This message originally delivered on July 14, 1991. Unfortunately the end of the Master Tape was cut short, we do not have the last few minutes of this message.
Please take your Bibles. And other than that two places where you proverbs 24 is one place. And the last chapter of the Bible revelation 22, as another place, Proverbs 24, Revelation 22. Proverbs 24, and then one place in Revelation 22. And then believe me, we're going to be going all over the Scripture. So if you have a Bible, ready to have your fingers nimble. I read in People Magazine this last week about the death of Michael Landon. They quoted Ronald Reagan saying this his tragic battle with cancer touched the hearts of every American, as it is indomitable spirit. Then went on to quote Landon, the first who said this comment about and listen to what it says, As Landon closed his own book with a solid grace that refuse to succumb to tragedy. He said this, and I quote Michael Landon. It's not like I've missed a hell of a lot. He said, I've had a pretty good luck here. But something struck me as I read that, what struck me was this that is so typical of the world in which we live. And that is, all that matters is the here and now. And there is never any reference to what happens after you die. There's never any reference to who God is about the judgment seat. But everything just what happens now Hey, I've had a good luck here. Now the question though, according to Jesus is this, what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Henry Ward Beecher said concerning the judgment of God at the end of our lives, in this world, it's not what we take up. But what we give up that makes us rich, on the Day of Judgment. Just apply it to this, the Scripture is full from beginning to end of proposals of reward. And the greatest characters have acted on this expectation. I'm wondering, this is a series that we came off of Philippians concerning this, the beam of judgment, the fact that every person the Scripture says, will give account of themselves before God one day for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. And the scripture just doesn't mention that that's just not some insignificant point that happens to come across every now and then the scriptures are full, teaching this, prepare for that day. Whether you're a Christian or whether you're a non Christian, that day should have a big impact of our life versus look here in Proverbs 24. I told you to turn there, it's all over the Bible. I'm just giving you a couple to show you Old Testament, New Testament doesn't matter. The scriptures talk like this, starting with verse 11, of the 24th chapter. Notice what it says, of Proverbs, rescue those being led away to death, hold back those staggering towards slaughter. Now if you say but we knew nothing about this does not mean new ways the heart receive it. Does not he who guards your life? No it will he not repaid each person according to what he has done to get that will they not repay each person according to what he has done. Now, that's the middle Proverbs. I can show you many other places, and Isaiah and all through the Old Testament. But let's just go to the last chapter of Revelation to see something else. Here we have the end of the story, the combination of history, and here's Jesus speaking about his return. And look what he says in Revelation 22. starting with verse 12. He says, this blessing are those, excuse me, verse 12, Behold, I am coming soon. My reward is with me, what's his reward? And I will give to every one according to what he has done. Hey, the very last word to Jesus, this, I'm coming back. My reward is with me, I will give you every man according to what he has done. Please remember this friends, the quick review in our study, Heaven is not the same for everybody. And hell will not be the same for everybody. There'll be degrees of blessedness and heaven, there'll be degrees of punishment in hell, the scriptures are not ambiguous or extremely clear about that point. In fact, studying the judgment should not make us go oh, man, the judgment make me feel terrible. This is just sit instead, if you study the life of Paul, Isaiah, Peter, the men in the Bible, they were strongly and the women in the Bible they were strongly motivated as a thought about the day of final judgment. In case you're just wondering if this is just some things that I'm on. That's crazy. I want you to see what some other Christians down through church history have said. Look what it says here, FB Meyer, Alexander McLaren, John Bunyan, and Matthew Henry James any I mean, these are heavyweights in the face down through the years and look what they say. We long to see him and to be with him. And such desires are the work of the Holy Spirit that are the first fruits of heaven, but remain Remember that just inside the door there is Christ judgment seat where he will judge our life and of course in our reward prepare my soul to give account that I talent about Alexander McLaren. The judgment seat is meant for us professing Christians, real and imperfect Christians, and tells us that there are degrees and that future blessedness proportions to present faithfulness. Or John Bunyan, the real Pilgrims Progress the book has been read by more people than the only other book out so that is the Bible. To this. It's true. God loves his people getting love is not their sins nor anything they do, though with the greatest deal for him. It would be contrary to His Word wherefores to me is God will give a reward to His saints and children for all they have and D well done. So truly will at this day distinguish their good and bad works. And when both are manifest by the righteous judgment of Christ, He will burn up their bad with all their labor, travail and pains in it forever. Matthew Henry, the most famous Bible Commentary ever written here, there is a day coming that will cure all our mistakes and show us ourselves and show our actions in the true light. And one last season. If it is Christians, always who are in view here he's talking about the beam of judgment for Christmas. All the we have hidden shall be revealed, the things we have done in the body will come back to us whether good or bad, every pious thought and every act every thought of sin, every secret prayer and every secret curse, every unknown deed of charity, and every hidden deed of selfishness, we shall see them all again. And who would know we have not remembered them for years and perhaps have forgotten them all together, we shall have to acknowledge as they are our own is not that a solemn thing to stand. At the end of life, it is a solemn thing to do something. For some reason, this makes you feel a little uncomfortable, I would just want to say, we can only be what the Bible says. And that is should have a major impact upon our life, the way in which we consider judgment. Now, people say many things about this, for instance, when it comes to judgment, you're not gonna hear too many people talk about it. If you were to watch the Phil Donahue show, or The Oprah Winfrey Show, when they start talking about some study, and a Christian stands up says yeah, but God is upset with that. Get out of here. He's crazy. But yet, notice, here's some things. The world says God doesn't know what I'm doing. What the Bible says, you know, my sitting down and my rising up, you are acquainted with all my ways. The world says God can't know what everybody is thinking. The scriptures, though, says, The Lord searches all our hearts and understands all the intents of the thoughts. The world says, God can't remember everything we say. The scripture says there's not a word of my tongue, but the whole word, you know it all together. And by the way, there's much more than that. On this point. The Scripture says, Every idle word, we'll give an account for one day. The world says, God couldn't be concerned all the things that happen in my life. The Bible says that one sparrow falls to the ground apart from your father's will. You know, I always thought that that meant that as Pharaoh died, lord knows about it to hear what actually being just a sparrow doesn't flutter from one branch down to the ground. But the guy doesn't know about it. God knows about everything. He's all sovereign. He's all knowing. You think, How can you be that way? There's no way how can anyone think that for instance, my wife asked a person one time to trade this thing? How can we pray the same? Because God is so busy. How can you hear all the prisoners everybody played a very low view of God causes us to think that this couldn't happen. God is spectacularly greater than our greatest thought we've ever had, according to the Scriptures. How about this, God doesn't keep track of the things I do on the Scripture says, and all of these passages, Psalm 56, Psalm 139, our chi three, Revelation 20, that there's a book of works in which all of our deeds are done. God couldn't possibly care about the details of who I am. And yet the scripture says the very hairs of your head are numbered. Now, as we consider these things, I want you to know that it is very, very important that you understand what we've already covered in case you're new here today, and you haven't seen this, the Scripture talks about the great judgment, it is appointed on demand wants to die. And after that the judgment, well, there is physical death. And then there are actually two judgments, one for believers, one for non believers, one for believers is called the Bema Seat. It's from the Greek word Dima in the text. And it's found in Romans 14 found in First Corinthians 510, as we have it here, the Great White Throne Judgment is found in Revelation 2011. It is for unbelievers, those that have refused to confess their sins before God and to ask them what Christ did for them on the Cross would cover their sins. Those people will go to hell, and it will be the degrees of punishment will be what will the judge address great white throne judgment? In other words, the Bible says things like that it'll be much more tolerable for a certain person or a certain count on the Day of Judgment, there will be for others. Why? Because they were more wicked. But at the Venus eat and this is important, it is not a matter of whether or not you go to heaven or hell The BMI, everyone goes to heaven. But the Bema is reward or loss of reward, you will see that clearly come up in the scriptures in a little bit. But it says that we will give account of ourselves to the things done in the body. And the scripture says it'll be the quality of our works will be judged. So you see, there's a great judgment that will come whether you're a believer and unbeliever one will be degrees of punishment, for instance, Hitler will be worse off than others, I would imagine, I'm just guessing now enough to judge the world. And some believers will be much better off in heaven than others. That's a little bit of a thought that most people don't like to hear. Right in that way. And that doesn't quite make sense. I'm going to drive you crazy on those lights, because I'm gonna keep going back and forth. But just leave office service today. Go ahead, and then you can relax, enjoy the message. All right. Appreciate it. You guys can see okay, I believe anyway, quickly in review, concerning the Great Whites, no judgment, this is the judgment just for unbelievers. Everyone in this judgment goes to hell remember that. And the Scripture, by the way, says broad is the road that leads to destruction. and many there be that to be honest, narrow is the road that leads to eternal life. So you could say the majority of people will be going to this judgment unless they repent of their sins. It's based upon works. And notice the criteria of judgment for non Christians is number one, the amount of truth known and rejected. Number two, the kinds of sins that you commit, some sins are worse than others, according to the Bible. Don't let anyone fool you on that point. Most Christians don't believe that, but it's very true. And then also knows the number of sins that ones commit. The more sins you commit, the worse is going to be, how can you avoid the Great White Throne Judgment repenting of your sins and trust in Jesus Christ or don't die, you have two choices. All right. Now, remember this. And by the way, we went over this very quickly, because we reviewed this two weeks ago, we presented this last week we reviewed it. And again, we're just reviewing it, if you want details of this, get a tape and listen to the tape because we have a whole message just on that Great White Throne Judgment. Now, quickly, though, I want to say this, before we use the overhead again, and that is this. That's the criterion for the Great White Throne Judgment, what is the criterion for the beam of judgment, so the judgment for people that will go to heaven, for Christians, only say this, first off the fact of the Bina judgment, that you will give an account of your life for the works done in the body, it should very much affect our lives. Because according to Hebrews 11, six, the Listen, according to Hebrews 11, six, it should be foundational to our faith. Hebrews 11 Six says this without faith, it's impossible to please God. But then the come to God must believe that He is and get this, he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Now you say that word and you look it up the same Greek words in Hebrews 1035. And 36 talks about don't stop serving the Lord, you will be richly rewarded don't lose your competence. When he comes in talking about the Bema, you go to 1126 and says this, Moses chose rather suffer which was the people of God rather than new joy, pleasures and sin first season, because he looked forward to his reward Moses did. And so you see, it should be foundational to our faith, the bmsc judgment, the fact that you will give an account of yourself before God not to be cast into hell, but for reward or loss of reward should motivate you into decisions that you make in the way you live. I have very, very, very seldom ever heard of Christians make a wrong decision. When they say this. Boy, I am so frustrated in my marriage. Boy, I'm so frustrated at work, who I'm so mad at my next door neighbor who has got this problem, whatever it is, and they make the decision as if the Bema does not exist, then you get in trouble. But when Christians make decisions based upon the fact that it is not how I feel, but what God will say to Me on that day, you will then see that your wife will go down the road that is called the straight and narrow, because your goal is to please Him and not yourself. And that is so foundationally important. We have become so narcissistic, in Christianity that we're so into it for so we even started the Bible for our own purposes, instead of for the glory of God. So we are to have this is foundational to our faith. And I realized I'm doing quick again, this message is a whole message in itself. I'm quickly reviewing to get to the point today. Another point today which you will see Matthew 619 through 21 says this laying out for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust have corrupted with these breakthroughs feel that they have for yourselves treasures in heaven. I wouldn't just say they are for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust that's correct. Read the Bible don't listen to me quoted i If it says that lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. But what's the point there? Hey, we are commanded by God to lay up treasures in heaven. It's an empirical command in that sense. It's also commanded the way of treasures for ourselves. If the Greek word store up which means this, you take your money and you put it in the bank and it starts gaining interest. And if you just keep saving, saving, saving over lifetime, you've got to do it many times. I read somewhere in one of those financial journals that some guy started saving $40 a week, but he was so old and he kept putting the bank at six and a quarter interest. And by the time he was a certain age he was a millionaire You see what he did? He stored up wealth now, that's exactly what Christians is supposed to do. As you do good as you love people as you follow God, if you do what you're supposed to, you're supposed to be storing up treasure. So on the day of heaven, you'll be rewarded. This is the principle main principle in the Bible, not some obscure thing. But guess what else? Romans two five says, sinners, who will not repent of their sins and trust Christ are stirring up sins, and they're building a bank account of sins and what it is it's gonna turn into the wrath of God and God's wrath. It's Bill storing up wrath against the day of wrath, same exact Greek term, they're building up building up so there's gonna be a heap of wrath come crashing down upon those who refuse to live life God's way. That sounds scary. That sounds mean, you think, oh, boy, we got to do a real hyper fundamentalist, crazy church today. You think what you want, but I'm just to tell you, my job is to tell you what the Scriptures say. And here's what the scripture says. Without question, we do that. So how can you practically speaking then lay up treasures in heaven where you can do this be rich and good works, be generous and willing to share according to First Timothy 618 and it take the lowest place in societal situations, you go to a conference, you go to a banquet, you go to a party, don't put yourself at the top, put yourself at the low part of it. The scripture says this do nice things for those who can't repay you. Hey, you know what? You hang out with the rich, you're hanging out with the popular you're hanging with those people you can always get something back you know, you gotta rub shoulders, read people's, if you can work your way up the job skill, you got to do all these things. But here what Jesus said, Jesus, in societal situations, you invite the poor, the blind, the crippled, the lame, and you know what? At the resurrection of the righteous all see to it that you get repaid? What are you talking about? You take care of those that are down and out. You reach out to people that are in trouble and guess what's gonna happen, God will reward you at the Day of Judgment. Another thing is this, practice your Christian disciplines in secret things like giving your prayer life, fasting, anything like that, do it in secret, the Bible says the Pharisees praying as they say on the street corners, maybe like as Oh man, I took a wonderful person, thank you, Lord, I'm so glad I'm not like these people like that person over there. I'm gonna do these to pray. This is true. I'm glad I'm not a woman that the woman was praying. Are you telling you now, us, Jesus says they have their reward. Nobody meant to be like this, the people would go, Oh, God, we that guy is praying. Or when they would give they would blow trumpet. You know, it'd be sort of a funny illustration, as it robs us as you come forward. And you know, what I'm giving you know, that hold out a big check, and this big to put in the offering. You see, we're supposed to do those things in secret, let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. The secret. In other words, do it secretly, the God who sees you in secret will reward you on the BMI at the one day. So things like that the general criterion for judgment is this according to Matthew 2514, to 33, it'll be based upon faithful use of what you have been given out in the amount of what you have, in other words will be based on availability, not ability, he's not going to judge me compared to John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, or somebody like that, he's going to judge me for the gifts and talents he's given me and how I use them for his cause. And also, it's very important that you know that it's a matter of quality and not quantity. We have a big quantity society, but it's going to be a qualitative judgment. Now, I have said all that to get to this week's message, and you know what you're gonna think now, I get it, the first group of all the positive things that we can say about the BBC. And we're gonna start off on the negative one, and you'll hear why in just a second. But let me tell you what's coming up in the next two weeks. I want you to know this. Next Sunday, we morning, Lord willing, we are going to study how the Bema Seat in depth should motivate your life, I am amazed, I get so much material. Now I don't even know how I'm going to get it down to what we need to study. But the Bema should have a strong powerful motivation in the way you live. The week after, we will study Lord willing maximum rewards at the Bema. And that is there are seven places when it says your reward will be great. It'll be mega off, it'll be huge for doing certain things. And so we're going to see the maximum rewards at the Bema for Christians. But guess what we're going to study this week. Are you reading anything? Oh, man, some negative preacher always picking out the worst. Now we're gonna study how you can lose your reward. And that is this loss of rewards. Now, consider this, in turn with me, by the way to First Corinthians 310 to 15 on how to lose a reward at the Bema and by the way, why we're on this subject. I want to remind you as you turn there, that psychologists say that fear of loss of reward is a much greater motivator than hope for positive reward if you do that. Fear of loss of reward is a much greater motivator than hope of positive reward. For instance, a father whose story goes a father gives his daughter 10 quarters and says look, every time I come into your room and your beds made and it's cleaned. And obviously those 10 quarters can come anytime I want throughout the week. But every time I come into your room, and your mess beds not made, it's all messy, I'm going to take one of those quarters. But you know why? The daughter keeps her room a lot more clean. Then, if he says every time I come into your room, and it's free, I'll give you a quarter, because she already got those quarters. It's going to kill her if he can take one of those quarters away. So fear of loss of rewards important now, you think I'm making this up? Let's look what First Corinthians three says. It says starting with verse, let's say, verse 11. It says this, or no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man build on this foundation, using gold, silver constantly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is because the day will bring it to light, it will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he receives his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. Now everyone look at verse 15. here that the burned up, he will suffer loss, he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. It's important to get this now listen. Your salvation is not going to be judged at the Bema for being a is for Christians, your salvation will not be judged. Your salvation is a gift rewards are earned. There's a world of difference. You see, your salvation is assured. Your rewards have potential. Now, by the way you live and behave. Your salvation is the same for everyone. Listen, you stand 100% righteous before God and in his eyes. When you will receive Christ as your Savior, you cannot get any more righteous than that. 100%. But rewards will be different for everyone. In other words, as far as receiving salvation, you just named people that you respect and we got to as really godly people do Christians you know what your salvation is equal them as far as your salvation goes. But as far as rewards go, it'll be different for everyone. Do you notice? gold, precious stones? rubies, wood paste double? And what is actually going to happen according to this text? Is this my friends, listen. You will stand before God as a believer. And your entire life will pass on how are you going to do this? I'm not exactly sure. But your life will pass before God. And the things done in your body, whether good or bad, will come to account. God will of course have some way of doing this with how to do it. I'm not sure. But I want to ask you this question. Do you think on that day that the Christian will have any scene? Do you think there'll be any sorrow? Because you see, so much is made up the day of our Christianity. It goes like this, it says, Hey, I have no condemnation. Now I dread Jesus, and all in him his mind, alive in him my living head and closing righteousness divine. And we think about this, I am not under the wrath of God, I've been saved, what is saved? You know, you save what does that mean? saved from the wrath of God. So we know that it's not a matter of losing our salvation, but yet you know something very much. So I want you to know that there'll be people that will be ashamed who are Christians at the beam of judgment, and how we know that Mark is down first, John 228. You know what it says? And now little children abide in Him, that when he comes, we may have confidence and not be ashamed. So you see, very clearly, the Scripture teaches that there will be those people who will be ashamed when Jesus Christ comes back. Did you notice chapter three, verse 15, right here before your eyes, he will suffer loss. Now there's other verses that say things like this, you will see the things in the body, whether good or bad, it also says this to Christians and caution. Three, it says this, he would do us wrong will be repaid for the wrongs that he has done. Now, because very much needs to be a part of our understanding of the Bema there'll be a day of sorrow, it'll be day of suffering loss. It'll be a day of shame for Christians that have not lived for God the way they would want to let me illustrate it like this. They tell me I've never had this experience, but they tell me that if you lose your house to a fire, that is tremendously traumatic. I understand that. It's one of the most emotional things that can happen to you, as far as taking it out of you is really hurting is to see your high school yearbooks, to see your clothes to see your treasures to see your wedding books to see everything that you had that was so precious, destroyed by fire. And you look at your house and it's just your brand new VCR and there it is, is melted. Now, I want you to think with me this passage says, when you stand before Christ, somehow fire is going to judge your life and how he's doing that. I don't know exactly. That's not the point. And your life will be made up of qualities like this either gold, precious stones really, or wood, hay or several. So what obviously is going to happen if it's wood, hay and stubble when fire tries it, what happens? It burns it up. Can you think of it's terrible to lose your house? Can you imagine? Here you are. And to get this, you are you are extremely important. It's important that you're alive. It's important that you're a person. You know why? Because God made you in His image. And there's reason to live just because of that even though we've sinned and we fall away from God, yet he's made us in His image that's important. It's also important to think this as sinners, he didn't leave us in that condition. But he paid the price for us by sending His Son Jesus to die. Here you were in rebellion against God. And even though you were rebellion against him, he still loved you and sent his Son to die on the cross for you. Now that's precious, he paid the price for you now can you imagine, as important as life is, as important as salvation is that you then stand before God and as your wife is displayed before him, you're saved yet as one escaping through the flames. In other words, you just barely get into heaven. Yet, your whole life is rather, it's just nothing but ashes. There is no, there absolutely is no purpose to your life, as far as bringing glory and honor to God and living your life the way God wants you to live it. I want to tell you, I think that would be unbelievably sorrowful. When the scripture says that that person will suffer loss, I think it's going to be unspeakable sadness. I think we may spend our time and eternity wishing, I may be wrong on this, that we would have been much better and willing for the Lord down here on Earth. Now, let's consider from the scriptures how you can lose a reward because the scripture says so first off, notice assumptions. And when I say this, I want you to know that it is assumptions now, first is you're in first Corinthians three, go over to the fourth chapter and look at verses four and five what it says. It says, In First Corinthians four, four and five, My conscience is clear. But that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time wait till the Lord comes He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time, he will receive His praise from the Lord. But one thing we can assume is this. If if a judgment call says the motives of men hearts will be revealed. Well, then one thing I think if you have a wrong motive, it's gonna make you lose rewards. I'm assuming this from the scriptures in the middle, we'll see clear statements from the scriptures. But you can make an assumption then from chapter four and verse five, that a wrong motive. In other words, doing something for your selfish desire, pretending like the Pharisees did that you were doing something spiritual when you really didn't care? Or how about this one. Anticipating the coming of Christ, if you want to turn to secondary for it, you can, I'm going to just quote it real quickly to get there. And that is this. He says, there's a crown of righteousness laid up for me and not to me only, but to also to all of those who longed for his appearing. Now you know what, anticipating or not anticipating the coming of Christ, the word there for long for His appearing is the word of God, they Oh, well, we get the word agape. And it means it's the very words that to prefer or to love or to cherish. And that is this if we don't have a concern for the coming of Christ. In other words, get this, you are so involved in your own life that you don't even want to be interrupted with the glorious kingdom of Christ. The good possibility, we could assume that you could lose your reward. Let's move on not sharing money with others who could go quickly over to Luke in the 12 chapter, I want you to see something over in Luke chapter 12. This is an amazing passage. By the way, Jesus constantly says things like this. This is one passage we could look at. I'm gonna tell you a story quickly as you're turning to Luke 12. Another story, you know, he says, Jesus commands a man one time guess what this man did? This man works for a rich man. He was his money manager. And guess what the man did? The man found out secretly, he heard it through the grapevine, I think that he was going to lose his job. And so you know what he did? He went up to a man that owed his master 1000 bushels of wheat, he says all make it 800. And you've got another guy that other than 500 gallons of oil, and he says make it 250. He went to another guy that owed him so much money, he cut it in half. And you know what Jesus says about that man? He just he commended him for being screwed. And then he turns he says this. You see, by the way, the reason why that man did that was he knew he was going to lose his job, he wouldn't have a place to stay. So he went around, and he got people to owe him things. So when he lost his job, because they six months here, eight months, they're almost there. Now, that's why he did that. What do you what Jesus commends is not that simple act of cheating out his master, but He commends the fact that he's prepared for the future. Now, guess what Jesus says in that same parable, He says this Now you, when you use your money, you use it so that you get a rich welcome in heaven. You understand that? You use it so that in heaven, people will come up and say, Thank you for the way you use your money, you had an influence on the rich Welcome to another so obviously, rich WELCOME TO HEAVEN refers again to the beam and the reward will not share anybody with others. Luke 12. Look what happens. Jesus teaching, a man comes along and says interrupts his teaching. He says, Hey, man, Jesus told us to share my hair is with me. Jesus goes, man who made you the point or a judge and arbitrator between you and we're in verse 15. He then says this about materialism. They said to them, watch out, be on your guard against all kinds of greed. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Now, here's the story. And he told them this parable, the ground of the certain rich man produced a good crop, he thought to himself, What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops, verse 18. Then he said, This is what I'll do. I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones there. I'll store all my green and my good. And I'll say to myself, you have plenty of good things later, for many years, take life, easy, eat, drink, and be married. You're this picture. This guy has been blessed in his business. He says, Man, I've got so much money. What should I do with it? I know what I'll do. I'll build a new house. I'll build new barns. I'll fill up the load. And then you know what, I'm gonna retire early. I'm gonna have you that just relaxation and retirement sit down on the beach in my condo in Florida, and I live up in Michigan on the lake in the winter in the summertime. I'm reading into a little bit contemporarily. Okay. Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do. So guess what happens? Here's God's response to that. Look at verse 20. But God said to him, You fool, this very night, your life will be demanded from you, then who will get what you prepared for yourself. And then notice the commentary. He just makes verse 21. This is how we'll be with anyone who stores up things for himself. But he's not rich towards God. Listen, the world says I mean, I get into it, I really do. So when asked me the other day, what can I do to help the pastor? And you know, I felt like saying, I just joking when I said, Well, there's a handgun that I'd like to get, you know, there's, I'd like to do vacation in this place. And I hope and I sort of realized I had a whole list of materialistic possessions in my mind that I would like. I found that sort of humorous. I'm sorry, you guys missed that it's pointing. In other words, we're always thinking of what can we get in this life? What more can we have? You see? What can we get? We're supposed to use our money in such a way that there'll be a rich welcome to them. And that's what First Timothy six also teaches. So now use my money. Now, by the way, after I made this overhead up, I found for more areas that we can assume from the scriptures. Let me read it to you from First Peter one six to seven. When we fail trials, God sends trials into our life, and just why. So the ever coming of Christ when they receive glory, honor and praise. You see, so failing trials, or how about this lack of sacrifice. Jesus says, Hey, you got to sell all and to follow me. And Peter says him, Lord, Lord Wanat, we've given up everything to follow you what's going to be enough for us? That's what Peter said. And I'm glad Peter asked those questions, because Don't you think that sometimes, what's gonna be that we've given up everything for you? Jesus looks at Peter right now and says this, and this is from Matthew 19. By the way, he says, Peter, nobody has given up a home, or a job, or relatives or friends, when you make a sacrifice for my sake, you will be sure that you will receive at least 100 times more in the next day. What do you say, at the Bema? If you sacrifice now, you are going to get great rewards there. So hence, we can say this, if you don't sacrifice now, you won't get great rewards at the Bema How about this not so many others? Jesus said this. If you want to be first in the kingdom, then become a servant. Now, what's it got to be first in the kingdom? Again, if you haven't, if you want to be first, become a servant out? No. I heard a man tell the story. It was amazing. So I read it. I read as an untold story. I read it and the writing. But he said he was a missionary and he went to speak at one of the 10 biggest churches in America. He said this guy was well known as a preacher. He said if I use his name, everybody would know who he was. Nationally known Bible teaching pastor. He said he went to his home. He got there at about seven o'clock at night, and he found out he was staying at the pastor's home. He was so excited because he wanted to get to know this guy. Well, as he met this guy, guess what happened? from seven o'clock that Saturday night till midnight, they fellowship and it was just wonderful at a big dinner, had great fellowship, he just had the most enjoyable encouraging night. The next morning, he got up to go to church. And he opened his door to come out the bedroom, and what did you say on the floor? But here's us. And that pastor had taken them and polish them buffed them get them all ready and ready for him to go out the door. He said it had a tremendous impact upon him. This guy was not just some big leader that told people what to do and where to go and and as the Gentiles they lord it over them, but that he was one who served and Jesus says this if you want to be first in The next you can assume you can lose rewards. If you're not a servant, you can assume you're gonna lose rewards if you don't sacrifice, it's gonna have to be some choices that we value the next day is more important than this age. It's very important that you understand it. And then also, if we're not buckling under persecution, you realize what persecution comes your way you say, I'm gonna live for Christ. I don't care what anyone else says, I'm gonna live for Christ, you lose a job over it. Or you no longer you lose some friends over. You know what the Bible says, Rejoice because great is your reward in heaven. I take some friends, you study the Scriptures. It's radically different than the world in which we live. It is absolutely the opposite of everything we're gonna hear. We're going to cold go for the gusto. Get it now. Hey, there's a great day coming in. Now, that's if that's making some assumptions. Let's move on and do this. clear statements in the scriptures. Here is some clear ways in which you can lose your reward. We've already talked about this one, Matthew six one through 18. Don't do Christian disciplines are doing creasing discipline, such as praying, giving you facts in order to be seen by men, you're not going to remember that I've been so guilty this, but I'm going to use illustrations from way back because I'm too embarrassed to tell you some of my present day illustrations about it. But I can remember when I first started studying the Bible with all my friends, I had my Bible anybody had a Bible here? Anything you got, somebody has a Bible around here. And I says, and I studied, I remember Second Timothy. And I mean, it was like a coloring book, I had lines drawn and words drawn in this drawn circles and points. And I started realizing, about a few months ago, that I was doing that back then. So that people will see how spiritual I was by how my bible was so much encouraged to mock the Bible. Maybe this isn't true for you, I'm just telling you my own heart's desire. And that is I never forget, sitting in church. And I would just hope the pastor would say turn to Second Timothy, because I've been studying that, you know, even if it was a passing reference, I would turn over there and look it up, or Jay, but in other words, you and I wasn't it was all you know, and I was sort of sitting in a church with you like one of these, you know, people, Oh, okay. Let's see that, you know, because I want to people that that may sound silly to you. But I want to tell you something that may sound silly, you've actually come to you know, this, anytime you do something in the name of God, but you're doing it to try to make other people think how wonderful and great you are, then you'd lost your reward. It's got to be done for the Lord. And you got to keep that in mind doing those kinds of disciplines. That's pretty clear. Notice this one helping are associated with false teachers, I really want you to turn your go to Second John, verse eight. I want you to see this way back right before the book of Revelation. There's something extremely important for you to see. Second John, verse eight. Here's another way in which you can lose reward, and that is this helping are associated with false teachers. Look what it says. starting with verse seven, in his little epistle of Second John way in the back of your Bibles. It says this fall, I'm gonna listen carefully. If you don't have a Bible, listen. Many deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. And he says person is the deceiver and the Antichrist. Everybody says, Look at Verse eight, watch out, that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue the teachings of Christ does not have God. You know what this is saying? You see, if you get out, look at verse 10. It says this, If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, that is sound doctrine, of course, do not take him in your house or welcome him. The Scripture says, In those days, people were traveling evangelist preaching the gospel all around Europe and North African everyplace else. And guess what? If they came to your house, and they use that you found out that they were not teaching that salvation was like faith alone in Christ Jesus, but they were teaching something else. You are not even to say hi to them. You would have nothing to do with them. Going to break into your house? Don't get greedy, whatever you do, don't show many hospitality. Yes. Over and over in the scriptures. If the person was preaching Christ, you were supposed to bring them in love them, feed them, care for them and provide for them. Yeah, the point here is this. It says in verse eight, watch out, be on your guard. If you associate with false teachers, you're going to lose your reward my friends, here's why. Today everybody's a Christian. You know, we have a joke in our family. You say there's a third string tacked on the Dallas Cowboys isn't having a regular devotions, you know, recently says you know, everybody's supposed to be Christian. Oh, this guy Oh, yeah. He's a Christian. Everyone's was because you go to someplace. Oh, like a church is a church man. They're all they're all the same. Listen, you know that Paul says in Galatians chapter five. I'm gonna tell you what the Bible says it may sound shocking to you, but he says this. I wish those men who are teaching circumcision was necessary for salvation. I wish the knife would slip. You don't think I'm telling you the truth. You read the lesson. 512 That's what he says. I wish they would mutilate themselves. Nobody's saying. It is so serious to preach another gospel. He says that if I preach it if an angel from heaven preaches it, no matter who preaches it, let him be accursed. The Gospel message is to be guarded by the church. The scripture says to the pastors in Titus chapter one, hold firmly to the message and the Greek word actually means this cling tenaciously to it. Am I giving a location s3 for you guys to come up You're going to take this purple away from me, that will be the idea I'm not going to do the matter what, in the past the point is this friends, we cannot associate with false teachers, those that preach salvation at screwing up the doctrine and Person of Christ, somehow mixing it up, if you do you lose your reward. I hear people all the time. And as a pastor, again, you probably think, Oh, this guy, just some radical crazy man. But I want to tell you, whenever I hear somebody say, oh, in our church, you know, the pastor said that it's alright to, you know, or this or that it doesn't really matter if you get an abortion doesn't really matter if you're homosexual, God loves everybody, it's all the same clear violation of the scriptures. Now, I'll tell you something, when you send money to people on channel 40, and they're not preaching the true gospel, and a lot of those guys aren't, you do all this kind of stuff, you know what's gonna happen, you're gonna lose your reward. That's what it says, Have nothing to do with them. Don't associate with them. Watch out by the way, there are some great guys teaching on sale 42, but you got to have discernment to know the difference. And always need to run that in the ground. So you got to be careful helping associate good closers to 18. Real quick to see this again, you you don't expect it the middle of Colossians but right over there and Colossians 218 You see it again. Look what it says. Do not cautious to a team do not let anyone who delights in false humility, and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen unspiritual mind puffs up with idle noses disqualify you from the prizes, the same phrase used in First Corinthians 924 to 27 When Paul doesn't want to be disqualified for the prize of the Bema. This is talking about the Bema. And you know what happens here? These people in philosophy were coming along and they were saying, oh, man, you gotta beat your body. Oh, man, you can't get married. Oh, man, you get all kinds of weird teachings going along with the Christian doctor. He says this they'll disqualify you for the price. Don't let them to have an influence on you stay away from them run like they're the play you what the Bible says. And second Peter, it says for the false teacher, the blackest of darkness is reserved for them and judgment. It is a serious thing to turn away from the true gospel and you gotta understand some of the friends when it comes to separation. The Bible separation is not to be from other believers. Separation is for those that call themselves believers but live in disorderly lives or from false teachers. We've got to understand that you lose your reward there it is extremely clear who get this third point. Lack of rigorous discipline towards godliness. Now, don't let familiarity breeds contempt is your turn to First Corinthians nine. I know we've talked about this passage a lot. But look over to First Corinthians chapter nine. Another way in which you can lose a reward is by not being rigorous in your discipline towards godliness. Listen, so many people are like this this day, we have such a longing for comfortableness we want to have life so easy. You want everybody wants, everybody wants joy and peace and happiness. But they don't want the discipline that goes with it. Not everybody wants Oh, give me all the benefits. But don't make me pay any prices. Man. That's what everyone says. Well, liquid liquid Paul says First Corinthians one verses nine, verses 24 through 27. See how much he's talking about the beam in your liquid. It says, Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training, they do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beat in the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached others, I myself will not be disqualified for the price. I want you to notice four things. First off from verse 24. Your life is supposed to be live so that you can attain rewards liquid it says you're running a race. He's making it like an athletic contest run in such a way as to get the prize there it is you're supposed to run in order to be qualified to the Bema. But notice verse 25. And secondly, I want you to know this obtaining imperishable crowns or rewards requires agonizing self control. Look at verse 25. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strip training, they do it to get a crown that will not last we do it to get a crown the whole lesson he's talking about the Olympic Games, if you want to district training, so you can win the mile or the two mile or the 10,000 meters or whatever you have. And they would discipline themselves eat properly run hard so they can win. He says they do it to get a crowd, a wreath that you put on your head and then it fades off and turns brown in the weeds but the leaves fall off of it in a few months. We do it to get an imperishable crown that lasts forever. Not only that, look at verse 26 says this, so don't live your Christian life with a sense of aimlessness or uncertainty. He says look when he says I don't run like a man running aimlessly. In other words, just imagine a big track me to go get ready. Here it is the Olympic championships. And what would you guys do? All of a sudden you saw your pastor out there at the Olympic trials next year. 1000 people watching and I get ready to run and as soon as going around the track this way. I ran up the stairs. He started heading out this way and just started running off into the woods running aimlessly Paul says I don't run aimlessly I run to stay on the track to get the word I will also says I don't try to just Shelterbox because he says in verse 26, I don't like not like a man beating the air. He's actually using the term shadowbox. I'm not trying to get a box, but he just warming up. I'm actually trying to hit my opponent. His point is this your Christian life is not to be with a sense of aimlessness or of uncertainty, which is supposed to know where you're going, you're supposed to be going after with all your heart. And there's the reason why so many people are turned off with Christians, as we got a bunch of aimless Christians walking around not knowing where they're going, or what they're doing. There needs to be a sense of purpose in our heart, and direction, like Jesus Christ, our example. He said, his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem, because he knew it was time for him to die. Another thought that the disciples get to have us don't go there, nothing stopped them. He's going to accomplish his mission. So Christians ought to have that type of sense in their life. And then lastly, look at verse 27, severely discipline your body, so you won't get disqualified. Now, people don't like this this David, can you just tell me is this in the scriptures? Or is it not? Look at verse 27? No, I beat my body, I make it my slave. So I have not preach to others so that when I preach to others, I would not be disqualified for the price. What's he saying? So that's the Day of Judgment, I won't lose out because I preached one thing, but I didn't follow it myself. And you know what that is, If any man wants to be my disciple, let him take up his cross daily deny himself and follow me. If we're going to live for God, we've got to say no to the godly, to the ungodly pleasures and, and things of this world that turns away from data, we've got to say yes, to virtues that are right and true. And I'll tell you, as a testimony, the longer and I mean, I don't I only know a little bit about this, but the little bit I know by experience, I will tell you this, the longer I go saying no to what is wrong and saying right to what is yes, I don't always do it. But the more I do that, and the more I go into strict training, so that I can be a good soldier and a good athlete and Christ army, I want you to know, the more joy, the more peace, more happiness there is. But if you just live the way you want to live, if you just go by your own feelings, and you just tell people the way you feel, and you just do what you want to do, when you want to do and how you want to do it. I'm going to tell you something, you're disqualified for any prize at the DNC lack of rigorous discipline towards godliness. The Scripture teaches it right there. You can be disqualified. Right? There it is. It's not something you have to wonder about. How about this one? I love this one. go to Costco Street and it's your turn in there. You know what everybody thinks this everyone thinks, oh, wait a minute, the BBC. You know, you got to go to church, the BBC. The pastor is gonna say give some money in the church. The pastor is gonna say, hey, you know, help missionaries out and witness to your neighbor and pray with your wife, hey, if I do all those things, I'll probably get some rewards visa. You know what? It's not just that. Look what it says. Not being a hard faithful worker what they're talking about in Christian circles. No