It is emphatic in the Greek. And finally, Smyrna was the only congregation besides Philadelphia that did not receive admonishment from Jesus. So, how is He involved in your church? 1. That is a way of worshipping Him, showing honor to Him. Be encouraged as you study the message sent to this church. 2. For instance, telling them that they were practicing cannibalism because they were partaking of the Lords Supper, eating of the body of Christ, drinking His blood. When we suffer, we may think that Christ is absent, but He is not. . You know, none of us will probably be persecuted for our faith any worse than that. Thank you for the strength that You give us when our flesh just does not have it. So, I opened the door and walked through the lab. Appreciation for this transcription work goes to Marilyn Fine.
What Does God Say about the Church at Smyrna? - Christianity.com Jesus lived life in purity and sinlessness for our benefit, to enable us to have eternal life and partake in His fellowship. The Church in its "Ephesian Period" having lost its "First Love," the Lord is now about to "chastise" it, so as to cause it to return to Him. It has been described as the most beautiful of the seven cities. He just reminded them that what you have in Christ is far greater than anything on this earth materially that you will have. Toggle Name and characteristics subsection 1.1 Definition. How can the fact that Jesus knows us more intimately that we can imagine, and desires us to be in Him strengthen your faithfulness? There are two words used in the New Testament for poverty and one just kind of means poor. Property Characteristics; Geocodes; Building Permits; Real Estate Valuation. The pressure came with these students. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. Revelation 2:11a - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.". In Revelation, the Apostle John records Jesuss address to seven churches in Asia Minor. It is just the beginning because He is the victor and He conquered death. Jesuss short correspondence with His people in Smyrna gives us incredible insight into this group of believers way of life and faith. He mentions four ways that this church is suffering because He knows exactly how they are suffering. A fourth form of suffering that they were not facing yet, but would soon be facing (as if these first three were not enough to kill them). Kingdom 103: What Gospel Are You Preaching? Some suffered the Roman crucifixion, a horrible way to die. . It went on and on. What was Jesus message to the church in Ephesus in Revelation? My exhortation to you on this one is to be ready, to be ready for the suffering that will come into your life. Kingdom 103: Where Does the Governor Reside? The ultimate reward is life. 4. Be thankful that He did this that He died for us. I was just going through my mind of what I was going to say. ), Note: Jesus use of the strong term blasphemy, which was usually reserved for hostile words against God, indicates the slanders wickedness, intensity, and severity.4, 4. Why are they treading on dangerous ground?
Scripture does not give us any information concerning the founding of this church, nor is it mentioned in the book of Acts. 19:39). How does this ruin a church? Well, you know, God never promises us as a believer that life is going to always be fun. Anyone who has said I cannot earn salvation on my own so I put my faith in the blood of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for my sins. Pt 1, How Did We Lose the Gospel of the Kingdom? It may seem like they are the enemy. How does this fact strengthen your faithfulness? 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. Do not fear. 105 views, 1 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Buncombe Baptist Church Lexington: Welcome to the home of Intentional. How did you handle the situation? How does this compare with the strong terminology Jesus uses in Rev 2:9? After repeatedly just not doing it, he said for 86 years I have served Him and He has done me no wrong. What additional insight do these verses give concerning the crown of life? In the center of the ancient city, Mount Pagos (modern name: Kadifekale) stood 500 ft. high and was encircled by a garland of architecturally impressive buildings and templeswhich was probably why the hill was known as The Crown of Smyrna.. This is the letter to the second church: the church of Smyrna. According to Revelation 4:9-11, what are crowns ultimately for? Christians were viewed as antisocial elitists for refusing to participate in it. How does knowing that Christ, the Creator and Lord of the universe, approves you help you cope with "feeble mortals" telling you dishonorable things? 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). Time and time again, wars, massacres, earthquakes, and plagues have threatened to destroy Smyrna, but the city has always bounced back and rebuilt. He just came in. Is there something difficult going on in your life today? Be on guard. Is the Apocalypse Mentioned in the Bible? I wanted to hurt her and I wanted her to go to hell. You and I and our congregation may not be a Smyrna church just now. People did not want to buy from them because they were Christians. They were once a vibrant, healthy church that was now starting to die. 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. What will I do about it? They got drunk. We cannot do that as a church of Satan! What should you do? I do not agree with that. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. The Apostle John was arrested for preaching the Gospel and exiled to Romes penal colony on the island of Patmos, near Asia Minor. The second death is spending eternity in hell, separated from God forever. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. He does not want us to move toward spiritual revival. I want that kind of depth. Jesus has no censure for the church We must not forget that the characteristics of all these Periods continue on in the Church down to the end. Let me tell you one other thing. What it tells us about Smyrna and its Christians has big implications for us today. 6. The crown of victory belonged to the victor alone, and every other competitor was considered defeated. We would always leave and say, you know I want that kind of relationship with God! What can you do to grow in this area and to glorify Him more fully? Be hopeful. Some people believe that people who are unbelievers will go to hell for a period of time. I had no choice. So, I would go to these dinners hating it because all they would do was just drink and drink. Third, at the end of Smyrnas letter, Jesus makes this promise to whoever has ears to hear: He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death (Revelation 2:11, KJV). Kingdom 103: What Gospel Are You Preaching? These actions would have given the believers could a measure of favor with the government and secured a much easier life. Allow it to deepen your relationship with Christ, not push you away from Him. 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. We became great friends. In verse 9 when He says, I know your tribulations. That word used here for tribulation literally means pressure. 2006 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. They were going to nail him to the stake, but he said they did not have to nail me, I will stay.
Sermon on Revelation 2:8-11 - The Church Of Smyrna - Study and Obey Maybe those are metaphors. This is a church under persecution yet denounced every false pretension of Jews who were (Synagogue of Satan) abode of Satan. Kingdom 103: Your Faith is Essential in the Kingdom, Kingdom 103: They Praise Him, But Fail to Obey Him, Kingdom 103: The King's Will and the King's Word, Kingdom 103: Know Your Purpose While on This Earth. What three things did Jesus mention that He was aware of concerning the church at Smyrna? We will become lifesavers, thrown to those who are drowning. This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library.
THE CHURCH OF SYMRNA(THE PERSECUTED CHURCH) - Pastor J.T Awe The Church of Smyrna: The Church that Remains Faithful Amidst Persecution (Revelation 2:8-11) Summary and Explanation: Smyrna was home to a large Jewish community hostile to Christians. Today, we look at the letter to the church at Smyrna, a church known for suffering. You know that it is spiritual warfare where you get discouraged by things you hear said. Home values, sales prices, taxes, school data, and more. 1.3 Orthodoxy. I had some coworkers in Dallas who used to joke about the parties they were going to have in hell. They had no means whatsoever. Give it to the Lord, trust His hand, and look ahead to the blessings that await you eternally. A person spends 35 pence from a small stall. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people. Oswald Chambers5. You are struggling. When we seek to do His church on our own, we turn it into a church of evil, as diametrically opposed to Christ, as Satan is opposed to Him. If so, how is that evident in your life? 1 John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 69. When Jesus refers to the crown of life, is He referring to eternal life or to a reward for those who are faithful through tribulation on this earth? The letter to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2 is notable for many reasons, one being that it's one of the only letters that doesn't have a rebuke. Do not be afraid. How does this apply to me? Their businesses were shut down. In James 1:12, James write, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. He wants to stop us. We would be amazed at their love for God and just the depth of their walk with him. He fled briefly and then they caught him and he did not run that time. In verses 10 and 11, he makes two promises. You know, I was just going to let her know and express that I am glad you are going to hell. Ask what you dare if you will let me.
Clarence Larkin :: Chapter 22. The Seven Churches - Blue Letter Bible It is like Sally and I were saying this morning. We would go and sit in their homes. Who is it that overcomes the world? It was probably only 15 minutes, but it seemed like hours. The problem was that it bugged them that I did not drink. The fragrance from Myrrh is only released from the sap through crushing.
What the Bible says about Smyrna, Church of - Bible Tools But, the word used here means absolute poverty, possessing absolutely nothing. They were not poor. He will do anything to stop good things that God is doing. Maybe you have a financial issue. The members of the Smyrna church, though, are facing persecution because they are more focused on what God thinks than what man thinks.