Don’t Let Don’t Let Anybody Anybody Take Your Take Your Crown!Crown!

““Behold, I am coming quickly! Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”one may take your crown.”

(Revelation 3:11)(Revelation 3:11)

Colossians 2:8Colossians 2:8

““Beware lest anyone cheat you through Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.according to Christ.

We must be careful lest we be “cheated” out of obtaining our precious crown!

What Kind of Crown?What Kind of Crown?

Incorruptible crown Incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25) (1 Corinthians 9:25)

Crown of Righteousness Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) (2 Timothy 4:8)

Crown of Life (James 1:12)Crown of Life (James 1:12) Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4)Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4)

1 Corinthians 9:251 Corinthians 9:25

““And everyone who competes for the And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”for an imperishable crown.”

Incorruptible Crown

2 Timothy 4:82 Timothy 4:8

““Finally, there is laid up for me the crown Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”who have loved His appearing.”

Crown of Righteousness

James 1:12James 1:12

““Blessed is the man who endures Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”who love Him.”

Crown of Life

1 Peter 5:41 Peter 5:4

““And everyone who competes for the And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”for an imperishable crown.”

Incorruptible Crown

How May Man Take How May Man Take This Crown From Us?This Crown From Us?

• By speaking perversions & By speaking perversions & falsehoodsfalsehoods• Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9

Acts 20:30Acts 20:30

““Also from among yourselves men will Also from among yourselves men will rise up, rise up, speaking perverse thingsspeaking perverse things, to , to draw away the disciples after draw away the disciples after themselves.”themselves.”

Paul’s warning to the Ephesians elders in his farewell to them.

Galatians 1:6-9Galatians 1:6-9

““I marvel that you are turning away so soon I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you another; but there are some who trouble you and want to and want to pervert the gospel of Christpervert the gospel of Christ. 8 . 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him than what you have received, let him be accursed.”be accursed.”

How May Man Take How May Man Take This Crown From Us?This Crown From Us?

• By speaking perversions & By speaking perversions & falsehoodsfalsehoods• Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9• By Encouraging ErrorBy Encouraging Error• 2 John 9-112 John 9-11

2 John 9-112 John 9-11

““Whoever transgresses and does not Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet receive him into your house nor greet him; him; 11 11 for he who greets him for he who greets him sharesshares in in his evil deedshis evil deeds.”.”

How May Man Take How May Man Take This Crown From Us?This Crown From Us?

• By speaking perversions & By speaking perversions & falsehoodsfalsehoods• Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9• By Encouraging ErrorBy Encouraging Error• 2 John 9-112 John 9-11

• By being led away from Sound By being led away from Sound DoctrineDoctrine• 2 Timothy 4:3-42 Timothy 4:3-4

2 Timothy 4:3-42 Timothy 4:3-4

““For the time will come when they will For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”be turned aside to fables.”

We must be careful not to allow ourselves to be led away.

How May Man Take How May Man Take This Crown From Us?This Crown From Us?

• By speaking perversions & By speaking perversions & falsehoodsfalsehoods• Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9• By Encouraging ErrorBy Encouraging Error• 2 John 9-112 John 9-11

• By being led away from Sound By being led away from Sound DoctrineDoctrine• 2 Timothy 4:3-42 Timothy 4:3-4• By Self-DeceptionBy Self-Deception• James 1:22; Hebrews 2:1James 1:22; Hebrews 2:1

James 1:22James 1:22

““But be doers of the word, and not But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, hearers only, deceiving yourselvesdeceiving yourselves.”.”

Self-deception comes when we “play” at religion, and are not industrious in the Lord’s work.

ApplyApply the teaching!

Hebrews 2:1Hebrews 2:1

““Therefore we must give the more Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”heard, lest we drift away.”

Diligence is needful, as it is easy just to “drift off.”

How May Man Take How May Man Take This Crown From Us?This Crown From Us?

• By speaking perversions & By speaking perversions & falsehoodsfalsehoods• Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9Acts 20:30; Galatians 1:6-9• By Encouraging ErrorBy Encouraging Error• 2 John 9-112 John 9-11

• By being led away from Sound By being led away from Sound DoctrineDoctrine• 2 Timothy 4:3-42 Timothy 4:3-4• By Self-DeceptionBy Self-Deception• James 1:22; Hebrews 2:1James 1:22; Hebrews 2:1

• By Sin (Lest we overlook some)By Sin (Lest we overlook some)• Isaiah 59:1-2; Hebrews 12:1)Isaiah 59:1-2; Hebrews 12:1)

Isaiah 59:1-2Isaiah 59:1-2

““Behold, the Lord's hand is not Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But But your iniquities have separated you from your iniquities have separated you from your Godyour God; And your sins have hidden His ; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”face from you, So that He will not hear.”

If we sin, it is our own fault we are separated from God.

Hebrews 12:1Hebrews 12:1

““Therefore we also, since we are Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares usand the sin which so easily ensnares us, , and let us run with endurance the race and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”that is set before us…”

ConclusionConclusionWe do not have that We do not have that

crown yet!crown yet!

“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (2 Timothy 4:8)

Don’t Let Anybody Take Your Crown!Don’t Let Anybody Take Your Crown!