Matthew 10:40-42
40 “He who receives you receives Me,
and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 “He
who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive
a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a
righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 “And
whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup
of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
Eternal rewards are constantly used by Jesus as a means of
motivating His disciples to obey and serve Him.
As Jesus sent out His young missionaries, He instructed them and warned
them about the costs of discipleship. He
closes out this time of instruction by motivating them about the benefits of
discipleship. Jesus warned them about
the rejection that would occur as a result of representing Him; then He
concludes by talking about the reception they would experience as a result of
serving Him. Those who go out in the
name of the Lord are often rejected by their own family members. However, they are often received by complete
strangers. Missionaries have precious
relationships with people all over the world.
They have partners that send them out with their prayers and gifts who
also participate in all the eternal rewards associated with advancing the
Gospel. Whenever we come across
ministers of the Gospel we have opportunities to participate in their eternal
rewards. Jesus talks about three ways
that we can experience eternal rewards for participating in the mission.
THE REWARDS OF HEARING: Every time we hear God’s Word, we
have an opportunity to either receive it or reject it. Those who receive it hear God’s Word
attentively and respond accordingly.
Jesus assured His disciples that those who heard their message and
received it were not only hearing and receiving Him but also the Father. Those who teach God’s Word are the
representative of God the Son and God the Father on this earth. We have the opportunity to hear or ignore
them. Whatever we do with them, we are
doing to God. When we go out to our
neighbors and to the nations of the world, we do so as representatives of
God. We go under His authority and we go
with the truth that He has inspired.
When we communicate the Word of God we are the voice of God on the
earth. We need not be timid and we must
not be ashamed. Those who reject the
Gospel we preach reject God. Those who
hear and receive the message of the Gospel are receiving God. This truth must impact the way we listen to
God’s Word and the way we teach God’s Word.
THE REWARDS OF HOSTING: When the disciples went out, they
were instructed not to take anything with them; not even money. They were to go out in faith and depend on
the people where they preached to care for their needs. As they came to a city, they would look for a
home that would receive them. That home
would provide lodging and meals for the disciples as they went about preaching
in the city. These host families were
supporting the work of the ministry and in so doing, they were qualified to
receive the same eternal rewards that the disciples themselves would
receive. There are those whose homes are
open to people for the purpose of ministry.
This gift of hospitality is a great blessing to all who benefit from it
but it is also an eternal blessing to all who practice it. We need to open our homes to be places of
refreshment to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our ministry to them means that we minister
with them wherever they go from that point forward. If we truly understood the eternal
ramifications of this truth people would fight over who would have the honor of
hosting God’s servants. As a missionary,
I have been truly blessed and refreshed by the hospitality of God’s people all
over the world. They have been a
blessing to my family and I believe they will be blessed for all of eternity
for their love and care.
THE REWARDS OF HELPING: Jesus taught that those who do so
much as give a cup of water to His disciples in order to further the Gospel
will have a secure reward. Those who
take the Gospel to the nations that have never heard of Jesus are sent be the
generosity of God’s people. Churches and
families give of their resources to meet the needs of those who give their
lives in this service. It takes a lot of
cups of water and pounds of rice to feed the missionaries of the world. It is a great honor and a very wise
investment with eternal ramifications.
If the motive behind our giving is to further the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus; we will receive eternal reward.
It is a blessing to be able to participate in the ministries of others
through giving. There are many people
who share in the ministry that God has given us through their generous
support. Many cups of water and plates
of food have been set before us by the body of Christ. Only eternity will reveal the rewards these
faithful men and women will enjoy for their investments. Our gifts and prayers can carry our
ministerial impact to places of this planet that we will never see.
APPLICATION: Hear the Word of God with great attention. Teach the Word of God with great
authority. Open our homes and hearts to
be places of refreshment for the body of Christ and places of ministerial
impact. Give generously of all we have
as a means of investing in that which is eternal. Be grateful and conscientious of those who
invest in our lives and ministries through their gifts.
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