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Bibleline Bibleline, they’re got to work on Bibleline everywhere, every time. Here got’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Did you realize all of your heartache and all of your problems? All of those are nothing more than opportunities for you to prove your faithfulness and love to the Lord because God wants to give you something for it. Well wouldn’t you be mad at God if He allowed you to live and gave you no opportunities to prove your love, your loyalty, your faithfulness? You’d be upset with God. So God has really blessed you. And if you haven’t had any problems this week, don’t worry.

you’ll get something this week. And the attitude that you have toward those things you cannot understand or explain is what God’s way of saying, look, buddy have I got something special for you this week? So God allows the things to happen in our life. And when you understand it, you can accept life a lot better. Look at the next statement. 1 Corinthians 3, 13, 2, 15 says, every man’s work shall be made manifest. For the day shall declare talking about the judgment seed of Christ, because it shall be revealed by fire.

Fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. In other words, come the eyes, the judgment, the burning fire of God’s discernment to determine whether or not your life that you lived is there any gold, silver precious stones there or haywood and stubble and it’s going to be according to the judgment of God. That means that your heavenly Father has to keep the books on everything that you have to go through. He said, nobody knows what I’m going through.

And God is keeping the books and he’s going to really bless you. And he’s the one that knows how you think and how you feel all of your emotions. And he says, if any man’s work abide, would you feel there upon? He shall receive a reward. And then he says, if any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. See once you’re saved from hell, you can never go there. I have trusted Christ as my Savior.

I can’t go to hell today. I can’t go tomorrow. I can’t go ever. Because I’m saved from it. Because of what Christ did for me. He paid for my sins. So I don’t have to go to hell and pay for them. Now God is saying, because you are His child, I’ll reward you when you get to heaven if you’ll do this for me. If you’ll live this way for me. So how much does the Lord mean to you, your quality of life is in direct ratio to the caliber of your thoughts.

You don’t think right, you won’t live right. So that’s why the Bible tells us to study his word that we can discern right from wrong and that we will present our bodies as a living sacrifice holy, acceptable in the God which is a reasonable service. And we will not be conformed to this were of a be it transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Look at the next one.

2 Corinthians 5, 10 says, for we must all appear before the judgments of Christ and here’s that phrase, everyone may receive the things done in his body. So you know that, you understand that. So that’s what helps you to accept things that happens in life that you don’t have to understand. There’s a lot of people no doubt that they try to understand. What happened to Tebow? Where’s God? God had a heart attack. I lost the throne. And Tebow was left alone.

That right. Alright, that’s down. God is still the same God before or after. Just like in life, you have to know how to handle success in life, and you have to know how to handle four years in life. What’s not important is whether or not did they win or did they lose? God will reward, say, Tim Tebow if he does what he does for his honor. And if he doesn’t give God honor and credit and glory, then God may take away something that he could have had.

But it’s not just him. It’s everybody. You’re on the same boat. Is every day of your life on a mountain peak, a mile high city? You know, when I lived in Colorado, it was the only place I knew where I could walk a mile high in the backslidden condition. That won’t move right along. Look in the next verse, Ephesians 2, 10 says, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto, this is what God wants from our life.

What? Good works. Do we do good works to be saved? No, because the verse is right before that says, for by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works. But after you trust Christ as Savior, Does God want us to live right? To have good work. Yes, but not to be saved. We are his workmanship. We are trophies of God’s grace. And God allows us to live in this life so that we could be pleasing to him.

And God wants to use us for his honor and glory. Titus chapter three verse eight. Got an interesting praise here that I really love. He says, this is a faithful saying and these things I will that our firm constantly. that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. So evidently they don’t have to, but it is good and profitable on the men. Why should I serve the Lord? Because it’s good. It’s profitable. It’s profitable for me.

It’s profitable for others. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone just served the Lord did right. What do they want of a world? Look at number three. Why should I care about rewards? Why? Because a day is coming in which you are going to see the Lord face to face. First John 2, 28 says, and now little children abide in him that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed because right now you say, well, it doesn’t bother me.

I don’t care if I get anything or I don’t. Well, when you stand before the Lord knowing what He has done for you and what He has allowed you to see and be part of for all eternity, I believe you’ll know then and you will be ashamed that you didn’t give him more. A shame that you weren’t more faithful. A shame. You see what? Because the Bible says that they will come. You and I will give an account. Look in Luke chapter 19 verse 24 here, it says, and he said unto them that stood by, take from him the pound and give it to him that have 10 pounds.

In other words, taking things that somebody else could have done and give it to someone else. I believe that sometimes in life there’s a lot of things that could have been done. I’ve often wondered what would have happened if all of God’s children, all were faithful, served the Lord with all their heart, what we could accomplish. We could reach the world, turn it upside down. But too many people are in love with the world or themselves, don’t love God enough.

But I’ve often wondered what could have been done. And sometimes people have to carry the burden of someone else trying to do what they’re supposed to do and and then carrying somebody. Let’s say for example that you got five men and they are all carrying this one great big old heavy log. And one man says, you know, this log is just too heavy. I can’t take it anymore. I I quit, so he quit. Did the log get lighter on the shoulders of the other four?

No. It’s just, they’re carrying a heavier load. Well, what if another one says, you know, This is just weighing me down. I can’t take anymore. I quit Now you’ve got three guys carrying that same heavy load. You see, that’s the responsibility that God has given to us. And even though each one of us have been given a responsibility, and you hear Paul talk about co-laborers. We’re carrying this burden together. We’re co-laborers together. But what happens when the together isn’t together?

And God’s people don’t help. Then there’s a shame. There might be some who could help in Sunday school and they won’t help carry that burden. Maybe some could help in a wana, but they won’t carry that burden. Some could help in ranch or you reformers, you’re unanimous, but they don’t want to carry that burden. Some could be coming better soul-winners, but they don’t want that burden. See, some people can help in the choir, but they don’t want the burden because it requires faithfulness and you have to get up earlier and go longer.

It’s just a burden. It is a burden. But it’s a burden that’s worthy of the child of God to be found faithful. And I think that it’s worth putting God first and doing what God wants to do with our lives. In Luke 8 verse 7 he said, Nothing is secret. Isn’t that not to scare you to death? Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest. Neither anything here that shall not be known and come abroad. Ooh. Now I believe that when we get to heaven, everybody will know what praise, honor, and glory you’re going to receive from the Lord.

And some are going to maybe get more praise, honor, and glory than you. You may get more than somebody else. But I don’t believe in heaven, there is going to be the envy of the jealousy, but there will be the hurt of the loss of what you could have had, and you threw it away. Otherwise God’s word wouldn’t be saying all of this. Hebrews chapter six verse 10, and it’s a tremendous verse. Chapter six of the book of Hebrews, where it talks about God is not unrighteous.

That’s a statement in itself that is tremendous. God is not unrighteous. That means that God is righteous and that God is perfect and that God makes no mistakes. You can’t find any fault with God. God made this world, He made you an eye and He put us in it. And everything He tells us to do is right and it is the best. key is can you believe God? God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love.

It would be a sin for God to forget what you did for him. So have you ever done anything for the Lord? Nobody appreciates you. It doesn’t bother you none because you know the one that matters is the Lord and he doesn’t forget. And in the time become, you’re going to win. So because of that, you can accept it and go ahead and you’re going to do right. Right? This is part two on heavenly rewards. You’ve heard about them.

It’s good to concentrate a little more on, what am I going to get if I dedicate my life to the Lord. Even the disciples asked that very question, Lord, we have forsaken all and followed you. What are we going to get for it? Believe it or not, we are rewarded, motivated people. God uses that desire for something more in order to challenge us for something greater. and believe it or not God wants to give you something. God wants to bless you.

Did you know that God wants you to be happier than your desire to be happy? Did you know that? Did you know that the desires for love and joy and peace come from God and God wants that for every one of us? of us. But sometimes we don’t always, you know, do what’s right. God cannot bless disobedience. And God wants more than anything else for us to learn to trust Him, even though you can’t see Him, to learn to take Him at His Word.

What I want to do tonight is to show you the link, the link between if you do this, you get this, there’s a link. I did that one day when we talked about salvation. If we believe we get this. If you drink, you get this. If you eat, you get this and there’s always a result of what you do. And you’ll find out in the scriptures that keeps talking about. Be it unto you according to your faith. And whenever you put your faith in Christ for salvation, you get eternal life.

So you get something according to your faith. After you trust Christ as your Savior, God wants your faith to grow so that you want more and more from the Lord. You want to get closer and closer. You want to walk with the Lord. And the Lord wants to be more real to you than anything else in this world. And that’s why in this world there is such despair and disappointment Because God wants to be more precious to you than anything else So God is in the process of teaching us to the process of time Through all the trials and tribulations So I want you to look there at your note Now these verses are given on a piece of paper right now Yes, but these are the same verses that’s in your Bible and And they’re given to you so that when you go home tonight or tomorrow or sometime during the week, you

underline these verses in your Bible. See, these are important verses. You don’t underline every verse in the Bible or no verse stands out. But certain words you ought to underline or certain phrases you ought to underline because they mean something to you. And not every verse means the same to everybody. but surely out of all these verses some of them are going to be precious to you. It’s something will hit you that doesn’t hit somebody else. Well that’s the way the Word of God does.

But if you look there at Matthew chapter 19 verse 21 top of the page on the left Jesus saith unto him, if thou will be perfect. Go and sell that thou have, give to the poor and thou shall have and here’s those words, treasure in heaven and then the link is come and follow me. See if you do this you will get this. A lot of times we want things but we don’t want to do what will get it for us.

You want to have money? It’s called get a job but it is important to see the link because I want you to know there are consequences to the decisions that we make. And when you don’t think that certain the Lord is that important, well, it’s going to affect your life. It affects the decisions that you make. So we have to see beyond this life in order to appreciate what goes on in this life. But look at the next verse.

In Matthew 19, 27, it says, then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, Because, you know, the Lord had told him in chapter 14 of the book of Luke, unless you forsake all and take up your cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. In other words, you cannot serve him totally fully if there’s something that’s holding you back. So the Lord doesn’t want there to be anything in your life that would hold you back from doing what He wants you to do.

What would keep you from being what God wants you to be? A lot of times, I talked to people and said, well, I’d like to do this, but I can’t. I like this, but I can’t. And what’s the reason most of the time it’s just plain fear, afraid to step out into the water because they think they’re going to sink. And with a lack of faith, you will. But Peter at least got out of a boat. He did walk on the water, but then he took and put his eyes upon the storm.

And so you can walk with the Lord until you start looking at the world and then it makes you afraid and You begin to shake a little bit and tremble upon the rock now the rock will never shake unto you But you might tremble on the rock But it says we have forsaken and you ought to underline the next word all and Follow the what shall we have there for what are we going to get? Well the next verse Jesus tells them what you’re going to get.

Look there in the next verse. He says, and Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, so we know when the regeneration is. It’s when Christ comes back, sets up his kingdom upon the earth, sits himself upon the throne, and he rules and reigns, and he made this promise. when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also, in your underlined those two words, shall sit.

Because, see, shall sit upon twelve thrones, that’s the link that goes up to following me. You have forsaken all, you have followed me, and this is what you’re going to get. So they get to sit upon the 12 thrones of this will judge into 12 tribes. Wow! Do you think they understood that when Jesus walked by one day and looked at those fishermen and says, follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men? I wonder if there’s anybody that he told that to and they said, now I’ve got things to do.

Too busy. Got too many things to do. I would mention to say there might be somebody like that. One of them, named Judas, had no clue what he forfeited. Jesus made the statement about that man. It would have been better if that man had never been born. Now there’s a lot of people who feel that way, been better if they’d never been born. But did the man have opportunities? God gave him open doors. So many opportunities. But he didn’t trust the Lord, and therefore he doesn’t even get to go to heaven.

He forfeited all of that He could have had this. You and I won’t know until we get there what we have forfeited, what we gave up. So don’t always judge what you’re doing by what somebody else is or is not doing. You just know that between you and the Lord, you want to give it all you got. You want to serve a little without your heart. And look what else He says here. It makes a statement in verse 28, the last part, judging.

You shall set upon them judging. You ought to underline that word judging. It’s because see they’re going to have good discernment because they could discern what Christ was saying and see the value of it and God is going to reward their discernment. So they get to set in judgment during the millennium. You reap what you sow. Look what else he says here. In the next verse, 1 Corinthians 2 verse 9, it says, but as it is written, I have not saying you’re half not heard.

Neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. Now I wrote down in John chapter 14 and verse 21 where he says, if you love me, if you love me, serve me. And then it makes a statement in chapter 14 and verse 23. The other one is in verse 21, but in verse 23, he says, and he that loveth me, my father will manifest himself to him. So if you really want to know the Lord, love him, serve him, and God will reveal himself more to you than someone who doesn’t love him.

So when he simply says, if any man served me, him will my father honor. But God wants you to serve him because you love him. And if you love him, he makes a statement here, that God has prepared for them that love him. And if you love him, you serve him. So those who serve him, they haven’t got a clue what God’s going to do for them and give to them. You cannot imagine. Look at the next point, the victor’s crown.

Number one, 1st Corinthians chapter nine, verse 25. Look there in verse 25 where it says, and every man that striveth for the mastery. Now the word strive, that’s the way in which you work. You’re striving for something. It’s not something that you just haphazardly do. It’s on purpose. It’s with intensity. It’s with ferberancy. But you’re striving towards something, giving it all that you have, striving, it says, for the master. In other words, to be the best, to do all you can for the Lord, why you can?”

And it links down to the word incorruptible, which stands for the incorruptible crown. You do this this way and look what I’m going to give to you. Look the whole verse and every man that strive, every man that strive for the mastery is tempered or self-controlled and all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible crown. There were crowns not added, but it is understood to be incentenced. So there is a link between the striving and the incorruptible crown.

See down here you make accomplished things and people give you awards and so forth, but they fade away. They’re not going to be worth much. Their value is only in the minds of the people who remember what you did. Well nobody remembers it. It has no value to it. You think about it, there’s no value. I got a ribbon where I got this roar. Look at my trophy. But if nobody knows even what it’s for, what value was it?

Or whenever it’s Come on. And I’ve seen them in garage sales, yard sales, all these trophies and things like that. I thought I’m going to go out and buy me a whole bunch of them. Put on their, you know, what I wanted it for. I mean, that’s how they got there. Somebody bought it and gave it to them. And that was in somebody’s judgment that he was deserving of it. I can’t help but nobody appreciates me like they should have.

I just came out. Look at the next verse. It says, and Revelation 4 and verse 4, and round about the throne were four and 20 seats. And upon the seats I saw four and 20 elders sitting, cloven white raiment, and they had on their heads, and you ought to underline this word, crowns. Crowns of gold. That means that they were earned. The Bible talks about five basic crowns, and you earn those because of what you do. martyrs, crown of soul winners, crown and so forth.

And these are various crowns that you can have. So these are things that you have to earn. They’re the result of what you’ve done for the Lord. You and I can’t see yet the value. Only thing we have is God’s Word that it will be worked. Remember I said Sunday night, it will be worked at all. So it will be. Look at the next verse. In verse 10 of chapter 4 of Revelation in verse 10 and 11 it says, the 4 and 20 elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that liveth forever and ever and cast and you ought to line these two words.

They’re crowns. See you have to have them before you can cast them. They are the result of your faithful serving to the Lord. Now always keep in mind, rewards are earned. Salvation is free. Getting to heaven is the gift of God. It’s not a reward. I’ve heard people say, well, he’s gone to his reward. Well, that all depends. If you trust Christ as your Savior, you get to go to heaven. That’s by grace and grace alone. And what is it that keeps a man from just doing whatever he wants to do in life without any restraint?

You see, knowing these truths is supposed to be the restraint that you need upon your life. That’s why you study doctrine, you study the Word of God. And when you know these things, it causes you to think about the results of your decision. Because a lot of times we get down and discourage and we think of just stopping and quitting and letting loose and letting go and just doing whatever I want to do and just maybe falling to any sin you want.

Well, what’s to keep a Christian from doing that? Because you know that it’s true. After you trust Christ as your Savior and you have eternal life, you can live any way you want and still go to heaven when you die. That’s just the truth. Don’t ever apologize for that. To soften that in any way is not to believe truly in grace. If it is by grace, then it is by grace. And not one word can enter into the picture.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area By dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771, that’s 1-800-576-3771. If you’re not listening to the Bible, please subscribe. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Live. Now we’ll close your thoughts from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air.

So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.