The Letter to the Church of Smyrna (Part two)
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Text: Revelation 2:8–11
Intro: Last week we left off with the “Character” aspect that Christ has John write in this letter to the church of Smyrna.
Commendation: (Rev. 2:9-10)
“I know thy… tribulations...”
Sometimes we go through things and we feel like there is not one that understands how we feel, or what we are going through. Can I encourage you with this? Jesus knows, and He knows better than even you do.
Rev. 1:17-18
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:”
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
When we get to the place where this is us… We better believe that the adversary will take notice.
When you set your life towards God’s purpose, and you do it from a platform that has been made holy, when you put others in front of your self, you begin to edify the saints, and share the gospel with those that are in darkness, you can rest assure, that persecution, and tribulation are coming your way. I don’t say that to scare you… Jesus said “Fear not;” I say that to prepare you for what lies ahead.
“Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried.”
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
They may lock us up, and bind us up but that should never shut us up!
*Notice that ___________ is in power at this time, but the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t say __________shall cast some of you into prison.
Why? Because it was the ______________ moving against God’s work through His church.
Rome was simply the devil’s ____________________!
In the church age, Rome has always been and will always be the tool of Satan.
No matter who is persecuting you, whether your boss, your coworker, your family members, your state, or whatever terrorist group is out, understand that it ins’t really from them… They are just in the hand of the devil and as God works in His churches, the devil works to oppose that work.
“And ye shall have tribulation ten days...” (Historically, the maximum prison sentence in Smyrna for naming the name of Jesus was 10 days.)
We discussed last week that Smyrna covered a church age from about 200 A.D to 325 A.D. Which prophetically speaks of the _____________ official Roman persecutions. Which no matter what history book you pick up, if it covers this period of time will speak of these persecutions.
The First Persecution, Under Nero 67 A.D.
The Second Persecution, Under Domitian, 81 A.D.
The Third Persecution, Under Trajan, 108 A.D.
The Fourth Persecution, Under Marcus Aurelius Antonius, 162 A.D.
The Fifth Persecution, Commencing with Severus, 192 A.D.
The Sixth Persecution, Under Maximus, 235 A.D.
The Seventh Persecution, Under Decius, 249 A.D.
The Eighth Persecution, Under Valerian, 257 A.D.
The Ninth Persecution, Under Aurelian, 274 A.D.
The Tenth Persecution, Under Diocletian, 303 A.D.
It was an immensely persecuted church!
B. In spite of its persecution, it still was a church that carried out the _____________ of the Lord. “I know thy works, and tribulation...”
*The more the church was __________________ the more it __________________. “But thou persecuting malice raged, yet the Gospel shone with resplendent brightness, and, firm as an impregnable rock, withstood the attacks of its boisterous enemies with success. Tertullian, who lived in this age, informs us that if the Christians had collectively withdrawn themselves from the Roman territories, the empire would have been greatly depopulated.” (Fox’s Book of Martyrs)
C. Financially and materially this was a ________________ church, but ____________________ it was RICH! “I know thy poverty, (but thou art rich). Rev. 2:9
Contrast that with our period...
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
We may be richer than any other time materially, but spiritually, we live in a period where the church is largely poor… The challenge is us, becoming a church of Smyrna in a Laodicean church age...