Thank you, Jeanette. Thank you, John, for leading the singing, playing, reading the scripture, praying to our Lord for us. Revelation 2. You know, Paul the Apostle often wrote in his epistles and included the name of Timothy or Silas, remember? You've read them, Paul and Silas. Paul and Sosthenes. You probably don't know anything about Sosthenes, do you? I don't either. We don't know much about him.

But he was a dear brother to Paul and fellow preacher and laborer and Went everywhere with Paul and this message, Brother John Chapman and I are preaching this together. I heard him preach this and it was such a blessing. I said, send me those notes. And I went through them, great blessing. And so like Paul and Silas, Paul and John are bringing you this message. This letter is another blessed, precious, personal letter, like you write a letter to someone you know and love, and it's not to everyone, you address it to that person.

And this is, like all of these letters, it says, are to the churches. And the Lord's word is not for everyone, although Everyone must give an account for what they've heard, but all the promises of God in Christ are to his people. God has two things to say to this unbelieving world, repent and believe his son. And until that happens, until God grants repentance, these promises, they don't belong to them.

But this is to the church. And it begins in verse eight, unto the angel of the church in Smyrna, write these things, to the angel. Thank God for his angels. Angel, as you know, as we've seen, is the messenger that God sent to that particular church, the pastor, the preacher. Thank God for his angels. Our Lord said, when he ascended up on high, he gave gifts to men. The greatest gift that he can give to a people is a preacher of the gospel.

The world doesn't believe that. They think this is foolishness. But under those that are being saved, the preaching of the gospel is the power of God and the wisdom of God. We have this blessed treasure called the gospel, but it's in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of men. And you've experienced that power. Not the man, not his personality, not his charisma, not his ability at all. But it's the message, the Christ that he preaches, the gospel he preaches.

This is what God has chosen. Okay, bless God. The Lord sent me an angel. And I'm so thankful for him. Brother John Chapman and I, we grew up under a faithful, faithful, bold preacher of the gospel. And we're so thankful for him. We still glean from him. And we both say we wish he was still around so we could consult him.

You don't know how often I do. To the angel of the church at Smyrna. Now, Smyrna, is an old name really, the Lord gave this name to his church which is his bride. You ever heard the name Myrna? It's an old country name and you don't hear that much anymore. That's Myrna, Myrna. The name means myrrh. Myrrh, anyone familiar with myrrh in the scripture? That's the balm of Gilead. That's a picture of the gospel.

Sweet-smelling 2nd Corinthians very quickly turn to 2nd Corinthians 3 with men 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 This whole letter is the Lord Commending and comforting and encouraging his church his people There's not one word of rebuke or correction or reproof not one no This church in this letter is without blame before him in love.

Are you with me? This is wonderful. This is his bride that he has nothing but good things to say about. Like in the Song of Solomon, and I keep, find myself, keep in my latter days turning to the Song of Solomon over and over again. It's a love letter between Christ and his church. And Christ says of her, his church, thou art fair, my love, my sister, my spouse. There's no spot in thee. That's love, isn't it?

When you're young and newly married, you think, boy, I tell you, I'll be glad when he grows up a little bit and becomes a better husband, or vice versa, you know. You both kind of just love each other, but you're tolerating things. In the end, as you go to know yourself a little more, and you realize, how are they putting up with me? And you grow closer together. Yes, you do.

Not tolerant of one another, but thankful. That's love. Our Lord said, I find no fault in them, to his church. Why is that? Is it you? Because of something you did? Hmm? No, it's Christ. It's our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ for us and Christ in us. 2 Corinthians 2, I'm sorry. 2 Corinthians 2, look at verse 14 with me. Now, thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ.

If there's gonna be any, success in preaching is going to be the preaching of Jesus Christ, the gospel. All other is not true preaching. And makes manifest the savor of his knowledge, the sweet savor of his knowledge, his sacrifice by us in every place. Paul said, I'm determined not to know anything among you, Paul, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Everywhere he went, he had one message, and that's the messenger, the angel, the preachers sent by God. They have one message, one purpose.

I'm gonna keep saying that because it's so, and to confirm to you, and you know this, you know it's so. Verse 15 says, of the preaching of the gospel and the preachers. We are unto God a sweet saver of Christ, and then they're saved. Those who preach God's son, those who believe God's son are a sweet saver unto God. I give you this illustration. God loves those that love his son. God hates those that don't. That's a fact.

One time, Brother Don Bell, I was visiting him and his first great grandchild. had just come along, and she was maybe six months or a year or whatever, and I went to see him, and she was in another room, and Donnie said, I'm gonna go get Riley. How's her name? I'm gonna go get Riley. He was so wanting me to see Riley, his little great-granddaughter. Margaret, I said, there's no way you can love a great-grandchild like you do your grandchild. I said, yes, there is, too.

And he went and got her, and he brought her out in his arms like that, and he's looking at me, he's looking at me, she's smiling at her, looking at me like, what do you think? Now I love Donny. I love his sons and grandsons, know them all, love them. We love God, and we love them that are begotten of God. And I said, Johnny, she's beautiful. Boy, he smiled at me. I've been his friend ever since. I'm telling you the truth.

This world has nothing for Jesus Christ. And God has nothing for them. No, it's a lie when God, when people, these false prophets stand up and say, God loves you, has a wonderful plan for your life. God is angry with the wicked every day. And the chief wickedness is those that reject God's son.

And the only reason you and I receive him and believe him is by the grace of God. the sovereign electing favor of God to give you, to grant you this repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only reason that we're here this morning, worshiping and honor. It's the only reason this preacher is not standing up, begging for money and spouting off my name and our work, but preaching Christ and Christ alone. Only reason is of God.

That's how you know. That's how you know. It says we're a sweet saver of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish. We're gonna say amen to the death of the wicked. We're unto God a sweet saver, a saver of death unto death, a saver of life unto life. Who is sufficient with these things? Is this gospel sweet to you? Smyrna, Myrna, Is this gospel sweet to you?

It is to his people. Verse in our text, go back. Verse eight. Under the angel of the church, and what the church receives is through his messengers, his preacher. This is what God is pleased to use. Write these things down. Bless God he wrote these things down. Aren't you thankful for this book? God used men like Martin Luther, we just read that, to write this book for us to have a copy. And there were men, the first men were like William Tyndall and Wycliffe who were burned at the stake because Roman Catholicism didn't want people to hear, to read the Bible in their language. And Roman Catholicism hasn't changed. It's the same. I was gonna read you a blasphemous prayer that is quoted and prayed by Roman Catholicism still today.

It's just the most blasphemous thing ever. Right along with hail Mary, full of grace, mother of God, pray for us poor sinners. She, that's idolatry and blasphemy of the worst sort. There's one mediator between God and men, it's the man, Christ Jesus, not the woman, Mary. And you know that, and you're so blessed to know that when millions all over this world are praying to a woman and God's not hearing one of those prayers. That's a fact. You're so blessed.

Write these things down. Write these things down. They use men like Martin Luther to write it down. Thank God. Write it down. Verse eight. These things write, thus saith the first and the last which was dead and is alive. To each church, the Lord reveals himself as he is, who he is. He confirms over and over who he is, what he has done, what he is doing, and what he shall do. Are you with me? This is to the church. Isaiah 45, 15 says, thou art a God that hideth thyself.

He hides Himself from the wise and the prudent, but reveals Himself unto babes, that is, those that are born of God, born of His Word. He reveals Himself to all of His people. And this is life eternal, our Lord said in John 17. that they might know thee the only true God, not man's conception of God, but the only true God as he's revealed in this book. And Jesus Christ whom he sent, the true Christ, not another Jesus that men are preaching, but the Lord Jesus seated on the throne on the circle of this earth with everything in his sovereign hands. This is life eternal. This is how God creates life.

He reveals himself to you. You don't figure him out. You don't sit on a mountaintop and cross your legs and read the Bible and hope and come up with this understanding. God reveals himself to you. How? What I'm doing right now. Preaching this Word. Opens blind eyes. Opens deaf ears.

Many of you heard this at one time Turned your ears away from the truth. You couldn't stand it. You got mad at hearing about a God who is God. You turned your ears from the truth. But God, rich in mercy, said, open that man's ears. Open that woman's blind eye. Quicken them by my word. They're dead in transparency. They have no desire for the knowledge of God, the truth of God. Give them life. Born of God, born of his word, born of his spirit, to the priesthood of God. Aren't you thankful?

He reveals himself. And here's what he said. Thus saith the first and the last. He's first in existence. In the beginning, God. How few people really believe this, do you? You know how blessed you are if you do? In the beginning God created the heavens and earth. Not created the heavens and earth in an evolutionary fashion over a period of four billion years, give or take a few billion.

No, no, no, no. Six days. That's impossible. With man it is, but not with God. That's what he said. God created all things. God, who's God? Jesus Christ is God. Colossians 1, by Him were all things made. There's not anything made without Him. He's before all things. He's the first. He's last. He's everlasting. He had no beginning of days and no end of days. You and I, our days shall end. The days of this earth shall end. Who ends them? The one that began them. Oh yeah. He's first in land, he's first in power, he's first in rule, in sovereignty, reigning and ruling.

In fact, no one, nothing and no one has any power at all except given by God, delegated by God. And then they don't do anything without his absolute permission. Satan cannot do one thing without God's permission. Read Job 1. He wanted to get at his servant Job, and Satan said, I can't touch him, you put a hedge about him. And so it is with every one of God's people. And concerning everything, there's not a germ can enter your body unless God gives it permission. Do you understand me? He said, I don't believe that. Then you don't, this is not to you.

This is to Smyrna who believes that. Myrna, his bride, you know that, don't you? It's kind of like Abigail, whose husband was David, and she's in prison, taken by the, was it the Amalekites? Taken in prison, she's there waiting on David to come rescue her. And I'm sure she's telling all of her captors, you don't know who you're messing with. You don't know whose bride you have. He's coming for me. Did he?

Yes, he did. He didn't lose one, he recovered all. That's our Lord Jesus Christ. He's first in word, he purposed everything. He said, I purposed it, I'll bring it to pass. He said, I've spoken it, I'll do it, didn't he? First in word, and he'll have the last word on every subject. Man, after all is said and done, you know whose word shall stand? That's what Christ said. Heaven and earth can pass away, but not one word of mine shall fail. After all man has said and done, and after all man believes all that man says and does, then God says, now, I have the last word on this subject. And everything man has said is a lie. That's what Romans 3 said.

Do you believe that? Let God be true in every man. What? A liar. That's what this book said. He's the first word and the last word on every subject. He's the author. And what? False religion. And brothers and sisters, we're gonna see this through every letter. He said, I know where you are, right in the middle of this stuff. He's the author and what? Say it louder. False religion says he's done all he can do. Now it's up to you. That's blasphemy.

That's what Satan wants you to believe. He's the author and the finisher of the faith. When Christ, the first words of Jesus Christ as a human being, he was 12 years old. In the temple, this was the Lord in Malachi 3, suddenly come to his temple. And he did. And he said, I must be about my father's business. Didn't he? First words. Last words. First words, last words, hanging on the cross. What'd he say?

It is finished. And heaven and earth heard it. Satan was, Defeated. Earth was overcome. I've overcome the world. Sins were vanquished. Death and hell abolished. Salvation accomplished by Him and Him alone. First and last, I've got to holler this. Raise the rooftop. He's the first and the last. This is a Jesus Christ. Any other is a phony, a fake. An imaginary silly savior that can't save anybody. I was dead, he said, and I'm alive.

In Matthew's gospel, and Mark and Luke, in the beginning when he chose those apostles, He says, beginning from that time, he began to show unto them, his disciples, what great things he must suffer, and how that he is to go to Jerusalem, and what all is going to happen to him, and how he's going to die and be buried and rise again.

He kept showing them that from the very beginning all the way to the end. And then in Luke 24, you remember, after he arose from the grave, And the disciples were still in the dark about some of these things. And he opened up their understanding of this scripture. And beginning in Moses and the prophets in the psalm began to expound unto them the things concerning himself.

How that Christ came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. How that Christ must suffer. The reason Jesus Christ came to this world was to pay for sin. To save his people from their sin. And that's exactly what he did for his people. And you know it's so because he told you so. You know it's so. This world doesn't believe that he made an offer that you must accept. No, he did not. That's blasphemy. He made an offer to God that God must accept on our behalf. And God did. We are accepted in the beloved. He made this offer.

The high priest didn't go into the Holy of Holies with the blood before the Lord. He didn't take it out to the people and said, what are you going to do with it? Did he? No, he did not. He took it in with the Holy of Holies. One man before God and poured it on the mercy seat, and God accepted it. And that was on behalf of the people. They had no say. It wasn't up to them to accept or reject it.

It's up to God. And that's Christ. That's the gospel. I just told you the gospel, didn't I, Jim? Anything more or less is not the gospel. And those that believe it, those that believe this blasphemy are lost, all of them. He said, I was dead and now I'm alive, declared to be the son of God with power. Romans 1 says, the gospel declares him to be the son of God with power, all power in heaven and earth, by the spirit of holiness and the resurrection from the dead.

You and I, God Almighty is gonna take our life. Not anyone, not anything, not any disease, not a bullet, not a car wreck, God's gonna do it. Those are the means, but God says, I kill and I make a life. There's no peace, no comfort without knowing that. Right? That God is the first cause of all things and the last. All right? All right? But Christ said, No man taketh my life from me. He is life, in him is life. He said, I lay it down in myself.

God's gonna lay you down one day. You're appointed, you're hours appointed, you're day, and you cannot pass. The germ or whatever it is that's going to kill you that God sent may be in your body right now, and you cannot pass. No matter what you eat or don't eat, or how much exercise you get, it ain't gonna stop it. You say it's fatalism.

No, it's God's word. It's Job 14 and all the way through the scripture. Christ's death was appointed by the Father in the fullness of time. God sent forth his son to lay down his life for his people. He said, no man taketh my life from me. I lay it down on myself. And he said, I have the power to take it up again.

When he decided, when God decided, when God purposed, Christ was hanging on the cross for six hours. They pierced his hands and his feet, and his head was pouring blood, okay? Anyone else would have died in an hour from loss of blood. The blood wasn't the life of his flesh, it's the life of ours. Spirits, he's spirit, okay, but he had flesh and blood. Six hours he hung on that cross, and after he said everything that needed to be said, after he did everything that needed to be done, after he faced the foes of hell, after he went through hell on Calvary's tree, according to the purpose of God, in six hours, enduring the equivalent of eternity spent in hell for his people. He said, it's finished, and he bowed his head. His head didn't drop. No, he bowed his head. And I'm certain heaven gave him a standing ovation.

Finished. in three days and he went into the grave. God put him in the grave, had two men, wouldn't let Pilate or anybody have that precious body to desecrate it and throw it in a common grave like they did the thieves beside it. They threw their bodies in a pile of bones. No, no, no, no. In a tomb that no man had ever laid in. Deserving and fitting of the son of the king. in a tomb that no man had laid in, so you'd know that when you saw it was empty, there was one man in that. He's not there now. God laid him in that tomb. Rest, my son, from a job well done. And three days, according to the Scriptures, all through the Scriptures, he put on his body again, had him roll away the stone, and walked out of that grave.

I'm alive. He can't kill me. I'm alive forevermore. And if we're in him, he can't kill us either. He that liveth and believeth in me, he said at Lazarus' grave, at Lazarus' funeral to Mary and Martha, he that liveth in me, believeth in me shall never die. Do you believe that, Sally? Smile.

Christ called it sleep. sleep. He giveth his beloved sleep. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his son. And it's nothing more than a reinvigorating, wonderful, precious sleep. The older you get, the more you look forward to going to sleep. I can't sleep much these days. Can you? Let me look at somebody older. Ron? Oh my, I know you don't.

All the troubles and the trials, the sin, sleep. But one day, Brothers and Sisters, John, one day, he's going to lay this body down, like he laid his son's body down. And those in Christ, in Adam all die in Christ. They don't die, they sleep. And they wake up, talking about invigorated, talking about body, talking about renewed, all new, completely new, changed in a moment. Now what's not to look forward to? Come death, there's no sting. Come. Issue me into the presence of my Lord. I'm alive, he said. I'm alive. And those in him are alive.

Verse nine, I know thy works, he said. I know thy works. Our Lord is aware, conscious of, knows everything about his people for whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate everything about them. Thy works, you know it is God which worketh in us, both to will and do of his good pleasure, isn't it? That's what the scripture said. I know thy works, he said, I know your labor of love and your faith, because I gave it to you. I know every thought, Psalm 139, and this is not just, you know, I know about you, it's a unity, a union, it's a oneness, it's like a husband and wife that live together, that know everything about one another.

We don't know all about him, but he certainly knows everything about him. Every thought, every word, every deed, And, and the Lord takes notice of, and in Hebrews six, verse 10, I read this last time that says, God is not unrighteous. God is not unrighteous to forget to listen to it. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which you've showed toward his name and that you've ministered to the saints and do minister.

God is, He puts this faith and this love in God's people and they labor and they work and they support the gospel and do things for His people and got the cause of Christ out of love and God takes knowledge of every single act, every single deed, every single word, every single work no matter how small it may appear, and though no one else takes note of it, no one else knows that you're doing this, he does. And he repays it, in kind, with interest. He said a cup of cold water in a disciple's name, or prophet's name, will receive a profitable reward.

Isn't that something? God is not unrighteous. We are. We ought to be more thankful, shouldn't we? We ought to acknowledge what people do for us. Anytime anybody does something for you, thank them. Most of you are good about that. Oh, how thankless this world is for all that God does for them. Not God's people. They're a thankful people. They're thankful.

And we take no, we don't talk about and take no credit, and don't acknowledge anything we do. After all, if we've done whatever's required of us, the scripture says we're still unprofitable servants. We're doing that which is our duty to do, and we do that which is our love to do, but God takes note of that. Not to say for salvation. But to command his people and encourage him to be not weary and well-doing, but continue, continue this time. I know that works. Let me give you an illustration.

Uh, one time we were with a friend, a couple of friends of ours and their granddaughters were the oldest granddaughter was having a birthday party. And we went to one of these places, Chuck E. Cheese or something, where they, you know, sell these, and you play these little games, and the ticket's on. And the oldest granddaughter, it was her birthday, she was about eight years old. And her little sister was about four or five years old, okay?

Well, I saw the grandfather give the birthday girl, the oldest, $18. Okay, I saw that. And then I saw the oldest daughter, granddaughter, give her sister $9. Right there. She felt sorry for her little sister, said, here, you take half of this. I saw that. She didn't see me see that. Well, so they had a big time. It was all over. And then we were all getting ready to go home. I pulled that oldest daughter to the side. Amber's in it. I said, Amber, I got $18 for you. I saw what you did. I repaid her double for what she did.

Our Lord's not unrighteous. Man is. God's not. And whatever we do, we do it under the law, right? We don't do it. False religion promises you a return on your money. And that's why people do it. Give and God will bless you. Well, I wanna be blessed, so I'm gonna give.

That's not why God's people do it. They do it as unto the Lord, don't want any credit for it. They do it, you ladies are watching our, being with our sister out of love, aren't you? You don't want any credit for it. Is it not been a blessing to you? Is it not a privilege to you? Is it not a high honor to you?

Washing the feet of the saints? God takes note of that. down. I know your works. And tribulation, and we're going to go on to talk about the troubles that go through it. I've got to hurry. Tribulation, that's persecution in the world. You shall have tribulation. Didn't the Lord say that? You must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom of heaven. When you follow me, Christ said, you must deny yourself, take up the cross, his cross, his cause.

Was he persecuted? Oh my. Be hated by all men for what reason? His name's sake, his honor's sake, his glory's sake. In the world you shall have tribulation. Why? Because you're not of the world, as he was not of the world. You take a stand for the truth, you will stand alone. Most of the time. Like Abel, against his brother. Like Enoch. Like Noah. Like Moses, against all Egypt. Refused, I'm not the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

If you hate what is false, be prepared to be hated by them of their faults. No persecution, no truth. No truth, no persecution. Do you have the truth? You're gonna be persecuted. It's always been the case. Never a generation. That's not true. He says, I know your tribulation. I know your poverty. Look at verse nine. I know the poverty. Blessed are the poor in spirit. He said, but you're rich. You see your calling, brethren.

1 Corinthians 1, not many wise men at the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble of call, not many, doesn't say not any, but not many, does it? The common people heard Christ gladly, the Pharisees, the doctors, the lawyers, they didn't want anything to do with it. But God did save a few, not many. Not the high and the mighty and the muckety, my dad used to say the muckety, high muckety muck, whatever that is.

Oh no, the poor in spirit. Brother Gabe and Hannah are right now in Mexico preaching to our brethren down there, most of whom live in grass houses with dirt floors. Dirt floors. I am ashamed of how well we've got it. And I'm also ashamed of the fact We don't suffer more persecution than we do. We don't have to take a bold enough stand. Martin Luther and these people suffered great persecution.

But he said we do, you do. I know you're poverty, but you're rich, rich in faith. Would you rather be rich in money or rich in faith? Would you rather have the billions of man's treasures or the unsearchable riches of Christ? You won't go to sleep if you have too much money. You'll be thinking how to spend it. But if you have Christ, you have it all, and you'll rest in him. You're rich, rich in righteousness, rich in wisdom, rich in faith, rich in love, the love of God. Someone said of a rich woman one time, they said, she's so poor, all she has is money. Think about that.

He said in verse 9, I know the blasphemy of them which say they're Jews and are not, who are the synagogue of Satan. Look down at verse 13. He said, I know thy works, where you dwell, where Satan's seat is, the last line. It was slain where Satan dwelleth. Satan's sphere of work, his greatest sphere and operation of work It's not in the bar room, it's in the church house. The synagogue of Satan is false religion, it's Babylon, the great whore that everybody gets in bed with for money, for pleasure. The synagogue of Satan, the spirit of Antichrist, which John said even now there are many Antichrists.

Roman Catholicism, Southern Baptist free will religion is Antichrist religion. Any religion that says God is not God but wants to and tries and fails and can't unless man lets, that makes man more God than God. Blasphemy means to attribute to man what belongs only to God. That's what blasphemy means. It means to dishonor God and exalt man. That's blasphemy. To say that man's will has the final say means man has free will and sovereign will. God does not. That's blasphemy. And do you know of a so-called church anywhere that's not preaching that? Free will.

It's up to you. No matter how good it may sound, they ruined it in the end. Now it's up to you. It's your choice. It's your will. It's what you do with the blood of Jesus Christ that saves you. That's blasphemy of the worst sort. It's attributing to man salvation, his will, his choice, his acceptance of the blood. It's him, it's him, it's him. It's not God, it's not Christ's blood. It's what man does with it. That's blasphemy! And I can't shout that loud enough. And that's what this whole world, we're right in the center of that. In the seat of Satan is the seat of modern religion, not just Roman Catholicism.

But right down the line, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, whoever says that it's your will, your choice, that you must accept, you must let him into your hearts. Brothers and sisters, the gospel says, the truth says, God says, I will give them a new heart. It says, you hath he quickened who were dead and trespassed in sin. Enemies reconciled to God. You didn't make reconciliation. Jesus Christ did.

You want me to holler this louder? Do you believe this, Smyrna? You know how blessed you are? This is a sweet-smelling savor of God. of Christ to all his people and to God himself. Yes, exalt my son. Yes, exalt my son. Louder, son. Bring man down where he belongs, and wear him in the dust.

Helpless, hopeless, a filthy, vile, wretched. People sing that song by John Newton, that saved a wretch like me. Who believes that? Who really believes that? A wretch. A wretched man that I am, Paul said. Who shall deliver me? Not, what are you going to do with Jesus? Right, Stephen?

This is the gospel, there is no other. No more, no less. To God be the glory. Great things. He hath done, Christ be the glory, great thanks, He hath done, He has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption, acceptance with God, salvation, forgiveness, eternal redemption, life, regeneration, name something. He's all we know, He's the first and He's the last, and you and I don't have anything to do with it. I don't ever preach another gospel. I preached it today.

He's commending this church. I know where you sit. I know what you're listening to. Like Ephesus, you can't bear this. You can't stand what they're saying about your Lord and your Savior. Everybody's saying it. God's name is on everybody's lips. And the worst blasphemers are the preachers in the pulpit. And he said, you're gonna suffer for it, verse 10.

He promised them, and that's everybody that stands for this God and this truth is gonna suffer. The devil can't stand it. He tried to tear down God's kingdom in the beginning, and he deceived a woman with good words and fair speeches, and he had a smile on his face. He was good looking and charismatic, and he deceived that woman. Yes, I'll be like God, yes. You ain't God. And she said, yeah, who is God to tell us what to do? We're free will.

Plunge this world into darkness, didn't it? The second Adam came. The first and the last man came. I know where you are and the devil won't cast you into prison. You know this world is a prison to God's people. The early church literally, you read with me, they literally went to prison or jail for them. Lost their lives. And we're not doing it now, but this world is a prison. It really is. We long to be set free from.

And you'll be tried in verse 10, it says you have tribulation 10 days. And all the old writers agree that this was the 10 great persecutions that happened in the first 400 years of the early church. And then there was a thousand years of darkness, dark ages, no Bibles.

Roman Catholicism reigned and ruled over all the world. And then men like Wycliffe and Tyndall, God, they burned at the stake. Like one of them said, God's going to light a candle and nobody's ever going to put it out. With the bodies of his martyrs. So that people could have the truth. It's worth fighting for. Be thou faithful unto death, I'll give thee a crown of life. Be faithful unto death. Let me die the death of the righteous. Don't you want to die in faith? When you were reading Hebrews 11 with me, what were you thinking? It said that those women were tortured, would not accept deliverance. What were you thinking? Were you thinking, oh, let me die like that. Let me not forsake my Lord for anybody or anything. Let me forsake all, everyone and all, for him who forsook all for my sake. Lose it all? No, no, no, Christ is all. All this is nothing at all. For he who was rich, and yet our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.

Oh, my. Now he that hath an ear shall give thee a crown of life. That's salvation. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Brother Chapman ended his message by saying this. This is serious business. This ain't just a Sunday morning sermon. It's not something you can just take it or leave it.

And I'm looking around at people whom God has given ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart to receive, to believe. And I bless God for him. It sure ain't me. I had nothing to do with it. He said, I'll give you a crown of life, and he that overcometh, to every church he says that, he that overcometh shall not be hurt in the second death. It's gonna be a second death. Death and hell and everyone gonna be thrown into that, that didn't take part, that weren't crucified with Christ on the cross.

Do you understand what that means? He that overcometh, what overcome? Can you overcome anything? Can you overcome anything? No, not one sin, one temptation you can't do. One trial, one trouble, one fear, you can't overcome it. What overcomes the world? Christ said, I've overcome the world. And this is he that overcometh the world, he that believeth, that looks to Christ and keeps looking.

How did that Hebrews 12 begin? Looking unto him. How could those people have gone through what they did without looking unto him? Like Moses, seeing him who's invisible, couldn't do it. He said, and this is what he said, I'm alive. I'm alive forevermore. Like Stephen being stoned, he said, I see him standing at the right hand of God. Go ahead and stone me. Oh, may the Lord keep us faithful to death, huh? All right, let's, in closing, sing number 495.