While we stand and while we pray. Or the story of Polycarp. 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. WebKing James Version 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten Tempted to disbelieve the Word of God. Isaiah 38:1-8, James 1:2-4, 1 John 5:14-15, 1 Peter 3:12, Denomination: When Lets pray. And if the challenge in Ephesus was lovelessness, here it is the hatred of those who do not love Christ, or love the truth. When our Lord was on the way to Jerusalem to die, in Perea on the other side of Jordan, He was met, accosted in a town over there by a rich young ruler [Mark 10:17-22]. Fawcett converted listening to George Whitefield preach, 1. We can remember the benefits of remaining faithful. Our resurrection is dependent on his resurrection- Paul said WebIts a very tender and touching sceneone of the most moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded in literature. 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. What youre about to suffer need not be fearful. When one is baptized into Christ and becomes a Christian, he begins a new life ( Rom. 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. Especially and particularly is that true with our young people. Yes, death is an enemy, and we mourn for death. If we live as Christians simply to avoid death, we are not living as Jesus would have us live. A new convert never studies Scripture, and so when a denominational group knocks on his door, he falls for what they teach. 18:6). 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. Would it be murder, rape, spouse abuse, adultery, theft, gambling, or perhaps lying? Some of you will be thrown into prison for a time. by 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. 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. Matthew 16:24-25: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. The Pharisees did that (Matt. King James Version (KJV) < Previous Verse Next Verse > View Chapter Revelation 2:10 Context You dont get angry with God. You can read it. Church Of God, Joshua 2:1-15 THE GREAT ESCAPE Intro: Ill. Oh, what a beautiful thing, a precious thing, a wonderful thing: to love our Lord and to follow humbly in the way of Jesus! 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. And anchoring every one of these commands, I said this to the leadership training on Friday night, theres a reason that chapters 4 and 5 come after chapter 2 and 3, because it is the vision of the One who sits on the throne that is the antidote for everything that challenges the churches in chapters 2 through 3. If God says anything, preacher, tell us what does God say? John spoke much about our love for the Lord and for one another. Many deal with doubt and fear, but it is possible to be certain of salvation and live abundantly in Christ. Try to set an example from time to time to pray for it here from the pulpit. A reference to the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Genesis, where Abraham came before God and said, Lord, You say that I am to have a child and then the seed that comes out of my body, my loins, the whole world is be blessed. 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 Jesus is waiting for the day of our coming. Friends. 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 . Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown (Rev. You couldnt see their god, so they said they were atheists. 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. And Jesus will reign now and into eternity. Or see the movie or tell the jokes or visit the websites that everyone else. It is far too easy to go through the motions of being faithful without really being faithful. And this commandment that we have from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also [1 John 4:21]. Paul takes a look around as he gives his last testimony. Theme: Show the faith of these two great patriarchs. 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. We lament death. One of the marks, I say, of a true disciple of Christ, he never wearies, hes never seen, hes never sated listening to the Word of God. It is interesting to note the things Jesus DID NOT say to them on how to overcome. And if you would just swear by Caesar, recant Christ, just let them go. An outline from the book The Bumps Are What You Climb On "Three Important Looks" by Warren Wiersbe pg 17 1980 Since we know that God will richly reward us, we should be faithful. Picking things up after Polycarp has been arrested and hes being brought into the stadium in Smyrna. WebTo know Me is to have life! He hands it back to you doubly blessed; sanctified, hallowed when I place Jesus first in my life. 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. For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. And after he began his preachingafter he was a preacher, he was wonderfully converted. 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. All seven of the churches of Asia have some castigation from our Lord except this church. And you cannot enter heaven loving the wrong world. (Revelation 2:8-11) And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are There was If they refuse to swear by Caesar, if they refuse to worship our gods, then we must punish them., Polycarp replied, For 86 years I have been His servant and He has done me no wrong. We could put it like this death comes to us all, heaven does not. So we dont have to long for it and want it. approved we fear repudiation, censure, 2. That is our faith. empty and heart broken(1 John 2:15-17), IV. 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? Foursquare. Let me finish with three points of application. 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. There are so many things in this world, which keep people from being faithful. Were at 7, 8 now? Thats loving Jesus. Or do with your weekends what everyone else would do. Moule]. The church in Smyrna was a church of paradoxes. It continues to the last stitch. He famously died a martyrs death in 155 or 156, and when he died the church at Smyrna sent out a letter, To tell the story of those who have suffered martyrdom, especially blessed Polycarp, who as though he had set his seal by his martyrdom brought the persecution to an end.. We dont want to make the mistake of saying that just because one worships three times a week every week he is faithful. WebTrue faithfulness to God is maintained to the end. Number two let us be faithful even in our limited kinds of persecution. A study of Johns presence at the cross will help us in the pursuit of faithfulness. It is in riches. That was the comfort for the church at Smyrna. We will suffer. 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 Probably dates to around 108 A.D., that is shortly after the death of Ignatius. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me? There proconsul continue to press him to recant Christ and swear by Caesar and Polycarp refused. Suffering. 119:11). In broad, open daylight where everyone could see, he knelt down before the Lord, the Prophet from Nazareth saying, Agathai didaskai [Mark 10:17]. "Faithful unto Death" Sixth Sunday after Pentecost St. Mark 6:14-29 July 16, 2006 IN NOMINE JESU In the rite of Confirmation, the confirmands are reminded of what I love that. My fortieth year as a pastor still preaching the Word, V. A continuing living faith in Christ, A. But in 1776, he joined the Revolutionary Army. The Lord said, if we are faithful unto death, He would give us a CROWN OF 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. All of us do. Suffering is suffering. Holiness. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. This is the second of seven messages to seven churches. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Oh, by the way, its while Jesus Christ was reigning as King forever. Instead of worshipping as they should, they play golf on Sunday mornings or they go the race track or they go fishing. A We have been encouraged and greatly challenged in our personal walk with the Lord. Number one let us pray for the persecuted church. 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. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways (Prov. 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. Or whether we die or whether we live, we are with Him [1 Thessalonians 4:15-17]. 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]. Almost half of those were murdered, starved, died in prison camps in the Soviet Union. Why didnt the Lord say that to him? We dare not just go through the motions without loving God with all our heart. The cross before me, the world behind me, [I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, attributed to S. Sundar Singh]. What was important to them in the beginning was no longer important. WebClosed with a few words from Revelation chapter 2, including the line, "be faithful unto death." We Christians must be faithful. 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. 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]. The Bible says that Zaccheus was a rich man [Luke 19:1-2]. The word staphanos, Stephen, means crown. And when the Lord says, be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life, it could be a diadem, a royal crown. But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important They assume they will go to heaven. In fact, this one disqualifying sin will exclude us from ever going to heaven and receiving eternal life. He comes with comfort. It was the first city, in fact, in the ancient world, to build a temple in honor of Rome. Well, no, notice what this letter says: The slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not. 31:23). So 36billion total. 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 . The love of God is a powerful force in our efforts to be faithful. Losing focus of whats important in life prevents people from being faithful. Suffering. After their conversion, they stop using alcohol but after a while they begin using it again. The first death is not avoidable. It may be in the workplace when you will not agree to do the advertising campaign they want to do, or the training that theyre making everyone do. In the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy is one of the most unusual parabolic instances of devotion that you could ever think for or find in all literature. Jesus told the church in Smyrna, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10, KJV). 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.. . John 1:10-11: Jesus was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. I dont look forward to it. Later in the letter we read such is the story of blessed Polycarp, although he, together with those from Philadelphia, was the 12th person martyred in Smyrna, he alone is especially remembered by everyone so that he is spoken of everywhere, even by pagans. Heres the key-those men and women were just like we are. Rev. WebBe thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. He knew they would be tested severely. 3:14). They will be subtle, but they will be there. Its been translated into English. 1 John 5: 13-21 sanctified, hallowed, blessed, II. A third characteristic of the true child of Christ: we are one who has deliberately chosen the cross. Of course it does. It appears that some 65 years earlier the Christian church in Smyrna was facing many of the same trials. Our They are all doing it. 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. Come do what you wish. Polycarp was then found guilty of confessing to being a Christian. If they overcome in the first death, they will not be hurt by the second death. He stayed there in that tiny church over fifty years; their pastor over fifty years. Therefore, when he was brought before him, the proconsul, so the governor, asked if he were Polycarp, and when he confessed that he was, the proconsul tried to persuade him to recant, saying Have respect for your age and other such things as they were accustomed to say. Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (September 25, 2015) Believing it possible that through Christ we may live in the required manner, that we may avoid sin--desist from sinning--give it up and abandon it altogether, and put it forever away. read more, Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11, Denomination: How faithful are you this morning? You have no picture of what actually that word describes at all in He was sad at that saying. The word is stugnaz. General Washington needed information concerning the British troops. He knows your tribulation. In Jesus we pray. There are absolutes in the Christian life. In fact, we do. THE CHURCH THAT WOULD NOT SURRENDER This morning, we want to examine the biblical teachings concerning our faithfulness and call us to faithfulness to God. Listen to what it says: Now the blessed Polycarp was martyred on the second day of the first part of the month Xanthicus, seven days before the Kalends of March, on a great Sabbath, about 2 oclock in the afternoon. Committed to a belief in another world(Colossians 3:2, 1 Corinthians 15:19), A. Clarence Poem, Hymn, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, C. Faith Its a letter from Jesus, who is the Jewish Messiah. . It had a fierce loyalty to the Caesar, to the Emperor. When the crowd learned that it would not be possible to set a lion loose, thats what they called for, then they shouted for him to be burned alive. But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important William Akehurst HSWC If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. You dont doubt His goodness. ( Rev. read more, Scripture: Most people dont consider that they will die. When the boy was sixteen years old, he went to hear George Whitefield preach, and he was converted; wonderfully converted, listening to George Whitefield preach the gospel. heroes of the faith(Hebrews 11:9-10, 16), 1. Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : Three Important Looks Or Paul's Last Testimony. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You (Ps. 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. They are clear and unequivocal; the first one is this: supreme love for Jesus our Lord. Continue to press him to recant Christ and becomes a Christian and you can not enter loving! By the fire at the cross doubt and fear, but it is possible to be of. New convert never studies Scripture, and so when a denominational group knocks on his door, he the. 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