Gracious Rewards

This past weekend I taught SS on the topic "For the sake of his name." My outline was:

1. What is the meaning of "for the sake of his name"? (answer = advance Christ's interests)

2. How does missions advance the interests of Christ?

3. What might it cost to advance the interests of Christ?

4. What are the rewards for advancing the interests of Christ?

This last point is a contested point, but I think we glorify the Lord when we believe what he says. So I take these remarkable promises at face value:

1. Matthew 19:29: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life" (ESV).

2. Luke 18:29-30: "And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life" (ESV).

The promise for multiplied returns in the present is what staggers me. Does emphasizing these promises produce mercenaries? I don't think it has to. I italicized two phrases in the verses above because I believe they provide the necessary guards against pushing a self-centered message of rewards. Jesus simply says that he will take care of the interests of those who seek his interests above their own. So, for people who pass up on the opportunity to own a home, live close to family and friends, seek a retirement etc., Jesus promises to make sure they have multiple homes to live in, family members wherever they are, etc.

In our own experience (not that we've given up much really), we've found that we have houses to live in in multiple states. All we have to do is call and people open their homes to us for the Lord's sake. By the Lord's grace we have people who are as dear as brothers, sisters, parents, and grandparents all over the Eastern US. (Just this past weekend Viviane referred to a man in the church we were visiting as her grandfather.) Because of the Lord they have welcomed us into their families. We would have missed this incredible joy if we ignored the Lord's leading in our life to forsake owning a house of our own and living near family and friends. Have we earned or merited this favor? No. Whatever little we have left for the Lord has not been left in perfect obedience. We've had our fair share of self-centered pity parties. My conclusion is that the Lord has show himself gracious to us. We are experiencing his promise of rewards as a grace.

Thank God for such a gracious, loving Lord.