What does working from victory mean
Category: Worship & Praise
Key Passage: Revelation 4
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024
Turn your Bible to Revelation chapter number four, if you would please.
We’re going to start a new series this morning on Crown. And if you are a born-again Christian, you’re saved, you have the opportunity to win and earn a crown. We’re going to talk about that. I think I may learn a little bit if you just listen in to what it will be like when…
And maybe your emotions, your thought process, and every person here, everyone here, me included, you’ll stand before God. Every single person. Ethan up here on the front row, he’s going to stand before God. Everybody. Now, either you’ll stand before Him at the judgment seat of Christ—that’s for the Christian.
Lost people will stand before Him at the Great White Throne. That’s an awful time. We will be there this morning; Revelation 20 describes it very good. But for Christians today, and what will it be like when Jesus comes back? We’re going to start over in Revelation 4, just one verse. Jump around a little bit at the beginning. Stick with me at the very beginning. Revelation 4.
We’re going to read just verse number 10 and 11. Would you please stand as we read God’s word together just to show the word of God respect? We try to do that. He said He has honored His word above all His name. That’s an amazing statement. God makes God to honor Bible. Revelation 4, would you look down in verse number 10, if you would please? Revelation 4, verse number 10. If you’re there, would you say amen? Good deal. Verse number 10, chapter 4.
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne,” that’s Jesus sitting on the throne, “and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever.” Look at this, “and cast their crowns before the throne.” Would you, that little phrase starting with “cast,” would you read that through to “throne” with me?
“And cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, were created.”
Would you pray that God would make this thing be in you both? That when He comes, they’ll stand before Him and He’ll be giving out some crowns and things He’ll be doing. Would you pray that God make that real to us? You pray as I pray, would you please?
Lord, you happen to so speak that you will have the hearts and minds of these people. Let all this, even the young folk, help them to kind of get tuned in what You’re saying through Your word. It’s already been good to be in Your house. Thank You for the weather. Thank You for wonderful people to meet with. Thank You for our J and his family being here. That’s a boy. Father, we come to the time where we come to Your table and eat from Him. Father, would You help us to digest and take it deep down in our hearts? We’ll praise and brag on You for what You do. But we ask for that. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
We’re going to build a little foundation. Would you stick with me? Don’t lose me. Think about what we’re talking about. It’s very important for the rest of the message. I want you to see it’s biblically based.
Revelation chapter number one is talking about things that was, and there was a vision that John had seen on the Isle of Patmos. It was a vision of Jesus Christ. That had already happened.
Then chapter number two and chapter number three is that which is at the present time of the writing. And that was these seven churches, seven letters to the seven churches. There were actual churches at that time in a place called Asia Minor.
And then chapter number four is another division. It’s that which is to come. It’s the future. And God, through the book of Revelation, kind of reveals or opens up where you can… maybe watch a TV program, if you will, about the future, what is going to happen one day. This hasn’t happened yet, but it all starts in chapter 4.
The first verse of it, we won’t read it, but the very first verse, the Bible talks there: there’s a door opened in heaven. Now, a door is where you go in, and sometimes you go out, but here you’re going in. The door is open into heaven.
And the first voice you hear there is a trumpet. What about that trumpet right there? Impressive now, you know. You’re laughing at me, you know, but there’s a trumpet. By the way, it reminds you of the rapture when Jesus comes back. 1 Thessalonians 4 tells us, “And the trump of God shall sound. And the dead in Christ shall rise, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” So say everybody, “with the Lord.” That’s the rapture. So there’s a trumpet here. There’s a door open in heaven. There’s a trumpet here.
And then there’s the voice. This voice says, it says, “Come up hither.” Now, if it were to happen, if it were to happen at this split moment, and we don’t know when it’s going to happen, that very boom, it’ll just be this quick. And all of a sudden, people would disappear. Every saved person around the world would just, boom, be gone. It wouldn’t be interesting—clothes just laying everywhere. Man, where in the world did they go? It’ll be all across the world. Boom, they’re out of here. They’ll be in heaven.
Verse number two says, “They were in the spirit.” By the way, when you go to heaven, you won’t be in a physical body; you’ll be in a spiritual body. He’s talking here about the rapture. By the way, from chapter four through the vast majority of Revelation, it is talking about the tribulation period down here on earth. And the word “church” or “churches” is not mentioned all the way to the last chapter of the book, chapter 22, it’s mentioned because that’s after the tribulation period, new heaven and new earth. It’s very obvious that chapter number four is speaking of the rapture of the Lord.
And that’s going to happen. We don’t know when. It may happen. It may happen before the end of 2022. And we know that all the signs are there. I don’t know, nobody knows the hour, but all the signs are there, so many of them. Daniel 12:4 talks about travel to and fro. Well, that’s happened for sure. I mean, you can travel all over the place so quickly. That same verse talks about knowledge will be increased. Well, if you want any knowledge, man, just go on Google it, you know. You can find out pretty much anything. Now, YouTube can be deceiving. Oh, I can put that floor in. I watch how to do it on YouTube. That can be very deceiving right there.
Anyone want to testify? There’s that, you know. It’s true, though. But knowledge has increased. Wars and rumors of war. Well, we got that for sure. Pestilence. Well, we got that for sure. I mean, we just got getting through COVID and everything. They can’t make the flu shot; there are so many strands of the flu they can’t keep up with them. Pestilence.
Earthquakes in divers places. Well, we have earthquakes to the point nowadays that really does not make major news when the earthquake happens. All the signs were there, but there wouldn’t say that rapture is going to happen.
Now, what’s it going to be like for you? I want you to think about it. If you’re saved, you’ll be part of this; you’re taken out here. What would it be like if it was tomorrow—excuse me, I was going to say this morning and tomorrow at the same time. That doesn’t work. I mean, you know. If it was this morning, right now, what would it be like for you? I just think about that. It’s going to happen one day.
Now, that time will be what’s happened: the judgment seat of Christ. Would you look over, please, 2nd Corinthians chapter 5? 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse number 10. 2nd Corinthians 5 in verse number 10.
While you’re looking there, let me quote for you a verse. It’s in Revelation 22, but He says this: “Behold, I come quickly, and I bring my reward with me.” Did you notice how He worded it? I think it’s Revelation 22:12. He says, “I bring my reward with me.” So…
He’s coming back. By the way, when He comes back, He’s the one that comes. He doesn’t send somebody else for you and I. He comes back for us Himself. “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,” is what it says. So He comes back to get you. He takes us up. We meet in the clouds.
The first thing on the docket is what’s called the judgment seat of Christ. That’s what we’re reading about here in 2nd Corinthians 5 in verse number 10. If you’re there, would you say amen? Notice what he says here. He’s speaking to the church, or Christians: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
Let me say a word here. I do not believe He is saying the “bad” there as far as your sins, because the judgment of your sins was already taken by Christ on the cross of Calvary. But it’s a judgment of your works, whether you have lived for the Lord or not.
By the way, Revelation 22:12, I quoted the first part: “Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Now, this judgment seat of Christ—boom, we’re out of here. You’re gone. If you’re driving, whoa, what happens to that car? I mean, you’re going 90 miles an hour, and then you’re taken out. Okay. Brother Marlin told me for Miss Stacy, it’s 110 she’s going now, you know. But we’re gone, and whatever, just, you know, it’s in motion, you know. And then we meet Him in the clouds. And the first thing is the judgment seat of Christ. I tend to think it happens in the air myself. I wouldn’t argue that.
But that judgment seat of Christ, you read that word. Actually, the Greek word is Bema. The New Testament is in Greek, the original language, and we translated it into English by the King James translators. It’s Bema. Now, what is Bema? The Bema seat was for the Olympics for the Greeks. Remember the old Greek games, and they’re in a Coliseum or Arena, and they… they win. There’s movies about it, you know, sometimes nowadays they make it out the gladiators and all that, a little bit along that line, but they’ve had their Olympic Games. And if they won, they would go to a box or the judgment seat or the Bema seat or box. And that’s where they would get awards or rewards back then typically.
It was a wreath. We got some pictures. Brother Marlin, could you get those pictures up for me, please? I’m going to turn some of these. That’s not a good picture; I’d rather… I don’t know if that’s the best either, but you see, he’s getting, he got his wreath there because he won. A little bit harder in time, we got the Olympics, and they stand on those blocks. The one that got the bronze, he’s on the lowest, you know. The other side is the silver, a little bit higher, and then up top is the gold. That’s a little bit like a Bema seat, okay?
The crowds are there. We’re raptured out. We’re a family of God, and He gives out. He says, “Hey, I seen you work for Me in shadows where nobody knew about it, and I have a crown for you.” And He places crowns. Awesome truth, I should say.
Now let’s keep going. You’re back over Revelation 4, if you would. Thank you, Brother Martin. I appreciate that. You’re back over there. Now, I want you to go down to the verse we just read, Revelation 4. Look at verse number 10 right there. Y’all still with me out there? We’re still kind of building the foundation for this series about our crowns—crowns you can win.
You’re there. Let me just talk for a second. How do you think you’ll feel? I mean, I like it, Brother Eddie. He can, he’s already getting into the feeling. He’s like, “Man, put that crown on there,” you know. I think do you some of that? You think that’ll be part of the feeling there? Sure. But not only that, I think verse number 10 really reveals a little bit some of our feelings also what we’ll feel like when He places that crown.
Judgment of Christ, He just went to heaven, and we got these crowns, and now we’re there, and now Jesus—much of chapter four, Jesus is on the throne now. And let’s see what happens. Verse number 10, we just read it, verse number 10, Revelation 4: “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne.” Now let’s just pause for a second; let’s talk about that. There’s a little debate, and… people can believe what they want. I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe those 24 elders represent the Christians of the church age. I’ll tell you why I think that.
We’re looking at verse number four, Revelation 4. Would you look in verse number 4? Revelation 4. “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats.” All right, that’s what the elders are sitting upon top of. Now wait a second, just for a second here. Seats of authority, a throne. Authority. What does the Bible say will rule and reign with Jesus Christ? Right?
So that could be asked for sure. They got these seats there. They’re sitting on. “And I saw, well, round about the throne were four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment.” Now wait a second. Help me out. What’s the white raiment? That’s Jesus’ righteousness. All the saved people that got raptured out, you’re going to wear His robe of righteousness because your robe of righteousness is filthy rags. I mean, you don’t want to be wearing rags. No, no, no, no. You won’t make it into heaven. You wear Jesus’ righteousness. You’re wearing white raiment because you accepted the blood of Jesus Christ as your payment for sin, your Savior there. And they had on their heads crowns of gold. What just happened at the judgment seat of Christ? The emperor or the king, He said, “Hey, let me put that crown on your head.”
Well, what’s the deal about 24? We don’t know, but over in Chronicles, the priests were divided into 24 sections, and so they’d know the order of service and so on and so on. And chapter number one of Revelation tells us we are kings and priests to the saved people. So I believe He’s talking here about the New Testament Christians. And that’s what 24 elders represent: that, the leaders of that. And I believe that’s what He’s talking about.
Now look at verse number 10. Let’s go back to verse number 10, now that we know who the 24 elders are. “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne.”
We see Him on His throne and we say, “Wow, I see you, Jesus, on Your throne. And I see Your hands. There have been pierced, and there are nails that have been through Your hands. And that was to pay for my sin. And I see Your brow had a crown on at one point; it was a crown of thorns, and that blood that was shed and those… help pay for my sin. And I see Your side where the spear was pierced there, and that shed blood paid for my sin. And Jesus, thank You for the crown, but I really—I don’t deserve it. You’re the one that came to seek me out and saved me, and You drew me, and You changed my heart when I did sin, so I would serve You one day. And really, this crown You gave me, Jesus, it doesn’t belong to me; it’s really You’re the one that deserves it.” And we take our crowns and we cast them at His throne.
Now listen, listen, here’s the crux of the message: Will you have anything to give Him? Will you have anything you can throw at His feet? Will you have a crown to give to Him?
It’s very interesting. 1 John 2:28, would you look that out? Look very quickly. I think it goes in line with this, 1 John 2:28, in God’s word. Look at it real, real quickly here. 1 John 2. And look in verse number 28, if you would please.
I thought I had it in my notes, and I don’t, and I’ve got it covered up. Now, if I make a mistake, you say, “Man, go with the Bible, not with the pastor.” All right, we’ll try it, though. All right. Look at it, 1 John 2:28: "And now, little children, He’s talking to saved people, “abide in Him, that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” Man, if I came to Christ, they’re throwing their crowns before Him, and I don’t have a crown. I’ve been saved; I’m there in heaven. It’s all because of Jesus, but I was so selfish, so stuck in this world, so stuck on myself, I didn’t have time to live for Him, and I have no crown. I’ll be ashamed. You’re the one that shed Your blood. You’re the one that gave everything for me, and all that You did for me, and I don’t have a crown to give You, Jesus. Think about that. That’s reality for Him: no crowns.
The song we used to sing, “Will there be any crowns?” Christmas years ago, I think either I was a freshman or a sophomore in college. I went to college right outside of Chicago. We lived in Central Florida. And so Christmas time came. You know, every Bible college student in the world lives in poverty. You know what I’m talking about? I mean, I went through Bible college on those ramen noodles. Somebody say amen right there. I mean, we learned how to fix them. Anybody ever put eggs in the ramen noodles? Anybody ever put ketchup in your ramen noodles? Come on, you got to try that. Me and Mom’s the only one? That’s pretty good stuff now, you know. I mean, that’s just college for a lot of people. Bible college is thinking of money.
And so one Christmas, I mean, you get a couple—just a time off, short time off at Christmas time. And you’ve got to work schedule and all that. And I didn’t have any money. I mean, it’s all I could do to get a couple, you know, some time off. Man, I wanted to go home, you know, to Florida, be with Mom and Dad, all that for college.
And so I drove, and it’s, you know, Chicago to Central Florida. I don’t know how many miles. And, you know, that takes gas money. And, man, I tell you what, I got home for Christmas, one of those Christmases, and I didn’t have any money. Well, probably pretty much every Christmas, I didn’t have any money. But this Christmas, I really didn’t have any money. And I wanted to have something for Mom and Dad for Christmas. I mean, I got a wonderful Mom and Dad. Praise the Lord, they raised me for the Lord. I didn’t have any money, and I’ll never forget—I probably, probably, if the truth be known, I don’t know how much of my rumors of this, but probably I made it worse for them than better for them—but maybe Christmas morning, one of those mornings I woke up real early, and I tried to cook breakfast for them. Oh, my goodness, you talk about burnt sacrifices for them. I don’t know how to cook, man. I tell you what, still don’t know much, but I really didn’t know anything then, and I tried.
And Dad, what do you do for? Well, Dad always washed his vehicles. I mean, he kept them—that’s one trait I need to learn from my dad. He always kept his cars washed, and I’m not the best at that, you know. And so I gave Dad some little vouchers, if you will. “I washed your car,” and I don’t know, maybe five—he probably didn’t cash in on them, you know, but maybe at a time or two—but I gave him some, “Hey, Dad, I washed your car. Here’s some vouchers.” No, I wouldn’t have something for them. And they’re good parents, and they’ve loved me always, and I wanted to have something for them.
What if I go before Jesus, I have nothing to give to Him? What a sad day if they don’t have anything, and they’re casting their crowns before Him, and I have no crown to give?
Now the next couple Sundays we’ll talk about these crowns. We’re very briefly going to try to cover one this morning. We’re through the introduction. Man, how long was this thing going to last? Preacher, I mean, come on now, you know. RJ going to get baptized, and that takes 30 minutes right there because his grandpa first thing he told me, he said, “Make sure you hold him down for a while so it takes.” So we’ll be here at least 30 minutes baptizing. No, very briefly.
Would you look over in 1 Corinthians 9? 1st Corinthians 9. Very briefly. And we want to look at this first crown: an incorruptible crown. There are five of them that the Bible mentions, and we’ll take a Sunday per crown. I don’t know if we’ll do one for pastors, but most of those will take a Sunday per crown. Let’s look at this crown. This is one of the crowns you have the opportunity to win and give to your Savior.
1 Corinthians chapter number 9, would you look in verse number 24? Y’all still there? Verse number 24. He’s kind of going along this theme here of the Greek Olympics or sports or competition. It’s a race here. Verse number 24: “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 striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible crown. I therefore so run, not as one uncertainly; so fight I not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Now this crown is called incorruptible. It’s for someone that disciplines themselves. They’re temperate. That word “temperate” has to do with under control. They’re not excessive in different areas. They have self-control in all things. They make sure they’re disciplined to serve the Lord. Now the comparison, the illustration here is the Olympic Games.
It’s amazing if you watch or learn about how much training these Olympic people go through. We just had the Olympics in China over there, and our main gymnast in America was that little girl—I don’t know how to say her name, Simone Biles, or how do you say it? Somebody said that knows that to say it. Simone, Simone Biles. They say, thank you for those that can say that word right. They say she trained for seven hours a day, six days a week. Seven hours a day, six days a week. Some—some of them, and I looked up some—some would be training, start their training at 5:30 in the morning for the Olympics.
In the 2012 Olympics in London, there was an article that came out, and it said 10,000 hours is the typical training that an Olympic person has before they compete. 10,000 hours training. I mean, no Dr. Peppers, and that’s hard, friend. I tell you what. I mean, no Dr. Peppers. This boy’s not going to make the Olympics. I tell you what, at least not in a couple years here now, you know. You have to really… They say the average Olympian has been training for 13 years—13 years of intense training. Now that’s the comparison here. If I’m to win this crown—some call it the crown of separation—I will separate myself from things, maybe not necessarily sinful things, but I’m willing to discipline myself so I will have the time, the energy, the resources to serve my Savior. And I’ll so train myself that I’m not off here just in extravagant things living for here and now. I’ll discipline myself where I’m serving the Lord with my life.
It’s an incorruptible crown. It’s for someone that trains themselves. Did you notice that in verse number 25? Look back there. I’ve lost my place. You can just keep your finger there because we’ll be there for the rest of the hour for the most part. But I believe it’s verse number 25 right there, 1 Corinthians 9:25: “And every man that striveth for the mastery…” Striveth for the mastery. The way Strong’s Concordance puts that, he said to struggle.
Anybody out there who said, “Pastor, man, I struggle at having the time to read my Bible every day, to pray when I ought to, to be involved in church, every time the doors are open like I should be involved in some ministry,” and yeah, I have time for my family and have time to do the lawn and have time to pay the bills and time. Anybody up there struggle for all that?
By the way, if you’re struggling for all that, you say, “Man, alive, it’s about to wear me out”—that’s a person that wins this crown. They’re struggling to do what they ought to do for the Lord. Nobody’s perfect at it. Everybody gets that alive, but they’ll discipline themselves. They say, “I’m a little bit out of whack over here. I’ve been spending too much time on this side or the other, and I want to make sure I’m disciplined where I have the time to devote for the Lord.” It’s a struggle. We’re all busy. We’re all family and relationships and cars that break down. Somebody want to say amen right there? And it’s a struggle to say, “I’m going to make time to live for the Lord.”
It’s hard. Now, your salvation doesn’t depend on that. Praise the Lord, the blood of Jesus Christ, He gave that to you. But to win these crowns, there’s a struggle involved. And you’ve got to fight against your flesh sometimes. And you’ve got to say, “All right, my priorities are going to be set.” It doesn’t mean you don’t take time off; you need that so you can get back in there to fight. But you’re not extravagant overboard in all these different things.
Young people, can I talk to the young people just a second here? Not every young person here is involved with this, but many young people are involved in video games. I don’t know all the video games that are out there nowadays. I don’t know. I think I know of one modern-day one: Call of Duty. And I don’t even know if that’s even popular still anymore or not, you know. Of course, the sports ones, you know, and they used to have Madden. Do they still have Madden nowadays? They still get Madden? Do they got Madden in 2022? They got them out, you know. They’re looking at each other. They’ve got a debate about that one. Anyway, all these video games, that…
Most video games—I’m not saying all of them—but some of those are not sinful in and of themselves. But if I spend all my time on that, or if I spend all my time on Facebook for some of dogs, or all my time on my little hobby—nothing wrong with my hobbies; I think hobbies are healthy. You need a little bit of something. But look, if I just get out of whack where I’m spending all my time that I don’t have time to serve God, then I lose out on this crown. This crown is for someone that disciplines himself. They say, “I’m in training for the Lord, and I want to serve Him. I want to be beneficial for Him.” And like a person training for a race, not someone that—well, you ever see someone show up for a ball game and you tell they’ve been drinking a lot of Dr. Peppers? You don’t talk about it? And they, you know, their mind’s still working quick, but their feet’s not working quick, you know. And it’s kind of like He’s talking about, you go out to run a race, you’re not going there just to kind of lollygag around. If you go, you’ve been training; you want to win. And it’s someone that’s been training; they’re disciplining themselves. Yes, nothing wrong with maybe this thing I do here, but I just want to make sure that I’ve got my priorities right for God.
By the way, can I be honest with you? Satan has so many Christians in America that their priorities are so out of whack. They have time for God? Now, they’re going to make it to heaven if they’re saved. Yes. Oh, yes. This crown is for someone that says, “I’ll discipline myself. I’ll keep my priorities right.”
Notice this. Notice this. What does He say there in verse number 25? Verse number 25 right there. He says, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate…” What’s the next three words? Wow. “…in all things.” None of us are perfect at it. There’s a certain area that you’re just way out of whack in. Is there a certain area that you really don’t have control over in your life? Can I ask this? Can I ask this: If you were more disciplined, could God use you a lot greater? How much more could God use you? Are you in control, or is your body in control?
This crown—and there are five when we’re going through them—but this one here is for someone that I just really see them work at bringing their body under subjection, as it says in the last verse there, so it won’t be a throne to anyone. Well, yeah, I hear you preaching, but I know how you live your life. That’s what He’s talking about. Do I bring my body? I want to discipline. Nobody’s perfect at it, but I want to be so disciplined that I win a crown I can give back to the Lord.
Can I just say this? Just slip a little side note in. You’re going to say, “Wait a second, preacher, that doesn’t make sin.” That’s kind of like a chasing your tail type thing. But if you can fast for a little bit, sometimes fasting, I think, helps you so much in this area. I don’t fast like I should, but when I do, sometimes it just really helps me bring my body into subjection to the Lord. And just a little side note. Well, I need to work at this crown. I love to win this crown for Jesus one day, and I need some help in this area. I think that’d go a long ways in helping you.
Now, a couple more things, and then we’re going to be done here. Back over there in 1 Corinthians 9. And look at the last part of that verse number 25. Verse number 25, 1 Corinthians 9:25: “Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown.” Specifically, this wreath where it’s got the leaf in there, but that leaf is going to fade real quick. And that’s the comparison to our lifetime now here: “Just a vapor that appeared for a little time.” Now, “they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we…” And what’s the next two words? Give me one word: “Incorruptible.” I mean, here’s the fault: it doesn’t fade away.
That crown, by the way—one of these Sundays we’ll talk about what Jesus, what I think Jesus does with the crowns—but that crown, that crown, it doesn’t fade. It’s not like the wreath. The wreath, excuse me, I’ve been calling it “reefs” for years. And my wife said—she didn’t call me pastor, you know—can you believe that? You know, but she said, “Paul’s a wreath,” you know. And you know I’m good at speaking in tongues. You know, I’ve got to work in some of these things. You got a hillbilly for a pastor, for sure, I’m telling you, you know. I’m trying to get it. I am working at that word. But that wreath, I mean, it’s going to fade real quick.
I thought about it. I don’t really know who won many of the Olympics this year, much less a couple years ago. I like sports. I like watching basketball and football. I love it. I’ve got time to watch a whole lot of them. But right now, the NBA playoffs are going, you know, and I don’t watch a whole lot there. Instead of the playoffs, man, I’m starting to get into it. But, you know, I remember who won last year, the finals, the championship. I don’t know who won the year before, or the year before, the year before. It’s just temporary down here. This is incorruptible. It will not fade. Year, two, three, 50, 100, a thousand, a million, a billion—it’s not going to fade. It’s eternal. It’s incorruptible. It’s not going to fade away. All these people, man, they discipline themselves for something that’s just so temporary. This will last forever.
Will you have any crowns to cast at that throne? Will you have a crown to give to Him? Yes, He gives them to us, but then we turn around and we cast our crowns at His feet. Let me ask you this: Are you saved? Will you be there, or will you be left behind? Oh, there’ll be some—I don’t know. I mean, just imagine if the rapture were to happen—boom, right now—all of us are gone besides Brother Frank. He’s left here. Now, I’m teasing, of course. What a great Christian Brother Frank is. I’m joking. Wouldn’t it be sad if someone was left here, someone in our church, that truly wasn’t saved? Wouldn’t it be a sad thing? That’s going to happen for him. We’re left.
Boy, if you’re a born-again, blood-washed saint, you’ve been saved, you know that, you’ve accepted Jesus as your only way to heaven—boom, we’re out of here. And He gives those crowns, and we get to heaven, He’s on His throne, and we say, “Hey, You’re the one that deserves it,” and we cast our crowns.
My old preacher, Brother Howe, used to tell a story. Ever since he had gotten married, him and his wife and his kids and all, they’d always go to his mom’s ever Christmas Eve. That was kind of family tradition: go to Mom’s for Christmas Eve and eat a big meal with her and things like that. It was traditioned. And Brother Howe said one time he’s at his mom’s house—I think it was early '80s, maybe late '70s when this happened. He said at my mom’s house a little before Christmas, and she said, “Hey,” she said, “this year you don’t have to come over. You are so busy, and you’ve got the church, and the kids are grown now and all that or still living home. And don’t worry about it. You don’t have to come over.”
And Brother Howe said, he said, “Mom, we’ve always come over. I mean, this is tradition ever since we got married. It’s just the thing. Everybody knows the family. Everybody knows. Everybody knows we go to your house Christmas Eve. What are you talking about?” She said, “Ah, you’re just too busy. Don’t worry about it.” And then he thought, what’s going on? Something’s up with Mom. And he thought, well, she’s single; her husband had left years and years before; he had died and whatnot. And he thought, maybe… So he said, “Mom, I’ve got to go to the restroom,” and he slipped back down, and he stuck into her room. Found her purse. Found her wallet. No money. And he scrounged. He said, “Not nothing.” He said, “Oh.” He said, “I pulled out a $20 bill.” I slipped it in there. $20 nowadays wouldn’t buy bubblegum, you know what I’m talking about? You know, back in the late '70s, early '80s, you could buy something with it, you know. And he went to the restroom and came out and said, “Well, my mom, have a good day. We’ll see.” And he went back to the church. He said a little bit later on, the secretary said, “Hey, your mom’s calling. You want to talk to her at that time?” He said, “Yeah.”
And Mom was on the phone, and she said, “Hey, why don’t y’all come on over for Christmas Eve? I’d like to have y’all.” “I’ll come over for Christmas Eve.” Dad, you want something to be able to give to them? Will you have anything to give to Jesus? Do you have a crown to give to Jesus?
Oh, we get there because of Him, but we have a crown to give to Jesus.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Our heads are bowed and eyes are closed. You say, “Preacher, I want to earn a crown to give to Jesus. I want to have a crown to give to Jesus.” God spoke to my heart. Maybe it be the incorruptible crown or some of these other crowns we’ll talk about, but I want to have a crown that I can give to Jesus. I want to earn that for the Lord Jesus Christ. God spoke to my heart. I’d like to have a crown to give to Jesus. If that’s you this morning, you slip your hand in, preacher, I’d like to have a crown. My hands raised with you. I like to have a crown. I owe Him everything, everything, everything. I like to have a crown. God bless you. Thank you for letting the Lord work in your heart. Thank you so very, very much. Thank you so very much. You put your hands down.
Maybe here this morning you said, “Maybe this particular crown, there’s an area in my life that I need to be temperate at. I need to have some control in a certain area. In all things,” He said. And God spoke to my heart, “There’s some things I need to bring into subjection. I need to get some things right, just kind of under control in my life in some areas.” And God spoke to my heart about that. Our heads bowed, eyes are closed. Preacher, there are some things, some areas I just need to bring under His control. God spoke to my heart about it. That’s you this morning, just lift your hand to preach. That’s me. That’s me. God bless you. Oh, me too. Me too. With all, all of us, me for sure, I’ve got to constantly guard that much. Lord, I want to be brought under Your control. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so very much. It’s a struggle. It’s a struggle. I understand, but let’s stay in that struggle. You won’t regret it one day, staying in the struggle to live for the Lord. Thank you so much. You put your hands down.
Maybe you hear this morning, just two more questions. We’re done. “Preacher, I have been saved. There was a time that I was born again. I was saved. I know that I’ll be raptured out. I’ve been saved. I know that. I’m a born-again Christian.” That’s you. You slip in, “Preacher, I know I’m saved. I know I’m going to heaven. I’ll be raptured out. I know that.” God bless you. God bless you. I’ve been saved. You… Many hands. Many hands. Thank you for letting the Lord speak to you there. And you’re saying, “God bless you.” Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.
Some of you did not raise your hand. I appreciate you being honest. You’re not playing games; you’re being honest and sincere about it. But if you hear this morning, you said, “Preacher, I don’t know. When that day comes, I don’t know that boom I’ll be taken out. I may be left behind.” Just between me and you and the Lord. Our heads bowed, eyes are closed. I pray sure that’s me. I need to get this thing settled. I don’t know that I’ll be raptured up. If that’s you, would you just slip your hand up? Just slip it up. Just put me and you in the Lord. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Would there be anybody else? I say several hands. Anybody else? “I don’t know that I’ll be raptured out. I don’t know that I’ll be raptured now.”
If you raised your hand, I’m going to ask you right there where you sit: If you know you’re a sinner, you believe Jesus died on the cross, and three days later He rose again, you want to ask Him to pay for every one of your sins and give you that gift of eternal life—that’s you. You want to trust totally in Him, nothing in yourself, totally in Christ. Right there where you sat in your heart, would you tell Him, “Dear Jesus, I admit it; I’m a sinner. And I understand there’s a judgment on my sin, but Jesus, would You take my judgment? Pay for every one of my sins, past, present, and future. Would You come in my heart, be my Savior? Thank You, Jesus, for giving me that gift. Help me to live for You.” In Jesus’ name, amen.
If that’s you, heads bowed and eyes closed, would you just for a moment more… Preacher, sure, just pray that. Just ask Jesus Christ to be my Savior. That should just let your hand. “I just ask You to be my Savior.” God bless you. God bless you. I see that. That’s wonderful. We’re thrilled about that. We’re thrilled about that. We’re thrilled about that. Anybody else, just ask Christ to be my Savior? Anybody else, just lift it up. God bless you.
In just a moment, we’re all going to stand. We’re going to have a word of prayer. If you raised your hand about any of those things, would you come to an old-fashioned altar? We will not be long. RJ will go back and get ready to get baptized. Would you come just spend some time? Oh, I’d like to win a crown for you. He’ll help you to win a crown for Him, just like an old preacher helped his mom to have something to give to them. Christ will help you. He’ll help you. That’s what it’s all about right there, so you’ll have something to give to Him one day. Would you come to them now about that? If you just asked Christ to be your Savior, there’ll be some men standing down front, some in the back, and would you just come shake their hand? They’ll give you some literature. We’d love to be a help with you in that. We would love to be a help in that.
Would you please stand right where you are? Would you stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer as soon as we say, “Amen.” Our instruments will play. We’ll sing. Would you come? Just spend some time with the Lord. Whatever the need, would you do that?
Father, thank You that You tell us what’s going to happen. Help us to live our lives so we’ll be ready for that moment. Lord, I pray that we win a crown to give to You on that day. Thank You, Lord, for what You do. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Don’t wait for anybody else. Would you come? You asked Christ to be your Savior, you let us know that. We rejoice. We’ll give you some literature. I’m going to come pray. We want to help in that, whatever they need.
Would you bow your heads? Let’s bow our heads, if you would, please. If you asked Christ to be your Savior, I’d love just to give you some literature and rejoice with you. And our men will get their wives and sit a lady, and they can talk to you personally and help you with any questions, any doubts the devil will throw at you. We’d love to be a help. Our heads bowed, eyes are closed. If you asked Christ to be your Savior, would you come? Would you come? And just let our men talk to you and their wives talk to you just a moment. Would you come? Would you come? Oh, Christ loves you. He gives you eternal life. Let’s live for Him. Let’s earn a crown for Him. Would you do that? He’s got to tell Him, “I want Him to crown for you.” Would you let Him know that?
Amen, amen. RJ has went back. He’s getting ready to get baptized. You can be seated. We will not be long at all. And I praise the Lord for a young man that has trusted Christ as his Savior, and he wants to go ahead and follow the Lord in believer’s baptism and openly proclaim it, let all the world know, “I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior.” And we’re excited about that. I’ll often say this: It doesn’t save you. Kind of like a wedding ring doesn’t make you married, but you wear it so everybody else knows you’re married, you know. I’ve said this many times. I lost my first wedding ring when I was working on a churchyard and didn’t have one for a while, and my wife said, “You need to get a wedding ring,” you know. And I got a wedding ring to let everybody know I’m married, amen. And… that’s baptism. Everybody else know, “Hey, I’ve got Christ in my heart.” I’m proud of RJ for doing that. I’m going to go back real quick, get ready to baptize. Brother Anthony leads us on. We’ll continue on very quickly here.
Turn in your hymn book to page 46, “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” Kind of fits in with the message here today. Page number 46, “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” “Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne. Hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns our music but its own. Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee, and hail Him as our matchless King through all eternity.” Page 46, verse 2. “Crown Him the Lord of love. Behold His hands and side. Yet visible wounds proclaim the triumph o’er the grave. He came to save, He is now victor over death…”
Original File: What does working from victory mean to you - Pastor Paul Chisgar 5122