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. Smyrna won the special privilege to build a temple to Emperor Tiberius. A fifth characteristic of the true servant of Christhe possesses a continuing and undying faith in our victorious Lord Christ. A hundred years old and Sarah, ninety years of age and no child is born [Genesis 17:17]. 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. It is like water to a thirsting soul. Well, no, notice what this letter says: The slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not. 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). May I turn to 1 John 3:14? read more, Scripture: WebSermon Series: RevelationSermon Title: The Church of Smyrna: Be Faithful Unto DeathScripture Text: Revelation 2:8-11Speaker: Rev. 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. It is a great vast city, today called Izmir. For the white city thats soon coming down. Suppose I were to stand in this pulpitI majored in English in college, and I love English literature. This comes in chapter 21, the final chapter in some of the manuscripts of The Martyrdom of Polycarp. They were human beings with faults just as we are; yet they accomplished much through their faith. 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. You can understand how this might happen. And as a youth, I read The Story of My Life by Clarence Darrow. Say away with the atheist.. 2014.04.20 HE AROSE and you can too! He was soon to dieto be rejected [Mark 10:32-34]. 5:14)-Just as Christs love compelled Paul to evangelize, it should compel us to live holy lives. This lesson examines the Rev. And when they turned to drive away, his wife burst into tears and said, John, John, how can we do this? You read these stories of the martyrs and even allowing that perhaps the Church spoke at times with some exaggerated spirituality, maybe, yet we believe that its historically true and happened and happened much like that. Your browser does not support the audio tag. Lets get a sense of that words meaning in 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. You can read it. And he was invited to preach before the king, King George III, in 1780. Isnt that unusual, that you would have a minister really converted? He knows your tribulation. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. His townspeople where He grew up in Nazareth took Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built to cast Him along to His death [Luke 4:28-29]. It tarries through the last breath. Kids, young people, you will face even more pressures. John spoke much about our love for the Lord and for one another. 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. But this letter, you notice, is shot through with encouragement. Will God reward you? 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. 14 views Watch this sermon on a Roku or Apple TV! 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. But when that acclamation and acceptance violates our commitment to Christ, it is to be repudiated by the disciple of our Lord. Jesus does not offer a rebuke to Smyrna. Heres part of the story, the martyrdom of Polycarp. Dethrone Do not fear what you are about to suffer. And this allowed the Jews and the Romans to coexist. However, many Christians are not as faithful as they need to be in their service to God. Father in heaven, we give thanks for Your many blessings. But as long as I listen and bow before self, my life is shriveled and small. 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. All seven of the churches of Asia have some castigation from our Lord except this church. And a man who preaches the word of the Lord is someone people love to listen to. 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. read more, Scripture: 22:37). We dont have a little God. 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 . Revelation 2:10, Do not fear what you are about to suffer. If they overcome in the first death, they will not be hurt by the second death. God(John 8:31-32, 14:23-24), A. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, III. I dont invite it. [Luke 9:62]: No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.. Remember this is a letter from whom? Isaiah 38:1-8, James 1:2-4, 1 John 5:14-15, 1 Peter 3:12, Denomination: We fail to put God first in our lives-we dont base all our decisions based on what he would want, we neglect to mention the Gospel to our family and friends. It is a place on which somebody is executed, a cross. The sermons and original blog posts are Copyright by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr. Do not be afraid. Certainly Christians in many places are relatively free from that threat, but at all times there will be part of the Church that will be called upon to make the good confession in the midst of danger, hostility, and death. 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 second characteristic and mark of a faithful Christian: the denial of self. Thats loving Jesus. We could put it like this death comes to us all, heaven does not. 11:4). Elishas dedication to Elijah might 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. So if we have a late date for Revelation around 90 A.D., then this is some 65 years later, not that long. They are clear and unequivocal; the first one is this: supreme love for Jesus our Lord. 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 days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Now you have it translated here, And he was sad at that saying [Mark 10:22]. He knew they would experience difficult times in their lives. Hezekiah held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments (2 Ki. Dont fear, its all about to get better. He doesnt say that. The fourth characteristic, the fourth mark of a true disciple of our Lordone who continues unswervingly in the Word of God. Rev. Could I take time to turn aside? Are you faithful? WebBe thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. He knew they would be tested severely. It is one of the marks and the characteristics of a good disciple of Jesus; our love for one another. We have to remember the reality to come which will last forever and the reality that exists now. 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. To us, we use the word cross to refer to some handicap or some suffering or some disappointment, I have an incorrigible child, an obstreperous child, and it is a cross for me to bear. Or, I have some physical ailment, I have a cross to bear. Or, I have a frustration or a disappointment in my life; it is my cross. There is no such idea of that in the Bible; in the Scriptures a cross is something to die on. 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.. 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. Let me finish with three points of application. He was a friend of Ignatius and he was a mentor to Irenaeus. His salary was less than two hundred dollars a year. As your mind scans His life from the wilderness temptations to the last agonizing utterance from the cross, He is observed to be faithful. 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. And in the second chapter of the Book of the Revelation, in the tenth verse, in the address of our Lord to the church, He says, be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life [Revelation 2:10]. Which naturally leads to the second command, at the end of verse 10 Be faithful unto death. And after he began his preachingafter he was a preacher, he was wonderfully converted. But in this context, in Smyrna, apparently, it was some of the Jews, whether because they felt like the Christians had sold them out or because they were worshiping another god, or they claimed to have had the Messiah, they would sometimes rat them out and be the informers that would then bring upon the Romans to these Christians in Smyrna. A 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. . My fortieth year as a pastor still preaching the Word, V. A continuing living faith in Christ, A. Now even saying it that way can make us nervous, is this anti-Semitism? Rev James Porter Be Thou Faithful Unto Death A sixth characteristic of the true disciple of Christ: a fervent love for the people of God. They worship every now and then but not with any kind of regularity. 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. When that moment comes, you trust that the Lord gives you the words to say, gives you the courage. Why didnt the Lord say that to him? But I do not have a child and I am old and my wife is old. We all know the occasions where suffering brings out the absolute best in people, and weve seen it in our own church. Many deal with doubt and fear, but it is possible to be certain of salvation and live abundantly in Christ. But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important way stations that Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (September 25, 2015) Title: Death of two great patriarchs I started with the story of Polycarp. Money causes individuals to work long hours and thus neglect their families. Is God first in your life? read more, Scripture: They could offer sacrifices in honor of the emperors, not as gods but as rulers. UNTO DEATH THE MARKS OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN, I. He was called to be pastor of a little church in a little town in Yorkshire called Wainsgate. They were most affluent and well-to-do. Try to set an example from time to time to pray for it here from the pulpit. That right there was meant to be comfort. You, too, can read that. The connection of this passage will help us to understand its meaning. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Denomination: Every sabbatical, every seventh year, the slave in a Hebrew household was to be free. THE CHURCH THAT WOULD NOT SURRENDER 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. Its called the Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians. Number one. But pastor, does God say anything? But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important "way stations" that are a part of our Christian pilgrimage. So we dont have to long for it and want it. He literally opens up his heart and lets us look inside. What does it mean for us? We dare not just go through the motions without loving God with all our heart. Baptist. Genesis 49 Our resurrection is dependent on his resurrection- Paul said 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. Would I run away? 5:17)-His point is that Elijah was a human being just like everyone else, yet his prayers accomplished much. That may sound daunting. And what you do and what you believe and how you carry yourself is thought strange? love for Him so great, any other in comparison is as hate, B. So 36billion total. Smyrna was a very pro-Rome city. Jesus told the church in Smyrna, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10, KJV). That grace, should that come, and for most of us, maybe all of us, it wont come like that, but when the opposition comes, when the moment comes at your workplace, youre going to go along with this program or who knows what happens to your job. Many people have is just the opposite. A. Its the basic foundation of the Christian faith it is fundamental 1 Corinthians 15:1-58, Denomination: It has never happened in the history of the world. 16:3), B. "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 And you cannot enter heaven loving the wrong world. In fact, we do. It was a great city in the day of the flesh of our Lord. But in particular it blames some of the Jews. ON POINT, I 5-12-03 Holiness. This morning, we want to examine the biblical teachings concerning our faithfulness and call us to faithfulness to God. 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. You may say, Well, wait a minute, Pastor. 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. read more. Thats the promise in verse 11. 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]. 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. Why didnt the Lord say that to Joseph of Arimathea, who is described in the Bible as a rich man? John 19:17-27. Dont you find those martyrdom stories inspiring and yet utterly overwhelming? Where, O death, is your victory? The ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity (Lk. knows nothing about defeat (Romans 4:17-21, Genesis Losing focus of whats important in life prevents people from being faithful. He knew what it was to face external temptation when that suffering came. The And it happens. To Smyrna, the challenge is one of keep on keeping on or continue to do what you are already doing. Revelation chapter 2, verses 8 through 11. And the world passeth away . Well, Jesus said something about this. King James Version (KJV) < Previous Verse Next Verse > View Chapter Revelation 2:10 Context It was the first city, in fact, in the ancient world, to build a temple in honor of Rome. Matthew 16:24-25: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Faithfulness means you keep bearing witness to Jesus. 2:10). 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching. A Compelling Conclusion (Part 1) # 18 The shears with rust are spoiled and yet. Be faithful unto death. Jesus knows. Youre going to suffer. 12:1). The Pharisees did that (Matt. Especially and particularly is that true with our young people. Some of you will be thrown into prison for a time. Moule]. But to be repudiated and to be censored and to be disliked is a terrible thing to bear. Thats the cry in each one of these churches. We will suffer. The handles of my plow where tears are wet. It is far too easy to go through the motions of being faithful without really being faithful. 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. In the little city of Bethany, they plotted His death. However, when they entered Rahab's house, they found a woman who had already been touched by the Spirit and In order to adequately embrace the Gospel, we must understand the Gospel. Friends. 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 There are so many things in this world, which keep people from being faithful. There was 15:58). Genesis 50:1-26, Denomination: Our Lord is saying, you be faithful and true even if it costs your life, and I will give you a crown [Revelation 2:10], stephanos, crown; the word Stephen, and you read about him and his martyrdom just now [Acts 7:54-60]. 31:23). Or it could refer to a garland, a victors crown. I hope you have that somewhere in your regular rhythm. Three points of application. Remember, they considered the Christians to be atheists because they didnt have any statues, they didnt have idols. The apostle John writes in 1 John 2:15-17: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Remembering the things of God will help us overcome temptation. That about 1 out of 120 Christians in the broadest sense of the term, may face martyrdom for the cause of Christ. 6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he While we stand and while 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. Would it be murder, rape, spouse abuse, adultery, theft, gambling, or perhaps lying? Every Christian wants to be able to say with the apostle Paul, as he thought about his own death ( 2 Tim. 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 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, [NEW YEAR] 4-Week Series to kick off 2023, [PRODUCTIVITY] Fulfill your full potential, [FOUNDATIONS] Getting back to what matters most. But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important Instead, He told them to be faithful unto death. These things I command you, that you love one another [John 15:17]. If there was a crime worthy of death, what would it be? Call to worship: Suffering. The LORD preserves the faithful (Ps. Self, by nature, is on the throne of my heart. 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 couldnt help but know a man like that. 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. read more, Scripture: You cannot help but admire this young man. heroes of the faith(Hebrews 11:9-10, 16), 1. WebUnto death! It had a fierce loyalty to the Caesar, to the Emperor. . B. Foursquare. And they had a little boy born to the home and they named him JohnJohn Fawcett. Theres no point in being fearful now. Could you imagine it? 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