Use It or Lose It

Two weeks ago, we began this series call Faith Forward: Investing in Our Mission. We have been talking about giving during this series that will culminate with us filling out and turning in our Faith Commitment Cards.

We began this series by studying that the most important gift that we could give the Lord, in fact, the only reasonable thing that we as Christians can give God is ourselves. We looked at Romans 12:1 that says

Romans 12:1 (KJV 1900)

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

To give all of ourselves to the Lord and allow Him to reign and live through us is the only reasonable service that Christians can offer. It is reasonable, or logical, because Jesus gave all of Himself to pay for our sins; it is logical because God gave His only Son for us; and it is logical because when we look at the debt that was paid for our sin, we must realize that even giving ourselves completely to God in a lifetime of service could not scratch the surface in an attempt to repay that debt.

Every Christian’s calling is to be absolutely surrendered to the Lord and to His will. This is the most basic of Christian responsibilities.

The next thing we saw was that we we need to give financially to the work of the Lord.

Last week we studied that giving to the church that you attend is a Biblical thing to do. It is the church that has been commissioned to preach the Gospel and make disciples. It is through the church that ministries should operate. In giving to the church, we fund these ministries, we support missionaries, we supply the needy, and we make disciples in a lost world. These ministries require funds and goods to operate.

In this study, we also saw that God does not put a blanket amount for each person to give. Just like in every other area of our life, we ought to consult God and seek His guidance in our giving. The Holy Spirit has a plan for you, and the only way to find it out is by asking Him. So, I hope that you have been praying about how much you should be giving this year as we prepare to commit to faithful giving in our church.

We also studied last week that God requires of His stewards to be faithful, consistent. When are we supposed to give? We are supposed to give as God prospers us.

And we also saw that we should be joyful about our giving. That we should give out of a thankful heart and a loving heart. Thankful that God used a church to show us the Gospel (or used someone that had been discipled in a church), and out of love for God and the mission that He gave us, and out of love for others who are lost and dying without Jesus/ out of a love for others who are in need.

Today I want to preach on the subject of stewarding our time and our abilities. Last week we saw that being a steward is different than being an owner. A steward is the person who takes care and administers the goods and the wealth that belong to another person. Much like Joseph. Joseph in the OT was a slave to Potiphar, but he was also his steward. Joseph had full control over the riches, the possessions, the food, and even over the other servants in the house. The only thing that was not in Joseph’s hand to use as he wished was Potiphar’s wife. Joseph was trusted so much that the Bible tells us that Potiphar didn’t even keep track of how much money he had or what possessions he had. It was all in Joseph’s hands to do with as he thought right.

In like manner, we are stewards of the things God gives to us. Whether this be money, time, abilities, family, jobs/careers, health, knowledge, wisdom, or any other thing, all these things come from God.

James 1:17 (KJV 1900)

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

So everything that we have comes from God, but we must understand this: we are simply stewards of what God has given us. Throughout the Bible, Jesus references this quite a bit, but we also see this principle in other passages, namely in Paul’s letters to the Corinthian church. One of the things that God has made us stewards over is the Gospel.

You and I do not own salvation, it is given to us by God, and we are to live out our lives as stewards and ministers of salvation. That is two-fold: 1) we should be giving the Gospel out freely to the world, 2) our lifestyles should reflect the truth of who Jesus is in us because of the Gospel.

Paul deals with the Corinthian church about this specifically, and then he goes on to say something that applies to every area of stewardship in 1 Corinthians 4:2

1 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV 1900)

2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Use It or Lose It

We have spoken already about the need to be faithful in giving to the church in our finances, but today I want to focus on two other areas of giving. Giving our time and our talents/abilities to the Lord.

The passage that I want us to look at today is in the book of Luke 19:11-26

Luke 19:11–26 (KJV 1900)

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

There are a few things that I want to make sure we understand about this passage. This passage, and others similar to it, deal directly with the coming of the Jesus to set up His earthly Kingdom and the reckoning that will happen with each of His servants. There is a term here that I want to make sure we understand, that term is the term “pound.” Depending on what version you are reading from, it may appear in your Bible as the word ‘mina’ which is a direct word from the Greek. A mina was a weight measurement that equals to about 1.25 lbs as we know the pound today. This was a measure used for grain, gold, and silver. After reading the full story, I think it is safe to say we are dealing with minas, or pounds in the realm of gold or silver, and most likely, silver.

So we have this man that calls his servants (ten of them), and before he leaves, he gives them each a mina, or a pound of silver. In today’s money, 1.25 pounds (the weight of a mina) of silver would be equivalent to around $550. This is not a huge sum of money, but it isn’t insignificant either. And the nobleman of the parable leaves his servants with an instruction - “Occupy until I come. Engage in business until I come.”

So what is the interpretation and application of this parable?

This parable starts off with a nobleman leaving to receive a kingdom. He is leaving that area to go and be named king. At first, we do not know where his kingdom will be, but as we continue reading, we see that he is going to receive the kingdom of the region he originally leaves.

Luke 19:12, 14–15

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

So obviously, the plan is for this nobleman to return, not simply as a nobleman, but now in kingly authority. The citizens of that country do not want him as king, and in fact, send a message after him saying, “We will not have this man as our king.”

So, who is this nobleman turned king? He represents none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus came to the world, not as a king, but when he ascended into heaven, he went to the Father who sat him down at his right hand and declared that there is no other name above the name of Jesus, and that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

Shortly before he left this world, it was declared by the Jews to Pontius Pilate, “This man is not our king, we have no king but Caesar.”

Now, Jesus has not returned yet, but he will, and as we read this parable, there will be a time of accountability between Jesus and his servants.

Jesus Gives Gifts to His Servants

The first thing I want us to see is that Jesus has given gift to each of His servants. This is not just servants in the sense of pastors or evangelists, this is servants in the sense of every single Christian. There are different types of gifts that God gives each one of us. Those can be financial gifts. We looked at that last week as we studied that when we prosper financially, it is not us, but it is God who makes us prosper. We would do well in recognizing the truth of James 1:17, that every good and perfect gift, every paycheck, every salary increase or hourly raise, and every bonus comes from the hand of God Himself.

But we also know that God gives people talents and abilities. With some, He gives musical abilities and talents; with others, their abilities may lie in the area of athleticism. Others, God has gifted with a sharp mind in specific areas. Still others may have abilities and talents in regards to working with their hands. Some people have a certain way with words, and others a creative mind. Whatever it is, everybody has some kind of talent or ability, and it is God-given.

You might be thinking, “I have no useful talents or abilities,” and though I Have not met anyone yet without a particular ability or talent, for some people, those may be difficult to identify.

But there is something else that the Bible says about gifts from God toward Christians.

We find this in the book of Romans 12:3-8

Romans 12:3–8 (KJV 1900)

3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Here in this passage we find what we commonly know as the ‘gifts of the Spirit.’ Note to whom God gives these gifts - to each member of the Body of Christ. There are seven gifts mentioned here, and we won’t get into the particulars of each one, because that is a whole other study, but here is the list of them:

Prophecy - this is dealing more with speaking the truth with boldness, of being forthtelling, over being able to foretell future events.

Ministry/Service - this is exactly what it sounds like. This is the gifting to be able and willing to not only serve where ministry is needed, but also be able to identify those areas of need.

Teaching - the gifting to be able to research, understand, teach, expose, and communicate Biblical truths.

Exhortation - this is the gifting that enables people to be particularly good at encouraging others and convincing others to work for the Lord.

Giving/contributing - This particular gifting is manifested in Christians that have no problem being liberal with their money or possessions as they give to the God or to those in need. Someone with this particular gifting has a predisposition to give cheerfully and willingly and generously and has been blessed with the ability to do so.

Ruling/administration/leadership - this is a particular gifting from the Holy Spirit that enables a person to naturally lead and administer his/her leadership role within the church.

Mercy - This gift allows a person to treat others with mercy, love, and empathy. Because of this spiritual disposition, they are normally the ‘go-to’ person to tell about all your woes, complaints, and sorrows. Typically, they are easy to talk to and people usually go to them to “vent.”

Now, there is much more to each of these gifts than what we have briefly covered, but each Christian has at least one, and sometimes more than one of these gifts that are predominant in their lives. I want you to note that Jesus had these completely and perfectly, and is the only one who demonstrated the fulness of each gift always. As part of the body of Christ, he gives to each of us, various gifts, so that together we can act as one in Jesus Christ.

We Are Stewards of God’s Gifts

Notice what Luke 19:13 says at the end of the verse:

Luke 19:13 (KJV 1900)

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

“Stay busy; engage in business” is what that word occupy means. What kind of business? Well, it stands to reason that we are to be engaged in the Master’s business. We are, after all, his servants. But as Christians and, more particularly, as a church, we have been given a mission - to go and teach the Gospel and make disciples of Jesus in every nation. That is the business in which we are to be engaged.

We Are Stewards of Our Talents

So, we must understand that we are stewards of the abilities that God gives us, and we are to use them in God’s business. We have no business as Christians using our God-given talents and abilities for the business of the world. The business that God has called us to is the disciple-making business. If I use my abilities for myself, if I use my talents in service of the system of this world (which is headed up by Satan), then I am not being a faithful steward of what God has given me.

Can you imagine the first servant that the nobleman encounters when he gets back saying, “Look, lord! You gave me 1 mina/pound, and I worked it and invested it and gained 10 pounds! And you know what I did with it? You remember those people that did not want you to come back an be the king? Yeah, so, I found their leader,your rival, who hates you and all you stand for, and I invested what you gave me in his business. Turns out that I made a lot of profit for him and gave him the money that I had made too! Isn’t that great?!”

Nope! Not so great! But Christians the world over are investing in the world, investing in themselves, and no doing a thing for the Lord with their abilities and their talents that God has given them.

There are Christians that have abilities to do things but they would never use them in the church. “I love to sing and I sing well, but I would never do that at church. I can play an instrument, but I just do that for fun, not for God or for the edification of His church.

You know, I know how to do plumbing, fix things, work with my hands, but do that for the church or to help people in the church? Nope.

We Are Stewards of Our Giftings

We read in Romans 12 that God has given spiritual gifts to all Christians. The reason He has done this is so that we will work together as one body doing the work of the Lord. 1 Corinthians tells us that God gives us gifts for the edification, the building up of the Body of Christ. These gifts are something that you have if you are a Christian.

Prophecy

Ministry/Service

Teaching

Exhortation

Giving/contributing

Ruling/administration/leadership

Mercy

You have one of these gifts. Maybe you haven’t ever recognized it, but maybe you should start ask God about it, ‘cause you got one. It may not be very developed, but you have one. And you need to be using it for the Lord, and you should be using it in your church to expand the Kingdom of God and to build up your brothers and sisters in Christ.

These giftings you have from the Holy Spirit will no doubt benefit you in every other area of your life, but if you have the gift of administration and leadership and you are more than willing to use that at home, on your sports team, and at work, but you don’t want to lead anything at church, shame on you; and I’ll tell you right now, you’re investing God’s gift in the wrong businesses.

Listen, I’m not saying that God is displease when we show mercy and exhortation and encouragement to people at work, but when we refuse to do it for the purpose He has gifted us (to build up and benefit the church and its mission), then we are misappropriating the gifts God has given us.

We Are Stewards of Our Time

Ephesians 5:15–16 KJV 1900

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

We Are Stewards of Our Time

The time that God gives us here on this earth is not ours to control. It is God’s. We are to walk circumspectly. That word means carefully, watching out for what is around you. We are to redeem the time, or in other words, make good use of the time, because we live in an evil world.

It is a fool who wastes his day, it is the wise person that takes advantage of the time he is given.

It is the fool who uses the time he has given for personal gain, but it is the wise who uses it to invest in the Kingdom of God.

You might think, “But I don’t have much time! After I get off of work, I only have a few hours before I have to go to sleep so that I can get up early and go to work again.” Though this might be true, how are you using your hours at work? Are you being salt and light there? Are you developing relationships so that you can share the Gospel more effectively?

How are you using your drive time? How are you using your free time?

Listen carefully to this, because I want you to not misunderstand what I am saying.

When I say, “use your time for the Lord,” I am not asking you to only ever be reading your Bible or be at church or pray. I am not asking that when your spouse says, “Let’s go on a date,” that you respond with, “Sorry, babe, this is our free time and we need to use it for the Lord, so we can’t go on a date. We need to just sit and read the Bible.”

Redeeming your time looks very different and it might seem complex at first, but it all revolves around one thing - focus.

If my focus is Jesus, then Jesus becomes all important to me. The things He wants become the things that I want. What He loves become the things that I love. My day and my time begin to be structured around those things, because I love Jesus and love the things He loves and want to be involved where he directs me to be involved.

This means that when I wake up in the morning, my interactions with my family are loving because Jesus loves my family, and I do to. I spend some time in God’s word, because it is going to reveal more about Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit to me and what God’s plan is for my life. I spend this time willingly and cheerfully because I am focused on God, and I sacrifice a little bit of sleep so that I can do it, or I sacrifice my lunch hour so I can make sure that He is truly my focus.

If Jesus is my focus, then I am going to use my ride to work and back, not to worry about the day, but to dedicate that day to God. To spend some time in prayer, to listen to and sing praises to His name.

When I get to work, since Jesus is my focus, I am going to love my co-workers, my supervisors, and my subordinates because Jesus loves them too. I am going to take that time as I work to demonstrate love, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, and joy because that is going to open up doors to speak with my coworkers about Jesus.

On my way home, I am going to be thinking about how I can be a Godly husband and father. I am going to get home and spend time with my family, because as a parent, I am the embodiment of God’s character to my children and as a spouse I am the embodiment of God’s love and character to my wife.

I am going to go to bed at a time that suits my natural rhythm so that I can wake up and be efficient in my time the next day. I am going to look for times to rest, so that my other times are well redeemed. I am going to use my time wisely when I am free so that I am not too exhausted to go to church or too busy to skip out on my devotions or Bible study.

I am going to prioritize the activities in my day and in my week to revolve around what God loves most.

Listen, God loves the church so much that he gave His son for it. Jesus loved the church so much that he died for it, took on God’s wrath so that it could exist in fellowship with Him, shed His blood, was made sin for us, so that we could used by God to make disciples around the world.

So don’t say, “I love God, and He is number one priority in my life,” when you prefer overtime pay to being with your church. When you prefer to bad mouth everyone your mad at and indulge in sinful, hateful, destructive gossip than you would in building unity and making peace with your fellow members.

Don’t say “I love God with all my heart,” when you your just to tired to come to church.

Don’t say, “I am focused on Jesus in my daily life,” when you put your family, your job, your career, and your desires above the one institution that He gave his life for - the church.

“But Mike, you don’t understand.” Yes I do. “You just want my life to revolve around church.” No I don’t. I have lived that way, and it was pretty miserable.

I am going to say something that few preachers will tell you and that even fewer Baptist preachers will say: “Do NOT center your life around the church.” Don’t do it. For the sake of your family, for the sake of your relationship with God, please do not center your life around the church. You will be miserable. You’ll grow resentful of the church and of its members. Please, do not center your time, your money, your family, your life around church.

Center your life around Jesus. When center our lives around Jesus, He will draw us to the things that He loves. My life right now may seem like it is focused around the church, but i can tell you confidently it is just focused on Jesus. My family activities may seemed focus on church, but I will tell you right now, I am focusing my family on Jesus. e just draws us here.

You would worry about a pastor who doesn’t want to be in his church, right? And you should. But not because he is a pastor. Simply because he is a Christian. I worry about Christians that make excuses for not being in church. I worry about Christians that will put work, rest, or anything else in front of church, especially if it is a regular thing.

Because it shows where church lies in the ranking of things. And when that shows, it shows what priority Jesus has in their focus.

We are stewards of the time that God gives us, and it is not for our glory or our individual missions in life, it is for His glory and for His mission.

We Are Accountable to Jesus

One of the greatest promises that we have as Christians is that Jesus is coming back! When He comes, we won’t have to worry about a struggle with sin anymore. We won’t have to worry about sickness, death, sorrow, or fear. He is coming back in power and in glory and in authority. He will set up His throne and will reign, and we will reign with Him!

But one of the things that will happen is a reckoning with all of His servants. That’s us, Christians. Luke 19:15-16, 18, 20

Luke 19:15–20 (KJV 1900)

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

Just as the nobleman came back and reckoned with his servants, Jesus is also going to call us to give an account of what we did with His many gifts that He has given us.

We Will Be Held Accountable Only to Jesus

This means that it is only His opinion about us that matters. When we appear before him, he will take nobody else’s opinion about us or about what we did into consideration, only His view matters.

Faithful Stewards Will Be Rewarded

Let’s take a look at Luke 19:15-19

Luke 19:15–19 (KJV 1900)

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

What we see here is the principle from the quote from George Muller that we saw last week.

It is the Lord’s order, that, in whatever way He is pleased to make us His stewards, whether as to temporal or spiritual things, if we are indeed acting as stewards and not as owners, He will make us stewards over more.

George Müller (Philanthropist and Preacher)

Notice that the reward is not more silver, more money. It is authority. This is huge. The faithful servants went from being faithful in the amount of about $500 to being governors of multiple cities.

By small faithfulness we are proven worthy of great trust.

Too often, it is the little things that we are okay with letting slip. A devotional time here or there, a church service here and there. Allowing ourselves to be ruled by our emotions, not always, but just every once in a while. Something small, no big deal. But it is these small things that prove we are not worthy of great reward. It is the faithfulness in the small things that proves we are capable of being responsible in the larger things.

Why is the nobleman-turned-king so eager to reward his servants with authority? Well, consider this: this king was once just a nobleman. Nothing greater than that. But he was given authority over all things after he was raised from his lower estate, and wishes to recompense his servants in a like manner.

Jesus came to this earth humbly and lowly. He was certainly a man of note, but not of great wealth. Jesus seeks to elevate His servants just as He was elevated when he arose from the grave and given a name that is above all names.

You might think that your gifting is small, no matter! Be faithful with what you have been given. Your faithfulness will allow that gift to grow and multiply.

The first servant had 1 pound/mina, but by the time accounts were settled, he had 10. He invested and grew his that initial, small amount.

Play an instrument for church or for the kids, “Oh, but I’m not very good.” That’s okay, be faithful, dedicate that little bit of an ability to the Lord and then watch it grow.

Feel like maybe God is asking you to teach a kids class? Do it even if you feel like you can’t. Take what you have, and use it, and watch God help you grow in that area.

“I wish I could be encouraging to others like others have been encouraging to me.” Well, start practicing. Start praying for God to develop that in you.

Wicked Servants Will Suffer Loss

Luke 19:20–26 (KJV 1900)

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

The servant that did not do anything with his pound was not commended for holding onto it, he was called wicked. In the parable of the talents, something similar happens with one of the servants who is called wicked and lazy.

Back then, they did not have banks as we have them now. Instead, the word translated “bank” is better translated “table” because that is what it actually means. But it is talking about a very specific kind of table. It was the table of the money changers.

These money changers would borrow money from someone so that they could continue their business, and they would return it after a time with interest. When the king returned, he told his servant, “You could have at least lent the money to the money changers where it would have been of some good, and that way, maybe you wouldn’t have seen a ten-fold or five-fold growth, but at the very least you would have had some increase. But you are wicked for going and hiding your gift.

We as Christians have gifts from the Lord, and we have only touched on a few of them today. You can do something with your gift. If you do something with it in the service of the Lord and of others, it will at least get blessed a little, but you are doing wickedly, you are doing evil if you do not use your gift for King Jesus’ business.

So what is the loss that this man suffers? Well, as we read, what was given to him, was taken away and given to another.

He didn’t get kicked out, he didn’t lose his salvation, but he lost any reward, and what he did have was taken away.

But I want you to see the reasoning behind why this man did not do anything with the money that he was given.

Luke 19:21 (KJV 1900)

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

Does this sound like Jesus at all? No, it does not. What drove this man to fear was not knowing who his lord was.

Too many Christians have a bad view of God, and therefore it affects their service to Him.

What we believe about God is the most important thing about us.

A. W. Tozer; J. Vernon McGee

Some do view God in a negative light- cruel and always ready to land a strike on those who mess up, and because of this view, some people are afraid to use their gift in the church or to use their gifts for others in service of God.

But these days, more often than not, I believe many Christians have a different and equally wrong view of God. They believe that God is okay with them not serving. “God understands that it makes me uncomfortable to do that. God understands my past experiences and how that I don’t really want to go through that.” This is a wrong view of God. Yes, God is understanding, but God is God, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and my discomfort and my past experiences, and my nerves do not trump God’s desires for me, and it is about time we get to viewing Jesus for who he really is, the King that is coming back, and the one to whom I will one day have to give an account .

He is the one that deserves my undying loyalty. He deserves to be the center of my universe. He deserves me to sacrifice all of me on the altar for Him. Jesus is the King.

We aren’t going to read it for sake of time, but study out 1 Corinthians 3 sometime.

Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and tells them that we are Christians built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Our lives and what we do with them are the building materials with which we build.

Things that are done in service of God and with a pure heart are lasting materials such as gold, silver, and precious stones.

Things that are done for show or for self are materials like wood, hay, and stubble.

In the day that we come before King Jesus to recon with him, all that we have done will be tested by fire. That which is hay, wood, and stubble will be burnt up and counted as worthless. But the things that we did for the Lord will only look better after passing through the fire of His judgement.

Those that built their lives out of wood hay and stubble will suffer loss, but will still enter into salvation. Because salvation is not gained nor is it maintained by our works.

But what happens with these rewards? I cannot say for certain, but I can make what I believe to be a pretty accurate assumption. If we go to the book of Revelation 4 then there is a part where those that have received crown cast them at Jesus’ feet and worship Him saying, “You are worthy! All that we went through to be rewarded with these crowns, you are worth it. And these crowns are nothing for us, you are worthy of all glory and honor and power!”

I wonder, what will I have to give to Jesus that says, “You are worthy.” To call someone worthy is to ascribe worth to that person. So when it is time for me to approach the throne, what will I have to cast at Jesus’ feet? Will it be refined gold, silver, and precious stones that I can say “You are worth all of this and more, Jesus,”?

Or will it be a pile of ashes?

The Bible is very clear. There will be, at one point, tears in heaven. Otherwise, what tears does Jesus wipe away? It is my personal belief that this is the event where many tears are shed. When we look and we realize the magnitude of our his gifts and how we squandered so many of them away.

Invitation:

I’ll ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes.

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