WEBVTT 00:00:02.860 --> 00:00:04.780 Morning, you might have been here today on the 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:07.620 promise of us having church outside, and this 00:00:07.620 --> 00:00:11.019 is not outside, but that's okay. Unfortunately, 00:00:11.060 --> 00:00:13.460 the weather did not cooperate with us, but welcome 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:16.140 to Cornerstone Outside, inside the building. 00:00:16.780 --> 00:00:18.760 So we are still going to have a great time. We're 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:20.199 still going to be doing the exact same thing. 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:22.140 So if you look in your bulletin, you will find 00:00:22.140 --> 00:00:24.980 the passage for today is Revelation 2, 8 through 00:00:24.980 --> 00:00:27.000 11. You'll find the text there. You'll also find 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.519 the sermon outline there so you can follow along. 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:32.060 And we are glad you're here. If this is your 00:00:32.060 --> 00:00:34.240 first time with us or your first time for a while, 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:36.359 we would love to give you a gift that we have 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:38.840 in the lobby. So see myself or someone with the 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.259 green lanyard after church and we will get you 00:00:41.259 --> 00:00:44.140 that gift. For everyone in the church, just... 00:00:44.539 --> 00:00:46.960 really two quick announcements. First, the t 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:50.320 -shirts are free, so make sure to get a Cornerstone 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:53.460 t -shirt. Don't hold back. Get as many t -shirts 00:00:53.460 --> 00:00:55.520 as you would like. Second thing, if you signed 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:59.219 up to bring a snack for VBS, please have those 00:00:59.219 --> 00:01:04.459 snack items here by next Sunday. And by next 00:01:04.459 --> 00:01:06.180 Sunday, I mean bring them next Sunday morning. 00:01:06.340 --> 00:01:08.840 That's going to be the best option. So please 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:13.079 bring them next Sunday. Another word, just to 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:15.319 give you some heads up, we will be up at camp 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:17.920 this week. And by we, I mean our entire staff 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:20.019 team will be at camp this week. So a couple things 00:01:20.019 --> 00:01:22.780 with that. First, if you have a need, please 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:25.760 contact Mike or Dennis. There's a little bit 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:27.920 of self -service up at Streeter, but not enough 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:30.840 to reliably be able to get a hold of me. Second, 00:01:31.060 --> 00:01:33.799 please be praying for camp. There's well over 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:36.900 60 kids signed up, kids who are hungry for the 00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:38.980 gospel. If you were here a few weeks ago and 00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:40.739 Michael Aubrey was here doing his training on 00:01:40.739 --> 00:01:43.159 youth and child evangelism, we heard some really 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:46.140 stunning statistics. There's something like 75 00:01:46.140 --> 00:01:49.280 to 80 percent of Gen Z is hungry to know more 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:52.939 about God. So we got a ton of kids up there who 00:01:52.939 --> 00:01:55.859 want to know more about God. Kids who want to 00:01:55.859 --> 00:01:58.140 come to know Jesus. So be praying for that. Be 00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:00.219 praying that they'd have open ears. Be praying 00:02:00.219 --> 00:02:02.480 for safety for everyone out there, that no one 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.760 would have any serious injuries or any minor 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:07.560 injuries. Be praying for me as I'm speaking up 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:09.180 there that God would give me the right words 00:02:09.180 --> 00:02:12.479 to say. And also just for stamina. And just be 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.060 praying that God would move in those kids' lives. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:17.740 So with that this morning, we're going to be 00:02:17.740 --> 00:02:20.659 in Revelation 2, 8 through 11. So let me invite 00:02:20.659 --> 00:02:22.960 you to stand with me as we read this letter from 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:25.500 Jesus to the church in Smyrna. So stand with 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:28.139 me if you're able as we read this together. It 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:31.000 says, write to the angel of the church in Smyrna. 00:02:31.710 --> 00:02:33.949 Thus says the first and the last, the one who 00:02:33.949 --> 00:02:37.530 is dead and came to life. I know your affliction 00:02:37.530 --> 00:02:41.389 and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander 00:02:41.389 --> 00:02:43.129 of those who say they are Jews and are not, but 00:02:43.129 --> 00:02:46.310 are a synagogue of Satan. Don't be afraid of 00:02:46.310 --> 00:02:48.650 what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil 00:02:48.650 --> 00:02:50.229 is about to throw some of you into prison to 00:02:50.229 --> 00:02:52.370 test you, and you will experience affliction 00:02:52.370 --> 00:02:55.530 for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, 00:02:55.729 --> 00:02:58.860 and I will give you the crown of life. Let anyone 00:02:58.860 --> 00:03:01.819 who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to 00:03:01.819 --> 00:03:04.340 the churches. The one who conquers will never 00:03:04.340 --> 00:03:08.560 be harmed by the second death. God, thank you 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:12.500 for this word. God, thank you for this letter 00:03:12.500 --> 00:03:14.639 to the church in Smyrna that also applies to 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:18.240 us, Father. God, would you encourage us today, 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:21.159 God? Would you challenge us with your word this 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:23.900 morning? God, give me your words and nothing 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:27.000 else to speak this morning, God. Give our hearts 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:29.300 quiet and peace to hear what you have for us. 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:33.099 In your name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:36.599 If you were with us last week, you know that 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:38.639 we started a new series looking at the book of 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:40.699 Revelation, going through the seven churches 00:03:40.699 --> 00:03:42.919 of Revelation as we finish up this summer. And 00:03:42.919 --> 00:03:45.159 we saw last week the first letter, the letter 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.780 to the church in Ephesus. The letter to the church 00:03:47.780 --> 00:03:49.500 in Ephesus is built really around this central 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:51.520 theme. It's a church that on the outside looks 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.789 so good. They look perfect. Their programming 00:03:54.789 --> 00:03:56.770 looks great. Everything about it looks incredible. 00:03:57.729 --> 00:04:00.189 But when you go a little bit deeper, when you 00:04:00.189 --> 00:04:03.030 peel back the surface, what Jesus tells them 00:04:03.030 --> 00:04:05.889 is really stunning. He says this, I have this 00:04:05.889 --> 00:04:08.669 against you. You've abandoned the love that you 00:04:08.669 --> 00:04:13.030 had at first. Simply put, the church in Ephesus 00:04:13.030 --> 00:04:15.189 had lost sight of the most important thing, their 00:04:15.189 --> 00:04:18.189 first love, their love for Jesus, their love 00:04:18.189 --> 00:04:20.250 for salvation, their love for the fact that they 00:04:20.250 --> 00:04:24.009 have been saved. They've lost their love for 00:04:24.009 --> 00:04:27.089 the gospel. And friends, we saw last week and 00:04:27.089 --> 00:04:29.649 we were challenged last week to never lose that 00:04:29.649 --> 00:04:32.889 love of the gospel. Because the gospel is everything 00:04:32.889 --> 00:04:35.709 to us. The gospel does not just offer salvation, 00:04:35.829 --> 00:04:38.490 but does offer salvation. The gospel, simply 00:04:38.490 --> 00:04:42.769 put, changed our lives forever. And so we love 00:04:42.769 --> 00:04:46.589 the gospel. And here at Cornerstone, we love 00:04:46.589 --> 00:04:49.959 the gospel. We take the gospel seriously. That's 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:52.399 why our mission is to connect people with Jesus. 00:04:53.339 --> 00:04:56.259 We want people to come to know the saving power 00:04:56.259 --> 00:04:59.360 that is in Jesus. We want to see people's lives 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:03.800 transformed by the power of the gospel. And so 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:05.540 we saw this challenge to the church in Ephesus. 00:05:06.019 --> 00:05:09.480 This challenge to wake up, to repent of their 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.180 lost love for Jesus, and then to renew their 00:05:12.180 --> 00:05:19.560 walk with God. Wake up. And now this week we're 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:22.139 going to be looking at Revelation 2, 8 through 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:25.339 11. So last week we saw this encouragement to 00:05:25.339 --> 00:05:29.300 make sure we don't lose our first love. The encouragement 00:05:29.300 --> 00:05:31.240 this week is a little bit different. You can 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:33.379 find it in your bulletin. The encouragement is 00:05:33.379 --> 00:05:36.120 this, that the gospel gives us hope in the hardest 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:39.160 times. See, whereas the church in Ephesus has 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:41.720 everything going for it, they've got the huge 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:43.740 budget, they've got the lineage of all the apostles 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:45.579 who work there and who serve there and who preach 00:05:45.579 --> 00:05:48.629 there, but yet on the inside they're empty. The 00:05:48.629 --> 00:05:50.129 church in Smyrna, in some ways, is the exact 00:05:50.129 --> 00:05:52.629 opposite of that. It's the church that looks 00:05:52.629 --> 00:05:55.870 like it has absolutely nothing going for it. 00:05:56.769 --> 00:05:58.850 But yet, throughout this letter, Jesus gives 00:05:58.850 --> 00:06:02.350 encouragement. Encouragement to this church, 00:06:02.410 --> 00:06:05.209 because the gospel, the truth of knowing Jesus 00:06:05.209 --> 00:06:09.569 gives us hope. It's not just a temporary fleeting 00:06:09.569 --> 00:06:12.009 hope. It's not just hope that maybe this year 00:06:12.009 --> 00:06:13.529 the Lions will finally win the Super Bowl for 00:06:13.529 --> 00:06:16.009 me. It's not just hope that this year the Illini 00:06:16.009 --> 00:06:18.639 will make the college football playoff. It's 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:22.019 a true, lasting hope. A hope that will never 00:06:22.019 --> 00:06:26.399 be shaken no matter what we face. And that's 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:27.639 our main point for this morning, is that the 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:32.040 gospel gives us hope in the hardest times. So 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:33.439 let's look at this passage verse by verse together. 00:06:33.500 --> 00:06:35.300 Look at verse 8 with me. It says this, Write 00:06:35.300 --> 00:06:38.459 to the angel of the church in Smyrna, thus says 00:06:38.459 --> 00:06:41.399 the first and the last, the one who is dead and 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:44.879 came to life. So let's establish a few things 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:47.240 here. So first, who is speaking and who is the 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:48.519 audience of the letter? And let's get that out 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:50.259 of order. Let's start with the audience. This 00:06:50.259 --> 00:06:52.040 letter is addressed to the church in Smyrna. 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:54.680 Smyrna was a very wealthy city located on the 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:57.680 edge of Turkey. It was famous for its coins, 00:06:57.699 --> 00:06:59.279 actually, which sounds like a very unique thing 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:01.379 to be famous for. But its coins had a different 00:07:01.379 --> 00:07:04.240 inscription than most other Roman cities. See, 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.740 its coins were all inscribed like this. First 00:07:06.740 --> 00:07:11.480 of Asia in beauty and size. What a tourism slogan, 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:15.019 right? first in Asia in beauty and size. Where 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:16.720 should you go on your next trip? The place that's 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:20.500 first in Asia in beauty and size. And Smyrna 00:07:20.500 --> 00:07:23.100 viewed itself as that. It was a very proud city. 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:25.600 And it's proud in part because of what it was 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:27.600 maybe known best for, which was its worship of 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.720 the Roman emperor. They were deeply aligned with 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:32.040 the Roman government. They were known for their 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:35.639 fanatical persecution of the early church. Because 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:38.300 to them, their god was whoever was on the throne 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:41.939 in the city of Rome. Their god was politics. 00:07:43.050 --> 00:07:44.949 Their God wasn't a God who could actually save 00:07:44.949 --> 00:07:47.269 them. Their God was simply a ruler sitting on 00:07:47.269 --> 00:07:50.170 a throne for a period of time. And because the 00:07:50.170 --> 00:07:52.310 early church did not agree with that, they were 00:07:52.310 --> 00:07:54.069 frequently killed in Smyrna, but they also were 00:07:54.069 --> 00:07:56.490 faced with economic hardship, fines being thrown 00:07:56.490 --> 00:07:58.870 in jail for false reasons requiring bail money 00:07:58.870 --> 00:08:01.230 and other sorts of payments. And that is the 00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:03.769 church that Jesus writes to. It is a church that 00:08:03.769 --> 00:08:07.089 is suffering and hurting. Whereas the church 00:08:07.089 --> 00:08:09.189 in Ephesus has faced persecution, has endured 00:08:09.189 --> 00:08:11.430 it, and is on the other side of it, but has found 00:08:11.430 --> 00:08:15.689 themselves emptied out and hollow. This church, 00:08:15.750 --> 00:08:18.829 this is a church that is actively suffering and 00:08:18.829 --> 00:08:23.550 hurting. And friends, we may not face persecution 00:08:23.550 --> 00:08:26.269 to the point of death here in America. We may 00:08:26.269 --> 00:08:29.709 not face taxes simply for being Christians. But 00:08:29.709 --> 00:08:33.419 we do go through hard times. We do go through 00:08:33.419 --> 00:08:35.519 times where it is easy for us to say, God, where 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:38.600 are you right now? Where it's easy for us to 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:40.679 get caught up in something and wonder if God 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:42.659 is still with us or if God really cares about 00:08:42.659 --> 00:08:45.220 what's going on. And friends, if that is you 00:08:45.220 --> 00:08:48.860 this morning, this letter is for you. Friends, 00:08:48.940 --> 00:08:50.419 if you will ever go through a hard time, which 00:08:50.419 --> 00:08:53.480 is everyone in this room today, then this letter, 00:08:53.500 --> 00:08:55.679 this letter to the church in Smyrna, is a letter 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:59.399 for you. And the speaker of this letter... The 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:01.220 speaker identifies himself in the second half 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:04.840 of this verse. The speaker is the first and the 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:08.259 last, the one who is dead and the one who came 00:09:08.259 --> 00:09:12.639 to life. To simplify this, the speaker, the author 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:16.659 of this letter, is Jesus. He talks about himself 00:09:16.659 --> 00:09:18.700 in two different ways here. So first he says 00:09:18.700 --> 00:09:20.820 he's the first and the last. It's kind of similar 00:09:20.820 --> 00:09:23.840 to Colossians 1, 16 through 17, which says this. 00:09:24.019 --> 00:09:26.639 For everything was created by him, being Jesus 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:28.879 in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.639 whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. 00:09:31.860 --> 00:09:34.539 All things have been created through him and 00:09:34.539 --> 00:09:38.700 for him. And it says this. He is before all things. 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:42.070 He is the first of all things. and by him all 00:09:42.070 --> 00:09:43.929 things hold together mean that he will also be 00:09:43.929 --> 00:09:45.929 the last because everything is held together 00:09:45.929 --> 00:09:49.529 by Jesus. But this is not the only time that 00:09:49.529 --> 00:09:50.870 Jesus says something like this. In fact, it's 00:09:50.870 --> 00:09:53.409 not the only time in the book of Revelation that 00:09:53.409 --> 00:09:55.909 Jesus addresses being the first and the last. 00:09:55.929 --> 00:09:59.850 Revelation 22, 13 says this, I am the alpha and 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:02.450 the omega, the first and the last, the beginning 00:10:02.450 --> 00:10:06.809 and the end. That is the Jesus that we serve. 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:10.080 Jesus who is before all things, Jesus who is 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:13.600 today, and Jesus who always will be preeminent 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:17.179 or ruling over all things. Jesus is reminding 00:10:17.179 --> 00:10:19.159 the church in Smyrna that no matter what they 00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:22.120 face, that Jesus is the ruler of all things. 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:26.059 Jesus is reminding these Christians that the 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:28.120 city of Smyrna might worship the Roman emperor, 00:10:28.259 --> 00:10:31.379 but that there was a beginning and an end to 00:10:31.379 --> 00:10:36.100 the Roman emperor's life and reign. There's a 00:10:36.100 --> 00:10:37.980 beginning and an end even to the power of the 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:40.899 Roman Empire. There's a beginning and an end 00:10:40.899 --> 00:10:43.960 to Smyrna being the first and largest city, the 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:47.759 most beautiful city in all of Asia. But Jesus, 00:10:47.980 --> 00:10:52.279 Jesus is the first and the last. As Colossians 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:55.419 1 tells us, Jesus himself created the Roman Emperor 00:10:55.419 --> 00:10:58.559 that the city of Smyrna worshipped. You could 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.139 say it like this, the people of Smyrna worshipped 00:11:01.139 --> 00:11:05.509 the creation rather than the creator. They worship 00:11:05.509 --> 00:11:08.210 the creation of our almighty God rather than 00:11:08.210 --> 00:11:12.950 the God himself who made all things. And here's 00:11:12.950 --> 00:11:15.730 why Jesus starts this letter this way. Jesus 00:11:15.730 --> 00:11:18.590 is encouraging the church in Smyrna about who 00:11:18.590 --> 00:11:22.169 he is. And secondly, that following him is worth 00:11:22.169 --> 00:11:25.870 it no matter what they go through. Following 00:11:25.870 --> 00:11:29.389 him is worth it. Now look at the second phrase 00:11:29.389 --> 00:11:31.190 that Jesus says about himself in verse 8. Jesus 00:11:31.190 --> 00:11:34.590 says that he is the one who was dead and came 00:11:34.590 --> 00:11:37.350 to life. This is a direct reference to Jesus' 00:11:37.509 --> 00:11:39.950 death and resurrection. And I love how 1 Corinthians 00:11:39.950 --> 00:11:42.870 15 explains this. It says this, For I passed 00:11:42.870 --> 00:11:45.049 on to you as most important what I also received, 00:11:45.250 --> 00:11:48.490 that Christ died for our sins according to the 00:11:48.490 --> 00:11:50.639 scriptures. That he was buried and that he was 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:53.399 raised on the third day according to the scriptures. 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:55.840 That's what Jesus is referencing. His death on 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:58.279 the cross that we see in the scriptures and also 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:01.879 his resurrection. That Jesus died and rose again. 00:12:03.019 --> 00:12:05.779 That he was truly killed. That he was crucified. 00:12:06.460 --> 00:12:10.000 And yet he still rose from the dead. Josephus 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:13.000 is a really famous Roman historian. And he tells 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:14.559 the story in his writings of finding out that 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.720 three of his good friends were being crucified. 00:12:17.389 --> 00:12:19.269 He finds out just as, basically as soon as they're 00:12:19.269 --> 00:12:21.950 put up on the cross. And so he goes to the Roman 00:12:21.950 --> 00:12:24.110 emperor and gets them taken down within minutes 00:12:24.110 --> 00:12:27.350 of this whole thing starting. And in just that 00:12:27.350 --> 00:12:30.950 short window of time, two of the three men sustained 00:12:30.950 --> 00:12:34.409 such significant injuries that they die within 00:12:34.409 --> 00:12:36.690 about a day. And the third one had significant 00:12:36.690 --> 00:12:38.649 health issues and was partially crippled for 00:12:38.649 --> 00:12:43.149 the remainder of his life. Understand this. Crucifixion 00:12:43.149 --> 00:12:47.629 did kill Jesus. Jesus did die. But Jesus did 00:12:47.629 --> 00:12:50.990 not remain dead. Jesus was dead, and now Jesus 00:12:50.990 --> 00:12:54.610 came to life. He is the first and the last, the 00:12:54.610 --> 00:12:56.490 beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, 00:12:56.710 --> 00:12:59.289 the one who is dead and the one who is now alive, 00:12:59.429 --> 00:13:01.870 and that is who is writing to the church in Smyrna. 00:13:01.990 --> 00:13:04.309 The Savior of the world who gave his life for 00:13:04.309 --> 00:13:05.830 us on the cross, the Savior of the world who 00:13:05.830 --> 00:13:08.769 saved the people of Smyrna, that is who is sending 00:13:08.769 --> 00:13:11.480 them this letter, this encouragement. And so 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:13.419 let me encourage us to look now at Revelation 00:13:13.419 --> 00:13:16.440 2, 9 through 10, and see what it is that Jesus 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:20.659 encourages them with. He says this, I know your 00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:24.440 affliction and poverty, but you are rich. Let 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:27.799 me just stop us there. By a show of hands, how 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:30.720 many of you, when you hear, I know you're impoverished, 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.539 I know you're poor, immediately think rich? If 00:13:33.539 --> 00:13:35.460 you think, when you hear poverty, if you think 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:38.179 you're rich then, raise your hand. Okay, perfect. 00:13:38.259 --> 00:13:41.269 We can all pass Econ 101. There's a paradox going 00:13:41.269 --> 00:13:43.669 on here in this verse. I know your affliction 00:13:43.669 --> 00:13:47.009 and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander 00:13:47.009 --> 00:13:48.769 of those who say they are Jews, those who say 00:13:48.769 --> 00:13:51.110 they follow God, but they are not. Instead, they 00:13:51.110 --> 00:13:54.169 are a synagogue or a place of worship of Satan. 00:13:55.110 --> 00:13:56.769 Don't be afraid of what you're about to suffer. 00:13:57.789 --> 00:13:59.529 Look, the devil is about to throw some of you 00:13:59.529 --> 00:14:00.990 into prison to test you, and you'll experience 00:14:00.990 --> 00:14:04.330 affliction for 10 days. Be faithful to the point 00:14:04.330 --> 00:14:06.470 of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 00:14:07.170 --> 00:14:09.090 Throughout that couple verses, there's a couple 00:14:09.090 --> 00:14:13.450 different paradoxes that seem to come up. But 00:14:13.450 --> 00:14:15.429 let's do this. Let's look at the first two words 00:14:15.429 --> 00:14:19.690 again. Jesus starts off and says this, I know. 00:14:21.149 --> 00:14:24.490 Church in Smyrna, I know. I know what you're 00:14:24.490 --> 00:14:26.570 going through. And friends, this morning I want 00:14:26.570 --> 00:14:27.909 you to hear that too, because that's not just 00:14:27.909 --> 00:14:29.529 for the church in Smyrna, that's for you also. 00:14:29.929 --> 00:14:34.350 Jesus knows. Jesus sees. And why does Jesus know? 00:14:34.389 --> 00:14:37.000 Why does Jesus see their struggles? Because Jesus 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:40.419 is with them, just as Jesus is with us today. 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:44.000 Whether we were outside or inside, Jesus is with 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.659 us. And what does Jesus see here? He sees their 00:14:47.659 --> 00:14:49.960 affliction and their poverty. And in the midst 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:51.639 of their physical struggles, Jesus says that 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.200 they are rich. So how can they be rich but also 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:57.580 afflicted? How can they be rich and promise the 00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:00.460 crown of life but still be suffering? Well, they're 00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:02.120 rich because they have something far more important 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:05.470 than physical wealth and comfort. See, to understand 00:15:05.470 --> 00:15:07.169 what he's referencing, we do have to look down 00:15:07.169 --> 00:15:09.570 at verse 10 and skip ahead a little bit. They 00:15:09.570 --> 00:15:11.610 are rich despite their affliction and poverty 00:15:11.610 --> 00:15:13.789 because of the promise made at the end of verse 00:15:13.789 --> 00:15:16.409 10. Be faithful to the point of death and I will 00:15:16.409 --> 00:15:19.710 give you the crown of life. They are rich because 00:15:19.710 --> 00:15:21.750 they have eternal life. They are rich because 00:15:21.750 --> 00:15:24.830 of the crown of life in verse 10. They are rich 00:15:24.830 --> 00:15:27.090 because they follow Jesus. They are rich because 00:15:27.090 --> 00:15:29.149 they have a personal relationship with the God 00:15:29.149 --> 00:15:31.429 of the universe, with their personal creator. 00:15:32.769 --> 00:15:35.570 Please hear me on this this morning. Earthly 00:15:35.570 --> 00:15:37.590 wealth fades away. I don't know about you. I 00:15:37.590 --> 00:15:39.250 don't know the last time someone told me they 00:15:39.250 --> 00:15:41.990 were super excited for their honeymoon to Smyrna. 00:15:43.250 --> 00:15:46.629 Smyrna lost its prominence. It's no longer the 00:15:46.629 --> 00:15:49.950 most beautiful city in Turkey. I have some friends 00:15:49.950 --> 00:15:52.409 who serve the Lord over there, and I've never 00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:54.350 heard them talk about how, geez, they just cannot 00:15:54.350 --> 00:15:56.769 wait for their nice, rustic retreat to Smyrna. 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:01.639 It loses its prominence. Their wealth fades away, 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:04.200 and friends, our own wealth fades away. When 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:06.039 we become so fixated on making sure that we are 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:08.220 the wealthiest or that we have the most, then 00:16:08.220 --> 00:16:10.100 we'll always find somebody who has a little more 00:16:10.100 --> 00:16:11.759 than we do, someone that's a little better at 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:14.000 that skill than we are, someone who's just that 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:15.940 little bit cooler, that little bit more popular. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.059 And friends, we can think about it like this. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:21.240 If you put all of your hope in the stock market, 00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:23.740 then one bad investment or one stock market crash 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:27.539 like 2008, and you lose all of your wealth. You 00:16:27.539 --> 00:16:30.220 lose everything you put your treasure in. But 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:32.240 the wealth that Jesus talks about, the wealth 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:35.659 that knowing Jesus brings, it never goes away. 00:16:35.820 --> 00:16:38.240 It never fades. It is completely unchanging. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:41.539 It is a steady rock. There will never be a short 00:16:41.539 --> 00:16:44.659 in that market. That market stays the same day 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:47.539 after day after day. Because if you place your 00:16:47.539 --> 00:16:49.620 faith in Jesus, then you are saved and nothing 00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:53.360 can ever separate you from God. Hear these words 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.259 from Romans chapter 8. For I am persuaded that 00:16:56.259 --> 00:16:59.690 neither death nor life nor angels, nor rulers, 00:16:59.789 --> 00:17:02.049 nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 00:17:02.049 --> 00:17:04.329 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created 00:17:04.329 --> 00:17:06.589 thing will be able to separate us from the love 00:17:06.589 --> 00:17:11.869 of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing 00:17:11.869 --> 00:17:16.210 can separate you from the love of God. For the 00:17:16.210 --> 00:17:18.490 believers in Smyrna, no matter their wealth or 00:17:18.490 --> 00:17:21.309 their poverty, their peaceful living or their 00:17:21.309 --> 00:17:23.910 affliction, nothing can separate them from the 00:17:23.910 --> 00:17:26.769 love of God. Where do they find that love of 00:17:26.769 --> 00:17:33.019 God? In Christ Jesus, our Lord. Remember that 00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:37.180 today. Friends, if we put all of our treasure 00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:39.380 in the right place, then it will never be taken 00:17:39.380 --> 00:17:43.299 away from us. When we were coming back from our 00:17:43.299 --> 00:17:46.079 vacation to Colorado, I was understandably bored 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:48.000 on one of our couple flights, and I ended up 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.259 watching The Big Short, which is a pretty funny 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:52.619 movie about the 2008 stock market crisis, and 00:17:52.619 --> 00:17:54.519 having lived through it, it wasn't quite as funny 00:17:54.519 --> 00:17:56.750 going. through it. I remember all the stress 00:17:56.750 --> 00:17:58.950 and my parents not enjoying that time a whole 00:17:58.950 --> 00:18:05.269 lot. But friends, no matter what happens in the 00:18:05.269 --> 00:18:07.430 stock market, no matter what happens in the housing 00:18:07.430 --> 00:18:09.950 market, no matter what happens in Washington, 00:18:10.130 --> 00:18:14.170 D .C., ever understand this, nothing can ever 00:18:14.170 --> 00:18:17.490 separate you from the love of God that we find 00:18:17.490 --> 00:18:22.410 in Christ. And in that we are always rich. And 00:18:22.410 --> 00:18:25.920 that we are the richest of all people. And that 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:27.559 we can take all the wealth of the world and it 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:29.359 doesn't begin to hold a candle to what we have 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:33.480 in Christ Jesus our Lord. But that's not all 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.839 that Jesus addresses. We next see that Jesus 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:37.960 addresses that the believers in Smyrna are being 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:41.380 slandered. People are lying about them. That's 00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:43.440 hard. It's not fun to be lied about. It's not 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:45.619 fun to be talked poorly about when it's not earned. 00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:48.920 The believers are suffering financially, physically, 00:18:49.180 --> 00:18:51.900 emotionally they're hurting. And that's hard. 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:56.839 That's really, really hard. Any one of those 00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:59.000 things is a lot to go through. And they're going 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.779 through all of it at the same time. But once 00:19:02.779 --> 00:19:05.079 again, Jesus gives them comfort. And where do 00:19:05.079 --> 00:19:07.140 we find that comfort at? Once again, we find 00:19:07.140 --> 00:19:09.440 that down there in verse 10. Be faithful to the 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:12.660 point of death. And what? And I will give you 00:19:12.660 --> 00:19:17.119 the crown of life. Again, Jesus gives them comfort 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:19.420 by reminding them of what their hope is in, that 00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:21.720 their hope is not in being the most popular person, 00:19:21.779 --> 00:19:23.539 that their hope is not in having the most influence 00:19:23.539 --> 00:19:25.339 in the world, or of everyone thinking that they're 00:19:25.339 --> 00:19:28.539 perfect, but rather that their hope is in Jesus. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:31.920 But before we actually get to verse 10, you're 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:33.440 going to see there's one more phrase in verse 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.500 9, one more warning that Jesus gives. Jesus says 00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:39.680 that some of these believers will be thrown into 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.869 prison. They will suffer persecution. And it's 00:19:42.869 --> 00:19:44.470 in reference to the persecution that the church 00:19:44.470 --> 00:19:47.390 in Smyrna faces underneath the emperor Diocletian. 00:19:48.509 --> 00:19:51.490 But notice something. Jesus doesn't just say, 00:19:51.529 --> 00:19:53.190 listen, you're going to face suffering, you're 00:19:53.190 --> 00:19:54.950 going to face persecution. Some of you are going 00:19:54.950 --> 00:19:56.430 to be thrown in jail, tortured to the point of 00:19:56.430 --> 00:20:01.869 death. That's going to be hard. Jesus gives them 00:20:01.869 --> 00:20:05.009 that climactic statement in verse 10. Be faithful 00:20:05.009 --> 00:20:09.750 to the point of what? The point of death. Be 00:20:09.750 --> 00:20:11.369 faithful to give up anything and everything. 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:15.579 Give your entire life to the Lord. And what? 00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:20.980 And I will give you the crown of life. Friends, 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:22.420 the point of this letter is not to emphasize 00:20:22.420 --> 00:20:24.460 the pain and the suffering that these believers 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:28.039 will face. It's a real part of this letter, but 00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:30.259 that's not the purpose. Instead, it is to remind 00:20:30.259 --> 00:20:32.359 the church in Smyrna, this small, suffering, 00:20:32.539 --> 00:20:35.460 impoverished church, that something better is 00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:37.079 waiting for them, that they can cling to the 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:40.619 promise of the crown of life. The crown of eternal 00:20:40.619 --> 00:20:42.440 life. The single most important thing they could 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:45.279 ever have. And they can cling to that. They can 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:48.079 cling to the importance of that. They can cling 00:20:48.079 --> 00:20:50.519 to the promise of eternity spent in heaven with 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:52.259 their creator, with their maker, the God that 00:20:52.259 --> 00:20:55.259 they worship. The God that we are here worshiping 00:20:55.259 --> 00:20:58.299 today. Because understand this, the crown of 00:20:58.299 --> 00:21:02.940 life is the most important thing. And Jesus calls 00:21:02.940 --> 00:21:06.019 on them saying, be faithful. Stand strong. Stay 00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:09.240 grounded in your faith. Don't abandon it. Instead, 00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:10.960 he's saying in the middle of this really hard 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:12.940 time, he's never denying this. He's never saying, 00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:14.799 well, actually church in Smyrna, it's not that 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.819 bad. No, he's not doing that. He says, what first? 00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:24.440 I know. I know your affliction and poverty. I 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:28.220 know the slander you face. I know that some of 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:29.859 you are about to be persecuted and thrown in 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:34.029 jail. But in the middle of that, he gives them 00:21:34.029 --> 00:21:36.309 a solution. He gives them something to do, something 00:21:36.309 --> 00:21:38.789 that they can control. He challenges them to 00:21:38.789 --> 00:21:41.230 fix their eyes on Jesus and on the hope that 00:21:41.230 --> 00:21:44.930 Jesus gives. That is the central idea of the 00:21:44.930 --> 00:21:47.609 letter to the church in Smyrna. This letter is 00:21:47.609 --> 00:21:49.789 written to direct us to the hope that we see 00:21:49.789 --> 00:21:53.789 in verse 10. And verse 11 even shows us that 00:21:53.789 --> 00:21:57.390 also. Verse 11 says this. Let anyone who has 00:21:57.390 --> 00:22:00.029 ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to 00:22:00.029 --> 00:22:02.329 the churches. The one who conquers will never 00:22:02.329 --> 00:22:06.190 be harmed by the second death. Jesus gives an 00:22:06.190 --> 00:22:09.730 instruction. Let anyone who has ears to hear 00:22:09.730 --> 00:22:11.809 listen to what the Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit, 00:22:11.890 --> 00:22:15.829 says to the churches. Anyone who has ears should 00:22:15.829 --> 00:22:19.700 hear this. And this is both. metaphorical. If 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:21.559 you have ears to hear from God, this is also 00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:24.500 physical. If you physically have ears, then hear 00:22:24.500 --> 00:22:27.839 the word of the Lord. Hear what Jesus says in 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:29.660 this passage. Hear the emphasis of good news, 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:32.759 of true hope, of the message of salvation. Hear 00:22:32.759 --> 00:22:35.220 the truth in this passage that can change your 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:38.380 life forever. Hear the truth that you can have 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:40.440 a personal relationship with your Savior. Hear 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:42.740 the truth that your Savior has promised you the 00:22:42.740 --> 00:22:47.759 crown of life. But that's not all. Jesus gives 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:50.640 us one more encouragement to us as we hear this 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:53.599 letter. So we hear this last encouragement. The 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:56.420 one who conquers will never be harmed by the 00:22:56.420 --> 00:23:00.099 second death. Listen, there is a reason that 00:23:00.099 --> 00:23:03.779 Jesus uses the word conquer or nika here. That 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:09.339 Jesus uses the word win here. There's two reasons 00:23:09.339 --> 00:23:12.480 actually. So you can read this as a double promise 00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:15.720 here. First, it is a statement of fact that Jesus 00:23:16.269 --> 00:23:19.250 has conquered, that Jesus already has conquered 00:23:19.250 --> 00:23:21.750 death, that Jesus will never experience second 00:23:21.750 --> 00:23:23.769 death like he did the first time, that Jesus 00:23:23.769 --> 00:23:25.849 was dead in the tomb, but like we read in verse 00:23:25.849 --> 00:23:28.289 8, that Jesus rose again, that he came back to 00:23:28.289 --> 00:23:32.069 life. And so first we read this, that Jesus conquered, 00:23:32.269 --> 00:23:34.549 and that Jesus will never be harmed by the second 00:23:34.549 --> 00:23:37.789 death. But at the same time, there's also a promise 00:23:37.789 --> 00:23:41.950 for us. It's a reminder of this crown of life. 00:23:43.390 --> 00:23:45.549 It's a reminder of this gift of eternal life. 00:23:46.569 --> 00:23:49.930 Those who persevere, those who endure being another 00:23:49.930 --> 00:23:53.109 translation of the word Nika there, those who 00:23:53.109 --> 00:23:56.029 follow Jesus in the midst of all of this persecution, 00:23:56.109 --> 00:23:57.849 of all of the things that the world will throw 00:23:57.849 --> 00:24:00.349 at us, those who persevere and endure through 00:24:00.349 --> 00:24:03.190 it, that they will never be harmed by the second 00:24:03.190 --> 00:24:05.049 death, or in other words, they will grasp that 00:24:05.049 --> 00:24:08.430 crown, that crown of life, and they will live 00:24:08.430 --> 00:24:12.390 with their Savior for eternity. And friends, 00:24:12.430 --> 00:24:13.809 that brings us straight to our first point of 00:24:13.809 --> 00:24:17.960 application. The gospel gives us the crown of 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:25.299 life. The world we live in is a broken and fallen 00:24:25.299 --> 00:24:30.059 place. There's pain in the world. I'm not going 00:24:30.059 --> 00:24:34.400 to make us do it, but if I was to ask everyone 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:35.759 to share something they've gone through in life 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:37.680 that is painful, I know we would not have a shortage 00:24:37.680 --> 00:24:41.500 of things that we could share. Whether it's loss 00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:47.089 of a loved one, Whether it's just pain in a relationship 00:24:47.089 --> 00:24:51.150 with a loved one. Maybe it's family turmoil and 00:24:51.150 --> 00:24:54.329 challenge. Maybe it's that you lost your job 00:24:54.329 --> 00:24:56.650 that you love that you've worked so hard to get. 00:24:57.529 --> 00:24:59.809 We have all experienced brokenness in some way, 00:24:59.869 --> 00:25:02.349 shape, or form. And there's a reason that brokenness 00:25:02.349 --> 00:25:04.849 exists. See, all the way back in the very beginning 00:25:04.849 --> 00:25:06.829 of the Bible in Genesis, the very first book, 00:25:06.990 --> 00:25:09.769 we see sin enter the world. See, Adam and Eve 00:25:09.769 --> 00:25:12.009 decided they know better than God. And so they 00:25:12.009 --> 00:25:14.369 go ahead and they choose to disobey God willingly 00:25:14.369 --> 00:25:16.809 and also, let's be clear, in full knowledge of 00:25:16.809 --> 00:25:18.630 what they're doing. I think we skip that part 00:25:18.630 --> 00:25:20.930 sometimes with Adam and Eve. God has told them 00:25:20.930 --> 00:25:23.150 not to do this and they say, we're going to do 00:25:23.150 --> 00:25:26.490 it anyway. Our plan is better. And in that moment, 00:25:26.529 --> 00:25:30.970 sin enters into the world. And with sin comes 00:25:30.970 --> 00:25:35.430 a world of brokenness, a world of pain, a world 00:25:35.430 --> 00:25:37.130 where things don't go perfectly in the way that 00:25:37.130 --> 00:25:41.170 we want them to go. And we need something to 00:25:41.170 --> 00:25:43.170 save us from sin. We need something to fix this 00:25:43.170 --> 00:25:45.470 brokenness. And here's where the best news of 00:25:45.470 --> 00:25:47.950 all comes in. Because God doesn't just leave 00:25:47.950 --> 00:25:50.950 us stuck in brokenness and stuck in pain. Instead, 00:25:51.069 --> 00:25:52.910 just like we've just been reading in Revelation 00:25:52.910 --> 00:25:56.529 chapter 2, verses 8 through 11, Jesus sends the 00:25:56.529 --> 00:25:58.690 first and the last, the one who is dead and came 00:25:58.690 --> 00:26:01.349 to life. And Jesus came to earth and he lived 00:26:01.349 --> 00:26:04.009 a perfect life, a life completely without sin. 00:26:04.450 --> 00:26:06.970 And he died on the cross to pay the price for 00:26:06.970 --> 00:26:11.000 us. And notice that word, he died. He perished. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:13.940 He paid the price to redeem us from sin. But 00:26:13.940 --> 00:26:17.680 he did not stay dead. He rose to life. And so, 00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:19.700 friends, it is with that great message that we 00:26:19.700 --> 00:26:22.599 have an opportunity to respond to the gospel. 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:25.900 We have a great chance to find the gift that 00:26:25.900 --> 00:26:28.039 the gospel gives us, the crown of life that the 00:26:28.039 --> 00:26:31.019 gospel promises us, by doing two really simple 00:26:31.019 --> 00:26:34.259 things. By going to God and repenting of our 00:26:34.259 --> 00:26:37.119 sin. repenting of our wrongdoing, of all of the 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:42.819 wrong we've done, and by believing, by placing 00:26:42.819 --> 00:26:46.759 our faith completely in Jesus. And it's in that 00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:50.900 that we are saved. And then there's something 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:52.400 that comes after that, and that's our next point 00:26:52.400 --> 00:26:55.039 of application, that the gospel gives us true 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:58.779 hope. Because salvation is not just a one -time 00:26:58.779 --> 00:27:00.259 get -out -of -jail -free card when we get to 00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:03.470 heaven and when we die. Salvation changes the 00:27:03.470 --> 00:27:07.269 way that we live on a daily basis. Because no 00:27:07.269 --> 00:27:09.289 matter what we face on a daily basis, whether 00:27:09.289 --> 00:27:11.849 it's hardship in our own lives or if we're in 00:27:11.849 --> 00:27:15.109 a situation like the church in Smyrna, where 00:27:15.109 --> 00:27:18.450 we are afflicted and impoverished and being slandered, 00:27:18.569 --> 00:27:22.069 salvation, the gospel, the truth of knowing Jesus 00:27:22.069 --> 00:27:24.549 gives us hope because we know that something 00:27:24.549 --> 00:27:29.240 far greater is promised. So if you have placed 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:31.619 your faith in Jesus before, then you have this 00:27:31.619 --> 00:27:33.980 great hope. I want to give you three ways this 00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:36.240 morning that this hope shapes our lives. First, 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:39.119 the hope of the gospel gives us courage to face 00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:43.799 the hardest times. Hear that. God gives you courage 00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:47.160 to face the hardest times. There's a reason that 00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:48.960 Jesus sends this letter to the church in Smyrna. 00:27:49.980 --> 00:27:52.640 Jesus sends it to give them hope, to give them 00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:55.660 courage to face what they're about to face. Sometimes 00:27:55.660 --> 00:27:59.059 life is really, really hard. Sometimes life is 00:27:59.059 --> 00:28:01.859 not going the way that we want it to. But consider 00:28:01.859 --> 00:28:03.779 what Jesus reminded the church in Smyrna of. 00:28:04.119 --> 00:28:05.700 They weren't called to focus on their current 00:28:05.700 --> 00:28:08.539 issues. They were challenged to focus on Jesus. 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:11.000 They were challenged to focus on their walk with 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:13.559 God. Here's the second thing we get. The hope 00:28:13.559 --> 00:28:16.119 of the gospel gives us comfort in the hardest 00:28:16.119 --> 00:28:19.460 times. The hope of the gospel gives us comfort 00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:22.559 in the hardest times. When you are hurting the 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:25.759 most like the church in Smyrna is, Jesus is right 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:33.200 there with you. Please hear that. Please hear 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:37.619 that. In a day and an age where anxiety, depression, 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:46.220 suicidal ideation are all -time highs, in a day 00:28:46.220 --> 00:28:49.119 and an age where hopelessness is off the charts, 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:52.809 please hear this. The hope of the gospel or knowing 00:28:52.809 --> 00:28:56.109 Jesus gives us comfort in the hardest times because 00:28:56.109 --> 00:28:59.769 we know that Jesus is with us. So that obstacle 00:28:59.769 --> 00:29:03.890 that feels impossible, Jesus is with you in that. 00:29:04.410 --> 00:29:07.750 That is not a prosperity gospel point. That is 00:29:07.750 --> 00:29:11.210 a biblical gospel point. That Jesus is with you 00:29:11.210 --> 00:29:14.410 always. That's a Romans 8 point. That's not some 00:29:14.410 --> 00:29:17.339 name it, claim it fantasy. That's the truth of 00:29:17.339 --> 00:29:19.680 Jesus, that he is with you always, no matter 00:29:19.680 --> 00:29:22.619 what it is that you face. We just have to lean 00:29:22.619 --> 00:29:25.079 into him. And here's the third thing the gospel 00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:27.819 gives us. The hope of the gospel gives us direction 00:29:27.819 --> 00:29:30.819 in the hardest times. The hope of the gospel 00:29:30.819 --> 00:29:34.160 or knowing Jesus gives us direction in hard, 00:29:34.440 --> 00:29:39.019 hardest times. What do I mean by that? The gospel 00:29:39.019 --> 00:29:41.559 tells us what to do. The gospel tells us where 00:29:41.559 --> 00:29:44.480 to go in the face of these hard times. I think 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:46.539 each of these is summarized really well in Matthew 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:50.119 6, 33. Something that Jesus taught us to do. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:52.000 You can think of it in some ways as a parallel 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.319 to this passage in Revelation 2. Something I 00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:56.519 hope came to the mind of the believers in Smyrna. 00:29:57.380 --> 00:29:59.480 Jesus says this to a crowd as he's preaching 00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:01.519 the Sermon on the Mount. He says this, but seek 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:04.180 first the kingdom of God and his righteousness 00:30:04.180 --> 00:30:07.299 and all these things will be provided for you. 00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:10.859 So after we come to know Jesus, after our faith 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:13.319 is in Jesus, what should we do? We should seek 00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:17.259 first the kingdom of God. We should seek the 00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:19.599 courage that the gospel gives us. We should seek 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:21.819 the comfort that the gospel gives us. We should 00:30:21.819 --> 00:30:24.299 seek the direction that the gospel gives us. 00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:26.460 Because the first thing that we are called to 00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:28.299 seek at all times as believers is the kingdom 00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:31.700 of God. That no matter what situation we face, 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:34.680 no matter what situation we are in, we seek first 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:38.250 the kingdom of God. And so let me give us three 00:30:38.250 --> 00:30:41.730 things that we can do as we wrap up today. If 00:30:41.730 --> 00:30:43.490 you want to seek God, if you want to seek the 00:30:43.490 --> 00:30:44.910 kingdom of God, here are three ways that you 00:30:44.910 --> 00:30:48.970 can do that. First, know Jesus. Hear the gospel 00:30:48.970 --> 00:30:51.089 that we just shared, the good news that we just 00:30:51.089 --> 00:30:53.670 shared, that Jesus came to earth to save you 00:30:53.670 --> 00:30:56.289 and put your faith in Jesus today. Secondly, 00:30:56.410 --> 00:31:00.490 walk with God. Our priorities, our actions, our 00:31:00.490 --> 00:31:03.410 daily lives should reflect our relationship with 00:31:03.410 --> 00:31:05.160 God. And here's a great way to do that. Prayer 00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:07.380 is a great way to do that because prayer is literally 00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:11.619 talking to God. And I love that. I love how simple 00:31:11.619 --> 00:31:14.079 that is. We can overcomplicate prayer and turn 00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:15.519 to all sorts of other things. Prayer is talking 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:19.799 to God. So let me encourage you. Walk with God 00:31:19.799 --> 00:31:22.420 and talk with God. Hope and I love going out 00:31:22.420 --> 00:31:24.380 on walks in the evening. It's super fun. I love 00:31:24.380 --> 00:31:25.740 it. I look forward to it. I'm not going to lie. 00:31:28.259 --> 00:31:30.039 And one of my favorite parts about it is talking 00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:34.819 with my wife. Imagine, though, if we just stopped 00:31:34.819 --> 00:31:37.339 talking for a week, how weird that would be. 00:31:37.819 --> 00:31:39.819 It's not much of a relationship, but yet we do 00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:41.819 the same thing with God where we say, well, I 00:31:41.819 --> 00:31:43.700 went to church and I tried really hard to obey 00:31:43.700 --> 00:31:46.599 God and I tried to do this really well. I guess 00:31:46.599 --> 00:31:49.640 I never really did talk with God. Let me challenge 00:31:49.640 --> 00:31:52.240 you. Seek the kingdom of God by walking with 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:55.859 God and do that by talking to God. And thirdly, 00:31:55.859 --> 00:31:58.559 here's our final point today. Seek the kingdom 00:31:58.559 --> 00:32:02.009 of God by growing in your walk with God. by being 00:32:02.009 --> 00:32:04.789 in good fellowship, by being in the Word of God 00:32:04.789 --> 00:32:07.029 like we've been this morning, by being in the 00:32:07.029 --> 00:32:09.390 Word of God throughout the week, and by going. 00:32:10.029 --> 00:32:12.490 By going and taking this message to your friends, 00:32:12.569 --> 00:32:14.069 to your family members, to your co -workers, 00:32:14.250 --> 00:32:17.109 to the people around you. Take this message of 00:32:17.109 --> 00:32:21.470 hope to anybody and to everybody that you meet. 00:32:22.450 --> 00:32:25.930 So let me challenge you today. This letter to 00:32:25.930 --> 00:32:27.549 the church in Smyrna should encourage you to 00:32:27.549 --> 00:32:30.750 do something really simple. Seek first the kingdom. 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:34.140 of god today let's seek the kingdom of god together 00:32:34.140 --> 00:32:37.440 let me pray for us father god thank you so much 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:40.299 for who you are god and thank you so much for 00:32:40.299 --> 00:32:43.539 this letter to the church in smyrna god i just 00:32:43.539 --> 00:32:48.099 am blown away genuinely blown away god by just 00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:56.319 how amazing you are god and jesus i'm just humbled 00:32:56.319 --> 00:32:59.160 thinking about how you saw this church this church 00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:01.279 that to us probably would have been so insignificant, 00:33:01.460 --> 00:33:05.480 but that you saw this church and that you knew 00:33:05.480 --> 00:33:07.640 what was going on because you loved this church. 00:33:09.359 --> 00:33:11.299 And God, I thank you for the fact that you see 00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:15.700 us and that you know us. Lord, I just ask that 00:33:15.700 --> 00:33:19.720 this morning that you would stir up in our hearts 00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:22.559 the hope that we should have because of the truth 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:25.119 of what it means to be saved by you. God, I just 00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:26.839 ask that this morning you would stir up in our 00:33:26.839 --> 00:33:30.039 hearts A burning desire to seek first your...