Be Careful How You Build
1 Corinthians 3:8-15

There was a young minister who sat by the bed of a friend who was dying. As they talked of his going to be with the Lord, tears filled the eyes of his dying friend. The young minister thought he was afraid to die and attempted to speak encouraging words to him. But his friend replied, "I am not afraid to die; I am ashamed to die." He went on to say that although Christ was his Savior, he had lived for himself, and he now had to meet the Lord empty-handed. His life was "wood, hay, and straw."

This may seem like a tragic situation, but it’s not all that unusual. Sadly, there are many who are destined to meet their Lord empty-handed. Perhaps they are described in 1 John 2:28, "And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming." There are some who will be ashamed to meet the Lord, because of so little that they did for Him while they were here. They’ll be saved, but there will be no reward.

There is a difference between salvation and rewards. Salvation is a gift of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. You don’t earn it, or deserve it. The Bible tells us clearly that "it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). But rewards are a different thing altogether. Rewards are given to us according to our works. In Matthew 16:27 we read, "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." In other places the Scriptures tell us that certain "crowns" await those who are faithful. So we see that there is a Doctrine of Rewards for Christian Service.

A key passage for our study is found in 1 Corinthians 3:8-15. Here we find the foundation for Christian rewards, which will take place at the judgment seat of Christ.

Firstly, let’s look at the principles that are the foundation for our work. In 1 Corinthians 3:8 we find a major principle; and that is that every believer is rewarded according to his own labor. "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." Now this is not work done for salvation, as we’ve already pointed out. But it’s reward for faithful service to God. And although its immediate application was to the ministers in Corinth, it equally applies to every believer.

God has called each of us. He has gifted us, and equipped us for the work of ministry. And He has a work for us to do. This is true for every believer in His church. None of you are excluded from having a place of service in His Kingdom. You have a work to do—Kingdom work! And according to this passage of Scripture, if you are faithful to the work He’s called you to do, you’ll receive a reward. Notice that we are not rewarded for success, but for our labor or faithful service.

This is because we are laborers together with God in the work of the Kingdom. Look at verse 9 in relation to verse 8. It says, right after we are told that we receive a reward for our labor, "For we are God’s fellow workers." In other words, we’re part of His (God’s) ministry; we’re part of His work. It is His Kingdom that we are engaged in helping to build.

Now this makes something very plain. And it’s something that we need to understand clearly. It’s this. It is not our place to define the work. We are workers together with Him. So often we seek to set the agenda; we seek to define the terms of our work for God. We tell the Lord what we’ll do, when we’ll do it, what the conditions are under which we’ll serve, and when we’ve had enough. And when we do, we forget just Who is Lord. He is Lord! We are workers in His vineyard. But how do we work? Let’s look now at the practice by which we engage in Christian work.

Now one thing we must see is that we are builders. This is what verse 10 says. "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds." Our work consists in adding to the foundation that has already been laid. We’re workers in the great building process of the Kingdom of God. The Divine Architect has approved the plans. He has set us, his workers, in place. And the building process has begun. We don’t know how it will all fit together That’s the way it is with workers. But He knows. All we know is that we have a job to do, and that if we do it right, according to His design, it will all fit together to produce a finished product.

And to do it properly, we must build on the right foundation. Verse 11 tells us that there is only one foundation upon which we can build, and that’s the foundation which is the Lord Jesus Christ. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." He’s the only foundation upon which Christian work can proceed.

What are the implications of this? Well, one implication is that for our work to be distinctively Christian, it must be based on the redemptive Person of Jesus. Much that passes for Christian work is not. There are those who are engaged in humanitarian work which some mistake for Christian work. But it’s not enough that work be the kind of work Christians should do. Christian work without Christ ceases to be true Christian work. To truly do Christian work, one must be a Christian, and one must base his work on Christ’s living Person. The work must seek to lead people to Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

So how do we build on the foundation? Our text points up two distinct kinds of materials with which we can build. And as a matter of fact, there are really only two kinds of material available to us. Look at verse 12: "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw…" Let’s pause here and look at these materials.

The first is gold, silver, and costly stones. These are symbolic of good work. But it’s more than good. It’s eternal work, spiritual work. It’s work that is born of the Spirit of God, ordered by Him. It’s work that is born out of an abiding relationship with Christ.

The second is wood, hay, and straw. These are symbolic of inadequate work. Now that does not mean that it’s not perceived as good. It may look good, but in reality it was not good at all. That’s because it had its origin in the flesh. The Spirit of God never authorized it. It’s work that is not led by the Spirit, but is merely human effort to please God.

You see, on the one hand you have work engaged in because of a sense of the leadership of the Lord, and on the other work that is engaged in because of another motive. Samuel Johnson said, "The morality of an action depends on the motive from which we act." That motive may be a selfish desire to do something for Jesus. It may be a desire to look good in the eyes of others. Perhaps some attempt to ease their own consciences by good works. But all these things are less that the highest motive for Christian work. The highest and only true motive for Christian work is a sense of the leadership of the Lord. Through a conscious submission to Him we declare that our work should not only be for Him, it should be the work He desires from us, born from a living relationship with Him.

There is a powerful illustration of this in Matthew 7:21-23. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" It is not enough to do good works, even works that seem spiritual, such as the ones just mentioned: prophesy, and casting out demons. They must flow from the will of God. Jesus said it is the one who does the will of the Father who really does good works. That’s the key requirement for doing the works of the Kingdom. And our works must be of that quality because they will have to withstand the probe that reveals the nature of the work.

Look at verse 13: "his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work." There will come a time when our works are examined to detect what kind of work it is; and what kind of motive is behind it. Thomas À Kempis said, "Man sees your actions, but God your motives." Are they gold, silver, and costly stones, or are they wood, hay, and straw? What will be the test?

The test will be the great Day of the Lord. Our text says that the day will declare what kind of works we have. This can only refer to the Day of Christ, which is the judgment of Christ, the Bema Seat. That’s the judgment of Christians, when all of us stand before the Lord to be rewarded for our works. In that Day our works will be tested. They will pass through the fire, and what is gold, silver, and costly stones will come through purified of any dross. But what is wood, hay, and straw will be consumed totally.

What is this fire? Well, one possibility, and a pretty good one, is that it refers to the all seeing, all searching eyes of the Lord. Listen to this description of Jesus in Revelation 1:14, "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire." When the Lord looks, He sees all. He sees beyond the surface, even to the thoughts and intents of our heart. So perhaps this fire that will try our works is the all seeing eye of the Lord Himself. But in any case, the nature of our works will be revealed. And what is the outcome? What is the prize which awaits those who do Kingdom work?

We see from verses 14 and 15 that the nature of the work determines the reward or loss. "If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." If our works stand because they are true works of the Kingdom, then we shall be rewarded according to our works. If our works are consumed because they were works built on the flesh, then we shall suffer the loss of them, and there will be no reward.

Now, as we’ve said before, we are not talking about salvation. The loss that may be suffered is not a loss of salvation. Verse 15 clearly says this. Remember that this is the judgment of Christian works, not the great White Throne Judgment of the lost. Those who suffer loss here will be saved, but without reward.

But those who are faithful in their work in the Kingdom shall receive a reward. There will be a prize for the faithful in Jesus. The Bible speaks of definite rewards, or "crowns" which await us. There is the "Crown of Life" for those who love Jesus and endure temptation (James 1:12). There is the "Crown Incorruptable" for those who discipline their lives in the race (1 Cor. 9:25). There is the "Crown of Rejoicing" for those who are soul winners (1 Thess. 2:19). There is the "Crown of Righteousness" for those who love His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). And there is the "Crown of Glory" for those who faithfully shepherd God’s flock (1 Peter 5:4).

What does it mean to receive a "crown"? Does this mean we’ll receive a literal crown to go on our heads? If these crowns are a symbol of something, what would that be?

Well, a crown is given to those who rule. To have a crown is itself symbolic of the reality of authority and rule. Kings have a crown. Queens have a crown. They’re given this crown at their coronation, when they’re installed officially in office.

Now that’s very interesting, because the Bible has much to say about ruling and reigning with Christ. In Revelation there’s a promise of rule to those who overcome. Jesus says to those who have been faithful in little that they shall be made ruler over much. Perhaps here these crowns refer to various kinds of rule available in the age to come.

We must remember that our concept of heaven is a very limited and incomplete one. The Bible tells us that our eyes have not seen; our minds have not imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. We don’t even realize what awaits us there. But I’m convinced that it’s not some kind of lazy, retirement colony, where we all do nothing for eternity.

We get a clue from the Biblical account in Revelation of the beginning of our life with Jesus in glory. It’s called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It’s when the Bride of Christ, the Church, and Christ are joined together for eternity. It’s a marriage—a beginning. Whatever else heaven will be, it will be the beginning of an adventure.

And if there will be those who rule and reign with Christ, there must be something to rule over. Just what that is, I don’t know. Will there be new worlds? I don’t know. But whatever God has in store will be fantastic. That’s why we need to be about the Father’s business. There are rewards awaiting the faithful, who build according to the will of the Father.

Each of us here today has the unique opportunity to evaluate his or her works in advance of the Day of the Lord. What kind of works have you been building on the foundation?

Let me give you three situations you may be in. The first is that you may be actively seeking His will for your life and work daily. You’re becoming more aware of His direction in your life, and you’re following that direction. And it’s leading you to greater faithfulness, greater service in the church, and greater outreach in the community. You’re building works of gold, silver, and costly stones.

The second situation is that you may be working, but all that you do is because you decide to do it. You come to church only when you want to. You only do a job in church because you feel like it, when it’s convenient for you. In most of your work, you can’t really say that you feel the leading of the Lord. You’re building with wood, hay, and straw.

The third situation is tragic. It’s the situation where you just don’t do anything; you’re not involved at all. Oh, there are many reasons why you can’t be involved. After all, you have your life to live; you have your career to pursue; you have your recreation to enjoy; you have your people to see; you have your plans. And you just don’t have much time for church, for outreach, for Kingdom work, for anything extra. This is the saddest case of all. If we live like this, we will be ashamed to meet Jesus in the end.

Don’t you desire to build with gold, silver, costly stones? I want to hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things." I don’t want to be like Jonah, running from God’s will, making my own plans; losing all I had, left on the ship; only to be deposited on the shores of Glory, barely saved — no crown, no reward, no victory, bringing nothing with me.

Let’s lay up treasure in heaven. Too often we make our lives the focus. But in Revelation 22:12 Jesus said, "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." May we so build on the foundation with the right motives, that our work will be gold, silver, and costly stones. A glorious crown awaits those who do. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal. 6:9)

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