One of the basic rules of Biblical interpretation is to understand what the text meant to the original recipient.  Only when we have understood the original message to the original audience can we struggle with the application for our lives today.  The second letter in Revelation 2 presents an interesting struggle in this respect.  The historical situation of the Church in Smyrna is so drastically different from our situation.  The circumstance in Smyrna that prompts this message is one of real persecution—persecution that potentially leads to death.  By the way, we should be mindful today that there are still many who face persecution that potentially leads to death.  Just this week, I received two different e-mail pieces detailing accounts of persecution toward Christians in other countries.

Our suffering may be more emotional—an appeal to be silent about our claims about Christ.  Regardless, the letter to the Church at Smyrna reminds us no matter our suffering we are to “Be faithful until death.”  What are the keys to “being faithful until death?”  First, we are to assume that we will be called on to suffer.  Choosing Christ will often put us at odds with the world.  Second, we can be assured of God’s character in the face of this suffering.  Ultimately, He wins!  This is the message of the whole Bible, the whole of Revelation, and all seven letters in Revelation 2-3.  Since He has overcome, we are called to overcome through Him.

The message of each of these seven letters is relatively easy to understand, but not necessarily easy to follow.  For example, the concise message of this first letter found in Revelation 2:1-7 is to “Keep Jesus First!”  We are confronted every day to be wholeheartedly in love with Jesus.

Know this about being in love with Jesus.  God cannot be deceived about our love relationship with Him.  Add to this fact that our good works cannot replace our love for Jesus.  Neither can good theology replace our love for Jesus.  Neither can Godly values.  The Church at Ephesus gave evidence of all of these qualities, but the LORD of the Church, says to them, “But, I have this against you, you have abandoned the love you had at first.”  The bottom line is that nothing can replace our love for Jesus.

So, we must do as the text suggests.  We must remember what it used to be like.  We must repent.  Upon repentance, we must return.

The stakes are high.  Jesus says, “We must either repent or He will remove us.”  Removed from what?  Removed from our place of influence.  Removed from the power of God.

The Old Testament gives us the story of Samson.  God told his parents that his hair should never be cut (a Nazirite vow).  The covenant promise was that God’s strength would be upon him.  Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah.  The Philistines came to her and offered her money to discover the secret to his great strength.  At first, he told her that if he would be tied up with seven bowstrings that had not been dried, he would become as any other man.  She tied him up and called for the Philistines.  He broke free and whipped the Philistines who had come for him.  She asked again and this time he said that if he was to be tied up with new ropes, he would lose his strength.  A third time he said that the strength would leave him if the seven braids of his hair would be woven into the fabric on the weaver’s loom.  Again, he broke free.  Finally, after “she nagged him day after day and pled with him until she wore him out, he told her the whole truth.”  He told her that if his hair would be shaved, he would lose his strength.  When he fell asleep, off came his hair.  Awakening to fight off the Philistines, the Bible says, “When he awoke from his sleep, he said, ‘I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.’  But he did not know that the LORD had left him.”

I am so afraid that the church today is in danger of not even being aware when the strength and power of the LORD has left us.  We are busy, so we think we have HIS power.  We believe the Bible and thus have right theology, so we assume all is well.  We stand for Godly things, so we think surely we are ok.  But God says perhaps to some of us, “But what about your love for me.”  Not your love for things, not your love for programs, not your love for busyness, not your love for the work of the church, but your love for me.”

Every time I think of the idea of hope, I think about the story that I heard years ago about the little boy out in right field.  His dad was a little late in arriving to the game.  Seeing his son in the outfield, Dad said, “Hey, son, what’s the score?”  The little boy said, “Eighteen to zero—we’re losing.”  “Aw, son, I’m sorry!”  Dad felt like he needed to console.  “Don’t worry, Dad” was the immediate reply, “We haven’t even batted yet!”  That’s hope!

I remind you that hope for the believer in Jesus is not simply a wish.  Hope in this context refers to the confident trust that we have.  In this case, our confident hope is the return of Jesus Christ.  Paul reminded the Thessalonians, and therefore us, that our hope is in Jesus Christ.  He gave us concrete information like the facts that there would be a trumpet sound, a great shout, and that the dead in Christ would be first to meet Jesus in the air.  The return of Christ also calls for trust.  We are not given all of the information; we wouldn’t understand anyway.  We must trust that He has all the details so we don’t have to know the details.  As many have said, “We don’t know what the future holds, but we can know the ONE who holds the future.

So, what are we to do with this hope?  We are told not to grieve as those who have no hope.  We are told to encourage one another with these words.  I believe we are to live like we have this hope.  I am bothered when I see my fellow Christians lead in panic instead of lead in peace.

Just months after their attack on Pearl Harbor, the fearsome Japanese military was rapidly advancing on Manila where General Douglas MacArthur was Allied commander. When President Franklin Roosevelt commanded him to leave the Philippines, MacArthur considered resigning and fighting on as a civilian. He didn’t want to leave his men or the Filipino people to face the overwhelming might of the enemy alone. However, on March 11, 1942, he obeyed the order and made his way to Australia. But he made this promise to the Filipinos: “I shall return.”

During those years between General MacArthur’s promise of “I will return” and his actual return, the saying was printed on all sorts of items—cigarettes, matchbooks, chewing gum, and candy bars for example—and spread throughout the Philippines.  The idea was that the Filipino people would stay encouraged.  Similarly, as Christians, we are told to encourage one another with these words of the LORD’s return.  Some early Christians are said to have greeted each other with the word “Maranatha” instead of a hello or a goodbye.  “Come, LORD Jesus.”  In our coming and going, we ought to remind each other, “He is coming again!” 

My very first sermon, all eleven pages of notes and nine minutes worth, was on the text of the Good Samaritan.  That sermon was probably a disaster in a thousand ways, but I do think I had the main point right.  I remember like it was last night—“We must put our compassion into action.”

We know what we are supposed to do.  The trouble with that story is not understanding the point, but instead putting the compassion into real action.  It’s what a Church is supposed to do.

Our focus this week is on a church with a faith that works.  A faith that works has roots in an authentic conversion.  Then, this faith grows due to continued instruction.  We ought to thank God for those individuals who have guided us in our growth as a disciple of Jesus.  The results of the faith in a church are readily apparent.  The results will be that our faith stands out in a crowd, stands up against affliction, stands against the temptations of Satan, and stands to encourage others.  I pray that I have this kind of faith.  I pray that I will lead a church to have this kind of faith.

The most intriguing thing to me about this particular letter we call 1 Thessalonians is Paul’s concern about the faith of the church.  He wants to know about their faith.  He wants to know that their faith is prospering.  He wants to complete in them whatever might be lacking in their faith.

May we have the same kind of concern for our church?  Instead of worrying about the hundred things we usually worry about as a church, let’s worry about our faith!

P.S.  I want to give a shout out to John Cox, certainly the most faithful reader and quite possibly the only reader.  Hi John!  Thanks John!

The proof about Jesus is in His life and His resurrection.  The Gospels tell us that Jesus is fully human and fully divine.  Since Jesus is both human and divine, He is the only one capable of being our Savior.  The message about Jesus both from His lips and the lips of others clarify that He is the Savior of the World.  For example, to the woman at the well, Jesus said in reference to the Messiah, “I am He.”  Thomas, for example, upon seeing the resurrected Christ, said, “My LORD and my God.”  Then the miracles of Jesus confirm who He is, what He said about Himself, and what others said about Him.

So, what about you?  Who is Jesus to you?