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1) Reading
of Scripture -
Our Lord Jesus
Christ Tells
John; Revelation
2:8 "And
to the
angel of the
church in
Smyrna write,
'These things
says the First
and the Last,
who was dead,
and came to
life: 9
"I know your
works,
tribulation, and
poverty (but you
are rich); and I
know the
blasphemy of
those who say
they are
Jews and are
not, but are a
synagogue of
Satan. 10
Do not fear any
of those things
which you are
about to
suffer. Indeed,
the devil is
about to throw
some of you into
prison, that you
may be tested,
and you will
have tribulation
ten days. Be
faithful until
death, and I
will give you
the crown of
life. 11
"He who has an
ear, let him
hear what the
Spirit says to
the churches. He
who overcomes
shall not be
hurt by the
second
death."'
2) The
Persecuted
Church of Smyrna
a) Approval
-
1) Their
Works -
Jesus Christ has
seen their labor
in service to
him in spreading
the Gospel of
Jesus
Christ.
2) Their
Tribulation -
They have not
compromised
their faith by
saying Caesar is
lord, but
instead they
only claim Jesus
Christ as their
Lord and no
other, and since
there are a
large amount of
Jews and
Pagans in their
region, the
church of Smyrna
has received a
large amount of
persecutions
because they
have not given
into their evil
ways, the wicked
ways of this
world, but
rather they
chose to suffer
persecution for
the name sake of
our Lord Jesus
Christ instead.
They have great
Faith in Jesus
Christ.
3) Their
Poverty -
And because of
the persecutions
that they
received for
standing firm in
their faith,
they
have suffered
poverty.
Examples of this
is losing their
possessions,
people would not
hire them
because
they stand out
in Christ
against evil,
and they would
not be allowed
to even own
property and so
on
because of their
Christian Faith
and rejection of
Caesar in not
calling him
Lord. And if
anyone did not
say that Caesar
was Lord they
would be
excluded from
the guilds to
which would be
object poverty.
That means no
employment and
no material
possessions.
4) They
are Rich -
And yet because
of their Faith
in Jesus Christ
regardless of
the tribulations
that they
have suffered,
Jesus tells them
that they are
rich, rich in
the Faith and in
their hope for
the future with
Jesus Christ in
heaven, the
greatest reward
of all, the
Crown of Life!
b) Jesus
Christ Regarding
the
Non-Christian
Jews -
1) Their
Blasphemy -
According to
Adams Clarkes
Commentary that
the
non-Christian
Jews would
apply a sacred
name to a unholy
thing was their
habit of doing
to which is a
form of
blasphemy
against
our Lord.
2) Synagogue
of Satan -
The Jews
professed to be
Jews and yet
they were not
Jews at all. To
be a true
Jew they would
have to be
spiritually
circumcised.
Not outward
circumcision but
inward, that is
a
circumcised
heart. being
born in Israel
does not make
anyone a true
Jew, to be one
they must be
Born
Again and in
that they
receive
spiritual
circumcised. So
my friends you
and I are
spiritual
circumcised
Jews!
a) Circumcision
of the Heart in
the Spirit - Romans
2:28-29
28 For he is not
a Jew who is one
outwardly, nor
is circumcision
that which is
outward in the
flesh; 29 but he is a
Jew who is one
inwardly; and
circumcision is
that of the
heart, in the
Spirit, not in
the
letter; whose
praise is not
from men but
from God.
b) Being
Born in Israel
Does not Make
them a Child of
God - Romans
9:6-8
6 But it is not
that the word of
God has taken no
effect. For they
are not all
Israel who are
of Israel,
7 nor are they
all children
because they are
the seed of
Abraham; but,
"In Isaac your
seed shall be
called." 8
That is, those
who are the
children of the
flesh, these are
not the children
of God; but the
children of the
promise are
counted as the
seed. (Of
the Seed, Is of
Jesus Christ)
c) Do
not Fear What's
about to come -
1) We
will be hated &
Persecuted -
a) Matthew
5:10
10 Blessed are
those who are
persecuted for
righteousness'
sake, For theirs
is the kingdom
of
heaven.
b) Matthew
10:22
22 And you will
be hated by all
for My name's
sake. But he who
endures to the
end will be
saved.
c) 2
Timothy 3:12
12 Yes, and all
who desire to
live godly in
Christ Jesus
will suffer
persecution.
2) They
Will be thrown
into prison - Some
of the of people
of the Smyrna
Church will be
thrown into
prison because
of their faith
in Jesus Christ.
Most likely the
local people
will bring false
charges against
the people in
the Smyrna
Church. In this
their Faith will
be tested to see
if they do stand
firm in their
Faith without
denying Jesus
Christ as the
Lord.
3) They
Will Have
Tribulation for
10 Days -
The days in
revelations are
usually referred
as prophetic
days
each
day equals one
year so they
will suffer
persecution for
10 years to
which during
those years
many of the
Asiatic
Christian
churches came
under heavy
amounts of
afflictions.
Later in life,
all of the
7 churches in
Turkey was
conquered by the
Muslims, and
their Islam
ideas. Now
Turkey is about
99%
Muslim.
4) Be
Faithful Unto
Death -
According to
Adam Clarkes
commentary the
Bishop
"Polycarp" of
the
Smyrna church
was burned alive
with the help of
the Jews, to who
are the servants
of satan. But
usually
where there is
one Christian
who has been
persecuted and
martyred there
usually where
many others
that suffered
persecution as
well, including
death. The
Bishop and
others have been
Faithful to our
Lord Jesus
Christ even unto
their own
deaths.
d) Their
Reward -
1) Crown
of Life -
If they remain
faithful
regardless of
what sufferings
that they suffer
for the name
sake
of Jesus Christ
they will
receive eternal
life forever.
Even if they
lose everything,
even if they are
tortured,
imprisoned,
raped and put to
death and they
do not deny
Jesus Christ and
do not lose
heart in him
they
will be with him
in eternal life
forever more and
it is there that
they shall
receive their
reward.
f) Listen
& Take Heed to
What Jesus
Christ Says -
1) If
You Love Jesus
Christ - Those
who Love Jesus
Christ and fear
God with a
reverent fear
will take to
heart HIS
WARNINGS to the
Churches and
they will
examine them
selves daily to
see if they are
one
of the churches
that is in deep
series trouble
with Jesus
Christ because
of disobedience.
2) Take
Heed or Receive
Condemnation - If
They Do not take
to Heart Jesus
Christ Warnings
to the
churches then
they will only
receive his
judgments and
his
condemnations
rather than his
blessings.
3) Why
are so many
Christians Sick - Have
you ever
wondered why in
some churches
that so many
people are sick,
having family
problems, high
divorce rates
and even passing
away before
their time?
Could it be Gods
judgments on
them or is it
test and trials
to see how
faithful they
really are to
Jesus
Christ? You
decide my
friends, but God
knows the truth
on that
regardless of
what you or I
think. |
