We are Doing a Month-Long Sunday Night Series on the Day of the Lord

First, We Looked at 1 Thessalonians 5…

Where Paul Told the Thessalonians that We Don’t Know When the Day Will Be

But We Do Know that it is Coming

So We Need to Stay Ready

Next, We Looked at 2 Thessalonians 1…

Where Paul Bragged On the Thessalonians for Their Perseverance and Ever Increasing Faith and Love During Persecution

He Reminded Them that the Day of the Lord Will Bring Justice to Their Oppressors

And it Will Bring Rest and Glory to Them

Then, Last Week, We Looked at 1 Corinthians 15…

Where Paul Corrected the Corinthians’ Thinking On the Resurrection

When Jesus Returns, We Will Be Resurrected and Given New, Transformed Bodies

Bodies that are Imperishable, Glorious, Powerful, and Immortal

We Need to Stay Faithful to Jesus Because It’ll All Be Worth it

Matthew 25:31-46

Just a Couple Days Before Jesus is Betrayed and Crucified…

Matthew Gives Us 1 Final Teaching Discourse of Jesus

And Within This Final Discourse, There are Warnings About the Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord is Coming in the Form of Destruction Upon Jerusalem

But a Final Day of the Lord is Also Coming When Jesus Returns

We are Going to Look at a Familiar Passage that are the Final Words in Jesus’ Final Discourse in Matthew

Right After Telling the Parables of the 10 Virgins and the Talents, Jesus Says:

Matthew 25:31 (NASB)

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

As With Many Other Passages About the Day of the Lord…

Jesus Isn’t Coming Alone

He Will Be Accompanied By Angels

He Will Sit On His Glorious Throne

As King, But Also as Judge

Matthew 25:32–33 (NASB)

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.

All the Nations = All People

Everyone Will Be Gathered and Then Separated

The Separation Will Be Based Upon Whether Jesus Considers You a Sheep or a Goat

Sheep Go On the Right - Goats Go On the Left

Matthew 25:34 (NASB)

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.

Jesus Calls the Sheep, “You Who are Blessed of My Father”

They are Those Who Placed Their Faith in Jesus…

And Thus Were Adopted into the Family of God

They are Those Who are Heirs of the Promises of God

Then the Sheep are Invited to Inherit the Kingdom

That is, to Inherit All of the Promises that Come With the Reign and Rule of God

When the Lord Returns, He Will Bring His Rule to its Completion

And All of the Promises Made to His People Will Be Fulfilled

This Has Been the Plan Since the Foundation of the World

God Has Always Been Working His Plan to Save His People

Even Before He Created the World

Matthew 25:35–36 (NASB)

‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

Jesus Gives the Reasons Why They are Considered His Sheep

Like We Mentioned in This Morning’s Lesson:

True Faith Leads to Action

This Doesn’t Teach a Works-Based Salvation

Just as Faith Without Works is Dead…

Works Devoid of Faith Doesn’t Cut it Either

Each of These Actions are Acts of Love and Selflessness Brought About By Faith in Jesus

Only Those Whose Faith Led Them to Do Such Things for Jesus Will Be Considered the King’s Sheep

Matthew 25:37–39 (NASB)

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

The Vast Majority of the Righteous On the Day of the Lord Will Be Meeting Jesus in Person for the First Time

How are We Expected to Do All of These Things for Jesus When He Isn’t Here?

Matthew 25:40 (NASB)

“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

Jesus Tells Us that to Minister/Serve His Brothers is to Serve Him

Who are Jesus’ Brothers?

Some Believe This Refers to the Human Race in General

But the Most Likely Answer is Christians

Loving Service is Expected of All Christians to All People Regardless

But it is More Descriptive Than Just Christians

He Says to the Least of His Brothers

Who are th Least of Jesus’ Spiritual Siblings?

That is Answered By the Way We are Meant to Act Toward Them

They are the Christians Who are:

Hungry

Thirsty

Foreigners

Naked

Sick

In Prison

We are to Provide and Care for Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ

And When We Provide and Care for Them…

We are Providing and Caring for Jesus Himself

Matthew 25:41 (NASB)

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;

The Goats on the Left are Not Called Blessed But Accursed

They are Not Invited to Inherit the Kingdom…

But to Depart into Eternal Fire

This Eternal Fire was Prepared for the Devil and His Angels…

Not for Humans

But Humans that Rebel Against God and His Anointed King Will Share the Same Fate

Matthew 25:42–43 (NASB)

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.’

Matthew 25:44–45 (NASB)

Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

The Goats are Given the Same List as the Sheep

They, Like the Sheep, Were Confused at What Jesus was Saying

They Didn’t Understand When They Saw Jesus in Need and Didn’t Care for Him

Jesus Gave Them the Same Answer, But in the Negative

Where the Sheep Provided and Cared for the King’s People…

The Goats Did Not

Therefore, They Didn’t Provide and Care for the King Himself

Matthew 25:46 (NASB)

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

This is a Good Summation of the Day of the Lord

Jesus Will Return to Punish and to Give Life

He Will Punish Those Who Don’t Love Their Neighbor as Themselves

He Will Give Life to Those Who Do

Paul Sums This Idea Up Nicely in Galatians 6:7-10

Galatians 6:7–10 (NASB95)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

To Prepare for the Day of the Lord…

Let Us Be Busy Doing Good to Others

Let Us Care for Those Who are in Need of Help, Comfort, and Love

Especially Our Siblings in Christ

When We Do So, We are Serving Our Lord

And We Have Hope of Life Awaiting Us at His Return