9:43 Well, Maranatha Bible Church. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Amen. We are joy overjoyed that you are here with us on this Lord's day to give all glory to God.
9:58 Now I don't know what brought you here to this service this morning, whether you've been invited by a friend or a family member, whether you drove down the road and saw our sign on the street, or whether this is your church, this is your weekly habit to come to this building. But whatever the reason is, I know this for sure, No one is here by accident. No one is here by mistake because every single one of us, we are here because of God's good sovereign plan. Because God in his wisdom and his love said, I want him at Maranatha Bible Church this morning. I want her at Maranatha Bible Church this morning.
10:41 So he has a reason for you to be here. He has a purpose for you to be here. And what is that purpose? He invites you. He invites all of us to glorify him, to do what we were designed to do, to glorify him and enjoy him forever.
11:01 He invites you come once again to the fountain of living water that will never run dry. He invites you come to the source of joy that is true, that is complete, and that is full. So may we do that today, Each and every one of us, may we bow our hearts before Him. May we enter into His joy this morning. Will you please stand with me as we open our service by reading God's word.
11:34 John 15 verse number one, the words of Christ. Jesus says, I am the true vine vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Because of the word that I have spoken to you.
12:02 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.
12:26 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers. And the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this, my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. As the father has loved me, so have I loved you.
12:55 Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you abide in my love. Just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things, I've spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Father, we come before you this morning and we bow our hearts afresh.
13:26 Lord, we take this time to focus our minds, our thoughts, and our affections solely on you. Father, may you remove all distractions. May you remove all lesser desires. May you remove those things that would seek to weigh us down and take us away from truly knowing you and enjoying you and experiencing you this morning. Lord, our hearts desire is to come away changed, having encountered the living Christ this morning.
14:03 May you do that work in our hearts, Lord. May we give you all of our attention because you alone are worthy. We stand in awe of you. We come before you with reverence and serious unadulterated joy. May you be glorified in this service today through everything, to the preaching, to the prayers, to the proclamation of your word.
14:27 May you be glorified in everything and father may your people, each and every one of us know you and know your joy. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Church, we please lift your voice to the Lord.
14:44 Sing to the Lord with all of your hearts.
27:23 Father, we have come, Lord, in desperate need to know your greatness yet again. Lord, your people have gathered faithfully, but, Lord, it's also possible that our hearts are not where they need to be, and we pray, Lord, that you would wash away wash away all the hindrances, all the pain, all the distractions, even the self righteousness perhaps that would block us from seeing a fresh vision of your glory. Lord, use the service to captivate us yet again. We know that you can meet us, oh God. You have met us, Lord, and we pray that you would grant us greater measures of your presence.
28:12 Use every means of this time to draw us closer to the person of Jesus Christ. And for those here who do not know him, use this service also to open their eyes for the first time to see the grace and the love that you have for them. Lord, we magnify you together with great joy. We are in your presence. It is our privilege to be before you.
28:39 We say these things and we ask these things in the name of your beloved son, our savior, our master, and soon coming king, Jesus. Amen and amen. Amen. Well, before you see to turn to somebody, welcome them to this Lord's Day service. Welcome to Maranatha Bible Church.
29:30 We are so blessed to see you here with us at this Lord's Day service. And a very special welcome to you. If this is your first time visiting us, we hope that you are blessed because we are here to honor Christ and where Christ is honored, there is blessing. And this is our custom at this time of our service to worship and our giving, and so the ushers will help us in that at this moment. And we're so also grateful for your contributions and your partnership in this way.
29:59 We pray always that the Lord would use every every penny really, wisely, and it would be used to the advancement of his kingdom. And part of that is maintaining all that takes place in this wonderful provision of a building that God has given us. And so, I still pull up to this parking lot. If you know our story, just the prayer and the fasting that went into a new place for us, I still pull into this parking lot and my heart skips a beat to recognize that where we are here is a miracle. It's nothing short of a miracle, and God has entrusted us with this miracle, and so we have to steward it well.
30:36 So thank you for helping us do that, and and I have a few announcements for us before we continue here. A a few things that just to to be mindful of, in the month of October. Number one, on October 10, we have a woman's gathering, woman's breakfast, that's on a Saturday at 10:00, and that's the first woman's meeting that we'll have in this building. And so this is your chance to start fresh. If you wanna know more of the sisters of this ministry, this is an informal setting and we're doing something a little different.
31:07 Usually, with our men's breakfast and our women's breakfast, we have times of testimony and we love to maintain that, but, this time for the woman at least, there will be more of a focus on studying the word, looking at different women in the scripture as a series, and that will take off on October 10. There will be time of food, of course, fellowship, prayers, breakout sessions. And so please join us on October 10, that's at 10AM, in the fellowship hall downstairs. We also have on October 10 our kickoff service for our youth group. And so this is going to be taking place at 06:30 of the same day, October 10 here, and, it will be where we usually have our prayer meeting, that's also our youth room, and there will be wonderful things planned for the youth.
31:48 And so if you're anywhere between the ages of 13 and 17, this applies to you, and this is also an opportunity for you to get to know, some of the younger people here in the church, and we're looking forward to sharing that time with you. On the eighteenth, we have our Fall Fest for our young kids or little ones, and this is for our young families. If you have little ones, please stick around after the Lord's Day service. There'll be some crafts and activities and just a time of fellowship for even parents to get to know other parents, with children the same age range. And so this is just a chance for us to serve your your little ones well, and it's always a blessing.
32:21 The kids look forward to it. So be mindful that after the Lord's Day service on October 18, we will be together in the basement and we'll be having a great time. We have one more thing that we're doing again. One of the things that we love to to nurture here is our times of fellowship, and we do that in different ways. We have, obviously, our our gatherings for the breakfast, we have our prayer meeting which I count to be a time of great fellowship, but we also have different things that people wanna do outside of our main meetings.
32:48 And so, there's going to be a outing, a sport outing for the men. There's a basketball event on the twenty fourth, and, you can sign your name up if you wanna play. This is not a professional league by the way. This is not, this is not your chance to show your skills so that you can be recruited for something. This is strictly for fellowship.
33:05 And so, there's gonna be a little bit of competition which is always okay, but this is mainly for men to be able to just get together and meet them and, it's a it's the Lord's used it. The Lord's really used it. So there's a sign up sheet there in the lobby on the main desk. You can put your name and your information. You'll get updates.
33:20 It's still a month away, but you can get updates about location and all the other things that you need to know leading up to that day. So men of all ages, we would love for you to be there and, we're looking forward to seeing these kind of formats of fellowship restart again. That's all I have in terms of events, but I wanna also remind you if you're here for the first time that we meet here multiple times a week, we're here every Wednesday at 07:00 to pray. We have a prayer meeting and it is such a special meeting. If you've never been a part of a prayer meeting, we invite you to come.
33:50 It's a time where we actually just spend time seeking the Lord with one voice. And if you can't join us for whatever reason, we love for us to partner with you in praying for your needs. Do not hesitate to send us your request. You can even do it anonymously on our website, and we promise you that we will bring those requests before God. And we have seen God answer prayers for families, for marriages, for individuals, and we even get requests from people who watch us online on a regular basis.
34:17 And the exciting part about all of this is when we get testimonies back of how God has answered them. So we're a praying church, may God protect that prayer meeting, and we'd love for you to join us every week at 07:00 in the prayer room downstairs. You won't be able to miss it if you join us. Besides that, on Fridays, we have our Old Testament study. We're in the book in Nehemiah.
34:36 At 07:00 every week, we're in the sanctuary, and we're going through the Hebrew scriptures. If you are intimidated by the Old Testament, if you don't know what to make of it, if you don't know how it applies to your Christian walk, don't miss Fridays. Come Fridays, and I can guarantee you, even though we're deep into Nehemiah, any Friday you come, you will get something out of it because, ultimately, it's about knowing what God is speaking to us today in our own walk with Christ through his word. So that takes that takes place every Friday at seven, and as you know, on the Lord's day, 10:30AM, we're here together to worship God and to remember that he is alive. This is the day when when he rose and he's the living Christ, and he's doing wonderful things in our midst.
35:12 One of the things that he's doing is raising families. So we have yet another baby dedication today, and so we invite Akkadie, Mary, to come and bring precious Emmanuel Ishak. Look at that hair. Hey, how are you? I met him briefly but this is my first time holding him.
35:36 It's good to see you. How are you? Yes. Look how precious he is. Look at that.
35:42 He has better hair than me, I think. Well, what a name for Emmanuel, God with us. And we trust that the Lord has put this name on your hearts for this precious boy and our prayer is gonna be that God would be with him, that he would live up to that name and that wherever he goes, people would sense God. And so I just wanna ask you a few questions. You just have to respond with yes and then we're gonna pray together.
36:03 Okay? Acadie, Mary, do you believe that this precious boy, Emmanuel, was a gift to you from the Lord Jesus Christ? And do you promise before God and his people that you through your example indirectly through your lives, your own devotion to him, to the church, to one another will show Emmanuel what it means to follow Jesus Christ that all the days of your lives. And you promise not just indirectly, but intentionally and strategically to pray for Emmanuel, to teach him the scriptures, to show him the value and the treasure of serving the Lord, to warn him when necessary, to guide him whether he asked for it or not, and to always point him to Jesus for the rest of your lives. Amen.
36:48 Well, with that being said, let's pray for this precious boy. Can we just bow our hearts and pray for this boy's future with me, pray for this boy's protection, pray for this boy's destiny, and let's just believe, let's really believe that God hears us in this moment. He does and that God's hand will be upon him. Lord, we thank you for Emmanuel. We thank you for his life.
37:10 We thank you for the precious gift that he is. And Lord, we ask now not just for his life to be safe and healthy and strong and successful, but for him to follow you, to live for you. We pray that you would open his eyes at the youngest age possible to understand the gospel, to see the love of Christ for him, and for him to surrender his heart to you and devote his heart to you. We ask, Lord, that you would indeed shield him from all of Satan's schemes. We pray that you keep away all disease, all demonic attack, all perversion, all temptation, all enticements from the world.
37:52 We pray that he would be set apart unto you. We ask, oh God, that he would not just be a gift to this family, but a gift to the church. That as he grows, he would recognize not just salvation, but the gifts that you've given him and that he would use them to show people Christ and to lead people to the truth. So Lord, we pray your hand upon him, and we pray that you would indeed be with him, and that through his life, he would bring others to you. We pray for academy, we pray for Mary, we pray for their stamina, we pray for their strength as they have now in addition to their household.
38:25 We ask, oh God, that you would go before them and their precious little ones, that there would be harmony, that there would be provision, that there would be peace, that your presence would be hosted in their home. And so Lord, grant them all the grace that they need in this new season. Thank you that they recognize you in this miracle and we pray that they would never forget it as they continue to live with one another in your name for the rest of their days. We bless you now together for Emmanuel and this family. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
38:56 Amen. You did excellent. You did so good. Now it's time to go though, okay? Alright.
39:03 Can we give it up to the Lord? Well, why don't we stand together now as we continue to worship the Lord and allow me to just stir your heart here afresh. Again, I'm not sure how you came into church this morning. It could be that some here are not are not where they're supposed to be, and that's okay. Even if you're not where you're supposed to be, you are here and that's the most important thing because I wanna read to you something from Lamentations five verse 21.
39:37 The last verses of this text says, restore us to yourself, oh Lord, that we may be restored. Renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and you remain exceedingly angry with us. Notice verse 21, restore us to yourself that we may be restored. If you need wholeness again, if you need completion again, if you need healing again, there is no other place, no other person to find it in in God Himself. True restoration is when you are restored first to God.
40:09 So at any point in this time when we are singing, at any point that you hear this message and your heart is aching and yearning to be restored, call upon the Lord and he will make you whole again before you leave this building. Lord, we look to you and we thank you that you are here to move in power. You are here to move in glory, and we ask, oh, God, that our hearts will be able to testify that we indeed have met the living God in this service. Be magnified and exalted through our praise. In Jesus' name we pray.
48:40 Lord, we are here this morning to glorify your name, god, and to see your name magnified. Lord, we join the heavenly host in praising your name, singing hallelujah. Lord, we look forward to the day. Every tongue in heaven and on earth and under the earth will praise the name of your son. God, we pray that you would hasten that day.
49:03 We pray this morning that you would prepare us for that day, God, through the preaching of your word, through the fellowship of the saints, lord, through corporate singing, songs and hymns, god. Lord, we pray this morning that you would bless your people by your word, that you would sanctify us, make us more like your son. God, we love you. We are desperate for you. We need you today.
49:53 Did you know that God owns books? And you may be thinking that I'm referring to the scriptures. You know, that is true. It is his word. That is not what I am speaking about.
50:09 The Bible itself teaches that the Lord possesses heavenly books which are actually records. And remarkably, those records concern each of us. In Malachi three sixteen, for example, we read, a book of remembrance was written before him of those who fear the Lord and esteemed his name. David says in Psalm one thirty nine verse 16, Your eyes saw my unformed substance and in your book were written every one of them the days that were formed for me. Now these verses in no way convey that the Lord writes things down because he's capable of forgetting.
51:03 Instead, they communicate the great seriousness with which he has concerning our lives and the investment that he has made and continues to make in each one of us. And as we come to the final portion of Revelation chapter 20, after learning that Satan has been condemned to eternal punishment, the scene suddenly shifts. And we find the Lord now seated upon a throne and strangely before him, books, not one book, but many were opened before him. And this vision of books will make more sense after we read about this. In Revelation 20 beginning in verse 11 through verse 15, this is a stunning vision and I cannot wait to get into it with you.
52:04 Join me in Revelation 20 beginning in verse 11. John writes, 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. 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.
52:40 And the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done. 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. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
53:01 This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Let's pray together. Lord, with this passage before us, how weighty it is, how serious it is. No man, no matter his eloquence, no matter his ability, no matter the words he strings together, can make these truths touch the heart.
53:40 It has to come from you. It must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. And we appeal, we plead, we seek for that power at this moment. And we ask, Lord, that the realities of eternity would become more true to us. And that Lord for those who are not certain about their names being in their book of life, may today be the day where they are absolutely assured and confident of it.
54:12 Cause us to rejoice, Lord. Cause us to contemplate, cause us to reorient our lives around the things that we will discover now in these verses and we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. Well, I began this message speaking to you about books, but these records in this vision are not really the main point. They play a supporting role in this prophecy. What actually immediately grabs our attention, what what is really the focus of what we find here is what John begins with, a great white throne.
54:51 What are we looking at? What did we just read about? One central theme, divine judgment. This is what we will be considering, and it is the most significant court scene to ever have taken place in human history. Throughout the Word of God, we frequently find the Lord and read of the Lord sitting upon a throne and time and again, we witness him carrying out his perfect justice against sin and evil in our world.
55:22 But this judgment is the most unique of them all. There is nothing quite like it. And what I wanna discuss with you this morning are three qualities about what is commonly known as the Great White Throne Judgment that make it stand out from all other executions of justice that we know of in God's word. And so we are going to go straight into it. What is it about the Great White Throne judgment that should move us and captivate us and even cause us to worship.
55:57 Number one, the great white throne judgment is God's final judgment. John is describing for us here something that the Lord will carry out. Yes, at the end, but that also means that it will never happen again. After this, there will be no more verdicts to render. There will be no more decrees of doom to pronounce.
56:23 There will be no more accountability to be demanded by a holy God from a sinful humanity. John is giving us here the final ruling that the Lord will make against all evil of all time. Now we have to pause here and reflect and and confirm where we are in this prophetic timeline of the last days in our study of Revelation. We have already looked at recently the Lord returning bodily to the earth. We've considered at great length how when Jesus does come back, he will establish an earthly kingdom for one thousand years.
56:59 And at the end of that one thousand years, he will condemn Satan to eternal punishment with all his minions. But immediately after Satan's sentencing, we discover that the Lord will actually now judge the wicked. The wicked from the very beginning of time all the way down to the very final moment of his earthly that is Jesus' earthly dominion, to stand before him in judgment. And how will he do this? How is Christ going to make this happen?
57:37 Very simple. All those who have died from Adam to this point, apart from a saving relationship with with Jesus Christ, will resurrect and appear before the God of glory. Now here's what we have to remember, the Bible actually teaches that there are two resurrections. Two resurrections. And that is explained clearly here in this very same chapter that we have been examining together.
58:09 And I want us to look back at verse five and verse six to confirm this truth. Look with me in Revelation 20 verses four and five rather. What did John say earlier? Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those to whom the authority the judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
58:39 They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. So you see, there will be a resurrection of the righteous when Christ returns and begins. He inaugurates his earthly reign.
59:02 And there will be another resurrection of the unrighteous at the end of his one thousand year dominion. And in case you think that this is an isolated argument, understand that Jesus taught the same thing. The same John who wrote Revelation gave us this truth in his gospel account. You don't have to turn here, but just listen carefully to what John records Jesus saying out of his own lips. In John chapter five verses twenty eight and twenty nine, the Lord says, do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out.
59:40 Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Why is this an important distinction to make? Because it makes clear for us that the judgment that will happen at the Great White Throne is exclusively for unbelievers. Christian, this prophecy has nothing to do with you. This is not an appointment that you will be summoned to.
1:00:11 This is not an encounter that you will engage in. No one who has embraced God's truth and placed their trust in Jesus Christ will be at this hearing, not one. At the same time, there is not one sinner who has denied Christ, who has rejected his saving message, who will be able to evade, postpone, or hide from this judgment. Do you know why? Because there will be nowhere else to go.
1:00:48 Did you see what John says here in verse 11? Look at Revelation 20 verse 11 once more. 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. What a mind boggling statement. When the Lord chooses to appear upon that splendid brilliant throne, the earth and sky itself will disappear.
1:01:23 Saying, how how how would that happen with the same power it took to bring our world into existence by the command of God? The same word that brought our planet into reality will be the same word that undoes it, that essentially sucks it out of existence. Now, maybe you're thinking about this on more practical terms, so then where is this judgment going to take place? We aren't sure, but you know what is certain? It's unavoidable.
1:02:01 Every single person from the first rebellion to the last will appear before this throne, and they will face a holy God. And notice how John explains this back in verse 12. Then I saw the dead, great and small standing before the throne and books were opened. Highlight that phrase, great and small. I want you to think about this for a moment.
1:02:32 You are going to have presidents standing beside paupers. Kings will stand alongside servants. You are going to see renowned people standing among the unknown. Earthly status will have and mean nothing on that day. And what will they be there for?
1:02:59 What will this innumerable crowd be summoned for? Which brings us to our second point. We discussed how this Great White Throne judgment is God's final judgment, but secondly, the Great White Throne will determine the degree of man's everlasting punishment. There's a repeated phrase in this passage. It appears both at the end of verse 12 and verse 13, and it is this, according to what they had done.
1:03:31 And verse 13 actually builds upon the previous thought. Look at it again, and they were judged each one of them. This is an individual thing. This is not a group verdict. Each one of them according to what they had done.
1:03:46 Here's what this confirms. This judgment is not about deciding or determining if one is saved. Nobody standing before this tribunal will be will be saved. Instead, what this is going to establish is the level of punishment that will be granted to each person depending upon their deeds. I thank God that we are all saved by grace.
1:04:14 Thank God that it is our faith in the finished work of Christ that seals and secures our eternity. But listen, the Bible also teaches that you and I will stand before the Lord, not at the great white throne, but at the judgment seat of Christ, and the Lord will evaluate our faithfulness and will reward us accordingly. Don't get the idea that every Christian is going to receive the same reward when we stand before Christ. That's unfair. Grace gets us all in.
1:04:51 Grace brings us to the bosom of the father. Grace erases all our iniquity, and we never have to fear eternal punishment. But the Lord teaches that we will we will stand before him, and each of our lives will be accounted for, and we will know different treasures, different responsibilities, different privileges than the other believers. Some less and some more. And in the same way, when the wicked stand before God at the great white throne, they will be evaluated depending upon their sins, which will make known to them the degree and the level of their punishment.
1:05:35 Now this may sound new to you, but I wanna show you just from Jesus' teaching how he made this emphatically clear over and over again that man standing before him will not know the same punishment in eternity. Let's do this together, shall we? Let's begin here in the gospel of Matthew. Turn with me there. We're going to look at three separate passages that will make this truth undeniable.
1:06:03 It will help confirm what this great white throne judgment is all about. In Matthew chapter 11, we'll begin here together here in verse 20. Matthew eleven twenty, Then He began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done because they did not repent. Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida.
1:06:35 For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. This is Christ. And according to this, he is showing us that there are some who will be judged more severely due to their exposure to Christ miraculous power and unusual manifest glory. These cities that were more saturated with the supernatural, Jesus says, will know greater condemnation.
1:07:20 Because with that extra revelation, undeniable display of his authority, they still denied him. So the Lord says, it's gonna be worse. It's going to be worse. Here's what that means for you and I. If you have witnessed what you believe to be a supernatural intervention in your life, if you have ex if you have experienced an undeniable blessing as a result of somebody's prayers on your behalf, if your body has been healed from a disease, an ailment, a sickness because of something done in Jesus' name for you and you still deny his lordship and his saving work, you will know greater condemnation.
1:08:09 What about Mark? Turn with me there in Mark chapter 12. And look there with me in verse 38 of Mark 12. In Mark 12 verse 38, it says, and in his teaching, he said, beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces, and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feast, who devour widows' houses and for pretense make long prayers, they will receive the greater condemnation. So here's here's Christ condemning the religious leaders of his time, the Pharisees primarily, and he warned them of greater condemnation.
1:09:06 But for what? Several things. One of the things that are clear is the exploitation of the vulnerable, devouring widow widows houses, those who are helpless, those who are weak, those who need help and assistance, you've abused them, you've manipulated them, you've entered into their lives for the sake of personal gain, not helping them. That warrants greater condemnation. But it's not just that.
1:09:34 Jesus denounces them for pursuing religious positions and platforms for their own pride, their own egos, their own satisfaction for the praise of man. They occupied these offices not so that they can help people worship God, not so that they can honor God, but so that they can honor themselves. Ultimately, they used their spiritual authority to conceal their sin, to justify their greed. And those who practice such things today as the Pharisees did will know greater condemnation. It's a very scary thing to covet positions in the church because the Lord condemns a whole group of them in his day because they did it all for the wrong reasons.
1:10:36 Let's go to one more place, shall we? Go to Luke with me in chapter 12. This is a parable. Notice what he says at the application part of it. Luke 12 and verse 47.
1:10:56 These are the closing remarks of Christ's parable and the takeaway is so clear. Luke twelve forty seven reads, and that servant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready or act according to his will will receive a severe beating. Verse 48, but the one who did not know and did what deserved the beating will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given of him, much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. What's the summary of what Christ is saying here?
1:11:41 Judgment will be measured according to the level of light that each one of us has known in our lifetime. Those who knew the master's will and did not get ready, did not act according to that will will know a greater beating. Though who are those who are acting in anger ignorance, those who are in the dark, those who are not as familiar with the truth will know lesser. This is justice. God is not just gonna issue out the same level of judgment to every sinner, some more, some less.
1:12:15 This means that every sermon a person has heard, every Christian radio station they have stumbled upon and listened to, every conversation that they have had with a coworker or a family member who is a Christian trying to witness to them, any track that was placed in their hand and they skimmed over and threw away will be brought up at the judgment and will be used against them if they have denied the saving message of Jesus Christ. What a sobering thought that as one sinner after the other is evaluated, God will show them all the opportunities that they had received. Perhaps most of them they have forgotten about and He will hold them accountable to it. You've listened to a total of 546 sermons and you still didn't believe. Your mother sat with you throughout your years before you left the house at 20.
1:13:20 And you've rejected every single conversation. I sent you a stranger who helped you change your attire, and they didn't only give you a help, they gave you a gospel message, and you ignored it though you were kind because they came out to help you anyway. You will be judged for it. And according to John's revelation, these details along with other sinful acts, words, and thoughts in a person's life have been recorded in what he reveals to be books. And some of those books will be larger than others.
1:14:02 Some of them will have volumes, while others will know less. So the Great White Throne Judgment will take place to determine the degree of man's punishment. And this is a confirmation of God's careful, methodical, righteous justice. We come to the third point which I believe is the most unique about the Great White Throne, and it is this, the Great White Throne judgment will abolish death forever. Read with me again here in verse 14 of Revelation 20.
1:14:50 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Now, if you have any doubt that this vision is about the future, more specifically about the final moments of all things, the culmination of human history, don't ignore verse 14. Throughout this prophetic book, we have seen many things come under God's judgment, but the objects of His justice in this verse are unlike anything that we have beheld. God here is not just judging the wicked.
1:15:25 God here is not just judging demonic entities. God here is actually judging death and Hades being hurled into the lake of fire for everlasting judgment. What can this possibly mean? Well, let's look at these things separately. First, what is Hades exactly?
1:15:52 It's a Greek word, Hades or Hades, and it speaks of the realm of the dead. And it appears throughout the New Testament, and it is consistently presented as a temporary holding place for the dead, specifically those who are not in Christ. It's a pending realm. It's a holding cell, so to speak. And the Lord even alludes to this in Luke sixteen twenty three.
1:16:22 You don't have to turn there. Just write the reference down. When he gave that teaching about the rich man and Lazarus, he mentions Hades. So we have to understand that the spirits of those who have died outside of Christ, outside of faith in the truth from the beginning in our day and all the way up to the last second of the millennium, will have a place in Hades. There are people there right now as we are meeting in this place to hear a sermon about it.
1:17:02 And the spirits of such men and women will one day escape as they are summoned by God to appear before this judgment with resurrected bodies that will be suited not for everlasting life, but everlasting punishment. Now you might be hearing this for the first time and thinking to yourself, so wait, is is Hades the place where all people go including Christians? No. Here's what the Bible teaches, when a Christian dies straight to the presence of Christ, immediate. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
1:17:40 So your believing loved ones are not in Hades, my dear brother and sister. They're enjoying and basking in the glory of Jesus as we meet in this place. And Hades will have one last job before it is dealt with forever, and that is to cough up all the dead outside of Christ. And why will it be judged? Why is this being told to us?
1:18:10 Why is it going to be cast into the lake of fire in this vision? Because it will serve no purpose in the final phase of God's redemptive plan for us. As the Lord is ready to make all things new, Hades itself will have no place in that eternal age to come. There will be no more wicked to occupy it, and there will be no judgment administered, and more gloriously death itself will be vanquished forever. Hades has no place for what's coming up in Revelation twenty one and twenty two.
1:18:49 Therefore, it will be dealt with once and for all. And with it, death, which is an amazing thing to consider. Death will be condemned. Death will be judged. Death will receive a final blow, never to make an appearance in our existence ever again.
1:19:12 Think about this with me. Death is a condition. Death is a power. Death is something that was never intended to be part of our world. But, unfortunately, man foolishly invited death into our existence.
1:19:32 But the Lord is going to deal with it once and for all. Oh, thanks be to God that because of His great love, He sent His eternal Son who willingly laid down His life so that through His death, He would place upon death an expiration date. And that expiration date will reach its fulfillment here at the Great White Throne Judgment. It will not endure, though it has been part of who we are from the beginning. It will one day go away, never to appear again.
1:20:11 And what John is saying here, Paul taught in his own words in first Corinthians 15 verse 26. It's such a glorious declaration, so brief yet so filled with power where he says there in first Corinthians fifteen twenty six, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. And I was looking at this last night and I was moved, not just by the fact that death itself will die, but that according to Paul's words, death in God's eyes is an enemy. And as I was contemplating on that, I remembered Jesus's heart posture when he visited his friend Lazarus at his burial site, not to just give honor and respect, but to get him out. There's a detail in John chapter 11 about Christ's presence at that scene that many people miss, and it's in part because of our English translations of our Bibles.
1:21:17 I wanna show it to you. Turn with me to John chapter 11. You know this chapter very well, but I want to point your attention to verse 33 When Christ finally arrives after intentionally delaying, this is what we read about his heart. John 11 verse 33. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His Spirit and greatly troubled.
1:21:54 You see that phrase, deeply moved? Your translation may say groaned in the spirit. Either way, it's a single word in the original language, and I'm not gonna attempt to pronounce it. What's more important here is that our English translations have not fully captured the force of this word. It's not very accurate in what Christ actually sensed in this moment as he watched the brokenness of the people over the death of a loved one.
1:22:26 If you were to look at the definition of the word that appears here to be a phrase deeply moved, it would be more accurately translated to snort out what you would hear a horse doing as it is ready to charge into battle. And its usage in the New Testament is very limited, but every time you find it, it is associated with anger. It is associated with agitation. It is associated with indignation. So for example, in Mark one forty three, where it says, and Jesus sternly charged them, It's the same word.
1:23:09 He sternly charged them and sent them away at once. That's a serious emotion. Or in a negative sense, in Mark chapter 14 verse five. In Mark fourteen five, when that woman broke the alabaster flask before Christ and poured it upon him, and the crowd that was witnessing it, it says there, scolded her. It's the same word.
1:23:40 Rebuke, murmured against, expressed frustration. So the phrase deeply moved here does not fully convey the intensity of what is happening. The word carries the idea of outrage. A deep forceful response to something that is profoundly wrong. And that's why surprisingly, the one translation that I know of that got it right is the NLT.
1:24:17 The NLT renders it this way. Let me just read it to you. In John eleven thirty three, when Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. So then wait a minute. Why did most translations then not go with that?
1:24:40 Why do they soften it? Why do they make the emotion more ambiguous? And I believe one potential reason is because to read of Jesus being angry at a funeral seems a little out of place. More than that, some people think that's a little insensitive. And so they chose a safer way of expressing it and explaining it.
1:25:08 He was deeply moved. But no one should even entertain such a thought that what Christ was doing here was not appropriate. You know why? Because it makes more sense when you understand that death is his enemy. Who is Jesus angry at here?
1:25:27 Who is he expressing this frustration toward? Well, some would say it was about the unbelief and it's present in this text, is it not? If you had come sooner, you who opened the eyes of the blind, could you not have healed this man? And though there may be some argument for that, look carefully again at John 11 verse 33. When Jesus saw, what, her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved.
1:26:03 He was deeply moved in his spirit. More more accurately, he was angry and greatly troubled. And it's in verse 35 where we read that famous verse, Jesus wept. Have you ever been so angry you cried? I've seen it.
1:26:25 There's a mixture of feeling here. It's not one dimensional. There's a lot happening in Christ's heart, And that word deeply moved appears again one more time in verse 38. Look at it with me. John 11 verse 38.
1:26:41 Then Jesus deeply moved again, or more accurately angry again, came to the tomb. It was a cave and a stone lay against it. What's happening here? I propose to you that Jesus's anger being awakened here is due to the cruelty of death, the devastation it causes, the relationships that it tears apart, the loved ones that it takes away from us, and the fact that it was never part of God's original design for His creation. And I don't know about you, but this brings me great comfort about my God because He is not casual about death.
1:27:45 He's not indifferent to it. He's not insensitive about it. He's not heartless regarding the agony that it causes us. He hates it. It angers him.
1:28:05 And one day, his righteous anger will be fully expressed when he sits upon that throne and casts death into hell forever. And that's what makes Revelation 20 and this vision of this throne a little complex, because it shows us the fate of the wicked, yet at the same time, it shows us the finality of what has tormented us and haunted us since the beginning of time. I wanna end by giving you a final thought. It's frightening to think about but it's possible that some who are listening to this message now or at a later time will appear before the great white throne judgment. And what I want to communicate to you is that you can know absolutely how to avoid disappointment and never have to worry about it again.
1:29:18 And it's hinted at us at the last verse of the section that we read here in Revelation 20, and I'll read it again. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. So understand that there are many books that will be opened on that day, but there is one that is named and stands out. All these books will hold a record of people's lives and what they've done, but then it will be finally evaluated by the book of life. I want you to imagine it.
1:29:50 Here's the record of all the sin, all the deeds, private, public, hidden, known, scandal, secrets, it's gonna be exposed. And what will make this even more troubling for the sinner is that when the book of life is opened, which is essentially the registry of the redeemed, it will bring the final confirmation of the fate of the wicked when that person's name is not found in that directory. As though to say the only thing that can cancel all of that record, the only thing that can erase it and delete it once and for all is if your name is in the book of life. Nothing else. And the question we have to ask then is how do I have my name in that book?
1:30:52 How can I know leaving this place that I'll ever have to worry about my name being inscribed there or not? Here it is. You acknowledge that you are a sinner worthy of judgment And you also accept that Christ is the only way, the only person who can save you through His death and resurrection. Now only through His saving grace, you will have eternal life. And when you truly repent and believe, you can know from that moment on that your name is written in that book.
1:31:34 Is it actually possible to know on this side of eternity? Preacher, are you telling me that as I'm sitting here in the sanctuary, and as I drive in my car, and in my good days and in my bad days, and even to my dying breath, I can have rock solid confidence that my name is written in that book. Absolutely. And there are so many places that we can go to to validate that. But you know what came to mind?
1:32:07 A passage that is not really referenced when it comes to the book of life, and I wanna show you what Paul said to the Philippians in chapter four. Can we turn there together? Philippians chapter four verse two and three. Paul briefly addresses a problem that's taking place in the Philippian church. Who would have thought problems in church can't be?
1:32:35 And what were the problems? Relational problems. Between who? Two women? They were godly.
1:32:44 And here are their names, and here's what Paul says to them. The problems that these women were having with one another, by the way, was was getting to the point that it was disrupting the church. That's why Paul is addressing. I mean, for Paul to to call their names out in this public letter means it was getting ugly and he needed to intervene. But notice what he says in this text.
1:33:05 I entreat Euadia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement. Pause for a sec. Can I just say something? Who are these women?
1:33:20 Apparently, to Paul, they have labored side by side with me in the gospel. Is it possible for spiritual, sacrificial servants of God to have problems with other people? Apparently. Apparently. But let's finish what he says here.
1:33:40 With Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. There's so many ways Christians are addressed and identified in the New Testament and I found another one. Paul is saying of his fellow workers, what? Their names are written in the book of life. Did Paul have some inside knowledge into that book?
1:34:07 Did Paul get a peek in one of his own visions with Christ? No. Paul understood the gospel. And this is what he knew, that when somebody places their trust in Christ, their names are sealed in that book forever. He could say it with confidence here.
1:34:27 He could say it with assurance. He could actually say it on behalf of other Christians whose names are in the book of life, such as the sufficiency of the gospel, such as the security of our salvation. I know it. I have no fear, and neither should you. You should never question if God has a heavenly eraser beside that book, Cause he doesn't.
1:34:55 Some people believe that, some people preach that. One day it's there, one day it's gone, you had a bad week, and is that how the book of life works? Is that what salvation is about? How can you rejoice in that salvation? Which brings me to this final point.
1:35:13 Believer, what do you do with the great white throne judgment? How does this apply to you? What's the takeaway? I'll tell you. It's what Jesus said to his own disciples.
1:35:21 In Luke chapter 10 verse 20, he said, but rejoice, rejoice that your names are written in heaven. When's the last time you rejoiced knowing that your name is in the book of life? Well, here's your opportunity. That's where my name is. Do what you want with my name.
1:35:42 I don't care what book it's in this. I don't care what plaque it's on. I don't care who loves it, who hates it, who writes about it. My name is in the Book of Life. That's where my name is.
1:35:52 Think about how personal that is. Names are important to God. He names people in the Bible. You know that. Right?
1:36:01 My name? Think about that. My name. Never mind your Social Security. Never mind your name being in somebody's will.
1:36:13 My name is in the book of life and so is yours if you're in Christ. The only way that you can escape this judgment is if your name is in that book, is it? Can you sit there today saying, it is? If I ask you why, you can say, because what Christ has done for me, He wrote my name there. If you try to do it in your own strength, in your own performance, God's not gonna honor your name.
1:36:44 If you try to submit your righteousness for your salvation, you have to surrender to His righteousness, and that's an opportunity for you today. The Great White Throne will be God's final judgment. The Great White Throne is exclusively for unbelievers and it it will be there at that bar that will determine the severity of their punishment for eternity. And lastly, the Great White Throne judgment will abolish death forever. And it reminds us that you don't have to appear there if you just put your trust in Jesus.
1:37:25 Lord, we thank you for the service and these truths that teach us so much, including how great of salvation we have. Thank you, Lord, that the command applies now more than ever in recent times. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Oh, how often, Lord, like the disciples, we choose to rejoice in our own performance even in your name. And yet you redirected the source of their joy and we ask that you redirect ours.
1:38:03 May our joy ultimately rest on not our work but your work on our behalf. And for the person here who does not know that kind of joy, may today be the day. May salvation come to this house. May people come from death to life as a result of this truth. And for those who are in it, may we rejoice with true joy in our inheritance that you've purchased for us.
1:38:31 We ask these things in Jesus' name, amen and amen. I invite you to rejoice. With this team that serves us so well and assist us in our singing and with one another, heaven is our home. I don't have to worry about judgment. I don't lose a wink of sleep because of it, Neither should you because Christ is good and he's trustworthy.
1:38:58 Let's sing about it together. And if you don't know Christ, call upon him now. God's providence is an amazing thing even in small ways. If you were with us on Friday, we looked at Nehemiah chapter seven where he gives us this long genealogy, and the purpose of that genealogy was to confirm and validate which Jews could live in the rebuilt Jerusalem. It was to investigate and identify which ones were truly descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that's a picture.
1:49:03 That's a picture of what we just looked at today to some measure. You see, this is why our new covenant in Christ is greater. In Nehemiah's day, entrance into Jerusalem was dependent upon your family tree. In Christ concerning that New Jerusalem, it's not about your family tree, it's about your faith. It's about the faith that you possess.
1:49:24 In Nehemiah's day, it was about what kind of blood was running through your veins. In the new covenant, it's about the blood that covers you. This is what we have in Christ. This is why the new covenant is greater. I truly hope that you're able to sing every song that we sang from the place of experience.
1:49:47 It can be yours if you put your trust in Him. And believer, never lose sight of your inheritance. Allow me to read these verses from Psalm 73 as a benediction before we all go our separate ways. The Psalmist says in Psalm 73 verse 23, Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You hold my right hand.
1:50:11 You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from You shall perish.
1:50:31 You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to You, but for me it is good to be near God. I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all Your works. Lord, we ask that You help us to be unashamed to tell of all Your works. And Lord, for any believer here who cannot say in agreement, Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides You.
1:50:54 May that change between now and us going back home. Do a work in us, Lord, and give us the boldness and the courage to help people escape the Great White Throne judgment and to join us in this everlasting song and joy that awaits us. We give you all praise, glory, and honor. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.
1:51:17 Amen. May the living Christ go before you this week. Please join us for fellowship down stairs. God bless you, and we'll see you next week. Should the Lord tarry.
