read more, Scripture: Number two let us be faithful even in our limited kinds of persecution. Note: When doing a study on a book in the Bible you use a lot of resources. Not only that, but to receive from Jesus this comfort, its not simply the comfort of a really good friend who can put an arm around you or a counselor or a therapist or a pastor who can listen to you say and say, I feel so bad for you.. . Evil influences prevent people from being faithful. 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. Many people have is just the opposite. He was soon to dieto be rejected [Mark 10:32-34]. But if a man loves God, every day is a sweeter day, a triumphant day, and some day, a victorious day. Call to worship: Some put it much lower than that, if its actually killing you because you confess Christ, the higher number is if in some way the state has starvation or death or opposition to religious groups, including Christians. He comes with comfort, and notice He comes with commands. Job said, My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go (Job 27:6). Faith, trust, commitment brings God into our lives and into our scene; and faith knows absolutely nothing about defeat. Hezekiah held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments (2 Ki. 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 FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH 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. 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. 23127). False doctrine prevents people from being faithful. You have no picture of what actually that word describes at all in He was sad at that saying. The word is stugnaz. The love of your life is in money. 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. View all Sermons Faithful Unto Death Series Contributed by Allen James on Sep 29, 2011 (message contributor) (rate this sermon) | 6,507 views Scripture: Some of those Christians have been killed by other Christians. Well, we are all like that. Its a very human response to fear death. They are all doing it. Or whether we die or whether we live, we are with Him [1 Thessalonians 4:15-17]. Our However, when they entered Rahab's house, they found a woman who had already been touched by the Spirit and Why didnt the Lord say that to the family at Bethanyto Lazarus and Mary and Martha? FAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. But as long as I listen and bow before self, my life is shriveled and small. Faithfulness is full time until the end of time. B. EASTER SUNDAY 2014 SERMON Pentecostal. 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. 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.. But here God says dont be surprised, dont, when it comes, do not think God is against you. 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. self in my heart and enthrone the Lord Jesus, 1. No one is agathai but One, that is, God [Mark 10:18]. What youre about to suffer need not be fearful. ( Rev. Faithfulness. 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. Now even saying it that way can make us nervous, is this anti-Semitism? I dont look forward to it. Why didnt the Lord say that to Joseph of Arimathea, who is described in the Bible as a rich man? Romans 1:17, Denomination: 2:20). He comes with comfort. Oh, by the way, its while Jesus Christ was reigning as King forever. 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. And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways (Prov. 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. We dont want to make the mistake of saying that just because one worships three times a week every week he is faithful. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it. We see it here in this text its the second death. 1:6). But in particular it blames some of the Jews. Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown (Rev. Genesis 49 If God says anything, preacher, tell us what does God say? The weakness of men, universally, is to please one another. 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.. Will you be willing to be faithful when youre misunderstood as a Christian? Isaiah 38:1-8, James 1:2-4, 1 John 5:14-15, 1 Peter 3:12, Denomination: 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. I dont want it to come. Those who seem to be strong in the faith prove to not have been in the faith. Jesus knows. WebBe faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 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. 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. As your mind scans His life from the wilderness temptations to the last agonizing utterance from the cross, He is observed to be faithful. WebTo know Me is to have life! We must When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, 2014.04.20 HE AROSE and you can too! WebFAITHFUL EVEN UNTO DEATH II Kings 2:1-12 For the child of God, heaven is our ultimate destination. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. 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. We all love to be accepted. And Jesus will reign now and into eternity. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. Continuing with our series through the seven letters to the seven churches, this morning to the church in Smyrna. 5-12-03 General Washington needed information concerning the British troops. John spoke much about our love for the Lord and for one another. 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. 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]. We can remember the things of God. The church in Smyrna was a church of paradoxes. But why do you delay? I. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Denomination: I dont invite it. 3 attributes we find in Pauls heart: 1. As long as Christianity was a sect of Judaism, there was little trouble. In Jesus we pray. He knows the fear that you have. take up his cross, and follow Me. The cross is an instrument of death. The shears with rust are spoiled and yet. My fortieth year as a pastor still preaching the Word, V. A continuing living faith in Christ, A. The author of Hebrews had just finished writing about great men and women of faith-He wrote about how they obeyed God out of their faith. A sixth characteristic of the true disciple of Christ: a fervent love for the people of God. John 19:17-27. He was a friend of Ignatius and he was a mentor to Irenaeus. living faith, consumed with one desire to please Him(John 12:42-43), 1. In broad, open daylight where everyone could see, he knelt down before the Lord, the Prophet from Nazareth saying, Agathai didaskai [Mark 10:17]. Friends. God(John 8:31-32, 14:23-24), A. We all love to be praised. So we dont have to long for it and want it. . Come. 2 letter from Jesus to the church at Smyrna. It is a great vast city, today called Izmir. 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. Some of you will be thrown into prison for a time. The cross before me, the world behind me, [I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, attributed to S. Sundar Singh]. 3:11). Revelation 2:8-11, Denomination: The fourth characteristic, the fourth mark of a true disciple of our Lordone who continues unswervingly in the Word of God. Heres part of the story, the martyrdom of Polycarp. Ritual of piercing the ear of a slave who refuses to leave his master after Hebrews 9:24-27. today we want to focus our attention on John. They assume they will go to heaven. That means we are never turning back. 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 Say away with the atheist.. Remember? Title: The Face of Faithfulness: John If only everyone could live knowing deeply this one true fact. . Thats a great man, a marvelous man; thats Gods man. The real hero is not he who makes the fastest schedule but he who lasts the longest. This letter reported this man was certainly one of the elect. We dont have a little God. 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. Revelation 2:10, Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Theme: Show the faith of these two great patriarchs. The Pharisees did that (Matt. 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. Free Sermons and Sermon Outlines for Preaching : Three Important Looks Or Paul's Last Testimony. 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. False doctrine leads many astray. But from salvation to glory there are three vitally important And the world passeth away . Matthew 16:24-25: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. And yet, my God, keep me from turning back. They were human beings with faults just as we are; yet they accomplished much through their faith. One, starting with Nero, Christians were blamed for things in Rome and were being persecuted, at least intermittently. 2 Kings 2:1-12. Youre going to suffer. Wed be fooling ourselves to make any sort of comparison. 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. Come. For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person (Ps. They were hated, they were harassed, they faced the prospect of persecution and even death in this city of Smyrna. read more, Scripture: Dr. Matthew Everhard Truly, temptations----works of the devil challenge our daily thoughts and decisions. So you add them all up, and what? Every sabbatical, every seventh year, the slave in a Hebrew household was to be free. 3:14). This morning, we want to examine the biblical teachings concerning our faithfulness and call us to faithfulness to God. Pleasure leads many to neglect the Lord. Genesis and Revelation are two of the most disputed books in the Bible. We are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul (Heb. Picking things up after Polycarp has been arrested and hes being brought into the stadium in Smyrna. Now, before I speak of another, may I pause to avow; there is never, ever, a defeat, never in our commitment to our Lord. My Glorious Victor, Prince Divine, III. 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