Extreme Faithfulness R1337

Welcome to Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton will take things to extremes to the message is all about extreme faithful busy as the Kurds ignored Dr. Don Wilton well-known author and evangelist today as he takes us to be extremes.

What's going on in your life.

It needs to be Erica, you realize that there is commitment. There is an extreme commitment and I think we think about that in the sense of extreme sports or over-the-top living.

The reality is faithfulness is a bedrock we are to be truly faith faithful first and foremost to God and then faithful to his command to love those around us to love our neighbor will dive into this extreme faithfulness in just a moment to know this.

We stand ready to connect with you 24 hours a day@866899wordandonlinetheencouragingword.org now today seizing the doctor will and I'm about to show you that God wants us to know something he wants to know that if you want to know if the Lord Jesus is about to come again. Just take a look at what's happening to the church and in the church.

There are two things to be very quick signs of the times everybody listening in the Olivet discourse when Jesus spoke about the signs of the times, let us know. Nobody knows. He talked about the signs of the times when he does will get to that at some time there a lot of signs the economy countries earthquakes, wars and rumors of wars, one could go on these signs continue all the way through the seven year tribulation. The signs of the times. Pre-seed, the second coming of Jesus the second coming of Jesus is when Jesus comes from heaven and lands back on earth. That's the second coming of Jesus.

The signs of the times continued right through the tribulation. All the things that God speaks about concerning signs of the times earthquakes catastrophes his creation that groans those things continued right through the book of Revelation right up until the end of chapter 19 and Jesus comes heaven "Jesus comes accompanied by old believers back to this earth, and he never leaves again battle of Armageddon follows that, then he goes back to Jerusalem sets up the thousand year reign followed by the great white throne judgment.

Revelation chapter 21 then the new heaven and the new earth weight God himself comes down out of heaven to join Jesus Christ the son, and says from now on I'm going to make my dwelling place among men among mankind on the earth. But first Thessalonians chapter 4 and first Corinthians 15 in Revelation chapter 4 speaks about the time when Jesus will come in the clouds. He's not coming back to this earth. Those who are alive and remain will be caught up will join all those whom we love who already in the presence of the Lord and that might include all of us as we don't know exactly when that time is so what precedes the coming of Jesus in the clouds.

The church, the condition of the church what's going on in the church what's being done against the church. That's the latest to the seven churches which are in Asia and I say all of this to say that there is extreme faithfulness and what Jesus wants us to know is that if you want to understand the times in which we live. Just take a good look at the among many other things, the extreme faithfulness of many people who love the Lord who comprise the church, even in the middle of persecution and suffering remain true to him and God gives to us a check in Revelation chapter 2 and I want to read to just a few verses in the beginning of verse eight of Revelation chapter 2 and I want to say to you again that this is a great, great prophecy that comes from the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. We got a picture here of this church. The church at Smyrna. By the way the word the is literally borrowed from a sweet smelling fragrance, a sweet smelling fragrance that's the word Smyrna and it's it's it's by no accident that Smyrna was a church. Evidently in Asia minor that found itself in the midst of greater and greater persecution and suffering. This was a church that was situated in the middle of massive Emperor and pagan worship that was surrounded by a people that had absolutely no time for God. These people found themselves in a situation where the cross was intense.

They found themselves in a world in which political correct was far more important than biblical authority and bowing down before the one true God. They found themselves in a situation here where accommodation of the world was the order of the day and in the midst of the Lord Jesus is, I want you to know that just before I come back in the cloud you are going to discover that the church will find itself in a situation not unlike the church at Smyrna. Let's read the site and to the angel of the church in Smyrna write the words of the first Amber lost who died and who came to life. So I'm going to just Oscar questions. So who do you suppose is saying these things, who alone is the first and the lost sovereign is God, to what extent beloved congregation is God. Our only authority who has the final word about life, about day about where we came from about where we going and above all, how we come to know him, the angel of the church in Smyrna write the words of the first on the lost who died and who came to live. I said, the Lord your God. I know your tribulation and your poverty but in your poverty, you are rich, and I also know this salon, by the way, that word there is blasphemy. I know God sees. I know blasphemy of those who surround you say they are Jews, but in reality all members of the synagogue of Satan that you claim to be a Christian people living in a Christian country but I don't believe you do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you might be tested in 14 days you will have tribulation for me just possible, and I'm not trying to give you a great exposé on eschatology here, but the word 10 days they they many different opinions on the bottom line what you need to know is that what Jesus wants us to know is that these things will only lost for a short while. He says she'll be faithful and today and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Stop looking to the White House for your ounces. Just look at the church.

If you want to know what I think. If you want to know where you are. If you want to know if I'm about to come back. Just look at yourselves. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second day and if you want to read about the second date. You have to go to Revelation chapter 20 because the second is that from which all believers are exempt.

You can never suffer the second day because if you giving your life to Christ, you are born twice and you're only going to die once, forgive the eruption will be back in just a moment with the conclusion of today's message extreme faithfulness.

But as Doc was talking about the sense of knowing that once you giving your life to Christ.

Even as we face the judgment seat the end of time. We don't do that in fear because that's taken care of. I pray that you understand and and have a sense of peace about that in your life if you don't, let's talk about let's put some resources in your hands that some of us are our study years. We have some questions so we got answers that we can develop in everything from books to messages. Just know that we stand ready with resources both online@theencouragingword.org that's the encouraging words.org and also connecting right now at 866899 word without a resurgence of funds that you know I'm tired of texting and typing an email and let's talk we can do that.

We love to talk and pray with you right now 866-899-WORD 9673 and also connect with great resources like this, even though the world is becoming increasingly challenging place to live as a Christian, Jesus's sacrifice on the cross remains a message of hope for everyone discover a deeper understanding and appreciation for our Savior's death on the cross and Dr. Milton's powerful sermon cross along with the bonus book the cross of Jesus by Maureen W. Weir speech which explores the entire crucifixion in detail. These powerful resources are yours with your gift of support Encouraging Word. Thank you for listening today.

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You could never suffer the second because if you giving your life to Christ, you are born twice and you're only going to die once your born of your mother, one born of the Spirit number two and you're only going to suffer the physical day, but you can never die a second time, which is the spiritual, but if you don't know Jesus Christ you will suffer the second date because all believers are born only once, but I gonna die twice born to the mother and father. All unbelievers will die physically, but the Bible says that the wages of sin is by will suffer the second day, which is spiritual consummate is that right here in this picture. We've got a picture of a persecuted and a suffering church and by the way, the same happens to the church at Philadelphia later on in chapter 3, and out of the seven churches. There are two churches that Jesus singles out and commends them for their youthfulness only to the church at Smyrna in the church at Philadelphia personnel on the field in the Middle East sent reports back to the United States about the onslaught of ISIS.

All of us know what's going on with ISIS. They recently murdered another young Croatian man in the tactics that they are using all horrendous horrendous and we have a government that has no strategy whatsoever that thinks that you're dealing with the horrendous barbarism of people like this by parlaying at a table somehow at this evil that is beginning to grip the world and in the midst of all this, the people who all at the focal point of the persecution of ISIS are Christians and we are getting reports back in all of us are familiar of what happened in court.

Bonnie in northern Surrey on the border of Turkey has ISIS troops began to approach and the Christians knew that they were going to lose their lives and they were occasions and one particular occasion where a father gathered his sons and he's daughters. He's children together in their home and he said my little children and my wife. I want you to know that in just a moment, that door is going to be broken down in a group of men are going to walk in here they going to be carrying black flags going to be carrying instruments of war and swords and weapons in my little children they going to look at you and they going to say to you, do you believe in Jesus Christ, his what I want you to say to them. I want you to tell them the truth, and then it will hurt a little bit and then were all going to be in heaven together this somewhat of a picture. Yes, I know that that's radical. I understand that I now know that that's happening over there and it'll never happen here but Jesus had something to say and you know as I began to study this passage I just tossed myself a very simple crate Austin Lord help me to understand this and what the Lord spoke to me about by his spirit was if you want to understand this. Just take a hard look at how Jesus spoke to this church. So I did. It is so, how did Jesus spoke speak to this church that morning.

He spoke to them authoritatively. He said I am exactly who say that I am.

These are the words of the first of the lost. The only one who died and who came to life.

You see the problem we face today in America today is very simple, from whence cometh our authority who is truth what is truth is relative. Do you know that they were all denominations of churches in America splitting left and right, and the issue is over the question of the authority of God and his word. Do we believe what God has to say because he's God.

Is he in fact, the great I am is Jesus Christ the son of God is he God did he in fact give his life did he mean what he said and in fact do we need to believe this word from Genesis to Revelation. I want you to knowledgeable pasta.

The day I affirm God's word as the only authority for everything in life, from Genesis to Revelation. So Jesus have to say to this church.

He spoke to them authoritatively and by the way I love this because this speaks to me of prayer. Listen folks, when you talk about what happened at Smyrna. We put a picture here of the way in which God speaks to us. Prayer is not just about speaking to our heavenly father.

It's more about how he speaks to us. It's a conversation.

He spoke to them authoritatively, but he also spoke to them knowingly look at verse nine. The Bible yes is this. I know your tribulation and your poverty. Did you know by the way, that the Lord Jesus loves you so much that he knows everything about you see we when we go through difficult times, and particularly suffering and persecution.

Sometimes you feel very isolated and alone. I want to say a word to someone today listening you hurting right now to not learn.

God knows I've always loved that statement. You know that he knows us so well that even the very hairs upon our hands are numbered in his presence now with some of you may. And that's not very impressive on the buddy note he knows even the root of every one of those wherever it is they went. Some of you are looking at me shining like the sun right now. He spoke to them knowingly was a group of believers who were because of Emperor worship.

These were people who increasingly if I did not the line they ostracized it begin to agree with the company policy of damnation if they begin to withdrawal stuff from the stores agreed that they would no longer do things that weren't in line with whatever it is that the Emperor decided to them that they would lose their businesses. They knew that they would boycott the bottom line would be ripped from under their feet and yet the Bible tells us that Jesus spoke to them knowingly. He said I know these were people who face the slaughter of wolves in sheep's clothing, carrying Smyrna we have the classic case of the synagogue being trite by a group of people who claim that they were of the Jewish religion. And yet, as Jesus said they were members of the synagogue of Satan.

I sound a warning to the church in America today.

I believe that increasing me during these days, wolves in sheep's clothing all done up in the trite, the church of the living God.

Are you kidding me folks you really think the downfall of America is taking place from outside in, or from inside out you really think Russia is our biggest threat or China, or ISIS. When our people from within the heart about great Republic codifying the very heart and name and the holiness and the righteousness of Almighty God in heaven from within.

We begun to police each other to make certain that we do not carry our Christian faith to fall and all across America today, there are churches who claim that the greatest means by which they will reach the outside is that the inside increasingly would look more and more like the outside, he spoke to them knowingly, but he also spoke to them constructively in verse 10.

If he spoke to them authoritatively as Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the son of the living God, the one by the power of God was raised from the dead.

He spoke to them knowingly because he knows everything and he also spoke to them, instruct Lee in verse 10, he said, do not fear the things that you face all yeah these people at Smyrna.

If you go back and do your studies in history. They refused to bow down to the Emperor worship that refuse to participate in the paganism that so easily. The second thing that refuse to back down and walked down the basic tenets and foundations of the Christian faith and so he spoke to them constructively. He said you are a precious, faithful people I'm with you. Do not fear, but then he spoke to them encouragingly. I love this.

In the second part of verse 10. He said I want you to know that you must just be faithful because that's who you all do not fear what you are about to suffer.

Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison, so that you may be tested, by the way the testing of your faith strengthens your faith.

That's what he saying and it will be short-lived. Be faithful unto death, even I want to encourage you.

Where would we be without knowing Christ. He spoke to them encouragingly, but finally he spoke to them. Redemptive said the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second day he pointed to his sacrifice on the cross he said excuse me believers. All of this.

It's just about me because I am who I am and I gave my life for you. I went to the cross for you. When I went to the cross I took upon myself the sin of the world. My dear friend Emily is from China and Karen. I was sitting with her yesterday talking to about believers baptism, then we have a wonderful time. Emily and I was explaining things to her and one of the things that I was explaining to Emily was how the Queen Jesus when to the cross that he took upon himself the sin of the world and he died.

He's the first and the lost is the beginning and the end is the great I am, and with them died all our sin. It was put to death. Jesus put today Allison. He he paid the penalty for us, but he didn't stay there. God by his power raised Jesus from the dead, and when he was raised. He didn't come back to life, bringing with him or Allison so that now when you are not put our faith and trust in Jesus, we accept and receive what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross, the wage of our sin that has been put today and when we put our faith and trust in Jesus.

That's how we are forgiven completely.

Some of you are spending a lot of time wondering about what you going to do about all those sins. If you given your life to Christ they been put to death in Christ.

They all know more. That's the gospel.

He spoke to them. Redemptive leak he said to them, listen, I want to know you received life because I live and in no matter what no matter where no matter who I just want to remind you that you belong to me. So my question to you today. Do you know Jesus said you given your life to him.

Do you know him and trust in the Lord Jesus.

If you've not given your life to him. You can do it right now just by opening your heart and say yes Jesus I realize that my sin has separated me from you so I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died on the cross of Calvary for my sins, save me.

In Jesus name I pray, we would love to speak more with you, put some great free resources in your hands, whether it be this unique first-time decision. Or perhaps it's time for you to come home to Christ know that were ready to meet you 866-899-WORD or online@theencouragingword.org