by Joseph "Mike" Willmouth
(This Sermon was preached at Trinity Bible Church on
October 20, 2002. This sermon series is based upon a request to explain
the rewards that believers will someday receive. All Scripture references
used in this sermon are based upon the NASB®, unless otherwise stated)
| This Sermon was written and submitted by: Joseph M. Willmouth, Pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Biloxi, Mississippi 39532. This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. It may be freely copied and used provided the above credits are included. Document expiration: indefinite. |
Introduction: As I was preparing for the sermons on rewards, I came across a section in Willmington's Guide to the Bible (pp.419-421), where Dr. Willmington addresses the issue of the believer's works in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, where it states, "Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." Dr. Willmington states, "Though it is difficult to know just what goes to make up a 'golden work' or a 'stubble work," we are nevertheless informed of certain general areas in which God is particularly interested." I took Dr. Willmington's Scripture references and categorized them to help us to understand some of the general areas that the Lord will/may be looking at someday which will have a direct impact upon the types of rewards me may receive or even lose because of our inattention. You'll also notice that some of these Scriptures really fall into several general areas. Looking at these various areas will also help us to understand what the Lord expects of us as believers, and how we ought to be living.
I. By Our Treatment Of Others.
1. How we treat other believers (Heb.6:10; 10:24-25;
Matt.10:41-42; Gal.6:10; James 1:25-26).
A. Hebrews 6:10, "For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints."Application: The Lord cares about how we treat one another. As believers, we need to always be mindful of the fact that the Lord laid down His life to save each and every one of us. So in His eyes, we are all very special. If the Lord accepted us as we were, should we do anything less? 1 Peter 1:22, "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart," This means we must learn to accept people as they are, even if they look different from us, if they dress different from us, if the speak differently than us, if they like different types of music than us, and yes even if they have pierced noses and tattoos! When we do this, we honor Christ by recognizing the price that He paid for their salvation. It is Christ that gives any of us our value, not ourselves!B. Matthew 10:41, "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 'And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward.'"
C. Galatians 6:10, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
D. James 1:25-26, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless."
E. Hebrews 10:24-25, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."
Transition: Now lets look at how leaders are responsible by. . .
2. How we exercise our authority over others (Heb.13:17; James 3:1).
A. Hebrews 13:17, "Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you."Application: How one leads will have a direct impact upon their future rewards in heaven; 1 Peter 5:1-4, "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." A leader may also forfeit this reward if they abuse their position or neglect their duties. The flip side of this, as individual members, we have a responsibility to be followers to our leaders who are being faithful to the Lord. This is a major problem areas in most churches today. In America, we have this idea of individualism and every person has a vote - which is nothing wrong with this in the context of government, but this isn't how God set up the church when it comes to leadership. God appoints leaders, and expects individual Christians to follow as long as their leaders are being obedient to His Word. The problem is, most Christians today ignore what God's Word says when it comes to leadership and they attach their own opinions on what they think the pastor or elder should be doing. As soon as this happens, you'll have conflict, rebellion, and division. We are reminded again, that behavior counts - for those who would lead and for those who would follow.1) Those who are in a position of leadership in the church are held accountable by the Lord for their actions as leaders.B. James 3:1, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment."2) Notice that there is a flip side to this verse also, and the individual Christian is also held accountable for how they followed their leaders.
- Those who teach are held to a higher standard because of the effects that their teachings have on other believers.
Transition: Now lets look at another area of a believer's walk that the Lord considers important. .
II. By Our Stewardship.
1. How we use our spiritual gifts (2 Tim.1:6;
1 Cor.12:4, 11; 1 Pet.4:10).
A. 2 Timothy 1:6, "And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands."Application: When you become a Christian, God gives you a special gift(s), we refer to these as "spiritual gifts." These gifts are given, not as a sign of how "spiritual" we are, but as way to be a blessing to the local church; 1 Corinthians 12:7, "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." Some of these gifts where given for a short period of time so that the church could be established and God's Word completed (like Apostles, and Prophecy), but God also gave gifts that continue to support the local body so they are grow and mature in their walk with the Lord (i.e., evangelism, Pastor-Teacher, and teaching). He also gave gifts that help in the non-teaching areas of the church (i.e., Administrations, exhortation, faith, giving, and helps). God doesn't give us useless gifts, but He gave each of us a gift to be used in the building up of His local church. Someday, we will also give Him an account of what we did with our gift; whether we put it up on a shelve somewhere, or if we put it to good use. What's your spiritual gift look like? Is it covered in dust and shoved in a corner somewhere, or does it look like a well used pair of shoes that have become comfortable and have many miles on them?B. 1 Corinthians 12:4, 11, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."
C. 1 Peter 4:10, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."
Transition: Now lets look at another area that is important to the Christian life and can impact our future rewards. . .
2. How we use our resources given to us by God (1 Tim.6:17-19; 2Cor.9:6-7; 1 Cor.16:2; Luke 19:11-26; Mat.25:14-29).
A. 1 Timothy 6:17-19, "Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed."Transition: Now lets look at another closely related area of resources. . .B. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."
C. 1 Corinthians 16:2, "On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come."
D. Parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30 & the Parable of the minas Luke 19:11-19.
3. How we spend our time (Eph.5:16; Col.4:5; 1 Pet.1:17).
A. Ephesians 5:16, "making the most of your time, because the days are evil."Application: God cares about how we use all the resources that He has given us; and this includes our talents, our spiritual gifts, our time and our money. As believers, we need to recognize that everything that we have is Christ's in the first place, and that He has only entrusted us to act as His stewards until He returns. Christ will someday reward those who were faithful stewards and give to them more responsibility in eternity. To those who wasted His resources, they will still have their salvation (Justification), but they will forfeit the privilege and honor that Christ wants to bestow upon them in eternity (Matt.25:14-30; Luke 19:11-19).B. Colossians 4:5, "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity."
C. 1 Peter 1:17, "And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth;"
Transition: Now lets look at another area that will have a direct impact upon some receiving rewards or losing them because they failed to be faithful in. . .
4. How many people we witness to (Prov.11:30; 1 Thes.2:19-20; Dan.12:3).
A. Proverbs 11:30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls."Application: When it comes to evangelism, we often think that we are fulfilling this by supporting missionaries or even evangelists, and we are to a certain extent. But if we fail to be witnesses or missionaries in our own neighborhoods then we will eventually fail to be able to even support foreign missionaries. The life blood of the local church is our witness to others where we live. If you cut this off, then the church fails to gain new life to keep it strong and it will eventually die a slow death, which will also kill its support to its missionaries. Let me give you a graphic illustration of this with the United States military. What would our military look like if they quite recruiting new members? They would eventually grow older and weaker, and wouldn't be able to defend our country over a period of time. The church is just like that, if we fail to "recruit" new members through witnessing, then as the population of the church grows older and begins to die out it loses its ability to minister to its people and community. Sadly, this is were the majority of churches are in America today. Witnessing isn't just a church program, it is an individual responsibility that we will someday either be rewarded for or hang our heads in shame because we failed to be faithful to God's command; Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."B. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, "For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy."
- Paul's crown was those who he had witnessed too and had received the Lord as their Savior.C. Daniel 12:3, "And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever."- Daniel tells us that those who lead people to the Lord, will someday be like the stars that shine in heaven.
Transition: Now lets look at another area. . .
5. How faithful we are to God's Word and service (1 Pet.5:2-4; 2 Tim.4:1-2; Acts 20:26-28).
A. We already looked at 1 Peter 5:2-4 earlier.Application: Being faithful servant of the Lord doesn't always mean that you have to be liked by everyone, or be popular, but rather that you always try to put the Lord's will before your will or the will of others. In fact, this will often make you unpopular, just as it did with Jesus. As believers, we are to set our priorities and on that list Christ needs to be at the very top. Some people put their families, their spouse, or their children at the top, others put their jobs there. But Christ will someday reward those who placed Him at the top; Matthew 19:27-29, "Then Peter answered and said to Him, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?' And Jesus said to them, 'Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.'" When the Christian gets their priorities right, then the Lord will make sure everything will be in the right relationship too.B. 2 Timothy 4:1-2, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
C. Acts 20:26-28, "Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
Transition: We looked at how our behavior towards others can impact our future rewards, but did you know that your personal behavior has a direct impact also. . .
III. By Our Personal Behavior.
1. How we run the Christian race (1 Cor.9:24;
Phil.2:16; 3:13-14; Heb.12:1).
A. 1 Corinthians 9:24, "Do
you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives
the prize? Run in such a way that you may win."
B. Philippians 2:16, "holding
fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to
glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain."
C. Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren,
I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I
press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus."
D. Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore,
since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also
lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Transition: This next area directly affects the way we run the race. . .
2. How effectively we control our old nature (1 Cor.9:25-27).
- 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, "And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified."Application: The Lord knows that we struggle with our fleshly natures, and to those who are able to put their's under the control of the Holy Spirit will be rewarded someday. But if we fail to do so, then lets not make excuses because we have all be given the capability to overcome our fleshly desires; 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it." So lets run this race with the goal of winning, and not just being happy with getting across the finish line.
Transition: Now we come to a couple of areas that we seldom think about, let alone giving it much thought how these areas could effect our future rewards, the first area is. . .
3. How much we suffer for Jesus (Mat.5:11-12; 1 Pet.4:12-13; Mark 10:29-30; 2 Cor.4:17; Rom.8:18).
A. Matthew 5:11-12, "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."Application: Martyrdom isn't something that we normally hope for, but the Bible makes it clear that those who do face persecution for the Lord's sake will someday receive a reward for their faithfulness. We just need to make sure that what we suffer for isn't for the wrong reasons. In other words, there are some Christians today who bring persecution upon themselves, not because of their faith, but because of their carnal actions. There has been many a non-believer who died because of their own actions, and this can be true of believers also. Remember years ago when a Christian was shooting employees at abortion clinics? I don't think they ever did find the man they were looking for, but the point is if he were caught and put to death, he wouldn't be a martyr for his faith; instead he would become a martyr of his own sinful actions, which brought shame upon the Lord's name. From the very beginning, Christians who gave their lives rather than betray the Lord were held in high honor by the church. And it was also noted that persecution helped to purge the church of some of its more lukewarm members (The History of the Church). Knowing that there is a special place in our Lord's heart for those who die in His name should be an encouragement to every believer when faced with persecution.B. 1 Peter 4:12-13, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation."
C. Mark 10:29-30, "Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.'"
D. 2 Corinthians 4:17, "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,"
E. Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Transition: The last area that we will look at is. . .
4. How much we anticipate the Lord's return (2 Tim.4:8; Phil.3:20-21; Titus 2:13).
A. 2 Timothy 4:8, "in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."Application: As a result of his faithfulness to duty Paul had no fear of facing the Lord, the righteous Judge, but only anticipation of reward (BKC). For the believer there should be a joyful anticipation and not a dreadful fear of the Lord's return. Like a bride anticipating her wedding day, so should the believer's heart be towards our wedding day with the Lord. If you're a believer and it scares you to think about the Lord's return, then that's probably a good indication that maybe your walk with the Lord isn't what it should be. Having an expectant anticipation for the Lord's any moment return should also help us to keep our priorities in line, and our work focused upon sharing the gospel with everyone we know and to prepare ourselves for eternity by studying God's Word.B. Philippians 3:20-21, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."
C. Titus 2:13, "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;"
Transition: Now lets put all this in perspective and what it means and doesn't mean to you and me. . .
Truths To Ponder:
1. This isn't a checklist of do's or don't that we check off at the
end of the day to see what we have won.
A. This is a matter of the heart, in other words we do these things because of who Christ is and because of what He means to us - they are an expression of our love for the Savior.2. What these areas are good for, is to help us see which direction we are heading in.B. The way Christians show their love for their Savior is to be obedient to His desires and will for us.
- Jesus reminded us of this truth in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
A. Are we living for the Lord, and looking towards the future?.3. The best guidelines to follow in every area of the Christian life is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then,B. Or are we living for ourselves without regard about how our lives will be impacted once we get to heaven?
A. We should always check our motives before we say or do anything.B. We do this by simply asking ourselves, will what I am about to say or do glorify the Lord or myself?