Whitehall Baptist Church
April 19th | John : Jesus is God | John 5:25-30

      • Hebrews 10:24–25KJV1900

      • Romans 15:13KJV1900

      • Revelation 4:11KJV1900

  • All Creatures Of Our God And King

      • 1 Corinthians 15:57KJV1900

  • Victory In Jesus (Christ Won The Victory)
  • My Worth Is Not In What I Own

      • 1 Peter 1:18–19KJV1900

  • Jesus, Thank You!

  • JOHN 5:25-30| THE FINAL JUDGMENTS PART 2

    ILLUSTRATION: A few years back, for my birthday, Tressa got me a message.
    But it wasn’t just any message, it was a deep tissue upper back and neck massage.
    Now I had never had anything like this before, but I wanted to make sure when I walked away that it felt like I got a massage
    So when I arrived on that day, they confirmed with me, “Sir, are you sure you want a deep tissue massage” to which I kind of smirked and thought to myself, “I think I know what I want.”
    I’ll never forget that day…
    The guy that gave me my deep tissue massage, was clearly troubled form his youth.
    He obviously had some deep seated issues that he had never worked through and was still dwelling on them.
    I know this, because for the next hour he took out his frustration in the form of torture he put me through.
    I think there was even a point when he was separating the muscle fibers in my arm that he asked me, “Are you ok, can you handle this?”
    To which, as a man I answered, “yes”
    When I walked out of the office that day, I definitely accomplished my objective of feeling the lasting results of that massage.
    And I will never forget just how uncomfortable I was having paid someone to torture me for a solid hour!
    EXPLANATION: Last week we took a look at an event called the Judgment Seat of Christ.
    It is the place that one day, all those who have trusted Christ as their Savior will end up.
    And at the judgment Seat of Christ, Christians will be judged for the works they did following their salvation.
    They will receive rewards for those works they did for Christ after they were saved.
    And it’s on that day that you will hear those sweet words from the Lord Jesus, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
    But Jesus isn’t finished in His teaching.
    And what He says next is something that isn’t comfortable to go through.
    In fact, it’s with great pain that I will share with you what Jesus says.
    Not physical pain, but mental anguish as I think through with a broken heart knowing that their are likely some in this very room who will one day be at this second judgment we are about to discuss.
    So with all of my heart, I want to stand before you this morning with a big warning sign that says, don’t go here!
    Don’t put yourself in the position of having to experience the day we are going to discuss this morning.
    If you refuse Jesus Christ as your Savior, I believe one day you will stand before Christ as your judge, and you will remember this message.
    And it will happen at the Great White Throne Judgment

    V.28-29b, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

    John 5:28–29 KJV 1900
    Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
    EXPLANATION: Jesus tells those listening, that yes, one day His voice will sound and all those who know Christ as Savior will come forth out of their grave or off of this earth and will be in His presence.
    But for those who haven’t accepted Christ as Savior, things will be much different.
    You see those that refuse the gift of eternal life that is only through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, go to a very different place when they die.
    ILLUSTRATION: The Bible gives a glimpse into this when Jesus tells the story of a man we only know as the rich man.
    Luke 16:19–23 KJV 1900
    There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
    The catholic religion invented a place they called purgatory.
    If you go back and study the history of church through the ages, you find that shortly after the institution of indulgences in the 500AD, or the monetary payment for one’s sins, the invention of purgatory came into existence.
    The reason was because they needed to figure out a way to not only get money from those who were alive, but also from those who had already died.
    So purgatory was invented in the 600’s AD
    By the good works, giving of money by the living, those who had already died could move on from this invented place called purgatory and get to heaven.
    There’s just one pretty big problem… Purgatory isn’t found anywhere in the Bible.
    In fact, Jesus makes very clear where this rich man ended up… He opened up his eyes in hell and was in torments.
    Luke 16:24–26 KJV 1900
    And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
    There was no escaping this punishment.
    It was final!
    But what happens next is stunning:
    Luke 16:27–31 KJV 1900
    Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
    You know, if we could peel back the ceiling of hell for just a moment and listen, we would hear the wailing and the cries.
    We would hear the voices of those in excruciating pain.
    But we would hear something you wouldn’t expect… You would hear prayers of those begging for someone to go tell their families about Jesus.
    You see, when someone dies having rejected Christ, there are no more chances.
    The choice to reject God leads to an eternal rejection from God and their is no escape.
    And those who are in hell recognize this so they begin to cry out for someone to go and tell their loved ones not to come to this place of torment!
    APPLICATION: Friend, I wonder if there could be someone in the room this morning, that someone in hell is praying that you would accept Christ as Savior.
    It’s a painful thought, but the answer is not to reject Christ and end up in the same place, the answer is to accept the gift the is offered to all men to accept Jesus as Savior!
    EXPLANATION: But that isn’t the time when the voice of Jesus will be heard.
    When someone does without Christ they are immediately in a place of torment and suffering.
    But according to God’s Word, one day they will hear the voice of Jesus calling them to a final place of judgment.
    Jesus says it is the “resurrection of damnation”
    We find that moment toward the end of the book of Revelation.
    At this point in the book, the 7 year tribulation has reached it’s end.
    The Millennial Kingdom reign of Christ on this earth has now finished.
    And we are at the edge of eternity.
    The devil has just be cast into a place called the Lake of Fire to be tormented for all of eternity.
    And now we travel into the Great White Throne Room
    Revelation 20:11–13 KJV 1900
    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
    The Bible tells us that all who have died without Christ will stand one by one before Jesus.
    And they will be judged according to their works.
    Because that is what they believed would get them eternal life… They rejected Christ and tried to get there their own way.
    Matthew 7 gives us a glimpse into some of the things that will be said.
    Matthew 7:21–23 KJV 1900
    Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
    People will cry out and tell every story they can come up with of every instance in which they believed their good works would get them to heaven.
    And you can mark it down there will be some stories that will be told.
    Because as they waited for this day, they were burning in torment, and they were reminded of all the things they did that fell short of getting them to heaven.
    Romans 3:23 KJV 1900
    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
    The Great White Throne will be a place of weeping and wailing and begging and pleading… but it will be to no avail.
    Because Jesus gave them the opportunity to have eternal life but they had to do it His way.
    John 14:6 KJV 1900
    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
    1 Timothy 2:3–4 KJV 1900
    For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
    Ezekiel 18:23 KJV 1900
    Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
    But God doesn’t force anyone to accept His gift, so if they rejected His way to do it their way, He will give them what they think they want
    And on that day, they will think back to days like today, where a preacher preached the message and they were giving an opportunity to stop trusting themselves and to trust in Christ.
    And they rationalized in their minds that surely they were the exception
    Surely they could do enough to get to heaven their own way.
    And as they finish proclaiming all the works they did that should get them to heaven, Jesus the righteous judge will look down at the books opened before Him.
    Those books will be the Word of God.
    Because if you were going to reach heaven on your own, you had to do it through the way the Bible says you have to do it.
    So you had to keep all 613 of the OT commandments.
    And as He works through those commandments, it wouldn’t take long before He would reach one and say, “Guilty”
    Ecclesiastes 12:14 KJV 1900
    For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
    James 2:10 KJV 1900
    For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
    John 3:18 KJV 1900
    He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
    Because if you are trusting in your works to get you to heaven, it’s as if you are already condemned… there’s no amount of work that could change that.
    He would scan over to the Lambs Book of Life next to the Bible which contains the name of every person who accepted Christ as their Savior, and the name isn’t there.
    And it’s at that point Revelation 20:14-15
    Revelation 20:14–15 KJV 1900
    And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
    The Bible describes what this eternal torment will be like.
    Matthew 13:41–42 KJV 1900
    The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
    Matthew 25:30 KJV 1900
    And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
    2 Thessalonians 1:9 KJV 1900
    Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
    Jude 7 KJV 1900
    Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
    Revelation 14:11 KJV 1900
    And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
    APPLICATION: Maybe you’re here this morning and you are asking, “Kyle are you trying to scare us?”
    And the answer is, “if that’s what it takes!”
    Jude 22–23 KJV 1900
    And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
    Friend, if you accept Christ because of the sweetness of heaven… Praise God!
    And if you accept Christ because of the reality of a lake of fire… Praise God!
    I want every person under the sound of my voice to walk out of the room this morning knowing for sure that you are going to spend eternity in heaven and not have to fear an eternal torment in the lake of fire.
    Now as we prepare to wrap up this morning, I want to finish with v.30

    V.30, THE PERFECT JUDGE

    John 5:30 KJV 1900
    I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
    EXPLANATION: Jesus once again confirms that what He is saying, and the judgment He will pass is directly in line with the Father.
    Because He is God, He has every right to judge.
    And because He is God, His judgment will be perfect and without mistake
    On that day, their will be no mistakes that are made.
    Those who accept Christ as Savior will be at the Judgment Seat of Christ receiving rewards
    Those who reject Christ as Savior will be at the Great White Throne Judgment receiving their eternal condemnation.
    And Jesus wont make any mistakes… there is no fooling God.
    But don’t miss this, as we look at verse 30, I want you to see the character of the One sitting on that throne.
    Jesus says, 'My judgment is just.' 
    And friend, here is why that judgment is so heavy: because the One sitting on the throne as your Judge is the same One who offered to be your Substitute.
    You see, in an earthly courtroom, the judge’s only job is to follow the law and pass the sentence.
    He doesn't know you, and he certainly isn't going to pay your fine.
    But the Great White Throne is different.
    The Person sitting on that bench is the same Jesus who stepped down from heaven, took on the form of a servant, and felt the nails pierce His hands to pay the debt for every sin written in those books.
    When a person stands there and hears the word 'Guilty,' it’s not because a way wasn't made.
    It’s because they are standing before a Judge whose mercy they rejected, whose grace they ignored, and whose payment they threw back in His face.
    On that day, He isn't just judging you based on the Law you broke; He is judging you based on the Ransom you refused.
    He is a 'Just Judge' because He didn't just demand the price for sin—He personally provided it.
    To stand there in your own works is to tell the Lord of Glory that His death on the cross wasn't enough for you.
    Don't make that mistake.
    Don't wait until He is your Judge to realize He could have been your Savior.

    CONCLUSION

    ILLUSTRATION: Kevin and his family came to church because someone knocked on their door and invited them to come.
    They began to plug in and get involved.
    When asked if he had accepted Christ, he said he did that back when he got married during premarital counseling.
    But deep inside he knew it wasn’t true.
    For years he played the game… looked good on the outside, while things weren’t right on the inside.
    He got involved in serving at the church.
    Even began leading the music at the church.
    But one day as he was driving home from work, the Spirit of God convicted His heart and made clear, if something were to happen and he was to crash that car, he would spend eternity in that very real lake of fire.
    So driving down the road, he prayed and asked God to forgive him for his sins and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
    Kevin humbled himself and let the church know the decision he had made and shortly after he was baptized to show everyone clearly with that outward expression the inward decision he had made.
    And then he surrendered his life to God.
    And a short time later, when the founding pastor of the church took another church, Kevin became the second pastor of Whitehall Baptist Church.
    And he was my pastor when I came here after Bible college
    APPLICATION: Friend, if you don’t know Jesus as Savior today and the Holy Spirit has convicted your heart today, accept Him as your Savior.
    Put your full faith and trust in Him and Him alone.
    If you do know Christ as your Savior, will you hear the cries of those from hell… and find someone to tell about Jesus today.
    “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay... let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” - Charles Spurgeon
    When hell becomes real in our minds, it should turn us to Christ for salvation, and it should motivate us to serve Jesus by telling others how they don’t have to go there!
    Yes, an eternity in a lake of fire is terrible news.
    But we have the answer from Christ recorded in this book.
    We have a confident hope that you can spend eternity with God.
    So let’s find someone to tell the good news today!

      • John 5:25–30KJV1900

      • John 5:28–29KJV1900

      • Luke 16:19–23KJV1900

      • Luke 16:24–26KJV1900

      • Luke 16:27–31KJV1900

      • Revelation 20:11–13KJV1900

      • Matthew 7:21–23KJV1900

      • Romans 3:23KJV1900

      • John 14:6KJV1900

      • 1 Timothy 2:3–4KJV1900

      • Ezekiel 18:23KJV1900

      • Ecclesiastes 12:14KJV1900

      • James 2:10KJV1900

      • John 3:18KJV1900

      • Revelation 20:14–15KJV1900

      • Matthew 13:41–42KJV1900

      • Matthew 25:30KJV1900

      • 2 Thessalonians 1:9KJV1900

      • Jude 7KJV1900

      • Revelation 14:11KJV1900

      • Jude 22–23KJV1900

      • John 5:30KJV1900

Whitehall Baptist Church
whitehallbcmt@gmail.com
406.285.1003
http://wbcmt.org
5 members