The Bema Seat： Face to Face

In one paragraph

Week two of the "A Full Reward" series focused on what the Bible calls the bema seat, the judgment seat of Christ that every Christian will one day stand before. Brian walked the room through what that moment actually looks like, why it matters, and what will be evaluated there. The bottom line he kept returning to: every moment matters when forever is your measure. Brian picked up where last week...

Read together

1. Romans 14:7-12 read aloud to establish that every person will stand before the judgment seat of God and give a personal account
2. 2 Corinthians 5:10 read aloud to show that Christians must all stand before Christ to be judged and receive what they deserve for deeds done in the body
3. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 read aloud to explain that each person's work will be tested by fire at the judgment seat, with gold, silver, and jewels surviving and wood, hay, and straw being burned up
4. Psalm 139:16 cited to show that every day of a person's life was recorded in God's book before a single day had passed, connecting to the idea of a God-given assignment
5. Psalm 25 recalled from memory at the close, linking fear of the Lord to wisdom and God sharing his secrets with those who fear his name

What was said

• Read Psalm 139 on your own this week and sit with verse 16, asking God what he recorded in your book before you were born.
• Ask God directly to show you the lie the enemy uses to keep you drinking from the mud puddle instead of the fresh water he has for you, and be quick to repent when he does.
• Spend some time this week asking the Holy Spirit to reveal your specific assignment, the one Jesus will call you to account for at the bema seat.
• If you have been tending a grave, returning again and again to an old sin or shame, lay it back down at the foot of the cross and leave it there.
• Sign up on the fridge to serve at the Good Samaritan Mission on August 20, or block off October for the Wind River Reservation trip.

Talk about it

1. Brian used the image of a cat choosing a muddy puddle over a fresh bowl of clean water. Is there an area of your life where you find yourself going back to something that you know is not life-giving? What do you think keeps drawing you back?
2. Brian described two kinds of righteousness: self-righteousness and the righteousness of Christ. What does it actually look like in everyday life when someone is relying on one versus the other?
3. Brian said the bema seat judgment for Christians looks less like a courtroom and more like an Olympic medal ceremony. How does that picture change the way you think about standing before Jesus one day?
4. First Corinthians 3 describes two kinds of building materials: gold, silver, and jewels on one hand, and wood, hay, and straw on the other. What do you think makes the difference between the two in terms of how we actually spend our time and energy?
5. Brian said Jesus will not call you forward by your job title or vocation but by your assignment, using John as an example: not sunglass store owner but worship leader. What do you think your assignment is, and how confident are you that you know it?