The Church of Smyrna

Last week, we took a look at Jesus’ message to the Church of Ephesus. We learned that they had “forsaken their first love.” We also learned that the Ephesian church is a strong example that works and doctrinal orthodoxy cannot make up for a cold hard heart. Today, we move on to the Church of Smyrna. We find that they along with the Church of Philadelphia are the only two churches that didn’t receive a rebuke in their letters. Smyrna is the only one of the seven cities still in existence. It is modern-day Izmir and is around 35 miles north of Ephesus on the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea. Smyrna along with several other cities claim to be the birthplace of the great epic poet Homer. Our message is titled: “The Church of Smyrna” Our points will be: Jesus Knows Our Sufferings Jesus Encourages His Church Jesus Promises Eternal Life Main Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11 Supporting Texts:  Hebrews 4:15, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 48:12, John 10:33, Galatians 1:1, 1 Peter 3:18, John 2:19, Psalm 23:5, Revelation 3:17, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Romans 9:6, Matthew 16:24-26, Matthew 10:28, John 3:18, James 1:22, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 20:6 Diving Deeper. After listening to today's message, consider asking yourself the following questions: Why don’t we like to suffer? Read and explain James 1:2-3. Why does Jesus, over and over, seek to encourage His church? How has Jesus encouraged you? Explain what eternal life is from your study of God’s Word.