Return, Rewards, Ready?

Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready?

In Revelation 3:11, Jesus says to the Church in Philadelphia:

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

How differently would you live if you knew Jesus was coming back as soon as next week? Or even tomorrow? 

Growing up in church, I’ve often heard about how Jesus is coming back soon. There are times when I’ve let myself become desensitized to it, and if I’m not careful, I push that “soon” off to “someday.” 

But think about that for a minute. Jesus is coming. Sooner than we think. 

One day, everything we’ve known here will suddenly fade into a distant dream. One might say this is the dream, and one day we’ll wake up in the reality of eternity. 

Picture this, (close your eyes if it helps): You’re at the end of your life, at the end of time, and you’re standing before the judgment seat. Your whole life is flashing before you, and it’s time to give an account for your deeds, words, and intentions here on earth. What’s decided here will determine your whole eternity. Let that word sink in. Eternity. Now, if we are in Christ, and actively walking with Him, we have no reason to fear where we’re going. (Romans 8:1) But did you know that our actions here on earth directly impact how we spend eternity?

Where we spend eternity is determined by what we did with the cross. 

What effect did I let Jesus have on my life? 

How we spend eternity is determined by the way we live our lives here. 

What did I do with the responsibilities and gifts God entrusted to me? 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 tells how our work will be tested by fire. The work of some will be consumed, and they themselves will be saved, though “smelling like smoke,” as my pastor says.

The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 tells of three servants who were entrusted with their master’s money while he was away. Two of them were faithful and doubled the money entrusted to them. The third shrank back and did nothing with the money he was given. When the master returned, the first two were commended, but the third was upbraided for his poor stewardship. His one talent was given to the first servant.

“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” -Matthew 25:29

It is evident that God is not a fan of a maintenance-only strategy. We’re expected to take what God’s given us and to make it grow. How are you growing in the gifts He’s given you? Maybe He’s entrusted you with musical ability, great people skills, organizational finesse, or an analytical mind. If you’re not actively using your gifts now, how can you be using them? And as we learned from the unfaithful servant, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”

In his book, Driven by Eternity, John Bevere describes the work we put into planning for retirement. We save up for decades in advance to have a good retirement. How much more should we be investing in our eternity?

Let’s take a moment and ask ourselves:

What’s holding me back from truly knowing and serving Him? 

How would I live differently if I truly believed He was coming back at any moment?

What gifts has God entrusted me with? How can I steward that well?

Whom will I tell about Him?

What sins, 

habits, 

grudges, 

and nudges 

do I have to deal with before it’s too late? 

How will I live so that I eagerly look forward to His return?

Let’s close with two passages:

Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.