LOST VALLEY MEN’S RETREAT DANE LEMBRICK REWARDS 1

ETERNAL REWARDS God uses man’s innate desire for reward to motivate each individual believer to live their earthly lives sacrificially for the hope of eternal gain. Tonight we will discuss: What eternal rewards are Why God uses eternal rewards How God distributes eternal rewards 2

REWARDS DEFINED Grace vs. Works Salvation By grace Rewards By works 3

REWARDS DEFINED Reward: Noun Something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc. Gain Noun Profit or advantage. reward. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from Dictionary.com website: gain. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from Dictionary.com website: 4

REWARDS DEFINED The World’s Definition Jeremiah 9:23,24 Wisdom Power Wealth What the Bible says: Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 Do not satisfy Matthew 6:19 Jesus commands us not to “store up” these things They are subject to corruption They are temporary Given by God – as He pleases 5

REWARDS DEFINED God’s Definition Matthew 6:20 Heavenly Eternal Incorruptible Unlimited Yet to be fully revealed 2 Corinthians 5:10 Reward is determined by you 6

REWARDS DEFINED How you define reward will become how you define your hope Hope Romans 8:22-25 Gain Something yet to come Our definition of Success and Purpose is derived from our hope 7

GOD MOTIVATES BELIEVERS USING REWARD God is motivated by gain Mankind is motivated by gain This motivation is God-given, part of our being created in the image of God God discusses His motivating man by gain in Hebrews Chapter 11 We are naturally motivated in the direction of our hope. 8

GOD MOTIVATES BELIEVERS USING REWARD Because man is motivated by gain – God places a hope before us One of the believer’s great hopes is Eternal Reward What Jesus is asking us to do in verses is to shift our hope from the temporal to the eternal. Jesus sets this hope in us so that we will be focused on Heaven 9

GOD FOCUSES BELIEVERS USING REWARD Blurred Hope Matthew 6:1-18 and These verses warn us that 4 things can derail us in our pursuit of Eternal Reward: Seeking the approval of others Trying to live for God and earthly rewards Trying to provide for our circumstances Not forgiving those who wrong you We will serve our hope We can only have one hope – God or wealth 10

GOD FOCUSES BELIEVERS USING REWARD The cure for blurry vision: Set your hope on your treasure in heaven Seek the Kingdom of Heaven Obey God’s Commands Honor God through the circumstances He gives you God assures us He will provide for us in the temporal if we focus on eternity 11

REWARDS ARE GIVEN BASED ON OUR FAITHFULNESS TO OPPORTUNITY How the world determines reward: Time Talent Productivity/Effectiveness How God determines reward: Time, talent and productivity are given by the grace of God Thus, the only measure there can be is your faithfulness – what you did with what you were given. No comparison 12

HOW GOD DETERMINES FAITHFULNESS Circumstances Stewardship of providentially given resources Obedience Commands of God E Squared Reward requires investment/sacrifice What do we have to sacrifice? Time Money Will 13

APPLICATION Questions/Ideas for Meditation: Identify your hope Identify the presence of blurry vision in your life What is one thing you can resolve to do today to invest in Eternity? Am I being faithful with the opportunities God is giving me? 14

ETERNAL REWARDS We’ve discussed: What eternal rewards are Why God uses eternal rewards How God distributes eternal rewards God uses man’s innate desire for reward to motivate each individual believer to live their earthly lives sacrificially for the hope of eternal gain. 15