Greater Inheritance (Part 2)
Obtaining Our Reward
It is often hard for us to grasp, but the Christian life is not a self-centered life. God calls us to lay down our
life - not fulfill our life. Our satisfaction, gratification and fulfillment are God’s responsibility. The one
who lays down their life will be fulfilled, but the one who seeks fulfillment will not find it. For a brief time
we can feel gratified, but as we realize that what we have is not as fulfilling as expected, the need for more
will again haunt us. There will be certain aspects of life that give us a sense of fulfillment, but the deep
longing of our heart will never be satisfied outside of a committed walk with Christ. The Bible tells us that
without faith it is impossible to please God. Living for eternity is a pure walk of faith. It is easy to believe
in what we can see in this life, but to lay down this life for the promise that we can’t see takes a faith that is
alive and comes from the Lord. Look at Matthew 16
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will
find it.
26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what
will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will
reward each according to his works.
Who can do this without truly believing God? Laying down our life is the only way to follow Jesus Christ.
Many times we claim to be followers of Christ when in fact we are not. Jesus repeated this call often. This
separates those who walk by faith from those who walk by sight. Anyone can answer a call that will benefit
them now, but only someone with true faith can lay down their life and all the benefits of this life for the
promise of heaven. Jesus followed His call by asking a redundant question: "For what profit is it to a man if
he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" The
answer is `nothing’. Nothing is gained if we gain the whole world, but miss eternity. Nothing is gained by a
wealth of blessings that remain in this life alone. Nothing can be exchanged for our soul. This life is
nothing outside of an eternal purpose and those who live for this life are living for nothing.
It is odd how that people can spend 65 years of their life investing for 10-20 years of retirement and this is
considered wise. However, when a Christian invests their life in eternity, it is considered foolish. Not only
is it foolish from the world’s perspective, but also from the church’s perspective. Everyone talks about
living by faith and making a sacrifice, but when someone actually believes God enough to follow that call,
people discourage this decision. When someone leaves a good job to do a ministry, frequently even
Christian family and friends criticize or are unsupportive of this decision. When someone truly makes a
sacrifice that really costs them, few stand behind them. It is important to make sure that we are following
God and not trying to make something happen God has not ordained. Many think that the first thought that
pops in their head is a word from God and this is often not the case. I have seen men quit their jobs with no
provision for their families and God did not bless their needs. I have seen others whose needs were met. If
God calls, He will provide, but if we are ahead of God we can’t have confidence that God is guiding us.
Sacrifice is built on a foundation of faith and a deep relationship with God. Even sacrifice is a loss if it does
not have the right motives and is a part of God’s plan. Look at 1 Corinthians 3
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the
foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
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.
The foundation must first be laid. Many world religions are falsely building on the hope of verse 14 without
the foundation of verse 10. Anyone who builds on a weak foundation will lose their labors. Anyone who
builds on a strong foundation but builds with worldly or selfish motives will also suffer a loss. Gold, silver
and precious stones are not the reward, they are the labors. They are the motives behind our works. If we
are building God’s kingdom, we are building with valuable materials that will endure. Jesus made it clear
when He said, "My kingdom is not of this world". Big churches, houses, cars, bank accounts and other
things may be good in their rightful place and can be tools God uses, but they are not God’s kingdom. God
did not call us to build mega-churches. God called us to build His kingdom. Many churches will be
revealed on that Day and will be counted as wood, hay and stubble. The type of church is not what is
important - it is the focus of the church. If a church is focused on growth, it is our kingdom. If a church is
focused on buildings, it is our kingdom. If it is focused on success, it is our kingdom. God does not call us
to succeed - He calls for obedience and faithfulness. If a church is focused on reaching, equipping and
encouraging people to become disciples of Christ and looking ahead to life to come, then it is building
God’s kingdom.
Wood, hay and stubble or self-focused and self-benefiting. There is nothing wrong with enjoying life. The
problem is that our benefit often becomes our purpose. We all struggle with this. This is why the Bible
warns us to take care as to what and how we build on our foundation. I am constantly called to remember
that my foundation is Jesus Christ. My human nature constantly challenges me and I begin to believe my
foundation is me. Even ministry can be out of focus when our purpose is to build the ministry and not to
focus on making disciples who are ready to become disciplers. When I become my first concern, I will get
into self-preservation or measure obedience on `what will benefit me’. When I am the primary focus, I will
only preach what will give a good response. Hard messages are avoided because I don’t want to see my
work upset. I begin to forget that I am not called to succeed, but obey. When I am building on Jesus Christ,
I can recognize that God is not troubled when someone departs because I have obeyed. It still bothers me,
but at least I can be confident that I am only losing those who don’t want a relationship with God and are
not willing to be a part of the work He is doing.
In my personal life, I struggle to keep my foundation in mind at all times. What I watch on TV, listen to on
the radio, invest my time in - all build on the foundation that has been laid. When I focus on selfishness, I
am lured into a mindset that inspires the wrong motives. I work for wealth with a temporal perspective
instead of letting God lead my finances. Television can provide an open door to temptations or undermine
my values. Without realizing it, my attitudes can be shaped into accepting what God condemns or reject
what God requires. The constant barrage of anti-Christian messages does shape our minds whether we are
willing to admit it or not. Therefore, I am commanded to take head as to what I am laying on my
foundation. My human nature will challenge me for the rest of my life, but I have been given a new
spiritual nature with the power to overcome my flesh. I still must choose which nature to build with. My
flesh’s work - even if it is religious - will be destroyed and the labor lost. My spiritual work that is Christ-
focused, self-giving and self-sacrificing will endure. I am called to lay down my life to gain what God has
set apart for me. It must be foundation focused. The foundation must first be laid - that foundation is a
relationship with Jesus Christ. If we have never surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, there is no
foundation to build upon. Everything is wood, hay and stubble.
Luke 12:37-38 tells us to be watching. When we are called to give an account for our life, if a servant is
found faithful, Jesus will make them to sit down and He will serve the servant. In the same chapter we are
also warned that He will punish those who are taken by surprise. 2 Timothy 4 adds to this:
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Who are those who love His appearing? When you think about the return of the Lord, do you have a sense
of eagerness and longing for that day, or do you feel hopeful that it will be a while longer? How we feel
about standing before Christ tells us whether we are watching and are faithful. Think for a minute about the
foundation of the church. None placed their hope or looked at benefits in this life as a gain. True believers
counted loss as gain. The apostle Paul said that everything he once counted as valuable, he now counts as
rubbish for the cause of Christ. Everything that is lost is a gain because of the promise in Christ. Jesus
never owned anything of significant value. I know that many claim that Jesus was wealthy, but this is not
found in scripture. Consider the scriptures as we look at our Lord that we are commanded to conform to.
When Jesus died, His only possessions were on His back and the soldiers gambled for it because there was
only one item. Jesus said that foxes have dens and birds have nests, but He has nowhere to lay His head.
When the tax collectors came, He had no money to give. It was common for people to hide their money
from the Romans, so to avoid suspicion, Jesus commanded Peter to go fishing and in the first fish there
would be a coin. He gave it to the collectors as a good will gesture. When Jesus dined at the last supper, it
was a borrowed room. When He rode into Jerusalem to fulfill the greatest prophecy in the Old Testament, it
was on a borrowed donkey. When He was born, it was in an innkeeper’s stable. Everything about our
Saviors life was purposefully intended to show humility. The focus was always on the kingdom of God that
we will one day inherit with Him if we follow Him. If we think following Christ guarantees us a ride in a
Rolls Royce, we are following the wrong god.
Look at the apostles. They followed Christ and in doing so sacrificed all. The apostle Paul testified that he
lost everything and those who were faithful were also plundered by their persecutors. In the epistles, he
frequently reminds churches of his own need and asks for someone to bring clothing and provisions. Look
at the other apostle’s lives:
Matthew was slain in Ethiopia.
Mark dragged through the streets until dead.
Peter and Simeon were crucified.
Andrew crucified.
James beheaded.
Philip was crucified.
Bartholomew was crucified, cut down and released. Later he was flayed alive.
Thomas pierced with lances.
James, the less, thrown from the temple and stoned to death.
Jude shot to death with arrows.
Paul was boiled in hot oil and beheaded.
Where is the prosperity of the most faithful in the history of the church? What about the persecuted church
today? Around the world today, persecution challenges the church. In Sudan, over 2 million people have
been slaughtered for the name of Christ. Countless others have been driven from their homes, plundered
and even enslaved. Even in this country, people are denied jobs, promotions or even fired for taking a stand
for Christ. Those persecuted will stand in judgment against those who claim the persecuted are faithless and
God guarantees prosperity to the faithful. The true riches and true prosperity is our inheritance. It is the
promise to come, not the world in which we live. If our promise was here and now, we would truly be fools
if we endured persecution and trials. If trouble is a sign we have fallen into disfavor with God, each of the
apostles were under God’s angry judgment. Who would be able to faithfully and endure hardship if our
only measure of godliness is blessings and worldly success?
Every example of faithfulness in scripture centers around trials. Job was faithful during the darkness of
physical, emotional and spiritual suffering. His friends called him a sinner under judgment, but God called
Job righteous and blameless. In the end, those who condemned Job were condemned by God. God refused
to hear their prayers, but instead required them to come to Job and Job interceded for God’s forgiveness on
their behalf. Joseph was enslaved, imprisoned and tried on severely, yet he was faithful and endured until
the end. God used these hardships to shape Joseph and put him into a position of leadership so he could
deliver his people. Those who never suffer, never learn to trust God and have no depth. The storms of life
will uproot those who expect life to be a painless flow of blessing, but those who trust God will grow roots
deep in their foundation. It is unrealistic to expect a carefree life. Even if it were possible, we would be
shallow as a person, shallow in our faith and shallow in our relationship with God. Our inheritance is not
this life. It is invested through this life and on our foundation of Jesus Christ. Look at Proverbs 11:
18 The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
19 As righteousness leads to life, So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their
ways are His delight.
Our labor is sowing righteousness. The call is from God, it is God’s righteousness, and God produces the
fruit. We are sowing a sure reward that leads to life. Not this life, but the life to come. Those who truly
believe God’s word will sow their lives for the hope of God’s promise. Those who do not believe, sow for
this life alone.
****
To download this message as an Acrobat document, go to
http://www.exchangedlife.com/Sermons/topical/inheritance-2.shtml
****
