SOFT WHISPERS TO SUFFERING WORSHIPPERS

WE’VE GOT MAIL #2/7 Stockwell Road MBC
July 19, 2009 MW
SOFT WHISPERS TO SUFFERING WORSHIPPERS
Revelation 2:8-11
INTRODUCTION:
A. These two chapters in the Book of Revelation contain 7 letters written to 7 Churches located throughout Asia. They are love letters written by the hand of John from the heart of God. Jesus had a word for each of these churches and He also has a word for us as well. You see THEY GOT MAIL and today WE’VE GOT MAIL. There are 3 ways that we need to view these letters this morning.
1. PROPHETICALLY…each one represents a different time period in Church history; Smyrna represents the time from 100 ad to 312 ad. A time of intense Roman persecution upon the Lord’s Churches!
2. PRACTICALLY…a letter to the Church at Smyrna is a letter to Stockwell Road MBC.
3. PERSONALLY…Churches are made of individuals, of families of people.

B. I love the story of Elijah, the prophet when he was feeling down in the dumps. In I Kings 19, Elijah feels like he is the only one left who loves God. All of a sudden, God passes by in a great wind that shakes the mountain but God wasn’t in the wind…then God causes a great earthquake but God wasn’t in the earthquake…after the earthquake there was a great fire but God wasn’t in the fire…but after the fire there was a still small voice…in fact it was the whisper of God. Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The Lord doesn’t speak in loud or audible voices today! He speaks to us in the still small voice of His Word and by the inner knowing of the Holy Spirit that dwells within all of us. Instead of getting busier with things, when troubles and disappointments come, we need to slow things down and get still, so we can hear what the Lord is saying to us.

C. The Church at Smyrna was a struggling congregation however they were a serving congregation. Five of the seven Churches of Asia, all received words of rebuke. The two exceptions: Smyrna MBC and Philadelphia MBC. This Church suffered greatly from persecution…why? The reason is very simple, II Timothy 3:12, “Yea and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” The membership Smyrna MBC lived like Jesus, loved like Jesus and served like Jesus so they received the same treatment that Jesus himself received. As a result, the Lord whispered softly into their ear some words of encouragement. As the body of Christ, we ought to be patterning our service after this great Church of the Lord. When we do we will also receive from this world the same thing that Jesus received and when that happens, the Lord offers us a sweet whisper in our ear to remind us of his watch and care over us.

D. Notice what the Lord whispers gently in our ears to remind us of his care.
BODY:
I. HE REMINDS US OF HIS PERSONALITY vs. 8
note: We all know about Jesus. What He did during His ministry, the sermons, the miracles and the compassion. However, we fail to recognize the nature of Christ. When we recognize who Jesus is, not just who He was, it will transform our way of thinking.
A. His Eternal Nature
1. first and last
2. alpha and omega
3. beginning and end
4. author and finisher

B. His Overcoming Nature—who was dead and is alive
1. overcame our greatest enemy—death
2. overcame our adversary—the devil

II. HE REMINDS US OF OUR PROTECTION vs. 9-10
note: Notice in these verses how often the Lord mentions that He knows and not only that He knows but how exact and perfectly He knows not only what HAS happened but what WILL happen! What an encouragement to know that the Lord is watching over us and protecting us every minute of every day!
A. He Watches Over Us as We Persevere

B. He Watches Over Us as We are Persecuted

III. HE REMINDS US OF OUR POSSESSIONS vs. 9
A. Peace with Our Past

B. Power for Our Present

C. Promise for Our Tomorrow—hope

IV. HE REMINDS US OF HIS PROMISE vs. 10-11, Revelation 20:6
A. The Promise of Reward vs. 10

B. The Promise of Resurrection vs. 11, Rev. 20:6

CONCLUSION:
If you aren’t being persecuted…it’s because you aren’t living your faith loud enough for any to hear or visually enough for anybody to see.