we continue our series on the life of Christ. I was noting this past week that I began this in June of 2009, going through the book of Matthew and the life of Christ. I hope that you have gained some insights and been blessed to understand more about the ministry of Christ. Three and a half years he was here on earth teaching, and then ultimately we know that uh... he in fulfillment of god's eternal divine plan went to the cross to die for the sins of his people christ died a predetermined death in a predetermined place predetermined manner for a predetermined people nothing accidental about the death of jesus christ it was all according to god's eternal design he died to save his elect people and every one of those to whom christ died every one of them are redeemed by the precious blood of christ have been justified every one of them i believe the holy spirit of god will ultimately quicken and bring them to the knowledge of christ as their lord and savior we believe that it is the immediate work of the holy spirit of god in fulfillment of the eternal covenant in the work of regeneration he will not fail in that work as christ has not failed in his work of redeeming his people from their sins and Romans the eighth chapter very well sets that forth the eternal plan of God concerning His elect people. Now, here in this twenty-fifth chapter, our Lord is teaching just a few days, in fact, no matter if it's Monday or Tuesday, before He is crucified on Wednesday. He is living, staying in Bethany with the house there where Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived, which is just a short distance from Jerusalem. no more than maybe a couple miles, maybe two and a half miles, depending on which way you go, whether you go around the mountain or over the mountain. We've been blessed to be there at Mount Olive, which is on the east side of Jerusalem, and this is where our Lord was living, staying during this time. He had entered into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, and then went to the temple and began his teaching ministry there in the temple. It was not the first time he'd been to the temple, but it was now the last time that he will go to the temple. He will be there teaching Monday and Tuesday, and that's what we're reading here. We've looked at the 23rd, 24th, 25th chapter And we will ultimately then get into the Lord's Word in the 26th chapter concerning the death, of course the Last Supper, the Lord's Supper being instituted in the 26th chapter and the 27th chapter, His Crucifixion and Resurrection, His last days. The 25th chapter now of Matthew, we spoke to you last in the first 13 verses about these 10 virgins. We have likened them and our understanding that this depicts the Lord's marriage speech are the main subject is down in verses 12 and 13. Verse 13 particularly, what's there for? For you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh. You are well aware that a few weeks ago a man predicted that A certain day would be the end of the world, or the rapture of the saints, or whatever you want to call it, the church. And that, of course, has not happened. I think I'm looking at some saints today. I hope to be one. And we have not been raptured up. Our Lord said, No man knoweth the hour and the day when he cometh. And certainly if anyone dares to set that day, you can rest assured that that's not the day when the Lord comes. But the thing that He does tell us is to be watching and waiting for we know not the hour. Now in this chapter about the ten virgins, that's the very story I think about the difference between those who are true believers, genuine regenerative people, they are persevering, they are kept by the grace of God, they continue to watch and wait Yet there are those who are the foolish ones. They were not prepared. They were not watching. They were not waiting. And when the Lord came, bridegroom came, they were not blessed to enter into the marriage supper. That's my understanding of this parable given to us here by the Lord. Now beginning in verse 14, he tells us, For the kingdom of God is as a man traveling in a foreign country, who called his own servants, and delivered them his goods. This is a story or this is an illustration that the Lord gives different times and He is expressing something of His ministry. Now the phrase, the Kingdom of God, is not in the original. The translators put it here to help us to try to give some continuity to the story. Like I keep saying, I think the King James is the very best English translation that we have, and I don't make apology for saying that after having sat and listened to the ministry or the teaching of Brother Royce Smith last week, he's a very good scholar on the languages and a very good scholar about translation. And he affirms himself that English, the King James 1611 and what we call, referred to as the Received Text is the best English that we have. Now, but there are some times when the translators themselves, in order to try to give some continuity to our story, put some words in as we have it here in italics in my Bible, maybe in yours not that way, to tell us, try to give us some understanding. But this is not describing the Kingdom of God as such per se. It is telling how God reckons with people, deals with people. Now one of the things that I think that people are very apprehensive about and they really don't want to acknowledge is this, that God is going to judge people. There is a coming time of judgment. Like, everyone wants to think, I'm saying everyone, not God's people, but the world in general hopes that we die and that's the end of it. I mean, you know, if you live a life giving no thought about eternal things and living as though there were no God, you are very hopeful that there is none. It's allegedly, reportedly, that Robert Ingersoll, the very well-known, famous atheist in years past, who was giving one of his lectures about there being no God, while he was lecturing, a man stood up and interrupted him and said, I hope you're true, Ingersoll, because I'm banking on it. That man and Ingersoll himself no doubt probably learned the sad truth that there is an eternity. You and I are eternal beings. We can say that we came into existence at the time of our conception, the time when we were birthed, and we have a physical death awaiting most people, the majority of us, if the Lord does not come. But we do not cease to exist. The ninth chapter of Hebrews says the point of the man wants to die, but after that the judgment. There are many teachings and illustrations and proofs of the fact that there is an eternity and that there are two places in eternity, that there is a heaven which is an eternal place of bliss and where the presence of Christ is, where God's saints are going to enjoy His presence for all eternity. And then there is an eternal hell. The Bible teaches that. Christ taught about that. He said that it was a place of eternal torment, a place where the fire is not quenched, where the worm dieth not. So hell is a real literal place. I know that there are some who deny the existence of hell, and I'm sure that they're hoping that they're right. Sad to say, someday they will learn that there is such a place. Well, there is a reckoning of God. wherein that he will deal with us individually, personally. Now for all the saints of God, the elect of God, our sins were paid for on the cross of Calvary. And we are not going to ultimately find out whether or not we go to heaven or hell because of our good works some day in the future or some time in the future. Our eternal destiny, the eternal destiny of all of God's elect people was determined by God before the foundations of the world. And you and I are not going to in any way change that, nor will anyone else change that. We do not believe that a single one of those that Christ died for is ever going to go to hell, nor do we believe that either one of those that ever come to the knowledge of Christ as Savior is ever going to lose their salvation. That is a set thing because it is settled by God. We have been justified by the blood of Christ. It's not based upon our works, what we do. And so I declare, and I want to lay the firm foundation here, that I believe that the salvation of all of God's elect is secured by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and it is all by God's free and sovereign grace. There is no work that we can do nor must do to merit God's favor. But at the same time, I want to set forth what I believe the Bible teaches, which is the accountability or responsibility of every individual to God. Now, there are those who don't want to acknowledge that, and they hope that that is not true, but that's what our Lord here is talking about here in this parable, and it's repeated several times in the Word of God, and we will look at this very thought, that men, all of us, have an accountability unto God. Well, let's look at this proverb here, this story the Lord gave to us. The Kingdom of God is a man traveling upon a country who called his servants and delivered them his goods. And to one, he gave five talents. The word talent simply means a certain sum of money that's, I don't know exactly how we might equate it today in the modern-day monetary system, but it's a sum of money. We would say like a thousand dollars or a million dollars, but it's not quite that much. But we might say it's a thousand dollars. And to another, two. And to another, one. To every man, according to his several ability and straightway took his journey. And then he that had received the five talents went and traded in the same and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received the two, he gained the other two. But he that received one went and digged in the earth and hid his Lord's money. And after a long time the Lord of those servants come and reckoned with them. That's the subject I want to talk to us about today is God's reckoning. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, and said, Lord, thou deliverest unto me five talents. Behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His Lord said to him, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee rule over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliverest unto me two talents. Behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Then he that received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, and the word hard would be the word harsh or severe, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid and went and hid that talent in the earth. And lo, there thou hast that is thine. His law of ancient said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, gather where I had not strawed. Thou oughtest, therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers, and then, at my coming, I should have received mine own with you, sir. Take, therefore, the tallow from him, and give it to him which hath ten tallows. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have an abundance, but to him that hath not shall be taken away even though which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into out of darkness. and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The Lord's reckoning with people. And I believe that every individual has a certain reckoning before God. Now you'll note that our Lord here is describing in a general story about that reckoning. And he likens it, and he says that he gave to his servants, each of them several, in verse 15, every man according to his several ability. God's sovereignty bestows certain gifts and abilities onto individuals. You can very well tell that I'm not the most handsome person in the world, and those of you who know me, I'm not the most intelligent person in the world, and you also know I'm not a very rich person. There are those who are blessed of God to have a great deal of intelligence. and those who are very handsome or good looking with their looks, and others who have various abilities to make money in various ways. There are various talents that people have, and they're just not those talents also. There's the talent of being gracious. There's the talent of wisdom, a solemn of old. God blesses certain people with certain wisdom. And though they may never obtain any great riches in the world, yet they are blessed with certain wisdom. And there's the wisdom of being able to be gracious to people. You meet some people you know that they just have a gracious spirit about them and they just have a whole aroma about them or charisma about them that you just enjoy being in their company because they are of large heart. I'll use that phrase. They're gracious and they are very kind and loving people. Those are various talents. each according severally as his ability. And you'll read in the book of Corinthians that Paul talks about that not all of us have the same talents, not all of us have the same abilities, same gifts. Not everyone is a God-called preacher, but every one of God's people, I believe, and every individual to some degree or another has some abilities, talents given to them by God. The very fact that they can live and walk and breathe is a gift from God. Some people think that God's never given them any blessing at all, but yet they are walking, they're talking, they can see, they can think, and yet you know that there are other people who are born in a condition where they don't have those abilities. They don't have a good faculty of their mind. They maybe are born blind or they can't talk. or can't walk. Those people, for God's reasons, knowing only unto God, those people are not blessed with certain of these talents. But here the Lord tells about, He leads, this Lord leads, this Master leads, and He leads people with certain responsibilities. And He leaves them with that responsibility as He sovereignly has determined that they have ability to handle that. No doubt one of the reasons why I'm not rich is because God knows that I wouldn't have the ability to handle it. I probably would lose everything or waste it away. And you know sometimes people who win the lottery, they come into all this money all of a sudden, they come out of poverty and they win the money and next thing you know they're back in poverty because they just don't have the ability to handle money. So God's sovereignly knowing each person's ability. And you might be reminded of what Paul says in Corinthians when he tells us, what has thou received as though you did not receive it? And if you receive it, why boastest thou as though you did not receive it? And so whatever talent you have, abilities we might have, we are forewarned by the Word of God that we ought not to be proud about that talent, that ability. It was God's gift to us, and as God's gift to us, we are therefore accountable and responsible to God for that. The breath that we breathe, the years that we are blessed to live in, the food that we enjoy, you know, people here in America most certainly will be accountable and are accountable to God for much more things than people who are born in what we refer to as being third world countries. Our Lord, I believe, taught that somewhat in the 11th chapter of Matthew when He talked about certain cities. And he warns them and tells them, and I very readily will tell you that I don't understand all about this subject that I'm about here to read about, about more tolerable in the day of judgment, but it does not prevent me from preaching and teaching about it. You know, I don't understand how a black cow can eat green grass and give white milk, but it's a fact of life, and it's a reality, and I enjoy the benefits of it. Well, most certainly I'll tell you that there are a lot of things in the Scriptures that I don't really exactly understand how it operates. But nonetheless, it is my responsibility to declare what the Word of God says. And of course, it's your responsibility, as I repeat to you several times, it's your individual responsibility to examine these things as to whether or not they be according to the Word of God. But in the 11th chapter of Matthew, our Lord is upbraiding, in verse 20 we read, "...then he began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mining works were done, because they repented not." Now, just note that very statement there, "...because they repented not." Now, there are those who want to argue and say, well, repentance is a gift of God and nobody can effectually, savingly, repent unless God gives them the ability to do that, most certainly. God must work in the heart, quicken that heart, there must be a God-given life there, and God must grant, as the Word of God says, God must give the ability to genuinely repent. That genuine repentance is the result of an inward working of the Holy Spirit of God within the heart whereby there is a total change of our attitude toward God. Well, there are many people who repent and the Bible talks about there being a godly sorrow whereby that leadeth to death. You know, a man gets caught in a crime or gets caught doing something he ought not to do and so because he has to go to jail, he makes some repentance. News this past week, a man known by many of you as John Edwards, brought to court and after he was brought into court, afterwards he made acknowledgement of his transgression and He said that he had done wrong and asked people's forgiveness. Well, whether that is a genuine repentance, I don't know. That's between him and God. I'm not making judgment about the matter. But I'm just saying that illustrates what I'm talking about, that many times as people are caught in a certain crime, they then will manifest and speak about repentance in order to try and gain favor and mercies from the court. But Godward repentance is the result of the inward work of the Holy Spirit of God whereby that God gives to us a new heart and a new disposition, changed disposition, toward God and about sin. We love God where once we hated God and we now hate sin where once we loved sin. And that is the inward working of the Holy Spirit of God and it's nothing that you and I can produce, nothing that you and I can do. It's all of God's grace. But here he upbraids these cities because they repented not, because he had done many mighty works. Here is the Son of God. He is teaching, he's preaching and performing many mighty works, and yet they do not repent. It simply shows to you the depravity of man, the hardness of people's heart, for him that though there would be the greatest preacher to ever walk the face of the earth, yet they repented not. It proves also that repentance cannot be brought about and is not brought about simply by the preacher. and so he upbraids them. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mining works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Most certainly, if those mining works and why they were not done, again that's a sovereign act of God's judgment, why those mining works were not done in those cities was because God would be pleased to judge them. You know, he sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh and said, 40 days and I will destroy that city. And the king of the city said, let's put on sackcloth and ashes and let's pray, perchance, perchance God may repent. Now that does not mean it's the same as man repenting. Man repents because of a fault, an error. God's repentance simply means he has a Withdrawing of one attribute or one mind, as it were, to declare something else. Changes. We're talking about, as the theologians use, this is an anthropomorphic term. That's a human term to express God to us. Now, you and I, I'll just tell you something. You may not be aware of it. We don't understand all about the mind of God. And God has to condescend to try to express Himself to us. And you and I, hopefully, are blessed by the Spirit of God to understand a little bit about the mind of God. And yet the Word of God says that God is not as man that He repented. Here is a humanistic expression about, and so the king said, for chance God would repent about this. And God did grant repentance, and God did spare, and I say repentance in a physical way, God did spare the city of Nineveh that immediate judgment. Which should tell us something about that we ought to pray for the worst of cities. There are those of us who are meeting praying for the city of Aberdeen. Some people think that this is the worst city in the world. I don't think so, but some do. I can name a few other cities that I think are much worse. I'm thankful that I don't live in San Francisco. I'm thankful I don't live in New York City. I'm thankful I don't live in New Orleans or some other of these big cities. But it doesn't make any difference to God. Sin is sin, and God can work in any place according to His own will. But here He expresses that these cities were under accountability because they had not repented. The Word of God says that God commanded all men, every word, to repent. The very breath that you breathe, the very life that you have, every talent that you have there as a human being came to you as a gift from God and God will ultimately hold you responsible for how you use your life. how you use your faculties, how you use your mind, how you use your eyes. Tragic it is that most people, because of their depraved nature, use all their faculties and all their talent, how that they might conceive some way or another to do more wickedness. But God will bring them into judgment. Now, as I said, there are those who don't want to think that God reckons with people. The book of Jeremiah, we'll just start there and look at a few verses of Scripture in the seventeenth chapter of Jeremiah. There are others. Well, let me just go back to the book of Proverbs while I'm there, going backwards in my Bible. In the book of Proverbs, about the fifth chapter, the writer is warning the young man about wicked people, and he says that God will judge, the fifth chapter of Proverbs. Chapter 5, verse 21, For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord. He pondereth all of his going before the eyes of the Lord. 16th chapter, verse 2, All the ways of man are clean his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Weigheth. Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah tells us in verse 10 that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. But look what he says. Your own heart might deceive you and you might deceive others. That's verse 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? The truth about the matter is we don't actually fully, completely and perfectly understand our own hearts. But verse 10. The Lord searcheth the heart. I try the reins for what purpose? That he might just simply know about everything about people? I try the reins to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. That's the reckoning of God. We might deceive people. We might appear to be very godly. We might appear to be the best moral person in the world. But our hearts, our hearts would be deceitful and desperately wicked. And God tries that heart. He knows it. And He examines it. To give to every man according to what his works should be. Well, come over to the 14th chapter of the Romans. You have an expression here by Paul telling us about God's judgment. Romans, the 14th chapter, he warns us that we ought to be careful how we set judgment on people. And he says, verse 10 of the 14th chapter of Romans, Why dost thou judge thy brother? Why dost thou set it not thy brother? Well, you know, especially Christian people are very quick to pass judgment on everybody else. And we think that we know exactly everything about why they're doing such and such and who's right and who's wrong. Now, Paul and Matthew, the Lord tells us that we should not judge any man. Well, the word judge there means to condemn. That means to cast eternal judgment as though. But we ought to judge their fruits. We ought to examine what kind of life, what kind of what they're preaching and what they're teaching. We're not just to be so naive and say, everybody out here that claims to be a Christian, but most certainly he is a child of God. Well, our Lord tells you in Matthew chapter 7 that many will come in that day and say, Lord, Lord, have we not in thy name cast out devils and in thy name prophesied and in thy name done many, many works? But he will say to them, depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I know you not. Now, that just ought to put some fear in some people's mind because we might deceive people, we might deceive the world, and we might appear to be very religious, yet the Lord would say to us, ought to in judgment, I know you not. Now that word, to know, there means the very same thing which we read in the 8th chapter of Romans, to foreknow. It means to embrace with God's love. It means I have never loved you. You've never been part of my eternal covenant. And so you might talk in my name, you might use my name, and there are many religions in the world that do that, that you might use my name and my name claim that you're doing certain things, but when the day of judgment comes, I'll say, depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I know you not. So Paul here, though, warns us about sitting in judgment about everybody, especially those who claim and have every reason that we have to believe that they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Now, there are those who come under the blanket of being Christians today that I don't think are brothers and sisters in Christ, in my understanding, because they don't believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. They don't believe in the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. They don't believe in salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God. They don't believe the Bible. There are many things they don't believe, but yet, as far as the world is concerned, they are under the blanket of being Christian. Now, they may be a brother to me and Adam, but they certainly are not a brother to me and Adam. I don't believe in Christ. But anyway, we are warned and cautioned for this very reason. Why dost thou judge thy brother? Why dost thou set it not thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We ought to, in your Bible, circle the word all. For we all shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There is a reckoning. There is an accounting which God will give to every one of us. We might deceive the world. Someone has said, you might deceive some of the people some of the time, but you can't deceive everybody all the time. Well, I'd like to think that there are some people who are almost deceiving the whole world. I won't mention by names now, but there are many preachers and many politicians that are deceiving the whole world even today, almost, except for God's people. But nonetheless, nonetheless, there is a day in which we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Now, as I've said, this is not to determine whether you go to heaven or hell, but it is in our reckoning. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse, well, I'll start reading at verse 9. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 9. Wherefore we labor. Now, I'm a strong believer in the free and sovereign grace of God. I believe that salvation is all of God's eternal grace. I believe that it is only by the grace of God working in us, even as believers, that we can live godly lives and do live godly lives. But then Paul often times talks about this matter of laboring and doing good works. In fact, in Ephesians 2, 10, For we are his workmanship, creating Christ Jesus unto good works, with God before ordained, that we should walk in them. That's by the grace of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we will and do walk in them. Paul says, Wherefore we labor, that where the present are absent, we may be accepted of him. Again, we're not talking about whether you go to heaven or hell, but we are talking about approval, favor. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, whether they be good or bad. Now, I'm not going to try to back away from that one bit. I believe, as I said, in the free and sovereign grace of God. I believe that salvation is all of God's grace from beginning to end. But I will also set forth to you what I believe the Bible teaches, which is the accountability and the responsibility of every individual because we must give an account unto God. Oftentimes, I've had people to curse in front of me. And then they would say, Oh, I'm sorry, preacher. I apologize. And I would tell them, it's not to me that you need to be given account, it's to God. And there are people sometimes, you know, who will do certain things and they will make an apology to men, but ultimately they must give an account to God. David in Psalm 51, when he's confessing his sin of adultery and sin of murder. He says, against thee and thee only have I committed this transgression. What's he talking about? Well, every sin is against God. It is the holy law of God that we offend in our sins. Yes, Christ for his elect people has died to pay the punishment for our sins and as believers we are to live in a life whereby that we magnify the Lord and glorify the Lord. Our Lord Himself said, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, that's God-wrought works in our lives, God-gracious, manifesting self in our lives, that they might glorify your Father which is in heaven. Not that we would be glorified, not that we would be honored, but that our Lord would be honored and glorified. But then if our life is such a way that it brings some reproach upon the name of Christ, or question as to our Christian integrity, There is a reckoning. The 11th chapter, 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about that. He's writing the church at Corinth and they've got some problems at church at Corinth. They've not been living right, some immorality going on there, there's some problems about heresies, there's some problems about drunkenness going on there, and he's talking about the Lord's Supper In verse 29, he says, And he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, in an unworthy manner, eateth and drinketh damnation, that's judgment to himself, not desiring the Lord's body. You profess to be a Christian, you come and you're a member of the Church, but yet your life is such a way that you don't glorify the Lord, you don't live God-honoring life, you are bringing discredit to the Lord and to the Lord's Church. and there are not some people who have done that and you know of in certain places where preachers even have brought discredit to the Lord's name and the Lord's church now look for this verse thirty for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep now he's not talking about just laying down in the bed and going to sleep Paul's talking about being dead and now it's the fire in chapter five acts, whether you want to say that they were born-again believers or not, I'm not going to raise that issue right there, but I will say they were professing members of that church. They had submitted to baptism and they were part of that company there at Jerusalem. But when they lied unto God about that money, God killed them! Now verse 31, if we would judge ourselves We would not be judged. Now the word judge here, there's two different Greek words here, verse 31, two different Greek words. If we would judge, the word there is to discern. If we would examine ourselves, if we would pass some judgment on ourselves, use some discretion. Use some God-given Holy Spirit counsel. Use the Word of God as a pattern. Don't just think that you can go out here and live like the world and be immune to God's reckoning. It won't happen if you're one of God's children. I'm telling you. If we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged. And there the word means to condemn. But when we are judged, and here's a different Greek word, which means to be chastened. Now, if you're one of God's children, the Lord's going to chasten you. Hebrews 12 chapter, he talks about that. That if we're the Lord's children, we are most certainly going to be chastened. And why are we chastened? Well, we're told right here in verse 32. For when we are chastened, when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. There was an old country song many, many years ago but it expressed a philosophy here and it said evidently the woman, the girl had done something wrong and the song said something which I'm not condoning the song but it talks about the philosophy. Smack her down again, Paul, we don't want our neighbors talking about our kids. Now, I'm not approving of that song. What I'm talking about is this. You see, your behavior, my behavior, our behavior casts a reflection upon Christ and the family of God and the church of Jesus Christ. And the Lord is saying to us, He will chasten us that we might not be condemned with the world. Fact of the matter is, the fifth chapter of this very same book, the fifth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul writing to the church there, the sixth chapter rather, of Korah, he says that, I'm reading verse 4, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together by my Spirit and with the power of Jesus Christ, to deliver such a one unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Paul says this person who is living in this sin, that the church, by church, what we refer to as church discipline, we are to deliver this person to the power of Satan, who has the power of death, deliver this one to the power of Satan, that the body might be destroyed, but the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord, the Lord's reckoning. Now, I readily admit all about that subject I do not fully understand, except to speak it and to set it forth. The Word of God says, 10th chapter of Hebrews, I'm reading, For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. I believe Paul here is talking about this person who has a knowledge about things. mental knowledge, mental knowledge, I'm emphasizing mental knowledge, not a spiritual knowledge, but then they go on in opposition to what they've been taught and reared in, maybe, like children grow up in good Christian homes and that they come under the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, they just don't ever, it doesn't ever take any root in their lives. There remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. For he that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. That was a Jewish person reared in Israel under Israeli law. If they violated those terms of the covenant of Israel, They were to be put to death without mercy. There was no repentance that they could obtain, forgiveness that they could obtain. How much sore punishment, suppose you thought worthy, who trodden underfoot the Son of God, and who carried the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and done despite of the Spirit of grace. big division, discussion here among all theologians about what that's talking about, whether they're talking about an elect person or a born-again person losing their salvation, or whether it's a person who's never been born again. I take the latter side because of what is consistent with the other scriptures, which is A child of God does not lose their salvation, but it's this person who supposedly, who has made this claim that they've been redeemed by the blood of Christ, that they have the Spirit of God, a false professing person. For we know him that said, vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense, said the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge his people. The ultimate decision is not mine, it's not the church's, you see. I think I know who Paul's talking here about, but I may be entirely deceived, but I do know this, and this is what I've set him for, the Lord will judge his people. Now, that does not exempt even preachers. Thirteenth chapter of Hebrews, Paul says in verse 17, Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves for what? For they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account." Who is it counting to? It's not to the church, it's not to any council anywhere, it's not to any man anywhere in the world. It's to Christ! I'll tell you, my responsibility, of course, is to this congregation, to the church, but ultimately, my accountability and my responsibility is to Christ. I'll tell you something else. I'm not the head of this church. It's Christ. I'm just a temporary shepherd. Look at what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 5. He's writing to pastors and he says that we should feed the flock of God in which among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, not by compulsion, but willingly, not fulfilled the illugrate, but of a ready mind, neither as being lawyers over inheritors, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. What is this that Paul, Peter is talking about? The chief shepherd. Every pastor is a shepherd, but he's an under-shepherd. He's a temporary shepherd, so to speak, until the Lord comes. And if that pastor has served faithfully, if he's been as that servant who had ten talents, or five talents, or two talents given to him, rather, if he's been as one of those servants, the Lord will say to him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord. Hopefully that will be mine. ultimate blessing from the Lord, that God will count me as being faithful and that I will hear the Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, and so I'll submit to you. I'm not much interested whether you approve of me or not. I hope you all do. Thank you that you tolerate me and that you keep coming back. But that's not ultimately my goal, that you like me. My accountability is ultimately to Christ, whom I must give an account. I like to be liked. I want to have all of your approval and so forth. But if I preach and teach the Word of God and I try to do it in love, if I speak to you the Word of God by the Spirit of God, my accountability is ultimately to God and it is to every pastor, every preacher. And if a preacher preaches error, his accountability is unto the Lord. He must reckon with him and he will reckon with him. And then there was that servant who took and hid his talents. The Lord called him an unfaithful servant. I believe again that this is describing a false professor. I believe this is an unregenerate person. The reason I believe that is because he said to be cast into outer darkness and the phrase there is THE literal Greek word THE outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is not just talking about something that's here in this world is talking about eternity, wherein it's called the outer darkness, ultimate judgment, wherein that this person is cast into outer darkness. He is a person who does not know the Lord, and the only thing that he thinks about the Lord is that he is a harsh master And so he, as it were, abuses the talent that God blesses him with, whatever that may be, and his ultimate destiny is, the Lord will say to him, out of darkness, for there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You say, well, I believe that I'm a child of God. I don't have to worry about that. I will tell you the ultimate judgment is in the hand of the Lord for all of us. He shall reckon with His people. I'm not teaching and I don't want you to get any idea that I'm talking about a person losing their salvation. Nor am I teaching and do you get any idea that I'm talking about the fact that God will some way or another weigh our good works and if they're good enough that we will get to heaven. That's not at all what I'm talking about. I've emphasized and began to tell you that God's, our salvation is in the results of God's eternal grace, sovereign grace. But I will tell you that there is an accounting and a reckoning for every man, woman, boy and girl that ever comes across the face of the earth. And that reckoning is not unto men, but that reckoning is unto Jesus Christ. John, the 17th chapter. I'm sorry, Acts, the 17th chapter. Paul, speaking there on Mars Hill, said God has appointed a day. Now, it's not the day that men would set, but it's the day that God has appointed, and I don't know when that day is, but I will tell you it's in God's eternal plan, and according to God's eternal counsel, there will come a day in time He's appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. Righteousness. Now, all judgment in this world is not righteous. The courts of our land don't always judge righteousness. But in Revelation, John said he saw the Lord coming and truth and righteousness and he judges the world. He is the true one. He is the righteous one. And as our Lord came in the first advent to save His people from their sins, He is coming the second time. It's not for salvation. It is coming for judgment upon the unsaved. The world, the saints of God, shall be in the presence of Christ. We've already read we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That will be not to determine our eternal destiny, but that's the Lord's approval and blessings. but he is upon the day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all, in that it raised him from the dead." The Lord's Day, every Sunday, every Lord's Day is a confirmation to the world that there's coming a day of judgment. Whether they believe it, whether they live in accordance to it or not, whether they fear God or not, Yet the Word of God says our God is a consuming fire and it's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God. I could take you back to the Old Testament and talk and show you many, many times where God brought down great judgment upon the world, the flood, God condemned the whole world and destroyed the whole world except for Noah and his sons. Sodom and Gomorrah, God rained down fire upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin of sodomy. God's judgment is manifested time and time again. I think that all the earthquakes, I think that all the tornadoes, I think that all the devastations that have ever come across the face of the earth ever since time ever began are reminders to us of the mighty power of God or the impact of sin upon the world and that God does bring judgment for wicked sins. Pompeii is an outstanding example of that. I'm fearful for our own America. that God may be pleased righteously and justly to bring judgment upon us as a nation. All the nations that forget God shall be turned into hell. Certainly we are a nation that has forgotten God. But yet the ultimate responsibility and accountability is to us individually and personally. Joshua said, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ultimate reckoning is with individually. These three servants individually must give an account and a reckoning unto the Master. Beloved, understand that you and I individually must give a reckoning unto God for the blessings of life that He gives to us, for the talents that He gives to us, for the skills that He gives for us. All of those things that God has blessed us with that others are not favored with, we must give an account to God. What should a prophet, a man, if he gained the whole world and yet lose his own soul? What will a man give in exchange for his own soul? I'm not talking about your eternal destiny. I'm talking about your life. A reckoning. To me, it's a fearful thing, an awesome thing, to think that God will search our hearts, and every idle word that's ever been spoken, we must give an account to the Lord for. And may God, by His grace, make us to be mindful of it, live in knowledge of it. Paul in that fifth chapter of 2 Corinthians says, Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. I don't believe we're going to keep anybody from going to hell, but I do believe it's our responsibility to witness, to tell people, and to seek to persuade men that they might live godly, they might fear God. Jonah went up to Nineveh to preach. not knowing what God's purpose and plan of it was exactly. But we are to persuade men knowing the terror of the Lord.