Heaven 1 Remorse and Rewards
- Read Revelation 21:1-7
Driving to Memphis and back, the Lord gave me a number of points about heaven I believe He wants me to cover. Funny, I don’t usually alliterate, but almost all of the points He gave me at the time begin with the letter R, and this morning I would like to cover 2 of those R’s with you.
First, verse 4 of the passage before us this morning says that God will wipe away all of their tears.
Can you imagine? A time when there will be no more tears? He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
He will wipe away our tears, the tears caused by death. The tears caused by grief. What a joyous time that will be when He wins away every tear. I’m looking forward to that time. I’m looking forward to that day, when our heavenly Father wipes away all of our tears. Oh, but between now and then, before He wipes away those tears, there will be some events which cause our tears to flow in the first place, and one of the reasons I believe He will need to wipe away our tears, is because between now and then there is going to be a time of regret. There is going to be a time of remorse.
Some people have the mistaken idea that when we get to heaven that everyone will be the same. That heaven will be some kind of communist utopia where everyone is the same and everyone has the same thing, and everyone functions just the same. Nothing could further from the truth.
Do you remember when John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned? Not very long before he was beheaded, John sent a couple of messengers to Jesus to ask if He was the One to come or if he should look for someone else?
Jesus responded by praising John the Baptist. Jesus talked about what a great guy he was, and then Jesus said, in verse 28, “I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
He who is least in the kingdom of God. Evidently, in heaven, we will not all be the same. We will have different responsibilities. We will have different rewards, which I will cover in a few minutes, but we will also have different regrets, which cause us to cry in the first place, which cause tears the Father will have to wipe away.
Turn with me please to the book of Romans. Romans chapter. Romans chapter 14 and beginning in verse 10.
- Read Romans 14:10-12
Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Each of us will giver an account of himself to God.
Turn to someone new you and tell him, “You will give an account to God.” Each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Listen my friend. What I am about to say is very important. I want you to understand this very clearly. Are you listening? If you are listening say amen. “What you do in this life is going to affect you for all of eternity. What you do in this life is going to impact you for all eternity.”
How many of you, after finishing school, wished to had paid more attention and learned more? How many of you wish you had made some better financial decisions earlier in your life because of some of the consequences you are having to deal with today?
How many of you wish you had made better decisions about some relationships earlier in your life, because of the impact those relationships and friendships have made on your life?
I believe most of us have some things we wish we could undo or redo because of the impact those decisions have made on us for the remainder of our lives.
What I want you to understand this morning is that, the things you do in this life, and the decisions you make in this life, and the priorities you have in this life are going to follow you all eternity.
There are no do overs. This life, however long or short it may be, is just preparation for what is coming next and the decisions you make right now, the priorities you have every day are going to have an impact on your life for all eternity.
Is heaven going to great? Yes.
> 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows— was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak.
Paul says, Heaven is so great that the words to describe it are inexpressible.
> 1 Corinthians 2:9 What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,?and no human heart has conceived—God has prepared these things for those who love him.
Paul says, heaven is so great that it is beyond your imagination. You cannot even dream up how great heaven is, but, my friend, we will not all be the same in heaven and what you do now will impact you for all eternity, for when we get to heaven we will have to give an account of ourselves to God and I believe, on that day we will experience, Here is your first R.” We will experience regret, or remorse.
I. WE WILL EXPERIENCE REGRET
We will experience regret, which will cause tears the Father will need to wipe away.
When we stand before the Father, what types of things will we have to give an account for? Well, we’re going to have to give an account for the things we have said.
1. Our speech
In Matthew 12, Jesus has been teaching, and healing and performing miracles. The Pharisees confront him, because they doin’t like His teachings, nor that He’s getting a bunch of attention. They end up accusing Him of having a demon. So, confronting the Pharisees He says, beginning in verse 33;
> Matthew 12:33-36 “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad[i] and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Did you see that? We will have to give an account for our speech. We will have to give an account for the things we say and the way we use our speech.
We will have to give an account for our coarse joking and language.
> Ephesians 5:4-5 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
We will give an account of our honesty.
> Matthew 5:33-37“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors,You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.
Anything more than this is from the evil one. Why? Because Jesus tells us the Devil is a liar and the father of lies and when we are dishonest we are speaking the Devil’s language.
We are to be encouraging to one another.
> 1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
We will give an account of our speech. Let me ask you my friend, Are you encouraging those around you? Do they feel better about themselves and closer to the Lord for having been around you?
We will give an account for how we use our speech.
Second, we will give an account for how we use our resources.
2. Resources
> Matthew 6:19-21 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures[i] on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
People say, “You can’t take it with you.” That may be true, but you can send it ahead.”
The story is told of a man who went to heaven and St. Peter was showing him around. He was showing him house after house and mansion after mansion. Finally, the man gets to his place and he asks St. Peter why is house is so small while others mansions are so much bigger. St. Peter answers, “You didn’t send much up for us to build with.”
Now, I don’t believe our mansions are going to be dependent on what we send up, but it is true that how we handle the resources the Lord gives us, will make an impact on what heaven will be like for us.
And we need to remember, when it comes to your resources, God doesn’t look at the outside, He judges by our hearts.
Turn with me please to Mark 12. Mark 12 and verse 44.
- Read Mark 12:41-44
Jesus looked at everything going on at the temple and said, “This woman has the right heart and the right attitude.”
> 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 The point is this:The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. As it is written: He distributed freely; he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”
We will experience regret over our speech. We will experience regrets over our resources. We will experience regret over our time.
3. Time
> Ephesians 5:15-17 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
We are told to be wise and make the most of our time. King James calls it, “Redeeming your time.”
We are only given a certain amount of time in this life. Some people get a lot of time, others very little. But regardless of how much time we are given, we are all called to make the most of the time that is given to us.
You remember that old saying, “We’re given one life. It will soon be passed. Only what we do for Christ will last.”
I am grateful the Lord gives us opportunities for hobbies and relaxation. I remember a while back, I was just exhausted, so I turned on some mindless program on TV. I didn’t want to think about anything. I didn’t want to make any decisions. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I was tired and I was peopled out so I just vegged for a while. There is nothing wrong with that from time to time.
> Psalm 127:1-2Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food— yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.
God intended for us to rest. He set aside 1 day in 7 for us to rest and worship. But, He has also called us to make the most of the time and opportunities He gives us.
Everyone should have a ministry and mission. A ministry, someway to serve the church and the people in the church; and a mission, some way they are impacting their neighbors and the community for Christ.
Can you imagine having to come face-to-face with the reality that in spite of our claims that there are only 2 options, 2 places where people will spend eternity, can you imagine our regret when we see the number of opportunities we missed to witness to someone? Can you imagine our regrets when we get a flashback of setting a high score on a video game, but not taking time to pray?
Can you imagine the regrets we will have when we see all of the time we spent reading the paper or watching the news, and realize that on that same day we couldn’t find time to read our Bibles?
We will experience regret over the way we have used our speech, our resources and our time. And by the way, teachers and preachers will be judged even more closely.
4. Preachers and teachers.
- James 3:1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.
Oh, if that isn’t disturbing enough.
> Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
They keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account,
That is a frightening thought, that one day I will have to give an account to God for the way I taught you, served you and prayed for you.
The story is told of a young preacher who came to Charles Spurgeon complaining about how small the church was he was pastoring. Spurgeon asked him what size the church ws he was pastoring? The young preacher answered, “50”. Spurgeon replied, “That is more than you will want to give and account for one day.”
I believe there will be tears in heaven because when we first get there and look back over our lives, there are going to be some regrets.
But, praise the Lord, once the Lord wipes away our tears because of our regrets, there will also be rewards! Turn to someone near you and tell them, “There are going to be rewards in heaven.”
Rewards in heaven? You’re kidding me. You mean there is more to heaven than just heaven?
Oh yes. There is much more. In heaven God’s children can have rewards. In heaven we will experience regret, but praise the Lord, in heaven we will also receive rewards.
II. WE WILL RECEIVE REWARDS
All right Gene, if there are rewards, what kind of rewards are there? Well, first off we can earn crowns.
1. Crowns - There are 5 crowns mentioned in the Bible that believers can earn. The word translated in our Bibles as crowns is the Greek word, Stephanos, and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.” Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament of the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 best defines for us how these crowns are awarded.
- Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
An imperishable crown. A crown that never fades. A badge, a mark of honor and distinction. There are 5 of these mentioned in the Bible for believers.
1) Victor’s crown, mentioned 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. This crown is available for those believers who are self-disciplined. Those who exercise self-control. It is awarded to those who can say “no” not only to sin, but to other good things that Christ has not called them to do. The victor’s crown.
2) Crown of Rejoicing - The crown of rejoicing is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:19. This crown is for those who bring other people to Christ and for that reason it is often called the soul-winners crown.
The victor’s crown for those who are disciplined. The Crown of Rejoicing for those who are soul-winners. Third, there is the Crown of Righteousness.
3) Crown of Righteousness - 2 Timothy 4:8. Some believers get so wrapped up in life here, and about their stuff here, that they seldom if ever think about heaven or the life to come. This crown is not for them., This crown is for those who long for heaven, and who long to see their Savior’s face.
Forth, there is the
4) Crown of Life - James 1:12, Revelation 2:10
This crown is awarded to those believers who maintain their love for Christ while triumphing over persecution, temptation, and even martyrdom. Any believer who has kept their faith when it was costly, can earn this crown,
5) Crown of Glory - 1 Peter 5:4
This crown is given to faithful shepherds of God’s people. That would be preachers, missionaries, elders, deacons, Sunday School teachers, ministry team leaders. It is a reward for those who have answered the call to leadership.
Some of ya’ll recently attended graduation for friends, or children, or grandchildren. You remember the ropes some of the young people wore indicating what clubs they were in or what honors they received? Kinda neat, huh?
Now, imagine being in heaven and for all eternity being able to wear a crown, a badge of honor, signifying what you did, how you served, and how faithful you were to Christ while living this life.
I remember when I was in FFA. I remember how proud I was when I won different levels of membership and was able to wear the pins indicating that I was a Greenland, or a chapter farmer, or a state farmer.
Or you watch kids in different forms of martial arts, wearing their different color belts signifying their degrees of accomplishment.
Paul says, don’t settle for also running. Strive to win the prize. Strive to earn the crown.
We received crowns as rewards. But there are other rewards to can receive as well. I’m not sure exactly what these are or how they are displayed, but I can tell you how they are earned.
2. Reward for ministry - Matthew 10:40-42
> Matthew 10:40-42 “The one who welcomes you welcomes me, and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
When you serve other people, in Jesus name, representing Him, Jesus says you will receive a reward.
3. Reward for serving.
> 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder,[d] and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.
If you are teaching, ministering, working to serve or build the Kingdom of God, there is a reward, as long as you are doing so with the right heart and the right attitude.
> Matthew 6:1-4
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness[a] in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
There are rewards for being faithful servants of Christ, and those rewards go with us through all eternity.
CONCLUSION
Apple computer first offered stock for sale to the public on December 12, 1980, at $22 per share. Today, Apple has 1.4 billion active users around the world, 137,000 employees, and $260 billion in annual revenue.
Since Apple stock was first offered, the stock has split 3 times at 2 for 1 and one split at 7 to 1. If you had bought just one share of Apple, you would own 56 shares today after the stock splits. Those shares would be worth $14,896 at the current price of $266 per share.
A $100 investment would have purchased 4.54 shares at the IPO price. After the stock splits, you would now be the lucky owner of 254 shares of Apple, which would currently have a value of $67,564.
We look back at missed opportunities. We think would’a, could’a, should’a. If I had only.
My friends, I want you to know that heaven is going to be so spectacular that it will be beyond anything you can imagine, but I also say this, what you do today, why you do in this life, the people you witness to, the times you turn the other cheek, the times you give and serve, and pray, and refuse to compromise, they will all impact your life for all eternity, for when we get to heaven there will be regrets and there will be rewards.
Only one life, it will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.
