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RESPECT UNTO THE RECOMPENSE OF THE REWARD

READING: Heb 11:24-28

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
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.

I. TO SERVE GOD, WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARD RICHES OF THE WORLD.
A. We must have respect unto the recompence of the reward.
1. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.

2. Rom 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

B. Worldly goods can be an obstruction to salvation.

1. 1 Tim 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which
drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

2. Luke 18:18-25
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false
witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and
distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into
the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God.

3. Matt 8:28-34
28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed
with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
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29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come
hither to torment us before the time?
30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold,
the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen
to the possessed of the devils.
34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he
would depart out of their coasts.

a. These Gergesenes valued material goods more than salvation or their fellow man.

C. We cannot split ourselves between serving God and serving the world.
1. Phil 3:18-19 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that
they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and
whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

2. Rom 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences
contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our
Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple.

3. Matt 6:24-34
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither
do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all
these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

II. TO SERVE GOD, WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARD SPIRITUAL RICHES.
A. We must have respect unto the recompence of the reward.
1. Eph 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we
were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up
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together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might
shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

2. Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

B. God will take care of our needs.

1. Phil 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2. 2 Cor 9:6-8 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all
grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every
good work:

3. 2 Cor 8:1-5
1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the
riches of their liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the
ministering to the saints.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

C. Those who are in Christ have a great inheritance awaiting them.

1. Eph 1:15-18
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and
what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

1 Cor 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for
the remission of sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ,
remaining faithful until death.

If you are a Christian and have sinned publicly, then you are invited to
remove your separation from God by public repentance so that prayers can be
offered with you and for you.