| 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: The other day I heard a Christian make the statement that really tried to down play the importance of our eternal rewards to the point that he didn't see them to be a matter of any importance. In fact, he seemed to indicate that really all that was important was that we just get into heaven. While it is important that we all "just get into heaven," I also believe that we shouldn't down play the importance of eternal rewards either. To do so is like telling your children that you really don't care if they get all D's on their report card, after all its just getting into the next grade that is important - and not that they actually learn something that will help them to function better later on in life. I am sure that most normal parents encourage their children to do the best that they can, rather than just getting promoted to the next grade. So why is it that as Christians we tend to lower our standards when it comes to doing our best in serving the Lord, and think that it's ok just to get into heaven? It could be that many evangelicals Christians do this because they are afraid that someone might accuse them of teaching that we can earn our salvation, which we know is not true according to Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." Another simpler reason why most Christian have a "just getting by" mentality is that it doesn't require much from us. If we tell our children that all we expect from them is D's, then what do you think we will see when they bring home their report cards? It's easy to live "down" to our sin nature, but its another thing to live up to God's holy standards - it requires a lot of time and effort on our part. Every child of God will someday be glorified and transformed with a new sinless resurrected body, and will dwell in the New Jerusalem with Christ forever. This is an unconditional promise for those who accept Christ as their Savior. But not every believer will be given the privilege of reigning with Christ. This privilege will be given to those who have been faithful servants of the Lord in this life.
Transition: Now lets look at. . .
I. The Extent Of Our Reign.
1. On Earth (Rev.5:9-10; 20:6; 22:3-5).
A. Revelation 5:9-10, "And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.'"Transition: Now only will we reign with Christ but we will also be apart of the future judgements of Christ. . .1) "reign," ("basileuo" {bas-il-yoo'-o: v, ind, fut, act, 3per, pl}); to exercise kingly power, reign, rule.B. Revelation 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign ["basileuo"] with him a thousand years."2) "earth," ("ge" {ghay: n, gen, f, sg}); earth, the world, also used of a territory, region or country.
- The "thousand years" is a reference to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.C. Revelation 22:3-5, "And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign ["basileuo"] forever and ever."- The privilege of co-reigning with Christ will last into eternity in the New Heaven and New Earth.
2. In heaven and on earth.
A. 1 Corinthians 6:1-3, "Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?"Application: Faithful believers will be given a couple of responsibilities in the future, they will not only help Christ reign, but it appears that they will also have some part in some or all of the judgments to come. Christ sums up the reason for God's judgment in John 3:16-21, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him [note, this is a reference to His first coming]. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." Those who accept Christ's sacrifice are forgiven and the only judgment they will face is a judgment for rewards or loss of rewards, and this includes the Old Testament Saints who also put their trust in God and His promise of the Messiah; Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation ("katakrima" {kat-ak'-ree-mah: n, nom, neut, sg}; the legal result of judging which includes both the sentence and its execution: damnatory sentence, condemnation, punishment, sentence of doom) for those who are in Christ Jesus." But those who reject God's offer of forgiveness will face God's judgment and will stand on their own merits and their poor attempts of earning their own salvation, but will fall short of God's holy standards; Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." They are sort of like the robber who was trying to rob a Quaker's home. The old Quaker discovered the robber trying to break into his safe, so the Quaker tiptoed out and got his shotgun, and tiptoed back. Standing only a few feet from the robber, he announced his presence. "Friend," he said calmly, "I would not harm thee for the world, but thou art standing where I am about to shoot" (1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking). If you're not standing under the cross of Jesus, then you'll find yourself standing where God is about to shoot! Which end of God's judgment would you rather be on? Those believers who are faithful to Christ in this life, will earn the privilege of reigning and judging in eternity with Christ.1) "judge," ("krino" {kree'-no: v, ind, fut, act, 3per, pl}); of dividing out or separating off, judge, evaluate, to administer justice, also used in a broader since of ruling or governing.B. The judgment upon Satan and the fallen angels.2) What we will judge.
A) The world (v.2).- "world," ("kosmos" {kos'-mos: n, acc, m, sg}): used here of the sum total of all created beings, mankind.B) The angels (v.3).1) Revelation 20:10, "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."C. The various judgments that the world will face (DPT).2) Note, while the fallen angels are not specifically mentioned in verse 10, we must assume that they are also judged at this time with Satan since we are told elsewhere that they will be judged, or they could be judged in between Satan and the world.
A) Jude 1:6, "And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day."B) 2 Peter 2:4, "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;"
1) The judgment of Israel (Jewish people) at the end of the tribulation period (Ezek.20:34-38; Matt.25:1-30).A) Ezekiel 20:34-38, "'And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you,' declares the Lord God. 'And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.'"2) The judgment of the Gentiles at the end of the tribulation period (Joel 3:1-2; Matt.25:31-46).B) Matthew 25:1-30 is the Parables of the Ten Virgins and The Talents.
A) Joel 3:1-2, "For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations, And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land."3) The judgment of Old Testament and Tribulation Saints that will take place at the end of the tribulation period (Dan.12:2-3; Matt.16:27; Rev.20:4-6).B) Matthew 25:31-46 is the Parable of dividing the sheep from the goats.
A) Daniel 12:2-3, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake,these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 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."4) The judgment of the Unsaved Dead at the Great White Throne (Rev.20:11-15; John 5:22, 26-29).B) Matthew 16:27, "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds."
C) Revelation 20:4-6, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years."
- Revelation 20:11-15, "And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Transition: Now lets look at. . .
II. The Conditions For Earning
The Privilege Of Reigning.
1. By being faithful stewards of what God has given us (Lk.19:11-27;
Matt.25:14-30).
A. Parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30 & the Parable of the minas Luke 19:11-27.Application: These Parables also reveal that Christ knows how much each and every one of us are able to handle, and reveal that He doesn't give us more than what we are capable of handling. The point isn't the amount that He gives us, but what we do with what He has given us. This is the principle that the Lord taught in the Parable of the talents in Matthew 25:23, "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" As we mature in our faith and become more responsible, the more we can be given. But with that responsibility also comes accountability. Those believers who have been faithful in this life, with what God has given them, will someday be rewarded for their faithfulness by reigning with Christ.1) Both of these Parables are similar in many ways in that they both stress the importance of being found faithful at Christ's coming.B. Both of these parables indirectly teach (secondary application) that God rewards His faithful servants.2) In the Parable of the minas 10 servants were each given the same amount of money (a mina), and thus the stress was on equal opportunity that each individual had (PJ).
3) In the Parable of the talents, each individual is given a different amount of money (talents), and so the emphasis is on individual responsibility (PJ).
Transition: Another condition for earning the privilege of reigning with Christ is found. . .
2. By being faithful servants in our present life (Phil.2:5-11; Lk.22:25-27; Mk.10:43-44).
A. Philippians 2:5-11, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."Application: The key to being a faithful servant in this life, is having the right attitude. The first step we must take to have the right attitude to follow Christ's example in Luke 22:42, "saying, Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.'" When we do this first and foremost, then we will not be like the Gentiles and be arrogant towards others; we will be able to follow Christ's example of laying aside our pride and position, and have a humble and obedient spirit. When this happens, we will become the servants of God, and will seek to put the needs of others first. This is easier said than done, I'll admit. Especially in light of our sin natures, but if we follow the Apostle Paul's teaching in Philippians 4:13, then we can overcome this obstacle by reminding ourselves that "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."1) Faithful servants are to have the same attitude that Christ had.B. Luke 22:25-27, "And He said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called "Benefactors." But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.'"- "attitude," ("phroneo" {fron-eh'-o: v, imper, pres, act, 2per, pl}): think, as having an attitude or frame of mind, think in such a way, purpose. (KJV = mind)2) Faithful servants are to be emptied, humble and obedient to God as Christ was.A) verse 7, "emptied," ("kenoo" { ken-o'-o: v, ind, aor, act, 3per, sg}); to empty, lay aside one's position, power and/or privileges. (KJV = no reputation)3) Like Christ, when a Christian has the same attitude of Christ we will be rewarded in heaven (as we have seen in this sermon series).B) verse 8, "humbled," ("tapeinoo" {tap-i-no'-o: v, ind, aor, act, 3per, sg}); to make low, of a mountain - to level off, bring low, to assign a lower rank or place, humble, to behave in an unassuming manner.
C) verse 8, "obedient," ("hupekoss" {hoop-ay'-ko-os: adj, nom, m, sg}); obedient, submissive.
1) Background: The disciples' had been arguing about which of them was considered to be greatest when Jesus tells them here in this passage that such thinking is like that of pagans (BKC).C. Mark 10:43-44, "But it is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all."A) The followers of the Messiah should not think about such things, but rather than wanting to be the greatest, they should each desire to be the one who serves.2) We are faithful when we desire to be like Jesus and put the need of others before our own needs.B) For Christ set the example among them as One who serves (v.27).
(1) "serves" ("diakoneo" {dee-ak-on-eh'-o: v, part, pres, act, nom, m, sg}); to serve, wait on, minister to. (KJV = serveth)(2) "serves in a lowly way" (BKC).
1) The Gentile rulers lorded their position over others by dominating and oppressing their subjects, and they exercised their authority over the people by exploiting them (BKC).2) But a Christian who aspires to be "great" ("megas" {meg'-as: adj, nom, m, sg}; great, predicated of rank, esteemed highly for their importance) among God's people must first become the "servant" ("diakonos" {dee-ak'-on-os: n, nom, m, sg}; one who renders helpful service, servant, helper) of others (v.43).
3) The Christians who aspires to "first" among his own peers ("protos" {pro'-tos: adj, ord, nom, m, sg}; first in rank or honor, first among you) must forfeit his own rights, like a "slave" ("doulos" {doo'-los: n, nom, m, sg}; of being in a servile condition, enslaved, performing the service of a slave, subservient, servant) in order to serve "all" ("pas" {pas: adj, pron, gen, m, pl}; all, every, any, the whole) the rest (v.44).
4) A faithful servant puts their own interests aside in order to serve others and does so voluntarily and sacrificially.
Transition: The last condition for earning the privilege of reigning with Christ is found. . .
3. By being faithful when called upon to suffer for Christ (2Th.1:4-5; 2Cor.4:17; 1Pet.4:12-13; Rom.8:17-21; 2Tim.2:12).
A. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, "therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering."Application: It has been said that, "Suffering can do several things in the life of the believer. First, it can 'burn out the dross,' or purify us and lead us to greater holiness of life. But it can also, 'burn in the promises,' or lead us to a closer dependence on God and his faithful promises to us. Burn it will - but look also at what the burning is for" (Illustrations for Biblical Preaching). No one looks forward to suffering, but as Christians we have God's promises that we don't suffer in vain. This is because we have a Savior who like us has faced the various trials of this life, and overcame them. We are reminded of this great truth in Hebrews 4:15, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." We have God's promise that we will not face trials in this life alone, Hebrews 13:5-6, "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' so that we confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?'"B. Romans 8:17-21, "and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. 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. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
C. 2 Timothy 2:12, "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us."
And the Apostle Paul reaffirmed God's faithfulness to us in Romans 8:35-39, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, 'For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." We are able to overcome any suffering that we may face in this life, not because of our own ability, but because of Christ's ability. Those who suffer for Christ, will someday rule with Christ. What better type of leader could you ask for, than to have one who has walked in your shoes and understands the hardships that everybody else faces each and everyday of their lives.
Transition: Now lets put this all into perspective. . .
Truths To Ponder:
1. The MAIN KEY to gaining all the future rewards is FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE
in our lives, in the here and now.
2. Another key to obtaining future rewards is having the right attitude:
A. Towards your relationship with Christ.3. Lastly, God wants His future leaders to be able to relate to the people they will be leading.B. Towards others.
C. Towards service.
A. Remember that all the trials and suffering we may face in this life will help us to be better leaders in the next life.B. And during those times of hardships, we can draw closer to God by drawing His promises closer to us.
Study References
BKC - Bible Knowledge Commentary,
John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books.
DPT - Dictionary of Premillennial Theology,
Mal Couch, Kregel Publications.
PJ - The Parables of Jesus, J. Dwight
Penetecost, Kregel Publications
RSK - The Reign of the Servant Kings,
by Joseph C. Dillow