Looking to the reward

Sunday service, Erlo Stegen, 14 Oct 2018

Heb 11:26-28

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, because he was looking towards the reward.

At Makoko there were those that wanted to fly in the mission plane and experience flight, but some didn’t want to. They were afraid that the plane would fall and they would die. No matter how much it was explained to them how safe an aeroplane was, and how convenient to travel straight to destinations in a very short time, they insisted that the possibility that the aeroplane could fall was just too scary.
They were looking at the end of the matter, what would happen if the plane should fall, even though it was very safe.

Moses considered being mistreated together with the children of God of greater wealth than the pleasures of sin.

It’s important to look at the end of something.

The Bible says, the life is in the blood. For example, your white blood cells fight against infection and many die in the process. That’s why your hand or leg or wherever the infection is, swells up. God has placed those soldiers in your blood to protect you against infection. That’s why the blood is throughout your body, to protect your whole body. If your body loses the blood, you will die. Whether we are white or black we have the same blood.

God who created us is Holy and His will for us is to be Holy. His Holy Spirit dwells within us, but if we sin we give place to demons and they will dwell where once God’s Spirit was. The Bible says we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and that’s why we must guard His Temple lest anything enters which defiles.

The story is told of Marie, who worked as a domestic worker for a very rich family in their mansion. She was very faithful. But she was married to a good-for-nothing man, Jannie, who did not want to work, and sat around the whole day boozing and smoking with his friends. He was a builder by trade, but neglected his work to party. Marie had to be the bread winner, and they struggled to make ends meet. One day Marie’s employer spoke to his wife that they wanted to reward Marie for her faithful work over the years, and either increase her salary or give her a big present. So they visited Marie and Jannie, but were shocked at their dilapidated house without any proper furniture. Marie’s employer then called Jannie, and asked him if he would be willing to build him a beautiful house on the hill, for which he will be paid well. Jannie readily agreed that he would do it quickly and to the best of his ability, but in his heart he laughed at this foolish man. Marie’s employer then gave him all the building equipment and extra money that would be needed to build the house and they left on an overseas holiday, expecting the house to be completed on their return. However Jannie sold the high quality building material and bought cheap stuff material, and saved cost wherever he could. He used the extra money to party with his friends. Shortly before the rich man returned he finished the house, and painted it with the best paint to hide his shoddy work. In fact the house was built to such a low standard that Jannie expected it to collapse in unfavorable weather, and he hoped that the rich man would be killed when he stayed in the house. Upon their return they went to inspect the house together with Jannie and it looked beautiful. The rich man was impressed and told Jannie that for a long time they wanted to reward Marie for her faithful work over the years. When they saw their dilapidated house they thought that the best thank-you present would be a new house, and this was the house Jannie built! And so he handed him the title deed. Jannie didn’t know what to say. He thought he was hurting the rich man, but all the while he was only hurting himself!

You might think you are hurting others by your misbehaving and evil life. But you are busy building for yourself and will only hurt yourself. The storms and winds are coming and they will buffet that house you’ve built. Will it remain standing? What will your future be like?

Choirs



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