Greetings. This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with a moment of truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. And today, I'd like to challenge you to think about the poor, afflicted, beat-down church of Smyrna in Asia that we find in the book of Revelation in comparison with the fat cat church in America today. We last week looked briefly at the church in Smyrna as an introduction and saw that it was poor and afflicted and persecuted, but nevertheless, our Lord had his eye upon them, and he had his eye upon them for good.

And he was going to bless them, promise them indeed that they would find life in him, even though they found death at the hands of their persecutors in this life. And I'd like to continue to look at that church too, because it's very important for application to the church around the world today, which is far more like the church in Smyrna than the church in America is today. The church in America, I submit to you, will get to this church as well. It's far more like the church in Laodicea than it is the church in Smyrna. Well, let's take up the text first of all, and then we'll have part two of the church in Smyrna.

This is from the book of Revelation at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We are preaching through the book of Revelation now, and it's been a very instructive study for all of us, including myself. And if you'd like to join us, we invite you to do so. We meet for holy worship on Sundays at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard, and we are presently in our worship services at 10 a.m. We are preaching through the book of Revelation. And one of those texts is from Revelation chapter 2, verses 8 through 11.

And here they are. To the angel of the church in Smyrna write, these are the words of him who is the first and the last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for 10 days. Be faithful, even to the point of 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. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. Oh, brothers and sisters, what a word of comfort to a poor, suffering, and persecuted church.

Now, last week, we saw, I gave you, in contrast, just a flavor of some of the richest Christian preachers in America. Now, in comparison with this poor, suffering church in Smyrna, right, we saw that Kenneth Copeland headed the list, being worth $760 million. We also saw other familiar ones we know about. Pat Robertson, valued at $100 million. Hal Lindsey, valued at $45 million.

Joel Osteen himself at $40 million. And of course, we saw one of my favorite targets in the book of Revelation, John Hagee, himself valued at over $5 million. I wonder how our Lord would write a letter to them compared to the letter that he wrote to the church in Smyrna. Oh, one of the things I hope to hear when the Lord returns is, well done, good and faithful servant. I fight to be able to be faithful as well in days to come, even as the church in Smyrna was faithful.

And we saw last week from verse 8, I pointed out to you, and my point was to the church in Smyrna, persecuted, poor, and imprisoned as you may be, know that he who is sovereign, raised to life, holds your life and destiny in his hands. Remember, we saw that last week, and what a precious promise that was to the church in Smyrna. And when we left off, then last week, we also saw from verses 9 and 10, and this would be my second point to make to you, to the church in Smyrna, persecuted, poor, and imprisoned as you may be, patiently endure with faith to the point of death, and the crown of life is yours.

This is the promise of verses 9 through 10. And we saw what a contrast the poor persecuted church in Smyrna was compared to the elegant and prosperous city itself. And the streets were laid out in straight lines, paved with stones, lined with porticos. There were temples to the emperors Augustus and Tiberius, many well-endowed Jewish synagogues there as well. Ding, ding, ding, ding.

That should set off alarm bells for us, because indeed, the Jews in Smyrna who persecuted the Christians were called a synagogue of Satan, were they not? Well, we also saw then that some of the churches might not take as much comfort in being so thoroughly known as the Smyrnians, but nevertheless, the church was well-known by our Lord Jesus Christ. He knows us all intimately. He knows all of our churches. He knows your church intimately and thoroughly, inside and out.

That's another point we need to take away from these letters to the churches in Asia, because all through history, our Lord has known intimately every one of his churches, every one of those who claim his name. And we saw about the Smyrnians, then last week, we were in the midst of three points that our Lord knows about them. And we saw that, number one, they have tribulation. Number two, they have poverty. Indeed, they couldn't afford to buy media time on TBN, excuse me, or film lavish videos on end times to put up on YouTube, did they?

They couldn't afford a luxurious cruise with Ligonier ministries to the Holy Land. They probably couldn't even afford the legal fees for the charges that they faced. Indeed, the Jewish synagogues were making regular accusations against the churches in Smyrna at this time. They were indeed synagogues of Satan. And we now take up a third point of tribulation that the church in Smyrna faced, and that they were slandered against.

Slandered against. And it's not petty gossip, but lies and accusations so as to bring charges against them for prosecution. That's the idea of slander. Slandered, that is, lies propagated in front of a court official, a judge, perhaps, or a magistrate of the Roman Empire. This was rife in the life of the early church, too, not just in Smyrna.

We see it very early in the book of Acts, for example, from Acts chapter 14. Now at Iconium, they, that is, Paul and Barnabas, entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. An attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to mistreat them and to stone them, unquote. Well, it not only happened in Iconium, but it also happened in churches like Smyrna.

Church fathers like Justin Martyr and Tertullian wrote eloquent defenses to Roman officials, attempting to counter the false accusations of their accusers. So this would be characteristic all through church history. And the kind of things they would be saying, the church fathers, like Justin Martyr and Tertullian, they'd be saying, no, that their agape feasts, which were the Lord's Supper, a love feast, their agape feasts were not sexual orgies like they were in pagan religions. No, no, no. The Lord's Supper is far, far different than the so-called love feasts of pagan religions.

And they had to protest and say, no, no, no. They were not cannibals eating the flesh and blood in the bread and wine of the supper. The Christians were not cannibals eating actual human flesh and blood. No, it was representational. It was sacramental in the bread and wine of the supper of the Lord.

And they had to protest quite strenuously. Our forebearers, the church fathers, like Tertullian, like Justin Martyr, they had to protest strenuously that, no, they were not traitors to the empire, cursing the empire in secret ceremonies. No, no, no. They weren't doing that. Uh, they had open services of liturgy and prayer.

And you could see, uh, in all of them that they prayed regularly for the magistrates of the Roman empire, for the health and wellbeing of the Roman empire, because when the Roman empire prospered, so did all men. And so did the church. Well, our Lord identifies a particular set of accusers here and they were the Jews who he says are not Jews. Our Lord is very explicit here. Non-believing Jews are not the true covenant children any longer.

And we need to understand this in our own day as well. Non-believing Jews, Jews that do not embrace Christ and see him as their savior and see the church, uh, as their home. Non-believing Jews like this are not the true covenant children any longer. That has passed to a different people now under the new covenant. Well, the Bible lays out very clearly.

Now, who is a Jew? Who is a Jew now? Well, one converted by the spirit. First of all, Paul is very strenuous about this in Romans chapter two verses 28 and 29, that a true Jew is one converted by the Holy spirit. Paul says, for no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly nor is circumcision outward and physical, but a Jew is one inwardly and circumcision is a matter of the heart by the spirit, not by the letter unquote.

So a true Jew today, and this has to be strenuously maintained in the light of, uh, what is sometimes called, uh, then replacement theology. That is a lie that is being propagated in many circles today. No, one who is a Jew today, uh, is not one who's merely one outwardly nor is circumcision outward and physical pulses, but a Jew is one inwardly and circumcision is a matter of the heart by the spirit, not by the letter. Well, also then who is a true Jew now? Well, that circumcision then was accomplished at the cross.

Paul also says in Colossians chapter two in him that is in Christ. Also, you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross, unquote. So our circumcision is now one of the heart, not of the flesh.

And so then finally behold the true Jew under the new covenant. Who is a true Jew now? A synagogue of believers rather than a synagogue of Satan. Behold the true Jew under the new covenant. Now, Paul says, if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise, unquote.

The apostle Paul in Galatians chapter three asserts, if you're Christ's, then you're Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. These are true Jews now. You are a true Jew, dear Gentile, converted by the spirit, right? Having been circumcised in the heart, you are a true Jew. You are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

In fact, so egregious is the Jews' hatred and unbelief that our Lord calls them a synagogue of what? A synagogue of beloved people for whom prophetic clock has stopped, whose temple will be rebelled and whose promises will be fulfilled once the church is raptured? No, they are not that kind of synagogue. Are they a synagogue of co-equal covenant people whose promises and covenants run parallel, but on different prophetic timetables? No, that is not what Paul calls, or what the apostle John calls, our Lord calls through the apostle John, this synagogue of, right?

No, they are a synagogue of Satan because they oppose God now by opposing and hating his son. This has to be remembered, dear listener, as we deal with then the variety of synagogues, this very synagogue that is rebuilding the temple. Now, it is a synagogue of Satan. They're a synagogue of Satan because they oppose God by opposing and hating his son, Jesus Christ. As our Lord puts it in John chapter 8, if you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, Jesus says, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.

This is not what Abraham did, if they were two sons of Abraham, they would be listening to Jesus, and that's true of Jews today as well. Our Lord goes on to say, you are doing the works your father did. If God were your father, you would love me, Jesus says, for I came from God and I am here. You are of your father, the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires, unquote. So, our Lord virtually calls them a synagogue of Satan in his earthly ministry, and he definitely calls the unbelieving Jews of John's time a synagogue of Satan.

What our Lord says here is perfectly consistent with what he said of them in his earthly ministry. What our Lord says here in Revelation is perfectly consistent with what he said of them in his earthly ministry, and this is not anti-Semitism. If indeed we are anti-Semites, so is Jesus. Jesus was not an anti-Semite. No, be wary of those that are hypnotized by all things Israel and end times.

Be wary of those who are hypnotized by all things Israel and all things end times prophecies and supposed promises yet to be fulfilled. These are people who will lead you astray and indeed cause you to serve the beast. Jews do not need to just add a little Jesus to their religion to be right with God. No. As Paul says in Philippians chapter 3, Look out for the dogs.

Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, unquote, the Apostle Paul himself. Well, what can we expect then from those of the synagogue of Satan? Our Lord is very articulate, and he's very clear of what we then as believers can expect from the synagogue of Satan.

Number four, you are not to fear the suffering to come. Our Lord says you are not to fear the suffering to come. The first and the last has his divine purpose to accomplish. You're not to fear the suffering to come. Our Lord exhorts and comforts the Smyrnians.

Once more, the whole church has taken great comfort in these words over the millennia, too. And for the worldling, there's much to fear in what our Lord sketches is in store for the church in Smyrna. First of all, the devil will throw some of you into confinement, our Lord says. The children of their father instigating, that is, the Jews who are not Jews, they will throw some of you into confinement, into prison, right? Indeed, Christians have known the insides of jails and prisons for millennia now, too, haven't they?

Once again, the church of the world, or I mean the church in the world, and the church throughout history, and the church today primarily are experiencing these kinds of sufferings. They have known of jails and prisons for millennia now. Does this mean we're evil? That we are those who do wrong? Hardly.

Because our Lord then says, this is to prove your true mettle. That's the sense of that you may be tested. Another consistent motif throughout Revelation. Last week, we saw the Ephesians tested those calling themselves apostles, but were not. And this week, it is Christ who is the assayer who will test his own to prove them of gold, silver, and precious stones.

And he's there to burn away the wood, hay, and stubble of their spiritual dross. Suffering is given not so much to make you glorious, but rather to bring forth the glory already there in you, insofar as Christ is in you. To this we are called, brothers and sisters, we are not to be raptured out of testing and trial, but we are to be shepherded through it so that what we are may be seen, silver, gold, and precious stones.

And for Peter, for example, for what credit is it if, as he says in 1 Peter 2, for what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure, but if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. We are destined to suffer, to bring forth the glory of Christ. We are not to be raptured out of it. Can you see how this would strengthen those in Smyrna, the words of our Lord, or anywhere else in the world throughout history?

Many more than you might expect take great comfort. Do you see why the early church incorporated the reading of Revelation in its liturgies, in its worship? And they just didn't go reading through it to plunder it for prophetic signs. Also of great comfort then to the church in Smyrna and any persecuted church, the duration of your tribulation is limited, our Lord promises them. The duration of your tribulation is limited.

Almost all acknowledge that the 10 days is a symbolic number, a limited period, well in the sovereign hand of our Lord. Suffering will not be permitted beyond the measure of God's purpose. Why 10? Well, 10 is a fraction of another symbolic number. That is the thousand years of blessing and dominion that's promised in chapter 20 of Revelation.

Remember there it says, also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands, they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The duration of your suffering is limited. 10, the duration of your blessed dominion is limitless in comparison, a thousand. Wow. Then finally, our Lord comforts them when he says, when you are faithful to me unto death temporal, I am faithful to you unto life eternal.

When the Smyrnaans or any other Christian is faithful to Christ unto death temporal, Christ is faithful to you unto life eternal. The church in Smyrna is exhorted with great comfort to remain faithful. Crowns were bestowed in the ancient world after great triumphs. Titus, after his conquest in Jerusalem, received a crown. Herod, after being granted Palestine by the emperor, was given a crown.

Even athletes after races and fights received crowns. These are stephanoi, as the Greek word puts it, promised to the faithful under trial. Stephanoi. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, James says, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the stephanoi of life, the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Well, this positive promise of life is also affirmed then by referencing its negative.

That brings me to point number three in verse 11. We see here in the church of Smyrna, persecuted, poor, and imprisoned as you may be, your faithful obedience will issue in dominion extending to the very life to come. Yes, that's in verse 11. Persecuted, poor, and imprisoned as you may be, O church of Smyrna, your faithful obedience will issue in dominion extending to the very life to come. Yes, our Lord concludes in verse 11 of chapter 2, then inform with the exhortation to hear with a true understanding.

He who hasn't heard, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, that is us, the exhortation to hear with true understanding, dear listener. Then to this weak, poor, insignificant, unarmed, ragtag army, our Lord promises to the Smyrnians and consequently to us, the one who conquers, the one who conquers. We already know that this victory in conquering is a victory by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of the saints. To the one who conquers, he will not be hurt by the second death, our Lord promises.

There's again an allusion to chapter 20 following the great white throne judgment where we see, then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, 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. Well, what was stated positively moments ago, that is the crown of life, is stated negatively here. The second death, the destiny of all others, is not to be yours, O Smyrnians.

One of my favorite euphemisms is drawn from texts like these. That is, all men experience one of two destinies. Either one is born twice and dies once. That is, he experiences physical birth and the new birth of the spirit, and he experiences only one physical death. Or else, one is born once and dies twice.

That is, he experiences only physical birth and not a spiritual birth. And then he dies physically and spiritually eternally. That is the second death. Either you're born twice and die once or else, you're born once and die twice. Oh, yes.

The church in Smyrna knew the first. How about you, dear listener? Oh, I pray that you experience two births and only one death. Well then, let us come to see then, indeed, how the church in Smyrna, see how the church in Smyrna is given this precious promises in the face of, in the very teeth of persecution and tribulation. Oh, dear listener, may this be ours too.

It is not our destiny to be raptured out of tribulation, but it is our destiny to be ushered through it, to be protected, to be loved, to be seen as bringing glory to our Lord in suffering and persecution as well, as the church has, as our very Lord has. And we are to be like our Lord, like teacher, like student, like master, like servant. May we all be like our Lord in this regard and be prepared to suffer persecution, tribulation for 10 days, as was the promise, for a limited amount of time, as had been promised then indeed by our Lord, and not be disillusioned and broken when persecution comes because we aren't raptured out of it.

No, we are meant to bear up through it and to conquer then by our, by the blood of the Lamb through persecution. This has been the pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We meet for holy worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. at 1014th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. Join us for worship at 10 a.m. at New Geneva. And you can call us for more information at area code 208-523-0196. That's area code 208-523-0196.