Title: Life with a Crown
Contents
life with a crown
Philippians 3:13-14
Not everyone who goes to church will enter heaven. Judas Iscariot followed the Lord as a disciple of the Lord for three years. But they did not enter heaven. And not everyone who enters heaven will receive a reward. On the one hand, the robber who was crucified with the Lord certainly went to heaven.
However, he did not receive the award.
Workers who devoted themselves to the Lord like Peter and Paul will receive their reward in that kingdom of heaven.
That's right. Only special people can go to heaven. I hope you are that special person.
Believe in Jesus and go to heaven.
Not only that, but only more special people will be rewarded in heaven. I hope you all become those more special people. Dedicate yourself to the Lord and become the Lord's rewarded servants.
What, then, will the saints receive? Verse 14 of today's text says, “I am pursuing the reward of the above calling.”
First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the word ‘award’. That is, the Apostle Paul is saying that God gives a crown-like reward to God's people who have completed the race of faith.
When we finish the race of faith and stand before God, God will reward us.
We should all receive and enjoy that award.
Next, we need to look at the term ‘call from above’. It refers to the work that God has called the saints and entrusted to them. For example, God called Moses and sent the Israelites out of Egypt to save them. It says that Moses rewards the work when it is all done.
According to the Bible, when God judged the kings of Israel, he did not reward the king who had good government.
No reward was given to the king who made the country prosperous. No reward was given to the king who greatly expanded his territory. He gave a reward to the king who ruled honestly according to the will of God.
Because when God called the king of Israel, he called him to rule according to God's will.
That's right. God rewards us when we faithfully carry out the tasks that God has called us and entrusted to us. May you be faithful to your calling above.
Then, what kind of reward will God specifically give? The Bible speaks of two rewards.
1. The earthly reward
First, it is telling us that God will reward those who have been faithful to His calling.
In Matthew 25, we find the parable of the talents. Here are three papers. The servant with five talents, the servant with two talents, and the servant with one talent. And the talents they each have are the contents that they have been called by God. This means that each of the three servants was called by a different God and was assigned to do the work.
However, both of them did their best and left what they were assigned to do. But not one was left behind. For this, God judged and rewarded him.
In verse 21, the master said to the servant who took the five talents and left them, “Well done. Good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful over a few things, I will entrust you with many things, and enter into the joy of your master.” “Well done, good and faithful servant, since you have been faithful over little things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into your master’s joy.” And that prize is an opportunity to do more on this earth.
Opportunities to work It is a reward from God. Because it is a privilege to receive more prizes from that heaven.
2. Reward from Heaven
There are many places in the Bible that tell us what our reward will be in heaven.
It is explained by analogy with the word “crown” in one word.
Here, the crown refers to the shining crown of honor given by the emperor to the winner of an athletic event.
This crown will be his glory and pride for the rest of his life. The late Ong Son, who won the Olympic marathon at the Berlin Olympics, lived in glory for the rest of his life because of the laurel wreath he received at the time. Of course, that glory ended on this earth.
According to the Bible, our saints will be rewarded like a crown when they are faithful to God's calling. That crown will be the glory and pride in that heaven forever.
There are three representative crowns mentioned in the Bible.
First, it is the crown of life.
Revelation 3:10 says, “Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life...” There is a reward given to the saints who have fulfilled the calling that was entrusted to them even by giving up their lives in the midst of persecution and tribulation. That is the crown of life.
Second, the crown of glory.
According to 1 Peter 5:4, “Do not be claiming to the one you have entrusted to you, but be an example to the flock, and you will receive the crown of glory that never fades when the Chief Shepherd appears.” People, those who humbled themselves in all circumstances and showed only the glory of the Lord, there is a reward that God gives to them. It is the crown of glory.
Third, the crown of righteousness.
In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, it says: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith; from now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, gives me on that day, not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. ” It is saying that there is a reward for those who keep their faith to the end in this world where sin is rampant.
It is the crown of righteousness given to those who have been justified by faith.
Dear all! I hope that you will receive your reward on this earth, and I also hope that you will receive and enjoy the crown that the Lord gives you in the eternal kingdom of God.
So, what must we do to receive a reward from God?
1. You must know that there is a prize.
The Apostle Paul was more loyal to the Lord than anyone else. But also, he suffered more suffering and persecution than anyone else. In today's text, we can see the secret of being able to be faithful even in the midst of unspeakable suffering. It is the word “for the reward of the calling…”.
The apostle Paul clearly knew that a reward had been prepared for him. In particular, in 2 Corinthians 12:4, he cautiously says: “He was taken away into paradise, and he heard unspeakable words, which no man can utter.” So Paul is saying that because he knew what reward he was going to receive, he was doing his best not to miss it.
If you do the work that the Lord has entrusted to you today, various difficult things will happen. Then we must look to the Lord. It hurts when you look at people. If you look at the world you will be disappointed. When we look to the Lord, we can see the reward we will receive. You will be able to endure and win.
Dear all! Don't forget that there are prizes to be won in the future. Please remember Romans 8:18. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.” Even though we may have a difficult time today, we cannot give up because our future reward is so great.
Also, don't forget the fact that we cannot give up the prize because it is a precious thing that cannot be compared with anything on this earth.
2. Be loyal.
The Lord rewards those who are faithful. In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 Paul said: “Man ought to consider us servants of Christ and entrusters of the mystery of God. And of those who are entrusted with it, it is faithfulness.” Those who have been called by God must be faithful.
Here we need to think about the meaning of the word loyalty. I am using the word pistos in Greek. This word has the same root as the word faith. So, in Greek, loyalty means trustworthiness.
So who is loyal? The owner is someone you can trust. He is a person who can do his best for his master with the same image, no matter what the circumstances. A person who consistently does his best from start to finish. He is a loyal person.
In a book, I read a story about a painting hanging at the Waukee Museum in London, England. Once upon a time, the Roman city of Pompeii was completely buried in lava and ash due to the eruption of the Vesuvius Volcano. This is a picture drawn by imagining the scene at that time. Volcanic ash and fire are pouring down from the sky into Pompeii Castle just like snow. People are pushed like tides through the gates to survive. It's literally called Abigail.
But in the middle, there is a soldier guarding the gate, standing by the gate. This person is the main character of this picture. This man was a Roman soldier and was commissioned to guard the gates. Now others are rushing through the gates with all their might to save their lives, but this soldier is standing still, holding his spear. Even in the midst of this father-in-law's chaos, he stands in his place without blinking an eye. It means that he is thoroughly following his mission without any fuss.
The title of this painting is 'Loyalty'.
That's right. Loyalty is just that. In any case, doing your best without changing the task entrusted to you is loyalty. A person who is faithful in this way will receive a reward from the Lord.
3. You must endure to the end.
The Apostle Paul always presupposes two situations when he talks about the reward in heaven. One is a difficult and difficult situation. Those who will be rewarded in heaven will have a hard time on earth. It means that you will be faced with a situation that is difficult to overcome on your own. And the other is the situation of enduring and overcoming to the end. The goal is to reach the final finish line. It means that you should not give up after everyone has come or back down because of difficulties along the way.
One decision and the amazing will to keep and practice that decision to the end is necessary for those who go to the crown.
We, too, need this determined will. It shouldn't be swayed like a dragon-headed dragon. Never give up or back off. Dear all! There are many stumbling blocks ahead of us as we run for the reward of our calling.
There are many things that hinder us. Please persevere until the end.
The Bible clearly states that there is a reward. The reward depends on the kind of life we live today. Do not forget that there is a reward, be faithful, and I hope you will endure to the end. I hope that you will receive the reward of your calling and enjoy it.