Sermon Central
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Standing Alone For Christ Series
Contributed by David Scudder on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: It is possible to be so used to seeing imitations that we fail to recognize the real thing. I fear that is happening in American churches. It has been so long since American Christianity has boldly lifted up a holy God before the culture that lukewarm C
➽Vs.5b-6 f. Christ’s comfort
➽Vs.5b (1) He secures His followers “I will not erase his name”
Ancient cities like Sardis kept a list of the names of the individuals who lived in the city. When someone died or moved away their names were removed. This does not mean that anyone could lose God’s forgiveness. This was a promise to those who DO have their names in the Bok of Life that they will never be removed from it.
Revelation 20:15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (NAU)
Revelation 21:27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (NAU)
➽Vs.5c-6 (2) He pleads for His followers “I will confess his name”
Jesus warned us that if we don’t love Him enough to proclaim our devotion to Christ to others, there will come a day that Jesus will not proclaim us before His Father.
Matthew 10:33-39 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: One preacher said this about Sardis: “They were the kind of church that sang from the throat but not the heart; that said prayers but didn’t pray; that heard sermons but didn’t heed them… If someone got born again there they would have to backslide to get in fellowship with the rest of the church.” [“From Suffering to Singing” by Bob Marcaurelle p.10]
Isaiah 29:13-14 13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, 14 ‘… the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” (NAU)
➽If every member of this church prayed and worshipped like you do, what kind of church would be have?