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Writer's pictureMatt Beaney

#995. Will Christians also be judged? (21/2/24)

This week, in our devotionals in Luke, we are using this parable of the lamp to inspire us. If you find these helpful, please do share them. Today we will consider what sort of judgement Christians will receive. 

‘“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.  For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”’ (Luke 8:16-17) 

Lesson: Christians have already been judged in Christ. However, we will receive judgement for rewards. 


To listen to this devotional, go to:



Yesterday, we began this theme of final judgement. We saw that when Jesus spoke about everything being brought in to the open, He was referring to final judgment when all of our deeds will be judged by God. This truth is meant to cause us to become prayerful and active in seeking to bring others into God’s mercy before that day. Today, I want us to see that there still remains  a judgement for Christians. To this you may say that sounds a bit heavy and I thought that I was forgiven…! Yes, it’s heavy and yes if you’ve received Christ, you are forgiven and justified! However, God wants you to be aware that you and I will face a judgement in regard to rewards. For example, Paul wrote:

‘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.’ (2 Corinthians 5:10) 

Jesus, in The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and The Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) speaks about How we are to serve Jesus faithfully and will receive different rewards, according to our faithfulness, when He comes. Luke tells us that, 

‘So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’’

Before Jesus’ return, we are to serve Jesus with the gifts and opportunities that He gives to us and for which service we will be rewarded. The Parable goes on to say:


‘The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’’ (Luke 19:16-19) 

Do you see that Jesus rewards us for our faithfulness in the ‘very small matter’ of faithful service even in small things? Now, we are not told exactly what a Christian’s rewards will be, however, surely to hear ‘Well done, my good servant!’ is reward enough! 


Response

Christians have already been judged in Christ. However, we will receive judgement for rewards. Are we taking seriously Jesus’ expectation for us to use our gifts and opportunities to serve Him faithfully? Are we investing our ‘mina’? Do we make the most of every opportunity to serve our Lord? He is not calling us to do more than we can so that we become burdened and joyless! No! He gives us the ‘Mina’ (That was about 3-months wages) and will give us of His Spirit so as to walk with Him into greater fruitfulness and into that day when we hear ‘Well done, my good servant!’ On that day the hidden things will be disclosed, and the concealed things brought out into the open as your secret service to God and people will be revealed, praised and rewarded. 

 

COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY

1. Notices

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

Please ensure that the members of your group are aware and familiar with using the daily devotionals which is accessed in Church News or the 'Teaching' button on the website. 


2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you? (Again, as with last week, this parable of the lamp on a stand, that we are looking at today, is very much linked with knowing and doing God’s Word).


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

This week, in our devotionals in Luke, we are using this parable of the lamp (Luke 18:16-18) to inspire us. 

In our days of electric lights, the need to tend a lamp has gone. Most of us find it hard enough to change a lightbulb let alone to tend a lamp that’s fuelled by oil! Jesus tells this parable as a compliment and reiteration of what He said previously in The Parable of the Soils. Both parables are about how we ‘hear’ God’s word, put it into practice and share it with others. 


Please read Luke :8:16-18

  1. What were you particularly struck by in Sunday’s message from Luke 8:16-18? 

  2. What would you say is the central teaching of this parable on putting the lamp on a stand? 

  3. What does it mean to hide our light and put our lamp on a stand?

  4. How can we seek to put our light on a stand?

  5. In verse 16, we read, ‘For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.’ How is this reference to final judgement to affect how we live? 

  6. SIV - How, specifically, are we to let our light shine on our community that’s outside of faith? 

  7. SIV - Why might we be tempted to hide our light from our non-believing friends, family and colleagues? 

  8. SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?

  9. Let’s pray together that, this week, we will have opportunities to SIV; and pray for anything else that’s come out of our time in God’s Word.

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