The Walls
A Study of Rev. 4:9-11
Third in the series
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
Introduction:
Last week I talked a lot about how God works in us and as long as we have built on the right foundation, it will not matter what is built on that foundation, even if it is wood hay and stubble, we will be saved. The main point however was that we can have a life the passes through the fiery judgment with something precious, or faith, passing through. This concept I will file under the heading as one of the purposes of the Church as the “Edification of the Believer”.
I indicated through out the message that I did not want to just get to heaven with all that I have done in my life destroyed, yet I remained. Today I want us to look at a second purpose of the church,
The Exaltation of God.
Our first message was THE STAFF, talking about God calling people into the church. Then we talked about THE FOUNDATION, God preparing His people to pass through the Judgment. The logical progression would then would be to call today’s message,
“THE WALLS”.
Think if you will with me about what separates the wood hay and stubble Christians from the Gold, Silver and Precious Stones Christian. Is it how much they are able to do, or how beautiful they can sing? I can think of a person right now that has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever personally heard, but that person does not serve God with a Gold life. One of the things that move us to the gold life is our praise of God and the truthfulness of that love and praise. Let’s look at praise in a Biblical proportion.
Rev 4:9-11 (NIV) 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they were created
and have their being."
When we build on this foundation, we should build in a way that is without reserve. The exaltation of God is not something that we should be afraid of. Think about how the very people in the world that would reject your love and praise of God and how they act when a “Super Star” arrives. (Video, ) The Beatles arrive in the US in 1964 Play until they are on the stage.
I have always wondered how people can make fun of Christians who sing and praise God, yet they can stand in line for hours to get tickets to see and hear someone who is vulgar and quite often rude. They will pay all kinds of fees to be the first to buy a new DVD or CD. Yet the same person will walk past a church on a Sunday morning and hear some vibrant singing inside and think we are the crazy ones. I serve a risen savior, I am redeemed, He’s Everything to Me and I am not Ashamed of the Gospel.
1 Cor 9:24-25 puts it this way:
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 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.
Run in such a way that you may obtain it. Note here it is not saying only one gets the prize, but rather that we must give our all, just as we discussed in the past, God wants our all, not 49%, not 95% but 100%.
It is not that we must be come in first place, but that we run the race. We must give all that we are. I have often thought how those who compete in the Olympics yet do not win are forgotten, and even sometimes thought of as inferior, yet to get to the Olympics requires many wins on the home front, you are the best of your country to be there. Only one person can win the Gold, but all who run with Christ, win a crown will win at least the crown of life. Winning the crowns of course is not what is all about, you have to look at what the crown represents. God calls us to run the race to win the race, and He enables us to do that through His spirit.
Paul wrote in 1 Thess 2:19-20 (NIV)
19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
God does not glory in how well we construct this building in which we worship, nor does he glory in our homes or our jobs. He glories in us, He watches our race, he loves to see us run with all we have, representing Him. He cries when we cry and laughs when we laugh. He is part of our everyday life if we invite Him to be.
This morning let’s look at some of these crowns that we can earn.
James 1:12 (NIV)
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
The Crown of Life
I am not an expert in biblical interpretation, but I believe that all who are redeemed will receive this crown for sure. We are promised eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ. John 6:47-48 (NIV)
I tell you the truth; he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.
It is the ones who persevere, who endures the pruning, who remains in His love, that will “win the race.” and the promise we have from Christ is everlasting life. Not everlasting death.
The Crown of Righteousness
2 Tim 4:8 (NIV)
8 Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.
The Hebrew word for righteousness is tseh'-dek, tzedek, Gesenius's Strong's Concordance:6664—righteous, integrity, equity, justice, straightness. The root of tseh'-dek is tsaw-dak', Gesenius's Strong:6663—upright, just, straight, innocent, true, sincere. It is best understood as the product of upright, moral action in accordance with some form of divine plan.
Blank Screen
In the Book of Job the title character is introduced to us as a person who is "perfect" in righteousness. This does not mean that he is sinless. "Perfect" in this sense means that his righteousness permeates every relationship of his life as his working principle. The biblical definition of righteousness involves the inherent quality of God. God is right because He is righteous, therefore God can only act righteously. In one instance the word means being right; in another it is used to mean doing right; in still another case it means putting right. Job qualifies as a righteous person on each of these counts, so much so that he is commended by God as "wholly righteous" or, translated into our terms, "perfect."
The Crown of Glory
1 Peter 5:4 (NIV)
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Matthew Henry puts it this way:
These poor, dispersed, suffering Christians, were the flock of God, redeemed to God by the great Shepherd, living in holy love and communion, according to the will of God. They are also dignified with the title of God's heritage or clergy; his peculiar lot, chosen for his own people, to enjoy his special favour, and to do him special service. Christ is the chief Shepherd of the whole flock and heritage of God. And all faithful ministers will receive a crown of unfading glory, infinitely better and more honourable than all the authority, wealth, and pleasure of the world.
For those who work hard, who give glory to God, who spend their life calling to the world to turn from their wicked ways to a life of righteousness with God, they will receive the Crown of Glory.
Crown of Rejoicing
1 Thess 2:18-19 (KJV)
19 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?
Adam Clark asks this question;
Why then should I continually labor at the risk of my life, preaching the Gospel? Is it not to get your souls saved, that ye may be my crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ? For this I labor; and, having planted the Gospel among you, I wish to take every opportunity of watering it, that it may grow up unto eternal life.
What would be greater than standing around the throne of God and looking over and seeing someone you prayed for, you called, you invited and befriended standing there rejoicing with you. Having the knowledge that you had a part in their presence in heaven. That brings to you a crown of rejoicing. Something that those who escaped through the fire with nothing except that they trusted in Jesus, or those who gave their hearts at the last moment of their life, in their “eleventh” hour would never have, a crown of rejoicing.
Application
So you can be saying at this point, “Pastor, is it not good enough to just make it into heaven? After all anyone who just makes it is still in heaven for all eternity. Isn’t that good enough?
Yes, it is enough. But God created us to want more than good enough. A car with four wheels, motor, transmission and brakes is good enough to get you from point a to point b, but yet we still have cars that vary in range from practical to absurd. This church building has a roof and walls, a few boards on cement blocks would be enough to sit on.
God created us to want to be the best that we can be in our lives, and in our spiritual lives as well. Revelations puts it well in the 3rd chapter.
Rev 3:11-13 (NIV)
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
God is telling us to praise Him, to overcome, to hold on. That is the greatest praise we can give to God, to live our lives faithfully for Him and to faithfully follow his example.
There is one more Crown, a Crown that can only be received by those who live a life that is faithful before God, listening to the Holy Spirit. It is the Incorruptible Crown. We started our message with the verse. In the NIV it does not stand out like it does in the King James. Lets read 1Cor. 9: 24-25 once more.
24Know 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.
Those who persevere, who overcome, will receive the Incorruptible Crown. God wants us to run faithfully. One of the greatest disappointments of my life was when I stopped serving God faithfully. I have often said it was when I was 27, but I believe it was way before that. It began the moment I left God’s Bible College to go to another closer to my girlfriend. I chose life over God, and I wasted years of service. I am thankful for God’s forgiveness and that anyone at any time can turn from the corruptible crown to work for the incorruptible.
So my final words for you are to Exalt God. The best way to do that is to run whatever race that God has set out for you and be the best you can be for God. Be willing to make whatever sacrifices there may be to successfully complete the mission that God has set out for you.
