A Full Reward

 

Scripture Text

2 John 1:8 warns us to, "Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what you have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward" (Amplified Bible).

There are many ways to lose your rewards. Being seduced by false teachers is one way that Christians can lose their reward at the judgment. With this in mind, John writes that the reason to guard against deceivers is our own desire not to lose our reward at the judgment seat of Christ. Another way to lose rewards is listening to what people say instead of what God says in His word. Other ways of losing your rewards is not praying or reading God's word and putting other things before God. Habitual sin will also rob us of our full reward. Jesus cautioned the church at Philadelphia to “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (see Rev. 3:11). Every believer has the potential of a full reward or a complete loss of reward.                        1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV) 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. The determining factor is our faithfulness to Christ. Justification is not in view here because it is not something we worked for, but something we received as a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) 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. ¹⁰  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. One thing is certain, no one wants to lose their full reward! Our desire is to run our race, finish our course, and receive our full reward. Paul did exactly that: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7 NAS). We can receive our full reward just like Paul! But we must be attentive to the things that come our way just like he did. We cannot allow ourselves to be sidetracked or distracted by sin or the things of this world. We cannot lose what we have accomplished. We want to receive our full reward! Our first priority is to focus on the task which God has assigned to us, whatever it is. Then, we must make frequent "checks" along the way. We must be certain that we have not allowed something that is second or third in importance, to take first place in our lives. We must pay close attention to what we do in life in order to continue in the right direction. There are signs to help to gauge our progress. Should we see an unfamiliar sign on our path, something that does not point in the direction of God's will, we must stop and see if we have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. We must continually ask for God's guidance in our lives. We must obey the commandment to love God with all we are and our neighbor as ourselves. Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV) ³⁰  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. ³¹  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Invitation: If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you will not even make it to heaven, much less have a reward. To receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord simply confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you and save your soul from hell. Be baptized to show you are sincere. Then you too, can begin to lay up treasures and rewards in Heaven.

The Church Triumphant

We who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are the church. Jesus calls us His body. He calls us that because He is the Head and we are the hands, feet, and mouth for Christ on this earth. He works thru His church. Matthew 5:13 (NKJV) ¹³ "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Jesus in these verses describes us Christians, His church as salt and light. First Jesus says that we are to be the salt of the earth. Salt is distinctively different from the thing upon which it is put. By nature, and by purpose it is different. So are believers, because we are new creations of Jesus Christ, our nature and purpose is different from the world. Salt preserves. It keeps things from going bad and decaying. It cleanses and disinfects. Believers, just as salt, are to cleanse and preserve the world for Christ’s Kingdom. We are to disinfect the evil of the world and keep the germs of sin from causing things to go bad. Salt changes the taste and adds flavor to whatever it is put on. We are to penetrate and flavor the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ to help save the world from sin, corruption and Hell. Matthew 5:¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Jesus describes His body, the church as light. Jesus called Himself the light of the world, and we are like lamps made to shine forth the light of His glorious salvation. We are to light a dark and evil world. Where light shines darkness has to flee. We were saved to shine forth with good works for all to see and give glory to God. We are to be the light that overcomes the world and all its darkness and evil. We the church have the most powerful weapons on the face of the earth. First is the Holy Spirit who lives within us. We are commanded in Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is that power through which we fight the battle against Satan. The Holy Spirit anoints us for the battle. Second most powerful weapon we have is the word of God as our offensive weapon with which we fight Satan. In Ephesians 6:17 the word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit.” Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. The apostle Paul says this about God’s word in; Romans 1:16-17 (NKJV) ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." This precious gospel saved each of us who are Christians and it can save others. Jesus said We are not to be ashamed of the gospel and hide it from the world, but we are to let it shine forth by telling others about Christ and His salvation. We are to shine forth by doing good deeds for all to see so that everyone will give glory to our heavenly Father. The gospel message is the power God used to create the church and keep it going. It’s the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. This gospel has saved millions and is working even now to save others. The gospel of Christ is the power that has kept His churches open and going for all these years and there will be many more years of the body of Christ proclaiming the glorious gospel message if He tarries. In this gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. The church survives and lives by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and it’s our duty and privilege to proclaim it to all who will listen. In this gospel is power! It’s the power by which we are saved, by which we live and serve God, Hallelujah! We are the church triumphant! We are a special people in God’s eyes. He says in; Psalms 16:3 (NKJV) ³ As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."

Invitation: Are you a saint? Have you responded to the gospel of salvation? Have you confessed you are a sinner and have you asked Jesus Christ to forgive you? Have you invited Him into your life? He died on the cross as payment for the penalty of your sins and on the third day He arose from the dead where He now sits at God’s right hand ever making intercession for you. Call on Him right now if you have never done that and you will become part of the church triumphant!

THE THRONE OF GOD

 

Scripture Text

Psalm 93

 

INTRO; We see, hear and experience many things in this life that are not right. Every day some evil and wrong is before our eyes. We don’t understand how a people can drift so far from the truth of God’s word and way. Question is, how are we to live in this world with all that is going on around us on a daily basis? We can't live relying on anything in this world, but there is one thing for sure that we can rely on, and that is our God reigns from His throne on high. Let’s look at the world from a viewpoint of God’s throne instead of man.

 I. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY. Psalm 93:1 (NKJV)
¹  The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. We can take comfort in the truth that Jehovah has supreme overall and reigns gloriously from His throne in Heaven. His royal power and authority prevail everywhere over all His creation. There is no earthly or heavenly power greater than God. He clothes Himself with Majesty- [Glory, honor, beauty, splendor, excellence in form and appearance]. He is Very grand, dignified, and exalted above all others. None like Him. He girds Himself with strength just like putting on a belt. His unlimited power can resist any attack, and by that power He can act upon and change things. God has a plan for this world, and He will carry it out, we can be sure of that. He made the world and holds it in place. Jeremiah 10: 12 He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. All things are created by Him, for Him and are under His authority.

II. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S STABILITY. Psalm 93:2 (NKJV) Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. Nothing down here is ever stable, it's constantly changing, but God's throne is unchanging, firm in the heavens. His throne has no beginning or end. Established from everlasting past to everlasting future. All false gods are man made. All other thrones have a beginning and an end. His throne has always been and will always be. There can never be a period in which he shall cease to exist as God.

III. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S STRENGTH. Psalm 93:3-5 (NKJV)
³  The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. ⁴  The LORD on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea. ⁵  Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. Floods represent the enemies of God's kingdom. People, terrors and uproars rise against Jehovah. There are those who want to do away with God and His Son Jesus. People have always resisted God and His way from the beginning of time. God's word declares that His enemies will rise up against Him, His Son, His people and His throne. War in Israel! His enemies don’t want God reigning over them. Still goes on today! Psalms 2:2-3 ² The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ³ "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." The Lord is amused and angered at those who rise up against Him. Psalms 2:4-5 ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: distress means great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical and mental suffering. Since Jehovah reigns triumphantly, Jesus will eventually rule over all the kings and people's of the earth because God has decreed it. Psalms 2:6 -9 ⁶ "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion." ⁷ "I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' " God the Father has given all dominion over the earth to Jesus. No one can change that! God’s unlimited authority and irresistible power is a comfort to all His people. God rules over Satan and all is evil angels. He limits Satan’s power and influence. We can be assured of that fact from the book of Job, chapter 1:12. One day God will cast Satan into the lake of fire to be tormented forever. Revelation 20:10 (NKJV) The devil, who deceived the people, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. No one can change that established truth! The bible says the devil and his angels tremble knowing their final destination.

IV. WE CAN COUNT ON GOD’S WORD. Psalm 93:5 (NKJV) Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. God's throne is established in truth and holiness. The word from God’s throne is very sure because His promises stand true forever. Jesus said in John 17:17 Your word is truth. Psalms 119:89-91 ⁸⁹ Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. ⁹⁰ Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. ⁹¹ They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all are Your servants. God tells us how things will end in the book of REVELATION. In view of all these facts, we don't have to worry or rely on things of this world God has it all under His control. Because of this God is deserving of our deep respect, awe, reverence and adoration. Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord forever. God's holiness and divine nature adds beauty, splendor and distinction to our worship. Holiness is the quality that sets the Lord apart from all others.

Conclusion: No one can thwart the purpose of God. He is the Lord God, who reigns and is clothed with majesty. This psalm has praised God's unchanging nature and power, the evidence that He is alive and active, unlike pagan gods. Since He has supreme authority, Colossians 3:1-2, We are seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. The things above are revealed in God's word. With God in control from His throne we have nothing to worry about and much to be thankful for. God will work out His plan not only for this world, but for your life and mine as we trust in Him, and we can count on that.

INVITATION: God's word says that if you don’t know His Son, you cannot make it to heaven, but instead you are condemned and headed to a place called hell. God has given His Son Jesus Christ to save you from your sins. If you haven't been saved and you would like to be, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins against God. Invite Jesus into your life to take charge of you. Then you will not be condemned by God and He will allow you into heaven when this life is over. Be baptized to show you are sincere about your faith in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord.

 

Satan's Tactics

Intro: Just because you are a Christian, doesn't mean that the devil will leave you alone. We who are Christians must fight him everyday. He can't take our souls if we are saved, but he can keep us from living the abundant life Jesus died to give us, and he can keep us from the blessings of God. If you listen to him he will make life miserable for you.

I. First Tactic of the Devil. Genesis 2:15-17 (NKJV)15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. ¹⁶  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 3:1-5 (NKJV)¹  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" ²  And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³  but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " ⁴  Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. ⁵  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The devil Cast's doubt on God's word. Did God really say? In these verses the devil's favorite tactic is to question what God said and cast doubts in Eve's mind. Then he out right contradicted the truth of God with a lie. He convinced Eve God was hiding something from her that would be good and exciting for her and make her wise.

A. The Devil's Doubt Will Encourage You to Disobey God's Word. Genesis 3:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Eve made a choice to listen to Satan instead of God. We all have a choice to make when it comes to God's word. We either totally believe God no matter what the situation looks like or we can listen to the devil and lose the fellowship and blessings that God has for us. Disobedience has consequences.

B. The Result of Disobedience. Disobedience causes spiritual and physical death. Adam and Eve's choice to disobey God resulted in a threefold death 1. It brought about spiritual death; at that instant they were dead in trespasses and sins according to Ephesians 2:1. 2. It brought about physical death of the body, which right then begin to age, decay, and deteriorate. 3. It brought death to their relationship with God. Their sin had separated them from God. Genesis 3:8 (NKJV)And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. They tried to excuse their disobedience by covering themselves with leaves. But their sin caused them to be afraid of God and so they hid from Him. They didn't walk with God anymore. They were banned from the garden. Genesis 3:24 (NKJV) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. People today are still trying to excuse their sin and hide from God and are under God's condemnation according to John 3:18 (NKJV) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

II. Second Tactic of the Devil. Matthew 4:1-11 (NLT) ¹  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ²  For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. ³  During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴  But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁵  Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶  and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” ⁷  Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” ⁸  Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. ⁹  “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” ¹⁰  “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’” ¹¹  Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. The devil will try to undermine what God has said about you. Jesus had just been baptized by John in the Jordan river. As Jesus came up out of the water God said “Matthew 3:17 "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Then the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. The devil tried to undermine the identity God had just given Him. The devil said twice “If You are the Son of God.” When the devil couldn't undermine what God had said about Jesus, the devil tried to get Jesus to avoid the cross and worship him to gain authority over all the kingdoms of the world. But Jesus did not let Satan undermine His identity or get Him to avoid going to the cross. He clung to the word of God and that is what we must do to be victorious in this battle against Satan. God's word confirms we are His children if we believe in Christ as our Savior. 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. The devil will also try to discredit God's word to us. Did God really mean that? That sounds to easy. He will cast doubts on your salvation. Are you truly saved? After what you have done can Jesus really forgive you for that? He will tell you that you can get away with sin, no one will ever know. If God loves you why is this happening? Satan doesn't want you and I to know that we have power over him. But Jesus tells us Christians we have authority over all the enemy? Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. The devil will laugh at your situation and discredit what God has said. That's when we should be like Jesus and cling firmly to what God has said in His word. God's word is true! Faith in God's word will help us overcome the devil's temptations. The devil will always try to undermine what God has said about us and what He has blessed us with. God says We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) ³  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We have been blessed with everything we need for this life and the life to come. [Eph. 2:6] says we have been raised up together with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realm. In God's eyes it is already done. Satan will try to convince you that you are hopelessly earth bound. But God counts the Christian as having already died to sin and has been raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realm. The believer physically lives on earth, but spiritually he has already been placed "in the heaven realm together with Christ."

Conclusion: All God's word to us will be brought to pass. In the intensity of the battle, never let go of what God has said about us and promised us. Every day We should resist the devils attempts to discredit God's word and not let him get a foothold in our lives. God's word assures us in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Invitation: Has there been a time in your life when you stopped and confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you for those sins and save your soul from hell? If not you really need to do it now before it's eternally too late! Please for your sake do it now!

Eagerly Awaiting our Savior 😊

 

Scripture Text

Phil. 3:17-21

1 Cor. 15:51-53

Intro: As we live our lives here on earth we should always be looking and eagerly waiting for our Savior and Lord Jesus to come for us. We should be good examples of Christ while we are eagerly expecting and awaiting His return to take us home.

I. We need to follow true Christian examples. Philippians 3:17 (NLT) ¹⁷  Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.
Paul said: he and others followed Christ ever so diligently; therefore, they were dynamic examples as to how people should walk and live. When a person lives a life on the highest plane—when he lives like Christ said to live—he is an example. He is living just like we all should live: just as Christ said. The point is this: the life we live sets a pattern for others to follow. Others are going to follow us no matter what we do. This says something of critical importance: we must live lives on the highest plane possible. We must set the most dynamic example possible. We must set the most perfect pattern possible for others to follow. But it also says something else: we must follow after those who live on the highest plane of life. We must mark those who walk as examples and follow after the great traits of their lives. We must take those who live as examples and dissect the traits of their lives, and apply those traits to our own lives. When we see a person living for Christ with such commitment and energy, that person is an example for us. We should follow that person. He is following after Christ, doing the very thing we should be doing. Therefore, he is a living example for us.

II. We are to avoid those who are enemies of the cross.    Philippians 3:18-19 (NLT) ¹⁸  For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
¹⁹  They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. We are to mark those who walk in opposition to the example that Paul set, he calls them the enemies of the cross. We are to beware of false hypocritical believers and deceivers within the church who really doubt that salvation is found only in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead. There is no other way to salvation except through Jesus Christ alone. Every unbeliever and deceiver both in and out of the church walks as an enemy of the cross, whether it be the leader of a nation, a movement or another religion that is set on wiping out the church and the cross. In verse 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, their glory is in their shame and they set their minds on earthly things. We are not to just listen to a person's talk. Talk can be deceiving, but we are to watch how they live their lives and what they put their trust in and follow after and not be led astray. Why?

III. Our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians 3:20 (NLT) ²⁰  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. We are in the world, but we are not to be of the world. We are not to be Thinking and acting like those whose minds are set on earthly things. We are to live heaven centered lives. We are to live as citizens of heaven where we have all the rights, blessings and duties in God's kingdom. A true Christians life is to be focused upon the return of Christ. We are to be looking for the Lord's return, living for Him, yearning for Him and constantly looking every day for the return of our Savior.

IV. At His return our bodies are to be transformed. Philippians 3:²¹  He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. The human body in which we live is so lowly and humiliating because its made of dirt, flesh and bone. It is subject to sin and selfishness, evil and destruction. It is so weak: it becomes sick and diseased, injured and maimed, aged and deteriorated. It is corruptible and dying, aging and mortal, offering no hope of ever lasting beyond a few short years. Our dying bodies can't inherit what is eternal. When Jesus comes we will have bodies like His resurrection glorious body. How is this possible? By the power of God, the very power which is able to subdue all things to Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NLT) ⁵¹  But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵²  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.
⁵³  For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Invitation: Are you living your life as if Jesus could come at any minute? The apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:10 That “We are to understand what really matters, so that we may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus then you are not ready for His coming and you are an enemy of the cross. To be saved for heaven you must confess your sin to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you so you will be prepared for His return. Then be baptized as a public testimony of your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord!