“WHEN JESUS COMES: JUDGMENT”
(Advent 2010, Week #2)
Rev. 11:18-19
Sermon Objective: When Jesus comes – judgment follows. But, as we will see, judgment paves the way for the Good News of Christ’s salvation.
Supporting Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-5a; Luke 18:13-14; Romans 2:5-8, Romans 6:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10; Rev. 20
SERMON INTRO
The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King at his second.
It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.
Part of that expectation also anticipates a judgment on sin and a calling of the world to accountability before God. We long for God to come and set the world right! Yet, as the prophet Amos warned, the expectation of a coming judgment at the "Day of the Lord" may not be the day of light that some might want, because the penetrating light of God’s judgment on sin will shine just as brightly on God’s people.
The exposure of our sin is intended and designed to prepare us to receive God’s pardon, mercy and grace. In turn we are prepared to worship and be in His presence. Advent, you see, brings us full circle.
Last week we discovered that an impact of Christ’s coming (whenever and wherever) is justice. This week we will discover that God’ s righteous judgment flows out His justice. Unger’s Bible Dictionary says, Justice “reveals the triumph of the righteous kingdom culminating in the final judgment.”
When Jesus comes – judgment follows. But, as we will see judgment paves the way for the Good News … the Gospel.
TEXT
Rev 11:18The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
19Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
I) THERE IS JUDGMENT IN THE INCARNATION
To begin with, there was judgment in the incarnation. The incarnation is a theological word that simply means “God in flesh.”
Why did God become a human being? As our Advent meditation suggested, any understanding of Christmas that does not revolve around Jesus death, burial and resurrection is mere sentimental drivel. Jesus became a human being … Jesus was born … to die.
Why was his death so important? Because death is the penalty for sin. From the very beginning God told humankind that violating His law (think: the apple in the garden) would mean “Ye shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Our rebellion places us in a position of hostility (ill-will or enmity) with God. And in order for us to be reconciled (our friendship restored) the sin must be paid for.
Again, Jesus was born to die.
In Jesus’ death sin – all human sin – was judged; restoration and pardon were secured.
There is a sense in which sin can no longer keep humankind away from God. It cannot send us to hell. How can I say that? Because Jesus paid for all of humanity’s sin. What keeps us under condemnation is our unbelief … our refusal to come to Christ and receive his pardon; our refusal to turn our hearts to him while, at the same time, insisting that we will be lord of our lives.
Herein is the Good News – your , regardless of how heinous or many, has been atoned for through Jesus Christ.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus BECAME sin! When God looked at his son on the cross he saw all the heinous, corrupt, deceptive, and evil activity that man cumulatively can do.
Take some time and page through a hymnal and look at how many hymns celebrate this truth. Some that immediately come to my mind are: “It is Well With My Soul,” “Jesus Paid it All”, “At Calvary”, “Wonderful Grace of Jesus.” They are all testimonies by Christ’s saints who discovered the overwhelming Good News of Christ’s complete victory on the cross.
When Jesus came – judgment. God judged sin (in Christ) at His first advent.
II) THERE IS JUDGMENT AT PENTECOST
In Jesus’ intermediate coming (Pentecost – the indwelling of the Spirit) sin was defeated. As believers we can (and will) live lives that are pleasing to God. We may not be sinless but we will sin less and less as we grow in grace.
Romans 6:17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
THE BIBLE IS CLEAR; THE EVIDENCE OF BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT IS … HOLINESS. That is why He is called the “Holy Spirit.” It is holiness that distinguishes him from the spirits of the age; and it is His holiness at work within us that indicates a Christian is walking in step with God.
At Pentecost God gave his children EVERYTHING they need to live lives that please Him.
Sadly, there are many Christians who try to live pleasing lives in their own strength. They somehow think that if they just pray harder or read the Bible more, or give more to the poor, or sacrifice more then God will like them and approve of them.
Sadly there are many who think that the believer has to be “brow-beat” and harshly “driven” to live righteous lives.
Nothing in the Bible supports that. What the Bible teaches is that Jesus’ death and resurrection coupled with the giving of His Spirit is enough to empower you to live a righteous life. If you are “trying” to do it but failing then my advice to you is to come and meet the Holy Spirit. YOU WON’T HAVE TO “WORK IT UP” BECAUSE GOD HAS ALREADY “POURED IT OUT!” Just read Romans 7 and 8 sometime this afternoon and look at what happens when we meet the Holy Spirit.
Listen to me … you can be free from the guilt and manipulation that many try to impose in order to get you to live righteously. The freedom and empowerment that the Holy Spirit brings gives you the “want to” and the ability to live a holy life.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE UNDER SOMEBODY ELSE’S JUDGMENT FOR YOUR SIN! RUN AWAY FROM THE SPIRITUAL LEGALISM AND INTO THE ARMS OF AN EMPOWERING GOD!
At Pentecost (the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church) sin was judged (deemed) to be powerless over the saint.
When I was growing up in a Baptist Church my pastor used to tell me “Ken I believe there comes a time in the life of every Christian when, just as at salvation they gave God their badness, they now offer Him their goodness.” He would tell me that at some point (s) in the Christian walk we would see our need to surrender all and that that surrender opened the door to a whole new level of intimacy with God.
My pastor was searching for words to describe what we Wesleyans call “Sanctification.” That is the process, the spiritual journey, into holiness that begins when we Christians surrender ourselves to the power and direction of the Holy Spirit and live in the victory that his defeat of sin provides.
III) THERE IS JUDGMENT AT THE ESCHATON
At the Second Coming of Jesus – sin will, again, be judged.
The Bible teaches clearly that at the end of time Jesus Christ will judge EVERY human being. We will all stand at the judgment seat of Christ. But, that does not mean we will all have the same fate. The follower of Jesus need not fear … the Scriptures teach clearly that ours will not be a condemnatory judgment because we have passed from death into life (John 5:24, I John 3:14). We have, as we saw last week, Christ’s righteousness not our own. It is as if we have never sinned! This universal judgment is a separation of “sheep from goats” (Mt. 25:32ff) or wheat from tares (Mt. 13:36ff). The only ground for acquittal is to believe in Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 says, “3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.”
Those who know Christ and trust in His saving power will be redeemed.
Those who reject God’s salvation will give account for their own sin.
An umpire named Ralph “Babe” Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes. When the crowd booed with sharp disapproval at the call, the legendary Ruth turned to the umpire with disdain and said, "There’s 40,000 people here who know that the last pitch was ball, tomato head." Suspecting that the umpire would erupt with anger, the coaches and players braced themselves for Ruth’s ejection. However, the cool headed Pinelli replied, "Maybe so, Babe, but mine is the only opinion that counts."
Never fool yourself … God’s judgment is the only one that counts.
WRAP-UP
JUDGMENT IS PART OF THE “GOOD NEWS”
When Jesus comes … whenever and wherever Jesus comes … judgment of sin follows.
Sin is intolerable to a holy God. It must be addressed. And that leaves us with two choices.
1. You can pay the penalty for your sin yourself. If you choose not to bow the knee to Jesus Christ. If you refuse His forgiveness and choose to keep yourself on the throne … you will be held accountable for your sin.
Romans 2:5-8 says, “5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
In “Words We Live” By, Brian Burrell tells of an armed robber named Dennis Lee Curtis who was arrested in 1992 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Curtis apparently had scruples about his thievery. In his wallet the police found a sheet of paper on which was written the following code:
1. I will not kill anyone unless I have to.
2. I will take cash and food stamps—no checks.
3. I will rob only at night.
4. I will not wear a mask.
5. I will not rob mini-marts or 7-Eleven stores.
6. If I get chased by cops on foot, I will get away. If chased by vehicle, I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line.
7. I will rob only seven months out of the year.
8. I will enjoy robbing from the rich to give to the poor.
This thief had a sense of morality, but it was flawed. When he stood before the court, he was not judged by the standards he had set for himself but by the higher law of the state.
Likewise when we stand before God, we will not be judged by the code of morality we have written for ourselves but by God’s perfect law.
I know it isn’t popular but sin’s consequences are something that Gospel preachers must warn people about. Jesus spoke more about judgment and Hell that anyone else in the Bible.
Jesus believed that the day of judgment was so severe that it was worth dying to spare you.
1. You can pay the penalty for your sin yourself.
2. You can come to Jesus Christ. You can acknowledge Him as your only source of salvation from the wrath to come.
In Luke 18 the Bible tells us of one man who “13would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’” Jesus said, “14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.”
That story has been repeated millions of times over as people have passed from death unto life … all because of the work of Jesus … all because “he became sin for us.”
And you can experience that right here … today. You, too, can go to your house justified today.
There is an appropriate response for everyone today. As we invite Jesus Christ to visit us anew this Advent season it will be coupled with Him addressing your sin.
You can rejoice because your sins are forgiven and your name is written in the book of life.
You can come and receive the Holy Spirit. It is only after you have had an encounter with God’s Spirit that you can live victoriously over sin. Until then, you will struggle no matter how hard you try and what rules you impose.
You can come and receive Christ’s pardon. There is nothing that compares to the new life and the cleansing that God gives those who come to Him.
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This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
Advent Week #2 Meditation
When Jesus Comes: Judgment
Luke 1:28-30
>> LIGHT THE FIRST AND SECOND CANDLES OF THE ADVENT WREATH <<
Luke 1:28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Advent means “Coming” or “Arrival.” It is the season of the year we set aside to meditate on what the coming of Jesus means for His church and His world.
When Jesus comes it is, among other things, a sign of judgment. It means God has come to address the “sinful condition” that haunts all humankind. God’s message of judgment is an essential part of the Good News because it is only when we see the contrast between His holiness and our sinfulness that we grasp our need for pardon and grace.
Mary was “greatly troubled” because she knew she was undeserving of God’s favor. This, too, must absolutely be a part of our Advent anticipations: that in the presence of divinity we are “greatly troubled.”
Nevertheless, fear has been much forgotten-both by the world and by Christians in general. We rush toward angels unafraid. We approach the blazing furnaces of the seraphim with no more apprehension than children who reach laughingly for fire. Mindlessly do the bells of secular celebrations jingle for Christmas. Meaninglessly do carols repeat their tiny joys in all the malls of America. No richer than soda pop is every sentimentalized Christmas special on TV. After all, if God is a laughing Santa, why should we be afraid?
How can there be fear in such a Christmas? No God. No blinding righteousness approaching the earth. No gulf between us and the immortal; no need to bridge the gulf.
Of course it is right to rejoice in tidings of great joy: that the mercy of God now crosses the gulf which our sinning opened between ourselves and our Creator. Yes, it is right to fall down in perfect trust, fearlessly, before the Christ child and to worship him. Yes it is right to delight in the song of the angels, “Gloria in excelsis Deo”.
But it is only right once we recognize and experience undeserved grace. Arrogance forgets that mercy without sin means nothing, without which the baby Jesus is just a baby after all.
Our Advent and Christmas season will be much more meaningful when we associate it with the offer of pardon that is extended to each of us through the manger.
*adapted from “Preparing for Jesus” by Walter Mangerin Jr.
