In this article, we are looking at The Reward System of The Kingdom. We are going to start our observation from the teaching of Jesus from the book of Matthew 25. Jesus was teaching at that point and He mentioned something very important that you and I must have in our consciousness as believers and children of God. Matthew 25, we will read from 31 to 40. This will serve as a little bit of background to what we are going to be discussing in this piece through the help of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says:

 

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”

 

So, Jesus was saying here that in that day when He will come in glory, and all nations will gather to Him, and He will judge the nations. He said in that day, He said He will separate between the sheep and the goats. The sheep will be on the right and the goats on the left. And He will say to them; come you blessed of My Father; Those on the right. And He said come and inherit the Kingdom ‘prepared’; not the kingdom that will be prepared. Not an accidental kingdom. It said the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Meaning that the sheep will be rewarded.

 

See the condition in verse 35, because I want us to pay attention to this, it looks as if we have been so carried away in our journey on the earth that we always forget to be in touch with the desires of our king and our Lord Jesus Christ. It said in that day; now Jesus was teaching prophetically about when the Son of man is glorified and He will judge the nations. And He is letting us into what will happen in the future. He is letting us into how the whole nations of the earth will be judged, the yard-stick, the criteria, the prerequisite for the judging of the nations. And He said verse 35; for I was hungry and you gave Me food; He said the reason why you are coming to my right hand is because I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ He said this is the reason why you are on my right hand.

 

Verse 37, “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’  So, Jesus is saying the reward that you will have as the people My Father has blessed, will not be on the yard stick of trying to please me deliberately, intentionally, He said it’s because you decided to allow me bring out the humanity in you, you allowed me to bring out the God in you, how that you will see somebody hungry and you are not doing it consciously to put it on social media, you are not doing it consciously to create an attention for yourself, because see their response.

 

They said when did we see you hungry? Meaning these people were just living their lives. These people were just daily living as God has commanded them. But Jesus saw these as things they were doing for Him. Verse 41, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus is saying here that the reward system of the kingdom is not based on eye service. That’s why Jesus said in the last days many will say Lord, Lord and I will turn to them and I will say I do not know you, you have no reward in me, you workers of iniquity. Meaning that their works are filled with wickedness. Now this is a background into what we are looking at today. But I know you can picture this story and this that Jesus is saying here in Matthew chapter 25:31 to 40. That many things that people call the works of Christ, many things that people call doing service to God, are actually disservice to God.

 

Because God is about His people. You can’t say you love God and you don’t love His people. Just like in James, it says You can’t say that you love God and you hate your brother. It says darkness is in you. You are not working in the light, so we must understand that this is beyond religion. Let’s stop talking religion, lets come and talk about kingdom. There is a reward system in the kingdom of God, it’s different from religion. In religion you can be pious, you can look very sanctimonious, and everybody is saying wow, man of God, woman of God, and they are praising you, maybe because of some spiritual gift that you possess, but Jesus is not about those things. The gifts and the calling of God is without repentance. But there is the fruit of God, the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22, it says but this is the fruits of the Spirit; love. Who are you to love? How are you to love? Love joy, peace, kindness, long-suffering. These are the things that God wants us to exude, these are the things that are reward worthy in the kingdom of God.

 

It’s not how many people you raise from the dead, it’s not how many sick people that got healed, it’s not how many people you are able to pull up to the crusade ground, no! these are not the things, see what Jesus is saying here in Matthew 25 is the reward system of the kingdom. I want us to see also, Jesus speaking about the reward system of the kingdom in Matthew 19 and we will read verse 29. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[h]or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake; please I want us to note what Jesus is saying here; “for My name sake” not “for My sake” what is Jesus saying there? For the course of the kingdom. The Bible says at the mention of the name Jesus every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. “For my name sake”, for the course of the kingdom.

 

The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ. “for my name sake”; he shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. This is what Jesus is saying; He said anyone that forsake Father, Mother, wife, children, land and so on and so forth, for my name sake. If you count all these things as insignificant not of much weight for my name sake, for my sake, for the sake of Christ, it said you will receive a reward. And it said the reward you will receive is in hundred fold. It says; “a hundred fold and” meaning that the hundred fold is one part, and eternal life. So, there’s actually a reward for following God, there is actually a reward for being Christ like. If you are a young man, a young woman, an old man or an old woman, a boy or a girl. If you decide to let yourself go, and put on Christ, there is a reward. If you forsake your culture, your lineage, your religion, and put on Christ, there is a reward. That’s what Jesus was talking about forsaking father and mother.

 

Because these are natural affinities, these are people and things that we are attached to, it said if you will forsake them and be attached to Christ, you will have a hundred fold and you will inherit eternal life. I want us to see Matthew chapter 6 also, verse 19 to 20. We are building a background before we go into what we have this morning. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [we can identify with these things] where moth and rust can destroy: the houses that our fathers built many years ago, 20 to 30 years ago, how many of us are eager to move into those houses? Moths and rust, the climate, preferences have changed. So, why should that be your focus and attention? That’s what Jesus is saying. Why should you lay up for yourselves in a realm where moths and rust can destroy, where thieves can break in and steal?

 

Verse 20, “But, [this is the counsel of Jesus, this is the wise counsel of your king and your Lord], It says; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. The question we will ask this morning is; how do I lay up for myself treasures in heaven? Matthew 25, Jesus was saying to the sheep on His right hand, He said when I was hungry you fed Me, when I was thirsty you gave Me to drink, when I was in prison you visited Me. He said this is how you can lay up for yourself treasure in heaven. These are the things that are recognized in heaven. Not the houses you build, not the large amount of crusade you are able to hold, not the large sum of money you have in your account. Those things don’t count in heaven if they don’t release or are able to impact the people of God.

 

God is serious about His people, you can never please God or love God without loving His people. And that’s why the golden commandment is love the Lord your God with the whole of your heart, with the whole of your strength, with the whole of your might, and love your neighbor. He wouldn’t have put it there if it wasn’t important to God. He wouldn’t have highlighted that portion if it was not central in the heart of God. Love your neighbor as yourself. Care for your neighbor the same way you will care for yourself. Reach out to your neighbor the same way you will reach out to yourself. These things are important, this is kingdom.

 

In religion there are so many things that are said to make people feel comfortable and the priest feel fat. But the things that are central in the heart of God, are His people. Because whatever you do for the people of God, you have done it to God. Jesus said as long as you have done it for the least, you have done it to Me. That’s the mindset, that’s the heart of the king. It says; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” You can never be to the people of God who Christ wants you to be to them until you start seeing them the way Christ sees them. You won’t say humans are just difficult, but if you choose to see them through the eyes of Christ, you will realize that you will be able to suffer long for people, you will realize that you will be able to be kind to the unkind, just like Jesus is.

 

You will realize that you will be able to show patience, you will be able to show joy and peace no matter how anyone treats you, because they treated Jesus worse. Jesus came to die for the sins of the whole world and they spat on His face, they whipped Him, they nailed Him to the cross. But see how Jesus was reacting to them, He said Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing. Jesus saw them correctly; He knew that they were people that have been blinded by the prince of this world. They did not know what they were doing. How do you perceive people? How do you reach out to people? The reward system of the kingdom is so true, and it’s so alive that you cannot come into it with the heart of religion. Kingdom is kingdom and the principles of God is enshrined in the kingdom system. You cannot outsmart or outplay or be witty about the principles of the kingdom. It’s either you follow the principles or not. And our rewards are tied to these things.

 

Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and ^[d]labor of love.” Meaning that anything that is not done in love in the kingdom is effort in futility. God is not unjust to forget your work. What is your work? They were asking Jesus; how do we do the works of God? He said you cannot do the work of God unless you believe in the one that God has sent because He is the only one that can help you to do the works of God. So, if you have not put on Christ, you cannot do the work, and the work is on the labor of love. For God is not unjust to forget your work and ^[d]labor of love which you have shown; is it not the same thing that Jesus was saying; which you have shown towards His name in Matthew 25 that we read. It said the things you do for my name sake. So, Hebrews 6 verse 10 here is telling us that God is not unjust to forget your works and labor of love which you have shown towards His name, in that you have ministered to the saints. Not to yourself. The labor of love is premised on the fact that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.

 

So, you don’t stop, you don’t quit. Don’t say but I ministered yesterday that should be enough for them. minister to the saints and do minister. God is not unjust, to forget your work and your labor of love in you minister to the saints and do minster. This is the reward system of the kingdom, it’s in your ministering to the saints and in ministering. You don’t stop ministering, meaning that you are consistently ministering. So, you don’t do it for a show, you don’t do it for eye service, It’s your life.  It’s your commitment to Jesus, and that’s why it doesn’t come until you put on Christ. Having said all these; how does the reward system of God work? We are going to look at five crowns. If you look all through Scriptures, you will see especially in the book of Revelations, you will see that crowns are always mentioned. The twenty-four elders in Revelations 4:4, it says and the twenty-four elder were seated and they had crowns on their heads. What are those crowns about? What does crown signify in the kingdom of God?

 

#1. Crown Signifies Authority. For every one that wears a crown or crown is given to in the Scripture, you will see that it signifies their authority, their placement. They have the authority to do something, they have the authority to be at a particular place or do a particular thing.

 

#2. Crown Signifies Identity. When you see a crown on a person, you will realize that you will be able to understand better the identity. For example, when you see somebody wearing a crown, you can say this person is royalty, this person is a king. So, crown signifies authority, number two crown signifies identity.

 

#3: Crown Signifies a Price. When a crown is given it is a reward, it’s a price. I am talking about all these in the context of the kingdom. Crown is a reward, it’s also an award, like Gods applause, God saying well done and He gives you a crown. But I want us to see the ultimate crown, the ultimate crown for everyone that is born again. I want us to see Isaiah 28:5. This is the ultimate; once you are born again, you have received Jesus as your Lord and savior and you are walking in the precepts of God, and you are walking in accordance with the will of the Lord for your life, this is your reward. Isaiah 28:5, “In that day the Lord of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people” I will take it again, in that day the Lord of hosts will be for a crown of glory; He will be a crown of glory for you. Our ultimate reward is the presence of God. That’s why you don’t take light the presence of God. I am not talking about the omnipresent presence of God; I am talking about the manifest presence of God. The manifest presence of God is a reward, the manifest presence of God is a crown, it’s an award, it’s a price. And it’s for everyone that loves God.

 

God’s presence will tabernacle with you if you love Him. His presence will be evident in your life; you will have the manifest presence of God as a reward of seeking Him. Jesus was saying in John 4, when He was talking to the woman at the well, and He was saying to her, He said God desires those that will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He said those are the ones that His heart long for. And the Bible makes us to understand that I will not look away from these ones, those that have a broken heart and a contrite spirit that trembles at my word. What’s the word of the Lord? Love your neighbor as yourself. Anyone that trembles at the word of God has the presence of God as a reward. There are sometimes that we don’t need to pray for the presence of God, do His will. Do the will of God, the presence of God is an automatic crown for you. There are some people that will go on the mountain and pray for seven days, for 31 days, for forty days and forty nights and they are praying Lord I want your presence, but they are the same people that defy all the principles of God.

 

God is not a man that will lie, nor the son of man that will repent, God is not a respecter of persons, whatsoever a man sows that will he reap. If you sow of the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption. But if you sow if the Spirit, you will of the Spirit reap eternal life- the life of God. So, the presence of God is a reward, for as many as tremble at the word of God. Be a doer of the word of God, you will have the presence of God as your reward. So, that’s the ultimate reward. God is a principled God and a God of order. There are certain things you will do that would draw the presence of God to you. See Cornelius for example, He was not born again, but Cornelius was a man that was committed to good deeds. And God looked at him; ‘I can see the works of this man, I can see his labor of love even though he doesn’t understand the principle in which he is operating’ I will not allow him go on like this because he will miss out because I am a God of principle, I can’t through bias save Cornelius, he still has to follow the order of salvation-confessing Jesus and believing in Him.

 

He then sent Peter to Cornelius, that see I need you to go to the house of Cornelius, lead them to Christ and baptize them in the Holy Ghost. Sometimes we don’t understand that there are certain things in the kingdom of God that are just principled based, it’s not as if Cornelius and his family were praying for encounter, but there was a posture of their living that attracted the presence of God. when Peter got there, Peter didn’t have to be fasting and praying to go to Cornelius house, immediately he got into Cornelius house, there was an atmosphere already created by their living. As Peter was speaking, the Bible says the Holy Ghost fell. As Peter was speaking, He had not made alter call, he had not said okay you now need to be baptized in the Holy Ghost this is now the session for that. While Peter was speaking; meaning an atmosphere has already been created and the anointing of the word was so evident and palpable in that room that the Holy Ghost filled the household of Cornelius.

 

So, do we understand what God is saying to us this morning? There is a reward system in the kingdom, it is principled based, God is a God of order. There are certain things you will do and you will attract the presence of God. So, our ultimate reward, the reward of those that seek God diligently and how we seek Him diligently is trembling at His word. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and in due season He will lift you up if you faint not. Humble yourself, submit yourself to the word of God, submit yourself to the principles of God, and God will lift you up in due season. Now we are going to look at five crowns that were specifically mentioned in the Scriptures and these five crowns are crowns that have been highlighted in the Scripture, and they have conditions attached to them. These are rewards, these are Gods applause for as many believers that will walk in the way that the Lord has set.

 

#1: The Crown of Life. James 1:12. The crown of life is the crown of the victor, the crown of life is not just for everyone, being born again alone does not just make the crown of life fall on you like a ripe pawpaw. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved” Not when he approves himself, sometimes as believers we go through certain seasons of our lives and we say to God, God have I not tried? God at this point you should approve me, I have tried. But let’s look at this Scripture very closely. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” So, it’s not for everyone; number one, the man who endures temptation and has been approved. That’s the precondition. It’s not enough to endure temptation, have you been approved? 

 

I remember that Scripture in Peter, it says after you have suffered a while, the Lord will settle you, and establish you. That’s the approval of God. So, when a man, a woman endures temptation and is approved by God, you have gone through the process. Because God is a God of process. God did not cut covenant with Abraham until he went through the temptation, he went through the process. He said this son that you love, Isaac! I gave Isaac to you, this son, this precious promise; give him back to me, the Bible says Abraham did not argue with God. He didn’t go into contest saying God are you sure you are the one speaking to me? This thing you are asking me to do is a big task, Lord show me a sign let rainbow appear in the heavens.

 

Abraham didn’t do that, Abraham went ahead, took that son, the Bible made us to understand that if God intercepted Abraham, Abraham had killed that boy in His heart. When Abraham became approved that was a temptation for Him. He endured it, how can you with your own hands kill the son that you love? It’s a big temptation but Abraham was able to go through that and he was approved. And when Abraham became approved, God cut an everlasting covenant with him.

 

God said I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this is the name that I will be known throughout generations. The crown of life. The Bible made us to understand that Lazarus, when he died was carried into the bosom of Abraham, meaning the things Abraham did on the earth did not end here, in heaven he is still having the hundredfold. He is still the father of nations in heaven. So, it’s not just in this realm, he inherited eternal life. So, we must understand. That’s why Jesus said store for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths cannot destroy. The houses Abraham built, how many of us can live in it? But the things that Abraham did outlived him, we all say Abrahams blessings are mine. Why? Because these are treasures that is stored in heaven. Revelations 2:10 also saying the same thing about the crown of life. Jesus speaking here in Revelations chapter 2 verse 10. “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” The crown of life is a reward for those that are able to endure. The overcomers crown is the victors crown.  

 

#2: The Crown of Righteousness. 2 Timothy 4 verse 8. We have looked at the crown of life now we are looking at the crown of righteousness.  2 Timothy 4:8. “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, this is Apostle Paul giving a valedictory speech, he said in verse 6, for I have already been poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Then he said; Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. Everyone that loves the appearing of Jesus, anyone that loves Jesus to be glorified, anyone that loves Jesus to be honored, the crown of righteousness is your reward. Anyone that has been poured as a drink offering for the name of Jesus, for the namesake of Jesus the crown of righteousness is your reward. It is for those that love Jesus and loves His appearing. Not His appearance, but His appearing.

 

You just want Him to be glorified, you just want Him to keep appearing in the lives of people you want Him to keep appearing in the situations of people, there is a crown of righteousness for you.

 

#3: The Incorruptible Crown. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 25. We are looking at the third crown; the incorruptible crown. 1 Corinthians 9:25, but I will read from verse 24. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? [So, a crown is a prize] Run in such a way that you may ^[i]obtain it. live your life in such a way that you might obtain an incorruptible crown.  And everyone who competes for the prize ^[j]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body. An imperishable crown is a reward, it’s a prize for as many people that run the race of faith with discipline will have an incorruptible crown in Christ.

 

#4: The Crown of Glory. 1 Peter 5 we will read verse 2 to 4. “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as being ^[b]lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; as many people as are able to meet this precondition, he said when the chief shepherds comes, when Jesus comes, there is a reward for you. The crown of glory that does not fade away. That’s your reward. So, there’s nothing you do for God, God is not unjust to forget your labor of love in that you minister to the saints, in that you oversee the flock of God and that you do minister.

 

#5: The Crown of Rejoicing. 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 19. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.” Apostle Paul was saying to the Thessalonian church that they are the crown of his rejoicing. In that they appear before Christ. Not that we are led astray or forsaken by the way. In that they appear in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Still on the crown of rejoicing; Philippians 4:1, Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. When we allow and make sure that feeble knees are not broken in the kingdom, there is a crown of rejoicing, they become our crown of rejoicing. Blessed are the feet of those that bring good tidings of great joy. That always cause heaven to rejoice. The crown of rejoicing is for those that cause heaven to rejoice.  That every time a sinner turns to the Lord, every time people appear before Jesus in glory they become our crowns of rejoicing.

 

So, you will see that there are preconditions to these crowns. But this is the reward system of the kingdom of God. You don’t just sit down and say I am born again and you are doing nothing to expand and to improve the kingdom of God. The reward is not for those that sit idle by it is for those that minister to the saints and do minister.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Lara Gboyega Adedeji!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!