THE EYE IN THE SKY NEVER LIES!

December 5, 2014

THE EYE IN THE SKY NEVER LIES!

Revelation 20:11-15

Ryan Nixon

Central Truth

You can hide from those around you, and you can even hide from yourself. But there will be a day when we are all fully exposed before the One who sits on the throne.

And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:12c)

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

For my high school football team, Saturday morning practice was either a time of great celebration or a time of public embarrassment in front of my teammates. Saturday morning practice meant game-film time. I can still hear Coach Ron Schroeder's voice as we headed into the film room, "The eye in the sky never lies," letting us know that it was time to determine how we really did during the game the night before. I can still remember watching the game film and thinking to myself, "That wasn't THAT big of a mistake," only to hear seconds later, "NIXON . . . what were you doing?"

Even though the glory days of high school football and watching film are over, there still will be a day when we all will stand before the ONE true Coach, the ONE who sits on the throne, who will judge each of us according to how we have lived. Believers will face that evaluation at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). People who have not trusted in Christ will stand before Him at the Great White Throne Judgment in today's passage.

I don't know exactly what the Judgment Seat evaluation will look like. But Scripture teaches that it will be a time of reward for our faithfulness or of loss of reward -- not salvation -- because we failed to be obedient to Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 Corinthians 9:24-26; James 1:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 2 Timothy 4:8; 1 Peter 5:1-4). The Great White Throne Judgment seems to concern the dead who have not trusted in Christ and are depending instead on their own works. That won't work out so well for them.

But take heart, friends! Don't allow this truth to strike fear in our hearts. Use the reality of this passage to motivate us to tell others about the free gift of salvation God offers to all. Let us be people who live on purpose -- to love others and share with them the hope we have in Jesus Christ. And let us live in such a way that the day we stand before Christ will be a day of GREAT celebration!

1. Have you come to a place where you have stopped trusting in what you can do and have trusted in what Christ has done? If not, find someone to talk to about how to begin doing that. If so, go and tell someone about what Christ has done for you.

2. What feelings do you have as you think about the game film of your life being evaluated and your life being fully exposed?

3. What are some areas in your life that you can grow in daily faithfulness to love God and love people?

4. What are some areas in your life of "selfishness" that you can remove from your daily playbook?