Ask Pastor Mike Fabarez

Speaker 1

The Bible teaches that Christians will get recognition for their good deeds, but how does that really work? Well, today on Focal Point, a conversation with Mike Favarez about what rewards await us in heaven.

Glad to have you with us today on Focal Point. I'm Dave Drury, and you're here just in time for another Friday edition of our popular feature called Ask Pastor Mike. Today's topic is storing up treasures in heaven.

Well, let's join executive director Jay Worton as he sits down with Mike Fabarez inside the pastor's study.

Speaker 2

Thank you, Dave. I am here with Pastor Mike.

Pastor Mike, you've spoken about what heaven will be like in relation to our experience there.

We have a question from a listener who asks, will everyone in heaven have the same things, or will we be rewarded differently?

Speaker 3

Yeah. Well, you can't really read the Gospels and the teachings of Christ without coming to the conclusion that there are a variety of rewards that are going to be dispensed differently depending on people's faithfulness.

And I know that's a unique thought for some people because they don't often think in those terms. We don't hear a lot of it from the pulpit, but surely the Bible teaches that there are a variety of rewards that are proportionally given to people based on their service and faithfulness to Christ.

Speaker 2

What verses would you point someone to to illustrate that, Jay?

Speaker 3

I think of a lot of passages. One would be Matthew, chapter 19, where Jesus is responding to his disciples after they watch the rich young ruler walk away without responding to the call to follow him and give up his possessions. Here he talks about rewards to his own disciples.

Or even back to Matthew, chapter six, a very familiar passage about storing up treasures in heaven, speaking about prioritizing the kingdom and seeking it first.

Luke, chapter 16, also addresses this theme. When he talks about making sure we use our wealth in this life, he calls it unrighteous wealth, urging us to use it in a godly way so that we can be entrusted in the next life with true riches.

So many things in the Bible speak to this reality of real, tangible kinds of reward that are given to us in heaven based on our life here.

Speaker 2

Could somebody argue that those rewards are the same for everyone?

Speaker 3

Well, I think we maybe mix up the idea of our ultimate reward being that we are allowed into the kingdom because of our faith in Christ. I mean, that is the true reward of every Christian. We get a citizenship in heaven. We have eternal life. We have our sins canceled at the moment of our conversion. So that's the ultimate reward that we often speak of in general terms, but then there's so much teaching from Scripture about specific rewards beyond that.

First Corinthians, chapter three, speaks about the reality of our lives and the investments of our lives being like either wood, hay, and straw, or gold, silver, and precious stones, and the response of God being rewards to those kinds of things in the next life. So, yes, we're all going to be saved because of the foundation that's laid for us in Christ if we're Christians.

But beyond that, the reality and the experience in the next life will be determined, the Bible says, very clearly, based on how we live the Christian life.

Speaker 2

You know, Pastor Mike, I've heard people say things like, will I really care once I get to heaven what I have or don't have? I mean, won't I be just happy to be there?

Speaker 3

Well, you know, we will be happy to be there. And I do think that we have to experience that in our imagination at this point, what it will be like to be in the presence of Christ and to have that blessing in a place where there's no reference to sin or death or disease or any of those things. There will be an enjoyment that is proportional to the kinds of things that God blesses people with.

I think of that passage I mentioned earlier in Matthew, chapter 19, where Jesus is talking about these 12 disciples who are really nobodies in the Jewish economy of the first century, watching a very rich young lawyer walk away. He says, well, you 12 will be seated on these 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. They'll have a place of prominence and authority and reputation and power.

Then he says that the first are going to be last, and the last will be first. You'll see people that seem to have it all in this life who have very little in the next life. They'll have eternal life; they'll have a place in the kingdom. And then you'll have people that seem to have very little in this life as it relates to the status and the power and the riches of it, and they'll have everything in the next.

So no one will be frustrated, let me make that clear, or envious or jealous. We'll be able to enjoy that distinction between our relative riches without any sin. But we've got to understand there is a distinction, and that distinction will matter in terms of the enjoyment of the next life.

I know that's hard for people to understand when they've not been taught that consistently from scripture. But as C.S. Lewis liked to say, we often overlook a whole swath, a big section of Christ's teaching in avoiding this because, frankly, it seems like in our minds, hey, if I'm there, that's all that matters. I'll be happy to be there.

Speaker 2

What do you say to the person who looks at this and goes, wow, that just seems so crass, so mundane. How would we as Christians focus our thinking here on earth to be more heavenly minded in that regard?

Speaker 3

Well, I like to illustrate it often as in comparison to Christian parents. If their grade schooler comes home and says, "I'm going to drop out of school and I'm just going to be a loaf for the rest of my childhood," good godly parents who believe in godly things and prioritize the spiritual things would still say to our kid, "No, no, no, you need to go to school, you need to work hard, you need to do your homework, you need to, you know, excel in your academics," because we know there's a payoff for that. There's nothing crass about that. There's nothing ungodly or fleshly about that. There's just a clear principle of sowing and reaping that we apply in this life and can do it with integrity and virtue and godliness.

It's when we flip the switch in our mind somehow to think, "Well, if I'm talking about eternal life, I don't want to think that way. I don't want to think that working hard and being diligent and being faithful and applying myself and prioritizing things that are more important has some eternal benefits to it." In other words, there's a disconnect in the way we live our godly lives. Now, seeing the principle of sowing and reaping and then failing to see that as it relates to the next life.

You don't have to be greedy, you don't have to be selfish. You don't have to be a crass materialist to do what Jesus says, and that is to seek to store up for ourselves treasure in heaven.

Speaker 2

Well, thank you, Pastor Mike. I trust this has been a helpful discussion for our listeners, and we're going to continue this conversation with a message you gave called why It's All Worth it.

Speaker 4

Sometimes as I drive down, I see all these people in the gym.

Speaker 3

Running.

Speaker 4

And sweating and working so hard. I think, what are you guys doing in there? Why would you do that? They know why they're there. They get it. They have that goal in mind, that perspective.

They've got just a whole different mindset than me as I'm reaching across to the passenger seat for my box of Cheez-Its. I get it. Got totally two different priorities.

You know, I'm sure the rich young ruler, as he glanced over to that transient band of disciples, former fishermen and a couple tax collectors thrown in with, as Luke 9 says, with no place to lay their head. I'm sure he looked at those guys and said, why would anybody want to live like that? Why do those guys do that?

Speaker 3

What's with that?

Speaker 4

It sure looks like a lot of work. I know that when he was offered a position among the band of disciples to be a part of this team where he was a follower of Christ and God was going to be his God, he said, no, thank you. I mean, not if it's going to cost me that. I'm not interested if it's going to be that tough. And he walked away.

Now, unlike some who read Matthew 19 carelessly, we've tried to read it with its intent in mind. I mean, we've tried to get all of scripture's insight as we kind of look and approach this passage. If you have your Bibles, turn there one more time. When it says in verse 16, good teacher, a man comes up to Jesus and asks, teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life? That's the topic on the table. And it hasn't changed after that.

Very unorthodox and strange approach to evangelism. Verse 23, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, "I tell you the truth, it's hard for a rich man." Now underline it. Here's what it means to get eternal life, to enter the kingdom of heaven. I tell you again, it is easier to cram a big stinky animal like a camel through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to enter.

Speaker 3

The kingdom of God.

Speaker 4

Well, at the end of all that, Peter says in verse 27, after Christ says it's not only difficult, it's impossible. Peter goes, "We've done the impossible. We've made God our God. We're followers of Christ. We'll do whatever you say. It's anything, any place, anytime for us. I mean, you're our God. We've repented of our sin and our path, and we're trusting fully in you. You're our leader, you're our Savior." What are they going to be for us then? Well, let's get through all the details. We'll get to those. But the bottom line answer: Jesus starts the answer in verse 28, and the end of the answer, verse 29, we're still back to the initial question. If that's going to be the issue for you, Peter, well, then you will inherit eternal life. I didn't say earn it. Big difference between earning and inheriting. An inheritance comes to you by virtue of your birth. Birthright. It is what you get because you're in a family. This is all about grace. But you come on his terms. This is a full life exchange. My life for his, his life for mine.

We started at the end, the last phrase in verse 29, "we'll inherit eternal life." But the gist of his response. Now I understand verse 28. It's specific to the 12 apostles, but it's really not about just eternal life. I mean, the verbiage, at least statistically, is focused and weighted on reward. Take a look at it. "I tell you the truth. At the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel." And don't feel left out. Verse 29 for the rest of us says if you've made any kind of sacrifices related to your house or your brothers, or your sister, or your father, your mother, your children, or your fields, if you've done that for me, you need to know this: you will receive a hundred times as much.

And then that whole great thing about grace, not punishment. We need to be motivated by eternal life. Because with eternal life also comes this: you'll get tangible rewards. And the Bible's big on this. Now, I got a lot of people right now that I'm going to lose them right now in the message. I guarantee it. There will be some who do not like this. Because you've been raised to believe in celestial communism, right? You all get the government-issued, you know, jacket and government-issued track housing. And it's just, you get there and it's all just. Everybody's the same because that's what good grandfatherly deities do. God is not like that. God is a capitalist. Okay, I didn't say Republican, but he's a capitalist. Because here's what he says over and over and over and over and over again.

Let me just give you two references. The end of the book, Revelation 22, verse 12: "Behold, I'm coming soon. Listen carefully. My reward is with me. And I will give to everyone according to what he has done." That means you do more, you get more. That sounds pretty capitalistic to me. No. Celestial communism. If you give up for God, sacrifice for God, do for God, you will receive according to what you've done now. The interest rate is fantastic. Look at the passage again in Matthew 19. If you've done one thing of sacrifice for the goodness of following God, the Bible says you will receive. Bottom of verse 29. What's the percentage rate? Hundred times as much. That's big. That's better than any 401k or dumb investments I've ever made. And it's underwritten by God himself.

What did Peter sacrifice to follow Christ that the rich young ruler wouldn't sacrifice? Well, his business. The entrepreneur was supposed to give up his business. Peter gave up his business. That was nothing like the rich young ruler's business. I don't know where Peter lived, but let's just say it's a thousand square foot condo. Peter, you walk away from that thousand square foot condo because I tell you to. And I tell you, leave that and come with me. You're going to receive. What's the interest rate? 100 times as much. What kind of place is he living in? In the kingdom. I mean, that's a big place. And any other sacrifice you make, you'll receive a hundred times.

Now, I know that's not an equation. This is not the prospectus from Prudential, you know, New Jerusalem or something. But the principle is clear, isn't it? God is going to reward you with interest for every sacrifice you make. Another passage might be helpful. Jot down Ephesians 6, 7 and 8. "Serve God wholeheartedly. You're serving the Lord," he says, "because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does." There's no little patting on the head. "Well, you get a red lollipop. Well, you get one too. And you get a balloon. You get one too. You can't have two. He's only got one." You know why we do that? Because we was. We're parenting sinful children. That's why we do that. We don't want jealousy and envy and strife. There ain't going to be any of that in the kingdom. But there will not be equality in the kingdom. How's that for heresy? Told you I was going to lose some of you.

Speaker 3

How's that?

Speaker 4

There will not be equality in the kingdom. Matter of fact, the guy who left his little fishing business, look what he's going to be back. In Matthew 19, it says in verse number 28, "I tell you the truth of the renewal of all things. When the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me, 12 guys minus one plus one later, will sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel."

Now, the rich young ruler in the synagogue was leading a lot of people. I don't know how big the synagogue was, but Peter, one day, the little outcast band of, you know, traveling former fisherman, disciple guys, is going to be on a throne one day, and you might even be part of his tribe. He's going to be your administrator, your boss, your president. You're going to have to answer to him. Well, talk about a turnaround. Talk about somebody who was a lowlife in the first century becoming the guy in the kingdom.

You want to talk about the guy? Do you know the Bible says this in Revelation 21:14? It says the 12 apostles' names will be written on the foundations of the walls of Jerusalem. You're going to walk by billboards if they say Peter, right? Cephas is going to be there. James, Jones, I don't know, you're going to read it like that. I don't know. It's going to be big names, maybe a picture, and you're going to go, "Wow, look at that."

What are some of the rewards, just to make it tangible? Rewards. Okay, we don't have time to look at all these. I wish I could preach a whole other sermon on this, but rewards start with R. So I put five R's together for you. Ready? These are all tangible rewards that will all be determined by your sacrifice for Christ.

First, one, riches. In the parable in Luke 16, Jesus said, "If you do riches now as a good steward, a godly steward, as a follower of Christ, then maybe God will entrust you." I love this phrase: "with true riches." We're all shooting for riches down here, right? Unfortunately, we're chasing after it like all the pagans do. But the Bible says if you're willing to not even worry about that, but just be a good steward of what you have, treat your money as a good godly follower of Christ, give it up when God calls you to, you know what? Maybe I'll entrust you with true riches.

He keeps saying to us about our money, "It's going to fail one day." But he says that money there will not fail. Well, I thought the streets were going to be made of gold, and so it won't really matter. Yeah, they may be made of gold, but there will be riches there.

Here's the second thing. Let's keep all ours here. The second thing is real estate. What do you mean? The Bible is super clear that you, in your life, are living a life for Christ, and it will determine your real estate in the kingdom. Two verses later, in the same passage, he says, "Listen, if you're not faithful in doing what a follower of Christ should do with his stuff in this life, your land in this life, he says, who's going to entrust you, I love this, with property of your own?"

Remember that great Jim Elliott quote? "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." You heard that one before. Think about what Peter had done. I'm going to leave my fishing business behind. Who, by the way, 100 years from that decision, he never would have had anyway to gain what he cannot lose. According to this passage, 100 times as much. Are we thinking this through properly? Real estate. Property of your own. I'm going to have property of my own one day. The question is how much?

Riches, real estate. How about this one? Matthew 25. Responsibilities. Responsibilities.

Speaker 3

And again, I know what you're saying.

Speaker 4

I don't want responsibilities.

Speaker 3

Give me a hammock and let me.

Speaker 4

Just sit in my, you know, celestial backyard and I'll be fine. Don't want responsibilities. No, you will. Trust me, you will. You know the reason we don't want responsibilities in this life? Because we are sinful people governing and being responsible for sinful people in a sinful world. And with responsibility in this life comes a lot of headaches. Have you noticed that? That's why some of us who lead in this life or administrate in this life, there are days we just say, I don't want to do it anymore. Please let me be a nobody and sit in my hammock in the backyard for the rest of my career. That's what I want to do.

But you know, there you won't have that problem because you won't be a sinful person. You won't be ministering to sinful people, and you won't be living in a sinful place. Every bit of responsibility will be great. Here's the wording of Matthew, chapter 25. He says in this parable about the ultimate judgment of our lives as Christians, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful with a few things, but I will put you in charge of many things." Now again, if you say, well, I don't want to be, because that sounds like a lot of work. Look at the next phrase: "Come and share in your master's... do you know the next word? Happiness?" With every bit of responsibility will come another measure of happiness. Responsibility in the kingdom is what you want. You want more responsibility.

And look at our passage. Those 12 guys that gave up everything—the first line, first trusters of Christ—those guys are going to be responsible for entire tribes in the kingdom. That's big. That's like states. This is huge. I wouldn't want to be the governor. You will there, trust me. Because with that responsibility and the measure of your responsibility, let's put the fourth one down now. The fourth R: there will come increased reputation. Reputation, James. Right on, James. Really cool what you did. First line, first generation truster of Christ, led the church, died for your faith, martyr for Christ. Look at that now. I mean, you got billboards with your name on it. Cool. You won't be jealous, you won't be envious, but you're going to say, that's great. They will have a reputation. And the more good you do for the kingdom, the greater your reputation.

Lastly, and if none of those hit home for you, maybe this one will: relationships, number five. Riches, real estate, responsibility, reputation, and relationships. And we could look elsewhere, but we might as well look at our passage. Our passage says anyone who's left houses and fields—that's the first and last ones on the list. But look at the next 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. He says, "Brothers, sisters, father, mother, or children." Hey, if you've sacrificed a few Little League games for your kids so that you could serve Christ and advance his cause, and as a follower of Christ, you've missed a few ballet recitals, or maybe for your parents, you haven't been all that you could be for them because of your commitment to Jesus Christ.

And hey, the Bible says whatever that's hurt, you're going to get a hundred times as much. And maybe a brother or sister who's been totally offended by your commitment to Christ, and they will not have peace with you because of your commitment to following Christ. The Bible says you get 100 times as much. This is a promise for better and increased relationships. Now, no, there's not any narcissistic sitting in a corner. I got no friends in the kingdom. There'd be none of that. I got no friends. I gotta have a party. I don't know who to invite. I got no friends. You're not gonna have that. There'll be no pity parties in the new Jerusalem. But you will want to have more friends. And the more friends you have in that circle, the better. And the better those relationships, the better.

Now that's the positive side of this. Here's the other side of the coin. Number two on your outline: do we need to care about the life that we live? Absolutely. 1 Corinthians 7. I'm gonna have to care about things in my life, right? If I got a wife, especially if I got a family, I got to take care of a few things there. Now, I don't need to run after all the things the pagans do, the Bible says. But I got to take care of a few things here. I get that. But I should care a whole lot less about this life because the next one is so much more important.

What's he going to make of your life? Well, you're not even his family member. You're not even his heir unless you've repented of your sins and put your trust in him. But then the decisions are made every single day. What am I willing to give up for the king? How far am I willing to go? Am I willing to go the extra mile, stay the extra hour, spend the extra dollar for the good of the kingdom? If you are, the Bible says you're getting a great, great return. When you walk through the portals of the kingdom of heaven, he is going to richly reward you. I mean, some of the last words in the scripture: he's coming and his reward is with him, and he will reward each one according to what he has done.

Speaker 1

You are listening to Focal Point with Pastor Mike Fabarez, featuring an interview and a message about heavenly rewards. Now, to listen again or to download the complete, uncut version of this message, go to focalpointradio.org and look for the message titled "Why It's All Worth It." Today, we learned that God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It's exciting to think that our obedience and faith on earth will yield fruit in the life beyond.

But we also can enjoy some of that fruit right now when we hear from listeners like Deidre from Nevada. She shared, "I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your broadcasts, and I love it when Mike is on to Every Man an Answer. You have blessed me and grown me. As I've listened throughout the years, I try to give to your ministry. I wish I could be a regular supporter, but at this time, that's how the Lord has me giving to you. It's been on my heart lately to write and thank you and encourage you in your ministry. As time is drawing closer for the Lord's return, I don't want to wait till heaven to say a heartfelt thank you. May God continue to use you and the ministry to spread His good news."

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That's focalpointradio.org. Well, I'm Dave Drouy, wishing you a restful weekend ahead. Pastor Mike Fabarez returns with more from the series "Your Role in the Harvest." So join us again Monday for Focal Point. Today's program was produced and sponsored by Focal Point Ministries.

Speaker 4

Sam.