sees a door opened in heaven and he hears a voice saying, come up hither. And the Lord God showed him marvelous, wondrous things. He heard a voice as a trumpet speaking to him. And as he opens his eyes in the spirit, he said, I saw a throne. I want to tell you the first thing anybody sees when they meet God is a throne. That's the first thing. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. Same thing John saw. You see a throne.

You haven't seen God until you've seen God sitting on his throne. So I saw the Lord, I didn't see him that way. No, you didn't. You saw what you thought was God. You saw what some preacher told you was God. But you haven't seen God until you've seen God sitting on an absolute throne of total dominion over everything and everybody.

Bobby read that Psalm, Psalm 148. He said, praise the Lord in the heavens. And then he describes all the heavens established by his word. Praise him in the earth. And then he describes the winds and the snow and the hail and the rain doing his word. Everything.

John said, I saw a throne. Then round about the throne, he said, I saw a boat. rainbow set in the sky, the bow of God's covenant. He says, I saw a bow around the throne. Everything that God sitting on his throne does, he does in accordance with his covenant of grace between him and his son before the world began for the saving of his people. Everything. Everything. And then John describes this scene, beginning in verse 4.

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting. Just as many seats as there are people, no more and no less. You see, this glorious habitation for God's saints in eternity is prepared for a specific people, and those for whom it is prepared are seen at the last day gathered around the throne, sitting. Sitting upon the seats, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Now look down in verse 10.

And the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, 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 and were created. Now these four and twenty elders represent the whole Church of God. All God's elect, all the redeemed, all who have been, shall be, and are called to life and faith in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

They represent the gathered remnant of God's elect out of the four corners of the earth. a complete number. Both of the Old Testament saints and the new. 12 out of the 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament represented in those 12 tribes. And 12 out of the 12 apostles represented in the names of those 12 apostles. So it represents the whole Church of God. But notice these 24 elders are all elders.

Here upon the earth, God's saints are some old and some young, some old men and some strong young men, and some babes in Christ. But in heaven's glory, there are no babes, there are no children, they are all elders in the kingdom of God. Now this passage we read, Revelation 4, verses 4, 10, and 11, show us several things clearly about all of God's elect in heaven. First, they are all clothed with white raiment.

Every one of them are robed with the perfect, spotless garments of God's salvation, the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress, mist flaming worlds, and these arrayed with joy shall I lift up my head. When we stand before God in Heaven's glory, we will stand before Him robed in the righteousness of Christ, but not just a pasted-on righteousness, oh no! We will stand before Him in the perfection of the beauty which He puts upon us and puts in us, the very righteousness of Christ imputed to us and imparted to us. We've been made now completely in His image.

And then secondly, all of these around the throne are doing one thing. They're worshiping the lamb. Look in chapter 5 in verse 8. When the lamb had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them hearts and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints. They cried, worthy is the lamb. All of them.

Everybody in heaven worships the Lamb of God, everybody. Nobody shall ascend to that place who does not learn to worship Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, upon the earth. All the saints in glory worship God as he's revealed in the Lamb. And thirdly, they've all been redeemed. redeemed by the precious blood of Christ the Lamb of God. Thou hast bought us with thy blood out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue.

In that great eternal day it shall come to pass that we shall sing as we have often sung. When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song I'll sing Christ's power to save. There, Bobby, everybody sings the song of Moses and of the Lamb. That's awful strange language, isn't it? The song of Moses and the Lamb? Oh, no, no, no. Because the song Moses sang in Exodus 15 is the very same song we sing and the very same song that these folks sing. It is salvation is God's. He saved us. He redeemed us. He called us. We're his.

And these 24 elders are all around the throne. All of them around the throne of God. All of them in exact proximity, in exact symmetry, in perfection around the throne. And they are all made to be kings and priests unto God. Every child of God, every believer is made to be a king and a priest unto God to reign forever with him. You see, we are right now kings.

Jesus Christ came and took us by the power of his spirit, and he has taken us who were slaves to sin, to Satan, to the lust of our flesh, and made us to be kings under God, so that now, by the power of his spirit reigning within, the believer lives in dominion over the lust of his flesh. Does that mean the believer doesn't sin? Oh, my soul, no. What does it mean? It means that our lives are no longer dominated by that old man Adam, but our lives are dominated by the Spirit of God ruling within us.

The believer is a priest, a priest unto God. We don't need any earthly priest. My friend, Brother Art Young, died several years ago. After he died suddenly, unexpectedly, he was Roman Catholic Hospital, and one of the nurses came by and asked his wife and son, said, do y'all want us to call the priest? And he said, we've got a priest. We don't need another one. We've got a priest. Our priest is Christ himself. So that now in Christ, you and I come to God without any intercessor except Him, who is God, the God-man, Christ Jesus.

I was telling Bobby yesterday, brother, Charlie Page, some of y'all know Charlie, remember him? He's with the Lord now. One time he was flying somewhere, I've forgotten where, and he was sat down and there was a Jewish rabbi sat down beside him. And by the time they started to take off, that fellow slipped one of those silly looking little night caps on his head. And Charlie looked at him and he said, hey, why'd you do that? He said, oh, we believe that we must have something between us and God. Charles said, we sure do, let me tell you about him. He is our priest. He stands between us and God, but we need no other, only Christ.

And these all who are kings and priests unto God around the throne, robed in white, they reign with Christ on the earth. Reign with him now and forever. And look at this one other thing. And they all have on their heads crowns of gold. Now this is my subject this evening. Believers and their crowns. We're going to look at several texts of scripture tonight as I try to answer some questions about believers and their crowns. According to this text, all of the people of God have crowns of gold on their heads as they are welcomed into heaven's glory around the throne of God. Now there's a lot of discussion and a lot of theological religious circles about these crowns.

Most people have the idea that somehow If you are a good Christian, if you're a faithful person, if you pay your tithes and then some, if you go to church until you've got Sunday school buttons dragging the ground ten feet behind you, if you're a real good, zealous, zealous person, then you're going to have lots of crowns in heaven. If you're just what folks call a carnal Christian, you know, you've got a little religion, but not enough to show. If you just sort of get into heaven by the skin of your teeth and you haven't been real good, then you're going to get there, but you're going to have a lot of loss. You're going to lose your reward.

And they use these crowns to describe that. Now, I'm not pulling this off the top of my head. Some of you folks who have Schofield reference Bibles at home, or you can get hold of one, and just look at the notes. They tell you all about these crowns. Well, what are these crowns? These crowns are described in the New Testament, not as Mr. Schofield describes them and others.

But as I read through the New Testament, I see five distinct crowns given to believers. I want you to look at them. If you have difficulty following in the references, just jot them down and look at them for yourself later. First turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Paul here speaks about an incorruptible crown. An incorruptible crown which is the reward of perseverance. Notice what he says in verse 24.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain. And every man, verse 25, that striveth for the mastery is tempered in all things. He rules his flesh. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, like runners in the Olympic Games would get just a wreath that was planted together and it'd be planted on their heads. He said, but we're not looking for 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 unto my body, and bring it in subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be cast away.

Now, the believer's life in this world is often compared to a runner in a race. Hebrews chapter 12 particularly. The apostle tells us to run with patience the race that's set before us, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. And he tells us that those who run the race must run to the end. And if you don't run to the end, you get no prize. You get no prize. But everybody, as Paul uses the analogy here, who crosses the finish line, everybody who runs to the end receives a crown of life that's incorruptible, a crown of glory that fades not away.

And so Paul says, I keep under my body, I bring it in subjection that I may persevere to the end. Now, this is what he's saying. The very same thing our Lord Jesus said, Matthew chapter 10, verse 20. He that endureth to the end, The same shall be saved. What about those folks who don't endure? They've never known the grace of God. What about those folks who fall away? They never knew Christ. What about those who turn away from Christ? They never had Christ. The believer, that one who has life in Christ, he perseveres to the end. He continues in the faith.

Then in James chapter 1, James the first chapter, you can turn there and jot down for your reference later, Revelation 2 verse 10. Both of these texts speak of a crown of life, a crown which is incorruptible, which is the crown of perseverance, the reward of perseverance. Here the crown of life is spoken of in much the same way as the reward of faithfulness, which is nothing but another word for perseverance. Faithfulness is stick-to-it stuff. Faithfulness is the kind of glue that holds you steady in the course of responsibility.

Here in James 1 verse 12, James talks about our trials, temptations. He says, blessed is the man that endures temptation, not just the one who suffers it, but the one who endures it, the one who stands the test. For when he has tried, the word is having been proved, when he has tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him. Folks get a hold of that and say, well now, the Lord promised this crown of life to those who suffer greatly for him.

To those who have hardship in this world and they're faithful in their hardships. That's true. That's true. But he also promised it to everybody who loves him. Everybody. Everybody who truly loves Him. Who's that? Every believer. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema. Let him be damned. The Lord's coming. That's the language of Scripture.

In Revelation 2.10, our Lord speaks and says, None of these things which thou shalt suffer, I fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I'll give you a crown of life.

That's not just all about martyrs. All believers are martyrs. Believers are many women who laid down their lives in the cause of Christ. And every believer, Bob Punster, is faithful to Christ unto death. What's that mean? He continues looking to Christ all the days of his life.

Those trials that destroy men's faith do not really destroy faith, but only the profession of it. Those who perish, perish because they never knew our God. But those who are faithful in their trials, those who persevere when the heat's on, those who continue in the faith when it costs them something, that's the man who proves his faith, proves it by his faithfulness.

Now then, the third ground is mentioned in 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy chapter 2. This is called a crown of righteousness, which is the reward of those who love Christ at his appearing. Paul is about to be put to death for the gospel, and he knows it. This is his last letter writing to Timothy.

He says, I am now ready to be offered, verse six, the time of my departure is at hand. I fought a good fight. I finished my course, I've kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. Oh, now there you see, preacher. Paul said, since I fought a good fight and I finished my course and I've kept the faith, now then there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness because I've earned it. Read the next line. Read the next line.

And not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearance. So Paul is saying that this crown of life, This blessed crown that is laid up for him of righteousness is promised to everyone who indeed fights a good fight, who finishes his course, who keeps the faith, because these are the ones who know the Lord God. This is simply talking about faith. Nothing less than that, nothing more than that.

And then look in chapter two of 2 Thessalonians. Here Paul speaks of a crown of rejoicing. This one, Folks get ahold of it, they say, now this is the soul winner's crown. Boy, you buttonhole enough folks and get them to say, I believe in Jesus, and you're going to get you a big, big crown when you get to heaven. Now read the text. First Thessalonians chapter two, verse 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Crown of rejoicing. Are not even you, look at it now, in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For you are our glory and our joy.

The wise man says, children's children are the crown of old men. Boy, I'm finding that out. Children's children are the crown of old men. Boy, that child's child, that makes the old man happy. That child's child, that puts a smile on his face. That child's child, oh, what delight there is in that. Now look at this.

When the Lord Jesus comes in his glory to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth and he presents them to his father saying, look, I am the children which thou hast given me. As he rejoices in their salvation, so shall we. As he rejoices in the fullness of his kingdom, so shall we. As he rejoices that all his elect are now with him in glory, so shall we. Paul is not saying here, now listen carefully, Paul is not saying to these Thessalonians, let me put it personally, as if I were speaking to you, I'm not saying this, I glory and rejoice in the fact that I was the instrument God used to save you. That's so foreign to the New Testament, it's pathetic anybody would imagine such a thing. I thank God for the privilege of preaching the gospel. But you read 1 Corinthians chapter 3, and you'll find out that's not what Paul's saying. Paul said, I'm nothing. He said, Apollos is nothing. Peter's nothing.

He said, one comes and he sows the seed, another plants, another waters. God gives the increase. We're nothing but hoes and hoses. That's all we are. That's all we are. Instruments in God's hands. The work is his. Well, preacher, what's he saying? I glory and rejoice in the salvation of God's elect, because the salvation of God's elect is the glory and joy of God's Son. That's exactly what he's saying. Now then, look in 1 Peter 5 and verse 4.

Here is the crown of glory, the reward of our union with Christ. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Who? All of you who've been gathered to the chief shepherd. When Christ comes, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. He said, the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one. Now this is what it means, Larry.

When the Lord Jesus comes again, being united to him, really and truly, united to him, one with him, as he wears a crown of glory, our head, we who are his members, shall wear the crown of glory. You can't put a crown on this head without putting it on these feet. Can't do it. You can't put a crown on this head without putting it on these hands. When Christ is crowned with glory, we who are his are crowned with glory. There is then this incorruptible crown, the crown of life, the crown of righteousness, the crown of rejoicing, and the crown of glory.

Now there's one more text in this connection. What are these? Turn over to Isaiah 28. Now I want you to look at this one. Isaiah 28. What are all these crowns? All these crowns? Why, they're all just one crown. They're just one crown. That one crown is Christ himself.

Look here in verse 5, Isaiah 28 verse 5. In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people. Do you see that? Oh, you mean preacher? Christ is everything? You got it. That's exactly what I'm saying. You mean He's all our glory, and all our rejoicing, and all our life, and all our righteousness? That's it. That's what He's saying.

He's our crown. Our full crown given by grace. Christ is the prize we seek. Christ is the crown we shall wear. Christ is the reward we shall be possessors of. What more could anyone want or desire? Christ is heaven. If I have him, I have all, and I want no more. He's my glory. He's my joy. He's my righteousness. He's my life. He's my incorruptible crown. Now here's the second question. Who's going to wear these crowns? Well, if you look at this text here in Revelation 4, everybody there. Everybody there. The 24 elders, all of them have a crown on their heads. Oh, Pastor, what about this doctrine of degrees? Degrees of reward, degrees of glory in heaven? I don't believe it for a minute. There are no degrees of happiness among the redeemed in heaven. Such doctrine is nowhere written and nowhere implied in the Word of God.

Upon the very surface of things, it's apparently false. because it promotes pride and teaches the reward of a debt and promotes self-righteousness in men. It says that some things are earned by human works as wages that God in fairness must pay because you've done better than somebody else. It makes our acceptance and our joy in heaven dependent not upon our God's grace, but upon our works. I say let that heresy be rooted out and stalked to pieces once and for all. The notion that there will be degrees of reward in heaven runs contrary to everything in this book.

Listen to what God says. Who maketh thee to differ from another? Who maketh thee to differ? What do you have you've not received? Somebody says, well, I have great faith. I doubt you've got any, but if you think you've got great faith, and indeed you do, and somebody else seems to have such little faith, it's because God gave you strong faith, and for some reason he hasn't yet given it to your brother. Somebody says, but I serve the Lord faithfully. You probably don't, but just in case, maybe you do, just in case, just in case, I'm telling you, your faithfulness is God's gift to you. And another's lack of it is not something that you can brag about.

God makes us to differ and God alone. Salvation by grace, the blessings of God in Christ were given to us by grace from eternity. God never accepts, much less rewards anything but perfection. And Christ is our perfection. Perfection requires a perfect reward. And in Christ, every believer stands perfect before God. Do you understand that? Our acceptance, Bob, is Christ. Our righteousness is Christ. We stand before God in him.

Our Lord plainly states that our reward in heaven shall not be based upon merits, but rather upon God's purpose of grace. Read his parable in Matthew chapter 20. And besides that, the Lord alone will have the praise and the glory and the honor in heaven. He alone.

People talk about rewards and God dealing with them on the basis of what they've done. Now, just how would you like for God to deal with you on the basis of what you do? Who can stand before Him? I'll tell you who can. I'll tell you who's going to stand before God in heaven. I'll tell you who's going to be crowned with glory.

He that had clean hands and a pure heart and has never lifted up his soul to vanity. Well, that shuts me out, me too, except in Christ. In Christ, we'll stand before God with clean hands and a pure heart as a people who never once sinned, who never once lifted up their souls to vanity. We don't serve our God being motivated by desire for gain, but rather because the love of Christ constrains us.

The bliss, the glory, the happiness of heaven is the reward of God's elect, and it shall be equal to all the redeemed. Well, why do you insist on that? Let me tell you why. I'll wrap it up. Lindsay Campbell and Don Fortner and Diane and Buddy are redeemed with the same blood, loved with the same everlasting love, chosen by the same grace, accepted on the same principle of substitution in the righteousness of Christ, blessed from the same covenant with all the inheritance of God's grace in heaven.

We're accepted in Christ, only in Christ. We'll wear these crowns of gold just long enough to take them off our heads and cast them down at his feet, acknowledging worthy is the Lamb. We won't have any praise. We won't have any honor. We won't receive any recognition.

Christ alone be exalted. Christ alone be praised. God, teach me to do that now. Teach me to receive no accolades now, to receive no praise now, to receive no honor, but cast it all to Him. Who makes us to differ? God alone makes us to differ. Christ alone makes us to differ. The Spirit of God alone makes us to differ.

Let us now join that glorious, glorious multitude seated around the throne, robed in white garments, robed in the righteousness of Christ, and say, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive glory and honor and power and dominion both now and forever. Amen. Amen.