The Rich Man And Lazarus Quiz - [Luke 16:18-30]

I'm happy to go back and rewrite my email because that's even better. I mean, that's a very clear statement of the situation.

But let's just focus on that word condemnation. Thank you. On that word condemnation.

Therefore, as one text I said, condemnation for all men. What does that mean?

It's just like I was telling Terrell last night. It means that all men deserve, well, all of them.

In fact, the top of page 64 says, Condemnation is a judicial pronouncement upon a guilty person.

It is, you know, to illustrate, it's like the judge swinging the gavel and saying,

You're guilty. And not only that, not just guilty, but pronouncing judgment.

Saying what he deserves, ultimately. Condemnation. So what condemnation is

Paul writing about? What is sufficient penalty for it? What is he talking about? The guilt of violating the law of God that we all stand guilty before the law.

What is sufficient penalty for it? You know, a few stripes. Eternity in hell.

This is what Henderson says. Since in the preceding context, Paul has no less than three times mentioned

Christ's death for his people. In verses 6, 8, and 10. And also, look at verses 7 and 9.

I mean, this whole passage is what it's all about. It's certain that also here, in verses 18 and 19, the reference is to that supreme sacrifice.

However, we should not interpret this concept too narrowly. Christ's voluntary death represents his entire sacrificial earthly ministry, of which that death was the climax.

Now, we've talked about this on many occasions. It wouldn't be enough for Jesus to simply come to earth and die.

And hence, since I'm talking about Mormonism in a sense anyway, what did

Jesus's death accomplish? Well, we know what it accomplished, but here's even confusion in Christianity.

And it's so great to have this whiteboard. Let's say that this is the state of Adam before he fell.

This is him in the garden. Now, in this state,

Adam never sinned. Was he heaven -bound? Was he going to die?

And he could have gotten to heaven, but did

God give him commandments that he needed to obey? Yes. So there was a sense in which he needed to obey, right?

And he needed to obey perfectly to get to heaven. And once he disobeyed, of course, he fell out of grace and all that.

Now, what some say, even some Christians say, is that Jesus's death brings us right back up to there, to neutral.

Well, I think that this might be right in this sense, that just his death, if that's all it did, but his, what's the line that says, even more are we saved by his life?

I mean, we need both. We need his perfect life and his death. In other words, to get technical, his passive obedience, which is ultimately encapsulated in his death, because he doesn't resist it even though he could, and his active obedience, for example, honoring his mother and father, to all commandments.

So we need both of those ultimately to get to heaven. It's not just enough to get to neutral, whatever that would be.

We need the whole thing. So the idea that somehow Jesus's death or his life accomplished nothing for us would be wrong, because we're under obligation, true or false, to obey everything that God has commanded.

True. So it's not just enough to not sin. We needed to also be perfect in obeying, and there are many commands, like I just pointed out with the mother and father.

How about, I shall love the Lord thy God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. That's an affirmative command.

In other words, it's not just something that you can passively do.

It's something that you have to actively do. And so Jesus obeyed passively and actively.

He never obviously killed anyone or anything of that nature, but he also actively obeyed perfectly.

So there's active and passive obedience, and this wouldn't be enough. And this is what the Mormon Church teaches, that Jesus basically brings us back to neutral, and then it's up to us to work.

I don't know what else to say. Our work would consist of things like tithing, going to the temple, you know, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, and that's how to do that.

Jesus did something great for us, but we have to finish it off. And so they would say things like, grace takes up where our works leave off.

Grace carries us the rest of the way. So let's just not go through the concept. But it's just interesting then, in verse 18, to see that one trespass was a condemnation for all men.

So one act of righteousness is justification for all men. That is the summation, that one act of righteousness is the summation of all that Jesus Christ did in coming, taking on a body, and that was obedience to the

Father, and then living a perfect life and dying a sacrificial death. He did the

Father's will. I note that in verse 18, it says,

Hendrickson again, where it's told that one trespass resulted in condemnation for all the men, but one act of righteousness resulted in justification, issuing in life.

This shows that justification not merely overturns the verdict of guilty, setting aside the sentence of doom, but also opens the gate to life.

It's not just enough, again, that he set aside the guilty verdict. In fact, it's kind of interesting, because Pastor Mike will say justification, a lot of people say it's shorthand or another way of saying it, it's just as if I never sinned.

But it's more than that. It's like I was watching some crime show the other day, and somebody was found not guilty.

What is not guilty? It means there wasn't enough proof to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that that person actually did it.

Could they still have done it? Yes. So, and that's not enough in justification.

Justification would be, not only are you not guilty, but you are wholly innocent.

Not on your own merits, but on the merits of Christ. Okay. Let's talk about curse.

You know me, I have a passion about this verse.

And I have a passion about it, not only because of my background, but because I think, you know, when you look at the largest false religion in the world,

Galatians 1, I mean, it's just spot on. And it's so much more than that. But even if we, an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, that would be a curse.

And when I say largest false religion in the world, I'm talking about Islam. And Muhammad's husband was visited by an angel,

I think it was, I can't say Gabriel, but I don't want to say who he was,

I don't need to. And, you know, told basically that the Bible was corrupted and he needed to correct it.

And so this angel then dictated to Muhammad the Quran. And that is the basis of the religion.

You can say, okay, here we have, maybe it was an angel, fallen angel, you know, appearing to him.

I don't know. Maybe he just made the whole thing up. But it's a religion based on a visit from an angel.

It's just totally wrong. It should be a curse. F .F. Bruce writes, when he's talking about let him be a curse, let him be anathema, he says this is a more solid formula than the implication, that's kind of a negative, what's an imprecatory psalm, you know, curse and be my enemies kind of thing.

That's what the implication is. Revelation 22, 18, which is, who has Revelation 22, 18, memorizer can sort of say, any person who adds to or takes away from this shall receive the condemnation or the judgment of all of it.

Don't add or take away from this book. So this is a more solid formula than the implication of Revelation 22, 18 on amplifying or diminishing the text of the

Apocalypse. Revelation, anathema, that's what that says in Greek there. The B is an N.

Theta is a theta. So it's anathema, is the regular setuagent, that's what

LXX is, a rendering of the Hebrew word there for ban.

In a holy war, the harem involved in practice the destruction of everyone and everything that fell under it.

That's why you hear people say, oh, the god of the Old Testament, he was so mean. Look what he said. He said you have to destroy everybody in that city.

You have to destroy everything in it. In theory, whatever was under that harem, was under the ban, was completely devoted to Yahweh.

That is, they weren't to take anything of it because this wasn't a moral plunder. This wasn't a war to make themselves rich.

It was a war dedicated to obeying God. And that's why it was sacrilege for Achan to take for himself some of his floes of Jericho.

But while that was the original sense of harem and of anathema, it is not the sense here. The sense is, may the divine curse rest on him.

Where Paul says he could pray for himself anathema, or pray himself to be accursed, accursed from Christ if his

Jewish kinsfolk could be saved thereby. Paul says, no matter. I would do anything to see

Jews come to faith, including having a curse placed upon myself. And it's that same way, he says, look,

I would willingly undergo the curse of God if Israel would be saved. And that's the same way he's using it here in Galatians 1 .8

that whoever teaches a different gospel should be accursed. Bruce goes on, but why should he express himself so vehemently against those who preach a different message from his own?

Partly because he called the preaching of salvation by law keeping to be a snare and a delusion, which puts us all, both men and women, in jeopardy.

Partly also because of its adverse implications for the authenticity of Christ. Okay, two parts there.

First of all, this idea of working, of obeying, of doing something to add to our salvation appeals to us or doesn't appeal to us?

It appeals to us. I mean, we want rules. You just tell me what to do and I'll get it done.

Tell me I can't have toast in the morning, I'm fine with that. If that'll get me heaven, then that's what

I'll do. And men naturally, and women naturally, want rules to obey.

The more rules, the better, and there is no better religion for that than Islam, because there are rules for literally everything.

And the other side of this is, Bruce argues, that the adverse implication for the authenticity of Christ.

Because this very idea would undermine the finished work of Christ. Jesus says, it is finished.

Well, it's not finished. If somehow, you know, thanks to Jesus, I'm now at neutral, and now it's up to me.

Well, it wasn't finished. And Paul's saying, you're a curse if you believe that, because you are undermining the sufficiency of Christ.

You're saying the cross isn't enough. Jesus didn't finish it. And that's why

Paul says, you are a curse. And you're saying

Jesus didn't do it. Let's look at the next one.

Punish. 2 Thessalonians 1 .9. I see a hand dropped.

Go ahead. 2

Thessalonians 1 .539. It's not the 1 .9. At least they'll be punished without the last name.

Oh, is that right? Okay. Would you read 539? Sorry. Yeah. Well, this is just...

It stands in stark contrast to verse 9. It will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction.

Eternal... What did you say? Everlasting destruction? I mean, the idea you have there is not either of annihilationism.

It's not of some kind of... Eventually we all get there sort of idea. It is the process of eternally being destroyed.

Dr. Thomas, one of my seminary professors, wrote this. He said two types of repentance to be meted out.

Meted or meted? Meted. Meted out that the righteous judgment of God deserves consideration in light of a

Christian's present trouble. One is toward the troublers, in verses 8 and 9, and the other is towards the troubled, in verse 10.

He will punish. He's literally rendering vengeance. That's what's going to happen to those who are...

I forgot the word. It stands for vengeance. It's the same as that for right, in verse 5, and just, in verse 6.

It has no overtones of selfish vindictiveness or revenge, but proceeds from the justice of God to accomplish appropriate punishment for criminal offenses.

When the wrath of God makes itself felt at the revelation of the Lord Jesus, all humanity will face dreaded agonies.

In other words, this isn't, again, this caricature of God that he's somehow vengeful that he's going to punish people.

It's what they deserve. It's what they have earned. It is the right thing to do. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, right?

He's not delighted by this, but it is something that he must do in order to uphold his justice.

Dr. Thomas goes on to say, the most sobering experience of all will culminate

God's righteous judgment against his enemies. They will be punished with everlasting destruction.

Literally, they will pay the penalty, everlasting destruction. The price must be paid in return for the suffering inflicted on God's people, talking about during this time, and the persecution of God's people.

And that price is none other than everlasting destruction. The Greek word allathros, destruction, does not refer to annihilation, which cannot be everlasting by definition.

The word in the Septuagint, and New Testament usages, never has this meaning, but rather turns on the thought of separation from God and loss of everything worthwhile in life.

Just as endless life belongs to Christians, endless destruction belongs to those. Consequences of permanent separation from God come out forcibly in the phrase, from the presence of the

Lord. Punishment from the Lord's presence is what Jesus taught about punishment. Words cannot adequately express the misery of this condition.

On the other hand, those in Christ can anticipate the very opposite. They will be put before the

Lord forever. So we've seen the two opposite ends of the spectrum, and really, ultimately, there is nothing in between.

You're either in the presence of Christ forever, eternity, enjoying him forever, or you are in hell, undergoing torment and eternal destruction.

This is the last one. Trouble and distressless with their coolness, too.

Again, all these words referring to hell, to the eternal nature of the judgment of God against those who will not receive

Christ, who will not bow their heads Romans 2, verses 6 -11

He will render to each one according to his works to those who find patience and love in him, with glory and honor and with power.

He will give eternal life to them. But for those who are seeking him and do not obey the truth, or obey unrighteousness, they will be wrapped in fear.

The only tribulation and distress for them is not for the evil, the

Jew first, and also the Greek. For the glory and honor and peace for everyone is the

Jew first, and also the Greek. For God shows no mercy. Isn't that interesting how it says the

Jew first, and also the Greek. Where else would we see that? Yeah, it's just in Romans 1, right?

Where it says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power and force of salvation to everyone who believes in the

Jew first and also the Greek. It's like he has a theme going on here. No, it's because he does have a theme.

He's talking about the universal guilt of mankind, both

Jew and Gentile. But talking about trouble and distress, trouble is a strong word.

Leon Morris writes, With a meaning like pressure to the point of breaking is thus used of the dire calamity of Deuteronomy 66.

I'm going to imagine that for a moment. That's the idea of trouble.

Pressure to the point of breaking. Squeeze to the very point of breaking. That's trouble.

And then distress. It's not nearly as common a word. It conveys the idea of being cramped for lack of space.

It still doesn't sound very pleasant and thus of extreme affliction. This combination found again in Romans 8 .35.

2 Corinthians 6 .4 adds up to rather severe trouble. This Paul tells us is for every human being who does evil.

Well, how is it then that you can sin or be evil in the presence of the Lord and not undergo this?

Well, again, we know the answer to that. It's Christ. The universality of this punishment is further brought out of the person of the

Jew and of the Gentile. Let's skip to Deuteronomy 4. If you had the

Jewish expectation that it was the Gentiles only, right, who would be judged by God, because they were saved by the nature of being

Jewish, they thought, while they themselves would escape, it is noteworthy that Paul sees the Jew as the first recipients of judgment.

Why? Why would he say that? Why would he even imply that? Because they had the commandment.

And then B says this combination of Jew and Greek here embraces the whole of mankind, but Greek is used in the same sense of Gentile, so there you have it.

I mean, this is the whole world stands under this judgment, and it's not only

God's hell. So let's talk about judgment day. And I want to talk about it basically from the standpoints or viewpoints of Christians and the judgment that we undergo, heaven, hell, and everything in between.

And that was the judgment day. Let's talk about the genus -y judgments. We hear that word sometimes.

What does it mean? Well, first of all, we have to understand when it occurs. It occurs after the rapture, when the church is taken up, but before tribulation, before the millennium, should probably draw a diagram, but I'm not quite sure.

Before the millennium and before the final judgment of God when he pours out his wrath on sinners forever.

Now, it's interesting. Anybody else need a copy of this? Anybody else?

It's interesting because the idea of judgment is something

I don't think we talk about a lot for us. We think about it in terms of others. But it's interesting because there are a number of judgments.

The first judgment being the judgment of believers and being a seed of judgment. But then what other kind of judgments are talked about?

How about the book of Revelation? What kind of judgments are there? The great white throne judgment, which is for some believers.

Anything else? How about bold judgments?

As revelation unfolds, they're called judgments because they are the outpouring of wrath upon humanity, upon the fallen world, ultimately culminating in the second coming and then the millennium.

And then at the end of the millennium, all of the dead who are not in Christ shall rise and they shall receive their ultimate judgment.

But I thought we'd just spend maybe a few minutes this morning talking about judgment for the believers. In the seat, meaning tribunal.

A magistrate would address an assembly from a chair placed on the structure, especially a judicial bench.

It's interesting because my reading on this, it also would talk about an

Olympic judge would sit kind of above the games, watching them. And it's that same word, that he would kind of sit in this throne lofty above everyone and then they would approach him to receive their medals after the competition was completed.

And that's the idea, that's the picture. No one of the believers will undergo this judgment.

Instead, because of their pile of cracks, they will receive a different judgment, a great white throne. The Bible knowledge commentary in Dallas Theological Seminary, they write this, the issue of a believer's eternal destiny will not be at stake.

This was settled by his faith in Christ. Each believer's life of service will be under review in which some loss, some loss will be experienced.

But who will be rewarded for what endures. Let's go ahead and look at,

I know I did, let's look at Romans, let's look at 1

Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 3, verses 12 -15.

And who would like to read that?

Okay, so that's telling us what?

What does that verse, what does that passage tell us? That there would be greater reward based according to our works after salvation.

It's kind of analogous to the story of the treasures on the mountain of rust do not destroy.

It's the same principle. You know, again and again and again, the apostles are faithful in expounding and explaining what the

Lord Jesus Christ himself taught. They don't make things up. They don't create new ideas. They teach what

Jesus himself taught. Let's look at Romans chapter 14, verses 12 -14.

Who would like to read that?

I know and I'm persuaded that the Lord Jesus said nothing is unclean in the soul, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ. Graham, what do you think? I mean, the key, the key was, let's look at verse 12, so that each of us will be able to count from self to God.

Now, obviously, Paul is not addressing unbelievers there. He's writing a letter to believers. And in what sense do they do that?

Well, we already read in 1 Corinthians, but here's what the

Bible says, and he writes kind of, it was a while back, so it's kind of old

English, but the top is 67. The question to be tried and decided, speaking after the manner of men, at this tribunal, that the being seeks, in this reference, is not that of glory or perdition.

It's not heaven or hell. That's already been decided. The persons of the examined are accepted.

In other words, those standing before Jesus are not going to hell, they're going to heaven. The inquiry is in the domestic court of the palace, so to speak.

It regards the order of the king, so as to the issues and value of his accepted servants' labor and conduct as his representatives in their moral life.

The Lord of the servants cometh and reckoneth with them. They have been justified by faith.

They have been united to their glorious head. They shall be saved. Whatever be the fate of their work, or whatever be the fate of their work, but what will their

Lord say of their work? Will he say, Good, well done, good and faithful servants.

What have they done for him in labor, in witness, and above all, in character? He will tell them what he thinks.

He will be infinitely kind, but he will not flatter. I mean, can you imagine standing, kneeling, laying face -flat, however,

I'm sure we'll probably be standing, I guess, before the

Lord, but can you imagine having him say something like, Great job,

Steve, you never made any mistakes. Good job, you never passed up any opportunities. Good job, you know, here's a quarter book on the local store.

He's not going to do that. He's going to tell the truth, and you know what? The truth will be enough for whatever we need.

It will be exactly what we know, and we're not going to say, Oh, wait, you know, is there an appeal court? He will be infinitely kind, but he will not flatter.

And somehow, surely, it doth not yet appear how, but somehow, eternity, even the eternity of salvation, will bear the impress of that award, the impress of past service, as committed by the king.

What shall the harvest be? The move goes on. He says, We see here that there will indeed be a place for it in the experience of eternity.

The scrutiny of the tribunal, the beam of seed, will concern not the society, in other words, not the world at large, which is important for us.

You know, we're trying to transform the world. We're trying to take on big issues, trying to make this a green planet. He says,

Listen, the beam of seed judgment, no, that stuff's going to matter. The organism, you're not going to be judged by what you did with regard to making the world a better place.

You're not going to be judged with regard to what church you attended, in the sense that whatever the church did, you're somehow going to get kind of leech credit for.

Well, I never really served, but, you know, I was a member of Bethlehem Bible Church and Omaha Bible Church and Grace Community Church, and therefore,

I get credit for what they did. That's not going to matter. But the member, the individual, the man, each will stand in a solemn solitude there before his divine designer.

What he was as the Lord's member, as his servant, that will be the, what he shall be as such in the functions of the endless state, that will be the result.

In other words, where you're going to be, how you're going to be rewarded, that is going to be determined right there based on your work for the

Lord. He says, let us not be troubled over that prospect, or the trouble of the worldling, which means what?

What's a worldling? An unbeliever. As if we do not know him, will scrutinize us, and he did not love him, and conversely, that he doesn't love us.

It's going to be a time of terror. It's going to be like knowing him, and his father, who's also a friend, but someone who's not going to lie and who's going to tell you the exact thing that he did.

Then where? Suggest three standards for this being a secret. Three things that we work with.

How well have we... Is it three or four? Oh, right. Oh, yeah, three or four.

Three standards. Number one, how well have our lives and ministry lined up with the

Word of God? How seriously have we taken the Master's instructions? That will be an important factor in our rewarding.

I mean, obedience matters. On the day of the

B and C judgment, the Lord's not going to say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, if we weren't faithful.

We didn't do what he said. And this whole idea of...

And even, obviously, we're not going to obey perfectly, but the idea is we're going to be rewarded when we did obey.

And, you know, you say, I mean, here's the mindset I've always had, kind of a B and C judgment, and this is just wrong thinking.

I mean, I've often thought that, you know, somehow, when I got into heaven, I was going to get there and just kind of look around and go, everybody knows

I'm here. Kind of like looking around for the security to find out if they're going to throw me out.

Like I snuck in, like nobody knows I'm there, like, you know, how could this be?

You know, can we get a recount? It's wrong thinking. And it's wrong thinking in this sense.

You know, I've said, too, you know, I don't really care about crowns in heaven. Wrong thinking, and I'll tell you why it's wrong thinking.

It's not because I or anybody else should be out for glory in heaven. It's not because we should be thinking, you know, what

I really want is for Jesus, when I'm standing there and He's giving me the B and C judgment, to say, oh,

I can't handle it, just pick me up and give me a big hug. No, because I want to stand before Him and I want

Him to say, well done, thou good and faithful servant, because I obeyed Him. I don't want to earn rewards for myself, but what

I need to understand is the more I am rewarded, the more obedient I was to the

Lord who gave Himself to me, who sacrificed all for me.

So when you get to heaven, it's not a matter of looking around and thinking, I can't believe I'm in here. It's a matter of thinking, how much could

I serve the Lord who underwent the worst treatment anyone ever underwent, the worst torture anyone ever went, on my behalf, that I might even give

Him. Our time on earth should be consumed by thinking, how can

I best please my Lord and Master, and it is on that day when we will find out how we have pleased

Him. And so that is a good thing to labor and to strive for, as Paul was talking about.

Why? Because it was good for the Apostle Paul, it's good for us, yes, but it's more so because the more we are rewarded on that day, it's because the more we followed

Christ, the more we obeyed Him, the more we did what He said. That doesn't mean we come to heaven or not, but it does reflect in the love and the desire to obey

Him often. Second standard, the Lord will evaluate us on how faithful we have been as stewards of all that He has given us.

The Lord has given us many gifts, even as we think about the parable of the stewards, which is

Luke 19. God has given us many things. I mean, I think of people who talk about that can sing, well, that's there, that's a natural ability.

Number two, spiritual gifts, things that change upon our salvation, our ability to do different things.

Material resources, whether we're wealthy, whatever we have, me, we're not wealthy, but we can grow a magnificent garden and we give things away that won't fit for you.

I mean, these are all things, everything that we have, we're going to be held accountable for. Our training and knowledge, the more you know, the more you're accountable for.

I think some people use that as an excuse not to know anything. And our opportunities to serve, even thinking about that last night, opportunities to serve one another, opportunities to serve unbelievers.

I thought about what my friend Terrell wrote and I just thought, I really want to write this guy back.

I go, well, I'm going to teach this tomorrow. I think I better go write that and show him the gospel.

I mean, the things that we do, all the things that we've been given, we think about gifted men that the

Lord has given the church. People just have some kind of gift and you squander it.

So this is the issue. That's one of the things that we're going to be judged on that day for.

And also, finally, our motives. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 4 -5. It's one of my wife's favorite verses.

I hear it less and less now, probably because I'm learning to avoid it. Therefore do not,

I don't know if that's exactly what I had in mind, but okay. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes will bring to light the things that are hidden in darkness and disclosed to the purposes of the heart.

Then each one will receive this combination. God is right. It has to do with the idea of what our motivation is.

And if our motivation is wrong, my wife says, well, that one's just wrong. And that's the idea.

For what reason did we do it? Did we do, even if we did what we ought to have done, did we do it with the right motive?

Did we do it out of love for someone else? Did we do it with a desire to see righteousness prevail?

To see the name of Christ glorified? Or did we do it so that we could be on display? Possible results of what we do, the loss of reward or shame.

And on the flip side, rewards and crowns. Let's look at 2 Timothy 4, 8. Again, I think it sort of helps to think the

Apostle Paul was not perfect, but he knew a thing or two. And it's interesting that he says in 2

Timothy 4, 8, henceforth there is laid up to me the crown of righteousness, which the

Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day. And not only to me, but to all who have loved his appearing.

There is a crown of righteousness that the Lord will award on this day, on the day of the baby seat.

And not only to Paul, but to all who have loved his appearing. To everyone who is saved.

I was talking to somebody on the phone the other day who was fairly desperate. And I said, listen, you can either focus on your situations and how it is, or you can think of God's eternity.

I said, if today was the worst day of your life and you had to live it for the rest of your life, for another 60 years.

And then you thought, well, then I'm going to spend eternity in heaven with Christ.

I said, if you can make it for the next 60 years. And I said, we know it's not going to be as bad as it was on this particular day.

And he looked forward to his appearing. Well, that's the other thing. I said, you know what? Here's something. Let me just let you guys know. Every time before I preach in the morning,

I pray a number of things. But one of them when I pray is, Lord, if you'd like to return before I preach this sermon, let me pray.

I want... There's nothing I would want more than the Lord to return at any time.

And we need to have that kind of love, that expectation of His return. Words we write say,

Greek or Roman athlete who was a winner was rewarded by the crowns. By the crowns, he usually had a laurel wreath or a garland or hoopoos.

The word for crown is stefanos, the victor's crown, for which we get the name

Stephen. However, Paul would not be given a fated crown of leaves.

His crown would be a crown of righteousness that was never paid. And let's just kind of close with this idea that then at the bottom of the page, page 68, the judgments of unbelievers.

We've talked a little bit about it, but let's just kind of close up with that. And I think it's motivating to think about all that the

Lord has promised us, to think that there's even a crown of righteousness that awaits those who simply love

His appearing, let alone doing anything on His behalf. And I think if you love Him, you will do things on His behalf.

You can't help but do that. When Christ changes your heart and your desires and your wants, that can't help but stir up what you do.

But Revelation 20, 14, 15, talking about the very end, and this might not be my thesis, but anybody will knock it off their feet.

It says right there that the Father judged before the Holy Grail by a throne, exactly as Pat described it earlier, verses 14 and 15.

It says, Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

And anyone's name was not found written in the book of life. Anyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire everlasting torment, everlasting punishment.

As Christians, we look forward to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We look forward to eternity with Him.

I just think we can't be motivated enough when we think about every person whose name is not written in the

Lamb's book of life, who's not saved, is going to spend eternity facing the wrath of God.

That ought to motivate us to think, I don't know what terrible thing I'm going to do, but I have an obligation to kind of think in a way that might, listen to this carefully, that might appeal to Him, that might intrigue

Him, but without compromising the gospel. I'm never going to give half of a gospel message or quarter of a gospel message.

I'm going to give the full gospel, but I'm going to try to go to right where it is. I'm going to try to say, look, Terrell, I know this is how you look at it and what you believe, but here's what the

Bible says, and you've only got, I couldn't put it quite this way, but you've got part of the story.

And I went straight to Matthew 16, 18, because the Mormons believe that the truth disappeared from the earth for 1 ,700 years.

So Matthew 16, 18, the Lord said, I'm going to try to go through my church, and what do you think the rock means? His next part said, and the gates of hell are not open, so we can't change

His idea. He said, nothing's going to stop Him from building His church, and yet, your church teaches.

I went to their website. It says right there, that shortly after He said these things, the truth vanished from the earth for 1 ,700 years.

How can that be? Jesus was not born. The church is being built.

Our job while we're here, how we glorify Christ is by proclaiming the truth, and then we watch

Him build His church. We watch Him save people. That's what we do.

We have that opportunity that I've created for you.

Father, how blessed is a man to whom you will not account his sins, and whom you will find no guilt, not because of his or her righteousness, but because of your

Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord whom you have set forth to save. We love

Christ. We long for His return. We long to be pleasing with all that we do to you.

We really take account of our time, all the blessings that you've given us, all the gifts that you've given us, whether it be spiritual gifts, talents, whatever.

Would you just work through your Spirit in our lives that we might have a never -ending desire to serve

Christ, not to store up crimes for ourselves, but to see

Him glorified in our lives now, that when we get there we might enter into the love that I've got for you and serve

Him, accept and serve Him, knowing that we are all one body, servants of Christ.

We bless each one of you, with the desire of baptism, to be pleasing to Him, to us,