Crowns to Be Won
1 Corinthians: Order in the Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Just like building a physical structure, it is important to know and understand the materials at your disposal
When you select your building materials today, you have two options at your disposal:
Premium materials
Subpar materials
The same is true when building from a spiritual perspective
You may choose from:
Premium - God honoring supplies, or,
Subpar - self-serving supplies
Materials List
Materials List
1 Corinthians 3:12 (KJV 1900)
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
All of these are types of materials used in Paul’s day
Gold, silver, and precious stones were used in adorning the finished product
Wood, hay, stubble were used, but these had to be replaced regularly due to rot and decay
Choose Wisely
Choose Wisely
God wants us to perform works for His glory, but remember, He gives us a choice!
Your choices will lead to either:
Reward
Loss of reward
What is Meant by Reward?
Many Christians are confused on this subject:
“I am not interested in rewards.” or,
“I do not deserve any rewards.”
Two-fold truth here:
God is interested in rewarding you
You do not deserve anything good because you are a sinner (Grace)
A Proper Understanding
Rewards (represented by gold, silver, and precious stones) are recieved for faithfulness and obedience in life after salvation.
Rewards are referred to in various NT Scriptures as “Crowns”
Faithful obedience to God will result in our receiving crowns for God’s glory
There are Five Crowns to be Won
There are Five Crowns to be Won
An incorruptible Crown
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Represents a reward for living a disciplined life
Paul tells us that everyone, even the unsaved are striving for this crown.
The unsaved are wasting their energies on things that will not last (money, fame, etc.)
God’s people are looking for an eternal reward in heaven
The word “temperate” means self-control or contentment
While it is discouraging for us as God’s people to see the ungodly seem to sail through life with ease, we can rejoice with Paul in having “…learned to be content in whatsoever state I am...”
2. A Crown of Rejoicing
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
This crown is given for being a faithful witness!
Imagine the joy that awaits you in heaven when you’re standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be greeted by those people which you faithfully witnessed to standing in the presence of Jesus!
3. A Crown of Righteousness
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Also, 1 John 3:1-3
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
What are both Paul and John telling us?
That as believers it is our duty to live pure lives!
The moment you are saved your sins are wiped away, but as everyone in this room knows all to well, there is a difference between having your position changed in Christ and living a changed life!
Paul understood this, that is why he said there is “Laid up for me”…literally stored and waiting for him, a crown of a righteous life.
4. A Crown of Life
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
A huge part of serving God, of building with gold, silver, and precious stones, is a willingness to endure trials.
My generation was the generation that received “participation” trophies.
If we had it our way, we would just be given this crown, but that is not the way it works!
For Jesus there was a crown of thorns and a cross
For us there will be trials and tribulations, and in the end, a crown of life!
One day we will stand in His presence and sing “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus!”
5. A Crown of Glory
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
This crown awaits the faithful pastor (Bishop, elder, pastor = 3 descriptions, 1 office)
The Greek Stephanos crown, awarded to the winners of the Olympic games, was made of olive, oak, or ivy leaves and would eventually wither.
For the faithful pastor who endures suffering, who faithfully serves God’s heritage, there is a crown awaiting that will last for eternity
Understand This...
Understand This...
Gold, silver, precious stones represent the five crowns
These are rewards given for faithful service
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 of what sort it is.
Fire = judgment of God
Not judgment of sin, that was done on Calvary
It means scrutiny or to be put to the test
Gold, silver, and precious stones are perfected by fire, but...
Wood, hay, and stubble are consumed by it
These materials represent anything believers do for their own selfish desires
A haystack may be easier to be seen than a flake of gold, but put them both in the fire and see which one come out the other side!
Remember the Foundation
Christ is our foundation
WE get to build on Him as the foundation, but we get to choose the materials we use
Some are harder to see and harder to come by than others, but in the end bring eternal reward
Others are much easier to come by, and easier to be seen (esp. by others), more readily available, but will not pass God’s test.
If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
G,S, and PS (works done for God’s glory) will survive the fire of God
W,H, S (works done to bring glory to self) will result in loss of reward, not a loss of salvation!
J. Vernon McGee puts it this way:
“There are going to be some people in haven who will be there because their foundation is Christ but who will smell as if they had been bought at a fire sale!”
The Easy Way is Not Always the Best Way
W,H, and S are cheap, and easy to come by, and easy to be seen, however they will not last!
Too many of God’s people are taking the easy way out.
Doing things to be seen, to get a pat on the back
God’s desire is that we do all that we do for His glory!
What does that look like?
It means that if you live your life for the sole purpose of bringing God the glory, you may go your entire Christian life and never be noticed by another believer for all that you do…but God sees it!
What about you?
What about you?
Ask yourself these three questions:
What am I building with?
What am I building for?
What have I done lately that will pass God’s test at the judgment seat?