In this sermon, Pastor Babij finishes explaining the five crowns given to faithful believers. Specifically, Pastor Babij discusses the Sufferer’s Crown from James 1:12 and the Watcher’s Crown in 2 Timothy 4:8. Using 1 Peter 4:7-11, Pastor Babij also examines two of the five ways Christians ought to be affected by the teaching of Christ’s judgment and reward. First, Christians must keep their heads clear for the purpose of prayer. Second, Christians must keep their hearts warm for the purpose of love.
Auto Transcript
Note: This rough transcript was automatically generated by YouTube’s AI algorithm. We provide it here for your convenience, but know it will surely contain errors as it has not been proofread or edited by a human.
i’d like you to take your bibles this morning and turn to titus chapter 11 14.
i will not be actually preaching on but just uh to get us back into the subject that i’ve cut out on from mark chapter 10 verse 28 through 34 about the judgment seat of christ and nouns as a reward there’s one important that the should always be looking for especially in these days and it’s found right here in this passage we’re to be looking for the blessed hope it’s 11 of chapter 2 of titus actually verse 12 it says for the grace of god has appeared bringing salvation to all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and desires and to live sensibly righteously and godly and notice again in this present age and the age in which you find yourself of course we find ourselves in 2016 in this age and then verse 13 notice looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself a people for his own possession and then zealous for good deeds so in the end these are the things that we are to be doing while we’re in this present age and of course the end thing is that we are to be active actually zealous for good deeds the good deeds that god has ordained for you we are to be living we’re to be put into practice every day of our lives so the return of christ is not only connected with heavenly privileges but also withhold responsibility so divine sovereignty and human responsibility are tied together and i have already mentioned uh the eight important things related to the judgment seat of christ and i just want to recap those uh and get back to where i’m going this morning i’m actually going up to first peter this morning that’s where i’m heading but there’s other passage of scriptures that i’d like you to look up now the one of the eight things i think was the timing of the christ and i mentioned that the testimony of the new testament of christ before the setting up of the kingdom of glory and then therefore before the millennial kingdom that means the human seed of christ will take place somewhere in the heaven leads soon taken from the earth that’s the first one let’s pray lord this morning as we again the word of god help us to be more conscious of not only your returning but of us your children someday standing before the judgment seat of christ the given account of our lord and lord on that day you will be the judge examine examine us perfectly lord that you would help us to be ready for that day and not waste time in this world on things that are not eternally important i pray you would help us to do that keep us focused on the right things in christ i pray amen the second thing is the judge of course the judge will be none other than the savior himself jesus christ the father has committed all judgment to the son it tells john 5 22 it says that even if not not even the father judges anyone but he has judgment to the son the persons at the great white throne weeks before second corinthians 10 it says we all appear before the judgments that each one may be recompensed for the deeds done in the body according whether good or bad and then severity of that judgment will be from first corinthians chapter 3 it will be revealed by fire that each man work evident for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire as the scriptures tell us and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work so each true disciple each true disciples work and service will have its value plan field on at the seat of christ that means the quality and the durability of perks will be inspected by the savior the result of the year’s inspection will be either rewards losses so someone may build with flimsy and non-durable materials and they will lose rewards like it says in first corinthians chapter 3 verse 12. now if any man builds upon the foundation would hate or work is burned up suffer loss so those whose works will or will suffer the loss of their rewards in other words the fire will burn up the materials that cannot endure under fire and those materials are mentioned in corinthians and that’s wood hay and straw just remember this that much of the world even by believers for self advancement for self promotion sometimes even the way we offer prayer and the way we give money and the way we sing uh the deeds that are done often are done for personal glory and and self-satisfaction rather being for the glory of christ christians may do many things every single day however before christ it will be the discernment and of the person heart that counts the most before the lord been already escaping from a burning home with none of his possessions though he escapes everything and every building but everything is lost so under this judgment some will suffer damage and lust but oneself will be or tells us in scripture case or somebody can build with strong and durable materials and if they do that then they will receive a reward first corinthians chapter 3 now if any man builds the foundation with silver precious stones if any man’s work which he has built upon remains he shall receive a reward towards the fire that applies to our works and if those works have been done with these kind of materials that actually pass the test it will not burn up the person will receive a reward from the lord the rewards will go to those whose work will abide when god examines their service their works for him and for others now the purpose of the judgment seat of christ is not to determine remember if people will go to heaven or that issue was already decided when the person believed in christ their savior and lord the lord is this judgment for the meeting out of punishment for sin the purpose of the seed of christ is to review our lives review our service our thoughts our words our motives after we became a christian for the from the day you trusted in christ after that day that’s when your good work goes to the count those are the works that count not of course to keep your salvation or to be saved but to show that you are saved in those ordained works so christ perfectly evaluated of our works of our deeds either give or withhold rewards and of course corinthians also and answers the question what happens to a christian with the wrong building do they lose their salvation in first corinthians chapter 3 verse 15 it says if is burned up he shall suffer loss but he himself yet so as through fire so then the unfull christian or the inconsistent faithful christian will be saved but so as by fire that he’s going to lose out on his rewards because they were evaluated by christ and he lost them so his life’s work anything that was wood hay and straw will be destroyed so there will either be few or no rewards given to that person now the tension that the sixth thing connected to this is the tension that exists between this age in which we live in the age to come which we all live there there is a tension so the there’s an overlap of the present age the age to come and this is where i kind of launched out on this message the last several times where it says in the gospel of mark but he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms along with persecutions and the age to come eternal life so between this age the present age and the age to come we are to live our life for christ some have described the teaching of salvation as the already and not yet that there are many biblical realities associated with salvation that can be of both in present or past realities and blessings and the reason for that is because salvation unfolds in two stages in an overlapping of this age and the age to come in this age christian life will be a struggle we wrestle against the flesh and the spirit we wrestle against all remaining passions and desires and what the spirit desires us for for us to do so there is a struggle for the christian so the believer all over the place is admonished to persevere in the christian race in other words this age is characterized by conflict and trial there is really no blessing that we receive that is not followed by trial there is no joy that is not followed by some sorrow there is no final victory over remaining sin that is still not followed by the struggle that we’re in as believers and the only way a true christian can escape the battle with sin and the experience of sorrow in this age is to depart from this age to drop off these bodies and to only that we’re going to escape that is solely up concerned is how are we of our lives then for for this reason the christian lives the tension between this age and the age to come which will of course speak out in eternal life and pop off and we’re in the glory of the presence of christ a tremendous and an exciting day for all of us however many christians do not understand the necessity of and the reason why is because they think of salvation only they really they only think of salvation of something already they have okay that’s it so the council from scripture would be that between this age and the age to come christians must remain diligent they must persevere they must work out their salvation with fear and trembling that’s what it says in the word of god of course that leads us to the seventh thing about the judgment seat of christ that’s the standard the standard is really comes in two things practical holiness is the first thing how are we living every day practically to live out our salvation and then of course the faithful self-sacrificing of service deeds that we are actually accomplishing and living out every single day of our life and even with all the certainty that we are given in scripture concerning the security of our salvation and even the holy spirit’s divine efficient work within us that produces christ’s likeness christ’s likeness and godliness and holiness in us there’s still a human responsibility that applies for it tells us in philippians then my beloved just as you have always obeyed not in my presence only but also much more in my absence worked out your salvation with fear and trembling see that’s our responsibility what god works in we are to work out now let me remind you at this point which i i reminded you last time is that as servants of christ and stewards of the mysteries of god there is one overarching characteristic that we all should understand and that’s this that faithfulness is what matters in the christian life faithfulness and what is what matters in the christian life and everyone every believer can be faithful being a disciple of jesus christ is worth it it tells us in the word of god let a man regard us in this manner in first corinthians 4 as servants of christ and stewards of the mysteries of god in this case moreover it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy or one be found faithful so in other words when we stand before the judgment seat of christ the overarching thing in each of our lives is going to be have you been faithful to what god has given you to the gifts he has given you to the opportunities he’s given you to the time he’s given you will you be faithful now and when you come into the presence of christ will he find you you have been faithful in what he has given you yes the christian life is costly and as we have already learned it is accompanied by the present present and future reward and so in light of all these truths i must inform you that how you live as a disciple of jesus christ will be evaluated how faithfully you run the christian race will be judged by christ how faithfully you fight the good fight will be judged by christ how faithfully you keep the faith that’s been delivered to the saints the body of truth delivered to the saints you will be judged for and all those things if you keep them are all the materials when up when the test is applied cannot be burned up so we have to look at ourselves very seriously and live our lives yes with the thought i want to be rewarded by christ at the end of my life when it’s all over i want the lord to say to me thou good and faithful servant and i know you want that too all true believers want that the thing is that how can we look see that in our life what what do we pursue so the last thing i mentioned was that the judgment seat of christ is connected with rewards god will reward believers according to their works and even though it is difficult for some to accept the idea that god will give out rewards for faithful service it actually has been the subject woven into the fabric of many scriptures from genesis to revelation there’s always something where god is holding something before us to say listen pursue this reward pursue this and you will receive a blessing like it says in psalm 58 and men will say surely there is a reward for the righteous surely there is a god who judges on the earth so god is not only a judge but he is a rewarder and according to scripture there are five specific rewards or crowns that the bible mentions that the faithful will receive at the judgment seat of christ the word of god it teaches that followers of christ may receive one or more crowns depending on how they run the christian race how well they fight the fight of faith and i mentioned the first three last time and i’d like you to take your bibles and i just want to remind you of those in first corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 and 25 the first crone was the steadfast runner’s crown this is called in scripture the incorruptible crown and it is a reward for those who consistently practice self-discipline and self-control over their physical appetites notice what it says in verse number 24 first corinthians chapter 9 it says do you not know that those who run in a race all run but only one receives the prize run in such a way that you will you may win and everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things they then do it to receive a perishable wreath or crown but we in a perishable wreath or crown that would be added there in scripture so see the world’s philosophies and influences don’t sway the one running the wind from following faithfully christ and so this incorruptible crown is a reward to those who diligently exercise self-control all things in order to run the christian life well that’s the first one i already mentioned that the second one is found in first thessalonians chapter 2 verse 19 and 20.
and as you’re turning there this is a crown that is called the unselfish workers crown or another way to put it it is the soul winners crown in first thessalonians chapter 2 verse and 20 it says this for those for who is our hope or joy or crown of exaltation is it not even you in the presence of our lord jesus as his coming for you are our glory and joy so in other words in that passage of scripture we see here that the success in our ministry work then at least when we stand in the presence of christ is people it’s it’s you it’s the converts that people have led to christ persons constitute our hope and our joy and our crown of exaltation the picture before us is drawn is drawn in our mind like this that paul is standing before the judgment seat of christ and in the presence of his converts receives a victor’s crown and so the sight of his converts with him in glory will truly make them the crown of his exaltation that is the inward joy and the outward rejoicing we will receive because we were involved with either planting a seed watering that seed or bringing that seed of the gospel to a place where a person came to know christ prayed to receive christ as their lord and savior so this crown of rejoicing this soul winners crown is given to those who diligently share the gospel with the sole purpose of leading people to receive jesus christ as their lord and savior there will be reward for that people who open up their mouths to tell the gospel to that family member during that picnic at that family function in your regular conversation with them on the phone or through some kind of media you are faithful to to bring in the gospel somehow and there’s many opportunities that we have but this person right here does not shut their mouth they don’t put down their pen they don’t they don’t say any they don’t walk away they actually say something they do something and there’s a reward that is going to give it be given to people like that and then thirdly there is the shepherd’s crown and that’s the crown of glory that is given to those pastors and elders and faithful church deacons and church leaders who faithfully and lovingly oversee god’s flock for it says in first peter 5 4 and when the chief shepherd appears you will receive an unfading crown of glory i didn’t spend a lot of time on that but this is where that’s kind of where i left off and this is where i pick and get up this morning the next pound which i’ll not really not say a lot about either but i’m going to mention is the the crown of given to those who suffer if you take your bibles and turn to james chapter 1 verse number 12 james chapter 1 verse 12.
it says there in james 1 12 this is the crown of life it says blessed is the man who perseveres under trial and then notice this for once he has been approved there’s the test there’s the testing by god he will crown of life which the lord has those who love him so in scripture the word of god is clearly telling us and showing us that listen those everyone who’s a believer is going to come through some kind of suffering some kind of testing of your faith some kind of trial that’s going to to test you to test your faithfulness to test your genuineness as being and of course this even goes further to the ultimate test those who would be faithful unto death the martyr the one who not reject christ when it could be that their head’s going to be taken by a sword or a machete or they’re going to be blown away or or put in prison for the rest of their days till their death the bible says that there will be a crown of life for those people and it’s promised to those see so the test of all trials is simply this do you christ and if you love him what are you willing to give up are you even willing to give up your life literally i pray that if that ever comes our way god surely give us the grace to put our head down and let them chop because it may come to that many christians in the world are already being slaughtered because they’re christians that’s and they’re getting chopped off it hasn’t come to the united states yet but it’s come to england where a woman was just gardening fanatic came with a machete and chopped her head off just because she was a believer so if they know that in 50 states of our united states there are sleeper cells that want to do to begins and especially christian americans then we may not be very far from this that’s not the case nobody wants that and i think we have to think like that but then there is a fifth crown and the last crown that i want to spend some a little bit of time on this morning because there’s no way i’ll finish today but it’s found timothy take your bibles and turn their chapter second timothy chapter four and this is called the watcher’s crown or the crown of righteousness and i want you to notice what it says there second timothy 4 8 it says in the future there is laid up for me a crown of this which the lord the righteous judge bored me on that day he adds and not me but also to all who have loved his appearing here’s that word love again and it’s all about loving the lord one of the major motivations for overcoming sin for overcoming suffering is loving christ that is the goal of the spirit of god and making us into the image of christ that we love him and what do we love here we love his attorney we’re waiting for him so see this crown of righteousness is a reward for those who eagerly look for the lord’s coming in lieu of that live a righteous life they know christ is watching and they are living a righteous life see those who receive this crown have learned to follow christ no matter what comes this disciple had learned to serve christ and follow him in liberty as well as great things they have learned to renounce everything that would have prevented them serving christ’s person following his teaching a disciple can expect great success from god until they have honored christ following him in all things and loving him with all their so it will be also a victor’s crown because if you look at the verse before this and this is the verse that our brother brought up last week it says have fought i have finished the course this is second timothy 4 7.
kept the faith so ken newton brought out last week from this verse we have a battle to fight we have a race to win or finish and we have a faith to keep so see this crown of righteousness is reward those who eagerly look for the lord’s coming and live a righteous life in view of that expectation so this is all done coupled with the belief jesus christ is coming soon spite of this imminent event christian really some straightforward directives to live under the shadow jesus soon we are to live and we are to live in constant expectation of christ’s sudden return now before i go to the first peter passage i do want to mention something that faithful servants of christ will surely endure to the end they will in fact just by way of illustration let’s let’s suppose a prince was on a certain sea voyage and his ship was wrecked and he ends up on the shore with only one other survivor and that survivor happened to be his servant the prince and his servant falls into the hands of his enemies and there’s an opportunity for a servant to escape but his servant says to himself and to his prince no my prince i will stay with you to the last and if we die we die together both at that time are thrown into prison and the prince gets a contagious fever his servant nurses the prince with a mother’s care he recovers a little bit but he doesn’t die the the servant shares his meager food rations with his physically weakened prince then by some turn of providence it is discovered where the prince is and when the rescuers come to find him and are ready to take him from the prison the prince says you must take my servant also.
and finally both were brought home who do you think the queen will delight to honor when she hears the story and examines the facts she will say make way for this man he was with my son in prison he was with my son when near death he nursed him he shared his breath he suffered with him see the queen looked at the poor servant and esteemed him above all her greatest statesmen she said i will honor above all all my mighty ones in the land i will honor this man see brethren if you will faithfully follow after christ and serve him anywhere and everywhere making no choice about the way whether it shall be rough or sm and you continue to the end i guarantee this from scripture i can’t guarantee a lot alone i can guarantee it from scripture the father will delight in you the father will reward you see the father will say make room for him you cherubim and cerebellum who minister around stand back all you hosts of heaven here comes the person who’s poor and afflicted while serving my son and the race diligently and he followed my son my son even when my son was ridiculed he endured persecution with him he loved and served him till the end he was with my son and he was late my son and the father will say come here there take your crown and sit with my son in his glory for you were with my son in his shame be with me in my honor now you say well where would we get that from well let me just remind you of the gospel of john chapter verse number 26 listen what it says if anything let him follow me and where i am there shall my servant also be and if anyone serves me listen and believe me brethren if that is not a motivation to live your day ever your days every day for then i don’t really know what is i don’t know what else could help you i really don’t but i do know that the scripture does provide some help and i just want to throw out several things to you this morning and then i’m going to pick it up most likely in some of the details next week but if i ask the question what should we do believe jesus is coming soon and there is a seed of christ well there’s at least five things we should according to this passage look at first peter chapter four and verse seven first peter chapter four through 11.
i’m going to give them to you right in the beginning so you get this in your mind here’s things keep your head clear for the purpose of prayer warm for the purpose of love keep your home open for the purpose of hospitality keep your hands busy for the purpose of service keep your apron on for the purpose of humility in god’s glory therefore be sound of judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of now to keep your head for the purpose of prayer point here that it doesn’t mean here the cessation of all things but what it’s taught the outcome everything will reach a final goal in god’s program so with the lawlessness and spiritual confusion only the last day christians are to remain clear-minded they are to be remain fully alert purpose of the discipline of a daily prayer life this this becomes vital and key this is the first thing he mentions so this must be important a soap mind is a and steady and sensible and balanced mind it is a mind that has washed and transformed by the word of god it is a mind that weighs and estimates all things the believer to make good and correct decisions a spiritually balanced christian can maintain self-control over their own passions and desires and they can maintain spiritual sanity in the midst of all the craziness going on in the world today and there’s a lot of it isn’t there the world has done it’s lunatic there’s no place even to hang it in your when you put things in your closet intellectually where do i put this there’s no common sense anywhere near the thing and the reason why is because they stop acknowledging god so they’re insane right to the top levels of our government clear and present danger because of their insanity and the all is christ he’s the answer so a spiritual saint a spiritually sane person it’s a person who sees in their really pro portion sees what things are important and what things are not important they are not swept away by sudden and passing enthusiasm they are not prone to unbalanced fanaticism they know what they are and they know in whom they have believed they see the affairs of this life in the always in the light of eternity they have their eyes fixed on the goal because if you don’t you’ll get swept right up into all of it see it’s not about the government of the united states it’s about the kingdom of god that’s what it’s about that’s what life’s about many things may change but that will not god’s program will continue to go on and if you’re spiritually sick person they give the lord jesus christ proper in all things their heart is fixed god in prayer and in prayer they cast all their worries and concerns on christ that’s all in the context of and they also continue themselves to the means of grace is right from acts 242 and they were continually devoting themselves to the people’s teaching and to fellow and to the breaking of bread and to that should never end in any christian’s life because that is the very means that keeps us stable and sound of mind and we can believe that so in modern day 57 vernacular these christians little nuts screwed on the wrong doing some spiritual pilgrimage without purpose or meaning that are not trying to find out some inner supposed to be indeed discovered they have minds that are untoxicated with the foreigners of this world they know who they are in christ they know where they’re heading they know what to do while on this earth on their way to heaven so they remain so for the purpose of prayer that’s why they have a clear mind clear heart for prayer but also if we were to to settle a little bit in first peter they’re also sober for the purpose of humility where the bible tells us humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of god that he may exalt you at the proper time and then of course we are people that are sound of mind for the sake of all prowls about like a roaring lying seeking some to devour but resist him firm in your faith so there is nothing i know of that will make one more sober and serious about prayer than grasping the doctrine of spiritual warfare christians are to be sober and perpetually girded for action because satan is battling for your mind as a believer he wants to get your attention by however means he can and he will do it and if you give him one inch he’ll take a yard and if you give him a yard he will take a mile and he will get into your mind and he will confuse you and deceive you in a way that you may think you’re doing the right thing and even doing god’s will and you’re not unless the word of god is a major part of transforming your mind and we are before the lord on our faces in serious sober-minded prayer then we are vulnerable to the schemes of the devil which says in first second corinthians 2 11 in order that no advantage be taken of us by satan for we are not ignorant of his schemes so in other words while we live in constant expectation of christ’s sudden return the judgment seat of christ keep your head clear for the purpose of constant communication with god don’t think this is a second rate discipline for the christian life it is a first-rate one and you could never let up on it in life it’s something that always must be there a second thing and the last one i’ll cover this morning is this first verse eight to keep your heart warm for the purpose of love notice what it says in verse 8 above all keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers sins so as we draw nearer and nearer to the end people will actually become unloving they will become unloving timothy makes this really clear and this is the reason why they be this is what second timothy 3 3 says and many false prophets will arise and will mislead many and because of because lawlessness is increased most people’s love will grow cold that’s 11 and 12.
so why do going to grow cold all the lawlessness they see all in the world they don’t see any justice anymore and so they say pop they they lose hope they lose ground and that’s what the believer doesn’t do the believer what the believer does is that they it says in our verse it fervent means to be stretched out to be pulled to full strain to be exerted to the limits of its so it’s it is possible that of believers become aware of seeing part of their brethren makes it difficult to show them love doesn’t it make it difficult to see when we see a lot of sin does doesn’t it and we tend to back off from them right tend to give up on them now of course when we see their sin it does not mean that we ignore their sin it doesn’t mean that we condone their sin we covers a multitude of sins for what reason because we know our feelings very well when we deal with feelings and someone else’s sins so the reason to have this fervent love for one another this kind of love that comes from the holy spirit of god directly from god covers a multitude of sins not a few sin a multitude of sins sins of weakness and faults and mistakes and failings so fervent love enables us to show love to the brethren beyond our ability so even though the christian’s love will be stretched it will never reach the breaking point this is where the lord is growing us to cover a multitude of sins calls for a greater strain than to cover just a few that means also that we’re going to bear along with people in their sin we’re going to be patient with people in their friend that does not easy we need the fullness of the spirit to be able to live the scripture we all too quickly become judges when it’s not our place to be judged however when it is necessary we must warn and correct and rebuke those who persist in habit patterns of sin and even when a real effect committed against another person the principle must persist because according to love handled in another person that it does all that it possibly can to remove the offense without me does the steps of church discipline if the person listens to the first person confronting them it’s over if they don’t listen to the first person take the second person if they listen to both of them it’s over if we have to take it to the church all right and that that that doesn’t mean that still when it must be made known to the church in a public way this is also done in love and usually coupled with a very sad engraved heart a heart that longs for the person to repent and to be restored back to the body see these are the kind of things we’re supposed to do in the end times keep a clear head for the constant communication with god and then secondly while you and i live in constant expectation of christ’s sudden return and the judgment to keep your heart warm from loving others that’s what we’re doing leads to the next one which i’ll not cover in our passage passage and i’ll just read it notice when it says in verse number nine it says be hospitable another without him in other words the third one would keep your home open for the purpose of hospitality in other words show hospitality to the same people and to the saints who are strangers that you don’t know all right so see there are things that we can do when we live in the tension between the present age and the age to come and these are two of them next week i’ll pick up one and it’s next several a little bit more let’s pray lord this morning lord as we think about as we think about lord you’ve been seat of christ as we think about the imminent return of christ lord make us all aware of that the moment we mourning that we would think in our minds in our hearts we are living before the god and i pray lord the motivation would be to see the grounds and the rewards that you give align ourselves with one of them and pursue it so lord we would be faithful on the race faithful to fight the good fight of faith faith lord to finish giving us faithful to keep the truth that you deliver to the church i prayed lord that for all of us and i ask you lord that prayer would be a priority like it was never before and lord this whole understanding of loving one another even when we see the sin that we would not back off from people because you didn’t back off from us lord when we were sinners and ungodly and unholy you didn’t back off you pursued us i pray we would pursue people give us that kind of love that could be strained to the limits and yet not break not give up not throw in the towel oh lord by your spirit enable us to be and put into practice these things please lord glorify your name by your people this this morning in the precious and the holy name of amen