WEBVTT 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:07.379 Hey friend, welcome back to the Semi -Seminarium. 00:00:07.379 --> 00:00:10.900 Here we are, another week. Another installment 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:13.779 of our Bible study series we're calling the Bible 00:00:13.779 --> 00:00:16.559 for Grownups. We are in week two of a little 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:21.579 mini -series that we are calling The End. And 00:00:21.579 --> 00:00:24.359 we're looking at the end of our lives. What does 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:27.160 the Bible say about heaven and the rapture? What 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:32.869 happens when we die? What happens? Well, I don't 00:00:32.869 --> 00:00:34.689 have all the answers, but I think I've got a 00:00:34.689 --> 00:00:38.049 good conversation and maybe some things from 00:00:38.049 --> 00:00:40.210 scripture that give you something to think about. 00:00:41.090 --> 00:00:46.030 What is the end of your life like? Well, I can't 00:00:46.030 --> 00:00:48.649 say for sure what it's going to be like, but 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:51.750 one thing I definitely know that it will happen. 00:00:52.490 --> 00:00:55.149 And as a believer, what happens at that point 00:00:55.149 --> 00:01:00.250 is very, very important to you because it's about 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:04.900 your eternal life. As a non -believer, what should 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:08.480 be important to you as well? Again, I don't have 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:11.260 all the answers, but I think there's something 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:13.579 to think about. Hey, I'll see you on the other 00:01:13.579 --> 00:01:21.599 side. All right, so week number two in the end 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:26.469 times. And last week we looked at 2 Thessalonians 00:01:26.469 --> 00:01:29.049 chapter 4 and we talked last week about the return 00:01:29.049 --> 00:01:32.170 of Christ. We saw the resurrection of dead. We 00:01:32.170 --> 00:01:34.650 saw the reunion of Christians with God in heaven. 00:01:34.769 --> 00:01:37.629 Now remember, next week what we're going to do 00:01:37.629 --> 00:01:41.049 is an overview of the book of Revelations. So 00:01:41.049 --> 00:01:42.950 I'm going to pick some snapshots out of that 00:01:42.950 --> 00:01:46.069 final book in the Bible that I believe, personally 00:01:46.069 --> 00:01:49.689 I believe, can help us have a better biblical 00:01:49.689 --> 00:01:52.640 understanding. of what will happen in the end 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:55.680 times. Today what I want to do is I want to talk 00:01:55.680 --> 00:02:00.420 about your end times. Because whether or not 00:02:00.420 --> 00:02:04.379 Jesus returns in your lifetime, the end of your 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:09.240 life will come on earth. And you'll have to face 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:12.080 one of two judgments. Remember I talked about 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:14.759 the two judgments things last week and I said 00:02:14.759 --> 00:02:16.199 remember that we're going to talk a lot more 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:19.240 about that. I also teased that maybe I thought 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:22.530 that might have been the thing that Again, one 00:02:22.530 --> 00:02:26.629 of my goals for anyone that comes to this or 00:02:26.629 --> 00:02:29.189 anyone that's listening to the podcast is that 00:02:29.189 --> 00:02:31.509 you listen and maybe there's at least one thing 00:02:31.509 --> 00:02:35.509 that maybe you didn't know before. And maybe 00:02:35.509 --> 00:02:38.770 that's not a lofty goal, but man, if every person 00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:42.629 here, if I could talk for 45, 50 minutes, and 00:02:42.629 --> 00:02:45.310 even if it's just one thing, I didn't know that 00:02:45.310 --> 00:02:47.469 or I hadn't thought about that, then I consider 00:02:47.469 --> 00:02:51.330 what I... have done a success. And I kind of 00:02:51.330 --> 00:02:53.930 felt like maybe this two judgments thing might 00:02:53.930 --> 00:02:56.870 be something that a lot of people are not quite 00:02:56.870 --> 00:02:59.030 sure on. So we're actually going to talk quite 00:02:59.030 --> 00:03:01.750 a bit about that. We're also going to try to 00:03:01.750 --> 00:03:06.250 talk about what will heaven be like. So let's 00:03:06.250 --> 00:03:08.830 build a foundation for our study this evening 00:03:08.830 --> 00:03:11.349 by going to the last chapter of the book of Revelations. 00:03:11.930 --> 00:03:15.250 We'll look at Revelation 22, verses 12 and 13. 00:03:15.590 --> 00:03:18.669 The words of Jesus to start us out. Jesus says, 00:03:18.870 --> 00:03:23.710 Behold, behold, I am coming soon. Jesus said, 00:03:23.849 --> 00:03:28.289 And what will be with Jesus when he returns? 00:03:28.689 --> 00:03:32.849 He said, My reward is with me. And Jesus said, 00:03:32.870 --> 00:03:37.050 I will give to everyone according to what? To 00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:42.360 what he and or she have done. Christ says, I 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.199 am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:49.280 last, the beginning and the end. Christ says, 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.539 behold, I'm coming soon, and my reward is with 00:03:52.539 --> 00:03:57.539 me. And I will give to everyone according to 00:03:57.539 --> 00:04:01.520 what he and she have done. Now, if you're new 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:04.099 to Christianity, let me be very, very clear. 00:04:05.699 --> 00:04:09.719 Already we are not, as we're born into this world, 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:14.000 We are not qualified for heaven by how good we 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:17.339 are and how we live our lives. Right? You do 00:04:17.339 --> 00:04:21.339 not qualify for heaven with how good you live 00:04:21.339 --> 00:04:25.759 your life. Because the truth, friends, is that 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:30.579 we are all sinners. And that the only way that 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:34.220 we can be made right with God, we Christian believers 00:04:34.220 --> 00:04:38.759 believe, is faith in Jesus Christ. His life is 00:04:38.759 --> 00:04:42.839 ministry. His death, his resurrection and his 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:47.319 return. Right. Our faith in that is what provides 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.420 us the ability to be made right with God. We're 00:04:51.420 --> 00:04:54.060 made right with God, not because we deserve it, 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.980 not because we earn it by grace through faith. 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:01.519 We're forgiven by Jesus. But those of you that 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:03.720 are Christians, it's very, very important to 00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:07.350 know. that although your works do not qualify 00:05:07.350 --> 00:05:10.029 you for heaven, that's not how you get through 00:05:10.029 --> 00:05:14.569 the doors, the way you do live does determine 00:05:14.569 --> 00:05:19.029 how you will be rewarded in heaven. Okay? So 00:05:19.029 --> 00:05:21.829 this will be interesting, I think. Let me say 00:05:21.829 --> 00:05:24.449 again, for those of you that are Christians, 00:05:24.649 --> 00:05:27.790 the way you live your life on earth will determine 00:05:27.790 --> 00:05:31.889 how you will be rewarded in heaven. For example, 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:34.819 Let me give you an example. A preacher, a taxi 00:05:34.819 --> 00:05:39.699 cab driver, they both die, and they end up in 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:42.939 heaven. St. Peter meets them at the pearly gates 00:05:42.939 --> 00:05:46.139 there. Welcome, pastor. Welcome, taxi driver. 00:05:46.459 --> 00:05:49.680 We've been expecting you. And St. Peter says 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:53.639 to the pastor over here, pastor, we have a lovely 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:57.699 three -bedroom, two -bedroom, I'm sorry, three 00:05:57.699 --> 00:06:01.180 -bedroom, two -bath, ranch -style home. with 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:04.100 a nice fixed -in, fenced -in backyard prepared 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:10.379 all for you. And to the taxi cab driver, St. 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:13.199 Peter said, on this side, taxi cab driver, we 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:17.139 have a seven -bedroom mansion, a lovely swimming 00:06:17.139 --> 00:06:20.459 pool overlooking the seventh hole at the Heavenly 00:06:20.459 --> 00:06:24.740 Greens Golf Course, prepared just for you. And 00:06:24.740 --> 00:06:28.399 the pastor, of course, says, no, no, no, no, 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:30.709 no, no, no, no, no, no. Wait just one minute. 00:06:31.629 --> 00:06:35.089 I'm glad he's here and I'm glad to be here too. 00:06:35.170 --> 00:06:39.430 Don't get me wrong, right? But you do know that 00:06:39.430 --> 00:06:43.470 I served Jesus faithfully as a pastor for all 00:06:43.470 --> 00:06:45.870 of those years on the earth. St. Peter says, 00:06:46.110 --> 00:06:50.970 well, yes, pastor, we do know that. But we think 00:06:50.970 --> 00:06:53.649 you need to know that how you're rewarded, how 00:06:53.649 --> 00:06:56.589 you're judged based on the results you got on 00:06:56.589 --> 00:07:00.230 earth. And pastor, whenever you preached, people 00:07:00.230 --> 00:07:05.310 slept. But when the taxi cab driver drove, people 00:07:05.310 --> 00:07:10.449 prayed. So welcome to heaven. Now, it's not how 00:07:10.449 --> 00:07:12.529 it's going to happen. That's a really corny joke, 00:07:12.629 --> 00:07:15.589 right? St. Peter will not be there welcoming 00:07:15.589 --> 00:07:18.980 you either. Don't get any ideas. But the way 00:07:18.980 --> 00:07:21.399 that you do live your life on earth will determine 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:24.860 how you will be rewarded in heaven. And I want 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:27.839 you to know what the judgment will be like for 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:31.439 you and for me. Okay? Judgment of your life. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:35.060 I don't know. Maybe you're like me, but whenever 00:07:35.060 --> 00:07:37.279 I was a kid, they told me like, you know, you'd 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:39.279 be standing in line, everybody else watching, 00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:42.259 probably alphabetical, right? There's going to 00:07:42.259 --> 00:07:45.560 be a big screen in heaven, and God's going to 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:48.389 show a movie of your life. And then he's going 00:07:48.389 --> 00:07:50.790 to judge you? Did anybody kind of think that 00:07:50.790 --> 00:07:53.990 as a kid? I did. And I thought, you know what? 00:07:54.870 --> 00:07:58.290 Just send me straight to hell. That would be 00:07:58.290 --> 00:08:05.089 horrible. I'm guilty. What will judgment be like? 00:08:05.209 --> 00:08:07.050 We're going to look at two different judgments. 00:08:07.889 --> 00:08:09.889 Whether you are a Christian or whether you are 00:08:09.889 --> 00:08:13.490 not a Christian will determine how and when you 00:08:13.490 --> 00:08:16.730 will be judged by God. Oh, that's awesome. I'm 00:08:16.730 --> 00:08:20.389 glad you're here, right? So the first one in 00:08:20.389 --> 00:08:23.769 your notes there is the judgment seat of Christ. 00:08:23.910 --> 00:08:27.269 Here we go, the judgment seat of Christ. What 00:08:27.269 --> 00:08:29.449 is it? When will it take place? Well, let's start, 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:33.250 when will it take place? A lot of biblical scholars 00:08:33.250 --> 00:08:36.029 believe that it will take place right after the 00:08:36.029 --> 00:08:40.029 return of Jesus and the resurrection of the Christian 00:08:40.029 --> 00:08:43.779 dead. And the reason why these scholars believe 00:08:43.779 --> 00:08:46.799 this is because of a little verse in a story 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:49.059 that Jesus was telling in a gospel account according 00:08:49.059 --> 00:08:53.100 to Luke. In chapter 14, Jesus said this. Hey, 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:56.759 if you're throwing a dinner party, don't just 00:08:56.759 --> 00:08:58.860 invite your family and your friends and other 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:02.320 rich people because they can pay you back by 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:06.779 inviting you to their swanky parties. Right? 00:09:07.340 --> 00:09:09.440 Don't just invite the rich people. Don't just 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.980 invite the influential people. Because you're 00:09:11.980 --> 00:09:15.100 not doing that for kindness sake. You're doing 00:09:15.100 --> 00:09:18.080 that to get something in return. Jesus says, 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.659 on the other hand, instead, invite the poor and 00:09:21.659 --> 00:09:25.539 the lame and the crippled. Why? Because they 00:09:25.539 --> 00:09:31.740 cannot pay you back. Jesus says, but I will repay 00:09:31.740 --> 00:09:36.720 you. Luke 14, 14. Jesus said, although the poor, 00:09:37.259 --> 00:09:41.320 They cannot repay you. You will be repaid. You 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:45.820 will be rewarded. When? You will be repaid at 00:09:45.820 --> 00:09:50.080 the resurrection of the righteous. Okay? An event. 00:09:51.379 --> 00:09:55.159 A lot of people, when they hear the term judgment 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:59.139 seat, right? And I'll bet you you're one of these 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:01.879 Christians too. Why? Because you were probably 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:05.139 taught the Bible as a child or you were probably 00:10:05.139 --> 00:10:07.730 taught the Bible as an adult. By someone who 00:10:07.730 --> 00:10:10.190 was taught the Bible as a child. And you probably 00:10:10.190 --> 00:10:13.250 heard judgment seat and you thought judgment 00:10:13.250 --> 00:10:17.549 like guilt or innocence. Right? That's what judgment 00:10:17.549 --> 00:10:21.389 means. Okay, a lot of people think that when 00:10:21.389 --> 00:10:23.690 this happens, that's not what this is and we'll 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:26.590 explain. But let's talk about first, real quickly, 00:10:26.669 --> 00:10:29.490 finish talking about when it will happen. Right? 00:10:29.529 --> 00:10:31.649 Now remember last week we studied that the righteous. 00:10:32.539 --> 00:10:35.039 Paul was writing about those who were believers 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:37.139 who had already passed and Jesus hadn't come 00:10:37.139 --> 00:10:38.720 back yet. They were trying to figure out how 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.500 that all worked. We studied the righteous, those 00:10:41.500 --> 00:10:45.159 who were in Christ. When they're raised from 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:50.120 the dead at the first judgment, they will be 00:10:50.120 --> 00:10:53.600 judged at the judgment seat of Christ. Which 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:55.919 is a different judgment, I'll explain here in 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:59.200 a moment, than the great white throne. Two different 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:02.159 things, I'll explain. Most scholars believe, 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:04.480 and I tend to agree with them, that the judgment 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:08.240 seat of Christ is a judgment for Christians only. 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:13.120 This event is for believers only. You're not 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:19.460 judged also at this time. You're not judged for 00:11:19.460 --> 00:11:24.879 your salvation or damnation here. Why? You're 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:28.419 already saved. If you're at this judgment, you're 00:11:28.419 --> 00:11:30.100 there because you're a believer. You have faith 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:33.759 in Christ. Your sins have been forgiven. This 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.139 isn't to decide, you know what? Jesus said, you 00:11:37.139 --> 00:11:38.940 want to go to heaven? Believe that I love you. 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:42.019 Believe that God loves you as much as he says 00:11:42.019 --> 00:11:44.460 he does by the evidence of my death on the cross. 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:47.539 He has the power that he says he does based on 00:11:47.539 --> 00:11:50.720 my resurrection. And he continues to love you 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:53.600 and is faithful enough to send me back. If you 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.840 believe that in me, right? When you die, you 00:11:56.840 --> 00:11:58.539 don't get to go back and go, well, let's just 00:11:58.539 --> 00:12:02.620 make sure it all stuck. Jesus already paid for 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:06.480 your sins. The judgment seat, the Bema seat, 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:10.559 is not about your salvation or your damnation. 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:15.279 You've already been saved, right? But what it 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:18.960 is, is a judgment for your good works on earth. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:23.460 This isn't about. Whether you will make it to 00:12:23.460 --> 00:12:26.399 heaven or not. This is about the rewards that 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:29.039 you will now receive now that you have made it 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:32.559 to heaven. Okay? And here's why people believe 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:36.240 this. Here's where this comes from. The word 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:39.539 in these scriptures, Romans 12 is one from 2 00:12:39.539 --> 00:12:42.700 Corinthians here. Paul uses the same word, judgment 00:12:42.700 --> 00:12:47.919 seat, as bema. He uses this specific word. Okay? 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:51.220 And that's important because a bema... is not 00:12:51.220 --> 00:12:54.220 the judgment seat where a judge sets the issue 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:57.279 of a verdict of guilty or innocent. Instead, 00:12:57.580 --> 00:13:01.399 it was a throne where the judge would sit to 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:05.860 issue awards after the Grecian Games. If the 00:13:05.860 --> 00:13:09.840 runners at these Grecian Games run a race, the 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.600 judge would then sit at the end of the race when 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:16.159 the results were announced. The judge would sit 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:19.139 at the Bema seat and say, congratulations, here's 00:13:19.139 --> 00:13:22.659 the crown. Or here's the wreath, right? The laurel 00:13:22.659 --> 00:13:25.340 wreath for first place. Here's the crown or the 00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:28.539 wreath for second place. So this is the bema 00:13:28.539 --> 00:13:31.120 seat. This judgment seat is not guilt or innocence. 00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:34.600 Rather, it's a judge who would issue awards for 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:38.500 those who had won races. The bema seat to which 00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:44.279 Paul refers was a podium. For awarding prizes 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:47.279 to competitors in an athletic competition. The 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.019 way you guys might think of the Olympic Games, 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:52.399 right? And now we have people get up on the medal 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:58.659 stand. Okay? That's what BEMA means. Okay? That 00:13:58.659 --> 00:14:01.539 type of judgment. It is for judgment for the 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:05.120 life you have lived for Christ. And the awards 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.019 you receive will be things that you've done for 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:12.830 others. Because all judgment... For your salvation 00:14:12.830 --> 00:14:17.389 has already been paid for. Right? Paid in full 00:14:17.389 --> 00:14:21.450 by the blood of Jesus Christ. Now, how will we 00:14:21.450 --> 00:14:27.970 be rewarded? We're not sure. When we as humans 00:14:27.970 --> 00:14:33.710 try to grasp awards in the earthly realm, we're 00:14:33.710 --> 00:14:35.889 going to miss the mark to some degree, right? 00:14:35.990 --> 00:14:39.509 Because our finite brains have a hard time fully 00:14:39.509 --> 00:14:43.730 grasping infinite. But my theory might be that 00:14:43.730 --> 00:14:45.769 there are dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands 00:14:45.769 --> 00:14:48.830 of crowns or other various types of awards. We 00:14:48.830 --> 00:14:51.110 know for sure, according to Scripture, though, 00:14:51.289 --> 00:14:53.629 that there are at least five different crowns. 00:14:53.690 --> 00:14:56.350 And let me show you. So there are these crowns, 00:14:56.350 --> 00:14:58.429 these awards that you receive for your life in 00:14:58.429 --> 00:15:03.220 heaven. I have found five examples. that I think 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:05.399 are pretty hard to argue that that's what's being 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:08.000 said. Each one, I'm not going to read the corresponding 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:09.720 verse, but if you'd like in your notes there, 00:15:09.779 --> 00:15:11.639 each one of these has the corresponding verse 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:14.059 in which it's referenced. The first one is the 00:15:14.059 --> 00:15:16.379 incorruptible crown, and that's for those who 00:15:16.379 --> 00:15:20.039 have run a faithful race, right? Those who were 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:23.120 devoted to Christ and righteous living. There's 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:26.259 the crown of rejoicing for those who share their 00:15:26.259 --> 00:15:28.360 faith. If you invite your friend to church or 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:32.090 your... Maybe God's light in the office. Or maybe 00:15:32.090 --> 00:15:34.210 you're God's light in your family. And you're 00:15:34.210 --> 00:15:36.070 a witness to others. They're a crown for those 00:15:36.070 --> 00:15:40.080 who share the faith. There's also the crown of 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.679 righteousness for those who long for Christ's 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:45.840 returning. Remember last week how the first century 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:49.519 Christians longed so much for Christ's return 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:51.659 that they believed it so much that it was going 00:15:51.659 --> 00:15:54.340 to happen in their lifetime that they actually 00:15:54.340 --> 00:15:58.440 grabbed each other by the hand and said, Maranatha, 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:03.220 the Lord is coming. Or Maranatha, Lord, come 00:16:03.220 --> 00:16:08.320 now. They looked forward. to his return. For 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:10.679 those, the crown of righteousness. There's also 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:14.399 the crown of glory, and that's for faithful pastors. 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:18.019 Amen and amen, right? And finally, there's the 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:20.539 crown of life. If you've ever suffered on Christ's 00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:23.320 behalf, for those who were martyred, for those 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:26.940 who had to endure great hardships for their Christian 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:29.600 faith, there's actually a crown given to those 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:32.240 who suffer for the glory of Christ, the crown 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.590 of life. Now, if you think, Right. If you think 00:16:36.590 --> 00:16:40.990 I'm saying, hey, I'm going to heaven and Jesus 00:16:40.990 --> 00:16:43.750 is going to give me a crown. And man, am I going 00:16:43.750 --> 00:16:47.250 to strut my stuff all over heaven? Check out 00:16:47.250 --> 00:16:50.509 the size of my crown. Look at your little puny 00:16:50.509 --> 00:16:54.049 crown. Right. I bet you wish your crown was as 00:16:54.049 --> 00:16:58.769 big as my crown. You will not be doing that. 00:16:59.429 --> 00:17:01.730 Not not because your pastor told you not to. 00:17:02.350 --> 00:17:03.710 be in heaven because you'll be judging people 00:17:03.710 --> 00:17:07.329 anyway well you will be in heaven but your nature 00:17:07.329 --> 00:17:10.910 has changed right you don't think that way anymore 00:17:10.910 --> 00:17:13.430 you're an eternal being you're a heavenly being 00:17:13.430 --> 00:17:16.930 now you will not be pulling around a wagon filled 00:17:16.930 --> 00:17:20.009 up with your crowns and say look at mine right 00:17:20.009 --> 00:17:23.329 and you've only got one crown you little booger 00:17:23.329 --> 00:17:25.730 of a christian you should be glad you're here 00:17:25.730 --> 00:17:29.210 right you won't do any of that and i'll explain 00:17:29.210 --> 00:17:32.359 they're backed up in scripture Revelation 4, 00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:36.640 when the 24 elders, these are beings that have, 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:39.619 these are Christian beings at this time. The 00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:42.980 number 24 is significant, scholars believe, because 00:17:42.980 --> 00:17:46.960 the 24 elders here indicates the 12 tribes of 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.359 Israel in Hebrew scripture and then the 12 apostles. 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:53.680 Not necessarily that those are the people that 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:55.900 are the 24 elders, but perhaps maybe that they 00:17:55.900 --> 00:18:00.480 are. The 12 apostles and the 12 leaders of the 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.900 tribe of Israel make up these 24 elders. Revelation 00:18:03.900 --> 00:18:09.119 4. What happens when they receive their crown? 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:12.480 These are rewards. Do you know what they did? 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:16.140 They actually kneeled down before Jesus and they 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:19.880 take their crowns off and they placed those crowns 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:23.140 at the feet of Jesus. Because if you could only 00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:27.519 imagine Jesus with his scar, Nail scarred hands. 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:31.000 The one who was crowned with a crown of thorns 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:34.859 putting a crown of gold on your head. It would 00:18:34.859 --> 00:18:37.920 be the most humbling moment of your existence 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.559 and the moment when you as an earthly being will 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:45.640 realize I don't deserve anything and he deserves 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:49.500 everything and put that crown at the feet of 00:18:49.500 --> 00:18:52.759 the one who is due all of our worship, all of 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:55.829 our honor and all of our praise. That is what's 00:18:55.829 --> 00:18:58.150 going to be going through your mind as a heavenly 00:18:58.150 --> 00:19:03.430 being. Okay? Now, let's take a step back. Now 00:19:03.430 --> 00:19:04.970 that we got to that point, let me just give you 00:19:04.970 --> 00:19:08.809 a suggested timeline. Here is a suggested timeline 00:19:08.809 --> 00:19:13.670 of how this all goes down. Say suggested. Suggested. 00:19:13.869 --> 00:19:17.230 Suggested. Okay. If anybody tries to tell you, 00:19:17.250 --> 00:19:20.049 this is how the world ends. I've done all the 00:19:20.049 --> 00:19:22.589 research. I know for sure. You go to a website 00:19:22.589 --> 00:19:25.599 and says, This is how it all goes down, guaranteed. 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:29.960 You go, because nobody knows for sure, right? 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:34.559 That's the dead giveaway. When millennialists 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:39.319 say, I know for sure, dead giveaway. Jesus specifically 00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:43.279 said, oh, yes, no one will actually know the 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:47.539 end of time except for Joseph Jones, who's going 00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:49.859 to start this splinter group of Seventh -day 00:19:49.859 --> 00:19:53.049 Adventists in Waco, Texas. What? Right? I mean, 00:19:53.069 --> 00:19:55.349 no one knows. Jesus says no one knows, no one 00:19:55.349 --> 00:20:00.170 knows. So, suggested timeline, not 100 % accurate, 00:20:00.369 --> 00:20:06.690 right? But we watched last week when Christ returns. 00:20:06.849 --> 00:20:08.769 Now, sometime in the future, don't know when, 00:20:08.849 --> 00:20:13.150 Christ returns, right? The dead in Christ would 00:20:13.150 --> 00:20:16.630 rise. That means the Christians will be raptured. 00:20:17.309 --> 00:20:19.730 Some believe this take place. Remember last week, 00:20:19.750 --> 00:20:21.849 I believe that it takes place before the tribulation. 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:25.519 Because of that term when Jesus talks about snatching 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:29.839 up as if to rescue. That's why I happen to be 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:33.539 pre -tribulationist. But again, we'll find out, 00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:37.279 right? Believers may be rewarded very early in 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:40.200 this process, according to Luke 14, 14. Then 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:44.359 will come the seven -year tribulation, right? 00:20:45.019 --> 00:20:47.140 The second three and a half years during this 00:20:47.140 --> 00:20:49.599 time period being far worse than the first, and 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:53.059 this is the time when the Antichrist will rise 00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:55.640 during this time. Then there'll be the battle 00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:59.839 of Armageddon, evil virtues, righteousness. And 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:03.279 in this battle, our God defeats Satan, throws 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:05.700 Satan into a bottomless pit where he's bound 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:08.920 in that pit for a thousand years, only to be 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:11.200 released for a short period of time before God 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:17.000 does away with Satan forever. I cannot speak 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:19.660 to the particulars of that because I don't understand 00:21:19.660 --> 00:21:21.900 the particulars of that, but I believe that there's 00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:24.420 going to be some spiritual war, some eventual 00:21:24.420 --> 00:21:29.200 war between the agents of good, God's heavenly 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:32.680 beings, and in the agents of evil, okay? During 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:34.980 that thousand -year period where Satan is bound, 00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:38.640 Christ actually returns for what's known as the 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:44.440 millennial reign, right? Okay. What? It's very 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:47.920 easy. The first time Jesus comes back, he comes 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:53.799 back for you. To snatch you up, right? His church, 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:57.700 he came back for us. The second time, the millennium, 00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:02.339 the second time he comes back with us. The church 00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:04.900 to rule and reign for a thousand years on earth. 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:08.579 Then at the end of this time comes the resurrection 00:22:08.579 --> 00:22:11.420 of the dead. And this is where we'll start to 00:22:11.420 --> 00:22:13.500 see this great white throne thing come into. 00:22:15.019 --> 00:22:18.480 Remember last week, two resurrections. The first 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:21.900 resurrection judgment seat are for those who 00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:25.960 are in Christ. The second is for non -Christians, 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.559 right? And that's known as the resurrection of 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:30.299 the dead who will be judged, the great white 00:22:30.299 --> 00:22:33.240 throne judgment, before God does what God has 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:36.900 wanted to do and establishes the new heaven and 00:22:36.900 --> 00:22:40.660 the new earth. Now, a lot of people ask, what 00:22:40.660 --> 00:22:45.079 will heaven be like? I don't know, right? It 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:46.920 also is kind of fun to think like, will we ever 00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:50.519 be bored in heaven? Right? I mean, after this 00:22:50.519 --> 00:22:53.299 massive spiritual battle at Armageddon that I'm 00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:56.359 talking about here, right? After that, after 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.980 evil is finally done away with, is it all we 00:22:59.980 --> 00:23:02.099 have to do is just hang out with God in paradise 00:23:02.099 --> 00:23:05.680 forever? Right? Aren't we going to be bored? 00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:10.789 Right? Are we just going to sit around watching 00:23:10.789 --> 00:23:13.670 fat, naked baby angels playing on harps, right, 00:23:13.769 --> 00:23:18.029 for all of eternity? Well, I think you guys get 00:23:18.029 --> 00:23:20.509 where we all kind of agree that sounds pretty 00:23:20.509 --> 00:23:23.890 good as a Christian. Let me tell you John's vision, 00:23:23.990 --> 00:23:28.730 John while in exile on Patmos. John the Revelator 00:23:28.730 --> 00:23:32.750 says this in the 21st chapter of his Apocalypse. 00:23:33.150 --> 00:23:37.670 In verse 1 through 4, three specific descriptions 00:23:37.670 --> 00:23:40.099 of what John, illustrates heaven to be like. 00:23:40.259 --> 00:23:42.000 The first thing we're going to see is that God 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:44.839 will establish a new heaven and a new earth. 00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:48.500 Verse 1, Revelation 21, John says, I saw a new 00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:51.140 heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven 00:23:51.140 --> 00:23:55.559 and the first earth had passed away. What happens? 00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:59.839 God establishes, creates a brand new earth without 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:03.980 the curse of sin and a new heaven. That's why 00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:06.200 these biblical scholars whom I tend to agree 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:10.650 with, right? That whatever you enjoy on earth 00:24:10.650 --> 00:24:14.130 in the first earth now, you'll enjoy on the new 00:24:14.130 --> 00:24:17.130 earth and the new heaven. The only difference 00:24:17.130 --> 00:24:21.990 is we will not be under the curse of sin. Okay? 00:24:23.250 --> 00:24:26.309 It'll be like the Garden of Eden where Adam and 00:24:26.309 --> 00:24:30.349 Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. Paradise. 00:24:31.529 --> 00:24:35.250 What we're talking about here as erythral beings. 00:24:36.530 --> 00:24:39.549 is uninterrupted fellowship with God in paradise. 00:24:40.190 --> 00:24:44.029 Right? Just as it was in the beginning before 00:24:44.029 --> 00:24:46.130 the serpent ruined everything with the temptation 00:24:46.130 --> 00:24:49.890 that followed a curse. So whatever you love on 00:24:49.890 --> 00:24:52.109 earth, your favorite moment on earth, heaven 00:24:52.109 --> 00:24:54.970 will be indescribably better than your greatest 00:24:54.970 --> 00:24:57.750 moment on earth. Why? Because you're going to 00:24:57.750 --> 00:25:00.670 be living on an earth that no longer is cursed 00:25:00.670 --> 00:25:05.549 by sin. Right? Scripture says, no eye has seen, 00:25:05.569 --> 00:25:08.369 no ear has heard what our God has prepared for 00:25:08.369 --> 00:25:12.269 those who love him. But God will establish a 00:25:12.269 --> 00:25:14.750 new heaven and a new earth. The second thing 00:25:14.750 --> 00:25:18.369 in your notes there is that you will never suffer 00:25:18.369 --> 00:25:21.730 again. Here's what Scripture says. The promise 00:25:21.730 --> 00:25:26.230 of God, friends. John, in his Apocalypse 21, 00:25:26.490 --> 00:25:30.130 4 and 5, he, meaning God. will wipe away every 00:25:30.130 --> 00:25:32.049 tear from their eyes. There will be no more death 00:25:32.049 --> 00:25:35.529 or mourning or crying or pain. Praise God, right? 00:25:36.250 --> 00:25:39.329 For the old order of things has passed away. 00:25:40.089 --> 00:25:43.990 He who was seated on the throne said, I am making 00:25:43.990 --> 00:25:48.200 everything new. God will wipe away every tear 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.000 from your eye. There will be no more death, no 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:54.680 more mourning, no more crying and pain. For those 00:25:54.680 --> 00:25:56.559 of you that hurt right now, you need to know 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.240 in the new heaven and the earth, there will be 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:01.740 no more pain. There will be no more suffering. 00:26:01.819 --> 00:26:03.759 If your body's wracked with pain, never again, 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:06.759 right? No more cancer, diabetes, no more AIDS, 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:09.839 no more famine, no more sickness, no starvation, 00:26:10.099 --> 00:26:13.359 no more wars. It's done away with forever and 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:17.140 forever. The world is no curse. And you can walk 00:26:17.140 --> 00:26:21.039 with God. That's what the new heaven and the 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:24.440 new earth will be like. Right? Number three, 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:28.839 you'll live with God forever. This is the way 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:31.700 it's described. John says verse three. And this 00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:35.420 is the 20th time this phrase is used. 20th time 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:38.740 at this point this phrase is used and written 00:26:38.740 --> 00:26:42.299 in Revelation. And it's the final time that this 00:26:42.299 --> 00:26:47.720 phrase is written in the Revelation. 20 times 00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:52.819 this phrase is uttered in the Revelation. And 00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:56.900 I heard a loud voice from the throne. One commentary 00:26:56.900 --> 00:27:01.240 I read said it's because this is the last time. 00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:06.000 This is the most important. The major announcement 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:12.099 from God in all of Revelation. Right? And the 00:27:12.099 --> 00:27:15.460 final time. From the throne there is the voice 00:27:15.460 --> 00:27:19.920 of God. Now, God says, the dwelling of God is 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:24.180 where? Is with men and with women. And where 00:27:24.180 --> 00:27:28.400 will he live? He will live with them. And they 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:32.440 will be his people. And God himself will be with 00:27:32.440 --> 00:27:37.900 them. And he will be their God. That's what God 00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:42.460 has wanted from page one of the book. Right? 00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:47.220 Now this is the point here of complete return 00:27:47.220 --> 00:27:53.079 to restoration. This is ultimately what God desires. 00:27:54.740 --> 00:27:57.480 And this is the final declaration from the throne. 00:27:57.900 --> 00:28:01.990 As if God is saying, finally it's done. It's 00:28:01.990 --> 00:28:03.930 restored. It's back to the way I created it. 00:28:03.970 --> 00:28:06.390 It's the way that I wanted it. And the reason, 00:28:06.450 --> 00:28:08.109 right? The reason why we're not cheering and 00:28:08.109 --> 00:28:09.710 clapping is probably because I told you to be 00:28:09.710 --> 00:28:12.289 quiet, right? But again, it's because our finite 00:28:12.289 --> 00:28:14.769 minds can't actually comprehend what I just said. 00:28:15.089 --> 00:28:19.789 When God, in God's presence, we understand, we 00:28:19.789 --> 00:28:21.630 hear with our spiritual body, however we want 00:28:21.630 --> 00:28:26.490 to. Finally, it's done. Finally, God says, creation 00:28:26.490 --> 00:28:30.849 is restored. It's back to the way I created it. 00:28:31.420 --> 00:28:35.380 That will be worthy of praise for thousands of 00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:40.839 years. That's the way I wanted it. Why? Because 00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:43.599 God doesn't just love us, but love us who He 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:46.440 is. He created us as the object of His love. 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:50.299 So He is satisfied. God is finally fulfilled. 00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:53.900 His plan is finally complete when His children 00:28:53.900 --> 00:28:56.509 are with Him. Those of you that have been lucky 00:28:56.509 --> 00:28:58.230 enough to be parents, right? You probably have 00:28:58.230 --> 00:29:01.329 some idea. Or if you're just a member of a family, 00:29:01.410 --> 00:29:04.210 right? It feels good to have all of your family 00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:07.869 together under one roof, right? Everybody's together. 00:29:07.950 --> 00:29:10.829 There's a feeling that goes with that. Imagine 00:29:10.829 --> 00:29:13.250 that feeling, being the creator with his created. 00:29:13.750 --> 00:29:16.089 So we talked about the first judgment, the judgment 00:29:16.089 --> 00:29:18.170 seat of Christ. That's where Christians go to 00:29:18.170 --> 00:29:20.529 be rewarded. The second judgment, in your notes, 00:29:20.650 --> 00:29:23.170 is known as the great white throne judgment. 00:29:24.639 --> 00:29:27.359 Christians will not be here. This is how the 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:29.619 great white throne judgment is described in Scripture. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:32.400 John, exiled to the island of Patmos, says in 00:29:32.400 --> 00:29:35.240 his Revelation 20, verse 11, had this vision. 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:37.680 I saw a great white throne and he who was seated 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:39.900 on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence and 00:29:39.900 --> 00:29:42.259 there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, 00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:45.099 great and small. In other words, those who were 00:29:45.099 --> 00:29:47.539 significant, those who might have been seemingly 00:29:47.539 --> 00:29:50.359 insignificant, all throughout the history of 00:29:50.359 --> 00:29:52.480 the world were there standing before the throne. 00:29:53.049 --> 00:29:56.009 and the books were opened. Another book was opened, 00:29:56.049 --> 00:29:59.309 which is the book of life. The dead were judged 00:29:59.309 --> 00:30:01.329 according to what they had done as recorded in 00:30:01.329 --> 00:30:03.470 the books. And here's the important part. If 00:30:03.470 --> 00:30:05.650 anyone's name was not found written in the book 00:30:05.650 --> 00:30:09.529 of life, he or she was thrown into the lake of 00:30:09.529 --> 00:30:15.089 fire. So, because of a lack of faith in Christ, 00:30:15.450 --> 00:30:21.369 if anyone's sins were not covered, right? Through 00:30:21.369 --> 00:30:25.210 faith in Christ, if anyone who had not called 00:30:25.210 --> 00:30:29.210 on the grace of God to remove the blot of their 00:30:29.210 --> 00:30:33.269 stain, if anyone was judged by their works alone 00:30:33.269 --> 00:30:36.950 and not by the perfect works of Jesus, their 00:30:36.950 --> 00:30:40.109 name was not found in the book of life. And he 00:30:40.109 --> 00:30:42.660 or she was thrown into the lake of fire. Let's 00:30:42.660 --> 00:30:45.359 pause. Because you might be thinking, right, 00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:47.099 if you're not a church person, if you're not 00:30:47.099 --> 00:30:48.980 a Christian, if you're kind of maybe skeptical, 00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:51.859 you're probably thinking the same thing I would 00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:55.900 think. Hang on a minute. That's not fair. Right? 00:30:55.920 --> 00:30:57.839 We get to this part in the Bible and we want 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:01.240 to go, that's not fair. I don't like this part 00:31:01.240 --> 00:31:04.099 of the story. I don't like to hear about God 00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:06.160 throwing people in the lake of fire. It's not 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.079 fair, God sending people to hell. And that was 00:31:09.079 --> 00:31:10.940 my first thought until I actually thought about 00:31:10.940 --> 00:31:13.730 this logically. Let's talk about what's really 00:31:13.730 --> 00:31:17.109 actually not fair. Because those actions on behalf 00:31:17.109 --> 00:31:21.670 of God are absolutely and completely fair. How 00:31:21.670 --> 00:31:23.170 many of you have ever known somebody who hurt 00:31:23.170 --> 00:31:25.809 somebody else so severely and they were never 00:31:25.809 --> 00:31:27.950 held accountable for their actions? How many 00:31:27.950 --> 00:31:29.950 of you know that? What happens? You look on and 00:31:29.950 --> 00:31:33.150 you say, that's not fair. They should have to 00:31:33.150 --> 00:31:35.849 pay. Have you ever known someone who did some 00:31:35.849 --> 00:31:37.849 horrible injustice to someone else and they got 00:31:37.849 --> 00:31:40.190 away with it and there was no consequence? What 00:31:40.190 --> 00:31:42.650 happens? You look on and say, that's not fair. 00:31:43.349 --> 00:31:46.569 Somebody needs to pay for this. And that's exactly 00:31:46.569 --> 00:31:49.190 what happens at the great white throne of judgment. 00:31:49.730 --> 00:31:53.170 God takes all of the judgment, all of the sin, 00:31:53.410 --> 00:31:56.309 all of the history, and it says, at this moment 00:31:56.309 --> 00:31:59.349 there will be payment for the sins that were 00:31:59.349 --> 00:32:02.750 not covered by Christ. Because you don't have 00:32:02.750 --> 00:32:06.410 his righteousness. And because you don't have 00:32:06.410 --> 00:32:09.750 his righteousness, you are guilty. Here's the 00:32:09.750 --> 00:32:12.950 punishment for sin. And friends, not only is 00:32:12.950 --> 00:32:18.829 that fair, that's what we call justice. If you 00:32:18.829 --> 00:32:21.890 want to play the not fair game, there are those 00:32:21.890 --> 00:32:24.170 of us who are Christians who should really, really 00:32:24.170 --> 00:32:27.730 get excited. Because what's not fair is that 00:32:27.730 --> 00:32:30.529 the one who was crowned with thorns Gives us 00:32:30.529 --> 00:32:34.650 a crown. We deserve the lake of fire. Right? 00:32:34.789 --> 00:32:37.670 But the only reason that we're there in heaven 00:32:37.670 --> 00:32:40.609 is because Jesus took the punishment for our 00:32:40.609 --> 00:32:44.910 sins upon Him. He was innocent. We were guilty. 00:32:45.769 --> 00:32:50.309 That's not fair. It's not fair that I'm rewarded. 00:32:50.690 --> 00:32:53.970 It's not fair that I'm there. It's not fair that 00:32:53.970 --> 00:32:59.680 Jesus' grace covers my sins. I did nothing. To 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:03.579 deserve it. And that's why it's called the gospel. 00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:08.099 That's why that's the good news. And that's why 00:33:08.099 --> 00:33:10.319 when Jesus is trying to put a crown on my head, 00:33:10.460 --> 00:33:13.500 I want to follow his feet and put it back, give 00:33:13.500 --> 00:33:16.519 it back to him, begging to worship him for the 00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:20.299 next 10 ,000 years. Because my Savior is that 00:33:20.299 --> 00:33:26.599 good. And God is just. But because we as Christians 00:33:26.599 --> 00:33:29.900 are not treated as our sins deserve, Right? We 00:33:29.900 --> 00:33:34.359 thank God in that case that God's not fair. If 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:37.599 we got what was fair, we would not be thanking 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:41.660 God. I promise you. Right? And that's why I think 00:33:41.660 --> 00:33:45.460 we should want to live lives on earth that are 00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:48.420 worthy of rewards in heaven, however that might 00:33:48.420 --> 00:33:52.960 play out. Here's the good news. The good news 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:55.059 is that when God does punish sin that is fair, 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:58.279 God does not always treat us as our sins deserve. 00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:03.900 There is grace and there is justice. If we call 00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:07.519 on Jesus who is without sin, the Lamb of God 00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:09.599 slain for the sins of the world, raised from 00:34:09.599 --> 00:34:12.619 the dead, so that everyone who calls on the name 00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:15.760 of Jesus might be saved, forgiven, and transformed. 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:20.380 And that's why many of you are here. When you 00:34:20.380 --> 00:34:25.280 turn... from your sins and you turn toward Jesus, 00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:27.099 no matter what you've done, friends, remember, 00:34:27.219 --> 00:34:29.659 he will forgive you of every sin. He will make 00:34:29.659 --> 00:34:32.940 you new. Your name will be written in the book 00:34:32.940 --> 00:34:36.300 of life and it could be never blotted out. And 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:38.840 many of you, that's why you're here today and 00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:43.800 you know it. Because today is the day of your 00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:54.230 salvation. Any questions? You know, as I listen 00:34:54.230 --> 00:34:56.989 back to tonight's episode, I still can't help 00:34:56.989 --> 00:35:01.730 but go back to the question that I posed at the 00:35:01.730 --> 00:35:04.710 end of the first segment of this mini -series. 00:35:04.710 --> 00:35:07.650 Like, that's last week's episode. Go back and 00:35:07.650 --> 00:35:11.989 check that out. But the question that I pose 00:35:11.989 --> 00:35:15.929 that I still want to wrestle, I want us all to 00:35:15.929 --> 00:35:20.389 wrestle with is, we don't know when the end of 00:35:20.389 --> 00:35:24.639 our life comes. But if somehow we were fortunate 00:35:24.639 --> 00:35:28.460 enough to find out that information, how would 00:35:28.460 --> 00:35:33.480 our lives be different? Knowing now that what 00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:37.260 we do on this earth, the good works that we perform, 00:35:37.340 --> 00:35:40.039 has nothing to do with our salvation. Whenever 00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:45.019 we find ourselves before the Bema Seat, we're 00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:50.340 already saved. But how we lived our lives on 00:35:50.340 --> 00:35:56.070 earth, Well, be rewarded in heaven. If we knew 00:35:56.070 --> 00:35:58.929 that our lives were coming to an end, how would 00:35:58.929 --> 00:36:03.650 we live our lives different? I think that's my 00:36:03.650 --> 00:36:08.269 ultimate question through all three parts. Because 00:36:08.269 --> 00:36:12.510 as a Christian and as a pastor, I'm just so worried 00:36:12.510 --> 00:36:17.570 that often we focus so much on the eternal salvation 00:36:17.570 --> 00:36:21.679 of Jesus. that is promised and earned through 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:25.960 His blood, that we forget that we still have 00:36:25.960 --> 00:36:30.420 a responsibility to do what we can to bring God's 00:36:30.420 --> 00:36:35.300 justice into the world. And so often we miss 00:36:35.300 --> 00:36:37.940 the mark, but whenever we get it right and we 00:36:37.940 --> 00:36:43.920 get it for God's glory, there's reward for us 00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:48.199 in heaven. Not so that we can flaunt our eternal 00:36:48.199 --> 00:36:52.460 wealth, that we can return those crowns of gold 00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:58.260 back to the Savior that made it all possible 00:36:58.260 --> 00:37:03.179 for us. Again, that's something to think about. 00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:07.340 Next week, we're diving into the apocalypse. 00:37:07.460 --> 00:37:10.739 We'll be looking at the revelation brought to 00:37:10.739 --> 00:37:16.000 us by John on exile in Patmos. I hope that until 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:19.659 then, you are well, and I will see you next week. 00:37:19.719 --> 00:37:23.119 Thank you for listening to the Semi -Seminarian.