Text: Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”
SERMON
At the time of the Apostle Peter, shortly after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, Peter talked about one of the most important events in the history of the world - the end of time, the end of this world. In our text for today, Jesus tells us that He’ll be coming back to this earth a second time as well. And that day is called Judgment Day. Every man, woman and child who has ever lived will stand before the throne of God. That means that you and I will also stand before the Judge. So, the big question as we prepare for that day is this: What will you say to Jesus on Judgment Day?
In our text Jesus describes the Judgment scene. We see the believers as sheep placed on his right-hand side; the unbelievers, on the other hand, are goats and they’re separated from the believers - placed on his left. The terror of the judgment is emphasized in these words to the unbelievers: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not cloth me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”
Jesus is condemning them. Why? Because of their lack of “good works.” The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” So, the unbelievers’ lack of “good works” in the eyes of God are proof of their lack of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Now to the believers comes Jesus’ invitation into his heavenly kingdom: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” You see, the good works of the believers, listed elsewhere in this same chapter, are evidence in God’s eyes of their living faith in Jesus. What all this means is that when it comes to where you’ll spend your eternity, that’s it! There’s a right and there’s a left. That’s all! You’re either on one side or the other. There is no in-between; there is no fence to ride. It’s either one or the other.
And so, that brings us to us. What will each of you say to Jesus on Judgment Day as to why you should be let into heaven? For the remainder of today’s sermon, I’d like you to imagine that you’re standing in line to be interviewed by Jesus for admission into heaven. Now, there are plenty of people ahead of you, so you’ll have time to think about what you’ll say. Yet, as you stand in line, listen in on the conversations. Listen to what other people are saying.
1. The first person steps up and says, “I’m sorry, Jesus, that I wasn’t one of your followers, but I didn’t really have a chance. You see, my parents never took me to church or told me about you; so, I never really had a chance to believe in you.” And Jesus replies, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire pre-pared for the devil and his angels. 1) You had Moses and the prophets; 2) You had the Bible; 3) You had the natural knowledge of God and the law of God writ-ten in your heart. You could’ve searched for, used my Word & learned about me. But you didn’t think I was worth it. So now and for all eternity you’re not worth anything to me.”
2. The next person steps up and says, “Lord, Sunday was the one day of the week that I could do some work around the house. You know how busy I was at work during the week. I’m sorry if I offended you, but I just didn’t have time.” And Jesus says, “Depart from me, you who are cursed.” “If you had truly loved me you would’ve found the time - like you did for hunting & fishing & camping & golfing & attending your kid’s games & shopping. You say you had no time for me? Well, I will never again have time for you.”
3. Line’s getting shorter. Thinking about what you’ll say? The next person moves up. “Lord, I know I didn’t often make it to church, but I was a member. You can check it out; my name’s right there in the church directory.” And Jesus answers, “Your name may be on the books at church, but it is not written in my Book of Life. Therefore, depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
4. The next in line says, “Lord, I’m sorry that I, too, wasn’t always in church. But I did send in my contribution; I always paid my church dues.” Again, Jesus says, “Depart from me, you who are cursed. I didn’t want your money. What I wanted was your heart - I wanted you. Now your money will perish with you.”
5. The next person steps up and speaks, “Lord, I’ve tried to be the kind of person you want me to be; I’ve really tried! 1. I’ve given more than my share to the United Way; 2. I’ve tried to help those who were less fortunate than me; 3. I read my Bible almost every day; 4. I sent my children to our LES, SS & CC. I also know that I’ve sinned many times. I’m embarrassed about some of the things I’ve done; I’m even ashamed to admit them. But I tried. Doesn’t that count for something?” And Jesus answers, “In my Book, ‘trying hard’ counts for nothing. Because in my Book you must be perfect even as my Father in heaven is perfect. In other words, it doesn’t matter how hard you tried. You were not perfect as God demands you to be. Therefore, “depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil & his angels.”
6. Finally there’s only one person ahead of you. You’re next to give your answer on Judgment Day. The last person before you steps up and says, “Lord, I’ve fallen many times, but I know, because the Bible says so, that you died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world.” And Jesus answers, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! It isn’t enough to simply know about my death. The devils know that, and they tremble. You don’t know me with your heart, and so now, I confess, ‘I don’t know you.’”
Now it’s your turn to stand before Jesus - the Almighty Judge. What will you say?
As you’ve seen- 1) All the excuses of people have failed; 2) All the good works of people have crumbled into dust before the Judge; 3) He’s looked into the hearts of all who stood before him; 4) The good you thought you’d done has passed away and you now stand spiritually naked before the judgment throne of almighty God. What will you say?
7. God grant that on that day every one of us may drop to our knees to plead before Jesus and say, “Oh, Jesus, nothing in my hand I bring; simply to your cross I cling. It isn’t anything I’ve done, but only what you’ve done for me. It’s the sinless blood that you shed on the cross that has covered up my sins and paid my debt. What I couldn’t do, you’ve done for me with your life, death, and resurrection. You’ve paid God’s price for me with your holy, precious blood. By the grace of God I trust in what you’ve done for me to bring me to heaven.” And then the Judge will answer, “You’re right, my dear brother/sister; I cannot refuse you. Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
“Excel in the grace of giving”
Whatever you’ve done for one the least of these brothers of mine, you’ve done for me.
Dear one, as you stand before the judgment throne of God today and on that day, what will you say to Jesus, your Savior? Amen.