It's a delight to go to the book
of Revelation again. I've yet to find all those things
I keep hearing about. It's just more of the revelation
of Jesus Christ. And though I will not know, and
probably couldn't explain it after I do know, when I see Him
face to face, there's enough here to keep us busy. about the
Lord Jesus Christ and about his ministry to the churches. This
has often been taught as seven church ages, but I just find
that that is so impractical because never in any period of time were
all the churches like this church, and in any period of time were
all the churches like we find Laodicea. If they had have been,
the gospel would be gone. It wouldn't be here. And the
Lord preserved his word in some place throughout the world at
all times since he's given it. So it's a comfort to know that
somewhere, even though it died in Ephesus, it was alive somewhere
else. And God's sheep were being brought
in as a result of it. Our lesson tonight is found in
the book of Revelation, chapter 2, and I'd like to read verses
8, 9, 10, and 11 as we think about this church that is at
Smyrna. Church at Smyrna, under the angel
of the church of Smyrna, right? So these letters were actually
delivered to the pastors, and it was their responsibility to
share that letter with the church. And this is such a good letter. We would delight in being here
all the time, even though we realize that there will be times
that we won't be. And what it says, this, under
the angel of the church of Smyrna, these things saith the first
and the last. And I just have to delight myself
in those words, because summed up in them are the terms we often
find in scripture, king of kings and lord of lords, the first
and the last. He is the beginning of all things,
and he will conclude all things. He is the first. He is the author
and finisher of our faith. He is the shepherd of shepherds. He is the priest of priests. He is overall, though he has
made us to be kings and priests, he is the king over all kings
and he is the priest over all priests. He is dedicated himself
to making us proper kings and priests. He rules well. He dedicated himself to that
very thing, to present his people spotless. And he has predestinated
them to be conformed to the image of his son. So that's his ministry,
his work of grace to us at this present time as he is doing that
very work. Now, in this next thought there,
it says there in that verse with regard to the church at Smyrna,
he says, these things saith the first and the last, which was
dead and is alive. That's the greatest news the
heart ever heard. The Lord saying, by my death
I put away sin forever. That's just good news. That he's
put away sin. He's put away our Adamic nature. He put away our personal indebtedness
to him. And he has put away our relationship
to Adam. And in doing that, he has made
us sons of God, heirs of God, and joint heirs with the Lord
Jesus Christ. Would you turn with me to the
book of Hebrews chapter 2 as we think about this one that
was alive, he was dead, and now he is alive forevermore. In this
passage of scripture it says he was dead and is alive. We
get that sharing that part of it but this is the gospel this
is the good news that the Lord Jesus Christ though he was dead
is alive and here in the book of Hebrews chapter 9 we read
these words about the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and
by his death he put away sin he destroyed that our enemy Hebrews
chapter 9 verse 24 the wonderful message here of God's
infinite wisdom and gracious grace. Hebrews 9.24, we read
these words, for Christ is not entered into the holy places
made with hands, which are the figure of true, but into heaven
itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. I like that. He's appearing there on our behalf.
He's representing us. And he's not corrupt. He's representing us well. We're
corrupt, but he is not, and he will represent us well. Nor yet
that he should offer himself often as the high priest entered
into the holy place every year with the blood of others. For
then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world,
but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. So he has put away sin. What grand news God shares with
our heart as he shares there to the church at Smyrna and to
all believers. I was dead, I'm alive. And in
so doing, he has declared, I put away sin. I put away your sin. I put away the church's sin.
I put away the cumulative sin. I put away the Adamic sin. I
put away all sin by the suffering of this one, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I suffered to put away sin. And what good news. We delight
in it. We can sit in our tent and under
our vine, meditating on he has put away sin. We have that nature,
we'll carry it with us. But the fact that we will not
answer at his throne for any sin. He met justice completely
and fully at the cross. He met the justice of God and
he met all the requirements of the law. Not one thing is left
out. And he said, by this, I put away
sin and you will meet the Father on friendly terms. Will not be
saying as Adam did, I hit myself. in the garden when we meet him,
will not be, wait, will be awestruck. But it will be a welcome, will
be welcomed into his presence because of the death of the Lord
Jesus. I put away sin. Now, going back over there in
that verse that says, I know thy works. I just was thinking
this afternoon as I was sitting in my office, those two words,
I know, There is so much of the Bible about this very attribute
of our Lord. I know. And that verse that we
have read there in the book of John chapter 6 and verse 6, that
just sums it up. I've just about said that's going
to be that first verse of all my messages from here on out.
He knows what he would do. He knew himself what he would
do. What a grand thought to open the day. What a grand thought
to open a passage of scripture with, or a message, or a song. He himself knew what he would
do. He's not caught like we are, but he knows what he will do.
This very thought, I know. And as he shared this with the
church at Smyrna, and he shared it with all those churches, and
he shares it with this church, I know. I know all things. I know the end from the beginning.
All things are carried out at the purpose of my will. I know
what will take place because I purposed it to take place.
I know. Turn with me, if you would, to
the psalm. Psalm 147. We think about the subject of
God knowing. We use a word that's omniscience. This has absolutely all knowledge. Someone wrote, God is not an
ignorant deity. That's a contradiction of terms,
isn't it? But he is not an ignorant deity. He's all knowledgeable. He's not caught by surprise. What people do does not surprise
God. He's not caught off guard. We
just see that throughout the scriptures. He's never caught
off guard. I know. You know, sometimes that's the
answer to the very common, our children come to us and we say,
I know. We already know what's going on. Well, the Father, I
know. And here in the Psalms, Psalm
147, we think about that verse in John, he himself knew what
he would do, not caught off guard, even to the simplest of feeding
people, but when it came to our redemption, he himself knew what
he would do and what he must do in order to redeem his people
from their sins. Psalm 147, verse five, the scripture
says, great is our Lord. and of great power, his understanding
is infinite. Now, I don't understand all infinite
means. I know the definition of the word, but we're so caught
in finite that the definition of infinite is out of our realm. But we find that about God, and
it is a joy to find in the scriptures a God that is out of our realm.
that he is a great God that cannot be dissected and figured out,
even though we may read a book on systematic theology with all
of the attributes and characters that we can find in the scripture,
or the author did, and all of his plan and all of his purpose,
he still is past finding out. the verses of scripture that
bear that out. He's not able to be figured out. When we have God's purpose and
God's plan figured out, we're just going to be wrong. That's
all there is to it, just wrong. He has a purpose and a plan and
it's all figured out. His wisdom and knowledge, as
it says here, His understanding is infinite. Great is our Lord
and great power, His understanding is infinite. So when he wrote
to the pastor of the church at Smyrna, he says, I know, and
he goes on and delineates several things that he knew about them,
knowing that he knew all things, but these are the things that
stood out that needed to be brought to their attention. Turn with
me, if you would, to the book of Hebrews, chapter 4. Hebrews,
chapter 4. As we think about this subject,
I know, God knows. His ways are past finding out. He himself knew what he would
do. He was never confounded. I just enjoyed that lesson on that
five loaves and two little fishes, you know. He purposed a boy to be there. He purposed a mama to prepare
the lunch. He purposed a fisherman to catch
the fish. He purposed a man to harvest
the barley. He purposed just so that day
that boy could be there, he himself knew what he would do. And he
purposed that disciple to go and find him. He's the only young
person, only person there with any lunch by God's divine purpose. God himself knew what he would
do. And you just unravel that back
a little bit, and you're just astonished at these two fishes
born for the feeding of 5,000 men, besides women and children. This barley harvested for one
purpose, to feed 5,000 men, plus women and children, to be broken
in the hands of the Lord Jesus, and those fishes to be broken
in the hands of the Lord Jesus. My, he knows what he will do. Now here we read in this book
of Hebrews chapter four, Hebrews chapter four, the knowledge of
the Lord Jesus. We stand before him really open. We're a open book. It was interesting when I was
teaching to try to figure out what kids meant by what they
said. and what they meant by what they did, and what they
meant by what they didn't say, and what they meant by what they
didn't do? Well, read this about us in the
presence of the Lord. We're not dealing with a teacher
that can be beguiled. We're not dealing with someone
that can be easily moved away from the subject. I would make
a study to find out how many people in the ministry of the
Lord Jesus tried to get him off onto a different subject. The
woman at the well, she immediately got off onto
her religion. And other people immediately
tried to draw him off of his dealing with the rock. trying
to move the rock from his intended purpose. How ignorant, but he
is not an ignorant deity. Men are ignorant trying to move
deity, to move his purpose, to move his will, to move his knowledge,
to move his all attributes and characteristics about the Lord,
to move him. Moving the rock of Gibraltar
would be easier. It's just impossible. Hebrews
chapter four, and we read here in verse 13, the scriptures share
this, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight. He knows when a sparrow hits
the ground, even if it's by a little boy with a BB gun. He knows the number of hair on
our head. And that's just trying to get
us to think about how omniscient he is. And we say, well, that's
just almost impossible to know the number of hair on your head.
He knows. He's just trying to get us to
think about his omniscience. And when he wrote to the church
at Smyrna, he says, I know. I know everything that's going
on there. I know what you have need of before you ask. That's
what he says about prayer. I have it all lined out. I'm
going to prompt you to ask, but the answer is already in the
air. I have knowledge." So he goes on there and says, all things
are manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open
unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Adam didn't know what he was
doing. He's ignoramus when he fell. Cover himself with fig
leaves and then think that he's hiding himself from God. He thought
so little of God. such a little bitty God that
could control all things and then be able to not see Adam
as he is because he had some flora on him, some big leaves. He just thought so little about
it. Isn't that typical of natural man after the fall? God's just
a little insignificant being that can be manipulated and yet
the scriptures share with us to the church at Smyrna. I know.
I know what's going on here. I know your tribulation. I know
your poverty. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of 1 John, chapter 3. 1 John, chapter 3. I know. And this was always used
as a whipping. saying, you know, God knows all
your sin. Yes, He does. But you know what? He knows all the positive too.
He knows that we depend on Him as our Savior. He knows that
we know He's our redemption. He knows that we know He's our
Redeemer. He knows that we know that He
is our all and in all. Those verses of scripture that
he's given to us that the Holy Spirit bears witness to our heart,
he knows how dependent we are upon them. We are not fish cast
out into a sea. We are in his very knowledge. He has us as an individual in
the sea of all the church, and he has knowledge. He knows. 1
John 3, verse 20. It says this. For if our heart condemn us,
God is greater than our heart. Isn't that wonderful? Man, if
our heart condemn us, that was 15 minutes ago, that was 14 minutes
ago, that was 13 minutes ago, that was 12 minutes ago, that
was 10 minutes ago. If our heart condemn us, oh my
goodness. And what does it say? God is greater than our heart
and knoweth all things. You know what that means? I know
those that are mine. It doesn't matter what their
heart is beating them with, I know those that are mine. I know all
my sheep, from the greatest to the least, I know them all. And
then it tells us in the book of Ephesians, backing up to the
book of Ephesians, chapter one and verse 11, this is the hallmark
verse in the scriptures with regard to the knowledge of God
and the church. God's people, you and I, we are,
it's like riding in a boat, and Him at the helm, and this is
our hope, this is all. What's it say here, Ephesians
chapter one, verse 11, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will. And we're just
riding in that verse. We're captivated by it. We're
riding in it. We're resting in it. He works
all things after the counsel of his own will. He has complete
knowledge because he has purposed all things. He has infinite knowledge
about all things. It's amazing to me to find out
that the dust mites have mites that bother them. Dust mites are so small you can't
see them, but they have critters that bother them. God knows all
things. I saw a book one time, I wish
I had borrowed it from the library on permanent loan. I don't know
the name of it, but it was just, every page, half the book was
looking at an object through a telescope, and every page it
got ten times more powerful. And showed you, you know, and
then the next one was looking through a telescope, and every
page got ten times more powerful. And you just started, and pretty
soon you're out there like those pictures that Mike's put on the
board. We just can't see them with the naked eye, but they're
there. And God knows. God knows. We got so many scare tactics
going out there. We're going to have a collision
with an asteroid. Well, I just have to settle on this. God knows.
We're going to have earth warming. We're going to melt the... God
knows. My goodness, these critters are
going around telling lies on God. God just knows. There will be, from the beginning
of time till today and through the end, there will be seed time
and harvest. And God said it, and he knows.
He knows the end from the beginning. He knows. And then on this subject,
one other verse I want to read is found in the book of Acts.
Just comfort to God's people's hearts, this knowledge about
God. Why do we like his characteristics
and attributes? That's kind of like looking up
in a genealogical book about our family. Oh, uncle, he was
this. grandma was of that, and we find
out about God, oh, he's omniscient, omnipresent, he's gracious, holy. We're just looking at our Father. All those verses about him recorded
in the Word of God just shares us the knowledge about our Father,
what he is. And if he's that, what do we
have to worry about? If God before us, this God that
knows before us, who then can be against us? If God before
us, what do we have to worry about at his great white throne?
Nothing. He has put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. We rest in him. He's all our
hope and redemption. Notice this in Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15 and verse 18,
what a comfort these verses are. They just, they give stability.
We're not on shifting sand. We're not on that quicksand. We're on a rock. He put us on
a rock. And what's that rock? That's
God in all his glory. And as we look at the various
aspects of his character and the various aspects of his attributes,
we are just overwhelmed. We are never disappointed in
the attributes and characteristics of our God. We're on a rock.
We're not on the quicksand. Here we find I know that was
a comfort to that church at Smyrna. He has not one thing to say against
them But you know what when we read about Ephesus and he says
I know That was be a comfort to God's people. No, we got some
area that we need to trust the Lord with All right acts here
chapter Chapter 15 verse 18 Scripture says, known unto God. You just camp here. This could
be the tent at camp. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world. How magnificent, how glorious. That's that bright morning star. known unto God are all his works
in the beginning of the world. When he came down in the Garden
of Eden and saw Adam there with his fig leaves on, Adam, where
are you? He's not asking a question. He's making a statement. And
you know what Cain did? God says, where's your brother?
And he says, Lord, I don't know. Do you think for a moment God
can be lied to? Well, Cain thought he could.
How little he thought of God. How little natural man thinks
about the God of heaven. How little religious people think
of the God of heaven. But known unto God are all his
works from the beginning of the world. He knows them that are
his. He told the sheep on the right
hand side, welcome to the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Now, going back over there, I
know, he possesses, from all eternity God has possessed all
knowledge and wisdom. And he just completely demonstrates
that in the verses of scripture that we get to read about him
in the Bible from beginning to end. Now, going back over there,
the next thing he says here, I know thy works. Now, that's
such a pleasant word in that passage of scripture since we
find that God had nothing to hold against them. These works
then that this church, these people in this church had performed
were not works to gain righteousness. Works to gain righteousness God
will find fault with. Works that are not to be used
to gain righteousness, he compliments. Works that are works are found
fault with. Works that are service, God compliments. God compliments them because
he's the one that issued them out of us. We are his issue on
that issue. The work that he has his people
perform is his issue pushed out of us. He makes us, if you please,
to serve him. and do it with gladness. When
works are not done for righteousness, we get this, I know thy works. Why? Because they're his works
in us. He makes us to both will and
to do of his good pleasure. Now I'm glad he makes us. left to ourself, we will be working
and have him say, I'm not pleased because you're working the works
to gain righteousness, standing with me. And if you're doing
that, it's not works. It's work. You're not resting. You're working. You're not sitting.
You're standing. You're still sacrificing. Oh, nobody knows what I've done
for the Lord today. Sacrifice, my goodness, there's
one sacrifice, and that's Christ. That's our sacrifice. He says,
I know thy works. And then he says, I know thy
tribulation. Chapter two there, when we look at the church at
Smyrna, he says, I know thy works, verse nine, and tribulation.
Turn with me, if you would, back to the book of 2 Corinthians.
The Apostle Paul makes a wonderful statement here about having this
treasure in earthen vessels, and then he goes on to share
with us that the tribulation that God's people face do not
disrupt their spiritual well-being. They do not disrupt their position
with God. Here in 2 Corinthians 4, the
Apostle Paul was used to write this, beginning with verse 5,
for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your servant for Jesus' sake. What a wonderful statement. We preach Christ and him crucified.
That's all the people that know Christ want to hear. And that's
the only thing that Christ will use to convert his sheep to life. It's amazing. There's only one
message. And that's the message of Christ.
Now we look at it in different aspects, but that's the core,
heart, the whole shooting match is right there. Now go on with
me here. It says, for God who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, and what's he doing? He's just almost quoting
the Old Testament right there. As he created the heavens and
the earth and light, now he does it to us spiritually. He's commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. We have this treasure in earthen
vessels. Now we're going to see in the
next statement that's made over here in the book of Revelation
chapter 2 with regard to the church of Smyrna, that they're
poor. Then he goes on to say, but rich.
Now, we're poor when it comes to our own righteousness, but
we have this excellency, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. The moment people say, I've got
this treasure in high dollar vessels, they're not, they don't
know the same treasure. All right, it says, we have this
treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power
may be of God and not of us. Now notice verse eight, after
he said all of those things, points us to Christ, this is
what we preach, this is who we worship, this is what we serve,
this is who we serve, this is how we serve him, and then he
says, we are troubled on every side. Now, that's tribulation. Tribulation. God told the church
at Smyrna, you're having tribulation. You're having tribulation. You're
being pressed, that word means pressed. You're being pressed
upon, you're being imposed upon. You hold the light out and people
are gonna try to blow it out. He'd be impressed upon. He said
here though, we're being troubled on every side, yet not distressed. Now this outside trouble does
not extinguish the inside light. Most of the time we find, 99%
of the time, it just brings that light out. Goes on to say, we
are perplexed, but not in despair. Outside issues cannot destroy
a spiritual standing with God. Tribulation worketh patience,
endurance, long-suffering. Tribulation, this pressing, says
we're persecuted but not forsaken. Now, he is in complete knowledge
of how this is happening. Did you read with me verses 5,
6, 7? God, Sovereign, King, Righteous
Ruler. All of these things are summed
up in those verses. We preach Christ and Him crucified.
We preach the Lord Jesus. We preach Christ, not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus, the Messiah, King, Lord and Sovereign. And
now let's get down to where we live. He says we're persecuted,
but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed. My goodness. Those things will not destroy
the spiritual well-being of the church. They will not destroy
the peace of mind of the church. They will not destroy the position
of the church. These things are only there as
God permits them and purposes them. In fact, over here in the
book of Revelation chapter 2, the devil is mentioned and he's
just God's dog on a leash. Used of God. Directed by God. He will sit, he will be mute,
he will lay down, he will roll over, he will fetch at the command
of the king. And God uses him for his purpose
and his purpose alone. You look at Job and you look
at the other verses of scripture with regard to this one, this
created being. that has not all knowledge, not
all power, not all wisdom. He has none of those things.
He's a created being and God uses him for his glory and for
the church's praise. Now, as we look at this, we find
that going back to the book of Revelation, chapter two there,
it says this about their poverty. but thou art rich. That would
be a compliment, wouldn't it? They didn't have a lot of earthly
riches, but they were rich in grace, rich in Christ, rich in
the covenant, rich in power, rich in prayer, rich in every
spiritual aspect. They had been dining on every
spiritual blessing. They had been basking in all
the spiritual light, and so they were rich beyond anybody's dream. They were enjoying the riches
of His grace. Poor, in poverty, not a lot of
physical, but they were rich in Christ. As the Apostle Paul
mentioned over there in 2 Corinthians, We preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus. And that's what was going on
in the church at Smyrna. They were preaching Christ. And
then he goes on to say here, Thou art rich. I know the blasphemy
of them which say they are Jews, nor not. Now we've just been
reading over there in the book of Romans about what a Jew is.
And it is blasphemy to take the name without the grace. It's
just blasphemy. take the name of Christ, take
the name Christian without grace. It's to take the name and not
the word. There's a verse of scripture
over in the book of Isaiah that we've read several times. I just
want to read it again. Isaiah chapter four. If you want
to have some fun, read some commentators on this verse. These ladies are really looking
for physical food. Well, It just makes so much sense
when you look at it from a spiritual standpoint. And here we read
in Isaiah 4. Now, there's those in Samarna
that have blasphemed. They've taken the name. They
say they're Jews, but are not. They blasphemed. How do you identify
them? I don't want grace. What do these
ladies want? chapter 4 verse 1 in that day
seven women shall take hold of one man saying we will eat our
own bread and the next thing they'll do
is we will wear our own apparel hmm two strikes against them
they don't want his bread and they don't want his robe But
what do they want? Only let us be called by thy
name to take away our reproach. They were called Christians first
at Antioch. In the process of time, the name
became universal. It doesn't mean, and it didn't
in very short time, did not mean it was a name of derision. You
are one of those guys that follow the Christ that fooled everybody. And before you knew it, it was
a name, accepted name, no longer in derision. And it's kind of
like these seven women after one man. We don't want your bread
and we don't want your raiment, but give us your name so it will
put away our our reproach. So the seven women teach us a
lot. Now, that name, going back to
the book of Revelation chapter 2, it says there in verse 9,
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. That's rough words. That's serious words that God's
speaking here through his son to this church of Smyrna through
their pastor. There's Psalm that they blaspheme
because they want the name but they don't want the grace. And
then he goes on to say, 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 ye shall
have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death.
That could have been easily translated, ye shall be faithful unto death. The Lord Jesus is bidding them
to be faithful, and he wills them into it. I will make you
faithful. you will not cop out, you will
not drop out. Now the droppers outers, he never
had any work in them to begin with, but the ones that make
the end, they're the ones I've made you willing in the day of
my power. I have made you faithful. He's the faithful witness and
he makes his people to be faithful to him. And then he goes on to
say there, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches. And once again, we just like
to say how powerful the Holy Spirit is. He is power, to the
opening up of ears, stopped ears. We have no ability to perform
surgery on the spiritual ear. We know what the problem is.
We know that people need it. We declare they need it. We declare
they need to be saved. But the Holy Spirit is the only
one that can reach down and unlock the ear. and open the heart and
transform and make a new creation. So he that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Oh God, please
may I hear something. May you speak and may I hear. It's a sad thing when the Lord
speaks and no one hears. But to speak and have hearing
ears, the Holy Spirit has made them thus. They has opened them
up. He's unstopped their ears. And so those that are there that
have to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and
he that overcometh shall not be hurt in the second death.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection,
for on such the second death hath no power. So this is his
promise. Now you look at the way he dealt
with every church, the promises he made to the overcomers, and
we've seen who the overcomers are. They're the ones that Christ
has saved by his grace, regenerated by his power, called them out
of darkness to his marvelous light. They are the overcomers.
They shall overcome. He will make them overcome. He
has all his glory on the line. They will be presented spotless,
because he has said they will. Now, he that hath an ear, let
him hear, and he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second
death. The Lord Jesus Christ was hurt with the second death,
but his people will not be. We'll not stand before God in
judgment. We'll stand before God in reception. There's gonna be a receiver's
line. will be in his presence and will
receive him as he is. Not fear, but grace. He has taken away the spirit
of fear. All right, we'll close there.