God Rewards Love for Christ.Sunday August 24, 2025
Main idea: Loving Christ, not how much you do, is the basis of all rewards from God.
Intro: The fall of man brought about the ownership of earthly things that we would need and want.
Peter, though none would accuse him of avarice states:
Mat 19:27 Then Peter said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?"
Peter has the world’s economy in mind.
Even after the lesson of the parable, they fail to learn the way of Christ, which is the economy of heaven.
Mat 20:20-22 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left." 22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."
How could they say “We are able,” when they don’t know what they are asking? They cannot. To drink the cup that Jesus drinks is not works or worthiness or personal greatness - it is love.
Mat 20:24-28 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
This is a more detailed way of saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
When the way of His kingdom entered the hearts of His own through the baptism of the Holy Spirit …
Act 4:32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.
With a mind grown in this world, familiar with no other way, the way of heaven would seem out of place. The change of mind required would be, and still is, one of the great obstacles to spiritual maturity.
Isa 55:9; Psa 103:11-12 (11-love and fear?), (12-holy God removing sin from the guilty by grace?).
Text: Mat 20:1-16
Reason for the parable: False application of the world’s system of rewards to God’s way of reward, “What will there be for us?”
What does God reward?
In the parable, going into His field to work.
What this means is detaching yourself from fidelity to the world and the flesh and attaching your affection to Christ.
Col 3:23-25 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
Love not perfection.
Mat 21:28-32 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' 29 "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. 31 "Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
God rewards love for Christ, not the amount of works you do, nor the type of works.
Reward doesn’t even depend on how long it takes you to give Him your fealty.
Rewarded when and what?
Time (Mar 10:30). What? Hyperbole - up to Him (does this trouble you or cause you to rejoice and give you the excitement of anticipation?)
Eternity (Mat 10:32; 1Co 3:11-15; 1Co 4:5; 2Co 5:10; Rev 2-3). What?
Crowns which correspond to God’s character. Privileges of Rev 2-3.
Sounds easy.
It is not easy because of your sin nature (flesh), the sin nature of others, the world opposes you. The devil does whatever he is allowed to stop you.
Mat 9:36-38 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." - reward in Mat 10:32.
Go and work: follow Me.
Paul: 1Co 15:58
Peter: 2Pe 1:3-4 (go to; perhaps to vs. 11)
John: 1Jo 5:5-6 (go to).
In every one of these passages, the foundational basis for your obedience is what the Lord has done for you.
You’re not paying Him back. You’re working in the sphere of His life out of love for Him; not attraction, but love that is devotion, sacrifice, giving, fellowshiping, sharing, suffering with, rejoicing with, trusting - the love of God reflected back to God.
What does it look like?
Joyful worker.
Work: the Lord wills it (whatever it is - He has your life on His potter’s wheel) - “I will do it for Him and with Him (whatever it is).
Removal of sinful ambition, willful need for success, recognition, etc.
Chores: These are the blessings of a working mind and body. You have money to buy, a store to buy from, things to care for, all gifts from Him.
Removal of grumbling, selfish comfort seeking, laziness, greed (wanting more - commandment 10).
People: They are all His. Some are lost, some found, some close, some really close, some far. You can serve each one as He would and love them as He would.
The Lost: You can live and speak the gospel to them as He would.
Possessions: You can enjoy them as gifts, but even better, you can give them, share them as He would.
Removal of avarice: commandment 10.
In all dealings you are severed from the flesh and the world because of love for Christ. There is no better life - period!
Overcome:
The obstacles: love for the flesh and the world and the devil’s schemes that use them to make you ineffective and unlike Christ.
The solution: Know Him more through the consistent study of His Word (Psa 1; 2Ti 3:10-16 - I’ll let Paul leave us with words of encouragement). |