A TRUTH FOR EVERYONE: Let’s begin by establishing that everyone gets judged by God.
- 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Revelation 20:11-15.
- Those who have accepted Christ will be judged for rewards; those who have not accepted Christ will be judged for their sin. But everyone faces a moment of standing before God.
- That’s a gigantic truth because it’s a future appointment for all of us. It is a certainty that we will face this.
- Given that reality, we want to understand as much as we can about it. And so this morning I want to talk about one part of being ready for the judgment.
A BIG QUESTION: What has God said will make the judgment harder or easier?
- Let me say up front what this sermon is not about: that we are saved by grace through faith. We receive the sacrifice of Christ on the cross through His grace that comes to us by our faith in Him. That is obviously the most important thing in general when it comes to final judgment. We want to be saved, not lost! That’s a crucial subject worthy of our attention, but that is not our subject for today.
- Instead, what I want to do is talk about, within each of those judgments, what makes the judgment of God harder or easier? There are passages that give us some indications, so let’s look at them.
SOME FACTORS:
1. Seeing evidence of God’s power.
- Matthew 10:8, 14-15; Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 10:12-15.
- We read in Matthew 10:14-15 a moment ago the words about it being more bearable for Sodom in that Day of Judgment. That, of course, means that it will be a harsher judgment. As you look back at v. 8, you see that the disciples were being sent out to, among other things, do miracles. I’m going to say that in a broader way: they were showing evidence of God’s power.
- We see something similar in Matthew 11:21, 23 when it speaks of the miracles. Verses 22, 24 speak of it being more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon, another mention of a harsher judgment.
- Why is that true?
- I think it’s because seeing evidence of God’s power makes us aware that there is a power greater than us.
- Examples:
a. When we see a miracle.
b. When we see an incredible coincidence.
c. When we see a changed life.
2. How clearly you understand God’s message.
- Matthew 10:14-15; Luke 12:42-48; John 15:18-22; Romans 2:12-16.
- In Matthew 10:7, we see that the disciples were to preach the gospel. They were letting people know that the Kingdom of Heaven was near.
- The more that we know about who God is and what His revelation is, the more responsibility we bear. It’s a privilege to know God’s message, but it’s also a responsibility.
- The good news of Jesus is much greater than we could have hoped for. It is a great gift to hear how great God’s love for us is.
3. The mercy you've shown.
- Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:32-35; Luke 6:38; James 2:10-13.
- While our ultimate judgment begins with the standard of Christ's perfection, God also considers our actions. The above passages point to ideas like the one who is merciful will be shown more mercy and that when we refuse to forgive we show that we really don't understand how much we've been forgiven of.
4. Taking on spiritual authority.
- John 9:35-41; James 3:1.
- John 9:35-41 speaks to taking on spiritual authority and then not living it out. There is a stricter judgment for those who claimed to be religious experts.
- In James 3:1, the writer speaks of a stricter judgment for those who are teachers. In that case, those who are in spiritual leadership within a church need to understand that taking that on not only provides a chance for greater reward, but also brings a stricter judgment. Why? Because people are looking to you as a spiritual leader and when you fail in that it will hurt even more people.
A QUESTION FOR THE CHRISTIAN: How would it change your life if you understood that you are a steward?
- Matthew 18:23; Matthew 25:14-15; Luke 19:13, 15; Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Timothy 6:20; 1 Peter 4:10.
- Look at Matthew 25:14-15 as an example. And this is the “well done, good and faithful servant” parable.
- A steward is someone who manages something that belongs to someone else. As Christians, that’s the situation that we are in. Everything that we have ultimately belongs to Jesus and we are responsible to Him for it. We’ve not been given our time, talents, or money to just go do whatever we want with them. We were “bought at a price” and are expected to serve Christ.
- The big stewardship idea to understand is this: you are responsible for what’s been entrusted to you.
- How do the three earlier points play into that?
a. When you’ve seen God’s power, you’re responsible to use that to increase your faith and the results that God can bring through someone of great faith.
b. When you understand God’s message and truth, you’re responsible to apply that to your life to become more like Christ.
c. When you take on spiritual authority, you’re responsible to use it well for the glory of Christ.
- We can’t accept the gifts that God gives us without knowing that there is an incumbent responsibility that comes with them.
A QUESTION FOR THE NON-CHRISTIAN: How would it change your life if you understood that you will meet God the Judge someday?
- Matthew 12:36; Matthew 25:31-32; Hebrews 9:27; 1 John 4:17; Jude 14-15.
- Look with me at Matthew 25:31-32. It speaks clearly that there is a time when there is a separation for judgment.
- We need to be ready for that. We need to have made our peace with God. We need to recognize that the most important decision we make is whether we will receive and follow Christ.
- Every time you hear God’s truth and don’t say yes, it makes your coming judgment a little harder. Every time you see God’s power manifested in a believer’s life and don’t say yes, it makes your coming judgment a little harder.
- Is today the day to say yes to Him?
