Crowns – Emmanuel Pentecostal Church Gateshead Resources

WEDNESDAY July 1st

Revelation 5 – CROWNS – Part 2

We continue from yesterday:

Paul often uses language that speaks of us running a race, reaching the finishing line and winning the prize, (see Galatians 2:2, Philippians 2:16, 2 Timothy 2:5, 4:7) the Hebrew writer encourages us in the same way in Hebrews 12:1-2 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’

I have written a lot over the last two devotions to get to this point which is a question? What is going to happen to our crowns?

I cannot recall that I have ever competed in anything to have won and been presented with a crown, trophy, laurel or wreath, but if I had I would have made sure it was somewhere up on display! I have won some competitions, won a few prizes but never had a memento to display, other than perhaps a certificate.

What is my answer to the question, what is going to happen with the crowns? because one thing is for sure we will not have a cabinet to display them in in heaven? I think that the answer (and it is my own personal view) lies in Revelation chapter 4.

In verse 4 we read ‘Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.’

Notice, they had their crowns on their heads, but they then did something with them, we see this in verse 10-11 ‘the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’

They cast their crowns at the feet of the Lord Jesus! In other words, in heaven it will all be about what it should all be about here on earth – all about Jesus! All the praise, honour, glory, worship, adoration goes to him because without him we would still be lost, still in our sin, it is only because of his redeeming grace that we can be who we are and what we are. And it will only be because of his redeeming grace that we will be found around the throne! Everything we receive, including our crowns, will be cast at his feet so that all the glory goes to him.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 ‘For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’

Revelation 5:12-14 ‘Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing! And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever! And the four living creatures said, Amen! and the elders fell down and worshiped.’

Now, if we are going to cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus, we could be sceptical and say then why bother to get them? Well, this one thing is sure, when I get into the presence of Jesus, I do not want to appear empty handed, that would be a sign of spiritual laziness, I need to do something here on earth to be able to cast something before him in heaven!

Charles Wesley sums it up for us in the last verses of this hymn, ‘till we cast our crowns before thee.’

Love divine, all loves excelling,

Joy of Heav’n to earth come down,

Fix in us thy humble dwelling,

All thy faithful mercies crown!

Jesus, thou art all compassion,

Pure unbounded love thou art,

Visit us with thy salvation,

Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit,

Into every troubled breast!

Let us all in thee inherit,

Let us find that second rest.

Take away our bent to sinning,

Alpha and Omega be,

End of faith, as its beginning,

Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,

Let us all thy life receive,

Suddenly return and never,

Never more thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing,

Serve thee as thy hosts above,

Pray and praise thee without ceasing,

Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation,

Pure and spotless let us be.

Let us see thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in thee,

Changed from glory into glory,

Till in Heav’n we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before thee,

Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

^{Charles Wesley CCLI788682}

Daily Devotion June 30th

TUESDAY 30th

James 1:1-16 – CROWNS – Part One

In one of our devotions last week (Friday) I mentioned verse 12 of James 1 ‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.’

James mentions the ‘crown of life’. In this devotion I want to look at the verses in Scripture that mention crowns in relation to the Christian life.

We have the crown of life

James 1:12 ‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.’

Revelation 2:10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.’

We have the crown of righteousness

2 Timothy 4:8 ‘Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.’

We have the crown of glory

1 Peter 5:4 ‘And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.’

We have the incorruptible crown (in the ESV it is an imperishable wreath)

1 Corinthians 9:25 ‘Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.’

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV) ‘Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.’

There is a warning to hold fast so as not to lose the crown

Revelation 3:11 ‘I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.’

And Paul considered those who were under his pastoral care to be his crown, a crown of rejoicing

Philippians 4:1 ‘Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.’

1 Thessalonians 2:19 ‘For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?’

When we read of these crowns, they are not crowns as we see a king or queen wearing signifying authority, but rather as the ESV translates the word in 1 Corinthians 9:25 as wreaths or laurels that would have been given to competitors who have completed and won a race, or like a trophy presented to someone who has achieved something.

In Malachi we are told about a book of remembrance, Malachi 3:16 ‘Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.’ later in Scripture we are told that a day of judgement is coming for all men (and women) and on that day the books will be opened, Revelation 20:12 ‘And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.’ And in 2 Corinthians 5:10 ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.’

Is one of the books that will be opened the book of remembrance? I wonder what will be recorded down about each one of us, thankfully some of what has been written about us will be blotted out, everything that happened pre-conversion will be blotted out because it will have been forgiven as we saw in the devotion June 18th (Acts 3:19) but what about post-conversion, well, the Scripture also tells us that if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us of that sin, (1 John 1:9) so every confessed sin will be blotted out, but what about the things we should have done and didn’t do, or the things we have done that we should not have done? The Scripture says that ‘we will receive what is due according to what we have done . . .’ Let us be clear that if we have kept the faith and run the race we will not lose or forfeit salvation, but we can lose out on our eternal reward! What is written in the book of life determines our eternal destination, (Revelation 20:15) and what is written in the books that will be opened will determine our eternal reward, that is, what crown, crowns or laurels, winners wreaths, reward we will receive. That is why what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 is so important. ‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.’

Jesus also taught of reward in his parable of the talents, being rewarded according to what we have done with anything that he has entrusted to us in our Christian ministry (Matthew 25)

We will continue this theme tomorrow:

Living for Jesus a life that is true,

Striving to please him in all that I do;

Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,

This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Saviour, I give myself to thee,

For thou, in thine atonement, didst give thyself for me;

I own no other Master, my heart shall be thy throne,

My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for thee alone.

Living for Jesus who died in my place,

Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;

Such love constrains me to answer his call,

Follow his leading and give him my all.

Living for Jesus wherever I am,

Doing each duty in His holy name,

Willing to suffer affliction and loss,

Deeming each trial a part of my cross.

Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,

My dearest treasure, the light of his smile,

Seeking the lost ones he died to redeem,

Bringing the weary to find rest in him.

^{T O Chisholm CCLI788682}