# Jesus has many hats

Key Passage: Revelation 2:8
Date: June 7, 2024

Revelation chapter two. I would tell you what verse it is, but you wouldn’t listen to me anymore. You’d read the verse, so I’m withholding for a little bit. But let me give you just a touch of a background here. Revelation chapter two. You’re there. Would you look right up here at this strong, handsome, sturdy pulpit? And the man behind it, please. And Revelation 2.

Now, these two chapters, two and three, are about seven churches. They were literal churches when it was written, and these are letters written to those churches. It’ll say each time, “Unto the angel of the church.” I think anyone that studied it out in detail will agree: angel means messenger. Typically, they think that means to the pastor of the church.

But these seven churches—and we’re going to read just when Christ comes to this one church, and then we’ll pray, and we’ll talk a little bit about these two chapters, and then we’ll go back to this verse, all right? Now, don’t lose me, please, during the building the foundation, the introduction, if you will, because we’ll get to the heart of the message. Probably around 2 p.m. will be to the message, all right? And so please stay engaged if you would. We’re going to read verse number eight.

And “Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write:” You did not know. We’re in the Bible. What about that? Now, this must be Rutherford County Baptist Church. It has to be, I promise you, you know. But there it is, in black and white. We’re in the Bible. “The church in Smyrna write these things, saith the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive.”

Now we’re going to be here for just a bit longer. It’ll be a blessing for God to work in your heart. Since you’re going to be here, you don’t want to leave without God working in your heart. And so would you whisper a prayer? Just whisper a prayer. I’m going to lead us to pray, but don’t just listen to me pray. Would you whisper a prayer and say, “Lord, would you do a work in my heart?” He’s the one that does that. Would you ask him to do that while I pray the same? Would you pray with me?

Would you look at verse number one, verse number one? You’re there, Revelation 2. Would you look at verse number 1? I want you to notice how Jesus introduces himself. Would you watch it? Watch how he introduces himself to this church. Revelation 2, verse number 1. Here we go: “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars.” Now, time out for just a moment.

Chapter one explains the seven stars are seven preachers. It’s a blessing. It can be scary, but I’m in his hand. That’s what he’s speaking of. He keeps going: “that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” Chapter one explains, that’s the churches. That’s the churches.

Now, I want you to notice that Jesus—you’re with me, you with me, you’re thinking with me, everybody, don’t lose me. This is important for the rest of the message. He’s speaking to the church at Ephesus, a good church, good church. He brags on them. Almost every one of the churches, he brags on them. Then he says, “I have something wrong with you.” He tells them specifically what’s wrong. He tells them how to fix it. If they don’t fix it, he tells them what’s going to happen. If they do repair it, he tells them a reward he’s going to give them. So he’s coming to this church, and he says, “You’re a good church, standing for the truth. You’re doing what I told you to do, but I’ve got something against you: You’ve left your first love.” Now, I want you to notice when Jesus Christ comes to this church, he comes wearing the hat: “I am the one, I’ve got the preachers in my right hand, and I’m walking in the midst of the churches. I ought to know what’s going on in the churches.” And I have the right to say, “You’ve got a lot of good things about you, but you’ve left your first love.” I know what’s going on. I’m walking in the midst of the churches.

Now jump down, if you would, please, to verse number 12, chapter number two. Stick with me. We’re building a foundation here. Verse number 12 of chapter number two: “And unto the angel of the church in Pergamus write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” Now look at me for just a second. He’s coming to this church. It had its share of good things. It was doing some things right, but it was allowing—it was allowing false doctrine in this church. And he tells him, he gets on to him about it. Now notice he comes to them wearing this hat. He says, “Hey, I am the sharp two-edged sword.” Help me out. What is that? That is the Bible. The Bible. And Jesus comes to this church. He says, “Hey, I am the living Word of God. And I have the right to say you are allowing false doctrine in preaching and teaching in your church.” And he comes wearing that hat.

Now, jump down, if you would, please, to verse number 18. Chapter 2, verse number 18. Y’all still with me? You still with me? Think about it. He’s coming to the first church, and he said, “I walk in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks of the church, and I’ve got the preachers in my hand.” The next church, he says, “Look, he says, I am the Word of God.” Let’s look at this one, verse number 18—two in verse number 18. Y’all there? Amen. Good deal. “And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass.” Now, wait a second, he comes wearing a different hat. Y’all still there? He comes to this church. They have their share of good things. They love people. It seemed that they were growing. But they were allowing a—what the Bible calls a prophetess—and they were allowing this false teaching and sin to go in the church, and they were not standing up and doing anything about it. It was very convicting to me one day as a pastor when I heard another preacher say, “You don’t set the standards of a church by what you preach; you set the standards of the church by what you allow.” That’s very convicting, and God is saying, “Hey, you’re allowing this sinful stuff to go on; you’re not doing anything about it.” And notice he says, “I have eyes like flame of fire.” In other words, when you bring all your excuses, I’ll see right through them. They will not hold up to my eyes. I’ll burn through all that hypocrisy, and I see the truth. Not only that, but it says he has feet like fine brass. Brass stands for judgment, and God is saying one day you’ll stand before me, and I’m a righteous, holy judge. I judge according to my word, and I see it all.

I notice every church—we won’t go through all seven of those—but he comes wearing a different hat. Now, there are some important lessons. We’re still in the introduction. Stick with me, please, please. Let me just say a word before we get to the message. Can I just say this, friend: You don’t deal with every person the same way. Some people need you to say, “Hey, we’re not going to do that. I can’t believe you did that.” And they need a firm hand. Some people need compassion. You make a difference having compassion. Some people need to say, “Hey, bless God and our household word, I’m going to do that.” And then sometimes they need you to come along and say, “You know, I know you’re trying, and I’m not here to kick when you’re down. I want to hold your hand and lead you and give you…” They just need some loving leadership.

Jesus Christ, when he’s working on the churches here, he comes wearing a different hat to every church. It’s not, if you will, it is about him always, not just today, but as he’s coming to people. I don’t think it’s about him per se; he’s about meeting the needs. He said, “I didn’t come to be served or ministered to; I came to minister unto.” And he’s coming to these churches wearing the hat they need.

Parents, can I say a word to you? Don’t lose me. Don’t fall asleep yet, all right? We’re not to the message yet, all right? Now, you know. Parents, can I say this? Your child does not always need you to wear the same hat. If you’re always wearing the hat of compassion and friendship, the rebel will run slap over you. But if you’re always bearing the hat of disciplinary, and that’s the law, they’re probably going to run somewhere else. And they need you wearing different hats. And a parent is a loving parent. You’re always looking for that and praying, “Lord, help me to go wearing the right hat.” Sometimes they need you to be the law, if you will, and sometimes they need you to be compassionate and mercy shower. And you look for that. Sometimes they need a judge. Sometimes I need a friend. But Jesus comes to these churches wearing different hats.

Now, we’re getting to the message, all right. We’re about there. Now, when we give the message, you’re not going to fall asleep, are you? You promise me? If not, we’ll just call the introduction done in about two minutes. Amen, you know. We’re going to give the message, all right. We’re going to get there. We read way back at the beginning another verse. Let me just say a word or two about that. Remember that verse we read at the beginning? He was talking to our church. Remember that? Where was that church? Where was it found? Yeah, the Church of Smyrna. Now, what was the Church of Smyrna like? It’s very interesting. Actually, he does not really correct them in one other church. But let me just tell you a little bit about the field. What was this church like? It was a persecuted church.

It was under captivity, persecution. It was a sad situation. Some people would get saved, and they, praise the Lord, when they got saved, they got baptized and started living for the Lord, and they weren’t ashamed of the risen Savior. And their boss would find out about it. And their boss would say, “Well, I’m not having one of those traitors working for me.” And they would fire them. It was very common, very common, many, many in the first century, in the beginning, Christians that couldn’t hold a regular job. And so a man that maybe he was a professional man, made good money. He got saved and he began to witness and tell people about Jesus Christ. And it spread around town and he lost his job. So you’d find him cutting lawns, trying to pay his bills for his wife and his kids, just cutting grass. A man that was highly educated, very capable man, and nothing wrong with cutting grass, but he couldn’t make what he used to make. Or maybe he’s out just bussing tables at some restaurant somewhere, and maybe he’s working in the fast food industry because he—that was the church of Smyrna. They were treated very often like second-rate Christian citizens. In fact, many of them were put in prison. I mean, they didn’t do anything wrong, but they let it be known they loved Jesus and they served Jesus. So they were put in prison. Can you imagine that? Wife, those kids trying to make it while the husband is in prison because they let everybody know. That was going on here. That’s the church he’s talking to. Some of them at the church of Smyrna were even killed. They were martyred for being a Christian. I mean, in America, we have it pretty easy nowadays, friend, don’t we? Well, somebody said something, I understand that hurts, but I mean real persecution. We’re not having a whole lot of it today in America. There are [churches] in many places in the world. This church, they were severely persecuted. It was a persecuted church.

I want you to notice when Jesus comes to this church, I want you to notice what kind of a hat Jesus was wearing when he came to this church. Y’all waiting me out there? Let’s look back at verse number eight again, would you please? Verse number eight, chapter two, verse number eight, we’ll read it again. He says, “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna,” persecuted church, right? “write these things: Saith the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive.”

Now let me talk for just a moment about those two words: “was dead.” Can I say this? You say, “Preacher, why did God make it so that Jesus had to suffer and bleed and die?” I’ve been trying to think the last couple of days, as Easter is the Sunday that we’re celebrating—we don’t know the exact date and all that—but we’re celebrating his resurrection. Jesus has been in a tomb, his body. And he’s been in—some call it captivity, and some call it paradise, and we won’t get into all that—but he’s been down there leading captivity captive. And Jesus has been his body in defeat a little bit temporarily. Now, why was it that God made a plan like that? Some will say, “Well, preacher, don’t you know there’s nothing that can wash away our sins but the blood of Jesus?” Yes, that’s true. He’s the only sinless, perfect one. He was born of a virgin. He did not have the Adamic nature. He was sinless, but he never sinned one time. He was the Lamb of God. He’s the only one that can wash away our sin. You’re exactly right about that. That’s why you don’t put your faith in what you can do; you put your faith in what Jesus did. He’s the only thing that can save anyone. But can I say this? It’s God. He started it all. Surely in his infinite wisdom and creativity and power, he could have designed a different way. He could. He’s God. Now, that is the way he designed, but he could have done it. He could have done it another way.

Preacher, why did you do it this way? Well, first of all, so you will know and feel. He wanted to show his love to you. If you ever doubt how much he loves you, you can look at the blood that was shed, and the nails in his hands, and the crown on his brow, and the beating that it took of the cat o’ nine tails, and that proves his love. First John says that’s like the North Star. If you ever doubt his love, you know his love by the fact that he shed his blood. But can’t God step in? Not only that, I think, was his reason. Yes, the Bible teaches this, but I think more than that, I think he wanted to go through what you go through. He said, “Preacher, you don’t know what I’m going through. I can’t hardly get up in the morning. My heart hurts so bad.” He’s just been there. Say, “Preacher, somebody did me wrong—people I love. I cannot believe it. The closest people to me have left me and betrayed me and treated me wrong and talked about me.” Jesus understands that. Jesus has been there. “Preacher, I got all kinds of physical problems, and it bothers me.” All these things—Jesus has had pain. He’s hurt before. He’s felt disappointment. He shed tears. He was dead, friend. He was dead. He’s been through what you’ve been through. He knows what it is to walk through the day and be on the edge of tears all day long. You said, “What about family that’s hurt me?” I believe—I know Jesus went through family issues. His half-brothers and half-sisters did not even believe he was the Messiah until after he rose again and proved he was the Messiah. He understands. Why did he go through that? Yes, to show you he loves you. But, friend, he knows what it’s like. He said, “Preacher, I have PTSD.” Oh, think about Jesus. He was tortured all night long. I’m talking about they would put a black bag—typically the Bible calls it buffeting—they would put it over the face of the victim, and they would just use that victim as a punching bag, and they plucked his beard out. And the next morning he went over to Pilate, and then to Herod, and back to Pilate, and during that they mocked him. You say it hurts when people talk about me. Jesus understands what it feels like. He’s been there. “I don’t like it. People are lying. I cannot believe it. They’re lying. They’re not telling the truth.” Jesus has been lied about. You say, “My goodness, the people that are turning against me!” When I’ve been there, friend, Jesus understands that feeling exactly. He’s been through it. He’s been through it. He was dead. He chose—I don’t want to bypass that—I want to understand what the people I love feel like. I want to know the pain. Friend, he could have come and just wiped the old devil out and destroyed him. He could have never even been a competition. I often say, God, if it just wiped his brow and a drop of sweat hit the devil and knocked him out. Amen. But Jesus decided to go through the pain and suffering. He’s been there for him. And all of that, he was dead. I want you to notice that he was dead. Did you see that there in that passage? He was dead.

The Bible says he was tempted in all points like as we are, all points like, yet without sin. He’s been through all that. You say, “Preacher, man, we grew up in poverty.” I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” He knows what it’s like. “Well, I go to school and I don’t have nice clothes like the other kids at school.” Jesus understands it. “Well, I never had a nice car.” Jesus, if you will, he was in poverty. Jesus at one point said, “Hey, the foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man, he doesn’t have a place to lay his head.” Understand. He didn’t bypass it. He’s been through that. He knows what the loneliness is all about.

We mentioned already the 2,000 Ukrainian New Testaments, and I’m so thrilled we can have a part in that. What a wonderful thing. And praise the Lord for Ukrainians; they have done an amazing job fighting the Russians. And I want to say the sorry Russians—not every single one of them that has a country—the sorry Russians. You can say amen there. What a sad thing. Everybody, everybody was just amazed on both sides how well the Ukrainians have fought. Nobody would have thought that they did so well, and they’re fine, and they did so good against this much more powerful, more capable enemy. And how can they do so good? Well, part of it—I don’t know how much—but I think part of it is the president. I understand there are things out about it, but I will say that that president, he’s let it be known to everybody: “I’m not running. And I’m not… somewhere to some other country where I’m in safety.” I’m going to—he’s had videos, you’ve seen him—where he’s out in the streets fighting. He says, “I’m here with you, and I’m going to lead you in the fight.” And can I say this, friend? Jesus Christ didn’t go to some bunker a million miles away. He went into the battle and he took the heat of the battle, and he’s led us and rallied us to live for him. He suffered. He was dead. He didn’t bypass the hard part of the fight. He was in the middle of it. So he understands you.

He can be touched by the feeling of your infirmities. Usually I was at a preacher’s fellowship. Preachers go to preacher’s fellowship, not for the preaching, but for the food afterwards. Amen. It was a good church because afterwards they had fried chicken. Somebody say amen. The Baptist bird, you know. And not only that, but they had nanner pudding. Amen. We’re going to have nanner pudding at the marriage supper of the Lamb one day, friend. Somewhere in the Bible—I haven’t found it yet, but it’s got to be in there somewhere. And it just happened that five of us pastors sat at the same table. And another man sat there. He was a good man, a good man. He’s never pastored. And we weren’t trying to—and all of us were kind. But us, us five pastors were kind of talking. And the man had a viewpoint on several different subjects than the pastors. And we kind of joked about it. It wasn’t anything harsh. And he didn’t get it. He never pastored. A couple of the pastors kind of cracked jokes, and we see it a little different there, bud, you know. And in fact, towards the end, he even said, “Well, maybe I need to rethink what I’m doing here.” He won’t be mean or harsh. He’s never been there. He didn’t get it. Christ has been there. He gets it. He comprehends it. Every problem you’ve ever been through, he’s been through something like that. He gets it all. He understands.

I never forget years ago, I lost my fingers. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten it in that knife fight with that guy. I know I shouldn’t have done that knife fight with that guy. And I lost my fingers in that accident at work and the knife fight at work. No, but anyway, a little while later, another man, he was in an accident and he lost his fingers. And we knew each other a little bit, but I was surprised. He said—he told a couple people, “Tell Paul I want to talk to him. I want to talk to him.” Yeah, so-and-so saying, “But I won’t talk to Paul.” Not because I’m anything special, because I’ve been through it. And Christ has been through it. He was dead. He was dead. He didn’t bypass the agony and tears and pain and sorrows of this life. He’s been through it. Now, would you notice—we’re going to run out of time, my goodness, friend. Would you notice something else real quickly here, real quickly, there in chapter? We’ve already mentioned it. Verse number eight, chapter number two, verse number eight, excuse me. Would you look at that verse there? “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the First and the Last…”

There’s so much that could be said there. He is the Alpha and Omega. He always was and always will be. Brother Randy, Ms. Angela, they got twins, and one of them—I think it’s, I don’t know if it’s Emmer or Kinsley—but she’s got a lot of questions, and she asks great questions, and I love it, great questions. But she’s thinking about God and spiritual things, wonderful. Those questions are tough. Can you explain how God always was? You can explain that. Help me out, friend, you know. There never was a time he wasn’t. I’ve heard all those things, and they’re good, but he’s the First. He’s the Last.

Can I make it a little bit more personal to you? Let me just bring it home to me and you. He’s the one that made you. He formed every single person here. It was his hands that formed me. How many of you ever said it to your kids, or your mom or dad said it to you, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out”? There is some truth to that, but can I say? I’d be careful; my mom’s in here. Amen. Both my kids are gone right now too, so. But can I say this? Way before mom and dad, there was a God. God’s the one that’s got to bless that egg and that sperm. God formed. God formed. He’s the first in your life. He’s the first. And one day you won’t stand before all the political polls or what everybody says about you, even your relatives or immediate family. You’ll stand before the Lord. He’s the last. They’ll stand before him.

Here’s the wonderful thing. Christ—he was dead. I like that. The past was dead, and is—present—is alive. Chapter number one, we’ll take time to look at it, but he fought the battle for you. He won over death, hell, and the grave, and he has the keys of hell, and he says, “I’ll give you the victory. I won if you just come to him.” “Jesus, I’ll never save myself. I’m asking you to be my Savior. I want to put all my faith, every last drop of it, 100%—nothing in me because I mess it all up. I’ll never be good enough to get to heaven. I want to take all my faith and place it in you, Jesus.” He’ll be the judge. Hey, Christians, you’re saved. Isn’t it amazing? He did all the fighting. He was dead. He’s alive, and he gives the victory; he shares it with you. Seems like what I live for him. I live for him.

Original File: Jesus has many hats - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Easter Sunday AM 04172022