I’m down here in Thessalonica, right beneath the modern Demetrius Church, standing amidst the ruins of the Roman bath complex. This is sacred ground. This is the very area where St. Demetrius was martyred—captured and killed for his faith in Christ.
We are beneath modern Thessalonica, but we are standing in the Roman period, reflecting on the time when persecution under Diocletian brought the church to the closest it’s ever been to extinction.
The great question we face today, echoing through the ages, is this:
What kept the Thessalonian saints going?
What allowed men like Demetrius to believe God’s word so profoundly that they were willing to die for their faith?
THE ANSWER–He waited for the Son of God, faithful unto death.
I want to read to you from First Thessalonians, the epistle Paul wrote from Corinth. This word was their source of encouragement.
The Thessalonians were extraordinary.
They turned from idols to serve the living and true God.
Their faith toward God went out in every place because they were not afraid to share and live the faith of Christ; the word of the Lord sounded forth from them.
This powerful church shows us the way:
Their lives were characterized by waiting for His Son from heaven, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. Demetrius believed this gospel—that Jesus had delivered him from the wrath to come.
Today, the Lord wants the same from us: to be faithful to him, to live life waiting for the Son of God.
Join me as we look at this incredible example, a source of encouragement for us regarding being faithful to death.
MAC 05 HOW TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE END LIKE THE THESSALONIANS @Demetrius Catacombs
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