The Lost Crown
Our Heavenly Father, we would praise thy holy name to-night for all that has come to us to-day as a spiritual quickening; for the apprehension of Christ; for the appropriation of the Holy Spirit of God; and for everything that would really help us to know that we are more nearly as we ought to be to-night.
0 God, lead us to the place where we shall stop trying to be better by our own efforts, and where we shall enthrone Christ in our lives, and let him work through us and in us in such a way as shall please him.
And now, our Father, let the message of to-night be such a message as thou wouldst have us give, and hear us and answer us for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
SUBJECT — ‘THE LOST CROWN.’’
‘That no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3: 11).
You will find the text in the third chapter of Revelation and a part of the eleventh verse. “That no man take thy crown.”
God has a plan for every life. Happy the man who has found that plan and fashions his life accordingly. It is not more disastrous for a man’s arm to he out of its socket, or for the planet to be swerved from its orbit than for your life and mine to be contrary to the plan of God.
1 want to present to you, to-night, a general outline of the will of our Father. First of all, as you turn to the first chapter of John and read the twelfth and thirteenth verses, you read this: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will’ of man, but of God.”
9G It is the will of God that we should be regenerated. That is the first point in the outline, and if there is any one here still unsaved, I know he is living conti;ary to the plan of God. God willeth not the death of any sinner.
Second point: “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” As ministers and Christian workers, many of us are afraid of the subject of sanctification. God has willed it for us. Sanctification is separation. So if any one here is leading anything but a separated life, if it is necessary for your friends to ask the question, “Are you a Christian?” although they have seen you every day of your life, then you are living contrary to the will of God.
Third point: John 17: 10, ‘T am glorified in them.” It
is His will that we should ultimately be glorified. I take it this evening that most of us are saved; but we may be saved and still have small things in us that will hinder the work of Christ in us and stop the work of sanctification. In the year 1876, when the great Corliss engine’ was to be tested at the Philadelphia Exposition, and they gave the signal to the engineer to start, the engine would not move. They looked her over; they could see nothing wrong, but she would not move. They sent for the maker. He came and made an examination, and said everything was in place and in good condition, but when they tried again, the engine could not be started. Finally, as he was walking across the engineroom he heard the clinking sound of a little piece of steel, and, stooping down, picked it up, walked quickly across the room and slipped it in place, then he gave the signal, and the great engine seemed to be a thing of life, and every wheel in the Exposition Building felt its power. I take it for granted that the most of us here are Christians, but I want that each one of us should see if there is any small thing wrong in our life, for if so, we are going contrary to the will of God. We are hindering the work of God in us, and the message this evening is to inspire and to warn We are told in the Word of God, you will remember, that if we are faithful unto death we shall receive a crown. It doesn’t say “successful,” but ‘faithful.” A man said to me to-day, ^‘Is the proof of my yielded life to be in fruitfulness — the success of my ministry?” I said, “Man’s success may be God’s failure, and man’s failure may be God’s success.” God simply requires that we should be faithful, and he will take care of the results. The crown he gives us is for doing patiently and faithfully day by day the task he has set for each of us; we are to be faithful to death, and whether it was success as we looked at it, or failure, God knows. He wants us to be faithful. I wish I had time to give you the sermon I sometimes preach on the five crowns; but as I haven’t, let me at least enumerate the crowns, and you will find your heart rejoicing: James 1: 12: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.”
I am told by Bible students that this is the crown given to people who cannot do great things, but only little things. For this reason most of us will miss it, for we want to go to the uttermost parts of the earth and achieve great things.
Now, turn to I. Cor. 9: 25-27: “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly f so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Paul says there are some people striving to-day for a corruptible crown, but I am striving for an incorruptible one. Besides the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the church to-day needs a baptism of enthusiasm, and I believe that if we had that, we should win the crown spoken of in this text. It is the crown for the enthusiast.
The third is in I. Thes. 2: 19: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?’^
It is a crown of rejoicing. That is the crown the soul-winner is to wear. That is the crown that Mr. Moody is to wear. That is the crown you ministers are to have. That is the crown I seek for — the soul-winner’s crown.
When General Looth was in this country, he told of a man leaving Australia who had been working in the gold-fields, and had acquired a fortune. They were on the ship, when a leak was sprung, and the life-boats were lost, and the people were without hope. This strong man thought he could fight through the waves to the island, and he was about to spring into the water, when a little bit of a girl, whose mother had been lost in the storm, asked of him, “Sir, can you save me He looked at his belt of gold, and then at the child, and then at the belt, and then at the child again. And then he threw the belt of gold away, took her on his back, and threw himself into the sea. He struggled through; with life almost gone he reached the land. The next day, when consciousness returned to him, and the little girl put her arms around his neck, and her lips to his cheek, and said, “I am so glad you saved me,” that was worth -more than all the gold in Australia. That is the soul-winner’s crown. It is for some man whom you have won for Christ to meet you on the streets of gold and say, “I am so glad you preached that sermon, or sung that song; it saved me.”
I. Peter 5: 4 tells about a crown of glory: “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
This is the reward that is to be given to the child of God who has been faithful in caring for the sheej) — those who are likely to wander or to go astray. I believe with all my soul that we can put our arms of sympathy and help around the babes in Christ and hold them up until they can run and not be weary, and can walk and not faint. Peter says that if you do this, you will receive a crown.
II. Tim. 4; 8 speaks of a crown of righteousness: “Thenceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but imto all them also that love his appearing.”
This is for the disciple who looks and longs for his coming. If we are looking for that, we will be doing all we can to have everything in readiness for his coming, won’t we? We know not the day nor the hour when he cometh, but we are to be ready. And Paul says that if you are looking and longing for his coming, he will have a crown for you.
And then, in Pev. 4:10, 11, you will find: “Four and
twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
I think that is the most magnificent picture in heaven. I used to say if I got one crown I ought to be happy. It says crowns. They are there with their crowns, and when the Lamb of God appears, they take off their crowns and cast them at his feet; and so there are five crowns, and a vision of his face, and I want to give the warning in the text, “Let no man take thy crown.” Oh, you may miss it, you may miss it! And then you must stand crownless in his presence.
I would suggest that you read II. Tim. 2: 4, 5: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”
I said, there is a blessing on enthusiasm; but there are some kinds of enthusiasm in the church that have no blessing promised. A man must be in earnest according to God’s plan. It is not running away and doing this, and that, and the other thing without knowing it is God’s plan. You must strive lawfully. So you can be very much in earnest in your work and still lose your reward. I know of men who give great sums of money to colleges, and of those who give great sums of money to the church, and they will never hear of it again. I know a man in New York City w’ho gives to the right hand and to the left hand, and he will never hear of it at the day of awards. For the first give to have a name before men, the second give to help themselves socially, and the third gives because it is a pleasure and a diversion; it will be unknown then. Let no man take thy crown.^’ Oh, let no man take it!
I want to read 1. Cor. 3: 11-15. This is the most solemn statement in the Bible for ministers and Christian workers: Tor other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
Brethren, can we stand that test? It shall be revealed by fire. Saved so as by fire. One of the dearest friends I have in this world, and one of the best Bible students, sat in my study, and he said, “Did you ever know that was written for ministers, and for youf* He said good-night, and left me alone. I didn’t sleep much that night. I found myself saying, “Blessed God, I might have had all the blessings that have come to me in evangelistic work and pastoral experience, and then lose it all because back of it there may have been a wrong motive.”
Oh, may God test our lives, and if the motive has been anything else than to strive for the honor of God and the glory of Jesus Christ, may he take it away from us to-night! We had better not preach than to preach for anything else than the glory of God.
Let me tell you, as I come to the end, the secret of failure. Saul is a good illustration. You remember he was chosen from among all the men of his people because of his kingly appearance. People said, “God save the king!” You remember what a failure he made. First of all there was envy, then hatred of the servant of God. He disobeyed God and spared the best of the flock, and then came his own death. I wish God would help me to say this word I am about to say, more solemnly than any word in my life. I say it to myself, and to you, my brethren: We may he ministers, hut if we permit
sin to tarry in the heart, there isnt power enough in our position to keep us from falling. Oh, may the Lord God show us our hearts to-night! “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts!” It is a possible thing for a man to have been born of the Spirit and to fail; possible for a man to have preached the gospel and be disapproved. May God keep us true to his Word. It is possible to have been used of God, and be set aside.
You remember Mr. Meyer’s stylographic pen. He had written everything with that pen for years, until some one made him a present of a new one, and he took the old one and put it in his desk, and put the new one in his pocket. He used the illustration in New York City. He said: “Just imagine that old pen talking: There was a time when he always used me; now he never takes me up; there was a time when he carried me everywhere, but now he always leaves me.’” Oh, my God, can that be said of us as ministers? There was a time when God could tell us his secret thoughts; but not now. There was a time when God walked with us in sweet fellowship; but not now. There was a time when we were higher spiritually than we are to-night. To that extent then are we backslidden. Search me, O God, and know me.
Do you know, I think I can see the day when the crowns are to be given out. I can imagine Charles H. Spurgeon and D. L. Moody, and the angels of the sky shouting their hallelujahs. I can see these faithful servants go forward to receive their crowns. Ah, I see them! And Paul, and Peter, and John, and all the men of God, pass by and receive their crowns. And you will be there, my brother, and I shall be there — what shall we receive? “Here is the crown of life,” I hear him say; “you might have had it, but you have missed your crown.” “Here is the crown to have been given to the man who was in earnest; you have missed it.” “Here is the crown for the man who helped the weak; you let your husband or your wife slip away; you have missed your crown.” I can hear him say, “Here is the crown for the one who loved my appearing; didn’t I tell you I was coming back? You have lost your crown.” Brethren, we must meet Him then. We cannot miss him. “Every eye shall see him.” Oh, shall we meet him crownless? Shall we have one crown or five crowns to cast at his feet? We shall see him in his beauty. Shall we meet him with exceeding joy, or saved as by fire?
That was a glad day in England in 1855 when the soldiers came back from the Crimean War, and the Queen gave them medals, called Crimean medals. Galleries were constructed for the two houses of Parliament and the royal family to witness the presentation. Her majesty herself came in to give the soldiers their rewards. Here comes a colonel who lost both his feet at Inkerman; he is wheeled in on a chair. Here is a man whose arms are gone. And so they came, maimed and halt. Then the Queen, in the name of the English people, gave the medals, and the thousands of people with streaming eyes sang, “God save the Queen.” But I can think of something that would have made the scene more wonderful. If these men had taken off the medals which the Queen had placed upon them, and cast them back at her feet, saying: “Ho, your majesty, we cannot keep them. We give back the medals. To see thee is the greatest reward.”
That shall we do in heaven. I have a friend who was in the Crimean War. He told me that he had received a medal with “Inkerman” upon it, for that was his battle; but he said the most touching part of it all was the experience of a friend of his who fought by his side. A cannon-ball took off one of his legs, but the brave fellow sprang up immediately, and, taking hold of a tree, drew his sword, and was ready to fight even to death. Immediately another cannon-ball came crashing past and took off the other leg. They carried him wounded, bleeding, and (as they supposed) dying to the hospital. Strangely enough, he came back to life again. When the day came for the awarding of medals, they carried him upon his stretcher before her majesty, the Queen. To the other soldiers she had simply given the medals by the hands of her secretary, but when she saw this man carried in on a stretcher, his face so thin and pale, she rose from her seat, stooped down by his side, and with her own hands pinned the medal upon his breast, while the tears fell like rain upon the face of the brave soldier. Thus, I trust, it will be with many of us. We shall come into his presence, stand face to face with him. God pity us if we are crownless.
Oh, thou blessed Christ, we shall see thee face to face! I do not know how you feel about it, brethren, but I can hardly wait.