We have to take up the cross

Open your Bibles to the book of Revelation, chapter 2. A few weeks ago I talked about the first letter of Jesus to the churches and today we are going to talk about the second letter. Those are letters written directly from the word of Jesus and the Apostle John took dictation and wrote down everything Jesus told him to give specialized messages to the churches of his day.

But I think they are messages not only for them but for us. Those are principles of winning churches according to the word of God. They are principles for churches throughout the centuries of the centuries that represent the best of the Gospel. And today we are going to read the second letter to the city of Smyrna, in Apostle 2, verse 8 which says the following, and writes to the angel of the church in Smyrna. I said a few weeks ago that he is writing to certain angels to give the message to the church. Some theologians think that perhaps they are literal angels carrying the message in the spirit. Others think that angels are shepherds of these churches. I change my opinion every day, but I have an opinion today that I will say later.

“The first and the last, the one who was dead and lived says this, I know your works and your tribulation and your poverty but you are rich and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear at all what you are going to suffer. Behold, the devil will throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for 10 days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. Let him who has an ear hear what the spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not suffer harm from the second death."

Martyrdom. This is a letter about a church that had to prepare to pay the ultimate price there is. Today all day I have felt in this place a spirit of joy, a spirit of celebration and here I am to speak of the martyrdom of God allowing some of his favorite servants to die for their faith in Christ. But we know that there is nothing that can take away our joy, because we are going to talk about the joy of the victor that goes beyond circumstances and even beyond the grave. This is the subject of this letter.

The Apostle John had seen a martyrdom. He was with Jesus when Jesus heard news that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been beheaded. Then he had seen all his Apostle friends murdered for their faith in Christ, one after another, after another and he is the only one left of the 12. And he is in exile on the island of Patmos and he is not on vacation, he was not to a cruise, he is suffering being a prisoner on the island, lonely, slowly dying. He knew what it was to suffer for the Gospel.

And he, looking across the waters, saw the cities where he had built works and touched lives. And the Lord gave him a vision for those churches. The churches are in the country of what we now call Turkey, it was Asia Minor, a part of the world, and he could see in the spirit 7 candlesticks shining with fire for Jesus. And he saw Jesus walking between the lampstands like a priest pouring oil and giving messages to each church. And today the message came for the church in Smyrna.

And it is worth it that we also think about martyrdom, because this is not something from then, but something from today. We hear the news of churches in various parts of the world that are suffering terribly. Some of you may have seen that. We here in this country, thank God, are not under this threat now and I pray to God that it will never be like that. But we also have to listen to this word because it is spoken a lot in the Bible. Martyrdom is a common theme and Jesus himself said, if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross every day and follow me.

We also have to take up the cross and think about the greatest sacrifice that can be made, it can help me to make sacrifices that are not so great. So let's go identify with them in Izmir. And in Smyrna they were suffering badly, it was a Roman city, very patriotic, very proud to be Roman. And in that city the emperor had to be worshiped. Every time you pay your tax or do something in the city, you have to say two words, 'Kaiser curios' 'Caesar is Lord.' How ugly, isn't it?

A Christian and a Jew cannot say it but thank God if you are a Jew they don't force you to say it. You have mercy, but bad news for the Christians of Smyrna. The Jews hated the Christians too and kicked them out of their synagogue so they lost all protection of their status. And they were forced to worship the emperor and if they didn't they were in danger of going to jail. Being a Christian in Smyra was not easy and this letter says that things are going to get worse before they get better. get ready. It is a strong but important message for them.

And we know from history that this happened. Many Christians in the city of Izmir suffered in prison. Many were killed for their faith in Christ, it was not easy to be a Christian in that place. We know that there are times in parts of the world that one may be tempted to think that the church is losing the battle. We can be tempted to think that God himself is not in control, where are you? Looks like the bad guys are getting away with it. And everywhere we look there is evil. It may be so even in our city here.

We see evil grow and be approved by the same laws and politicians. There will be no salvation from politics, brothers, I'll tell you the secret. Vote please but everywhere you look there is nothing good. And one may be tempted to think that the church at some times in history was almost dead but thank God, as a Christian writer says, our God knows how to get out of a grave. Our God is an expert at taking dead things and making them live again, because he did it.

It was an important message, because the brothers in Smyrna were under so much ugly that they did not know where their victory was going to come from, but Jesus said, to begin, write to the angel of the church in Smyrna, the first and the last, the one who He was dead and he lived says this, your God is the winner. Your God has the final word.

Brothers, we have to remember, that he was here before any bad Caesar and he will be after this Caesar is already in the grave, perhaps with marble statues, but he will not be alive. But our Christ does, because he knows how to come out of the grave, he is the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the firstborn, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him all things were created, those that are in heaven and those that are on earth, visible and invisible, be they thrones, be they dominions, be they principalities, be they powers, everything was created through him and for him. Our Christ is first and he is last too.

Because although he can suffer, Christ suffered on the cross, although he can die, Christ died on the cross, but you cannot kill him forever. He is unkillable, he is invincible in this sense.

I have a friend, I don't know if I can translate that correctly, but two months ago I spoke about my little group of youthful friends, Christians, crazy for Christ, the leader of my group craziest of all, I love him, he decided to evangelize in a way special. He went to the store and looked for a poor victim who was looking at the fruits and he began by saying, "Excuse me ma'am, I can talk to you about something important." "Yes, young man, what's up?" "Have you heard the news?" "News of what?" “From the leader, from the great leader in the Middle East who spoke of love and God and goodness and forgiveness, that beautiful leader. And the people were so jealous of him that the other leaders killed him.” And she says, “But who is it? What leader? “Well, but he didn't stay dead. He is alive again. He is like undead, he is alive again and you can't kill him. He's going to conquer the world now."

Imagine the big eyes, half crazy. And she says, "Who is it?" "Well, his name in Hebrew is Yeshua, and we call him in English Jesus, in Spanish Jesus." "Oh, yes of course. I am a Christian, I go to such a church and I am a Christian. Thank you so much." And he says, "But wait, a moment ago you were ready to change your life and follow that unkillable leader and give your life to him and now you want to go to church?" "Okay, now it's time to call security, please, this young man is…"

But you see what would happen if a great human leader were to appear again alive after being dead. Go figure. Abraham Lincoln here, Simon Bolivar here, God forbid, Osama Bin Laden here. They say that he can no longer be killed. You better obey him.

This is why when Peter preached, he says, this Christ that you crucified has been raised to be Christ and Lord. Repent because you want to be okay with him. He is the winner. When all the Caesars of the world have died, buried, our Christ lives because he does not reign according to politics or descent. Christ is a priest-king according to the power of an indestructible life. Thank God. That Christ is the alpha and the omega, crucified in weakness but lives by the power of God. He died, he rose and he comes again. He is the first and the last, the one who was dead but lived again. It is important to know.

When things are dark in life, my God lives and I don't have to be desperate. And those from Smyrna had to know that, because they were suffering and it is not easy to suffer. Jesus tells them, I know what it is like to suffer. Jesus said, I know what it is to be poor. I know your works, your tribulation and your poverty even though you are rich and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but a synagogue of Satan.

Jesus says, I know what it is to be poor. My parents couldn't find a hospital or a hotel, I was born in a cave. There was no crib, they put me in the place where animals eat, in a manger. Jesu s' parents didn't even have money to pay for a goat or a sheep for sacrifice, they offered some pigeons. Jesus says, I was poor with hunger and you gave me to eat. He knows what it is. It is not good to be poor but we know that joy and wealth in life cannot be bought with money. Although you are poor but you are rich because there is a joy in you.

I want to see a video that is from Venezuela where they are suffering a lot. Are there any Venezuelans here? I feel the anointing on that side. Welcome Venezuela. That country is suffering hard, you know. And this video was made to give a very sober message to the president of this country and I want you to see it with me, with a girl who speaks volumes about suffering.

Video.

Venezuelans laugh at anything I understand. They know that there is a joy that does not go away. There is health that goes deeper than money. Sometimes the richest countries are the most neurotic countries. Health and joy come from elsewhere. We Christians who know that it is better than a positive mentality, health and joy come from the Holy Spirit in us, it does not come from this world.

I learned a song on my first little missionary trip, an 18-year-old in Mexico, they taught me a song that says that the world did not give me this joy that I have, the world did not give me this joy, This joy that I have, the world did not give it to me and the world… and they made me clean a toilet there and I sang this joy that I have…

Thank God there is joy in suffering. And this letter, although they are suffering and are going to suffer more, there is no one who can take away their joy, they are rich in Christ. And so Jesus also knew that there were people who spoke ill of them. Jesus says, I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, who spoke ugly things about Christians and threw them out of the synagogue because they had no legal rights in the city. Jesus knew.

It's not easy when people say ugly things about Christians because they don't understand. And this weighs heavily on me, when I hear people say, there is a lot of hatred among Christians, they reject people… because we believe in holiness, we think we are hateful, they are false accusations. But we should not be surprised by the enemy's accusations because Jesus said, blessed are you when they insult you, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you lying because of me.

If you want to be famous and loved and wanted, you better not follow Christ because at some point people are going to hate you for being a Christian. But I say again that they hate us for the right reasons, for our faith and not for being rude.

But Jesus knew the blasphemies, Jesus said, they called me Belsebuub, do you know that they called Jesus a demon? Jesus says, if they called me a demon, what are they going to say about you? We have to prepare. The early Christians were terribly slandered. People called them all kinds of ugly things, said they have no gods in the house, they are atheists. They said that they do not follow the law of Moses, they are immoral, they live a crazy life. They say that I know what I have heard, some said, these Christians in their secret meetings eat the body of Christ, they are cannibals. This is what they said about Christians.

Who is the accuser? The word Satan means accuser. Jesus says, don't worry, they haven't kicked you out of a good synagogue, it's Satan's synagogue because they are false accusers. We shouldn't go around accusing synagogues of being Satan's synagogues, but Christ wanted them to know that a true Jew is a Jew who is circumcised in the heart by the spirit of God.

I know they have rejected you, but it is not them, it is the enemy who has rejected you, because our fight is not with flesh and blood but with spirits of evil in heavenly places, with principalities and powers. We have to be firm and recognize that the real enemy is not the person but the spirit behind them. And that is why you can still love the enemy because we know that they are in a certain sense victims too. Jesus knew what those in Smyrna were suffering.

And I would like this letter to say, don't worry because everything will get better soon, but the letter does not say this, and we have to preach what the word says is the truth and the life. Jesus said, do not be afraid of what you will suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for 10 days. A winning church is a tested church, that is part of the formation of the church that God seeks in the last days, to be tested.

And Jesus gives them a warning, that things are going to get worse before they get better and things are going to be tough. But Jesus gives them the warning so they know that nothing can take God by surprise. He already knew, he's still in control. The enemy thinks that they are inventing a new strategy but he does not do anything new. He can only imitate and copy and God says, I already knew what I was going to do and I tell you in advance.

But there is another question, if God knows that the devil is going to throw some of them in jail, why not intervene so that it does not happen? Have you asked this question? If God already knows, stop it, let it not happen. Any of us have asked this question, and I wish I had a super clear answer. There are certain mysteries but I do know that the word says that although there is diabolical action in this world nothing can interrupt the intention of our God. The devil acts but God has his intention that cannot be canceled and even evil turns out to be part of the divine plan for good in the life of the believer and the church and in the world. God even uses the devil without him knowing it.

Jesus tells the Apostles, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. The devil asked his permission and Jesus says, do it. But he says, I have prayed for you so that your faith does not fail. God's test even though the devil is involved, the devil can never do what he wants, God is always in control of the thing and he has a purpose. Is not easy.

It can be a messenger of Satan that is a thorn in the flesh, like the Apostle Paul and he asks 3 times, take it away from me and Jesus responds, my grace is enough for you because my power is perfected in your weakness. God is in control. The devil testing but God working with a good purpose, a winning church is a tested church. The devil wants you to fail, that you fail the exam, but God wants you to come out shining like gold tested in the fire. That is its purpose in a test.

It seems to be hard, the people of Israel tested in the desert for 40 years living on manna from the desert, suffering from the sun, but they learned that man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah. Even if we fail the test, if we learn, we pass.

Peter passed his test when he was tempted to deny Jesus? He left saying, no, I am a follower of Jesus, I am faithful until death, I want the crown of… No, no, I don't know him. Not once. They gave him 3 opportunities and the last one was a zero to the left, it was very ugly how he passed that exam, but he learned humility and later he was able to encourage the brothers.

Brother, if you are going through a test, a tested church, it is with a good intention that God has. Now we have to be very careful when a brother suffers a tragedy in his life, a loss, we must not come to them with a, “no, don't worry, everything will be fine. God wanted it to happen,” because sometimes people can't hear that when they've suffered something bad. We have to be careful. But yes, God can say to the heart, I know what you are experiencing, I know your suffering and I am going to get you out of this furnace shining like gold refined in the fire.

Our God tests us. It says in the book of First Peter, now a little time, the test will not last forever, although the desert seems to be something that will never stop, that has its end and the Apostle Peter says, now for a little time if it is necessary you have to be afflicted in various tests, for what? There is a reason for your faith, much more precious than gold, which although perishable is tested with fire, to be found in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is manifested. You are going to come out of it gloriously now and in the day of Jesus. You will pass your test.

The people of Izmir had to know, that this is 10 days. As Jesus spoke of labor pains, a woman suffering terribly but then the baby is born and there is life and there is joy afterwards. Jesus himself for the joy before him suffered the cross, despising the opprobrium and sat down at the right hand of the Father. There is joy behind suffering. The test lasts for a while but it is not forever. So be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. Without the cross there is no crown.

You know that the Apostle Paul saw a person being faithful until death, he saw it because he was one of the murderers. Go figure. Living with this on your conscience, but God used it for good. The man's name was Stephen and this man was a man of God, a deacon in the church, an usher, a servant, and he also preached and did signs and wonders. When he was before the judges, the Lord fulfilled his promise that when you stand before the judges, do not worry about what you are going to say, I will give you words.

The Lord gave him words and he gave a sermon, that was indeed a sermon of several pages, preaching the entire history of the people of Israel. And after that sermon his face shining like an angel and Stephen in glory and enemies, the Jewish leaders began to grunt their teeth, throw stones. and Paul keeping their coats and Stephen says, Lord, forgive them, don't keep this sin against them. Brothers, without this prayer we would not have a Paul. God heard Stephen and forgave Paul for what he was doing, thank God. It was worth it.

But it doesn't stop there, Esteban says, I see something, I see the heavens open and I see Christ next to the glory of God and he is standing next to his throne. One question, Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father, but Esteban did not see him sitting, Esteban saw him standing, stopped, why? I was there saying, I receive you. For you I rise from my throne to receive you in glory. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life and I receive it with this big hug.

You know the meaning of the name Esteban. It has a meaning. In Greek Estefanos, is the word that is used here, it means crown. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. Stephen had the crown of the Lord. The Christian wins no matter what, saying at the end of this letter, whoever has an ear hears what the spirit says to the churches, the winner will not suffer harm from the second death. Even in death the Christian wins. Jesus said, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Our God knows how to get out of a grave.

And there is another death, the first death, when we are all going to die in some way or another, unless Christ comes first, which is possible. But there is a second death, when there will be a white throne and the glory of God on that throne and the great and small dead will appear before that throne and books will be brought out with names in the book of life and all the facts, everything we have done, everything we have said will be written in that book. This is a Wikileaks that will work forever. And which of us got past that, right? Jesus says, be faithful until death. The victor will not suffer harm from the second death, and the second death is the lake of fire.

The Christian does not have to fear the lake of fire because God said, I will be with you when you go through the waters and when you go through the fires it will not burn in you. You are going to go through it on the other side, with nothing to burn you and I will meet you there in the fire. Jesus is with us.

I wish no one had to pay that price. I don't want that from anyone, I have friends who serve in very dangerous places, I never want to hear this news. And I trust that it will not be, but God says, Jesus says, that they will kill some of you. You will be hated by all because of my name but not a hair on your head will perish, with your patience you will win your souls, even if you die every hair will be sure of the second death and you will shine like a star. Dear is in the eyes of Jehovah the death of his saints.

The leader of the church in Smyrna, the bishop, was called Polycarp. This man was a beautiful leader, discipleship, he took the discipleship but not here, but with the Apostle John, so he did turn out well, a man of God, a faithful man. He became very old but there came a time when he had a dream of his pillow on fire and he said to his family, I believe that God has told me that I am going to be burned in the fire. He says, no, it will never be, he says, I have to get ready.

He was arrested and appeared in a large auditorium in front of everyone and the judge pressed him and said, “Swear by Caesar and I will release you. Renounce Christ.” And Polycarp answered him, "I have been serving Jesus for 86 years and he has not done me any harm, how can I blaspheme my king who saved me?" and then he shouted all over the place, "Polycarp has confessed himself a Christian." So it was.

There is a film made of his life very nice. But I said at the beginning that I wasn't sure – and if we can see the picture of Jesus with the stars again – that I wasn't sure if the angels in the church were literal or leading angels. Today at least I believe that the stars in the hand of Jesus are the pastors of this church, many of whom suffered death for their faith in Christ. I believe that Polycarp is one of these stars that is in the hand of Christ, in the hollow of his hand.

The book of Daniel says that many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will be awakened, some to eternal life and others to perpetual shame and confusion. Those who understand will shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who teach justice to the multitude like the stars for ever and ever.

I think Policarpo is shining. For us, whatever our situation, a disciple of Christ, we must seek to have the mentality of the martyr, which is not a mentality of woe to me, poor thing, I am suffering but it is okay, I am not complaining, but I am complaining. This is not the mentality of a martyr. The mentality of a martyr is the mentality of a winner who knows that his sacrifice is not in vain. A Christian martyr is joyful.

The Apostle Paul in prison writing to the Philippians says, brothers, I know that you are sad because I am imprisoned, but I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have contributed rather to the progress of the Gospel. All these soldiers here have to know Christ, they have no choice, I'm not here for nothing. God has a purpose in what I am suffering. The Apostle Paul says, when people preached in the street to make life more difficult for him, "what do I care, Christ is preached, I win again."

The joy that he had cannot be taken away from him because the world did not give it to him and he put being joyful still imprisoned. So they say, “But Pablo, we are going to kill you.” And the Apostle Paul answers by saying, “I already died and my life is hidden with Christ for when Christ appears I will also appear with him in glory. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

A Christian martyr cannot be defeated. It's a winner no matter what it is, but you have to die every day. We are taught to be a martyr is not to throw our lives at nothing, but every day to decide to put others first and myself second. To sacrifice myself for the Gospel and live the Gospel every day without gossip or arguments so that you too can shine as lights in the world.

If Christ died for me, if brothers through the centuries have sacrificed themselves and died for his sake, how am I going to complain about the little things that God asks of me? How can I be bitter about something? No. I am going to live the cross every day and it says at the end in the book of Philippians 2, which is a whole teaching on how to overcome, be faithful to death, that we must have the mentality of Christ, that even being in the form of God He did not estimate being equal to God as something to cling to, but emptied himself, took the form of a servant.

Being a servant is the call of the Lord and he made himself similar to men, finding himself in the condition of a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death and death on a cross. But we know that the story does not end there, and that is why God also exalted him above all things. He gave him a name above all names so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The life of service is a victorious life. A proven church is a winning church. I want to be like this. I want to be part of such a town.