[0:00] 2 Corinthians chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. For those of you with me on Sunday afternoon, we're going to review and then finish talking about Christ will reward.
[0:20] Those of you who are not with me on Sunday afternoon, I'll do a brief synopsis of what we've been going over and talking about and get you caught up to where we are.
[0:31] 2 Corinthians chapter 5, look at verse 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
[0:48] We're talking about Christ will reward us. We've been talking about things that are real. This world is not real. This world is just a passing moment before we get to the real things of the Lord for all eternity.
[1:05] And part of that, we talked about God gives us gifts and how we use those gifts that he's given to us makes a difference in the rewards we get at the end of our time.
[1:18] And so we've been talking about the fact that Christ will reward and there is such a thing known as the judgment seat of Christ. And the things that we do will affect what happens at that judgment seat.
[1:29] We talked about the fact that the judgment seat has nothing to do with salvation. We are saved and we make it into heaven because of our salvation and then there will be a judgment seat which has to do with our rewards, not whether we're saved or not.
[1:48] It only has to do with those who are saved and the rewards that they receive. And we talked about the rewards we're going to receive. First of all, we said Christ is going to reward us for our service.
[2:01] And we talked about the timing of that reward. And we talked about the fact that the next thing in God's prophecy is the rapture. When the rapture happens, we all go to heaven.
[2:14] If you're saved and you know the Lord Jesus Christ is your savior, you go to heaven. First Thessalonians, you know the verses, chapter 4, talks about the fact that we're going to be caught up together to meet him in the air.
[2:27] That happens. Then what happens? We get a glorified body. Go over to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15.
[2:40] 1 Corinthians, chapter 15. I'm going to have him moving around quite a bit today. Oh, by the way, be praying for Randy. He's at, had a, knees?
[2:52] Knees. They got married yesterday down in Carolinas, I think South Carolina. So he should be heading back home. So we'll be praying for him today. We'll be praying for, some of them may be here for the morning service.
[3:08] Some of the Lyman's family, they're heading out this afternoon to go to Rhode Island. They're having another service in Rhode Island tomorrow at the Veteran's Cemetery down in Rhode Island.
[3:20] Lyman's tombstone and everything will be placed there at that Veteran's Cemetery. So we'll be praying for them as they travel. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
[3:35] Neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.
[3:47] For the trump shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. We talked about the fact that the rapture is going to take place.
[4:00] We're going to be changed, it says, instantaneously. And we're going to be caught up. We need to be ready at all times. Because Jesus could come at any moment. And we need to be ready to meet him.
[4:11] And so he says, it's going to be instantaneous. It's going to be in the twinkling of an eye. Revelation 22, 12 says it's going to be quickly. So we need to be ready at any time. It could happen now.
[4:24] Or now. Or now. You need to have to think like that. It could happen at any time. In Titus, chapter 2, verse 11 and following, it says, For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly loves, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
[4:47] How do we make sure we're ready when he comes at any moment? He says, deny ungodliness and worldly lust. We should live soberly. Exhibit self-control.
[4:58] We should live righteously. Our relationship with others should be what it should be supposed to be. And then godlier. Our relationship with God needs to be right.
[5:09] Why is that so important? Titus 2, 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
[5:19] He says, you need to be ready because God is coming. Jesus is coming at any time. That is the blessed hope that we live for. Okay? So we're ready.
[5:30] We're waiting for him to come so we can stand before that judgment seat of Christ. What's the qualifications for getting rewards at that judgment seat of Christ?
[5:40] Well, 1 Peter 4, 11 and 12 says, So as every man hath received the gift, he's given us gifts, even so, and salvation, even so, minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
[5:57] If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. If any man minister, let him do it as the ability that God giveth. And God in all things, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom he prays and dominion forever and ever.
[6:12] He says you need to be ready and you need to be using the gifts that God has given you, whether they be gifts of speaking or gifts of service. He says, if any man minister, gifts of service.
[6:24] So we need to be ready and using those gifts to make sure that we are ready for the coming of Christ and make sure that we are helping other Christians to be ready for the coming of Christ. Why?
[6:35] So that God may be glorified in everything that takes place. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, verses you probably know, beginning of verse 10 says, According to the grace of God which giveth unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builder thereon.
[6:54] But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest.
[7:11] For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereon, he shall receive reward.
[7:24] If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved, yet as by fire. So again, he's reiterating, judgment seat of Christ does not affect our salvation.
[7:37] We're saved. We're in heaven. We're now getting rewards. Now the rewards, gold, silver, precious stone, or they would haste stubble. It affects what we do and how we do it affects the gifts that we get.
[7:52] So we are standing at the judgment seat of Christ. We're being judged according to what we have done. How have we built on the foundation of Jesus Christ?
[8:05] Now, what do we get? Description of the crowns that are available to us. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. If you want to turn over there, you can.
[8:17] 1 Corinthians chapter 9. It's not far away. Look with me beginning at verse 24. 1 Corinthians 9, 24. Now know ye not that we which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize.
[8:33] So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.
[8:45] He says you need to be running as a championship runner. Look at verse 26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.
[8:57] But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. He says I keep my body under.
[9:08] I control what I do. I've disciplined myself to serve God with everything that I have, that I may obtain an incorruptible crown.
[9:19] He's making an analogy to runners. I was telling on Sunday afternoon a week or so ago, Usain Bolt, if you know who he is, he was the fastest man in the world for a long time.
[9:34] He, for years, would run the 100-meter race, shortest race in the Olympics. But his point was, and he was talking one day, so many people, they say, oh, I want to do this, and I want to do that, and I want to do this other thing.
[9:52] He said, but they try for a little while, and they don't see the progress they want to see, and they don't see this happening, they don't see that happening. And so they just give up. He said, I trained for four years to run a nine-second race.
[10:06] Four years of his life. Actually, he's longer than that. But to make it to the Olympics, four years for a nine-second race. He said, I'm going to do it to discipline to do it over and over and over again, to make sure that you could change any little thing and make you faster.
[10:25] He's pointing out that you bring your body into subjection. You discipline it. And he got a medal, which will someday corrupt. Back in the day of Paul, they used to get a laurel wreath they'd wear on their head.
[10:40] It didn't take too long for that to corrupt. But he says, I'm doing it for an incorruptible crown. Second one, a crown of rejoicing. 1 Thessalonians 2. 1 Thessalonians 2, beginning at verse 19, he says, For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?
[11:04] Are not ye even in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. What's he saying? There's a crown of rejoicing. What's that all about?
[11:14] Well, some people call this a soul winner's crown. Notice what he says there. For what is our hope, our joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?
[11:29] For ye are our glory and joy. He says, those of you who are saved, those of you who are going to enter heaven with us, those of you who are going to be standing at the judgment seat of Christ with us, that's our joy.
[11:42] That's our crown of rejoicing. You are. So it's a soul winner's crown. Number three, 2 Timothy chapter 4.
[11:53] 2 Timothy chapter 4, familiar verses. Verse 7 and 8. Paul says, I have fought a good fight.
[12:04] I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day, not to me only, but also to all them that love his appearing.
[12:16] Paul says, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. It's a crown for those who have been faithful. Are you being faithful to the Lord and following him or doing what he has called you to do, asked you to do?
[12:32] Be faithful in what he does. James chapter 1 and verse 12. Blessed is the man that endure temptation, but when he has tried, he shall receive a crown of life, which the Lord hath a promise to them that love him.
[12:45] Those that endure temptation, those who go through trials of life, those who face all the different things that the devil can throw at them and the world can throw at them, and yet they love God so much they're not swayed by any of those things.
[13:04] Number 5, crown of glory. Crown of glory is 1 Peter chapter 5. You don't have to turn there. In 1 Peter chapter 5, he's actually talking to pastors there and talks about the crown there.
[13:16] You can see 1 Peter 5, 4 says, When the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. But the verses before that, he's been talking to pastors and about their faithfulness and what they do.
[13:28] So that crown is for them. It's not for the ones who have the largest complex, the biggest buildings. It's not for the ones who have the largest descendants. It's for those who are faithful and doing what God has called them to do.
[13:42] Number 2, we will worship God with our crowns. We will worship God with our crowns. What are we going to do with those crowns that Jesus gives us at the judgment seat of Christ?
[13:54] We're going to use those to worship Him. Go to Revelation chapter 4. Revelation 4. John is in heaven.
[14:13] He's seeing the throne room of God. And he says, First of all, we're going to worship God around His throne. We're going to worship God around His throne.
[14:24] And he describes God in verse 3 looking like jasper and sardine stone and stuff. Those two stones, they're translucent. They both have a red hue to them.
[14:35] And he says, I'm looking up, I'm seeing God, and this is what I'm seeing. Now, obviously, God was shielding Himself because if He had shown Himself to John completely, He would have died. So He's showing Himself to John.
[14:47] But He's using this, and John is seeing Him like this. Also there, He says, there's a rainbow around the throne. It looks like emerald.
[14:59] He says in verse 4 that there are, around the throne, there are 4 and 20 seats. And upon those seats, I saw 4 and 20 elders sitting, clothed in white raiment.
[15:11] And on their head were crowns of gold. Later on, He talks about there's 4 beasts that are there. Look at verse 6.
[15:22] And before the throne was a sea of glass, like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were 4 beasts full of eyes, before and behind. First beast was like a lion.
[15:32] Second was like a calf. Third was like the face of a man. Fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And they had 6 wings. And the last part of verse 8 says, they were saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come.
[15:47] That threefold worship of who God is. One of the things you'll see as you go throughout the book of Revelation, you know, we look at it for all the things having to do with the tribulation and other things that are going to take place.
[16:00] But one of the things you will see, look at verse 9, chapter 4 there. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever.
[16:11] And the four and twenty elders fell down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that liveth forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
[16:30] The worship that takes place there is so important. We are going to use those crowns to worship our God. He empowers us to serve Him.
[16:43] Why shouldn't we worship Him and give those crowns to Him? The fact that we get crowns, the fact that we get salvation, you know, it's just phenomenal that God allows that.
[16:58] But the fact that we get crowns for the things that we did, things that we were supposed to do, the fact that we get crowns for something that God gave us the power to do, our power comes from Him.
[17:15] It's nothing that we came up with. It comes from Him. So He gives us these crowns and we're going to use those to worship Him. Second, we're going to do it for all eternity.
[17:27] We're going to do it for all eternity. There's a whole lot of verses here. I'm probably not going to get to all of them today. But go with me to Revelation 7. Beginning at verse 9.
[17:41] Revelation 7, 9 says, After this I beheld, and lo, a certain great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb.
[18:04] And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God, saying, Amen.
[18:16] Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. If you continue reading, you find out they're red and white robes, it says, and you find out who they are.
[18:30] Verse 14, These are they which came out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. He says, those people who made it went through the tribulation and accepted Christ and became part of the family of God, they are going to be there worshiping God.
[18:50] You think about it, they went through the tribulation. Probably every one of them was martyred. And yet here they are worshiping God for all that He has done for them. You know, it's just amazing when you stop and think about it.
[19:04] Go over to chapter 11. Chapter 11, look at verse 15. And the seventh angel sounded. This afternoon, we're going to talk about some of these angels and the seals and things that they did.
[19:20] And the seventh angel sounded. And there was great voices in heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of our Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever.
[19:31] And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on the seats fell on their faces and worshiped God. Saying, we give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and was and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned.
[19:48] when all the kingdoms come together to be part of God's kingdom, part of Christ's kingdom, He says, there's going to be worship. There's going to be exaltation taking place there for all of those.
[20:02] When that, you know, at the end of the battle of Armageddon, even before that, go back, well, no after that, so, chapter 14, chapter 14, and I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his father's name written in their foreheads.
[20:28] And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps and they sang as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders and no man could learn the song but the hundred and forty-four thousand which were redeemed from the earth.
[20:48] These are they which were not defiled with women and for they were virgins. These are they which followed the lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men being the firstfruits of God and of the lamb.
[21:06] These were ones who sang a new song. One hundred and forty-four thousand. They sang a new song. They're worshipping God for what he has done and the fact that he used them to share the message of the gospel during the tribulation.
[21:23] So we have the tribulation martyrs. We have the others who went through the hundred and forty-four thousand. They're all singing praise to God. A lot of what they're singing reminds us if you go back to Exodus you don't have to turn there.
[21:36] Exodus chapter 15 when Moses wrote about the children of Israel coming out of Egypt praising God for everything that happened. And then later in Deuteronomy 32 at the end of his life Moses again writes a song where he's praising God for all the things that he has helped them go through when they were coming out of Egypt when they were going through the wilderness as they were coming into the promised land.
[21:59] Moses wrote about how great God was and that's exactly what's happening here in heaven. We cannot stop praising God for all that he has done.
[22:11] Think about it now. Do we praise him like that now? We can find a lot of things to complain about but do we praise him for who he is?
[22:22] You know a constant attitude of worship that they're going to have there. The themes for worship you can see there's different themes different reasons people worship him and why he's done it.
[22:40] Why do you worship God today? Why are you here? We're here to worship God why? What is it you're here for? You know having that attitude of worship for all that he has done having an eternity to worship him for all that he is.
[22:59] we need to be careful while we're living here on earth. What are we using for building material? Because that building material is going to affect the number of crowns that we get.
[23:12] That building material is going to affect the worship that we have. How are we doing? We have a foundation that's been given to us Jesus Christ.
[23:23] How are we building on that? Our crowns are going to be the primary vehicle for worshiping and magnifying God for all that he is. We're all going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
[23:36] What is our rewards going to look like? And it all depends on what we do here and now. And as I said at the very beginning part of what we do here and now is always have a constant look for there.
[23:51] Because he can come at any time. So any work you want to do for him do it now. Okay, let's pray. Father, we thank you for this time together this morning.