Our Rewards Part 2

I. The Certainty of Rewards.

2. Believers.

What about those who are disciples of Christ?

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

This is the Bhema seat of Christ Notice we will be judged according to what we have done whether it is good or bad. Unbelievers don't have that privilege.

II. The Construction of and Condition for these Rewards

A. The Crown of Life.

B. The Crown of Righteousness.

C. The Crown of Glory.

D. Authority.

1. Construction.

Revelation 2:25–28 NASB95

25 ‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26 ‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 NASB95

2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

Revelation 5:10 NASB95

10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

2. Condition.

The condition here is to hold on to we have. What they had is listed in Rev 2:19 'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. This one is the most fascinating to me because it gives us a glimpse of what we will be doing for eternity. Many people's idea of heaven is to sit on a cloud and plink on a harp. Others simply can't imagine what we are going to do for eternity. Well, what we will do depends greatly on our rewards that we will receive in from Christ. Let's take a look at some other passages that deal with this reward and its criteria.One criteria is motives.

1 Corinthians 4:5 NASB95

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 will come to him from God.

this one scares me the most because I know that my motives are not always pure. Sometimes I will "minister" for Lord because maybe some will see me and think highly of me. Other people cannot see your motives but God can and He sees the secret places in your heart and will reward you for your work done with pure motives. Another is opportunity.

Matthew 19:27–20:6 NASB95

27 Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 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. 29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 “But many who are first will be last; and the last, first. 1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 “When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. 5 “Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. 6 “And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’

This means that they were paid the same because each group was willing work as they had opportunity. so it will be with us. some com to know Christ at an earlier age and have opportunity to serve Him longer but others come to know Him later in life but are just as eager to work.The final criteria is ability.

Matthew 25:14–30 NASB95

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 “To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 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.’ 22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 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.’ 24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ 29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The point to this parable is that we will be rewarded according to our abilities that God has given us. If we use them wisely we will gain more.

1 Peter 4:10 NASB95

10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Revelation 4:10–11 NASB95

10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

III. The Significance of our Reward.

1. The effect that our work has on the future.

As you can see it is very important what you do with your lives as a believer in Christ because to a great extent it will effect what we will do for eternity. What country will you have authority over, the US or Luxembourg? Sometimes I think about people who take their own life. It is hard enough to imagine how a believer could be so despondent to do such a thing or if they were even a believer to begin with, but even if they were what a tragedy to lose all possibility to gain a reward when Christ comes again to set up His kingdom. God is very eager to reward us and He will be just and kind but His method of rewarding us is often different than what we expect.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 NASB95

12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 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. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Conclusion: We are very important to God. If this were not so He wouldn't spend so much time with us trying to encourage us to do His will. He wants us to succeed and He wants to say to us "Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master."

Philippians 3:13–14 NASB95

13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1 NASB95

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,

Put behind you the things of the past and let us as a church body press on toward the goal of that upward call and as we do we will be laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven.