Crown of rejoicing
Key Passage: 1 Thessalonians 2:18-20
Date: June 7, 2024
Turn your Bible to First Thessalonians, chapter number two, First Thessalonians, chapter two, in God’s Word. And it is right before Second Thessalonians. I’ve studied that out. I figured it out. It is First Thessalonians right before Second Thessalonians. That’s deep stuff learned out in Bible College. I mean, I’ll tell you what. First Thessalonians, chapter number two.
That’s great. We’re thrilled you’re in church today, every person. And I know what it is. You’re thinking about where, who, which restaurant can you get in there quickly on Mother’s Day? That’s what you’re thinking about. The Presbyterians have already got it early, so you lost. And you may be able to beat the Pentecostals. They go along sometime.
But everybody else has got you beat, friends. So just, we’re here. We might as well just learn, amen. And let God speak to our hearts this morning. Let’s do that. And we’re just glad you’re here. Are you there in First Thessalonians, too? If you’re there, would you say amen? Amen. Good deal. That’s great. I’m glad you’re there. We just started last week on this series of crowns and crowns.
There are five different crowns the Bible talks about. I think we’ll get at least four of those in, and this will be our second one today. Help me out, what crown did we study about last Sunday morning? Brother Anthony, you get a pay raise because you’re the only one to remember. He says amen to that right there. Does anybody else remember? But you just heard him, so you’re cheating. Incorruptible crown—those that bring their body into subjection, and some will call it the crown of separation. But a new crown this morning, because you forgot that Mother’s Day card, your mom’s going to crown you. That’s what we’re talking about you, right over the head of the frying pan, amen.
First Thessalonians, chapter number two. We’re going to start verse number 18. Would you stand, if you would please, just to show the Word of God respect? We try to lift high the Bible. We know what God thinks and how He feels and how He wants and acts from the Bible. And so we want to show respect. First Thessalonians, chapter two, look down in verse number 18, would you please? “Wherefore we have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.” Now let me just explain a little bit.
Paul was the one that God had used to start this church at Thessalonica. There was very severe persecution, so Paul left town pretty quick, or else he would have been killed. And yet those young Christians founded a church. Paul says, “I want to get back there to visit you. I’m trying to get back, but Satan keeps hindering me. I haven’t been able to get back to you yet.”
Just to think about it, he’s writing to these people, many of whom he led to the Lord through his preaching. They got saved through his missionary team, and he is writing to them. Now look at the next verse, would you please, verse number 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? For ye are our glory and joy.”
Now, would you pray with me that God would do a work in your heart this morning? Would you pray that God would make this thing real to you personally this morning by a crown of rejoicing? Would you pray that as I pray the same?
Lord, thank you. You brought us to this hour where, Father, I believe we’re just to dine at your table. Father, help me, if you would, Lord, to serve the meal you have prepared for your people. Lord, I pray that everyone would take it and digest it into their lives. Father, you sent your Son, and He went back to you. Jesus said, “If you depart, I’ll send the Spirit.” So, Father, we’re asking for that in power, Your Spirit. Do what only You can. And Lord, we’ll thank you for what you do. Lord, we’re asking for this in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
One day, it may be today, Jesus is going to come back. I’m speaking to saved people. Nobody knows the day or the hour. If you hear someone on the media say, “Well, it’s going to come back on September the 22nd or 23rd, whatever,” just write it off. That happens every couple of years. The media loves to run with that. The Bible says nobody knows the day or the hour. But when that moment happens, every Christian, every saved person will be—boom—you’ll be raptured out of here. I mean, you’ll be gone.
At that day, I mentioned this last Sunday, but I think there’ll be closed—just boom, the person disappears, closed, just fall to the ground, and it’ll be all over. When that happens, we’ll go to what is called the Judgment Seat of Christ, all the saved people. You got that picture there? Perfect. And He will place that on the head of the winning people.
When the Bible speaks to the Judgment Seat of Christ, it uses that as the illustration. That’s when one day, as soon as Jesus comes back, we will stand before Him at this Bema, or judgment seat, and He’ll place a wreath on the people’s heads that have earned them.
All right? You with me out there? Thank you. You can turn that thing off. That’s what the Bible is speaking. Now, there are five different crowns. Last week we covered the incorruptible crown. This week we’re going to talk very briefly about the crown of rejoicing.
In two different places, we won’t look at the others very clearly mentioned, but we’re looking here at 1st Thessalonians 2. Would you look back at verse number 19? Let’s try to figure out this crown of rejoicing. Verse number 19 right there. He says, “For what is our hope, or joy, or, here it is, crown of rejoicing? Are not even…” What’s the next word? Oh, my goodness, you are quiet this morning. “…are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” What’s the next word? “Ye.” Yeah. “For ye are our glory and joy.”
This kind of rejoicing has to do with people. “Even ye.” These people. Here directly in this context, Paul is speaking to these people at Thessalonica; “ye” is speaking of people. Not only that, but did you notice that last part of that verse? He said, “Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” These will be people that will be in the presence of Jesus—saved people. They’re the people that get raptured out. They won’t be here on the earth during the tribulation period. They’ll be in the presence of Jesus. So he’s speaking of people that got saved.
Now help me out, who had a great part in them getting saved? Apostle Paul here. He’s the one that went there and preached the gospel, and his team had a great part in them getting saved. So let’s put all that together. Are you with me as we’re kind of building a foundation? Are you still with me there? Good.
This is a crown for those that are involved in people getting saved. It is often called a crown for a soul winner. It is someone that was involved; they were taking part in some form or fashion in people getting saved. Now, these crowns are very important because remember last week we studied up over in Revelation 4 that to save people eventually, after Jesus gets on His throne in heaven, we cast our crowns before the throne. Remember the main thought? One of the main thoughts last week: “Hey, will you have a crown? Will you have anything to give to Jesus?”
We’ll get there. We’ll realize the only reason why we’re there is because of Him. It’s not our goodness; it’s His goodness. It was His blood that was shed. We’ll see the imprints in His hands where the nails were. We’ll see where the crown was placed on His head. By the way, we get a crown of rejoicing; we get all these good crowns. Jesus got a crown of thorns. Because of that crown that was placed on Him and His shed blood, hey, we have our crowns. We say, “We don’t deserve this crown, Jesus. We want to cast this crown at Your throne.” Will you have a crown to give Him? Will you have anything to cast at His feet? You don’t get saved by works, but we work to earn rewards. Will you have anything? We mentioned it last Sunday, 1 John 2:28. Some that are saved there are children that will be ashamed before Him at His coming. I personally think the main reason for that is they have nothing to give to Him—no crowns to give to Him. Will you have a crown to give Jesus?
One of these crowns is a crown of rejoicing. “You’re going to heaven bringing His sheaves with Him.” That’s the way Psalms put it in Psalm 126. These will be people that go to heaven and they take people to heaven with them. One of our main jobs as a Christian is to depopulate hell and populate heaven. People that are involved in this get this crown of rejoicing. Now let me just list a couple things about this crown of rejoicing: winning souls to the Lord Jesus Christ. One way you have a part of that is with your life.
I’m talking about how you make the doctrine of Christ look. It’s an interesting verse. Titus 2:10 says that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things. Our Sunday school class went to a play on Friday night, a great play at a Christian school down in Shallotte. Before that, we went to a Mexican restaurant. Some of the folks, the Coopers and the Hunters, they were there before us, and they had ordered some guacamole dip. How many of you say amen, and how many of you say “Oh me” to that? Most of you say amen. Now here’s my problem: If it tasted good, I could get past the look of it. It looks like green mush. Sometimes when people blow their nose, it looks like that. How many have not ordered guacamole today? I’ve tried it a time or two, but I thought, well, I’m going to try to get it. Most of you like it. I’m glad for you. Praise the Lord if you like that stuff. But for me, it doesn’t look the best in the world, and the taste just doesn’t overcome the look.
Ever go to the restaurant and you order some cheesecake? Somebody say amen right there. That’s what I’m talking about—that fattening stuff, amen. That’s not healthy at all, but sure tastes good to my taste buds, amen. And man, they bring that thing out on these big plates. You’re like, “Man, it looks smaller in there.” But they dress it up, and they put that chocolate syrup and they swirl it all over that plate and all over the pie. And then they sometimes will put a cherry or a strawberry or something on there, and sometimes we’ll put some Cool Whip or different things. And man, they bring it, and that thing is adorned right there. I’m talking about it just—I don’t know how it tastes yet, I’ll find out, but it looks good. Some people make getting saved look good.
Now, even those that make it look bad by their poor testimony for the Lord, if they taste it, man, it’s wonderful. You’re going to heaven for it. But part of this crown, I believe, starts off with: How do you make the gospel look? Are you adorning it very well? Would your neighbor like to get saved after living beside you? Would your coworkers say, “Man, I need to check out what they have?” That’s all part of it.
Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
A week ago from yesterday, we took a group of soldiers out, and we went over in a neighborhood where David Jones lives. Some of our men were on that street. My wife and I were on there, and then some Brother Josh and somebody—I can’t remember who the other man was. I remember Brother Josh said this: He said, as I went down the street trying to witness to people, I noticed when they found out that I’m from the church that David Jones is from, he said, “Man, they just welcome me in, and they wanted to listen.” Because so many of them said, “Yeah, he cut my grass when I was sick. I needed my mower fixed and I had no money, and he repaired it for free.” And so Brother Josh said after Ohio, I really wouldn’t even say Brother for County Baptist Church. This is what he said: “I would introduce myself. We go to the church that David Jones goes to.” Because David Jones had been adorning the gospel of God. He had been making it look good. And those people, when a soul winner came along to tell them about Jesus Christ, they said, “We want to hear what you have to say because you go to the church where that David Jones goes, and he’s been making the gospel look real good.”
Now that is part of the crown. When you go to the restaurant and you leave, would it make that waiter or waitress or the people say, “I think I’m interested in what those people have. Looks like they’ve been to church. I might go to church because that’s some sweet, kind, loving people right there”? Would they say that? That’s part of the crown. That’s all part of it.
I think about my older brother here today, and me and him both worked at Sampson Meddling Machine. I think back all those years ago when we were young, Steve—man, that’s been a long time ago. I won’t say too much now. But there was a man that worked in the front machine shop called Mike. He wasn’t quite the same flavor I am as far as a Christian, but it was a morning Christian. I still remember all those years ago—I don’t know, maybe 30-something years ago. I’m, let’s say, that can’t work because I’m only 29, so… But all those years ago, I remember as a teen, as I was already saved, Mike did a great job of making the gospel look good. He was just always on top side and a happy guy, and he wasn’t complaining and getting mad at the boss and everybody else in the world. And he didn’t get caught up on all the gossip and all the fuss and fight, for the most part that I knew of. He just adorned the gospel very well. As a teenage young man, I was already saved, but he made me want to live for the Lord because I liked the way he made the gospel look.
That’s part of this crown. It’s someone that’s involved in people getting saved, and they’re adorning the gospel of Christ very well.
I think of a story Brother Bobby Robertson told—somebody just told me they listened to some of his. I love Brother Bobby. He’s in heaven now. Brother Bobby had gone to a restaurant with another older preacher, and he said when they were leaving, someone stopped them and told that other preacher, “Preacher, you look like Jesus.” And the preacher said, “Do you know what Jesus looks like?” And she said, “No, I don’t. But I just think you look like Jesus.” That older preacher started crying. He said, “I’ve been praying for years that I can resemble Jesus. You don’t know what it means to me that you just stopped me and said, ‘Hey, you look like Jesus.’” Do you look like Jesus? Does anybody see Christ in you? Do you make the gospel of Christ look good? Well, Christ says, “Hey, you had a part in people getting saved because you weren’t one of those mean, grouchy old Christians. You made the gospel look good to the world.” It’s part of it.
Now, let’s go home. This crown of rejoicing—a wreath that Christ will place on your head. How do you do that? Just with your life, for one thing. Then let me say this: with your family. Praise God for all those godly moms that have instilled in their children the truth of the Word of God. So often that child, they might not even know it, but one day they get saved because Mom, from a very early age, was instilling in that child the truths of Christ, and not just with their words, but with their actions. Praise the Lord for all the moms. That may be one of the great ways to win a crown of rejoicing: by leading their children to the Lord Jesus Christ.
How many love the song “Amazing Grace”? You love that song, perhaps the most heard gospel song in the world. You realize that was written by a man named John Newton? John Newton—his mom instilled Bible truth in him. His mom died two weeks before John reached age seven, so he was six years old when his mom died. This little boy… but she had been busy trying to put truths in him. His dad was a captain of his ship, a very sinful man. When he reached 11 years old, John went on the ship with his dad, and John learned the foul mouth, filth, trash, and junk of the world with all the sailors on these ships and his dad, who was a captain. He ended up being the captain of a ship that traded slaves—a slave-trading ship. He had sunk that low for a while. He was treated as a slave, and he escaped. He was involved in such sinful things and such a wicked, just poor life he was living. Yet, in a storm—a storm that looked like they’d never get out of—God began to bring all those truths. God had been working on his heart, but all those truths, the truths a little boy’s mom had taught him, kept beating against his heart, beating against his heart, and like those waves, those truths kept coming back to him. Finally, in that storm, when he thought he was going to die—some say he even strapped himself to the wheel and the waves were just crashing over—he thought he would be swept off the ship. Yet in that storm, those truths just kept coming back. John Newton surrendered to Jesus Christ and got saved that day.
And God changed his life. John Newton became a preacher. It took him a while to grow, but he became a preacher, and he’s the man that penned “Amazing Grace”: “How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind, but now I see.” It was written by a boy that a mom had planted truths in him when he was a little boy, but it never left him. Your family. Man, you can win a crown just by winning your family and how God uses them. It was all part of this thing in your family.
Can I just say a word here about all that raising your kids? Some will spend their life teaching their children. And I’m not saying these are bad things, but teaching their children a great education or teaching their children how to hit a ball or how to take a ball and run across the field and get across some chalk lines on a football field. Or they’ll teach them how to take a ball of leather with hair in it and put it to a metal hoop and all these things. And they’ll spend their life focusing on that. And yet that child will die and go to hell. It’s a sad day we spend so much effort on those things, and yet that child is not getting educated for all eternity. It’s a sad day. Friend, I’m not saying those things are wrong. My children took part in all those things, and I loved it. I had a part in all of it, too. It’s a sad day if I spend 95% of my time, my energy on that, and about less than 1% on eternity. I got it all out of whack.
By the way, by the way, a good godly marriage. Oh, how many people are attracted to Christ in the gospel when they see a couple, a sweet couple that’s getting along and enjoying life together, not enduring it, they’re having a wonderful time. They’re enjoying their marriage, and somebody says, “Wow, look at that marriage. Boy, I wonder how they’re getting it.” And they find out right in the middle of your marriage is Christ. There may be a home. Maybe you go to a restaurant. The family’s getting along, and you’re eating together, and you’re not on cell phones all the time. You’re actually talking to each other. Now they’re on cell phones, but you use them all the time. You know, something wrong there. And the family’s just enjoying it. And maybe somebody says, “Wow, they look like Christians.” So many ways you can have a part in people getting saved. Your life. Your family.
And then let me say this: your mouth. Would you look in chapter number two of the book you’re in, First Thessalonians? You’re there. Would you look over in chapter number two? You’re there already. Would you look up in verse number four, verse number four? First Thessalonians 2, look at that. You put your Bibles up. Shame on you. You had to get back. I’m joking with you. You got your shoes off, though, right? Amen. You’re still good on that. Verse number four right there: “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we…” What’s the next word? It doesn’t say they lived. Does it really say speak? Is that what it says? Help me out. Let’s read it again. “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we…” What does it say? “…not as pleasing men.” Well, you’re going to offend somebody every once in a while, not real often, especially down South, honestly. But you’re not trying to please men, but who are we trying to please? What does it say? “But God, which trieth our hearts.” I’m not going to stand before men one day anyway; I’m going to stand before God. Help me out on this thing here. “Faith cometh by what?” I’m all about living it out in front of someone, but faith doesn’t come by seeing. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Friend, the Bible is for us speaking, talking, telling people about Jesus Christ, how to go to heaven.
The Great Commission—what is the Great Commission? “Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel.” Now we think of preaching typically right here in a church service, but actually that’s not the preaching you’re speaking of there because it doesn’t say “preach the gospel to every congregation” there in Mark. It says “preach the gospel to every creature.” Preaching simply means you’re telling the truth of good news, you’re heralding, getting it out wherever you can. It is speaking of going and telling somewhere. Matthew, when he gives the Great Commission, it says, “Go over there and live it in front.” It says, “Go tell, teach them with your mouth.”
Bill Gillespie, some of you have heard this story. I’m trying to brag on myself because I have so many flaws. Ask my wife; she can tell you about a bunch of them. Brother Bill moved away a year or so ago; he lives in a home up in Nashville. He’ll be watching this morning on YouTube; he’s always part of our church family. Years ago—maybe five, six, seven, Brother Bill, you’ll have to tell me later on how many—Brother Bill had a stroke. He lived in my neighborhood. Bill was trying to get where he could at least get back to walking and doing some things; his left side, for the most part, he couldn’t use. Bill walked the streets of our neighborhood, and you could see him. At first, he would almost kind of drag that left leg, but he got better; he could walk slowly now. Bill walked the streets of our neighborhood, and I would always try to adorn the gospel. I try to say hi to him. I drive by him in the truck. Maybe two years ago now, maybe three years ago now, Bill lived over a mile away from our house. God was working in Bill’s heart, and Bill walked down to our house. He walked over a mile, had a stroke, couldn’t walk very well, but he walked all the way down to my house. I wasn’t there, and he knocked on the door. My wife answered the door and said, “Can I help you?” And Bill said, “I know the preacher lives here, and I want to go to church, and I’d like to know a little bit about the church and all those things.” My wife said, “Well, he’s not here, but he’ll come by. I’ll get him to get the address and all that.”
I went and visited Bill a week or so later, and Bill made sure he was saved. He asked the Lord Jesus Christ to be his Savior. I think maybe the sweetest baptism we’ve ever had was when Bill—he had to have men up there with us—and Bill got baptized. Such a sweet baptism, a wonderful thing. Now, here’s the thing: the reason I tell that story is that I had been seeing Bill walk the streets for a while, and I was always trying to be nice to Bill, but God was working in my heart and saying, “Paul, you need to speak to Bill. Paul, it’s not just good enough to be nice and wave high; you need to talk to Bill. You need to step out and speak. You need to use your mouth, your tongue, to tell him the gospel.” So maybe twice, I stopped Bill, and I went and tried to talk to Bill about being saved. “Bill, are you going to heaven one day? Bill, I’ve been seeing you. I’m sorry I haven’t talked to you yet, but I’ve been burdened. I’m thinking about, are you going to heaven, Bill? I want to make sure you’re saved.” Bill kind of knew the answers, and Bill gave me all the right answers that day, but God was working on Bill’s heart all those maybe years. Now, the reason why I tell that story: If I had just adorned the gospel well but yet not spoken, I don’t even think Bill would have known when I was a preacher. But I had to speak. He didn’t get saved that day, but later on he got saved when God was working and bringing him to Christ. See, part of the crown of rejoicing is when I speak the gospel; I actually talk to people. I know you say, “Man, that’s so tough to do.” I go in love. We’re not there to force it down. If they don’t want to hear it, okay, we’re off. If they want to argue, we’re not there to argue. I teach all our people: they don’t argue. Recently we had somebody sitting there wanting to argue, and we just went on down the street, and somebody down the street got saved. That’s the person we’re looking for. We’re not there to argue, but friend, there is the aspect of this crown of rejoicing that you must be actively working at this thing; you’re actually trying to see somebody saved. You’re willing to open your mouth and speak to them about the gospel. It may start off with just a gospel tract. You say, “I don’t know if I can do that.” Just start off, say, “Hey, let me give you something to read that tells you how to go to heaven.” That’s the start. But you’re involved in many aspects of people getting saved.
I think about Brother Frank. By the way, y’all are praying for Ms. Wanda. He couldn’t have stents or possibly open-heart surgery and all that. We’re not sure yet; we find out Wednesday. Brother Frank, you know how Brother Frank got saved? He went to Two Rivers Baptist Church. It was a good church back in the day. He visited there, and then I think on Thursday night, two men from that church came and visited him at his house and said, “We’re so glad you came to the church. Could we ask you, are you going to heaven?” Those two men spoke the gospel to him, and he said, “Man, I want to get saved.” Brother Frank bowed his head and asked Jesus to be his Savior. I always love this: He said, “Pastor, you know, they told me the next thing we want you to do is call somebody and tell them you just got saved. Before we leave, would you call?” And he said, “I called my sister. I just got saved.” I love it. Those men, whoever they are, they were working on a crown of rejoicing. Will you bring anyone with you on the way?
Look back over there, First Thessalonians 2. Would you look at verse number 20? We read it earlier. First Thessalonians 2, verse number 20: “For ye are our glory and joy.” It shows a couple of things. One thing it shows: we’ll know each other in heaven. Paul spoke to these Thessalonian Christians, and he said, “Hey, I’m going to see you, and that’s going to be my glory, my joy.” Friend, for all eternity, you get to say, “Hey, wow, I had a little part. Jesus is the Savior, but I had a little part in getting them to the Savior.” You’ll have joy. For a year or two, yeah. Fifty years, yeah. One hundred years, yeah. Daniel 12:3, talking about this, he says, “You’ll shine forever and ever.” I think for all eternity, it’s always so good to see you walking down the street of gold because my mind goes back and I remember a little bit, “Hey man, I had a little part in that.” It’s joy. That’s why it’s called a crown of rejoicing. It’s interesting. It has to do a little bit with the day of Christ when He comes back. Did you notice? He said, “When I see you in the presence of Jesus.” Another pastor talks about it. He says, “Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” It’s like, keep living for the Lord until that day comes.
We’re going to close it out in just a second here. Ladies, you might want to start putting your shoes back on, okay? We’re about to unwind here now. But 1 Corinthians 3 gives a great description of what this judgment seat of Christ is like, and it kind of describes us, if you’re saved, as a building. Now, what’s the first thing you put on a building? We added on here, and we got this slab poured out here—the foundation. Now He says everything… “No other foundation can any man lay than that is laid, that is Jesus Christ.” Now, on this day, your building will be tried by fire. Have you ever seen a house that’s burned completely up, and the only thing that is left is the foundation? If you get saved, you’re not saved by your works; you’re saved by Jesus. But if you never live for Him and you’re just wrapped up in here and now, in your life of “me and me and me and me,” then you’ll suffer loss, the Bible says. There will be a foundation there; you’re still saved. But there’s just the foundation. That description is wood, hay, and stubble. But then, if you live for the Lord, the description is gold, silver, precious stone. It’s very interesting. I always thought gold, silver, precious stone—I was thinking of jewelry, and it could be a little broad, but if you’re thinking of the reference here of the building, maybe a little bit more like metal. The building where God’s going to build over there is going to be a metal structure in the center of the core of it. So here’s what I’m getting at: gold, silver, precious stone. There are degrees a little bit there; it doesn’t burn up. But here’s what I’m getting at: it’s not just one description of the one that burns up—it’s wood, hay, or stubble. Not just one description of the other; you get the rewards—it’s three different things: gold, silver, precious stone. By the way, not everybody runs the same race. But are you going to have anything to put at His feet? Will you have any kind of a crown? We have this crown of rejoicing. Yes, you get to put it at His feet, and then all those years, man, that’s my crown, that’s my joy. Look at it walking over there; I had a part. Man…
Miss Busho gave me a little Bible handbook type thing. It’s got Bible verses all in, and I don’t see her. There she is. And it’s written by a godly man years ago, combined. He’s kind of just arranging Bible verses in there. But it’s got a section about rewards, and she gave it to me during this study, and I’ve read it over; it’s been a big help, and we’ll give it back to her. Ms. Busho says, because I thought I was trying to steal it from me. But he tells a story. The man of God years ago was a preacher. And he said there was a man that I went to visit, and he was dying. Everybody knew he knew he was dying. And he said, I visited him, he started crying. And this guy who was visiting was crying. And he said, I thought, “Boy, the guy must not be saved; God’s working; he’s about to get saved.” And he said the guy that was dying cried, “Preacher, I’m saved. I know I’m dying, but I know I’m saved. I know I’m going to heaven. But I don’t know if I have anything to give Him. I’ve not been living for Him.” He was crying. He said, “I won’t have anything to give Him.” Friend, will we have anything to give to Jesus—a crown to cast at His feet? Would you bow your heads and close your eyes?
Original File: Crown of rejoicing - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday AM 5822