God's Reward
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When Jesus Returns
When Jesus Returns
He will come with Salvation
He will come with Salvation
27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
When Jesus came the first time, he came to bear the sins of the world
He came to be the sacrifice for all the sins of manking
When He returns he is coming with salvation for who eagerly wait for him
However this is not the only thing that he is coming with.
He will come with a reward
He will come with a reward
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
He is coming with a reward, to reward each persons according to our works
15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
There will be a time where God will begin to reward the prophets, the saints, those who fear his name, small and great
Salvation is not a reward it is a gift.
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
When it comes to salvation, there is no boasting. everyone is equal.
God by his mercy and love, gave us his blood and body and his spirit as a gift. That we may be able to enter into his kingdom. that we may be saved.
The gift if salvation is based on grace but the reward is based on works
Since the works of everybody will be different, in the area of rewards we will not be the same.
1 Corinthians 3:5–8 (NKJV)
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
The measure of the reward is based on the amount and qaulity of the labour.
In Autsralia, you attain citizenship when you are born in this land.
In the Kingdom of God you attain citizenship by being born into the Kingdom (john 3)
However, having citizenship is not enough to live in australia, for you to have a house, car, clothing and possesion, you have to labor.
In the same way when in the Kingdom of God, God does not want us just to be saved, he wan’ts us to be rich in his kindgom,
Matthew 6:20 “20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
1 Corinthians 3:9–15 (NKJV)
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
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.
Firstly : We have to have the right foundation,we have to stand on the Foundation which the Apostles laid
The foundation whihc the Apostles laid, Jesus christ
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 “1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”
There is alot ministries, and works being done that don’t have the right foundation. These are they who will fullill the words spoken of by Jesus in:
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!’
They have built something but merely on the sand and not on the rock.
Secondly, We have to build on the foundation, but with care
1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (NKJV)
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
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.
On the day, the Fire will measure the qaulity of the work.
It will measure if the work was done according to God’s standard, according to his way.
If it meets God’s standard you will receive a reward, but if it does not you will suffer loss but you will save your self.
You have to follow the building code inorder for you building to be approved
Some builder will cut corners to cut cost. the will choose to build in a way that will require the least amount of money and least amount of effort and work.
We have to labour according to his standards
Another anology the Scripture uses is the analogy of athletes completeing
2 Timothy 2:4–5 (NKJV)
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
Analogy of the olympic games in Greece and Rome, where the emperor crowned the victor with a crown made of olive branches.
Every athlete must compete according to the rules.
Every athletes gives his whole life in preparation for the race, his life revolves aroung this competition.
It is the same with our race.
Lance Armstong, scandel of 2012.
He had won the tour de france (cycling race) 7 times in a row from 1999 to 2005
2012, after investigation it was revealed that he had taken perfomance enhancing drugs, he was stripped of all of his Tour de France wins and his now known as discrased athletes.
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (NKJV)
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
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.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
One of the rewards is an imperishable crown
The four Imperishable crowns that will be given by Christ is that Day
The four Imperishable crowns that will be given by Christ is that Day
1. The Crown of rigtheousness
1. The Crown of rigtheousness
2 Timothy 4:6–8 (NKJV)
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
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.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
This crown is prepared for those who have lived their lives in righteousness and purity.
Proverbs 11:18 “18 The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.”
Revelation 22:11–12 (NKJV)
11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
2. The Crown of life
2. The Crown of life
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
This crown is reserved for those who have endured trial and tribulation, and have been found faithful
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.
To the saints who where Smyrna (Smurna) who were about to suffer were promise the crown of life.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
Moses chose the way of suffering and persecution because he saw the reward, the crown of life
3. The crown of Rejoicing
3. The crown of Rejoicing
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
20 For you are our glory and joy.
This is the crown reserved for those who have won souls to the kingdom. who have turned many to rightheousness
Daniel 12:2–3 (NKJV)
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
4. The crown of glory
4. The crown of glory
1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
This crown is reserved for those who have given their life to shepherds God’s people as Christ ( the chief shepherd) gave his life to shepherd his people.
Those who shepherd God’s people according to his heart will receive this crown in that day.
Christ has won all the crown and through him we can win them
Christ has won all the crown and through him we can win them
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
He is the author and finsher of our faith
He is the for runner and has gone before us and has won all the crowns.
Revelation 19:11–12 (NKJV)
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
Through him we will we will win those crowns.
Conclusion
there is an everlasting reward for our labors
Work and labor for the lord while you have the chance.
run in the way that you will recive the reward in heaven.
do everything you can to attain these crowns