Weekend Sermon--Revelation

     It is good to be back for another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  I hope that everyone had a good week that was truly blessed.
     Please keep praying that the Lord will help me in my ministry goal.  So far, things haven't been progressing the way I hoped.  Continue to pray that the Lord will allow me to sell what I need to sell, and that I will get the finances that I need to pay what I need to pay.
     I would also ask as well that you pray for the folks who live in Southern Kansas and Southern Missouri.  They have been having terrible flooding that has taken several lives.  Pray that the rain will hold off for awhile in these areas. 
     In last week's message, we focused our attention on the first message that Jesus gave to the seven churches of Asia.  Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for laboring for Him and judging true from false teaching.
     However, the church at Ephesus had lost their first love.  This can happen if a believer does not practice building his relationship with the Lord.  We grow in our love for the Lord by continuing in prayer and meditation.  We stay firm in our love when we obey the teachings and commandments of Jesus.
     Jesus urged the people to repent and overcome.  Those who overcome would enjoy a great relationship with the Lord in Heaven.
     We now turn to Jesus' message to the church at Smyrna recorded in Revelation 2:8-11.  Smyrna was a large city located 35 miles north of the the city of Ephesus.  This city was know as one of the prime locations of emperor worship in the Roman world.  They also had a large Jewish population.
     Jesus says that He was the one who died and came back to life.  Jesus rose from the dead, and He is alive forevermore.
     Jesus goes on to say in verse 9 that He knew the church's, "works, tribulations, and poverty".  The people in the church at Smyrna, along with those in Philadelphia, were the only two churches not to receive a rebuke from the Lord.
     Jesus was pleased that the people were working diligently for Him.  They were spreading the message of the gospel in a place filled with spiritual darkness.
     Because of their testimony and their work for the Kingdom of Heaven, the people were suffering a great persecution.  Jesus says that this is just the beginning of the persecution that the church in Smyrna would face.  Jesus said that some of them would be thrown into prison and tested for their faith in Him.
     This wasn't all that the people in Smyrna were facing.  They were in great poverty.  This may have been a result of the persecution they were facing.  Besides this, the people were suffering persecution for some who were claiming to be Jews but were not.
     In spite of all of that this church was facing, it remained faithful to Jesus, and they received a word of commendation and encouragement from the Lord.
     Jesus told the church that even though they were poor in material things, they were really rich.  This has much application to believers today.  Some teachers today teach that if a believer is living right and has enough faith they he will have financial prosperity.  We see from this passage that this is not the case.  The people in the church at Smyrna were faithful followers of Jesus even in the midst of persecution.  And they were poor.  There are many faithful followers of Jesus who are poor in worldly goods and just barely have enough to get by.  However, although many may be poor in things of the world, they are rich in the love of the Lord and the things that count for eternity.  They have the true spiritual riches that come for knowing Jesus Christ.
     Many also face tremendous persecution for their faith in the Lord Jesus.  In some countries, those who come to the Christian faith can suffer the loss of family, livelihood and even their life.  There are many martyrs for the sake of Jesus Christ today.
     Jesus said that those who were faithful to Him in the midst of persecution will receive the crown of life.  James also talks about the crown of life in his epistle as well.  This is a special reward for those who give their lives for the cause of Christ.  It is a great honor to receive this crown so that it may be placed at the feet of the King of Kings.
     Those who are faithful and overcome this world and its temptations will not face the second death which is separation from God for all eternity.  Those who put their trust in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and believe in His resurrection have passed from death into life.
     Those who trust in Jesus will spend eternity with Him.  I pray that if there is anyone who is reading this message who has not trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord that you will do so today.
     On Wednesday, I will post another animal book review.  Next week, we will look at Jesus' words to the church at Pergamos.