Begin at the End

Matthew 25:31-46

Time is your most precious resource; make every minute count! – Brian Tracy

Earlier this week, our nation remembered the value of life and legacy as an entire nation mourned the loss of our 39th President Jimmy Carter. As the tribute to this man’s life was shown on national television many people told their story of how he impacted their lives.

Today, stop and reflect on the impact your life has on others around you. Recognize for a moment, that your life connects, crisscrosses, and overlaps with 1000’s of different individuals through the span of your time on this earth. This means that you can have a Kingdom Impact upon of 1000’s of individuals in your lifetime if you choose to be intentional about “Making Your Life Count for the Glory of God.”

Time is one of the most precious resources we have, yet it's also one of the easiest to squander. We often get caught up in the demands of our daily lives, the distractions, and the busyness of our to-do lists. But the reality is that time, once gone, can never be bought back. The psalmist in Psalm 90:12 gives us a powerful reminder about making our time count in this life as he states, “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

This passage isn't about counting every minute, but recognizing the value of each moment.

Every day we have is an opportunity to invest in something that will outlast us, to build relationships, grow in wisdom, and live a life of purpose. But that only happens when we choose to be intentional about “Making Our Lives Count for the Kingdom of God.”

If this is something that intrigues you, something that you want to make sure you accomplish, something you want to start this year, this moment then this message is for you.

We live in a world that strongly encourages you to simply live for the moment but the wise, the ones who make their mark on this world in a lasting way understand that you must live with eternity in mind every day.

Stephen Covey is a leadership author who once wrote a book called the “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” As you begin studying these seven habits, you come to Habit #2 which he declares is the knowledge and fortitude to “Begin With the End in Mind.” During the Joshua Men Discipleship process, the men are required to read the book, “Living Forward.” There is a section of the book that is titled, “Begin at the End” where the men are called to imagine the end of their life and what they want people to remember about them. I have the men think about their own eulogy, what people would say about the life that impacted others.

Author David Brooks, says in “The Road to Character” that there are two different kinds of virtues in life. There are the resume virtues that you list on a resume, skills that you bring to a job, skills that contribute to external success. But there is also “Eulogy Virtues” which are the virtues talked about at your funeral. These are the virtues that exist at the core of your being—whether your kind, courageous, honest, trustworthy, faithful, and much more.

For the Joshua Men that I train, I ask them to think about the kind of men they want to be remembered as giving them a goal as to which to strive to accomplish. But then I challenge these men to begin mapping out an action plan to get them where God wants them to be at the end of this life.

Today, I want to invite you “Begin at the End” and ask yourself what it is that you want to accomplish for the Glory of God while you have breath then make a plan to “Make Your Life Count” starting today.

To gain a better idea of how to do this then turn with me to Matthew 25:31-46.

Matthew 25:31-46 (ESV) – 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

41 “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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Big Idea – Make Your Life Count for the Glory of God

by Choosing to Make a Kingdom Impact Every Day

Quote – “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” – C.T. Studd

The Three “C’s” of the Faithfully Focused Christian

Today, we dive into this text to gain wisdom regarding how we better live for the Kingdom of God. It is within these verses that we see the “Three C’s of the Faithfully Focused Christian.” We will see the importance of (1) Clarity, (2) Conviction, and (3) Consequences as we learn to make our lives count for the glory of God.

Action #1 – Clarity

The first action step of the three “C’s” is found as we look to verses 31-32 and gain clarity regarding living this life with an eternal focus.

Matthew 25:31-32 (ESV) – 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

As we read this text, we see Jesus begins this parable by presenting a vivid picture of the final judgment, where every person will be held accountable before the throne of God.

This parable is about the second coming of Christ. That first phrase—“When the Son of Man comes in his glory” (25:31) refers to his return. As we read these verses, it gives the picture of judgment where all the nations and everyone in them will be judged before the Lord as the people are separated one from another like shepherd separating the sheep from the goats.

This imagery thrusts our hearts and minds into a moment of clarity as we connect this future date to the description of the Apostle Paul about the same occasion as found in 2 Thes. 1:7-8.

Along with the Lord at His appearing in glory and judgment will be the magnificent host of all His heavenly angels. At that time, Paul says, “the Lord Jesus shall 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” (2 Thess. 1:7–8).

Paul also reminds us in Colossians 3:4 that when the Lord returns, then He comes not only with His angels but with His saints. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Continuing in clarity, we see that the place of Christ’s judgment will be the earth, where He will sit on His glorious throne.

The last part of this verse that gives us great clarity is when we see that Christ will gather all the nations and separate the people like that of sheep and goats.

In the NT times, sheep and goats were often herded together. The sheep are docile, gentle creatures, whereas goats are unruly and rambunctious and can easily upset the sheep. Because they do not feed or rest well together, the shepherd often separates them for grazing and for sleeping at night.

In a similar way the Lord Jesus Christ will separate believers from unbelievers when He returns to establish His millennial kingdom. He will put the believing sheep on His right, the place of favor and blessing. But the unbelieving goats He will put on the left, the place of disfavor and rejection.

My friends, you want to make your life count and live each day for the glory of God then “Begin with the End” in mind. Never forget the clarity of this imagery for it is FACT not FICTION and with this in mind may it compel you to live each day focused on eternity then you will be ready for the return of the king.

Action #1 – Clarity: Live Each Day Focused on Eternity and You Will Be R

and You Will Be Ready for the Return of the King

Illustration: C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, writes: “A man who aspires to be a saint must see the eternal in the moment, and must live in such a way that his present decisions are linked to the eternal.” The eternal judgment of our lives calls us to make choices now that align with God’s kingdom purposes.

Make Your Life Count for the Glory of God Starting Today

Action #2 – Conviction

The second action step of the faithfully focused Christian in living life for the glory of God is found in their conviction to honor the Lord with heart, mind, soul, and action.

Matthew 25:33-40 (ESV) – 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Notice that sheep on the right receive the blessing as the King says, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Notice just for a moment that even before the foundation of the world, the Kingdom was prepared and waiting for those who faithfully serve the Lord. Please keep in mind us you unpack this text that these individuals are receiving the blessing of the King because of their trust in Him and their actions are response of their love for Him which unquestionably show their devotion to Him.

Otherwise, they receive the blessing due to the King’s grace not the servants good deeds. Remember what we have already learned in this series from Ephesians 2:8,

Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…

Regarding the faithful followers of the Lord, Jesus lists six areas where these followers put their faith into action and humbly served the Lord shows the for the faithful good deeds for the Lord are the fruit of our salvation not the root of our salvation.

The faithful of the Lord ministered to others that were (1) hungry, (2) thirsty, (3) strangers, (4) naked, (5) sick, and (6) those in prison.

1 John 3:17-18 – If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need—how can God’s love reside in him? Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

The King addresses these faithful as the righteous, because they have been made righteous by Christ. Their works of service to those in need gives evidence that they are the product of divine “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

The righteous are those who live lives of selfless service for others, reflecting God’s love through practical actions. They respond to the Lord in a humble manner for they did not see that they did anything out of the ordinary that a faithful follower would do but the Lord recognizes their faith and action telling them as you did unto the least of these you did unto me. If you want to Make your life count for the glory of God then begin with the end in mind.

John Wesley famously said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Wesley understood that faithfulness isn’t a single action but a continuous lifestyle.

Action #2 – Conviction: Living Your Life With the End in Mind

Demands Faithful Action Not Good Intentions

Quote – “Right now counts forever.” – R.C. Sproul

Application: Make serving others a priority. Identify one person this week who needs encouragement, help, or prayer, and take action to show God’s love to them.

Make Your Life Count for the Glory of God Starting Today

Action #3 – Consequences

The final action of living for the Lord to make your life count is found in verses 41-46.

Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV) – 41 “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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

As you reflect on these verses you see the people that have stood before the Lord and give an account of their life. These individuals are the ones who lived more for themselves and less for the Lord. The focus was on their own needs and gain not the spiritual or physical welfare of others. These are the goats and they are lost.

Please note that the goats are condemned not for what they did, but for what they failed to do. It is our actions and sometimes our lack of action that reveal our true spiritual state.

I was curious about this mindset and I did a quick search online and found numerous articles that promoted this type of living: (1) 10 ways to start truly living for yourself, not everybody else, (2) 15 Ways To Start Living For Yourself And Not Others, (3) 13 Easy Ways To Start Living For Yourself And Stop Living For Others, and the list goes on from their.

What I have found in my life is that when the culture cries out so loud to “LIVE THIS WAY AND YOU WILL FIND JOY” or “LIVE LIKE THIS AND YOU WILL FIND PEACE” then often the opposite way of living is the what actually gives you joy, peace, and much more.

If you want the results of living like the culture then follow their model but open your eyes for a moment and you will see that these people that promote living for self are some of the most unhappy, unfulfilled, and discontent people you will ever see in your life.

A study from 2019 found overly focusing on yourself, self-centeredness, causes you to feel more isolated which causes you to focus even more on yourself. A vicious cycle of self-centeredness and loneliness follows. People who over focus on themselves lack empathy for others, are emotionally manipulative, prioritize their own needs above everyone and everything else, damage personal relationships with others, have an inability to listen, have a big ego, lack respect for authority, have a tendency to reject the reality of the one true God, and much more.

Remember that what you choose to do with your life impacts not only you but others as well. Make this year count and begin living for the glory of God like never before. Make this the year of faith in action!

Application: Identify an area where you can take one bold step to put your faith in action this week—whether it’s joining a ministry, volunteering, or reconnecting with someone in need of encouragement.

Action #3 – Consequences: Never Forget that the Choices You Make Each Day M

You Make Each Day Matter for Eternity

Quote – “In the Kingdom of God, the small things matter.” – Richard Foster

Final Illustration: In the movie "Dead Poet’s Society," Robin Williams plays the role of a teacher in an exclusive eastern prep school. On the first day of school, he takes the class of boys out into the hallway to look at the pictures of past, now dead, graduates of the school. He motivates them to learn and excel in life with the following words: "Believe it or not each and every one of us in this room one day will stop breathing, and some day we will die. Step forward and see these faces from the past. They were just like you are now. They believed they were destined for great things. Their eyes are full of hope. But, you see, gentlemen, these boys are now no longer here. If you listen real close, you will hear them whisper their legacy to you. Lean in. What do you hear?" Then Robin says in an eerie grave-like voice, 'Carpe Diem!' (Latin for seize the day) "Seize the day boys! Make your lives extraordinary!"

That’s good advice for every Christian! Seize the day while you may!

Make Your Life Count for the Glory of God Starting Today

Memory Verse

Matthew 25:21 (ESV) – His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Challenge:

You are called to consistently apply the divine principles and truths found in the Word of God. Take the next step in your study by (1) Discussing and applying the sermon with your family or small group or (2) Participating in a Sunday School class.