1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:07,100 You’re listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open The Bible. 2 00:00:07,100 –> 00:00:15,060 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org. 3 00:00:15,060 –> 00:00:17,719 Let’s get to the message. 4 00:00:17,719 –> 00:00:20,180 Here is Pastor Colin. 5 00:00:20,180 –> 00:00:26,480 Well, please open your Bible at 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and we’re looking today, especially 6 00:00:26,559 –> 00:00:28,980 at verse 9, where we read, 7 00:00:39,459 –> 00:00:44,060 Now last week, as we began this series, we saw that 2nd Corinthians, in chapter 5, at 8 00:00:44,060 –> 00:00:49,799 its heart, is telling us why Christians do not lose heart. 9 00:00:49,799 –> 00:00:55,279 Paul sets out that theme both at the beginning and the end of chapter 4. 10 00:00:55,279 –> 00:00:59,560 We see it in verse 1 of chapter 4, if you go back just a page, there, having this ministry 11 00:00:59,560 –> 00:01:06,120 by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart, and then in verse 16 he says it again, 12 00:01:08,120 –> 00:01:15,080 and he then says in chapter 5, as he’s explaining why this is in greater detail, he puts it 13 00:01:15,080 –> 00:01:17,959 positively, verse 6 that we just read. 14 00:01:17,959 –> 00:01:19,720 We are always of good courage. 15 00:01:19,720 –> 00:01:22,620 That’s the positive way of saying we don’t lose heart. 16 00:01:23,019 –> 00:01:30,120 He says the same thing again in verse 8, yes, we are of good courage. 17 00:01:30,120 –> 00:01:36,500 So, how we can be people of good courage and people who don’t lose heart really is the 18 00:01:36,500 –> 00:01:42,860 theme of this great chapter, and we need this encouragement of the scripture. 19 00:01:42,860 –> 00:01:49,019 There are so many reasons why we can become discouraged, reasons why we can lose heart, 20 00:01:49,139 –> 00:01:54,919 and one of them is that we looked at last time is simply the difficulty of life in this 21 00:01:54,919 –> 00:01:55,919 body. 22 00:01:55,919 –> 00:02:02,239 The body that you and I live in, this body is like a tent, the Apostle Paul says, and 23 00:02:02,239 –> 00:02:04,440 the tent is a fragile structure. 24 00:02:04,440 –> 00:02:09,580 While we’re grateful for it, it gives us plenty of trouble. 25 00:02:09,580 –> 00:02:16,520 Canvas sags, the ropes fray, the pegs bend, and the tent which is your body is inadequate 26 00:02:16,880 –> 00:02:22,720 for the time being but it was never intended to be your final home. 27 00:02:22,720 –> 00:02:28,800 And if you think about it, the difficulties of life in the body often get us down. 28 00:02:28,800 –> 00:02:30,740 They are discouraging. 29 00:02:30,740 –> 00:02:35,539 Put together all the sicknesses that come through the body, all the stresses that come 30 00:02:35,539 –> 00:02:41,259 through life in the body, and all the temptations that come through life in the body, and it 31 00:02:41,259 –> 00:02:43,139 is very easy to lose heart. 32 00:02:44,100 –> 00:02:49,199 And so we saw last week that God, to help us and encourage us, wonderfully pulls back 33 00:02:49,199 –> 00:02:54,580 the curtain, shows us something about the life that is to come, chapter five and verse 34 00:02:54,580 –> 00:03:01,960 one, if this tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we know that we have a building 35 00:03:01,960 –> 00:03:09,380 from God, a house that is not made with hands, that is eternal in the heavens. 36 00:03:09,720 –> 00:03:14,580 And so we saw, as we started the series, that a Christian is a person with two homes and 37 00:03:14,580 –> 00:03:20,500 that when your soul moves from the tent of your body which is its present home, you will 38 00:03:20,500 –> 00:03:22,139 move into the building. 39 00:03:22,139 –> 00:03:28,580 It will be an instant house move and it will be very wonderful indeed. 40 00:03:28,580 –> 00:03:33,300 And we saw, we ended up in verse five last week, where we saw this wonderful truth that 41 00:03:33,300 –> 00:03:35,779 God has prepared you for this very thing. 42 00:03:35,880 –> 00:03:39,220 If you’re a Christian, here’s the marvelous truth about you. 43 00:03:39,220 –> 00:03:44,160 You’re prepared for this, you’re already ready because God has sent his Son into the 44 00:03:44,160 –> 00:03:49,699 world to prepare the place for you and he has sent the Spirit into your heart to prepare 45 00:03:49,699 –> 00:03:55,520 you for the place, so we do not lose heart. 46 00:03:55,520 –> 00:04:02,800 Now, today we look at the question of not losing heart from another angle and having 47 00:04:02,960 –> 00:04:09,960 got to 2 Corinthians, chapter 5 and verse 5, someone might reasonably say OK, so God 48 00:04:11,839 –> 00:04:17,339 has something better prepared for me in the future, so one day I’m going to move out of 49 00:04:17,339 –> 00:04:22,339 the tent that’s causing me a lot of trouble and into the marvelous building prepared by 50 00:04:22,339 –> 00:04:29,339 Jesus Christ himself. I get that, but here’s my question, what then exactly is the purpose 51 00:04:30,339 –> 00:04:37,339 of my life now? What is the point of the life I have here in this tent and in the world? 52 00:04:39,519 –> 00:04:45,459 I mean, here I am in the tent, and the canvas seems to be sagging a bit, the ropes seem 53 00:04:45,459 –> 00:04:50,799 to be fraying, the pegs are bending, the rain is somewhat coming in. What is the point of 54 00:04:50,799 –> 00:04:57,799 this existence? Am I simply doing time in the tent until God sees fit and does the of 55 00:04:59,920 –> 00:05:04,820 the tent, and then I go into the building and everything’s going to be so much better? 56 00:05:04,820 –> 00:05:11,820 I hear what you say about the joys of life to come. My question is, what is the point 57 00:05:12,540 –> 00:05:19,540 of the life that I have right now? Now we all know the phrase that a person can 58 00:05:20,359 –> 00:05:27,359 be so heavenly-minded as to be no earthly use, and it’s very interesting when you think 59 00:05:27,760 –> 00:05:33,720 about that phrase, that actually the apostle Paul in the New Testament had to rebuke some 60 00:05:33,720 –> 00:05:40,500 Christian believers who had basically given up on this life. They thought a great deal 61 00:05:40,500 –> 00:05:45,019 about heaven and about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ but they had basically come to 62 00:05:45,019 –> 00:05:50,359 the conclusion, what’s the point in working? I mean, what is the value really in going 63 00:05:50,359 –> 00:05:55,000 and earning a living in the light of this great eternity that is ahead, and so they 64 00:05:55,040 –> 00:06:00,440 basically dropped out and Paul has to deal with that. You can read it in 2 Thessalonians 65 00:06:00,440 –> 00:06:07,260 in Chapter 3. You will find that God places the highest importance on our life with its 66 00:06:07,260 –> 00:06:14,260 difficulties here in this world and he therefore calls us to do the same. 67 00:06:14,260 –> 00:06:20,559 And I do want to encourage you with regards to this. I’ve had many conversations over a period 68 00:06:20,700 –> 00:06:26,420 of time with folks in the congregation and many of you have expressed something like 69 00:06:26,420 –> 00:06:33,420 this. I look at my life in the light of eternity and here I am and I have this job and what 70 00:06:33,619 –> 00:06:39,619 is the point of what I am doing? I mean I am making money, I am making widgets or whatever 71 00:06:39,619 –> 00:06:45,700 it is but what does that really matter? In the light of the big picture? 72 00:06:45,920 –> 00:06:55,920 It is a real question. You are asking what is the point? What is the value of life in the tent, life here, as I am giving it right 73 00:06:55,920 –> 00:07:02,660 now in this world and the heart of the message today, what I have prayed for today and for 74 00:07:02,660 –> 00:07:10,380 this weekend in our services is that you will be encouraged with a new sense of the purpose 75 00:07:10,519 –> 00:07:17,519 of your life in this world even at its most frustrating, even at its most frustrating 76 00:07:18,760 –> 00:07:25,760 and perhaps we will see today especially at its most frustrating. God has great purpose 77 00:07:25,760 –> 00:07:32,760 for you in your life in this world. So I hope you have your Bible open at 2nd Corinthians 78 00:07:32,799 –> 00:07:39,559 and chapter 5. Now you will see there straight away if you look at 6 in v. 8 that the Christian 79 00:07:39,559 –> 00:07:46,519 life or the life of a Christian is really in two parts and very encouragingly both of 80 00:07:46,519 –> 00:07:53,519 them are described as being at home. V. 6 we know that while we are at home in the body 81 00:07:54,480 –> 00:08:01,480 we are away from the Lord, v. 8 we would rather be away from the body and at home with the 82 00:08:02,459 –> 00:08:09,459 Lord. So here is a Christian, we said last time a person with two homes, one life that 83 00:08:10,040 –> 00:08:17,040 is lived in two very unequal parts, now I am at home in the body. That’s a description 84 00:08:20,000 –> 00:08:25,239 of our life now in this world. And while we are at home in the body we are as Christian 85 00:08:25,880 –> 00:08:31,480 believers in Christ and we’re living this life in the body by faith. That’s why he says 86 00:08:31,480 –> 00:08:38,479 in verse seven, we walk by faith and not by sight, so as long as I’m living this life 87 00:08:38,900 –> 00:08:45,960 in the body I live in Christ and by faith. I will experience many pressures, many difficulties, 88 00:08:45,960 –> 00:08:50,799 many frustrations, and all the rest of it, the tent sags, it wears out, the pence end, 89 00:08:50,799 –> 00:08:56,020 and eventually the whole thing will be taken down, but when that happens, as we saw last 90 00:08:56,020 –> 00:09:03,020 time, I will be at home with the Lord. I will move and you will move as a Christian believer 91 00:09:03,380 –> 00:09:10,380 from living in Christ and by faith to living with Christ and by sight, and it is a very, 92 00:09:11,219 –> 00:09:18,219 very wonderful change that will take place. These are the two parts of a Christian’s one 93 00:09:19,900 –> 00:09:26,900 life, life in the body, life with the Lord, and they are two very unequal parts. To be 94 00:09:31,099 –> 00:09:38,099 with the Lord, the apostle Paul says in Philippians is better by far. It is incomparably better 95 00:09:38,099 –> 00:09:45,099 and it is unimaginably longer. The Christian has one life in very unequal parts, but it 96 00:09:52,280 –> 00:09:57,659 is one life. Now many of you will have lived your life in 97 00:09:57,659 –> 00:10:03,479 more than one place. I was just reflect on my own life just trying to think of illustrating 98 00:10:03,640 –> 00:10:10,640 this by way of experience, and my life so far in this world has been in two parts, and I 99 00:10:12,119 –> 00:10:19,119 have been at home in two places. Part one was in United Kingdom for 38 years. Part two 100 00:10:24,460 –> 00:10:31,080 of my life has been here in the United States, it has lasted for eighteen years, and it is 101 00:10:31,440 –> 00:10:38,440 continuing. But it is one life, and it has been lived in two very different places. There’s 102 00:10:42,080 –> 00:10:49,080 continuity of memory and of experience. I have known myself to be in the UK, I know 103 00:10:50,599 –> 00:10:57,599 myself here to be in the US. It’s my life. It continues unbroken in the marvelous continuity 104 00:11:01,479 –> 00:11:07,840 of the life that God gives to me. Many of you will be able to translate that into your own 105 00:11:07,840 –> 00:11:14,059 particular story, and some of you living in multiple places at different times in your 106 00:11:14,059 –> 00:11:18,200 life. This is true of you as a Christian. Just try and think of what you experience 107 00:11:18,200 –> 00:11:25,200 in this world and project it out onto the totality of your life. You have one life. 108 00:11:26,200 –> 00:11:33,119 Your life begins here when you’re at home in the body, and it will continue an unbroken 109 00:11:33,119 –> 00:11:38,520 continuity as you pass through death. It will continue as you are at home with the Lord. 110 00:11:38,520 –> 00:11:45,239 You will know yourself to be there as much as you know yourself to be here. And you will 111 00:11:45,239 –> 00:11:51,559 look back with an awareness of all that Christ has redeemed you from, knowing yourself and 112 00:11:51,619 –> 00:11:56,739 knowing others healed of all that which is painful all tears wiped from your eye, but 113 00:11:56,739 –> 00:12:03,440 knowing yourself to have a life that began in a certain place and continued for a certain 114 00:12:03,440 –> 00:12:09,520 time and now is in another place. Not in the body but with the Lord as you are immediately 115 00:12:09,520 –> 00:12:17,119 translated after death into the presence of Jesus. So this is what we’re learning from 116 00:12:17,239 –> 00:12:24,679 2 Corinthians and chapter 5 and here now is the heart of what I want to lay before you 117 00:12:24,679 –> 00:12:37,340 today. The Christian then has one life in two parts and each part has both a challenge 118 00:12:37,359 –> 00:12:47,359 and an opportunity. The Christian has one life, lived in two parts and both parts have 119 00:12:48,979 –> 00:12:55,979 both an opportunity and challenge. Now it is easy to see the challenge that we 120 00:12:57,239 –> 00:13:01,859 have now, we thought about that last week, life in the tent and all the rest of it. We 121 00:13:01,859 –> 00:13:06,539 know the difficulties of that, you’re living in the tent, you’re walking by faith and not 122 00:13:06,679 –> 00:13:11,960 by sight, we understand the challenge of the life that we have now. And it’s very easy 123 00:13:11,960 –> 00:13:16,460 for us to understand the opportunity that we will have when we are with Christ. I mean 124 00:13:16,460 –> 00:13:23,460 we will be with Christ, you will see the king in his beauty, faith will be turned into sight. 125 00:13:25,580 –> 00:13:31,780 So what we’ve looked at in the first five verses of 2 Corinthians in chapter 5, is the 126 00:13:31,820 –> 00:13:38,820 challenge of life now and the opportunity of life that is to come. The challenge in 127 00:13:38,859 –> 00:13:45,859 the body and the opportunity with the Lord. What I want us to see today, from verses 6 128 00:13:46,739 –> 00:13:53,739 to 10, is that actually you can flip that on its head and I want us to look at the challenge 129 00:13:53,979 –> 00:14:00,000 that we will have then with the Lord and the opportunity that we will have now while we 130 00:14:00,059 –> 00:14:07,059 are in the body, and you might immediately say what possible challenge could there be 131 00:14:10,400 –> 00:14:15,340 when I am in the presence of the Lord and the answer to that, of course, is in verse 132 00:14:15,340 –> 00:14:19,260 10. Will you look at it with me? There will be a challenge to face when you are at home 133 00:14:19,260 –> 00:14:25,419 with the Lord and here’s what it is. Verse 10. We must all appear before the judgment 134 00:14:25,599 –> 00:14:32,599 seat of Christ. So that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, 135 00:14:37,099 –> 00:14:44,099 whether good or evil. Now, that’s not happening now. While you’re in the body, you are not 136 00:14:44,340 –> 00:14:48,859 before the judgment seed of Christ, but what the Bible is telling us is that when you 137 00:14:48,859 –> 00:14:54,280 are in the presence of Christ, that will be your experience then and we’re being told 138 00:14:54,380 –> 00:14:59,219 that because we have to prepare for it. So, there’s a challenge related to then and there 139 00:14:59,219 –> 00:15:06,219 is correspondingly an opportunity that relates to now, precisely the mirror reverse of what 140 00:15:06,659 –> 00:15:08,419 we were looking at last week. 141 00:15:08,419 –> 00:15:14,239 Three things that a Christian needs to know about the judgment seed of Christ very simply. 142 00:15:14,239 –> 00:15:21,239 Number one, you will not be condemned. If you’re in Christ, there is now no condemnation 143 00:15:21,419 –> 00:15:28,419 for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8, those who put then trust in Him will never 144 00:15:29,140 –> 00:15:36,140 be put to shame. Romans, chapter 10, and verse 11. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish 145 00:15:36,780 –> 00:15:43,780 but will have everlasting life. John chapter 3 and verse 16. If you are in Christ, you 146 00:15:44,780 –> 00:15:51,780 will stand before the Lord as His redeemed child. No Christian believer, no person in 147 00:15:53,619 –> 00:16:00,400 Christ will experience the wrath of God because Christ entered into hell on the cross on your 148 00:16:00,400 –> 00:16:07,400 behalf so that you should never, never, never know what that is like. 149 00:16:07,900 –> 00:16:13,219 Your home in heaven we saw last week was not built with human hands and it certainly cannot 150 00:16:13,659 –> 00:16:20,659 be dismantled by the failure of human hands either. A person in Christ cannot lose his 151 00:16:20,820 –> 00:16:27,320 or her salvation in the judgment seat of Christ. By the way, that’s an amen moment, isn’t 152 00:16:27,320 –> 00:16:33,159 that something you’re thankful for. I’m so, so thankful for that, my security in Jesus 153 00:16:33,159 –> 00:16:33,440 Christ. 154 00:16:33,440 –> 00:16:38,539 Number two, the second thing that every Christian needs to know about the judgment seat of Christ, 155 00:16:38,580 –> 00:16:45,580 you will give an account. You will not be condemned. You will give an account. Now scripture 156 00:16:46,340 –> 00:16:52,020 speaks of this so many times, Hebrews 4.13 how everything is uncovered before the eyes 157 00:16:52,020 –> 00:16:59,020 of him to whom we must give account. Romans 14, in verse 12, each of us must give an account 158 00:16:59,179 –> 00:17:05,819 of himself to God. Matthew 12, in verse 36, Jesus speaks of how we will give an account 159 00:17:05,839 –> 00:17:11,199 for every careless word that we have spoken and this scripture itself we must all, and 160 00:17:11,199 –> 00:17:17,719 he’s writing to Christian believers, we must all, brother sisters, stand before the judgment 161 00:17:17,719 –> 00:17:24,719 seat of Christ. You will give an account. In the college, where both Karn and I studied 162 00:17:28,339 –> 00:17:35,339 and trained, the curriculum was made up of two elements. There were the threefold approach 163 00:17:35,819 –> 00:17:42,819 of examinable courses that contributed towards the degree and then there were other courses 164 00:17:42,900 –> 00:17:49,900 that were mandatory for all students but they were not examinable and they did not contribute 165 00:17:50,160 –> 00:17:55,660 towards the degree. Well, you can understand that with a bunch of students every time there 166 00:17:55,660 –> 00:18:01,000 was a new course started the discussion in the dining room was is this one of the examinable 167 00:18:01,160 –> 00:18:07,599 ones or is this one that doesn’t count towards the degree? And as you can imagine, the professors 168 00:18:07,599 –> 00:18:14,599 who had to teach the non-examinable courses had a pretty rough time. The first thing obviously 169 00:18:16,260 –> 00:18:21,319 was that the attendance at these classes was considerably lower. The second thing was that 170 00:18:21,319 –> 00:18:27,239 the level of attention was definitely lower. This was before e-mail, it was before tweeting 171 00:18:27,239 –> 00:18:31,640 and texting and all the rest of it, where people were old-fashioned, long-handed, writing 172 00:18:31,640 –> 00:18:36,319 letters to other people and pushing notes around the place and all the rest of it. 173 00:18:36,319 –> 00:18:41,760 Well, you get the picture and it’s not hard to put yourself in that situation. So let’s 174 00:18:41,760 –> 00:18:47,199 invent a student and we’ll call him John. And there’s a new course that’s starting 175 00:18:47,199 –> 00:18:54,199 at the college and it’s on Monday morning at 7 o’clock, and people are talking about 176 00:18:54,380 –> 00:18:58,959 this in the dining room, what’s this with a new course? I mean, Monday, is it 7 o’clock, 177 00:18:58,959 –> 00:19:03,640 I mean, who needs that? Oh, there’s someone in the group. You don’t need to worry about 178 00:19:03,640 –> 00:19:10,640 this. It’s one of these non-examinable courses. Just sign in to show that you’ve been there. 179 00:19:10,959 –> 00:19:15,760 That’s all you need to do. You dose off to sleep for the rest of the time. 180 00:19:15,760 –> 00:19:22,760 So that’s what John does. He goes in there for the first week and he starts taking notes, 181 00:19:23,199 –> 00:19:28,619 but it’s 7 o’clock Monday morning and he’s a student. And he writes a few things, but 182 00:19:28,619 –> 00:19:33,119 it’s hard going and he begins to think after a while why bother? I mean, it doesn’t even 183 00:19:33,119 –> 00:19:39,020 count towards the degree. And then the next week, John shows up late 184 00:19:39,020 –> 00:19:42,939 because he’s slept in, and the week after that he didn’t show up at all because he forgot 185 00:19:42,939 –> 00:19:48,079 to set his alarm. And you’ve got the feeling of the story. 186 00:19:48,260 –> 00:19:52,500 The last day of the class, the teacher has an announcement. 187 00:19:52,500 –> 00:20:03,020 As you know, this course is not examinable, and it does not count towards the degree. 188 00:20:03,020 –> 00:20:08,979 This does not mean, however, he says, that the course is unimportant. As a graduate, 189 00:20:08,979 –> 00:20:15,619 you will require a reference from this college. And at the end of this session, he says, I 190 00:20:15,640 –> 00:20:22,939 want each of you to submit the notes that you have taken throughout the last ten weeks 191 00:20:22,939 –> 00:20:27,719 of this class, and they will be placed in your file as evidence of the character and 192 00:20:27,719 –> 00:20:34,300 commitment that you show to learning. And when future employers are asking for a reference 193 00:20:34,300 –> 00:20:38,920 from this college, we will write you a reference and we will append the notes that you have 194 00:20:39,119 –> 00:20:46,119 taken over these last weeks for them to see your character. And John looks through his 195 00:20:46,939 –> 00:20:53,939 file, half a measly page from session one. One paragraph from the second half of session 196 00:20:56,339 –> 00:21:03,339 two. Session three, not a stroke off the pen, because he’s slept in that entire day. Suddenly 197 00:21:03,800 –> 00:21:10,800 he realizes that the shoddy work he has done for ten weeks will be the first thing that 198 00:21:13,400 –> 00:21:20,400 is seen by his potential employer. He rushes to the tutor. This is not fair he says, this 199 00:21:23,000 –> 00:21:27,839 is not fair. I was told quite clearly that this course does not count towards my degree 200 00:21:27,839 –> 00:21:34,839 and if I knew that it mattered, I would have done better work. You’re quite right it says 201 00:21:35,599 –> 00:21:42,119 the tutor, it does not count towards your degree. 202 00:21:42,119 –> 00:21:49,119 The mistake you made was that you thought it didn’t count for anything and that is a 203 00:21:51,680 –> 00:21:56,640 terrible mistake. And you see there are many Christians who have made the same mistake 204 00:21:56,699 –> 00:21:57,479 as John. 205 00:21:57,479 –> 00:22:04,000 They have learned that entrance into heaven does not depend on our works. That is true. 206 00:22:05,400 –> 00:22:11,880 Salvation is the gift of God, it is by grace, it is through faith, it is in Jesus Christ. 207 00:22:11,880 –> 00:22:18,880 But it is a big mistake to assume from that that your Christian life doesn’t count for 208 00:22:18,880 –> 00:22:21,920 anything. 209 00:22:21,939 –> 00:22:27,239 Brother, Sister, says Paul, we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we’re 210 00:22:27,239 –> 00:22:33,280 going to give an account, therefore we make it our aim to please him, we’re going through 211 00:22:33,280 –> 00:22:38,339 the course of our life in this world with the knowledge, that while we are not trying 212 00:22:38,339 –> 00:22:42,540 to earn our way into heaven, which we could never do and Christ has purchased that for 213 00:22:42,540 –> 00:22:48,079 us, we are on a journey in which one day we are going to stand before the King of kings 214 00:22:48,099 –> 00:22:53,540 himself and He’s going to look me in the eye and I’m going to see Him in his beauty 215 00:22:53,540 –> 00:23:03,040 and in his glory. We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and you need 216 00:23:03,040 –> 00:23:07,719 to know that when that happens you will not be condemned, if you’re in Jesus Christ that’s 217 00:23:07,719 –> 00:23:13,619 the wonderful truth, you also need to know that you will give an account, not as a means 218 00:23:13,619 –> 00:23:18,400 to salvation that is in Christ but don’t get the idea that your Christian life doesn’t 219 00:23:18,400 –> 00:23:25,160 count for anything, that’s a terrible mistake. And that leads to the third thing that a Christian 220 00:23:25,160 –> 00:23:31,979 needs to know about the judgment seat of Christ and it is this, that you may be rewarded, 221 00:23:31,979 –> 00:23:40,979 you may be rewarded, you will not be condemned, you will give an account and you may be rewarded. 222 00:23:40,979 –> 00:23:47,260 The Lord Jesus speaks very very clearly about rewards for faithful service many times, Matthew 223 00:23:47,260 –> 00:23:53,859 6 I’m thinking about for example where he speaks about praying and giving and fasting 224 00:23:53,859 –> 00:23:59,760 and after each of his teachings on these subjects he says exactly the same thing, your father 225 00:23:59,760 –> 00:24:08,819 who sees in secret will reward you, will reward you, Jesus said that. Then you remember he 226 00:24:08,819 –> 00:24:14,099 told the story of the talents, the parable of the talents which a man trusts his property 227 00:24:14,099 –> 00:24:21,180 to his servants and to the servants who were faithful the master when he came back said 228 00:24:21,180 –> 00:24:27,239 these wonderful wonderful words you have been faithful over a little I will trust you, I 229 00:24:27,239 –> 00:24:36,260 said to you over much. And from that there is an obvious correspondence, a direct line 230 00:24:36,680 –> 00:24:41,479 that is between the faithfulness of the servant with regards to what they have been given 231 00:24:41,479 –> 00:24:48,479 and the trust that is given to them when the master returns. And then think of the words 232 00:24:48,880 –> 00:24:55,880 of Jesus as we are thinking of this great theme, he says in Matthew 6 lay up for yourselves 233 00:24:56,119 –> 00:25:03,119 treasures in heaven, lay them up, lay them up where neither moth nor rust destroys, where 234 00:25:03,739 –> 00:25:10,420 thieves do not break in and steal. So here he is indicating to us there are people who 235 00:25:10,420 –> 00:25:16,439 in some way are laying treasure up in heaven and when they arrive there they are going 236 00:25:16,439 –> 00:25:23,439 to receive the benefit of what they have laid up there in advance. 237 00:25:25,160 –> 00:25:31,000 And then beyond the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, God gives to us through the apostle 238 00:25:31,140 –> 00:25:38,140 in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 a vivid picture of this great day when believers will give 239 00:25:40,979 –> 00:25:47,979 an account and he uses this picture. Think of your life as if it were putting up a building 240 00:25:50,239 –> 00:25:57,099 and remember he says, this is 1 Corinthians 3.10 that Jesus Christ is the foundation. 241 00:25:57,119 –> 00:26:02,780 No other foundation can ever be laid apart from Jesus Christ. But speaking to Christian 242 00:26:02,780 –> 00:26:07,000 believers OK you’re building your life on the rock that is Jesus Christ. Here’s what 243 00:26:07,000 –> 00:26:12,000 you need to know, be very careful how you build. Because people build in different ways 244 00:26:12,000 –> 00:26:17,119 and they use different kinds of materials and particularly he talks about gold and silver 245 00:26:17,119 –> 00:26:24,119 and precious stones and wood and hay and stubble. So picture this, this house is going up and 246 00:26:24,380 –> 00:26:30,599 there’s some gold, gold pieces going in there and silver pieces going in here in the decor. 247 00:26:30,599 –> 00:26:36,839 And there are some precious stones that are being inset into the walls. But then there 248 00:26:36,839 –> 00:26:42,359 are some holes, there are some crevices, there are some gaps that are being stuffed with 249 00:26:42,359 –> 00:26:49,599 bits of wood and hay and stubble. That d 250 00:26:49,760 –> 00:27:02,280 nd what was done in the shoddy way, the wood, the hay and the stubble goes up in smoke. 251 00:27:02,280 –> 00:27:08,319 But what was of enduring, lasting value, that which is gold and silver and precious stones 252 00:27:08,319 –> 00:27:17,160 remains? And he says in 1 Corinthians 3, each one’s work will be manifest. What we’ve 253 00:27:17,300 –> 00:27:23,640 done, our lives will be made known. For the day will disclose it because it will be revealed 254 00:27:23,640 –> 00:27:30,640 by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. And if the work 255 00:27:32,880 –> 00:27:39,880 that anyone has built on the foundation survives, notice this, he will receive a reward. He 256 00:27:40,140 –> 00:27:46,939 will receive a reward. He will receive a reward. This is very clear. But if anyone’s work 257 00:27:46,939 –> 00:27:51,540 is burned up, it was just all wood hay and stubble, then he will suffer loss, though 258 00:27:51,540 –> 00:27:56,839 he himself will be saved. We are not talking here about a question of salvation. We are 259 00:27:56,839 –> 00:28:01,939 talking about what happens before the judgment seat of Christ in relation to reward. He himself 260 00:28:01,939 –> 00:28:06,020 will be saved but only as through fire. In other words, what he might have brought with 261 00:28:06,739 –> 00:28:13,739 him has been lost. Now I think actually that Paul may very well have had that picture and 262 00:28:16,000 –> 00:28:22,380 these words from First Corinthians, chapter 3 in his mind. When by the Holy Spirit, he 263 00:28:22,380 –> 00:28:27,219 penned these words that we’re looking at today in Second Corinthians and chapter 5. 264 00:28:27,219 –> 00:28:32,780 As he says there, we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one 265 00:28:32,819 –> 00:28:39,280 may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or, and then it 266 00:28:39,280 –> 00:28:46,280 says, evil. The word that is translated evil in the ESV or bad in the NIV can also be translated 267 00:28:51,199 –> 00:28:58,199 worthless. Which is very interesting because like wood, or like hay, or like stubble, it 268 00:28:59,199 –> 00:29:06,199 proved to be of no lasting value. So there is a challenge to face when we are at home 269 00:29:13,800 –> 00:29:20,800 with the Lord. We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We’re not there now 270 00:29:20,800 –> 00:29:27,800 but there is the challenge that lies ahead of every Christian believer. We will be there 271 00:29:35,239 –> 00:29:42,060 then. Now I said earlier that the Christian life 272 00:29:42,060 –> 00:29:49,060 is in two very unequal parts, and I want you to know that this sermon is also in between 273 00:29:50,819 –> 00:29:57,819 in two very unequal parts. And just so that you are comforted, the long part was what 274 00:29:59,160 –> 00:30:05,439 we have just done. Here is the short part that flows from it. There is a challenge to 275 00:30:05,439 –> 00:30:12,439 face when we are at home with the Lord, there is an opportunity to grasp while we are at 276 00:30:13,079 –> 00:30:20,079 home here in the body. And that is what he says in verse 9. In the light of for the truth 277 00:30:20,819 –> 00:30:26,520 we have looked at in verse 10, we make it whether we are home or away, we make it our 278 00:30:26,520 –> 00:30:33,520 aim to please him. Here as a Christian I have one life in two parts, but I have one purpose. 279 00:30:36,160 –> 00:30:40,640 To bring joy to the heart of Jesus Christ when I am with Him, that would be the great 280 00:30:41,400 –> 00:30:48,280 purpose of the Christian’s life to all eternity. We will rejoice with Him and be joy to Him 281 00:30:48,280 –> 00:30:52,800 forever more. He will see the fruit of the suffering of His own soul, and He will be 282 00:30:52,800 –> 00:30:59,800 satisfied, He will rejoice in the accomplishing of all that He has done. But as we will glorify 283 00:31:00,479 –> 00:31:07,119 the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, what Paul is saying here is that the great purpose of 284 00:31:07,479 –> 00:31:14,479 my life in the tent, which is the question with which we started, is to get the glorifying 285 00:31:15,640 –> 00:31:22,640 and pleasing of Jesus Christ started now. That is why a proper view of the Christian’s 286 00:31:26,199 –> 00:31:33,199 life in this world is so important. Right now, right now you have opportunities to get 287 00:31:37,439 –> 00:31:44,439 to honor Jesus Christ and bring joy and pleasure to your Savior and to your Lord that are only 288 00:31:44,520 –> 00:31:51,359 possible during your life in this world, that are only possible here and now, that will 289 00:31:51,359 –> 00:31:58,339 not be possible for you in Heaven. Let me give you 10. You say, 10? At this point in 290 00:31:58,339 –> 00:32:05,339 the sermon, let you count them. 10. All the praying you will ever do, you will do while 291 00:32:06,339 –> 00:32:10,359 you are in the body. You will not need to pray when you are in the presence of Jesus, 292 00:32:10,359 –> 00:32:16,640 your communication will be direct. All the believing you will ever do is the believing 293 00:32:16,640 –> 00:32:21,719 that you do while you are in the body. You don’t need believing when faith is turned 294 00:32:21,719 –> 00:32:28,280 into sight. All the courage you will ever show is the courage you show in this world 295 00:32:28,280 –> 00:32:33,160 because there are no dangers in the presence of Jesus. The only time you can ever honor 296 00:32:33,199 –> 00:32:39,020 him with courage is in facing up to danger and difficulty right now. All the resisting 297 00:32:39,020 –> 00:32:45,560 of sin you will ever do in all of your life, it’s the battling with temptation that you 298 00:32:45,560 –> 00:32:49,880 are engaged in right now – that’s why it’s so important there’s no temptation 299 00:32:49,880 –> 00:32:55,979 and there’s certainly no sin in the presence of Jesus. The only opportunities you have 300 00:32:55,979 –> 00:33:03,000 to trust God in what you do not understand are the situations in which you just don’t 301 00:33:03,000 –> 00:33:07,280 understand what God is doing right now, because there will be no such situations when you’re 302 00:33:07,280 –> 00:33:12,180 in the presence of Jesus and faith will be turned to sight and all things will be made 303 00:33:12,180 –> 00:33:20,479 known. The only dark places where you can ever shine as a light, ever, in your life 304 00:33:20,479 –> 00:33:26,880 are the dark places where God puts you in this world – there are no dark places in 305 00:33:26,939 –> 00:33:33,939 Jesus. The only patience you can ever show is the patience you show while you are in 306 00:33:34,260 –> 00:33:39,719 the body – there will be no pressure on you with regards to patience in the presence 307 00:33:39,719 –> 00:33:46,719 of Jesus. The only bearing witness to Jesus, the only testifying to the glory of His name 308 00:33:47,000 –> 00:33:52,420 to someone who does not know it, is what you do in this world. There are no lost people 309 00:33:52,619 –> 00:33:58,959 in heaven. And, those who believe know Him and are enjoying Him immediately, already. 310 00:33:58,959 –> 00:34:04,479 The only comfort that you can ever give in your entire life, for all eternity, the only 311 00:34:04,479 –> 00:34:10,620 comfort you can ever give to a suffering person is the comfort that you give to a suffering 312 00:34:10,620 –> 00:34:17,219 person here and now. The only compassion that you can ever give to someone who is poor is 313 00:34:17,219 –> 00:34:21,379 the compassion that you give here in this world. There is no suffering, there are no 314 00:34:21,459 –> 00:34:28,459 poor in the presence of Jesus in heaven. The only sacrifices you will ever make, the only 315 00:34:29,060 –> 00:34:36,060 giving you will ever do, the only labor in which you can ever extend yourself, is what 316 00:34:37,520 –> 00:34:44,520 you do in this life. Because in the presence of Jesus there are no sacrifices, the saints 317 00:34:44,659 –> 00:34:51,139 are resting from their labors, the only opportunity for you to push outside of your comfort zone 318 00:34:51,340 –> 00:34:56,899 for the sake of Jesus bringing joy to his heart is the chance you will have to do that 319 00:34:56,899 –> 00:35:03,899 here and now. You see last week we started with there’s a challenge for us here, and 320 00:35:05,699 –> 00:35:10,979 there’s a great opportunity for us there, and this week we’re seeing that there’s 321 00:35:10,979 –> 00:35:17,979 a challenge for us there and oh there is a great opportunity for you and for me to live 322 00:35:18,500 –> 00:35:25,500 flat out for Jesus Christ, and to extend ourselves in what brings pleasure to him here and now. 323 00:35:29,139 –> 00:35:34,379 So I began by saying I want to encourage you about the importance of the Christian’s 324 00:35:34,379 –> 00:35:41,379 life in this world. You see why Paul says that what we go through in our life and this 325 00:35:42,159 –> 00:35:47,860 world actually prepares for us an eternal weight of glory. So we make it our aim to 326 00:35:47,860 –> 00:35:54,860 please him. Seize the opportunity that you have to honor Jesus in the difficulties you 327 00:35:56,899 –> 00:36:03,899 are facing right now, especially where your life is hard. It will not be hard in Heaven, 328 00:36:04,179 –> 00:36:10,820 this is the only time you are going to be able to honor him in a circumstantial way. 329 00:36:10,860 –> 00:36:17,620 In a circumstance like this, and when you do here is what you are doing, you are laying 330 00:36:17,620 –> 00:36:24,620 gold, and silver, and precious stones into the building of your life. And friends that 331 00:36:29,100 –> 00:36:36,100 is something that you can only do here. Your life now at its hardest is laid out in front 332 00:36:41,100 –> 00:36:48,100 of opportunity, and God tells you this, so that you will not lose heart. Let’s pray together. 333 00:36:57,679 –> 00:37:04,679 Father, we bless you for all that it means to be in Christ, and we ask that you will 334 00:37:05,620 –> 00:37:11,639 help us to rightly understand and use all of the unique opportunities of our life in 335 00:37:11,639 –> 00:37:18,639 this world in anticipation of the great day when we shall stand in your presence and your 336 00:37:21,100 –> 00:37:28,100 people will rejoice and enter into the full joy of their reward in Jesus Christ in whose 337 00:37:28,459 –> 00:37:35,459 name we pray together and everyone said, Amen. 338 00:37:37,12 –> 00:37:41,639 You’ve been listening to a sermon with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. To contact 339 00:37:41,639 –> 00:37:48,639 us, call us at 1-877-Open365 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org.