March 24, 2024
Sermon Part 7: “Let Jesus Christ Put the Plaques on Your Wall!”
Hosanna, Hosanna We Worship You: Blessed is He that Cometh in the Name of the Lord!
Happy Palm Sunday Saints!
Dear Saints, as we walk in the beauty of Holiness (God’s Morality, Word of God) we reap “good success” in Ministry and in our personal lives, from doing the good works God ordained for us to do before the foundations of the world. (Eph. 2:10) God always rewards those who diligently seek after Him. (Heb.11:6) Everything we say from the Word of God in the faith of Jesus Christ comes to past. Everything that we “predict” happens just as we say it by the Spirit of God because we have the “Great I AM”, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, living on the inside of our hearts, and walk in the beauty of Holiness! God’s highest aspiration for us is that we prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper. (III John 2)
However, when “good success” comes our way, there is one thing we must guard against. That is, the temptation to “self-boast.” Satan is always roaming about seeking whom he may devour. (I Pet. 5:8) He desires that we pick up again the age-old evil and dumb habit of idolizing ourselves, by choosing to walk in “Ungodly Pride.” To think more highly of ourselves than we ought to because we have achieved “good success” in some aspect of life.

Self-boasting has caused so many people to fall. Ungodly Pride eventually causes every person to topple over and fall down. (Prov.16:18) Praise God though, from this Series, we have learned to be vigilant and sober-minded.
On purpose we have chosen to die daily to “self.”
Because we are followers of Jesus Christ, we have denied ourselves and lost interest in self-interest, ego, and selfish-ambition. We only seek the way in which Jesus Christ leads us by the Holy Ghost. For the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. (Rom. 8:14) Therefore, there is no room in our heads, for “Mr. Big Head” to reside.
Truthfully, nothing rattles my Holy Ghost cage more than to hear a Church leader and/or congregate with a swollen head, brag about how they have achieved success in their personal lives, and especially in the work of the ministry. I loathe hearing conversations with Christians who go on and on saying: “I did, I did, I did, I did, I did, I did, I did,” and “I did it!” So many people are starving for attention; they are title hungry, credit hungry, and award hungry. Boasting of one’s own accomplishments is truly immature and dishonors God.
Here are two Scriptures written by the Apostle Paul that I use to guard against the putting on of a swollen head and an artificially inflated ego when success comes my way.
I Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
II Corinthians 11:30 (ESV)
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
In this walk of Holiness, our hearts burn with unquenchable fire to see Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, first and the last, face-to-face! We will fall on our knees and praise Him forever! Furthermore, the Bible tells us that when we get to heaven we will receive “rewards” for our faithful service unto Jesus Christ while on earth, with an eternal inheritance. Among the rewards we will receive are amazingly stunning crowns that never fade in brilliance and honor beyond human imagination.
There are no words to describe the honor and exhilaration we will experience to be counted worthy by Jesus Christ, The Almighty God, to receive precious crowns on our heads. I cannot speak for you but the only rewards I want in life are from Jesus Christ. If you will, “I want Jesus to put the plaques on my wall!” I want Jesus to crown me, and not man!
I chance to say that many-to-most Christians are not even aware that they are running this Christian race to receive crowns laid up in store for them in heaven. How about you? Can you name the crowns we are eligible to receive from Jesus Christ when we get to heaven? If you don’t know what the crowns are, how can you strive to obtain them?
We Only Aspire for Christ’s Crowns
Throughout our walk in the beauty of Holiness, we diligently run a spiritual race to receive rewards for our faithful service rendered unto the Lord. We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ; no not one of us will miss this appointment.
The Apostle Paul wrote at II Corinthians 5:10:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Also the Psalm 96:11-13 reads:
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all the things it contains; Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Before the Lord, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
Let me make clear that the Judgment Seat of Christ is not a court hearing and ruling to determine our fitness for becoming citizens in heaven. Praise God, if we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, all of our sins have been forgiven, and that is what qualifies us to enter the holy presence of God in heaven. (John 3:16-18 & Heb.10:17-18)
Moreover, at Romans 8:1-2, Paul wrote that, in Christ, there is now “no condemnation” (judgment, guilt, shame, or blame) to those who are in Christ Jesus. Our sins past, present, and future were all paid for on Jesus’ cross. (Rom. 5:8) Jesus Christ has washed us from our sins in His own blood and made us kings and priests unto God. (Rev.1:5-6) Glory be to God for the things He has done!
When we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, our “faithful service” to Him will be evaluated and rewarded. In His omniscience (perfect knowledge) Jesus will assess our every thought, motive, and action with respect to our faithfulness to Him. The prospect of this coming judgment should motivate us to be more like Christ in our daily life, running our spiritual race toward heavenly rewards.
At Colossians 3:1-2, Paul wrote that given we are in Christ, we are to set our affections on things above where Christ sits at the right-hand throne of God, and not on things of the earth. Thus, as we walk in Holiness, we should have a heavenly state-of-mind. Hoping that today the Lord will return, and looking forward to standing before the Lord in honor and humbleness of heart to receive our just rewards. This is why walking in the beauty of Holiness (God’s Morality, Word of God) is so important.
If we live in God’s Morality then we can be confident of the outcome as we stand before Christ to receive our rewards. I say again in this Series, if we have behavior and conduct unbecoming of Christ in our lives, repent of it, and turn from it, and do that which is pleasing in God’s sight.
In this life, we are only strangers and pilgrims passing through and on our way to heaven. (I Pet. 2:11) Thus, nothing else should matter to us but pleasing God in all we think and do.
There are Five Crowns from the Lord laid up for us in Heaven. Let’s run this Christian race to receive them in glory to the Triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Only by yielding our lives completely to Jesus Christ to do His good works through us makes us worthy to receive such magnificent glory. (Php.1:6)

First, I will describe the Victor’s Crown, also known as the Incorruptible Crown pictured bottom left in the illustration above. (I Corinthians 9:25-27).
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.
I therefore so run, not as 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.
The walk in Holiness requires discipline. We must have the ability to listen and yield to the Holy Ghost who leads and guides us into all righteousness, all the morality of God, and say “No” when necessary. Not only to say “No” to the temptations of Satan to do sinful things, but also to everything in life that takes our attention away from focusing on God. This is why when we accept Jesus as Lord, we enter through the Strait Gate and walk with Jesus in the Narrow way.
Serving God involves narrowing our focus to those things with the highest eternal value: God, the Bible, and Heavenly Things. Life is full of good things that can, if we let them, take our focus off the best Christ has to offer. Thus, it is up to us, with the help of the Holy Ghost, to identify and choose to love heavenly things over things in the world. Those who exercise such discipline will receive the Victor’s Crown.
(With persistence, let us carefully evaluate and assess how we are spending our time, money, and talents. Are our habits reflecting service to God, or do they indicate other things as of more importance?)
The Crown of Rejoicing (I Thessalonians 2:19)
For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
The Crown of Rejoicing (Often called the Soul-Winners Crown pictured bottom right.) is bestowed on those who “bring” sinners to Jesus Christ. Not just one-time, but continually seek and bear the fruit of souls to the Lord. Thus, this crown is linked to the obedience of Christ’s Commandment that we go into the world and preach the gospel to the lost and baptize them under the authority of Jesus Christ. (Mark 16:15-16)
The Crown is for those whose hearts are bent on seeing individuals and families saved from sin; these born-again Christians reach out beyond the four-walls of the Church to declare the name of Jesus Christ to enlarge the Kingdom of God.
(When was the last time you talked about Jesus Christ to someone who was Non-Christian?)
The Crown of Righteousness (II Timothy 4:8)
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.
The key to receiving the Crown of Righteousness, (Shown at the top left in the illustration) is the adamancy of the born-again Christian in hoping for and looking for the coming of Jesus Christ. So many Christians become entangled with the cares and activities of this world they totally forget that our home is in heaven; not on earth. The Crown of Righteousness is not for Christians conformed to this world, but only for those who long for heaven. The crown is not for Christians who love cell phones and the camera snapping selfies; but belongs to those who long to see the face of Jesus when He appears in the middle of the air. It’s ever looking for Jesus’ return that makes us as pure as He is. (I John 3:3)
(What are you most looking forward to in life and when you get to heaven?)
The Crown of Life (James 1:12 & Revelation 2:10)
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.
Jesus Christ said if we love Him we keep His Commandments. (John 14:15) To do so, continually requires us to endure temptations levied by Satan against our thought-life that will try our faith and loyalty to Jesus. Believers who maintain their love for Christ while triumphing over persecution, temptation, and even martyrdom, receive the Crown of Life. (Shown top right in the illustration above.) Many born-again Christians will receive this crown for sacrificing their lives for their faith in Christ, as well as other believers who kept the faith when it was costly to do so–anyone who has suffered, endured, persevered, and encouraged others, will receive the Crown of Life.
(In what ways have you suffered for the sake of the preaching, sharing, and living of the gospel of Jesus Christ?)
The Crown of Glory (I Peter 5:4)
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
The Crown of Glory (Depicted in the center of the illustration above) is given to faithful church leaders of the people of God; such as pastors, elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and ministry team leaders. The crown will be rewarded to those who faithfully answered the call of leadership to bring sinners to Christ and lead and teach believers the Word of God to make disciples. Jesus said to His disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. (Matt. 9:37)
(How have you responded to this need? Have you heard the Lord calling you into Ministry? Pray to the Lord, asking Him to send more laborers into His Vineyard to harvest precious souls and make disciples.)
In closing, every born-again Christian should actively pursue these glorious crowns Jesus Christ has reserved for us in heaven. But no crown could ever compare to the wonder and splendor of seeing our Lord and Savior face-to-face. And, until that day, we have a responsibility to run the spiritual race set before us with all the determination and devotion of an Olympic athlete aspiring to win the gold medal for his competition. Paul said at Philippians 3:13-14:
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
I love this Scripture because I hear God saying that as we pursue Jesus Christ, we lose “hindsight,” and gain “foresight.” We lose all memory of the guilt and shame of our past lives when trapped in the degradation of sin; under the rule of Satan and kingdom of darkness. Now, in Christ, there is only the prize that we press towards of seeing Jesus Christ as He is. The Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the Almighty God. In life, nothing else matters, so we fight the good fight of faith until Jesus Christ comes again in the clouds.
Through all trials, tribulations, persecutions, we will be faithful as we are determined to walk with Jesus in the beauty of Holiness (God’s Morality, Word of God); and receive the crowns Jesus has in store for us at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Praise God, immediately afterwards I can see us casting our crowns at our Saviors feet and bowing down to bless and praise Jesus Christ forevermore. Crying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. (Rev. 4:8)
Remember only what we do for Christ will last. Only what we do for Him will be counted at the end. Amen!
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