Matt 25:31-32
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Do you know the difference between sheep and goats?
Sooner or later we are going to get caught being who we are.
What do I mean by that?
I mean it is a matter of disposition, nature and character.
It is inevitable, sooner or later we are going to get caught being who we really are because who we really are will eventually come out.
So allow me to ask you a question?
If you we’re arrested for being a Christian, a sheep would there be enough evidence to convict you, enough evidence to send you away for life, to place you in the electric chair.
Would there be enough evidence that in any court of law, before any judge or jury, you would be convicted.
There is no way that you would ever go free and you would spend the rest of your life behind bars or receive the death penalty.
There are a multitude of people who believe that it does not matter what church you go to,
There are even those who claim that it does not matter if you go to church and that is like saying that it does not matter what school or University that you go to.
Spiritual formation, spiritual shape and structure is very much like educational formation, shape and structure,
Every one is going to receive it.
In other words every one who goes to school is formed and structured according to that school and every one who goes to church is formed and structured according to that church
Attending church is more than an event; it is more than being in a place where you support that which you believe in, it is more than being faithful in attendance.
Going to church is and should be about forming and cultivating a relationship with and in God and in that relationship you are to acquire a kingdom disposition, a kingdom character, a kingdom nature that requires knowing who God is and how He would respond to every need within people.
And if we are in the place that God has placed us in then we will take on that kingdom character, that kingdom nature and we to will act and respond to people as God acts and responds to people.
Matt 25:1-46
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
In this chapter Christ speaks about some very common things, sheep, goats, disposition or character judgment and rewards.
Now I bring you back to the question that I asked you at the beginning of this writing,
Do you know the difference between sheep and goats?
Not every one does
A sheep knows the difference, a goat knows the difference and the good Shepherd knows the difference.
The Lord is telling us quite emphatically that there are major and distinct differences between sheep and goats.
The sheep are of his kingdom, the goats are of the worlds system and there is never any confusion in His eyes as to who is who.
In daily activities we may talk alike, we may dress alike, we may even look alike and for the most part we even to a certain degree may act alike, but there is never any question in the eyes of the Lord as to who the sheep are and who the goats are.
Because here is reality,
We are all going to be judged according to our actions and we are all going to be rewarded according to our actions.
Now notice the words of Christ to the sheep.
Matt 25:35-36
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Now notice what He says to the goats
Matt 25:42-43
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Take notice,
The sheep and the goats were both judged according to there actions.
God used the same standard for both of them and to the sheep it was life and to the goats it was punishment.
Now notice the response from both the sheep and the goats
The goats responded,
Matt 25:44
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
What they seem to be saying is,
Lord if we would have known it was you we would have responded, we did not know that it was to the least for if we would have known that we really would have responded.
And that is always the answer that the goats give because they will do anything if the price is right.
Now notice the sheep’s response.
They responded to the very same question but with a different attitude and character
They said Lord when was it that we saw you in those conditions, we do not remember doing any of those things because it was you, we just saw ordinary every day people and we responded to them.
And the response of the Lord was,
Matt 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Here is the truth of the matter we are all going to live out our lives according to our character and our nature.
Goats have a goat nature, sinners have a sinner nature.
Sheep have a sheep nature, Christians have a Christian nature.
How we act and live out our lives, how we care for one another is going to determine our nature and character and
none of this will be determined by the amount of seminars or conferences that you attend, by the amount of missionary trips that you go on, or by the amount of tapes and lectures that you listen to, it will be determined by the nature that is inside of you
Those who have been truly redeemed by His blood, those who have been transformed by His spirit and empowered and cleansed by His living presence.
They will act as he would act
They will not act because they are forced to act, they will not act because they are being pressured by some thing that is outward.
They will act because it is in there nature and they are only acting naturally.