WHO IS COMING TO THE PARTY?
Revelation 20.11-15
S: Evangelism
C: Judgment
Th: Heaven Can’t Wait
Pr: WE NEED TO GET THE INVITATIONS OUT!
?: Why?
KW: Certainties
TS: We will find in our study of Revelation 20 three certainties that show why we need to get the invitations out.
Type: Propositional, Topical
The ____ certainty is that there is…
I. JUDGE (11)
II. JUDGED (12)
III. JUDGMENT (13-15)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Understand that God is just.
• Understand that God is merciful and has graciously offered a way out of judgment
• Invite as many as you can, for heaven will be a place of joy
Version: ESV
RMBC 24 June 07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Danger (personal)
A couple of months ago, I was heading into Children’s Hospital to visit _________, and as I was driving up the ramp into the parking garage from Elmwood, someone with a big SUV honked at me. And it startled me. I thought this was odd. Was I going the wrong way or something? They rolled down their window and with a real sense of urgency, the woman said to me, “You have a headlight out!” Well, I guess that was nice to let me know, but I already knew that. The young lady in the SUV scared me, though. I thought there was some danger ahead.
Are you good at warning people about danger?
ILL Warning (H) [Sign (H)]
It reminds me of the story about two not-so-bright Christians that were standing by the side of the road holding up signs. The first Christian’s sign said, "The End is Near!" The second Christian, on the other side of the road, held up a sign which read, "Turn before it’s too late!"
They held up their signs to each passing car.
"Get a job." The first driver yelled.
The second, immediately behind the first, yelled, "Leave us alone you religious freaks"!
Shortly, from around the curve, they heard screeching tires and a splash followed by more screeching tires and another splash.
The first Christian looked over at his companion and said, "Do you think we should try a different sign"?
The other Christian responded, "Perhaps, ’Bridge Out’ might be better"?
TRANSITION:
Well, this month, our theme has been…
1. Heaven Can’t Wait!
Eschatology, the study of future things, is too important a subject to ignore.
What is going to happen in our future is not something to worry about later.
Simply, heaven can’t wait, for what we do now, here on earth, is directly linked to what happens to us when we die.
For earthly death is really a transition time.
Life does not end when we die.
It continues.
The question is, since death can happen at any time, are we ready for what comes after?
Last week, we considered the topic of heaven and why it will not, in any way, be a boring place.
In fact, it will be an exciting, enthralling, and an adventurous place.
We are stating that because…
2. We are not to listen to the lies about heaven (Revelation 13.6).
In Revelation we are told that Satan’s representative on earth, known as the beast, does his bidding.
And here is what he does…
It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
Satan tells lies about God, His name and even heaven.
He has been the master of that from the very beginning.
The creation story reveals this to us when the serpent deceives Eve into doubting God’s goodness.
So it should be no surprise to us that Satan would have us believe that heaven is nothing but boring.
He would have us believe that God is not preparing a good place for us.
The devil would have us believe that God does not really care for us – that His claim of love for us is really a sham.
He essentially tells us that God lies.
But we are not to give in to those lies.
For there is news that must be understood about future things.
3. This is urgent (Hebrews 9.27)!
The writer of Hebrews tells us…
…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…
Everyone has the same fate, so to speak.
Every person will die.
Every person, in one form or another, will be judged.
Some will have a conclusion that they do not want.
They will be rejected.
But that does not have to be.
There is an eternal party coming that all are invited to.
So…
4. WE NEED TO GET THE INVITATIONS OUT!
This is the time of the year for invitations – for graduation parties and wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Well…
We need to get the invitations out so that more people can hear this wonderful news from Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Lord.”
We need to give people the opportunity to know what is coming if they choose to follow the God’s ways and what is coming if they choose not to follow God’s ways.
Therefore…
5. We will find in our study of Revelation 20 three certainties that show why we need to get the invitations out.
Here is what John sees and reports to us…
(11) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. (12) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. (13) And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. (14) Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (15) And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first certainty is that there is the JUDGE (11).
There is coming a time that the greatest, the purest and the most powerful Being will pronounce a final judgment.
When we begin to see this picture that John is describing for us in the text, it is one that is to communicate power, awe, and fear.
No one will be flippant before the Great White Throne.
No one will be able to tell God what is on their mind.
There will be no opportunity to complain about how He has done it.
You see, it is a white throne.
It is a place of purity.
It is unapproachable purity.
And the impurity of humanity will stand in stark contrast leaving each person speechless.
God will be sitting on the throne.
This is a certainty.
He is the Potentate.
He is in charge.
He will call the shots.
II. The second certainty is that there is the JUDGED (12).
There will be no favoritism for the accused.
No one can claim to have an upper hand standing before this throne.
Big shots will be there, and so will nobodies.
Down and outers will be there, and so will up and comers.
The leaders of the world will be there, and so will the homeless.
The uneducated will be there, and so will brilliant minds –professors, doctors, engineers and scientists.
CEOs will be there, and so will the common laborer.
It does not matter who you are.
It does not matter what you did.
It does not matter what you believed.
This is a certainty.
All humanity will be judged.
III. The third certainty is that there is the JUDGMENT (12-15).
1. All will be judged according to their works.
There will be no excuses.
There will be no alibis.
There will be no adequate defense because the things that you have done will betray you.
For all our deeds fall short of God’s holiness and perfection.
He is the standard to which we are compared.
And as a result…
Every one is declared guilty!
So, judgment is coming to…
1.1 Those that believe they are good.
There are going to be a lot of surprised people at judgment who think that they are good enough.
They believe because they have done more good than bad, God will have to accept them.
Their belief in self-righteousness will be betrayed when compared to God’s righteousness.
There are other nuances as well…
There are those that believe that they are not sinners.
They believe that all people are basically good.
But again, that is contrary to God’s communicated Word which says that we are all sinners.
There are those that have gone to church all their lives.
Unknowingly, they have become dependent on this as their ticket to heaven.
It is not a good ticket…
Going to church and being good do not guarantee heaven.
Judgment will also come to…
1.2 Those who have procrastinated.
It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
There are too many that have said that they wanted to get right with the Lord, but they have put off the decision.
They decide that they will do it tomorrow.
For some, though “tomorrow” comes before they are ready, and it is too late.
We cannot say that there has not been adequate warning…
ILL Warning (H)
A West Virginia state trooper stopped a woman for going 15 miles over the speed limit. After he handed her a ticket, she asked him, “Don’t you give out warnings?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “They’re all up and down the road. They say, ‘Speed Limit 55.’”
In our lifetime, there are numerous warnings.
The information is available to each person – from without and even from within.
Judgment is also coming to…
1.3 Those who hope for a second chance.
We are a people, by nature, that like do-overs.
Golfers get “mulligans.”
Batters get three strikes.
But remember that verse from Hebrews…
…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…
This life is not a test.
It is not a practice drill.
This is for real.
We get one shot.
As I mentioned two weeks ago…
There is no purgatory.
There is no after-death existence in which a person can in some way or another pay for the mistakes of the past life and be purified for heaven.
There is no way that loved ones of the departed can speed the process of purgatory along.
Special gifts to the church, candles lit and prayers offered, and masses sponsored in the name of the deceased promise a quicker release from purgatory to heaven.
But it is untrue.
It is not Scriptural.
Neither is the similar Mormon doctrine of proxy baptism, which is being baptized for someone that is deceased so they can go to heaven.
It too is unbiblical and untrue.
There are no second chances.
And those who are depending on them will be judged.
Those beliefs are false because we can not atone for our own sins.
The truth of the Bible is that we cannot pay for our own sins in this life or in any life to come.
We cannot.
But Jesus has.
When we receive God’s gift of grace provided through Jesus, our account in heaven is marked “paid in full.”
But let this be clear to you…
Grace is available now, not later.
When we die, it is no longer available.
The choice has been made.
Finally, judgment is coming to those that it is most obvious, to…
1.4 Those that have rejected God.
Unfortunately, there are those who have hated God.
They have hated the Bible.
They have hated the church.
They have wanted to live their lives as they choose.
They have lived the philosophy that what is behind closed doors is nobody else’s business but their own.
But the truth is, all will be revealed.
They will find out that God knows, God cares, and God will judge.
So realize this…
2. You must have your name in the book!
If you have been saved, that is, you are trusting your life in the perfect work of Jesus, and not your own works, your name is written there.
It is written in the book of life.
But if you do not have that faith, then your name is not there.
Ultimately, there’s only one sin that will bring the judgment of eternal hell.
It is the sin of unbelief.
It is the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
It is rejecting the promptings of the Spirit to put your faith in Jesus for salvation.
This judgment is a certainty.
APPLICATION:
1. Are you getting the invitations out?
ILL Warning (S)
In Phuket, Thailand, Tilly Smith, a determined 10-year-old girl, saved her parents and dozens of fellow vacationers from the deadly tsunami because she had studied a school geography lesson, and then courageously spoke what she knew to be true.
As Tilly’s family enjoyed a day at Maikhao Beach, the sea began to bubble and rush away from the shore. While the adults were merely curious, Tilly was petrified with fear.
"Mummy, we must get off the beach now!" she said. "I think there’s going to be a tsunami."
The adults didn’t even understand her warning until Tilly referred to it as a tidal wave. Once they understood, they all believed the youngster and evacuated the area. Minutes later the water surged right over the beach and demolished everything in its path. The resort was destroyed, but that section of beach was one of the few places along the shores of Phuket where no one was killed or even seriously hurt.
Tilly was praised for raising the alarm. "I think it’s phenomenal that Tilly’s parents and the others on the beach are alive because she studied hard at school," said the hotel’s manager. "She’s a hero."
Tilly gave the credit to her geography teacher for his lesson on how earthquakes cause tsunamis. She explained, "I was on the beach, and the water started to go funny. I recognized what was happening and had a feeling there was going to be a tsunami."
As those who know that judgment is coming, but also know that God has provided a way to escape, are we ready, willing, and courageous enough to tell others?
Duncan Larcombe, "Quake Angel," www.nypost.com (1-1-05)
It is our responsibility to communicate what is going to happen.
It is our responsibility to tell about the choices that are available and what their consequences are going to be.
2. We need to communicate about the…
2.1 The awfulness of hell
We must communicate clearly about the lies that are told about hell.
There are no friends there.
There will be no “society.”
There will be pain, torment, boredom and loneliness.
We must communicate about the truth of judgment.
We must witness to the righteous character of God who must judge sin.
We must communicate that each one of us is responsible before God.
We are not robots who have no choice.
We are not helpless victims.
We are creatures who are able to make choices.
And we can choose the way of escape that God has graciously provided.
If we do, we are rewarded with…
2.2 The awesomeness of heaven
This is the place that no one wants to miss!
But understand this…
Satan wants to keep you blind and uninformed.
He wants you to believe that heaven is for the boring.
But it is not true.
For in every way, there are better things ahead than we leave behind.
However, the time to make the choice is now.
It is not made later.
During this lifetime, we make the choice that decides eternity.
Don’t miss out on the joy that is coming your way.
So let us rejoice today that God is both just and merciful.
He will make all things right.
All injustices will be righted.
And for those that believe in Him, trust Him, and place their faith in Jesus…
3. It is going to be a great party.
So…
Invite as many as you can.
Heaven will be a place of joy.
It will be enjoyed by those that choose right in this lifetime.
And it will be enjoyed for time without end.
For Further Study: II Chronicles 16.9; Ezekiel 18.32; Matthew 7.15-23; Luke 12.2-3; Hebrews 10.31; James 1.15; II Peter 3.9; I John 5.12-14
BENEDICTION:
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Butcher, Jim Six Wrong Ways to Judge Your Life
Dillahunty, George After Physical Death – What?
Gillespie-Mobley, Rick If You Love Me, You Will Tell Me
Parker, Ernest Judgment Day
Shirley, Jerry The Great White Throne Judgment
_____ The Judgment Seat of Christ
Thomas, Roger Four Lies About Death
Resources:
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Stern, David H. The Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., 1992.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs: ChariotVictor Publishing, 1989.
