Change Movement Sermons Series

FIDELITY
Rev. 2:8-10

Intro. It was the year 96 A.D.  Christians in Smyrna, a flourishing city of Asia Minor, were feeling great pressure from the local Jewish community.  Their enemies were rich and powerful.  They were poor and weak.  Privation, suffering, imprisonment loomed before each of them. 

I. John the apostle, himself  imprisoned on the rocky island of Patmos, wrote urging them to be faithful unto death!
A. These five words are easily spoken but not so easily obeyed.
B. Other voices urged them to abandon the faith or to compromise with their hostile neighbors.
1. This was the message of those who held the doctrine of Balaam (Rev. 2:14) and the teaching of Jezebel (2:20), in neighboring churches.
C. Among the Christians in Smyrna who hear the words of John's letter was a young Christian by the name of Polycarp.

II. Fast-forward to Feb. 23, 155 A. D.
A. As a huge crowd gathered for the public games in Smyrna, someone began to shout,
1. "Away with the atheists; find Polycarp"
B. The same Polycarp that had known John the Apostles in his youth was now 86 years old. 1. For many years he had served the church of Smyrna as preacher and one of their elders.
2. He knew the dangers that were swirling about him.
3. He could have fled, but he refused to do so.
4. He was staying with friends outside the city.
C. By torture, the authorities had forced a friendly servant to lead the officers to Polycarp.
D. He disarmed his adversaries by inviting them to dine...while he prayed.
E. Roughly, dragged the old man into town.
F. The bloodthirsty mob was ecstatic when they saw the object of their hatred in hand.
G. The officer in charge felt sorry for the aged Christian and urged him to compromise:
1."What harm is there in saying, ‘Caesar is Lord?'...to offer a pinch of incense, to save your life, He asked?
2. The old brother refused.

III. As he was led into the great sports arena, the crowd was exuberant; their hatred was at fever pitch.
A. When He was ordered to curse Christ or die, the faithful witness raise his voice so all could hear:
B. "Eighty and six years have I served him and he has done me no wrong.  How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"
C. The mob was outraged.  How dare he refuse to do their bidding!

IV. The cries for his death were deafening.
A. It was like a school of sharks frenzied at the smell of blood.
B. Jews broke their sacred Sabbath by rushing to bring wood for the immolation.
C. When the soldiers brought forth chains to fix him to the stake, Polycarp told them, they needed no chain.
D. As the flames consumed him, the heathen crowd roared their delight.
E. But God's hero was "faithful unto death!"
F. No one remembers the name of the officer, the president of the assembly or the notables in the crowd, but the world will always remember the name of Polycarp, the faithful
Christian.

V. May our credo always be that of the U. S. Marines:

A. "Semper Fidelis" "Always Faithful."

B. Faithful to Christ,
1. Our one ambition should be to "please him who enrolled (us) as a soldier" (II Tim. 2:4).

C. Be faithful to His holy Word,
1. It is the precious message of our Savior,
a. It is our only source of his teaching!
2. It is the standard by which we determine right from wrong.
3. It is our heaven-given pattern, intended for us to follow (II Tim. 1:13).
4. It will judge us in the last day (John 12:48).
5. When others are willing to cast aside or twist his Word, we must not only to loyal to it, we must contend for that faith once delivered (Jude 3).

D Be faithful to His sacred Church,
1. It cost Christ his life for the church to exist (Acts 20:28).
2. It is his beloved bride (Eph. 5:22-27,32).
3. It is unique, and without competition in his sight (Eph. 4:4).
4. It is the family of God's redeemed people (Acts 2:47; I Tim. 3:15).
5. If all others should follow the pied -pipers who wish to change the Lord's church, we must be faithful to her as long as breath is in our bodies.
E. Be faithful to your fellow-Christians.
1. We have a duty to every member of our spiritual family (Gal. 3:226-28)
2. They are God's children as well as our brethren, when we are true to them we are true to Jesus, when we neglect or betray them we do it unto him (Matt. 25:40).
3. We must be willing to bear one another's burden and help those who fall by the way (Gal. 6:1-2).

F. Be faithful to yourself.
1. The destiny of your soul is in your own hands.
2. The cruelest thing we could do to our self is to squander our eternal salvation and our home in heaven.
3. Like Paul, let us live before God in all good conscience, every day (Acts 23:1).

VI. The Glorious Promises Christ Extends to the Faithful (Rev. 2:10-11).
A. "I will give thee the crown of life"
B. Ye "shall not be hurt of the second death" (Rev. 2:11).
C. What more could a faithful servant ask of his loving, benevolent Leader?

Conclusion: "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season" Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing?" (Matt. 24:45-46). Will you be found faithful?