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“Look,
I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to
their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and
the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the
gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside
the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the
idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give
you this message for the churches. I am
both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright
morning star.” Revelation 22:12-16
God is
moving history to the conclusion He has planned. History has its beginning; we are now within
the limits of the beginning and ending.
It is natural, and the time is coming, that God will determine to bring
the chapter of time and space as we know it to a close.
Life is
difficult enough. If you don't sense any
meaning in life, or at least a light at the end of the tunnel, it can be an
impossibility to enjoy, or even cope with life.
Sitting in the sixth-grade assembly at the end of the year, I was
suddenly shocked to find that they were going to hand out awards for
achievements. I can remember thinking to
myself, Why didn't somebody tell
me? I would've gotten better grades! This morning we will put that excuse to
rest.
The meaning,
or light at the end of the tunnel that we deal with this day is:
What about God's awards ceremony?
The text,
particularly verse 13, mentions the reward
of Jesus. The word literally means wages. The Bible is full of information about these WAGES
or CROWNS.
Certainty of Crowns
The reality
that Jesus is coming again to the earth is hard to miss in the New
Testament. But the text says that He is coming soon. From
our perspective, two thousand years is not what you would really call soon! But, as Einstein pointed out, time is
relative. Factors such as speed and
gravity have their effect on time. God
moves in a dimension you and I have little knowledge about. He is above time and space, which He
created. The greater includes the lesser
(as a quarter has a dime-and-a-half
within it) God is greater than time, but
operates within His creation.
There are two
possibilities,
and they sum up what will happen in our lives:
A.
He is coming at our death.
For some,
like my Grandmother, death carries us to see Jesus. As Paul wrote, absent from the body is present with the Lord.
The other
possibility:
B.
He is coming back in the clouds.
At Jesus’
arrest and trial, the religious leaders wanted Jesus to confess to what they
considered blasphemy, that he was God’s Messiah:
Then the
high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
Jesus
said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of
power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:61a-62
Jesus was
talking about the parousia, the second Advent or coming of
Christ. Atheists laugh, skeptics explain
it away, and agnostics refuse to think about it, but the Bible simply declares
its reality.
Either way, at
death, or in the clouds, the Lord is coming TO us! That is a great comfort and hope to me. And, since God never lies, we can count on
what the angels said to the disciples (Acts 1:11) as they watched Jesus' ascension into heaven, promising
He would come again in the same manner.
So whether by our death, or trumpet sound, we should be prepared.
A family
moved to a new neighborhood, and the mother was registering her little boy for
school. At 6 years-old he was a hyper
sort, always getting into mischief. The
mother filled out all the required information on shots, Doctor, and previous
school. But when she came to the large
open space for "COMMENTS," she simply wrote in huge block letters: BRACE
YOURSELVES.
That’s what
the apostle meant in our text about coming SOON. John records the words of Jesus: Brace
yourselves, I am coming again soon!
When Scripture says something repeatedly, it’s wise to pay very close
attention. And Jesus did mention this
several times before they crucified him.
Our crowns are a certainty, so we want to know…what kinds of crowns?
Catalogue of Crowns
I'm certain
one could make a more exhaustive list of crowns that are going to be a part of
God's awards ceremony; however I will list only four:
1. The Soul Winner’s Crown
…for those
who participate in bringing people to Jesus.
Old Testament Prophet Daniel talks of those who lead others to
righteousness.
Those
who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to
righteousness will shine like the stars forever. Daniel 12:3
The writer
of Proverbs(11:30) says it clearly that...he that winneth souls is wise.
How do you participate in
soul-winning? There are many ways,
praying, giving, going, and living a holy life, ready to tell anyone who will
listen why you do. Paul reminded
Timothy, an inexperienced young pastor:
Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 2 Timothy 4:2
Is it your desire
to see souls saved? That desire
doesn’t quite hit the mark! The soul
winner's crown is for participating.
When you have a strong enough burden to be involved, you will find a
way.
A
denomination, a church, or a believer not involved in efforts to win souls is
not wise.
2. The Crown of Glory
…is a
pastoral crown for those elders that feed the flock (1 Peter 5:4).
Beloved, you don't have to be a pastor, or a deacon to win this
crown. You simply must be willing to
pass the bread and butter down the table.
When I was
young Thanksgiving was always at our house for the extended family. While Mom was in the kitchen preparing the
food, Dad, my brother Thom, and I would do the other stuff. We
would set the table; get out the extra chairs; dust, and get ready to gripe about
doing the dishes. All this was
necessary. My mother cooked the
food....but we helped.
The fact
that today is Mother’s Day ought to ring loudly in your ears, Dads, and
children – a crown of glory means being a servant…not a king. But being a servant, like so many mothers
choose to be, always means a crown.
If you would
receive the crown of glory just as pastor Peter and John and Paul will, then
pass the bread of life on down the table!
Feed God's flock.
3. The Crown of Life
…is for
being faithful in trials.
God
blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will
receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
John wrote
in a day when faithfulness meant death.
Roman emperors expected the worship of all the people. To worship Jesus sometimes meant that you
died the way Jesus did. Before the Great
Tribulation begins that concept may well come full cycle back to an everyday
concern about being a Jesus-follower!
4. The Crown of Righteousness
…means God's
approval of your response to His claim on your life. Paul told Timothy, in his last letter to the
young pastor, that his fight was over, and the crown of righteousness was
awaiting him in heaven. Listen to what
he said:
And
now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not
just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8
Paul had
been faithful to answer the call of God, giving his whole life for the purpose
of that call.
We must not
miss the significance for you and me here:
God calls each of us...it is our responsibility to fulfill that
calling. Has He called you to be a
policeman, or to witness to your neighbor?
Has He called you to be a faithful steward? The crown of righteousness is God's
smile over the fact that you have been willing to turn your back on your own
desires and the allure of this world, and follow Him instead!
In Chicago
years ago the great evangelist D.L. Moody was preparing for a service inside
the church. Outside it was thundering
and lightning, with torrents of rain. A
little girl ran in from outside and told him excitedly: Mr.
Moody, the world is coming to an end.
Moody said: That's all right, Honey, we can live without
it.
The very
first thing God called you to is the salvation of your soul. To win the crown of righteousness, you must
accept the fact that you are not entitled to it, and that only Jesus' blood can
purchase it for you.
There is a
certainty of crowns, and the catalogue of crowns....and finally,
Crowning of Christ
Two simple
facts:
A.
THOSE WHO HAVE, WILL!
Those who,
in this life, have been faithful to win crowns from Christ will, in heaven, then
place them at His feet in heaven's glory.
It is the natural response of a thankful heart to give praise. Blessed are those who have washed their robes
in the blood of the Lamb. Saved people
will act like it!
B. THOSE WHO HAVEN'T, CAN'T!
No matter
what we have done in this life, if we have not placed a crown on Jesus' head, inviting
Him to be Lord of our life, over our actions and thoughts, will not be able to
do so in heaven. Much of the Book of
Revelation contains a list of those who have not invited Jesus to be Lord over
their life. Instead they have made it a
practice to invite the baser things of this world to be their lord. The consequence of a life lived apart from
Christ is spending eternity that way….in Hell.
The question
becomes, What are you preparing
for....Who is your Lord?
Boxer Joe
Frazier said:
You can map out a fight
plan or a life plan. But when the action
starts you're down to your reflexes.
That's where your roadwork shows (the discipline of training). If you cheated on that in the dark of the
morning, you're getting found out now under the bright lights.
Time for Resolve
How do you
feel about crowns? Will you live this
day, and every day with the expectancy of Advent...that our Lord may come back
today?
Charles the
Great was what the name Charlemagne means in French. He was the builder of empires, and conqueror
of the world. He spoke, and it was done,
in all the earth. His riches rivaled
Solomon's.
On Christmas
Day, 800 AD, he was crowned the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
He was a
man. He died.
A thousand
years later his tomb was opened. To the
shock of the archaeologists, they saw the corpse of Charlemagne sitting upright
in a chair....the long, petrified finger of his right hand pointing to a verse
in the Bible on his lap:
"For what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36
If you are
to receive the crowns of Christ, YOU must first crown HIM King!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Amen!
