He did NOT say, “If you are faithful a few short years I will give thee a Crown of Life”.
There are times the devil tells us that as Christians, we are wasting our lives serving the Lord. But I can assure you, based on the Word of God, that we are doing the smartest thing a person can do with our lives, when we faithfully serve Him each day.
God has promised to bless those of us who serve Him each day, with the CROWN OF LIFE, when we stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ! If we are going to win this CROWN OF LIFE, there are some things we need to consider, such as:
I. THE PROBLEMS OF THE FAITHFUL.
As John, in our text, is talking about the Crown of Life, we need to consider two things:
1. THERE IS SOMETHING HE WAS NOT TALKING AB0UT.
WHAT IS THAT? When John spoke about winning the Crown of Life, he was not talking about WINNING SALVATION BY OUR WORKS.
The Bible makes it crystal clear, we are NOT saved by works.
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” An astounding number of ministers that preach salvation by grace, hardly get the words out of their mouths, before they start talking about salvation by works. For example-
Illus: A television preacher that pastors a large church in Columbus, Ohio, was preaching a good, solid sermon on separation from the world. He said we are saved by grace, and then he used this illustration: He and his girl friend were both Christians in high school. Just before the senior prom, she said, “We have kept ourselves pure all the time we have been dating, but on prom night, we are going to go all the way”. Her reasoning was, all the other kids do it and so would they. But she failed to recognize she was dating a young man that had some Christian character, and he looked her in the eyes and said, “No way, I am not going to do that, and before I do, I will go to the prom alone”.
He is to be commended for taking such a stand. However, he then gave the reason why he was not willing to defile himself in the back seat of a car. He said that if he did what she wanted him to do, that before he got home, the rapture might take place and he would be left behind.
WHAT WAS THE TELEVISION PREACHER SAYING?
He was giving a clear illustration of salvation by works. That is, salvation for him was based on what HE DID or DID NOT DO in the back seat of that car. If that logic is true, that means if the Lord had came back that night, every young person, that did not defile himself/herself in the back seat of a car, would have gone to heaven. But the fact of the matter is, if the Lord had come that night, all that had not receive the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour would have been lost.
While it is commendable that young people will not do such a thing in the back seat of a car, THAT DOES NOT SAVE THEM!
When will millions in this country realize that we are saved by grace through faith. It is not what WE DO, it is what HE DID ON CALVARY. Once we become a child of God, we become a new creature in Christ Jesus.
The reason we, as Christians, do not live in sin is not because we are trying to acquire salvation, IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE ACQUIRED SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.
But we hear this salvation by works being preached all the time.
Illus: In a funeral service for a woman, the pastor stood before the congregation and told of the many good things this woman had done in her life. When he got through enumerating the many good things she had done in her long life, he closed by saying, “If anybody made it to heaven, she did!”
But the fact is, this woman could have done all those things and many more, and still died and gone to hell, if she did not trust in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus, provided on Calvary.
Why? Because the Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast..”
We hear a lot of ungodly men today, bragging about what they have acquired, but in heaven, all the bragging is going to be centered on the Lord Jesus.
Illus: No one is going to be walking around bragging, “Look what I did with my hands!” Everyone is going to be bragging about what the Lord Jesus did on Calvary, to make it possible for them to be there.
Anytime you hear people talk about salvation based on what WE DO or NOT DO, they are teaching a false gospel that will send a soul to hell.
Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When John spoke about winning the Crown of Life, HE WAS NOT TALKING AB0UT SALVATION BY WORKS.
2. THERE IS SOMETHING HE WAS TALKING AB0UT.
HE WAS TALKING AB0UT OUR REWARDS. Our salvation is bought and paid for, THANKS TO JESUS! But we are going to have to work now, for every one of the rewards we will receive in Heaven.
Illus: Our text verse, Rev. 2:10, is addressing the Church of Smyrna. This church was going through some rough persecutions. The easiest thing to do, in times of persecution like this, is to QUIT!
However, God is saying, in Rev. 2:10, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
What that simply means is this, perhaps some here are suffering for the cause of Christ, and things are not going so well for you. THERE IS GOOD NEWS!
One day God says, because you are faithful, He is going to give you the Crown of Life, and you are going to live it up for eternity.
THE PROBLEM OF THE FAITHFUL!
The problem of the faithful is this; as DETERMINED as you and I might be to win the crown of life, the devil is just as determine to see that we do not win it.
Illus: A track runner that runs the hurdles, knows that the things that might keep him from winning the prize, are the many hurdles that are between him and the finished line.
And today, Satan has placed many hurdles between us and the finish line of winning the prize of the Crown of life. But by God’s grace, we will face these hurdles one at a time, and will be able to successfully clear every one of them.
Let us look at-
II. THE PERSISTENCE OF THE FAITHFUL.
Look at Revelation 3:10, We read, “Be thou faithful."
This means every day of our Christian lives.
• WE SHOULD PERSIST WITHOUT FEAR.
Psalm 27:1 says, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
God’s grace is sufficient for us to face every trial. In II Cor. 12:9, we read, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee…” That simply means, no matter what we face, God is there to help us to be victorious.
WE SHOULD PERSIST WITHOUT FEAR. Also-
• WE SHOULD PERSIST WITH FAITH.
Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” If we had to face the difficulties of life within ourselves, we would have every right to be fearful. But when we recognize WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH US, we then have the faith to achieve victory in our lives. The thing that keeps you going down the highway of faithfulness, is your personal, productive faith in Christ.
III. THE PROVISION OF THE FATHER.
We looked at:
• THE PROBLEMS OF THE FAITHFUL.
• THE PERSISTENCE OF THE FAITHFUL.
But now let us look at THE PROVISION OF THE FATHER.
Look at our key verse again, Revelation 2:10, We read, "l will give thee a crown of life".
God has promised to give those who are faithful unto Him unto death, a Crown of Life. Some have called this the martyrs crown. But there are two ways we can acquire this crown.
1. THROUGH DEATH PHYSICALLY.
During the time in which John is writing this, many of the Christians were having to lay their lives down.
Notice, the scripture says, “Ye shall have tribulation ten days.”
The ten days represent the days in which ten violent rulers ruled. These were:
• Nero, who in 64 to 68 beheaded the apostle Paul.
• Domitian, who in 95-96 had John exiled on the isle of Patmos.
• Trajan, who in 104 to 117 had Ignatius burned at the stake.
• Marcus Aurelius, who in 161-to180 had Polycarp killed.
• Serverus, in 200 to 211 served with much evil.
• Maximinius, in 235 to 237 served with much evil.
• Decius, in 250 to 253 served with much evil.
• Valerian, in 257 to 260 served with much evil.
• Aurelian, in 270 to 275 served with much evil.
• Diocletian, in 303 to 313 was considered to the worst of them.
Christians suffered under these ten violent rulers, and many of them had to live in the catacombs and prisons, and many had to lay down their lives for the faith. These are the great heroes of the faith.
Illus: The young girl, in the Colorado school shooting, was enjoying her lunch with some friends, when a young man with a long black trench coat walked up to her, and asked her, as he pulled out a gun and stuck it about four inches from her face, “Do you believe in God.” She said, “Yes”, she believed in God, and he pulled the trigger and shot her. This young girl is one person who gave her life for what she believed in. Without a doubt, she will be given the CROWN OF LIFE.
But there is another way we can lay our lives down for this reward.
2. THROUGH DEATH SPIRITUALLY.
Every day, we as Christians sacrifice our wants and wishes on the altar of God, and DIE TO SELF. Many times, this can be more difficult than dying physically for Christ.
For example, if we are shot for Christ, it is all over in a matter of seconds, but when we have to die daily, it might mean suffering for the cause of Christ for decades.
God is not saying that we have to die physically for the gospel today. He might require that of us one day. What the Lord is asking of us today, is for godly men and women to LIVE FOR HIM! What God is asking of us today is SPIRITUAL DEATH.
Paul said in I Corinthians 15: 31 “…I die daily.” In other words, Paul had the same Adamic nature that all of us have. Every day, he had to fight this old flesh that tried to rule and reign in his life, IT HAD TO DIE!
We do this day after day, and God says if we are FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, He will give us a CROWN OF LIFE. Keep in mind also, the gift will be eternal. That is, the reward will be your eternal reward.
Also, the crown will be enjoyed. It will be a glad day when the Lord grants us such a crown.
Illus: An evangelist came to hold a meeting in a church. Several hundred were in attendance, and he told the congregation that he had a special gift for the one who would bring the most visitors that week. All week long, he held up a brown bag, and never would tell anyone what was in the bag, but he built it up as something valuable. The gift motivated many to invite their lost family members and friends to attend. The last night of the meeting, they announced who won the gift. They called him up in front of hundreds of people, and gave him the brown sack, and told him it was his gift for bringing his lost family members and friends. Then, the smiling evangelist asked him to open the bag, and to show the congregation what he had won. He opened the bag, and he was shocked to see, that in the bag was a peck of corn seed. He tried not to look disappointed as he held it up, and the guest evangelist and the congregation laughed, thinking what had been done was funny!
Now, I do not know about you, but I do not find that funny in the slightest. It is wrong to have someone work for something that you say is valuable, and when they do, you disappoint them by giving them something of no value.
I know this, when God gives the CROWN OF LIFE to those who have faithfully served Him unto death, they are not going to be disappointed.
Conclusion:
May I go on record as saying, that I do not believe there are going to be as many of these crowns given out, as people think there might be.
Illus: Our churches are filled with “yo-yo” Christians. That is, they are on fire for God this week, and then, for the next few weeks, you might not see them in the house of the Lord. God cannot honor them with the CROWN OF LIFE, because their lives have done more harm to the kingdom of God, than good.
I. THE PROBLEMS OF THE FAITHFUL.
II. THE PERSISTENCE OF THE FAITHFUL.
III. THE PROVISIONS OF THE FATHER.
