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Hello again. This is Lesson 4 in the Book of Revelation, and I'll just say a prayer.
Lord, I thank you again for people listening to this message, as we'll talk about those
who have died for you just for believing in you. We pray for those that have suffered
before, suffering now, and will suffer in Jesus' name.
This next church starts in Chapter 2, Verse 8. This is the church of Smyrna. "To the angel
of the church of Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last
and who died and came to life again." There it is – another description that Jesus used,
and it specifically fits the city. For Smyrna, the word means "myrrh", and in 600 B.C., the
whole city was destroyed. But 400 years later, it came back to life. And you may think of
yourself myrrh as the burial spice that was brought to Jesus. Well, myrrh grows on a tree
– it's red berries – and when it's crushed, it has a pleasant fragrance.
In Verse 9, Jesus says, "I know your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich! I know
the slander of those who say they are Jews and am not, but am from the synagogue of Satan."
See, at this time, the church of Smyrna is being crushed by the Roman persecution. And
the church history represents a time from 100 A.D. to 313 A.D. During this time, there
were ten different Roman emperors, and these Christians will go through ten waves of persecution
until the time when Emperor Constantine came in power and he made Christianity legal. I
posted a Digging Deeper page on Constantine. We'll talk more about him.
Myrrh – it should conjure up Jesus in your mind when the wise men brought gold to the
king, the incense that were used by the priest in the Old Testament, and myrrh for burial
of the prophet Jesus. And in Isaiah Chapter 60, it proclaims that when Jesus comes back
that men again will bring gold and incense to him but not myrrh. In Chapter 60, it says
in Verse 6: "Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels from Midian and Ephah.
And all of Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming praise of the Lord."
But there's no myrrh because myrrh is for burial and also for deadening pain. He's going
to live forever.
Who are these people that slander those who say they're Jews but are not? They are by
blood but not spiritually. The Jews were persecuted all the time, and during this time they would
point to the Christians and talk about rumors about the communion ceremony. They reference
to all the drinking blood and eating bodies and love in a twisted way. This would enrage
Rome. They would take it out on the Christians. And he's saying that these Jews are Jews by
heritage but are not in the spirit and are being used by Satan.
Verse 10: "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will
put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Trials
are not something that we like to go through. Nobody does.
And I'm going to have you turn to James 1, Verse 12, a verse that we don't like to read
because Jesus is not saying, "I'm going to deliver you from this persecution, but I'm
going to be with you." Verse 12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because
when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to
those who love him."
The crown of life – the second of the crowns that we've talked about. So we have the historical
reference of this church being persecuted. This is the eternal value that you'll get
this crown of life. All the churches and people go through trials. The ten days represent
the ten waves of persecution that these people are going through from each emperor. But he's
saying, "I will be with you in your trouble and be faithful."
Now, these crowns that we've talked about are the eternal motivation, and they're going
to be given to Jesus but they're also going to signify your position of what you do in
heaven. Every one's going to be happy in heaven. What you do here is going to determine the
size or capacity of how you can enjoy heaven. You know you could take a small cup and fill
it up and it's full, but you could take a barrel of water and fill it up. They're both
full, but they have different capacities.
Now, I'm going to take you to Luke Chapter 19, Verses 11 through 27. It's called the
parable of the ten minas. Verse 11: "While they were listening to this, he went to tell
them a parable, because a man of noble birth when to a distant country to have himself
appointed king and then to return." In Verse 11, what's going on, Jesus is approaching
Jerusalem. It's right before Palm Sunday. The people are excited because they thought
the king would immediately return because they're thinking of what? Here and now, just
like we think of our comfort and what we want. Jesus looks at heaven and eternity. So he
tells us a parable to get them refocused on eternity.
In Verse 12, here, Jesus is talking about himself. He also used an event that people
would identify with. There was a Roman ruler at that time, Articles, that wanted to be
in charge of the area of Jericho, and he went off to the Roman Senate to be named king.
Maybe they would get this.
Verse 13: "So he called ten of his servants and gave those ten minas – or three months'
wages – and he said, 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'" So if
you think of it eternally, he's basically saying, "Do business until I come." We are
to use our time wisely serving the Lord. We should be focused on his return and seeing
him. They received three months' wages all equal. And we all have something in common.
We all have time. We have twenty-four hours in a day to use. We all have money, so we
can all give ten percent.
There's an organization called emptytomb.org, and they've figured out that Christians in
the country today give less than three percent as a whole, but if every person who identified
himself as a Christian gave ten percent, which is what God asks, this graphic shows what
– how much more could be done, along with every church in America being debt free.
The third thing is what we can do for the Lord while we're here. We all have the Gospel
in common that we can share. We got to find ways to share that Gospel and invest in people.
We all have something that God has given us a gift to do. We need to take time to develop
that gift and use it for his kingdom.
"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man
to be our king.'" This Roman ruler that went to Rome, the Jewish people sent people who
said, "No, we don't want this guy to be our ruler." In the same way, some will decide
not to have Jesus rule over him. Remember that the Sanhedrin had Jesus crucified or
handed over to Pilate. They said, "He will not be our king."
In Verse 15, "He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent out for his servants
to whom he had given money, in order to find out what they have gained. The first one came
and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.' 'Well done, my good servant,' his master replied.
'Because you've been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.' His master answered,
'You take charge of five cities.'" Here, he's talking about cities. In heaven, there's going
to be work to do, and we're going to have responsibilities. And they're going to be
based on what we do here, and right here, he is speaking of the kingdom age when we
return to earth and rule with him.
"Another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is you mina; I have kept it laid away in a
piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you
did not put in and reap what you did not sow’ His master replied, 'I will judge you by your
own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what
I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put the money for
deposit, so when I came back, I could have collected interest on it?'"
But in Verses 22 and 23, it's possible that the servant didn't believe he was coming back
at all because he buried it and he figured, "Well, the master's going to get killed, and
I'll have the money for myself." So this is why it's important to understand the Book
of Revelation to know that Jesus can come back at any time, because if you don't think
he can come back until certain events happen, you're going to dig your prize and keep it
to yourself, because at this time, if the servant had even put the money in the bank
for deposit, he would have been unable to do it under his name, it would have to be
the master's name. The ruler did not return and he would not get the money. He's saying,
"I'm following you," but he's not really following him.
The Lord says, "Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give
it to the one with ten minas.' They said, 'Sir, he already has ten!' And he replied,
'I tell you, everyone who has more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing,
even what he has will be taken away.'" He's representing a marginal believer. His king
is disappointed in him and he loses his responsibility. You say, "Well wait a minute, wouldn't he
not even make it to the kingdom?" It doesn't say that.
And this is something I never saw before in the scripture. This man doesn't do anything
to deserve to get into the kingdom. He does nothing with what God gives him, but he only
gets in because he believes and follows his master. So it's another place where and when
people say you have to work your way into heaven, it's saying right here that this guy
gets into heaven without doing anything but accepting the master as Lord.
Now, remember that there were ten servants. Three of them came back and called their master
Lord. The other seven did not. Verse 27: "But those enemies of mine who did not want me
to be king over them – bring them here and kill them in front of me." This is representing
those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. Serving the Lord is an important business,
and I want you to understand that it's about relationship with God. The servant that doesn't
do anything with what the Lord gave him has nothing to give back to him, but he does make
it into the kingdom.
Is that how you want to show up when you get to heaven? It's like going to a birthday party,
and you arrive and you don't have a present because you didn't realize everyone else is
bringing parents. You're a little bit embarrassed. I'm not saying you're going to be embarrassed
in heaven, but I am saying if you want to have the Lord be proud of you of what you
could have done here on earth, and if you just get one thing that serving is a form
of worship, it's not about pleasing the pastor or church, a social status, it's about your
relationship with the Lord and your eternal rewards. You also get blessed as well while
you're here.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to those whose
hearts are fully committed to them." He strengthens you, and I see many people going beyond what
they could physically handle. You might be wondering why I spent ten minutes in this
parable in Luke when we're going through Revelation – because this parable is speaking of end
times and heaven and that what we do here has eternal rewards. And if we just focus
on here and now, many scriptures won't make sense. But when we understand the Book of
Revelation, other scriptures come to life like this one.
And it specifically applies to the church of Smyrna. They're remaining true to the life,
being persecuted, killed, and we'll now find out about their leader, Polycarp, who was
a disciple and trained as John as a pastor of this church, who will be executed because
he will not back down in the name of Jesus Christ.
In 155 A.D. during the fourth wave of persecution, this pastor was apprehended. He was told he
had to renounce Christ and say Caesar was lord. And basically, he answered and said,
"Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never once wronged me. How then should I blaspheme
my king who has saved me?" But basically, he says, "You threaten me with fire that lasts
for minutes, and you are facing judgment of fire that burns eternally." And he refused
to back down.
And there are no corrective words for this church because trials purify you and me. Your
faith is more precious than gold, and that's why he's saying in the verse that "You are
rich because of your faith." This world – we think of worldly riches, bank accounts, status,
new cars, how you look, everything's the outer. But Jesus is saying here, "What I care about
is your faith."
I've shown pictures of purified gold. When you smelt gold, and they still do it today,
to purify it, they put it in a pot and they stir the liquid and they keep bringing the
heat up. And the way that the smelter knows that the gold is pure is that he can see his
face in it. And that's what the Lord wants to see in us. He wants to see his face on
us.
And that gets back to the fruit. If you could see Jesus in someone, you'll just know. I
have a friend, Holly and Jeff and Stacey and Mike. When I look at them, you know, I just
know. There's a certain peace and love about them. And that's what God wants to see through
us so that we can be lights to the world. When we are crushed, we can experience the
crown of life, that is, when we ask him to be with us in our trouble, and this crown
of life is just another reward, the eternal motive to being faithful to him.
Verse 11: "He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who
overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." That's what he's saying. This life
is just but a moment. You may think that was back then over six million Christians were
killed. Well, every year, since 1900, an average of 100,000 Christians has been killed just
because of their faith. If you add it up, these will surpass or have surpassed those
killed during that time. We're blessed in America. We are free to worship. Sometimes,
that makes us lazy in our faith. We think, "Ah, I don't have to go to church today,"
or this, that, and the other. That's where we'll see in the next church that mixture
that luke warmness is going to – it weakens the strength of your faith.
King Uzziah in the Old Testament was a great king. During the times that they prospered,
what did he do? He fortified the walls and made them stronger because he knew there would
be bad times coming. And that's what we have to do. We often wonder when we go through
trials what's going on. But if we prepare ahead of time, knowing that there is going
to be trials, we can go through it knowing that Jesus is with us because we are seeking
him and his love.
This scripture in James I didn't like it for many, many years, anything that said, "Be
joyful in trials." It doesn't make sense. But now, as I suffer with my Lou Gehrig's
disease, and I know my body is falling apart, what's really important is my spirit. And
I really now begin to realize that life on this earth is short and what really matters
is eternity. We have to find the balance of living in this world but keeping eternity
as our motivation for what we do while we're here.
And so that brings us to the end of what God has to say about the church of Smyrna. The
four applications – one, local. This church was going through severe persecution, and
God was saying I'm with you. Historically, this church represents an age in church history
between 100 A.D. and 313, and the church was heavily persecuted. The things going on in
this church were good. They remained faithful unto death, and there was no corrective word.
And how does this apply to you personally? What's the eternal motivation? He said it,
the crown of life. Are you being faithful unto death? Are you giving your money, your
time, your resource, your skills or talents as we talked about in Matthew Chapter 19 to
the kingdom? Because it's so important to know that what we do here in our – even
if you live to a hundred years old, it's a short time compared to the infinity and beyond
that we're going to spend with him in heaven.
These different crowns that are mentioned are to motivate us and to let us get a picture
of what it might mean in heaven. What is it going to look like? I don't know. I just know
it's a reward that God promises. Specifically, there are probably many, many others. Examine
yourself. What are you doing today in God's kingdom? Are you just saying, "Well, I accepted
Jesus and go to church here and there," or "I watch a preacher on TV. I'm good. I'm going
to heaven." Are you actively in a church using your gifts and talents God gave you?
Rubbing together with his people, where he is making a difference, even though as hard
as it is here to do these things, the frustrations and bad things that happens in church. You
know, you just have to look at Jesus and say, "This is what he's called me to do. He cares
so much about you that he only has eternity in focus. We focus on our present comfort,
what we have here. He is seeing beyond in the heavens.
I thank you, Father, for this example of people that have been faithful unto death to show
others that this is – you're real and true. Your spirit lives within them. Who else would
die for a hoax? No one. And, Father, we don't like trials, but now I understand when they
come I'm to totally embrace them like you embraced your trial on the cross for me in
Jesus' name.