Parables [Matthew25] - wk3

"Parable of the Sheep/Goats"

Matthew 25:31-46

Dr. Gary Singleton

What is the best sermon you’ve ever heard?  Maybe it was a sermon on forgiveness, or on the undeserved gift of God’s grace.  But I’ll bet there’s not a single person who would tell me that the best sermon they’ve ever heard was on judgment.  Why is that?  No one wants to talk about judgment.  It leaves a bad taste in our mouth.  But this Sunday that’s exactly what we’re going to do.  We’re going to talk about the coming judgment of God.
 
As we wrap up our study of Matthew 25, we come to a metaphor that Jesus uses to describe God’s judgment.  Jesus tells us that when He returns, all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate everyone into two groups – the sheep and the goats … the saved and the lost.  The sheep will reign with Jesus forever, and the goats will be cast into eternal punishment.
 
But this is not just a story of judgment.  It’s also a story of God’s grace.  Those who understand God’s judgment embrace God’s grace.  Our King is coming again to establish His kingdom, and His grace is offered to all who will receive it.
 
I hope you will join me this Sunday as we look at the words of Jesus.  Jesus didn’t shy away from the subject of judgment and neither should we – because unless we understand the judgment of God upon sin, we will never fully grasp the grace of God.