How to keep a divine perspective

When it comes to eternal rewards, Jesus and the New Testament writers used a number of analogies to describe the kinds of rewards which God will bestow on those who faithfully partner with Him.  One particular word picture that shows up several times is receiving a crown.  Sometimes, crown-rewards are specific to particular groups, while earning other crown-rewards are open to all believers. 

Crowns designate both power and authority.  Some commentators have equated God bestowing a crown with our modern-day practice of a soldier earning a medal.  The medal itself does not contain valor, but instead declares the owner to have earned the reward through courage, bravery, or heroism.

Last time we looked at a crown that is available for those who have put in the effort to care for and disciple other believers.  Next is a crown that is available to believers whose lives are driven by a divine perspective.

Since meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, the Apostle Paul has worked to spread the good news of eternal life through Jesus.  He’s worked in his local church, he’s gone on mission trips, he’s mentored younger believers, and he’s written letters of both encouragement and rebuke to help other believers understand how to live out their new life in Christ.  However, in his last letter – written to his protégé, Timothy – we read that Paul knows his time on earth is almost up.  Soon after writing this letter, he is brought before Emperor Nero and beheaded.

However, he is not afraid of what’s next.  In fact, he’s already looking beyond his meeting with Nero:

2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.

Joseph Dillow, author of “Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings”, describes the crown of righteousness in these terms:

Righteousness in this passage should be understood as “upright behavior”.  It is a crown of vindication, a crown which says, “Paul, you have lived well.”…As he wrote, Paul stood before an unrighteous judge receiving an unrighteous reward.  But one day, he will stand before the only Judge that matters and that Judge will grant to him a righteous crown, a crown of vindication saying, “Paul, you were right, Rome was wrong!  Thank you for serving Me.”

The crown of righteousness is for all those who have loved His appearing.  Do we look forward to the day when Jesus returns, just like He promised He would?  I’m sure for most of us, the concept of Christ’s return sounds great.  But if He returned right now – how would you feel about the life you’re living?  Would you be happy to give Jesus a tour of your daily life, or does the thought of a heavenly life-audit bring a sense of shame?  If Jesus appeared right now, would you stand up and cheer, or would you be more inclined to shrink back in embarrassment?

Looking back, there are plenty of moments in my life where I’m relieved that Jesus didn’t return at that specific moment.  Not so much as a “gotcha!” but as a “I’m selfishly living the life He’s given me right now”.  Thankfully, there is an antidote, one that will put us back on track to earn the crown of righteousness, and it is found in one of the Apostle John’s letters:

1 John 2:28
So now, little children, remain in Him so that when He appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

Getting our life on track doesn’t require an 8-step program or a magical formula.  Our aim is to remain in Him.  Stay connected to Jesus, just like a branch needs to be connected to the vine.  When we do, our confidence and life-decisions will sort themselves out.  The longer we remain in Him, the better we get at it, too.  We’ll learn how to live well, and we’ll truly look forward to His appearing.

How great would it be to hear “Well done!” from Jesus and then to receive the crown of righteousness from Him?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The crown could be yours

When it comes to eternal rewards, Jesus and the New Testament writers used a number of analogies to describe the kinds of rewards which God will bestow on those who faithfully partner with Him.  One particular word picture that shows up several times is receiving a crown.  Sometimes, crown-rewards are specific to particular groups, while earning other crown-rewards are open to all believers. 

Crowns designate both power and authority.  Some commentators have equated God bestowing a crown with our modern-day practice of a soldier earning a medal.  The medal itself does not contain valor, but instead declares the owner to have earned the reward through courage, bravery, or heroism.

The first crown we’ll look at is available for those who have put in the effort to care for and disciple other believers.  Take a look at what Peter had to say:

1 Peter 5:1-4
I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed.  Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The first thing I notice is that Peter confidently states there will be glory revealed in the future, and for those who shepherd God’s flock, it is possible to have a share of that glory.

How cool would that be?  When the Chief Shepherd appears, when Christ returns, those who have faithfully led in his stead will receive the unfading crown of glory.  Those who have devoted time and effort to developing others will be publicly recognized by God and clearly identifiable for everyone else!

But this isn’t just “lead a Sundy School class for 6 months and get a crown” type of thing.  This isn’t a participation ribbon everyone can receive…Peter says that our motives are part of the evaluation:

1 Peter 5:2-3
Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

So, God will not only consider where we lead, but also how we lead.  Selfish motives will disqualify us from earning the crown of glory.  This reminds me of a similar warning from James, the brother of Jesus:

James 3:1
Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.

Stepping into leadership in God’s family is not to be taken lightly.  But the rewards are great – participating in someone’s spiritual growth, helping them think/speak/act like Jesus is absolutely incredible.  Investing in others and seeing them grow is personally satisfying and fulfills Jesus’ Great Commission command.  God thinks this kind of work is incredible, too, and He has a special reward for those who partner with Him to shepherd His flock.

But what if that’s not you?  What if you have other gifts/talents/abilities that do not focus on leadership/discipleship?  First, there are many different rewards (and crowns!) that are still available.  We’ll go over them in the coming weeks. 

And second, what can you do to support those in your church who do the hard work of shepherding?   I’m sure they can use some encouragement, and all of us can be encouragers.  How great would it be to see the pastors and leaders of your church earn this crown?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Olympic-sized choices

Every two years, we are treated to a spectacle of human effort, strength, and determination.  Both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games have an incredible ability to draw us in.  We see athletes who have put in years – even decades – of effort into their skills and honing their craft.  We are introduced to these country representatives through interviews, old family videos, and personal stories.  Invariably, we hear about their dedication, toughness, and desire.  These individuals have mastered their bodies and minds to achieve peak human condition in order to compete at the highest level with others who have done the same.

The Olympic Games remind us that physical competition is not a modern society invention, as we humans have a strong desire to be the best at something.  Humans have always gone to great lengths to prove our prowess in a given competition or setting.  

The Apostle Paul noted the efforts and dedication of ancient athletes in his letter to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way to win the prize.  Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything.  They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.

Invariably, you’ll find a preacher who, on a Sunday during the modern 17-day Olympic event, points to this Scripture and says, “See?  As incredible as their athletic achievements are, in the end, useless. Their crowns are perishable.  They won’t last.  These people have wasted their time on temporal success.”

This kind of interpretation assumes that the athletes are not believers, and they are strictly driven by self-centered goals.  However, when reading the passage as a whole, in the context of the entire letter, it’s difficult to claim that in these four sentences, Paul’s aim was to put the athletes down for their efforts.

In the previous verses, Paul discussed the importance of winning for him.  His said that his aim was to meet people where they were, regardless of their background or societal standing, in order to share the gospel message – that Jesus gives eternal life to all who believe in Him for it.

1 Corinthians 9:22-23
I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.  Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

Right after this, Paul uses the runners-striving-to-win-the-race comparison we looked at already.  Instead of putting down these athletes, Paul says we should imitate their tenacity and dedication as we strive to receive an imperishable crown.

And don’t let anyone tell you that this imperishable crown is going to heaven when you die.  This crown is clearly earned, and Paul says he makes his effort so that I may share in the blessings.  Crowns in the ancient games gave the one who earned them status, rewards, and special access to both events and royalty.  If that’s what a perishable crown is worth…how much more valuable would an imperishable crown be?

Continuing the athletic metaphor, Paul then reveals his training regimen:

1 Corinthians 9:26-27
So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air.  Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

No athlete, after putting so much time and effort into their training, wants to be disqualified from the contest.  A “DQ” means they miss the opportunity to earn the victor’s crown and, as a result, cannot receive the benefits that crown would have given them access to.

Since Paul wants to share in the blessings of an imperishable crown, he makes intentional choices about how he spends his time, where his focus lies, and how he treats his physical body.  Paul is giving the Corinthian believers (and us!) an example to follow in order to run in such a way to win the prize.

So…how’s your training going?

To be honest with you, mine’s not going so well…and I didn’t even realize it.  I really like strategy/puzzle games.  Recently, I found a new game to play on my phone.  I was doing just fine, playing the levels at my own pace.  And then they started an open contest, to see who could complete a certain task the most number of times within a time limit.  So I jumped right in and started playing away.  Surprising myself, I came in first.  On the next contest, I came in first again.  And I did it again – three wins in a row.  I don’t personally know any of the people I was competing against, but I won, and by sizeable margins. 

However, I received a real shock this last Sunday.  My phone keeps track of how much time I spend on each app and then gives me a weekly report.  Guess how much time I spent on the game this past week?  It was over 15 hours.  Sure, I won – a lot.  What did I win?  More boosters so I could continue to play the game.  Nothing tangible.  Nothing sharable.  Certainly nothing of eternal value.

App games are fine, but do I really need to spend 15 hours on them in one week?  Doing the math – that’s 32.5 DAYS per year.  If I continue on my current pace, I will spend an entire month of this year playing a game on my phone. 

What good could I do with half that time? 

We become good at whatever we spend most of our time doing.  Want to be a better athlete?  Spend time training.  Want to be promoted in your job?  Spend time doing your current job well and work to get the additional skills or education you need to move up.  The more TV we watch, the more proficient we become at it. 

Want to be more like Jesus?  Get out and love on people, especially people you don’t routinely hang around. 

Want to earn eternal rewards?  Make disciplined choices with your time, your focus, and your priorities.  Meet people where they are and tell them about Jesus’ free gift of eternal life. 

And don’t become disqualified because you were distracted.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Suffering leads to...eternal rewards?

A consistent theme in the New Testament is the suffering of believers, along with the rich rewards for those who persevere under suffering because of their identification with Christ.  Later in life, Peter addressed this topic:

1 Peter 4:12-19
Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.  Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when His glory is revealed.  

If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you…if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name…so then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

Throughout his letter, the type of suffering Peter says is commendable before God is the suffering we encounter because we are identifying with Christ.  Within this context, the phrase “God’s will” would be that believers are conformed to Christ’s example through suffering.  Peter is encouraging his readers to remember that as they are insulted (or worse) for being a Christian, they are to persevere through…so that this suffering will make them more like Christ.

Then Peter turns his attention to the church elders.  Not only do we hear the echo of Christ’s teaching, but we see how the concepts of suffering, serving, and perseverance all come together in eternity future:

1 Peter 5:1-4
I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Crowns in the ancient world were symbols of authority and of rulership.  When one was bestowed, certain rights and privileges were obtained – whether it was the victor’s crown in the Olympics or the Caesar’s crown in Rome.  The crowns that Christ will reward to believers who have served will likely represent a level of authority in Christ’s future kingdom.  What we do know for sure is that these crowns will be used as symbols of worship as they are removed and placed at Jesus’ feet (Revelation 4:9-10)…and this fits with the eternal concept of all authority in Heaven and on Earth being subject to Christ.

Revelation 22:3-5
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will worship Him…and they will reign forever and ever.

Those who have served, suffered, and persevered in this life…who else would be qualified to reign in Christ’s kingdom? Who else would be most likely to rule like Jesus?

Only His Servant Kings.

Keep Pressing,
Ken