Calling Rewards

Calling

Rewards

Matthew 16:24-28

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

God is on the reward system

There is a prize and we cannot lose focus of it

 

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

We must never forget as we take up our cross and Follow Him that …

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown

Hebrews 6:10

God’s rewards are always worth the cost

Rewards

The Call of Jesus is…

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny

himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Jesus uses some very strong words

when it comes to following Him.

Yesterday, we were with some friends

at a restaurant I had never been to.

I determined before going I would have

a salad in order to be health conscience.

When I opened the menu there were all kinds

of things my taste buds were crying out for.

It was hard to deny myself, but

I did and enjoyed a great salad.

Denying ourselves is so hard

 because it is so easy to give in.

It would have been easy to just say I would

have salad for supper or dismiss the importance

of one meal in my entire life time.

Bearing our cross, dying to ourselves, is not easy.

Life is short, we only get one shot at it.

There is a temptation to say…

“Life is short so have a  ________________”

Filling in that blank is dangerous.

The Apostle Paul said things like…

I beat my body and make it my slave so

that after I have preached to others,

 I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:27

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be

ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so

that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,

 whether by life or by death.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:20-22

Paul says this dying to self, taking up the cross,

pressing forward when the journey of following

Christ is difficult, has a reward…

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which

God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:14

Paul also reminds us that all this self-discipline

will not be rewarded if what we do is not in “love”…

If I give all I possess to the poor and

surrender my body to the flames,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3

Jesus in Matthew 16: 26, 27 says…

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels,

 and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

“He will reward each person according to what he has done.”

Our God is a rewarding God.

Like Paul, we need to see the

rewards are worth pressing for.

It is clear to see recorded in Hebrews 11

many who followed God did not receive

in this life what they were looking for.

Many who followed God suffered and

died so we might have the benefits.

Hebrews 11 sums it up this way…

These were all commended for their faith,

yet none of them received what had been promised.

God had planned something better for us so that

only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:39-40

You and I are not following God alone.

There are a host in heaven cheering us

on to complete what they worked for...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,

so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

The reason we are surrounded by such a great cloud

of witnesses is they had faith that God rewards.

God is on the reward system.

There is a prize and we cannot lose focus of it…

Without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to him must believe

that he exists and that he rewards

those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

The saints of Hebrews 11 were looking

for something better than the temporary

reward with comforts of this life.

They were looking for…

A heavenly one.

Therefore God is not ashamed

to be called their God,

for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:16

We must never forget as we take up

our cross and Follow Him that …

God is not unjust;

he will not forget your work

and the love you have shown

Hebrews 6:10

God’s rewards are always worth the cost.

Scripture Reading

Matthew 16:24-28 NIV

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.