#1535. Stewards understand they will be rewarded for works done in Christ (16/6/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our Stewardship series.

This week, the last in this series, we’re reflecting on the promise of reward for faithful stewardship. Today, our theme is:

Good stewards of God’s gifts understand that while their salvation is secure, their eternal rewards depend on how they faithfully invest the time, talents, and treasures He gives to them.

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

Of the many topics the Bible addresses, the promise of rewards for obedience and the loss of rewards for disobedience is one of the most overlooked.

Too often, we live like our choices for Christ don't really matter for eternity. We push the topic of rewards aside because we're afraid it will make people feel guilty or prideful. But no matter why we avoid it, the fact remains: God talks about rewards and loss in His Word, and it's something we need to understand and live out.

In our last devotional, looking at 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, we saw that good stewards know they are eternally secure because they are built on the foundation of Christ; they serve Him from that unshakable position. However, Paul doesn’t stop there. He doesn't teach that once a Christian is secure for heaven, it no longer matters how they live. Instead, he immediately transitions into stewardship, showing that our choices carry real consequences of eternal reward or loss.

The day will bring our stewardship to light

Paul points to ‘the Day’ that will expose the true quality of our work for Christ. This refers to the return of Christ and the Final Judgment. Paul likens God’s judgment to a consuming fire. After a house fire, combustible materials like wood, hay, or straw are reduced to ash, while fireproof materials - like gold, silver, and precious stones - remain intact.

In the same way, a Christian's good stewardship (things done faithfully for God's glory) will endure and be rewarded. Conversely, our poor stewardship - such as wasted opportunities or actions driven by selfish motives - will be burned up and account for nothing in eternity.

John Bunyan writes:

Paul assures us that all true Christians - even poor stewards - will be saved. However, we can’t get away from the challenge of this passage, and many like it, that promise reward or loss depending on our stewardship of God’s good gifts. 

Jesus writes:

To expand upon the quote by Randy Alcorn that we looked at in our last devotional:

Response

Good stewards of God’s gifts understand that while their salvation is secure, their eternal rewards depend on how they faithfully invest the time, talents, and treasures He gives to them.

My hope is that we can all see the incredible eternal significance of our daily stewardship. Are we building on the foundation of Christ with care?

If you ever feel overwhelmed by this call, remember: God never asks us to do more than we are capable of. He is the one who provides the time, talents, treasures, and the very power of His presence to accomplish His will. As we read in the Parable of the Talents, He gives to each of us "according to our ability":

God owes us absolutely nothing. Yet, in His radical generosity, He gives us salvation in His Son. And then, as if that weren't enough, He provides us with the time, resources, and spiritual power we need, and even rewards us for how we use His gifts. What an amazingly gracious Father we serve.

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:

Community Group Study

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued with our Stewardship series, reflecting on the promise of rewards for those who are faithful in their stewardship. 

Please read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 and discuss:

1. Personal Reflection – What inspired you, what did God speak to you about through Sunday’s message?

2. What do these verses teach us about the foundation of our salvation? 

3. What do we learn about stewardship and rewards? (See Matthew 25:21-23 also?)

4. In what ways, and with what, are we to ‘build with care’? 

5. Personally, how has this series helped you in your stewardship? 

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Why is stewardship vital if we are to be effective witnesses personally and as a church? 

• Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.

• Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Are there any ‘people of peace’ (*see note) in your life—those who are receptive to you and spiritual conversation?

Let’s pray together: 

• Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.

• Pray for one another's SIV opportunities and boldness in following the Spirit's promptings.

• Pray specifically for the “people of peace” in our lives—asking God to open hearts and provide opportunities to speak life and truth.