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Illustration: Performance review.  Evaluation.  Progress report.  Annual performance assessment.

 

Life review: Life evaluation.  Life assessment.  No opportunities to improve or make right.

 

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”

 

Matthew 25:14-30 Bags of gold (talents) parable.  Each talent the equivalent of 20 years’ worth of a laborer’s wage.  “Well done my good and faithful servant” to the one given five talents and the one given two talents.  The one given one talent was afraid and did nothing with what he had been given. 

 

What will you feel before walking through that door to see God face to face?

                A: Fear? Anticipation? Boldness? 

                A: John tells us it should be the latter!

 

Read 1 John 4:17-21

 

Living like Jesus will bring about the more perfect and complete love.  (17a)

• Loving God and others with a complete love is something in the “making” of our lives—it’s a journey.

 

Living and loving like Jesus will bring about confidence before God. (17)

• We will give an account, but it doesn’t have to be something to be feared.

 

• If you have been walking with Him then there will not be surprises.
  • Example: Great employer and employee relationships look at “reviews” as opportunities.

 

Fear is not and cannot be a building block for living a life of love. (18a)

• Fear is protective of self, so it is self-centered by its very nature.

 

• Fear of punishment or conflict avoidance as motivating our actions with others and with God is not based on love.

 

• Fear is only healthy when it is in respect of something or someone’s authority and/or presence.

 

Proverbs 1:7a “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…”

 

Proverbs 9:10a “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

 

1 Samuel 12:24 “Be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart…”

 

God wants you to engage Him in love not duty. (18b)

• Fear based relationships are at best stable, but certainly not thriving or experiencing vitality.
  • Walking on eggshells as to not alienate the other.
  • These types of relationships are not life giving.

 

• If you are only doing that which pleases Him to not tick Him off, then your true motivation is to avoid punishment or conflict.

 

• Compliance or action to avoid punishment is contrary to healthy relationship.
  • Example: Marriages are not in a good place if the defining motive of the marriage is to keep the peace or to “happy spouse…happy house” as doing something simply to keep a positive vibe.

 

God is the definer and initiator of perfect and complete love.  (19)

• God goes first. (See vs 10)

 

• It is not based on merit. (10)

 

• He withholds nothing. (9)

 

• He goes to the fullest end to make sure we benefit fully from Him. (10)

 

Loving an unseen God is best evidenced in our love for those we can see. (20)

• Loving an enemy or one who is difficult to love.

 

Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

 

• Your influencers tell you who you should love, but God shows no distinction in who you love or pray for.

 

• Caring for the least of these is SOOO pleasing to the Lord.

 

Matthew 25:34-36, 40 “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. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me,I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

 

We are commanded to love others as our expression of love for God.  (21)

 

Questions to consider in our relationship with God and others.

1. Is your relationship with God motivated by fear or love?
   • The person given the talent was afraid and wasted his life.
   • The people that heard “Well done” operated in opportunity and love.
   • Is your immediate reaction to this sermon “TRY HARDER”?

 

2. If you were to see God face to face today, would you be confident or apprehensive coming before Him? Why?

 

3. How would you evaluate your love for those you can see?
   • Caring for those who are hungry, thirsty, or in need of clothes.
   • Kindness towards strangers.
   • Opening the door to those who are in bondage.