R239 Understanding Judgment, PT 1

God has an encouraging broadcast available online at www.tewonline.org.

And the blue bar at the top, you'll see the John Wilton. Any time we talk about the judgment of God, we are going to be dealing with probably one of the most controversial, the most often avoided, the most difficult, the most feared, the most revered subjects that any preacher could deal with or any Christian could deal with. Many people, you would agree with me, are desperately afraid to even talk about the fact that God could ever possibly be a God who would judge anybody. And yet that is what the Bible teaches. And I'm going to say to you, my beloved friends, that the Bible says something and it is simply this.

Paul tells us in Romans chapter 8 that there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. And I want you to know without any apology today that when we talk about the judgment of God, and we're going to discover this this morning particularly, that we need to focus our attention on the love of God. Because the fact that God is a God who judges us for our sins heightens the depth of our spiritual understanding and points us to the love of God.

That is why the Bible says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not die, but should have everlasting life. It seems to me rather remarkable that Jesus having just healed the man at the pool of Bethesda in these first few verses of John chapter 5 would find such unmitigated opposition from the religious leaders desperately unhappy that the Lord Jesus Christ had dared to do anything of that magnitude on the Sabbath day which was such a holy day. On verse 16 right through the end of John chapter 5, Jesus defends his action. Jesus explains to these people who stand there in stunned silence because there is very little response to what he says in these verses. He explains to them the reason why he healed this man on the Sabbath day, seemingly in contradiction to all their religious and holy laws. It seems to me my friends that the very essence of what Jesus is saying lies at the heartbeat of this whole issue of God is judge. That's what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to these religious leaders was, listen ladies and gentlemen, you are standing there pointing a finger at me, judging me because I had the audacity to heal a man who is lame from his mother's womb for 38 years and to make him whole again, you are criticizing me for doing an unbelievable work.

But what you don't seem to understand is that I'm God and I'm the one who's judging you and you are standing in judgment and in condemnation because you don't know me. Well let's read a few verses beginning at verse 16 of John chapter 5. So because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. Jesus said to them, my father is always at his work to this very day and I too am working present continuous tense. For this reason, the Jews tried all the harder to kill him.

In fact friends, they didn't stop. It culminated in Jesus' death upon the cross and it was the very death of the Lord Jesus Christ that provides for you and me the fundamental basis of our joy in Christ being set free from the condemnation that God as judge is going to meet out upon those who don't know Jesus Christ. And so Jesus, the Bible says for this reason, they tried all the harder to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God. What an audacity Jesus had.

Jesus gave them this answer. He said, I tell you the truth, the son can do nothing by himself. He can only do what he sees his father doing because whatever the father does, so the son does also. For the father loves the son and shows him all he does. Yes, even to your amazement, he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it, then listen, moreover the father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son so that all may honor the son just as they honor the father.

He does not honor the son, does not honor the father who sent him. I tell you the truth, Jesus said, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and here it is, and will not be condemned. But then the antithesis, he has crossed over from death to life.

I tell you the truth, a time is coming. The King James Version says, the hour is coming and hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live. For as the father has life in himself, so has he granted the son to have life in himself and he has given him authority to judge because he is the son of man.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out. Those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself, I can do nothing, said Jesus, I judge only as I hear and my judgment is just.

You heard the word justification, just as if I had never sinned, my judgment is just, it is based upon justification and justification is inextricably inbound into the crucified Christ. We are bound into him, we are set free by him because he died for us, for I seek not to please myself, but him who sent me. Isn't it amazing that Jesus was trying to demonstrate to these religious leaders that God's creative rest was not the rest of inaction, but rather it was the rest of divine satisfaction. God saw that what he had done was extremely good, but something happened. Sin interrupted man's life and the Bible teaches us that God's creative work was translated into God's redemptive work. And so this same God who had created man now sat back and in Christ, Jesus began to work redemptively to save men and women and boys and girls from their sin. And that is exactly what he was doing here in the fifth chapter of John. Jesus was about the redemptive work to which he had been centered and to which he had been entrusted by Almighty God with whom he was co-equal in every sense of the word. The judgment, how do we understand the judgment?

Why in the world would the Lord Jesus Christ talk about being the judge of the world in response to these people's accusation? It seems to me, my friends, that there are many, many different ways in which people interpret the judgment one day. There are perhaps four prevailing philosophies in the world today that would summarize what many people believe concerning the judgment and life after death and what is going to happen when the world comes to an end. Four prevailing secular philosophies. I'm going to share them with you very quickly.

You ready? Number one is what I would choose to call the Mardi Gras philosophy of the end of the age. You know I lived in New Orleans for 14 years. Mardi Gras is unbelievable. If you've never been to it, don't. I want you to know that it's the time when Satan pays a personal visit to the city of New Orleans.

You can ask Dr. Pounds. He was born in New Orleans. But I want you to know, friends, that Mardi Gras has authored millions of people come to that city, and that is why my wife and I and family always left every time there was Mardi Gras. But people just go berserk. You've never seen anything like it.

Throw me something, mister. People walking around waiting for some priceless piece of plastic junk to come flying out of one of those trucks. But you know what Mardi Gras really means? Mardi Gras really means I'm going to live today because tomorrow I'm going to die. You see, in Mardi Gras, my friends, there is Fat Tuesday followed by Ash Wednesday. On the actual culminating day of Mardi Gras, which is called Fat Tuesday, it's a good name, the debauchery is something of which you've never seen. People go berserk.

I mean it is unbelievable. It means I'm going to get, get, get, get, get, get, get, get, get everything I can. I'm going to do whatever tastes good, feels good, sounds good, and in every other sense I'm going to just do it because I want to do it because tomorrow I'm going to die. On Ash Wednesday you want to see New Orleans. It's like a morgue. I mean people even paint their faces black.

The churches are filled to capacity with people confessing their sins so that next week they can go back and do the same thing again. I remember about 10 years ago on Elysian Fields Avenue near the Baptist Seminary, a little girl came to watch the Mardi Gras parade. There was a man standing in that massive crowd and all of a sudden an extra special piece of priceless plastic junk came flying out of one of those trucks and that man decided he was going to have it and he began to kick and shove and kick and shove and move. I mean he just was getting that thing, it was flying through the air and he didn't see that little girl and he kicked her out from under him. She went sprawling out on the road and that truck rode over her head and killed her right there in the street. The next day in the Times Picayune States item of New Orleans, Louisiana, the newspaper had a little article on a page where nobody would bother to read it.

Little girl dies in Mardi Gras parade. Yes, my friends, there are many people today who would say, preacher, don't preach about judgment and all that stuff. I'm going to live today because tomorrow I'm going to die. Please forgive the interruption. We'll be back with the rest of Understanding Judgment Part 1 with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment, but he insists I remind you that we are available. Available 24 hours a day on our website, www.tewonline.org, and on this phone number, 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673 and though we're a few days, day number three of this brand new year, it's still not too late to grab a copy of this wonderful resurrection devotional. It's Heaven, Life, and the Resurrection.

You'll see it on our website at www.tewonline.org, a beautiful blue leather-bound book, and it's available on our website right now at www.tewonline.org, along with many other great resources, including Dr. Wilton's book, Saturdays with Billy, about his time as being the pastor of Dr. Billy Graham. Now let's dive back into today's message, Understanding Judgment with Dr. Don Wilton. But there's a second philosophy that you find in the world, in the secular world, and that is what I choose to call the philosophy of reincarnation.

Real jaw-breaker. Well, incarnation means to be made in the flesh. You put the prefix re on the front, it means to be in the flesh again. It is a cyclical view of the rebirth of mankind. Here's what those who believe in reincarnation believe. Do you know that over 85% of Hollywood stars believe in some other form of reincarnation? From Shirley MacLaine to Elizabeth Taylor and on and on down the line.

And folks, they are spewing their junk and their lies all over America today, and people are falling for it hook, line, and sinker. Reincarnation means that I'm born into this world. I live for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100 years, I die. I just get born again into the next world. Then I live in the next world, I die, get born again. It is a cyclical view of the rebirth of mankind.

Do you know what those people believe? There are many forms of reincarnation, by the way. They believe that the quality of this life is going to determine the quality of my next life. Now in Africa, 95% of tribal Africans believe in some other form of reincarnation. I have been among tribes that believe that if you're not careful, you can lead a good life in this life, and you'll come back in the next life as a chief or a prince or a prime minister or something real good.

And if you lead a bad life, you better watch out. You might come back as some bad kind of, you know what they believe, folks? You could even come back as a frog. Man I wouldn't want to come back as a frog in South Louisiana, or you without your legs before you even know it, they are mean. You go, man, there are frogs with crutches and wheelchairs all over Louisiana. That is unbelievable. I'll never forget my wife's face the first time she had frog's legs.

She's still trying to getting over it, aren't you? Well, any rate, reincarnation, well, there's a third philosophy that's in the world today about the judgment throne of God. And that is what people call purgatory.

Mardi Gras, reincarnation, the third is purgatory. People who believe in purgatory believe that when a person dies, and I'm being simplistic, when a person dies, all people go into a place called purgatory. It's neither heaven nor hell, and in case hell doesn't exist.

It's not heaven, it is a state between this earth and heaven, purgatorial existence. And the word purgatory comes from the verb to purge, which means to cleanse or to make brand new or to wipe out the blemish of the life and the sin that you have had in your life. That is why for a person who believes in purgatory, it is absolutely critically important moments before death to get a preacher or a priest to come and pray for them.

Why? Because the closer you can be prayed over and have your sins forgiven prior to death, the less time you're going to spend in purgatory. Because the length of your time in purgatory is in direct proportion to the amount of accumulated unforgiven sin that has accrued against you.

I've got some friends in New Orleans, on the anniversary of their son's death, they go to their church, they pay money to their church, they give tithes to their church, they ask everybody to pray that their son's time in purgatory will be shortened by the grace of God. I want you to know my friends according to the Word of God, that the Bible does not teach a Mardi Gras philosophy of life, the Bible does not teach reincarnation and the Bible does not teach a purgatorial existence for those who die in their sinfulness. But there is a fourth philosophy that is in the world today and it is what I would choose to call the William Shakespeare philosophy of life. Jolly good chap was William. You know that William Shakespeare was the man who invented Tylenol? Did you know that?

He's the one who's given us English students headaches for so many years. But you know that there are people who believe what William Shakespeare put so well into one of his plays which he entitled All's Will That Ends Well. Have you ever met someone who has that kind of a, preacher, you know, man, listen, that was great today but you know, let's not, you know, don't get kind of, don't get carried away with judgement and all, it's all just gonna, it's gonna be fine, look, it's gonna work out.

They are pan-millennials, they believe that it's all gonna pan out in the end. It doesn't matter what, just don't get excited, don't ever mention hell and don't ever say that God is a God of judgement and don't ever talk about the great white throne judgement and don't ever say that sinners can never come into the presence of God because all's will that ends well. Have you ever heard a man say to you, preacher, don't worry me now, maybe one day I'll sort this all out but not now, not now. Remember John Wayne, we used to love John Wayne. You know, I saw John Wayne overseas so many times really, when I came to the United States, I thought all the men in the United States were as good looking as John Wayne and then I met Jerry Pounds. But you know, John Wayne, we used to go and watch John Wayne movies all the time and I was a real John Wayne fan, he was a wonderful person. Do you remember his final interview just three weeks before he died on national television? The interviewer who didn't quite know how to describe life after death said to him, Mr. Wayne, you're so famous and you're so loved, do you believe that when you die that you know that you are going to, you know, that when after you, you're going to go up, you know, up, down, well, do you believe it? And Mr. Wayne looked across that national television audience and he said, ah, I don't know about all of that stuff but I guess I'm fixing to find out one of these days, ain't I? Someone told me that it was their understanding that John Wayne gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ just prior to his death. You know, I hope that's the case because that means I'm going to see him again, I like that.

He was a wonderful person, very much loved all over the world. The Bible says there is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in union with Christ Jesus. That powerful teaching from God's Word today and that reality of scripture telling us there's no condemnation for those who are in union with Jesus Christ is not Dr. Wilton's opinion, it's not our opinion as a team, it's scripture and I pray that you understand God is ready to bring freshness to your perspective of scripture with Bible teaching like this every single day. You know, you've heard Dr. Wilton as he's been standing in the pulpit and preaching and teaching from God's Word, the book of John, matter of fact, tomorrow we'll finish the particular message called Understanding Judgment with Dr. Wilton, but before we leave today I pray that you'll open your heart to what Dr. Don wants to share with you next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today I repent of my sin. I confess my sin to you and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. If you've prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey and in just a moment I'm going to come back with a final word. Maybe moments ago you were praying along with Dr. Don Wilton to give your life to Jesus Christ or rededicate your life to Christ.

You need to know we as a team and Dr. Wilton personally would love to pray with you and for you about this decision and help you in the next steps by giving you some free resources that will help you grow. I pray that you realize that our goal is to continue to present the Word of God, the living Word of God, the encouraging Word to you through Dr. Wilton's teaching and so many other resources because it's changing us from the inside out. As we launch this brand new year, perhaps if you just made that decision to give your life to Christ, to rededicate your life, you'd give us a call so we can put these resources in your hands. Our phone number is 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. We stand ready to pray with you and for you and to send you those free resources Dr. Wilton wants you to have that will help you grow. You can also let us know about your decision on our website, TEWONLINE.ORG.

That's TEWONLINE.ORG. While you're there you'll see many resources that will help you grow in your faith including a very special one about Dr. Billy Graham. Hello everybody. You know my friends know me as Don Wilton, pastor, friend, neighbor, dad, husband, grandpa.

But I'm going to tell you people all around the world just like you know and identify Dr. Billy Graham as that man that God used to reach so many people around the world for the Lord Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Graham in a very personal and intimate way, both as his friend and as his pastor. In fact for many years I drove up to his home in Montreat, North Carolina and visited with him every Saturday just like friends do everywhere. We sat together and ate together, walked, talked. We discussed politics, friends, places, people. We laughed our heads off.

We did everything one could possibly imagine. That's why I wrote this wonderful book, Saturdays with Billy. It's all about a personal relationship and I hope and pray that Saturdays with Billy will be a blessing to you, will inspire you and will encourage your heart just as Mr. Graham encouraged my heart and changed my life.

God bless you my friends. It's just one of many resources available on our website at www.tewonline.org and when you're investing, purchasing a book, whether it's Saturdays with Billy or the new devotional, you are also investing in the ministry of sharing the love of Jesus Christ with people around the world. He wouldn't be the first to tell you but Dr. Wilton receives absolutely no income from the Encouraging Word ministry. He's a pastor and the church takes care of him and me as well and the rest of that money as it comes in is to provide resources and to invest in airtime for sharing Jesus Christ. We finished the year with a glorious, wonderful $200,000 matching gift and that has put us very, very close to a wonderful opportunity to go on yet another network with the message of Dr. Wilton every single week. And so if you didn't give at the end of the year, there's still an opportunity for you to participate in the ministry of the Encouraging Word by going to our website www.tewonline.org to share your gift. We'll meet you online at www.tewonline.org.