The fifth crown is the crown of glory. Peter wrote: ‘The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away’ (vv. 1-4 NKJV). This crown seems especially designed for pastors and Christian leaders. That doesn’t mean you have to be an official pastor or a member of a church staff. As one pastor explains: ‘You might be the shepherd of a small group. Your flock might be your family…It might be your Sunday school class…The Lord often gives us responsibility for the spiritual well-being and maturing of others, and what an opportunity to serve Him!’ This raises an interesting question: what are we going to do with these crowns? Revelation 4:10-11 describes a great worship service that will occur when we arrive in heaven. ‘The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power”’ (NKJV). Imagine kneeling before the Lord and laying your crown at His feet, overwhelmed with gratitude for all that He has done for you.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.