It has been described as the most beautiful of the seven cities. It is because the soul is no longer there. Then, they would want to pray with us. Others roasted alive. Why do we do it? Well, you know, God never promises us as a believer that life is going to always be fun. My prayer for us is that we would suffer well. In verse nine, Jesus praises and affirms the church by recognizing their material poverty in contrast to their vast spiritual prosperity. Some suffered the Roman crucifixion, a horrible way to die. They took him to the amphitheater where the proconsul tried over and over to persuade him to renounce his faith. The 2 nd century Church bishop and . I know what it is like to face death at their hands. We need to be ready to stay firm and to stand and resist his attacks. Smyrna, an ancient city now surrounded by the modern city of Izmir, was originally established around 1000 BC by Aeolian Greek settlers in "Old Smyrna" (Bayrakl Hy) on a small peninsula jutting out from Asia Minor into the Aegean Sea, similar to Old Tyre. As we look at this letter to Smyrna, this letter gives us insight into suffering. The Bible tells us that. 6. Myrrh represents mortal death, and the title of the "suffering church" is often ascribed the . He is aware of the enemys plans and the afflictions we face (Hebrews 2:17-18). What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? These actions would have given the believers could a measure of favor with the government and secured a much easier life. What harm can it do? Into Thy Word Ministries. It was used to embalm the dead in the first century (Jn. I walked out and thank goodness it was 3:30 which was the time to go home. The period 1923-1924 was followed by the . She prayed and asked God to give me strength to go in the next day and to handle this the way that Jesus would. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). Before they lit the fire, he prayed, Oh Lord, almighty God, I thank you for counting me worthy of sharing the cup of Christ among the number of your martyrs. I believe it is something so horrible that it is hard to describe in words. ), 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. Are you secure concerning your eternal destiny? The crown of victory belonged to the victor alone, and every other competitor was considered defeated. There were a lot of gods and goddesses, in addition to the emperor worship. How do these verses affirm Christs equality with God? 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). What helps you endure? They are for us to give back to Him. The ultimate enemy is Satan and that is pointed out in these verses. We will throw you into prison until you do. Whether you interpret these ten days as referring to a literal 10 days (I take that view), or whether you interpret it as referring to just a brief period of time, or whether you interpret those 10 days as referring to 10 periods of persecution under 10 Roman emperors, the point being made is the same. The Message to the Church at Smyrna. In verse 9 when He says, I know your tribulations. That word used here for tribulation literally means pressure. 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. He knows the tough times. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). Be faithful even if it leads to your physical death. The ultimate reward is life. 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. How does this apply to me? A third form of suffering for them was persecution in verse 9. I understand. He can walk right through it with them. Be on guard. How can I be changed, so I can learn and grow? We will be rewarded for staying strong until death. So, they were infatuated with the Roman government and they worshipped the emperors. Christ will use us in the plights of others as hands to grab on to and pull others up when they are sinking. We can have confidence as believers that we will spend eternity with God and not face the second death. Faith and fear are opposites. 1. So, I opened the door and walked through the lab. In Revelation 2:9 He says, , I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. We must not forget that the characteristics of all these Periods continue on in the Church down to the end. The Second Coming of JesusWho Are the 144,000 in Revelation?Who Are Gog and Magog in the Bible?What Is the Apollyon?Is the Apocalypse Mentioned in the Bible?Signs of the End Times and the Rapture. Maybe you have a financial issue. I had some coworkers in Dallas who used to joke about the parties they were going to have in hell. He is talking about that kind of pressure that comes from when you take a heavy rock and you put it on someones chest and you press down on their chest with all your force so that it suffocates the person. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. - Psalm 37:7. First, the letter is the shortest of the seven, at only 90 words. degrees -- one in Medical Technology and the other in Perfusion Technology. At first, the emperors did not want anything to do with it, but by the time Domitian became the Roman emperor, he made it mandatory that all citizens would worship the emperor or face death. They were going to nail him to the stake, but he said they did not have to nail me, I will stay. This is true of the Evangelistic and . Smyrna was a large, important city on the western coast of Asia Minor, famed for its schools of medicine and science. 3. 2007 - 2023 ChurchLeadership.Org - All Rights Reserved. Description. The trials that you are going to go through will be brief. But, maybe there are some of you who are in a very difficult season of life. Most American Christians today will not be called to die a martyrs death. We need to look beyond the pain and look for that purpose that He wants to accomplish in our life. Have you experienced suffering in your life where it was difficult for a time to stand firm? He knows what you are feeling. Property Reports > U.S. > Georgia > Cobb County > Smyrna > 30080 > Church St > 975 . Scripture does not give us any information concerning the founding of this church, nor is it mentioned in the book of Acts. You know that it is spiritual warfare where you get discouraged by things you hear said. The second thing He promises is eternal life. Its association with death perfectly pictures the suffering church at Smyrna. Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self. First, the letter is the shortest of the seven, at only 90 words. From the message to Smyrna, Christians today can glean several important truths. The Apostle John was arrested for preaching the Gospel and exiled to Romes penal colony on the island of Patmos, near Asia Minor. Pt 1, How Did We Lose the Gospel of the Kingdom? Have I done something to offend you? Take some time to praise God for who He is in light of the Scripture you read today. That is the doctrine or the view of annihilation of hell. If they kill you, they just ended your physical life. Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) Perhaps the most well-known of the seven letters addresses the church in Laodicea. In Him, we are more than overcomers. My exhortation for us with this is that we should be thankful. 6. She also has two B.S. 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. Right now, I hate this woman. So, I got up the next morning before dawn and I took a walk. Ch 1 pt 3, Kingdom 104: Masculine-Minded Men of the Kingdom Government Pt 1, Kingdom 104: Masculine-Minded Men of the Kingdom Government Pt 2, Kingdom 104: The Benefits of Understanding the Simplicity of the Kingdom, Kingdom 104: The Benefits of Discernment, The Kingdom Is the Crux of the Problem Pt 1, The Kingdom Is the Crux of the Problem Pt 2. This was true of this church, all the seven churches, the church throughout the ages, and churches today. Pt 3. Life is hard. Because I was on staff here and was one of the instructors, I had to go to all the parties, all the festivities, and all the graduation dinners. They had no means whatsoever. In fact, it has been said that more Christians have lived in this region than any other Turkish city in the world. You cant associated with us in these festivities to our gods. 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. How do you demonstrate faithfulness? They were despised. How would these verses encourage you in the midst of tough times? What Is the Abomination of Desolation in the End Times? It went on and on. They despised and hated Jesus Christ. This second death means that those who fail to accept Christ will also be resurrected, only to die again in the "lake of fire." Second, in a lesson especially relevant for todays Western Christians, Jesus praised the church at Smyrna for choosing poverty over compromise. I had not ever said anything about the Lord to her. I have felt his warfare. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Do you ever feel that way that you are under that kind of pressure that it is just going to suffocate you? He is not just a Savior and/or best Friend; He gives us life, holds our lives, and will judge our lives. John addresses the Church in Smyrna. You cannot do them at the same time. He says, Do not fear.. The troubles we face can cause us to fear so we seek to cover them up with our pride and/or bitterness. Jesus wanted to encourage them to stand strong, even if it meant physical death. The only place the Bible mentions the Church at Smyrna is in Jesus letters to the churches: To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 2006 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. All they had to do was burn a pinch of incense and say Caesar is lord, but many of the Christians refused to do so. Smyrna is still a large seaport with the present population of about 275,000 people. John is grabbing their attention by reminding them (and us) who Christ is and what He has done. 105 views, 1 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Buncombe Baptist Church Lexington: Welcome to the home of Intentional. Whether it is because of our faith or whether it is because He wants to deepen our faith, we will suffer. It was the loveliest of all the cities. But instead, through their surrendered lives, the Holy Spirit empowered the Smyrnaean Christians to choose spiritual wealth over worldly gain. They were dirt poor. 5. The name of Smyrna was equated with myrrh. He is not referring to eternal life here because you do not work for eternal life. My challenge is that we need to be on guard. Such was the case for the ancient church at Smyrna. 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. They did not look at my life and go, wow, I love her life! They were looking at my life going, what a loser, you know, she cannot even get drunk. It was hard, but that still is not the kind of pressure that these Smyrna Christians went through. Tina said, you know Crickett, or at that time I was Janene. He never promises us that life is just going to be great. The members of the Smyrna church, though, are facing persecution because they are more focused on what God thinks than what man thinks. Look at Revelation 2:8 with me, And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: (NASB). I cried and I prayed and I said, God, I do not think I can do this. Oh, youre too good for us. It was probably only 15 minutes, but it seemed like hours. The use of the strong term, blasphemy, here indicates how evil, how wicked, how intense this slander was. The devil may harm their physical body, but he can not do them any spiritual harm. What Does God Say about the Church at Smyrna? They said you make light of that then we will burn you at the stake! The Jews who hated him gathered the wood for the fire. The second death will be eternal separation from God in torment. ATTOM AVM; Home Equity Data . Jesus wanted to encourage them to stand strong, even if it meant physical death. John was then to send the divine dictation to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. (Revelation 1:11). They cannot coexist. Hand over those difficult and overwhelming situations to the One who knows and cares. 2. What would Jesus say to such a church? They were poor. The first way they are suffering is through pressure. 6. What does He promise to the one who overcomes? 4 Reasons Why We Have a Hard Time Talking about Loneliness. Do you fear God more than people? I want that kind of prayer life. But then we would always say, I dont want to go through what they went through. You see, the road to getting there is through suffering. What was Jesus message to the church in Thyatira in Revelation? Appreciation for this transcription work goes to Marilyn Fine. Why would there be a need to be tested further? This is a church under persecution yet denounced every false pretension of Jews who were (Synagogue of Satan) abode of Satan. 7. We are called to be faithful, even if it means death. Just trust the One who holds your life in His hands. 4. Yet, we tend to fill His call with the void of our stubbornness, recklessness, and selfishness. Pt 2, Kingdom 104: Christianity Misrepresents the Kingdom Pt 1, Kingdom 104: Christianity Misrepresents the Kingdom Pt 2, Kingdom 104: A Focused Representative of the Kingdom, Kingdom 104: Where Are the Masculine-Thinking Men? I lived in mainland China for four years and during those four years I studied the Chinese language of Mandarin. Or they could have agreed to call Caesar Lord, knowing they could later repent. It was already being persecuted. According to Revelation 1:11, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven Churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." The churches in this context refers to the community or local congregations of Christians living . Many were placed on the rack where they were stretched so far that their legs and their arms were pulled out of their sockets. I Peter 4:19 instructs those who suffer according to the will of God to entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right. 6. Her passion is to help wanderers find home. What does it mean to be faithful until death? 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. Life was hard for these Christians. I was so bitter. The characteristics of the church as seen in verses 9-10 are its tribulation and poverty and the insidious existence of a synagogue of Satan. Satan had plans to cast some of the Smyrna church into prison. I sat outside and prayed. Explain your answer. How Are the End Times Described in 2 Timothy? 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. Maybe someone you love is hurting. Jesus gives them two instructions in verse 10 as to how to handle this impending suffering. Look at the conversation between Jesus and the Jews in John 8:31-47. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death. (Revelation 2:11). 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. What can be done to invite Him further into your church? What additional insight do these verses give concerning the crown of life? 5. 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. Some people use this verse about dying the second death to uphold their view of the doctrine of annihilation. She would totally ignore me. Finally, Jesus warns His people to expect more suffering, persecution, and testing. I had the opportunity while I lived there to visit in the homes of some Chinese believers who had undergone some serious persecution for their faith during the years of the Cultural Revolution. As with all Jesuss letters to the seven churches, His letter to Smyrna ends on a note that invites every Believer, in every age, to hear and receive these important messages. The third thing we need to remember is that the ultimate enemy is Satan. It reminds us of five things that we must remember if we are going to suffer well. People did not want to sell to them because they were Christians. And finally, Smyrna was the only congregation besides Philadelphia that did not receive admonishment from Jesus. The first thing He tells them is be fearless. He died for one reason: his unyielding faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (How does Romans 2:28-29 relate to this? This will give great comfort to this church because this was a church that was going to be persecuted. The pressure came with these students. What Do We Know About the Ancient city of . So, there will be attacks on us to not study this Word, to not do this. And whenever we do, the vision of Jesus standing among us in all His glory, and the words of promise He speaks, will sustain and guide us.7, I hope you all have had a great week studying about suffering. But, the word used here means absolute poverty, possessing absolutely nothing. They were not poor. He wants to stop us. Nor will we suffer hardships like imprisonment for our faith, and very few of us will face the choice between our livelihood or a life with Christ. The fourth thing we need to remember is that the ultimate solution is trust. What was Jesus message to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation? Why are they treading on dangerous ground? But, if we are really serious about going deeper, suffering is part of that process. He does not want you to know that he loses. Is there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed? What it tells us about Smyrna and its Christians has big implications for us today. The substance was used to make fragrant perfumes and anointing oils (Exodus 30:23) and was used in ancient burial preparations (John 19:39). Based on His intimate awareness of their spiritual condition, Jesus uses these letters to dig deep into the inner workings of each church and flesh out areas of commendation or correction. 3. Some of the first schools of science and medicine were founded in Smyrna, and on the beautiful slopes of Mount Pagos, the city erected a theater that sat twenty thousand people; the ruins of the theatre are still visible today. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. They will eventually die and they will eventually be put out of their misery. I was on staff at Texas Heart as one of the instructors through the University of Texas. 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). You are so in love with the Lord. What three things did Jesus mention that He was aware of concerning the church at Smyrna? I shut the door and I stood there. Why would this promise be especially encouraging for the church at Smyrna? An aspect of maturity is being slow to respond to accusation-as our Lord did. Kingdom 102: Surrendering Our Heavenly Passport, Kingdom 102: A Break in Diplomatic Relations, Kingdom 102: We Are Prisoners In a Foreign Land, Kingdom 102: Understanding His Mission, Purpose and Who He Is, Kingdom 102: His Original Mission and Purpose, Kingdom 102: Developing a Kingdom Concept, Kingdom 102: Meditate on These Kingdom Principles, Kingdom 102: His Assignment, Preach the Kingdom, Kingdom 102: Preach and Teach the Gospel of the Kingdom, Kingdom 102: Representing the King: The Power of Our Position, Kingdom 102: Restoring the Kingdom and Its Mission Statement, Kingdom 102: The Kingdom Reintroduced Pt 1, Kingdom 102: The Kingdom Reintroduced Pt 2, Kingdom 102: God's Plan to Restore Our Place, Kingdom 102: Preparation for the Counselor (Holy Spirit), Kingdom 102: Preparing for the Indwelling, Kingdom 102: A New Order is Here, in the Last Stage, Kingdom 102: The New Order and Its Citizens, Kingdom 102: The Final Process: Becoming One With the Holy Spirit, Kingdom 102: The Kingdom is the Good News Pt 1, Kingdom 102: The Kingdom is the Good News Pt 2, Kingdom 103: The King's Viewpoint of Giving. However, the church was wealthy, not in the temporal things that had brought their city fame. The closest that I have ever come to feeling that kind of pressure was when I was perfusionist at Texas Heart Institute in Houston. The church at Smyrna was to undergo some intense persecution and tribulation. Just say Caesar is lord to save your life. And he would not do it. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. 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. (8) Revelation 2:8 - "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. Ancient coin inscriptions describe Smyrna as first of Asia in size and beauty, and The Ornament of Asia.. They had no food. Q. Hope-Full: Revelation 2:1-7. He who overcomes is any believer, anyone who has placed his trust in Jesus Christ as his savior. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people. Oswald Chambers5. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victors crown.(Revelation 2:8-10). (NASB). The fragrance from Myrrh is only released from the sap through crushing. He is the One who overcame life and death for our benefit, and when we seek to run His church our way, we embarrass and dishonor Him and His Way. If they sought praise from menif they wanted to please the people around themthey would not be so readily targeted for persecution. . One of the instructors of one particular lab was a well-known atheist there at the hospital. How is Jesus described in verse 8 and which attribute(s) of God does His description emphasize? Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. She finally said, do you have anything you want to say? I said nope. I did not know what to say because I thought I knew I was going to cry. The problem was that it bugged them that I did not drink. It is believed that a man named Polycarp was the pastor of this church at Smyrna when this letter was written. If so, how is that evident in your life? She and her husband have five childrenthree who have already flown the coop and two adopted teens still roosting at homeplus two adorable grands who add immeasurable joy and laughter to the whole flock. Among them, 347 clergymen of the Smyrna region and Metropolitan of Smyrna Chrysostomos were tortured and martyred. 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.
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characteristics of the church of smyrna