One Day Every Knee Will Bow: The Comprehensive Scope of the Final Judgement

 Revelation 20:11-15

The Comprehensive Scope of the Great and Final Judgement

(Pt. 2)

INTRO:  Why are so many unsaved people not interested in the gospel anymore?  

Very few people fear God (Revelation 4; Isaiah 6) or the final judgement (Hebrews 9:27).  

Many assume that if there is a heaven and hell they will be admitted into heaven.  Who needs the "good news" if God is going to save everyone (except maybe serial killers and tyrants like Stalin)?  

Why do religious and irreligious unbelievers assume that if there really is a hell they have nothing to fear?  What role does the modern evangelical church play in this false assurance? 

To help us wrap our minds and hearts around the Final Day of Judgment and in effort to help us respond to this inspired prophecy in a God honoring way- we’ll highlight 7 Key Statements over the next few weeks:

Thus far we've seen:

1) The ABSOLUTE NECESSITY of this Great and Final Judgement

(Revelation 20:7-15; John 3:19-20)

and 2) The PERFECT CHARACTER of this Great and Final Judgement

(Revelation 20:11; Hab. 1:13; Psalm 1:5-6;)

This sermon will focus in on

3) The COMPREHENSIVE SCOPE of the Great and Final Judgement

(Revelation 20:12-13; Heb. 9:27)

Judgment at the Throne of God-

Is that You Lord? Hearing the True Voice of God

"Most believers think that God speaks to them on a regular basis. At least based on my experience, that appears to be the common perception. People use the expression “God told me” or “I heard God” all the time. Certainly, in its worst form, it announces the blasphemous declarations of today’s preachers of the prosperity gospel. Unfortunately, far too many people mimic that language in their everyday conversation. By using such language, they may be attempting to give legitimacy to a decision they’ve made or to defend some action they taken. For others, it may be an attempt to validate (or even to reach for) some level of perceived intimacy with God. They understand that intimacy is built on two-way communication, and so they feel a need to express their relationship to God in terms that capture the dynamic of dialogue, not monologue. But in all these cases, as teachers and leaders, we need to, first of all, help our people understand the theological dangers inherent in this kind of language. Second, we need to boldly present to people the power of God’s voice in its active sense through the Word of God.

For ages discerning pastors and theologians have recognized the dangers in claiming to hear the voice of God outside of Scripture. They recognize that there are stern warnings in Scripture against attributing to God words which, in fact, He did not speak (cf. Deut 18:20; cf. 13:1–5; 1 Cor 14:29–31). Because of the inherent authority that comes with a Word from God, the Lord recognized the potential abuse if people were to claim His authority for messages that merely come from their own imagination. For that reason, He not only established the very high standard of infallibility for all who claim to be His spokesmen, but He often confirmed them with accompanying miraculous signs (Acts 2:22; 5:12; 2 Cor 12:12). Therefore, for us to claim that God is speaking to us apart from Scripture potentially misrepresents God and places us in danger of His judgment. Instead, we recognize that divine revelation has come to us in the Holy Scripture (1 Cor 2:7–13; 2 Pet 1:19–21), and that this “canon” of Scripture was closed with the writing of the final book of the New Testament in the late first century (Rev 22:18–19). This has been the historic view of the church for most of its existence.

The Regular Intake of Scripture- Growing in Godliness (Lesson 3)

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

 “Bible Intake”

Lesson 3; 10/7/18

The theme verse of this Sunday School study at Lake Country Bible Church is 1 Timothy 4:7-8.  It’d be a great verse to memorize this quarter.  Here is the handout from one of our adult Sunday School groups.

What are some of the things that are keeping you from practicing the spiritual disciplines?

“No spiritual discipline is more important than the intake of the Word of God.” (note Psalm 1; 19; 119)  Why is this so?

What are some of the chief motivations for being a “man or woman of the Word?”

(Jer. 9:23-24; 1 Pet. 2:2-3; Hos. 6:6; )

Matthew 4:4; Jesus answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

1 Timothy 4:6; If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

What are the different ways one can apply this specific discipline? (Bible intake)

1. HEARING the Word of God-

Are you a sermon critic?

Are you a sermon connoisseur?

OR are you an active, humble, and discerning sermon listener? 

King Jesus

"God reigns over the universe as a magnificent King whose resplendent royalty fills every corner of creation. We see this especially in the psalter, which reads like a collection of coronation hymns. The book of Psalms glorifies God as King and exults in the benefits of his kingdom. Consider just a sampling of statements from various enthronement psalms:

▪The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from His land (10:16).

▪ Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah (24:7–10).

▪ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as kingforever. May the Lord give strength to His people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! (29:10–11)

▪ God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted! (47:5–9)

▪ Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth (74:12).

▪ For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods (95:3).

Assaulting the Nature of Truth

"Words matter to God. After all, they are His chosen means of communication. He doesn’t bring people to a saving knowledge of Himself through mystical, subjective experiences. He has spoken clear, objective, propositional truth to His creatures through His written Word.

That’s why Peter—who saw firsthand the profound supernatural power of God, both in the life of Christ and in his own apostolic ministry—pointed to Scripture as “the prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter 1:19). Even after Peter heard the voice of God from heaven (v. 17-18), his unfailing confidence was in the written Word of God.

Obviously, as fallen creatures not inspired by the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of replicating that divine standard of perfect, authoritative, inerrant communication. Nonetheless, Christians throughout history have deployed written statements as a vital defense in the ongoing war against false teaching. Ancient Christian creeds and catechisms have endured for centuries as constant reminders that the truth of our faith is non-negotiable and worthy of vigorous defense.

The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel (also referred to as the Dallas Statement) was crafted for similar reasons. Troubled by the rapid rise of social justice rhetoric within the church, several Christian leaders drafted the Dallas Statement in response. John MacArthur is a key signatory to that statement and has moved with urgency to further substantiate his concerns in great detail. In recent months he has responded through a series of blog posts and sermons exposing the dangers posed by the evangelical social justice movement. As expected, loud opposition has flowed freely ever since.

What is surprising—even disappointing—about the pushback is the widespread failure of critics to engage with the actual content of what has been stated clearly in the articles, sermons, and the Dallas Statement. Many evangelicals have chosen to argue against what they perceive those declarations to represent—not what they actually say. What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.

Tim Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, is candid enough to admit his complicity in not dealing with the substance of the arguments set forth. But that’s because he believes how he feels about the Dallas Statement is more important than what it actually says.

What church would say of you, “We know you love us”?

Dr. Don Whitney writes, "The New Testament repeatedly indicates that anyone who does not love the church does not belong to the church, that is, the body of Christ. In other words, anyone who does not love the church that Jesus loves is not a follower of Christ.

One of the best known verses in this regard is 1 John 3:14, “We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers.” The “brothers” here is an explicit reference to the church, to “brothers” (and sisters) in Christ, that is, those who comprise the church of Jesus Christ.

Similar is 2 John 1, “The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth.” The “elect lady” here refers to the church, likely to a specific local congregation of believers in Christ.

We might classify the viewpoints of everyone toward the church in four ways. First would be those who would explicitly say they do not love the church. This would include atheists and many of those who are adherents of non-Christian religions.

Second would be those who are indifferent to the church. They might not speak against the church with any frequency or vehemence, but neither do they speak of loving the church. On occasion they may speak with appreciation or respect for the church, but generally they never think of the church unless some item in the news brings the church into their consciousness.

The Best Welcome that a Congregation Gives a Preacher is ____________

Spurgeon on Choosing a Local Church

How to Be a Profitable and Encouraging Church Member

As a pastor, I truly love the local church. In my own context, I love my church that I’m a member of and that I have the privilege to leading. However, as I often explain to my children when we read the Bible together in the evening—I don’t love the church simply because I’m a pastor. Even if I worked at a local business in town and was a member of the church who didn’t hold a given office—I would still love the church and would encourage my children to do the same (Eph. 5:25).

As I prepare to speak in a conference in a little more than a week from now, I’m reflecting upon the given assignment of preaching on the topic: “Loving the Church Like Your Life Depends On It.” As I consider this assignment, I believe we should actually love the church with such passion which will often shape our commitment, service, worship, and various other involvement. So, how do we love the church and become a profitable and encouraging church member?  This list is by no means exhaustive but let me suggest the following 4 ways: 1) Pray for your church (especially it's leaders).  2) Become sacrificial rather then selfish.  3) Forgive one another and love one another.  4) Take worship seriously.

Pray for Your Church

When was the last time you prayed for your church leaders? Did you know that they are often praying for you and your family? Not only that, they are are looking for ways to serve the church (including your family) in areas of physical, practical, and spiritual needs. Without faithful lay leaders, the church will not be able to function properly—therefore, it’s vitally important for you to pray for the spiritual leaders within your local church.

When was the last time you prayed for your pastor(s)? To hold the office of pastor is very demanding. It requires spending time in prayer for families within the church and committing oneself to much time in God’s Word in preparation for preaching and teaching (Acts 6). One of the greatest ways to discourage a pastor is to spend more time complaining about him than you do praying for him. The pastor can’t just leave his work at the office. After praying and studying the Word, the pastor also leaves the office (or home depending on the time) in times of emergency to be with families during times of sickness and death.

In the early days of the Church, we find the people of God praying together and for one another. Consider all of the “love one another” passages in the Bible and how they center upon the intentional care that the church is to have for one another. At the center of this intentional and sacrificial love is prayer. It’s far more difficult to be divided when you spend time praying for one another.  James 5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Become Sacrificial Rather than Selfish

As we live life, sometimes our responsibilities of family time, ball practices, education, vacations, marriage enrichment, and work responsibilities will fill up multiple calendars—but as we live life, we must keep the church at the center of the equation. The secular world has zero commitment to the church—and it seems that many things compete to push the church down the priority list. Remember, Satan is crafty in how he works and children are watching how we make decisions. How we use our time, our talents, and our treasure speaks volumes about the priority of the church and the mission of Christ.

When was the last time you considered who actually arrived early to turn on the lights or stayed late to lock up the building? That’s just a couple of examples of many things that are necessary on a weekly basis to benefit the gathering of the local church. It’s more than just showing up. If everyone just showed up at 11:00am on Sunday morning the church would be shallow and disorganized. Have you considered the volunteers who work with children or teachers who labor in the Word? What about the finances? How does the church pay the bills, meet budget, pay salaries, do ministry, engage in missions, and reach a fallen world with the gospel? Have you considered the financial needs of your local church? Where does that need land on your priority list?