The Bema Seat： Face to Face
Tribe
2025-08-11

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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I love it. Hi, Shay. Let's stand.

You may not know this song. It's an oldie to us, but with the cold air this morning, I I was thinking about this song. It's easy to pick up. You ready, Joe? My faithful Joe.

Finally living for the first time. Like I'm living for the first time. Finally living for the first. Let's go to the top. Always like springtime time.

Finally living for the first time. This is what you do. Because this is what you do. This is what you do. You made me come alive.

This is what you do. This is what you do. You make me come alive. This is what you do. This is what you do.

You make me come alive. This is what you do. Time. Oh the

lord, we just come before you this morning. We ask that you would just shake the cobwebs off this morning. We just exhale. We come before you this morning. We encourage ourselves this morning in how you delight in our worship.

No matter what we come in here with today, how tired we feel, how weary, how excited, Lord, we just we come before you and we just remind ourselves like that song said, that when we met you, it was like we were living for the very first time. It didn't mean life got easier. In fact, in some ways, it probably got harder. But, oh, the joy and the peace when we have life in you because we know where we're going. We know what we were made for.

Just take a second before we sing this next song and just ask him to settle your mind, remove distractions.

Thank

you, Lord, that you make broken dead things new. It doesn't matter how bleak a situation. Lazarus was dead in the tomb, and you stepped on the scene, and even death, hell, and the grave did not have dominion over your simple words, come. Come forth. So would you call us today into life, thinking that aligns with you today?

Make our minds come into alignment of how you see situations. Thank you that we could search the entire world, but it cannot fill us like you can. Just thank him this morning.

Sing I'm not afraid.

Just mean this. Wait this before you.

Show you my weakness. The failures and flaws. Lord, you seem more.

Just sing that bridge. Turn dancing.

I was made to be

Let's sing that chorus one more time. Believe this about yourself. Lord, we just give you everything. We'll just come fresh today in all our weariness, in all of our brokenness, in all of our victories, we come fresh before you today. You're everything.

You're everything. And when we turn and put our hope, our trust, our worries into other things, It's just empty, but when we come to you, it's where we're full. And so, Lord, we do ask like children to a father today, would you fill us? Fill us fresh today because you long for us to come to you constantly, intimately before you. And if there's someone in this room or watching on the livestream that's been tending a grave, that's been just stuck and mulling around in something the enemy did maybe to you, Maybe it was your sin, and you've been tending that, tending that rather than laying it back down at the foot of your cross where it belongs.

And maybe we've done that a thousand times, laid it down, but maybe we keep going back to check on it. That's what tending it means. I wasn't made to be tending a grave, tending that old life, tending to those things that don't bring eternal life. Maybe it's a mindset. Maybe it's a mindset that does not align with the life available in Jesus that he provided on the cross.

He's calling us today to put that to rest once and for all.

Because you were made for all.

And the enemy's plan would be to keep you looking back at that thing.

Born and raised back to life again. I was made for more.

Ask yourself this.

Was made for more.

Oh, we were singing that. I just maybe this will relate to someone, but I feel like this is the Lord is like, come on. Come on. Come on. Like, I had got this picture of yesterday.

I was watching our cat, Stanley, and the hose was leaking into the mud. And I had just filled a super fresh gigantic gigantic bowl of ice cold well water, like our well water is so yummy. And I showed him, Stanley, look, here's here's the fresh water. Here's the fresh water. Put his paws up on there, and he just kinda looked at it.

And then he walked over, and he drank that muddy puddle. And I just thought, what in the why would he do that? And I saw that picture in my mind and I just felt like the Lord, ask yourself, why? Why would you make a bed in your shame? I know we know why.

Because the enemy is a liar, and he's got us tricked. Right? He thinks, well, you messed up, so now I need to stay and stew and do this thing. And the Lord's like, I have a bucket overflowing over here for you. And you know it.

You know it because you've experienced it. And he's just like, I can't make you drink. I cannot make you drink. I wish I could, but I cannot make you drink. You've gotta drink it.

So Lord, if there's someone in this room right now that is like, why do I? Lord, show me what is holding me up from just drinking from your fresh life giving water. Show me because I'm hung up drinking out of this mud puddle like a silly cat who doesn't know better. Show us right now. We'll just take a minute.

Just ask him by his spirit. Lord, show me why I do that. Show me the lie of the enemy that makes me think I'm not worthy of drinking that water. Show me the lie of the enemy right now that draws me to that mud puddle over and over and over. Maybe it's just rebellion.

Maybe it's because what you have to give up, you're not ready to give up. Let him show you, and then just be quick to repent.

I was made for more. So why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way.

Lord, thank you. Thank you. Thank you that you are so faithful to meet us today. Regardless of every moment up into this moment, you are faithful. You can change us today.

Maybe our circumstance doesn't change, but you can change our outlook. You can change and rise up hope in us, faith in us, and fix our eyes on you. We're so thankful. We're so thankful to be able to have this type of relationship with you. We grab a hold of it today, and we operate in its fullness, and we come before you like a daddy, And we lay all our needs out in front of you.

And we let you teach us and guide us, because that's the kind of father you are. You could just force us to drink the water, but then that is not the kind of child that you want. You want us to choose you and choose the life so we don't go back to it. We tell you we love you. Continue to speak to us through your word today and through what you've put on Brian's heart.

I thank you for every precious heart in this room today. Do a mighty, mighty, mighty work where there's weariness, where there's heaviness. We put on a garment of praise today for that spirit. We're thankful that you will lift it. I don't feel released to move on just yet.

Let's just be still for a minute. Just do business with him this morning. Maybe he's tap tapping on a certain area, like when you get a med check and they press and they press. That's a little sore. We just keep this attitude of worship in this space.

We thank you. Does anyone have something on their heart that you feel like the Lord? Okay.

I'm gonna try to make it through this without crying, but that's not gonna happen. Cry at all. God just, I feel like, took me on such a journey during this whole worship was was I think this was the best worship we've ever had here. But it started with you, and I know that you know that you're living in your purpose. But he was just showing me, like, it's so much more.

Like, you have such an anointing on your life for worship, and it's so big and it's so beautiful and it touches so many hearts. And then I felt like it trickled down the line of the worship team. And, Amanda, I could see your heart for being a mother and how much you just hold everyone up. And God says that you're not alone in that. He wants to help you hold it up.

You don't have to do it in your own strength. And then, Ali, you have so many giftings that he's, like, resting on you. And then, Corey, I went to you and, like, I know that everyone talks about your music, but God was like, it's your heart. That is your gifting so much more than your music. And then I could so hearly clear your hear clearly hear your voice, Brian.

And, like, I know that you think you don't have a good voice, but, like, I could just feel, like, God being, like, but I love it so much, and it's so beautiful to me. And then I went to Bob and, like, his quiet introspection, which is, like, the most beautiful worship to the Lord even though, like, you're not Ella and it kept trickling around and how special he thinks that every single person in this room is and how unique he's designed you and how much he loves you. God, it's like we all just need to get that in our hearts.

It's beautiful. Thank you, Lord, that we can know whose we are. Thank you, Lord, that we can know our purpose. Thank you, Lord, that you speak through your body to encourage us. Lord, help us to actually grasp what Gretchen just said, how much you love our worship.

Each and every one of us, how you made us uniquely. The song that comes from only us, each one of us. And I remember that being a turning point for me when I let go of pleasing anybody else when it came to worship, and I just said, Lord, I'll worship you if it's just you and me in a closet. I'm gonna sing my heart out. Lord, thank you for how you've gifted each and every one of us.

Continue to speak our identity over us today, that we can live this life to the fullest in you of what you had designed us for and for eternity. Let's sing this together one last time.

Is running my way. I know I am yours. I was made

for more. Thank you, Lord. We continue to worship you by honoring your word. We tell you we love you. In Jesus' name, and everybody said, amen.

Fill up your coffee, refuel, grab a donut.

No. It's just up here. It was just up here. Yes. Yes.

This is great. I love this. Hi. Good morning. This is a good crew.

I like this. We're gonna have we're gonna have a we're gonna have a fun morning together. Okay. Worship was so good this morning, Liz. Bob said, alright.

Well, preacher number 2 or maybe preacher number 3, good luck. If this was preacher number 1, you're preacher number 2. Let's 2. Yeah. Let's see what preacher number 3 can come up with.

So last week, we started a series of conversations that I am expecting to last about four weeks, but we'll we'll see. And this series of conversation came from either either something that I said or something that one of you said as a contribution, maybe about a month or so ago. And whatever whatever whoever said it, the lord's like, put a pin in that because I wanna go back and unpack that some more. And I said, okay. That sounds good to me.

So where we're going comes from a part of a conversation that was developing here at Tribe, and I doubt any of you will remember it. I don't even remember the like, exactly who said it and what they said, but the lord's like, oh, I want to I'm gonna put my finger on that. So that is what we're doing. And last week, we started a conversation a series of conversations that I'm calling a full reward. And if you remember in the gospel excuse me.

In one of John's letters, he was talking he was talking about this idea of I want John is essentially saying, I'm this is like this is Brian's paraphrase. But John is saying, he's encouraging the church, and he says, I want you to not be deceived and not be robbed. I want you to receive your full reward. And we talked last week that if there is a full reward, then by implication, what does that also leave the possibility open for? No reward.

Reward. Partial reward. Or a partial reward. And I don't know if I'll well, yeah, let's just let's just jump right into a a quick analogy first. Board games.

How many of you enjoy playing board games? How many of you annoyed that your spouse always wins at the board game? I'm the one who wins. How many how many of you how many of you have a spouse that that reaches for the rule book and has strict tight control over the rule book? How many of you take the rule book and you're like, ah, that's kind of more of a suggestion and you end up playing your what's fun is what's fun is to have the joy of doing life with with many of you and getting to know your board game self at our house or coming over to your house.

Yeah. Yeah. It should be. Yeah. So so today's message is all about Logan.

So the the series of conversations that we're having has to do with a full reward. But before we can talk about this idea of a reward, we've had to rewind and lay a foundation to make sure that all of us are on the same page. So the series of conversations that we're having is called a full reward and we are in week two. And today we're gonna talk about this Greek word bema. The bema seat.

So if you remember let's, let me do I wanna jump ahead? Like slide wise. Let me see which will this work best. Yeah there's a white slide with like a graphic. Let's put that up.

And the other white graphic that's got like that's the one. Okay. So we wanna talk about, a full reward which is up there, but we need to lay the foundation. You are here in this life. All of you are here in this.

But there'll come a time if Jesus doesn't return, that's a little bit different scenario. They'll doesn't return before you die. It's not like he's not gonna return. Thank you. Thank you.

This is this is all of our destiny. After that, according to the bible, we go to judgment. And last week, we talked about judgment for anyone who has not invited Jesus into their heart, and it results in eternal punishment. And this may sound harsh. This may sound brutal, but it is the truth and the reality according to God's word and what Jesus has to say.

And the analogy that we used from scripture last week was a parable that Jesus told, that Jesus, as the good shepherd, will separate the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right, and he will place the goats on his left, and he tells the sheep that it is time to enter into the reward prepared for them by their father. And then he'll turn to the goats on his left, and he will say, depart from me. And then his analogy shifts from sheeps to goats to to eternity. And he says, forever he talks about eternal forever separation from God.

So we had to start with judgment, and we had to then go to talking talking about about as as much much as as unpleasant as it may seem or feel as much as the world wants to plug their ears and go la la la la la la la This is a reality. When a person stands before god at judgment, there is only one criteria that god is looking for. And what is that? Righteousness. Now there are two kinds of righteousness.

Yeah. Yeah. You're you're you're following me. What's one of them? Self righteousness.

What's another kind? Yeah. Jesus. Jesus' righteousness. Alright.

Now tell me about the difference between the two types of righteousness. Since you jumped to self righteousness, tell me about self righteousness.

I guess I think of self righteousness as kind of doing it on your own, making lift lifting yourself up Mhmm. By your own means. And what Trying

to look good. There you go. Trying to look good. When you come you can't have judgment without a judge. Judge.

When you stand before the judge with your own self righteousness, what might that look like? We're kind of using our sanctified imagination here.

Yeah. I think just, like, all cleaned up and proud and, like, look at me and I aren't I you know, didn't I do a wonderful job of living life?

Didn't I do a wonderful job of living life on earth? And and the judge says, tell me a little bit more about didn't I do a wonderful job? What do you mean by that? The judge says. And the self righteous person would respond.

Well, always always tithe perfectly, and I always, you know, you know, showed up to, you know, do meals at the mission. And I always

I laughed at pastor Brian's jokes.

Laughed at pastor Brian's jokes. Really, never beat him at a board game.

God's like, okay. Now I'm gonna give you partial credit for that. Alright. What is the other kind of righteousness? Jesus' righteousness.

Righteousness in Christ to be theologically accurate. What does that look like? This is you. This, and what does the Jesus kind of righteousness look like? What would a person say?

I think it would go something like, I'm a miserable sinner, and I can't fix myself, but I thank you for coming and paying my price. Pretty good. There's nothing about myself that I could say or do that would ever qualify me for the one criteria of righteousness. In this life, I placed my hope and trust by faith in the one and only son of god, Jesus. And God's like then he examines the books.

We'll talk more about the books soon. But he will legally look to see if you have asked for the blood of Jesus to be applied to your life. And we are for the people that have invited Jesus into their heart. The Bible bible says the righteousness of Christ. And then we go to a different type of judgment.

So we talked about this last week. We're gonna go up and talk about this work this week. So would you go back to the title of this week's conversation? Week two, the bema seat. Let's read from god's word together as a starting point.

If you have your bible with you this morning, would you turn to the book of Romans? Do you like it when I say if you have your bible with you this morning, would you turn to? For me, there's great nostalgia every time I say that. It is a little nod and thanks for mentoring to my mentor in ministry for many, many years. He would always start every Sunday with, if you have your Bible with you this morning, would you turn to

mhmm.

Romans there we go. And we're gonna look at two passages. When you get there, would somebody please read Romans 14 verses seven through 12? And then somebody else can be flipping ahead to second Corinthians. He's trying really hard for that prophetic word of encouragement.

And

there it is.

For we we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it is to honor the Lord, and if we die, it is to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ and Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, to be the lord both of the living and the dead and of the dead. So why did you con condemn another believer?

Why did you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the scriptures say, as surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bound bound bend to me, and every tongue will confess confess and give praise to God. Yes. Each of us will give a personal account to God.

Oh, okay. We go back to that that that graphic. As I was creating this, there was so much that I wanted to fill in and and perhaps it will become more decorative in the future. But that's happening that's happening right here that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. Think about the most stubborn hard hearted rebellious what do you call a person that atheist.

Thank you. Not agnostic. There could be. I'm not quite sure. Atheist like, definitely not.

The the most rebellious person that you can think of currently that's in the Venn diagram circle of your life currently or in history, every tongue will confess, and every knee will bow before God. They will be held dead to rights. They may not like it, but they will be like, you're right. That is such an incredibly powerful moment. Have you ever been a parent of of two littles or been a teacher or camp counselor or something and one kid comes to you telling their story and you're like, oh my gosh.

Wow. That other person is totally wrong. And then the other kid comes up to you and shares their side of the story and you're like, oh, wait. No. No.

They're wrong and you're and then you're like, oh, great. Who's right? Who's wrong? Or if you've ever been or if you've ever tried to be or if you've ever believed a lie from a person or if you've ever tried to if you've ever been the victim of manipulation or you're like, like, you you know, you're in a position to arbitrate truth, but you're like, it's so confusing or it's so hard or not quite sure or none of those thing. God is never ever ever in that dilemma.

His judgments are always perfectly right and true and and spot on. And if you've ever every good parent works at creating fences for their children so that the only path that a child can take with their free will is, as a parent, what you have desired for them or intended for them. You can either have carrots or broccoli tonight for dinner. You get to pick in you know, that's a silly example. We've created these fences to allow them to make good choices.

So so in a in a similar way, because god is so smart and he sees everything, there's no game that that any person can ever run on. You cannot pull the wool over his eyes. You cannot trick him. You cannot plead with him. You cannot manipulate him.

You cannot lie to him. You cannot deceive him. You will be it will be as if you are standing in front of him in your birthday suit, nothing to hide. And even if people don't like it, they will be like, I can't argue with it. Let's go to the next verse.

Would you put those two verses back up? Second Corinthians five ten. And for my two friends in the back that are reading your bible from your phone, just quick question for you. What, app do you read from or do you have an app that you use? What do you what do you got?

What do you use? It's called bible. Yeah. Yeah. Is it The bible app.

Yeah. Yeah. And it's like kinda brown. Yes. Okay.

That's good. So you can you can select like what book of the bible you wanna go to, what chapter, and then you scroll down. And then at the top just to the right, there's another button and you can select what version to read from. Oh, that's great. I love that question.

Go help her. Liz. Go help her.

Right now?

Yeah. Here

I come.

I love love love love love this. That is a fantastic question. I have a deeply profound answer for you. So I grew up on the NIV because my mom always took she was Baptist. She took me to Baptist church in in the default NIV.

And I was a youth pastor for several years, and my friend, Megan of Megan and Sevi, she's like, oh, got this. She's a really good gift giver. She's like, I got you this bible, and it was in like a metal case. And, you know, like, open it up and like, oh, it's, you know, kind of like a trick thing. But that translation was the New Living Translation.

And so all of my years as a youth pastor, I read from the New Living Translation. Like, okay. And then that's why. I still read from the New Living Translation. But when I study, I always bounce around to try to get more rounded balanced perspective on what any passages say.

I would suggest to you that no translation is is absolutely perfect, not because the bible isn't perfect, but because people translating the bible are are humans. God is wonderful and amazing and sovereign, and and the the bible is inspired, but it helps me to study to just look at a couple of different versions. Oh, yes. Please.

I've had a lot of good conversations lately about like translations and stuff like that. I think it's important to just recognize that English is a limited language. We think about like love, like the word love being the obvious example, like we have one word and it's love, and so many other languages have multiple words for that, for like the different levels and stuff. So that's why I love using different translations. It's just not because like a translation is wrong, but that the Hebrew or the Greek can be translated differently because English is just a limited language.

Oh.

Right.

It's a it's a square versus a cube. And so you get to see pull all the sides.

There we go.

Let me give you my favorite example of Okay. We have some friends who are missionaries in Puerto Rico Costa Rica Mhmm. With the Quebecor Indians in the jungle. It's almost like on the border with Panama, and the Quebecers, have no bible, and these guys are down there trying to translate the English bible into Quebecer. The Quebecers have lots of gods.

There's no single god. There are probably 20 gods. And so they're trying to translate the word god from the English into Quebecor, and again, they had to pick one. Yeah. So they they spent years on this project, but they picked the wrong god.

Oops. The god they picked was a nasty evil god.

So so

redo. Take two take two.

Yeah. So if any of you go into bible translation, be careful. Be careful about that. Thank you, Bob. Let's look at second Corinthians five ten.

Would Kat, would you read that since you got the mic right there?

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Okay. Do I have that whole, Joe, do I have that whole verse, that we can put on the screen? There it is. Okay. Let's look at this.

I am now talking to Christians, and I always say this. I I I come at this from a lot of different angles so that so that to in an attempt to try to be precise. Christians, a person who has invited Jesus into their heart, person who has been born again, a person who has made Jesus the leader of their life. Some denominations would say their personal lord and savior. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

Are you sniffing what I'm stepping in? Christian. Okay? This this verse is for Christians, for we must all stand before Christ to be judged. Now this is really important because I think that just out of maybe a little bit of confusion, a little bit of ignorance, like and also laziness that many Christians have thought, okay.

Before I was saved, before I came became a Christian, like, I was gonna I was gonna, like, stand before God as judge, and then I would go to hell and, that would be awful. But now that I'm saved, as soon as I die, everything's great. Yes. And yes. And you will stand before Jesus to be judged.

I underline that word to be judged. And in the Greek, it says that the phrase is a little bit different, and perhaps in your translation, it could be a little bit different. It says the judgment seat of Christ. Maybe that's what your version says. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Okay. We need to have a better understanding of what's happening. First of all, that word judgment seat is a Greek word bema, b e m a. The bema seat of Christ. Now when you picture that scene playing out, I don't know what comes into your mind.

Maybe a courtroom because you think about judge. Judges do their job in a courtroom. So maybe you're thinking that it would be scary and in court. And even if you've, like, had to go to court for, like, a parking ticket or something, you're like, like, what if, like, what if they he finds out about that overdue library book from, like, eighth grade and, well, now I'm going to prison. You know, like I don't know what's gonna happen when you stand in front of the judge and you like you use words that you've like never ever used before like, your your honor, your highness, your royal I don't know.

I mean that's never happened to me. But here I want us to this is what we've thought, but I want us to shift our thinking little bit. The bema seat of Christ, the bema judgment seat for Christians looks way less like a courtroom and looks way more like the medal ceremony at an at the Olympics. Now, Brian, where are you getting this? I'm not making this up to try to, like, soften the edges for you.

I am being biblically accurate. So back in Jesus' day, they already had, like like like, a version of the Olympics. The Olympics and and games and trials and competitions had been going on for a long time. And so in the same way that the Olympics or any competitive sport is in our collective consciousness, When a reader in Jesus' day read those words, he would think of something similar to what we think of. Do not think of a courtroom, but think of a winner's podium.

Will you show that picture right here? First of all, what sport is this? Cycling. Yes. There you go.

Cycling. Do you know what cycling event this is? Is a big hint right there. Okay so so how many of you know why there are four different colored jerseys? Yes they're different teams but Logan what do you got?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Very good.

This is why. Very good. So the the overall winner of the whole tour is in the yellow jersey. In French, they call it the and then the green jersey, he's won all of the sprints in there. The polka dot jersey is called the king of the mountain jersey, and he has the fastest time up all of the climbs.

And then the white jersey is for the best young rider under 24 or 25. And these guys are on the podium. Now before the Milo Jean steps up at the end of the Tour de France, does he know that he's won the Tour de France? Yeah. It's not a surprise.

It is a confirmation. It is a it is a recognition of what he's already attained. Think of first place as being judged as the winner. The judge, the the, officials of the Tour de France, called this man up on stage. They pronounce their judgment.

I judge you to be the winner. This is the bema seat. Question. How? I don't know if you'll I might be reaching a little too far just yet, but how what is the method or the mechanism for the judgment seat of Christ?

How will we be judged? What will the method this is a good okay. I'm there. I'm there. What is the method of Christians judgment at the bema seat of Christ?

What is it that judges us? And if you don't know do you wanna you wanna take a shot? Washed in the blood. Okay. Alright.

Alright. So so if you don't need to turn there, but back you can you have your that graphic spun up in your mind. So at judgment, books, multiple books are open. The book of life, sometimes referred to as the lamb's book of life. Your name is written in there.

But then the the book, there's an there there are other books that are open. But then when we go to the bema seat of Christ, there's another method of judge okay. I'll give you I'll give you a hint. First Corinthians chapter three verse 10 through 15. Let's read this together, and then I'll ask you the same question.

What is the method by which Jesus judges us at the bema seat? First Corinthians chapter three verse 10 through 15. Would somebody please read that? Yes. There I mean, it's literally right there.

Because of god's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it, but whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful, for no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have, Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials, gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.

If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

What is the method of judgment? Fire. Fire. Fire.

Let's be a little more

let's see what hyperlinks may be in your mind about standing in front of Jesus at the bema seat of judgment and be judged by fire. Where does that fire come from? Or mhmm. Connor, say it. His eyes.

All he has to do is look into your eyes, and he'll see and know everything. Just let that moment sit. In the book of Song of Solomon, Jesus says, let me see your face, my beautiful one, my dove. I see you hiding in the cleft of the rock, but let me see your face because you are altogether beautiful to me. The cleft of the rock is analogous to the cleft in Jesus' side that when he was pierced, blood and water flowed.

Just as when a mother gives birth, blood and water flow and then new life emerges. The church was born out of Jesus' side in the same way that God took Eve out of Adam's side. And Jesus says, you have loved me. You have loved my church, and you are beautiful and wonderful to me. Come look me in the eyes.

The eyes of Jesus that burn like fire, that we can't hide anything from him. How terrifying and simultaneously wonderful that will leave every Christian trembling with fear and love. Two types of building materials. What's one type? Gold, silver, jewels.

A type that won't burn. What is the other type? Okay. Now what will we be judged on? If the methodology of judgment is fire, and I would suggest to you, and I think there would not be theologians that would disagree with me, that his eyes that burn like fire, he just looks at you, and he sees and knows everything.

And if you've ever encountered Jesus on this side of and you you're like, oh, you're you're you're you're undone. Like I can't hide from you. Right? If the methodology is fire, what will be tested, judged, evaluated? Our works.

The Protestant church has done an incredible job for hundreds and hundreds of years to separate our theology from Catholic theology theology that would say that our salvation is conditional upon our works. The Bible is so clear for it is by grace that you have been saved, not by works so that no man can be what was the word that we started with earlier? Self righteous. So that no man can boast about their self righteousness. I did this.

I did this. I abstained from this. I God's like, we have been saved by grace. So the Protestant church has done amazing job at that. But we fall short with an accurate understanding of what will happen to Christians at the bema seat of Christ.

We will be judged by fire, and what will be judged? Our works. Here's a better way to say it than works. We will be judged according to our assignment. Jesus will say, how well did you do with the assignment I gave you?

What is the big question that immediately jumps up in everybody's heart and mind?

What

is my assignment? Last verse, Psalms one thirty nine. Oh, I have Psalms one thirty nine up there because I wanted us to read all of Psalms one thirty nine. Just do that on your own. Let's go to verse 16 of Psalms one thirty nine.

There it is. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. That's the other book Connor. You're right.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Now how do we reconcile this seemingly contradictory realities of God and predestination and all these things and our free will, like, which is it? This first does a really good job to explain it. This book of your life is all of the things that God has for you. Will you go back to every man's works will be tested by fire.

The eyes of Jesus will look at you, penetrate deep into your soul. He'll know all of your thoughts, motives, intents, actions, and deeds. That's the fire that will reveal the work or the assignment that God had laid out for you before the foundations of the world. And he will compare. Or in board game terminology, this is the scoring round.

So there is are lots of games that have this, but in some board game like resource gathering board games, you could be super stocked stocked up on wheat,

but

wheat scores for zero points. But but but who do you who do you try to arbitrate with in a board game? Just the rule book. That's that's the that's the judge. That's the final word to say.

But but but but I have 50 bushels of wheat. Kate, let's look up scoring for wheat. Wheat is worth, zero points. Oh, rats is right. Going land on the plane here, but I want to take another run at what we just talked about from creator's idea, his take on what this judgment seat of Christ will look at, what it will look like, there's a a video that I wanna show you about how we lived our lives compared to the assignment that God had for us.

Would you roll that video and you might need to you probably will need to bring the volume up. Way, way, way, keep going. Their finances, and those churches would have impacted 751,321 souls. If you would assault me, I I would reveal this to you. To raise This is our bottom line for this whole series of conversations.

Every moment matters when forever is your measure. Every moment matters when forever is your measure. For the Christian, judgment is coming. Winner's podium. Judgment will happen by fire.

Anything that is built with wood, hay, or straw, consumed, burned up counts for how many points? Zero. Gold, silver, and jewels, the bible says will be counted and refined by that fire so that reward will be granted according to that which you built with eternity in mind at the leadership of Jesus. In crafting the landing strip here today, did I want to land on the side of what are those things written in God's book for your life, the assignment that you had? If you don't know, now would probably be a good time to to go on a journey of discovery for that.

Did I want to land on the bible is so clear. If you even give a cup of cold water in my name according to the assignment that I have for you, you will receive your reward. But Jesus doesn't really roll like that, does he? So I wanna leave you with this tension to wrestle So many people can this is probably have to be a series of conversation after this, but your gifts, your skills, your your calling, your occupation, your vocation, we tend to like confuse all of those things but it's not confusing to the lord. Remember?

It says that the word of god is sharper than any two edged sword. He just slices right down but you, oh, you were good at that, but that's not the know my assignment. My assignment is as a shepherd. I'll stand before Jesus someday, and he'll say, shepherd Brian, step forward and give an account for your life. I will not be judged according to my vocation of being a local church pastor.

I'll be judged according to how well did I shepherd the souls that god brought to me. Whether that is in a church as an assignment as a pastor or the relationship, for example, I'm just speaking to you right now. For example, the relationships that that I that we develop with those navy guys that come in every day. They they step into my world. I'm like, I'm gonna shepherd them.

Is your assignment? Psalms one thirty nine verse 16. That's what you will be judged according to. So with all that we've said today, Holy Spirit, help us. I pray for, I mean, this in a super loving pastoral way.

All my little sheep in here this morning and those that are watching the livestream and that will tune in to the podcast. I pray for all my precious little sheep that you have given me here today and that you've given me charge over. Lord, that in whatever way I'm able to help me to convey this important message. And Lord, I pray for my sheep that you would help them to press into you, to reveal to them their assignment on what and how they will be graded. And there are, the Lord would say, because I can see your wheels turning, and I wanna affirm you in this, John.

Your particular missions will will change throughout life. Here's my here's my current assignment. This is what I'm doing. God's like, okay. Good job with that.

Here's the next thing. And and so you're good. But you'll also be able holy spirit knows better than my feeble words can say it. Reveal to us, Holy Spirit, our assignment so that we may receive a what? Full reward.

Connor, let's, I'll let you lead us in the next part of worship, and we'll probably have people starting to queue up downstairs soon.

We'll finish out today with one other form of worship, and that is bringing our tithe and our offerings to the Lord. Serve such an incredible God who is so faithful to do so much with what we give him, even when we just give him a little bit. And it makes his heart so happy. And because we're limited on time, I won't go down the rabbit hole of the parallels from all that we talked about to our obedience and tithing. But there's so much.

And it makes God so happy when he sees us surrender ourselves to him, in tangible tangible ways like our finances. So why don't you join me in praying over, the tithe and above and beyond that, our offering. Father God, we thank you so much that you are a God that is so much greater than we can even wrap our brains around. You are just so magnificent and spectacular and so worthy of our obedience, God. And so we we come before you, God.

We present ourselves fully to you. We surrender all that we have and we ask you to do abundantly more with it than we could ever ask or imagine. And in the area specifically of our finances, God, in this town, we pray that you give us the strength and the boldness and the faith necessary to trust you with our finances when things are tight, God. And the discipline and remembrance to do it when things aren't. We give it all to you, Lord Jesus.

Use it to make your name famous and further this kingdom here in this valley, God. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. We don't pass buckets here at Tribe, but we got a little lockbox at the back, black box outside. You guys know the drill.

Throw some cash or check-in there. You can give online at our website or throw a text to this number. Super easy to just throw that into your contacts if you haven't already. If you look around the room, there are connect cards. Most of you here have already done that, but on the backside, we have prayer requests.

Whether that's a need or a praise, we would love to be able to join with you as a staff. So please throw something in that onto that and then throw it in the box in the back on your way out so that we can join you guys in prayer each week. It's such a blast and a blessing to be able to do that. We got a bunch of serving opportunities. Everything's up on the fridge just like every good family.

The next big thing that is coming up is next week, we will be doing church in the park at Powderhorn followed by baptisms, and we'll all go over and do a bunch of celebrating baptisms. Bring a chair. We're gonna have pizza right afterwards. It's gonna be such a blast. Great opportunity to invite people.

It's a huge draw to just be like, hey. Come Come out for church and park. It's a blast. And that will be at 10AM. So we'll just have one service there.

We just did Which park? Powderhorn. Yeah. I thought I said that. Yeah.

Last week, we had a whole team go out and serve at the Good Samaritan Mission. We will be doing this again as well. It was an awesome opportunity. We heard amazing, amazing things, and just really cool to get to be involved in serving here in this community. And if you didn't get to come out, we would love to have you for the next one.

And that next one is August 20, and there are sign up sheets for that as well. And then we got ministry and worship nights for the Good Samaritan ministry as well. And then coming up in October, we'll be going to the Wind River Reservation. And that is always a special time, so if you can block that off in your calendar, we'd love to have as many of us go as possible. And again, sign ups are all on the fridge.

Anything else? That's it.

Yeah. Come on. Press out.

I got it. Jesus will say to you, John. Jesus will not say to you, entrepreneur John Mickus, step forward. He will not say, sunglass store owner, forward. He will say, worship leader, John Mickus, step forward.

I have a terrible singing voice. I know He's he's I've actually never heard it.

He's speaking for himself.

I I I can't play instruments very well, and Jesus will be like, from when you got saved, your worship to me was a pleasing aroma and fragrance in your whole life. All you've done is lead people to worshiping the king in your young and rowdy days in the mountains telling people about me and inviting them to bible studies and to church. Your your season with your daughter and teaching her how to love and worship me, how you've led your wife in causing her to blossom and to flourish worshiping me. As you went to Kansas City and the season there, how you worship me, how all the businesses that you've owned or led, it wasn't really about you making money, to do You're Your your the prayer movements that you've led, the bible studies that you've led, the men's group that you've led, worship leader John Micus. Come and stand before you and receive the reward prepared for you by my father in heaven.

Now stand up, everybody. Lord, help us. Help us. Help us. Help us.

Every single one of us to max out points on that scar on that scorecard of life. Help us. Help us to live our lives in alignment, in accordance with the assignment that you have for us. Psalms 25 is just coming to my mind. I I don't know where in Psalms 25, but it says, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

And with those who fear his name, he shares his secrets. Mhmm. Meaning, mysteries. Meaning, not a mystery or secret to him, secret knowledge, but what may be unknown to you. Fear the Lord.

Press into him. Receive Receive a full reward. I command a blessing over each and every person here this morning. God, ask that you would give them a great week and have the words of this conversation today, not my words, but your words, holy spirit, ring in their ears for the rest of their life. I pray these things in Jesus' name, the strong son of God.

And everybody said, amen. I love you. Have a great week, and remember, score high. You got this.

Good. I just turned to Brian, John. I just turned to Brian and said, John actually has a really good singing voice. I just turned to Brian and said, John actually has a really good singing voice.