than people.
I know they go to church. That sounds like a good talking
point, doesn't it? Yeah, there's Hypocrites that go
to church, I'm not a hypocrite. I'm just an all-out sinner.
Let me think about this, I'm not going to go to church because
I've compared and said, you know what, some of the things that I
do are better than some people that go to church that are
hypocrites, so you're going to go to hell with all the
hypocrites. How much sense does that make?
The hypocrite? Argument is one of the dumbest
arguments I've ever heard? Why would people choose to go be
lost? Because they can't or don't have
a ability to get past a hypocrite.
Paul said, we do not dare make ourselves of the number or
compare ourselves with some that commend themselves but they
measuring themselves by themselves and comparing
themselves. Among themselves are not wise,
second Corinthians 10 verse 12. There are people today perhaps
that fall into the saddest category on Earth.
Because their parents have taught them an erroneous
Doctrine which goes like this. If you believe that Jesus is the
son of God, you're saved and you don't have to do anything else.
You don't have to follow Jesus, You Don't Have To Worship.
You don't have to do anything else.
Here's what James said about that in James, 2, and 20, but
wilt thou know, o vain man, that faith without works is dead.
I don't know about you but that doesn't make me feel very good
about a whole lot of doctrinal things that I hear at times on
TV. Do you believe Jesus Christ is
the son of God? You probably wouldn't be here
this morning if you didn't, but I'm going to tell you something,
that's very important. The Son of God gets to determine
what faith is and what your faith looks like.
You don't get to a no note, no way, does any other preacher.
The reason why there are churches and the reason why
there are preachers that have favor and have lots and lots of
people that follow them is because they withhold the word
of God and they withhold The Cure.
And here's why this is the condemnation Ation that light
has come into the world and Men loved Darkness rather than light
because their deeds were evil. If a preacher teaches a sermon
where you can basically believe in Jesus and you're all good and
you never have to worry about your sinful lifestyle.
That's a false teacher. He's teaching lies.
Why? Jesus said this in Matthew 7:21,
not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that, doeth, the will of My Father,
which is in heaven. He goes on to say many will say,
to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name, and in thy name, have cast out devils, and in thy name,
done many wonderful works. Then, will I profess unto them?
I never knew you depart from me. Ye Network lawlessness or sin.
I don't know about you, but I'm going to go with Jesus on this
one. I'm going to go with Jesus on
the fact that Peter said be ye holy as I am Holy I'm going to
go with Jesus who said in Matthew 5 in The Sermon on the
Mount be perfect just like your heavenly father is perfect.
You know, the only way you're ever going to be who God wants
you to be, is when you're saved by the blood of Jesus and your
following Jesus, that's the only way.
It's the only way. To those who told you that you
can blow off worship and blow off plugging into a local
church. They've lied to you.
People that tell you that the church is unimportant and you
can have a personal relationship with Jesus outside of the church
have no clue about how important the church is to Jesus, Jesus
said in Matthew 16:18, I will build my church and the Gates of
Hell shall not Prevail against it.
Ephesians. 1:22 says, that God put everything under Jesus feet
and made him head to be over all things to the church, which is
his body Colossians 1:18 through 24, makes that claim.
The church is his body Ephesians 5:24 says Jesus is the savior of
the body. You think you can be saved
outside of the church? Are you kidding me?
Who lied to you? Who told you a lie in your life
and told you church is not important?
Somebody did we live in a culture that's blowing off
Church like never before. It's not a big deal.
I'm going to be okay. I what?
What? Jesus said the hour cometh.
And now is when the true worshipers shall worship the
father in spirit, and in truth for the father seeketh, such to
worship him, for God is a spirit and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and in truth, John 4, 23 and 24.
That's what Jesus told. The Samaritan woman.
And as you're going to follow Jesus and you're going to look
forward to Jesus Christ coming back, one day, you'd better be
in the church and you'd better be worshipping in his church.
And you'd better be plugged into his church because I feel sorry
for people that have bought into lies that the church is
unimportant, and it's not a big deal.
Jesus said our Paul said this in Galatians 5:19-21, The Works of
the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication,
uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry, witchcraft hatred
variance, emulations wrath Strife, seditions heresies,
envyings murders, drunkenness revellings and such like of the,
which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past that
they, which do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of
God. Here's the point, I want to make
about that a lot of time. Times.
We have a little tea category, and you can do this, you can do
the ensigns and the out sense. The out Sands republic since
it's pretty hard to cover it up when people murder somebody
else, right? Pretty hard to cover it up.
If you're Red Solo Cup and drunk all the time.
Pretty hard, didn't it? Yeah, we don't want that.
We don't want a DUI showing up in the paper.
We don't want to be in jail for some big old bats in, right?
But then the inside sins. Envy jealousy.
Hate. Not a big deal, right?
Sometimes, I don't think I've done a very good job with this,
we get to focus on people that have committed adultery and
fornicators. Because that those are things
that are like in our face home-wrecking deals, Family
reckon deals. Ruins kids lives. and I'm not
saying we should ever stop focusing on that because those
are sins that our culture is cramming down our throat and
asking us to be okay with But if you read Galatians 5, there's a
whole lot in there, that's inside stuff.
In fact, probably a little bit more inside than outside.
And I want you to hear this. Now, not me, I'm not judging
you, I'm not judging your life, but Jesus is, he said, I'm going
to tell you again, as I told you in time past.
If you do these things, you won't go to heaven.
My mama was a clean freak neat, nut, whatever you want to call
it. She was.
She had some OCD problems. She ironed her sheets and all
that good stuff and folded dirty clothes in a motel room, my
whole life. She called it.
Grit on her floor, we lived in the country.
That's a problem. You come in from a Hayfield, you
come in from working all day. Here's what she would do.
Sometimes she would go nuts, cleaning, and she'd put a note
on the door. You're not coming in.
That's what the note said. I just mopped the floor.
That's what it would say. She would even look her precious
boys outside. I know that's shocking.
Probably we get her turned into CPS it today, right?
But then she would come to the door when it was time to come
in. And she'd say, take those nasty
clothes off and go get in the shower.
And she'd say just about like that to don't you bring that
Grid in here so you know what we do?
It was just boys. We shuck our dirty clothes and
we go right to the shower. That was just inside the garage
door and we get in at one by one and we wash ourselves off.
And then not only were, we welcome, everything was fine.
You bring your dirty clothes in my mama's house.
You bring stains on my mama's carpet, she's not going to be
happy with you. It's not okay.
Do not pass. Go, do not collect $200 who
brought the mud in. That's one of those deals,
right? You probably had some Grandma
neat, nut somewhere. That's that way.
Here's what Jesus is saying. I came and died for you and
showed you a different way to live and you don't get to live.
And keep the dirty clothes when I'm trying to give you the robe
of a king's son. I'm trying to put shoes on your
feet that will keep you out of that.
I'm trying to put a robe on you. I'm trying to prepare your mind.
I'm trying to lead you to a better life.
You don't get to come in my father's house with your dirty
clothes on. You got to take them off.
You know, the only one that can take them off for you.
Is Jesus. The Bible teaches us that
ananias came and preached. The Saul of Tarsus before he
became the Apostle, Paul and said, arise, and be baptized and
wash away thy sins. Calling on the name of the Lord.
Do you have dirty clothes on? If you do, I want you to listen
to this next passage because it's close to the very end of
the Bible and Revelations. 20 verse 11, it says and I saw a
great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the
Earth and Heaven fled away. And there was found no place for
them. And I saw the dead small and
great stand before God, and the books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is The Book of Life and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written
in the books, according to their works and the Sea gave up the
dead, which were in it and death.
Death, and he'll delivered up the dead which were in them and
they were judged, every man, according to their works.
You know what Jesus says about our works Matthew 7, the same
passage that talks about Judge, not that you be not judged says
this every tree that bringeth not forth.
Good fruit is hewn down and cast Into the Fire.
Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them.
What Jesus was condemning in Matthew, 7 1 through 5 is saying
that, you know what people's motives are and you can judge
people's hearts. You can't do that. if you're a
fornicator or you're a drunkard or you're full of hate and envy,
That's fruit. It's fruit.
And I'm not judging you when I say that God is not okay with
that kind of fruit. You want to know why?
I'm not judging, because all I have to do is say, hey, Jesus
said you're going to know them by their fruit and this kind of
fruits not okay. Hey, I see a lot of fruit that
looks like this who judged to Jesus judge that person and the
job of every Christian is to put God.
Between that person and help them.
See that that real problem is between them and God.
It's not about me, I'm not your judge, I'm not your savior, I'm
not your king, I'm not your creator but Jesus is Very
quickly. I want to say this because it's
very important. Jesus is going to surprise a lot
of people because they have not used what he has given them and
they've wasted every talent that He put in their body to use.
You know, your body's a rental vehicle, you're going to give it
back First Corinthians 6, says, where the Temple of the Holy
Spirit. That's, that's our that's who we
are. Our body is God's, Not Our Own.
We were bought with a price Matthew 25:14 says, for the
Kingdom of Heaven, is as a man. Travelling into a far, country
who called his own servants and delivered unto them.
His Goods, he gave it a one five, talents to another two,
and to another one. And to, every man, according to
his ability and straightway took his journey and he that had
received five talents went and traded with the same and made
other five talents. And likewise, he that received
to also gain the other two, but he the receive one.
An indignant, the Earth, and hid his Lords money.
And after a long time, the Lord of those servants comes, and
reckons with them. You know what happens, you know
what happens? Jesus blessed the two and the
five talents, Ervin and said, you've been Faithful over a few
things. I'll make you ruler over many
things. Enter thou into the joy of the
Lord and to the one Talent, man, he cast him into outer Darkness
where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.
You see, God expects you to use your body and your mind and your
hands. Not for your own Glory, but for
his and here's what you're going to see if you're a logical about
this, what God is going to do. If you allow him to be in charge
of your life, it is, it's going to change you.
He's going to alter you, he's going to make you better.
You wanna know what's going to happen to the Christian Man.
And the Christian woman, they get married that are under the
control of Jesus Christ, they're going to be a better man and a
better woman. They're going to have a better
marriage. And gods going to keep that
going until they die. You know what?
I've learned, I've learned it. When you first start out, and
you first start using your talents, your kind of wheat need
about it and you're not very good teaching.
The word of God good night. I've never thought I would do
this first time. Anybody ever heard me all they
saw was the top of my head and what was 58 Pages?
Took me about 12 minutes now you're praying.
Oh, please. Whenever you use something, it
gets better. You go start visiting people.
It's going to be difficult at first.
You go start serving people. Sometimes it's going to be
difficult. You keep increasing those
talents, you've hone those skills.
I promise you. There are people in this
building that cook and do and go above and beyond.
And when they first started, they're not even close to what
they were when they started out. God expects you to use your
talent. We all have it.
And if you don't know what it is, chances are the people
around, you do listen to them, figure out what it is and grow
that talent, because Jesus is coming one day and he's
absolutely takes it. Personal if we don't take what
he has given us and we use it for his glory.
And again, the logic is I'm going to inherently bless you
and give you something greater. I'm going to make you greater
than you ever. Could have been if you'll just
devote your heart to me. That's really what talent
multiplying is all about last of all, when Jesus comes, he's
going to separate people. When the son of man, Matthew 25
shall come in his glory, verse 31, with all his holy angels
with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory.
And before him shall be gathered, all nations and he
shall separate them from one another.
As a Shepherd, divideth his sheep from the goats and he
shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left
then shall the king say unto them on his right hand.
Come you blessed of my father inherit the Kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world.
This Matthew 25 passage is a real big one because it's Knows
how much Jesus requires of your care and concern and love for
other people. He gets down to the
nitty-gritty. He says I was sick.
You didn't visit me in prison. I was naked and you clothed me.
Hungry thirsty. Didn't give me anything to eat
or drink. And they said, when did we see
you this way? When did we see you this way?
And Jesus said, in his much as you have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren. You've done it unto me.
If you don't in the course of your week of your month of your
year ever, have any interaction where you do anything for
anybody else in the body of Christ, this passage should
rattle your cage. The church is not about one man
or one woman or one family. The church is about each.
And every there is no big and little, there are every single
member is important. Jesus is going to come and say,
hey, All of my Lambs, all of my sheep.
You never had time for one single one, and you don't have
time for anybody else that saved.
And anybody else that serving me and following me and you can't
give your time and you can't devote yourself to that.
It's just the same as if you slap me in the face and you
didn't have time for me. Judgment Day is personal with
God. Judgment Day is when God's mercy
and his grace will be on display for those who were in Jesus
Christ, but it will also be a day and which God's Wrath is on
display for people that have thumbed their nose at every
teaching, and every doctrine that Jesus came and gave his
life's blood this morning. We're going to sit or stand
around the table. There's going to be a loaf of
unleavened bread that we are going to partake up and there's
a cup filled with grape juice. The reason we do this is because
almost Thousand years ago, the Savior said.
This cup is the New Testament ratified by my blood.
It means every page of this New Testament, has been ratified by
the blood that he shed on Calvary, and that's how Jesus
would say my words, they are spirit and they are life to you.
and when people walked away from Jesus dejected turned to his
disciples and said, when he also go away and bless Peters Hearts,
he said to whom shall we go thou Hast the words of eternal life,
you may follow yourself, you may follow your mama, you may follow
your daddy, you may follow a boyfriend or a girlfriend, but
unless you're following the words of Jesus Christ that were
blood-bought words in a Blood Bought Covenant, you do not and
will not and have not followed words that give life, this
message gives life. One day, he's going to be able
to speak life, eternal life to you when he calls your name.
You can't find that anywhere else.
You can't have that anywhere else.
But Jesus. There's a story I'll close with.
preacher wrote about a a funeral that he had to go to.
He said it was the worst funeral he'd ever been to in his life.
Some of you have been to a lot of funerals and you've been to
some bad ones. Some that just rip your guts
out. Preacher said it was the funeral
of a 20 year, old young, man. He was the apple of his parents
eye. Beautiful young man.
Everybody loved him. Everybody liked him.
He was curate. He was riding his motorcycle
that his mama didn't want him to ride.
She was always on him about safety.
He was struck and killed. He was the only son, the only
child they had. Preacher said, you can't imagine
the outpouring of grief. It came around that family, it
was just lying after a line that the mom and the dad were just
devastated devastated. It's not even a good enough
word. They couldn't hardly stand up.
They it was one of those deals. They had cried until the tears
would no longer come. The preacher did his best to get
through the service. and as he said, his last a man and people
began to follow by The father motion.
To the preacher to come to him. That told the story and the
preacher went over to his charity, said when everyone, but
the family is out, I want to say a prayer.
At the casket. And I said to you, do you think
you can do it and he said I'm going to do it.
The preacher went to the funeral director outline, the father's
request with swift dignity. Everyone else was ushered out
This man. And his wife, drew, the strength
to rise one last time and go to the head of the coffin that held
onto their beautiful baby boy. And all those memories.
The preacher said, I still remember the prayer.
Oh God, thank you for giving us this boy.
He's 20 years. Thank you for all the love.
In the memories. and the goodness that he brought us,
Father, help us to go on, help us to overcome this and this
tragedy. Help us to live our life for
you. Forgive us.
And please father. Do what you can for our boy.
We know you were a just and a good God.
Do what you can for our boy. He closed his prayer in Jesus
name. Took three steps toward the door
and collapsed. two strong men, grabbed him under his arms and
ushered him to the Car that waited and take him to the
cemetery. His mother gasp and literally
fainted. One of the nephews that she had
picked her up and carried her to the car and put her in it.
Preacher said, I turned away and I wept as I have not wept in a
long, long time. truly, he said it was the saddest funeral I've
ever been to because that boy Was not a Christian.
Wasn't a Christian. I want to tell you this.
When I was a young man, I heard my dad say this and I never
forgot it. My dad loves us all of us,
Brothers, we talk to our dad several times, I do several
times a week. I remember as a little boy, he
would say in the Pulpit, he was preaching.
I would rather come around the curve.
See my boys. Haven't had an automobile wreck.
And their flesh that I would give my life for it.
Wrapped around a tree. and know that they were safe and going to
go to heaven, then I would see them live their lives.
Outside and away from Jesus Christ.
I want to tell you something. That always stuck with me.
Always stuck with me. And I wanted to stick with you
today. Jesus said be thou faithful unto
death and I will give thee a crown of righteousness, God's
not asking you to be perfect but God's asking you to be faithful,
he's asking you to give heart soul and mind to him.
Because one day, you're going to face him.
And the hands that are outstretched inviting the world
to come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I
will give you rest are the same hands that can save you, but
they're also the same hands. That one day will be your judge.
The hands today can be your savior.
The hands today can heal you. The hands today can mend your
broken heart, and put you back together again.
One day those hands will hand down a sentence Where do you
stand with the hands of Jesus today?
Have you been baptized for the remission of your sins into
Christ? Jesus based off your faith and
confession? That Jesus is the son of God and
your commitment to change your life.
Maybe you've done that. But you've let send get a hold
of you. This is what we do here.
Every single person that's not going to come forward this
morning. That's been faithful.
And that is Forgiven has done this before.
They've had a moment where they weren't okay with God, and they
got right with God, but it takes courage to step outside.
The pull of your life. Satan is pulling for all he's
worth. I'll give one more story.
I'm done. My wife Julie has a grandmother.
That is suffering from a terrible disease, that many of
you know, all too well in your family's dementia.
When she was a young mother, she had four children.
Her husband was not a Christian and he gave her the worst
possible. You could never imagine the kind
of grief, he did later on in his life, she want him to Christ and
he would in bitter tears. Talk about how miserable a man.
He was early on in their marriage, their children were
little, they started to go to church one Sunday morning and he
wanted to play hardball and be nasty about it.
And they literally had a tug-of-war over the children in
the Yard. She never back down for a
second. Not a second.
And she won. And all of her children follow
Jesus Christ today. Listen, we feel like we're in
the tug-of-war for you this morning and we're on the line
with you. Most importantly, the greatest
most powerful creator of the universe will not lose that
battle if you'll just grab a hold and let us pull you over,
let us help you let the Lord help you but don't stay where
you are. Don't stay in sin.
Won't you come? We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information or you would like to receive a free Bible
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True
Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored guest.