Harbor Church - Mid City

Investigating Jesus—On Rewards in Heaven; Lk. 12: 32-34; 7/3/11

We’re going to talk about something that has confused me for a long time and is almost never really talked about and it is this:  rewards or treasures in heaven.  Here is the irony of today:  those of you who are not yet Christians, you will agree with what I am going to say more than most of you who are Christians.  See most of you who are not yet Christians intuitively think that God rewards us for doing good.  Most Christians, on the other hand, hear so much about grace that they don’t think that God rewards us differently in heaven b/c that is somehow consistent with grace. Well, this is one case where most non-Christians actually think in a way that is more Biblically consistent than Christians. 

See the Bible talks about rewards all the time—which is why I printed just a sampling in your bulletin to let you see this.  Here me on this:  according to the Bible, each one of us are going to be rewarded individually and differently in heaven according to what you have done here on earth.  That means that you’re life matters.  What you do here and now matters both now and forever.  Your life is laced with eternal significance.

Now I know how unsettling this is for so many of you.  See how often do you hear this:  “Don’t do something for the reward.”  Jesus says, “Annn, do something for the reward.  He encourages rewards based thinking.  Only the reward you are seeking isn’t an earthly reward but a heavenly reward.  Pretty radical stuff—let’s look at it.

Now our text in Luke this morning is the end of a discussion that Jesus has on greed and money that we had for 2 weeks here and those are on line.  A young man in the crowd ask Jesus about his inheritance, and Jesus told a story about a rich fool who was greedy.  And then he gave them a checklist on greed and how to figure out if greed is a problem, followed by some remedies for those who are struggling with greed. 

Now I know that virtually none of you who weren’t here for my first two sermons on greed think that you struggle with greed, and maybe some of you that were here.  Why?  B/c we all know someone who makes a little more than we do, who has more stuff, and seems to just blow money.  They are greedy—not me. Well, I can’t take the time this morning to convince you that you actually do struggle with greed.  2 suggestions if you think you don’t struggle with greed: (1) Listen to the first 2 parts online (shameless plug isn’t).  (2) But even if you don’t think you struggle with greed, I would encourage you to try to begin storing up rewards in heaven as Jesus says here because it will lead to a more beautiful and true life for you.  So let’s look at this controversial and difficult teaching of Jesus on rewards.

v32 “Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.  V33 “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. ( This is where we ended 2 weeks ago).  Real quick summary of 32-33 since we covered it 2 weeks ago.  To those of you who are followers of Jesus, here is what this says, “Little flock, your daddy, who is a Good Shepherd, is so pleased with you that he has given you everything—the whole kingdom.  Do you see how it begins with grace.  Your daddy has given you the kingdom—a gift, you didn’t earn it.  And a crazy, generous gift at that.  The kingdom.  the whole kit and kaboodle. 

Here this—you need to hear this, particularly on a day when we’re going to be talking a lot about how your actions here lead to rewards in heaven.  Heaven isn’t a reward; heaven is a gift.  You aren’t rewarded with heaven b/c of anything you do; you are rewarded with heaven b/c of what Jesus has done that comes to you as a gift when you trust him.

So go sell some of your stuff.  Liquidate some assets, maybe downsize your house, decrease your net worth, give so radically and generously that you feel it, that it alters your lifestyle.  And when you’re giving to the poor in this way, then here is what you are doing.  Here is what is going on in the heavenly realm.  Rewards are just piling up.  It is like a cash register going, “Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. 

That is actually the way to read the v32-33 together. “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  And in so doing you will provide purses in heaven that won’t wear out.” That is the way some translations put it like the NLT which gives you the real sense of how it should read.  That giving radically and generously to the poor is one way of storing up treasures in heaven and purses that don’t wear out. 

But I am student.  I don’t have any money.”  But you have an ipod loaded with music?  Take that dollar that you were going to spend on a new song on itunes and give it to Jesus.  See the widow didn’t have much either and she dropped 2 mites into the basket and Jesus says that in giving out of her poverty she gave more than all the rest.  The generosity of students thrills the heart of Jesus.  Now, to be clear, the rewards that we get in heaven will be broader than just what we did with our money.  We will give an account for everything and be rewarded for everything—how we spent our time, our talents, but also our treasures.  But, without question, what is in view here in our text is how we spend our money.  That part of our reward in heaven will be based on how we spend our money here.  Whether we’re greedy or generous.

But rewarded with what?  Well, I don’t exactly know.  But here is one reward that is quite clear.  Gen. 15:1—God says to Abraham, “I am your very great reward.”  So, without question, God is our very great reward.  Throughout the OT you see this longing to see the face of God, and then, finally, we see in the NT that when we get to heaven that the longing of our heart is granted—we see God face-to-face.  The veil of the temple that separated us from God is torn from top to bottom and we now see the very face of God, our great reward.  Mt. 5, Lk. 15, Rev—this is clear.  And, according to Rev. 4: 10-11, we’ll see Jesus, the lamb of God, sitting on the throne and we’ll be so overcome that we’ll cast down our crown, whatever reward we have, at the feet of Jesus, our very great reward.  That we know for sure.

But, you need to know this.  Not all of us will be rewarded the same.  Our reward of God, our ability to experience and take in Jesus, will not all be the same. Now nowhere is this better illustrated than in Dante in the Divine Comedy.  We’re about to take Dante down to the inner-city.  All of you English teachers are perking up.  For those of you still in high school, listen up b/c you can impress your English teachers.  See Dante was well aware of the concept of rewards in heaven and he wrote an epic poem about it called the Divine Comedy, a poem that has shaped literature as much as just about any other work.

My good friend and pastor Rankin Wilbourne who is just up the road a bit in LA actually helped me see this.  And I am going to quote Rankin’s paraphrase of Dante b/c I think his paraphrase is poetic itself and, quite beautiful.  So in the Divine Comedy the essence of what Dante is saying is this, “Everything we do in this life, we are creating a capacity to love and enjoy God forever.” IN heaven this capacity will be filled to the uttermost.  (That is beautiful.  Dante is saying that what we do in this life matters b/c we’re creating a capacity to love and enjoy God and in the end you will get as much or as little as you have always wanted).  Rankin paraphrases Dante in this way, “Some of us will be thimbles, some of us will be glass jars, some pales, some barrels, some great lakes.  There will be no envy in heaven b/c each of us will be filled to the utmost, each of us will have as much of God as we have always wanted.”  Now Rankin rightfully asked this question and it is a question that many of you are thinking right now. “why should I care if we all get filled up completely—I just want to get in.”  And he, and Dante, answer that question this way.  “Only someone who did not see how enjoyable and good God is would ever ask such a question, but if you knew, you would want as much of him as you could bare.”  See you are building your capacity here on earth to experience and enjoy the great reward of heaven—Jesus Christ.  But, our capacity to take him in will not all be equal.  And each day, each hour, we’re either building our capacity or shrinking it by what we do, not just by what we believe.

This makes sense.  Think about it.  Some of you here this morning have a greater capacity to worship Jesus than others.  Some of you this morning will experience your heart soaring in worship and some of you won’t.  Now, I know, it isn’t all about your capacity.  Sometimes Jesus just shows up in powerful and extraordinary ways and does what He does. 

But, he also says “Draw near to me, and I’ll draw near to you?”   Increase your capacity.  See it is easy to blame it on me or Danny.  We’re the easy targets.  How was church?  Ah, sermon wasn’t great. Or it is so easy to pick the music apart.  If we had more hymns.  Or if we didn’t have Spanish-songs.  Or if we had more gospel.  That wouldn’t ultimately do it, you know that, right.  Now, to be sure, your style of music or preaching may help fine tune your worship, kinda like messing with the sound board just a little if there is a little feedback.  But if your heart is on the wrong frequency when you walk in, if it isn’t prepared, Billy Graham preaching and Chris Tomlin leading worship won’t break through to your heart.

Think about it.  There are some people who can worship wherever you take them.  It doesn’t matter if it is high church or low church; hand-waving or hymnal holding; liturgical or loosey-goosey; Gospel Choir or Gregorian Chant; Bach, Bubba, or the blues.  It doesn’t matter.  They are dialed into Jesus and they worship Him in any context.  They have a very large capacity for worship. He is their great treasure, their very great reward, and all of their life is bending toward him, enlarging their capacity to worship wherever they go and are, so that they really can worship wherever they are, whatever they are doing. Paul had a very large capacity. 

Remember in Phil 1 when he gets chained to the Praetorian guard.  This was like getting chained to a Navy Seal on Seal Team Six—these were special forces.  24/7 chained up to a combat machine.  And Paul says, “Oh, what a great opportunity to worship Jesus, to rejoice.  And he leads the Praetorian Guards chained to him to Jesus.  That is why Paul could say—whatever you do, whether eating or drinking—do it all to the glory of God.  Paul had a huge capacity for worship and he learned how to make all of life worship.  His reward, his capacity, in heaven is going to be huge b/c he spent his whole life building it.

Jonathan Edwards says the same thing.  Listen But yet there will be different degrees of both holiness and happiness according to the measure of each one’s capacity. Christ tells us that he who gives a cup of cold water unto a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward. But this could not be true, if a person should have no greater reward for doing many good works than if he did but few.

So, what Rankin, Dante, Edwards and the Bible all say is this, “What you are doing with your time, your talent, and your money are creating an everlasting capacity for experiencing the fullness of heaven.  If you want more of him there, then get going here.

So what does that look like you ask.  Great question.  Glad you asked.  Let’s consider how do we build our capacity for God in heaven?  Or put it another--How do we store up treasures in heaven?  V34 is the answer.  One of the most beautiful and powerful verses in the Bible.  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Your heart is the secret.  Wherever and whatever and whomever you treasure, your heart will effortlessly follow.  Those of you who are out of high school, let me take you back to high school.  Kinda like that Kenny Chesney song “I Go Back,” “I go back to the feel of a 50 yard line.  A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine.”  Or here is another song for you.  I bet you can finish it for me.  Little diddy, bout Jack & Diane.

The songs are always the same.  A boy in love with, treasuring, a girl.  Romeo & Juliet; Jack & Diane.  Those of you in high school--you have no problem working all summer and then blowing your entire summer’s paycheck on your girl.  Why?  You treasure her, and where your treasure is, your heart is.  She is your treasure.

So, if you want to increase your capacity in heaven for Jesus, it you want a greater reward, then treasure Jesus right now like you treasure your girlfriend.  If you begin to treasure him, greed won’t be a problem. You don’t have to be told to buy something for your high school sweetheart; she is your treasure. 

But how you ask?  Stephen, how do I treasure Jesus? I can hold her hand, she is easier to treasure.  How do I treasure someone I can’t touch? I am going to give you 3 very practical Treasure Principles:

(1) Do it in community.  Remember v32—Little flock.  Jesus just assumes we’re going to work all this out together.  So, if you, like me, are struggling with greed.  You don’t want to build bigger barns; you want to learn how to increase your capacity for God with your money.  Do this?  Sit down with a trust couple or friend and talk through your budget.  And ask them—are we building bigger barns?  Remember, greed hides—you won’t see your own greed, so ask somebody else.  And don’t choose a yes friend who will just tell you what you want to hear.  That won’t help.  Students—get another student who is more faithfully and courageously following Jesus and say, “Help me build my capacity for Jesus. Help me store up treasures in heaven.

(2) Remember where home is: v33 says store up treasures in heaven, your true home, not down here where moths & thief’s get them.  Randy Alcorn puts it this way in a little book called  The Treasure Principle.  We may have many barriers to giving money away, But I am convinced the greatest deterrent to giving is the allusion that the earth is our home.  Where we choose to store our treasure depends largely on where we think our true home is.  Imagine that your  home is in America but you were visiting France for 12 months and you were living in a hotel.  You were told you cannot bring anything with you back to America, but you can mail deposits to your account.  Would you fill your French hotel room with lavish furnishings?

No.  That would be foolish, and so is a greedy lifestyle storing up store here.

 (3) Ponder the love of Jesus. V34—where your treasure is, there your heart is.  A lover treasures; there heart is there.  Ponder His love.  Think about it—those of you who are in love.  You ponder the one you are in love with.  There will be times when your mind drifts there and you think, “She loves me.”

Let me help you ponder Jesus this morning on this subject of treasures and rewards.  Here the gospel, the good news, of Deut. 14:2 says, “The Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”  You are his treasure.  You are His very great reward.  That is what simply amazes me.  That a dude as broken down as I am, as sinful and greedy as me, that he would treasure me.  That I am his reward; that you are his reward.

And you say, “Well, how do I know that he treasures me?” Because he has an eternal record of treasuring you.  See Eph. 1 says that before the beginning of time Jesus had you on his mind.  He was pondering you.  Eph. 2 says that Jesus was thinking about all the good things he had planned for you to do.  Then, Gal. 4 says in the fullness of time, at just the right moment, Jesus was born of a woman to redeem you.  And for 33 years his heart beat not only for His Father but for you and your redemption.  You were the joy set before him.  Your renewal.

And nowhere was his love, his commitment, his fidelity to you and to me more fully demonstrated than the cross.  See on the cross Jesus treasured you and I enough to experience hell for us.  Think about that. Hell.  Ponder that.  Some of you that are not Christians have never pondered that.  You say, “Well, yeah, but it was only 3 days—I could endure anything for 3 days.”  I am sorry but that isn’t hell if it is only 3 days—that is like a long time-out that you give to your kids.  Hell is an eternal separation from God—from all that is true and beautiful and gracious.  And so, somehow, someway, Jesus, on the cross, experiences an eternal separation from God.  He goes outside of time to experience eternal separation.  I can’t fully explain that.  It is mysterious.  Ponder it.  He treasure you that much. You are His reward. 

Prayer:

WORSHIP/CONFESSION/PRAYER:  (1) Some of you, if you walked out of hear today, and on the way home, you were in a tragic car accident and died and you were standing before God, heaven would not be your reward.  That needs to change.  We’ll have a prayer team in the back.

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