Savage Street Church of Christ

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11122017TheJudgmentRev20.11–15DonRuhl

The Judgment

Revelation 20.11–15

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • November 12, In the year of our Lord, 2017

Prelude:

1. If there is a God, and
   1. I believe that there is,
   2. will we ever meet Him?
2. Yes, we will and
   1. the Bible speaks of it several times.
   2. One place occurs at the end of the Bible, Revelation 20.
      1. Revelation 20 and other passages show that our meeting with Him
      2. will be a time of accountability,
         1. like an employer hires you and
         2. wants to know at the end of a job or project
            1. how it went and
            2. whether you did what you were supposed to do.
      3. Revelation 20 shows the same scenario with our Creator,
         
         11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20.11–15).
         

Persuasion:

1. What Is the Judgment?
   1. John revealed that everyone will be there.
      1. Then God judges everyone according to their works.
      2. God has given everyone ample foreknowledge of this event.
   2. He has revealed what will happen there:
      1. Ecclesiastes 12 shows all our works will show up there,
         
         14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
         Including every secret thing,
         Whether good or evil.
         (Ecc 12.14)
         
      2. Romans 14 reveals two things every human shall do,
         
         11 For it is written:

         “As I live, says the LORD,
         Every knee shall bow to Me,
         And every tongue shall confess to God.”

         12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom 14.11–12).
         

      3. Second Corinthians 5 explains that we receive according to our works,
         
         10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2Co 5.10).
         
2. Who Will Be at the Judgment
   1. God
      1. Rev 20.11
   2. Jesus
      1. Rom 14.10b reveals why we should quit judging one another,
         
         10b We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom 14.10b).
         
   3. Jesus
      1. Second Corinthians 5 shows why we should please the Lord,
         
         10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2Co 5.10).
         
      2. John 5 reveals that we will be before Jesus,
         
         22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son…” (John 5.22).
         
   4. Every person
      1. Again 2Co 5.10
      2. Again Rev 20.12–13
      3. Again Rom 14.10
      4. Second Timothy 4 shows all person, whether dead or alive,
         
         1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom… (2Ti 4.1).
         
      5. Rev 20.12 says both the small and the great shall be there.
3. What Will Be the Standard?
   1. Romans 2 reveals that it will be the Gospel that Paul preached,
      
      16 …God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel (Rom 2.16).
      
   2. Back to Revelation 20,
      
      12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works (Rev 20.12–13).
      
      1. Books were opened.
      2. Three books:
         1. Our books
         2. The Book of Life
         3. The Bible
4. What Judgments Will God Render?
   1. Based upon the lives that we lived.
   2. John 5 explains that there will be a resurrection, then Judgment,
      
      28 “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5.28–29).
      

Exhortation:

1. The Day of Judgment is:
   1. All our works present before God.
   2. Everyone will bow before God.
   3. Every one will confess the truth about Jesus.
   4. We will receive according to our works.
      1. Except for those whose sins God has forgiven.
      2. This is why seeking forgiveness now is so crucial.
2. All people will be there:
   1. The dead and the living
   2. The small and the great
3. God will use His word
4. Therefore, consider again
   1. that there is a God who created and
   2. He will have a time of accountability with us.
      1. Therefore, we should know our purpose now.
      2. Ecclesiastes 12 reveals that purpose,
         
         13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
         Fear God and keep His commandments,
         For this is man’s all.
         14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
         Including every secret thing,
         Whether good or evil.
         (Ecc 12.13–14)