As we go through these letters
to the seven churches I'm sure we can understand and realise
how kind and gracious the Lord was in giving John these revelations
to bring to the churches to address them and to encourage them because
they were in the unknown way they didn't know what was before
them exactly the same as we are today and yet we see that the
Lord was with them and he was commanded to write these things
saith the first and the last that means of course God himself
which was dead and is alive. We know the Lord did die upon
that cross at Calvary, but then is alive forevermore. And that's the great blessing
that we have today. We have a Saviour who is forever
alive. We have a Father who is forever
alive. We have a Holy Spirit that is
forever alive. It's a great mystery beyond our
natural comprehension. But what a blessing if God gives
you and me living faith to believe in the greatness of God. How
few people today understand how great our God is. And so, says
the Word, God knows about us today, as He knew about the people
in Smyrna. He says, I know thy works, and
tribulation, and poverty. Again, you see, the Lord knows
all about us. He knows the things that we think,
He knows the things that we do, He knows the things that we fail
to do. He also knows the path that we
walk, a path of tribulation. We should never think that our
pathway is unknown to our God. It is indeed ordained by Almighty
God. And that should be an encouragement
and a help and a comfort to us to know that Our path is ordained,
even though it may be a path of tribulation. And then he goes
on and says, and poverty. Well, the Lord brings us, if
not always natural poverty, but into spiritual poverty, where
we have to cry out to God that he will be merciful to us and
pour out his blessing upon us The truth is, as John goes on
to say, but thou art rich. Well, of course, by the grace
of God, we are rich if we possess that grace, because that is a
gift which never fails. That which is given remains. And so what a blessing to have
such a wonderful statement, but thou art rich. And he goes on,
and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are
not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Now, no doubt that was
very true of many people in that day in which he wrote these words. But also today is a very similar
time because there are many people who pretend to be Christians. but in fact are not. And that's a very solemn consideration,
isn't it? People who perhaps hear the Word
of God and appear to receive it, and yet you see it doesn't
have any true effect in their lives. And what a test it is
for each one of us today, who look into our heart and we see
God's grace mercy and what a blessing if we are the recipients of that
and therefore we don't come under the condemnation I know the bless
for me of them which say they are Jews and are not pretend
to be there to be Christians and in actual fact hypocrites
in the Church of God but are the synagogue of Satan he goes
on then and says Fear none of those things which thou shalt
suffer." We're promised a life of difficulty,
a life of suffering. We should never think that we
are going to somehow be exempt from these things. And so here
we have the same, fear none of those things which thou shalt
suffer. Again, it's a very clear statement,
isn't it? That we will suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison. Well, maybe in a physical way,
but I think principally it means in a spiritual way. Sometimes
we are in prison. We find ourselves in prison because
we've turned our back upon the things of God. We haven't obeyed
his gracious commands and therefore we find ourselves hard-hearted,
far off from God and just as it were in a prison with no spiritual
freedom. Well, it's good to just ponder
these things, because it does come into our lives. We do find
ourselves in prison, with no spiritual freedom. And he says
then, that ye may be tried. And in that position, our religion
is tested. Tested as to the reality of it. and the truth of it. And it's
good to be tested. We don't want to be deceived.
We don't want to go on our way through this little world without
the knowledge that we are sinners indeed and need a great and glorious
Saviour. So we can expect to have our
religion tested, that ye may be tried and we shouldn't be
surprised. And ye shall have tribulation. Again, you see,
it's a repetition really of that which we've already considered. And ye shall have tribulation. He says 10 days. I'm not sure
what that date means, the days there, what they refer to. But
anyway, it says, we shall have tribulation. But in that time
of tribulation, we're not to back away. We're not to give
up, we're not to turn away from the faith. He tells us, be thou
faithful unto death. Well, we know that we're many
in our history who have faced and have passed through. death
because of their faith and so here is an encouraging word be
thou faithful unto death and then a wonderful promise and
i will give thee a crown of life in the epistle of james we read
Blessed is a man that endureth temptation. Clearly that indicates
to us that we will have temptations. And what a blessing if God gives
us grace to endure and not throw everything overboard. Blessed
is a man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, He shall
receive the crown of life, the evidence from God that we are
His children, and that He's gone to prepare a place for us, and
that in due time He will receive us unto Himself, that where He
is there we shall be also. For when He is tried, again,
it seems very clear, we will be tried. He shall receive the
crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him. Well, what a blessing if God
gives us love to the Saviour. And again, as I often mention,
it's not that we loved God, but that He loved us. And when that's
made over to us, that God has loved us and does love us, Then
you see there's that love then emanating from our hearts unto
the Saviour, realising what He's done for us, all His mercies,
all His favours. And I will give thee a crown
of life. And then again the God's servant
draws our attention to this vital and important consideration.
He that hath an ear, we do have ears, Let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches. The devil's very keen to make
us deaf. Very keen not to hear the great
words of God. But it is our privilege to have
the word of God. Let us not therefore be deaf,
but let us have an ear and hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches. to be able to trace out in our
heart the gracious words of the Spirit directed to us and those
words which speak to our heart those words which perhaps cut
us down those words perhaps which raise us up what a blessing it
is to have dealings with Almighty God and then he comes and finally
says He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. The second death, of course,
is when we pass out of time into eternity. Well, if the Lord has
blessed us with his grace, by his grace, we shall be overcomers. And how humbling that is, when
the Spirit shows to us what we are by nature. how we've offended
God, how often we turned our back upon God, and in essence
have said, we will not have this man to reign over us. But how
humbling it is, as we walk in the Spirit, we have the evidence
that by His grace, we shall overcome. Well, may we bless God that we
have such examples and testimonies in the Word of God, to encourage
us. So here we have then the letter
that John was instructed to write to the church at Smyrna.