2d • Shepherd
The PROCESS Driving the 5 Crowns of Reward
The New Testament outlines
, and we have been expounding on each of them from our upcoming book, Crowns of Valor--Bold Leaders, Arise! (See Barnes & Noble), as well as the 2nd and 3rd orders of effects from using them to guide ministry. But in this brief article, we will cover the gleaming jewel that is hidden in plain sight amidst the 5 Crowns of Reward themselves, namely, the process driving these crowns! There's no technical or special name for it; you won't find this process directly referenced in any specific verse of Scripture, nor will you find any preacher identifying it through a sermon series. No. But you will find that once you SEE what this process does for your Christian faith and maturity, you can never UNSEE it!! As we summarize each crown, try to picture a flow to the big picture toward Christian maturity. See
for links to get our book, Crowns of Valor.
Firstly, let's summarize each of the 5 Crowns of Reward, and that will give us the roadmap to uncover what drives them. We start with #1 the Crown of Righteousness (2 Tim 4:8), which keeps us reading the Scripture daily. This practice fills us with the remembrance of the Holy Spirit leading us through all truth (Jn 16:13), and it holds us in the love for Jesus's return.
#2 is the Imperishable Crown for disciplining our bodies in service to the Lord and the members of the Church. This holds in place our agreement with one another on God's vision over the congregation, and calls each of us to edify one another with our gifts and calling as the Body of Christ.
#3 is the Crown of Life. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit's word, transforming our lives, and come together in allegiance to Christ's mission, the world will notice and throw all the attacks of the enemy in response. Paul warns that everyone who lives a godly life will suffer for the gospel and Christ's name's sake.
#4 is the Crown of Rejoicing for winning souls. But bc we cannot save souls by our efforts, we must share the seeds of God's Holy Spirit, the Word of God, so God may begin to work in their inner being.
#5 is the Crown of Glory. When we've familiarized ourselves with these crowns and lived out the stories to share, we become useful to others as they practice their own crowns. This is shepherding. Paul relays this principle to Timothy when he refers to those who have repented of their sin and begun participating in "every good work," i.e., the 5 Crowns of Reward (2 Tim 2:21): "Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
Did you see the process? The Word transforms us, then standing up from our studies to serve others edifies us, then the allegiance we show corporately and the transformation we profess drives the world to attack us, suffering for the gospel (personal transformation) and His name's sake (corporate allegiance). This becomes the blood of the martyrs that makes the next generation of the church--winning souls by our testimony. Only when we've submitted to and embraced living out our faith in all the 5 Crowns of Reward do we become useful for shepherding others in these crowns.
This process is the maturity of the believer. We have devoted a full chapter on this very topic for a deep dive into the process that maturity brings to a believer's life. Don't miss our book, Crowns of Valor. Moving from milk to solid food, as the Book of Hebrews says. This process is the underlying lifeblood of a thriving impact for Christ in this world. The only process that will produce fruit that lasts.
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The PROCESS Driving the 5 Crowns of Reward
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Dr. Justin R. Woods has recognized the need for new Christian leadership in America and has answered the call to reforge Christian leadership.
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