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What encouragement do faithful believers need to hear when suffering isn’t a possibility, but a certainty? This message walks through Jesus' words to His followers who were being economically crushed, slandered, and facing imprisonment and death, and addresses the belief that God always delivers His people from pain. It also answers tough questions many people still ask today: what is the second death, and how can anyone be sure their name is in the book of life? Find out why the risen Christ offers encouragement instead of escape, and what it means to practice trust, faithfulness, and loyalty when testing arrives.
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/death-is-not-the-end
#mlcc #church #churchonline
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/death-is-not-the-end
#mlcc #church #churchonline
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00:00So, last time we were together, we saw the church at Ephesus, which was the cold-hearted
00:06Orthodox church at Ephesus.
00:09And we learned that a Jesus church is one that both holds the doctrine, the teachings
00:13of Jesus, that which has once for all been delivered to the saints, but unites that together
00:18with a warm-hearted love for God and for each other.
00:21And we saw the church at Ephesus was struggling with that love section.
00:25They got the orthodoxy down really well, but they missed the love part.
00:28Somehow they got cold in their carrying out of the commandments and forgot the heart
00:34behind it all.
00:35That was the church last time we were together.
00:37Today, this week, we're introduced to the church at Smyrna.
00:40So, just north of Ephesus, Smyrna is on a harbor, very lucrative city, very wealthy city, became
00:47a very important place.
00:48In fact, Smyrna and Ephesus were kind of rivals for wealth, and I think Smyrna at the end
00:53won out.
00:55Ephesus, not so much, but Smyrna was there.
00:57So, it became a very wealthy city, a very old city, ran around a long time, but that's
01:02the city that we're talking about right now.
01:03It's the modern-day Turkey, and it's Izmir, is the city that's modern, that sits there
01:08right now today, Izmir.
01:10And it was known as an intellectual city.
01:12Do you remember Homer, the Iliad, and the Odyssey?
01:16Homer lived in this town.
01:17Homer's from Smyrna.
01:19We don't know how the gospel got to Smyrna.
01:22We don't know.
01:23There's no record in Paul's letters or the acts of the apostles how the message got to
01:28Smyrna.
01:29It's possible.
01:29If you see up there, Ephesus is just not too far from Smyrna.
01:33Paul spent three years at Ephesus.
01:35It's possible that while he was there, evangelistic teams went up to Smyrna and start.
01:40We just don't know.
01:41It's unknown.
01:41But that's possible since Paul was so long in Smyrna.
01:44The word actually means, that city means myrrh, myrrh, a fragrant herb, I guess you would
01:52say, or plant, and it brings out its fragrance when it's crushed.
01:56So when you crush the myrrh, you get this fragrance that comes out, and that's kind of
02:01a picture we're going to see of the church here at Smyrna.
02:03It's going to be crushed, and from that's going to pour forth the glorious fragrance of
02:09Jesus Christ to their community.
02:13We're going to be in Revelation, the Revelation chapter 2, we're starting in verse number
02:168, and we're going to pull the words of Jesus for our big idea today.
02:21What's this whole text about?
02:22And that's from John 16, 33.
02:25Jesus said, in the world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world.
02:33That's the idea that's behind this short passage.
02:35Just a few verses in the text today, not a whole lot of verses, so we're going to kind
02:38of walk our way slowly down through the verses.
02:41So this is what I call the suffering church, but if you're a suffering church, what do
02:46you need to hear in the midst of your suffering?
02:48What is it that a church needs to know or to understand in the midst of the painful ordeal
02:54of suffering?
02:55And that's going to be addressed here in the text.
02:57What does a church need to know that's suffering?
02:59The letter of Smyrna shows the persecution, the suffering of believers, but it doesn't end
03:04there.
03:05It doesn't end with just the suffering.
03:07It ends in a different location.
03:09Look with me just in verse number eight.
03:11Like I said, we're going to walk our way slowly down this, this passage, just a few short
03:14verses.
03:16Verse number eight of chapter two of the revelation.
03:18And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, again, the angel is a messenger.
03:22It could be representing the pastor of the church in Smyrna.
03:25To the angel of the church in Smyrna, write the words of the first and the last who died
03:32and came to life.
03:33And you remember when I was the last time with you, I talked about in chapter one, we
03:37have this whole listing of Jesus and characteristics of Jesus, a description of who he is.
03:42He pulls each thought like that when he talks to the churches and he gives to the church exactly
03:47what they need in his characterization in chapter one.
03:51So he pulls out this idea that he's the first and the last.
03:54We saw that in chapter one, one who died and is alive again.
03:57We saw that in chapter one.
03:59So he pulls it out because this church needs to hear that message that he is the first
04:04and the last.
04:05And the first and the last is a divine Old Testament title.
04:08It's something astrived to the God of Lothar, to Yahweh of the Old Testament.
04:12It was divine.
04:12And when you heard that, you recognize this is a divine title and it's being ascribed to
04:16Jesus who is divine, the son of God, God himself, part of the Trinity, the father,
04:22the son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, one essence.
04:26Here he is, the eternal one.
04:28In Isaiah 44, we read this.
04:30Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts.
04:35I am the first and I am the last.
04:37Besides me, there is no God.
04:39This divine title.
04:41The church at Smyrna is to take courage based upon who Jesus is.
04:46He's the eternal one.
04:49He was there before time began.
04:51He will always be.
04:52He is the eternal one and they're to focus their eyes on the one who is from eternity,
04:58who lived and died and was alive once again.
05:03This speaks of the pre-existence and eternality of Christ.
05:07He didn't become when he became man.
05:10He was already the son of God and he took on human flesh.
05:14He became incarnate in human flesh, God himself.
05:17He is the eternal one who suffered death at the hands of his persecutors and was raised to life again.
05:23Again, words that the church needs to hear from this one who understands what it means to be persecuted and
05:29be put to death.
05:31But death was not the last word.
05:33He rose again.
05:35This wealthy city of Smyrna, they had so much wealth.
05:40Now, here is a reference at the end of verse number eight to the death, resurrection, and eternity of Christ.
05:46Again, this is what the church needs to hear.
05:48This eternal one who understands what it means to be persecuted and suffer death at the hands of his persecutors.
05:55Now we come to verse number nine, which is a paradox.
05:58It doesn't make sense.
06:03Poor yet rich.
06:04How does that work?
06:05Look at verse number nine.
06:07I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich and the slander, the blasphemy of those who say
06:17that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
06:22I know, I know these literally poor people.
06:27They were, if you have poor and sub-poor as category, they would be below the sub-poor.
06:34That's how poor these people are.
06:35They're extremely poor.
06:41The eternal one.
06:44They were literally poor, but they were rich spiritually.
06:49It's a paradox.
06:52They had a great inheritance that was yet to come.
06:55It just reminds me, to take this away, Jesus measures wealth differently than we do.
07:03He measures wealth differently than we do.
07:07It's very possible that the Christians at Smyrna were unable to make a living in a pagan culture.
07:14Why?
07:15Because they were required by the law to sacrifice to the emperor as Lord and God, and the Christians were
07:22unwilling to do that.
07:24The emperor of domination issued a decree around 90 AD that mandated emperor worship.
07:29So, this was written right around 98 AD, right around there in that time frame.
07:34So, eight years before this revelation was given, domination says,
07:38All people in the empire must worship the emperor, must.
07:42It's required by all citizens to publicly acknowledge him as Lord and God.
07:47That was 90 AD.
07:49Robert Thomas says this,
07:51Under domination, emperor worship was made compulsory for every Roman citizen.
07:57Failure to comply meant death.
07:59Each year, every citizen had to burn incense on Caesar's altar, after which he was issued a certificate.
08:06To be without a certificate, as must have been the case for the Christians obedient to Christ,
08:11was to risk discovery and the death penalty.
08:14So, you went in, you offered your empress and said,
08:16He's Lord and God, and they gave you a certificate.
08:18You carried the certificate for a year, you renewed it after a year.
08:21But if you walk into your workplace and say,
08:23Let me see your certificate, you don't have one as a Christian.
08:27Because a Christian is not going to offer incense to the emperor as Lord and God.
08:32We're not going to do that.
08:34So, they didn't have the ability now to even actually work in their professions,
08:38because they were required by law now to offer incense to the emperor.
08:43This imperial cult city of Smyrna.
08:46Oh, back in 26 AD, they were given the title of imperial cult city.
08:52Likely, if you were a believer and wouldn't sacrifice to the emperor,
08:56you were thrown out of the guilds, artesian guilds.
09:00As a matter of fact, John Barry says this,
09:03When cities had large concentrations of artesians and craftsmen,
09:08trade guilds or unions were established.
09:10These guilds often required the members to participate in certain pagan activities.
09:15The believer's unwillingness to participate in these activities
09:19was also an exclusion from the guilds and financial hardship.
09:24No certificate, no work.
09:26You want to feed your family.
09:27You can't feed your family because you can't work,
09:30because you're unwilling as a believer,
09:32because your loyalty is to Jesus.
09:33You're unwilling to offer incense to the emperor as Lord and God.
09:37You will not do it.
09:39And this poverty was extreme in the church.
09:43And it was due because of economic persecution.
09:47Because they would not yield to the state,
09:50which was telling them to offer incense to the emperor.
09:52They would not yield to the state and sacrifice to the emperor.
09:55So they lost their jobs.
09:58They're seen as anti-social rebels, the Christians are.
10:02Anti-social.
10:03Hey, you coming to the drunken fest on Thursday?
10:05No, I'm not showing up for that.
10:06Thanks.
10:07Not going to come.
10:08How about the orgy on Tuesday?
10:09No, I'm not interested in that.
10:11They were seen as anti-social and rebels to the society
10:14because they didn't fit in with everyone else.
10:18And this poverty was because of the persecution.
10:21They were spiritually wealthy and worldly poor people.
10:27But this tribulation that was to them,
10:30some kind of serious trouble was there.
10:33It means a burden that's so heavy that crushes the soul.
10:36That's the idea of this word tribulation.
10:37Something was crushing their soul,
10:41this tribulation that they were having.
10:44They were being slandered by this synagogue
10:47that claims to be a synagogue of the Jews,
10:49but really was of Satan.
10:50They were being blasphemy.
10:51And the Jews in Smyrna,
10:53they believed that they were committed
10:54to do the will of God.
10:55They believed it.
10:56They did.
10:57But in reality, according to the text,
10:59they were adversaries.
11:00They were doing the will of Satan,
11:01not the will of God.
11:02They were a synagogue of Satan.
11:05In Romans 11, we read this concerning the Jewish people
11:08in regards to the gospel today.
11:10At this point, it changes in the future,
11:11but right now.
11:12As regards to the gospel,
11:14they, that's the Jewish people,
11:15are enemies for your sake.
11:17They're adversaries.
11:19To us at this point.
11:20But as regards election,
11:22that means the choosing of God,
11:23the national selection of Israel,
11:24and the promises made to them,
11:26they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
11:30Tertullian, who was a second century preacher,
11:32he described Jewish synagogues
11:34as fonts of persecution flowing out of them.
11:39So here's what's likely what happened.
11:42When Christianity came the way it came about,
11:45it was seen as a subsect of Judaism.
11:47So it fell under the requirements
11:49and the special privileges of Judaism.
11:52So if you were a Jew,
11:53you did not have to offer any kind of incense
11:55to the emperor.
11:56The Romans figured out a long time ago,
11:59don't provoke the Jews in this area,
12:01or they'll riot.
12:02So just for the sake of not having riots and fights,
12:05they excluded the Jews.
12:07So no Jews had to offer any kind of incense
12:09and sacrifices to the emperor.
12:11So as the Christians are seeing,
12:12that's underneath the Jews,
12:13they are part of that special privilege.
12:16But now it's becoming clear
12:17that they're two distinct groups.
12:20If the Jews over here
12:22and you have the Christians over here,
12:23which means the Christians no longer fall
12:25under the special privileges of the Jews,
12:27they're standing alone now.
12:31And the Jews are saying,
12:32hey, those Christians over there,
12:34you thought they were one of us?
12:35They're not one of us.
12:37You need to go over there
12:38and make sure that they offer sacrifices.
12:40They were slandering the Christians.
12:42That's probably what happened.
12:45It is possible that the Jews of Smyrna
12:47had denounced the Christians
12:48to the Roman authorities
12:49as not being part of Judaism,
12:51thus making obligations of emperor worship
12:54mandatory for the Christians,
12:55which it wasn't before.
12:57Now it is.
12:59And according to the text,
13:00those that oppose Christians
13:01are the agents of Satan,
13:02not God's people,
13:03they're agents of Satan.
13:05And Satan's attack was from the outside here,
13:08not from inside in this case.
13:09It wasn't from the inside of the church,
13:10but from the outside,
13:12they were being attacked.
13:14And this is always good for me to remember.
13:17God uses even Satan and evil people
13:19to carry out his purposes.
13:22Because according to the text,
13:23this was a time of testing
13:25that they were going into.
13:26They were being tested.
13:28Their faith was being tested.
13:30Peter says this,
13:321 Peter 4,
13:33Beloved, do not be surprised
13:35at the fiery trial
13:36when it comes upon you to test you
13:38as though something strange
13:40were happening to you.
13:40What?
13:41I'm suffering as a Christian?
13:42That's strange.
13:43No, no.
13:44It's not strange is what he's saying.
13:45It's not strange.
13:47But rejoice insofar
13:48as you share Christ's sufferings
13:50that you may also rejoice
13:52and be glad when his glory is revealed.
13:54If you are insulted for the name of Christ,
13:57you are blessed.
13:58This is from God's point of view.
14:00Because of the spirit,
14:01the spirit of glory
14:02and of God rests upon you.
14:06So Jesus knows what's coming to this church.
14:09He is wise.
14:09He is sovereign.
14:10But he is not the author
14:12of the coming persecution.
14:14Satan is.
14:15Look at verse number 10a.
14:17I've divided 10 into two parts.
14:18So just the first part of verse number 10.
14:21Because of what's coming,
14:24do not fear what you are about to suffer.
14:28Behold,
14:29the devil is about to throw some of you into prison
14:31that you may be tested.
14:34And for 10 days,
14:35you will have tribulation.
14:37A soul crushing experience.
14:40Tribulation is the idea.
14:42Soul crushing experience.
14:46Somehow we've gotten,
14:48at least in the American church,
14:49the idea that God doesn't let Christians suffer.
14:52He always delivers them.
14:55Look at the text here.
14:57They had already been suffering,
14:59but the Lord offers encouragement,
15:01not deliverance.
15:03He didn't say,
15:03hey,
15:04I'm going to come along and deliver.
15:05No,
15:05I'm going to encourage you
15:06in the midst of the suffering.
15:08Somehow we get in our mind
15:09that if you suffer as a Christian in America,
15:11well,
15:11that can't be.
15:11God's going to always come,
15:13always going to come along and deliver you.
15:14No.
15:15Suffering serves a purpose.
15:17Here it was a testing,
15:18was a purpose.
15:19He didn't offer deliverance.
15:20He offered encouragement to them.
15:23Don't be afraid of the coming suffering
15:25is what he's saying.
15:26The devil hates humanity
15:28and he especially hates Christians for sure.
15:31They were to stop being afraid.
15:33They had already started being afraid.
15:35Now they have to stop being afraid.
15:36Stop being afraid.
15:38Don't be afraid any longer,
15:39basically is what he was saying.
15:40Because in Christ,
15:41the believer has nothing to fear.
15:43We have nothing to fear in Christ.
15:45So stop being afraid
15:46about what you're going to suffer here.
15:49You're going to be thrown into prison.
15:51And you say,
15:52well,
15:53you know,
15:53okay,
15:54I lose my freedom,
15:55but it's really not that bad.
15:55I've got,
15:56I got three meals a day
15:58and a reasonable bed to sleep on
16:00and I've got a TV room
16:02and I've got a weight room
16:03and I've got a library.
16:05Man,
16:05that's not that bad.
16:07It wasn't like that
16:08for the Roman prisons.
16:09That's not the Roman prison system.
16:11The Roman prison system,
16:13basically you were in prison
16:14for two reasons
16:15and that's it.
16:16Prison itself
16:17was not a punishment.
16:18That's not the way
16:19you were in prison.
16:20You were there for two reasons.
16:21One,
16:21you were being held in prison
16:22so the state would coerce you
16:25through torture
16:26to get you to do
16:27what the state wants you to do.
16:30Secondly,
16:30you were held in prison
16:31awaiting execution.
16:32That's it.
16:33It's not like our prisons today
16:34where you go
16:35and you spend 15,
16:3620 years.
16:36That's not how it works.
16:38So you would go to prison
16:39to be coerced,
16:40that is torture,
16:41to do what the state
16:42wants you to do
16:43or you're awaiting execution.
16:45That's a prison
16:46in the Roman system.
16:47They were not punishment
16:48in and of themselves.
16:49So the prison
16:50is seen as a testing time.
16:53A testing time.
16:55And if you think about it,
16:56the Christians are being arrested,
16:58thrown into prison
16:59because they wouldn't comply
17:00with the state
17:00and offer incense to the idol.
17:02So you can imagine
17:03they're there
17:03to be tortured
17:04and coerced
17:05to do what the state
17:06wants them to do.
17:07That's why they're in prison.
17:10It doesn't mean
17:10that the whole church
17:11is in prison.
17:12In fact,
17:12it only says some of you.
17:13It doesn't say the whole church.
17:14Only some of you
17:15are going to end up in prison.
17:16Not all of you
17:17are going to die
17:17as a martyr for Jesus.
17:18Only some,
17:19some will.
17:21And then we have this phrase,
17:23the 10 days.
17:24And for 10 days,
17:25you will have this
17:27soul-crushing experience.
17:29And there's a lot of theories
17:30on the 10 days.
17:31And it's,
17:32there's not a whole lot
17:33of information on it.
17:34Let me just give you
17:35kind of some of the thoughts
17:36on the 10 days
17:36that are out there.
17:37Some say the 10 days
17:38are literally 10 days.
17:401, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
17:419, 10 days
17:43of an unknown persecution
17:44that was about to come
17:46upon the Christians
17:46at Smyrna.
17:47That's the first one.
17:48Literally 10 days.
17:49Some have said,
17:50no, the 10 days
17:51are more of a
17:52undefined short period
17:54of time
17:54that speaks about
17:55completeness.
17:56And number 10
17:57speaking about completeness.
17:58So, a short period
17:59of time,
18:00not necessarily literally
18:0010 days,
18:01but a short period
18:02of time
18:02to complete the suffering
18:04or the persecution.
18:05That's the second.
18:07Another one
18:07interesting,
18:08in Daniel,
18:09we have Daniel himself
18:10was tested 10 days
18:12in Daniel chapter 1,
18:14verse 12.
18:15Test your servants
18:16for 10 days
18:17and let us be given
18:18vegetables to eat
18:19and water to drink.
18:20Those were Daniel's time
18:22of testing for 10 days.
18:23Maybe that's what it is.
18:25Then recently,
18:26they've come up
18:26with some archaeological digs
18:27and found some information out,
18:29which is interesting.
18:30Again,
18:30may fit in this category.
18:32They found out
18:33that those people
18:34who were arrested
18:35and were in prison
18:36awaiting execution
18:37to go into the arena
18:39to be eaten by animals
18:40or killed
18:41by the gladiators.
18:42Their time of imprisonment
18:44before going to the arena
18:45was 10 days.
18:48Maybe.
18:49We're not sure
18:50exactly what the 10 days are.
18:51Those are some possibilities
18:52that are there.
18:54But it has the idea
18:55of a limit.
18:5710 is a limit.
18:59It's not 11.
18:59It's not 12.
19:00It's not 15.
19:01There is a limit.
19:02And God has the last word,
19:04not Satan.
19:05That's what we can
19:06take away with this.
19:08Niles says this,
19:10it is only for a limited time
19:12that you will have to endure,
19:14even though endurance
19:15will be tested to the limit.
19:19The trial will be short,
19:21but the duration
19:22of their joy afterwards
19:24will be eternal.
19:26A short trial,
19:28eternal joy in the future.
19:30So Jesus is encouraging
19:32the church not to yield
19:34to the demands of the state
19:35to prove themselves
19:36loyal subjects of Rome,
19:38but instead remain loyal
19:40to Jesus
19:40and prove yourself
19:41as a loyal subject
19:42of King Jesus alone.
19:48If I,
19:50first of all,
19:51I am so thankful
19:51that God has allowed us
19:52to live in a country
19:53that has freedom of religion.
19:55No one's going to come
19:56through that door right now
19:57and stop me from preaching.
19:59It's not going to happen.
20:00Now,
20:02however,
20:03if I were to face violence
20:06and persecution,
20:08would I be willing
20:09to lose my freedom
20:10to remain loyal to Jesus?
20:13These people answer
20:14that question every day.
20:16Every day they get up,
20:17they have to go out,
20:18maybe find work
20:19because they got fired
20:20for their job
20:20because they went from Islam
20:21to Christianity.
20:22No one wants to hire them.
20:24Kicks them out of the village.
20:25You have to take care of yourself.
20:26Well,
20:26God's taking care of you.
20:27You got the point.
20:28They understand exactly
20:30what it means
20:31to be loyal to Jesus
20:33and suffer for the loyalty.
20:38Would I?
20:41I hope so.
20:43I want to say yes.
20:45Although I know how weak
20:46our human hearts can be at times.
20:49The city of Smyrna
20:51was honored
20:51for their faithfulness to Rome.
20:53Here,
20:54Christians are called
20:54to be faithful to Jesus.
20:56Faithful to Jesus.
20:57Look at the second half
20:58of verse number 10
20:59and all the way down to 11.
21:02So he says,
21:04listen,
21:04some of you are going
21:05to be thrown into prison
21:06a short period of time.
21:07You're going to have
21:08this soul-crushing experience.
21:11However,
21:12be faithful unto death
21:14and I will give you
21:15the crown of life.
21:17He who has an ear,
21:18let him hear
21:19what the Spirit says
21:20to the churches.
21:21The one who conquers
21:22will not be hurt
21:23by the second death.
21:26You notice how it starts?
21:27Be faithful.
21:29Be faithful.
21:31They were to remain faithful
21:32to Christ
21:33no matter what the government
21:34did to them.
21:35No matter what the government
21:36coerced them
21:38or tortured them to do.
21:39They're unwilling
21:40to abandon
21:41their loyalty
21:41to Jesus
21:43and to ascribe loyalty
21:44to an emperor.
21:45They're unwilling to do that.
21:48Henry Sweet said this,
21:49prove thyself loyal
21:50and true
21:51to the extent
21:52of being ready
21:53to die for my sake.
21:55So they're supposed
21:56to be faithful.
21:57Be faithful.
21:59How far
22:00are they to be faithful
22:03unto death?
22:05They're to be faithful
22:06unto death.
22:08Not just,
22:09oh, I got a hangnail.
22:10Not just,
22:11oh, they broke
22:11one of my fingers.
22:12No, you may die.
22:14Be faithful
22:15all the way up to death.
22:18Tim Wilkins
22:19was writing about
22:20Tertullian of Carthage.
22:21He was an early
22:22Christian theologian,
22:23second century,
22:24about 200 years
22:25actually after
22:25Jesus' death.
22:28Many historians
22:29recount the story
22:30of some of
22:30Tertullian's church members
22:32who came up to him
22:33and asked him a question.
22:35They were trying
22:36to justify
22:37burning incense
22:38to pagan gods
22:39as they entered
22:39their workplace.
22:40Remember,
22:41you have to have
22:41the certificate.
22:42You have to
22:44offer to the emperor
22:45as Lord and God
22:46and if you don't
22:46have the certificate,
22:47you can't work.
22:50So, they were
22:51trying to justify
22:53entering their workplace
22:54and burning offerings
22:55to Caesar.
22:56They told Tertullian,
22:57even though we are
22:58Christians,
22:59we won't really
22:59honor pagan gods.
23:01It's just a show.
23:02We won't really
23:02honor pagan gods.
23:04And Tertullian asked,
23:05well, why would you
23:06do that?
23:08And the people said,
23:09because we have
23:10to work to buy food
23:11and to eat.
23:12And Tertullian then asked,
23:14why do you have
23:15to eat?
23:16And they replied
23:17with astonishment,
23:18because we have
23:19to live.
23:22You know,
23:23it's one thing
23:24when I'm hungry,
23:25but when you look
23:26down at your
23:26five-year-old child
23:27who hasn't eaten
23:28in three days,
23:28you start wondering
23:29whether or not
23:29this is worth it.
23:33Because we have
23:34to live.
23:36Tertullian had been
23:37converted to Christianity
23:38by watching the
23:39early church martyrs.
23:42He said to them,
23:43no,
23:45you don't have
23:46to work
23:46or eat
23:47and you don't
23:48have to live.
23:49The only thing
23:50you have to do
23:52is be faithful.
23:54That's it.
23:55Be faithful,
23:57even unto death.
24:00And you'll have
24:01a victor's crown,
24:03a crown that is
24:03of life.
24:04It's the victor's crown.
24:06It's the,
24:06it's not the Stephanas.
24:08It's not the,
24:08the,
24:09the kingly crown,
24:10but it's more
24:10of an award,
24:11a victor's crown,
24:12normally made out
24:13of a wreath
24:14upon the head,
24:15a crown.
24:17And the city of
24:18Smyrna would
24:18understand this.
24:19They participated
24:20in all the games.
24:20They understood that.
24:21And when you won,
24:21you got this,
24:22this,
24:22the victor got a wreath
24:23on their head
24:24and was honored
24:24by the city.
24:25So they understood
24:26this idea of a wreath,
24:27a victor's wreath.
24:29And also in,
24:30in Smyrna on top
24:31of Mount Pegas
24:32was,
24:32was like a,
24:33a circular hill,
24:35made a street
24:35made out of gold
24:36is what they say.
24:37And up there
24:38were pagan temples
24:39and administrative
24:39buildings.
24:40And it looked
24:40like the crown
24:41on top of Mount Pegas.
24:43So they understood
24:44this idea of a crown.
24:45They got that picture.
24:46They got the picture.
24:47Well,
24:48this victory crown
24:49was a crown of life.
24:51And David De Silva
24:52said this,
24:53the message is clear.
24:54Dying for loyalty
24:55to Jesus
24:56did not mark one
24:57as a deviant
24:58or a loser,
24:59but rather as a winner,
25:00a conqueror,
25:02a person who lived
25:03and died virtuously
25:04and who would continue
25:06to live and enjoy
25:06honor in the greater
25:08empire of God.
25:10He's promising believers
25:12a permanent,
25:13eternal crown of life
25:15that the risen Christ
25:16gives them freely.
25:18Life in his name.
25:22Those who are not conquerors
25:25will experience something
25:26called the second death.
25:28No.
25:30Unless Jesus comes back
25:31to take us
25:31and translate us out
25:32here in resurrection,
25:33you and I are all
25:34going to die one time.
25:35But there's a thing
25:36called the second death.
25:38And I'm looking at
25:39every one of you
25:40here today
25:41and I want none of you
25:42to be part of
25:43the second death.
25:44None of you
25:45at all
25:45to be part of
25:46the second death.
25:48The second death
25:49is the eternal punishment
25:50in the lake of fire.
25:54Not annihilation.
25:56Not you.
25:57You cease to exist
25:57and everything's
25:58going to be great
25:59because you no longer are.
26:00This is eternal punishment
26:03in the lake of fire.
26:04How do you know?
26:05Oh, actually,
26:06in the Revelation,
26:07it's recorded for us.
26:07Chapter 20.
26:09Then I saw
26:10a great white throne
26:11and him who was seated
26:12on it.
26:13From his presence,
26:14earth and sky
26:14fled away
26:15and no place
26:16was found for them.
26:17And I saw the dead
26:18great and small
26:19standing before the throne
26:20and books were opened.
26:22Then another book
26:23was opened,
26:23which is the book of life.
26:25And the dead
26:26were judged
26:26by what was written
26:27in the books
26:28according to what
26:29they had done.
26:30And the sea
26:31gave up the dead
26:32who were in it.
26:33Death and Hades
26:34gave up the dead
26:35who were in them.
26:36And they were judged
26:37each one of them
26:38according to what
26:39they had done.
26:40Then death and Hades
26:41were thrown
26:42into the lake of fire.
26:43This is the second death,
26:45the lake of fire.
26:47And if anyone's name
26:48was not found
26:49written in the book of life,
26:50he was thrown
26:51into the lake of fire.
26:53Let me ask you,
26:53is your name written
26:54in the book of life today?
26:56Do you know Jesus Christ
26:57as your savior?
26:58Have you been born again?
27:00Has he given you
27:01a new heart
27:01and a new nature
27:02and new desires
27:03in your life?
27:04United with himself
27:06and the father.
27:08Are you born again today?
27:10If not,
27:11your name is not written
27:12in the book of life.
27:13You will experience
27:14a second death.
27:15Please,
27:16I beg you today,
27:17do not be part
27:18of the second death.
27:19Please,
27:19I'm asking you.
27:22And we know
27:23it's not annihilation.
27:24Think about this.
27:25If after death
27:26were annihilation,
27:28a person could not be hurt
27:29by the second death.
27:31If you're just annihilated,
27:32the second death
27:33death can't hurt you
27:34because you're annihilated.
27:35So,
27:35it can't be annihilation.
27:38In English,
27:39we are not allowed
27:40to use two negatives
27:41in a sentence.
27:42That's not permitted
27:43in English language.
27:43You can't say not,
27:45not in a sentence.
27:45It just doesn't work.
27:47Okay?
27:47However,
27:48in Greek,
27:48you can.
27:49It's a wonderful language.
27:50You can actually add
27:52up to,
27:52well,
27:52actually more than five.
27:54There's a verse in Hebrews
27:55that has five negatives in it.
27:56You can compound
27:59negatives on top
28:00of each other
28:00for the purpose
28:01of emphasizing something.
28:03So,
28:04let me tell you
28:04how this actually reads.
28:06The conquering one
28:07will not,
28:08not be hurt
28:09by the second death.
28:11He's emphasizing it.
28:12It will not,
28:13not affect you.
28:15We already talked
28:16about the conquering one
28:17is not one
28:17who is somehow
28:19special above everyone else.
28:20Every believer
28:21is a conquering one.
28:22Every one of us
28:22are conquerors
28:23in Christ.
28:25So,
28:26though threatened
28:26by the first death,
28:28these believers
28:29would not be hurt
28:30by the second death.
28:32So,
28:32the letter encourages
28:33us not to fear
28:34suffering and death
28:35because it offers
28:36a greater hope
28:37and justice
28:37in the hereafter.
28:41Something to remember.
28:42Death will not have
28:43the last word.
28:44Do you notice that
28:45in the text?
28:46They may die.
28:47They may die
28:48for their faith,
28:49but I will give you
28:50a crown of life.
28:51Death does not have
28:52the last word here.
28:55God has the last word.
28:58We look at this,
28:59we look at this church
29:00and we say,
29:01this church has nothing
29:02to do with us
29:04in America.
29:05Not one of us
29:07are suffering
29:07like they're about
29:08to suffer.
29:09Now,
29:09it applies to churches
29:10like we pray for
29:11every week.
29:12It applies to them,
29:13but really it doesn't
29:14apply to us.
29:15We're not being
29:16pursued by the government
29:17to reject Jesus Christ.
29:19We're not having
29:20our church doors
29:20closed or locked
29:21so we can't
29:22go.
29:23None of this
29:23really applies
29:25to us.
29:26And so,
29:26the question is,
29:27what are we supposed
29:28to take away
29:28from the church
29:29at Samaritan,
29:30the suffering church?
29:30What are we today
29:31as American Christians
29:33supposed to learn
29:34from this church?
29:36There's a couple
29:37of things I can tell you.
29:38First of all is this,
29:39Jesus measures wealth
29:41differently than we do.
29:44Strive for the heavenly
29:46treasures that do not perish,
29:48not the earthly ones
29:49that are temporary.
29:51Jesus measures wealth
29:53differently.
29:55Second,
29:55because we're not
29:56in the suffering yet.
29:58However,
29:59who knows what happens
30:00in America?
30:01I don't know.
30:02I cannot see what
30:03the future brings.
30:05So,
30:06it may come to us,
30:07but not now.
30:08But it may,
30:09but not now.
30:10So,
30:11what do we do now?
30:12How about this?
30:14Practice trust in God
30:15daily.
30:16Trust Him daily.
30:18Do not fear suffering,
30:20but trust your heavenly Father.
30:22Trust Him.
30:23When He says something
30:24in His Word,
30:25trust Him.
30:25Believe.
30:26Trust Him.
30:28Practice trust today.
30:31Third,
30:32practice faithfulness now.
30:34Practice faithfulness now.
30:36Remain faithful.
30:37If we practice it now,
30:39it will be our habit
30:40when suffering
30:40does come to America
30:42and we will be,
30:43remain faithful to Jesus.
30:45Practice faithfulness now.
30:46In the little things
30:48we were talking about
30:49in the Christian education,
30:50now we're talking about
30:51the Word of God
30:51isn't always easy to obey,
30:54even though Jesus says
30:55His commandments
30:55are not burdensome.
30:56They're not easy to obey
30:57because it goes contrary
30:58to some of our things
30:59that we think are important to us.
31:02We misunderstand
31:04what life is really all about.
31:06So,
31:06it's not always easy
31:07to be faithful.
31:09Sometimes we just like
31:10doing our own things,
31:11right?
31:12Practice faithfulness now
31:14in the little things,
31:15day by day,
31:17every decision,
31:18every action,
31:19practice faithfulness now.
31:21Don't wait today
31:23and expect your faith
31:24to be strong
31:25when persecution does come.
31:27Fourth,
31:29practice loyalty
31:30to Jesus now.
31:31Practice loyalty
31:32to Jesus now.
31:34Faith is refined
31:35by testing.
31:37You will be tested.
31:39You will be tested.
31:40We're all going to be tested.
31:41Learn what you are
31:43to learn
31:43from the Lord's testing today
31:44so your faith
31:45will be strong
31:46when suffering does come.
31:47That's right.
31:49Practice loyalty today.
31:51And last,
31:52be willing,
31:54if necessary,
31:55to give your life
31:56as a witness for Christ.
31:58And remember,
31:59death is not the end.
32:01God has the last word.
32:04The crown of life
32:05awaits the believer.
32:07So even though
32:08we may not identify
32:10completely with the church
32:11in Smyrna,
32:12we have instructions
32:13that will help us
32:14to understand
32:15if we do come
32:16to a time of suffering,
32:18how are we going
32:18to be able to stand
32:20and be faithful
32:23even unto death?
32:25Let's pray.
32:26Father, thank you.
32:27Thank you for the text.
32:29And again,
32:30as we can't find
32:31really any comparison
32:32to us in the text
32:33as American churches today,
32:36churches we pray for
32:37understand this text
32:38completely.
32:38They get it.
32:40We don't at this time.
32:42However, Father,
32:43you have taught us
32:43in the text
32:44things that we need
32:45to know to be prepared
32:46in case suffering does come.
32:48So we're asking
32:49that you would teach us now,
32:51that we would learn well now,
32:52so that when it comes,
32:54we can be faithful.
32:55We can remain faithful to you,
32:57to honor you,
32:59to trust you,
33:00to be loyal to you,
33:01to be faithful to you.
33:04because when it all
33:05comes down to
33:06and the world falls apart
33:07around me,
33:08there's only one person
33:10I can hang on to,
33:11and that is you, Father.
33:14May you be the center
33:15of everything.
33:17We pray in Jesus' name.
33:19Amen.
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