SERIES: Parables: Slanted Stories with a Kingdom Intent - Today: “The Sheep & the Goats” (2)

Matthew 25:31-46

1. Yesterday something special came to Canby – Canby Cares. A 1 day health fair where The Canby Center clients experience the love of Jesus through the provision of basic health & dental care, social services networking, education, and fun. The fair offers an opportunity for the Canby community to reach out and establish relationships with members of the community who find themselves in need.

2. on site were 2 dental vans, a vision van (45 pairs of glasses given), a hearing van & a medical van. Hearing tests were conducted & free hearing aids were given out. Blood pressure, blood sugar & diabetes tests were given as well. A free lunch was served – hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, tacos, rice & beans + a cookie an ice cold drink. Volunteers made all of this possible.

3. 13 churches were involved. St Patrick Catholic Church, Southgate Chapel, Pacific Covenant Mennonite Church, North Marion Fellowship, New Life Four Square Church, Calvary Mennonite Church, Canby United Methodist Church, Canby Evangelical Church, Canby Christian Church, Canby Alliance Church, Calvary Mennonite Church, Butteville Community Church & Bethany Evangelical Free Church.

4. I saw lots of CAC people working – thanks for volunteering!

5. Canby Cares was motivated in part by the teaching of the parable of the sheep & the goats. Kristin Payne is going to come & read the parable for us this morning.



25:31:
1. the Son of Man – Jesus – is the central character in this parable. Notice that he’s coming in glory with his angels. This refers to his 2nd coming at the end of the age. Jesus is returning to finish what he started at his 1st coming.

2. throne means that Jesus is all-powerful. Think authority. Drop down to 25:34 – we read here that Jesus is the King.

3. notice the emphasis upon glory. Jesus will come in glory & sit in glory on his throne.

4. whoever this Jesus is, says the parable, he is a powerful person to be reckoned with.

25:32-33:
1. from his throne he will judge all the nations gathered before him. The nations will be broken down into people – he will separate the people one from another.

2. the people are likened to sheep & goats. The sheep are put to his right; the goats on his left.

25:34:
1. the Son of Man, who is Jesus, who is the King, is also the Son of the Father. The King acts as the judge. The sheep, those on Jesus’ right hand side, are given an inheritance.

2. the inheritance is the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. The sheep are given entry into the King’s kingdom. This is an eternal kingdom.

3. up to this point no explanation is given for why some people are sent left & other right.

25:35-36:
1. King Jesus brings up his need for food, water, community, clothes, medical attention & visitation. The people on his right, the sheep, had showed him mercy & compassion in his need.

25:37-39:
1. the sheep, those on Jesus’ right, are now called the righteous. They give Jesus another name – Son of Man to King to Son of the Father to Lord.

2. they are confused. They can’t recall having encountered a hungry Jesus, a thirsty Jesus, a stranger Jesus, a naked Jesus, a sick Jesus & a prison Jesus.

3. Lord, when did we see you in these conditions?

25:40:
1. King Jesus replies – I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. The whole parable revolves around this statement.

2. who are the least of these brothers of mine? They are the poor & needy & disenfranchised of Jesus’ day.

3. the startling truth of this statement is this – there is a much deeper dimension to acts of human compassion than we think. Jesus is identified with the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick & the imprisoned. Whatever you did for one of these, you did for me.

4. Canby Cares was all about reaching out in Jesus’ name to the least of these brothers (sisters) of mine. Same with our Food Panty that opens its doors the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month.

25:41:
1. now the parable turns to those on Jesus’ left, the goats. And what we hear coming from the mouth of Jesus are some harsh words – depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

2. this speaks to us of a judgment that is real. This speaks to us of 2 kingdoms – the kingdom of God & the kingdom of the devil. Light & darkness. Good & evil. Blessings & curses.

3. what’s the basis for this judgment?

25:42-43:
1. we’re back to people in need of food, water, community, clothes medical attention & visitation. These people failed to give them. Jesus was BUT they didn’t.

25:44-46:
1. 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?

2. I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

3. acts of mercy & compassion were absent in the lives of these people. They passed up the needy.

4. then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Jesus speaks of the great divide between death & life. Judgment awaits us.

comments
1. followers of Christ are to be known for their acts of mercy & compassion.

2. to serve the poor is to serve Christ.

3. what does this parable teach about eternal life? Do we earn eternal life by our good works? At face value this is what the parable teaches. But 1 principle of Biblical interpretation is – we interpret the Bible by the Bible. A parable such as this must be interpreted in the context of the whole Bible. And the whole Bible is crystal clear that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ NOT by our works.

4. James 2:14-19 helps us. The Parable of the Sheep & Goats is an illustration of faith shown by ones deeds. A living faith cares for the least of these.

5. I John 3:16-20 teaches us the same thing. Living faith loves NOT just with words or tongue BUT actions.

6. we love & serve the poor in Jesus’ name NOT to earn our salvation BUT to express the fruits of our salvation.

7. acting in loving care to needy people fulfills the Great Commandment of loving God & loving our neighbor as our self.

how is CAC doing?
1. mission is one of our 5 church values – we desire to advance God’s kingdom locally & globally.

2. 1st locally – we want to be a center for missional living in our community that releases our people and resources to the lost, the poor, and the needy as an extension of our love for God and others. How are we going about this?
® Food Pantry: 80 people were served providing food for 390 individuals. 28 people were involved in yesterday’s pantry: 2 ordered the food and picked it up; 5 stocked the shelves; 4 divided the bulk food; 2 wrote and translated the devotion; 2 picked up bread & 2 and set bread out; 2 set up tables and chairs; 3 greeted & checked in people; 3 prayed for people: 5 served in the pantry itself; 1 delivered extra bread & everyone present cleaned up! PLUS all those who give money, donate food, bags & pray! Pantry workers yesterday came from CAC, Southgate, St. Patrick’s & Woodburn Church of God. We also have regular helpers from Bethany Iglesia, occasional helpers from First Baptist Church, and a translator (no prayer) from La Luz del Mundo. Also, we have many who help with the pantry as a family, and what a great way to teach kids about service, giving and working together as a community of God’s servants. The CAC Food Panty is a 1st Church of Canby Thing!
® Habitat for Humanity: we are 1 of several churches building a new Habitat home in Gervais. Last Saturday we provided lunch for the workers. 8/9 is our church build day, Saturday from 8:30-4:30pm. Sign up on the kiosk in the Great Hall or see Bill Nelson. 9/27 we’ll provide lunch again & 10/4 is another work day.
® The Canby Center
® Pregnancy Care Center: $200 month

3. 2nd globally – we want to be a center for missional living in our world that releases our people and resources to serve in select long-term national & international partnerships as an extension of our love for God and others.
® LINC: Mike Higgs
® Justin & Jessie Oster of CCC on the campus of the University of Montana
® Great Commission Fund of the C&MA: supports the missions work of the Alliance around the world! Jolene Kinser (China) & Phil & Kristin Stombaugh for example.
® Susu partnership in Guinea & Sierra Leone: 3 Alliance couples = Stombaughs + Dubes + Classons; Paulo & Heather Rehn (So Baptist from Brazil); Sam & Josephine Sesay (So. Baptist, SL) = coming 9/10-24
® Foundation for His Ministry: annual Mexico mission trip
® Greg & Aggie Tharp (France)
® John & Marie Champ (Wycliffe Bible Translators): leading a team of people from Tony Evans’ church in Dallas right now in PNG

4. why do we do this? Because we have a living faith that leads us to reach out to the least of these my brothers (sisters). And what we do for them we do for Christ! It can’t get any better than that!








Music i listened to while sermonizing – ennio morricone; u2; sting;

Books i read & studied while sermonizing – a step from death by larry woiwode; true story: a Christianity worth believing in by james choung; the lazarus life by Stephen w. smith; stories with intent by klyne Snodgrass;

Sermons, podcasts I listened to while sermonizing – jeff towne, broken, complete; earl palmer, to live out the life of Christ in us