Turn to the book of Revelation. Revelation, chapter 2, verses 8 to 11 is what we will be looking at here together this morning. And this passage of Scripture begs the question, how committed are you to following Jesus? How committed are you to the Church of Jesus? Will you be here next week? Can we expect to see you next Sunday at 11? Will you be here next year? Will you be here all the way till the end Ride or Die for the Church of Jesus Christ in Huntington Beach, or wherever the Lord would take you? That's what he's going to say to the church here in Smyrna, the second of seven churches that Jesus speaks to. He's going to give them a strong word of encouragement, a word that should inspire all of our souls. Seven different churches, five of them Jesus tells to repent. This is one of the two that don't get told to repent. They get encouraged in what they're already doing. And I pray that it will be an encouragement to you. And out of respect for God's word, I invite everyone. Let's all stand up for the public reading of Scripture. Let's give this our full and undivided attention, because this is what Jesus said to the church in Smyrna, and it was written down in the book of Revelation so that all churches could hear the words of the Lord Jesus. Please follow along as I read Revelation 2:8-11.
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”
That's the reading of God's word. Please go ahead and have your seat. And there is a handout in your bulletin if you want to take it out and jot down some notes of what Jesus says to this church, because all seven of these letters begin with the words of Jesus. He introduces himself, and the things that he says to introduce himself are very pertinent with what he's about to say to the church. So, we always want to start with the description of Jesus that's going to set the tone for the things he wants the church to hear. And what Jesus says here in verse 8, it's the words of “the first and the last who died and came to life.” Now, if you've been paying attention in the book of Revelation, “the first and the last who died and came to life,” should sound familiar, because that's what he said back in Revelation 1:17-18. So, turn back there with me, because this was when John saw Jesus. Hopefully you've been reading through Revelation. Was anybody here on Tuesday night when Pastor Bill went through Revelation, chapter 1. And then I was going through it with a whole bunch of people out in the camp, and it was one time I was preaching this week, and like the cows came into the service on this ranch. It was the first time I'd ever been interrupted by cows when I was preaching. It was very exciting.
And so, if you've seen this unveiled glory of Jesus, that's what the book of Revelation is. It's the apocalypses, something coming out from cover, something being unveiled, something being disclosed and made known. Hey, look how glorious Jesus really is. You think he's a baby in a manger. You think he's a man dying on a cross. Take a look at Jesus. That's what the book of Revelation is. And John, the guy writing this, the guy who saw this, he is the disciple whom Jesus loved. He's the guy at the Last Supper leaning up against Jesus. He's right there. When Jesus dies on the cross, he runs to the tomb and finds it empty, because Jesus isn't there, just as he said. He's risen from the dead. John knows Jesus, he's an eyewitness. And when he sees Jesus revealed in all of his glory, look what happens in Revelation 1:17. “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” See, he wasn't leaning up against Jesus. Now it's falling over, over like a dead man. But Jesus, he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not. I am the First and the Last and the living one. I died, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” I love the way Jesus says it right there that he's the living one, the Eternal one, the one who has always been and always will be, the A to the Z, the beginning to the end, the first to the left. The way Jesus says it there, it's almost like, can you believe that I even died? Well, I'm back now. I'm alive now, because he is the eternal, living one. That's how Jesus introduces himself here.
Let me just summarize this whole sermon for you right now. You, as you come here today, you're stuck in a moment. You're caught up in the middle. You are a prisoner of this space and this time that you are in right now. Jesus has never been stuck in any moment. Jesus has never been in the middle of anything. Jesus is the first and the last Jesus, he died, and he can tell you what's on the other side. Jesus doesn't see where you are today. He sees you from where you sit today all the way to his glorious presence. That's who Jesus is, and he's trying to help you see that he knows the beginning to the end. It says “the first and the last.” Here he says it to the church in Smyrna. Jump all the way to the end of Revelation. Revelation 22:12.
And I'm so excited I'll be here on our midweek service on Tuesday night at 6:30, and we'll be talking about the “what” of Revelation, because Jesus is coming back, everybody. It's not just to see him in all of his glory, everybody's going to see him in all of his glory when he returns. Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming.” And when did Jesus say he was coming, everybody? He said he's “coming soon.” That's right. And he says it here in Revelation 22:12. I really think that the 1st chapter and the end, 19 to 22, these are the two most important parts of the book of Revelation, where Jesus speaks very clearly to us. And he says here in Revelation 22 verse 12, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Jesus, when he says “alpha,” that's the first letter of their alphabet, that's their “a”; when he says “omega,” that's the last letter of the Greek alphabet. That's their “z”. I am the A to the Z. I am the first step, and I will be the last step. When you finish reading Revelation, the book of Revelation has not finished yet. We are all living in it right now, and the end of every single one of our stories will be the glory of Jesus. We're all living in the book of Revelation. And the last, the final, the completion of your life, will be when you see Jesus unveiled in all of his glory.
So, Jesus, if you are taking notes, let's get this down: “Jesus knows your end.” That's what he's saying to this church. If you were here last week, we saw that Jesus knows our heart. He sees how we are before him. He sees if we really love him, or if we don't really love him, if we've lost our love for him. Well, Jesus, not only does he see how we are right now as we sit here in this moment, Jesus knows where we are in the end. Jesus sees the whole story about us. Okay? And that's what he says to this church, what this church is going through.
Go back to Revelation 2, and let's look at verses 9 and 10, because really, he speaks to this church in two verses. Here, two verses, and what Jesus tells them is, one, I know what you're going through right now. I know your tribulations right now. Two, I know what you're about to go through, and I see you all the way through. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. I see you not only where you are now, not only what you're going to go through in the rest of your life, I see you all the way in glory. That's what Jesus wants to say to this church. So, notice what he says in Revelation 2:9. “I know your tribulation. I know…” And the Greek word here is thlypsis, if you want to write this word down, and it's mentioned two times here in our text. But this word means “affliction”; it means “tribulation”. This is the way it's often translated. It means trouble. If you want to write that down, I know you, you've got troubles. You're going through hard times. Here we often say the words, trials and tribulations. Jesus is expecting us to follow him. He's calling for us to follow him. In fact, Jesus says it like this, “Take up your,” what everybody? Okay. So Jesus understands that if you're going to follow him, you're going to go through tribulation. Now, in Revelation, in this book, we have to pay careful attention, because there is a tribulation that is coming upon the whole world, a seven-year day of the Lord, time period of judgment. That's a specific thing called “The Tribulation.” But then, there's also just the regular tribulation we go through, not only in life, but as Christian people trying to follow Jesus. There's a particular kind of trouble, because Satan and the world are against us, and we experience, therefore, opposition and persecution. And so, Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have” what, everybody? Tribulation. Okay, so I want to try to make that as clear to you as I possibly can, that if you have decided to follow Jesus, you have signed up for trouble. Anybody want to give me an amen here today?
I mean, I was glad to see a lot of those high schoolers here at the nine o'clock service, because some of them that were here, they just professed repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Your life's about to get harder. That's what I want to say to that young person. I'm so glad that you're following Jesus, but let's just get some accurate expectations. Paul said in Acts 14:22, when he was going to the churches he planted and he wanted to strengthen the faith of the disciples, he said, “Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God, the road from here to heaven.” It's a hard road that we're traveling. It's a narrow road that we're traveling. And if you just expect nothing but blessings, you need to get your eyeballs in the Bible and realize that Jesus, he knows your tribulation. Okay? He knows there's going to be troubles. And when you go through those troubles, Jesus knows them, and he will go through them with you. But you should educate your expectations with what the Scripture says. And the Scripture says, Hey, there's a storm on the horizon. There's a forecast that the winds are starting, and the waves are going to rise up and come over the side, and there's going to be thunder and lightning. It's going to be hard to be a Christian. That's what we're supposed to expect. And these people are going through that. They're experiencing trials. And Jesus says to them, “I know your tribulation.” That's got to be so encouraging if you're going through a hard time. And Jesus says to you, I know what you're going through, right? I love how he says it here, “I know your poverty” is the next thing he says. So, what was going on here in Smyrna? It seems like these Christian people; they were being left out of the local economy. So perhaps, it's not just the normal human struggle of paying bills, but maybe there was some financial persecution. Clearly, the Jews in town were against the church there in Smyrna.
And so, this is one of the troubles you can face in life, is you feel like you don't have enough money to make it. And maybe you're feeling that way. Jesus says, “I know your poverty.” But then, what does he say to them right after that? “But you are” what? Rich man. Wouldn't that be great to hear? Have Jesus say to you, you're rich? You've got every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. You've got an inheritance in heaven reserved for you that no one can take away from you. You may not have a lot of money down here, but you've got endless riches in the grace of Jesus Christ. Hey, so this is a trial Jesus said that all of us might experience, this trial of being tempted to worry about what we're going to eat, or what we're going to wear, or how we're going to pay the rent or the mortgage. How's this all going to work? And Jesus said, do not worry about your life. Hey, can't you see the flowers of the field? Can't you see the birds of the air? Look how God's providing for all living things. And if you're of more value than birds, don't worry about what you're going to have, but seek first his kingdom, his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. That's what he promised. But see, this is a trial of not having enough money. That's a trial that maybe a lot of us even can't relate to. And then he says, another trial that they're going through is they've been slandered. Do you see that there in Revelation 2:9? “… the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.” So, the word there for “slander” is actually the word for “blasphemies”. These Jews are saying, basically trash talking God, and directing that trash-talk towards God's people in this church. And what they're saying is not true. That's why it's slanderous. They're making accusations against them. They're saying evil things against them that are false. I don't know if you ever had somebody talk trash about you, say bad things about you. And the reason they said those bad things was you're trying to do what is right. You're trying to obey God, or you're trying to tell somebody about Jesus and spread the good news. And then here come people reviling you, persecuting you because you're trying to represent Jesus. You're showing and telling the light of Jesus, Christ. And now people want to say bad things about Jesus. They want to say bad things about you, and you are being slandered. That's a trial we're promised. Everyone who desires to live godly, will suffer. What does it say, everybody? Persecution? And one way that comes up is people are going to talk bad about you. They're going to talk bad about God, and they're going to direct it to you. Have you ever been slandered like that. It hurts. It's not pleasant to have people saying bad things about you. And then Jesus writes you a letter and says, yeah, I've heard the slander about you. Yeah, those people down the street, the Jews, they're talking about you. Yeah, I know what team they're on, the synagogue of Satan. Like, whoa. I wasn't going to say they were from Satan, but now that Jesus said it, yeah, that's exactly what it feels like. Yeah, feels like they're talking on the wrong side of things, right?
So, these people, they're going through tribulations. They're concerned about having enough money, or basically they know they don't have enough money, and they've got enemies saying bad things about them right there in their city, and Jesus knows about it. So, what you're not going to hear Jesus say in this letter is, I'm sorry that's happening to you, or oops, sorry, you're not going to hear Jesus. He's like, Yeah, I know your tribulations. I know you don't have, you don't think you have enough resources, and you’ve got people talking bad about you. I know he doesn't say, let me solve that problem, because Jesus wants us to see that's how it goes. We have all signed up for trouble if we're following Jesus. It's kind of like signing up for marriage. Do you know about this? Go to 1 Corinthians. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Let's see how it uses marriage as an analogy for this kind of trouble. In fact, marriage, the whole idea of a husband loving his wife, the husband is supposed to love his wife as what, everybody? As Christ loved the church. And we're going to celebrate on Tuesday night, the marriage supper of the Lamb. The bride of Christ in Revelation 19 is going to get to be with Jesus. What a celebration that is going to be when Jesus and the people he shed his blood for are united together in glory, we will rejoice and be glad at the marriage supper of the Lamb. And so when a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and they're no longer two, but they're now one flesh, that is meant to be a picture of the love that Jesus has for his people in the church. And so, just like maybe that, that young person at high school camp is like, I'm going to follow Jesus, and they don't realize how much trouble is going to come along with that. We've got some people, they meet somebody else. They're like, I want to get married. And they don't realize they just got themselves in a whole lot of trouble. That's what Paul literally says right here in 1 Corinthians 7:28. He's talking to folks who are single, who have an undivided devotion to the Lord, and then he says, but if you do marry, you have not sinned. What a great statement about marriage. Hey, everybody who's married here today, you're not in sin. You're all right. That's encouraging. And if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have, what does it say here, everybody? We're going to have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that that look at Paul just looking out for us, right? See, when you get married, you are making a commitment till death do us part. See, and when you make that kind of commitment to another person, you have now doubled your trouble, because now it's not just your body that could have problems, now it's their body that could have problems. Now it's not just your extended family that could have problems, now it's also their extended family that could have problems. See, there's now twice the possibility for all these tribulations in life that we could experience. And so, see, this is what maybe not everybody understands when they're just, hey, why would you get married? Well, I love this person. Yeah, but do you understand that you're when you make that commitment till death do us part, there's going to be trouble involved in that. In fact, do you remember in Matthew 19 when Jesus gave his commentary and they were bringing up divorce, and how could you get out of your marriage commitment? And Jesus said, no. In Genesis, have you not read that? God said, a man shall leave his father and mother. A man shall be joined to his wife. The two shall become one. And then what? Jesus says, right, “what God has joined together, let no man separate.” And do you know what the disciples said when they heard Jesus explain the commitment that marriage is, and that God's plan was not divorced. The disciples say in Matthew, chapter 19, verse 10, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry. Do you know the disciples said that when Jesus really explained the commitment that you're making in marriage? The disciples are like, wow, that is such a strong commitment, and there's going to be trouble in that commitment. Maybe it's better not to even get married. There's going to be so much trouble in that commitment. And here's what happens when you experience trouble, it comes to you like a burden. It comes to you like a heavy weight. Some of you might even feel this in your physical body today, because you might be so burdened by the tribulations of this life. And that's what Paul makes very clear here in 1 Corinthians 7, when he's talking about marriage as the analogy, it says in verse 32, “I want you to be free from anxieties.” See, the unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord. He only cares about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, but the married man is anxious now also about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are now divided. Now he's got to care about the things of the Lord and care for his wife, and see how Paul puts that like, hey, there's going to be trouble, and that trouble, the way that trouble feels to you, the way you wear that trouble on your body, is you start to feel anxieties. You start to be afraid; you start to worry. And we're seeing anxiety, fear, and worry at an all-time high in the United States of America. All around us, these things are becoming very acceptable, like, when something bad happens, people freak out. Oh, they're just freaking out something bad happened.
Go back to Revelation 2. Look what Jesus is going to encourage this church to do in their tribulation. Okay, so maybe you didn't fully understand when you first believed in Jesus that you were signing up for trouble. Maybe you didn't understand when you first got married that you were signing up for trouble. We want to understand that trouble is coming.
Let's get this down for point number one: “Anticipate there will be anxieties.” Anticipate there will be anxieties. There will be things where I might want to be afraid, I might be tempted to worry, and I might have anxious feelings rising up within me because I am troubled by many things in this world, from finances to health to persecution,. There are so many different kinds of trials, all kinds of various trials that test our faith, and see, when we're young in the faith, or when we're newly married, maybe we're too naive to really see all the trouble that is coming. But what we want to be is mature. We want to see that trouble is coming, and we want to be able to trust Jesus through the troubles of this life. We don't want to respond like, wait, I can't believe this is happening. Oh, this is really rough. And then we start having fear and anxiety. Look what Jesus says here at the beginning of Revelation 2:10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” That's straight from Jesus. Do not fear; you're going to suffer. Don't be afraid. That's what Jesus says. Okay, one thing that Jesus said to his disciples over and over is, “oh ye of little” what, everybody? Faith. Because Jesus is asleep in the boat, but the water's coming over the sides, and the wind is howling, and the storm is right here. We're in a storm, Jesus, and Jesus is asleep in the boat, and we're like, freaking out. We're all going to die. Jesus, wake up, save us. And what is Jesus like? Oh, ye of little… why? Guys, I'm in the boat. I'm in the boat. Guys, hey, seize, be still. Right? And then the storm just disappears. And Jesus is looking at these guys, like, what's your problem, guys, I was taking a nap.
You know, I have seen people at this church, and I've seen grown men, when they lose their job, they have forgotten that Jesus is in the boat. I've seen people get health diagnosis from the doctor that are not good. And I've seen people act like I can't believe this is happening to me, when the Bible has made it very clear to each one of us that the wages of our sin is… it is only a matter of time. There are two possible ways out. You will either die or Jesus will come back and get us. That is going to happen. One of those two things will happen to every person here, and yet people are acting like, I can't believe this is happening. No, we need to anticipate that there will be reasons we could be anxious. And then we need to hear Jesus say to us, do not fear what you are about to suffer next time the storm comes in, and the water is coming over the side, and the wind is howling all around your face, and there's thunder and lightning, you should be in the eye of the storm, reminding yourself Jesus is in the boat. “I know your tribulation.” He says, “I am the First and the Last.” I'm not worried about this moment, this middle part, this scene that you're in right now. I know how the story is going to end for you, and you can trust Jesus with your story. That will be for His glory. You don't need to freak out and lose your mind when something bad happens. Jesus is going to take you through that bad thing, and he's going to see you through to the other side. Even if the thing were to be death, Jesus has a promise, the crown of life. Jesus said that “I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who believes in me, even if he dies, he will” what, everybody ? Do you think you're going to die? Or do you think you're going to live? Do you look at what you can see? Or do you hear the words of Jesus Christ? Because Jesus said, “You will die, but you will live,” and that's what he says here. Look at verse 10 again. “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold,” here's, here's, what's going to happen the devil who's down the street at that synagogue with the where they're slandering you, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison. You're going to be tested for ten days. You're going to go through tribulation. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” And every time I read that verse, I keep waiting for, and after ten days, you'll get to go home, and it'll be all right. I kept looking for that part the whole time. But when he says, “Be faithful unto death,” I mean, what's going to happen to these people? Will they be released from prison? Are they going to be martyred for their faith. It definitely feels like some of them, at least, might be killed. And he doesn't say, don’t worry, all, resolve your circumstances. He says, “Be faithful unto death.”
That's the commitment that Jesus is looking from every single person here in this room. And it's not “till death do us part” with Jesus? It's till death do we get to be together with Jesus? Be faithful unto death, because what I've got for you on the other side is the crown of life. That's what I've got. So keep trusting me all the way to the end. Keep obeying me even to the point of death. That's what Jesus tells these people. He tells them what's going to happen, and then he tells them, keep trusting me through it. Even if it is going to be bad, trusting in me, being faithful unto death is going to be worth it. That's what Jesus says.
So go back with me to Isaiah 44. I need everybody who's got a Bible to turn back to one of these prophecies from the Isaiah’s chapters. This when Jesus says “I am the First and the Last,” he's quoting from these chapters in Isaiah. And I need everybody to see this with me here, because, well, it's not just Jesus saying, I'm the beginning and the end, the A to the Z. He's quoting from previous Scripture. And look at this in Isaiah 44:6-8. There are many passages we could go to in these Isaiah 40 chapters where God talks in the first person about being the first and the last. Let me just take you to one of them. This is Isaiah 44:6-8. “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.’” Is it just me? Or does anybody else love it when God starts talking some trash. Does that fire anybody else up? I'll tell you what. This could be my love language, right here, heavenly trash-talk. When God starts saying, hey, where are all the other gods? Let's bring them out. Is there anybody else like me? I haven't seen anybody. I've been looking I don't know of any other god. Anybody else a rock that's a firm foundation for your life, like me? And the main thing that God goes to in these chapters in the Isaiah 40s, over and over, is, who can tell you the future? Is there anybody out there that can tell you tomorrow from yesterday? Is there anybody else out there that from ancient times, they can tell you things that still haven't even happened yet, and every time they prophesy something, it happens exactly as they said it. Who else can tell you what will happen? Who else can tell you what is to come? That's how you know. It's me. That's the signature of God that he's put all over the scripture is God forecasts the future for us, and that's why he is worthy of our trust.
And see, God's not like he's not worried about this current storm. He's not worried about this present darkness, because he sees the glorious light at the end of the tunnel. That's what God knows. And God sees the whole story from the beginning to the end. He is the first and he's the last. He's not caught up in the middle like us. You’ve got to start seeing that when you go through life and you just get to see it, one scene at a time, and you can just see the circumstances that are right there. That's not the best way to look at your life. You should look at your life and see it how Jesus sees it, because Jesus is the first and the last, and so when Jesus says, I'm the first and the last, he's saying that he's God. He's saying he's with the Father. There's no one else like them. And he's saying you don't need to fear, you don't need to be afraid, because you might be going through a bad scene right now, but I know the happily ever after. I know where this story's going, so do not fear. Don't be afraid. Trust me, I can tell you things beyond what you can see. And that's how you and I need to learn to look at life through faith. Faith is trusting in Jesus beyond what you can see, faith is the assurance of things that you hope for, not things presently experienced, not things currently felt. Think I can only see so far, and what I can see right now doesn't look very good. That's where faith comes in. It doesn't look good to me, but I'm looking at what Jesus said, and Jesus said this, and I'm trusting in what Jesus said, rather than what I can see right now. That's what faith is, and that's what God is calling his people to be. Don't be afraid.
See, let's get this down for point number two: Let Jesus forecast your future.” Let Jesus forecast your future. Let Jesus tell you what's going to happen tomorrow. Let Jesus take you beyond your current tribulation, beyond what you're experiencing, what you can experience by sight. Right now, let's listen to what Jesus is saying that he's got, even if you die, even if you're faithful unto death, he's got a crown of life. What can Jesus say that he who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it? And we know that all things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. What is his purpose that everybody who's saved by Jesus would all be conformed to his image, made glorious, like him. When we see Jesus, we will be made like Jesus is, and we will have resurrection bodies, and we will be holy as he is holy. This is what Jesus says is going to happen to every one of us, and I may not feel that right now, but I'm not living based on my feelings. I'm living based on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So don't be afraid. You may have accepted fear as a regular response to the hard things in this life. Jesus does not accept that fear. “Do not fear” is one of the most common things said in the Scripture. If you're feeling tribulation and it's on you, like a burden, like a like an anxiety, like a care, here's what you need to do today. You need to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and you need to cast that care up to him, knowing that he cares for you. Can I get an amen from anybody on that? Hey, next time you feel anxieties coming in because the heaviness of life is getting to you and you're feeling anxieties, you should be anxious for what ? “Nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to who and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” They will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. That's 1 Peter 5-7. That says, hey, that care you've got, that anxiety you've got, cast it up to the Lord. He cares for you. That's Philippians 4:6-7. Yeah, there are going to be many reasons you could fear, many reasons you could worry. There will be things that could cause anxieties. That's where you need to have faith, that's where you need to pray, and you need to give all those burdens up to the Lord, because I have found that the Lord is better at bearing my burdens than I am. Anybody want to say amen to that? You're carrying weights that you can't carry, and those weights are going to take you down, but you can hand them over to the Lord, and he will carry them for you.
And so, this idea like, don't be afraid, let Jesus tell you what's going to happen and then give that care up to Jesus. Trust in Jesus through prayer. Trust in Jesus through the promises that he makes to you now. I did this very deliberately. Let Jesus forecast your future, because usually we use the word forecast when we're talking about what, everybody? Weather, right. And many of you have downloaded apps onto your phones that are lying to you, and they are deceiving you. And the truth is, some of you check them every day. Some of you check them more than you check your Scripture app on your phone, and you are being deceived. I mean, if you ever can get into a business, get into the weather business, you don't even have to be right in that business, not even half the time. And people still listen to what you say. It won't rain during the Bunny Run. They told me it won't rain during the Bunny Run. That's what they said. Man, I'll tell you what you're looking at, a ten-day forecast. They don't have a clue what's happening ten days from now. You know what Jesus has given to the Church of Smyrna? A ten-day forecast. I know exactly what's coming to you guys, ten days of tribulation, and here's what you need to do. Don't freak out. Be faithful unto death, and even if you die, I got the crown of life right here waiting for you. That's how Jesus wants his people to think.
It's acceptable to live in anxiety in the United States of America. It's not acceptable for people who know they're going to heaven. We need to hear what Jesus is saying to this church. If you have an ear, you need to hear it that Jesus gave them the worst possible ten-day forecast that you could get prison, tribulation, possible death. And he was not accepting fear in that moment. In fact, he was expecting to see faith unto death, because that's the kind of commitment Jesus is looking for from his church. Are you? Is that where you're at? Not till death, do us part, but till death, I'm all in Jesus. I want to be faithful unto death, because I believe that, even though it's really hard right now, I believe that you will save me all the way through. See, when Jesus said, “I am the first and the last, the one who died and came to life,” he didn't just want them to think, oh, that's the gospel, that Jesus died for me and rose again, and to remember what Jesus had done in the past.
Jesus was actually encouraging the church of Smyrna to look to the future. I'm the one who blazed the trail. I died. And behold, I'm alive. You're going to die, and behold, you will be alive. Follow me even if you “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” Fear no evil, because I am with you. That's what Jesus wants you to know. Man, I've seen people freak out. I've seen grown men lose it when they lost their job, like, God didn't promise to provide for them and their family. I've seen people get devastating medical diagnoses and then just kind of lose their mind. You know what? I've also seen here at the church, I've seen people get knocked by the trials of this life, and it's like they went right through it, like they ran through the wall. It was like, wow. How did they get that news and take it like that? How did they keep going like that? It's because these people believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and they have faith through the trials. They're not surprised by the trials. They're expecting the trials and when the storms come, they keep trusting Jesus, and it's like you can watch their faith growing right in front of your eyes. And it's inspiring, because that person's not living based on their feelings or what they can see with their eyes. That person is living based on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he's looking for. From his people, people who are literally not of this world, because they know there's going to be in trouble here, but they're looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith.
So, you can't just say, Oh, I've got faith. I believe Jesus died and rose a long time ago. What Jesus is looking for is I've got faith, and even if I die, which is going to happen if he doesn't come back, I will live. That's what Jesus is encouraging here from this church. Go back with me to Revelation chapter 2, and look at that promise there, “Be faithful unto death.” That's what Jesus has to say to them. I mean, he leaves them totally hanging. You're going to get thrown in prison. It's going to be a brutal ten-day forecast, and then be faithful unto death. Well, what do you mean, Jesus? Do we get to go home and see our loved ones, or do we go home to see our loved one in glory. What's going to happen? No, just doesn't tell them what's going to happen. He just says, “Be faithful unto death.” And then he makes this promise, I will give you the crown of life. Now, I have never seen the crown of life, but I believe in the crown of life. I can't tell you what it looks like. I don't know if it looks like a kingly royal crown or if it looks like an athlete's wreath, like they used to give out in the old Olympics. I don't know what it looks like if somebody wears the crown of life, but I believe that every single believer in Jesus who endures to the end when they die, they will not stay dead. They will live. And Jesus has a reward for every one of his servants. Well done. Good. And what faithful servant. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” You could write down some notes. James 1:12 promises the “crown of life” to everyone who remains steadfast through the trial. Is it hard? Is there trouble? Are you experiencing tribulation? Keep on being faithful. Keep on trusting Jesus. Listen to what Jesus says rather than what you can see. Look to Jesus rather than the storm, and you will receive the crown of life. How about 2 Timothy 4:8 where Paul said, “I have finished the race. I have fought the good fight. I have kept the faith. I kept trusting and obeying Jesus all the way to the end. And now there is laid up,” Paul says, “not just for me, but for all who love his appearing, for all who are looking to Jesus by faith, there we will receive the crown of life.” This is something that's coming to you, to all of us who are faithful unto death, we will find on the other side of death, not death, but eternal, glorious life.
This is a conversation that Jesus had with Peter. Go back to John 21. let's go to the end of John's gospel. So one of the things that I love doing when I'm studying the Bible is we know that the Gospel of John, 1, 2 and 3 John and Revelation are all written by the same guy, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” John. And I love seeing the themes that John develops in all his writings, the things that Jesus says, that he captures as an eyewitness for us all to see. And so, this idea of, hey, you don't know if you're going to die or not, but you want to be faithful all the way to the end. That's the conversation that the Gospel of John ends with. This is a very personal ending to this gospel where Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, he's died, he's alive again. He's having breakfast with his disciples, and then Jesus goes on a one-on-one walk with Peter. That apparently John is like dropping some eaves on this walk with between Jesus and Peter. Pick it up in John 21:15. Here, “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’”
Why did Jesus say this to Peter three times, everybody? Because on the night before Jesus died, Peter did what three times? He denied Jesus. So, here's Jesus now restoring Peter by asking him three times, do you love me? And I love Peter's answer. You already know that I love you. See, he understand that Jesus sees who we really are. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. Jesus knows exactly what's going on in our heart, and he knows exactly what's going to happen from here to eternity. Jesus knows us, and he knows our end. He is the first and the last. And Peter gets that, and he's like, you know, I love you. And he's saying, feed my sheep, tend my lambs. And Peter becomes the first preacher of the church, the first guy out there letting the gospel ring out in the streets of Jerusalem, the spokesperson of all the apostles. Peter does exactly what Jesus tells him to do here and now he says it for the third time, “‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” And then this is a part that people don't pay attention to in verse 18 of John 21 where Jesus says to Peter, “’Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”
Where does Jesus expect us to follow him, everybody? To death. Take up your cross and follow Me. Now, I don't know if you ever heard this before, but according to the tradition of church history, Peter is also crucified. Have you heard about this before? Like we know the way, according to church history, not in the Scripture, but according to church history, it's been passed down that Peter also died on a cross. But Peter didn't want to die like the Lord, so he died a little differently. He died on a cross. But what does anybody know? Upside down, and on that day, he held out his hands that were bound, and they put his own clothes on him, and they took him somewhere that he did not want to go. Here's Jesus telling Peter, yeah, you do love me, and you're going to be faithful all the way unto death. Yeah, Peter, it's going to cost your life. Follow me. Can everybody hear that Jesus isn't making any excuses? Can everybody hear that Jesus isn't saying any sorrows? This is Jesus's expectation. This is the level of commitment that Jesus is looking for. Jesus is calling for you to follow him, to be “faithful unto death.” And he lets Peter know that's what's going to happen with you. And then Peter, I love this. Look at verse 20. “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved. He sees John dropping some eaves on their conversation.” That's how we have this conversation. I think here at Jesus, there's the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who also leaned back against him during the supper, the one who also beat Peter on the foot race to the empty tomb, right? That guy, and I love Peter, just saying this, look at verse 21. “then Peter saw him.” He said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Right? He doesn't even use his name. He doesn't even say, what about my bro? He's just like, Yeah, what about that guy? Okay, so I'm going to go die. What about him? Is he going to die too? Is that how this is going to work? Doesn't that sound so much like Peter right there? Oh, you're telling me I’ve got to die. Well, what's going to happen to him? What's going to happen me, am I getting the worst out of this? What's going on? Right? It's a narrow road, my friend. Like, I don't know how hard it's going to be for you, and I don't know how to compare hardness versus hardness. The way I see it working. It's hard enough for all of us, and it might be harder for somebody else, but you're going to have plenty of hard for yourself. And see, when it says that “the road is narrow,” the way is narrow, what that really means is you can't go through it with a buddy. You can't phone a friend on this one, you can't even bring your spouse along with you. When it comes to following Jesus, it's something you've got to do all the way till your death.
And so, Jesus is looking at you, and he said, “Follow me.” Well, what happened to this person, or what's going to happen to that person? Hey, what is that to you? You’ve got to follow me. Can you hear Jesus saying that to you today? Because I know when I signed up to follow Jesus, I was naive. I didn't fully understand all of this. When I got married. I didn't fully understand how much trouble there could possibly be. I remember ten years ago now, almost when we planted this church, I was like, I'm in, you guys, I'm committed. I'll be here next week. I'll be here next year. I have got nothing else I want to do with my life. I'm Ride or Die for the church in Huntington Beach. When I said that ten years ago, I was naive. I didn't know how hard this was going to be. I didn't know how much trouble we were all going to have. I had no idea how many hospitals I would visit, how many funerals I would do, that it would become a regular part of my life to watch brothers and sisters in Christ die right in front of my eyes. See, this world is full of trouble, and all of us have a cross to bear, and we have to make our own personal decision. I'm following Jesus to the end. I'm going to be faithful until my dying day. And so, you can't compare yourselves to other people. You can't hope that you'll find some easy road. You can't just live based on, well, they went like this, so hopefully, it'll go like this for me. You’ve got to follow Jesus. That's what he says to Peter. And look at what he says about John here. He says in verse 22, “Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come.’” What is that to you? You follow me. And then here's John's thoughts about it, verse 23, “So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die. Now, everybody thinks John's invincible and he's going to be here until the rapture. Yet Jesus did not say to him, Look at, here's John, who thought about it, though Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but “if it is my will that he remain until I come,” what is that to you? This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
Now, there are also many other things that Jesus did where every one of them to be written. I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. He didn't say I was going to live until he came. Here's John saying, I'm just telling you that what Jesus says is true and that we should all follow Jesus, that we should all be faithful unto death. See when Jesus died on the cross and Jesus rose again. Romans, chapter 1, verse 4, says that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God. And the word there for “declared,” it's an interesting word. It's the word we get horizon from. See, when Jesus died and Jesus rose again, he moved the horizon. The horizon, for those of us who believe in Jesus, is no longer death. It's no longer the end of this life. It's no longer the end of what we can see. Jesus wants us to look beyond what we can see into eternity, where he has spoken to us the words of eternal life. Jesus wants you to believe that it's going to be so worth it to follow him, because even if you die, you will receive the crown of life.
Point number three, let's get it down like this: “Look to what you can't see on the horizon.” Look to what you can't see on the horizon. You need to believe in the promises of Jesus for eternal life, rather than living based on what's happening to you right now. And Jesus, because this church is going through this trial, and because some of them it seems like are even going to die, he put the promise, I will give you the “crown of life.” Jesus here, handing you the crown of life, he put that promise even before his normal promise, like he says at the end of every one of these letters, hey, “If you have an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches and to the one who conquers,” to the one who has the victory, that Is, by faith. To the one who keeps trusting all the way to the end when I win, to the one who conquers, he always makes a great promise to the one who conquers, but to these people, to this church, he put the promise in there earlier, because he's like, “Be faithful unto death, and I'll give you the crown of life.” And so now in verse 11, he says, “the one who conquers” will not be hurt by the second death. And this is a very important concept in the book of Revelation. Go to Revelation 20:14 and the great day of judgment before the Great White Throne. So, when everybody dies, eventually, everybody who's in “the place of death Hades, or people who are in the sea, all the dead are brought before Jesus at the Great White Throne.” And Jesus, on the Great White Throne, he is terrifying. It describes him in Revelation 20 that the earth and the sky flee because they're afraid of Jesus. And there's a long line of souls coming to be judged according to what they have done. And those whose name is not found written in the book of life, well, there's another book opened up with their name on it, and it's the book of everything they've said, Everything they've thought, everything they've done, every way that they have sinned, it's all been recorded, and now they will be judged according to what they have done. And it says in Revelation 20:14, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” What is the second death? It is the lake of fire and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Go down to Revelation 21:8, where it gives us more information. “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” There is nothing worse than the second death. The second death is the worst case scenario where the worm does not die, where the fire is not quenched, where there is a darkness that never sees the light of day. That is the second death. And for everybody who trusts in Jesus, until you die, you will not be hurt by the second death. You will never experience this.
To the one who conquers, let's get this down: “Death doesn't win.” Death doesn't win. Death is not the end of your story. In fact, if the second death is the worst possible scenario, those who die with faith in Jesus, those who die trusting all the way to the end, that Jesus is my Savior, that he is the resurrection, that he is the life, death, for us, my friends, is actually the best case scenario, because when we die, we're not parted from the Lord, but we will always be with the Lord, whether it's by death or whether Jesus comes to get us and take us home, I say to you here today, Maranatha, oh Lord come. My life? I'm trying to keep my life very simple. I'm not going to get afraid, and I'm going to be faithful unto death, and I'm looking forward to seeing Jesus and to him give me that crown of life, just like he said he would, because he is the first and the last. And so I just want to say to anybody here today that you come in here with tribulation on your shoulders. You come in here carrying the weight of the world, and you're feeling anxious. You're feeling worried. You are afraid. Can you hear the words of Jesus right now saying to you, do not fear what you are about to suffer. If you could just humble yourself before God right now, and you could cast your cares up to the Lord in a prayer.
I would love for you to leave here today with the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. I would love for you to leave here today feeling poor, but knowing that you're rich. I would love for you to leave here today being slandered, but knowing that Jesus has your back. I would love for those who are leaving here today, and you're going to walk in the valley of the shadow of death and you're not sure how much time you have left, I would love for you to fear no evil, because Jesus is with you, and you will receive the crown of life because Jesus himself promised to give it to you. And if Jesus promised to give it to you, there ain't nothing in Hades or with Satan or in this world that can stop Jesus from doing what he said. And so, we are the people who should not be afraid. We are the people who should have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me pray for us.
Father. I just thank you for this church of Smyrna, and I thank you for them going through these tribulations by faith and this forecast that they're going to be thrown into prison and ten days of terrible tribulation. And the words, “Be faithful unto death,” God, let those words go from Jesus's mouth to our ears to our heart here today. Let us hear the Lord speak to us, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. “Be faithful unto death.” Father, I pray that's the commitment that every single one of us, every single brother or sister that I have in Christ, here in this room right now, I pray that we would make a commitment here today, that we would know what we're signing up for, that there's going to be a lot of trouble in following Jesus. And I'm here for it. I'm here all the way to the end. I'm going to be here next week, Lord willing, I'm going to be here next year. I'm going to be here until you take me home through death or through the glory of the return of Jesus. I pray that everybody here that we would share this commitment. This all in one hundred percent, there is no turning back. Though, none go with me, still I will follow. I will follow Jesus all the way till the end, and then I will find out that the end of what I could see was not the end at all. And beyond the horizon of my sight is a glorious light that this world has nothing that can compare with the glory of Jesus. Father, I want to see it. I pray for everybody here that we would want to see it, and that we would keep trust in Jesus all the way until the day that we behold his glory face-to-face. And I pray for us, Father, that we would learn this way of dealing with our anxieties. We're going to have them. Please don't let the anxieties own us, but let us cast up our cares to you. Father. I just pray that as Ryan sings this song right now, the song that he wrote out of his dealing with anxiety, the song that resonates with how I feel dealing with all the burdens that we have here at this church, and how hard this is. Father, in this world, we will have many tribulations. In fact, there are many hard things between us and your kingdom, but every single one of those trials, every single one of those burdens, we don't have to carry them. We don't have to bear them alone. We can cast our cares up to you, knowing that you really do care for us. If the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing, how much more will the people of God have everything that they need for this life and the next? Oh Father, forgive us for being those of little faith when you have promised us everything we need for life and godliness. So, Father, please let us not be anxious, but let us bring our prayers before you, knowing that you will answer everyone because you are the first and the last, the one who died and came to life. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen, amen.