I'd like you to take your Bibles this morning and open them to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14. And as we begin considering this subject of the judgment seat of Christ, I would like you also to stop and consider what were some of the most exhilarating and perhaps sobering moments of your entire life to this point. As I think back upon my young life, I look back on several moments that were very exhilarating and sobering for me, being handed the baseball and being told, you get to pitch this coming week. You're the starting pitcher. And that was very challenging. We're stepping into the batter's box with knees trembling and knocking and thinking, oh no, I'm going to get beamed. or taking the field and the gridiron when the big game was about to occur and I was told I was on the kickoff team and that kind of thing. And there was a buildup. And certainly it's been very exhilarating and sobering to stand in the pulpit and teach the Word of God. Very humbling as well through the years. And then I have to think back on perhaps the most exhilarating and sobering moment, humanly speaking, Standing up here one day, many years ago, with my wonderful bride-to-be and pledging to her, I do. By God's grace, I pledge to you, I will be your husband and be faithful and point you to the Lord and walk with you through life as heirs together of the grace of God. And so my wife and I are back here. It was a very exhilarating and sobering moment. But all of those events, as great as they are throughout life, pale in comparison to an event that every one of you will face here today if you are a child of God and saved. The event, of course, I'm speaking of is the judgment seat of Christ. Stop and consider what that moment will be like and let these Truth, just sink in and arrest your thinking. As I give you now a biblical description of this event in which you will get the final grade of your entire life here on earth. A grade that you will be stuck with for the rest of eternity. That moment now has finally arrived and there's no turning back or avoiding it. Whether you're prepared for it or not, it has arrived. It's here. You have now died and you are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, He has come to claim all who are His own here upon planet Earth, all who have been bought at a price. He shed His blood for them and they trusted in that finished work on their behalf. And you are now in that great company of resurrected church-age saints in a resurrected body, standing in glory before the Savior, Jesus Christ. the Lord of the Church, the Lord of all creation, and the Lord of glory. As you see your Savior, you are awestruck by His majesty as He is greater than anything you could ever have envisioned in your mind's eye with the eye of faith while you walk this earth. You are amazed before Him and you bow before Him. And standing before His judgment seat, your entire life now flashes before you with three-dimensional accuracy and stereophonic clarity. The Lord Jesus examines all that you have said, done, or even thought. And your soul is laid completely bare before Him. Why you did or didn't do certain things are now weighed. And you see so much of your life found wanting and consumed in a moment of fiery judgment, gone forever, never to be relived or given a second chance. You stand speechless at this breathtaking experience you have just undergone. Every thought, word, deed, purpose, motive of your life judged fairly, righteously, completely accurate with no excuses left. You're awestruck and pierced through at the same time. with a sense of shame over those moments of time that are gone forever that you cannot redeem in serving Jesus Christ. But your feelings are also mixed with joy, on the other hand. Joy to see that over there in that pile of ashes, there's shimmering something brightly. It's a reward that has passed through the fire test. And for those you receive praise from the Lord, your sovereign Savior, who now commends you publicly. He awards you with incorruptible symbols of honor that are accompanied with the announcement of your eternal responsibilities and honor in which you can now serve Him in His glorious Kingdom. And because the Lord Jesus has been the ultimate source of all that's truly good in your life, He is now glorified as well. by every honor that He has just bestowed upon you. You are left with a mixture of feelings in response. On the one hand, regret over wasted moments of unfaithfulness in this life. Relief that your final test is now over. And yet above all, resplendent joy over the prospect of a glorious future with your loving Savior and Sovereign Lord. you have just been through the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. And I believe that the preceding description of the judgment seat is not only biblical in terms of what we will experience on that day, but it is also very exhilarating and sobering, and God wants it to have a profound effect upon our thinking and our Christian lives before that day comes. And that is my prayer, and that is what I have asked the Lord, that He would use it to that end. for those of you who are hearing this this morning. In fact, do you realize that because the judgment seat of Christ comes right on the heels of the rapture, and the rapture could happen at any moment, we need to be looking eagerly and expectantly for Christ to return as our blessed hope, that that means the judgment seat of Christ could occur today. You could stand before Jesus Christ today and have your life reviewed. Are you ready for His coming? This is a very important topic and that's why God put it in His Word. But if we're going to consider the judgment seat of Christ, we need to ask ourselves some foundational questions about it. What is this judgment seat? What does it entail? When will it happen? Who will be there? And for what purpose did God set up the judgment seat in the future? Well, first of all, we know when it comes to biblical prophecy that the next event on God's prophetic calendar will be the rapture of the church, the catching away, 1 Thessalonians 4 says, before He pours out His wrath on planet Earth. We will be caught up as His bride, the church, brought up to heaven to be where He is, the place He has prepared for us. And He comes again to receive us unto Himself. That's the rapture at the end of this church age. And I believe that event not only is imminent, but the world, because it's been increasingly preparing for that great day over the span of some 2,000 years, boy, we are really ready. I hope you don't have your seatbelt on and you're ready to go. And that will be followed then after the rapture by the judgment seat of Christ where we will all have our earthly lives evaluated for that time we spent after we were saved by grace as a child of God until the day we go home to be with Him. Following that will be upon the earth seven years of tribulation in which God is judging the world, is turned away from His Son Jesus Christ. We will be in heaven. At the end of that time on planet earth, Jesus Christ comes back down to the earth with His bride, us, the church. And then He sets up His kingdom upon the earth. The earthly phase then being that thousand year kingdom. And that extends then into eternity as an eternal kingdom. But at the end of that thousand years, at the great white throne judgment, all the unsaved of all ages are resurrected to stand before the Lord. And they are judged according to their works. Why their works? Because they did not trust in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. They are not found recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life because they did not trust in the Lamb of God to take away their sin problem. And all, invariably, who refuse to trust Christ rely on what? Their good works. So God says, okay, you want to be judged on that basis? You'll have your day in court. And everyone is found guilty. Their good works do not outweigh their sin and thus they get their final sentencing at the great white throne and they are cast and consigned forever thereafter into the lake of fire. In the meantime, we as redeemed saints of all ages will dwell together with the Lord in the new heavens and the new earth in which there is no sin or sorrow and so forth. This is God's prophetic scheme. But it's very important to understand that the next event on God's prophetic calendar is the rapture. And after that, we stand before him for the great or for the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. Now, I had you turn in your Bibles to Luke 14, because I want you to see a principle right off the bat here, and that is that rewards go with resurrection in the Bible. Resurrections are never for the purpose of determining who is saved and who is not. That's settled already prior to resurrection here on the earth. But you do see coupled together time and again in the Bible, rewards and resurrection. Right here in Luke 14, let's pick it up in verse 12. The Lord Jesus says, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back. and you be repaid. So Jesus says, in essence, practice grace-giving and grace-serving for those who cannot repay you. Verse 13, but when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. Why? Because they will be thankful. Verse 14, and you will be blessed. Notice, when you give sacrificially, you're the one who ends up getting blessed. Isn't that amazing? Because they cannot repay you, for you shall be repaid when? At the resurrection of the just. Notice, repayment or reward for good is at the resurrection. It turns me to another passage that we'll see in greater depth this morning. 1 Corinthians 4. I'll show you the same principle So this is not just a gospel age truth. But it's also a church age truth that rewards go with resurrection. In first Corinthians, chapter four. We'll pick it up in verse four. Paul writes, for I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord and in the context of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God." Notice there will be a day of praise, of commendation, of reward, coupled with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we know from Scripture as well, in passages like Revelation 19, verses 7-9, that the church in heaven, just prior to Christ's descent to the earth at the end of the seven years of tribulation, before He sets up His kingdom, that the church is already rewarded in heaven. And so the judgment seat of Christ must take place sometime after the catching away, the rapture, and before the return to the earth in that interval of those seven years. But perhaps you're saying, well, maybe it comes at the very end of seven years. So if the rapture were to happen today, I've got maybe about six or seven years to kick back. He'll call my number and I'll stand before him. You know, number 25,786. Tom, you're next. Relax. I think that event could happen even today. In fact, Revelation 4 describes a scene just prior to the start of the tribulation period, but I think after the rapture sequentially, in which the church is pictured in heaven represented by 24 elders who are sitting upon thrones crowned with white robes. All indications that this is the church. that's rewarded already, prior to the beginning of the tribulation. And so it all fits. Now, the question that remains is not, when will this event take place? That's been established already. Or where will it be? It will be in heaven. That's where we will be as the church. Or who will be there? The church will be there. All of you who are saved. The question remains, for what purpose does God have the judgment seat of Christ? But I'd like to ask a more foundational question before we go on to address that one from Scripture with four main points this morning. And the question I'd like to ask you this morning is, will you even be at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ? Are you numbered among the saved in this church age? For you see, you must distinguish between God's free gift of salvation versus rewards. you must understand the Gospel message that God is holding forth to you to believe and accept. And it doesn't start with the good news about what Jesus Christ has done for you, but rather it starts with understanding the bad news. And I had to come to grips with this over 20 years ago. Though I thought I was a good person, the standard of righteousness was not me or my neighbor or Jeffrey Dahmer or something. who, by the way, was from West Allis, where I used to live. Along with Liberace, by the way. Many famous residents from West Allis. It's funny, we can always find somebody that we think we're better than, right? And the standard of judgment is not your fellow man. It is the infinitely righteous God Himself. And by that measure, we all fall short. And that's why Romans 3.23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And that word for sin means to miss the mark. We've all missed the mark of God's perfect righteousness. And that's why do you realize it's impossible for anyone to go to heaven unless God provides that and does it? And if we remain fallen short of the glory of God, in terms of not having His gift of righteousness, not being reconciled to God at some point in this earthly life, we die physically. We will then remain separated from God and His glory and holiness for all eternity in a place the Bible calls the lake of fire. This is a very sobering reality, but a truth that everyone must come to grips with. This is the bad news. But the good news is that God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, the Christ, the unique God-Man, who could be the perfect mediator between us as sinful fallen man and a holy God. And He sent a specific person, His own Son, Jesus Christ, to do a specific work, namely to die. And not merely to die as all mankind dies, but to die in particular for our sins. and to accomplish a payment for the redemption of humanity. And He did that perfectly upon the cross. And that's why He cried out, It is finished. Paid in full, literally. No more work had to be done to take care of man's great sin problem. Christ had done it all. And God provided it all there upon Calvary. And that's why He raised His Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. Because He perfectly accepted the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, on our behalf. And now you have a living Savior who conquered sin and its wages. And He can now give to all the gift of eternal life to all who will trust in Him alone. That is the good news of salvation. And when you understand that He paid it all and provided it all, That means salvation cannot be merited. It's a free gift, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 says. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. You get transferred from a hell you do deserve to a heaven you don't, when you trust in Christ. Isn't that good news? You see, it's not a matter of getting your sins to be less than your good deeds. Get your deeds to outweigh your sins, as I used to think. And I had no assurance that I was saved as a result. All those years of going to church, trying to keep the Ten Commandments, being kind to my neighbor, praying, etc. It was all a matter of what Christ had done regarding my sin. Would I believe in what he did and accept that? Or present to God my religious works, which could never atone for sin? And so many try to bridge the gap between an infinitely holy God and their fallen condition. Through good works, religion, morality, philosophy, whatever it may be, but they fall short. And the only thing that bridged the gap was Jesus Christ. You know, religion comes along and says, oh yeah, you need Christ. That's true. That's really nice that you talk about Jesus. We need to give Him some credit. In fact, give Him most of the credit But the Bible comes along and says, no, give Him all the credit. It's 100% what Christ did, 0% what you do. And if you trust in His 100%, you'll be saved. And by the way, that's the only way you can know for sure you're going to heaven is if Jesus takes care of it all. Because if it depends on anything you've got to do, even part your hair on the right side, which for some of us isn't too hard. But I still have a little hair up there. that I kind of comb over a little. I might forget to do that one morning. Even if I have to do that once every five years to go to heaven, I may wake up one morning and forget it. Think, well, it's all gone now. It doesn't matter. No, there's still a couple up there. You forgot to comb them over, Tom. You failed in keeping that righteous standard. You see, you could never do enough to merit the righteousness of God. He has to provide it for you and to you as a free gift all on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done. So have you received that gift? It's your move. God has done His part. Now He's waiting for you to decide what you will do with His Son, Jesus Christ. If you have trusted in Him as your Savior, you will be present at the great judgment seat of Christ. I almost said the great white throne. You will be at the judgment seat of Christ as one of the saved, and you will have your life evaluated for how you live for him after you were saved. But let's ask ourselves now the question, what is God's purpose for the judgment seat of Christ? And it's always helpful to understand not only The positive, but the negative or the opposite. So let's ask the question before we dive into the positive side. What is the purpose of Christ? Let's ask what is not the purpose of the judgment seat of Christ? Well, first of all, it's not to determine if somebody is saved or lost. You know, sometimes people have this view of the judgment seat of Christ, that it is a matter of getting saved or not. That there is when Jesus Christ will determine whether you belong to Him or not. And they mix this idea of salvation and rewards. And I want you to see from the Bible. These are very different concepts. When it comes to the subject of salvation, this is something that God offers to unbelievers. And yes, it's true that we are saved even as believers in an ongoing sense, sanctification, one day glorification. It all starts with first 10th salvation being saved from the penalty of sin, which is hell. That is something only offered to unbelievers. In an opposite sense, positive rewards are only given to believers in Jesus Christ. The unsaved, it doesn't matter what they do with their life. As they cannot please God, Romans 8 says, then all their works count for nothing. Only a believer is in a position to even have their works count before God. And so this is a believer truth when we think of rewards. Likewise, when we think of salvation, this deals with the sin problem. Will you believe in Jesus Christ who took care of the debt of your sin? And will you be forgiven in a judicial sense of your sin? That's salvation. However, when it comes to the subject of rewards, the issue is not sin, but service. What you did for Christ that purportedly was as unto him in good works that will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. Likewise, when it comes to salvation, this is something that's appropriated by grace through faith alone in Christ alone, whereas with rewards, These are obtained by grace through faithfulness, resulting in Christ honoring works. As you walk by faith, in genuine faith, repeatedly, the result is Christ honoring works. Likewise with salvation. This is the believer's present possession. You are already saved. It's not something that God will determine in the future as you stand before him. In another sense though, with rewards, these are possible for you as a believer and they are a future attainment. You don't have your reward yet from God anyway. We'll see there is a sense biblically in which you might have your reward now, but that would come from men and you miss out on a reward from God later. We'll get to that in a moment. Likewise, with salvation, this is something that can never be lost. But with rewards, these may be lost, at least in the sense of missing out on opportunity that we could have had for greater reward. Likewise, when it comes to salvation, this is a matter of your eternal destiny. But when it comes to rewards, it's a matter of not whether you're going to heaven or hell, but what your reward in terms of a position of service will be. for all eternity. Very different. And likewise, when it comes to salvation, this deals with being accepted by God versus rejected and separated from Him for eternity. Whereas all who are saved are already accepted by God, but now the issue is, will you be well-pleasing to God? Vast, vast difference. So I trust you can see, rewards versus salvation should not be blended. at all. And the purpose for the future judgment seat of Christ is not to determine who will be saved or who will be lost. You know, unfortunately, down through church history, many have departed from the biblical understanding of prophecy, which teaches Christ will come back before the establishment of his 1,000 year kingdom. Broadly speaking, that's simply called the pre-millennial view. And when people have departed from that, the majority view down through church history has been the amillennial view. The am negates the rest of the word millennial, meaning no millennium. And that's why those who hold to an amillennial view can view the church age, the present, as the millennial kingdom, which has now lasted more than one millennium, two millennium in their estimation. And so they spiritualize and allegorize the promises of the literal, earthly future kingdom and say, oh, it's all just right now. And unfortunately, what happens when they have done that, when they have blended the biblical judgments, is they've taken the judgment seat of Christ passages and the great white throne judgment, and they've just blended the two so that they see Jesus Christ judging all mankind in one general universal judgment to separate sheep and goat to determine who's saved and who isn't based on your good works. And thus, it's led even to a false understanding of the gospel. You see how very important it is to rightly divide the word of truth and a dispensational perspective. So one reason that God does not have for the judgment seat of Christ is to determine who is saved and who is lost. But I'll tell you, even a second view that has become more prominent in our day is to teach that yes, the judgment seat of Christ is only for believers from this church age. And yes, it's not to determine whether you go to heaven or hell, but it's to determine whether you will be in the kingdom or out of it. Whether you will be Allowed into Christ's kingdom to serve him or whether you as a non-overcomer will be cast into outer darkness where there's wailing and gnashing of teeth outside the city. Saved, but basically punished for at least a thousand years. Depending on whether your sins in your Christian life were greater than your good deeds and they were balanced that way. Is that how we should look at the judgment seat of Christ? Not at all. When it comes to the judgment seat of Christ, the bema, as it's called in Greek, this does not deal with either your pre-salvation sins or even your post-salvation sins. Again, it deals with the subject of your professed good works for Him. And so the judgment seat is not about sin committed against God that needs to be punished. Because Christ was already punished in your place at Calvary. And God does not practice double jeopardy. You cannot be tried for the same crimes twice. Those are taken care of already. Rather, the issue will be the quality of your service rendered to God. And so what is the purpose for the judgment seat of Christ? We could summarize right off the bat by saying essentially it's to review and to reveal Your life as a believer after you've been saved and then to reward you for what God deems worthy. That's it in a nutshell. But God has laid out in His Word at least four main purposes that we're going to see this morning. Turn with me next in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 5. We're going to see these four purposes laid out three main passages, all out of 1 and 2 Corinthians. And the first purpose for the judgment seat of Christ that we see in Scripture is that God intended it to be a present motivation for you. Look in 2 Corinthians 5, starting in verse 6. It says, So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well-pleased rather, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad." Note that word in verse Nine, the word aim. Aim. It's a very important little three-letter word. It speaks of your ambition, your purpose, your pursuit, or your goal. Can I ask you, what is your aim in life? You may not be big into archery or shooting or something like that, but what are you aiming at, spiritually speaking, in life? Have you ever thought about that? I'll tell you, if you are not aiming to be well-pleasing to Jesus Christ, if it's not Christ you're seeking to please, then I dare say that you are missing that target virtually every time. In fact, it is hard enough, even when that is our desire, to hit the target. Let alone to be blindfolded and shoot aimlessly through random chance, you will hardly ever hit the target. of pleasing Jesus Christ. So this is something that should be a matter of your conscious intent as a believer. And that was true for the Apostle Paul. That's why in verse 10, it says, "...for we must all appear." You know, Paul had such a perspective on Jesus Christ that he not only viewed himself as as Jesus Christ having died for his sins, but that he died with Christ, and was buried with Christ, and rose with Christ, and ascended with Christ, and is seated with Christ, and he'll come again with Christ. His whole life was wrapped up in his identification with Jesus Christ, so that he wanted to please the One who he had been so identified with. Is that true in your thinking from day to day? If it is, then you can say with the Apostle Paul, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Are you aiming for that target? And Paul realized as well, not only that he was identified with Christ, but that the One who loved him and died for him would also be the One who judges him. It was only a matter of what Christ thought of his life And he'd stand before Him one day and be laid bare and have his life evaluated. And that was part of his aim and focus as well. And that's why he says in verse 10, "...for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." The word for is another very important little hinge word. It sets forth the ground or the reason for Paul's pursuit from verse 9. Let me ask you, is it a worthy motive to live in light of the judgment seat of Christ in that grand event that's coming. It sure is. Now we know that it's not all about the event in itself. It's about the one who is at that event, Jesus Christ. It's a relational matter. It's not all about you just getting a gift or a reward, but about the one who gives it to you. But I want you to see that this was Paul's perspective, and he lived in light of Christ's return and that future judgment, even in a parallel passage. So if you would turn with me to Philippians chapter three. Philippians three, and we'll pick it up after verses eight and nine, which set forth that Paul did not seek to be justified in God's sight through his own righteousness or that of the law, but the righteousness which comes from God as a gift by faith. But then after he was justified, he sought to live for Christ. Verse 10, that I may know Him. Do you seek to know God? I mean, personally grow in your relationship with God to know Him? Not just about Him? So that when you come to church here each week, sometimes twice a week, perhaps more, and you take in teaching from the Word of God, is it just to satisfy your knowledge about God intellectually? Or is it to enhance your relationship with God and truly know Him in that respect? That's what Paul is speaking of in verse 10. that I may know Him." That was his purpose. That's a purpose clause. And the power of his resurrection. Speaking of a lived out resurrection kind of life. And the fellowship of his sufferings as Paul knew. He had been saved, not only to go to heaven, but to identify with Christ in suffering for his sake in the meantime. Being conformed to his death. By the way, that literally became true for Paul as he was martyred for Christ. Verse 11, "...if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." You say, well, Tom, I thought you just said that all who don't work to be saved, who trust in Christ's work alone, they're the ones who are going to be resurrected and rewarded. What is Paul talking about here? That if I identify with Christ and His sufferings and have a resurrection kind of lived out life, that that will translate into resurrection from the dead? Well, it's something you don't see in the English text here, but the Greek word is not the normal word just for resurrection. It's prefaced by a preposition, the word ek in Greek, which means out of. Paul says, I want to attain to the out resurrection from the dead. Or in the language of Hebrews 11, I want to not only be raised from the dead, but have a better resurrection. Because I sought to serve Jesus Christ. Verse 12, not that I have already attained or am already perfected, matured is the idea, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me. Isn't that a precious truth? While we seek to serve Christ, do you know that underneath are the everlasting arms and hands of Christ holding on to you? I love that hymn we sang how Firma Foundation speaks about how His grace even causes us to go through fiery trials and testings and such. He's there holding on. He laid hold of us for a purpose and He's not going to let go. Verse 13, Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing, there's that aim, that goal, that purpose again. He had a singular focus in life to please Jesus Christ. But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Do you know that God is wanting to bump you along ever onward, but upward in terms of growth? It is not His design for the Christian life that you remain stagnant, but ever growing. Are you moving onward and upward for the prize? That speaks of reward? That was Paul's mentality. That's what he wants for our mentality as well and our perspective. But notice verse 15, Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind or this mindset. What mindset? To be pressing onward and upward to know Him, identify with Him, and serve Him. and one day be rewarded. Yes, that's a commendable mindset. I find it interesting that Paul writes in verse 15, that as many as are mature, he couples that with the idea of pressing on, verse 14. Can I ask you a question this morning? And you can answer it between you and the Lord. If you've been saved for a number of years, are you growing up spiritually or just growing old in the Lord? There's a vast difference. If you've been saved for some period of time, have you lost vision, purpose, perhaps even joy and appreciation for what you have in Jesus Christ? If so, God wants you to have that back. You know, as Pastor Scott mentioned at the outset here, I had been privileged for 13 years officially to minister in Milwaukee when we moved back here in January of this year, 15 years unofficially as we traveled for a couple of years, so church planting, ministry at that time. And so I've been away for a while, and though I've come back periodically to visit, it's not real often, I mean, due to distance and such. But boy, how time has flown. In some ways, it seems like we just left, doesn't it, honey? We miss the saints in Milwaukee, but we sure love you too. It's good to be here with you. But I'll tell you this, when we took a step of faith and decided to come back here to Duluth Bible Church and to leave a very good thing we had, at Word of Grace Bible Church. We left on excellent terms. I can tell you that I honestly did not come back here with a desire to grow old at this church. I came back with a desire to continue growing and serving with you until our Savior comes again for us. I don't want to just retire here at Duluth Bible Church, do you? I don't want to look back with regrets on my time at Duluth Bible Church when I stand before Jesus Christ and say, yeah, it was a doctrinally sound church. I got fed the Word of God. My notebooks were filled. Boy, all my points of doctrine lined up. But so what? What did I do with it? I tell you, I am so thankful being here at Duluth Bible Church. Thankful to be part of a church that has been generally faithful to the Lord as a body of believers through the years that has stood for Jesus Christ, the truths of His Word. And I'll tell you, I'm especially thankful for the leadership here. Men who I've, again, come to love and appreciate. It is a privilege to serve with you, Pastor Scott and Kurt, if you're here. I don't see him. of course, with Pastor Roxer and the deacons. I am so thankful for leaders who are willing to stick their necks on the line and be faithful. And you know what? They know they're going to be criticized, but they do it anyway because they have this aim, this goal to please Jesus Christ. And one day, it's only His opinion that's only going to matter. And there have been times, even as I've heard criticism of the leadership and even false accusations Let's just call it what it is. And I've seen how they've responded. They've said, OK, Lord, is it I? Is it true? What can we learn from this? But they've moved on. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4, it is a very small thing that I be judged by you. Now, he didn't mean those criticisms were trivial. No, they were a major problem between him and the Corinthians. But what he meant by that is he kept it in context and in view of this judgment seat of Christ and the Savior's coming, that Christ was, it's his opinion, that's the only one that really matters in the end. And I have told Pastor Roxer, and perhaps I need to say it more to the other leaders, thank you for just keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and moving ahead. We all need that. And I'll tell you, I am so thankful for a church that is also sound in doctrine. Let me tell you, having been away for 13, practically 15 years, and coming back here, it is a jungle out there! I hope through the years you don't become complacent and just say, oh, ho-hum, and get the spiritual yawns and think, oh well, sound Bible teaching every week, oh well. Are you thankful for it? Are you appreciative for it? You know, in Milwaukee, we had literally dozens of churches with the name Bible Church in their name within a 60 mile radius of where our church was in West Dallas. I counted them all up one day and wrote them all down. I couldn't believe it. I heard of this believer going to that church and that church and that church and that church for the most ridiculous reasons you can imagine. I had to ask myself, why are we even here? Go right back to the drawing board. You know, it is hard to find churches that really stick to the Bible as the authority and the truth and the bread for your soul that you need. But seek to uplift Jesus Christ and be Christ-honoring and grace-oriented and keep the Gospel clear, but not only clear, but preach it and spread it so people can get saved and then have a vision beyond themselves. Praise God for such a church! and to understand that the Christian life is lived by grace through faith. You don't hear that today. I am very thankful, and I think the Lord would want you to be as well. But let's go on. I think you get the point. God wants this truth to impact you in a practical way. You know that there was once a generation long ago in America that realized that your understanding of future events has an effect upon your behavior now. Do you know that our 13 colonies, many of them wouldn't allow a person to hold office unless they believed in one God and a future coming judgment because they knew that That person might look like one thing in public, but in private, once they take office, God sees the heart and what they do in private. They may need to have a healthy fear of God, but they're going to give an account to God one day. And that would have an effect upon vice, indulgence, corruption, truth and integrity and so forth. That's why I marveled when I read the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, which says this. And each member before he takes a seat shall make and subscribe the following declaration vis-a-vis. I do believe in one God, the creator and governor of the universe, the rewarder of the good and the punisher of the wicked. And I do acknowledge the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be given by divine inspiration. And no further or other religious test shall ever hereafter be required of any civil officer or magistrate in this state. End of quote. Can you imagine people today saying that? You know, it's almost as though things have just flip-flopped. In our day and age, you almost have to stand up and promise that you're not going to bring the Bible into your public office. God forbid that it should influence my decisions and thinking. Let alone declare it's the inspired Word of God. Times have changed. But Paul understood this truth. And if even, by and large, the unsaved in our past religious nations recognize this truth, shouldn't we? And that's why right here, as we go back to 2 Corinthians, not right here in Philippians 3, let's go back to 2 Corinthians 5. Right here in this passage, we see a mention in verse 11 of the fear of the Lord. It says this, knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, for we are well known to God and I also trust are well known in your consciences. The fear of the Lord is also to be our present motivation. Now, don't be thrown off by that translation, terror of the Lord, if you have a King James or a New King James translation. It's simply the standard Greek word for fear in general, phobos, where we get phobia from, of course. But in the English language, is there a distinction between fear and terror? I believe so. In fact, some people might read verse 11 based on these translations and think that God is out to punish you for your sins. When I hear terror of the Lord, it means like He's searching and hunting for me, like a predator with prey. And He's out to get me. And I need to just be terrorized. God is a terrorist or something. Now, there is a semantic difference in the English language between fear and terror. And that's why I think this is an unfortunate translation. It should just be understood as the fear of the Lord. By the way, is the fear of the Lord a good thing? Biblically speaking, it is. Psalm 19 says the fear of the Lord is clean. Proverbs says over and over again that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom, instruction. You can't really know the Lord unless you have a reverential awe and respect for Him. By the way, that principle applies even in the family, doesn't it? Parents, your kids will not learn from you unless they respect you. Require that of them. And demonstrate that. Model that for them. But how do you conceive of Jesus Christ? Is he just some big mush puppy or something up in heaven? Can't wait to get to heaven and just Slap him on the back. Hey, buddy, how you doing? Do you have a real fear of Jesus Christ in a good way? Reverential awe and respect? Keep in mind that this is a judgment. And Christ is the judge, He's said to be in Scripture. There will be an awesome moment coming. You will get your final grade. It will be irreversible. You know, Jesus doesn't just give pass-fail in heaven. Grades. There will be grades. Gradations, I should say. Now, let's be clear about this idea of fearing the Lord. It means to abhor what is evil, practically speaking. Cling to what is good. Romans 12.9. You know, before I was saved in my BC days, I looked at Jesus Christ and God and I was afraid of being hurt by God. By the way, is that a good fear? According to the Lord Jesus it is. Didn't He say in Matthew 10.28, Do not fear Him who is able to destroy the body only, but fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. That's a good fear. Would to God that more of our world had that kind of fear today, because they'd see their need for Christ in a greater way. But as a believer in Christ, you don't need to fear being hurt by God. Not being accepted by God? You know, after you're saved, you should fear this though, that you will bring pain to the heart of your Heavenly Father who loved you and sacrificed so much for you and the Savior who died for you so as to grieve the very Spirit of God. Do you fear that? You should. Now, this is very different from fear of rejection and condemnation. You know, some legalistic Christians have adopted this view of the judgment seat of Christ. Though they will say on the one hand, oh, we know there's therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. On the other hand, sins are going to be brought up at the judgment seat of Christ. And God is still holding your sins against you. You know, that's impossible, biblically speaking. If you as a believer positionally are in Jesus Christ, and He's the righteous One, and He died for all your sins, you are covered. And as God sees Christ and you are in Him, and He is the propitiation for your sins, God is satisfied. That's what propitiation means. As He looks at you, it doesn't mean He's pleased with what you're doing, but the wrath of God does not abide on you like it abides on the lost who are outside of Christ. Very different. Likewise, we should clarify that though you are in Christ and your sins are not the issue at the judgment seat of Christ, that doesn't mean God will wink at sin in the life of you as a believer. If you are living in ongoing, unrepentant of, unconfessed sin, as you stubbornly resist God and say, I want to do my will, quit convicting me, quit poking me The conviction of the Spirit of God. And you keep saying no to God. You know what he's going to do? What any faithful parent would do, say this child needs a redirection of their will. Come hither, my son. I love you and I am going to help you. Whether you see that or not. And there's chastening that's involved. God loves you too much not to chasten you. But let me ask you this, when it comes to the judgment seat of Christ, if you get to heaven and you're in a glorified, resurrected body, and your will is fixed, in essence, on serving Jesus Christ, you're incapable of sin at that moment in heaven, why would God chasten you? You see, chastening is for the purpose, not of punishment, but of restoration and correction. But when you get to the judgment seat, there's nothing left to correct. Praise God. Won't that be great? You'll be incapable of sin at that moment. So why would sin even come up as the issue? That view makes no sense at all. But I will say this practically speaking. As we think of chastening and such, Far better to judge yourself now and correct yourself than to have the Lord do it and miss out even on reward that you could have had in eternity future. So what is the purpose for the judgment seat of Christ? It is motivational. But secondly, it's also revelational. While we're in this passage in 2 Corinthians 5, look at verse 10 again with me. It says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. You see that term up here. The term in the Greek text, it's a verb, it's speaks of actually it's an infinitive, an aorist passive infinitive, it's phanerao, and it means to make plain, evident, to uncover or to reveal as to its true character. And the idea behind this term appear is literally to be manifested, to be made to appear. Now, if this is how you view the judgment seat of Christ, you need to just dash this from your thinking, because some people have the perspective that I will make an appearance at the judgment seat of Christ. Oh, you will. But there will be a whole lot more than that. For people who haven't given Jesus Christ the time of day after they've gotten saved, it doesn't mean, oh, you know, you're going to be called to heaven, you know, number 25,734. And next, Tom, come on up. You made your appearance. Go on. What this term literally means is you will be turned inside out. You will be manifested. Split wide open. laid bare, revealed, uncovered, exposed, turned inside out like a fish that gets filleted as God sees and guts the inside. You know, I don't know if this is true anymore, but years ago, ships used to sail and they'd go into a foreign port in some other nation and before they could disembark and unload their cargo, they would have to present what is called a manifest. And they would hand over the manifest and it would have inside the boat everything that they said was in there. And then they'd check it as it came out. So the insides, or the cargo, would be manifest. And God is saying, the same thing is going to happen with you as a believer. Are you ready for it? I like the illustration years ago that one Bible teacher of the past, Theodore Epuse, on the Back to the Bible broadcast before Warren Wearsby was the teacher there. So this was back in the mid to late 1900s, not too long ago. But Theodore Epp once told the story of a certain professor who in the early years of X-ray, this scientist, this professor was asked to demonstrate this new invention as part of the evening's entertainment at this party for these wealthy guests who were invited. And so he asked some of the guests present if they would allow him to take their jewels and run them through the x-ray machine. And when he turned on the current, the rays revealed the true character of the jewels. And some of the guests found, to their indignation and great shame and embarrassment, that the jewels they had purchased as genuine turned out to be mere imitations. You see, there was a manifestation that occurred. And that will be the purpose for the judgment seat. Verse 10 also has a purpose clause in it. Did you note that? That each one may receive the things done in the body. That hena clause or purpose clause could be understood as in order that. Here's another purpose for the judgment seat. That you may receive for the things you've done in the body, whether good or bad. Bad means the things that were qualitatively bad that appeared to be good. On the outside, they looked like a good deed, but God saw the inside. They turned out not to be. You say, well, doesn't that mean then, Tom, that those deeds appeared to be good works, but they really were sins? If I wasn't trusting Jesus Christ, walking by faith, seeking to glorify Him rather than myself, it was wrought of the flesh, not of the Spirit, and so forth. Isn't that sin brought up at the judgment seat of Christ? Yes, but in an indirect fashion. Because again, it appeared to be a good work, but it's exposed to be what it truly was. Worthless. Done for self. Sin, in essence. Yes. But it's made manifest. And for that, we will not receive a reward. They'll be worthless instead of worthy. The good or bad things done during our lifetime refers to the deeds that are either worthy of a reward or worthless. This passage is not saying that Jesus Christ will reward you with something good or bad, depending on how you live. Some people view it that way. They say, you know, whether good or bad refers to the reward itself. That Christ will dish out punishment as bad. You know, positive compensation for what's good. That is not what the passage is saying. It's referring to the deeds we've done, whether they were good or bad, not Christ's reward to us. But all of this, I think, underscores the main point, and that is this, that God is not only concerned about the what we're doing, but the how and the why by which we're doing The emphasis is on the internal. You remember that passage in 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. There it says, man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. And in the context, why is that verse there? Because Israel was looking for a king like all the other nations. They wanted Mr. Tall, dark and handsome who didn't have a heart really for the Lord. And they got what they asked for. Saul, be careful what you want and pray for. God might just let you have it. But God is also a God of grace. And he said, no, there's somebody better that I have in mind. And that is David, a man after my own heart. So God sees the inside and he will weigh out. why we're doing what we're doing, if we have a good attitude or a bad attitude. Not like this Sunday school teacher here. And I'll tell you, if over time you are in a position of ministry here in this church and you are doing it to be seen by men or to be slapped on the back and told, good job, brother or sister, over time that will not be enough. In fact, if you get your eyes off the Lord and you look at those things, they'll never be enough. Congratulations. thanks expressed. You will grumble and you will complain. You may be serving in the nursery, changing dirty diapers, and as you look to Jesus Christ, you hardly even smell those stinking things. Three years go by and you can sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs while you change dirty diapers. You know, but after 13 years of being in the nursery, I'm kind of getting tired of this. I'm starting to see the diaper more than I see Christ and why I'm even doing this. And so that noxious smell begins to fill more and more of your vision instead of Christ. And you know what will happen? Invariably, you will grumble and you will complain and you will say, I can't stand dirty diapers anymore. I'm out of here. And you'll affect other people who work in the nursery. It's just how it works. And I'm not even describing the Luth Bible Church. I was thinking of Word of Grace. But you know what? We are what we are. no matter what church you're in. That's the human tendency. But I'll tell you, if you are thinking and looking to Jesus Christ, that dirty diaper that you changed, that you threw in the garbage, you can offer up to God as a sweet-smelling sacrifice, acceptable in His sight, and you'll get rewarded for that. So the choice is yours. Let each one take heed how he builds thereupon, the Bible says. You know, legalism and religion just don't get this though, do they? They actually think there's some virtue in doing some deeds because it needs to get done. So at least I'm doing it. Nobody else around here sees the need, so I'm just going to do it. And they might even think, well, you know, if I just go and do it, at least some of that service, even with that mentality, might just be something that is good at the judgment seat of Christ. And therefore, if I do even more work, hustle and bustle, why, even if it's just a small percentage that Christ looks favorably upon, I'll still have, aggregately speaking, more good works and more reward at the judgment seat. failing to see, no, with that attitude, it's all going to burn. It's all in the flesh. Galatians 3.3, that was the Galatians problem. Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit? Are you now made perfect, mature, going on to completion by the flesh? You see, your flesh, your sin nature has two outputs. Overt sin, which isn't even going to be brought up at the judgment seat of Christ. There's nothing to expose or manifest. Or religious good. That's what's going to be weighed. And you know, we all have this bent at times, don't we? It's the sin nature. We want flattery, approval, recognition, called the approbation lust. Let's read about this in Matthew chapter six. Turn with me there next. I'm going to speed through here what's left on your handout. I don't think I get a part two, so. In Matthew 6, the Lord Jesus addresses attitude and reward. And He says in verse 1, And you go on in the passage, verse 2, and it speaks of the hypocrites, religiously, who like to put money in the offering box, pray out loud, fast to be seen by men so that they could receive glory from men. So Jesus says in verses five and six, when you do these good deeds, do them in secret so no one sees. And your heavenly father one day will then, who sees in secret, reward you openly. That speaks of a future time of judgment. So let me ask you, are you wanting the compensation now? Or are you willing to accept deferred compensation, even if it's not in this lifetime ever, but reserved only for the judgment seat of Christ? You say, oh, I believe that we should do all our good works as unto the Lord and not as unto men or to be seen by them. That's a thoroughly biblical principle. Yeah, I'll go apply that today. I'll go serve in the nursery without recognition, maybe for the next three years. Well, how about 20? If you don't get recognition for 17 years, are you going to just call it quits? I mean, if it's good for three years or 13 years, why not for 20, 23 years? Why not until the Lord comes? That's the principle. And I'll tell you, it takes humility and it takes faith to trust the Lord that one day he sees and he'll reward me. It doesn't matter what men see. I can still go on serving with a good attitude, even if others don't recognize it. Let me just give you, to speed things up here, a few things you can fill in in your handout here. You can see we're really short on time. My problem has never been speaking too short. There's just so many good things to say about this subject. The judgment seat of Christ is for present motivation. It's for future manifestation and also for future evaluation. In first Corinthians three, we have a passage that talks about all our works will be evaluated as to whether they fall into the wood, hay and stubble category or the gold, silver and precious stones category. Those things that will pass through the fire test of Christ's searching, just judgment. And this is a passage that applies not only to Christian leaders, but to all believers. Some wrongly interpret 1 Corinthians 3 to be only for leaders, but no one is exempt. This is true of all. And that's why the passage goes on to say, every believer's work will become manifest again or clear because it will undergo a test, a fire test of what sort or quality it is. Again, the issue is not amount. It is quality. And do you want a religious bonfire at the judgment seat or do you want some genuine reward? What is the fire that's referred to in this passage? Well, it could be metaphorical or it could be literal. I don't know. If you want further discussion on that, I'd be glad to talk to you later about that point. It's definitely not a reference to purgatory, as here the issue is the believer, his works being evaluated, not he himself passing through a fire test. And the issue is not salvation in this chapter. So, there's four main points as far as the purpose for the judgment seat. Present motivation, future manifestation, future evaluation, and lastly, final commendation. Final commendation. The overriding condition to receive a reward is faithfulness. That's what 1 Corinthians 4 says. And Jesus Christ there is said to be the judge, because again, he's the only one truly qualified to judge another believer. And so if you are found worthy of a reward, 1 Corinthians 4-5 says, then every man will receive praise from God. This is one aspect of the judgment seat that we tend to forget. The praise aspect. But it will be there. Even if you have a big heaping ash pile and three little quarter carat diamonds just barely shimmering under the pile. Christ says, I will commend you and reward you for that. How should this affect your walk with the Lord now? Keep in mind that Christ is the judge. That means you don't need to judge others motives. In fact, be very careful here. Christ will judge them. Each one, each believer stands or falls before the Lord, not you. He's the one who knows all the facts, not you. So don't judge another. Another man's servant, Romans 14 says. And likewise, when it comes even to others judging you, as we all get judged, just as we dish it out through life, are you willing to just commit that to the Lord when you are hurt or wronged? And trust that to Him. And He will set things straight one day in that day. So don't be proud. Don't think you've arrived. Keep pressing onward and upward for the prize. Make Jesus Christ your aim, dear believer. And in that day, he will be glorified and you will be rewarded. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word today. So much rich truth, certainly worthy to ponder and study, but definitely, Father, to apply. May your spirit now take these truths and apply them to each heart and soul in life. here today, including my own. And we pray this in your Son's name today and for His sake. Amen. Thank you, Tom. Appreciate that. Very convicting. Very encouraging. And also, we do have some openings in the nursery, if you'd like to... But, unlike Word of Grace, our diapers don't stink, huh? Just a little deceived, right? Just a little deceived. Thank you very much, though. To hear the Word of God is very much clarifying. It should be in our thinking. And then our hearts, we want to bow the knee. We want to bow to Him and His will, and then truly we can expect by His grace, or should I say, as the psalm says, only by His grace, a reward. Would you please stand, we'll sing together, bow the knee. Through His love, God sent His Son to die on Calvary. By His blood, Christ Jesus paid my penalty. Having trusted in His work as all sufficient, I rejoice in Him and gladly bow the knee. Bow the knee. He is King of all the ages. Bow the knee. God alone on His throne. See Him high and lifted up and bow the knee. Kneel before Him, all adore Him. As you live to love Him more, bow the knee. What a privilege to come into God's presence. Just to linger with the One who set me free. As I lift my eyes and see His awesome glory, I remember who He is and bow the knee. Bow the knee! Bow the knee! He is King of all the ages, bow the knee. God alone on His throne, see Him high and lifted up and bow the knee. Kneel before Him, all adore Him. As you live to love Him more, bow the knee. Thank you, you're dismissed.