A Challenge to Faithfulness - Tony Evans Sermon

what does it look like can you leave your first leg it means that you have to find time for him when you have time for other things most folks will have to find time for for this show or that show because it's understood that when that time comes and that show is on I'm there the reason why we have to find time for God is because he's not first love he's when I get around to you love it has to do with priority he wants to know he's first that he has been relationally prioritized not just programmatically included first love is where there is a fire for him you and I are living in the midst of political chaos we're living in the midst of a divided society with a particular emphasis on the political divide the great concern is over that group of undecided voters God also has a problem with undecided Christians the Christians who who lay claim to him by name as long as everything is going well but who when the going gets tough you're not quite sure where they stand in fact they wind up looking like many politicians with their feet firmly planted in midair because their standards ambivalent and ambiguous and God has a major problem with part-time Christians who don't want to be full-time Saints who want to identify when it comes to a blessing but not when it comes to a struggle who want the benefits of heaven but not the trouble that heaven brings on earth John the Apostle writes to this second church the church at Smyrna in verse 8 Jesus says to the pastor the angel of the church the one who's going to deliver the message he says the first and the last the one who was dead and alive says this so I'm going to give the message but Jesus is doing the talking so if you get mad at what I'm getting raised say talk to Jesus leave me alone because he just told him to say what he was saying he identifies himself before he gets into the core of his message as the one who who is the first and the last that may not mean much to you until you understand where that phrase comes from because in Isaiah chapter 41 verse 4 and Isaiah chapter 44 verse 6 and in Isaiah chapter 48 verses 12 and 13 where you see the phrase the first and the last that phrase is used of Almighty God in fact in isaiah 40:8 12 and 13 he says i am the first and the last the God who created heavens and earth so in jesus christ declares himself in revelation 2 verse 8 to be the first of the last he's declaring himself to be God so he picks this Old Testament designation of God and applies it to himself now we know he's applying it to himself because he says I was dead and now I'm alive well god the father didn't die God the son died so in that little phrase Jesus speaks of both his deity and his humanity he's the first and the last he's got but he died so he's man one of the things you need to understand is Jesus never goes oops about what's happening to you he says I am fully aware that you're going through it because I'm God but I'm also fully aware of what it feels like cuz I man if you feel like you're dying I know what that feels like cuz I died I've been through all of the categories of trouble that any human being has been through as man even though I am simultaneously deity I know your trouble if you're hurting today he's aware of it and so he's got that dual reality of identification while transcending time and being involved in time now let me give you the first category of trouble these believers were facing this is Smyrna Smyrna was well known for something the mountains around Smyrna looked like a crown a crown that a king would wear they were shaped that way many of the buildings in Smyrna were built to reflect this mountain look of a crown the reason why death is a big deal if you lived in Smyrna it's because as a Roman colony they worship Caesar as Lord you had to recognize Caesar as God well these Christians had another declaration Jesus is Lord that created a conflict with the Roman government so they were going through the pressure and oppression of not yielding to the governmental authority when it claimed the rights of deity while everybody else was saying Caesar is Lord they were declaring know Jesus is Lord while we will recognize government and respect government we won't bow to government because Jesus and not Caesar is Lord that created a problem because once you rejected Caesar you are now an enemy of the state and as a result of that there was confiscation of property it says you are having trouble and you are poor now it's bad enough to have trouble but it's showing up bad when you have trouble and no money because you can't afford to cover up your misery see one of the uses of money is the high how messed up you feel you can spend money on entertainment you can spill money on parties you can spend money on this and that to help cover up the trouble tribulation that you may be going through well what they were facing in their declaration that Jesus is Lord was an impoverishment economically the loss of something financially because of their commitment to the risen ascended Christ and their unwillingness to compromise their declaration in front of Rome that you are not our God Jesus is our God so they were spiritually rich that's why he says in the next phrase you are rich you are rich because of your decision to be committed to me even though it's costing you a price tag he's talking about the recognition of Jesus Christ as Lord in the face of a rejecting government and let me explain this real clear we are getting to the place in America where if you publicly declare Jesus Christ is Lord not the Democrats not the Republicans not the Congress not the White House Jesus Christ is Lord and it is he that will make the final decisions for the church not the government we have set ourselves up for an attack that has already begun we're living in a day when there's little respect for our faith when religious freedom is in jeopardy and regardless of which party you for that's not my point my point is it ought to be clear and there ought to be no mistakes about it that our ultimate allegiance is not to Washington it's to the new king of kings and the Lord of lords [Applause] so I know the trouble you're facing I know that's you're on delicate territory now when you do not declare that Caesar is Lord second chronicles chapter 15 verses 3 to 6 it says in those days there was no true God no teaching priests no law there was no peace to him who went in peace to him who came out city rose up a king city and nation rose up against nation and then it says for God troubled them with every kind of distress now if God is your problem only God is your solution if God is your problem I don't care who you select kick me out your schools kick me out your courts kick me out you just gonna kick me out well I'm gonna let you see what your country looks like when I go [Applause] he says I know your trouble I know when you don't compromise at work you might not get that promotion I know when you don't compromise with your friends you might not get that recognition but that's the peace of your commitment you need to know about so that you're not shocked when it happens so that you don't know where that came from so they'll know you're trouble and I know there is a price tag to full commitment to me one reason that God allows suffering because he knows what's going on he says I know one reason he does it it's to Humble us 2nd Corinthians 12 verse 7 to Humble us in other words he he wants to he wants to deal with something in our character that we either actually or potentially are headed toward so he allows something in our lives Paul says God allowed a messenger of Satan a thorn in the flesh a thorn is something that pricks you that irritates you he calls it a messenger he had a person in his life who was driving him nuts an irritation and he says I prayed the God to get rid of it three times and God says I will not get rid of the irritation that I allow the devil to put in your life and the reason I'm not going to allow it is to Humble you so that you don't think more of yourself than you ought to think and he says my grace will be sufficient and in your weakness I'm gonna make you strong so God didn't let it go right then because he wanted to do something different in his life but if you don't know that that's one of the reasons God allow you to suffer or you gonna see all the pricks and not the purpose he does that to Humble us another reason he lets us when we're seeking to live for him is to use us second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 4 Paul says in our fliction we go and through stuff we trying to serve God love God please God walk with God and we are underneath affliction suffering he says God met us in our fliction watch this so that we would now be able to comfort others who are in the same affliction so god lets you go through stuff even though you're trying to please him and are publicly associated with him cuz he has somebody else down the line who's gonna be going through what you are now going through and he doesn't just want you to quote Bible verses he doesn't just want to say I'm a pray for you he wants you to feel what they feel and emote where they mount and because you've been where they been and he wants to use you experientially he says I want to use the comfort I give you in what I allowed you to go through he does it for another reason to grow us James chapter 1 verses 2 to 4 says the testings of your faith is to develop you he wants to take you to another level so there's purpose in the pain if you're seeking to live for him publicly oh here's one to deepen his reality in your life Washington it's called in Philippians 3:10 the Fellowship of his suffering fellowship means increased intimacy he says I know what you're going through I know you you're struggling right now but he says it's even worse than that I know verse 9 the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan oh wait man he started with the secular world now he says you get in trouble from the religious world synagogue that's place worship these were the Jews who rejected Christ who are now persecuting the Christians these are church folk who reject you because you've taken your stand for Jesus Christ because just cuz they in church don't mean they right just cuz they in church carrying a Bible under their arm cuz these Jews were kind of the Old Testament just cuz they kind of Bible under their arm doesn't mean that committed he goes on to say oh I like this do not feel why he dumb did not fit cuz he said get ready get worse Oh see see I lost my amens right there get ready it worse he says do not fear what you are about to suffer and they already told him you're suffering he says well something else coming he says behold the devil is about to cast some of you in prison so that you will be tested and you will have tribulation for 10 days he said so some of y'all are going to jail in fact some of you here may feel like you're in jail a circumstance you can't get out of a suffering you can't get away from and you feel like I am in prison they said it's gonna get worse and then he tells you but don't feel don't feel well women I'm already struggling you're telling me if I keep my public identity with you it's gonna get worse and then you tell me don't be scared come on he says don't be afraid because you will undergo some trouble for ten days in other words I got my hand on the clock I'm gonna allow it but I'm also gonna determine when it's going in if God says in 10 days it's gonna be over you want to make sure you've done but at 10 days I'm jerking that sucker back cuz he's not just the devil he's my devil and I use him as I please if you don't believe me ask Joel he's my depth I tell him how far he can go and how far he can't go and how long he can stay there because I am the sovereign God and I am in charge so you make sure you are identified with me this is not a time for weak me Christians this is not a day for silly Saints this is a day for men and women who name the name of Jesus Christ to name the name of Jesus Christ and do not very safe so here's the deal if you're going to go through down time suffering times tribulation times for following Christ the key thing you gonna need to know is he's there see that see that's the key thing even if the circumstance hasn't changed you need to know he in the vicinity you need to know that Mister Rogers is in the neighborhood you need to know that God is right there when you're going through it so what do you want what do you want from your Lord here he tells you the end of verse 10 I want you to be faithful unto death that's the message I want you if you're going to be an overcomer to be faithful until the end until this life is over I want you to go all the way for me faithfulness is dependability regardless of circumstances it says be faithful unto death and your commitment to me and your living underneath my lordship and if you do I will give you verse 10 says the crown of life I will give you a crown you know a privileged position I'm gonna give you the recognition i'ma give you the notoriety that it looks like you gave up because of your commitment to me I'm gonna give you the crown of life and he closes by saying he who has an ear let him hear okay everybody who's paying attention this morning what the Spirit says to the churches and then he speaks to you as an individual he who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death now that is a curious that is a curious phrase he who overcomes what did he mean by overcoming he who overcomes the temptation to abandon your confession during tough times he who overcomes the temptation to walk away because things have gotten rough because of your faith the overcomers will not be hurt by the second death now the reason why that's a curious phrase is that the second death refers to hell Pappas's hell's cast into the lake of fire and that is the second so that's hell but wait a minute he's talking to Christians here these are believers who's suffering so they're not going hell they go in heaven so why would he tell believers if you are an overcomer not just a Christian but you overcome the temptation of not being faithful in the midst of tribulation you will not be hurt by something that has absolutely nothing to do with you because the second death is Helen just not where you going so it's an irrelevant topic let me say it another way don't let folk second death who are going to hell keep you from getting your reward [Music] don't let folk who not on their way to heaven keep you from getting all that heaven has for you cuz you were more committed to them who can do nothing for you ultimately then you were committed to me don't let the second death hell bound folk keep you from maximizing heaven's opportunity don't let those sinners mess you up don't let those sinners take away your reward don't let those sinners destroy your fellowship with me don't let folk who are going down keep you from maximizing going up don't let them do that your commitment must be to me and when you fail Dustoff confess repent get up and go on the road to faithfulness don't throw in the towel don't quit and if we are not developing those kinds of christians of the church we failed because our job isn't half church job is to create disciples who who are not ashamed to say jesus christ is lord like Paul I am not ashamed of the gospel it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes you do it lovely you do it appropriately you do it wisely but you do it clearly so you don't quit if you're going through a tough time and you're living for Christ if you're not living for Christ that's a whole different story that's getting right but if you if you have made the decision I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back no turning back you've made it known [Music] we all love consistency we love people we can depend on we love products we can depend on we love consistent weather that we could depend on we love consistency well God has a consistency word in Scripture it's called faithfulness God is faithful His mercies are new every day because he's dependable you know we can only exist on planet earth because it keeps rotating on its axis at the perfect speed necessary for us not to be thrown off but for us to be able to exist the son is faithful even on a cloudy day we still have day and night don't we because of its consistency God wants consistency from his people he wants us to be faithful dependable followers of Jesus Christ now I know like you who me us we're imperfect people and so we do get inconsistent but that's when we need to recognize how much God values consistency and get back in sync where we've gotten out of alignment with being faithful followers of our Lord so let's make a decision not just to be Christians but to be faithful followers and that means being a disciple you want to wake up every day like Luke 9:23 says every day you get up and you say Lord I want to follow you today I want to be a consistent follower of our Lord Jesus Christ God you will see well hi leave a favor and highly value your faithfulness [Music] [Music] you [Music] you

Channel: Tony Evans

Views: 69,924

Rating: 4.8669624 out of 5

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Id: Jb8lroBUmXU

Length: 27min 42sec (1662 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 24 2020