Judgement Day

Sermon Apostle’s Creed IX:

Apostle’s Creed IX

This is the ninth in our series on the Apostle’s Creed. Last time we talked about the concept of heaven. Where it is located, and what it’s like. I hope we all came away with the conclusion that all those questions are just to satisfy our curiosity. All we really need to know is that heaven is where God lives.

As we proceed through the Creed, the risen Christ ascends into heaven, now I quote, “From thence He will come to judge both the living and the dead.” This opens up a lot of questions and touches on some things we hear about that may or may not have basis in scripture. Let’s start with the Tribulation. The tribulation is a period of turmoil before the actual day of judgement. It is discussed in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John devotes thirteen full chapters of Revelation to it. All four accounts are based on the prophecy of Daniel written over five hundred years before Christ. Not only is Tribulation described as a time of great international conflict, it is a time of pretenders, a time when we are lured by false promises and religions based on everything from hedonism to atheism. It is also a time of sorting the bad from the good. In the 24th chapter of Matthew, he quotes Jesus comparing this time of sorting to a big net that catches all fish, then the bad ones are thrown away. He also compares it to harvest when the wheat is kept while the weeds are bundled up and burned. I understand the concept, but I am left with two very significant questions.

Jesus says, “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Obviously, He didn’t mean it like it sounds. Hundreds of generations have passed since then. Either something was lost in translation, or He spoke in metaphors that I can’t understand. Look closely at the prophesy of tribulation. “Nation against nation, Jerusalem besieged.” This description has been true almost continuously for the past 2000 years. Less than a generation after the crucifixion, the Roman’s burned Jerusalem. Jesus said repeatedly, we don’t know the time of His return. Even if I believe every word in the entire 13 chapters of Revelation describing the Tribulation, I don’t know what to do with it. What is the message for me?

Consider the concept of the Rapture. Rapture is based in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. It says that “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them, in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” Those chosen will be honored and bypass judgement and go directly into heaven with Christ. This was not a doctrine of the early church. It actually developed in America fairly recently. I can’t get too excited about it one way or the other.

Remember when we first started with the Creed? I explained it is one of the earliest Christian documents. Some scholars think it was actually written by Christ’s disciples; each writing one of the twelve main points. There is no doubt it was used as sort of an oath for early Christian converts. It is frequently used today as part of the sacrament of baptism. Recall the first two words, “I Believe.” Those two words were the basis of my entire first message. The Creed lists the minimum that one must believe to be a Christian. With that, let me rephrase the line we are concentrating on today. “I believe the risen Christ will come from heaven and judge both the living and the dead.” It doesn’t say you need to believe any of the various descriptions of “Tribulation” nor does it say you need to believe in the Rapture. It doesn’t say you need to believe the Day of Judgement is the same date for everyone. It doesn’t say you have to believe Judgement Day is any date that can be marked on our desk top calendar either before or after it happens. It does say you must believe the Risen Christ will judge you. He and only He will determine if you spend eternity in heaven or not.

The big question remaining is by what yardstick will you be judged. I don’t believe you will be judged by your attendance record at church. Nor do I think you will be judged by how long you served on the church council. I believe we will be judged by how well we lived Jesus’s commandments. I am not talking about the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament. I am referring to the commands, the teachings if you will, of Christ. His commandments can be summarized in one word: love. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love one another. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your, soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” These are the criteria by which you will be judged. Do you love God? Do you love your neighbor? The answer to those questions is yes, or you wouldn’t be here, nor would you devote your time and talent to this church. If you attend church or serve on the council or fill this pulpit because you love God and love your neighbor, you should not fear judgement. You don’t have to be perfect. Contrary to the teachings of the early Puritans, God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. Otherwise, heaven would be a very lonely place. God knows we are human and have all the human frailties and tendencies with which he made us. God only expects us to love Him and love each other.

We should approach judgement with joy and thanksgiving. We should sing songs and give praises that we have the opportunity to spend eternity in paradise. The gateway to heaven is love.

(Sing) When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory.

Pray with me: Dear Lord we welcome your judgement because we know paradise lies on the other side. We love you Lord. We love our family. We love this congregation. We love our community. We love our fellow man. Amen