Join us as we continue in the baseball themed Going Going Gone series, and take a look at the ways our work makes an impact in eternity. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary as a church we are trusting Him to pay off the remainder of our loan and expand our parking lot to match our church capacity. It’s an exciting time and we’re looking forward to all God has in store.
Be a part of the Going Going Gone campaign at: burkecommunity.com/pledge
What more incredible thing could our team do on this 50th anniversary than pay off the final $2.25 million we owe on our construction loan? By doing this, we will release the entire ministry to use all of our tithes and offerings to advance our work in world missions, help more of the less fortunate among us, provide expanded counseling for the troubled, offer more creative programs for the children and teens under our care, to name a few. Being debt-free is freeing, indeed. It frees us to fight the good fight of the faith in new ways and new places.
Another excellent thing we could do this year is raise $2.25 million to expand our parking lot by 182 stalls. Right now, it’s tough for team members and non-team members to park their cars so they can get into worship. Imagine pulling into the parking lot and being able to park casually and comfortably. I’m sure this would reduce the number of confessions the Lord hears from His team members here as they head toward the buildings.
Are these large financial figures? Yes. But our God is bigger and more significant, and His team members here have historically proven their ability to achieve what appears to be the impossible. Instead of raising $9 million for a down payment when we were debt-free before construction, we raised right at $14 million. Instead of paying off the thirty-year loan that started in 2021, we are set to pay it off in 2028. This is jaw-dropping giving from sacrificial team members. Who can’t be humbled by this level of play? I know I am.
This is why your team leaders believe it is the perfect time to launch a final capital campaign program titled Going, Going, Gone! What’s it about? It’s about hitting two more financial homers to enable our team to accomplish the goals I just stated. How will we do this as we continue to give toward our annual budget? That question is answered as we ask and answer another related question:
How Do You Hit A Financial Home Run With Your Giving To God?
You accomplish this worthy life goal like a great hitter who owns the plate, resulting in a high batting average. Maintaining a batting average of .300 is challenging in any league, which is why Ted Williams’ average of .406 in 1941 is mind-numbing. The highest average in 2024 was Kansas City’s Bobby Witts (shortstop) at .332. Even the New York Yankee’s Aaron Judge (center field) came in at .322, and the Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani (designated hitter) had a .310 average. These are all highly skilled hitters who work hard at implementing the various disciplines of hitting well. They also speak to us as spiritual hitters. If we desire a high spiritual batting average where giving to advancing Christ’s kingdom is concerned, we must learn and constantly apply those spiritual hitting disciplines. By so doing, we will collectively position our team to accomplish our goals. This week, we have many long-ball hitters swinging away at the plate. Twenty-five pledges totaling $265,852 came in in just one week. This is great. Here are players who know the numerous disciplines of hitting the long ball. What are those disciplines we all need to know and utilize?
Long Ball Tip #1: Get The Right Perspective (Matt. 6:19-24)
Here, our team owner, Jesus, challenges us to give toward things on this earth that create treasure in heaven that will never fade and will be given to us when we see Him. Talk about a wise investment. Heavenly treasure is eternal, as opposed to temporal. It can never be used up or exhausted but will bless each of us for eternity in ways our finite, limited minds and dimensionality cannot fathom.
So, how are you faring in creating heavenly wealth? True, using your money to sacrificially, spontaneously, and sacrificially support kingdom work illustrates where your heart is and results in you making deposits in a treasure account the Lord will disclose to you one day. Even small acts, like giving a thirsty person a cup of water or supplying food to a hungry person, will be divinely remembered and rewarded at His glorious return (Matt. 25:34-40).
So, let me ask you a different question: What is your perspective on giving? Is it tied to the temporal or the eternal, to the physical or the spiritual, the corruptible or the incorruptible? Spiritual long-ball hitters are not like the woman found in Pompeii years ago. As construction workers attempted to lay a foundation for a building outside the city, they found her buried under rock and ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In both hands, she tightly clutched costly jewels as her temporal life drew to a tragic close. Had she been a spiritual long-ball hitter, those hands would have been open and empty because she gave away temporal wealth to make investments in eternal wealth that no volcano could ever take away. Perspective changes everything regarding what we should do with our earthly treasure entrusted to us by the Lord.
A second long-ball tip is most instructive and motivational.
Long all Tip #2: Realize Future Reward For Current Play (Selected Texts)
Christians don’t talk about this very much, but they should. Most think heaven is a reward enough for believing in Jesus, which is fine and accurate. However, there is more to the picture than this, as disclosed by the Word of God. In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus teaches us that what we keep, like the lady in Pompeii, we lose, but what we give for spiritual and kingdom purposes will return to us as a treasure of an eternal, spiritual nature. Look at it from another direction. Belief determines our heavenly residence (John 3:16; 5:24-25); however, behavior determines our heavenly reward. The Word of God teaches and promises this, so we shouldn’t shy away from it. Our Team Owner doesn’t.
Our Play Will Be Reviewed
Isn’t this what occurs with earthly ball players? Indeed. Their performance stats are constantly being recorded, analyzed, and eventually rewarded if worthy.
Spiritual play is no different. How we live the Christian life will be tested in the Lord’s fire at the Rapture of the Church as the Tribulation commences (1 Thess. 4:13-18). You might be able to dupe other players on our team into thinking you are playing well by how you serve and give; however, the day is coming when everything you have done will be laid bare for analysis. Heaven will not be in jeopardy, for that destination was settled at the moment of faith in Christ (Col. 1:13). The Team Owner will want to know if you consistently applied His teachings, especially those laid out in foundational passages like Matthew 6:19-24.
Numerous texts remind us of the coming judgment, during which the Lord will ascertain the hitting averages of His team members.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5)
He will review all spiritual players on the Lord’s team to determine how well they played for Him on earth. Are you ready? Are you playing hard or hardly at all?
Paul reminded the Roman church of the same thing in chapter 14:
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you, again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” 12 So then each one of us shall give an account of himself to God. (Rom. 14)
As Paul argues here, some team members are skilled at critically judging others for how they think they should play while failing to remember that Christ will give them a peering, piercing gaze one day regarding everything they ever did, said, or thought as His player. Several texts support this conclusion:
36 “And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. (Matt. 12)
27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds. (Matt. 16)
5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. (1 Cor. 4)
All spiritual players on God’s team should play in light of this day of review, for it is highly convicting and motivational.
Every believer will be reviewed at the Judgment Seat of Jesus. Concerning this, Joe Wall provides a fitting analysis in his book Going For The Gold :
“The word bema means platform, raised place, or step. The term ‘was used to denote a raised place or platform reached by steps, originally that at Athens in the Phynx Hill, where was the place of assembly; from the platform orations were made. In the Greco-Roman world, the Greek term was translated by the Latin word tribunal. The Roman term, tribunal, and the Greek term bema both referred to the platform upon which a ruler or judge placed his chair when he issued decrees or judgments … The term also applied to the bemas, or tribunals, the Caesars and their generals carried into battle. At the end of a battle Caesar or a general sat on the tribunal to award crowns made of woven branches to those who had made heroic contributions to the winning of the battle. The term bema was used as well to refer to the platform in the Jewish synagogues from which the Scriptures were read aloud. There, the rabbis pronounced the law, or judgments, of God. Finally, the term bema was used for the place of judgment and the awarding of rewards at the Greek athletic competition in the Panhellenic festivals, such as the Isthmian and Olympic games. It is this last use of the term that Paul appears to have had in mind when he wrote about the bema.”[1]
The Corinthians would have understood this imagery. Located in the middle of the market square in Corinth, where some of those athletic games were held, was the Bema. Every Corinthian, Christian and non-Christian alike, knew what it was, where it was, and what it was all about. From here, athletes were rewarded for how they ran the race. To take this concept, therefore, and apply it spiritually was something everyone would have understood well.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul digs deep into this concept when he wrote to the players of the team he founded in Corinth. Reading his first letter is meant to understand that this team didn’t play well. They showed favoritism to various pastors, elevating some and denigrating others. They didn’t flinch at suing each other over frivolous matters. They permitted sexual sins to run unchecked on their team. They attacked Paul, the team founder, and Captain. The super spiritual used their Christian freedom to freely partake of things that other newer Christians had personal issues with (like eating meat from the local markets dedicated to the gods). They abused the Lord’s Supper when they came to it drunk because of how much they drank at the Love Feast before the communion service. I could go on, but I think you understand their type of spiritual play. This was not a winning team, and they typically played for the temporal, not the eternal.
No wonder Paul gave these players this word of warning:
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3)
Each player needs to be careful how they build up the local church, which, in turn, is a member of the mystical body of Christ, the Church. We need to be careful how we build because in the future (at the Judgment Seat of Christ at the Rapture), the Team Owner, Jesus, will use His trans-dimensional fire to test the quality of our work.
He will not care about quantity but quality. How will He tell the difference? He will probably consider the motive behind the work, be what it may. Here is how Paul puts it in the next chapter:
5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. (1 Cor. 4)
Good, holy motives will make a believer’s works something akin to gold, silver, and precious stones. Evil, selfish, and unholy motives will cause a person’s works for Christ and His kingdom to be equivalent to wood, hay, and straw. All of this makes me constantly ponder whether my works, be what they may, whether serving in some capacity or giving to an opportunity like the campaign before all of us, are done with a selfless or selfish motive. Wise players constantly evaluate their lives in light of when they will personally give account to Jesus. Are you prepared?
Spiritual long ball hitters, and we have many in our church, are fully aware of the eschatological review, and this knowledge positively impacts their play. In addition to this, they understand a logical and biblical corollary:
Our Play Will Be Rewarded
Many texts teach us this truth:
14 If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3)
There will be rewards and losses. What the loss is is not identified. I would venture to say it is probably related to what the Lord’s reward could have been had the work been viable. The loss has nothing to do with salvation, which is a sealed deal (Eph. 1:13-14). Watching a work you thought was gold burn up instantly like straw in a blast furnace before your eyes will be sobering, to be sure. Sad, too. Conversely, watching works emerge as gold, silver, and precious stones and then seeing the Lord turn to give you heavenly rewards no man can describe will be an emotional, joyous, and exciting moment. Imagine the tension. Imagine the tears followed by shouts of praise and thanks.
We know various crowns will be awarded to saints.
There are five (for a complete discussion, read Chuck Swindol’s Improving Your Serve: 204-207).
- The Imperishable Crown: given to those who bring their flesh under control (1 Cor. 9:24-27).
- The Crown of Exultation: for those who win souls to Christ (Phil. 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:19-20).
- The Crown of Righteousness: given to those who live daily instead of Christ’s return (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
- The Crown of Life: is prepared for those who successfully suffered for their faith (James 1:12).
- The Crown of Glory: reserved for those who shepherd God’s flock well (1 Pet 5:1-4).
But these rewards are not an exhaustive list by any means.
From Christ’s teaching in Matthew 6:19-24, it is clear that part of our eternal rewards will be wedded to how well we used earthly treasure to invest in heavenly treasure. We also know from parables, like the Parable of the Minas in Luke 19, that Jesus will reward His players with various rulership rights concerning how well they invested the money He entrusted to them before His glorious appearance.
10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” 11 And while they were listening to these things, He went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’ 14 “But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 “And it came about that when he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him in order that he might know what business they had done. 16 “And the first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 “And the second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ 19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ (Lk. 19)
A mina was money equivalent to three months of work; hence, it was a sizeable amount freely given to each servant to use wisely until their Lord returned. When He arrives, those who invested it wisely would be given various rulership rights in the Messiah’s millennial and eternal kingdom. Those political rights will vary based on the servants’ or saints’ actual investment acumen.
This parable informs us that how we use the time, treasure, and talents we have on loan from the Lord will be rewarded with varying rights of rulership over the empire He will establish. Those who invest well will be humbled by the authority He will give them when He comes to reign. And this is to list one reward of many. Who would not want some form of rulership rights in the Kingdom Age? As many clamor to be part of a new Presidential temporal reign, this pales into insignificance with the honor of having the Lord place you as a leader in His glorious eternal empire when He arrives. All of this leads to a logical question: Where will your strategic use of the Lord’s capital place you in His sin-free, decay-free, entropy-free government?
Just as the King will not forget how you used this generous capital, He will not forget anything you have done in His name and will reward you accordingly.
10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. (Heb. 6)
He will not forget the smallest or largest thing you ever did on behalf of advancing and supporting His kingdom. That mission trip you took to Africa will not be lost in the sands of time. Those times you visited a lonely shut-in are noted in His mind and are not washed away as the years pass. That money you gave a struggling family to pay off their car loan will be on His list. Those children you taught for many years at church are something He will not forget. He will review and reward all your efforts to support His gospel and kingdom.
Those who want to hit a spiritual long ball with their finances understand these truths and play accordingly. Will you join them?
[1] Joe L. Wall, Going For The Gold: Reward and Loss at the Judgment of Believers (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 32-33.
