*DOMINION MANDATE DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

*THE CROWN OF GLORY*

*BIBLE READING:1PETER 5:1-4; JOHN 10:11-17*

*"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God which He purchased with His Own Blood" Acts 20:28(NKJV).*

The Lord Jesus Christ has called all believers in Him to be priests and kings; one major function of kingship is rulership or administration of God's Universe which even transcends time (2Timothy 2:12). As we have understood from previous devotionals, a crown is evidence of our qualification to reign with Christ, hence, we will be studying the Crown of Glory.

Also referred to as the Shepherd's Crown, the Crown of Glory is Jesus' reward to those who have been faithful in spiritual oversight; in other words, this is His reward to those who faithfully execute the office of a spiritual elder or pastor(specifically) and those who faithfully look after a group or groups of believers placed under their care(generally).

People who qualify are those who manifest the Attributes of the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who feeds and cares for His sheep; this involves having a pastoral heart (John 21:15-17). The way someone can prophesy without being called into the office of a prophet or win souls without being an evangelist is the same way someone can care for and groom people spiritually without being called a pastor; in other words, any disciple of Christ can qualify for the Crown of Glory provided he is willing to pay the price.

King David, even after he was established as king over all of Israel, was willing to lay down his life and the lives of his family members in order to avert the plague that came as a result of his unauthorized census of Israel; he was a mighty king, but was always a shepherd at heart, appealing on behalf of his subjects, pleading with God and asking: "but these sheep, what have they done?"(2Samuel 24:17NKJV). Only a genuine pastor would think that way.

The Scripture admonishes us to diligently know the state of our flocks and attend to our herds for "RICHES are not forever nor does A CROWN endure to all generations"(Proverbs 27:23-24). From the aforementioned verses, we can see two major wrong motives for entering the pastoral office:
1) Riches or Wealth: We are called to provide spiritual oversight not for the income but rather the outcome; funny enough, the former is dependent on the latter.
2) A Crown or Popularity: We don't get involved in pastoral ministry for fame and accolades; on the contrary, when we lift Jesus in the lives of our people, He will draw all men, including faithful pastors, unto Himself (John 12:32). In other words, as we exalt the Lord Jesus in the sight of those we oversee, He exalts us in their sight. The onus lies upon us to cultivate the Heart of the Good Shepherd that we may receive at His appearing the Crown of Glory: "...that does not fade away"-1Peter 5:4(NKJV).

*PRAYER
•Heavenly Father, thank You for being our Chief Shepherd; I ask that You instill within us the pastoral heart that we may genuinely care for Your sheep.Thank pYou for this, O Lord, in Jesus' Mighty Name.

*CONFESSION
•I am a genuine shepherd, not a hireling.

•My motive for pastoring is the outcome of their spiritual lives, not the income I covet from them.