WEBVTT 00:00:01.929 --> 00:00:05.809 Your hires are back from retreat. Isn't that 00:00:05.809 --> 00:00:09.009 wonderful? Some of them are in here. Others of 00:00:09.009 --> 00:00:12.730 them should be coming in. So we will anticipate 00:00:12.730 --> 00:00:17.010 their arrival shortly, I'm sure. At least one, 00:00:17.010 --> 00:00:25.129 I know. Today is our annual book fair. When we 00:00:25.129 --> 00:00:27.870 seek to build up the ministry of our library, 00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:31.059 I want to thank those of you who participated. 00:00:31.219 --> 00:00:32.579 Frankly, it's been a little bit disappointing. 00:00:33.259 --> 00:00:35.060 We've got an awful lot of materials out there 00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:37.719 left that we'd hoped to be able to add to our 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:41.280 library. If you can help us out, please stop 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.240 by the table and see Sherlyn. She'll be there 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:46.240 yet, wherever you are. I haven't seen you yet 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:50.240 here tonight, but there you are back there. She 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:53.700 will be able to assist you. so that we can add 00:00:53.700 --> 00:00:56.700 that material to the library for use of everyone 00:00:56.700 --> 00:00:59.100 in our church, but you get the first crack at 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:04.980 checking it out. The last time we were together 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:08.620 talking about the theme of the coming kingdom, 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:12.900 I talked about some of the false notions regarding 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:15.519 Jesus coming again. Let me just remind you of 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:18.879 five basic facts regarding the coming of Jesus 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:22.090 Christ. in His second advent. In the first place, 00:01:22.109 --> 00:01:25.209 it is still future. It is not something that 00:01:25.209 --> 00:01:29.129 has happened or is happening at the believer's 00:01:29.129 --> 00:01:31.790 death, but rather the second coming of Jesus 00:01:31.790 --> 00:01:35.629 Christ is still future. We are warned in the 00:01:35.629 --> 00:01:39.469 Scriptures against time setting. We do not do 00:01:39.469 --> 00:01:42.750 that. On the other hand, we are exhorted to be 00:01:42.750 --> 00:01:46.709 watchful because we do not know the hour or the 00:01:46.709 --> 00:01:50.150 day when our Lord will return. And so we are 00:01:50.150 --> 00:01:53.790 told to be prepared for His coming. It is still 00:01:53.790 --> 00:01:57.010 future. Secondly, His second coming will occur 00:01:57.010 --> 00:02:00.629 in two phases. We've talked about this, but let's 00:02:00.629 --> 00:02:03.450 remind ourselves that He is coming in the first 00:02:03.450 --> 00:02:07.629 phase for His church, the bride, the rapture 00:02:07.629 --> 00:02:10.210 of the church. That is, when He comes back into 00:02:10.210 --> 00:02:14.330 the atmosphere of the clouds of the air and calls 00:02:14.330 --> 00:02:19.060 out His people to join Him. there, and then to 00:02:19.060 --> 00:02:23.259 go back to heaven with him. That's phase one. 00:02:23.659 --> 00:02:27.800 Phase two of his return comes later when he returns 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:32.000 actually to the earth. In the rapture he comes 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:36.780 for his saints. In his return, his second coming, 00:02:37.139 --> 00:02:40.819 he comes with his saints to the earth. His first 00:02:40.819 --> 00:02:43.639 coming, as best as we can understand the Scripture, 00:02:43.699 --> 00:02:46.539 at least from my understanding of it, is invisible 00:02:46.539 --> 00:02:50.879 to the world. That is, it will not be seen by 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:53.819 the world. Certainly, the calamities that will 00:02:53.819 --> 00:02:56.460 take place around the world because of the disappearance 00:02:56.460 --> 00:02:59.300 of multiplied millions of people will have an 00:02:59.300 --> 00:03:04.099 impact of some sort. But His coming will be invisible 00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:06.759 in the rapture. But in the return to the earth, 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.610 every eye will see Him. It is visible. The third 00:03:10.610 --> 00:03:13.009 fact is that it's a personal coming. The Lord 00:03:13.009 --> 00:03:17.110 Jesus is coming Himself. It's not a spiritual 00:03:17.110 --> 00:03:22.110 return, it is a bodily return to the earth. Number 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:26.689 four, it will precede and usher in a new age 00:03:26.689 --> 00:03:31.810 upon the earth. We call that the kingdom or the 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:34.810 millennium, which means thousand years because 00:03:34.810 --> 00:03:38.409 that kingdom will last a thousand years and then 00:03:38.409 --> 00:03:42.330 following a brief intervention, to finally and 00:03:42.330 --> 00:03:45.629 fully deal with evil, that kingdom will be extended 00:03:45.629 --> 00:03:49.949 on into eternity. And finally, His coming again 00:03:49.949 --> 00:03:53.669 to earth will bring judgment upon the Christ 00:03:53.669 --> 00:03:58.110 -rejecting world. Now, it is that aspect that 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:00.990 I'd like to fill out a little bit for us tonight 00:04:00.990 --> 00:04:05.669 as we think about the coming kingdom. Tonight 00:04:05.669 --> 00:04:10.659 specifically, the retribution of the King. There 00:04:10.659 --> 00:04:13.539 are many judgments spoken about in the Bible. 00:04:14.099 --> 00:04:17.000 Several of them are related to you and to me 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.319 as believers in this age. There is the judgment 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:24.000 that took place at the cross upon our sin where 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:28.339 the Lord Jesus Christ was cursed for us. That 00:04:28.339 --> 00:04:31.800 we might be redeemed from the curse of the law. 00:04:32.279 --> 00:04:34.579 The judgment at the cross that He bore on our 00:04:34.579 --> 00:04:37.740 behalf. And then there is the judgment that takes 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:42.139 place through chastening in this age. As our 00:04:42.139 --> 00:04:45.519 Lord deals with us as His beloved sons, for whom 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:49.779 the Lord loves, He chastens as a father His son, 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:52.980 in whom He delights. The judgment of chastening. 00:04:53.660 --> 00:04:56.920 And then there is the self -judgment that takes 00:04:56.920 --> 00:05:00.180 place in this age. 1 Corinthians 11 says that 00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:04.740 we ought to examine ourselves. That we not be 00:05:04.740 --> 00:05:07.899 brought in to judgment with the world and so 00:05:07.899 --> 00:05:11.660 we are to examine ourselves To be sure that we're 00:05:11.660 --> 00:05:14.779 walking obediently to the Lord self judgment 00:05:14.779 --> 00:05:18.620 And then there is the beam on judgment the judgment 00:05:18.620 --> 00:05:22.000 seat of Christ which will occur after the rapture 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:26.399 and in heaven or between here and heaven But 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:29.379 at least it seems before we get there. We will 00:05:29.379 --> 00:05:33.199 have experienced that examination before the 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.339 Lord for our works in this world. That has nothing 00:05:36.339 --> 00:05:39.579 to do with whether we're saved or not. Bless 00:05:39.579 --> 00:05:42.319 God that was determined that the cross our sins 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.339 were dealt with there and when we trusted the 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:47.600 Lord Jesus Christ that judgment the cross fully 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:51.079 dealt with our sins and is secured for us a home 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:53.519 in heaven forever. But the behemoth judgment 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:58.399 is for our service for the Lord. Now tonight 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:01.839 we want to talk about three future judgments 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.600 which will occur at the second coming of the 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:09.439 Lord Jesus Christ. The first one is found, if 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:11.480 you will turn please with me, in the book of 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:17.160 the Revelation in the 19th chapter. We have been 00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:21.060 here before recently, but let's look again at 00:06:21.060 --> 00:06:23.720 this particular aspect of the truth that is revealed 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:31.899 to us in Revelation 19. Here we have the judgment 00:06:31.899 --> 00:06:39.519 of God upon the Antichrist and his armies. That 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:42.540 is judgment number one that occurs when Jesus 00:06:42.540 --> 00:06:47.980 Christ returns to the earth. Verse 19, and I 00:06:47.980 --> 00:06:52.240 saw the beast, that's the Antichrist, in the 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:55.959 language of Revelation, and the kings of the 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:59.410 earth, and their armies assembled to make war 00:06:59.410 --> 00:07:04.370 against him who set upon the horse and against 00:07:04.370 --> 00:07:07.990 his army. The one upon the horse is the Lord 00:07:07.990 --> 00:07:10.829 Jesus Christ described in the previous verses 00:07:10.829 --> 00:07:15.509 as King of kings and Lord of lords. His army 00:07:15.509 --> 00:07:19.250 clothed in white and fine linen coming down out 00:07:19.250 --> 00:07:23.329 of heaven with him. And it says, and the beast 00:07:23.329 --> 00:07:27.389 was seized. And with him the false prophet, that 00:07:27.389 --> 00:07:30.750 is, the religious leader who will be the front 00:07:30.750 --> 00:07:35.750 man, as it were, for this political messianic 00:07:35.750 --> 00:07:38.529 figure. He will bring the worship of the world 00:07:38.529 --> 00:07:41.949 to Antichrist, as it says here. The false prophet 00:07:41.949 --> 00:07:45.670 who performed the signs in his, the beast's, 00:07:45.709 --> 00:07:49.449 presence by which he deceived those who had received 00:07:49.449 --> 00:07:52.350 the mark of the beast and those who worshipped 00:07:52.350 --> 00:07:57.050 his image. These two were thrown alive into the 00:07:57.050 --> 00:08:01.670 lake of fire which burns with brimstone. These 00:08:01.670 --> 00:08:05.970 are the first two inhabitants of that eternal 00:08:05.970 --> 00:08:10.230 place of condemnation for those who are lost. 00:08:11.269 --> 00:08:14.209 And for the first 1 ,000 years, they are the 00:08:14.209 --> 00:08:18.629 only two people who are in that lake of fire. 00:08:20.189 --> 00:08:26.170 The eternal residence The eternal jail and prison, 00:08:26.389 --> 00:08:29.649 the place of incarceration and punishment for 00:08:29.649 --> 00:08:34.090 those who are unsaved. Now it goes on to say, 00:08:34.350 --> 00:08:37.509 and the rest were killed with the sword, which 00:08:37.509 --> 00:08:41.330 came from the mouth of him who sat upon the horse, 00:08:41.730 --> 00:08:45.549 and all the birds were filled with their flesh. 00:08:46.250 --> 00:08:48.590 Now the birds are mentioned in verses 17 and 00:08:48.590 --> 00:08:51.110 18. We did not take time to read about them. 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:54.639 But that is God's way of cleaning up the carnage 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:59.100 of that battle called the Battle of Armageddon. 00:09:00.460 --> 00:09:02.919 You will notice that at the coming of Christ, 00:09:03.179 --> 00:09:06.580 not only the false prophet and the beast are 00:09:06.580 --> 00:09:09.399 dealt with, but all of those who followed them 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:15.179 in their armies are slain. They are killed. And 00:09:15.179 --> 00:09:18.779 their bodies then are dealt with in the manner 00:09:18.779 --> 00:09:23.000 that is mentioned here. As I understand my Bible, 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.820 the souls of those people who are slain at that 00:09:25.820 --> 00:09:28.360 point go to the same place where the souls of 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:31.639 the lost go now, and that is to Gehenna, hell, 00:09:32.100 --> 00:09:35.039 not to the lake of fire. They will be brought 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:40.559 back from hell to stand before God in the last 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:43.960 judgment and then to go to the final place of 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:47.149 incarceration. And so there is this immediate 00:09:47.149 --> 00:09:50.169 and initial judgment dealing with those who have 00:09:50.169 --> 00:09:53.409 come in the armies to fight in the battle of 00:09:53.409 --> 00:09:58.929 Armageddon. That is the first judgment. Now of 00:09:58.929 --> 00:10:01.029 course there will be many people living upon 00:10:01.029 --> 00:10:03.870 the earth in those days who will not be in those 00:10:03.870 --> 00:10:08.889 armies. And there will be saved and unsaved. 00:10:09.750 --> 00:10:15.279 There will be Jew and Gentile. These need to 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:19.379 be dealt with by the justice of God. God needs 00:10:19.379 --> 00:10:22.919 to ferret out from among the people of the world 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:27.179 those who are His, through faith in Jesus Christ, 00:10:27.240 --> 00:10:31.019 the righteous, so that they may enter into the 00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:36.779 millennium, into the kingdom. Those who are unrighteous, 00:10:36.820 --> 00:10:39.720 those who have not believed in Jesus Christ as 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:47.429 Savior, will at that time be judged slain, and 00:10:47.429 --> 00:10:50.549 will not be allowed to enter into the kingdom 00:10:50.549 --> 00:10:56.169 of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's look in the 00:10:56.169 --> 00:11:01.090 book of Matthew to begin with the following two 00:11:01.090 --> 00:11:06.789 judgments. The judgment of all the people of 00:11:06.789 --> 00:11:11.360 Israel. Let's think of them first. Now we're 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:19.559 just going to look here briefly at only the first 00:11:19.559 --> 00:11:22.879 of the parables in Matthew 25, the parable of 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:26.679 the ten virgins. And without going through it 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:30.220 in detail, let me just remind you that there 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:35.379 are ten virgins who are described here as having 00:11:35.379 --> 00:11:40.450 lamps. They are waiting for the bridegroom with 00:11:40.450 --> 00:11:47.649 his bride to come My understanding of this parable 00:11:47.649 --> 00:11:50.649 and there is a considerable difference of opinion 00:11:50.649 --> 00:11:54.450 about this parable But of course those who are 00:11:54.450 --> 00:11:59.429 right take this position I Say that in jest you 00:11:59.429 --> 00:12:04.889 understand My opinion is that these ten virgins 00:12:04.889 --> 00:12:09.620 represent symbolically, the nation of Israel. 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:15.379 Five of these are prepared for the coming of 00:12:15.379 --> 00:12:18.200 the bridegroom with his bride. They have oil 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:23.139 in their lamps, the oil representing most likely 00:12:23.139 --> 00:12:26.039 the Holy Spirit and the blessing of salvation 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:29.600 that comes through his presence in the life of 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:32.720 the believer. And then there are the five that 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:36.019 have no oil in their lamps. They are caught unprepared. 00:12:36.110 --> 00:12:39.509 They seem to symbolically represent those Jews 00:12:39.509 --> 00:12:43.830 that are not prepared for the coming of the bridegroom 00:12:43.830 --> 00:12:48.029 with his bride. And so we see immediately that, 00:12:48.029 --> 00:12:51.789 like the Gentiles, so among the Jews there will 00:12:51.789 --> 00:12:54.629 be those who will believe and those who will 00:12:54.629 --> 00:12:58.370 not have believed. And they will be separated 00:12:58.370 --> 00:13:03.509 at this point. Let's go back to the Old Testament 00:13:03.509 --> 00:13:06.570 to get a prophetic view of this in the book of 00:13:06.570 --> 00:13:17.690 Ezekiel and the 20th chapter When you found Ezekiel 00:13:17.690 --> 00:13:23.309 chapter 20 look with me at verse 33 Which is 00:13:23.309 --> 00:13:29.169 a promise from God to the Jewish people He says 00:13:29.169 --> 00:13:34.220 as I live Surely, with a mighty hand and with 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:38.679 an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:45.100 I shall be king over you." God is saying to His 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:49.820 people that there will yet come a day when the 00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:56.120 theocracy, the rule, the reign of God over His 00:13:56.120 --> 00:14:00.360 people Israel will be consummated. God says, 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:05.100 I shall be king over you and I shall bring you 00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:09.120 out from the peoples and gather you from the 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:12.539 lands where you are scattered with a mighty hand 00:14:12.539 --> 00:14:15.120 and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:19.279 out. And I shall bring you into the wilderness 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:25.240 of the peoples and there I shall enter into judgment 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:30.809 with you face to face. So, here in this location 00:14:30.809 --> 00:14:34.049 called the wilderness of the peoples, God says 00:14:34.049 --> 00:14:36.789 through Ezekiel, I will gather you my people 00:14:36.789 --> 00:14:41.409 Israel to judge you face to face. As I entered 00:14:41.409 --> 00:14:44.149 into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness 00:14:44.149 --> 00:14:47.730 of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment 00:14:47.730 --> 00:14:52.210 with you declares the Lord God. And I shall make 00:14:52.210 --> 00:14:57.549 you pass under the rod. And I shall bring you 00:14:57.549 --> 00:15:03.190 into the bond of the covenant, and I shall purge 00:15:03.190 --> 00:15:07.870 from you the rebels and those who transgress 00:15:07.870 --> 00:15:11.429 against me. I shall bring them out of the land 00:15:11.429 --> 00:15:14.110 where they sojourn, but they will not enter the 00:15:14.110 --> 00:15:17.830 land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am 00:15:17.830 --> 00:15:22.269 the LORD." Now God is saying here that there 00:15:22.269 --> 00:15:27.179 is an examination time coming. for the people 00:15:27.179 --> 00:15:31.440 of Israel as a nation. He will cause them to 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:36.080 pass under the rod. That is an action that is 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:39.120 mentioned earlier in the book of Leviticus, the 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:46.480 27th chapter, where God tells His people to bring 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:53.480 out from among their flocks a tenth as an offering 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:58.559 to Him, a tithe. And so they were to hold out 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:03.019 the rod over the sheep, the goats, as they passed 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:06.539 underneath, and they were to count out. And every 00:16:06.539 --> 00:16:10.340 tenth one the rod was to go down, and that one 00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:15.580 was the Lord's. I don't believe that Ezekiel 00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:18.960 is saying that only a tenth of the Jews will 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:22.470 be separated out and be the Lord's. But I think 00:16:22.470 --> 00:16:24.909 the point is that God is going to cause them 00:16:24.909 --> 00:16:28.309 to pass under a rod of examination and judgment. 00:16:29.009 --> 00:16:33.629 And of course it is those who are people of faith 00:16:33.629 --> 00:16:37.169 who have trusted in Jesus as their Messiah who 00:16:37.169 --> 00:16:40.509 will be allowed to pass into the kingdom as the 00:16:40.509 --> 00:16:44.970 Lord's own. But the Lord will purge out the rebels 00:16:44.970 --> 00:16:48.809 and those who have transgressed against Him. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:52.919 Turn with me again to the book of Malachi the 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:57.419 very last book of the Old Testament and Here 00:16:57.419 --> 00:17:07.259 the third chapter We have in verse 1 a prophecy 00:17:07.259 --> 00:17:11.160 concerning the coming of John the Baptist the 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:16.059 messenger who would come before the Lord and 00:17:16.059 --> 00:17:20.640 Then it mentions also in verse 1 The Lord himself 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:26.039 behold he is coming that is the Messiah But then 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:30.200 in verse 2 it says who can endure the day of 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:32.740 his coming You see in the Old Testament when 00:17:32.740 --> 00:17:34.759 they talked about the coming of Messiah. They 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:38.460 saw coming one and coming two together They had 00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:42.819 no reference by which to separate those two and 00:17:42.819 --> 00:17:45.950 that's what Malachi is doing here But in verse 00:17:45.950 --> 00:17:48.450 1 there is the first coming, John the Baptist 00:17:48.450 --> 00:17:52.089 preceding Christ and him coming, Jesus coming 00:17:52.089 --> 00:17:55.289 to his people. But now in verse 2 we see from 00:17:55.289 --> 00:17:58.910 our perspective a time lapse between verse 1 00:17:58.910 --> 00:18:03.049 and verse 2. Because in verse 2 it begins to 00:18:03.049 --> 00:18:05.690 deal with cleansing and judgment. Who can endure 00:18:05.690 --> 00:18:09.509 the day of his coming? And who can stand when 00:18:09.509 --> 00:18:14.740 he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:18.640 and like fuller's soap." In other words, when 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:23.339 he comes, as described in verse 2, he will come 00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:28.339 to purify and to cleanse his people, the Jews. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:33.240 And he will sit as a smelter and purifier of 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.119 silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi. 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:41.079 and refine them like gold and silver, so that 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:46.480 they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness." 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:49.859 Look in verse 5, then I will draw near to you, 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:53.640 the Lord speaking, for judgment. And I will be 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:57.460 a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against 00:18:57.460 --> 00:19:00.339 the adulterers, and against those who swear falsely, 00:19:00.380 --> 00:19:03.119 and against those who oppress the wage earner 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:05.519 and his wages, the widow and the orphan, and 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:08.440 those who turn aside the alien and do not fear 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:12.559 me, says the Lord of hosts." And then he reminds 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:17.920 them that he does not change. God is faithful. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:22.509 He is immutable. He is merciful to those who 00:19:22.509 --> 00:19:29.549 repent He is Just with those who will not repent 00:19:29.549 --> 00:19:32.329 and brings judgment to them and that does not 00:19:32.329 --> 00:19:36.150 change in Romans chapter 11 the Apostle Paul 00:19:36.150 --> 00:19:40.130 says that when the fullness of the Gentiles has 00:19:40.130 --> 00:19:45.029 come in a phrase that describes the consummation 00:19:45.029 --> 00:19:47.750 and the completion of this age in which we live 00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:55.000 when primarily Gentiles believe and in part Israel 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:57.779 believes, but only a remnant, only a few Jews. 00:19:58.420 --> 00:20:01.240 He says, when this time has been consummated, 00:20:01.640 --> 00:20:07.299 then all Israel shall be saved. It does not mean 00:20:07.299 --> 00:20:12.259 they're every individual Jew, but it means enough 00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:14.980 of them that they will represent the whole of 00:20:14.980 --> 00:20:19.990 the nation of Israel. And so there will be in 00:20:19.990 --> 00:20:23.109 that day when Jesus Christ comes again a gathering 00:20:23.109 --> 00:20:28.210 of the Jewish people for judgment. Those who 00:20:28.210 --> 00:20:33.670 have believed on Jesus as their Christ, those 00:20:33.670 --> 00:20:37.049 who have repented of their wicked rejection of 00:20:37.049 --> 00:20:40.289 him, and who have believed on him and received 00:20:40.289 --> 00:20:44.170 him, they will enter into the kingdom that has 00:20:44.170 --> 00:20:48.089 been promised to their peoples. for lo these 00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:53.109 many, many generations, all the way back to Abraham. 00:20:54.789 --> 00:20:59.269 Those who have not believed will be purged out, 00:21:00.589 --> 00:21:05.490 will be slain, and will not enter into the kingdom. 00:21:06.930 --> 00:21:12.210 But now what about the Gentiles? Let us return 00:21:12.210 --> 00:21:16.769 to the Gospel of Matthew, and this time We will 00:21:16.769 --> 00:21:22.250 go to the last part of chapter 25, where there 00:21:22.250 --> 00:21:31.130 is the judgment of the sheep and the goats. I 00:21:31.130 --> 00:21:33.329 am assuming that most of you, if not all of you, 00:21:33.390 --> 00:21:35.390 are familiar with this passage. Therefore, I 00:21:35.390 --> 00:21:40.559 am not going to take time to read it. But I would 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:43.019 point out to you that it says that this judgment 00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:46.259 will take place when the Son of Man comes in 00:21:46.259 --> 00:21:51.019 His glory and the angels with Him. Keep in mind 00:21:51.019 --> 00:21:54.119 that this is the second coming of Jesus Christ 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:56.720 to the earth. This is not at the rapture of the 00:21:56.720 --> 00:22:00.279 church. This is when He comes back to the earth. 00:22:00.539 --> 00:22:05.200 Here now is a third judgment and it deals with 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:08.680 the rest of the citizens of the world. who have 00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:10.940 not already been dealt with either in the first 00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:13.859 judgment with the armies or the second judgment 00:22:13.859 --> 00:22:17.599 with the Jewish people. Now we have everybody 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:23.400 else gathered before the Lord. And there are, 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:29.119 it seems, three groups of people that are in 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:33.359 view in this particular judgment. In the first 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:37.140 place he talks about the sheep. who are on his 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:42.079 right hand. And then he talks about, secondly, 00:22:42.299 --> 00:22:47.119 the goats on his left hand. And then he talks 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:51.900 about my brethren. You notice that? So there 00:22:51.900 --> 00:22:55.319 are three groups of people. All of them, or at 00:22:55.319 --> 00:22:59.640 least the sheep and the goats, are Gentiles. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:05.970 My brethren, Jesus speaking, refers to Jewish 00:23:05.970 --> 00:23:12.910 people and most likely particularly those Jewish 00:23:12.910 --> 00:23:16.930 people who during the tribulation will be the 00:23:16.930 --> 00:23:21.750 proclaimers of the gospel of the kingdom. Those 00:23:21.750 --> 00:23:25.430 who will fan out across the world despite the 00:23:25.430 --> 00:23:28.630 threat of persecution from Antichrist so that 00:23:28.630 --> 00:23:33.309 they may preach Jesus Christ to those who have 00:23:33.309 --> 00:23:39.150 never heard the gospel. Those people whom Jesus 00:23:39.150 --> 00:23:46.650 calls my brethren will be in tremendous distress. 00:23:47.029 --> 00:23:50.990 The pressure will be immense on them as they 00:23:50.990 --> 00:23:54.690 are sought out by the forces of Antichrist that 00:23:54.690 --> 00:23:58.410 they might be slain and killed. But God will 00:23:58.410 --> 00:24:01.410 preserve them and the way He will preserve them, 00:24:01.829 --> 00:24:07.289 these Jewish evangelists, missionaries. The way 00:24:07.289 --> 00:24:12.349 he will preserve them is through believing Gentiles 00:24:12.349 --> 00:24:17.910 who will evidence their faith by caring for them. 00:24:19.430 --> 00:24:22.809 They will give them that cup of water. They will 00:24:22.809 --> 00:24:25.569 give them that clothing. They will visit them 00:24:25.569 --> 00:24:30.529 in prison. These believing Gentiles will evidence 00:24:30.529 --> 00:24:34.970 their faith because of their willingness to identify 00:24:34.970 --> 00:24:41.539 with and yes, help to protect those Jewish evangelists 00:24:41.539 --> 00:24:47.140 who will go throughout the earth. Those are the 00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:51.640 sheep on the right hand, to whom the Lord says 00:24:51.640 --> 00:24:55.880 in verse 34, Come you who are blessed of my Father, 00:24:56.299 --> 00:24:59.200 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:03.240 foundation of the world. I was hungry, you gave 00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:06.660 me something to eat. I was thirsty," and so on. 00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:11.839 They say, when? And he explains that it was when 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:16.400 his brethren came in need. They cared for his 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:19.799 brethren. And that is evidence of the fact that 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:22.880 they believed. This is not teaching here salvation 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:26.480 by works. That would be in contradiction to what 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:30.220 the rest of the Bible teaches regarding the grace 00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:33.519 of God. They are not brought into the kingdom 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:39.200 because of their good works in feeding the hungry, 00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:42.960 clothing the naked, visiting those who are imprisoned. 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:46.359 They are brought into the kingdom because of 00:25:46.359 --> 00:25:50.059 their faith, which is evidenced in their works. 00:25:52.619 --> 00:25:54.519 But what about the goats? What about those on 00:25:54.519 --> 00:26:01.180 the left hand? These are the unsaved Gentiles 00:26:01.180 --> 00:26:05.700 who, if they did not participate in the persecution 00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:09.619 of the Jewish evangelists, at least refused to 00:26:09.619 --> 00:26:16.279 assist them. And that likewise is evidence of 00:26:16.279 --> 00:26:20.319 their unbelief, their unwillingness to associate 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:23.059 with the people of God who are preaching the 00:26:23.059 --> 00:26:27.880 gospel. Their unbelief is evidenced by their 00:26:27.880 --> 00:26:31.700 works and because of their unbelief our Lord 00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:37.420 says to them verse 41 depart from me accursed 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:41.559 ones into the eternal fire which has been prepared 00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:47.480 for the devil and his angels and So those who 00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:51.519 are unsaved these Gentiles who are unsaved will 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:54.859 at this point be sent away from the presence 00:26:54.859 --> 00:26:58.500 of the Lord to be slain and to enter into the 00:26:58.500 --> 00:27:03.380 fires of hell for judgment. This is not the great 00:27:03.380 --> 00:27:08.619 white throne judgment that comes later. This 00:27:08.619 --> 00:27:11.299 is a judgment that occurs before the millennium 00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:14.420 and the purpose of these three judgments is to 00:27:14.420 --> 00:27:16.759 deal with the whole population of the globe. 00:27:16.819 --> 00:27:20.380 Now remember, that half or more than half of 00:27:20.380 --> 00:27:24.119 the population of the world will have died by 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:28.799 this time in the terrible judgments of the tribulation 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:33.980 period. And yet we are looking at a mass of people 00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:40.000 who will stand before the Lord now returned from 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:46.539 heaven to be judged. Those who are righteous 00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:51.039 through faith will enter into the kingdom age. 00:27:51.619 --> 00:27:54.240 They will enter into that kingdom in bodies just 00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:59.299 like we have now and they will reproduce and 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:02.039 there will be a population explosion that is 00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:05.359 unparalleled except perhaps in Grace Church Roseville 00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:12.339 in the millennial reign as there is no death 00:28:12.339 --> 00:28:15.839 to take people away. The disease is subdued and 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:19.289 there is not war. And so the population will 00:28:19.289 --> 00:28:21.569 grow tremendously in that thousand year reign 00:28:21.569 --> 00:28:24.369 of Christ because righteous people will enter 00:28:24.369 --> 00:28:27.390 into it, Jews and Gentiles from nations of the 00:28:27.390 --> 00:28:31.769 world. Their children then will have the opportunity 00:28:31.769 --> 00:28:37.009 to personally believe or to reject Jesus Christ. 00:28:37.849 --> 00:28:41.230 We'll deal with that at another time. But the 00:28:41.230 --> 00:28:44.410 purpose of the judgments is to bring only the 00:28:44.410 --> 00:28:46.650 righteous into the kingdom and those who are 00:28:46.650 --> 00:28:51.869 unsaved will be shut out and that forever. As 00:28:51.869 --> 00:28:54.289 we look at the judgments here and we see our 00:28:54.289 --> 00:28:57.390 Lord seated upon a throne of judgment, how glad 00:28:57.390 --> 00:29:00.690 I am that by the grace of God I see him today 00:29:00.690 --> 00:29:10.109 seated on a throne of mercy. Would bring me into 00:29:10.109 --> 00:29:12.670 judgment before him so that he would have to 00:29:12.670 --> 00:29:17.089 say to me depart you cursed Were it not for the 00:29:17.089 --> 00:29:20.930 fact that? his precious blood was shed for my 00:29:20.930 --> 00:29:25.190 sins and He led me to believe on him and to receive 00:29:25.190 --> 00:29:29.930 him as Savior So that I am now found righteous 00:29:29.930 --> 00:29:32.430 in his sight and I look at him upon a throne 00:29:32.430 --> 00:29:37.210 of mercy and grace And my friend, that is the 00:29:37.210 --> 00:29:40.930 opportunity of every one of you. I recognize 00:29:40.930 --> 00:29:45.150 tonight that most of you have trusted Christ 00:29:45.150 --> 00:29:48.849 as Savior, but lest there be one here who has 00:29:48.849 --> 00:29:51.230 never trusted Christ, will you understand that 00:29:51.230 --> 00:29:53.690 you will see him one day and he will be seated 00:29:53.690 --> 00:29:58.309 on a throne? Oh, that you may see him now on 00:29:58.309 --> 00:30:00.890 a throne of mercy with arms outstretched to you, 00:30:00.890 --> 00:30:05.109 pleading with you to receive him. and that you 00:30:05.109 --> 00:30:08.690 would receive Him, that you might not one day 00:30:08.690 --> 00:30:13.210 have to see Him upon a throne of judgment. For 00:30:13.210 --> 00:30:15.809 the unsaved, the judgments that we've looked 00:30:15.809 --> 00:30:20.430 at are dreadful. They are dreadful. The weeping 00:30:20.430 --> 00:30:25.430 and wailing, the sorrow, the remorse that will 00:30:25.430 --> 00:30:31.210 take place on that day regarding the judgment 00:30:31.210 --> 00:30:34.569 of the Gentiles, Joel says it's in the valley 00:30:34.569 --> 00:30:38.109 of Jehoshaphat. We do not know precisely where 00:30:38.109 --> 00:30:41.329 the valley of Jehoshaphat is. There is no place 00:30:41.329 --> 00:30:47.309 in the Bible geographically so named. Jehoshaphat 00:30:47.309 --> 00:30:53.170 means God judges. And that's significant because 00:30:53.170 --> 00:30:56.130 it's the valley where God judges. But there are 00:30:56.130 --> 00:30:59.829 those, and I tend to agree with them, who say 00:30:59.829 --> 00:31:03.700 that this valley isn't yet. but that it will 00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:08.519 be that valley which will be created in Palestine 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:11.720 when Jesus Christ's feet touch the Mount of Olives 00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:14.720 and the mountain splits in two and there is a 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:17.900 huge valley created east to west that does not 00:31:17.900 --> 00:31:20.980 now exist and that that valley will be named 00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:23.539 the Valley of Jehoshaphat and that the Gentiles 00:31:23.539 --> 00:31:29.220 of the world will be brought to that place so 00:31:29.220 --> 00:31:31.160 that the righteous may be gathered out to enter 00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:34.970 into the kingdom. and the unrighteous to enter 00:31:34.970 --> 00:31:39.589 into judgment and hell. For the saved these are 00:31:39.589 --> 00:31:42.049 delightful thoughts, not that there are people 00:31:42.049 --> 00:31:45.349 judged away from Christ forever, but that one 00:31:45.349 --> 00:31:50.349 day the wrongs will be made right. We long for 00:31:50.349 --> 00:31:53.130 that now. There is so much oppression and injustice 00:31:53.130 --> 00:31:56.690 in this world. Oh, we long for that day when 00:31:56.690 --> 00:32:00.549 things will be set right and so it will be. on 00:32:00.549 --> 00:32:05.650 the day when the Lord comes. Let's bow together. 00:32:07.089 --> 00:32:10.309 Our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed. My 00:32:10.309 --> 00:32:13.650 friend, if you do not tonight, as you sit right 00:32:13.650 --> 00:32:16.410 there, have the assurance of your sins forgiven. 00:32:17.869 --> 00:32:21.509 If you do not know Jesus Christ on His throne 00:32:21.509 --> 00:32:24.549 of mercy, but rather must face and dread that 00:32:24.549 --> 00:32:28.140 day of seeing Him on a throne of judgment, only 00:32:28.140 --> 00:32:30.859 to have your sins brought forward and examined 00:32:30.859 --> 00:32:34.539 and for you to be cast away. Oh, will you tonight 00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:37.920 repent? While there is opportunity, in that day 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:41.079 there is none. Today is the day of salvation. 00:32:42.019 --> 00:32:45.559 Will you trust Him today? Will you turn to Him 00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:48.859 and receive Him? I'll be here at the front afterward. 00:32:49.500 --> 00:32:51.519 Won't you come and say, Pastor, call tonight. 00:32:51.579 --> 00:32:55.539 I need to trust Jesus Christ. Please, you talk 00:32:55.539 --> 00:32:58.140 to me. Have someone talk to me that I may make 00:32:58.140 --> 00:33:01.619 that decision tonight. And Father, so may it 00:33:01.619 --> 00:33:04.900 be that the Spirit of God would draw one or several 00:33:04.900 --> 00:33:11.380 this evening to trust in the Savior who shed 00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:15.579 His precious blood for our redemption. Thank 00:33:15.579 --> 00:33:19.759 you that for us, judgment is passed. But we do 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.339 look forward to that day of examination so that 00:33:22.339 --> 00:33:25.759 when we are finished with it, we may have something 00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:29.319 approved to throw at your feet as we worship 00:33:29.319 --> 00:33:33.140 you. Lord, thank you for the precious promises 00:33:33.140 --> 00:33:36.400 that are ours. Thank you that for those of us 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:39.440 who know Jesus Christ, the future is as bright 00:33:39.440 --> 00:33:42.880 as your promises and the best is yet to come 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:46.599 for us. Thank you for the hope that is laid up 00:33:46.599 --> 00:34:02.740 which can never be lost. The reality of the earthly 00:34:02.740 --> 00:34:07.160 and the reality of the heavenly. We are most 00:34:07.160 --> 00:34:09.760 keen on the reality of the earthly because that 00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:14.159 is where we relate with our senses. But we must 00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:21.809 not ignore the reality of the heavenlies. We 00:34:21.809 --> 00:34:27.849 do so at our own peril. We do not wrestle against 00:34:27.849 --> 00:34:34.710 human personalities or human movements. We waste 00:34:34.710 --> 00:34:38.789 our energy and our resources when we focus primarily 00:34:38.789 --> 00:34:46.369 on that. We wrestle, says Paul, against spiritual 00:34:46.369 --> 00:34:51.929 powers. Who are in the dimension of the heavenlies? 00:34:52.969 --> 00:34:57.670 At this moment in this room There are angelic 00:34:57.670 --> 00:35:01.929 creatures that are observing you and me Not just 00:35:01.929 --> 00:35:04.469 this morning, but every time that we meet they 00:35:04.469 --> 00:35:09.510 are here there are good and there are evil They 00:35:09.510 --> 00:35:12.349 watch us they watch us snooze and get the last 00:35:12.349 --> 00:35:14.929 20 minutes of sleep. We didn't get on Saturday 00:35:14.929 --> 00:35:21.179 night They watch us take notes. They watch as 00:35:21.179 --> 00:35:23.539 we listen and begin to apply the Word of God 00:35:23.539 --> 00:35:26.820 to our lives. They watch our reactions to each 00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:34.119 other. They observe us. The holy angels do that, 00:35:34.139 --> 00:35:37.280 that they might learn from us something of the 00:35:37.280 --> 00:35:39.380 wisdom of God. I don't understand how they learn 00:35:39.380 --> 00:35:42.039 much wisdom from God from us, but that's what 00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:47.300 they do in Ephesians 3. It tells us. The evil 00:35:47.300 --> 00:35:50.800 angels watch us that they might gain some advantage 00:35:50.800 --> 00:35:55.079 over us. They seek, for example, to steal the 00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:58.980 Word of God as it's being preached through interference 00:35:58.980 --> 00:36:04.059 and distractions. They seek to keep the Word 00:36:04.059 --> 00:36:07.599 of God from taking root in our lives so that 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:09.599 by the time we get out of church many things 00:36:09.599 --> 00:36:11.340 have happened and what we've heard in church 00:36:11.340 --> 00:36:15.449 is no longer in our minds. You see, they are 00:36:15.449 --> 00:36:19.030 constantly working and strategizing against us 00:36:19.030 --> 00:36:23.969 in this struggle that we are in. We do not wrestle 00:36:23.969 --> 00:36:28.489 against flesh and blood. However, it is important 00:36:28.489 --> 00:36:32.809 for us to understand that these spiritual powers 00:36:32.809 --> 00:36:37.710 utilize flesh and blood often in strategizing 00:36:37.710 --> 00:36:53.739 against us. John Calvin said, I can give you 00:36:53.739 --> 00:36:57.599 some biblical examples of that. Jesus began to 00:36:57.599 --> 00:36:59.880 express to his disciples that he had to go to 00:36:59.880 --> 00:37:03.199 Jerusalem and there suffer and die and be raised 00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:10.969 again. And Peter responded to him, God forbid 00:37:10.969 --> 00:37:15.469 that will never happen to you and Jesus turned 00:37:15.469 --> 00:37:23.309 to Peter and he said get behind me Satan What 00:37:23.309 --> 00:37:27.170 was Jesus saying? He was saying that that instant 00:37:27.170 --> 00:37:30.369 of time that thought had come not from God, but 00:37:30.369 --> 00:37:35.949 from Satan Satan was using Peter's flesh and 00:37:35.949 --> 00:37:43.550 blood to express a thought to Jesus. Jesus recognized 00:37:43.550 --> 00:37:46.130 what it was, and in speaking to Peter, he addressed 00:37:46.130 --> 00:37:53.010 Satan and said, get behind me, Satan. Another 00:37:53.010 --> 00:37:57.730 example occurred some time later, when Judas, 00:37:57.750 --> 00:38:00.090 after having schemed and planned the betrayal 00:38:00.090 --> 00:38:04.710 of Christ, went out into the night. And it says 00:38:04.710 --> 00:38:10.469 in Luke 22 and verse 3, Satan entered Judas. 00:38:13.730 --> 00:38:18.329 Satan then possessed Judas and used his flesh 00:38:18.329 --> 00:38:22.989 and blood, his body, to carry out this scheme 00:38:22.989 --> 00:38:28.690 of betrayal. In 1 Thessalonians 2, 18, the apostle 00:38:28.690 --> 00:38:31.429 Paul writes to his beloved Thessalonian believers, 00:38:31.710 --> 00:38:34.570 his children in the faith, and he says, I desire 00:38:34.570 --> 00:38:38.000 to come to you once and then again. but Satan 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:43.019 hindered us. He doesn't explain how Satan hindered. 00:38:44.300 --> 00:38:47.500 But more than likely it was through people, flesh 00:38:47.500 --> 00:38:50.820 and blood. Notice he attributes it though to 00:38:50.820 --> 00:38:54.340 Satan. He knows where the real battle is. And 00:38:54.340 --> 00:38:57.579 then in Revelation 3, 9, the Lord warns his beloved 00:38:57.579 --> 00:39:00.960 people in the church of those of the synagogue 00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:06.210 of Satan who say they are Jews but are not. He's 00:39:06.210 --> 00:39:10.309 talking about those in false religion. False 00:39:10.309 --> 00:39:13.469 religion has always been the most severe persecutor 00:39:13.469 --> 00:39:19.110 of true religion, and it is so today. My friend, 00:39:19.230 --> 00:39:21.269 the greatest threat to our faith is not found 00:39:21.269 --> 00:39:25.630 in communism. The greatest threat to our faith 00:39:25.630 --> 00:39:31.550 is found in apostate Christianity that has rejected 00:39:31.550 --> 00:39:36.000 the tenets of the faith. and his following idols. 00:39:37.739 --> 00:39:40.000 There is still a synagogue of Satan today. Those 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:46.079 who say they are Christians but are not. Satan 00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:50.300 employs flesh and blood to oppose us. Sometimes 00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:54.880 it's even people amongst us, as it was in the 00:39:54.880 --> 00:40:01.000 case with Peter. Sometimes it is people outside. 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:05.380 as it may have been with the Apostle Paul in 00:40:05.380 --> 00:40:08.719 the book of Thessalonians. But we don't wrestle 00:40:08.719 --> 00:40:10.739 against flesh and blood, and the sooner that 00:40:10.739 --> 00:40:13.539 we realize that our real enemy is not people, 00:40:14.119 --> 00:40:17.199 the better off we will be. Now there's a word 00:40:17.199 --> 00:40:20.260 of warning that must be given at this point. 00:40:22.340 --> 00:40:26.400 We should not interpret every interference and 00:40:26.400 --> 00:40:30.019 every difficulty in life as Satan's activity. 00:40:32.679 --> 00:40:35.059 Even the apostle Paul did not do that. Do you 00:40:35.059 --> 00:40:37.559 recall that he and the members of the missionary 00:40:37.559 --> 00:40:41.460 party in Acts 16 desired to go in a certain direction 00:40:41.460 --> 00:40:44.320 to the north and to the east and they encountered 00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:48.639 difficulties? And so they went to another place 00:40:48.639 --> 00:40:50.199 and there were more difficulties and finally 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:53.599 they went to Troas and the conclusion of it was 00:40:53.599 --> 00:40:58.579 the spirit of Jesus forbid us to go in that direction. 00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:03.940 So, don't be looking for Satan under every rock 00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:08.159 in your life. Don't interpret every interference 00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:11.659 as a demon who is opposed to you, because that's 00:41:11.659 --> 00:41:14.599 not always the case. But it can be the case. 00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:18.039 That is the point here that I'm making. Now what 00:41:18.039 --> 00:41:20.599 are we to do in the face of such a struggle? 00:41:22.599 --> 00:41:25.039 It is dangerous to think that you and I can deal 00:41:25.039 --> 00:41:27.539 with this enemy in our own strength or intellect. 00:41:29.710 --> 00:41:32.590 Likewise, it is unnecessary for us to be fearful. 00:41:34.289 --> 00:41:39.010 It is foolish for us to be over -obsessed with 00:41:39.010 --> 00:41:43.590 this topic, too. What are we to do in the face 00:41:43.590 --> 00:41:47.690 of this struggle with spiritual powers? He tells 00:41:47.690 --> 00:41:50.610 us three things. Number one, we are to be strong. 00:41:51.889 --> 00:41:56.210 Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and 00:41:56.210 --> 00:42:01.309 in the strength of His might. It's present tense 00:42:01.309 --> 00:42:04.630 and it's passive. So he is really saying here 00:42:04.630 --> 00:42:11.110 be continually empowered Be strengthened by this 00:42:11.110 --> 00:42:14.730 resource that God has provided for you be strong 00:42:14.730 --> 00:42:18.230 in the Lord and that my friend is the only name 00:42:18.230 --> 00:42:26.030 the Satan will recognize You dare not Come against 00:42:26.030 --> 00:42:28.730 this enemy in your own name or your own strength. 00:42:28.989 --> 00:42:35.429 If you do, you are in deep trouble. You remember 00:42:35.429 --> 00:42:38.789 what it says in Jude, verse 9? Jude gives us 00:42:38.789 --> 00:42:41.989 the briefest glimpse at a most curious historical 00:42:41.989 --> 00:42:47.130 event. After Moses died, there was an argument 00:42:47.130 --> 00:42:52.670 over his body. Satan wanted to use his body for 00:42:52.670 --> 00:42:54.849 some purpose. We do not know what it might have 00:42:54.849 --> 00:43:01.789 been. There was a struggle, Jude tells us, between 00:43:01.789 --> 00:43:05.130 Michael the archangel and Satan for the body 00:43:05.130 --> 00:43:09.469 of Moses. Now even an archangel, and my friend, 00:43:09.469 --> 00:43:14.070 that's up the ladder, okay, among the holy angels. 00:43:14.639 --> 00:43:17.980 There's not a higher created angelic order of 00:43:17.980 --> 00:43:22.340 the holy angels that we know about than the archangels 00:43:22.340 --> 00:43:26.800 One is named Michael and It says Michael did 00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:29.860 not even rail against Satan in his own power 00:43:29.860 --> 00:43:32.760 But rather that spirit being said to that other 00:43:32.760 --> 00:43:40.239 spirit being the Lord rebuke you Be strong in 00:43:40.239 --> 00:43:45.269 the Lord Because that is the name the Satan recognizes 00:43:45.269 --> 00:43:50.630 and must respect and does fear. How do we be 00:43:50.630 --> 00:43:53.489 strong in the Lord, the power of His might? He 00:43:53.489 --> 00:43:55.929 tells us by putting on the full armor of God. 00:43:56.869 --> 00:44:00.230 Here the verb is decisive. He says, do this urgently. 00:44:00.409 --> 00:44:03.190 It will provide complete protection for you. 00:44:03.489 --> 00:44:06.909 Put on the full armor of God. To be without it 00:44:06.909 --> 00:44:10.730 is to leave yourself vulnerable. Vulnerable to 00:44:10.730 --> 00:44:14.309 the enemy. To put on the full armor of God is 00:44:14.309 --> 00:44:17.210 to live obediently to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 00:44:17.289 --> 00:44:20.690 My friend, there is no substitute for obedience. 00:44:23.110 --> 00:44:25.889 Some people try to substitute partial obedience. 00:44:27.030 --> 00:44:32.789 They try to substitute compromise. No. There 00:44:32.789 --> 00:44:37.070 is no substitute for complete obedience. It is 00:44:37.070 --> 00:44:39.889 the life of obedience to the Lordship of Jesus 00:44:39.889 --> 00:44:43.699 Christ. that enables us to put on the armor of 00:44:43.699 --> 00:44:48.119 God and then to be strong in the Lord. And he 00:44:48.119 --> 00:44:50.460 tells us that when we do that, we can do something 00:44:50.460 --> 00:44:54.739 else. We can stand firm against Satan's schemes. 00:44:57.119 --> 00:45:02.119 To stand firm is a military picture. It means 00:45:02.119 --> 00:45:05.599 to hold a critical position on the battlefield. 00:45:06.950 --> 00:45:09.849 Hundreds of stories could be told about soldiers 00:45:09.849 --> 00:45:13.429 who were given a position to hold. And because 00:45:13.429 --> 00:45:16.030 they were faithful and courageous to hold that 00:45:16.030 --> 00:45:20.750 position, the army won the battle. And so our 00:45:20.750 --> 00:45:23.329 Lord says to us here through the Apostle Paul, 00:45:23.610 --> 00:45:28.449 stand firm against the devil. Hold that position 00:45:28.449 --> 00:45:34.099 you've been assigned. Don't give up. Others in 00:45:34.099 --> 00:45:37.039 the battle may depend upon you holding your position. 00:45:38.019 --> 00:45:44.800 It weakens the army when a soldier runs. So put 00:45:44.800 --> 00:45:48.400 on the full armor of God and be empowered by 00:45:48.400 --> 00:45:53.900 His might and stand against the devil. There 00:45:53.900 --> 00:45:56.579 is no reason for us to experience defeat.