Believer’s Works Coming Under Judgment

Transcript

GRM 1066
1/08/2012
Coming Judgment for Believers
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh


I want to return with you to our consideration of biblical prophecy and look at some of the things that are yet future. We've spent some time looking at what God has said in His Word about future events and there are some major things I would like to look together with you in the coming weeks. I thought it would be fitting that we start out the new year with something positive and exciting, so we'll spend the next few weeks talking about judgment. There is coming judgment and we're going to talk about that.

But for us as believers it is not a threatening anticipation. We need not fear condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. However, there is coming judgment even for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the unbeliever the coming judgment will bring condemnation, for believers the coming judgment will determine the rewards that a believer receives in addition to his salvation. Maybe you could put up the chart that we've looked at and been following on the resurrections. These are the resurrections and they are important because the judgments will follow the resurrections. So we'll use the same chart.

We start out with the work of Christ and we talked about His resurrection is foundational to all the coming resurrections. Christ is the first fruits of a coming resurrection, we saw in 1 Corinthians 15. Then we had the resurrection and translation of the church called the Rapture, here, the first stage of the Second Coming. We have the Second Coming to earth and the resurrection of Old Testament saints and tribulation saints that take place at the end of this seven-year period, this 70th week of Daniel. Then we will have a resurrection at the end of the thousand years, the first phase of the eternal kingdom, and it is a resurrection of unbelievers. So we call this the first resurrection. The Rapture and the resurrection of Old Testament and tribulation saints together form the first resurrection. Some would include Christ in that, and that's fine because His resurrection is foundational. All believers will be resurrected in these two resurrections at this point. All unbelievers will be resurrected at a future time. That is this resurrection. Every unbeliever from the beginning of creation will experience bodily resurrection and judgment here at this time.

Important that we keep this order straight. Some people get confused and think that there is one general resurrection. We'll look at a passage or two in a moment that may be taken that way. But keep in mind the Old Testament, even through the gospels did not unfold the time sequence clearly for coming events. For example, we talked about what the Old Testament said about the death and resurrection of Christ and yet when Peter wrote his letter he said the Old Testament prophets couldn't understand how the Messiah could come here and suffer and die and also rule and reign in glory. Because the Old Testament does not reveal that there is a large gap between the first coming and the Second Coming of Christ, now some 2000 years. That's also true with resurrection. You do not get the resurrections unfolded in their time sequence, nor the judgments that take place with those resurrections until you come to the New Testament. In fact it's not until you get to the last book of the Bible and the closing chapters, Revelation 20, for example, that we find the first phase of the eternal kingdom is 1000 years and that unbelievers will be resurrected at the end of the that thousand-year period which followed the seven years, which is after the Rapture of the church, which is about 2000 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. Those are things not revealed until the New Testament. We have progressive revelation and so we want to be careful that we come to the completion of the revelation to be sure we have everything in its proper order and time setting.

The Bible is clear, there is judgment for everyone. No one can escape coming judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, it is appointed unto man once to die, after this comes the judgment. Now there are exceptions to the dying, believers at the Rapture will not experience physical death. But the general rule is that we die and the unavoidable aftermath is judgment. Now it's not immediately following death. After death comes judgment but future revelation reveals it will happen down the road. For example, believers in the church who have already died have not yet experienced their judgment and the giving of rewards. That will happen all together at the Rapture of the church.

Let's look at John 5, a few additional verses in addition to Hebrews 9:27. In John 5, and this is one of those passages that people sometimes come to, to say there is one general resurrection for all people. The problem is, you realize we are in John 5, the gospels. The additional revelation of the church, there is nothing known about the church at this time in John 5. There has been no revelation that there will be a millennium, a thousand-year reign of Christ followed by the Great White Throne judgment. That is all unrevealed material at this point. So we read, we'll break into John 5, verse 21, for just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He wishes. You see the Father and the Son working inseparably together. For just as the Father raises the dead, verse 21, and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone. So you see when you start talking about the resurrection of the dead, you start talking about judgment, that the Father raises the dead, gives them life, so does the Son. And not even the Father judges anyone because judgment follows resurrection, but He has given all judgment to the Son so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. You can't honor the Father without honoring the Son.

Now sometimes we'll talk about God judging and we talk about God the Father bringing judgment. And that's true, but He is bringing and will carry out His judgment through the Son. Sometimes we can talk about the Father judging, and that is correct, the Son judging, because when the Son judges it's the Father exercising judgment through the Son because they always acts in complete harmony and agreement.

Truly, truly I say to you, verse 24, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. Now note this, and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life. Very important promise here. Now we started out by saying we all have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we will all be judged, you can't avoid it. But now we're told those who believe in Jesus Christ will not come into judgment. Well judgment has different aspects. They will not come into judgment for condemnation, for their sin. But they will come into judgment. For example, in an athletic contest in Corinth they would have talked about the winner of an athletic contest appearing before the judgment seat to receive their reward. Well, that's going to judgment, but that's different than going to judgment to be punished for a crime, even though both could be referred to as judgment.

So here those who believe in Jesus Christ are promised that they will never have to face judgment and condemnation for their sin. They have come out of death to life. The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in His Son Jesus Christ.

Truly, truly I say to you, verse 25, an hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave the Son to have life in Himself, He Him authority to exercise judgment. You see that connection, resurrection and judgment. Why is the Son the one given authority to exercise judgment, all judgment? He gave Him authority to exercise judgment. Because He is Son of Man. That is something unique about the second person of the triune God. God the Father is completely and fully God but He is not man; God the Holy Spirit is completely and fully God but He is not man; Jesus Christ is completely and fully God and He is also completely and fully man. And so humanity will be judged by the One who is Himself humanity. He took to Himself flesh and blood, became a man to be the Savior of mankind and to be the judge of mankind.

Do not marvel at this for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, resurrection. They will come forth. Those who did good to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil to a resurrection of judgment. So two general phases of resurrection and two consequences—a resurrection of life, a resurrection of judgment.

Now if you just had this verse you might say, there is one time and everybody will be raised with two different consequences. But additional revelation that God gives that had not yet been unfolded breaks this down. So that when we come to Revelation 20 we are told, blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over him the second death, which is part of the second resurrection, has no power. So the first resurrection is quality of resurrection, as we've talked about, a resurrection to life. It is spread out over seven years, the first part of it is at the beginning of the seven years with the church. The second part of it is at the end. And we'll talk about the judgment with that, that occurs there. There really are two judgments at the end there, a judgment of the resurrected believers. So the pattern established.

Come over to Acts 10. People like to talk about the Bible, they like to talk about Christ, the love of God. And it is wonderful. But they become very uncomfortable when you begin to talk about judgment. The Scripture is clear, there is coming judgment. You know nothing of God the Father, you know nothing of God the Son if you know nothing of the issue of sin and judgment. You can know nothing with true understanding unless you know what God has said.

In Acts 10 Peter is sharing the gospel at the home of a Gentile, Cornelius, with those that he has gathered together to hear the message that Peter has to share. And Peter shares that God directed that Christ be crucified, put to death by being hung on a cross, the end of verse 39. Then God raised Him up on the third day and verse 42, He ordered us who were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ to preach tot he people and solemnly testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. He is the judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. That makes all the difference in the world and in eternity. Those who believe in Him will never come before Him to be judged and condemned to an eternal hell. But all who believe in Him will come before Him to experience judgment.

One more passage on this, Acts 17:31. The end of verse 30, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Fixed a day of judgment, doesn't mean that they will all be judged at the same day because Revelation 20 tells us that there will be a separation of 1000 years between those who are raised at the first resurrection and judged and those who are raised at the second resurrection to be condemned. But the reality of fixed judgment is what has been established.

Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead? That is the proof that there is coming judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness. That's the issue. That's why some will be condemned to an eternal hell because there is none righteous, no not one. It's only by the grace of God that righteousness, the righteousness of Christ has been provided for the unrighteous so that those who believe in Him can experience forgiveness of sins, be credited with the righteousness of Christ and escape coming condemnation. And so the judgment that believers will stand at is a different kind of judgment. We sometimes mark it off as the bema seat of Christ because of the Greek word translated judgment or judgment seat in connection with the judgment of believers.

We're going to look at three key passages. We didn't talk about this, like you can talk about the resurrection of Christ and that's the guarantee. You can also talk about what Christ did in His death, He judged sin, Satan with His death. So that is a judgment that has taken place that He took our condemnation. And that's what these three passages would refer to, that why don't believers have to go to condemnation. Well, He paid the penalty for sin, He judged the world, the flesh and the devil at the cross. And these passages would cover that.

Move onto the next box here. We talk about the judgment of the church at the Rapture. And that's what we have here. When we talk about this judgment that we're going to look at, the time of the judgment is following the Rapture of the church in the air. We're caught up to meet Christ in the air. We must appear to be judged by Him then taken to be presented before His Father in glory. Colossians 2, we'll be presented before the throne of His glory as holy and blameless and without spot. The object of the judgment is the church. This is important. We're only talking at this point about those who are part of the church, those who have come to believe in Christ from Acts 2 and on. Israel's resurrection and judgment will not occur until the end of the 70th week. We'll talk about that at a future time. The results of the judgment, believers are rewarded for faithful service.

So if we get some of these basic facts fixed in our mind about these judgments. When does this judgment occur? Who appears at this judgment? What are the results of this judgment? Those are the things that need to be addressed. When? Who? And then what is the outcome? And if we keep this in mind as we move through and look at different judgments, we keep them clear in our mind and don't begin to blur them together. Israel is not the church and so they are not resurrected and judged with the church. Israel is resurrected and judged at its own time. There will be others at that time as well.

Let's look at some Scriptures starting in Romans 14. Important to note the context of these passages we're going to look at, that we're talking to believers. Paul wrote the letter to the Corinthians as the church at Corinth, but he could address potential unbelievers. But in the context, we're in Romans, the church at Romans the same thing. Believers in Rome. But here he is addressing them specifically as believers in Romans 14 and into Romans 15. Remember the context, it's the issue between weaker Christians and stronger Christians, not between Christians and non-Christians. Those who came out of a Jewish background had certain convictions about foods and special days that should be observed. And now they have become believers in Jesus Christ and trust Him as the Messiah of Israel, the One who died to pay the penalty for their sin and was raised from the dead. But as we all are familiar, sometimes things that have been ingrained in us still carry over. And so some of these weaker Christians who didn't understand that they were no longer obligated to food regulations and regulation of days still were not comfortable before God if they didn't do that. Some more mature Christians thought it was nothing, go ahead and do it. Paul is saying, we need to have a balance here.

Accept the one, verse 1, who is weak in the faith, but not to pass judgment on his opinions. Differing opinions on what you can eat and not eat. Verse 3, the one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat. The one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats. I mean, you don't have to have a pork sandwich. So you who know that under grace we can eat pork sandwiches don't try to pressure this Jewish believer into having a pork sandwich. And you'll note here at the end, God has accepted him, both the one who doesn't eat and the one who does eat. Because we're not accepted on the basis of what you eat or don't eat, you're accepted on the basis of you are trusting in the finished work of Christ. Right? So if God has accepted this person, you better be careful about making yourself the judge of this person. Now note here, there are times when the church is commanded to exercise judgment on a sinning Christian, but eating or not eating a ham sandwich does not make you subject to the judgment of the church. God has accepted this person. So you'll note, we're talking about believers here, whether they are eating a more restricted diet and observing certain days or are not.

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. And this becomes important that we understand who we are—we are servants of the living God, He is the master. It's not my job to carry out the master's job. I am a servant, a fellow servant, a fellow slave as many passages make clear. He is the Lord, the master. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. And note this, and he will stand for the Lord is able to make him stand. So we need to allow room for growth and differences of opinion in our growth. But the weaker Christian, the less mature Christian and the more mature Christian will all stand accepted before the throne of God because of the work of God in Christ on their behalf.

One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. Note this, he who observes the day, observes it for the Lord. He who eats does so for the Lord for he gives thanks to the Lord. He who eats not for the Lord he does not eat and gives thanks to God. You'll note, both if they are truly believers, and he's assuming they are, are acting out of a desire to be pleasing and honoring to the Lord. And since the Scripture does not require one or the other to be pleasing to the Lord, the person ought to follow their conscience. Now again this is not addressing something that the Bible says you must do or must not do. Under grace food regulations are no longer operative, but it doesn't mean you can't observe it if you want. So Jews who believe and continue to not eat ham sandwiches, fine. And some Jews who have believed and decide to have a ham sandwich can. And Gentiles never did have a conviction on it and so they go ahead and eat. But what must control all of us in all we do is I want to do what pleases the Lord.

Not one of us lives for himself, not one dies for himself. For if we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Whether we live or die we are the Lord's. To this end Christ died and lived again that He might be Lord both of the living and the dead. You see it's all about Him. I think they would be better off if they didn't eat that; I think they ought to realize they would be better off if they did eat it. Oh be quiet, it doesn't matter. It's the Lord's. So much of what goes on in so-called Christianity, churches get split and divided. We had great and gracious people the Lord used in our family's lives when we got saved. And our family came out of an unbelieving background, they didn't know any better. These people immediately said, as a woman my mother could no longer wear lipstick, could no longer wear makeup, could no longer cut her hair, put it up in a bun, sleeves could no longer be above the elbow. And on it went. My dad was saved a little later than my mother, I still remember him saying, you look like walking death. They were dear people but sadly they were making an issue over nothing. And when our family, my dad got saved and then the Lord by His grace brought them to a church where the Word of God was taught. Those people cut them off, our family, they could have nothing to do with us over whether you wore lipstick or didn't, or whether your hair was this way or that way. Those kinds of things shouldn't be the dividing thing.

Where does this all come to? Verse 10, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. You know who he is talking to here, those who are believers, those who have been accepted by God. Judgment among believers here. And he says, why should you be doing this? We will all stand before the judgment seat of God, all of us believers, and every other one as well. But his concern is believers understand this.

Then he quotes to them from Isaiah, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall give praise to God. So then, and this is a principle that will follow through on judgment, each one of us. Judgment is not done en masse, the church will be judged at the rapture but it won't be a corporate judgment. It will be an individual judgment of everyone who is part of the church. Each one of us will give an account of himself to God. There is an element, as a pastor I shepherd you and will give an account for you. But the judgment we are talking about is individual, for ourselves. Ultimately it is a personal judgment. The ultimate accountability to God you have is for you, the ultimate accountability I have before God is for me. It is to God, an account of myself to God. Not primarily to you. That doesn't mean I am not responsible to you and you don't have to deal if sin comes up in my life or we deal with it if sin comes up in someone else's life. But the ultimate accountability at the judgment seat will be as individuals.

So no exception here. Every knee shall bow. That includes all believers. But the outcome of the judgment is going to be totally different. What is to be determined at this judgment is significantly different than what will be determined at the Great White Throne judgment for unbelievers at the end of the thousand-year millennium.

Turn over of 1 Corinthians 3. Before we look into 1 Corinthians 3 jump over to 1 Corinthians 4. Paul opened up and says I want to be evaluated as a servant of Christ and as a steward of the mysteries of God. It is required of stewards that a man be found trustworthy. Note, but to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you or by any human court. In fact I do not even examine myself. Now there is a proper examining yourself because Paul is going to write to the Corinthians, examine yourselves to see if you be in the faith. The point in the context is the ultimate examination, Paul says, of me will not be by you. The ultimate examination of me will not be by me. The ultimate examination will be by the judge of all men. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted. But the One who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time. Wait until the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts. Then each man's praise will come to him from God. That's what is future.

Now back in 1 Corinthians 3 he has talked about this judgment. Verse 5, he talks about the Corinthians functioning in a fleshly manner, not consistent with what God has done for them in Christ. And they have jealousy among them and strife and part of the problem is the church has become divided among their favorites. We've had this happen in our church over the years. People become attached to this pastor and so if things don't go the way they think they should for this pastor then we have trouble. And we begin to develop around men. Paul uses Apollos and himself as an example.

Verse 5, what then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants, slaves through whom you believed. That's all. You understand you are making a big deal out of a nobody in that sense. I mean, the greatest servants of the Lord are servants. He is the Lord, we are His slaves. And you believed. We're just servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one. Behind it all the Lord gave to each one. He goes on, I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. The Lord gave to each one, God was causing the growth, God causes the growth. _______ the focus where _____________. This is crucial because the judgment that you and I are going to appear before, the bema seat of Christ, as we call it, after the Rapture of the church, will be based not on the results of what we do but on the labor and work that we do. Because we don't cause the results, we don't bring about the results. Paul says, I don't get the credit for the church at Corinth, Apollos doesn't get the credit. God was causing the growth, God causes the growth.

Now, verse 8, he who plants and he who waters are one. We're both servants, we're both slaves. Right? We're one, that's what we are. Apollos and Paul, no different. And we could go through and name other believers in present day, in our body. We are all one, right? Everyone of us. We could go through and name the believers with their various gifts, we're all one. We're on the same level in that sense. We are God's servants. We serve the One who is our Lord.

Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward. So each his own reward, each his own reward. You'll note, God will exercise judgment individually and personally. And the judgment we are talking about for believers is for rewards. Each will receive his own reward, note this, according to his own labor. That word labor, the Greek word means toil to exhaustion, wearisome work. You know what we are rewarded for—our diligence and faithfulness in our labor.

For several years before I came here while I was a seminary student I pastored a small church. I don't think we ever had 40 people in attendance. I say, I'm glad I got to come here. Now I have a lot of people, I'll get a bigger reward. Maybe I'll get my greatest reward for what was done there because I am rewarded for my labor, not the results. Because only God can cause the results. Is the fact that there are many more people here a credit to me? No, I'm just one serving the Lord, or a pastor preaching to 25 people this morning. God determines what He will do with that labor. He causes the growth or chooses not to cause the growth. We will be rewarded each according, verse 8, to his own labor. We are God's fellow workers. Apollos and Paul were workers together, serving God. You are God's field, God's building. Don't get confused. It's God's field. Talking about the church. It's God's building. That's what he is talking about here. We're just the ones out laboring in the field but He is the one producing the results, He's the one causing the growth.

Now that becomes the principle for judgment—our work, our labor. All the judgments of Scripture are on the basis of works. The Great White Throne, they are judged out of the books on the basis of their works. Believers here are judged on the basis of works. The judgment here will be on the basis of works. Important, all the judgments of Scripture are on the basis of works, but no one will be saved by their works. Our works reveal our true condition, but they cannot bring salvation. Now the works of believers will bring rewards, the works of unbelievers will reveal that they have never trusted Christ and they will bring just condemnation. But even there, there will be degrees of punishment for those who will be sentenced to hell. We'll talk about that when we come to the Great White Throne judgment.

So he goes on now to talk about this matter of judgment. Verse 10, according to the grace of God which was given to me like a wise masterbuilder. I laid a foundation. You'll note, I'm operating on the basis of the grace of God given to me. Back in 1 Corinthians 1:7, Paul told the Corinthian church, you are not lacking in any gift, grace gift that he'll talk about in 1 Corinthians 12-14, the gifts of God's grace. When he says in 1 Corinthians 3:10, according to the grace of God which was given to me, I'm exercising my grace gift. Here is what I did. Like a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation, another is building upon it. He went out and proclaimed the message of Christ. That's the foundation. If the church is not build upon the finished work of Christ, it is not a church of Jesus Christ. We give it the name church, it's just another organization, another religious group that somebody has created. But it doesn't belong to God. The church is founded upon Jesus Christ. You can't lay any other foundation.

That's where he is coming to. Verse 11, no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. We say, people lay other foundations and have a church. Yes, but it's not a church in the sight of God, in what Paul is talking about here. Any more than a secular organization is a church, not founded on the finished work of Christ and so on.

The end of verse 10, each man must be careful how he builds on it, on this foundation. Our work, our labor must be done according to the will of God, exercising our gifts in conformity to the Word of God, toiling faithfully. So God uses us, all of us together as His servants in the work that He wants to accomplish. But I can't save someone, neither can you. I can't cause a Christian to grow, you can't either. I'm not responsible for your growth, I'm not going to take the blame if you don't grow. But I will be responsible to God for my faithfulness in ministering the Word of God and exercising the gift that He has given me to teach the Word of God, faithfully. And I must be careful that I don't get sidetracked and think we could grow and have more people if we did this and we did that and we did this and we did that. And we come up with all these kinds of ideas and they seem so effective and they work.

I've shared with you, a professor I had when I was working in a program on the West Coast. And I told him, I'm troubled. It seems like you apply these principles in church with all kinds of theology. He says, Gil, it doesn't matter what your theology is, these principles work. We ought to put that under the light of 1 Corinthians 3. It matters greatly that we function consistently with the grace of God and the work that God says He intends to do.

If any man builds on this foundation, verse 12, with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay straw. Note the difference here, we're not going to try to figure out what would gold represent? What would silver represent? No. The point is the quality of the workmanship, the materials gold, silver, precious stones in contrast to wood, hay, stubble, straw. Each man's work, you'll note that. Again, we're bent to that individual. Each man's work, we're talking about our work, will become evident. For the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. You see the outcome of this judgment is a reward. If any man's work is burnt up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved so as through fire. So you'll note, as a result of this judgment we are talking about, no one loses his salvation. Our work is tested with fire. If it has not been of quality, it will be consumed. Yet we are saved. The fire . . . Harry Ironside, I believe, has said the joy of this is the fire burns it all away, that worthlessness. But there is less, then, to be rewarded for. Of course we have the super spiritual people who say, I don't care if I ever get a reward, I just want to be the Lord's. No, you don't want to be the Lord's, you don't want to serve Him. You don't care about the reward. He says it is important. He says this will bring honor and glory to Him. This is His intention.

I can't explain all the details, there are some things we could talk about with the rewards and possibility, but I do know this for certain—these rewards will be important. I won't be standing at the judgment seat following the Rapture saying, I don't think this matters. I don't care how it goes, as long as I get in, that's all that matters to me. I don't think that God can be made a fool of, that He's sitting here doing something that doesn't matter. And everybody knows it doesn't matter what you did or how you did it because we're all going to get to heaven anyway. Right? And that's all that matters. I think it always pays to pay attention to what God says. It is very important. I mean, He has made it clear, we will stand before Him. The judgment will be important. It's not a matter of whether I'll be condemned to hell or not.

How awesome is it to consider that everything you can do to prepare for that time when you as a believer in Jesus Christ stand in the presence of Almighty God to be evaluated, you're doing now. What a tragedy that we waste and fritter away the days and weeks and months and we want to enjoy life, we want to have the good life. We want to serve the Lord but it gets less and less important. Some of us were talking recently, last week there were some people from out of town visiting, how happy people are to have to do less for the Lord. Isn't it amazing how quickly people jump on when we're going to have less Bible studies, less services. You can have the day for yourself, you don't have to have this intrude into your life. What kind of service are we offering to the Lord? I want to do as little as possible, Lord, with as little inconvenience, taking as little time because there are so many other things I have to do. And all those other things are wood, hay, straw. We ought to look at them and say, how could I do that? How could I be so foolish? How could I waste the time? In a hundred trillion years it's going to matter what I'm doing with these few short years here because I will stand to be rewarded on the basis of what I've done here. And I fritter it away. How short sighted. I've got all eternity, hundreds of billions of trillions of years as we might measure, to enjoy “the good life,” to take it easy. You get an idea what Paul who wrote this and had so much revealed to him, how he just, one of his common words for his service for the Lord is labor, exhaustive toil, being worn out in the work of the Lord. That doesn't mean you don't have a job to go to and a home to take care of, and we do. But all that we're doing, we're doing for the Lord. We're consumed by that. Paul will tell the slaves in Colossians and Ephesians that even what you have to do for your master, you do it as unto the Lord. That consumes us in everything.

That's what we're talking about here. The fire is going to test the quality of each man's work. You know you can make a structure that looks great, but doesn't have any substance to it. We have great homes that were built out of wood and then a fire came and it's reduced to nothing. It couldn't endure. We need to be careful, we're building with our lives that which will endure the ultimate test.

One other passage, 2 Corinthians 5. He's talking about death. The end of chapter 4 he talked about momentary light affliction, the deterioration of his physical body. ___ _______________________ Paul to say he was sitting in a rocking chair doing nothing. The outer man is decaying, 2 Corinthians 4:16, but our inner man is being renewed day by day. Paul experienced the same things we do. With the passing of time his body wasn't as durable as it once was. The afflictions and persecution only accelerated the physical deterioration. But _________________ this all momentary and light compared to the eternal weight of glory. How do you put this momentary light affliction on the scale of eternal weight of glory? The scale doesn't move, it's not even a speck of dust, as Paul looks at it. If only I could be relaxing on the Mediterranean, taking in the sun, dangling my feet in the water. That is something to look forward to. It may be something to look forward to for the world, but not what Paul is looking forward to. He is looking for the eternal weight of glory. So he keeps grinding on.

Come down to 2 Corinthians 5:6, therefore, being always of good courage and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We walk by faith and not by sight. We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord. Therefore, we also have as our ambition, that's what we need, ambitious Christians, ambitious in the biblical sense. We have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. That will be my desire in His present, that's my desire on this earth. I want to be pleasing to Him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We, including Paul, so that each one. There we are again. May be recompensed for his deeds, his works in the body. Here's where it comes, the reward for what I did in the body here on this earth. How sad that we waste it. Each one be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. You say, wait a minute, I thought I wasn't going to come into judgment for sin, now I'm going to be judged for what is good or bad. Well, sometimes we have to talk about what is bad. There are a number of words for bad in the Greek, and the particular word here means bad. It can mean something that is worth nothing. __________________ a word that might refer to moral evil. This word has a range. Whether good or bad in the sense it is not good for anything. It's like the wood, hay, straw. Well, it maybe looked good, it was decorated nicely for all intents and purposes, like faux painting, but it's not rock. It's painted so it looks so much like marble, but it's not marble. It may be fine if all we're looking for is the appearance, but if you're going to set it on fire, it's not going to be any good if it's just a piece of cardboard painted with a faux painting. It won't endure the fire. It's good for nothing if that is going to be the test, no matter how it looks.

That's what we're talking about here. We're going to be recompensed for deeds done in the body. According to what he has done. Do you get that stress? Whether good or good for nothing. And we already saw in the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians, it's going to be put to the test of fire. If it's wood, hay or stray, it is good for nothing. It will be burned up, there is nothing left there to be rewarded for. But if it's built on the quality and faithful service and obedience to the One who is our master, then the reward is given.

Verse 11, therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord we persuade men. Not the terror, I'm afraid he's going to be condemned and cast away from the presence of the Lord. No. This word fear often translated reverential trust, reverential awe. We have a close relationship with the Lord. We need to be careful that doesn't degenerate into just buddy-buddy. Remember we talk about John as the closest of the disciples, the disciple whom Jesus loved. You know what happened when he confronted the resurrected Christ in Revelation 1? He says, I fell at His feet as a dead man. It's not, oh, it's good to see you again and I've been wondering how long it would be. I mean, there is that awe, he is overwhelmed. So we want to be careful we have that close relationship of intimacy with our Lord. But you understand we must never lose that awe, that reverence that moves us to want to please Him all the time, that indeed we do fear of displeasing Him. I feared displeasing my earthly father, not because I was afraid he would kick me out of the family, but because there were consequences. And out of respect for him I desired to please him. How much more so our Lord. This is what we are to do, this is what moves us on.

It's like Christians just lose heart and give up. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, we do not lose heart. But sometimes we do. You know you've been a believer a long time, been doing the same thing, going to Bible studies, serving in the church, helping other believers. I don't know whether a lot has been accomplished. I don't have to know, I just have to know I have been faithful. And I have to finish the course, as Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter. And we don't quit until we have finished the course. And you haven't finished it if you are sitting here listening, I haven't finished it. It is finished when God says it is done. Then He takes us into His presence.

The world has a different system. They are looking forward to quitting and doing nothing, we're looking forward to finishing well so we can enjoy the rest of God, the rest that He has promised to us, the blessings, the joy, the glory in this little period of time, my life. It seems so short and small. I mean, how do you measure it on the scale of eternity. I should waste it? Here is what you have. What a precious opportunity.

Turn back to 1 Corinthians 15, we're going to read three verses quickly and then we're done. 1 Corinthians 15:58, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable. You note that diligence. Steadfast, immovable, always abounding. Not sometimes abounding and overflowing, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil. There is our word labor to exhaustion. Wearisome labor. Is not in vain in the Lord. I may not see the value, the value comes in that I am doing what my Lord would have me do.

Come over to Revelation 19. The church has been raptured, appeared before the bema seat of Christ and received its rewards. Now we are down here prepared to return with Christ to the earth. And in Revelation 19:7, let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in find linen, bright and clean. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Part of what has been bestowed upon us is the reward for our work. And we're clothed in the righteous acts. Not just in the righteousness of Christ, but in the righteous acts and deeds of the saints.

So the book of Revelation concludes, turn over to Revelation 22:12, behold, I am coming quickly. Now note this, and My reward is with Me to render to every man according to what he has done. Verse 14, blessed are those who have washed their robes so they may have the right to the tree of life. There are those excluded. So verse 17, the Spirit and the Bride say, come. Let the one who hears say, come. Let the one who is thirsty, come. Let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

Jesus Christ is coming quickly, coming soon, very soon. I anticipate His coming. His reward is with Him. For me as a believer, this is the most important event right here. I'll be an observer at this judgment here, I'll be an observer at this judgment here, but I will be a participant in this judgment here. That's most important to me. That's what I want to have an understanding of and live in light of. I could be called before that judgment today and so could you, if the Rapture would occur. Then I won't have any time to make up lost time. So I better start right now, if I haven't been. Desire to be pleasing to Him.

If you haven't trusted Christ, you won't be at this judgment back here, you won't be at this judgment here. You will be here and it's an awful place to be. We'll talk about that. But you don't have to be raised for condemnation, you can be raised for life by believing in Jesus Christ. And those who are in Christ will never come into condemnation. What a blessing.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the greatness of your grace, the salvation that you have bestowed upon us has brought cleansing, forgiveness. You have washed us whiter than snow. Lord, we have no fear of being condemned. Jesus Christ is our Savior, our righteousness. Lord, we do have an awe and reverence of you and a reverential trust and fear and awe. And we will some day stand before you to give an account of how we have served you, the quality of the work we have done. How sad that we should do anything to pour our lives in the power of the Spirit to do the best we can do with the grace that has been given to us. May that characterize us individually and be the testimony of us as a church until Christ comes. We pray in His name, amen.