Focusing on the Future - Lesson 7 - Spiritual Crowns

Spiritual Crowns

The Incorruptible Crown

I Corinthians 9:24-25, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 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.”


Everyone who proposed to strive in the games
for the prize pursued a course of self-control,
and exercised himself very systematically.
All this effort was made for a corruptible crown.

The crown won by the victor in the Olympian games
was made of the wild olive, laurel, or pine.
These were all corruptible,
for they began to wither as soon as they were separated
from the trees, or plucked out of the earth.

The duty of all Christians,
who strive for that crown,
to be temperate in all things.

If the heathens practiced temperance
to obtain a fading olive, laurel, or pine crown,
should not we to obtain one that never fades?

Do you some times find yourself striving for that corruptible crown?





The Crown of Righteousness

II Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 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.”

This scripture looks at life as a battle or a race,
and having been faithful in all these,
we can expect a gracious reward.

And not to me only, the scripture states.
All can have the same hope. All who serve him,

Will you be able to say, ‘you have fought a good fight,
you have finished your course, and you have kept the faith?’





The Crown of Life

James 1:12, “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.”

Notice the character of the person whom God calls blessed;
not the person that escapes temptations and trials in this life,
but the person that bears them with courage and constancy,
with patience and submission.

Would you consider yourself blessed because of your endurance?





The Crown of Glory

I Peter 5:1-4, “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.”

I believe this verse is referring to pastors.
Can’t it also apply to us if we are a leader in a ministry?
What about you wives and moms, as you minister in the household?
What about you husbands and dads
when you minister to your family?

Are you an example to your flock?





Revelation 2:10, “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.”

Be thou faithful unto death –
Be firm, hold fast the faith,
confess Christ to the last,
and we shall have a crown of life
we will be crowned with life,
have an eternal happy existence,
though we suffer an earthly death.

It gets tough sometimes doesn’t it?





To be Guarded

Revelation 3:10-11, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

We need to be on our constant guard,
that, in a world of temptation,
where the enemies of truth abound,
we may not be robbed of the crown
that we might have worn for ever.

You have the crown of being found faithful, never lose it.

Hold fast – Don’t backslide.

Sometimes our problems are so in our face they overwhelm us.
How do you keep your eyes on Jesus during those times?





Cast at Jesus' Feet

Revelation 4:10-11, “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”


Cast their crowns before the throne.
There are four elements in this worship:
(1) They fall down;
(2) they adore;
(3) they cast their crowns before the throne,
an act of homage which gives Him who sits there
all the glory of their crowns;
(4) they offer ascriptions of praise.







In Conclusion

Like in old time movies on the battlefield.
Someone was chosen to carry the flag.
It was a job of honor.
The person carrying the flag stood in front
and ran toward the enemy at full speed.
So the men behind fighting could remember why they were fighting.
Because I can imagine that every bone in their body was telling them to turn back.
That flag reminded them why they were fighting.

And heaven forbid if the man carrying the flag got shot and went down.
It was the man’s job closest to him
to put his weapon to the side,
pick up the flag
and start running
with all his might so they did not loose sight
of why they were fighting.

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