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Smyrna: A Church That Suffered | Revelation 2:8-11 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Revelation Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  In light of today's message, I decided to do something a little
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  different. I decided to visit the website
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  of the Voice of the Martyrs and to look into their most recent
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  prayer request and post regarding persecuted Christians
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  around the world. And initially I was hoping to
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  maybe revisit some accounts of those who have suffered for
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  Christ's name's sake, to just bring to our attention things
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  that maybe we have forgotten. But then I thought it might be
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  more helpful to look at what is happening in our day.
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  What is happening to Christians across the world, common folk,
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  those who have regular jobs, those who have spouses and
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  children. What is taking place at this
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  very moment while you and I get to enjoy these freedoms, sing
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  with No Fear, come regularly. So I have a couple of things to
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  bring to your mind and I hope it stirs you as we prepare to see
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  what God's Word has to say regarding this.
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  These are just two testimonies from recent months, so I want to
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  begin with the following. A Christian families
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  registration book is being withheld because of their faith.
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  That was born and registered in a village in northern Leos or
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  Leo. But as a young man he left for
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  the southern part of the country to work at a coffee farm.
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  While there he married and also heard the gospel and he and his
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  family came to faith in Jesus Christ.
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  In January of 2024 he returned to his home village.
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  However, after learning that that and his family were
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  Christians, the head of the village refused to renew the
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  registration book, a document with vital records such as ID,
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  travel and work permits, marriage and birth records,
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  educational records, and residence permits.
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  Without registration books, families struggle getting work,
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  housing, social services, medical care and education for
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  their children. Pray for Vat's family and others
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  who are faced with a decision to deny Christ or lose these
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  documents, as this is a common persecution tactic and layoffs.
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  Here's another story. Two sisters were imprisoned by
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  their family for their faith and now seek safety in another
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  country. Noor and Rana grew up in a
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  Muslim home but did not like the way they and other woman were
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  treated. They searched the Internet for
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  information on different fates and eventually met some
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  Christians online. Through the Christians
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  friendship and witness, the two sisters became followers of
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  Christ. But when their family discovered
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  their new faith, they locked the sisters inside and physically
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  abused them for 13 months. The two women escaped and fled
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  to a nearby country, but they do not have the paperwork necessary
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  to stay or to move on. They are afraid, terrified that
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  they might be sent home, said a frontline worker.
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  He asked that Christians pray for the sisters to experience
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  God's peace and provision for a safe home where they can grow in
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  their faith. This is just a sample of the
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  countless testimonies of millions of Christians who are
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  paying a price for what they believe in.
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  And what you and I just got was a glimpse of something that
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  dates back to the very beginning, the very infancy of
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  the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Because you see, the true Church of Jesus has always known
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  suffering. And as we come to our text
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  today, we are going to be reminded of that often forgotten
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  reality of our faith, that there is a price to pay for having
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  your allegiance tied to this Savior.
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  And as we see what Jesus is going to say to a church in
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  Smyrna, we're going to recognize that His desire is to embolden
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  them. Even in the very first words,
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  the very introduction of this short letter, He seeks to
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  energize them, to remain faithful.
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  He seeks to offer them hope and comfort in the midst of their
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  agony. And I want us to look at it
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  together in Revelation chapter 2, beginning in verse 8.
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  This is the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church in
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  Smyrna, modern day Izmir in Turkey.
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  Verse 8 of Revelation 2. And to the Angel of the church
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  in Smyrna write the words of the 1st and the last who died and
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  came to life. I know your tribulation and your
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  poverty, but you are rich. And the slander of those who say
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  that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.
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  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
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  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
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  that you may be tested, and for 10 days you will have
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  tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I
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  will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear
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  what the Spirit says to the churches.
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  The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.
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  Father, we ask with this brief message that you would have your
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  way in our hearts for the rest of our lives.
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  We trust, Lord, that You have a word for us even here in
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  America. We need to hear your wisdom
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  regarding these things, so we look to you now in faith,
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  believing that you will indeed speak.
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  Give us ears to hear. In Christ's name we pray.
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  Amen. Can you imagine the holy shock
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  that surged through the hearts of these weary Saints as they
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  whispered these words in their meeting?
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  What was it like to discover that the very author of this
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  letter was God himself? It's right there in this amazing
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  title, this caption that exclusively belongs to the God
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  of the Hebrew Scriptures, primarily what we find in the
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  book of Isaiah, the words of the 1st and the last.
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  This is God speaking to us through his servant John, and as
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  powerful that as that is, the title only continues.
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  This caption goes on to say that this is the first and the last
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  who died and came to life. There has to be a paradox.
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  You're telling me that the Eternal One at some point died
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  and came to life? Staggering, but extremely
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  helpful because the Holy Spirit is precise and telling us who it
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  is within the Godhead that is addressing this battered church.
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  It is the sin bearer of the world, the one who dwelt in
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  eternity and stepped into time to take on flesh and to become a
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  sacrifice and a ransom for many. This is Jesus Christ who has
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  come to speak and to comfort his people in Smyrna.
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  And what's so fascinating about this?
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  It's it's another confirmation to the divinity of our Lord,
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  simply because he unashamedly declares himself to be the very
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  same one who says I alone am the 1st and the last.
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  Now for Christ to say that He is the first reminds these
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  believers and us that He existed long before there was a church
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  in Smyrna, long before Smyrna ever existed, long before the
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  very earth and the solar system was spoken into reality.
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  And for Jesus to say, I am the last, now he points in the other
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  direction of His eternal nature. I will always be.
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  I remain forever. I am sovereign perpetually.
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  No one can dethrone my authority.
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  And even though empires come and go and fade into history, I
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  still stand right away. What Christ is doing for these
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  believers is to have a larger view of their Savior.
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  I'm reminding you of how awesome I am, who I am, where I came
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  from, where this is all going. And so clearly there's something
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  about understanding the sovereignty of Christ that
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  becomes a source of strength. But it's not just his
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  sovereignty, it's his empathy. Because he adds again by saying,
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  yes, I'm the 1st and the last, but I at one point came into
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  your world, the world that I created with the intention of
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  dying. This is marvelous because what
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  the Lord is essentially doing here is reminding these
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  believers that He walked in their shoes.
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  And as these believers are facing much suffering, He
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  decides to merge his exaltation with His humiliation.
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  Yes, I'm high and lifted up, but I'm also the one who came low
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  and was disgraced by those who thought they had their way with
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  me. But why is He saying this?
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  Because He wants to tell these believers who are smelling
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  death. I know what death tastes like.
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  I know what it's like to obey God to the point of excruciating
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  pain and dishonor. I I know what it's like to look
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  into the eyes of lifeless souls who have no reason to attack you
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  but do so with demonic Glee. I know what it's like to give my
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  final breath. I know.
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  So these believers, when hearing this, are reminded he gets it.
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  He doesn't just know with his omniscience, He knows with
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  experience. There's a different level of
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  comfort that comes from somebody who has known the pain that we
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  are facing. And that is precisely what
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  Christ is offering these precious Saints.
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  I know it. You know what's so amazing about
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  Jesus saying that I'm the one who died and came to life as one
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  person said it so wonderfully. Think of the greatest man who
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  walked this world. Think of those in history who
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  have shaped history in different ways.
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  No matter what kind of praise you can give to such figures, we
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  have to say of all of them that they lived and then they died.
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  But there is only one person who we can say with great confidence
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  that he died and then he came to life as Jesus Christ.
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  He's in his own category. Oh, I'm sure that this would
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  have brought some kind of encouragement, but it's only
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  beginning. He says here who died to came to
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  life, which not only confirms his resurrected state, but it
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  also grants them the assurance of their resurrection as well.
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  Yes, I came to die, but in my death I paved the way into
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  eternal life through my death and my resurrection.
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  Now there's a way for you to share in my fate.
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  So right here at the outset, these Christians and Smyrna are
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  given so much to look forward to and we're only getting started.
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  He adds to this initial comment what we find in verse 9.
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  I know, I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are
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  rich. And the slander of those who say
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  that they are Jews and are not but our synagogue of Satan.
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  He says I know three things, three things about you, your
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  tribulation, your poverty, your slander.
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  Now he could have just said that he is aware of their difficulty
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  in a general sense, but he doesn't do that.
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  He is specific. And the reason why He's specific
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  is so that they can comprehend of how cognizant He is of their
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  trials, that He knows every angle of their anguish, that He
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  knows every source of their sorrow, that He knows every
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  detail of their distress. And so even in this, these
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  believers are to understand. He is nearer to us than we might
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  have believed. He's closer to us than we might
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  have imagined. He has studied us, but not just
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  with again, His knowledge, but with sympathy.
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  So the Savior is walking near, and our knee jerk reaction to
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  that truth and our pain perhaps might be.
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  Then why doesn't He do something about it?
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  OK, he knows. He knows what's happening in my
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  marriage. He knows what's happening with
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  my body. He knows what's happening with
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  my health. He knows what's happening with
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  my finances, as you say. So where is he then?
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  To which I would respond. If you believe that he is the
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  all knowing one, then you must also believe that He is
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  perfectly good. And in His goodness, whatever
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  pain He permits, despite your constant pleas, He is allowing
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  it for you to achieve a good that is impossible to attain
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  apart from this way. Didn't you catch that when we
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  read this initially, Jesus comes to them not to promise them
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  immediate relief, rescue from their troubles.
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  He does provide comfort. But in the midst of their
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  troubles, actually, He's going to tell them it's going to get
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  worse. He's not here to say your
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  circumstances are going to get better.
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  He's going to say it's going to get more intense.
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  But I'm going to give you the necessary things for you to be
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  able to successfully endure it. So I know these things.
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  And we talked a little bit about the poverty aspect of this.
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  If the prosperity gospel is supposedly true, then why not
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  give them the ingredients to claim their fortune, to claim
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  resources so they can escape their poverty?
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  He doesn't do that. You can make the case that this
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  is one of the most praised churches and they are the
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  poorest among the seven. He doesn't criticize them for
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  their poverty. Shame on those who say
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  otherwise. Shame on those who guilt
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  Christians and try to twist their arm thinking that wealth
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  is a sign of God's favor. You're going to stand before God
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  and give an account because my Jesus, I'm not concerned what
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  you say in the name of Jesus. I'm concerned ultimately about
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  Jesus said, my Jesus looks at this church.
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  He says you're, you're poor, but you're actually rich.
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  You're actually rich. And if that teaches us anything,
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  it is this that we must see as Christ sees.
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  We must behold our circumstances, people, events,
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  our personal journey, the way the Lord sees it.
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  And it doesn't end here. He says, yes, you are
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  experiencing poverty, you're actually rich, though.
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  And then he goes on to say, I'm also aware of the slander of
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  those who say they are Jews. So in their own perception,
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  whoever these Jews are, as they believe that they have spiritual
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  privilege because of their ethnicity, they say that they
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  are Jews, but they're actually a synagogue of Satan.
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  So that only expands on that truth that we must see as Christ
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  sees. And in this case, he wants these
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  believers to understand the spiritual nature of the struggle
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  that they're in. Moreover, we can say that the
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  Tribulation and the poverty that these Christians are
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  experiencing is the result of the slander of these Jews.
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  So you had a prominent, prominent community of Jewish
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  people in Smyrna who clearly had a level of influence for their
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  lies to persuade the governing authorities to harass this
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  church. We, we don't know the nature of
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  these lies, but whatever they were saying was working.
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  It was tainting the reputation of these Christians.
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  It caused these Christians to sever relationships with others,
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  to lose their businesses, to have even their property
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  confiscated. You have to remember here that
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  the Jews were furious with this new movement of Christians also
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  inviting Gentiles in claiming that Jesus of Nazareth was the
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  Messiah. So they were vehemently
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  attacking this group and in this specific area.
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  They had a lot of freedom to do so, and they took advantage of
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  it. And they could do nothing about
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  it. They could appeal to a higher
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  court. The court is against you.
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  They couldn't call the police. The police is against you.
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  Let me remind you that that is the case for many people around
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  the world. As you and I sit here and
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  hearing a sermon, I know, I know what people are saying about
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  you. Here's a little nugget.
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  Jesus in His wisdom. Listen carefully.
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  Servants of Christ Jesus in His perfect wisdom will sometimes
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  allow people to slander you. Be prepared for that.
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  Be prepared for that type of persecution where people malign
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  your reputation with a question. They broadcast your apparent
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  false motives that want to taint you.
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  So don't think of it as a strange thing when it happens.
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  He allows His people to go through that.
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  As painful as it is, as much as you want to try to defend it and
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  persuade others not to believe it, oftentimes Christ will allow
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  His people to be slandered. And even in that kind of
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  suffering, you have to trust them.
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  This defamation was apparently working, but the way you and I
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  are supposed to respond to it is to allow Christ to defend us.
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  It was Wesley who said I've put my reputation in the same place
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  where I've rested my soul in the hands of God.
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  And in this case here we see that this Jesus of ours who says
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  I'm aware of their slander, indirectly comes to the defense
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  by criticizing where these Jews are really coming from.
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  Now unfortunately, like many truths in the Bible, people have
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  used the words of Jesus here to support misleading doctrine and
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  to even encourage blatant anti-Semitism.
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  Listen very carefully please. There are so many people today
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  who make the claim that the Jewish people today are not the
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  real descendants of the patriarchs.
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  And there are wild conspiracies, and there are enthusiasts who
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  like to promote these strange legends and have the audacity to
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  come to the Bible and to draw from Christ's words to support
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  their arguments. And so there are people today,
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  if you Google Synagogue of Satan, you will find atrocious
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  things, even people in churches preaching that because the
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  Jewish people have rejected Jesus as their Messiah, they
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  have forfeited their ancient identity, that they have
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  absolutely 0 relevance to God's program of redemption today and
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  tomorrow. And we'll even point to the
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  nation of Israel today and point to Jewish people today and say
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  you are of the synagogue of Satan.
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  Let me ask you a question. Do you really believe that what
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  Christ is saying here about these particular groups of Jews
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  is His way of making a sweeping statement of the Jewish people
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  as a race being of Satan? Is that how you conclude what
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  Christ is saying here? And he says it again in the same
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  book? Or is it more possible that in
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  light of the rest of Scripture, the Lord is pointing out that
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  any Jew who intentionally opposes or resists the Messiah
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  and His message is fulfilling the will of Satan, whether they
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  are aware of it or not? What did Jesus say to Peter?
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  After teaching that he was going to go to the cross and he
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  rebuked the Master in Matthew 1623, the Lord turned to him and
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  said get behind me. What Satan?
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  OK, be consistent with your teaching.
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  Is Peter a part of a global agenda that controls everything?
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  Is Peter of Satan as well? Get behind me, Satan.
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  Why did he refer to Peter in this way?
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  Well, 1 he is highlighting the thinking of Peter, the
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  rationalization of Peter as being satanic in nature, and
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  Peter was to understand that. Moreover, He is also telling
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  Peter, you're not aware of this, but you're actually in line with
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  the will of the devil and trying to keep me from going to the
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  place that I've been destined to go.
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  What did he say to the Pharisees and other Jews in John chapter
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  8, verse 44? You are your father, the devil,
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  and your will is to do your father's desires.
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  He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in
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  the truth because there is no truth in him.
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  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a
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  liar and the father of lies. Hey, hey, your father is the
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  devil. Do you know why?
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  Because his native tongue is to lie, and you're lying as well.
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  You're trying to set me up to make me look like I'm guilty.
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  So you're like your father, the devil.
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  So when we return to the scathing words of Jesus here in
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  Revelation chapter 2, he is again not making the statement
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  of the Jewish race or Israel's national identity is devilish or
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  energized by satanic rituals. Instead, he is condemning A
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  localized, specific group of Jews who took so much pride in
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  their spiritual, or rather in their race, thinking that they
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  have spiritual security in their ethnicity when in fact they were
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  in spiritual trouble because of their vehement attack against
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  the truth. Let me say another way.
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  Christ is not condemning their ethnicity.
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  He's condemning their behavior. It's so plain, it's so simple,
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  but there's so many who are willing to twist the words of
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  Christ. You want to slander these
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  Christians? Oh, OK, good.
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  You're Jews, but you are just like Satan because the very name
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  Satan means accuser. Sir, you're accusing these
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  beliefs. You're like the devil.
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  Your little ministry. You know who really presides
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  over it? The devil because you're acting
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  like him. All people who have No Fear of
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  God when it comes to the handling of God's Word.
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  Hopefully what's been said so far has been helpful, but we're
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  going to come to the real heart of this message.
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  Christ goes on to say in verse 10 three very important words,
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  do not fear. Do not fear what you are about
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  to suffer. You have to read that very
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  carefully. He's telling and preparing this
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  church that there is more persecution and pain on the way.
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  And they were afraid of it. And for many of us, that's the
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  essence of our fear. It may not necessarily be
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  because of what's taking place right now, but it's because of
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  the mere thought of potential hardship on its way.
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  And it's not limited to persecution.
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  Are you paralyzed in fear today because of what you think might
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  happen tomorrow, what you may be confident will happen tomorrow?
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  Based on what Jesus says here, He doesn't want you and I to
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  have an ounce of anxiety. Do not fear.
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  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
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  And again, don't limit it to people harassing you because of
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  your faith. It could be true that even in
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  this moment, in the sound of my voice, you're trying to drown
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  out your fear. Hopefully the music will help.
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  Hopefully the message will medicate me.
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  Because you're worried about a future disease, abandonment, an
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  accident, the loss of a loved one, the loss of your life,
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  betrayal. Whatever it may be, whatever the
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  source, whatever the object that your fear is, Christ says do not
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  fear what you are about to suffer.
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  And he gives these Christians 3 reasons, three reasons in the
• 25:04
  same verse why we can be rock solid, rock solid, confident for
• 25:09
  whatever we're facing now or whatever may surprise us
• 25:11
  tomorrow. And the umbrella, the theme of
• 25:16
  our security is the sovereignty of Christ again, but in three
• 25:20
  specific domains, 3 specific domains of Christ's sovereignty.
• 25:25
  That should give you and I the key of unlocking A bravery for
• 25:30
  anything. Can we look at them three things
• 25:35
  in verse 10. The first thing is Christ
• 25:38
  sovereignty over Satan. What does he say?
• 25:43
  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison
• 25:47
  that you may be tested. Now ask this is this a language
• 25:54
  that depicts Satan being in control of the circumstances in
• 25:57
  these Christians lives? Or is this the language of
• 26:00
  Christ showing them who's in control?
• 26:03
  Look carefully and just in case there is even a debate about it,
• 26:07
  let's settle it now. First, Christ is showing that He
• 26:10
  is totally aware of the schemes of Satan.
• 26:13
  Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison.
• 26:18
  I know his every move, I know his every plan, I know his
• 26:23
  plots. I know what he's going to do.
• 26:26
  And that alone should bring us great grace.
• 26:29
  He, he's aware Christ is never taken by surprise.
• 26:32
  You going to your room to pray about the phone call that you
• 26:35
  got does not catch the Lord by any surprise.
• 26:40
  He was fully conscious of it, fully aware of it, prepared.
• 26:45
  It's you and I that are surprised.
• 26:47
  And in our surprise, we should come to the feet of the
• 26:49
  Sovereign 1 and covered ourselves with the truth that
• 26:52
  you already knew about this. So I trust that you've allowed
• 26:56
  it for some reason. And then that place you can know
• 26:59
  life changing fellowship. I know.
• 27:04
  And this is something for you and I to consider because
• 27:07
  whatever he does allow always has a redemptive end.
• 27:12
  Always. Because what does he say?
• 27:15
  He's going to throw you into prison, some of you at least
• 27:19
  that you may be tested. Who's doing the testing here?
• 27:25
  Is Satan putting these Christians in a prison cell to
• 27:28
  test them, or is he trying to snuff out the Christian witness
• 27:31
  in Smyrna? The one who is doing the testing
• 27:36
  is the sovereign Christ. I'm allowing this for the
• 27:39
  testing of the genuineness of your faith.
• 27:43
  What does Christ need to know? The level of the strength of our
• 27:45
  faith? No, you need to know.
• 27:48
  I need to know, is it not a source of encouragement that
• 27:53
  through all the pain and all the things that happened, you come
• 27:56
  out like gold? You come out still singing to
• 28:01
  the Savior, still serving the Savior.
• 28:03
  Isn't that a means of building you up?
• 28:05
  This thing in me is real. I still love him.
• 28:09
  Even though I lost this. I still love Him.
• 28:11
  Even though I'm still sick, I still love Him.
• 28:13
  Even though people walked away from me, I still love Him.
• 28:18
  That you may be tested, yes, that you may see what's in you,
• 28:21
  but also for others to see what's in you as a witness to
• 28:24
  the world of the worthiness of Jesus Christ.
• 28:30
  So the devil thinks he's actually going to gain
• 28:32
  something. I'm telling you, you're going to
• 28:34
  gain something if you overcome. So we see the sovereignty of
• 28:39
  Christ over Satan #2 the sovereignty of Christ over our
• 28:45
  tribulation. What is He going to say?
• 28:49
  And for 10 days you will have tribulation.
• 28:54
  I can't express in words the immense joy that flooded my
• 28:59
  heart when I first learned that Christ is not only aware of what
• 29:04
  my tribulation is, but how long it will go on for 10 days.
• 29:09
  It's going to go on for 10 days. It may be intense, but it's
• 29:14
  going to be brief. And listen, when you comprehend
• 29:17
  the precision of Christ supervision not just over the
• 29:23
  affairs of your life, but even in your suffering, I can
• 29:26
  guarantee you that it has the ability to chase away every
• 29:30
  temptation for you to be weary in that suffering.
• 29:36
  There's an expiration date on this thing.
• 29:40
  More than that, the Lord not only knows the temperature to
• 29:45
  set in my trial, but the duration of it so that it will
• 29:50
  have its full effect in my life. Not a day sooner, Not a day
• 29:55
  later. He knows the exact moment where
• 29:59
  this will bring about His desired will in me.
• 30:02
  Doesn't that give you gas? Doesn't that give you fuel to go
• 30:05
  on 10 days? Apply the principle.
• 30:10
  He knows when this will end, He knows the moment it was supposed
• 30:14
  to start, and He knows when I will graduate.
• 30:19
  And so we see here that He's sovereign over the tribulation
• 30:21
  itself. Lastly, the sovereignty of
• 30:24
  Christ over death itself. What does He say?
• 30:29
  Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.
• 30:33
  Who can say that? Who can say that?
• 30:37
  Think about the implications of this.
• 30:40
  Who can say be faithful unto death?
• 30:41
  And I, I, I, I, I, I, I will give you the crown of life.
• 30:48
  The only one who can say that is the person who claims in
• 30:51
  Revelation One that he holds the keys to death in AIDS.
• 30:54
  I have authority over death. And so I'm telling you that if
• 31:00
  you're willing to be faithful unto death, and if death is your
• 31:02
  portion, you're going to meet me on the other side.
• 31:05
  That's the image that you're supposed to have.
• 31:07
  That's the image that he wants to grant these Christians in
• 31:09
  Smyrna. I will greet you with a reward
• 31:13
  in my hand. Just be faithful until the end.
• 31:17
  And what's so wonderful about this is, and I can't say it
• 31:21
  enough, because Christ defeated death, He radically redefines
• 31:28
  the experience of death. Because he defeated death, he
• 31:32
  radically redefines your experience of it and mine, as
• 31:37
  one person said, Jesus didn't just change our lives, he
• 31:41
  changes the way we die. Yes, absolutely.
• 31:46
  And we see that with Paul. Who can say in Philippians 121
• 31:49
  for me to live is Christ and to die is what gain to to die is
• 31:54
  what Paul to die is. What can you say that again,
• 31:58
  Paul? To die is gain.
• 32:03
  Only a man who has been granted revelation from God, revelation
• 32:08
  about the sufficiency of his sacrifice in Christ, revelation
• 32:12
  about the deliverance of Christ, revelation about the presence of
• 32:16
  God that awaits us, the rewards that await us on the other side
• 32:18
  because of our faith in Christ can say to die is gain.
• 32:24
  So that reinterprets our understanding, even our language
• 32:28
  concerning this, that death because of Christ and what
• 32:35
  awaits you and I after death, offer something that surpasses
• 32:38
  the best in this life. That's what he's saying there.
• 32:42
  To die is gain. No matter what you can gain in
• 32:45
  this life. Dying in Christ offers something
• 32:48
  far greater. That's why there should be an
• 32:52
  element in our funerals as Christians where we celebrate.
• 32:55
  Yes, we grieve, we're human, and there's something about loss
• 32:58
  that is painful. But oh, when you see what death
• 33:02
  really means for us, we're hidden in Him.
• 33:07
  We can face it. And the Lord gives us a glimpse
• 33:11
  into that realm where he tells these Christians, I will give
• 33:14
  you the crown of life. I wasn't originally planning to
• 33:19
  share this, but I thought I would because it made me jump
• 33:24
  out of my seat almost when considering the sovereignty of
• 33:28
  Christ. You heard me quoting Exodus
• 33:31
  earlier. It's because I'm reading it
• 33:32
  personally and I want to show you a little passage that even
• 33:35
  in the Old Testament that heralds the sovereignty of God.
• 33:41
  When you go to Exodus 21, this is the Lord giving the
• 33:45
  Israelites specific instructions regarding societal affairs,
• 33:50
  including murder. And he talks about what's to
• 33:53
  take place for the one who commits intentional premeditated
• 33:56
  murder. But then he also addresses what
• 33:58
  happens with accidental manslaughter, involuntary.
• 34:02
  And notice what he says in Exodus 21, verse 12.
• 34:08
  Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.
• 34:13
  But if he did not lie and wait for him, this is the phrase,
• 34:17
  Look at this. But God let him fall into his
• 34:21
  hand. Then I will appoint for you a
• 34:25
  place which he may flee, and that would later be the city of
• 34:28
  refuges, cities of refuge. Did you see that?
• 34:32
  The middle part, God let him fall into his hand.
• 34:37
  Now you can use this verse as a springboard for much
• 34:39
  philosophical and theological debate.
• 34:41
  How does God Latin, Who and who is this and that?
• 34:45
  Can I tell you what it did for me?
• 34:48
  It soothed my soul to be reminded that God is sovereign
• 34:54
  over death. Even from a human perspective,
• 34:58
  we may interpret it as a freak accident.
• 35:01
  He's talking about accidental death here.
• 35:04
  And even in this he tucks in a truth regarding His sovereignty.
• 35:11
  God let him fall into his hand. So whether it's persecution or
• 35:20
  just a routine drive to work and something happened on the way,
• 35:27
  we are a peculiar people and we are to understand Christ the
• 35:31
  Sovereign. He knows.
• 35:35
  He not only knows the the duration of trial, but he knows
• 35:38
  the day I see him face to face. And so we come back to our main
• 35:47
  texts as we're ready to close. In Revelation 2, verse 11, he
• 35:53
  gives one more reason. I mean, if this wasn't enough,
• 35:58
  he gives another reason for these Christians to be
• 35:59
  emboldened. Revelation 211 He who has an
• 36:03
  ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
• 36:07
  The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.
• 36:13
  This is the first occurrence in your Bibles and mind of the term
• 36:16
  the second death. Second death, Well, when you
• 36:21
  gather all the evidence, it is something that refers to the
• 36:24
  fate of the unsaved following their bodily resurrection.
• 36:29
  Some again make the claim that the second death.
• 36:32
  The language of that proposes that when a person who is not
• 36:36
  saved dies, he then ceases to exist as God's punishment.
• 36:40
  Annihilationism. There's no eternal punishment
• 36:42
  known. You just cease to exist.
• 36:46
  But that's not what the Word of God means by that.
• 36:49
  What's more consistent is that the second death speaks of you
• 36:52
  being separated from the life of God, you being removed from the
• 36:56
  good presence of God, and you enduring eternal punishment
• 37:02
  instead. Why is he saying this to this
• 37:05
  group of believers? Because again, death is
• 37:08
  imminent. It's just around the corner.
• 37:11
  And he wanted, he wants to let them know that dying in this
• 37:14
  life is not the worst thing. Dying in the next life is you
• 37:20
  can face this. Why?
• 37:22
  Because I'm waiting on the other side and I have the crown of
• 37:25
  life in my hands. And remember, you've been spared
• 37:29
  from the second death. This is temporal.
• 37:36
  I wonder if the Christians in Smyrna took this letter to
• 37:39
  heart. I think they did.
• 37:45
  There is an ancient church father by the name of Polycarp.
• 37:49
  He was directly discipled by John himself.
• 37:53
  Saint John who wrote this letter.
• 37:57
  He lived in the mid to late 1st century.
• 38:00
  Going into the early 2nd century, Polycarp became a
• 38:04
  Bishop in the church in Smyrna. Persecution broke out from the
• 38:09
  Roman government and they were looking for Polycarp.
• 38:14
  The Christians loved him and so they try to hide him, and they
• 38:17
  did so successfully for some time.
• 38:19
  Finally, through betrayal, they found Polycarp's whereabouts.
• 38:25
  And when they came to him in that farmhouse, the soldiers
• 38:27
  knocked on his door and he welcomed them like a friend.
• 38:31
  He actually offered them food and drink.
• 38:34
  He must be hungry, so he invites them in and these soldiers have
• 38:37
  a bite to eat and he asked permission.
• 38:40
  Will you give me some time to pray?
• 38:43
  Stunned by his gentleness, the Roman soldiers agreed to it.
• 38:46
  And so he goes into the other room and he prays, and they hear
• 38:50
  him praying, and he prays for two hours.
• 38:55
  He prays for the believers, he prays for the church, he prays
• 38:58
  for himself. And he's getting his heart ready
• 39:01
  to meet his Savior. Oh, there's so many details to
• 39:05
  this. I encourage you to make it your
• 39:06
  afternoon reading today. I'll go to the main part.
• 39:09
  He eventually is brought before the proconsul and the proconsul
• 39:13
  realizing his old age gives him the chance.
• 39:15
  Look, just just we can't deny Jesus Christ, declare Caesar is
• 39:20
  Lord and here's what Polycarp said.
• 39:23
  Quote 86 years have I served him and he has done me no wrong.
• 39:29
  How can I blasphemy my king and my savior?
• 39:35
  You don't understand Polycarp. We'll release the wild beasts.
• 39:39
  OK, bring it on my translation. He wasn't afraid of the wild
• 39:45
  beast. OK, We're going to burn you at
• 39:47
  the stake. And when I read this, when I was
• 39:50
  reminded of this, I wondered if what came to Polycarp's mind is
• 39:54
  how John concluded this letter. The one who conquers will not be
• 39:58
  hurt by the second death. Listen to his words.
• 40:00
  Quote. You threaten me with fire which
• 40:03
  burns for an hour and then is extinguished.
• 40:07
  But you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgement and
• 40:10
  eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly.
• 40:12
  Why are you waiting? Bring on whatever you want.
• 40:14
  I guess he said something similar.
• 40:20
  There's debate about what happened once Polycarp was
• 40:23
  brought to the stake before an audience.
• 40:25
  Some claim that when they were ready to nail him to that piece
• 40:28
  of wood so that Christians or anybody that they were putting
• 40:31
  to death would not escape. And he said, no need to nail me,
• 40:34
  Jesus will keep me. Others argue that the flames did
• 40:38
  not even touch him, that they kind of encircled him.
• 40:41
  What most believe is that the fire did not kill Polycarp.
• 40:45
  So they took a spear and struck him in the heart.
• 40:47
  And again, some say that it's very blood that gushed out,
• 40:50
  extinguished the fire. This is Christianity, and as
• 41:00
  I've mentioned before, one of the main things that makes this
• 41:02
  church so unique is the absence of any criticism from Christ.
• 41:08
  And then it hit me, why? Well, some would say it's
• 41:14
  because they're suffering. So there's there's more need for
• 41:18
  assurance and encouragement than pointing out any faults.
• 41:21
  Well, it's better to prepare a people to meet Christ.
• 41:26
  I'm sure that would be the heart of Christ if there was some
• 41:28
  serious sin. That doesn't seem to be the
• 41:30
  reason why. Instead, I think one of the
• 41:32
  reasons this church was pure and their practical holiness is
• 41:36
  because they suffered. Because suffering and trials and
• 41:43
  difficulties have a way of purging us and cleaning us and
• 41:51
  polishing us. This church was suffering and
• 41:56
  they would know more suffering. And the Bible tells us in so
• 41:59
  many places of the sanctifying glory that comes when you
• 42:03
  embrace it in faith. I guess you can say another
• 42:10
  reason why we shouldn't fear suffering is because if exercise
• 42:13
  well, it will make you and I see clear and shine brighter.
• 42:18
  For the glory of God, let's pray.
• 42:36
  Well, we thank you that you've reminded us that through many
• 42:44
  tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God, and if our
• 42:48
  suffering would be slander or being LED to fire, help us be
• 42:57
  overcomers. May our faith persevere until
• 43:02
  the end. And Lord, today we've gathered
• 43:06
  as your church to reflect on what you have done for us so
• 43:11
  that we can overcome the second death and that you have
• 43:15
  reinterpreted. You have translated death in
• 43:17
  this life to be the entryway into true life.
• 43:22
  For this, O Lord, we are eternally grateful and we come
• 43:26
  to worship you as we eat at your table.
• 43:30
  Prepare our hearts Lord, to remember that it's not because
• 43:32
  of what we have done, it's not by our own merit, it's because
• 43:36
  you have become a substitute and we are saved because you've
• 43:39
  loved us. We give you glory and thanks as
• 43:43
  we celebrate together now in Jesus name, Amen.
• 43:47
  Amen. Well, the team will now come up
• 43:50
  here and assist us in our singing so that we can focus
• 43:52
  even better on what we are about to partake in.
• 43:56
  So let's stand together. Let's worship the Lord.