THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 7-9-17<br> <br>



LESSON TITLE: “JESUS THE JUDGE”<br> <br>

<br> <br>

WELCOME<br> <br>

      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.<br> <br>

      IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US THIS MORNING FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US IN THIS TIME OF OFFERING AND SACRIFICE TO GOD. AS ALWAYS, IT WILL BE OUR PRIVILEGE TODAY TO STUDY GOD’S WORD AND TO SING PRAISES TO HIS GLORIOUS NAME. PLEASE DO YOUR PART IN MAKING THIS WORSHIP ACCEPTABLE IN HIS SIGHT. NOW, WILL YOU BOW WITH ME IN PRAYER. <br> <br> 

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR LIFE ITSELF AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE IN THIS IN THIS WORLD AND TO BE ABLE TO BE YOUR CHILDREN AND TO KNOW THAT IF WE ARE FAITHFUL WE WILL BE BLESSED TODAY AND ETERNALLY. AND WE THANK YOU FOR JESUS BECAUSE WE KNOW ALL THINGS ARE ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR SON AND WE KNOW THAT HE GAVE THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL ON THE CROSS AS HE SHED HIS BLOOD. AND FATHER, WE'RE ALSO THANKFUL THAT HE WAS RESURRECTED ON THE THIRD DAY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE THROUGH THAT RESURRECTION TO LIVE ETERNALLY WITH YOU IN HEAVEN. FATHER, WE AGAIN ASK THAT YOU'LL BE WITH US AS WE WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. <br> <br>

      ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF WORSHIP WE FIND TO GOD IN HIS WORD IS THE AVENUE OF SONGS OF PRAISE. GOD HAS ALWAYS INSTRUCTED HIS PEOPLE TO LIFT UP THEIR VOICES IN SONG TO LAUD AND MAGNIFY HIS NAME. IT IS INTERESTING TO ME THAT YOU AND I TODAY, STILL RAISE OUR VOICES TO GOD, JUST AS THEY DID IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES. WHAT A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR WE OFFER TO GOD, WHEN WE OFFER PRAISES TO HIM AND WHEN WE DO IT ACCORDING TO HIS WAY. TODAY, WE AGAIN HAVE THIS HONOR TO BLEND OUR VOICES BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD TO PRAISE HIM AND TO PROVE OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS WILL. SO, AT THIS TIME, LET’S JOIN IN OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING WITH THE CONGREGATION. WON’T YOU DO YOUR PART AS WE TOGETHER SING, “VICTORY IN JESUS!” <br> <br>



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      AS WE MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, THE PRIMARY REASON WE SING IN OUR WORSHIP TO GOD IS BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED TO PRAISE HIM THROUGH SONG. HOWEVER, OUR SONGS OF PRAISE ARE NOT ONLY FOR PRAISING OUR CREATOR, BUT WE ALSO FULFILL SOME OTHER REQUIREMENT WHICH HE HAS LAID DOWN FOR US IN HIS WORD. IN FACT, IN COLOSSIANS 3:16, PAUL ADDED THESE IDEAS TO THE REASON WE SING. HE SAID, “LET THE WORD OF CHRIST DWELL IN YOU RICHLY IN ALL WISDOM, TEACHING AND ADMONISHING ONE ANOTHER IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING WITH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD.” HERE WE READ THAT SINGING IS ALSO DONE TO TEACH AND ADMONISH OTHER. NOW WE KNOW JUST WHAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT HERE, BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING MORE ENCOURAGING THAN HEARING VOICES BLEND TOGETHER IN BEAUTIFUL HARMONY TO THE LORD. FURTHERMORE, AS WE SING THESE SONGS AND SAY THE WORDS TO THEM, WE ALL LEARN AND TEACH ONE ANOTHER, THROUGH THE GREAT BIBLICAL THEMES WHICH ARE PRESENTED IN THEM. <br> <br> 

      I ALSO LIKE WHAT PAUL SAID IN THAT VERSE TO THE COLOSSIANS ABOUT WISDOM. THE WORD OF CHRIST IS TO DWELL IN US RICHLY, IN ALL WISDOM.  YOU SEE, GOD SAYS WE ARE TO SING, GROW AND TEACH, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE. WE MUST LEARN TO USE OUR KNOWLEDGE TO GOD’S GLORY, THUS WE SHOW HIS WISDOM IN OUR LIVES. I LIKE THE WAY PAUL PUT IT IN 1 CORINTHIANS 14:15, THERE HE SAID, “WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION THEN? I WILL PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT, AND I WILL ALSO PRAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING. I WILL SING WITH THE SPIRIT, AND I WILL ALSO SING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING.” AGAIN, WE SEE THAT THE PRAISE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND TEACHING WHICH IS DONE THROUGH SONG, MUST BE VERBAL AND UNDERSTANDABLE TO REALLY BENEFIT THE HEARERS!  <br> <br>

      I CANNOT TEACH BY HUMMING OR CLAPPING, BUT I CAN TEACH BY SINGING, “AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME.” NO ONE CAN INTERPRET OR UNDERSTAND MY STRUMMING A GUITAR OR PLAYING AN ORGAN, HOWEVER, THEY CAN UNDERSTAND AND BE TAUGHT WHEN I SING, “TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE, SO LOVED HE THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE US HIS SON.” <br> <br>

      SO WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR SONGS OF PRAISE BE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL WHO HEAR. GOD MUST HEAR US AND UNDERSTAND OUR SONGS TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIM AND HOW MUCH WE ADORE HIS PRECIOUS NAME. OTHERS MUST HEAR US AND UNDERSTAND US TO KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE BELIEVE, AND WHAT WE THINK OF OUR GOD.  FINALLY, WE MUST UNDERSTAND OURSELVES, SO THAT WE CAN PRAISE OUR GOD WITH THE SPIRIT AND THE UNDERSTANDING, THEREFORE, TELLING GOD HOW MUCH WE LOVE HIM AND APPRECIATE ALL HE HAS DONE AND IS DOING FOR US. GOD DESERVES TO HEAR OUR HOMAGE AND PRAISE, FROM OUR HEARTS TO KNOW THROUGH OUR OBEDIENCE THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING HIS WILL.  <br> <br>

      TODAY, WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STUDY ON PREACHING JESUS. OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC THIS MORNING IS “JESUS THE JUDGE!” AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD. NOW LET’S AGAIN JOIN IN SONG. THE NAME OF THIS HYMN, “WE HAVE HEARD THE JOYFUL SOUND.” <br> <br>

      

      LESSON<br> <br>

      BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING WITH US THIS DAY AS WE NOW AGAIN GO TO GOD'S WORD AND CONSIDER ANOTHER ENCOURAGING LESSON IN RELATIONSHIP TO PREACHING JESUS. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO LOOK AT TOGETHER NOW FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT PREACHING JESUS REALLY ENCOMPASSES MANY MORE ASPECTS THAN JUST IN GENERAL KNOWING WHO JESUS WAS OR WHO HE IS. BUT REALLY WE MUST COMPREHEND HIM AS GOD AS SAVIOR AND AS LORD, AS THE ONE WHO TRULY CAME AS THE SON OF GOD WHO DIED. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THESE THINGS CONCERNING HIS KINGDOM AND THE CHURCH. FOR THAT IS WHAT THEY PREACHED EVEN IN THE BOOK OF ACTS WHEN PHILIP AND OTHERS WENT OUT AND THEY PREACHED THE KINGDOM OF GOD, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE RESPONDED AND OBEYED THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. SO TO UNDERSTAND THAT KINGDOM WE MUST KNOW WHAT? THE KING. AND TO UNDERSTAND THE KING WE MUST KNOW WHAT THAT KING DOES AND THE FACT THE KING IS THE SAVIOR AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND SO TODAY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS THE IDEA OF JESUS AS JUDGE. AND THE REASON THIS IS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE EVEN IN THE BOOK OF HEBREWS CHAPTER 9 VERSE 27, WE LEARN THAT “IT IS APPOINTED FOR MAN ONCE TO DIE AND AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT.” AND SO IF THERE IS A JUDGMENT OF NECESSITY THERE IS NEED OF THE JUDGE. THIS IS COMMON SENSE BECAUSE EVEN IN OUR WORLD, IF YOU ARE TO GO TO THE COURT OF LAW, WILL YOU NOT NEED TO JUDGE? IMAGINE IF YOU WERE CALLED TO COURT AND YOU WENT TO COURT AND THERE WAS NO JUDGE? THERE WAS NO MODERATOR OR EVEN MEDIATOR OF THE LAW? IN ORDER THAT THEY MIGHT DETERMINE WHETHER YOU ARE GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY OF PERHAPS BREAKING LAW OR TO DETERMINE WHETHER A CASE WOULD BE IN YOUR FAVOR OR NOT, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO MAYBE SUE SOMEONE ELSE. YOU SEE, A JUDGE IS ESSENTIAL. NO ONE WOULD EVER WANT TO SAY, “WELL, I'M GOING TO GO BEFORE THE COURT AND THROW MY MERCY ON THE COURT, BUT I DON'T WANT A JUDGE! I DON'T WANT ANYBODY OVER THE COURT, I JUST WANT IT TO BE CHAOS.” WELL, SEE THE JUDGE KEEPS ORDER AND DETERMINES, BASED ON LAW, WHAT THAT ORDER IS. SO AS WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA OF A FINAL JUDGMENT, THE COMING OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT, THE BIBLE IS CLEAR IN THE FACT THAT IT WILL HAPPEN. WE WILL FIND A JUDGMENT AND, EVEN AS IS CLARIFIED, SEE A JUDGMENT DAY. WHETHER WE HAVE ALREADY DIED OR NOT IS BESIDE THE POINT BECAUSE EVEN THOSE WHO ARE DEAD, IN THE JUDGMENT, WILL BE BROUGHT BACK FROM THE GRAVE AND STAND BEFORE THE JUDGE. AND SO I NEED TO KNOW WHO THAT JUDGE IS. IF I'M GOING TO FACE THE JUDGE I NEED TO KNOW, KIND OF, WHO THAT JUDGE IS. ISN'T THAT WHAT LAWYERS PERHAPS SOMETIMES DO IN OUR DAY? THEY WANT KNOW THE JUDGE: WELL, WHAT DOES THAT JUDGE DO IN THE COURT; HIS COURTROOM? HOW DOES HE ACT? HOW DOES HE REACT? WHAT TYPES OF THINGS DOES HE LIKE? WHAT TYPES OF THINGS DOES HE NOT LIKE? WE NEED TO KNOW THE JUDGE BECAUSE IF WE KNOW THE JUDGE WE MIGHT BE ABLE THEN BY CONSIDERING THE LAW AND KNOWING THE JUDGE WHO APPLIES THE LAW TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NOT ONLY CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THAT JUDGE BUT THEN WE KNOW HOW WE NEED TO APPROACH THAT JUDGE IN A WAY THAT IS OBEDIENT TO THE LAW ITSELF. AND SO JESUS AS JUDGE. <br> <br>

      LET'S FIRST OF ALL CONFIRM THE FACT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS IS THE JUDGE. THE VERSE WE LOOKED AT LAST WEEK THAT CERTAINLY WE MUST CONSIDER ONCE AGAIN TODAY IS SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 5 AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE IT SO CLEARLY TALKS ABOUT THAT FINAL JUDGMENT. AND THERE IN VERSE 10 IT SAYS, “WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.” NOT ONLY DOES IT TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF A JUDGMENT BUT THE ACTUAL SEAT OF THE JUDGE. THE JUDGMENT SEAT. AND THEREFORE WHO SITS IN THE JUDGMENT SEAT? CHRIST! WHO ELSE WOULD SIT IN THAT SEAT? HE IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH, THE KINGDOM. HE IS THE HEAD OF ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO WHAT THE FATHER HAS DONE, EPHESIANS 1 VERSES 21 AND 22. HE IS THAT ONE WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN ALL POWER AND AUTHORITY, MATTHEW 28:18. WE KNOW JESUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS WORTHY AND HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SIT WHERE? ON THE JUDGMENT SEAT. IT IS HIS SEAT AND ON THE JUDGMENT SEAT AS HE SITS HE WILL DETERMINE WHAT SOMEONE HAS DONE, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD. AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. <br> <br>

      WE ALSO THOUGH SEE IN THE BOOK OF TIMOTHY, IN SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER 4, AND A GREAT CHARGE OF PAUL TO THIS EVANGELIST THAT HE TOLD HIM TO PREPARE FOR SOMETHING AND OBVIOUSLY THEN TO PREACH TO OTHERS THAT THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE PREPARED. HE SAYS, “I CHARGE YOU THEREFORE BEFORE GOD AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WILL JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD…” YOU SEE WHO IS CHRIST? THE JUDGE, WHO WILL JUDGE NOT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE WHEN HE COMES AGAIN, IN FACT THE VERSE GOES ON TO SAY AT HIS APPEARING THE VERY CONCEPT AGAIN OF FIRST CORINTHIANS, THE VERY IDEA OF THE THESSALONIAN LETTER WHERE JESUS WILL COME WHAT? IN THE CLOUDS WITH THE MIGHTY ANGEL AND TO THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET, AND HE'LL COME WHAT? TO JUDGE. IT SAYS AT HIS APPEARING HE WILL COME TO WHAT? TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. YOU SEE HERE AGAIN PAUL IS AFFIRMING THE FACT THAT THOSE WHO ARE DEAD DON'T GET OUT OF JUDGMENT. THE DEAD WILL AGAIN RISE AND BE TAKING THE SAME INCORRUPTIBLE TYPE FORM OR IMMORTAL FORMS THAT WE TAKE THAT THEY MIGHT WHAT? STAND AND BE JUDGED BEFORE THEIR CREATOR BECAUSE IT IS THE SPIRITUAL THAT WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST ETERNALLY, NOT THE FLESH. WE KNOW THOSE THINGS OF THE FLESH CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. SO PAUL SAYS YOU GET READY, YOU BE READY, YOU PREACH, AND YOU DO THAT WHICH IS ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST WHO WILL JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD WHO WILL EVEN RISE. SO JESUS IS THAT JUDGE. <br> <br>

      NOW AS THAT JUDGE HOW THEN CAN WE BE CONFIDENT IN HIM AS THE JUDGE? UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES IN OUR DAY WE FIND THOSE WHO ARE JUDGES, WHO REALLY OFTEN JUDGE MORE BY POLITICAL VIEWS OR BY THEIR OWN OPINIONS OUR DESIRES RATHER THAN JUST THE LAW, IS WHY OFTEN WHEN YOU HEAR THE DISCUSSION MAYBE ABOUT A JUDGE FOR THE SUPREME COURT THAT THEY'RE WANTING SOMEONE THAT WILL ABIDE BY THE LAW, THAT WILL NOT BE SWAYED BY OPINIONS OR PRESSURED BY THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS OR EVEN THEIR OWN OPINIONS. YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT IDEA THAT WE LEARN SOMETIMES OF THAT BLIND JUSTICE. THAT JUSTICE THAT IS NOT GOING TO TRY TO TIP THE SCALES ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BUT IS GOING TO TRY TO GIVE AN HONEST HEARING THAT A PROPER DECISION MIGHT BE MADE. WELL, CERTAINLY WE UNDERSTAND THAT JESUS IS THE PERFECT JUDGE AND THE REASON HE'S THE PERFECT JUDGE IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS EVERYTHING. IN FACT, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 16 IT TELLS US THAT GOD WILL JUDGE THE SECRETS OF MEN SOMEDAY. BUT GUESS WHAT HE SAYS HE'LL DO IT BY? HE SAYS HE “WILL JUDGE THE SECRETS OF MEN BY JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL.” YOU SEE, HE'LL JUDGE HOW? BY JESUS. JESUS IS THE JUDGE. WHAT IS THE STANDARD OF JUDGMENT? THE GOSPEL. WHAT WAS THE GOSPEL THAT HE MENTIONS HERE? THE GOSPEL WAS THE GOOD NEWS, THE MESSAGE OF GOD. HOW DID PAUL HAVE THAT GOOD MESSAGE? HOW DID PETER HAVE THAT GOOD MESSAGE? HOW DID THE APOSTLES HAVE THAT GOOD MESSAGE? BY INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, JOHN CHAPTER 16. THEY WERE GUIDED IN ALL THINGS AS TO WHAT TO SAY ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD. AND THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE OF THE GOSPEL, IS THE WORD OF GOD. IT IS THAT WORD OF GOD THAT SOMEDAY WE'LL JUDGE MEN. <br> <br>

      NOW TO SEE THAT EVEN MORE CLEARLY YOU MIGHT TURN OVER WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF JOHN. WE FIND HERE IN CHAPTER 12 A FAMILIAR STATEMENT CONCERNING SUCH THAT WILL PROVE THAT SAME POINT. VERSE 48 JESUS SAYS THIS HIMSELF, “’HE WHO REJECTS ME, AND DOES NOT RECEIVE MY WORDS, HAS THAT WHICH JUDGES HIM - THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WILL JUDGE HIM IN THE LAST DAY.’” OH WOW!  JESUS SAID NOW THE ONE WHO HAS NOT OBEYED MY WORD WILL BE JUDGED BY MY WORD IN THE LAST DAY. BECAUSE WHO WILL BE THE JUDGE? JESUS. SO WHAT JESUS HAS SAID...NOW HOLD ON THERE A SECOND. SO IT IS REALLY WHAT JESUS SAYS AND NOT GOD OVERALL OR GOD THE FATHER? CERTAINLY NOT! LOOK AT VERSE 49, JESUS SAID, “’I HAVE NOT SPOKEN ON MY OWN AUTHORITY; BUT THE FATHER WHO GAVE ME A COMMAND…’” WHAT I SHOULD SAY AND WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK. YOU SEE, HE SAYS, THE THINGS THAT I HAVE REVEALED, THE THINGS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN, ARE GOING TO THAT WHICH MY FATHER HAS GIVEN ME. BECAUSE GOD IS ONE. THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE ONE IN PURPOSE, IN WORD, AND EVERY ASPECT. FOR THEY ARE ALL GOD AND THEY ALL THEREFORE ARE ONE AS GOD. JESUS DIDN'T SAY I CAME TEACHING MY OWN WORD OR DIFFERENT WORDS OR DIFFERENT IDEAS. HE SAYS I CAME AS GOD TO FULFILL THE PURPOSE OF GOD. AND THEREFORE, AS THE FATHER HAS GIVEN ME THE WORD OF GOD OVERALL HAS DETERMINED THE WORD, THAT IS WHAT JUDGES YOU. SO I, AS THE WORD, JUDGES YOU. I MIGHT ALSO REMIND YOU OF THERE IN THE BOOK OF JOHN BUT ALSO CHAPTER 1, JESUS CALLS HIMSELF THE WORD AND THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD. THE WORD WAS NOT ONLY WITH GOD, THE WORD WAS GOD. VERSE 14 SAYS, “THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG MEN.” YOU SEE THERE THE IDEA JESUS SAYS BY MY WORDS, I AM THE WORD. THE WORD I SPEAK IS THE WORD OF GOD. THE WORD OF GOD IS THE GOSPEL; THE BIBLE. PAUL SAID BY THE GOSPEL YOU ARE JUDGED IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. SO WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR US? IT SHOULD GIVE US CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WHAT WE CAN DO IS SAY, “WELL I'VE GOT GOD'S WORD AND I CAN READ AND STUDY GOD'S WORD, I CAN KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS AND THEN, IF I DO IT, WHAT ASSURANCE DOES THAT GIVE ME WHEN I COME BEFORE THE JUDGE? IT GIVES ME THE ABILITY, AS I COME BEFORE THE JUDGE TO SAY, ‘BUT JUDGE, I'VE DONE WHAT THE LAW SAYS,’ OR ‘JUDGE I DIDN'T BREAK THE LAW BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT THE LAW SAYS AND HERE'S WHAT I DID.’” YOU SEE HOW IF WE KNOW THE LAW THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THE ONE WHO GAVE THE LAW WILL JUDGE US RIGHTEOUSLY BECAUSE HE WILL JUDGE BASED ON THE LAW. <br> <br>

      AND THEN WHAT WILL GIVE US FURTHER COMFORT AND COMPETENCE IN THAT CONCEPT IS WHAT PAUL AGAIN TOLD TIMOTHY OVER IN THE BOOK OF SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER 4 VERSE EIGHT. AFTER DECLARING THAT JESUS WOULD COME AGAIN TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, IN VERSE EIGHT HE SAYS THIS, “FINALLY, THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, WILL GIVE TO ME ON THAT DAY, AND NOT ONLY TO ME BUT ALSO ALL THOSE WHO LOVED HIS APPEARING.” THERE'S THAT APPEARING AGAIN. WHEN HE COMES AGAIN, THE FINAL JUDGMENT. HE SAYS NOT ONLY WILL HE COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD BUT HE WILL COME AS A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE AND ON THAT DAY HE'LL GIVE THAT RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT, THAT REWARD TO EVERYONE WHO IS WORTHY OF THAT RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. WE KNOW WHAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS. GOD IS THE STANDARD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ACCORDING TO WHAT WE LEARNED THERE IN FIRST JOHN CHAPTER 3 VERSE SEVEN HE IS RIGHTEOUS AND THE ONE THAT PRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS IS RIGHTEOUS AS HE IS RIGHTEOUS. SO GOD IS THAT STANDARD OF WHAT IS RIGHT, WHAT IS RIGHTEOUS. AND THEREFORE, IF WE KNEW WHAT IS RIGHT, WE STRIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE WILL JUDGE US ACCORDING TO HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEREFORE WE'LL RECEIVE THAT GREAT PROMISE AND THAT GREAT REWARD. <br> <br>

      OBVIOUSLY ONE THING THAT GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH THAT IS THAT HE IS A JUST GOD. NOT ONLY IS HE RIGHTEOUS, BUT HE IS JUST. I LOVE THE WAY THAT DAVID, THE PSALMIST, ACTUALLY PUTS IT BACK IN PSALM SEVEN. THERE IN VERSE 11 I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME WHAT WE READ CONCERNING OUR JUDGE, GOD. HE SAYS THERE, “GOD IS A JUST JUDGE, AND GOD IS ANGRY WITH ME, THE WICKED OR GOD IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED EVERYDAY.” HE'S TALKING WITHIN THIS DISCUSSION AND WITHIN THIS SUBSECTION ABOUT GOD, THE RIGHTEOUS GOD, WHO IS DEALING WITH MAN WHO OFTEN CHOOSES RIGHT AND WRONG. AND HE'S SAYING THAT, “HEY, GOD IS A RIGHTEOUS GOD. HE'S A RIGHTEOUS JUDGE.” IN FACT, IF YOU'LL BACKUP IN VERSE EIGHT IT SAYS, “THE LORD SHALL JUDGE THE PEOPLES; JUDGE ME, OH LORD, ACCORDING TO MY RIGHTEOUSNESS.” YOU SEE, AS YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS, JUDGE ME ACCORDING TO MY RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THAT I HAVE FOLLOWED YOU, THAT I HAVE OBEYED YOU. BUT THEN AS WE JUST READ HE SAYS THAT JUST JUDGE, HE OFTEN IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED EVERYDAY. WHY? BECAUSE HE IS JUST. AND IF HE IS JUST AND RIGHTEOUS, HE HAS TO DO WHAT HE HAS SAID. AND WHAT GOD HAS SAID IS THAT I WILL COME AGAIN AND JUDGE YOU ACCORDING TO MY WORD. THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAID. AND THEREFORE, IF YOU'VE DONE GOOD, SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 5 VERSE 10, YOU'LL BE REWARDED AS THE RIGHTEOUS ONE. BUT IF YOU'VE DONE BAD IN THE BODY, SECOND CORINTHIANS 5 VERSE 10, YOU'LL BE PUNISHED. EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT, JESUS SAID THERE IN MATTHEW 25. ETERNAL REWARD. WHICH SOUNDS BETTER TO YOU? WELL, IT IS KIND OF NO-BRAINER ISN'T IT? <br> <br>

      WHEN WE THINK ABOUT COMING BEFORE THAT JUDGE, ARE WE GONNA PREPARE OURSELVES? WHO TODAY WOULD WANT TO GO BEFORE THE JUDGE WITHOUT ANY PREPARATION? YOU SEE, YOU NEED TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD AND THEN STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. GROW IN KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD OF GOD. OBEY THE WORD OF GOD. BECAUSE WHEN YOU COME PREPARED BEFORE THAT JUDGE, THE SAVIOR, THE HEAD, THE KING OF ALL THINGS, THE LORD OF LORD, THE PRINCE OF ALL PRINCES, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT HE WANTS AND THEREFORE THAT YOU'VE OBEYED THAT LAW AND HAVE DONE WHAT IS RIGHT SO THAT YOUR GOD, JESUS, CAN GIVE YOU WHAT THE JUDGE AND JUDGMENT REALLY HAS SHOWN YOU WORTHY OF.<br> <br> 

      SO THE QUESTION FOR YOU IS: DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN? IF YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN, THEN KNOW THAT A JUST GOD, A RIGHTEOUS GOD, WILL JUDGE YOU WORTHY WHEN YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF WORTHY. WHEN YOU HAVE WORKED OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING. DON'T FIND YOURSELF WANTING OR FALLING BEHIND BUT DO TODAY AND EVERYDAY WHAT IS NECESSARY IN THE SIGHT OF GOD TO BE SAVED. <br> <br>



CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      AGAIN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING. I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY OUR TIME TOGETHER.  PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.<br> <br>

      NOW LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A FREE CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  <br> <br>

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      PRAISE BE TO GOD THAT WE HAVE A RIGHTEOUS AND JUST JUDGE LIKE JESUS. THUS MAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES EVERY DAY, SO THAT WE WILL RECEIVED HIS PROMISED REWARDS IN THE END. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR JESUS THE PERFECT JUDGE!

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