Be Ready - For Judgement
Sunday Message Series - Be Ready
A.J. Dummitt
Part of Be Ready—Sunday Worship Service Message Series
August 19, 2020

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Be Ready - For Judgement

Be Ready - Sunday Message Series
Pastor A.J. Dummitt

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that 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, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. — Revelation 20:11-15

Don’t lose sight of the

PICTURE - He is Coming soon! Let’s BE READY!

TIMELINE:
1. Signs – now
2. Rapture – soon
3. Tribulation – seven
4. Millennium – one thousand
5. Judgment – end
6. Eternity – forever

JUDGED BY WORKS:

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. —Revelation 20:12

THE BOOKS THAT WERE OPENED ARE:

The

of God

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. —John 12:48

Our Thoughts /

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. —Romans 2:16

Our

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. —Matthew 12:36

We could take time to cover so many areas today - because the vices of sin know no limits in our world, and undoubtedly we would leave something out. As you pray and seek after God through spending time in His presence and in His Word…He will reveal the areas in your life that need attention.

Anonymity and Ashley Madison

Ashley Madison is a Canadian web-based subscription service targeting married men and women seeking to initiate anonymous connections with other aspiring adulterers. The site’s slogan could not be more simple (or insipid): “Life is short. Have an affair.”

So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one eye than have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your scrolling hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose the capacity to scroll for pornography than have your whole body thrown into hell. In the warning of Sinclair Ferguson, “It is better to enter heaven having decided to never use the Internet again, rather than going to hell clicking on everything you desire.”

One day, every sinner who lived in so-called “anonymous” sin will stand before God. There is no such thing as anonymity. It is only a matter of time. Every lurid detail, sleazy fantasy, lazy word, and idle click will be broadcast in the court of the Creator. All of the things done in secrecy and darkness will be brought into the light, and every intent of the heart will be disclosed.

It will be the ultimate humiliation. It will be the ultimate exposing of our hearts’ intents. It will spark the ultimate panic. It will cause the ultimate knot in the soul and the ultimate desire to run and hide and die from the guilt and shame of being exposed. Every attempt to bleach-wash our digital footprint is vain.
You can delete the most immature images from your Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook feeds. But nothing you do on your phone, have ever done on your phone, or ever will do on your phone is secret. Eternal regret will follow forever for private smartphone clicks happening right now. Before God, our browsing history remains a permanent record of our sin and shame—​​​unless he shows mercy. Before his omniscient eyes, our browsing history can be washed clean only with the blood of Christ. —Reinke, Tony. 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You (p. 132-138). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Everyone of us is a

in need of a Savior.

All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God - Romans 3:23
The wages of sin is death - Romans 6:23

YOU MUST GET YOUR

IN THE BOOK OF LIFE!

Every human being from every age will be at the Great White Throne Judgment – except the children of God! Those who have experienced Bible salvation will never stand at the Great White Throne Judgment because their sins have been atoned in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Bible does speak of a judgment for Christians, however. If this is not referring to the judgment of sin, what is it a judgment of? The Bible teaches that every Christian will be judged, not for their SIN, but for their SERVICE, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. This event serves a completely different purpose; it is not to judge unbelievers for eternal punishment, but rather to evaluate believers for eternal reward. It is also unique in that it is limited to those who have been saved between Pentecost and the Rapture.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. —2 Corinthians 5:10

The Greek term for “judgment

” referred to a platform in the middle of Roman cities, from which public gatherings could be addressed, court cases could be judged, justice could be administered, and rewards could be distributed. If the historical function of the “bema” is any indication, this future accounting of our faithfulness by the Lord will take place publicly. That’s why Jesus spoke of rewarding “openly” that which is now done “in .”

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. —Matthew 6:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. —Revelation 21:4

Those who believe that a Christian’s deeds subsequent to salvation carry no eternal consequences have overlooked a major area of biblical theology. Paul says that it is possible to be saved, but still “suffer

” when our life’s work is “revealed by fire,” undoubtedly referring to the penetrating gaze of Jesus at the Judgment Seat.

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. —1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Paul teaches us that there are

categories of Christian works, our temporal investments (wood, hay and stubble) and our eternal investments (gold, silver and precious stones). Not long before this was written, Corinth suffered a fire. Houses of wood, hay or straw were destroyed, but homes and temples of costly stones were left standing.

Though each Christian life begins on the same

(salvation in Jesus Christ), only the life built around eternal priorities is worthy of reward.

In Scripture, gold represents God’s glory, silver is the metal of redemption, and precious stones represent the redeemed saints of God.

We’ll hardly get our feet out of time into eternity that we’ll bow our heads in shame and humiliation. We’ll gaze on eternity and say, ‘Look at all the riches there were in Jesus Christ, and I’ve come to the Judgment Seat almost a pauper. —A.W. Tozer

Christians, what we

in time determines what we will in eternity! There is a little plaque that reads, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last”! A heartwarming sentiment, but that is not all that anonymous poet wrote. The second line continues, “And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. —1 John 2:28

Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. —1 Timothy 5:24

We will not BE READY unless we prepare now!

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? —1 Peter 4:17 KJV