1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:08,119 This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:12,240 Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,400 County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,720 continues teaching through God's Word. 5 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,680 We need to be praying for our brothers and sisters, and I know 6 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,600 sometimes we don't. We're thinking so much about 7 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,560 here and now, my life and my family, my church, whatever my 8 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,760 community, my city, and we need to be praying for those things. 9 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:54,160 But we need to ask God to give us a mind to pray for those who 10 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,680 are being persecuted right now. There's more Christians who have 11 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,080 been martyred over the last 50 years and all the history of 12 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,280 martyrdom from the beginning of the Church age. 13 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,520 That's hard to believe. We don't hear about that on the 14 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,360 nightly news. I personally don't watch much of 15 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,040 the news anymore. I can't remember the last time I 16 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,040 was encouraged by watching the news, but there was plenty of 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:20,920 information available online. Whether it's genocide in Nigeria 18 00:01:21,320 --> 00:01:25,520 or persecution in China, Christians are being killed for 19 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,840 their faith. Pastor Clark explains today that 20 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,480 we in the United States are privileged not to face the 21 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,560 intense persecution that other believers deal with. 22 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,520 We bear the responsibility to pray for them continually. 23 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,920 We must be prayerfully supporting our brothers and 24 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,440 sisters now. Here's Pastor Clark in 25 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,800 Revelation Chapter 2 with today's edition of Living Waters 26 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,320 of Grace. And to the Angel of the Church 27 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,320 of Smyrna, right these things, says the 1st and the last, who 28 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:59,200 was dead and came to life. I know your works, tribulation 29 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,760 and poverty, but you are rich. And I know the blasphemy of 30 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,920 those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of 31 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,759 Satan. Do not fear any of those things 32 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:13,600 which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil's about to 33 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,200 throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you 34 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:22,320 will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I 35 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:26,520 will give you the crown of life. The Church of Ephesus was a very 36 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,480 good church, but it had one problem. 37 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,960 It had left its first love. It no longer had passion and 38 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,960 zeal and focus on their relationship with Jesus. 39 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:38,960 And so when we're studying these churches, I don't want you just 40 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,240 to think about the churches back way back then, but think about 41 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,000 the churches that also exist today. 42 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,440 How are we similar in some ways to these very churches we're 43 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,120 studying? And that we we talked last week 44 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,840 about the importance of having our first love restored with the 45 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,040 Lord, that we're close to him, that that we're in love with him 46 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,240 and that we want to follow him and, and seek his face and live 47 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,240 in a way that's pleasing to him. We need the Lord to rekindle 48 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,560 that love moment by moment, don't we? 49 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,200 It's something we have to work at. 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,840 It's something we have to be asking the Lord to do in our 51 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,120 hearts because if we don't, we get cold. 52 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:14,400 All of us. We we drift. 53 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,920 And so Ephesus was a good, good lesson for us. 54 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,280 Jesus said repent and go back and do your first work, lest I 55 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,520 come and remove the lampstand or the light of influence from that 56 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,320 particular local church. Now, Smyrna is a completely 57 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,040 different type of church and when we study these seven 58 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,680 churches, some are really messed up and some are actually being 59 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,400 faithful in the midst of a very, very difficult time of 60 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,000 tribulation. 2 churches that weren't actually even been given 61 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,200 the admonition to repent was Smyrna in the Philadelphia 62 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,560 church in Philadelphia. Those two churches weren't given 63 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,200 the admonition that Ephesus was and some of the others. 64 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,280 But Smyrna, just for a little bit geographical background 65 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,640 here. It's the modern city of Izmir 66 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,200 today, which is a gateway into modern Turkey. 67 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,400 It was a beautiful, splendid city, was actually the most 68 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,000 beautiful city at that particular time, had the highest 69 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:14,000 population of Jews and and Asia Minor, and it was the only 7, 70 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,360 only one of seven of the churches we're studying that's 71 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,079 actually still in existence today. 72 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,320 It's not called Smyrna anymore, it's called Izmir. 73 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:28,240 It also was a city that had been destroyed prior to all this 74 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,080 event occurring as we're studying here in Revelation 75 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,680 approximately 7700 years earlier. 76 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,720 This particular city was destroyed and, and the laden 77 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,200 ruins for about 300 years and then it was rebuilt, 78 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:45,200 reestablished and it became just an amazing city of influence, 79 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,520 gateway city, as I said, into the modern day country of 80 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,920 Turkey. It's the most brief of all the 81 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:53,960 letters. I when I was starting to study 82 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:55,880 this, I said, well, boy, I'm, I'm not going to have enough 83 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:57,640 information here. It's only going to take about 10 84 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:58,680 minutes. I'm going to have to go into 85 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,200 program this after I got into this. 86 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,040 No way that I run out of information. 87 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,160 It's just amazing all the things that are written down about the 88 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,200 what happened with this particular church. 89 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,760 So even though it's very, very brief, only a few verses, very, 90 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,800 very powerful things to say to us, these believers in verse 9 91 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,320 says, he says, I know your works, your tribulation and 92 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,240 poverty, they were going through really difficult times. 93 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,040 Now for you today, it might be hard for you to wrap your mind 94 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,240 around what that would be like in your situation right now. 95 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,000 All of us have trials in our lives, right? 96 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,480 Some degree of trial and tribulation. 97 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,200 Not one of us here doesn't have something they're they're going 98 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:37,760 through or thinking through how you going to get past it, how 99 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,320 you going to deal with it, How you going to have the wisdom to 100 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,960 know how to be influenced in the godly way through whatever it is 101 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,080 that you might personally be going through individually. 102 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,360 But the tribulation that these folks were going through is much 103 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,000 more difficult than than what we're going through. 104 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,840 They were basically being assaulted for their faith in 105 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:57,480 Christ. They were being thrown in 106 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,720 prison. They were being beat. 107 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,280 Many of them died as martyrs for their faith. 108 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,320 They were, because of their faith, not given the opportunity 109 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,600 to earn a living. It would be like the companies 110 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,000 that we work for today, that if they found out we were 111 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,640 Christians, they would say you don't have a job unless you 112 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,640 forsake and curse Christ. That's how tough it was. 113 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:18,800 And because of that, the people were very poor. 114 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,200 They didn't have much in the material wealth that we have 115 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,680 been given the privilege to experience in our culture, our 116 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,280 country. They were plundered and deprived 117 00:06:28,280 --> 00:06:33,000 of their right to work. And you think about living in 118 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,880 those days. And I tried to think about some 119 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,240 countries that are actually going through that right now as 120 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,520 we speak. And I think of Indonesia. 121 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:43,800 It's a beautiful, beautiful country, but it's basically 122 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,640 overrun by Muslim rule. If you're found to be a 123 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:52,360 believer, you will possibly be martyred and killed for your 124 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:57,320 faith. Sudan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, 125 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:02,560 Iraq, Iran, many, many of these countries as we speak are going 126 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,560 through these kind of times. So we need to be praying for our 127 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,160 brothers and sisters. And I know sometimes we don't. 128 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,520 We're thinking so much about here and now, my life and my 129 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,920 family and my church, whatever, my community, my city. 130 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,840 And we need to be praying for those things. 131 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,200 But we need to ask God to give us a mind to pray for those who 132 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,600 are being persecuted right now. There's more Christians who have 133 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,920 been martyred over the last 50 years and all the history of 134 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,120 martyrdom from the beginning of the Church age. 135 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,240 And it's hard to believe we don't hear about that on the 136 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,880 nightly news. We'll hear about other types of 137 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,520 atrocities, but you don't hear a lot from your local newscaster, 138 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,720 your major television affiliates telling you that Christians are 139 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,960 being martyred in many of these countries, China and other 140 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:49,640 countries. It's been very, very difficult 141 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,480 to live in as a as a believer. We're still given the privilege 142 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,600 in our country to have freedom of religion. 143 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,120 We have the right to assemble, to worship and to proclaim 144 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,800 Christ in the media. We still have that privilege and 145 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,800 the print, television, radio, we also have the ability to 146 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:09,240 communicate our faith even in our places of employment. 147 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,120 And that's a privilege I think so often that we take for 148 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,440 granted. John was teaching us this 149 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,680 morning and he said, you know, we should be praying that God 150 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,640 would give us one person in our life this week that we might be 151 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,040 able to share the gospel with and really be thankful that we 152 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,760 have the privilege and we can do that without fear of being in 153 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:29,920 prison, right? Yet these people in these 154 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,360 countries and the folks in Smyrna, because of the 155 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,600 persecution and because of the rules and the laws of Caesar, 156 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:39,200 they spoke about their faith in Christ anyway. 157 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,240 They didn't care if they lost their job. 158 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,320 They didn't care if they were thrown into prison or beaten or 159 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,720 even killed for their faith. And as I read that, I say, Lord, 160 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,600 where's my heart and all this? If I was put in a situation 161 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:58,360 right now, today, tomorrow, next week, where I had to lose my job 162 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:02,360 because of my stand for Christ, would I be willing to stand up 163 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,720 for my faith? We all say, yeah, we would. 164 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,240 But when we're in that situation, only God knows what 165 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:10,760 our hearts would actually do, right? 166 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,720 But I believe that God gives us grace in the midst of the times, 167 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,360 of the trials and the tribulations. 168 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,360 We don't have the ability, so to speak, to think I'm tough, I'm a 169 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,080 strong Christian, I can handle anything. 170 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:23,320 I'll do this. That's foolish. 171 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,720 But to realize, Lord help me, if I'm ever put in a situation like 172 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,680 these folks in Smyrna, that I'll be found faithful to the end, 173 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:36,040 not relying upon my strength, but upon the strength that only 174 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,000 you can give me. And that's called dying grace. 175 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,840 Many of the martyrs, when they gave their lives for Christ, 176 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,440 they were freaking out up until the moment that they were taken 177 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,880 to the torches. And once they were tied up and 178 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,760 the fire was being lit and being lit, many of them said. 179 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,960 And before they died, there was such a sense of God's presence 180 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,720 and peace that they were excited about what was waiting for them 181 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,040 on the other side of this world. And that's the grace of God 182 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,960 provided for us, I believe, in the time of our most desperate 183 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:04,800 need. There was one minister at that 184 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:06,880 time, a very famous church father. 185 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,440 You might have read about him as you studied church history and 186 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,760 approximately 155. His name is Polycarp and he was 187 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:17,720 a minister, but that later on after these days of Smyrna. 188 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,440 But this persecution continued intensely up until the 3rd 189 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,560 century until Constantine saw this vision in the sky of a 190 00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:28,720 cross. And he said he heard this voice 191 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,120 saying by this you'll conquer. And that's when he became a 192 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,080 Christian and he made Christianity the religion of the 193 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,800 provinces at that time. And so the persecution stopped. 194 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:41,440 That was a wonderful thing in some ways. 195 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,640 But when the persecution stops, what happens is a church has a 196 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,800 tendency to then become lukewarm and cold. 197 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:50,720 That's just the way it is. But anyway, Polycarp, he was 198 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,760 given this edict that he had to come into the Colosseum. 199 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,240 It was during the times of The Olympian Games, similar to like 200 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,640 right now what we have going on in Canada. 201 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,120 And it was accustomed that he would have to or Christians, 202 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,120 anybody, they'd have to give allegiance to Caesar, basically 203 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,960 say Caesar is Lord. And there was no way Polycarp 204 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,200 was going to do that. He refused. 205 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,440 And so the crowds are crying out in the Coliseum for Polycarp 206 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:19,280 because he was very influential at the time. 207 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,880 Everybody knew his faith and how he lived. 208 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,440 And they're all thinking like this guy, he's not going to 209 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,600 stand for his faith when it's going to possibly cost him his 210 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,160 life. This is what he replied whenever 211 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,760 they told him you curse Christ, you make a sacrifice of Caesar 212 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,200 or you die. This is what a polycarp said. 86 213 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:43,320 years have I served him and he has done me no wrong. 214 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:48,360 How can I blasphemy my king who saved me and he was burned at 215 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,040 the stake by the Romans and Jews? 216 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,800 How awesome. What an example to us of a hero 217 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,960 in the faith. And so Jesus is encouraging them 218 00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:01,720 as he speaks to his church in Smyrna, He says to them that he 219 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,640 is the 1st and the last who was dead and he came to life. 220 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,280 So he's speaking to those who are facing martyrdom. 221 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:11,240 He's saying, think about this, they crucified me, they killed 222 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,440 me, but the grave could not hold me. 223 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:15,880 The grave won't hold you guys either. 224 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,320 If you're believers in Christ, no matter how you die, no matter 225 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,120 what happens in your life, whether it's just your natural 226 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:27,320 death, old age or disease or a tragedy or maybe for someone day 227 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,360 martyrdom. We don't have to fear or worry 228 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:34,080 because as Christ has been risen from the dead, we also shall 229 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,880 rise in newness of life. And so he's speaking to them 230 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:43,160 comfort and he says in verse 10 about the sacrifice that he 231 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,200 made, He said don't fear the things that you're about to 232 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,440 suffer and the deed. The devil's about to throw some 233 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,480 of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have 234 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,640 tribulation for 10 days. What Christ went through for you 235 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,520 and me that the death of the tomb couldn't hold him. 236 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,640 We read about that in the the Gospels during our daily Bible 237 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,760 reading. I mean, they sealed that tomb 238 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,560 up. They sent the soldiers there 239 00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,520 because they heard, hey, this guy, supposedly he's, they say 240 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,560 he's going to raise. We've heard them say this about 241 00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:16,040 him. He said this about himself. 242 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:17,680 So this would be on the safe side. 243 00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:19,440 Get down and really seal that tomb. 244 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,040 I mean, a huge rock was, was pushed in front of it. 245 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,280 How in the world you'd ever get that thing off would be a 246 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,360 miracle in itself. But the seal, it made it 247 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,280 impossible to do anything with that. 248 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:33,480 I mean, that was a done deal. And yet that sealed tomb, that 249 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:35,920 big stone couldn't hold him, could it? 250 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:40,520 He walked out the third day and he was seen by over 500 251 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,240 witnesses. He was alive from the dead. 252 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,200 So he's encouraging them to be faithful and death. 253 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,760 Don't, don't fear. He's exhorting them. 254 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,240 Be faithful until death. And he says you'll be crowned 255 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:57,440 with the reward of life. And you think about the trials. 256 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:00,840 He says, I know your works, your tribulation, your poverty. 257 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,360 Sometimes we think about trials. Why do we have them? 258 00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:07,400 We all go through them. But there's nothing like trials 259 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,320 to purify us, is there? There's nothing like difficulty 260 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,120 in life to get us on our face and say, Lord, help me. 261 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,240 And that's humility. When a trial comes, God allows 262 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,520 it because he knows it's going to bring us closer to him. 263 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:20,400 Now we're freaking out. We don't like it. 264 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,560 We want it to go away as quickly as possible. 265 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:24,840 He understands our frame, our weakness. 266 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,960 But he says don't be afraid that the trying of your faith works. 267 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,160 Patience, try. Your faith will make you like 268 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,080 me, and you'll shine like pure gold. 269 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,480 If we're going to be glorified together with him, the apostle 270 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,520 Peter tells us, we also have to suffer with him. 271 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,880 And we always have to remember all of us, that in the midst of 272 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,920 the trials and the struggles of life, God is with us, isn't he? 273 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,880 He always is with us. He promises He'll never leave us 274 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:54,760 or forsake us. Sometimes we feel like, God, 275 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,200 where are you? I felt like that at times. 276 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,960 I'm sure you have too. You're going through something. 277 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,080 You're like, Lord, where are you in all this? 278 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,480 But he's there, He's always there. 279 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,440 He promises never to leave us. He walks through it with us. 280 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,400 I like what Psalm 32 says. He says, behold, the eye of the 281 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,400 Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy 282 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:20,040 to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive and in 283 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,520 falling. Our soul waits for the Lord. 284 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,920 He is our help and our shield for our heart shall rejoice in 285 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,400 him because we have trusted in his holy name. 286 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,600 Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us just as we hope in you. 287 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,520 He says that in these trials, in the midst of these trials, 288 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,240 they're rich. And James says in chapter 2, 289 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:44,640 verse 5, listen my beloved brethren, has God not chosen the 290 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,600 poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom 291 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,120 which He promised to them who love him? 292 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:53,280 I think about the Christians in Haiti. 293 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:54,760 You've seen him on TV, haven't you? 294 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,320 They have lost everything. They didn't have anything to 295 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,400 begin with. One of the most poor countries 296 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,840 in the world. They have this horrendous 297 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:08,280 earthquake that wipes out over 200,000 people. 298 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,120 Many of them lost their children, their spouses, their 299 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,520 loved ones, their friends, and I was blown away to see them 300 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,360 assembling together, raising their hands and worshipping God. 301 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,120 Poor, inheriting the Kingdom of God. 302 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,920 He speaks about the adversary, the devil, and he is a real 303 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:34,040 being. He is interested in destroying 304 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,320 all of our lives. The Bible tells us the devil has 305 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,240 come to seek and to kill and to rob and to destroy. 306 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:46,320 He is involved in this world every day to keep it from 307 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,080 knowing the truth of Jesus Christ. 308 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,600 He is sending his emissaries out all the time to prevent you and 309 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,160 me from growing in the grace and the knowledge of God. 310 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,880 He wants us to be stunted, immature Christians. 311 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,320 He wants us to live without our inheritance in this world, not 312 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,119 experiencing the Kingdom of God within. 313 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,960 He'll do everything he can to destroy your faith. 314 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:12,240 The Lord allows him to work. That's the mystery. 315 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,440 And the purposes of God are sometimes very, very complex for 316 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,960 our human frail minds to understand. 317 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,760 But the Bible tells us that God's ways aren't our ways. 318 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,720 Neither are his thoughts. Our thoughts, for his ways are 319 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,240 so much higher than our ways, and His thoughts so much higher 320 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,240 than ours. There's a purpose in all these 321 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,000 things, and God is ultimately glorified. 322 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,160 And one day this enemy of our souls and the enemy of the 323 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,920 Kingdom of God will be one day in that final judgment, pass 324 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:44,520 into the lake of fire forever and ever, never to bother or 325 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,800 hassle anyone again. But he's always working to 326 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,320 trouble the church. His big focus is to destroy the 327 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,600 Church of Jesus Christ. The good news is Jesus Christ 328 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:58,480 says I will build my church and the gates of hell will not 329 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:02,400 prevail against it. The enemy can take everybody 330 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,320 out, but it can't stop the work of God moving on. 331 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,840 And many of these people had given their lives in this day 332 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:13,720 and Smyrna for the sake of the gospel, but it hasn't stopped 333 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,280 the movement of the gospel. 2000 years later. 334 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,480 He speaks about these people that are enemies of God and 335 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,720 they're tools of the devil. It says these folks say they are 336 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:27,240 Jews and they are not two different kind of Jews. 337 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,640 Jews that have a heart for Messiah, Jews who are waiting. 338 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,880 Jews even at the time of Christ crucifixion were sensitive, even 339 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,840 though they couldn't understand that he at this time was the one 340 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,760 they were waiting for. They had a vulnerable, a 341 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,400 vulnerability of softness. Many of them eventually did come 342 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,240 to believe on Christ because the early church was made-up 343 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:52,960 primarily of Jews and they carried the worship of the 344 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,200 synagogue right into the New Testament. 345 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,480 Many of the symbolism and the pictures and the art and the 346 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,800 design of the priestly garments and robes were carried through 347 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,720 from the Jewish temple. It's interesting as we're 348 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,800 reading right now in Exodus, isn't it the, the, the specific 349 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:13,520 detail on how God wanted that Tabernacle built, the colors, 350 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,880 the, the length of the, the material that was used, the 351 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,960 embroidery and the, the symbolism, the type at this, 352 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:23,320 this mind blowing of the, of the beauty of, of God and, and his 353 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:27,720 Kingdom, his church. But there were obviously as 354 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,920 there is today, not any Jews but Gentiles who cannot stand the 355 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:36,120 gospel of Christ and they are the enemies of the gospel. 356 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,040 I would say organizations like the ACLU. 357 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:46,920 They are dead set against our freedoms as Christians and the 358 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,200 message that we proclaim the person we believe in and trust 359 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:56,400 in his Lord and Savior. Many, many people today on the 360 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:01,800 liberal side of the agenda that are pushing all these teachings 361 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:07,960 of of really ungodliness are against what we do here and what 362 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,840 we do as churches in these last days, standing on the Scriptures 363 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,320 and teaching the word of God and so. 364 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,240 Because of the large population of Jews in Smyrna, the 365 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,720 Christians were really overrun by all these people that wanted 366 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,120 to destroy them. It was a tough place to be a 367 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,760 Christian in. They were the main enemies of 368 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,120 the gospel. Verse 10 he says to them again, 369 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:34,000 don't fear these things which you are about to suffer. 370 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,240 Luke chapter 12, verse 4, Jesus says to the disciples, My 371 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:43,280 friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that 372 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:47,600 have no more that they can do, but fear the one who has the 373 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:53,760 power to cast 1 into hell. So Christ himself reminding us 374 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,040 that we're not to fear what man can do to us. 375 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,080 You know, there's this element of fear that we all have, a fear 376 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:07,000 of disease, fear of failure, fear of financial ruin, fear of 377 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:08,840 losing jobs. We all, we all struggle with a 378 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:12,480 certain type of fear, but a fear of knowing that you're in the 379 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,600 jail cell tonight. This is your last night on 380 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,520 earth. And you know, tomorrow you're 381 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:19,520 going to be thrown to the lions or you're going to have your 382 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,200 head cut off because of your faith. 383 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,560 And you're probably walking around pacing in the cell 384 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:25,920 saying, Lord, I really believe you. 385 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:27,480 But I really have to go through this. 386 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:28,840 Is there another way out of this? 387 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,680 You know, would you mind if I just, you know, I really believe 388 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,680 in you, but would you mind if I just told him I didn't? 389 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,480 I'm sure those things would go through all of our minds and our 390 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,160 hearts, especially when our families, maybe we're at home 391 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,720 and we knew that we wouldn't see them again until the next life. 392 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:52,000 The struggle of having to wait for the Lord to bring everything 393 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,280 to a final culmination in the last day. 394 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,640 But I think about martyrs. I think about Stephen, the first 395 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,000 martyr in the New Testament in Acts Chapter 7. 396 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:05,120 This is what happened after he's being accused of treason and 397 00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:07,640 he's speaking out and proclaiming the gospel with all 398 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,600 his heart, all his mind, all his soul is strength. 399 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,200 Such conviction and fervor and love in his heart for the people 400 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,120 he's speaking to. He's speaking to them about who 401 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:18,640 Jesus is and what he did for them. 402 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:22,240 It says that people were so angry they clenched their teeth. 403 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,520 They just like, let me add them, let me get rid of them, just 404 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,040 like they wanted to get rid of Christ. 405 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,480 And it says, but he being full of the Holy Spirit. 406 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,160 And that's the key, guys. No matter what we're going 407 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,440 through in life, the struggles, the fears, the anxieties, the 408 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:41,120 pressures at work or home or wherever, when we are filled 409 00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:43,960 with the Holy Spirit, we're overcomers. 410 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,880 But when we're filled with our own vanity and pride and our own 411 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,120 fear, we're basket cases. Stephen's full of the Holy 412 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:54,360 Spirit. He gazes into heaven and God 413 00:22:54,360 --> 00:22:57,800 gives him a vision. He sees the glory of God and 414 00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,800 Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 415 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:04,280 I love that Christ stood up. He it says right now he's seated 416 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,400 at the right hand of Father ever living to make intercession for 417 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,240 us his Saints day and night. He's praying for us all the 418 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,120 time. But there's a limit, isn't 419 00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:13,400 there? What he's going to allow to 420 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,560 happen to his kids. And so he sees what's going on 421 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:19,360 with Steven and he couldn't help but to stand up. 422 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,040 And one day he's going to stand up and not only stand up, but 423 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,880 come back and put all things in order, and he's going to destroy 424 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,240 wickedness from the face of the earth, and no one will ever 425 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,320 raise their hand and one of his children again. 426 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,000 What a day that'll be, huh? When are Jesus? 427 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,720 We shall see when we look into his face, the one who saved us 428 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:42,680 by his grace, the old song, What a day, glorious day that will 429 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:44,920 be. And so Jesus, he stands in the 430 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:50,280 right hand of the Father. And Stephen says, look, I see 431 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,920 the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right 432 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:58,760 hand of God. Thanks for being with us today 433 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,640 here on Living Waters of Grace. We're in the Book of Revelation, 434 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:06,960 and we find it fascinating how influential and involved the 435 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:11,840 angels are in this book. They bring about whatever it is 436 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,440 that God has instructed them to do, but it's through their 437 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,560 actions that much of the judgements come on the earth. 438 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:22,840 The angels are in submission to God as their authority, but He 439 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,080 utilizes them in unique ways throughout this book. 440 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,280 Like angels have a specific purpose from God, you have a 441 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:34,240 unique purpose and plan too. God wants to use you in your 442 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,720 life as a testimony to others and to bring others who are 443 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,440 currently lost into the fold of God. 444 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:44,320 God would love more than anything for all who are willing 445 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,640 to come to Him for salvation, but He wants it to be their 446 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:53,240 choice, not a forced situation. This is the way God works, not 447 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:57,480 forcing himself on anyone, but giving each person free will. 448 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,400 If you're interested in learning about this choice that's free 449 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:06,200 and that it's a gift, go to calvarychapelonline.com and 450 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,600 click on the About Us tab and then find the link for what we 451 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,160 believe. We'd love to be a help and a 452 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,680 resource for you as you walk through what it means to be a 453 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,600 follower of Jesus. If you find the contact tab on 454 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,040 our website, you can get in touch with us or submit a prayer 455 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,440 request. We'd love to hear from you. 456 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:30,680 That's all for today's edition and Revelation, but there's much 457 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:34,040 more that Pastor Clark plans to share with us from this 458 00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:37,800 culminating book of the Bible. Stay tuned for that and make 459 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,480 sure to mention this radio program to others. 460 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:45,320 Invite them to tune into Grace FM 91.7 FM. 461 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:50,040 They can stream worldwide at Grace Radio dot FM. 462 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,320 This has been Living Waters of Grace.