FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
By George W. Sinquefield
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By George W. Sinquefield
Revelation 2:8 through Revelation 2:10 (KJV)
8And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10Fear 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.
Erwin L. McDonald tells the story of The Heart Warmer. "A friend of mine who works for a used car dealer spends half his time starting cars that are not going anywhere. Every car on the lot must be started every day or two to keep the battery charged and the car in operating condition. With the exception of an occasional sale or trial run, the cars continue to stand in their tracks on the lot day after day. One car had not been off the lot for nearly a year, but he continued to start it and run the motor at regular intervals. There is always the hope that somebody will buy it and put it on the road."
He continues by saying that the pastor has a lot in common with the man on the used car lot. He spends a big part of his time warming the hears of people who are not going anywhere so far as spiritual growth and service are concerned. I am convinced that if we are faithful during this hear, we'll not only have our hearts warmed but we'll go somewhere.
So many passages of scripture tell us that God, our Heavenly Father is a faithful God. He is trustworthy. He will be true to His people and He will keep every promise He has made.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (KJV)
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV)
2 Timothy 2:13 (KJV)
I like the way the Living Bible puts it, "Even when we are too weak to have any faith left, He remains faithful to us and will help us for He cannot disown us who are part of Himself and He will always carry out His promises to us."
Of all the marvelous attributes of God, His faithfulness is without doubt the most assuring, the most comforting, the most strengthening. To know that God is always faithful at all times, and in all circumstances and conditions, is like the softest pillow for the head of the weary pilgrim. It is like precious balm for all who are wounded. It is release for all who are burdened; a stimulant for all who are sick; a support for all who are stumbling; spiritual strength for all who are weak. He is our faithful God. We are compelled to hang our heads in shame when we think of our own unfaithfulness. But God is never unfaithful. We often fail. GOD CANNOT FAIL. He is at all times dependable, reliable, responsible, trustworthy.
Unfaithfulness is one of the most outstanding sins of these evil days. In the business world a man's word is with exceedingly rare exceptions, no longer his bond. In the social world marital infidelity abounds on every hand, the sacred bonds of wedlock being broken with as little regard as the discarding of an old garment. In the ecclesiastical realm, thousands who have solemnly covenanted to preach the truth make no scruple to attach and deny it. How refreshing then, how unspeakably blessed to lift our eyes above this scene of ruin and behold One who is faithful, faithful in all things, faithful at all times.
God is faithful and He calls upon his people to be the same to be people He can depend upon to follow his leading. Hear him -- "Be thou faithful. Be thou faithful."
Some areas in which we should be faithful are as follows.
I. Faithful In Attendance
"Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together." (Hebrews 10:25)
"Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near." (The Living Bible)
I am very grateful to be able to say this. If some of you are not in the service, I know you have a good reason for you just do not miss being here. May God help us to be that way in 2003.
A missionary tells of a young man by the name of Kombo. His parents were both dead and he could not walk. But every Sunday and during the week he crawls to church on his hands and knees. He never complains and he always has a radiant smile. Often I have thought, as have watched him crawl along the road of those Christians who live so near our churches in America, and they have two good legs, and yet they never seem to find time for the Lord's work.
A faithful member of a church tells of his experience. His little girl had given her heart to Jesus. She loved the church and wanted so much for him to attend. She begged and begged him to go but he wouldn't. One day she was taken sick and died. After the funeral a friend went by the house and he said with a broken heart,"She begged me to go to church but I would not. But she got me to go today. I would to God that I had gone before."
II. Faithful In His Service
Some will start today with good intentions, resolved to be faithful in his service during the year but will fall by the wayside long before the year ends.
An employer said, "I never lack beginners in my office or factory but the supply of completers is never equal to the demand."
Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round -- remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.
One has said, "God will forgive those who start late in life but He will not forgive those who quit early." We know He will -- He'll forgive the backsliders when they rededicate themselves and ask for forgiveness. The temptation comes to give up, to do less, doesn't it. We feel like the one who wrote these words. "I want to let go but I won't leg go. There are battles to fight by day and by night for God and the right, and I'll never let go. I want to let go, but I won't let go, I'm sick tis true. Worried and blue and worn through and through. But i won't let go. I want to let go but I won't let go. I will never yield. What, lie down on the field and surrender my shield? No, I'll never let go. I want to let go but I won't let go. May this be my song mid legions of wrong. O, God, keep me strong that i may never let go. Preacher, are you discouraged? Are you ready to throw in the towel? Don't give up. Look up! Don't turn loose. Hold on! Don't peter out. Preach on!"
Opportunities for service are plentiful. A boy was just beginning to hunt and was told to shoot quails flying if he couldn't find them setting still. he returned with no fruit -- no quails. He explained why he didn't shoot any, because just as he would get sight on one another one would fly right in the way.
III. Faithful In Using Our God-given Talents
The Bible tells us that God has given everyone of his people some talent -- the ability to do something.
Romans 12:4 through Romans 12:8 (KJV)
A group of animals decided they needed to expand their gifts. They set up a curriculum that required everyone to master the activities of running, hopping, jumping, flying and swimming. The group consisted of a rabbit, a squirrel, an eagle, a turtle, and a duck. The experiment was a disaster. The rabbit, an expert at hopping, spent so much time in the area in which he was deficient -- swimming, climbing and flying, that he almost forgot how to hop. The eagle, a superb flyer, go water logged and nearly drowned trying to swim. The squirrel, a superior climber, soon discovered to his sorrow that flying wasn't for him. The turtle, an excellent swimmer, was a miserable failure in a jumping contest. The duck looked absurd trying to climb a tree. They all discovered that it was far better for each of them to use the gift he had, rather than trying to develop a gift they were never intended to have. We may covet someone else's gift but the Lord expects us to use only the gift He gave us.
IV. Faithful In Prayer
Matthew 7:7 through Matthew 7:11 (KJV)
James 4:2 (KJV)
Oh, the blessing God had in store for us during this past year, blessing we did not receive because we did not ask for them.
Philippians 4:6 (KJV)
James 5:16 (KJV)
When Christians give themselves to real earnest, passionate prayer, we can always expect an upheaval. You get a church on its knees before God, with a God pledged to answer prayer, something is bound to happen. Churches are shaken out of their lethargy, dead souls are aroused from their sleep, Hell's foundations are made to tremble when Christians pray.
The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity in any church. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure, and disappointment, let the whole church answer God's standing challenge, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!" -- J. Hudson Taylor
Dr. James P. Wesbury said, "I am just old fashioned enough to believe that if Abraham's prayers saved Lot, Moses' prayers brought manna from heaven and water out of a dry rock, Joseph's prayers became altar stairs to a throne in Egypt, Joshua prayed his way into the promised land, Elisha prayed and God spared the widow's son, Isaiah's prayers stayed Judah's downfall, Daniel prayed and God closed the mouths of hungry lions, The three Hebrew children prayed their way through a fiery furnace, Jonah prayed and God spared Ninevah, Hannah prayed Israel's greatest judge into existence, Hezekial prayed and God added 15 years to his life, Solomon prayed and became one of the wisest men who ever lived, Peter prayed and became a rock, John prayed and saw the windows of heaven open, the dying thief prayed his way into paradise, Stephen prayed and was the glory of God, The deciples prayed and Pentecost came and 3000 were saved, Paul and Silas prayed their way out of jail, Jesus, my Lord and Savior thought prayer to be so important that He often spent all night in prayer, then I repeat, I am old fashioned enough to believe with all my heart that there is power in prayer."
V. Faithful In Witnessing To The Lost
Matthew 16:15 (KJV)
Vance Hauner said, "It is not our responsibility to make the message acceptable but it is our responsibility to make it available."
A newspaper story recorded the grim incident of a police officer shot and killed in line of duty. His great desire was to see his family's backyard completely landscaped, a desire he never saw fulfilled. Some of his fellow officers, who had grown to love him, gave of their time and money to complete the work. Because it was his desire, it became the desire of his friends. Jesus loved the lost, gave his life for them. What He loved, we should love. Jesus wanted them saved, we should want the same. Jesus left his work unfinished to get the gospel to all the world, we are called to complete the work which He began.
Notice in our text, Revelation 2:10, "Be thou faithful unto death." Now it doesn't say, "until death" but "unto death." Be faithful even though it may cost you your life.
Early Sunday morning October 30, 1983, a Mercedes truck laden with two thousand pounds of dynamite rolled past security barricades and crashed into the lobby of the headquarters of the Eighth Marine Battalion in Beirut, Lebanon. Seconds later the terrorist driver ignited the explosives and the building collapsed. Two hundred twenty-nine Marines died and eighty-one other were wounded. During a press conference that followed an investigation of the tragic incident, a reporter asked a general from the Pentagon how one man could get past such tight security and cause so much damage. The general replied, "In spite of our defensive weapons, it still is virtually impossible to stop those who are willing to die for what they believe."
Timothy Stagpole was a fire fighter in New York City. Several months before September 11 he had been severely burned. He had rushed into a building and had been crushed by a large beam. They dragged him out and were able to resuscitate him. He began many months of rehabilitation, skin grafting and surgeries.
Finally, the day came in August of 2001 when Timothy Stagpole came before his superior officers. He was about ready to be recommissioned. He was ready to get back onto the front lines. His superior officers said, "Look, Tim, you don't need to go back into active duty. You've suffered more than enough injuries to have a complete retirement. If you don't want to retire, we can give you some kind of a desk job." They did their best to try to discourage him from going back into active duty.
Finally, after hearing their case, Timothy Stagpole stood in front of his captain and other superior officers and said, "Men, I appreciate what you're saying today, but I must go back. It's my calling." And go back he did. His first day back was September 11. And his first call was Trade Tower Number Two. Timothy Stagpole was one of the first to give his life on that day.
"Be thou faithful unto death."
24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?