Letters to the Churches

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
October 28,2009
LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES - Part 3

I. AUDIENCE IDENTITY - The Angel of the Church at SMYRNA
A. The City - Today is known as Izmir, Turkey. Beautiful and wealthy city; good deep harbor; stately public buildings on the hill of Syrmna made it look like a crown; a street of "gold" curved around the lower part of this hill and had a temple at either end of the curve with other temples along the way giving it a necklace-like appearance. It was a city of learning especially in medicine and science; Homer, the Greek poet, spent his early years here; the protecting deity was known as Sybeline Mother. identified with Nemesis, the goddess of retributive justice. Emperor worship was made mandatory here and persecutions of resistant Christians become normal. Polycarp, at age 86, was burned alive here as a martyr. A large Jewish population resisted the gospel and was only too ready to turn in Christians for the practice of their faith and was even know to incite the governor to attack them.
B. The Church - its founding is unknown; it may have happened during Paul's three year stay in Ephesus. The church in Syrmna was a dangerous place to live and practice the faith
"
II. SPEAKER'S IDENTITY AND AUTHORITY TO SPEAK - The One who is
the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life


III. MESSAGE
A. His acknowledgements of their existing conditions
1. Works, tribulation and poverty (though, in His view, they were rich
2. Those who say they are Jews and are actually a synagogue of Satan

B. His acknowledgement of future conditions and His recommendations
1. You are about to suffer
Mt 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets
who were before you. (NKJV)

Ac 5:40-42 And they agreed with him, and when they had
called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded
that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let
them go. So they departed from the presence of the council,
rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame
for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (NKJV)

Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. (NKJV)

Phil 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of
Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for
His sake,

2 Tit 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution.

Heb 10:32 But recall the former days in which, after you
were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with
sufferings:

1 Pe 2:19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience
toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.
1 Pe 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for
your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good
and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable
before God.
1 Pe 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should
follow His steps:
1 Pe 2:23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in
return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but
committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
1 Pe 3:14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness'
sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their
threats, nor be troubled."

1 Pe 3:17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
1 Pe 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
1 Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
1 Pe 4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
1 Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
1 Pe 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not
be ashamed, but let him glory in God in this matter.
1 Pe 4:19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

JESUS AND SUFFERING
Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. ~

2. The Devil is about to throw some of you into prison for testing
3. You will have tribulation for 10 "days"
4. Do not fear any of the things you are about to suffer
5. Be faithful unto death and He will give you a crown of life; cf. James 1:12


APPLICATIONS:
Roman persecution, their conditions
The Christian confidence, allegiance and loyalty to the coming King and another Kingdom were seen as a threat to the state. The churches were living out this hope and refusing more and more to have anything to do with the state. They would not serve in the army to serve imperial Rome's goals; they would not offer incense as an offering to Caesar; they would not participate in government or politics. They saw the Roman state as corrupted and not salvageable; they were waiting for the new age and the new kingdom that was coming. This was considered sedition and treason by the state and persecutions arose that would decimate the Christian population. Still, the numbers of new believers grew and the church prospered!
What are believers being called on to do for the state today that is a contradiction to the Kingdom of God which we are to seek first and foremost?

What is faith in Christ, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, costing us in this world today? The godly WILL suffer persecution. What will it cost in the near future??

IV. PROMISE TO THOSE WHO OVERCOME - The one overcoming shall not be hurt by the second death
A. They would be a part of the first resurrection: those who are resurrected at Jesus' coming for them, i.e. the Rapture if they kept the faith and overcame the wicked one and his system.
Re 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (NKJV)
1 Co 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (NKJV)

1 Th 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (NKJV)

2 Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,
4 So that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you,
7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,
8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. (NKJV)

B. What of those who did not keep the faith and overcame.? Was He implying that those who did not overcome were actually not believers and word be "hurt by the second death"?
Re 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found wriUen in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (NKJV)

Col 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight--
23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. (NKJV)

Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and
done many wonders in Your name?'
23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (NKJV)
Mt 13:18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:
19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
20 "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 "yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
22 "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (NKJV)

V. CALL TO THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO LISTEN