Judgment

[0:00] Let's turn to Hebrews 9.27. I'll just put the scriptures on this display so that you can follow along.! Hebrews 9.27.

[0:30] Judgments. Judgment.

[0:41] We must all stand before his judgment. Hebrews 9.27. And as it is appointed unto men, once to die, but after this, the judgment. Let's pray.

[0:53] Lord, we thank you for your word, for our attention to it now. Lord, let your spirit minister to each one. Lord, do a work deep within, to each heart, each soul.

[1:06] Let us be lifted up and drawn unto you. Lord, help us to set our attention on these eternal truths and to be moved by them, we pray.

[1:16] In Jesus' name, amen. And as it is appointed unto men, once to die, but after this, the judgment. Every single person will face judgment.

[1:29] Every one will face judgment that is fair before the Lord Jesus Christ one day. He is the righteous judge.

[1:40] The righteous judge. Now, there are two judgment occasions. There's another to do with the judgment of the nations.

[1:51] We won't talk about that. But essentially two occasions of judgment. The great white throne judgment and the judgment seat of Christ.

[2:03] Firstly, we're going to look at this one, the judgment seat of Christ. And we've got these scriptures here that relate to that. So, two judgments.

[2:15] The judgment of the judgment seat of Christ is where the redeemed will be judged and rewarded for what they have done for Jesus after they were saved.

[2:30] The judgment seat of Christ. And the other one, the great white throne judgment, is where the lost sinner will be judged. Now, that's understood to be, as I would believe and as many would believe, 1,007 years later.

[2:53] The judgment seat of Christ is at the rapture. The great white throne judgment is after the millennium and the seven-year tribulation.

[3:04] Now, that could be argued. It's not written in stone. It could be there's different views, but I'm not convinced of those other kind of views. This is the view that I would hold and generally we would hold, I think traditionally we would hold, that the great white throne judgment is after the millennium and after the seven-year tribulation.

[3:25] So, there's two occasions of judgment. But we're talking really on the principle of judgment, on the fact of judgment to come, whilst keeping in mind there's two occasions of judgment.

[3:40] The day of judgment. For the believer, the judgment seat of Christ. We read of that in 2 Corinthians 5 through verses 10 and 11.

[3:52] 2 Corinthians 5 verses 10 and 11. We must all stand there at the judgment seat of Christ. When Paul addresses the Corinthians, he says, For we, the saved, must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

[4:10] We must all stand there. 2 Corinthians 5, 10 through 11. We must all stand there at the judgment seat of Christ. Here it is addressing believers.

[4:21] We'll read from 2 Corinthians 5, 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

[4:37] Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest, done to God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

[4:52] That's every believer. All of us will have our day in court. All of us will have our time standing before the judgment seat of Christ.

[5:03] Now, every one of us has different opportunities. We've all been given a different stewardship to carry, different responsibilities, different gifts and callings.

[5:14] How faithful have we been in that regard? How faithful have we been with what he has given us to do? This should make us be alert and mindful.

[5:28] As fellow believers today, we face the judgment seat of Christ. There is a judge with whom we have to reckon, with whom we have to deal.

[5:40] And it's a very telling experience when you enter a courtroom. I don't know if folk have had that opportunity to enter a courtroom, even to observe a trial, as I have done, in the gallery, and also, as I have done, seated in the jury box, to be able to make a decision between guilt and innocence.

[6:07] And that's a very serious thing to be a part of. In the world, they call the various levels of courts, and then they ultimately have the Supreme Court.

[6:19] But really, it's not the Supreme Court, because the Supreme Judge is the one yet to come, the great governor of the universe, the great righteous judge of all humanity.

[6:33] And there is a day coming, a time coming of judgment, and there are parties to be judged by him. Every one of us, man and woman, shall receive from him a reward or loss.

[6:50] As believers, this judgment, the judgment seat of Christ, is not a judgment for our sin, but a judgment for our faithfulness. And there will be rewards and a loss of reward.

[7:06] We know for the time, many things are hidden and in secret. Now, on that day, all shall be revealed. Everything will be brought to light.

[7:17] The secrets of men's hearts will be brought to light. And we know for the lost, today they can mock and scorn, but they will have their day in court. They will stand there.

[7:29] Those who make fun of Christ today, those who deny Christ, those who spit on Christ still today, they will have no more of their mocking.

[7:39] It will all be over for them. The day of judgment is closer for you, for all of us. And friends, his judgment will be true. For we must all, as believers, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

[7:55] It tells in the word how men's works will be tried, men's thoughts will be tried, men's words will be tried. Our stewardship, our works of service, they will be judged and evaluated.

[8:07] Now, for believers, this is a joyful day. It's the day of our glad and blessed hope to be with our Saviour and our Lord and to stand before him, to see his face.

[8:20] A day of joy, of reward. Largely, we see in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 11 through 15. 1 Corinthians 3, verses 11 through 15.

[8:30] A description of this time we could take in this passage here from 1 Corinthians 3, verse 11 through 15. And Paul tells the Corinthians, he says, from verse 11 of chapter 3 to the Corinthians, he says, Now, if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest.

[9:04] Every man's work shall be revealed, it says. For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

[9:17] If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss.

[9:28] But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. It's like some seem to just have, they're saved by the skin of their teeth.

[9:40] But really, it's not even the skin of their teeth. It's all, we're only saved by the grace of God. Thank God for that. We're not saved even by the skin of our teeth. But it's such a shame to think, as it tells us, I think it's 1 John, that some will be ashamed before him at his coming.

[9:57] Some will be ashamed before him at his coming. To think what could have been, what I could have done, how I could have done more, to serve, to live, to love my Lord, to be an example, a witness, a testimony for Christ.

[10:16] And yet, it'll be too late then. As I talked this morning, as our friend Dory has passed away, it's too late for Dory to do any more. Not that doing more or doing less merits any salvation.

[10:33] But for that judgment seat of Christ, there might be that time of, could I have done more? Could I have been more of a testimony for the Lord?

[10:45] And at our passing, our time of working here on earth is done. And there's no more can be done. So it's a telling truth for us. In the meantime, while we have life, while we have breath, while we have some energy, limited as it might be, let's use that for the glory of God.

[11:06] It says, every man's work shall be made manifest. Now, we can think how we might do some things for God and have a true intent.

[11:17] But sometimes, the true quality of our work is not really known until the searchlight of God's Spirit makes it known.

[11:28] You know, the hidden things shall be revealed. Every man's work shall be made manifest. Of what sort it is. Whether that quality of our service for Christ is gold, silver, precious stones, or whether it be word, hay, stubble.

[11:48] I've heard it put that for some, it might be just a pile of ashes. As it were, as the fire tries that, which we have, has it just been superficial works?

[11:58] Has it just been works to be seen of men? Has it been works with the wrong motive? With a vain purpose? Or has it been works that have been done? As it were, works in secret. That secret giving, that secret fasting, that secret praying, that secret spiritual life, that devotional life, that others may not see, that they will be seen for what they are, that it was a true intent from the believer.

[12:27] So we all will face this day of reckoning, the judgment seat of Christ. There will be that time of reckoning for the Christian, and it will be a time when all will be openly displayed for what our motives are, whether they're true or lacking.

[12:43] And for some, they will suffer loss. It's not a loss of salvation, but there'll be a loss of reward at the judgment seat of Christ.

[12:53] Rather, let it be our endeavor, let it be our heart's cry that we want to have gold, silver, precious stones.

[13:03] Let it be for our life's work. We'll want to see we've done something for Christ. We've done something for his glory. We've got something that we can present to him as an offering, as a living sacrifice of our lives.

[13:19] I know in Daniel, it talks how some will be as jewels. I'm scratching to think of the exact wording, but such that I heard it put that the only thing we can take to heaven with us is souls.

[13:38] Others that we've led to Christ, that they will be, as it were, stars in our crown. They will be, as it were, the righteous, they'll be like something, stars in the firmament.

[13:49] I'm not sure of the exact wording. I should have written that one down. But we know that there's a sense that there'll be an eternal result for the souls that we've reached, for men and women that we've witnessed to and led to the Saviour.

[14:01] They will be with us in glory and that will be an eternal result, an eternal fruit for our life. So we see again another scripture is 2 Timothy 4 verse 8.

[14:12] 2 Timothy 4 verse 8. Again, of the hope of the believer and of the believer facing this judge, this righteous judge, and of the crown, of the reward, we will receive from him.

[14:26] 2 Timothy 4 verse 8. It says, Paul writes, as he talks of that gospel race, that race of the Christian life, and of crossing that finishing line, as it were, and then he says, henceforth there is laid up for me, as it were, at the finishing line, there is laid up for me, this crown, this wreath of righteousness, this, as it were, as the picture of the Corinthian runners, of the runners of Corinth, alike to the Olympics of today, as they were granted this wreath to wear.

[15:01] And for us, as we cross that finishing line of our lives, it tells us, henceforth there is laid up for me, a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also, that love, hears appearing.

[15:19] And this, the judgment seat of Christ, or as some have called it, the beamer seat, was kind of like the seat, the stand, the vantage point, where the judge, the one who was presiding, at the finishing line, would recognise the ones, with, as they finished the race.

[15:44] And so it's the same picture, of this granting of reward, by the righteous judge. So for believers, we know, at the finishing line, as it were, the righteous judge, will grant reward.

[16:01] The day of reckoning is coming. And for the meantime, what should confront us, is the truth of our accountability, before God.

[16:13] And really, we should take that seriously. In these days, where often there's a lot of levity, and a lot of carelessness, and a lot of distraction, our accountability, before God, should take attention.

[16:29] We should take attention, to that truth. Thankfully, this day, of accountability, this day of reckoning, is a day of rejoicing, for the believer. It's the blessed hope, our glorious saviour, our righteous judge.

[16:44] He will be a blessing for us. We that love his appearing, will be glad, in that time. Yet, there will be that sense, of that question, of the quality, of our work.

[17:01] We've all been given something, some calling, some gifting, some capacity. capacity. And, we can extend that capacity. We can increase that capacity.

[17:12] We might think, what can I do? It's like, Moses, he felt, totally inadequate, and said, I can't, speak, let Aaron do it for me.

[17:24] You know, and we can all, think, what can I do, for the Lord? But, everyone, every believer, has a gift. Every believer, has different personalities, different opportunities, different people, you can reach better, than others can.

[17:42] Different talents. Even, in, practical senses, in, in, sort of, everyday skill, kind of areas.

[17:55] And, things that we can, skill ourselves up, to do, more of. I know, I was quite, an older man still, when I, I learnt to just, pluck the guitar. And, you just learn, three chords, and you can play, just about anything.

[18:09] If you just sing loud enough, people won't know the difference. That's what I do. And, really, you think, you know, even learning a musical instrument. Mind you, I had a bit of a, I got some, thing, you know, where you can learn the piano, and I gave up on that, pretty quick.

[18:23] That's just too, that's a little bit too far, far for me, in my limited, musical, dimension, of ability. But, you know, we can all think of, what can we do, what can I learn, that I haven't learnt yet?

[18:36] What can I do, to increase, those skills that I have? And, the question that we'll face, and that, occasion of the judgment seat of Christ, is, did I live out my purpose, to honour and glorify the Lord?

[18:51] At the judgment seat of Christ, he's not judging our sins, but he's rewarding us, for our lives. We see Romans 14, from verses 10 through 12.

[19:02] Romans 14, verses 10 through 12, another reference to this, it says, from, part of verse 10, for we shall all stand, before the judgment seat of Christ.

[19:13] For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue, shall confess to God, so then, every one of us, shall give account, of himself to God.

[19:25] God. The judgment seat of Christ. The other judgment, is the great white throne judgment.

[19:38] The great white throne judgment. And, one day the world, as we know it, will, be changed. It's going to melt, with fervent heat. Judgment day is coming.

[19:50] And one day, you will have a personal meeting, with him. At one or the other places. God is a righteous judge, and his judgment, is based on truth.

[20:01] Now, as we know today, people can take, the truth of the Bible, quite, carelessly. And some would deny it. There was a young preacher, one day, who was confronted, by such a man.

[20:16] A young skeptic. And this young skeptic, his name was Bert Olney. And at the close of the preaching, the skeptic came up, and challenged the preacher, and he said, you did well, but you know, I don't believe, in the infallibility, of the Bible.

[20:37] The preacher said, it is appointed unto men, once to die, but after that, the judgment. The skeptic said, I can prove to you, there is no such thing, as a judgment, after death.

[20:51] And the preacher said, but men do die, for it is appointed unto men, once to die, but after that, the judgment. But that's no argument, the skeptic protested. Let's get down to business, and discuss this matter, in a regular argument form.

[21:06] And the preacher shook his head, and said, I'm not here to argue, I'm here to preach, the word of God. And Olney was annoyed, he turned away, with the remark, I don't believe you, know enough about the Bible, to argue about it.

[21:21] And the preacher said, perhaps you are right, but please remember this, it is appointed unto men, once to die, but after that, the judgment. And as Olney walked off, in a rage, as he walked down the road, it's like the frogs were croaking, judgment, judgment, judgment.

[21:42] And it's like, all of his imagination, was just, it was just obsessed, with this truth, of judgment to come. And the next morning, he called on the preacher, and he said, I've come to see you, about that verse of scripture, that you gave me, last night.

[22:00] I spent a terrible night, with those words burning, their way into me. I can't get rid of them, tell me what I must do, to be saved. I've got to get rid of this torture.

[22:11] And when he left, the preacher, he was a child of God, through the finished work of Christ. He was a child of God, through faith. Judgment, it should make us wake up, and take notice, of this eternal reality, that we face.

[22:27] In Revelation 20, we'll see a scripture, that tells, of this great white throne judgment. The second place, this occasion, of judgment, in Revelation 20, from verse 11.

[22:40] And John the Revelator says, And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from his face the earth, and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

[22:51] 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.

[23:06] Now, we don't know, all the detail, of such, a situation here. What, what, are these books, that are spoken of?

[23:20] But we could reckon that, it could be, understood, that everybody has a book, as it were, of these, ones who are lost. The story of their life, you know, as the old TV program, would say, you know, Liam Luss, this is the story, of your life.

[23:40] What did they say? Something like that. This is your life. This is your life. As if you can put, your life story, into a book form, or some, short, sample, as it were.

[23:52] Because, but, we know that all things, will be revealed, of our lives. And, it says of these, that, those things, which were written, in the books, according to their works.

[24:02] So, can you imagine, what that might mean? Verse 13, and the sea gave up the dead, which were in it, and death and hell, were delivered, up the dead, which were in them, and they were judged, every man, according to their works.

[24:17] And death and hell, were cast into, the lake of fire. And this is the second death. And whosoever was not found, written, in the book of life, was cast into, the lake of fire.

[24:27] All that are living, have lived, or ever shall live, all the rich, all the poor, all the high, all the low, all the old, all the young, face judgment.

[24:42] And the sentence, shall be passed. We know, for some, it will become, you blessed, of my father, inherit the kingdom, prepared for you.

[24:54] Of others, it will be, depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil, and his angels. Judgment, is yet future.

[25:06] It's a great day, the great and terrible day, a day of terror, for the lost, a day, of eternal loss. Two judgments, to be compared.

[25:18] We see, the great white throne judgment, is only unbelievers. The judgment seat of Christ, only believers. The great white throne judgment, is after the millennium, and the tribulation.

[25:35] The judgment seat of Christ, is after the rapture, and before the marriage supper, of the lamb. At the great white throne judgment, the works, the works will be evidence, for condemnation.

[25:53] At the judgment seat of Christ, it will be the basis, for rewards, or denial of rewards. At the great white throne judgment, it will be eternal condemnation.

[26:04] At the judgment seat of Christ, the result, will be rewards bestowed, or withheld. At the great white throne judgment, what is the issue? Faith in Christ as saviour.

[26:16] At the judgment seat of Christ, faithfulness to Christ, as Lord. At both occasions, we have a righteous judge.

[26:26] He will do righteously. The judge of all the earth, he will do what is right. And he will demonstrate, both his justice, and his mercy.

[26:38] Now, for the meantime, brothers and sisters today, the reality of judgment, to come, should confront us. It should motivate us. In that scripture that we read, 2 Corinthians 5, Paul says, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

[26:56] People should take it very seriously, the reality of judgment. We should take that very seriously. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

[27:08] You can be delivered, from the wrath of God. Paul says, the love of Christ constrains us. Because we love Christ, because his love is moving, and working through us, and impelling us, constraining us, sending us.

[27:28] We persuade men. Be reconciled to God. Be reconciled to God. Now, of course, we haven't talked about, but our third judgment, was the judgment, of the cross.

[27:41] The judgment, of the cross, brothers and sisters. This is, the judgment, where our sin, was judged. Because it tells us that, he bore our sins, in his own body, on the tree.

[27:57] That we being dead to sin, should live, unto righteousness. At the cross, the Lord Jesus, bore our judgment. He, he undertook, the penalty, for our sin.

[28:14] He, personally, endured the cross, so that we can have, his everlasting life. He was, bruised, for our iniquities.

[28:27] The chastisement, of our peace, was upon him. He was chastened, he was wounded, and injured. He was, that suffering lamb.

[28:41] And it tells us, he was in our place, and our sins, were in his body, on the tree. Truly, that was the place, that our sin was judged, was at the cross.

[28:55] If you are a believer, here tonight, then your sin, has already been judged. And, you were found, guilty, as charged.

[29:07] But, he took your guilt, he took your penalty, he made the payment, on your part, in your place. Yet, to the lost, I urge you, you don't have that shelter.

[29:20] You don't have that payment, unless you cash it in, as it were. You don't have that forgiveness, unless you claim it, at his hand.

[29:33] And, to the lost, I urge you tonight, if you are outside of Christ, make the judge your friend. Make the judge your friend, by embracing him, as the only, and all sufficient saviour.

[29:46] And, if Christ, the ultimate judge, is your friend, he will, he will have paid, your penalty, on your part.

[29:58] And, so, in the light of all this, in the light of judgment, to come, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, judgment is real, and judgment is, faced by all of us.

[30:09] We must all give account. We must all, stand before him, in that place of judgment. Yet, for us who stand, at the judgment seat of Christ, who are saved, the judgment will be for, the faithfulness, for the works, for the works of service.

[30:28] It should motivate us, to godly conduct. It should motivate us, to serve the Lord, and to take, the gospel seriously, such that we'll live, for Christ.

[30:43] And be mindful, to be motivated, to honour the Lord, with our lives. Find those gifts, and callings that you have, and dust them, as it were.

[30:55] Take them off the shelf, and dust them, and put them into action. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you, that you are the righteous judge, that this whole, planet, faces that reality, of judgment.

[31:10] Whether the judgment, for the unbeliever, or the judgment, of the believer. Lord, we pray that each one, will be, as it were, on the right side, of the cross.

[31:20] That we'll know, the wrath of God, has been vented, at the cross, for our sin. That in Christ, you bore, our penalty, our shame, and you suffered, in our place.

[31:33] Lord, as our substitute, our saviour. and we received, that gift, you've given unto us. We pray, that we'll be faithful witnesses, that will, know the love of Christ, constraining us, sending us, moving us, to action.

[31:51] That we'll have, that mind, of the, judgment seat, of Christ to come, and we'll be prepared. Not trusting in our works, to save us, yet, serving faithfully, knowing the grace, that you've granted us, to do that.

[32:09] Lord, give us, a seriousness, about, this holy, and, eternal truth. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.