Revelation chapter 1 and verse 1 through 3, this is the summary really of the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass. It's important that we have that in our minds. These things are right here, and He wrote it shortly come to pass 2,000 years ago. These things are right upon us. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John, who bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. For the time is at hand." Time is at hand. There's an urgency to the book of the Revelation that was written 2,000 years ago. There's an urgency to it. In chapter 4 and verse 1 it says after this, so in chapters 2 and 3 there's very specific instructions to these churches and how they're supposed to be living, what they're to be doing, and what they're not to be doing. Very specific instructions. And after this, it looks like chapter 4 verse 1 is an image of the rapture that is at hand. And behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up hither, and I will show you things which must be hereafter. So we've got the things that were, the things that are, and the things that must be hereafter, chapter 1. The Lord Jesus Christ says that to John. So the hereafter. So in the hereafter in chapter four and verses 10 and 11. After there's a wondrous scene that's expressed in chapter four of the glory of God and God sitting on his throne and these beasts that are worshiping saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. And the four and 20 elders, they're representing Old Testament and New Testament, everybody falling down before him. It says the four and 20 elders in verse 10, chapter four, verse 10. The four and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship Him or give obedience. They reverence Him. They fall on their faces in profound reverence to Him that liveth forever and ever, which only must be God. Cast their crowns before the throne saying and remember those crowns those are items that are a picture of either royalty or a picture of gifting or merit If you look back at the the old the games, you know instead of someone getting a gold medal that wreath of them a crown So here all those things are involved here. You see that it's an ornament of grace and And you see that it's an ornament also of royalty, as the people of God, the children of God, are joint heirs of the King of all kings. And likewise, it looks like there's things that the people of God, over time, have done for the glory of God and by God's grace. And yet these things, that they are given such crowns. But what happens to the crowns? Do they remain on the heads of the 420 elders? No. They cast their crowns. They give credit to God Almighty alone before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things. So everybody that's there and catching their crowns, just saying, Lord, I'm your handiwork. Remember Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. for His workmanship. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. We have nothing to brag about, nothing to glory in save Jesus Christ and He alone. There is nothing that anyone can stand before God and say, look at me and look at what I've done, nothing. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou has created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created, all things. So we've been doing a mini series at this point, going through those crowns. And last week we looked at the crown of glory, which points to the, it's an elder's crown or a pastor's crown in first Peter in chapter five. Well, tonight we're going to be looking at the crown of rejoicing. Okay. The crown of rejoicing. And it's otherwise known as the soul winner's crown, the soul winner's crown. So if you turn to 1 Thessalonians, and we're going to read this passage here out of 1 Thessalonians, and you'll see exactly what we're talking about. So while you're making your way there, I'm going to give you some background of what happened. Thessalonians, what in the world does that mean? Well, there was a city called Thessalonica. Okay, so in Acts chapter 17, Paul and his company, they went to Thessalonica, which was a capital city in the Roman province of Macedonia, big city. And Paul preached there about three weeks. He says three Sabbath days, so about three weeks he was there, less than a month for sure. And Paul preaching there after he left Philippi in chapter 16, but before he went to Athens or Mars Hill in chapter 17. So while Paul was there, it says that he, as his custom was, if you wanna just read with me in Acts chapter 17, I'm gonna read it to you here. It says in Acts chapter 17 in verse two, and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them about three Sabbath days, reasoned with them out of the scriptures. He did declare unto them Jesus Christ. Look, opening and alleging that Christ must have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ. And some of them believed, thank God, some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas. They were now with them. And of the devout Greeks, a great multitude, and of the chief women, not a few. So there were many people that believed on the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of God there. So if you look at what's going on here in Thessalonica, after he left there, remember he was chased out of town. People were trying to kill him and they said, hey, Paul, get out of here. And then he went to Athens and went on forward. And after a little bit of time, he sends word back and wants to find out what's going on. He was cast out of the city and he wants to know what in the world is going on with these people. And when they do, in 1 Thessalonians 3, he says in chapter 3 and verse 1, wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and Timothy, our brother and minister of God and fellow laborer in the gospel, to establish you and to comfort you concerning The faith what's he saying there? So after they got run out of town paul's worried about him and he sends timothy back just to check on him They they don't want paul to go back, but they send timothy to go back Okay so afterward in in acts chapter 18 paul's in distress in first corinthians chapter 2 he says hey look when I was with you I came in humility. Why because he was afraid for his life But Silas and Timothy, after they went to Thessalonica and checked on these people, in Acts 18, in verse 5, they tell Paul how well everything's going there. So now in this letter, 1 Thessalonians, he's writing to them, these people who were believers. They'd been believers just a short while, and now they're out there, people trying to kill them because of this belief. He's writing them this letter, and he's so encouraged by them. So please look, if you would, at 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 17, and we're gonna be looking at the crown. So remember, in that scene, in Revelation chapter 4, you have people that are casting crowns before the feet of God Almighty, saying, thou art worthy to receive power and glory and honor. For thy pleasure, everything was created, or everything was done by your hand, and for your pleasure, all things are done. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 17. But brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, Endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. What's he saying that? Three weeks wasn't enough. He fell in love with these people immediately and because they're believers He wanted to be with them and Paul's manner was to train believers and and educate them But but they had to go it was bad. Wherefore we would have come unto you We would have come back even I Paul once and again, but Satan hindered For what is our hope or joy? or crown of rejoicing. There it is, the crown of rejoicing. So casting crowns before the feet of God, he's saying, you are our crown of rejoicing. Are not even ye at the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? So he's calling these people in Thessalonica the very crown of rejoicing. For ye are our glory and joy. Read that just for a second and have in mind as you hear what the book of Proverbs 11 says, Proverbs 11 and verse 30. Proverbs 11, 30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise. So I can't save anybody, you can't save anybody. Paul and Timothy and Silas, They didn't save anybody. Winning souls. What was Paul doing? He was going abroad preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. How that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. How that everyone, without exception, deserves the wrath of God. And that sin is expressed in death. That's the final straw of sin, is it works death. But Jesus Christ in his gospel, he died, but he didn't stay dead. He rose again unto life and is alive forevermore. And because Jesus died for sinners, those that Jesus died for shall live forever because he lives forever. It's a gospel of life, not a gospel of death. It's a gospel of liberty in Jesus Christ, not a gospel of bondage. He preached Christ and redemption and forgiveness of sins. And God, saving his people from their sins, these people of Thessalonica are now known as a crown of rejoicing. All of these crowns, the crown of rejoicing ought to be the easiest and most welcome among believers. What do I mean by that? Sometimes as we're going to look through these crowns, last time I started with the pastor's crown because it's the hardest one to preach because I'm talking to myself the whole time. I mean, you're hearing and everything, but it's a message toward me. It's hard. This message, it ought to be the easiest thing in the world for a person who has experienced the grace of God at the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ to tell someone else that Jesus saved, that Jesus, Jehovah is salvation, came into this earth to save his people from their sins. Now, it's not always the most welcome news. It's difficult to tell people they're sinners. It's difficult to tell one another we're sinners and be exposed in that. But the welcome news of forgiveness of sins, the welcome news of redemption, the welcome news of salvation, it ought to be something we delight in, knowing that God is able and that He will save His people. Why did Paul go from town to town, city to city, and his manner was to tell sinners of the gospel, of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and life from the dead for the sinner? because he found great joy and hope in it. It was what he believed, and he loved telling people that grand old story of how God saved his people. Back in the Old Testament, it was so widely known among the Jews how that God had delivered them out of Egypt. And if you were to parallel Okay, you go through the books of the Old Testament, Genesis. If you're going to say what any central theme of the book of Genesis is, it's election, right? It's election. God chose Abel and not Cain. He chose Abraham and not any of them in Haran. He chose Isaac and not Ishmael. He chose Jacob and not Esau. He chose Joseph and not the... You see? The central theme of the book of Exodus then is redemption. how they all have sinned and by the blood they got out of Egypt. And every station in the tabernacle, every station at the law, it's the purchase, the redemption of the people of God and that by sacrifice pointing right to Jesus Christ. So one who knows they're a sinner and the bitterness of their sin and men granted the sweetness of the gospel of Jesus Christ unto life, it ought to beam straight out of our mouths. Before we talk about the weather, before we talk about sports or politics, hey, let me tell you again, I was dead and Jesus saved me. I was dead and now I'm alive. I was blind and now I see. There's something wrong when a believer doesn't desire to broadcast the glory of God. And I know in the flesh we can get so burdened down with the affairs of life, and we can also get backward because we don't want to get offended in ourselves or rejected as though that is anything. How much rejection do you perceive that Noah had over 120 years? Jesus Christ himself was rejected. I rejected him. For years I rejected him. I'm glad someone obeyed and told me the precious news for the, I don't know, 10,000th time. God saved me. There's something wrong with me then when I don't desire to broadcast the gospel. It's monstrous even. There's something wrong when a believer, when I don't have a desire to see sinners saved from their sins, I can sit back and say, oh wow, this world is so sinful. It's so awful. When's it gonna come to an end? It's so terrible. And yet I should desire to see those very sinners that maybe it might be so easy to condemn to see the Lord work a work of grace. Well, how are they going to believe unless they be told? Read Romans 10. Well, you know what? Let's do that. Romans chapter 10. It should be our desire to see souls saved. Romans chapter 10. So when he calls them the crown of rejoicing, When he declared the gospel to them, God made them alive. Paul didn't make them alive, God made them alive. And think of the grace of that, that God would give Paul, who did nothing but broadcast what Jesus did, but give him credit for that marvelous work. You see, now God doesn't give Paul credit for saving anybody, but for distributing that blessed news. Verse 13, Romans chapter 10, verse 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? A preacher, that's just a broadcaster, a proclaimer, a herald. And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written? How beautiful are the things that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. I mean, we've had lottery, the numbers get really high. So what if you had guaranteed numbers? And no matter how often those numbers, like if I gave those numbers to everybody, then they would have the same high lottery output and it wouldn't diminish me or it wouldn't bring any kind of inflation at all. I would still get my $600 million or whatever and it'd be worth every penny. It'd be insane not to share that. Well, what about if gas was 50 cents a gallon at the gas station? Who would I tell? I'd tell everybody. How much more the grace of God, the gospel of good things, the glad tidings of good things, that Jesus makes the dead to live in his gospel. How wondrous, how wonderful it should be to testify unto every creature the gospel of Jesus Christ. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah said, Lord, who hath believed a report. That's the Lord's business who believes or not. Not my business, it's the Lord's business. I just want everybody to believe. Will they all? We should hope that they do, every encounter, but that's the Lord's business. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. He went from everywhere to everywhere preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, desiring, desiring to see souls saved. And he also did it out of obedience to say way back in Matthew chapter 28 what's called the Great Commission Yes, we ought to have a heart to do it. But even when I don't have a heart to do it God still told me to do it Jonah didn't have a heart for Nineveh did but God told him to do it So whether I have a heart to do it, I don't really feel like talking to anybody today about the gospel. God didn't ask me if I felt like today telling anyone about the gospel. He said go into every nation preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. You shall be my witness anywhere and everywhere. Matthew 28 Acts chapter 1. So when he says here in the passage that you are our crown of rejoicing, He says in the first couple verses there. Hey, look we were there verse 17. We were there We were there for just a short while and then we were we left but we wanted to come back and see you We wanted to come back and see you so bad The but I want you to notice something that's really interesting that you see in in these verses verses 17 through 20 He uses the plural possessive. We, we, our, plural possessive. And that's super important. So why is that important? Before we get in more about the crown of rejoicing, why is that important? Because it might be that we go somewhere and I'm the one that's speaking tonight. I'm the one that's speaking. But each one of y'all that are consenting under that gospel, you are co-laborers in the ministry, you see? Now, if you're here and you're a co-laborer, but you're scowling, got other things on your mind, and your mind's a million miles away or whatever, are you really a co-laborer? Well, that's between you and the Lord. But being a co-laborer, when he says we, he's talking about himself, and Timothy, and Silas, and whoever else was with him. Luke was with him, whoever else was with him. So please understand that if a person is preaching the gospel, and some of the men are there, and they're consenting, and they're agreeing, and they're promoting, and they're saying amen, well, it's not like old Joe would get credit for somebody being saved. It appears to be a crown that is credited by God unto all those that participate in the furtherance of the gospel. The gospel is preached, and we have responsibility then to support it with our presence, with our prayer. We have presence. Yes, I mean, not being supportive, but in heart, but away, but physically present. Paul and Silas and Timothy and these people, Luke, they were present, and they were promoting the gospel, supporting the gospel as it's preached. They also, no doubt, were in prayer over these things. Lord, have your way. May your gospel go forth unto your design, and that you have your way, much in prayer over the preaching of the gospel. Support it with your perseverance, persistence. When difficulty comes, continue in persistence and support in the gospel with patience. Why in the world would we mention that? With patience. Y'all ever heard a message before and you're like, oh, I've heard that before. I think I understand what that's talking about. Well, in Acts chapter 17, they've been going around city to city, town to town, and it says it was Paul's banner to preach certain messages. Those people with Paul probably heard that message. I don't know how many times you figure they heard it. You think they heard it 20 times, 30 times, 40 times every day? Well, they were patient with that. They endured those things. They loved those things. Tell me again how Jesus died and rose again from the dead. They loved those things. They wanted to hear it more. Silas and Timothy desired to see souls saved. Timothy and Silas desired the gospel to be preached. Timothy and Silas, they desired to see the glory of the Lord. Timothy and Silas, just as much as Paul, they had a commitment of heart that he is worthy to be praised. And that's where this crown of rejoicing comes in. That's where this crown of rejoicing comes in. And verse number 19, he asked them three separate questions. Look at that again. Now, I want you to back up to verse 18. He says, when we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us, there's always a hindrance to the gospel, okay? Now, they wanted to come, Satan hindered, he delayed them, he obstructed them. They were individuals. If you go back and read Acts chapter 17, they were individuals responsible for Paul, Silas, and Timothy to be pushed out of the town of Thessalonica, the city. But it says that Satan hindered them. It's important that Paul does not bring up their names. He says that it's a mention of Satan here. Satan is known as an adversary, a dragon, a serpent, the devil. And those that withstand the gospel, they're acting in a satanic manner. There's different ways to withstand. You can just be obnoxious, even forceful. They wanted to kill Paul, Timothy, and Silas. And some people, they evidence a withstanding by Issuing a compromise you can say what you want. Just don't touch on these matters. Well, that's withstanding the gospel You can preach of the death of Christ just not on his resurrection You can preach that Jesus saves just don't say he's the he's God the Son, right? I mean, there's some people that that make those claims and there's some people that may draw those lines. Well, that's awful That's Satan attempting to withstand in the gospel. You cannot compromise any element and The gospel his Jesus sinless nature him being the eternal son of God his literal death barrel and resurrection And 1 John, many times throughout that book, he brings up the idea that people said that Jesus didn't rise again in the flesh. They thought that he was some kind of spirit or something. And even those things are satanic in opposing the fine elements of the gospel. No, evil opposes the preaching of the glory of God. And every little nuance of change here and there among different groups or whatever, that is opposing the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is a hindrance to the gospel. People were content with worshiping idols and making followers do the same. That is hindering the gospel. That's hindering the gospel. That was the accuser of these men. They preached another king than Caesar. When you go back in Acts chapter 17, these men that ran them out of town, their complaint was that they're preaching against Caesar, okay? So if I say something that doesn't just hold America up as this blameless, faultless nation, if I'm critical of the United States, then someone may try to hinder the gospels. How can you be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ and be opposed to something that the United States is doing? Well, that's what Paul was doing. He preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they took it as an offense against Caesar, right? No president ever died for my sins, and no waving of a flag or a nation has such power, right? So if there's a contradiction, then I must broadcast the gospel, and if someone is nationally offended as they were, then Satan may attempt to hinder, but he should never hinder me. If you were a preacher or an amener of the gospel of Christ, let me say this, Satan will try to hinder you too. Look at this, look again, the word us there. Wherefore we would, in verse 18, wherefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. So Satan doesn't just hinder me in preaching the gospel, he hinders us. preaching of the gospel. If you've never experienced that, well thank God, but there is much, much hindrance to the gospel. There's a psychological warfare, there's a physical warfare, there's many things that Satan can do to hinder the the gospel or the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He can get us so busy in the affairs of life, and he can get us so busy thinking about ourselves, rather than simply the task at hand, telling others how precious Jesus is. A hinderer of the gospel would be evil and opposed to the preaching of the glory of God. So if you ever have these friends that invite you to do something right at church time, or that phone always rings, that neighbor or that relative, they always want to call when it's time to go do something. People want to schedule things. You know I go to church on Tuesdays. You know a couple times a week we do this and this. No. If those calls ever come, even if they're people you love, like, trust, and respect, Be careful that that's not an opposition to the glory of God. Be careful. Be careful. They desire to draw listeners from worshiping the one true God and make idolaters and followers of Antichrist at the same time. So be careful. If someone is giving a false gospel that is a hinderer to the factual gospel, if someone is telling us that we must do something to be saved, then that person is a satanic hindrance to the gospel. If someone is keeping us away from doing what we're supposed to be doing, then that person is a hindrance to the gospel. And you know, sometimes the people of God can be hindrances to the gospel at times too. You ever been around a bunch of people of God and then all of a sudden you get a bunch of infighting? And before you know it, we're talking about flesh stuff and people stuff and evil stuff and not talking about the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. It's possible I could hinder you. It's possible you could hinder me. So may God prevent us from being such evil, such evil to one another that we would never, never at any time hinder one another in the gospel. These people that hinder, they also lead men to their own king, their own lust, their own governor, their own whatever. That's a hindrance to the gospel. So to put it in Old Testament terms, when Moses, he came with the law, and Moses, he was the king at the same time. He wasn't crowned king, but he was their leader and their overseer, their governor, if you will. And while Aaron, he was the high priest there, but Moses was the mediator, right? And he was their prophet. Aaron, he was the priest, but he didn't receive direct inspiration from God, Moses did. So Moses, with that all God-given authority and everything, there were people that had different contentions. And it was Satan that was moving among them, hindering the camp. It was Satan that came in among those 10 spies that brought a false report and hindered the whole nation. They wandered for 40 years and many died in the wilderness. Be careful. Be careful about hindrances and be on the lookout for hindrances as well. So these three questions he asked about the crown of rejoicing. Remember, the crown of rejoicing are those people that when the gospel was preached, that by the power of God, God saved them from their sin. They are the crown of rejoicing. Read verse 19 again. What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that has come? So to say it, to try to say it succinctly, There were many people in my lifetime that told me the gospel. Many people. And there were many people that, though they didn't tell me directly, they were supportive in that, like Timothy or Silas would have been, you see. There was a day when someone told me the gospel, and by the power of God, he made this dead sinner alive. Now that person that told me, and I'm convinced that the many others that did tell me, that I am their crown of rejoicing, and many people might have died before the Lord saved me, but still, At that day, at that crowning day, I will be their crown of rejoicing. They will worship God, casting me before the feet of the Lord. And that's just, to give such honor to sinners under that, it's perplexing and amazing and wonderful. that He gets all the glory, but He gives us, as the people of God, such a cherished responsibility to testify of the gospel of Jesus Christ and gives us reward for it, for things that only He does. And He gives us grace to do it in the first place. He says, what is our expectation or hope? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ? The fact that someone as a sinner to be in the presence of God is nothing short of the grace and mercy and love of power of God in Jesus Christ. Imagine that. Such sinners. There's some times I don't even like being near myself, but one day I'll be permitted in the presence of God because of what Jesus did. And Paul knows that it's by the work of Jesus Christ that they will be in the presence of God. He doesn't just know it. That word hope means expectation. Not because of what they did, but because of what Jesus did. You are our expectation that you are going to be in his presence by Jesus Christ. It's all about him. It's all about him. For what is our joy? What is our joy or gladness? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and His coming? Isn't it glad news when you hear somebody, even if you've never met the person, if I get a text message from Brother Raul and Yeti in Romania, and he says, hey, this person came professing that Jesus has saved them and they're alive, and we did a baptism last night. Y'all not knowing any of those people, but Brother and Yeti, you would say, thank God, mercy has come down from God on the sinners. There's rejoicing, there's gladness in that. Wonderful. We rejoice not that someone made a decision or checked a box or finally came around. There's rejoicing that Jesus, dead, buried, and risen again, saves His people from their sins. There's rejoicing in Jesus Christ. What is our crown? What is our Stephanos? of rejoicing or boasting or glory. That's what he says. That's the third question. What is our crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? That crown, that crown that'll be cast. We should desire for the glory of God to cast the crown of rejoicing. Well, how would one do that? How would one do that? He says, in verse 20, for ye are our glory and joy. How does anyone do that? Paul and Timothy and Silas, again, some preached and Paul preached and others were supportive. I'm sure others set aside and answered questions. Their gladness. Paul, Silas, Timothy, for the glory of God, they declared the gospel. For the glory of God, they desired to see sinners saved. For the glory of God, they desired to see the power of God in full demonstration. You think a sunset is amazing? What about making the dead to live? The desire to see the rescuing of the perishing sinner who's on a first-class, has a first-class ticket to destruction down that broad and wide gate, and Jesus Christ rescuing literally the perishing through the testimony of his gospel. That's exciting stuff. In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 10, The four and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever and casteth their crowns before the throne saying." Stop right there, just a second. Casting their crowns. So way back, Genesis chapter three, Genesis chapter four, Adam and Eve sinned. In chapter two, God said, hey Adam, here's a tree, they eat it, you're gonna die. He ate it in chapter three, was expelled from the garden. He should have died, that animal died instead. It said that God clothed them with that animal skin. That animal represented Jesus Christ and I'm convinced that God Almighty personally demonstrated a substitutionary gospel picturing Jesus Christ right there. Between chapter 3 and chapter 4, you see Abel, Cain and Abel, they come with their sacrifices before God. Cain comes with these vegetables and fruits and all that stuff, the works of his hands, proud. Look at what I've done. Abel comes forth with a sacrifice. He kills that animal. Acknowledging he has nothing to offer but a substitutionary blood. He deserves to die in the presence of God just like mom and dad, but instead that animal died. I'm convinced that the first people to receive this crown of rejoicing, you see Adam and Eve, because no doubt Adam and Eve told brother Abel of that precious testimony that God himself would provide a sacrifice. from the very beginning, the testimony of one believer to another believer, from one believer to another believer. Yes, God could have written it in the sky, but by the mouth, the testimony, the declaration that Messiah will come and Christ has come to save his people from their sins. So Old Testament, New Testament. From from the very beginning even till now the declaration of the glory of God Jesus Christ in his gospel the foreign 20 elders Old Testament New Testament they declare and they cast their crowns I'm convinced again. I'll be the crown of I don't know how many people and How many crowns will you have how many times have you been supportive of the gospel and How many times have you been in a meeting or something and someone says, the Lord has saved me. Well, think about that, that the Lord, it appears, will grant those who are supportive of that cause a crown of rejoicing. Isn't that exciting? What should that compel us to do? Tell us, tell others of the gospel, and be out supportive of telling others of the gospel. Why? 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. Like I said at the outset, it ought to be the easiest and most exciting and the most joyful crown that a child of God would desire. Come to church services, Want to see the glory of God? Well, how does God demonstrate His glory toward human beings? He saves His people from their sins. Plenty of wonderful things in the night sky. Too wonderful for me to tell. The glory of God is the gospel. A demonstration of that glory is salvation imparted unto sinners. We should desire it. We should love it. We should look forward to it. It should be so exciting to us that really that's all our conversations come back to it. Somebody's gonna be preaching the gospel. Hey, I want to be part of that. I want to give glory to God I can't wait to see what happens. Maybe today the Lord will save someone Maybe today the Gospels preached maybe today this this recorder catches it and sends it anywhere in the world Maybe tomorrow they listen to it people. We've never met in our lives But for the glory of God, he grant us a crown of rejoicing. Isn't that exciting to think about? I Pretty exciting. Pretty exciting. That excitement, it ought to translate straight into our lives. Straight into our lives. At the casting of the crowns at the feet of God Almighty, this crown, this Stephanos, you know, people talk about, I've heard preachers talking about, I'm such a great preacher, you know, in my ministry, I've seen so many hundreds or thousands or whatever say, you fool, you've already received your reward, you know, Start thinking about the glory of God, that may change some things. This crown is for the glory of God, it's an exciting thought. If you were told, if you're a believer, you were told the gospel by a believer. You're a crown of rejoicing for someone else. Do you desire to cast this crown before the feet of God Almighty? Participate, deliver the gospel, participate in the deliverance of the gospel and do so joyfully. And even if it's not so joyful, do it by command. It's right to do it. Again, as I mentioned Jonah earlier, it's right to support the declaration of the gospel, the declared repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. It's an exciting thought, it really is. So you desire? We know how now. Again, this ought to be the easiest one. You know, when we start talking about the crown of self-control and the crown of living by faith, that's hard. That's daily living stuff. That's moment by moment. Am I going to stand up straight or am I going to fall flat on my face kind of stuff? This one ought to be of the easiest ones. A simple love of the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You're going to catch me many times Lacking self-control because I'm a sinner. You should never catch me with the gospel not in my mouth. Ever. Be supportive of the ministry. Testify unto others what great things Jesus Christ has done. Child of God, again, I know it will be our desire to cast as many crowns before the feet of God Almighty to bring Him glory as possible. I can't save anybody, you can't save anybody, but He can. Tell somebody how that He can. The scripture declares thou worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power for thou has created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Remember that moment by moment. It ought to be my desire for the glory of God to tell sinners the gospel of Jesus Christ, the literal substitutionary death. I should have died. Christ died instead with great hope and expectation that he will save his people. He will, will save his people from their sins. The Lord saves who He will. That's His business. It's my business to go tell others. In 1 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul talks about somebody planted, somebody watered, somebody did this, somebody did that, but God gave the increase. God gave the increase. It could be that all those men and all those women, Sunday school teachers and everything for 20 years, Some were planting, some were watering, some were planting, some were watering, some were planting, some were watering. Someone comes up to me with a 10-second message. Look to Jesus. 10 seconds or less. Look to Jesus. God gave the increase. I believe he's very gracious with the awarding of these crowns. Be encouraged today and compelled of the Spirit to go and tell what great things Christ has done. It should be my desire for the glory of God that each of you cast as many crowns as possible. As many crowns as God so permits. Share the gospel. It was Paul's manner to share the gospel. May it be our manner. It was Timothy and Silas' manner to support Paul in the gospel. May it be your manner. May it be my manner. See, when Adam and Lex, Brother Gary in the past, People stand in front of us and declare the gospel. Be supportive of that. 30 second message. Again, it was 10 seconds or less. The Lord saved my soul. Be supportive of that. May it be our manner of desire to see souls saved. That's the business of this church. We've read in Acts chapter one so many times. The business of this church is nothing short of the declaration of the gospel. Acts chapter 1 verse 8, but you shall receive power or ability after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Well, I'm convinced Silsby, Texas is the uttermost part of the earth. Witnesses of Him, that's our function. Witnesses of Him. It ought to be so easy. I mean, if I gave you a million dollars, wouldn't you be proud of that? Wouldn't you tell everybody in the world? And when somebody would say, hey, where'd you get this great new car? Where'd you get that house? How could you afford such a thing? Oh man, you ought to know, Joe gave me a million dollars. How much greater is the blood of Jesus Christ? How much more precious? Tell somebody. And I do, and I thank God that you do. Encourage me to tell some more, and I encourage you, tell others. my manner, my way of life to broadcast He is worthy. He alone can save from sin. There is no other remedy. Sinner, I want you to think about this. Paul is writing to believers. He's excited for them. And his expectation, his gladness, his hope, his joy is that these people be one day in the presence of Jesus Christ. That's what he's looking, he's giddy about it. Oh, just a little while ago, you were dead and lost in your sins, idolaters. Yeah, you hated everything about God. And now all that's changed. I'm excited, he says, that you're going to be in the presence of God. For Paul, they were a testimony of the glory of God and his mercy towards sinners. There are also trophies of the Lord that to Paul and Silas and Timothy, they brought great joy and they would be their crown of rejoicing to the glory of the Lord. but also know one day you'll stand before God. You will be in the presence of God as well. And someone outside of that precious gospel, that's a very sobering thought. There'll be no joy. There'll be no gladness. There'll be no smiling. They won't be playing the jukebox. I don't care what Sawyer Brown says. Prop me up beside the jukebox when I die. I don't care what he says. There won't be a good time. There's not a rock and roll heaven and a baseball heaven and all this stuff that people in the world talking about it. There's none of that. In the presence of God, outside of Jesus Christ, depart from me. I never need you. Being cast into outer darkness. And I know that this message comes to an abrupt end. It goes from excitement and joy in the gospel to, oh man, what did he just say? Yes, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And at the judgment bar of God, there's only, there's only that black and white righteousness and unrighteousness. He said to the Jews, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. He's pointing straight to Jesus Christ. When he sees me, he doesn't see me. If he saw me, he'd annihilate me in his wrath. When he sees me, he sees the precious covering of Jesus Christ. What does he see when he sees you? By the power of God, have you been granted life? Are you covered in the precious blood of Jesus Christ? If so, there is cause for rejoicing. If not, there's cause for great despair, great sorrow, great sorrow. When Satan hindered Paul and Silas and Timothy, he hindered them with evil and opposed the preaching of the glory of God in your heart. Do you oppose yourself, hindering yourself? Are you angry at God? Do you want to glorify yourself and position yourself with God? Do you desire to draw listeners from worshiping the one true God? When I was a kid, there was a time, a short time, a short time, that conveniently every Sunday morning, I started having sickness and wanted to stay home. Well, when my dad figured out what was going on, he put a stop to that. I tried to hinder the gospel any way I could. Is it your desire to lead men to follow their own selves, specifically yourself? Oh, I won't have any of that. That's a satanic hindrance. That's evidence. That's evidence of your sinful condition. In the face of God, in the presence of God, Revelation chapter 20, And verse 11 says, And I saw a great white throne, and him that settled it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was no place found for them, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. That's what it's saying. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. They're in the presence of God. They're outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no life there. And the books were open. which I'm convinced is the Word of God. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged out of those things which are written in the books according to their works. Meaning, if someone isn't judged based on the merit of Jesus Christ, they're judged based on their own merit. What a terrifying thought. And the sea gave up the dead which were in them, and death and hell delivered up them which were in them. And they rejoiced every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire." This is the second death. That's a lot different than Paul saying, for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming. Very different statements. Very. So what was that message? again that Paul preached under that crown of rejoicing. I'm going to read it to you again from Acts chapter 17. Acts chapter 17, verse 3. He went and he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging it was the claim of the Bible, the gospel, that Christ Must need to have suffered. Suffered what? Not just being nailed to some crucifix. It wasn't plucking a beard. It wasn't stripes. It wasn't stabbed with a spear. The nail prints, that's not the suffering he's talking about. The suffering he's talking about is how that all have sinned. And then when Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ was at Calvary, the Father, God the Father judged Jesus Christ as a substitute for sinners. He suffered in his own body, he bore our sins. That's what Peter says. He suffered the wrath of God. Isaiah 53, he shall see of the travail of his soul, the anguish of his soul, and shall be satisfied. Book of Lamentations says that the Father sent fire into his bones. He was judged by God the Father for sin he didn't commit. As a substitute, I sinned, he didn't. Because he paid for my sin, I'm set free. 2 Corinthians 5, 17, for he became sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. What does Paul say in his message? Opening the legend that Christ must need to suffer and rise again from the third day, not just die, but live. And that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. It's not Muhammad, it's not Buddha, it's not vain philosophy, it's not astrology, it's not Caesar, it's not anything else. It's the man, the God, the son, Jesus, Jehovah is salvation, the child of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus that died on Calvary and rose again is now risen forever in the presence of God by him and only him. There is forgiveness of sin. Some of them believe that Jesus died for them. Not that He died in general, but that He died for them. How did they do that? Well, God granted them faith to do that. May God so grant it today that you see yourself, that you deserve to suffer, but instead Christ suffered on your behalf. That's the gospel. Substitution. And you should have deserved to die and remain in death. But he died, satisfied God's wrath, and rose again, showing that God the Father is forever pleased in that finished work. Sin and repent. See the demand of your sufferings, that your sin must be paid for. Either you will pay for your sin throughout all eternity, or 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ died for your sin. Believe the glad news, the good tidings of glad things, the glad tidings of good things, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Repent, believe, and be saved. It would be exciting that every believer is to crown a rejoicing with somebody else. May the Lord bless the preaching of His word.