11282021 The Parable of the Sheep and Goats: The Final Exam for the Church Matthew 25:31-46

THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP & GOATS! Transformed by the Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 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, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 “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.' 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 “They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 “He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." 32 We are to wait for the Lord as people so transformed by the gospel that we just instinctively and intuitively, without thinking serve Christ’s brothers and sisters in self-sacrificing ways. A. INTRODUCTION MT 12:49-50, 24:36-25:46; EPH 1:4-6; 2 TI 1:9; 1 PE 1:20; RE 13:8; HE 12:28; JA 2:5; RE 5:10; MT 13:43 B. INSTINCTIVE & INTUITIVE ACTS OF MERCIES TOWARD THE BROTHERS & SISTERS OF CHRIST COMES ONLY BY THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK OF THE GOSPEL COL 1:3-5; GA 5:6 C. LOVE FOR THE SAINTS WILL BE THE AUTOMATIC TEST AT THE LORD’S RETURN 1 THES 1:3; 1 PE 1:22 D. LOVING THE LEAST OF THE LORD’S BROTHERS & SISTERS 1 COR 13:4-8; JN 12:23-26 This sermon can be listened to again @ • thecommunityofgrace.org/connect/sermons • faithlife.com/the-community-of-grace-memphis 1 PASTOR MARK DEMIRE THE COMMUNITY OF Grace THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP & GOATS: TRANSFORMED BY THE GOSPEL MATTHEW 25:31-46 NOVEMBER 28, 2021