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Jesus’ Tough Teaching About the Day of Judgment

ALL CHRISTIANS ARE:

SAVED BY THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— EPHESIANS 2:8 NIV

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14 NIV

ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE LORD JESUS

Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. ROMANS 14:12 NLT

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:10 NLT

JUDGMENT DAY WILL:

REVEAL WHOSE FAITH WAS REAL

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. MATTHEW 25:31-33 NLT

REVEAL JESUS AS A GENEROUS KING

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. MATTHEW 25:34 NLT

35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ MATTHEW 25:35-36 NLT

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ MATTHEW 25:37-40 NLT

Jesus will bless those who:

Every Christian can do something:

SEPARATE FAKE BELIEVERS FROM GOD FOREVER

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ MATTHEW 25:41-43 NLT

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ MATTHEW 25:44 NLT

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ MATTHEW 25:45 NLT

My Notes

Discussion Questions

Use the following questions to reflect on the sermon. Choose a couple from each section to discuss as a group:

  1. START HERE: When you hear “Judgment Day,” what’s your honest gut reaction—fear, motivation, confusion, something else? Why?
  2. START HERE: Whether in the past or now, how have you understood the relationship between faith and good works? Where might you still be confused?
  3. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 25:31-46 NLT. Why do you think Jesus was so direct about what will happen when He returns? Why does He want us to take that seriously?
  4. KEEP GOING: Read 2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT. How does knowing you’ll personally stand before Jesus shape the way you think about your life today?
  5. KEEP GOING: Jesus separates people like sheep and goats based on how they lived. What does real faith look like in everyday life? Where do you see this kind of faith in your life—and where could you grow?
  6. KEEP GOING: Where do you tend to miss opportunities to see and serve Jesus toward “the least of these”? What typically gets in your way?
  7. KEEP GOING: Read Ephesians 2:8 NIV. What are you doing with the grace you’ve been given? Where can you celebrate growth and where is God inviting you to grow more?
  8. LIVE IT OUT: What would it look like to build regular accountability into your life now instead of waiting for the final judgment? What could help you follow through?
  9. LIVE IT OUT: If you took Jesus at His word and believed serving others is serving Him, how would that reshape your time, generosity, or involvement in church right now?
  10. LIVE IT OUT: Who is one specific person you can care for this week? What can you do to serve them?