This Last Great Day – A Godly Perspective

Thank you, sirs, for kind of a blowback memory. Seems like this song was sung every year when I was a child growing up in the church. It brings back so many beautiful memories of feasts gone by. Very much appreciate the special music today. I apologize if I may cough or sneeze once in a while. I've taken so much medication to make sure that doesn't happen, but we'll see what happens. I think I'm in good company or maybe not good company. I heard a few of you cough as well. Remember, there's water in the back. If you need to sip on some water, nobody's going to frown on you for getting up and going to get some water. I see that Dr. Topping left me both glasses of water, so I'm very appreciative of that. I might use them. So good morning to all of you. I bring greetings from your brothers and sisters in Christ, as was said, from Seattle and Burlington, Washington in the U.S. For those of you that may not know where that's at, it's the northwest corner, the very northwest corner of the United States. We butt up against the Canadian border there. So I bring greetings from them. Tina and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time here, spending time in Italy on the pre-feast tour. We've thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with 40-some who went on that tour and getting to know some people that we have never met before. But we will spend eternity with, so looking forward to more time with them in the future, of course. And then being here with you all, we've heard a lot of great comments from people who've attended Italy before, and none of those comments could compare to what we have witnessed while we've been here. Just been a beautiful area, beautiful people, hard-working people. Very much appreciate the Italian work and putting up with us spoiled Americans and welcoming us the way you have. So very happy to have spent the feast with you, and Tina and I look forward to now another few days on our own in Tuscany before we head home, trying to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary on the road here. So look forward to spending some time with my favorite person in the world. So we're especially appreciative to God, of course, for His love and His care and His mercy to us, opening up our understanding of these days, allowing us to be here. You know, this has been said many times, but none of us would be here. None of us would be friends, most likely, if it wasn't for the Spirit of God in us that draws us together to become family. We are a collection of odd and eclectic people, and we come together to celebrate and worship God, and it's just been a phenomenal week. We've heard more than just a few references to the question, why are we here? Many, if not most of you have observed this last day, this last great day, this eighth day, many times now, and if you're newer, it's a day like no other, a day like no other in the plan of God. And by intentional design by God, this day brings an end to all human affairs. God placed humanity in a temporary life, and we know that. Many of us are getting older, and we know every morning when we try to roll out of bed, it's a temporary life. The time is ticking on us, isn't it? And so, you know, we're moving toward God's destination for us.

In the end, only Spirit-born life will remain. So we're here today, here on this last great day, because God, the only one who can claim to be the Father of all, has determined that this day represents the final day of physical, imperfect existence. There are many aspects to this day's fulfillment, but for the balance of this morning's service, I want us to examine a few aspects of this day from God's perspective. Obviously, this day is jam-packed, isn't it, with all sorts of things happening. We're going to focus on a few aspects of this day, again, from God's perspective, if we can. We often think about how the Holy Days affect us, and how we fit into His plan, and all that is right and good. We should be thinking about how we fit into the plan of God. The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration of how we fit into that.

But God's plan is, well, His plan.

He created these days, and it is a good exercise for us to try and view them through His eyes. The first of those aspects I want us to consider is the transition from the Millennium to the Last Great Day is not accidental. The transition from the Millennium to the Last Great Day is not accidental. Now, you might be thinking, well, nothing in the plan of God is accidental. That would be true. But bear with me. Let's turn to Revelation 20. You know, at the Feast we often read about the Millennial reign of Christ, our new roles as kings and priests, and what it will be like ruling with Him. So, as we turn to Revelation 20, we see what God is focused on entering this Last Great Day, this Eighth Day. Revelation 20. Beginning in verse 1, Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. You know, as many times as I've read these first two verses, and especially on the Last Great Day, I've often paused because I've waited for an applause, a cheer from the audience. Because we have to live in this world, and we have to deal with Satan on a regular basis, who hunts us as God's people. He's most concerned about us. And won't it be nice when this happens? Verse 3, The Feast of Tabernacles pictures that age of peace. We've heard a lot about that this week. It's made possible because Satan is bound and removed.

For our view, it seems puzzling that God would release Satan again for a little while. But from God's perspective, this is both purposeful and necessary. An important truth for us to grasp is that universal knowledge is not the same as universal conversion. Universal knowledge is not the same as universal conversion. The earth will indeed be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. That is a picture, in my mind, of pouring out water on a slab of concrete or the ground and watching it just go into all the crevices. That's that mental picture God's trying to portray. It will be universal, yet knowledge alone does not produce repentance, does it? All of us have probably a list that we could talk on that would prove that point. Even without Satan's deception, every person in that age must still choose to love and obey God. The primary difference between our world now and the millennial world is rulership. Who's in charge? Today, the God of this world discourages every effort to know God and His truth. In the millennium, the true God will encourage every effort to know Him and discourage the way of sin. From the beginning, God said, I set before you life and death. And what did He say? Choose life. Please choose life. I'm offering you life, but I'm giving you a decision. So by design, God gave all the responsibility to choose to every generation, to every person, and every generation in this hall and in any hall around the world, and in the millennial period, and in the second resurrection. Every generation will have to make that choice. They're required to by God. For those of us called in this present age, we're living as strangers in a world that resists God. It can be hard to imagine anyone rejecting Him in the millennium, where the standard will be God's way. Yet the Scriptures show that some will.

To understand this, we have to have God's perspective. We must look back to a time when everything was perfect. Lucifer created perfect and had full wisdom, lived in God's very presence, yet pride. We're told pride took root, and he began to believe that he could do it better. He could do it better than God, that his ideas were more important than God's.

He chose his own way, didn't he? He chose his own way. And this will happen in the millennium. Even in a world of perfect government, some will choose to reject God. Let's continue in Revelation 20. We read in the first three verses about Satan being bound and thrown into a pit, so he could not wrongfully influence humanity during that thousand-year period. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. In verse 4, And I saw thrones, and they said on them, these are the glorified saints, which are talked about later. And judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. So John ends verse 5 with a parenthetical statement, if you will, referring back to verse 4. The first resurrection occurs at Christ's return, and they reign with Christ during the Millennial period. And we've heard references to the firstfruits being that group of people that Christ will harvest at his return. And we all hope that we're part of that special group. Then it says, all the rest of the dead will remain in their graves until the thousand years are ended. There are reasons. Hebrews 11.35 says the first resurrection is a better resurrection, brethren. This is what we're fighting for, to be in that better resurrection, to be servants of God in the next part of his plan. Verse 6, blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Now the Apostle John jumps ahead. And for us, last night at sundown, it pictured when the millennium ends, and this day begins.

Verse 7, now when the thousand years have expired, or been brought to a close, or finished, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. Satan's influence will be strong. And from John's vision of this, the army will be as the sand of the sea. In other words, John couldn't count it. It was too large to count.

So after a thousand years of godly rule, where his truth has been the standard on earth, by which everything is being done, every facet, remember water flowing into every crevice, Satan's deception once again enters the hearts of those susceptible. And based on our experience, this is likely due to choices. They have made bad choices in their lives, and have distanced themselves from God. And there'll be many. Verse 9, they went up upon the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints in the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. So the camp of the saints, the beloved city, describing Jerusalem, no new news to probably all of us, the center of Christ's government on earth. Saints are the glorified firstfruits again, but we can also refer to those converted men and women alive at the time, at that age, that have received God's Spirit and are keeping his law and are marked by God as his.

Spirit and physical together, united under God's rule at that time. From God's perspective, he allows this moment to show how strong his kingdom truly is. When Satan's released, those who love God stay loyal and submit to his rule. They won't waver. They won't waver. Every hidden thought of rebellion is brought out into the open by God, allowing Satan to stir those that will be susceptible to those, will give themselves to those thoughts. So when the great white throne judgment begins, no one will doubt that God is fair and that his mercy covers all.

Millennium is not fantasy land. I remember growing up in the church hearing millennial sermons for years, and that was my focus as a child. As a child, I just got to get to that millennium. As I aged and grew a little older, I realized that there's much, much more, isn't there?

The millennium here isn't a fantasy land. People are still human, still born with human nature, still required to choose. But in the millennial period, the knowledge of God again is universal. It's flowing into every crevice. The world will be saturated with the truth. I don't know if we can comprehend that. We live in a world where it's really difficult. Can we really comprehend a world saturated, every crevice filled with the truth of God?

It's a hard thing for us to imagine, I think. God's Word will flow into every heart and home like water running into every empty space. Every excuse will be removed. The tangible difference between our world and the millennial world, again, is rulership. Most of us here understand that even though many of us are second, third, fourth generation followers of Christ, every one of us must still make that personal choice. And it's not one choice, is it? It's making that choice continually every moment of every day. Until it becomes habit, spiritual habit, to choose God over ourselves. Each generation must decide, will I go God's way or the world's way?

Will I take what has been taught to me and deliberately choose to pursue God's way of life, no matter the cost? This same choice will exist in the millennium. The knowledge of God will fill the earth, but every person must choose to obey. When we read Revelation 27 through 9, God, after locking Satan and his demons away, then releases them and they deceive the nations.

It can be hard to imagine how anyone, after the thousand-year period, can turn against Christ. In our minds, that's difficult. Yet we've seen this story before, over and over, haven't we? When we've read about Lucifer. Perfection of environment does not prevent rebellion in the heart. At the end of the millennium, some will have wrong things in their heart and mind, and when Satan is loosed, he will draw them all together. He will put in their minds and hearts, he will feed his rebellious nature, and they will gather and march against Jerusalem.

The question is, how could discontent survive in a perfect world? The answer begins in the unseen, the subtle spread of dissatisfaction. Let's look at one significant way. I'm just going to give you one significant way that this can happen, because Satan is so good at it, and we are so bad at it, and we're susceptible to it. You don't need to turn there, but Proverbs 16, 28, in the Good News Bible version, says, gossip is spread by wicked people, they stir up trouble and break up friendships.

Remember, gossip is one of the seven things that God hates in Proverbs 6, and illustrates how rebellion begins. It stirs discontent, it divides relationships, and it infects others with attitudes that they themselves do not own. The same spirit of gossip and resentment will ignite the final rebellion of Revelation 20, verse 9, when a multitude, as the sands of the sea, remember, rise against Christ and the saints.

They are swiftly judged and consumed, and Satan is removed forever. Then God turns to the next stage of his plan, the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20, verses 12 through 13. When he brings to life billions who never had a chance for salvation, these are the most vulnerable people ever to live. And God's actions here before this resurrection, God's actions are divinely jealous.

He protects their opportunity to choose life. Nothing is more destructive to the vulnerable than the spreader of discontent. Most of us know this from experience. A single whisper of bitterness can change a heart. That is why God removes every trace of rebellion before he opens the graves of humanity, to ensure that every person begins their opportunity free from prejudice, free from corruption, and free to choose him without satanic influence.

I have a scenario that can help us drive home at this point. You may have been thinking of it already. You may have experienced this in your life. I say may loosely because I think all of us probably have. We've all dealt with this. Here's a scenario. You have a close friend. Someone you trust, one day they share confidentially that they've been hurt by someone. And as they share the intimate details, you start to feel what they feel.

Before long, you're resenting people you barely know, simply because your friend does. The truth is you didn't form that opinion yourself. You inherited it.

Now imagine resurrecting someone into a world where their neighbors gossip, spread resentment, pass along their prejudices to others who are neutral. What happens? Well, we know what happens. We're, dare I say, experts. We've bumped up against it a lot. Maybe we've even been part of it and had to repent of it. Those feelings take root quietly and unconsciously, and they begin to drive our actions, and they begin to grow. This is why the first nine verses of Revelation 20 are no accident by God. God is very intentional about these steps. He longs for every person resurrected in the last great day to have a pure, simple, and unprejudiced opportunity to know Him. And brethren, He guards that with a holy jealousy.

So the transition from the Millennial period and the last great day is not accidental. It's not accidental. The second aspect of the last great day I want to highlight is the last day showcases one of God's most beautiful doctrines. The last day showcases one of God's most beautiful doctrines.

Let me begin with a personal story, one that you'll likely be able to connect to.

Around this time, four years ago, my dad's cousin Rick, my second cousin, died suddenly in his early 70s. Their fathers are part of seven brothers, seven slocum brothers in the family that created quite mayhem during family reunions, if you can imagine. Rick, after retiring from a career in the police force, spent his latter years in a genuine and sincere pursuit to ensure everyone he interacted with would give their heart to Christ. He was on a mission to save every person he came in contact with. And every time I saw him, he was lathered up about it.

I remember my phone conversations that Rick and my dad had over the years about our crazy beliefs and our crazy interpretations of Scripture, the crazy holy days and the laws that we didn't have to keep anymore, those kinds of things. But in the end, Rick was, I think, satisfied that at least we worshipped Christ and accepted Christ. And I remember him telling my dad, God will work the rest of that monkey business out later. So he considered us okay. After my dad passed, Rick would call me to catch up on our side of the family. And a few months before his sudden death, we talked. And he broke down emotionally on the phone. And he shared his torment over those close to him that he couldn't seem to save. All those that he hadn't met yet, that maybe there are missed opportunities for him. All those in his early part of the life that he had met and doesn't know where they're at, he lamented, not sharing Christ with them. This was deeply emotional for him. Was his heart genuine? Yes. Was his understanding incomplete? Yes. I, like my father before me, had also come to respect my cousin Rick for his devotion to God and his conviction to what he believed was right. There was a mutual respect between our families because of our love for God.

It's estimated that 32% of the current world's population identify as Christian. Now, there's a broad range of Christianity. We know that, right? There's a broad range of dedication. Yet, I don't think it's unreasonable to say that most deeply love and value their families and strive to live by a moral and ethical code. Principles that come from Scripture. Let's turn to Ezekiel 37. You know, the fact that my cousin Rick's last thoughts were filled with such deep emotional regret that he could not save more people for Christ. For me, that fact is both profoundly sad to me and incredibly stirring for me personally, motivating for me. Maybe you have similar connections in your life. And again, I use the term maybe loosely because I think you all do. God's perspective on this day speaks to people like my cousin. Millions of sincere people who have lived and died without understanding God's plan. But God has not forgotten them. And Ezekiel 37 is a prophecy. It's not a story poem. It's not an illustration, not a parable. It is a fact written in Ezekiel 37 about the whole house of Israel. It also reflects what God will extend to all humanity in the Great White Throne Judgment period. And in verse 1 through 9, God gave Ezekiel a vision of a vast valley filled with dry bones. He said, Son of Man, can these bones live? And Ezekiel answered, Oh, Lord, you know. I have no clue, but you know. And then God told him, prophesy to these bones and say, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Surely I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live. As Ezekiel obeyed, the bones came together. Flesh and skin covered them. Then God said, prophesy to the breath. And say, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breath on these slain, that they may live. And in verse 10 of Ezekiel 37, So I prophesied as he commanded me. And breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, Son of Man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our bones are dry. Our hope is lost. And we ourselves are cut off. God says to Ezekiel, What you're looking at here, Ezekiel, is the whole house of Israel, all resurrected to physical life once more. Ezekiel 37 gives us one of the cleanest pictures of this day. God chose a valley of dry bones, the whole house of Israel, brought back to life. And then God shares with us their first thoughts that enter their minds as they come back to life. Our hope is lost. There's no future for us. We've been rejected by God. We ourselves are cut off. We're beyond His mercy. In the second resurrection, most of those who have considered themselves Christian, followers of Christ, which is the majority of the whole house of Israel, died believing what lay ahead of them, was either heaven or hell, in some form or fashion.

Their internal reaction is, Uh-oh, I'm supposed to be in some spiritual form, floating up in heaven or whatever. Yet I'm standing here, physically, on the earth. This could not be worse. I have lost the mercy of God. Many religions teach a resurrection to instant judgment with reward or punishment. Muslims, Buddhists, and even atheists will be confused and likely very fearful as well. All of these people and many others, like my cousin Rick and those you thought of, have been sold lies by Satan. They will rise from death, either very confused or believing they didn't make it to whatever good resurrection they were falsely led to believe. Next, Ezekiel 37 explains that this resurrection back to physical life is not a second chance, this isn't a second chance, but a first opportunity for the masses. Verse 12, therefore, prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord, God, behold, O my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it. Ezekiel says this is the whole house of Israel raised to physical life. Their first thought is fear and hopelessness, and God's answer to that is, I will give you physical life, I will take you and place you in a physical land, and I will be your God, and I will make my spirit available to you freely.

I have removed the being that led to your deception and much of your suffering. And now I will teach you the truth. Come learn the truth.

From God's perspective, this is not punishment. It is restoration, a beginning of their first, long-awaited, real opportunity for salvation. We know in every age of human history that salvation is only available to those whom God offers his spirit to.

In the millennium, God will make his spirit universally available. And in the last great day, the white throne judgment period, it will again be universally available. God's position is made clear. He says in 1 Timothy 2.4, and this is common verse, we know it, he wants all people. There's no caveat there. He wants all people to be saved and come to the truth fully.

Let's turn to Galatians chapter 3. So while the Lord is showing Ezekiel the destiny of all of Israel from Abraham on, we know that the promises made to Abraham were not just about his physical descendants. It pointed toward all nations, all people being brought into a relationship with God. I don't want to miss this point because it's very important. God promised Abraham in Genesis 22.18, And here in Galatians 3, Paul explains this statement to a Gentile congregation. He's opening up this knowledge, this understanding to a Gentile congregation. And in Galatians 3 verse 16, he says, See, that seed is capitalized. We know what that means. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to your seed, who is Christ.

At the end of chapter 3, he says to them in verse 26, so go down to verse 26, For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. And for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, There is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female, for you are all one in Christ. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

What a beautiful connection for this Gentile church in Galatia, but for the rest of humanity outside of Israel. The vision given to Ezekiel in chapter 37 focuses on, again, that whole house of Israel. Yet that same promise, that same promise of mercy and of blessings, reaches to all nations through Christ, the seed from whom all life grows. On this last great day, through that same seed, Jesus Christ, the rest of the dead, all who have ever lived and died, will rise again to life. The promises made to Abraham will stand fulfilled. The second resurrection is where his promises stand up and take breath, and have their first opportunity to know God. It is a living proof that God meant what he said, that his desire is for all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of God, and to digest, to have that truth in them. God's purpose has never changed. I want every one of you to make the right choice and to choose life. That purpose has never changed. Every mind will be open to the truth of God, and all will have access to his Spirit. All those who choose to follow his Son, the Word of God, will receive from God the gift of eternal Spirit-born life in his family. Now, we're told some will refuse, but his intent remains constant, brethren. He wants all to be in his family. He wants all to live.

To my cousin Rick, who will be resurrected on this day and likely worried with many others, I hope to say to him, Rick, you were right. 1 Timothy 2.4 clearly states, God wants all people to be saved. You were right about that.

Your opportunity begins today.

If what my cousin believed was true, and this present life was the only day of salvation, then God the Father and his Son are losing at an alarming rate. But it's not true.

It's no wonder my cousin was panic-ridden. There wasn't enough hours in the day for him. What a heart. He died believing an awful lot of people had lost their opportunity. He was lied to. Humanity has been lied to.

You sit here today celebrating a day that reveals the truth. You can confidently say no. There are none that are lost.

They're not lost. According to God, they haven't had a real opportunity. And they will get one. Oh, they'll get a good one, a fair one, a honest one. As Jesus Christ clears the deck for them before they're resurrected, give them the best opportunity possible. God the Father is seeing to it personally. And he's invested in it 100%. You know the investment he made.

Truth of God lives in my family. It started with my father and mother. My father and mother were called back in 63. It continues in my wife and I. And it was given to our four children, one of which is sitting in the audience today with his wife and three sons, soon to be four sons.

And so these four energetic grandsons represent the fourth generation of God's truth living in our line of the Slocums. But what about the rest of the Slocums down through time?

You know, God has a great plan for them. God has a great plan for you and your families, regardless of the background. So this day is deeply personal to each one of you. It's also universal. It covers all.

So this is an awesome doctrine from a loving God. Don't forget that. Let's turn to Romans 11. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Gentiles in Rome, explains that God's work with Israel is far from finished. The passage carries really some deep meaning for what we have just seen in Ezekiel's vision and the plan revealed in this day. Romans 11, beginning at verse 1. As I say to them, has God cast away His people? Certainly not. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people, whom He foreknew. Are they dead? Yeah. Have they lived a life? Yeah. They've lived a life. Did they have an opportunity for salvation? No. They did not. Verse 7. Jump down to verse 7. What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks, but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written, God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear to this very day. So Paul quotes Isaiah 6 here, where God sent Isaiah to preach to a people whose hearts were hardened. His words could really confirm their blindness, and we see historically that their land became completely desolate. They were taken into captivity eventually. Yet even then, God promised that a remnant, a holy seed, would remain for future restoration. That prophecy helps us understand really our world today.

It can be discouraging to preach the gospel of the coming kingdom of God and see so few respond. That's discouraging.

But God has allowed spiritual blindness. For now, He's not trying to save everyone at this time. He has a plan for that. Isaiah asked in verse 11 of Isaiah 6, he says, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, the houses are without a man, the land is utterly desolate. In other words, until the age of man's rule and the kingdom of God begins, until the end of man's rule and the kingdom of God begins, then the blindness will be removed, the ears opened, and salvation offered to all. Brother, we don't need to be anxious about numbers or how many God is calling today. Our task is to proclaim the gospel of the coming kingdom of God, to plant the seed of Jesus Christ through His teachings, and to teach repentance and change while preparing ourselves to serve in the next phase of God's plan. Isn't that enough? That's a lot.

The results really belong to Him, brethren. He has full grasp of it. He has His hands around it all. He's fully capable. Can we continue to be diligent and trusted workers in the truth of God and with the truth of God as God's plan moves forward?

There really is a personal peace to be had. Remember when Jesus told His disciples, My peace I leave with you? I cling to that. There's a personal peace in knowing that God's love for His creation will produce a bountiful family.

While He doesn't need our help, He does desire it, doesn't He? And He wants to work through us for the glory of His kingdom.

Back to Romans 11 and verse 11. So as I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not, Paul says. Paul's answer is emphatic. No, they're not lost. No, it's not over. No, it's not finished.

God's purpose is still unfolding, and you've been given that truth. I hope it gives you the kind of peace that it should give you.

Romans 11, 25, For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness, hardening, in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come. So the fullness of the Gentile age will continue until Jesus Christ returns in glory. When he comes, he will establish the government of God on this earth, and the restoration of Israel and all the nations will begin through him, and hopefully through us as well.

How can you have a more wonderful, orderly, and well-thought-out doctrine? And you're a part of that. As we wrap up this morning, the final aspect reveals a reality in the last great day which holds a lesson for us today. There's a reality in the last great day that holds a lesson for us today. Let's turn to Matthew 5. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ instructs his disciples on how they should live. We've probably heard so many sermons on the Sermon on the Mount that, parts of that we should be able to recite by memory. Christ sets a pretty high standard, one that reaches far beyond our own natural ability, on purpose. We are those disciples today that he's talking to. So Matthew 5, beginning in verse 43, all the way down in verse 43, says, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For he makes his Son rise on the evil and on the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? That's easy. Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do that too? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. That's a high bar. That's an unattainable bar for us. Without God's Spirit, with God's Spirit, it's attainable. This goes against every human instinct we have. Christ knows we're not naturally inclined to live this way. Yet this is the expectation. We are to become perfect in this, just as our Father is perfect. Let's turn to Romans 12. You know, Paul builds on this concept. Paul builds on this concept. Romans 12 and verse 14.

It says, Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. It means, speak well of. Invoke God's favor upon those who persecute you. How many of us have done that? That's a hard thing. Right? In verse 17, Repay no one, evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. In Greek it means, Think ahead. Take thought beforehand concerning what is noble and right before all people.

Verse 18, If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Peace is not always possible, but we are responsible for doing all that we can to produce it. Verse 19, Beloved, Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. I remember hearing that verse many, many times over the years. It means giving place to wrath. In other words, giving place to wrath means stepping aside, stepping aside and allowing God to exercise His righteous judgment. Well, we just spent a lot of time talking about His righteous judgment. It is trusting His timing and His justice instead of taking matters into our own hands. This does not mean God ignores wrongs. It means He alone knows how to judge them rightly. And He knows just when to grant people mercy. We don't. But He does. So to understand and live these commands, we must hold God's vision on this day firmly in the forefront of our minds and hearts. You can't bless an enemy if you can't have the vision of God and what He's doing in your mind. If we cannot grasp His perspective, we will struggle to live by the love that Christ describes in Matthew 5 and that Paul teaches in Romans 12. In the very first verse of Romans 12, a very common verse that we have read many times, he opens the chapter and he says, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. This is our reasonable service, brother. That's what he begins that chapter with. Because God has revealed this awesome plan to us ahead of time. Gifted this knowledge and this understanding to each of us. Ask yourself, is there anyone you would not want to see resurrected? Tough question to ask. I hope it's not tough. But it's a question we probably need to answer. If the decision was yours, would there be names that you would leave off the list for the resurrection? God will raise them all. His plan is greater than our limits and His mercy wider than our comprehension. I said a reality in the last great day holds a lesson for us today. This day, if we focus on the intent of this day and what God is doing, what the climax of God's plan is, it holds a great lesson for how we live our daily lives and who we are. We're called to live today as though we were in the last great day. Every act of mercy, forgiveness, and patience is a reflection of what this holy day represents. The reality of this day teaches us how to live now. Do we get it? Are we God's children? There will come a time when every enemy we have known will hopefully choose to become a brother and sister. Since this is the reality of God's plan, there's really no better way to live than to model our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. May the understanding of God's perspective on this last great day fill you with His vision. Not ours. His vision. May the knowledge of what will come to pass for all humanity strengthen your faith in Him. And may His vision inspire a deeper conviction and a more fervent dedication to Christ our Lord, and to stir up the longing and the hunger for His return. Safe travels to all of you tomorrow. Maybe some of you will be leaving this evening too. Safe travels. God bless you all. And may God bless His work and His people here in Italy.