Tag: menorah

Radiance: Resist Jezebel’s Seduction

Justin Hibbard

Reading: 2 Kings 9:6-10, 30-37

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Perhaps there’s no character in Scripture that is more synonymous with evil than Jezebel.  While she was the wife of Ahab, a king of Israel who did more evil than all of the kings before him, it’s clear that Jezebel was really the one running the kingdom.  Under their leadership, they slaughtered God’s prophets, hunted Elijah, practiced all sorts of malice and falsehood, had their own citizens killed for selfish gain, and the list goes on and on.

While Ahab died in battle, Jezebel doesn’t receive her justice until King Jehu comes to power. In 2 Kings 9, we read of Jezebel’s demise, and look what she does.  As she hears about Jehu coming into the city, she puts on eye makeup and does her hair.  Maybe she knew Jehu was coming to get her, and she was going to try seduce him to spare her life.  Maybe she thought that she could once again become a queen if she could only seduce for herself a new king.

Fortunately, Jehu resists.  He throws her out the window and rids Israel of her, once and for all.

The Church at Thyatira had a Queen Jezebel in their midst.  She had taken a position of authority in the church, and she was leading others into all sorts of physical pleasures, and in turn, she was becoming stronger and stronger.  Just like Queen Jezebel,  her position of authority was gained at others’ expenses.  Perhaps her longevity as a so-called prophetess within the church had numbed the sensitivities of others, or she was like a cancer – a tumor who had grown and latched on to other parts of the body, so that it was nearly impossible to remove her.

Clearly there are two groups at Thyatira.  There are ones who are resisting and ones who have been seduced and are unwilling to repent.

Though this Jezebel is probably a reference to a real person in Thyatira, I can’t help but also think of a figurative Jezebel in this story.  While our church may not struggle with a real Jezebel, we definitely wrestle with another type of Jezebel in our homes – sexual purity.  My heart goes out to my children, who will grow up more exposed to sexual immorality than my generation.  It’s everywhere – television, the internet, and it is generally becoming part of our culture.  Like a cancer, it has spread its tentacles in all areas of our society, and it is difficult to go a day without hearing a sexually explicit joke or seeing a lewd image.  It is difficult not to become desensitized to it.

Make no mistake; sexual impurity, whether it’s pornography or sex outside of marriage will destroy the hearts of individuals who succumb to its fleeting seduction.  As difficult as it is, we must resist it and not give it a place in our hearts.  Because when we give it a place in our personal hearts, we are giving it authority in our homes and in our church.

Notice what Jehu does when he captures Jezebel.  First, he never enters the house where she is staying.  Two eunuchs, men who were celibate and less susceptible to Jezebel’s scheming, throw her out the window.  Jehu must have known Jezebel’s reputation and took proper precautions.  Secondly, he doesn’t even reason with her.  “Just toss her out the window!” he said.

We can learn how to deal with the temptation of sexual impurity from Jehu’s example.  Maybe Jehu knew that he could fall prey to the seduction attempts of a beautiful woman, or maybe he wanted to protect himself so that it could never “accidentally” happen.  You know yourself.  You know what will lead you into temptation.  Stay away from it!  Don’t go near.  Don’t put yourself in that compromising position.

If you are a parent, make a proactive plan for your family.  Our children will be bombarded with messages of impurity.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007, nearly half of U.S. high school students reported having had sexual intercourse.  Maryland law requires sex education to begin at age 12, and I guarantee that abstinence isn’t the prevailing message from the teacher.  So, how will we combat it?  Will we address it only after the fact, or will we be proactive in teaching against it?  Make your home a safe refuge of purity.  If our children are to resist Jezebel, then not only do we need to model purity, but we must make a safe place of refuge away from her influence.

I imagine that there are some reading or listening to this message, who are currently wrestling with a Jezebel.  Maybe you really have a difficult time resisting her ploys of lust and immorality.  Let me assure you there’s hope.  The God of forgiveness is calling you to repentance.  Jesus is calling you to walk out of that house where she is staying.  If you are a child of the Most High, then you are no slave to Jezebel.  He has anointed you to break her stronghold.  He has given you authority over her.  Don’t let her seductions steal your joy.  Remember who you are in Christ, and then remind the Devil of your privileged position in the Kingdom of the Most Holy.

Radiance: Return on Investment

Justin Hibbard

Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Thyatira

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ROI.  It means return on investment.  It’s business lingo that we use to talk about if something is worth the trouble.  Should a company spend $1 million in advertising if the projected result is only $250 thousand of added business revenue?  A company might consider that a bad ROI.

Sometimes churches talk in terms of ROI as well.  What are the results of doing x, y, or z?   Is it worth the trouble?  Sometimes it’s prudent to discuss investments in such a manner. Sometimes however, churches shouldn’t get caught up in thinking about results; sometimes it actually distracts us from the goal.

I love what Jesus says to Thyatira.  “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.”  What a wonderful commendation from the King – “You’re not only doing good things; you’re increasing.”  Notice what Jesus doesn’t say.  He doesn’t say, “Because of your work, 300 people came to faith this past year, or you were able to help out 100 families who were starving.”  Humans love numbers.  Jesus avoids them.  We are easily impressed by the large amounts people put in the offering plate.  Jesus is impressed by the heart of the poor widow, who gives a penny.

In today’s reading – the Parable of the Talents – notice the master.  While the parable points out how much the master gave them, and how much they gained, the master doesn’t seem to make a big deal of the amount.  He gave each one what he felt they could handle, and he was pleased when they gave back a positive return on his investment.

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a Christian radio show, and the host was interviewing a prominent pastor here in the U.S.  The hour long show got rather weird as the pastor started attacking the host.  At one point, he began comparing his church with the host’s.  “How many young men came to the Lord in the last year?” he prodded.  The host admitted it was difficult to think of the exact number.  “Perhaps two or three,” he offered.  The pastor then criticized this man’s church, “Look at your results, then look at my results.”

It’s easy to look at some of the mega churches and say, “What are we doing wrong?  Why don’t we have that?”  I know a lot of pastors struggle with numbers.  I knew one pastor who was so obsessed with numbers that he handed out perfect attendance certificates to congregant’s who never missed a service.

Maybe I’m being naive, but I try to avoid looking at numbers.  While there’s a place for measuring growth, it’s important to keep growth in perspective.  I remember attending church meetings where we spent most of the time talking about attendance and finances.  If there’s really two things we cannot control, it’s definitely those two.

Looking at the Parable of the Talents and Jesus’ commendation to Thyatira, let me offer an alternative focus.  Jesus gives us gifts, He brings opportunities to us, He allows us to serve Him.  Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3 that we can plant seeds and water them, but it is God who makes them grow.  I believe God speaks to individuals and families, especially about where to attend church.  I know many in our congregation would say, “God told me that I was supposed to be here.”  So, if He did that in our lives, can’t we trust Him to do that in others’ lives as well?  He’s the Master in charge.  Thankfully, He knows us; just like in the parable, He knows what we can and can’t handle.

So, here’s what we can focus on.  Let’s be faithful.  God has gifted us, and the Creator has entrusted His creation with a variety of opportunities.  You know, I really believe that if Jesus were to write a letter to New Hope Chapel today, He would commend us like He did Thyatira.  Our growth maybe isn’t as dramatic as the church down the road.  Maybe we’re not doing nearly as much as the neighboring church in the community.  But church isn’t a competition to see who can do more, or who has the most at the end.  Church is about a journey of faith – where together we follow our Rabbi.  Let’s keep our eyes on Him.  Continue doing what God has called us to do, and we’ll be exactly where God wants us to be.  That is the best return on investment.

Radiance: The God who Sees

Justin Hibbard

Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Thyatira

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In an age where corporations gather information about you or the government pushes its Constitutional limits in regards to surveillance, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Big Brother.”  As you may know, Big Brother is the dictator in George Orwell’s book 1984, which was first published in 1949.  It’s interesting to note that George Orwell wanted his epitaph to say, “I told you so.”  Even though, 1984 might have been a bit premature for his prediction, he surely was a social prophet.

So, is that what God is like?  Is He like Big Brother?  I think a lot of people grow up with that perception of God – something like Santa Clause who knows if we’ve been naughty or nice.  When John describes Jesus as having eyes of fire, we ought to take great comfort, rather than immediately feeling like there’s some enigmatic dictator, participating in a voyeuristic exercise of control via surveillance.  Here’s why.

First, God is personal.  Think about all of the Christians and all of the churches.  There are too many to count.  God sees each of us; He knows each of us intimately.  Last Christmas, a couple of malls were piloting a technology that would track people’s shopping patterns by tracking their cell phones.  That’s powerful information in the hands of corporations and marketing, and it may tell them about you.  But to them, your worth is what they can get out of you.  Jesus knows you more intimately.  He knows you – what’s below the surface.  That’s what He values.

Have you noticed that on Facebook, your ads are tailored to you and your interests?  The information you post in your profile, the places you geo-tag in your pictures and status updates, what you write on yours and your friends’ timeline are all keywords that are used to match you with appropriate ads.  Doing this activity for Facebook’s 800 million users is just too daunting for human beings.  Instead, they rely on computerized logarithms.  I can hear George Orwell screaming, “I told you so!”

God is much more personal than a logarithm.  He’s no computer.  Logarithms can only measure what’s on the surface.  God sees at the heart.  Yes, He can see the stuff that we ought not to be doing, but when we think of God, we would be wise to think of Him less like a hidden camera and more like a personal friend.  He’s not watching you, waiting for you to screw up.  He’s gazing at you like a beloved gazes at his lover.  He pays attention to you like a father watching his child play soccer.

Secondly, in having eyes of fire, God demonstrates His just nature.  Sometimes we think that God doesn’t care.  We see the chaos erupting around us.  We loathe the injustice in the world, and so often it seems like God does nothing.  I imagine to some of these churches, especially Smyrna, they wondered if God even knew what was going on.  He reassures them, like He does with all of these churches, with two simple yet profound words – “I know.”  He knows that Smyrna is poor and persecuted.  He knows that Thyatira is doing and increasing in great works.  He knows that some of the people are enslaved in sin and have unrepentant hearts, but He also knows that some have resisted the temptation.

There will come a time for God’s judgment.  It will be a frightful day when the world realizes that there is a God who sees everything and investigates each of our hearts.  But for those of us who walk with the Lord, let’s take these words as a great comfort for our lives.  God sees us.  He sees our situation.  He knows what we’re going through.  He knows the injustice that we wrestle with, and He knows our deepest secrets.  Some are afraid of that type of knowledge.  Others, reiterate David’s prayer of Psalm 139.  God knows us better than ourselves.  He can see our heart, even when we’ve convinced ourselves of lies.  Like David, we can pray, “God show me where I’m falling short, because my desire is to become like You.”

Radiance: The Intimate Journey

Justin Hibbard

Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Pergamum

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What if I came up to you and said, “Hey, I’d love the keys to your house.  What is it going to take for you to give them to me?”  First, you’d probably look at me like I was some sort of psycho.  Then you might either try to get a restraining order or at the very least change your door locks to include retinal scanners.

So, if it’s so creepy to us, why do we do that with Jesus?  What I’m referring to is how we often use Jesus as a mere get-out-of-jail free card  For instance, the phrase, “I got saved” or “get saved” rubs me the wrong way.  I realize some Christians are legitimately pointing to a time in their life when they began a relationship with Jesus, but I can’t help but think of the times in Jesus’ ministry when the only thing people wanted to know was what they needed to do to get saved.

“What must I do to be saved?”  Isn’t that like saying, “Okay Jesus, be straight with me.  What’s the minimum to get into Heaven?”  It reminds me of the times my students asked me, “What’s the minimum I have to do on this project to get an ‘A?’”

The responses Jesus gave were curious.  “Believe and be baptized and you’ll be saved.  Believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, and you’ll be saved.  Eat my flesh and drink my blood, and you’ll be saved.  Sell your possessions and give them to the poor, then come follow me, and you’ll be saved.”

So, is there a simple formula?  Do one of these apply.  Or since there seems to be differences in what it takes to be saved, how do we rectify them to come up with a simple formula like X+Y=Salvation?

Some people, churches, and denominations have done just that.  “Ask Jesus into your heart, and you’ll be saved.” “Be baptized with the holy water, and you’ll be saved.”  Is that what it takes?

I don’t think Jesus was asking us to complete some sort of formula when he gave those “requirements” for salvation; I think He was inviting us on a journey – a personal relationship with the Redeemer of the world.  To the rich man in Luke 18, Jesus was inviting Him on a voyage, and He was helping him try to eliminate all of the excuses that might stand in the way of an inhibited journey of discipleship.

So, if I asked you what it took to get the keys to your house, you might be thinking, “I only give keys to my friends and people I can trust,” and you might offer ways I can earn your trust.  But what am I really after?  Am I after your keys or your heart?

Jesus identified Himself to Pergamum as the One with the double-edged sword that can divide our actions and intentions. He knows our motives, and better than anyone, including ourselves, He knows our heart.  Let me invite you into a new way of thinking about salvation (for some, this is not new at all).  Instead of thinking about just getting saved; think about a personal relationship with Jesus.  Think about relating with Him like we would relate with a friend – no manipulating, no ulterior motives, no arm-twisting, just a lifetime journey with Him.

You see, God isn’t just powerful enough to keep us out of hell; He’s powerful enough to walk through the journey of earth with us.  He’s powerful enough to change our minds about what this world is about and start helping us think of how we can be more like Him on this earth.  He’s powerful enough to show us the beauty of heaven even when we’re stuck in these frail human bodies, these jars of clay.  He’s powerful enough to tell us to forget about rule-following and to leave the notion of merely going through the motions and start thinking about Him standing perpetually in our midst.  If we have that type of mindset, rules will be rather redundant.  We’ll stop asking “what must I do?” and start asking “what can I do?”

Try to explain that type of relationship to a friend who knows nothing of a personal Jesus, and you’ll get some strange looks.  “Did you know Johnny has an imaginary friend?” they might say.  But you know this is nothing of imagination.  This is real; more real than this world.  When you talk to Jesus, you feel like you’re more home than when you’re in your actual home on earth.

Jesus’ promise to Pergamum is to give them some of the hidden manna and a stone with a name nobody but us knows.  Jesus is inviting us to a place of intimacy – a hidden realm in plain sight.  And over time, as our friendship builds, He won’t just give us the keys to His house, He’ll show us to the room that’s designed just for us inside His mansion.

My late grandfather and grandmother, shared one of the most romantic dating stories.  They lived in Hawaii.  My grandmother was the daughter of Spanish immigrants; my grandfather was stationed in Hawaii during World War II.

The two met at church, and my grandfather couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.  He tried to do the proper thing – ask her father if he could have his permission to date her.  Let’s just say, that didn’t go over so well.

But despite her father’s wishes, the two couldn’t resist seeing each other.  My grandfather would come by her house, and hide a note written with lemon juice underneath a rock in the backyard.  My grandmother would go out, look under the rock, grab the invisible note, and use an iron to reveal what the letter said.  Eventually the two got married.

Jesus tells us that in heaven, we will receive a stone with a new name that nobody but us knows.  It makes me think of that rock and the secret notes in my grandmother’s backyard.  To anyone else, that rock was just an ordinary stone and the piece of paper was a blank page.  But to my grandparents, those were intimate, secret expressions of their growing love for each other.  Had you lived during her youth, and you saw her with that paper, you might say, “What does it mean?”  She might tell you,  “Iron it and find out.”

David invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good.  We can see the intimacy between the Lord and this man after God’s own heart, but there’s nothing like experiencing this intimacy personally.  Perhaps you’ve really only described your relationship with God as just getting into the door.  If so, put those keys down for a moment.  It’s time to discover all of the wonder that God has for you – a journey with the Messiah, an intimate union between the Creator and the created.

Radiance: The Clergy Laity Problem

Justin Hibbard

Reading: 1 Peter 5:1-11

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Pergamum

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One day while driving in a prominent area known for its mega churches, my friend began pointing out many famous ecclesiastical institutions.  “That’s so and so’s church,” he said, pointing out one after the other.  It’s interesting how we do that with churches.  Many times we don’t know the name of the church; we just know its pastor.  Francis Chen, Mark Driscol, R.C. Sproul, Rob Bell, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels – we may recognize their name but not know their church.

Often times companies become known by their CEOs, just like churches are recognized by their pastors.  Microsoft and Bill Gates are nearly synonymous, for example.  But what happens when that pastor is no longer there?  What happens when Steve Jobs steps down as the iconic hero who made Apple what it is today?

I bring up these examples, because Jesus chastises the church at Pergamum for tolerating the teachings of the Nicolaitans.  This group was also mentioned earlier in Revelation 2 in the letter to the church at Ephesus.  So, who were they?

Many people believe that this group was defined by the etymology of their name.  Nico means to conquer.  Laitans means the people.  What scholars often argue is that while the church was young and vulnerable, people tried to steer it in the direction of hierarchical structure much like the Jewish idea of priesthood.

This idea might be more familiar because of the words we use today – clergy and laity.

As a church who believes in the authority of Scripture rather than tradition, I think it’s important to understand how the Bible uses these terms and how they have been misused for centuries.  First, the word clergy comes from the Greek word kleros.  It means portion, share, inheritance.  It’s used in passages such as 1 Corinthians 1:12 – “the Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people.”  It doesn’t use the word to mean an upper class, a priesthood, those who are paid for ministry, or the pastor, as we have come to use it.  Secondly, the word laity comes from the Greek word laos, which means the people.  It’s used in passages such as 1 Peter 2:10 – “now you are the people of God… you have received mercy.”  It doesn’t use the word to refer to the unskilled, untrained, unpaid, or the regular congregant.

Reformed or not, this phrase is still being thrown around in our churches today, and I believe it to be a dangerous teaching that has become ingrained in our ecclesiastical doctrines and ways of thinking.  Here’s why.

First, we must remember it is God who calls, qualifies, and gifts us for ministry (Colossians 1, 1 Corinthians 12).  One of the main roles within the Body of Christ is to confirm what God is doing.  While we must test the spirits and ensure that people are mature before they take leadership roles, we also need to be careful about putting our requirements for leadership ahead of God’s.

Secondly, we have to resist thinking of church leaders like CEOs.  In a company, the CEO casts a vision and tells people to get to work.  Similarly, in a priesthood, like we see in Israel, the priest heard from God and spoke to the people.  The day of the cross meant the end for a mediator between God and man other than Jesus.  When the Holy Spirit began indwelling in believers at Pentecost, God Himself began working in and speaking to the common man.  For the first time, the entire laos became the priests.  This is why we look at 1 Peter 2 and say “the priesthood of all believers.”  You don’t work for the pastor.  I’m nobody’s boss.  I don’t claim that I can listen to God better or that he talks to me more simply because I have a position of authority.  I’m here to help lead, but I’m not here to give orders.  This is not my church.  This is not your church.  This is God’s church.  He is the Head.  He is the Chief Priest.

Thirdly, we must understand that the church thrives, survives, or dies on the back of the entire body.  It is the entire church’s responsibility to be that working Body.  Some people are the arms, some are the legs, some are the eyes, and Jesus is the head.  If one of us becomes dysfunctional, the whole body will lose its functionality.

When Jesus admonishes these churches for some of the evil that was occurring, who is He talking about?  Is He talking about the pastor or elders?  Perhaps.  Perhaps He’s talking about even the new believer who’s putting the entire church at risk.  Remember the story of Achan in Joshua 7?  One commoner’s sin brought judgment on the entire people of Israel.  Suddenly, the layman doesn’t seem just like an insignificant commoner; does he?

Likewise, when Jesus praises these churches, He doesn’t just laud one individual.  It’s the entire church that earns His accolades.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  I’m not trying to say that the Bible doesn’t prescribe leadership for the church.  In 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, Paul points out various leadership positions like apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, helpers, pastors, and overseers.  But there’s a difference between hierarchy and leadership.  There’s a difference between ruling over and shepherding, as 1 Peter 5 discusses.

The revolutionary idea of church isn’t to dictate or to entertain; it’s to teach and disciple.  Paul tells us exactly what the goal of the leader ought to be in Ephesians 4 – “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”  This is not obtained through a project of a church leader dictating a goal to his congregation.  It is obtained through the impact of personal discipleship, and a desirable measurement is that everyone has reached the same playing field in faith and knowledge of Jesus.

Radiance: Jesus and the Double Edged Sword

Justin Hibbard

Reading: Revelation 19:11-16

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Pergamum

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I remember once some students telling me, “I can’t imagine you yelling at your kids.”  When they’re used to only seeing a gentle side of my nature, they might find it difficult to see another side.  But my children will testify differently I’m sure.  Like most parents, the first time I give a warning, it might be a soft tone, requesting them to do or not do something.  The third time I have to ask, it’s going to be a much more stern and sharp voice behind the request, and it might even be accompanied with a spanking.

When we’ve grown accustomed imagining the Jesus of the Gospels with a gentle beard, flowing hair, and soft hands, it’s difficult to see Him whip people in the Temple Courts and irately turn over the money-changing tables.  Had we been an eyewitness and not known Jesus’ righteous side, we might mistake Him for a psycho.  But the Gospel account is a reminder that Jesus isn’t just a peace-loving hippie like is often portrayed in Hollywood.

Perhaps what we find so haunting about Revelation is that we’re presented with a wrathful side of God that we find difficult to reconcile with the phrase “God is love” that we’ve ingrained into our religion.  In Revelation 19, we read of Jesus riding a horse, judging the nations, his robe is dipped in blood, and on His robe and thigh are written King of kings and Lord of lords.  Sounds more like what a boxer would wear, as he enters the ring in front of the Vegas crowds.  We’re probably not going to find many worship songs that reference Jesus’ robe dipped in blood.

This passage in Revelation 19 also echoes something in Revelation 1 and 2.  Jesus has a double edged sword in His mouth.  What kind of person has a double-edged sword for his mouth?  The one who speaks justly.  Hebrews 4 tells us that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  The phrase Word of God used in Hebrews 4 is the same as the description of Jesus in John 1.

Yes, Jesus is loving and His ministry on earth was marked with humility, meekness, and mildness.  But His message on earth was a message of repentance.  Jesus is kind of enough to warn these churches.  Repent or else.  Like a father, He’s pleading with us, “Stop so I won’t have to bring further correction.”  Many times we ignore His warning.  But we must beware that when Jesus’ gentle warnings are ignored, He resorts to more intense measures to get our attention.

Hebrews 4 makes it clear that Jesus has the amazing ability to get at the root of the problem.  He can get through our false intentions, and get right at our attitudes.  And if it means that it brings us to a place where we are turning to Him, He will do it.  But the choice is ours.  We can heed the gentle warning of God, or we can wait until He gets our attention.  May we be a people who seek repentance – not just for the fear of punishment but for the love of being in communion with our Redeemer.

Radiance: Grace!

Justin Hibbard

Reading: Revelation 20:11-15

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Smyrna

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If you are or have ever been at a place where you were just holding on, you’ll be able to identify with the Church at Smyrna.  They had nothing – poor, desperate, afraid, underground, persecuted.  Forget about giving shelter to the homeless or feeding the poor.  They were the poor and the homeless.

And so as Jesus does with all of the seven churches, He gives them a promise – a promise that universally applies but will speak particularly to the desperation of those in Smyrna.  “Those who overcome  will not be hurt by the second death.”

The reference Jesus gives is later revealed in Revelation 20.  It’s there that we read of a terrifying day, where the dead are brought before the Great White Throne to be judged.  There before the Lord are volumes of books – all of the actions of every person who has ever died on earth.  On that frightful day, they will stand before the Lord and will be judged according to their works.

Wait a second!  Judged for their works?  I thought we were saved by grace.  I didn’t think our works could get us into heaven.

They can’t.  While each person will be held accountable for every activity written in those books, there is only one criteria that provides the merciful paradise of heaven: their name has to be written in another book sitting before the Lord – the Book of Life.

I think this day of judgment is a day of courtesy that the Lord is extending to all mankind.  All of those people who ever thought they could earn their way into heaven get to stand before God, and God will let them know that their works have not gone unnoticed.  He’s going to reveal to them the good and the bad, even the great acts that were accompanied with evil motives.  And as we stare into the Face of the Holiest Being we could never conjure up in our imaginations, we will realize exactly what Isaiah 64:6 means – “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.”

By the time the judgment is over, we will say, “I deserve to go to hell.”

“Wait,” the Lord will say, His voice like the fading rumble of thunder from a recent storm.  He will open the Book of Life, and there we will see our name inscribed, and like a parent whose child went missing but was found alive, we will crumble at the feet of the Alpha and Omega.  Tears will pour forth out of us because we will be spared what we so justly deserve.

In that moment, planned before creation, we will fully experience the full measure of the grace of God.

Grace!  You didn’t earn any of it.  Nothing you did got you there.  The good you did never canceled out the evil.

Grace!  Those moments you had nothing to offer God.  Those nights where you wallowed in suffering.  Those times you had no strength to carry on.

Grace! It’s exactly as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-5.  “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Radiance: It’s All Yours Jesus

Justin Hibbard

Reading: Hebrews 10:32-39

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Smyrna

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A good friend of mine referred to his house this way.  “It’s all the Lord’s!  He can do what He wants with it.”  Even though, this man would probably be considered part of the 99%, to many in the world who lack food and shelter, he’s definitely in the 1%.  Wealth is relative, and while he isn’t raking in the dough; he isn’t starving either.

What makes my friend wealthy isn’t his possessions but rather his attitude.  Recently we read Luke 18 and the story of the rich man.  What does Jesus tell His disciples?  “It’s difficult for a rich man to enter heaven.”  It’s difficult but not impossible.  What makes it difficult is that possessions – money, property, clothes, toys, etc. so easily can become idols.  Jesus’ approach with the rich young man is to get him to think in terms of getting to love God rather than having to give up something.  That’s what makes you rich.

Smyrna was rich – not because they had or didn’t have wealth but because they had a heavenly perspective.  In a rich city where they were probably blacklisted because of their faith in Jesus, they had very little.  They were just holding on.  Jesus commends them.  “To the world, you may seem poor, but to me, you are rich.”

I marvel at the martyrs.  I look at paintings of them huddled in a theater about to be devoured by a pack of hungry lions.  Fear floods their eyes, as the look up to heaven.  The sheer terror of the moment breaks my heart.  Yet, they do not dare renounce their faith.  How is it that these men, women, and children stood firm in the face of death?  It is because they had a heavenly perspective.  They not only considered their possessions belonging to the Lord, they considered their entire lives belonging to the Lord.

What do they receive?  Jesus promises them a victor’s crown.  The Greek word is stephanos – the very name of the first Christian martyr – Stephen.  How poetic that the first martyr’s name means victor’s crown – the very reward he will receive for standing firm in his faith even to the point of death.  How poetic that these martyrs will “lose” in the earthly arena but be crowned the victors in heaven.  How poetic that they will give up everything and yet Jesus considers them rich.

In Revelation 4, we see these victors with their heads crowned with stephanos.  And what do they do?  They display the same attitude that they had on earth, placing the crown at Jesus’ feet.  “You are the One who is worthy Jesus!” they say. “All of this is yours!”

Radiance: The Persecuted Church

Justin Hibbard

Reading: James 1:2-12

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Smyrna

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Polycarp was the pastor of the Church of Smyrna.  A disciple of the Apostle John , he was reportedly the last person alive who personally knew the original Apostles.  Around the year 155 A.D., Polycarp was told to make an incense sacrifice to the Emperor, as was the custom and law in Smyrna.  Polycarp refused, saying, “Eighty-six years I have served him.  How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?  Bring forth what thou wilt.”

According to tradition, Polycarp was sentenced to be burned at the stake.  However, when the soldiers lit the flames, the fire did not touch him.  Finally a Roman guard stabbed and killed Polycarp, and because of his fervent faithfulness, he is revered throughout all circles of Christendom.

Christian persecution is a central theme of the Book of Revelation.  While Jesus warned Smyrna about the upcoming persecution, the threat that Rome would impose on the church applied to the entire church around the world.  When John wrote that the persecution would last for 10 days, he was most likely giving a cryptic message indicating that their testing would occur for a period of time marked by 10.  Scholars agree that the major persecution of the Christian Church by the Romans began with Nero and ended with Diocletian – about a 250 year persecution over the span of 10 emperors.

The final portion of this persecution, the Diocletianic persecution, was the most intense, lasting for 10 years (303-313 A.D.).  The numbers of those martyred in those final 10 years are astounding.  17,000 martyred in one month, 144,000 Egyptian Christians martyred, 700,000 Christians were condemned to deplorable conditions, which later resulted in their deaths.

A sobering estimate of 70 million Christians have been martyred since the first century.  Yet with all of those staggering numbers, many believe that the 20th Century saw more Christian martyrs than all of the previous centuries combined.

Why so many casualties among a people that professes finding peace with God?  Jesus tells us in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

While we are fortunate to worship God freely in our country, there will be times where we may face subtle persecution.  We need to be ready for it and stand firm in our faith.  But while we are fortunate, there are Christians this very minute who are being executed for their faithfulness to Jesus.  They are at an important crossroad, defending the faith in hostile areas, preaching the love of Jesus to a hating and hurting world.  Take some time to pray for them, write a note of encouragement to them, and if you are able, generously support them financially.

But no matter what type of persecution we will face, we must remember Jesus’ words as He introduces Himself to Smyrna.  “I am the First and the Last, the One who died and came to life.”  Whatever opposition we face will not outlast our King and will stand in judgment before Him on the last day.  Whatever we give of our lives now – whether it’s our time, money, energy, or even facing physical harm – we know that it’s for a better life to come.  A line from a Christian rap song called “Hypnotized” comes to mind.  “And you can beat me with a bat ‘til I’m dead, black and blue, my soul’s intact by the fact this ain’t my home.  See, I’m just passin’ through.”

We have hope in another life that doesn’t just begin where this one ends.  It begins the moment we believe.  And though we face opposition for our faith in Jesus, our citizenship in Heaven means we are citizens of Him who is the First and Last, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  We can therefore be confident of Jesus’ words in John 16:33, “In this world you will have troubles, but take heart!  I have overcome the world.”

Radiance: A Place in God’s Plan

Justin Hibbard

Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

Click here to listen to the Sunday sermon on Ephesus

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The most nerve-wracking part of playing varsity sports in high school were the tryouts.  I’ll never forget the first time I went out for the soccer team, and the coach came up to me after practice and said, “Thanks for coming out, but I think we’re all set with the roster for this year.”  It was the one time I got cut, and it didn’t feel good.  I wanted a place on the team.  I wanted to wear the jersey, but there just wasn’t room.  I wasn’t good enough to make the cut.  I felt rejected.

As we have talked about, the seven lampstands (the seven branch menorahs) that John sees in Revelation 1 represent the churches.  In Leviticus we learn that the menorah was the light of the Holy Place of God’s Tabernacle and His Temple.  Each branch was to remain lit to represent the perpetual presence of God.

In Revelation 2, Ephesus, the church that failed to love God, is given a very severe warning.  “Repent, or I will remove your lampstand.”

Notice two things.  First, God does not threaten to extinguish the flame.  The flame represents the presence of God.  As long as there are believers, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit exists, and God is present.  But He does threaten to remove the lampstand entirely.

In looking at Revelation 1, I imagine that the imagery of the Heavenly Tabernacle is adorned with many menorahs (as numerous as the stars), each representing a church.  Every one of those churches has a purpose, a part in God’s Kingdom, and in His plan for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

So what does it mean if He says, “I’ll remove your lampstand?”  It means that the lampstand has become so useless, it is not fit to bear the light of God.  Yikes, what a frightening warning!  Imagine the fear with which John wrote this letter to Ephesus.  “Dear Ephesus, Unless you change, the all-powerful God can’t use you for His plan.”

But the inability to be useful doesn’t reflect on God but on the motivation of Ephesus.  They left their first love.  They forgot what it meant to be a people of God.  The love of God was no longer their purpose.  Throughout history, God used foreign nations to judge Israel for their lack of love.  Each time, the armies invaded and stole the menorah from the Temple.  In a similar way, Ephesus was just going through the motions, and it was stealing their joy and their place in God’s Kingdom.

In our efforts to be relevant to the world, the most important thing we must be first is relevant to our Lord Jesus.  As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, we may do all sorts of wonderful things, but without love, we accomplish nothing.

As we will see throughout this series, some of these seven churches had little to offer God in the way of ability.  Some were just holding on.  If this were a soccer team, they would appear  quite feeble and weak in the arena of professionals.  But God’s Kingdom works a little different than a high school varsity sports team.  The criteria for making the team isn’t what we can do, it is about a relationship with Jesus – a reciprocated love between us and the only Begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.