8-30-20 Morning Worship

We live in world that is moving so quickly. Even amid a Corona shutdown, technology is in high gear attempting to be first in the race to a vaccine. Our Stock Markets are being dominated by the big, high tech companies like Apple, Google, Tesla, and Facebook. For the first time in world history we have companies that value more than 500 Billion Dollars, one valued at one Trillion Dollars. Truly we are in changing times. The speed with which events are progressing in our world is prophesied in Scripture. Jesus said “Behold, I come quickly”(Rev 22:12 KJV). This carries with it not only the speed with which things will occur but the imminent nature of His coming. I am aware these words were spoken and written around 2,000 years ago but the meaning is the same. Jesus did not tell when these things would come to pass, only that they would come to pass. Everything we have seen in Revelation will happen! From the three years of peace to the betrayal of the Beast. From the opening of the seals to the blowing of the trumpets and the pouring of the vials, events move with mind-boggling speed. It is clear to me that the text divides the playing fields into two. The first is the events that occur on the earth. Once the Church is called “Come up here” in Chapter 4:1, our Lord convenes the Judgment Seat of Christ. Romans 14:10–12 says, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. . . . So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God” (ESV). Second Corinthians 5:10 tells us, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”In context, it is clear that both passages refer to Christians, not unbelievers. The judgment seat of Christ, therefore, involves believers giving an account of their lives to Christ. The judgment seat of Christ does not determine salvation; that was determined by Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf (1 John 2:2) and our faith in Him (John 3:16). All of our sins are forgiven, and we will never be condemned for them (Romans 8:1). We should not look at the judgment seat of Christ as God judging our sins, but rather as God rewarding us for our lives. At the judgment seat of Christ, believers are rewarded based on how faithfully they served Christ (1 Corinthians 9:4-27; 2 Timothy 2:5). The other thing that will occur above the earth is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (Because we missed the video on that last week, in the near future I will re-record that message and post it.) Once we are cleaned and united with Christ, we will join Him in the events of Revelation 19:11ff, the subject of our message today.