Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
The next two crowns are somewhat similar:
Crown of Glory– This crown will be given toPastors who shepherd the flock in unselfish love being a good example to others. This may even include Sunday School and Bible study teachers, missionaries, and anyone who teaches the Word of God in any way. It is symbolic of the importance of sacrificing to teach others the ways of God. God wants all His children to grow and learn as much as they can about Him. He uses the wisdom of more mature Christians who are called by Him to accomplish this goal.
This calling is not reserved for seminary students only. You don’t have to have a degree to be called and equipped by Jesus to teach others about Him.
Crown of Exaltation– This crown is given to people who engage in evangelism of those outside the Church. This crown is also called the soul winners crown. Proclaiming God’s goodness and saving grace, and about Jesus’ death on the cross to bring us the gift of salvation and eternal life is the greatest thing you can do here on earth. God can use you as a vessel to bring salvation to many people who have never even seen a church. Because someone was willing to serve, they were introduced to the story of salvation.
God commanded us to go and make disciples and desires us to be willing to be used by Him to witness to others. He is not necessarily interested in how many actually get saved, only that we are planting seeds and watering them. Many of us are way too busy to be involved in missions and outreach, or teaching a class. What that says is that they are simply too busy to be willing to be used by God to try to lead others to the Lord. If we are willing, God can fit opportunities for us in our lives to witness and work for Him. Maybe there are some people in your life that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. As Christians we watch and pray, waiting for His return, but we are also supposed to be working for His Kingdom while we are waiting.
Scripture to Claim:For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. 1 Thessalonians 2:19
