God's Reward Program

• The Bible says in II JOHN 8 “LOOK TO YOURSELVES, THAT WE DO NOT LOSE THOSE THINGS WE WORKED FOR, BUT THAT WE MAY RECEIVE A FULL REWARD”

• So let’s keep our hearts pure and our motives right!

• To Diligently Seek the Lord we must Thirdly – Operate in Love

To Diligently seek the Lord we must come believing that he is a rewarder. Too often we approach the Lord with no expectations at all. What are you believing God to do for you this morning? What did you come to Church believing God for? Has to be more than just showing up Sunday after Sunday. What are you seeking the Lord to do for you? The text says we must come believing. God makes it very simple for us.

• All we have to do is come believing

• It doesn’t say we must come with Sacrifices

• It doesn’t say we must come with Beauty

• It doesn’t say we must come with Enticing Words

• It doesn’t say we must come with Wisdom

• It merely states that we must come Believing

Now, some will insist that we should not seek rewards from God, that it somehow makes our faith and our motives impure.

• “Seek His face, not His hand,” they say

• But, to follow that analogy, if you are like me, your hand is not far from your face

• And the same is true of God

• And the author of Hebrews teaches us something different: WE MUST DILIGENTLY SEEK GOD FOR WHO HE IS, BUT WE MUST ALSO BELIEVE THAT HE REWARDS THOSE WHO DO SO

• His hand is not far from His face

• Without that kind of faith, it is impossible to please God

When we desire to draw near to God we must settle in our hearts that he is not an idea or a thought in our hearts. We must believe that –

• He IS the Solution to every Problem

• He IS the Giver of every Good Thing

• That He is the Only True God who Hears, Sees and Cares for us

• That we can trust and believe in His written promises and those that He speaks to our hearts

When we lack this confidence in God it displeases Him. Because His greatest desire is to be believed. We know this through the Greatest Scripture recorded in the Bible - ST. JOHN 3:16 “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELEIVETH IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.”

NOTICE THAT FAITH DOES NOT JUST REQUIRE THAT WE BELIEVE GOD EXISTS BUT ALSO THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THOSE WHO DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM. We are to seek Him, believing that it is in our best interest to do so, that as we diligently seek Him, we receive something in return. The final part we must understand is to answer the question -- ‘What Is The Reward?’

With my –

• Frequent Flier Rewards – I know I get a free upgrade to First Class or Free Flight(s)

• With my IHG Hotel Rewards – I know I get free upgrades or Free Stays

• With my Starbucks Rewards – I know I get free Coffee, Tea, Pastries, whatever I desire

So what is the Reward we read about in our text? What is God’s Reward Program? I believe Paul answers this for us in II TIMOTHY 4:8 “HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, SHALL GIVE ME AT THAT DAY: AND NOT TO ME ONLY, BUT UNTO ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING.”