Legacy of Smyrna and Philadelphia

Good evening. It's an honor and privilege to speak to you tonight.

The passage that was given taken from Revelation Chapter 2 in Revelation chapter 3 the title of our talk tonight is to church to get everything is God a legacy of splendor.

I just started this conversation is the way a lot of people dude. And while a lot of you here may be starting your conversations. When asked what do you do with I'm a preacher or an elder in the church around the physician or I'm a teacher. I usually just start with I'm a football guy easier than trying to describe exactly what I do on a daily basis and I've kind of been a football guy for as long as I remember.

In football people talk a lot about their legacy. Everyone wants to wear a yellow jacket. Everyone wants to voice the Lombardi trophy. Everybody wants to win in Indy. Be the coach of the year be the executive of the year for the defensive player of the year the offensive player of the year. Boy you realize is that Allegacy is inevitable? Some like a caesar incredible one of the greatest to ever coach was recently let go parting of ways, whatever you want to call it. the well check after 6 Super Bowl championships man What a legacy. Hey there, folks whose legacies are terrible? people who fall flat on their face When they finally get a chance.

do the job it's on legacies Fade with time. You know, I've heard it said that whether you do something you have to do something incredibly extraordinary or incredibly awful a hundred years from now. No one will even remember your name. But the reality is everyone leaves a legacy of some kind to next-generation. That's what a legacy is. We have dedicated our entire lives to building a legacy. And too often our Legacy fall flat. We all want to leave a legacy but few leave a lasting positive Legacy as individuals. Intertex tonight Jesus shows us the legacy of his body. together Jesus followers leave a legacy of suffering smallness stamina and splendor Revelation Chapter 2 and verse says write to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the first and the last the one who is dead and came to life. I know your reflection in poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews in or not. But our synagogue of Satan don't be afraid of what you're about to suffer. Look the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to text you and you will experience Affliction for 10 days be faithful to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life, but anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the spirit says to the churches the one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death 3:7 right to the angel of the church in Philadelphia has the Holy One the true one the one who has the Key of David who opens and no one will close and you closes and no one opens. I know your Works Lucaya place before you and open doors and no one can close because you have but little power that you have kept my word and have not denied my name noticed. I will make those from the synagogue of Satan who claimed to be Jews in or not, but are lying. I will make them come and bow down at your feet and they will know that I have loved you. Because you kept my command to endure. I will also keep you from the hour of testing is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth and coming soon. Hold on to what you have. So the no one takes your crown the one who conquers. I will make a pillar in the temple of my God and he will never go out again. I will ride on him the name of my God in the name of the city of my God the New Jerusalem which comes down out of Heaven from my guide and my new name at anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the spirit says to the churches. First we see a legacy of suffering. The people in those Smyrna and Philadelphia are very clearly going through horrible trials. They're very clearly going to experience something that Jesus wishes. They probably never had to experience what he tells them. It's coming. You are already suffering. The church in Smyrna is described as one that is suffering in many many ways.

But they're not suffering as individuals. There's no individual named in the church at Smyrna. There's no individual named in the church at Philadelphia and whatever it is that they are going to ignore. Jesus says it's coming for all of them. Because it won't be just one. the evil comes for it will be for all everyone may experience death because of persecution. But they're all going to feel it. They are so one with one another. They are so loving towards one another they are so unified in the body of Christ that no matter what happens to one the entire body is going to experience it.

and that Legacy it's going to be heard about for generations to come. Is going to be one of the Hallmarks for why people trust in the resurrection of Christ.

Because one of the main arguments for the historicity of the resurrection of Christ is that first century people. We're willing to die for that fact.

Jesus is giving them encouragement Jesus telling him what's about to happen. Jesus is telling them your legacy is going to be a legacy of suffering. You're going to be in prison. You're going to be a captive. You're going to be broken-hearted. You're already poor.

If you're not going to do it alone.

This reminds me of a time and you can insert here where you saw or saw someone Suffer Well and how it in their suffering. They left a legacy of faith for the future Generations.

Checking receipts at that a legacy of smallness. These were churches. They weren't working with much. These were small churches with little power. as Jesus says they didn't have the big-budget. They didn't have the big building. They didn't have all the resources. They didn't have a Ministry for every single person under the sun.

They weren't politically very active. They weren't politically very powerful. They weren't rewriting the laws of the land. To give them an advantage.

There was a little guy. And they were about to get stomped on.

when Jesus says

Hey remember that parable of the mustard seed?

Remember the power that I told you a mustard seed would have.

The Mustard Seed has to go in the ground. And I see that cell has to die to be able to grow and Rise into a tree.

Be a mustard seed. Have the mentality of a mustard seed don't let anyone look down on your smallness. Don't let anyone tell you that you're too small and you don't have enough that you were not powerful enough because you have the power.

of a mustard seed everyone in the world is seems like a little power to everyone in the world. It seems like a nothing power to everyone else in the world. It seems like why are you wasting your time working and doing and living and going to a church that has so little going for it?

Jesus says that a church.

That is small a church that has little power a church. That is the Perpetual underdog.

Is a church with a legacy?

A church that can leave a legacy. for generations to come

You can throw in an example of smallness. third a legacy of stamina both of these churches while they are facing smallness and suffering. Jesus encourages them to hold steady to patiently endure the hold fast to be faithful. To trust him.

the hold on tight And never let go.

thatstamil endurance that's perseverance. TV people are going through a test.

In a test if you're prepared for it. Is not a scary thing. A test if you're prepared for it is an opportunity. And these people have an opportunity to show their love and faith and trust and belief in the one who died for their sins. The one who died for their suffering the one who died for their smallness.

Jesus says if you can just hold on. Hold on to me.

You can endure.

There's nothing that's going to actually physically be able to touch you in any way that truthfully matters.

Because in your death the only thing that can happen. Is that your made better?

There's literally nothing bad that can happen in your death because you can come be with me. There is nothing that can matter in your death. because everything will be better. all of that suffering all of that smallness all the times that people have looked down on you and squash you like a bug. All of the times that you've been hurting and hungry and longing.

Jesus's death, can we make you better?

The one thing that everyone else in the world is scared. Most of

is only going to make you stronger. If you hold on tight.

And we know that they did. We know that they held on tight. But if history tells us that these people died next to one another professing and singing the name of the Risen Savior Jesus Christ.

We know that they had stamina and their faith. Is foundational to our ability to believe that Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross and Rose three days later.

There was no evil on this planet.

They could get in the way of their stamina. There was no evil on this planet. They could make them suffer enough. They could squash their smallness enough. There's no evil on this planet that could separate them. From the love that they had for Christ and that he had for them.

That's real Santa. Throwing an example of stamina from your life.

Fourth the churches in Smyrna in Philadelphia both leave a legacy of Splendor. He says to the church in Smyrna be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown. a Crown of Life Jesus the king the Messianic King the Messiah of Israel the chosen one the one who has been anointed as Prophet priest and King the one who wears the crown.

offers you one of your run

into the church at Philadelphia. He says I will make you a pillar in the temple of God. You will be a foundational pillar for what is going to be done in the name of Jesus for all of eternity.

You can just hold tight. You can just indoor.

You just not be discouraged by yourself mamas. If you can just fight through all the suffering if you can just overcome all the evil that people are bringing into the world. the crown

he'll be a splendid tiller.

When a church is able to do this, isn't it splendid?

When a church sees the evil in the world. And it can rally together as the body of Christ to overcome it, isn't it splendid?

When the church sees people suffering. And holds tight to them and gives them a picture of Christ to hold on to. Isn't it splendid? What a church is not beating down or discouraged by its smallness when it takes what it has and does what it can with what it has where they're at. Isn't it splendid?

talk about a little bit of the Splendor that you've seen at different churches when they give it everything they've got

and the legacy of Smyrna and Philadelphia has always been the legacy of Jesus. When Jesus goes back to his hometown of Nazareth in Luke chapter 4 he goes into the synagogue and he opens a scroll. He makes his legacy clear. He opened up the scroll and could have opened up to anywhere but he opens up and you reads from Isaiah chapter 61 and if you just read Jesus quote of Isaiah 61 you miss the part about his legacy. He tells the people in the synagogue in his hometown. About his legacy.

No, I've always dreamed of being able to go back to my hometown. I've always dreamed of being able to go back and be this proud son of this town that raised me legacies of generations brought me up in a small town of Martins Ferry, Ohio, and I'd love to be able to go back and think the people who have contributed to me. Jesus goes back to his hometown and he makes his legacy clear.

He says the spirit of the Lord God is on me. Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted to Proclaim Liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of Our God's Vengeance to comfort all who mourn provide for those who mourn in Zion to give them a crown of beauty instead of Ashes festive oil instead of morning and Splendid clothes instead of Despair and they will be called righteous trees planted by the Lord to glorify him. They will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will restore the former devastations. They will renew the ruined cities. this devastations of many generations that sound familiar. Jesus quotes

the first two verses in Luke chapter 4 and if you miss verses 3 and 4 you realize

Isaiah was talking about the people in Smyrna in Philadelphia Isaiah was talking about the people in Nazareth, Isaiah was talking about the people in Israel and Isaiah was talking about the people in the United States of America at the Freed-Hardeman lectureship in 2024.

Because Jesus Legacy has always been to take people in their suffering. in their property in their broken hardness in their captivity and in their prison

And to turn their life on its head.

Jesus mission and Legacy has always been to find the people who are hurting the most and to give them hope.

To replant them as a righteous Tree in him.

To bury that seed next to the water of the River of Life. Angel watch that tree grow and to rebuild and restore and renew the devastations of generations behind.

Jesus just did for Smyrna in Philadelphia what he had always promised to do for those who endure. And put their trust in him.

He is always promised to replant them to his glory. To take mustard seeds that no one else wanted.

to take people who are suffering and neglected to take people who are broken hearted and imprisoned.

deliberate freedom and then those people those people who've been transformed into something completely different.

They will leave a legacy. Fixes all the things that are wrong with this world.

The things that Generations in the past have messed up. Christ followers

They will work diligently. To rebuild and restore and renew.

Until he comes again.

Jesus has a plan. For the suffering in this mall.

Jesus will give them crowns instead of Ashes festive oil instead of morning Splendid clothes instead of despair. But they won't be able to do it alone.

Do you want to leave a legacy?

Jesus made suffering small people Allegacy

make the mirrors. Go find the people that Jesus found. target the people who need him the most They're in your community. They're seeking him.

Show him to them.

Make them your legacy. Let Jesus plant them as righteous trees to his glory

And yeah, maybe I am a football guy.

but what I really want to be and what I want my legacy to be I want to be a team Builder.

I don't mean it just a team Builder. in football me to team builder in the church. Paul head Barnabas and John Mark Peter had John Mark the missionaries went out as a team. The church is Jesus is talking about they're going to leave a lasting Legacy for generations to come even two thousand years. Later. They were teen.

They Rejoice together. We suffer together.

They were together.

To my encouragement for you tonight. build a team You may be a preacher of a small congregation and your church, maybe like most churches where 80% of the people do 20% of the work. And 20% of the people do 80% of the work. build a team if your church

forcing you to do everything if your church is sitting around talking about what the elders should do or shouldn't do or the Deacon should do or shouldn't do can I give you Adele

give him a job.

Give him a job. Because in the body of Christ every single person has its function. I can tell you this past year. We really struggled when our quarterback decided to play fullback. We really struggled when our kicker decided to be a linebacker. We really struggle when people are. playing out of position

figure out who the hands are and give them the job with hands figure out who the feet are and give him the job of feet find the eyes at your church. Let them cast division.

Find the years at your church. Let them be the listeners. Find a job for everyone. And make sure you're building a team. is war

the church was stamina through suffering and smallness will renew with splendor. the devastating legacies of many generations

But listening to me tonight.

You get to now be part of my life C. and I have your because the reason we're all here is because we are 18. We're gathering on the campus of this University.

but if we love one another we love the generation that's coming.

Show them what a team looks like.

Show them what people who are so unified in purpose and Mission. Can do when suffering and smallness try to get in their way. Show them what a team with stamina looks like. You will show them something splendid.

rebuild restore and the new

Jesus Legacy each one of us

and should be ours until he comes again. Thank you.