When we look at the teaching
of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John, the account of his physical earthly ministry, his
teaching and his preaching it always looks very practical,
doesn't it? It really does look very practical,
there's no theoretical, aesthetic sort of mysticism about it, it's
very straightforward, it's very very practical He always seems
to be saying so much that our actions and our attitudes and
our mindset, all of these things, they indicate critical things
about the spiritual state of our hearts. You know, it's absolutely
true that what we do in no way affects our standing with God
in salvation. Christ has accomplished the salvation
of his people. We don't make ourselves any more
holy, not one whit in the reckoning of God. We don't become progressively
more sanctified as we get ready for heaven. That is an absolute
falsehood. It is not taught in the scriptures.
Not a hint of that, but nevertheless, Nevertheless Christ constantly
called for his people to bear the marks of the salvation that
he has wrought. The epistles of Paul constantly
call for his people as we've just been singing in Gadsby's
hymn. Gadsby's hymn. Gadsby was a man who got into
all sorts of trouble for saying the law is not the believer's
rule of life and oh just like they do today the legalists will
be up in arms against you if you say that. Gadsby said that
but Gadsby said this in that hymn didn't he? walk worthy of
your lord walk worthy of him look to him walk worthy don't
if you're sons of liberty don't live like you're the children
of license to sin because you're not not at all so the parables
in Luke as we're looking at these chapters in the teens of Luke
chapter sixteen today at least one verse in the middle of it
it's very very practical teaching Luke 16 divides into three parts. First of all there's the parable
of the unjust steward. Did you listen while we were
reading that? Is that not the most difficult
of parables to interpret? Doesn't it seem odd? It seems
as if Jesus is commending dishonesty in this world. How much do you
owe the master? A hundred measures of wheat.
Quick, write down fifty on the bill. Why? So that he would find favour
with the person whose bill got reduced when he gets put out
of his job as the steward. And we'll think for a moment
about what Jesus was saying there. Then in the middle of the chapter
there's very practical advice on divided loyalties, that you
cannot have divided loyalties and that's what I want to focus
on this morning. he talks about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees
and then in the last bit from verse 19 down to the end of the
chapter which we didn't read is the parable it is a parable
it is a parable the parable of Abraham and Lazarus the poor
man and the rich man the one in heaven and the other in hell
teaching powerful things about eternity our text today is verse
13 Verse 13, no servant can serve two masters, for either he will
hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one
and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. can't serve, two masters, that's
our text this morning and the message has got this, I've given
the message this title single-minded commitment single-minded, not
wavering, not sitting on the fence about this, single-minded
commitment what does the parable of the unjust steward say to
us, just briefly before we move on basically Jesus is teaching
people to prepare to meet your God you know there used to be
that picture of the evangelist in the street and there used
to be one like this at Oxford Circus and I often used to hear
him, I know Stephen used to hear him as well but at times he would
have a placard on him hanging over his shoulders with prepare
to meet your God on the front of it you used to see people
do that but nevertheless we need to learn Prepare to meet your
God. When are you going to meet your
God? I haven't a clue. Neither have you. But we know
this for sure. Every single one of us has an
appointment. And we cannot avoid it. For what
does it say? It is appointed to man to die
once. And what comes then? The judgment.
We face God in eternity. Prepare to meet your God. Prepare. Prepare. What the parable is
saying is this, Jesus isn't commending dishonest behaviour, he's saying
this, the children of the world are very serious about pursuing
they're getting on and prospering and having friends and making
provision for the future. When he's kicked out of his stewardship
make sure you've got some friends when you're kicked out of your
stewardship. He said the world is very careful in its prospering,
in its seeking to prosper, in getting on in society. It's very
careful, it's very diligent about preparing for the future. Is
that not the case? How much more How much more should
the children of light, how much more should those that aspire
to heaven, how we ought to prepare for eternity? What does Jesus
say in the Sermon on the Mount again and again? Lay up for yourselves
not treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupts, You know,
you buy something brand spanking new. Yesterday we sold our car. Twelve years ago that car was
brand spanking new, straight out of the showroom, absolutely
lovely car. And yesterday it went away with
all sorts of little niggles on it. Little niggles, because why?
Because moth and rust starts to corrupt. moth and rust starts
to corrupt, and that's the same with everything you get, you
get it, it's new, it's shiny, you buy some new clothes and
you wear them and you wear them and you wear them and you wear
them out because that happens, but treasures in heaven no, moth
and rust does not corrupt those it doesn't do it so this is the
question you know knowing that we must meet God knowing that
we need to prepare to meet God knowing that we must all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ and be judged for what we are
and the only place to be is in Christ for in Christ you will
be judged as righteous as God and having the righteousness
that you must have in order to see God and be with God do you
know this? Do you know that you're an eternity
bound sinner? Now this is what man doesn't
know, isn't it? You speak to people in the workplace perhaps,
or neighbours, you speak to them. Do you know that you're an eternity-bound
sinner? No, I don't care, I don't care.
Straight over their heads. It has no effect whatsoever.
Do you know you're an eternity-bound sinner? Because whether you know
it or not, you are. And you're destined to meet God. God who
cannot, must not, tolerate sin. How is it with you? This is a
question to everyone listening on the internet, wherever. How
is it with you? Are you solidly resting in a
good place? Or are you trying to have the
best of both worlds? Are you, as Peter says, making
your calling and election sure in this life of service to God?
or are you trying to serve God, oh and the mammon's quite good
as well, the things of this world are quite good. Jesus says it
cannot be done. Do you know true commitment is
heart commitment. It's not external. There are
people that we say the world looks and they said oh look at
the devotion of that religious person. Look how devoted they
are to what they do and what they believe. Look at the things
they will go through. You know that. I haven't heard of many
recently but I remember several years ago there was a Hindu guy
that was praised for his devotion because he thought he found favor
with God by rolling along the ground. Do you remember that
one? this is back in the 1990s, he thought he found favour with
God by rolling along, why on earth he got that idea from I
don't know, but he did and having got that idea he was so devoted
to it apparently he rolled hundreds of miles through India thinking
he was finding favour, people do the most stupid things, no
Commitment is not about the external things we do, it's not about
going and living in a monastery, it's not about saying mass, it's
not about doing any of those things, it's about the heart,
it's about the heart. Proverbs says this, Proverbs
4, 23, keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the
issues of life and the issues of death. Proverbs 23, verse
26, my son, says God, give me thine heart and let thine eyes
observe my ways." God says in Psalm 51, the Psalm of David,
the Psalm of Penitence, the sacrifices of God are all the temple worship,
we must know, no, God says this to his people, the sacrifices
of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise. when Philip was sent by the Holy
Spirit to speak to the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot on that
road going back down to Ethiopia. And he preached to him the gospel
from Isaiah. He preached the gospel. What
did he preach from Isaiah? We've been seeing in recent weeks
about Christ in all the scriptures. What did he preach from Isaiah?
He preached to him Jesus. That's what he preached. He preached
to him Jesus. The man said, what prevents me
from being baptized? And the Philip said to him, if
you believe with what? All your heart. If you believe
with all your heart, you may. That's it, it's a heart thing.
True commitment is a heart thing. 50-50 consecration is no consecration
at all. You cannot, as Jesus said, you
cannot serve God and mammon. Someone said, someone wrote this,
where there is no consecration, no commitment, there is no conversion. Where there is no surrender to
the Lord Jesus Christ, there's no salvation. We must surrender
to his lordship. Where there is no voluntary,
willing, what does God say? I make my people willing in the
day of my power. Psalm 110 verse 3. Where there's
no voluntary, willing bowing to Christ, there's no knowledge
of Christ. There's no knowledge of God.
Oh yes, we live in this world. While we're in the flesh, we
live in this world. We must earn a living, we must
interact with the world. We must go out and earn wages
and keep our families and do those things that are important
for our families to be provided for. We can enjoy the fruits
of this world. We can. We can enjoy. It's oil
to make our face shine. It's wine to make our hearts
glad. We can enjoy interaction with other people. We can enjoy
going and prospering in the workplace. We can enjoy the things of this
world to an extent. But, but, but, but, for the true
child of God, heart commitment, where your heart is, my son,
give me your heart, is totally with Christ. Total commitment
to him. Whatever our interaction with
the world and its things and the things in it, they must come
second. They must be subservient to Christ. Even family loves must come second. even that dearest of love, husband,
wife, children, mother, father, brothers, sisters, it must come
second to the love for Christ. For Jesus said, if any man, this
is Luke 14, 26, if any man come to me and hate not his father
and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea
and his own life also he cannot be my disciple he's not teaching
you to hate your relatives he's saying this that by comparison
to him they must be subservient they must be second he must come
first in all things and you know this is the experience of those
that have put God to the test those who love him and are committed
to him and follow him first have the best of relationships in
every other aspect of life, the very best, the very best. Now,
there are many who claim to be Christ's, many, who are really
trying to serve God and mammon. They've got too much religion
because they think this eternity thing is important, they've got
too much religion for worldly happiness because it's constantly
bugging them so they can't really be truly worldly happy They've
got too much religion for that and they've got too much of the
world to know that they're totally committed to Christ. It's a dilemma. Trying to walk a tightrope of
having all the benefits of true religion in your conscience,
and losing none of the sort of social bonhomie that goes with
worldly interaction. Now am I saying we shouldn't
interact with the world? Of course not, we live in the
world. We live in the world, but we're not of the world. We
have to interact, sociably, friendly. with our neighbors, with our
work colleagues. I tell you, those that try and express their
religion in being obnoxious to the people they work with, they're
bringing disgrace on the gospel. Those that try and say I am holier
than thou as it says in Isaiah you know this is one of the complaints
God brought against the pharisaical view they say I am holier than
thou don't stand near me stand over there because I'm holier
those that have that attitude that's a disgrace that's a shame
brought on the testimony of Christ no we interact sociably with
others all around us, as far as is possible what do the epistles
say? Live peaceably with all men, but who comes first? Who comes first? Total commitment
to God. James writes this, James 4 verse
4, ye adulterers and adulteresses, he's not talking about people
physically committing adultery, he's talking about those that
are dishonest or are unfaithful to the service of God by what
they do in the world. He says this, know ye not that
the friendship of the world is enmity with God. You put the
world first, you cannot be friends with God, you'll be his enemy.
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God. 1st John, chapter 2, 15 and 16. Love not the world. Oh, how the flesh loves the world. Love not the world. I'm not saying
don't use the things of the world, don't enjoy the things. Love
not the world compared with Christ. Neither the things that are in
the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father
is not in him. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life
is not of the Father but is of the world. Two things are clear
and it's in verse 15. He said to them ye are they which
justify yourselves before men the pharisees the religious hypocrites
you justify yourself you're not you don't think about what does
God think you look at what others will think he says this but God
whatever you think just look at people looking at you on the
outside God knows your hearts nothing's hid from him God knows
your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men, that
which men, especially religious men, think is good, think is
commendable, is an abomination in the sight of God. God hates
it. God abhors it. God knows the
heart. God knows the heart. God sees
the heart, and the things that man esteems highly, the world
esteems highly, God abhors. He hates it. you can read about
it in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 all about hypocrisy
don't do this to be seen of men don't do that to be seen of men
because what you think is commendable in the eyes of men God hates
it God abhors it all that the Pharisees regard highly you can
look again in Matthew 23 we won't do it now for the sake of time
But in Matthew 23, Christ pronounces woe after woe after woe on the
Pharisees. You say this, woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. He's talking about
eternal judgment. You're heading for eternal judgment,
scribes and Pharisees, because you regard things highly that
God hates, and your hearts are not right with God. you're just
trying to be seen externally for what you do when inside he
says you're like whited sepulchres you know these graves that are
painted lovely lovely gravestones but you get the body dug up and
you dig in there and you have a look and it's horrible It's
horrible, it's a rotting mess, it's dead men's bones. That's
what Christ says about hypocrisy. Trying to look a certain way
on the outside and being different on the inside. Everything that
they regarded, these religious folks, Christ pronounces woes
on them. they were trying, these Pharisees
were trying to have all of the smug benefits of gold standard
religion, oh we've got the right, we've got the temple sacrifice,
we're in Jerusalem we stand in the line of the fathers, we are
God's people, we know who we are, we know what we are but
really they were loving all of their worldly things and also
look at verse 18 you may wonder why this verse is in here Jesus
all of a sudden says to these Pharisees whosoever putteth away
his wife and marrieth another commiteth adultery and whosoever
marrieth her that is put away from her husband commiteth adultery,
why? because the Pharisees just had
it all lined up for themselves they had various rules that allowed
them to divorce their wives for just a whim just a change of
heart they saw somebody else that they thought looked prettier
and that was enough they could divorce their wives and Jesus
puts his finger right on it that's why it's there he's talking to
these hypocrites these Pharisees you say that you've got one thing
you say that you are one thing but in actual fact you're hypocrites
look what you do with your wives is what he says to them True
commitment is heart commitment. It comes from the heart, it's
in the heart is true commitment. Do we have an example in scripture
of full commitment to God? Yes we do, many many, but ones
that stand out to me are Joshua and Caleb in coming out of Egypt
into the promised land, Joshua and Caleb. They're an example,
turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 10. 1st Corinthians chapter 10. where Paul is writing to the
Corinthians a New Testament church of New Testament believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ has gone back to glory, they're
a church just like we're a church, a group of people who believe
Christ but he's giving them a warning and we ought to heed the warnings
of scripture we ought to be driven and taught and directed by scripture
in verse one of chapter ten of first Corinthians ten he says
moreover brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant. How?
That all our fathers were under the cloud. This is when they
came out of Egypt, through the Red Sea. All passed through the
sea, the Red Sea. All were baptized unto Moses
in the cloud and in the sea. They all went through it. They
all went through the religious experience. They all did eat
the same spiritual meat. They all ate the manna that came
down from heaven, didn't they? All of them. They all drank the
same spiritual drink. They drank of that rock that
Moses striked the rock, smite the rock, and it split, and water
came out of it, and it was a picture of Christ, for they drank of
that spiritual rock that followed them. And these people, he says,
drank of the water that came from Christ, for that rock was
Christ, symbolically. These are people that did that,
but, but, But this is the warning, with many of them God was not
well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. now these
things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust
after evil things as they also lusted neither be idolaters as
with some of them as it is written the people sat down to eat and
drink and rose up to play Moses went up the mountain and they
thought oh he's gone and they went to Aaron and said what should
we do and Aaron said give me all your gold and we'll make
a calf and we'll bow down and we'll worship the calf they became
idolaters in a moment in their hearts neither let us commit
fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and
twenty thousand neither let us tempt Christ as some of them
also tempted who was it they tempted these people that came
out of Egypt with Moses and Joshua and Caleb they tempted Christ
in the wilderness as some of them also tempted and were destroyed
as serpents because God sent the fiery serpents to bite them
and to kill them neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured,
and were destroyed of the destroyer." There are warnings for us. Going
through the external motions, having the label stuck on us
is not the same as having heart commitment. We need to learn
from them. Only Joshua and Caleb of that faithless generation
entered into the promised land. Do you know that? For forty years
they were made for unbelief for lack of commitment to Christ
to wander around in that wilderness until every one of that generation
had died not one that came out of Egypt went in to the promised
land except these two Joshua and Caleb and all the children
that were born to them in those forty years of wandering that's
a fact an absolute fact only Joshua and Caleb entered in and
the scripture testimony of Caleb is this He wholly followed the
Lord. Read about it in Numbers, in
Deuteronomy, in Joshua. Caleb wholly followed the Lord. He was committed. He wasn't trying
to serve God and mammon. He was holding wholly to the
one master that had brought him out of that situation. And Joshua
says to the people, Joshua 24 verses 14 and 15, now therefore
fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth and put
away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the
flood. He means before the flood of Noah when the wickedness of
man was great and what wickedness was it? It was the wickedness
of false gods and idolatry and everything it led to. He says
and serve ye the Lord and if it seemed evil unto you to serve
the Lord Choose you this day, whom you will serve, whether
the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of
the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell."
Now this is what I love, this is what Joshua said to them.
Whatever you choose to do, but as for me and my house, We will
serve the Lord. Choose you this day. We will
serve the Lord. Single-minded commitment is what
this was. They entered in. They made their
calling and election sure. They did it. They entered in,
made their calling and election sure. How? Not that they changed
God's mind in eternity, but they gave themselves assurance of
their calling and election by their commitment to Christ, for
their wholehearted commitment. And they possessed the promised
land when the others of their generation didn't. They counted
the cost of worldly loss. Yes, there's a worldly loss,
they counted the cost of it. But listen to this, this is what
it says about Moses in Hebrews 11. Moses chose rather, he had
a choice. Moses was brought up as the son
of Pharaoh's daughter. He was a prince in the palace
of Pharaoh, in the richest civilisation at that time on earth. Moses
was a prince there, but Moses, he did a cost-benefit analysis.
And he compared the riches that he had in Pharaoh's house with
the riches that he had with the people of God. Moses chose rather
to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season. And what did he reckon? How did
he weigh it up? How did he balance it out? He
esteemed the reproach of Christ. The world has a reproach, a condemnation,
a despising of Christ. He esteemed the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. Here's all the treasures
in Egypt that he can have. you know you think about it today
nothing nothing barred from you by virtue of money or status
or everything he could have but he esteemed the riches of the
reproach of Christ greater riches than those treasures why did
he do it for he had respect unto the recompense of reward you
know it sounds like the language of business and I suppose he
did a cost-benefit analysis he looked at what it would cost
him to walk out on Pharaoh's household but he looked for something
else what was he looking for? it says again in Hebrews 11 he
looked for a city all God's faithful people looked for a city with
foundations whose builder and maker is God He counted it worth
it. He counted it worth it. He had
respect unto the recompense of reward. It was worth it for the
recompense of reward. What is the recompense of reward? What is it? Do you think about
the recompense of reward that comes from faith? It's like the
benefits that were sought by the bondservant. Think of the
bondservant. Deuteronomy 15, 16 and 17. is all about being fair to your
slaves and letting them go free. They've served you six years,
the seventh year God said you must let them go free, you must.
But he says this, and it shall be if this slave who you're going
to set free say to you I will not go away from thee because
he loveth thee, and thine house, because he is well with thee,
then thou shalt take an awl and thrust it through his ear to
the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. That's a bond-servant. Paul calls himself a bond-servant
of Jesus Christ. A willing servant of Jesus Christ. Why did he do that? Because he
loved the benefits of his master's house more than the poverty as
he saw it of the liberty outside of his master's house. It's like
the prodigal son that we were thinking of last week. The prodigal
son eating pig swill with the pigs and he thinks of the recompense
of reward. Even the servants in my father's
house have food to eat and plenty. I'll go back to my father and
I'll ask him, I've been so Unworthy as a son, but please will you
take me back and give me a job as one of your servants. The
recompense of reward. This is what he looked to. Let
me give you, and no doubt people could think of many more than
this, but for the sake of time, let me give you four aspects
of the recompense of reward that belongs to the people of God
who are committed to him. First of all, salvation. Salvation. Is that a reward to
you? Do you know about salvation?
Do you know in your heart, it is well with my soul? It is well,
it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. I need
not fear, it is well with my soul. Why? Because I'm a sinner,
and I owe a debt that I cannot pay to the justice of God, but
I know this. that my Lord Jesus Christ has
died in my place, has shed his precious blood, he has paid redemption's
price with that blood, the justice of God is satisfied and if I
am in him and believing in him God has redeemed me in him, that's
the reason why I believe in him, I believe because I'm one of
his sheep that he chose before the foundation of the world and
he keeps me and he shows me that where my Lord Jesus Christ was
made sin for me it was that I might be made the righteousness of
God in him in our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore it is appointed
to man to die once and then the judgment and we must all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ and our God is a consuming fire
and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God but I fear nothing for why? He says to me fear not for I
have redeemed you Fear not, for I have saved you from your sins.
Fear not, there is nothing against you. There is nothing that stands
against you. Who shall lay any charge to God's
elect? Christ has died. We're more than
conquerors through him that loved us. Salvation is part of the
recompensive reward to the one who is wholly committed to the
Lord Jesus Christ. We're ready to stand there and
hear him say, as he said in Matthew 25-34, come, you blessed of my
father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. Come, you blessed of my father,
you're ready for eternity in salvation, you're prepared to
meet your God. Look at Galatians chapter 6,
I'll read it to you, don't turn there now, Galatians 6 verses
7 and 8, Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap. What you do in this life
you will reap the reward of. For he that soweth to his flesh,
trying to serve mammon, trying to serve the things of this world,
shall of the flesh reap corruption. and condemnation and all those
other things but he that soweth to the Spirit as for me and my
house we will serve the Lord he that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting life everlasting
secondly Recompense of reward. We look, what's the recompense
of reward? Providential keeping. Oh, how uncertain is life in
this world. Oh, how we read of tragic outcomes. People who think they're in the
prime of life, cut down by disease. People who think that they're
having the greatest of time, killed by accident. Or riot,
or insurrection, or war, or whatever it might be. but the people of
God are providentially kept my future this is what the child
of God knows this is the recompense of reward I know that my future
is in the hands of him who holds the future I know who holds the
future he guides me with his hand with God things don't just
happen everything by him is planned he causes all things we know
this says Paul Romans 8.28 all things work together for good
All things, the diseases, the accidents, the financial loss,
the whatever else it might be, all things work together for
good. For the child of God, they're
not punishments, they're chastisements. bringing us to loosen our grip
on the things of this world providential keeping providential keeping
fret not says his word why fret not because of evil doers God's
in control of all things God is when I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for he is with me
he'll hold me the lions on either side are on a chain and he holds
that chain and they cannot get me fret not isn't the household
of faith a good place to be Psalm 4 verse 8 says this I will both
lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me
dwell in safety God says as we thought last week to Jeremiah,
he says I know the thoughts that I think of thee to his people
this is providential, I know the thoughts thoughts of good
and not of evil to give you an expected end to give you that
outcome of eternal glory which is the third point heavenly riches
now and to come look at Matthew I'll turn to it you can turn
there if you want Matthew chapter 19 and verse 27 Matthew 19 and
verse 27 Then answered Peter, and said
unto him, unto Jesus, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed
thee. What shall we have, therefore?
In following you, Lord, we've given up everything. We've given
up homes, and careers, and we've given, wholehearted commitment
to you. What shall we have, therefore?
And Jesus said to them verily, this he means it, verily I say
unto you that ye which have followed me in the generation when the
son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye also shall sit
upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel heavenly
riches to come you'll be there in glory he says you'll be amongst
those to whom he will say come have the blessing that's prepared
for you from inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world and then verse 29 but even now you who have followed
me and given up everything and everyone that hath forsaken houses
or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children
or lands for my namesake shall receive a hundredfold he means
in this life and shall inherit everlasting life. How do we receive
an hundredfold? Do we have the deeds of ownership
of a hundred houses? No, of course he doesn't mean
that but I tell you what you, child of God, wherever you wherever
you travel on this earth you will find God's people and wherever
you go there just as when they come here this house is their
house and their house is my house when I go there we're brethren
together hundredfold, no? hundredfold in this life you'll
receive a hundredfold, lands for my namesake mother or wife,
no the birth certificate doesn't say the family tree doesn't but
we know there's an eternal family tree that says they're my brethren
they're my brothers and sisters I love them the people we met
with yesterday you know it was the bond of friendship and fellowship
in the gospel of grace they're brothers and sisters we've got
family that we never had before hundredfold and shall inherit
everlasting life that heavenly riches now and to come blessed
with treasure in heaven and fourthly oh to walk through this life
with a good hope to walk with a good hope, the fear of death
replaced by a confident expectation of heaven. Do you know Hebrews
2 tells us that mankind in general is afflicted whatever they might
say with the fear of death subject all their lives to bondage because
of the fear of death but the people of God the people of God
have got this recompense of reward which is a good hope the fear
of death is replaced by a confident expectation of heaven I love
the story that was told about the old lady that was dying I
don't know what she must have had a cancer or something like
that and she was in her last week or two of life and somebody
went to visit her she was an old saint she was a believer
she was looking forward to heaven but she was dying and this person
came into her and said oh he said I see you're still in the
land of the living and she said no I'm still in the land of the
dying but I soon hope to be in the land of the living now that's
a confident hope a good hope isn't it isn't that a good hope
with which to walk through this life no I'm still in this is
the land of the dying where we live there's a funeral parlor
just a couple of hundred yards up the road not even that this
is the land of the dying But this old lady said, I'm still
in the land of the dying but I soon hope to be in the land
of the living. Romans 15 verse 3, now the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing. That's what you get, that's the
recompense of reward. The God of hope fills his people
with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through
the power of the Holy Ghost. It's hope not hope that is kind
of, oh I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow it's hope that's solid
knowledge, a solid expectation, it's hope built on a solid foundation
and what is the solid foundation? The completed work of Christ.
We know he's done it. How do we know we have this solid
hope? God raised him from the dead. He's ascended into heaven. He's the firstfruits. Everyone
that's in him is going that same way. People all around, through
fear of death, have no idea where they're going, but the child
of God has this recompense of reward, a hope. I'm going where
Christ has gone. I know he's gone. There's no
tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's gone. He's gone. He's seated
in glory, ruling all things. He is there, and because He's
there, I'm going to be there. Because He was raised from the
dead, I was raised in Him and I will be raised in my body to
be with Him where He is. This is a solid foundation, the
completed work of Christ. It will bring all of the elect
of God to glory. And in the face of death, and
the tyranny of death that's all around us, we ought, as Peter
says, listen, to be ready, always, to give an answer, to every man
that asks you, a reason for the hope that is in you. You've got
a hope, haven't you? You've got a hope. What's the
reason for it? Christ has died for me. Christ
has saved me. Christ was raised from the dead.
Christ ascended to glory. Christ is coming back just as
surely as God has ordered all things for the good of his elect.
He will come and get me and take me to be with him. That's the
reason for the hope that is in me. I have this hope. I know
that my Redeemer lives as Job said probably amongst the first
words written in the Bible I know that my Redeemer liveth and that
he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and the worms
destroy this body of mine in my flesh because I'm a sinner
the worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God that's
my hope that I'm going where there is no more pain what does
Revelation 21 say where you're going, you know, in heaven. No
more pain, no more crying, no more sorrow, no more tears, for
God shall wipe away every tear. Oh, is that not a recompense
of reward? Salvation, providential keeping,
heavenly riches now with brethren in this life and a good hope
of eternal glory. This is what Moses did, he esteemed
the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of reward. It's
not that worth saying, as for me, and for my house, we will
serve the Lord. God helping us, not in our own
strength, God helping us, we will serve the Lord. Amen.