In our studies of the seven churches in Revelation, we now move up the road some 40 to 50 miles north of Ephesus and find a church whose name means "bitter".
Smyrna was a city of tremendous beauty. In fact it was known as "the beautiful" due to it's natural, commercial, and beautiful buildings. It was in part the rival of Ephesus. The roman laws against Christians were also very prominent here as well. Not much is said in the New Testament about Smyrna other than what we read here, but what is said here of this church is enough to know that they were a people that stood on their faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Now, let us look at what Christ said that he knows about this church.
I. Smyrna's Suffering.
A. Tribulation;
1. Tribulation derives from the Greek word "thlipsis", which suggests a pressing out of grapes for their juice. This church was feeling this "pressing out" because of their complete and open faith in Christ. Christ himself felt this "pressing out" in the Garden of Gethsemane.
2. Tribulation brings with it a time of discomfort. I don't know of anyone who would want tribulation. However, if we live an open faith and belief in Christ we need expect this to be part of our life.
B. Poverty;
1. Poverty is the lowest of both the physical and the spiritual scales. One either grows up in this place of their life or one gets their by unforeseen circumstances. This church, and when I use that term I am referring to the people not the building, suffered the loss of everything they had. Persecution was most often followed with confiscation of belongings. I know of a Missionary who was persecuted daily. His home was ransacked once or twice a week even while he was at home, but he never let that deter him from his calling to give that people the Word of God. II Cor. 8:9 tells us that though Christ was rich, he became poor for our sakes. What a wonderful message!
II. Satan's Synagogue.
A. Satan's Disciples;
1. We know that as God has his disciples, so Satan does as well. These Satanic disciples are called demons. Satan has been trying, and succeeding in many ways, to infiltrate the church. Here it is no different. A Judaizing movement was taking place here and these false preachers were teaching that Grace was accompanied with works of the old law. One could not really be saved by Grace alone, works were to be added as well. Eph. 2: 5 & 8 tells us that by Grace are we saved and Grace alone. Works are simply an outward showing of our inward condition, James 2: 2o. There are these same types of false preachers in the world today and many are falling to their traps. What are we doing to trip up these traps before others fall prey to them ?
III. Sanctified Saints.
A. Sanctified means to be "set apart". Christ is telling these Christians at Smyrna to be and to remain "set apart". It would have been easy to go the way of the false preachers to avoid any further persecutions, but the easy way is not always the best way. When we have a decision to make to either serve God or serve the world, and if serving God would mean untold troubles in our life, would we make that decision ? That is exactly what Christ told these people in verse 10. He told them to fear nothing of which they would suffer. Why, because He would be there just as He always had been. Salvation gives not a delivery from death, however, it does give us victory and triumph over death. We are promised the "crown of life", James 1:12. Christ can promise and fulfill this promise because He himself received this crown on that wonderful day of His resurrection! We as his children will receive this crown, but can also receive four more as well.
1. An incorruptible crown - I Cor. 9:25
2. A Soul winners crown - Phil. 4:1 & I Thess. 2:19
3. A Righteousness crown - II Tim. 4:8
4. The crown of glory - I Peter 5:4
Our goal should be to receive each and everyone of these crowns. We must strive to achieve as much for Christ as we can. Our time is drawing very short to win the lost to Christ. We can look at persecution in a positive light. When we are being persecuted and troubled then we are doing what Christ wants us to do. The Word of God has always offended some and will always do such as long as this world goes on. Rest assured that those that do the will of the Lord will be rewarded and that yours and my efforts for Him does not go unnoticed.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
The Seven
Over the last several Sundays, I have been preaching on the seven churches in Revelations. I'm sure that there has been a lot of sermons and or messages preached and taught on this very subject. As one looks at these churches one can no doubt find themselves within these churches as a body of believers, (church), and as individuals. Over the next few weeks we'll examine each church and see if we can find ourselves both positive and negative in them.
1. Rev. 2:1-7, The Church at Ephesus:
A. Workers; Jesus said "I know thy works". He relayed this same message to each pastor, (angel), of the seven churches. How true a statement, that he, Jesus, knows our every work both good and bad. We do notice that Jesus says that they were a laboring people and a patient people. What we need in our churches today are laborers. It's amazing to me that very few are willing to go out and spend time for the Lord. The church can have soul winning classes and have a crowd, but, when it comes time to apply the knowledge learned, there are very few that will go. I do not know of a church that doesn't have this problem. It's universal to every church so we are not alone in this. We must be vigilant in our work and in our prayers for those that do not have a desire to work.
B. Defenders; Jesus also pointed out that this church was a church that saw people for who they were. There were "false apostles" in the midst of the church and they were pointed out and were seen to be what they were "liars". I believe that this is a problem in our churches today. People want to hold hands with those who do not have a like minded faith. They want to mix with every religion and with the world. The ecumenical movement is a movement that is straight from Satan. We cannot, and I stress, cannot mix ourselves in with people that do not see God for who he is, and should not allow those pastors of other faiths to stand in our pulpits! We as Christians need to quit trying to be politically correct and start being biblicly correct! We have a duty unto God to defend this word of God and keep our churches undefiled. II Cor. 6: 11-18 comes to mind regarding this subject.
C. Leavers; Where this a positive, there is usually a negative. Jesus first points out the positive things of the church in Ephesus, but, he directs his attention to the need of the church as well. We notice that this church "left their first love". The bible does not say they lost their love, nor does it make any claim of their losing their salvation. We know that when we are saved then we are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption, Eph.4:30. What the scriptures in simply saying is that the church has left the love of former things that they were at one time on fire doing for the Lord. Could it have been that this church was at one time noted for the love between the brethren? Could it have been that at one time that this church was noted for the love that they showed to those around them, through visitation, or through the helping those that were in need? Whatever the case Jesus said that they had left it and were admonished for it but they were also prompted to return to it, vs.5, or he would come and remove the candlestick from it's place. Jesus is speaking expressly of repentance. Repent means to feel sorrow for and to feel anguish towards the wrong that one has done. To repent is the standard of God in our lives to regain fellowship with him. David lost this fellowship through sin but gained it back through repentance. We must realize that God does not overlook our sins, nor does he wink at it any longer, but commands us to repent. I thank the Lord that he gives us chance after chance to get forgiveness. That he does not immediately remove our candlestick, but allows our light to continue to shine if we come to him for forgiveness.
D. Over comers; How amazing is this word? Over comers, it is a promise from God that we can be or become over comers. I know in my life there are many things that I have had to overcome. I've had to overcome myself and that bondage of sin that held me and was able to do that only through the blood of Jesus Christ. I still have to overcome the temptations of Satan and what he would have me fall to, but can only succeed through the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood does not only cover, but washes away, cleanses me from the filth of this world. How wonderful is the blood of Jesus! The church in Ephesus was promised the "tree of life" if they would but overcome. He promises us this same tree as well. How amazing is our Lord!!!
1. Rev. 2:1-7, The Church at Ephesus:
A. Workers; Jesus said "I know thy works". He relayed this same message to each pastor, (angel), of the seven churches. How true a statement, that he, Jesus, knows our every work both good and bad. We do notice that Jesus says that they were a laboring people and a patient people. What we need in our churches today are laborers. It's amazing to me that very few are willing to go out and spend time for the Lord. The church can have soul winning classes and have a crowd, but, when it comes time to apply the knowledge learned, there are very few that will go. I do not know of a church that doesn't have this problem. It's universal to every church so we are not alone in this. We must be vigilant in our work and in our prayers for those that do not have a desire to work.
B. Defenders; Jesus also pointed out that this church was a church that saw people for who they were. There were "false apostles" in the midst of the church and they were pointed out and were seen to be what they were "liars". I believe that this is a problem in our churches today. People want to hold hands with those who do not have a like minded faith. They want to mix with every religion and with the world. The ecumenical movement is a movement that is straight from Satan. We cannot, and I stress, cannot mix ourselves in with people that do not see God for who he is, and should not allow those pastors of other faiths to stand in our pulpits! We as Christians need to quit trying to be politically correct and start being biblicly correct! We have a duty unto God to defend this word of God and keep our churches undefiled. II Cor. 6: 11-18 comes to mind regarding this subject.
C. Leavers; Where this a positive, there is usually a negative. Jesus first points out the positive things of the church in Ephesus, but, he directs his attention to the need of the church as well. We notice that this church "left their first love". The bible does not say they lost their love, nor does it make any claim of their losing their salvation. We know that when we are saved then we are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption, Eph.4:30. What the scriptures in simply saying is that the church has left the love of former things that they were at one time on fire doing for the Lord. Could it have been that this church was at one time noted for the love between the brethren? Could it have been that at one time that this church was noted for the love that they showed to those around them, through visitation, or through the helping those that were in need? Whatever the case Jesus said that they had left it and were admonished for it but they were also prompted to return to it, vs.5, or he would come and remove the candlestick from it's place. Jesus is speaking expressly of repentance. Repent means to feel sorrow for and to feel anguish towards the wrong that one has done. To repent is the standard of God in our lives to regain fellowship with him. David lost this fellowship through sin but gained it back through repentance. We must realize that God does not overlook our sins, nor does he wink at it any longer, but commands us to repent. I thank the Lord that he gives us chance after chance to get forgiveness. That he does not immediately remove our candlestick, but allows our light to continue to shine if we come to him for forgiveness.
D. Over comers; How amazing is this word? Over comers, it is a promise from God that we can be or become over comers. I know in my life there are many things that I have had to overcome. I've had to overcome myself and that bondage of sin that held me and was able to do that only through the blood of Jesus Christ. I still have to overcome the temptations of Satan and what he would have me fall to, but can only succeed through the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood does not only cover, but washes away, cleanses me from the filth of this world. How wonderful is the blood of Jesus! The church in Ephesus was promised the "tree of life" if they would but overcome. He promises us this same tree as well. How amazing is our Lord!!!
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