WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.319 Welcome to 563 Church, where with Pastor Daniel 00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:06.179 Rees, we'll be exploring Revelation chapter 2 00:00:06.179 --> 00:00:09.859 verse 8 -11. Jesus praises the persecuted church 00:00:09.859 --> 00:00:12.199 in Smyrna for their faith and spiritual richness 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:15.179 despite their poverty and suffering. He warns 00:00:15.179 --> 00:00:17.780 them not to fear imminent imprisonment and tribulation, 00:00:17.980 --> 00:00:20.460 which will be brief, urging them to remain faithful, 00:00:20.620 --> 00:00:23.620 even unto death. The ultimate reward for those 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:25.800 who conquer is the crown of life and immunity 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:29.489 from the second death. If you have your Bibles, 00:00:29.690 --> 00:00:31.250 Revelation chapter 2 is where we're going to 00:00:31.250 --> 00:00:35.770 be this morning. Last week we started a new series 00:00:35.770 --> 00:00:40.210 on the seven churches that are found in the book 00:00:40.210 --> 00:00:43.909 of Revelation in chapters 2 and 3. of Revelation, 00:00:44.509 --> 00:00:48.469 we get these short little memos that Jesus gives 00:00:48.469 --> 00:00:52.530 to John. These seven churches that are referenced 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:56.369 in the book of Revelation are located in what 00:00:56.369 --> 00:00:59.950 is modern day Turkey. And many of those ruins 00:00:59.950 --> 00:01:04.049 of these churches can be toured today. Last week, 00:01:04.170 --> 00:01:06.230 we looked at the church in Ephesus, which was 00:01:06.230 --> 00:01:10.290 started by Paul during his third missionary journey. 00:01:10.730 --> 00:01:14.189 Now, if you were not here last week, Jesus commends 00:01:14.189 --> 00:01:17.629 that church. by referencing some things that 00:01:17.629 --> 00:01:19.790 they were doing really, really well. They were 00:01:19.790 --> 00:01:22.109 growing in their knowledge of God. That's a good 00:01:22.109 --> 00:01:25.349 thing. They were able to spot evil and not tolerate 00:01:25.349 --> 00:01:28.489 it. That's a good thing. And they were faithful. 00:01:28.569 --> 00:01:31.689 They did not grow weary. Those are good things. 00:01:32.109 --> 00:01:35.689 But then Jesus says, of all that is good, all 00:01:35.689 --> 00:01:38.109 that is good, but I have this one thing against 00:01:38.109 --> 00:01:41.689 you. And if you don't get back to what you were 00:01:41.689 --> 00:01:45.109 doing at first, then I'm going to remove your 00:01:45.109 --> 00:01:50.540 land. Now, the lampstand is a symbol of the church 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:53.739 when the Holy Spirit is active and working in 00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:57.500 the church. If the lampstand is removed, then 00:01:57.500 --> 00:02:00.219 what Jesus is saying is that you might function 00:02:00.219 --> 00:02:03.260 as the church, but the Holy Spirit would not 00:02:03.260 --> 00:02:07.000 be present there. Now, for those of you unaware, 00:02:07.540 --> 00:02:12.360 that's bad news. Because it's not the church 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:16.849 that transforms lives. It's the Spirit of God 00:02:16.849 --> 00:02:20.370 It's not the preaching that brings salvation 00:02:20.370 --> 00:02:23.530 It is the work of the Holy Spirit speaking to 00:02:23.530 --> 00:02:28.430 our hearts and bringing conviction every church 00:02:28.430 --> 00:02:33.169 Should have a desire for the Spirit of God to 00:02:33.169 --> 00:02:37.379 be actively working in that church If he is not 00:02:37.379 --> 00:02:39.979 there, then you might have a great building, 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:42.520 you might have a building full of people, but 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:45.539 it is nothing more than a social club that meets 00:02:45.539 --> 00:02:50.180 on Sunday mornings. What Ephesus had done really 00:02:50.180 --> 00:02:53.599 well at the beginning of their existence was 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:57.419 they had a foundation of repentance and confession. 00:02:57.870 --> 00:03:01.530 But as time went on, as they got more into the 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:04.949 routine, they forgot that it was in those moments 00:03:04.949 --> 00:03:09.110 of honesty and realness where the Lord began 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:15.430 to prevail mightily. Revival is preceded by confession 00:03:15.430 --> 00:03:18.810 and repentance. If we don't build our culture 00:03:18.810 --> 00:03:23.150 here at Cornerstone on those elements, And we 00:03:23.150 --> 00:03:27.409 begin to portray a sense of false identity by 00:03:27.409 --> 00:03:30.189 pretending that we are better than we are. We 00:03:30.189 --> 00:03:35.110 will not be all that God has for us. It won't 00:03:35.110 --> 00:03:40.030 function. The even greater risk is that he will 00:03:40.030 --> 00:03:44.129 remove his spirit from this place, like so many 00:03:44.129 --> 00:03:46.330 other churches have experienced in the past. 00:03:47.710 --> 00:03:49.889 Today we're gonna look at the second of the seven 00:03:49.889 --> 00:03:53.449 churches by seeing what Jesus has to say to the 00:03:53.449 --> 00:03:55.889 church in Smyrna. So if you have our Bibles, 00:03:55.990 --> 00:03:57.990 let's read beginning in verse eight from chapter 00:03:57.990 --> 00:03:59.969 two. If you're willing and able, I'd love for 00:03:59.969 --> 00:04:02.569 you to stand as I read the words of the Lord 00:04:02.569 --> 00:04:08.250 to this church. Remember this is red letter, 00:04:08.270 --> 00:04:11.289 this is Jesus speaking, verse eight, and to the 00:04:11.289 --> 00:04:14.449 angel of the church in Smyrna write, the words 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:17.240 of the first and the last. who died and came 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:21.180 to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty, 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:24.600 but you are rich. And the slander of those who 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:27.720 say that they are Jews and are not, but are a 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:31.180 synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are 00:04:31.180 --> 00:04:34.300 about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:36.839 throw some of you into prison that you may be 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:39.740 tested and for 10 days you will have tribulation. 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:42.740 Be faithful unto death and I will give you the 00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:47.129 crown of life. He who has an ear. Let him hear 00:04:47.129 --> 00:04:49.709 what the Spirit says to the churches the one 00:04:49.709 --> 00:04:52.009 who conquers will not be hurt by the second death 00:04:52.009 --> 00:04:55.370 Let's pray father. I pray that as we look at 00:04:55.370 --> 00:04:59.470 this church as we look at the words of your son 00:04:59.470 --> 00:05:06.470 That we will be transformed by them I Pray that 00:05:06.470 --> 00:05:10.089 you speak to our hearts this morning open our 00:05:10.089 --> 00:05:12.910 open our hearts to understand what this verse 00:05:12.910 --> 00:05:16.449 means for us And I ask all these things in Jesus' 00:05:16.670 --> 00:05:24.850 name, amen. Now, you might notice a difference 00:05:24.850 --> 00:05:28.370 in this letter than the one we covered last week. 00:05:29.670 --> 00:05:31.870 This letter is somewhat encouraging because he 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:35.160 doesn't have anything against them. He doesn't 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:37.259 say, hey, you're doing all these things really 00:05:37.259 --> 00:05:40.319 well, but you better get this one thing straightened 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:42.639 out, or something bad's gonna happen. That's 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:46.019 not what happened in this letter. The main theme 00:05:46.019 --> 00:05:51.480 of this letter to Smyrna is persecution. We will 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:55.000 see why, and we'll understand Smyrna a little 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:57.899 better as we go through this thing. But like 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:03.790 so many other cities, Smyrna has a rich history 00:06:03.790 --> 00:06:07.990 that ends badly. In its time, Smyrna was one 00:06:07.990 --> 00:06:11.949 of the best seaports in the world. It was the 00:06:11.949 --> 00:06:14.350 closest port to Athens, which was the gateway 00:06:14.350 --> 00:06:17.029 to the rest of Europe, and so it was pivotal 00:06:17.029 --> 00:06:19.930 to trade and travel. It was an important city 00:06:19.930 --> 00:06:23.110 full of great architecture, beautiful gardens, 00:06:23.209 --> 00:06:26.949 and thriving businesses. However, Smyrna was 00:06:26.949 --> 00:06:31.319 actually destroyed in 600 BC. And it was left 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:35.279 as this small, humble village where there really 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:38.860 wasn't much going on. But a few hundred years 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:42.139 later, a guy by the name of Alexander the Great 00:06:42.139 --> 00:06:45.279 rebuilt it and made it better than it ever was 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:49.120 before. It was literally a city that was dead 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:52.709 and had come back to life. and the people of 00:06:52.709 --> 00:06:55.589 Smyrna, they took great pride in that reality. 00:06:56.069 --> 00:06:58.790 Throughout the city were all these statues declaring 00:06:58.790 --> 00:07:02.310 that we are the city that was dead and that came 00:07:02.310 --> 00:07:05.410 back to life. You can tour those remnants even 00:07:05.410 --> 00:07:10.129 today. It was that theme, that pride that Jesus 00:07:10.129 --> 00:07:13.899 relates to when he's riding to this church. that 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:18.160 he is the first and the last, that it was him 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.579 that was dead and came back to life. That's how 00:07:20.579 --> 00:07:24.699 he starts this letter. Now, during this time, 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:28.259 when this revelation is being given to John, 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:33.420 the city of Smyrna is loyal to the Romans. In 00:07:33.420 --> 00:07:36.740 fact, it was there that the first temple was 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:41.019 built to the Roman Emperor Tiberius, and Smyrna 00:07:41.019 --> 00:07:45.720 was the first city that accepted Caesar worship. 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:50.360 And so every year throughout the entire empire, 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:54.720 including Smyrna, they had to burn incense in 00:07:54.720 --> 00:08:00.459 the temple and declare that Caesar is Lord. Because 00:08:00.459 --> 00:08:04.920 in the Roman Empire, The emperor was viewed as 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:08.120 a god and it was demanded of the citizens that 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:12.540 he be worshiped. So because of the culture that 00:08:12.540 --> 00:08:14.899 was prevalent throughout the city of Smyrna, 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:18.439 the Christians at this particular church were 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:22.019 persecuted. Now I think we need to spend some 00:08:22.019 --> 00:08:24.899 time understanding exactly what that means when 00:08:24.899 --> 00:08:27.019 we talk about persecution because the reality 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:30.699 is most of us don't or have not experienced what 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:34.259 these people have experienced. Because when we 00:08:34.259 --> 00:08:37.019 think of persecution in our culture, we might 00:08:37.019 --> 00:08:39.639 think of being made fun of for being religious 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:43.960 or being ridiculed by others for our belief in 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:47.500 Jesus. Maybe we have a difficult time sharing 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:51.200 about how Jesus has changed our lives because 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.460 we are worried about what other people are going 00:08:53.460 --> 00:08:57.360 to think of us. When Jesus says, I know your 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:01.340 tribulations, he's not talking about being laughed 00:09:01.340 --> 00:09:04.139 at. He's not talking about being shunned from 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:07.200 the family Christmas party. The word that he 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:11.960 uses literally means to crush or to apply heavy 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:14.759 pressure. It would be the same word that's used 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:18.779 to describe a wine press or an oil press. The 00:09:18.779 --> 00:09:21.720 grapes and the olives would be put into these 00:09:21.720 --> 00:09:25.659 presses to be crushed until all of their juices 00:09:25.659 --> 00:09:30.159 flowed out of them. Another way this word was 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.679 used was used to describe a form of torture that 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:37.570 was being used during this time period. Imagine 00:09:37.570 --> 00:09:40.169 a person just laying on the ground flat on their 00:09:40.169 --> 00:09:44.389 back and slowly more and more weight would be 00:09:44.389 --> 00:09:47.570 placed on their chest until eventually their 00:09:47.570 --> 00:09:51.389 bodies were crushed under the weight of it. It 00:09:51.389 --> 00:09:57.889 was a slow and painful way to die. So when Jesus 00:09:57.889 --> 00:10:02.830 says, I know your tribulations, he's not referencing 00:10:02.830 --> 00:10:06.610 some set packs in spreading the gospel. This 00:10:06.610 --> 00:10:11.210 was far greater than interruptions in the routine. 00:10:11.970 --> 00:10:15.309 While the Christians in Smyrna faced a brutal 00:10:15.309 --> 00:10:19.990 opposition that led to physical torture and death. 00:10:20.389 --> 00:10:23.610 That is what Jesus is referencing. This is why 00:10:23.610 --> 00:10:27.370 Smyrna, the church in Smyrna is labeled as the 00:10:27.370 --> 00:10:31.019 persecuted church. because if they refused to 00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:34.379 worship Caesar, it was an act of defiance that 00:10:34.379 --> 00:10:38.059 was punished by death. So when you didn't show 00:10:38.059 --> 00:10:41.759 up to the temple to burn incense to Tiberius, 00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:45.720 they came looking for you because to them, loyalty 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:49.320 to the empire was of great importance. In that 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.799 environment, it would be extremely difficult 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:57.330 to win new converts to the gospel. This is not 00:10:57.330 --> 00:10:59.990 a church that has people just lining up to be 00:10:59.990 --> 00:11:03.610 a part of it. But not only were they persecuted 00:11:03.610 --> 00:11:06.590 for not worshiping Caesar, Jesus also makes reference 00:11:06.590 --> 00:11:09.649 to their poverty because he calls them a poor 00:11:09.649 --> 00:11:12.509 church. Now there are a couple words that are 00:11:12.509 --> 00:11:14.529 used in the New Testament to describe poverty. 00:11:14.870 --> 00:11:18.649 One of those words just simply means needy. It 00:11:18.649 --> 00:11:22.330 carries the idea of living hand to mouth. Not 00:11:22.330 --> 00:11:24.309 really sure where your next meal is going to 00:11:24.309 --> 00:11:27.429 come from. It's that idea. The word that Jesus 00:11:27.429 --> 00:11:29.750 uses is a different word that actually means 00:11:29.750 --> 00:11:34.509 the worst possible state of poverty imaginable. 00:11:35.990 --> 00:11:40.730 This is a body of believers. who have had all 00:11:40.730 --> 00:11:43.850 the material wealth and possessions stripped 00:11:43.850 --> 00:11:47.210 away from them. Now, if that were to happen to 00:11:47.210 --> 00:11:50.850 us, there's a good chance that we could get back 00:11:50.850 --> 00:11:53.429 on our feet. Maybe we move to another town and 00:11:53.429 --> 00:11:57.649 we start over. We get a new job. We start off 00:11:57.649 --> 00:12:00.409 by, like college students, and all we have is 00:12:00.409 --> 00:12:02.669 ramen noodles to eat. There's nothing wrong with 00:12:02.669 --> 00:12:04.509 that. I've lived off it. We still enjoy them 00:12:04.509 --> 00:12:07.799 occasionally. But that's all you have. Maybe 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:10.440 you're not able to buy a house and so you're 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:12.480 living in this cramped apartment for a little 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.000 while until you get enough saved up to get a 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:17.539 bigger place and maybe eventually buy a house 00:12:17.539 --> 00:12:20.120 and just keep on going. But you have to keep 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:23.279 in mind again, Smyrna is not the land of opportunity 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.919 that you and I live in today. They are living 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:29.840 in a place where if you proclaimed faith in Jesus, 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:33.799 you were basically given a scarlet letter J. 00:12:34.350 --> 00:12:39.710 for Jesus to wear on your clothes. And if you 00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:42.809 were recognized in the city of Smyrna as a believer, 00:12:43.190 --> 00:12:47.250 it was forbidden by Roman law to buy anything 00:12:47.250 --> 00:12:50.750 from you. But even if you were able to gather 00:12:50.750 --> 00:12:55.370 some cash, it was illegal to sell to you. It 00:12:55.370 --> 00:12:58.450 was a hopeless place to live if you follow Jesus. 00:12:58.889 --> 00:13:02.070 Now, hopefully that gives you an idea of what 00:13:02.070 --> 00:13:05.809 Jesus was referring to when he mentions tribulations, 00:13:06.110 --> 00:13:09.730 when he mentions difficulties. But we see that 00:13:09.730 --> 00:13:13.250 those who, we see that those aren't the only 00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:15.909 things that the church is dealing with because 00:13:15.909 --> 00:13:18.389 at the end of verse nine, we see that they are 00:13:18.389 --> 00:13:21.629 also dealing with some hypocritical Jews who 00:13:21.629 --> 00:13:26.490 were actually being used by Satan. These are 00:13:26.490 --> 00:13:30.350 people who professed with their mouth to be followers 00:13:30.350 --> 00:13:33.470 of God. They were associated with the church 00:13:33.470 --> 00:13:36.669 in some way. They probably came to their services. 00:13:36.909 --> 00:13:39.409 They knew all the right answers in Sunday school. 00:13:39.549 --> 00:13:42.889 They gave some of their money and overall they 00:13:42.889 --> 00:13:45.470 looked like they were people that loved Jesus. 00:13:45.970 --> 00:13:49.230 But we read that they actually belonged to the 00:13:49.230 --> 00:13:56.710 synagogue of Satan. That is the greatest threat 00:13:56.710 --> 00:14:02.549 to the church. It isn't outside forces, it isn't 00:14:02.549 --> 00:14:06.070 the government, but it is actually people who 00:14:06.070 --> 00:14:09.809 are inside of it. They attend regularly, but 00:14:09.809 --> 00:14:13.129 they are actually enemy agents working against 00:14:13.129 --> 00:14:17.129 the things of God. They divide the people of 00:14:17.129 --> 00:14:20.250 God against each other. They make the work of 00:14:20.250 --> 00:14:22.450 the church more difficult than it needs to be. 00:14:22.710 --> 00:14:27.909 And Jesus says they do it all by slander. It 00:14:27.909 --> 00:14:32.789 is actually the word used for blasphemy. It's 00:14:32.789 --> 00:14:36.250 important to remember that the name Satan means 00:14:36.250 --> 00:14:39.990 accuser. And so those that work for him will 00:14:39.990 --> 00:14:43.230 bring accusations against the people of God. 00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:45.769 Now that doesn't mean they worship Satan. It 00:14:45.769 --> 00:14:48.429 doesn't mean they're following Satan. It just 00:14:48.429 --> 00:14:52.529 means that they are being used by him. That's 00:14:52.529 --> 00:14:56.669 the goal of the enemy. To destroy the work of 00:14:56.669 --> 00:15:00.190 God that he is doing through the churches. It 00:15:00.190 --> 00:15:03.269 is Christianity. It's the message of the gospel. 00:15:03.610 --> 00:15:06.169 It's the work of the church and its leaders that 00:15:06.169 --> 00:15:09.750 are being slandered. The beliefs and practices 00:15:09.750 --> 00:15:13.570 of the church were being twisted and distorted 00:15:13.570 --> 00:15:17.529 Which in turn made others actually hate the church 00:15:17.529 --> 00:15:20.169 they hated the message of the gospel They hated 00:15:20.169 --> 00:15:22.750 the message of Jesus and and they didn't want 00:15:22.750 --> 00:15:25.769 anything to do with it This is what this church 00:15:25.769 --> 00:15:28.509 is dealing with now. I'm sure we've all heard 00:15:28.509 --> 00:15:31.870 stories like that Where people have heard rumors 00:15:31.870 --> 00:15:35.190 about a church and they believe them and so they 00:15:35.190 --> 00:15:40.259 won't ever go there That's what Smyrna is dealing 00:15:40.259 --> 00:15:44.600 with. Jesus told his disciples to remember his 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:51.200 sacrifice by taking communion. So people slandered 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:53.419 that and they twisted it. They said, well, the 00:15:53.419 --> 00:15:56.639 church is just a bunch of cannibals. They were 00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:59.139 accused of all kinds of sexual sins because the 00:15:59.139 --> 00:16:03.759 emphasis that was put on love. They were disloyal 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.480 to Rome because they refused to worship Caesar. 00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:10.779 So they were called atheists. Lies were made 00:16:10.779 --> 00:16:13.440 up about them whenever anything went wrong. So 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:16.299 the people in the region actually hated the Christians. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:21.919 That was the reality for this church, crushing 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:28.279 opposition, extreme poverty, lies constantly 00:16:28.279 --> 00:16:31.899 being told about them. Many of them were about 00:16:31.899 --> 00:16:34.659 to be thrown into prison and tested even more, 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:40.009 but Jesus tells them to remain faithful. I know 00:16:40.009 --> 00:16:42.190 all this is horrible going on around you, but 00:16:42.190 --> 00:16:45.950 remain faithful. And through that, this church 00:16:45.950 --> 00:16:48.610 persevered. And the only question that I can 00:16:48.610 --> 00:16:50.830 ask, because I was studying that this week, is 00:16:50.830 --> 00:16:58.789 how? How? What in the world would give them the 00:16:58.789 --> 00:17:03.129 courage to deal with that? And when I ask that 00:17:03.129 --> 00:17:05.009 question, I have to put myself in that position. 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:07.980 I have to put myself in the Church of Smyrna. 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:11.420 Would I be able to persevere if everything I 00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:13.720 owned was stripped away from me? I'm unable to 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:17.859 buy or sell anything. I have people that I worship 00:17:17.859 --> 00:17:20.059 with that are slandering my name. There's this 00:17:20.059 --> 00:17:22.119 constant threat of being thrown into prison. 00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:25.180 Would I be able to remain faithful to Jesus in 00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:29.740 the midst of all of that? What would you do if 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:31.400 every time you walked out of your house, people 00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:34.970 were waiting to beat you down? just because of 00:17:34.970 --> 00:17:38.630 who you are and what you believe. There was always 00:17:38.630 --> 00:17:41.009 a nervousness about being arrested or taken to 00:17:41.009 --> 00:17:46.849 jail. And then while you're in jail, your home 00:17:46.849 --> 00:17:50.289 is taken over, your stuff is sold at auction, 00:17:50.910 --> 00:17:55.289 your cars are repossessed. What would you do 00:17:55.289 --> 00:17:57.569 if the people that you worship next to began 00:17:57.569 --> 00:18:00.549 making all kinds of slanderous accusations about 00:18:00.549 --> 00:18:03.190 you? and tear down your character through gossip 00:18:03.190 --> 00:18:08.809 and lies. We have to ask ourselves those questions 00:18:08.809 --> 00:18:12.250 because that is the reality that the people of 00:18:12.250 --> 00:18:16.369 Smyrna were dealing with on a daily basis. Their 00:18:16.369 --> 00:18:20.230 fellow brothers and sisters were being slaughtered 00:18:20.230 --> 00:18:24.329 for the same beliefs that you and I have. We 00:18:24.329 --> 00:18:27.369 have to be certain of our belief in Jesus. We 00:18:27.369 --> 00:18:29.849 have to trust that His plans are what's best 00:18:29.849 --> 00:18:33.779 for us. Now here in America right now, I don't 00:18:33.779 --> 00:18:36.220 think we at all have that kind of persecution. 00:18:36.859 --> 00:18:39.460 Will that day come? Absolutely. But as of right 00:18:39.460 --> 00:18:42.839 now, I don't think it's here. But you do need 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:47.359 to be aware that the enemy has a thousand other 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:52.019 ways to crush your spirit. The church in Smyrna 00:18:52.019 --> 00:18:55.059 experienced it, and yet it says they were victorious. 00:18:55.500 --> 00:18:57.700 So I think we need to spend some time looking 00:18:57.700 --> 00:19:01.420 at ways that we too can be victorious over the 00:19:01.420 --> 00:19:04.500 enemy so that we too can receive the crown of 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:07.799 life. Now throughout these four verses, I see 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:10.660 three statements that Jesus gives to the believers 00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:14.460 in Smyrna. These three promises are a guarantee 00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:17.339 that we will have victory over the attacks of 00:19:17.339 --> 00:19:20.579 the enemy. We see the first statement in verse 00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:24.269 nine. Jesus says, You are living in poverty, 00:19:24.289 --> 00:19:28.009 but you are rich. You are living in poverty, 00:19:28.009 --> 00:19:31.329 but you are rich. They might not have a lot of 00:19:31.329 --> 00:19:33.529 physical property. They might not have a lot 00:19:33.529 --> 00:19:37.029 of physical possessions, but they were rich in 00:19:37.029 --> 00:19:41.130 the grace and knowledge of Jesus. They had a 00:19:41.130 --> 00:19:45.609 trust in God's sovereign plan and they knew in 00:19:45.609 --> 00:19:48.250 their heart of hearts that God was going to see 00:19:48.250 --> 00:19:53.009 them through. Do you have the same trust? Now 00:19:53.009 --> 00:19:57.089 this might be a little hard to hear, but don't 00:19:57.089 --> 00:20:03.150 worry. That's my intention. I want to challenge 00:20:03.150 --> 00:20:07.009 you on what that phrase means. You are rich. 00:20:08.150 --> 00:20:10.309 Because when we think of rich, we think of money. 00:20:11.869 --> 00:20:16.069 But so many of us are slaves to money. So my 00:20:16.069 --> 00:20:20.269 question is, who is your God? And which God do 00:20:20.269 --> 00:20:24.670 you trust? I hear comments frequently about not 00:20:24.670 --> 00:20:29.509 having enough money to tithe. If I give money 00:20:29.509 --> 00:20:31.250 to the church, then I'm not gonna be able to 00:20:31.250 --> 00:20:34.349 feed my family. If I give money to the church, 00:20:34.369 --> 00:20:36.769 then I won't be able to make my car payment. 00:20:37.329 --> 00:20:40.049 I don't see the need because the church seems 00:20:40.049 --> 00:20:43.390 to have so much already. Listen, I've been there. 00:20:44.089 --> 00:20:47.829 I've said those things. What we are saying when 00:20:47.829 --> 00:20:53.099 we withhold our money from the Lord. is that 00:20:53.099 --> 00:20:56.259 we don't trust that God is going to take care 00:20:56.259 --> 00:21:00.559 of us and we can do a better job. When we fail 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:04.079 to return to God what is rightfully His, we're 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:07.259 not trusting that He will provide what we need 00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:10.059 and therefore we work harder and work longer 00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:13.259 so that we can build up a bigger nest egg for 00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:18.519 our security. Now I have no idea who ties in 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:23.529 this church and who doesn't. idea. But here's 00:21:23.529 --> 00:21:26.789 what I do know. I know that the average household 00:21:26.789 --> 00:21:30.829 income in the Quad Cities is $85 ,000. I know 00:21:30.829 --> 00:21:32.589 some of you make more than that average and some 00:21:32.589 --> 00:21:34.150 of you make less. That's why it's an average. 00:21:34.210 --> 00:21:37.970 I get it. I know that if we took the average 00:21:37.970 --> 00:21:41.250 income and multiplied it by the number of families 00:21:41.250 --> 00:21:45.170 that attend here regularly we would have three 00:21:45.170 --> 00:21:50.420 times our income that we have now. And I don't 00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:55.519 want you to hear this as a call to give. We're 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:58.539 not doing a campaign because the truth of the 00:21:58.539 --> 00:22:02.000 matter is if we were giving all back to the Lord 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:03.980 or what is rightfully His, we would never ever 00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:08.519 have to do a campaign. This is a call for you 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:13.000 to call for me to check your heart on which God 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:20.470 you trust. This is a call for you to trust the 00:22:20.470 --> 00:22:23.589 God who made you. This is a call for you to trust 00:22:23.589 --> 00:22:27.089 the God who gives you every breath you have. 00:22:29.410 --> 00:22:31.809 By giving back 10 % of your income, you are sowing 00:22:31.809 --> 00:22:35.490 a seed in your faith. As time goes on, that faith 00:22:35.490 --> 00:22:38.569 will grow. We are promised in the scriptures 00:22:38.569 --> 00:22:41.609 that God will supply all of our needs according 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:45.910 to the riches in Christ Jesus. Do you trust that, 00:22:46.029 --> 00:22:51.859 or do you trust in your 401k? The church in Smyrna 00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:56.220 was rich. They had the grace of God and the assurance 00:22:56.220 --> 00:22:59.619 of His provision for their every need. They didn't 00:22:59.619 --> 00:23:03.700 have a lot of money, but I would rather be called 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:07.740 rich by the Lord than be called rich by the world. 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:12.140 I didn't come to that conclusion overnight. It 00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:16.079 was sowing little seeds and showing that I trust 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:18.930 Him in those things. Now here's the next promise, 00:23:19.089 --> 00:23:21.690 it's in verse 10. And he says that you will be 00:23:21.690 --> 00:23:26.069 tested for 10 days. Now that doesn't sound good. 00:23:27.890 --> 00:23:30.809 That's not encouraging, but I assure you that 00:23:30.809 --> 00:23:33.869 it is. Because the testing won't last forever. 00:23:35.309 --> 00:23:38.450 It's limited. Maybe you are in one right now. 00:23:38.730 --> 00:23:40.829 And my encouragement to you is to remind you 00:23:40.829 --> 00:23:43.970 that it won't last forever. Better days are coming. 00:23:44.289 --> 00:23:48.809 A breakthrough is coming. A reprieve is coming. 00:23:49.890 --> 00:23:52.690 Jesus tells his followers, his disciples in Matthew 00:23:52.690 --> 00:23:56.109 chapter 24, that things are going to get worse. 00:23:57.210 --> 00:23:59.990 When the end of time comes, things are going 00:23:59.990 --> 00:24:03.269 to get worse. But the encouraging thing is that 00:24:03.269 --> 00:24:06.829 he says that in those days, those days will be 00:24:06.829 --> 00:24:10.859 limited. because of his people that have chosen 00:24:10.859 --> 00:24:15.440 to trust in him. It's gonna be horrific, but 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:18.960 it's gonna be limited to those who have trusted 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:24.339 in him. Evil will only last for a season. It 00:24:24.339 --> 00:24:28.269 will run out of steam. They will get bored. They 00:24:28.269 --> 00:24:30.190 will lose interest. It'll move on to something 00:24:30.190 --> 00:24:34.730 else sickness is temporary pain is temporary 00:24:34.730 --> 00:24:38.690 hopelessness is Temporary God is faithful and 00:24:38.690 --> 00:24:41.670 the scripture says that he will only give you 00:24:41.670 --> 00:24:44.869 what he knows that you can handle Not what you 00:24:44.869 --> 00:24:47.490 think you can handle what he knows you can handle 00:24:47.490 --> 00:24:50.490 nothing more He's not gonna give you anything 00:24:50.490 --> 00:24:54.369 that you can't handle but even in the midst of 00:24:54.369 --> 00:24:58.720 difficult times Remember that the testing of 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:04.839 your faith produces endurance. Now I know this 00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:08.500 is not one of those uplifting messages, but at 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:15.240 the same time, maybe for you it is. I don't understand 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:21.480 how the prosperity gospel preachers deal with 00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:27.289 a text like this. The Christians in Smyrna were 00:25:27.289 --> 00:25:32.009 not healthy, wealthy, and blessed. That they 00:25:32.009 --> 00:25:35.410 were not well liked. They were not successful 00:25:35.410 --> 00:25:39.369 based on the world's standards. Life was hard. 00:25:40.210 --> 00:25:44.970 And life was hard because they refused to renounce 00:25:44.970 --> 00:25:49.230 their faith in Jesus. But somehow they had peace. 00:25:51.470 --> 00:25:53.109 Their life would have been so much easier if 00:25:53.109 --> 00:25:55.460 they said, yeah. Caesar's Lord, I'm good with 00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:58.000 that. Their life would have been so much easier. 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:00.619 They could have accumulated wealth. They could 00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:02.119 have bought a house. They could have done all 00:26:02.119 --> 00:26:04.079 these things. They would no longer be persecuted. 00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:07.400 But somehow they didn't do that and they had 00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:10.799 peace. Somehow they persisted. Now some of you 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:14.220 may be going through a difficult season. Some 00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:17.740 of you may be overtaken by some sort of addiction. 00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:23.900 Maybe you're suicidal. Maybe you feel hopeless. 00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:29.640 The only encouragement that I can give you is 00:26:29.640 --> 00:26:34.099 what is found in the Bible. It's darkest before 00:26:34.099 --> 00:26:40.680 the dawn, but joy comes in the morning. With 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:45.599 Jesus as your guiding light, you will be victorious. 00:26:46.680 --> 00:26:50.700 With him, it is the only way to endure. The final 00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:52.460 promise comes at the end of verse 10 and 11. 00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:55.019 He says, be faithful unto death. That's encouraging, 00:26:55.220 --> 00:26:57.920 right? And I will give you the crown of life. 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:01.700 He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit 00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:03.940 says to the churches. The one who conquers will 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:07.279 not be hurt by the second death. Now notice, 00:27:07.299 --> 00:27:10.180 it does not say that God's promise to be with 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:14.380 us means that we will survive every trial we 00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:20.579 go through. I wish it meant And I think people 00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:22.640 live their lives. I wish it meant that we would 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.599 be like Superman and would be essentially invincible. 00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:31.200 But Jesus doesn't say that. He doesn't say it, 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:35.220 so how could I? The promise that Jesus just made 00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:40.859 is that even though we will die in this life, 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:45.500 there remains a crown of life that will never 00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:49.410 pass away. We can be certain that there will 00:27:49.410 --> 00:27:52.470 be persecution. But more than that, we can be 00:27:52.470 --> 00:27:55.589 certain that in the face of persecution, we can 00:27:55.589 --> 00:27:59.630 have complete victory. We can overcome it. The 00:27:59.630 --> 00:28:03.710 God we serve has promised to never leave us lacking. 00:28:04.529 --> 00:28:07.710 That when we give to Him, He will supply all 00:28:07.710 --> 00:28:11.130 of our needs. We have victory because we can 00:28:11.130 --> 00:28:14.329 be sure that no matter what we face, we never 00:28:14.329 --> 00:28:17.720 face it alone. that God is with us through it 00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:22.380 all. And he will only give us what we can handle. 00:28:23.700 --> 00:28:26.779 We can have victory because we know that evil 00:28:26.779 --> 00:28:31.579 will only be allowed for a period of time. And 00:28:31.579 --> 00:28:34.200 God will deliver us from whatever may press in 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:38.619 on us. And you and I, we can have certain victory 00:28:38.619 --> 00:28:43.009 because we know that even in death, What we inherit 00:28:43.009 --> 00:28:47.130 in Christ though the one who for your sake and 00:28:47.130 --> 00:28:50.109 mine Took on the weight of sin allowing it to 00:28:50.109 --> 00:28:57.069 crush him So it wouldn't crush us For us he suffered 00:28:57.069 --> 00:29:01.609 the trials and tribulations of this life So that 00:29:01.609 --> 00:29:04.150 through him we could have deliverance from evil 00:29:04.150 --> 00:29:08.529 so that we could overcome it Now I struggled 00:29:08.529 --> 00:29:15.039 with how to close out this message Maybe some 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:17.039 of these things that these Christians in Smyrna 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:21.980 dealt with, you can relate to. But I doubt any 00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:25.099 of us, there's nobody I know of, that has been 00:29:25.099 --> 00:29:29.400 imprisoned because of your faith. I personally 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:32.220 don't know anybody, and I don't know if you do, 00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:34.940 but I don't know if any of us have lost a loved 00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:37.779 one because they were killed for trusting in 00:29:37.779 --> 00:29:44.880 Jesus. But I want you to imagine a lump of coal, 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:49.079 a lump of coal buried deep in the earth, subjected 00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:54.680 to an unimaginable pressure and heat over countless 00:29:54.680 --> 00:29:59.480 years. To the world, it's just a rough, dark 00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:02.099 stone. It's unremarkable. It's overlooked often. 00:30:02.859 --> 00:30:06.779 Yet under that intense pressure, something extraordinary 00:30:06.779 --> 00:30:12.460 happens. That coal... transforms into a diamond, 00:30:13.980 --> 00:30:19.640 radiant, enduring. It begins to reflect light. 00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:24.420 The church at Smyrna, as we see in Revelation 00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:29.019 2, was much like that coal. They faced poverty, 00:30:29.779 --> 00:30:34.259 slander, persecution, crushed under the weight 00:30:34.259 --> 00:30:38.420 of a world hostile to their faith. Yet through 00:30:38.420 --> 00:30:42.460 their suffering, Christ saw them as spiritually 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:47.039 rich, polished by trials that showed their community 00:30:47.039 --> 00:30:52.279 what unwavering devotion looked like. This is 00:30:52.279 --> 00:30:57.079 the heart of the gospel. That suffering, when 00:30:57.079 --> 00:31:00.839 entrusted to Jesus, the first and the last who 00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:03.980 died and came back to life becomes a pathway 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:09.019 towards transformation. On the cross, Jesus himself 00:31:09.019 --> 00:31:13.799 endured the ultimate suffering, bearing the weight 00:31:13.799 --> 00:31:18.799 of our sin, taking the scorn of the world, feeling 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:22.799 the agony of death. Yet through that suffering, 00:31:22.819 --> 00:31:27.180 he brought forth redemption. He brought forth 00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:30.319 a diamond, turning the darkness of the grave 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:34.799 into the brilliance of the resurrection. Just 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:40.000 as Smyrna's trials refined their faith, our own 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:43.019 trials, our own hardships, whether it be loss 00:31:43.019 --> 00:31:46.880 or rejection or pain or whatever it is can be 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:51.000 offered to Christ who transforms them into something 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:54.180 beautiful for his glory. He takes that lump of 00:31:54.180 --> 00:32:00.960 coal and he turns it into a diamond. And a diamond 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:08.240 is much more valuable than a lump of coal. I 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:10.519 know this because I've purchased some of them. 00:32:12.920 --> 00:32:15.619 I don't think I'd be married if I gave my wife 00:32:15.619 --> 00:32:22.059 a coal ring as an engagement gift. So when you 00:32:22.059 --> 00:32:27.960 are facing trials, remember the coal and the 00:32:27.960 --> 00:32:32.480 diamond. Cling to the promise that Christ is 00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:36.539 with you in the furnace, shaping you into his 00:32:36.539 --> 00:32:41.180 likeness. As he promised Smyrna, be faithful 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:44.420 unto death, and I will give you the crown of 00:32:44.420 --> 00:32:50.299 life. Trust him, for he has overcome, and in 00:32:50.299 --> 00:32:54.140 him your suffering will shine with the eternal 00:32:54.140 --> 00:32:58.619 light of his love and grace. So as we close, 00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:03.000 let us remember Let us remember the foundation 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:08.740 of repentance and confession that was forgotten 00:33:08.740 --> 00:33:14.359 at Ephesus. Maybe you've given into the temptation 00:33:14.359 --> 00:33:19.680 to not stand for your faith. Maybe that's you. 00:33:20.180 --> 00:33:22.519 You can think back to opportunity after opportunity 00:33:22.519 --> 00:33:24.960 where you had the opportunity to share your faith 00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:28.640 and you chickened out. I think all of us had 00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:32.799 that story. Maybe you've been wishy -washy when 00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:35.440 it comes to the things of God you you don't take 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:39.480 him serious all the time and as you were reminded 00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:44.059 of his sovereign plan and You begin to understand 00:33:44.059 --> 00:33:46.359 that he is more faithful than anything you can 00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:50.559 have ever experienced Maybe that brings you back 00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:53.880 to him Maybe you need to confess and repent of 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:57.859 those things this morning And so as we close 00:33:57.859 --> 00:34:00.740 our service this morning, I know this isn't a 00:34:00.670 --> 00:34:04.789 funny sermon. I know it's not a uplifting sermon. 00:34:05.869 --> 00:34:13.349 I know it's a hard message. But if you gain anything 00:34:13.349 --> 00:34:20.110 from it, my hope is that you will remember that 00:34:20.110 --> 00:34:25.050 if you will persevere through the hardship, you 00:34:25.050 --> 00:34:29.889 will get the crown of life. May your testimony. 00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:34.860 be a testimony of God's faithfulness and goodness. 00:34:36.619 --> 00:34:39.619 So that the rest of the world doesn't see a lump 00:34:39.619 --> 00:34:42.820 of coal, but they see a diamond reflecting the 00:34:42.820 --> 00:34:47.579 light of the gospel. May our community see a 00:34:47.579 --> 00:34:53.860 church that's devoted to our faith in Jesus. 00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:58.260 That it does not change as circumstances change. 00:34:58.670 --> 00:35:02.309 It does not change as pressure is put on us. 00:35:02.570 --> 00:35:08.110 We remain steady because he is steady. So let 00:35:08.110 --> 00:35:11.630 me pray for us and we'll worship one more time. 00:35:11.769 --> 00:35:13.989 Father, I pray right now that as we close out 00:35:13.989 --> 00:35:22.090 this service, I pray that as we worship, I pray 00:35:22.090 --> 00:35:24.650 that you'll speak to us. We pray that every week. 00:35:25.800 --> 00:35:28.500 I pray every week that you will speak to our 00:35:28.500 --> 00:35:32.960 hearts. And I pray, Father, that when you speak 00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:36.019 to our hearts, it's as clear as day. It doesn't 00:35:36.019 --> 00:35:39.340 sound like a foreign language. It's not confusing. 00:35:39.699 --> 00:35:42.199 It's clear and direct. And so Father, I pray 00:35:42.199 --> 00:35:45.719 that your Spirit will speak clearly and directly 00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:52.550 to our hearts. Help us be. like Ephesus in the 00:35:52.550 --> 00:35:56.570 beginning. Help us walk in confession and repentance. 00:35:56.909 --> 00:36:00.190 Help us be like the church in Smyrna, that no 00:36:00.190 --> 00:36:03.150 matter what comes against us, we remain faithful 00:36:03.150 --> 00:36:07.989 to you because you are faithful to us. And so 00:36:07.989 --> 00:36:11.849 Father pray, I pray that you speak and move. 00:36:12.769 --> 00:36:15.269 I pray that you transform lives. I pray that 00:36:15.269 --> 00:36:17.949 you bring salvation. I pray that you redeem. 00:36:19.849 --> 00:36:24.090 I pray, Father, that our lamp stand will never 00:36:24.090 --> 00:36:30.769 be removed. Because without you, all of this 00:36:30.769 --> 00:36:34.750 is trivial. And so the expectation I have in 00:36:34.750 --> 00:36:38.510 this place that I ask you to do is to transform 00:36:38.510 --> 00:36:42.429 our lives. I ask all these things in Jesus' name, 00:36:42.829 --> 00:36:48.719 amen. Thank you for listening today to 563 Church, 00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:51.059 a production of Cornerstone Church, Eldridge, 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:53.639 Iowa. For more information about our church or 00:36:53.639 --> 00:36:55.900 just getting right with God, please visit us 00:36:55.900 --> 00:36:59.679 at 563church .com. You can also find us on Facebook 00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:01.820 and Instagram. Have a great week.