THE ABUNDANCE OF OUR GREAT REWARDS
This morning we continue our series on eternal rewards with today’s message, “The Abundance of Our Great Rewards.” What you are about to hear today is truly exciting, and I hope it will whet your appetite to live for eternity and cause you to leap with joy when you realize the awesome rewards God has in store for us in His future kingdom.
Let’s stand together and open your Bible to Matthew 25:21. Jesus said…
Matthew 25:21 ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ NKJV
ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD
In this fascinating scripture, Jesus reveals for those who are faithful to Him, God has reserved treasures and rewards that are so vast they are impossible to fathom.
Hear again Jesus words when He says, “Enter into the joy of your lord.”
There is nothing on earth that compares to the joy of what God has in store for us. At this very moment God is preparing a future kingdom of eternal joy that will ultimately surpass anything we can ever possibly imagine. The treasures of heaven are so great that Paul said…
1 Corinthians 2:9 Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” NKJV
THE ABUNDANCE OF OUR REWARDS
God says… No eye has seen… No ear has heard… Nor is it even possible to capture the full wonder of what God has prepared for us. The depth of what God has in store for us in His kingdom is beyond super amazing. I am so looking forward to that day!
Picture in your mind that our God, is the awesome God of not just heaven and earth, but of the entire universe. See in your mind that His ability to create is infinite and unlimited. And then realize that what He is creating for us at this very moment is so great, that all the supercomputers of the world working 24/7 could never calculate their eternal worth.
In God’s kingdom of glory, we will fully experience His gift of eternal life, which I believe is the smallest gift of heaven, because it’s your ticket into the front door. In addition to eternal life, we will experience rewards and treasures, along with a peace and joy that passes all understanding. And then, above and beyond all of these wonderful things, God is also creating for us a new heaven and a new earth that will absolutely dazzle our minds.
With that fantastic picture in mind, listen to these powerful words from Ephesians 3:20.
Ephesians 3:20 Now (to Him) who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (which is Jesus Christ) … NKJV
I have used this scripture many times in prayer, but the Lord has shown me this scripture is also a picture of how God plans to dish out the rewards of heaven that are so rich and so vast they are exceedingly, abundantly above ALL we could ask or think.
Get that picture in your mind. The rewards of eternity are so indescribable, that God joined together two descriptive words, exceedingly abundantly, so that even IF… IF… you could go to the ultimate limit of what you think God will give to those who love Him, then know that you have not even scratched the surface of His exceedingly abundant ability to reward those who love Him with great rewards, that are beyond measure.
This is exactly why Paul said… Eye has not seen… nor have entered into the heart of man… the mind-bending, indescribable, unbelievable, inexpressible things of the glory and wonder that God has prepared for those who love Him. The rewards and treasures of heaven are so abundant and so exceedingly amazing that God had to create a whole new heaven and a whole new earth to fit it all in. Glory to God!
OUR ENTRANCE INTO THE KINGDOM
Compare that with Peter’s words when he spoke about the abundance of our rewards.
2 Peter 1:11 …an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly (how much?) into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. NKJV
Have you ever given thought about what your entrance into eternity will be like? Upon our entrance into God’s kingdom, we will be overrun with the richness of God’s love; we will be overwhelmed by His matchless grace, His endless glory, and an abundance of rewards so enormous in measure they stagger the mind. Not only are they abundant, but our rewards are unending and eternal which means they will never, never, never… run out!
All of us are headed for eternity, and for those who love Jesus Christ, there is an abundance of rewards so unspeakable, they are exceedingly abundantly beyond our ability to grasp.
When I think of what awaits us in eternity, I am reminded of what I read just this past week in Job 9:10 that says … God’s wonders are without number. Think about that…
The blessings of what God has for us in eternity are so exceedingly abundant they cannot be numbered. That’s what God has in store for those who love Him.
Our entrance into heaven’s glory will be so amazing, Jesus said… Luke 6:23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven… NKJV
When Jesus Christ, rewards us, He will reward us with rewards and treasures, and crowns of glory, that are so exceedingly abundantly beyond our imagination, that our hearts will explode with unspeakable joy. But… there is a critical point here that we must not miss.
The rewards of eternity are abundant and exceedingly great. Some of them are ours as a part of our glorious inheritance, such as the gift of eternal life. But the greatest rewards that are absolutely mind bending are based on how we live for Jesus Christ.
REWARDS FOR THE FAITHFUL
I think everyone will receive some type of reward, and they will be mind-bending and glorious. But the greatest rewards that are exceedingly abundantly beyond anything we can imagine are reserved for those who overcome and are faithful to Jesus Christ.
For example, one of the greatest rewards is look into the eyes of Jesus and know that your life was pleasing to Him, and then… to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
This is one of the greatest rewards because with this reward, comes the great treasure of ruling and reigning with Jesus in His Kingdom. I want that!
Faithfulness that overcomes the world leads to great rewards and treasures in heaven. If you remember only one thing in this series, remember how important it is to be faithful.
Your faithfulness to Christ is the main centerpiece regarding eternal rewards. To hear Him rejoice over you because of your faithfulness, will be exceedingly abundantly greater than anything you
can imagine. But… you must choose to be faithful.
God loves faithfulness, and no matter how small the deed is, He will always, always reward those who are faithful.
Your faithfulness to Jesus Christ will have a huge impact in eternity. Your faithfulness is the difference between few rewards and great rewards that are exceedingly abundantly beyond measure. The Bible makes it very clear that faithfulness is not based on ability or education or skill. The great rewards of heaven are not based on a person’s ability to memorize scripture or to stand in front of people and preach.
God is not looking for those with great talent. He is looking for those who are faithful.
No matter how small or insignificant a deed may be, God honors faithfulness and He will reward you with exceedingly abundant rewards for your faithfulness to Him.
Jesus gives a beautiful picture of this in Mark 9:41 when He said…
Mark 9:41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. NKJV
Jesus says that even the smallest and most insignificant gesture you do for the kingdom of God such as giving a cup of water is never forgotten by God. No gift of love or kindness done in His name is too small. He sees your prayers, your encouragement, your gift of love, your financial support; and all that you do for others to honor Christ. He sees everything, and He will reward every single act of faithfulness no matter how small. And then He says… you will by no means lose your reward. In other words, it is a guarantee.
Think about this… if Jesus will abundantly exceedingly reward us for an act as small the giving of a cup of water, how much greater will He rewards us if we are faithful to Him in all we do.
FAITHFUL INVESTING IN KINGDOM MINISTRIES
That brings us to this point. Last week I showed you how faithfulness in acknowledging Christ, and remaining faithful in persecution brings great rewards. Now, I want to show you two other acts of faithfulness that also bring great rewards.
First, from Matthew 10:41…
Matthew 10:41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s
reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. NKJV
This reward is astounding. A prophet and a righteous man are both considered messengers of God. Jesus says when we receive and support God’s messengers with our love and prayers, we will receive the same reward of a prophet. How does that work?
A prophet is similar to an evangelist, or a missionary. A righteous man is similar to a pastor who preaches and teaches the word of God. Jesus knew that most of us would not have the opportunity, or the ability to be an evangelist or the pastor of a large ministry. However, out of His marvelous grace, He has provided a way for all of us to share in a ministry and receive the same great rewards of a great prophet and or a righteous man.
When you faithfully give to a ministry your tithe and prayers as if you were giving to the Lord, Jesus says you will be rewarded the same reward of an evangelist who faithfully won multitudes to Christ. Jesus says, your gifts and prayers in support of that ministry, no matter how small, will be remembered in heaven, with great rewards. That’s why your giving is so important. I believe there will be lots of ordinary people who will reap exceedingly abundant rewards because they faithfully gave to the Lord by investing in His Kingdom.
For example, when you give to this church, you are doing more than just paying the preacher and the light bill. That in itself is a faithful thing that God will greatly reward. But, in addition, when you faithfully give to this church, you are literally investing in God’s kingdom that fulfill Jesus words in Matthew 10 that will reap great rewards that are exceedingly abundantly beyond anything you can imagine. How is that possible?
Remember, Jesus said by ministering to a prophet or a righteous man, we can receive the same reward they will receive. Again, how is that possible… Let give you this perfect example…
In faithfulness to the Lord, this church has chosen to invest in several ministries for the glory of God. And by faithfully giving to God through these ministries, we are storing up treasures in heaven that are exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ever possibly imagine.
These ministries include…
First Choice which is a pregnancy center to help women avoid abortions.
Samaritan’s Purse which clearly has a worldwide impact for Christ
Ezra International which helps the Jewish people return Israel
Open Doors which is a worldwide ministry to help persecuted believers.
The Joshua Foundation is directed to blessing the Jewish people and winning them to Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ – College ministry to reach college students for Christ
Printing of Bibles in several languages to reach the world for Christ
Here’s the clincher… By giving to the ministry of this church and to these other ministries, and praying for their success, we are making eternal investments that will reap great rewards that are exceedingly abundantly beyond all we could ask or think. That means the success of these ministries is your success for great eternal rewards.
The reward for faithfulness is so important, that Jesus says our smallest gift to even the smallest ministry, will not lose its reward. Are you hearing this church? Do you understand?
FAITHFULNESS IN THE LITTLE THINGS
Another act of faithfulness that brings great reward is our faithfulness in the little things.
Jesus said… Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? NKJV
God is looking for faithfulness in all that we do, including the little things, and especially for those who are faithful when no one is looking. Jesus said…
If you are not trustworthy with the little that God has given you here on earth, God will not trust you with the special responsibilities of eternity. The meaning is, if you are not faithful in the little things, He will not reward you with exceedingly and abundantly greater things.
The point is, we need the wisdom to use our God given opportunities and find a way to transform them into the permanent treasures of heaven. Someday on the other side of eternity, you will meet the very people whose lives were touched and transformed because you had the faith to trust God
with your giving.
Erwin Lutzer tells the beautiful story of a European princess who became a believer in Christ. One day she saw a street full of homeless children. It broke her heart and she very much wanted to start an orphanage for them, but since she was not in control of her estate, she did not have any money of her own. She asked her husband if she could sell the jewels, he had given her, to start an orphanage. At first, he didn’t like the idea, but he finally gave in. She sold the jewels for a large sum of money and used it to build the orphanage. The children came to the new home where they were cared for and loved. They were taught the Bible, sang songs, and went to school.
One day she came home from the orphanage with tears in her eyes and she told her husband I have found my jewels. Every time I look into the eyes of those children, I see my real jewels. The point is, she took her earthly jewels that had no eternal value and transformed them in a way they could be used for the eternal glory of God. One day, when she stands before Christ at His judgment seat, He will reveal the true value of the jewels she gave for the glory of His kingdom. I believe she will be rewarded with exceedingly abundant rewards.
Anything you invest in the kingdom of God, no matter how small, is never lost and its value never drops. The treasures of this world are nothing compared to the exceedingly abundant treasures of heaven. One day, every dollar, every piece of gold, and silver, and every diamond will lose all its value and fade away forever. But if you will wisely take what God has given you, and place it in God’s hands, you will one day find your true riches are waiting for you in the treasure vaults of heaven.
Jim Elliott who was martyred as a missionary in Ecuador once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Faithfulness is important, and to hear Jesus say, because you were faithful in a few things, He will put you in charge of many things will be one of the exceedingly abundant rewards of heaven.
IN CLOSING
The prophetic signs tell us the return of Jesus Christ is drawing closer and closer. And upon His return, He will reward each of us according to our works of faithfulness. We are fast running out of time to do the Lord’s will.
God promises to reward every act of faithfulness no matter how small. Right now, is the best and only time you have to live a faithful life for Jesus Christ that brings great rewards that are abundantly exceedingly beyond all that we can ask or think. If you desire a great entrance into heaven that brings great rewards, then you must commit to faithful living.
Finally, the great rewards of heaven are only for those who are in Jesus Christ. To be in Jesus Christ means that you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and you must believe in Him as your Savior and the only way of Salvation.
If you have never made a decision to trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life, then I pray you will heed these words from Romans 10…
Romans 10:9 if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. NKJV
