The Church - serving in preparation

The Church - serving in preparation Matthew 25:31-46 The passage which we're looking at today forms part of the teaching that Jesus gave to his disciples whilst he was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the Temple in Jerusalem, during the last week of his earthly life. And, as he sat there with them he spoke about his future return and of the signs that would point to that event, as well as about how his people, how Christians, whilst they waited for him to return, should behave. He told them the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise so that when the bridegroom came their lamps were filled with oil and they went along with him to the wedding banquet, and five of whom were foolish so that their lamps were empty and by the time they'd gone and got them filled they were too late, and the door was closed against them. Jesus also told the disciples the parable of the talents; a story of those who used the gifts that they'd been given so that they were able to give back more to their master when he returned to them, as well as of the one who simply buried their gift, refusing to accept the obligation that had been placed upon them, instead going away and forgetting all about it until it was time to give their master an account of what they'd done with it. Jesus had spoken too of the faithful and wise servant who would look after his master's household as opposed to the wicked servant who would abuse those placed in his care, and of their respective rewards and punishments. And he'd had also told them of the need to be ready for the thief in the night and of those who would either be taken or left behind. Now, in these verses that we've read this morning, Jesus brings all these threads together telling us just how it will be decided into which of these two opposing categories people will be deemed to fall, when the Lord comes to sit on his throne in judgement. When (verse 32) he separates "the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats". In other words, just what it will be that will distinguish Christ's followers from those who've had nothing to do with him during their lifetime. Because the fact was that at first sight the difference between the sheep and the goats, as they grazed together in the open field, wasn't that obvious to the casual observer and it wasn't until night-time that it became clearer when the goats, which had to be kept together because of their need for warmth, were set apart from the sheep which preferred the open air. And in a similar way it won't necessarily be obvious who the people acceptable to God are, and who the people are to whom he will say: "I knew you not", until that final day. As Jesus also tells us in his parable, found in Matthew chapter 13 verse 24-30, where he talks of the weeds growing amongst the wheat only to be pulled up at the harvest when the two will be clearly distinguishable. As Matthew Henry says, "Wicked and godly here dwell together in the same kingdoms, cities, churches, families, and are not certainly distinguishable one from another; such are the infirmities of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners: but in that day they will be separated and parted for ever. They cannot separate themselves one from another in this world, nor can anyone else separate them; but the Lord knows them that are his, and he can separate them." So what will it be that will determine whether people are placed on the Lord's right or on his left, whether at Christ's return they'll be welcomed by him and receive their inheritance, the kingdom prepared for them since the creation of the world, or whether they'll be rejected by him and sent to that place of eternal punishment? What will mark a person out as being a sheep or a goat? Well surely, says the Christian, that's obvious, isn't it? In order to be acceptable to God you must be saved, you must be washed in the blood of the lamb, you must have realised that Christ died for you and then have responded in faith and repentance to that realisation, so that you've been born anew and received the Holy Spirit. Yes, that's true but then, in a sense, that description of what a Christian is, is a very personal one. And, actually, our faith, our response to all that God in Christ has done and achieved for us, is best demonstrated by what is happening in the community of Christ, in the church. So, the question is: what distinguishing mark will Christ the king look for in the members of the church when he comes to pass judgement? Well our passage here tells us doesn't it? The Son of Man, it says, will look for evidence of our service of others. As J.C. Ryle writes, "The last judgement will be a judgement according to evidence. The question to be ascertained will not merely be what we said, but what we did: not merely what we professed, but what we practised." In other words, he says, "the truth of our faith will be tested by our lives." But then what kind of service can this be, to be so important? Well firstly of course we have to be clear that it isn't service that will in anyway earn acceptance by God. This part of Matthew's gospel is in fact often understood by some of the more liberal minded to teach that our ultimate salvation is based upon acts of kindness alone. Suggesting that what will matter when we come before the judgement seat will simply be what we've done with what we were given by God. So that in effect there's nothing specifically Christian about the concept of judgement because anybody will be able to earn their salvation, it won't be a matter of what we believe but of how we've lived our lives, such that it follows that all roads could in way be said to lead to the same place. But then where's the assurance, where's the certainty, with this kind of thinking? How will we ever know if we've done enough? If this were the case, then nothing will have changed with Christ's death and resurrection. We'd all still be in the same position as were the Jewish people to whom Christ came, striving to keep every aspect of the law and yet, if we were serious about this, becoming ever more desperate as we recognised that we'd failed in some way or another. But then this is the way many people think. We all know, I'm sure, those people, even some sincere church goers who, if we were to talk to them about their faith, would tell us that they "do their best to live a good life and to help as many people as they can when they can and hope that that's enough". And it seems to us, knowing them, that there's no doubt that this is true. They may well have helped us. And such, an attitude can itself in some ways be very comforting to such people because it means that they can see the very real faults in others, especially those within the church, and feel better about themselves, and think: "well I'm not doing too badly". Never realising, however, the truth that the fact that they can see faults in themselves and others, should be telling them that our works on their own can never make us right and acceptable with God. Theirs is a very dangerous way of thinking. Because if we hold to this view then we'll never see the need for the forgiveness and acceptance that is ours by God's grace alone which Christ on the cross holds out to each one of us, for whom any hope of winning God's favour by our own efforts just doesn't exist. No, this service that we're talking about, this evidence of which Christ on the judgement seat will look for, will be that service of others that is only possible where a person has first met with the risen Lord Jesus, accepted him as their Lord and then begun to respond in loving obedience to his will for them. Jesus once told his disciples: "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John chapter 14 and verse15). Well, he followed up that statement by immediately telling them that he would ask the Father to give them another Counsellor to be with them for ever, to live with them, to be in them. And, of course, he was talking about the Holy Spirit, the seal of our salvation, the one through whose strength and directing alone we're able to begin to live a life of obedience to Christ's commands. In other words, this service which Christ the king will look for will be that which is the natural fruit of a heart and life that already belong to him. Secondly this service that Christ's flock will have shown during their lifetime will be service given to the ones who were in the most desperate need of help, the hungry and thirsty, the outcast, the destitute, the ones who were sick, those who had been thrown into prison. In other words, this isn't easy service, choosing to help those who are easy to help, rather it's about costly self-denial and self-sacrifice. It can be tempting to serve on our own terms, to reach out to those people with whom we have much in common. However, when it comes to those people who are very unlike us, dealing with whom would be quite a messy affair, well that is sometimes a very different matter. The question is: What do we do when God brings such people into our comfortable world, when it looks as though he's calling us to help them? Do we deny that that's the case, or do we put any difficulties we might have with them aside, roll our sleeves up and in humility get on with the task before us? Thirdly this service that Christians should be demonstrating, that our Lord will look for from us, is one that isn't simply about duty, the idea that "I'd best do this because it's what Jesus expects of me". Rather it's about love. Primarily love for our Lord, serving for Christ's sake, but also it's about love for the ones who we're looking to help. A love which is itself simply the overflow of the love which we ourselves are receiving from God. And of course, we're simply following the example of Christ Jesus here who, during his ministry focused on active, urgent aid to the helpless, the poor and needy, the outcast and the forgotten ones. And he put this service at the centre of both his life and his teaching. For example, when the Lord washed his disciple's feet, one of the last things he did before he died, telling them in John chapter 13 from verse 14: "Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one-another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you", The service that we're to be about, then, should be motivated by our love for the ones who we serve. Next our service should be something for which we neither seek nor expect a reward. "The righteous will answer him", we read, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?" Now there's no sense of false modesty here. These righteous ones have simply been serving out of true love and concern without any thought of self, helping wherever possible, being genuinely surprised to be rewarded, casting good deeds behind them as they've gone along with no thought for what has gone before, only concerned with what they might do today and the next day. So that they're genuinely surprised to be praised by the Lord Jesus for what they'd count as being their spiritual duty and joy. A far cry from the reward for achievement mentality that's so often forced upon us by the world's way of thinking. And then fifthly, this service that the Lord is looking for in his own is primarily to be seen within the Christian community itself, although of course it isn't to be found there exclusively because, as Jesus shows the expert in the law in Luke chapter 10: 30-37 speaking of the good Samaritan, our neighbour is to be found all around us. But nevertheless, here Jesus says that "the King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." So he's talking about those who are his being served by their brothers and sisters in him. And isn't this a challenge to all of us? Because you know it's often easier to serve those who are outside the church, who know little about us, and to do that with love, than to serve with love those who we sit next to in church, who do know about us. So much easier to reflect Christ where Christ isn't known already than to do so where he is. Which surely makes Christ's demand for us to serve so much more of a challenge! But the challenge is there, to each one of us who make up the church today. In Matthew chapter 7 verse 16 Jesus says: "By their fruit you will recognise them". A call, surely, for each of us who are part of the Christian community to be about our business. Because one day when as Christ's redeemed and forgiven children we come, with the rest of humanity, before the judgement seat of the Lord our fruit will be seen. And where there is no fruit, then what was called faith during an individual's lifetime will be seen for the sham that it was as their true nature becomes clear and they join the goats at our Judge's left hand side, those who stand before him with no record of involvement in his concerns, giving clear evidence that they're not a part of his family. Serving God then means serving people. Christ Jesus came to earth to identify with the lowly and he calls us to do the same. And though we once treated the king as a prisoner and outcast, now we must treat each prisoner, each poor or needy person as if he or she was the king. Now we must treat each other as if we were each the king. Is this truly how we serve? Jesus warns us that a time will come when the opportunity to serve will no longer be there. And, if we've not served in response to all that He has done and achieved for us, then how much we're in danger of losing! So then let us serve and seek to serve more and more, selflessly, sacrificially, not because of any desire for reward or recognition, but simply because of our love for the Lord and for each other. Amen