WILL WE RECEIVE rewards at the judgment seat of Christ?
I CORINTHIANS 10:1-13
I’m glad that Our Salvation is not based on how we live our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-9 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast
The reason I know I’m going to heaven, is not because of what I’ve done but because of what Christ has done for me
John Wycliffe, said; "Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on His sufferings; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by His righteousness. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation. There must be atonement made for sin, according to the righteousness of God.”
Listen as I read todays text found in 1st cor.10:1-13
1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea
3And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4And did all drink the same spiritual drink:-- for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Let me say right here that; under the cloud, speaks of divine guidance and protection.
Passed through the sea, This has reference to divine deliverance.
The term were all baptized, means, the people were immersed in Moses’ authority.
The expression speaks of divine leadership Therefore, they came under the influence of his authority. The reference is not to water baptism.
They all ate of the same spiritual meat. The reference here is to manna, spoken of in Psalm 78:25 as “angels’ food.” This speaks of divine provision.
It was spiritual in the sense that it was supernaturally provided by the Spirit of God. also, And did all drink the same spiritual drink.
The water that was received from the rock was real water. It was spiritual in the sense that it was given through the divine intervention of God.
They drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The rock was a “type” of Christ”
. It prefigured the character and provision that Christ would ultimately make for His people. But also, it is intended to mean that the ultimate supply was Christ and not the rock.
--Well I thought I ought to be clear on those great truths, now lets continue to read the remainder of today’s text here in 1st cor. 10”1-13
5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." [covet, desire]
7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
II. Our Reward IS based on how we live our lives.
A. An individual does not become a Christian by professing to live a sinlessly perfect life, nor does he become a Christian by making a promise to be perfect but rather by accepting what Jesus Christ has done for him.
However, once a person does accept Christ, according to I John, he does not habitually practice sin.
2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
James 1:12 12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: [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."
Revelation 22:12 "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
. Many of us will miss the crown because of the way we live our lives.
A. Verse 5 - "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness."
We are now in the wilderness of the temptations of the world.
1. Verse 6 - "we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted."
Lust = "strong desire"
Numbers 11:4-6 4And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes
It is possible for Christians to fall by getting their eyes focused on the wrong perspectives.
Psalms 73:1-3 "A Psalm of Asaph. Truly, God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."
Mark 4:18-19And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. "
It seems as though our wants are endless."
1 Timothy 6:6-9 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. [8] And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. [9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."
And then the word “ Idolatry”
Verse 7 - "Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
Exodus 32:1-5 "And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD."
"We usually think of an idol as a religious figure carved out of wood or stone, and then in some primitive tribe far removed from civilization.
But we have our "idols" today, because an idol is anything that you worship in place of the living God. Some people worship the idol of beauty or sexual pleasure. Some people worship the idol of money and security... Some people worship at the shrine of power."
"Whatever a man seeks, honors, or exalts more than God, this is the god of his idolatry."
6. The sin of idolatry that plagues the modern world is a "me first" attitude that gives God the leftovers in our life. - D. Immorality
Verse 8 - "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand."
Numbers 25:1 "And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab."
Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
It seems that what one-generation accepts in moderation, the next will accept in excess
Tempting Christ
Verse 9 - "Neither let us tempt (try the patience of) Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents."
Tempt = try the patience of
Numbers 21:4-5 "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.--
n [5] And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, “Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread."
They felt that God and His leader Moses demanded and expected too much and they longed for the things of their former life in Egypt.
Hebrews 3:8-9 "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: [9] When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years."
n The believer can be too demanding of God. He can presume upon the goodness of God almost to the point of daring God to judge him.
n Murmuring and Complaining
. Verse 10 - "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."
Numbers 14:27-32 "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. [28] Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: [29] Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, [30] Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. [31] But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. [32] But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness."
It is so much easier to fix blame than to fix the problems.
Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings:"
It is said that two kinds of birds fly over the California deserts: the hummingbird and the vulture. All the vulture can see is rotting meat, because that is all he looks for. He thrives on that diet. But the hummingbird ignores the carcasses and the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, he looks for the tiny blossoms of the cactus flowers. He buzzes around until he finds the colorful blooms almost hidden from view by the rocks. Each bird finds what it is looking for.
n What are we looking for? Better still, what are we finding? What we are finding tells what we’re really looking for.
n
1 Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
