“Seven” week 4

Joy’s Notes:

Seven week 4

Smyrna

Not the last week!

—————

God,

“ the things I’m afraid of, are afraid of You!”

“I want to be like John and just spend the rest of my days with my head leaned against Jesus’ chest.”

—————

SONG:

Come Jesus come!

Or…. Kate Nicole “Hold on.”

——

LAST WEEK SUMMARY:

(#1 Letter to Ephesus)

“You’ve left your first love…”

Last week- “lost first love”

This is most important to God, — because when he said to Peter “do you love me “then feed/tend my sheep!”

    ⁃    If we don’t love God, we won’t be attending and feeding his sheep

    ⁃    The enemies fine with us going to church and Bible studies, but the minute we start disabling others, he knows we are a threat!!!

    ⁃    If our church is just Duty, habit & projects & programs & accomplishing & working= Jesus is not impressed with that!

    ⁃    all of that is good= but from overflow of our RESPONSE to His love!

    ⁃    Love for Him is the foundation.  Without foundation, the church will crumble.

———————————-

LETTER TO SMYRNA:

    •    40 Miles north Ephesus)

    •    This city still exists today as a “major city!

    •    This city of Smyrna has the highest population of Christian’s in Turkey today!

     👇

    •    today this city is called Izmir

—————-

(Jesus is writing to a “church” who is suffering greatly)

Can you relate?? Then tonight is for you

________

This letter- “no complaints”

Psalm 34:18 ‘The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.’

THEY REFUSED COUNTERFEIT COMFORTS FOR THE COMFORTER (their first love)

——-

Rev 2:8

“ to the angel of the church in Smyrna, these are the words of Him who is the first and the last,

who died and came to life again.” (THE RESURRECTION JESUS)

    •    Jesus begins His letter posturing hearts to REMEMBER

         who He is and what He’s like!

🔥In your suffering— If we don’t know WHO GOD IS & WHAT HE’s LIKE… we’re going down!!!!

       👇

“I am the FIRST & LAST!”

    •    He’s the everlasting to everlasting God!

    •    He’s the CREATOR & FINISHER

    •    He’s the AUTHOR & FINISHER of our faith! (Heb 12:2)

—————

Rev 2:8 cont…

“….Who died and came to life again.”

    •    smyrna was a city that was once was demolished (600 bc)— & then rebuilt by Alexander the Great.

    •    All it’s literature from Smyrna is filled with references of being a city that “once was dead but now is alive”

🔥 “God doesn’t just make bad people good, he makes dead people alive!”

🔥If you could take one person to a grave sight to raise someone from the dead — who would it be?

    ⁃    a great communicator? (who can plagerize other sermons & deliver it with ‘power.’)

    ⁃    A Christian influencer?

    ⁃    A good entertainer at church?

    ⁃    A great story teller at church?

       👇

“For they loved human praise— more than praise from God.” -Jesus (John 12:13)

Our world (church pews) are filled with DEAD people He wants to make ALIVE!

    ⁃    We’d choose someone who KNOWS THE POWER of Jesus— & is intimately ABIDING in the One who raises the dead!  (Fruits— not talent/gifts)

“Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life & who creates new things out of nothing.  Even when there was NO reason for hope, he KEPT HOPING."

    ⁃    Romans 4:17-20

    •    It’s the “resurrection theme” Jesus uses to get the attention of the Smyrna church who are suffering in the city of Smyrna

———

MYRRH:

    •    Smyrna was known for having & selling a fragrance spice called myrrh

       👇

(That’s why they get their name- sMYRna)

    •    Myrrh was used in the embalming process to preserve body for its afterlife (Egypt was largest consumer)

       👇

    •    The WISE MEN— brought Myrrh (which probably came from Smyrna)

       👇

    •    JESUS was wrapped in linen & anointed him with Myrrh (this probably came from Smyrna as well)

No wonder Jesus begins His letter with this theme:

   👇

To the church of Smyrna- who may face death for Him; WOULD BE RESURRECTED to a far better life!

———

Rev 2:9

“(1)  I know

  (2) your afflictions

  (3) and your poverty,  yet you are rich!

(1) “I know”

    •    “I KNOW”=  He begins all 7 of His letters with “I know.”

Do you know Jesus says to your circumstances, pain… “I know.”

Renée brown once said: “the killer of shame is EMPATHY (“I know)

    👇

But no human empathy can rid shame!

    ⁃    BUT JESUS EMPATHY CAN🙌

      👇

    ⁃    Heb 4:15-16

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

EMPATHY

EM= IN

pathos= pain

IN-PAIN= empathy

Jesus wasn’t afraid to enter into peoples pain WITH them! (He IS the remedy)

    •    revelation 1, Jesus is walking along the lampstands, reminding us that he is “PRESENT “ among us! (INTENSELY aware what we’re under)

❤️Jesus is letting them know he’s aware of their great affliction and the heaviness of false slander against them 🥲

He knows the WEIGHT of their affliction

He knows the WEIGHT of their poverty

He knows the WEIGHT of the slander against them.

———

(2) “i know your AFFLICTIONS …”

    •    the Greek word for “affliction/tribulation” was a form of ancient torture where they placed a person on their back & placed weights on a persons chest until they crushed him & no longer could breathe.

the WEIGHTS OF AFFLICTION (for Smyrna church) :

    1.    Poverty

    2.    Slandered by local Jews (Their community)

    3.    Imprisonment & death

Jesus quoted David’s psalm 22:1 while on the Cross

    👇

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ... Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”

-“MY” God.

Even in David’s distress, He never lets go that God is his God (called Him “MY GOD”)

🔥 🔥you are not being PUNISHED your being PREPARED!!!🔥🔥

•James 1:2-4

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

•1 Peter 4:12-13

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

•Romans 5:3-4

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

    •    You would NOT be the person you are today (your empathy, compassion, deity, wisdom…) without that suffering !

NOTHING IS WASTED in the Kingdom of God

👉If we’re to share in Gods glory, we’re to share in His Suffering. (rom 8:17)

Discples would rejoice when they were able to suffer for the same of a Christ

“This is not the time to run FROM him, but to run TO Him!”

    •    When Mary saw Jesus - (in DEEP anguish)she thought he was just a normal Gardner.

What looks like commonality with our hurting human eyes, just may be the very remedy seen through our spiritual eyes

    👇

(She saw RESURRECTED Jesus in her anguish)

    •    Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego SAW Jesus in their furnace of suffering)

Elijah SAW Jesus in his depression ….

… & Countless others!

    •    suffering can make you BETTER or it can make you BITTER

☀️ 2 cor 4:6-10

“For God, who said, “Let there be LIGHT in the darkness,” has made this LIGHT shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

We now have this LIGHT shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.

This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We are PRESSED on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

10 Through suffering (through PRESSING) our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus (LIGHT) may also be seen in our bodies.”

——

(3) “…I know your poverty… but your are RICH!

…. But YOU ARE RICH!

    •    this blows prosperity gospel out of the water!

    •    Luke 12:15 “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

🤯 Jesus put JUDAS in charge of the “moneybag.” (John 12:6)

          👇

ON PURPOSE- to show HE DID NOT FIND VALUE IN MONEY!

Our value is found in the RICHNESS OF HIM!!!!

Matt 5:3

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

    👇

When I’m poor= I realize my NEED for HIm!

🔥Are you POOR???

    •    I’m now POOR of idolatry

    •    I’m POOR of gossip

    •    I’m POOR of bitterness

    •    I’m POOR of unforgiveness

    •    I’m POOR of fear

    •    I’m POOR of Shame

    •    I’m POOR of anger

    •    I’m POOR of unbelief

    •    POOR self righteousness

    •    Poor of pride

    •    Poor of striving

    •    Poor of selfishness

    •    Poor of cowardlessness

    •    Poor of purposelessness

    •    Poor of hopelessness!

AND.. because of my POORNESS—

I now recognize my NEED for Him and the Kingdom of God is mine!

    ⁃    STORY = apartment behind house- kids drop off one toy. Shea wanted to leave his brand new crocs, too😳

    ⁃    “That felt good in my heart mommy.”

         👇

My son was POOR OF GREED!

      👇

And RICH W/ SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY♥️

———

Rev 2.9 (cont…)

“… I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews & are not, but they are a synagogue of Satan.”

    •    SLANDER = the Christian’s were being deeply slandered by other “jews” for their love of Christ.

    ⁃    SLANDER= “lying (https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-lying-sin.html) about someone with the intent of causing others to view that person in a negative light.”

    •    the SLANDER against Smyrna Christian’s:

    1.    They had wild orgies at their gatherings

    2.    They were cannibalistic’s (because Jesus said to eat his flesh and drink his blood)

    3.    They called each other, brother and sister.  Therefore, anti-family.

SLANDER:

    •    Slander is so high on God’s list of wrongs that He included it in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:16 (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Exod%2020.16)) The 9th commandment says, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

    •    Those who SLANDER= Jesus considers no longer a church: but a “synagogue of satan.”

      👇

John 8:44

(Jesus is talking to the ‘religious leaders)

“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do evil things he does.  He was a murderer from

the beginning.  He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, it’s consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Here in America , slander is what we do!

— we don’t see slander as the “synagogue of Satan” !!

————-

Rev 2:10

“ do not be afraid of what you were about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you….”

    •    prison was being thrown in a rat-infested dungeon w/ little light & no food.

Death:

given to wild beasts in public arena

—- or—-

Burned at the stake, etc.

HORRIFIC WAYS TO Die🥲 for Christian’s

Rev 12:11

“They triumphed over the enemy by the (1) blood of the Lamb, (2) by the word of their testimony AND they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death!

HEAVEN:

“ Heaven is a place of “no mores.”

There will be:

no more tears,

no more pain,

no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4 (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rev%2021.4)).

no more separation, (because death will be conquered -Revelation 20:6 (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rev%2020.6)).

Heaven will be a “sensory explosion.” Colors,

sounds,

music,

smells....

NO SUN NEEDED — God is there ☀️

There will be:

Millions upon millions of angels all around His throne singing “ worthy is the lamb who is slaughtered, to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honor and glory and blessing.” (Rev 5:12)

HEAVEN: is the ultimate destination our souls were made to CRAVE!

    •    It’s only there we’ll finally be WHOLE

“ I can only imagine:” song lyrics:

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk by Your side.

I can only imagine

What my eyes would see

When Your face is before me

I can only imagine…

When Im Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You Jesus

Or in awe of You will i be still?

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees, will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine.

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine…

———

Rev 2:10 cont…(2)

“And you will suffer persecution for 10 days. Be faithful, even to the point of death…”

    •    10 days— a metaphore for “just a little while.”

John 12:25

“Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who HATE their life in this world will keep it for eternity.”

     👇

“Hate”— (last week recap) we’re to HATE the spirit of anything that wants to take the place of our first love!!!!

    ⁃    clinging to this life can become an idol… that strips us from our FIRST LOVE!

———

Rev 2:10 cont…(3)

“…and I will give you the crown of life.”

    •    This city was known as the crown of Asia

    •    the crown was the SYMBOL of this city (it was on their coins)

CROWNS= given when they won a game or work at festivities!

    •    Smyrna Christian’s: we’re never allowed to “wear a crown.”

    •    but Jesus told them: you will have a CROWN of life!

2Tim 4:8

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness...”

🌳🌳🌳

INTERESTING:

The leaves/branches of tree is called the CROWN.

DEEP ROOTS of faith= produce a CROWN of righteousness.

   👇

    •    Isaiah 61:3

(have them personalize this verse!)

“To ALL who mourn:

You’ll be given a crown of beauty for your ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

a festive praise instead of despair.

In your righteousness, you will be like great oaks 🌳 that the LORD has planted for his own glory.  

You will rebuild the ancient ruins,

you will repair cities destroyed long ago.

You will revive them, though they’ve been deserted for many generations.”

—>YOU are an OAK!

(Tap roots have longest roots!!)

    👇

Stable, sure, strong & secure — for WHEN the storm/ drought comes through  

    👇

Psalm 1:3

“They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”

    ⁃    This was SMYRNA ♥️🌳

    ⁃    & He found NO COMPLAINT IN THEM…. Just go quietly on ….♥️

Rev 2:11 “ whoever has ears, let them hear what the spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt- AT ALL  by the second death.”

    •    pray for EARS TO HEAR

    •    John 16:33  “I have told you these things

, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

———

QUESTION:

How have your own sufferings fueled your faith?