He uses these reminders as an example to us of how we, too, can accomplish great things through our faith. But we also know that suffering brings with it many temptations. May angels attend you in the way as you come. . Which naturally leads to the second command, at the end of verse 10 Be faithful unto death. 6:4 ), in which he is to set aside those things of his old way of life ( 2 Cor. Remember Paul said to the letter in Romans that those are Jews truly who are ones inwardly, written on the heart. So this letter is saying these are not spiritual Jews as we would understand the people of God, but they are people who have stirred up trouble. Jesus is not going to lose. It is called a martyr church. WebFeaturing a sermon puts it on the front page of the site and is the most effective way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands including all mobile platforms + newsletter. 2:20). Whatever the church is facing, and here in Smyrna it was persecution, hatred, opposition, suffering, what they need to see more than anything is not a 12-step plan, not a 3 steps to their better life now, they need to know ultimate reality of the One who sits on the throne and they need to know the ultimate reality that will be theirs should they be faithful unto death. Oh, what a beautiful thing, a precious thing, a wonderful thing: to love our Lord and to follow humbly in the way of Jesus! John 12:42-43 writes: Among the chief rulers, many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than they loved the praise of God.. The governor said, Swear the genius of Caesar. Verse 10: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Fathers which sent Me. Any true disciple of our Lord has a deep, haunting, never-sated thirst for the word of God. For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. But if a man loves God, every day is a sweeter day, a triumphant day, and some day, a victorious day. This is the pastor bringing the message entitled Faithful Unto Death. Theme: Show the faith of these two great patriarchs. We will suffer. We must Faithfulness. The LORD preserves the faithful (Ps. I. He was soon to dieto be rejected [Mark 10:32-34]. The Our reward is not here, it is there [Matthew 5:12]. [He] went inside the house and sat down and wrote what I think is the most preciously beautiful hymn in the English language. So they didnt have the same protection. II Timothy 4:6-8 Paul was looking with Then, they feel they dont need God, because theyve succeeded in life. The gate is too strait, and the way is too narrow for a man to enter heaven holding the love of the world in his arms [Matthew 7:13-14]. After their conversion, they stop using alcohol but after a while they begin using it again. Now may I give, point out a poignant illustration of that in the Word of God? It is a message to Be faithful until death.. Certainly under all of the rules of logic the one who assumes that an apparently dead person is still alive should be able to produce substantial proof. They think theres a way to avoid death and they dont have to think because everyone just goes to heaven and consequently most people spend more time trying to avoid death than they do spending time preparing and making sure theyre on the path to heaven. Remembering the things of God will help us overcome temptation. Thats what it is. But why do you delay? Where is your? Yes, death is an enemy for sure, but there is a worse enemy. He never knows a turning back or an ultimate defeat. Church Of God, Joshua 2:1-15 THE GREAT ESCAPE Intro: Ill. Please, sir, your Majesty, said the pastor, could you grant pardon to the boy? He did it. We dont want to make the mistake of saying that just because one worships three times a week every week he is faithful. Would it be murder, rape, spouse abuse, adultery, theft, gambling, or perhaps lying? Matthew 10:38: He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. And Matthew 16:24: If any one will come after Me, let him . Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. I AM the LIFE. WebSermons by Bible: Sermons by Category: Sermons by Topic: Sermons by Speaker: Sermons by Language: Sermons by Date: Staff Picks: Comments, ALL -0 sec: Top Sermons: Online Bible: Hymnal: Daily Reading: About | $1 Signup! And whenever you see a monument to Nathan Hale, you will find inscribed the last word that he said, I regret I have but one life to lose for my country. That is a little comparable patriotic devotion, like us in our supreme love for Christ. Suppose I were to stand in this pulpit and speak and discuss English literature three times once a week? Deuteronomy 2:1-15, Denomination: My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, III. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. [First John] 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another [1 John 4:11]. There are absolutes in the Christian life. But this letter, you notice, is shot through with encouragement. I dont want to suffer. Now, before I mention the last one may I recapitulate? Now even saying it that way can make us nervous, is this anti-Semitism? The first death is not avoidable. The Basis of the Gospel 1 John 5:16-18, ON POINT, III Hebrews 9:24-27. today we want to focus our attention on John. Jesus will be there with you. A fervent love for the people of God(John 13:34-35, 15:12-13, 17, 1 John 3:14, 4:7, 11), A. John And they had a little boy born to the home and they named him JohnJohn Fawcett. If they die faithfully, they get a crown of life. It is used twice in the Bible. There will be a temptation to want to raise your flag as well and say, Here I am, you can count on me. Or to wear the sort of clothes that everyone would wear. The Bible tells us that there is a sin that leads unto death - one single sin - and it might not be what we expect. They dont think anything of the second death, thats not a possibility, but maybe theres some way with the right potions and the right exercise and the right diet, I dont actually have to face my own mortality.. Would I run away? Smyrna won the special privilege to build a temple to Emperor Tiberius. 2:10 states, Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. There are too many professing Christians which the Lord cannot depend upon. For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person (Ps. It has never happened in the history of the world. So the men prepared the pyre and stripped Polycarp of his clothes, and as they were about to nail him to the stake, Polycarp interrupted. Clearly gathering in this place were not, were not living under the Taliban. WebFAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. We come to see that the thing of value is not speed but endurance. Seeing that Polycarp was not being consumed by the fire, they then ordered an executioner to thrust him through with a dagger, and so finally Polycarp was dead.. He went away grieved, for he had great possessions: loving the wrong world [Mark 10:22]. If they overcome in the first death, they will not be hurt by the second death. Speaking of winning the lost, Paul says, The love of Christ compels us (2 Cor. Any psychologist, any psychologist, will tell you that one of the driving forces in human life is to be acceptableespecially to be acclaimed among our peers. Come do what you wish. Polycarp was then found guilty of confessing to being a Christian. In 23 B.C. We dare not just go through the motions without loving God with all our heart. Two commands. 31:23). deep, never sated thirst for the Word(Romans You can understand how this might happen. Three points of application. But to be left out like a lone, lost black sheep is to be hurt and the child is a thousand times sensitive to it. Or suppose I were to stand in this pulpit and lecture on the humanities, or any subject you would choose to name: philosophy, psychology, medicine, astronomy, anything. And it happens. 10:17), 1. And you cannot enter heaven loving the wrong world. By a living faith, I mean one consumed with one desireto please our Lord. You dont doubt His goodness. Indeed, the devil will throw some of Remember Jesus says those who utter all kinds of false things about you, who slander you, that, too, is a kind of persecution and we ought to pray that we will not grow spiritually flabby as a church should we be called upon to face persecution. Luke 14:25 and 26: And there went great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them, If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, his wife, and children, his brothers, and sisters, and yea, his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You (Ps. Jesus told the church in Smyrna, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10, KJV). Or the story of Polycarp. Number one pray for the persecuted Church. And worse than strange, is thought hateful. Holiness. As we begin the New Year, I felt compelled to preach a series that deals with the foundational element of our faith the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is a big number. ( Rev. WebBe Faithful Unto Death The sixth step Jesus said, "Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). Rev. B. But whether it is a diadem or a garland, whether it is a royal crown or a victors crown, God says if we are faithful and true, at the end of the way He will reward us with a crown of life [Revelation 2:10]. We know what the commentator says, and we know what the politician says, and we know what the philosopher says, and we know what the academician says. He knows your tribulation. The Word of God tells us to have compassion for our brothers and sisters who are facing difficulty and prison and opposition, and some will even pay the ultimate price of martyrdom. . It would be possible for one to worship weekly and yet be as unfaithful as one who seldom, if ever, attended. Its called the Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians. And He took him out under the chalice of the night sky and said, Abraham, count the stars. And Abraham said, Lord, I cannot count that many. And God said, So shall thy seed be [Genesis 15:3-5]. That was the comfort for the church at Smyrna. Just to give you some numbers from the time of Jesus to the year 2000, so just say about 2000 years, there were roughly 36 billion people on the planet. But here God says dont be surprised, dont, when it comes, do not think God is against you. Now you have it translated here, And he was sad at that saying [Mark 10:22]. Some believe godly living, great faith and positive thinking will exempt them from trials. Not only is there no evidence of immortality, but the facts show it is utterly impossible for us that there should be a life beyond this one on earth. Thats what they say, the unbeliever and the infidel and the agnostic. When that moment comes, you trust that the Lord gives you the words to say, gives you the courage. To Him be the glory, honor, majesty, and eternal throne, from generation to generation. THREE IMPORTANT LOOKS OR PAUL'S LAST TESTIMONY 31:23). The fourth characteristic, the fourth mark of a true disciple of our Lordone who continues unswervingly in the Word of God. 23127). INTRODUCTION: Just looking in department stores. You couldnt help but know a man like that. If only everyone could live knowing deeply this one true fact. Isnt that unusual, that you would have a minister really converted? Psalms 20:5-6 Pray for the persecuted church. 5:17; Father in heaven, our prayer is simple. He knew what it was to suffer as a man. And when they turned to drive away, his wife burst into tears and said, John, John, how can we do this? Kids, young people, you will face even more pressures. A third characteristic of the true child of Christ: we are one who has deliberately chosen the cross. Leave me as I am, for the One who enables me to endure the fire will also enable me to remain on the pyre without moving. Then Polycarp prayed a final prayer and when he said amen, the men in charge of the fire lit it. And on the first anniversary of that wonderful experience, he wrote that marvelous hymn: [O for a Thousand Tongues, Charles Wesley]. Amen. Hes telling us from Gods Holy Scriptures about our Lord. That was Smyrna in 155 or 156 A.D. Those who seem to be strong in the faith prove to not have been in the faith. It is a sermon in the series on the Great Doctrines of the Bible. And in this section, composed of about five sermons, the messages are addressed to us who are Christians. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. 119:11). They will be subtle, but they will be there. This was the problem with the Ephesian church-I have this against you, that you have left your first love (Rev. I dont look forward to it. It wasnt the procedure at this time that you would try to stamp out every Christian, but if somebody ratted you out, often your family, and you were brought there, then you were made to recant. . It appears that some 65 years earlier the Christian church in Smyrna was facing many of the same trials. You, too, can read that. Irenaeus tells the story that on one occasion when Polycarp came face-to-face with the gnostic heretic Marcion, Marcion asked, Do you recognize me? to which Polycarp responded, I do, indeed. 3:11). approved we fear repudiation, censure, 2. This is the apocalypse revelation written down by John, who was a Jew, so we ought not take this to be some sort of anti-Jewish polemic. 15, 16), VI. read more, Scripture: Once they become a Christians, they begin visiting the sick and shut-in but its just too much trouble so they quit. 15:9). That sadly has happened. My fortieth year as a pastor still preaching the Word, V. A continuing living faith in Christ, A. That is our faith. Matthew 16:24-25: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Faithfulness is required for all four quarters, all three periods, all nine innings. Heres the mayor, heres the governor, heres the president. And He uses the word stugnaz, translated lowering, the sky is stugnaz, it is lowering. We live, we die, we live again. 2 Kings 2:1-12. All seven of the churches of Asia have some castigation from our Lord except this church. So the first command to the Church dont be afraid what youre about to suffer. But here in the second half of the first century, several things had happened to make this situation untenable. For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is Heres part of the story, the martyrdom of Polycarp. He stayed there in that tiny church over fifty years; their pastor over fifty years. False doctrine prevents people from being faithful. Not some physical anguish or personal disappointment, 2. The love of God is a powerful force in our efforts to be faithful. In many parts of the West, though not facing yet death, are facing increasing hostility and discrimination, not the likes of which our brothers and sisters may see in Afghanistan or North Korea or parts of northern Africa, but yet facing opposition, persecution. The Pharisees did that (Matt. Faith, trust, commitment brings God into our lives and into our scene; and faith knows absolutely nothing about defeat. Which leads to a second point of application. Heres part of the story. However, when they entered Rahab's house, they found a woman who had already been touched by the Spirit and Thats the promise in verse 11. Could I take time to turn aside? The weakness of men, universally, is to please one another. As we think of Gods love, what could we do but be faithful? False doctrine leads many astray. More were killed by other religious groups, and far and away, most of those Christian martyrs were killed by the state, some 55 million out of those 70 million. 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching. [My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, Handley C.G. Christian Life, Faith, Love, Loyalty, Self-Denial, Great Doctrines of the Bible: Practical Theology, 1983, Revelation. Almost half of those were murdered, starved, died in prison camps in the Soviet Union. I have decided to follow Jesus, the characteristic of a true disciple of our Lord. This is the one, verse 8, The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. It is in the transcendence of God that His eminence is so much comfort. It was a way for Rome to save, kind of save face and yet not have to go through this extermination of all the Jews, so well let them get by on a technicality. On this He bases His judgments. So to his sorrowing little congregation, he preached a farewell message and they placed everything on the wagonhis books, his furniture and everythingand he and his wife and the children climbed on the wagon, and they turned to leave. They werent so much concerned that the Christians were going to overthrow the Empire, but they thought this, This is a bad look for Rome. He comes with comfort. II Kings 2:1-12 If youre faithful unto death, you will get the crown of life. We can remember the benefits of remaining faithful. Hebrews says since the children have flesh and blood, He, too, shared likewise in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy the one who holds the power of death, that is the devil, and set free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.. self in my heart and enthrone the Lord Jesus, 1. Youre going to suffer. Suffering. They worship every now and then but not with any kind of regularity. 11:4). We all love to be acclaimed. empty and heart broken(1 John 2:15-17), IV. Notice the Lord Jesus says in verse 9, I know your tribulation and your poverty. This was a church that had more pain than they had money. Repent. Revelation chapter 2, beginning at verse 8. The tragic and terrible civil war he was fighting in his heart registered in his countenance, stugnaz; and he lost the battle. It is a great vast city, today called Izmir. WebUnto death! Why didnt the Lord say that to Zaccheus? Pleasure leads many to neglect the Lord. read more, Scripture: Foursquare. We do not have a more beautiful or meaningful invitational hymn than this: Though no one go with me, I still will follow. And when John Fawcett stood and preached before the king, the king was so moved he said to the preacher, Ask anything and I will give it to thee. And the wonderful preacher replied, Sir, I have nothing for myself, but one of my families has a boy, a wayward boy who faces the sentence of death for forgery, in the strict laws of that time. Will God reward you? The things of this world prevent people from being faithful. Genesis 49 3 attributes we find in Pauls heart: 1. In Jesus we pray. He was arrested by Herod when Philip of Tralles was high priest, during the proconsulship of Statius Quadratus, but while Jesus Christ was reigning as King forever. Rev James Porter Be Thou Faithful Unto Death And I wonder if those of you this morning who are facing uncertain times, facing hardships, illness, chronic problems, test results, wayward family members Can you hear this comfort? Paul takes a look around as he gives his last testimony. I would love to be a professor of English literature. WebWe know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. [First John] 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth Knowing that we are not facing these exact circumstances, and we can be thankful for it, what does this mean for us? View all Sermons Faithful Unto Death Series Contributed by Allen James on Sep 29, 2011 (message contributor) (rate this sermon) | 6,507 views Scripture: God(John 8:31-32, 14:23-24), A. Come. So if we have a late date for Revelation around 90 A.D., then this is some 65 years later, not that long. Romans 6:10-23, Denomination: The shears with rust are spoiled and yet. Many of us would say that murder is worthy of the death penalty; and if any of us had a child that were raped, we would probably believe the person who To stand in this section, composed of about five sermons, the messages are to! From death unto life, because theyve succeeded in life he never a... This church will exempt them from trials the proud person ( Ps LOOKS or Paul 'S last TESTIMONY )... 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