Good morning friends and welcome to another memorable Monday and it's so good for us to be able to look back and consider history. What an important subject that is and so much of history really shapes our own lives. Christianity itself and our precious religion is actually so rooted in history. Much of the Bible is historical narrative. In fact, if I gave a quick quiz, who wrote most of the New Testament? I asked you that question and you probably will answer something like the Apostle Paul because at least 13 books of the New Testament are attributed to Paul. Some people would say that the book of Hebrews is attributed to Paul as well. I would thoroughly disagree with that option. I don't believe that the book of Hebrews was written by Paul at all. It's so different to so many of the other Pauline books. But he wrote 13 books of the New Testament. But if you chose Paul, you'd actually be wrong. The answer actually is Luke, because Luke wrote the book of Luke, which is the longest gospel, 24 chapters, although the book of Matthew is 28 chapters. The book of Luke, 24 chapters, has more content in those 24 chapters than what Matthew does in the 28 chapters. But then he also wrote his second book, the book of Acts, and that was the Acts of the Apostles, where he goes through that progress of the gospel spreading from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. And with all that Luke has written, you have actually the most content in the whole New Testament, which is all history. He was the chief historian, in fact, of the New Testament. And so Luke has written so much, and our faith is rooted in history. It's rooted in fact, it's rooted in events. We can go back, we can trace it, we can look at the facts. So history is so incredibly important. So welcome to another memorable Monday where we embark on a profound journey through history and faith. I'm Rocky Stevenson, pastor of Benoni Bible Church, and what an absolute joy and privilege I see it as being able to share with you this morning about the legacy of Eusebius of Caesarea, a man whose influence resonates across the centuries and even challenges us as Christians to examine the depth of our own faith. Eusebius was born in the year 263 AD. He's arguably the next let's say biggest historian when it comes to the New Testament Church because he has written much of what we've even been using inside of Let's Talk and much of what he has given to us we rely on for some of the historical fact of what has happened with some of the martyrs, what has happened in the early church He is the one that's mainly behind something called Ecclesiastical History, which was his narrative that he compiled, in which he has preserved the Christian narrative, and he's looked at the truth, and he's had such an unwavered commitment to preserving what has happened with the Christian faith. And it's a monumental work. He meticulously recorded the stories of faith, sacrifice, resilience, echoing even the spirit of the early Christian communities. And so we really do rely much on what Eusebius has left to us in ecclesiastical history. What a profound man to be able to study a bit. In the bustling intellectual hub of Caesarea, Eusebius found not only his calling towards Christ but also a kindred spirit in a mentor and a dear friend, Pamphilius. Now Pamphilius and this friendship that he had with Eusebius is very important because it really pushed Eusebius towards this unique desire towards recording the history of the Christian church. So Pamphilius was What a wonderful mentor he was to Eusebius. And Pomphilius was not just a scholar, but he was a staunch defender of the Christian faith. He was a man who stood tall in the face of persecution. And their friendship was more than just a bond. It was a partnership that was forged. in the fires of theological debate and intellectual curiosity and in the Gospel of John in chapter 15 verse 13 it says this, greater love has no one than this to lay down one's life for one's friends and this is something that really was a unique passage in times of persecution in the church. And many a times, Christians would rely on this and think, well, this is what God has called me to in my day, is to lay down my life for my friends, to lay down my life for the Christian brethren. And Pamphilius embodied the sacrificial love in so many ways, fearlessly defending the Christian faith, even at the cost of his own life. He was one of the martyrs. And so Pamphilius gave up his life and it would seem even through some of the writings of Eusebius that Pamphilius even died for his friend Eusebius and the Christian community at that time really protecting them and seeking to lay down his life for his friends like our Lord Jesus Christ the great shepherd of the sheep did for his church His unwavering commitment to the truth and his willingness to face persecution, it's such a challenge for us today how sad it is when many professing Christians fall away at the possibility of persecution and how far are we willing to go even in our pursuit of truth Are we ready to defend our faith with the same kind of fervor and dedication even in the face of opposition? And Eusebius, deeply influenced by Pamphilius' courage, took up the mantle of preserving the Christian faith. Their collaboration resulted in the masterpiece, the Ecclesiastical History. which is really a testament to the shared passion for truth and knowledge and Eusebius not only chronicled the events of the early Christian church but he also interwove the story of his dear friend Pamphilius reminding us of the power of friendship as well as shared purpose. In the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 we're reminded of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us and I believe that Eusebius is undoubtedly part of that great cloud of witnesses urging us to confront our faith with the same type of fervor and the dedication that he exhibited. He challenges us to remember our Christian heritage and to understand that our faith is not built on shifting sand but on the solid rock of Christ's teaching in the Word of God. Eusebius' work was not merely this historical record that we have come to love and depend on, it was a call to action. Just as the Apostle James proclaimed in James 2 verse 17 Faith without works is dead, and Eusebius' life is a life that was lived out in faith. Through his tireless efforts in preserving the Scriptures and defending the truth, he challenges us even today. Well, won't we consider how we are living as Christians in our lives? How are we living? Are we living out our faith? reminding us even that our actions speak volumes about the authenticity of our beliefs. Here we are speaking about this man so many years after he's lived. So furthermore, Eusebius' pivotal involvement even in the first council of Nicaea underscores the essential nature of preserving core Christian doctrines. In Ephesians 4 verse 3, the Apostle Paul urges us to diligently preserve the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace and Eusebius' steadfast commitment to upholding the divinity of Christ inspires us to safeguard the fundamental tenets of our faith, emphasizing even the importance of clarity and fidelity to the foundational beliefs that unite us as believers. It's one of the reasons that we have Theology Tuesday to look at these realities. It's so important that we hold firm to the doctrines as held up within the Word of God. And this even then challenges us. Won't we stand fast in our day to our convictions, ensuring that the timeless truths of Christianity remain unaltered, irrespective of the diverse backgrounds or traditions and preferences within the body of believers? God's word is primary. We must stand upon his word. And as we even complete Eusebius' legacy, let's think about Ephesians 3 verse 13 to 14 which says, Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. That was the Apostle Paul and his perspective. He was saying, I've got work to do today, I've got work to do tomorrow. As long as there's today, I'm still going to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. That's the kind of attitude that Eusebius even had. And when the Apostle Paul encourages us to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, of course he's not saying forget about church history, but he's saying forget about the ways that you behaved yesterday. Yesterday's grace is not enough for today. and yesterday's devotion to Christ is not enough for today. You need to press onward, look forward and Eusebius' life and his writings they challenge us to confront the issues of our time with the same kind of a passion and the determination that he exhibited centuries ago. He calls us to engage with the complexities of our modern world. armed with the unchanging truths of the gospel, just as he did in his era. So in closing, let's not merely admire Eusebius' legacy, but let us transform or be transformed by it. Let's rise to the challenge that he presents, to live out our faith with boldness, unity, and unwavering dedication toward Christ, just as he did. May his story then inspire us to courageous witness for Christ even in our generation, leaving a legacy of faith that will endure long after we are gone. Eusebius of Caesarea's contribution to history of the Christian faith is immeasurable. Its magnum opus, the Ecclesiastical History as I've mentioned, not only documents the early church's development, but also lays the groundwork for historical methodology in the Christian context. By meticulously chronicling the lives of martyrs, theological debates, and the spread of Christianity, Eusebius preserved the invaluable heritage of the early church for future generations that's been some of the hope that I've had in regard to Let's Talk and in particular Memorable Mondays that it would do something of the same of that even in our day reminding us of the rich truths that we have and the rich heritage that we have and moreover his role even in the first Council of Nicaea when he ardently defended the divinity of Christ signifies and really significantly influenced the Nicene Creed, which is a doctrinal statement that established the foundational belief of Christianity. Now of course the belief of Christianity was already established within the Word of God, but the Nicene Creed helped us to formulate some of that in a theological format. Eusebius' work became a cornerstone for theologians, shaping the understanding of church history, doctrine, and identity His dedication to historical accuracy and the preservation of Christian teaching was absolutely profound, impacting the faith, providing a rich tapestry of knowledge that continued to inspire, educate, and strengthen the Christian community across the ages. He lived in the 300s, but he was pointing us back to things that happened in the early church and the apostolic fathers. So we can be so thankful for a man like Eusebius, even on this memorable Monday. Much of what we have even been sharing before has had its basis in much of what he has left for us. So we are so thankful to the Lord that he raises up servants that leave a rich history for us to go and read and study and look at. We praise God that our faith is absolutely secure in the scriptures, but also our historical facts. May the Lord bless you this day as you think on these truths. Amen.