WHEN A CHURCH FACES PERSECUTION (4 OF 33)
by Jim Perdue
Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11
This content is part of a series.
When a Church Faces Persecution (4 of 33)
Series: Revelation
Jim Perdue
Revelation 2:8-11
Intro/Attention
As we continue our study in the Book of Revelation, we come to the second of the ''seven churches'' in Revelation 2-3. Tonight, we see the church in ''Smyrna'' and learn what happens When A Church Faces Persecution. READ TEXT
Smyrna was a thriving seaport city more than 3,000 years before Christ was born, and it is still a thriving city today. During the time Revelation was written, it was a center of commerce, wealth, and architectural splendor, located about 40 miles north of Ephesus. The city fathers proclaimed it (with typical Chamber of Commerce humility) ''the Pride of Asia.'' Today, the city is called Izmir. It is the third largest city in Turkey and a major international trade center, home to a prominent university and strategic military outposts.
The city of Smyrna was a center of idolatrous emperor worship. As early as A.D. 26, during the reign of Tiberius Caesar. a temple was erected to the emperor, and all the citizens of Smyrna--including Christians--were expected to worship the Roman emperor. If you were a Christian in Smyrna, you were called upon once a year to appear at the temple and either say, ''Caesar is Lord,'' or, ''Jesus is Lord.'' Those who refused to confess Caesar as their Lord were either imprisoned or killed by the sword. So Smyrna was a place of enormous oppression and persecution for the early church. This persecution was inflicted upon the church by the Roman government.
*Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch woman who saved Jews from the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, recalled a childhood incident when she told her father, ''I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to die as a martyr.'' He said, ''When you have to go on a journey, when do I give you the money for the fare-two weeks before?'' ''No Daddy, on the day that I am leaving.'' ''Precisely...and our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things to ...
Series: Revelation
Jim Perdue
Revelation 2:8-11
Intro/Attention
As we continue our study in the Book of Revelation, we come to the second of the ''seven churches'' in Revelation 2-3. Tonight, we see the church in ''Smyrna'' and learn what happens When A Church Faces Persecution. READ TEXT
Smyrna was a thriving seaport city more than 3,000 years before Christ was born, and it is still a thriving city today. During the time Revelation was written, it was a center of commerce, wealth, and architectural splendor, located about 40 miles north of Ephesus. The city fathers proclaimed it (with typical Chamber of Commerce humility) ''the Pride of Asia.'' Today, the city is called Izmir. It is the third largest city in Turkey and a major international trade center, home to a prominent university and strategic military outposts.
The city of Smyrna was a center of idolatrous emperor worship. As early as A.D. 26, during the reign of Tiberius Caesar. a temple was erected to the emperor, and all the citizens of Smyrna--including Christians--were expected to worship the Roman emperor. If you were a Christian in Smyrna, you were called upon once a year to appear at the temple and either say, ''Caesar is Lord,'' or, ''Jesus is Lord.'' Those who refused to confess Caesar as their Lord were either imprisoned or killed by the sword. So Smyrna was a place of enormous oppression and persecution for the early church. This persecution was inflicted upon the church by the Roman government.
*Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch woman who saved Jews from the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, recalled a childhood incident when she told her father, ''I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to die as a martyr.'' He said, ''When you have to go on a journey, when do I give you the money for the fare-two weeks before?'' ''No Daddy, on the day that I am leaving.'' ''Precisely...and our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things to ...
There are 15257 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
