WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.900 --> 00:00:01.700 Please be seated. 2 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:09.800 In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 3 00:00:12.100 --> 00:00:13.900 So here at the Seminary 4 00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:18.900 I think we can agree that each department or maybe each class has 5 00:00:18.900 --> 00:00:22.100 certain things or certain teachings that stick out. 6 00:00:22.100 --> 00:00:26.700 I Know First Years haven't had homiletics yet, but the rest of us 7 00:00:26.700 --> 00:00:30.100 probably know that in homiletics and preaching classes. 8 00:00:30.100 --> 00:00:34.200 We learned that people are really attracted to stories and they love 9 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:36.100 being able to connect things. 10 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:40.300 They see in their everyday lives with what the preacher has to say 11 00:00:40.300 --> 00:00:41.400 about a text. 12 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:48.500 In systematics classes we learn about how this whole world belongs to 13 00:00:48.500 --> 00:00:49.700 God and everything in it. 14 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:53.300 He can use anything in it for his own purpose 15 00:00:53.300 --> 00:00:55.300 in anyway, he sees fit. 16 00:00:57.100 --> 00:00:59.900 So combining those two thoughts together 17 00:00:59.900 --> 00:01:04.400 I'd like to talk for a couple minutes about something that may seem 18 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:10.700 like an odd comparison to our texts in Matthew today. A game show 19 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:13.400 hosted by a couple of atheists. 20 00:01:14.800 --> 00:01:19.600 So in this show the main judges are two of the leading experts in the 21 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:24.900 field of magic tricks and illusions many people consider them the best 22 00:01:24.900 --> 00:01:26.600 at what they do bar none. 23 00:01:27.600 --> 00:01:31.700 Other people who are interested in Magic and hope to get a break in 24 00:01:31.700 --> 00:01:32.300 the business. 25 00:01:32.300 --> 00:01:33.100 Come on to the show. 26 00:01:33.100 --> 00:01:37.900 They show them their magic routine and then the judges have to 27 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:40.500 determine whether they know how the trick is done. 28 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:45.800 One of the two of them speaks back to the auditioning person in a 29 00:01:45.800 --> 00:01:50.900 coded language so that the average viewer audience member wouldn't 30 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:51.800 know what they're talking about. 31 00:01:51.800 --> 00:01:59.000 But the other magician who's being spoken to almost always does and on 32 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:03.300 that basis the auditioning one can determine whether or not they've 33 00:02:03.300 --> 00:02:04.600 fooled the two judges. 34 00:02:06.300 --> 00:02:09.900 If they don't feel them the person walks away empty-handed. 35 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:16.800 But if they do they get a nice trophy and they get the opportunity to 36 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:21.800 be the opening act in this judge pairs magic show in Las Vegas. 37 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:27.300 Maybe some of you know now that the name of the show I'm talking about 38 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:32.200 is called Fool Us hosted by Penn and Teller. 39 00:02:32.200 --> 00:02:38.000 I've been a fan of Penn and Teller for several years now and I even 40 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.400 got to see their live show in Las Vegas about 10 years ago. 41 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:49.500 Watching the show from my outside lay man's perspective almost all the 42 00:02:49.500 --> 00:02:55.300 acts captivate my attention and they seem both amazing and impossible 43 00:02:55.300 --> 00:02:56.200 at the same time. 44 00:02:56.200 --> 00:03:01.900 So in other words, I can't tell how they're doing their routine. 45 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:08.300 And on the show getting to fool Penn and Teller is a good thing the 46 00:03:08.300 --> 00:03:09.200 two of them like it too. 47 00:03:09.200 --> 00:03:15.100 I heard Penn Jillette that say one time that people who get into magic 48 00:03:15.100 --> 00:03:20.200 professionally do that not because they want to find out how every 49 00:03:20.200 --> 00:03:25.300 trick is done and they want to debunk everything but really they want 50 00:03:25.300 --> 00:03:26.200 to get fooled. 51 00:03:26.200 --> 00:03:31.600 They want to relive that high of not knowing how somebody else can do 52 00:03:31.600 --> 00:03:32.900 the things that they're doing. 53 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:40.200 Now I want you to keep that image in my mind of people waiting in 54 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:43.600 line before the judges these experts who know everything. 55 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:49.900 In our text for Matthew today, we're talking about a very familiar 56 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:55.600 story from Jesus, the sheep and the goats judgment, everybody who's ever 57 00:03:55.600 --> 00:03:57.600 lived is separated into two groups. 58 00:03:58.500 --> 00:03:59.400 Except here 59 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:01.800 it's the judge who speaks first. 60 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:07.500 I would like to look at these groups in the reverse order of how they 61 00:04:07.500 --> 00:04:11.100 appear in the Gospel and look at the goats first. 62 00:04:11.100 --> 00:04:17.200 These are the ones who maybe believed in some kind of God, or maybe 63 00:04:17.200 --> 00:04:17.300 not. 64 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:22.500 Either way, they figured they've lived a good enough life and they've 65 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:26.700 done enough good deeds and haven't acted like a jerk too many times. 66 00:04:26.700 --> 00:04:28.000 Sure 67 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.600 they may have told a lie here or takeb a lingering glance 68 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:38.300 there. Maybe gotten angry now and again, but then again, you know who 69 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:41.900 doesn't it's just part of being human after all right? 70 00:04:43.200 --> 00:04:49.400 The people in this group are prepared to fool this judge to let him 71 00:04:49.400 --> 00:04:53.100 see how good a job they've done and how much they deserve to get a 72 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:55.100 pass and to spend eternity with him. 73 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:03.600 But what words does the judge say to the group on the left? Depart from me 74 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:08.000 you cursed into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 75 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:13.200 For I was hungry and you gave me no food thirsty and you gave me no 76 00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:17.400 drink, naked and you did not clothe me a stranger and you did not 77 00:05:17.400 --> 00:05:21.000 welcome me sick and in prison and you did not minister to me. 78 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.500 And what do these potential foolers say in response? 79 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:28.100 They object. 80 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:32.400 They tell the judge no you've got it wrong. 81 00:05:32.400 --> 00:05:38.600 When did we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger or naked or sick or 82 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:40.700 in prison and did not minister to you. 83 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:47.200 They were expecting to fool this judge, Christ the King, thinking that 84 00:05:47.200 --> 00:05:50.600 if they put this judge to the test, it will determine that they never 85 00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:55.400 had the opportunity to minister to him. And that there record of character 86 00:05:55.400 --> 00:06:00.000 should speak for itself and prove it if they had any inkling of being 87 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.200 in the presence of this King this judge Jesus that they would have 88 00:06:05.200 --> 00:06:05.700 ministered to him. 89 00:06:07.500 --> 00:06:12.800 And now in the judges presents they don't fall back on the good lives 90 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:17.600 they've supposedly lived. They repeat back a shortened version of what 91 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:19.100 the judge has spoken to them. 92 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:26.100 But the examples this judge gives turns the tables on these would-be 93 00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:26.800 foolers. 94 00:06:27.900 --> 00:06:32.800 They are now the ones being fooled the ones who were deceived and 95 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:37.600 misled by the devil and the world and their sinful desires all their 96 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:37.800 lives. 97 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:45.500 The least of these that the judge refers to isn't regarding doing acts 98 00:06:45.500 --> 00:06:49.000 of hospitality and kindness to people that we need everyday. 99 00:06:50.400 --> 00:06:56.300 Jesus calls these least of his Brethren calls these least of these his 100 00:06:56.300 --> 00:07:00.000 Brethren. And in light of the rest of Matthew's Gospel 101 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:04.700 it really refers to those who share Jesus's message of good news. 102 00:07:05.700 --> 00:07:10.000 The goats in this group disregard others who brought them the Gospel 103 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:16.300 message they either rejected it outright or considered it and decided 104 00:07:16.300 --> 00:07:17.600 it wasn't worth their time. 105 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:22.200 The judge lets them see that they have not been fooled. 106 00:07:22.200 --> 00:07:26.600 He's seeing through their charade of supposedly living a good and 107 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:27.400 upright life. 108 00:07:28.400 --> 00:07:33.400 He knows they have no cause or merit to stand before his throne based 109 00:07:33.400 --> 00:07:34.200 on their lives. 110 00:07:34.200 --> 00:07:37.200 Let alone join him in eternity. 111 00:07:38.700 --> 00:07:43.400 And so these would-be foolers are getting exactly what they truly 112 00:07:43.400 --> 00:07:44.100 wanted in life. 113 00:07:45.400 --> 00:07:49.600 An existence where they never have to be bothered with Christ Gospel 114 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:52.400 message ever again. 115 00:07:55.400 --> 00:08:00.900 Meanwhile now let's back up and look at the first group in the story, 116 00:08:00.900 --> 00:08:01.800 the sheep. 117 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:10.700 Jesus begins by addressing them as blessed by my Father come inherit 118 00:08:10.700 --> 00:08:14.100 for you the kingdom prepared before the foundation of the world. 119 00:08:14.100 --> 00:08:18.200 He gives them the same conditions the goats received. 120 00:08:18.200 --> 00:08:25.100 They did see Jesus hungry, thirsty, naked in prison and acted 121 00:08:25.100 --> 00:08:25.200 accordingly. 122 00:08:26.900 --> 00:08:29.700 These sheep are just as confused as the goats. 123 00:08:29.700 --> 00:08:35.000 They're not trying to fool this judge, but they are starting to wonder 124 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.000 if the judge is serious with his claim. 125 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.200 When did we see you 126 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:41.000 and do these things they ask? 127 00:08:42.700 --> 00:08:46.500 And Jesus responds that justice it was done to the least of his 128 00:08:46.500 --> 00:08:46.800 Brethren, 129 00:08:46.800 --> 00:08:49.000 it was also done to him. 130 00:08:50.400 --> 00:08:54.600 Once again, Jesus isn't talking about doing kind deeds for others. 131 00:08:54.600 --> 00:08:59.500 It's about listening and believing the message that Jesus's followers 132 00:08:59.500 --> 00:09:01.100 had delivered to them. 133 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:07.500 This group of sheep is a group of followers not foolers. 134 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.800 And the other good deeds these sheep 135 00:09:10.800 --> 00:09:12.100 did do within their lifetime. 136 00:09:13.500 --> 00:09:18.700 They're presented before the judge not for their merit but for their 137 00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:21.200 evidence and confessional value. 138 00:09:22.300 --> 00:09:25.600 These sheep follow Jesus and treated his other followers 139 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:30.600 they met along the way in the right so much so that Jesus sees these 140 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.100 acts as being done to him personally. 141 00:09:36.100 --> 00:09:41.500 But these sheep also know that they have lived lives full of deceit, lying, 142 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:44.000 stealing and neglecting others. 143 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:48.400 They know they don't deserve this Kingdom that Jesus has prepared for 144 00:09:48.400 --> 00:09:48.800 them. 145 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:51.900 But notice another detail. 146 00:09:53.300 --> 00:09:57.800 Not a single sin of the sheep is mentioned in this judgment. 147 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:04.900 For believers only their good works are named and kept. The sheep 148 00:10:04.900 --> 00:10:06.300 weren't keeping track of them. 149 00:10:06.300 --> 00:10:09.800 They seem very minut and insignificant. 150 00:10:09.800 --> 00:10:12.900 They forgot all about doing these good deeds. 151 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:18.500 What a wonderful nature it is that God has stored for us how he's 152 00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:23.700 paying attention to these deepest parts of our souls preparing to give 153 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:28.600 us crowns where we can be actual raining Kings alongside him. 154 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:36.600 This is what makes Christ the King of us Kings Lord of us Lords. 155 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:40.400 Question can always linger though. 156 00:10:41.700 --> 00:10:42.900 Which group am I in? 157 00:10:44.400 --> 00:10:49.100 Friends, if you are concerned about which group you are in based on 158 00:10:49.100 --> 00:10:54.800 what I've described be assured that you are one of the sheep one of 159 00:10:54.800 --> 00:10:57.600 the blessed chosen by God the Father. 160 00:10:58.500 --> 00:11:03.200 The goats on the left are confident that they can fool the judge and 161 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:08.500 get by on how they've acted and what they done. The sheep realize that 162 00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:12.800 they deserve nothing other than to be cut off forever from the judge. 163 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:18.300 My hope Is that you can rest assured and this confidence and knowledge 164 00:11:18.300 --> 00:11:23.200 and share this message with those you need in your future calls or 165 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:26.400 with future students that you'll be teaching here at this institution. 166 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:32.600 And in doing so you truly are the least of these brethren upon whom 167 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:37.400 Jesus sees himself on behalf of the sheep and the goats in this final 168 00:11:37.400 --> 00:11:37.900 judgment. 169 00:11:39.300 --> 00:11:41.500 Christ the King is the ultimate judge. 170 00:11:41.500 --> 00:11:46.300 He does not get fooled, but many will be on that day. 171 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:51.900 See yourself as one of the sheep who listens to the voice of its 172 00:11:51.900 --> 00:11:56.800 master and on the day of judgement you will receive this inheritance 173 00:11:56.800 --> 00:12:02.700 prepared for you and no fooling no magic trick or illusion. 174 00:12:04.100 --> 00:12:09.800 All of it completely real and all thanks to the judge who is never 175 00:12:09.800 --> 00:12:15.300 fooled but does want to share in the joy of being and learning with 176 00:12:15.300 --> 00:12:18.800 him the best there is bar none. 177 00:12:20.800 --> 00:12:24.400 In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.