October 18, 2020
“The Judgments of God” (Part 1)
The Judgments of God – Discovering Why Grace Is So Amazing (Part 1)
On October 18th, 2020, Pastor Eric spoke on “The Judgments of God – Discovering Why Grace Is So Amazing” (Part 1).
Watch video here:
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Video Transcript
Today we begin a new series entitled “The Judgments of God – Discovering why Grace is so Amazing”.
Introduction:
Let me start off by answering the question: why a series about the judgments of God?
l’d like to propose:
7 reasons why a study on God’s Judgments is of great importance today:
Because Judgment starts with the house of God
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God…
1 Peter 4:17 BSB, the Berean Study Bible version puts it this way:
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God…
Now the Bible does say that there will be a day of reckoning where everyone both rich and poor, white or black, male or female will come and give an account to God.
But the Bible also says that there is a form of judgment, not the same judgment as non-believers but there is a form of judgment that will take place with God’s people first.
So this should motivate us to walk in obedience.
To do what God is asking of us.
To make use of the giftings God has entrusted on to us.
To serve Him by serving the Body of Christ with gladness because in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
As we mentioned a bit last week that day of judgment will also be a day of rewards.
Another reason we need to explore this is:
So we don’t repeat what provoked past judgements
You may have heard the famous quote:
Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Well this quote is true for this topic.
If we don’t try to learn and understand what possibly could of brought a loving and merciful God to judge cities, nations, people and individuals then we are doomed to repeat it.
By learning from history, it helps us walk in repentance and in the reverential fear of God.
The Bible says that a lot of things that happened in the Old Testament like judgments were written for us as an example to keep us from doing it.
Listen to the apostle Paul when he talked about Israel and some of the things that happened to them for their sins and rebellion.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
See past judgments are there for our example, for us to learn from.
I don’t fully understand why today, not everyone who grumbles are killed by the destroying angel as they were.
They were complaining about the food God gave them. Tired of manna.
Children, the next time you’re about to complain about the plate that’s in front of you think about that:)
They were complaining about being in the desert and felt they were better off in Egypt when they were in slavery.
They were even doubting God’s integrity by saying God only brought us in the desert to kill us in the desert.
They were constantly testing Christ.
I don’t fully understand why everyone committing sexual immorality today are not destroyed the same way they were.
I don’t fully understand why people who doubt God’s integrity and gods motive don’t get swollen up in the desert like Israel did.
And I don’t understand why not everybody lying to the Holy Spirit dies on the spot like an Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5.
And I’m kind of glad about that because if it was so, there would be a lot of people missing at church this morning.
So there’s a lot of things we may not understand about the “Judgments of God” but we do know this a lot of things that are in the Bible are there for our example.
And this is why we must learn from it so we don’t repeat it.
We find out what are the actions, the sins, the behaviours that provoked judgement in the first place and if we spot in us, we immediately repent from it.
Here’s a third reason why:
To understand what judgement is and what judgement is not
Illustration:
I remember growing up as a kid and there was a mentality around me that if I was sick, that if I broke my arm, I must of done something to deserve it and it’s pardon my french “le ptit jesus qui te puni”.
That it was some form of judgement on me for something I did.
When we hear about tragedies disasters in other country I often hear Christians say it all the time immediately without any reflection without any prayer and asking God what He’s doing here quickly saying it’s a judgment from God.
And although it can be the case because He has been done in the past and He has not changed,
I feel that we are often quick at discerning judgments on others but very slow at seeing how our own actions are the same or worst.
Billy Graham shared what his wife once told him about the list of moral failures America was practicing and also comparing it to Sodom and Gomorrah; cities that were judged by God and this is what she said:
If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.
We need to understand what judgement is and what judgement is not.
Also understand that even if we are not judged right away in the same matter others have for the very same thing, that we should not mistake it as God’s approval. Our time will come if we don’t repent.
You may be practicing a sin and you have not fallen into some form of judgment/discipline yet but make no mistake, your time will come if you don’t repent.
Watch what Jesus will say to the Church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:20-23
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
He gives you time to repent but make no mistake, that time will eventually run out if you don’t repent.
21. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
A fourth reason why we must talk about the Judgements of God is:
To compel us to warn others
By sharing the Good news available to them.
Listen to the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 NIV
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.
This is not a verse to say we must scare people into accepting Christ.
This is saying that when we fully understand the judgments of God, it should provoke and stir up inside of us, it should compel us to warn others.
And I’d like to propose that when we do try to persuade others to accept Christ.
It is out of love, joy and excitement like a person who found a great deal and wants his friends to know about it.
You know currently mortgage rates are really low and it would be like me trying to let my friends know that you can get a mortgage for 5 years for as low as 1.50%.
I mean that is amazing you can save a lot of money right now and I want to share with you.
Just google it and you will find it:)
But even greater than saving some money when I share Christ to others and try persuade others to find Christ.
I’m not only trying to get them to save a little bit of money,
I’m trying to save their soul.
Im trying to see them saved for eternity.
Saved from the Great White Throne judgement.
And receive the forgiveness of sins.
To find peace with God.
And experience the true joy that is found in the person of Jesus Christ.
Friends, what we deliver, what we proclaim, is far greater then anything else this world has to offer.
And you will not believe this until you try it for yourself.
Try Christ for yourself and you will come and drink from the rivers of living water that flows from His heart and thirst no more.
Fifth reason to look at this is:
To see God as He truly is
The Bible says that God is merciful but the same Bible also says He is holy.
The Bible says He is love but He is also just.
He is kind but He is also severe.
Romans 11:22 NLT
Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness.
Therefore because God is Holy and God is just,
we need to look at his divine judgements because they speak of His character as well.
Sixth reason we explore the judgments of God:
To move us into intercession
Ezechiel 22:30 NIV God says:
I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it…
Are you seeing this?
God did not want to judge that land, that was His last resort.
But He was looking for an intercessor someone who would stand in the gap someone who would plead with Him to have mercy.
Someone who would pray the prayer Jesus did while He was on the cross and they were fighting for His clothes, and He was praying “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”.
Someone like Abraham who when God was about to send judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah he starts by pleading with God and interceding.
Someone like the apostle Paul who basically said I’d rather give the Jews my ticket to heaven so that they could be saved.
Someone like Moses who stood before God for the people of Israel.
When we study the Judgments of God it should lead us in prayer for others.
We should stand in the gap and pray for those who’s lives seem to be heading towards the judgments of God.
And the last reason;
We should talk about this very important subject in order :
To discover or rediscover why Grace is so amazing
One of the most sung hymns of our time is Amazing Grace.
It Is sung at many funerals, at many churches it is even sung in movies.
Yet, what is so amazing about Grace?
You get the answer to that when you understand what that grace saved you from.
Judgement!
Now, today were simply in the introduction of the series but I do want to end with one last thought.
We looked at why we should look at this series, but I want to end by looking at how we should be looking at this series.
It’s called self examination.
Start by judging yourself.
1 Corinthians 11:31
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
So as we are exploring the different judgments of God past present and future,
judge yourself to see if there are any of those sins in your life and when you spot them, don’t justify them, remove them by repenting and confessing them to God.
And by doing so, you won’t be judged.