Some of you perhaps pray for it every day, that would be wonderful. Deliberately choosing the cross(Matthew 10:38, 16:24), 1. We allow ourselves to be involved in so many activities that we no longer have the time to devote to Bible study and prayer. B. He comes with comfort. Death has no power over anyone who is in me! Thats why Jesus is able to say in verse 10, Be faithful unto death, and I will give you That was the comfort for the church at Smyrna. You couldnt see their god, so they said they were atheists. There is a marvelous thing that happens when a man places Jesus first in his lifeloves our Lord supremely above all other loveHe hands back to you your home, your family, your wife, your business, your children, every dream and vision of your soul. 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.. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. However, many Christians are not as faithful as they need to be in their service to God. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love (Jn. Youre faithful. All England came to know him. He told the disciples do not worry about what you will say in that day. Or see the movie or tell the jokes or visit the websites that everyone else. So, what is this sin? And the world passeth away . Because the one who overcomes this present, temporary, fleeting pain will not be pained by the second and everlasting death. https://drjustinimelsr.com/sermon-on-soteriology-be-faithful-until-death Jesus told the church in Smyrna, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10, KJV). The weakness of men, universally, is to please one another. Let me finish with three points of application. It is an instrument of execution, and when I am invited to take up my cross, I am invited to die to myself that I might live to the Lord. 22:37). Suffering. The Pharisees did that (Matt. A sixth characteristic of the true disciple of Christ: a fervent love for the people of God. We all love to be accepted. read more, Scripture: Church Of God, Joshua 2:1-15 THE GREAT ESCAPE Intro: Ill. read more, Scripture: FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. He dressed like a Tory schoolmaster. You, too, can read that. That is to say, even in Charlotte, North Carolina should you be a true, passionate, on fire, biblical Christian, absolutely in love with Jesus, no matter what it counts, at some point you will face opposition. Every sabbatical, every seventh year, the slave in a Hebrew household was to be free. 4:10). And on page four hundred he says, If there is one scrap of proof that we are alive after we are dead, why is not that scrap given to the world? Clearly gathering in this place were not, were not living under the Taliban. Currently 160,000 Christians, by one estimate, are martyred every year. I read in the Book of Hebrews beginning at the eleventh chapter beginning at verse 9: By faith Abraham sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange countryFor he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Dont think youre the only one to whom injustice has ever happened. 5:17)-His point is that Elijah was a human being just like everyone else, yet his prayers accomplished much. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. We live, we die, we live again. Note: When doing a study on a book in the Bible you use a lot of resources. Pleasure leads many to neglect the Lord. As we apply this standard, our views on many things undergo a radical change. Now, before I mention the last one may I recapitulate? Now, before I speak of another, may I pause to avow; there is never, ever, a defeat, never in our commitment to our Lord. Listen to this: Romans 4:17: God, who quickeneth the dead, calleth those things which be not as though they were, Abraham [Genesis 17:5], against hope, believed in hope. For Jesus sake we pray. It is interesting to note the things Jesus DID NOT say to them on how to overcome. And unbelief will ask, How can such a thing be? WebIts a very tender and touching sceneone of the most moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded in literature. Picking things up after Polycarp has been arrested and hes being brought into the stadium in Smyrna. Give it up. Thats a great man, a marvelous man; thats Gods man. They will be there on your social media feed, theyll be there on your Instagram, calls to be like-minded ally in things that Christ cannot commend. Continuing with our series through the seven letters to the seven churches, this morning to the church in Smyrna. Give to Him life, home, family, business He will give it back to you Of course it does. He lived to be 86 years old, and for the second half of his life he served as the bishop of Smyrna, which we just read is the second city in Revelation, today the modern city of Izmir in Turkey. And when they turned to drive away, his wife burst into tears and said, John, John, how can we do this? WebTo know Me is to have life! Near the close of the previous chapter Paul had said," The law entered that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did much more 2:4). I dont look forward to it. Jesus Himself said, Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul, rather fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.. You can understand how this might happen. We dont have a weak God. 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. It would take maybe a half hour to read. Thats the cry in each one of these churches. As we remember the words of Scripture, we will be able to fight off temptation and thus remain faithful. 1 John 5:16-18, ON POINT, III Father in heaven, we give thanks for Your many blessings. But why do you delay? 18:6). Can you imagine after forty years the people here by the thousands listening to me lecture on mathematics or science or literature or the humanities? A pathway deliberately chosen death to the deepest desires of the flesh, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Denomination: He knows your tribulation. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. You could not help but love him. Never. Will you be willing to be faithful when youre misunderstood as a Christian? read more, Scripture: While we stand and while we pray. A. Its the basic foundation of the Christian faith it is fundamental II Kings 2:1-12 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faithFor by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Those who seem to be strong in the faith prove to not have been in the faith. Were at 7, 8 now? Wed be fooling ourselves to make any sort of comparison. What was important to them in the beginning was no longer important. Faithfulness means you keep bearing witness to Jesus. There was He knows your broken heart in a way that no one else does. empty and heart broken(1 John 2:15-17), IV. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarahs womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith being fully persuaded that, what God had promised, He was able to perform. Jesus calls us to overcome. Faithfulness is required for all four quarters, all three periods, all nine innings. You allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols (Rev. Romans 6: 10-23 Now even saying it that way can make us nervous, is this anti-Semitism? 16:3), B. [My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, Handley C.G. Just do the sacrifices, just do the ritual, and if you want to say youre doing it to the emperors as rulers, to honor them, and not as gods, then so be it. Father in heaven, our prayer is simple. The handles of my plow where tears are wet. read more, Scripture: Well, no, notice what this letter says: The slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not. My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, III. Pastor Wayne Tindale The clouds are boiling and the face of the heaven is angry. 31:23). It was a difficult situation. deep, never sated thirst for the Word(Romans Hebrews 9:24-27. today we want to focus our attention on John. Well, the magistrate was not happy with this. When we suffer, were tempted to doubt Gods goodness, to question His sovereignty, to find Him less glorious, to wonder if Hes left us or forsaken us. Roman subjects were required to offer sacrifice to Caesar as a god. The most remarkable Polycarp, who proved to be an apostolic and prophetic teacher in our own time, bishop of the catholic church, meaning the orthodox, universal church in Smyrna. It was the first city, in fact, in the ancient world, to build a temple in honor of Rome. Behold the Most of us, if were honest, are scared of suffering. He knew what it was to face external temptation when that suffering came. 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. If they die faithfully, they get a crown of life. Knowing that we are not facing these exact circumstances, and we can be thankful for it, what does this mean for us? 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. Files Audio Faithful Unto Death (Video) Notes Transcript Supreme love for Jesus our Lord(Luke 14:25-26), A. 8:14). He was soon to dieto be rejected [Mark 10:32-34]. Yes, death is an enemy, and we mourn for death. He gained the information, but on his way back to report to General Washington he was recognized and seized and hanged in what is today New York City, on Market Street and East Broadway. The Resurrection of Jesus says it all. 31:23). And he was invited to preach before the king, King George III, in 1780. When I was a youth growing up, Clarence Darrow, the great agnostic and atheist, literally covered the horizon in the legal profession. When that moment comes, you trust that the Lord gives you the words to say, gives you the courage. Smyrna was a very pro-Rome city. A new convert never studies Scripture, and so when a denominational group knocks on his door, he falls for what they teach. It was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David (1 Ki. May angels attend you in the way as you come. If there was a crime worthy of death, what would it be? We could put it like this death comes to us all, heaven does not. Be faithful even unto the point of death because brother, sister, friend, when youre faithful to the point of death for Jesus, you get a crown of life. They assume they will go to heaven. Now may I give, point out a poignant illustration of that in the Word of God? living faith, consumed with one desire to please Him(John 12:42-43), 1. We dont want to exaggerate it, we dont want to claim that were facing what other people are facing. 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. 1 2 3 4 Next He did NOT say, If you are faithful a few short years I will give thee a It may mean that you are faithful in the midst of opposition, when your own children make different choices, sad choices, sinful choices, and say that you dont love them and youre not loving if you wont affirm what theyre doing. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. There was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in me sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up (1 Ki. 2 letter from Jesus to the church at Smyrna. A Revelation chapter 2, beginning at verse 8. I love that. Polycarp was born in A.D. 69, so just before the destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the Temple, well within the lifespan of some who would have been eyewitnesses to Christ and his work. 5:17; And you cannot enter heaven loving the wrong world. WebFAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. So the first command to the Church dont be afraid what youre about to suffer. I AM the LIFE. We read when the magistrate persisted and said, Swear the oath and I will release you. Of those 36 billion who have lived in the past 2000 years, by a very generous estimate, 12 billion were evangelized, had some access to the Gospel. And God said, Abraham, come here. Faithfulness. If they were faithful to the end, surely we can be as well. We Christians must be faithful. And because of the necessity pressed upon him in his growing family, he accepted an affluent church in London. Revelation 2:8-11, Denomination: Deuteronomy 2:1-15, Denomination: 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. But listen to the heroes of the faith. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 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. It is required in stewards that one be found faithful (1 Cor. 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 has never happened in the history of the world. An unswerving continuance in the Word of Our reward is not here, it is there [Matthew 5:12]. William Akehurst HSWC My fortieth year as a pastor still preaching the Word, V. A continuing living faith in Christ, A. By a living faith, I mean one consumed with one desireto please our Lord. . Revelation chapter 2, verses 8 through 11. [Matthew 19:20; Mark 10:20]. 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. take up his cross, and follow Me. The cross is an instrument of death. They believed the promises and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in this earth [Hebrews 11:13]: Now, they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: And I turn the pages of the Book, And I John, saw that holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband [Revelation 21:2]. Number one. 5-12-03 We are called to be a people of the Gospel; the Gospel must be central to our lives. FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH 14 views Watch this sermon on a Roku or Apple TV! 10:39). And if you would just swear by Caesar, recant Christ, just let them go. read more, Scripture: These things I command you, that you love one another [John 15:17]. For me I have it written down. John 8:31, 32: If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 14:23-24: If any one love Me, he will keep My words . But in particular it blames some of the Jews. The second death is. Centuries earlier, during the period when Rome was struggling with Carthage for supremacy, Smyrna sided with the Romans. Not only that, but the Lord Jesus can sympathize because He, too, is a man, a human being, even now in heaven, the God-man. Title: The Face of Faithfulness: John 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. Christian Life, Faith, Love, Loyalty, Self-Denial, Great Doctrines of the Bible: Practical Theology, 1983, Revelation. But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important If they overcome in the first death, they will not be hurt by the second death. Revelation 2:10, Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Our Lord, before it comes to pass, we praise Thy wonderful, keeping, saving, endearing name for all You have done for us; died to save us [1 Corinthians 15:3], poured out Thy blood to wash us clean and white [Revelation 1:5, 5:9], that we might stand in the presence of God forgiven [Jude 1:24]. Theme: Show the faith of these two great patriarchs. For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person (Ps. Could I take time to turn aside? Would You hold fast Your Church around the world, facing so much more in opposition than we face, and when we are called upon to face whatever trials and difficulties, whether suffering at the hands of others or suffering from natural disasters and infirmity and the age of life, may we be faithful even unto death. a man loves the world and the things that are in it, he will find his hands It is on the Aegean Sea; it is in Turkey on the western shore of Asia Minor. Try to set an example from time to time to pray for it here from the pulpit. 3 attributes we find in Pauls heart: 1. WebIts a very tender and touching sceneone of the most moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded in literature. Great Doctrines of the most moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded literature... Required for all four quarters, all rights reserved the pulpit one love Me, he falls for what teach...: While we pray what you are about to suffer find in heart! 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Group knocks on his door, he will keep My words a church that had pain. Worthy of death, and we mourn for death Scripture: these things I command,... Ultimate destination is to please one another [ John 15:17 ] you be willing to in! From time to time to devote to Bible study and prayer ( Matthew 10:38, 16:24 ),.! The movie or tell the jokes or visit the websites that everyone else you will say in that.! Invited to preach before the king, king George III, in 1780 one another Pauls:. Christ: a fervent love for Jesus our Lord ( 1 Cor live, we live, we be! Them go not say to them in the way as you come touching sceneone of necessity... Child of God when a denominational group knocks on his door, he falls what. Work of the true disciple of Christ: a fervent love for our... If you would just Swear by Caesar, recant Christ, a marvelous man ; Gods. Does not heaven is angry be willing to be involved in so many activities that we surrounded! 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And if you would just Swear by Caesar, recant Christ, just let them go say the..., 1 lot of resources John 2:15-17 ), 1 Handley C.G Mark 10:32-34 ], III Father in,! Tribulation and your poverty will ask, how can such a thing?. Ultimate destination moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded in literature 5:17 ) -His point that... Death be faithful unto death sermon and so when a denominational group knocks on his door, he will give it back to of...