WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.280 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if a dead man. 00:00:07.419 --> 00:00:17.839 That always strikes me when I look at that passage and look at how Christ is described in Revelations, verse 17, chapter 1. 00:00:19.219 --> 00:00:22.320 I wonder if we see God that way. 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:32.320 I wonder if we were in that throne room and God came up, Christ came up to us, what our reaction would be. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:33.719 Would we have the same reaction? 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:40.920 Often we talk to people and they would say, yeah, I'll just give them a high five and say, hey, dude, it's so good to see you and you're my buddy and you're my homeboy. 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:45.840 But the message is a little different in God's word. 00:00:45.840 --> 00:01:03.500 When I come to Revelations, sometimes I just kind of weird out because it breaks down all my stereotypes and all the thoughts and images I think of God and how I expect him to act and what I want from him and what I expect from him. 00:01:04.520 --> 00:01:06.379 It changes all those things. 00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:10.060 So this week has been a crazy week in the Miller House. 00:01:10.200 --> 00:01:13.280 Christina is gone, so you can tell by the way I've dressed today. 00:01:13.700 --> 00:01:14.600 Yes, thank you very much. 00:01:14.599 --> 00:01:20.539 So she's gone and I took our youngest daughter with her to visit her sister in San Francisco. 00:01:21.379 --> 00:01:24.459 And so I have the two older kids and Rebecca's on a mission trip. 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:29.560 Hopefully she'll come back today with the rest of the mission team praying about that or Eric is fired. 00:01:30.639 --> 00:01:44.060 And what that usually means in my house when dad is by himself, it means that there's very little rules when it comes to consumption of food or how people dress or the things that we do. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:49.740 And so, yes, we've been eating Pop-Tarts and pizza a lot now that Christina has been gone. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:50.859 She's coming back tonight. 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:55.200 So we're trying to get our final feel of those things before she comes back. 00:01:55.460 --> 00:02:01.300 One of the things I like to do actually is I like to watch movies that she doesn't like to watch. 00:02:01.299 --> 00:02:07.019 So we go on a date night about every Thursday and we usually catch the latest movie coming out. 00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:13.259 And we kind of have this balance, you know, that she'll go see some guy movies and I'll go see some chick flicks. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:24.900 And sometimes the chick flicks, it's not always a one-to-one because sometimes the chick flicks, they have to have at least a three-to-one because they are so filled with estrogen. 00:02:24.900 --> 00:02:29.420 You know, I come home and I don't know whether I want to wrestle somebody or I want to hug somebody. 00:02:30.039 --> 00:02:34.460 And so I usually watch movies that Christina doesn't like to watch. 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:36.700 They're usually science fiction movies and things like that. 00:02:37.140 --> 00:02:40.340 And so I have this list of things that I say, okay, I'll watch it here and I'll watch it there. 00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:41.620 And so this week I watched this movie. 00:02:41.659 --> 00:02:47.599 I hadn't seen it in a long time, but I wanted to watch it because I just think that as we go through the book of Revelations, 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:55.099 this movie to me, and I know I think, you know, as a pastor, but it has so much to say for us today. 00:02:55.959 --> 00:02:58.939 And the movie takes place in 1975, so it's an old movie. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:02:59.780 It's a slow movie. 00:02:59.859 --> 00:03:04.060 So don't go listen and watch it now because you're going to probably be incredibly bored. 00:03:04.459 --> 00:03:06.099 But it tells the story of this lady, Joanna. 00:03:07.060 --> 00:03:09.579 And Joanna is this well-known photographer. 00:03:09.979 --> 00:03:14.099 And she actually gets an assignment and her husband, and they move out of New York. 00:03:14.099 --> 00:03:18.000 And they move to this small little sleepy town in Connecticut. 00:03:18.780 --> 00:03:21.400 And Joanna is going around in this small little sleepy town. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:26.159 And it's not too long before she realizes that something's not right in this town. 00:03:26.740 --> 00:03:31.539 I mean, she looks around, and all the wives are perfect. 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:36.560 I mean, all the wives, they look beautiful. 00:03:36.900 --> 00:03:38.500 They're perfect. 00:03:38.659 --> 00:03:41.019 All the wives look perfect. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:42.419 All the wives act perfect. 00:03:42.419 --> 00:03:43.900 All the wives talk perfect. 00:03:44.099 --> 00:03:46.099 All the wives obey their husbands. 00:03:47.079 --> 00:03:50.199 She's looking around, and she's noticing that there's never an argument. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.039 There's no one ever gets fussed. 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:54.159 The wives never disagree with their husbands. 00:03:54.699 --> 00:03:56.560 There's never this tension in the marriages. 00:03:56.759 --> 00:03:57.719 There's never pain. 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:00.639 There's never misunderstandings. 00:04:00.939 --> 00:04:04.319 And at first, she thinks, okay, they've been drugged. 00:04:04.359 --> 00:04:07.740 He thinks that somehow the men have put in this drug in the drinking water 00:04:07.740 --> 00:04:12.280 and has drugged all the women in this town so they can act like that. 00:04:12.340 --> 00:04:13.320 And that's just not right. 00:04:13.379 --> 00:04:15.439 And so she goes and she starts to look into things. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:20.959 And what she realizes is in this small little sleepy town of Stepford, 00:04:21.540 --> 00:04:26.839 that all the men have replaced their wives with robots. 00:04:26.839 --> 00:04:32.919 Men have replaced their wives with robots. 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:36.780 And she looks at that, and she's realizing these things, 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:42.020 and she's trying to call the police to it and bring attention to everything. 00:04:42.379 --> 00:04:43.340 But she doesn't. 00:04:43.840 --> 00:04:46.040 I mean, she can't because there's too many people against her. 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:49.700 And eventually, she gets turned into a robot. 00:04:49.780 --> 00:04:50.620 And she turns into a robot. 00:04:50.700 --> 00:04:53.120 And the movie ends with her acting perfectly and looking perfectly 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:53.960 and cooking perfectly. 00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:56.639 And she's perfect. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:00.680 And when I think of that movie, I know this is going to sound strange, 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:05.159 but I think, you know, that's how many of us think of God. 00:05:06.740 --> 00:05:08.199 I mean, we don't want a God. 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:11.719 We want a Stepford God. 00:05:13.219 --> 00:05:14.919 We want a God that's manageable. 00:05:15.099 --> 00:05:16.859 We want a God that's controllable. 00:05:16.939 --> 00:05:18.019 We want a God that's predictable. 00:05:18.219 --> 00:05:22.439 We want a God that acts just the way that we want Him to act. 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:24.860 We want a God that's focused on Tobin. 00:05:25.500 --> 00:05:26.899 We want a God that's agreeable. 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:29.560 We want a God that brings no pain into our life. 00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:31.339 We want a God that brings no surprises into our life. 00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:33.800 We want a God who makes everything perfect. 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:35.180 We want a robot God. 00:05:35.259 --> 00:05:36.560 We want a Stepford God, don't we? 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:39.720 We want a God that's made in our image. 00:05:41.300 --> 00:05:42.980 And then we come to the passage today, 00:05:43.100 --> 00:05:46.120 and we realize that God isn't like that. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:50.899 That He's far beyond being a Stepford God. 00:05:50.899 --> 00:05:53.839 He's so different than what we imagine, 00:05:54.219 --> 00:05:56.179 and that bothers us. 00:05:57.539 --> 00:05:58.620 And I think we have to ask, 00:05:58.719 --> 00:06:02.879 how are we going to react to a God who's not a Stepford God? 00:06:04.739 --> 00:06:06.439 We're looking in the book of Revelation. 00:06:06.579 --> 00:06:08.219 It's the last book of your Bible. 00:06:08.739 --> 00:06:09.899 We talked about it last week. 00:06:09.939 --> 00:06:12.139 We looked at the church of Ephesus, as Alfie had mentioned. 00:06:12.719 --> 00:06:14.639 Revelation was written by the apostle John. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.620 John was a disciple of Jesus. 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:18.500 He was the disciple that Jesus loved. 00:06:18.500 --> 00:06:20.500 He was probably Jesus' cousin. 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:22.720 And now he's an old man. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:26.639 He's exiled on this prison island of Patmos. 00:06:27.259 --> 00:06:30.279 He's held captive by this emperor that despises him 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:31.480 and despises Christianity. 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:34.379 And after all the other apostles are martyred, 00:06:34.459 --> 00:06:35.139 everybody's dead. 00:06:35.220 --> 00:06:36.819 Everybody's just taken out. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:38.279 And John's the only one left. 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:42.720 We're told in a book that he's taken up in a vision 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.460 or a dream or his spirit goes up into heaven 00:06:45.460 --> 00:06:48.120 and he sees Jesus. 00:06:50.140 --> 00:06:53.100 And Jesus speaks to them, as we saw in chapter 1. 00:06:53.580 --> 00:06:56.860 And Jesus tells him these visions of the end days 00:06:56.860 --> 00:06:58.960 and of who Christ is like and what God is like 00:06:58.960 --> 00:07:00.300 and what the kingdom of God is like. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:01.520 And he tells them, 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:03.120 I want you to write this letter to this church 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:05.220 because these churches need to know what's going to happen 00:07:05.220 --> 00:07:07.180 and they need to know who I am. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:09.760 And last week we looked at the church of Ephesus. 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:10.760 Remember the church of Ephesus? 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:13.219 I mean, the church of Ephesus was the perfect church. 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:14.300 It did everything perfectly. 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:16.620 It was perfect theology and perfect practice, 00:07:16.819 --> 00:07:18.620 but they didn't love Jesus. 00:07:20.300 --> 00:07:21.399 I mean, they did everything perfect. 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:23.719 They were the pastor's dream, 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:25.800 but they didn't love Christ. 00:07:25.939 --> 00:07:27.579 They lost their joy for Christ. 00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:30.199 Their Christian lives had become mundane. 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:31.899 Their Christian lives had become predictable. 00:07:32.099 --> 00:07:32.839 Their Christian lives, 00:07:33.300 --> 00:07:35.159 the spirit wasn't in their life at all. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:38.539 They were just rituals and heartless. 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:39.599 And Jesus begged them. 00:07:39.599 --> 00:07:40.699 He begged them, come back. 00:07:40.759 --> 00:07:41.159 Come back. 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:41.920 I want you. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:43.860 I want a relationship with you. 00:07:43.899 --> 00:07:44.939 I want to be with you. 00:07:44.980 --> 00:07:45.939 I want to be your God. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:47.719 I want to be your lover. 00:07:51.819 --> 00:07:54.120 Today we look at the church of Smyrna. 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:56.659 So Ephesus was the perfect church, 00:07:56.719 --> 00:07:57.480 but without God. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.399 Smyrna is the church that loves Jesus. 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:03.899 But probably none of us would want to be in that church. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.159 None of us would want to be a part of that church. 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:09.879 None of us would want to face what this church is facing. 00:08:10.379 --> 00:08:11.879 Smyrna was an amazing city. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.560 It was an old, old city. 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.540 It was probably 1,000 years old before John wrote this. 00:08:16.579 --> 00:08:19.079 It was a port city, just like Ephesus was. 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.100 It was about 35 miles north. 00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:22.319 It's on a Turkey peninsula. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:25.500 And it was this port city, and it was rich. 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:31.000 It was rebuilt and destroyed and rebuilt and destroyed over and over and over again. 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:33.779 It was rival for power for Ephesus. 00:08:33.980 --> 00:08:35.860 And the church we're going to talk about next week, Pergamum. 00:08:35.860 --> 00:08:37.519 I mean, it was a beautiful city. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:39.300 All the historians say it was a beautiful city. 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:42.279 It was white marble everywhere, and gold was everywhere. 00:08:42.820 --> 00:08:44.580 I mean, it was the home of Homer. 00:08:45.620 --> 00:08:46.800 Not Homer Simpson. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:59.759 But Homer, the first Greek poet, about 750 B.C., and as he walked into the city, there was a hill behind the city, and this hill is still there. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:02.740 And on top of this hill, there were these temples. 00:09:02.740 --> 00:09:11.220 And so you walk into the city, and you see this hill, and when the sun hit it, gold came off of it and glittered everywhere in the white of the marble. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:13.519 And you looked up, and it looked like a crown. 00:09:14.560 --> 00:09:17.259 It looked like this amazing king's crown. 00:09:17.379 --> 00:09:19.919 It was massive, and it was called the crown city of Asia. 00:09:21.019 --> 00:09:27.620 There were these games, these Olympic games that rivaled Athens, and more people came to these games than came to the Athens games sometimes. 00:09:27.620 --> 00:09:36.720 And at the end, the winner got this crown, this garland, this wreath that was put on his head, and it meant basically free food for the year and free housing for the year. 00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:42.179 I mean, he was the hero of the town, and everybody gave him whatever he wanted, and everybody aspired to that. 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:44.259 Smyrna was his center of science. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:47.860 It was the hub of medicine in that region. 00:09:47.860 --> 00:09:52.360 So all the new medical discoveries and things that were happening in science came out of Smyrna. 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:54.299 It had a long relationship with Rome. 00:09:54.299 --> 00:09:58.740 I mean, it went back to Rome and to the Roman Empire a long time. 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:00.379 There was a reward. 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:04.039 It was given out every year for the person who was most loyal to Rome. 00:10:04.699 --> 00:10:05.439 It was a crown. 00:10:05.539 --> 00:10:06.579 It was a gold and silver crown. 00:10:06.859 --> 00:10:11.099 And so all the citizens vied for that because they wanted to be Rome's friend, and they wanted that crown, 00:10:11.179 --> 00:10:15.539 and they wanted it to be known for someone who loves the emperor, and they received it for service. 00:10:16.939 --> 00:10:20.319 I mean, Smyrna, it was this temple city. 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:29.560 The first temple to Caesar was built there in probably about 195 B.C., and there was this huge cult where everybody worshipped the emperor. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.120 I mean, it was the center of emperor worship in the whole peninsula. 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:37.360 And there was a saying that everybody said, 00:10:37.760 --> 00:10:39.080 Kyrie, Caesar. 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:41.320 Kyrie, Caesar. 00:10:42.180 --> 00:10:43.260 Caesar is Lord. 00:10:44.740 --> 00:10:45.860 Caesar is Lord. 00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:52.700 And you could hear it ringing out almost every day in the temple and in the city because it was just a common phrase like, 00:10:52.899 --> 00:10:53.519 How are you doing? 00:10:54.419 --> 00:10:55.220 Kyrie, Caesar. 00:10:55.379 --> 00:10:56.360 Caesar is Lord. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:01.779 And at least once a year, all the citizens, everybody, they had to come together into the temple, 00:11:01.980 --> 00:11:03.460 and they had to take a pinch of incense. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.480 And they had to come into the temple, and they had to throw it into the fire, 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:08.919 and they had to say that oath, Kyrie, Caesar. 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:10.240 Kyrie, Caesar. 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:11.460 Caesar is Lord. 00:11:11.820 --> 00:11:12.639 Caesar is Lord. 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:14.519 And after they did it, they got a certificate. 00:11:15.860 --> 00:11:20.580 And this certificate allowed them to live in Smyrna. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.060 The certificate allowed you to be a businessman. 00:11:24.259 --> 00:11:25.080 It allowed you to work. 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:26.480 It allowed you to own property. 00:11:26.620 --> 00:11:27.539 It allowed you to eat food. 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:29.340 It allowed you to survive. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:32.700 And if you got caught without that certificate, it was bad. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:35.060 I mean, you could be killed. 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:36.580 You risked everything. 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:40.220 Kyrie, Caesar, give me the certificate. 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:43.639 Now I can get everything that I need. 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:49.759 The only people that didn't have to do that were the Jews, because the Jews were this old religion, 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:52.139 and mostly because Jews always called a fuss. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:53.419 They always caused fuss. 00:11:53.740 --> 00:11:55.580 They always caused uprisings. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:57.500 They didn't want to worship these foreign gods. 00:11:57.779 --> 00:11:58.939 And so the Jews were exempt. 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:03.039 And as long as the Christians were seen as a branch of the Jews, they were okay. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:07.799 As long as Christianity was seen as a branch of Judaism, it was okay. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:09.679 But things were changing. 00:12:11.099 --> 00:12:13.019 And soon that was not going to be true anymore. 00:12:14.339 --> 00:12:16.259 The word Smyrna actually means bitter. 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:18.599 In Hebrew, it's myrrh. 00:12:19.319 --> 00:12:20.240 You know what myrrh is, right? 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:25.159 When Christ was born, the three wise men came, and they gave him gold and frankincense and myrrh. 00:12:25.459 --> 00:12:27.139 And myrrh was this resin. 00:12:27.379 --> 00:12:28.879 It came out of this thorny bush. 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:29.759 It's still there today. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:34.019 And what you did is to get the resin out is that you would break the branches, and you would cut the branches, 00:12:34.220 --> 00:12:35.879 and you would just be tough on this bush. 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:39.700 And when you were tough on this bush, it would start to bleed, and it bled myrrh. 00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:45.399 And the people would come, and they would take the myrrh, and they would boil it up in a little ball like a resin. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.159 And it was actually very, very expensive. 00:12:48.279 --> 00:12:51.919 It was used in embalming and in temple rituals, and it was this amazing thing. 00:12:52.139 --> 00:12:56.159 And so when you wanted to get what was inside of this resin, you broke it. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:13:01.459 And when you crushed this resin, this amazing perfume smell came out. 00:13:01.500 --> 00:13:02.620 It was like a musk smell. 00:13:02.699 --> 00:13:03.740 It was very, very heavy. 00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:06.480 You would remember it if you smelled it. 00:13:06.899 --> 00:13:08.740 But to get it, you had to crush it. 00:13:10.819 --> 00:13:15.360 And Jesus is talking to this church, and he's talking to his people. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:27.240 And he realizes that everybody in that church is being crushed because they refuse to save Curie, Caesar. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:29.720 They don't have their certificate. 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:31.220 They can't live life. 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:34.120 And the Jews are making things difficult to them. 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:36.759 And he tells John to write this letter. 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:39.360 He starts in verse 8. 00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:43.220 He says this to the angel of the church of Smyrna. 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:44.220 He says, 00:13:44.220 --> 00:13:44.320 Right. 00:13:45.160 --> 00:13:47.759 Thus says the first. 00:13:50.180 --> 00:13:51.139 He's the first. 00:13:52.040 --> 00:13:55.440 Before all else, before anything else happened, he's the most prominent. 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:56.259 He was. 00:13:57.160 --> 00:13:57.940 He is. 00:13:58.120 --> 00:13:59.080 He is the I am. 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:00.759 Nothing came before Jesus. 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:03.580 I mean, Jesus isn't a Stepford God. 00:14:04.220 --> 00:14:05.460 He's not a God that we create. 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:07.100 He was there from the very beginning. 00:14:08.259 --> 00:14:09.240 He's the first. 00:14:11.560 --> 00:14:12.720 He says, I am the first. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:13.899 He says, I am the last. 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:15.840 The word in Greek is very powerful. 00:14:15.940 --> 00:14:17.360 It means the extreme, the furthest. 00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:19.480 Nothing will last longer than Christ. 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:20.580 He will be there. 00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:24.139 When all other things pass away, before all other things, he will be there. 00:14:24.340 --> 00:14:25.580 He was before all other things. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:27.100 He will be after all other things. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:28.160 He was there. 00:14:30.120 --> 00:14:30.920 He's God. 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:32.940 You see what he's doing? 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.840 He doesn't even address what's going on in their life. 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:36.500 He's just addressing who he is. 00:14:36.500 --> 00:14:43.899 Because he realizes, as God's people, if we don't understand who God is, it doesn't matter what's going on in our life. 00:14:43.940 --> 00:14:47.360 Because who he is determines everything. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.279 It determines who we are. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:52.539 It determines what our hope is in. 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:54.139 Look at what he goes on. 00:14:54.139 --> 00:14:55.340 He goes on. 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:57.799 He says, he is the one who died. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:00.399 And he came back to life. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:04.159 I mean, he's the God that entered into creation's story. 00:15:04.259 --> 00:15:04.840 He spoke. 00:15:05.199 --> 00:15:06.419 He came into our timeline. 00:15:06.899 --> 00:15:07.659 He was killed. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:10.059 And he rose again. 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:12.559 I mean, think about this. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:14.279 He's not a step for God. 00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:15.699 He was. 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:17.580 He is. 00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:19.500 He will always be. 00:15:20.400 --> 00:15:21.080 He came. 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:22.440 He died. 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:23.940 He rose again. 00:15:24.580 --> 00:15:30.960 I mean, all the things that we fear, our greatest fear, Jesus conquered those things. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:32.820 And he's trying to assure the church. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:33.800 He's trying to give them comfort. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:35.540 He's trying to give them his love. 00:15:35.540 --> 00:15:38.620 And the only way he can do that is by telling them, this is who I am. 00:15:39.580 --> 00:15:43.540 I mean, what he's saying is that death no longer has power over me. 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:46.099 Because I was. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:47.579 And I died. 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:48.779 And I resurrected. 00:15:52.139 --> 00:15:53.319 Think about that. 00:15:56.980 --> 00:16:00.679 We live in a culture that is scared to death of dying. 00:16:02.839 --> 00:16:08.899 I mean, we live in a culture where people don't even want to talk about death and the unknown. 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:11.199 We fear it. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.700 It has this huge power over it. 00:16:13.700 --> 00:16:17.120 It's our greatest fear in Asia and in Hong Kong. 00:16:17.520 --> 00:16:19.000 We put the dying people away. 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:20.860 We put the cemeteries away so we don't see them. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:23.780 I had someone come up to me one time and they said, hey, this is not good. 00:16:23.820 --> 00:16:24.480 This is black. 00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:28.660 When Chinese people come in here, they look at that and they think, death, that's not good. 00:16:29.940 --> 00:16:31.000 But this isn't black. 00:16:31.520 --> 00:16:32.320 It's dark blue. 00:16:36.540 --> 00:16:37.140 I think. 00:16:37.140 --> 00:16:37.200 I think. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:43.220 But death rules us. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:45.940 Death drives us. 00:16:47.160 --> 00:16:50.840 The fear of dying overwhelms us. 00:16:51.379 --> 00:16:57.460 And what Jesus says to this church that is dying, he says, I am bigger and I'm greater than anything. 00:16:58.580 --> 00:17:00.020 Anything you're ever going to face. 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:05.420 I'm bigger and I'm greater than God. 00:17:07.420 --> 00:17:11.759 I mean, I think he starts this way because he realizes that we don't get this this week. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:21.660 Do you believe that Jesus is greater than anything you're going to face today? 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:36.500 I mean, as you think of your problems, your work and your relationships and your health and your family and your kiddos and the government and your bills and your money and your broken relationships and death. 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:40.380 But is the God who triumphed over death? 00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:45.119 Is the first and the last, is he the person you're clinging to? 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:56.140 When you think of all the things that are crushing you right now, are you clinging to Christ? 00:17:56.140 --> 00:18:01.180 What are you hoping in? 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:08.840 Jesus, through John, wants you and I and this church to understand this primary truth. 00:18:09.560 --> 00:18:15.860 This truth of God's word that no matter what happens to us, no matter what kind of trials and persecutions and tribulations, 00:18:15.859 --> 00:18:22.019 no matter what Satan throws our way or the world throws our way or our boss throws our way or our spouse throws our way, 00:18:22.439 --> 00:18:27.459 that no matter how much we're being crushed, he wants us to understand that Jesus is in control. 00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:32.179 That he cares for us. 00:18:35.419 --> 00:18:36.379 Do you believe that? 00:18:42.099 --> 00:18:43.879 Do you believe that Jesus is in control? 00:18:45.859 --> 00:18:49.759 Do you believe that he cares for you? 00:18:51.399 --> 00:18:52.500 That he loves you? 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:56.099 Even when things are really difficult? 00:18:59.139 --> 00:19:01.219 Verse 9, he says, he knows. 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:03.139 And it's an amazing word in Greek. 00:19:03.539 --> 00:19:07.099 It's not just, yeah, yeah, whatever, or that's too bad, or bless your little heart. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:12.699 But what he says is, he knows that Christ is in the midst of your life. 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:14.500 Christ is in the midst of the craziness. 00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:17.079 It means that Christ is with you, that you're not alone. 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:20.920 That he's always there if you're his child. 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:27.900 And he continually reminds the church that's going through these incredible times of crushing and beating and crushing and beating, 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:29.200 crushing and beating. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:30.220 I know. 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:34.519 I'm with you. 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:38.019 You're not alone. 00:19:39.980 --> 00:19:40.559 I mean, think about it. 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:42.379 This church is being crushed by everything. 00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:45.220 I mean, verse 10 says, they were poor. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:46.859 And it's not like Hong Kong poor, right? 00:19:47.339 --> 00:19:49.700 I mean, poor and Hong Kong poor are two different things, right? 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:53.000 I remember when I was a pastor, like 10 years ago, I went to a church. 00:19:53.139 --> 00:19:54.339 And I was in another church. 00:19:54.339 --> 00:19:56.480 And the guy came up to me and said, hey, please pray for me. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:57.319 I lost my job. 00:19:57.379 --> 00:19:58.299 I don't know how we're going to survive. 00:19:58.679 --> 00:20:00.779 And I just took it as he's poor, right? 00:20:02.179 --> 00:20:03.159 And so I said, yeah. 00:20:03.199 --> 00:20:04.039 And I prayed with him. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:05.559 I said, I'll be praying with you the next couple weeks. 00:20:05.619 --> 00:20:06.339 And let's just pray. 00:20:06.399 --> 00:20:06.839 And we'll get together. 00:20:06.939 --> 00:20:07.759 And God will provide. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:08.959 And God's going to provide for your family. 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:11.539 And about two weeks later, I found out he goes back to America. 00:20:11.539 --> 00:20:13.079 And he buys like a million-dollar home. 00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:18.299 And I look at him. 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:20.960 I said, dude, I thought you were poor. 00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:25.579 He goes, well, I am kind of poor from Hong Kong standards. 00:20:28.019 --> 00:20:31.159 But, you know, what he's saying to the people here is they had nothing. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:32.819 The Greek word means they had nothing. 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:34.240 They didn't even have food. 00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:35.319 They didn't even have clothes. 00:20:35.699 --> 00:20:36.859 They had nothing. 00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:41.359 They chose to take nothing because they refused to curry a Caesar. 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:45.960 I mean, they were destitute. 00:20:46.299 --> 00:20:47.659 They were poor. 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:48.740 They gave up everything. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:51.059 Have you ever seen that? 00:20:54.579 --> 00:21:00.279 I remember when I was in China, when I was working with the underground church, 00:21:00.679 --> 00:21:03.879 and we were ministering to students in the university. 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:07.519 And God was doing amazing things in their life. 00:21:07.579 --> 00:21:08.500 And they were coming to faith. 00:21:08.579 --> 00:21:10.179 And they were trusting in Christ. 00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:11.460 And they were walking with the Lord. 00:21:11.460 --> 00:21:12.980 And then their junior year came. 00:21:13.019 --> 00:21:13.779 And their junior year came. 00:21:13.840 --> 00:21:16.799 And they had to take this oath to become part of the Communist Party. 00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:22.559 And I prayed with many, many, many, many, many students. 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:29.640 And they knew, if I do this, if I swear allegiance to the party, 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:32.720 then I swear against Christ. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:40.339 And I know that if I do this, and I don't do it, and I don't go and be a part of the party, 00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:41.759 then I sacrifice everything. 00:21:41.860 --> 00:21:42.860 I give up everything. 00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:45.819 Everybody in my village has saved all their money to bring me here. 00:21:46.140 --> 00:21:49.360 And I'll let not just them down, myself down, but I'll let them down. 00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:50.279 I'll let generations down. 00:21:50.339 --> 00:21:52.960 I'm the first person in my family that's ever gone to college. 00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:56.720 And if I don't become a member of the party, then everybody loses face. 00:21:56.720 --> 00:22:06.000 I don't know what Christ has done for me. 00:22:07.620 --> 00:22:09.240 And I know how much he loves me. 00:22:10.120 --> 00:22:12.100 I know the sacrifice he gave for me. 00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:16.980 And how can I swear against him? 00:22:20.139 --> 00:22:23.279 I walked away after my first year, and I just realized, man, 00:22:24.119 --> 00:22:30.459 there are people here who are sacrificing more for the gospel than I ever will. 00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:34.019 And they're 18 years old. 00:22:34.019 --> 00:22:42.759 And the rest of their life is going to be affected because they love Jesus. 00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:52.900 He goes on and he says, hey, you know, there's this wealth, 00:22:53.059 --> 00:22:55.500 and this wealth you don't have right now because you have nothing, 00:22:55.579 --> 00:22:57.139 but this wealth is stored in heaven. 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:00.480 And it's waiting on you. 00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:02.940 Do you believe that? 00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:09.339 I remember I was leading a study, and one of the guys who was not a Christian, 00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:12.160 he was thinking through these things, and he kind of smirked. 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:13.359 And afterwards, I said, hey, what's going on? 00:23:13.379 --> 00:23:16.319 He goes, well, you know, you Christians say that all the time. 00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:20.119 You say it's not important now, but later on, that's what's going on. 00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:24.420 And he goes, I know and you know that all that matters is right now. 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:28.579 Here and now, that's all that's important. 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:32.500 Here and now, what I have, what I can count, that's all that's important. 00:23:34.019 --> 00:23:40.059 And I looked at him as a young Christian, and I said, I'll pray for you. 00:23:40.059 --> 00:23:47.700 But I wonder, when we get to heaven, 00:23:49.779 --> 00:23:52.059 Revelations 1, 12 through 19, 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:54.659 and we see Jesus as he is, 00:23:55.659 --> 00:23:58.700 I wonder if the things that we hold on to is precious. 00:24:01.240 --> 00:24:02.599 It's going to look like crap. 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:09.059 And I wonder if the things here on earth that we think are crap, 00:24:10.259 --> 00:24:12.599 and not worthy of our time, 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:17.019 I wonder if in heaven they're going to be precious, 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:20.539 and amazing. 00:24:23.939 --> 00:24:24.839 And they were poor. 00:24:26.179 --> 00:24:27.199 They were slandered. 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:29.680 The Jews and everyone, even some Christians, 00:24:29.880 --> 00:24:31.720 were slandering them. 00:24:31.779 --> 00:24:33.860 They didn't take the oath, and so they made it known to everybody. 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.740 And they said, this new sect, 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:37.519 this way, it's not a part of Judaism. 00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:38.519 It's totally different. 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:40.360 And the heat got turned up. 00:24:41.460 --> 00:24:43.580 And people were facing really difficult times. 00:24:43.740 --> 00:24:45.000 And the scripture tells us that. 00:24:45.059 --> 00:24:47.160 We spent the last six weeks studying 1 Peter, right? 00:24:47.420 --> 00:24:49.600 He says, if you desire to live godly, 00:24:49.640 --> 00:24:50.380 you're going to be persecuted. 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:52.080 If you're part of the family of God, 00:24:52.100 --> 00:24:52.860 you're going to be persecuted. 00:24:52.859 --> 00:24:55.219 The persecution starts with the family of God first. 00:24:55.679 --> 00:24:57.599 And the heat was turning up there. 00:24:59.779 --> 00:25:01.119 In verse 10, he says that, 00:25:01.439 --> 00:25:02.819 he says, very interesting, 00:25:02.939 --> 00:25:04.899 he says that Satan, the devil, 00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:06.579 he's causing these things to happen. 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:08.699 The devil has come in, 00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:10.219 and he's putting you in prison. 00:25:10.399 --> 00:25:12.359 He wants to get your eyes off of God. 00:25:12.419 --> 00:25:14.139 He wants to make you think less of God's character. 00:25:14.599 --> 00:25:16.159 He wants to think you less of the cross. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.779 He wants you to think just about here and now. 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:20.439 And Satan uses all these things to help us lose our focus. 00:25:20.599 --> 00:25:21.659 And he says right here, 00:25:21.659 --> 00:25:22.419 Satan has done it. 00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:26.519 And then we learn later on that God allows it. 00:25:28.860 --> 00:25:31.220 Do you know that God allows everything that happens to you to happen? 00:25:31.700 --> 00:25:32.200 You're his child. 00:25:33.320 --> 00:25:33.720 Everything. 00:25:34.860 --> 00:25:36.300 Even the worst thing that happened to your life, 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.240 God allowed that to happen. 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:40.920 I mean, the passage says that Satan is causing it to happen like Job. 00:25:41.120 --> 00:25:41.980 You're losing everything. 00:25:42.300 --> 00:25:46.360 But in reality, Satan works for God. 00:25:47.840 --> 00:25:50.039 And God is allowing all those things to happen. 00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:52.700 Because God knows, unlike Satan, 00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:54.240 that when persecution comes, 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:56.420 it actually makes us stronger. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.899 It makes God's children stronger 00:26:00.899 --> 00:26:02.960 because what God does is he wants to show us 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:04.099 what's really in our hearts. 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:06.980 God wants to show us what we really love. 00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:08.839 God wants to show us what we really worship. 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:11.659 God wants to show us what we really smell like under pressure. 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:16.300 I sprayed some rose spray when we first came. 00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:17.400 I don't know if you can smell that. 00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:19.640 It's trying to do a 4D effect. 00:26:19.840 --> 00:26:20.940 You know, I don't know if it worked or not. 00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:23.400 One guy said, Christina must not be there 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:25.000 because you're just too busy with all these other things. 00:26:25.400 --> 00:26:26.220 I said, yes, you're right. 00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:29.480 But what I wanted to do is I wanted to have a rose 00:26:29.480 --> 00:26:31.339 and I wanted just to crush that rose 00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:33.640 and say, where did that smell came from? 00:26:35.700 --> 00:26:38.660 And you're going to say, well, the rose is inside. 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:39.620 The smell is there. 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:41.100 When the rose is crushed, 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:42.720 what's inside of it comes out. 00:26:44.100 --> 00:26:45.720 Then I wanted to bring a big durian. 00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:49.240 You'd never come back, right? 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.740 And I want to just go, whoa, 00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:54.359 and just pop that thing all over this place. 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:56.519 Cyberport probably never have us back either. 00:26:57.880 --> 00:27:00.859 And I wanted to say, where does that smell come from? 00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:04.359 It's inside. 00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:09.160 You know, there's a lot of us in here 00:27:09.160 --> 00:27:12.920 who probably stink like durians. 00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:16.620 The pressure hasn't hit us yet. 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:17.859 And when the pressure does, it's going to go, 00:27:18.039 --> 00:27:19.559 and you're going to go, wow. 00:27:19.559 --> 00:27:21.759 Wow, where'd that come from? 00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:24.859 That's terrible. 00:27:25.179 --> 00:27:26.119 I can't believe that. 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:29.960 But the passage says that God allows these things 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:31.000 to come into our life. 00:27:31.099 --> 00:27:32.779 He allows us to be crushed. 00:27:32.919 --> 00:27:35.200 He allows these difficult things to happen 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:37.000 so that we can see what's inside of us 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:38.859 so that we can understand grace, 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.879 so that we can understand his mercy, 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:44.379 so that we can repent, 00:27:45.879 --> 00:27:47.059 so that we can be different. 00:27:47.059 --> 00:27:50.740 And this church is facing all of these things, 00:27:50.839 --> 00:27:53.460 and it was really, really, really, really hard. 00:27:54.919 --> 00:27:57.059 Verse 10 says that the crushing kept happening, 00:27:57.399 --> 00:27:58.480 and the crushing kept happening. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:00.279 And he says, when people were crushed, 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:02.279 they realized what crown they were living for. 00:28:05.980 --> 00:28:07.500 Do you know what crown you're living for? 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:12.440 In Smyrna, there were three of them 00:28:12.440 --> 00:28:13.339 that people really wanted. 00:28:13.539 --> 00:28:15.179 The first one they really desired was the crown, 00:28:15.179 --> 00:28:16.960 like I said already, the crown of Caesar's friendship. 00:28:17.059 --> 00:28:18.579 Everybody wanted the crown of Caesar's friendship. 00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:20.179 Everybody wanted to be everybody's friend. 00:28:20.259 --> 00:28:21.019 Everybody wanted to be popular. 00:28:21.159 --> 00:28:22.079 Everybody wanted to be known by everybody. 00:28:22.919 --> 00:28:23.599 There was another crown. 00:28:23.700 --> 00:28:24.559 It was the wreath of athletes. 00:28:25.339 --> 00:28:26.500 And everybody wanted that 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:28.819 because they wanted to be athletic and popular 00:28:28.819 --> 00:28:31.299 and praised and free food and free housing. 00:28:31.679 --> 00:28:32.419 Everybody wanted that. 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:33.480 And there's this third crown. 00:28:33.619 --> 00:28:34.879 It was the wealth of the city. 00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:37.720 It was the crown when they looked at it, 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:38.819 and they saw the city, 00:28:38.859 --> 00:28:39.960 and they saw everything highlighted, 00:28:40.159 --> 00:28:41.279 everything that the city represented, 00:28:41.619 --> 00:28:43.500 the skyline, the temples, the money, 00:28:43.700 --> 00:28:45.059 everything that Hong Kong had to offer. 00:28:45.139 --> 00:28:46.059 People wanted that. 00:28:46.059 --> 00:28:51.480 And Jesus was reminding them 00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:53.000 that there's a greater crown for you. 00:28:55.679 --> 00:28:57.559 There's a greater crown for you. 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:00.200 Hold on. 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:03.139 Don't sell out. 00:29:05.379 --> 00:29:06.599 Remember who you are. 00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:13.879 So the question is, 00:29:13.939 --> 00:29:14.980 what crown are we after? 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:17.879 Really? 00:29:23.299 --> 00:29:25.799 God allows these persecutions and trials 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:27.959 and terrible things to happen to this church 00:29:27.959 --> 00:29:30.719 because he wants to show us, 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:31.879 he wants to show them, 00:29:33.099 --> 00:29:33.359 him. 00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:37.819 He wants us to love him, 00:29:37.879 --> 00:29:39.419 not because of what he does for us, 00:29:40.199 --> 00:29:43.179 but he wants us to love him 00:29:43.179 --> 00:29:45.819 because he's beautiful. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:50.979 Do you see Christ as beautiful? 00:29:50.980 --> 00:30:00.160 It's amazing here. 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:00.700 Satan, 00:30:01.140 --> 00:30:01.620 pressure, 00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:02.299 pressure, 00:30:02.579 --> 00:30:03.200 and God says, 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:03.480 okay, 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:04.000 go ahead, 00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:05.480 because my people will persevere. 00:30:06.019 --> 00:30:07.079 My people will be different. 00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:08.240 My people will be stronger. 00:30:08.620 --> 00:30:09.059 My people, 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:09.599 in verse 11, 00:30:09.660 --> 00:30:10.640 they're going to be overcomers. 00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:11.920 They're going to survive. 00:30:12.220 --> 00:30:13.319 And you notice in this passage, 00:30:13.620 --> 00:30:14.860 this is one of the few passages 00:30:14.860 --> 00:30:16.400 where Jesus doesn't rebuke anybody. 00:30:17.120 --> 00:30:17.880 Did you notice that? 00:30:17.880 --> 00:30:19.440 He doesn't rebuke anybody. 00:30:19.820 --> 00:30:19.940 I mean, 00:30:19.960 --> 00:30:20.840 I think it's because 00:30:20.840 --> 00:30:22.640 the people are already suffering. 00:30:23.560 --> 00:30:23.780 I mean, 00:30:23.820 --> 00:30:25.260 the suffering is already happening. 00:30:25.760 --> 00:30:27.400 And what you learn in suffering 00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:28.640 is when suffering happens, 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.600 false Christians, 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:31.940 counterfeit Christians, 00:30:32.120 --> 00:30:32.560 they just, 00:30:32.760 --> 00:30:34.080 they just leave. 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:39.980 And all the false Christians, 00:30:40.099 --> 00:30:41.019 all the counterfeit Christians, 00:30:41.139 --> 00:30:41.859 all the wannabes, 00:30:41.939 --> 00:30:43.179 all the ones who wanted the popularity 00:30:43.179 --> 00:30:44.379 or the relationships, 00:30:44.599 --> 00:30:45.379 they just left 00:30:45.379 --> 00:30:46.559 because when the pressure hit 00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:47.240 and people started, 00:30:47.619 --> 00:30:49.059 the word actually in Greek means 00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:50.019 you're laying down 00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:50.799 and there's this boulder 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:52.000 placed on your chest. 00:30:53.279 --> 00:30:54.819 And there's this amazing pressure 00:30:54.819 --> 00:30:55.619 that's happening to you. 00:30:55.819 --> 00:30:56.619 And what you realize 00:30:56.619 --> 00:30:57.779 is that when the pressure happens, 00:30:58.099 --> 00:30:59.199 that all the counterfeit Christians, 00:30:59.279 --> 00:30:59.939 they just leave. 00:31:00.019 --> 00:31:00.500 They go out. 00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:01.179 They don't want to suffer. 00:31:01.180 --> 00:31:04.299 And so all that was left here 00:31:04.299 --> 00:31:06.600 was true believers. 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:10.299 Those who didn't say 00:31:10.299 --> 00:31:11.240 Kyrie Caesar, 00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:12.799 those who didn't have 00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:13.380 their certificate, 00:31:13.620 --> 00:31:14.180 those who are living 00:31:14.180 --> 00:31:15.060 for a different crown. 00:31:16.860 --> 00:31:17.279 I remember, 00:31:18.080 --> 00:31:20.920 all my stories are in Asia mostly. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:22.759 I was working with some pastors 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:23.759 in the north 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:25.160 and we were talking about 00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:25.799 the persecution 00:31:25.799 --> 00:31:27.400 and in the city that I lived in, 00:31:27.560 --> 00:31:28.400 persecution was really, 00:31:28.560 --> 00:31:28.900 really hard. 00:31:30.060 --> 00:31:30.240 I mean, 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:31.779 the churches often got shut down 00:31:31.779 --> 00:31:32.700 for two or three months. 00:31:33.140 --> 00:31:36.000 Pastors got pushed into prison. 00:31:36.120 --> 00:31:36.819 They got beat up. 00:31:37.779 --> 00:31:39.099 I remember I started this fund 00:31:39.099 --> 00:31:40.519 for beat up pastors. 00:31:41.620 --> 00:31:43.279 We raised money for the church 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:43.859 and all these things. 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:44.440 And so these guys, 00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:45.240 because they couldn't, 00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:46.059 they couldn't pastor. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:47.039 They were in a bed 00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:48.120 for six months 00:31:48.120 --> 00:31:48.940 because they had every bone 00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:49.740 in their body broken. 00:31:50.519 --> 00:31:51.620 And I gave this fund 00:31:51.620 --> 00:31:52.559 to this guy 00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:52.759 and said, 00:31:52.819 --> 00:31:52.940 hey, 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:53.980 we want to take care of you. 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:55.019 And he ended up 00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:55.700 just giving it away 00:31:55.700 --> 00:31:56.759 to other people in his church. 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:04.519 And he said to me, 00:32:04.819 --> 00:32:05.779 persecution is good. 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:09.460 He says, 00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:10.559 it shows us who's false. 00:32:12.299 --> 00:32:13.400 It shows us who's counterfeit. 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:15.700 Counterfeit people 00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:17.579 don't handle persecution. 00:32:19.220 --> 00:32:19.980 Counterfeit Christians 00:32:19.980 --> 00:32:20.920 don't give. 00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:23.720 Counterfeit Christians 00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:24.579 don't serve. 00:32:26.579 --> 00:32:27.359 Counterfeit Christians 00:32:27.359 --> 00:32:28.420 just think of themselves. 00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:34.700 It was 25 years ago. 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:37.779 I still remember his words. 00:32:39.779 --> 00:32:40.740 He told me the story 00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:41.220 of one night 00:32:41.220 --> 00:32:41.560 they were having 00:32:41.560 --> 00:32:42.300 this Bible study 00:32:42.300 --> 00:32:43.160 and there's about 20 of them 00:32:43.160 --> 00:32:43.740 in a room. 00:32:45.580 --> 00:32:46.039 And all of a sudden 00:32:46.039 --> 00:32:47.120 there was a knock at the door 00:32:47.120 --> 00:32:49.039 and they opened the door 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:50.200 and the public security bureau 00:32:50.200 --> 00:32:51.500 the secret police walked in. 00:32:52.600 --> 00:32:53.380 There was two of them. 00:32:54.580 --> 00:32:55.620 And everybody stood up 00:32:55.620 --> 00:32:56.900 and the pastor stood in front. 00:32:56.900 --> 00:32:58.820 And the officer 00:32:58.820 --> 00:32:59.460 looked at everybody 00:32:59.460 --> 00:32:59.800 and says, 00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:00.519 everybody in here 00:33:00.519 --> 00:33:01.100 who's not ready 00:33:01.100 --> 00:33:02.200 to go to prison right now, 00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:03.040 get out of here. 00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:05.480 Everybody in here 00:33:05.480 --> 00:33:06.080 who's not willing 00:33:06.080 --> 00:33:07.640 to die for their faith, 00:33:08.759 --> 00:33:09.440 get out of here. 00:33:12.780 --> 00:33:13.519 The pastor said 00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:14.700 about a third of the people left. 00:33:18.140 --> 00:33:18.980 The officer looked around 00:33:18.980 --> 00:33:19.140 and says, 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:19.720 everybody in here 00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:20.320 is willing to die 00:33:20.320 --> 00:33:20.960 for your faith? 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:22.559 And they said, 00:33:22.620 --> 00:33:22.920 yes. 00:33:24.500 --> 00:33:25.019 They said, 00:33:25.100 --> 00:33:25.380 good. 00:33:26.759 --> 00:33:27.500 Because we've heard 00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:28.220 about Christianity. 00:33:29.620 --> 00:33:30.819 We've heard about Christ. 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:33.200 And we want to learn 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:34.100 from true Christians. 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:36.519 Can you teach us 00:33:36.519 --> 00:33:37.620 what it means 00:33:37.620 --> 00:33:39.660 to be a child of God? 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:43.319 Persecution 00:33:43.319 --> 00:33:45.420 refines us. 00:33:45.420 --> 00:33:48.320 Persecution shows us 00:33:48.320 --> 00:33:49.140 what's inside of us. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:52.039 Persecution shows us Christ. 00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:54.860 John ends the letter 00:33:54.860 --> 00:33:56.680 and he talks about 00:33:56.680 --> 00:33:58.480 discomfort and promises. 00:33:58.840 --> 00:33:59.840 There's nothing to fear 00:33:59.840 --> 00:34:01.560 that Jesus is always with us, 00:34:01.900 --> 00:34:02.440 that the suffering 00:34:02.440 --> 00:34:03.539 is just for a short time, 00:34:03.640 --> 00:34:04.480 that whatever we face, 00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:04.980 even death, 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:06.180 it's going to be okay 00:34:06.180 --> 00:34:06.940 because in the end, 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:08.420 our Savior is going to be there 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:09.420 and he's going to welcome us. 00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:11.880 No matter what you face now, 00:34:11.960 --> 00:34:12.880 whatever you're going to go through, 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:13.980 we have a God 00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:15.420 who's already faced all of it 00:34:15.420 --> 00:34:17.720 and he's ready to give us 00:34:17.720 --> 00:34:18.579 a crown of life 00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:19.619 and you can trust him. 00:34:23.860 --> 00:34:24.920 History tells us 00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:25.860 that right after this letter 00:34:25.860 --> 00:34:26.280 was written, 00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:28.840 about 164 A.D. 00:34:28.900 --> 00:34:30.360 to about 304 A.D., 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:32.119 there was this massive persecution 00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:33.320 of Christians in the empire. 00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:34.660 I mean, 00:34:34.740 --> 00:34:35.240 finally, 00:34:35.400 --> 00:34:36.300 Christianity was separated 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:36.940 from Judaism. 00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:38.720 They lost all of their protection 00:34:38.720 --> 00:34:39.780 and the Romans 00:34:39.780 --> 00:34:41.280 just went crazy. 00:34:42.160 --> 00:34:42.680 Accusations, 00:34:42.879 --> 00:34:43.419 persecution, 00:34:43.799 --> 00:34:44.039 death, 00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:45.559 thousands and thousands 00:34:45.559 --> 00:34:46.239 and thousands 00:34:46.239 --> 00:34:46.819 and thousands 00:34:46.819 --> 00:34:47.279 of Christians 00:34:47.279 --> 00:34:48.219 were killed for their faith. 00:34:48.539 --> 00:34:49.460 They were thrown into fires. 00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:50.019 They were drowned. 00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:50.599 They were tortured. 00:34:50.699 --> 00:34:51.379 They were fed animals. 00:34:51.879 --> 00:34:52.099 I mean, 00:34:52.119 --> 00:34:52.799 it was just amazing 00:34:52.799 --> 00:34:53.960 and what you read about 00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:54.739 from the Roman soldiers 00:34:54.739 --> 00:34:55.419 who are doing this 00:34:55.419 --> 00:34:55.879 and the other people 00:34:55.879 --> 00:34:56.619 who are seeing these things, 00:34:56.679 --> 00:34:56.980 they're saying, 00:34:57.319 --> 00:34:57.399 hey, 00:34:57.440 --> 00:34:58.299 the more people we kill, 00:34:58.659 --> 00:35:00.079 the stronger the faith comes. 00:35:01.799 --> 00:35:02.799 The more people who die, 00:35:02.879 --> 00:35:03.819 the more people will stand up 00:35:03.819 --> 00:35:04.059 and say, 00:35:04.119 --> 00:35:04.219 hey, 00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:04.819 I'm a Christian. 00:35:06.659 --> 00:35:07.719 We can't stop it. 00:35:10.779 --> 00:35:11.139 Eventually, 00:35:11.259 --> 00:35:12.179 Christianity takes over 00:35:12.179 --> 00:35:12.980 the empire 00:35:12.980 --> 00:35:15.440 because persecution 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:17.099 brings strength 00:35:17.099 --> 00:35:19.759 and the people understood 00:35:19.759 --> 00:35:20.679 what was inside of them. 00:35:20.779 --> 00:35:21.079 They understood 00:35:21.079 --> 00:35:22.199 who they were 00:35:22.199 --> 00:35:25.379 and they saw Christ 00:35:25.379 --> 00:35:26.239 for who he was. 00:35:30.799 --> 00:35:31.819 Do you see Christ 00:35:31.819 --> 00:35:32.480 for who he is? 00:35:36.219 --> 00:35:37.199 Do you struggle 00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:38.039 with him being 00:35:38.039 --> 00:35:39.279 a step for God? 00:35:41.619 --> 00:35:42.259 I do. 00:35:45.359 --> 00:35:46.319 There are many times 00:35:46.319 --> 00:35:48.039 I just compromise. 00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:50.539 There are many times 00:35:50.539 --> 00:35:51.879 it's just too inconvenient. 00:35:53.379 --> 00:35:54.379 There's just too many times 00:35:54.379 --> 00:35:55.859 I worry about myself. 00:35:55.860 --> 00:36:00.039 John, 00:36:00.240 --> 00:36:01.019 Jesus 00:36:01.019 --> 00:36:02.800 is encouraging us 00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:04.740 to persevere. 00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:08.320 To persevere. 00:36:09.960 --> 00:36:10.940 To keep going. 00:36:12.860 --> 00:36:13.780 My study was 00:36:13.780 --> 00:36:14.440 church history 00:36:14.440 --> 00:36:15.120 and theology 00:36:15.120 --> 00:36:15.620 and seminary. 00:36:15.700 --> 00:36:16.480 I love to read. 00:36:17.019 --> 00:36:17.559 And you can go 00:36:17.559 --> 00:36:18.140 on these websites 00:36:18.140 --> 00:36:18.780 and you can read 00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:19.860 about these early church 00:36:19.860 --> 00:36:20.460 Christians 00:36:20.460 --> 00:36:21.599 who gave their faith. 00:36:21.820 --> 00:36:22.620 In your chair, 00:36:22.700 --> 00:36:23.640 there's these little squares. 00:36:23.639 --> 00:36:25.019 We made these trading cards 00:36:25.019 --> 00:36:25.900 in your chair. 00:36:25.980 --> 00:36:26.659 So every other chair 00:36:26.659 --> 00:36:28.339 has a trading card 00:36:28.339 --> 00:36:28.839 of a person 00:36:28.839 --> 00:36:29.519 who gave their faith 00:36:29.519 --> 00:36:29.920 for Christ. 00:36:30.199 --> 00:36:31.279 We want you to take that home. 00:36:31.359 --> 00:36:32.299 We want you to read about them. 00:36:32.359 --> 00:36:33.319 We want you to think about them. 00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:34.539 We want you to understand 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:35.139 their story. 00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:36.619 It's so amazing to see 00:36:36.619 --> 00:36:37.579 what people do 00:36:37.579 --> 00:36:38.259 when they're in love 00:36:38.259 --> 00:36:38.679 with Jesus 00:36:38.679 --> 00:36:39.699 and how they follow him. 00:36:40.139 --> 00:36:40.539 Origen. 00:36:41.019 --> 00:36:41.699 Origen was one 00:36:41.699 --> 00:36:42.480 of our church fathers. 00:36:42.599 --> 00:36:43.579 He was born in Alexandria 00:36:43.579 --> 00:36:45.000 in 165 A.D. 00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:47.480 202 A.D. 00:36:47.539 --> 00:36:48.579 Right after this writing, 00:36:49.019 --> 00:36:50.239 there's a huge persecution 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:50.960 and his dad, 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:51.559 Leonidas, 00:36:51.639 --> 00:36:52.199 was a Christian 00:36:52.199 --> 00:36:53.179 and his dad 00:36:53.179 --> 00:36:54.699 actually got put into prison. 00:36:55.119 --> 00:36:56.000 Origen would go there 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:56.579 every day 00:36:56.579 --> 00:36:58.179 to encourage his dad 00:36:58.179 --> 00:36:58.859 and not to give up 00:36:58.859 --> 00:36:59.219 on the faith. 00:36:59.279 --> 00:37:00.399 And this is a 13-year-old boy. 00:37:00.699 --> 00:37:01.159 Don't give up 00:37:01.159 --> 00:37:01.779 on your faith, Dad. 00:37:01.819 --> 00:37:02.199 Don't give up 00:37:02.199 --> 00:37:02.719 on your faith, Dad. 00:37:02.779 --> 00:37:03.299 Jesus is it. 00:37:03.379 --> 00:37:04.159 Jesus is waiting for us. 00:37:04.219 --> 00:37:04.759 Jesus is there. 00:37:05.059 --> 00:37:05.559 Don't give up 00:37:05.559 --> 00:37:06.139 on your faith, Dad. 00:37:06.359 --> 00:37:06.939 And when it came time 00:37:06.939 --> 00:37:07.699 for his dad to die 00:37:07.699 --> 00:37:08.159 because his dad 00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:09.359 won Curie Caesar, 00:37:09.819 --> 00:37:10.799 it said that Origen 00:37:10.799 --> 00:37:11.460 wanted to go out 00:37:11.460 --> 00:37:12.519 and Origen wanted to die 00:37:12.519 --> 00:37:13.339 with his dad. 00:37:13.340 --> 00:37:18.280 But his mom hid his clothes 00:37:18.280 --> 00:37:21.579 and he was too embarrassed 00:37:21.579 --> 00:37:22.660 to walk out naked 00:37:22.660 --> 00:37:23.880 and say, 00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:24.460 I'm a Christian. 00:37:24.620 --> 00:37:25.000 Kill me. 00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:27.600 And he survived 00:37:27.600 --> 00:37:28.140 and he became 00:37:28.140 --> 00:37:29.840 one of the early church leaders. 00:37:31.420 --> 00:37:32.700 The governor of Armenia 00:37:32.700 --> 00:37:33.680 says that he confronted 00:37:33.680 --> 00:37:34.400 this mutiny 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:35.300 of 40 soldiers 00:37:35.300 --> 00:37:37.140 who refused to sacrifice 00:37:37.140 --> 00:37:37.820 to the emperor. 00:37:38.720 --> 00:37:39.820 The 40 stood before him. 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:40.820 It was freezing outside. 00:37:40.820 --> 00:37:41.300 It was winter 00:37:41.300 --> 00:37:42.039 in the fourth century. 00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:44.580 He knew that they were strong 00:37:44.580 --> 00:37:45.340 and they were tough 00:37:45.340 --> 00:37:46.180 and they were soldiers 00:37:46.180 --> 00:37:47.019 and they were adamant 00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:48.180 and they refused 00:37:48.180 --> 00:37:48.860 to sacrifice. 00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:50.420 They refused to betray 00:37:50.420 --> 00:37:51.300 their faith in Christ. 00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:52.300 And he asked, 00:37:52.580 --> 00:37:53.840 but what about your comrades? 00:37:55.200 --> 00:37:56.039 Aren't you going to bring 00:37:56.039 --> 00:37:57.320 shame to the legion? 00:37:59.180 --> 00:38:00.320 And these 40 guys said 00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:01.340 that the disgrace 00:38:01.340 --> 00:38:02.380 of the name of our Lord 00:38:02.380 --> 00:38:03.059 Jesus Christ 00:38:03.059 --> 00:38:03.960 is more terrible 00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:06.380 than disgracing our work. 00:38:07.700 --> 00:38:08.820 He threatened to flog them. 00:38:08.900 --> 00:38:09.740 He threatened to torture them. 00:38:09.820 --> 00:38:10.559 The soldiers stood 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:11.059 firm 00:38:11.059 --> 00:38:12.659 and boldly they said, 00:38:13.059 --> 00:38:14.279 nothing you can do, 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:16.019 nothing you can give us 00:38:16.019 --> 00:38:16.539 will replace 00:38:16.539 --> 00:38:17.279 what we will lose 00:38:17.279 --> 00:38:18.039 in this next world. 00:38:18.360 --> 00:38:19.239 All your threats, 00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:20.420 everything that's going to happen, 00:38:20.779 --> 00:38:21.719 nothing of it will compare 00:38:21.719 --> 00:38:22.619 to what we will receive 00:38:22.619 --> 00:38:23.719 when we gain Christ. 00:38:24.799 --> 00:38:25.820 We're told that the governor 00:38:25.820 --> 00:38:26.779 finally commanded 00:38:26.779 --> 00:38:28.179 everybody to be stripped 00:38:28.179 --> 00:38:29.779 and he drove them 00:38:29.779 --> 00:38:30.880 into this ice pond 00:38:30.880 --> 00:38:32.519 and it was freezing 00:38:32.519 --> 00:38:33.699 and these guys 00:38:33.699 --> 00:38:34.239 were in there, 00:38:34.340 --> 00:38:34.820 40 of them 00:38:34.820 --> 00:38:35.539 and they were singing 00:38:35.539 --> 00:38:37.019 40 soldiers of Christ, 00:38:37.420 --> 00:38:38.739 40 soldiers of Christ, 00:38:38.739 --> 00:38:40.439 40 soldiers of Christ, 00:38:40.859 --> 00:38:42.159 what is death to us 00:38:42.159 --> 00:38:44.059 but entrance into eternal life, 00:38:44.339 --> 00:38:45.439 40 soldiers of Christ 00:38:45.439 --> 00:38:46.619 and it kept happening 00:38:46.619 --> 00:38:47.099 and the guys 00:38:47.099 --> 00:38:48.359 just would not die 00:38:48.359 --> 00:38:49.899 and all the soldiers 00:38:49.899 --> 00:38:50.359 are watching 00:38:50.359 --> 00:38:50.899 and the governor 00:38:50.899 --> 00:38:51.379 is watching 00:38:51.379 --> 00:38:52.279 and finally 00:38:52.279 --> 00:38:52.959 the governor says, 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:53.819 I got something 00:38:53.819 --> 00:38:54.299 that will do it. 00:38:54.619 --> 00:38:55.839 Set up hot baths 00:38:55.839 --> 00:38:56.179 everywhere. 00:38:57.039 --> 00:38:57.959 Set up hot baths 00:38:57.959 --> 00:38:58.339 outside 00:38:58.339 --> 00:38:59.059 and when they see 00:38:59.059 --> 00:38:59.839 the hot water 00:38:59.839 --> 00:39:00.779 and the boilingness 00:39:00.779 --> 00:39:01.619 and all the soothing things 00:39:01.619 --> 00:39:02.239 they're going to get out 00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:03.599 and they set up the hot baths, 00:39:03.759 --> 00:39:04.739 40 soldiers of Christ, 00:39:05.059 --> 00:39:05.979 40 soldiers of Christ 00:39:05.980 --> 00:39:06.559 and all of a sudden 00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:07.199 one of them says, 00:39:07.300 --> 00:39:08.179 I just can't do this anymore 00:39:08.179 --> 00:39:10.179 and he gets out 00:39:10.179 --> 00:39:10.960 of the freezing water 00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:11.800 and he steps 00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:12.639 into the hot water 00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:14.599 and he basically dies 00:39:14.599 --> 00:39:15.500 because of shock 00:39:15.500 --> 00:39:17.740 and the soldiers 00:39:17.740 --> 00:39:18.320 that are guarding 00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:19.139 these guys, 00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:20.599 one of them says, 00:39:20.840 --> 00:39:21.139 no 00:39:21.139 --> 00:39:22.940 and he takes off 00:39:22.940 --> 00:39:23.460 his clothes 00:39:23.460 --> 00:39:24.320 and he runs 00:39:24.320 --> 00:39:24.940 into the water 00:39:24.940 --> 00:39:25.400 with them 00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:28.820 and he starts to sing 00:39:28.820 --> 00:39:30.219 40 soldiers of Christ, 00:39:31.179 --> 00:39:32.940 40 soldiers of Christ. 00:39:32.940 --> 00:39:35.280 the more the church 00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:36.019 was persecuted, 00:39:36.880 --> 00:39:38.400 the stronger it became 00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:40.679 because people 00:39:40.679 --> 00:39:41.280 weren't worshipping 00:39:41.280 --> 00:39:42.179 a Stepford God, 00:39:43.380 --> 00:39:44.420 they were worshipping 00:39:44.420 --> 00:39:45.200 the God of the Bible. 00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:48.659 We're told later, 00:39:48.780 --> 00:39:50.159 50 years after this letter, 00:39:50.880 --> 00:39:51.740 that Polycarp, 00:39:51.800 --> 00:39:52.380 he was the bishop 00:39:52.380 --> 00:39:53.220 of Smyrna, 00:39:54.340 --> 00:39:55.599 he probably helped 00:39:55.599 --> 00:39:57.079 John write Revelation 00:39:57.079 --> 00:39:57.720 because John, 00:39:57.840 --> 00:39:58.220 in the end, 00:39:58.300 --> 00:39:59.240 his eyes were going out 00:39:59.240 --> 00:40:00.460 and he could barely see 00:40:00.460 --> 00:40:01.260 and he's getting old 00:40:01.260 --> 00:40:02.380 and so this young guy, 00:40:02.500 --> 00:40:03.000 Polycarp, 00:40:03.040 --> 00:40:03.580 came alongside 00:40:03.580 --> 00:40:05.100 and he was his scribe 00:40:05.100 --> 00:40:06.780 and 50 years after 00:40:06.780 --> 00:40:07.740 this letter comes to Smyrna, 00:40:08.080 --> 00:40:09.240 Polycarp becomes the bishop 00:40:09.240 --> 00:40:11.220 and he's serving 00:40:11.220 --> 00:40:12.260 in the church in Smyrna 00:40:12.260 --> 00:40:13.700 and things are really bad, 00:40:13.800 --> 00:40:14.440 things are difficult, 00:40:14.740 --> 00:40:16.320 it's incredibly hard 00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:16.920 to be a believer 00:40:16.920 --> 00:40:17.980 and one day, 00:40:18.560 --> 00:40:19.080 the emperor, 00:40:19.420 --> 00:40:20.120 the leader of the town 00:40:20.120 --> 00:40:20.660 has enough 00:40:20.660 --> 00:40:22.320 and he comes after Polycarp 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:22.740 and he says, 00:40:23.620 --> 00:40:24.240 do the oath 00:40:24.240 --> 00:40:25.340 or die 00:40:25.340 --> 00:40:27.780 and we're told 00:40:27.780 --> 00:40:28.940 that Polycarp walks 00:40:28.940 --> 00:40:30.480 to the Coliseum 00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:31.599 and there's just 00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:32.559 thousands of people, 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:33.260 Christians there 00:40:33.260 --> 00:40:34.300 and non-Christians 00:40:34.300 --> 00:40:34.820 and they're watching 00:40:34.820 --> 00:40:35.460 what he's going to do 00:40:35.460 --> 00:40:36.579 and he says, 00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:40.960 how can I forsake my Lord 00:40:40.960 --> 00:40:43.699 who's been so good to me 00:40:43.699 --> 00:40:46.340 these 80 plus six years 00:40:46.340 --> 00:40:49.980 and the guards came to him 00:40:49.980 --> 00:40:50.119 and said, 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:50.860 you don't have to say 00:40:50.860 --> 00:40:51.880 Caesar is Lord, 00:40:52.039 --> 00:40:53.219 just say that Caesar's cool, 00:40:54.360 --> 00:40:55.059 literally that's what they said, 00:40:55.099 --> 00:40:56.260 just say Caesar's wise 00:40:56.260 --> 00:40:59.000 and if you don't, 00:40:59.200 --> 00:41:00.560 we're going to burn you alive 00:41:00.560 --> 00:41:02.680 and he says, 00:41:03.900 --> 00:41:04.560 you know that fire 00:41:04.560 --> 00:41:06.760 is just going to last 00:41:06.760 --> 00:41:07.500 for a little time 00:41:07.500 --> 00:41:12.280 but I'll be with my Savior 00:41:12.280 --> 00:41:14.440 forever. 00:41:14.440 --> 00:41:20.400 when you're worshiping 00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:21.019 a God 00:41:21.019 --> 00:41:24.079 who's not a Stepford God 00:41:24.079 --> 00:41:27.740 it's easy 00:41:27.740 --> 00:41:30.000 to go whatever Satan 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:31.079 sends against us 00:41:31.079 --> 00:41:32.800 because we know 00:41:32.800 --> 00:41:33.700 that God is in there 00:41:33.700 --> 00:41:34.579 and he's in control. 00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:37.920 You know, 00:41:37.940 --> 00:41:38.740 it's easy to deny 00:41:38.740 --> 00:41:39.559 a Stepford God 00:41:39.559 --> 00:41:42.260 some of us 00:41:42.260 --> 00:41:42.599 are going to do it 00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:43.039 every day 00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:45.400 but you and I 00:41:45.400 --> 00:41:46.779 this passage says 00:41:46.779 --> 00:41:48.639 we have a Savior 00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:50.059 who was crushed for us. 00:41:52.759 --> 00:41:53.779 We have a Savior 00:41:53.779 --> 00:41:55.739 who became a sweet aroma 00:41:55.739 --> 00:41:58.099 as his body 00:41:58.099 --> 00:41:59.340 was crushed on the cross. 00:42:00.900 --> 00:42:02.079 Because of his fragrance, 00:42:02.199 --> 00:42:02.900 because of that aroma, 00:42:03.059 --> 00:42:03.739 you and I 00:42:03.739 --> 00:42:05.460 can enter into 00:42:05.460 --> 00:42:06.599 God's kingdom. 00:42:09.079 --> 00:42:10.279 My prayer for us 00:42:10.279 --> 00:42:11.059 as a church 00:42:11.059 --> 00:42:12.279 as we read things 00:42:12.280 --> 00:42:13.300 like Smyrna 00:42:13.300 --> 00:42:14.740 as we think of the saints 00:42:14.740 --> 00:42:15.860 who've gone before us 00:42:15.860 --> 00:42:17.100 that we would ask 00:42:17.100 --> 00:42:18.120 ourselves questions 00:42:18.120 --> 00:42:19.400 and the biggest question 00:42:19.400 --> 00:42:19.940 would be 00:42:19.940 --> 00:42:22.880 what kind of God 00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:23.440 am I serving? 00:42:27.220 --> 00:42:28.220 Is Christ really 00:42:28.220 --> 00:42:29.180 the first and the last? 00:42:30.920 --> 00:42:31.880 Is Christ really 00:42:31.880 --> 00:42:33.420 those who was born 00:42:33.420 --> 00:42:34.260 and then rose again? 00:42:35.060 --> 00:42:36.320 Is he really God? 00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:42.300 what kind of crown 00:42:42.300 --> 00:42:43.460 am I seeking for today? 00:42:46.900 --> 00:42:47.380 I mean, 00:42:47.420 --> 00:42:47.960 is the God 00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:49.980 who conquered everything 00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:50.580 even death, 00:42:50.760 --> 00:42:51.840 is he great enough 00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:53.260 to take me through 00:42:53.260 --> 00:42:53.800 whatever I'm going 00:42:53.800 --> 00:42:54.480 to go through today? 00:42:58.160 --> 00:42:59.160 Why am I fearing 00:42:59.159 --> 00:43:03.519 if I'm serving Christ? 00:43:06.899 --> 00:43:07.639 Because he's there. 00:43:09.460 --> 00:43:10.219 My prayer is 00:43:10.219 --> 00:43:11.179 that we would be a church 00:43:11.179 --> 00:43:11.879 that would be different, 00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:12.960 we would allow the pressure 00:43:12.960 --> 00:43:13.839 to come into us 00:43:13.839 --> 00:43:14.639 and to change us 00:43:14.639 --> 00:43:15.579 and that we wouldn't smell 00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:16.219 like durian 00:43:16.219 --> 00:43:16.960 but we would smell 00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:18.399 like roses. 00:43:19.980 --> 00:43:20.819 And as this pressure 00:43:20.819 --> 00:43:21.879 enters into our life 00:43:21.879 --> 00:43:22.799 that we would be broken 00:43:22.799 --> 00:43:23.639 and we'd realize 00:43:23.639 --> 00:43:24.819 that God is doing 00:43:24.819 --> 00:43:25.699 this amazing work 00:43:25.699 --> 00:43:26.399 in our life 00:43:26.400 --> 00:43:28.539 and that he's there 00:43:28.539 --> 00:43:29.440 and that he's with us 00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:30.400 and he's in control 00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:32.880 and that this is not our home. 00:43:35.340 --> 00:43:36.059 Hong Kong 00:43:36.059 --> 00:43:37.099 is not your home. 00:43:41.280 --> 00:43:42.860 If you're God's child, 00:43:43.039 --> 00:43:43.840 your home is in heaven 00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:44.340 with God. 00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:46.039 Let's pray. 00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:47.280 Father, 00:43:47.340 --> 00:43:48.400 we thank you for this day. 00:43:49.559 --> 00:43:50.340 We thank you 00:43:50.340 --> 00:43:51.720 that your son 00:43:51.720 --> 00:43:54.360 was crushed 00:43:54.360 --> 00:43:56.680 so that we might 00:43:56.680 --> 00:43:57.260 come to you. 00:44:02.500 --> 00:44:02.860 Father, 00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:03.320 we thank you 00:44:03.320 --> 00:44:04.059 for the message 00:44:04.059 --> 00:44:04.780 of Smyrna 00:44:04.780 --> 00:44:06.160 in your word. 00:44:08.320 --> 00:44:09.000 I realize 00:44:09.000 --> 00:44:09.340 that there are 00:44:09.340 --> 00:44:09.720 some of us 00:44:09.720 --> 00:44:10.300 in here right now 00:44:10.300 --> 00:44:10.940 who don't know 00:44:10.940 --> 00:44:11.539 what crown 00:44:11.539 --> 00:44:12.120 we're seeking 00:44:12.120 --> 00:44:12.680 or serving. 00:44:13.840 --> 00:44:14.519 That some of us 00:44:14.519 --> 00:44:14.940 in here 00:44:14.940 --> 00:44:16.000 are serving 00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:16.680 other gods 00:44:16.680 --> 00:44:17.820 and other crowns 00:44:17.820 --> 00:44:19.640 and that's okay 00:44:19.640 --> 00:44:22.320 because you're big enough 00:44:22.320 --> 00:44:23.280 to change your eyes. 00:44:23.280 --> 00:44:24.540 you're big enough 00:44:24.540 --> 00:44:25.340 to open their hearts. 00:44:26.660 --> 00:44:27.080 Lord, 00:44:27.100 --> 00:44:27.780 I pray for those 00:44:27.780 --> 00:44:29.200 who don't know you yet 00:44:29.200 --> 00:44:31.700 that they would ask questions 00:44:31.700 --> 00:44:34.160 and that we as a church 00:44:34.160 --> 00:44:36.340 living such radically 00:44:36.340 --> 00:44:37.100 different lives 00:44:37.100 --> 00:44:38.280 in the world around us 00:44:38.280 --> 00:44:40.220 willing to sacrifice 00:44:40.220 --> 00:44:41.060 for the one 00:44:41.060 --> 00:44:41.640 who is 00:44:41.640 --> 00:44:43.240 and was 00:44:43.240 --> 00:44:44.860 who was born 00:44:44.860 --> 00:44:45.980 who died 00:44:45.980 --> 00:44:47.640 and came back to life. 00:44:48.560 --> 00:44:49.740 I pray that we'd be a church 00:44:49.740 --> 00:44:51.260 that would act differently 00:44:51.260 --> 00:44:52.380 amongst the pressure 00:44:52.380 --> 00:44:53.240 and the fear 00:44:53.240 --> 00:44:54.620 and the struggles 00:44:54.620 --> 00:44:56.780 maybe even in the times 00:44:56.780 --> 00:44:57.380 that our work 00:44:57.380 --> 00:44:58.020 when we're called 00:44:58.020 --> 00:44:59.280 to burn incense 00:44:59.280 --> 00:45:01.780 pledge allegiance 00:45:01.780 --> 00:45:06.780 I pray that we would 00:45:06.780 --> 00:45:08.340 realize 00:45:08.340 --> 00:45:09.120 the Savior 00:45:09.120 --> 00:45:10.260 who's gone before us 00:45:10.260 --> 00:45:12.780 and that we would be different. 00:45:14.680 --> 00:45:15.120 Father, 00:45:15.180 --> 00:45:16.420 I pray for those of us 00:45:16.420 --> 00:45:17.120 who are your children 00:45:17.120 --> 00:45:17.800 and we're walking 00:45:17.800 --> 00:45:20.120 and we so easily 00:45:20.120 --> 00:45:20.780 so easily 00:45:20.780 --> 00:45:21.780 lose our focus 00:45:21.780 --> 00:45:24.680 when trials come in 00:45:24.680 --> 00:45:26.140 and things become difficult 00:45:26.140 --> 00:45:27.260 and our step for God 00:45:27.260 --> 00:45:27.900 isn't the God 00:45:27.900 --> 00:45:28.600 that we expected 00:45:28.600 --> 00:45:30.000 but he's not a step for God 00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:32.360 and we can't control life 00:45:32.360 --> 00:45:32.960 and we just 00:45:32.960 --> 00:45:34.380 lose it sometimes. 00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:36.360 Lord, 00:45:36.420 --> 00:45:37.019 I just beg 00:45:37.019 --> 00:45:37.739 for your mercy. 00:45:39.480 --> 00:45:40.679 May we be a church 00:45:40.679 --> 00:45:41.460 that would be honest 00:45:41.460 --> 00:45:43.099 and real 00:45:43.099 --> 00:45:43.980 with the brokenness 00:45:43.980 --> 00:45:44.619 in our lives 00:45:44.619 --> 00:45:45.360 and around us. 00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:47.679 May we be a church 00:45:47.679 --> 00:45:48.260 that continually 00:45:48.260 --> 00:45:49.099 comes to you 00:45:49.099 --> 00:45:49.900 and repents. 00:45:51.539 --> 00:45:52.239 May we be a church 00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:53.460 that looks at your goodness 00:45:53.460 --> 00:45:54.340 and your mercy 00:45:54.340 --> 00:45:55.179 and your grace 00:45:55.179 --> 00:45:56.340 daily 00:45:56.340 --> 00:45:57.579 and moment by moment 00:45:57.579 --> 00:45:58.760 we understand the gospel 00:45:58.760 --> 00:45:59.440 anew 00:45:59.440 --> 00:46:01.200 and what it means 00:46:01.200 --> 00:46:01.600 for us 00:46:01.600 --> 00:46:02.540 as we walk with you. 00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:05.360 Father, 00:46:05.400 --> 00:46:05.740 we thank you 00:46:05.740 --> 00:46:06.520 for the examples 00:46:06.520 --> 00:46:07.240 of the guys 00:46:07.240 --> 00:46:07.940 on the cards 00:46:07.940 --> 00:46:08.780 in our chairs 00:46:08.780 --> 00:46:11.440 in the church of Smyrna. 00:46:12.980 --> 00:46:13.340 Wow, 00:46:13.400 --> 00:46:14.180 it is challenging. 00:46:16.300 --> 00:46:17.600 We know we serve you. 00:46:19.520 --> 00:46:20.540 I pray as a church 00:46:20.540 --> 00:46:21.400 as we go out of here 00:46:21.400 --> 00:46:22.420 that we would be different. 00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:25.400 Help us not to smell 00:46:25.400 --> 00:46:27.039 like the world around us. 00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:29.760 Help us to smell 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:30.380 like your son. 00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:32.960 So, Father, 00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:33.860 we come before you 00:46:33.860 --> 00:46:34.800 and we worship you. 00:46:35.720 --> 00:46:36.559 We love you. 00:46:38.079 --> 00:46:38.920 We need you. 00:46:40.559 --> 00:46:41.680 We pray all these things 00:46:41.680 --> 00:46:42.420 in Jesus' 00:46:43.800 --> 00:46:44.680 most precious 00:46:44.680 --> 00:46:47.300 holy name. 00:46:47.300 --> 00:46:48.300 Amen.