Kingdom economics (9/15/19 Topical)

ATTN: when I was a young man – 17, 18 years old – my pastor told me that whatever we do for God in secret will become our reward in heaven. And I took it to heart. I wanted lots of reward in heaven, and so I started doing a bunch of things for God without letting anyone else know because the also told us that as soon as we tell it to others, we would lose our reward. So, I made it a point not to let others know as I was serving God. Here are some of the things I did – Every Friday I would pick up as many people as I could for youth group in my beat up ‘77 thunderbird. I would fit as many as 9 people in it – illegally! Then, I would take them all home afterwards. I was the youth pastor’s favorite! Then, on every saturday morning, I went to church to help the church secretary make the bulletin – by translating and then helping her fold once they are printed. Then, I would help setting up the fellowship hall. Then, I would go to the choir practice. Then, on sunday mornings, I would go extra early to help with kids’ sunday school, to sing in the choir, take the garbage out after service, and then return in the evening to help lead evening worship service. When I was a young adult, I did even more. I led the youth group. I taught children’s sunday school. I sang in the choir. I led the evening worship. I also helped lead the young adult group that just formed. And the whole time, I was thinking to myself, “my reward will be great in heaven!” Did I have the right motivation? Was it right to want to be rewarded by God in heaven as I served? 

There are many of you at our church who are doing similar to what I did. Many young people and older people alike are spending yourself and giving yourself to God by serving the body of Christ. Would your reward be great in heaven? Should you be motivated by reward? Today, i want to be an encouragement to you by speaking on this topic of kingdom economics – What will last, and how to make it last. Here’s the outline of my message about the reward: 1) The mandate of it,  2) How do we get it? 3) What is the nature of it? 

 

1. The mandate of reward.

If you didn’t look at the bible carefully and thought simply and logically, then we might conclude that working for a reward is a wrong motive. Rather, we should work from the heart for its own sake. However, we must let the Bible correct our thinking and human logic. The Bible tells us that it is right and proper to look toward the heavenly reward. 

Matthew 10:41-42 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” 

Here, Jesus is clearly using the reward to motivate us. He says that if we serve others because they belong to Christ, we will be rewarded. So, was I right to think that I would be rewarded, and I was even motivated by it to serve at church? Yes! 

One more from Jesus:  Matthew 6:5-6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 

So, was I right in thinking that only what I’ve done for christ in secret and not to be seen by people would be rewarded? Yes, again! We will be rewarded for those things that we have done for christ and not to be seen by people. Jesus uses reward to motivate us to be this way. 

Now, let’s hear from the apostle paul. 

1 corinthians 3:8 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

Paul says that we will be rewarded according to our works. Therefore, we should be wise in where we invest to make sure that it will last and we will be rewarded for it. So, paul uses reward as a motivating factor. Now, maybe you are thinking at this point that Paul was perhaps using reward as a motivating factor for those baby Christians who need such an extra motivating factor. But that is not so. We see that Paul himself used reward as a motivation to pour himself out for the ministry: 2 Timothy 4:7 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

As he was serving, pouring his life out for christ, giving himself to the church and the lost, he was thinking of the reward of the crown of righteousness he will one day receive. Like an Olympic athlete looks forward to receiving a medal, the Apostle Paul was looking to receive the reward from God. so, it is good and right to seek for and work for and be motivated by the reward from God. 

 

1. How do we get it? 

If we are convinced from the scripture that we should work for a reward from God, then how do we get it? My role as a pastor is to increase your joy in God. and one way to do that is to be your spiritual financial advisor. I want to increase your stock in heaven. I want your joy to be maximized in God by making your reward as big as possible and to do that, I need to tell you how we can get it. There are several ways to store up our reward in heaven.

1. By giving to the needy

Luke 12:32-33 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

So, when you give toward Thai children, or sponsor a child through compassion international, or to a random homeless person on the street, you are storing up your reward in heaven. 

2. Serving the Lord and his people.

Matthew 10:41-42 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

APP: In the Korean church culture, members will bend over backwards serving their pastors because they believe by dong so, they are serving God’s servant and they are storing up their reward in heaven. Now, that has the undesired effect of having some of these pastors think like they deserve to be treated that way, but the intention of the members is not wrong. But it shouldn’t just be for pastors. Jesus says, “if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple..” So, if we are serving another member out of our love for Christ, then we will be rewarded. For example, Kelly has been bringing food for the youth every Friday for as long as I can remember. Her reward will be great in heaven because she is serving God’s little ones by giving them what they need – food! I am jealous with godly jealousy for many of you who are serving the church with your gifts and talents. APP: I am humbled by the young people who are here every Saturday, setting up and breaking down and practicing, giving your precious saturday mornings to the lord. Even if no one recgnizes you or sees you, you will be rewarded in heaven. I am also humbled by the veterans of our church who have so faithful served by making sure all the supplies are there and the tables are set up and the food is prepared, and all of that without wanting to be recognized. Your reward is truly great in heaven. 

3. By praying in secret 

Matthew 6:5-6  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer, probably more than any other act, shows our faith. One thing we would not do if we didn’t believe in God is to pray. Think about it. A person who does not believe in God – why would he pray? It would be like sitting there and talking to the wall! It would be a total waste of God if God wasn’t there. The only reason why he might pray is in public if he comes from a religious culture to show that he’s one of them – like a politician saying that he’s of certain religious conviction to get voters to vote for him. That’s why Jesus says, “Praying in secret.” not to be seen by people but only to be heard by God. 

This shows us that it is not our act but our heart to seek God and to know and to love Him supremely is what will get us the reward. 

4. By loving our enemies

Matt 5:44, 46 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,… If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 

Think of how much God loved us when we were his enemies. With our hearts warm, we ought to love our enemies. 

5. By faithfully enduring persecution and not taking revenge. 

Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

III. What is the nature of it? 

What is the reward that we will receive? Several things are mentioned. A house with many rooms. Crown of jewels. Cities that we will rule over. But if you have been coming to As 1, you know that our ultimate reward is Jesus. We get God himself as the reward. So, then why does the Bible mention anything else? Why should we be motivated by anything else? We are not to be motivated by anything else. We are to be motivated by God and HIm alone. Then, what of those rewards? Here’s how John piper puts it: Christ is indeed our reward, and everything else morally and spiritually and physically inside us and outside us in the universe — crowns, stars, cities, friends, family, great saints, etc. — everything else with him that will maximize the communication of his glory and our happiness in him, through it. [John Piper]. 

My version: This past summer, I took my family to Universal Studios and I loved every minute of it. But what made the trip enjoyable is not universal studios, but it was spending time with my family. If a rich person offered me an all expense paid trip to universal studios but i have to go by myself, I would say, “No thanks. Can you give me the cash value of it?” ’but the universal studios was a context in which I could spend that blissful time with my family. All that heaven has to offer would be meaningless without God. But all the amenities of heaven are there to communicate to us the fullness of what we will experience with God. 

 

CONC: I used to feel bad when I saw church members toiling and laboring to serve the church when a lot of them have a full time job and a family to take care of. But no longer. When you serve the body, you are storing up your reward in heaven, so why should I feel bad? I am glad. I am rejoicing that many of you will be rich in heaven. Please continue. If you haven’t engaged yet, we will give you opportunities to engage to store up your treasure in heaven. Please listen for up in the upcoming weeks and months.