Be Fearless And Faithful

Transcript

GR 1508
11-16-08
Be Fearless and Faithful
Revelation 2:8-11
Gil Rugh

We're in Revelation 2 in your Bibles. We're moving through the message of Christ to the seven churches in Asia Minor and we have looked at the first church, Ephesus, and we're going to move about 35 miles north, still on the coast to another city which has a harbor, seaport, commercial city, the city of Smyrna. One thing we find as we move through these churches and it stands out especially for the church at Smyrna, is that persecution is the normal lot of the believer, the normal experience of the faithful church of Jesus Christ. We've been studying II Timothy and we've been getting the same emphasis on suffering. Join with me in suffering for the gospel. And it is a pervading emphasis through the New Testament, but not just the New Testament but also the Old Testament.

Turn back to Matthew 5. In the beatitudes as Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, that series of blesseds. Note in verse 10, blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. On another occasion the question was asked, which of the prophets did you not persecute? It is a pattern in this sinful world that those who are called to represent the living God are destined to experience trials, difficulties, persecutions, opposition, trouble. It just comes with being a follower of Jesus Christ, it comes with being a child of the living God.

So come back to Revelation. As we noted as we started this, the seven churches are seven literal historical churches, existing at that point in time in history. But these seven are selected by Christ because they serve to represent His church in the world, or His churches in the world. And these seven are selected out, we've noted there are other churches in Asia. A well-known one is the church at Colosse to whom the letter to the Colossians is written, but it is not included in these seven. These seven had been selected not only because of the need they have for the message to be given, but because their situation will represent churches as they come into existence all the way down to our day.

The church at Smyrna is the suffering church. If you want to characterize it, it is the church characterized by suffering and the letter which is given to encourage them tells them the worst is yet to come. Strange way to encourage someone. You are in terrible difficulty, terrible suffering, take heart, it's going to get worse. But it is a letter to encourage them.

Smyrna was a great city, it still exists today under the name of Ismer in Turkey. There is still a Christian church in that old city, Smyrna, present day Ismer. In John's day around 95 A.D. it was a great thriving city. As I mentioned it is about 35 miles north of the city of Ephesus, still on the coast. It had an excellent harbor. It is estimated the population of the city somewhere around 200 to 250,000 at that time, about the size of the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, for example. It was a thriving city, it was a beautiful city. Ephesus was the capital city of this Roman province, Asia Minor. Smyrna competed with Ephesus and Pergamom as well for being the city of prominence in this region. It may not have been quite a focal point as Ephesus, but all agreed out of the seven cities it was the most beautiful city in Asia Minor. It was characterized not only by commercial prosperity, it was a center of idol worship. There were numerous idol temples, they had a street called the Street of Gold and on that street were various temples to various idols that were centers of worship for the city. It was a medical center, known in that day for some of the healing things done there.

Rome tolerated a variety of religions and worship, but they looked for something to give unity to their empire. They were in the time now of Domitian who was the Roman Emperor from 81 to 96 A.D. And emperor worship flourished during his time. So everyone could have their own worship, but what tied everybody together, everyone who was part of the Roman Empire joined together in worshiping one person, and that was Caesar. Now once you've fulfilled your obligation in worshiping Caesar, then you can go about worshiping in whatever temple, whatever god you would choose to worship. And so emperor worship became a key element here.

Smyrna led the way in emperor worship because it was a strong Roman city. It was in Asia Minor, but its history goes back and it supported Rome. Back in the days when Rome was rising to power, the period of time from 265 to 146 B.C. where Rome is becoming the dominant power, a world empire, Smyrna threw its support fully behind Rome. And so it had special influence in Rome because Rome appreciated a city like this who in the days before it dominated the world completely, it was a city that stood behind it when they could have lost. So that developing time gave them special place in Rome.

In A.D. 23, so about 70 years before John wrote the letter of Revelation and then concludes the letter to Smyrna, the Roman Senate selected Smyrna to be the city where they would build their first temple to honor Tiberias Caesar. So there were 23 cities competing in the empire but Smyrna was chosen to build a temple to Tiberias. Now under Domitian emperor worship became mandatory. If you didn't go through the procedure, and I'll mention that in a moment, you were viewed as an enemy of the empire. You were not supported, you were a criminal, you were guilty of capital offense. This is required, this is loyalty to the empire and we can't tolerate disloyalty. All that was entailed was a simple thing. Once a year you had to come before the altar to Caesar, take a little pinch of incense, put it on the altar to be burned, and declare, Caesar is lord. Now once you had done that they gave you a certificate and this proved your loyalty to Caesar. You had appeared, you had made the mandatory sacrifice to Caesar, declared that he was your lord, you are given your paper so that any time anyone questioned your loyalty you can pull it out. That's your citizenship, so to speak, your proof of loyalty to Rome. Then you could go all the other days of the year, this is only one day of the year and a relatively brief ceremony for each person. Come take your pinch of incense, put it there, declare Caesar as lord and be on your way and worship whoever you want. Rome was fine with absorbing whatever gods because they figured the more gods to support Rome, the better off they would be. But the worship of Caesar was the unifying factor.

About 60 years after John penned the book of Revelation there is a well-known man named Polycarp, about 156 A.D. And he was the bishop at Smyrna, he may have been at Smyrna when this letter was written. Because when he dies in 156 he is 86 years of age. So 50 years earlier he was still in his 20s. So he may well have been in Smyrna because the ministry we know about Polycarp was here. At 86 he was arrested for not having offered the required incense and act of worship to Caesar. And his well-known testimony recorded and preserved for history was, I've served Christ for 86 years, I couldn't deny Him now. So he is burned at the stake. Just look, do it. We won't bow in the heart so I'll go through this. To me it's a political action, it's not an act of worship. I mean you can rationalize it in a variety of ways. But true believers could not. Here is Polycarp, he's going to be burned at the stake, when it comes time to burn him the wind is blowing enough that the fire is taking forever to consume him. Finally a nearby soldier runs him through with a sword to put him out of his agony. All over a pinch of incense?

This gives you an idea what it is like in Smyrna. I mean, Christians are out with everyone. It's like in any day in time in history. People of various beliefs and so on can get along and be supportive of one another and their differences in religion, except Christians are the ones who don't fit. And this was true at Smyrna.

There is also a large Jewish population in Smyrna. And because of the Jewish background of Christianity, the head of the church, Jesus Christ Himself being the Messiah of Israel, there is the constant antagonism. So the Jews were relentless in Smyrna in opposing the Christians. So they get it from all sides. And of course you have the Jews who will be constantly there to tell the Romans that Christians are not loyal to Romans. And on it goes.

So we have the letter to Smyrna, beautiful little letter, one of two of the seven that has no word of condemnation to the church. So a church worth examining carefully and seeing as a pattern to be followed. As true of all the letters it begins in verse 8 by connecting what is said about Christ with what was said about Him in chapter 1. To the angel of the church in Smyrna write. And you'll note, we've mentioned this, each of these churches, individual local churches are directly responsible back to Christ. It was never God's intention that churches be gathered together in large entities. The seven churches of Asia Minor are all in Asia Minor, one Roman province. They are each one addressed individually, held accountable individually to the head of the church, Jesus Christ. Its message is to each one individually. This gives us a clear pattern of how He deals with His churches. In our day we like to pull together because we'll be more powerful, we'll have more influence. But that's not the way the head of the church has established His church in the world. His church, the universal church, is manifested in little local churches wherever they are.

So to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, the first and the last who was dead and is come to life says this. The first and the last. This title we noted in chapter 1 is drawn from the book of Isaiah. And it stresses the fact that He alone is God and He is able to preserve His people. Come back to Isaiah 41. He is the eternal God, the first and the last. We'll have to break in the great works of God in the world, down to verse 4. Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I the Lord am the first and with the last, I am He, stressing His eternality. In the first I am with the last, I am He, I am all there is in that sense. I am the true and living eternal God. In Isaiah 44:6, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, and His Redeemer the Lord of hosts, I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides Me. You see that stress. I am the first, I am the last, there is no God besides Me. So another evidence of the deity of Christ and His eternality that these titles given to God, declared by God Himself are also applied to the second Person of the Godhead, Christ. And then in Isaiah 48:12, listen to Me oh Jacob, even Israel whom I called. I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. In that context, surely My hand founded the earth, My right hand spread out the heavens. When I call them they stand together. You see He is the first, He is before anything existed. The time before time, if you will, there was only God and then the One who is the first and the last, He called everything else into existence. He is the eternal God.

So you come back to Revelation 2 and here you see as Jesus Christ did in Revelation 1, He declares Himself to be the first and the last. I am God, I am the One who was dead and has come to life. So the first and the last, the eternal God who was dead and has come to life. I mean, amazing statement when you think about it. You have the first and the last, the eternal God, the One who called things into existence, the same One who was dead and came to life. The first statement, the first and the last declared He is the eternal God and this statement obviously draws attention to His humanity. He is God who became man. The One that Colossians tells us, the One in whom all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. So He became man without ceasing to be God and all the fullness of deity dwells in Him in bodily form. Remarkable, amazing truth. And so you are drawing attention here to His humanity. He has experienced death, He is not alive. Good reminder because as we go through the book of Revelation we're going to coming to resurrections—first resurrection, second resurrection. A reminder. Some of those in the church at Smyrna are going to give their lives in testimony for Christ. They are just following in the steps of their Savior. Obviously His death was for our redemption, but for those martyrs like Polycarp, they counted it a privilege to die for Christ. As Paul reveals in his letters, to fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, not redemptively but whatever necessary in bringing this glorious message to you, which is completing the work of Christ. Because He died, He completed what is necessary for our salvation, but now that salvation is being carried to lost people. How? In human vessels. So to be identified. So 1900 years after Polycarp gave his life we still read his testimony and are encouraged to stand for the faith. So Jesus Christ is the pattern, He is the One who was dead and has come to life. That remarkable truth. He is God, He is man, the theonthropic union, God/man union. His deity is not in any way diminished, His humanity is not in any way diminished. He is completely human, He is completely God, He is the One speaking. We have all this theology packed into a simple statement.

And the authority of it all says this, I know. And that's the pattern that we have observed that will come through the churches—I know. I don't have to be told, I don't come here so you can fill Me in. I know. I mean, this is the One who was dead and is alive, but you understand this is the first and the last. There is no one who can give Him insight. Who has been the Lord's counselor? I mean, this is the sovereign God. He comes as I know, I know everything about you, I know everything about what is happening to you. What happens to us in trial and tribulation when our life seems overwhelmed by difficulty or tragedy? The first thought is often, Lord, do you know what is happening. I know, that's the message to His church. Lord, you know we are being martyred, we're being persecuted, we're suffering almost beyond what we can bear. I know, I know.

I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich, and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of satan. He stresses three things. I know your tribulation, your poverty, and the blasphemy of the synagogue of satan, basically, against you. I know all about your trouble. Your tribulation, I know your tribulation. The word has the idea of being under great pressure, lipsis, and it's used of a man who was being executed in the cruel way of having a huge stone progressively lowered on him. So the life is crushed out of him. You would use this word, this is the word used of that form of torture, about the pressure being applied to him as the stone progressively crushes him to death. So I know your tribulation, that you are under great pressure that seems to be crushing the life out of you. I can't take it anymore, I can't breathe, Lord. It's beyond me. That's the kind of situation. I know. This is the same word Jesus used in John 16:33, in the world you have tribulation. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Acts 14:22, through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom. That's the process—pressure, trials, difficulties.

Back in Revelation 1:9, John addresses this material. I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus. So I'm sharing the things you are sharing, the pressure you are going through, the trials you go through. I'm going through the same thing. I'm on the Island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Christ. It's the pattern. The pressure, we live in a pressure cooker world. Well believers live in a pressure cooker world. We sometimes like to imply to the unbeliever if they come to trust Christ the pressures of life will be gone. We need to tell them, when you come to trust Christ you get in the pressure cooker because now the whole forces of Satan and the demonic hosts will be turned against you, will try to crush the life out of you.

Back up to I Thessalonians 1, and we could spend just an evening going through passages on tribulation and affliction. It reminds me of how often we are reminded that the great works of God were done in this kind of context. In I Thessalonians 1, this is the church at Thessalonica, the northern province of Macedonia in Greece. Verse 5 talks about our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit with full conviction. Verse 6, you also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. So you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. You received the word in much tribulation, under much pressure.

Over in II Thessalonians 1:4, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. That's what they go through. Things hadn't gotten any better with the second letter from the first letter. It's just the pattern. Oh Lord, make me more effective. Oh Lord, guard me from any troubles and trials. They are two contradictory prayers. Not that we want to suffer—I hope I get the privilege to be burned at the stake. I'm happy to read about Polycarp, I rejoice for his testimony. I have to be honest in my heart I would just as soon not have my testimony given in that way. But you realize we want to be used greatly, but we want to suffer little. We try to arrange our life around that and the suffering little prevents our being used greatly.

Come back to Revelation. He elaborates a couple of areas of their tribulation, the pressure in their life. I know your tribulation and your poverty. Your poverty. The church at Smyrna was a poor church, a poverty stricken church. The particular word here used for poverty denotes abject poverty. You are destitute, it describes a person who has nothing at all. We're not talking about the poor, we're talking about the person who has nothing, they have nothing. That's what this word is. I know your poverty, I know that you are completely destitute, that you have nothing at all. This ties to the pressure they are under. We are going through a financial crisis in the world today and many people are feeling the pressure. These were believers that were feeling the pressure because of their testimony for Christ, not just the normal pressures of life. These were added pressures that came to them because of their testimony for Christ. Probably because of their faith. I mean, where are you going to go to work? You don't even have the paper to get hired for the job. Are you faithful to Rome? Let me see your paper. I don't have a paper. You're not loyal. Well you can't work for us, in fact you shouldn't even be in this city. I mean, this is a city that is loyal to Rome. I mean, how are you going to get a job? Do you think the Jews are going to give you a job? We're going to get to them in a moment. So how do you support your family? You can see how pretty soon you rationalize. Lord, you know my heart and when I burn that pinch of incense it's not where my heart is. But Lord, you know I have to support my family. Here you have a church, a gathering of believers. Who is going to help the next person? Christ's message to the church is they are destitute.

Now there is a real rich church across the way, still in the province called Laodicea. But there is no indication to any of these churches, particularly that they ought to be sending money. I'm not saying we can't help believers in other places, but it's interesting to me that there is no instruction going that way. Here is a church that has nothing, Christ addresses them in their situation and their relationship to Him.

Back up to Hebrews 10, may get an idea of what has happened to their situation. Verse 32 tells them, remember the former days when after being enlightened you endured a great conflict of suffering, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. You showed sympathy to the prisoners, accepted joyfully the seizure of your property. Know what happened to these early believers? They lost everything. They didn't have a job, you're not loyal to Rome, you don't have a right to have a house, you don't have a right to have possessions. So the authorities come in and take it all. As I've mentioned earlier I was in another country a number of years ago, talking with an elderly man. And he is sharing his experience of being in prison and I said, are you concerned now about our talking and our giving you materials? And he said, what are they going to do to me? They've already put me in prison, they've already taken my possessions, I have nothing so what are they going to do? Take me back to prison and have to feed me? So you realize you lose everything. So? And he had a great big smile and he takes the material because we'll be able to use this to share with others. And I think, how are you going to live? You are a man in your 70s, you don't have anything.

That's this church, you are poverty stricken, they have lost it all. But, back in Revelation, you are rich. You are destitute but you are rich. You have nothing in this world but you have everything that would make you wealthy. You are spiritually rich. In Matthew 6, continuing in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His followers, don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth, rust, inflation, financial collapse, everything else wipe it out. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. That treasure is not affected by all the things that destroy earthly treasures. And where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.

Their condition, I mentioned the church at Laodicea, is the opposite of the church in chapter 3 verse 17. They thought they were rich, had become wealthy, have need of nothing. You don't you are wretched and miserable, poor, blind and naked. You don't have anything. The church at Smyrna, you look around and say, you talk about a poor group of people without much of a future, here they are. I mean, what kind of testimony are they going to have for Christ? They don't even know where their next meal is coming from. But you are rich. I Peter 1:4ff talks about the treasure we have stored up in heaven, reserved for us in heaven, under the care of our God. That's what we have. Tragedy that believers get sidetracked and think there is some connection with earthly prosperity and spiritual wealth. Is there anything more unbiblical, more ugly than the health and wealth gospel that preaches just the opposite of what the scripture does. Tragedy.

Well we have to move on. I know your tribulation, your poverty and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews but are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. The blasphemy of those who say they are Jews. Now these aren't Gentiles trying to pretend they are Jews, but these are Jews who have no spiritual connection to the father of Judaism, Abraham. They are physical descendants but not spiritual descendants. And to be in the true line of Abraham as a Jew, you had to have a spiritual connection as well as a physical connection.

Turn over to Romans 2:28, for he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that which is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the letter. His praise is not from men but from God. He is not saying there that now we have a spiritual Israel and you and I as Gentiles are spiritual Israel. What he is saying is the truth that comes from the Old Testament and continues into the New, that truth is that the only ones in the line of the covenantal promises are those who have their faith in the God of Israel and His salvation. It never was enough to be just a physical Jew. The prophets told Israel, circumcise your hearts, the new covenant contained a new heart in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36. So true Jews in the line of the covenant promises are those who are physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who have their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now we Gentiles also become spiritual descendants of Abraham when we believe, and Paul develops this in Galatians 3. But we don't replace the Jews as he made clear in Galatians 3. The original covenantal promise to Abraham included Gentiles, for in you all the nations of the earth will be blessed. So we Gentiles were provided for in the original Abrahamic Covenant, which provided for the physical descendants of Abraham also. But for both to be the beneficiaries of those covenantal promises, it would require faith in the God who is the Savior of Jew and Gentile alike.

So when you come back to Revelation 2, these who say they are Jews and are not is another way of saying they are physically Jews but they are not Jews in the line of the covenant promises given to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Old Testament. They just have an external connection, they do not belong to the living God. In fact, what did Jesus say about them in John 8? You are of your father the devil. They came back and said to Jesus, Abraham is our father. He said if Abraham were your father you'd do the works of your father Abraham. You are of your father the devil, you always do his works. He was a liar from the beginning, that's what you are. He is a murderer and you are murderers so that's who these are.

So he says they are Jews, they are not, they are a synagogue of Satan. This is Jesus Christ speaking. We have the idea that people shouldn't say anything negative about anybody else's religion, that wouldn't even be good for us as Christians. Jesus Christ, the head of the church, speaks rather bluntly. Talking about the Jews in Smyrna, they have a synagogue there, it's a synagogue of Satan, it's for the worship of Satan, it's for the followers of Satan. Now the Jews there claim to be worshiping the God of Abraham, Jesus Christ, the eternal God, tells you who is being worshiped there. The same thing He told them in John 8, you are of your father, the devil. You are doing what he wants done. So a worship center here, a false worship center, what is it? It's a satanic center. Sometimes I even hear Christians say, well at least they go to church. At least they go where Satan is worshiped and served? That's good? I'd recommend they go to the golf course on Sunday morning. Do we want to go to the synagogue of Satan? Or in our city the church of Satan? We shouldn't talk like that, that will only get people riled up. Do you think Jesus Christ didn't know what riles people up? The last thing the church at Smyrna needs is someone throwing gasoline on the flame. And here Christ is giving a letter that is going to be read in the church of Smyrna, that those Jews in the city, they belong to the synagogue of Satan. Any wonder the next verse is going to tell us it's going to get worse for you in Smyrna? I mean, these just aren't the kinds of things. We want to play nice and get along. Jesus Christ draws the line for His church and even in the intense pressure of their suffering it seems it can't get any worse, He doesn't take the pressure off. It's a synagogue of Satan.

That's true of any religious center—synagogue, temple, church that is not founded on the truth of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a satanic center, it is an opposing center of worship to the living and true God. And these are Jews. At least they could claim some kind of connection, physically, to Old Testament scriptures. The God of the Old Testament says, they have nothing to do with me. They belong to Satan. It's a synagogue of Satan. So they have this intense opposition from the Jews, and we don't have time to go through the book of Acts—chapters 13,14,17,26. And it is just constant, the Jews are unrelenting. So they have now Gentile opposition as well as the Jews.

Verse 10, do not fear. Now if I just read that far I would think the next part is, I'm going to rescue you. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. We just read verse 9. Now He tells them do not fear what is coming. I mean, things are going to get worse for the church at Smyrna. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus reminded His followers, do not fear those who can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear him who, after he has killed the body, is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Don't be afraid, they are going to kill some of you. That's all right, that's not the most serious thing that can happen. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to cast some of you into prison so that you will be tested and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. You see who is behind all the opposition to believers. Never think you go, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, secretly. Don't underestimate the enemy. The devil knows well every single child of the living God, the demons that serve him know you well. You don't go anywhere secretly. Now he would like you to think you do because that makes you want to hide, to keep the light of the gospel hidden as much as possible, so your impact is muted and compromised. But the devil is not fooled, he knows the children of God. Jesus said in John 15, the world hates you. Why? Because I chose you out of the world. So the god of this world, Satan (I John 5), leads the opposition. All of his followers hate us because they serve Satan and we serve the true and living God. We are in a spiritual war.

So we are told the devil is about to cast some of you into prison. He's not going to personally appear there, but his servants will be there. They'll come knocking on the door and drag them off to cast them into prison. But you know who is behind it—the god of this world, Satan. We don't have time for Job 1-2, good reminder to go back and read that and refresh our minds against the enemy of our soul and the things he does. He brings financial disaster, he brings family disaster with the death of Job's children, one thing after another. He brings physical disaster with Job's health. He is a powerful opponent. But greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. That is our hope. So we don't want to act like this is anything less than of utmost seriousness because that's how the devil takes it. He hates you. You look for opportunities to destroy you, to destroy your testimony, to bring misery to your life, to do anything and everything to keep you from being a strong testimony for Jesus Christ.

He's going to throw some of you into prison, you will be tested, you are going to go through trials here. More than we've been through? More than you've been through. You will have tribulation for ten days. We're not told what the ten days is. It was interesting reading the commentaries. Some say ten days refers to a short period of time and they give their reasons. Other commentators say ten days refer to a long period of time and they give their reasons. Some say it is just a symbolic reference to something. I think the simplest thing to do is to take it as we will the numbers of the book of Revelation—ten days is ten days. Think about it, we live in a city here. If there were going to be ten days of intense persecution where everyone in the city was going to pour their efforts in to destroying our church, that could be an awful difficult ten days that seem like an awful long period of time. Here you have this little struggling church at Smyrna and for ten days there is going to be all-out persecution, an all-out attempt by Jew and Gentile alike to rid themselves of every believer through imprisonment, death, whatever. Ten days, I take it, is the best way to take it. We don't know anymore about that. You will have tribulation for ten days. What will be left of this little church? How bad is it going to be? Jesus says, be faithful unto death. That tells you how bad it's going to be, some of you are going to die, all of you have to be ready to die. You just can't decide I'm going to be faithful to the Lord at least to this point. If we get to that point I don't know if I'll be able to handle it, I've already lost, I've already told the enemy if it gets beyond here I yield. He just tells them, you plan on dying and many of you will. That's all right. Well I determine, I'm in this and if they take my life, they take my life. Then if they take my children, they take my family, they take my possessions, I'm in it for my life, I give my life for it. Well that settles it for me. For those in the church at Smyrna who may go to prison but don't end up martyred, the Lord spared them. But they were ready. So then I prepare for the ultimate of what Christ would require for me—the giving of my life as a testimony for Him.

So you be faithful unto death and I'll give you the crown of life. There is the promise—the crown of life, stephanos of life. I mean, don't fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. They can kill the body, they can't kill me. What happens when they kill this physical body? What happens if people stormed in the doors here and began to kill us for a testimony for Christ, they kill our body. Oh what a tragedy. But happens at death for a believer? The spirit leaves the body and goes into the presence of the Lord, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. They've taken my physical life but they haven't taken my real life. I'll give you the crown of life. Be faithful until death. You know, you don't get that sentimental sympathy or empathy from Christ. Now He understands, He knows, but there is no soft emotional, I'm going to get you through this, I know how hard it is to watch your children be martyred, I know ......... No. I know what you are going through and you are about to suffer more. Be faithful to death, I'll give you the crown of life. I mean, we mire down in our personal tragedies and our losses, and they are real and they are painful. But we keep our focus, I have to be faithful to Him. This is not just talking about the everyday tragedies that everyone in the world goes through, we're talking about people here putting their lives on the line for Jesus Christ and my testimony for Him.

I'll give you the crown of life. I take it this crown represents life, referred to in James 1:12 also. Back in Revelation 2:7, to the church at Ephesus, to him that overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life. What does that represent? You freely partake of life, eternal life. So here you have the crown of life, the crown which is life. They have the victory because they were faithful to Him. It looks like they lost. Did Polycarp lose when he was burned at the stake? No, he won the great victory. Do you think when you get to glory and see Polycarp you'll say, I'm really sad to see that you had to be burned at the stake in such a painful way. That wasn't a loss, it was a victory. We get confused, we get so wrapped up and entangled here that our perspective gets distorted. It's like when you have to have glasses, you take them off and everything is blurry. You put them on and everything is sharper. Well you see what the scripture does for us, it enables us to see clearly as we should.

He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This is not just for the church at Smyrna, it's for us. Isn't it sad, we're afraid to speak up for Christ and be identified with Him because of the nasty things people say about us. This is for everyone who has spiritual ears, this is what Christ expects of us. Step up. Do you know what would happen if I am that open and bold in my testimony? Of course He knows. What did He tell the church at Smyrna? Cool it, pull back, tone it down until you get through this time, better times will come. Not at all, doesn't hold out anything like that. Their hope is, I'll give you the crown of life. And everyone who has ears to hear, spiritual ears, this is not just for the church at Smyrna, it's for us. Pay attention.

He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. There is the ultimate promise. That's the same thing as having the crown of life, not hurt by the second death, right? That's where we're going in the book of Revelation. The second death is eternal hell. We won't go there now, but Revelation 20:6,14; 21:8. The second death, cast into the lake of fire forever and ever. Now there is loss. Fear him who after he has killed the body is able to destroy both body and soul in hell, the second death. That's the one to fear. I need to get my priorities straight. I fear the living God and by His grace I have His salvation. Apart from Him what do we have? So we're a testimony for Christ. You lose your job, we're imprisoned, some are martyred. That's all right, you be faithful. That's our responsibility, simple and clear.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your truth, thank you for your Word, thank you for the church at Smyrna. Lord, easy for us in the setting which you have blessed us with of comfort, freedom from any real intense opposition, persecution, loss because of our testimony for you. We read about this church and we say, what a wonderful testimony. Lord, we would listen what the Spirit has said to them. May we be encouraged to be bolder, to have a greater courage, a greater openness in identifying ourselves with Jesus Christ, making Him known, even knowing that that will stir opposition, persecution. Lord, we desire more than anything to be found faithful by you. Thank you for the promises of your Word. In Christ's name, amen.