Living With the End in Mind – Program 4

By: Dr. Kenneth Barker, Dr. Don Wilkins, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Dr. James White, Dr. Samuel Gipp, Dr. Thomas Strouse, Dr. Joseph Chambers; ©2000

Every Christian will stand before God at the Judgment Seat. All of our deeds will be examined. If our goal is to please him, what should we be doing here on earth?

The Judgment Seat of Christ

Introduction

According to the Bible there is one future event all Christians will attend. It is called the judgment seat of Christ. Today on The John Ankerberg Show, what does the Bible say is the purpose of this judgment? What will happen when each Christian stands before God? Are real rewards going to be given to those who have faithfully served Christ on earth? What are the rewards that will be given? Will some Christians be honored more than others? Will some experience a great loss of rewards that will affect their status in heaven for all eternity? How can you live today in order to do well at the judgment seat of Christ? We invite you to join us for this edition of The John Ankerberg Show for the topic “How to Live With the End in Mind.”

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Ankerberg: If you’re a Christian, I’d like to ask you today, do you think much about the judgment seat of Christ? If you say “Yes,” you are just like the apostle Paul. He lived with that event in mind every day. Listen to what he said: “We make it our goal to please him [that is, Christ] whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” [2 Cor. 5:9-10]

In the past few weeks we’ve examined what the Bible says will take place at the judgment seat of Christ, the rewards God will give to faithful Christians, and that which we can lose. We have seen that Christ will be more generous at His judgment seat than we would ever dream. He promises to reward us a hundred times over for whatever we have done for Him.

But the Bible also says this will be the judgment seat of Christ. Some Christians will be rebuked for unconfessed sins. We will forfeit some rewards as a result of selfish, sinful living. At that point, there will be tears and regret. But then the Bible tells us in Revelation 21:4, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” As we enter into eternity proper, everyone’s cup will be full; it’s just that the size cups will be different.

Last week we began to answer the question, “What kind of behavior does Christ promise to reward at His judgment seat? Today I want to continue explaining to you what the Bible says about this. We saw that, first, God promises to reward those who are willing to die to self and live for Him.

Second, Christ promises to reward those who faithfully serve Him. In Matthew 25:23 we find the words that we all hope to hear Jesus say about us, “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.” We talked about the fact that we can’t all be successful, but we can all be faithful. Are you a faithful servant of Christ in a few things?

Then third, we saw that Christ will reward those who have a servant’s heart, a servant’s attitude. Jesus said if anyone wants to be considered great in His Kingdom, they must be a servant. In the Church we’re not to lord it over one another; we are to serve each other. There are at least two kinds of people who come to church every Sunday, those who come to be served and those who come to serve. Which one are you? Jesus teaches that if you want to be rewarded by Him at the judgment seat of Christ, you must have a servant’s heart and be willing to serve Him as He gives opportunity.

Today we will look at the fourth kind of behavior. The Bible teaches Christ will reward those willing to share in Christ’s sufferings. Romans 8:16-17 tells us, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” Now, everyone who believes in Christ quickly realizes that there is a certain amount of trouble that automatically comes with being a Christian. If you’re a Christian and you don’t gossip, if you don’t lie, if don’t cheat or steal, if you don’t go to bed with your date, such behavior can bring criticism, joking, or ostracism from others. I believe this is part of what Paul meant when he says we share in Christ’s sufferings. The Bible informs us as Christians, “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” [2 Tim. 3:12] Has that happened to you? If so, the Bible says you share in Christ’s sufferings and will be rewarded greatly by Him.

Maybe right now you’re in the midst of some turmoil because you took a moral stand at work. It may be very beneficial for your company to shave corners but you know that it is wrong and said you wouldn’t go along. Now you’re being pressured by people in your company. Possibly you fear that your moral stand will cost you your job. Or maybe there is a coworker who is making sexual advances toward you. You’re wondering if you are the only person who turns down such opportunities.

Or, maybe you’re a pastor of a church and you are wondering right now if you ought to preach on a certain topic. You know that there are some people in your church who are involved in the sins you feel led to preach about and you know your sermon would make them angry. What should you do?

When we stand for biblical truth and morality, sometimes we will suffer for it! If so, remember, Christ promises to reward you greatly. Scripture says even if we resist to the point of death, that is, we are martyred for Jesus, it will be worth it. God will reward us and make it up to us many times over. Matthew 19:29 says a hundred times more. The apostle Paul goes so far as to say, “I consider that our present sufferings are not [even] worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” [Rom. 8:18]

Right here I can’t help but think of the teenage girl at Columbine High School who looked at a young man holding a shotgun and said, “Yes. I do believe in God.” She knew she would be killed for that. Do you think she was foolish? Do you really believe God will reward her a hundred times over for what she did?

A few years ago we were challenged by a 32^nd degree Mason to debate whether or not a Christian could swear oaths of allegiance to the Masonic Lodge. As a result of that series, pastors in different parts of the country thought it would be a good idea if they tried to present that same information to their church. Many of them did and helped members in their congregation immensely. But along the way, five different pastors called and told me that after they had preached on that topic, their church fired them. They lost their jobs for preaching the truth. Pastors are supposed to represent Jesus Christ. They are supposed to teach what God said in the Bible. They are in big trouble with the Lord when they start making up doctrine or start watering it down to suit their people.

Pastors are commanded in Scripture to “Preach the word. Be prepared in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.” [2 Tim. 4:2] In John 17 Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of all Christians and said, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” [John 17:17] Pastors must preach God’s Word. And if you’re a pastor who is experiencing stress or has already suffered in some way for preaching the truth, know that at the judgment seat of Christ you will be greatly rewarded by our Lord. You have willingly shared in Jesus’ sufferings.

But it’s not just pastors who suffer on behalf of Christ. Lay people can also experience suffering. I remember the first time we did a series of programs on the beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I asked four ex-JW’s to come on television and talk about the evidence God used to bring them out of the Kingdom Hall. Well, as you know, in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other cities there are high-rise buildings and condominiums. Each has a guard at the door as you enter. If you want to get in and talk to people about Christ, you can’t get by the guard. But through the magic of television, our program can go right into those apartments and condominiums. One night a man and his wife were getting ready for bed. She was listening to our program and said to her husband, “Hey, Harry, come on in here. John Ankerberg is going to have the Jehovah’s Witnesses on tonight.”

Why was that important to them? It was because they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. Now, if you’re a JW, you know you should never get caught reading Christian books or literature. If you are caught, or you’re seen attending a Christian Bible study or a Christian church, you risk being excommunicated from the Jehovah’s Witnesses, what they call being “disfellowshipped.”

To be disfellowshipped is first, to be cut off from the people in your Kingdom Hall. But in addition, if your Kingdom Hall brings you up on heresy charges and you’re found guilty, then the leaders in the Kingdom Hall could instruct your partner, your husband or your wife, to divorce you. You can be cut off from your mate and your children. That has happened to many Jehovah’s Witnesses who have come to the Lord through the years. In fact, almost every ex-Jehovah’s Witness we have had on our television program as a guest has experienced disfellowshipping and been cut off from family or relatives.

I remember when we had Joan Cetnar on our program. Joan was a Jehovah’s Witness who worked at the Watchtower Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. When she became a Christian, she was cut off from her inheritance which could have made her a millionaire. She now lives in the same town where her mom and dad reside. When she goes into a store and sees them, she will wave and say hello. But they will never wave or say hello back. They have cut her off because she believed in Jesus. Joan shares in the sufferings of Christ. Jesus Himself said, “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”

Believing on Christ and following Him can be costly, but again, God promises to reward many times over those who have made such a sacrifice. Jesus said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” Still, while we live here on earth, we suffer. We share in Christ’s sufferings. Jesus knows what we are feeling. “He came unto his own and his own received him not.” [John 1:12] In the last few weeks I have heard testimonies from Muslim young people who have invited Christ to come into their lives. When they went home and shared that news with their parents, they were asked to leave and disowned. Some of their friends heard of their conversion and tried to kill them.

Is such suffering worth it? At the judgment seat of Christ, our Lord promises such people will be rewarded a hundred times more than anything they have given up and their rewards and honors will last for all eternity.

Then, there is a fifth kind of behavior that will bring reward at the judgment seat of Christ. It is service to Christ from your heart. Colossians 3:23-25 tells us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men; since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” That first line, look at it: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.” Some of us do serve in church; we do teach a class; we do preach sermons; we do conduct Bible studies. We do work in the Boys or Girls Club. And that’s good. But at the judgment seat of Christ, it won’t be just our outward actions that will be judged but also the inner motives and attitudes of our heart. These are things that no one else can see. The Bible says, “Each man’s work will become evident.” [1 Cor. 3:13] Why? Because the fire of Christ’s judgment “will test the quality of each man’s work.”

Unfortunately, there are those in the Church who serve for self-esteem, for pride, for popularity, for financial gain. Now, it’s probably not the only reason they serve, but it must not be the primary reason. The question all of us need to ask is, Are we wholly serving Jesus Christ from our heart?

Now, all of us are complicated and complex people. Have you ever wondered if you really did anything totally for Jesus Christ, anything that is not tainted with some ulterior motive? I have. Think of pastors. Wouldn’t you agree that no one wants to preach and do a bad job? No one deliberately wants to make people dislike them. And further, pastors have to make a living by preaching, don’t they? Should they think about their paycheck? Are such considerations wrong? No, it’s just that they shouldn’t be the primary reason why we preach. Those other considerations shouldn’t affect the message God has given us to preach.

Well, here is a question. When we serve Christ, how can any of us know that God will accept our service when it is tainted with some portion of these worldly thoughts? Erwin Lutzer in his book, Your Eternal Reward, says, “Christ takes our acts done with good intentions and cleanses them so they might be acceptable to God.” The apostle Peter wrote, “You…are being built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” [1 Pet. 2:5]

In other words, if our deeds are presented to the Father through Christ, if our intentions were primarily good, Christ cleanses them and makes them acceptable. There is another side to all of this. Some of you have worked on projects which eventually failed. If the primary reason you began that work was because you thought it the best way to serve the Lord, your effort will still be rewarded even though the project wasn’t successful. At the same time, let’s say you worked on a project and it was successful. But you did it for other reasons than serving Christ. Jesus says, “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” [Matt. 6:1]

In Mark 12 we have a beautiful illustration of someone who did something from her heart. It certainly was not seen by those in the world—even Christians—as being something big or successful. But in the eyes of God she was a success. She had served God from her heart. We are told, “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’” [Mark 12:41-44]

In other words, this poor widow was unaware that Christ was watching. But He was. And because she gave from her whole heart, she was said to have given more to God than all the others. Do you realize that Christ is watching you—and He can see your heart? Christ is going to reward us at His judgment seat according to the attitudes, desires, and motives in our heart. Right now, can you say that you are serving Christ with your whole heart?

Well, let me close with an illustration that Erwin Lutzer shared with us on one of our programs. It is a story, a legend from India and goes something like this. A beggar saw a wealthy Rajah riding in a beautiful chariot. As the beggar was standing along the side of the road, he held out his bowl of rice, hoping for a handout. To his surprise, the Rajah stopped. But before the beggar could ask anything, the Rajah said, “Give me some of your rice.” The beggar was angry at this turn of events, but he gingerly gave the Rajah one grain of rice out of his small, dirty bowl. After he did, the Rajah said, “Give me more of your rice.” And the beggar grudgingly gave him one more grain of rice. The Rajah demanded, “More!” At this point the beggar was seething with resentment. Stingily he gave the Rajah one more grain of rice, and suddenly the Rajah was gone. The beggar watched him travel down the road and was about to shout at him in anger when he saw something glitter in his bowl. He looked down and discovered it was a grain of gold, the size of a grain of rice. He looked more carefully and found just two more grains of gold. For every grain of rice he had given to the Rajah, there was a grain of gold given him in return.

Listen, if we clutch our bowl of rice, we shall lose our reward. If we are faithful and give God each grain that He requests, someday He will give us gold in return—and the gold God gives will survive the fire at the judgment seat of Christ.

Right now, you have the chance to voluntarily serve the Lord. Many biblical promises say it will someday be worth it, and your reward will last for all eternity. Are you living with the end in mind? If not, confess that to the Lord and begin today.