Kings Mountain First Church of the Nazarene
Thursday, February 23, 2012
 
Pastor Michael's Message
From January 15, 2012
 
"The Church in Smyrna" 

Revelation 2:8-11 (NASB)
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich),
and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some
of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.
Be faithful until 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.
He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
 
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 (NASB)
1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord
will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying,
“Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains
upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.  
  • Because of who Jesus is and who we become through Christ Jesus, we are rich.
Psalm 27:1-3 (NASB)
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)
12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.  
  • God is Sovereign
  • God is absolutely holy, just, and righteous.
  • The will of God in every situation is ultimately good, even when it doesn't make sense.
     
  • Some suffering may be for disciplinary purposes.
1 Corinthians 11: 30-32 (NASB)
30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so
that we will not be condemned along with the world.
 
Hebrews 12: 3-13 (NASB)
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A Father’s Discipline

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons;
for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers,
then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them;
shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them,
but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.
 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame
may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.  
  • Some Suffering my be for preventative purposes.
1 Corinthians 12:4 (NASB)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
  • Some suffering may be for teaching purposes.
Romans 5:3-5 (NASB)
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out
within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 
  • All suffering should produce a better testimony for Christ.
Acts 9:16 (NASB)
16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
  • Jesus has experienced the same hardships that we have.
  • Jesus knows...
  • All those who suffer for Jesus Christ will receive the Crown of Life.
     
  • There are five actual crowns mentioned in the New Testament:
  1. Crown of Life
  2. Crown of Righteousness
  3. Crown of Glory
    1 Peter 5:4 (NASB)
    4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
     
  4. Crown of Gold
  5. Crown of Rejoicing
Revelation 2:11 (NASB)
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
  
Revelation 20:11-15 (NASB)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence
earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne,
and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life;
and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books,
according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it,
and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged,
every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire.