Tony Evans - A Challenge to Faithfulness (05/31/2017)
This sermon focuses on the message to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11. The preacher emphasizes that Jesus, identifying as the "first and the last," is fully aware of the troubles faced by believers who publicly declare Him as Lord, especially when it leads to poverty and persecution from both secular and religious authorities. The conclusion is a call to be faithful until death, overcoming the temptation to abandon one's confession during tough times, with the promise of the "crown of life" and the assurance that the "second death" has no power over the faithful overcomer.
The Message to the Undecided
You and I are living in the midst of political chaos. We're living in the midst of a divided society, with a particular emphasis on the political divide. The great concern is over that group of undecided voters. God also has a problem with undecided Christians—Christians who lay claim to Him by name as long as everything is going well, but who, when the going gets tough, you're not quite sure where they stand. In fact, they wind up looking like many politicians, with their feet firmly planted in midair because their stance is ambivalent and ambiguous. God has a major problem with part-time Christians who don't want to be full-time saints, who want to identify when it comes to a blessing but not when it comes to a struggle, who want the benefits of heaven but not the trouble that heaven brings on Earth.
The Authority of the Speaker
John the Apostle writes to this second church, the church at Smyrna. In verse eight, Jesus says to the pastor—the angel of the church, the one who's going to deliver the message—"The first and the last, the one who was dead and is alive, says this." So I'm going to give the message, but Jesus is doing the talking. So if you get mad at what I'm getting ready to say, talk to Jesus, leave me alone, because He just told me to say what He was saying. He identifies Himself before He gets into the core of His message as the one who is the first and the last. Now that may not mean much to you until you understand where that phrase comes from.
The Identity of "The First and the Last"
In Isaiah 41:4, Isaiah chapter 44 verse 6, and in Isaiah chapter 48 verses 12 and 13, you see the phrase "the first and the last." That phrase is used of almighty God. In fact, in Isaiah 48:12-13, He says, "I am the first and the last, the God who created heavens and earth." So when Jesus Christ declares Himself in Revelation 2:8 to be the first and the last, He's declaring Himself to be God. He picks this Old Testament designation of God and applies it to Himself. We know He's applying it to Himself because He says, "I was dead and now I'm alive." Well, God the Father didn't die; God the Son died. So in that little phrase, Jesus speaks of both His deity and His humanity.
Jesus Understands Our Troubles
He's the first and the last; He's God. But He died, so He's man. One of the things you need to understand is Jesus never goes "oops" about what's happening to you. He says, "I am fully aware of what's going on because I'm God, but I'm also fully aware of what it feels like 'cause I'm man." If you feel like you're dying, I know what that feels like 'cause I died. I've been through all of the categories of trouble that any human being has been through as man, even though I am simultaneously deity. I know your trouble. If you're hurting today, He's aware of it. He's got that dual reality of identification while transcending time and being involved in time.
The Trouble in Smyrna: Secular Pressure
Now let me give you the first category of trouble these believers were facing. This is Smyrna. Smyrna was well known for something. The mountains around Smyrna look like a crown a king would wear; they were shaped that way. Many of the buildings in Smyrna were built to reflect this mountain look of a crown. The reason why that is a big deal if you lived in Smyrna is because, as a Roman colony, they worshiped Caesar as Lord. You had to recognize Caesar as God. Well, these Christians had another declaration: "Jesus is Lord." That created a conflict with the Roman government.
They were going through the pressure and oppression of not yielding to the governmental authority when it claimed the rights of deity. While everybody else was saying "Caesar is Lord," they were declaring, "No, Jesus is Lord." While we will recognize government and respect government, we won't bow to government because Jesus, and not Caesar, is Lord. That created a problem because once you rejected Caesar, you were now an enemy of the state. As a result of that, there was confiscation of property. It says, "You are having trouble and you are poor."
Poverty and Spiritual Wealth
Now it's bad enough to have trouble, but it's doubly bad when you have trouble and no money, 'cause you can't afford to cover up your misery. See, one of the uses of money is to hide how messed up you feel. You can spend money on entertainment, on parties, on this and that to help cover up the trouble, the tribulation that you may be going through. What they were facing in their declaration that Jesus is Lord was an impoverishment economically—the loss of something financially because of their commitment to the risen, ascended Christ and their unwillingness to compromise their declaration in front of Rome that "you are not our God; Jesus is our God." So they were spiritually rich. That's why He says in the next phrase, "You are rich." You are rich because of your decision to be committed to Me, even though it's costing you a price tag.
The Modern-Day Application
He's talking about the recognition of Jesus Christ as Lord in the face of a rejecting government. Let me explain this real clear. We are getting to the place in America where, if you publicly declare "Jesus Christ is Lord"—not the Democrats, not the Republicans, not the Congress, not the White House; Jesus Christ is Lord—and that it is He that will make the final decisions for the church, not the government, we have set ourselves up for an attack that has already begun. We're living in a day when there's little respect for our faith, when religious freedom is in jeopardy. Regardless of which party you're for, that's not my point. My point is it ought to be clear, and there ought to be no mistakes about it, that our ultimate allegiance is not to Washington; it's to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. So I know the trouble you're facing. I know that you're on delicate territory when you do not declare that Caesar is Lord.
When God is the Problem
2 Chronicles 15:3-6 says, "In those days there was no true God, no teaching priest, no law. There was no peace to him who went in or to him who came out. City rose up against city and nation rose up against nation, and then it says, 'For God troubled them with every kind of distress.'" Now, if God is your problem, only God is your solution. If God is your problem, I don't care who you select. "Kick me out your schools, kick me out your courts, kick me out; you just going to kick me out? Well, I'mma let you see what your country looks like when I go." He says, "I know your trouble." I know when you don't compromise at work you might not get that promotion. I know when you don't compromise with your friends you might not get that recognition. But that's the price of your commitment. You need to know about it so that you're not shocked when it happens, so that you don't wonder where that came from. He says, "I know your trouble, and I know there is a price tag to full commitment to Me."
Why God Allows Suffering for His People
One reason that God allows suffering is because He knows what's going on. He says, "I know." One reason He does it is to humble us. 2 Corinthians 12:7, yes indeed, to humble us. Yes, yes, yes. In other words, He wants to deal with something in our character that we either actually or potentially are headed toward. So He allows something in our lives. Paul says God allowed a messenger of Satan, a thorn in the flesh. A thorn is something that pricks you, that irritates you. He calls it a messenger. He had a person in his life who was driving him nuts, an irritation. He says, "I prayed to God to get rid of it three times, and God says, 'I will not get rid of the irritation that I allowed the devil to put in your life. The reason I'm not going to allow it is to humble you, so that you don't think more of yourself than you ought to think.'" And He says, "My grace will be sufficient, and in your weakness I'm going to make you strong." So God didn't let it go right then because He wanted to do something different in his life. But if you don't know that that's one of the reasons God allows you to suffer, all you're going to see are the pricks and not the purpose. He does that to humble us.
To Use Us
Another reason He lets us suffer when we're seeking to live for Him is to use us. 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 4: Paul says, "In our affliction"—we're going through stuff, we're trying to serve God, love God, please God, walk with God, and we are underneath affliction, suffering—he says, "God met us in our affliction. Watch this, so that we would now be able to comfort others who are in the same affliction." So God lets you go through stuff even though you're trying to please Him and are publicly associated with Him, 'cause He has somebody else down the line who's going to be going through what you are now going through. And He doesn't just want you to quote Bible verses; He doesn't just want you to say, "I'mma pray for you." He wants you to feel what they feel and emote where they emote, because you've been where they've been. And He wants to use you experientially. He says, "I want to use the comfort I give you in what I allowed you to go through."
To Grow Us
He does it for another reason: to grow us. James chapter 1:2-4 says the testing of your faith is to develop you. He wants to take you to another level. So there is purpose in the pain if you're seeking to live for Him publicly.
To Deepen His Reality
Oh, here's one: to deepen His reality in your life. Watch this, it's called in Philippians 3:10 "the fellowship of His sufferings." Fellowship means increased intimacy. He says, "I know what you're going through. I know you're struggling right now."
Trouble from the Religious World]
But He says it's even worse than that. "I know," verse 9, "the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." Oh, wait a minute. He started with the secular world; now He says you get in trouble from the religious world. "Synagogue"—that's the place of worship. These were the Jews who rejected Christ who were now persecuting the Christians. These are church folk who reject you because you've taken your stand for Jesus Christ. 'Cause just 'cause they're in church don't mean they're right. Just 'cause they're in church carrying a Bible under their arm—'cause these Jews were carrying the Old Testament—just because they're carrying a Bible under their arm doesn't mean they're committed.
Do Not Fear What is Coming
He goes on to say, "Oh, I like this. 'Do not fear.'" Why does He tell them, "Do not fear"? Because He said it's getting ready to get worse. Oh, see? I lost my amens right there. "Get ready, get worse." He says, "Do not fear what you are about to suffer." And they already told Him they're suffering. He says, "Well, something else is coming." He says, "Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you in prison so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days." He says, "So some of y'all are going to jail." In fact, some of you here may feel like you're in jail—a circumstance you can't get out of, a suffering you can't get away from—and you feel like, "I am in prison." He said it's going to get worse. And then He tells you, "But don't fear." Don't fear? Well, wait a minute. I'm already struggling. You're telling me if I keep my public identity with You it's going to get worse, and then You tell me don't be scared? Come on, man. How am I going to deal with that?
God Controls the Clock
He says, "Don't be afraid because you will undergo some trouble for ten days." In other words, "I got My hand on the clock. I'm going to allow it, but I'm also going to determine when it's going to end." Okay, watch this now. If God says in ten days it's going to be over, you want to make sure you last 'til ten days. I'm jerking that sucker back 'cause he's not just *the* devil; he's *My* devil, and I use him as I please. If you don't believe me, ask Job. He's *My* devil. I tell him how far he can go and how far he can't go and how long he can stay there, 'cause I am the Sovereign God and I am in charge. So you make sure you are identified with Me.
The Call to Faithfulness
This is not a time for weak-kneed Christians. This is not a day for silly saints. This is a day for men and women who name the name of Jesus Christ to name the name of Jesus Christ and do not fear. He says, "See, here's the deal. If you're going to go through down times, suffering times, tribulation times for following Christ, the key thing you're going to need to know is He's there." See that? That's the key thing. Even if the circumstance hasn't changed, you need to know He's in the vicinity. You need to know that Mr. Rogers is in the neighborhood. You need to know that God is right there when you're going through it.
What God Wants From Us
So what do you want from me, Lord? Here He tells you at the end of verse 10: "I want you to be faithful unto death." That's the message. "I want you, if you're going to be an overcomer, to be faithful until the end, until this life is over. I want you to go all the way for Me." Faithfulness is dependability regardless of circumstances. He says, "Be faithful unto death in your commitment to Me and your living underneath My lordship, and if you do, I will give you," verse 10 says, "the crown of life." I will give you a crown. You're in a privileged position. I'm gonna give you the recognition, I'm gonna give you the notoriety that it looks like you gave up because of your commitment to Me. I'm gonna give you the crown of life.
The Overcomer's Reward
And He closes by saying, "He who has an ear, let him hear." Okay, everybody who's paying attention this morning, what the Spirit says to the churches. And then He speaks to you as an individual: "He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death." Now that is a curious phrase. "He who overcomes"—what does He mean by overcoming? He who overcomes the temptation to abandon your confession during tough times. He who overcomes the temptation to walk away because things have gotten rough because of your faith. Yeah, the overcomers will not be hurt by the second death.
Understanding the "Second Death"
Now the reason why that's a curious phrase is that the second death refers to hell. The Bible says hell is cast into the lake of fire, and that is the second death. So that's hell. But wait a minute—He's talking to Christians here. These are believers who are suffering, so they're not going to hell; they're going to heaven. So why would He tell believers, "If you are an overcomer"—not just a Christian, but you overcome the temptation of not being faithful in the midst of tribulation—"you will not be hurt by something that has absolutely nothing to do with you," because the second death is hell and that's not where you're going? So it's an irrelevant topic.
Don't Let Others Hold You Back
Oh, let me say it another way: Don't let folk—second-death folk who are going to hell—keep you from getting your reward. Don't let folk who are not on their way to heaven keep you from getting all that heaven has for you, 'cause you were more committed to them (who can do nothing for you ultimately) than you were committed to Me. Don't let the second-death, hell-bound folk keep you from maximizing heaven's opportunity. Don't let those sinners mess you up. Don't let those sinners take away your reward. Don't let those sinners destroy your fellowship with Me. Don't let folk who go down keep you from maximizing going up. Oh, don't let them do that. Your commitment must be to Me. And when you fail, dust off, confess, repent, get up, and go on the road to faithfulness. Don't throw in the towel; don't quit.
Our Mission as a Church
And if we are not developing those kinds of Christians as a church, we have failed, because our job isn't to have church; our job is to create disciples who are not ashamed to say, "Jesus Christ is Lord." Like Paul: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes." You do it lovingly. You do it appropriately. You do it wisely. But you do it clearly. So you don't quit if you're going through a tough time and you're living for Christ. If you're not living for Christ, that's a whole different story.