Believe that He is a Rewarder

[0:00] 1 Corinthians 11, verse 6! It says, But without faith it is impossible to please Him.

[0:20] ! For he that cometh to God must believe that He is,! and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. He that cometh to God must believe that He is.

[0:33] He that cometh to God. In other words, he that draws near to God. He who wants to worship, number one, must believe that He is.

[0:44] He is. He is! He is the great I Am. By faith we believe that He is. Without faith it is impossible to please Him.

[0:56] Without faith, He will not please God. There's lots of people who seek to make heaven their home, but they don't believe Him. They don't have faith.

[1:06] They don't trust their hearts. The one who is. The one who says, I am. He is. He is. And I was just looking through a big long list of the names of the Lord Jesus.

[1:18] The names of our God. The names of our Lord Jesus Christ. And just meditate on these for a moment if you would.

[1:28] You might like to close your eyes even just to think of who He is. Think of who He is tonight. Our great Saviour. Think of these names. Go right through the alphabet just about.

[1:40] The one who is. Think of this. Advocate. All in all. Almighty. Alpha and Omega. The altogether lovely.

[1:51] The Amen. The author of our faith. The balm of Gilead. The bishop of our souls.

[2:02] The blessed and only potentate. The bread of life. The bridegroom. The bride and morning star. The captain.

[2:13] Christ. Comforter. Counselor. Creator. Deliverer. The one despised and rejected.

[2:24] The door of the sheep. He is. Emmanuel. The eternal God. Eternal life.

[2:37] The everlasting Father. He is. The faithful and true. The finisher of our faith. Our fortress. The fountain of living waters. The friend of publicans and sinners.

[2:50] The friend who sticks closer. Closer than a brother. He is. Believe that he is. The gift of God. God blessed forever.

[3:01] God of my life. God manifest in the flesh. God of my righteousness. The God of my salvation. The God of my strength.

[3:13] God with us. God with us. Believe that he is. God with us. The good shepherd. The good shepherd. The good shepherd. Our great God.

[3:25] The great shepherd of the sheep. He is. Believe that he is. The head of all principality and power. Our helper. Our hiding place.

[3:36] The high priest forever. Our high tower. The holy one of Israel. Israel. It's staggering isn't it? The names of our God.

[3:47] Consider who he is. He is. Believe. He is the I am. The image of the invisible God. The inhabitor of our praises. Intercessor.

[3:57] Jesus. He is. Jesus. He is. Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the judge of all. He is the king. Eternal. Immortal.

[4:08] Invisible. He is the king of glory. The king of heaven. The king of kings. The king of peace. The king of righteousness. Lamb of God.

[4:19] The lamb slain. He is. Life. He is the lifter of my head. He is light. He is the light of the world. The lily of the valleys.

[4:30] The lion of the tribe of Judah. Believe that he is. He is the living bread. My Lord and my God. Lord and Saviour.

[4:41] Lord God Almighty. Lord Jesus Christ. Lord of glory. The Lord of the harvest. The Lord of Lords. More than that.

[4:53] Believe that he is. The man of sorrows. The man of sorrows. Master. Do we just call him that? Or is he truly master? Master.

[5:04] Is he mediator? The mediator. The mediator. The one mediator. The merciful. The mighty God. He is omnipotent. The only potentate. The only wise God.

[5:16] He is my Passover. Our peace. Our potter. The power of God. The preeminent one. The prince of peace. Redeemer. Refiner.

[5:27] Our refuge in trouble. Believe that he is the refuge from the storm. Our resting place. The resurrection. And the life. My righteousness. The rock of my salvation.

[5:40] The rose of Sharon. Believe that he is the sacrifice for my sins. My salvation. The same yesterday.

[5:51] Today and forever. He is the saviour of the world. The scapegoat. The sent one. He is separate from sinners. He is the shadow of the almighty.

[6:03] Our shelter. Our shepherd. My shepherd. Our shield. And this is one. He is for us our sin.

[6:15] Our sin. Our sin. Our sin. He is the son of God.

[6:31] He is my song. He is the stone the builders rejected. The strength of my life. The stronghold. In the day of trouble. Our strong tower. The sun. Of righteousness.

[6:43] With healing in his wings. He is the treasure. The true bread from heaven. The true life. The true vine. The true light. Truth. He is undefiled.

[6:54] Unspeakable gift. Upholder of all things. Very present help in trouble. Our victory. The well of living waters.

[7:05] He is the wisdom of God. He is wonderful. He is the word. He is worthy. He is the express image of his person. He is the yes and amen.

[7:17] And that's just some on the list. It's a staggering. I have three pages of them. I know Jane's going to come up to me afterwards asking for it. She likes to take things and study them. Like you can't get enough of her can you?

[7:29] Who he is. He that cometh to God must believe. Must believe that he is. He is. He is. Now I was just looking through my concordance and you can, it's an interesting study.

[7:42] You know with these computer ones now you can look for a phrase. A phrase. And just to look for the phrase, God is. God is. Here's some more.

[7:53] God is. For the Lord your God is God of gods. Is God of gods. And Lord of lords. A great God. A mighty.

[8:04] And a terrible. Which regardeth not persons. And here's just some other quick references. There's many verses here. God is. God is. A consuming fire.

[8:15] God is a jealous God. God is a merciful God. God is a refuge for us. Thank God for that. God is a refuge for us. God is able.

[8:26] God is angry with the wicked every day. God is for me. God is faithful. God is in heaven. God is light. God is love.

[8:38] God is mighty. God is my helper. God is my defence. God is. God is. God is. God is. God is. God is. God is.

[8:49] God is. My strength and power. God is. My song. God is. No respecter of persons. God is. Righteous. In all his works. God is.

[9:01] The judge. God is the king. Of all the earth. God is. The rock of my refuge. God is. The strength. Of my heart. And my portion forever. God is true.

[9:12] God is. God is. God is. With us. You know. That. Is just. So beautiful. Isn't it? He that cometh to God. Must believe that.

[9:23] He is. God. Is. With us. God is. I think sometimes. These things are. Things we take too lightly.

[9:34] Hmm. We take them too lightly. Brothers and sisters. That this is something eternal. That we're about. This is not just some holy club. Of like minded people.

[9:46] Who like to hear the bible. Talked about. And get together. And. Once. Every so often. This is something eternal. That we're about.

[9:57] It's about the eternal God. God is. I think sometimes we don't live like God is. It's about the eternal God. Let's face it. Let's face it. Let's face it people tonight.

[10:08] If God truly is. If what we believe is really true. Then. It ought to make an impact. On our lives. It ought to make a difference.

[10:19] In how we live. Because if God is. We're going to have to reckon with him. We're going to have to face him. We're going to have to be giving account. God is the judge. Our God.

[10:31] Thankfully. Our God is merciful. He's shown his mercy. In the most. Amazing. Way. Hasn't he? The most. Astounding.

[10:42] Way. God is merciful. Our God is the God of salvation. The eternal God is. God is. Thy refuge. God is. Thy refuge. And underneath. Are the everlasting arms.

[10:54] The Lord God is a sun. And a shield. The Lord our God is holy. God is. Holy. The Lord your God is gracious. And merciful. This God.

[11:05] Is our God forever and ever. These are many verses. These are just a selection. God is. He that cometh to God must believe that.

[11:17] He is. God has spoken. And he's given us his word. God is. God is. And if God is. And if this is his word.

[11:28] Then oughtn't we to tremble at it. Oughtn't we to take it very seriously. Very personally. And want to know what he says. Not through trying to understand what some latter day prophet might claim to the giving of God.

[11:43] But. To know that this is what God has spoken. The more sure word. Of prophecy. This is sure. There's no doubt about this word. It's absolute. God is.

[11:55] And secondly. God is. A rewarder. God is a rewarder. Now. This word rewarder. It means that God.

[12:06] Is a giver. God is a giver. Every good and perfect gift comes from him. From the father of lights. Comes from God. Everything good.

[12:17] That we have. Everything good about our lives. Is from him. He's the source of it. He is the giver. Of every good and perfect gift. He is a rewarder.

[12:30] He makes payment. Thank God for his payment. On our part. You know. The wages. Of sin. Is death.

[12:41] Sin. Will pay something. Wages. Of death. But God. Is the giver. Of eternal life. Through Jesus Christ. Our Lord. You know.

[12:52] Grasp that today. It's beautiful. Isn't it? It's beautiful. Feeds that. The gift of God. He's a rewarder. And it says in. The word. Ezra 8. 22.

[13:03] Teaches us. The hand of our God. Our God. Is upon all them for good. That seek him. The hand of our God. Is upon all them for good.

[13:15] That seek him. Seek the Lord. While he may be found. We read. We can know that. If we are seeking God. If we are seeking God. His hand is upon our life.

[13:28] God. And he is a rewarder. He said that to Abraham. While he was still Abraham. In Genesis 15. 1. Genesis 15.

[13:39] 1. It says in part. The word of the Lord came unto Abraham. In a vision. Saying. Fear not Abraham. I am thy shield. And. Thy exceeding great reward.

[13:51] God himself. Is a reward. For you to have. The everlasting father. To you have. To have. God the father. As your personal. Relationship. That's a reward. Isn't it?

[14:02] That is. A bountiful gift. That we could not deserve. His grace. It's so. Staggering. That God. Would want. To consider us. His children. And that's what he makes us.

[14:14] By. Faith. Through his grace. He himself. Is a reward. We read this morning. About. The blessings. Of. Of. The blessings.

[14:25] Of. The blessings. Of. The blessings. Of. The blessings. Of. The blessings. Of. of Matthew 5 of the Sermon on the Mount and he says blessed are you when man shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake he says rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you great is your reward in heaven there's a reward and we read in the letters of Peter that it says that it's reserved in heaven for you it's reserved he's got it in a very secure place it's like you know some wealthy business people here today they've probably got a security deposit box that they put all their money in they stash it away and it's safe there the bank looks after it for them well thank God

[15:36] God has got an inheritance for his people an inheritance for his sons and daughters and it tells us here that it's reserved in heaven for you reserved in heaven 1 Peter 1 verse 4 he's begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you he's got it in a very secure place and when the time comes he'll take it out and say yes your name's written down your name's written down in glory and people today the question is for everyone of us here tonight you know it tells us that there's several places where it talks about a name written down and you know you might have made decisions at evangelistic meetings and written your name down on a decision card that's not necessarily where the name gets written down you know you might claim salvation but he writes your name down he writes your name down and you need to be sure tonight that your name is written down now you might have your name written on a church roll you might be a member of a church you might be baptised and sprinkled and everything else but if your name's not written down then you're in danger tonight in very real danger and it's something we all need to take very careful attention to but thank God if your name is written down then there's a certainty of heaven for you and it's not by any doing of your own but it's entirely of his making it's entirely of his doing by his blood shed for you and exceeding great is your reward in heaven in Psalm 58 11 it says so that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth there's a reward for the righteous you know you might think there's some pleasures of sin that you've missed out on it's going to be insignificant there's some saints that are more mature in years than me here tonight and you can look back and as we all can we can look back with regret on what we didn't do but thank God we can be glad of the summer things that we have done that we write right choices and there is a reward for the righteous people tonight as we know it tells us of crowns it tells us of a reward for our works and again the question is for believers here today is what you're doing eternal or is it fleshly is what you're doing and even any of us can do anything sometimes with a degree of vain glory with a degree of thinking

[19:05] I'm doing something it's a big note myself and God just trashes that it's trash it's a pile of ashes in our hands when we start to think of anything that we deserve by anything that we've done it's just a pile of ashes in our hands people tonight if you're a Christian and you think you've done something for God but you can merit some you know pats on the back from the angels you know be careful brother because it's just going to be ashes in your hand you know wood, hay and stubble even the good things that we do all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and people tonight all that you can lay claim to is his wonderful grace it's his wonderful grace to you and the least that we can do is seek to do something for him seek to do something that will please him seek to reach out to those we can around about that by his absolute mercy maybe there will be some gold, silver and precious stones referring to a passage in 1 Corinthians 3

[20:14] I believe it is and people we need to question that all the time and guard our hearts guard our hearts lest there be any pride lest there be any any self that rears its ugly head and takes the glory from him and so thank God there is a reward for the righteous and of Moses we read in Hebrews 11 25 it says of Moses that he was choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God and to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward so Moses he Moses was as we know born a Hebrew reared by the Egyptian princess brought up in the courts of Pharaoh in the luxury of the palace with everything laid on he had a throne awaiting him but he would rather suffer affliction with the people of God he'd rather identify with God's people with the children of Israel than to identify with the world of its day the Egyptian kingdom and he esteemed the riches of Christ greater and that can be for you too for you and I if you're a believer tonight that the riches of this world the riches of worldly gain is really not the attraction it's rather the riches of Christ it's rather the treasures that Christ is it's rather the reward that he is so he that comes to God must believe that he is number one and secondly he is a rewarder he is a rewarder thirdly of them that diligently seek him now don't read this verse and think

[22:05] God is a rewarder of those who seek him that's wrong those who diligently diligently seek him don't miss that there's people here in Christianity there's people they seek God on their own terms they seek God I'm sure street preachers and evangelists the like would know yeah some people say yeah I'll follow Jesus yeah I want to have some fire insurance save me from hell yeah I'll say the prayer and they live like the devil nothing's happened the only thing that's happened is the devil's filled them well and truly and we know as we preach and we that do witness and as I trust most Christians or all Christians ought to and seek to we want to lead people to trust him but only God knows if they're saved but better to do something than nothing I think certainly but he's a reward of them that diligently seek him you know some think

[23:10] I'll follow Jesus yeah sure yeah I'll make the claim to be a Christian but they casually seek him it's careless seeking of God it's lazy seeking of God but it says that he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him diligently seek him diligence is something that is a character trait that God commands he commands diligence through the word he commands diligence diligence you could define it's faithful or persistent application to one's work or studies it means painstaking effort diligence means painstaking faithfulness and persistency there's need of that persistence to not be lazy and lethargic for example we read in Psalm 119 verse 10 the psalmist says with my whole heart have I sought thee with my whole heart have I sought thee oh let me not wander from thy commandments there was a whole heartedness about his seeking that ought to be the case for you and me too as Christians we want to put our whole heart into our faith when

[24:27] God told Naaman the leper to go and dip seven times in the muddy river Jordan he could have just tried to do part of it he could have just tried to maybe do it three or four times it's quite a humbling thing for this man to do wasn't it from another nation a proud reputable man and yet he was told to go and dip himself seven times in these muddy waters of the Jordan so he could be healed of his leprosy he did it and God healed he did what God told him to do and God healed the people of Jericho they were instructed to march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days and to march seven times on the seventh day what would have happened had Joshua told the people to stop marching on maybe the third day maybe that was enough just do it half-heartedly carelessly nothing would have happened but when they did what God instructed them to do

[25:44] God acted and likewise brothers and sisters we need to diligently seek him you need to be fair dinkum about it you need to be genuine about seeking God if this is real if God is if God is then oughtn't we to take it really really seriously oughtn't we to take it very very seriously this is eternal this is not some game that we play this is not some make believe this is a reality it's an eternal reality and we ought to take it very seriously and when God says to Naaman dip seven times just do what God says when God says walk around six times and then seven times on the seventh time then we've got to do what God says and when they did what God says God acted the walls fell down the psalmist cried in Psalm 42 as the heart or the deer panteth after the water brook so panteth my soul after thee oh God my soul pants after the living God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God ask God to create that soul thirst in you that you will be thirsty for the things of

[27:07] God that you will be thirsty for righteousness that you'll be thirsting after God in Luke 11 the Lord Jesus teaches of prayer he teaches us of a person asking for bread asking for bread at some late hour of the night persistently asking for the bread as an example of prayer as an example of persistent prayer teaching us that we need to persist in prayer to receive God's action likewise in Luke 18 from verses 1 to 8 the Lord Jesus again he teaches his disciples what it means to not faint to not lose heart and give up he tells us of the unjust judge and of the woman harassing this judge over and over again until justice was done again as an example how men ought to pray always and not to faint persistency diligence seeking God with your whole heart

[28:16] Matthew 15 another account of the Canaanite woman who came to Christ whose daughter was possessed of a devil she was persistent even when the Lord Jesus turned her away at first he didn't speak with her despite her reaching out to him it's as if she wasn't there and then he says about feeding things that are holy to the dogs and she persists in seeking after him and says even the dogs get to have the crumbs from the master's table it's not like the Lord Jesus was being deliberately standoffish he was teaching an example of how we ought to seek after him how we ought to pray how we ought to seek after God how we ought to pant and long after the living God and earnestly diligently seeking and God blesses that as he blessed that woman as the

[29:16] Lord Jesus ministered and delivered her child God wants every one of you here tonight every one of us to be a persistent people to be diligently seeking after God what is it that you are diligent about you know I was hearing someone tonight a young person speaking about training and we referred to in passing this morning about you know training and I asked him how many days does he train five days a week he trains five days on the boxing bag and around the boxing ring that's commitment that's being diligent what about being diligent about eternal things about eternal things you know we've got family some of us we've got responsibilities sometimes God's just a little box that we fit into the week when we've got time it's just something we kind of squeeze in in between all the other priorities of our life that ought to be the central thing ought to be the one who has the first place that we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness that that is our first goal what is it that you are diligent about we're all diligent about lots of things

[30:37] I'm sure we all have various things that we're all busy doing but are we busy about the things that matter when the Lord Jesus was just a child they were searching found him and he says how is it that you sought me wist you not that I must be about my father's business Luke 2 49 I must be about my father's business be diligent in seeking him be diligent in serving him someone said this as a believer no one should be working harder than me the world is working hard to build Satan's kingdom and I should be working hard to build God's kingdom it's true isn't it and friends just to wrap up some quick quotes on diligence from the word of God he says add to your faith giving all diligence add to your faith 2 1 verse 5 in Proverbs 4 verse 23 it says keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life do you keep your heart with all diligence we that are parents this is telling us something if you're a mum or a dad here today

[31:54] Deuteronomy 6 verse 7 it's talking about the word of God we had a grandma here today saying she wants her children her grandchildren to have the word that's important there's people here today I know they've got bible verses plastered all over the house they're absolute fanatics these people absolutely nutcases for the kingdom of God that's what we ought to be we ought to be diligent we ought to be earnest we ought to take it seriously we ought to do what it says amen diligently teach your children diligently talk of the things of God we've got an ultimate and absolute responsibility haven't we I know as a father myself I could have done more

[32:55] I look back and wish I had don't have regret do it now if you're a father or mother teach your children diligently 2 Peter 3 14 it says wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless it's talking about when you're looking for the coming of Christ be diligent that you're found in him don't be take it or leave it careless about it he says be diligent that you may be found of him as people here again I say for all here tonight he's coming soon the Lord Jesus is coming back he said he will we don't know when some may claim to know but people tonight it says that he's coming and be diligent that you may be found of him we want to be ready we want to be ready not caught on the hole and in Proverbs 12 24 it says the hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under tribute there's so many verses about being diligent about the things that matter the things of

[34:05] God be diligent be found diligent so to wrap up friends tonight will you be the one who comes to God he that cometh to God he says come unto me he's still saying that he hasn't you know it's for a limited time only but he is still saying it come unto me and that invitation is extended tonight still to every soul that he that cometh to God must must believe faith he must believe that he is how can you not believe that he is how can you walk out here tonight and see the starry sky if it happens to be cloudless and see the stars and just fathom the unfathomless of the extent of his creation the heavens declare the glory of God the firmament that shows forth his handiwork how can you not believe that he is believe that he is a rewarder every good gift what a blessing we have this fair nation our our freedom the grace that we know in

[35:21] Australia believe that he is the rewarder them that diligently seek! him diligently seek him crave him worship him search him out and find him you know there's people here today that try to diet they try to diet and they give in they give in to the cravings now there's people who smoke they give in to the cravings it's not good for you but this is a craving that is commended to seek earnestly after him to diligently seek him to have a craving for God that's a good craving to have and just to close a promise from God's word Jeremiah 29 verse 13 and you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart and you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart and I will be found of you saith the

[36:27] Lord believe that he is let us pray Lord we do believe that in Christ you came suffered and died became sin for me you knew no sin you became my sin one of your names is my sin God with us that you would come and visit planet earth and bear my shame and pay my penalty Lord I cannot understand it I cannot take it in Lord for anyone here we pray everyone here would know what it is to believe to trust you are the great I am that you are that you are the rewarder of those that diligently seek you put in every heart Lord that desire Lord let it be a desire that springs up from within from your spirit's drawing that every man would be drawn that is here in this hearing tonight that everyone would be drawn to you tonight

[37:41] Lord we thank you for that bless each heart Lord help us to put heaven first in our decisions that we make Lord that you might be glorified in Jesus name Amen