To Listen ‘Open Message from Title’ and click on Listen Now or To Save: Right Click and ‘Save Target as’ Have you ever heard someone say, “That person just brings out the best in me”? What do you think they mean by that? For me it means that when the right person comes along in our lives the love that wells up in us for them makes us want to do our very best for them. Our actions, words and attitudes are focused on the love we have for them and are done in that love. Our words and actions tell others a lot about ourselves and when we have a loving attitude toward others it is evident just as when we are lustful about something, wanting what we want, sooner or later it becomes evident as well. The fruit, the works, words and actions we do, show themselves for what they are. This is what Jesus is talking about here in our passage. If a person has a heart of love then there will be good fruit from their lives most of the time while the person with evil in their heart will only be lusting after the things they want and not be concerned for the welfare of others but only what they can get out of it. Last week we looked at what would happen when we stand before the bema seat, judgment seat, of Christ for the testing of our works, the fruit of our lives in Christ, tested by fire. This led us to the question of what will it take to keep our works, the little things done for others out of love for Christ, from being burned up but instead come through the fire shining bright for us as refined gold. The fire will test not only what we have done but also the how and why we did it. The difference between reward and loss always begins with what our heart attitudes are as Jesus tells us here in Luke. If our heart attitudes are not good, because Jesus is absent of Lordship there, then the fruit, works, will be of evil intent, out of our own lusts looking for what we can get from it, there will be loss. But if our attitudes are right then there will be reward. Phil. 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: So, how can we know what our true heart attitudes and motives are? There are 3 tests from Jesus teaching that will help evaluate whether the work we do for the Lord will endure; The first test is the test of relationship; we need to understand first and foremost that the life God will reward is not about performance apart from relationship with Christ. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. The opposite is more true. If we are not in relationship with Christ as Lord and Savior over our lives, in submission to Him in love, than all we do is in vain. It will be because of our loving relationship with the Lord that we will desire to keep His commands so not to offend or hurt Him but do things out of our love for Him. These are the things God will reward. This is the test that the church of Ephesus failed when they grew up into the faith because they began doing works out of duty instead of out of love for the Lord. Rev. 2:1-5 This leads us to ask ourselves, how is our love for Jesus today? Has it grown cold so that we only do things out of duty instead of out of love? Do we still love Jesus like we did when we first came to Him? Has our love for Him been deepening because we have gotten more intimate with Him, learning more about Him from the word and by experience? Do we ask ourselves if we are doing things that are hurtful to Him? If we are not doing the little things out of love for Him then our works will be burned up. The 2nd test is the test of motives; what is our motive for doing the works we are doing? Matt. 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. What should our motives be for doing the works we are doing for Christ? 1 Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. What this means is the most religious act will be worthless if it is done to boost our own egos or reputations, for man to see. Are they done so we can get something back for them? These acts come from the evil in one’s heart. When we do something for someone are we looking to see if others have noticed it? If so then we have already received our payment. Matt. 6:2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. The 3rd test is the test of brotherly love; every good work done in love for others is always focused on trying to improve the well being of others. Luke 6:35-36 The Apostle Paul makes it clear in his love passage that if any deed is done outside of love for others and for Christ then they mean nothing at all. 1 Cor. 13:1-7 Vs 1-3 If we look closely at this passage it tells us that even the gifts we have from the Holy Spirit when used without love have no reward for us then. But the acts we have done out of love will always show the qualities of vs 4-7. How are we doing in the love factor in doing the little things? Are we doing things in false love so we can get something back from it, with evil intent for selfishness? How did Jesus say people would know that we are Christians? Would it be fair to punish a child for something we did not tell them to do or not to do? No. Do you think God will punish us for not doing something He did not tell us to do? No. But He will hold us responsible for the things He did reveal to us and entrust to us to do. 1 Cor. 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Jesus will judge us for the things He did reveal to us and then empowered us to do by the Holy Spirit’s power. 2 Peter 1:2-4 How are we doing at discovering the truths God has revealed to us in His word? We will be accountable for them. Last week we looked at the passage in 1Cor. 3:10-15 about building on the foundation of Christ, in it Paul tells us we will be rewarded or suffer loss. 1 Cor. 3:15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. The how’s and why’s we did what we did will determine if we are rewarded or if we suffer loss. One thing we will not loose though is our salvation. That is secured for us by what Jesus did on the cross, purchasing us for God. Our salvation depends on His work for us and not ours. We just need to be sincere in our receiving Him as Lord over our lives. But we could step into eternity with few good works to show for our lives. We could do works and loose rewards for them. This is why John warns his readers, us, to be careful not to suffer loss. 2 John 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. He even pleads with his readers to stay close to Jesus so we will not be ashamed when we stand before Him. 1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. Don’t loose sight of the fact that we will stand before the judgment seat for reward and not loss. Even though the consequences of missed opportunities and lost reward will go with us into eternity, any regret or shame will not. We will be full of joy to be in the presence of God and as He promised there will be no sadness there. Rev. 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” No matter what happens at the bema seat of Jesus, He will not love us less than He loves us now or when He stretched out His arms on the cross for us. Our focus should be a joyful heart looking forward to that day when we will stand before Him in heaven. No reward on earth will compare to what we will feel there then, when we see the joy in Jesus’ face that we are there with Him. It is then that He will lean forward to give us the reward He has for us. It will be a reward that goes with us throughout eternity. Even though we know then that it was He who brought out the good in us, setting the example for us, it will be our desire to push it all back to Him in worship but He will insist that we take it with us into eternity to be used there. The reward He has for us will be the everlasting consequences of our daily choice to serve Him here and everlasting proof of His limitless love for us. Our rewards will shine for us eternally. Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Next week we will begin to look at the fact that the rewards we receive will determine a lot of what we will actually do there, according to Jesus. Col. 3:12–14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
