He Taught Them Many Parables # 24 (The Vultures And The Carcass)

Some folks do not believe there is such a thing as the Judgment of God.

It has been said that the only sure things in life are DEATH AND TAXES. But there's one more thing we can be sure of, and that is the judgment of God.

When you live in an age when people do not want to take responsibility for their actions, you can understand why some people in our society also do not believe that we are accountable to God at the Judgment.

The Bible tells us that eternal judgment is one of the basic principles of Christ.

God could not be a just God and not practice judgment.

Illus: Suppose a judge knows of a horrendous crime, but because he does not want to make anyone angry, he turns his head. Now we would call a judge like this a crook, and we would be right.

Many folks have done all kinds of evil things, and it seems they have gotten away with them. But I can assure you that is not the case - GOD IS A GOD OF JUDGEMENT!

The Bible teaches that God is a God of Judgment.

Look at Hebrews 6:1-2, we read, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”

A Bible-preaching church will preach about the Judgment of God, as much as they preach about the doctrines of baptism and the resurrection of the dead. Why? Because the Bible teaches all of these things and more.

WHAT IS THIS JUDGMENT? It is different things to different people.

• To some it is a moot situation (Open to Questions).

• Perhaps the most familiar picture of the judgment is our arrival at the "pearly gates" immediately after we die, and then our receiving either our reward or punishment.

• Another popular idea is that all humanity will appear at one time on the Judgment Day, at which time rewards will be handed out or sentencing will take place.

The Bible shows, however, that God's judgment is not what most people assume. Look at Hebrews 9:27, we read, "It is appointed unto once to die, but after this the judgment"

Since judgment is something we all must face, shouldn't we try to understand what it is?

The Bible tells us about two judgments that SINNERS and SAINTS should be concerned about.

(1) THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT - where sinners will be judged for their sin.

Look at Revelation 20:11-15, we read, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

We should never read this passage of Scripture without trying to visualize the tragedy that we are reading about.

You can go back into the history of mankind, and you will never read of:

• Such Tragedy

• Affecting so many people

• As you find in this passage of Scripture

When the Great White Throne Judgment takes place, the final rebellion against Jesus is over. Heaven and earth have passed away. There is no place for them to hide.

WHO WILL BE AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT?

The skeptics, the mockers, the atheists, the agnostics, the Hindus, the Moslems, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Buddhists, the Mormons, the Unitarians, the Zen Buddhists, the astrologers, the fortune-tellers, and all the cults will be there.

Those that believed in living for "self," who trusted in gold and silver, idols, reincarnation, and in "just being a good person," will find themselves at the great white throne judgment, and then they are cast into the lake of fire.

ALL THAT DID NOT DIE "IN CHRIST," who were Catholics, Protestants, Presbyterians, Methodists, Wesleyans, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Baptists, Church of God, Foursquare, Assemblies of God, Church of Christ, Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Evangelicals, and all other denominations shall be at this judgment.