Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.
Jesus once spoke of a coming judgment of the nations designed to separate the sheep from the goats. When He spoke of this in Matthew 25, He made it clear that there are only two destinies for any of us. Today, more thoughts about the future and why today is the day to believe on Christ.
From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, one thing seems clear, time is running out for everybody to get right with a holy God. Dave, I want everyone who is listening to ponder what you have just said. Because even if we don't live until the day in which we see these judgments that I'm speaking about in these messages, the fact is we do not know when our day will come. For people who are listening today, who knows what is in their future? We're not sure that we will even live until tomorrow. But meanwhile, it's very important for us to be witnesses for Christ in this generation, a confused generation. That's why I've written a book entitled We Will Not Be Silenced, and I want to let you know that today is the last day we're making this resource available for you. I'm going to give you some contact info.
You can go to RTWOffer.com, or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. Let us remember we don't know when our day will come. I suppose if you believe that salvation is by works, this would be the clearest passage that you would have in all the Bible to argue that way. That if you do good deeds, you get to go into the kingdom, you get to heaven. If you do bad deeds, you're excluded.
But that would be a mistake to draw that conclusion for a number of different reasons. First of all, because the Bible so clearly teaches in other passages that it is not by works. By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. We can't be saved by good works for the simple reason that the only works that God ultimately accepts are the works of his beloved son who is perfect. And unless we put our trust and faith in Jesus, we will be excluded even if we happen to do some good works. That is clearly taught in the Bible. A simple fact is that the best deed in all the world is not an answer to our deep depravity and our sin. But we read this and it seems as if the basis of judgment was indeed what they did with these brothers of Jesus. And then we ask ourselves, well, you know, if good deeds were the way to heaven, what about somebody like Ted Turner? Didn't he give a billion dollars to charity or something like that and yet he claims to be an atheist?
I mean, what happens to him? This makes us look at the text a little bit more closely, doesn't it? Let's put it all in context. Who are these people anyway and these brethren? During the period of Great Tribulation, the Bible says that there are Jews that are converted to Christ, multitudes of them.
Revelation chapter 7 says 144,000 and it even lists the various tribes from which they come. And it says that they are sealed and they are servants of God and catch this, they have their robes washed in the blood of the lamb. Well, during the Great Tribulation, Antichrist is ruling. Antichrist is forcing everyone to take the mark of the beast. And if you do not take the mark of the beast, the Bible says that you cannot buy or sell. You couldn't go to Jewel or Dominic's to buy a loaf of bread unless you go through some kind of a scanner or some kind of an indicator that says that you have the mark of the beast.
And so all that you can possibly do in that situation is somehow survive. And these Jews, who may be the brethren about whom Jesus speaks, these Jews were helped by Gentiles, by the ethnos, and they were helped because the only way that they could survive is by help. And in doing this, the Gentiles, whatever problem, they also had to buy or sell because they'd have been ones who didn't receive the mark of the beast either. But they at least had some kind of wiggle room, whereas during the period of Tribulation, the Jews are specifically targeted by the greatest hate and satanic campaign in history.
So for these Gentiles to help the Jews is definitely a sign that these are Gentiles who also believe in and trust the Messiah, and they do not take the mark of the beast. And their good works, their good deeds are obviously an indication of who they are and who they are loyal to. And so Jesus says, as a result of that, you did this to my brethren. You visited me in prison. You clothed me. And because of that, you will enter into the kingdom. Now hang on to that for a moment as we look at the goats and see what happens to them.
You'll notice it says, in verse 41, then he will say to those on his left, depart from me you who are cursed into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me. And indeed, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They will also answer, Lord, come on now.
When did we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you? And he will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me. And then comes the most ominous verse in this whole chapter that should give us chills. Then they will go away to eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life. Who are the goats? They're the ones who took the mark of the beast.
They are the ones who would not sacrifice anything to save anybody's life or to help anyone, much less the Jews, because to do so meant that they were putting themselves in the peril and the possibility of death. And having taken the mark of the beast, they of course, were rejecting any possibility of helping Jesus Christ's brethren and that would be the sign, that would be the sign that they are unbelievers. You know, when you read the book of Revelation, and of course we don't have time to do that today, but as you do, one of the things you discover is that during the tribulation period, the distinction between believers and unbelievers is very clear. For example, in the 14th chapter it says explicitly, all those who take the mark of the beast are destined to the eternal flames where they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever. Because once you do that, you side with, you side with the devil. And by the way, there's no evidence that people in hell would ever repent of their sins. Sin has certain consequences and once you've cast your lock, you take the train all the way to the station. As we look at this passage of scripture, I'd like to leave us with two very important lessons that should be transforming in our lives.
The first is that we have to ask the question. Even though this refers to the tribulation period, the basic principle is still there for us, isn't it? And the basic principle is, who are you following and who is Jesus Christ for you? Bonhoeffer, you remember, used this passage during the time of the Nazi rule in Germany, asking the parishioners of his churches, who is Jesus Christ for you? To us, he said, Jesus Christ today is the Jew. So what we should be doing is inviting Jews in.
We should be defending the Jews. We should be willing to extend ourselves and we should be able to look into their eyes and to say, you are for me Jesus Christ. If you need clothes, I will clothe you.
If you're in prison, I'll visit you. If you need food, I'll put food on your table because I'm going to serve you as if I'm serving Jesus. So who is Christ for us? Is it a biracial child? Is it, by the way, a child that perhaps that is unwanted? Some of you mothers, God bless you. The father of your child may no longer be in the home for whatever reason, and you have to raise that child alone. Maybe it was a child you didn't want.
And there's some resentment in your heart. Can you look into the eyes of that child and rear him as if he were Jesus Christ? I have to tell you, of course, I know he doesn't act like Jesus Christ. But is he Jesus Christ for you? Is the child that you tutor over at Cabrini-Greene, is he Jesus Christ for you? Is there someone in need in your community or in the inner city, someone whom you are extending yourself, someone to whom you are able to meet their need and to say, yes, you are Jesus Christ to me and I'm caring for you as if you were he? I read this passage and I'm overwhelmed by the words of Jesus and how personally he takes our interaction with others. Did you know that in verse 35, I believe it is verse 35, he uses the word I six times.
Let me read it with emphasizing that. I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. No wonder the people are so surprised. What do you mean Jesus hungry? I didn't see you hungry.
Ah, you saw the least of these and you fed him. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me in that Osiri refugee camp. That's me who needed clothes. I was sick and you looked after me.
I don't know if I'll get a chance to say this again, but it's coming right now. Did you know that during the early centuries during the plagues that some of the early church fathers said that it was the plagues that actually helped Christianity spread because of the difference that people saw between unbelievers and believers. And the difference was this, unbelievers fled for their lives whenever there was a plague, not wanting to get the disease. Christians willingly risked their lives to take care of others, believing that they had a higher calling than life itself. And so Cyprian, one of the early church fathers said regarding the plagues, bring them on.
They're great. They help us show the reality of the Christian faith. And so Jesus said, you needed clothes and you clothed me.
I was in prison and you came to visit me. So I have to ask you today, is there anyone in your life who is Jesus Christ to you? Should we not all have someone who is in need, whom we look upon as being Jesus, whom we can serve?
What a transforming church it would be if all of us were involved in the life of someone else who needed us. There's a second lesson and this of course concludes our series of messages on God and the nations. And that is simply this, that obviously history is going somewhere. We as Christians do not believe that history is cyclical.
It keeps going around in circles and it just comes and goes with no end in sight. History is on a march that ultimately is determined by God. With your open Bible, I'd like you to look one more time at verse 34. Jesus is saying to the righteous, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
Notice that this kingdom was in preparation for a long time. Doesn't mean that God, you know, has to get his act together and needs to work. And what he's saying is it's in the mind of the Father from the beginning.
You realize that you were in God's mind from the beginning. And Jesus said that this kingdom is being prepared and has been prepared from the beginning. But notice that the same word is used in verse 41. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you who are cursed.
Last time I spoke on the fact that we have a God in America who can only bless. He cannot curse or he cannot, he cannot judge. Depart into eternal fire prepared. There's the word for the devil and his angels. Doesn't say it was prepared for man per se, though it's also clear in the book of Revelation that that's where they all end eventually, who reject Jesus Christ as savior.
Aren't you startled by the contrast that there is of the two categories and that there's no in between category here? There's no sheep and goats and then something that is neither sheep nor goats. It's either on one side or the other side for all of eternity. There are some people, bless them, who think that hell cannot be eternal because we just don't want an eternal hell.
But notice what it says in verse 46. They will go away into eternal punishment and the righteous to eternal life. And there you have two separate eternities as history marches on. You know, in Canada at the Fraser River, somewhere up north in British Columbia, you have the river crashing down and then it separates. And part of it goes to the right and part of it goes to the left.
One of the streams goes to the Atlantic Ocean, the other eventually lands up in the Pacific Ocean, and so the streams go. Now, eventually that water might meet somewhere but not in this case where you have the great divide, Jesus separating people from one another forever. And so I guess I have to ask you this question. Have you personally come to trust Christ as Savior in such a way that you say, yes, I know which side of the divide I will be on? If you were to take the time to read Matthew chapter 26 and 27 and 28, you discover that Jesus is dying on the cross and the reason that he's dying on the cross is because we are sinners. And through his death, salvation comes to those who believe. And then that gift of salvation, as it works itself out in us, we begin to serve others. We begin to find the least of these, his brethren, and we begin to serve them as if they were Jesus.
Eternity is a long time. Say to the young people present, the people who took the mark of the beast, they followed a loser. He appeared to be a winner, but he followed a loser. They followed a loser.
Don't ever follow somebody who appears to be a winner but in the end loses. During the time when you have Gladstone as being the Prime Minister of England, there is a story about a young man who came to him and said, I hope to do great things and Gladstone says that's good. He said, what do you plan to do? He said, I want to get a good education.
Gladstone says, that's great. And what then? He says, well, after I have a good education, I want to be elected to the British Parliament to make a difference. He said, that's good. And what then?
Well, the young man said, after that, I'd like to write some books to pass my wisdom on to future generations. And Gladstone said, that's good. And what then? The guy says, well, eventually I'm going to have to retire. He said, yeah, that's right. What then? Well, of course, you know, at some point I'm going to have to die. Yeah, that's right. And what then?
The young man said, I don't know how to answer that question. And apparently Gladstone says, get on your knees, stay on your knees until you have thought life through to the very end. These righteous go into eternal life. These others, eternal punishment.
And there's nothing in between. Whoever you are, think life through to the very end. Let's pray. Our Father, we are overwhelmed by this passage because we think of its implications for our lives. And then we think, Father, of the fact that it is coming and it is true.
And eventually you will have the great separation. And we think, Father, of how families are going to be separated, husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles, all determined by what they did with Jesus. Would you, Father, cause those who are present today who have never trusted you as Savior, would you cause them, Father, to believe even at this moment to say, Jesus, I receive you because I want to be a part of your company. Why don't you just talk to God now, no matter where you're at in your spiritual journey, simply say, Father, I am desirous of serving you. If you're a believer, you can say that. But those who have never trusted Christ say, Jesus, save me. Eternity is coming. Father, do in us that which is well pleasing in your sight, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. My friend, I want to have a word with you and I hope that you have a pen or pencil handy because I'm going to be giving you some very important info. I want to emphasize that if you and I knew what the future holds, if we understood eternity, even if we could understand what eternity is like, we would live differently. We would be willing to stand for Christ regardless of the pressure. That's why I've written the book entitled We Will Not Be Silenced. Of course, it deals with many cultural issues, helping us to understand the wokeism of our culture.
But at the same time, it is important for us to take the Bible in hand and say, we will not be silenced. Here's what you can do to receive your copy. Go to RTWOffer.com. Now because this is the last day we're making it available for you, I'll give that to you again. Go to RTWOffer.com.
RTWOffer is of course all one word. Or you can pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. Ask for the book We Will Not Be Silenced. And I trust that as a result of that, you and I as believers will stand for Christ and do so with a sense of love but also a sense of great courage.
Thanks in advance for helping us. It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. When you read the news, it seems the end times are right around the corner and the Bible tells of a powerful one-world leader who will emerge in those times, a man it calls the Antichrist. A listener named Patricia wrote with this intriguing question. Pastor Lutzer, will the Antichrist know he is the Antichrist before he emerges? Well, Patricia, I'm going to give you a very simple and a very short answer.
I think that the answer is no. I don't think that Judas knew that he was going to turn out to be the Judas that we know of in the New Testament. I think that most world leaders, when they take positions on the stage of history, they have no idea exactly knowing where they are going. And I suppose that Antichrist, who I believe will arise in Europe, is going to find a tremendous amount of support from people. He's going to be a peace candidate and he just thinks that he is going to be the ruler of a certain territory.
But as time develops and as he gains power, he becomes more evil. And he might not know what the Bible says about the Antichrist, and suddenly he's going to realize that he has tremendous power, he's going to desire worship, and he will not know, probably, how it will all end. Thank you, Pastor Lutzer, for that answer for Patricia's question. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer. Or call us at 1-888-218-9337.
That's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. Running to Win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life. When you lose a loved one, whether a marriage partner or a child, the sense of loss can be devastating. Often, you wonder if life can go on at all. Pastor Lutzer has a word of hope for all who find themselves in this dark place. Next time, don't miss the first of two special programs on finding purpose in grief and loneliness. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
