Sermon

Jesus, Your Judge - Cullen Smith 6/7/15

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

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  1. This is your first time being able to be here in this meeting,

  2. we're glad you're here, and I hope you'll pick up your Bible

  3. this morning and follow along the things I have to say, is the

  4. most probably the most important thing.

  5. I know it's the most important thing that you're going to think

  6. about this week because it's something that we all will

  7. absolutely face. There's an old poem by Isaac

  8. Watts written in 1706. It's called the day of

  9. judgement, When the fierce North win with this Airy forces, rears

  10. up the Baltic to a foaming Fury and red lightning with a storm

  11. of hail comes rushing down, how the poor Sailors, stand amazed

  12. and tremble. While the Thunder like a trumpet

  13. Roars allowed on set to the gaping Waters quick to devour

  14. them such. Shall the noise be in Wild

  15. disorder? Such shall the dire Terror when

  16. the Great Archangel shakes, the creation, tears down, Wrong

  17. pillars in the vaults of Vault, of Heaven, breaks up old marble,

  18. and the Repose of princes sees the graves, open and Bones,

  19. Rising, Flames all around them hark, the shrill out, cries of

  20. the guilty. Retches Lively bright horror

  21. amazing. Anguish stare through their

  22. eyelids, while the living worm lies knowing within them

  23. Thoughts like old vultures Prey Upon their heartstrings and the

  24. smart twinge. When the eye beholds, the lofty

  25. judge frowning with a flood of Vengeance.

  26. Rolling before him hopeless Immortals, how they scream and

  27. shiver while Devil's push them to the pit wide, yawning,

  28. hideous and gloomy to receive them headlong down to the

  29. sinner. Stop here.

  30. All the way ye horrid, doleful ideas, come arise to Jesus.

  31. How he sits like God with the Saints around him thrown yet

  32. adoring. Oh may I sit there when he comes

  33. triumphant dooming the nation's, then Ascend with him to Glory

  34. while our hosannas All Along The Passage.

  35. Shout Redeemer Redeemer Redeemer Jesus is your judge.

  36. If you ever needed a neon sign in front of your house in your

  37. mirror on a daily basis, this is that opportunity for you the

  38. scripture. Absolutely.

  39. Tells us that Jesus is the big deal.

  40. Some of you hear me say that a lot.

  41. Jesus is the big deal. Not only is he big, he's

  42. powerful what happens to a lot of people is they see Jesus and

  43. they see the idea that he was meet and they talked about

  44. Jesus, like he was humble and they even draw pictures of

  45. Jesus, like, he was some sort of a soft soap dish water hand,

  46. effeminate man in pictures, Jesus is almighty God.

  47. Jesus is the son of God, when you think about power, you've

  48. never understood, we've never been able to comprehend or wrap,

  49. our mind around the kind of power that it took to be this,

  50. because it's exactly what Sinners Like Me.

  51. Sinners like you needed. John would say, Behold the Lamb

  52. of God that taketh away the sins of the world and we see a

  53. pitiful little lamb, don't think of it like that, think about it,

  54. as a perfect unique, the only one, That's who Jesus is.

  55. Think about the one that literally could raise the dead.

  56. You don't have that power. The brightest position in the

  57. world doesn't have that power. Nobody has that power.

  58. Jesus Does. We're all in every nation headed

  59. toward a day where everyone is going to get to meet him.

  60. And some people it's going to be a wonderful thing to others.

  61. It's not only not going to be a wonderful thing.

  62. It's going to be an awful thing. And there are sermons that

  63. strike fear and there are sermons that provoke.

  64. Hope this is one that can do both depending upon where you

  65. sit with Christ. There is never a time where a

  66. preacher should preach a sermon. When you are in a relationship

  67. with God and Christ and you're following him where you feel

  68. like that, you don't have any hope.

  69. You know, what hope is? I want to get this straight

  70. right now. Do you know what hope is?

  71. It's not. I hope I win the Publishers

  72. Clearing House. Sweepstakes Sweepstakes, you

  73. know, that ain't going to happen.

  74. They give it to somebody that doesn't exist.

  75. I think it's the same fake house.

  76. Every February I filled out, my junk.

  77. All, I gets junk mail, didn't happen.

  78. I'm telling you hope is not. Oh I filled out.

  79. Oh maybe I'll win this. That of the other hope is

  80. earnest expectation. It's going to happen.

  81. Because God is faithful that promised, that's who our God is.

  82. That's who Jesus is. And that's where our hope lies

  83. this morning in John are Matthew chapter 24 and verse 36.

    Matthew 24 chapter mention

  84. Here's what the Bible says. But of that day and hour

  85. knoweth, no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father

  86. only. It's like a surprise visit and

  87. it's the last visit. There's not going to be another

  88. one you can get and you can destroy oi the whole fear

  89. concept. Listen, we live in a world today

  90. where people are afraid and people don't understand and

  91. people don't have a clue about Jesus.

  92. And so, some preacher plays on that and fear mongers people

  93. into thinking. There's going to be a Rapture in

  94. a Left Behind series and all that stuff.

  95. That is not biblical. There is no evidence in

  96. scripture to support that whatsoever.

  97. If you think that you need to study the word of God, I will

  98. give you the materials to do that, that's not right.

  99. Right. And here's why I want to show it

  100. to you in first Thessalonians chapter 4.

    1 Thessalonians 4 chapter mention

  101. Here's what the Apostle Paul is writing to the church here and

  102. they had people that were coming to them and telling them that

  103. there was not going to be a resurrection because it didn't

  104. happen right now. Here's what he said in verse 13,

  105. but I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning

  106. them, that are asleep. And other words, your loved ones

  107. that are dead. You need to get this.

  108. I don't want you to be ignorant about this Brethren concerning

  109. them, that are asleep, that ye sorrow, not even as others,

  110. which have no hope. There's that word hope again.

  111. Read on, for, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even

  112. so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him

  113. for this, we say, unto you by the word of the Lord, that we,

  114. which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not

  115. prevent them, which are asleep. So, let's think about this.

  116. We got dead loved ones. That died faithful to God.

  117. They're in the ground today. And we're alive and Jesus shows

  118. up God's not going to make a distinction between us who are

  119. alive. Live.

  120. We don't get special privileges just because of that, in fact,

  121. it's the opposite way around. Listen to what happens first for

  122. the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with

  123. the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the

  124. dead in Christ shall rise first. Your loved ones that are in the

  125. ground today. Those tombstones that we have to

  126. go visit all of those. One day are going to be

  127. Resurrection sites, and don't you ever forget it?

  128. Every Cemetery in this world is going to unveil its going to be

  129. an unbelievable sight and the dead in Christ will rise first.

  130. Then we burst 17 which are alive and remain shall be caught up

  131. together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the

  132. air. And so we shall ever, we will

  133. ever be with the Lord, wherefore Comfort one.

  134. Another Either with these words, does that comfort you?

  135. Do you know the people that Comforts that Comforts the

  136. people that are following Jesus Christ that Comforts The People.

  137. That are saved. You know what?

  138. That passage doesn't do, it doesn't do anything to comfort

  139. sitters. Do you know the scriptures and

  140. these letters that were written to churches?

  141. They were written to help people that were saved.

  142. Sinners can't even pray to God and be heard because Jesus said,

  143. we know, God does not hear sinners prayers.

  144. Paul wanted to give hope to people that were saved yet

  145. discouraged. Paul wanted people to have an

  146. Earnest expectation. Not to be afraid.

  147. Do you know what? I want the church to not be?

  148. I don't want the church to be afraid.

  149. I want you to be able to look forward every night and every

  150. day to the coming of Jesus Christ.

  151. Because it's the one and done. It's going to happen, one time

  152. and it's all going to be over as far as this life is concerned.

  153. Listen to what God did for Jesus.

  154. The Bible says in John 5:22 for the father judges, no man, but

    John 5:22

  155. hath committed, all judgment unto his son when Paul was

  156. writing to the Athenians on Mars are not writing preaching to

  157. them on Mars Hill in Acts the 17th chapter.

  158. Here's just take a look here in Acts chapter 17.

    Acts 17 chapter mention

  159. He comes up and he preaches to them had never known about God

  160. and he preaches how that God of one blood made all the nations

  161. of the earth and he walked him through history and how that God

  162. had woven, this amazing tapestry of redemption and finally it

  163. culminated in Jesus Christ and his death, burial and

  164. Resurrection. Here's what he said at the times

  165. of this ignorance, God winked at but now commandeth all men

  166. everywhere to repent. Why?

  167. Because He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world

  168. in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.

  169. Whereof, he hath given assurance and that he hath raised him from

  170. the dead. When Jesus got up out of the

  171. ground, it's cemented his judgment.

  172. It's cemented Judgment Day. In fact, not only did it cement

  173. that it's cemented, our responsibility in preparing for

  174. that day. Again, the sermon on judgment

  175. will be a great exciting thing for people that are following

  176. Jesus Christ, and it is a terrible thing for people that

  177. are not. If you're here and you're not

  178. right with God, I don't want you to leave here.

  179. I don't want you to go to bed tonight and sleep.

  180. Well, I'm not opposed to fear. The Bible says it's the

  181. beginning of understanding. When I preach Jesus and him

  182. crucified, the Bible teaches that produces love for God and

  183. people's hearts. But fear has a place we're going

  184. to exempt. We're going to talk about that

  185. place this morning. Listen in 2nd Corinthians

  186. chapter 5 and verse 10. Paul told the church for, we

  187. must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ.

  188. That every one may receive the things done in his body

  189. according to what he has Done. Whether it be good or bad.

  190. There's a video playing. You know, everybody.

  191. All these Superstars and NFL players that whoop their wives

  192. and drag people out in the streets and do all kind of crazy

  193. stuff on camera. They sure wish it wasn't on

  194. camera because then they would say well it's just your word

  195. against mine. God has a camera so to speak on

  196. our life. God's taking video evidence of

  197. our life. I'll tell you what I want.

  198. I want some of the parts erased, don't you?

  199. You know where he gives you that ability to do that, when you

  200. follow Jesus Christ unto him, who loved us and washed us from

  201. our sins by his own blood. You don't follow Jesus, you

  202. don't get to erase it. In other words, you're going to

  203. sit there before the god of heaven and it's going to be

  204. outlined and we're going to receive the things that we

  205. deserve and there will be no defense attorney.

  206. There will be nothing there except pure exactly what we have

  207. coming. Unless you follow Jesus.

  208. And then you don't get what you really deserve.

  209. Because you're forgiven. I've got to hurry and talk about

  210. Jesus. Our Judge, first of all, he is

  211. righteous. According to second, Timothy 4 &

  212. 8. He is faithful and true, and

  213. Revelations 1911, and in righteousness.

  214. He doth judge Christ will be impartial.

  215. First Peter 1:17, God who without respect of persons

    1 Peter 1:17

  216. judgeth, according to Every Man's work, John 8:16.

    John 8:16

  217. If I judge my judgment is true for, I'm not alone, but I and

  218. the father that sent me to all those.

  219. There are very few passages that people know very Be well that

  220. are not religious. One of them is don't judge me.

  221. You're judging me. You ever heard that before you

  222. ever used that before? Don't judge me, you're judging

  223. me. One day, the one that made you

  224. the one that created you is gonna judge you.

  225. That's gonna happen. And all the, all the thinking

  226. and although whining in the world that our culture has given

  227. people to rationalize sin will be on a shelf and it will not be

  228. admissible. The god of Heaven is going to

  229. give exactly what people deserve according to his righteousness,

  230. his Holiness. And it only only can be

  231. different if you've been washed in the blood of the lamb and you

  232. are now Justified, you want to know how I know.

  233. This is a big deal today. You may carry a lot of guilt, I

  234. run into people all the time that have guilt complexes and

  235. have a difficult time for giving themselves.

  236. Let's see if this works for you think about this know, ye not

  237. that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

  238. First Corinthians, 6 & 9, don't you know, that the unrighteous

  239. are not going to go to heaven. What?

  240. What? That's not what our culture

  241. says. I'm a good person.

  242. Don't, you know, I'm a good person.

  243. I'm real nice. That's not what it says.

  244. Don't you know that, the unrighteous shall not inherit

  245. the kingdom of God, but do not be deceived neither.

  246. Fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor

  247. abusers of themselves. With mankind, nor thieves nor

  248. Covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners shall

  249. inherit the kingdom of God. I live about 20 minutes from

  250. long haired Duck Dynasty. T they didn't get the passage

  251. about First Corinthians, 11 1 through 16, but they're pretty

  252. good guys. He read this to somebody doing

  253. an interview and they called it a homophobe and a bigot.

  254. You can wrap all the people up that want to say that when you

  255. read the word of God, that makes you a homophobe or that makes

  256. you a hater or that makes you judgmental.

  257. And you can just put them on a shelf because the creator of the

  258. universe is not interested in the unrighteous creative

  259. self-justifying sin justifying habits of mankind.

  260. He's not Here's the hope I was going to give you.

  261. Nor thieves nor Covetous nor drunkards, nor revilers nor

  262. extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

  263. And such were some of you, that means that there are people

  264. right here in this audience, that fit the bill on pretty much

  265. anything you want to write right there though.

  266. It up in the air, find a bunch of names.

  267. You're going to find mine in there.

  268. You're going to find yours in there and listen to what he

  269. says. Here's the hope.

  270. And such were some of you but ye are washed.

  271. Ye are Sanctified ye are justified in the name of the

  272. Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of our God.

  273. You want to get rid of your guilt complex, get rid of your

  274. sin, you can't do it by yourself.

  275. You can't get rid of sin by yourself.

  276. The only one that can get rid of sin is Jesus.

  277. I am the way, the truth and the life.

  278. No man cometh unto the father. But by me, it's my stripes that

  279. would heal you you won't figure out a new way to get to God.

  280. Only through Jesus, he's righteous.

  281. He's also knowledgeable in Romans 2:16 Paul said in the

    Romans 2:16

  282. day, when God shall judge, the secrets of men by Jesus Christ,

  283. according to my gospel, there are things that Jesus knows that

  284. nobody else knows about me or you moving on.

  285. Jesus will not be deceived. This is a big one in John

    John 4 chapter mention

  286. chapter 4, Jesus, sat and talked to a Samaritan woman.

  287. Two things are big about that. First of all, Jews didn't talk

  288. to me. Most women.

  289. Especially not Samaritan women and have a spiritual

  290. conversation with her. And in that moment, she had been

  291. married, divorced, and remarried way too many times.

  292. I'm going to give you the whole deal about marriage divorce and

  293. remarriage real quick. You're ready for it.

  294. God wants you to be married and stay married.

  295. Your whole life. If somebody commits adultery on

  296. you, Jesus said you can put them away for adultery and you're

  297. innocent and you can marry again.

  298. Sit this whole 345 marriage junk that our society is dishing out

  299. is garbage. It's going to be judged by the

  300. king of kings and Lord of lords who created marriage.

  301. He Oughta Know How many times we can get married or not, not our

  302. society. So, Jesus tells her, yeah, you

  303. really don't have a right to the man now and she was shocked.

  304. You know what the Bible says she did.

  305. She went into the City and said, come see you A man, which told

  306. me all things I ever did is not this the Christ.

  307. Yeah, she was smart. She was smart.

  308. She was not fool or he was not fooled in the least in

  309. Ecclesiastes 12:13. The scripture says, the whole

    Ecclesiastes 12:13

  310. duty of men of man is to fear God and keep his Commandments.

  311. Listen verse 14, says, for God shall bring every work into

  312. judgment with every secret thing.

  313. Whether it be good or whether it be evil, I don't want to leave

  314. you scared today. I don't want you to leave here

  315. guilty today. What I want you to recognize is,

  316. there's one thing that can do something about all that fear

  317. that these passages can. Happen or to place in your

  318. heart. Listen, here it goes blood.

  319. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have Fellowship

  320. one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us.

  321. You know what that means keeps on, cleansing us from all

  322. unrighteousness. You don't go home.

  323. You don't go to bed, scared of God.

  324. Unless you want to live that life.

  325. Then you better go home, and you better go to him to bed, scared

  326. of God. God is Not immune to wanting

  327. people to fear Him. God is not afraid of that, but

  328. that is not the relationship God wants.

  329. Fear is one of those things. Again, that is the beginning of

  330. understanding. God will bring every secret

  331. ill-will and Malice, and hatred, and envy, and jealousy.

  332. The things that you think of that, sometimes nobody else

  333. knows that you think of those of the things that Jesus knows.

  334. Think about this. The standard Jesus will use on

  335. Judgement Day is the word of God John 12:48, he that rejecteth me

    John 12:48

  336. and receiveth. Not my words.

  337. Hath one that judgeth him, the word that I have spoken.

  338. The same shall judge him in the last day.

  339. The Bible says Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ.

  340. Let's get this straight Grace. You know what?

  341. Grace is. It's a gift, you don't deserve.

  342. Unmerited favor that's Jesus for the grace of God that bringeth

  343. salvation hath appeared unto all men.

  344. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.

  345. We should live soberly righteously and godly in this

  346. present age. Listen to this, though, he said

  347. grace and truth comes by Jesus Christ.

  348. John 1:17. The standard of Truth.

    John 1:17

  349. What is it? John 17:17 the savior of mankind

    John 17:17

  350. said, sanctify them, through thy truth.

  351. Thy word is truth. You better get your Bible out,

  352. you better start looking at your Bible because if you want Jesus,

  353. you've got to pay attention to his word.

  354. There's nothing more disrespectful and more

  355. disgusting today. Those suggesting to them to a

  356. world that are religious world's does, which basically says you

  357. can have Jesus, you can have a relationship with Jesus and

  358. ignore everything. He says, if you don't like it,

  359. don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.

  360. That's not what you find in scripture, what you find in

  361. Scripture. Is that the word will be our

  362. judge and nothing else is more important than that.

  363. What about people? That tell you things?

  364. What about people that change the word of God?

  365. What about that in Revelation 22:18-19?

    Revelation 22:18–19

  366. Here's what the Revelator said. I testify unto every man.

  367. That heareth, the words of the prophecy of this book.

  368. If any man shall add unto the words of the book of this

  369. prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life

  370. and out of the holy city, and from the things, which are

  371. written. Written in this book.

  372. Well, that's pretty plain. Why do you think John the

  373. Revelator said that while why do you think he was inspired to say

  374. that? It's because John was in the

  375. middle of a big-time theological fight over Jesus.

  376. Let me explain to you how this worked.

  377. The gnostics would teach that there is a separation between

  378. the Flesh and the spirit the flesh, the body it would do bad

  379. things. But the spirit, oh, it was good.

  380. It was good, they would apply that to Jesus.

  381. And there were certain Gnostic teachers that would even teach

  382. that Jesus didn't really come in the flesh.

  383. In 1st John, the guy that wrote the Book of Revelation wrote

  384. this to listen, that, which was from the beginning, which we

  385. have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have

  386. looked upon and our hands have handled the Word of Life verse 3

  387. that which we have seen and heard declare, we unto you, that

  388. ye may have fellowship with us and truly.

  389. Our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus.

  390. Jesus Christ, notice he said, and I write these things unto

  391. you. That your joy may be full.

  392. You want to know why? It's a big deal that you read

  393. the Bible cover to cover? And you know what the scriptures

  394. teach? It's because this is the way

  395. Jesus communicates, this is the way that Jesus is followed.

  396. Jesus said, if you love me, keep my Commandments.

  397. John 14 15. Jesus said.

  398. If you keep my words, my father and I will come and will make

  399. our Abode with you. You want God the father and God

  400. the son and God the holy spirit in you, you want their presence,

  401. you want their favor, you want Their Blessings, listen to them.

  402. Listen to them. Every one of you in this room

  403. have parents. Every one of you in this room,

  404. know the parental and family laws that you live by.

  405. There are boundaries and every single one of your homes.

  406. If you go to a certain point and you violate those boundaries you

  407. just jeopardized and perhaps even destroyed that

  408. relationship. How on Earth can we get that

  409. among our own physical families here and not recognize that when

  410. it comes to God almighty? He cares and the standard, he's

  411. going to judge us by Is truth. We're not going to be compared

  412. by each other we run into people.

  413. Sometimes it's a you know what, I'm a better person than people.

  414. I know they go to church. That sounds like a good talking

  415. point, doesn't it? Yeah, there's Hypocrites that go

  416. to church, I'm not a hypocrite. I'm just an all-out sinner.

  417. Let me think about this, I'm not going to go to church because

  418. I've compared and said, you know what, some of the things that I

  419. do are better than some people that go to church that are

  420. hypocrites, so you're going to go to hell with all the

  421. hypocrites. How much sense does that make?

  422. The hypocrite? Argument is one of the dumbest

  423. arguments I've ever heard? Why would people choose to go be

  424. lost? Because they can't or don't have

  425. a ability to get past a hypocrite.

  426. Paul said, we do not dare make ourselves of the number or

  427. compare ourselves with some that commend themselves but they

  428. measuring themselves by themselves and comparing

  429. themselves. Among themselves are not wise,

  430. second Corinthians 10 verse 12. There are people today perhaps

    2 Corinthians 10:12

  431. that fall into the saddest category on Earth.

  432. Because their parents have taught them an erroneous

  433. Doctrine which goes like this. If you believe that Jesus is the

  434. son of God, you're saved and you don't have to do anything else.

  435. You don't have to follow Jesus, You Don't Have To Worship.

  436. You don't have to do anything else.

  437. Here's what James said about that in James, 2, and 20, but

  438. wilt thou know, o vain man, that faith without works is dead.

  439. I don't know about you but that doesn't make me feel very good

  440. about a whole lot of doctrinal things that I hear at times on

  441. TV. Do you believe Jesus Christ is

  442. the son of God? You probably wouldn't be here

  443. this morning if you didn't, but I'm going to tell you something,

  444. that's very important. The Son of God gets to determine

  445. what faith is and what your faith looks like.

  446. You don't get to a no note, no way, does any other preacher.

  447. The reason why there are churches and the reason why

  448. there are preachers that have favor and have lots and lots of

  449. people that follow them is because they withhold the word

  450. of God and they withhold The Cure.

  451. And here's why this is the condemnation Ation that light

  452. has come into the world and Men loved Darkness rather than light

  453. because their deeds were evil. If a preacher teaches a sermon

  454. where you can basically believe in Jesus and you're all good and

  455. you never have to worry about your sinful lifestyle.

  456. That's a false teacher. He's teaching lies.

  457. Why? Jesus said this in Matthew 7:21,

    Matthew 7:21

  458. not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the

  459. kingdom of heaven, but he that, doeth, the will of My Father,

  460. which is in heaven. He goes on to say many will say,

  461. to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy

  462. name, and in thy name, have cast out devils, and in thy name,

  463. done many wonderful works. Then, will I profess unto them?

  464. I never knew you depart from me. Ye Network lawlessness or sin.

  465. I don't know about you, but I'm going to go with Jesus on this

  466. one. I'm going to go with Jesus on

  467. the fact that Peter said be ye holy as I am Holy I'm going to

  468. go with Jesus who said in Matthew 5 in The Sermon on the

  469. Mount be perfect just like your heavenly father is perfect.

  470. You know, the only way you're ever going to be who God wants

  471. you to be, is when you're saved by the blood of Jesus and your

  472. following Jesus, that's the only way.

  473. It's the only way. To those who told you that you

  474. can blow off worship and blow off plugging into a local

  475. church. They've lied to you.

  476. People that tell you that the church is unimportant and you

  477. can have a personal relationship with Jesus outside of the church

  478. have no clue about how important the church is to Jesus, Jesus

  479. said in Matthew 16:18, I will build my church and the Gates of

    Matthew 16:18

  480. Hell shall not Prevail against it.

  481. Ephesians. 1:22 says, that God put everything under Jesus feet

    Ephesians 1:22

  482. and made him head to be over all things to the church, which is

  483. his body Colossians 1:18 through 24, makes that claim.

    Colossians 1:18–24

  484. The church is his body Ephesians 5:24 says Jesus is the savior of

    Ephesians 5:24

  485. the body. You think you can be saved

  486. outside of the church? Are you kidding me?

  487. Who lied to you? Who told you a lie in your life

  488. and told you church is not important?

  489. Somebody did we live in a culture that's blowing off

  490. Church like never before. It's not a big deal.

  491. I'm going to be okay. I what?

  492. What? Jesus said the hour cometh.

  493. And now is when the true worshipers shall worship the

  494. father in spirit, and in truth for the father seeketh, such to

  495. worship him, for God is a spirit and they that worship Him must

  496. worship Him in spirit and in truth, John 4, 23 and 24.

  497. That's what Jesus told. The Samaritan woman.

  498. And as you're going to follow Jesus and you're going to look

  499. forward to Jesus Christ coming back, one day, you'd better be

  500. in the church and you'd better be worshipping in his church.

  501. And you'd better be plugged into his church because I feel sorry

  502. for people that have bought into lies that the church is

  503. unimportant, and it's not a big deal.

  504. Jesus said our Paul said this in Galatians 5:19-21, The Works of

    Galatians 5:19–21

  505. the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication,

  506. uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry, witchcraft hatred

  507. variance, emulations wrath Strife, seditions heresies,

  508. envyings murders, drunkenness revellings and such like of the,

  509. which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past that

  510. they, which do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of

  511. God. Here's the point, I want to make

  512. about that a lot of time. Times.

  513. We have a little tea category, and you can do this, you can do

  514. the ensigns and the out sense. The out Sands republic since

  515. it's pretty hard to cover it up when people murder somebody

  516. else, right? Pretty hard to cover it up.

  517. If you're Red Solo Cup and drunk all the time.

  518. Pretty hard, didn't it? Yeah, we don't want that.

  519. We don't want a DUI showing up in the paper.

  520. We don't want to be in jail for some big old bats in, right?

  521. But then the inside sins. Envy jealousy.

  522. Hate. Not a big deal, right?

  523. Sometimes, I don't think I've done a very good job with this,

  524. we get to focus on people that have committed adultery and

  525. fornicators. Because that those are things

  526. that are like in our face home-wrecking deals, Family

  527. reckon deals. Ruins kids lives. and I'm not

  528. saying we should ever stop focusing on that because those

  529. are sins that our culture is cramming down our throat and

  530. asking us to be okay with But if you read Galatians 5, there's a

  531. whole lot in there, that's inside stuff.

  532. In fact, probably a little bit more inside than outside.

  533. And I want you to hear this. Now, not me, I'm not judging

  534. you, I'm not judging your life, but Jesus is, he said, I'm going

  535. to tell you again, as I told you in time past.

  536. If you do these things, you won't go to heaven.

  537. My mama was a clean freak neat, nut, whatever you want to call

  538. it. She was.

  539. She had some OCD problems. She ironed her sheets and all

  540. that good stuff and folded dirty clothes in a motel room, my

  541. whole life. She called it.

  542. Grit on her floor, we lived in the country.

  543. That's a problem. You come in from a Hayfield, you

  544. come in from working all day. Here's what she would do.

  545. Sometimes she would go nuts, cleaning, and she'd put a note

  546. on the door. You're not coming in.

  547. That's what the note said. I just mopped the floor.

  548. That's what it would say. She would even look her precious

  549. boys outside. I know that's shocking.

  550. Probably we get her turned into CPS it today, right?

  551. But then she would come to the door when it was time to come

  552. in. And she'd say, take those nasty

  553. clothes off and go get in the shower.

  554. And she'd say just about like that to don't you bring that

  555. Grid in here so you know what we do?

  556. It was just boys. We shuck our dirty clothes and

  557. we go right to the shower. That was just inside the garage

  558. door and we get in at one by one and we wash ourselves off.

  559. And then not only were, we welcome, everything was fine.

  560. You bring your dirty clothes in my mama's house.

  561. You bring stains on my mama's carpet, she's not going to be

  562. happy with you. It's not okay.

  563. Do not pass. Go, do not collect $200 who

  564. brought the mud in. That's one of those deals,

  565. right? You probably had some Grandma

  566. neat, nut somewhere. That's that way.

  567. Here's what Jesus is saying. I came and died for you and

  568. showed you a different way to live and you don't get to live.

  569. And keep the dirty clothes when I'm trying to give you the robe

  570. of a king's son. I'm trying to put shoes on your

  571. feet that will keep you out of that.

  572. I'm trying to put a robe on you. I'm trying to prepare your mind.

  573. I'm trying to lead you to a better life.

  574. You don't get to come in my father's house with your dirty

  575. clothes on. You got to take them off.

  576. You know, the only one that can take them off for you.

  577. Is Jesus. The Bible teaches us that

  578. ananias came and preached. The Saul of Tarsus before he

  579. became the Apostle, Paul and said, arise, and be baptized and

  580. wash away thy sins. Calling on the name of the Lord.

  581. Do you have dirty clothes on? If you do, I want you to listen

  582. to this next passage because it's close to the very end of

  583. the Bible and Revelations. 20 verse 11, it says and I saw a

    Revelation 20:11

  584. great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the

  585. Earth and Heaven fled away. And there was found no place for

  586. them. And I saw the dead small and

  587. great stand before God, and the books were opened.

  588. And another book was opened, which is The Book of Life and

  589. the dead were judged out of those things which were written

  590. in the books, according to their works and the Sea gave up the

  591. dead, which were in it and death.

  592. Death, and he'll delivered up the dead which were in them and

  593. they were judged, every man, according to their works.

  594. You know what Jesus says about our works Matthew 7, the same

  595. passage that talks about Judge, not that you be not judged says

  596. this every tree that bringeth not forth.

  597. Good fruit is hewn down and cast Into the Fire.

  598. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them.

  599. What Jesus was condemning in Matthew, 7 1 through 5 is saying

  600. that, you know what people's motives are and you can judge

  601. people's hearts. You can't do that. if you're a

  602. fornicator or you're a drunkard or you're full of hate and envy,

  603. That's fruit. It's fruit.

  604. And I'm not judging you when I say that God is not okay with

  605. that kind of fruit. You want to know why?

  606. I'm not judging, because all I have to do is say, hey, Jesus

  607. said you're going to know them by their fruit and this kind of

  608. fruits not okay. Hey, I see a lot of fruit that

  609. looks like this who judged to Jesus judge that person and the

  610. job of every Christian is to put God.

  611. Between that person and help them.

  612. See that that real problem is between them and God.

  613. It's not about me, I'm not your judge, I'm not your savior, I'm

  614. not your king, I'm not your creator but Jesus is Very

  615. quickly. I want to say this because it's

  616. very important. Jesus is going to surprise a lot

  617. of people because they have not used what he has given them and

  618. they've wasted every talent that He put in their body to use.

  619. You know, your body's a rental vehicle, you're going to give it

  620. back First Corinthians 6, says, where the Temple of the Holy

  621. Spirit. That's, that's our that's who we

  622. are. Our body is God's, Not Our Own.

  623. We were bought with a price Matthew 25:14 says, for the

    Matthew 25:14

  624. Kingdom of Heaven, is as a man. Travelling into a far, country

  625. who called his own servants and delivered unto them.

  626. His Goods, he gave it a one five, talents to another two,

  627. and to another one. And to, every man, according to

  628. his ability and straightway took his journey and he that had

  629. received five talents went and traded with the same and made

  630. other five talents. And likewise, he that received

  631. to also gain the other two, but he the receive one.

  632. An indignant, the Earth, and hid his Lords money.

  633. And after a long time, the Lord of those servants comes, and

  634. reckons with them. You know what happens, you know

  635. what happens? Jesus blessed the two and the

  636. five talents, Ervin and said, you've been Faithful over a few

  637. things. I'll make you ruler over many

  638. things. Enter thou into the joy of the

  639. Lord and to the one Talent, man, he cast him into outer Darkness

  640. where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

  641. You see, God expects you to use your body and your mind and your

  642. hands. Not for your own Glory, but for

  643. his and here's what you're going to see if you're a logical about

  644. this, what God is going to do. If you allow him to be in charge

  645. of your life, it is, it's going to change you.

  646. He's going to alter you, he's going to make you better.

  647. You wanna know what's going to happen to the Christian Man.

  648. And the Christian woman, they get married that are under the

  649. control of Jesus Christ, they're going to be a better man and a

  650. better woman. They're going to have a better

  651. marriage. And gods going to keep that

  652. going until they die. You know what?

  653. I've learned, I've learned it. When you first start out, and

  654. you first start using your talents, your kind of wheat need

  655. about it and you're not very good teaching.

  656. The word of God good night. I've never thought I would do

  657. this first time. Anybody ever heard me all they

  658. saw was the top of my head and what was 58 Pages?

  659. Took me about 12 minutes now you're praying.

  660. Oh, please. Whenever you use something, it

  661. gets better. You go start visiting people.

  662. It's going to be difficult at first.

  663. You go start serving people. Sometimes it's going to be

  664. difficult. You keep increasing those

  665. talents, you've hone those skills.

  666. I promise you. There are people in this

  667. building that cook and do and go above and beyond.

  668. And when they first started, they're not even close to what

  669. they were when they started out. God expects you to use your

  670. talent. We all have it.

  671. And if you don't know what it is, chances are the people

  672. around, you do listen to them, figure out what it is and grow

  673. that talent, because Jesus is coming one day and he's

  674. absolutely takes it. Personal if we don't take what

  675. he has given us and we use it for his glory.

  676. And again, the logic is I'm going to inherently bless you

  677. and give you something greater. I'm going to make you greater

  678. than you ever. Could have been if you'll just

  679. devote your heart to me. That's really what talent

  680. multiplying is all about last of all, when Jesus comes, he's

  681. going to separate people. When the son of man, Matthew 25

  682. shall come in his glory, verse 31, with all his holy angels

  683. with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory.

  684. And before him shall be gathered, all nations and he

  685. shall separate them from one another.

  686. As a Shepherd, divideth his sheep from the goats and he

  687. shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left

  688. then shall the king say unto them on his right hand.

  689. Come you blessed of my father inherit the Kingdom prepared for

  690. you from the foundation of the world.

  691. This Matthew 25 passage is a real big one because it's Knows

  692. how much Jesus requires of your care and concern and love for

  693. other people. He gets down to the

  694. nitty-gritty. He says I was sick.

  695. You didn't visit me in prison. I was naked and you clothed me.

  696. Hungry thirsty. Didn't give me anything to eat

  697. or drink. And they said, when did we see

  698. you this way? When did we see you this way?

  699. And Jesus said, in his much as you have done it unto one of the

  700. least of these my brethren. You've done it unto me.

  701. If you don't in the course of your week of your month of your

  702. year ever, have any interaction where you do anything for

  703. anybody else in the body of Christ, this passage should

  704. rattle your cage. The church is not about one man

  705. or one woman or one family. The church is about each.

  706. And every there is no big and little, there are every single

  707. member is important. Jesus is going to come and say,

  708. hey, All of my Lambs, all of my sheep.

  709. You never had time for one single one, and you don't have

  710. time for anybody else that saved.

  711. And anybody else that serving me and following me and you can't

  712. give your time and you can't devote yourself to that.

  713. It's just the same as if you slap me in the face and you

  714. didn't have time for me. Judgment Day is personal with

  715. God. Judgment Day is when God's mercy

  716. and his grace will be on display for those who were in Jesus

  717. Christ, but it will also be a day and which God's Wrath is on

  718. display for people that have thumbed their nose at every

  719. teaching, and every doctrine that Jesus came and gave his

  720. life's blood this morning. We're going to sit or stand

  721. around the table. There's going to be a loaf of

  722. unleavened bread that we are going to partake up and there's

  723. a cup filled with grape juice. The reason we do this is because

  724. almost Thousand years ago, the Savior said.

  725. This cup is the New Testament ratified by my blood.

  726. It means every page of this New Testament, has been ratified by

  727. the blood that he shed on Calvary, and that's how Jesus

  728. would say my words, they are spirit and they are life to you.

  729. and when people walked away from Jesus dejected turned to his

  730. disciples and said, when he also go away and bless Peters Hearts,

  731. he said to whom shall we go thou Hast the words of eternal life,

  732. you may follow yourself, you may follow your mama, you may follow

  733. your daddy, you may follow a boyfriend or a girlfriend, but

  734. unless you're following the words of Jesus Christ that were

  735. blood-bought words in a Blood Bought Covenant, you do not and

  736. will not and have not followed words that give life, this

  737. message gives life. One day, he's going to be able

  738. to speak life, eternal life to you when he calls your name.

  739. You can't find that anywhere else.

  740. You can't have that anywhere else.

  741. But Jesus. There's a story I'll close with.

  742. preacher wrote about a a funeral that he had to go to.

  743. He said it was the worst funeral he'd ever been to in his life.

  744. Some of you have been to a lot of funerals and you've been to

  745. some bad ones. Some that just rip your guts

  746. out. Preacher said it was the funeral

  747. of a 20 year, old young, man. He was the apple of his parents

  748. eye. Beautiful young man.

  749. Everybody loved him. Everybody liked him.

  750. He was curate. He was riding his motorcycle

  751. that his mama didn't want him to ride.

  752. She was always on him about safety.

  753. He was struck and killed. He was the only son, the only

  754. child they had. Preacher said, you can't imagine

  755. the outpouring of grief. It came around that family, it

  756. was just lying after a line that the mom and the dad were just

  757. devastated devastated. It's not even a good enough

  758. word. They couldn't hardly stand up.

  759. They it was one of those deals. They had cried until the tears

  760. would no longer come. The preacher did his best to get

  761. through the service. and as he said, his last a man and people

  762. began to follow by The father motion.

  763. To the preacher to come to him. That told the story and the

  764. preacher went over to his charity, said when everyone, but

  765. the family is out, I want to say a prayer.

  766. At the casket. And I said to you, do you think

  767. you can do it and he said I'm going to do it.

  768. The preacher went to the funeral director outline, the father's

  769. request with swift dignity. Everyone else was ushered out

  770. This man. And his wife, drew, the strength

  771. to rise one last time and go to the head of the coffin that held

  772. onto their beautiful baby boy. And all those memories.

  773. The preacher said, I still remember the prayer.

  774. Oh God, thank you for giving us this boy.

  775. He's 20 years. Thank you for all the love.

  776. In the memories. and the goodness that he brought us,

  777. Father, help us to go on, help us to overcome this and this

  778. tragedy. Help us to live our life for

  779. you. Forgive us.

  780. And please father. Do what you can for our boy.

  781. We know you were a just and a good God.

  782. Do what you can for our boy. He closed his prayer in Jesus

  783. name. Took three steps toward the door

  784. and collapsed. two strong men, grabbed him under his arms and

  785. ushered him to the Car that waited and take him to the

  786. cemetery. His mother gasp and literally

  787. fainted. One of the nephews that she had

  788. picked her up and carried her to the car and put her in it.

  789. Preacher said, I turned away and I wept as I have not wept in a

  790. long, long time. truly, he said it was the saddest funeral I've

  791. ever been to because that boy Was not a Christian.

  792. Wasn't a Christian. I want to tell you this.

  793. When I was a young man, I heard my dad say this and I never

  794. forgot it. My dad loves us all of us,

  795. Brothers, we talk to our dad several times, I do several

  796. times a week. I remember as a little boy, he

  797. would say in the Pulpit, he was preaching.

  798. I would rather come around the curve.

  799. See my boys. Haven't had an automobile wreck.

  800. And their flesh that I would give my life for it.

  801. Wrapped around a tree. and know that they were safe and going to

  802. go to heaven, then I would see them live their lives.

  803. Outside and away from Jesus Christ.

  804. I want to tell you something. That always stuck with me.

  805. Always stuck with me. And I wanted to stick with you

  806. today. Jesus said be thou faithful unto

  807. death and I will give thee a crown of righteousness, God's

  808. not asking you to be perfect but God's asking you to be faithful,

  809. he's asking you to give heart soul and mind to him.

  810. Because one day, you're going to face him.

  811. And the hands that are outstretched inviting the world

  812. to come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I

  813. will give you rest are the same hands that can save you, but

  814. they're also the same hands. That one day will be your judge.

  815. The hands today can be your savior.

  816. The hands today can heal you. The hands today can mend your

  817. broken heart, and put you back together again.

  818. One day those hands will hand down a sentence Where do you

  819. stand with the hands of Jesus today?

  820. Have you been baptized for the remission of your sins into

  821. Christ? Jesus based off your faith and

  822. confession? That Jesus is the son of God and

  823. your commitment to change your life.

  824. Maybe you've done that. But you've let send get a hold

  825. of you. This is what we do here.

  826. Every single person that's not going to come forward this

  827. morning. That's been faithful.

  828. And that is Forgiven has done this before.

  829. They've had a moment where they weren't okay with God, and they

  830. got right with God, but it takes courage to step outside.

  831. The pull of your life. Satan is pulling for all he's

  832. worth. I'll give one more story.

  833. I'm done. My wife Julie has a grandmother.

  834. That is suffering from a terrible disease, that many of

  835. you know, all too well in your family's dementia.

  836. When she was a young mother, she had four children.

  837. Her husband was not a Christian and he gave her the worst

  838. possible. You could never imagine the kind

  839. of grief, he did later on in his life, she want him to Christ and

  840. he would in bitter tears. Talk about how miserable a man.

  841. He was early on in their marriage, their children were

  842. little, they started to go to church one Sunday morning and he

  843. wanted to play hardball and be nasty about it.

  844. And they literally had a tug-of-war over the children in

  845. the Yard. She never back down for a

  846. second. Not a second.

  847. And she won. And all of her children follow

  848. Jesus Christ today. Listen, we feel like we're in

  849. the tug-of-war for you this morning and we're on the line

  850. with you. Most importantly, the greatest

  851. most powerful creator of the universe will not lose that

  852. battle if you'll just grab a hold and let us pull you over,

  853. let us help you let the Lord help you but don't stay where

  854. you are. Don't stay in sin.

  855. Won't you come? We thank you for listening to

  856. our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

  857. Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

  858. information or you would like to receive a free Bible

  859. correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at True

  860. Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

  861. Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

  862. Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

  863. We would love for you to be our honored guest.