Making Heaven, but Missing God on Earth
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Intro:
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
The title of my message is, [Making Heaven, but Missing God on Earth].
Receiving rewards has been around since ancient times. For thousands of years, competitions were held. The olympics or other games happened with one goal in mind, to receive a reward.
The rewards were given to those who won their sport. Rewards are common in society. However, the way people receive rewards has changed.
I am a Millennial, meaning, I was born between the 1980s and mid 1990s. Rewards were common in my generation. Except one thing changed, rewards stopped being given on merit and more on participation.
Kids started to receive rewards regardless of skill or talent. How do I know?
I have bowling trophies and I used bumpers and doubt I ever made a strike.
I have soccer medals and I never made a goal. In fact I sat on the field while everyone else rand.
I have basketball awards for playing for three years and I never made a basket.
I have a first place ribbon for an art contest, and I CANNOT draw.
I am from the generation where teachers stopped using red ink to grade papers so no one’s feelings were hurt. Grades included PARTICIPATION POINTS. Sports and activities guaranteed we would get a participation reward.
I do not necessarily blame my generation. For teachers, coaches, and parents from other generations made the decisions that affected our generation.
But it changed society. We live in an era where people think they DESERVE something when they do NOTHING. People expect honors when their lives are not honorable.
And the fact is, many receive awards and rewards when they did little to contribute, they merely participated.
How does this connect to our walk with God?
Will Christians receive rewards? What does the bible say about rewards?
11 So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”
12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
Rewards are mentioned 106 times in scripture. Both Old and New Testament writers mention God’s desire to give rewards to His people.
When will we receive these rewards?
Our text discusses the Judgment Seat of Christ. Let’s discuss this even for a few moments.
One day every Christian will stand before God. We will give an account for what we did for Him on earth. God will judge what we did for Him, whether good or bad.
The word bad does not mean evil. It literally means, worthless, of no account, or producing no gain.
On that day, God will review what we did for Him ON EARTH. He will then bestow upon us rewards. These are not payments rendered for services, but gracious gifts from a generous God.
Here is the catch, not everyone who stands before God will receive rewards. There are not participation rewards. Instead, God will review how we lived for Him, the sacrifices we made for Him, and the investment we made to His Kingdom.
Then He will reward us, the sum total of our life’s work.
Today I want us to see, we can make it to heaven, but miss God on earth. What we do today has eternal value, for eternal life does not begin when we die. We are living for eternity NOW.
I want to look at three crowds of people in eternity. One crowd will not make it to heaven. The second crowd will make it, but realized they died with untapped Kingdom potential. The third crowd will receive rewards for their work for God.
These three crowds are, [The Deceived Crowd], [The Do-Nothing Crowd], and [The Devoted Crowd].
Let’s begin
1. The Deceived Crowd
1. The Deceived Crowd
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
I want to call this first group of people, the deceived crowd. Deception occurs when truth is replaced with falsehood. People become deceived when they believe a lie.
One of the lies Satan perpetuates is that we can get to heaven with good intentions and good deeds.
As a child, I would hear about hell and those who were lost from God. My mind always went to those who committed grievous and offensive sins. I would imagine those going to hell are the ones consumed by drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, or immorality.
There are many who are deeply engrossed in sin. They do not pretend to follow Christ and church is the farthest thing from their minds. Without an encounter with Jesus, they are bound for hell.
But that is not the type of deception we read about in Matthew 7. Satan has fed many people they lie that they can get to heaven based on good intentions and good deeds.
Let me explain:
205 million people identify as Christian in the United States. We are the largest “Christian Nation” in the world. But, in 2020:
Only 39% attend church once a week
Only 35% read their bible this week
Only 69% pray in a week
Sadly, there is a misconception of what Jesus desires for those who are genuinely saved. The enemy wants to deceive people into believing religious words and religious ways are enough.
There will come a day were many will stand before God and hear the words, depart from Me, I never you. Who will hear those words?
The people who allowed the enemy to deceive them into believing they could play the part of Christian, but not really live for Christ.
On that day, God will see through the spiritual facade and explain, you did nice things, you were active in your community, and you even shared Christian Facebook posts and liked pictures of scripture, but you didn’t live for me.
Listen to me, we will NEVER get to heaven by being a good person. We can not allow the enemy to deceive us into thinking if we are nice enough, compassionate enough, active enough, and friendly enough, we will get to heaven.
God is interested in a relationship with people who READ THEIR BIBLES, PRAY, ACTIVELY INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN CHURCH, AND DO WHAT THEY CAN TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Therefore, on that day, many people will miss heaven because they missed God on earth. Do not be a part of the deceived crowd.
2. The Do-Nothing Crowd
2. The Do-Nothing Crowd
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
As I mentioned, the first eternal crowed are those who were deceived and never accepted Christ or repented of their sins and determined to life for God.
The next two crowds will make it to heaven. But one of the crowds will have missed the potential God had for them on earth. I call this group, the DO-NOTHING CROWD.
Why do I give them this title? I get this from what will take place at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
At this judgment, every Christian will stand before God, the eternal judge. He will not judge us for our sins, because they were forgiven while on earth.
Instead, He will judge WHAT WE DID FOR HIM ON EARTH. Paul illustrates what will take place.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Picture our lives like a building. While on earth, we have built a building that will not be judged by the Builder, who is Jesus. To test the strength of our construction, He will set it on fire.
The materials we used to build our building will reveal if we did much for God or not. When our live’s work is tested by fire:
if it is made of gold, silver, or precious stones our work will stand.
If it is built with wood, hay, or straw, it will burn and reduce to ashes
Why does Paul emphasize the specific materials?
One author suggests: gold, silver or precious stones are those things which we cannot make. We cannot grow them. They are costly and not easily found. Whereas wood, hay, or straw can be grown, cultivated, cut down and used at our disposal.
There are some who have repented of sin. However, they spend the rest of our lives building their kingdom, doing what is convenient for them, and meeting their needs.
They know God, they believe in Him, yet everything they do is INWARD focused, securing a life of comfort and convenience.
They pray, but only in times of crisis.
They attend church, but only when it does not interfere with their schedule.
They give, but it is never a sacrifice, it always comes from their surplus.
They help, but it always aligns with what they want.
They do not tell others about Christ, for it might embarrass them.
They read their Bibles, but only when they follow along with the preaching.
They go where they want, busily taking care of themselves, while neglecting the spiritual imperative of building and extending the Kingdom of God by making disciples.
They might appear to have success on earth, but they have yet to do anything that has eternal consequences.
There will come a day, at the Judgment Seat of Christ when their work will be burned up, entering eternity with nothing to show for their work for Christ on earth.
They make it to heaven, but they miss God on earth.
Unlike the deceived crowd who never came to faith in Christ, the do-nothing crowd had all they needed at their disposal, but they never took advantage of God’s gift to help them grow in Him.
3. The Devoted Crowd
3. The Devoted Crowd
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
What about those who are devoted to God on earth?
When we devote our entire lives to God and live for Him, desiring to all we can for Him, He will reward us.
When the One whose eyes are like a flame of fire, pierces through our life’s work and it does not burn up to a heap of worthless ash, but melts down like pure gold, silver, or precious metals, we will receive rewards from God.
Let’s look at some of the rewards that await those who are devoted to God. There are different crowns we might receive on that day:
An Imperishable/Victor’s Crown
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
The imperishable crown will be given to those who remain faithful to the race God has set before us. Those who desire to grow in God, developing self-control, with diligence to God’s plan, always staying the course will receive this crown.
The Crown of Righteousness
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Those who LOVE HIS APPEARING will receive this crown. That does not mean those who know He will appear again. But those who live a righteous and holy life, constantly seeking to remove anything that does not belong in them.
Those who forsake the world and determine to live for Christ, staying ever ready for His return. They will receive this crown.
The Crown of Life
10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Those who love Him and are willing to endure hardships and suffering will receive this crown. God will reward those who stayed devoted, even in the worst of times with a crown of life!
The Crown of Glory
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Those who have served God faithfully, taking care of His people will one day receive a crown of glory that will never fade.
God will reward those remain devoted to Him, making it to heave and NOT missing God on earth.
Close:
There are three eternal crowds. The deceived, the do-nothings, and the devoted.
The deceived crowd will not make it to heaven.
The do-nothing crowd will make it, but realized they died with untapped Kingdom potential.
The devoted crowd will receive rewards for their work for God.
Reading of these rewards and crowns might sound selfish to some. But it is the exact opposite. We should STRIVE to receive rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Why? Because it shows we not only made it to heaven, but we did NOT miss God on earth. It proves that He was the centerpiece of our lives, the driving force behind what we do.
So what happens when we receive our rewards?
John caught a glimpse of the purpose of these rewards:
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
When our life’s work is over and we hear the words, WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, we will receive rewards. We will not use our crowns and rewards to stir up strife and envy.
We will not boast of our crowns and walk around showing off what we have.
Instead, we will continue in a state of humble devotion. We will take our crown or crowns and go to the throne of God. Upon looking at the One who sits on the throne, we will remove our crown from our head.
By doing that, it will be as though we are saying:
God, this crown represents my entire life’s work. I was not deceived. I chose to remain devoted to you. Thankfully I am in heaven. I do not have much. Compared to you, I do not have a title, wealth, status, or strength.
All I have is this crown. The reward YOU gave me in gratitude for the life I lived on earth. It is all I have and it represents all I am.
But because you are worthy and deserve all glory, honor, and power, I take this crown and I lay it at your feet and I cry out HOLY, HOLY, HOLY!
On that day, we will stand before God, will we have anything to offer Him?
Think of our lives, think of what we’ve done this last week? Did we build the Kingdom of God? Did we endeavor to draw closer to Him?
TODAY is the day we live for eternity. And I want to have a crown on my head so I can cast it at His feet as a sign of my worship and appreciation!
Let us not become deceived.
And if we feel content in the do-nothing crowd, we will soon discover how easy it is to slip into deception. Therefore, God calls out to each of us this day, let’s become whole-heartedly devoted to Him.
We cannot risk making it to heaven, but missing God on earth.
No, while on earth, let’s work for God and draw closer to Him, then when we make it to heaven, we will have something to offer Him!