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Luke 6:22-23 Have you ever heard someone say that when it comes to relationships; “It’s the little things that matter”? What do you think they mean by that? For me it is how we live and act day in and day out toward another person that says what we think about them, how we feel about them and so on.
It is not the big things we do, like bringing flowers once or twice a year, the big gift at Christmas, birthdays and so on but the little thoughts we put into action day after day. These are the things that tell someone what we truly think about them, whether we truly love and value them and enjoy being with them. The way we act day in and day out tells others what is in our hearts and minds, what we really care about.
Have you ever considered that the little things we do on a day to day basis can make a difference for all eternity? How we treat the people we live with, work with, go to school with and even those we invite for dinner, all can make a difference in eternity. Every action we take as Christians has an eternal consequence both positive and negative.
In this new series we are beginning we are going to see how this works out. We will look at what Jesus and the Bible teach about the rewards we will receive in heaven, to be enjoyed for all eternity. When it comes down to the teaching about what happens when we leave this earth in death or by rapture, no one speaks or teaches more about it than Jesus. When He taught the people they were in awe of His teaching because He taught like no other they had heard. From the time He was 12 the people were in awe of His understanding of the scriptures and spiritual things.
Luke 2:47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Later, when He formally began His public ministry in Galilee, people were again amazed at His teaching, the authority He taught with. When Jesus gave the message we know as the Sermon on the Mount, where our passage comes from, the people were again in awe; Matt. 7:28–29 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. People knew there was something different about Him.
It is amazing that as many times as people have read our passage, that they have missed a great truth in it. 1 out of 10 commentaries picked up on what we are going to study. Many people believe from this passage that if we suffer persecution for being a Christian or taking a stand for Christ, that they should be joyous over the persecution that comes from it. Maybe they look at the example of the early disciples and how they reacted for being persecuted and think that is the way we need to respond, the attitude we need to have.
Acts 5:40-43 Wouldn’t it be great if we could have this kind of attitude toward suffering for Christ? Is this the reality of it though?
But, when we look at our passage I don’t think this is what Jesus is telling us we should rejoice over. Why, because of the 7 or 8 words in our passage, depending on the translation, that tell us we should rejoice because of another reason; Luke 6:23 “because great is your reward in heaven.” The little things we do here, like putting up with religious persecution, will have great consequences for us in heaven, for all eternity. Jesus is saying that because we stand up for Him He will reward us when we get to heaven to be with Him. Matt. 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
What we do because of what we believe will be rewarded. There is a difference between believing and doing. We will be rewarded for behaving in a certain way, standing in our belief rather than running away from those who persecute us or because we receive pressure for our faith. The act of doing, our behavior, comes from what we truly believe. James 2:14-18 Saying; “Cowboy up or Cowgirl up” when we get hurt. Jesus isn’t telling us to Cowboy up through the pain and suffering of persecution, He is telling us that we can rejoice in the fact that when we suffer for His sake He will reward us for our behavior.
Knowing that Jesus appreciates what we put up with here, in all the little things we do for His sake, can and will make it easier for us to walk through them. Maybe this is what the disciples were rejoicing about when they were flogged for preaching Jesus at the hands of the religious leaders. Ever notice that the persecution that hurts the most is from those who are supposed to be your allies?
By the way this is not the only place Jesus talks about the rewards we will receive for the little things we do here;
Matt. 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
Matt. 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Luke 14:14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The little things we do for Jesus will make a difference for all eternity and they won’t be missed because God is keeping track of them for us; Rev. 20:11-12
Another thing we will learn, in our series, is that we will gain more by serving the Lord than we could ever imagine.
There are 2 keys that the Scriptures point out that will determine everything about our eternal life, the life we have after death or rapture;
“Not what you know but who you know that gets us places.”
The first key is belief, belief determines where we will spend eternity, either with God in heaven or apart from Him in Hell.
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
The second key is behavior; the little things we do daily will determine how we spend eternity. Matt. 25:34; “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 45–46 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Behavior is the key we will be focusing on in the series we are beginning today. Behavior includes the actions we make and the work we do. Remember though that belief always precedes behavior and the behavior determines the rewards.
What we believe should determine how we behave and determine how we approach daily life differently than we used to.
Rom. 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. The little decisions we make, like how we spend our time and money, can become opportunities of great promise. What we do today and everyday following can and will matter for all eternity. One of the first things Jesus did when He began His public ministry was to set right the wrong understandings people had about God and His word and will. It was something He continued to do throughout His ministry.
I believe He did this because He was concerned about where and how we would spend eternity. God sent Jesus to teach us the whole truth about living for Him and the wondrous prospects of it, now and especially in eternity.
The rewards Jesus promises for our behavior as believers are a comfort to those who are committed to Him when troubles come for our faithfulness to Christ.
Benediction: Heb. 12:1–3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
