A Great Reward Is Waiting

A Great Reward Is Waiting

If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.

Mark 9:41

God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.

Matthew 5:11-12

Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.

Revelation 22:12

That’s not fair! we think when someone else is paid more than we are for the work we’ve done or gets more than we do when birthdays roll around. And most of us are a bit uncomfortable with the idea that there could be a difference in the amount of reward people experience in heaven. At first glance, this can seem a bit unfair. We think that heaven should be and will be identical for everyone.

But while heaven will be wonderful for everyone there, Scripture makes it clear that not every believer’s position and experience in heaven will be the same. The Bible teaches that believers will receive differing rewards according to how much their faith expresses itself in acts of service, sacrifice, suffering, and submission. Paul says, “Each will be rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8, NIV).

How will heaven’s rewards be different? One way to think of it is that everyone’s cup will be full—but some will have larger cups than others. All of us will be full of joy, but some may have more joy because their capacity for joy will be larger, having been stretched through their trust in God and obedience to him in their earthly life.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

Does the idea of people receiving different levels of rewards seem unfair to you? Why or why not?

What kinds of things did Jesus promise would be rewarded?

Read the parable of the ten servants in Luke 19:11-27. What does it teach about how our actions affect our eternal rewards?