NOW, OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES, SMYRNA AND PHILADELPHIA ARE THE ONLY TWO, THAT JESUS DOESN’T SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT. IN THOSE DAYS, PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN ASIA MINOR, HAD TO BELONG TO A LABOR UNION, TO GET WORK, AND TO BELONG TO A LABOR UNION, YOU HAD TO BURN INCENSE AND BOW BEFORE THE GOD OF THAT LABOR GUILD, EVERY YEAR, BUT MANY OF THESE CHRISTIANS SAID, “NO! WE’RE NOT GOING TO BOW OUR KNEE BEFORE ANYBODY BUT JESUS.”
K. TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE WAS THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN NORTH AFRICA ABOUT 200 YEARS AFTER JESUS WAS BORN, AND SOME OF HIS MEMBERS SAID, “TERTULLIAN, WE MUST BURN INCENSE TO THIS PAGAN GOD EVEN THOUGH WE ARE CHRISTIANS, BUT WE WON’T MEAN IT.” AND TERTULLIAN SAID, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?” AND THE PEOPLE SAID, “BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK TO BUY FOOD TO EAT!” AND TERTULLIAN SAID, “WHY DO YOU HAVE TO EAT?” AND THEY SAID, “BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LIVE.” TERTULLIAN LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID, “NO!! YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORK, OR EAT AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIVE.
THE ONLY THING YOU HAVE TO DO, IS BE FAITHFUL TO GOD!!”
From Gene Edwards’ Sermon: The Road Less Traveled: Perseverance