The Church in Smyrna

My name is Len, and I am Director of Vocation and Pastoral Care here in Lifeline. One of my privileges is that of leading our summer internship. And the Lord has been really blessing our internship. We have been blessed with some really great interns this summer, and just so thankful for all that God is doing. And want to thank you for your prayers for our interns and for our internship.

Thank you so much. I have the privilege of opening the Word of God this morning. If you need a Bible, you will find one on the rack in the chair in front of you. And if you do not have a Bible, it's our gift to you. You may take it home.

Also, in the chair pocket in front of you, you will also find an outline of this morning's message. If you would like, you can take that out and follow along. As we Look at what the Lord has for us in Revelation chapter 2. Verses eight Through eleven. As Brian has so clearly articulated for us when he began this series on the seven churches.

He has shared that the twofold intent of the book of Revelation is that it is a tool of comfort and a tool of. perseverance. First of all, the intents was that the Christ followers in these seven churches would, in the midst of sporadic. persecution under the Roman Emperor. find what it meant for them to live in the comfort that they were not alone.

And that God, through the power of His Holy Spirit, saw them. and was active with them. The intent of this comfort would then yield to them perseverance. Perseverance in our culture and over against the cosmological world system. That was no friend of theirs.

and no friend of the one who will come in power. to rescue them. When I was in high school, our youth group one day we had a campfire, and our youth pastor. uh suddenly jumped up. and started saying It's all around me.

It's all around me. And we're saying, what's the matter? What's all around you? He said. My belt.

Typical youth pastor, except for Aaron, he said he doesn't do those things. Yeah. But He used that to begin to unpack for us the truths that we find in Psalm 139, verse 5. Speaking of our good and faithful God, the psalmist writes these words: You hem me in. You have encircled me.

You have enclosed me behind and before. You surround me front and back. You are all around me. on every side. Our good and faithful God.

is all around us and he guards us. as his valued possession. And these truths of comfort and empowerment that we will unpack here in Revelation 2. Verses 8 through 11, I trust will be of great Encouragement. to you as we look at them this morning.

The church in Smyrna, in Revelation chapter 2, verses 8 through 11, we read these words, which you. We read earlier. 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. Just thirty-five to forty miles north northwest of Ephesus, we find the little. Church.

in the town in the city of Smyrna. The Smyrna of Revelation chapter 2 Uh is the modern-day city of Izmir. in the country of Turkey. The country of Turkey in this city of Izmir has a population of around three million, and it is situated on the Aegean coast and is Turkey's second busiest port city.

However, back in the time in which this book was written, This letter was written, Ephesus and Smyrna were both very influential and wealthy cities in the Roman province of Asia. Yet they faced very, very different situations, and they responded to them. In very different ways. Whereas the people of Ephesus are urged to be as they once were. The people in Smyrna were urged to continue as they are now.

Okay. The church in Smyrna And this letter to the church in Samaria is the shortest of the seven letters to the seven churches. And it zeroes in on the trauma-filled situation that the believers in Smyrna were facing. They had been under siege. They were currently under siege and they would remain under siege for time to come.

It's probably very difficult for us to Imagine The difficulties that these believers were going through at that time. The church in Smyrna displayed the power and unity that come from enduring persecution. Persecution had purified the church and affirmed the reality of these believers' faith. Though they suffered privation and poverty, The Christians in Smyrna clung to their spiritual riches. in Christ.

And fittingly, the church in Smyrna Is one of the two churches, the other being Philadelphia, that received no rebuke from the Lord. And the similarity between these two churches is that they were both. undergoing severe persecution. Persecution and trials are an inevitable. and I believe in an essential part of the Christian life.

And the church in Smyrna instructs all of us as believers and Christ followers, and all churches, Lifeline community included, how to properly respond when. Not if. But when persecution and trials come. Yeah. The early church was hated by the society.

and government of the Roman Empire for various reasons. One primary reason. was that they would not worship The Emperors. that were ruling over them. The empire went through many phases of demanding that the Christians sacrifice to their gods, which meant denying their faith.

Or being killed. Polycarp, a disciple of John, would become the bishop. of the church in Smyrna. He would also disciple Irenaeus, the bishop of the church in Lyon, and Irenaeus would disciple Hippolytus, a disciple or a bishop of the church in Rome.

So there we have Polycarp. and his great line a great line that traces back to his martyrdom. And the great line which goes back to Polycarp, Irenaeus Hippolytis. and then traces back to John. I'd like to have you think for a moment of a truth that Paul writes to his son in the faith, Timothy.

He says, What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust of faithful men. who will be able to teach others also. Think back with me for a moment. Undoubtedly, someone shared with you The gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ.

And perhaps at that moment, that day, that event. you became a follower of Jesus Christ. When we become followers of Jesus Christ, we also have the privilege. of sharing with others What God has done for us in His Son.

So we begin or continue, as it were, a line.

Someone shares the gospel with us. We believe it and pass it on to others, perhaps beginning in our homes or in our workplace or in our relationships that we have. That line can continue. with those with whom we have shared the gospel. And on and on it goes.

As I was thinking about this, I thought Let's be very, very careful. Let that line not end. with us. Let's be certain that when we have received the good news of the gospel. that we pass it on to others.

and that that line continues. just as it did with John and Polycarp and Irenaeus and Hippolytus. But considered a privilege And the responsibility that we have of continuing these lines of evangelism. and discipleship. When we think of evangelism, We need to remember that lost people matter to God.

and therefore lost people. should matter to us. And when we think of discipleship, a quote I read. few months ago. Making disciples of Jesus.

is the overflow of the delight in being. disciples of Jesus. In preparation for this morning, I did some additional reading about Polycarp, and I learned that there were eyewitnesses who actually wrote a letter of what they saw when Polycarp was martyred. I'd like to read some of the excerpts of that letter. We are writing to you, brothers, with an account of the martyrs, especially the blessed Polycarp.

whose death brought the persecution to a close. All the martyrdoms which God allowed to happen, remember that the devout. will ascribe all things to his sovereignty. were blessed and noble. Who could not admire their honor, their patience, their love for the Lord?

They were whipped to shreds till their veins and arteries were exposed, and still endured patiently. while even those that stood by cried for them. They had such courage. Those who were condemned to the wild beasts endured dreadful torture.

Some were stretched out on beds of spikes. Others were subjected to all kinds of torments. all in the devil's attempt to make them deny Christ. In all that the devil attempted. He failed.

Thanks be to God The letter continues. As Polycarp was being taken into the arena, the pro consul, tried to persuade him to apostatize, saying, Have respect for your old age. Swear by the fortune of Caesar. Repent. And say down.

with the atheists. Swear, urged Pro Consul. Reproach Christ. And I will set you free. Polyclark declared.

Eighty six years I have served Christ. and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king? and my Savior. As they bound him with his hands behind him, Polycarp looked up to heaven and said.

O Lord God Almighty. I give you thanks that you count me worthy. to be numbered among your martyrs. To you be glory, both now and forever. Amen.

Then the fire was lit. and the flame blazed furiously. You may be thinking, Lynn, what in the world? Are you talking about? What does this have to do with us?

in twenty first century America. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Those of you who know me know I am not a pessimistic. Doomsday, half glass empty. type of person.

But please hear me. Would I say that we should not ignore Jesus' message? to the church in Smyrna. The time may not be far off when things change significantly for us. as Christ followers.

Our culture has been. and is increasingly heading And an anti-Christian. Direction. We may.

Sooner or later. need to hear the message that Jesus gives to the believers in Smyrna. We may need to hear these words of comfort. That bring about perseverance. Recently, I read an article by the Vice President of the C.

S. Lewis Institute entitled Persecution and Suffering for Jesus Christ. In part it reads It is true that for many centuries, followers of Jesus in Europe and America haven't faced culture-wide persecution. because of their faith in Christ. But That era has almost disappeared, and a new era is upon us.

Exactly what it will be like is not yet clear. But it seems unlikely that it will be favorable to those who follow Jesus. Signs of persecution are already apparent. Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value systems. That clash is what we are seeing now.

And it is ultimately between those who believe, trust, and love the God of the Bible and those who do not. This is creating a cultural climate in the West in which persecution of Jesus' followers simply for their allegiance to him. Is No longer unthinkable. whether in family, community, or workplace. When the church encounters hardship, persecution, and suffering, then it is closest to its crucified Lord.

Then there are fewer hypocrites and nominal believers among its members. And then the faith of Christians burns. more intensely. Considering the inevitability of suffering for Christ, let's. Carefully and prayerfully embrace that which is set forth here in Revelation chapter 2.

Verses 8 through 11. and learned some invaluable lessons along the way. The church, Revelation 2:8, and to the angel of the church in Smyrna. The letter is addressed to the angel of the church. And as Brian shared with us in the past, he believes, and I do as well, that this was written to literal angels in the church.

The church in Smyrna.

Now the Bible does not record the founding of the church in Smyrna, but we can learn a great deal from other sources and from these four verses. The city of Smyrna was called the most beautiful of all the cities, and it was known for its allegiance to Rome. Smyrna was a staunch ally of the Roman Empire. The city had necropolis, aqueducts, paved streets, a gymnasium, a library, a theater, and a stadium. And in 26 to 27 AD, Smyrna built a temple for the Emperor Tiberius, and the city became a center for imperial worship and had many other temples in it.

The unbelieving citizens of Smyrna were infatuated. with Rome. This made living an extremely difficult thing. for those who were Christ's followers. It made life very difficult.

In Smyrna, However, unlike Ephesus, there was no abandoning of their first love for their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Because the believers in Smyrna loved Christ. they remained faithful to him. Because of their faithfulness to him, They were hated. Because they were hated, they were persecuted, and that persecution caused them to love Christ.

Even more. The Christ, Revelation 2.8. Yeah. The words of the first and the last, who died. and came to life.

In John's vision in John chapter 1, or Revelation chapter 1, verses 9 through 20, specifically Revelation chapter 1, verse 18, the glorified, exalted, and Lord Jesus Christ identifies himself as the first in the last and the living one. I died. And behold. I am alive forevermore. Though expressed somewhat differently, This is the very same truth that is being set forth here in Revelation chapter 2, verse 8.

Okay. Jesus Christ presents himself. as the one who is able to bring comfort. Knowing that these followers of his were going through very difficult times because. He transcends.

all temporal matters. and that they, through their intimate union with him, would be able to do so also. Should they face death? at the hands of their persecutors. Beside them is the one who conquered death.

In Revelation chapter 11, you know these words well. Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. He is repeating what he said in John 8.

Where he says, Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my words, He will never see death. And if anyone keeps my word, He will never taste. Death. Jesus is speaking here of physical death. He is not.

Uh I'm sorry, is not speaking of physical death, but rather of spiritual death, of being separated. from God. Jesus Christ endured the most unjust and severe persecution anyone has ever suffered. And he can serve as a very compassionate. an understanding source of power.

Jesus Christ, the first. and the last. the one who died and came to life. is one who addressed this letter of comfort and encouragement to these believers. These believers needed to hear these words.

It was a scary time. To live. in Smyrna. Whatever held back the forces of persecution in the city of Ephesus were unrestrained. in Smyrna.

Life was extremely difficult, and these people needed to have hope. beyond death. The comfort, Revelation chapter 2, verse 9, Jesus continues, 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.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, absolutely nothing. Nothing. Escapes the vision. of our glorified Lord. Nothing escaped his vision of Smyrna then.

Nothing has escaped his vision of his church throughout the centuries. Nothing has escaped his vision. of the history of Lifeline Community. He has seen it. Or And this is true not only on a church-wide level.

but also on an individual. a personal level. I love the truth that's set forth in Revelation chapter 1, verse 13. where we see Jesus in the midst. of the lamp stands.

Just as Jesus was then in the midst of his churches. in Asia.

So he is in the midst of his church today. Lifeline community included. Imagine with me. Jesus Yeah. This morning.

He may be walking up and down the the aisle. He may be seated. But Jesus is here. Just as he was with the churches in Asia. He is here.

this morning. with us. I say this to my shame. Perhaps you can identify with it. There are things I would never ever Say Or do.

in the presence of other people. But I will say them and do them. in the presence of Jesus. I say that to my shame. That is shameful.

And I just want to Encourage us to think about how we live.

Someone has defined character as. What we are When we're all alone. And We need to be extremely careful that we do not fall into the trap of. Not saying and doing certain things because other people are around, but yet doing and saying those very same things in the presence. of our one and only true and living God.

The Lord Jesus. is in our midst. This promise of Jesus' presence. From Christ to the believers in Smyrna. was of great comfort to them, and I trust it will be to us as well.

Jesus continues his words of comfort. by stating, I know your tribulation.

Now there were primarily two reasons for The believers tribulation. As Christ followers. First of all, Though they willingly submitted to the civil government of Rome. They would not. Balbini.

to the emperor. They would not worship. The Emperor. Though they obeyed the civil laws and civil government, They refuse to do that. And therefore, They suffered great persecution.

at the end of the Roman Empire. Another reason they suffered persecution was because of the. strongly antagonistic Jewish population toward them. Unbelieving Jewish people in Smyrna. became very, very hostile toward Jewish people who had become Christ's followers.

and were committed to the lordship of Christ. in their lives. These two groups, the Roman. Empire in the the the leaders of the Roman Empire, and the unbelieving Jews. We were hostile and persecuted the followers of Christ.

without relent. Toward during the Time of Jesus' earthly ministry, right near the end of his ministry. He talked about growing antagonism on Unbelieving Jews. toward his followers. He said these words in John 16.

They, unbelieving Jews, will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things, because they have not known the Father nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told them to you. And in fulfillment of Jesus' words, we see this right here in Revelation chapter 2, where the people of Smirnov, the followers of Jesus, Christ at Smyrna faced slander by those who say they are Jews and are not.

but are a synagogue of Satan. Unbelieving Jews commonly accused Christians of false and blasphemous allegations. For example, cannibalism. based on a misunderstanding of communion. incest, based on the fact that believers referred to each other as brothers and sisters.

Immorality, based on a perversion of the holy kiss. Atheism, because they refuse to worship pagan deities, and political disloyalty, Because they refused to worship and to offer sacrifices to the Roman emperors. These haters of the gospel and of Christ's followers were a part of a synagogue of Satan, though they believed themselves to be. A part of the synagogue of God.

So these believers were sent, which between these two hostile entities. But Jesus was not only aware. of their persecution. We read here that he was also totally knowledgeable of their poverty. Because of their severe persecution, those who had Possessions had undoubtedly lost them.

Many were slaves, most were destitute. I just want to reinforce a thought right here. God sees and cares. about every detail. of our lives.

Every detail. Whatever you may be experiencing today, God is aware of it. And he cares. And he is with us and never leaves us. The church in Smyrna had every reason, humanly speaking, to collapse.

Instead, it remained faithful. And unlike Ephesus, they never abandoned their first love. And that's why Jesus says, you are rich. They were abjectly Poor. They had abject poverty.

But Jesus says, you are rich. They had everything that really mattered. Salvation holiness, grace, peace, fellowship. in a sympathetic Saviour and comforter. They never forgot.

their spiritual riches in Christ. The command. Revelation chapter 2, verse 10, Jesus continues to address his people with these words: 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.

After commending the believers in Smyrna for faithfully enduring, Jesus warned them that more was coming. Before going into detail as to the nature of the persecution, he commanded them: do not fear. what you are about to suffer. As I was preparing for this message, I believe the Lord brought a thought into my mind. The Bible addresses a lot about.

our emotions of fear and anxiety and other similar emotions. And as I looked up different scriptural passages about that, I found a corresponding truth. That really blessed me. For example, Joshua 1.9. Do not be frightened.

For the Lord your God is with you. Wherever you go. I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Psalm 23.

Psalm 46. God is a very present help in trouble. Therefore, We will not fear. Isaiah 41. I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand.

Do not fear. These are just a few. There are countless others. Everything. Many, many passages.

where the Lord says do not fear. He says For I am with you. After commanding the believers in the church in Smyrna, do not fear what you are about to suffer, the Lord specifically told them, as you can see here, 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. Despite being the target of vicious persecution, the Lord reminded his people.

that they are his. You are mine. I am with you. Jesus makes it clear that the impending suffering would originate from the devil. Devils always desire to inflict suffering on faithful Christ followers.

He plays a very active role in persecute believers, but we must never forget. Just as we see exemplified in the life of Job in the Old Testament. The devil only has the power. or the ability to do. What God allows him to do.

And Jesus is saying here, you will go through these. Different testings and tribulations, and the devil is the one behind it. The devil will orchestrate events so that some of you, as believers, are cast into prison. and face the prospect of losing your lives. Prison typically had stone walls with no windows.

Prisoners were often confined in a cell that was dark and gloomy.

Some prisoners had to wear a collar around their necks. a manacle on their hands and their feet could be in stocks. Imprisonment was designed. to be gra disgraceful. and dishonorable.

The devil's representatives of all this persecution. And tribulation that Jesus' followers would go through were the Roman authorities. any unbelieving Jews. Then Jesus states that this time of affliction and tribulation that his followers would face would be limited to 10 days. I believe the phrase 10 days refers to a relatively brief period of time.

a time of limited duration. The believers did not need to fear what they were about to suffer. Because as Jesus said in John 16, in the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart. I have overcome.

the world.

So Jesus gave these words of comfort. his followers That brought about Perseverance. in their lives. The Council Revelation chapter 2. Verse 10 and 11.

Jesus tells his people, 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. These final words of comfort brought about perseverance in the lives of his people. Jesus promises that those who prove the genuineness of their faith By remaining faithful to him until death, that is, up to the point of and including death, will receive as their reward. The crown of life. I believe Jesus' point here is that those in Smyrna who endure and remain true.

Two. uh even if death comes, will receive the crown of life. Only Jesus. Only Jesus has the authority to make such an audacious command. Be faithful unto death.

and to make such a beautiful promise. I will give you. the crown of life. The crown of life is, I believe, life eternal. And All who prove the genuineness of their faith by persevering.

by being faithful to him. up to the point of and including death. Receive the crown of life. Receive. Eternal life.

The truths being set forth here in Revelation 2.10 are the very same truths that are set forth in James 1.12. Recently, I read a devotional entitled The Crown of Life. based on James 1.12. James 1.12 says, Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. For when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life.

which God has promised. To those who love him. FF Bruce wrote. Perseverance. Is the test of reality.

It was very important. that we not equate perseverance With Perfection. To persevere. to remain faithful. to remain steadfast, to stand the test, does not mean to be perfect.

If that were the case, none of us. would receive the crown of life, none of us would be given the gift of eternal life. It is important to be faithful to Jesus. More important. than it is to go on living.

The believers in Smyrna understood and embraced this. Jesus' words of comfort assured them. and empowered them. to remain perseverant. in the midst of great difficulty.

In 1968, Summer Olympics in Mexico City. There was a marathoner whose name was John. Uh Akwari. And He represented his country of Tanzania. As he was in the marathon, Others and he were jockeying for position.

And he was knocked over. injured his shoulder and injured his knee. It was extremely difficult for him to keep going. But he kept going. Kept going.

Hours after the last runner had crossed the line, he. Cross the finish line. He was Bloodied. He was hobbled. and barely able to walk, but he kept going.

until he crossed that line. Reporters came up to him. And said Why did you do this? Why did you keep going? when you were so injured.

Just what he said. My country sent me here. to finish the race. Not just to run the race. The words of comfort from Jesus.

enable us to persevere. and to continue.

Now We are not. Nor will we ever be saved nor kept saved. by our own works and efforts.

However, Genuine saving faith is proven by being faithful until death. Perseverance. is the test of reality. Then, as he does in each of these seven letters, the Lord Jesus continues with a final word of counsel: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Okay. These final words contain an exhortation and a promise. The exhortation is a sober reminder. of our God-given responsibility to heed, The word of God. The use of the plural noun churches emphasizes the nature of this communication.

It wasn't just for the believers in Smyrna, it wasn't just for the seven churches of Asia, it was for all churches of all time. Lifeline community included. And what is communicated to the churches also applies to us. as individuals. These final words also contain a promise.

The one who conquers. will not be hurt. By the second death.

Some of our Bibles may use the word he who overcomes. They These words have been misunderstood. over the years. Many times when people read the word of one who conquers or the one who overcomes, think of some super spiritual people, you know, the ones who have it all together, unlike any of us here. This is not speaking of those who have it all together and do it all right.

The one who conquers. The one who overcomes Is synonymous with all of us who know Jesus as our Savior. That's what it means. All of us who know Jesus as our Savior. We are conquerors, we are overcomers, and we are given the promise.

Of eternal life. And that is who Jesus is speaking to here. Yeah. The one who conquers speaks of all of us Who know Jesus? And then Jesus says this.

All of you who know me. All of you who have placed your faith in me as Savior and Lord. You will not be hurt. By the second death.

What a precious, precious promise.

Okay. When the Bible speaks of death, the main idea is that of separation. not annihilation or extinction. But separation. I believe the Bible speaks of three types of death: physical death, Separation of the soul spirit from the natural body.

Spiritual death, separation of the soul spirit from God, and as mentioned here, the second death, which is separation of the soul spirit from God forever. Revelation 20 verse 14 equates a second death to the lake of fire. Which speaks of eternal death, eternal judgment, eternal suffering. and eternal separation from God. Jesus' words of comfort.

The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Assured and comforted and provided perseverance. for his Christ followers. in Smyrna. One of the books, Our Interns.

Are required to read, is entitled The Heart of Godly Leadership. And Uh in chapter 2. The author unpacks the truths that are set forth in Matthew chapter 5, verses 10 through 12, where we read: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness. sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets. who were before you. The author Uh unpacks three different words here. Prospect, retrospect, and perspective.

When persecuted for righteousness' sake, Both prospect and retrospect are found in the words Your reward is great in heaven. prospect For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Retrospect. Added to retrospect. Prospect.

Complete. our perspective. The words of the first and the last. The words of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, who died and came to life: I know your tribulation. Do not fear.

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. You will not be hurt. By the second death.

These words brought great comfort. to his followers in Smyrna. And they provided perseverance. for them. It's all around me.

God Hems us in. He encircles us. He encloses us behind and before. He surrounds us front and back. He is all around us on every side.

Therefore, we do not need to fear. We do not need to be afraid, neither of persecution, nor of anything else that we may experience. in life. Do you ever wonder? You will remain faithful to the Lord when persecution comes.

I have I do. Perhaps we have failed. Perhaps we have made a mess of things. Perhaps we have disregarded the word of God. Perhaps we have turned our backs on God.

The Old Testament book of Joel. We read about God's people who were disobedient and they suffered the consequences of their disobedience. That consequence was I think we might be able to identify with this a little bit. infestation of grasshoppers. Have you had grasshoppers around your home the last few weeks?

Up in Copperton, they've been terrible. I mean, really, really bad. And, you know, I'll smack them with a fly swater if I can and then I sweep it off.

Next morning they're there again, not same ones, but I mean just over and over and over again. And What these people went through We have no clue, really. I mean, hope and I. Uh I think it was um I don't know. July 4th.

We we walked into the field. uh overlooking the valley. to see if we could see the jets fly over. As we walked, I'm telling you. Literally.

There were thousands. Of grasshoppers that just swarmed us. And I thought those poor people in Israel Those poor followers. that were disobedient. But you know This is what we read there about this.

Just follow this. what the cutting locust laughed. The swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust laughed, The hopping locust has eaten, And what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust, has eaten. Man, this this was one.

Army after another. And I use the word army because that's what God says here. My great army. which I sent among you. Just one right after the other like machine gun fire.

And then We read this beautiful promise. God says in the next chapter. Even though their life was typified by disregarding the Lord, and things had gone from bad to worse. God says this. I will restore to you.

The years At the locust has eaten. Think about it. Perhaps we find ourselves Man, we've made one bad choice, another bad choice, another bad choice, and just went from bad to worst, bad to worst, one locust army right after another, after another, after another. And Jesus God says here in Joel I will restore to you the years. That the locust has eaten.

This has been going on for a long time. Not a day or two. Not a week or two, not a month or two, but years. God says, I'll restore that. you The only thing they needed to do was come to him.

Confess. Repent. Call on his grace and mercy. And God says, I will. I will.

Restored to you. The years. that the locust has eaten.

So if you find yourself perhaps this morning in a similar situation. As God's people in the Old Testament. I plead with you. Turn back to him. He's there.

And he says, I will restore you. How to remain faithful to the Lord. First of all, honestly evaluate whether or not you are a committed Christ follower. 2 Corinthians 13, 5 and 6 read: Examine yourselves to see. whether you are in the faith.

Test yourselves. Unless indeed you fail to meet the test. How to remain faithful to the Lord? Consistently read. Memorize and obey God's Word.

Some of the first verses I ever memorized are from Psalm 119, verses 9 through 11. How can a young man keep his way pure? by guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you, let me not wander from your commandments. I have stored your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

How to remain faithful to the Lord. Faithfully attend to and submit to the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5. Walk by the Spirit, live by the Spirit. Keep in step with the spirit. How to remain faithful to the Lord, intentionally establish and regularly maintain community with God's people.

and with an accountability partner. Hebrews 10, 23 through 25. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who promised is faithful. and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more.

As you see the day. drawing near. As I wrap it up I'm going to stop preaching and begin to meddle. In Hebrews, The Lord says, Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves. And so, I have a word for those of you who are joining us online, and I have that correct because the first Uh First service got messed up.

So this is being covered. There are some of you who are joining us online. Who Got into a bad habit during COVID. You stop coming for Legitimate reasons. But you never start coming again.

God tells us here not to forsake. the assembling of ourselves together with others.

Now, I know some of you who are following us online are unable to be here. And that's perfectly understandable. Physically or otherwise, you are impeded from being here. But there are others of you who have chosen. to be comfortable on your recliners with your cup of coffee and your pet.

when you could be here. And God says, do not. Forsake. the assembling of yourselves. with other believers.

Maybe you're thinking, but hey, you don't know So-and-so. I can't get along with that person. Do you really know what that person is like? No, I don't. Or I can't stand.

this person or the other. It's too much hassle to park. and walk up the street. It's too much hassle to sit when there may be other people. distracting.

These are all poor excuses. The bottom line is We may call ourselves believers. And Christ followers. And yet we don't love his people. We cannot honestly say.

That we love Jesus. and not love his bride The church. We can say it. But we cannot honestly say it. If we love Jesus.

We should love his bride. The church. And especially in light of what we've considered together this morning, I conclude with this. Those who suffer the same things from the same people. for the same capital P person.

can scarcely Not love. each other. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for the beautiful example of the believers in Smyrna. And I know I'm speaking for myself.

I have so much to learn about this. I pray, Lord, that we would take comfort from your words. and that this would produce in us a perseverance. to follow you to follow your word. and to stand together for the cause of Christ.

In our Savior and Lord Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.