Title: The Judgement Seat Of Christ
Text: I Cor 3:9-15; II Cor 5:10 and Rom 14:10
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Introduction:
- The Bible teaches that one day all believers will stand and give an account at the Judgement Seat Of Christ. What is the Judgement Seat Of Christ?
- It’ the event immediately following the rapture of the church.
- When Christ returns to take us home, the Bible says the judgement seat of Christ will take place in order to hand out rewards and to judge our motives while here on earth.
- Believers must give an account of their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to God and of their motives for service.
- The results of that judgement will be different for all of us here tonight.
- There will either be gain or loss of joy.
- How we live on earth now will determine our position, rewards, tasks and authority in Heaven.
- This should create in us all the fear of the Lord, but also to live with an eternal perspective right now.
- What will it be like? Who will be there? Who will be my judge?
- As destruction is happening on the face of the earth, what is taking place with the church in Heaven?
- I like this quote from James Denney who explains what it will be like for the Christian, he said:
It is Christians only who are in view here. All that we have hidden shall be revealed. The things we have done in the body will come back to us, whether good or bad. Every pious thought, and every thought of sin; every secret prayer, and every secret curse; every unknown deed of charity, and every hidden deed of selfishness; we will see them all again, and though we have not remembered them for years, and perhaps have forgotten them altogether, we shall have to acknowledge that they are our own. Is not that a solemn thing to stand at the end of life?
James Denney, 1856-1917.
- So this evening we are going to look at the Judgement Seat Of Christ in two ways:
A. First we are going to establish what good works mean and doing works with wrong motives mean
B. Second we are going see what crowns are available to the Christian because of faithfully living for the Lord so lets go!
- In I Cor 3:12 it says, “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.”
- According to this scripture, the works we do will bring us something, the question is what will it bring us.
- To guarantee on Judgement day that we get rewards, we need to know what constitutes a good work.
- The following are some possibilities in scripture.
Work #1 - Being A Witness For The Lord
Matt 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.”
- We are too live out the Bible before people.
- We need to let our light shine before all men. Christ needs to make a difference in our lives.
- To many people in the church are living as though Christ has not made a difference.
- They are still miserable and worldly, and the world looks at the church sometimes and says to themselves and don’t want none of that.
- Christ is to be alive and well in the believers life, because He has changed us.
- Or has He changed us? We can’t let our light shine before all men if Christ hasn’t changed us.
- We represent the Lord to a world that, for the most part, does not know Him.
- We must live a pure life and be a consistent witness for the Lord, that would constitute a good work.
Work #2 - Worship
Matt 26:10 says, “Aware of this, Jesus said to them, Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.”
- This woman anointed the Head of Jesus as an act of worship to her Lord.
- Worship are actions and attitudes that revere and honor the worthiness of God.
- Worship is God centered not man centered.
- In worship God we draw near in thanksgiving for what He has done for us in Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
- Worship involves many aspects of life: It involves prayer, singing, confession of sin, giving, reading of scripture.
- Mary was worshiping God and showing her gratitude for all that Jesus had done for her.
- And to God that’s a good work.
- We accomplish this by being faithful to God.
- Going to church, having devotions, prayer for one another and counting it joy when people are being blessed by God.
Work # 3 - Being A Generous Person
I Tim 6:18 says, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
- This can be a hard one for some Christians.
- Having a attitude of generosity is that which is the good work.
- Do you like to share? Do you like to give?
- Some people don’t like to share in anything.
- But I think the big area for Christians is in the ministry.
- We see it in all aspects of denominations and fellowships. There is a competitiveness with churches of different denominations that we fail to miss the final goal.
- We should rejoice when churches are growing and being blessed of God but rather some don’t.
- Jealousy and envy can creep into the church and rather the focus being on ministry and God, it’s well I can do that to, why I’m I not being used.
- If we have the wrong attitude or motivation, our so called generosity is not a good deed.
- Do you rejoice with those who are blessed of the Lord?
- Do you want to see your fellow Christian prosper?
- What is your motivation for giving? Is it for control, power? Or is it to see the work of Christ go forward?
- Also we need to understand that Jesus made it clear that nothing is too small to be considered a good work.
- Matt 10:42 says, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
- Anything done for the glory of God, whether in kind words, holding the door will receive a reward.
- Anything done with the right attitude and motive will receive a reward.
- In I Cor 3:12 these deeds are described as gold, silver, and precious stones.
Works With The Wrong Motives:
- So what are works with the wrong motives?
- They are doing all the good works that we just mentioned with the intention of pleasing man.
Matt 6:2 says, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”
- When you stand before God, your motives, not how much you did on earth, will be tried by fire.
- If your motive was less than pure, it will be consumed by fire.
- If your motive was pure, it will be like gold, silver and precious stone.
- So doing works or deeds with the wrong motive and that being pleasing man, are the wood, hay, and straw mentioned in our text. They will not survive the test of the fire.
- Listen to this poem that is entitled, When I Stand at the Judgment Seat.
When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ
And He shows me His plan for me;
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see
How I blocked Him here and I checked Him there
And I would not yield my will,
Shall I see grief in my Savior’s eyes;
Grief though He loves me still?
Oh, He’d have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While my memory runs like a hunted thing
Down the paths I can’t retrace.
Then my desolate heart will well-nigh break
With tears that I cannot shed.
I’ll cover my face with my empty hands
And bow my uncrowned head.
No. Lord of the years that are left to me
I yield them to Thy hand.
Take me, make me, mold me
To the pattern Thou hast planned.
The Judgment seat “is meant for us professing Christians, real and imperfect Christians; and it tells us that there are degrees in that future blessedness proportioned to present faithfulness.”
- Alexander Maclaren, 1826-1910.
- There are two great enemies to the Christian that we all need to take heed to and they are: Selfishness and Laziness. They will rob us of eternal rewards..
Closing:
- In closing this evening I ask this question, what kinds of rewards will you receive when you are judged?
- In scripture we find mentioned 5 different crowns reserved for those who are faithful to do God’s work. They are:
Crown 1: Incorruptible Crown
I Cor 9:27 says, “No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
- Are reserved for those who have purged themselves from the pleasures of the world in order to be profitable in the service of the Lord.
Crown 2: Crown Of Life
Rev 2:10 says, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
- Reserved for those who suffer injustices in the world and who are treated unfairly.
- Those who suffered much yet endured with a sweet spirit will be given the crown of life.
Crown 3: Crown Of Glory
I Peter 5:1,4 says, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed....vs 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
- It is reserved for those who have given there lives to the teaching of God’s Word.
- Bear in mind that it must be done for His glory and not ours.
Crown 4: Crown Of Righteousness
II Tim 4;8 says, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”
- A special crown for those who inspired by the return of Christ, lived a righteous and holy life.
- When we know that Jesus is about to return it has a purifying effect on all believers.
Crown 5: Crown Of Rejoicing
I Thess 2:19 says, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
- This crown is reserved for those who have devoted their primary attention to the salvation of lost souls.
- We need to understand something tonight, we are now earning our position of service for Christ during the Millennium.
- Knowing this should give us more incentive to pursue more lasting heights of Christian service.
Lets Pray!!!
