Perspective
For the largest segment of our lives, most of us go to work and collect a paycheck. We know that Paul did that as a tent maker and we believe Jesus earned a living as a carpenter. It is also biblical to store some in reserve. Today we typically store up for the future in a 401k Plan or maybe an IRA. Both are terms from our federal tax code.
The first component of my ministry is Perspective.
So, lets put a timeline to our average period of our time on earth:
Most will receive an education over a period of roughly 20 years.
Most will make a living over the next 40 years – give or take.
You will probably live for another 20 years so you need to make sure you have stored up enough.
By the way, I’ve heard many spiritually mature people say that retirement is not biblical. While the Bible appears to be silent on the issue, I see no problem with preparing for a time when you can’t work or no longer need to work for a paycheck.
But I can assure you that “retirement from purpose” is not Biblical.
Purpose
Other than Salvation – which is amazing unto itself!
The question is – what does it mean to be a Christian?
For many it is more a state of being rather than doing.
Some have derogatorily said that Christianity can tend to be a bit of a spectator sport. They say, we go to church, a bible study, and maybe a mission trip, but often leave much of the “doing” to the paid professionals.
Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t trade the state of being a Christian for anything!
I also understand the controversy of salvation by works vs grace.
True Christianity is only based on what God did for us and our belief. We cannot do anything to earn salvation. That is the definition of grace and what makes Christianity totally unique from any other religion.
But the question remaining is: as a Christian are we supposed to just Be?
The Bible doesn’t seem to indicate that.
Heaven
I propose that a fairly socialistic view of heaven is not very accurate either. I don’t know where that view comes from – but I have my suspicions!
Perhaps people see accumulation, or striving to gain, as based in greed and greed is a sin and there will be no sin in heaven so the result is a socialistic view of heaven:
We all end up sitting in white robes, on white clouds, listening to harp music for eternity! I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t excite me much.
The other good news is the Bible teaches that God has something way more exciting in store!
So, lets look at what God’s Word has to say:
Perhaps one of the more difficult passages of scripture to apply is Matthew 6:19,20 (all passages NASB):
Storing Treasure
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal…”
I’m not going to ask for a show of hands, but I want you to examine your heart for how well you are doing with that passage today.
Many people have a hard time getting their minds around what that passage really means.
It is interesting when asked about verse 20 how many people will actually describe a works based salvation and twist that passage into earning heaven – and therefore heaven itself is our reward- yet all of the New Testament refutes that thinking.
It seems clear that Jesus is telling us to work now for a payment given while in heaven.
I’ve heard it said that “God determines our standard of living in this life and He gives us the opportunity to determine our standard of living for all of eternity.”
Think about it – did you pick your parents? Year of Birth? State or nation? Race? Siblings? Parents careers? Grade school or high school?
Well, God did. In His sovereign plan He chose all of those things for you including today’s income level. And, what we do while on earth will matter for all of eternity.
Parable of the Sower
Jesus gives us more clarity to storing up treasure in heaven when He explains His first parable described in Matthew 13:18-23:
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown on the road. The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he as no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”
“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom the seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
Bear Fruit
The seed in this parable is the Word of God. The soil is our heart. Jesus often uses agricultural metaphors. The purpose of the good soil is to reproduce the Word. We are often told to bear fruit in the New Testament. Although the Bible doesn’t explicitly state what fruit is, a review of the subject reveals it as Spiritual birth or growth and the resulting reproduction. So, when we bear fruit we are witnessing to others or helping them in their spiritual growth.
While the Parable of the Sower teaches many things, I suggest that the focal point is not salvation (that may be a secondary point), but it is for believers to bear as much fruit as possible. Much of that will depend on our gifts and circumstances, but I can assure you, if you don’t have the Perspective that God wants every one of us to bear fruit, you won’t.
And you will miss out on God’s 1001k Plan! Why “1001k Plan”? Because if your employer offers a match on a 401k Plan and you don’t participate you don’t understand Return on Investment. And that investment will eventually burn up. What God offers will last for eternity! (So “1001k” seemed a lot better – and it got your attention!)
Unfortunately, most believers do not have the perspective that we are all called to bear fruit (participate in real reproduction). Many are unwittingly caught up in the 3rd soil where the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of riches prevent them from bearing fruit. In other words, they are a believer who is just too busy with the world and they have no perspective of trying to even attain the fourth soil.
The BEMA Seat of Christ
The apostle Paul provides more clarity to the issue.
In his first letter to the people of Corinth he says:
1 Corinthians 3:8
“Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Notice the use of he, one, own, any man, each man, himself. These are not words commonly used in the Old Testament. For the most part, God dealt with the nation of Israel on a collective basis. But God primarily deals with believers in the New Testament on an individual basis. Many Christians miss that point.
This issue is important enough for Paul to repeat it in his second letter that he sent to the people of Corinth (2 Corinthians 5:10):
“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”.
That applies to every single one of us!
A Final Exam???!!!
To be recompensed means to be paid back. This is commonly referred to as the BEMA Seat of Christ. This is not the Great White Throne Judgement that non believers face when they are cast into hell. This is a judgement every believer will face. It does not appear to involve condemnation, but is actually more reward oriented. In essence, it is the “final exam of our life” where we receive our final reward that will last with us for all of eternity.
Show of hands – how many of us got nervous for final exams? How many of us ever had to cram for an exam because we didn’t prepare? How many of us live our Christian life like we are going to face the exam of our life?
Question:
You believed Jesus enough to believe in Him for salvation. Do you believe Him enough to live a life on this earth with a focus toward fruit bearing -because you know you are going to face the final exam of your life – before the Creator of the Universe?
Here is what Peter had to say about that (1 Peter 1:17):
Show of hands – How many of us call God in Heaven our Father?
“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth”
Perhaps the sheer terror I felt during exam time was a good primer for me as a Christian!
We Are All Priests
Every time you help someone in their spiritual journey you are planting or watering spiritual seeds and God promises to reward you handsomely for it. By the way, you aren’t on commission for the close! That’s God’s job. Only God causes the growth in others. We get rewarded for planting and watering!
And this issue isn’t just about evangelism. Yes, evangelism is important. But in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:20 Jesus didn’t tell us to go and make believers. He said to “go and make disciples”. Disciple making is a long journey, and that command isn’t reserved for the paid professionals – its for all of us.
Judaism and Christianity are radically different. The Jews had to follow 613 laws. Christians have an enormous amount of freedom. God dealt with the Jews as a nation. God deals with Christians individually. The Jews were given the Levitical Priesthood. Only the decedents of Levi could become priests. King David got in trouble because he ate the shewbread that was reserved for the Priests.
A Priest is a representative, you could say “an ambassador”.
And every Christian is expected to be a representative of Jesus and ambassadors for Him!
One of the more radical passages of scripture (for it’s day) is 1 Peter 2:9
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
The Jews were used to having a specific group of people identified as Priests. Peter is identifying all believers as having the responsibility to be those priests! Representatives of Jesus! Our purpose for life is to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!” That declaration is what gives us purpose. Not just a small group of professionals but every believing Christian!
The only Psalm we know of that Moses wrote was the 90th Psalm, written about 3,500 years ago. It is very powerful and brief. After he speaks of God’s eternality and man’s brevity of life he says:
“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away… So teach us to number our days, (prepare for the exam) that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”
My prayer is that God will teach each one of us to number our days and understand how brief life is in view of eternity. Hopefully each one of us will be well prepared for that final exam and not try rely on cramming!
Do The Work He Gave Us To Do!
Sometime back many believers wore bracelets that asked What Would Jesus Do (WWJD). Jesus gives us the answer in John 17:4 in
His very personal prayer to His Father “I glorified you by doing the work you gave Me to do “
That is what Jesus DID do – He glorified the Father by doing what the Father asked Him to do.
Earlier in John 15:8 He told every one of us what we should do:
“My Father in Heaven is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and prove to be My disciples”
Am I suggesting that we all quit our jobs and preach on a street corner somewhere? No, God calls us to care for our families. He has given us our careers and forms of income just like Jesus and Paul had. He also gives us life and wants us to live it abundantly. But, He has also told us that every one of us will face Jesus and will give a full account of our life.
The purpose of this paper was to introduce you to “God’s 1001k Plan”. You can’t find it in our tax code. It is only in our Bible. He offers it to every one of us. Thieves can’t hack into it and steal it, moth and rust won’t destroy it, and its market will never crash. It’s my understanding that the returns are out of this world. Some would even say heavenly!
When you consider the life expectancy of man, you might have 20 years to enjoy the fruits of your investment in your 401k Plan. God promises us an eternity to enjoy the fruits of your investments in His Plan.
God Bless!
Kim Fettig
Further reading:
Matthew 25 Parables of Ten Virgins and Talents
Word Search: “Fruit” and “Reward” in the New Testament
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done”
(Note: The reward is not salvation! That’s a gift!)