Pastor’s Blog 6.19.19

Matthew 16:24-27
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. NKJV

Why do we work for God? The correct answer is, because we love God. Jesus was very clear as He taught that true love does more than just believe, it acts on what it believes.

John 15:12-14
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. NKJV

What about rewards? The word teaches us that we will be rewarded for our labors. I don’t work out of the motive of only getting a reward, but I also remember in the difficult times, that there is a reward in my labor. Rewards are awesome! They are of the very giving nature of the love of God. He loves us and He rewards us for our sacrifices, works, and persecutions. Even our giving is further rewarded!

Luke 6:38
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” NKJV

Sometimes we get discouraged as we work and we feel unappreciated, not respected, or taken advantage of, but we must remember that our rewards from man cannot compare to our rewards from God. The Lord emphasized over and over in the Gospels to even do things in secret so we would not be rewarded by man but by Himself!

The approval of God is greater than the applause of man!
-Anonymous

Matthew 6:1-6
6:1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward .
3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
5) “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward .
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. NKJV

We need to check our hearts from time to time and make sure our motives are in the right place. We all love praise, but we need the praise of God more than the praise of men!