"I WANT YOUR REWARDS!"
 
TEXT: Mt. 25:28-29
 
INTRO: A. "If you mind the baby-sitter, I'll bring you back some candy."  "If you work hard in this company, you will receive bonuses and move up quickly." "Because you worked so hard in school this year, we have a special gift for you."  "If you get a good grade in English, you will get to choose a gift from the treasure chest."  "If you work hard in sales, you will get a large commission."  etc.,etc.,etc.   Rewards, rewards, rewards!
 
                B. God has a reward system too.  In the OLD TESTAMENT the Israelites lost their reward and it was given to the next generation, because of unbelief.  They didn't lose their salvation...they were on the right side of the blood...they just lost their inheritance.  Because of idolatry Israel lost the rewards of God's provision and protection again and again.  Believers in the NEW TESTAMENT who were disciplined didn't lose their salvation, just the reward of the fellowship of God's people.
 
1 Cor. 5:5 
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
 
TRANS: Principle: If you don't earn the reward, you lose it and it can be given to someone else!  "I WANT YOUR REWARD!" (text)... Let's look at God's reward system for believers today...
 
I.  WHAT GOD REWARDS:
 
    A.   Motives:
 
Mt. 6:1
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
 
    B.   A Devotional Life:
 
Mt. 6:6 
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
 
    C.   Labors of Love:
 
Mt. 10:42 
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.
 
    D.   Godliness:
 
Luke 6:35 
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
 
    E.   Forgiveness:
 
Luke 6:37-38 
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
 
    F.   Suffering:
 
Rom. 8:16-18 
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
 
II. WHAT ARE GOD'S REWARDS?
 
    A.   The Victor's Crown:
 
1 Cor. 9:24-25 
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 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.
 
NOTE: Can a racer be crowned or rewarded if he doesn't run the race?
 
    B.   The Soul-Winner's Crown:
 
I Thess. 2:19 
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?
 
NOTE: Can a disciple be crowned for winning souls who never wins any?
 
    C.   The Pastor's Crown:
 
I Pet. 5:4 
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
 
NOTE: Can a Pastor be crowned who was not faithful in pastoring his flock?
 
    D.   The Watcher's Crown:
 
2 Tim. 4:7-8 
 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me 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.
 
NOTE: Can a believer be crowned for loving His appearing who didn't?
 
    E.   The Overcomer's Crown:
 
James 1:12 
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.
 
NOTE: Can that disciple be crowned for resisting temptation who habitually succumbed to it?
 
III. REWARDS IN JEOPARDY:
 
    A.   The Principle:
 
            1.   I Cor. 3:12-15 reveals that it is possible to lose rewards.
            2.   II Cor. 5:10 reveals that believers will receive something positive for good works and receive something negative for bad works.
 
    B.   The Picture:
 
            1.   First we must put on the blood...that makes us safe.
 
Ex. 12:7 
And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
 
             2.   Next we must put out the leaven...that makes us sanctified.
 
Ex. 12:14-15 
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
 
                a.   We cannot be too passive under the blood.
                b.   We cannot be too active in purging out the leaven.
                c.   The presence of blood on the house was not guarantee of no leaven in the house.
                d.   It was not the absence of leaven which saved, it was the presence of blood.
                e.   The Israelite or the Egyptian who refused to or neglected to put the blood on the house perished at God's hand in Egypt.
                f.   The one on the safe side of the blood who refused to or neglected to purge out the leaven was "cut off" in Egypt - not from God - but from the congregation of Israel.
 
NOTE: 
      🔸He became an excommunicated pilgrim on the right side of the blood on his way to Canaan, but no appeal to the blood could deliver the leaven-eater from his judgment... or loss.  Others would receive his inheritance.
      🔸The parallel or anti-type is found in 1 Cor.5 where the believer's in Corinth are admonished to "purge out the old leaven" - a disobedient, immoral believer - from their presence.  That person didn't lose their salvation, just their fellowship - down here - and unless repentant, their rewards up there!
 
    C.   The Prospect:
 
Mt. 25:28-29 
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
 
CONCL: "I WANT YOUR REWARD!  If you don't want me to have it, then purge out the leaven in your life!   Get busy for God!  Set out today to earn some rewards!

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