A Biblical View Of The End Times #4
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
HEAVEN'S CORONATION DAY
Intro: As our journey through the events surrounding
the end times continues, we come to an event that will
take place in Heaven while the Tribulation Period is
going on here on earth. When Jesus returns for His
church in the Rapture, the world will be thrown into a
time of Great Tribulation, but while this is happening on
earth, there are two great events that will be taking
place in Heaven. It is these two events that will be the
focus of the messages, both this morning and next
Sunday morning. These two events are The Judgment
Seat of Christ and The Marriage Supper of the
Lamb.
Today, I would like for us to take some time to look
into the event known in the Bible as the Judgment Seat
of Christ. This is an event that is spoken of in several
passages of Scripture. Notice 2 Corinthians 5:10 and
Romans 14:10-12. These passages, along with the
passage I am preaching this morning, all speak of the
same event. They refer to a time when every child of
God will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an
account of their service to the Lord.
I don't mind telling you that when I think of that
event, I do so with a bit of dread. I know that there will
be plenty to answer for in that day. However, I also
want you to know that there will be far more for us to
look forward to than there will be for us to fear! For it is
on that day that the fruits of the journey are rewarded.
It is that day when we may hear the Lord Jesus say,
"Well done thou good and faithful servant." It is that
day that I want to preach about for a time this morning.
I would like for us to spend some time together in this
passage as we think about Heaven's Coronation Day.
I challenge every person in this room to allow the
Lord to speak to your heart this morning. I want you to
be ready when that day arrives. This passage reveal
three aspects of that great day that we need to notice
today. Allow me to share them with you now.
It will be:
I. V. 10-13 A DAY OF INTIMATE DISCOVERIES
(Ill. Paul describes the Christian life as a building. He
tells us that he laid the foundation, but it is our
responsibility and duty to build on that foundation. It is
our duty to build correctly! Note: verse 11 makes it
clear that this is an event that is for believers only!
In other words, if you aren't building from your faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you will not be at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, but you will either be in
the Tribulation or you will already be in Hell! My
lost friend, I need to remind you that you are one
day closer to eternity than you were yesterday! You
need to prepare to meet God!)
(Ill. With that in mind, let's see what will be discovered
about the saints of God on that day.)
A. V. 10 Our Methods Will Be Discovered - Paul
tells us that "how" we built on the foundation will
pass under the microscope of God in that Day.
The whole idea of this verse is this: When the
Lord saved your soul, He placed you on the
foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since
the very moment you were saved, you have
been building a life. This life can either be a
thing of glory to the Lord, or it can be a thing
of disgrace before the Lord. When we stand
before the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will
answer for how we have built our lives.
(Ill. At this point, it may help us to understand this
thing better if we define just what we are talking
about. In Paul's day, in every city there was a
place called the Bema, or judgment seat. It was
from this raised platform, usually in the center
of town, that announcements were made,
judgments rendered and commendations
handed out. It was at the Bema Seat that
rewards were given out to the winners of the
Greek games. It was here that their crowns were
given to them. All public proclamations came
from this Bema seat. So, we mustn't think that it
was only a place for fear and trembling. Certainly
some were rebuked when they came here, but
many others were rewarded and blessed.
Christ's seat of judgment is no different!)
(Ill. There are two issues that will not be
addressed at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Those
issues are:
1. Salvation - That was forever taken care of at
the moment of conversion. Nothing can ever
change the state of the believer's soul. If a
person is saved, they are saved forever! Ill. No
lost person will appear at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. There will be another Judgment that
take care of the lost sinner. If you are here,
you are saved!!!
2. Sin - Sin was taken care of forever at Calvary
when the Lord Jesus died, John 19:30! When
Jesus died, He died for the ALL sin of the
world - 2 Cor. 5:21. Now, when a sinner
places his faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation,
all his sins are forever taken care of! They will
not be mentioned when we arrive here!
Hallelujah, that is enough to shout about!!!
(Ill. What will be dealt with is the manner in which
we have lived this earthly life, from the moment of
our conversion until the day we died, or were
raptured. It will be about how we used the
responsibilities, privileges and opportunities
we were given by the Lord Jesus as we journeyed
through this world. Perhaps it would help us to
remember that every born again believer is a
"steward". That is, we are the servants of God.
He has placed in our hands His ministry to the
world. To accomplish this ministry, the Lord has
given each of us certain things.
1. He has given us 24 hours in every day.
2. He has given us money.
3. He has blessed us with gifts and abilities to use
for His glory.
4. He has given us opportunities for service and
for ministry.
Our Master, the Lord Jesus, has entrusted us
with His business and He will require that each of
His stewards give an account of their service unto
Him when He returns. The Bible tells us that we
are the "stewards" of God - 1 Pet. 4:10. It also
says that as stewards, we are to be found faithful
- 1 Cor. 4:2. We will answer for the lives we are
living in this world. Is that clear enough? This
judgment will not determine whether or not you
get into Heaven. That was decided when you
received Jesus as your Savior. This judgment will
not take into account your sins. They were paid
for at the cross. When we sin in this world, we
reap the consequences of those sins, but the sins
themselves were completely paid for by the Lord
Jesus at Calvary!!!)
B. V. 12 Our Materials Will Be Discovered - This
verse tells us that there are two possible
categories of materials from which we can
construct our spiritual house.
1. There Are Worthy Materials - Gold, Silver
and Precious Stones. These refer to things
that are precious, valuable, beautiful and
hard to come by. These are also things that
survive and even thrive in the fire. These
picture the kind of works that the Lord will bless
in that day, and the kind of works that every
believer should have in his/her life as they
journey through this world.
2. There Are Worthless Materials - Wood, Hay
and Stubble. These refer to those things that
are temporary, ugly, cheap and easy to
come by. They would speak of things that are
done out of the will of God, or things that are
done out of a mean spirit, or things that are
done out of selfishness, etc. They differ from
the other materials in that each of these is
immediately destroyed by flames. These refer
to the kinds of activities that we should avoid
as believers.
(Ill. Just how does one determine the difference
between works that will burn and works that will
endure the flames of judgment? That may be
easier to answer by telling you of some areas that
are sure to be judged by the Lord.
1. How We Treat Others - Heb. 6:10; Matt.
10:41-42
2. How We Exercise Authority Over Others
Heb. 13:17, James 3:1
3. How We Use Our God-given Abilities 1
Cor. 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:11; 1 Pet. 4:10
4. How We Use Our Money
2 Cor. 9:6-7; 1 Cor. 16:2;Mal. 3:8-10
5. How We Spend Our Time Psa. 90:12; Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5; 1 Pet. 1:17
6. How Much We Suffer For The Lord Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17; Matt. 5:11-12; Mark
10:29-30.
7. How We Run The Race God Has Chosen
For Us Heb. 12:1; 1 Cor. 9:24; Phil. 2:16; Phil.
3:13-14.
8. How Effectively We Control The Old Nature
1 Cor. 9:25-27.
9. How Many Souls We Witness To And Win
To Jesus Pro. 11:30; Dan. 12:3; 1 Thes.
2:19-20.
10. How We React To Temptation James 1:2-3.
11. How Much We Love The Rapture 2 Tim. 4:8.
12. How Faithful We Are To The Word Of God
And To The Flock Of God Acts 20:26-28; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 5:2-4.
(Note: I am indebted to Dr. H.L. Willmington for
much of the preceding outline.)
C. V. 13 Our Ministry Will Be Discovered - Verse
13 lets us know that all of our works will be put to
the fire. Somehow, the Lord will apply the fire of
His judgment to the things we did in this life and
they will be made "manifest". This word means
that they will be "Made known publically."
(Ill. As we travel toward Heaven, there are those
among us who have all the appearance of having
plenty of good works in their life. However,
behind the things they do is a self-serving motive.
Their works will burn. There are others who do
things and others see them and say they do them
to be seen. However, behind their works it love
for the Lord. They do what they do to glorify God.
Their works will abide! What I am trying to say is
that you cannot look around you this morning and
tell much about a person's works by what you
see. However, on that day, there will be no hiding
from the truth! Every motive, every work, every
secret thought, every self-serving motive will be
revealed for all to see! The fire of Christ's
judgment will make the truth known!)
(Ill. I am sure that there are sermons which I have
preached that will burn up when I stand before
the Lord. Maybe I preached them to "tickle"
someone's ears. Maybe I preached them to
make folks thing highly of me. I am sure that
many of the things I have done in the name of the
Lord will burn up before my eyes on that day. I
cannot change the yesterdays of my life, but I can
do something about the tomorrow's, and so can
you!)
(Ill. What is the bottom line? Our cats will all be
out of the bag when we stand before Jesus and
face Him in Judgment!)
I. It Will Be A Day Of Intimate Discoveries
II. V. 14 A DAY OF INTENSE DELIGHTS
(Ill. While many things dealt with at the Judgment Seat
of Christ will be unpleasant, not everything will be bad!
In fact, for many, the Judgment Seat of Christ will be
the moment when all their trials are made worthwhile.
It will literally be their crowning moment!)
A. A Potential Is Mentioned - The first part of this
verse tells us that there is the potential that some
part of our works will remain after they have been
put to the fire. Wouldn't it be a glorious thing to
see some of what you did for Jesus actually
remain? Many will! What happens to your works
all depends on you!
B. A Promise Is Mentioned - Those things that
remain will be the basis for rewards. The Lord
Jesus will honor us by giving us rewards for the
things we do for Him. That is almost beyond
belief, but the Bible tells us five crowns that are
available as rewards to the faithful saint of God.
Those crowns are:
1. The Incorruptible Crown - Awarded for faithfulness to the Lord - 1 Cor. 9:25.
2. The Crown Of Life - For the person who
endures and overcomes temptation - James
1:12.
3. The Crown Of Rejoicing - This is the soul
winners crown - 1 Thes. 2:19.
4. The Crown Of Righteousness - This will be
given to those who anticipate and live in the
light of the return of Jesus - 2 Tim. 4:8
5. The Crown Of Glory -This will be given to the
faithful ministers who give themselves to lead
and feed the flock of God - 1 Pet. 5:4.
6. We need to understand that every deed done
in the name of Jesus will be blessed and
rewarded over there. Men may not see the
value of your service, but rest assured that
Jesus takes perfect note and that He will
reward you fairly for your sacrifice for Him. (Ill.
Mark 9:41) (Ill. Matt. 25:34-40)
7. God will apply the fire of His judgment to our
works, and those that were done for Him and
for His glory alone will pass the test and we will
be rewarded accordingly.
(Ill. Why is He going to give us crowns? The
answer is found in Revelation 4:9-11. We will
cast those crowns at His feet to honor Him!)
I. It Will Be A Day Of Intimate Discoveries
II. It Will Be A Day Of Intense Delights
III. V. 15 A DAY OF IMMENSE DISAPPOINTMENTS
A. The Pain That Is Mentioned - While some of our
works will remain, others will be destroyed before
our eyes. This will surely be a painful time for
every believer. There will be many tears shed
right here!
(Ill. Thankfully, after this event is passed, Jesus
Himself will wipe the tears away, and the past life
will be remembered no more - Rev. 21:4.)
B. The Price That Is Mentioned - "he shall suffer
loss". This means that the believer will lose the
reward he could have earned had his life been
what it should be. Some would teach us that
even earned rewards will be lost to. However,
considering that God is Just, this probably refers
to what the believer "could" have earned. Many
of us will see rewards earned by others that could
have been ours as well, if we had only been
faithful too.
(Ill. I don't know about you, but I want to be as
faithful as possible so that I might win every
reward that I can. The reason is not so I can
parade around Heaven with my crowns and
trophies and show off. The reason is that I may
have more to give back to Jesus, thus enhancing
His glory! That is what this thing is all about! The
Master rewards the servants and the servants in
turn use those things to glorify Him! That is what
this whole thing boils down to! If I will live my life
to glorify the Lord God here, 1 Cor. 10:31; then I
will have crowns to lay at His feet there, adding
even more glory to the Lord, Rev. 4.)
C. The Promise That Is Mentioned - Notice again
that the believer who may see his works burn will
still be saved. I cannot stress it enough that the
issue here will not be about salvation! This was
settled when you received Jesus. Now, some
might take this and say, "Well, I'm saved! I can
do as I please and live any way I want to and it
doesn't matter." If you are really saved, you won't
think like that! If you are really saved, there will
be a part of you that will long to please the Lord.
If you are saved, despite your best effort, there
will be times when you will serve the Lord. If you
are saved, you will prove it by living for the Lord,
at least some of the time!
(Ill. I thank God that I am saved forever. I thank
Him that nothing can ever change that! However,
I want to have something to show for my life when
I arrive there. I do not want to see everything
burn up. I want some crowns to lay at Jesus'
feet. How about you?)
Conc: Well, if these verses have taught us anything,
they have taught us that there are two ways to ruin a
good building: A faulty foundation and faulty materials.
Of the utmost of importance today is for every
person in this room to determine what foundation they
are building on. Only those houses built on the Lord
Jesus Christ, His death and His resurrection will stand,
Matt. 7:24-27. All other will perish in the waves of
God's great wrath. Are you saved? Be sure before you
leave this building today!
If you are on the right foundation, what kind of
materials are you building with? Are you using gold,
silver and precious stones? That is, are you building a
life to the glory of God? Are you building with good
actions and attitudes? If so, then won't it be a blessing
to see those things stand the test and bring honor to the
Lord? Maybe you are using wood, hay and stubble. If
so, you know that your works are going to burn up
before your eyes. You will miss out on some of the
glorious things God has for those who are faithful
stewards. Wouldn't you like to scrap that shabby house
this morning, tear it down in this altar and with God's
begin to build a house that will honor Jesus both here
and in the hereafter? The choice is yours, but the
reality remains: Heaven's Coronation Day is coming.
How it turns out is all up to you.
