December 10, 2024 • 37 mins
Summary
In this episode of the Kathy Barnett Show, Kathy delves into Revelation chapter two, focusing on the Church of Smyrna, known as the persecuted church. She explores the themes of persecution, spiritual richness versus material poverty, and the supremacy of Jesus. Kathy emphasizes the importance of faithfulness in trials and the promise of eternal life for those who endure. The discussion highlights the relevance of these teachings in today's context, encouraging listeners to remain steadfast in their faith amidst challenges.
Takeaways
The Church of Smyrna represents the persecuted church.
Jesus introduces himself based on the needs of the church.
Spiritual richness is more valuable than material wealth.
Persecution can lead to a purer form of faith.
Jesus promises a crown of life to those who endure.
Affliction is temporary and serves a purpose.
Faithfulness is crucial during times of testing.
The nature of true richness is found in spiritual fruits.
Persecution is a common experience for true believers.
Trust in Jesus' sovereignty during trials.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Church of Smyrna
03:07 Understanding Persecution and Affliction
05:58 The Supremacy of Jesus
09:02 Spiritual Richness vs. Material Poverty
11:51 The Nature of True Richness
14:59 The Testing of Faith
18:00 The Promise of the Crown of Life
20:58 Persecution in Today's Context
23:54 The Role of Faithfulness in Trials
27:14 Conclusion and Encouragement
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Kathy Barnett Show.
I am Kathy Barnett and we are studying the Book of Revelation.
This is part two of Revelation chapter two.
You can look again in the show notes and you will be able to see the other studies thatwe've had on the book of Revelation.
(00:28):
You should see the overview as well as chapter one.
Chapter two, Ephesus Church.
And today we're going to talk about Revelation chapter two, the persecuted church, thechurch Smyrna.
That's the one we're to talk about today.
So let's just get right into this.
Okay.
Chapter two, verse eight, to the angel of the church in Smyrna, right, and this is Jesuswriting.
(00:57):
Remember, these are letters.
You have the two, I'm sending this letter to the church of Smyrna and it's coming from,read with me, verse eight, these are the words of him who is the first and the last, who
died and came to life again.
This is how he introduces himself, Jesus.
(01:20):
Whereas I may say this letter is going to the Church of Smyrna from Kathy Barnett.
Jesus said this letter is going to, I'm addressing it to the Church of Smyrna, and it'scoming from, these are the words of him, it's coming from him who is the first and the
last, who died and came to life again.
(01:43):
And remember, as I said in Revelation chapter two, talking about the church of Smyrna, theway each of these seven letters are structured is that you have the going to and then
coming from the way Jesus introduces himself is based on the need of that church.
And remember, these seven churches are seven real churches that existed during the time,during that time, the first century church, but
(02:12):
These seven churches are also a typology of the seven types of Christians.
This is going to Christians, those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.
And so these are the seven types of Christians, seven types of churches, and specificallyis going to the very real church of Smyrna that existed during that time.
(02:39):
And again, the way he introduces himself, the way Jesus introduces himself is based onwhatever the need is for that church, for the church of today, for the Christian of today.
So how does he introduce himself?
He says, this is coming from him who is the first and the last who died and came to lifeagain.
(03:03):
Let me read it over here in the Amplified version.
He said, these are the words of the first and the last who died and came to life again.
Reading from the Amplified, verse nine.
I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty, but you arerich, he says.
(03:26):
I know you're poor.
I know your afflictions.
I know you're being pressed in on all sides.
I know you're in great distress, but you are rich.
and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and arenot, but are a synagogue of Satan.
(03:49):
Verse 10, fear nothing that you are about to suffer.
Dismiss your dread and your fears.
Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison.
that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for 10 days you will haveaffliction.
(04:16):
Be loyally faithful unto death, even if you must die for it.
And I will give you the crown of life." Verse 11, he who is able to hear, let him listento and heed what the Spirit says to the church.
(04:38):
He who overcomes is victorious, shall in no way be injured by the second death." That'sthe Church of Smyrna, the letter Jesus wrote to them.
Now, I read that from the Amplified Bible because I wanted to, it's just so rich how theAmplified Bible, it just keeps clicking, clicking and double clicking on each of the
(05:01):
meanings.
So you really get a sense of the distress and the despair.
that the church of Smyrna is living through.
And I call the church of Smyrna, the persecuted church.
And think about the way Jesus introduced himself based on what he later says about them.
They are going to be persecuted even to the point of death.
(05:24):
Now, how did Jesus introduce himself?
He said, I am the beginning and the end.
I was dead, but now I'm alive.
Jesus introduces himself.
based on what they need.
They need to know that Jesus is in the know, that Jesus is not sitting around biting hisnails, trying to figure out how all of this is going to end.
(05:49):
He already knows the end at the beginning.
At the beginning of time, he knows how that thing is gonna already end in an instant,right?
And so as this church, Smyrna, as the church body of today, and as you as an individualChristian move through life, I mean, look at where we're living.
(06:10):
If you're paying attention, there is oppression, depression, sadness, fear.
There's reasons to be feared.
There's reason to be in great distress and to have dread.
And yet Jesus says, stop.
Let me introduce myself.
I am the beginning and the end.
(06:32):
I'm the first and the last.
I'm sovereign.
Nothing happens outside of me knowing.
I am in the know of it all.
I know exactly what is happening and I am determining all things.
So he says, he controls all things.
All things are subject to his command.
(06:55):
God allows these things to happen.
You're gonna see that.
Not only is he allowing the events that will take place in the book of Revelation,
Not only is he allowing them to happen, but he said, am calling them into existence.
Nothing happens outside of my yay and nay.
(07:17):
Nothing happens without me knowing it.
I am the first and the last.
There's nothing that happens in between the first and the last that I am not sovereignover.
Let's look at the supremacy of Jesus.
Colossians chapter one, verse 15, going to verse 20.
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Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by Him, for by Jesus, all things were created, things in heaven and things on earth,visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers.
(08:05):
or authorities, all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things and in him, all things hold together.
What things?
All things.
Some things, no.
All things hold together because of Jesus, verse 18.
(08:27):
And he is the head of the body of the church.
Remember?
Chapter one, we talked about the lampstands and the lampstand is the church and Jesuswalks in the midst of the church, the church body, as well as you and I as individuals
because I am the church.
You are the church, not just going to the four walls on Sunday and Wednesday night, but Iam the church.
(08:53):
And the word of God says in Revelation chapter one that Jesus walks in the midst of thechurch.
And here in verse 18,
of Colossians chapter one, Paul says, and he, Jesus is the head of the body of the church.
He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he mighthave supremacy.
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Jesus is supreme over all.
He is the beginning, the end, the who was, the who is, the who is to come.
Nothing happens outside of him.
And so as he's speaking to this persecuted church, some of the most precious people, I'vebeen in the midst of persecuted churches.
(09:45):
These are some of the most precious people.
Persecuted church are some of the purest church because ain't nobody got time to be apart.
of a body of believers if they're not really there for Jesus because you're beingpersecuted.
Nobody signs up for that just because they have nothing better to do.
(10:07):
So the persecuted church is some of them are some of the most purists of churches.
But imagine receiving a letter saying you let me tell you what's about to happen.
You are about to be oppressed.
Now you are already oppressed.
You already have afflictions.
You already in great distress.
(10:28):
You already financially poor.
You already being lied on, cussed out, spat on.
But he said, let me tell you what's about to happen.
It's about to get worse.
And he says to the point of death.
But he says in the introduction of how he introduces himself, I was dead and now I'malive.
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I have power over.
Death, don't dread it, don't fear it, take it out of your mind.
I am in control.
That's how he opens up this letter.
Now, what did Jesus find favorable?
Because remember, the structure of each of these seven letters, you have Jesus doing thesalutation, I'm writing this letter to, this letter is coming from, then he moves on to,
(11:18):
this is what I find favorable.
And in all seven churches,
In all six of the seven churches, he has something favorable to say about them, except forone, we'll get to that church.
But the structure is, hello, my name, I'm sending this letter to, my name is, this is whatI find favorable about you, this is what I find critical of you, this is what you need to
(11:44):
do to fix it, and this is why you need to fix it, because I'm coming back.
And I'm coming back.
with my rewards and you're gonna want those rewards.
So the letter goes to the Church of Smyrna.
Jesus introduces himself as he does based on the need of this particular body of people.
And then he gets to, what do I find favorable about you?
(12:06):
Favorable about you.
He said, you are rich.
If you know anything about the Church of Smyrna, these people like, what?
Oxymoron, cognitive dissonance.
What do you mean we're rich?
We're poor.
We're financially poor.
But Jesus said, you are rich.
Although they were very poor.
(12:28):
Smyrna was a very wealthy city.
So these people had something to compare and contrast their poverty against.
Right.
It's something it's one thing when we're all poor, but it's something completely differentwhen I can see extreme levels of wealth.
(12:48):
And then I can look and compare it to what I'm dealing with, right?
And in Smyrna, the city, a trade city, it was extremely wealthy.
It was a progressive city, but the wealth was held from the Smyrna Christians.
(13:09):
They are spiritually rich, but they're physically poor.
Let's talk about, let's look at what it means to be
spiritually rich.
Why would Jesus call these people rich when they were materialistically poor?
Turn with me to Galatians chapter five.
Let's start at verse 19.
(13:33):
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious.
This is if you're poor spiritually.
If you're poor spiritually, these are the acts of your sinful nature.
And the word of God says they're obvious.
You don't need a PhD to know when you are living like a heathen, when you're living likebottom basement dwellers truly.
(14:01):
He says they're obvious.
Sexual immorality, sleeping with anything that moves.
Impurity and debauchery, drunkenness.
Idolatry and witchcraft.
Witchcraft here means disobedience.
You know right, but you're doing wrong.
Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, andenvy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
(14:31):
I warn you as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom ofGod.
But the fruit of the spirit, this is when you're rich.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control.
(14:59):
Again, such things, there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with his passions anddesires.
So this is the church.
And then in verse 25, since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit.
(15:21):
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
So the word of God says that
This church in Smyrna, the persecuted church is rich.
Obviously not talking about materially rich, but spiritually rich.
Spiritually rich in what?
Love, joy.
(15:42):
Like what do you have joy for about?
You're being, there's distress.
You're being oppressed.
You're being pressed in on every side and yet they are filled with love in spite of theyare joyful.
in spite of the chaos that is all around them.
They are peaceful people.
They are kind.
(16:05):
They are good.
They are faithful.
They're gentle.
They have gentle words in correcting one another.
They're not trying to do a one-up or a gotcha.
They have self-control.
And Jesus said, in this, you are rich.
(16:25):
You are rich!
And there's an exclamation point there in the Bible so that we understand God's definitionof rich differs
from what the world and even most Christians, myself included, believe.
And it's all based upon our priorities.
I am going to prioritize the thing that is the most important to me.
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And for the Church of Smyrna, yielding themselves completely to the Spirit so that thefruit of the Spirit can just blossom in them.
They were rich in it.
They are completely surrendered themselves to the Spirit of God.
What does that look like in my own life?
(17:11):
It causes me to say, God, I want you more than I want what's in your hand.
Yes, Lord, I want the blessings.
Yes, Lord, I want the peace in my family.
Yes, Lord, I want the good health.
Yes, Lord, I want the car.
I want the job.
I want the opportunities.
I want the platform.
I want the stage.
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I want the numbers.
Yes, Lord, I want the salary.
I want the picket fit.
Yes, Lord, I want all of those things that's in your hand.
But Lord, I want you more than I want the things in your hand.
And I say that slowly because you got to count up the cost when you say these things.
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Life and death is in the tongue.
And so I'm thoughtful and deliberate and
But that's not always the position of my heart.
I don't always want God more than the things that are in his hand.
But the church of Smyrna, clearly they had surrendered their whole self to the HolySpirit.
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I want you more than anything else, more than bread, more than life itself.
I want you.
And that is exactly what they're about to be tested on.
Do you want me more than your life?
Jesus asked them and he says to this church, you're so rich.
(18:45):
You're so awesome.
You have given yourself completely to the Holy Spirit.
The church of Smyrna, this persecuted church and the church of Philadelphia are the onlytwo churches out of the seven that Jesus found no fault in them.
He had nothing critical to say.
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Just keep on, keep on doing what you're doing.
I see you.
You're rich.
Hard times are going to come.
But he said, Jesus found no faults in them.
Why did he find no fault in them?
I said it earlier.
(19:28):
A church under persecution is always a pure church.
Outliers flee.
You won't find a lot of gay priests in China, in communist China.
You won't find a lot of transgender elders where Boko Haram is in Africa.
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You're not gonna find it because you're gonna find other things to do because it's goingto cost you and you're gonna have to surrender your whole self.
You're going to have to surrender your whole identity in order to stand in a church and abody that is under intense persecution.
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So in that situation, outliers tend to not hang around very long.
Right.
People who want to gossip, people who want to fight and cuss and keep up the vision.
And this is what they do every Sunday.
every Wednesday night they show up with rocks in their mouth, just wanna sit around andgossip.
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They're not gonna hang around very long in a persecuted church.
You can go to bingo and do all of that cussing and fussing and keeping up ruckus, right?
And get your feel from that versus sitting here with this body of believers.
You can't get a job, they're withholding the wealth.
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of the city from you because you're a part of that church.
You're not accepted and polite company.
You're demeaned.
You're called ugly names.
You're ostracized just because you're in this church affiliated with those kind of people.
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And if you're not serious about Jesus,
You're not gonna do it.
Like in communist China, it's the underground church for a reason because you can't comein mainstream because it's not accepted.
You will be hunted down.
You will be, the odds of you being murdered is great for your faith.
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So there's no diddling around when you're in a situation where you're being persecuted.
Many of us feel that now even in political,
company and political classes determining what side of the aisle you're going to be on.
One side, there seems to be a lot of applause if you're on that side of the aisle versusif you're on the other side of the aisle.
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It's difficult.
There's not a lot of wins there and it's not a lot of applause and fanfare there.
And so you become more rooted and more determined and more focused.
That's
the environment of a persecuted church.
So instead he gave them heads up.
(22:32):
He didn't find fault with them.
Instead, he gave them insight.
He pulled back the curtain just a little bit more for them to give them heads up on futureevents.
What were those future events?
Again, Revelation chapter two in verse nine, he said, you know affliction, you knowdistress, you have pressing trouble, you're being pressed in.
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on all sides, you are poor, but you're rich.
You are abused, you are reviled and slandered by people.
But he said, don't fear that.
Dismiss that dread from your mind.
Don't even fear what is being done to you.
He said, behold though, I'm gonna pull back the curtain.
(23:17):
I don't find any fault with you, but I want you to know what is about to happen.
He said, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison.
that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for 10 days you will haveaffliction.
Be loyally faithful unto death, even if you must die for it.
(23:40):
And I will give you the crown of life, he says.
You're about to be tested, but not tested indefinitely.
I know when you're going through, it feels like it's forever.
feels like the pressure, feels like I can't take no more.
But he says, you're gonna be tested.
The devil is going, you're already being tested.
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He's going to ante up.
But he said, it's not gonna be forever.
It's gonna be for a short amount of time.
And literally 10 days is just 10 days indicating a short amount of time.
It will only last for a little while.
You will be pressed on all sides.
(24:24):
The pressure will be great, but it will only last for a short time.
I know oppression always feel longer than it is.
They would not just face persecution, but possibly death.
He said, it's going to be for a short amount of time.
Turn with me to John 15 verse 20 and 21.
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Remember the words I spoke to you, Jesus says.
No servant is greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
(25:13):
So Jesus said, if they persecuted me,
and they did, they killed him on a cross, then they're going to persecute you.
You are not better.
The servant is not better than the master.
So if they did it to me, it's possible that they will do it to you.
Why?
Because they don't know me and they don't like my name or my people or those whofaithfully follow me.
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So, you know, only I call it Americanized.
Christianity where again we name it and claim it blab it and grab it every day is a sunnyday Every day is a great day.
And if it's not it must be because you've done something wrong Very different fromchurches in China or many parts of Africa many parts of the world even very different
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Persecution they're pressed in on all sides.
But in America
We have this Americanized version of this watered down version of Christianity where ifyou're blessed, it can be quantified in your material ownership, the things that you own
around you.
That's how we see being blessed, being blessed by God, being that God is satisfied with usis that every day is a great day, right?
(26:41):
But Jesus is saying to these people whom
He found no fault in.
You are rich.
You are amazing.
But you're about to go through some more.
But don't worry.
It's for a short amount of time.
It won't last forever.
And know I am the first and the last.
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Everything that happens happens under my watchful and faithful eye.
I was dead.
Now I'm alive.
Even if they take your life, I have the ability
to raise you up again.
Don't dread it.
Dismiss the dread.
Dismiss the distress.
Push it back.
Don't be fearful.
(27:24):
Push back sadness and depression.
Push back weakness and cowardice.
Push it out of your mind.
Why?
Because I am the first and the last.
Nothing happens outside of me saying okay.
outside of my watchful eye, outside of my purposeful eye.
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And there will be a beginning to your time of travail, but then there will be an end.
I got this.
This is what he says to them.
Jesus has conquered death.
Fear the one who cannot just destroy the body, but the one who can destroy the soul aswell.
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So what causes this?
They were being persecuted not just by religious people, by the Jews in the synagogue, asthe word says here, but they were being persecuted by unsaved people falling under the
banner of religion.
Read with me.
(28:30):
Second Timothy, verse 10 through 13.
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life.
my purpose, my faith, patience, love, endurance, persecution, suffering.
See, this is the persecuted church and Paul was a persecuted Christian.
(28:53):
Everything you could think that happened to him happened to him.
And he says, again, kind of like the church of Smyrna, what did I say?
They were rich, rich in what?
Purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, not giving up.
They were being persecuted.
(29:16):
And he said, but you know my way of life, because it's a way of life to be loving, to bekind.
He said, what kinds of things happened to me?
You know about this in Antioch and Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.
Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
(29:39):
In fact,
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted while evil menand imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
It's as if the word of God applies to this time in history right now.
(30:02):
And it does, of course.
But he says, if you are a Christian, you should expect to be persecuted.
If you are a Christian who are living in such a way, who is living in such a way that theHoly Spirit has the ability to reign in you fully, to live in you fully.
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And so you are living a life of love and kindness and gentleness.
In today's culture, we have this distorted view of love, right?
Love is, you know, love is love.
Love is everything.
Love conquers all.
No.
And that love is sweet and kind and gentle and never has a backbone and just allows anyit's permissive to any and everything.
(30:46):
No, that's not biblical love, right?
But a biblical love understanding what is true, putting your stake in the ground andsaying, I'm going to stand on what is true.
And what is true may not be what is popular, but what is true is what is right, morallyright.
And I'm going to stand on this bit of truth.
(31:08):
that I've discovered.
If you live that kind of way in this kind of culture, you are going to come underpersecution.
It will happen.
Turn with me to John chapter 15, 19 and 20.
If you belong to the world, it will love you.
And we see that all the time on social media in Hollywood.
(31:30):
If you belong to the world, my goodness, red carpet, the glam squad, it looks like they'rehaving so much fun.
If you belong to the world, it will love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
(31:53):
Remember the words I spoke to you.
This is Jesus speaking.
No servant is greater than his master.
And I've already said that.
So you should expect the persecution.
Wow.
Last one, Matthew chapter five.
I'm gonna throw this in for good measure.
Verse 10.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.
(32:17):
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evilagainst you because of me.
Verse 10.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, not because you are outhere lying.
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and sleeping with everything and cussing and fussing and gossiping and keeping up chaos.
No, I just want to throw this in for good measure, right?
Like, I'm so persecuted because you're doing horrible things or you're gossiping or you'renot kind or you're divisive or you are drunkard or you're sleeping with everything or just
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that persecution is warranted.
And Christians do all of these, you know, all of these horrible things as well.
at times, so that level of persecution is warranted.
I wanted to throw that in just so I can give you good balance, that the type ofpersecution where Jesus finds no fault in you is a kind of persecution where you are in
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right standing with Him.
If you are living out your values, you will be persecuted.
And the risk could vary, being canceled today, being canceled, being shunned.
all the way up to the Equality Act.
Most of you may not have heard of the Equality Act, but it is a bill that the Democratshappen to continuously bring before legislators.
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And each time they bring it, it is becoming more and more popular.
And the Equality Act will do the absolute opposite of what the name implies.
It will not make us equal.
In fact, it gives cancel culture legal standing.
So right now, if the culture doesn't like you, they can cancel you and shun you and notinvite you to the Christmas party.
(34:13):
If the Equality Act passes, in addition to being canceled from the culture, you could becharged, convicted, sentenced for a crime.
The purge will be complete.
Don't believe me?
Look at what's happening in the UK right now.
That's the Equality Act.
They're trying to bring that here.
(34:34):
So Smyrna had a very heavy Jewish population and the Jews in Smyrna at that time hated theChristians.
The Jews worked in concert with the Roman government to persecute the church of Smyrna.
What can you and I do today when we come under persecution?
Continue to be light and salt.
(34:56):
Continue to forgive.
Continue to want.
God more than what is in his hand.
Jesus commanded them to remain faithful, even to the point of death.
Continue doing what you're doing.
Persecution, what you have to understand, is the first law of society.
(35:19):
It's the first law, persecution, because it is always easier to suppress criticism than tomeet it, to debate it.
Like we don't even debate anymore in our culture.
We just use ad homonyms.
We label people, we define people, we put them in boxes and we say, you're radical, you'recrazy, we're not gonna talk to you anymore, you're a danger to the democracy.
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And that is a signal that everyone else should stay away from you.
But persecution, real oppression, real threats, real slander that harms you, thatoppresses you on every side, it is the first law
of society because it is always easier to suppress a person than it is to actually comeand debate that person.
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There were no warnings given to the church of Smyrna because Jesus found no fault withthem.
Instead, he has a promise.
If you remain faithful, I will give you the crown of life.
God's presence is their promise.
The amount of time they would be persecuted would be no more and no less than what Goddeems.
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Trust Him.
That's how He introduces Himself.
That's He closes it out.
The letter, trust Him.
Trust me, Jesus says.
Nothing happens outside of me.
There's so much comfort.
Even today, as we read the letter Jesus wrote to the church,
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in smart.
Blessing.
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Kathy Barnett Show.
I am Kathy Barnett and we are studying the Book of Revelation.
This is part two of Revelation chapter two.
You can look again in the show notes and you will be able to see the other studies thatwe've had on the book of Revelation.
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You should see the overview as well as chapter one.
Chapter two, Ephesus Church.
And today we're going to talk about Revelation chapter two, the persecuted church, thechurch Smyrna.
That's the one we're to talk about today.
So let's just get right into this.
Okay.
Chapter two, verse eight, to the angel of the church in Smyrna, right, and this is Jesuswriting.
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Remember, these are letters.
You have the two, I'm sending this letter to the church of Smyrna and it's coming from,read with me, verse eight, these are the words of him who is the first and the last, who
died and came to life again.
This is how he introduces himself, Jesus.
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Whereas I may say this letter is going to the Church of Smyrna from Kathy Barnett.
Jesus said this letter is going to, I'm addressing it to the Church of Smyrna, and it'scoming from, these are the words of him, it's coming from him who is the first and the
last, who died and came to life again.
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And remember, as I said in Revelation chapter two, talking about the church of Smyrna, theway each of these seven letters are structured is that you have the going to and then
coming from the way Jesus introduces himself is based on the need of that church.
And remember, these seven churches are seven real churches that existed during the time,during that time, the first century church, but
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These seven churches are also a typology of the seven types of Christians.
This is going to Christians, those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.
And so these are the seven types of Christians, seven types of churches, and specificallyis going to the very real church of Smyrna that existed during that time.
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And again, the way he introduces himself, the way Jesus introduces himself is based onwhatever the need is for that church, for the church of today, for the Christian of today.
So how does he introduce himself?
He says, this is coming from him who is the first and the last who died and came to lifeagain.
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Let me read it over here in the Amplified version.
He said, these are the words of the first and the last who died and came to life again.
Reading from the Amplified, verse nine.
I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty, but you arerich, he says.
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I know you're poor.
I know your afflictions.
I know you're being pressed in on all sides.
I know you're in great distress, but you are rich.
and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and arenot, but are a synagogue of Satan.
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Verse 10, fear nothing that you are about to suffer.
Dismiss your dread and your fears.
Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison.
that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for 10 days you will haveaffliction.
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Be loyally faithful unto death, even if you must die for it.
And I will give you the crown of life." Verse 11, he who is able to hear, let him listento and heed what the Spirit says to the church.
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He who overcomes is victorious, shall in no way be injured by the second death." That'sthe Church of Smyrna, the letter Jesus wrote to them.
Now, I read that from the Amplified Bible because I wanted to, it's just so rich how theAmplified Bible, it just keeps clicking, clicking and double clicking on each of the
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meanings.
So you really get a sense of the distress and the despair.
that the church of Smyrna is living through.
And I call the church of Smyrna, the persecuted church.
And think about the way Jesus introduced himself based on what he later says about them.
They are going to be persecuted even to the point of death.
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Now, how did Jesus introduce himself?
He said, I am the beginning and the end.
I was dead, but now I'm alive.
Jesus introduces himself.
based on what they need.
They need to know that Jesus is in the know, that Jesus is not sitting around biting hisnails, trying to figure out how all of this is going to end.
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He already knows the end at the beginning.
At the beginning of time, he knows how that thing is gonna already end in an instant,right?
And so as this church, Smyrna, as the church body of today, and as you as an individualChristian move through life, I mean, look at where we're living.
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If you're paying attention, there is oppression, depression, sadness, fear.
There's reasons to be feared.
There's reason to be in great distress and to have dread.
And yet Jesus says, stop.
Let me introduce myself.
I am the beginning and the end.
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I'm the first and the last.
I'm sovereign.
Nothing happens outside of me knowing.
I am in the know of it all.
I know exactly what is happening and I am determining all things.
So he says, he controls all things.
All things are subject to his command.
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God allows these things to happen.
You're gonna see that.
Not only is he allowing the events that will take place in the book of Revelation,
Not only is he allowing them to happen, but he said, am calling them into existence.
Nothing happens outside of my yay and nay.
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Nothing happens without me knowing it.
I am the first and the last.
There's nothing that happens in between the first and the last that I am not sovereignover.
Let's look at the supremacy of Jesus.
Colossians chapter one, verse 15, going to verse 20.
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Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by Him, for by Jesus, all things were created, things in heaven and things on earth,visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers.
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or authorities, all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things and in him, all things hold together.
What things?
All things.
Some things, no.
All things hold together because of Jesus, verse 18.
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And he is the head of the body of the church.
Remember?
Chapter one, we talked about the lampstands and the lampstand is the church and Jesuswalks in the midst of the church, the church body, as well as you and I as individuals
because I am the church.
You are the church, not just going to the four walls on Sunday and Wednesday night, but Iam the church.
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And the word of God says in Revelation chapter one that Jesus walks in the midst of thechurch.
And here in verse 18,
of Colossians chapter one, Paul says, and he, Jesus is the head of the body of the church.
He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he mighthave supremacy.
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Jesus is supreme over all.
He is the beginning, the end, the who was, the who is, the who is to come.
Nothing happens outside of him.
And so as he's speaking to this persecuted church, some of the most precious people, I'vebeen in the midst of persecuted churches.
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These are some of the most precious people.
Persecuted church are some of the purest church because ain't nobody got time to be apart.
of a body of believers if they're not really there for Jesus because you're beingpersecuted.
Nobody signs up for that just because they have nothing better to do.
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So the persecuted church is some of them are some of the most purists of churches.
But imagine receiving a letter saying you let me tell you what's about to happen.
You are about to be oppressed.
Now you are already oppressed.
You already have afflictions.
You already in great distress.
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You already financially poor.
You already being lied on, cussed out, spat on.
But he said, let me tell you what's about to happen.
It's about to get worse.
And he says to the point of death.
But he says in the introduction of how he introduces himself, I was dead and now I'malive.
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I have power over.
Death, don't dread it, don't fear it, take it out of your mind.
I am in control.
That's how he opens up this letter.
Now, what did Jesus find favorable?
Because remember, the structure of each of these seven letters, you have Jesus doing thesalutation, I'm writing this letter to, this letter is coming from, then he moves on to,
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this is what I find favorable.
And in all seven churches,
In all six of the seven churches, he has something favorable to say about them, except forone, we'll get to that church.
But the structure is, hello, my name, I'm sending this letter to, my name is, this is whatI find favorable about you, this is what I find critical of you, this is what you need to
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do to fix it, and this is why you need to fix it, because I'm coming back.
And I'm coming back.
with my rewards and you're gonna want those rewards.
So the letter goes to the Church of Smyrna.
Jesus introduces himself as he does based on the need of this particular body of people.
And then he gets to, what do I find favorable about you?
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Favorable about you.
He said, you are rich.
If you know anything about the Church of Smyrna, these people like, what?
Oxymoron, cognitive dissonance.
What do you mean we're rich?
We're poor.
We're financially poor.
But Jesus said, you are rich.
Although they were very poor.
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Smyrna was a very wealthy city.
So these people had something to compare and contrast their poverty against.
Right.
It's something it's one thing when we're all poor, but it's something completely differentwhen I can see extreme levels of wealth.
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And then I can look and compare it to what I'm dealing with, right?
And in Smyrna, the city, a trade city, it was extremely wealthy.
It was a progressive city, but the wealth was held from the Smyrna Christians.
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They are spiritually rich, but they're physically poor.
Let's talk about, let's look at what it means to be
spiritually rich.
Why would Jesus call these people rich when they were materialistically poor?
Turn with me to Galatians chapter five.
Let's start at verse 19.
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The acts of the sinful nature are obvious.
This is if you're poor spiritually.
If you're poor spiritually, these are the acts of your sinful nature.
And the word of God says they're obvious.
You don't need a PhD to know when you are living like a heathen, when you're living likebottom basement dwellers truly.
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He says they're obvious.
Sexual immorality, sleeping with anything that moves.
Impurity and debauchery, drunkenness.
Idolatry and witchcraft.
Witchcraft here means disobedience.
You know right, but you're doing wrong.
Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, andenvy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
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I warn you as I did before that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom ofGod.
But the fruit of the spirit, this is when you're rich.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control.
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Again, such things, there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with his passions anddesires.
So this is the church.
And then in verse 25, since we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit.
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Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
So the word of God says that
This church in Smyrna, the persecuted church is rich.
Obviously not talking about materially rich, but spiritually rich.
Spiritually rich in what?
Love, joy.
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Like what do you have joy for about?
You're being, there's distress.
You're being oppressed.
You're being pressed in on every side and yet they are filled with love in spite of theyare joyful.
in spite of the chaos that is all around them.
They are peaceful people.
They are kind.
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They are good.
They are faithful.
They're gentle.
They have gentle words in correcting one another.
They're not trying to do a one-up or a gotcha.
They have self-control.
And Jesus said, in this, you are rich.
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You are rich!
And there's an exclamation point there in the Bible so that we understand God's definitionof rich differs
from what the world and even most Christians, myself included, believe.
And it's all based upon our priorities.
I am going to prioritize the thing that is the most important to me.
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And for the Church of Smyrna, yielding themselves completely to the Spirit so that thefruit of the Spirit can just blossom in them.
They were rich in it.
They are completely surrendered themselves to the Spirit of God.
What does that look like in my own life?
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It causes me to say, God, I want you more than I want what's in your hand.
Yes, Lord, I want the blessings.
Yes, Lord, I want the peace in my family.
Yes, Lord, I want the good health.
Yes, Lord, I want the car.
I want the job.
I want the opportunities.
I want the platform.
I want the stage.
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I want the numbers.
Yes, Lord, I want the salary.
I want the picket fit.
Yes, Lord, I want all of those things that's in your hand.
But Lord, I want you more than I want the things in your hand.
And I say that slowly because you got to count up the cost when you say these things.
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Life and death is in the tongue.
And so I'm thoughtful and deliberate and
But that's not always the position of my heart.
I don't always want God more than the things that are in his hand.
But the church of Smyrna, clearly they had surrendered their whole self to the HolySpirit.
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I want you more than anything else, more than bread, more than life itself.
I want you.
And that is exactly what they're about to be tested on.
Do you want me more than your life?
Jesus asked them and he says to this church, you're so rich.
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You're so awesome.
You have given yourself completely to the Holy Spirit.
The church of Smyrna, this persecuted church and the church of Philadelphia are the onlytwo churches out of the seven that Jesus found no fault in them.
He had nothing critical to say.
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Just keep on, keep on doing what you're doing.
I see you.
You're rich.
Hard times are going to come.
But he said, Jesus found no faults in them.
Why did he find no fault in them?
I said it earlier.
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A church under persecution is always a pure church.
Outliers flee.
You won't find a lot of gay priests in China, in communist China.
You won't find a lot of transgender elders where Boko Haram is in Africa.
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You're not gonna find it because you're gonna find other things to do because it's goingto cost you and you're gonna have to surrender your whole self.
You're going to have to surrender your whole identity in order to stand in a church and abody that is under intense persecution.
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So in that situation, outliers tend to not hang around very long.
Right.
People who want to gossip, people who want to fight and cuss and keep up the vision.
And this is what they do every Sunday.
every Wednesday night they show up with rocks in their mouth, just wanna sit around andgossip.
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They're not gonna hang around very long in a persecuted church.
You can go to bingo and do all of that cussing and fussing and keeping up ruckus, right?
And get your feel from that versus sitting here with this body of believers.
You can't get a job, they're withholding the wealth.
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of the city from you because you're a part of that church.
You're not accepted and polite company.
You're demeaned.
You're called ugly names.
You're ostracized just because you're in this church affiliated with those kind of people.
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And if you're not serious about Jesus,
You're not gonna do it.
Like in communist China, it's the underground church for a reason because you can't comein mainstream because it's not accepted.
You will be hunted down.
You will be, the odds of you being murdered is great for your faith.
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So there's no diddling around when you're in a situation where you're being persecuted.
Many of us feel that now even in political,
company and political classes determining what side of the aisle you're going to be on.
One side, there seems to be a lot of applause if you're on that side of the aisle versusif you're on the other side of the aisle.
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It's difficult.
There's not a lot of wins there and it's not a lot of applause and fanfare there.
And so you become more rooted and more determined and more focused.
That's
the environment of a persecuted church.
So instead he gave them heads up.
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He didn't find fault with them.
Instead, he gave them insight.
He pulled back the curtain just a little bit more for them to give them heads up on futureevents.
What were those future events?
Again, Revelation chapter two in verse nine, he said, you know affliction, you knowdistress, you have pressing trouble, you're being pressed in.
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on all sides, you are poor, but you're rich.
You are abused, you are reviled and slandered by people.
But he said, don't fear that.
Dismiss that dread from your mind.
Don't even fear what is being done to you.
He said, behold though, I'm gonna pull back the curtain.
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I don't find any fault with you, but I want you to know what is about to happen.
He said, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison.
that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for 10 days you will haveaffliction.
Be loyally faithful unto death, even if you must die for it.
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And I will give you the crown of life, he says.
You're about to be tested, but not tested indefinitely.
I know when you're going through, it feels like it's forever.
feels like the pressure, feels like I can't take no more.
But he says, you're gonna be tested.
The devil is going, you're already being tested.
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He's going to ante up.
But he said, it's not gonna be forever.
It's gonna be for a short amount of time.
And literally 10 days is just 10 days indicating a short amount of time.
It will only last for a little while.
You will be pressed on all sides.
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The pressure will be great, but it will only last for a short time.
I know oppression always feel longer than it is.
They would not just face persecution, but possibly death.
He said, it's going to be for a short amount of time.
Turn with me to John 15 verse 20 and 21.
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Remember the words I spoke to you, Jesus says.
No servant is greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
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So Jesus said, if they persecuted me,
and they did, they killed him on a cross, then they're going to persecute you.
You are not better.
The servant is not better than the master.
So if they did it to me, it's possible that they will do it to you.
Why?
Because they don't know me and they don't like my name or my people or those whofaithfully follow me.
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So, you know, only I call it Americanized.
Christianity where again we name it and claim it blab it and grab it every day is a sunnyday Every day is a great day.
And if it's not it must be because you've done something wrong Very different fromchurches in China or many parts of Africa many parts of the world even very different
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Persecution they're pressed in on all sides.
But in America
We have this Americanized version of this watered down version of Christianity where ifyou're blessed, it can be quantified in your material ownership, the things that you own
around you.
That's how we see being blessed, being blessed by God, being that God is satisfied with usis that every day is a great day, right?
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But Jesus is saying to these people whom
He found no fault in.
You are rich.
You are amazing.
But you're about to go through some more.
But don't worry.
It's for a short amount of time.
It won't last forever.
And know I am the first and the last.
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Everything that happens happens under my watchful and faithful eye.
I was dead.
Now I'm alive.
Even if they take your life, I have the ability
to raise you up again.
Don't dread it.
Dismiss the dread.
Dismiss the distress.
Push it back.
Don't be fearful.
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Push back sadness and depression.
Push back weakness and cowardice.
Push it out of your mind.
Why?
Because I am the first and the last.
Nothing happens outside of me saying okay.
outside of my watchful eye, outside of my purposeful eye.
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And there will be a beginning to your time of travail, but then there will be an end.
I got this.
This is what he says to them.
Jesus has conquered death.
Fear the one who cannot just destroy the body, but the one who can destroy the soul aswell.
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So what causes this?
They were being persecuted not just by religious people, by the Jews in the synagogue, asthe word says here, but they were being persecuted by unsaved people falling under the
banner of religion.
Read with me.
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Second Timothy, verse 10 through 13.
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life.
my purpose, my faith, patience, love, endurance, persecution, suffering.
See, this is the persecuted church and Paul was a persecuted Christian.
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Everything you could think that happened to him happened to him.
And he says, again, kind of like the church of Smyrna, what did I say?
They were rich, rich in what?
Purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, not giving up.
They were being persecuted.
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And he said, but you know my way of life, because it's a way of life to be loving, to bekind.
He said, what kinds of things happened to me?
You know about this in Antioch and Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.
Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
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In fact,
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted while evil menand imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
It's as if the word of God applies to this time in history right now.
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And it does, of course.
But he says, if you are a Christian, you should expect to be persecuted.
If you are a Christian who are living in such a way, who is living in such a way that theHoly Spirit has the ability to reign in you fully, to live in you fully.
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And so you are living a life of love and kindness and gentleness.
In today's culture, we have this distorted view of love, right?
Love is, you know, love is love.
Love is everything.
Love conquers all.
No.
And that love is sweet and kind and gentle and never has a backbone and just allows anyit's permissive to any and everything.
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No, that's not biblical love, right?
But a biblical love understanding what is true, putting your stake in the ground andsaying, I'm going to stand on what is true.
And what is true may not be what is popular, but what is true is what is right, morallyright.
And I'm going to stand on this bit of truth.
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that I've discovered.
If you live that kind of way in this kind of culture, you are going to come underpersecution.
It will happen.
Turn with me to John chapter 15, 19 and 20.
If you belong to the world, it will love you.
And we see that all the time on social media in Hollywood.
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If you belong to the world, my goodness, red carpet, the glam squad, it looks like they'rehaving so much fun.
If you belong to the world, it will love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
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Remember the words I spoke to you.
This is Jesus speaking.
No servant is greater than his master.
And I've already said that.
So you should expect the persecution.
Wow.
Last one, Matthew chapter five.
I'm gonna throw this in for good measure.
Verse 10.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.
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For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evilagainst you because of me.
Verse 10.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, not because you are outhere lying.
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and sleeping with everything and cussing and fussing and gossiping and keeping up chaos.
No, I just want to throw this in for good measure, right?
Like, I'm so persecuted because you're doing horrible things or you're gossiping or you'renot kind or you're divisive or you are drunkard or you're sleeping with everything or just
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that persecution is warranted.
And Christians do all of these, you know, all of these horrible things as well.
at times, so that level of persecution is warranted.
I wanted to throw that in just so I can give you good balance, that the type ofpersecution where Jesus finds no fault in you is a kind of persecution where you are in
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right standing with Him.
If you are living out your values, you will be persecuted.
And the risk could vary, being canceled today, being canceled, being shunned.
all the way up to the Equality Act.
Most of you may not have heard of the Equality Act, but it is a bill that the Democratshappen to continuously bring before legislators.
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And each time they bring it, it is becoming more and more popular.
And the Equality Act will do the absolute opposite of what the name implies.
It will not make us equal.
In fact, it gives cancel culture legal standing.
So right now, if the culture doesn't like you, they can cancel you and shun you and notinvite you to the Christmas party.
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If the Equality Act passes, in addition to being canceled from the culture, you could becharged, convicted, sentenced for a crime.
The purge will be complete.
Don't believe me?
Look at what's happening in the UK right now.
That's the Equality Act.
They're trying to bring that here.
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So Smyrna had a very heavy Jewish population and the Jews in Smyrna at that time hated theChristians.
The Jews worked in concert with the Roman government to persecute the church of Smyrna.
What can you and I do today when we come under persecution?
Continue to be light and salt.
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Continue to forgive.
Continue to want.
God more than what is in his hand.
Jesus commanded them to remain faithful, even to the point of death.
Continue doing what you're doing.
Persecution, what you have to understand, is the first law of society.
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It's the first law, persecution, because it is always easier to suppress criticism than tomeet it, to debate it.
Like we don't even debate anymore in our culture.
We just use ad homonyms.
We label people, we define people, we put them in boxes and we say, you're radical, you'recrazy, we're not gonna talk to you anymore, you're a danger to the democracy.
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And that is a signal that everyone else should stay away from you.
But persecution, real oppression, real threats, real slander that harms you, thatoppresses you on every side, it is the first law
of society because it is always easier to suppress a person than it is to actually comeand debate that person.
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There were no warnings given to the church of Smyrna because Jesus found no fault withthem.
Instead, he has a promise.
If you remain faithful, I will give you the crown of life.
God's presence is their promise.
The amount of time they would be persecuted would be no more and no less than what Goddeems.
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Trust Him.
That's how He introduces Himself.
That's He closes it out.
The letter, trust Him.
Trust me, Jesus says.
Nothing happens outside of me.
There's so much comfort.
Even today, as we read the letter Jesus wrote to the church,
(36:55):
in smart.
Blessing.
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