The Great Divide — Chuck Smith

Let's turn in our Bibles now to Matthew chapter 25. We will begin our scripture reading this morning in verse 31. I'll read the 31st and the unnumbered verses, and Pastor Brian will lead the congregation in the reading of the even-numbered verses through the end of the chapter.

Shall we stand as we read the Word of God? When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all of the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.

And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.

And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left.

Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry, and you gave Me meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger, and you took Me in.

Naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came unto Me.

And then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw We thee hungry, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave you drink?

When saw We thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw We thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.

And then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry, and you gave Me no meat. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink.

I was a stranger, and you took Me not in. Naked, and you clothed Me not. Sick, and in prison, and you visited Me not.

Then shall they also answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw We thee hungry, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? And then shall He answer them,.

Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Let's pray.

The Great Divide and Eternal Destiny

Lord, we see here the great divide. As you divide the sheep from the goats. Lord, we see the ultimate consequence of that divide. As the sheep enter into the glories of your kingdom that you've prepared before the world ever existed.

We see the agony of the goats as they are cast into everlasting shame and darkness. Away from your presence forever. Lord, as we read these passages, we realize how serious is the subject of our relationship with you.

Because we realize, Lord, that our eternal destiny will be determined as to our relationship with you. So may we this day determine within our hearts that we will bow our knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

That we might, Lord, become your servants, doing your will. That we might receive the rewards that await those who will serve you. We ask these things, Father, in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen. Well, tonight we finish the book of Isaiah.

Been an interesting journey through the book of Isaiah. Tonight, Pastor Skip will be taking chapters 65 and 66 as he takes us into the glorious heavenly kingdom of God. The new heaven, the new earth that God is going to prepare for those that love and serve him.

So we encourage you to read these chapters over and then join with us this evening at 7 o 'clock. As Pastor Skip will finish the book of Isaiah. And next week we start into the book of Jeremiah. Do join with us as we read through the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Find out what God has to say about himself. What God has to say about you. What God has to say about our future together with him. Who have chosen to believe and to follow him. As we have read in Matthew this morning.

We realize that there is coming a great divide. The first order of business for Jesus when he comes back to the earth with his church. Is to gather the people of the nations together for judgment. It will there be determined as he separates them as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.

It will then be determined as to their destiny. Whether or not they will be able as he said to enter into the kingdom that was prepared. For you from the foundations of the earth. Or whether they will be cast into the abyss that destruction that was determined for Satan and his followers.

The great divide. But we realize how serious the matter is because this is eternal. This is forever. Your eternal destiny your eternal future will be determined by the Lord who is the righteous judge.

Isaiah's Division Between the Lord's Servants and the Faithless

Here in our text in Isaiah. We find that the Lord pronounces a sharp division. Between his servants and those who have not been serving him. Isaiah 65 beginning with verse 11. But you are they that forsake the Lord.

You forget my holy mountain. You prepare a table for the troop that is a false God. And you furnish the drink offerings unto that number and that in the Hebrew again is a false God. Therefore I will number you to the sword.

And you shall all bow when I called. Bow down rather to the slaughter because when I called you did not answer. When I spoke you did not hear. But you did evil before my eyes and you did choose that which did not delight me.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God. Behold my servants shall eat. But you will be hungry. My servants shall drink. But you will be thirsty. Behold my servants shall rejoice. But you shall be ashamed. Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart.

But you will cry for sorrow of art. And you shall howl for vexation of spirit. And you shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen. For the Lord God shall slay thee and call his servant by another name.

The sharp division between the servants of the Lord. And those who have chosen not to follow him. The Lord said my servants shall eat. It's interesting that in the book of Revelation it speaks of two great feasts.

The Marriage Supper and the Judgment of Famine

The first is the feast of the lamb. It's called the marriage supper of the lamb. Where we will be joined to Christ as the bride of Christ. And the great marriage supper feasting together there in his kingdom.

My servants shall eat. Interesting that at the same time that we are there in heaven. At the marriage supper of the lamb. Here on earth as the judgments of God are being poured out. That those here on earth will suffer tremendous hunger.

And the book of Revelation tells us in chapter 6 verse 5. When he had opened the third seal. I heard the third living creature say come and see. And I beheld and there was a black horse of famine. And he that sat upon it.

Had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the living creatures say. A quart of wheat for $80. Three quarts of barley for $80. And I looked and I saw a pale horse. The name of him that sat on him was death.

And hell followed with him. And power was given unto them to kill with the sword and hunger. A fourth of the world's population. While we are feasting in heaven my servants shall eat. The Lord said you will be hungry.

If you are not taken up in the rapture. The great divide. When Jesus takes his church to be with him. If you are left here on the earth. The earth is going to have a tremendous famine. In which one fourth of the earth's population.

Will die from hunger and from the sword. The Lord said my servants shall drink. In John 4 14 Jesus said. Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him. Shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him.

A well of water that springs up. To everlasting life. In Revelation 22 7 the invitation is given. The spirit and the bride say come. And let him that hears say come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will let him take of the water of life.

Freely. But the Bible speaks of a day again. When the church is taken. Into the heavenly scene. That here on earth. God will smite the fresh water supplies of the earth. And they will be turned to blood.

Much like the plague that happened in Egypt. When God turned their fresh water supplies. Into blood. In Revelation 16 4. When the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and springs of water. They became blood.

I heard the angel of the water say. You are righteous oh Lord. Which is and was and is to come. Because you have judged. Like this. For they shed the blood of saints and prophets. And thus you have given them blood to drink.

Rejoicing in Christ While the World Faces Judgment

They deserve it. And I heard another voice from. Out of the altar say. Even so Lord God Almighty. True and righteous are. Your judgments. The Lord said my servants. Shall rejoice. In 1st Peter. 18 Peter said.

Whom having not seen. Yet you love. And though you do not see him now yet you rejoice. With the joy that is unspeakable. And full of glory. Revelation 12 12 said. Therefore rejoice ye heavens. And ye that dwell in them.

But woe to the inhabitants of the earth. For the. Devil has come down unto you. He has great wrath. Because he knows he has but a short time. Revelation 19 7. Let us be glad. And rejoice. And give honor to him.

For the marriage of the lamb has come. And the wife. The church has made herself ready. But Jesus said. You that are. Not his servants. You will be ashamed. David said oh my God I trust in thee. Let me not be ashamed.

Let not my enemies triumph over me. Yea let none that wait upon thee be ashamed. But let them be ashamed. Which transgress against you. Without cause. In Psalm 37 David said. A little that a righteous man has.

Is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken. But the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the upright. And their inheritance shall be forever.

They shall not be ashamed. Even in the evil time. And in the days of. Famine. They will be satisfied. Isaiah 42 17. Said. They shall be turned back and greatly ashamed. Who have put their trust in idols.

That say to the idol. You are my God. In Jeremiah 8 verse 9. The wise men are ashamed. They are dismayed. And found in their folly. For they have rejected the word of the Lord. And what wisdom is in them.

Paul tells us in Romans chapter 1. That when they knew God. They did not glorify him as God. They became vain in their imaginations. Their foolish hearts were darkened. And professing themselves to be wise.

They actually became fools. Because they worshiped and served the creature. More than the creator. Who is blessed forevermore. Those men today. Who have espoused. The folly of the evolutionary theory.

One of these days. They will be greatly ashamed. For it is a theory. That no longer is credible. And many of the great scientists. Are already moving away. Because they have realized. The complexity of life.

The DNA. A molecule. That it could not. Possibly have. Come from just. Random selection. Impossible. The creation of life. From inert. Matter. Those that are holding on to the evolutionary theory today.

Only hold on to it. Because it's become a religion to them. They embrace it. Rather than embracing God. And it's because they don't want to embrace God. They would like to explain their existence. Apart from the divine creator.

So that they would not feel a responsibility to God. They hold on to this bankrupt system of thought. Those that be wise. Are looked upon as wise. Will be considered fools. Ashamed. John wrote about being ashamed at his coming.

Judgment, Shame, and Christ's Atoning Work

We're told that. When people stand before God. To be judged. That the books will be opened. And they will be judged out of the things. That are written in the books. God has chronicled. Your life. History.

Now. I have done. Many things in. My life. For which. I am. Deeply. Ashamed. I would not want you to know. Some of the things that I have done. I'm ashamed of them. I would be ashamed if. Today. Suddenly.

My whole. Past. Would be revealed. To you. I am thankful that when I stand before God. That. When the books are open. When they come to my name. There will be absolutely. No. Charges. Filed. Against. Me.

Not because I'm pure and innocent. But because. Jesus Christ. Took all of the charges. Against me. On himself. And he. Died. In my place. And so there is. No condemnation. For those that are in. Christ.

Jesus. But if you are not his. Servant. You will be ashamed. The Lord says that his servants. Will rejoice. But you will be ashamed. Let me tell you. When that day comes. When. All of the dead. Small and great.

Stand before the great white throne. Judgment of God. And the books are open. When they get to my name. You better know that I'll be rejoicing. Because the slate is clean. Jesus. Paid it all. He died in my place.

And I will be rejoicing in my heart. For the fact that. I have been forgiven. Pardoned by God. And there are absolutely. No charges. Against me. However. There will be many. Many people there. Who will be greatly ashamed.

In that day. When it is revealed. The thoughts. Of their heart. The actions. Of their life. That they thought were hid from. Everyone else. But now are revealed. And open. Because the Bible said. Everything is.

Naked. And open. Before him. With whom we have to deal. Servants of God. Rejoicing. While others. Will be greatly ashamed. In that day. The Lord said. My servants. Shall sing. For joy of heart. In our scripture.

Joy in God's Presence and the Reality of Hell

Reading this morning. There in Matthew. When the Lord says. Enter in. To the joy. Of the Lord. You can be sure. Will be singing. For joy of heart. We read that in his presence. There is fullness of joy.

And at his right hand. There are pleasures. Forevermore. We read that the kingdom of heaven. Is righteousness. And peace. And joy. And as Peter said. A joy that's indescribable. And full of glory. But while we are rejoicing.

As servants. Of our Lord. Others will be crying. For sorrow of heart. And vexation. Of spirit. Jesus. Described. Hell. As a place. Where the worm. Dyeth not. Neither is. The fire. Quenched. He describes it.

As a place of. Outer darkness. Where there will be. Weeping. Wailing. And gnashing. Of teeth. My servants. Singing for joy of heart. Whereas those who are not his servant. Crying for sorrow of heart. And howling because of the vexation.

Of spirit. What a great. Divide. Eternal. Divide. As. When the rich man. In Luke 16. Was in hell. And he saw Abraham afar off. And Lazarus being comforted. And he called Abraham. And he said. Father Abraham.

Have mercy upon me. Send Lazarus. That he might take some water. And touch my tongue. I'm tormented in this heat. Abraham said. Son remember. You in your lifetime. Had the good things. Lazarus the evil.

Now he is comforted. While you are tormented. And beside this. There is this gulf. And you cannot come from there. Over here. Nor can we. Go from here. Over there. Eternal destiny. One side or the other.

Forsaking God for Other Loves and False Worship

The great divide. That great gulf. And you will find yourself. One place. Or the other. A servant of God. Or. In rebellion. Against. God's. Ruling over your life. Now. Isaiah tells us here. Those things.

That. Alienated the people from God. And brought. God's. Wrath. And destruction. On them. Isaiah tells us. In our text that. They had forsaken. The Lord. Other things. Became more important. To them. Then serving the Lord.

Other interest. Captivated. Their hearts. And they forsook. The Lord. To follow after. Other things. Jesus said the greatest commandment. Is thou shalt love the Lord thy God. With all thy heart. With all thy soul.

And with all thy mind. But they've allowed other loves. To supersede. Their love for God. And he was no longer first place. In their lives. We read that they ceased. Worshiping. The Lord. On the day of worship they were.

Seeking their own pleasure and pursuing their own pleasure. Thus. Pleasure had become. Their primary God. If. It so happened that the World Series was on a Sunday. And the choice was. Either going to worship the Lord or.

Stay home and watch the World Series. They would have been home watching. The World Series. They had. Forsaken the Lord. And. They had ceased from worshiping. The Lord. If. On a Sunday. Surf was up. Glassy.

Waves. You would have found them. Out. Surfing rather than. Worshiping God. You see if you don't worship the Lord. You are worshiping something. It's innate within us. We can't help ourselves. We've got to worship some idol.

If the Lord is not our God. If we are not worshiping him. You can be sure. Look at your life. You are worshiping something. There is something that is taking the place of God in your life. That is. Drawing your worship.

And your commitment. To it. Actually. Our text tells us that they were worshiping. False gods. Because if you deny the true and the living God. Then you will find yourself. Worshiping. A false. God. Worshiping the gods of power.

Money possessions. Worshiping the God or goddess of sex. Worshiping the creature. Rather than the creator who is blessed forevermore. The Lord said. When I called. They did not answer. Turning a deaf ear to God.

Hearing God's Call and Delighting in His Law

Now the spirit of God is speaking to us and. Calling us to surrender our lives. To confess our sins. To believe in Jesus Christ and to receive him. As Lord of our lives. That we might indeed be his servants.

But there are people that won't listen to the call of God. When I called he said. They did not answer. God had called them so many times. By the voice of the prophets. How many times God warned them. That they were taking the wrong path that would destroy them.

Even as God has spoken to you and warned you. Of the path that you are on. And how it will lead to destruction. But many people don't listen. And they're not really serving the Lord. He said when I spoke.

They would not hear. They refused to hear. God's word. As he spoke to them. And as the spirit speaks to your heart. Not hearing. Not listening. To what the spirit is saying. The Lord said they chose to do things that I did not delight in.

Now God tells us in the Ten Commandments. Many of the things that he does not delight in. And yet these are the things that these people were doing. Things that did not delight God. Things that were an offense to God.

And these were the things that they were doing. Doing things God said that I did not delight in. David said. How happy is the man. Who doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Nor stand in the way of sinners.

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And in his law does he meditate day and night. God's servants. Delighting in the law of the Lord. Those that are opposed to God.

They are choosing to do things. That the Lord does not delight in. And hence. When that day comes. And he separates the sheep from the goats. He speaks of the sheep as his servants. The goat says those who would not obey.

Those who would not listen. Those who were worshiping false gods. Those that have forsaken the Lord. The Lord said. In Hebrews 10 38. Now the just shall live by faith. And if any man draws back. My soul shall have no pleasure.

Losing First Love and Becoming Lukewarm

In him. When Jesus was addressing the churches. To the church of Ephesus. He said I have this against you. You have left. Your first love. As we move into the book of Jeremiah. We're going to find. God's lamentation over the people.

God is going to be saying to the people. I can remember when we were first going together. I remember the love that you had for me. How that you were. Doing graffiti actually. You were writing holiness to the Lord.

And you know that commitment that you had. God says what did I do wrong? Where did I fail you? That you should turn from me. I see that as very pathetic. God's saying. What did I do wrong? Why don't you love me as you once did?

Where did I go wrong in this relationship? Where did I fail you? Jesus said to the church of Ephesus. You've left your first love. Remember what it used to be. And repent. And do your first works over.

But when he gets to the church of Laodicea. It's even stronger. Jesus said. You are neither hot nor cold. But you're lukewarm. And I cannot tolerate. A lukewarm condition. I will spew you out of my mouth.

I can't take it. I won't take it. If you would take your spiritual temperature today. Where would it be? Fervent. For the things of God. Cold. In the things of God. Or just sort of. Lukewarm. Take it or leave it.

Sort of in the middle. No, I'm not really fervent for God. But I'm not cold. Or does that leave you? Lukewarm. Lord said that's not good enough. I'll spew you out of my mouth. The great divide. It's coming.

The Imminent Divide and a Call to Commitment

It's coming very soon. The Lord is coming soon for his church. The conditions of the world are screaming out to us. That we don't have much time left. God is speaking. And telling us. It's time to get serious.

About God and the things of God. We don't have time to just play around. With the things of God. It's time that we get diligent. And serious about our commitment. That I know. That I know. That I know.

That I am a servant of God today. I've surrendered my life. To serve him. Time is short. The day of the great divide is coming soon. The big issue is. On what side. Will you be placed? When he separates.

The sheep. From the goats. Father. Help us to realize how serious. Is the matter. Of serving you. Of being a servant of God. Lord. To look upon the tragedy. Of those who have forsaken you. Those that have forsaken the worship of you.

Those that are doing things Lord. That you don't delight in. Thank you Lord for speaking to us. May we hear your voice. And may we respond and answer Lord. Rather than turning a deaf ear to you. May we heed.

What you say. To your church today. That we might be classified. As servants of God. Serving him from our hearts. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.