Judgment Seat of Christ, Quality not Quantity, by Adrian Rogers

First of all, when the Lord rewards you, the emphasis is going to be upon quality, not upon quantity—quality, not on quantity. Look again, if you will, please, in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Let’s turn to it again—1 Corinthians chapter 3.

1 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 11: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”—all right, we start with the foundation—“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work”—now, watch it—“of what sort it is” (1 Corinthians 3:11–13)

It doesn’t say what size it is—“of what sort it is.” (1 Corinthians 3:11–13) You might have an apartment, a house, built out of wood, hay, and stubble. Somebody else has a bungalow made of gold, silver, and precious stones. I mean, you see, the emphasis here is not upon size, but sort. Which would you rather have—a wagonload of hay or a bucketful of diamonds?

You see, what God is interested in is quality, quality—not, primarily, quantity.

Now, some people just work themselves to death in the energy of the flesh, and they’re going to find out that, though they were in the church four or five times every week, and though they served on this committee—they did that thing; they sang in the choir; they were an usher; they preached; they taught; they did it all … But, it was done in the energy of the flesh rather than in the power of the Spirit; it was natural rather than supernatural. And, when God looks at it, God’s going to say, “Well, it looks good, but it’s wood, hay, and stubble.”

You see, the works of the flesh will receive no reward—only that which is done in the power of the Spirit. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Adrian Rogers, “Taking Inventory,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), 2 Co 5:8–10.