Jesus Indicts The World

Prelude: Have we been walking right past Jesus without recognizing Him?

Purpose: Let’s find Jesus.

Plan: Let’s look at the Judgment of the Nations in Matthew 25:31-46.

Story: Disaster Response

A fellow pastor helped after a national disaster. Some crews repaired church buildings, packed up and left, a woeful example. His crew stayed to repair people’s lives, not just buildings. Matthew 25 prioritizes the needy over buildings. The street is also a holy place, where Christians truly live the Gospel.

Sheep and Goats

Matthew 25:31-34 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

The judgment seat is here called the Throne of His Glory. It is judgment of all the nations, not just the Church. The judgment is: how all nations handled human suffering. Do we see suffering people as brothers and sisters like Jesus does? Jesus Christ is Savior of the world.

Sheep are gentle and quiet. Goats are not as easily herded, they stink, and bully the sheep. They are not predators, so may flock with the sheep for separation later. That’s what Jesus will do at the judgment. So, selfish and stinking people can stay in the church until then.

The Needy

Matthew 25:35-36 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Do we see Jesus in the poor and needy, the suffering of Jesus in the hungry and thirsty, being rejected as a stranger, and naked on the cross? Do we see Jesus in the suffering, anxiety, pain, rejection, loneliness and depression of a prisoner? Jesus suffers with all who suffer.

Matthew 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

We are not saved BY good works (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5), but FOR good works (Ephesians 2:10). A living faith is accompanied by good works (James 2). Dead faith is just a show, not accompanied by good works. Faith that saves shows love to our neighbor.

Depart

Matthew 25:41-43 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting 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 take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20, John 14:30, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 3:17). We sit with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6). Jesus came to the poor and needy and served them. Identifying with them He said, “I was” the needy.

Social Gospel

Matthew 25:44-46 “Then they also will answer Him, 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, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The terms “social gospel” and “social justice” are an indictment of Christian extremes, those who “love” their neighbors but disobey God and those who claim to love God but neglect the needy. Good deeds light up the world (Matthew 5:13-16) and we ought to love God AND our neighbor.

Research: Causes of Poverty[1]

Overpopulation, deficient distribution methods, rising costs, poor education, unemployment, underemployment, environmental degradation, individual responsibilities, medical costs, sickness, greed, the cost and devastation of war, natural disasters, industrial changes, recessions, discrimination, pregnancy out of wedlock, disability, crime and unjust incarceration, immigrant status, and gang presence cause poverty. People without a high school diploma are 3-5 times more likely to be poor. Fatherless families are 3-4 times more likely to be poor. Two thirds of disabled people are unemployed. Domestic abuse victims are twice as likely to be unemployed. Women, minorities, children, immigrants, the disabled and female-headed households face far greater poverty rates. Christians ought not to just blame the victim, but do something!