Unfortunately the original recording was cut short and we do not have the last few minutes of this message. This message was originally delivered on June 30, 1991.
Philippians chapter two, in case you don't know this by now, at this church, we are committed to expository preaching, you know what that is? That is verse by verse preaching. If you start chapter one, verse one, and you work all the way through the book of the Bible, you have to cover all the subjects, you can't skirt around certain issues. You guys can look as though he's not being very honest. Now, he's not telling us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, because he's skipping around and not really facing at all. It couldn't be the case. Well, guess what, as we have persistently been doing this for I can't remember when we started in Philippians. But whenever we started this last February, we've been plodding along, going through Philippians. And we finished last week up through verse 18. And I sort of tied in verses 1617 and 18, together last week, and we considered Paul as an example. And one of the main things was his motive of rejoicing, even though he might die was based upon this fact, the fact that he was going to answer before God, the Bema Seat, in fact, look at verse 16. And it says this, as you hold out the word of life. Now notice verse 16, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ, that I did not run or labor for nothing. Now, clearly, that meant something to me. But I understood from the comments that came back after last week's message, I've never heard more comments in my entire life of people that were confused. If usually, if you hear one or two, that means there's 10, or it's like seeing a rat, if you see one, you know, there's 10 there. Well, if you have one person that's confused, I'm not comparing the confused people to rats, by the way, but if you had, if you had one person that's confused, it usually means there's a lot why I had five or six people come up to me, I also had a few people come up to me said, Hey, that was the best matches I've ever heard. I don't understand quite what the difference was. But I do know this. I want to take heed as a pastor to make sure you know what we're talking about, and lead you into light and out in the darkness and help you understand truth and not be confused by it. And so people said things to me like this, Hey, I want to be misete my concordance and couldn't find it once and you kept talking about it through the whole Bible. What are you talking about this? I don't understand what you're saying? Well, for this reason, and because of the urgent need that Every Christian Needs to understand the Bema judgment and the Great White Throne Judgment. I'm diverting this Sunday and next Sunday, to a study of the great white throne in the Bema Seat judgment. Now it ties in really because a verse 16 Paul says, His goal is that on the day of Christ, when He has to give an answer to Christ, He will have been rewarded by Philippians growth. But think of this people make a big deal today about proper motivation in the Christian life. Isn't that the truth? Everyone says, Hey, you got to be properly motivated. I've heard many people I have a good friend Dave, he constantly talks about, I got to make sure I have the right motivation. Well, you know, that is true. In fact, I've heard people say this, don't serve God. legalistically. But serve God because you love him. Now, how many of you think that's true? I do. So good to help you a little bit. Some of you still don't think that's true. So you serve God. legalistically Go ahead. But the fact is, we are supposed to serve God because we love him. We're supposed to serve God, because all of his gracious provision for us in Christ Jesus, all that he has done for us. We're supposed to out of grateful hearts with thanksgiving, serve him right. We're about another motive. We're supposed to serve Him because we fear him. Isn't that true? The New Testament clearly teaches that there has to be a fear of God in our hearts. What is that our reverential all our respect for God. So on one hand, we love them. On the other hand, we fear them. What are some other things that people say? Well, make sure your heart is right. Don't do the ministry for selfish gain, but for the glory of God, the dada. But I want to ask you this. When's the last time you ever heard someone say this? I want to serve God and my motive is there I would receive a reward at the Bema Seat. Have you ever heard someone say that? Well, you know what? Last week, that's what Paul said in verse 16. Look what it says in verse 16. He says, As you hold up the word of life, that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. There isn't that interesting. If you turn to First Corinthians chapter nine, verses 24 through 27, you would find this, you would find Paul say, I beat my body, I keep it under subjection, I work as hard as I possibly can at discipline in my life, guess why? So that I can receive an incorruptible crown, and it gives us illustration, the Olympic athletes, they do so they could receive a corruptible crown or they would get a refund, it would perish, but I do it so that I can receive an incorruptible crown. He says in Second Timothy, chapter four, I have fought a good fight. I have kept the faith I have finished the course. And henceforth there is later for me a crown of righteousness. In fact, I want to tell you something. I am so amazed at how much the Bible talks about doing things now with your mode of being that you would get a reward then it was overwhelming. Paul's major if I had to say his major motivation would be that he would give an So before God, is he motivated out of love? Absolutely, yes. He says, the love of Christ constrained us. Is he motivated out of fear? Yes, he talks often about fear of God. But the thing that motivated him the most, I think, as you study all of his writings is this idea that he would give an answer before God at the Bema Seat one day. Now think when the second if you know, the future, you make decisions based on that fact. It was just four years ago, that I went over to Rob's house, on a Monday night, in April, early April to watch Indiana University, play Syracuse, for the national championship. And all of us were gathered around the TV, and we are excited. And with eight minutes to go in that game, Syracuse had an eight point lead. And I'm gonna tell you something, my stomach was doing flip flops. I was for Indiana. And she picked one though. And I was like, come on, come on national TV. And all this, for the national title is what we've been dreaming up. I'd watched every game I possibly could that year, I would even schedule sometimes counseling around the IU games during that year. So I can see if I can at least catch the second half of them. And I was I was so excited about that. But with eight minutes to go, Oh, I was so nervous. And then the Syracuse had the ball with like 30 seconds to go, we're shooting the free throw with a one point lead as well. And I was thinking, oh, man, if you mix with this, we're down three, then only a three point Ah, he misses we get the ball, we score they forget to call timeout. There's one second left, we end up winning 7473. And you know, all you do, don't you, you know, see, this sermon wouldn't go over and another state would have to only go in Indiana. Well, guess what, a couple of months later, somebody invited me over to watch the replay of that game. And I went over to their house and watched it. Guess what? I wasn't nervous at all. Eight minutes to go. I was thinking this is gonna be great. I want to see how they come back. I forgot about it. I know they're gonna win. You've heard about a guy that lost all the money betting on the replay. He said, Oh, there's no way they'll do that again. But you see, I understood you see, I understood this. I already knew the future. As I was watching that game. I knew I was going to happen when KeySmart whenever the jump shot from the quarter, it was their baby for that goal. But I knew there wasn't any anxiety, my heart like there was the first time the first time he did that was the second time he hit it was just a big deal. You know, he made it. Why? Because the future, knowing the future makes a difference. Now listen, my friends, if we know the end of the story, if we understand how history is going to culminate, if we understand that we will give account of ourselves before God and understand clearly what that's going to involve. It ought to make a difference in the way we live. Just like knowing our beginning makes a difference in the way we live. You know, I really think that one of the reasons we're so impotent in Christianity Today, in our Christian life is this. We don't consider Genesis one, two and three. You know, Genesis 123 tells us how we got here, why we are here, what we are here for, it gives you a philosophy of life. If you want to get a philosophy of life, study the first 11 chapters of Genesis, it tells you our beginnings or roots, why we're here now listen, so should the Second Coming and the judgment of Christ. So should be the end of all things. Those are the two things that dominate the life of believers, we ought to be thinking, we've been created by a personal God has a purpose for our existence, and we're here to give glory to Him. And we are going to give an answer to him one day, they are a very, very much affect us. But you know what I find? Listen, friends, I find that talk about the second coming of Christ. Talk about his judgment in particular, usually, you get negative vibes from people. Most people sort of scratch off their shoulders, and they don't want to hear about this. Why? Well, I think there are several reasons, the worst of which is the attitude that preachers have had is they have preached on the subject of judgment. First off, when most people have preached on judgment that you've heard, it's usually been with anger, whatever they're gonna get is gonna get you if you don't repent. And also, it's always been directed to unbelievers. It hasn't been directed to believers. And you know, that a tremendous amount of New Testament teaching on judgment is directed to believers, as well as unbelievers. It has to be a strong motivation in our life. Another reason why we have a negative test is we all hate test evaluation, don't you? Remember tests? Remember the night before the big test? Or how about when you get evaluated at work, and your boss calls you and there's all you have to admit, there's just a in the pit of your stomach, this little wonder what he's going to say is really going to be good. And so we have this negative attitude towards that. But when it comes to this, this whole idea of judgment, I want to ask you this one question. Don't answer just just make it make you think, is heaven going to be the same for everyone? Let me ask you, this is hell going to be the same for everyone? If you don't really know that's one of the things that sermon is going to do is going to help you you see if heroin is the same for everybody, that's what a lot of people think. And by the way, friends, it's not at all going to be the same for everybody. There's somebody who had this idea oh, I'm just gonna take off my crown so to speak, and then we'll all be the same flopping around like this, you know, in this great crown him and many crowns in some kind of boring beliefs. No going around our back through us. Or we think about hell, they say there's all sin of sin can be the same. I want you to consider clearly what happens at the great judgment. And I want you notice a couple of things. Number one, let me have the two first two lights there, please. The middle two lights, the middle two. Yeah, thank you. Please only notice this. There are two main judgments. One is for unbelievers, and it's called the Great White Throne. And one is for believers. It's called the Bema Seat. Now, there's many more scriptures than this, but I'm just giving you a couple for you to notice that please note the difference. You can read about one look at the both of the look of all these scriptures here in a little bit. Notice the subjects. One is for believers. One is for unbelievers that is anyone not found in the book of life. Look, you're next the purpose, the purpose, very important that you understand this, the Bema seats, purpose is reward or loss of reward, not heaven. Or hell, if you're at the Bema Seat is for believers, so you don't get judged to go to hell, you get judged according to the level of reward for the kind of life you have lived in this life. The great white throne is punishment and degrees of punishment. Now, I will prove that to you, by the way to prove both of those to you notice the destiny, the destiny is that heaven and hell. Now chi 316 says it's the book of remembrance, while revelation 2012 says it's a book of works, when which God will will judge your life now, I'll leave it there just for a second if you if you want to consider that a little bit more. Also, I get these notes to you if anybody wants them afterwards. But please consider this two clear judgments, one for believers, one for unbelievers, they may occur at the same time, there's argument about when the time is gonna come and probably everybody has got a different opinion on it. But I will say this. A lot of Scripture seems to link them two together. But clearly one is for believers has to do with reward or loss of reward. One is concerning going to hell and the level of degree of punishment you'll receive as you go to hell. Now, with that in mind, I want you to see the next thing. And that is this. What actually happens when someone dies? A lot of people I would want to answer this, Bruce Wilkinson said this, I want to nine years of Bible colleges seminary. And if someone would have told me what exactly happens when I die, I would know he came up with this outline. I want to share it with you he calls it seven stages of man's eternity, I want you to see the very first one and that is this physical termination. Now that's a good term. You know what that means? That means you die, okay? You and You choke, you're gone, okay, forever, as far as physically living in this life. And first is that notice some scripture that would support this, you can write these scriptures down, you can look it up, I want you to especially notice is one two and five. Hebrews 927 says this, it is appointed on demand wants to die. In what next? And after this, the judgment. So look, you die. The next thing that happened is going to be your terminated Genesis 319. You know what that has to do with? It says from the dust you were made to the dust you shall return. I told the story in the first service. I was doing my first funeral service in rural Ohio. And I was scared to death. I'd never done a funeral service. No one ever taught me how to do a funeral service. I was I had the slightest clue what you're supposed to do. I didn't even know this person. And I did this funeral service. And then I got into the hearse afterwards, the guy said are you gonna ride the hearse? Are you gonna come with me? And I said, Well, what do I do now? I didn't know I was supposed to go out to the gravesite. He goes Oh, yeah, you're supposed to walk ahead of the casket. So I am. So yeah, he says then you got to do you know the ashes ashes dusted us thing. I said, I said what is the ashes to ashes dust to dust thing? I don't know what that is. I have no clue. But you know what it was? It was based on Genesis 319. It says for the dust you were made to the dust you shall return. Now I was thinking that I do say Ashes to ashes and dusted us and a lot of the funerals that I do now, because that's what the Scripture teaches, you're gonna die. If you want to jet definition of death, you could put down James 226. You know what that is? As the body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead. The definition of death is this when your body no longer has your spirit in it, you're dead. You've choked, you're gone. But the fact is, is this Nothing ends when you're dead. You just move to a new place into a new realm. These scriptures are for you to look at. We can get you copies of this. But the next thing I want you to see is this the judgment of faith and mean really when you die. And by the way, all of these stages just happen instantaneously. one through four, especially boom just like that when you die. The first thing that happens is this if you have trusted Christ for your salvation and repented of your sins, you go to be with him. If you haven't, you are condemned and you go to a holding place called Hades, which will be held until there was a resurrection in which Then we'll be coming for the great white throne to be judged at that resurrection. These different scriptures teach different things. For instance, John 823. And 24 says, Unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your since John 316, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. But then it goes on to say he'll believe not as condemned already, for the wrath of God abides upon him. And so clearly the Scripture is, is teaching that the third thing that happens, I want you to notice this is spirit relocation. And remember, these tie together very well, with Amin instantaneously. But the third thing that happens is this immediately when you die, if you're a Christian, your spirit goes to be with the Lord, the real you, your body goes to the grave, the real you goes to be with the Lord. For instance, Luke 2343, Jesus Christ is talking to the thief on the cross. And the thief on the cross says, I believe it makes that you know, remember me, Lord, and he says to the thief on the cross, today, you will be with Me in Paradise. What does that mean? Hey, you're about to die, but you will, you will be with Me in Paradise, that is encouraging, isn't it? The thief was gonna die. Second Corinthians five, a God that says, To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Now, do we need to make that any more clear than that? If you are absent from the body, you are present with the Lord, if you're a Christian, how about Philippians you're in Philippians. Go back to chapter one. And look at this passage that we looked at several weeks ago. But Philippians chapter one, and look with me down the verse 21 It says this, For me to live as Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in this body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know that please get verse 23. I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is better by far, but it's more necessary for you that I remain in the body you get down, he is about to depart or be with Christ. That's where the real me the spirit of what's real you. If you look at someone if you've ever looked upon a corpse, one reason you could tell it's a corpse is by the look in their eyes, the real vam is gone. And the Bible says instantly, that he was Lord. Now, there is not much refer to something that sort of started me in doing this study is this. You find a verse in the New Testament that says if you're an unbeliever, you die, you immediately go to hell, you don't find it. It's not there. It says, Here, there was a rich man and Lazarus. The rich man was not a believer. Lazarus was a believer. Lazarus died and went to paradise. The rich man died and went to Hades. And in Hades, he was in torment, and he was thirsty. And he was he was, he was in all kinds of trouble. He could see here and talk but he was all kinds of trouble. But the Bible teaches there's a place called hades in which the body the spirit will go a place of torment and tell the resurrection. So do you understand their spirit, spirit relocation. And this basically teaches this, where your spirit relocates is where you will spend your eternal destiny after you go through a judgment. Please understand that, while your spirit relocates when you die, if you die here with the Lord, you will be with the Lord forever. If you die, and you go to Hades, you will be away from the Lord forever. But first you have to stand judgment. And there's some scriptures there for you, which I for the sake of time, I don't want to spend too much time but then what happens is this, then there is a resurrection. And only this resurrection. I want you to turn the John chapter five and see this passage with me. And please work hard on this John chapter five, and turn over there quickly. And you'll see the Scripture referring now to the resurrection. Jesus says in John chapter five, starting with verse 28, he says, Do not be amazed this for a time is coming, what all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out. Those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will arise to be condemned. Now, clearly, there is a resurrection. First Corinthians 15 talks about the resurrection for the Christian. Revelation 2013 talks about the resurrection for the non Christian. First Thessalonians talks about the resurrection for the Christian and so does First Corinthians 15 There is a day you see when you die, your spirit if you're a Christian goes to be with the Lord, your body goes to the grave. But when Jesus Christ comes back, there is a resurrection and your body and your spiritual new body. Your incorruptible body is what First Corinthians 13 is talking about is reunited with your Spirit and you live for eternity will resurrected incorruptible body. It With Your unbeliever, your body is raised. Your spirit is raised out of Hades, your body is raised out of the grave. And you then stand before God in that body to be condemned to the Great White Throne Judgment and then to To cast into hell so clearly Next, there is a resurrection. The next thing I want you to see on this passage, and by the way, don't believe me if it's not there in the Scriptures, the know believe it. But the next thing I want you to see is this. The sixth stage is the judgment. So now here you are, the police get this. If you're a Christian, you've died. Your body has gone to the grave, your spirit has gone to be the Lord, and you're waiting, the resurrection at the resurrection, they come back together, and then you judge, if you're a non Christian, you've died. Your Spirit has gone to Hades, you have gone to the grave at the resurrection, your spirit and your body reunite, and you will be judged before God at the Great White Throne Judgment. Now, notice this, you will be judged according your physical body, Matthew 12. Let's go. Let's go to second Corinthians chapter five. Go over with me the second Corinthians chapter five. To see this. I'm hoping that I am making this clear for you not unclear. I hoping that you're going to build an understanding of this. And if not more confused, but go with me the second Corinthians chapter five and start with verse six. Second Corinthians chapter five, we start with verse six. He says, as you'll be judged, look at what it says here. He says, Forget six. Let's go down to verse 10, which is get to the point four, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That by the way, in the Greek, it reads like this where we must all appear before the Bema of Christ. That's where we get Bema Seat for those of you that asked that question. It's right here. It's also in Romans 14. And it's also applied several times the book of Acts, and other places. But we must all get this we must all appear before the Bema Seat of Christ that each one may receive what is due Him for things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Now, by the way, if you want to know if this was some negative experience for Paul, it wasn't a negative experience. You can read about it in verse six. Look at verse six says, Therefore we're always confident and know that as long as we are harming the body, we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. As long as we're in this world. We are confident I say and would prefer to be away from the body, be home with the Lord, hey, he looked forward to being with the Lord. You see, he was confident that he would be with the Lord you see this confidence the resurrection of Christ the fact of judgment was not something with Paul around like this. Oh me ally. No, he was looking forward to it was a motivation to his life it should be in our life. It should motivate us to do good and not evil. Romans 14 says this you judgmental person, you got to stop being judgmental, because you're gonna be judged the Bema Seat and the word Bemis down there in Romans 14, First Corinthians four, four and five, guess what it says, at that time each man will receive Guess what? His praise from God, His praise from God, Paul sort of capsule eights or capitalizes the whole idea here by saying this, it's going to be a time of praise at the Bema Seat, as we were given a reward. Matthew 1234 through 37. Look that up some time, but along with this idea of judgment comes personal compensation. Now to really see this, I want you to go to First Corinthians and see with me chapter three. But first Corinthians by the way, I hope you see I'm not interested in espousing my own opinions, but just don't try to teach what the scripture says. People often ignorant of really what the scripture says when we get our own ideas out ahead of ourselves. Now, look here, First Corinthians chapter three. Starting with the the verse 10. This is the clearest, most most defined teaching on the Bema Seat that there is, are you with me? Here we are the most clear defying teaching on the BBC, if you want to know what the BBC will be like, it's going to be personal compensation, that please get this. For the by the grace of God, probably the grace God has given me first Corinthians 310. I laid a foundation as an expert builder in someone else's building on it, but each one should be careful how he builds, for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. You see the foundation to get to the Bema Seat is Jesus Christ. There's no other person to get there through except Him. Verse 12, If any man builds on this foundation, using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his rock will be shown for what it is to get it. It's either going to be gold, silver, or constantly stones, which when tested by fire become more valuable, or wood, hay or straw, which if you've put wood, hay or straw to the fire, what happens? Well, you've all figured it out. Right? It burns up. So look at verse 13. His work will be shown for what it is because that day, no, you see that? What's the reference to the Bema? Just like in Philippians 216. It says the day of Christ is a reference to the Bema. You got to understand that that's a eschatological term. What does that mean? It just means it's the last days term, there's a term referring to the judgment because the day will bring it To light to get this it will be revealed with fire. And please know the last part of verse 13. The fire will test the quality of each man's work. Believer, there was a day coming. When you will stand before Jesus Christ the judge, he will look at your life and your life will be laid out before him. All that you've done is a believer and the quality of your Christian life. What you have done with the talents that has been given you will be tested by fire. If there are gold, precious stones, rubies, or whatever the terms are there, those kind of cool, it will become refined, and more valuable. If they are wood, hay and stubble, they will burn up. But notice, please notice at the Bema Seat, you don't go to hell. Please notice what it says in verse 14. If what he is built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss, he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. You see, you will be saved even though your life will not amounted to much for Christ, if you do get a loss of reward the Bema Seat and they'll probably be some sorrow in your heart. No doubt. That's why there's gonna be weeping in heaven as we know. Because believers will say why didn't I believe more by faith? Why didn't I sacrifice more? Why was I so determined to be comfortable? How come when someone tried to rebuke me I got mad at them and didn't listen, instead of paying attention and being motivated to change. Did you see how come and the point here is this, we will be rewarded personal compensation. By the way, if we went to Romans chapter two and verse five, I want you to see something will go there in a little bit. But I'll tell you twice, so you'll get it. But Romans two, five guess what it says is not talking about the Bema Seat there. But it's talking about the Great White Throne. And it says this, you are storing up wrath for yourself for the day of wrath. And what does that mean? Well, for the unbeliever, there's also personal compensation. Remember this, if you're a believer, you go to the Bema. It's just going to be based on reward or loss of reward. If you're an unbeliever, you go to the great white throne, and your judgment will be based upon degrees of punishment in hell. For instance, storing up wrath against the day of wrath means this put your sins into a bank. And the scripture says that for every person that is living, only God knows the heart, man can't judge this. Every time you sin. It's like putting some money in the bank, it gains interest and it keeps growing bigger and bigger and bigger and the day of judgment that will be brought out before you if you're an unbeliever. Okay, now, you did a good job. I think listening to me, I'll put this over, just leave the lights off. I'll we'll put another overhead on there in a second. Please, let's do a couple of key points now. Okay. All of eternity is impacted by the way you live. You hear me? All eternity is impacted by the way you live. So many people. One of the biggest flaws in most theology today is thinking that God rewards and punishes now. And my friends, there is some truth to that. But the main reward, the main judgment will be then on that day, the day of the Bema, or the Great White Throne. You wonder why wicked man could get away with wickedness for so long? Because God knows their day is coming. You want to know why believers who have been unjustly treated, and have had all kinds of bad things happen to them? How come God allows that to happen because he knows there's a day of reward coming. You see my friends, you've got to see the impact theology of the Bema in the Great White should have upon your life, it should impact everything you do, you should think about it, you should live as if the BBC were over you casting a shadow over your life. Now the dark shadow, but a shadow of direction and encouragement to realize that you'll get an answer someday. So let's now consider this. And thanks for your good attention. Let's now consider the great white throne judgment. And by the way, we didn't get to the Bema Seat in the first service, which means we're not going to get to it now. But that's okay. Because we're gonna have an extensive study just on the beam on next Sunday. Okay, so look here. Let's go there. This is interesting, man. I think you're gonna love this. I've been excited to preach this to you. Go to Revelation 20 with me and let's look now at the Great White Throne Judgment that we've had that as introduction revelation 20. Let's look at verse 11 through 15 and get your Bibles ready because we're gonna be turning to some other places too. Let's read about it. Here. It says in Revelation 20, verse 11. Then I saw a great white throne. Oh, there was there's our definition of it right there great white throne, and him who was seated on earth and sky fled from his presence. There was no place for them awesomeness in other words, and I saw the dead grain small standing before the throne of the books were opened, another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea eat up the dead they were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead, they were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire, you please notice based on your works, it says it judged your works, it says. So right here, each person was judged according to what he had done, your works. Now, remember something at the Great White Throne, people will be standing there in their sins, Jesus Christ has not paid for their sins, they're standing before a holy God. And now they're automatically gonna go to hell because they're the Great White Throne. But the one thing I want you to notice it's going to be a degree of punishment that they will receive. And some of you are going, Wait a minute, I thought it was the same for everybody. I remember being taught, oh, yeah, send us a sin. You know, once it is done, Jason No, no, no, you on the reading your Bible very carefully. Because the Bible clearly teaches there's degrees of punishment in hell. And the Bible clearly teaches one sin is worse than another. For instance, notice the criterion for non Christians. In other words, the punishment will be based on the following. Here's three criterias. By the way, we're not gonna have time to get there today. But next week, you are going to see 14 or 15 criterias for reward or loss of reward at the bmsc judgment. This week, three criterias, for a person at the Great White Throne Judgment for an unsaved person, for instance, the amount of truth known and rejected, please turn with me to Matthew chapter 11. Go back to Matthew chapter 11 with me and your text, and work hard. Please pay attention to this, because this is extremely interesting and important that we understand it. Matthew, chapter 11. And it says, in Verse 20. The following, please get this this is Jesus talking. Then Jesus began to announce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they do not repent, won't you you corzan Woe to you Bethsaida. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they will have repented long ago and sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you to please get verse 22. It will be more bearable for Taiwan side Number Day of Judgment then for you. Why? Because so much light had been given to those cities that have that amount of light had been given to Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented. So look at based upon the amount of truth known and rejected the amount of miracles the amount of truth given. Let's keep reading, verse 23, and you compare him, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Saddam, it would have remained to this day. Now here's a little interesting thought friends, also proving this righteousness, turning and responding to Truth brings blessing in this life. You know why? It stays off judgment if Saddam would have had those miracles done to these other cities that had done, they wouldn't have been consumed with the raging fire of the Lord, they would have remained until this day. In other words, they wouldn't have been judged the way Sodom and Gomorrah was judged. So it reflects today to Don't forget. But also notice verse 24. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Saddam on the dam judgment than for you. But most of my friends, what we saw from sodomy, a god town full of homosexuals, wicked people. And guess what happens? He says it would be more bearable for Saddam in the Day of Judgment. In other words, there's two levels of punishment, you got to understand clearly, there's levels of punishment. Go back to the 10th chapter, just one chapter and look on the to the 11th verse. Look what it says. Chapter 10 Verse 11, just go back one chapter, whatever town or village you enter, search for some more the person their status house until you leave that you enter the home, give it to your greeting, if the home was deserving, let your peace rest on that is not let your peace returned to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, what's that the preaching of the Gospel, if they will listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet. When you leave that one return, I tell you the truth it will be more bearable for sowing and Gomorrah on the day of judgment for that town. It's gonna be more bearable for a group. And Sodom and Gomorrah as they stand before God of the Great White Throne. And people that had the apostles go into their towns the gospel preached and they rejected it. So you see, clearly the amount of truth has been known, by the way friends, that's why I was told this was I was a little boy, it would be much worse to go to health in the United States of America, that it would be to go to hell from some of the darkest jungles in Africa that have never heard the gospel. Because we have had like, permeated around this gospel teaching radio magazines, Christian bookstores. All around us. And it was like shit everywhere. And the degree, clearly, clearly, man is responsible for the amount of truth and light given to him that he rejects in the scriptures. Now, another thing was this, the kinds of sins you commit, I bet you some of you didn't believe this. I used to not believe it. But it is clearly true that the kinds of sins you commit, you're in Matthew 10, go to the next bookmark and go to the 12 chapter. All the people who said, Oh, no, I thought that was the same for everybody. I thought sin was sin. No, there are some sin that is worse than other sin, the kinds of sins you commit. And let me give you some references to this. It says in Mark chapter 12, starting with verse 38. As he taught, Jesus said, and by the way, he was coming right from Jesus's mouth. Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues in places of honor at banquets, they devour widows houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers now, please get this last part of verse 40. Such men will be punished most severely. In other words, one of the worst sins you can ever commit is that of being a Pharisee I felt one of the reasons I say to you, not because I'm afraid of losing my salvation, but because I know how much God hates it the sin that God seems to hate if you look at what Jesus Christ said when He came to earth is Pharisee ism. And you know what that is? External religion only with a heart that is wicked. What does he say? Outwardly? You look like whitewashed the house ago whitewashed us, but inwardly your way I can't remember how it goes. But the point is this. The outside of the cup looks nice, but the inside of the cup is corroded. You come over to my house to give you something to drink. So Oh, yeah, you look at there's a beautiful shiny cup. You go thanks, that person. Why don't you look in there just maggots swimming around in it. Okay, that's the point. If you got my point. That's what God sees God looks upon the heart. And with the emphasis on the external, God absolutely hates it. He says, such men will be punished most severely. What does that say there are rules of punishment based upon the kinds of sins that you commit, you want to see another reference today, you're in Mark chapter 12. Go back to Mark chapter nine. Go back to Mark chapter nine. And look at this story. To show you another illustration of the kinds of sin you commit depending gonna make a difference in the Great White Throne Judgment. Mark chapter nine, verse 42. And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand calls you sin Koloff, it's better for you to analyze name that with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin cut off, it is better for you that are like crippled and have two feet and be thrown to hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It's better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than have two eyes be thrown to Hell, where the warmth does not die in the fire is not quenched. Everyone will be salted with fire. Why don't we get the point verse 42. Anyone who causes one of these little ones to send, believe me, who believe in me to sin, it'd be better for him to throw into the depths of the sea. I'm not exactly sure all of that is applied here. But I will tell you this, to cause little children to sin is going to bring severe judgment of God upon you. tie that in with all the child abuse. With all the wickedness that's going on today, there's a severe warning from our loving and gracious Lord, it would be better for you to have a millstone tied about your neck. The Old Testament says things like this, it would better be for you never to have been born. Now, friends, if this scares you, I may say this good. Maybe that's good. Maybe for once we got to get a little respect. Maybe we should start to realize that judgment is severe. Let me make sure I've mentioned a couple of others Ephesians five, three through seven and Colossians, three, five through six, say things like this. So it's things like this, for the idolatry, the drunkard, the sexually immoral, and it gives a list of sins like that. It says Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Let's don't be fooled by all of the adultery and all of the illegitimate perverted sex that's going on and casually talked about on TV and joked about and magazines and videos and all the things that you could possibly see around you. Don't you be deceived? Don't let anyone deceive. You don't have some antinomian coming your way and say oh, God's God's grace. It's okay. No, because of such things. God's wrath is coming. In fact, my friends it's a shame to even speak of those things which are done by them and secret. This is a call back to holiness friends. It's a call back to understand that God hates this and it's right to hate it in certain scenes are worse than others. Let me give you this logic or justice tells us this. This week down at the conference on Tuesday, I was down to help him with the toddlers. And on Tuesday, I went up to the Riley towers with Doug Miller. Doug Miller is a member of our church. He lives the Riley towers and went over to his house to study and get some lunch and things like that. We pulled onto a one way street downtown, I don't drive town downtown a lot. We pulled onto a one way street. And we came up to the stoplight. And, and we were sitting there and there's four rows across. And I was on the outside of the front row. And Doug was sitting there talking, we've been stopped about 20 seconds. And he went like this. He went the big line of traffic behind us. He went like this. Yeah, the second street to the right, you turn. Well, when he went like this, I was not paying attention. I thought he meant the light turned green. So I went through the light. Thing is I didn't even know it. I wasn't even 20 yards to the light. And on the pole position on the front row was a motorcycle policeman. He pulled up behind me so fast. I hadn't even got through the intersection, his lights were spinning. And Doug realized that I went through the red light was turned around looking like this. And we were in the jeep with the top off, you know, so it looked like some probably some smart aleck kids or something driving there, you know? I thought Doug, what are you talking about the cops going? Why would a cop in my scene? Like why is he gonna pull me over? Absolutely. My intentions were as pure as they could be. The only thing is I was guilty as all get out. You see, the cop pulls me over. And I'm gonna sort of I don't know why I did that I surely didn't mean to. And you know, he won't. Yeah, you know, he's heard all the stories, you know? $55 Guilty $35. Now, let me ask you something. What do you think I deserve that or not? I will tell you this. My intention was pure. God knows that. But yet I violated the law. So I got the penalty. And obviously he said, If you want to contest this, you can come to court such that I go. There's nothing to contest. I ran the red light even though I didn't ignorance. I was still guilty, right? But this week in the paper did you read about the man 34 years old, that sexually molested his two and a half year old daughter so severely that she died in severe pain from an eruption of her intestines. And we actually saw the friends. Let me let me ask you this question. What would you do? If you found out that I ran a stoplight? And was given a life sentence with no chance of parole? And that guy molested his daughter and she died and he got a $55? Fine? What would you all do? You would all go downtown and you say unjust? Because we have a sense of justice. We're image bearers. We all know there's right and wrong. And my point, my friends, is this. The kinds of sin you commit Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, others, I can't name them all are going to get a worse degree of punishment in hell than others. The number of sins you commit, in case you're wondering about this, just to give you clearest evidence, I told you I told you, we'd go there. Go to Romans chapter two. Look with me to Verse five, would you clearly the Bible teaches this too. But because of your stubbornness, and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, storing up wrath. What's that mean? It means this putting into a bank account. Here's the sinner, the number of sins you commit, yes, the number of sins one commits, the Bible says it's like a bank account when you sin. As an unbeliever. You're storing up wrath against them. Let me give you another illustration. I ran the stoplight quite innocently this week. And yet what happened? What happens if I do that every day this week and every day next month and every day in August, what my license would be taken away from me and eventually I'd go to jail, because the number of my sins start to add up against you even in our justice system. So it is before God storing up wrath. People that continue to sin, they store up wrath, unbelievers. Now I'm talking about was we're talking about the great white throne judgment until the day of wrath. The last point I want you to see on the Great White Throne is this how to avoid the Great White Throne Judgment? Well, let me tell you, there's two ways to avoid the Great White Throne Judgment. You know that? The first way is this. Don't die. If you don't die, you can avoid it. Okay, just a little humor. Some of you went for it. The second way to avoid the Great White Throne Judgment is this repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior because the Bible says this, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. There is no judgment from God that's going to bring condemnation upon you, for them that are in Christ Jesus. Now I say all that you put the lights there, if you would put the lights back on. I say this to tell you I'm sort of glad we didn't get the Bema Seat in the first service. Because I easily we can go 45 minutes to an hour next week on the Bema Seat and just as I gave you the three criterion for the great white throne and give you 14 or 15 criterion for the Bema Seat, but I want you to consider a couple of things. Daniel Webster said this. The most important thought I ever had was that of my individual responsibility to God. John Calvin said this, let no man flatter himself on the ground that in the opinion of men, he is reckoned among the most eminent master builders. For as soon as the day breaks in his whole work must go utterly for nothing if not approved by the Lord. One other man said this. Those are fools who depend on man's estimation so as to record it enough to be approved by men. For that only will the work have praise and recompense when it has stood the test of the day. I want you turn one last place, I want you to see how the Bema should affect your life. The fact of judgment should affect your life even though we haven't talked much about it. I want you to see it. Go to Hebrews, the 11th chapter and I want you to see something in closing. It's all I'm telling you friends, you're going to be amazed. It's everywhere.