Yes, You'll Be There – Part 2 of 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

We pay our income taxes because we face judgment if we don't. There's something about future judgment that alters our behavior. God has set a date for each believer to stand before His Son.

What that sober experience will be like is our subject on today's broadcast. 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, we've stood together at the public Bema platform in ancient Corinth. No doubt Paul had this place in mind when he penned his writings.

Exactly. As a matter of fact, if you remember, Dave, actually written at that place is the word Bema, which means judgment seat. That's the place in Corinth where there was an evaluation of various issues. They were adjudicated right there.

And you're right. Many years ago on a tour, we were there in Corinth together at the Bema. And Paul picks up on that in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 10 and says, we as believers, we shall all stand before the Bema. There is a judgment seat.

There is an evaluation. Not in order that we might pay for our sins or be in any way punished for them, but there will be a tremendous loss of rewards. That's why I've written a book entitled Your Eternal Reward, Triumph and Tears at the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ, because I believe that there will be tears in heaven. God will wipe them away, but why the tears? Tears, I believe, of regret and sorrow. Well, for a gift of any amount, as I like to mention, it is available to you.

Go to RTWOffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Your eternal reward, triumph and tears at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. The things that we did that were good that had long since been forgotten, they're all going to be there. But the bad will also be there, and all things are naked and open onto the eyes of whom we have to do.

It will be a thorough, thorough evaluation. God keeps records. God knows. God knows.

You know, those of you who are into computers, somewhere, someplace, there's a record of the sites that you visit. God knows. God knows the sites that we have visited. He knows, and we will be judged whether good or bad. You say, well, do you mean to say that we'll actually see our sins? Well, don't ask so many questions on this first message, all right? I'm going to be preaching on what it means to suffer loss, and we're going to deal with that issue.

But I do know this. It is going to be a very, very thorough, thorough judgment. It includes what was good and what was bad. Thirdly, it's going to be an impartial judgment, an impartial judgment. For this, I bring in Romans chapter 2, where it says that the judgment of God is according to truth.

I think that's the way our translations have it, but actually, you know what the Greek word means there? It means it is according to reality. The judgment is according to reality.

It shall be an impartial judgment. You know what that means? That means that the wealthy who always get all the breaks, who pull all the strings for all the perks, won't make any difference. They're going to be just along with all the rest of us. Those who were successful in life, who always walked as if they were special. Here, we're all the same.

We're all the same. There's no distinction here. You say, well, what about pastors and missionaries? Don't they get a break?

Oh, no break at all. In fact, to them is stricter judgment. It says in James chapter 3, verse 1, it says, do not be many teachers.

Don't be quick to teach, because for them, he says, there is stricter judgment. Think of my responsibility. And I didn't intend to say this, but I'm on a roll, so I'll just keep talking. Think of how much stricter I shall be judged. I have at my disposal the possibility, the possibility of misleading many, many people. God help me that I shall not.

God help me that I shall not. But to me, shall be stricter judgment, stricter judgment. So you have all of the divisions that we have made in our minds, and suddenly those divisions don't matter one little bit.

What other people have said about us, totally irrelevant. It'll be like living in a house, and all of our houses have good things in them and bad things. By bad things, I mean messy closets, things that we wouldn't want necessarily people to be poking around. I know that I have two offices here at the church, one in which I do work, and I like to keep the door closed because everything is strewn around.

Don't snicker. Then someday the walls of our house, and I'm likening our lives now to a house, and suddenly the walls disappear. There isn't a single wall, and everything is made manifest, just all lying there, just bare open, no covering, nothing. This is reality.

This is the judgment of God according to reality, the scripture says. George Whitefield, the famous preacher, whom I greatly admire. Many biographies written about him.

Buried here in the United States by the way. Someday I want to get to his tomb. Newspapers criticized him. He was of course in conflict with John Wesley, his old friend. You remember they had an argument theologically and they had a falling out. All kinds of interesting things happened in his life. I'm told that on his tomb there are these words, the manner of man George Whitefield was that day shall reveal. The manner of man George Whitefield was that day shall reveal. How true that is. When he stands before God it will not make one bit of difference as to what the newspaper said about him.

All of the critics that didn't like him and the people who loved him and all the words that were said in favor of him and the words that were said against him. It will not matter. Will not matter.

God will not say George Whitefield you are rather famous and you preach to large crowds. That will not come up. The judgment of God is according to reality. Just take the walls down and see what is there.

See what is there. Number four. Number four will be judged individually. Notice it says in the text for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one, each one may be recompensed. You know in the book of Romans there was some argument among people.

They were judging one another regarding eating meat and and some people says you shouldn't because it was offered to idols and somebody else says yeah it's okay if you do and they're getting in all those kinds of things. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says. Why do you judge your brother or again why do you regard your brother with contempt?

By the way is there anyone here and you know a brother or sister and you regard them with contempt for whatever reason? Paul says why do you do that? Because we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. He says that every one of us shall give account of himself.

There is a word to underline of himself to God. You don't be quick to judge the motives of another person. In First Corinthians chapter 4 the Apostle Paul says look don't be so quick to pass judgment before the time because the Lord will come who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and he's talking about Christians and expose the motives of men's hearts. Don't you dare be too quick to judge. Certainly there are things people do that are sinful that we need to judge but but don't judge their motives quickly.

Hang on. Don't regard them with contempt because you are going to be answerable to God and he is going to be answerable to God and she is going to be answerable to God individually alone without any other person entering into a defense of their case. We shall give an account to God individually. You say well is it private judgment? Is it just between you and Jesus?

I don't think so. I think that people are watching. You remember in the parable in Luke 19 where Jesus talked about the man who was given the various talents and then one took out and hid the talent.

Later on Christ says to the bystanders to the people who were watching he says look take this talent from this guy and give it to the one who already has 10 talents and discipline this unfaithful servant and give it to the person who already was faithful and the bystanders did what the king told. Now at this point you say you know this is really getting scary. I mean now it's really really getting scary. I mean it's one thing to be alone with Jesus but it's another thing to have your whole life revealed and everybody's watching. Well a couple of thoughts first of all we're kind of all in the same situation remember.

That's the first thing. The second thing that I want to tell you as I've been meditating on this it's suddenly dawned on me even if it's public it won't matter won't matter a one little bit because you will not care the whole universe could be watching. The only thing that matters is the expression on Christ's face and what he thinks. Every other opinion that you've considered so important in this world the image that we have wanted to build the house and the walls that we've wanted to construct it will not be important only what Jesus thinks will matter. A football player he's looking for what the coach thinks really at the end of the day that's what matters.

The press can write whatever they like and his friends can say this and his enemies can say this. The question is what does the coach think? Now you take that illustration and then you magnify it and we're talking about Christ Lord God the one whom we love the one who died to redeem us that's who we are talking about and only what he thinks will really matter.

So I conclude we don't know for sure whether it is public I tend to think it is but I want to say to you don't worry about that don't worry about that it will not matter one little bit. We'll be judged individually we'll be judged graciously we'll be judged graciously. What is the purpose of this judgment anyway if it's not to determine whether we go to heaven or hell the fact that we're going to be in heaven is assured as we stand in this judgment.

Why have it? Well there's a law of justice that says to be recompensed for the deeds done in the body whether good or bad. Now I don't believe that this is punishment it's not as if God is saying I'm disciplining you because I expect more from you.

No by now we have our resurrected bodies and we're going to be in heaven and and punishment would kind of be what shall we say unnecessary and unfruitful and unproductive and furthermore as far as actual punishment is concerned Christ bore that for us on the cross but there is just the natural consequence of justice and recompense that is taking place. Let's suppose for example you have a boy who's always wanted to fly an airplane he just lives in dreams when he could be in a small airplane sitting next to a pilot whom he has become friends with and the pilot lives in the neighborhood and they spend time together and the little boy falls in love with this guy and and would just give anything to take to be up there with him and sitting at the controls even if he doesn't really understand them. So the pilot said to the little boy all right here's the deal you mow my lawn five weeks in a row if you do that consistently and do a careful job each time I'll take you up and we'll take a flight at the end of the five weeks. The boy does it well the first week he does it not so well the second week third week he doesn't do it at all he comes the fourth week the grass is too tall for the lawnmower so it's really just a mess when he's finished and he doesn't touch it the fifth week. So now the time comes for evaluation it isn't as if the pilot is angry he's not saying I'm going to take this out on you why didn't you do it no it's not it but when the time for the evaluation comes he can see the sadness in the pilot's face and then he can also see that the flight that he had looked forward to will not happen will not happen and that's the way I see the judgment seat of Christ but there is some people and I shall develop this in the message next week if God wills it there are some people who will not get to rule with Christ happy in heaven yes but they will not get to rule with him because they were unfaithful on earth and and therefore they will see the sadness on Christ's face because here he redeemed them at such high cost that's the thing and such undeserved love and they live for themselves and they and they do not give to God's work and they will not be involved and they will not renounce the sin that God hates so there's a natural consequence that is built into that so far as the coming rewards and the coming kingdom is concerned so we will be judged graciously I don't expect Christ to be angry I do expect him to be disappointed and John says live in such a way that we are not ashamed at his coming John told believers because some of us will be ashamed ashamed at his appearing but it will be it will be gracious it will be loving because it will be Christ Billy Graham was asked by Diane Sawyer I forget the details but I'll never never forget how the interview ended as long as I live I will see the scene etched in my mind Diane said to Billy she said how would you like to be remembered and a Billy didn't actually answer the question the way in which I think she intended it but he looked away with great sadness in his face and he said well he said I'd really like it if the Lord were to say to me well done thou good and faithful servant but I don't think that he will and with that he turned away and the interview was over as I watched that a whole flood of thoughts came to me simultaneously one of them was Billy you're being unnecessarily humble I mean it's good to be humble but let's not push this too far you have preached around the world you've preached the gospel to more people than any living man ever walked this planet and you have been faithful essentially to that message and you've traveled this world you have been pushed and pulled and used by those who have been your enemies and and you've gone through an awful lot and Billy don't be so humble that was the first thought that I had but right on the heels of it made me even simultaneously I'd have second thought namely the one that you had right now as I told you that story I know what you're thinking Billy if you're not sure that you're going to do well what about the rest of us Billy isn't that what you were thinking my goodness Billy's not sure well I want you to know that Billy at least understood something that is important to understand number one it is true that there are people whom you have never heard of that are going to do very very well at the judgment I have no question about that I think I met somebody like that several months ago I want to tell you the story of a man who's been called of God to endure incredible suffering and the way in which he's enduring it he's sure going to be ahead of me at the day of judgment and the head of a lot of us so it's true that it isn't fame because in that day as was said of George Whitfield it will not matter that Mr. Graham has been on the 10 most admired men in the world or the United States list for the last who knows how many years that will be irrelevant the manner of man Billy Graham was that day shall reveal would you remember this that this law life is training for the next this life is training for the next that's my entire message next week I want to develop that thought so that you can see what we can actually gain if we're faithful and would you also remember that every day every day we live we are either adding something to the loss column or we are adding something to the reward column every day we're doing it tomorrow morning you get up it's time to go to work you pray you give the day to God Lord I give you this day today I want to walk in the spirit I want to be obedient I want to serve you no matter how difficult the boss is that I live with I want to represent Christ well in my constituency and in my vocation and and I see everything as being given over to you and I want to walk in faith and obedience and you will be on the reward column for that day and on the other hand you can just do your own thing selfishly pursue manipulate don't take God seriously don't begin the day with him so that you can kind of just do your own thing and you don't represent Christ well that's also part of your ledger it's part of your website that will be pulled up when you stand before God and God is calling all of us to say all of us to say that we must with great soberness life-changing soberness seek God now the sins that are so skillfully hidden reveal them now to God and to someone else who can help you because because they they will they will be there as part of the evaluation it's part of the evaluation the things spoken in the bedroom Jesus says will be shouted from the housetop he said there is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed because God is into reality reality and then I ended by saying that there are some of you here who are not ready because you will not even be at the judgment seat of Christ if you were to die today you would show up the great white throne judgment because you don't know Christ as Savior you have never been shielded from his wrath and I urge you today to believe in Christ that means to say no to all human attainments all possibility that you can be saved by human rituals or religious rituals and place your trust in Christ alone decisively personally acknowledge your helplessness and your sin and flee to him and be saved because if not you will be at the other judgment remember this is not optional it is compulsory that every man stand before God either at the bima or the great white throne and if you will let us pray Father we do ask in the name of Jesus that you shall come to change us and to transform us in light of the awesome prospect of standing before you someday to give an account for today and for tomorrow and for last week we are humbled there is both joy in our hearts of seeing you but there is also the proper fear when it shall someday come out we pray father that you might cause within us a whole new spiritual revival as we as a church contemplate our responsibility grant us that father we pray and now before I close this prayer you need to talk to God if you're a Christian what do you need to say to him in light of what you've heard if you're a non-christian that is you've never believed on him call out to him in your heart right now and be saved oh father complete the work that you've begun help us not to be in a hurry to stifle your voice but to listen to it with meditation and with intensity we pray in Jesus name amen well my friend what we are talking about is very sobering isn't it we shall stand at the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of ourselves one on one in his presence let me ask you a question have you ever heard the statement you can't take it with you usually that's a reference to money isn't it well chapter six of my book entitled your eternal reward that chapter is titled taking it with you of course you can take it with you if we invest it in such a way that it will meet us on the other side that's exactly what Jesus taught he says don't lay up treasures on earth but rather lay up treasures in heaven well that's one example of the importance of living for Jesus Christ now and in this book I discuss such issues as what is the gold the silver the precious stones for a gift of any amount this book can be yours here's what you do go to rtwoffer.com that's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book your eternal reward triumph and tears at the judgment seat of Christ go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and thanks in advance for helping us as we get the gospel to millions you can write to us at running to win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard Chicago Illinois 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life Pastor Erwin Lutzer concluding yes you'll be there the first of six messages in his series your eternal reward next time a look at what we might gain when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ thanks for listening for Pastor Erwin Lutzer this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church.