JUDGMENT DAY
Text: Various.
Delivered on: June 22, 2008. Streetsboro.
Introduction.
A few weeks ago, we had a lesson on the second coming of Christ.
Jesus coming is sure.
Many things will happen at His coming.
The dead will be resurrected.
The creation will be burned up.
And we will go to the Judgment. 2 Timothy 4:1. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
Let us think about the Judgment Day today.
Body.
WHO WILL GO TO THE JUDGMENT?
The Scriptures make it very clear that all mankind will go to the judgment.
The living and the dead will be judged. 2 Timothy 4:1. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
The good and bad must face judgment. 2 Corinthians 5:10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Great and small must face judgment. Revelation 20:11-12. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
There will be no passes on the Judgment Day.
Rich or poor.
Old or young.
Red, yellow, black, or white.
All will face the judgment.
Matthew 25:31-32. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
BY WHAT STANDARD WILL WE BE JUDGED?
From the passages already noted, we see that Jesus will be our Judge.
But by what standard will Jesus judge us?
Will man’s conscience be the standard?
Will our obedience to man’s laws be the standard?
Will we simply be judged according to the quantity of our good works?
Will we be judged by how well we adhered to mom and dad’s religion?
The standard by which we will all be judged is God’s word.
Specifically, the words of Christ. John 12:48. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
Notice again, Revelation 20:11-12. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
WHAT WILL THE JUDGMENT BE LIKE FOR THE DISOBEDIENT?
The Bible teaches that each of us will have to give an account to God.
Romans 14:12. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
Hebrews 4:13. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
When the disobedient come before Christ, they will hear, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:23.
Yet we know that man loves to make excuses.
It started in the Garden. Genesis 3:12. Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
Moses was good at it.
Exodus 3:11. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Exodus 4:10. Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
Saul. 1 Samuel 15:21. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
I wonder how some will respond to Jesus at the Judgment…
“God I’ve always done the best I could. I treat people right. I help people who need help.”
Jesus responds: Jeremiah 10:23. O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
Proverbs 14:12. There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.
“But God, I wasn’t even sure that you existed. Why didn’t you give me more proof?”
Psalm 19:1-3. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.
Romans 1:20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Psalm 14:1. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
“But God, I couldn’t go against my family!” Matthew 10:37. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
“God I was too shy. Too embarrassed to be a Christian.” Mark 8:38. For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
“God I was just too busy. You know…keeping up with the Jones.”
Matthew 6:31-33. “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 16:26. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
“God, I meant to become a Christian, I just always thought that I would have time.”
Luke 12:20. But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
2 Corinthians 6:2. … Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Matthew 24:42. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
“Lord, Lord!” Matthew 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
You see, whatever excuse man may offer, God’s word has it covered.
WHAT WILL THE JUDGMENT BE LIKE FOR THE OBEDIENT?
For those who have obeyed the Gospel, the Judgment will not be so dramatic.
The blood of Christ has washed their sins away. Revelation 7:13-17. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Hebrews 8:12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
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