 we're in chapter 5 of John, and we already have been here, but we're moving on and we'll begin at verse 16. And let's see, I'll read verses 16 to verse 16. I'll just stay at verse 16, and then we'll get into our study. In John chapter 5 verse 16, John writes, For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath. So these things that John is referring to is the healing that Jesus had performed on a man. And for performing this healing on this lame man, this paralyzed man, the Jewish officials wanted to put him to death. And the reason they want to put him to death is because they believe that he has broken the law of Moses. The fact is, he didn't break the law of Moses. You see, in the law of Moses, there's no prohibition for doing good. And that's what Jesus did. He did a good thing. He healed someone in need. In Matthew chapter 12, verses 10 through 12, there's an interesting thing that occurs in a synagogue. And Jesus had healed a man with a withered hand. It says in Matthew 12, 10, behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. They asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath that they might accuse him? Then he said to them, What man is there among you who has one sheep? And if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. And so for them, it was wrong for him to do good on the Sabbath, but the law didn't prohibit doing that, which was good. And Jesus addresses that. And so again, they're persecuting Jesus according to verse 16. They're seeking to kill him because he had done these things on Shabbat or on the Sabbath. And so as this is taking place, verse 17, Jesus answered them. My father has been working until now, and I have been working. Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was his father. And I want you to note this in verse 18, making himself equal with God. And so how is Jesus responding to their persecution? Well, he points to his relationship to the father. And he's making a point here. He's saying, My father is working constantly. And so am I. You see, without God, the universe would cease to exist and man would not survive. He sustains the universe. He saves. He performs works of compassion. He shows love and mercy. And Jesus is also at work constantly. That's what he's saying. My father's been working until now, and I have been working. God continuously is at work. And Jesus said, and I am continuously at work also. According to Hebrews chapter one, verse three, the writer of Hebrews says Jesus, who being the brightness of his of God's glory, the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. God is at work constantly. And so is Jesus. He upholds all things by the word of his power. That is something constant. In Psalm 121, verse four, the psalmist said, Behold, he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Thank God he doesn't take naps. He's always awake. He's always alert. He's always doing the work. And so he says, My father has been working until now and I have been working. Now I want you to know it again. He says, My father, My father. So he called God his own father and they understood him as saying that he's equal with God. That's what it says in verse 18. When it says the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke Sabbath, but also said that God was his father making himself equal with God. And so he calls God his own father and they understand. They say he's making himself equal to God. Now the word equal, for those of you who like a little Greek once in a while, the word equal in the Greek is Isos. And what that means is it's equal in kind, equal in substance, equal in essence, equal in quality. Equal speaks of being the same nature. So Jesus Christ is calling God his father and he is equal with God. That's what you see in John 518. He's claiming equality with God and the Jews see this and understand this and reason this is blasphemy. Now in the Old Testament book of Leviticus in chapter 24 verse 16, Moses writes, Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who was born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord he shall be put to death. So that's why they're so upset. They hear him. He says my father is working. He had just in their site broken the Sabbath and now he's claiming equality with God. And for that reason they're seeking to put him to death and by the way they continue to seek to put him to death until they finally achieve that at the end of his ministry. That's what led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They never forget what he said and they used what he said to formulate a reason to kill him. Later on in John in chapter 19 verses 6 and 7 it reads when the chief priests and officers saw him they cried out saying crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said to them you take him and crucify him for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him we have a law and according to our law he ought to die because he made himself the son of God. So this is the charge that is later on lodged against Christ for him to be put to death because he has made himself they say the son of God. And so he has made himself equal with God. They're saying verse 19 Jesus answered and said to them most assuredly I say to you the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do for whatever he does the son also does in like manner. In other words I only do the things that the father does. I'm not independent of him and nor am I his rival. I do these things he's saying by virtue of having the same nature in John 6 verse 38 Jesus says there I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. So Jesus is performing works that his father has sent him to do. He's not in rivalry with him he's simply doing that which the father has said for him to do. In Hebrews chapter 10 verse 7 it reads I said behold I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will oh God. And that's why Christ came. So he said in verse 19 I say to you the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do for whatever whatever he does the son also does in like manner. Verse 20 for the father loves the son and shows him all things that he himself does and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel. So the father shows him all things that he does and Jesus does all things that he has shown. God has not revealed all things to any prophet philosopher or apostle. There are things that only he knows there are things that are his secrets like it says in Deuteronomy 29 29 the secret things belong to the Lord our God. But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law. You see on occasion he reveals some of those things to his prophets but the father didn't keep anything from the son because he loves the son and he reveals all things to him. Somebody said because God shows him all that he does he must possess omniscience for to know finite mind could be imparted a knowledge of all the works of God. So once again he says he shows me all things and he has comprehended all of these things because he's God in the flesh. Notice again it says the father loves the son the father loves the son because that's what fathers do and you want to know something I'll say this very briefly but it's true. Fathers love the son because that's what dads do and I have my sons I have my grandsons but have my sons and and I love them. I love them because that's what dads do that's all there is to it you know from the time they were little to the time that they outgrew me which didn't take much time at all but from that time to now they'll always be my sons and they'll always have that very special place in my heart and a father loves the son and God says I love my son as a matter of fact in Mark chapter 1 verse 11 the Bible says that a voice came from heaven and said you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased and so Jesus could say it the father loves the son and shows him all things that he himself does and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel notice he says I'm acting according to his revelation what he reveals I do and in verse 20 he says he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel well when you read the gospel of John and just look at the seven selected miracles by this time we've seen Jesus do incredible things he he's already turned water into wine he's already healed a nobleman's son he just crippled healed a crippled man but they're going to be greater works done in the future and it's going to cause people to marvel because that's what miracles do they a miracle is something that is done by God it's something that there is no natural or logical reasoning it's something beyond what any human being can do and a miracle is done it is something that no human being can do and so God's miracles are intended to draw people's attention to Christ there are miracles that are done that are false they could be genuine in terms of the fact that a miracle occurs or something supernatural happens but when God does a miracle the miracle that he does is intended to bring attention to his son Jesus Christ so you see that in the gospel of John you see that Jesus turned the water into wine and the people marvel over that and you see that he heals this man here just recently and they marvel over that because that's what he does he he does miracles but he's saying there will be even greater works done in the future that will cause you to marvel he's gonna feed five thousand and it's just it's not just five thousand because the number five thousand speaks of the number of men that didn't include the women and the children he's gonna walk on the sea he's gonna heal a man born blind he's he's gonna raise a friend of his from the dead greater works yes and ultimately he's gonna be the judge over all humanity greater works in verse 21 for as a father raises the dead and gives life to them even so the son gives life to whom he will his hearers knew that God has the power to raise the dead in first Samuel chapter 2 verse 6 it reads the Lord kills and make a makes alive he brings down to the grave and he brings up and he is he's able to raise the dead and he gives life to whomever he desires he can give physical life and he does when he does these miracles of raising the dead we see that when he raises Jeres's daughter we see that when he he raises the widow of Nain's son from the dead we'll see that in the gospel of John when he raises Lazarus but he is the one who gives life he gives life to the to the people who are spiritually dead and he can also give life to those who are physically dead you see he says as it as he's going on he says in verse 22 for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son now the father will judge all mankind but he does so through Jesus Christ who is the final judge in Romans 14 verses 10 through 12 Paul asked this question he said why do you judge your brother or why do you show contempt for your brother for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ for it is written as I live says the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God so then each of us shall give account of himself to God that ought to cause us to have a holy sense of fear I mean I don't know some of you in this room probably as I look around her probably a lot of you have stood before a judge maybe tomorrow but as and there's a certain fear that you've had or you can have because he has power he has authority doesn't he he's got years of your life at his discretion he's gonna make a judgment he's gonna make a ruling I can still remember in those old days you know before I knew the Lord I stood before a judge I've done that and and the fear you can you can feel the fear you can feel because you know the ruling is gonna impact you maybe for many many years many years and you stand before him with trembling some guys I knew when we're in the world they you know they were dopers whatever they got caught with weed or whatever because weed used to be an offense now it's a profitable market here in California but it used to be an offense and it was almost it was it was almost funny if it weren't tragic how my friends suddenly would clean up I mean guys who never got hair cuts or suddenly cutting their hair guys who didn't wear shoes or slacks or suddenly putting on ties and shoes and slacks when they went before the judge and they you could always tell that they weren't used to that because they were kind of awkward and stiff in these clothes because they're not used to dressing like that but they dressed up like that to try and and convince the judge that they were really decent and weren't as bad as the the crime that they were being accused of committing so they dressed themselves up and they tried to appear that they were okay good people and all of that but the judge would see through him because the charges were there and he was able to look at the charges and they were able to make a judgment so you know that going before even a human judge is is a frightening thing because you know that he has power he has authority it's been given to him by the government he's able to put you away but we don't think in terms of standing before the judge of the whole earth I guess that's just too far beyond us to really really consider maybe it is the idea that you will stand before somebody who sees everything and knows everything you can't hide from him you can't lie to him there's no there's no pleading guilty with an explanation I mean you're you're gonna be judged by the righteous judge and Jesus is speaking about that and and he is the one who is going to judge all mankind and when you stand before God in judgment Jesus in judgment you don't have anybody that you can pull alongside of you as a character witness you can't bring somebody in to plead your cause you can't you can't have people come in say well you know I wrote a letter of recommendation for him I want I want it read and read into the record because he's really a good you can't do any of that it's just you and God and it's interesting how they define that they describe Christ in Revelation he's his eyes like a flaming fire this is the one who can see right through you this is the one who is judging in righteousness and that's what Jesus is speaking about here don't ever put that don't ever think that lightly don't think lightly about that I mean I've seen guys are all braven this and that until they're in front of authority and suddenly they melt because they know that they're going down they know that they're going to spend some time behind bars and they're all like this and that before they go before the judge but suddenly when that man is saying I give you X amount of years it's an entirely different thing well at least in a few years you may might get out but when you stand before the Lord in final judgment and you standing there in your own your own righteousness and not in his there's no getting out the sentence is final and so Jesus is turning this right now into a very very very powerful conversation to come a powerful declaration because he says it the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son so in act 1731 it reads he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained he has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead you see the dead will be resurrected and will ultimately be judged and there are no second chances Psalm 89 verse 48 says what man can live and not see death can he deliver his life from the power of the grave so this knowledge provokes us to share with loved ones and people in general that's one of the things that motivates us to share our faith is the knowledge that someone I love deeply is going to stand before God and that that knowledge produces a seriousness of spirit and it also produces a humility Psalmist in Psalm 39 for this is a beautiful Psalm in Psalm 39 for he says Lord make me to know my end and what is the measure of my days that I may know how frail I am that I might not puff myself up and think I am great when in fact I'm weak so Psalm 90 verse 10 says the length of our days is 70 years or 80 if we have the strength yet their span is but trouble and sorrow for they quickly pass and we fly away so Psalm 90 verse 12 goes on to say so teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom when you're young you think that you've got nothing but time in front of you but as you grow older you realize that you have less days ahead than you have behind and you should be numbering your days so that you might have a heart of wisdom to know how to live in such a way as this pleasing to Lord and as a blessing to others he says in verse 23 that all should honor the son now notice this just as they honor the father he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him there are guys who will say people who will say well yeah I believe in God it's Jesus I don't believe in you know yeah you know that's what makes Christians different they'll say than me my faith does not include Christ as honoring him as God I recognize him as a prophet I recognize him as a good man I recognize him as a teacher but I do not recognize him they may say as God and yet I want you to see this verse 23 that all should honor the son just as they honor the father and he doesn't honor the son Jesus said does not honor the father who sent him so he says just as and I want you to notice that that all should honor the son just as the words just as means even as or in proportion in the degree in the same degree in other words somebody said it this way there is no question that this verse is commanding believers to honor revere or venerate Jesus to the same degree as we honor revere and venerate the father since the father is to be honored as God and to the greatest extent so is Jesus therefore Jesus is not a mere prophet that's something important to know he is not a mere prophet he said you honor the son even as in like manner similar to the way you honor God himself very strong scripture people ask that Jesus ever claimed to be God this is one of the scriptures where he is definitely doing that he's saying you need to honor him he is claiming equality with God he is saying if you do not honor Jesus you do not honor God in 1st John 2 23 John said it like this whoever denies the son does not have the father either he who acknowledges the son has the father also you cannot have according to Christian theology you cannot have a relationship with God if you do not honor Jesus Christ as God that is a very important thing that is what it called a cardinal doctrine that is an essential to our faith you cannot look at Jesus as being just a good person a great teacher he's God in the flesh that's why they understood what he was saying when he said God is my father and that's why they said he's making himself equal with God and instead of denying that Jesus actually clarifies that and that's why he says you need to honor me like you honor the father so as ruler Jesus is to be honored the word honored means to be valued or esteemed it speaks of being revered or prized and this kind of honor is reserved for God alone if you take scriptures down and notes Isaiah 42 8 I am the Lord that is my name my glory I will not give to another nor my praise to graven images Isaiah 48 11 I will not give my glory to another so Jesus is saying that in order to honor God you must honor the son but the Old Testament says I am God I'm the Lord that's my name I give my honor or my glory to no one else Jesus is claiming equality with God and John makes it clear later on in his epistle if you don't honor the son you don't have the son if you don't have the son you don't have the father either and that ought to be for us who are Christians that's one of those things that I'll put it like this from a practical way that is one of those things that motivated me to share my faith because one Jesus is going to judge every living being everyone shall appear before the throne of God and given account of themselves and when I and I was a brand-new Christian when I was taught that because it's right here in the word but when when that was clearly presented to me that's why I spoke to my parents that's why that's why I went across the street the day I got saved and shared with a friend of mine's mom and that's why I went home and and shared with with with my sister Madeline and my sister Becky and that's why eventually I was able to have a conversation with my parents and and pour out my concern for them they needed Jesus Christ look at if you got to heaven without Jesus what's the point of evangelization if you could get to heaven by just being a good person and leaving in a God then Jesus died in vain there's no reason for Christ to come but you can't you see the Bible says it like this every knee shall bow every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Jesus said I'm the way the truth in life no man no man comes to the father but by me there's no other name given amongst men whereby we must be saved and that's the name of Christ so everything bows down in honor and reverence to him and in heaven in heaven when we're there do you think we're going to be bounced around acting all sly and cool no when we're in heaven we're going to be on our faces before him for eternity no I rather think not but on occasion you better believe it and when I see him for the first time I suspect that when I see him my first thing is going to be to hit the ground I suspect that I suspect that the second I don't know I'm you know I could be wrong me now no I could be wrong but I suspect that well wouldn't you don't you think perhaps maybe that when you see the one Jesus I get carried away with that when I think about it I do when I see him and I've I've spent a long time the good the best portion of my life following Christ the best portion of my life reading a book about him reading a book about him you know and you read about him and what he's done and you get to know him having not seen him yet you love him it's kind of like the first time I saw Jerusalem back in 1983 I read the Bible for a while before then gospel is filled with references to the city and events that took place in it I had in my mind's eye pictures that I'd seen and then we're in a bus and we're traveling in this little winding road and a friend of mine who had been to Israel before turns to me and he says to me we're gonna be coming around to bend in just a moment you're gonna look to the right he says that'll be your first time you ever see Jerusalem and I remember I was seated there in the bus just like with anticipation and coming around the bend of this road and the city kind of like springs out it's just like unfolds it explodes and I'm looking at the city that I had read about but now I see with my eyes or when you think of Job and Job in the book of Job is the most righteous man God speaks of him he says he hates evil he fears me and and all through the book of Job you see a conversation with Job's friends and Job's arguments and Job saying you know I wish I had a lawyer to stand between me and God I'd plead my case I'm innocent how come on going through this and you know the book of Job well enough to know that's what he goes through all that time and and finally he's asking question I would ask him this and I would ask him that and asking question and question and question after question and a lot of people in this room have probably said when I see God I'm gonna ask him these questions I got a whole list and we can think that way but then the Lord says who is this that darkens understanding who is this who's talking without knowing who is this and God speaks to Job and he says let me ask you some questions and he starts asking some very basic questions for a few chapters and then Job's response is very simple he said I heard of you with the hearing of my ear but now I see you with the scene in my eye and he says that I'm humbled I humble myself before you because I spoke without understanding right and so what do you think it's going to be like when you you're before Christ himself I don't know but I do wonder if my natural response is going to be to be at his feet I mean you see times in the Bible where where the Apostle Peter falls at the feet of an angel and the angel has time to get up I'm a messenger what are you gonna do when you are before the Lord of glory I can't help but believe the natural place for me is gonna be on my face and I'll be thanking him for what he did for me for what he did for you when you see him think about it that's what's supposed to motivate our lives to serve God because one day who will see him face to face and I look forward to that I really do and so Jesus is speaking he says I am I am the Lord God says I'll give my glory to no one else so if you don't honor Christ you're not honoring God in Philippians 2 10 and 11 Paul said at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father he goes on in verse 24 to say most assuredly I say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life the standard of judgment is whether we received or rejected his word it's our response to God's word that is God's standard for entrance into heaven and John 12 48 Jesus said he who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day you see when people hear the message of the gospel repeatedly it's just adding to the guilt that they have to give an account of because somebody could say well I don't really remember hearing and then the Lord can do an instant replay for you and you can see how many times you heard and kind of blew it off just rejected it well ultimately it's hearing his word and believing in the one who sent him so he's saying he who hears my word when he says he hears my word that refers to them the message called the gospel somebody said a man must hear the words of Christ in order to believe them and he must believe in order to keep them and he must keep them in order to be saved so it's embracing his words by faith that results in eternal life it's his word that gives us life and the life that we have speaks of length of days but also speaks of speaks of a quality that begins immediately it's what it's called an abundant life it's not just that we have prolonged days but it's a quality it's the quality of those days that we have in him when you have a relationship with the Lord he he blesses you like it says in Jeremiah 17 7 and 8 this is beautiful blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose confidence is in him he will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream it doesn't fear when he comes its leaves are always green and has no worries in a year of drought and it never fails to bear fruit so we're in Christ producing fruit so it's not just hearing it's hearing and believing that produces life we not only hear but we act in Matthew 7 24 through 27 Jesus said therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended the floods came the winds blew and beat on that house it didn't fall for it was founded on the rock but everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell and great was its fall so what are we building our life on we're to hear his word and believe in the one who sent him now once again this reveals the unity of the father and the son because those who truly believe the father will believe the son and they receive him as savior and the result they shall not come into judgment but they pass from death into life those who embrace his words enter into his grace and mercy immediately and this is something certain I remember when I was in the military back in 1971 72 I was in an organization a Christian organization that is called the navigators perhaps some of you have heard about it's an organization that would go on college campuses as well as military bases and you know I was a brand-new Christian and I needed fellowship and a friend of mine was part of what was called the navigators and they had meetings on on the fort and so I went and this is one of the scriptures that they gave to us that I've always remembered since since I first heard it it's first John 5 11 through 13 beautiful scripture it says this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son he who has the son has life he who does not have the son of God does not have life these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life that you may believe in the name of the son of God that you may know I am on occasion will speak to people who are not sure where they stand with the Lord I've had people approach me after services before asking is it possible that I have committed the unpardonable sin and we'll have conversations and I will ask them oh have you ever committed your heart to Christ yes are you walking with him at the moment I've been backsliding will I die and go to hell they ask me and I say well I don't know do you care if you're backsliding yes I do are you grieved over your sin yes I am do you want to be right with God yes I do I said you're miserable because you're in sin you just need to repent and get right with God you can know that you have eternal life and this life is in his son is it is it possible for believers to to become stupid again for a while yeah yeah is it possible for a dog to go back to its vomit yeah and a pig back to the to the mire absolutely but J. Vernon McGee one of my favorites in my early days said it like this he says you know a dog goes back to its vomit and a pig goes back to the mire because by nature they are dogs and pigs but a child of God may go back to that way of life but will never be blessed or pleased because they're children of God and they are most miserable because of that until they return to Christ and are washed and cleansed and forsake the vomit that they're calling food and that's true now I'm not encouraging anybody by the way as I think of this I should say this I'm not encouraging anybody to enjoy your vomit or enjoy the mud I'm not saying that you're gonna go to heaven no what I'm saying is you are most miserable when you're out of the will of God aren't you you are most miserable you're the one who wakes up saying what happened to me what happened to me I used to but what happened to me you're backsliding if you're not going forward you're gonna start going backward you're backsliding you're backsliding the funny thing is so or the true thing is is you can run a thousand miles away from God but it only takes one step to come back and that's why he calls us back so that we might learn to honor him so that we might learn to have the joy that comes the abundance of life that he has to know that you have eternal life and how come I know that I do because I believed what he has said and I have passed as you have to if you're saved from death into life and I don't enter into judgment in verse 25 most assuredly I say to you the hour is coming now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live those who are spiritually dead will hear his voice those who trust him will live you see again life is granted through faith in the gospel it's the gospel that brings life to those who are spiritually dead it's not our works of righteousness it's that message of salvation through grace and it's God's effective means of salvation like Paul said in Romans 1 16 when he said I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ it's the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek the gospel is a power of God to salvation for everyone who believes in Colossians 2 13 Paul said you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh he has made alive together with him having forgiven you all trespasses not just some of them sometimes we we seem to live and act as if we were only forgiven for some of them and we kind of want to make up to God for all the bad things we've done when I got saved I was forgiven for all of my sins all of them not a single one stays on his ledger understand that it's like he took the blood of Christ and poured it on that book that all your sins on it and washed them all away and not a single one remains he has washed us and cleansed us he says in verse 26 as the father has life in himself so he has granted the son to have life in himself and he says God has life in himself God is self-existent all life originates with the father like it says in Psalm 36 verse 9 for with you is a fountain of life but he says in verse 26 he has granted the son to have life in himself so Jesus has the same kind of life that the father has in himself in verse 27 it says he's given him authority to execute judgment also because he's the son of man so as the giver of life he's the judge over all the living because he's the son of man at the end of the gospel of Matthew Jesus makes this clear Matthew 28 18 it says that Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth and the Old Testament book of Daniel in chapter 7 verse 13 and 14 we read I was watching in the night visions and behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds of heaven he came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him then to him was given dominion and glory in a kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him his dominion is the everlasting dominion which shall not pass away his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed and one of the things that I always like to key in on is like it says to him was given dominion and glory in a kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him every person no matter what their ethnicity and no matter what their nationality no matter what their language may be we're all supposed to with one heart give praise and unity to our Savior Jesus Christ who saved us and so he says in verse 28 do not marvel at this for the hours coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come for it those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation it is Jesus's voice that will call them physically didn't call the physically dead from the graves I don't know what he's gonna say but that'll be interesting maybe you'll say just get up I don't know but he's gonna say something to him and then he's gonna call them they're gonna hear his voice and he says those who have done good will have life but those who've done evil will be judged in Daniel 12 two and three many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life some to shame in everlasting contempt those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever turning people to righteousness is another way of saying presenting the good news of salvation I pray that every person in this room has a heart to see your friends and family saved I pray that you never rest until they until either they're saved or you have a sense for the Lord who he says I've heard your prayer because I have to tell you if there's anything lacking today in the body of Christ it's it's a lacking of an awareness that our unsaved relatives are perishing and and I think the church has gone to sleep in this way in many ways we kind of like well I gave it a shot I I tried my mom let me share something my mom says my mom my mom was kind of bold my mom was talking to me one day and she said you know David I was sharing my faith with somebody and and they rejected it so I said in my heart then go to hell that was my mom I said you know mom with that I'll take a drink I said you know mom up this is in her early days she was a little firebrand I said to her mom I said that's the problem huh that's where they're gonna go I said so before you before you get fed up with an impatient with people you need to remember that's really where they're gonna go so you can never use that kind of phrase lightly because the fact is there is a hell and without Jesus that's where the unsaved end up which ought to cause us to have a broken heart for the lost and not an anger and frustration with them you know the knowledge that we shall be raised and that we will be with the Lord produces joy in us Job 19 25 to 27 I I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth and after my sin is destroyed this I know that in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not another how my heart yearns within me the Psalmist in Psalm 17 15 said as for me I will see your face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness and then finally in verse 30 I I can of myself do nothing as I hear I judge my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me I do nothing outside of the authority of my father this is the nature of our unity I'm not independent of him so my judgment is righteous because I'm not seeking my own will I'm not biased I have nothing in me that's selfish I didn't come to do my own will I came to do his will and my judgment ultimately is just and the reason it is just is because I am just in Revelation 19 verse 11 will close with this we read now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges it makes war we need to remember and I'll close with this thought that the baby that was placed in a manger that was placed on a cross after being placed on the full of a donkey who is placed in manger placed in a donkey placed on a cross well the same one will be on a horse and the donkey as you know he rode into Jerusalem with peace when he returns he rides on a horse for war I see the Lord Jesus Christ with balance I see him as that meek caring loving savior but I also see the ferocious nature of righteousness when he cleanses the temple and when he speaks to Pharisees and calls him unrighteous hypocrites same Christ who weeps over cities wept over individuals he cried over Jerusalem and wept over Lazarus but he saved he reserved his harshest words for hypocrisy for a failure to understand who he is and to live accordingly and ultimately he will be our judge you know for us as believers we don't go through the judgment that unbelievers go through we receive rewards for our works of service we go to what is called the beam a seat of Christ to receive reward thank God for that but those who don't know him stand before the great white throne and they receive the penalty due to their sin and because we do have friends and family who don't know Christ need to pray more for them we need to take opportunity when given to us to share a little bit even if it's as simple as inviting them to church just to let them know we care that there is a judgment coming because the same one who said come in is going to also say I never knew you that's sobering when you consider it thank God for those of us who were saved we're gonna hear well done come on in and that is something we all should look forward to