The Parable of the Sheep and Goats.

Premise:

Judgement is coming to all, and there is hope only in Christ.

Opening: (To Welcome everyone to worship and re-enforce why we worship)

Introduction of the Text: (To Catch up with the context of what we have covered and introduce everyone to the concept of the text.)

Reading of the Text:

Matthew 25:14-46 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.32 And 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;33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, which has been prepared for you from the foundation 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 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’40 And 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.’41 “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;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; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’44 Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘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?’45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘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.’46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Behold, the Word of God.

Prayer: (To ask God for help and open hearts.)

Transition:

As we open this text this morning, we must remember that Christ is coming again in glory.

Christ is Coming Again in Glory.

Explanation: (Christ’s return is a real and literal future event where all will be made right.)

While Matthew twenty four was dealing with the judgement of God against the wickedness of Israel, this parable is clearly about the final day. This parable is regarding the glorious day when Christ will return in full glory to judge all and set all things right. This is the day of hope for the saved and the day of fear for the lost. On this day, all will be set right. The Kingdom will be consummated, and we will reign with Christ in perfect glory forever. And we must live in light of this real future day.

Argumentation: (We must live in light of this real future day.)

It has been tempting throughout history to view this day as merely a parable. One of the classic heresies is the denial of Christ’s real and physical return. Many have differed on when and how the final day will arrive, but all Christians acknowledge that Christ will come back in reality on a real day to offer real judgement to all people. We must not miss this. Jesus is coming back, and we must live like it. That is the point of this parable, as well as the last parable. Jesus is returning to offer judgement. As we will see, this ought to change how we live our lives. The reality of Christ’s return ought to shape what we do and how we do it. It ought to change how we do everything.

Transition:

Now, let us dive into the text and look at what is being presented. The first thing we see is that all nations will be gathered to be judged.

All Nations Will be Gathered to be Judged.

Explanation: (This is the most full display of Christ’s authority over the entire World. He will sit in judgement over all people and nations. No one will be able to plead they were outside of Christ’s rule.)

This is the most full display of Christ’s authority over the entire world. We touched briefly on the meaning of the great commission when covering chapter twenty four. The great commission is not to go make disciples of the nations. No, the great commission is to “therefore go make disciples of the nations.” That word “therefore” is crucial. The reason we go and make disciples is because Jesus has ALL authority. In the same way, the opening of this parable is the clear indication of Christ’s authority. Who rules the nations? The one who judges the nations clearly has authority over the nations.

And it is important to think of the implications of this. If Jesus is the one seated in the judgement seat over these nations, He is the one who has authority over them. And what is He judging? Yes, He is judging the individuals contained within the nations, but the phrasing is that He is judging the nations. This is political statement. Jesus is the head of state over every nation on the individual level and the national level. But what of the nations that refuse to acknowledge His rule? What if they don’t believe in Him? He is still their Lord. This means that no one can plead that they were outside of Jesus’ rule.

Argumentation: (We must recognize the present reality of this. Christ will not be given authority then, He has it now. This means Jesus has the right to command obedience of all people now. No one can claim to be outside of Christ’s rule.)

And we must recognize the present reality of this. Christ will not be given authority on that day. Jesus is not rolling up as the new sheriff on the final day to judge past sins that occurred in the previous administration. Jesus is not showing up saying “I am in charge now.” No, God the Father has always had rule and authority over all. But after the resurrection, He gave all authority to Christ. That is what the great commission is. Jesus won. The fight ended. He was given all authority, ascended, and sat down. The work was done. When He returns it is to judge all mankind. And all will be judged according to how they submitted to His rule.

This is why no one has a right to object. Jesus has all rightful authority over every man, woman, child, institution, city, state, country, even unto the whole world. It doesn’t matter if they believe it or not. He has the authority. Jesus has the right to command all people to obey right now. No one can claim to be outside of His rule.

Illustration: (The atheist has no right to say, “I didn’t believe, so I cannot be expected to have obeyed.”)

Picture it this way. On judgment day, when Christ comes with all His angels, no one can say, “Your rule didn’t apply to me.” The atheist cannot say to Jesus, “I didn’t believe in you, therefore I couldn’t have been expected to submit to you.” No, that atheist is commanded to repent and believe. Beyond that, the atheist is commanded to live his life in a way that is obedient to God. If that atheist is a school teacher, they will be judged on what they taught those kids. And they will have no plea to innocence before Christ. Romans 1 and 2 reveal that they know God, they are merely suppressing the knowledge of God in sin. And beyond this, they know the law of God. It is written within them. They are merely suppressing it.

Transition:

And this is where Jesus gives the central illustration of the parable. There are sheep and there are goats.

The Sheep and the Goats.

Explanation: (Sheep and goats would often graze the fields together, but had to be separated out at night. They are similar animals but are not the same.)

A little cultural explanation. We must remember that this was spoken to a first century Jewish audience. During that day, it was a common practice to allow sheep and goats to graze together in the field during the day. Then at night, the shepherd would have to separate them out because the goats needed more warmth. They were similar animals, but sheep have a dense wool that keeps them more warm. So the goats would be placed in a warmer place.

Argumentation: (This is parallel to the parable of the wheat and tares. The saved and unsaved are often mingled. But on judgement day, they will be separated.)

You may have picked up on the similar nature of this parable to Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares. Indeed this parable is a parallel parable to it. They are saying almost the exact same thing, only in a different illustration. The point of the parable is the same. There are the saved, the sheep or the wheat. There are the unsaved, the goats or the tares. Often the sheep and the goats are together, just as the wheat and the tares are together. But on the last day, they will be separated. The wheat and the sheep will be saved while the goats and the tares are cast into hell.

Transition:

But one thing that is different in this parable, is that Jesus describes six works of righteousness.

The Works of Righteousness.

Explanation: (Jesus lists six acts that are commended when present, and punished when absent. Jesus lists these as in the context of being done to believers.)

Jesus lists these six things four times. He repeats the entire list four times. He says, “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 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” When the works are present, they are commended. When the works are absent, they are punished. And we must note that Jesus says in verse 40 that these works are specifically done to Christians. They are not just random acts of kindness. They are specific good works either done for or not done for believers. So what are these works?

Feed the Hungry. (Food was scarce in the ancient world. Many were starving.)

When giving the list of righteous works, the first is to feed the hungry. This was a big deal in the ancient world. In the ancient world, there were not the massive agricultural advances we have. Yes, there were large farms, but not like we have today. Because of this, food was in short supply. Many were hungry and starving. To give food was a primary care. Often, to give food was the difference between life and death. The righteous are commended for feeding Jesus by feeding His brothers, referring to Christians.

Give Water to the Thirsty. (Clean water was rare, and often people suffered from thirst.)

Just like food, water was in short supply. Food and water were pivotal for survival. Especially clean water was hard to come by. Many would drink from filthy pools causing infection and even death. To give those in need clean water was a true act of love. To deny it, was often to damn them to death. Jesus says that those who give water to His brothers give it to them. Elsewhere, Jesus uses this same example and says that those who do such things will by no means lose their reward.

Care for the Stranger. (It was incredibly dangerous to travel.)

Travel in the ancient world was very dangerous. Inns were few and far between. Often when forced to travel, you relied upon the kindness of strangers. This is why there are so many commands in God’s Law about caring for the sojourner. If no one took you in, you were exposed to bandits, wild beasts, and the elements. We take for granted our modern amenities. We make fun of men of yore for their fear of the elements. We think of great giants of the past like Martin Luther who pledged their life to God while being caught in a thunder storm as petty or superstitious. But think of what that would actually be like. Imagine hiding under a fallen log while lightning and thunder clash right around you. Hail stones falling and no where to go. Suddenly, we realize that travel in the ancient world must have been rather terrifying. It was not a mere camping or backpacking trip. It was, “Well, honey, I’m leaving. Hope I see you again before I die.” So care for strangers was almost as life or death as giving food and water.

Clothe the Naked. (Clothing was expensive and therefore left many poor to be naked to the elements.)

Well, we have food, water, and shelter. Three of the most essential things for life. Next is no surprise. Jesus says that when the righteous clothed His brothers, they had actually clothed Him. Clothing was expensive. So often, the poor would wander around naked or with scraps of cloth tied around them. Their bare bodies were exposed to the sun and the cold. Their bare feet were often cut by rocks and debris. To clothe one meant health. It would prevent the extremes of sun stroke during the day and hypothermia during the night.

Visit the Sick and Imprisoned. (The sick and imprisoned were isolated and lonely.)

The first four are the essentials for physical survival. They are not trivial things. They are necessary for life. To have food, water, shelter, and clothing are necessary to live. These final two are united in the fact that they are emotional care. Jesus says that when they sheep visit the sick and imprisoned brothers, they are visiting Christ. Sickness and imprisonment were lonely. You were either shunned or confined into a dank, lonely place. You were alone and ostracized. Often you were mistreated. Imagine the joy that would come if someone were to visit you. Imagine someone taking the time to come and love you rather than abuse you. To care for such, is to love Christ.

Transition:

Jesus seems to judge the sheep and goats based off of the presence or or lack of these works of righteousness. So let’s look at the presence of works of righteousness.

The Presence of Works of Righteousness.

Explanation: (Jesus describes the sheep as doing these things for “His brothers” and therefore having done them for Him.)

Jesus describes the sheep as having done these things. Look at verses 34-40 again. “34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, which has been prepared for you from the foundation 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 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’40 And 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 says that the sheep had done these things for His brothers, a common expression of Christ for His disciples. So the sheep had done this for Christians and therefore had done it to Christ Himself. This is a beautiful truth.

Argumentation: (To care for the saints is to care for Christ. We are His body. These works ought to come natural to the sheep. Outward kindness comes from inward grace. As God has done for us, we do for each other.)

To care for the saints is to directly care for Christ. Elsewhere in Scripture, we are referred to as the body of Christ. Here Jesus takes that almost literally. What does it look like to care for Christ? It looks like caring for His church. And we must not manipulate the illustration. Jesus says that the sheep care for His brothers and the goats do not. Jesus is using contrasting animals to make His point. The sheep, by nature care for the brothers. Christians by nature will care for the Brothers. This is written into them. This is not salvation by works. This is the natural outpouring of salvation. God has given us grace; therefore, love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are the fruit. As God has done for us, so we do for one another. This is the nature of a Christian, to care for the brothers.

Transition:

But what of the lack of works of righteousness?

The Lack of Works of Righteousness.

Explanation: (Jesus describes the goats as not doing these things to the least of the brothers, and therefore, they did not do it for Him.)

Jesus describes the goats as not doing these things to the least of the brothers, therefore they did not do it for Him. Listen again to verse 41-46. “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;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; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’44 Then they themselves also will answer, saying, ‘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?’45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘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.’46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” To fail to love and care for the brothers is to fail to love Christ.

Argumentation: (Hatred of the church is hatred of Christ. Lack of care for the brothers is the sign of a lack of love for Christ.)

Hatred of the church is hatred for Christ. Again we see the parallel of the statement that the church is the body of Christ. To hate the church is to hate Christ. To fail to love the brothers is to fail to love Christ. To lack care for the brothers is a direct offense to Christ. And this is the nature of the goats. The sheep, by their very nature do these things. Thus, the goats, by their nature do the opposite. By their nature, they do not care for the brothers.

Transition:

So the very next question we ought to ask is “what makes a sheep?”

What Makes a Sheep?

Argumentation: (What is the nature? What are we by nature? We are all by nature goats. How does one become a sheep? A goat cannot will himself into being a sheep. Only God can change the nature.

Clearly we do not want to be goats. The goats go to hell. “What must we do to be sheep” bleat out the livestock. This is suck an interesting parable. Jesus is using natural language. I mean by that, that Jesus is describing the nature of an animal. He is describing their essence. The sheep are sheep because they are sheep. The goats are goats because they are goats. This may seem redundant but in our day and age, we are very lost and confused. Hear me very clearly, a sheep cannot change is fundamental nature. Nor can a goat alter it’s fundamental goat-ness. They are by nature what they are. The goat can go get a perm to make its hair look more like wool. It can carve off it’s horns to make it less identifiable as a goat. It can even take hormones to make it bleat more like a sheep than a goat. But it is still a goat. A goat cannot will himself into being a sheep.

This is what I mean by “natural language.” So what hope is there? Scripture describes us all as “by nature children of wrath.” Our nature is that of spiritual goat-ness. Well, let me give this illustration that I heard once.

Illustration: (Tigers and Salad.)

Imagine if you will, a tiger. Now, if you were to set a salad and a streak in front of that tiger, which would it eat? One hundred times out of one hundred it would it the steak. It doesn’t matter how nice the salad is. By nature, that animal is a carnivore. It is genetically hard wired to hunger for meat. It is genetically wired to eat that steak. No matter how good of a salad it is, that tiger will eat the steak. The tiger is completely free to eat the salad. But it won’t. It is free to eat the salad, but it is by nature going to eat the steak.

Now imagine you could rewire the nature. Imagine we could flip the factory settings on that tiger. We could change the nature of the tiger and make it a herbivore. We fundamentally change the nature of the tiger and now give it the same choice. One hundred times out of one hundred times what will it eat? The salad. It does not matter how appetizing that steak is, by nature it will now only eat the salad.

This is what we need. We need to be made from goats into sheep. See, the parable is not saying the goats made themselves into sheep by caring for the poor and sick. No, Jesus is describing the nature of the sheep and goats. The sheep didn’t know they were caring for Christ. The goats didn’t know they were neglecting care for Christ. They were merely acting according to their nature. The sheep were being sheep. The goats were being goats. And here is the good news. We cannot make ourselves sheep. But God, in grace has brought us to life. He has birthed us anew into a new nature. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we have been made new. No longer are we goats, we are sheep.

Transition:

So what is the purpose of the works? We aren’t made sheep by good works. This is where the principle of fruit vs root comes in.

Fruit vs. Root.

Argumentation: (Obedience to God’s commands -law- is the fruit of salvation not the root of it. Sheep will act like sheep.)

What do I mean? Obedience to the law of God is not what saves us. If salvation were a tree, obedience to God’s law is not the root of that tree. It is not the life and source of salvation. The root of the tree is grace alone. God planted the seed and caused it to grow, However, you tell what a tree is by it’s fruit. You know an apple tree is an apple tree because it grows apples. In the same way, a Christian is not saved by obeying God’s law, but a Christian will obey God’s law because he is a Christian. A christian will obey God because that is the fruit of salvation. It is the truth of the old adage, “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s a duck.” If it looks like a sheep, walks like a sheep, and talks like a sheep; it’s a sheep. If it looks like a Christian, walks like a Christian, and talks like a Christian, it’s probably a Christian. All of this to say, sheep act like sheep.

Application:

And the application of this parable is pretty much that. If you’re a goat, repent and trust in Christ; He will make you a sheep. If you are a sheep, act like a sheep. Now, the practicals are more than this, but that is the basis. However, let’s look at those practicals. First and foremost, we must walk out of here knowing that judgement day is coming.

Judgement Day is Coming. (All must be warned.)

(Our culture rejects the idea of judgement day. But the reality is that all will one day give an account. This is why all people in all positions must be called into repentance and faith in all areas. Christ is King over all right now. We must proclaim this in every area of life.)

This is not a popular statement. Our culture today abhors the idea of judgement day. Our current culture is all about living in the moment, doing whatever feels good, living your truth. Our current culture hates the idea of consequences for actions. “How day you tell me I’m wrong.” “How dare you call me a sinner.” “How dare you tell me God’s going to judge me for what I do.” But no matter how hated it is, it is true.

Christ is returning to judge all people and nations. Every action, word, and thought will be judged. This is the reality. All people will stand before Christ and answer for all they did. This is why all people everywhere must be called to repentance. Every person must be called to turn and obey Christ. Why? Because Christ is King. Christ is Lord over all. Christ is over every person on earth. This means that every president will be judged for every act they do. They will be judged for how they rule in their office. Every mayor will be judged for how they execute their authority. Did they submit to the ultimate rule of Christ? Did the mayor say, “I cannot do this or that because it is against the will of the King”?

Every person will answer. And there will be no excuses. The rabid atheist will not have an excuse. No one can say, “I didn’t believe” and negate Christ’s authority. Jesus’ authority is not given to Him when someone believes. He has the authority now. It is either accepted and submitted to or rejected and rebelled against. There is no middle ground. Many of you have heard me use the phrase “the myth of neutrality.” This is what I mean by this. Christ is King, and you either bow to Him or you rebel against Him. Each person is either obeying the King or committing “cosmic treason.” (R.C. Sproul) There are no neutrals. And all actions, words, and thoughts will be judged as righteous or wicked. All actions, words, and thoughts will be judged as honoring to the true King or rebellious against the true King.

This is why we call all people to repent. This is why we warn all people. This is the warning in Psalm 2:10-12. “So now, O kings, show insight; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Serve Yahweh with fear And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” All people everywhere are called to “Kiss the Son.” This is the universal call of the Gospel. Christ is King over all. Bow to Him. That is the universal call. It is the universal warning.

Transition:

But what warning is given for us specifically? As the church we are the ones who are bowing to Christ. What are we to take from this parable? I said earlier that sheep act like sheep. This is shown in how we love one another.

How We Love One Another.

(We must love one another. We must act like sheep. How we treat one another is a direct representation of how we love Christ.)

We must love one another. We must act like sheep. We must remember that Jesus specifically addresses the kindness shown in this parable to His brothers. What does this mean? It means that Christians show themselves to be Christians first, through love for one another. How we treat one another is the fruit that shows if we are Christians. This is why Christians cannot hate the church. It is an impossibility. It would be like saying, sheep aren’t sheep. Christians love the church. This does not mean they do not criticize or attempt to reform the church. I think it is obvious that the reformers were the ones who loved the church most of all. And yet, they fought hardest to change it. They were calling the church to repentance.

But there is a love for one another that all Christians are to exhibit by nature of being a Christian. And what does this look like? What does Jesus say? We care for the physical and emotional needs of one another. We provide food, water, shelter, clothing, and more for brothers and sisters in need. We care for one another’s physical needs. Jesus’ example was wholistic. It encompasses the entire person. When a brother or sister is in need, the church ought to be the first place they go for aid. We also care for the emotional needs. We visit the lonely. We love the sick. We do not isolate away from the sick or destitute. We are the first there. We love them. we visit them. We go to the lonely brothers who are confined. We fear no sickness. We fear no death. We care for the brothers.

And this is wonderful, because it takes so many forms. I cannot give you a list of ways to do this here in our community. It is a case by case scenario. When one of us has a need, the church ought to be the first thought. This is accomplished by you caring for one another. There is no limit to what this looks like. But in general, it means you look around the room, and care first for those in this room. You do the work of loving one another. Then it extends beyond this church. Then it moves into our fellow churches. We hear of needs in the body further out, and because we love Christ, we love the body of Christ and help. As Christians we are to love one another. We are called to act like what we are.

Transition:

But what of the world? Aren’t we to love all? Yes, and we also see this parable fulfilled by how we love all.

How We Love All.

(While Jesus is speaking directly of the care for brothers, it does extend beyond this. We are to be charitable to all people. While primarily, we show love to the lost by warning them of judgement day, we ought to feed them, give them drink, clothe them, invite them in, and visit them.)

Many of you have likely heard this parable preached and quoted as a passage that speaks of social justice. It may even be completely new to you to hear this parable framed as a command for Christians to love Christians first. But that is what this parable is. That is the meaning of this passage. But this passage has great implications. And we know from many other passages that we are to care for all people. So, because of this, we can draw from this passage that we are to love all. We are to care for the poor and destitute. We can draw application that we are to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, shelter the sojourner, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. We do this for each other and then extend it out to all.

Closing:

So what does this look like? How do we practically apply this parable? Warn all that Christ is coming in judgement. And live like sheep. Care for one another and then for all.

Prayer:

Doxology:

Benediction: