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Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty. Oh, the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful, the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the light of all the sea. Higher than the thousands, walking like the fountain, all sufficient grace to reign in me. Rather than the scope of my transgressions, wherefore the law must end in shame. O magnify the precious name of Jesus. Praise his name. The wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most divine. Life's transforming power, making God's dear child. The purchase in peace and heaven, war of eternity. And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful, the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea. Higher than the mountains, walking like the fountain, all sufficient grace to reign in me. Rather than the scope of my transgressions, wherefore the law must end in shame. O magnify the precious name of Jesus. Praise his name. Amen. Let's turn to our next song, song 162. Song 162, truth God be the glory. Song 162. Are you going to sing the song of the first? Truth God be the glory, great things we have done. So lovely the world that he gave us his son. To yield his life and his own for sin, and open the life being that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done. O first in redemption, the purchase of love, to every believer, the promise from God, the vilest offender who truly believes. And going from Jesus, the pardon he saves. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done. Great things he hath done, and we are rejoicing through Jesus the Son. Let sure and higher and greater we'll be, our wonder, our transport, praise Jesus we sing. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. O come to the Father through Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done. Amen. Alright, great singing this morning. It's good to have you all here with us at Stronghold Baptist Church. At this time we're going to go through our announcements. If you only have a bulletin, slip your hand up real high and one of our ushers will get to you with a bulletin and as soon as you get those you can open up to the first page. You will see our service time is listed there as always Sunday morning at 1030, Sunday evening again at 5 p.m. Wednesday night 7 is our Bible study. We will be studying through Psalm 73 this week. Soul winning opportunities are listed there as well as the salvations and the baptisms for the month of September as well as for the year. If there's any salvation numbers to report for the week, they haven't been counted yet. Just slip your hand up real quick. We'll just get those counted up. Yes, sir. Yesterday. Great. Friday. Amen. Anyone else? A week ago Sunday? Alright, cool. Thanks. Perfect. Alright, very good. Keep up the good work preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you're visiting here, if you're new to our church, if you don't, one thing that I definitely want to make sure we get across to you is the main primary thrust and focus of this church is preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature. We go out and we attempt to get in conversation with people and preach the gospel and show people how they could be saved from the Bible. That is the most important thing that we could be doing and that is what our main focus is here as a church. So if you're interested in that you could stick around. We got a soul winning time this afternoon at 1 30. You don't have to do anything really just other than show up. You could come along with us. You could be a silent partner and see how we open up our Bibles talk to people. We only talk to people who are interested so you don't have to worry about that. We're not trying to force anything on anybody. It's literally just engaging in conversation with people who are open to talking and those that want to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. We show them how to be saved. It's a it's a great opportunity. It is part of the Great Commission to go forth and preach the gospel to every creature and unfortunately churches are lacking in that duty and that responsibility these days. So get involved and you don't have to be a Bible expert. All you have to do is be saved. So if you know for sure that you're saved come join us and show other people how they could be saved too. And if you are not certain if you're saved today, then talk to myself talk to one of our ushers after church and we can show you how you can know 100% for sure that you can be saved or that you are saved. So all right continuing on here. We got the offering totals listed through the month of September on the page down there prayer requests. Of course, we added Mrs. Bostic to our prayer list as she's with child. So it's very exciting news. They're happy to hear that. I always like adding people to prayer requests when we pray for good things like that. Unfortunately, we have a lot of people who have a lot of serious issues going on in their life that we're also praying for I don't have anything really to update. Does anyone have any updates? Excuse me for those who are on the prayer list right now anything new to update. All right. Well, don't forget to take these home with you or take a screenshot take a shot a picture of it photo on your on your phone or something so you can have this list with you and and be in prayer. There's a lot of people who are in very bad condition, especially some of those are struggling with cancer. We know that Mr. Levy is not doing well at all. So please be an extra prayer for him and then yeah, there's a lot of people who are suffering and a lot of different ways. So please please please take this home with you and pray for the people on our list on the next page. We are going to be wrapping up the month of September this week Saturday is the last day of September which is our church attendance challenge. So the goal was to get in to the church service every time there is a service. So we've got services Sunday morning Sunday evening Wednesday night and the challenge was to be here for all those church services church attendance is important and again, if you're just visiting our evening service is not the same as our morning service the same format different sermon preach different song sung. So it is it is a separate service but encourage you to to take part in our challenge, even if you missed the beginning of the month take part of the spirit of our challenge and get into church for all the services and then next Sunday is a new month. It's October 1st and we'll be starting our October challenge which is first time visitor challenge. So try to talk to people and all these challenges. Are geared to remind us to be doing things that we ought to be doing on a regular basis anyways, so coming to church. We ought to come to church reading our Bible praying preaching the gospel all these various things that we do throughout the year. We kind of focus and we challenge ourselves may push yourself a little bit more than usual, but it's part of the other part of another part of Great Commission is getting people not just saved but baptized and instructed and disciples in Christ. So bringing people to church getting them plugged in explain why you like this church. If you're coming here, I assume you like this church tell other people why you like this church. So whatever whatever it is that appeals to you about our church share that with other people and encourage them to come along and check it out and get plugged in new church plant, of course big news here in Greenville, South Carolina. So just please pray that everything will go well there and you know, we're planning on early 2024 pray. We'll find space and that just everything works out the people hear about the church. They're going to be interested in attending this church get the word out share it on social media. I've already had a bunch of people respond saying that they're going to be attending regularly. So that's pretty cool. And I have a link set up on our website our church website strong old Baptist Church. There's an events tab now that's new. So that wasn't there before now. We have an events tab that has a link to a registration for people who are interested in coming. It'll help us with logistics. It'll help us to plan appropriately. So if you know anyone that might be interested in attending or if you are a member of our church and you come here regularly, but you think you're going to go there regularly then still use that link and just to let me know that that's your intention and that's your plan. The whole point is that we're getting space that's big enough and we have to sign a multi-year lease. So I want to make sure that we have room to grow and we know how big of a place we need to meet for this new church plant. So I know there's many people that travel long distances to come to our church and some of you are from South Carolina. So I would completely understand if you attend that church plant and some of you I'm going to ask to attend that church plant to help get it off the ground and if you're gonna be splitting your time in between that's fine, but I'm mostly interested in people who are going to be going there on a very regular basis. So let me know about that. We've got the Bible memory passage there. We're on week 4 of 12 or memorizing the first roughly half of Hebrews chapter 10 for able to memorize verses 1 through 22 before the 12 weeks expire. You could quote it out loud word perfect to someone else. You'll earn a prize for being able to do that apologize. Don't have the prizes for Hebrews chapter 9 yet, but hopefully they'll be very soon upcoming birthdays and anniversaries are listed there and then on the back of the upcoming events. So we've got the soul winning this Saturday brother Jared's with us again this morning. So brother Jared's right here next to the pillar by the camera if you want to attend this soul winning event with brother Jared just speak to him today after the service make sure he knows you plan on showing up if you're going to that event in Chattanooga, Tennessee, our church will be returning there as a fully sanctioned strong old Baptist Church. Not that this isn't sanctioned but you know one of our full scheduled events in probably the next month or two, but this will be a great opportunity to just go out soul winning and encourage the Jared out there since he lives in Tennessee and they come down and visit regularly. So if you have the time this Saturday speak to him make sure he knows you're coming out there October 6th is our homeschool field trip. We got a sign up sheet up here and then there's another one on November 3rd for a tour of the state Capitol. There's also a sign up sheet for that. So if you're interested in those our homeschool events are free of charge so you don't have to pay anything to go to them. Just we want to know that you plan on attending. There's some meals included and things like that. So we just want to make sure that we know that you're attending so please sign up if you haven't done so already if you're interested in going to these field trips fire-breathing Baptist Fellowship is being held at steadfast Baptist Church October 12th through the 15th and then November or November 8th through the 12th missions conference Faith Award Baptist Church and of course our church camp. I encourage you if you haven't done so already if you want to attend register for this sign up because as the years have gone on and we've been doing this it's gaining in popularity and more people are becoming aware that we're hosting this camp and want to attend. So make sure you secure your place. Of course, I give first priority to our church members for our church camp, but just make sure that you you're not waiting to the last minute or last second to try to decide because I do want to make sure that we have a full camp and that we're opening up for everybody and like I said, there's people who are registering already and I'm going to need to know sooner rather than later if you are attending so again, that's on the events page on our website and if you have any issues with website stuff if you're not technically savvy and it's not something that you do you can talk to me about that. That's fine. But for those of you who are who are don't have a problem with that stuff. Please use the link to register for these things. All right, that's about it for my announcements this morning. So we'll continue the regular service brother Peter, please lead us in our next song. Our next song is actually going to be a song you should have one either nearby or with you. Singing Psalm 139. I would give mine up. I think I know this by never England. All right, so notice it's in Psalm 39. Let's sing this out of the verse. Far from the air. For this Lord. every day Charlie Church. It sounds like to ask the ushers if they can set up for our Sunday morning offering. In church while the offering plates are being passed around if you can open up your Bibles the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 And that was 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 as we do customary here at Stromhold Baptist Church for reading the entire chapter. That's for the Michael Ricardo. Amen Church. Once again, that is the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 the Bible reads for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved. We have a building of God and house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this we grown earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked for we that are in this tabernacle do grown being burdened not for that. We would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that have wrought us for the self same thing is God who also have given on to us the earnest of the spirit. Therefore we are always confident knowing that walls. We are at home in the body. We are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith not by sight. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord where for we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he have done whether it be good or bad knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your consciousness for we commend not ourselves against again unto you but give you occasion to glory on our behalf that he may have somewhat to answer them which glory and appearance and not in heart for they would be beside ourselves. It is to God or whether we be sober it is for your cause for the love of Christ constrain with us because we thus judge that if one died for all then we're all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again wherefore henceforth. No, we know man after the flesh. Ye though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore of any man be in Christ. He is a new creature. All things are passed away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who have reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and have given us the ministry of reconciliation to it that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses onto them and have committed onto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ said be reconciled to God for he have made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Let's pray. God, we thank you for just being who you are and we thank you for the King James Bible. We thank you for this church. Thank you for Pastor Burzins fill in with your spirit allow for him to speak with boldness minimize distractions allow for us to have our ears open to what you have to say to us. Thank you for the souls that have been saved and for the souls that would be saved today. We praise you. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen. All right before I get started with the sermon this morning. So I want to plug the Wednesday night service is where we're going through the book of Psalms and is that Psalm that we just sang, you know, if you come to our Wednesday night service, you're going to hear a lot of that and one of the things that we're trying to do here as a church is to sing more of the Psalms Bible talks about singing Psalms, you know, there's a song book and they were intended to be sung. That's what that's what the song book is. It's obviously the Word of God. We believe it is the Word of God because it's in the Holy Scripture, but the Bible says that let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts of the Lord. That's New Testament, right? So you could say all the Psalms Old Testament, but the New Testament teaches us to sing teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Why we sing the Psalms. We're trying to do that now. We don't know what tune or melody that those songs had when they were sung in the Old Testament, but we are trying to put more Psalms to music so that we can sing them and the great thing about that is that as we live in a world where songs are increasingly getting devoid of doctrine while the Psalms are packed full of doctrine. So that's why we sing the Psalms. So hopefully that's a blessing for you. But anyways, my sermon this morning is nothing to do really with any of that. I'm going to be teaching this morning on the subject of rewards in heaven. So we started off in 2 Corinthians 5. We're also going to be turning to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and looking at those in depth. Both of those passages are talking about the judgment seat of Christ and the rewards that we will receive. So I've got a lot of content to go over this morning because I like to try to prove all things and I want to be focusing a lot on the fact of or looking at discovering, you know, eternal rewards maybe versus temporal rewards or can you lose your rewards and things like that or discussion that came up recently about this subject and I want to just go more in depth and just uncover what the scripture has to say about this so we could just have a good understanding. Now just as way of introduction, of course, we believe that salvation is by grace through faith. It has nothing to do with any of your works at all. So as we get into this passage about the judgment seat of Christ and being judged on your works, this is not referring to salvation. This is in fact only for believers who are already saved. People already saved and we'll see that as we get into this passage that it's only saved people who are there. They're already all going to heaven. But this is a specific event that happens where you're judged based on the events or the actions in your life based on the works that you've done in your own personal life. You know, we believe that salvation is a free gift 100% free has nothing to do with you. You say well, what if someone, you know, puts their trust in Jesus Christ, they believe in Jesus, but then they do all these bad things. Are they still going to heaven? Yes, they are. Well, then why should I even do anything good is what people want to argue about. It's like well, there's a lot of reasons to still do good. Right and this is a way to think about it. You know, when you're when you're saved you're born again, you're a child of God, right? You must be born again. Jesus said you must be born again in order to see a kingdom of God. We need that new birth. How do we get that new birth? John 1 tells us but as many as received him to them gave me power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. And just like so many other passages that talk about being saved is by believing Acts chapter 16 verse 30 and 31 is it serves. What must I do to be saved because I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in the house believe John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son and whosoever believeth in him should not perish would have everlasting life and I can go on and on and on and on quoting all the verses that talk about faith alone for salvation nothing to do with your works. You are saved by grace through your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that is given you for free. It has nothing to do with your good works, but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that Joseph I at the ungodliest faith is counted for righteousness because what the Bible teaches. So our salvation is completely separate from anything else that we do with our life. It's just something that's given to us for free that we receive because we put our trust completely in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We're trusting that the work that he did. Is all that's needed and our works have nothing to do with us being saved. However, there is good reason to work right after you're saved. We ought to live a righteous life. We ought to live a godly life as a child of God. I ought to obey the commandments of my Heavenly Father. I ought to try to be a pleasing son in his sight and just like people say, oh, well, I guess you could do whatever you want. Well, yeah, my physical parents my earthly parents. There's nothing I could do that would make me no longer be their child. Does that mean I'm just going to go run out and just do a bunch of things that's going to make them ashamed make them disapproving make them upset or angry with me. Of course not. Why would I do that? Just because I just because I can and still be their child. You see what I'm saying? So the motivation saying well, why should you even follow the Bible? Why should you even follow Commandments? Well one I respect my father my Heavenly Father. Two, I mean, there's a lot of reasons right? I love God three. I understand that his commandments are actually good for me. Not bad. I'm not missing out on anything by living this lascivious licentious lifestyle of debauchery and and perversion and whore mongering or whatever. That's not that is not a good way to live that is a way that's going to bring misery and destruction to your life. So it's not like oh wow, but you can't do all these things. Yeah, I know. And I'm good with that. I don't want to do those things. God knows what's best. So there's all these stupid arguments against the truth, but they all fall flat now. But what we do here does matter, right? In the in the regard of being able to earn rewards. So everyone that's saved goes to heaven, but heaven isn't equal for everybody. And what I mean by that is that some people will be given more rewards than others. And this is a concept that is taught all throughout scripture. But we're going to focus on specifically because a lot of aspects you could look at when it comes to rewards. But we're going to focus a lot of time just focusing on well, what happens if for example, You're living really godly and really righteously and doing things that you know would earn rewards. But then you backslide and maybe just end up doing a lot of really bad things later in your life before you die. Like what happens with that? You know, good example of what I think of is well, what happens with King Solomon, right? I mean King Solomon was clearly saved. He's a prophet of God. He penned down most of the proverbs and Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, you know, all these these great works. He was used by God in a great way gave us many of those books of the Bible Holy Ghost work through him and had a lot of wisdom and great teaching and great understanding but his heart was drawn away from the Lord through the heathen women that he married and they turned his heart to where he actually, you know, erected altars to false gods and and you know near the end of his life really just did some shameful things and not good things and it's like well, what about him because we know he clearly did some really good things early on in life. So what happened? So this is where we're going to dig into and see what the scripture says about it. Now, I'll start off also just saying this, you know, you come to your own conclusion on these things, but I spent a lot of time trying to do research. If you find something else you could come to me after service and say hey pastor, I found this other passage that I think relates to this. And and I'd be happy to hear about that. So but I have a lot of notes. So again, I'm being a little wordy this morning. So I'm going to just dig into the passage. Let's look at verse number one here second Corinthians chapter five that we just read Bible says for we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved. We have a building of God and house not made with hands eternal in the heaven. So this is talking about our earthly house being a body. The house that we dwell in that our soul dwells in right now is this physical body, but we have a house in heaven. So when this body goes away, we will be clothed upon in heaven. Let's see. Let's keep reading verse number two for in this we grown earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house, which is from heaven. If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked for we that are in this tabernacle do grown being burdened not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life. We have a lot of you know, we have aches and pains and sorrows and all kinds of other things in this life in this tabernacle in this house that we dwell in on this earth and that's all going to be swallowed up. This mortality is going to be swallowed up of life when we pass on and go to heaven and especially when we have that new body at the resurrection when we have that the body that's transformed and we have a brand new tabernacle and that's what we earnestly desire, right? That's that's a much better place to be at then in the house that we have right now because we're living in this body of death this body of sin this body that draws us away from serving Lord. We don't want to be in this body. We want to be in a righteous body with a full redemption of our body verse number five now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing as God who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit. Therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body. We are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith not by sight we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So these few verses is explaining the God's given us the or everyone who's a believer as the earnest of the spirit. What's the earnest is like that down payment. That's the promise of the full redemption. So when you get saved and God seals you with that Holy Spirit of promise. The Bible says for God that cannot lie and hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. We have eternal life and it's given to us by a promise. It's given to us as a gift when you get saved God seals you and he seals you with the Holy Spirit of promise. And since it's God's promise, we know that it can't fail God never backs out of his promise ever breaks his promises. God makes a promise. It's going to come to pass. So he gives you he seals with the Holy Spirit of promise. You belong to him you are redeemed, but you're not fully redeemed yet in this sense that you still have a sinful body, right? If you're if you're born again today, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a new spirit and God is sealed you with the Holy Spirit of promise. Okay, that's new. You're a new creature. All your old things are passed away build all things become new, but you still have this old flesh. We sell this old body this old tabernacle, but we know and we desire to just shed off this old man and to be with the Lord and this is why we are always confident verse 6 was saying hey, he's given us the earnest of the spirit. But this is why we're always confident. I know that I'm saved. I know that I have a home in heaven. I know that there's a tabernacle waiting for me that hey as long as I'm here in the body, I'm absent from the Lord. But as soon as I depart from this body, I'm going to be with the Lord. Why because he sealed me with the Holy Spirit of promise. It's already done. It's a done deal. We walk by faith not by sight verse number 9 now says where for we labor. That whether present or absent we may be accepted of him now. He just got done saying we're confident that when we're absent from this body, we're going to be present with the Lord. We know that we know that we're going to heaven. We know that that's our destination. So because we know we're going to be there we work we labor we're going to work in this life because we want to be accepted of him now accepted doesn't mean accepted into heaven. It's not your entrance into that heavenly home. It's that acceptance that any son would want to have of their father. Right? My son is never going to stop being my son, right? It's impossible physically. But the way that he lives his life is going to determine whether or not he's accepted of me, right? Now, look, I'm not going to expect perfection out of my you know, like I'm going to understand that he's not perfect but the choices that he makes in his life. Could cause him to not really be accepted of me even though he's my son even though I'll always love him even though there's always a place for him even though that will never change. There's an acceptance of look. I'm proud of you. You're doing a good job. You're pleasing in my sight. I want to bless you and reward you because of how good you are and what you've done, right? That's the type of acceptance that we're talking about here, which is why we labor so that way when we're in the presence of God, hey, whether we're here or whether we're there, we want to be accepted of God. We want God to be pleased with us. Verse 10 goes on to continue for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. We're all going to be standing before the judgment seat of Christ. Every believer is going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. So whatever you do with your life, how you spend your life, whether it's good or bad, that's all going to come up in front of the judgment seat of Christ. The Bible says knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men. But we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience is what does it mean? They're knowing therefore the terror of the Lord. Well, first of all, anyone who comes in the presence of the Lord. Like everyone in Scripture falls down on their face and has a very significant fear of God in the presence of the Almighty. Everybody does. Now think about it this way. You know, you're going to be standing in the presence of the Lord what it's going to happen. There's going to be his judgment seat of Christ. You're already going to be just like awestruck and and falling down and especially when you look at your life. Right now if you just if you were to die today and just think back on your life. Ask yourself this question. How pleased is God going to be with every day of your life? Now, I don't know the answer that you do right, but we're already going to be standing in front of the Almighty God which again when you read your Bible and you see great men of God Elijah or Elisha, you know, these they all just fall flat like they're dead Moses, right? They all are just, you know, trembling at the presence of God. There's going to be how much more is that going to be if you did nothing for God? Now, you know, you're going to heaven. I mean, that was a free gift. You're saved right has nothing to do with how well you live your life. You're going but you are going to stand before Christ. You're at the judgment seat of Christ. You're going to stand there. He's going to you're going to say he's okay. Well, here's here's everything he did and in turn if you were to 1st Corinthians chapter 3, we're going to see a little bit more on how this actually happens. This is knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men. Look you're going to be standing before God. So make the best use of your life now so that you could get good rewards and you could actually be have some level of confidence going. Okay. Look, we all know we're going there having wasted some time and and have you know, having done things that are not good and whatever we know that but we also know we're forgiven of our sin, right? So God's not going to God's not going to use this by the way this judge me of Christ as a punishment session for your sin because Christ paid all the punishment for your sins. So this is not a punishment session. This is going to be where rewards are given out. And like I said, we're going to see this a little bit more clearly on how this happens in 1st Corinthians chapter 3. So let's dig into that that passage verse number 11 in 1st Corinthians 3 the Bible reads for other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Christ Jesus Christ is the foundation, right? You're not going to build any works or any riches or rewards or anything upon any other Foundation than Christ because if you don't have Christ you're going to burn in hell and you're not going to have any rewards of any kind no matter how good of a life you lived. No matter how many people you help in this world if you don't have Christ if you're not if your faith isn't in Christ to save you you don't have anything literally have nothing. So you have to have that Foundation verse number 12. Now if any man build upon this Foundation, which is what we ought to be doing in our life building on that Foundation. Gold silver precious stones would hey stubble. So listen six that list lists six things there that you can just be building with right gold precious stones silver wood. Hey stubble all these different things. It says every man's work shall be made manifest to be this could be made known. It's gonna be shown for what is your work for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire in the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. So all the work that you've done is going to be tried. It's gonna be tested and say here's gonna be tested by fire. So it's gonna say how well how good was this work really you invested all this time. Here's what you did with your life. Here's how you invested it. Here's how you spent your time. How good is this? Verse 14 says if any man's work abide which he hath built there upon he shall receive a reward. So when it's tested if it if it makes it through the fire and it's still is there that has value saying okay. Well now you're going to get a reward for that God tested your works. It came forth. Here's everything that came out of the fire. These were good things. These are valuable things in God's eyes that are going to get you a reward. It says if any man's work shall be burned. So it's great. Okay, here's here's all the works I did in my life and you just kind of pile it all up in one big pile at the Joseph of Christ. This is the imagery, right? This isn't like physically going you're not going to see your works in front of you, but it's the it's the mental image to help us understand how things are going to be weighed how things are going to be given out. If any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss. Well, what's the loss the loss of your time the loss of your effort the loss of your work because what you did didn't matter to God. It says but he himself shall be saved yet. So is by fire that even if someone has no works, you're still saved. And this is what I was talking about. You know, your work is just gone, right? You're not going to be chastised. For sinning for wasting your time, but you just don't get anything. That's the loss that you suffer. It's like hey, man, you lived however many years God gave you and you got nothing really to show for it. I mean, hey and look thank God everyone that's going to heaven goes to heaven, right? I mean, that's like if you're just talking about heaven and hell. Obviously the choice is heaven, you know, it's it's it's going to be wonderful just to be in heaven. You've escaped hell. Praise the Lord for that. But now that you're saved, you know, you're escaping hell or if you're saved today or you know, you're saved. You're going to stand before Jesus Christ like it's going to happen. So if you know, this is going to happen if you know your works are going to be presented there. How ought you to be living? Maybe you ought to be motivated to start thinking about the future, right? I mean we live in a society of culture that teaches live for the now get your credit cards, you know, buy whatever it is that you want all your comforts. You deserve it. You're entitled to it. You should have two cars a house a boat, you know, whatever all the luxuries of this world your cell phone, right? This is one thing if you're going to hear this probably until I stop pastoring here or the day I die whichever comes first. It might be the same day. You know people who just treat like your phone is just of course. I have to have a phone like you have to have a thousand dollar computer in your pocket. Like really really. Sorry, I grew up in a day where a phone hung on a wall. With a spirally cord. And that's it. And you know, there's people who are older than me that probably remember not even having a phone. I remember getting our first voice not a voicemail. Everything's called voicemail now the answering machine. An answering machine. So if you weren't home and someone's calling they could leave a message. Like this is all brand new stuff. But now it's just it's just like oh, yeah. Well, of course, I would have that and I'm just going to go in debt for this. I'm going to go in debt for that and go in debt for you. The wise person and I'm just about financially speaking isn't going to be going into debt for all these immediate things. You're going to be thinking about the future, right? I mean even the wisdom of this world is going to teach you. Hey, if you're young, you know, you can start investing some money in a 401k. You'll have this money spent, you know, just this little bit here a little bit there you put this away. It's going to build and you're going to accumulate wealth over time and all this other stuff. But what do you have to do? You have to think about the future. You have to be planning for the future. You have to be making decisions about the future. Not just what am I going to get today? But also hey, there's a future ahead of me. Well as believers as Christians, we ought to be thinking about the future too. Now, it's not in the kernel things, right? Because we're not living this life just to amass and accumulate as much financial wealth as possible. That's foolishness because we know we can't take it with us. We know it's not going to really get us any happiness anyways. Life isn't all about making money. It's about people. It's about serving the Lord and living righteously and you know one day then we will get rewards. And here's the thing, those rewards do last forever. So the work when you're standing at the frequency of Christ and work abides the fire, it makes it through. That's it. It's tested. It's done and it's yours. And that lasts forever. Not however many years you have left on this earth forever. Like that's yours now eternally. That's valuable. This is what we need to be thinking on and looking at. Look, if all your work gets burned up. Yeah, you're still saved as the passage says. But we want more than just that. We ought to. I do. It's not just because I'm greedy or selfish because getting these rewards actually benefits other people and we'll see them and I'm spending too much time on this right now. Let's keep going in this passage because I've got like I said, I've got a bunch of other scripture. I want to go to verse number 16 know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you if any man defile the temple of God him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are now again that temple man. I didn't really want to get into all this this morning. This isn't talking about you losing your salvation. But if you're start defiling your temple your earthly tabernacle God can just extinguish your life here on earth. Then you're definitely not earning any rewards. So your work is cut. That's why I said hey think about what you've done in this life is God going to be pleased with what you've done. Are you going to be pleased with how much you actually did and the time you spent doing Godly things and as we'll see a little bit other things that we can see clearly will give you eternal rewards. Have you really spent a lot of time doing that or not? And you start messing around with this body that God gave you you can just cut that short real quick. Then you're done. I mean, that's that's your opportunity to earn rewards here on this life. That's like, okay. Well, that's done. Turn if you would to Matthew chapter 10. So hopefully you have a little bit understanding about the judgment of Christ and earning rewards. It's clear that those are eternal rewards because you receive them. They abide the fire and they're going to be good. Right? They're going to last. But there's other when you study out rewards in scripture. There's definitely temporal rewards versus eternal rewards and there's mentions of receiving rewards where it doesn't specify either way. I'll give you an example of that without it's too exhausted to go through every passage. But here's an example in Proverbs 25 verse 21 the Bible reads if thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat and if you be thirsty give him water to drink for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head and the Lord shall reward thee. That doesn't say how the Lord's going to reward you right? He could he could easily reward you temporarily by making that person who's troubling you your enemy to stop troubling you like that would be a reward in itself by God protecting you from that evil like that alone can be a reward in itself. Right? It doesn't clearly say like hey, this is going to actually earn you something else in heaven. Now. I personally think that it will but I can't teach that as a fact without backing it up a little bit more. So, you know, you got to kind of take all the scriptural references here in you know, judge it for yourself and get the whole thing in contact. We're going to see a pattern though. I think you'll see the same pattern I see when I look through and study out the rewards because there's some things we do. Well, all the things we do should be because God commands it but there are definitely certain things that are specified here and we'll see one here as an eternal reward. And we're going to see how they tie together and are very similar for the most part. Verse number 39 in Matthew chapter 10 the Bible reads he that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. You're going to have to go back and read the context later because context really helps out a lot in this passage, but there's you know, obviously from starting verse 39 a concept here of sacrifice here and giving and living in a way where you're giving up some things but then it also says hey if you receive me receive him that sent me which is Jesus speaking if you receive Jesus who received the father and then it says in verse 41 he that receiveth a prophet the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. So receiving these people Bible says you'll get a reward for that verse 42 and whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward and this is a verse that stands out to me because it's he's saying look you're not going to lose this reward and as we look into more rewards this seems to be probably one of the smallest things that you can do giving a cup of water to some right. I mean, is that really that hard? No, but the point is he's saying but you're not going to lose that reward. And and for this reason as we continue on we're going to we're going to see some more spelled out. I don't think that you'll ever lose the rewards that you've already earned for the Lord. So, you know that question came up earlier where I was saying this is kind of prompted this the study through scripture to give a full answer for this. Well, if one of the smallest things that you could possibly do where the Bible says you're going to get a reward just by giving a drink of coffee saying look you're not going to lose your reward even for that. It kind of tells me that like, okay. Well, whatever you can do to earn a reward. It's not just going to be forfeited or lost. Right and if you think about it still makes sense in the same capacity that no amount of sin is going to make you unsaved and no amount of sin can undo any good that you've already done. So whatever point you are in your life, if you've already done work and you've already labored you've already earned some things. You're going to have that like it's it has either either something that you do as eternal value or it doesn't right. So if I do something today that has eternal value. It has eternal value, right? So if I've earned that today, you know, whatever I do tomorrow won't change the fact that what I did today was of eternal value. Does that make sense? But we're going to see this and turn if you would to 1st Corinthians chapter 9. Actually, no, we're going to go we'll go back to 1st Corinthians 9. Want to make the best use of my time here. Yeah, turn to Matthew 5. Well, if I have time, I'll go back to 1st Corinthians 9. So rewards that you earn. If you've already earned them, I believe they last forever. I think that that passage there is clear. It's saying look, you're not going to lose that reward. But as we also look through this, there's going to be other passages that might sound like. Well, you may not get a reward. Okay, and here's where we don't know exactly how all rewards will work. We saw in 1st Corinthians chapter 3, your works being, you know, tried by fire. But I also believe this and we're going to get into the crowns in just a second, but the crowns are tied in with what I'm going to show you here in Matthew chapter 5 about being persecuting and enduring. I think there's also rewards that are given for enduring and for making it through difficult things that you won't get unless you actually make it all the way through, right? So if you faint, if you quit, if you back out of serving God, you don't earn that reward. Look at Matthew 5 verse number 10. The Bible says, blessed are you that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. So we see here that that persecution when people start saying all manner of evil against you this can this will earn you great rewards in heaven to the point where God saying look be happy now now if why would I be happy now if I could forfeit that reward later, you know what I mean? Like like I'm going to be happy now because I've earned like if people are persecuting me and I'm suffering for Christ's sake as if I was saying here look I could be exceeding glad and happy because my reward is going to be great in heaven. And any time you are persecuted for righteousness sake persecuted for Christ's sake then you earn rewards for that as well turn if you would to Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 verse 32 Bible reads in Hebrews 10 32 but call to remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions. Partly whilst you were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst you became companions of them that were so used for you had compassion of me and my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods. Knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. So there's a few things being brought up here. We're going to keep reading in just a second. He says after you were illuminated after you came to the knowledge of the truth, right? Basically after you get saved you endured a great fight of affliction. So you had some afflictions come your way. And then he says that you had compassion on me in my bonds as Apostle Paul when he was in jail when he was in bonds. He says you took joyfully the spoiling of your goods. What does that mean? They were supporting the Apostle Paul in prison, right? The spoiling of their goods. They're giving to him to help him out. They don't care that's costing them. They're giving to him and it says knowing yourself that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. He's saying you didn't care about your wealth here because you're trying to help ultimately spread the gospel with Apostle Paul is evangelist. He's going out preaching the gospel getting churches started doing a great work for the Lord. So the the help that they were doing to help him was also apparently earning them rewards in heaven because they have a substance and enduring substance in heaven verse 35 says cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompense of reward for you have need of patience that After you have done the will of God you might receive the promise. So, you know, of course you have to do these things and complete them in order to receive the reward for those things Hebrews 11 talks about Moses says by faith Moses and verse 24 when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season of steaming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect under the recompense of the reward. So he knew that he was going to earn rewards by suffering affliction for righteousness sake for Christ's sake as opposed to living lavishly and luxuriously growing up in Pharaoh's house and having all the that Egypt could offer him. He says, you know what? I don't want that stuff. This is temporal just in this life. It's it's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm going to esteem greater riches found in the approaches of Christ now. There's a certain. Similarity I found in multiple scriptures here and turn if you were to 2nd John chapter 1 and while you're turning there, I'm going to read. One of the passages I skipped over. 2nd John chapter 1 is where you're going. I was trying to maintain a vein of thought why reason why I skip this over but we're talking about eternal rewards. One of the things that we saw enduring persecution clearly you receive rewards for that. But another thing that has eternal value is winning people to Christ. And this is probably one of the easiest things to just understand. When someone puts their trust in Jesus, right? They're sealed the Holy Spirit of promise. I was talking about earlier. The their eternity is changed forever. They become a new creature. They're born again. That clearly has eternal value because that person now is going to live in eternity in heaven with the Lord. Like that's that is there's no doubt about that that that has a value the value of a soul the value of someone receiving eternal life is of utmost value. And that of all things if you were to look back on your life and say I helped lead this person this person this person to Christ those works of you putting forth the effort putting forth the time going through the Bible showing them the Word of God, you know helping them to understand and persuading them to put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. That's going to be part of your work. That's put forward the judgment of Christ. I don't see how anyone can say. Yeah, that's just woodhaying subletters could get burned up. Absolutely not. Right? Absolutely not. There's no way there's no way you can you can say that and in fact the Bible says in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 16 you again just stay where you're at and for in second John for though I preach the gospel I have nothing to Gloria for necessity is laid upon me a woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel is first of all, I just started off by saying look we must preach the gospel right like like woe unto me if I don't preach the gospel there's a lot at stake, right? So it's commanded by God. It's something that we're supposed to do. It's incumbent upon us to preach the gospel. He says it's it's it's necessary. Necessity is laid upon me preach the gospel but he says it's for if I do this thing willingly I have a reward. So if I do it willfully if I if I'm going to go out and be like, yeah, I'm going to preach the gospel. I want to do this. I'm going to go out and try to get people saved. He said I'm going to get rewarded for that. He said but if against my will dispensation of gospel is coming under me say but you know, if I don't want to do it, I still have to do it. Like I'm still required to do it because it's something that God has given me to do but if I go out willingly then I will receive a reward for that. In 2nd John chapter 1. Verse number 7 the Bible reads for many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist look to yourselves because that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward. And I think there's there's other verses similar to this where the thought could creep in this is where for a while I've kind of thought that we might be able to lose rewards because but what is he saying here specifically that we don't receive a full reward. Doesn't mean I could get any reward but they're not going to get that full reward. Verse 9 then says whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son. So verse 7 to get this in the context we start reading verse number 7 is talking about deceivers entered into the world. And then verse 8 is talking about not losing the things that we've wrought or worked for but getting a full reward and then verse 9 is expressing who's saved and who's not. Right? So there are people that you might think you've led to Christ. And by preaching the gospel and sowing the word and being a laborer. I believe you'll get rewarded for that just by putting forth the effort just by going forth and doing the work. But when people get saved when people when you're reaping that sheave when people literally are become this new creature in Christ you get a full reward for that. So he's he's admonishing them to be aware. Hey, watch out for these deceivers, right? Because they say they're going to try to turn people away from the truth and we preach the gospel to all these people but some of them might not be saved and they might fall away to these other believers these non-believers to these these people teaching wicked things and and then we won't get a full reward for that. We want to make sure that we get the full reward that these people could come to the saving knowledge of Christ not that they lose their salvation. He's just worried about people who just didn't get saved that they've labored for ending up getting drawn away by a false prophet, right? This is a concern and in fact, we'll see this in multiple other past passages turn if you would to Philippians chapter 2. I'll read from 1st Thessalonians chapter 3. 1st Thessalonians chapter 3 verse number 5 the Bible says for this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith less by some means the tempter of tempted you and our labor be in vain. So what's he want to know about them their faith? And what's he worried about those labor being in vain? He wants the full reward and he's worried about the people there and we see in other epistles of Apostle Paul to when work salvation creeps in like in Galatians the in the book of Galatians, you know, he was worried that maybe some of those people just weren't even saved to begin with. But did you just not even understand this? He's like I worry about you. And and he's expressing a look if someone brings another gospel, let him be accursed. Like don't don't even stand for that. You know people are bringing in all you must be circumcised you must keep the law you must do this, you know something else for salvation if people are starting to get carried away with a he's going like I don't even know if you guys are saved like if you're really getting dissuaded by this if you're getting persuaded to go that direction are you even saved? The reason I would say that is because if you understand the gospel because you're saved, you know that salvation is not of any works. That's clear. And for people to start believing in some other works-based salvation is going like how could you you know, you don't go from something that's free to something that cost you. If you fully understood and accepted that free gift to begin with. Philippians 2 is where I do turn, right? Verse number 14. The Bible says do all things without murmurings and disputings that you may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights in the world holding forth the Word of Life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain neither labored in vain. So again, he wants this full reward from these people that he's already ministered to that he's already labored for and he's saying look I want you blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke. And I believe this too. The more so like the more you're involved in someone else's spiritual life in their growth and put this way building on that foundation that they have not just your own we think about for first Corinthians chapter 3 building on your Foundation of Christ. What about building on someone else's Foundation of Christ? And helping to build them up and you're building them up with gold and silver and precious stones to help them spiritually improve their walk with God. You think you won't be rewarded for that? I do I think that the effort and the labor that you put forth on someone else's building will earn you rewards. Because you're laboring you're putting forth the effort you're working you're working for the Lord. And in fact, I think those will probably earn you now. This is just my thought. I think that'll earn you more rewards because that seems to be the mindset of Christ is being a servant unto others right and esteeming others better than yourselves. That's like the whole heart of being a Christian. Is being the exact opposite of self-centered but others centered that's what it's all about me. That's the Christian life exactly is serving others serving others with the gospel serving others to improve their life, you know, all of these things that is the point and that's exactly what Jesus did. That was the example he gave he didn't serve himself. He didn't come to be served now when he comes back. He's coming back as the king of Kings as the Prince of princes and he's going to set up the kingdom is going to rule with a rod of iron. But when he came and gave himself as an offering and also showed us the example, you know, what did he do? He washed the disciples feet and said hey, look you see me do I'm your Lord and your master. You see me doing this you ought to do this. He went around to the lame and the sick and the blind and healed he went around and preach the gospel to the lost. He went around and did all these things to help other people. It wasn't for his own benefit is for the benefit of everybody else around him. Everything that he did was for everyone else's benefit. Not his own. It clearly wasn't his own because what did he get in this world, but people that hated him and were conspiring to kill him and you know, all these other things. He wasn't trying to do anything for himself. It's all for other people that is the life. So if we're going to be building upon a foundation, hey make sure that that people have that Foundation because anything then you try to build on that. It's not going to do any good which also as a side note, by the way, is why we don't get into a bunch of doctrine with unbelievers. I don't try to convince a bunch of unbelievers on all these various doctrines in the Bible because they don't have the foundation if they're not saved. Then that's what's going to matter and the Bible is already spiritually discerned. You need the Spirit of God to really help you to understand that the spiritual things in the Bible. So don't waste your time with that. If you know people aren't saved focus on the gospel make sure they get that Foundation and then you can start building on that and helping them understand things and helping them to grow spiritually and become fruitful themselves in Philippians chapter 2 the Apostle Paul is exactly wanting that he's like look I want I want you to be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke why that may rejoice in the day of Christ. I don't want to be laboring and putting forth all this work in vain. He's putting forth a lot of work into people. Chapter 4 verse number 1 in Philippians there the Bible says this therefore my brethren dearly beloved and long for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved so he's calling the people the Philippians my joy and crown and a crown is another reward right like we receive rewards crowns are things that people are going to earn. In turn if you were to Revelation chapter 2 in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 I'll read this for you while you're turning to Revelation 2 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 19 the Bible 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 for ye are glory and joy. And that the timeline which I definitely have time to really flesh this out of the judgment seat of Christ I believe happens at the resurrection essentially so at the what we also call the rapture when the Saints the dead in Christ shall rise first and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them together in the clouds and so shall we be ever ever with the Lord right at around that time is when the rewards I believe are going to be given out. Okay. But that's another message I guess to really hammer that out from Scripture. But I say that because the verse I just quoted for you in 1st Thessalonians 2 he's talking about the crown of rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. So tying together the the crown of rejoicing with the second coming of Christ which is the resurrection. Revelation chapter 2 look at verse number 10 and a lot of what we see with the crowns has to do with enduring. The Bible says in verse number 10 fear none of those things which shall which thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tried and you shall tribulation 10 days be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life. Now. I don't believe that the crown of life there is salvation. I think it's a crown as a reward because salvation is not a reward because it's not based anything you did Jesus did all the work for you eternal life is something that you have it as a new creature. You just receive you have that right? That's the gift that was given unto you not the reward for your labors. This is a reward. This is a crown that you receive. And it's for those that are faithful unto death and specifically here. He's talking to a specific church at the time saying hey, look tribulation is coming. You're going to you're going to face this severe tribulation is trouble and Satan's going to cast some of you in a prison. He's like just be faithful in the death. I've got a reward for you. I've got the crown of life for you. Just keep that in mind when you're tried and you're going through this trial just maintain that faith unto death. I've got a crown of life Revelation chapter 3 to flip over a page maybe verse number 10 the Bible says because thou has kept the word of my patience. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth behold. I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown. This is another verse that gives the sense of losing a crown. And turn if you would to 2nd Timothy chapter 4. Specifically when we look at the crowns when I've said this I look at the crowns. This is where we have the most language that gives this sense of maybe you won't get it. And these are all tied to an endurance right to this race of finishing it and then receiving the crown. I believe the crowns are separate from other rewards that you earn just by laboring right you lead people to Christ you get a reward for that that work abides the fire but a crown. Is and as we're going to see this in the book of Philippians also or in 1st Corinthians excuse me chapter 9 refers to the race right you're running a race and nobody receives a crown or the reward in a race unless you finish the race right you have to complete the race you have to you have to finish it and finish it well and that's why I believe we see this with the crowns that there's some crowns you could miss out on. That if you don't quite finish it if you don't endure unto death like I said here well you're not going to get that crown of life doesn't mean you're not saved you're not going to get that crown right you backed out you fit you you got weak when the the trial came. I'll read for you from James 1 verse 12 the Bible says blessed 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. Now you say well isn't that all saved people? No not necessarily because in order to love Jesus Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. So the way that you love Christ is by keeping his commandments. Say well how could someone not love God but be saved? Well if they don't keep his commandments you don't love God. But it doesn't make you unsaved doesn't mean you didn't receive the free gift. We should love God. And that goes also into you know love is not just a feeling it's not just something you feel in your heart like someone could have a an emotion towards God and you could call that love but when the Bible saw my loving it's it's in action and indeed not just with your lips and with your mouth it's in it's it's you know indeed and in truth. But in James 1 12 it's talking about someone who's tried they're going through a trial they make it through that and then they receive the crown of life just like we saw in Revelation 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse number 6 the Bible says for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. This is the Apostle Paul knowing that his time he's old man now and he's reaching that point where he knows like hey I'm I'm I'm about ready to die I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith he's like I've made I've maintained faithful I didn't get out of the faith I didn't you know I have stuck the course I have run this race henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. So here's another crown that's mentioned 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 and again there's a reference to loving is appearing loving the Lord if you love me keep my Commandments so he's receiving these crowns based on how he's lived his life but enduring also to the end first Peter chapter 5 we see a reward there given unto elders or pastors bishops the Bible says in first Peter chapter 5 verse number 1 the elders which are among you I exhort whom also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also partake of the glory that shall be revealed feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither is being Lords over God's heritage but being in samples to the flock so he's he's this is the teaching that Peter is giving to elders to pastors and he's saying look I'm also an elder the Apostle Peter was a pastor he was an elder and he says here's what you need to do you need to feed the flock you need to take the over straight oversight thereof that's your administering the things of God not by constraint not because you have to because you want to write it's a job that you want to do it's not something you feel you're forced I just have to do this no I want to do this I want to serve God I want to serve the people not for money I'm not doing this to get this money or anything like that is what he's saying you have to have a ready mind and you're not Lords over God's heritage like you let this power trip go to your head and you just want to tell everyone what to do and control everybody these are all the wrong things if you're in it for the money if you're in it just because you think you have to do it you don't really want to do it or if you think it because you just want to be in this position of power control over people those are the wrong reasons right you should not be serving God for any of those reasons but being an example you lead by example you don't lead with the just by saying this is how this is just what you have to do right the best leaders are able to lead by example and you have the most respect and the most people want to follow a leader like that and say hey here's what we're going to do not here's what you're going to do here's what we're going to do we're in this together and I'm going to be you know first boots on the ground and we're going to go out and do this together right and here's how we do it follow me as I follow Christ that's the example and it says in verse 4 and when the chief Shepherd shall appear because the elders are supposed to be these under Shepherds as these bishops you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away so if you're doing all this for the right reasons you're an elder says look you're going to receive a crown of glory that's another reward but again I think that you have to finish that course faithfully doesn't say that specifically here but as we've seen with the other crowns it's a similar concept here Galatians 6 is the last reference that we're going to look at in regards to these rewards where this one also gives somewhat of a thought that we might not actually get it Galatians 6 verse number 7 the Bible reads be not deceived God is not mocked for what's over man so at that shall he also reap for he that soweth to his flesh shall the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit of the spirit reap life everlasting and let us not be weary and well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not right you're going to reap in due season but you got to stay with it you can't faint you got you got to keep going so all this said and everything that we've looked at here's what it looks like to me there's what when you do work that's of eternal value is clear you get a reward for that and even the smallest thing that you do it's eternal no one's going to take that away from you but there are definitely other crowns and rewards that you could receive only by remaining faithful and not back saying so there's other crowns I'm sure that Solomon could have earned for himself that he forfeited because he didn't remain faithful to the end like David his father did right and that's also clear from scripture that you know people are constantly being compared to King David which while King David didn't have the best life completely. He still trusted the Lord he remained faithful and he died faithful to the Lord and had a good testimony before God of remaining faithful and to the end not everyone had that but that's why he was being used as the example and kind of the comparison against one last point I just I have to throw this in here I know we're like out of time but I didn't go to this earlier I skipped over it. But if you want to earn rewards of course if you want you could turn to 1st Corinthians 9 we have to do so the right way right. And I kind of feel like this should just be understood but the Bible brings it up and references it so I wanted to mention it as well. 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse number 23 the Bible says in this I do for the gospel's sake that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize so run that ye may obtain and every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the air but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I appreciate others I myself should be a castaway so he's talking about here doing things the right ways like I need to be temperate in all things I need to be in control because I'm running this race and I don't want this sin which does so easily beset and will hold me back in my spiritual race that I'm running I want to earn that prize I want to earn that crown I want to keep going and in the more sin I have the more baggage I have that's going to hold me back from being able to win this race because the more sin you have it's more likely to get you out of serving God altogether you're going to backside and fall out right so you need to get rid of that extra baggage to continue running the race and keep your body in subjection meaning that you are controlling the lusts of your flesh which are going to drive you to sin so you're walking in the spirit and doing these things to help you run the race appropriately and do it the right way in order to get that crown in order to make it to the end so you know, hopefully this this makes sense when I when I a while back I kind of just had this thought it was actually chat was challenged on this a long time ago over five years ago and whether or not rewards were eternal and at the time because of a lot of the ladder verses that we looked at I was under the impression that you know, you might be able to I thought I think you can just lose some if you don't endure to the end if you don't really make it for that crown but upon further investigation. I think it's clear that look the stuff that you've already done you don't lose that stuff but you could still earn greater rewards and crowns by enduring faithfully to the end and the more that you can support and help other people to maintain their faithfulness then the more rewards you're going to get also so the people you invest in and spend time in hey continue to you know follow up and make sure people are doing well and serving the Lord themselves. Because those are going to be that's the work that's going to be looked at for you to get a full reward. Let's bow our heads of order prayer dear Lord. We love you. We thank you so much for reward for for the freeness of salvation because salvation in and of itself is just so awesome dear Lord that you would save ourselves from hell and give us that opportunity to live with you and in your presence and in such a perfect world dear Lord. We're looking forward to the time where we have that new heaven and new Earth and we could live out our lives the way that it's always been intended to be without sin in this world dear Lord and we thank you for saving us to that and for paying for all of our sins. We also thank you Lord for not only saving us but offering us rewards and offering to pay us for the work that we do here. We know that that it's not like you would have to do anything like that. But we're thankful that you do that and I pray that you'd help us to keep the right mindset and to not just live for the moment here, but that we'd be mindful of our eternal future and of that judgment seat of Christ that we could ensure that the work that we've done here is of eternal value and that you will find that value in all the things that we do so that we can have something to show for our life here and the work that we've lived while we we've been on this earth that ultimately gives bring honor and glory unto the name of Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen. All right, we're gonna sing one last song before we're dismissed this morning for the Peter. We please lead us in our last song. All right, church, you can grab your hymnals. You know that the song 404? Song 404, when the battle's over. Song 404. Let's sing this out on the verse. When the battle's over. Our father's sponsor. Shining. Yes. You guys. Thank you.