To
Judge Ourselves
Part
3 – Admonish: Perseverance
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
We
spent the last year looking at what the Book of Acts had to say about the
founding, operation and behavior that the Lord expects from us as individuals,
and as a church, or congregation of believers.
We
then spent a few weeks looking at the letters that Jesus sent to the seven
churches in Revelation, telling them where they were going right, and wrong, as
well as what the punishments and rewards would be.
A
few weeks ago, I took all of those letters, and compiled them into one letter
from the Lord, to us.
Our
new series will take a look at each of the points Jesus made in that letter,
and we will not only examine our church as a whole, but ourselves as
individuals.
2 Corinthians 13:5
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are
in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness."
2 Peter 2:4-10 "For if God did
not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell[a] and committed them to
chains of
gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if
he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a
herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the
world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of
Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an
example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;[c] 7 and if he rescued
righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for
as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his
righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to
rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of
judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge[e] in the lust of
defiling passion and despise authority."
We
have already looked at Jesus speaking to us about hard work, not tolerating
wicked people, and test those who claim to be apostles, but are nothing more
than false prophets.
This
week we will look at Persevering and enduring hardships for His name, and not
growing weary.
SCRIPTURE
REFERENCE
Revelation 2:3
I.
YOU HAVE PERSEVERED
a. (LIT) "...and thou didst bear, and hast endurance,
and because of my name hast toiled, and hast not been weary."
b. (KJ) uses the word
borne, meaning to bear, or bearing, a direction.
i.
They had set a course, and
did not deviate from that course.
ii.
Daniel 1:8a "...Daniel determined
not to defile himself..."
iii.
2 Corinthians 9:7 "Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not
grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."
iv.
We too, need to set a course
(determined in our heart), and do not deviate from that course.
c. What is that
course?
i.
The Lord has just told the
church that they were working hard for the Lord, and did not tolerate people
who deviated from His doctrines.
ii.
The course then, is working
hard at teaching the true doctrine of Christ, found in scripture, not allowing
false doctrines or false prophets or teachers to dilute or confound the truth.
iii.
Doing this, will undoubtedly,
bring the wrath of those who hold strong to false doctrines and teachings,
thus, Christ's statement in Revelation
2:3 "you have persevered and
have endured hardships for my name..."
d. The "church" was told to do as much in the Great Commission of
Christ.
i.
Matthew
28:18-20 "Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Therefore go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I
am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”
ii.
So the church is supposed to;
1.
Share the Gospel of Salvation with EVERYONE
2.
Baptize them into the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
a.
10 Commandments
b.
Substitution Sacrifice
c.
Operations of Holy Spirit (i.e. fruits, gifts, armor of God)
3.
Teach them to obey EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU
a.
i.e. True Doctrine of Jesus
b.
not denominational teachings
c.
not "other writings", such as the Book of Mormon,
not from a Pope sitting in the cathedra (chair of Peter)...but Doctrines of
Christ.
d.
Not "traditions" taught either by a denomination or
system of belief that is not scriptural.
i.
such as
drinking strychnine or dancing with snakes simply because the scripture says, Mark
16:18 "they will pick up snakes with their
hands; and if they drink deadly poison,
it will not hurt them at all..."
ii.
"pick up snakes" is a reference to putting away demon spirits (Luke 10:19), and has NOTHING to do
with reptiles.
iii.
The rest
of the scripture in Mark refers to protection; in no way does it speak of
purposely drinking poison, etc., in order to prove ones faith; the word
"if," speaks of accidental ingestion.
iv.
This
behavior, as well as some others mentioned, were NOT taught by Jesus as
doctrine.
II. ENDURED HARDSHIPS
FOR MY NAME
a. (KJ) uses the word
Patience. They endured hardships
i.
They had patience, because it
is a "fruit" of having the Spirit of God!
ii.
Galatians 5:22
iii.
If you lack patience in hard
times, or any of the other fruits of the Spirit...you may be allowing something
in your life that is quenching the Holy Spirit from working. Perhaps a sin that
has not been dealt with, or other roadblock that is preventing the Spirit of
God from producing good fruit in your life.
b. These hardships
were because of the name of Christ
i.
(LIT) "...because of my name, have toiled."
ii.
This refers to the fact that
when you live by the Doctrines of Jesus, refusing to accept false doctrines and
teachings, others will cause you grief.
c. They continued to
believe when things were not going well
i.
The test of where ones heart
truly is.
1. Abraham - Trusted God to start a new nation
2. Daniel - Trusted God when in the Lion's Den
3. Sinking sand - Turmoil, trials and tribulation will reveal if you are
founded on the doctrines of Jesus Christ (The Rock), or on false
teachings...which is nothing more than sinking sand.
d. Patience and
longsuffering
i.
Can be achieved through the
Holy Spirit's fruit produced in faithful, trusting believers who adhere to
Christ's Doctrines, forsaking false teachings.
e. Are you/Do you,
continue to believe when things are bad?
III. HAVE NOT GROWN
WEARY
a. Not only to believe
when things are bad, but do not give up!
b. (KJ) "...for my name sake, have labored and not
fainted."
i.
They were diligent in their
efforts
ii.
and would not quit
c. Do you labor for
His name?
i.
Works, doing, Word written
upon your arms
1. Great commission
ii.
Are you diligent in your
efforts?
iii.
Never giving up?
d. Or, are you quick
to quit?
i.
Your heart is not in it
CONCLUSION
So the Church is
supposed to;
1. Share the Gospel of Salvation with EVERYONE
2. Baptize them into the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
a. 10 Commandments (why they need Jesus)
b. Substitution Sacrifice (what Jesus did for them)
c. Operations of Holy Spirit (what children of God then
receive... fruits, gifts, armor of God)
3. Teach them to
obey EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU
a. i.e. True Doctrine of Jesus
Do not
grow weary when others turn against the true Doctrines of Christ, rather, set a
course on the TRUTH, and do not deviate from it.
Want to learn more about Salvation and Getting Saved? CLICK
HERE!
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