 So, beginning here in Matthew 25, at verse 31. Reading to verse 40, and we'll get into our introduction, it's going to be a detailed introduction, a reminder, if you will, and then moving into the passage. We'll begin reading in Matthew 25, at verse 31, reading to verse 40. Jesus said, When the Son of man comes in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them, one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom, prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty, give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in? Or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to you? And the king will answer and say to them, assuredly I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least, these my brethren, you did it to me. When we've been looking at Matthew chapter 25, let me refresh your memory for a moment. The first 30 verses of chapter 25 included two parables. And as we were looking at those parables, the parables were intended to emphasize two things. One, they emphasized that the return of Christ would be sudden, and for those who were unprepared, his return would be unexpected. So for that reason, people were commanded to be on watch. As a matter of fact, Jesus said to watch more than once. In chapter 24, for example, he had said in verses 42 and 43, he had said watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming, but know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. He said in chapter 25 verse 13, watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the sun man is coming. And so Jesus had already given them commands that they were to be on the alert, that they were to be busy watching because he would be returning. And so he spoke concerning that he would return, his return would be sudden, and for those who were unprepared, it would be unexpected. Therefore there to be on watch. The second parable emphasized that believers would demonstrate their readiness by serving. If we believe in other words that he is returning, then we're going to be busy serving him. And so we need to remember that saving faith is always revealed by a serving faith. And so when somebody really believes that the Lord is returning, they're going to be busy about their master's business. So we serve the Lord. Even as it says in Psalm 110 verse 2, where it says serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Or like it says in Titus chapter 2 verse 14, that Jesus gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people's zealous, he said, for good works. And so a saving faith is always revealed by a serving faith. And so as Jesus was given this parable, he made it very clear that Christians are not going to be sleeping in complacency. They're not going to bury the gifts that God has given to them. They're going to be alert and busy serving him until he returns. Now as he's giving those parables, he concluded with a sober statement that we saw in verse 30, where it says cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, and then he goes on to say, there will be weeping in gnashing of teeth. And so judgment, he is saying, is going to come. Judgment will come upon those who refuse to serve him. In Luke 19 verses 26 and 27, he said it like this. He said, I say to you that to everyone who has will be given, and from him who does not have even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them before me. Strong and sobering words about using what God has given to you and doing so as unto his glory. You see, in rejecting his warnings, all that unbelievers have, all that unbelievers have in the end, is judgment. And that's what Jesus has been speaking about. So as we look at Matthew 25 and continue on, we need to remember a few things in order to understand the context of the separation of the sheep from the goats because Jesus is speaking concerning judgment again in this passage. And so to lay a foundation a little bit further, we need to remember a few things. One thing we need to remember is all sin is known to God and all sin will be punished. All sin is known to God and all sin will be punished. There's nothing I can do in other words that he doesn't see. He sees everything. Psalm 90 verse 8 says, you have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Our secret sins, the secret things, the things that we think nobody is aware of, the things that we do when we're by ourselves and we think we have no witnesses. It's a little hard for us to conceive of that today to the degree that even 10, 15 years ago, it was possible to think in terms of like, oh, I can get away with something because everybody's carrying their phones and taking pictures of everybody no matter what. I mean, if there's an assassination attempt, you'll get three or four different angles of the same thing. As a matter of fact, sometimes people are so busy taking pictures of somebody in trouble that that person ends up getting more hurt because they never put the phone down to help them. And so what we're dealing with today is we're dealing with a population that doesn't really understand that there are things that really are kept secret. And yet, when you consider it a bit and you think of your own private habits, of course, there are some things that are known only to you. They're your secrets. And yet, they're not really secret because the Bible says to us, you said our iniquities before you are secret sins in the light of your presence. So it's not only the things that we're doing, but it's also the things that we feel or think that God is aware of, every single thing, every secret thing, the things that we think we're getting away with. It's filling a little bit from the company or getting up and using that computer when everybody is gone from the house or when everybody's asleep. Those kinds of things, they're secret things we think we're getting away with. But the Bible says, no, there's not a single thing that you do that God isn't aware of. Jeremiah 16-17 says it like this, my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. I see it all. Hebrews 4-13, nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid to bear before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. So there's nothing that you or I do even when we're in secret that is really secret. And so, one, we have a God who knows all things. When it comes to judgment, one, he knows all things. Two, we have a God who is righteous and is revealed in Scripture as the judge who is righteous. In Psalm 7, verse 11, God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses His wrath every day. 2 Timothy 4, verse 8, there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. So God is a righteous judge. One, God has all the information. Two, God is righteous. And then following, there will be a final accounting because God has all the information and He is a righteous judge. And there will be a final accounting in Romans chapter 2, verses 6 through 8. Paul said, God will give to each person according to what He has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. And for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. And so He's a righteous judge. He sees everything. There's a final accounting. And yet tying all of this together is the knowledge that God doesn't desire any to be lost. He wants everybody to escape the final judgment. He wants everybody to escape His wrath. In Peter 3, verse 9, the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. And so what Jesus is teaching here in what is called the Mount of Olives Discourse, chapters 24 and 25, is that He has a desire for people to escape the judgment. His desire is like it would say in 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 4, His desire would be for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. And so because Jesus wants everybody to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, His disciples are also to have that desire. And when the disciples have the desire for people to come to the knowledge of the truth through Christ, that's going to fuel their ministry. And that's why Jesus Christ was ministering the Mount of Olives. He was sharing with them these things so that it would fuel them as they went out to the world because He wants us as believers to rescue people from the coming judgment. But the judgment is coming and that's what He's speaking about here in Matthew 25. And so in verse 31 again in beginning there and reading to verse 33 we'll look at this passage together. He says it like this. He says when the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him then He will sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides His sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on His right hand but the goats on His left. So we'll look at that and try and take it apart a little bit to understand what Jesus is speaking about what's taking place here. We see that this judgment is going to take place at His second coming when the Son of Man comes. That would be at the end of the tribulation. And we see that there's a judge and the judge will be Jesus Christ who refers to Himself as the Son of Man. Now in verse 31 when He speaks of the Son of Man we need to remember that that's a title. When you read your Bible you might want to note that there are times and titles are used to help us to identify who's being spoken of. Son of Man in this context is actually taken out of Daniel in the Old Testament chapter 7 verses 13 and 14. That's a title of Messiah because in Daniel 7, 13 and 14 we read in my vision at night I looked and there before me was one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the ancient of days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power all people's nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away. His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. So when Daniel was speaking concerning this and referred to him as Son of Man that's a title Jesus takes upon Himself. It's a title of Messiah and so we know that the judgment takes place at the end of the tribulation we know that the judge is Jesus Himself the Son of Man. We also see that He comes in glory with His holy angels. Now I already mentioned that to you out of Jude 14 and 15 but Paul again in 2 Thessalonians 1 7 and 8 said it like this. He said the Lord Jesus shall be revealed to the angels in flaming fire dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And so He's returning with the glory of His angels and it occurs in Jerusalem. Now how do we know that? Well, again it says in verse 31 He will sit on the throne of His glory. We know that the throne of His glory would be in Jerusalem because Jerusalem is the city of King David and a promise was given that is spoken of in Luke 1 verses 32 and 33 where it says the Lord God will give Him, speaking of Jesus the throne of His father David He will reign over the house of Jacob forever His kingdom will never end David's throne was in Jerusalem and Jesus' throne will be there and that's where this judgment is going to take place. Now who is going to be judged? Verse 32 All the nations it says all the nations will be gathered before Him. That speaks of every person alive at His second coming. Now let me develop this with you for just a moment to help you to get an idea of what's taking place. I've been asked this question and so I'll answer it in this study some of you perhaps have wondered and the question has been will there be people saved during the seven year period of time called the tribulation and the answer scripturally is yes there will be people who are saved. The rapture of the church is going to happen. The believers who are here are going to be taken to be with Christ. There will be people who are left behind who are not saved but during the seven year period of the tribulation there will be an effort for evangelism and many will come to faith in Christ. Gentiles as well as Jews. Now how do we know that while the Bible says that the Bible teaches that multitudes of Gentiles and Jews will come to faith in Christ? In the book of Revelation in chapter 7 verses 13 and 14 it says one of the elders answered saying to me who are these arrayed in white robes and where did they come from? I said to him, serve you know. So he said to me these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and wash their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. So there will be Gentiles who come through the tribulation who come to faith in Christ during that time. There will be Jews who also come to faith in Christ as their Messiah during that time. Paul speaks of it in Romans 11, 26 and 27 when he says all Israel will be saved as it is written. The deliverer will come out of Zion. He will turn away on godliness from Jacob for this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. There is a great multitude who have been washed in the blood of Jew and of Gentile alike. And so what happens is they now are standing for Jesus as he's returned and Jesus is about to deal with this in a judgment way. It says in verse 33 he will set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on his left. And so even to this time if you go to Israel you've been there, you've seen this and you'll see shepherds out in the fields very often because when we're driving in the bus it's interesting some of us perhaps had some experience on farms and all but most of us didn't. My grandmother owned a farm but she didn't raise sheep and goats. She raised stinky chickens. But when you go to Israel you'll see sometimes these flocks as they're in the hillside and we'll slow down and our guide will point them out and you'll see them and you know city slickers that we are you'll hear the ooh and the ah and all the pictures people are taking pictures of sheep and goats because they're together. The sheep and goats are together and to this day in Israel you will see that you'll see a flock of sheep but mixed with them very often you'll see these goats and what they'll do is during the day the sheep and the goats are together but in the evening the shepherd actually separates the sheep from the goats because sheep are much more peaceful and more docile and goats are more rambunctious and so they actually divide them and separate them and that's what Jesus is speaking about this is a very common thing during his day when he's speaking about separating the sheep from the goats and the sheep are separated at that time and so he says that the king is going to speak to him now notice verse 34 the king will say to those on his right hand come you blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was hungry and you gave me food I was thirsty you gave me drink I was a stranger you gave me I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came to me then the righteous will answer him saying Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink when did we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you when did we see you sick or in prison and answer and say to them assuredly I say to you in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it to me at this point the tribulation survivors are about to enter into what is called the millennium the millennium is a thousand year rule of Christ on planet earth it's spoken of in the book of Revelation chapter 20 notice with me a couple of things and we'll get into some practical application notice that the kingdom that is spoken of here has been prepared from the foundation of the world but entrance into this kingdom is not based on works because it says that God prepared this God prepared entrance for them and the entrance is through faith in Jesus Christ it is not by their good works their works that are spoken of here are the fruit and not the root of their salvation these are those who had washed their robes in the blood of the lamb the works that they're performing are outside evidences of a real salvation the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2 8 through 10 it is by grace you've been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves it's the gift of God it is not by works so that no one can boast for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do so genuine Christians perform good works and Jesus lists six works that are representative these are the measurable evidences of their salvation he said I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty you took me in I was naked I was sick I was in prison and you visited me so performing those tasks during the tribulation required great faith in Christ because for them to go out of their way to care for these people in that way to feed them to clothe them to visit them was to identify with them what Jesus is speaking about it wasn't an effort to be saved by their works it was a demonstration that salvation had been experienced and so Jesus is commending them not for their works alone but for the faith that provoked them to do those kinds of things and the bottom line is is those who are saved will serve those who are saved are going to do those kinds of things because they're evidences of salvation in 1 John chapter 3 verses 17 and 18 John said it like this if anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him how can the love of God be in him dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth when he said let us not love with words when he says words that's referring to philosophic when he speaks concerning tongue that's just talking about those kinds of people that like to philosophize about love let us not be those kinds of people who like to talk about it but don't really do it ancient history class I'll give you one right now when I was around 13 or 14 somewhere in that area some group came from across the pond came from England John Paul, George and Ringo they were they became in my life the ones that were speaking into it some of you wouldn't understand that that's okay but that's what it was like in mine and there were things that they would speak about that I thought had hidden meanings and were very deep and they had songs that they would sing that I identified with as a young teen from 14, 15, 16 until I was 20 years old and much of what they had to say not everything but much of what they had to say had a great influence on me they spoke about things like money can't buy me love and I thought that's true you can't buy love it's something that you have to gain in different ways they'd say things like that all you need is love and things of that nature and it really did influence me over time there were things that they said that I didn't understand at all like I am a walrus I am a good Jew but to this day do not understand that unless they were speaking in some kind of tongue that I just couldn't interpret but they said so many things and I can still remember that they were almost like our priests and our sacrament was marijuana that's a fact so when the new albums would come out my friends and I would sit down, smoke pot and we'd listen to the Beatles and we'd talk about their lyrics they were more than just singers to me and they were more than just singers to the United States and into the world there's never been a time in the history of the world where even the black culture and other cultures would be able to mention the names of the Beatles by name that didn't happen that happened under the Beatles their influence was unbelievable unbelievable so when they began to follow Maharishi Yogi and all of that to me I thought well you know transcendental meditation get into this higher thought, eastern thought philosophy and all of that that was a natural thing and that to me was very influential very influential what you need is love and what the world needs is love that to me was 100% and that was the message and that's what made hippies hippies is we were called the love generation because we knew that what we needed was love we just didn't know the source of it so for me love was really lust that's all it was it was a word that you used because you wanted it but it was also a word that you used to make advances on somebody that's what it was so it was never really biblical love what it was was a lust it was a selfish personal greediness for satisfaction and so I would hear the Beatles speak about these things and others like that because it was the love generation and we liked to talk about love to this day the songs that people most identify with are the songs that talk about peace and love and hope those are the songs that speak to the human soul because those are the things within the human soul that are absent so you hear a song by whomever your singer may be I don't even know the new ones at all but you hear the songs that come out and you hear the words and sometimes you'll hear the pain in some of those words there's a song by Labyrinth I don't even remember the name of the song but he speaks concerning the fact that the person that left him and is with somebody else he was hoping that that all she would feel when she was gone from him was heartache and he didn't like the idea that she's actually happy without him and that's touching, that's a very touching thing if you're happy without me and I understand that that was in my soul that was in my soul I understand that yeah we were together you left me and I was hoping you'd find out there's nothing out there and come back to me but now who are you with that love that was mine is now his I understand that and so do many of you in this room but we would talk about it we would talk about it amongst ourselves while we're smoking pot or getting drunk and then we would rip each other off we would lie to one another and we would use each other and what we were is exactly what John is warning against let us not love in just word philosophically speaking about the concept going to our philosophy 101 class and learning about the aspects of love or even taking Biblical Greek and discovering the three root words or three words that are used for the one single word love eros phileos dorgue and all of that we in Agape we have to think in terms of what doesn't really mean in practical application because what we can do is we can take these concepts guys you know this and we can speak very loftily about it we can use words concerning it when in reality we don't do it we don't do it you know that old song and it is an old song now what the world needs now is love it's true it's always needed love because it's that spark of reality that God is loving we really need isn't just love we need him and that's what I discovered when I gave my heart to Jesus Christ and so verses like this when it says let us not love with the words or tongue let us not love simply philosophically and not just using using language saying oh I love your brother you know you see your brother in need and you say to him be warmed and filled and do nothing for him well Jesus said that wasn't you Jesus he said no what demonstrated that you really knew me was love in action faith in action you saw me and you saw that I was hungry and you fed me you saw that I was thirsty and you gave me water you saw that I was a stranger and you took me in you saw that I was naked and you clothed me I was sick I was in prison you visited me you know World War II when the Nazis entered into an occupied Holland and other places like Holland there were people like the Ten Boom family Corey Ten Boom and her family who saw Jews that were being persecuted they were being taken away and ultimately these Jews were being incarcerated in prison camps concentration camps and so what did the Ten Boom family do they saw them as strangers and they took them in they hit them in the house even though it cost them when the Nazis discovered they were hiding these refugees and they were imprisoned themselves and she lost her own sister and all during that horrible time that's the kind of thing Jesus is speaking about he's saying you know in the tribulation when it is so bad you're suffering you put your faith on the line and you saw the need and you met that need your faith was in action but notice the response in verse 37 the righteous will answer him saying Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsting give you a drink when did we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and cloth you sick or in prison and come to you in their way of thinking what they did was simply the way of life of a Christian it wasn't something special what this reveals to us is a heart that is led by unselfconscious good they were simply living a Christian life and they weren't expecting recognition for the good works they were simply doing what they ought to have done so I don't even remember when I fed you or I gave you something to drink or I clothed you or visited you I don't remember any of that when did I do that and then Jesus responds in verse 40 the king will answer and say to them assuredly I say to you it as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it to me don't you understand that the activity of your faith is offering to me don't you see that serving others is really a way of serving me in Proverbs 19 verse 17 he who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and he will pay back what he is given in Mark 9 41 I tell you the truth anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward they did these things as unto the Lord without even realizing that in giving to those in need they were actually giving to him but he continues in verse 41 then he will also say to those on the left hand depart from me you cursed into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels I was hungry he gave me no food I was thirsty he gave me no drink I was a stranger he did not take me in naked he did not clothe me sick and in prison he did not visit me then they will answer him saying Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you then he will answer them and I say to you in as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to me and then verse 46 terrible words these will go away into everlasting punishment that the righteous into eternal life they're cursed they're cursed because they rejected Jesus they're not cursed because they didn't perform good works you see in not serving God they did not care to serve God's children John in 1 John 5 said like this in verses 2 and 3 he said this is how we know that we love the children of God by loving God and carrying out his commands this is love for God to obey his commands his commands are not burdensome and so these people did not do it for anybody really and thus the Lord is saying your life was not demonstrating that you had a relationship with me at all and thus you will receive judgment and for them judgment is swift and judgment is final they're actually slain on the spot and they enter into eternal judgment in verse 46 it says these will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into eternal life they go to everlasting fire that's prepared as it said earlier in verse 41 that's prepared for the devil and his angels hell was not made for us it was made for the fallen angels and Satan himself God does not send us to hell so much as we choose it for ourselves and so what they do is they go into everlasting fire they're going to be eternally separated from God which means they're separated from his love they're separated from his mercy separated from his goodness they're separated from his grace they will eternally be associated with Satan there will be no joy no consolation there will be no peace that is their future eternity is a concept that I cannot wrap my mind around I don't have a clue what eternity really is but I do know this it never ends and I do know that for those who did not commit themselves to Christ for those who did not come to faith in him and demonstrate the salvation to concern for others the only thing waiting for them is what the Scripture says in verse 46 everlasting punishment that's it what is awaiting them what happens is they will receive that punishment and they're going to be incarcerated but the others who pass through the others who are the sheep on the right hand they enter in what is called the Millennial Kingdom Jesus will rule and reign on earth again it's revealed in Revelation 20 for a thousand years and as they're there in the Millennial reign of Christ at the end there will be great white throne judgment and at that time those who have rejected Christ are going to be finally and forever cast into the lake of fire up to that point they're being reserved for judgment 2 Peter 2 verse 9 says the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment so at the great white throne they receive their final sentencing and all of this and we'll wrap it up with a couple of thoughts notice how it's said again in verse 44 where it says they also will answer him saying Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you this is so common with us today human beings are this way we know this and that is we think we're better than we are we really do I used to call it a program called American Idol I used to say we have an American Idol mentality of our own righteousness because a lot of times when you had these contestants they would walk up and they would say who do you sing most like and they'd say a doll or they'd say somebody of a great stature a Whitney or whatever who do you sing like and then they do their their tryout and then you'd hear them singing and you'd oh my who deceived you what makes you think you can sing oh my and yeah but when you and then they get mad because they weren't going to be the American Idol and and Marie and I watched it a number of times and I thought oh my self deceived well you know what Americans as a people we can be very guilty beginning with myself of thinking that we're better than we really are and really unself conscious about the fact that we're not that good we just aren't but we think that we are we always compare ourselves with somebody who's worse than us we always have a friend somewhere that we can point to and say well at least I'm not like that that's how we are so we think of ourselves better and so you see that human trait here even as they stand before God himself guilty with an explanation if you will you know I'm not perfect but I tried you know when did we not you know feed you when did we not give you something to drink when did we not visit you when did we not it's like I've been a good person that is we need to understand that it's not hard for us to find a human being that we can place ourselves in opposition to and say look it I'm not that bad but judgment isn't because I'm going to stand next to somebody who's worse than me the judgment comes because I'm standing in front of somebody who's greater than me because I'm not as great as Jesus I'm not perfect Jesus is and in the light of his counting it's my darkness is revealed and the closer that you get the light the more imperfection you show and that's how it is and so there really will be no explanation and yet they're saying but what when didn't we do this they think themselves better than they are there's this thing that we need to understand it's my fault it's my fault I did it I cannot blame my dad and my mom I cannot blame my ethnicity or lack of education or finances I can't do that before God it's just me and God and he's not going to take my excuses and when these people begin to try and debate really when did we not do that we're really good people no you didn't even do the basic thing you didn't do it for the least of these and not doing it for them you are not doing it for me you have no relationship with me and therefore all you have and Jesus is saying this left for you is everlasting punishment it's not a punishment that is temporary we're not going to have a cosmic time out where we're sitting on a little stool with our face against the corner but 20 minutes later we're out it's eternal never never ending always continuing again the absence of hope the absence of love the absence of comfort the absence of joy the absence of peace the absence of relationship with God the absence of light Jesus used different ways to describe it the worm doesn't die the fire is never quenched in order for us to understand it's a terrible place it's not a place to want to be reserved and resigned you know somebody once said it like this he said you may laugh yourself into hell but you cannot laugh yourself out of it you can say oh you know that's that primitive mindset that you Christians have and that's the reason I don't like Christianity hellfire and brimstone I would ask the question once the last time I did a study including in this church on that subject most of us don't speak about it unless the passage is presenting it what we like to spend our time in is the grace and the love and the mercy of God because that's what saves you but the fact is if you reject what God offers the only thing left to you is judgment somebody said if there be one thing in hell worse than another it will be seeing the saints in heaven oh to think of seeing my mother in heaven while I am cast out husband there is your wife in heaven and you are among the damned do you see your father your child is before the throne and you a cursed of God and of man are in hell nor the hell of hells will be to see our friends in heaven and ourselves lost the hell of hells so Jesus is saying we have a choice and those who come through the tribulation they will receive judgment they will have had seven added years of opportunity they would have seen the judgments of God that were so extreme they would have seen so much and there would have been extreme opportunities for them to come to faith in Christ 144,000 evangelists that would be proclaiming the gospel they will have two witnesses who will be proclaiming the gospel an angel proclaiming the gospel they will have chance after chance after chance as judgment upon judgment increasing over seven years falls on planet earth and then it finally ends and those who survive stand before the judge and Jesus is looking and he separates people on the right and on the left he welcomes those people who are on the right come into the kingdom that has been prepared for you by my father from eternity for you demonstrated in the midst of all of this genuine faith in me for in feeding and clothing and giving water to and visiting all these who are down and out and going through so much suffering you showed real faith in me enter in it's prepared for you and then the other the goats are there saying when didn't we do that you didn't do it to the least of these who are mine you never did it to me you have a place and that place is hell not a momentary not a temporary but forever very powerful and Jesus is saying this to his men because these men soon are going to be taking this gospel to a world and he's letting them know