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Message
Can you remember the first time you had to go to the dentist? When you are young facing this unknown experience it can be a little scary at first, can't it.
What is going to happen?
Will the Dentist have to do work on my teeth?
Will it hurt?
For some reason Dentists have always made us a little scared … especially when you get the bill.
Here is another area of life that makes that makes us scared … it is called judgement day in the Bible. Even those who have faith in Jesus might find this day a little worrying.
Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and expose the motives of men's hearts.
1 Corinthians 4:5
You read a passage like that and you imagine judgement day being like a movie – in a huge movie theatre – where each one of us will be featured on the screen.
“Now we are going to show the life of … Colin Tamplin”.
And the spot-light goes onto Colin so everyone knows exactly who he is. Then up on the big screen comes Colin’s life.
All the dark parts … all our shocking hidden motives … it’s all revealed.
Everyone around him is shaking their head. And Michelle is there saying – if I had of know that I would never have married you.
Maybe it won’t be exactly like that, but you get the point don’t you. Even for a believer judgement day could be a day that makes us a little fearful.
Today the section of Revelation we are going to read is going to show us that judgement day is not a day we need to fear … as long as we are standing ourselves in the right place.
So let’s have a look at the Scriptures.
Revelation 20:11-22:5
The Hope of the Saints in this Broken World.
Obviously the event being described here is a serious event. This is a Revelation to us as to what is going to happen on the last day in a world which has been stained by sin. The serious of the whole situation is emphasised by where it is taking place. I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it.
We know, because we have seen the great white throne a number of times in Revelation, that the One who sits on the throne is God. That is important to see.
The place before the throne of God is a place of holiness. When Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord seated on His throne Isaiah cried out, Woe to me ... I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips ... and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty. Isaiah knew that God will not tolerate sin in His presence. God's holiness demands that sin be driven from Him.
But, on a few rare occasions, God makes an exception to this rule. The day of judgement is one of those few exceptions – such is the seriousness of the event.
Judgement day will be a day when very sinner, representing every sin ever committed, stands before God and His throne awaiting God's verdict.
For some it will be the first … and last … time they will be allowed to see the face of God.
For others it is going to be just the beginning of an eternity of being in God’s presence. A delicious entree before gathering to celebrate at the wedding supper of the Lamb.
But, no matter who they are, everyone there at judgement day is stained with sin. The sin will stand out so clearly against the holiness of God. More to the point, everyone at judgement day deserves to be driven from the presence of God … yet God makes an exception so that His grace can be shown.
You see, many people have this idea that God is an angry God who enjoys punishing people.
Lots of people, even Christian people, look at the Old Testament and say, “God did some stuff that looked like He was pretty angry”.
Giving the order to wipe out whole villages.
He once took out a whole clan of Israelites.
He almost took out the whole earth at the Flood.
He was angry. The Bible says God is the same yesterday, today and forever. So He still must be angry.
Yes God is angry. But it is only a small part of His character. God isn’t going to enjoy judgement day. Rather it is going to be a day of real pain to Him. In this crowd stand all those who have turned their backs on God – all who chose to reject God the Creator.
God's justice demands punishment.
But God's compassion makes this moment all so painful.
We can be sure that this whole event goes against God's nature.
Ezekiel 33:11 says, “As surely as I live declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live”.
That is from the Old Testament. This is God declaring His character. Not angry.
This is confirmed by 2 Peter 3:9 which says, The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness. He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
This is a serious moment. It is taking place before the Holy God who is finding the whole situation very painful.
But it is also serious for another reason.
The final of the State of Origin this year was watched by 4.82 million people. That is pretty serious.
The number of people who watch the American superbowl each year is about 117 million. That is pretty serious.
The China Central Television spring festival garden is watched by almost 1 billion people. That is really serious.
The funeral of Lady Diana was watch by 2.5 billion people. Now we are talking about something serious.
Now have a look at the size of the crowd at judgement day.
Great and small will be there. These words describe those who have achieved high social status, and those who have not. Corporate manager and janitor. Boss and trainee. Principle and student. Queen and servant. There is no-one so great that they will be beyond reproach. There is no-one so small that judgement would be a waste of time.
Those who have been given up by the sea and death and Hades will be there.
• To a person in Jesus' day the sea represented chaos and was feared. It was unpredictable. It was untameable. It seemed no one could control it.
• Death here is equal to the grave. It represented the end of earthly activity. The end of our usefulness. A process out of our control.
• Hades was the headquarters of evil – strategic opposition to the church and the people of God began at Hades.
The sea, death and Hades represent all the untamed powers and places of fear for mankind. Yet, for all their untamed power, and evil opposition none of these places could hide those who must be judged – all these places must give up their secrets. No-one will escape having to stand before God. All will give an account.
Everyone, from all history, through all of time is going to be there. A research paper, back by good solid research, has guessed that this would be about 107 billion. And they are not just watching it on tv … they are there. This is a serious event.
But it is going to be serious for another reason.
At a radio station there is always a sign which says `On Air'. Whenever that sign is lit up the announcers must be careful what they say because all the listeners can hear them.
In heaven we have a similar on air event. Except it isn’t a radio – it is a series of books. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Our whole life is `On Air' episode and God has been recording every detail broadcast to Him.
That is serious, because the books will not lie.
Judgement day is not like a funeral. I’ve yet to be at a funeral where people really say what they think about the person who has died. Usually you get to hear all the nice things and funny stories.
Judgement day is not like an autobiography. Where you get to write the story and decide what you want people to know and what you want to keep hidden.
No one has the ability to edit the outcome. No-one has the possibility of making themselves look better. On judgement day our story will be marked by truth telling, free from the distorted influence of our own self-image and self deception and self interest.
That is all pretty serious isn’t it. You look at this day and you might even think, “Well where is all the hope in this?.”
There is hope. We know there is hope because Revelation 21:1-22:5 gives us this wonderful description of God being with His people.
It is the new heaven and new earth. All that is terrible about this world is gone. All that is Godly about this world is magnified.
No more death or mourning or crying or pain.
God will be among us.
And we get to reign with Him.
Everything about it will be real.
It is going to be a place of real relationships. We will not say unkind words, or do uncaring actions, or even think unencouraging thoughts.
It’s going to be a place of real holiness. We won't have deeds which He is ashamed of. Our thoughts will not embarrass us as we stand before the throne of God.
It’s going to be a place of real understanding. Those times on earth when we just didn't see how God was working for our good will all of the sudden make sense.
No more pretend. No more pretext. No more hypocrisy. Just real.
The city will be great in every way. If we take it literally it will be 2,200km long; 2,000km wide and … get this 2,200km high. Officially space starts 100km above the ground. So I don’t think we should think too literally. What we are getting shown here is that there is plenty of room for everybody. That it is a glorious place. That we get to see God always. Words are never going to be enough to describe what it is like. But let me tell you this. You want to be there.
Eternity with God that is the invitation. BUT notice very carefully these words.
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:27
It is a great place, with an exclusive invitation.
You don’t get in, unless your name is in the book of life.
You can’t sneak in later, unless your name is in the book of life.
There is no purgatory … a place where you work of your sin.
There is no cross-over from the lake of fire into the eternal city.
Everything hinges around this book.
So we have two sets of books. The ones which record all that you have done. And then the book of life. First the books that talk about your life are read. Then the book of life is opened.
All who stand before the throne listen anxiously as they wait for their name to be read out.
You will be standing there listening to see if your name will be read out.
Do you think your name will be there?
You know that you deserve to be punished.
You know that your life is a series of shortcomings before God.
You know that you haven’t lived according to His ways.
What makes you think you can avoid eternal punishment?
That is a serious question isn’t it:-
What makes you think you can avoid eternal punishment?
Now understand where this is all coming from. I’m not telling you all this because I want to scare you.
Let’s be honest. If a man came to you and said, “I’m getting married”. And you asked “why?” and he said something like …
“I’m fearful of being single for the rest of my life”.
or “I’m still living at home and I’m fearful people will think I am a Mummy’s boy”.
or “I’m afraid I am going to starve because I can’t cook”.
If he said these things would you tell him that he is committed to marriage for the wrong reasons.
Our motive can’t be fear. The Bible says There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.
Our motive is not fear. Our motive is knowing that we don’t deserve any help – yet Jesus has paid the price.
Revelation 21:7 puts it this way. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
So that is the real question isn’t it.
Are you an overcomer?
1 John 5:5 asks the question, Who is he that overcomes the world? ... Not he who is afraid of spending an eternity of torment with Satan. But only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. The grace of God to you is your ticket to salvation.
The overcomer is the one who realises that Jesus went to the cross to deal with
all our short-comings.
all our false-starts.
all our inconsistencies.
all our impure motives.
all our rejection of God.
We can enter the New Jerusalem not because – in Jesus – we are overcomers.
To overcome means the punishment is reversed.
To overcome means avoiding the fiery lake.
To overcome means getting a ticket to the wedding supper of the Lamb.
To overcome means ruling with Christ.
To overcome means you are part of the new heaven and earth.
To overcome means you are like Jesus in every way.
You need to be an overcomer. Then you can be sure your name is in the book of life. And on that day of judgement you will fear … NOTHING.
Prayer
