THREE CROWNS AND A LAUREL LEAF
1 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 is running a race right now. From the moment you drew your first breath, you started on a course called the cycle of life. Generations upon generations of people have run this course before you. Every ancestor, in your family tree, has run this race and now the torch has been passed to you as they have finished their course and crossed their Finish Line into eternity. For them the race is over.
For some of us, we are closer to the Finish Line than we are to the starting point. Others may be just beginning the race, but somewhere on that course, every one of us is running. Not one of us can escape the course that is laid before us for God has appointed every man to be born and then to face death at some time that is known only by God who designs your course and orders your every step.
In this part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church he is using the analogy of a foot race to describe the “running” of the race of life that is laid before us. We often refer to our everyday lives as a “rat race”. Just as every race has a set starting point and a set finish line, so does the life of man. James 4:14 says, "...For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. "
Just as every race that is run comes to an end, and every event of that race is soon passed into history and the memory of it fades with time, so shall those who run the race of life. No matter how important we make think that we are; no matter how wealthy or poor; no matter how famous or infamous; no matter how educated; none of these things will matter within a few years of crossing that finish line. Your life, and mine, will pass into history and we will be remembered no more for the things we have accomplished in this life.
True there are a few whose lives make such an impact upon this world that their memory lingers far longer than for most people, but eventually, all is forgotten as the new race carries with it enough for the day and men focus on what is happening here and now.
How many of you can remember who Samuel Clemens, or Clara Barton, or William Seward were? Not many, I suppose, unless you are a real history buff. Even these great people, who left their mark upon the world and whose works have earned them a place of high esteem, have faded quickly into the past. Their race is over now and their reward has been given, whether it was good or evil. God is their judge and only he knows the heart of men to bring righteous judgment.
Samuel Clemens (otherwise known as Mark Twain) was one of the greatest American authors who ever lived, writing a number of very popular novels.
Clara Barton was a schoolteacher who resigned after being passed over for a good position because she was a woman. She became the superintendent of the Union Army Nursing Corp during the Civil War. She worked for the right of women to vote. And most of all, she was responsible for the formation of the American Red Cross.
William Seward was the Secretary of State under both Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He was the central figure in making one of the greatest territorial gains in U. S. history when he negotiated the purchase of Alaska from the Russians for $7.2 million.
These were all people who race the course of their race of life with distinction, and yet we can see that their “crown of glory” is a corruptible crown that fades away with time.
Just outside of the city of Corinth there was a Roman amphitheater and the plains of the Isthmus of Corinth where, every two years, the Isthmian games, part of the Greek Olympiad were held in honor of the Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon. The victor’s prize, under the Greeks was a crown made of woven laurel leaves. Later it was a crown of wild celery, but after Corinth was conquered by the Romans under Julius Caesar, the games were reestablished for a time with a crown of fir as the victor’s prize.
All of these crowns of victory for winning the games were very fragile and quickly began to fade and wilt away and they were constructed of these materials and awarded to the victors for a reason.
Those athlete who committed their entire lives for training and preparation for winning the games, did so with only one thought in mind. They wanted to be the best, the fastest, the strongest and the most agile people in the world and they wanted that crown upon their heads at the end of the day. What a disappointment it must have been to see their hard won crown already beginning to wilt before the day of their victory was even over.
The crown that was awarded to them was a symbol of the fleeting moment of victory and popularity that they were to enjoy. The crowd would soon forget their accomplishment. Life would quickly return to normal. And the next games would doubtless see these same athletes being defeated by younger ones or perhaps unable to compete at all. The corruptible crown of their lives, spent in pursuit of an earthly dream, quickly faded into history and all that was left was emptiness for there were no more dreams to chase.
Too many people in this life are running the race of life for that kind of crown. Their crowns of a good job, a higher education level, a better lifestyle, more wealth and possessions, fame, fortune, power and praise of men are nothing more than “corruptible crowns” that fade quickly and are forgotten by all.
Matthew 16:26-27, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."
You may have heard it said that the works that you do are not important but according to these verses, spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ, say otherwise, for he says that every man shall be rewarded “according to his works”.
James 2:24, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." No, your works won’t save you! No, you are not made righteous because of your works. Your works are a result of your being made righteous. Faith in God and faith in his promises must be made manifest by the good works that we do, otherwise we have dead faith, and dead faith is no faith, and no faith is sin, and sin is death.
So according to your works God will reward you because it is your works that proves your love, trust, faith and obedience to the call of God upon your life due to the salvation that the Blood of Christ has given unto you.
And what reward is there for those who are faithful in running the race to obtain the prize of the high calling in God as Paul says in Philippians 3:14?
The prize is an “incorruptible crown”, not a crown of laurel leaves, or wild celery or a fir twig. The reward that Jesus has in store for not only the victory, or those who finish first, but for every man, woman and child who crosses the finish line faithfully, is an eternal crown, that will never lose its value or its glory.
The “incorruptible crown” that Jesus offers to everyone who crosses the finish line and remains faithful to the end is there right now, running just ahead of you, waiting at the end of your race. All that you need to do is to continue running until you overtake it. Jesus has already prepared your reward.
John 14:1-2, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
So what are those incorruptible crowns that are waiting for each of us?
Paul, writing to his young disciple in training in 2 Timothy 4:5-8 says, "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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."
That crown of righteousness is an eternal symbol of the happiness of the saints, who inherit the throne of glory, and have a kingdom prepared for them that only comes through the righteousness of Christ
1 Peter 5:2-4 says, “… when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."
Thus we see that not only do we have a “crown of righteousness” waiting for us through the righteousness of Christ, but we have a “crown of glory” that will last forever. That crown of glory does not fade with time for it is a reflection of the King of Glory with whom there is no variableness or shadow of “turning”. We shall rule and reign with Christ and share in the glory of his power and presence forever.
The third crown that we will receive is spoken of in 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."
Revelation 2:8-11, "… These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) … Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer… be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life…."
That crown of life is more than just a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes as though it never existed. It is life eternal, life abundant, life without end, and life at its fullest measure.
As I come to the close of this message let me ask you this question? Which crown are you chasing? Which reward are you seeking?
Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
If your heart is set on things of this world, it’s because your treasure is here, and the crown that you are seeking at the end of your race is a corruptible one that will leave you empty and bare. How quickly that crown will disappear as you face death. How quickly will it be forgotten, and how quickly will you be forgotten, because you chased the wrong crown?
Let’s get into the race of life and run that race faithfully until we obtain the crowns that Jesus has prepared for us. The crowns of righteousness, glory and life that are waiting at the end of our race are worth running for. Just remain faithful until you cross your finish line, whenever and wherever that may come, and you will be glad you did.
Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."
Don’t trade your Three incorruptible crowns for a corruptible crown. Finish your race! Cross the finish line in style! A glorious life is yours through the righteousness of Christ so just keep on running the race and don’t let anyone draw you off course. The race is nearly over and we must all make it over.
