Luke 9:23-24 – Worth It All – Bible study

Luke 9:23-24 Worth It All This Bible verse lays out very clearly that God expects Christians to sacrifice in this life. There are many, many verses which make this statement. Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a mans foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 2Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That is but a small sampling; howeverand this is very important the Bible also promises that the rewards God will give will be worth the sacrifices we make. Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 2Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; Just two thoughts this morning. The first comes in the form of two questions. I. You cannot out give God. A. It is a strange thing how most are unsatisfied with most of their life, except their service to God. For some reason, most seem content with what they have done for Jesus. B. I place myself at the top of what must be a very long list of those who have given very little. 1. Oh, how I wish that were not so! 2.. What soul has gone to hell this week because I did not give more of myself to Jesus? 3. What shame have I reaped to myself for the little service I have given to Jesus? 4. If you have ever had regret or remorse for not giving more to Jesus while on this earth, what will it be like when we see things through eternal eyes? 5. My exhortation for us all is that we become true disciples. C. There are four categories in which we should seek to give our all to Jesus. 1. Our witness for Him – Far more important than what team we support, what drink we select, or what clothing line we wear is what God we serve. Take the time to tell people that you serve Jesus. 2. With our money 3. With our talents 4. With our time II. God rewards those who follow Him. I do not know all of the rewards God may give but the Bible does tell us of some. A. We will receive a house not made by hands. 2Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 1. The glorified body is a reward given to every believer. 2. The house being referred to here is actually a body not a building. a. The tabernacle being dissolved is this body. b. The one being made is our glorified body. c. And the "if" in that verse is really "when" for these bodies are going to dissolve. 3. The fact that it is not made by hands means that God will personally oversee our new bodies. a. Of course the bodies we have now are not exactly made by human hands, but they are made by the human touch. b. We call it in DNA. c. I dont understand that much about DNA, but I read an article that said each child gets 50% of his DNA from his mother and 50% from his father. (1) That makes sense. Most of us have 46 chromosomes. 23 from each parent. (2) Somehow that inherited material determines much much of who we are. (a) It is not as simple as that because your parents had their parents chromosomes and their parents had their parents and so forth. (b) We are actually a sampling of all of our ancestors so we are, in one way, made by the human touch. https://genetics.thetech.org/ask/ask445 4. That will not be the case with our glorified bodies. a. God is indicating that the human touch will not be the force which shapes our new bodies, but the divine touch. b. Perhaps much like the angels who seem to have been individually created by God, our new bodies will be uniquely built by God. c. Perhaps our new bodies will be built based on what we did for God on earth. (1) If so, what kind of eternal body would ours be? (a) Did we ever use our earthly body to serve Jesus? Is sitting in church the only thing we ever did for God? (b) Will the knees bend? Did they bend in prayer on earth? (c) Will it be capable of experiencing joy Did we ever rejoice in God in this life? (d) Will we be able to speak? Did we ever tell anyone about Jesus on earth? (2) I am not trying to frighten you, but if our eternity were shaped by the sacrifices we make on earthand we made no sacrificeswhat kind of eternity would we have? 5. Even so, the Bible makes it clear that every glorified body will be like Jesus in some ways. Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. a. Jesus could instantly move from earth to heaven. b. He could materialize in a room locked from the inside. d. He didnt need to eat, cant die, cant get sick or have any kind of accident. e. I take it that Jesus doesnt need rest and never gets tired. f. As far as we know, Jesus body doesnt age and it will never wear out. B. We will receive rewards for our service. 1. Not everyone is going to receive these rewards. They are based on what we do for Jesus in this life. a. The Bible calls the rewards we can receive crowns. (1) I do not know whether they are literal or not. (2) The word used for crowns in the New Testament does not refer to a golden crown like one a king might wear, but rather to the wreath or garland that would be laid upon the victors head for winning an athletic contest. (3) The Bible often refers to us as runners in a race. b. But whether the crown is figurative or literal, God will make whatever service we render to Jesus worth it. 2. What kind of rewards does God offer? a. We will be rewarded for living right. 2Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (1) The crown of righteousness goes to those who are living a righteous life, a life that is right with God. (2) Dont get the idea that living like God tells us to live on this earth is a waste. (3) Some have that notion. (a) Their favorite motto is "The end justified the means." (b) The problem is that as long as they are alive, they have not gotten to the end. (c) The end is when you stand before God. (d) For those who chose to ignore Gods laws, they are going to be cast into hell. (d) There their motto will change to be, "My means has justified by end." (4) For those who lived like God told them, they are going to be rewarded. b. We will be rewarded for winning others to Jesus. 1Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? (1) Paul asked what is the crown of rejoicing then he answers his own question. (a) You are, he told the Thessalonians. (b) Paul had won those people to the Lord. (2) Is there a reward beyond the people that will be there? (3) I do not know that there could be a reward greater then having your friends and family with you in heaven. c. We will be rewarded for living a disciplined life. 1Cor 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (1) More than any other title, Christians who followed Jesus are called DISCIPLES. (2) The word DISCIPLES comes from the same word as DISCIPLINE. (3) A disciple is one who disciplines himself to do what he should do, to pray when he should pray, to go to church when it is time, and so forth. (4) Bringing your body in line with Christ and keeping it there is not for nothing! d. We will be rewarded if we suffer for Jesus. Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. e. God will reward those who lead others well. 1Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1) Peter was talking to the elders in the church. (2) In Bible days, those who were more mature took on the roles of leadership. (a) Leadership means responsibility. (b) They are the ones who got things done. (3) My, there is a dearth in the churches today of people who will take on responsibility and get things done for Jesus. (4) It requires time. It requires thought. It requires doing right. It requires getting others to do right. It require sacrifice. (5) But God will make it worth your while! C. We shall receive a personal, intimate, physical and spiritual relationship with our God, our Savior, our Lord, our Master, and our Redeemer. Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Do you get it? Give yourself in sacrifice and receive rewards beyond your comprehension! You ask the question, "Is it worth it?" The Scripture says it is! It Will Be Worth It All by W. Oliver Cooper Refrain: It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, Lifes trials will seem so small when we see Christ; One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase, So bravely run the race till we see Christ. Verses: Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear, Were tempted to complain, to murmur and despair; But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away, All tears forever over in Gods eternal day. Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light, Were tossed and driven on , no human help in sight; But there is one in heavn who knows our deepest care, Let Jesus solve your problem – just go to Him in prayr. Lifes day will soon be oer, all storms forever past, Well cross the great divide, to glory, safe at last; Well share the joys of heavn – a harp, a home, a crown, The tempter will be banished, well lay our burden down.