THE SHEEP & THE GOATS
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) The sheep & the goats
i) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46 NIV)
1. What is the story all about?
a) God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and pre-believers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. To treat all persons we encounter as if they are Jesus is no easy task. We do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus' words to us - feed the hungry, give to the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick. How well do your actions separate you from pretenders and pre-believers?
b) Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the divison between believers and pre-believers. Sheep and goats are grazed together but were separated when it came time to shear the sheep. Prophet Ezekiel talks about this separation.
i) 17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. (Ezekiel 34:17-24 NIV)
c) The story describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, and we cannot hand over this responsibility to the church or government. Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for others needs.
i) 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:7 NIV)
d) There has been much discussion about, "Who is my neighbour?
i) 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29 NIV)
e) The point in this story is not the who, but the what - the importance of serving where service is needed. The focus of this story is that we should love every person and serve anyone we can. Such love for others glorifies God by reflecting our love for him.
f) Everlasting punishment takes place in hell (the lake of fire, or Gehenna), the place of punishment after death fro all those refuse to repent. In the Bible, 3 words are used in connection with eternal punishment.
i) The grave, or "Sheol" is used in the Old Testament to mean the place of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth.
@1. 19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned. (Job 24:19 NIV)
@2. 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. (Psalms 16:10 NIV)
@3. 10 I said, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?” (Isaiah 38:10 NIV)
ii) Hades is the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the word used in New Testament for Sheol.
@1. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 NIV)
@2. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:18 NIV)
iii) Hell, or Gehenna was named after the Valley of the Son of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to the heathen gods. This is the place of eternal fire prepared for the devil, his angels, and those who do not believe in God. This is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and the Last Judgment.
@1. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Revelation 19:20 NIV)
@2. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:9-10 NIV)
g) When Jesus warns against unbelief, he is trying to save us from agonizing punishment.
2. Prayer focus
a) Pray that we will do acts of mercy and kindness to those who have deep needs.
b) Pray that we are wise enough to escape the eternal punishment the Bible talks about.
The End ...
0. Introductiona) The sheep & the goats
i) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46 NIV)
1. What is the story all about?
a) God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and pre-believers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. To treat all persons we encounter as if they are Jesus is no easy task. We do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus' words to us - feed the hungry, give to the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick. How well do your actions separate you from pretenders and pre-believers?
b) Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the divison between believers and pre-believers. Sheep and goats are grazed together but were separated when it came time to shear the sheep. Prophet Ezekiel talks about this separation.
i) 17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. (Ezekiel 34:17-24 NIV)
c) The story describes acts of mercy we all can do every day. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, and we cannot hand over this responsibility to the church or government. Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for others needs.
i) 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:7 NIV)
d) There has been much discussion about, "Who is my neighbour?
i) 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29 NIV)
e) The point in this story is not the who, but the what - the importance of serving where service is needed. The focus of this story is that we should love every person and serve anyone we can. Such love for others glorifies God by reflecting our love for him.
f) Everlasting punishment takes place in hell (the lake of fire, or Gehenna), the place of punishment after death fro all those refuse to repent. In the Bible, 3 words are used in connection with eternal punishment.
i) The grave, or "Sheol" is used in the Old Testament to mean the place of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth.
@1. 19 As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned. (Job 24:19 NIV)
@2. 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. (Psalms 16:10 NIV)
@3. 10 I said, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?” (Isaiah 38:10 NIV)
ii) Hades is the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the word used in New Testament for Sheol.
@1. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:18 NIV)
@2. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:18 NIV)
iii) Hell, or Gehenna was named after the Valley of the Son of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to the heathen gods. This is the place of eternal fire prepared for the devil, his angels, and those who do not believe in God. This is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and the Last Judgment.
@1. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (Revelation 19:20 NIV)
@2. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:9-10 NIV)
g) When Jesus warns against unbelief, he is trying to save us from agonizing punishment.
2. Prayer focus
a) Pray that we will do acts of mercy and kindness to those who have deep needs.
b) Pray that we are wise enough to escape the eternal punishment the Bible talks about.
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