THE DARK AGES AT MIDNIGHT: The Tenth Century

Ekklesia Muskogee

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THE DARK AGES AT MIDNIGHT: The Tenth Century

The Tenth Century

March 9, 2023 • Brett Baggett • 1 Corinthians 14:26

TENTH CENTURY MEMORY VERSE. “Strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Cor. 14:26).

TENTH CENTURY MEMORY QUOTE. “All glory, laud, and honour to thee, Redeemer, King! to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring" (Theodolph of Orleans, 920).

STEPHEN CHARNOCK, DELIGHTING IN THE EXISTENCE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD: The Seventeenth Century (pt.20)

December 5, 2024 • Brett Baggett • Psalm 103:8, Colossians 1:10

In the Seventeenth Century, God used Stephen Charnock to help people better understand who God is and what He is like. VERSE. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love“ (Psalm 103:8). QUOTE. “Power is God's arm, omniscience is God's eye, mercy is God's delight, eternity is God's duration, but holiness is God's beauty!” (Stephen Charnock).

CHRIST CAME OUT CONQUERING AND TO CONQUER: The First Century

August 4, 2022 • Brett Baggett • Matthew 16:18, Revelation 6:2, Revelation 2:10

First Century Memory Verse: “Christ came out conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2). First Century Memory Quote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” (Tertullian). INTRODUCTION QUESTION I. What is church history? ANSWER. Church history is the story of how Jesus has built his church for his own glory and his peoples’ good. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). QUESTION II. Why should we learn church history? ANSWER I. We should learn church history because it is our Christian family history. ANSWER II. We should also learn church history because God will use it to warn us away from sin. ANSWER III. We should learn church history because God will use it to encourage us toward godliness. ANSWER IV. We should learn church history because God will use it make us excited to do great things and suffer great things for Christ. ANSWER V. We should learn church history because it is the story of Jesus conquering the nations through his Gospel. “Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:1-2). This is Christ, riding on his white horse, going forth conquering, and to conquer the nations through the preaching of the gospel. I. THE FIRST CENTURY CAN BE SEPARATED INTO THREE PERIODS I) In the first period of the first century, Jesus Christ came into the world as the God-man to preach, save, and conquer (A.D. 0-33). Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He also said, “[The kingdom of God] is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants” (Mark 4:31-32). Christ came to preach. Christ came to save. Christ came to conquer. This period came to an end with the resurrection of Jesus, after his perfect life and wonderful death to save us from our sins. II) In the second period of the first century, Jesus sent his apostles to preach the gospel and plant churches all over the world (A.D. 33-66). Christ said to his apostles, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). By the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles went out to preach all over the known world. Churches were planted in Israel, Greece, Italy, Asia, Africa, and even India. This period came to an end with the death of the apostles and the destruction of Jerusalem. III) In the third period of the first century, Jesus preserved his people through great suffering (A.D. 66-100). To the church in Smyrna, Jesus wrote a letter and said, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. . . Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Saints will suffer for Christ. Saints will reign with Christ. CONCLUSION: POLYCARP’S MARTYRDOM Now let me tell you a story of a man named Polycarp who was born in the year 69 and was one of the Pastors of the church in Smyrna—the same church Jesus wrote that letter to and said, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer… be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Polycarp was killed because he would not worship the Roman emperor. Christ is King, so Polycarp would not worship anyone but him. He said, ”Eighty and six years I have served [Christ], and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked." Before his death he prayed, "I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ." Polycarp was burned at the stake and pierced with a spear. What do you think happened to Polycarp as soon as he died? He was given the crown of life with Jesus in heaven. The more they killed Christians the more the gospel spread and more people were saved! Tertullian, an early church historian, said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” He is right. Nothing can stop Jesus as he is riding his white horse because “Christ came out conquering and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2).

MANY FALSE PROPHETS HAVE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD: The Second Century

August 18, 2022 • Brett Baggett • 1 John 4:1

RECAP: Question I. What is church history? Answer. Church history is the story of how Jesus has built his church for his own glory and his peoples’ good. “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Question II. Why should we learn church history? Answer. We should learn church history because it is the story of Jesus conquering the nations through his Gospel. “[Christ] came out conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2). Concerning the First Century, we have learned that, Christ came to save, the Apostles were sent out to preach, and then the early church suffered yet was sustained by Christ. First Century memory verse: "Christ came out conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2). First Century memory quote: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” (Tertullian). THE SECOND CENTURY (100-200 A.D.) I. The church was attacked by persecution, but they remained faithful to Jesus even unto death (Revelation 2:10). “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. . . Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” II. The church was attacked by false teachers, but they remained faithful to Jesus by believing the Bible (1 John 4:1). “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” The false teachers in the second century taught that the spiritual was good and the physical was bad. False teachers taught that the Creation was evil, so the one true God could not have created it (Gnosticism). False teachers also taught that Jesus did not become truly human, because, they said, that would mean God became something inherently evil (Docetism). False teachers also taught that our bodies are evil, so we will not be resurrected with Jesus and like Jesus. Here is the true teaching of the Bible: God created the world and everything in it, and it was good. Jesus became a true human being so he could save us from our sins. We who believe in Christ will be resurrected from the dead with Jesus and like Jesus. Because of these False Teachers, the church started writing Creeds, otherwise known as Confessions of Faith. THE APOSTLES’ CREED: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. CONCLUSION: Ignatius of Antioch (Syria). He said, “If Christ be not fully human and if he did not really die, why am I suffering for the gospel and prepared to die for it?” Ignatius was put on trial and condemned by the Roman Emperor for the crime of being a Christian. While being transported to Rome to be killed, he wrote to multiple churches, and said this: “I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God's sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching to God. I am God's wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.” Ignatius wanted to die for the Lord Jesus, and begged Christians not to try and break him free. He further said, “Let fire, or the cross, or wild beasts, or the breaking of my bones, or the cutting of me to pieces, or the shattering of my whole body, yea, all the tortures of the devil - let them all come upon me, only let me enjoy my God.” Ignatius was killed for being a Christian around the year 140 in Rome. Most likely he was eaten alive by lions. But he remained faithful to Jesus even unto death. Remember what Revelation 3:10 says: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. . . Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” What happened as soon as Ignatius died? He saw Christ! And he has been happier and happier every day since. In the second century, the Church was attacked by persecution and by false teachers, but they remained faithful to Jesus. Second Century memory verse: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) Second Century memory quote: “Let all persecutions come upon me, only let me enjoy my God” (Ignatius of Antioch).