Separating Sheep from Goats, #2 (Mat. 25:31-46)

Driving home: And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

The bread and fruit of the vine in the Lord's Supper symbolize Christ's body and blood, representing His obedience unto death and sacrificial redemption, respectively.

Then shall he say unto them, Truly I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not unto one of these least, you did it not unto me. And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Now it was evident upon your entering tonight, and in conjunction with several of the people, the comments made by Pastor Smith, that this service will culminate in our remembering the Lord Jesus in the way of his appointment, that is, in the breaking of bread that is bread on the table, will be bread after we have given thanks for it. It will be bread when you take and break it and e...

3:08 - 4:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: but there is no more deadly injury no more wanton cruelty which any man can perpetrate upon a fellow creature than that which the theological reformer is in danger of when against the apparent meaning of God's word again…

Martin quotes Dr. A. A. Hodge to illustrate the danger and cruelty of theological teachers who soften or explain away the biblical truth of eternal punishment, arguing it betrays souls to unexpected danger.

at this point before we move on to the nature of the eternal life secured by the king I want to quote from the servant of God from another generation who saw in his generation men offended by this plain Bible teaching and seeking to bring to it sophistry and a twisting of the obvious significance of language and listen to the perceptive words of Dr. A. A. Hodge on this matter more than all this we should recognize the superficiality and essential cruelty of that mock love which makes so many professed teachers of the Bible disguise from sinners or explain away the real facts as to the attitude...

27:45 - 29:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: this is life eternal Jesus said that they may know thee the true and living God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent and what is eternal life in its consummate fulfillment it consists not only in the glorification of bod…

The parable of the talents/mina is used to illustrate that heaven will involve unwearied service and stewardship, not idleness, in a renewed creation.

and his servants shall serve him this notion that heaven is somehow glorified spirits floating about on ephemeral clouds hooking harps that excites the soul of no man or woman who has any sense of his or her identity as image of God God the great creator God the great worker and in heaven we shall work with unwearied labor in the immediate presence of God and of the Lamb no curse producing weariness no reluctance in the renewed creation remember the parable of the talents in the mina those who have been faithful are given a stewardship of service be over ten cities be over five work to be done...

37:48 - 39:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin concludes the description of eternal life by emphasizing perfect harmony and love in the most desirable company, citing Hebrews 12:22 and the imagery of the New Jerusalem…

The description of the bride of the Lamb as a city in Revelation 21 illustrates heaven as a place of perfect interaction, organization, activity, and love in the most desirable company.

but then fourthly when the scripture says these shall go away into eternal life this life will consist of a life of perfect harmony and love in the most desirable company now you talk about an antithesis hell is the place of exquisite torment in the most ugliest company eternal life heaven consists of a life of perfect harmony and love in the midst of the most desirable company Hebrews 12.22 says that in coming to Jesus we come to the general assembly and church of the first born enrolled in heaven as well as to an innumerable company of angels 1 Thessalonians 4.14 and following Paul is carefu...

39:15 - 40:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin concludes the description of eternal life by emphasizing perfect harmony and love in the most desirable company, citing Hebrews 12:22 and the imagery of the New Jerusalem…

The experience of being in the company of 'ripened saints' who 'exude love and likeness to Jesus' is used as an example of the perfect harmony and desirable company believers will experience in heaven.

coming down from God out of heaven why a city with all the mechanism of interaction and organization and activity and it's the city of perfect love in the most desirable company nobody short tempered nobody jealous nobody envious think what that will mean in a multitude whom no man can number out of every kindred tribe and tongue and children with the devil and his angels when you can be in the company of God and of the lamb and all when God's done with us we're going to perfectly reflect the beauty and the loveliness of Christ not that we'll be made gods no there will be no question that he i...

40:43 - 42:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Think of yourselves as hell-deserving sinners and live with a passion to see others rescued.

The image of a grave plot with a headstone is used to remind the audience of their mortality and the inevitability of facing the final judgment.

that we fail to think of ourselves as hell deserving sinners as hell sinners and by the grace of God live with this passion that we want to see as many others rescued as can be rescued through our endeavors that's why I'm preaching to you tonight you children and young people young adults old adults if you're not in Christ mark down the words you shall go into eternal punishment if you're in Christ you shall go into eternal life in the next 10 to 15 years not a few of us the Lord delays his coming we're going to go the way of all flesh there's going to be a grave plot marked somewhere it'll ha...

45:09 - 46:35 Read in full sermon