A SERVANT GOD APPROVES #12-THE MASTER S EVALUATION OF HIS SERVANTS" 1 CORINTHIANS

Transcription

1 A SERVANT GOD APPROVES #12-THE MASTER S EVALUATION OF HIS SERVANTS" 1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-15 INTRO: Throughout this series on servanthood we have seen that servants endure hardships, heartaches, & heartbreaks as they strive to serve the Lord. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3-5 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." Serving the Lord may not be easy but "serving definitely has rewards, and they are numerous. They far outweigh the consequences. When we think about them, they motivate us to keep going." (Charles R. Swindoll. Improving Your Serve. p. 192). As believers, we with great anticipation, look forward to the day when the Lord Jesus comes to take us home to be with Him for all eternity. Part of this joyful anticipation is His promise to reward His servants for their faithful service to Him. I believe it is the heartfelt desire of every servant of the Lord to hear His Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy lord." The Bible speaks much about rewards for faithful service. But prior to receiving these rewards their must come a time of evaluation. We read in 1 Corinthians 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." According to the dictionary, the purpose of an evaluation is "to find or determine the amount, worth, or value of" (Funk & Wagnall s Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 1, A-M. p. 219) something. The Bible gives us specific details concerning eternal rewards. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." At THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST our life s works will be tested. At THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST the Master will evaluate His servants. According to Paul, all Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. An evaluation of all thoughts, words, and deeds awaits them in the future. School teaches students to prepare for tests that gauge their achievement. Employers motivate employees by regular performance reviews. Doctors remind patients of annual physical exams. Evaluations are a part of life. Although eternal salvation is not dependent on personal moral achievement, believers will be called to account for their resourcefulness, faithfulness, and loving behavior (or lack of it) for purposes of rewards. If you stood before the Lord today, and he handed you a report card, what grade would do you think you would receive in moral purity? in financial integrity? in teachableness? in humility? in compassion? in perseverance in the faith? (Life Application Bible Commentary. WORDsearch 7.0. Copyright WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved). In this final message in our series, A SERVANT GOD APPROVES, I want us to consider THE MASTER S EVALUATION OF HIS SERVANTS. Please note with me there are (1) SOME PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER 1 CORINTHIANS 3:10 "According to the grace of God which is given

2 unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." A. WISDOM MUST BE EMPLOYED. Paul says in v10 "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon ". Paul like a skillful architect had "laid the foundation". What foundation was Paul referring to? It tells us in v11 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." The foundation is the most important part of the building, because it determines the size, shape, and strength of the superstructure. A ministry may seem to be successful for a time, but if it is not founded on Christ, it will eventually collapse and disappear. (Warren W. Wiersbe. Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament. WORDsearch 7.0. Copyright WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved). Friends, wisdom demands that we ask ourselves: Is My Life Built Upon the TRUE FOUNDATION? Many today consider themselves to be doing great works for the Lord but the problem is that many of these have never truly been born again. Friends, I can spend my entire lifetime in giving, forgiving, forgetting, releasing my will, and washing dirty feet, but if I have never repented and asked the Lord to save me in believing faith, I have lived a wasted life! My works will not and cannot save me! Paul said his life and his ministry were "according to the grace of God which is given me..". Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." Friend, can you say the same? Will My Labor Pass Through the TRIAL OF FIRE? Friends, why do we serve the Lord? The Scripture makes it clear that all our service for the Lord must be motivated by LOVE. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 tells us "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were 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." If my service for the Lord is not motivated by love it will not stand the test of God s fire. If my service is motivated by selfish ambition, if I am seeking appreciate or attention, or If I have a sinful motivation, my service will not stand the test of God s fire! Someone has said, "God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars." --SWORD B. WARNING MUST BE EXERCISED. Paul gives us a warning here " let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." I want you to notice the words "take heed". These words imply that we are "to look at, beware, behold, see and take heed." In other words, our service for the Lord must not be in a haphazard, or careless way. So many today are so careless in their service for the Lord. So many today serve God in such a haphazard fashion. Friends, I believe many today have forgotten why God saved them. Ephesians 2:10 tells us "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." ILLUS: I read of an incident in the life of D. L. Moody:

3 Blunt common sense always characterized Mr. Moody. Once a man rose in one of his meetings to give his experience. "I have been for five years on the Mount of Transfiguration," he said. Instantly Mr. Moody interrupted him by the sharp question, "How many souls did you lead to Christ last year?' "Well, I don't know," answered the surprised man. "Have you led any?" then came sternly from the preacher. "I-ah-don't know that I have," said the man. "Then," snapped Mr. Moody, still more sternly, "we don't want that kind of mountaintop experience. When a man gets so high that he can't reach down and save poor sinners, there is something wrong." Selected (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright , by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved). Friends, we have been saved to serve! Let each of us "take heed how we build on the foundation" that is laid! As we near THE MASTER S EVALUATION OF HIS SERVANTS there are SOME PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER: WISDOM MUST BE EMPLOYED and WARNING MUST BE EXERCISED but let us also see there are (2) SOME PROMISES TO CHERISH 1 CORINTHIANS 3:11-14 "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." A. OUR LORD CAN BE COUNTED ON. Friends, our faith truly does rest upon a firm foundation! As Paul tells us here, "for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." We read in Isaiah 28:16 "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." The Lord has promised to reward our faithfulness to Him and that is exactly what He will do! Someone has counted all the promises in the Bible and came up with an amazing figure of almost Among that large number are some specific promises servants can claim today. Believe me, there are times the only hope to keep you going will be in something God has declared in His Word, promising that your work is not in vain. (Charles R. Swindoll. Improving Your Serve. p. 196). We need to remember: Most Rewards Will Be Received in Heaven, Not Here on Earth. Most of the rewards that servant will receive will be after death, not before. God has promised that "Every man's work shall be made manifest ". God has reserved a special day of blessing and honor for all His faithful servants. Every man's work, the work of every believer, will be manifested and declared. No believer will be exempted. Every single believer will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and have his works tried and tested by the Lord. Every single work will be tested, and the truth and quality of his work will be exposed. (Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible Commentary. WORDsearch 7.0. Copyright WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved). Measurement of Rewards are Based on Quality, Not Quantity. V13 clearly tells us that " the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." We seem easily impressed by size, noise, and numbers. But it would be

4 shocking for many to learn that God is not impressed with those things. God s eye is always on our MOTIVES. The Lord will reward His servants based on quality not quantity. This means every believer has the equal opportunity to receive a reward. Those who labor silently in prayer will be rewarded as much as the evangelist who preaches to multitudes. Those who are faithful in serving others in need will be rewarded as much as the dynamic leader whose gifts are self-evident. A cup of water given in the Lord s name is truly as much an act of sacrifice as the act of sacrifice on the mission field. God promises to reward the quality of our faithful service not the quantity. Man May Forget, But God Never Forgets. We have a tendency to forget things. Even important things we sometimes forget. But our Lord never forgets! The Bible tells us here in v14, make no mistake about it, " he shall receive a reward." God will not forget us! God will not forsake us! If we labor faithfully for the Lord we will be rewarded and God will not forget our labors not matter how long He tarries in coming! Hebrews 6:10 assures us "For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." B. OUR LIFE COUNTS. If you look back in vv. 8-9 Paul says "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." Many times as we serve the Lord we find ourselves feeling discouraged, unappreciated, and unneeded, but friend let me encourage you tonight, YOUR LIFE COUNTS! Your labor will be rewarded! You may be touching lives and not even realize it. Keep serving! Keep going! Keep giving! Keep loving! 1 Corinthians 15:58 encourages all servants "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." Friends, what a privilege it that "we are laborers together with God "! YES OUR LIFE COUNTS! And we will never truly know the impact and influence our lives have made on others until we reach Heaven! Friends, we must keep going for the Lord! OUR LIFE COUNTS! ILLUS: TODAY I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE --- by Max Lucado Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference. I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink

5 each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference. I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble. I will get up. It's OK to fail. I will rise again. Today I will make a difference. I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends. Today I will make a difference. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failure. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. From On the Anvil Copyright 1985 Max Lucado When we have done as the Lord has commanded, but seemingly ignored, misunderstood, or forgotten we can rest assured that our labor was not in vain. Why? How do we know? Because God has promised that our "labor is not in vain in the Lord." C. OUR LABORS WILL BE CROWNED. 1 Corinthians 3:14 assures us "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." The Bible calls these rewards crowns. There are at least five crowns promised in The Bible. These are: THE IMPERISHABLE CROWN (1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27). This reward is promised to all who run victoriously the race of life. It is clear from the context of the passage of where this crown is mentioned it will be awarded to those believers who consistently bring this old flesh under subjection and refuse to be enslaved by the flesh. THE CROWN OF REJOICING (PHILIPPIANS 4:1; 1 THESSALONIANS 2:19-20). This is also called the "soul-winners crown." Those servants who are faithful in sharing Jesus with others, lead others to Christ, and build them up in Him, will be recipients of this crown. And once again, let us remember the rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ are based on quality not quantity. THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (2 TIMOTHY 4:7-8). This crown, according to Paul, is given to all those "that love his appearing." It seems amazing to me that many of God s people today seem perfectly content to remain the remainder of their lives upon this earth. They seemingly are not looking for, anticipation, or loving the prospect of the Lord s imminent return.

6 THE CROWN OF LIFE (JAMES 1:12). This is the "sufferer s crown". It is for those who have suffered patiently during this life. This crown is not promised simply to those who endure suffering and trials but to those who endure their trials, loving the Savior all the way! (Charles R. Swindoll. Improving Your Serve. p. 206). THE CROWN OF GLORY (1 PETER 5:1-4). This crown is promised to those who are faithful to "shepherd" God s flock. This is also called the "pastor s crown". They keep the requirements Peter spells out in 1 Peter 5:2-3. But I want you to notice what happens with those crowns we receive. It tells us in Revelation 4:9-11 "And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." We have looked at SOME PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER and SOME PROMISES TO CHERISH but finally let us see (3) SOME PERSPECTIVES TO CHALLENGE 1 CORINTHIANS 3:14-15 "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." A. A CHOICE BEFORE US. Friends, as we serve the Lord we have one of two choices before us: If we live for the Savior with unselfish motives, our works will pass through God s fire and we will be rewarded. But if we live for self, serving with a pretense of serving the Lord but have selfish motives, our works will be burned up, we will suffer loss, but we shall be saved, so as by fire! We can either build upon THE FOUNDATION with gold, silver, precious stones, or else, wood, hay, and stubble. The choice is ours! What are the difference between the two varieties of building materials? Like us consider: Gold, Silver, Precious Permanent Passing, Beautiful Valuable Hard to obtain Stones Wood, Hay, Stubble temporary Ordinary, even ugly Cheap Easy to obtain (Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament. WORDsearch 7.0. Copyright WORDsearch Corp. All Rights Reserved). Friends, it does matter how we live our Christian lives! It does matter how we serve the Lord! B. A COMFORT TO BLESS US. One of the greatest comforts to God s weary servants is in the knowledge that God sees our labor, blesses our labor, and will reward our labor. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:9 "Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." Friends, let me remind you of something tonight the only one we have to please is God! Not others or ourselves but just the Lord! Let take comfort in these truths:

7 God Remembers Every Act of Service We offer. God Sees Our Love Behind Our Actions. God s Light is Reflected Through Our Lives As We Serve Others. God Has Promised Special and Specific Rewards For Unselfish Service. CLOSING: Friends, each believer will one day stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ. As we have considered tonight THE MASTER S EVALUATION OF HIS SERVANTS we saw SOME PRINCIPLES TO CONSIDER, SOME PROMISES TO CHERISH, and SOME PERSPECTIVES TO CHALLENGE. My question to you tonight is, "When you stand before the Lord will you be rewarded or will you suffer loss?" A SERVANT GOD APPROVES will hear His Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:23). Friend, will you hear those words from the lips of the Savior? PREACHED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF UNIONTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH, UNIONTOWN, KY ON SUNDAY EVENING, JANUARY 30, 2011.