(This Sermon was preached at Trinity Bible Church on December 1, 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: We hear a lot today about retirement accounts, such as 401's or IRA's. We even hear about plans to allow people to invest in person retirement accounts instead of putting all their money into Social Security. The negative side to retirement accounts, which includes Social Security, is that they are not always very secure or predictable. In fact, after the 911 terrorist bombing, many people's retirement accounts lost money, and we have been hearing for years that someday Social Security won't be able pay those who are now paying into it. All these things remind us that the world in which we live in is unpredictable and doesn't offer any guarantees. While there is nothing wrong with us wanting to prepare for our future retirement, as Christians we also need to prepare for our future eternity with the Lord. God's Word can and does guarantee the believer of heavenly rewards for the faithful. Are you investing in your eternity?
Transition: The first reward that we will look at this morning is. . .
I. Treasures In Heaven.
1. The assurance of treasure in heaven (Matt.6:19-24,
19:29; Lk.12:32-33; 1Tim.6:17-19).
A. Matthew 6:19-24, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."Transition: We see this same truth taught a little differently in. . .1) "treasures," ("thesauros" {thay-sow-ros'}); the place in which good and precious things are collected and laid up, a receptacle in which valuables are kept, a repository, collected treasures.- Note that this is the same word that we get our English word, Thesaurus which is the Latin version of our Greek word, which means "a place in which valuable things are stored"- in the book's case, it is a treasure chest of valuable words.2) The Pharisees believed the Lord materially blessed all He loved and they were intent on building great treasures on earth (BKC).A) Christ reveals to them that they had problem with their spiritual eyes because they were coveting money and wealth - thus they were in spiritual darkness.3) Our real treasures are being stored up in heaven, and not what we can accumulate down here on earth, because everything we is subject to decay, ruin, destruction, and even theft.B) They were slaves to the master of greed, and their desire for money was so great they were failing in their service to their true Master, God.
- So what really counts to the believer isn't what we can gain materially in this temporary life, but what we gain in our eternal life.
B. Luke 12:32-33, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure [thesauros] in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys."Transition: Another reference to our future treasure is found in. . .1) Jesus compared His disciples to a little flock, a seemingly defenseless group which could be preyed on and to make them even more defenseless Christ instructed them to sell their possessions and give to the poor (BKC).2) Jesus' point is saying this was that if His followers had a treasure on earth they would think about it, but if they instead had a treasure in heaven, which is safe from all harm, they would be concerned with matters pertaining to the kingdom and therefore would not be in a state of anxiety (BKC).
3) Again, the point being where your treasure is, so is your heart and thoughts.
- Since our rewards are secure in heaven, we are free to focus upon the things of Christ without distractions.
C. 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: These verses that we just looked at and others also touch on. . .1) "treasure," ("anpthesaurizo" {ap-oth-ay-sow-rid'-zo}); lay in store, to treasure away, to store up abundance for future use. (KJV = in store)2) Paul addresses those who have wealth, and instructed them as to what their attitude should be toward it (BKC).
A) They are not to be arrogant as if their wealth is deserved (1 Cor. 4:7-8; 1 Sam. 2:7).B) Nor must they put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain and transient.
C) Instead, Christians should put their hope in God, who is the Source of all material things and these blessings should be shared with those who are in need.
(1) If they do this they will lay up treasure for themselves in heaven.(2) Such eternal treasure becomes a firm foundation for the future by investing their riches for eternity.
2. The conditions for obtaining treasure in heaven (Matt.6:2-4; 19:21).
A. Matthew 6:2-4, "When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you."Transition: We are given a second condition for obtaining a heavenly reward and that is found in. . .1) The Pharisees made a great show of their giving to the needy… in the synagogues and on the streets, thinking they were thus proving how righteous they were (BKC).A) But true righteousness is not primarily a matter between a person and others, but between a person and God.2) The other point that is made here is that those who give, for the right motives, to the needy will someday be rewarded by God.B) So one's acts should not be demonstrated before others for then his reward should come from them instead of coming from God.
A) When we give to the needy, we should do so in secret and not make a public production out of it.3) So the first condition that Christ tells us that we should be doing to help those who are truly in need and to do it with the right motives and attitude.B) Thus the right motive for giving isn't to be noticed or to get your name upon a plaque or a building somewhere, but to give because you want to help someone who is in need.
B. Matthew 19:21, "Jesus said to him, 'If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure [thesauros] in heaven; and come, follow Me.'"Application: The key issue with all these examples is the attitude of the heart. C. S. Lewis once said, "If you read history you will find that the Christian who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next" (Mere Christianity). The man who lays up treasures only in this world puts his trust in the economy of his country and not in God. But the man who lays up treasure in eternity puts his trust in God and in doing so puts his faith into action in his country. The object of our trust is infinitely more reliable than the economy of our country; it is the promise of Jesus the Christ. What businessman was ever promised an absolutely guaranteed a hundredfold return on his investment? But God's Word does in Matthew 19:29, "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life" (KJV). Investing for the future requires faithfulness, self-denial, and patience. When a man does this, he is exercising faith. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us in chapter eleven and verse one, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The result is completely unseen in our present life, and therefore greater faith is required (RSK). But the rewards will be great for those who have been faithful in this life. What does your heavenly treasure account look like?1) In this passage we have the rich young ruler coming to Christ and asking what he could do to gain eternal life, at first Christ tells him to keep the 10 commandments to which this young man replied that he had, so Christ answers him here to expose to him that he hadn't kept any of the commandments and to reveal to him where his heart really was.A) His unwillingness to relinquish his wealth showed he did not love his neighbor as himself and as such he had not kept all the commandments, and he lacked salvation (BKC).2) A person who wants to gain true riches, must be willing to part with his worldly riches.B) He loved his money more than God, and thus he violated even the first commandment (Ex. 20:3: BKC).
A) A Christian who gives of their earthly riches to help others in need are not really losing it, but rather they are sending it ahead, or transferring it to their heavenly treasure chestB) When we show mercy to those in need, it demonstrates our inner righteousness.
Transition: The next reward is. . .
II. A Special Resurrection.
1. The general resurrection (anastasis)
of believers (Rom.6:5; 1Cor.15:1-58; Heb.6:1-2; Rev.20:6).
A. Romans 6:5, "For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection."Transition: But there is another Greek word that is used only once in the New Testament, which seems to speak of. . .B. The Greek word, "anastasis" is the normal word used in the New Testament, and is found in all the Scripture references list above, for the future resurrection of all people.
- "resurrection," ("anastasis" [an-as'-tas-is]); a raising up, a rising from the dead, resurrection.
2. The special resurrection (exanastasis) of those who are worthy (Phil.3:10-11).
A. Philippians 3:10-11, "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection [anastasis] and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection [exanastasis] from the dead."Application: All Christians will obtain the resurrection, but it may be that some may be found worthy to attain to the "out-resurrection." Can we be dogmatic about this? Maybe not, but we can't totally rule it out either. The point that we must keep in mind here is that for the last several weeks we have seen that God wants to do more than just get us into heaven, He wants to bless those who have been faithful to Him once they get to heaven. This "out-resurrection" may be nothing more than having the privilege of a more intimate relationship with Christ in eternity, or it could be like the crowns rewards where faithful believers will somehow standout from the normal crowd of believers. Whatever this means, the point that Paul is making here is that as believers, there's more to this life than just being saved [past tense], but that how we live our Christian lives today will have a direct impact upon how we live our eternal lives. Lets not live like we need to be resurrected from the dead in our present life, but live and strive for what awaits us in eternity.B. The fact that the apostle Paul would switch to an unusual and rarely used Greek word, "exanastasis," to speak of the resurrection, lends itself to the possibility that Paul is speaking of some particular kind or aspect of the resurrection (RSK).
1) "exanastasis" (ex-an-as'-tas-is); is made up of two Greek words, "ex" [ex], which means from or out of, and "anastasis" [an-as'-tas-is] which means a raising up, a rising from the dead, or resurrection.2) This word could literally be rendered, "out-resurrection," which might suggest a "resurrection out from among the resurrected ones" which is in contrast to a mere "resurrection from among the dead" (RSK).
A) In other words, Paul may be speaking of a special category or class of resurrected saints.B) This view fits very well with verse 12, where Paul says, "Not that I have already obtained it [i.e., the out-resurrection (exanastasis) in verse 11 along with the full fellowship with Christ], . . ."
- Paul has made this his goal to achieve Christlikeness and as a result to share with Christ in that final victory.
Transition: Finally, the last reward that we will look at is the. . .
III. Praise And Honor From Our
Lord.
1. Verbal praise (Matt. 25:21; John 12:26; 1Cor.
4:5; 1Pet. 1:6-7; 2Pet.1:10-11).
A. Matthew 25:21, "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.'"Transition: Like all rewards, believers can not only earn them but they can also lose them if they are not consistent in their Christian walk. . .- In the Lord's Parable of the Talents, He gives verbal praise to the faithful servants for their obedient efforts.B. 1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise ["epainos" {ep'-ahee-nos}; praise, approval, commendation] will come [indicative mood, showing the certainty and reality of the praise] to him from God."1) Here is the judgment of believers in Jesus Christ, not the judgment of unbelievers, where the outcome of this is not punishment, but the reward of God's praise.C. 1 Peter 1:6-7, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise ["epainos" {ep'-ahee-nos}; praise, approval, commendation] and glory ["doxa" {dox'-ah}; as an excellent reputation, glory, an exterior brightness, a glorious condition] and honor ["time" {tee-may'}; honor or respect which is shown, as the recognition of another's worth] at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"2) Paul tells us that God's judgment will occur when He reveals or brings to light "things hidden in the darkness" and when He discloses "the motives of men's hearts."
- These "heart motives" and "things hidden in the darkness" are not just the wrong and sinful things invisible to the human eye, but also the wholesome and commendable things we cannot see or know.- It's when we face the intense pressures in life that we face the refining fires of God and those who have been found faithful will receive the Lord's praise, glory and honor.
2. Forfeiture of the Lord's praise (Matt.6:1, 5, 16).
A. Matthew 6:1, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven."Application: The dictionary defines "praise" as, "expression of admiration: words that express great approval or admiration, for example, for somebody's ability or achievements or for something's good qualities" (Encarta). I don't know of a single person who doesn't like to be appreciated by others. In fact, this is often the motivation for us to excel at our job, in sports, in school, and even in our families. There's a difference between being appreciated and being flattered. Flattery is insincere, where as appreciation is sincere. Flattery comes from the shallowness of the lips, whereas appreciation comes from the depths of the heart. For those Christians who are faithful in this life, they have God's promise that they will receive the sincere praise of the Lord as a reward in their next life. Is there anything in your Christian walk that is praiseworthy? Let us all strive in this life to live so as not to bring shame to the Lord, but only His praises. There will be no sweeter words spoken than to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (KJV).B. Matthew 6:5, "And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."
C. Matthew 6:16, "And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."
Truths To Ponder:
1. We need to have a long-term, heavenly investment plan and not just
a short term earthly retirement account.
2. The key to receiving any rewards from God is a continuance, consistent faithfulness in our daily walk as Christians.
- You could say that our faithfulness in our daily life is the deposit slip for our treasures in heaven.3. If we will take the time to glorify God in this life, in everything we do and say, then God will take the time to glorify
4. What does your heavenly bank account look like?