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Judgment Of The Goats And Sheep
Contributed by James May on Feb 9, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: A sermon that challenges men to accept Christ for they will have to face judgment.
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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
JUDGMENT OF THE SHEEP AND GOATS
The Word of God brings man through a long journey in time and then sends us off into an eternity without end. From the very foundation of the world and the creation of all things, the Bible sets forth a historical record for all men to see and understand. It is a record of people, places, and events that present examples to teach all of us, in our own circumstances, our own faults and failures, our own victories, and our own capacity to learn, the ways of God and what the future holds for those who learn from God’s Word and then either obey it or disobey it.
The story of creation presents the glory, majesty and power of God’s word for it is by merely speaking a word that the earth, the universe, the plants and the animal kingdom came into existence. The mountains rose and the oceans were formed at his command. What a mighty God we serve!
Then we see the wonderful love of God as he carefully formed man from the very dust of the earth that he had just spoken into existence and then formed woman from the rib of the man and breathed his own eternal breath of life into them, giving them a living soul.
God’s love is also shown in the fact that he already knew, in the omniscience of God, that this same man and woman, that he so lovingly formed and gave life, would very soon fall into deadly sin. So, even before God formed man, he had already formulated a plan to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross so that God could redeem man from sin once again. Then God’s ultimate love is shown in that, even though he gave his only Son for man, he would still give man the freedom to choose whether he would serve his loving Father in Heaven or continue in his sinful state and suffer eternal death.
Because God, through his love, allows men that choice, there are multitudes who live in what Joel 3:14 describes as, "the valley of decision” and never choose to live for God. The heart of man knows that choosing to live for God means that they must travel a different path than other men. Their lives must exemplify the choice that they make.
Those who choose to follow God must “come out from among”…those of the world, and “be separate” according to 2 Corinthians 6:17. Those who live for Jesus must surrender their hearts, their lives, their future, their fortune, and every facet of their life to his purpose for God will accept nothing less than complete commitment to him.
Just as a man and wife will accept, and should never accept, anything less than a 100%, absolute total commitment to one another and forsake all others, as the marriage vow says, God will accept nothing less than the same. To allow anything in our hearts of this world to come between us and our God is the same as committing adultery in the eyes of God and we are counted as unfaithful servants.
God calls those servants who are unfaithful evil servants and if we read what is said in Matthew 24:50-51 we will see what the future of those evil servants will be like. "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
There is a story, or a parable, in the Book of Matthew where Jesus also call those who are unfaithful, “unprofitable servants”.
Matthew 25:14-34 (summarized) There was a Lord who was the master of his kingdom who left his servants to tend to the fields and continue building his kingdom while he went on a long, extended trip. Just as surely as he left, he would return one day and there would be a “day of reckoning” for what his servants had done in his absence.