Let's open our Bibles again to Revelation chapter 2 and find verse 8. This morning we have our introduction to the second church on our tour of the seven churches of Asia Minor. And this is Jesus' letter to the church at Smyrna. If I could take you on a tour this morning of Smyrna, and if we could, in our minds, go over there and I could be your tour guide, I think you would find that Smyrna is a very old and a rather interesting city. In the latter part of the first century, the Apostle John apparently visited this fledgling church at Smyrna. He was personally there. He had ministry among the people there, and he ministered to them and he helped them establish what we would call a firm doctrinal footing in the Christian faith. Now imagine that. Imagine your church having the Apostle John come there to disciple the people in the church and to teach them about Christianity. That's high cotton, as we say back home. And so they needed that. They needed the encouragement because, you see, the church at Smyrna was hurting. They were going through great difficulties. For example, they were cut off economically by pagan merchants. They were brutally persecuted by certain violent Jews. Now this is a group of Jews that Jesus singles out and he refers to them as the synagogue of Satan. Imagine that. These are highly religious people who are, in fact, the synagogue of Satan. And this shows us, as a demonstration, that it's very possible to be extremely religious and yet be very, very far from God. So John is showing them, and us, how to remain faithful during times of severe hardship. And we'll see how severe that hardship was and what face it took among the church at Smyrna. Incidentally, while the apostle John was in Smyrna, there was a young boy in that church who was powerfully influenced by this elder apostle. According to early church history, John took the boy under his wing and he even discipled him in the faith. That young man went on to become the Bishop of Smyrna. His name was Polycarp. I'm going to say more about Polycarp in a minute. It's very comforting, though, to know that in spite of immorality that exists outside the church, and in spite of apostasy that sometimes exists even within the church, God always preserves a remnant. That is, He always has a people in the middle of whatever circumstances are going on around the church or within the church who are faithful. He keeps a people for Himself. Though we are tempted, though we are wandering sometimes, though we might stumble a thousand times, God's people always get up, they always move Godward, they repent, and they keep following Christ to the end. This is true in Smyrna. There is a faithful remnant here, and Jesus is going to encourage those faithful believers. So no matter how bad the times, God always has some faithful believers who are honoring Him, often in obscurity, often unknown to most of us in the world, but for His namesake and for His glory. This is a timeless fact. The cost of discipleship is high. The cost of true discipleship is very high. In fact, being a Christian will cost you. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't mean it costs anything to become a Christian. Salvation is an absolutely free gift. It's a free gift from Jesus Christ to all who believe. He gives that gift to His people. But here's what I mean when I say being a Christian will cost you. I mean in ways that go far beyond material possessions or material wealth or money. It could well be said that discipleship that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. In many places, following Jesus will cost you your life. I did a brief internet search just a couple of days ago and found out earlier this week, since we last gathered as a body on Sunday, two churches in Indonesia were burned by Muslims. They screamed, burn, burn, and shouted, Allahu Akbar. that Allah is greatest, as they chanted to the burning of these churches. That goes on every day in some part of the world right now. It is unpopular, it is deadly, it is lethal, to name the name of Christ, in most places in the world. They believe what we believe, and they are being killed for it. So don't think that our comfortable hedge that we have right now is the main way the world is. In most parts of the world, they don't have what we have right here, a peaceful setting. They don't have comfortable seats in an air-conditioned or heated environment. They don't have technology. They don't have screens and amplification for your voice. They meet in huddled masses, often in private, in secret. where being baptized publicly is like a death warrant on your head in Muslim countries. This is what I'm talking about when I say that cost of discipleship is high. In some places it will cost you access to certain social groups. You may lose influence with worldly clients and business associates, and that's even true here in America. Lots of costs. Now, because of that reality, I can say that the church, the true church is no place for cowards. This is a place for the brave. The brave follow Christ. The brave preach the gospel. People who are more afraid of what other people think than of what God says are what I mean by cowards. Those who yield to the pressure of society. Those who might be unwilling to endure prolonged discomfort, which none of us likes. None of us wants to be uncomfortable. or unwilling to sacrifice for the high honor of association with Jesus Christ. But listen, brothers and sisters, the best news is this. Jesus knows all about it. We're going to see this so much in the church at Smyrna. Jesus knows exactly what His people are facing. And so, though you might not be facing a trial like we're going to describe today in the sermon at Smyrna, you're all going to face hardships. All of us will, in one way or another. And what I want you to see and embrace is that the Lord Jesus Christ knows exactly what you're facing. And He is totally aware of what's going on in the lives of His people. His kingdom cannot fail. He calls each of us to suffer and to risk and to sacrifice for His namesake. And that call will lead some of us, incidentally, outside of the United States to go overseas with the gospel. My prayer is that some of us here will answer that call and will accept the call to risk for the gospel's sake and to sacrifice. Missionary Helen Rosevere said, there are no closed countries to the gospel going in, though many are closed going out unless we die. That is, she's saying that even North Korea is not a closed country, if you're willing to die. If you're willing to lay down your life for the gospel, there is no such thing as a closed country. You see, so often in the West, we say, I have to survive. You know, as if Jesus commands us to survive everywhere we go. He never did. He never commands us to survive. He just says, you can leave your survival to me. Trust me, be faithful to me. I think so many of us, myself included, have lived under the mistaken notion that we can somehow fashion a better death for ourselves than God has ordained for us. And it's false. God knows the day of our death. He knows how we're going to die and what circumstances will attend our death. And he says to each of us, you be faithful to me. Don't fear. You follow me wherever I lead you. And trust me, and my glory will be displayed through you." There are so many great, true stories of triumph, of missionaries who have gone into the face of death, and God has delivered many of them. And there are also just as great stories of those who have faced death. Death by spear, death by fire, death by firing squad, death by torture. who have glorified the name of Jesus to the end. Now this fact is no small comfort to me, especially when times are tough. Aren't you glad that no matter what happens in your life and in mine, Jesus knows about it? He knows about it and He has a purpose in it. That is a great comfort to me. This truth must have been a great comfort to the suffering church at Smyrna. They were the recipients of the second letter of Jesus to the churches of Asia Minor. And as we're going to see this morning in Revelation 2, verses 8 through 11, they were one of only two churches where Jesus gives no rebuke. He has nothing negative to say about this church and one other church. The other church is Philadelphia. And both Smyrna and Philadelphia were oppressed by the synagogue of Satan. That's an interesting point. That the two faithful churches faced severe persecution from this same group called the synagogue of Satan. So neither church had it easy. They were hurting. Oh, but they were healthy. They were both very healthy churches. So let's turn to Revelation 2 and look at verses 8 through 11. I'm going to read verses 8 through 11, and then we're going to study verses 8 and 9 this morning, and then look at 10 and 11, Lord willing, next Sunday. Revelation 2, verses 8 through 11, in honor of God and His Word, would you stand with me now for the reading of these verses? Hear the word of the Lord. And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, the words of the first and the last who died and came to life, I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich, and the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you're about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death." Father, I pray now that you would take these words and that you would embolden us, your people, to be willing, gladly, to suffer for the sake of your name, to suffer for the sake of the gospel, that others would hear your word and believe. And I pray that we would accept that call this morning with great faith. In Jesus' name, amen. Now in this letter to Smyrna, we'll consider this morning the comfort of the supremacy of Jesus Christ for His people. This passage really covers both the supremacy and the sufficiency of Jesus. This morning we will look at the supremacy aspect, and Lord willing, next Sunday we'll focus on the sufficiency of Christ for His people, especially when times are hard. First, notice that the supremacy of Christ assures his people that he always knows our present difficulties. This is my first main proposition this morning. We'll find this truth in verses 8 and 9. The letter to Smyrna begins in verse 8, and to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write. As we'll see in each of the seven churches, the reference to the angel refers to the pastor or preaching elder in the church. The Greek word translated angel is angelos, which literally means messenger. An angel is a messenger. And so the messenger, the angel of each church, is the one who presents God's word, God's message to his people. And so Jesus speaks, and so John writes. Now to give you a little background, the name Smyrna is based on the burial spice called myrrh. The fragrance of myrrh is released through crushing. They crush it, and that's where the fragrance comes from. The people at Smyrna are being crushed by circumstances right now. Not in a literal sense, but think of it in a metaphorical sense. The circumstances are pressing them and crushing them, and like myrrh, there is a fragrance of Christ being released that brings glory to Jesus, and it witnesses to the world. because people see how they're suffering and they go, that's different. There's a fragrance of something that the world doesn't have when they are crushed. When the world is crushed, when unbelievers are crushed, they curse, they revile, they blaspheme, they shake their fist at heaven if they believe in a God at all. But when God's people are crushed and pressed, They yield in submission to Him. Though it hurts, though we may shed tears, though we may weep, it's not comfortable for us as it's not for anyone. And yet, there is a different response. It is the response of faith. And so the fragrance is released through crushing. The name Smyrna means bitter. bitter, like Mara. If you've studied the book of Ruth in the Old Testament, you remember what Naomi said when she had lost her sons and her husband? She said, don't call me Naomi anymore, call me Mara, meaning bitter. You can just call me bitter from now on because that's the way I feel God has treated me. So in Hebrew, Mara is bitter, and that's the word for Smyrna. The city is still in existence, by the way. Smyrna still exists, but today it's known in modern Turkey as Izmir. That's the modern name of Smyrna. In the first century, Smyrna was an elaborate and an ornate city in which to live and work. It was one of the wealthiest cities in this whole region. Supposedly, it was founded by Alexander the Great. And around the time of this letter, Smyrna boasted of nearly 100,000 people. So think of a big metropolis. Today, they have about twice that many people. It's been a Muslim stronghold for over a thousand years. But in the first century, this is just a thriving pagan city with a small group of faithful Christians. And they're in this church, this little church together, they're suffering, they're hurting, the Apostle John visited their church, and now they have a personal letter from the Lord Jesus Christ that is comforting them in their affliction. Now, in ancient times, the letter writer always introduced himself at the beginning of the letter. You note that pattern throughout the New Testament. Whenever Paul wrote a letter or Peter, they always say their name at the very beginning of the letter. You know, when we write letters or emails, we usually sign our name at the bottom or the end of the letter. That's our typical way of doing it, but not so in the first century. And so according to this format, in each letter, Jesus introduces Himself here as the sender. This is postmarked from the Lord Jesus Christ to the church at Smyrna. Now after the salutation, the second half of verse 8 says, the words of the first and the last who died and came to life. That, brothers and sisters, is a supremacy statement. Don't miss that. This is a statement of absolute supremacy that Jesus is beginning with His introduction to Smyrna. This is our Lord's own self-description. Please notice that Jesus has no problem asserting His absolute supremacy over all things. The first and the last. Jesus used the same words in chapter 1 verse 17 of this same book. The protoss and the eschatos. Protos and eschatos are first and last in Greek. It has the same meaning as the Greek idiom alpha and omega. You've heard that idiom before because the letters alpha, that's the first letter in the Greek alphabet. Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. So he's saying, I am the first and the last and everything in between. I am the composite of everything. He is everything. And that is a way of saying, I am God. This is an absolute claim to the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's saying to these suffering believers, I am God, your Savior. I am the God who delivers you. I am the God who made you for my glory. And I am the God who knows absolutely what you're facing right now. Now the first and the last is an Old Testament title for God. And so Jesus is here affirming his perfect equality with the Father in his eternal nature. Not only is Jesus the first and the last, but notice that he is also the one who died and came to life. In this statement, Jesus proclaims the reality of His incarnation, that He lived a physical life in a real flesh and blood body, apart from sin, and that He physically died on a cross, that He was entombed for three days, that He physically, literally rose from the dead in a resurrected and glorified body. Now that is the essence of the gospel. No one is a Christian who denies those facts. You may be something, but you are not a Christian. There are those who think they are a Christian, though they think that that's going too far. I wouldn't say that he actually lived a physical body. I wouldn't say that he was actually God in the flesh. I wouldn't say that he actually rose from the dead, but I'm still a Christian. No, you're not. You're something else. Give yourself another name. A Christian has to believe in the literal incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh. They have to believe He lived a sinless life. They have to believe that He literally died on a cross, totally dead, three days in the tomb, and that He literally rose from the dead in a physical glorified body. That is the essence of Christianity. Now, Jesus knew these people were facing difficult times. And He's reminding them, and us, that He transcends temporal matters, and that He has absolute sway over life and death, and that through our union with Him, we are victorious. If they are threatened with certain death for confessing Christ, Jesus says they can face it without compromise. Beside them is the One who conquered death. That's what His statement is. the words of the first and the last who died and came to life. Jesus said in John 11 at the tomb of Lazarus, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. He's not talking about physical death in that second aspect. He's talking about the second death, ultimate death. He says to the people in Smyrna, you may die physically, but you will never die eternally. You will always live in the presence of God. And He can raise you up again, even as Jesus Christ tasted death for all who would ever believe and is the first fruits of those who rise. And so, if Jesus is able to comfort and to embolden His people in the face of death, I ask us, as Americans, how much more can He make us strong? How much more can He make us unyielding in the face of social opposition to the gospel? Or ridicule? Or embarrassment that we might feel for doing so much as praying in a restaurant? or saying a word of truth to someone who is a co-worker in a place of work, or standing for certain Christian doctrines that are very unpopular, though true. Our embarrassment from relatives or peers may be the point where we struggle. But Jesus allows us, by faith, to entrust our reputations to Him. And to put commitment to Christ and to His kingdom before money, before friendships, before recreational pleasures, before work, before leisure, before all things, that in all these things, Christ may be seen as our greatest treasure. That's the way we esteem Him. He becomes our greatest treasure when I say Jesus is more valuable to me than my reputation at school. He's more valuable to me than me making more money in a different work where I think I can be safe from the gospel and from witnessing to certain people. It's better than even losing my life, if that is the call. And most of us aren't called to that, certainly not here in our context, but some of us are! There are people in our country who hear the call to go overseas, into so-called closed countries, and they die. and God is glorified. And some of us will have to die to spread the gospel. And we must acknowledge that and embrace that as a truth and as a reality. Now when we as a church and especially as church leaders do this, everything else in the church begins to take on a Christ-centered perspective, because we see that Jesus is really the hub that holds all the spokes in place. And if Jesus is not the hub, then we've got something false at the center, and the spokes go askew. And everything that we want to look like a good church or a healthy church, because we're building programs and trying to do things to match the city and what other people want, or asking unbelievers, what do you want in a church? As has been the format of the latest church growth movement, is asking unbelievers, what would you want in a church that would make you go to church? So they fashion a church in the likeness of what unbelievers say they would want. And it looks like entertainment. They want to be entertained. You want good rockin' music. You want lights, smoke machines. And I've seen these things in churches. Faithfulness is preaching the Word of God. And when we as Christians are ready and willing to die for the cause of Christ, then being great-hearted, being bold, being quietly faithful in our workplace takes on new meaning. in the face of pettiness, name-calling, ridicule. For biblical principles, all that seems like a very small thing when you're looking at death that other Christians are facing. You know, my disregard for embarrassment, my aversion to risk, seems like a very shameful thing when I think my brothers and sisters in Christ on the other side of this planet right now are dying because they believe what I believe. And the call is very high. But if we compromise here, where the cost is relatively small, how will we stand when the cost is exponentially higher? Well, Jesus knows all about it. and his kingdom cannot fail. In verse 9, Jesus declares that he knows all about Smyrna's troubles. Look at what he says in verse 9. I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich, and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. You know, the Christians at Smyrna were poor because of their association with Christ. In fact, they were called traitors because they refused to worship Caesar as Lord in these regions. That was a political no-no. So they were accused of being disloyal to the government as traitors to Caesar. And people refused to do business with them. If they owned a business, they went out of business because no one would shop, no one would buy their wares, no one would buy their goods. And since the culture saw it as an act of treason against the state, other vendors would not let them shop at their store. They would not let them do business with them, lest they be shut down by the government for doing business with traders. And so you can see how it would spread, that they wouldn't want to sell food or clothes to these Christians because of what the culture would do to them. It might hurt their business. Now, when social pressure is strong like this, it is usually because our faith in Christ is very weak. Now, when our faith in Christ is very strong, we're able to withstand even the most fierce social pressure. But all the believers had to do in Smyrna was to say they deny Christ. Just say you deny Christ and we'll let you go. We won't accuse you of treason. You just worship Caesar. Just say Kaiser Kourios and you're okay. They wouldn't do it. The universal confession among Christians who were faithful was Jesus Kourios. Jesus is Lord. And they called them traitors. But not only were they crushed and persecuted materially and economically, they were also persecuted spiritually by a group of zealous Jews who hated Christianity because they saw it as a perversion of the Jewish religion. Jesus says they aren't even real Jews in verse 9, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan. There were certain Jewish nationals who, according to Acts 18 and Acts 26, slandered Christians and they cursed Jesus Christ, which is blasphemy. They accused Christians of treason. A very similar phrase is used in Revelation 3, verse 9. And there, it's obvious that these are racial Jews who claim to be God's people, but really are not. From Acts and Galatians we know that certain Jews cause great opposition to the proclamation of the gospel. In Acts 13.50, Acts 14 verses 2 and 5 and 19, and in Acts 17 verse 5, we see that these Jews in this group cause great opposition to the gospel. Revelation 2.13 suggests that this slander refers to local cults of emperor worship called concilia, which demanded that Christians call Caesar Lord and burn incense to Caesar once a year. It was a mandatory thing. It's like paying taxes in the United States. This was part of their taxes in their system. It was the tax of honor. It was an honor that they owed the government. But here's where Christians could not submit to the government. Now Christians are called to submit to government in any way that it does not force us to disregard what Christ has told us to do. But here's where they couldn't. They could not worship Caesar as Lord, because that would be a direct affront to the Lord Jesus Christ. They couldn't say Caesar is Lord when they knew that he wasn't. They knew that Jesus is the only Lord, and they couldn't deny that. And so they were forced in this sticky, unpopular, embarrassing position of wanting to be loyal to their mother country, and yet being called disloyal traitors. They did it for the gospel. And there was, in that day, a faithful Christian named Antipas who didn't yield to this, and he's mentioned in Revelation 2.13. And these Jews were accusing the Christians of treason. Now, these Jews claimed to be committed to the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, but they were not, because Abraham and Moses would bow in worship of Christ. Jesus said, Abraham longed to see the day of Christ, and by faith he saw it and he rejoiced in it. That was Abraham. And this is not the way the Jews, these synagogue of Satan Jews, responded to the declaration of Christ. And so Jesus says they aren't even real Jews, they're just a synagogue of Satan. And again, this reminds us that it's very possible to be religious and very far from God. Now I'll give you an example. I found this example was really ironic when you think about how religious people can be and how they think, how they can sometimes disregard their own standards when they're pursuing the persecution of another group. For example, when these Jews arrested a Christian and were having him put to death, they would gladly gather wood for the execution on the Sabbath day. disregarding their own Sabbath rules that they held to themselves for the ceremonial keeping of the law. They said, well, it's a Sabbath, but I'm going to break the Sabbath because I'm trying to kill these Christians. And so they would just disregard their own rules in order to execute Christians. Now, believers in Christ, like the Apostle John, see the world in a sharp contrast. Good versus evil, the kingdom of light versus the kingdom of darkness. Satan figures prominently in the book of Revelation. Satan is mentioned often in Revelation in chapter 2 verse 9 and verse 13, chapter 3 verse 9, chapter 12 verses 9 and 10, chapter 20 verses 2 and 7. Satan is mentioned over and over again throughout Revelation. Satan slanders the believers and he energizes their persecutors. Satan believes all the doctrines of Scripture, but he hates them. And he twists them, and he doesn't want God's people to believe them. He doesn't want the world to hear those doctrines. He wants to distort them, and he is a master of distortion. He will use just as much truth as is necessary to get people to believe a lie. He will taint his lies with just enough truth so that you'll say, that sounds plausible. That might be true. He wants you to take the bait. You see, that's how Satan uses the Word of God to destroy people. That's what he did with Eve. He used just a little bit of the Word of God and a whole lot of distortion to take her eyes off of the true goal. So Satan slanders believers and he energizes their persecutors. You know, there's a battle for control for the hearts and minds of the children of Adam. And Jesus assures us in His Word that He is in absolute control in spite of any signs or all signs to the contrary. Make no doubt. We do not believe in dualism. That is, we do not believe that God is one force for good and Satan is an equal force for evil. That's a wrong view. Satan is a lackey. Satan is a created being. He is not equal to God. Oh, he's far more powerful than you and I. Make no doubt, do not underestimate him as a foe, but he is nowhere near equal to God. He is a created, fallen angel whose doom is destined in Scripture. God has already foretold it. He knows that, and he wants to deny it. And he wants you to forget it. And he wants you to think more powerfully of him than you should. So don't overestimate His power, nor underestimate His power, but rightly understand what Scripture says about Satan as a foe, as an adversary. He daily, constantly accuses the brethren before the throne of God. Ha-Satan in the Greek means adversary. He is the accuser. And so Jesus knows all about the suffering of His people. He sees exactly what His people are facing from the hand of the enemy. And the supremacy of Christ assures His people that He always knows our present difficulties, and He has a glorious purpose in those difficulties. So don't think that your difficulties that you will face are without a purpose. Never think that you're going through a trial or that your life is hard for no reason. God always has a purpose. He never wastes your tears. He knows the reason why your heart is broken and He loves you. And He wants to comfort you through this doctrine. Now remember that young boy I mentioned at the beginning? The one who is discipled by the Apostle John? Well, as I said, his name was Polycarp and he became a famous bishop of Smyrna. Now let me tell you the rest of his story. In the second century, Polycarp was such a godly influence for Christ that even Roman authorities revered this man. They would come and listen to him in his house. And they would listen to Polycarp explain the gospel. And they began to grow in their respect, not only for Polycarp, but for Christ. But they, many of them, did not become true believers. And yet Polycarp became one of the earliest post-apostolic martyrs for the Christian faith in AD 168. He was arrested on trumped-up charges. He, like the Jews in Smyrna, was accused of treason. And so they accused him of sedition and civil disobedience because he was preaching Christ instead of bowing to Caesar as Lord. He refused to say, Kaiser kurios. He said, Iesus kurios. And so the authorities came to his house. These Roman authorities who had befriended him for many years earlier. And they said, Polycarp, just deny Jesus and we won't have to arrest you. We've known you for so long. He's 86 years old at this time. And they didn't want to haul him into the authorities. They loved him. They said, if you'll just deny Christ, we'll tell the emperor that you're okay and he'll let you go. And you can go back to living quietly. And here's how Polycarp responded. Quote, I have served Christ for eighty and six years and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King? I am a Christian. And when they lit the flames to carry out the execution of Polycarp, they couldn't get it lit. The wind kept blowing out the fire. Finally, one frustrated soldier pulled out his dagger and thrust it into the heart of the old man. And then they got the flame lit and they burned his body. But he never denied his Lord. He was faithful to the end. Believing in Jesus Christ is always united to a willingness to, as Martin Luther said, let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, the body they may kill, but God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever. And the seemingly paradoxical truth has been seen that throughout history, the more the church has been persecuted, the greater has been its purity and its strength. Scripture links persecution and spiritual strength. Note that scripture links persecution and spiritual strength. In countries where we see persecution little, we see little spiritual strength. And in countries like China, North Korea, Sudan, where persecution is great, we see spiritual strength in a vital form. Now, the church at Smyrna displayed the power and the purity that comes from successfully enduring persecution. Persecution had purified it and had weaned it from sin and affirmed the reality of its members' faith and commitment to Christ. That's one way to make Jesus look more glorious in the face of death and persecution. Smyrna was hurting, but they were healthy. And the very best way to glorify Christ in your death is to glorify Him now in your life. Let us never think that we can glorify Him somehow in our death when we have not glorified Him along the way in our life. Now next Sunday, Lord willing, We'll review this first point regarding the supremacy of Christ, and then we'll consider how the sufficiency of Christ secures his people to maintain strong faith in spite of future trials in verses 10 and 11. Until then, let's pray. Father, thank you for reminding us of the high cost of true discipleship. Give us a growing love for the doctrinal truths that undergird and sustain an uncompromising faith in Jesus Christ, even in the face of death. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.