The Church At Smyrna

Q: What does the Bible say about the church at Smyrna?

The Bible, in Revelation 2:8-11, addresses the church at Smyrna, reassuring believers of their spiritual riches despite their tribulations. In Revelation 2:8-11, the message to the church at Smyrna emphasizes both their suffering and their spiritual wealth in Christ. The Lord acknowledges their tribulation and poverty, stating, 'But thou art rich.' This serves to remind the believers that their true worth lies in their faith in Christ rather than in worldly measures of success. They are encouraged not to fear the impending trials, but rather to remain faithful, with the promise of a 'crown of life' awaiting those who persevere.

Q: How do we know our faith will endure through trials?

Scriptures affirm that God's purpose and grace ensure the endurance of believers' faith through trials. Believers can find assurance in the promises of Scripture that God will sustain their faith through trials. In 1 Peter 1:6-7, the testing of faith is described as being more precious than gold, indicating that God uses trials to refine and strengthen believers. Additionally, Philippians 2:13 assures us that it is God who works in believers to will and to do His good pleasure, providing the necessary grace to endure challenges. Ultimately, believers are kept by the power of God, which secures their perseverance until the end.

Q: Why is God's sovereignty important in our suffering?

God's sovereignty assures that all suffering serves His purpose and guides believers through tribulation. Understanding God’s sovereignty in suffering provides comfort and hope to believers facing trials. The letter to Smyrna asserts that God knows their tribulation and poverty, which indicates that He has ordained these experiences for His glory and the good of His people. John 16:33 reminds believers that they will have tribulation in the world but encourages them to take heart because Christ has overcome the world. Recognizing that trials are under God's sovereign control allows believers to maintain their trust in His goodness, knowing that He uses their suffering to accomplish His redemptive work.

Q: What does it mean to overcome the world as a Christian?

To overcome the world means believing in Christ, which grants believers victory over sin and death. Overcoming the world, as stated in 1 John 5:4, refers to the victory that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. This victory is not based on personal achievements but is a result of believing in the Son of God. The Bible clearly teaches that those who are born of God overcome worldly temptations and the religious systems contrary to the gospel. The key to true overcoming is not self-reliance or human strength, but reliance on God's grace, which empowers believers to stand firm in faith and receive the promise of eternal life, free from the second death.

Q: Why is the doctrine of election important?

The doctrine of election is vital as it affirms God's sovereignty in salvation and the assurance of believers' salvation. The doctrine of election is essential in Reformed theology because it highlights God's sovereign choice in salvation. Ephesians 1:4-5 states that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, which emphasizes that salvation is entirely of grace and not based on human merit or decision. This doctrine reassures believers that their relationship with God is grounded in His eternal plan, providing a firm foundation for their faith and leading them to a deeper appreciation of God's love and grace. Understanding election helps dispel fears of losing salvation and assures believers of their secure status in Christ.

Turn with me to the book of Revelation
chapter 2. Lord willing, I'd like to deal
this morning with verses 8 to 11 on the letter to the church
which was at Sardis. Before I began looking at that
passage of Scripture. I was looking at the last verse
of the passage that Brother Scott read. And the Scripture says, He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life. But the wrath of God abideth
on him." Ladies and gentlemen, we're not
kidding here. It's not a joke. I'm telling you that what a man
believes, what a woman believes, is evidence of what either God
Almighty has done for that person or whether that person has been
left to themselves, what they believe. And what they believe is evidenced
in what they do. If there is no evidence of life,
it is because there is no life. Well, Revelation chapter 2. The surety that the believer possesses concerning their ultimate
victory over the world, sin, Satan, self, and death is by
the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what He reveals. What He says ends everyone else's statement. What He says His Word is true. His Word is life. If God Almighty has given a person
a heart to believe Him, that person knows Christ. He said, is life eternal." Oh,
you know, that ought to perk up a man's thinking right there. This is life eternal. I don't care whatever man says. It doesn't matter what I say
apart from the fact that I am in agreement with what this book
says. This is life eternal. that they
may know Thee and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." Now let
me tell you the evidence. I don't want to start chasing
rabbits this morning. I really don't. I want to be
honest. But let me tell you the evidence
of a person that doesn't know Him. You're sitting there right
now and really Basically, this is your attitude, and this should
be my attitude, but for the grace of God. Well, you know, it's
already eighteen minutes after nine, and I came this morning
because I was either supposed to, or my wife wanted me to,
or my husband wanted me to, or Mama. Or I'm just here. But what this fellow is about
to say doesn't really have a whole lot of bearing on me right now. I'm just going through the motions,
really, to be honest with you. I'm just doing my duty and I'm
going to please the person that I'm with or sitting next to or
something like that. And as soon as this is over,
this afternoon, I'm going to, you know, I really have no intention
whatsoever of having anything just, you know, or don't have
time to come back. Whatever he's got to say tonight
just doesn't really matter. I'm not going to be here anyway
or something. Am I being too honest? There's people all over this
world that it just doesn't matter. A blessing is promised to him
that reads And here's the words of this prophecy, spiritually. It's a blessing to be assured
of salvation in Christ. The letter to Smyrna, as the
letter to Ephesus, was to the churches, all of them, that were
scattered around, true churches. put there, kept there, taught
there by the Lord Himself. In each of the letters, the churches
are taught something of themselves. The one who holds the seven stars
in his right hand and walks in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks spoke lovingly to the church at Ephesus of His
knowledge of her works and labor and patience, nonconformity to
those who are evil. But He revealed last time we
met together, looking at this book, that which every believer
knows and admits. Thou hast left thy first love. Now to leave a person's first
love, there has to be love there first. An unbeliever doesn't
leave their first love whenever there was love there. That leaving of the first love
is to admit this. Sin is present. And that nature
of flesh that wars against the Spirit causes a battle to rage
within those that truly know Him and love Him. And continually there is going
to be a battle there until the believer dies. He will constantly
be in that state of leaving his first love. It is the deviation of the focus, the singleness
of Christ. And the believer does it all
the time and he knows it. And he is continually confessing
his failings, fallings, waverings and repents and asks for guidance
and help. Now we learned something else
today about ourselves from the letter of the church at Smyrna.
Two or three things that I saw in here, and Lord willing, may
we look at these things together. I'll tell you the first thing
I saw in the church at Smyrna. We learned that in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the believer is perfect in Him. Colossians 2, 9-11 says, For
in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and ye
are complete in him, which is the head of all principality
and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision
made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Only as being found and
considered in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ can it be said
of a believer that he is perfect and complete in Him. Now, I know
that in this world and in this flesh, Paul says, there dwells
no good thing in me. So here we behold the battle
that rages. Perfect and no good thing at
the same time. There was, as far as this church
was concerned, outwardly nothing corrected like there
was the church at Ephesus. The Lord Jesus Christ said nothing
to them concerning correction, obviously, It was not because
of their own unwavering faithfulness wrought by their own might. It wasn't because there was nothing
that was not correctable in them. You know, that's not so. But
the Lord taught them something else. The things that were said
to Ephesus applied to Sardis too. The Lord had this letter addressed
to the church. I said Sardis, and I mean Smyrna.
If I say Smyrna today, I mean, or if I say Sardis, I mean Smyrna.
Let me just say that. They both start with S, and I
may say one or the other. This is to the church at Smyrna. But this letter was addressed
to the pastor, the angel of the church, one who's calling. is
to encourage the flock, to feed the flock with knowledge and
understanding. And the Lord said through John,
He said, you write unto the angel, verse 8, of the church in Smyrna,
write grave, engrave, write these things, saith the first and the
last, which was dead and is alive. I know thy works and tribulation
and poverty, but thou art rich, and I know the blasphemy of them
which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of
Satan. Fear none of those things which
thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast
some of you into prison, that ye may be tried and shall have
tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death.
and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. These things saith the first
and the last, which was dead and is alive." We are in this
world here but for a moment. We are, as the grass, the Scripture
says, which fadeth away, a vapor, because of the frailty of this
flesh and the sin of unbelief which doth so easily beset us. We really don't believe that.
We don't believe that we're here but for a moment. Is there anybody here this morning
that truly believes that this is the last time you'll ever
hear anybody ever preach the gospel? Really? I mean, do you? Honestly, after this morning
right here, this is going to be it. You'll never hear anything
else. And this afternoon, or maybe
in a moment, you're getting ready to meet God. Do you really believe
that? You're getting ready to meet
God in just a few minutes, do you? To be honest with you, in
myself, because of my frailty, I don't believe that either.
I just really think, well, I'm just going to get older and older
and older. I don't think that. But I'm going
to tell you something. The Scripture says, He that cannot
lie says. The first and the last. He that
says these things. This life is but a moment. And here, we who are but fading
from Him who is the first, by Him who all things were made,
the first, He who is before all things and by whom all things
consist, He who was in the beginning, who was the Word, the Word that
was with God, the Word that was God. He's the first and He's
the last. All things were made for Him.
He will judge all things. He's everlasting to everlasting
and has an unchangeable priesthood. First and last. This is who this
is from. This first and last, the Scripture
says, which was dead and is alive. Now, we are sure when we read
that statement right there, the one which was dead and is alive. Now, we do know that our substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ, laid down His life at Calvary. We are sure of that. The reason
we're sure of that is because the Scriptures says that He did. The Son of Man laid down His
life, shed His blood for all that the Father chose before
the foundation of the world for Christ to redeem. That's who
He died for. He did not lay down His life
for every person without distinction. He did not. The Scripture never
says that. That is a figment of man's imagination. That's to make everybody feel
good. To make everybody think, listen, don't worry about it.
It doesn't matter if you leave this world in rebellion before
Almighty God, having never believed Christ. It's okay because the
Lord loves you anyway. That's not so. He said, I lay
down my life For the sheep, we are sure that the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the substitute of all God's elect, died. The Scripture says here that
He was dead and is alive. We believe this. We know that
He laid down His life and we know that He was raised. But
there is something lost in this translation. It is said, but
we do not perceive exactly what was being said when it says,
which was dead and is alive. I know we think, and rightly
so, on Him in a state having laid down His life of being truly
dead, Jesus. He was. Three days later, He
came out of the grave alive. But this is the exact interpretation
of that phrase, which was dead and is alive. It's this. This is the literal translation.
Who became dead and lived at the same time. Man died. The Lord Jesus Christ. The God-man. Man died. God atoned. This letter is from Him who was
alive and lived, the ever-living One. David said,
He hath made with me an everlasting covenant. Therefore, there must
be an everlasting, ever-living surety. Nebuchadnezzar said in
Daniel 4.34, I praised and honored Him that liveth forever. whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion and His kingdom is from generation to generation. He
who died and lived." That's who this letter is from. And He said,
I know thy works. Now this statement right here
encourages the believer because the believer knows that in the
Lord Jesus Christ, by His imputed righteousness. God alone looks
upon me in Him. But this statement also should
strike fear in the unbeliever. I know thy works. Here is the
word of truth from Him who is omniscient. I know thy works,
just like the works of Ephesus Not the works of man's fleshly
effort, but according to 1 Thessalonians 1-3, remembering without ceasing
your work of faith. I know your works. Galatians
5-6 says, Faith worketh by love. Now, 2 Thessalonians. Let me
read this to you. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, verse
11. Wherefore also we pray always
for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and
fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work
of faith with power." There are people all over this
world today that find great comfort in themselves thinking that they
have done something that is worthy of being accepted by God Almighty
something that they have produced. A work of faith is what God Almighty
looks upon. The work of His grace to His
people. But you remember this, the work
of faith is the evidence of things that are not seen. I cannot see
that which God Almighty has produced for me save by or accept by faith
that is from above. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse
20 and 21, the Scripture says, Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do His will working in
you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ
to whom be glory forever and ever." There is a work. I know your work. I know your
works. But Philippians 2.13 says, For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His
good pleasure. There is no work produced by
myself that Almighty God accepts. He said back in Revelation, He
said, I know your works. And He said also, I know your
tribulation, your poverty. Tribulation. He knows this because
He has ordained it. I know your tribulation. I know
that which you are going through." Ephesians chapter 1, in verse
11, the Scripture says, "...in whom also we have obtained an
inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
who worketh..." How many things? All things. "...after the counsel
of His own will." I know what you're going through. Why? Because
He's ordained them. He is the one that sets our steps
in perfect order according to His good pleasure. All things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to His purpose. I know your tribulation. I know
your poverty. I know the struggles. I know
the wrestlings of this life for the chastened believer who finds
himself often in dire straits. The Lord reminds them of this. You are rich. I know your poverty. I know that the world preaches
that Gain is godliness. That God's got a perfect plan
for all of you. All you've got to do is A-B-C
and He will X-Y-Z. All you've got to do is this.
I know your poverty. The reason He knows your tribulation
and the poverty that you're in is because that's where He puts
you. He puts you exactly. You know why you got that phone
call yesterday? Do you know why you got that
news you did this morning? Because Almighty God has ordered
it exactly the way it happened. To you that believe, you realize
the preciousness of Him who works things out according to His good
pleasure. God's people, they know that
they're struggling. And the Lord says, I know you're
struggling. I put you there. But you're rich.
You're rich. James 2, 5 says, Hearken, my
beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised
to them that love Him? If we but could see. that which is on the other side. We would have no way of expressing
the blessing of Almighty God that He would give a man or a
woman a heart that believes Him, that trusts Him, that leans upon
Him. He said, I know your tribulation,
I know your poverty, He's ordered it, but thou art rich. I know. Then he said, I know the blasphemy
of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue
of Satan. Now, you know it would be real
easy for me to just kind of maybe just skip over and just kind
of glaze over a few things and just not make them as pointed
as they are. Men have a way of saying things,
especially when it comes to a funeral or something like that. And you
know someone is there and this is a sad time. You know, we just
we want to be as tender as we possibly can. And I understand. I understand that. I do. I really
do. But, you know, there's nothing
that escapes truthfulness. Therefore, may God grant us,
number one, may the understanding to be truthful. and all of us
the understanding to believe it. Here's another thing he knows.
He says, I know your works. You that believe, I know it.
You that don't, I know it. I know your tribulation. I know
your poverty. You that believe, I know your
richness. And he said, I know the blasphemy of them that say
they're Jews and are not. Now, these were in the midst
of some that called themselves Jews. In Romans, Paul, under
the inspiration of the Spirit of God, taught something that
we need to understand. Romans chapter 2 and verse 28
and 29. This, he sets forth, is what
a Jew is. I'm not talking about those that
are over in the nation of Israel. I know that those are Jews after
the flesh, and they find great comfort in saying, we are of
the sons of Abraham. We can trace back, Abraham was
one of us. This is what the Lord was talking
about when He spoke to the angel at the church at Smyrna through
John. He said, I know the blasphemy
of those who say that we're Jews. What were they calling themselves?
Well, Paul in Romans 2.28 says, He is not a Jew which is one
outwardly. Someone says, well, I was born
in Israel. I'm born in Jerusalem. So I'm a Jew. He's not a Jew which is one outwardly. Neither is that circumcision
which is outward of the flesh. Well, I was circumcised. I'm
a Jew. Paul says he was born of the tribe of Benjamin. He was circumcised on the eighth
day. He was this and this and this. And he came to this conclusion. He said, I consider all of that
dung. That's what it is. It's dung.
Everything that you rest in, you know, I came up in this church
and I walked down the aisle and I shook the preacher's hand and
I prayed this prayer and I did that. And because I did that,
because I did that, therefore, because I did that, therefore,
I'm right with God because of what I did. Well, I'll tell you
what that is. That's dumb. That's exactly what it is. It's
dumb. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that
circumcision which is outward, but He is a Jew which is one
inwardly. And circumcision is that of the
heart in the Spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of
men, but of God. A Jew, a spiritual Jew, is a
follower of Christ in regeneration. They by faith, this is what they
believe, they believe that which the Spirit has revealed concerning
God the Father in electing grace. When the Father, when the Scriptures
reveal that the Father before the foundation of the world chose
a people in Christ, to be holy and without blame before Him
in love, they believe that the Father chose a people. They believe
that the Son of God, the Word Himself, came into this world
made of a woman, made under the flesh in the form, the fashion
of sinful flesh and walked this earth in perfect obedience for
all that the Father had given Him and laid down His life under
judgment from Almighty God because He was made sin. He who knew
no sin that we, God's elect, might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. And He laid down His life for
the sheep and died and paid their debt in full, completely, and
that the Spirit of God, God the Spirit, shall, as it pleased
Him, in perfect accordance with the eternal counsel and will
of God Almighty, shall blow as the wind, and under the preaching
of the gospel, the declaration of the truth concerning God's
grace in Christ, shall call out God's elect, and shall give them
a new heart, and they shall be willing in the day of God's power,
they shall come to Him. There is no possibility that
Almighty God will not save His elect. And God gives them a heart,
and they believe it, and they bow in faith given from above. They believe that. And they will
not, under any circumstances, find any comfort whatsoever in
their own free will or free choice or anything else. That's a Jew. That's a Jew. They believe God's
Word. They believe Christ. And someone
says something to them about man's having a free will, and
they'll say, No, he does not. That's a Jew. The Scripture says,
I know, I know them. I know them that say that they're
Jews. I know the blasphemy of them
that say that they're Jews. Now, calling yourself anyone,
anyone that calls themselves a Jew or a believer, the Lord
reveals that person to be a blasphemer. Blasphemy, the word blasphemy,
means to injure with speech. That's what it means, to injure
with speech. Blasphemy is to attack the character,
to defame by unbelief of the gospel of Christ, His divine
majesty. That's what it is, you're a blasphemer.
It is blasphemous to say that you are a Christian and not believe
God's report of His Son. Anyone that says, I'm a believer,
but I don't believe that mess you're preaching. I'm a believer,
but this thing of sovereign grace and sovereign God and sovereign... Now, I don't believe that. I
believe everybody, you're a blasphemer. That's what God says you are.
Man says, no, you're not. God says you are. The gospel
of free grace in Christ to take the name or to try to apply the
name to yourself without the grace is to blaspheme God. Those that hold their will above
God's will are of the synagogue of Satan. Now, who does that include? Everybody
that doesn't believe the report that God has given of Himself.
Now someone's saying, now wait, whoa, whoa. Are you saying that
everybody that preaches not this message right here, we're preaching
this morning, this message that this man faithfully preached
50 years in this place right here, are you saying Are you
trying to insinuate? I'm not trying to insinuate anything.
This is what I'm telling you. Every place that does not preach
the gospel of free grace, sovereign, saving grace, God's grace, apart
from anything that a man can do or would do, are you saying
that that place that those people are blasphemers. Yes, I am. Are you saying, wait a minute,
are you saying that it is the synagogue of Satan to believe
anything other than this message? That's exactly what I'm saying.
And I am not going to deviate from it. Why? Who said this first? Me? No. I'm telling you that
He said, I know them. that say they're Jews and are
not. They're blasphemers. Isaiah chapter
14, verse 12 to 15, Thou art fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning. How art thou cut down to the
ground, which disweakened the nations? For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will. Listen to this. Five times Satan
says, My will, is what he said. I will. Ascend into heaven. This is what a blasphemer says.
I will. I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. I will sit also among the mount
of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds. This is the end result of what
a man that believes, a woman believes concerning their free
will. to do whatever they want to do
when they want to do it. This is what you're saying right
here. I will be like the Most High. That's what you're saying. Yet
thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. I said when I began this message
this morning, we're not kidding. This is serious. It's a serious
business. There's people all over this
world today that's mourning the death of some guy, a sinner,
a sinner. That's all in the world he was,
a sinner. And they speak of him in terms
like the Holy Father. That's blasphemy. That is blasphemy. That man is laid in state right
now and treated with respect of people all over this world
as if he was something. He was nothing. He was nothing. He was a liar and a thief. He lied on God. And now he has
to answer. I'm telling you, at anyone that
does not preach this message right here. Paul said, let him
be anathema. There is enmity between the synagogue
of Satan and God's people. Why? Because they hate Christ.
John 3.20 says, For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, that his deeds should be reproved."
John 8, 12, "...then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world." John 15, 18 says, "...if the world..."
Now let me tell you something. When Scripture says, love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world, if the
love of the world is in you, the love of the Father is not
in you, that's not talking about this This is a nice place. God
made this, this world, that ground and this world, the economy of
it. What it's talking about is the
religion of this world, the belief of this world on how God justifies
a sinner. That's the world that He's speaking
of. If the world, the world's religion
hates you, You know that it hated me before it hated you. I told
someone the other day, you know why we don't see more open rebellion
against what's preached in this church and other churches like
this one? Someone says, boy, you're awfully arrogant. No,
I'm convinced. I'm convinced of this. You know
why there's not more open rebellion? Because they really don't know
what we believe. Now, I tell you this, you tell somebody you're
of the synagogue of Satan, you're a blasphemer. Now, I'm going
to tell you something, you'll probably get a reaction out of
that. Hatred of Christ is to not love
Him and bow to Him as He's revealed in the Gospel. That's to hate
Him. That's what it means, to hate Him. Someone will say, oh,
I don't hate Him. Do you believe what He says concerning
Himself? Now, I don't believe that right
there. You hate Him. You hate God. He, Matthew 12, 30, that is not
with me is against me, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth
abroad. What is it to gather with Him?
This is what it is. Stand, preach the gospel, and
believe that Almighty God by His Spirit will call out God's
elect. That's what it is. He that gathereth
not with me. I am convinced that God's going
to call out His sheep. I know He is. Why? Because He
said He would. What am I to do? Preach the gospel. Preach the gospel. What is the
responsibility that I have in this church? Preach. Preach the truth. I'll hurry and try to wrap this
up. Verse 2, he says, Fear none of
those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall
cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried. Ye shall
have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death,
and I will give thee a crown of life. You will suffer. You will. But don't be afraid. All the sufferings are known
by the Lord before they occur in time. Don't be a slave, he
said, to your sufferings. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.
Satan is the one the Lord has revealed that is used by God
to accomplish God's purpose. He said Satan will cast some
of you into prison. Did not the Lord give Satan permission
to do to Job whatever was done to Job? Could Satan have done
anything to Job unless the Lord gave him permission? No. Why?
Because he's almighty. The Lord is almighty. He's almighty. Satan will cast you into prison.
You're going through, right now, some tough, tough times. Some tribulation. Some tough,
some prisons. You say, the Lord has allowed
Satan. to do. These things come to pass
that you may be tried. That is to say that God's grace
to His people might be shown. Faith, love, zeal, and constancy
endures. God's people remain. Why? Because they are kept by the
power of God. You shall have tribulation ten
days." That ten days right there is a term that means the perfect
time of trial. That's what it means. Let me
just read this to you. Daniel chapter 1 and verse 12
and 13 says this, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days, and
let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink. This is when
the boys were being tried. You know what I'm talking about.
And He said this, ten days. Feed us for ten days. Give us
something good to eat and good to drink. Ten days. Then let
our countenance be looked upon before thee and the countenance
of the children that eat of the portion of king's meat. And as
thou seest, deal with thy servants. So He consented to them in this
matter and proved them. Ten days. The Lord said, He said,
you'll be cast into prison by Satan. He said, you'll be put
there by God's good permission and grace. Don't fear them. You'll be tried in tribulation
ten days. This life that the believer is
in is ten days. Just do it for ten days, those
boys said, then you look and see. The Lord says, don't be
afraid. You'll be tried for ten days. And then, after that ten days,
He says, Be thou faithful unto death, I'll give you a crown
of life. During this time, 1 Peter 1,
verses 6 and 7. 6 and 7, it says, wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it
be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." We would be tempted to just throw
up our hands and say, you know what? is more I can bear. But God keeps His people. Why? Because He's faithful. He is. Be thou faithful unto
death, I will give thee a crown of life. Here's the commandment
and the promise of life that the believer surely will come
to this conclusion. Lord, if you don't keep me, I'm
going to perish. That's what's going to happen.
Faithful is He that calleth you who also will do it." God Almighty
does not call His people to do anything that He doesn't do for
them. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is by grace. Deuteronomy 7, 6-9 says this, For thou art a holy people unto
the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen
thee to be a special people unto Himself above all people that
are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love
upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than
any people. For ye were the fewest of all
people. But because the Lord loved you,
because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your
fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand. and
redeemed you out of the house of Bondman from the hand of Pharaoh,
king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord
thy God, He is God, the faithful God that keepeth covenant and
mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to
a thousand generations." He did it, not you. The great theme. The Lord promised. He said, I'll
give you a crown of life. The great theme of the Lord's
message to His church through the church at Smyrna is that
there is victory. In spite of the great trial and
tribulation, these trials are from God the Father for our good. They reveal faith that has been
given, kept, kept by the power of God through faith. God's people
stay because He keeps them. There's temptation to doubt the
love of God. I know that. And God's people
hate it. You that are going through some
really tough times right now, I don't know all of them, but
I know some of them. I know. I'm not unaware. I know what
you're going through. I know how you're suffering.
I know what you're suffering right now. But I'm telling you,
the reason that we're there is because of God's grace to us. And I know the temptation to
doubt. I know the temptation to rebel
against His hand. I know the temptation even to
turn back. Blessed is the man that endeareth
temptation, or perseveres. Perseveres because he's maintained
by God Himself. David said, the Lord is the portion
of my inheritance and of my cup Thou maintainest my light." Then
in verse 11, and here we will stop, He that hath an ear, that is,
an ear given by the grace of God to hear, the hearing ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. I like what
Brother Rupert said last Sunday. He said, you know, I can read
that. He that overcometh. But what does it mean? He that
overcometh. 1 John 5. 1 John 5. Verse 4 and 5. It says, For whatsoever is born
of God overcometh the world, that is, the world's religion. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? What does that mean? This is
what it is to overcome the world. God Almighty gives a man or a
woman a heart to believe the gospel of Christ. That's what
it is. Faith. They believe Him. That's
what it is to overcome the world. In John 6, 28, Then said they
unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God?
Every time I read that, I think, Boy, what a statement. What a statement of pride and
arrogance. What must we do to work the works
of God? The Lord says this is the work
of God. This is the work of God that
you believe on Him who He has sent. That's the work of God. God gives a man or woman a heart
to believe Him. Those that overcome shall not
be hurt of the second death. Now, it's appointed unto man
once to die. We know that. What's the second
death? Last Scripture, Revelation 20,
verse 6. Revelation 20 and verse 6, Blessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On
such, the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
The second death is to be cast into hell. Second death. Eternal death. Those that have
been resurrected in grace made partakers of the divine nature,
are those in the resurrection of His return. 1 Thessalonians
4, 16 says, For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of
God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. And they are not
going to be hurt in that second death, that second death that
is revealed in Revelation 21, In verse 8 it says, ìBut the
fearful and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death.î As I said at the beginning, and
I said in the middle, and Iíll say right now, We're not kidding. Why? Because
he's not kidding. It's not a joke. It's not that
serious yet to those that don't believe. But oh, in that day,
I made this statement to someone yesterday, and I said this, of
all of the respect and pomp and foolishness that this world gives
those that they say is, well, as they refer to that guy as
the Holy Father that just died, which is not. It's blasphemy. Referring to him as the Holy
Father, I thought as I listened to statements
that were being made, if man that are still on this earth
knew what those that leave this world without Christ know then. They would see things very differently. This is from Him who died and
lived. I know your works. Blessed is
he that overcometh. May God Almighty bring honor
and glory to Himself in the calling out of His people and comforting
them and teaching them what He has said concerning Himself and
themselves for His honor and our good.

The Church At Smyrna

What does the Bible say about the church at Smyrna?

How do we know our faith will endure through trials?

Why is God's sovereignty important in our suffering?

What does it mean to overcome the world as a Christian?

Why is the doctrine of election important?

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The Church At Smyrna

What does the Bible say about the church at Smyrna?

How do we know our faith will endure through trials?

Why is God's sovereignty important in our suffering?

What does it mean to overcome the world as a Christian?

Why is the doctrine of election important?

Sermon Transcript

About Marvin Stalnaker

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