Message Notes

INTRODUCTION

1. The end of this series of messages on the 2nd coming of the Son of Man

2. Many aspects of the End Times mindset have been studied

3. How should we see the coming of the Son of Man?

A GLORIOUS CLIMAX

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”   Matthew 25:31

1. The focus will no longer be on sorrows

2. All that we have sought to do will lead us to this glorious climax

3. The focus will be the glorious Lord in His climactic coming

a) He will come in His glory

b) He will come as King with His glorious and holy angels

c) He will sit on His glorious throne

A DEFINING CONCLUSION FOR ALL

“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:32-33

1. A final concluding event for all

2. The King will evaluate and divide between the sheep and the goats

THE COMMENDATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS SHEEP

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’   Matthew 25:34-40

1. The King’s blessings

a) Considered “Blessed of His Father”   (Matthew 25:34)

b) We would be given an inheritance in the kingdom of God   (Matthew 25:34)

c) We would be called the righteous   (Matthew 25:37)

2. The King commended them for showing good works to Him   (Matthew 25:35-36)

a) Food when He was hungry

b) Water when He was thirsty

c) Help given to Him as a stranger

d) Clothed when He was naked

e) Visited when He was sick

f) Came to Him in prison

3. The puzzlement of the righteous   (Matthew 25:37-39)

a) They had not seen the Lord

b) Puzzled by the Lord’s comments

4. A wonderful insight

“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”   Matthew 25:40

THE CONDEMNATION OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS GOATS

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:41-46

1. The King’s condemnation   (Matthew 25:41)

a) Distanced from the Lord

b) Called “the cursed”

c) Cast into everlasting fire

2. The King cursed them for not showing any works to Him   (Matthew 25:42-43)

a) No food when He was hungry

b) No water when He was thirsty

c) No help given to Him as a stranger

d) No clothing when He was naked

e) No visitation when He was sick

f) Did not come to Him in prison

3. The puzzlement of the goats as they had not seen the Lord   (Matthew 25:44)

a) They had not seen the Lord

b) Puzzled by the Lord’s comments

4. A worrying insight

‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’   Matthew 25:45

CRUCIAL LESSONS TO LEARN

1. Suitable for all

a) The focus is not on full-time servants

b) This message is suitable for all

2. Service that all can give

a) Not about talents or status or age

b) About the little things that we can do that count

3. Spirit and heart   (Matthew 25:40)

a) A spirit and heart that loves and cares for anyone

b) The right heart and mindset that is open to help others

4. Salvation reflected

a) The love and care we show is a reflection of our salvation

b) It is the outworking of salvation

“Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”   Matthew 25:34

5. A significant and far-reaching impact

a) We tend to think that the little we do does not amount to much

b) On the contrary, the little that we do has a significant and far-reaching impact