The Judgement Seat of Christ — 2 Corinthians 4-5

0:00 Well, let's open with a word of prayer, please. Our heavenly father, we come to you now and we thank you for the privilege of having your word. That we can read and have in our hands and we thank you for the privilege of your holy spirit who teaches us and guides us into all the truth. We pray lord that this would not be my thoughts here today but truth from your word by your holy spirit. We pray that I would learn and be convicted as well as those that are hearing me today.

0:50 We pray that you'd help us to be changed more into the image of your son. We pray this in your son's name. Amen. Now, the change in weather has given me some sort of a a frogginess in my throat. So, pardon me if I occasionally pop a cough drop in like I'm going to do right now.

1:14 But okay. Our topic today is what is called in the King James version, the judgment seat of Christ. We're going to look. See if I can get the mouse to work here. There we go.

1:33 Our first text, you can turn to it or you can look at it right here. I'm going to turn to it so that I don't have to turn my back on you. In second Corinthians five ten says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. And I read the next beginning of the next verse, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. It's not something that we think about very often, the terror of the Lord.

2:24 Another concept that related to that is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is something that is not real popular in evangelical Christianity today. At least it's not heard of a lot but my bet the best understanding that I've heard of of the fear of the lord is that the lord takes very seriously what I am doing. He cares about what I am doing and he cares enough that he's keeping track of what I'm doing and and of course, we're all going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The Oxford Assembly, by the way, they send their greetings and those of them that came out to our wedding really enjoyed the time that they were here.

3:13 And, they said to, say hello. So I'll pass that along to you so I don't forget. We've been going through some teaching on end times and the prophecies regarding end times. And I found that most people want to hear about the rapture of the church, to be forever with the lord, to be out of sin, to be united with the head, but a lot of people don't like to think about the judgment seat of Christ. And I think that that is it's true.

4:41 You know those steps? But it's also the steps where a judge would ascend to sit. And if we look in Matthew, I think it's Matthew 26, I believe. I could be wrong about that. Hold on.

4:59 No, I'm sorry. It's Matthew 27 and verse 19. Talking about Pilate, it says, when he was set down on the judgment seat and we know that was in a place called the pavement and it was a raised seat that he sat in to give judgement. Now, why do I bring that out? There are some people who teach that the judgment seat will be a quiet personal time between you and the lord Jesus Christ and no one else will be there.

5:32 I would really like that to be true. However, every reference in scripture leads me to believe that it will be a public examination. I I can't find anything that leads me to believe. It says, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and every reference to it in scripture and the references that I found in Greek literature had the connotation of a public thing. The Olympic prize giving was public.

6:07 It was also used for the idea of a reviewing stand. If any of you are familiar with the military, they march at the end of the graduation at least in basic training. There's a reviewing stand in which a general or someone is standing and the troops march past. When a war is won, there's a reviewing stand. It's all public.

6:29 It's open. And also in the idea of a courtroom, which is also used, it's a public forum. So this is important. This is something that's gonna happen to each one of us who's Christian, and it's something that's gonna be public and opening... Open and has the potential for shame and embarrassment.

6:48 So this is an important topic. We need to think about it now before we get there. And so that's my point today. The judgment seat. Now, I want to make it clear.

7:01 It is not about sin. Romans eight set one says, there is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. It's very important. You are not going... Christ died for your sins.

7:17 He died for the sins... All of your sins were future when Christ died. And they had been future for the last two thousand some years. So he died for all of your sins and they're dealt with. This is not about your sin.

7:32 Just to reinforce that in Hebrews ten fourteen through 17. Now, what we did at the Oxford Assembly is I would bring these up and we had sort of a... The men had a sword drill and see who could read it the fastest and you couldn't read two in a row but we're not going to do that because I I kind of think you're not used to that and I don't want to upset anybody but so there was pretty popcorn reading of the verses. As soon as it came up, someone would pop up and read it but we won't do that here. In verse 14 of Hebrews 10, it says, for by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

8:14 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that, he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the lord. I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. So we are perfected forever and our sins and iniquities are remembered no more. So this does not have to do with our past sins.

9:02 And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

9:38 Therefore, you also be ready, for the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Then Peter said to him, Lord, do you speak this parable only to us or to all people? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

10:10 But if that servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. And to whom much has been committed, of him, they will ask all the more.

10:55 Thank you, brother. We don't know when he's coming. But when he does come, following the joy of his return, the servants who knew that he was coming and did not prepare themselves says they will be beaten with many stripes in the parable here. I don't know what that translates to, but we have a warning in scripture. We know that we're going to all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

11:32 And this is this is a cautionary tale, this story about the servants, but it's very important to be watching and ready with... At his coming. So when does it occur? We don't know. We do know it's going to be when he returns, but we don't know when that is.

11:50 And so we need to be ongoing in our service for the Lord. One of the things that is important to me to realize that I've... I'm not too old compared to some, and I'm very old compared to some others. My brother was saying about, you know, wondering if it got easier to be more focused on the lord things... Lord's things and giving all to him.

12:17 Gladly, let us render to him all we are and have is the verse that he was saying in the... You know, the older you get, the more stuff you accumulate, and it's, you know, harder to render to him all you are and have. That's the one thing I found. But we need to be watching watching and ready. Well, who is the judge?

12:36 Well, we found we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Second Timothy four verse eight. Paul, start in verse seven. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course.

12:54 I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing. It's the lord, the righteous judge, is our judge, will be our judge on that day. John five twenty two, just to reemphasize this. The lord Jesus says, for the father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the son.

14:19 And remember that we'll be giving account to God for our lives. The Lord Jesus of Christ is God and man at the same time, we understand that. But this is a solemn thing. We're gonna stand before the Lord Jesus and we're gonna give account for what we've done. I hope I don't have to do this for each slide.

14:45 That would be incredibly awkward. Hold on a moment. I don't know why it's doing that. Well, who will be judged? We've read second Corinthians five ten, and we just wrote Romans fourteen ten.

15:01 In Romans fourteen ten, let's just see it again. It says, for we shall all stand. We all. Both the absent and present. We get that in second Corinthians five nine and ten.

15:15 Whether absent and present, absent or present, we want to be acceptable to him. Every single one of us, believers, will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Hebrews 10 verses 30 to 31 says, for we know him that hath said vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the lord and again, the lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And then in verse 38 it says, now the just shall live by faith but if any man shall draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

15:54 Each one of us, the Lord's gonna judge his people. Let's get through that. Just to make a point, the lost are not judged at this time. This is not the time when the lost. This is something that is only for those who have trusted Christ.

16:13 Now let's see if we can get to the next slide. This worked perfectly at Oxford. I'm not sure what the deal is here. Oh, wow. The standard of judgment.

16:33 Perhaps a brother could read first Corinthians four one through five, and then someone could read Matthew twenty five twenty one through 23.

16:39 Let a man so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.

17:03 Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.

17:13 Verse 21 says, the Lord said unto him, well done thou good and faithful servant. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Verse 23 says the same thing.

17:54 Things left undone. You know, we're given a lot of things we're told to do in scripture. Just a few come to mind. Go ye in to all the world and preach the gospel. His command, this do in remembrance of me.

18:16 Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. We've been given direct orders. If we leave those things undone and then there's all sorts of other things. And one of the things that happens I think in the Christian life is we're able to rationalize really well as believers. Oh well, the lord won't mind.

18:42 I'm forgiven. I'm justified. I really don't, well, I'm not under law. I'm under grace. All sorts of other things.

18:50 But the lord has given us things to do. We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ. It says that we're going to do the things that are done in our body whether they be good or bad. We've seen that there's a certain severity in it. One of the points that was brought home to me in this that I thought was really a blessing is if we look in Roman or first Corinthians chapter 11, and I'm just gonna go to the main point of my message and talk about that because we may not be able to get it to work.

19:37 And I had a nice presentation for you but it may be that the lord wants you to just hear this and so we'll we'll go to it. Verse 28 or 27 and this is in reference specifically to the lord's supper but it has some truths to it. Let's read this. Wherefore, whosoever shall eat bread and drink this cup of the lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the lord but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the lord's body.

20:20 For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep. Verse 31 says, for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned. Excuse me, with the world. It seems to me that we are given an opportunity here in this life to deal with what we're going to be judged about at the judgment seat of Christ.

21:00 We have the opportunity if we know that we're doing something that is not pleasing to the lord. We have the opportunity to repent now. In first John one verse nine, it's a wonderful verse. Says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all un righteousness. I believe that it is possible for the Christian to have boldness in the day of judgement.

21:37 In Jude, the last verse of Jude second to last verse of Jude 24 says, now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. I believe that as believers, we can live a Christian life that is pleasing to the lord. We have the ability by the grace of God to do that. And I believe that what we judge, what we're convicted of, what we repent of, what we turn away from here in this life will be dealt with here in this life. I believe that god is one that practices double jeopardy.

23:00 Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, 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 what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built there upon, he shall receive a reward. But if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire. This is another reason that I believe that the judgment seat of Christ will be something that's public because the word manifest and declare are there.

23:41 The idea of a manifest is something that is displayed openly. In first John chapter one, it says, the life was manifested. The idea of that was that the life of god in Christ Jesus was showed openly to all the world and we have seen it. And the day shall declare it. But we see here that these two end results and I don't want to speculate.

24:10 There are some who have stated pretty dogmatically what they think that the gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble may be. I don't know that but we do know that what we do for Christ will last and what we do for ourselves will not and what we do for this world will not. And we have the opportunity now to do things for Christ. Let's look over in Romans chapter 13 and we'll start in verse 11 and that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

25:09 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in riding and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put you on the lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. We all know now what time it is, right?

25:41 One thing that the Christian has is that he knows what time it is. It's time to wake out of sleep. And for each one of us who has been saved, the the day of Christ, the day of our salvation from this world is nearer than when we believed. Then the day is at hand. How much nearer must it be for us?

26:10 We don't know when the lord has come but he's... We're to watch and be ready. And we're given some action points in this passage which I think will help us as we think about the judgment seat of Christ. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness. If you want a pretty comprehensive list of the works of darkness, I would suggest that you start in Colossians chapter three.

27:18 And then in verse two, we're to set our affection on things that are above and the fact that we're dead and our life is hid with Christ and god is laid out for us in verse three. And when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. And one of the then then we're told what to do. You know, there's some people that say that you're just to let go and let God. And just sort of float through your Christian life and let God just sort of push you around and do, you know.

27:49 You know, that's not accurate. It's not accurate at all. We're given specific things that we're told to do and one of the things that I was impressed upon my mind that has been a blessing to me is that someone I I heard this stated and I thought about it and you know, it's true. Anything that we're given a command to do by god in our Christian life. It says that we know that it's the will of god and if we ask anything according to his will, he will do it and so anything that we're told to do is the will of god and it's also an implied promise.

28:31 Does that make sense to everyone? Anything that we're told to do by god, there's an implied promise there that god will help us do it. And so these things, this list that starts in verse five that says, mortify your members that are upon the earth and it lists them. Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection. Now this is this is old language, but evil concupiscence, covetousness which is idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

29:01 Those are things that are obviously something that should not be part of the life of a Christian. And then in verse eight, it's interesting and to go through, I went through once upon a time and outlined all the verbs in this passage. Verse eight, we're to put off things anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications out of our mouth. We're not to lie to each other and then we're to put on and so, there's a list. Ephesians has a more even more.

29:40 There are things that we're supposed to put off. We're supposed to put off the old man with his deeds. Let's go back Romans chapter 13. Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. In first Thessalonians chapter five, it talks about a breastplate of righteous ness and then in Ephesians chapter six, there's a list given of the armor of god and those are things that we're to take to ourselves on a daily basis and live.

30:13 It it's a way of living. I won't go through them now. I'm gonna get through this passage and I've got three minutes left that were eaten up by the technical difficulties here. We're to walk honestly as in the day. You know, we're in the middle of the night is what it's saying, but we're to live as people of the day.

30:37 I was... We're staying at my my in laws and we're down in the basement. And my wife has this cell phone that she charges at night, and it has this tiny little light that you can't see in the daylight. But at night, when all the lights are out and there's no windows and the windows are... The blinds are shut, it lights up that whole basement room.

31:05 And you know, I'm laying there with my eyes closed when she plugged it in and I could actually see it through my eyelids. And I said, what is what is that? And she said, oh, I'm sorry dear, that's my cell phone. She turned it over. We're to walk...

32:10 But put in there is strife and envying. I've had the misfortune of going through three splits and assemblies in my life, and each of them was more unpleasant unpleasant than the one before. And in each case, it had to do with strife and envying, and it's something that God hates. So if there's a brother or sister here that you don't necessarily get along with and it's a personality issue or they're doing something and you wish you were doing it, you need to stop that. You need to repent of that and be convicted that that's not the will of God for your life.

32:55 Because that is something that I find is one of the easiest things to crop up in the mind and heart of a believer, even in myself even, or not even myself. Someone is doing something, someone is being blessed, their ministry is being blessed, and you're doing something and nobody seems to notice, and your sinful flesh and your pride comes in and you want to be noticed and you want to have a name like that other brother over there. What do you care about the other people seeing what you're doing? Says that each man will have praise of God and the hidden things will be what we'll judged on and god sees what you're doing. We're told to not do our alms and our good works before men or to do them secretly.

33:45 Secretly. I I believe that there are people who we think are going to receive great big rewards rewards and and they're they're gonna be a long way behind little old ladies who never said... Did anything ever publicly, who prayed faithfully for missionaries and wrote letters to missionaries and sent money to missionaries and encouraged the younger people to go on for the Lord. And they're gonna be far ahead of some of these great name preachers that we see because they did what they did for the Lord and for his eyes only. And I guess that's my signal there.

34:31 We're not to walk in strife and envying. It's a dangerous thing. Strife and envying is a very dangerous thing. I have personal experience of seeing the lives that it's torn apart in meetings and I I really... If you find that tendency in yourself, you need to repent of it and get rid of it.

34:52 Verse 14, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. We're to put on... Take the life of Christ. Paul said in Galatians, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me.

35:11 The life I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. In Philippians chapter three verses eight, nine, and 10. Well, this is a good passage about putting on the lord Jesus Christ. In verse seven, it says, but what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea doubtless and I count all things but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count the bone...

35:50 But dung that I may win Christ and be found in him. Not having mine own righteousness which is other law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, but the righteousness which is of god by faith. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I'd already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus...

36:27 Of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god. Let us therefore as many as be perfect or mature, be thus minded and if any anything you be otherwise minded, god shall reveal even this unto you. Paul had a desire to be like the lord Jesus Christ. He wanted to know him.

37:01 He wanted to have the power of his resurrection erected life in his life. He wanted to be willing to suffer for him. Take... Have fellowship of his suffering. That's a thought that when we suffer for Christ, we suffer.

37:17 Of course, we're suffering and having fellowship in the sufferings that he he's he endured. And he wanted to be made conformable unto his death. And that's something that's very very hard to want sometimes. We want the things that we want. We have desires.

37:39 We have ambitions. We have things that we want. And Paul Paul in second Corinthians in chapter four describe this a little bit. I'm a little bit over time but I'll I promise you I'm almost done. In verse 11 of second Corinthians chapter four, it says, for we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

38:15 And then in verse 18, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. We, each one of us, we have the opportunity to trade lives here on this earth. We can as it's as the lord Jesus said in the gospels, we can save our lives and lose lose our lives spiritually or we can lose our physical lives, lose our life here here on this Earth, the plans that we have and gain a life, a spiritual life. Paul is saying here that he he delivered himself every day to death.

38:58 His ambitions, his hopes, his his dreams, delivered them to death so that the life of Christ would may be made manifest in his body. This is something I think we all want. If we love the lord Jesus Christ, if we are truly grateful for our salvation, we want the life of Christ to be made manifest in our bodies. We want to live for him. How do we go about that?

39:26 Well, the first we do is we don't do it in the effort of the flesh. Not by a set of rules, not by a set of laws, but we... The first thing that I would suggest that you do is you get your bible and you open it and you read it and you meditate on it. Now that sounds elementary but I find more and more as I go out every... Everywhere I go, you know, are Christians out there that don't read their bible every day.

39:56 Now, that sounds elementary but the life of a Christian, the life of a mature Christian requires that you read your Bible every day and attempt to see the Lord Jesus Christ in it. And then through the day after you've read your Bible, you try to meditate by the grace of God on what you've read. And then you need to try to practice to be in the presence of God in your day to day life. Don't go out of the presence of God when you close your Bible and say amen at the end of your devotions but try to remember that the lord is with you through the day and judge things in the light of the presence of the lord Jesus with you every day. Try to get the point where you realize and and this is hard to do.

40:51 I tend to focus on what I'm doing to the exclusion of everything else and I know a a lot of people who do that. But try to have an awareness in the back of your mind that Lord Jesus is with me. Because he is, whether you're aware of it or not, he's there. And he's with you and he's willing to live his life through you if you'll let him. And all of these things, as I said before, are implied promises.

41:23 And if we ask anything according to his will, he will do it. So we need to look at these things that we're commanded to do in scripture and realize that instead of thinking how on earth am I going to do that? We need to rely on the lord Jesus to do it through us and now this message, I will just tell you, went off in a totally different direction than it would have had I had the slides available. But I have to think that perhaps that's what the Lord wanted. I guess it was.

42:34 And as Paul said, we realize none of us have attained to that. We're not there. Forgetting the things that are behind, we pray that we would all press forward to the mark of the prize of the high calling of god Christ Jesus. We pray this week that we would make progress and each week and each day, we would continue to make progress and be more like the lord Jesus. So that when we stand before him, we won't be ashamed at his coming.

43:09 We thank you for your goodness to us, for giving us your word and your spirit. We pray that you'd help us to do these things for his name's sake. Amen.