"Christ's Final Word on Our Final Day"

Weekend of November 19, 2000

Sermon on Matthew 25:31-46

Saint Mark's, Watertown, WI

Pastor Karl Walther

Scripture assures us: The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Amen.

Dear fellow Christians-- who with your own eyes and with your own ears will see and hear your Lord return in judgment:

Everything's ready. The wars, rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes-- these remind us of the sin for which God will judge this wicked world, and they have happened plentifully. The false teachers, the persecutions against Christians, the lack of love: from which God will deliver his people on the great final day-- these have taken place in abundance already. It's even entirely true that people have preached the gospel, repeatedly actually, to all nations. That means Christ could come any time. Everything's ready.

Part One: "What If It's Today?" -- Believe!

So, suppose it's today. Suppose that today, before the end of this worship service -- let's say after the prayers, as the pastor is turning around to deliver the benediction -- boom! The time comes. The roof and the walls of this church are ripped off, the way a running adult would snatch and toss away a toy doll house! And in no time, from the clouds in the east, Jesus Christ appears! Rushing toward us he suddenly encompasses us and dominates us with his presence!

Then what? Well, the story is on the first inside page of your bulletin this morning.... Jesus himself says: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him." Every human being that has ever existed will be there: old Mesopotamians from as many as six thousand years ago; middle-aged Egyptians, Philistines, and Israelites from four thousand years ago; young adult Greeks and Romans and Goths from two thousand years ago; and baby Asians and Africans and Americans from today. You've got to imagine this: the great day of judgment will be a carpet of people-- one hundred miles long, and one hundred miles wide.

And then what? "Christ will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the white, pastured, shepherd-led sheep from the dark, mountainous, headstrong goats. He will put the hundreds of millions of sheep on his right and the tens of billions of goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'"

So, what if Judgment Day does occur today, before the end of the service? Well, friend, at that point a lot of things aren't going to matter. Your age, your gender, and your ethnicity are not going to matter. Your net worth, the sort of clothes you wear, the kind of car you drive, and the type of house you live in are not going to matter. Your height, your weight, your IQ, the number of family and friends you have are not going to matter.

The only thing that's going to matter? Are you a sheep or are you a goat? Are you in Christ, or are you not worried about it? Are you God's child, or has your negligence disinherited you? Are you a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, or has apathy led you to choose hell for yourself?

My friend, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, bled on the cross to transform you from being a dark sinful goat into being a light sinless sheep. Believe that now, not later! My friend, in your baptism Jesus Christ signed the adoption papers to make you one of God's children, inheriting heaven. Believe that today, not tomorrow! My friend, in his Word, maybe also in Lord's Supper, Jesus Christ has banqueted you as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Visit the banquet!-- this week, and next week, and the next, and the next, and every single solitary day.

You see: today may be Judgment Day! So, trust Christ today!

Part Two: "What If It's Next Week?" -- Serve!

Of course, what if it's next week? Suppose it's a week from tomorrow at eleven or eleven-thirty AM. You kids-- you're in school, at your desks slaving over your studies (!), tummies rumbling for lunch. You workers-- you're at work, on your machine, or on the phone, or at your computer, or serving a customer, also longing for lunch. You full-time moms or full-time retirees-- you're in the kitchen with the radio on, oven heating, microwave humming, faucet running, getting ready for lunch.

And boom! The time comes. The roof and the walls of your house or your school or your building are ripped off and thrown into oblivion. East to west, hundreds of millions of angels fly past you with frightening quickness. And behind them is Christ: towering on his throne, thundering with his voice, and identifying his sheep.

But the goats will cry: "Foul! Jesus, those sheep were no different from us. Prove that they're your sheep! Prove they had a living confidence in you!" And Jesus will turn to us and say: "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me"-- all of this proving our confidence in him.

Of course, then we'll say...; that is, "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'" I mean: You and I have never met Jesus Christ face to face. How can we say we've ever helped him?

Well, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Do you see what that's saying? To us Christians, other people wear Christ's face. Every kindness you've ever done for another individual, you've done directly for Christ.

So, what if Judgment Day takes place next week? Well then, this week: let's serve others!

That down-and-out man at Watertown Food Pantry down the road, or that hungry little neighborhood boy-- as far as you're concerned, that's Jesus Christ. Feed him! That hard-working widow lady taking care of her yard or that little neighbor girl who rides past your house on her bike-- as far as you're concerned, that's Jesus Christ. Share a drink with her!

That younger couple who lives around the corner in the next block, or that older couple across the pew from you right now-- to you, that's Jesus: he says so right here. Invite him over!-- for Thanksgiving or over the holidays. That lady or those children you've always seen walking downtown, people with whom you've talked-- to you, that's Jesus: says Jesus himself. Walk with them and buy them new outfits!

And your friend who's sick, or just discouraged -- I don't care what else you've got planned -- go see her! and do it next week, too. Your uncle or your cousin, who's suffered from cancer or heart disease-- go visit him! and don't forget him. Even your nephew or neighbor who has landed in jail-- visit him! He, to you, is Jesus.

You see: next week may be Judgment Day! So, this week: serve Jesus!

Part Three: "What If It's Next Month?" -- Witness!

Of course, what if it's next month? It's Christmas Day (yeah, it's coming that fast...)! You've been to church. You've torn open the presents. You've traveled to relatives. You've torn open more presents. You've eaten a big meal together. You've napped a little. And now, everybody is getting on their heavy clothes to leave for home.

And boom! The time comes. The roof and the walls of Grandma's house are removed with a roar and disappear forever. Up you look and angels fill the sky like hundreds of millions of bright rays of sunshine. Trumpet blasts grow louder and louder, crescendoing in a sonic boom. And all at once, Christ appears: materializing and surrounding you. ...Smiling, he bestows on you and on me the blessing of the Father. Beaming, he announces our everlasting inheritance. Arms outstretched, he invites us into his eternal kingdom. And hundreds of millions of us are relieved.

But my friend, tens of billions of others remain. And with a grieving voice of regret, we read: "Then Christ will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed by your failure to trust in me, into the eternal fire prepared originally only for the devil and his angels. Your sin has condemned you-- For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'"

Naturally, "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

And again, full of regret, "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

And then? "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

My friends, those goats going to hell are perhaps your husband or wife, your mom or dad, your son or daughter, your brother or sister, your relative, your friend, your classmate, your co-worker, your neighbor. If they're apart from Christ, they will be damned. And upon their death, you won't be able to say: "Well, they were raised right. They lived pretty good. They belonged to the church. They might have made it there once in awhile."

No, Scripture says: Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to shame and everlasting contempt. On that day: The soul that sins is the one who will die. And their fate: as for The dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind. Those are all Old Testament passages. In the New Testament: Whoever does not believe will be condemned. On that day: A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. And their fate: If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

My friends, those are God's words. You can't argue with them. They mean that your loved ones who die apart from Christ and my loved ones who die apart from Christ and every individual who dies apart from Christ will spend a trillion forevers in hell.

But maybe there are still a few moments left. Now is the time to ask your spouse, "Are you ready for Christ's return?" and to get him or her ready by telling what Christ means to you. Today is the day to ask your children, "Do you know how you're getting to heaven?" and to make sure they know Jesus is the only right answer. This week is the week to invite your relative, your classmate, your co-worker, your friend back to church-- and to offer them a ride. Today is the day to give generously to church so that we can reach people whom you don't know with the good news of Jesus the Savior. And now is the time to start praying every day -- every day! -- for the Christian conversion of multiple millions who do not yet know him.

After all, tomorrow may be too late... Amen.

Scripture assures us: That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. Amen.