In
humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
James 1:21-22
They searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether these
things were so. Acts 17:11
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you -
The Second Coming Of Christ
Preface
Those of us who have studied our Bibles any at all, particularly those who have delved into the twenty forth chapter of Matthew must be well aware of our Lord's warning concerning God's judgment and the destruction of the city of Jerusalem; and where He explained in symbolic prophetic judgmental language how that the Roman army would encompass that city and how it would come about that the city would be utterly destroyed. And how that there would be a vast number of its people who would perish. And also that there would be a great persecution which would begin at that time. And Jesus declared that all this would come as a direct consequence because the Jewish people by and large had rejected Him as the Son of God. So of course, this all took place in seventy AD.
But then in the later part of that chapter, the Lord proceeded to discuss the suddenness of God's righteous judgment. --- Still specifically referring to the destruction of Jerusalem and Judaism as a whole; but also of God's wrath and judgment in general. Whether it be on the Jews in 70 AD, or on all mankind at the end of time. And He compares it to God's sudden judgment in the days of Noah. Thus we read in Mt. 24:36-39; --- "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. --- For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. --- For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, --- and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be." --- Vs. 42-44 continues; --- "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. --- But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. --- For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." ---Do you think He might come TODAY?? --- And the rest of that chapter is of course taken up with the unpreparedness of man.
Now as we venture on over into chapter twenty five, we find where Jesus is discussing the same subject, only in a little more profoundly. He goes on with what we might refer to as parables; the first of which is the Ten Virgins (five foolish and five wise). Five were prepared for God's judgment and the other five were not (the sin of indifference). And concerning those who were unprepared, we read in Mt. 25:10; --- "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut." --- What a sad expression of a horrible finality we read here in Mt. 25; when we read these heartbreaking words about people who were not prepared. Foolish people indeed.
And then we drop on down to Mt. 25:14-30 and without going into the whole parable, suffice it to say; we read about a man who had gone on a long journey, and it says that he had some servants. Two were faithful according to their own ability, while there was one who proved to be lazy, slothful and unfruitful. And in this parable of the talents, the master says in Vs. 30; --- "Cast out that worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
All right now, as we come to Vs. 31-34, we come to a place where we need to focus our attention on for the purpose of this lesson. --- "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. --- All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; --- and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. --- Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." --- Then notice down in Vs. 41 where the Lord says to those on His left; --- "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;" --- He continues down in Vs. 46; --- "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but he righteous into eternal life." --- So really, what we have before us are certain scenes which Jesus says are surely to come at His second coming on judgment day.
If you have ever wondered; "What will judgment day be like?" If you've ever thought to yourself; "If there is a judgment day and I'm going to actually be there; what's it going to be like for me personally?" --- So if you really think about it, this is what makes this subject so critically important, simply because anything that involves you personally is naturally important, because you are important to yourself. Right? This is basically a natural phenomena and there's nothing strange about it. We're all like that to one degree or another.
You just listen sometimes, and notice the reaction of people when suddenly on TV there comes a warning for a tornado or hurricane etc. It may say there's a tornado warning off in a neighboring state or county, but when they start naming your own county or city, then all of a sudden your ear becomes acutely attuned to what's about to transpire, and it gets your attention quick. Then you begin to think, "Hey, this is me, this is my family." "This is touching my life and my home might well be destroyed, or worse yet, kill some of my children, my wife"; you see. And when it involves you, then suddenly your ears perk up and you suddenly become very aware; and you are filled with many questions as to; "What's happening??"
So consequently, when you begin considering God's judgment, you're talking about something that involves you much more; ten thousand magnitudes more than when we are talking about a mere storm! Because when you're worried about that storm, it just may be a chance that that storm will miss you all together. --- But conversely, when you talk about the subject of God's judgment; I can guarantee you because the word of God says so; --- YOU WILL BE THERE!! You will assuredly be involved.
You won't be able to send a representative. Oh yes, you may send a representative to Congress, or you may send a messenger over to someone's house for whatever purpose. But dear friend, in that last day when you face the judgment seat of Christ, you personally will be there and there will not be anyone to represent you on that fateful and dreaded day, if you are not prepared.
Beloved, one of the most dramatic chapters in all the Bible is the one we have under consideration right now. And really, we have four scenes written into this "drama", and by the grace of God I invite you to share with me as we examine those scenes. They involve you and all of mankind, saved and lost. --- In the words of the Holy Spirit inspired apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 5:10-12; --- "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. --- Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,---" --- Also in Rom. 14:10 Paul says essentially the same thing; --- "For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. --- For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." --- So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." --- Dear soul, this involves you and it involves me, therefore I beg your close attention because we both will be there.
Lesson
1. The first scene is staged by the Lord Himself back up in our previous reference in Mt. 25:31-32; --- "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. --- All the nations (not just Jews) will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ---and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left."
If you will notice very carefully, the first character of this first scene is the Lord Jesus Himself. So what we have here is THE KING: --- No longer do we have the humble meek Jesus who walked up Calvary with that heavy cross upon His bleeding shoulders. And there's lots of people who think of Jesus, and they continue thinking of Him as the "suffering servant" bearing His own cross. But dear friend, on that last day you will not be gazing upon that meek and gentle Jesus of Calvary; You will bow before the victorious King. And if you will notice here, the words of Jesus shouts across the ages, just as earsplitting as it can possibly be shouted; --- Notice with me what the King has to say in Mt. 25:34; --- "Then the King will say to those on His right, COME" He is the only one with the right, power, ability and absolute authority to say "You will come!" or "You will go!"--- Because Jesus is the Holy Monarch, the King.
For instance if you will notice with me how that the apostle Paul described Jesus as indeed being the King. 1 Tim. 6:15-16; (Vs. 14 indicates that Paul has reference to Christ' second coming); --- "which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, --- who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." --- The apostle Paul envisioned Jesus as being King in the present tense, as they were fully expecting Christ to return at any time. And beloved, right now He is the King.
However, He is King as you accept Him as King; that is, He gives you commands and you accept and obey those commands if you so desire, or you can certainly reject them if you would like. He's not going to reach down and have your head cut off immediately if you don't do what He says.
Oh yes, Jesus is King right now; but in that last day there will be no doubt in anybody's mind who exactly the King is. You can't say; "Now, the Lord will become King at His second coming!" This is the doctrine of pre-millennialism; which proclaims that He will become King, that He will become victorious, and He will at that time reign over His kingdom in Jerusalem on David's literal throne. --- No! Jesus Christ, the Son of Almighty God is presently King!!
But now, when He does come, Jesus declares that He will come in power and glory. Mt. 25:32 says; --- "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne." "He will come in what manner? He will come in glory and splendor. A very dramatic picture that we have here before us. He will appear in all His glory seated on His glorious throne and all nations will be gathered together before Him. Even kings, queens, presidents and all other heads of state will be there, no matter how great or small an individual was or is, he still will bow low before the King of kings and Lord of lords. And if that person has not surrendered his or her life to Him now, in this life; In that last day he will assuredly surrender. Paul describes the event over in 1 Cor. 15:24-25, explaining exactly what is to transpire at the second coming of Jesus; --- "then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. ---(Hear it now) --- For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet."--- The pre-millennialists have it all turned around. They say Jesus will defeat all forces and powers and then He will become King. --- No Sir, the Bible doesn?t say it like that at all. The Book of God says that "He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet."--- And the last enemy of course will be death itself. And it will be at that time Jesus will deliver up the kingdom unto God the Father. Only question is; will you be a citizen of that magnificent kingdom?
Paul paints the same picture in his second epistle to the Thessalonian church over in 2 Thess. 1:6-9 where he tells us, (and again, it's a picture of glory and power); --- "For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, --- and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, --- dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. --- These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power," --- When is this to be, Paul? (Vs. 10) --- "When He comes to be glorified in the saints on that day"
Sometimes I can't help but wonder if most folks really and truly comprehend what awesome power Jesus will demonstrate in that great and final day. Again, this will not be the humble Jesus of Calvary. This is the Mighty Lord Jesus who is now King and who sits at the right hand of the throne of God in heaven; who has all power and is not limited in any way. --- Thus the great apostle John wrote in Rev. 20:11; --- "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them." --- Have you ever given this much thought the way he says it here, seriously? --- Here will be the great white throne; the judgment of God upon all mankind and the Scriptures tell us that; there will be absolutely no place to hide and escape the terrible retribution and wrath which will befall most people. All those unfortunate individuals who are unprepared, that is.
What will they try to do? They'll try desperately to run and hide; but here's a force, a power that they cannot overcome. There's no place to run to, no place to hide, no getting away. So John continues in (Vs. 12); --- "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." --- Of course the first set of books we understand to mean the Bible, the inspired word of God. --- The Lord Jesus declared while here on this earth in Jn. 12:48; --- "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
Oh, careless soul, will you not come to understand that it will not be human opinion that will judge you in the last day. It will not be family, friends or neighbors who will judge you, but rather the written word of God. That will be the perfect standard by which you and I will be judged. --- What will your verdict be? What will your sentence be? --- Oh yes, this first scene is indeed a picture of power and glory. It's a picture of the returning Jesus as we read in Phil. 2:9-11; --- "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, --- so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, --- and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
I wonder if perhaps you might have said to yourself; --- "I'll not confess that Jesus is Lord!" --- "I'll not say that He is the sinless Son of God!"--- I'll not do what He commands, why should I have to obey God?--- Let me suggest to you that you take a good close look at Eccl. 12:13-14. God made you and made you for Himself. The Preacher Solomon says; --- "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is; fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. ---Because God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is good or evil." --- And dear friend if you have not realized that by now, you really need to, that is, if you value your own soul at all. And you need to come to an understanding that this is the basis on which you will be judged.
And if you snub the opportunity to confess Jesus now, and if you decline obeying His gospel now; I can guarantee that you, dear lost soul; when He says "GO!", that you will go. And when He says, "COME!", that you will come. --- But those who will come will be those who have all along been doing what Jesus says. They will be enormously happy to do what Jesus says to do on that day.
But on that last day when Jesus says to those, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;" --- They'll not want to go, and even though perhaps they had never done anything Jesus commanded; in that last day they'll do what He says. --- And YOU will do what He says, even if you don't like it.
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2. Now, the second scene in our drama pictures the Righteous Judgment.
Notice again with me the passage we read earlier in Mt. 25:34; --- "Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." --- Indeed Jesus tells us that God had prepared something magnificent for the faithful. He asks us to be faithful, and He says one of the greatest inspirations that I can offer you to remain faithful is eternal life, eternal joy.
You may well put your money into a bank or strong investments, but wake up in the morning to find it gone. But Jesus said, if you put your treasure in heaven, I promise you that no one will be able to break in to steal it. Look in Mt. 6:19-21; --- "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. --- But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; --- for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." --- Question: Are you now as the righteous, of whom Jesus describes in this picture? --- Are you laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven? If so, then on that last day, in this second scene, you will be one of the chief characters. --- Will you be one of those who have as Paul talked about in Rom. 6:17; --- ? "Become obedient from the heart to that form of teaching/doctrine to which you were committed,"--- which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the righteous. --- You must be if you intend to be a part of this glorious picture in that last day.
But do you know what? The trouble is that there are far too many individuals who have the mindset that that's all they have to do. --- Just get me in the water, baptize me and make me a Christian; and then from now on I can just do what I want to do, and not do anything I don't feel like doing. And on that last day the Lord is just going to welcome me with outstretched arms. This kind of thinking makes me wonder dear careless soul, just how do you think you can have it over the honest and sincere denominational person? The fact is, you have nothing over him. Your plea will be just as pitiful as his plea. Pitiful indeed!
Listen, we need to become consciously aware and realize that when this type individual stands before the Righteous Judge and cries; "Lord I neglected to obey your will when you told me, "he that believes and is baptized shall be saved." (Mk. 16:16) Lord I just didn't think it was all that necessary. --- And when you stand before Him and He calls to your mind so many things you should have been doing, like being faithful onto death. (Rev. 2:10) --- Do you really and truly think you will be better off in the judgment? --- I wonder just how many so professed Christians actually realize what the Scriptures mean by being faithful onto death? The Lord of heaven will settle for nothing less.
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3. The third scene though is the Wicked In Judgment.
Returning to Mt. 25:41, we look at it again; --- "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;" --- And then He goes on explain some of the reasons why they will not be accepted into the fold of salvation on that last day. But isn't it a pitiful situation? --- So many folks have tried to counter this, by rejecting what the Holy Scriptures have to say about eternal damnation. --- You hear some say, "Oh, I just can't picture a loving God who will punish people eternally." OR, "I simply can't come to grips why the Lord would do that to his own people, His own creatures."
Isn?t it a sad and depressing thing that we, as human beings who encompass the little bit of ability and understanding that we have and have the audacity to question Almighty God and say, ?Lord, why do you do like you do?? Isn?t that silly? Isn?t that foolish? --- The Lord simply tells us that He has given us just two ways we can go, and we may go one way or the other. We have two dramatic scenes here which involves us in this life; one here is the picture of the righteous in judgment and we can go with that group. --- Or else owing to our own free choice we can bask in the fleeting pleasures of sin for a season; knowing the threat that hangs over our souls, and realizing one day eternity will smack us right in the face. So we plunge head long into sin and rebellion. It?s simply a matter of choice which you will have to make on your own.
A choice which the Lord will not make for you, but has given you that alternative. The question is: --- Will you live out your life as a faithful Christian in the love and service to your God? --- Or will you of your own adulterated preference reject Christ and refuse to abide by His word?
In the book of Revelation, the apostle John tells us in Rev. 21:8; --- "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons (fornicators and adulterers) and sorcerers and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." --- John continues in Vs. 27; --- "and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, (heaven) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb?s book of life." --- I would venture to confidently say to you right now my friend, you should harbor no fear, lose no sleep over the thought of coming into the company of the faithful in that last day. You have absolutely nothing to dread; you being an unclean individual, one who has never been washed pure and cleansed in the sinless blood of Christ in repentance and baptism. Or perhaps one who has not lived that faithful life in Christ; because you will have no problem with it at all. No problem at all! --- Oh, you'll have problems aplenty, but that won't be one of them, because you are not going to get in. The NKJV tells us in plain language; --- "But there shall by no means enter it?" The Greek phrase here is a double negative which simply means; There is no way in the world, no hope! If your name is not written in the Lamb's book of life. This will be your dreaded terror.
There's a statement that was once made by an old black preacher. He said; "There's a whole lot of people talking bout going to heaven who ain't going there!" And as true as that is, it's so abundantly sad and unnecessary. --- The Lord Jesus warned about it a long time ago in MT. 7:13-14, where Jesus says;---" Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. --- For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." --- And again in Vs. 21; --- "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." --- Yes, there's a whole lot of people who talk about heaven who ain't going there!
In the context of Mt. 7, Jesus is teaching us that one can be lost and go to hell if one allows himself into believing a lie, or false doctrine. You can believe and feel in your heart that you are saved all day long, but friend, if what you have been taught to believe does not stack up against the truth of the gospel, then you are still lost in your sins. Just as lost as you can be. And being "almost persuaded" has never saved anyone; not a king named Agrippa and not you. --- In Acts 27:27-28 Paul asked King Agrippa; --- "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." --- And Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." Paul was for sure teaching the truth and King Agrippa knew it, none the less he remained uncommitted and unsaved.
But not only will false doctrine cause one to be lost in the last day, but also, simply a lack of compassion. You may have obeyed everything else dear soul, but if you fail to demonstrate compassion upon your fellow man and especially the brethren, then Jesus; the Lord Himself says you are lost. In our text of Mt. 25:41-43 we read; --- "Then He will also say to those on His left, `Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; --- for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; ---I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me." --- Which brings us to our fourth and final scene:
4. Eternity
Our Lord is very specific as to the outcome of you and I if we fail to show compassion. (Vs. 46) continues; "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
You know, we have attempted by many different means and many different illustrations to portray heaven and hell; and in vain do we try to describe the time-less-ness of eternity and while doing so, we try to talk about something that feeble man with his finite capability simply cannot understand or comprehend. It?s a subject which passes all of man?s knowledge. Why? --- Because he's caught between dark and death, and he is timed by darkness and death.
He is acutely aware that he has a beginning, and he will have an end as respect to this world. So he realizes that one day he will breath his last; and that his old heart muscle will pump it's last ounce of blood. And in like manner, he realizes it will be time for him to face his eternal destiny. --- There is not a sadder experience in all this world than to witness an individual who is on the brink of death helplessly and hopelessly lost, knowing he is outside of Christ. --- You know there's not a thing you can do for him, because he has made his unfortunate choice to leave this life un-prepared. Nothing sadder!!
But you know, not everyone is like that. It may well be that a swift death will overtake you and you may not have an opportunity to repent. --- You may not survive long enough to be baptized into Christ and become a real Christian. Eternity is much too long, the missing rewards worth too much. There is nothing in this wide world that you ought to place before eternity, not one thing! In Mt. 16:26, Jesus warns; --- "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul" Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" --- How can the soul of man possibly be worth eternity separated from the love of Christ? How can you even talk about something or someone in terms of eternity? --- Listen to the words of the Righteous King in Vs. 46 again; --- "These will go away into eternal punishment." Not punishment for an hour, or day, a year, or even for a lifetime; but punishment forever and ever.
It's quite possible that one of you could be arrested and imprisoned for ninety nine years for whatever reason; or you may perchance be involved in some tragic accident that would leave you hopelessly paralyzed for the rest of your life. But someday, even if it takes death, if you are a faithful Christian you'll be able to break those bonds. And the gracious Lord has promised you an eternal home in heaven.
But then on the other hand, if you examine your own spiritual situation in the pure white light of God's Holy word; and you find yourself on the other side of the fence in this forth scene, then will you not realize there'll never be a day when you will be able to breathe a sigh of relief and say; "Finally it's over, now I can just lay down and die!" --- There'll never be another day throughout all eternity when you will be able to say, "O, thank goodness, tomorrow I'll be out of it." "Tomorrow I can just simply go into non-existence."
But don't you recognize O careless soul, in eternity, there is no tomorrow, no relief, no dying. For you, it will be eternal dying and never ending pain and suffering in torment. --- If you don't do something today, right now to rectify this situation while you still have the breath of life and choice in your body and mind, you may well never have another opportunity.
There are lots of people in hospitals all over this country and in the world who are saying; "Finally, sweet death is coming to me and now I'll finally be out of this pain and misery"; when there awaits them a pain that is far, far, intrinsically worse than anything they could ever imagine, and far more eternal.
The second coming of Christ will indeed be a sad, sad day for you if you are not a Christian, faithful unto death. --- "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10) --- Vs. 11 continues; --"Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,--."
If the Righteous Judge should come right now, this very day, where would you be? On the right in Christ having obeyed; Mk. 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, 1 Cor. 15:58 and Rev. 2:10. --- Or on the left having stubbornly spurned the Christ who gave His life for you and rejected His word which is your only hope of eternal salvation.
