Repentance and the Judgement Bema Seat of Christ — 2 Peter 3

0:00 Christmas time, celebrating the first coming of Jesus Christ. The last song we sang was written talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ, joy to the world. If you look at the words, no more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found far as the curse is found. Last verse, he rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and the wonders of his love.

0:32 He's coming again. We celebrate the Lord Jesus at his first coming this morning in the first service, the breaking of bread and remembering his great, great sacrifice. One of the songs we sang, it was talking about the king has come, the Christmas song. There's this little baby lying in a manger, the king. Well, he is the king.

0:54 He was the king then. He's always been the king in a sense, but his kingdom hasn't come yet. His kingdom will come. And if Drew, if you could go to the next whatever you call it, slide. This is a timeline we talked about before, and let's see if we can do this.

1:18 There's no red button. Maybe laser. That'll work. Okay. His first coming, Jesus Christ, comes two thousand years back, and not just his cross, but the whole life of Christ.

1:32 And then he ascends. He goes back to heaven and he's up there now preparing a place for us. One of the things he's doing waiting for the father to say, go catch your bride and after fifty days, after the lord, then, Pentecost came, the holy spirit is there, is here, and now we're in the church age now, today, waiting for number four. I'm sorry. We are at number four today.

1:55 Waiting for number five, the rapture of the church, the catching up of Jesus' bride. The dead in Christ rise first and we which are alive and remain be caught up together with the lord and forever will be with the lord, it says, but for seven years will be with the lord while seven years on earth there's a great tribulation. That's Revelation chapter four through 18. He comes back in chapter 19, his actual his actual second coming is right here. So we're singing Christmas songs about his first coming.

2:27 The last song, Joy to the Earth, is when Jesus Christ comes to set up his kingdom for this thousand years here on the earth. Then, second Peter chapter three happens, when Jesus Christ, finally, there's the judgment seat of Christ here and and the the lost sinners are finally thrown into the eternal lake of fire, and also our enemy, the devil, is thrown into the lake of fire forever and ever. Hallelujah. Then Jesus Christ makes a new heaven and a new earth. A new earth.

2:57 We're not just gonna be floating around. It's gonna be a brand new earth, and we're gonna live on it forever and ever with the Lord. We'll be forever in righteousness, peace and joys, joy... Peace and joy. It'll be the new heavens and the new earth.

3:10 We'll be there forever. And this is where we're headed. Where are we today? Number four. And even in between on the screen there, we're running out of battery power, but number four, we're just waiting for the rapture.

3:26 We are that close. It could happen before Christmas. It could happen today. I'm sure us who study the word and our students of the word, we would agree that there's nothing else that has to happen before the Lord to come back. Open your Bibles to second Peter chapter three for a moment.

3:52 I'll be starting in verse three. Know this first of all, that in the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts. Second Peter chapter three verse four now. And saying, what are they saying? Where is the promise of his coming?

4:10 For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God, the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. Snow and the flood, of course. Verse seven. But the present heavens and earth, by God's word, are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

4:39 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. The Lord's not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be? Living in holy conduct, set apart conduct.

5:20 That word holy just means to be set apart. Set apart from the world, which is now ruled by Satan, set apart to and for God. In holy conduct and godliness, godlikeness. Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. On account of which, the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat.

5:44 But according to God's promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. And the verb tense there is to dwell permanently, which righteousness finally, once and for all, we get back to normal. And that is normal. God's always been righteous. His eternal kingdom before he created the universe was righteous.

6:07 No sin. Always right. For a short period of history, he's allowed sin to come into the world for his purposes. But one day, we'll be back to normal. Praise the lord.

6:32 Complete peace with him. And of course, with one another, but peace with him. Be diligent to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless. Let's pray. Father, we just thank you for what Christmas means.

6:48 It means that Jesus Christ came and paid the price. Lord, live the perfect life to show us how awesome you are, to show us your great, great love in his life and especially his death. Lord, what a god you are to give your only son so that we could be saved to live in your eternal kingdom. Lord, that's what it's all about. You, your son getting all the glory.

7:13 And one day the son giving the kingdom right back to you, the father, where you'll be all in all. Once again, with the only begotten being the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Wow. What a day that's gonna be, Lord. Our elder brother, as it were, being our God and our savior and our Lord.

7:31 And he's not ashamed to call us his brothers. Lord, we just bask in this wonderful truth. And yet today, we're down here, Lord. We're down here on earth waiting for that day, looking forward to that day. And, Lord, we ask you to help us to be prepared for that day.

7:46 Teach us from your word. Speak to us. Lord, we can't... As one brother prayed with with me before the service, Lord, without your holy spirit, just gonna be words today. Oh, God, we cry out as we've been crying out.

7:58 Holy spirit of God, come and speak to our hearts today, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen. How many of you like to be told that you're wrong? How many of you like to be corrected?

8:16 The word reprove means to orally charge with a fault. So in the Bible you'll see the word reprove, correct. Rebuke is the strongest term for that. To sharply reprove, to orally charge with a fault. Hey Christian, you are doing this wrong.

8:37 That's a reproof. Let's look at what the Bible has to say about being corrected. Proverbs is where we're gonna be. 12, chapter 12 verse one. Proverbs 12 verse one.

8:49 Proverbs have tons to say about being corrected. Look at verse one. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof... Stupid. How many like to be corrected?

9:10 Let me ask you the question again. Did you ever see that verse before? If you don't like correction, reproof. You hate it. You're stupid.

9:24 Look at verse 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. I don't need correction. But a wise man is he who listens to counsel. Chapter 13 verse 14.

9:42 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life. So when we get corrected by the wise, which of course is God, it's a fountain of life, it's for our good. To turn aside from the snares of death. Sometimes we need to be corrected because the way we're going is toward death. And if we don't respond, sometimes the punishment is death.

10:02 Chapter 15. Trying to do this in kind of order here. 15 verse five. A fool rejects his father's discipline, but he who regards reproof is prudent, wise, cautious. Verse 10, same chapter.

10:20 Stern discipline is for him who forsakes the way, but he who hates reproof will die. Correction is good for us. We need to be reproved and corrected. Verse 12, a scoffer does not love one who reproves him. I don't wanna be called a scoffer.

10:41 If the reproof is correct. If the correction is correct, right? If it's biblical. Verse thirty one and thirty two, same chapter. He whose ears ear listens to the life giving reproof, life giving reproof, will dwell among the wise.

10:57 He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. Chapter 19. Proverbs chapter 19 verse 20. Listen to counsel and accept discipline. Why?

11:19 That you may be wise the rest of your days. Correction is good for us. Counsel is good for us. Reproof is good for us. Verse 25.

11:28 Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, but reprove one orally charged with a fault, that's what reprove means. Reprove one who has understanding, he will gain knowledge. So if you're willing to accept the reproof, the correction, you're gonna even gain more understanding and knowledge. Chapter 26, Proverbs. Verse 12.

12:00 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? I don't need any correction. I know what I'm doing. I'm right. This is good.

12:10 More hope for a fool than for him. Wow. Not good. Chapter 27 verse five, better is open rebuke. Now that's a strong word there.

12:21 When you need a sharp reprove. Christian, you're doing wrong. Don't do that, do this. Open rebuke is better than love concealed. So it's about love.

12:34 God says he disciplines those whom he loves. Revelation three says that, right? To the church at Laodicea, the lukewarm church. I reprove those whom I love. So it's a loving thing.

12:47 Chapter 28 verse 26. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered. So we see the scriptures are real clear. We need correction. It's good for us.

13:05 We should long for it from God. I'm talking about correct correction, not when somebody just has their opinion and doesn't like what you're doing. But we should long for correction from God, from his word. Why? Because it's a good thing for us.

13:19 We get wise, we get wisdom. Has anybody here arrived? No, we don't know. Since the fall of Adam, in the beginning God created, it was very good, was awesome. Perfect earth.

13:36 God's kingdom, perfect. But then boom, sin. Now who's kingdom? Satan's kingdom begins. Angels and man's sin, darkness, death, destruction.

13:48 From this point until this point. Sin, Satan's kingdom. Then comes, for a thousand years Christ sets up his kingdom here on earth, but Satan is is is in the abyss wherever that is, it's not the lake of fire for those thousand years. He's released for a short time, and then he's finally thrown into the lake of fire forever, and for eternity, new heaven and new earth. We should want correction.

14:15 I mean, you that have kids, right? Don't correct me, don't tell me what to do, they need it. They don't know what they're doing, that's us. We need to be corrected by the word of God. One of the main purposes of the Bible, if you go to Second Timothy chapter three.

14:50 Three sixteen. Go to three sixteen in second Timothy. Study to show yourself approved, rightly dividing because sin is in the... Since sin has been in the world, everything in us is screwed up. It's skewed, it's wrong.

15:07 And so God brings us salvation, so now we have his spirit living in us. He justifies us, he sees us as righteous and perfect, but we're not righteous and perfect in our lifestyle yet. So he leaves us on earth to make us into the image of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we need correction, we should long for correction, truly. We should be praying, God correct me where I'm not going right.

15:34 Because I want to be pleasing to you, and I want to be blessed. Right? And that's the only way we get it. Second Timothy three sixteen, all scriptures inspired, God breathed by God. Look at what it says, is profitable for teaching, for reproof, reproof, that's that audible, that oral charging of with a fault, you're doing it wrong, reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

16:04 That first, two out of the four at least, is about the wrong way you're doing it. And then teaching and instructing to go the right way. Why? Verse 17, that the man of God might be adequately equipped for every good work. Keep reading.

16:19 There's no chapter break here, but these are Paul's last words. He's lived his Christian life. He's got Timothy, his disciple. He knows he's going to heaven. He's trying to prepare Timothy for when he's gone to carry on.

16:32 I don't think Paul thought it would be two thousand years that we'd still be here. I solemnly charge you. I charge you, I command you. I'm your apostle, I'm your father in the faith, Timothy. I charge you in the presence of God and of the presence of Christ Jesus.

16:50 He's gonna come and judge the living and the dead. I'm charging you because of this, and because of his appearing, and because of his kingdom. I charge you, proclaim the word. That's what preach means. Proclaim the bible, the word.

17:07 Be ready in season and out of season. What should you do with the word? Reprove, rebuke, and exhort. Three things to do with the word. With, do it with, modify, what is those, adverbial participle modifiers modifying the how to reprove, rebuke, and exhort.

17:31 With patience and great instruction. So God wants the men of God who teach the word of God, and the women when they teach the word of God to women and to children, we need to be looking first for ourselves. Where's the correction I need? Where's the correction I need? That's what it's for.

17:50 Two out of the three, look at what it says, reprove and rebuke. And exhort then is to cause movement. That's what exhort means, to cause movement. Then to exhort you to don't go the wrong way, go the right way. With great patience and great instruction.

18:08 What should we do when God reproves us? God, of course, not just somebody saying, well, don't like this and this and this about you. But if it's in the word, what should we do when he reproves us, when he corrects us? Psalm 32, you go to Psalm 32. David says, how blessed is he or she whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

18:42 When God corrects us, first thing we should do is remember the cross. Remember that we are forgiven. If you're born again, if you've repented of your sin, put your faith in Christ, you're forgiven. There's no condemnation to us in Christ. Amen?

18:58 We are forgiven. Blessed, our sin is covered. How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, in whom... And in whose spirit there's no deceit. Look at verse three.

19:10 When I kept silent about my sin, God corrected me, showed me my sin. I didn't say anything. I was silent. My body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me.

19:24 My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. I was down. I mean, the Bible teaches sometimes, not always, sometimes sickness is a sign that God is chastening you. When you're silent about your sin, look at verse five. But, you could put the word but in there, but I acknowledged my sin to thee, and my iniquity I did not hide.

19:46 I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. You did forgive the guilt of my sin. Hallelujah. So what should we do? We should confess our sin to God.

19:56 Confess. Keyword here. This is where we're headed today. What should we do when God corrects us? We should confess our sin to God.

20:04 Confess does not mean to say, Lord, please forgive me. It might include that. But actually, if you want to get theologically 100% correct, we're already forgiven. Right? Of how many of our sins?

20:25 I know many groups teach that, oh, ask forgiveness for every one of your sins, you die suddenly, whoops, you don't make it. Not me. I'm not a member of that group. Bible says I'm forgiven. Some others would teach the verse that confession means to, yeah, well there's sin you confess, God forgives all your sins in one sense, but then fellowship wise.

20:47 It's like in a family. You love your kids, they do wrong, you don't hate them and kick them out of the family, but you do have to turn your face away from them. You can't approve of them, right? So it hinders the fellowship. So we confess.

20:59 What does confess, what does it mean? It does not necessarily mean please forgive me. It does mean to agree with. It literally means to say the same as. You might want to write that down.

21:11 To say the same as. That's what the Greek translates. To say the same as. What does that mean? It means to say the same about your sin that God does.

21:20 He said it's wrong. I say it's wrong. I was on the side against God in this team with Satan, really. Oh, it's not wrong to eat that fruit. Adam and Eve, right?

21:31 It's not wrong to eat that fruit. I'm okay. But to agree with God, to confess means to get off that side and agree with God that I'm wrong, this is not righteous, It deserves the lake of fire. We need to see the severity of one little sin. Selfish thought, lustful thought, greedy thought, etcetera, etcetera.

21:52 But then we agree with God that that's how bad it is. But then we agree with God again, what? The cross. That's what confession is. That's what it means to confess your sins.

22:01 That's that's what we just read. When I confessed, when I acknowledge my sin, I realized that I'm forgiven. The blood sacrifice, which was only in shadow type back then, but David knew something of the Messiah coming to shed his blood. And so confession means to agree with God. Proverbs 28 verse 13.

22:21 Is confession enough? Yes and no. It depends on your definition of confession. Proverbs 28 verse 13 says, whoever covers his sin will not prosper. That's what David was doing back in '32.

22:37 He was covering it. He was not acknowledging it. 2eight 13, very important verse, but whoever confesses and forsakes it will find what? Mercy, compassion. So there's confession and forsaking.

22:54 Some would include the forsaking in it, and ultimately we're going to see that that is what confession means. If you're going to fully agree with God, listen, to confess your sins means that you now, let's walk through it. I did wrong, God you said it's wrong, I did it, it's wrong. I did it. Man on the cross next to Jesus, we are getting what we deserve.

23:16 Right? He changed his mind. There was this confession, we're getting what we deserve. And then he turns to Jesus Christ, and he says, Lord, remember me in your kingdom. So he's leaving his sin, and he's turning to the king.

23:30 And this is what it means to leave your sin. Confession includes, I'm wrong, I did it, it deserves hell. Jesus, you died on the cross, and finally, the last part to agree with God is what? Does he want you to just stay there and then go on sin again? No, he wants you through his power to stop it, to forsake it.

23:47 Forsake literally means to leave it, to abandon it. If you're going to abandon or forsake something, you're going to abandon it. You're going to leave it. You're going to say goodbye to it. Whoever confesses, agrees with God, and forsakes it, finds compassion.

24:13 Right? The word repentance, I want you to write this down. Forsaking, repentance, very similar terms. Repentance is a sincere heart sorrow for sin. A sincere heart sorrow for sin.

24:32 The Bible would call that godly sorrow. But it doesn't stop there. It's not just, oh, I'm so sorry I sinned. I'm so so sorry. A sincere heart sorrow for sin that leads me to turn from my sin.

24:48 It leads me to turn from my sin and to turn to God. To do his will. That is repentance. That's when a person gets saved, salvation repentance, but a Christian continues to repent on a daily basis. We're constantly being shown that we're doing things wrong, so we need to come to God with a godly sorrow, a sincere sorrow for our sin.

25:14 Are you sorry when you're doing things wrong? Not just sorry for what it causes you. Pain, suffering, whatever, you know, bad marriage, family problems, money problems, whatever the sin might be, just anxiety, depression. But are you sorry that it's against God, that you sinned against God? A sincere heart sorrow for sin that leads me to turn, forsake, leave my sin, and turn to God to do his will.

25:41 I wanna do your will. Listen, when we finally get to glory at the rapture, from that moment on, we do his will for eternity, every thought, every second, for all eternity. Now we wrestle during the church age, because we still got our sinful body, we still got our sinful nature. But one day, what is the kingdom all about? What does Jesus do?

26:04 We're all gonna be conformed to his image, right? To do the father's will all the time, immediately, And it'll be the absolute most perfect bliss and joy we've ever experienced in our life. Isn't it when you're the happiest? When the Holy Spirit is filling you because you're obedient, you're walking in the power of the Spirit, and you're being led by the spirit to do the father's will. It's all about us becoming an obedient child to the Lord.

26:31 And finally, first John chapter one. Finally, in this point. Not finally in the whole time together. First John chapter one verse five. What should we do when God reproves us, corrects us?

26:49 Verse five, and this is the message we have heard from him and announced to you from Jesus Christ. John says, we heard this from Jesus. So this is the first time this sermon that Jesus spoke to the boys, the disciples, and perhaps the sisters too that were there. John sat around maybe at the campfire at night, and Jesus was sitting there with them with them. And he says that we heard it from Jesus, and we announce it now to us, to to you Christians, that God is light.

27:19 Can you imagine Jesus sitting around the campfire at night? Maybe after dinner, and he's teaching. That's the way I picture it. Could have been during the day, maybe out in the field. And he says, God is light, and in him there's no darkness.

27:35 And if we say that we have fellowship with him, and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we habitually always are walking in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. It's not one another, the brethren. Even though that is a side effect of it, definitely. But it's talking about having fellowship with God, when we're walking in the light with one another.

28:01 And the blood of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from each and every sin. If we say that we have no sin, we're deceiving ourselves. Anybody here not need correction? No, we all need it, right? We do have sin in our life.

28:22 We need correction. If we say we don't have sin, we're deceiving ourselves, the truth is not in us. If we're confessing our sins, that's the verb tense in the original language, if we are confessing our sins, he's faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christians are a confessing people. What should we do when God corrects us?

28:42 We should confess, which means what? Agree with God about our sin. Walk through that process. God, I did it. It's wrong.

28:49 You said it. It's wrong. It's gonna... It should damn me to hell, but it doesn't because I believe in Jesus. He paid for all my sins, and now with the power of the spirit, I choose with your help to get up and go forward without this sin anymore.

29:04 I'm gonna leave it. Verse 10, if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone does sin, we have an advocate, a helper, one to come alongside with. The same word that Jesus spoke of the holy spirit, the helper, the comforter.

29:22 Same word there. If anyone sins, have an advocate with the father. Who? Jesus Christ, the righteous. And he himself is the propitiation, the satisfaction of God's wrath was satisfied when Jesus died.

29:34 He's that propitiation for our sins, not for ours only, but also for the whole world. This is revival. This is it. When? When we're walking in the light.

29:47 What does walking in the light mean? Yes, it means to not walk in sin. But it's more than that. What does light do? It exposes.

29:59 When you're wrong, it shines the light on it. So God wants us to walk in fellowship with him, unbroken. We can have it, even as we stumble, if we immediately confess it to God. That's what it says, this passage is saying that. We wanna confess our sins, agree with God.

30:17 God, I've done this. It's wrong. That's revival. That's revive, coming back to our first love, back to life as a Christian believer individually, and then collectively. So we confess our sins individually, of course, first and foremost, but then even as a group, as the believers, confessing our sins to God.

30:37 It's a normal Christian duty. It's what we need. It's good for us. We should admit that we've done wrong, and we need God's help to change, and he will. What's our motivation for living correctly and confessing and repenting when we don't?

31:01 Well, I wanna give you one motivating factor, and that's what we've already read right here. If the world is gonna be destroyed in this way, everything you see, heaven and earth destroyed with fire. How should we live then? In holy conduct and godliness. Great motivating factor to live for the lord and confess our sins when we don't.

31:26 Today, I'd like to focus on another point that's about a thousand to a thousand seven years even prior to this. Does it seem like we're getting close to this? The end of the world? I mean, we see the volcanoes, the hurricanes, the tsunamis, and all that's going on. But there's something that's gonna happen one thousand years before this, up to one thousand and seven years before this.

32:33 Know this, the rapture, somewhere in this seven years the Bema Seat Judgment happens, the marriage supper of the lamb also happens, then Jesus comes back with us at the end of the seven years, okay? You ever thought about this? I shared this with Roger the other day. Do you realize that we don't know when exactly the Bema Seed judgment's gonna happen? Is it gonna start immediately after the rapture?

33:00 Apparently, we all get judged. Does that mean we all get judged together? All at once? Or is it individually? We don't...

33:09 There's some things we're not sure of. But we're gonna be judged for our deeds we've done in the body since we became a Christian. Okay. What if it happens the day after the rapture? I'm in trouble.

33:23 My name starts with a. Do you realize that perhaps? Again, don't know when the beam is seated, but somewhere in that seven year, what if the rapture... We all know the rapture could happen at any moment. And we sang face to face, they shall behold him.

33:43 Yeah, it's gonna be awesome, we're not gonna be condemned. But there's the scriptures that talk about him wiping away the tears. I can't help but believe that, what is that talking about? I don't think it's just the tears of suffering on earth, I think it's the tears of the Bema Seat judgment. This guy's gonna be crying.

34:02 I can't help but think I am, because first John chapter two says that little children abide in Christ so that you're not ashamed at his appearing. So that must mean it's possible to be ashamed at his appearing. Wow, I don't want to be ashamed at his appearing. Go to second Corinthians chapter five with me. Four, second Corinthians chapter four.

34:29 Just gonna read through this somewhat quickly. Motivation for living correctly, And when we don't, what should we do? Confess. What's the confession mean? Agree with God to say the same about my sin as God does.

34:52 Again, don't just come to God, oh Lord, please forgive me, please forgive me. How do you know if he did or didn't? Bible says he did it or already forgiven. He wants you to say, admit you did wrong. Acknowledge.

35:03 When I acknowledged my sin, David said, then God forgave the guilt of my sin. And that's what we want. We wanna walk in the light. Listen, that's revival. There's a lot of good things going on in this assembly.

35:16 There is. Praise God. But there's a lot of darkness in our hearts yet that God wants to expose. There isn't me on daily basis. Second Corinthians chapter four, motivation for living in this light, living correctly and when we don't to confess.

35:34 Verse 18, 16, chapter four sixteen. Therefore, Paul says, because all my sufferings, and he just listed all kinds of things that he was involved in, being beaten and everything. We don't lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

36:00 For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. First motivating factor to live correctly, and when you don't confess, eternity is coming. This life is leaving fast, fleeting. I know some of you young guys and girls think, what is these old guys talking about all the time? Wait.

36:24 It's coming. Let's keep reading. Chapter five. He goes on from verse one to eight about his body and about how it's temporary. It's just a tent, but one day we get an eternal building.

36:42 We're gonna look down at verse nine for time's sake. Therefore also, we have as our ambition, whether we are at home or absent, to be pleasing to him. He's talking about to be at home in this body means we're separated really from the Lord. We're not with Jesus yet, are we? When we're home here.

37:02 But when I'm absent from this body, I'll be at home. But either way, whether I'm down here on earth or when I'm there, I'm learning. I make it my ambition, my job, my aim, my goal to be pleasing to him. Verse 10, why? Here's the motivation factor.

37:21 Tomorrow, Christian, if he starts with the letter a, I could be standing before the Lord at the Bema Seat Judgment. If he raptures us today, and if the Bema Seat Judgment starts immediately, for we must all appear before the Bema seat of Christ. The word judgment's really not even in the original Greek. It's the Bema seat. Judgment, in our thinking, makes us think, oh, he's gonna punish me.

37:46 No, he's not gonna punish you. It's a reward seat. You either get rewards or you get ashes. Let's keep reading. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be recompensed or paid for his deeds in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

38:05 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, Paul says, we're persuading men. I'm afraid of that day. Why? Because I'm afraid of him. A healthy fear, a reverential fear.

38:16 He's God, and he died for me. So the fear factor is a great motivational force, the fear of the Lord. But there's another force that, I don't know if it's greater or equal to, but look down to verse 14. The love of Christ constrains me. This is not my love for Christ.

38:39 This is Christ's love for me, the love of Christ. His love for me is what motivates me to wanna be pleasing to him. I know at the end of the Lord's Supper, just last service, I mean, was just a holy hush through the whole thing there was. And we just remember his great love for us. I wanna walk in the light.

39:03 I need things exposed in my life. Lord, correct me where I'm wrong. Amen? The love of Christ controls me, constrains me. Having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died.

39:17 Don Morris, you are dead. Because Jesus died, you died. Ray Gonzales, you're dead. If you're a Christian, Andy Morris, whoever. We're dead, we're dead.

39:33 It's not us anymore, it's not Don Morris anymore. It's not Ray Gonzales anymore. He died for all, so that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. And almost all of our wrong living, incorrectness, the time that God needs to correct us is about this verse. We are living for ourselves in this world, instead of living for him.

40:01 First Corinthians three gives more teaching on this Bema Seat Judgment. Verse 10, chapter three, First Corinthians. According to the grace of God, Paul says, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

40:27 Paul is going around making disciples. We're all to be involved in making disciples, whether it's your children, or whether it's giving, or whether it's praying, or whether it's speaking. This is what we're to be about, is making disciples. And Paul says the foundation is Jesus Christ. Verse 11, 12.

40:46 Now if anyone builds upon the foundation, builds upon Christ. This is the work we're involved in. We're building upon people being saved. And there's so many ways. Every gift gets to be involved.

41:01 Whether it's the gift of helps, mercy, etcetera, etcetera. Whether it's parents at home, or whether it's a street evangelist, or the preachers and the bible teachers, whatever it might be. If anyone builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and straw, there are two groups of material to build with. Each man's work, underline that, will become evident for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire. It's going to be exposed.

41:30 Our God is a consuming fire. So everything that's built out of wood, hay, and stubble, it's going to get consumed with fire. I'm not sure if that's just his look, because the Bible says his eyes are like fire. This is the Bema Seat Judgment. I'm gonna come before Christ, maybe tomorrow.

41:47 If the rapture happens today, and the Bema Seat Judgment starts tomorrow, You, every Christian is gonna be before Christ, either collectively or individually. It... We're not sure. The scriptures don't say. But it does say each man, each.

42:04 So it's... I've always thought it was... Each one is gonna be judged individually. Will become evident for the day we'll show it. And look at what the fire's gonna do.

42:12 The fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he'll receive a reward. Bema, you get your crown. How well did you run your race of making disciples after you were saved? Did you pass it on to others?

42:30 That's what it's all about. In one shape, way, or form. Our brother stood up at the end of the Lord's supper, read the Corinthians love chapter. Yeah, it's about love. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved.

42:47 So that loss is not salvation. That loss is not salvation. You don't lose your salvation. You just lose your rewards. And it...

43:17 It's all about love. That's what brother read at the end of the Lord's Supper. It's all about love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Now there's two things God commands us to love, and there's, I've come up with about five things, depends on how you break up, there could be more. God commands us not to love.

43:37 Let's look at a couple of these real quick. So we should love correction. If it's true, if it's right, then we should what? Confess to God. So God commands us in Matthew 22 verses 36 to 40, the greatest commandments.

43:59 Two, love the Lord. What's the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with what? One word, all. Do I?

44:10 Do I need a little correction there? All my heart, all my soul, all my time, all my strength, all my money, all my thoughts, all my words, all my deeds. Do I love him? Second one, love your neighbor with all. Who's your neighbor?

44:29 Whoever you can reach. Whoever you can touch. And today we can touch anybody because it's one world. We can help our brothers. I love coming to prayer meeting.

44:40 On Wednesdays we get to touch our brothers who are suffering for Christ. We can pray for them. Love my neighbor as myself. Okay? That's...

44:48 Any correction needed there? If so, what do we do? We confess, God, I've not been loving my neighbor as myself. I've not been loving you with all. I wanna look briefly at a couple of loves that God commands us not to love.

44:59 The first one, if you go with me to first John chapter two. Verse 15 through 17. Commandment, do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. Why?

45:26 Because all that's in the world, the lust of the flesh, all the cravings that your sinful flesh wants, that of course, you know, right away we think the sexual perversions. Yeah, that's in there. But it could be whatever your flesh is lusting after. Comfort, just feed my flesh, my food desires. Can lust, and Doctor.

45:48 Scott always used to say, that's why everybody's sick. And there's a little bit of truth there. There's a lot of bit of truth there. We don't eat for the glory of God. We eat for our lust.

45:57 But if we ate for the glory of God, there there could be some help there. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, whatever our eyes are just lusting after. God commands us don't love that. Am I loving those things? I want this.

46:14 I that. I want this. I want this. I want this. Looking.

46:17 I'm looking. I'm looking. I'm craving. I'm craving. And the pride of life.

46:23 And the pride of life. All that's in the world. It's not from the father, it's from the world. Why is that such a big deal, God? Look at chapter five verse 19, same book.

46:32 First John five nineteen. Why is that such a big deal with God? Because we know that we are of God. The whole world is ruled by Satan. Our timeline up here again, it started out God's kingdom on earth.

46:55 It's not God's kingdom anymore. It's Satan's kingdom until the king comes back, Jesus comes back, sets up his millennial kingdom. It's Satan's kingdom. Do I need correction here? Am I loving the world and the things of the world?

47:10 Well, without going into too much detail, television. Computers, iPods, music, sports. If it's not for the glory of God, it's in Satan's world. Do I need correction in there? James, go back just a couple books.

47:42 James, just before Peter chapter four verse four, you adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Holy conduct and godliness set apart from this wicked world. In the world to reach the world, to love the world, to show the world Christ, not to be a part of the world. I want us to turn to Psalm number one zero one.

48:17 It's a powerful, powerful few verses by King David. One zero one verse one. I will sing of the loving kindness. I will sing of loving kindness and justice to thee, oh lord. I will sing praises.

48:38 I'll give heed to the blameless way. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away.

48:55 It shall not fasten its grip on me. A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will know no evil. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy. No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.

49:09 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me. He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house. He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain maintain his position before me except on my computer, and my TV, and I bring them into my home. And whatever else.

49:35 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. David makes a complete break here. And when he's wrong, he confesses it and he forsakes it. May we do the same? One more thought here.

50:07 There's preachers out there that are preaching and doing... Thinking that they're doing it all for money. Godliness is a means of great gain. Verse six. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

50:21 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. Some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, pierced themselves with many a pang.

50:46 But flee from these things you man of God, you woman of God. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, gentleness. And he goes on fighting the good fight. And he goes on and he says verse 17. Instruct those who are rich in this present world, not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

51:11 Ah, there it is. See, I'm supposed to go out and get rich and just get all this stuff so I can enjoy it. That's the context of this teaching here. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. God condemns the love of money.

51:34 It's the root of all, every kind of evil that you can think of. Money can be the root of it. Murder, divorce, hatred, covetousness, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And when do we love money? Look at what he says back in, chapter six.

51:51 We brought nothing in, verse seven. We can take nothing out. If we have food and covering, verse eight, we'll be content. Verse nine. But if we're longing for more than food and covering.

52:05 I have not arrived at any of this. I'm just speaking God's word. That's what I'm supposed to do. Preach his word, reprove, rebuke, exhort with long suffering and instruction. The love of money.

52:15 Do we love money? Do we chase after money? Jesus said, don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. Right? Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.

52:26 Is it wrong to be rich? No. Is it wrong to want to be rich? Yes. Is it wrong to try to get rich?

52:36 Yes. What is rich? Anything that's more than food and covering according to the scriptures. I didn't write the book. This is what it says.

52:46 Jesus gives us liberty to have more than he ever had. We can have food and covering. He didn't have covering. He didn't have a place to lay his head. We're just storing up and stocking up for this life, and this life, and this life.

52:59 Spending so much on Christmas gifts, and Christmas that, and and brothers and sisters are starving for food, for water, for bibles, the gospel, the eternal gospel. And I could stand before the Lord as soon as tomorrow for this to give account. We've run out of time. And I appreciate your patience to just go over a few minutes here. I have to pick up the message some other time.

53:25 The love of the world. Am I loving the world? What should I do? Admit to God. Agree with God.

53:33 Confess my sin. I'm loving the world. Am I loving money? Am I chasing after it? How do we know if we're loving these things?

53:42 Whenever it interferes with you doing what you should do for God. Being together and praying with the saints. Praying in your home. Serving the Lord. Going out and sharing the gospel.

53:55 Loving your neighbors. Praying. Reading your bible. All these things. Is it wrong to work?

54:00 We could go on forever. No, it's not wrong to work. We're commanded to work for our current necessities. Anything above and beyond that, God says, is to be given to the Lord's kingdom work. Turnull.

54:14 I don't remember his first name. He was a very, very rich, wealthy businessman. He didn't start out that way, and he didn't want to be rich. He didn't work to be rich. But God started blessing him.

54:25 You know why? He purposed early in his life as a businessman, he would give, I believe it was 20% to the Lord. And then very quickly, even before he started to prosper, he said, I'm gonna give 30% this year. And then 40, and then 50. He died and he was an extremely wealthy man.

54:43 Gave 90% of all his earnings to the Lord's work. He was doing that before he got rich. He approached the 90% mark before he ever got what we would call rich. He was rich. The bible says anything above food and covering is a desire to be rich.

55:01 That's what God says. That's what God says. Seek first the kingdom of God, his righteousness. God will provide all we need. I need correction.

55:10 I I I know I've hit some chords here. I... It wasn't me. If it's if it's from the Lord, it'll be the Lord. Take these verses home and and and go through them.

55:34 Because of him and his death, you don't condemn us. You can't condemn us who are saved. But you do love us enough to rebuke us, to correct us, to discipline us. Lord, perhaps as a voice for my... Surely for my own heart and and for the assembly here, I I I believe your spirit is speaking to us, Lord.

55:58 Lord, we would say, we confess our sin to you, Lord. We have been lovers of the world, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. We have been loving money, chasing after it, making it our life, watching God forgive us, cleanse us. We agree it's wrong. We agree that Jesus died for this sin, Lord.

56:22 And we agree that with your help we want to, we will change. We'll make corrections. Lord, you're so worthy of all our love. The first service, Lord, we were sitting here and just meditating on you and your awesome love for us, constraining us. Lord, keep us in that mode, we pray, to remember Jesus, his great, great love.

56:45 It stemmed from the father's love for us by giving his only son. Lord, finish this message in our hearts. So much more could be said. Pray that your spirit would really finish this message in our hearts. Take us home to think on these things, Lord, to search our hearts.

57:01 And we pray that, Lord, search me, oh God. Try me, oh God. Know my anxiety thoughts. My worrisome thoughts. See if there's any evil way in me.

57:13 Any way that's loving the world and Satan's kingdom. Any way that's loving money. And if if we were to continue, Lord, in the message, any any way that's loving ourself and loving our family more than you. Loving this life more than you. Lord, help us, we pray, to be a people, Lord, touched by your spirit, yielded to your spirit, ready to sacrifice our love for you, our life for you because of you, your love for us.

57:44 In Jesus' name, pray. Amen.