WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.400 Okay, so we've taken that last section of Matthew 25 and it's really a summary of 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:11.599 there's a number of parables that are in the earlier part of that chapter and in 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:17.160 the last part of chapter 24 but they're all on the same theme. Well the parables 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:21.600 particular is speaking about being ready and then this last story it's not a 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:27.280 parable about the final judgment is just Jesus speaking forward into his 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:33.320 return. Now if you were to take a look around you today into your own world or 00:00:33.320 --> 00:00:38.160 into the world in which we live you'd recognize and we'd all recognize that 00:00:38.160 --> 00:00:42.760 everything actually everything points to judgment. There's judgment 00:00:42.760 --> 00:00:48.480 everywhere around us and it's a very unpopular concept in many ways but it's 00:00:48.480 --> 00:00:54.760 absolutely central to our lives. If you mentioned God as judge or judgment day 00:00:54.759 --> 00:01:00.960 and God is judge on that day that many people might sneer and mock at that but 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:08.560 we by doing so we are we're taking the place of judgment ourselves in a sense 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:13.039 aren't we we're declaring the verdict and some we like declaring the verdict 00:01:13.039 --> 00:01:19.799 don't we especially on others we're not so keen in it on coming back to ourselves 00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:25.079 or on our terms we'd rather on our terms but as we look around us today as and as 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:30.799 you look around you today I think there's two questions that bleed from our 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:37.759 DNA every single day that are on the theme of judgment and the first one is 00:01:37.759 --> 00:01:43.000 am I good enough that you might not think you asked that question but I 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:47.400 guarantee subconsciously you're asking that question a hundred times a day am I 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:52.840 good enough am I good enough the whole world in which we live is soaked in that 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:57.800 whole idea of judgment and being good enough you know did I meet do I meet 00:01:57.800 --> 00:02:03.960 my parents standards am I beautiful enough does my boss think of me as a good 00:02:03.960 --> 00:02:09.960 worker enough the whole of the identity politics of the world in which we live is 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:15.360 about belonging do I believe the right things and can I be part of that am I 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:20.400 good enough to be part of that group accepted liked am I worth it the morality 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:24.160 of the world in which we live the elections that are about to happen in 00:02:24.160 --> 00:02:29.440 America it's all going to be based on on whether one of them is good enough to be 00:02:29.440 --> 00:02:35.320 the president is it not the eating disorders the mental health issues the 00:02:35.320 --> 00:02:42.320 self-image the addictions what is it about it's about not being good enough for 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:48.239 many people and we live in that world which judges very harshly these things 00:02:48.239 --> 00:02:53.159 and sometimes we judge ourselves very harshly but I guarantee that every day 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:57.120 you're trying to you're seeking to justify your existence in this world 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:03.280 am I good enough for this world so that may be one one area in which judgment is 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:07.959 very real but the another area in which judgment is real is the question of when 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:13.120 we ask the question why when you're asking that question why is something 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:19.040 happening you're implicitly looking for an answer you're expecting that there's 00:03:19.040 --> 00:03:24.719 accountability for everything that happens when we cry for justice when we 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:30.159 see the brutality and the evil around us we want there to be a judgment for 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:35.600 that don't we we want people to be held to account for wrongdoing maybe our lives 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:39.400 sometimes are very sheltered and we don't see that but it was interesting I was 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:50.359 reading something about someone who'd come out of Shabranica and the 00:03:50.359 --> 00:03:56.240 desperate brutality and ethnic cleansing that happened there and this 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:00.639 Christian was saying these people who came out of that they're desperate for a 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:05.079 judgment day you know in the in the casual realities of our lives sometimes 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:09.800 we don't think of that but those who have gone through abject brutality are 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:15.880 crying out for justice maybe sometimes it's in the inequality maybe if it's a 00:04:15.880 --> 00:04:22.240 child of ours is raped maybe if it's in illness if there is no judgment day there 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:28.080 is despair is there not despair for us there's no ultimate standard there's no 00:04:28.080 --> 00:04:34.639 fairness judgment day gives us hope we need a judgment day you need a judgment 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:40.680 day and I need a judgment day we need to think through that whole challenge for 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:46.839 our lives the shadow of accountability is everywhere around us and its reality 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:52.879 is declared here by Jesus so what Jesus is saying here is the truth that 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:57.479 underpins the the shadows of judgment that we see all around us every day so 00:04:57.479 --> 00:05:02.399 what what are we to contend with here in the claims of Jesus and what he says in 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:09.519 this last section of his of this teachings this teaching section that 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:15.279 Matthew writes well really we're reminded that this is his fair well 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:21.039 address as it were this is the last public address that Jesus gives to his 00:05:21.039 --> 00:05:27.079 disciples into the crowds now Samuel Johnston was a poet and a writer in the 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:33.000 18th century in England and he said at one to very famous quote he said dependent 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:37.919 it sir when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight it concentrates 00:05:37.919 --> 00:05:43.599 his mind wonderfully and Jesus mind is concentrated wonderfully here he's 00:05:43.599 --> 00:05:49.639 about to be crucified and days ahead he sees clearly he has only days to live 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:55.439 and the important he chooses this because it's such an important message you 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:01.439 know if you only a days to live what would you say he would say important 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:05.279 things wouldn't you see things that mattered things that were significant 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:10.360 and Jesus is doing that he's wanting us to make sense of the shadows as he 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:14.959 descends towards them you know he's surrounded by people who think they're 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:18.839 gonna judge him they're gonna send him to a cross he's gonna be nailed to a tree 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:23.680 he's gonna face judgment day himself and he's saying you think judgment belongs 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:28.079 to you he's saying you think you're crucifying me in your own strength and 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:33.560 power he's saying here to his the crowds to the disciples and to us judgment 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:41.600 belongs to me I own it and before me you will stand even though you push me to a 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:48.160 cross I go there willingly by my own foreknowledge and deliberate plan and 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:55.320 you will stand before me and it's a powerful message and a significant 00:06:55.320 --> 00:07:01.320 message he speaks so we we we contend with that we also contend with what he 00:07:01.320 --> 00:07:08.920 says here and he says he is the king of glory he's the king of glory verse 31 he 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:14.560 says when the Son of man comes in his glory with all his angels with him then 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:19.199 he will sit in his glorious throne and then in verse 34 he goes on to say then 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:24.600 the king will say to those on his right come you who are blessed by my father he 00:07:24.600 --> 00:07:30.280 see if you're God or if my God is a storybook character or if he's just your 00:07:30.280 --> 00:07:36.240 imaginary friend then you might nervously kind of laugh off this concept of 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:44.040 Jesus is the king of kings or the king of glory or you may dismiss it and forget 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:50.760 his self-revelation here he is the king of glory he has sovereign glory this this 00:07:50.760 --> 00:07:58.280 Jesus is the Son of God who is eternal and infinite he's the uncreated creator 00:07:58.280 --> 00:08:05.000 he's the source of all life he's the personal first cause holy and pure all 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:12.960 seeing all knowing God just and try in self-existing divine community in whose 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:20.039 image we are created to love and enjoy to whom we will give account this is the 00:08:20.039 --> 00:08:27.439 king of glory God the Son and there's a great weight of glory connected with 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:32.519 him that's really what glory means it means weightiness it means significance 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:38.960 and he is hugely significant and he is the one as he speaks here that we are 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:45.080 reminded as you sit in your seats this morning and as those at home watch to 00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:53.720 whom we owe every single atom of our being our breath today our heartbeat our 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:59.200 memories the imagination we have the hope for the future every beautiful 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:05.240 experience every lovely meal the joy and the laughter the kind words that someone 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:11.320 spoke to us climbing mountains and seeing the glory of God's creation the 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:16.960 homes that you were born into the gifts the love the creativity that you you 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:26.480 have a warm bath a refreshing shower the first smile of a newborn a soft mattress 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:35.000 a good joke laughter goodness love we owe him everything every single glorious 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:39.360 experience that is part of our lives every breath that allowed you get out of 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:44.480 your bed this morning and walk to church or take the car to church everything 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:54.840 above all we owe him our worship and our love recognizing his glory but that 00:09:54.840 --> 00:10:02.480 exposes doesn't it also the depth of our guilt and the culpability of sin when 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:08.279 we don't see his generosity when we've when people fail and we've all been 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:13.800 there and we all still do this we fail to worship him as the giver when we are 00:10:13.800 --> 00:10:18.879 thankless when we don't reciprocate his love where we take it all for granted 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:26.480 when we live and we use and abuse his gifts and shut him out when we become 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:32.720 his judge you see that's what we so often do we become God's judge we blame 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:39.159 God we proudly sit on the throne of our lives we don't want him to be king we 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:44.039 love his gifts but we don't want him to be king and people and sin is the 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:50.519 rejection of him it's the it's the curse that comes it's the judgment that God 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:59.519 lays on humanity you and me naturally for turning against his holiness and his 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:05.360 justice and his love leaves us condemned every human being that ever lived 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:12.840 condemned spiritually dead never good enough for God never nobody has ever 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:18.840 been good enough for God because of sin the floodgates of of pride and evil 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:25.320 infect and affect and spoil everything so some people are listening now and 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:29.320 they're saying ah there we go there's the harsh God being spoken of the harsh 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:33.720 God of judgment surely he's not going to be like that for me I try my best I do 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:38.759 my hardest I'm surely I'm good enough that's a bleak free church Protestant 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:44.400 Calvinist message you're bringing out there isn't that easier to think that 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:51.840 and yet lest we forget lest we forget this king of glory that's spoken of here 00:11:51.840 --> 00:12:00.120 Jesus says is also the Son of Man when the Son of Man comes in his glory and 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:04.439 all the angels with him it's a beautiful designation a powerful biblical 00:12:04.439 --> 00:12:11.399 designation of Jesus the incarnate son God the Son and that reminder to us is in 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:16.439 the context of judgment and in the context of our condemnation humanity's 00:12:16.439 --> 00:12:23.679 condemnation he says I'll become condemned I'll become one of you I'll be 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:31.079 good enough for God in your place so that you can stand I'll take your failure 00:12:31.079 --> 00:12:37.039 and your condemnation and the curse and the rejection that you have rejected 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:43.919 God with and all that you take for granted and I'll pay the infinite cost 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:51.599 I'm the Son of Man I will walk with you I will live like you yet without sin I'll 00:12:51.599 --> 00:12:59.360 live the life you can't live and yet I'll pay the consequence of death and hell on 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:04.360 the cross I'll become the accursed one you know that says the Bibles from the 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:09.480 beginning says that cursed accursed is anyone who hangs on a tree pointing 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:16.759 forward to what the Son of Man God the Son was to do it's the deepest it's the 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:26.440 most unfathomable mysterious act that has ever been recorded in history but it 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:31.879 gives us our way back to God our identity our purpose so that we can 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:38.919 anticipate the judgment day and not dread the judgment day we'll either do 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:44.000 one or two of these two we're either going to dread that day or we're going 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:52.200 to anticipate it with a huge degree of humility but we have to let 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:56.200 that truth sink in as believers today for Christians here today we have to let 00:13:56.200 --> 00:14:03.160 that truth sink in that Jesus is good enough he was good enough for God in 00:14:03.160 --> 00:14:12.240 our place and he paid the price for us not being for every believer in other 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:16.360 words what I'm saying as we come to a passage like this judgment day has passed 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:23.400 it's already been it happened on the cross judgment day has already happened 00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:28.199 that's a hugely significant and important truth for us to consider what a 00:14:28.199 --> 00:14:33.959 way is taken off you know have you ever have you ever thought of what condemned 00:14:33.959 --> 00:14:39.959 man ever spoke the words of verse 31 of Matthew 25 what condemned man going to 00:14:39.959 --> 00:14:45.959 the crucifixion and going to his death could say when the Son of Man comes in 00:14:45.959 --> 00:14:50.519 his glory and all the angels with him then he will sit on his glorious throne 00:14:50.519 --> 00:14:55.559 that's an astonishing statement for someone who is penniless who is 00:14:55.559 --> 00:15:01.199 friendless who is about to be betrayed and to be nailed to a cross Son of Man 00:15:01.199 --> 00:15:07.120 the same Son of Man is coming back the same Jesus is coming back not as a 00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:13.519 servant not in his humiliated state he's coming back as the shepherd king he's 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:20.439 coming back in his glory not to announce a judgment day but to confirm to 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:28.760 declare a settled verdict that is already known in the eternal future of you 00:15:28.760 --> 00:15:38.360 and me and every single human being the Creator in love because he himself became 00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:45.320 judged became condemned has a double justification to be on the throne on that 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:52.920 day and we remember that it's momentous as he goes to the crucifixion it's not 00:15:52.920 --> 00:16:00.800 unplanned it's infinitely relevant for all of history his everything that we 00:16:00.800 --> 00:16:08.520 face is heading towards that day where we will stand before a judge with nail 00:16:08.520 --> 00:16:14.200 pierced hands and feet remember that we stand but we will stand before a judge 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:19.240 with nail pierced hands and feet and as we have entrusted our lives to him and 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:23.960 you know our lives and some of you might not think this in your youth but our 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:32.400 lives are passing faster than a weaver shuttle we needn't fear that day if we 00:16:32.400 --> 00:16:38.240 have taken him as our Savior and recognize his nail pierced hands and feet 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:42.160 on our behalf so he's us we've seen that he is the King of glories the Son of 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:46.199 man he's the same Jesus who's coming back but he speaks about the fact that 00:16:46.199 --> 00:16:51.879 there'll be a permanent separation before him verse 32 will be gathered all 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:57.199 the nations everyone everyone and he will separate people one from another as a 00:16:57.199 --> 00:17:04.920 set as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats sheep from goats there's 00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:08.240 no intrinsic difference between the two in that passage not that sheep are good 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:12.920 and goats are bad it just said they were separated by the shepherd and in that 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:17.960 culture at night because they needed different things get right and left 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:26.120 there's a clear separation righteous and wicked that's what he says those who 00:17:26.120 --> 00:17:31.440 are righteous and he says that in verse 37 then the righteous will answer him Lord 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.839 and so on when did we see you hungry so there's a there's a there's a separation 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:39.679 there's a difference but we saw that in Sam one didn't we no one's righteous 00:17:39.679 --> 00:17:44.399 nobody nobody nobody can stand before God nobody can be approved by God isn't 00:17:44.399 --> 00:17:50.319 that right who's it speaking of then if no one can stand then it's speaking of 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:55.039 those who are covered in the righteousness of another the righteousness of 00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:00.079 Jesus those who have recognized their guilt and entrusted their judgment on 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:06.000 Jesus Christ whose judgment day has already been and who received the gift 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:10.639 of his life and his righteousness so there is a separation between those who 00:18:10.639 --> 00:18:17.879 believe and those who have not considered and trusted in Jesus and on 00:18:17.879 --> 00:18:23.319 what is that on what is that judgment based other than on that pure fact of 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:26.399 trusting in Jesus well it's very interesting nearly all the way through 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:34.680 the Bible judgment is spoken of by God in terms of works now it's not that works 00:18:34.680 --> 00:18:39.920 it's not that we do things and that saves us but what God is or Jesus 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:43.920 emphasizing is said if we if we've been changed by grace if we have a 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:48.880 transformed heart then it will show itself in our life and in the works of 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:54.320 our life you know faith without works is dead and so often in the Bible the 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:59.720 basis of judgment that God gives is on the basis of what evidence there is of 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:04.359 a changed heart we're changed from the inside out and that's exactly what 00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:09.480 Jesus is saying here he's saying our value system as Christians changes and 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:15.559 there should be evidence of that on that great day of judgment now I think it 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:23.000 means both that we recognize a spiritual poverty but we are also 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:27.799 compassionate and generous in recognizing a material poverty and loss in the 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:34.759 world around us because you know what does he say the king says he welcomes 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:39.799 the blessed that was father into this inheritance and he says for I was hungry 00:19:39.799 --> 00:19:43.759 and he gave me food I was thirsty he gave me drink I was a stranger welcome me I 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:48.000 was naked you clothed me I was sick and you visit me I was in prison you came to 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:52.279 me and the righteous say well when did we do when did we do that and he said 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:56.839 when you did it for the least of your fellow Christians you did it for me and 00:19:56.839 --> 00:20:02.680 so he's saying now I want to get this right it's really important that it's 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:08.440 very difficult in some ways he's saying when we are Christians we have seen what 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:12.639 we were like before God and we could take these things spiritually in other 00:20:12.639 --> 00:20:17.240 words that we were people before God who were starving spiritually unsatisfied 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:24.400 estranged outside broken sick enslaved we were we were we were all these 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:32.319 poverty-stricken realities spiritually and we recognize that we are hopeless 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:37.640 despairing without Jesus but that Jesus came and he gives us identity and 00:20:37.640 --> 00:20:44.319 belonging and nourishment and an inheritance and a hope and when we see 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:48.879 that when we know who we are before God spiritually it changes how we look at 00:20:48.879 --> 00:20:54.799 one another physically and how we treat one another as Christians seeing no in 00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:59.639 Christ changes everything so we look with Christ's eyes both at one another 00:20:59.639 --> 00:21:05.359 spiritually as being needy but being fed in Christ but also can I say 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:13.079 materially and socially that we have a different value system maybe we don't 00:21:13.079 --> 00:21:19.119 judge people by the same standards as the world but rather we look out to 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:28.519 everyone with compassion and with love and with help especially those who are 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:37.199 poorest can I say materially there is a clear material emphasis here that we're 00:21:37.199 --> 00:21:42.559 not just pals together but that we care for and look out for and are interested 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:50.319 in the most vulnerable and the most needy and spiritually the most maybe 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:55.879 unpromising of people as we would to judge them so instinctively as Christians 00:21:55.879 --> 00:22:01.799 we should become non-judgmental because God is judge isn't it it's not about 00:22:01.799 --> 00:22:06.879 discernment this is about judging others and rejecting them oh they're no use 00:22:06.879 --> 00:22:10.559 oh there's no much potential in them other useless Christians they always 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:16.599 fall away this it's not like that we're not to be like that we're instinctively 00:22:16.599 --> 00:22:22.200 generous and outgoing and out attitudes to others because of what we've received 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:29.079 and we're we help those who need help you know Jesus talks about the cup of 00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:32.839 cold water and you know the great act of of this is that it's so it's so 00:22:32.839 --> 00:22:36.200 instinctive that we don't even realize we're doing it because they say in that 00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:40.680 day Lord when did we do that and Jesus says well when you did it for the least 00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:44.279 of your brethren you did it for me so there's no hierarchy within the Christian 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:49.759 community there's no great super duper spiritual Superman Christians ordinary 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:55.840 Christians rubbish Christians it's not like that not from our eyes anyway when 00:22:55.840 --> 00:23:00.920 we see who we are like Paul could say I'm the worst of all sinners I was the 00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:04.960 worst of all sinners we can say that because we know our own hearts therefore 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:11.559 we don't spend our lives judging and going on the throne and judging and 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:17.160 condemning others so that gospel community what Jesus is saying is that 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:25.319 we value who we might regard humanly speaking as the the least of all 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:31.519 believers the most unpromising of all believers maybe the the most struggling 00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:38.599 Christian not just spiritually but even maybe materially and we are kind to all 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:45.879 why is that because when we are kind to them Jesus says we are actually being 00:23:45.879 --> 00:23:54.000 kind to Jesus now that gives the most insignificant apparently and the most 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:58.720 someone who thinks that the least gifted and the least talented believer in the 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:04.240 world great dignity and value because when someone does something nice from a 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:11.720 Christ-centered point of view for them Christ regards it as done for himself so 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:18.319 you as a Christian that gives you and me a great self-worth because when people 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:25.519 do kind and Christian acts towards us in our need Jesus thinks it's been done to 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:32.680 himself so the gospel community is highlighted in the attitudes that is 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:40.759 spoken of here but those on his left will be rejected on that day because they 00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:47.119 reject Jesus Christ and his gospel they reject that sense of need and that sense 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:56.159 of emptiness and that nakedness and that hunger and that rejection they they don't 00:24:56.159 --> 00:24:59.719 accept that God rejects them they don't accept that they're condemned they don't 00:24:59.719 --> 00:25:07.799 accept their need but they will recognize him as Lord on that day Lord even 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:13.159 those who are on the left will say when did we see you like this and he says 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:18.080 when you didn't do it for one of the least of my brothers you didn't do it for 00:25:18.080 --> 00:25:23.560 me so there was a rejection of Christ and his community and his kingdom and his 00:25:23.560 --> 00:25:30.080 work and whatever they did they didn't do it for Jesus Christ that's very 00:25:30.080 --> 00:25:37.360 challenging hugely challenging so how do we react tonight with this I finish 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:47.079 well for me it strikes great fear and a cry of faith in my own heart I believe 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:55.159 but I can't grasp it I can't grasp the awfulness of eternal damnation I can't 00:25:55.159 --> 00:26:00.359 even grasp the beauty of eternal life but I believe it because it comes from 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:07.599 the lips of Jesus the Son of Man the King of glory and the cross and the work 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:16.839 of salvation I pray for deeper trust and deeper wisdom and more humble faith to 00:26:16.839 --> 00:26:21.759 recognize my heart and therefore my attitude to others and how my heart 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:28.719 needs transformed by this truth I think it helps me reflect and I hope it helps 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:32.799 you reflect on the shadows of every day you may be struggle with identity and 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:37.839 with not being good enough you may see around you all the need for 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:42.400 accountability and justice you may see injustice you may think about the law 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:49.360 may think about death and what it means look at it in the light of the reality 00:26:49.360 --> 00:26:57.440 of Jesus and his uniqueness as judge who himself was judged for you so that 00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:04.000 judgment day has passed it does make you it certainly makes me reflect on the 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:10.120 strange beauty of the cross that judgment is already meted out the death 00:27:10.120 --> 00:27:16.360 is already been defeated that Satan is already condemned and lost and is awaiting 00:27:16.360 --> 00:27:23.080 his final destruction it's not about being good enough is it it's about 00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:29.399 Jesus being good enough in our place and being covered in his righteousness and 00:27:29.399 --> 00:27:36.720 the worth that we have from that the self-worth the importance that when 00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:45.159 anyone does anything to us in the name of Jesus Jesus feels that as if it's 00:27:45.159 --> 00:27:50.879 done to himself so it's that great reality and paradox isn't it the 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:55.760 honesty of confessing that we are more wicked than we ever dared to believe 00:27:55.760 --> 00:28:00.480 and yet we're more loved and accepted than Jesus and we ever dared hoped it 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:07.320 ever dared hope and so it leaves us all with a solemn choice doesn't it always 00:28:07.320 --> 00:28:15.000 the Bible never allows us not to make that choice if we reject Jesus in our 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:23.039 lives now then one day whoever it is we will face him again as judge we will we 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:27.839 all everyone will face him every knee will bow every tongue will confess 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:34.000 everyone will say on that day Lord Lord whatever their unbelief now whatever 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:41.680 their security of atheistic thinking is now everyone will face Jesus and it does 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:46.120 speak about the seriousness of sin that the only way it could be dealt with 00:28:46.120 --> 00:28:51.039 with God the Son going to the cross and going to the pit of hell on our behalf 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:57.880 so we can deal with that unbelief now as we come and pray and cry out to the 00:28:57.880 --> 00:29:04.360 living God knowing him as Savior here and now that judgment day is passed isn't 00:29:04.360 --> 00:29:09.920 that great for me for you if you're a Christian judgment days past God is just 00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:15.920 you'll never punish again he's passed he's punished his own son in our place 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:21.000 and these the previous four parables that we didn't read there's a lot of 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:26.080 reading in it the end of chapter 23 and most of chapter 25 these are all 00:29:26.080 --> 00:29:32.240 parables that speak about the need to be ready now living now in the readiness 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:37.200 of the return of Jesus whether it's you would be prepared if a thief if you knew 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:43.440 when a thief was coming to rob your house whether you knew the servant was 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:47.819 the master was coming back and you would act wisely the servant the five 00:29:47.819 --> 00:29:52.200 bridesmaids would be ready for the groom coming if they expected this coming 00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:57.160 they were wise and so being prepared or the irresponsible servant who just 00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:01.400 didn't care about the gifts and talents he'd been given and just blame God for 00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:07.400 it or blamed his master for being unfair all of them in their own cultural 00:30:07.400 --> 00:30:12.920 significant way of the day we're speaking about Jesus coming back and being ready 00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:18.880 for that and and that he still wants us to be ready there's things in these 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:26.840 passages that I don't fully understand but the clear simple messages look into 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:33.919 your heart today and see how your life reflects your understanding of your 00:30:33.919 --> 00:30:39.000 relationship before the living God in mind and how grace is changing us to be 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:47.439 more like him every day in generosity and in compassion to the people around 00:30:47.439 --> 00:30:52.240 about us just as it was with Jesus and I wish I had more time to speak about the 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:57.279 church's response to poverty and the reality that we should be making a 00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:02.720 difference in COVID as a people all the time because of what we are and who we 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:08.759 are we shouldn't be in our lives insular or overly protective we should care and 00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:14.519 love and reach out to those in need all the time both in the church and out with 00:31:14.519 --> 00:31:19.640 the church amen I'll finish with the fifth prayer that the church is praying 00:31:19.640 --> 00:31:24.759 today Lord God we ask and pray that your spirit would bless the preaching of your 00:31:24.759 --> 00:31:33.920 gospel which is good news it's not kind of spiritual and not caring about 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:39.320 material reality or not caring about illness or not caring about pandemic but 00:31:39.320 --> 00:31:45.240 we know that the ultimate answer to our need is spiritual because they're in his 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:49.360 healing and they're in his hope and they then we look to a day when Jesus was 00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:53.240 lusher that's into his new heavens and new earth where there will be no pandemic 00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:58.119 and no illness and no sin and no death and no separation and no tears and no 00:31:58.119 --> 00:32:05.919 funerals and no grief but only perfection and joy beyond our imagination 00:32:05.919 --> 00:32:12.759 beyond what we could even if we were the brainiest cleverest most able to 00:32:12.759 --> 00:32:20.240 understand everything in the universe beyond even that is what we have to 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:25.839 hope and look forward to so we trust you we ask you deep in our trust and deep in 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:43.799 our humility and deep in our understanding of grace today amen