Rewards

THE APPRENTICE
REWARDS
COMMUNION SUNDAY
DR. JIM DIXON
HEBREWS 11:1-6
OCTOBER 22, 2006

In the Old Testament in the Hebrew language, there are many names of God, many titles of God. God is called El Shaddai. He is “God the Mighty.” Of course, God is called Jehovah-Jireh, “the Lord who Provides.” He is Jehovah-Shalom, the “Lord of Peace.” He is Jehovah-Sabaoth, the “Lord of Hosts.” He is Jehovah-Kadesh, Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the “Lord who Sanctifies,” “the Lord our Righteousness. There are many names for God in the Hebrew.

In the New Testament in the Greek there are few names for God. But there is one title that we really focus on this morning and that is the title, “Misthapodotes.” Not easy to say. Maybe that is why there are few Greek titles of God. This word means, “rewarder.” God is the rewarder. It comes from “misthos,” which means, “to reward.” It refers to the concept of reward. So, Misthapodotes, God is the Rewarder. We are His apprentices. We are disciples of His Son Jesus Christ, and He promises us rewards. We seek transformation. We seek change. We seek to grow in our knowledge. We seek to grow in our character. We seek to grow in our relationships. We seek to grow in our service and ministry, and we do all of these things knowing that God rewards His people.

This morning I have three simple teachings, and the first teaching concerns spiritual rewards. Most people really do not seek spiritual rewards and yet these are the greatest of all rewards—spiritual rewards. God promises His people spiritual rewards. Some of you may have heard of a man named Bernard Baruch. Bernard Baruch was an American financier. He worked with thoroughbred racehorses, he was a statesman, and he was an advisor to presidents, from Wilson to Eisenhower. Presidents of the United States sought counsel from Bernard Baruch. He died in 1965 at the age of ninety-five. The strange thing is that Bernard Baruch is probably remembered most for one statement he made when he was 90 years old. A person from the media came up to him and said, “You are blessed with great longevity. You are 90 years old. What is the key? How do you do that? Is it exercise?” Bernard Baruch said, “No, I get my exercise being pallbearer for people who exercise.” That of course is the statement for which he is famous.

I think there are people out there who kind of think like Bernard Baruch. They do not exercise. And in fact, studies show that perhaps 70% of the people in the United States of America have no consistent or structured form of exercise. They just kind of take their chances. There are a lot of people out there who do not diet and they do not exercise. They kind of play games with their health. Some people eat too much. Some drink too much. Some sleep too little. There are a few people who are probably going to get away with it because they are genetic flukes, but most people will not get away with it. If you take care of your body, if you take care of what the Bible calls the “soma,” if you take care of your body, that care produces its own rewards. As you care for yourself and take proper care for yourself, you receive certain kinds of health benefits, certain kinds of rewards, and perhaps longevity would be one of them.

God wants us to understand as apprentices of Christ that human beings are much more complex than simply beings with a body. We have an internal person as well as an external person and the Bible tells us that we are trichotomous. This is simply a Greek word meaning “three-part.” We are three-part beings. The Bible says those three parts are “soma,” (body), “psyche,” (soul), and “pneuma,” (spirit). Body, soul, and spirit. We are complex. We are trichotomous. There are a few theologians who would say, “Well, we’re really dichotomous,” because they think spirit and soul are synonymous in meaning, but all theologians would agree biblically that we have an inward person as well as this external person. As apprentices, as disciples of Christ, we are called to take care of the inward person. We are called to take care of the soul. We are called to take care of the spirit and we are called grow in terms of the spiritual.

The Bible tells us that this care of our soul also produces its own rewards. In fact, in the Hebrew there are seven words for reward in the Bible. In the Greek there are three words for reward. That is a total of ten Greek and Hebrew words. Obviously, reward is a huge subject biblically. One of the Hebrew words for reward is the word “salam,” and this word is related to the Hebrew “shalom,” which means, “peace.” Salam means, “to bring to completion.” The idea biblically is as you journey spiritually and as you grow spiritually, when you reach completion, it is a reward. This word “Salam” means “reward,” but it also means, “to bring to completion,” because when we become like Christ that will produce its own reward.

Another word in the Hebrew for reward is a word “peri,” and the word peri in the Hebrew means “reward,” but it also means, “fruit.” That is because a piece of fruit is the natural result of a process. It is the result of a natural process, and it is kind of a process that produces its own reward. This process produces fruit. It produces a reward. And so we think of the fruit of the Spirit, which the Bible describes as 9-fold—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is reward for this process of growth. We are growing in the character of Christ and the likeness of Christ. There is no greater reward than to develop the character of Christ, no greater reward than to develop within us the fruit of the Spirit. When you begin to experience more love, more joy, more peace, more patience, more kindness, more goodness, more faithfulness, more gentleness, more self-control—when we begin to experience these things, this is a great reward—perhaps the greatest reward we could ever experience in this life.

In the city of Rome there is the Pope. He is at the Vatican and is oftentimes called “The Vicar of Christ.” The Pope is The Vicar of Christ. The word “vicar” comes from a common root with the word “vicarious.” It simply means “representative.” The Pope is the representative of Christ but in a sense we are all vicars of Christ. All of us who are disciples, all of us who are apprentices of Christ, we are all vicars of Christ because we are all called to represent Him in this world. We are vicars of Christ. We are His representatives. Of course, that is really only possible as we are entering into our reward spiritually and we begin to exhibit His character—we begin to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit—and people begin to see Christ in you and people begin to see Christ in me.

I remember years ago when our son was in high school. Our son Drew bought a Jeep. He bought a CJ-5. Actually, Barb and I paid for most of it, but the CJ5 was kind of cool. It had a British racing green body and had a tan convertible top. It was kind of cool, but the engine was just shot. The engine was not in good shape at all, but Drew really wanted a CJ-5 and so Barb and I just prayed that he would never roll it and that he would be safe. For two years that CJ-5 continued to work for Drew. He enjoyed it and felt good driving it. There came a time though when we needed to sell it and so Barb and I put ads in the papers. This young gal called and said she was interested in buying it. She came by the house with her boyfriend to look at the car. The boyfriend was kind of a wannabe mechanic. He was very proud of his knowledge of the internal combustion engine. He began to get under the car and check it all out and all that kind of stuff and then he began to lecture me on everything that was wrong with the car. He went through this long litany of what was wrong with this car, and I was really getting kind of irritated.

I could tell he was kind of showing off for his girlfriend. Finally, I was just about to say to him, “Listen. Either buy the car or don’t buy the car, but spare me the lecture.” As I was about to say that, as my head was down, I just saw that on my shirt it said, “Fellowship of Christian Athletes,” and I realized, “Oh yes, I’m a representative of Christ. I’m supposed to represent Christ.” I realized that sometimes I have to feign fruit of the Spirit because they are not complete in me. They are not fully developed in me. I am in process just like you are in process, but oh, the reward when we actually begin to develop the character of Christ so that it is natural and we do not have to fake it. It really is who we are. That is a spiritual reward beyond compare.

Some of you may have heard of Jenny Lind. Jenny Lind lived in the 19th century. She was called “The Swedish Nightingale.” She was perhaps the most famous vocalist in the 19th century world and her soprano voice was known the world over. The year was 1850 when P.T. Barnum brought Jenny Lind to the United States. People in America were going to get a chance to see and hear Jenny Lind live. And when she came in on her ship, 40,000 people came down to the harbor—40,000 people! Unfortunately, over forty people died. They were trampled to death in the near stampede as everybody wanted to get a glimpse of Jenny Lind. Can you imagine? This was in 1850!

For three years—1850, 1851 and 1852—Jenny Lind appeared all over the United States and she sold out everywhere. There was never an empty seat everywhere she sang. She had an addition to her dressing room, by her instructions, another room, that was set aside for prayer. There was really nothing in it because she did not sit down when she prayed. She just got down on her knees. You see, Jenny Lind was a committed Christian. She was devoted to Jesus Christ.

In 1852 when she had completed her last concert here in America, she stunned the world. She announced that she was leaving America and she would never sing again. She was 32 years old in 1852 and Jenny Lind announced to the world she would never sing again. She was going home to her native Sweden, and she would never sing again. And she never did. She went home to Sweden, and she gave no interviews. She just kind of lived a quiet life serving in various capacities, but she never sang again.

Then when she was 65 years old, she finally granted an interview at her home in Sweden. The reporter asked her why she quit singing 33 years ago, when only 32 years old. Why? Jenny Lind said, “The more I gained the world’s wealth and the more I gained the world’s fame, I looked less at this (she had her Bible in her lap), less at my Bible, and I thought less about Him, less about Jesus, less about God.”

Two years later, Jenny Lind died, and she went to her heavenly reward. But I think on this earth we can all understand she viewed her reward on this earth as spiritual things—spiritual intimacy with God, intimacy with Christ—more important to her than anything, more precious to her than anything. God’s not asking us all to quit our jobs, but He does ask us to consider how important intimacy with Christ is. Is that a treasure to you? How important is it for you to grow in the fruit of the Spirit and in the character of Christ? These are the greatest rewards.

There is a second kind of rewards I wanted us to take a brief look at, and that’s material rewards. It is true that sometimes God blesses His people materially. Sometimes Christ blesses His apprentices materially and there are, in this world, material rewards.

I want to tell you a little story. It is really one of my favorite stories. Some of you have heard it and some of you have not. The story is set in 1888 in the land of Scotland. A farmer is out on his farm working the land trying to put bread on the table. He is out near the borders of his property when he hears a boy cry out. He knows it is not his son because the farmer’s son is back at the farmhouse, and it is a long way away. The farmer seeks the voice of this young boy and finds him in a bog. He is just sinking in this swamp, in this bog, in the mud. The mud is up to this boy’s neck. The boy is 13 years old. He is a young man, really. If the farmer had not arrived, the boy would have died. He would have gone completely under, but the farmer rescued that boy’s life that day by extending branches and pulling this 13-year-old boy out of the bog. When the boy got out, he was so excited. He was so excited to be alive and to be safe he just ran away, and the farmer never got a chance to talk to him.

Later that day the farmer was back at his farmhouse and this beautiful carriage arrived. This horse-drawn carriage pulled right up to the farmhouse, and it was obviously a very wealthy man, and it was a British nobleman. The British nobleman, as the father came out of the house, said to him, “I’m here to thank you for saving my son’s life.” The farmer smiled and said, “Well, I was really happy to be able to help your son.” The British nobleman said, “I would like to be able to give you a reward. I’d like to be able to reward you.” The farmer said, “I don’t want a reward. I really do not. I was just being a Good Samaritan like the Good Book says. I don’t need a reward.”

About that time the farmer’s son came out the front door and he was a 7-year-old boy named Alex. The British nobleman said, “Is that your son?” The farmer said, “Yes.” The British nobleman said, “Listen. You saved my son. Maybe I could bless your son. Here is a suggestion. Why don’t I pay for your son’s education all the way through university? However far he goes, I will pay for it.” The farmer really did not want a reward. On the other hand, he loved his son, and he knew that he would never be able to provide for his son like that, so the farmer said yes. And so it was that the family of the British nobleman paid for Alex’s education and Alex went through school and he went through the University of London and then to St. Mary’s School of Medicine. He got his M.D. and Alex became one of the most famous doctors in the world. His name was Alexander Fleming and of course Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin and all of us have been blessed by penicillin and its derivatives today. Our lives have been blessed.

Alexander Fleming went on to be knighted by the Crown. He was Sir Alexander Fleming, and he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine. He was a great man. Of course, the nobleman was Randolph Churchill and his son who had been caught in the bog who was 13 years old at the time was Winston Churchill. Of course, Winston Churchill went on to become Prime Minister of Great Britain and he also was knighted by the Crown and was Sir Winston Churchill. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and he became one of the greatest leaders in world history.

I think some of you know that in the aftermath of World War II, when Winston Churchill was so stricken with pneumonia that he was near death, his life was saved. And what was it that saved his life? It was penicillin that had been discovered by the other boy, Alexander Fleming.

I love that story. First of all, it is true, but I also love the story because of the reciprocity that is in the story—how a good turn brings back blessing and then blessing again many-fold. One family blesses another and the other family winds up blessing that family, and, in a sense, we are all blessed. There’s reciprocity there.

The Bible tells us a lot about reciprocity. It is in God’s nature to reciprocate and so there’s reciprocity in the Bible. We look at Malachi, chapter 3, and what does God say? He says, “Bring the full tithes into My house and put Me to the test, says the Lord God Almighty, and see if I won’t open up the windows of heaven for you and pour down upon you an overflowing blessing.” Reciprocity.

You look in Luke, chapter 6, at the words of Jesus and what does Jesus say? “Give and it shall be given to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together, overflowing. It will be set in your lap. The measure you give shall be the measure you get back.” Reciprocity.

You look in 2 Corinthians, chapter 9, and what does the Apostle Paul say? “The Lord loves a cheerful giver. He who sows sparingly will reap back sparingly. He who sows bountifully will reap back bountifully.” Reciprocity. It is all through the Bible. God loves to bless His people.

This is a dangerous teaching. It is a very dangerous teaching because of what is called “prosperity teaching.” In the world out there, there are a lot of churches and pastors that are prosperity teachers, and they say that if you give to the church, God will make you wealthy. They use the term “reciprocity” for that. Of course, it is possible that God would make you wealthy and bless you in that way, but the Bible does not promise anywhere that if you give to the church God will make you wealthy. The Bible simply does not promise that, but the Bible does tell us that God blesses the faithful and the Bible does talk about reciprocity. It is just that the blessings of God take many forms. He may bless you with long life. He might bless you with good health. He might bless you with wonderful friends. He might bless you with a very unusual gift whereby you always sense His presence. He might bless you with joy. He might bless you in ministry and service. His blessings take so many forms, but understand they are both spiritual and they are material. God blesses us in both of these ways in this world. He gives out spiritual rewards and material rewards to the disciples of Christ.

There is a third teaching here as we conclude the message. The third teaching concerns heavenly rewards. The Bible talks a lot about heavenly rewards. I know there are probably none of you who have heard of Eduardo Sierra. Eduardo Sierra lives in Hamburg, Germany, today. He was born in Spain, but the Spaniard lives in Germany, in Hamburg, today, and he is a multimillionaire. He is an incredibly wealthy man, but it was not always that way.

In the year 1996, Eduardo Sierra was in Stockholm, Sweden. He was taking a little vacation. He was walking around the streets of the city. He was feeling a little bit down. His money was running out and he thought, “I’d like to just go into a church and contemplate and pray a little bit.” He did not care what kind of a church. He wound up walking into a Catholic church. He was not a Catholic, but it did not matter. He went into the Catholic Church, and he looked for a place where he could just kind of be quiet, alone, and pray.

He noticed the casket was being exhibited, an open casket. By the casket there was a book, and he could not help but notice that there was nobody there and the book had not been signed. He kind of felt for this deceased person whom he did not know who was all alone. There was the book, too, and no visitors. Eduardo thought, “Well, I’ll sign the book.” He signed the book. As he signed the book, he said a little prayer for whoever this person was, and he prayed for this person’s family and loved ones. He put his address in the book because the book instructed the signers to do that and then he left. He thought nothing of it.

Three weeks later he was back in Hamburg, Germany, and he received a call from the Swedish government. They said, “Congratulations! You are a multimillionaire!” Eduardo said, “What do you mean?” They said, “Well, when you signed that book here in Stockholm… this was such-and-such a person. He was a millionaire, and his instructions were that the first person to sign his book should get everything he has.” Of course, it turned out that Eduardo Sierra was not only the first person to sign the book, he was the only person. And he got everything.

An amazing story. But you understand there is a book far more important than that book and your name, your signature, kind of needs to be in it. It is called The Book of Life. The Bible talks about it again and again and again. The Book of Life. It has the names of everyone who will receive eternal life. If you are a disciple of Christ, your name is in that Book. If you have asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, your name is in that book, and you have the promise of heaven itself.

God has announced, “Behold, I make all things new,” and in heaven He will make all things new and there is going to be, the Bible tells us, a new city called The New Jerusalem, and you are going to be given a new body. It will be indestructible and not subject to decay. You are going to see a New Heavens. You are going to see a New Earth. He is going to make everything new, but those are not rewards. Those are gifts freely given. Those are gifts given to the people of faith, to the disciples of Christ. All of these gifts and heaven itself come by grace through faith. They are not rewards. All of us who are disciples of Christ will receive these gifts.

The Bible also tells us that when we get to heaven, we will receive varying rewards. We will receive varying rewards over and above these gifts. The rewards will be based on our faithfulness, and yes, on our works. The Bible says repeatedly, even for us as Christians, there will be a judgement of works. It will not be a judgement of salvation or eternal life. That is by grace through faith, but we will have our works evaluated and there will be varying rewards. This is the will of God and part of the plan of God. So understand that as the apprentices of Christ and as the disciples of Christ that in heaven there will be varying rewards. They may have to do with roles and functions. They may have to do with other things.

I want to recommend a book as we close. The Book is called Heaven by Randy Alcorn. It has been out for a while. I do not agree with everything in the book. I do not agree with everything in any book I read except for the Bible, but this book is a wonderful book. Randy Alcorn does an incredible job of describing the varying rewards that Christ has for His people.

We sold this book out after the first service, but if you go to the Inklings Bookstore, she is taking a list and she will get this book for every one of you who want it. It is, I tell you, a wonderful book. I hope you understand the varying rewards, because God is Misthapodotes. He is the Rewarder of those who seek Him and those who follow Him. We are His apprentices and His disciples. His rewards are spiritual. They are physical and they are heavenly. Let us look to the Lord with a word of prayer.