Monday, December 28, 2009

Rewards in Heaven

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV) "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

In my sermon I delivered this past weekend at the HRCC East campus, I mentioned that the Bible mentions at least 5 rewards or "crowns" we may receive in Heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Good works will not get us into heaven, as the Bible specifically tells us that we can only be saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. But being willing to do good works for the Lord will bring us certain types of rewards as you will see in the Scripture verses I will list in this blog.

The Bible specifically talks about 5 different crowns that will be given to some of God's people when they enter into heaven. If you look closely at what these crowns are going to be for - they will be for work that is done for God that is beyond the normal scope of what the average Christian may attempt to do. This is for work that goes far, above and beyond what the average Christian may actually strive for.

The Crown of Righteousness - 2 Timothy 4:1-8

This crown will be given to those who have lived a good and righteous for God while living down here on this earth.

. The Bible says that all men have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of our God. But what God does want from each one of us is at least some kind of concerted effort to try and live our lives "right." We all know right from wrong. God just wants each one of us to choose to do the right thing when faced with certain temptations or choices to do something bad.

The Incorruptible Crown (the victor's crown" – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The apostle Paul describes in this scripture that those who run in any kind of a race, all run with the goal of obtaining some kind of prize. He then goes on to state that those who run a race in order to win the prize are temperate in all things. In other words, there is a lot they have to give up in order to be in proper condition to run that race.

God calls some people to do things that will require some sacrifice and temperance in the way they will live and conduct their lives. Some people may be called to be a Bible teacher in a far off and poor country. They will literally be working for pennies. They will have to sacrifice the bigger money they could have made had they stayed home in America and taught in the states.

I believe God is telling us in this passage that if He does put this kind of special call on your life that will require you to give up many of the normal things of this life - that you will be greatly rewarded for this sacrifice once you enter into heaven. This verse also seems to be implying that these people will also receive this victor's crown for the sacrifices they were willing to make for God in order to successfully complete the call and mission God had called them to do.

The Crown of Life "the martyr's crown" – James 1:2-12 and Revelation 2:10

This next crown has been called by many the "martyr's crown." Jesus Himself says that He will give this crown to those who undergo severe hardship, testing, tribulation and/or physical death on His behalf.

I do not think there is any question that being willing to die for your faith in God and Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice! It is the greatest act of bravery and courage that you can show God the Father. And I believe that all of the Christians who have been martyred for their faith in God and Jesus throughout history will not only be given this crown of life, but will also be given some real special rewards once they enter into heaven.

The Crown of Rejoicing (the soul winner's crown" – 1 Thessalonians 2:10-19

This next crown has been called the "soul winner's crown." The apostle Paul is calling those that he has saved his "joy" and his "crown of rejoicing." The word "crown" seems to be implying that God will be giving a crown to those who have been instrumental in getting other people saved and led to Him through the blood of His Son.

The Bible does not say how many people you actually have to be instrumental in getting saved in order to be able to receive this crown. My guess is that it will be relative. God will simply be judging you by your willingness and desire to be used by Him to witness to others.

The Crown of Glory (the shepherd's crown" – 1 Peter 5:1-4

God will be giving His teachers and shepherds this crown due to the extreme importance of bringing up others into the knowledge and ways of God. Once you get saved, this is just the beginning. God wants you to grow in His knowledge and grace by reading the Bible and learning as much as you can about Him, His Son and His Holy Spirit. The problem is that the Bible is hard and dry for many people when they first try and read it on their own. They do not understand half of what they are reading. This is why teachers and shepherds are needed.

God is always looking for teachers and shepherds to help teach and educate His flock. However, you have to spend some serious quality time in the Bible and have a good understanding of the basics before He can really use you to teach and educate others.

 

For those of you who have been in the Word for quite some time and have a real good understanding and grasp of all the basics - I really believe that God can use you to help teach and shepherd others. It doesn't mean you have to sign up to teach a Sunday school or be promoted to the office of a teacher.

All of these crowns will be permanent, incorruptible and will never fade away. They will be eternal rewards bestowed upon those deemed to be deserving of them by God the Father for extra-ordinary service rendered on His behalf while living down here on this earth.

I hope this summary helps in your understanding of the types of rewards we have awaiting us in Heaven based on our service and good works for The Kingdom while on earth serving Jesus.

 In Christ,

Mike

References; Charting the End Times, Tim LaHaye & Thomas Ice; bible-knowledge.com

0 comments
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Thank You Small Groupies!

I want to give a shout out to all of our High Rockers who are in small groups. We have increased our participation in small groups to 33% of our average weekly adult attenders (and for you "number nerds" like me...that's 254 people now in small groups). As some of you know, we have been on a campaign to increase our small group participation and have so over the last 4 months.
 
It's not just about numbers so we can say we have X % of our High Rockers in groups to check off some box. It's about getting as many of us in small groups so each of us can continue to grow in our Christian walk and spiritual maturity. Unless you are in or have experienced a small group you really don't know what you're missing.
 
In addition to going into a deeper study into the past week's message (or an independent study) at our weekend services we experience awesome fellowship and support from our fellow groupies. It's really hard to explain in mere words what support we get from our groups. Friendships begin and deepen, activities together as families or individuals grow and outreach to group members, the HRCC family and communities surrounding our campuses happens as we share our love for Christ outwardly as we are commanded to do in the Bible.
 
As each HRCC campus grows larger, we have to grow smaller at the same time. This is were our small groups come into play. In HR 101 we discuss that the heartbeat of HRCC is our small groups.   
 
If you are not in a group and would like to know more, please contact me at the church.
 
 
Hope to see you in a group!
 
In Christ,
 
Mike      
 
 
 
0 comments
Monday, October 12, 2009

Telling Your Story

As we are wrapping up what has been a great message series on Becoming a Contagious Christian, we talked this weekend about Telling Your Story. This is simply our story of what has happened in our lives after we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives and what a difference God has made in our life. We must be prepared because sooner or later, someone will ask us what has caused the change in our life.
 
Remember 1 Peter 3:15 " Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."
 
Maybe you have a story and are already "ready" to share as we are reminded and commanded to do in 1 Peter 3:15. But if you haven't thought about your story yet and would like some suggestions to help organize your story, take a look at the following. Here are some suggestions to think about as you put your "story" together.
 
We do not want our story to be a "canned" presentation. We want it to be natural and conversational. It is helpful to  spend time writing out the answers to the following questions. This information will help you flesh out and organize your story. Don't worry about getting it perfect or writing fully formed sentences. For now we want to just get the main idea down in a few quick phrases. You can refine it later.
 
1) What was your early spiritual background, and how did it affect you as you grew up - your feelings, attitudes, actions and relationships?
 
2) What caused you to begin to consider following Christ?
 
3) What realization did you come to that finally motivated you to receive Christ?
 
4) Specifically, how did you receive Christ?
 
5) How did your life begin to change after you trusted Christ?
 
6) What other benefits have you experienced since becoming a Christian?
 
This outline allows you to relate your story by sharing what was your life was like before you became a Christian; relates how you met Christ (received Christ) and finally how  your life is now after meeting, trusting and accepting Christ.
 
After you have reflected on your answers it's a good idea to practice your story with a friend to become more comfortable telling it. Any of the pastors are available to help you. Or discuss this with your small group members (you are a member of a small group - right?). Or discuss with a family member.
 
The Holy Spirit will open the hearts of those He has prepared to be open to hear about Jesus and He will use you as a voice to share His story by sharing your story.
 
If you heard my message I gave at the East campus several weeks ago I mentioned that statistics show that only 3 out of every 100 Christians ever even share the Gospel. Here at HRCC let's not be a part of this sad statistic.
 
I love sharing my story with my friends and family. I am so excited and proud of what God has done in my life and I know you are also.
 
DON'T KEEP IT A SECRET!!!!!
 
In Christ,
 
Mike
 
 
 
0 comments
Monday, September 7, 2009

"What's Mike Selling"?

Many of you have seen me running  around the last month or so before and after services asking you if you are in a small group. If I've had a chance to talk with you you will remember my telling you about all the new small groups we're starting up this month. Some of you are probably saying, "...man, Mike is acting like a salesman"!
 
Well...yeah! And I'm trying to sell you on a great product. Small groups offer a place to connect with other believers, making you a part of a family. A family which shares a common interest in growing deeper in God's Word and in fellowship. In some groups we go deeper into the weekend's message studying additional bible passages relating to the weekend message and discussing how to apply what was discussed in our everyday lives. Some groups have other small group studies relating to various mutual topics of interest to the group. Some groups do both.
 
If you haven't been in a group before I ask that you please find someone in a group and ask them how they like it. Or contact me and I will put you in touch with someone in a group so you can ask questions. I love it  when I am reading people's status update on facebook and they are talking either about how they are looking forward to group that night or commenting on what a great time they had in group. And they mostly talk about how much they love their "groupies".
 
But if I'm to be a good salesman, I must believe in the product I sell. I do...I'm in a small group and will be starting up another one in 2 weeks. I also must sell a quality product that delivers on its promise. Small groups do deliver as advertised. Here you'll have to ask satisfied groupies. And I should be selling a product that people want. Just over the past 60 days we have increased our participation (new people who will join a group) in our four campuses by  almost 65%. We have an overall goal of adding to this and at least doubling our participation over the next 30 days. (Then we move on to getting everyone in a small group...man I got a lot of selling to do!).
 
This weekend we will be distributing a High Rock East flyer which lists all the current and new groups from which you can choose. We have tried to offer a broad selection of days and groups you can join. I encourage you to look over the list and select one. Just contact me or call the church office. We plan to have at least 10 small groups set up by launch day of the West campus. Denton has already doubled their small group participation. Kannapolis' current small groups are all taking Financial Peace University together and will separate into new groups after that.
 
The bible instructs us to meet together and encourage each other...
 
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)
 
The bible also instructs us to meet together and fellowship and study the Word..
 
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2: 42, 44-47 - NIV)
 
See you in a small group!
 
In Christ,
 
Mike
0 comments
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

So the sermon is over, now what?

In my last blog I made the statement...I heard a pastor once say that the sermon truly begins AFTER it is heard. It's what we do with what we heard that matters and helps us grow and mature spiritually. Generally a message (sermon) lasts around 35 minutes and worship around 25 minutes or so at most churches each week. That's 1 hour out of 168 hours we each have each week. So what are you doing with the rest of your time?
 
True some of us have to sleep and work, etc. but what are we doing during the remaining hours during the week to grow deeper in our understanding of God's word and His plan for us? I hope you are spending quiet time with God everyday reading and studying His word. Even if we can only spend 10 minutes a day it will be the most important 10 minutes you can spend. I hope you are making time for this.
 
I have another opportunity for you to grow in your relationship with God and it will take only about 2 more hours a week. It's becoming a part of a great fellowship and study with others from HRCC in a small group. So church is 1 hour, quiet time 10 minutes or whatever and a couple of hours for a truly fun and meaningful time with your fellow small groupies.Just ask anyone that's currently in a small group and you'll see how much fun and rewarding being in a small group is.
 
I have a great opportunity for you to consider if you are not in a small group and want to just "test the waters" and see what this small group thing is all about. Starting the week of September 21st we will be beginning a six week study on Becoming a Contagious Christian. All the current small groups will be following this study which is tied in a six week message series each week at all the campuses. This is a great study. I took it at my former church.
 
Here's how you can "test the waters" to see if you will like a small group. In addition to the current small groups, we are planning on at least doubling the number of people in small groups. We will be offering small groups on hopefully every night of the week (except the weekend). We will have couples groups, singles groups, men's and women's, groups for more "experienced in years" people like me and more.
 
Hopefully I can get to as many of you as possible at HRCC personally over the next 6 weeks to see if you're interested and find a group and night that may work for you. All we want you to do is "test drive" a small group. I'll bet you one thing...you'll like it!
 
Hope to see you join a small group.
 
In Christ,
 
Mike 
0 comments
Monday, July 20, 2009

Pastor's Choice

I gave my Pastor's Choice message yesterday at the Kannapolis Campus. I gave it 2 weeks ago at the Denton Campus and will give it at the Salisbury East Campus on August 8 and 9. This has really been a blast getting to deliver the message at each campus and also getting to hear the other pastor's messages as usually all 8 pastor's write each message/series together.
 
My message is titled So You're Dead, Now What? and I talk about what happens after we die. In the message I discuss what the bible has to say about Heaven and Hell. I am pleased that I am getting many questions after the message for more info and in depth study on the topic. This is great because a message shouldn't just be a 35 minute event with no follow up study or thought provoking questions and discussions. In fact, I heard a pastor once say that the sermon truly begins AFTER it is heard. It's what we do with what we heard that matters and helps us grow and mature spiritually.
 
The most requested additional info or more in depth questions deal with wanting to more about Heaven. A great resource I suggest is a series of books/pamphlets written by Randy Alcorn called Heaven. If your bookstore doesn't have copies you might contact Denise Reavis (a High Rocker) at the Country Christian Books & Gifts in Granite Quarry (704.279.3384) or another Christian bookstore or on line at LifeWay or Amazon.com.
 
What I like about Alcorn's books is that they are scripturally based which is of course what we should all look for in our use reference resources as we study God's Word. I know you will love what you learn about Heaven that you may not know.
 
Happy reading and studying...see you in Heaven!
0 comments
Saturday, July 11, 2009

Lexington Campus Update

I haven't been in the "blog-o-sphere"  submitting my blog for a couple of months. No excuse and I can't claim "blog block", so enough said.
 
Our progress for the location search for our upcoming Lexington area campus continues but God hasn't opened the "doors' literally yet showing us the location and timing He has planned. We have had a couple of options open up in the Midway, NC area only to have them close up and other tenants who had options on the buildings decide to go to contract.
 
We still get a "feeling" that God has plans for us in the Midway area so we'll just have to wait and see what and when He wants to reveal His plans if in fact that is where He is leading us. We have also looked at a couple of buildings in the immediate Lexington area. One has a similar situation as Midway in that there are potential tenants interested and in front of us with options to go to contract. The other is still being discussed as to availability.
 
God is doing some incredible things for us at HRCC with our campuses. You'll hear the great news and plans God has laid out for us this Sunday at the business meeting at the Salisbury East campus at 6:30pm...please plan to be there. We'll share  some exciting news about locations for the West Campus and the Kannapolis Campus, as well as potential renovations for the East Campus.
 
I'll of course continue to keep everyone posted on our progress on a campus location in the Lexington area as we have more info to share. Please keep praying for God's direction on a location for us and timing. But remember that God may sometimes seem slow, but He's always on time! So we will have to wait for His timing.
 
In Christ,
 
Mike
0 comments
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Today in National Day of Prayer. Some of the staff and a couple of lay leaders from HR attended a National Day of Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Cannon Memorial YMCA. It was hosted at the incredible new Great Wolf Lodge in Concord (you gotta' see this place...its' pretty awesome).

 The 2 hour event include praise and worship from several area churches plus prayers led by area pastors and chaplains. The prayers were powerful. Other than the opening prayer blessing the event and food and the benediction prayer, each prayer concentrated on a specific area, each which affects each one of us every day.

As I listened to the prayers it reminded me that many times I don't stop to pray for all areas which affect us all. Yeah we pray for ourselves or an intercessory prayer for  families and friends and church and for health issues others face and these are obviously OK. But this morning specific prayers were offered for our governments, from local to federal, prayers for our troops, prayers for President Obama and for our community in addition to prayers for our families and churches.

Now I'm not suggesting we necessarily include each of these areas in each prayer. But at least we should add the areas we may sometimes not think about to our prayers and at least make sure we include each of this areas in our prayers often.

So I was convicted to concentrate on broadening my prayers and I hope you will too.

When's the last time you prayed for our troops, our government, our President, our communities in addition to our families, ourselves or our churches? Can't remember?

How about taking your hand off your mouse right now and doing so?

All these areas of our lives need prayer...

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 "pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ"
0 comments
Sunday, April 26, 2009

blog

 "Are we there yet?"
 
We've all said this as kids while driving somewhere and probably have heard our kids or other kids say it. Well I'm a BIG kid and I want to know if "we're there yet?" Just as when I was a kid there is excitement about finally arriving. Just as a kid though I'm as impatient as ever because I'm so excited!
 
But just as a kid in the back of my dad's '52 Plymouth when I asked the question or looked up to see what progress we have made on the trip, I let out a big sigh because we're not there yet. "It won't be long" my dad says, but it seems like foreeeever! But guess what... all those times I asked "are we there yet" we finally did get there.
 
So I'm asking...."are we there yet?" It's somewhere I have been thinking and praying about for a long time. God is answering my prayer. And He is doing as always and of course in His own time. I've heard Pastor Ray say may times that God may sometimes be slow but He's always on time. In this case when I ask God.."are we there yet?"...He says almost, hang on.
 
So maybe you're saying to yourself...OK Mike...enough with the teasing...where is it you're asking about? My "destination" is to finally receive and accept the calling to take my ministry to the next level...to pastor a church. As many of you may know, I have accepted God's calling to become a full time pastor. I feel God has been preparing me for this for my whole life and I of course have so much more preparation to do.
 
I began getting the "tug" about 8 years ago and about 4 years ago it was becoming a "gentle" push. This was about the time that Nancy and I were building our home in Salisbury. As we were building I prayed that God would lead us to a new church plant where I could volunteer and help in any way I could as I had experience in a contemporary church. He led us to High Rock. I prayed that I would grow and if it were God's plan for me to become a pastor that I would hear God's voice.
 
I did hear God's voice and His calling to pastor about 2 years ago and I was so excited and humbled and I shared this with Pastor Ray. I prayed daily that when it was time He would open the door and He did. I will be pastoring the satellite campus we will be planting in the Lexington area this fall around time that school is starting back.
 
So..."are we there yet?" Not yet my heavenly Daddy says...but soon.
 
We are making progress on a site selection and all that is involved with a new campus launch and I will be using my blog to keep you updated on our progress and asking for your help but especially your prayers. I ask that every High Rocker help us surround this effort and campus in your prayers.
 
In Christ. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Blogger Template created with Artisteer.