Greatest Commandment to Great Commission: Waiting with a Purpose

morning church

Maybe a little throat-clearing had a couple hives songs in there today. But it's kind of weather, please. Oh goodness. Gracious what we're closing in on Easter Sunday. And if you've been in the last 3 weeks Mike's preached Matthew 22 23 and 24. So today we're doing Matthew 25 I didn't see that coming the other 25 26 27 28 28 conveniently enough as if we plan this is the story of the Easter story. If you will be up to that it made it for I think I believed to be a very compelling interesting walkthrough kind of the Jesus's final teachings right from the the great commandment which started in the 22 all the way to the Great Commission, which is at least, you know, 2825 start reading and math. You're pretty lengthy all great and they do read fast. It's very it's this is very easy to read as confusing Crafters would like the lineages and genealogy and stuff but will start today or read Matthew 25:31 to the end and follow along with me if you would When the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on a glorious Throne beforehand will be gathered all the nations and he will separate people one from another as a Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, you are blessed by my father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world 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. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited I was in prison and you came to me then the righteous will answer. Him saying Lord. When did we see you hungry and feed you were thirsty and give you drink and what do we see you as strange and welcome you or naked and clothe you. And when we see you sick or in prison and visit you and it came 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 bless you. Then. He will say depart from me you cursive into the Eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me know Drake 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. Did they also will answer Lord? When did we see you hungry or thirsty for a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you. Then. He will say to them then. He will answer them saying truly I say to you as you did not do it the one of the least of these you did not do it to me. And these will go away into Eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life with me, please. Lordy say is that this is a tough tough sermon pretty convicting for me putting it together Lord and I are I pray that my words they would be your words that it's the Bible that sticks its the Bible that is her Lord. These words are more powerful than anything. I could ever come up with on my very best day Lord. So I want you to hide me deep inside scripture today and I want your words to speak just as we sang earlier Lord Speak Lord through your words today to all of us and help us to just have a wonderful time and of worship in celebrating and learning about your will for us because I'm at right now.

All right. So on we go. Do we want to be sheep or goat? Anybody here voting for goat any goat voters probably not cheap clearly sounds like that's the way you want to head here right get to go to heaven. The goats are not not so welcoming Heaven. She go to eternal life with the Lord go to return to live without the Lord unbelievable there was going to get a live forever. It's just what are you going to be up to? You can be with God. He could be without the choice seems obvious. So then the next question logically is how do we become sheep? And it's probably a lot of years. Maybe the perked up and said hold on a minute. I just want to know what the thing I have to do to go to heaven. He's going to tell us. No, I'm not but I will say this in the passage. We see examples from Jesus of sheeply behavior and the next bullet here is serve serve serve in this entire chunk. We're at he is You Don't See Jesus talking at all about ordained yourselves or do a lot of you know, well wishing and study in the study. We don't see any of that get a degree get married have a bunch of kids were talking about today what we see him talking about today is serving others. This is the only example in this illustration.

Write the king says when you get when I was hungry you gave me food and I searched thing you gave me drink at serving somebody that's hungry serving somebody it's thirsty strangers by welcoming than what he's talking about hearing what we see the contrast here is we are we are called to serve. all people at everybody the least of each. Not just those weird my or benefit from There's a lot of discussion you see this in the world about just philanthropy in general. I don't know who Jesus is good thing in the back of somebody's going to say that they're doing by philanthropy voting yourself in his most humble. Right? It's not philanthropy. If it benefits you looks good on my resume the benefit to Christ when we look at him as an example of service sure if I could, you know King of the servants is what he went through was of no benefit to him necessarily right part of God and God wanted to be just to serve in Salvation and it's part of a big plan but Christ suffered and was humiliated. He didn't put together a resume to get to walk around saying that's pretty big deal for me. We understand that to be a big deal because we understand the concept of right price did that for the glory of God? He served all of us for God's glory. What he's talking to these people here in this example. He says that the Kings the king is talking to these people except for his sheep from the goats and their view of the king. If you think quote making me would have called you or hungry would offend you but we never saw you always saw all these poor people here were far too busy to do with it. Can we see this now being a problem and not just any old problem, right? Just talking about perseverance. Perseverance you probably heard this used a lot of perseverance of the Saints and the tournaments turn around. If about being saved all the way to the end of matter what happens, Define is persistence is in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Difficulty into light that has anyone ever faced those two things difficulty and delay in life. I have that whilst I'm probably 20-30 times this week. now about those two specifically doing the work of the Lord. I ask that because I want people to stop and think a little bit a lot of times what we see is when it comes time to persevere through something like building a house or fixing a car or Celebrating a birthday or something like that. We say well, we just got to get through this right if your house was the roof was leaking out right away GIF. You people here would say well it's the Lord's will and the Lord will feel like when he deems it to be best for his glory. Amen. Let it leak people would not do that. We call someone like Steven save my we can f*** it's over here. Can you please come over and fix this up bullet when it comes to doing the work of the Lord? This this comes in a lot like well, I was going to do a greeting Ministry with Russell, but I found it to be difficult. It must not be the Lord's will for me. Hey, man, I'll find another Ministry. It suits me better. And I think what we see here in this example is there are people who are thirsty and hungry and sick and naked and alone and sad and if we are not doing for them what Christ would do for us. We find ourselves hanging around with goats, and that's not where we want to be.

We all we got to do but for how long I okay. I get it. I want to be a sheep. I'm going to persevere. I'm going to Slug It Out first bill until Christ comes back for us. That's a real eye roller. How do I know you'll know when the crisis back? That's when we stop service. That seems easy enough. So why bother why are we here today? Why are we talking about today? Are we biding our time until Christ's return in a little bit. I didn't didn't read it all here. Or are we waiting with a purpose until Christ return what we see is the differentiation here and I'm going to go back and talk about that little bit right so we know that if we're not sure if we aren't if we're not doing for the least of these we find ourselves in a position where the king is why I will say I never knew you you're over here. Now you never serve anybody in my name you never did anything for them in my name as if it were me you only did that benefited you that's not ideal. That we how we fix this right waiting with a purpose this kind of a I am tremendously impatient. I work an it at the old computers alarm computer is by their very existence exists because he got tired of waiting for the day. So what I do for a living is take stuff that's very slow and filled with errors and make it faster and with no are ideally so things like waiting are sort of like what lives must must fix this right? But here in this book at the beginning of this we see two Parables at the Jesus talking about here that are specifically focused on waiting how we should wait. There is a mechanism for this. It's not just woke until prices back. We'll just do our very best and I say that they both like him our time on this Earth to waiting we ought to be waiting anxiously for Christ to come back and if you're not if you're never thought about that way I heard you to dig into scripture talks a lot about that knows that way. I'm not just here right and I thought I look at that as we're in eternity is waiting. There's going to come a day when this whole entire life and all the garbage at least seen here will no longer be even in our I mean it'll be like a million years ago in her head like it. Would you remember that? I can't even remember I can hardly remember the suffering there and maybe I don't even want to bother with it anymore and that day There's stuff for us to do it's not Gathering the church. Take a few songs go out to lunch together complain about some things go to work for a week repeat next Sunday. That is not the fun.

So hold on I'll be working or are we waiting? Yes. We are working while we wait. We are waiting but we're going to wait actively. We are called to wait actively. Jesus has given us a job in this waiting room. If you look at all the time prior to the to the to the destruction of this Earth the second coming of Christ of the finality of Heaven all this time all of us that are members of Christ Church have a job to do and it's not just sit quietly in our chair in the waiting room. If I on a phone that is very tempting that's very comfortable to talk about our small group today introvert extrovert it but I really appreciate a long time. I don't it doesn't bother me by myself or what? I no one can argue with me if I'm by myself is right. But that's not we're supposed to be doing as a church. We're supposed to be doing things like the essentials pantry and Fall Foliage in trunk of paper supposed to be out there talking people in these neighborhoods and engage, you know, what's going on in this waiting room if you think about you might think well, that's kind of lame. I don't want if you're waiting to get in the doctor. Someone's walking on two. Hey, have you heard about my Lord and Saviour doctor? So I know it's not a perfect example, but in this place we are in a waiting room with our people that are desperate and panicking perhaps I Can an ER right where they don't know what the answer is going to be when they can put some back to the doctor's room to give them. Hope like how about this? No matter what the doctor says. It's all going to be. Okay. I can promise you that. Really? I want to know more about that. That's exactly what we're up to it. We Christians know how this all plays out whatever happens as we work through the the process of this world. We know how it all works out. So we're working we're waiting and if you are like me or I guess anybody perhaps of a certain age. I just need the rest. I'll tell you this church. We will grow weary if we go back up the top here. The first example uses the Kingdom of Heaven be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. They talked about some foolishness and I can read the whole thing. The basically the foolish took the lamp to take any oil the wise took last to avoid with her. right So it says here as the bridegroom is in a 20 Matthew 25 verse 5 as a bridegroom was delayed. They all became drowsy and slept. So the bridegroom but the bride all slept while the bridegroom carry those that brought oil and we're prepared those it didn't but they all fell asleep. They all had that all needed rest, but the wise Brides oil with him before they slept so they were they were able to rest when the work that they had to do in the in the near-term that was given to them was done. I think that's really really important enough right? It's not the five lazy bride you slept and the the well prepared bride never arrested. They were eternally in boxing with her lamp and worrying about it. They didn't do that. They brought their lamps. They brought the oil that way they'd be ready to go when the bridegroom crane when they were tired they suck. They were prepared for the coming at any time if they were awake when he came all rights ready if I was asleep and I don't know how long I've been asleep and Brian Boyle I brought enough that I can refill it and get back to it. I realize that that that that argument is may be tough to understand in some regards and like lamps and oil my wood have driving if that's all right. What we don't need to get lost in all that there's a wonderful history City about why all this works, but that's not really pertinent to what we're talking about today. The key thing here is being prepared right as we grow tired. I want to grow lazy we just need rest. I think sometimes what happens as we grow tired myself included and I want to stop doing everything the heck with the lamp in the oil and everything around you. I need a break take a break take a rest and we talked about in leadership something to talk about that you're going through our constitution about getting people so that that's the whole point of you been serving in a Ministry for 3 years you need rest. You need rest you've done a good job of keeping a lamp going. You've got a little set aside. Take some time fall asleep. Take some rest then if the if the bridegroom comes while you're away your country you're at your oil sitting next to your lamp over ready to rock and roll if you will. Maybe you're not as gifted as other so you'll just wait patient. This is the other side of this, right? Well, that's great. I'm not one of those Brides. It has a lot of oil or nice lamp if you will so that brings us to the first 14 and if you've not read this chapter in Matthew I encourage you to do it because it's wonderful says that at the end of the bridegroom. Be the bride the end of the brides of Dracula bridegroom comes and the rides are ready come in the others like always here. you got to go buy some more so they disappear to go buy oil rig room open the door in

And he says I truly I say to you. I don't know you watch therefore for you know, neither the day nor the hour. The moral of the story is don't go buy lamp oil. Do you need oil get it the point is what we're up to the way that we're cultivating our Ministries. We need to understand that price could come back at any time. Don't put off tomorrow the work of the Lord that could be done today. That's a little bit of Crash Nation things fun for that. But it's the truth if these bright and brought the oil that they knew they needed. They wouldn't have this problem, but they did I do not know. That's pretty that's pretty condemning. Speech right and we were thinking or just oil. That should give us that should make us think goodness gracious. If the king is not strict about being present when he's needing you to be present. Maybe we ought to be right and I would say that's exactly right here. We're moving to the next thing 14. We're likely a man going on a journey to call the service and entrusted that to them his property to when he gave 5 talents to another two to another one to each according to his ability. Then he went away. What we see here is I'm not as gifted as others. I'll just wait patient. That's not a good idea to say. Right. I don't have all the town to this other person. I'll just

that is that is absolutely a terrible idea and I say that with utmost confidence right here in the word. We see this happen to one. He gave 5 talents to the other two are like a foreign currency, right but it's ironic that we could use it really would just talents in general in our world right this person. They all have a job to do. Frank, forgiving according to ability and where does ability come from Russell mentioned this morning and are picked to be born? I want to write that was something he was dictated to us the skills that I have. I can cultivate them. Right but the fundamental ability for me to play guitar comes to the fact that I've got hands and arms capable of doing that. I had nothing to do with it cuz there's something that I didn't grow these if there's got left off. I'm done. I can't bring it back. Right? So we lose sight of that in this case. Maybe you're not good at playing the guitar singing or whatever else. Maybe you're you're struggling her reading is difficult for your whatever don't worry about that. There is work to be done. Even with one Talent. There's something to me. And that's what we see happening right here. The servants were expected to do their best with what they were given. So we see here is a he disappears for a while, then not not now after a long time. The master of those servants came and settled Accounts at them and he had the five towns came forward with five more saying delivered me five and I made Five Towns more what you gave me. I got busy with that and I doubled it.

His master said well done good and faithful servant. You've been Faithful over little I will set you over much enter into the joy of your master. Here are the two towns came forward to me to talents here. I have made two towns more. So they both made 100% of what they were get it. And he says well done good and faithful servant. You have been Faithful over little I will set you over much enter into the joy of your master and I don't miss this. Look at verses 21 and 23 in my word. They are II I don't know if he has to be that I'm looking at exactly this time I gave you.

Have you been Faithful over little I will set you overmuch five number two comes forward. Have you been faithful to I will set you over Munch write the tablets Come From. He's going to bestow to those what he sees you will do as he pleases then here comes the person. I got one. He would also receive one-time master. I knew you to be a hard man reaping what you did not sow and Gathering where you scatter no seat. So I was afraid and I went ahead Yorktown the ground here you have what is your but he didn't lose God gave my talent he gave God the talent back. At least you broke it. Nice. Try servant you are. Okay. I'll set you over a little. That's on my mind says you Wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap what I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers and it might coming I should have received. What was my own with interest. So take the town from him and give it to him who has a ten talents for the everyone who has will for her for to everyone who has won more be given and he will have an abundance the from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away and cast the work was serving in the outer darkness in that place. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Spoiler alert weeping and gnashing of teeth is not Bedford. Indiana is rough down there but it ain't that rock not a good place to be right. This is not good. This doesn't end up with you tried. So you can kind of go to like sub Heaven know you blew it. You had a talent that I gave you and you God consumed that you knew what was best and you made decisions you chose to wait it out bury it and at least when God comes back I'll give him back what he gave me I got said I already gave you that. What that back? I wanted one more I gave you five want five more.

The only server rebuke was the one that did nothing but wait. And what's funny is the way that the servant says this I knew you to be a hard man. All right. And if I was going to have it shows what you know, right? Maybe a little nibbler.

This is probably the next day. Are they saved by their works? If I know me. Don't get lost in the fact that well, I better get busy cuz I want to be a sheep. So I'm going to go out there and serve people so I can go to heaven. That's my driving for. These Works indicate their salvation. I can't stress that enough. They are not saved by these Works what they're doing doesn't save them they are doing it because they are safe. If you're sitting here today saying I don't know. But I'm saved but I want to be do not go serve people for salvation. Don't do it. That is I'm telling you don't do it figure out how to make Jesus the Lord your life and he will drive you to serve people in this manner these goats weren't I believe in Jesus and love him dearly. I just got caught up. That's not what happened. They knew what they were doing what they want two things for themselves. I'm serving those that benefit me. I serve people and get photo ops with and selfies. All this mess has nothing to do with the Gloria got nothing to do with Christ those folks that are serving. We're surprised in the same manner, right if we go back and read this again when it when he says hey you you did this to the I was thirsty you gave me drink and say yeah, we serve the poor people to go to heaven. I said, when did we see you hungry and feed you don't even understand how I know that you're mine. You serve them as if they were me you did. What Jesus did you sir for God's glory. By doing nothing and waiting for the Lord. They only serve themselves truly. They never know. They never knew the Lord flabbergasted that I don't need you to serve me, right? That's my job. But I don't need anything from you what we do here in the things that we do the essentials Pantry not to get us into heaven because God said since you're coming to Heaven, I want your heart to break for people the way that mind it. Why when you sit here and you look at the city, you see the depravity you read about a drug overdose and it breaks your heart. You say we can't fix that with rehab. We got to get Jesus in the midst of that. That's good stuff. Then you say Lord. Let's figure this out. Give me a town. Give me five. Whatever it takes. I'm going to go to struggle. Pray out loud. I struggle to read I'm not good with this and any other we talked about this morning sometime to somebody and saying what I'm confused by Jesus say all I know is it Jesus brought me back to life and everything that I do is exactly what he would have me do. That's what I can tell you a little Tails in my life and the things that I've done the ins and outs and ups and downs prices are the whole time. He's redeeming me through all that but the key thing here isn't look at all the wonderful things. I did Lord like the sheep. Look what I'm doing. I'm fainting sheep lenus excellently ice helped many people cuz the word said to do it. Yeah, but if we go back to what Mike said the real thing we're supposed to do is love the Lord Our God with all your heart mind.

This stuff is part 2 now serve others like a freight train to hell. What a nice goat by.

Truly, they never knew the Lord. So here we are. You don't know the Lord. I'm here in this today. I might be a belt I might be asleep. I don't know if you're confused by that and it may be heard the term Assurance in the past. Maybe maybe never heard the term insurance perennial struggle for Christian Baptist, especially that I'm going to get some sheep and not a goat. Right. I've looked I serve lots of people isn't that enough? No, not enough. This example doesn't tell us how we are to be safe. It tells us how we know that we are doing these things because Christ has broken our hearts for the world. He's creating an us a heart like his right. I'm going to help people this it was Pantry not for my game so I can go to heaven. I'm going to help people the Sioux Falls Pantry because I know I'm going to heaven and it's the least I could do to express my gratitude. And that is exactly what he's asked me to do. Sir, people visit him in prison, give them food. Give them drink be with them when they're alone. Spend some time with them talk to them share the gospel. Love them care for them. That means something but it only needs something if I'm doing it because God first did something in my life, but it's all started all this best life now business about all of it take five things and throw one away or whatever nonsense people come up with. It's not that this has no impact on your life. It does but it's completely in a world where you don't know Jesus Christ. It means nothing at all. Nothing. Maybe you're way more organized. Maybe you cleaned up. Everything is black and red all over the place all the way to hell if you will be completely confused listen everything in my life. I I donated the people who donated things you didn't want. right I'm doing taco stuff to Goodwill, but I can tell you this much. I never said I got this new thing. I've never done it one time Goodwill gets the stuff. I have no use for and then the world tells us that's very charitable Wonderful Wonderful by Sharon garbage for what a hero you are the Lord of love that no, he will not now when you come over here and you give that to somebody else when you could actually be doing something may be more beneficial to you personally and you're doing it because God has wrecked you that I can't sleep if I don't get up and pray for this person. And I got to pray I did my 30 minute shift, you know, I said I do it or whatever, you know, you know our struggles. Hey, man, we don't want that. We want to do we want what we talk about when we talk about why we're here and we understand it will Christ died for me and I get that but I want Assurance. I don't want to be a goat. First principles here are then by all means. Let's get together. Let's talk. Let's pray. It's sticking to the work but answer some questions. It was a long time in my life after I was baptized. I gave my life to Christ that I understood what Assurance meant it took a long time because it's really fits hazy at the beginning. But why do I want to go to heaven? And I think that question is pertinent John Piper has a wonderful! As soon as I could. Which one is but he says if you if you were in heaven and all the recreation you ever want all the people you love her there and if you have plenty of resources to eat and drink and by and take vacations in the whole world is yours and everything that you load about this world is corrected. But God's Not There.

What would that be? That broke me up.

If that's where you are today, I will assert that you do not know Jesus. , we want to play today. If the notion of heaven with everything that you want on this Earth there and know God is appealing then you don't know God. God Is Bigger Than all that stuff right and it's it's a long and I know it's a difficult to difficult to turn sometimes the idea that I'm going to pursue the Lord and not the things of this world, but that is exactly what we're talking about here in Afrikaans. So if you have never committed your life to Jesus is what I'm talking about here is like that's ringing true with me and it's terrifying. I want to know we're glad you're here. We want to talk and play with you. If you've committed your life to Jesus take this time to seek out a better weight with purpose. You're going to be sometime between here and there Maybe not maybe he'll be back here in the next 10 minutes. If so Maranatha, quickly, but if not going to work we're going to rest but we're going to rest when were tired and rest peacefully knowing that we're doing the work we need to be doing right we don't need to be nervous. We don't have to worry about that kind of stuff because they do when they're ready to go.

Pray for God to use you in Mighty ways for his namesake. That his name said I can't stress that enough if what you're doing Mighty things that you're doing is for your own Glory beer clear. I'll ask him not to do it before the show me love chat with you about Calvary Heights. If you're ready to commit to membership, please come forward to finalize a new constitution. We have these things ready to go. So, you know, the elders will be up here. If you didn't sign that day or would like to sign anytime feel free to come up we can sign today. There's no limitation that that invitation is always open today Monday or Tuesday probably feel like you missed a window to recover with a true. Let me let me pray for us one more time and we'll have our our time here to us to reflect reduce prison for what? Heavenly Father are you I'm so thankful for this time. I'm thankful for your word. Thank you for you the power that is in a board. And Lord I pray that I was truthful more than eloquent today, Florida. I just really want to communicate what you were word teaches and that's it for and sometimes all the teachers is very difficult for us to even understand or maybe to even appreciate maybe we don't want to hear that. They're going to be those that stand to your left. If you get that Billy that we're doing all the things that made them look like sheep. And you say to them. I never knew you Lord if there's anybody in this congregation today, that doesn't understand where they sit in that regard. We want to talk with them to lead them to you Lord. You will make that Evan it to that. Not me. I can't do it. None of us in this place can look into somebody's heart and know where they stand with you, but you know. And and we we we sit here today and we say what we say when we pray what we pray because we believe Lord that you have sent us here to change this world for your namesake. If someone sits in this conversation today, and they say I don't I just don't know I want to know but I don't know Lord get him out of that chair having to come up here. We want to pray with them. We want to help them find Assurance in your work and it's all here. You don't need a a person outside. You don't need another book. We don't need any sort of process to leave them into that truth Lord. Your word is although we need to know who you are and who we are in your voice. So I left them a few like there are people here today that are members of this church and maybe felt like they're tired of waiting or they're not sure what they're waiting for anyway, Or we know what we're supposed to be doing. You told us hear some great examples here, sir. Love you. First loved the world second get fit saving them for your sake love the people that you told us to love serve. Feed the hungry give drink to the Thirsty Whale. Finally Lord, for those of us that are are waiting with a purpose already in our are in the word and trying to deal with life perhaps. I'm just looking for a church home. Looking for a place that we can say. This is my family honor. This is the body of Christ the Gathering of the saints that I'm going to be be a part of Lord we welcome those folks as well. Get another chair. We have a lot of work to do and we're going to stay busy till you come back for it and help us. Did you better work for you? of all of us military Thanks again for this time together Lord. Thank you so much for your word. Thank you for the power in your word and thank you for your son what he do.