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"THE MANY CROWNS OF
OUR LORD" (Rev 19:12) April 19th, 2009 Int. For believers, there are several crowns which will be given out as Rewards of Faithful Service here on earth. 1. Crown of Life (Rev. 2:16) 2.
The Martyr's Reward Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8) 3.
The Steward's Reward Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4) 4.
The faithful Shepherd's Reward 5.
But our text speaks of the "MANY CROWNS" that will be
placed on the head of our Lord 6. "All
Hail the Power." This hymn is often called the "National
Anthem of Christendom." The hymn first appeared in the November, 1779,
issue of the Gospel Magazine, edited by Augustus Toplady, author of
"Rock of Ages" A. One
writer has said, "So long as there are Christians on earth, it
will continue to be sung; and after that, in heaven." 7.
Consider the crowns of some fallen men. 1.
Moscow is far and away the most interesting city in the vast Russian Empire. 2.
Let us enter the Throne-room. A.
Here is the throne of Poland; taken from Warsaw in 1883. B.
Here is the gorgeously jeweled throne of Persia, brought to Russia in 1660; C.
Here is the Eastern ivory throne of Sophia Pale/O/logus, which she brought
with her to Russia in 1473, when she came as the bride of Ivan III. 3. We
now enter the next room. There we see a row of crowns standing on pedestals,
a silent witnesses to Russia's triumphs in the past. A.
Here is the crown of As/trak/an, the crown' of Cri/mea, the crown of Finland,
the crown of Georgia, the crown of Ka/zan, the crown of Poland, the crown of
Siberia, and still other crowns which time will not permit to name. 4.
Here you have crowns upon crowns, scepters upon scepters,, rivers of
diamonds, and oceans of pearls." Compared with this Treasury, all other
treasuries seem to be insignificant. 5.
When, on May 26, 1896, the Czar Nicholas II put with his own hands the crown
of Russia on his brow, he virtually put on all these other crowns. He
was well called the many-crowned Czar. 6.
We shall then consider the many crowns on the head of our Saviour. I CONSIDER
FIRST HIS CROWN OF CREATION. A.
LET US DWELL ON THE CORONATION OF THE KING OF ALL KINGS, THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. 1. We
can’t count the number of crowns that will adorn the head of our Lord on that
day. B.
CONSIDER THE CROWN OF ALL CREATION. (Gen 1:1) 1.
Scripture never tries to prove the existence of God. C.
J. S. Baxter wrote the following: 1.
"In the beginning God "-that denies Atheism with its doctrine of no
God. 2.
"In the beginning God "-that denies Polytheism with its doctrine of
many gods. 3.
"In the beginning God created "-that denies Fatalism with its
doctrine of chance. 4.
"In the beginning God created "-that denies Evolution with its
doctrine of infinite becoming. 5.
"God created heaven and earth "-that denies Pantheism which makes
God and the universe identical. 6.
"God created heaven and earth "-that denies Materialism which
asserts the eternity of matter." D. Edward
Payson: "Try for a moment, to conceive of a
Being without a beginning; a Being who does not become older as ages roll
away. Fly back, in imagination, millions of millions of millions of years,
till reason is confounded, and fancy wearied in the flight. God then existed,
and, what may at first appear paradoxical, he had then existed as long as he
has now; you would then be no nearer the beginning of his existence than you
are now, for it has no beginning, and you cannot approach to that which does
not exist. E.
CONSIDER NOW WHO IS BEING CROWNED KING OF KINGS. 1. (John
1:1) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God." 2. (John
1:3-4) "All things were made by him; and without him was not any
thing made that was made. {4} In him was life; and the life was the light of
men." a.
Here the work of creation is distinctly ascribed to the divine Word, who is
Jesus Christ. 3. (Col
1:16-17) "For by him were all things created, that
are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by him, and for him: {17} And he is before all things, and by
him all things consist." a.
The mountains are His majestic thoughts. b.
The stars are His brilliant thoughts. c.
The flowers are His beautiful thoughts. d.
Creation speaks to us of his wisdom, his power and his love. 4. (Heb
1:2) "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;" 5.
Not God the Father, not God the Spirit, but God the Son is the glorious
personality of the blessed Trinity through whom; creative and preservative
power manifests itself in this world. a. (John
14:9) "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you,
and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen
the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" b. (John
10:30) "I and my Father are one." F.
CONSIDER WHAT THE GREAT ASTRONOMER KEPLER SAID OF CHRIST. 1. O
Almighty God, I think thy thoughts after thee." Then I may see Jesus
Christ as the bright and morning Star. 2. Do
I study geology? Then I shall see Christ as the Rock of Ages. 3. Do
I study botany? Then I shall see Christ as the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of
the Valley. 4. In
studying chemistry, I may learn that every law of attraction and repulsion is
a manifestation of the will of God. 5.
All the world to the devout student is voiceful with God's name, and
resplendent with God's glory. II.
CONSIDER NEXT HIS CROWN OF REVELATION. A.
HIS CREATION DECLARES HIM WORTHY OF THIS CROWN. 1.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his
handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech; and night unto night showeth
knowledge." a. We
have here one day represented as calling to the next day, and the next takes
up the cry and passes it on; thus day unto day in ceaseless procession, shows
God's wondrous revelation of himself. 2. (Psa
19:7) "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." 3.
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable
in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and any redeemer." 4.
The Bible is the most wonderful library in existence. a. It
was divinely written by forty different writers over a 1600 period. b.
Some of these writers were princes; some were peasants; some were lovers of
war; some, preservers of peace. c.
Parts of it were written in prison; parts in palaces; parts by men of the
highest culture; parts by men of ordinary intellect. And yet the book is a
perfect unit. B.
CONSIDER "HANDEL’S MESSIAH" AND ESPECIALLY THE HALLELUJAH
CHORUS." 1. In
England, as in America audiences uniformly rise when choirs begin to sing the
"Hallelujah Chorus " 2. In
the " Oratorio of the Messiah." In Albert Hall, London, a great
audience was assembled, and Victoria, the Great and Good, was present in the
royal box. 3.
The audience rose, but the noble queen remained seated. 4.
When the song reached the part of the chorus where Christ is praised as
" King of kings and Lord of lords." 5.
Suddenly, the noble queen arose and stood with bowed head, as if she would
cast the crown of the world's mightiest empire at the pierced feet of her
divine Lord. All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall; O that, with yonder sacred throng, we at His feet may fall, III.
CONSIDER NEXT HIS CROWN OF HISTORY. A.
CONSIDER CHRIST AS THE FATHER OF HISTORY. 1.
Herodotus has been called the "father of history." 2.
But not so. Moses is the father of history. Moses was an ancient and
authoritative historian centuries before Herodotus was born. 3. In
1557, Jean Boden published his historical Philosophy–called "The
Republic" 4. On
the Cross of our Savior was written his title in three languages: a.
Hebrew, the language of religion. b. In
Greek, the language of art. c. In
Latin, the language of law and military power. 5.
These three languages were as such saying, "Jesus is King of the
world." 6.
Someone has said that History is "HIS STORY" IV.
CONSIDER NEXT HIS CROWN OF SALVATION. A.
CONSIDER HOW THE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES PREACHED HIS SALVATION. 1. (1
Cor 2:2) "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save
Jesus Christ, and him crucified." 2. (Psa
27:1) "A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?" 3. (Jonah
2:9) "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of
thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the
LORD." 4. (Luke
19:9) "And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come
to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham." 5. (Acts
4:12) "Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved." 6. (2
Th 2:13) "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,
brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth:" "Salvation." By Isaac Watts Salvation! O the joyful sound! ’Tis pleasure to our ears, A sovereign balm for every wound, A cordial for our fears. Buried in sorrow and in sin, At hell’s dark door we lay; But we arise by grace divine, To see a heavenly day. Salvation! let the echo fly The spacious earth around; While all the armies of the sky Conspire to raise the sound. B.
CONSIDER THE MANNERS IN WHICH HE IS CROWNED. 1. (Mat
27:29) "And when they had platted a crown of thorns,
they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the
knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" Well does Bernard sing– O Sacred Head Oh Sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thy only crown; Oh sacred Head, what glory, What bliss, till now was Thine! Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine. "See from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown." 2. (Psa
8:5) "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and
hast crowned him with glory and honour." a. (Heb
2:9) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the
angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour;
that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." 3. (Rev 4:10-11) "The
four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and
worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before
the throne, saying, {11} 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." CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne. Crown Him the virgin’s Son, the God incarnate born, Crown Him the Son of God, before the worlds began, Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave, Crown Him the Lord of peace, whose power a scepter sways Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side, Crown Him the Lord of Heaven, enthroned in worlds above, Crown Him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign, Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time, |
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