Elishas dedication to Elijah might The same thing is true of those in Hebrews 11. Individuals become Christians and know the truth, but they have a friend who attends a denominational church, so they attend every now and then, and before they know it, they believe what that church teaches. Heres part of the story. Continuing with our series through the seven letters to the seven churches, this morning to the church in Smyrna. If I could digress here a minute and make a humble and humble observation: Next anniversary, I begin my fortieth year as pastor of this dear churchforty years, beginning. You cannot help but admire this young man. Please, sir, your Majesty, said the pastor, could you grant pardon to the boy? He did it. Never. He told the disciples do not worry about what you will say in that day. [He] went inside the house and sat down and wrote what I think is the most preciously beautiful hymn in the English language. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. . Number one let us pray for the persecuted church. . Some believe godly living, great faith and positive thinking will exempt them from trials. 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 The fourth characteristic, the fourth mark of a true disciple of our Lordone who continues unswervingly in the Word of God. And it is one of the seven churches of Asia [Revelation 2:1-3:22]: Ephesus, and then right north, Smyrna. We cannot be defeated. I. The governor said, Swear the genius of Caesar. 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. Title: The Face of Faithfulness: John Oh, by the way, its while Jesus Christ was reigning as King forever. Why didnt the Lord say that to the family at Bethanyto Lazarus and Mary and Martha? People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? And Nathan Hale volunteered as a spy to bring back the needed information. 1 Cor 15:14 How do you respond when you are living your best, walking by faith, serving God and the bottom falls out? And He uses the word stugnaz, translated lowering, the sky is stugnaz, it is lowering. It is one of the marks and the characteristics of a good disciple of Jesus; our love for one another. We can remember the great examples of Scripture. Youre faithful. God(John 8:31-32, 14:23-24), A. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. This is the second of seven messages to seven churches. And when the young man asked, Master, all of these commandments have I kept from my youth, but my heart is still hungry and empty, what lack I yet that I might obtain eternal life? 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. THE CHURCH THAT WOULD NOT SURRENDER https://drjustinimelsr.com/sermon-on-soteriology-be-faithful-until-death Every Christian wants to be able to say with the apostle Paul, as he thought about his own death ( 2 Tim. 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.. 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. knows nothing about defeat (Romans 4:17-21, Genesis So he tells him, Swear by Caesar, or recant. read more, Scripture: A 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching. Romans 6: 10-23 FAITHFUL Putting this altogether, you can understand why in some parts of the Empire it was the Jews who sometimes instigated this persecution against the Christians. It has never happened in the history of the world. And that is our invitation to you: a family gathering the children coming to be with us in our pilgrimage to heaven, a couple you, or a one somebody you, Pastor, today we have decided for God, and here we stand. As the Spirit shall press the appeal to your heart, that decision you make, if it is for God, will be the sweetest and most meaningful you will ever know in your life. But pastor, does God say anything? Of course it does. Tempted to disbelieve the Word of God. Jesus will be there with you. [My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, Handley C.G. We dont have a weak God. 18:6). It is like water to a thirsting soul. FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. We can remember the benefits of remaining faithful. He knows your tribulation. 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. It would be possible for one to worship weekly and yet be as unfaithful as one who seldom, if ever, attended. Thats loving Jesus. Amen. He said, Now if you want to learn the doctrine of Christianity, name a day and give me a hearing. The proconsul told Polycarp, No, persuade the people of your Christianity. Polycarp replied that he had been taught to respect the rulers and authorities and he would be happy to meet with the proconsul, but this was a lawless mob and he wasnt going to waste his time., So the proconsul said, I have wild beasts if you dont change your mind. Polycarp said, Call for them. The proconsul said, You will be consumed by the fire. Polycarp said, You threaten with a fire that burns only briefly and after just a little while is extinguished, for you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, which is reserved for the ungodly. Yet Paul told Timothy that anyone who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. As the song says, Just one glimpse of him in glory will the toils of life repay. Surely, seeing Jesus face to face will be reward enough for our faithfulness. 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 FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. When a man loves the world and the things that are in the world, the day finally comes when he finds his hands empty and his heart broken. 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 . Three points of application. WebIts a very tender and touching sceneone of the most moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded in literature. And yet, my God, keep me from turning back. John spoke much about our love for the Lord and for one another. There are many benefits to remaining faithful. He was soon to dieto be rejected [Mark 10:32-34]. There are so many things in this world, which keep people from being faithful. They are clear and unequivocal; the first one is this: supreme love for Jesus our Lord. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Instead of worshipping as they should, they play golf on Sunday mornings or they go the race track or they go fishing. We read when the magistrate persisted and said, Swear the oath and I will release you. When that moment comes, you trust that the Lord gives you the words to say, gives you the courage. 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]. Faithfulness. Committed to a belief in another world(Colossians 3:2, 1 Corinthians 15:19), A. Clarence We have been encouraged and greatly challenged in our personal walk with the Lord. Remember this is a letter from whom? Currently 160,000 Christians, by one estimate, are martyred every year. Do you need to come to Jesus right now? Theres no point in being fearful now. 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. 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. take up his cross, and follow Me. The cross is an instrument of death. His salary was less than two hundred dollars a year. That may sound daunting. You could not help but love him. Behold the But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important way stations that The premise of this study is the foundation of creation. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.. 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4 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 But as long as I listen and bow before self, my life is shriveled and small. Fawcett converted listening to George Whitefield preach, 1. It is on the Aegean Sea; it is in Turkey on the western shore of Asia Minor. Romans 10:17: Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the word of God. If someone loved Jesus, he never tires of hearing about Him. Now, before I speak of another, may I pause to avow; there is never, ever, a defeat, never in our commitment to our Lord. Many people have is just the opposite. After the resurrection We all love to be acclaimed. 11:4). Where is your? Yes, death is an enemy for sure, but there is a worse enemy. Picking things up after Polycarp has been arrested and hes being brought into the stadium in Smyrna. And dont be afraid about what you would do and what you would be like should you face, the church at Smyrna, what they faced. The young fellow knelt down before the Lord [Mark 10:17]. That was Smyrna in 155 or 156 A.D. Thats the cry in each one of these churches. We will suffer. Revelation 2:8-11, Denomination: WebTo know Me is to have life! And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 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. We allow ourselves to be involved in so many activities that we no longer have the time to devote to Bible study and prayer. If I die, praise His name, it is to be with Him. 15, 16), VI. In fact, this one disqualifying sin will exclude us from ever going to heaven and receiving eternal life. We must 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. 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. 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]. 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]. And the Lord, looking deep in the soul of the young fellow, said to him, Your heart is in the world. John 1:10-11: Jesus was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. The handles of my plow where tears are wet. 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. Now may I give, point out a poignant illustration of that in the Word of God? Give it up. 4:7 ), I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. While God promises that He will keep all that He saves, the process is 3 attributes we find in Pauls heart: 1. Father in heaven, we give thanks for Your many blessings. The major influence for me on this study of Genesis is The Genesis Record by Henry Morris. The weakness of men, universally, is to please one another. The church in Smyrna was a church of paradoxes. If they were faithful to the end, surely we can be as well. They assume they will go to heaven. Christ delivered man out of death to the promise of the gift of eternal life yet man thinking he is in the perfection of God's love, sins. Why didnt the Lord say that to Zaccheus? We come to see that the thing of value is not speed but endurance. WebSermon Series: RevelationSermon Title: The Church of Smyrna: Be Faithful Unto DeathScripture Text: Revelation 2:8-11Speaker: Rev. If they die faithfully, they get a crown of life. And he was invited to preach before the king, King George III, in 1780. Our reward is not here, it is there [Matthew 5:12]. And in Jerusalem, they nailed Him to a cross [Matthew 27:32-50]. 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 119:11). And our Lord, bless these to whom the Holy Spirit makes appeal this morning; some to put their lives with us in the church, some to follow our blessed Lord Jesus in baptism [Matthew 3:13-17], some to accept Thee as Savior; bless each one. 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. Matthew 16:24-25: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 10/18/2006 A long time ago, in the 1700s in a little town in Yorkshire, a county in northern England, there was a very, very poor family. So they didnt have the same protection. WebFAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. Father in heaven, our prayer is simple. But this letter, you notice, is shot through with encouragement. Come. You dont forget His promise. An appeal for faithfulness in an era when But interestingly, Revelation here doesnt blame the Romans for the persecution thats coming, though they could be the ones to mete it out, the executioners. We do not have a more beautiful or meaningful invitational hymn than this: Though no one go with me, I still will follow. What does it mean for us? Give it up and come, take up the cross, and follow me. Scripture is a powerful force in our efforts to remain faithful-You must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them (2 Tim. 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. Baptist. It appears that some 65 years earlier the Christian church in Smyrna was facing many of the same trials. read more, Scripture: The Lord knows. Paul takes a look around as he gives his last testimony. Not some physical anguish or personal disappointment, 2. 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. Jesus does not offer a rebuke to Smyrna. Death to sin through Christ Could I take time to turn aside? deep, never sated thirst for the Word(Romans View all Sermons Faithful Unto Death Series Contributed by Allen James on Sep 29, 2011 (message contributor) (rate this sermon) | 6,507 views Scripture: But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important way stations that become a part of our pilgrimage. 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. Now even saying it that way can make us nervous, is this anti-Semitism? Hymn, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, C. Faith 2:10 )? That is the mark of a disciple of Christ. Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown (Rev. The Lord never said that to him. To Smyrna, the challenge is one of keep on keeping on or continue to do what you are already doing. Romans 1:17, Denomination: He knew they would experience difficult times in their lives. 2:20). Many deal with doubt and fear, but it is possible to be certain of salvation and live abundantly in Christ. Will God reward you? Dont you find those martyrdom stories inspiring and yet utterly overwhelming? self in my heart and enthrone the Lord Jesus, 1. Almost half of those were murdered, starved, died in prison camps in the Soviet Union. Hezekiah held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments (2 Ki. And you cannot enter heaven loving the wrong world. The Dont think youre the only one to have this struggle. 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 . Why didnt the Lord say that to Joseph of Arimathea, who is described in the Bible as a rich man? Will you be willing to be faithful when youre misunderstood as a Christian? The cross before me, the world behind me, [I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, attributed to S. Sundar Singh]. So we dont have to long for it and want it. It is a place on which somebody is executed, a cross. That number of about 0.8% of Christians throughout history, in fact, has been constant over many centuries. 10:39). And our Lord may the flow of our lives be in praise, and in adoration, and worship, and in love for Thee, O blessed God, that as grace and mercy reached down even to me. It was a great city in the day of the flesh of our Lord. Why didnt the Lord say that to him? 8 billion called themselves Christians in some broadest sense of the word. You may say, Well, wait a minute, Pastor. Maybe take a half hour to read it. But as Polycarp entered the stadium, there came a voice from heaven: Be strong, Polycarp, and courageous. Or some translations, be strong and play the man. And no one saw the speaker, but those of our people who were present heard the voice and then, as he was brought forward, there was a great uproar when they heard that Polycarp had been arrested. [Matthew 27:57]. Its been translated into English. In fact, as I said last week, the two most struggling churches, the ones facing the greatest weaknesses, at least in an earthly sense, Philadelphia and Smyrna, are the ones about whom Jesus has nothing but good to say: I know your tribulation and your poverty. And unbelief will ask, How can such a thing be? 1 John 5:13-17. Because when the Lord looked into the heart of that rich, young ruler, he loved things more than he loved God [Matthew 19:21-22; Mark 10:21-22]. They could offer sacrifices in honor of the emperors, not as gods but as rulers. I trust everyone understands the significance of the Gospel in relation to salvation in Christ. Any Amazon link on this site is an ad. EASTER SUNDAY 2014 SERMON In fact, we do. You, too, can read that. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You (Ps. Its a letter from Jesus, who is the Jewish Messiah. Genesis 50:1-26, Denomination: The connection of this passage will help us to understand its meaning. They worship every now and then but not with any kind of regularity. And after he began his preachingafter he was a preacher, he was wonderfully converted. And a youngster wants to belong to the group. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (Gal. Let me finish, then, where we started. Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : Three Important Looks Or Paul's Last Testimony. When the lad was thirteen years old, because of the poverty of the family, they sent him away to London; there apprenticed him to a tailorjust receiving something to eat and something to wear. And that leads them into all kinds of things that break the hearts of their parents. Its a very human response to fear death. 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