Comparing the parables of Matthew 25:14-30 (Kingdom of heaven / physical kingdom with Christ as King of kings), and Luke 19:11-27 (Kingdom of God / spiritual kingdom of the church age and being conformed to the image of Christ through obedience to the commands of scripture to put off the old man and put on the new man…walk in the Spirit) helped us to see that “Things different are not alike – things different are not the same” applies to parables that seem similar, but after closer examination, we see the parable of the talents and the parable of the pounds are different with different implications to the millennial kingdom.
Folks, what we must take away from this study, is that what we do now, “in word or deed”, we are to do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving glory unto him. The reward situation in 1 Cor 3:11-15 is directly related to our heart attitude and obedience from a proper motive. The gold, silver, and precious stones translate into responsibility in the millennial kingdom. The wood, hay, and stubble translate into suffering loss (like the servant with one pound in Luke 19) and suffering the shame of a wasted opportunity to serve Christ in proper obedience to the Word. 1 John 2:28 – ashamed; Rev 16:15 – naked & ashamed
The judgment seat of Christ, and the rewards received are directly related to how we will rule and reign with Christ for a 1,000 years.
Rev 20:6
The 5 crowns of reward come into play.
5 CROWNS
Rev. 2:10, James 1:2-12 Crown of Life – Martyr’s Crown
1 Pet. 5:1 – 4 Crown of Glory – Pastor or Shepherd — available to all who seek to edify the body of Christ
1 Cor. 9:24 – 27 Incorruptible Crown – Personal Temperance — bring your body into subjection to Christ
2 Tim. 4:1 – 8 Crown of Righteousness – faithfully looking for the soon return of the Lord
1 Thes. 2:19 – 20 Crown of Rejoicing – Soul Winner’s Crown
Our lives matter right now! How we live, work, handle our finances, worship, and study is all under the watchful eye of the Holy Spirit, who lives in each of us. Does my attitude reflect an obedient child of God who is seeking to be more like Christ each day? Remember the challenge of Luke 19:13 — He wants us to occupy till He comes!