We're going to begin worship now. We're singing tonight, firstly, from Psalm 135.
Psalm 135, that's in the St. Psalms, and the page number there is 176.
We're singing to a tune, Stuttgart, verses 13 to 15.
Lord, your name endures forever, your renown is ever great.
For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will vindicate.
But the idols of the nations, made of silver and of gold, are by human hands created with a hammer or a mould.
Mouths they have, but speak they cannot. Eyes they have, but cannot see.
Ears they have, but hear they cannot. In their mouths no breath can be.
Verses which, of course, set out the great contrast between idolatry and the worship of the living God,
and our privilege in knowing that God, and ascribing worship and glory and praise,
to him. So we'll sing these verses from verse, sorry, verse 13 to the end of the psalm.
Lord, your name endures forever. If you can stand, please do stand.
Lord, your name endures forever. Your renown is ever great.
For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will vindicate.
But the idols of the nations, made of silver and of gold, are by human hands created with a hammer or a mould.
For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will be.
For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will be like them,
For the Lord sustains them, and the same.
Praise the Lord, O house of Israel,
He runs has exalted his name.
Praise the Lord, O house of Levi,
You fear him, praise the Lord
Praise the Lord who dwells in Zion
In Jerusalem, praise the Lord
Now let's unite our hearts in prayer. We're going to call upon the Lord in prayer.
Amen.
How important it is for us to draw near to God, seeking that God will draw near to us.
O Lord, we pray tonight that that will be our experience, that we will know of the Lord in this place,
that we will know ourselves brought by your Spirit to come to trust in you and place our trust in you once again,
if we have done that already.
We ask that you would bless us, Lord, through your Word.
Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit will be active in our experience, to enlighten our mind,
to give us a further extended knowledge of you,
and to give us in our hearts a renewed desire and commitment to you and to your ways,
and to walk in your ways.
We thank you, Lord, for all that we enjoy as a congregation by way of our privileges in the Gospel.
We thank you for all that you enable us to engage in from week to week, from day to day, from Lord's day to Lord's day.
Lord, we know that you have blessed us in providing us with these things.
We pray that we may never treat them lightly,
that we may always ask ourselves if our contribution to your cause is in accordance with what you have given to us
and continues to give to us.
We pray tonight that your Word will challenge us and comfort us, instruct us, and lead us.
Lord, we ask that your counsel through your Word may truly lighten our path,
and lighten our path even through life itself.
We ask you, Lord, that you would come to each one of us and speak to each one of us.
For as we appear before you as a congregation,
so we appear before you individually,
with our own personal needs, our own personal thoughts,
our own minds as we think of,
our relationship to you and to the world in which we live,
and to the things of eternity.
And Lord, we ask that you would come to each of us and speak to us,
and draw us, we pray, to yourself.
We ask tonight that your blessing will be with all your people elsewhere in the world,
not only throughout our own community,
for we know that there are many other congregations meeting tonight as we do.
We pray that same blessing for them that we pray for ourselves.
We ask that your cause will come to flourish,
that we will see an increase in those who acknowledge you as their God,
and who have turned away from the idols of this world,
and have come to place their trust and confidence in the Lord God.
And we thank you, Lord, for the freedom that is ours still as a community,
and to come to hear the gospel,
and to come to gather as we do this evening under the sound of the gospel.
We bless you for our heritage,
for the way that you have over many years, many generations,
come to show yourself as a God who is worthy to be praised and trusted in.
And we thank you for all that you have deposited in our possession now in our generation
that came to us through previous generations of our ancestors too.
And we ask, Lord, that we may hold these things faithfully,
that we may come and find what you have deposited in our possession in the gospel
will be prized by us, commended by us, used by us,
that we will treasure it in our hearts and seek to live by it,
that we will never bargain it away to any of the ideologies of this world,
but give us, we pray, like the Apostle Paul,
to be able to say consistently and in an ongoing way
that we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is indeed the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.
We pray for the work of your church tonight throughout the whole world.
We ask, Lord, that your own people will, in their witness,
be blessed and be a blessing to the world.
We know that you describe your people in your word as the light of the world,
as a city set on a hill.
And help us then, we pray, to fulfill that description day by day.
Lord, we confess we find ourselves so often short of meeting that description,
that we find ourselves so often having to bring before you a confession of failure,
yet we thank you for your faithfulness,
that you will bless your word, that it will not return to your void,
that it will accomplish your will as you send it forth.
And we do pray, O Lord, that your kingdom will advance during these days.
We know that there is so much, Lord, in our own society,
throughout our nation, throughout the nations of the world,
of opposition to you, to your will, to your word,
and to all that you provide for us in the wisdom of your truth in the gospel.
And we pray, O Lord, your forgiveness,
that as a nation and as a people,
we have turned away so much from your ways.
We have chosen for ourselves the ideologies and the idolatry of this world.
We have come to place our trust, O Lord,
in empty, broken cisterns,
which cannot give us satisfaction,
which can never prove to be adequate to us as we face eternity,
and as we face even the difficulties and the challenges of life in this world itself.
And to that end, we pray tonight for those who rule over us,
those in authority,
those who have places of influence in our land.
Bless our government, we pray.
Bless all those who belong to them in Westminster, in Edinburgh.
We ask, Lord, that you would bless all the nations of the United Kingdom.
We ask that we may come once again under the power of your truth.
We pray that you would direct those who lead us into the ways of your truth.
We ask that you would deliver them from counsel that would lead them further astray
and further away from those things of the gospel.
We pray that they may come, O Lord, to take up your word, your law, your precepts.
And, Lord, we pray that you would impress upon their mind and conscience
that you have provided these things for our guidance,
not only individually but nationally as well.
And we ask that you would help them to resist all alternative views and ideologies to the gospel.
We pray that you would grant your blessing to all those who do fear you and serve you,
who are in places of authority and position in our land.
We ask, gracious one, that you would keep them,
that you would use them as a means of blessing to their fellow human beings
in whatever sphere of life they serve you.
Bless, then, we pray tonight, those who are in special need.
We pray that you would bless those who mourn the passing of loved ones.
Lord, we know of families in recent days who have lost loved ones,
some of them very suddenly.
We pray that you would bless those who remain to mourn their passing.
Be near to them.
Comfort them.
Grant them your strengthening.
And we pray that you would bless also those who,
in times past, have lost loved ones and still fondly remember
and still find it so difficult to adjust to life without them.
Be pleased, we pray, to be near to them too.
Bless those who have illness to contend with,
those in hospital, those receiving various treatments,
those recovering from such,
those who have gone through surgery,
those who look forward to such in days to come.
We ask for those with mental health issues
that you'd be pleased, Lord, to bless them.
You are the God of our minds, of our bodies, of our souls.
And we commend this to you as well
and give you thanks for the facilities that are available to us.
And we pray that you would bless those tonight
who don't have the advantages that many of us have
in physical ability and mental health.
And we ask that your gracious way,
you would deal with them
in a way that would reveal yourself to them
and show to them that you are the great physician,
that you are the great carer and shepherd
of all who come to trust in you.
And so we pray your blessing now
upon all that we anticipate in this week
by way of meetings of various kinds
and worship services.
We commit all of this to you as well.
And we ask now that you would bless us,
that you would guide us into your word
and hear our praises and our prayers for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
We're going to sing again to God's praise.
We're singing now in Psalm 101.
Psalm 101.
Again, it's St. Psalms on page 132.
Tune this time is Moravia.
And we're singing verses 1 to 6.
I'll praise your love and justice, Lord.
I'll praise you cheerfully.
I'll strive to lead a blameless life.
When will you come to me?
Within my home, the life I lead
will show a blameless heart.
My eyes will view no worthless thing.
From sin I will depart.
Psalm 101, verses 1 to 6.
I'll praise your love and justice.
I'll praise you cheerfully.
When will you come to me?
To see your love and justice.
Only is Indeed.
This time is Bundwe, I'll praise you, God.
That's all I'll praise you, God.
To see your God's effort.
With us look for you, God.
If you are Và, Jesus Christ.
Hope you are disregarding you, God.
I'll praise you, God.
I'll praise you diez years now in Psalm 101.
Amen
Hodmoth sing you to commence U.
I'll praise you, God.
So the Lord Christ.
We'll prepare you for the Lord.
I will you know, worthless thing, from sin I will defy.
I think what it less he will do, it shall not be to me.
All wicked people I am high, from evil and sin free.
I will to silence everyone who slugged me secretly.
I will not tolerate the pride who acts so heartily.
My heart is not on the faithful ones, but living well with me.
Whoever is the blimless one will serve me constantly.
Amen.
Let's now turn to the Word of God to read a portion from Matthew's Gospel.
The Gospel of Matthew and chapter 27.
And we're reading the first 26 verses of this chapter.
Matthew 27, verses 1 to 26.
Matthew 28, verses 1 to 26.
They said, What is that to us? See to it yourself.
And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed and went and hanged himself.
But the chief priest, taking the pieces of silver, said,
It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.
So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers.
Therefore that field has been called the field of blood to this day.
Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price has been set,
by some of the sons of Israel.
And they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,
Are you the king of the Jews?
Jesus said, You have said so.
But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.
Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?
But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.
And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?
For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him,
Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus.
The governor again said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you?
And they said, Barabbas.
Pilate said to them, What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?
They all said, Let him be crucified.
And he said, Why?
What evil has he done?
But they shouted all the more, Let him be crucified.
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning,
he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,
I am innocent of this man's blood.
See to it yourselves.
And all the people answered, His blood be on us and on our children.
Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Amen.
May God bless to us, reading that portion again of his word.
Before we turn to this passage, let's sing again, this time Psalm 142,
145, sorry, second version of the Psalm.
That's from the Scottish Psalter on page 445 of the Psalm books.
Page 445, verses 17 to 21.
June this time is Duke Street.
The Lord is just in his ways all, and holy in his works each one.
He is near to all that on him call, who call in truth on him alone.
God will the just desire fulfill of such as do him fear and dread.
Their cry regard, and here he will, and save them in the time of need.
The Lord preserves all more and lest that bear to him a loving heart.
But workers all of wickedness destroy will he, and clean subvert.
Therefore, my mouth and lips I'll frame to speak the praises of the Lord,
to magnify his holy name.
Forever let all flesh accord.
These verses, the Lord is just in his ways all.
The Lord is just in his ways all, and holy in his works each one.
He's here to know all that on him call, with God and truth on him alone.
God will the just desire fulfill, all such as do him fear and dread.
The Lord is just in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all.
God will the just desire to speak the praises of the Lord and will, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all.
The Word of God
Let's turn now to the passage we read together in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 27.
Tonight we're focusing our minds on the question that Pilate asked in verse 22.
Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ or called the Christ?
Especially that question in itself and looking at it in terms of how it addresses us tonight too with our responsibilities in relation to Jesus himself.
As you know, we've begun a series of studies on Thursday evenings called Life's Big Questions.
And we're thankful for Calla and Roddy as they lead those discussions.
And I encourage you to attend or to bring anyone to these discussions, Life's Big Questions.
There was a leaflet out last week about it.
And surely Pilate's question here is one of those big questions in life.
We had one last week where Calla Murdo led us in a question related to the studies, the discussion sessions, Life's Big Questions.
And what is the right question? What is the wrong question?
And tonight we're looking at this question.
I thought last week I would just try and fit in with that program and look at this particular study tonight.
And so here is the question that Pilate asked, what then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?
Now the context is that Pilate is really in something of a dilemma.
He's not a good man.
You don't feel much sympathy for him.
But he's in something of a dilemma because he knows, you see what you read in verse 18 there,
He knew it was out of envy that they had delivered Jesus up to be tried.
And so Pilate himself knew that Jesus was innocent, that he was not worthy of death,
that he was innocent of the charges laid against him.
And as he was sitting on the judgment seat, verse 19,
something else happened that must have truly troubled Pilate.
And it was while he was sitting there that his wife sent word.
She sent a message to him.
She was obviously concerned that he would do the right thing.
She sent a message saying, have nothing to do with that righteous man.
In other words, again, presenting to Pilate her opinion, just as it coincided with his,
that this was indeed a righteous man, a man who didn't deserve to die.
And she said, don't have anything to do with that righteous man,
for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.
See, the Lord gets to Pilate's conscience through a dream of his wife that he's now coming to hear about.
The Lord does things like that.
And this is the message she sent to Pilate.
Don't have anything to do with this just man.
Don't treat him unjustly.
Just leave that alone.
Because I have suffered much because of him in a dream.
But of course, the dilemma for Pilate is the crowd are baying for blood.
The crowd want Jesus to be crucified.
The crowd want him to be taken out and put to death.
And so Pilate is forced between that on the one hand and what his wife had said and what his own conscience is saying on the other hand.
And so he's in a corner.
He's in a dilemma.
He has to take a decision.
But which decision will it be?
And you can see from the way that the narrative proceeds that he is reluctant to deliver Christ.
He knows Barabbas is a notorious criminal.
He's offered him to the crowd.
He's offered him to them, hoping that they would take him and let him be free to release Jesus.
But that's not how it is.
They demand Jesus and let Barabbas go.
That's the corner that this man is in, that the governor is in.
What is he going to do?
Well, I'm not going to deal with that tonight as a history lesson.
Because tonight we're here not to learn something of a history lesson involving Pontius Pilate and the circumstances of his day.
That's the background, certainly, to the question.
But we want to use the question as something that addresses each one of us today.
Because it's a question that comes across from the pages of the Bible and from the course of history to each and every single individual, you might say, under the gospel or indeed in the wider sense.
What will I then do with this Jesus?
This one who is called the Christ, the Anointed One.
What am I going to do with him?
We're taking it as a question addressed to us by God through the Scriptures.
And it's especially tonight for you who have not yet accepted him as your Savior.
Who have not yet come to receive him as he's offered in the gospel.
Who have not yet come to give yourself to him to be your master, your king, your Savior.
And I want especially to focus on that situation.
Because that question surely is very, very relevant to yourselves.
Jesus stands before us in the gospel and in the message of the gospel as it's preached.
And here is the question that arises every time that gospel comes across to us, every time we read our Bibles.
What am I going to do with him?
Because for sure, you can't actually leave that question unanswered.
You need to do something with him.
You need to actually receive him or else not receive him.
And these are the only two alternatives.
What are you going to do with this Jesus who's called the Christ?
Because there's no neutrality really, is there?
No neutrality.
No space in between receiving him and not receiving or rejecting him.
It's either the one or the other.
And here is God in his kindness.
And I hope I can present this as lovingly, as concernedly as I can, as I ought to do as a preacher of the gospel.
We're not in any way in the pulpit as we preach the gospel intending to be harsh.
Maybe it comes across that way sometimes.
I apologize for that if it is.
Our concern is to be loving and tactful and patient but honest.
Because tonight here's the question for you to answer and for me to answer.
What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?
Christ.
So let's do it in two ways.
First of all, facing up to the question.
Facing up to the question as it addresses us.
Now I'm sure that nobody here tonight is really going to say outrightly,
I'm going to reject him.
I want nothing to do with him.
I'm sure there's nobody in this building tonight would actually say that categorically of themselves.
That that would be their desire.
Otherwise, why would you be here?
But then what is the case?
What are you going to do with him if it's a case of not outrightly rejecting him,
not like the hostile world out there, just wanting nothing to do with him?
Let's take one possibility.
You're going to delay your decision for the time being.
It's a very common response.
I know it from my own experience.
To delay a decision on the part, on my part or your part, to this very serious and important question.
What am I going to do with Jesus?
I'll delay it for the moment.
I won't actually pass it off altogether, but I won't actually answer it just now.
I'll just put it off.
I'll delay the decision from the time being.
It's not that I'm rejecting him, you might say, like that hostile world out there,
but I'm delaying a decision with regard to him, with regard to the question.
You intend to come back to that question.
You intend to come back to it sometime in the future.
You intend to come back to it when the time seems more appropriate,
when it seems right for you then to answer the question one way or the other,
positively you might say especially.
But now it's not the right time for you, you see.
You might be here, you might be listening online, watching online and saying,
well, this is really going to complicate my life.
If I make a decision in favor of Jesus just now,
to accept him, to live by faith and trust in him,
to follow him, to commend him, to serve him,
think of the way that that's going to actually add a layer of complexity to my life,
to my family life, to my life in terms of my work colleagues,
to my life in the world.
Think of the complexity when my life is so busy.
Can I not just leave it for a while until it slows down a wee bit,
until it gets a wee bit less hectic,
until all the children have grown up perhaps and have left home
and I have more time to address such questions as these?
Well, you know, for one thing,
that is a very common response on our part as human beings.
But for one thing,
whether you're willing to accept it and admit it or not,
but that is a decision.
To say,
I'm delaying the decision for the time being
is actually making a decision now
that this is not going to be positively
accepted by you.
This man is not going to be taken
and made your Savior
by receiving him into your heart.
Because delay is
a decision.
It's a decision to put it off for the time being.
It equals
a refusal meantime
to bow your knee to him,
to accept him.
And you know,
delay
is not going to make Jesus go away.
This man,
Pilate,
as late in the chapter as we read,
he took
water,
took a basin
and washed his hands before the crowd
saying,
I am innocent of this man's blood
as if that was actually going to
make Jesus
go away from his conscience.
You can leave here tonight
and still say,
no,
I'm not yet in the position
of accepting Jesus.
I'm going to delay that.
But that delay is a decision,
as I've said.
And not only that,
but he's not going to go away.
Jesus is not going to go away
from your soul,
from your mind,
from your conscience.
He's just going to confront you still
as your life goes on.
And he's going to keep asking you
this question,
what are you going to do with me?
Where are you going to place me?
What relationship are you going to have with me?
And in any case,
what if during your time of delay
you actually die?
It's not impossible, is it?
You might say tonight,
well, I'm in very good health,
but people in very good health
sometimes die suddenly,
unexpectedly.
Is there any reason at all
that you or I can think of tonight
why you should not die suddenly?
Is there any reason
why you should,
or I should say to myself,
I am bound to see tomorrow.
I am actually bound to see another week
in my life?
It's surely not the case
that I am going to die
the stage I'm at in life.
You can say that,
you young people as well.
I'm saying it to you
as somebody
who was young once myself
and who didn't think
at that time very seriously
about God
or about religion.
I could have died.
There was a time
I very nearly died.
I nearly had an accident,
getting run over by a car.
And I've often thought of
from that moment,
which is still etched on my memory,
it came so close
that the car just ran off,
almost ran over my toes.
I was going out
to the village shop
to pick up some shopping.
My mother had sent me out,
went out in a bus.
And as I stepped out from the bus
and went out from behind the bus,
I went to run across the road,
which you'd never do behind the bus.
And just as I took that step,
a car shot past me.
And I've often thought,
ever since that day,
when that is still
such a vivid memory in my mind,
what if I had been killed
in that moment?
What if you don't see tomorrow?
What if it's in the Lord's purpose
that you too would die
before your delay time is over?
What then?
Where will that leave you?
Or leave me?
It doesn't matter
what we do with Jesus
in terms of not accepting Him.
He's not going to go away.
And you know,
people so often say
of the gospel
and of Jesus
and of the way sometimes
the truth of God
is presented to them,
maybe in the witness
of God's people,
and they just put that
completely away
and say,
oh, that's just a lot of nonsense,
a lot of old-fashioned stuff.
And still,
very often gnawing
at the back of their mind,
there's the idea,
well, maybe there's something
in this after all.
Because you see,
God does not go away.
God has made us for Himself.
God has given us minds and souls
that are themselves programmed
to think about eternity.
And maybe we often pass it off
and refuse to accept
that that's the case.
But deep down,
you know it is.
And I know it is.
What then shall I do
with Jesus
who's called Christ?
You face up to the question.
You might be saying,
I'll delay the decision
for the time being.
But that is a decision.
And it's a decision
that places you in peril
because you don't know
what tomorrow will bring.
The other option
is that you do the right thing.
That you do the right thing
and accept Him.
That you yield to His claim,
to His call as the Savior
to come and place your trust in Him,
to come and receive Him.
That you come and accept His authority
and His right to be your Lord
and to be your King
and to be your Savior.
You do the right thing
when you repent of your sin,
when you come to the Lord
and confess your sin.
And you ask Him to receive you
and to forgive you
and to cleanse you
and to make you right
and to make you upright.
And to accept you in His sight.
You ask His forgiveness.
You trust in Him.
You give yourself to Him.
You entrust yourself to Him.
You love Him.
That's the right thing to do.
And surely it's the only thing to do
when we think of ourselves
as people made for eternity.
People who will one day come,
as we'll see in a moment,
to face Jesus
and face His judgment of our lives.
And maybe you're here tonight
and you are a Christian
or listening online
or watching online
and you've come to know
the Lord in the past,
but your life through this wretched COVID
or everything that happened afterwards
has come to stray away
from obedience to Christ
and you're not walking in His ways
and you're just living
from one day to the next
with this really in-between
sort of condition
and this what you know
is not acceptable to yourself.
You're backslidden.
Your heart is cold.
What are you going to do
with this Jesus?
Well, surely you'll be like
the prodigal son
and you'll say,
as he said to himself,
Look at how much I'm missing.
Look at what's in my father's house
that I've turned away from
that I'm currently not enjoying
as I should.
I will arise
and I'll go back to my father.
Don't let the devil persuade you
that somehow or other
God is going to be so annoyed with you
if you've gone astray from His ways,
if you've fallen into sad times spiritually,
if you've lapsed,
if your heart is cold,
if you're not the way you should be
and were before with Jesus,
with His people.
Don't listen to the lie
that comes to you that says,
Oh, you should be afraid of going back.
You know, He's not going to accept you.
He's going to scold you.
He's going to give you a tough time.
I'll go to chapter 15 of Luke.
How did the father receive
his wayward son
that came back to him
out of his lostness?
He threw his arms around him.
He kissed him on the neck.
He received him gladly.
And that's a picture of Jesus.
That's what Jesus was describing.
This man receives sinners
and eats with them.
And tonight, maybe you've been
for some time,
maybe for some considerable time,
away from the Lord meaningfully.
What are you going to do with this Jesus?
What does He mean to you?
If He is yours,
will you not go back to Him?
Will you not, as it were,
claim Him all over again
as your own Savior
and give yourself back to Him
to be gladly ruled by Him.
That's what God's own purpose is for you.
Or you might say God's preference for you,
that you would do that.
Don't stay away from Him.
Don't let the gap widen.
Don't let your heart grow colder.
Just pick yourself up.
Go to Him and say,
Lord, I have sinned.
Receive me back.
Restore me.
Just as David said in Psalm 51,
restore to me, Lord,
the joy of your salvation.
If you have lost that joy,
go back to Him and ask for it to be restored,
because He can and will do that.
So that you'll come again to experience
that wonderful comfort and joy and assurance
of Him being your Savior
and being in His presence.
Facing up to the question.
Secondly,
let's reverse the question.
Let's reverse the question,
instead of it being,
what shall I do with Jesus
who is called to Christ?
Let's turn it around and say,
what will Jesus who is called to Christ
do with me?
Because as you know from the Bible very well,
there is a final judgment
awaiting every single one of us
at the Lord's return.
And that final judgment is a certainty.
That's why the question is important
that we turn it this way.
What shall the Lord,
what will the Lord do with me
when that moment comes,
when that day comes,
when I stand before Him
and appear before His judgment seat?
What will Jesus do with me
as it stands tonight
between yourself and the Lord?
What is your answer to that question?
If the judgment had been yesterday,
what would He have done with you?
Where would you be tonight in eternity?
2 Corinthians 5, verse 10
reminds us there are no exceptions
to appearing before Jesus
in the judgment.
where Paul is saying there
that we in all things
seek to please Him.
For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ
that we may receive the things
done in this body,
whether good or evil.
You see, there's no exceptions.
It's a universal judgment.
Every single individual
who ever lived,
difficult for us
though it is to conceive of that,
but we believe the Bible
to be true,
that God is telling us the truth.
However difficult,
our understanding
is wrestling with the idea
of every single human being
who ever lived,
the billions of people
who've lived
since the creation began.
We must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ.
God will do it.
There are no exceptions.
And the judge will be Jesus.
Here's Paul again
preaching in Acts chapter 17.
In this place called Athens,
so full of idolatry
that Paul himself
was somewhat taken aback.
But there he is preaching
to the Athenians,
to these pagans at the time,
and demonstrating
that this altar
to the unknown God
that they had erected
was in fact
something that should remind them
of the true and living God.
And you remember there
in Acts 17,
verses 30 to 31,
how he actually put it to them.
Let me just find these verses,
30 to 31.
The times of ignorance
God overlooked.
That's in previous times
before Jesus had come
and arrived in the world.
But now he commands
all people everywhere
to repent.
In other words,
to turn from sin
and turn to God.
He commands all people
everywhere to repent
because he has fixed a day
on which he will judge
the world in righteousness
by a man whom he has appointed.
Who is he?
And of this he has given assurance
to all
by raising him
from the dead.
The Jesus,
the risen Jesus.
How has God given proof
that there's such a thing
coming as a universal judgment?
He has given proof of it
in the resurrection of Jesus.
And the only way
you can actually deny that
is to say the Bible is nonsense
which you're not going to do.
He has given proof of this.
A lot of people will tell you
in the world
there's no proof whatsoever
of a coming judgment.
There's no proof whatsoever
of a resurrection from the dead
that Jesus is actually alive.
All that sort of stuff
they'll tell us is nonsense.
But you believe your Bible.
You believe this to be
the Word of God.
You believe this to be
factually correct.
You believe that God
doesn't tell lies.
That God doesn't mislead.
And so you believe tonight
that Jesus rose from the dead.
That God raised him
from the dead.
That people met him.
That could prove
they had met with him.
And if you believe
as you do
that he rose from the dead
or was raised from the dead
then you believe
in a coming judgment
because God has connected
these two
indissolubly together.
He has given proof of it.
This coming judgment.
And think of it
the person
who will sit
on that judgment seat
is this Jesus.
You know what a
dreadful surprise
that is going to be
for so many people.
Just imagine somebody
going through this life
ridiculed in the idea
of Jesus
being a savior.
Ridiculing the idea
of the gospel
being somewhat worthy
of your acceptance.
Speaking ill of Jesus
using his name
blasphemously.
Deliberately just
taking these
liberties
as you could say
with the name of Jesus
with the idea
of Jesus.
And then on the day
of judgment
as we're all gathered
to face the judgment seat
so many people
who have thought like that
and acted like that
will suddenly
find that the judge
shockingly to them
is this Jesus.
Not somebody else.
Not somebody other
than the one
they've ridiculed.
The one they've refused
to acknowledge.
The one they've rejected.
And then you think
of meeting with Jesus
and so that's what
this question
really in its reversal
is saying to us tonight.
Project yourself forward.
Think of yourself
standing before
his judgment seat.
What will this Jesus
do with me?
Will you hear
these words
that he says
in Matthew chapter 25
just a couple of chapters
before this
where Jesus is talking
of the final judgment
and in verse 34
where you find him
saying to those
on his right hand
when he comes
he will divide all people
separating them
as a shepherd
separates the sheep
from the goats.
He will put his sheep
on his right hand
the goats on the left.
The king will then say
to those on his right
come you blessed
of my father
receive
inherit the kingdom
prepared for you
from the foundation
of the world.
Will you hear that?
Or will it be
something else?
Then he will say
to those on his left
depart from me
you cursed
into the eternal fire
prepared
for the devil
and his angels.
And isn't it strange
isn't it foolish indeed
to hear people saying
well I believe
in the love of God
I believe that God
receives people
in his love
that he's provided
in his love
the person of Jesus
or the teaching of Jesus
or something along those lines
but I don't believe in hell
and I don't believe
that God would put
anybody to hell
that he would cast
anybody away
to a lost eternity.
Ask Jesus.
what did Jesus think?
What did Jesus say?
Then shall he say
to those
on his left hand
depart from me
you cursed
into the fire
prepared for the devil
and his angels.
I would be very untrue
to God tonight
and to my calling
as a minister
if I gave the least
suggestion
that you shouldn't
take that
at face value.
there is
a state called hell
just as there is
a state called heaven
and the difference
between them
hinges on this
what you have done
with this Jesus
and what he ultimately
will do with you
and with me
when we stand
in his presence.
There's a certainty
of final judgment
but it's not just
a certainty
of final judgment
it's the righteousness
or the justice
of that final judgment.
Now all judgment
even in this world
ought to have justice
as a stamp upon it.
It's not always that way.
There are corrupt judges
just as there have been
done through history
and there are some people
that you might think
have escaped justice.
They've committed
a great crime
maybe they've murdered
thousands of people
but somehow
or other
they've died
or taken their own life
before they
were faced
with
a court
to actually
deal with
accusations
against them
and people might say
well
surely
they've escaped justice
it's not fair.
Well they haven't
escaped justice
they've escaped
human justice
but the great court
the great assize
has still to sit
has still to meet
and we must all appear
before that judgment seat.
And you see the judge
is the righteous judge.
Just as we saw there
with Paul's preaching
in Athens
he has appointed
this man
by whom he will
judge the world
he's given indication
of it
that he's raised him
from the dead
that he will judge
the world
in righteousness.
And Paul in 2 Corinthians 4
as he sees
his own departure
imminent
his departure
from this world
he's about to die
his life is coming
to an end
but he says
the judge
the righteous judge
will give me
that crown of righteousness
on that day of judgment
he's going to give me
what he has promised
to his people
but he's the righteous judge.
And
it's important
that we realize
that the judgment
and the righteousness
of that judgment
is something
that affects
everyone who is judged.
Every
individual
saved
sinner
will be able
to say
with thankfulness
my salvation
is righteous
my salvation
is just.
There will be no
going back on it.
God is not going to say
at the judgment seat
when I meet him
actually
there's something
yet that you have
to do yourself
just to clinch this
just to make sure
that your
salvation
is secure
for eternity.
He'll never say
that.
Why?
Because everything
that's been
required
has already
been done
by Jesus
himself.
And that's why
the salvation
of the Lord's
people
is the salvation
that is just.
God is right
in bestowing
forgiveness
on all
who trust
in Jesus
because it's
for Jesus'
sake.
It's because
he has done
everything for
them already
and you need
not fear
that that's
going to change
because it
never will.
But it's just
on the other
side of the
issue as well.
We're dealing
with very solemn
things
and when God
tells the
unsaved
those who have
not accepted
Christ
depart from
me you
cursed
difficult
though it
is to
say
it's the
right thing
for God
to do.
God's
not going
to give
away his
righteousness
out of
some sort
of supposed
sympathy
with those
who have
refused to
accept his
salvation.
So what's
your choice?
What's my
choice?
friends we're
faced tonight
as we
always are
indeed
with matters
of eternal
significance.
What shall
I do
with this
Jesus?
What will
this Jesus
do with
me
when I
meet him?
These are
the two
great questions
we've brought
together.
Life's big
questions and
they don't get
bigger than
that.
Surely
tonight you're
going to
say
as you
see in
Luke chapter
19
with regard
to Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus
climbed up
to a
sycamore
tree
so he
would have
a vantage
point to
see Jesus
who was
passing in
that way.
So he
climbed up,
he ran
ahead of
the procession
of the
crowd,
he climbed
up into
this tree
as you
know the
story very
well I'm
sure,
so that he
could actually
see Jesus
because he
was small.
He couldn't
see above
other people.
And as
Jesus reached
that specific
tree,
he looked up
and he
looked into
Zacchaeus'
eyes and
he said,
Zacchaeus,
make haste,
hurry up
and come
down for
today I
must stay
at your
house.
Well,
there's many
sermons packed
into that but
the reply of
Zacchaeus is
significant,
isn't it?
Or at least
what's said
about him.
He made
haste and
he came
down.
He didn't
say,
let me just
think about
that Lord,
let me just
think about
it for,
maybe I'll
come back
to it
tomorrow.
Let me
just delay
for the
moment,
just give
me this
opportunity
to think
it through
more fully.
No,
he made
haste.
He
instantly
came down
and he
went with
Jesus and
took Jesus
into his
home and
into his
heart.
And that's
tonight what
everyone here
surely is
going to
do.
If you
haven't done
it already,
now is the
moment because
I know he's
speaking to
you.
I know he's
addressing you
with this
question.
I know it's
on your
mind.
I know you
know you
have to
answer it.
But don't
wait until
you're out
that door
before you're
answering it.
what then
must I
do with
this Jesus
who is
called to
Christ?
You know
the answer.
Do it.
Receive him.
Love him.
Let's pray.
Eternal
God,
we give
thanks for
the wonderful
offer of
the gospel.
Lord,
we haven't
earned the
salvation you
offer to us
in it.
we have
not earned
the right
to be in
any way
received by
you
sympathetically.
We have
sinned against
you.
We are
deserving of
nothing more
than that you
should cast
us away from
you.
But you
sent your
Son into
this world.
And Father,
tonight we
give thanks
for him
and for
your love
displayed in
him and
for his
power and
his grace.
And we
ask that for
each of us
tonight our
concern will
be amply
fulfilled in
our response
to this
question.
What then
must I do
with Jesus
who is
called to
Christ?
All by
your grace
help us to
welcome you
and to
live for
you.
For your
name's
sake.
Amen.
We're going
to conclude
now by
singing in
Psalm 11.
Psalm number
11 and
that's on
page 13.
singing
verses 4
to 7.
The tune
is rocking
him.
The Lord
is in
his holy
place.
The Lord
is on
his heavenly
throne.
His eyes
observe the
human race
and in
his sight
each one
is known.
The Lord
examines all
the just.
The righteous
one he
proves and
tests.
But all
those who
love wickedness
and violence
his soul
detests.
Upon the
wicked he
will rain
his fiery
coals and
sulfur hot.
A scorching
wind will
beat on
them.
Such punishment
will be
their lot.
For God
the Lord
is righteous
still.
In
righteousness
he takes
delight.
And they
alone will
see his
face.
Who are
in heart
and life
upright.
These four
verses in
conclusion.
Amen.
The wickedness and my ownness is so detest.
Upon the wind he will rain, his mighty colds and silver calls.
A scorching wind will be the man, such punishment will be their own.
For God the Lord is righteous still, in righteousness he takes delight.
And they alone will sing his face, through high in heart and life of pride.
After the benediction tonight, I'll go to the door to my left here.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and evermore. Amen.
Amen.