The Youth Director of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle David Nyansah Hayfron, has urged Christians, particularly the youth, to channel their energies in pursuit of divine crowns and not earthly trophies.
Apostle Nyansah Hayfron said this on Friday, January 4, 2018, at the ongoing 2019 PENSA Ghana Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa-Fetteh, when he spoke on the topic: “Exchange Your Trophies For His Crowns”
In his sermon, Apostle Hayfron defined trophies as medals that are earned through human effort. Crowns, on the other hand, he explained bestowed on a person through covenant inheritance, gained through Sonship.
“In other words, trophies are the things an individual gains for personal glory whilst divine Crowns are the endowments or the things that the Lord Himself gives an individual,” he explained.
He, however, stressed that although personal achievements (trophies) may earn one earthly recognition and praise, it may not necessarily be valuable before God, adding that unlike trophies, heavenly crowns give an individual an identity.
“An individual may be separate from the trophies he or she earns, however, crowns identifies the individual because he or she carries them along at all times,” he elaborated
Using Matthew 16:24-27, Matthew 19:28ff, Rev 3:11 2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Peter 2:4-10 among other scriptural references, he said that Jesus Christ demonstrated that it is only by sacrifice that Christians could build the Church of God and in so doing earn heavenly crowns.
He said that although God-given talents and skills are significant, they are only useful if they are used for the pursuit of heavenly crowns and not for personal accomplishments.
The Youth Director, therefore, advised Christians to renounce the trophies of glamour, sexual and material exploration, academic achievements for its own sake, ecclesiastical titles and endorsement and “good friendships” in favour of heavenly crowns.
In order to contribute to building the Church of God, Apostle Hayfron urged youth members to avail themselves to be equipped as spirit-filled lay officers to be sent to deprived areas to serve and also help build the local assemblies of the Church.
“Offer yourselves to the full-time ministry irrespective of your high academic achievements, enter into politics and not for the fame, decide to do business God’s way and show honesty and ethics in all you do so others will be encouraged or challenged and become a financial pillar for The Church of Pentecost,” he said.
Apostle David Nyansah Hayfron ended his sermon by urging Christians to hold fast to the cross of Christ because it is the most valuable commodity for attaining crowns in God’s Kingdom. He also urged all believers to move from the pursuit of personal profit and satisfaction to Kingdom purpose and motivation.
“Heaven is waiting for people who will enter its gates bearing their crosses. Heaven will then take your cross and give you a crown. Those who bear crowns must work for what the crown represents. Our crowns have been prepared, waiting for us. If we catch that revelation, it will affect how we see ourselves (Identity), what we do with our resources (Priorities) and the worth we place on things or standard of behaviour (Values),” he said.
Apostle Nyansah Hayfron also cautioned the youth to be careful about pride and to learn to submit to their leaders.
The 2019 PENSA Ghana Conference, dubbed “Transformation Agents Conference”, is being held under the auspices of the Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost. The event is under the theme: “I Will Build My Church” (Matthew 16:18 and Titus 2:13-14)
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