"How well do you know your CHRISTIAN past? Are there any great saints of days gone by, who especially challenged your life for their demonstrated bravery, brilliance, and beauty?  

I'm Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast, and in a moment I want to talk with you about a number of such saints, in the world of Christianity, that you should know…

…Throughout the centuries, millions of people have identified themselves as followers of Jesus Christ. For some, that identification has cost them their fortunes, families and their own lives as well. From the very first defense of the faith, by a man named Stephen (Acts 7), to the well documented martyrdom of 20th century missionaries, such as Jim Elliot and his colleagues in Ecuador, hundreds of thousands of men and women have lost all, for the sake of "defending the faith." Sadly, the memory of these millions of martyrs has long since vanished from the collective consciousness of the church, where succeeding generations are quite ignorant of the mighty work they performed to preserve and defend the Word of God we have today.

Of course, in any one broadcast we could never faithfully honor the millions of great followers of the faith down through the centuries, so today I want to zero in on a timeline of a few to wet your appetite to praise God, and to seek a deeper walk with Christ as a result. To do this, we must open the musty doors of God's great “Hall of Faith,” and in there, we will see the monuments of dynamic Christians who gave their all for Christ and the saints.

To begin, I want to visit those who took up the cross and followed the Lord after the New Testament canon was closed, for the Bible as we know it was fully completed by the end of the first century AD. As this memorable apostolic century concluded, the words of Jesus began to ring out across the world of faith. Jesus said to His disciples.

John 16:33 ( NIV ) "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.""

The great apostle Paul echoed these words as the Spirit prompted him to write in,

2 Timothy 3:12 ( NIV ) "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"

Since the first century, the tribulation, persecution, sufferings and trials have never ceased for the faithful followers of Christ. Even as the 2nd century began, there was a great saint by the name of POLYCARP. Polycarp, history tells us, was a disciple of John, the last apostle of the Lord, who died around 100 AD. Polycarp, as young believer, was so touched by John's life that he dedicated his to Christ at an early age. He later became the Bishop of Smyrna and served for many long years. Bishop Polycarp was an outspoken defender of the faith. He had gone to Rome and rescued many believers from following the false heretical teacher, Marcion, and his fame had spread far and wide. Back in his home town, in February 156 AD, Polycarp's city reverberated with the shout of the heathen, as they went to their stadiums for the sports spectacles, they thrived on. At this time, being an outspoken Christian had become unlawful treason. As a result, many Christians were "closet" Christians, but not Polycarp!

Now, the Roman sports arena had become an ugly thing. It digressed from sporting competition to a blood-thirsty spectacle as the pagan crowds enjoyed the fight for life of convicted prisoners with hungry lions caged there. After a particularly vicious session, the crowds aware of Polycarp's outspoken faith, cried out for his participation and death. Many friends of Polycarp pleaded with him to escape, but the faithful man of God was willing to stand before the thousands and give his testimony and love for His Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, Polycarp boldly entered the arena and was told his fate would be different. In those days, followers of Christ were called "atheists," for they failed to recognize Caesar as god. Before all the people in the stadium, Polycarp was called to denounce the Christian faith and admit that Caesar was god. Instead the faithful aged man stood tall and spoke. The stadium went silent, as all listened. Bishop Polycarp, the friend of the apostles said,

"Eighty-six years I have served Him (Jesus Christ) and He never did me wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me!"

Hearing this, the crowd loosed a torrent of abuse. A cry rang out, "burn him alive!"

Quickly, a fire was prepared and Polycarp was placed at the center. The pyre was ignited and as the crowd roared in approval, the flames engulfed this man of God. There, as death came to his aged body, those nearby could hear him praying and singing praises to God that he was "deemed worthy to die" for his Savior and King. Yes, Polycarp one of the early martyrs, publicly defended his faith, unto death, before the Romans. He truly inspired other Christians to stand firm and true and to defend their faith too. Now, Scripture says that those who die and give their lives for Christ, receive a special reward, described in the Bible as the "Crown of Life."

Well, as the years went by, many saints died in similar fashion, many whose names are only known to God, yet they were willing to stand firm on the Word of God, and stand firmly for it even unto death. Thankfully in time, the Roman world ended this murderous killing spree. By the third century, the mysterious sovereign hand of God said, "enough!" To change things, God saw fit to redeem even the Roman emperor, Constantine, who then turned the nation around and honored the faith of Christianity. Although this was a good moment in history, it brought with it some serious trouble too. The quick turn around, and new popularity, loosely brought into the Church, millions of the unconverted pagans, who were willing to follow any good thing recognized and popular. This massive influx of unsaved followers of Christ, we might rightly call the "mixed multitudes," brought with them what came to be known as the "Dark Ages."

But before all these things came about, God used a number of faithful followers to maintain the faith and protect the Word of God from compromise and destruction. Men like Justin Martyr, whose nickname was "Defender of the Truth," Athanasius, a young man from Egypt who's nickname was "Champion for Christ," all stood firmly in hostile times, to promote God's Word, winning many to Christ, and discipling these saints.

Following Emperor Constantine, who became a follower of Christ, came men like, Aurelius Augustine, who arose to take up the gauntlet to defend the faith. This fourth century professor, having a strong Christian mother, came to Christ in his adult years. Recognizing his foolish youthful rebellion, he went on to serve the "King of Kings." Augustine was sadly the last great theologian before the onset of the middle Ages in 590 AD. For during this a period of 1000 years that passed, spiritual and intellectual life seemed almost dead. However, the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ had promised that His church would never die. We read in,

Matthew 16:18 ( NIV ) "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock [his confession of faith] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

Although little is recorded of the dynamic defense of the faith during this period, we know God's Word was alive in hearts and carefully passed on to others in fulfillment of the command in Scripture that says,

2 Timothy 2:2 ( TLB ) "For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others."

Well in the year 1200 AD, we find God raised up a follower, who was to greatly defend the faith. His name was Francis Bernardone, who later was simply known as Francis of Assisi. As the church of that day had sadly slipped into a state of apostasy, Francis, who became a monk, was reading the Bible one day. He read the following verses,

Matthew 10:7-8 ( NIV ) "As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

God spoke to this man, and the Spirit called him to begin evangelizing for Christ. In his heart as he read these words, Francis declared,

"This is what I want. I shall set myself with all my strength to put it into practice."

With that, God had commissioned this saint for His service and great reward. Francis went forth and dynamically preached repentance and God's love to the poor, the sick, the down and outers - winning many to Christ. Until His death in 1226, AD., Francis was instrumental in leading hundreds, perhaps thousands to Christ, preparing the way for the great Renaissance revivals to come years later. Indeed, God's heroes of the faith were always there, and because of them, we have a sure faith to follow to this day.

Well, as time went on, God began a whirlwind revival. God raised up men like John Wycliffe, who was called the "Crusader for Liberty ." For in his day the Bible had become a "closed book." Translated only in Latin, the language of the scholars, the common people had nothing! Wycliffe saw the need for the common people to have the Bible in their own native tongue of English. This noted English Oxford professor and faithful defender of the truth, stood firmly convicted, that the people needed the Bible personally in their own language, for their faith and practice. However, the apostate Roman Church at that time, stood vigorously opposed. For when John Wycliffe completed the first English Bible and distributed it among the common people, he was vilified by the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. However, God protected Wycliffe and enabled him to perform His reformation work until his old age and his days were over. On December 31, 1384 , Wycliffe closed his eyes in death, and was ushered into the presence of the Lord whom he faithfully served. The Bible says, a special reward is given to men like Wycliffe who faithfully gave up their lives to defend, preserve, and propagate the faith. We read in,

1 Peter 5:4 ( NIV ) "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

Although Wycliffe died and went to be with God, his work lived on, for now the Bible was in the hands of the people and would forever be their possession. Now, those who followed John Wycliffe were called Lollards, or faithful followers of Christ who continued spreading Wycliffe's biblical teachings which became the treasured legacies to the oppressed peoples of Europe . Meanwhile, Wycliffe became the "Morning Star of the Reformation Movement" to come.

Following Wycliffe, came many defenders of the faith who paid for this with their lives. Men like John Huss, who became the "Flame that ignited the Reformation," and finally men like Martin Luther, the German Reformer called the "Monk who shook the world;" John Calvin, the exiled Frenchman who became the chief pastor of Geneva; and, Huldrych Zwingli born in 1484 in Wildhaus, Switzerland, who was known as the "Third Man of the Reformation," - these three (Luther, Calvin & Zwingli) were used mightily by God, to restore the faith once delivered to the saints, which had been hidden away for centuries in the dusty monasteries of Europe. These three, had a number of things in common although they personally fought each others finer teachings at times.

First of all, they were men who were sold out to God! John Wesley’s cry was:

"Give me ten men who love nothing but God and hate nothing but sin, and together, we will change the world!"

Well, God said three was enough. Yes, these men were absolutely surrendered to loving God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Indeed, God give us such saints today, for we desperately need such revival power among God's people in this 21^st century.

Now the second thing that characterized their faith, was the fact that they saw and emphasized the sovereignty of God over their lives and the affairs of men. They especially saw in the Scriptures, the teaching of the total depravity of man. Preaching and propagating these doctrines brought strength to their words and lives. They knew deep down inside apart from the grace of God they were, and all men were, nothing. But with God on their side they were invincible! Yes the Bible declares, God speaking now,

Isaiah 46:10 ( NIV ) "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please."

In the Book of Daniel we read,

Daniel 4:35 ( NIV ) "All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He {God] does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?""

Psalms 135:6 ( NIV ) "The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."

Yes, God is sovereign, and none can stay His hand and will. This gives great comfort to His children who suffer in this world from the temporal buffeting of Satan. For under even the most severe circumstances or trials, a believer who trusts this truth, believes God permits such things in their lives and all is under His watchful, loving control. The kingship of God over all the earth -- to understand and believe that -- is GREAT POWER! These three men had that. Moreover, the influence of these three men has stayed with us down through the centuries.

Now in more recent history, we can think of men like Jonathan Edwards, David Brainard, George Whitfield, Sir Isaac Newton, William Wilberforce, C.H. Spurgeon, and William Carey to name a few. All these great defenders of the faith, carried on in the same tradition believing in the corruption of mankind because of sin, and believing in the purity, perfection and sovereignty of God. Once the Reformation began and the true church was freed from the false teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, revival down through the ages was a genuine and regular occurrence. As a result, this overflowed into every area of the world. From the social, political, missionary and church oriented worlds of men - God's Word was declared paramount and perfect! Luther's watchword was "Sola Scriptura," meaning, the "Bible Only!" This brought the Bible back to the place of prominence it once had in the first century of the faith.

Although Martyrdom was used to quench the fiery sword of truth, neither this nor exile, nor excommunication nor persecution dampened the Sword of the Lord piercing the darkness of demons, defiance and spiritual delusion. God was indeed sovereign and ruled in the affairs of men. In time, God worked in other hearts too. For instance, He raised up the English Puritans, who again reformed the church of the day that stood in opposition to the truth of God's Word. Men like John Owen, the "Puritan Theologian," who was Oliver Cromwell's advisor in 1651; John Bunyan the well known preacher and author of "The Pilgrim's Progress," who was jailed for twelve years for standing firm on the issue of the true faith - these men among others were valiant defenders of the Bible and spoke out against anything in religious circles that was in opposition to its literal normal sense of its meaning found in the Scriptures.

Following them came men like George Fox, the 17th century Quaker who brought a Christian awakening beginning in England in 1647. Then on the American side men like Jonathan Edwards, a key figure in the Christian history of New England and of American theology. As president of Princeton College , he was used tremendously to embed the defended faith of our fathers, in the hearts of multitudes of preachers and followers of Christ to come. Then of course, came John and Charles Wesley, who both surrendered to Christ in the spring of 1726. John Wesley was a circuit riding preacher, who traveled on horseback some 5,000 miles a year preaching 15 sermons a week. In spite of opposition and persecution, thousands came to hear him and confessed Christ as their Lord and Savior. His brother Charles, was used by God to bring us so many of the sacred hymns we sing to this day. Do you know that Charles Wesley published more than 4,500 hymns and left about 3000 still in manuscript? Indeed, the five crowns mentioned in Scripture, the crowns of "(1) Rejoicing, (2) Righteousness, (3)Life, (4) Glory and (5) Incorruptibleness"  -- surely will be awarded to men like these on the day of glory when Christ comes again.

Well, moving on to our more modern days, we find God still working among men. We know this for God raised up men like Albert Finney, born in 1792 who became the "The Father of Modern Revivalism," George Muller, the "Brethren Philanthropist," and founder in 1834, of the first faith orphanages in England; to those endearing missionaries such as David Livingston the Scottish missionary explorer of Africa, and William Carey of India - all who gave their lives to see God's Word lived out, defended and spread across the world of mankind. Then, following in their footsteps, God raised up evangelists and pastor/teachers such as Dwight Lyman Moody, the American evangelist, and Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the English "Prince of preachers." Together, these men "lit the world" with the torch of God's Word. Millions came into the kingdom of God , and are still coming as their words and faithful followers have continued to declare the mighty power of God's Word to save souls.

Indeed my friend, we have a legacy and heritage of "Heroes of the Faith," who have carefully guarded God's Word, that their children's children might have it in all it purity and perfection. But now the question is what are we doing with it? Are we allowing it to fall by the wayside? Are we living it fully before our world? Are we faithfully defending God's Word against all attacks? Today, the Bible is under fierce attack from the world of unbelief. Secular Humanism, a polite word for Atheism and the many false religious Cults, all stand in opposition to what God has declared and His Word teaches. How are we responding to this? If we who know the truth, remain silent, we shall lose the next generation to Christ and the freedoms God has given through the sacrifices of these saints of old. But know this, friend, God is not through with this world, nor is He finished calling men and women to sacrificially serve Him in getting out the Word of God, saving souls, and maintaining the truth of His Word for generations to come should the Lord tarry in His return.

From the day Christ began His earthly ministry, He has used men and women, common and great to spread the priceless story of His saving grace. Most of these never received any earthly rewards. Many have been forgotten or never mentioned. But as we covered today there were a few whose influence and commitment were so great, that they left an indelible mark on the church and the hearts of men. I pray that this little glimpse has given you a new appreciation for the faith once delivered to the saints, and a special call from God, to in your own world of influence, be a "Defender and Hero of the faith." I trust that God is speaking to your heart, greatly encouraging you, so that you will say like all these men of old, "Lord here am I, send me." God grant this to each and everyone of listening today for Jesus sake, amen. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RESOURCES & SUGGESTED READING :

•  "GREAT LEADERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH," edited by John d. Woodbridge , Copyright 1988, published by Moody Press, Chicago , IL .

•  "HEROES OF THE FAITH," by James C. Hefley, Copyright 1963, Moody Press, Chicago , IL .

•  " COMPTON 'S INTERACTIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA," Copyright 1996 Edition, Softkey Multimedia, Inc."

•  "THE NEW GROLIER MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA," Copyright 1993 by Grolier Inc.

•  "A HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY," by Kenneth Scott Lattourette, Copyright 1953, Harper & Row Publishers, New York , NY .