Copyright © S P Townsend
Westhill Episcopal Church
Sunday 13th January
The Father’s Reward
Reading: Mark 10:17-31
Now the topic for this morning is “The Father’s Reward.” And if you’re like me when you consider or think about the prospect of a reward from God it’s with mixed feelings. When we’re young the idea of a reward in heaven is very distant and remote and all our focus and ambition is set on this life: building for this life; my education; the work I’m going to do; who I’m going to meet; may be someone I’m going to marry; the home I’m going to set up; the things that I like to do in this life; the amount that I would like to accumulate in this life; the house I would like to build; what it would look like; the garden maybe; I’ve got all these kinds of ambitions and visions in mind. And as you move through life gradually the realisation presses upon you that this life is not all that there is; that there is a life to come and the things of this life are but passing and transient. But it’s true to say that when we are young our hope and aspiration is not usually very much on heaven and the reward that God will give us. It’s there. We acknowledge it. It’s something we think about. But not too much! And if we do think about it we’re a bit bewildered any way. We’re not too sure what we’re going to do for eternity. The Carol that we sing, “Once in royal David’s City,” says of the children that “all in white they will wait around.” Somehow as a child that impressed itself on me and I thought, “I’m not quite sure if that lifestyle really appeals.”
And so we focus more on this life. But as you get older, or perhaps more afflicted by trials and tribulations, increasingly the light of that eternal home becomes more attractive. And indeed there are some, nearing the ends of their lives, for whom their longing is that they would be there. But even then if you were to say, “would you like to go now?” they would probably reply, “not yet, not yet. There are still things here that attract me.” Paul, the apostle, he even expressed those thoughts. He says,”I’m betwixt two views.” He says, “I really want to go and be with the Lord, but actually I realise it’s better to remain here” (Philippians 1:23-25). His focus actually wasn’t so much on the things of this life that were attractive to him. It was more that he realized that by remaining here he was able to have a great influence on others to bring them also to that eternal heaven.
Now, there are a number of things about this reward of the Father that I think it would be good for us to consider. So I’m going to look first of all at some of the Bible terms that are used to describe our reward, very briefly. Then look at what that reward consists of, and what’s associated with it. But I’m going to still go very quickly through all of those things because I want to come to one point at the end which I feel that God wants us to really grasp and allow it to transform our lives.
So, first of all, Bible terms that are used to describe our reward. You’ll come across these terms as you read through the Scripture, and some of the verses we read this morning include these.
· Reward in heaven (Matt 5: 12)
· Treasure in heaven (Mark 10: 21)
· Eternal life (Matt 19: 29)
· A kingdom prepared for you (Matt 25: 34)
· Crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4: 8)
· An imperishable inheritance (1 Pet 1: 4)
· Crown of glory (1 Pet 5: 4)
· Eternal glory (2 Cor 4: 17)
· An eternal house in heaven (2 Cor 5: 1)
· The joy of the Lord (Matt 25: 23)
We are told about a reward in heaven Jesus said great is your reward in heaven if you are persecuted. He spoke about treasure in heaven. He spoke to the young man we read about, “Give everything you have to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” He spoke about eternal life. He said enter into the kingdom prepared for you – it’s described as a kingdom. Paul talks about a crown of righteousness prepared for him. Peter talks about an imperishable inheritance. He also speaks of a crown of glory. Paul talks about eternal glory, an eternal house in heaven. Other things are used to describe this, perhaps a little bit more distant, but still talking about this reward. It’s said of Jesus that it was for the joy that was set before him that he endured the cross and despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2). So the reward there is described as “the joy that is set before him”. In fact Jesus used that expression when he spoke one of his parables; He said in the parable, “Enter Into the joy of your Lord.”
Now all of these terms are used to describe something that the Bible talks about as “our reward.” So what does that reward consist of, and what’s associated with it? Well the first thing, right back in Genesis, is that the Bible explains that our reward is God himself. The promise and the call that God gave to Abraham was accompanied by this incredible statement: “The word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision; ‘Don’t be afraid, Abram: I am your shield and your very great reward’” (Genesis 15: 1). I am your very great reward. This association between a shield to defend you and a reward to look forward to is reflected by Peter in his first letter when he said that we are destined for an inheritance never to perish spoil or fade kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power (1 Peter 1: 4,5). And so God expresses to Abraham in one of the most wonderful revelations that both the reward to come and the protection of God in the present are effectively the presence and the blessing of God himself: I am your very great reward. And we shouldn’t deviate from that – we should always keep that before us, as we consider the reward in heaven. Now that reward - that promise - that was given to Abraham is one that we inherit through Christ. If you’ve ever wondered why it is that we can take these promises of the Old Testament, that were expressed to a different nation to us, a different people altogether, and just take them on board, it’s because the Bible says they are all fulfilled in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1: 20), and He redeemed us so that the blessing given to Abraham might come to us through Christ (Galatians 3: 14). Having believed, the scripture says, we are marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Ephesians 1: 13,14). So the Holy Spirit is God’s presence here with us – even now in this service and with us each individually if we belong to Christ – and He is the guarantee, He’s the down payment, of an experience of the presence of God that will blow our minds when we get to heaven. He is our reward and right now we have a down payment through the Holy Spirit.
Now, moving on to one or two other things. Our reward will acknowledge our service for Christ. And so in the scripture it says no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid – this was read to us earlier this morning. And we can build on that foundation, so all of our activity is involved in building on the foundation of Christ. And one day it’s all going to be tested. And some of it will be revealed for what it is – wood, hay and stubble – it won’t stand the test. And other parts will stand the test (1 Corinthians 3: 11-15). It’s interesting that it says it’s going to be tested by fire; it’s not tested by someone looking at it. So you are not the tester, right? You don’t go up to Daniel after this service and say, “That wasn’t a very good worship time.” It’s tested by fire – God’s fire – the fire of His holiness and His purity. He knows the heart. So we don’t point the finger at any one of our brothers and sisters and say, “I’m testing you.” It’s the Lord who does it. But when He does do it, it will be revealed for what it is.
Now this is very sobering, and for me, as a Christian, it’s very troubling. Because I kind of think, “Well I’m not very good at discerning my own efforts for Christ – to what extent it’s wood, hay and stubble, or precious stones.” I do believe that all that’s done genuinely in His name and for His glory is precious stones. But I also know that my heart is very subtle and fickle. Sometimes I can persuade myself that something I’m doing is really for Him, and actually it was for me. Well, the test will come. And the Lord gives us this as a warning and an encouragement. Effectively the warning is: don’t be complacent. Don’t just assume that because you go to church or do something in church that that puts you right with God. For one thing, God’s not looking for you to put yourself right with Him – Jesus has done that. He’s just looking for a heart that will share with Him in His purposes, and will do so in the way that Jesus did it. And so, if we act like that we will see His kingdom grow and His purposes grow.
And of course we always remember that some of the things that we use will not stand the test. Now we’re soon going to take a collection, and we know that this money will not survive to eternity. But we still use it. We don’t despise it. We try to make it useful for His kingdom. It’s not the money, or the accumulation of it, that counts for anything in God’s reward. It is what’s accomplished through it. It’s not our church building that’s going to accomplish anything in and of itself, indeed when the day of fire comes it will crumble and fall. It won’t go to heaven. But I pray that you will. And those things that are accomplished through that building will be in heaven, and we will share in that inheritance of Christ (Colossians 3: 23,24). So our reward will acknowledge our service for Christ.
Our reward will also compensate for sacrifices made for Jesus.” I tell you the truth,” He said, “no-one who has left brothers or sisters, or mother or father or children, will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this life, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10: 29.30). “Blessed are you,” He said, “when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of the gospel, because of Me. Rejoice, and be glad – great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5: 11,12). I don’t think Jesus is saying here that we’re actually earning things in heaven; that somehow, because of our works and our efforts, we’re getting a greater crown of glory on our head. But He is saying that the sacrifices we make, and the afflictions we receive because of those sacrifices, will receive compensation. That it is worth it.
Jim Elliott, who was martyred in South America, many years ago now – halfway through the twentieth century I guess – he said these words that have always resonated with me, and with others too. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” . He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. And he was reflecting a bit of what Jesus was saying here, about the compensation for those who make sacrifices for Him.
Our reward will also compensate for affliction and loss in this life. You might say, “It’s much the same thing, isn’t it,” but it’s not quite. We may get afflictions that are not directly – at least not in our consciousness – directly because we belong to Jesus, or because we’re witnessing for Him. Many indeed are afflicted and suffer great loss but, again, God’s word says our momentary, light troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4: 17). Understand again that when He says “achieving” He’s not saying that we’re somehow earning it. The scripture has already made clear that God Himself is our reward, and it is He who is shielding us and bringing us to it. But nevertheless the scripture says there is value in these afflictions, because of the link there is between them and the reward.
In fact I find it interesting that very often the things that make us doubt our reward in heaven are these life’s afflictions. Life itself – somehow we go through the troubles and turmoils of life and we begin to feel that things are just not worthwhile. We begin to doubt whether God loves us, and we begin even to doubt whether some of the things we’ve been doing are going to achieve anything for His glory, and we begin to doubt that reward itself. But actually the scripture makes a very strong link between affliction and trouble, persecution, trial, sacrifice – a strong link between them – and the glory that is to come; almost to the point where James implies that we should welcome them. He says, “Count it all joy when all of these troubles come upon you, because they are achieving for you a greater weight of glory in heaven” (James 1: 2-12).
Life here on earth is described like a tent, living in a tent (2 Corinthians 5:1). But the scripture says, “If the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven.” Those of you that have been to Clan and camped there know what it’s like to live in a tent, and it’s good fun. But home, a building, a hot bath, is always beckoning, and you’re, sort of saying, “Oh, I want to go home.” And, although we shouldn’t be wishing this life were over, there should be within us a firm grasp that what happens here is like living in a tent on a campsite, but that soon we’ll be going home. That’s where the house is, that’s where the home is, the real home. I think it’s a difficult thing for us – I find it difficult – to hold these two views. You know to be on earth, to live on earth – my whole experience is bound up here. How can I really have this ambition to get to heaven, that I don’t know too much about? If I do will I be too heavenly minded and not very much earthly use?
And of course our great example is Jesus. I’ve already reminded you of those words that said it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross and despised the shame. And yet He lived on earth in a way that – He seemed to so enjoy it. He was accused by others of enjoying it too much. He loved to be with people. And when He had compassion on people and healed them, do you think He was thinking, “Ooh, that’s another star in my crown?” No. His compassion was genuine. And yet it was tied very, very directly to His sense of reward in heaven. And, as we’ll see, this reward – I don’t think He was thinking of “reward for myself.” Because the scripture says that when He comes before the Father He will come and say, “Here I am and all the children You have given Me” (Hebrews 2:13). You see, His sense of reward is a sense of sharing a reward.
And so, I come to this point that I think is so crucial. Our reward comprises all that our Father has. I’m referring you to the parable of the Prodigal Son and the Older Son, and to the words that the Father said to the oldest son. Now these are words that, if you’re like me, you kind of gloss over, because the main part of the story seems to be about the younger son. We tend to move over what the Father said to the older son. But He says, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Luke 15: 31). My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. Now this is what the scripture spoke about as our inheritance. “I,” said God to Abraham, “I am your great reward.” I look at these words and I think, first of all, I’m used to saying, “God is with me.” And that’s comforting and helpful. But I suddenly thought, what an incredible thing it is for the Father to say, “You are always with Me.” Now, that’s what He is saying. Because for this particular application we are the older son. Each one of us. And the Father says to us, “You are always with Me.” Now just allow your mind and your heart to turn that around from, “He is always with me.” It’s helpful to think God is with me in my trials, but He says, “You are always with me.” And then He says, “Everything I have is yours.” Now that’s what reward is about.
And that expresses something of the ways of God. Remember how God said of the Israelites, “They haven’t known My ways.” Now here is one of the ways of God. He wants people to be with Him. Now we love being with each other. My fondest memories of Christmas, if I really am honest, are not getting all the presents and unwrapping them as a child (or as an adult!) but being with people that I love; having them with me, but me being with them. And them having the time for me to be with them. Just the family getting together, and just having that fellowship and fun and happiness together. And the Father is saying, “You are always with Me. This is what it’s all about, being with Me.” Now He’s saying this to the older son, and the older son has just been objecting, and saying, “You never killed the fatted calf for me. You never invited my friends round.” And he was disgruntled. And I don’t know to what extent you are tempted to be disgruntled with God. But, if you are like me, you’re always somewhere on that – you know the lever of disgruntlement is never very much at zero; it’s always a little bit up or sometimes a lot up. And we’ve got this sort of complaining feeling, “Lord that wasn’t fair. I don’t know why You’ve done that. You’ve never done that for me. So-and-so had this experience – I’ve never had that.” And it’s always that little, niggling disgruntlement. And the Father comes out to us – because when we get disgruntled we move out of the house and move away. It’s interesting that both the older son and the younger son went out, and the Father had to go out Himself to both of them, and He says to the older son, “You are always with Me, always with Me.” This is your reward, this is your treasure.
And I’m just asking that question then, is that something you treasure, that you are always with Him? Or are you complacent about that; like the older son are you often drifting outside away from the Father? “And everything I have is yours.” The Father is saying this, and what He wants is that His son will be like Him. “Son, I want you to say to the younger son, ‘Brother, you’re always with me; everything I have is yours. Welcome!’” So the Father wants His ways to be shared by us. It struck me as I was reading the Acts of the Apostles again and thinking of the early church that there were two things that marked them. It says that they were all together with one accord, in unity, in fellowship. They just loved spending time together. And then it says none of them thought of anything he had as his own, but they shared with one another. And I thought, when the Holy Spirit came He brought the ways of God with Him. It must be! Because they were saying what the Father said to the oldest son: “You’re always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
And so, you might think strangely, I’m not appealing to you now to think about your reward in heaven, or to have a better attitude towards it, or to work harder for it. I’m appealing to you to be like your Father. He is our great reward, and He says, “You are always with me – everything I have is yours.” Now I don’t want to say what the Holy Spirit will say to us. In the early church He actually said to some of them, “Sell some of your property and share it.” It’s not for us to dictate to one another. Peter also said to Ananias, “When you had the field and the money it was yours, wasn’t it, to do with what you liked. So the Lord says that to us, too. But the Father wants us, as His children, to share His ways. And as the Holy Spirit persuades us that we are always with Him, he’s going to say, “Children, I want you to be like that, too.” May it be so for His glory. Amen.
Copyright © S P Townsend