Faithful unto Death — Revelation 2

0:00 Act, let's bow our heads and pray. Father, we choose by faith so joyfully to bow in the presence of the God of all eternity in this moment. I would think of the people of God gathered at Mount Sinai that even if an animal that had no ability to comprehend what was going on, Even if an animal touched the mountain, it was to be put to death. And the people were terrified in the presence of the eternal, infinite, holy God. We think of Hebrews five, where it says, Of you, Lord Jesus, that you, in talking to your father, you were heard because of your godly reverence, your godly fear.

0:58 It's amazing if, Lord Jesus, if you approach the Father with reverence, what ought we to be like today. And so we choose. Lord, we know your love. We know your acceptance. We've never met anybody that's more amazing than you.

1:17 And you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to us. You are the soul thrilling love relationship that we have longed for all of our lives. All of that is true. But none of that changes the fact that we bow in the presence of regal majesty and authority and glory and dominion and power. The God that the angels worship.

1:40 Yeah, we just want to acknowledge here at the outset of our time that this is a holy time. We open the word of God and we must start out by trembling before God. And then we must wrap up by trembling before God. Lord, I wanna thank you that you love the people in this room more than anybody loves the people in this room. And combined with that deep, committed, abiding love is an ability to work in hearts and minds.

2:13 In my request, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, through the word of God, I pray that you would have your way this morning in every life that's in this room, starting with me. Lord, you know the thoughts, obviously, that you've led me to. I'm at peace in your presence, that this is your message for today. And so now, I pray that you would have full sway in this room, that you would keep people from being distracted and that you would work in people's lives. We love you.

2:48 Lord Jesus, you said, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. We just wanna say that we believe that. That you're the way forward.

3:00 That you're the truth. If you say something to us through the word of God today, that we would be stupid not to listen. In your life, two times in one Timothy, your word says, Lay hold on eternal life. I pray that many in this room, as many as possible, by the grace of God, would lay hold on eternal life today. You know what those scriptures meant.

3:26 And I pray, that's what I'm asking. For those of us that have it, that we would just fully embrace it. And maybe you would show us how to embrace it more fully today. Lord, for those in this room that don't have eternal life, man, heaven and hell, eternity of love relationship, eternity of separation and torment and agony, the difference between those things is amazing. Please have thine own way, Lord.

3:56 Have thine own way. Thou art the potter. We are the clay. We commit this time to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, king of kings, Lord of lords.

4:57 And my mind started kind of thinking through messages, things that I've been particularly burdened about, things that I've enjoyed in the word of God recently. And then it just all seemed so inappropriate when I thought about it. And so I just want to I'm not pretending I'm not trying to replace what's going to happen in six days. But from somebody that loved Dave Bingham and somebody that very much respected Dave Bingham, I have four thoughts for all of us that I think he reflected really well from the word of God. Things that he did that I admire in him that can be lessons to us.

5:41 And I just want to say right from the beginning that I'm glad every person is in the room, but particularly the young ones. I'm glad that you're here. And when I was 15 years old, I was living worldly, ashamed of Christ, chose to get drunk one time. I'm not going to go into all my sin, but use the Lord's name as a swear word on the football field on purpose. Read Leviticus twenty four and twenty five.

6:10 Like, that's a big deal. Yeah, just being stupid. And it was... I didn't know what was going to make me happy. Yeah, it was kind of up in the air what my life was gonna be.

6:26 And I repented as a 15 year old, that was thirty one years ago, and I never, I've never looked back. And by the grace of God, I'm never going to look back. And that's point number one, really. Dave Bingham lived a faithful life, and he lived faithful all the way to the end. And so look at it, Revelation chapter two, in verse number 10.

7:10 Indeed the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so you're gonna go through very hard times. That you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days. Church history tells the story of 10 waves of persecution in the early church. I would take this as an allusion to that. Both a literal historical church, Smyrna, representative of churches at any given age, but also kind of a picture of church history.

7:42 So they went through tremendously hard times, 10 waves of persecutions. This is so encouraging to us as we go through hard times. And then he says this, Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. And so the first thing I want us to be encouraged by this morning, and maybe even for some of us, this could be a real moment for us. That would be my prayer, that this would be a moment of encouragement.

8:13 I'll take all the encouragement I can get in this life. And I'm encouraged by the example of Dave Bingham. So maybe for some of us, it would be a moment of encouragement that we saw someone be faithful to Jesus Christ all the way to death. Maybe for some of us, this could be a moment where if you haven't really sold out for Christ, like you're going along, you're fitting in to the culture that's expected of you, you're attending what is asked of you, but you personally, maybe you're a little bit like me as a 15 year old and you haven't really made that decision yet. Maybe this could be a real moment for you.

8:55 And you could say, I know who my parents' god is, but I'm choosing, by the grace of God, that I am going to follow. Just like it says, be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. You know, the longer I live, the more faithfulness stands out as an attribute. When I was younger, I think I probably would have valued more like warrior, you know, like King David or Joshua, you know. And I still admire those guys greatly.

9:39 Nehemiah. Of course, I admire those guys so greatly. But the longer I live and the more I go through times where life is not easy and you're wrestling with discouragement, needing desperately to sit in a prayer closet with Christ and get filled up every day, or I couldn't go on without that grace that comes to you in those times. The longer I live, the more I admire men like Dave Bingham that were faithful unto death. And I don't wanna be hard on anybody, not at all.

10:17 I mean, the longer I live, the less I want to be hard on anybody. But let's just be simply straightforward and say, not everyone is faithful unto death. Can we acknowledge that? And I mean within the church, right? Within the body of Christ.

10:32 Like he's exhorting them, The devil is about to throw some of you into prison. You're gonna go through really hard times. But then he tells them, be faithful, right? Keep on, don't turn from Christ. Don't deny his name, no matter what it costs you.

10:51 And then there's this reward that's talked about, the crown of life. This is such a fun topic that, of course, we're not going to go into this morning. But crown of rejoicing, crown of righteousness, crown of glory and then crown of life. And he tells us what the crowns are. He tells us, these are what I'm going to give you if you make the decision to be faithful unto me, radically self sacrificially devoted to me.

11:19 Be faithful all the way till death and you'll get the crown of life. Now, is a statement from the least of all the saints, from a foolish little man with an incredibly limited perspective. As far as I can tell, right, I am not God. I'm not the giver of rewards. As far as I can tell, the next time I see Dave Bingham, post judgment seat of Christ, he is going to have with him the crown of life.

11:51 Isn't that beautiful? That is a grandfather that you can follow. That is a brother in the Lord that you can follow that example and be encouraged by that example. Man, there's plenty of flesh left in me. There's plenty of times where an easier life might seem tempting.

12:57 James one twelve, blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. Now, wanna be brief here, but notice slightly different perspective here, right? So in Revelation, it's persecution. Be faithful unto death and I'll give you the crown of life. Here, it's enduring temptation.

13:25 But in both cases, although the exact scenario is different, in both cases, it's enduring through struggle all the way to the end. And what you get for that is an eternal reward. Now, again, we're going into things that we don't have time to prove from the scripture. But like Revelation chapter four, they cast their crowns. It means to put, right?

13:48 It's repeated. And we get this idea that believers like you and me, so undeserving. When we get these crowns from him, it's not a one time casting that we do in eternity that we get for all of eternity to bear that reward and we get to put it, cast it over and over and over for his glory in times of worship like we enjoyed this morning. We get to do that over and over and over all through eternity. Like it's going to be so worth it.

14:18 So I don't know where you are. I don't know I don't know if you're totally sold out. I know many of you are. I don't know if you're encouraged, discouraged. Right?

14:28 I don't know what you need to hear. Praise God that the Holy Spirit is so good at his job. But man, that is encouraging, isn't it? Endure temptation. Blessed is the man who endures temptation because when he's been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

14:48 If we love him, we what? The upper room ministry makes this incredibly clear. We obey him. If you love me, keep my commandments. What's the great reward of obedience?

15:02 Enduring temptation. What's the great reward of that? It's not the crown of life. The crown of life is gonna be worth it. But what's the great reward?

15:12 Intimacy with Christ. John fourteen twenty one, He who He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. He will be loved by my father, and I will love him and I will manifest myself to him. The one who loves Christ obeys him, like in this passage. The one who obeys him gets to know him better.

15:33 So not only do we get the crown of life with which we honor Christ Jesus through an endless eternity of worship and service and fellowship administration and all the rest of it. But we even get Him, more of Him, more of an intimate love relationship with Him in this life. Oh, it's amazing. So the first thing that I wanted to say this morning is that I thank God for Dave Bingham, and I thank God for the encouragement of a man who was faithful unto death. How many times would Dave Bingham have felt like quitting or been discouraged?

16:09 Did Dave Bingham ever go through hard things in his life? But he availed himself with the grace of God. Right? He got from the Lord what he needed. That's the context of Revelation two, right?

16:27 To endure through trials. And then he drew also from the Lord. No temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to man, but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able and with the temptation will provide the way of escape. So, both contexts, he got what he needed to be faithful unto death. So, that's point one, a faithful life.

16:50 Yeah. If that could be said of me, however many, if it's ten more days or if it's sixty more years, if that could be said of me someday, that would be a joy. He was faithful all the way to the end. Yeah. Okay.

17:46 It says, But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like minded who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. Therefore, I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how it goes with me.

18:18 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. I just want you to notice that Paul's talking about Timothy, an esteemed servant of God. He says, I have no one else. So I want you to notice that it's rare. This quality that is being described in this passage was rare two thousand years ago.

18:36 It's rare in the church today. What is that quality? Being so selfless that you'll put the needs of God and the needs of the church ahead of your own personal needs. I have no one else to send you who will sincerely care for the needs of your state. So Paul says, If I send Timothy, he'll look after you.

18:57 And I'll be comforted because I want you to be looked after. And Timothy, I know Timothy, he will self sacrificially look after you. When Dave used to come to Kansas, he would look for projects and he would ask for projects around my house. My wife totally struck out when it came to a honeydew husband. I mean, like totally, like almost exclusively struck out.

19:27 One of the worst ever in the history of mankind in that category. And Dave would roll into town with mom and he would he would ask for projects. And then over the course of nine days or ten days of being there, he would, in his own methodical way, go about caring for the needs of other people. And I know that you all knew him to be this much more than I knew him to be this. Self sacrificially, look after the work of God.

19:59 What's God's agenda as opposed to my agenda? That is so rare. Even in Bible college, there way too much of me. Like I had my agenda. The Lord still deals with that in my life.

20:18 And he's identifying, right, you're given to God's agenda. All seek their own. That's the normal thing in this life. What do you want? What kind of life do you want?

20:27 What do you long for? What do you hope for? Incredibly rare to find someone who's dead to self, alive unto God, and they're just passionately devoted to God's agenda, whatever that is. Marriage, no marriage, live on this continent, live on that continent, serve in this way, serve in that way. Like, it doesn't matter.

20:48 The servant doesn't have those preferences. He just does what the master says. It's such an admirable quality. Dave Bingham served the Lord at Westlake, Fair Bluff, InterVarsity, CEF, Awana, Lai Lai. I'm just gonna stop there.

21:03 But but you all know this, and and I just want to, I guess, say it out loud, for the glory of God, that he lived a life of service. He lived a selfless life. Praise God. Point number three, go to second Corinthians chapter nine if you would. Second Corinthians chapter nine.

22:09 I admire that. Now, know that there's a quiet appropriateness about these things. Like, don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Like we don't talk a lot about these things. And I want to respect that.

22:22 But I also want to just publicly acknowledge and rejoice in the fact, like I'm encouraged by the example of a man that, I would say it this way, he incrementally gave, I think likely mountains, to the Lord's work. Missions, adopted children around the world, Wycliffe, Christian Workers Fellowship, Emmaus Bible College, radio stations that he appreciated. And I know I'm barely like scratching the surface. I'm very encouraged by that. God loves a cheerful giver.

23:04 This has actually been a huge burden to me. We have a generation of older saints, of warriors for God that know what it means to self sacrificially give and fund the gospel offensive. They know what that means around the world. They know what that means in North America. And that generation, little by little, is transitioning to being perfect and glorified.

23:29 Somebody has to teach the next generation these biblical truths. Malachi one and three, two Corinthians eight and nine, one Corinthians 16. Right? Somebody has to communicate this. And I've been wondering, like how can we do that?

23:42 And I know that's way beyond our scope for this morning. But I just want to say, a life of faithfulness, a life of self sacrificial incremental giving that multiplies over the decades. Paul, in Philippians chapter four, speaking specifically of financial giving, he says, I don't desire the gift. I love this. I desire the fruit that abounds to your account.

24:11 How much fruit do you think that we're all gonna see? Like speaking of the judgment seat of Christ, the things done in the darkness will be brought out into the light. How much fruit are we going to see from Dave's financial giving in eternity? That is such a joy. I asked the Lord if I should share this, begin because these are holy things.

25:09 Like I so moved by that woman. Right? Two different accounts, but same kind of idea. Like, she takes this ointment that's worth about a year's salary and she pours it out on the feet of the Lord. And I remember I used to say out loud, sometimes through tears, I would say, can you imagine the privilege of pouring out a year's salary on the feet of Christ?

25:36 Where I come from, Topeka, Kansas, we we live in Freedom, California now. But Topeka, Kansas, where I grew up, where we lived then, the average annual salary was $40,000 a year. And I used to say over and over again, can you imagine the joy? Can you imagine the privilege of giving to the Lord? Right?

25:54 A year's salary, like pouring that out at the feet of Christ. And then I would say out loud, I don't imagine that I'll ever have that opportunity in my lifetime. And then I'd be quick to say, right, we have something that's more valuable than that. What profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? So I, Scott DeGroff, am worth more than $40,000.

26:15 According to God, I'm actually worth more than the created cosmos and so are you. Like, that's the value that God puts on you. So I can give him me, right? And that would be the point that I would make over and over. But still, man, one of my favorite things in the world is to give.

26:31 One of the most joyful things in the world is just to give as an offering to Christ. Financial giving. So when we were gonna leave for free in California, the Lord showed me that he would take care of our house. And so I said, Okay. And I just accepted it.

26:52 I wrote it down in my prayer journal. October 2016, I was sitting in the back of a van weeping, saying, how are we going to reach North America? 530,000,000 souls, how are we going to reach them, how are we going reach them? How are we gonna reach them? The Lord showed me it was time to move on from Topeka, Kansas.

27:09 He showed me that He would take care of the house. I wrote it all down. Right? Okay. A couple months later, I went back to the Lord in prayer, and I said, okay, you showed me.

27:19 So it's Romans eight. Those that are led by the spirit are sons of God. His spirit witnesses to our spirit. Right? The Holy Spirit doesn't speak of himself.

27:28 He speaks of Christ. But he can clearly speak for himself. And so he was just showing me, I'll take care of the house. So I went back a couple months later and I said, Okay, you showed me you would take care of the house. Do you want to take care of it through a realtor?

27:41 Like, what should I do? And the Lord showed me again in that quiet place. He would take care of it. I said, Okay. And then a few months before it was time to go to California, when smart people would be talking to a realtor, I went one more time and I said, Lord, I'm a stupid little man.

28:02 If you leave me any room here, I'm going to mess this up. And I don't want to rob you of glory. I don't want to mess this up. But I want to obey you, whatever you call me to. Like, was pretty stupid when Abraham offered up Isaac.

28:16 You can get thrown in prison for stuff like that. And yet that's what God called him to. And I just said, I just want to obey you. And the Lord said, I'll take care of it. Okay?

28:27 Proverbs three:five-six, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. That's your leading from me. That's the leading of the spirit. That's your biblical confirmation.

28:40 Now you obey. I said, okay. And so we didn't list it. I asked a realtor and I told him, I'm not gonna list it. I offered to pay him a $100 to give me a professional opinion, which he wouldn't even take.

28:53 But I said, How much would you list it for if you listed it? And he said, 189. I said, Okay. So there were a couple little blips, like a couple of people kind of knew that we were going to California and told a friend. And I think two people came by to look at it during those months.

29:10 I really thought the Lord would sell it before we moved to California. Like that seemed logical to me. But he didn't do that. We got all the way to where we were leaving for California. I said on a Wednesday, Lord, I'm going need somebody to look after my house.

29:23 On Thursday, a guy named Joe came to me and said, I'll look after your house. Like, you're leaving Saturday? Yeah. I'll look after your house. I'll have my boys mow the yard.

29:32 Okay. Thank you, Lord. And so we drove west. We headed to California. Long story short, the Lord brought somebody by the house.

29:45 I'll just leave out most of the details. Brought somebody by the house, they called me. They said, I heard you're moving to California. I said, yeah, we're on the road right now. They said, how much are you asking?

29:57 And I almost said 189. And then I just thought it was the spirit of God, right? We read about restraint of the spirit. Just... And I said, no, I've turned it over to a young businessman named Joe.

30:11 He's taking care of all that for me. And they said, okay, great. Right? Just give me his number and we'll we'll ask him. And so I turned it over to Joe.

30:19 Joe did his own market research. He valued the house not based on the style of house, but based on the square footage in the neighborhood. He came up with a price of $2.30. And so again, long story short, over over many different circumstances, instead of selling for $1.89, it sold for $2.30. And now, those of you that are quite astute, right, can quickly figure out that after we paid a couple bills that we had and helped out Rebecca with college just a tiny little bit, we ended up with $40,000 left over.

30:54 And I even asked two people for counsel because I don't want to be stupid. And so I asked two people that I respected, like, do you think that it's foolish for a man in full time work to give away all of his money? And they both they both said the same thing. I think it's really smart for a man to obey God. And if you know what God is calling you to, then you should obey him.

31:15 And so I said, okay, babe. We talked about it. We prayed about it. And I said it for years. I don't think the Lord would ever give me that kind of a privilege to be like that woman in Luke seven.

31:33 And if it was if it was because of me, I would I don't think I could tell the story, but it's so obviously just a gift of grace from the Lord. If someone would have bought my house for $1.89, I would have gone like this and said, praise God, and I would have told the story for the glory of God and said, didn't even list it. Right? And yet and yet the Lord worked it all out to where not only did he he sell the house and take care of it all on his own even though I did a stupid thing according to humans. Right?

32:03 I just walked away from my 3,300 square foot home. I just left it. The Lord is good and kind, isn't he? So, Dave Bingham led a life of giving. God loves a cheerful giver.

32:39 Galatians chapter six. Galatians chapter six verse 14. It says, But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Point number four in my outline is a consecrated life. The way that the Apostle Paul looked at the Christian life, the world has been put on a cross.

33:15 To me, the world is dead to me. I am not looking for anything in this world. Paul would say. And then I love what he adds to that. He says, not only has the world been crucified to me, but I to the world.

33:28 I'm dead for anything except the glory of Christ and his agenda in this world, Paul would say. I have no earthly ambition, Paul would say. I love that. Point number four is a consecrated life, right? Dead to the world, the world is dead to you.

33:46 From my perspective, many of you knew Dave Bingham better than me, of course. His grandkids, his son, his wife. But from my perspective, he lived a consecrated life. Consistent, faithful, dedicated, and consecrated. He lived for eternity and now he's in eternity.

34:12 Now he goes and he receives the reward of having lived a consecrated life. Yeah, I love that. So, faithful, selfless, generous, consecrated. I know I'm barely scratching the surface, but those are four things of the many that I admire about Dave Bingham. And I'm not sharing it for his glory.

34:38 I'd be so happy to say this if he was seated on the front row. And I know he would be saying, yes, please. Right? I'm sharing it because it's an example to us. It's an encouragement.

35:22 That was a specific request of of our beloved brother. I have a friend named Randy Hoffman who is a couple years older than me, and when he was 16 years old, his father lie in a hospital bed dying of cancer. And the last thing he ever said to his son, he called his son, my dear, precious friend, Randy Hoffman, he called his son to his side and he looked at him and he said, I want you. I want you to serve the Lord. And Randy would be very quick to tell you that his life was very much up in the air at that point, but he listened to what his dad said, and he has gone on to be what I think is an admirable servant of God, a lot like Dave, actually.

36:25 Quiet, steady, faithful, admirable, zealous, but quietly zealous servant of God. Yeah, great example for us to follow. Let's pray. Father, I sometimes wonder, and forgive me, it probably would take a lot for you to get through to me. I'm probably not as responsive to your leading as I should be at this stage in my life.

36:57 But I sometimes wonder how appropriate it would be to have an altar call, so to speak. Sometimes I think that we do too little of that because maybe we see other circles abuse it. But Lord, these are good moments in life. These are good moments to stop and to think, what has my life been? What will my life be?

37:24 You are not very confusing at all. You're a God of revelation. We know exactly what you've called us to. Do all things for the glory of God. Run the race as if to win the prize.

37:35 Let no one rob you of your crown. Fulfill your ministry. It's everywhere in your word. Laying aside every sin, every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles, let us run the race that is set before us. Father, I just wanna earnestly pray in the name of Jesus Christ that the spirit of God would search hearts and would search minds.

37:59 I'm not going to have an altar call, but I'm tempted. I pray that you would not be limited in any way in this room and that those that need to take a stand for Christ would take a stand for Christ and that they would say, this is what Dave Bingham was. He was a huge encouragement to me and this is what my life is going to be by the grace of God too. Lord, we want to praise you for all of the grace that saved Dave Bingham, for all of the grace like Romans five, not just grace that brings about justification, but the grace in which we stand. Not just graced like Abraham to leave a country, but grace to dwell in the next country.

38:44 Lord, we want to thank you and praise you for all you did in our beloved brother's life and for where he is now because of that. And then we earnestly pray that you would have your way in this room, have your way in every life. Lord, I want to ask you, and I know that this is the will of God. In first John five, this is the confidence that we have. If we ask anything according to his will, we have what we ask.

39:08 And so, want to ask you that it would be able to be said of me. If I have 10, if I have sixty more years, I pray that by the grace of God, it would be able to be said of me that he was faithful unto death. And I earnestly pray that for those in this room and I earnestly pray that for those that might listen to this in coming days. Yeah. Yeah.

39:35 Thank you. We love you. We lay this time at your feet in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen.