The Church in Smyrna

Introduction:

I want to welcome you again this morning.

First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.

I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.

I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

That being said, if you’re just joining us, we are just a few weeks into a new series called the “The Seven Letters”. A series that is based on the first three chapters of the book of Revelation.

And we’ve called it the seven letters because the book of Revelation was written to seven specific churches that existed at the end of the first century.

And it’s in the first three chapters of Revelation that Jesus personally addresses each of these churches. And that’s important for us for a few reasons:

First, as we’ve learned, the churches that Jesus addresses are meant to represent the universal church.

In other words, they represent the church of the past, present, and future. Which means, the book of Revelation wasn’t just written for those 7 churches, but for all churches of all time. Which makes this book super relevant to us.

Second, while this letter was penned by the Apostle John, the resurrected Jesus is actually the one dictating this letter to John, which means what is written to the universal church and to us, is from Jesus Himself.

Finally, in addressing these churches, Jesus either addresses them as a church He is pleased with, unpleased with, or somewhat pleased with. And then based on the condition of each church, Jesus addresses them accordingly.

Which again is important for us because if we want to be a church that is pleasing to Jesus then we need to know what is and isn’t pleasing to Him.

So, what does Jesus have to say to these churches? Well, that’s what we are discovering each week.

Last week we looked at the first church, the church at Ephesus, which is one of the two churches that Jesus is not pleased with.

So, what did we learn?

Well, we learned that while the church at Ephesus had a solid Biblical foundation, they lacked a major spiritual component. A component that is necessary if you want to be a church that represents Jesus.

So, what did they lack? Jesus told us in Revelation 2:4

Revelation 2:4 ESV

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Jesus say’s what was missing in this church was love. What love? Well, first and foremost a love for Jesus.

And what we learned is that while a church can have the appearance of doing everything right, if what they are doing isn’t motivated by a love for Jesus and what He loves, then they are an ineffective church.

As a result Jesus tells this church they need to return to the love they had at first. Which means, they need abandon religious thinking and reengage Jesus on a personal and relational level. Otherwise, Jesus says He’s going to remove Himself from their church.

And what that means for us, is if we want to be a church that represents Jesus, then we need to be a church that is committed to a relationship with Jesus versus a religious way of living or doing church.

Not only that, but we need to a church that puts Jesus first. That as a church and people our first priority is to build a relationship with Jesus.

The Church in Ephesus had lost sight of that. They had lost the love for Jesus they had at first.

Which is why we should always remind ourselves that following Jesus isn’t about following a religion, it’s about having a relationship with a loving God.

This now brings us to the second church Jesus addresses, the church at Smyrna. But unlike the church at Ephesus, this is a church that Jesus is pleased with. In fact, Jesus has nothing negative to say to this church.

Can you imagine that. A church where when Jesus walks in the door, everything is as He hoped it would be. A church that fully represents Him.

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to know why Jesus was so pleased with this church. Because more than anything I want to be a church that Jesus is pleased with. Amen?

And so to help us do that, I have three goals today as we come to this next church:

First, we are going to spend a few moments looking at what life was like in the city of Smyrna at the end of the 1st century.

This is important because it gives us the context of what the early Christians were facing in Smyrna.

Second, we are going to look at what Jesus has to say to this church and why He was so pleased with this church.

Finally, after discovering the secret of their success, we are going to look at how what Jesus says to this church applies to us and how we measure up.

In other words, we are going to ask ourselves, “If Jesus walked into our church, would He be as pleased with us as He was with the church in Smyrna”

I think that’s a great question.

And so to get us started, I want to begin by painting of picture for you of what life was like in Smyrna.

In the 1st century Smyrna was a thriving port city located just north of the city of Ephesus.

Show Map - Here you can see it on this map.

As a port city, like Ephesus, this city was a central point for trade and commerce in the ancient world. In fact, it was actually known as one of the finest seaports in the world.

Part of what made it so important was that it was the closest seaport to Europe, so in a sense it was the gateway to Europe.

Along with that, one of the major commodities in Smyrna was the import and export of the valuable spice known as myrrh. Thus the name Smyrna.

Some might ask, “Why was Myrrh such a hot commodity?”

Well, for one, myrrh was valued for its fragrant smell, but was also used as an anointing oil for royalty.

You may recall that when the Wise Men showed up to visit baby Jesus one of the valuable gifts they brought Jesus was Myrrh.

But it was also valued for its burial purposes. In fact the city of Smyrna sold countless amounts of Myrrh to Egypt for the embalming process.

You may even recall following the death of Jesus that a man named Joseph of Arimathea came and put Jesus’s body in a tomb he had purchased. But before they put Jesus in the tomb, look at what the Bible says they did:

John 19:40 ESV

40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

John says they bound Jesus’s body in linen and with spices. The spices John was referring to would have contained Myrrh.

All that to say, Myrrh was a valuable commodity in the city of Smyrna.

But not only was Smyrna an important trading port, it was also a city with a rich history. A history the city was intensely proud of mainly because of all the city had overcome.

The history goes back to 600 B.C. when the city had been decimated by the Lydian King, Attalus. An attack that turned the city into nothing but a small village.

Years later though, when Alexander the Great came through, he rebuilt Smyrna and restored it to its former glory.

As a result, the city had a saying, and the saying was, “that they were a city that was once was dead but had now come to life.”

And I want you to keep that in mind, because that statement will become more relevant here in a moment.

But first, let’s talk a little bit about what life was like for Christians in Smyrna.

In General, living for Jesus in the Roman Empire was a challenge. But it was especially a challenge in Smyrna. Because in Smyrna, to live for Jesus meant you would be cast into an impoverished state.

This was largely due to the fact that if you didn ‘t worship the gods of the Roman Empire, then you weren’t allowed to do business within the city of Smyrna.

As a result, as a Christian, by not worshiping the greek gods or Caesar, you could easily lose your job.

Or as a Christian business owner, more than likely you would be kicked out of the trade unions that required sacrifices be made to the gods of trade and commerce.

And so for the Christian living in Smyrna, living for Jesus required a financial sacrifice that left most Christians living in poverty.

As a result, life in Smyrna for Christians was especially hard.

Which now brings us to what Jesus has to say to this church. A poverty stricken church that is suffering greatly for Jesus.

So, what does Jesus have to say? Let’s find out:

Revelation 2:8 ESV

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

I want to stop there for a moment, because as we learned last week, as Jesus addresses each of these churches, He begins by introducing Himself.

And it’s more than, “Hello, this is Jesus.”

He introduces Himself by referencing a part of or a portion of the description John gave us of the resurrected Jesus back in chapter 1.

We saw this last week as Jesus introduced himself to the church at Ephesus as the one who walks among the lampstands and holds the seven stars in his right hand.

A description that symbolized the presence and ultimate power of Jesus.

So, just like Ephesus, Jesus is now introducing Himself to the church in Smyrna. But in his introduction too Smyrna, Jesus gives a different description of who He is.

He says, “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.”

So, why would Jesus introduce Himself this way?

Well, the reference goes back to chapter 1 as John hears the voice of Jesus and then turns to see Him. In Revelation 1:17 John writes:

Revelation 1:17–18 (ESV)

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore...

What we need to understand, is by using this as His introduction to the church in Smyrna, Jesus is reminding them of two things:

First, that when it comes to the persecution hey are facing, that the sovereign God is in control.

That’s what Jesus means when He says, “I am the first and the last..” It’s code for, “I am the one who holds history in my hands. I am the one who is in full control. I am the first and the last.”

And what a comforting reminder this would have been for the church at Smyrna. To be reminded that regardless of what was happening to them, that God was in control.

Second, He tells them He is the one who died but is now alive.

And this would have been an especially significant statement for the church in Smyrna. Why? Because remember, they lived in the city that prided itself as a city that had been once dead but was now alive.

And so Jesus says to this church, “Not only am I the one in ultimate control, but I’m the one who was dead but is now alive. I’m the one who has overcome.”

In other words, what Jesus is saying is, “This city has nothing on me. It doesn’t even compare to who I am and what I can offer you.”

Again, a great encouragement and reminder to a church that was suffering greatly for Jesus.

And it’s a reminder to us as well, that when Jesus comes to us. He comes to us in the capacity we need Him too.

Which then leads to what Jesus says next. Because Jesus goes on to say:

Revelation 2:9a (ESV)

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation...

So, what tribulation is Jesus referring to?

We’ll get to that in a minute. But before we look at the specifics of what they were facing, there are a couple of important details we need to pick up on concerning this statement:

First, we need to understand what Jesus means by tribulation.

The word used for tribulation here is a word that was often used to reference ancient torture.

And this case, the torture Jesus is referencing involved laying a person on their back and then putting weights on their chest little by little, until the pressure of the weights became so great that a person couldn’t breath any longer.

What this gives us then is a vivid picture of the kind of pressure this church was facing. It was a mounting pressure. It was a building pressure. A pressure that little by little and day by day was sucking the life out of them.

The second thing we need to recognize is that in the midst of the tribulation, Jesus is present and aware of their condition.

Jesus says, “I know your tribulation...”

Again, these words are meant to be comforting words. Words that assure the church in Smyrna that their tribulation has not gone unnoticed. That the sovereign all powerful God of the universe sees and knows what they are facing. He knows their tribulation.

This now leads us to the tribulation they are facing. And so using our weight and pressure analogy, Jesus is going to reference three weights that have been placed on the chest of this church.

The first weight is:

WEIGHT #1 - The Weight of Poverty.

We know this because Jesus goes on to say:

Revelation 2:9 (ESV)

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty...

The poverty Jesus is referring to is the literal poverty that has come because these believers have been expelled from buying and selling in Smyrna due to their faith in Jesus.

Because remember, to follow Jesus in Smyrna meant no job. To follow Jesus in Smyrna meant, no trading or shopping in the market place. To follow Jesus in Smyrna meant you would be poor.

And so Jesus says, “I see your poverty. I see that because of your faith in me, you are living in a poverty stricken state and that you have nothing.”

Now, at this point, if you’re a Christian in Smyrna, you might be thinking, “Ok, that’s great Jesus, thank you for pointing out the obvious.”

And this is where Jesus says something you wouldn’t expect Him to say. Because surprisingly, from Jesus’s perspective, their poverty isn’t a negative, it’s a positive. We know this because Jesus goes on to say:

Revelation 2:9 (ESV)

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)...

Jesus says, “Yes I know form the worlds perspective you have nothing, you’re as broke as they come, but form my perspective you have everything. From my perspective you are rich.”

The question then is, if they are so poverty stricken, then why would Jesus say they are rich?

He says this because Jesus isn’t referring to their financial state or their current circumstances. What He’s referring to is their spiritual state.

What He’s referring to is the relationship they have with Him. A relationship that is rich in love. A relationship that is rich in God’s promises. A relationship that is rich in hope. A relationship that is based on their faith and trust in Jesus.

And so what Jesus is saying is, “Yes, I know by the worlds standards you are poor, but unlike the world, you have me. And because you have me, you are rich.”

And to be honest, I think this is where we as American Christians have really lost touch with what it means to be blessed. Because from our perspective, to be blessed means to live in financial abundance. It means to have more than we need. It means to live without financial stress.

But based on what Jesus just said, that’s not what being rich in Him looks like. In fact, from Jesus’s perspective, to be rich in Him equates to having nothing. To be rich in Him means that you aren’t living in financial abundance, but instead are living in an abundance of dependence and faith in Him.

Jesus makes this clear in a parable He tells in Luke 12. The parable is about a rich man who had more than he needed. In fact, he had so much that he didn’t know what to do with it. But then he had an idea. Check this out:

Luke 12:17–19 ESV

17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’

Notice what Jesus says. He says this man’s hope and security is found in his earthly riches. It’s in what he possesses. But he’s a fool, because Jesus goes on to say:

Luke 12:20–21 ESV

20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Jesus says what this man has failed to consider is that his riches are temporary, and that in a moment and without warning they can be taken from him. And then what does he have? Nothing.

And this is exactly what Jesus is referring to in Revelation as he speaks to the church in Smyrna. He’s reminding them that their earthly state is temporary, and that the most important aspect is their rich faith and trust in God. A faith that is going to reap eternal treasure and reward.

Again, this is the struggle we face as American Christians as we often find hope and security in earthly possessions rather than an all powerful God, and in the process we become poor, not rich.

Because the fact is, some of the most poverty stricken Christians in the world are richer than some of the most wealthy American Christians.

Why are they richer? Because their trust isn’t in how much money they have in their bank account. It’s not in their hourly wage. It’s not in a retirement account. Their trust is in the faithfulness of God and the future hope of being with Jesus.

You see the danger for you and I, is that in our abundance we would not see a need for Jesus. That like the pagans, we would find our security and our well being in our possessions versus Jesus.

And if that’s the case, then we aren’t rich, we are poor.

Because when Jesus says to the church in Smyrna, you are poor, but you are rich, he’s talking about their richness in Him. A richness that isn’t temporal, but eternal.

This leads us to the second weight on the chest of this church. We’ll call this weight:

WEIGHT #2 - The Weight of False Accusation.

Jesus puts it like this:

Revelation 2:9 ESV

9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

After addressing their poverty, Jesus now acknowledges the false accusations this church is facing. Accusations that are apparently coming from the religious Jews living in Smyrna.

The question then is, “Why are the Jews slandering the Christians and what are they saying?”

Let’s start with why they are slandering them, and they’re slandering them mainly for religious and political purposes.

You see what we need to understand is that in the Roman Empire, Judaism had been given a religious exemption when it came to the worship of Caesar and the gods of the Roman Empire. An religous exemption that didn’t require the Jews to offer sacrifices to Caesar or the greek gods.

As a result, Jews could freely worship the God of the Bible without any restrictions or persecution.

And this was a great perk for the Jewish people and initially for Christians. Because from the Roman perspective, Christianity was born out of Judaism, which meant it was a Jewish religion. And as a result, for a short window of time, Christians were able to come under the religious exemption as well.

But as time went on, and Christians became more hated in the Roman Empire, the Jews association with Christians threatened not only their lives, but their religious exemption.

As a result, the Jews started to do everything they could to disassociate themselves with Christianity and paint it as a separate religion of which they had nothing to do with. Which would result in Christians being put in even more danger.

So to help facilitate that, the Jews would kick Christians out of the synagogue and totally disassociate themselves with the Christians, which then led to the slander as the Jews worked to separate themselves from the Christians.

So, what were they saying? In Smyrna, they had a couple of rather horrendous accusations:

First, they were saying that when the Christians came together they were having orgies love feasts that involved eating the body and drinking the blood of Jesus.

Obviously, this was an attack on the sacrament of communion, and the accusation was meant to imply that Christians were cannibalistic.

Second, when it came to family life, which was very important to the Roman culture, they said Christians were anti family. They based this on the way Christians refereed to each other as brother and sisters in Christ.

And the accusation was that Christians were telling new converts to disown their families and join the Christian cult. But the reality was, families were disowning new converts because of their faith in Jesus, which is exactly what Jesus said would happen.

As a result, due to the slander, Christians had become a despised sub culture in Smyrna.

And the truth is, that’s what happens to a lot of people who put their faith in Jesus as people slander them, make false accusations, and spread rumors that aren’t true about the church out by Taco Bell.

This now leads us to the third weight. We’ll call this weight:

WEIGHT #3 - The Weight of Future Persecution.

Jesus puts it like this:

Revelation 2:10 (ESV)

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death...

Jesus now tells the church that no only is he aware of their poverty and the slander, but that there’s more tribulation to come. And that soon they will be thrown into prison, which meant they would be thrown into a rat infested cell.

Not only that, but they would be tested for ten days. Why ten days?

The days of testing is a metaphor for a short time and is tied to the OT story of Daniel where Daniel and his friends refused to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols. In Daniel 1 we read:

Daniel 1:12–15 ESV

12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food.

In this passage Daniel and his friends request that for 10 days they only be allowed to eat vegetables and drink water. The test was to see if they would be healthier if they didn’t eat the pagan food that had been sacrificed to idols. And the test would either end in death or reward.

Jesus now ties these believers to this same test. He reminds them that like Daniel they need to take a stand and not give in even if it leads to death.

And to die would mean to be thrown to wild beasts while the crowds cheered. Or to maybe even be burned at the stake.

Jesus says, “Get ready for more persecution.”

Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, I thought we were going to be looking at a church that was hitting it out of the park. I was expecting you to say Jesus was pleased with this church because thousands of people were getting saved at it. That it was a church where people were getting baptized every week. A church that had the best worship in town. A church with a rocking kids’ ministry. A church where everybody was blessed beyond measure.

But this is a church full of a bunch of poor people that nobody likes. A church where people are ridiculed, persecuted, and threatened with death. A church that I’m not sure too many people would want to attend pastor.”

Yup, that’s exactly the kind of church it is. It’s a church full of people who have nothing to live for except Jesus, and nothing to lose but their life.

A church that has completely unattached itself from the passions and desires of this life.

A church that isn’t living for this life, but the life to come.

A church Jesus is pleased with because they are 100% focused and dependent on Him. Which is why Jesus ends His words to this church like this:

Revelation 2:10–11 (ESV)

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Jesus basically ends his words to this church by saying, “Hold strong to the end, even if it costs you your life. And don’t be afraid, because if you die on my account, I will give you the crown of life and you won’t be hurt by the second death.”

You might ask, “What’s the crown of life and what does Jesus mean by the second death?”

Let’s start with the second death. The second death is spiritual death. The death that comes for somebody who dies without faith in Jesus.

Jesus refers to this death in Revelation 21:8

Revelation 21:8 ESV

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Jesus says for those who are cowardly and faithless, their end is the second death, which is the lake of fire.

But for those who are faithful, for those who have put their full hope in Jesus, for those who are rich in Him, the second death will not harm them. Why? Because for them there is no second death. For them there is eternal life. Which is why Jesus says:

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

This mention of the crown of life is significant, because the crown was the logo and symbol printed on the coins of Smyrna. And it was the sign of well being and victory.

But in Smyrna, Christians didn’t get crowns. They couldn’t even earn the money that had the crown on it. So Jesus promises them a crown. A crown He will place on their heads as they pass from this life into the next. The crown of eternal life.

And this is why Jesus is pleased with the church in Smyrna. Not because they are a church with a great building, rocking ministries, and a healthy budget, but because they are a church with nothing but Jesus. A church that has given up everything to follow Jesus. A church that isn’t living for this life but the next. A church that on the outside looking in looks poor, but is rich.

The quesiton then is, “How does what Jesus say to this church apply to us?”

I think that’s a fantastic question, and while we don’t have time to explore every angle of application, in our final moments I would like to offer three applications for us to consider. Three applications that apply to three different groups of people.

The first application that I’d like to suggest is for those here this morning that appear to be poor but are rich.

And when I say that I’m talking about those of you who have given up everything to follow Jesus, but from an outward worldly perspective, it would appear your commitment isn’t paying off.

Not paying off because you’re still struggling financially.

Not paying off because your still struggling with your health.

Not paying off because people who you thought cared about you have abandoned you. In fact, they’re spreading terrible rumors about you.

Not paying off because from the outside looking in, it appears nothing has gone your way.

And as a result you feel this mounting pressure. In fact, you may even feel like you are suffocating in the midst of your trial.

If that’s you this morning, here’s the application for you:

Application #1 - While it may appear you are poor, you are rich.

And you’re rich because even though you don’t have a penny to your name, you have treasure awaiting you in heaven.

You’re rich because while you may be battling a cancer filled body in this life, you have a cancer free body waiting for you in heaven.

You’re rich because while your earthly friends may have abandoned you, you have a heavenly family that can’t wait for you to come home.

You see, you’re rich because your hope isn’t in this life, but in the life to come.

Think of it like this, your faith and perseverance in Jesus is building up an enteral nest egg for you in heaven. And the great thing about building it up in heaven, is that nothing on this earth can take it from you. Jesus puts it like this:

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So be encouraged today and quit measuring your life by worldly standards. Quit equating earthly blessing with your spiritual state, and start focusing on the reward that comes who pass test. Who like Daniel and his friends persevered and recieved their reward. Start seeing yourself as rich.

This next application is for those who maybe have failed to understand what being rich truly means. For those who have put their hope in earthly versus heavenly riches. and I would state it like this:

Application #2 - While it may appear you are rich, you are poor.

When I say that, I’m talking to those of you this morning who have mistakenly based your faith and hope on wordly securities.

And what I mean by that, is while you say your hope and faith is in Jesus, it’s really in something else.

You might ask, “Like what?”

Here are just a few to consider:

For some, it’s in how much money you have in your checking, savings, or retirement account. It’s in a dollar amount that makes you feel secure. It’s in the blessing of earthly possessions.

For others, it’s the level of your social status and influence within the community. Because at the end of the day, being respected and liked is most important to you. It’s the fuel that keeps you going. It’s the gauge by which you measure the success of your life.

And then for many, it’s in your desire to be free and avoid persecution at all costs. Another way to put it, is your hope and security is in your American rights. That’s what your hope is in. That’s what you rely on when the going gets tough. That’s what you use to avoid and defend yourself from what you perceive as persecution.

It’s what you point to when the mask mandate comes.

It’s what you reference when the vaccine is imposed.

It’s what you rely on when your personal beliefs and personal convictions are threatened.

And the truth is, your rich in rights but poor in faith. Poor in trusting Jesus. Poor in depending on him. Poor in obeying God’s commands to honor, pray, and love those that God has put in authority over you.

Yeah, but pastor, they’re telling me to do something that’s unbiblical. Are you sure” Because as far as I can tell, there’s nothing unbiblical about masks or medicine.

In fact, if that’s what you consider to be persecution, then you need to consider what the Christians in Smyrna were facing. They were told if they didn’t deny Christ and worship a false god, that they couldn’t eat. That their kids would starve to death. And that if they continued to not comply, they would be imprisoned and killed. Now that’s persecution.

I’m sorry, but we aren’t being persecuted by being asked to wear a mask. And whether you agree with me or not, being asked to take a vaccine isn’t unbiblical.

What’s unbiblical is the rebellious and unloving spirit that so many Christians have displayed over the past two years.

What’s unbiblical is our trust in our American rights versus our trust in a victorious savior who has called us to love people and reach the lost.

And as a result, while many American Christians think they are rich, they are poor. Poor examples of what Jesus has called us to be to a lost and dying world.

I know that sounds harsh, but I love you enough to tell you the truth. Because the fact is, Jesus hasn’t called us to battle the world, He’s called us to love it.

Yes, stand up for truth. No, don’t compromise your faith. But by all means don’t let your American rights override the scriptural mandate to love people and to show the love of Christ.

I’m sorry, but I see way to many pastors today trying to militarize the church. and Jesus hasn’t called us to annihilate people. He’s called us to love them.

Because believe me, Jesus is going to judge those who oppose Him, and He doesn’t need your help to do it. What He needs from you is to show a lost and dying world who He is before He comes back. That’s what He’s called us to do.

Now, at this point, some of you might be thinking, “Wow pastor, I’m not sure what I think about all that. Because from my perspective even with all my possessions and my rights, I’m pretty sure I’m rich in Christ. I’m not sure I buy into all that you are saying.”

I get that. And maybe you are rich in Christ. I hope you are.

But maybe to help you further process determine that, let me close by asking you to consider this question:

Question - If you had to choose between all your possessions or Jesus, which would you choose?

Or how about this. If you had to choose between your American rights or putting your trust in Jesus, which would you choose?

Now, you might say, “Pastor, those aren’t fair questions pastor.” No, their fair, their just not comfortable questions. Not comfortable because so much of our worth and hope as Americans is found in our rights and our earthly possessions.

And my gut is, there would be many that would struggle to give up their rights and possessions for Jesus only.

Now when I say that, some might say, “Not me pastor. Because if I was asked to choose between my rights, possessions or Jesus, I’d choose Jesus every time.”

I think that’s great. And it’s not that I don’t believe you, but would you mind if I test that? Would you mind if I ask you another quesiton that might help you determine if that is really true.

And I’ll test it by asking you a question when it comes to your possessions. Everybody ok with that? Ok, here’s the quesiton:

If you’d be willing to give it all up for Jesus, if that’s true, then why do you struggle or refuse to trust God with the tithe?

And when I say tithe, I’m talking about the Biblical command to trust God by giving 10% of your income back to Him.

Because if it’s true that you would choose Jesus over your possessions, then why is giving Jesus just 10% of those possessions right now such an issue for you?

Could it be because your hope and faith isn’t really in Jesus, but in what you have? Could it be you don’t really believe God can do more with 90% than you could do with 100% of your income. Could it be that while you think you are rich in faith, you are really poor. Poor in trusting that if all you had is Jesus it would be enough. Because apparently giving up 10% and trusting him with 90% is more than you can currently handle.

Now again you might say, “Not fair pastor. And no surprise you’d bring up money.”

Oh it’s more than fair. And I bring money up for a reason. Because you see the tithe isn’t my test, its God’s test. It’s His financial trust test. And the test is, is your faith in your money or God. And to test you, God doesn’t even ask for all of it, He just asks you to give 10% back to Him. So, that’s more than fair. And many American Christians struggle with this test. In fact, according to a recent survey, only 17% of American Christians pass this test.

That being said, if you won’t give up 10% for him now, then you’d never give up 100% if asked too.

You see, while your intentions are good, if you had to choose between all your possessions and Jesus, you’d choose all of your possessions, and the fact you won’t tithe proves it.

And please understand, this isn’t just about your finances. This is about you being willing to give God every part of your life. To be willing to give Him your time, talent, and your treasure. To be willing to give up everything for Him if he were to ask you too.

Because that’s the kind of church He’s pleased with. A church that makes Him the priority and puts their trust 100% in Him.

Again, we see another example of this in the Gospel of Luke as Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a Banquet. Listen to what He says:

Luke 14:16–24 ESV

16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ ”

You see, Jesus is looking for people whose focus and trust isn’t in this world.

Instead, He’s looking for people whose focus and trust is in Him.

For people who would be willing to give it all up for Him if they had to.

For people who would be willing to suffer for Him if they had to.

He’s looking for those who are ok with being poor in this life if it means being rich in the life to come.

Because according to Jesus, if all we have is Him and nothing else, then we have everything we need. Because if we have Him, we are rich.

Let’s Pray