Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History). But every born-again Christian is called to die to the things of this world (Galatians 2:20, Luke 9:23), become a bondservant of Christ (1 Corinthians 7:22; Ephesians 6:6; 2 Timothy 2:24), and to consider all earthly things loss compared to the worth of knowing Jesus as Lord (Philippians 3:8). It is not a question of, will you suffer? The question is, how will you handle it when it comes?. I know your afflictions and your povertyyet you are rich!Followers of Jesus living in Smyrna were seen as a cult and persecuted by the hostile Roman empire. Kingdom 103: What Gospel Are You Preaching? But instead, through their surrendered lives, the Holy Spirit empowered the Smyrnaean Christians to choose spiritual wealth over worldly gain. John addresses the Church in Smyrna. Satan had plans to cast some of the Smyrna church into prison. (How does Romans 2:28-29 relate to this? The church at Smyrna was to undergo some intense persecution and tribulation. Like myrrh, produced by crushing a fragrant plant, the church at Smyrna, crushed by persecution, gave off a fragrant aroma of faithfulness to God.2. Much of Smyrnas social life revolved around pagan worship. We need to be ready to stay firm and to stand and resist his attacks. What was Jesus message to the church in Laodicea in Revelation. Among them, 347 clergymen of the Smyrna region and Metropolitan of Smyrna Chrysostomos were tortured and martyred. It is not for you to carry around and have them saying, wow, look at my crown! Your crown is a little small there. Look how many I have. These crowns are not for the purpose of making you feel good about your life on this earth because we are told in Revelation 4:10 that we will go before the throne of God and we will go on our knees and our faces before Him and we will cast our crowns at his feet. I have a picture of modern day Smyrna in contrast to Ephesus which, today, is a deserted ruin with no people. (Notice the similarities to the description of Christ in 1:17-18). My challenge is that we need to be on guard. He will do anything to stop good things that God is doing. 9. Yet, He is there, guiding us with a beacon that says. When we suffer, we may think that Christ is absent, but He is not. Smyrna was a church where people's agendas were in opposition to Christ's. They had sufferings to overcome and learn from, but most chose to run the course their way and tarnish His Way. He does not want you to go deeper in Gods Word. So, I opened the door and walked through the lab. What two instructions did Jesus give them concerning the upcoming tribulation? 11. 6. Smyrna was a large, important city on the western coast of Asia Minor, famed for its schools of medicine and science. Of course, all the other med techs are sitting there pretending like they were not listening. Judging from the characteristics of his appearance, Fuming gave him a very good impression now arctic diet pills Shuerjia can only keto fuel pills review form his first impression based on his appearance. We Were Created to Inhabit This Earth Part 1, We Were Created to Inhabit This Earth Part 2, Kingdom 102: The Kingdom of God is Relevant, Kingdom 102: Knowing How to Apply the Kingdom Concept, Kingdom 103: He Needs No Assistance in Keeping His Promise, Kingdom 103: Seven Last Days Churches and Their Believers' Characteristics, Kingdom 103: Reconsidering the End Times, Kingdom 104: Misrepresenting the Kingdom Gospel. How can you better realize the fact that our trials will be limited and temporary? If I am afraid that means I am not trusting God. Jun 21, 2021 42:17. How can the fact that Jesus knows us more intimately that we can imagine, and desires us to be in Him strengthen your faithfulness? 3:12). Jesus gave each one a short "report card." Ephesus had "abandoned the love it had at first," (Revelation 2:4, ESV ). He has always existed. I need strength. She started and began by reading from Isaiah 53 about Jesus the suffering servant. 9. Even though He died, He conquered death and He rose again. Thank you for being that ultimate victor who won victory over death so we might have life eternal. released through Familius Publishing in 2020. In what ways are you rich in Christ? Others roasted alive. She went on and on and on about my faith in Jesus Christ. They cannot coexist. What is in the way of these precepts affecting me? That is the doctrine or the view of annihilation of hell. How can this give you hope for your church? According to Revelation 4:9-11, what are crowns ultimately for? Or they could have agreed to call Caesar Lord, knowing they could later repent. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). Faith and fear are opposites. Well, the first type of suffering they were going through is pressure. I will be the first to admit to you that I do not like to suffer. What was Jesus message to the church in Thyatira in Revelation? Thank you for the strength that You give us when our flesh just does not have it. He just came in. He is an enemy who will stop at nothing. What would Jesus say to such a church? It was exceptionally wealthy. What helps you endure? They cannot coexist. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. It is because the soul is no longer there. For example, the letter to Ephesus . You know that it is spiritual warfare where you get discouraged by things you hear said. Annette Marie Griffin is an award-winning author and speaker who has managed and directed childrens and youth programs for more than 20 years. He was faithful until death and he lost his physical life, but he gained so much more which brings us to the fifth reminder to help us suffer well. The ultimate reward is life. What causes a Christian to become belligerent against Christ and a church to turn on one another, forsaking their call and duty? One source is they were under constant pressure from the government to worship the Roman emperor because, you see, the city of Smyrna was a strong ally of Rome. They are for us to give back to Him. He never promises us that life is just going to be great. In between were the temples of Apollo, Asklepios, and Aphrodite. I would leave every night saying, God, why do I have to go to these events? because I did not feel like I was having a witness. It was used to embalm the dead in the first century (Jn. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Whether it is because of our faith or whether it is because He wants to deepen our faith, we will suffer. Sermon on Revelation 2:8-11 - The Church Of Smyrna - Study and Obey The pressure came with these students. Jesus gives them two instructions in verse 10 as to how to handle this impending suffering. If so, pray for those who dont know Christ and dont have eternal security. But, Jesus reminded them that they were poor here on this earth but you are so rich. Facing Life Successfully and Effectively Pt 1, Facing Life Successfully and Effectively Pt 2, The Power of Motive and Faith in God's Word, Your Faith in Jesus the Christ: the Work of God, Your Faith in Jesus the Christ: the Work of God Pt 2, The Challenges of Your Faith In God's Written Word, God Created Marriage as a Foundational Institution, Populating the Earth Wasn't the Primary Purpose of Marriage, Citizenship Pt 2--Becoming a Kingdom Citizen, Citizenship Pt 3-The Concept of Dual Citizenship, Citizenship Pt 4: The Invisible Citizenship, The Kingdom Versus the Government of Man Pt 2, The Birth of the Kingdom, The Spirit of Dominion, Ruling the Visible World From the Invisible Realm, We Were Born to Rule, But Not Over Each Other, Jesus' Assignment Was to Restore the Kingdom, The Kingdom--Preached In Word, Demonstrated In Power, Understanding Principles of Kingdom Culture, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 1, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 2, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture Pt 3, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 1, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 2, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 3, Culture and Its Many Manifestations Part 4, The Kingdom: Social and Economic Differences, Kingdom Culture vs The Culture of Christianity, Change Is Inevitable When Obeying the King's Word, Faith in the Written Word and Hardship Pt 1, Faith In the Written Word and Hardship Pt 2, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 1, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 2, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 3, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 4, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 5, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 6, The Principles and Benefits of Purpose Pt 7, The Principles for the Nature of Your Purpose, The Lord Provides for His Purpose, Not for Our Plans Pt1, The Lord Provides for His Purpose, Not for Our Plans Pt 2, It's Imperative That One Knows Their Purpose, Your Purpose is Being Accomplished Through Christ. I came back that fall and I was so on fire for the Lord. Smyrna was a church where people's agendas were in opposition to Christ's. 1. There were a lot of gods and goddesses, in addition to the emperor worship. Not only was this bustling seaport considered a center of prosperity, but the city prided itself as a hub of intellect, art, religion, and athletic prowess. However, Jesus wanted to remind them that their sufferings would anoint them for a Christlike death and burial that could only result in an eternal resurrected life. 105 views, 1 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Buncombe Baptist Church Lexington: Welcome to the home of Intentional. With the warning comes the exhortation that they should not succumb to fear. Maybe someone in your family is causing you some grief. 4 Reasons Why We Have a Hard Time Talking about Loneliness. He looks for people who oh, lets see, boy, shes always critical. She is always a gossip. She is always kind of stirring up the pot about one of the leaders saying I do not like the way he is doing this or I do not think they should. Be careful, because he is looking for someone he can just grab and go, yeah, build on that, talk that up in your church, yeah, talk about that leader. 4. The Church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) 6. 19:39). Many were placed on the rack where they were stretched so far that their legs and their arms were pulled out of their sockets. Give it to the Lord, trust His hand, and look ahead to the blessings that await you eternally. The Essential Inductive Questions (for more Inductive questions see Inductive Bible Study): 1. I want to begin by asking you a question. Allow it to deepen your relationship with Christ, not push you away from Him. What are the other crowns and to what are they referring? Clarence Larkin :: Chapter 22. The Seven Churches - Blue Letter Bible Perfusionists, for some reason, or at least the ones I know, love to drink and party. Go ahead and turn with me to Revelation 2. He was martyred for his faith in A.D. 156. What do these verses imply about persecution and the believer? But, if we are really serious about going deeper, suffering is part of that process. Be encouraged as you study the message sent to this church. It was probably only 15 minutes, but it seemed like hours. Kingdom 103: Student or Disciple of the Kingdom? If not, talk to your small group leader or myself, and we will be glad to answer any questions. I was going in the next morning and I was going to tell this lady that she was going to hell and I was going to celebrate that she was going. Myrrh represents mortal death, and the title of the "suffering church" is often ascribed the . ATTOM AVM; Home Equity Data . I believe it exists. And finally, Smyrna was the only congregation besides Philadelphia that did not receive admonishment from Jesus. What does this passage mean? So, how is He involved in your church? However, the church was wealthy, not in the temporal things that had brought their city fame. When we go through the troubles of life, we can either take shelter in Him or seek to go it alone in our fears and pride. He is with us fully. I noticed it and after a few weeks I thought you know I think I need to say something to her. Ancient coin inscriptions describe Smyrna as first of Asia in size and beauty, and The Ornament of Asia.. We may not be worshipping Satan, but when we run the church by our ways and agendas, we are, in fact, worshipping Satan, because Christ is not only ignored, He is being opposed! It was one of the chief cities of Roman-dominated Asia and competed with places such as Pergamos and Ephesus for the title "First City of Asia." Be faithful even if it leads to your physical death. Father, I just thank you for the privilege of knowing you personally. If you are only born once, you will die twice. If you are only born physically, you will die physically and you will die spiritually. How would these verses encourage you to persevere in the midst of tribulation and suffering? It can be seen that Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7), though a local church in the apostle's day, is typical of the first century as a whole; Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) characterizes the church under persecution, e.g. He always will exist. I just thought, you have no idea.. How does 2 Corinthians 6:10; 8:9 and James 2:5 shed light on this? Just trust the One who holds your life in His hands. We need to be on guard and we need to commit to pray for the church for the leaders. The words of Jesus to the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11 offer insight into the life of a first-century congregation, and there are many applications for today's believers. When fear grips the human heart, and our very life is threatened, nothing can bring tranquility like faith in Him who is both the first and the last.3.
Sunisa Lee Endorsement Deals, Where Do Atlanta Celebrities Live, Articles C