Wearing Our Crowns: Embracing Dignity and Worth

 

Summary

Living with dignity is a profound calling that each of us is invited to embrace. We are made to make a difference, to impact the world positively, and to leave it better than we found it. This journey is not one we undertake alone; it is a partnership with God, who empowers us to fulfill our purpose. Dignity is a deep sense of worth and value inherent in every human being, a concept rooted in the teachings of Jesus and foundational to human rights. However, in today's world, dignity is often eroded, creating a gap in workplaces, politics, and society at large.

The Bible teaches that every person has irreplaceable worth because we are made and loved by God. Jesus illustrated this by comparing our worth to sparrows, emphasizing that we are valued far beyond them. The image of a crown is used in Scripture to symbolize dignity. Crowns represent identity, authority, and beauty, and we are called to wear them with pride. Paul speaks of an enduring crown, not one of extrinsic rewards like trophies, but one that signifies a life transformed by knowing God. This crown is about becoming the kind of person who reflects God's love and grace.

Relationships are another form of crown. The people we love and who love us back are our glory and joy. Walking through life with love for others is a great gift and part of the crown promised to us. The Crown of Glory, as mentioned in 1 Peter, is about the excellence and moral beauty revealed in us as we live in alignment with God's purpose. Finally, the Crown of Life, as described in Revelation, is about being fully alive, aware, and grateful, embodying the glory of God.

Today, we are invited to wear our crown, recognizing our great worth and the worth of others. When we internalize our dignity, we are not easily threatened, and our ego is not on the line. We can live without fear of others' opinions because we have dignity before God. We are called to see the crown in others, recognizing their worth and offering them dignity. Ultimately, we lay our crowns before God, giving away praise and admiration, and making today count.

Key Takeaways:

1. Partnership with God: We are not meant to work alone but in partnership with God, who empowers us to fulfill our purpose. This partnership allows us to make a meaningful impact in the world, recognizing that our worth is not based on our abilities but on God's love for us. [00:30]

2. Inherent Dignity: Every human being has inherent dignity and irreplaceable worth, a concept rooted in the teachings of Jesus. This dignity is not based on external factors but on our creation and love by God, challenging us to see and honor the worth in ourselves and others. [03:21]

3. The Enduring Crown: The crown we seek is not one of extrinsic rewards but an enduring crown that signifies a life transformed by knowing God. This transformation involves becoming the kind of person who reflects God's love and grace, a crown that lasts forever. [06:27]

4. Relationships as Crowns: Our relationships with others are a form of crown, representing our glory and joy. Loving others and being loved in return is a great gift, and walking through life with this love is part of the crown promised to us. [07:41]

5. Living Fully Alive: The Crown of Life is about being fully alive, aware, and grateful, embodying the glory of God. This involves recognizing our worth and the worth of others, living without fear of others' opinions, and making today count by wearing our crown. [09:25]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Made to Make a Difference
- [00:58] - Understanding Dignity
- [01:43] - Erosion of Dignity
- [02:37] - Philosophical Challenges
- [03:21] - Biblical Perspective on Dignity
- [04:01] - The Image of a Crown
- [05:21] - The Enduring Crown
- [06:44] - Relationships as Crowns
- [07:56] - The Crown of Glory
- [09:10] - The Crown of Life
- [09:39] - Internalizing Our Worth
- [10:36] - Seeing the Crown in Others
- [11:19] - Laying Down Our Crowns
- [12:07] - Conclusion and Invitation

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Living with Dignity

Bible Reading:

1. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 - "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 - "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."
3. Revelation 2:10 - "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

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Observation Questions:

1. According to the sermon, how does the Bible describe the concept of dignity, and what is its significance in the teachings of Jesus? [03:21]

2. What does the image of a crown symbolize in the Bible, and how is it related to our identity and purpose as described in the sermon? [04:01]

3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between personal achievements, like trophies, and the enduring crown mentioned by Paul? [06:11]

4. What role do relationships play in the concept of crowns, as discussed in the sermon? [07:41]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the idea of working in partnership with God, as mentioned in the sermon, change the way one might approach their daily tasks and challenges? [00:42]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that recognizing our inherent dignity can impact our interactions with others and our self-perception? [09:39]

3. How does the sermon interpret the "Crown of Life" from Revelation, and what does it mean to be "fully alive" according to this perspective? [09:10]

4. What does it mean to "lay our crowns before God," and how might this practice influence one's spiritual life and priorities? [11:37]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt your dignity was challenged. How did you respond, and how might the sermon’s teachings on inherent dignity guide you in similar situations in the future? [02:03]

2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of seeing the crown in others. Identify someone in your life whose worth you might have overlooked. How can you acknowledge and honor their dignity this week? [10:52]

3. Consider the relationships in your life that serve as your "crown." How can you nurture these relationships to reflect God's love and grace more fully? [07:41]

4. The sermon talks about living without fear of others' opinions. What specific steps can you take to internalize your dignity before God and reduce the influence of external validation in your life? [09:52]

5. How can you actively participate in making the world a better place, as the sermon suggests, through your unique gifts and partnership with God? [00:30]

6. Think about a situation where you might need to "lay your crown before God." What does this look like in practical terms, and how can it help you prioritize your spiritual growth? [11:37]

7. The sermon invites us to live "fully alive." What is one area of your life where you feel you are not fully present or engaged, and what changes can you make to embody the "Crown of Life"? [09:10]

Devotional

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Quotes


you my friend were made to count you were made to make a difference to have an impact to make the world be a better place than it would be without you now of course I can't do that on my own you can't in The Fellowship of the withered hand on the one hand we celebrate personal inadequacy I am not able but at the same time I was not meant to work all by myself but to work together with God he can't so I think I'll let him [00:19:37]

dignity is a real important word and it has to do with that deep sense of worth and value that belongs in a unique way to every single human being as I understand it the philosopher manual Kant said that dignity is the value or the worth that a person carries that makes them Irreplaceable other objects can have a price attached to them cars worth so much a house is worth so much but not people people are an end in themselves [00:60:14]

Now by contrast the Bible teaches that every human being has dignity Irreplaceable worth because we were made by God and loved by God and Jesus would constantly teach about this sometimes in kind of humorous ways don't you know that sparrows are sold too for a penny and yet I tell you not one of them can fall from an S except that God sees and God cares so don't worry you are worth many sparrows [00:205:51]

Paul says when he writes to the church at Corinth you know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize run in such a way as to get the prize everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training they do it to get a crown that will not last we do it to get a crown that will last forever that's the enduring crown [00:326:23]

but to become the kind of person who knows God to be changed from within that's the crown that will last and then in first Thessalonians Paul writes to the people who are there 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 you are our Crown friendship relationships with other people other people in my life that I love and who love me that's the crown [00:382:19]

when the chief Shepherd appears you will receive the Crown of Glory that will never fade away there's a Crown of Glory coming your way now glory is the Excellence of a thing when it exists in the Purity in which God made it where I'm standing right now a couple days ago there was a sunrise and it was one of those mornings when there were clouds dotting The Horizon and so they were pink and orange and it just made you want to sing or weep to look at it [00:466:08]

and the friend sent out a text with a picture of it that said the heavens declare the glory of God when we see great Beauty C.S Lewis wrote about this not only do we admire it love it wonder it we went somehow to participate in it to be bathed in it to be part of it and that's the promise here the Crown of Glory there will be a goodness and a moral beauty that will be revealed in you that's part of the crown and we're working on that right now [00:503:05]

and for you to be fully alive today to be awake and aware and alert and grateful and know what's going on that's the crown so this is the dignity here's the here's the invitation for today wear the crown you have great worth see when when you and I understand our worth not just affirm it intellectually but when it gets into our bones and into our hearts and into our wills and into our thoughts and into our feelings then I'm not easily threatened [00:557:09]

then my ego is not on the line then I don't have to live in fear about what other people think of me because I have dignity before God I have bestowed worth so I think if I won't use names but you a young student just beginning graduate student what you do today matters immensely you have dignity I think about you a coach who has had to struggle with cancer so that you're not able to coach anymore your words impact the lives of other people [00:587:49]

and the way that she looked at her partner the dignity that she saw in him the worth was ennobling and inspirational scrown and everybody that you come in contact with today way back in the day there was a commercial where somebody would eat a piece of bread with a kind of butter or margarine on it and then there would be this trumpet Fanfare and they would wear the crown see the crown and then give the crown [00:655:23]

when the saints are gathered around God and they lay their crowns Before the Throne an old hymn holy holy holy talks about that image casting down their golden crowns and the idea here of course it's not about you know um uh wear a gold hat it's about praise Glory admiration Wonder instead of trying to collect more and more of it I give it away I lay it down especially for God we're the crown see the crown give the crowd make today count [00:688:58]

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Transcript
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