“What We Do, Matters”

Faith – Works – Results

Eph 2:8-10; 1Co 3:10-15

Part 3 of 3

Ephesians 2:8-10 ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

·         GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

·         Real Faith is NOT just something you SAY, FEEL, THINK or BELIEVE … Real Faith is something you DO

·         This morning let’s look at “What we do, Matters” – individually & corporately what we do, MATTERS.

AS A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST – we’re called to do Good Works!

I.  God’s Will (Perfect, dead center will of God – not His permissive will)

      Good Works… (we are God’s workmanship… saved to do good works)

·         GLORIFIES God Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

·         Evident to Others 1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

·         Requires DILIGENCE 1 Corinthians 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.  (Diligence – attentiveness, carefulness, thoroughness, etc)

·         Builds Treasures 1 Timothy 6:18-19 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

After a preacher died and went to heaven, he noticed that a New York cabdriver had been given a higher place than he had, a gorgeous mansion high up in the mountains. “I don’t understand,” he complained to St. Peter. “I devoted my entire life to my congregation… This cab driver got a beautiful mansion on the mountain top and I just got a little cottage down in the valley” “Our policy is to reward results,” explained St. Peter. “You see, every time you preached the congregation fell asleep BUT every time people rode in this man’s taxi cab they prayed.”

II.  My Choice

      Personal Investment of…

Ø  My TIME  Ephesians 5:15-17 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Ø  My TALENT  Romans 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Ø  My TREASURE  Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Are you using your time, talents & treasures for the Lord or yourself?  Oh, God sink these truths into our hearts!

“What We Do, Matters” – we only go through life once – we MUST get it right!

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Romans 14:10b-12  “…For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" ¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

	Some look at the Bema seat as a place of heavy sorrow, a place of terror to the believer for their sin… OR a place of great rewards with little or no shame… neither is correct Biblically…
	The Bema, the judgment seat of Christ is a serious examination of the believer’s faithfulness while alive on earth and the giving of an account for ALL their works since they were saved / born again.
	Everything done in the flesh is worthless & burned up, yet their eternal soul is saved…
	Everything done in the power of the Holy Spirit rewarded throughout eternity.

	Unfruitful Works – wood, hay, stubble (Unforgiveness, moodiness, laziness, self-centeredness, etc)
	Fruitful Works – gold, silver, gems (Prayer, witnessing, serving, giving, God-centeredness, etc)

This word was taken from Grecian games where the contestants would compete for the prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (2Tim 2:5). The victor of a given event who participated according to the rules was led by the judge to the platform called the Bema. There the laurel wreath was placed on his head as a symbol of victory (1Co 9:24-25).

In all of these passages, “Paul was picturing the believer as a competitor in a spiritual contest. As the victorious Grecian athlete appeared before the Bema to receive his perishable award, so the Christian will appear before Christ’s Bema to receive his imperishable award. The judge at the Bema bestowed rewards to the victors. He did not whip the losers.”

	The Bema is a reward seat and portrays a time of rewards or loss of rewards following examination…
	It is not a time of punishment where believers are judged for their sins… fire tests the quality

“Suffer loss” – better rendered “it (the reward) shall be forfeited” – a person will be disqualified from the rewards but not salvation…

The judgment seat of Christ is not a place and time when the Lord will mete out punishment for sins committed by the child of God. Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or rewards will be lost depending on how we lived our life for the Lord.

The believer whose works survive the fire will be rewarded greatly, so greatly that it explodes the human mind… being in the very presence of the Lord while ruling & reigning with Jesus Christ!

	Are you making a difference for Christ?  Are you inviting people to cook-off and Friend Day?
	If the Lord returned today, would you stand confident or ashamed?

	This morning, will you leave this place and forget what we’ve learned or leave and be changed person?
	I beg you to yield to Christ… allow Him to work through you to do good works with out of this world results
	Right now name and confess your sins before the Lord claiming 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
	Would you say to God this morning… “use me”… rejoice throughout eternity!