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Please turn in your vitals to 
Revelation chapter two. Revelation two, as we consider 
the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor, the Apostle John 
was commissioned to write or to greet and to send these things 
to these churches, messages from the Lord Jesus Christ to historical 
churches in the first century A.D. Asia Minor is now modern-day 
Turkey, and the city that we're looking at this evening, the 
second letter, the letter to Smyrna, is the modern city of 
Izmir in Turkey. Christ commends this church, 
but He does not condemn it. There is no condemnation. If 
you remember last week, we noted that there is a general pattern 
that each of these letters bears. There is a self-description of 
Christ, given by Christ to the church, and then a commendation 
by Christ to the church, and then a condemnation. Well, that 
is missing here, as the church in Smyrna had nothing wrong with 
it. Of course, it had something wrong 
with it. It was a church. It was made up of Christians, 
but it was not such that Jesus targeted it for specific reproof 
in this letter. This was a persecuted church, 
and in many respects, I don't know that we'll fully be able 
to enter into the warmth and the excellency of this letter, 
as perhaps our brothers and sisters in other lands would be able 
to do. Those, for instance, in North 
Korea, or in the Orissa state in India, or in Ethiopia, or 
in Sri Lanka, or Laos, or Vietnam, or the various countries where 
the people of God are suffering great persecution for the cause 
of Christ. Well, let us read verses 8 to 
11, and then we'll look at Jesus' word to this local church. And to the angel of the church 
in Smyrna write, These things says the first and the last, 
who was dead and came to life. I know your works, tribulation 
and poverty, but you are rich, and I know the blasphemy of those 
who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things 
which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to 
throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you 
will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and 
I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes 
shall not be hurt by the second death. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, we come to you, and we 
thank you for the Holy Scripture. We thank you for both the Old 
and the New Testaments, and we acknowledge that it is God-breathed 
and that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction 
and for instruction in righteousness. And our desire as a local church 
and as individuals is that you would thoroughly furnish us and 
do every good work. We just pray, Father, for the 
forgiveness of all of our sins. We pray for the power of your 
Spirit to be upon us, that we would have that ear to hear what 
Christ says to His church. And may we receive good lessons 
and good instruction from the Scripture. And we pray for our 
brothers and sisters that suffer, those who are who are engaging 
in all manner of difficulty for their faith in Christ. We pray, 
God in heaven, that you would be their portion and their lot. 
And they would take a letter like this and read it and receive 
the great benefit that it holds for. And we pray for the continual 
spread of Christianity throughout the earth. We pray that you would, 
as the psalmist said, let the nations be glad. And we ask through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, one commentator, 
Gregory Beal, said that Christ commends the Church of Smyrna 
for enduring tribulation and encourages it to continue to 
be faithful in anticipation of imminent, more severe persecution 
in order to inherit eternal life in heavenly kingship. So Christ 
addresses an already suffering church and tells them not to 
fear because the suffering is going to increase. Sometimes 
we think we have it pretty bad. Well, I gotta say, brethren, 
in light of an open Bible, I don't think we've seen anything yet. We see a government that is increasingly 
more hostile toward Christianity. We see marks of this throughout 
our society. But in a real sense, we have 
it a whole lot better than our brothers and sisters who lived 
in Smyrna in the first century A.D. We have it a whole lot better 
than a lot of brothers and sisters who live in other parts of the 
world that know the kinds of persecution that these brethren 
in Smyrna knew. Notice, first of all, the self-description 
of Christ. This is always important as we 
consider these seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor, 
because the way Jesus describes himself speaks directly to the 
situation in the church. Notice here he says, and to the 
angel of the church in Smyrna write, these things says the 
first and the last, who was dead and came to life. This of course 
originates in chapter 1, as his self-descriptions do. In chapter 
1 at verse 8 he says, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning 
and the end, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to 
come, the Almighty. And again in verse 11 he says, Verse 10, it says, I was in the 
Spirit on the Lord's Day and I heard behind me a loud voice 
as of a trumpet saying, I am the Alpha, the Omega, the First 
and the Last. What you see, write in a book 
and send it to the seven churches. In the greeting in verse 4, Jesus 
is described as the faithful witness and the firstborn from 
the dead. Over in verses 17 and 18, we 
read, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. 
I am he who lives and was dead and behold. This is directly 
applicable to the church in Smyrna. Jesus is calling them to not 
fear because of the persecution that is coming. In fact, some 
of them would be, or they would be called to be faithful until 
death and they would receive the crown of life. This is how 
Jesus portrays himself. He was dead and he came to life. This is his pertinent word to 
the church in Smyrna. And this addresses a biblical 
theme that we need to be fully aware of. That as Christians, 
in the church, the cross always comes before the crown. I realize 
we don't like that. I realize that our desire is 
to just skip all the way to heaven, singing zippity-doo-dah, and 
having no problems, or no trials, or no difficulties whatsoever. 
But our Lord set the pattern. And if we are to be faithful, 
we will follow that pattern. We will follow it and know something 
of the cross prior to enjoying the crown. If you remember, the 
sons of Zebedee wanted the crown. They come to Jesus, according 
to Matthew 20, and they say, Lord, grant to us that we should 
sit on your right and on your left when you come in the power 
of your kingdom. And he says to them, you don't 
have any idea what you're talking about. He says, I have a baptism 
to undergo that you don't know anything about at this point. 
He says, you will eventually, which of course, John or James 
is the one who was beheaded under Herod in Acts 12, and John, this 
John, was on the island of Patmos for the word of the Lord and 
the testimony of Jesus. But you see, they were jockeying 
for position. They wanted to be on the right 
and on the left. Jesus says, before you get to that point, 
there's a baptism that you have to undergo. And it's not a baptism 
in the water tank. It is a baptism of fire. It is 
a baptism of trial. It is a baptism of persecution. It is a baptism of tribulation. This is the message we need to 
learn from this letter to the church in Smyrna, that it is 
not for us to immediately gain access to the crown. we must 
first follow the Lord Jesus Christ. The church here is exhorted to 
be faithful until death, and they will receive the crown of 
life. Jesus is the sovereign Lord of 
history. Jesus is the one who died and 
came alive. Jesus is the one who set forth 
the example, or the pattern, of what it means to live as Christ 
does. 2 Timothy 3.12, the apostle writes, 
All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 
persecution. I fear that we pay lip service 
to them. I fear that we all agree with that, at least in our noggin, 
but we haven't embraced the reality in our heart. Oh yes, of course, 
persecution is part and parcel of the Christian life, but the 
moment that it comes, what is our response? How in the world 
could such a thing ever happen to me? Why is it that God is 
doing this to me? Why is it that God isn't punishing 
all those dirty, rotten sinners out there? Why is he giving me 
cross? will all who desire to live godly 
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That is a reality. And the sooner we come to embrace 
that fact, that the cross precedes the crown, the happier we will 
be as God's people. Now this isn't easy psychologically. No one likes trial. No one likes 
tribulation. No one, when they receive the 
chastening hand of God or the attack of the devil, says, yippee, 
this is wonderful. But James tells us we are to 
count ourselves blessed. Blessed is the man, he says. 
Turn to James 1 for just a moment. James chapter 1, a passage again 
that we need to come to grips with. James 2 first, he says, 
my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. 
Why do you think James is writing this? Because the natural tendency 
is to not do this. There's some things that are 
repeated a lot in the Bible. The holy kiss is one of them 
in the New Testament. Greet one another with a holy 
kiss. Why? Because we don't want to do that. 
Right? Right? I don't want to kiss that 
guy. I've heard of axial glaze stopping 
a young man coming into their church wanting to holy kiss all 
the young women. Said there'll be no holy kissing 
here. But as a general rule, things are repeated in the Bible. 
Why? Because our heads are thick and 
our hearts are hard. How many times did the New Testament 
call us in a similar fashion that James does, to count it 
all joy when you fall into various trials? That's not the natural 
response. When we fall into various trials, 
we complain. We grumble. We get mad. We adopt a defensive position. We don't stop and say, the Lord 
has given me this. Praise God. We don't say with 
Job, naked I came into this world, and naked shall I return, blessed 
be the name of the Lord. That is not our typical response. That's why James writes, he says 
when you fall into various trials, the first thing you ought to 
do is smile, or count it all joy. And then you need to think 
theologically. Don't think psychologically. 
Don't think emotionally. Don't separate the Bible from 
your experience, but rather take the Bible and interpret your 
trials accordingly. He says, count it all joy when 
you fall into various trials, what? Knowing. Think theology. Knowing that the testing of your 
faith produces patience. but let patience have its perfect 
work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. In the midst of your trial, this 
is the promise of verse 5, when you fall into various trials 
and you need wisdom to navigate through these trials, This isn't 
simply a, oh God give me wisdom so I can make good deals in the 
business world. This is primarily a request for 
wisdom to navigate through trials in a manner that is consistent 
with God's word that brings Him glory and promotes joy in your 
own soul. If you ask for wisdom, God will 
hear you, he will not upgrade you, he will not reprove you, 
he will not make fun of you, but rather he will supply what 
you need liberally. And then notice in verse 12, 
blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been 
approved, he will receive the crown of life. which the Lord 
has promised to those who love him. There is a qualification 
given in verse 13. Let no one say when he is tempted, 
I am tempted by God. God does test his people. But 
this tempting that is in view in verse 13 is a solicitation 
to do evil. That is not the case. God is 
not soliciting you to do evil. God may give you a task like 
he did with Abraham. God may push you in certain ways 
to evidence your grace or the grace that he has deposited in 
you. But when there is a solicitation to do evil, don't blame God. This does not come from our Father. 
He gives every good and perfect gift. He is the one in whom there 
is no shadow of turning. So the church in Smyrna is a 
wonderful document for the persecuted church. It is a wonderful document 
for the persecuted Christian within the church. Notice, secondly, 
Christ's commendation of this church in verse 9. He mentions 
three things. The first is their works. I love 
this. They were not stagnant as a church, 
but were doing what Christ saved them for. I submit that's why 
they were persecuted. You see, if they just sat back, 
enjoyed their salvation, and occupied their little Christian 
ghetto, and never engaged in works, they wouldn't have stepped 
on anybody's toes in the town of Smyrna. But because they were 
working servants of our living God, They took the gospel out 
from their church and they sought to press the crown rites of Jesus 
in Smyrna. And Jesus commends them for their 
works. Jesus says, I know your works. And as we reflected when we looked 
at the letter to Ephesus, yes, God sees our wickedness. And 
yes, we as Calvinists like to talk about that. We like to scare 
people with that. crises are good works too. Not 
our good works that are salvific and He rewards us. Our good works 
that are done in Him. For by grace you have been saved 
through faith. Not of good works, the Bible 
says in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. But then it goes on to say, for 
we are His workmanship, created in Him for good works, which 
God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Jesus 
looks upon this church and He says familiar words. I hope Jesus 
would say that about us. I hope Jesus would be able to 
say, I know your words. Would it be they're not like 
they used to be? I fear they might be. They're not present 
whatsoever. Would Jesus be able to speak 
favorably to our works as a church, as individuals within a church? Turn to Titus 2, verses 11-14. 
Titus 2, verses 11-14. Titus chapter 2, verse 11, for 
the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all 
men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age, 
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our 
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that 
He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself 
His own special people zealous for good works. Does that describe 
us? Zealous for good works? Zealous 
to take the message of the gospel into society? If it's not an 
officially church-sanctioned program, do we as individuals, 
as a part of this church, in the society that we travel in, 
in the sphere of influence that we exercise, are we doing good 
works? Law says elsewhere that we're 
to do good to all men, especially those who are of the household 
of faith. When someone's sick, or someone's 
in the hospital, or someone is struggling, does that good work 
rise up in your heart to say, I'm going to call them, I'm going 
to visit them? Jesus indicts in Matthew 25 those 
goats who knew that he was in the hospital, but never came 
to see him. Inasmuch as you did not do this 
to the least of one of these my brethren, you did not do it 
unto me. And I believe there is a temptation 
in the hearts of all of God's people to go out and save the 
world and neglect the very people we're really supposed to show 
care and concern for. Jesus then commends them in their 
tribulation. I know your works, tribulation. They, like the Apostle John, 
were undergoing tribulation. They had already tasted and seen 
something of John 16.33, when Christ in the upper room said, 
These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have 
peace. In the world you will have tribulation, 
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. This recognition 
of their tribulation is a wonderful encouragement to those who are 
suffering. Christ takes notice of his people, 
Christ takes notice of his churches, and Christ amends them for him. So that even while you and I 
sit here and never think twice about the little nation of Maldives 
and the not even 1% of Christians that are there, Jesus knows. 
So that while we probably don't pray a whole lot for our brothers 
in North Korea, and I'm not picking on anybody here. We have a lot 
going on. It's difficult to keep up with 
everything. But while we are not in tune with what's happening 
in North Korea, Jesus could say to the brethren there, I know 
your tribulation. I know you're under that wingnut, 
Kim Jong Il. I know what you are going through. under that regime. Christ knows 
the tribulation of his people. Christ understands their trial. Christ can enter in where we 
can't, because Christ has already gone through it himself. Notice 
again the pattern. In the world you will have tribulation, 
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Isn't this 
the life of Christ? In this world he had tribulation. Remember it was reported of him, 
or he reported of himself. You know, the birds of the air 
have their nests, and the foxes have their holes, but the Son 
of Man has nowhere to lay his head. The Son of Man who created 
everything. The Son of Man who upheld everything 
by the word of his power. That Son of Man had nowhere to 
lay his head. The Son of Man who was praised 
by angels prior to the incarnation comes into a world of sinners, 
and instead of hearing worship, hears away with him, away with 
him, crucify him. See, Christ, when he spoke, spoke 
as a man with authority, as one who had been there, done that, 
so that when he speaks peace and encouragement to this church 
in Smyrna, they didn't have to wonder, well, how in the world 
could he speak to our situation? He is uniquely qualified to speak. to the persecuted church, and 
he commends them for their tribulation. Notice, he acknowledges and commends 
them for their poverty. Verse 9, I know your works, tribulation 
and poverty, but you are rich. This is beautiful. They were 
poor. What was the poverty from? It 
was probably economic sanction. There was a large Jewish community 
in Smyrna. And probably a lot of the people 
in the church were converted Jews. And in this context, when 
you sided with Christ, you were ostracized. You were put out. You were not recognized favorably. When you went to go buy bread, 
or when you went to go buy stuff, you might be refused service, 
as is the case in Middle Eastern countries today for those who 
name the name of Jesus Christ. You may get your house burned 
down. You may get your business destroyed. You may be dispossessed 
from all that you know and love. Why? Because you have sided with 
the Lord Jesus Christ. So the Smyrna Christians were 
poor. Jesus recognizes that. And I 
just think this is amazing, because Jesus is not like us. We tend to be overly pious. Well, you know, you don't have 
to worry about money. As long as you're faithful and you're 
in Christ. Jesus acknowledges money and their lack of it. The 
brother or sister says, man, I'm just struggling, I don't 
have enough money. Don't just come suck it up and knuckle under 
your soul as well. Brother, I'll pray for you. It's 
hard to live poor in this world. Are we supra-holy? We just float 
around and we don't need to eat? We don't need to drink? We don't 
need to buy shoes? Do we walk into a store and the 
people say, oh, you're a Christian. Welcome to Walmart. Take whatever 
you need. No. Christ acknowledges their 
financial poverty. He doesn't say just suck it up 
and knuckle under. You've got me. But notice what 
he says, but you're rich. The exact opposite problem was 
going on in Laodicea. Turn to chapter 3 at verse 17. The direct opposite problem. Laodicea said, I am rich, have 
become wealthy, and have need of nothing. Laodicea was a much 
more affluent city. And probably the church in Laodicea 
was a lot like the city. They liked their stuff. They 
liked their goods. They didn't make waves. They 
didn't press the crown rites of Jesus in the city of Laodicea. And as a result, they didn't 
have the tribulation or the trial or the difficulty. Jesus says, 
you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, 
and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, 
and naked. You see, in Smyrna, they were 
physically, economically poor. When they went to the store, 
they didn't get to come home with food. But Jesus encourages 
them, and Jesus commends them, and says, you rich, you have 
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. So on the one hand, he acknowledges 
their physical impoverishment, but on the other hand, he puts 
things into perspective. There's a man by the name of 
Gary North, and he was debating one time, and somebody said, 
what would you rather have, Jesus or gold? He said, I'd rather 
have Jesus and gold. But if I have to have one or 
the other, give me Jesus. I don't know if North actually 
said the rest of that, but I'm sure he would acknowledge that. You see, it's not wrong to be 
blessed with God. The word tonight is not, get 
out of here and go get poor. We're not monks. We're not papists. We're not saying there's virtue 
in poverty. There is supreme virtue, though, 
in spiritual riches, and that's what we have in our Lord Jesus. That's how he encourages. That's 
how he comforts. That's how he calls his people 
here in Smyrna to think through the various trials that are facing 
them. I know your works. I know your 
tribulation. I know your poverty. But I also 
know that you are rich. Take heart. Take courage. Be comforted, be strengthened 
by this. Notice, thirdly, Jesus issues 
a warning to them. It's not a warning of, if you 
don't repent, I'm going to come and take your lampstand away. 
It's a warning about increased persecution, which is just amazing. Christ acknowledges their tribulation 
and doesn't deliver them from it. There are seasons and times 
in your lives, dear brothers and sisters, where Christ is 
not going to pull you out of tribulation. Isn't that how we usually pray? 
Lord, take this from me. Isn't it? Be honest. I don't 
think it's wicked or wrong to pray that. If God sends a trial, 
it's not wicked or wrong to say, Lord, please take this burden 
from me. In fact, Jesus said the same 
thing in Luke 22 in Gethsemane. If it is possible, take this 
cup from me. But what was the resignation 
there? Not my will, but thine be done. You see, it's not wicked 
to pray, Lord, take this tribulation. But it's also excellent to pray, 
and if not, give me stronger shoulders so that I can bear 
it. Right? Give me more perseverance, 
more fortitude, more spiritual resources, more grace so that 
I can stand the trial that you have seen fit to give to me. 
Christ doesn't just snap his fingers and make everything go 
good for the church in Smyrna. I know your tribulation. And 
notice, he says in verse 9, and I know the blasphemy of those 
who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. We ask, who are these people? Well, they were ethnic Jews who 
were persecuting spiritual Jews. What's a spiritual Jew? Paul 
tells us in Romans 2. He is not a Jew as circumcised 
outwardly, but a Jew as circumcised inwardly. One church historian 
observes that down to AD 64, danger threatened the Christian 
church from the Jews and the Jews alone. We have seen in our 
studies on Wednesday night in the book of Acts, this is the 
case. The first great persecutor of 
the church, I'm not an anti-Semite, was the Jews. The unbelieving 
Jews. That is historical, accurate, 
biblically defined data. the first great persecutor, unbelieving 
Jews. Up until around 64, 65, then 
the Roman Empire locked arms with the unbelieving Jews and 
began to turn up the heat against the Christians in the empire. It's an amazing fact, when you 
look at the Book of Acts, which ends at AD 62, it is the Romans 
who deliver Paul from death. It is the Romans who spare the 
life of the Apostle Paul when the Jews are seeking to destroy 
him. So in the community at Smyrna, 
there was a large population of ethnic Jews who claimed to 
be the real true spiritual people of God, but they were making 
things difficult on the Christian community in Smyrna. Jewish antipathy to Christianity 
at Smyrna is very evident, for the Jews at Smyrna were both 
numerous and aggressively hostile. John thus derives these Jews 
as not really being Jews in the true spiritual sense of the word. 
The commentator mounts, puts it this way, members of the local 
synagogue may claim to be Jews, but the very claim constitutes 
them liars. And Gentry summarizes thus, John 
does hear what Paul does in Romans 2, 17 to 29. He distinguishes 
between the true Jew, the Christian who is a Jew inwardly and spiritually, 
and a false Jew, one who is a Jew racially and religiously. So that is where the persecution 
was coming to these saints in Smyrna. And of course, at this 
point, the empire would have been hand-in-hand persecuting 
the brethren as well. So Jesus identifies this. So 
again, good to know, isn't it? Bugs Bunny teaches us a lesson 
here. Remember one of the cartoons 
where Bugs Bunny, he's singing the song, Nobody Knows the Trouble 
I've Seen. I don't think Bugs Bunny wrote 
that song. I think it was a song that the cartoon adopted for 
use in that context. Nobody knows the trouble I see. 
I have found this to be the case in my own Christian life. I have 
found it to be the case in other Christians whom I've spoken to, 
that when trial comes, they think they're all alone. Nobody knows how bad I've got 
it. Nobody knows what it's like being married to that guy. No 
one knows the difficulties of trying to do this, that, or the 
other. Jesus knows. And Jesus actually cares. It's 
not enough that he knows, but he actually cares, and he speaks 
to that particular need. The evidence is that here in 
Smyrna, I know where the persecution is coming. I know the blasphemy 
of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue 
of Satan. To the church in Pergamos, he 
will tell them, I know that you dwell where Satan's throne is. What's up in Pergamos? Probably 
the headquarters of the imperial cult. So much so that Christ 
can say, that's where Satan dwells. You think you've got it bad? 
You think your unconverted boss is harsh? You think Shoah is 
unfavorable to Christianity? Go live where Satan's throne 
is, brethren, and then come back and tell us how hard it is here. I'm not trying to scare anybody, 
but we ain't seen nothing yet. Just when they thought it couldn't 
get any worse in Israel in the 8th century, or in the 9th century 
BC, here comes Ahab, son of Omri, who's put a new standard in place 
for wickedness. What about Manasseh? A 55-year 
reign of abject wickedness. I'm not here to say our government 
leaders are men of virtue and men of sterling character and 
quality, but they haven't shown themselves to be Manasseh or 
Ahab just yet. They may be growing that way, 
they may end up that way, but right now, and praise God, we've 
got it such that you cannot reign for 55 years. That right there 
is a great mercy from God. We get some bad egg in there. 
He isn't going to be there for 55 years like a Manasseh. Jesus knew their persecutors. That's good. That's awesome. That's glorious. That's encouraging. 
Why? Because in 2 Thessalonians chapter 
1, Paul says it is right with God to trouble those or to pay 
back with tribulation those who trouble you. He speaks of further 
suffering. He tells them they were not to 
fear, verse 10, do not fear any of those things which you are 
about to suffer. They'd already had tribulation. 
And he comes and says, you're going to suffer. We'd be like, oh, wait a minute, 
Lord, didn't you hear our prayer? I prayed that you'd take my tribulation, 
not that you would acknowledge my tribulation, say you understand 
it, and then tell me I'm going to get more. Hang on, Lord. Jesus says, don't fear any of 
those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil 
is about to throw some of you into prison. In Ephesians 6, 
we learn that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Our 
wrestle, our spiritual struggle is ultimately against unseen 
powers of darkness. But those unseen powers of darkness 
use civil government. They use city government. They 
use false religions. It wasn't like there was a man 
with a pitchfork and a red outfit with pointy ears walking through 
Smyrna putting Christians into prison. The unbelieving Jews 
in the Roman Empire activated, motivated, and carried on by 
the devil himself. Jesus cuts to the spiritual quit. He says, do not fear any of those 
things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is 
about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested 
and you will have tribulation ten days. Probably a thematic 
link to the testing of Daniel and his friends in Daniel chapter 
one for ten days. and probably just a contrast. There are great lengths of time 
spoken of in the book of Revelation. Ten days, in contrast, is a small 
portion of time. He says that they would be imprisoned, 
they would be tested, and they will have tribulation. That is 
a promise from the reigning Christ to the church in Smyrna. And 
the exhortation, fourthly, given by him, is to not fear. That's the first aspect. Do not 
fear. Now, it's easier said than done, I admit that. Do not fear. 
If you've ever talked to anybody who's had troubles as a Christian, 
or they've had trials, and they've come to you and you say, well, 
don't fear. You'll just feel like, ah, man. But you know, that's what we're 
to tell one another. Don't fear. When all is said 
and done, Jesus Christ rules and reigns supreme over all things, 
over our trials, over our troubles, over our difficulties, over economic 
woes, over every single thing. Jesus Christ is King. He is Lord. He has been introduced to us 
in this book in that fashion. He is called the faithful witness, 
the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings 
of the earth. So when he says, do not fear any of those things 
which you are about to suffer, we need to take heed to that. 
We need to read that. We need to pray to God to help 
us not to fear. We need to ask God to give us 
the grace to pass on in the midst of increasing opposition to our 
faith, and we need to say, Lord, help me not to fear. Help me 
not to fear. You know, when all is said and 
done, what can they do? They can kill each other. Then you 
get to go be with Jesus. Right? That's the mindset we 
gotta get. I've made this realization about 
myself lately. I don't want a me, me, me. That's 
not the thing. I think it illustrates a point, 
though, and I want to illustrate. I don't know if it's because 
I'm getting older, or I've just always been this weird, and I'm 
just starting to observe it. Laziness bugs me. And my saying 
that doesn't mean I'm the most diligent guy in the world. My 
laziness bugs me. I mean, so much so, not just 
me, but at the gym. It bugs me when somebody can 
go there and not sweat. What are you doing? Come on. You're going to the gym. The 
whole idea is to sweat, to build the heart rate, to strengthen 
the muscles, to increase flexibility. You're supposed to sweat. You 
see the guy come in with his hundred dollar tracksuit, stand 
on the treadmill for five minutes, walk in with a coffee in his 
hand, and then he stops. I just want to say, you know 
what? I would like to have my son come here. Why don't you 
pay for him so he can use it? In the church, brethren, there's 
a lot of laziness. And I don't mean just by, we 
don't work for Jesus, we don't do anything for Jesus, we don't 
love one another. I think those things are true 
to a large degree. But it's our attitude. It's our 
mindset. It's our way of living. There 
is precious little of Philippians 1.21 in our lives. There is precious little of that 
mindset that says, for to me to live is Christ and to die 
is day. There is precious little of an 
earnestness to come to the house of God and praise and worship 
and honor and glorify There is precious little desire to learn 
the scriptures, to ingest them, to feed upon them, to be able 
to tell others about them. And there is precious little 
earnest, bold, fearless Christianity. We see one little whiff of persecution 
and we freak out. We see one little trial and we 
fall apart. We see a little bit of difficulty 
and we almost come apart at the seams. We, as collectively a 
generation of Christians, are wimps. We're soft, we're effeminate, 
and should God Most High ever send real persecution to this 
country, I pray that He helps us. I pray that He'll visit us 
with great amounts of grace and great amounts of strength. That 
He will free us from this mindset that we're actually doing Him 
a favor when we tell somebody about Jesus. Did you listen to 
Psalm 67 as our brother read it today? How many times do we 
come to worship and we don't even listen? Do you realize that 
Psalm 67 is the lifeblood of gospel missions to the world? 
Every single one of us should have Psalm 67 memorized. We should 
pray it back to the Lord every single day. God, let the nations 
be glad. Use us to publish the way of 
the Lord. But you know what? Life is about 
us. It's not about God. I fear our confession, our version, 
the Jim Butler version of Philippians 121, for to me to live is me, 
and to die is more for me. We've lost that realization that 
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. That Jesus is the First and the 
Last. That Jesus is Sovereign Lord. Look at the way Rush Dooney puts 
it. We come to the Bible as a collection of principles rather than a manual 
of marching orders given by the commander to his servants. I like that better. That's the 
way the Bible is to be read. We don't sit here and debate 
it and put it under the microscope and, oh, I don't know that it's 
inerrant. We get under it and we submit to the Lord God of 
truth. That's what Jesus tells the church 
in Smyrna. He says that they are to be faithful 
unto death. Jesus does not promise them deliverance, 
but rather encourages them to faithfulness in the prospect 
of death. Be faithful unto death. That 
is the same exhortation that Christ gives to each one of us 
here. Faithlessness, cowardice, abandoning 
Jesus Christ, is not an option. You have signed up for a lifelong 
commitment. This is the whole purpose of 
Luke 14, when Jesus says, what man builds a building without 
first counting the cost? What man goes to war without 
first surveying his enemy and his ability? You've got to be 
a real fool to take a pea shooter to a gunfight. You've got to 
be a real fool to march with 10,000 troops against 20,000. You're supposed to do this little 
thing called counting the cost. Christ uses that to illustrate 
what it means to follow Him. If you are here this afternoon, 
if you have made the profession, if you have signed on the spiritual 
dotted line, there is no turning back. There is no regret. There is only to be faithfulness 
until death. That's your marching order. Jesus goes on and gives them 
this blessed incentive, and I will give you the crown of life. Not 
be faithful unto death and then, you know, just misery. Jesus 
isn't a monk. Jesus isn't an ascetic. Jesus 
doesn't call you just to suffer, because somehow suffering is 
noble. No. He calls you to be faithful 
unto death and I will give you the crown of life. This was true 
for Moses according to Hebrews chapter 11. Turn there for just 
a moment. I think we miss this a lot too. 
Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews 11, verse 23, by faith 
Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents 
because he saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid 
of the king's command. By faith Moses, when he became 
of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to 
enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Isn't that great? He chose, 
rather, to suffer affliction with the people of God than to 
enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. God's Word is accurate. We don't sin because we hate 
it. We sin because it's pleasurable. We sin because it holds forth 
the promise of some benefit. It is temporal, it is small, 
it is not long-lasting, but it is a pleasure. Moses had at his 
disposal all the treasures of Egypt. He had everything for 
the taking, but he chose rather to suffer affliction with the 
people of Christ. Why? Because suffering is good? 
Because monasteries are good? Because asceticism is good? No, 
because he understood something about real pleasure. Notice in 
verse 26, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than 
the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward. He did 
not look at suffering as an end in itself. He looked at suffering 
as a means to greater treasure, to greater riches, to greater 
blessings. By faith, it says, he forsook 
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as 
seeing him who is invisible. You trace through the career 
of Moses. He had his trials, didn't he? If you say no, you have not read 
about Moses. He had his issues. He had his 
challenges. He himself would never ever get 
to enter into the promised land. But this characterizes the essence 
of his life. He would rather suffer with Christ's 
people on earth because he wanted greater riches in heaven. And 
Jesus says this to the church in Smyrna, I know that you're 
poor, but you are rich. I know that you're going to have 
increased suffering and tribulation, but be faithful until death and 
I will give you the crown of life. And he ends the letter 
as he does all the others. He who has an ear, let him hear 
what the Spirit says to the churches. Isn't that a great ascription 
of the way Jesus communicates with his church? By his word, 
by his spirit. And he calls the people of God 
to listen. Listen. Don't come to church 
and not listen. Don't click on sermon audio and 
not listen. Don't go to Bible study and not 
listen. Don't open up your Bible every 
morning and not listen. You're not doing this to just 
check off the spiritual checklist. You're doing this to hear from 
the living God. You're doing this to understand. You're doing this so that you 
can act in accordance with his holy word. He who overcomes shall 
not be hurt by the second death. The second death is the lake 
of fire. It is the final judgment according 
to chapter 20 at verse 14 and chapter 21 at verse 8. It is 
where the beast and the false prophet are thrown. It is where 
ungodly sinners are thrown. As we studied this morning in 
the confession according to Matthew 25, it is that place prepared 
by God for the devil and for his angels. You be faithful unto 
death. You overcome. You press on. And 
Jesus will give you the crown of life. It's not a performance-based, 
I've got it, or I did it, so give me. It is all by grace. 
It is all through God's sovereign preservation that we persevere. But nevertheless, it is us who 
is to persevere. He gives us the resources, He 
gives us the ability, He gives us the spirit, but He doesn't 
come and work at your job, He doesn't come and live in your 
marriage, He doesn't come and function in your school for you. 
You need to work out your own salvation with fear and tremble. 
For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do, 
according to His good pleasure. But this kind of passive, I'll 
just sit back, I'll just let go and let God, that is foreign 
to the pages of the Bible. Well, brethren, in summary, we 
learned the presence of Christ in His church. We saw that in 
the description in chapter 1, verse 13. Jesus is in the midst 
of the seven lampstands. That He knew the issues in Ephesus, 
that He knew the issues in Smyrna, that He knows the issues in Pergamos 
and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia, and Laodicea gives us that confirmation 
that He is present among us. He knows the good, He knows the 
bad. He calls attention to these things 
through His Word and by His Spirit so that we'll persevere in the 
good and we'll repent of the bad. that we'll forsake those 
things that are ungodly, that are unholy, that are wicked, 
that we will truly image the One who has called us to Himself, 
and we will so live in a manner that is consistent with His Gospel. And a second and a final lesson, 
this describes, chapters 2 and 3, give us a picture of what's 
called the church militant. The church militant refers to 
the church on earth. The church militant refers to 
the group of Christians that are living in this world, suffering 
trial and tribulation, and doing so biblically. Fighting. Pressing on. Overcoming. Making war against our spiritual 
enemies, through His Word, by His Spirit. The church militant 
is where we find ourselves now. Let's not be the church stagnant. 
Let's not be the church dead. Let's not be the church lifeless, 
but let us be the church militant who perseveres and who overcomes 
and who does so by God's grace. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for the scriptures and we just pray that you would 
forgive us, Lord. Forgive me for my sins and help 
me to be a better example, a better Christian, a better pastor. And 
I pray that you would bless our church with revival from on high. 
God, we long to know more of the power of your Holy Spirit. 
We long to know more of the power of the One who guides and who 
strengthens and who enables and who leads us and to cause us 
to engage in mighty exploits in this city and in our community 
and, Father, even in prayer. Help us to be bold and earnest 
in our Christianity and know something of what it is to live 
godly in Christ Jesus. And go with each one of us now, 
we pray, in Jesus' holy name. Amen.