The Bible speaks of crowns which believers are to receive in the life which is to come.  Charles Spurgeon said, “there are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” ¹ In today’s post we take a brief look at the actions of some cross bearing crown wearers who are set before the Throne of God.

[Tweet “All of your work,  labor, and toil have only one true resting place, the floor before His Throne.”]

Revelation 4:9–11 (ESV): 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

• Crowns represent the accomplishments of Spirit life.
• They are the projects the Spirit of God led you to do.
• They are combined with the faith that only comes from God’s own Word.
• These crowns are your works which have passed through the flame of the Judgment Seat.

1 Corinthians 3:12–13 (ESV) — 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

• These worthy flame retardant Judgment Seat works are represented as crowns.
• They are legitimate crowns.
• Earned and forged in the fires of planet earth.
• But, what’s the purpose of these crowns?
• Are we meant to just strut around heaven showing off our headgear or is there something much more?
• Well just take a look at the twenty-four elders who are ever before God’s Throne.
• They take their crowns and throw them on the floor before the Throne.
• Mark it down: all of your accomplishments, all of your work, all of your obedience to the promptings of your heart have only one place before the Throne: the floor.
• Golden crowns, which rest so beautifully and worthily on the head, have only one place of abode: the floor.
• Now, it’s a beautiful floor, it’s a crystal clear golden floor.
• But, it’s the floor none the less.
• These crowns are gladly cast at the feet of the Father God.
• All of your work, all of your labor, all of your toil have only one true resting place, the floor before His Throne.

Why Floor Tossed Crowns?

• The Father God is Supreme.
  • Not your work.
  • Not even your life long work.
  • Not the constant hours of volunteering or the week by week labor of faithful ministry.
  • Not the time you spent visiting the widows or loving the unlovely.
  • Not the souls you have won or the victories you have gained in His Name.
  • Especially not the miracles you may have wroth by the Power of God.
• None of this is Supreme, only the Father God.
• I’ve been thinking on these facts this week.
• The constancy of ministry always seems to beckon.
• The call of His will always pulls on the heart.
• But in the end, every podcast, every Bible lesson I’ve ever taught, every move I’ve been led to make, every time I’ve set His will as number one, even this very post today, all of it can aspire to nothing higher than the golden floor before His Throne.
• It’s a marvelously liberating thought.
• We work so hard in our labors for God.
• Look at the Apostle Paul for example.

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 (ESV) — 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

• Your labors for God are no different than Paul’s.
• Shine up your crowns as much as you like.
• Make them glisten in the light of the glories of heaven.
• But in the end, it’s still floor material.
• If this is what the end of all labor looks like, shouldn’t we act like it today?
• Shouldn’t we put all that we are doing before Him right now?
• The church needs some ‘casting crown’ practice.
• Put the Father God first, not your deeds of righteousness.
• Imitate the twenty-four elders.
• Spend time worshiping God for who He is.
• That is a true measure of well spent time.
• It’s one of the lessons the crowns of Revelation four teach.
• A lesson we do well to heed.

Call to Action:

The greatest thing we can do is spend time with Him. Our highest expression of faith is worship. May the reality of these truths be yours as you plant your face this week before the Awesome Throne of God. Glory to His Name.

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