Revelation 2:8-11 The Bitter Beliver

The Bitter Believer

Revelation 2:8–11 NIV

8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

No matter

How much you LOVE GOD

Life

Can make a Believer Better

But we have to learn

How to remain faithful

When life gets bitter

We have a rough & tough time

Remaining faithful

To the things of God

But It’s when life gets bitter

That we HAVE to stick close

To the One

That can turn bitter

Into SWEET ( JESUS )

Someone my ask

What does bitter

Have to do with todays text

Even though you

Don’t see bitter

In the text

But the text is tailored to teach us that bitter is in the text. ( READING verses STUDYING )

John the revelatory

At the time of our text

John is serving a life sentence

As an exile on the island of Patmos

His enemies

And his adversaries

Sought to torture John

Sought to persecute John

They thought

That John’s strength

Was in his surroundings

They thought

That John’s strength

Was in his attachment

To the saints

And the sanctuary

And the city of Jerusalem

So what they did

Was cut John’s strength

By putting him by himself

On this island of Patmos

But what they fail

To realize

Even though John was isolated

He was still insulated by the LORD ( KEPT )

They fail to realize

When a child of God

Is by himself

He can be along

And not be lonely

It was John’s testimony

In Revelation Chapter 1:10

Revelation 1:10

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

John say

Even though I was on the Island of Patmos

I was in the Spirit

On the Lord’s Day

Quote: Only God can allow what you’re on not to be in you

John doesn’t mention

What he’s on

He mentions

What he’s in

He says even though

I’m not in the city

I’m not in the Sanctuary

And I’m not among the saints

I was still in the Spirit

His being in the spirit

Had nothing to do

With being in church

John says

Even though

I’m on the island of Patmos

I’m still in the Spirit

Only the Presence

Of an omnipotent

All powerful sovereign God

Can allow you

To still be in the spirit

In a bad situation

John says

Even though my enemies

Are seeking to hurt & harm me

And they put me on this island

Where I’m at

Has nothing to do

With where I am

“I’m IN THE SPIRIT”

“ The Bitter Believer “

His enemies fail to realize

That you don’t have

To be in church

To have church

You can have church

In the kitchen

On your job

In your back yard

In your bathroom

John says “I was in the Spirit”

Because I was in the spirit

On the Lord’s day

The Lord began

To speak to me

Scrip: Revelation1:11

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

“ The Bitter Believer “

John says

The Lord Commission me

To be a scribe

And charge me

To write seven letters

To seven different churches

In the providence Asia minor

Each one of these

Seven churches

Had a different characteristic

Each one

Of these churches had a different nickname

* Ephesus was the biggest church—but it was the backsliding church

* Pergamos was the blasphemous church

* Sardis was the broken church

* Laodicean was the blind church

* Philadelphia was the beloved church

* Smyrna was the bitter church

Smyrna was bitter for two reasons

It was known as the bitter or the persecuted church

1st: Because of the products the city produce

Note: The word Smyrna means “Bitter”

The city Smyrna

Arrived from

Or it’s name from

It’s chief Commercial revenue

It was This plant

Called the myrrh

It was a gummy like plant

That was bitter to the noise

And bitter to the taste

It was a bitter plant

Matter of fact

It was so bitter

That when you taste the plant

You had to mix it

With something

In order for it to go down

The plant

Even had a stench to it

Matter of fact

History suggest

That when the plant was being produce

When the wind blew

The odor of the myrrh plant

Would go through out the city

It was a bitter plant to the [ TASTE — SMELL ]

“ The Bitter Believer “

Even though the plant was bitter

The plant was still beneficial

Because myrrh

Produce sweet fragrance

Note: Your bitter situation is still beneficiary

When you read

The book of Exodus

You would discover

That one of the ingredients

Of the anointing oil was myrrh

Whenever someone

Wanted to make a sweet fragrance

Part of the ingredients was myrrh

When the wise men

Came to see the new baby Jesus

They brought several gifts

They brought GOLD — FRANKINCENSE — MYRRH

Even when Jesus died

And was buried in Joseph Tomb

When Marry Magdalene

And the other Mary

Went to anoint the body

Of Jesus they brought with them myrrh

Myrrh was so bitter

But so beneficial

Note: ONLY GOD can take something bitter & make it a blessing

Note: ONLY GOD can take something bitter & make it beneficial

Note: And that’s going to be somebody testimony

It will teach you how to pray —

To read your bible

Teach you how to worship

It will develop you Psalm 119:65-72

Note: Smyrna was known as the bitter or persecuted church.

“ The Bitter Believer “

1st. Because of the product the city produce

2nd. Because of the situation the saints where going through

They was going through

A situation

Where they was being

Persecuted for their testimony

They were being killed

Because of their testimony

They was being

Done BAD & BITTERLY

Because of their testimony

It was all because

They took a stand

To serve the Lord ( Godly & Holy Life )

Life don't always TASTE GOOD

And because of your bitterness

It has had an effect

On your worship

And your praise to God

This is where the church at Smyrna was

John writes this letter

Under the guidance

And auction of the Holy Ghost

And Jesus

Through the lips of John

Gives this church

At Smyrna a word of encouragement

The first thing that Jesus says to this church is that

1st. I sympathize with your suffering ( V. 8B )

Revelation 2:8 NIV

8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.

Note: I am the SUFFERING SAVIOR that SYMPATHIZE with you

Hebrew 4:15

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

That's why

You shouldn't let

The HIGHS get you to HIGH

And the LOWS get you to LOW

Because I know

That Jesus

Is the first & the last — the beginning & the end

Jesus can relate

To them because

He was the suffering Savior

Jesus says

In verse 8B

Because I died

I know what it’s like to suffer ( On there level )

Note: The trick of the enemy when we’re going through is to make you think that nobody understands your suffering.

EXAMPLE: Jesus suffers as a PASTOR — HUSBAND — WIFE — DIVORCE ( Disciples left Him )

EXAMPLE: Jesus has SUFFERED __ CRIED __ BEEN HEARTBROKEN.

Note: But in Verse 9—Jesus says I know more than you think I know

“ The Bitter Believer “

1st: I know your Pressure (Affliction) (v.9)

Revelation 2:9 NIV

9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

This word affliction in the Greek it is (thlipsis)

It literally means pressure, pain

It cannot the thought of being in a situation that’s pressing you beyond measure

Anybody just feel pressured

Anybody feel if just one more thing is said

Just One more thing is done

You will POP from the pressure

you will go snap, crackle and pop

Example: “You got one more time” — PRESSURED

1st: I know your Pressure (Affliction) (v.9)

2nd: I know your Poverty (v.9)

Revelation 2:9 NIV

9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Note: The word poverty that Jesus used it cannotes destitute

Note: There’s two words in the Greek language in the New Testament for poverty

And one word connotes POOR, like the working poor

It connotes that you work & have a job & you don’t have enough money for anything extra

But that’s not

The poor He’s talking about

Jesus is talking about destitute

You don’t know

Where your next meal is coming from

But they are poor

Living in a Rich society

They are poor

Living in a city

That was literally prosperous

They’re not poor

Because they have access to poverty

They are poor

Because they choose

Not to compromise to get prosperity

Example: not cheat on your taxes

food stamps

Example: Don’t it looks like EVERYBODY that’s taking short cuts doing better than you .........

Example: They didn’t lower their standards to gain

Scrip: Hebrew 11:25

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Note: Keep the Mercedes—give me Mercy

Keep the Gambling—give me Grace

Keep the Luxury—give me Lovingkindness

Keep the Fake stuff—give me Favor

You could live better

But you choose not to compromise

Smyrna is saying

I’m content with what I have

Smyrna is saying

I’ll rather have heavens rewards

Than earthly GOODS & GAINS

“ The Bitter Believer “

1st: I know your Pressure (Affliction) (v.9)

2nd: I know your Poverty (v.9)

3rd: I know the Pretenders (v.9)

Revelation 2:9 NIV

9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

I know the fake friends

I know the people

That’s trying to get close to you

I know those

Who are trying

To get close to you

For your business

Jesus got away of revealing the pretenders through persecution

Quote: You ever found out through life that your friends was FAKE,PHONY & FEW but your enemies was REAL

Jesus says

I’m going to allow you

To go through some pain

So you will know

Who you can & can’t depend on

This pandemic until now have showed a lot of behinds

You thought you had

Some good friends

Your enemies

Can’t hurt you

It’s your friends that can hurt you

Psalms 41:9 KJV

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

Jesus says

I know those

In church who pretends

Wolves in sheep cloths

1st: I sympathize with your suffering (v.9)

2nd: I’m supervising your suffering (v.10)

Revelation 2:10 NIV

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Note: Supervising is the one in charge

Note: 3 things Jesus says about their suffering

1st: Your suffering is going to continue (v.10)

Revelation 2:10 NIV

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Example: Coronavirus when that leaves something else is going to come or happen

Things sometimes will get worst after you prayed—praise—worship

Verse 10—Test

Revelation 2:10 (NIV) 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

Define Test—mean to reveal, to make known

Define : Ten — Testimony , Responsibility

1st: your suffering is going to continue

2nd: your suffering will be controlled

Note: Jesus is reminding them that He is the sovereign God.

Scrip: Daniel 2:21

21  And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise,

Note: The reason why this verse doesn’t move you is because you don’t understand how God operates in time.

There’s two words that describe time;

1st: Chronos

2nd: Kairos

Chronos—gives us the word chronological

Chronological—mean one thing after another

Chronological suggest that Tuesday come after Monday

Chronos suggest things have to go in an orderly fashion

But God doesn’t operate on Chronos time

God operates on Kairos time

1st: your suffering is going to continue

2nd: your suffering will be controlled

3rd: your suffering will bring you a crown

“ The bitter Believer “

(The 5 different crown’s copy)

1st The crown of righteousness — 2nd. Tim. 4:8

( we don’t live like He’s coming )

(Those who love intimacy with God. Who long for and look forward to the appearing of Jesus. Being with Jesus. Hearts Afire!)

2nd. The crown incorruptible — 1st. Cor.

9:25-27 ( discipline your life )

(For those who discipline, deny themselves and endure.)

The Victor’s Crown.

3rd. The crown of life — James 1:12 ( standing

the test & trails to grow you ) Revelation 2:10

For those who have been faithful through trials, sufferings and even martyred unto death.

4th. The crown of glory — 1st. Peter 5:4

(Those who are servant shepherds of followers of Jesus.)

“Shepherd’s crown”

5th. The crown of rejoicing — 1st. Thess. 2:19

(For those who have been a part of evangelism and soul winning.) “Soul winner’s crown”