The Day Of Judgment

Introduction:

1 Text: Acts 17:30,31: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at [overlooked]; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (31) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

2. There is no truth more clearly taught in God's word, no fact more firmly established, & no warning more emphatic than those found in our text concerning the great day of judgment.

3. These words were spoken by the great apostle Paul to one of the most distinguished audiences ever assembled to hear a sermon.

  a. It was an audience composed of the leading philosophers of the day.

  b. They were assembled in the cultural center of that time, & at one of the most celebrated centers of philosophic thought of any day -- the Areopagus in Athens.

4. Speaking to this exceptionally intelligent audience, Paul declared to them among other things that there is to be a final day of judgment coming for every member of the human family.

5. This text suggest several important things about this coming day of judgment:

            a. The certainty of the judgment.

b. The persons to be judged.

            c. The basis of the judgment.

            d. The judge who will preside.

            e. The issues of the judgment.

            f. Some things that will happen on that day.

  Discussion:

I. THE CERTAINTY OF THE JUDGMENT:

  A. It is an appointment of God.

   Acts 17:30,31: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now com- mandeth all men every where to repent: (31) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

  B. There are two future events which are absolutely certain --death & the judgment.

   Heb. 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

  C. Many of the Bible's inspired writers testified concerning this coming judgment.

   1. Solomon

    Ecc. 12:13,14: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, & keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

   2. Jesus

    Matt. 11:20-24: "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: (21) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre & Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth & ashes. (22) But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre & Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. (23) & thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."

    Matt. 12:36,37: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

    Matt. 25:31-46: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, & all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (32) & before him shall be gathered all nations: & he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: (33) & he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (34) Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35) For I was an hungred, & ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, & ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, & ye took me in: (36) Naked, & ye clothed me: I was sick, & ye visited me: I was in prison, & ye came unto me. (37) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, & fed thee? or thirsty, & gave thee drink? (38) When saw we thee a stranger, & took thee in? or naked, & clothed thee? (39) Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, & came unto thee? (40) & the King shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil & his angels: (42) For I was an hungered, & ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, & ye gave me no drink: (43) I was a stranger, & ye took me not in: naked, & ye clothed me not: sick, & in prison, & ye visited me not. (44) Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, & did not minister unto thee? (45) Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (46) & these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

   3. Paul

    Acts 17:30,31: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at []; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (31) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

    II. Cor. 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

 4. Peter

    I Pet. 1:17: "And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"

    I Pet. 4:17,18: "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: & if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (18) & if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly & the sinner appear?"

    II Pet. 3:10: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, & the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also & the works that are therein shall be burned up."

   5. John

    I Jn. 4:17: "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."

    Rev. 20:12-14: "And I saw the dead, small & great, stand before God; & the books were opened: & another book was opened, which is the book of life: & the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) & the sea gave up the dead which were in it; & death & hell delivered up the dead which were in them: & they were judged every man according to their works. (14) & death & hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

II. THOSE TO BE JUDGED:

  A. Our text says that "He will judge the world." (i.e. the inhabited earth).

  B. Let us consider:

            1. The universality of it.

            Matt. 25:31,32: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (32) And before him shall be gathered all nations: & he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:"

    a. Everyone will be there -- Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Ahab, Jezebel, Pilate.

    b. Any & all who have ever lived will be there on that great day!

   2. The individuality of it.

    Rom. 2:6: "Who will render to every man according to his deeds:"

    Rom. 14:12: "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

    I Cor. 3:8: "Now he that planteth & he that watereth are one: & every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour."

    II Cor. 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

III. THE BASIS OF THE JUDGMENT:

  A. Our deeds.

   II Cor. 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

            1. Both good & bad.

            2. Things that no one else knew about.

  B. Our words.

   Matt. 12:36,37: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, & by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

            1. Our words of anger & contempt.

            2. Lies & half-truths.

            3. Vulgar jokes & off-color stories, etc.

            4. Our use of profanity or God's name in vain.

            5. All of these will come back to haunt us in the judgment.

            6. On the other hand our words of kindness, encouragement & blessing will be there.

            7. Our words of teaching as we tried to lead others to Christ.

            8. These words will be there to commend us to God!

  C. Even our secret things will be judged according to Romans 2:6: "Who will render to every man according to his deeds."

            1. Things that no one else ever knew about.

            2. Things that we may have forgotten all about. (God doesn't forget).

3. We may have hidden them from mom & dad, the preacher & elders, our wives or husbands, but not from God.

    a. There is an old song that speaks of "An All Seeing Eye" watching you."

    b. We tend to forget about it, but it's true nonetheless.

IV. THE JUDGE ON THAT GREAT DAY:

  A. Paul told the Athenians that we will be judged "by that man whom he hath ordained."

  B. Consider also:

   Jn. 5:22: "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:"

   II Cor. 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

   II Tim. 4:1: "I charge thee therefore before God, & the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick & the dead at his appearing & his kingdom."

  C. Paul went on to say, "Whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."

            1. Here is the evidence that there is going to be a judgment.

 2. A God powerful enough to raise His son from the dead is powerful enough to resurrect us from the dead to stand in judgment!

            3. What more evidence do we need?

V. THE ISSUES OF THE JUDGMENT:

  A. They will be final & irrevocable.

            1. There will be no appealing to a higher court, for this is the highest court known to man.

            2. There will be no termination of the sentence; it will be for all eternity.

                        a. There will be no probation; no time off for good behavior.

                        b. There will be no judge to intervene on our behalf.

                        c. Jehovah God is the judge of all time.

  B. In view of these facts it would behoove us to make careful & deliberate preparations for that day!