You are invited to stop building on your own terms and start aligning your life with the plumb line of God's righteousness. Take time today to repent of any self-driven actions and surrender your specific calling back to Him. When you do, you'll find your life transformed into something that lasts for eternity.
So I'm really excited about the message today. I don't know any messages that I haven't been excited about. Me either. So are you guys ready? Yeah.
Absolutely. Are you sure? Yeah. I'm ready, and I got my "handy dandy notebook" here just in case I need it. I think I might.
But in praying about what I was gonna speak about today, processing with the Lord, there's been a theme that I have hit over the last month and a half, 2 months, a couple of different times. And, it's just this statement that I've said, and the statement is, we're not judged for our sin, we're judged for our reward. And I want to dive in there. I wanna, let's let's see where that comes from. Is it is it biblical, me saying that?
We're not judged for our sin, we're judged for our reward. What what does that look like? Let's process that all together. Okay? The first question would be, naturally, is who's not judged for their sin?
Well, that would be anybody that has surrendered to Jesus as Lord. Do you guys know this? We talk about the gospel every Sunday in some shape or form, but the gospel is a gift. It's the gift of salvation. We're saved by grace through faith, not of works so that no 1 can boast.
Right? So just as if I were giving you this phone, if I were if I put this phone, this iPhone, whatever it is, in your name, you have the option to say, I don't really believe that you gave that to me, and to live separated from that gift, never having received it, and to die separated from that gift. A gift that I paid for completely for you, but you rejected it, never received it, and die separated from it. There's others that would say, oh, I believe in that phone. I believe that you're giving me that phone, But then reject it by their actions, never having received it, never having taken it, or put it in their pocket.
They just believe it's there. They will also die separated from the gift of the phone, never having been able to put it into practice, never been able to have to enjoy the benefits of the phone in their daily life. Right? And they will live for eternity, separated from the phone. Then there are others that, man, they get so excited about the gift.
Thank you so much for that phone. That's awesome. And they take the phone, and they stick it in their pocket, and they never pull it out. And so, they live as owners of the phone, but what is sad is they never get the benefit of the phone. And they So, they live a life knowing they have the phone, but never experiencing all of the benefits that come with the phone.
And so, their life isn't transformed by the phone as much as it could, except for the confidence that they have the phone. And then, there are others who believe the phone, receive it as a gift. Not only do they put it in their pocket, that they pull it out, they begin to play with the phone and understand there's a lot more to it. They get around others that know how they can use the phone and put it in practice in their daily life. They're like, wow, this thing.
And so, it begins to impact every aspect of their life, because there's tools on the phone that are meant to do that. Next thing you know, they're on the phone, all the time. And it's impacting their relationships with other people, and it's it's helping their tasks. It's helping everything that they do because it was created to do that. Which 1 are you in your walk with Jesus?
Because you're 1 of the 4. Capiche? Okay. We're not judged for our sin, but we are judged for our reward. Why are we not judged for our sin?
Because Jesus was judged for our sin. When you receive the gift, you receive what Jesus did. So legally, it would be, in a sense, "double jeopardy" if you were judged for your sin when Jesus was judged for your sin in your place. So it it can't happen. Romans-4:8, blessed is the man or the person whose sin is never counted against him.
Why? Because it was forever counted against Jesus. His 1 *sacrifice* was good enough for all. For all of your sin, and for all people, for any who would receive the gift, to surrender to Jesus as Lord. You surrender to him as Lord, and then he becomes your Savior.
Amen? Amen. Okay. The other legal term would be imputed righteousness, would be another way of saying it. imputed righteousness.
*Jesus' righteousness* was imputed or credited to your account, that when God sees you, he doesn't see your sin. Jesus, in that moment on the cross, he was separated from God, from the Father. For the first time, he said, my God, my God, instead of my Father. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why?
Because he became your sin in that moment, and so in that moment, he was separated so that you could be a son or a daughter. Amen? So you're not judged for your sin. *Jesus* was judged for your sin. You received that.
It was a good thing. The other, the theological term, the theologian would say substitutionary atonement. *Jesus* became the substitute. He became the payment, the sacrifice in your place, so that you didn't have to. Just a theological way of saying the legal things that I've already explained.
Okay? Substitutionary atonement. You get it? So we're not judged for our sin. Why?
Because Jesus was judged for our sin. Another verse that goes along with it that you've heard all the time, 2 Corinthians-5:21, there he became, he who knew no sin, it's Jesus, "became sin for us". So he died as your sin, so that in him are you in him. Maybe most of you are, maybe some of you aren't. What does it take to be Him, in Him?
Yes, Lord. I'm surrender, I'm gonna follow you instead of myself. I'm gonna make you the Lord of my life, and I'm I'm taking myself off the throne. I'm abdicating the throne of my heart, and putting you on the throne of my life, in my heart, to follow what you say instead of what I feel. To follow your truth instead of my truth.
I'm surrendering my truth to your truth, so that I can walk in the freedom that you created for me. Amen? When that happens, he who knew no sin became sin for us, so that in him, you're in him in that moment, you're placed in him and he's placed in you, We might become the *righteousness* of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus is righteousness credited to your account. That's why Hebrews says that there's if the sacrifices in the Old Testament would have worked, there would have been no need for any more sacrifice because the people would not have been guilty of sin.
You don't you don't have to even the guilt that comes, *Jesus* took it. As soon as your your conscience condemns you, you can wash your conscience clean, remembering that Jesus paid for that. He already knew you were gonna screw up, so instead fall forward, get back up, repent, and don't do it again. You're not judged for your sin. And you are judged for your reward.
Now, where is that? That's where I wanna spend the most of what we're talking about. Because the reward's kind of a big deal in Christianity. We kind of minimize reward, but we shouldn't. *Hebrews-11:6 says, without faith*, it's impossible to please God.
For anyone who comes to him must believe that he is. He is what? Yeah. But first, a lot of translations say he exists, but literally, it's you must believe that he is. It's a play on, I am, that I am.
You must believe that he is. He is what? He is everything that you need, in every moment that you need it. He is everything necessary to fulfill your life's purpose, the many purposes he created you for. He is your comforter.
He is your provider. He is your deliverer. He is your healer. He is your help in time of need. He is the 1 who works.
He is your peace. He is your joy. He is reconciliation. He is everything that you need in any moment. If you would only seek him first instead of something else.
**seek first his kingdom**, and his righteousness, and all these things would be added to you. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he is everything that you need in any moment. And he is a rewarder of those that would diligently seek him or those that seek him. So, in any area of my life that I feel an invitation by God to go after him, and I'm not going after him in that area, what I'm saying is your, the reward is not worth it. The reward is not worth the sacrifice.
I'm I'm counting going after what I'm going after in that area as more valuable and more rewarding than going after you in that area. The reward is not worth the sacrifice. Doctor David Livingston, amazing pioneer and pioneered and went through and traveled and explored all throughout Africa, and a lot of the settlements and things that are in Africa now are because of David Leviticus opened it up in many ways. 1 of the things that he said was, how is it that earthly kings, when an earthly king gives a commission, we count it as an honor, but when the heavenly king gives a commission, we count it as a sacrifice. There's no sacrifice to follow my great king.
It's an honor to obey him in any way. And if I count it as a sacrifice to say, yes, Lord, then maybe I'm minimizing the value of the reward. So that begs the question then, we're not judged for our sin, but we are judged for our reward. What is the reward? Let's talk about it.
Let's let's pull up some verses, some scriptures. This is where I'll open my handy dandy notebook. I think the first 1 is 2 Corinthians-5:10. Let's go to Matthew-16 first. Let's do that.
*Matthew-16:24* through 27 says this, then Jesus told his disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and "take up his cross" and follow me. Forever whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Meaning, I'm I'm counting what you say as a more valuable reward than what I want. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
For the son of man, that's Jesus, is going to come with his angels in the glory of his father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. So, Jesus is gonna repay each according to what he has done. Once again, you're not judged for your sin, but you are judged for your reward. Let's talk about it.
Let's dive a little bit deeper. In Mark-10, similar passage. You guys following me? We're gonna scripture it out for a little bit. All right.
Verses 29 through 31. So the context here is *Jesus* talking about, it's harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, than for a camel to go through the eye of the needle. Which is craziness. And the disciples were like, then who could enter the kingdom of heaven? How is that possible?
And Jesus said, with God, all things are possible. And then Peter said, but hey, we've left everything to follow you. And Jesus said, truly I say to you, there is no 1 who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, or father, or children, or lands for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now, in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Jesus said, and following Jesus, there is a temporal, temporary, earthly reward in giving it all for him.
There is no 1 who has left houses, or mothers, or fathers, and sisters, brothers, who will fail to receive that in this life, along with persecutions. And it wasn't just houses and all of that for him, it was houses and all of that for him, and for the gospel. So, in following Jesus, it's always paired with the gospel. You can't have him without the gospel, just so you know. It says, there's nobody that has left all of that, that will fail to receive those things in this life.
Now, some of you are like, well, I've been following Jesus. I've gave up stuff. Like, I've I've stepped out in faith, stepped on a limb, and I don't see any fruit. What's going on? *Galatians-6:9* says that, everyone who sows will reap a harvest if they do not give up.
Which means there's a time in between sowing and reaping. And are you 1 that's going to persevere and weather the storm? And if you're just in it for the temporary reward, you're probably not 1 that's gonna weather the storm. Because just being in it for the temporary reward is not gonna sustain you through the trials of life that's gonna try to knock you down. Now, those things are good.
I'm a walking testimony of that. I left my father. I left my mother. I left my brother and my sisters. I left my family.
I left my home and everything to pick up my whole life, come here and plant a church knowing nobody, not even knowing if we would have a house to stay in. And God supernaturally gave us what we needed. And now, not only do we have a house, but we have our kids have multiple grandparents in the Lord. Aunts and uncles and friends, and cousins. We have friends, we have father and mother, and that took time.
5 years at least, probably, till we felt like we had tons of family. And man, did, you know, there's a couple times, we were like, man, this is hard. What are we gonna do? What the Lord said? Yes, Lord.
My helpmate helping me. Let's go. Yes, Lord. But now, like, I'm living the fruit of this word. And, it took perseverance.
And, there's still more to come. There's still more to give. There's still more to sacrifice, which is an honor for him to call me to do it. And, there's still more to receive. God will bless you in this life, with everything that you need to healthily, everybody say healthily.
Healthily. Healthily fulfill your purpose. Every purpose that he's planned for you, and to enjoy life while you do it. He will. He really will.
And he is relentless about developing your character, your perseverance, and your endurance, and taking away every idol that would prevent you from healthily doing that. So if the things that you're desiring are an idol, he ain't gonna give it to you until he prunes that desire and that idol from your heart. Are you willing to persevere in the process? Now, what sustains you in the process? It's the greater reward that we receive on this earth.
What is that reward? When you gave your life to Jesus, he gave you eternal life, which John-17:3 says, eternal life is knowing him. It's walking hand in hand in relationship with the father, 1 step at time. Yes, Lord. Hearing his voice more clearly, knowing him more clearly.
And what does it take to know him more clearly in the process called life, towards the purposes that he created you for? John-14:21. Anyone who loves me will obey my commandments. What is obedience? It's God inviting you in different areas of your life to take a step of *faith* for the reward on the other side of obedience.
And you can either see it as sacrifice or as an honor. Obedience is going to sacrifice your flesh, but it's an honor to get to do that because the reward is greater than sacrifice. So that when you look back on the other side, you're like, why did I even feel like that was a sacrifice? That wasn't a sacrifice. That was a gift.
That was mercy. It was asking me to give up those things, or to do those things, or to say those things, or to give those things. That was the grace of God, so that I could stand in what I'm standing in now. And what are you standing in now? John-14:21.
He who loves me will obey my commandments, and my Father will love him. Not that God doesn't love you, but you will receive a "deeper knowledge" and understanding of the love of the Father, how to "walk with him" more clearly on the other side of obedience every time. On the other side of what your flesh called sacrifice, but in the spirit you knew it was an honor. You will see a deeper level of relationship and understanding of the love of the Father every single time. And Jesus says, and I too will love them and will manifest myself to him.
This is the earthly part of the earthly reward that's way surpasses any temporary houses, or relationships, and other things. Those things are things that the world goes after. But when we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, we're going after a deeper knowledge of him. That's the reward that really sustains us, and then we begin to see all the others as just an outflow of his blessing, so we can enjoy life and fulfill the purposes he he we need to. Because sometimes, there's resources necessary to fulfill purpose.
Yeah? You guys follow me? Okay. So *Jesus says, I will love him, and I will *manifest myself** to him. What does that mean?
That means on the backside of what your flesh calls sacrifice, but we call by the spirit an honor to obey and to give up or to step into, is a deeper manifestation, a multiplication of the manifestation of the life of Jesus to you, in you, and through you. Are you lacking the life of Christ to you, in you, and through you? The manifestation of Jesus in any area of your life? There's probably an invitation from the Father to take a step in this area, so that you can receive a greater reward of the manifestation of Jesus as a son. It's not performance.
It's not earning. It's showing that you're responsible in relationships so you can walk in what's next. And that takes effort. *Grace* is not opposed to effort, it's opposed to earning. Amen?
So this is the reward that sustains us, and if you're all about the temporary reward and not the reward of his presence, the reward of his voice, the reward of knowing more of him and experiencing more of him, then you won't last and persevere through the process to be able to fulfill all of your purposes, but you may be like 1 of those seeds that was planted and the thorns choked it out because it was focused on the temporary instead of on Jesus. Don't be that guy. Amen? Amen. And, everybody say and.
And. There's even greater reward. Not greater than knowing him now, or not greater than knowing him, but it's knowing him in eternity. There's reward in eternity that far surpasses any reward that we receive on earth. On earth, we're just looking at dimly through a mirror.
We're walking by faith because we can't see fully yet. But then, we will see fully, and be fully known, and be able to reflect him fully. There's greater reward in eternity. What is the eternal reward? What does that look like?
Let's talk about it. You guys with me? You following me? Alright. *2 Corinthians-5:10*.
By the way, I had fun up here playing the drums. Sometimes your pastor gets to play the drums too. It's a lot to play the drums and preach, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. By grace through faith, baby. But man, worshiping the Lord behind the kit's fun.
That's drum kit for some of you that didn't know. *2 Corinthians-5:10*, We're judged, we're not judged for our sin, but we are judged for our reward. It says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each 1 may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Okay. Here, the word for judgment seat is comes from the word bema, the bema seat of judgment.
Just to give you a little clarification on what that is and where that came from. Wax theologian on you for a second. Okay? The bima seat, in Greek culture, they had the Olympic Games that we see today. It started way back in the day, and they'd run races.
I mean, we see bent toward writing about the Olympics multiple times in Paul's writing. Paul said, I will not run as 1 who beats the air, but I will run to to win the prize, to win the race. I will discipline my body. That's what he's talking about. So the bema seat, what he's talking about there, is the judgment seat.
It was on a stone platform, raised up a little bit. When the Olympic games were finished, all of the athletes would gather around the stone platform, and the judge would give out the crowns for those who competed and won the different races. It would be the prize for finishing what they were supposed to do as athletes. Make sense? Now, this is referencing the Bema Seat.
Theologians would call, would say, you have the great white throne judgment, and then you have the Bema Seat judgment. Some theologians say, hey, they happen at the same time. Whether or not they happen at the same time, you can decide. My thought is that they do happen at the same time. I'll show you why in Revelation.
Just follow me on this theological journey for a second. It matters. Let's go to 1 Corinthians-9 first. Verses 24 through 27, says, do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only 1 receives the prize? So, run so that you may obtain it.
Every athlete exercises self control in all things. Everybody say, all things. Fruit of the spirit is self control. Any area of your life that you're struggling with self control, it's because you're in your flesh instead of in the spirit. Put your eyes on the spirit and follow him.
He will empower you to have self control in that moment. Take your eyes off of yourself. If you're lacking self control in that moment, you're being selfish, instead of following Jesus. Alright. That's not condemnation.
That's a kick in the butt to move forward. I love you. I'm your pastor. Sometimes I do that. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
So I do not run aimlessly. I do not box as 1 beating the air, but I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified. So this is that reference of the Bema Seat. Let's go to Revelation-20, so that you can see it. Here it talks about the great white throne judgment, but I think it's both together.
Then I saw a great white throne. *Revelation-20* verse 11. And him who was seated on it, that's Jesus, from his presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books, everybody say books. Books.
That's plural. Books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. So, and then the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, plural, according to what they had done.
And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each 1 of them according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. It's hell.
Eternity in hell. 15, and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. That's hell. How do you That's a great white throne judgment. If your name's not written in the book of life, you go to hell for eternity.
That's the verse. There's multiple others, but that's the verse. If you were wondering if hell's a real thing, if you don't believe hell's a real thing, you don't believe the Bible. Hell is a real thing. It's called a lake of fire, and anybody whose name is not written in the book of life will go to hell.
And your name being written in the book of life is not based on you going to church for 20 years. It's not based on your grandmama's salvation and praying for you. It's not based on your dad or your mama. It's not based on how much you read the Bible. It's not based on There's theologians that read the Bible, but don't know Jesus.
It's not based on how many people you prayed for and were healed. It's not based on how many people you led to Jesus yourself. It's not based on how many mission trips you went to. No. Being your name written in the book of life, the lamb's book of life is based on what Jesus said.
No 1 can see the kingdom of heaven unless they have been "born again". Born of the spirit. How are you born again? Born of the spirit. How is your name written in the lamb's book of life?
What I said earlier, *Jesus*, I've been a sinner. You died and you rose again. I believe that. I don't believe it so much. I I don't believe it just that it happened, but I believe it enough to surrender my life to you, to follow what you say instead of what I feel.
*Lord*, teach me how to do that. I turn my life to you. And it's more than just an alter moment because it changes your heart, so you begin to make steps of change that shows that it was true. Amen? But in that moment, *Jesus* writes your name in the Lamb's book of life.
It's awesome. You're not judged for your sin, but you're judged for your reward, and the other books are the annals of heaven. An annal is like a book of chronological events that is written down of what people did. There are annals of heaven that God is gonna open when he comes, and he's gonna say, Man, look at Scooter. Y'all see Scooter, look at this.
These are the steps of faith that he lived out. And all of heaven's gonna go, So cool. Alright. So let's let's look at how that works. Okay?
If you look at Abraham and Sarah in Genesis, man, they did some pretty crazy things. Abraham slept with his hands made servant trying to make the promise of God happen, not by faith, but by his own works. Sarah doubted God, didn't seem to even walk by faith, didn't believe that she could have a baby in her own womb, but laughed at the angel who told him, you know. I mean, that was some pretty crazy stuff. In Genesis, that's the history.
That's written for our example. But that's not written in the annals of heaven. *Jesus* came, new covenant happened, bam. Their *faith was credited to them as righteousness*. So when you read what's written in the annals of heaven, oh, comes out in the book of Acts and the book of Romans, talking about Abraham and Sarah.
And it comes out in the book of Hebrews, talking about Abraham and Sarah. You don't read about their failings anymore. That was washed away by the blood. But you read about their righteous steps of faith. It's the other was was washed away in the sea of forgetfulness.
*God God it's it's as if he's completely forgotten their past and only sees them through the eyes of his son, Jesus Christ. And the righteous steps of faith* that they did, because it's based on those will be the reward. That's right. Good news. It's pretty cool, Yeah.
So when he looks at you, he sees the goodness of Jesus and you're judged for your reward. Amen. *1 Corinthians-3*, Verse 10, according to the grace God given God has given me, like a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation and someone else is building upon it. Let each 1 take care how he builds upon it. For no 1 can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, is Jesus Christ.
*Jesus is the foundation* of your life. He's the cornerstone. And you are invited to build off of the cornerstone, to build a life, a house, and how you build matters. Now, if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hair, straw, each one's work will become manifest, be made known. For the day will disclose it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each 1 has done.
Now we can see what sort of work you're doing in this life. After a time, if it doesn't persevere, storms come and it knocks it down. But that that which we can't see, the day, the judgment day, we'll test it by fire. And only those that stand the time of fire will get reward for eternity. Only those works.
If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. See, wasn't making that up. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as by fire. So what's the loss? I don't wanna suffer loss in eternity, but what's the loss he's talking about?
*God, in Ephesians-2:10*, he created you for many good works. Supernatural works that require faith, that require obedience, and walking with him. And it says, that you should walk in. Before you were formed in your mother's womb, as he's forming you, he's given you the skills, the talents, and the abilities, the DNA necessary to fulfill every good purpose, in partnership with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. But not everybody follows the will of God for their life.
Some resist in different areas of their life, and they miss out on some of the good works that he prepared for them. And those that they don't accomplish, they lose, they suffer loss, they lose the reward. What reward will you be receiving in heaven? What does that look like? Well, it looks like more and more of of his presence, like we we see him fully, and that's awesome.
What is the other reward? I don't know. There's some level and some verses of responsibility that we carry, work that we're entrusted to do, leadership that we carry, and I don't know what that's gonna look like. But man, I don't wanna miss out. I don't wanna suffer loss because I I live for myself and for the temporary stuff here, instead of for him here.
I wanna be so heavenly minded that I'm earthly amazing. I wanna be so captured by by the reward in heaven, and so filled by faith because I see myself the way he sees me. I see the authority he's given me humbly, that it works out in this life as if I'm just a sojourner, I'm just passing by, I'm an ambassador of the kingdom of heaven, and other people see my life and they say, man, that dude is possessed by Jesus. Let me show you what it looks like, and I'll be done. Don't worry, I got 5 minutes, maybe 7.
Alright. Here we go. No. I'm good. Thank you.
*Isaiah-28*. Verse 16, thus says the Lord God, behold, I am the 1 who was laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a "precious cornerstone" of a sure foundation, whoever believes will not be in haste. So Jesus is the cornerstone of our life. In the old days, when they would build a house, they would cut out of rock a perfectly square cube, this is close, cornerstone, and they would prepare the land, and they would put that cornerstone down, and make sure that it's set right. When you give your life to Jesus, Jesus is the cornerstone of your life.
It's set, He's set right in your life, and no matter the storms, hell, or high water that come, it's not gonna knock the cornerstone down. Okay? Now, and I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line, and hail will sweep away the "refuge of lies", and water will overwhelm the shelter. What is that talking about? Hell will sweep away the refuge of lies, and water overwhelm the shelter.
Every stone that we build in our life off of the cornerstone that is not placed in the way that is instructed to build it in these verses or biblically, then it's like us building something that's out of whack. Either it will fall over itself, or when the storm comes, it won't be perfectly in line, and the pressure of the water, and the rain, and the wind will cause it to fall over, and you'll have to start over back with the cornerstone that never shifted, Jesus Christ. Anybody experienced that in their life? Having to start over. You know what I'm talking about?
So then how do we build off the cornerstone? It says, I will make *righteousness* the plumb line. I don't wanna use that 1. That's a good 1. That's an expensive 1.
Let's use let's use this 1. Alright. Here we go. A plumb line had a plumb bob at the end. Something like this, awaits, gravity pulls it straight down.
So now, if I'm gonna build off of the cornerstone, I need to build in line with the plumb line. I'll make an x here and an x at the top, and it shows me how to build perfectly vertical. Understand? *Righteousness* is what helps us to build perfectly vertical. What is righteousness?
Righteousness is right standing with God. When I know that I'm forgiven, and I'm in right standing with God, I have nothing to prove, because I'm proven by him. So everything that I do is now not about me because I've already been proven. I'm a son. So I can stand in "humble confidence".
If I don't understand righteousness, then everything I do, I'm looking over my shoulder. Who's watching? Who's looking? Is the pastor looking? Is that person looking?
Are they gonna see it? I'm proving myself right here because I don't understand my position as a son. Or I'm doing this so that you'll hear my prayers, so that you'll bless me, so that so that you'll love me more. Right? Or not love me any less.
And so when you do stuff like that, you're not in line with the plumb line of righteousness because it's self righteousness. You're so insecure and worried about yourself, and eventually, you're gonna fall over. But when you build off of righteousness, because you understand your standing, you have nothing to prove before anybody, now, I'm building right in line with Jesus, because it's his righteousness, and I can stand humbly confident in everything that he's called me to do, because it's not about me. And it's gonna be so solid and straight that when the storms of life come, the hail come, the waters come, it doesn't sweep it away because it's strong, because it's built in line with the plumb line. Righteousness in the Old Testament is divinely right standing.
So it has to be perfect, and the only way that is is Jesus. He credited that to you. You understand? Now, in the Old Testament, righteousness is always paired with justice, or a lot of times, most times. There's righteousness and justice.
They go together because right standing always leads to right doing. If right standing didn't lead to right doing, you don't understand your standing. Okay? So righteousness is divine right standing. Justice is divine right action.
It's it's the action that's perfect. That's the only thing that's gonna stand the fire. Your good is not good enough. Sorry. Your good stuff is not good enough.
You're trying to do God good things that was somebody else's calling is still not good enough. You gotta do the race God's called you to run-in the way that he's called you to run it, out of obedience. That see, the only way that you do a divinely right action is by hearing him and obeying him, Because he's going to empower you to do what he said in his way. But if you try to do it on your own, he's gonna be like, bro, that's self righteousness. That ain't gonna stand.
Divine right action is the **measuring line**. The measuring line, they would take a rope, they would clip it here, clip it here, the exact amount based off of the cornerstone, and then every box that they put in, or every stone, they would make sure that it was in line with the cornerstone, it was the right measuring line, and then that would be 1 that was perfect. Right? In line with the measuring line, that would be 1 that was perfect. And so it's only perfection that builds a house that lasts for eternity, and the only way to walk in perfection is obedience.
Empowered by his power to be what you can be, never be on your own, and to do what you can never do on your own, that's grace. Jesus was the example of that. Jesus, apart from the father, he could do nothing. That's what it says. But then it says, he only did what he saw the father doing and only said what he heard the father say.
He was showing us how to live in relationship with him. I repent of every action I've ever taken that was selfish, that was for me and in every area of my life. I wanna live fully devoted, a life that's that's based on my heavenly calling and heavenly reward, focused on you and saying, yes, Lord, in everything. Does that mean you're to be a pastor 1 day? No.
Not necessarily. Maybe you're called to be a housewife. Maybe you're called to be a business owner. Maybe you're called to be a doctor or a nurse. You do that this way.
Yeah. And you will build a life that changes the world and lasts with **heavenly reward** for eternity. Now, that being said, It's time for some repentance. You guys feel that? It's time there's areas of our lives where maybe we've we know we've got some things that we've done that are like that, and just about ready to fall over.
And hearing the message, we realize, maybe I did that so other people would see me. Maybe I did that so that, you know, because I thought it was good but it wasn't God, or I was just "running from what he said", or I'm stopping, I'm not marrying the girl, or I'm not doing this because I'm scared, which fear is still insecurity, it's out of this. Bro, yes, *Lord*. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.
Yes, Lord. That's the only way you build this house. And maybe there's some in here that would say, dang it. I don't even know. I don't think my name's written in the book of life.
I'm kinda following God. My brother says, well, if you're kinda following him, then you kinda ain't. And you need to be "all in". I wanna ask the altar ministry team to come forward.