HAPPY SURPRISE AT THE JUDGMENT
Mt. 25:34-40
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: WRONG IMPRESSIONS
1. Laurie Navin, in Reader’s Digest, told how her beloved family dog “Lucky” passed away. She was trying to explain what had happened to her four-year old son Ian, in terms he might could understand.
2. She said, “Ian, I want to talk to you about something’s that’s happened to Lucky. Do you remember that baby bird we found on the sidewalk the other day?” she said.
3. Ian’s eyes got real big and he said, “Mom, are you trying to tell me that Lucky fell out of a tree?”
4. How often we get the wrong ideas!
B. TEXT
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
C. THESIS
1. Most people, when they contemplate standing before God in Judgment, tremble, because they well-know their own faults, weaknesses, and selfishness.
2. At best, most people expect they’ll fit Paul’s description of minimum salvation, “as one escaping through the flames” 1 Cor. 3:15. But what if God is keeping score differently than we think?
3. What if, instead of barely escaping through the flames, we receive from God a ringing commendation and a smile of approval from the Eternal Judge?
4. This is more than a possibility for most Christians, so the title of this message is “Happy Surprise at the Judgment.”
I. THE BLESSING ON THE RIGHTEOUS
A. TRADING A CROSS FOR A CROWN
1. Jesus, in eternity, will tell us to “Come & enter your master’s happiness!” During this life He told us “Come unto Me all you who are weary & heavy-laden and I will give you rest!” On earth He gives us relief; but in Heaven He’ll crown us with joy!
2. We who followed Him faithfully during the time of His reproach, will be bidden to follow Him in the time of His victory and triumph. Instead of giving us a cross, He’ll give us a crown.
3. The basis for our future happiness will never be good works, though this passage may seem to indicate this. The real reason for our reward is our connection to Jesus and His atoning work for us on the Cross, after which He imparted His righteousness to us. All blessing is derived from Him.
B. RECEIVE YOUR INHERITANCE
1. Like Paul said (Gal. 4:1-2), as long as we are underage, we are subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by our father (for our majority). When we stand before Jesus, that time will have arrived. We will then “inherit.”
2. WHAT WILL WE INHERIT? Three things:
a. A KINGDOM. Most inherit a little money or a piece of property. The rich may inherit a business or large trust fund. But only a few ever inherit a kingdom. That’s what YOU are going to inherit!
b. A KINGDOM PREPARED. There’s been a great preparation made by God on a kingly scale for the entertainment of His family. He designed it for them guided by His everlasting love and the greatness of His wisdom & power.
c. KINGDOM PREPARED FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. As adopted sons and daughters, our heirship can’t be alienated. We have the surest title-deed to our inheritance. It’s connected to our predestination from the creation of the world! How happy we will be forever!
II. THE SURPRISE OF THE RIGHTEOUS
A. SOURCE OF THE SURPRISE
When the righteous (in Mt. 25) are told they are being honored because of their meritorious service to the Savior, they are shocked and depreciate their service. There are 4 reasons:
1. OUR HUMILITY. Being in the throne room of God, before the presence of Almighty God and the holy angels, it’s easy to understand why we’d think that nothing we had done in this shadowy world was of any importance.
2. QUALITY OF OUR SERVICE. Our earthly efforts will appear so trifling, so unworthy, so mixed with bad motives, and so partial in obedience that we will express wonderment that they are recognized at all.
3. DEEDS SO HIGHLY CELEBRATED. The loud declaring of our deeds in heaven and overwhelming rewards for them will astound the people of God. It will seem an impossible incongruity.
4. THE IDENTITY OF OUR RECIPIENT. That it should be Jesus Himself who claims to be the recipient of our actions will astound us because only a few Christians ever saw Him during His earthly life.
B. WHY DIDN’T WE RECOGNIZE JESUS?
1. JESUS WAS OFTEN WITH PEOPLE & THEY DIDN’T KNOW IT
a. The 2 Disciples at Emmaus; “Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him” Lk. 24:15-16. Jesus is often around us too, unknown to us.
b. MARY MAGDALENE: “…she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus” Jn. 20:14. She was possibly the closest to Jesus, but she still mis-identified Him.
c. 5 DISCIPLES ON SEA OF GALILEE: “Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus” Jn. 21:4. We may be ignorant of Jesus being near us, but He’s not ignorant of us!
2. JESUS IDENTIFIES WITH BELIEVERS, MORE THAN WE REALIZE.
a. The Lord so perfectly identifies Himself with His human family that He made their sorrows and sufferings His own (Isa. 53:4; 63:9; Mt. 8:17). In all their affliction He was afflicted; in their consolation, He was consoled.
b. From this identification it follows that what is done to them He counts as done to Himself. He said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute ME?” Acts 9:4.
c. And in the same way He perceives our works of mercy, done to others, as done to Himself.
3. Needless to say, it will be a very happy moment when we realize we have done more for the Lord than we thought we had. This should be an encouragement to us that God doesn’t just focus on the ‘bad’ details of our lives, but also focuses on the ‘good’ details. Praise God!
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF REWARDS
A. WE WILL BE REWARDED
1. Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:12). Many people think that all that matters is that they
are saved. Nothing could be further from the truth!
2. There will be great rewards for the faithful. Yet not everyone in heaven will receive the same reward: Some will sit on thrones (Luke 22:29-30; Rev. 3:21), while others will “scarcely be saved” (1 Pet. 4:18). Some saints will be richly rewarded while others will have all their works burned up (1 Cor. 3:14-15).
3. Jon Courson reminds us that “rewards will determine your capacity to enjoy eternity. They will determine what you do in the next zillion years. “Take my word for it,” Paul would say, “Your house, your car, your hobbies, trinkets and toys will all burn. What does matter is doing God’s work with the right attitudes and motives.”
4. During this earthly life is our only opportunity to earn rewards for eternity. Now is our time to alter people’s destination, to fight the battles of the Lord, and to do good to others who have needs. Once we get to heaven, there will be no more battles, no more needs, and everyone’s eternity will be unchangeable. NOW IS OUR ONLY CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! DO IT NOW!
B. THINGS WE’LL BE REWARDED FOR
1. Obviously, in this passage Jesus said we’ll be rewarded for blessing other Christians (“the least of…mine,” vs. 40) we feed, give a drink to, take into our house, give clothes to, help when sick, and visit when incarcerated, etc.
2. But God’s rewards will be much broader than these. Eph. 6:8 says, “the Lord will reward each one for WHATEVER GOOD THEY DO.”
3. Godly “motives of the heart” (1 Cor. 4:5), “words” of encouragement or blessing (Mt. 12:36), and uplifting “thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12) will also be candidates for commendation.
4. God, in His infinite awareness, is aware of every prayer you pray, every smile you give, every kind word, every act of generosity, every encouragement. David said He’s keeping all our tears in a bottle! (Ps. 56:8). Malachi said a book of remembrance is written to record the names of those who feared God and grieved over sin (Mal. 3:16; 2 Kgs. 22:19).
5. Every time you rejected a temptation, took a stand for Christ, taught a Bible study, cooked a meal for God’s people, made a phone call, sent someone a get-well card, etc. – it will all be noticed and rewarded!
6. Isaiah said, “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come” (60:5). This is a millennial promise in which God’s people are surprised at the abundance of God’s blessings to them.
7. It’s a small description of how we will feel on that day we are honored before the throne of God and hear the wonderful words of blessing from our Savior. May we prove faithful until that day!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. Bishop Potter of New York was once sailing for Europe on a transatlantic Cruise Ship. He decided to dress like a normal person, so he packed his bishop’s clothes away and entered the ship in plain clothes.
2. He found that another passenger was to share his cabin. Once he met the man, he went to the Purser’s office and asked if he could leave his gold watch there for safe-keeping, saying, “I met my room-mate and he looked like a disreputable person who might steal from me!”
3. The Purser accepted his watch and said, “It’s all right Bishop, I’ll be glad to take care of it. FYI: your room-mate has already been here and left his valuables for the same reason!” [Paul Lee Tan, Encyclo. Of 7,700 Illus., #2839]
4. The point is, we tend to judge others by outward appearance; we also judge ourselves with limited knowledge. The truth is, God sees more in you than you see, and He loves you with an everlasting love! Rejoice that He has set His love on you!
B. THE CALL
1. How many want to let Jesus bring peace to your hearts by getting your sins under His precious blood?
2. Instead of dreading the judgment, let me encourage you to spend your remaining days laying up treasures in Heaven by kind acts and words, and adorning the Name of your God with honor. PRAYER.
