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foreign welcome to everyone we have two brief announcements the first is a reminder concerning wednesday night we have our wednesday night bible study here at 7 30 p.m currently studying the book of exodus and then on saturday this coming saturday the 26th we have our annual general meeting that's at 7 pm as well so with those announcements having been given let us turn to psalm 72 for our call to worship this morning psalm 72. a psalm of solomon obviously but a psalm concerning david's greater son even our lord jesus christ so i'll read beginning in verse 1 a psalm of solomon give the king your judgments o god and your righteousness to the king's son he will judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice the mountains will bring peace to the people and the little hills by righteousness he will bring justice to the poor of the people he will save the children of the needy and will break in pieces the oppressor they shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure throughout all generations he shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing like showers that water the earth in his days the righteous shall flourish and abundance of peace until the moon is no more he shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust the kings of tarshish and of the isles will bring presents the kings of sheba and siba will offer gifts yes all kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him for he will deliver the needy when he cries the poor also and him who has no helper he will spare the poor and needy and will save the souls of the needy he will redeem their life from oppression and violence and precious shall be their blood in his sight and he shall live and the gold of sheba will be given to him prayer also will be made for him continually and daily he shall be praised there will be an abundance of grain in the earth on the top of the mountains its fruit shall wave like lebanon and those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth his name shall endure forever his name shall continue as long as the son and men shall be blessed in him all nations shall call him blessed blessed be the lord god the god of israel who only does wondrous things and blessed be his glorious name forever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory amen and amen the prayers of david the son of jesse are ended amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to psalm 99 psalm 99 be as in bravo and we'll stand as we sing together [Music] uh [Music] is [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] well let us pray god most high it's a great privilege and a blessing to gather in your house on this lord's day we come to you and we acknowledge that you are sovereign that you are the god who made the world and all things in it you are the god who governs all your creatures and all their actions and you are the god who redeems his elect out of the world and we bless you father son and holy spirit for your glory and your power and your majesty and we pray now that as we gather in your presence you would fill our hearts with fear with trembling and with great joy for god you have not dealt with us according to our sin nor have you rewarded us according to our transgression but as david celebrates in the psalms you have taken our sins and you have removed them as far as the east is from the west and as the prophet micah says you cast our sins into the depths of the sea and god in that we rejoice we thank you for the gospel of our blessed savior the lord jesus christ we thank you that in your time you sent him forth born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those under the law that he has brought us out of darkness into marvelous light through his life his death and his resurrection that he has put into our hearts a desire to praise the god of heaven and earth and as we sing today and as we pray today and as we consider the holy scripture may we do so in a manner that is consistent with what we find in that scripture that we would worship you in spirit and in truth that we would know the presence and the power and the aid of the spirit as we conduct ourselves before you we ask that you would forgive us for all sin and remaining corruption we know that you've called us to let our conduct be worthy of the gospel of our salvation and yet we find what paul teaches in romans 7 and galatians 5 to be the reality in our own hearts we are prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love so we confess that sin now and we trust in that precious blood of the lord jesus christ to wash us and to cleanse us and to purify us as well our father we pray for any and all who've come here this morning that are still dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that you would awaken them that as your voice is able to crush the cedars of lebanon you would be able to crush the heart and hearts of men women boys and girls she would humble them under your mighty hand today through the proclamation of your holy word and that the spirit of god would bring that conviction for sin and bring as well that vision that beautiful glorious view of christ as the altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand we pray that you would save sinners here and elsewhere as your gospel goes forth today we ask that you would sanctify and strengthen your church here on earth and cause us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ and help us to persevere by your grace and for your glory we ask for your blessing upon the local church here we know there are many that have ongoing affliction in the physical realm and we just commit each one to you into the word of your grace as well god we all come here weary by the events of this past week by the events of this past couple of years and we have spiritual struggles and difficulties that beset us all all around us so god help us by your grace encourage each and every one of our weary hearts and fill us with the spirit and cause us to have joy in our hearts unexpressable and full of glory at the thought of our blessed savior as well our god we pray that you would look with favor upon the surrey church the work and vernon the work in dryden and how we rejoice in that that unity that we have with the saints in honduras and god we pray for those men all of these men that they would preach the gospel today that they would know the power of the spirit upon them in their ministry and that you would just bless each of these local churches we pray for churches here in our community we thank you that we've forged an alliance with a couple of them and we pray god that you would bless them richly and add to their numbers such as should be saved we were reminded in the last hour concerning the persecuted church and god we see all over this earth the people of christ suffering not because of criminal activity but because of their place in the savior because of their confession of the truth as it is in jesus and we just ask god that you would be merciful to them continue to grant them the grace that they need to press on in the midst of such affliction and trial and difficulty we think of that nation of china and we know that many have been arrested many are presently in jail we know that the faithful have to meet underground and yet father they continue to go forward in the fear of the lord and in the comfort of the holy spirit and in this we greatly rejoice as well god for that nation of myanmar that's been steeped in violence for so long it's become a normal practice there and yet father we see that in the midst of all of that outrage and and wickedness and chaos you continue to protect your people you continue to afford grace and help and strength to those on the ground in the compound and we pray that you would continue to do this for your glory sake we ask god that you would bless the gospel as it goes forth to the various nations of the earth we read in the scriptures that men women boys and girls from every tribe and tongue and people and nation will be assembled before that throne as we've read in the psalter at the outset of worship christ will have dominion from sea to sea and god in heaven as we read that psalm we know that it's written on the walls of our parliament building and what we have witnessed over this past little while is a great grief to our hearts and we cry out to you god in heaven that you would bring mercy that you would bring peace and stability in this land you would protect the innocent that you would remove the wicked and the godless and those among us that would continue to divide and continue to bring that kind of chaos into this land we pray as our brother reminded us in the last hour that in your wrath you would remember mercy we know that this is a nation that that falls prey to the same sort of thought that israel did in the days of isaiah when men call good evil and evil good when abortion and when euthanasia are celebrated and subsidized and protected it is truly a blight upon this generation as well god we see sexual perversion exalted to such a such a degree that it's mind-numbing and we pray that you would bless your word we pray that more and more people would be saved by your grace and for your glory we pray that your church would be revived that we would think your thoughts after you that we would stand in the gap the time of the prophet ezekiel that was the complaint of god as there was no man to stand in the gap help us as your people to cry out on behalf of this generation that you would be merciful that you would be gracious that you would be pleased to save to the uttermost all those who draw nigh unto you through your son the lord jesus christ for our political leaders we pray that you would grant them wisdom the apostle in 1st timothy chapter 2 calls upon us to pray for the civil government so that we may lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness it's always been our desires to be left alone to worship you and we pray father that you would move their hearts in such a direction as well not only worship but assembly and speech and conscience and those things that have been increasingly uh ripped away from us we ask for restoration in this land as well god solomon acknowledges your power in the restraint of civil government and we cry out to you for that as well proverbs 21 1 we know the king's heart is in your hand and we pray you'd turn it in a direction that is favorable for the people of god in this lower world and not just the church but image bearers we pray that you would be merciful and ultimately god we know the psalms are filled with those imprecations we know that the men of god cried out to the god of heaven and earth that he would remove from power those lawless men that would affect and plague the people of god lord we trust in your infinite wisdom we trust in your infinite goodness your love your power your grace your mercy and god i pray that you would remind each and every one of us that of those truths each and every day may we focus upon your names and your perfections and your works may we focus upon those things that the people of god have found comfort in throughout the the ages in this world and may you just empower and enable your church today to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness and courage to hold forth your word of truth and again in your wrath remember mercy and be gracious to us and cause your face to shine on us and may we see something of what we read in psalm 72 in terms of the dominion of jesus christ from sea to sea and we pray in his most blessed name amen you can turn again in your hymn books to 381 381 we'll stand as we sing together [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] uh [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] me [Music] [Music] uh [Music] you could turn with me in your bibles to first timothy chapter 5 for our scripture reading this morning first timothy chapter five paul makes or gives the reason why he writes to timothy in first timothy chapter 3 at verses 14 and 15. he says these things i write to you that covers what has preceded chapter 3 verse 14 namely the appointment of elders and deacons and the conduct of women and men in public worship in chapters two and three but it also applies to what follows in chapters four to six so he says these things i write to you though i hope to come to you shortly but if i am delayed i will all right so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of god which is the church of the living god the pillar and ground of the truth so paul says i want you to know how to function in god's house there are rules for conduct in the house of god just like if i were to come over to your house this afternoon you probably wouldn't want me to put my feet on your coffee table there are rules there are statutes there are commandments if we might say with reference to the regulation of our own homes our living rooms our kitchens well the church is just like that only it's god's house and notice that that's what paul says he calls it the house of god and then he further describes it as the church of the living god and then notice its primary emphasis the pillar and ground of the truth the church isn't about entertainment the church isn't about some sort of self-help the church isn't about therapy or singing kumbaya just to make one another feel good but we are the pillar and ground of the truth so when we look at these things in first timothy as a whole we need to realize this is conduct mandated by the house owner himself the god of heaven and earth so notice in chapter 5 at verse 1 do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father younger men as brothers older women as mothers younger women as sisters with all purity honor widows who are really widows but if any widow has children or grandchildren let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents for this is good and acceptable before god now she who is really a widow and left alone trusts in god and continues in supplications and prayers night and day but she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives and these things command that they may be blameless but if anyone does not provide for his own and especially for those of his household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever do not let a widow under 60 years old be taken into the number and not unless she has been the wife of one man well reported for good works if she has brought up children if she has lodged strangers if she has washed the saints feet if she has relieved the afflicted and if she has diligently followed every good work but refused the younger widows for when they have begun to grow wanton against christ they desire to marry having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith and besides they learn to be idle wandering about from house to house and not only idol but also gossips and busybodies saying things which they ought not therefore i desire that the younger widows marry bear children manage the house give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully for some have already turned aside after satan if any believing man or woman has widows let them relieve them and do not let the church be burdened that it may relieve those who are really widows but the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor especially those who labor in the word and doctrine for the scripture says you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain and the laborer is worthy of his wages do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all that the rest also may fear i charge you before god and the lord jesus christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice doing nothing with partiality do not lay hands on anyone hastily nor share in other people's sins keep yourself pure no longer drink only water but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities some men's sins are clearly evident preceding them to judgment but those of some men will follow later likewise the good works of some are clearly evident and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden amen so basically what paul is addressing now is inter personal relationships how timothy as a pastor or an elder in the church is to deal with various persons in the church notice in verse 1 do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father younger men as brothers older women as mothers younger women as sisters with all purity you're to maintain that familial respect and that love and that dignity that is befitting a gospel minister you aren't the young buck that has everything figured out so you can just sort of silence all of the old older men in the church you may have some things figured out and you may be able to prevail upon them but you don't do it in a way of arrogance and pride you rather do it in the way that paul describes and then notice in verse three it says honor widows that doesn't mean that we stand in the presence of a widow though that wouldn't be a bad thing it means to give them money provide for their particular needs later paul will use the same word in verse 17 when it talks about elders honor the elders who rule well with double honor again it's not give them respect and esteem in a special parking place it means to pay them it means to compensate them if a man works hard in the ministry of the word pay him but with reference to widows notice the apostles argument is not that the church is an atm the apostles argument is not that the church is a bank the apostle's argument is not that everybody and anybody has the right to the church's coffers no the family is the primary emphasis with reference to the relief of widows if there are widows then the family should take care of them that's not bad that's not wicked that's not mean that's not unloving that is to do business in god's world if they're your people care for them but then notice what paul goes on to say if they don't have a particular family that can provide relief he says that for a widow to be placed on the list she must meet certain criteria i think there is this assumption in the church today both in the church and outside the church that whoever has need we just shower everything upon that no there's some sort of discrimination in play here not based on ethnicity not based on gender not based on anything other than if she was faithful in the past then the church has the responsibility to tend to her and to help her to make sure that she doesn't starve to death don't put her on the list unless notice what he says do not let a widow verse 9 under 60 years old be taken into the number and not unless she has been the wife of one man well reported for good works if she has brought up children if she has lodged strangers if she has washed the saints feet if she has relieved the afflicted and if she has diligently followed every good work my purpose isn't to pick on widows my purpose is to try to disavow us of this notion that whoever has need the church must give to them now i'm so absolutely positively about compassion our our officers have always committed that on the day of judgment we would rather be found more compassionate than more hard more charitable than more uh miserly but nevertheless it is not the case that the church is a free for all and whatever it is that we have need of they're there to satisfy our particular needs family and then particular qualification in terms of the list younger widows what's paul's point go get married go find a husband don't engage in idleness and gossipy talk but rather find a man that that's what paul says you can see why subsequent generations have classified him as a chauvinist i classify him as a man under the inspiration of the spirit who is speaking good horse sense this is the remedy for a young widow find you a fella and and settle back down and then as i said there's rules governing the eldership pay them and protect them pay them and protect them notice the provision for protection verse 19 do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses they have the same expectation for biblical due process as anyone else in the church and we cannot have a situation where just anybody and everybody can level individual charges at men and and ruin their lives it must be on the basis of two or three witnesses so when we look at a chapter like this we see that paul is about not only the proclamation of the truth not only about men leading in terms of prayer and teaching and preaching in the context of the church he's not only about the appearance of women in the place of corporate worship he's not only about the confession of the church found in chapter 3 verse 16 which is christ as its object but he's also concerned with the way that the church does its business in this world there are rules that govern us in the house of god most high he owns it he mandates the way that we function and that is a blessing we're not left to try and figure it all out for ourselves he has specified clearly what he demands from his church so let us by the grace of god seek to be compliant and obedient with our blessed king who is over the church well let us pray our father in heaven we thank you for the word of god we thank you that it speaks to every jot and tittle of our lives not just as individuals or as families or as workers or whatever it is we find ourselves doing but it speaks to the church and it speaks very clearly and very unequivocally so god help us as church men and women to imbibe these things to embrace these things and to seek by grace to live in a manner that is consistent with your written word and we ask this in the name of the lord jesus christ amen well you can turn in your hymnbooks again to 389. 389 will stand as we sing together [Music] is [Music] is is [Music] me [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] we could turn with me in your bibles to john's gospel we're in john chapter 5. john chapter 5 our focus this morning will be verses 27 to 30 that i'll pick up reading in john 5 at verse 16. for this reason the jews persecuted jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the sabbath but jesus answered them my father has been working until now and i have been working therefore the jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the sabbath but also said that god was his father making himself equal with god then jesus answered and said to them most assuredly i say to you the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do for whatever he does the son also does in like manner for the father loves the son and shows him all things that he himself does and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel for as the father raises the dead and gives life to them even so the son gives life to whom he will for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son that all should honor the son just as they honor the father he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him most assuredly i say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death into life most assuredly i say to you the hour is coming and now is 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 he has granted the son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the son of man do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation i can't of myself do nothing as i hear i judge and my judgment is righteous because i do not seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me if i bear witness of myself my witness is not true there is another who bears witness of me and i know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true you have sent to john and he has borne witness to the truth yet i do not receive testimony from man but i say these things that you may be saved he was the burning and shining lamp and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light but i have a greater witness than john's for the works which the father has given me to finish the very works that i do bear witness of me that the father has sent me and the father himself who sent me has testified of me you've neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form but you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent him you do not believe you search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me but you are not willing to come to me that you may have life i do not receive honor from men but i do not receive honor from men but i know you that you do not have the love of god in you i have come in my father's name and you do not receive me if another comes in his own name him you will receive how can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only god do not think that i shall accuse you to the father there is one who accuses you moses in whom you trust for if you believed moses you would believe me for he wrote about me but if you do not believe his writings how will you believe my words amen let us pray our father again we thank you for the written word of the living and true god we acknowledge that it's given by inspiration of you that it's the infallible and inerrant word of god and that it's profitable to us for doctrine for re proof and for correction and instruction and righteousness so guide us now by the presence and the power of the holy spirit forgive us again for all of our sin and unrighteousness and we ask this through jesus christ our lord amen well in john's gospel we see not only a testimony from john the author concerning jesus as the second person of the trinity in john 1 verses 1 to 18. john the apostle john the writer of this particular book goes behind the scenes of our salvation to show us who the savior is he starts off his gospel presentation with verse one in the beginning was the word the word was with god and the word was god so he tells us that jesus the one who is identified later in 129 as the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world he is co-eternal with the father he is distinct from the father and he is consubstantial with the father he has the same nature we have uh one true and living god who exists eternally as father son and holy spirit but we not only see that in john's theological presentation in the prologue we see it in jesus earthly ministry and here specifically that's what's going on in john 5. remember that jesus heals this man at the pool of bethesda he was a paralyzed man he had been in a wretched condition for about 38 years he had nobody to help him to get into the water when that water was stirred up they thought that if you got in there first you could receive a healing but that man had been in that accursed condition for all those years and then jesus comes along and he doesn't save everybody there he doesn't heal everybody there rather he comes to the one man and with reference to that one man he heals him he gets up immediately he takes his mat and he walks now that draws from the jews opposition first to the man why are you carrying your mat on the sabbath day the man easily deflected that and said the man who healed me said i was supposed to pick up my mat so they turned their enmity against jesus as the one who had healed them and they thought that jesus was commanding sabbath-breaking so when we look specifically at chapter 5 at verse 16 that's the context for this reason the jews persecuted jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the sabbath so jesus response was to show his equality with the father to show his consubstantiality with the father he says in verse 17 my father has been working until now and i have been working so the father creates the world and then sabbaths according to genesis 2 1-3 but that wasn't a cessation from everything because god the father is active in providence and so jesus parallels the work of the father with the work of the son here on earth now that incensed them or outraged them even more because not only is he guilty of sabbath-breaking but now he's guilty of of blasphemy both of which were capital crimes so notice in verse 18 therefore the jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the sabbath but also said that god was his father making himself equal with god now of course we wonder how does jesus respond to that what we've seen thus far that he affirms it that he confirms it that in verses 19 to 23 he shows his relation to the father he has the same nature he's not the son by creation he's not the son by adoption but he's the son by nature and therefore what is true of the father is true of the son and then in verses 24 to 30 jesus takes two of the greatest works that are said concerning god and says that he has the prerogative over them in other words life that he mentions in 5 21 is amplified in 5 24 and following but as well judgment that is mentioned in verse 22 is amplified in verses 27 to 30. so that's the passage that we're considering right now christ is showing his authority as the son he is showing his equality with the father by saying that he has the divine prerogatives to give life both spiritual and physical and that he has the divine prerogative of being the judge of all mankind as van mastrak said the one to whom all divine things belong is undoubtedly the true god from eternity and consubstantial with the father as cyril says by these two god befitting deeds jesus demonstrates that he is in fact as he answers their charge in verse 18 equal with the father so last week we saw the declaration of his authority in eternal life in verses 24 and 25 secondly the rationale for his authority in eternal generation in verses 26 and 27. it is the fact that he is the eternally begotten son of the father he's come from the father and thus he has this nature now this morning we're going to look at the promise of his authority on the day of judgment in verses 27 to 29 and then finally the affirmation once more by him of his equality with the father or his consubstantiality with the father so let's look at the promise of his authority on the day of judgment in verses 27 to 29. notice in the first place the declaration of his role in the coming judgment in other words there is a coming judgment i know people always don't or today don't always believe that of or affirm that or confirm that but christ is the way the truth and the life and when christ speaks about a judgment to come you can take that word to the bank it is most certain notice in verse 24 most assuredly i say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death unto life he gives life in a spiritual sense in such a way that the person saved now does not come into judgment there the word is being used in terms of condemnation a judgment to destruction but there is this general judgment that all of us will stand before christ on on that day and that's what jesus is going to direct our attention to in verses 27 to 29 29 the execution of judgment according to verse 27 underscores again his authority with the father is equality rather with the father the one who has the ability to give life and the one who has the ability to orchestrate judgment that one is in fact god most high and that's what jesus is asserting about him as this one and then notice with reference to the affirmation in verse 28 he says do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice he uses similar language in verse 25 but notice the obvious differences verse 24 he talks about conferring eternal life on everyone who believes the gospel verse 25 he underscores what we call regeneration or being born again or being born of god and in verse 25 he says most assuredly i say to you the hour is coming and then notice and now is that means that in the ministry of our lord jesus christ when he stands before sinners and he calls them to come to him all that are weary and heavy laden and i will give you rest that's what he's referring to the one who gives the call to come has the ability to give the power to enable compliance but notice that he says the hour is coming and now is when you drop down to verses 28 and 29 it's not a now is the now is is verse 25 the first resurrection of revelation chapter 20. salvation regeneration being born again being born of the power of god verses 28 to 29 point to the future general judgment of all mankind every single one of us must stand before the lord jesus christ the apostles creed confesses it this way i believe the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting amen there's a resurrection of the body on that last day the nicene creed has and i look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come amen the athenation creed says from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead and whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works and they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire this has been a common confession of god's people throughout our ages it's that there is a general resurrection coming that's the subject matter in verses 28 to 29 jesus says he is the one that will execute this judgment jesus says he is the one that will stand in judgment and preside over that day therefore jesus is asserting his equality with the father his consubstantiality with the father these are god befitting deeds the giving of life and the provision of judgment we can't do that we couldn't execute that we can't even get out of bed sometimes without accidents not physically that way but falling over something on the on the floor we are not fit wherein christ is fit our own confession speaks concerning the general judgment this way the bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption but their souls which neither die nor sleep having an immortal subsistence immediately return to god who gave them so that's what happens when you drop dead today i'm not prophesying i'm simply suggesting theologians call that the intermediate state but then there is the general judgment and we see that the souls of the righteous being made perfect in holiness are received into paradise where they are with christ and behold the face of god in light and glory waiting for the full redemption of their bodies you see that goes on in our confession to underscore the general judgment this is a fact of our existence this is a reality of being a creature of god see pagans like a cyclical view of history they like the the circle of life sort of concept you just find yourself in this continuum you just sort of do your thing and then you fizzle out the bible presents what's called a linear view of history god is at the beginning god is in the middle and god is at the end and you see that's why i suspect there is this great effort and desire to take god out at the beginning oh the world just evolved it was a big bang it just sort of happened accidentally if we get rid of him at the beginning we successfully get rid of him in the middle and then we get rid of him at the end and see i think this is ultimately what paralyzes man not physically and literally but in terms of the fear of the unknown the reality that we will stand in judgment before the just judge of all the earth the identification of the judgment in chapter 5 verses 28 to 29 is the general judgment of all mankind the reference to and now is in verse 25 is absent the use of is coming points to a future time the object of verses 24 and 25 is the elect but the object of verses 28 and 29 is all men everybody who's in the graves will be summoned by the powerful voice of the son of god there's other passages that highlight jesus christ as the just judge of all the earth we looked at one several weeks ago in our evening services matthew 25 31-47 teaches that when the son of man comes in the glory of his father with all of his holy angels he will gather the nations before him he will separate the way that a shepherd does the sheep on the right the goats on the left and then he will confer upon the the righteous blessed beatitude and entrance into heaven but on those who have rejected him those who have not believed on him those who have engaged in wickedness he condemns them and consigns them to the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels in the book of acts they emphasize this as well the apostolic ministry peter in acts chapter 10 at verse 42 tells us that jesus is the just judge of all in acts 17 at verse 31 paul before the epicurean and stoic philosophers who liked the cyclical view of history who did not want the christian worldview who did not want to understand the reality of a creator god that would ultimately judge that paul doesn't shrink back from declaring that god has appointed a day upon which he will judge all mankind and he will do that through the agency of our lord jesus christ and he has furnished proof of this by having raised jesus from the dead see at easter time there's often the case where people finally come to church they're cne christians christmas and easter they show up at church or or women will buy bonnets for themselves and their children never understood why bonnets became the thing for easter but so it is and everybody has this religiosity on easter sunday you know what that empty tomb furnishes proof of yes the reality of justification but also the reality of damnation for any and all who are outside of jesus christ because that empty tomb is proof positive that god will judge the world in righteousness according to acts 17 and verse 31 second corinthians 5 verse 10 the apostle says we must all stand before jesus and give an account of deeds done in the body whether good or evil revelation 20 verses 11 to 15 that great white throne judgment it is the reality to be sure spurgeon on revelation 20 says found in right sustained by might and universal in its dominion look ye and see the throne on uh which john of old beheld we will stand before jesus for the believer that's good news isn't it we're happy about that not because we're great not because we're good not because we have done well but because our savior has because he lived a life of obedience to the father's law because he went as a substitute atoning sacrifice to that cross because he was raised again that third day he is our victor he is our champion he is our messiah he is our prophet priest and king he is our mediator he is the surety of a better covenant it is through his blood that we have cleansing it is through his righteousness that we have clothing and we will be able to stand before him on that great day and marvel at the redemption that he wrought for sinners like us it will be magnificent it will be glorious and we pray with the the seer and the book of revelation even so come lord jesus what could be more awesome than to stand in his righteousness on that day and to hear him say well done good and faithful servant it's a boon to the christian heart it gives us the impetus to persevere it is the stuff of stability in this world of chaos and confusion and wretchedness and rebellion against our living and true god so the righteous rejoice in that but what about the unrighteous if the righteous are cleansed in the blood and clothed in the righteousness we have to admit the unrighteous are not there's no blood to cleanse them because they've resisted it and they've rejected it there's no righteousness to clothe them because they've resisted it and rejected it and if you are happen to be in that position today you're not a believer please listen to what the savior says please listen and prepare you know again if i were to come here this morning and say you know we've all got to face retirement someday not here but in the room we we have to plan our our estates we have to plan our investments we have to plan so that we're not eating dog food in our in our retirement age or we're living under a bridge persons would be all over that persons want preparation persons want protection persons want provision persons want stability persons want to try and take out of their future anything that may produce any kind of discomfort and yet it comes to heaven and hell it comes to christ or not it comes to salvation or damnation it comes to the blessed bliss of being in the presence of god most high or with the devil and his angels no i can't be bothered with that no i'm not going to think about that no i'm just going to act and live like that's not even a reality i'm going to embrace the circle of life thing i'm going to do my little thing and then i'm going to fizzle out i don't care about god the creator i don't care about god the governor i certainly don't care about god the judge listen whether you care or not doesn't change reality whether you care or not doesn't change the facts whether you care or not doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme i am calling upon you to care hebrews chapter 9 underscores the certainty of this the author says and as it is appointed for men to die once but after this what the judgment again this is something tough to teach to canadians and to americans and to materialists all over the earth if we can't touch it we can't see it we can't feel it and we can't taste it then it mustn't exist oh really is that the the sort of rationale that you want to imbibe again wishful thinking does not remove the judgment to god look at evolution for instance what a fairy tale that's wishful thinking that doesn't remove god the creator think about persons that don't see any sort of wisdom over this mess they don't see god the governor they don't see providence well again that doesn't make it so and just for someone to say well i don't believe in god i i don't believe in the bible i i don't believe in jesus so therefore i'll be okay on the day of judgment what kind of logic is that what kind of folly is that it's the sinner's logic it's the sinner's folly and let me assure you that you're not alone a lot of us were in that same boat a lot of us had that same mindset a lot of us lived as if there was no judgment to come a lot of us thought that all we see is all there is and yet god in his grace sent his son and god in his grace sent his son who said verse 24 most assuredly i say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life we give praise to god for that we give praise that he opened our ears we give praise that he opened our hearts or in the language of the prophet ezekiel that he took out the old stony heart and put in a new fleshly heart he granted us the graces of faith and repentance so that we could receive the justification conferred by jesus so we bless him for that and we can all testify that it's available that it's true that it's real that it's a fact in john 6 37 jesus is going to say all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me i will certainly not cast out you have a handful not a huge handful this isn't a mega church it's got a handful of witnesses here that said yep that's true i by grace came to jesus and he didn't kick me to the curb i by grace came to jesus and he didn't discard me i by grace came to jesus and he gave me the gift of forgiveness oh blessed forgiveness the reality that now i can pillow my head at night under that realization that should i die my sins are forgiven by the mercy of jesus christ but not just that forgiveness we need a righteousness we need acceptance with god we need to be able to hear well done good and faithful servant jesus accomplishes that through his life through his death and through his resurrection so if you're thinking that i don't want to think about this ask somebody is it the case that jesus received sinners and you'll probably hear yeah not only sinners but really bad ones too bad ones like me bad ones like this guy bad ones that that were were rebels against god most high and nevertheless they found that the blood of jesus christ his son cleanses us from all sin it's a most blessed proposition that is offered in the gospel of our blessed savior so there is this judgment to come and jesus affirms this verse 28 do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and they will come forth again whether you believe it or not whether you think it's true or not when jesus issues that command guess what's going to happen you're going to come forth philippians 2 says the same thing philippians 2 says that god most high confers upon jesus this name that is above every name confers upon jesus this glory and this majesty and his mediatorial reign and kingdom and he says that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father when it says every knee there it doesn't just mean christian knees that have confessed him as lord it means non-christian needs that have rejected him as lord so confess him as lord they will and then be cast into hell which was prepared for the devil and his angels but back to our particular passage notice what he says here and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation we need to unpack that a little bit because it sounds like christians are just a great group of guys and girls that always do what they're supposed to do no that's not it at all the ones described in verse 29 as those who have done good are those described in verse 24. most assuredly i say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death into life there's one way of salvation it's by grace alone through faith alone in christ jesus alone there is none righteous no not one there is none who seeketh after god there is no fear of god before the eyes of sinful man so it's not like we just wake up on a friday and say you know i'm going to start doing everything i can to please god so that he'll receive me into his heavenly kingdom no that's a fool's errand you can't do that if you think that you're going to keep the law now until the day you die and let's just assume for the sake of argument and this is absolutely a ridiculous argument let's just assume that you're 25 and that you do that until you're 55 and you die short life span but hey that's the way we're going this morning you have to have completed or obeyed that law exactly entirely personally perpetually the demands of the covenant of works is do this or die but let's just say 25 to 55 you fulfill that you do it you're the one among us all that was able to to merit at least for those years but what happens to years 1-24 you piled up a lot of sin there you piled up a lot of wickedness there's a lot of rebellion there there's a lot of raised fist at yahweh in his christ there's a lot of adultery there's a lot of theft there's a lot of lies there's a lot of idolatry there's a lot of blasphemy what happens to that you need blood atonement you need christ either christ is everything or he's nothing the gospel is glorious and those who by grace believe that gospel pass from death to life they're called out of darkness into marvelous light they move into that sphere of redemptive benefit and eternal life so dropping down to verse 29 those who have done good that is simply functioning as the evidence or the fruit of their faith in christ we saw that when we looked at matthew chapter 25 our confession tells us that good works are done in obedience to god's commandments and are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith so verse 29 isn't saying these people are like no other people they've just done good they're that class of people that have just always obeyed no that's not it they by grace believe the gospel according to verse 24 they by grace lived in such a manner as to have fruit as to have evidence as to demonstrate and to validate that they were actually believers in jesus christ that's the emphasis in verse 29 our confession as well tells us with reference to justifying faith it says that faith thus receiving and resting on christ and his righteousness is the alone instrument of justification yet it is not alone in the person justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead faith but worketh by love you see when you understand the relation between justification and sanctification or justification and good works it helps to keep you from convoluted ideas about our entrance into heaven we're not going to heaven brethren because we're awesome we're going to heaven because jesus is awesome we're not going to heaven because our obedience is exact it's entire it's perpetual and it's personal there's only one man who accomplished that when you want to see righteousness look at the 33 years of our lord's life that is righteousness that's the righteousness that was the obligation of israel in the old covenant when they swore fidelity to god most high all things that he has commanded we will do they get to chapter 32 from 24 and they're dancing around a golden calf but jesus had that obligation laid upon him jesus is the true israel jesus is the champion and the messiah and so when jesus swears fidelity to the covenant placed upon him jesus carries it out so we are blessed in him we are blessed because of him we are blessed as a result of him so it's not our good works that are the the reason or the cause for our acceptance by god rather they are evidences and fruits that we've been justified freely by his grace through faith in our lord jesus christ but he doesn't stop there verse 29 they'll come forth so all who are in the graves will hear his voice the end of verse 28 and then verse 29 and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation now the doing of evil simply manifests no faith in jesus the doing of evil simply manifests that there's no grace no faith no jesus for their salvation and so when we consider that it is the righteous condemnation of god against all sin and rebellion so again the persons that don't like this concept of judgeship and it's not just the pagan i think some christians have a problem with this as well the thought of hell everlasting hell you know what's really popular today is trying to argue that hell isn't everlasting among christians they teach a whole host of theories that that suspend the notion that eternal life is parallel paralleled by eternal destruction well listen to the language of our blessed savior if we are going to eternal life those who have done evil will go to eternal death which is damnation which is destruction it's not the cessation of being it is rather the cessation of well-being that is in view in terms of hell which was prepared for the devil and his angels the devil and his angels have being they just don't have well-being when persons continually reject jesus when persons continually engage in sin when they transgress the law what does paul say in romans 6 the wages of sin is what it's death i mean brethren one of the most disconcerting things that is going on in our generation is what appears to be the suspension of due process what appears to be the suspension of any regard for justice i mean blm destroyed cities in what they called the summer of love and then you have freedom protesters being trampled by horses that's problematic for a lot of people that's problematic for not just believers but for unbelievers who look upon that sort of thing and say wow that's unfair that's unjust that doesn't seem right it is unfair it is unjust and it isn't right but do you know what is fair do you know what is just and you know what we'll be right it is the judgment at the last day there's no plea bargains there's no oh it wasn't me there's no evasion remember johnny cochran who got o.j simpson off johnny cochran went on to say the color of justice in america is green what does he mean by that if you've got enough money you can buy the best defense that is a travesty that should concern every single image bearer that lives in the body politic but when it comes to the just judgment of god most high no mistakes his eye is too pure to approve of any evil is what the prophet tells us the lord christ will judge all mankind and it will be absolutely positively spot on you won't be able to say well it wasn't me i wasn't there i i didn't do it no christ knows everything what does solomon say concerning god the eyes of yahweh are in every place beholding the good and the evil when we look at passages like these again encouragement for the people of god it's a mess right now but it's not going to be a mess in the new jerusalem it's not going to be a mess when we get to that day but for the unbeliever listen there's no wiggle room there's no hiding there's no evasion but the way to hide now is in christ the way to seek refuge now is in jesus the way to avoid this casting off into hell which was prepared for the devil and his angels is to believe on jesus right now to look unto him listen again to verse 24 it couldn't be clearer he says amen amen i say to you he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death into life listen to the last few verses in the gospel narrative and truly jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you may what try harder do better be more you know whatever you think is going to get you into heaven know that you may believe that jesus is the christ the son of god and that believing you may have life in his name that's the way of salvation that's the way to define that protection on the day of judgment that is most certainly coming for each and every one of us so the ones who have done good are those who are believers in christ washed in his blood clothed in his righteousness the unbelievers described as those who have done evil are those who are not washed in his blood and those who are not clothed in his righteousness so what do you think the answer would be if you're an unbeliever today let's just think about this for a moment what what what might be the answer it might just be to believe it might just be to stop resisting stop rebelling stop raising your fists with the mutiny in psalm 2 against yahweh and against his christ and say we will not have this one to reign over us wave the white flag believe on him look to christ he's all together lovely and chief among ten thousand and as he says in 637 the one who comes to me i will certainly not cast out that is a promise from the savior that if you look to him in faith he will save you the apostle tells us that in hebrews chapter 7 it says that christ is holy harmless undefiled he's separate from sinners his fitness to save sinners is therein described and then the efficacy or ability of christ is set forth by the same apostle it says that he saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto god through him do you hear that he doesn't save kind of he doesn't save partially he doesn't save a little bit brethren our sin is such that we don't need partial we don't need a little bit we need a great savior because we're great sinners we need a savior who saves to the uttermost all who come to god through his mediation so christ is the judge of all the earth and christ has authority over life therefore christ answering the charge of these rebel jews in verse 18 who were upset and wanted to destroy him because he being a man made himself equal with god jesus says yes absolutely i have two god-befitting prerogatives or deeds that i will execute on behalf of all mankind and then he summarizes this with his affirmation again of his consubstantiality in verse 30. notice i can't of myself do nothing this parallels what we find in verse 19. notice what he says in verse 19. most assuredly i say to you the son can do nothing of himself so verse 30 i can of myself do nothing now for people who say well he's confessing his impotence he is separating him you know from this charge of equality with the father his equality with the father is seen in his statement of verse 30. he doesn't operate according to some other will the one god has among the three persons one will one power one glory one nature and that's what jesus is declaring here so he says not in the way of admitting it into impotence but he's admitting omnipotence i can of myself do nothing as i hear i judge and my judgment is righteous because i do not seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me so like i said jehovah's witnesses and the other morons that take this passage and say oh he's distancing himself from the charge of verse 18. nothing could be further from the truth he is embracing the charge of verse 18 as a true statement concerning his person as the second person of the trinity he has the nature of god most high he is consubstantial with him i think cyril will be able to explain it in a way that i i hope is helpful he says since the son is from the substance of the father eternal generation he takes to himself by nature all the properties of his begetter and he ascends essentially to one divine nature with him on account of the identity of nature he is in the father and he has the father in himself that is why he often ascribes the power of his works truly and without blame to the father in so doing he is not placing himself outside of that power but he is assigning all things to the activity of one divine nature there is one divine nature in the father and in the son and in the holy spirit christ tells them yes i am equal with the father just like john tells us in john 1 1 in the beginning was the word the word was with god and the word was god and even after declaring the glory of the incarnation in 114 the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth he ends the prologue on verse 18. he says no one has seen god at any time but the only begotten son who is in the bosom of the father he has declared him so what john tells us in theological language in chapter one jesus demonstrates in popular language to these jews who wanted to take up stones to execute him one final citation and then we close with some thoughts in application second london confession chapter two paragraph three in this divine and infinite being there are three subsistences or persons the father the word or son and the holy spirit of one substance power and eternity each having the whole divine essence yet the essence undivided the father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding the son is eternally begotten of the father the holy spirit proceeding from the father and the son all infinite without beginning therefore but one god who is not to be divided in nature and being but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations and then our confession takes a different path not a different path but it had something that the westminster didn't if you know anything about the history of our confession they copied large swaths of it from the presbyterian confession called westminster they also depended upon the congregationalist confession called the savoy declaration so all of these men confess the same truth concerning in this one divine and infinite being there are three persons but notice what the baptists add at the end it says which doctrine of the trinity is the foundation of all our communion with god and comfortable dependence on him so hear the words of our lord jesus christ in john chapter 5. he's not distancing himself from this charge he's not suggesting that they are wrong you've only thought that i made myself equal with god he couldn't make himself equal with god in terms of verbal speech more so than he does in this section he is stressing the fact that he is co-eternal that he is distinct from and that he is consubstantial with the father now in conclusion the first thing we ought to appreciate is that affirmation i don't want to keep going over it but you need to hear it you need to understand christ is not inferior christ is not subordinate christ does not somehow ate lesser g god a little g god where the father is the big g god no our confessional statement is great it reflects the history of the church in terms of doctrinal precision at the level of the triune god we must not error here we must not falter here we must not be astray here we must be firm with reference to who god is later in the high priestly prayer jesus is going to pray that this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true god and jesus christ whom thou has sent do you understand what jesus is saying the very essence when you look at eternal life when you boil it all down now john the apostle shows us great things in revelation he shows us pearly gates he shows us new jerusalem coming down like a bride a dorm for her husband he shows us the gates he shows us all the blood all the benefit and the beatitude of that blessed state but at essence what what is foundational and fundamental is that we know god and jesus christ whom thou has sent that's the foundation of covenant promise with reference to all of god's revelation i will be your god and you shall be my people you see that's what it's about that's everything that's the apex and the pinnacle it's to know our god it is to commune with our god it is to enjoy god the westminster shorter catechism asks what is the chief end of man man's chief end is to glorify god and to enjoy him forever that's a blessed chief end isn't it that's a wonderful thing that we have in our tell us in our our future the purpose that we for which we exist the redemptive work of jesus christ rights the wrong of the first adam who plunged us all into sin christ is the last adam who pulls us out by his grace and for his glory through his blood and his righteousness secondly we ought to reflect on the theological significance of the general judgment we did this a bit as we went through exodus specifically the exodus the deliverance portion in exodus chapters 1 to 19. god often times well i would say every time but i haven't taken out the concordance to do this but salvation of god's people necessarily implies the damnation of his enemies the salvation of god's people necessarily implies the devastation the destruction the decimation of his enemies turn to to turn to one passage well we're probably going to turn to a few more but look at joshua the end of joshua chapter 21 you you see this in a temporal setting which i think is helpful but it's certainly typological of the spiritual reality so joshua 21 43-45 this is the the heart and soul of joshua i mean it basically outlines the entirety of the book it summarizes and it and it certainly concludes i know there's other passages that follow other chapters but it but it underscores god's faithfulness in the conquest so remember israel was told we're going to give or god said i'm going to give you this land you've got to go into that land and you've got to conquer the enemies you've got to decimate them you've got to destroy them you've got to remove them you've got to get them out of there you can't have religious sort of interaction with them you can't engage in political alliances you're certainly not to marry one another you're supposed to avoid that you're to go in engage in holy war dispossess the land of the canaanites and take the land so notice in joshua 21 at verse 43 so the lord gave to israel all the land of which he sworn to give to their fathers and they took possession of it and dwelt in it the lord gave them rest all around according to all they had sworn to their fathers and not a man of all their enemies stood against them the lord delivered all their enemies into their hand not a word failed of any good thing which the lord had spoken to the house of israel all came to pass do you see that the salvation of israel the the possession of the land was predicated upon the destruction of their enemies in other words you're not going to live happily ever after in canaan while these all well there's all these canaanites worshiping baal and ashrae around you so in order to bring full blessing to his people there had to be the destruction of his non-people or rather his enemies now this isn't just an old testament concept turn to the book of revelation revelation chapter 21 after telling us that he sees the new jerusalem coming down out of heaven as a bride as a bride adorned for her husband he gives us this glowing description i'll just pick up in 21 5. then he who sat on the throne said behold i make all things new and he said to me right for these words are true and faithful and he said to me it is done i am the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end i will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts he who overcomes shall inherit all things and i will be his god and he shall be my son that's crucial and key the letters to the churches in asia minor in revelation chapter 2 and 3 all end on that note of blessed is he who overcomes in other words john writing under the inspiration of the holy spirit wants the early church to persevere he wants the early church to go forward he wants the early church not to knuckle under he wants the early church to to to understand their dependence upon god to understand the grace of god that is available and provided by him and to go forward overcome do not give in do not recant do not succumb do not ever give up that's john's point in revelation two and three which each with uh each of the churches of asia minor now if you've read revelation you'll know they had suffering they had affliction they had hardship they had whoa they had a political beast and a religious beast that was over that they had a lot of opposition in terms of their christianity in the early roman empire so a a grand emphasis in the in the book is on overcoming but then notice verse 28 or i'm sorry verse 8 in chapter 21. but the cowardly and cowardly as i've explained is not you're afraid of spiders or you're afraid of sharks or you're afraid of whatever the cowardly are the people that didn't overcome the cowardly are the people that when there was a bit of pressure said okay we'll stop serving jesus they're the people that capitulate it they're the people that bowed to the beast instead of the king they're the people that bowed to caesar instead of the king they're the people that did not overcome that's the un or the cowardly in 21 8. but notice the cowardly unbelieving abominable murderers sexually immoral sorcerers idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death why do you think he's telling them that one to warn them to be sure you know watch your heart press on persevere overcome but to to encourage them brethren if the new jerusalem is filled with abortion if the new jerusalem is filled with euthanasia if the new jerusalem is filled with fentanyl addiction if the new jerusalem is filled with tyrants who want to lord things over the body politic the body politic who simply wants to be left alone if that obtains in the new jerusalem doesn't sound very heavenly so he's encouraging the people of god the enemies of god will not be there the enemies of god like canaan in joshua chapter 21 were defeated you don't have to worry about them you get to have this place wherein righteousness dwells notice in 22 or 21 27 but there shall by no means enter in anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life and then again we see it in chapter 22 at verses 14 and 15 blessed are those who do his commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates of the sit into the city but outside of the dogs are dogs and sorcerers dogs doesn't mean canines god's not against canines he's not you know opposed to dogs it's pagans it's probably judaizers it's those who reject jesus so he says but outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie so here's the point brethren as we move through chaos we are heading towards cosmos we're heading toward blessing that is to encourage us along the way that is to put a a bit of a leap in our step a bit of bounce in our strut and it is to steady us and to stabilize us along the way the theological significance of the general judgment is the reality that god will divide eternally the righteous from the unrighteous as well it will be the vindication or rather the manifestation of the of the mercy of god according to paul in romans 2 9 23 but it's also a manifestation of the justice of god according to paul in romans 9. so on that day there will be no question as to his goodness there will be no question concerning his justice there will be nobody that will say well you know that just doesn't seem fair it will be the manifestation of the absolute perfections of god most high vis-a-vis his mercy to the elect and vis-a-vis his justice to the god-hating rebel that continues impenitently and resists and rejects the savior christ and then one final observation brethren it's not wrong to long for this it is not wrong to long for this the psalms of david and the anathemas of the apostle paul betray the modern cry against the impres and precatory psalms of david and the anathemas of paul david prayed that god would deal with his enemies and he prayed it vividly he prayed it candidly he prayed it openly the apostle paul in first corinthians 16 22 says if anyone does not love the lord jesus christ let him be cursed to hell in some ways he makes david look like a a beginner a novice the apostle says that if any man distorts the gospel of free grace in galatians chapter one let him be damned to hell the apostle paul in 2 thessalonians 1 says it's right with god this is something the church is missing today now listen paul says it's right with god to repay with trouble those who trouble you see for us to pray the impre and pr uh impress impregnatory psalms of david or to pray the anathemas of paul it isn't vindictive it isn't mean-spirited i'm not praying god take this man out who just cut me off on wellington avenue it's god's enemies it's the butchers of little babies i just saw a story this morning that in i think california i mean that's typically where it all is but two men counselors with the pronouns they and them get to sleep in a cabin with fifth grade girls the party of science has suspended science now it is not wrong for us to say with paul if anyone does not love the lord jesus christ let them be anathema certainly we pray for their salvation certainly we evangelize them for their salvation certainly we pray that god restrains them from engaging in the corruption that we see all around us but brethren there is a rightness a legitimacy to long for the coming of jesus christ so that he can right every wrong he can vindicate his blessed church and he can stomp the head of his enemies and if that offends you genesis 3 15 is programmatic for the rest of the bible it is the seed of the woman that will crush the head of the serpent it is the seed of the woman that will decimate the enemies of god most high one final passage and then we close revelation 6 revelation chapter 6 look at the souls under the altar in heaven and hear how they pray revelation 6 9 when he opened the fifth seal i saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of god and for the testimony which they held and they cried with a loud voice saying how long o lord holy and true until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth these are the spirits of just men made perfect and what are they crying out for under the altar justice vengeance god's destruction of his enemies verse 11 then a white robe was given to each of them and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who would be killed as they were was completed paul in romans 12 tells us not to avenge ourselves i'm not advocating that i'm not suggesting that at all but paul goes on to say but give place to wrath what does he mean well he tells us vengeance is mine i will repay saith the lord do you mean it's actually legit for the people of god to not take vengeance into their own hands but rather give place for wrath by calling upon god to visit his enemies seems to be the argument listen to one commentator on this passage in revelation 6. he says that this blunt cry for vengeance strikes us as strange just shows how far our pietistic age has degenerated from the biblical worldview if our churches were more acquainted with the foundational hymnbook of the church the psalms instead of the sugary syrupy sweetness and light choruses that characterize modern evangelical hymnals we would understand this much easier but we have fallen under a pagan delusion that it is somehow unchristian to pray for god's wrath to be poured out upon the enemies and persecutors of the church yet that is what we see god's people doing with god's approval in both testaments of the holy scriptures it is in fact a characteristic of the godly man that he despises the reprobate psalm 15 4. the spirit expressed in the imprecatory prayers of scripture is a necessary aspect of the christian's attitude he cites second timothy 4. paul says alexander the coppersmith did me much harm may the lord repay him is what paul says and then this fellow goes on to say much of the impotence of the churches today is directly attributable to the fact that they have become emasculated and effeminate some churches unable even to confront evil much less overcome it will eventually be captured and dominated by their enemies brethren that might be a bit hyperbolic and it might sound a little bit much but read the psalms of david read the new testament read paul read jesus yes father forgive them for they know not what they do absolutely positively jesus says that but he also says woe to you scribes and pharisees hypocrites broods of vipers there is a sense brethren where we have to imitate the psalmist in psalm 119. he says he says rivers of water run down from my eyes because men don't keep your law i hope over the last few days when you've been watching some of this footage that's overcome overcomputes it's hard to see such images but you know what else the psalmist says in the same psalm i know it's a big one but this does reveal something about him there's other instances where he says indignation takes hold of me because men do not keep your law disgust is another emotion that he relates is real in his own life over men who do not respect god's law it is not wrong to image god in a desire for justice it is not wrong to image god in a desire for righteousness it is not wrong to say with john the seer at the end of the book of revelation in light of what we see in rebelliousness against our blessed lord even so come lord jesus and that is to bless his elect it is to damn the reprobate well let us pray our father in heaven we come to you now and we acknowledge the glory of jesus christ that's the emphasis in john 5. but when he emphasizes that he points us to that general judgment of all mankind and our hearts desire and earnest please that all here would be clothed in that righteousness cleansed in that blood and ready to stand to meet the savior king we ask you bless our children bless our young people god again have mercy upon this generation this particular nation that's what we need we need the gospel of free grace we need the proclamation of the truth as it is in jesus we need that law to show men their sin and rebellion and to show them their need for the savior we need that law to restrain the wickedness and the corruption of man we need that law to inform those who are saved on how they ought to live we need that gospel of free grace we need the reality that christ lived christ died christ was raised again and that all who look to him in faith will live god bless and have mercy upon us we pray and we ask in jesus name amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation you