The believer’s work and reward-1 | 1 Corinthians 3:10-17

April 4, 2013

INTRODUCTION

We are all in the process of building up something in life – we build our careers, build relationships, build up marriages, build children, build houses, build businesses etc. As we are involved in building things in life I want to ask you today – is your building strong? Will your building stand the test of time? Are you building something that will cease with this world or for eternity? Have you ever worked towards it?

Joke: Two funny brothers were building a big dog cage. Once the frame was ready both went into the frame; one started nailing the wood from one side and the other nailed from the other side. The one who was nailing from the left would reach into his nail pouch, pull out a nail, look at the nail and either threw the nail or nail it in. Looking at the wasted nails the other brother asked, “Why are you throwing those nails away?” The first explained, “If I pull a nail out of my pouch and it’s pointed toward me, I throw it away ’cause it’s defective. If it’s pointed toward the cage, then I nail it in!” The second brother got completely upset and yelled, “You fool! The nails pointed toward you aren’t defective! Give it to me, they’re for the other side of the cage!”

Paul is saying here, there is coming a time when all the works of all believers, will be subject to a test by fire to determine whether they are worthy of reward. One of the greatest motivating forces in the life of a believer is that is was coming back and that when He came it would be a time of reward.

Revelation 22:12

Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.

Romans 14:12

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

1 Corinthians 3:13

…their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. Jesus is coming and we will have to give an account of our work to him. Now this is talking about a judgment on believers’ works.

1. Judgements in the Bible

Judgement of sin. The Scripture talks about the wages of sin as death. When did that occur? At the cross Jesus died and was judged for our sins. There’s no more judgment there for sin.
Judgment of self. 1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. If we take care of our own lives, God wouldn’t have to discipline us, self-judgment.
The judgment of Israel. Ezekiel 20. God is going to judge Israel through the nations during the Great Tribulation.
Judgment of the nations. Matthew 25.
Judgment of Satan and demons. Jude 6:6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
Judgment of the unsaved. Revelation 20, the Great White Throne Judgment.
The judgment of the believers’ works. There’s coming a day when we will be judged on the basis of what we have done.

Who is the judge? Jesus Christ.

John 5:22

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son. That’s why it’s called the judgment seat of Christ.

The purpose of Judgement: Believer’s work will be tested. Romans 14:12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

1 Corinthians 4^:5

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Don’t run ahead of God and try to evaluate everything. You don’t know whether a man’s ministry is all it ought to be or not. Only God knows that. You say, but it looks good on the outside. God is more concerned with motive than He is with actual deed.

Now watch, when Jesus comes: You see every believer will have praise. There won’t be anybody condemned. There won’t be anybody shipped back to hell from heaven. There will be no one who will have to be punished. Christ bore all punishment. There will only be praise, but there will be varying degrees of praise depending upon the work of your life.

When it says in

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

It’s the word bema in the Greek. It refers not to a tribunal or a court. It refers to the Olympic stadium which was outside Corinth. The athletes went up the bema and were rewarded for the victories. Every believer will be at the bema, which means everybody’s going to get reward, a prize. Everybody will have praise, some more than others. Some will be more highly honored than others because some will have lasting and eternal work. Others will have worthless effort, but all will be saved. That’s this judgment.

Let’s look at the judgment as it appears here. When you get to the judgment seat there are going to be a lot of people surprised at what’s left after the test. Some people are going to think they really made a great contribution and not going to have anything left. And some dear saints out of nowhere that nobody knew are going to have the greatest rewards of all. Only God knows that.

2. You’re building in three areas. God’s evaluation principle. Criteria for God’s evaluation of our works.

a. Motive

1 Corinthians 4:5

b. Conduct

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. The things we’ve done and physically that the way we live our life, the day to day conduct of our lives is will be brought out in the judgement seat of God.

c. Service

Our service, our ministry, the use of our spiritual gifts will be evaluated by God. The ministry that you do will be evaluated. Your involvement in the church, using your spiritual gifts.

So God is going to judge your motives, your conduct, and your service. Now, Paul uses the analogy of a building here. In fact every day you’re building a building with your motives, your conduct, and service. Our work is considered as a building in the Bible. So, Paul here shows that all believers are constructing a building.

3. Foundation is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

What is foundational to Christianity? Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity. We can only build on a true doctrine of Christ. In a sense, the foundation is the whole of the word of God. The OT is the revelation or shadow and prophesy of Christ. The gospels are written to give us the history of the life of Christ. The Epistles were written to give us commentary on that life and to draw principles from that life. The book of Revelation is written to tell us that Christ is yet alive and reigning and will return. The whole New Testament is Christ. Christ is life on earth in the gospel. Christ active in the church, the book of Acts. Christ’s work commented on and explained, the Epistles. Christ coming again, the Revelation. It’s all Christ.

You cannot build on any other foundation than that. Christianity doesn’t need a new foundation. Some people are trying to build on top of a foundation of good works. Some people are trying to build their lives on morality and ethics. The only foundation is Jesus Christ. If that foundation goes, everything falls.

In Acts Chapter 4, Peter and John went into the temple and a man was there begging. Peter says, “Silver and gold have I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” The man jumped up and leaped and went to the temple courts praising the Lord. They brought Peter before the council. Peter spoke boldly:

Acts 4:10-12

¹⁰It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’¹²Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the cornerstone, the only foundation on which a life can be built, on which a faith can built, on which a nation can be built, a home, anything.

1 Peter 2:6

⁶For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. ⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Matthew 16:13-17

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Jesus the foundation. Altar Call.

Be a wise builder

1 Corinthians 3:10

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.

Now here Paul introduces us to himself as the master builder. Paul was a foundation man. He went around and started the churches, he gave us the epistles. However, he only built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:20

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.

In Corinth when he came there, these folks to whom he’s writing, he stayed 18 months. Ephesus he stayed for three years. Thessalonica he stayed less than a month. Everywhere he went he laid the foundation. That was his job. Now he’s not boasting and saying, “I’m the guy that matters because I laid the foundation.”

1 Corinthians 3:10

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder… I did it only because God was gracious enough to commit that ministry to me. I don’t claim anything.

Now, notice the term-wise master builder. Wise means skilful. When he came in to lay a foundation, he knew exactly how to do it. He had the right approach. He knew how to labor to get it done. He had a definite pattern, a definite plan. You could study the book of Acts, and find exactly how he went about it. He went into a town. He approached the synagogue, tried to win the Jews to Christ, got a few Jewish converts, then he began to move into the Gentile community and win them to Christ. He would then teach them, hand over the church to someone and move. This was his plan, this was his approach. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was a master strategist. He was wise. When he built a building, his building was solid. His foundation was solid. The footings were deep and abiding.

Now the word master builder means somebody who draws the plan and builds the building. He is a combination architect and general contractor, not just a planner. Paul was not just a planner. He was active in the building.

It was a teamwork. Now he says I laid the foundation and another builds on it. In the case of Corinth, the next person in was Apollos and Apollos built on what Paul had begun and Apollos was followed by others and all the believers really were a part of it, because he says at the end of

1 Corinthians 3:10b

But each one should build with care.

Some people would like to restrict this passage only to pastors or evangelists or teachers. Well, in a primary sense, the passage is referring to those people who preach and teach Christ. But certainly, when you come to the last of

1 Corinthians 3:10b

But each one should build with care. We all have a part in the building.

1 Corinthians 3:13

..their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. This include every believer. Though all of us are not at the same degree building on that apostolic foundation, we are all building on it because every one of us has a ministry and we are to be careful how we build.

5. Building Material.

Now once the foundation is laid, on top of that foundation comes the building materials. How are we going to build on the foundation of Christ? Now just get in your mind that you’ve got a foundation out there and you’re going to build your life.

There are many different materials to use. We can use gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble. There are a variety of materials.

Now, we are all building spiritual buildings. Our resources to build are limitless.

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

If you were going to build a lasting building, you would build a great structure and overlay it with gold and silver. That would be a good building. But you know what some Christians do, they build it out of wood and then hay.

So believers are with the same resources and the same spirit and the same power, but some build with wood, hay and stubble but some build with granite, gold, silver and previous stones. Some make a mud hut on a good and solid foundation. So we can build using different kinds of materials.

You say well, spiritually speaking what does it mean? Well, gold would be the very finest service a Christian could render. The most dedicated, the most self-sacrificing, the most total commitment you ever did in your life. You might have this whole mud hut with one little gold splotch on it, because one time you really did a job. I would assume that gold would be the supreme sacrifice in terms of attitude and deed. Silver would be next to that. And only God can evaluate these. And then precious stones would be next to that. Now wood, hay, and stubble aren’t evil. Wood’s not evil. Wood makes nice things. Hay isn’t evil, it’s need for bricks and so forth. And stubble, you make a roof or a bird nest, it has a purpose. It’s not evil, but it’s worthless. It’s not fitting.

You know, there are some people who go through their life busy, busy, busy building with wood, hay, and stubble. Now if you came here and you ministered or if you took what you learned here and passed it on to somebody else, maybe it’s gold, maybe it’s silver.

I think it was a question of priorities, right? Have you ever seen how busy people can get that they forget their worship or their praise to God or their Bible reading and they’re busy. And they’re going to have a whole lot of hay up there. Well, you can choose your materials, that’s up to you.

6. The types of builders.

Paul takes a specific look at the workmen and how they build and they’re rewarded. The types of builders or workmen:

1 Corinthians 3:14-17

¹⁴If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. ¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

a. The constructive workers.

1 Corinthians 3:14

If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. They built well. They had sound doctrine in their lives and they taught sound doctrine and they built a solid building. They had right motives, proper conduct, effective service. They went pass that test. When the fire was over man they were still there. All those things they had done. God says, I’m going to reward what’s abiding.

There are a second group of workers. The first were the constructive ones.

b. The worthless workers.

1 Corinthians 3:15

If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. The fire will test and there might be a great conflagration in some people’s case, but he’ll still be what? Saved. He’ll suffer loss, but not the loss of salvation. The loss of what? Well, all that building’s going to come down. All that building is going to burn up that was wood, hay and stubble. He’ll lose all of that.

You say, oh you mean all my life I was doing that thing and it was all stubble? Sorry about that. Make sure you’re doing the best thing, right? Not the good thing, the best thing. Make sure you’re using yourself in the best way.

I am in a position where I could do a lot of good things. And I know how to do things, certain things that I can do and do them reasonably well. But I know that the best thing that I can do and the thing which God has most singularly gifted me to do is to teach and preach the word of God. So even though there are other good things I could do, if I were to lose myself in them, I would cease to be able to do this which is the best thing and I’d be piling up stubble instead of gold and silver.

If you are a worthless worker, you’ll suffer loss. You say what do you mean loss, John? What are you going to lose?

2 John 8

Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

Find out your spiritual gift and use it. Hold fast. Jesus said to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

Colossians 2:18

Let no man beguile you of your reward….

Paul feared that he would preach and be a castaway, didn’t he, forfeit his own reward. You can lose your reward if what you’ve done is worthless.

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

You’re going to be judged on what is good and what is worthless, not what is evil. And what is worthless is burned up and there’s no reward.

Now there’s a third group of people that he talks about here. And they don’t build at all, they destroy. And this, I believe, has reference to unbelievers.

c. The destructive workers.

The nonbelievers. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 6:19

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You know that you are as an individual are the temple of God? But did you know the church totally is God’s temple?

1 Corinthians 3:17

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

And do you know the church is sacred? What happened to somebody in the Old Testament who went into the holy of holies? They paid what? Their life. They died Do you think God is less jealous of His spiritual house than He was of His earthly one? No. God is more jealous of the purity of His church. Even Paul said I want to present the church as a chased bride, a chased virgin to Christ. God wants a pure church. God doesn’t look kindly anybody who comes against His church to defile it or destroy it.

But there are some in this world trying to destroy the work that God’s people are doing.

1 Corinthians 3:17

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

The quality test. Now let’s go to the test. Once the building’s up, there’s going to be inspection. That’s true with any building you build there’s going to be an inspection.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13

¹²If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

There’s coming a day when everybody’s work is going to be tested. It’s just like we’re all going to take our buildings up to heaven and God’s going to light them and see what’s left; wood, hay, stubble, whish, burns. Granite, marble and gold and silver do not burn. They’re not consumed. Every man’s work is going to be tested. Why? So God can determine what’s left and on what’s left, He’s going to do what? Reward you.

Every man shall have praise.

1 Corinthians 4^:5

You may only have a little piece of precious stone and a little hunk of gold left in your little pile when the fire’s done and God will say here’s your reward. You were faithful in that little. Everyone shall have praise.

When are you going to get your prize? The day when Christ returns.

Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. It’s going to be given when He comes. And it is not a penalty. It is a reward.

7. Rewards

You say what are the rewards going to be? Crowns.

a. An incorruptible crown

This is for those who are faithful to Scripture, obedient, and self-sacrificing.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

b. The crown of righteousness

For those who are faithful till Jesus comes.

2 Timothy 4:8

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

c. The crown of rejoicing

This is for those who win souls.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

¹⁹For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory (KJV crown of rejoicing) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

d. The crown of glory.

For faithful pastors.

1 Peter 5:4

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

e. The crown of life.

Those who love Jesus sacrificially.

James 1:12

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

CONCLUSION

Beloved, there’s coming a day of rewards. It’s going to be as soon as Jesus gets here, so there won’t be any time for checking things out after we’ve gone. It’ll happen fast. What’ll happen when you face that time? What is your life going to be? What will it amount to? I trust you’ll have some crowns. You say, yeah, but I can’t imagine just having a bunch of crowns. What am I going to do with them? Are we going to have a crown shelf in heaven and anybody who comes over to our place, we say check my crowns, how many have you got?

Revelation 4:10-11

¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

The church is casting its crowns at the feet of Christ. One of the reasons that we want to have a crown is to show the Lord we love Him and show Him faithful service, but another reason is that we may cast them at His feet in praise and adoration.

The believer’s work and reward-1 | 1 Corinthians 3:10-17