Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY
Real Life Community Church, is a church located in Richmond, Kentucky. Our fellowship is comprised of authentic followers of Jesus Christ who aim to glorify God in all that we do. We have a desire to reach our community, meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of those who are hurting.What to Expect in a Service Our Sunday Morning services include a time of dynamic, blended worship. We have a full praise band, consisting of real Christ-followers who are committed to worshiping God, not just through song, but in every area of their lives. Each service will include a relevant, Bible-based message, that will inspire and challenge those who hear it. Come casually or formally dressed… however you are most comfortable. We hope to see you soon!
Real Life Community Church Richmond, KY
Acts | Part 23 | Allegiance to Christ
In this sermon, Pastor Chris preaches on what it means to be a Real Follower of Jesus.
Following Jesus demands more than wearing the Christian badge; it requires belief in your heart, unwavering allegiance to Jesus, and perseverance through opposition.
• Following Jesus requires genuine heart-level belief, not just intellectual assent to facts
• The world actively poisons minds against Christians through changed narratives, controlled media, and education systems
• No middle ground exists with Jesus—you are either with Him or against Him
• True faith is marked by perseverance, even through persecution and worldly temptation
If you want to stand with Jesus, reject the poison of this world by staying in church, living in community, reading Scripture, and praying daily. Ask Jesus to "hold you fast" as you fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith.
and turn to Acts, chapter 14. We're going to start in verse 1. Now, at Iconium, they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against their brothers. So they remained for a long time speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the grace of his God, or the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided, some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles, were divided, some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rules, to mistreat them and to stone them, they learned of it and fled to Listeria and Derbe and the cities of Lyconia and to their surrounding country, and there they continued to preach the gospel Amen, the word of God for the people of God.
Speaker 2:Thanks, continue to preach the gospel.
Speaker 2:Amen, the word of God for the people of God, amen, you may be seated Well. Throughout our adult lives, we are faced with many major and complicated decisions that we have to make and you know, immediately graduating high school, you have the world before you and at 18 years old some of you are here you have to think like what am I going to do with my life? Like no pressure, am I going to go straight into the workforce and what will I do? Will I go to trade school? Will I go to university? And if so, what will be my major and what school will I attend? And then what's next after that?
Speaker 2:Eventually, you have to grapple with this decision of whether you are. It's like am I going to remain single or am I going to be married? And if I'm married, how do you find a spouse? Some of you are like please tell me right, and are we going to have children? You have to decide. Where am I going to live? Am I going to stay local, close to family, or am I going to venture out? Am I going to live in an urban area? Am I going to live in a more rural area? Then you have to decide, like other choices. You have to make other choices like. Am I going to be Android or Apple? I won't ask. You know, while all of those decisions in life are important, none of them are inconsequential. There is one choice that every one of us must make that trumps every other decision. It's a choice, as a matter of fact, that in the end will make every other decision look trivial, unimportant. And that is the question Am I or you going to follow Jesus?
Speaker 2:You hear us talk quite a bit around this church about being a follower of Jesus, and I want to just read to you Matthew 16, 24 through 26. In this text, luke records Jesus' words, or Matthew records Jesus' words. If anyone would come after me, jesus says let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, for whoever would save his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man? Listen to this. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? I think those are words worth meditating on and thinking about. You know, what Jesus is saying here is that there is a way in which we can live where we can be successful in all of those aforementioned areas in life. I mean we can have a successful career and be stable financially, we can have a great spouse and kids that adore us, we can be upstanding citizens, and yet there is a way to live in which we would get to the end of our lives and realize all of it has been in vain and we perish. And can I just suggest to you that that is an unimaginable tragedy. It's a tragedy what Jesus tells us, and I hope you want to know how not to end up in that place. Jesus says here's the remedy. You don't want to perish, you don't want it all to be worthless in the end and in vain. He says follow me, come after me, follow me. And so we like to phrase it like this Our mission in this church is to equip people to be real followers of Jesus.
Speaker 2:Well, why do we not just say followers of Jesus? Why do we say real, authentic followers of Jesus? Well, part of the reason is is because many people, especially in this neck of the woods, claim to be Christian and they wear the Christian badge. Oh yeah, I'm a Christian, but to them, following Jesus is just a sentiment. Well, I want you to know that the way that Jesus talks about following him is not just a sentiment. You know what it is to follow Jesus. It is an active commitment that involves us, day by day, giving ourselves wholly and fully to him. That's what it is to follow Jesus. And so what I ask you right from the front today are you following Jesus in that way?
Speaker 2:Well, in our text today, paul and Barnabas, who are themselves clearly real followers of Jesus, they're still on their first missionary journey. They started in Cyprus, which is where Barnabas is from, and then they moved up to Paul's region and they ended up in Antioch, pisidia. And today they went from that north point a little bit southeast, to this place called Iconium and they began preaching in the synagogue again to the Jews. And they begin preaching in the synagogue again to the Jews. And what they're doing? These real followers of Jesus, paul and Barnabas, are inviting men and women, their audience, to join them in following Christ. They're preaching to them the gospel. They're telling them that your long-awaited Messiah, the great king and deliverer, the one who would rescue his people and set up God's eternal throne upon the earth, like that Messiah that the prophets talked about, he's here, and the great news is this he died for your sin and he is now risen and seated at the right hand of the father. And then it doesn't stop there. But paul and barnabas would say to these people listen, through him you can have the forgiveness of sins. Through him you can have the forgiveness of sins. Through him you can come into the kingdom. And so, through this text, I want to show you three aspects of what it means to be a real follower of Jesus. I know it's hot in here, sorry, we can't get it cooled, but body heat. Some of you must have been dry. Jack's happy You're still in a blanket, brother Jack, but try to pay attention because this is so vitally important.
Speaker 2:What does it mean to be a real follower of Jesus? Number one it means it involves belief. Number two, it involves allegiance. And number three, it involves perseverance. So number one following Jesus requires belief. Look at verse one Now.
Speaker 2:At Iconium, they entered into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that would be by the power of the Spirit that a great number of both Jews and Greeks these would likely be proselytes converts to Judaism. They believed. What a glorious testimony. When someone preaches the word in multitudes of people, you think of Billy Graham, right, preaching to crowds and many people are saved. Many people are saved and this is vital because listen, belief, friends, is the foundation of our faith. We are saved, as Luther would say, by grace alone. Through what Faith alone in Christ alone. So without belief in the person and the work of Christ, there is no salvation. Belief in the person and the work of Christ, there is no salvation.
Speaker 2:Now let me make an important distinction here, because we know, john 3, 16 says for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever what Believes, or, if you're King James, believeth in him, shall not perish but shall have what Eternal or everlasting life. So all I have to do is believe. Well, sure, but you know what James says. He says that even the demons in hell believe and shudder with fear. So believe. It does start in the mind, like we need to believe in the facts of the gospel. But I want to make this distinction that to be saved, to be converted, is not just to believe in the facts of the gospel. But I want to make this distinction that to be saved, to be converted, is not just to believe with the mind, but it is to believe with the heart. That's why, in Romans 10, 9,.
Speaker 2:Paul writes if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe what In your heart, that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Head knowledge is not enough to save you. Being a real follower of Jesus, it means you have to believe in your heart. Well, what does that mean? Well, to the Jews, the heart was the core of who a person was. What is in your heart is what drives you. What's in your heart, what has your heart, is that thing which you worship. That's the kind of belief we need in Jesus, and belief is extremely important. And do you know what? The wicked, the ungodly, they don't want you to believe and they'll do anything to stop it.
Speaker 2:I want you to look at verse 2. So here's what's happening Many Jews and Greeks believed in the synagogue and the message now begins to go out to the pagan Gentiles in the city. And here's what happens Because some people are upset Somebody's always mad about something that people are coming to faith in Christ. So here's what verse two says. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles. And here's what they did they poisoned their minds against the brothers, these religious leaders, these Jewish leaders and many of the unbelieving Jews. They hated Jesus and they hated the apostles. Why in the world? Well, you see, when Jesus came, he challenged their religious system. He came and he kind of usurped all their religiosity and that they so clung to. They didn't like that because they had gotten so far off track from what God had called them to be as a people. But it didn't stop there. Jesus actually revealed the religious leader's wickedness.
Speaker 2:You see, you got to understand in the first century that before Jesus came along, I mean, people were looking to these men as, like the spiritual elites Like these are, you know, the most committed and God-fearing, pious people in the world. However, they've been hiding some things, and when Jesus comes along, jesus is the light, and His light refilled their hidden darkness. And rather than repent, what do they do? They crucify Him and they make false charges against Him. And so they don't want this gospel to spread, they want it to stop. So how do they do it? Well, here's the thing They've learned this, these leaders.
Speaker 2:They cannot successfully debate the apostle's message. Why? Because it's truth. And so here's what they do they resort to poisoning the minds, not against the message, but against the men, the apostles, because here's what they think If we can discredit the people, these apostles, then we can discredit the message. That's their plan, and you know these apostles. Then we can discredit the message that's their plan, and you know. That still happens today. Do you know?
Speaker 2:The wicked are constantly attempting to poison the mind of people, not only against the message, but against us, because they know if we can paint Christians in a bad light, guess what People will reject the message. How do the wicked poison minds today? Well, there are several ways. Number one you know what they do. They change the narrative when it comes to things that we stand up for or we stand against. Let me just give you a couple examples here.
Speaker 2:Let's take the issue of abortion. As Christians, we ought to be staunchly pro-life. Shake your head at me if you agree, all right. Yeah, thank you, heather. We ought to be staunchly pro-life and I think that's a really kind thing to stand up from the unborn. But the narrative has been changed to poison the minds of people against us. Here's what's said about us now. Well, those Christians, they just don't care about the reproductive rights of women. They don't want women to have autonomy over their own body. No, that's not what we're saying. What we're saying is we don't want women to murder their babies. They've changed the narrative, making us look cold and hard-hearted towards women. That's not. We love women. Matter of fact, we want to save young girls in the womb so they can grow up and be women. Amen.
Speaker 2:What about this transgender issue? They're not ludicrous. Never thought I'd see the things that we see right now in my lifetime. It's crazy. So we stand up. We, as Christians, don't believe that a you know, a woman, biological woman should become a man or a biological man should attempt to become a woman. We don't think you should have a sex change, physical sex change. And especially, we stand up against children who aren't old enough to buy cigarettes or liquor. We're against those children making decisions that are that serious and life-altering.
Speaker 2:So here's what the wicked say about us. Well, they're just not gender affirming. Now I'll tell you what the narrative is. The real narrative is we don't think you should mutilate children and do something to their body that is going to create irreversible psychological and physiological damage.
Speaker 2:But people are poisoning the mind, see, and many are buying it. That's not the only way that minds are poisoned today. You know the wicked. They do the same thing the Nazis did? They control the media. That's exactly what the Third Reich did. They controlled the media so that only their ideals, their ridiculous and horrific ideals, would be the only ones propagated. Push forward. Well, today, most of the major news, publications, papers, radio, television who's controlling the content? The people who want to poison the minds against God and His people. Am I telling the truth anybody? What else do they do? Well, how do they poison the minds against us? They control, just like the Nazis, the school system.
Speaker 2:You know what the Nazis did. They would train teachers to indoctrinate the children with, you know, nazi ideals and they would teach them. And they had the teachers had to push this curriculum, otherwise they'd be terminated or worse. Does that sound familiar today? Like, teachers are expected and they are trained to affirm all the progressive ideals of our culture. And if they don't, what happens? They're terminated, they're sued, they're maligned. Do you know that in Nazi classrooms, in the school classrooms under the Nazi regime they were on the walls was a bunch of Nazi propaganda, so that the kids were just kind of desensitized to it. Well, how many classrooms have pride flags now? Couldn't dare put up the Christian flag, but you could have a pride flag Beloved.
Speaker 2:A lot of people don't catch on to this, but it's an attempt to poison the minds of people. And now here's the thing about poison. Generally speaking, you know most poison that you're going to ingest it doesn't say on the bottle Like most of us don't pick up a bottle and it say rat poison and ingest it. No, generally when somebody is poisoned it's hidden. It's hidden in food. I just read a few weeks ago of a lady that, just little by little, like, put poison in her husband's coffee. Thank God I live to survive it. Joke Live to tell about it, I guess. So I just ruined a very serious moment. But you can't see it. And it's like you know what the dyes and the sugar that's in food right now do. You know it's poisoning us, but we don't see it. You don't know you're poisoned until you start feeling it or you die. Right, and people, they've been eating sugar and horrible foods and all these dyes their whole life and all of a sudden they reach 40, 50, 60 or maybe even earlier and they feel horrible. Why? Because they've been ingesting poison and you know that's how it is. It's very subtle with the wicked, just little by little.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you this When's the last time you've seen somebody, a television show, where a Christian is portrayed in a good light? Can anybody think of one Like a set not fireproof? A secular TV show? I can't think of one. They're made often to look like idiots and fools and hypocrites. You know, let me talk to my office fans in here for a moment.
Speaker 2:This show, very popular show, the Office, if you're not familiar, you've got a group of workers that you know, these cameras follow around and some great characters. But there's one character that, right from the beginning, drives you nuts. It's the Christian lady of the office. She wears turtlenecks up to here lest you see any skin. She's persnickety, snobbish, judgmental. She loves cats, nina, but listen, she's painted in such a bad light and by the end of the show here's what's revealed she's actually the most indecent, most immoral, most adulterous person in that office. Now, that's subtle, but what's the point? Now, that's subtle, but what's the point? This is the image that Hollywood wants to get in the minds of people about us. Are you with me? This begs the question.
Speaker 2:I was thinking about this. Why are people so antagonistic against Christians? I mean, we try to love our neighbor, we feed the hungry, we house the homeless, we take care of the poor, the orphan, the widow. What's so bad about us? Why us? Well, I love this thought that well, let me say this Christianity studies, many studies have shown that Christianity, far above any other religion, is persecuted.
Speaker 2:There's no other religion that comes close to the persecution that happens in the life of believers. All right, why is that? Well, I think I love what Plato said many moons ago. He says listen, no one is more hated than he who speaks the truth. No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth. See, the devil's not threatened by false religions. Come on somebody.
Speaker 2:How often do you hear, you know, the Muslim faith slammed on television or on the news? How often do you hear the Hindu religion talked badly about and Hindus maligned? Rarely, but Christians are constantly battered and lied about and beaten down. Why? Because we preach truth. And the Bible says in 1 Corinthians that the devil is working to blind the eyes of the perishing lest they see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. So let me just say this those who are trying to poison our minds, the minds of the lost especially, you know what they're doing. They're doing the bidding of the devil and it's not going to turn out well for them. So how do we respond to that? Look at verse 2.
Speaker 2:But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds In verse 3, so Paul and Barnabas remained for a long time. That's not what I would expect to read. And here's what they speak. They spoke boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. You know, paul and Silas could have been brought down to their level, shaking their fists at the progressives and the mind poisoners. But what do they do? How do they counteract these lies and these misperceptions that are being propagated? I'll tell you what they do they just keep preaching truth. You know what the antidote is to the poison that's being preached Just give people the truth and do so, as verse 3 says, with grace and by the power of the Spirit. That's our response.
Speaker 2:So, number one and that's my longest point, by the way, by far number one a real follower of jesus must believe, must have faith, must guard themselves from the poison of the wicked. Number two following Jesus not only requires belief, but it requires allegiance. Look at verse four. But the people of the city were divided. So the gospel's gone out. The apostles have continued to preach boldly. And here's what happens the city becomes divided, some sided with the Jews and others sided with the apostles. What's happened here? A line has been drawn in the sand. The gospel has gone out, the Jews are rejecting it and there is an expectation incumbent upon the people.
Speaker 2:You've got to make a decision. You've got to choose. Are you with the unbelieving Jews or are you with the disciples or the apostles? Who are you going to stand with? And, by the way, to stand with the apostles is to stand with Christ. And you think well, easy decision. Well, not so quickly. I mean, there are rewards and bad consequences to either decision.
Speaker 2:For those who would side with the jews, well, their lives are going to be much more comfortable. They're not going to be abandoned, they're not going to be persecuted, they're not going to be ousted, they're not going to be maligned. That sounds good, but the problem is in Matthew 10, jesus said if you deny me before my father in heaven or before man, I will deny you before my father, who is in heaven. So I think I'd probably not side with the Jews, because I don't want that to happen to me. So comfortable now. It's the wide path, it's the easy path, but in the end you don't get God, you get his judgment.
Speaker 2:However, if the people were to side with the apostles and stand with Jesus, they're going to be hated by their own people, excommunicated from the synagogue and from their own families, and might even die. That's the risk. But I would just argue today, suggest to you that the reward infinitely outweighs the risk. Because here it is. They might be persecuted, but if God before them, who can be against them? Amen. And when they stand with Jesus, they get the joy of the Lord, they get the peace of the Lord, they get the presence of the Lord, they get the ear of the Lord as they pray, they get the Lord on their side. And in the end, rather than hearing turn from me I never knew you what do they hear? Well done, good and faithful servant. And oh, I would give up anything, as I hope you would, to hear those words.
Speaker 2:The question is is are we going to stand with Jesus, which means we give him our allegiance? Now I want to point out here what the text does not say. It does not say that you know some believe, or stood with the Jews, others stood with you know the apostles, and it doesn't say that. Then some were just neutral. You know those people who are just wishy-washy. They just won't stand for you know anything. What's the saying If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. There's no people here that are neutral. You know why, beloved, the gospel demands a response. It absolutely demands a response.
Speaker 2:At the beginning of the civil war civil war um kentucky this probably sounded like a really kind and gracious thing. They, they declared themselves to be neutral. In neutrality, they said well, you know, we love the country, we're not going to pick one side or the other. And as good as that might have sounded it, it didn't work. You know why? Because when any major decision is before us, generally speaking, it requires us to take one side or the other. So what happened in Kentucky? Well, the state just became divided. You had many that said, okay, we got to take a side, we're going with the Union. Some of the other factions served with the Confederates and finally, kentucky had to make a decision and they joined the Union. All right, am I getting my history right? Okay, thanks for not correcting me.
Speaker 2:And this is the thing with Jesus. You have to make a decision. Are you going to follow him and give him your full allegiance, or are you not? And here's the thing, friends there is no middle ground, there is no neutral zone. Here's what Jesus said in Matthew 12. He said oh, this is sobering. He says if you are not for me, in other words, if you're not standing with me, you're against me. So let's think about that. You might not be hating on Jesus and his people. You might be a really moral and upstanding person, but if you're not standing with Jesus, if he doesn't have your allegiance, you are against him, just like the wicked, and your end will be the same Judgment wrath, not salvation. You cannot have, by the way, one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the kingdom of the world. If you're trying to do that, you are fully and wholly in the world. Is anybody with me?
Speaker 2:To give God allegiance means we serve Him, we obey Him, we honor Him, we treasure Him the most basic profession of the Christian faith. What is it? It's not that Jesus is Savior he is that wonderfully but it's Jesus is Lord. That's not just a platitude Like listen if he is Lord, and we are confessing that, if it is true and if we are truly saved. What that means is Jesus, you have my life, you are my king, you are my Lord and I will obey you and I will love you. And I will love you and I will walk with you and I will stand with you. In thick or thin. I'm with you. Being a follower of Jesus requires allegiance. Finally, being a follower of Jesus requires not just belief, not just allegiance, but it requires perseverance.
Speaker 2:Look with me in verses five through seven, when an attempt was made by both Jews and Gentiles with their rulers, to mistreat Paul and Barnabas and stone them like, this escalated quickly. They learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe cities of Laconia and to the surrounding country. And watch what they did. They continued to preach the gospel. Now I want to make a really important point here. The fact that Paul and Barnabas flee Iconium is not cowardice, it is wisdom. God is not done with them. Listen, when they've been aligned, they have continued to preach the gospel faithfully, but now their lives are at risk and I believe the Holy Spirit leads them here to exit. And Paul, by the way, we know his story would eventually be beaten several times, stoned, whipped, snake-bitten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, on and on and on, and yet he never quit serving Jesus. But I love this.
Speaker 2:When they leave Iconium and they go to the next town, they could have said you know, lord, here I am serving you, giving up so much for you, and you're going to let people malign me and you're not going to strike them down and you're going to let them chase after me and stone me. If they catch me, lord, I'm out, I'm out. That's not what they do. They go from town to town to town and they through many dangerous toils and stairs. What do they do? They just keep doing what God asked them to do they persevere.
Speaker 2:Now, this is vitally important If you are to be saved. Ultimately, if you are to be a real follower of Jesus, you must persevere in your faith, because so many people you know they're living like the devil and they're thinking you know, gosh, some really misled pastors will even tell them. Well, you know, I remember when you cried at the altar and you asked Jesus into your heart. I know you're living like the devil now, but, yeah, I remember that day. So you're good.
Speaker 2:That's not what the Bible says. You don't believe me? Well, let me just read you Hebrews 3, 14. For we have come to share in Christ. That means we're saved, if indeed we hold to our original confidence. Jesus said in Matthew that the one who endures to the end will be saved. So we've got to persevere in belief, which means we've got to reject the lies of the enemy. Do you know again John 3, 16,? God, so loved the world, gave his only son whoever what believes in him. That word believe in the Greek is in the present act of participle. The way it should read is those who go on believing will not perish but have eternal life.
Speaker 2:Jesus warns in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. He warns of those who would seemingly receive the gospel with joy, but then that seed that was sown would be snatched away and they would fall away, discontinuing to live for the Lord. Why would that happen? Well, jesus tells us in the parable. He says for one reason when persecution comes, many professing Christians can't handle it. You know that people are often like surprised when they profess Christ, to become a Christian. They're like bad things are still happening to me and people don't like me, like I thought this was going to be like a really my best life now right and they're jaded and many of them turn when trials and tribulations come.
Speaker 2:But the other reason that Jesus says that people fall away is because of a love for the riches, or a love for this world and the dis, because of the deceitfulness of riches. You know, when you come to Christ you say Lord, I give you my life. That means you give him everything. He has your behavior. He tells you how to act, how to think. You know you let the Bible shape your life and that sounds really good.
Speaker 2:And there's people that say they mean that at the altar. Well, you've seen this many times. All of a sudden, they buy the poison of the world and they look at that past lifestyle and that sin and they look at Jesus as the deceitfulness of riches. And just suddenly, moment by moment, they start chasing other things and before they know it, the world has them.
Speaker 2:Now there's debate in the church as to whether, well, you know, some say, well, those people were never Christians, their faith was never real. Others say, well, it was, and they hardened their hearts so much by sin that they turned from God. Does it really matter? Let's not debate that. Turned from God. Does it really matter? Let's not debate that. Let's just say perseverance is necessary. Can we all agree on that? Here's the great news. I'll leave you with this before I move on to my closing. That's like if that burden is all on you, like that's overwhelming, like I have to keep myself. No, you don't.
Speaker 2:Jude 24 says that God is the one who's able to keep us from stumbling. Paul said that Christ, the one who started the work in us, will be faithful to complete it. But it's not like we get to sit back and do whatever we want. No, the Lord uses real means to keep us. So if you will keep your eyes on Jesus and reject the poison of this world, if you won't buy the lies of this world which, by the way, whole denominations are doing right now Is they are becoming apostate, celebrating what God calls an abomination, leaving orthodox Christianity.
Speaker 2:But you and I, we've got to persevere. We keep our eyes on Jesus, and here's what we do. We look to Him, but we stay in church, we live in community, we listen to the preached word, we read the words for ourselves, we stay in prayer, and as we do those things, as we keep our eyes on Jesus, he will in fact keep us. We can have assurance of that. One of our prayers every week is this, if not daily Jesus, hold me fast. One of my favorite songs and now one of my favorite things to pray Hold me fast, jesus. All right, we've got to persevere to the end. So what does it look like to be a real follower of Jesus? It includes belief, it includes allegiance and it includes perseverance. I'll close with this story experience. I'll close with this story.
Speaker 2:There's a song that I grew up singing, that many of you did as well. You remember the song. I have Decided to Follow Jesus. Shake your head at me if you remember it. Yeah, it's a beautiful song, nostalgic. We're going to actually Connor's going to lead it in a moment. Well, I've always loved the song, but my affections were raised for it this week when I actually heard for the first time the story behind the psalm.
Speaker 2:It can be traced back to the 19th century, to Assam, india, where one family came to the Lord through the ministry of a Scottish missionary named William Cowan. This family was so excited to follow Jesus, and they publicly, which is required, by the way, we're not, you know, secret Christians. We're publicly declaring our faith in Christ. Well, when he did, that word got to the tribal chief. Listen, this is crazy. Word got to the tribal chief who became enraged at this man's conversion and the conversion of his family. So the chief made his way to this man and he said listen, if you do not renounce your faith, you will be executed along with your family. And this man says I'm not doing it, I'm standing with Jesus, no matter the cost. Tribal leaders, fair enough. And has his wife and then his children executed before his very eyes. And he looks at the man again as the story goes and says you're going to still follow that Jesus. And it's said that his last words in his native language were this I have decided to follow Jesus. No, turning back, beloved. That's a real follower of Jesus. What's so interesting is that we have no idea what this man's name is, and I would suggest to you that it makes no difference. What's important is that his name is written in heaven. Is that his name is written in heaven?
Speaker 2:The apostle Paul, like this man, endured to the end and at the end of his life he wrote 2 Timothy, the book of 2 Timothy, this letter to his apprentice While he's on death row, getting ready to be executed because of his love and proclamation of the gospel. And he writes these beautiful words. It's my favorite words in his letters, probably my favorite words in his letters. He says this to Timothy, right before his execution I fought the good fight, I finished my course and I've kept the faith, timothy. I kept fighting. It's been miserable at times, through many dangerous toils and stairs I've already come but I kept fighting. And, timothy, I want you to know, as I prepare to meet my maker, that I have finished my course. I kept doing what Jesus called me to do, even when it became tough.
Speaker 2:Timothy, most importantly, I want you to know I've kept the faith. I've never doubted Jesus. I've held on to Jesus and Jesus has held on to me. And then he says and now before me there's this crown of righteousness. He doesn't even say I'm going to be executed. He says here's how he frames it my life is being poured out as a drink offering. Now before me there's this crown of righteousness, the mark of the high calling. It's not just for me, but for all who love Christ appearing.
Speaker 2:So again, the question is more important than who will you marry, or what will you have, or what city will you live in. The question, oh, the most pressing and most eternal question that I can ask you today is what are you going to do with Jesus? Are you going to stand with him and be a real follower, or are you going to stand with the world? It's worth thinking about, it's worth deciding today, because it will affect you not just in this life, but for all eternity. May we say this is what I want for every one of us at the end of our lives. On our deathbeds, may we say oh God, thank you, by your grace, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course and I have kept the faith and I can see that crown of righteousness that is coming to me. May it be so for all of us. Let's pray, father. Oh, how we love you. We know that it is not easy to live as followers of Jesus in this life, but we know this from the Bible and from experience. It's worth it.
Speaker 2:So I want to pray for our hearts today. I want to pray for those who are real followers of Jesus, that they would leave this place encouraged to know that they, you know, if life is difficult owing to their faith, that they stand in good company. There's a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, cheering us on. For the one today who has one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world and is trying, perhaps to stay neutral or to play both sides of the fence, lord, let them fully come to the kingdom today by faith and say I stand with Jesus. And for the one who's never professed Christ, maybe even the one who has been antagonistically against Christ and his people, soften their hearts today. May today be the day of salvation for them and let every one of us be able to say in the end we fought the good fight, we finished our course, we've kept the faith In Jesus' name, amen.