Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25 for Bible reading this evening. I want to commence at verse 31 of the chapter. Matthew chapter 25, verse number 31. When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, Before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a sheep divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his 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. I was unhungered, 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 unhungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, or 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, insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say unto them that are 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 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 a thirst, 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, Insomuch 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. Amen, and we'll end just there at the close of the chapter. Let's seek the Lord in a word of prayer. Our loving Father, we come again to the preaching of Thy Word. What a privilege it is to be a preacher, preacher of the everlasting Gospel, called of God, separated on to the Gospel. We cry, O God, that Thou wilt fill me with Thy Spirit. Take this human frame, with all of its weakness, with all of its inabilities, with all of its deficiencies, and grant, O God, using of us, to the exalting of the Christ of God, challenge every heart, speak to every soul. May we know thy blessing, thy presence with us here, just for these moments at the close of another Lord's Day. Do what you did on the Emmaus road. May Jesus himself draw near and go with us. Tyre, with us we pray. We offer prayer in and through Jesus' precious name. Amen and amen. Well tonight we continue on in our gospel series of messages that are tailored for those who have an interest in farming or those who are personally involved in agriculture to some degree. Now this evening I want to preach a gospel message that is suited for a farmer that is involved in a niche sector within the farming industry. The farmer that I want to speak upon this evening is the goat farmer. I don't know if there's any goat farmers in County Antrim. I don't know if there's any goat farmers in Northern Ireland. But we're going to speak about a message for the goat farmer. Did you know that 60% of red meat worldwide is made up of goat meat? And that is not true in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is one of the only places on planet Earth that does not eat commonly goat meat. But that reluctance to eat goat meat, and I trust I put my teeth in right tonight, but that is slowly changing. It is becoming fashionable in British culinary circles to eat goat. I am told that the national herd of goats in the United Kingdom is made up of 450,000 goats. They produce milk mainly for the drinking of milk but also for cheese making. And there are people who will pay that little bit extra to have a liter of goat's milk rather than have a liter of cow's milk. Goat yogurt is believed to have a mysterious healthy aura about it and goat's cheeses grace many a restaurant dish in the land. Now while there is not a lucrative market we would admit for goat products here in Northern Ireland compared to the dairy industry there is one section of Northern Ireland society that takes a great interest in one particular goat product. And that interest it seems to increase in the lead up to the summer months here in Northern Ireland. Now the section I'm talking about is that section of society that has a great interest in the manufacturing of the lamb bag drum. because it is a goatskin that is laced and taken over an oak barrel drum shell and beaten with drum canes during the marching season. But lest I offend someone from maybe a different political persuasion tonight, I must say that the Bodrum Those that make up that little drum that you would see, someone beating together, that is made, again, of a goat skin taken over the top of that wooden structure. But tonight I'm not talking about goat's cheese. I'm not going to talk anymore about musical instruments, and I'm not going to talk even about goat curry. But tonight I want to speak on this portion of God's Word, Matthew chapter 25, A message that does have mention of goats. I want to preach a very simple gospel message, a message entitled, A Gospel Message for the Goat Farmer. Now, if you don't have goats, don't be turning off, don't be sleeping, because this message is as relevant for you as the message concerning the sheep last week was for you. and concerning other messages that we have already preached in this little series of gospel messages. Now in Matthew chapter 25, the Lord Jesus Christ informs his hearers about the events that are going to occur on the day of judgment. He tells us here in Matthew chapter 25 that there's coming a day when all nations are going to be gathered before him. And on that gathering of nations, we're told in the verses 32 and verse 33, that he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left hand. It is a day of great division. A day when families will be divided. A day when your family will be divided. a day whenever your home will be divided. For some in the family will be set among the sheep, among the redeemed, among the saved, while others will be separated from the redeemed, for they have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I want to simply speak about this day of division. Now concerning this day of division here in Matthew chapter 25, I want you to notice first of all, the divider of mankind on that day. Because mankind is divided, but who is it? Who is it that divides the sheep from the goats? Well, it's not going to be this preacher. This preacher will not separate those that are saved from those that are unsaved. Why? Because this preacher cannot discern whether or not any individual is genuinely saved or not. We read in scripture that it is the Lord alone that knoweth them that are his. You may put on a fair show. You might dress as you ought to dress in God's house. You may carry a King James Bible under your hand. You may wear a berry on your head or a tie around your neck and put on a fair show and say the right words to the preacher. But only God knows who'll be gathered among the sheep and who'll be gathered among the goats. Now for that day of division, There will be no need to search for someone to take the throne of judgment and divide the saved from among the lost. I say that because that task has already been assigned. That task has already been appointed to someone. We know that from Scripture. John chapter 5 and the verse 22, Jesus Christ is the speaker, and we read there, the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. It is the Son of God who then is the great divider of mankind. Now truth is brought to our attention again in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, in the chapter 17, in the verse 31. Let me read that verse to you. It says that God the Father has appointed a day. in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he raised him from the dead. Now the resurrection of Jesus Christ confirms many a thing. It confirms that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It confirms the record concerning the Messiah to be true because we read concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament that God the Father would not leave the soul of his son to see corruption, but he would raise him again on the third day. And we see that prophetically brought to our attention with respect to Jonah and how he was delivered from the belly of the fish and how Christ would come forth from out of the grave. It also confirms the resurrection that God the Father is satisfied with the sin sacrifice of his only begotten Son. But the resurrection also confirms this. It confirms the doctrine of future judgment. that there is such a thing as judgment ahead of all of mankind. And the resurrection affirms that to be so. God the Father, we're told in Acts chapter 17, raised his Son from the dead to confirm that there's coming a day in which he will judge this world in righteousness. An empty tomb outside Jerusalem. confirms that there's a day of judgment ahead, for we have it here. God the Father has affirmed it to be so by raising his Son from the dead. Now sinner, when you find a tomb that contains the body of Jesus Christ, then you can sleep easy with respect to future judgment. Because if he be not raised from the dead, he cannot judge you for your sin. But you'll never find a tomb. That tomb is empty. Christ has arisen, and because of that, there is a day of judgment that is coming. And Christ is the great divider on that great day. Now, there are a number of details that we find about this divider, this one who will separate the sheep from the goats. I want you to consider something about the Lord Jesus Christ from these words here. I want you to see, first of all, His humanity. Notice His humanity, the Lord Jesus Christ. He takes the title here in the verse number 31, the Son of Man, the Son of Man. He is the Son of God, but He is also the Son of Man. That title is the most familiar, the most common title used by the Lord Jesus Christ. When he speaks of himself, he refers to himself very little time, very few times as the Son of God, but on countless or many occasions he uses this title, the Son of Man. It brings to our attention the humanity and the humiliation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because although he was and is the Son of God, Through the incarnation, He becomes the Son of Man. He was a true man with a reasonable soul. And yet there is a uniqueness about the humanity of Jesus Christ, for His humanity is a sinless humanity. By using this title, He is reminding us that whenever the Son of God appears at the end of the world, He's going to appear in the very same nature that He assumed as the Savior of men. This same Jesus. That's what the angel said. This same Jesus, which is taken up to you into heaven, so shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. It is the God-man, the one who assumed our nature, who is the great divider on that day, the humanity. We see here the Son of Man. But something else about this divider of man, we see his company. Not only his humanity, but notice his company. When Christ appears to earth and returns to earth, we are told that the holy angels will accompany him on that grand procession. Holy angels will accompany him. That word holy, it brings to our attention that there are other angels. The fallen angels, those who left their first estate, but these are not they. No, no, these are the holy angels. And those accompanying holy angels, they're going to add to the very glory and the very majesty that's going to accompany Christ returning to this earth again. But these angels are not coming as mere spectators. These angels are not coming as mere bystanders just to survey the coming of Christ again to this world because we're told in Matthew chapter 13 in the verse 49 that the angels are going to come forth and they're going to sever the wicked from among the just. In other words, they are going to be the executors of God's judgment. Yes, God, he himself will divide, but he will use the angels in that process. This is what the verse seems to suggest. The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just. And what will they do? They'll gather the elect to Christ. They'll gather the elect on to God. But the wicked they'll bundle up together, casting them into the burning and into the fires of a Christless hell. They'll come to sever you from your mother. They'll come and sever you from your godly father. They'll come and take you from your Christian friends. And those neighbors that love the Savior, you'll be severed from them. forever severed, never to be reconciled again, never to see their face, never to hear their voice, never to be held by their hand, never to feel their embrace. The severing on that great day, the company of holy angels that will accompany the blessed Savior. My question to you is this. into which grouping will the Holy Angel separate you into? Will you be gathered with the sheep, the elect of God, the redeemed, saved ones? Or will you be severed and separated into the grouping of the unconverted, the unregenerate, those who know not Jesus Christ? Will you be gathered among the wicked? Or will you be gathered among the justified? As I've said, Mark's gospel is another occasion where we have the thought of Christ returning, the truth of Christ returning to the earth, and we're told that the Son of Man is going to come with clouds, in clouds of great power and glory. And then we read these words in Mark's gospel, and he shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect, from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth onto the uttermost part of heaven. Isn't that a wonderful truth, believer? that when Christ returns, the angels will gather you wherever you are, north, south, east or west, from this very locality, this very church, wherever you go in life, having been born of the Spirit of God, the angels will be sent to escort you into the very realms of glory. What a wonderful thought. You'll never be lost. And yes, all may forget you. And maybe no one else know your name, but you'll be gathered on to Christ on that day, but sinner you'll be left. Think of that parable, that story of the Savior, the two women grinding at the mill. One taken, the other left behind. Two men out in the field, maybe surveying the cows, or maybe just standing over the side of an iron fence, or an iron gate, surveying the cattle and the herd. And Christ shall appear, and the great severing shall take place, and the sheep and the goats separated forever. This is what's going to happen. So we have His humanity, we have His company, something else. We see His majesty, this great divider of men. We see Him sitting somewhere. He's not on the cross, He's not in the tomb, but He's on a throne. For you read here in the verse number 31, that He shall sit upon the throne of His glory. And who sits on the throne? A king does. The king of kings. The Lord of lords. He's later referred to in verse 34. Then shall the king say, verse 40, and the king shall answer. The king is coming. The king is coming. King Jesus is coming again. And he's on the throne. He's on the throne. all the majesty of it all, all the glory of it all, all the wonder of it all, all the splendor of it all. It is the king then that does the separating because that's his prerogative. He is sovereign over all, the creator of every man, the king of kings and the Lord of lords. This is his royal prerogative. He shall separate the sheep from the goats. That's his rights. He alone is allowed and he alone is permitted and he alone is ordained to do this great separating work. The king is going to separate. And all the majesty that will accompany such a thing. The great white throne will be established. The son of man shall take his position on that throne. The one he was nailed to the tree, the one he was spat at, the one he was mocked, the one he was ridiculed, the one he was pierced, the one he was slain, the one his blood was shed. No longer. Ah, but now he's the king, the king of kings and Lord of lords. The one who rose from the dead shall take the judgment seat as the one appointed by God to determine the cases of all mankind out of every age and out of every race. And the king, the king will pass the verdict. The king will pass judgment and none will dare to question him. We read in the book of Romans that there's coming a day when every mouth shall be stopped. Every mouth shall be stopped. Sinner, when you come to stand before God on that day, be assured that you will have no grounds for appeal with regard to his sentencing of you, because the judge of all the earth always does that which is right. Due to your unbelief, due to your unwillingness to break from your sin. God will be left with no other option but to put you among the goats, to put you among those who will be cast into the lake of fire. He who is the Son of Man, the King of angels, the Sovereign of the universe, He who possesses infinite wisdom and power and knowledge will divide the entire human race on judgment day, the sheep from the goats. It moves us all deeply from the divider of mankind on that day, to consider the division of mankind on that day, having established his throne. taken up his place upon that throne, we are then told that all nations shall be gathered unto him. Those nations who in a semblance of Christianity, alongside those nations that were pagan, those nations that had rejected God, Australia, and India, and Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, and Sudan, and South Africa, and Brazil, and Chile, and France, and Germany, and this beloved province that we call Ulster, we call home, all nations shall be gathered before the King of kings, from every tribe, every kindred, every nation, from every age, shall be brought to stand before God's judgment bower. Having then amassed the entire human race before him, God the Son is then going to separate the sheep from the goats. number of things about that particular division. I want you to see first of all that there are only two classes. Only two classes into which the human race will be divided. Just two. Just two. Sheep and goats. All people are going to be gathered into one of two classes, because in God's eyes, there are only two classes. The saved, the lost, the redeemed, the unredeemed, the regenerate, the unregenerate. That is the basic classification into which everyone will fall ultimately and eternally. Here in Matthew chapter 25, the division is likened to a shepherd dividing the flock, the sheep from the goats. In other passages, it's spoken off using other illustrations. It's described like the farmer who divides the wheat from the tares, or like that farm laborer who separates the wheat from the chaff, or like the fisherman who separates the good from the bad, but whatever illustration you use, there's only ever two classes. Only ever two. There is no halfway house. There is no middle way. There's no third way. It's either sheep or goats, wheat or tares, good or bad, wheat or chaff. just two. And when it comes to your spiritual state, you fall into only one of two classes. You either are a child of God or you're a child of the devil. You're either a member of the household of faith or you're not. You're either saved or lost, converted or unconverted. There's no third class. There's no middle way. And so tonight, unseen by the natural eye, there is a dividing line that runs through this entire meeting house. It goes through every pew. It circles some. and it leaves others uncircled. You're on one side of that line. There's only one side or the other. Which side of that dividing line are you on? I don't care what you profess. I don't really care what you say. What is the reality? Is God real to you? Has there been a moment on the journey of life that you as a sinner repented of sin and trusted in the blood of Christ to wash your sins away? Has there been a time when you have met the living God and as a result all things have passed away and behold all things have become new? You know that dividing line. runs through this meeting house, it has no concern about your age. It has no concern about your gender. It has no concern about your ethnicity. It has no concern about the political divide that you side on. That line has no concern about those things. The only thing that that line is concerned about is whether or not you're on the side of Jesus Christ or you're not. You see, that line separates the spiritually alive to those who are spiritually dead. And folks, in a physical way, you're either dead or alive. There's no middle state. You're either dead or alive physically. And I'm looking at you and I think that everyone here is alive. There's no middle state into which you can be. Translate that into the spiritual realm. You're either spiritually alive to God, you love God, you love his house, you love his people, you love his word, you love prayer, you love holiness. or you're dead, dead to God, dead to righteousness, dead to truth, dead to the things of God. Which side of the line are you on? Maybe tonight you feel, well, preacher, I think there is a middle state. I'm religious. I come to church. I say my prayers. I read my Bible. But are you saved? Have you been changed by the grace of God? Has something radical, something eternal, something everlastingly happened within your soul? Can you point to a moment of life when you said, Christ for me. Yes, Christ for me. The second thing to note about the division is the division pivots or hinges at a single point. This division hinges, pivots at a single point. The Lord Jesus Christ, he said that he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. And if that is the case, he becomes the point of division. About him. Left, goats. Right, sheep. But the pivot, the hinge at which the division occurs, the division point is the person of Jesus Christ. Now I am told that there is a point along the continental divide of the United States of America, high up in the Rocky Mountains in the state of Colorado, that there is a little stream, and it divides at a single point. Now, you may think, well, what does it matter what direction a drop of water goes at that point of division? Well, I'll tell you, if it moves out there to the west. Then it eventually drains into the Colorado River. It empties itself into the Gulf of California, and then into the Pacific Ocean. But if it goes east, it falls into the Mississippi River, dumps itself into the Gulf of Mexico, and then into the Atlantic Ocean. two different destinations, diametrically opposed to each other. One to the Atlantic, one to the Pacific Ocean. Two drops of water, two entirely different destinations, but it is at a single geographical point. that determines what destination a single drop of water goes at a single geographical point. What a man, what a woman, what a boy or a girl does with Jesus Christ may not seem to be very important to you. You may look upon that decision as a non-consequential decision that a person makes in their lives. But I want to warn you that at that point, with respect to what you're going to do with Jesus Christ, it will determine whether or not you end up in God's heaven or you end up in God's hell. Non-consequential, you would think that little drop of water And you may think, well, my decision for Jesus Christ in this meeting, really does it carry any great importance? Yes, because tonight, by the Spirit of God, you have been brought to the place of division. You've been brought to what you're going to do with Jesus Christ. You need to be very careful, because the decision that you make may seal your eternal destiny for God's hell. What are you going to do with Jesus Christ? He is the great divider of the human race. Are you on the Lord's side? Are you? Are you on the Lord's side tonight? You need to be. The third thing to notice about division, it's based on our actions, not our affirmations. You know, many claim that they belong to Jesus Christ, but by their actions, a question mark must be placed over that claim. Now, we're not saved by works. We want to make that very clear. We're saved by grace. But a person's works are the evidences of them being saved. Outward work's evidence is that an inward work has been wrought within the soul. See, what a person does is an extension of what they are, what we do, or we do what we do because of who we are. And that is so. When we come to the things of God, you see the Savior on in this chapter, and the final verses of the chapter, he focuses not on their words, but on their works, not on their affirmations, but on their actions. And he shows them that this is the reason. This is the reason why you're on my right, and this is the reason why you're on my left. You see, our works will be the thing that God will use to judge us on the final day. Not our words, but our works. We're told that in other passages, Ecclesiastes 12, verse 14, for God shall bring every work into judgment. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done. What he's done. Whether it be good or bad. Revelation 20 verse 13, the books are opened, the dead are judged out of the things which are written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and the dead in hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man according to their works, by your works. Though not saved by works, God is gonna judge us on the grounds of our works, having trusted in Christ's finished work. You see, we're only ever able to do these works that we have here In the closing verses, we can only ever do these works whenever the heart has been regenerated by grace. What sinner ever wants to visit someone in prison, or someone that is sick, or to clothe the naked, or to give the hungry meat, or to give the thirsty drink? It is an individual whose heart is regenerated by the very grace of God. I tell you, sinner, your fair words, you may say many. And you may articulate many incredible affirmations that you're a child of God, but I don't care about your words. I care nothing for your words. Show me a man's faith by showing me their works. By their fruit ye shall know them, ye shall know them. Do you love Christ? Do you obey His commandments? Do you seek to do His will? Say what you will, it matters not. All that matters is that you know Christ savingly and that that is evidence in your works and not just your fair words. The division, the divider. Finally, very quickly, the destiny of all mankind on that day. You know, I trust that you're aware that judgment day does not mark the end of your existence. It is but the beginning. You will live in one of two destinations. To those on his right hand, the king in verse 34 says, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Come into heaven. But in verse 41, we read the fate of those that are on the left. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Have you ever been somewhere that you felt very uncomfortable? maybe some chair that you've sat down and it has been manufactured for some specific person and you sit down in that particular chair and you just know this was never created for me and it feels so uncomfortable. Did you realize that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels? How uncomfortable is it then going to be for you? You whom that place was never prepared for, as we have here, prepared for the devil and his angels, but you shall go there. You will go there. Oh, how will you feel on that day? Verse 46 enlarges upon the destiny of these two groupings of people, speaking of the goats, the unregenerate, and these shall go away. I think these words, I said it, I preached it, I preached on this text before. Think of these words, they shall go away, away, away from God, away from the gospel, away from the Word of God, away from the Spirit of God, away from the Son of God, away from God the Father, away from a Christian mother, a Christian father, they'll go away. forever away. They'll go away into everlasting punishment. But the righteous unto life eternal, how do I become righteous? That should be your question. If you're unsaved in this house, that should be your question as I close out the gospel. This should be your question. How do I become righteous? Because I don't want to go away into everlasting punishment. I want to go on to life eternal. How do I become righteous? I become righteous as I come to trust in Jesus Christ. And he takes my sin. But not only that, he accredits to me his righteousness. And on the grounds of his righteousness, his imputed righteousness, I am declared righteous in God's sight. Oh, are you a righteous one this evening? Only two destinies, no purgatory, no soul sleep, no limbo, heaven or hell. This is the truth of the gospel. I'm pretty sure that everyone in this house wants to go to God's heaven, a place where there is no death, no sorrow, no sickness, no crying, no pain. But regardless of where you want to go, where are you going? Not about the desire, not about you wanting. Where are you going? If you're still in your sin, if you've never experienced the cleansing away of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ, if there's never been a moment on the journey of life that you've turned from sin to walk in new obedience, then I must inform you that you will never be in God's heaven. You will never be in God's heaven. And you will go away forever and ever and ever. There's a day of division. There's a great day of dividing. A day when the sheep will be separated from the goats A day when the pretender will be separated from the genuine one. God will do the dividing because he knoweth them that are his. Be found among the sheep. Don't be found among the goats. Because you will hear on that day, if you are, the words, depart ye cursed. While you could have heard the words, come ye blessed, if only you had have came to the cross and gave your sin over to Christ. May God save you. And may you be found on the right side of Christ on the final day. Let's bow our heads in prayer, please. We appreciate you listening. Can I just say that if you are troubled about these things, you know that you've never, you've never come to know the good and the great and the chief shepherd. You're never, you're not one of his sheep. Well, tonight, God can save you. You need to seek counsel. If you need help with this, then please make your need known to me at the door. I'll gladly spend the night with you, and I mean that. I'll spend the night with you until this matter is sorted out once and for all. The crowning day is coming for God's people. O may you be found gathered among the ranks of the redeemed on that day. Our loving Father, we thank thee for thy goodness and mercy to us. We pray, O God, that thou wilt speak to those in this house who know not Christ. We pray that in thy mercy and grace they might be found on the right side of thee on that final day, having been saved by grace. O answer prayer. trouble souls, we ask. And may no one in this house, from youngest to oldest, may they not be found gathered among the goats. Please, Lord, save them. Have mercy. We offer prayer in and through Jesus' precious and lovely name. Amen and amen. Thank you.