The Nations at the Table

Introduction

Read Isaiah 66:15-16, 24

Tonight, we are going to talk about the judgement of God. Pastors no longer talk about hell, but it is a reality that we must address.

God’s judgement should motivate us in several ways.

It should motivate us to know God.

It should motivate us to make sure that others know God.

It should motivate us to be certain that we are truly saved.

Jesus talked more often about hell than anyone else. So if you were to take the passages about hell out of the Bible, most of it would be the words of Jesus.

I believe this passages takes us to another specific passage that I want to focus upon, tonight // Matthew 25:31-46.

CIT: While condemnation and judgement is the consequence of every sinner, God, through the work of Jesus Christ, saves the sinner from judgement, death, and hell.

Explanation

Matthew 25:31-33 ““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.”

When Jesus returns, he will return in great power.

When He returns, He will gather all of the nations of the world and the peoples of the world before Him.

Much like a shepherd walks through the flock and separates sheep from goats, he will separate all peoples into one of two groups.

The first, his sheep, he will place on his right.

The right is a place of honor.

The right is a place of blessing.

The second, the goats, will be placed on the left.

Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

He will tell the sheep to come to Him and inherit what God has prepared for them since the foundation of the world.

Notice, that God is not rewarding them for what they have done.

The were blessed by the father, and then enter into an inheritance that was “prepared from the foundation of the world.”

We don’t earn our salvation. We serve and love others as an overflow of what Christ has done in us.

What was the evidence of their faith? That they serve the people around them. They provided for the hungry and thirsty and the outcast.

Does your life produce works? Do you love the people around you? Do you seek their good and care for them?

Jesus is saying to care for those that the world would say are the least significant.

To their confusion, Jesus says, “What you did for the least of my brothers, you have done for me.”

Matthew 25:41-45 ““Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they 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 minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

The goats, on the other hand, did not know God and did not demonstrate his love to others.

They were cast into an eternal fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels.

Eternal punishment is for those who have sinned against God without the blood of Jesus.

Matthew 25:46 “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””

Does your life look more like that of a sheep or that of a goat?

Does your life exude works, because of the faith you have in Jesus or is life about you?

Conclusion

God save me.

God, may my actions line up with the faith I profess.