What Shall I Do With Jesus?

We're going to begin worship now. We're singing tonight, firstly, from Psalm 135.

Psalm 135, that's in the St. Psalms, and the page number there is 176.

We're singing to a tune, Stuttgart, verses 13 to 15.

Lord, your name endures forever, your renown is ever great.

For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will vindicate.

But the idols of the nations, made of silver and of gold, are by human hands created with a hammer or a mould.

Mouths they have, but speak they cannot. Eyes they have, but cannot see.

Ears they have, but hear they cannot. In their mouths no breath can be.

Verses which, of course, set out the great contrast between idolatry and the worship of the living God,

and our privilege in knowing that God, and ascribing worship and glory and praise,

to him. So we'll sing these verses from verse, sorry, verse 13 to the end of the psalm.

Lord, your name endures forever. If you can stand, please do stand.

Lord, your name endures forever. Your renown is ever great.

For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will vindicate.

But the idols of the nations, made of silver and of gold, are by human hands created with a hammer or a mould.

For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will be.

For the Lord sustains his servants, and his folk will be like them,

For the Lord sustains them, and the same.

Praise the Lord, O house of Israel,

He runs has exalted his name.

Praise the Lord, O house of Levi,

You fear him, praise the Lord

Praise the Lord who dwells in Zion

In Jerusalem, praise the Lord

Now let's unite our hearts in prayer. We're going to call upon the Lord in prayer.

Amen.

How important it is for us to draw near to God, seeking that God will draw near to us.

O Lord, we pray tonight that that will be our experience, that we will know of the Lord in this place,

that we will know ourselves brought by your Spirit to come to trust in you and place our trust in you once again,

if we have done that already.

We ask that you would bless us, Lord, through your Word.

Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit will be active in our experience, to enlighten our mind,

to give us a further extended knowledge of you,

and to give us in our hearts a renewed desire and commitment to you and to your ways,

and to walk in your ways.

We thank you, Lord, for all that we enjoy as a congregation by way of our privileges in the Gospel.

We thank you for all that you enable us to engage in from week to week, from day to day, from Lord's day to Lord's day.

Lord, we know that you have blessed us in providing us with these things.

We pray that we may never treat them lightly,

that we may always ask ourselves if our contribution to your cause is in accordance with what you have given to us

and continues to give to us.

We pray tonight that your Word will challenge us and comfort us, instruct us, and lead us.

Lord, we ask that your counsel through your Word may truly lighten our path,

and lighten our path even through life itself.

We ask you, Lord, that you would come to each one of us and speak to each one of us.

For as we appear before you as a congregation,

so we appear before you individually,

with our own personal needs, our own personal thoughts,

our own minds as we think of,

our relationship to you and to the world in which we live,

and to the things of eternity.

And Lord, we ask that you would come to each of us and speak to us,

and draw us, we pray, to yourself.

We ask tonight that your blessing will be with all your people elsewhere in the world,

not only throughout our own community,

for we know that there are many other congregations meeting tonight as we do.

We pray that same blessing for them that we pray for ourselves.

We ask that your cause will come to flourish,

that we will see an increase in those who acknowledge you as their God,

and who have turned away from the idols of this world,

and have come to place their trust and confidence in the Lord God.

And we thank you, Lord, for the freedom that is ours still as a community,

and to come to hear the gospel,

and to come to gather as we do this evening under the sound of the gospel.

We bless you for our heritage,

for the way that you have over many years, many generations,

come to show yourself as a God who is worthy to be praised and trusted in.

And we thank you for all that you have deposited in our possession now in our generation

that came to us through previous generations of our ancestors too.

And we ask, Lord, that we may hold these things faithfully,

that we may come and find what you have deposited in our possession in the gospel

will be prized by us, commended by us, used by us,

that we will treasure it in our hearts and seek to live by it,

that we will never bargain it away to any of the ideologies of this world,

but give us, we pray, like the Apostle Paul,

to be able to say consistently and in an ongoing way

that we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,

for it is indeed the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

We pray for the work of your church tonight throughout the whole world.

We ask, Lord, that your own people will, in their witness,

be blessed and be a blessing to the world.

We know that you describe your people in your word as the light of the world,

as a city set on a hill.

And help us then, we pray, to fulfill that description day by day.

Lord, we confess we find ourselves so often short of meeting that description,

that we find ourselves so often having to bring before you a confession of failure,

yet we thank you for your faithfulness,

that you will bless your word, that it will not return to your void,

that it will accomplish your will as you send it forth.

And we do pray, O Lord, that your kingdom will advance during these days.

We know that there is so much, Lord, in our own society,

throughout our nation, throughout the nations of the world,

of opposition to you, to your will, to your word,

and to all that you provide for us in the wisdom of your truth in the gospel.

And we pray, O Lord, your forgiveness,

that as a nation and as a people,

we have turned away so much from your ways.

We have chosen for ourselves the ideologies and the idolatry of this world.

We have come to place our trust, O Lord,

in empty, broken cisterns,

which cannot give us satisfaction,

which can never prove to be adequate to us as we face eternity,

and as we face even the difficulties and the challenges of life in this world itself.

And to that end, we pray tonight for those who rule over us,

those in authority,

those who have places of influence in our land.

Bless our government, we pray.

Bless all those who belong to them in Westminster, in Edinburgh.

We ask, Lord, that you would bless all the nations of the United Kingdom.

We ask that we may come once again under the power of your truth.

We pray that you would direct those who lead us into the ways of your truth.

We ask that you would deliver them from counsel that would lead them further astray

and further away from those things of the gospel.

We pray that they may come, O Lord, to take up your word, your law, your precepts.

And, Lord, we pray that you would impress upon their mind and conscience

that you have provided these things for our guidance,

not only individually but nationally as well.

And we ask that you would help them to resist all alternative views and ideologies to the gospel.

We pray that you would grant your blessing to all those who do fear you and serve you,

who are in places of authority and position in our land.

We ask, gracious one, that you would keep them,

that you would use them as a means of blessing to their fellow human beings

in whatever sphere of life they serve you.

Bless, then, we pray tonight, those who are in special need.

We pray that you would bless those who mourn the passing of loved ones.

Lord, we know of families in recent days who have lost loved ones,

some of them very suddenly.

We pray that you would bless those who remain to mourn their passing.

Be near to them.

Comfort them.

Grant them your strengthening.

And we pray that you would bless also those who,

in times past, have lost loved ones and still fondly remember

and still find it so difficult to adjust to life without them.

Be pleased, we pray, to be near to them too.

Bless those who have illness to contend with,

those in hospital, those receiving various treatments,

those recovering from such,

those who have gone through surgery,

those who look forward to such in days to come.

We ask for those with mental health issues

that you'd be pleased, Lord, to bless them.

You are the God of our minds, of our bodies, of our souls.

And we commend this to you as well

and give you thanks for the facilities that are available to us.

And we pray that you would bless those tonight

who don't have the advantages that many of us have

in physical ability and mental health.

And we ask that your gracious way,

you would deal with them

in a way that would reveal yourself to them

and show to them that you are the great physician,

that you are the great carer and shepherd

of all who come to trust in you.

And so we pray your blessing now

upon all that we anticipate in this week

by way of meetings of various kinds

and worship services.

We commit all of this to you as well.

And we ask now that you would bless us,

that you would guide us into your word

and hear our praises and our prayers for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

We're going to sing again to God's praise.

We're singing now in Psalm 101.

Psalm 101.

Again, it's St. Psalms on page 132.

Tune this time is Moravia.

And we're singing verses 1 to 6.

I'll praise your love and justice, Lord.

I'll praise you cheerfully.

I'll strive to lead a blameless life.

When will you come to me?

Within my home, the life I lead

will show a blameless heart.

My eyes will view no worthless thing.

From sin I will depart.

Psalm 101, verses 1 to 6.

Psalms 101:1–6

I'll praise your love and justice.

I'll praise you cheerfully.

I'll praise you cheerfully.

I'll praise you cheerfully.

I'll praise you cheerfully.

I'll praise you cheerfully.

When will you come to me?

To see your love and justice.

Only is Indeed.

This time is Bundwe, I'll praise you, God.

That's all I'll praise you, God.

To see your God's effort.

With us look for you, God.

If you are Và, Jesus Christ.

Hope you are disregarding you, God.

I'll praise you, God.

I'll praise you diez years now in Psalm 101.

Amen

Hodmoth sing you to commence U.

I'll praise you, God.

So the Lord Christ.

We'll prepare you for the Lord.

I will you know, worthless thing, from sin I will defy.

I think what it less he will do, it shall not be to me.

All wicked people I am high, from evil and sin free.

I will to silence everyone who slugged me secretly.

I will not tolerate the pride who acts so heartily.

My heart is not on the faithful ones, but living well with me.

Whoever is the blimless one will serve me constantly.

Amen.

Let's now turn to the Word of God to read a portion from Matthew's Gospel.

The Gospel of Matthew and chapter 27.

And we're reading the first 26 verses of this chapter.

Matthew 27, verses 1 to 26.

Matthew 27:1–26

Matthew 28, verses 1 to 26.

They said, What is that to us? See to it yourself.

And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed and went and hanged himself.

But the chief priest, taking the pieces of silver, said,

It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.

So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers.

Therefore that field has been called the field of blood to this day.

Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price has been set,

by some of the sons of Israel.

And they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,

Are you the king of the Jews?

Jesus said, You have said so.

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.

Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.

And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?

For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him,

Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus.

The governor again said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you?

And they said, Barabbas.

Pilate said to them, What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?

They all said, Let him be crucified.

And he said, Why?

What evil has he done?

But they shouted all the more, Let him be crucified.

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning,

he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying,

I am innocent of this man's blood.

See to it yourselves.

And all the people answered, His blood be on us and on our children.

Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Amen.

May God bless to us, reading that portion again of his word.

Before we turn to this passage, let's sing again, this time Psalm 142,

145, sorry, second version of the Psalm.

That's from the Scottish Psalter on page 445 of the Psalm books.

Page 445, verses 17 to 21.

June this time is Duke Street.

The Lord is just in his ways all, and holy in his works each one.

He is near to all that on him call, who call in truth on him alone.

God will the just desire fulfill of such as do him fear and dread.

Their cry regard, and here he will, and save them in the time of need.

The Lord preserves all more and lest that bear to him a loving heart.

But workers all of wickedness destroy will he, and clean subvert.

Therefore, my mouth and lips I'll frame to speak the praises of the Lord,

to magnify his holy name.

Forever let all flesh accord.

These verses, the Lord is just in his ways all.

The Lord is just in his ways all, and holy in his works each one.

He's here to know all that on him call, with God and truth on him alone.

God will the just desire fulfill, all such as do him fear and dread.

The Lord is just in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all.

God will the just desire to speak the praises of the Lord and will, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all, and holy in his ways all.

The Word of God

Let's turn now to the passage we read together in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 27.

Matthew 27 · chapter mention

Tonight we're focusing our minds on the question that Pilate asked in verse 22.

Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ or called the Christ?

Especially that question in itself and looking at it in terms of how it addresses us tonight too with our responsibilities in relation to Jesus himself.

As you know, we've begun a series of studies on Thursday evenings called Life's Big Questions.

And we're thankful for Calla and Roddy as they lead those discussions.

And I encourage you to attend or to bring anyone to these discussions, Life's Big Questions.

There was a leaflet out last week about it.

And surely Pilate's question here is one of those big questions in life.

We had one last week where Calla Murdo led us in a question related to the studies, the discussion sessions, Life's Big Questions.

And what is the right question? What is the wrong question?

And tonight we're looking at this question.

I thought last week I would just try and fit in with that program and look at this particular study tonight.

And so here is the question that Pilate asked, what then shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?

Now the context is that Pilate is really in something of a dilemma.

He's not a good man.

You don't feel much sympathy for him.

But he's in something of a dilemma because he knows, you see what you read in verse 18 there,

He knew it was out of envy that they had delivered Jesus up to be tried.

And so Pilate himself knew that Jesus was innocent, that he was not worthy of death,

that he was innocent of the charges laid against him.

And as he was sitting on the judgment seat, verse 19,

something else happened that must have truly troubled Pilate.

And it was while he was sitting there that his wife sent word.

She sent a message to him.

She was obviously concerned that he would do the right thing.

She sent a message saying, have nothing to do with that righteous man.

In other words, again, presenting to Pilate her opinion, just as it coincided with his,

that this was indeed a righteous man, a man who didn't deserve to die.

And she said, don't have anything to do with that righteous man,

for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.

See, the Lord gets to Pilate's conscience through a dream of his wife that he's now coming to hear about.

The Lord does things like that.

And this is the message she sent to Pilate.

Don't have anything to do with this just man.

Don't treat him unjustly.

Just leave that alone.

Because I have suffered much because of him in a dream.

But of course, the dilemma for Pilate is the crowd are baying for blood.

The crowd want Jesus to be crucified.

The crowd want him to be taken out and put to death.

And so Pilate is forced between that on the one hand and what his wife had said and what his own conscience is saying on the other hand.

And so he's in a corner.

He's in a dilemma.

He has to take a decision.

But which decision will it be?

And you can see from the way that the narrative proceeds that he is reluctant to deliver Christ.

He knows Barabbas is a notorious criminal.

He's offered him to the crowd.

He's offered him to them, hoping that they would take him and let him be free to release Jesus.

But that's not how it is.

They demand Jesus and let Barabbas go.

That's the corner that this man is in, that the governor is in.

What is he going to do?

Well, I'm not going to deal with that tonight as a history lesson.

Because tonight we're here not to learn something of a history lesson involving Pontius Pilate and the circumstances of his day.

That's the background, certainly, to the question.

But we want to use the question as something that addresses each one of us today.

Because it's a question that comes across from the pages of the Bible and from the course of history to each and every single individual, you might say, under the gospel or indeed in the wider sense.

What will I then do with this Jesus?

This one who is called the Christ, the Anointed One.

What am I going to do with him?

We're taking it as a question addressed to us by God through the Scriptures.

And it's especially tonight for you who have not yet accepted him as your Savior.

Who have not yet come to receive him as he's offered in the gospel.

Who have not yet come to give yourself to him to be your master, your king, your Savior.

And I want especially to focus on that situation.

Because that question surely is very, very relevant to yourselves.

Jesus stands before us in the gospel and in the message of the gospel as it's preached.

And here is the question that arises every time that gospel comes across to us, every time we read our Bibles.

What am I going to do with him?

Because for sure, you can't actually leave that question unanswered.

You need to do something with him.

You need to actually receive him or else not receive him.

And these are the only two alternatives.

What are you going to do with this Jesus who's called the Christ?

Because there's no neutrality really, is there?

No neutrality.

No space in between receiving him and not receiving or rejecting him.

It's either the one or the other.

And here is God in his kindness.

And I hope I can present this as lovingly, as concernedly as I can, as I ought to do as a preacher of the gospel.

We're not in any way in the pulpit as we preach the gospel intending to be harsh.

Maybe it comes across that way sometimes.

I apologize for that if it is.

Our concern is to be loving and tactful and patient but honest.

Because tonight here's the question for you to answer and for me to answer.

What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?

Christ.

So let's do it in two ways.

First of all, facing up to the question.

Facing up to the question as it addresses us.

Now I'm sure that nobody here tonight is really going to say outrightly,

I'm going to reject him.

I want nothing to do with him.

I'm sure there's nobody in this building tonight would actually say that categorically of themselves.

That that would be their desire.

Otherwise, why would you be here?

But then what is the case?

What are you going to do with him if it's a case of not outrightly rejecting him,

not like the hostile world out there, just wanting nothing to do with him?

Let's take one possibility.

You're going to delay your decision for the time being.

It's a very common response.

I know it from my own experience.

To delay a decision on the part, on my part or your part, to this very serious and important question.

What am I going to do with Jesus?

I'll delay it for the moment.

I won't actually pass it off altogether, but I won't actually answer it just now.

I'll just put it off.

I'll delay the decision from the time being.

It's not that I'm rejecting him, you might say, like that hostile world out there,

but I'm delaying a decision with regard to him, with regard to the question.

You intend to come back to that question.

You intend to come back to it sometime in the future.

You intend to come back to it when the time seems more appropriate,

when it seems right for you then to answer the question one way or the other,

positively you might say especially.

But now it's not the right time for you, you see.

You might be here, you might be listening online, watching online and saying,

well, this is really going to complicate my life.

If I make a decision in favor of Jesus just now,

to accept him, to live by faith and trust in him,

to follow him, to commend him, to serve him,

think of the way that that's going to actually add a layer of complexity to my life,

to my family life, to my life in terms of my work colleagues,

to my life in the world.

Think of the complexity when my life is so busy.

Can I not just leave it for a while until it slows down a wee bit,

until it gets a wee bit less hectic,

until all the children have grown up perhaps and have left home

and I have more time to address such questions as these?

Well, you know, for one thing,

that is a very common response on our part as human beings.

But for one thing,

whether you're willing to accept it and admit it or not,

but that is a decision.

To say,

I'm delaying the decision for the time being

is actually making a decision now

that this is not going to be positively

accepted by you.

This man is not going to be taken

and made your Savior

by receiving him into your heart.

Because delay is

a decision.

It's a decision to put it off for the time being.

It equals

a refusal meantime

to bow your knee to him,

to accept him.

And you know,

delay

is not going to make Jesus go away.

This man,

Pilate,

as late in the chapter as we read,

he took

water,

took a basin

and washed his hands before the crowd

saying,

I am innocent of this man's blood

as if that was actually going to

make Jesus

go away from his conscience.

You can leave here tonight

and still say,

no,

I'm not yet in the position

of accepting Jesus.

I'm going to delay that.

But that delay is a decision,

as I've said.

And not only that,

but he's not going to go away.

Jesus is not going to go away

from your soul,

from your mind,

from your conscience.

He's just going to confront you still

as your life goes on.

And he's going to keep asking you

this question,

what are you going to do with me?

Where are you going to place me?

What relationship are you going to have with me?

And in any case,

what if during your time of delay

you actually die?

It's not impossible, is it?

You might say tonight,

well, I'm in very good health,

but people in very good health

sometimes die suddenly,

unexpectedly.

Is there any reason at all

that you or I can think of tonight

why you should not die suddenly?

Is there any reason

why you should,

or I should say to myself,

I am bound to see tomorrow.

I am actually bound to see another week

in my life?

It's surely not the case

that I am going to die

the stage I'm at in life.

You can say that,

you young people as well.

I'm saying it to you

as somebody

who was young once myself

and who didn't think

at that time very seriously

about God

or about religion.

I could have died.

There was a time

I very nearly died.

I nearly had an accident,

getting run over by a car.

And I've often thought of

from that moment,

which is still etched on my memory,

it came so close

that the car just ran off,

almost ran over my toes.

I was going out

to the village shop

to pick up some shopping.

My mother had sent me out,

went out in a bus.

And as I stepped out from the bus

and went out from behind the bus,

I went to run across the road,

which you'd never do behind the bus.

And just as I took that step,

a car shot past me.

And I've often thought,

ever since that day,

when that is still

such a vivid memory in my mind,

what if I had been killed

in that moment?

What if you don't see tomorrow?

What if it's in the Lord's purpose

that you too would die

before your delay time is over?

What then?

Where will that leave you?

Or leave me?

It doesn't matter

what we do with Jesus

in terms of not accepting Him.

He's not going to go away.

And you know,

people so often say

of the gospel

and of Jesus

and of the way sometimes

the truth of God

is presented to them,

maybe in the witness

of God's people,

and they just put that

completely away

and say,

oh, that's just a lot of nonsense,

a lot of old-fashioned stuff.

And still,

very often gnawing

at the back of their mind,

there's the idea,

well, maybe there's something

in this after all.

Because you see,

God does not go away.

God has made us for Himself.

God has given us minds and souls

that are themselves programmed

to think about eternity.

And maybe we often pass it off

and refuse to accept

that that's the case.

But deep down,

you know it is.

And I know it is.

What then shall I do

with Jesus

who's called Christ?

You face up to the question.

You might be saying,

I'll delay the decision

for the time being.

But that is a decision.

And it's a decision

that places you in peril

because you don't know

what tomorrow will bring.

The other option

is that you do the right thing.

That you do the right thing

and accept Him.

That you yield to His claim,

to His call as the Savior

to come and place your trust in Him,

to come and receive Him.

That you come and accept His authority

and His right to be your Lord

and to be your King

and to be your Savior.

You do the right thing

when you repent of your sin,

when you come to the Lord

and confess your sin.

And you ask Him to receive you

and to forgive you

and to cleanse you

and to make you right

and to make you upright.

And to accept you in His sight.

You ask His forgiveness.

You trust in Him.

You give yourself to Him.

You entrust yourself to Him.

You love Him.

That's the right thing to do.

And surely it's the only thing to do

when we think of ourselves

as people made for eternity.

People who will one day come,

as we'll see in a moment,

to face Jesus

and face His judgment of our lives.

And maybe you're here tonight

and you are a Christian

or listening online

or watching online

and you've come to know

the Lord in the past,

but your life through this wretched COVID

or everything that happened afterwards

has come to stray away

from obedience to Christ

and you're not walking in His ways

and you're just living

from one day to the next

with this really in-between

sort of condition

and this what you know

is not acceptable to yourself.

You're backslidden.

Your heart is cold.

What are you going to do

with this Jesus?

Well, surely you'll be like

the prodigal son

and you'll say,

as he said to himself,

Look at how much I'm missing.

Look at what's in my father's house

that I've turned away from

that I'm currently not enjoying

as I should.

I will arise

and I'll go back to my father.

Don't let the devil persuade you

that somehow or other

God is going to be so annoyed with you

if you've gone astray from His ways,

if you've fallen into sad times spiritually,

if you've lapsed,

if your heart is cold,

if you're not the way you should be

and were before with Jesus,

with His people.

Don't listen to the lie

that comes to you that says,

Oh, you should be afraid of going back.

You know, He's not going to accept you.

He's going to scold you.

He's going to give you a tough time.

I'll go to chapter 15 of Luke.

How did the father receive

his wayward son

that came back to him

out of his lostness?

He threw his arms around him.

He kissed him on the neck.

He received him gladly.

And that's a picture of Jesus.

That's what Jesus was describing.

This man receives sinners

and eats with them.

And tonight, maybe you've been

for some time,

maybe for some considerable time,

away from the Lord meaningfully.

What are you going to do with this Jesus?

What does He mean to you?

If He is yours,

will you not go back to Him?

Will you not, as it were,

claim Him all over again

as your own Savior

and give yourself back to Him

to be gladly ruled by Him.

That's what God's own purpose is for you.

Or you might say God's preference for you,

that you would do that.

Don't stay away from Him.

Don't let the gap widen.

Don't let your heart grow colder.

Just pick yourself up.

Go to Him and say,

Lord, I have sinned.

Receive me back.

Restore me.

Just as David said in Psalm 51,

restore to me, Lord,

the joy of your salvation.

If you have lost that joy,

go back to Him and ask for it to be restored,

because He can and will do that.

So that you'll come again to experience

that wonderful comfort and joy and assurance

of Him being your Savior

and being in His presence.

Facing up to the question.

Secondly,

let's reverse the question.

Let's reverse the question,

instead of it being,

what shall I do with Jesus

who is called to Christ?

Let's turn it around and say,

what will Jesus who is called to Christ

do with me?

Because as you know from the Bible very well,

there is a final judgment

awaiting every single one of us

at the Lord's return.

And that final judgment is a certainty.

That's why the question is important

that we turn it this way.

What shall the Lord,

what will the Lord do with me

when that moment comes,

when that day comes,

when I stand before Him

and appear before His judgment seat?

What will Jesus do with me

as it stands tonight

between yourself and the Lord?

What is your answer to that question?

If the judgment had been yesterday,

what would He have done with you?

Where would you be tonight in eternity?

2 Corinthians 5, verse 10

2 Corinthians 5:10

reminds us there are no exceptions

to appearing before Jesus

in the judgment.

where Paul is saying there

that we in all things

seek to please Him.

For we must all appear

before the judgment seat of Christ

that we may receive the things

done in this body,

whether good or evil.

You see, there's no exceptions.

It's a universal judgment.

Every single individual

who ever lived,

difficult for us

though it is to conceive of that,

but we believe the Bible

to be true,

that God is telling us the truth.

However difficult,

our understanding

is wrestling with the idea

of every single human being

who ever lived,

the billions of people

who've lived

since the creation began.

We must all appear

before the judgment seat of Christ.

God will do it.

There are no exceptions.

And the judge will be Jesus.

Here's Paul again

preaching in Acts chapter 17.

Acts 17 · chapter mention

In this place called Athens,

so full of idolatry

that Paul himself

was somewhat taken aback.

But there he is preaching

to the Athenians,

to these pagans at the time,

and demonstrating

that this altar

to the unknown God

that they had erected

was in fact

something that should remind them

of the true and living God.

And you remember there

in Acts 17,

Acts 17:30–31

verses 30 to 31,

how he actually put it to them.

Let me just find these verses,

30 to 31.

The times of ignorance

God overlooked.

That's in previous times

before Jesus had come

and arrived in the world.

But now he commands

all people everywhere

to repent.

In other words,

to turn from sin

and turn to God.

He commands all people

everywhere to repent

because he has fixed a day

on which he will judge

the world in righteousness

by a man whom he has appointed.

Who is he?

And of this he has given assurance

to all

by raising him

from the dead.

The Jesus,

the risen Jesus.

How has God given proof

that there's such a thing

coming as a universal judgment?

He has given proof of it

in the resurrection of Jesus.

And the only way

you can actually deny that

is to say the Bible is nonsense

which you're not going to do.

He has given proof of this.

A lot of people will tell you

in the world

there's no proof whatsoever

of a coming judgment.

There's no proof whatsoever

of a resurrection from the dead

that Jesus is actually alive.

All that sort of stuff

they'll tell us is nonsense.

But you believe your Bible.

You believe this to be

the Word of God.

You believe this to be

factually correct.

You believe that God

doesn't tell lies.

That God doesn't mislead.

And so you believe tonight

that Jesus rose from the dead.

That God raised him

from the dead.

That people met him.

That could prove

they had met with him.

And if you believe

as you do

that he rose from the dead

or was raised from the dead

then you believe

in a coming judgment

because God has connected

these two

indissolubly together.

He has given proof of it.

This coming judgment.

And think of it

the person

who will sit

on that judgment seat

is this Jesus.

You know what a

dreadful surprise

that is going to be

for so many people.

Just imagine somebody

going through this life

ridiculed in the idea

of Jesus

being a savior.

Ridiculing the idea

of the gospel

being somewhat worthy

of your acceptance.

Speaking ill of Jesus

using his name

blasphemously.

Deliberately just

taking these

liberties

as you could say

with the name of Jesus

with the idea

of Jesus.

And then on the day

of judgment

as we're all gathered

to face the judgment seat

so many people

who have thought like that

and acted like that

will suddenly

find that the judge

shockingly to them

is this Jesus.

Not somebody else.

Not somebody other

than the one

they've ridiculed.

The one they've refused

to acknowledge.

The one they've rejected.

And then you think

of meeting with Jesus

and so that's what

this question

really in its reversal

is saying to us tonight.

Project yourself forward.

Think of yourself

standing before

his judgment seat.

What will this Jesus

do with me?

Will you hear

these words

that he says

in Matthew chapter 25

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

just a couple of chapters

before this

where Jesus is talking

of the final judgment

and in verse 34

where you find him

saying to those

on his right hand

when he comes

he will divide all people

separating them

as a shepherd

separates the sheep

from the goats.

He will put his sheep

on his right hand

the goats on the left.

The king will then say

to those on his right

come you blessed

of my father

receive

inherit the kingdom

prepared for you

from the foundation

of the world.

Will you hear that?

Or will it be

something else?

Then he will say

to those on his left

depart from me

you cursed

into the eternal fire

prepared

for the devil

and his angels.

And isn't it strange

isn't it foolish indeed

to hear people saying

well I believe

in the love of God

I believe that God

receives people

in his love

that he's provided

in his love

the person of Jesus

or the teaching of Jesus

or something along those lines

but I don't believe in hell

and I don't believe

that God would put

anybody to hell

that he would cast

anybody away

to a lost eternity.

Ask Jesus.

what did Jesus think?

What did Jesus say?

Then shall he say

to those

on his left hand

depart from me

you cursed

into the fire

prepared for the devil

and his angels.

I would be very untrue

to God tonight

and to my calling

as a minister

if I gave the least

suggestion

that you shouldn't

take that

at face value.

there is

a state called hell

just as there is

a state called heaven

and the difference

between them

hinges on this

what you have done

with this Jesus

and what he ultimately

will do with you

and with me

when we stand

in his presence.

There's a certainty

of final judgment

but it's not just

a certainty

of final judgment

it's the righteousness

or the justice

of that final judgment.

Now all judgment

even in this world

ought to have justice

as a stamp upon it.

It's not always that way.

There are corrupt judges

just as there have been

done through history

and there are some people

that you might think

have escaped justice.

They've committed

a great crime

maybe they've murdered

thousands of people

but somehow

or other

they've died

or taken their own life

before they

were faced

with

a court

to actually

deal with

accusations

against them

and people might say

well

surely

they've escaped justice

it's not fair.

Well they haven't

escaped justice

they've escaped

human justice

but the great court

the great assize

has still to sit

has still to meet

and we must all appear

before that judgment seat.

And you see the judge

is the righteous judge.

Just as we saw there

with Paul's preaching

in Athens

he has appointed

this man

by whom he will

judge the world

he's given indication

of it

that he's raised him

from the dead

that he will judge

the world

in righteousness.

And Paul in 2 Corinthians 4

as he sees

his own departure

imminent

his departure

from this world

he's about to die

his life is coming

to an end

but he says

the judge

the righteous judge

will give me

that crown of righteousness

on that day of judgment

he's going to give me

what he has promised

to his people

but he's the righteous judge.

And

it's important

that we realize

that the judgment

and the righteousness

of that judgment

is something

that affects

everyone who is judged.

Every

individual

saved

sinner

will be able

to say

with thankfulness

my salvation

is righteous

my salvation

is just.

There will be no

going back on it.

God is not going to say

at the judgment seat

when I meet him

actually

there's something

yet that you have

to do yourself

just to clinch this

just to make sure

that your

salvation

is secure

for eternity.

He'll never say

that.

Why?

Because everything

that's been

required

has already

been done

by Jesus

himself.

And that's why

the salvation

of the Lord's

people

is the salvation

that is just.

God is right

in bestowing

forgiveness

on all

who trust

in Jesus

because it's

for Jesus'

sake.

It's because

he has done

everything for

them already

and you need

not fear

that that's

going to change

because it

never will.

But it's just

on the other

side of the

issue as well.

We're dealing

with very solemn

things

and when God

tells the

unsaved

those who have

not accepted

Christ

depart from

me you

cursed

difficult

though it

is to

say

it's the

right thing

for God

to do.

God's

not going

to give

away his

righteousness

out of

some sort

of supposed

sympathy

with those

who have

refused to

accept his

salvation.

So what's

your choice?

What's my

choice?

friends we're

faced tonight

as we

always are

indeed

with matters

of eternal

significance.

What shall

I do

with this

Jesus?

What will

this Jesus

do with

me

when I

meet him?

These are

the two

great questions

we've brought

together.

Life's big

questions and

they don't get

bigger than

that.

Surely

tonight you're

going to

say

as you

see in

Luke chapter

Luke 19 · chapter mention

19

with regard

to Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus

climbed up

to a

sycamore

tree

so he

would have

a vantage

point to

see Jesus

who was

passing in

that way.

So he

climbed up,

he ran

ahead of

the procession

of the

crowd,

he climbed

up into

this tree

as you

know the

story very

well I'm

sure,

so that he

could actually

see Jesus

because he

was small.

He couldn't

see above

other people.

And as

Jesus reached

that specific

tree,

he looked up

and he

looked into

Zacchaeus'

eyes and

he said,

Zacchaeus,

make haste,

hurry up

and come

down for

today I

must stay

at your

house.

Well,

there's many

sermons packed

into that but

the reply of

Zacchaeus is

significant,

isn't it?

Or at least

what's said

about him.

He made

haste and

he came

down.

He didn't

say,

let me just

think about

that Lord,

let me just

think about

it for,

maybe I'll

come back

to it

tomorrow.

Let me

just delay

for the

moment,

just give

me this

opportunity

to think

it through

more fully.

No,

he made

haste.

He

instantly

came down

and he

went with

Jesus and

took Jesus

into his

home and

into his

heart.

heart.

And that's

tonight what

everyone here

surely is

going to

do.

If you

haven't done

it already,

now is the

moment because

I know he's

speaking to

you.

I know he's

addressing you

with this

question.

I know it's

on your

mind.

I know you

know you

have to

answer it.

But don't

wait until

you're out

that door

before you're

answering it.

what then

must I

do with

this Jesus

who is

called to

Christ?

You know

the answer.

Do it.

Receive him.

Love him.

Let's pray.

Eternal

God,

we give

thanks for

the wonderful

offer of

the gospel.

Lord,

we haven't

earned the

salvation you

offer to us

in it.

we have

not earned

the right

to be in

any way

received by

you

sympathetically.

We have

sinned against

you.

We are

deserving of

nothing more

than that you

should cast

us away from

you.

But you

sent your

Son into

this world.

And Father,

tonight we

give thanks

for him

and for

your love

displayed in

him and

for his

power and

his grace.

And we

ask that for

each of us

tonight our

concern will

be amply

fulfilled in

our response

to this

question.

What then

must I do

with Jesus

who is

called to

Christ?

All by

your grace

help us to

welcome you

and to

live for

you.

For your

name's

sake.

Amen.

We're going

to conclude

now by

singing in

Psalm 11.

Psalm number

11 and

that's on

page 13.

singing

verses 4

to 7.

The tune

is rocking

him.

The Lord

is in

his holy

place.

The Lord

is on

his heavenly

throne.

His eyes

observe the

human race

and in

his sight

each one

is known.

The Lord

examines all

the just.

The righteous

one he

proves and

tests.

But all

those who

love wickedness

and violence

his soul

detests.

Upon the

wicked he

will rain

his fiery

coals and

sulfur hot.

A scorching

wind will

beat on

them.

Such punishment

will be

their lot.

For God

the Lord

is righteous

still.

In

righteousness

he takes

delight.

And they

alone will

see his

face.

Who are

in heart

and life

upright.

These four

verses in

conclusion.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

The wickedness and my ownness is so detest.

Upon the wind he will rain, his mighty colds and silver calls.

A scorching wind will be the man, such punishment will be their own.

For God the Lord is righteous still, in righteousness he takes delight.

And they alone will sing his face, through high in heart and life of pride.

After the benediction tonight, I'll go to the door to my left here.

Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and evermore. Amen.

Amen.