Flourish over Fear
Brian Fletcher
Revelation 2:8-11
Intro:
The city of Smyrna is located on an arm of the Aegean Sea, and was a rival of Ephesus. It claimed to be the "First city of Asia in beauty and size." A gloriously picturesque city, it sloped up from the sea and its splendid public buildings onto the rounded top of the hill Pagos formed what was known as "the crowns of Smyrna". The westerly breeze, the zephyr, comes from the sea and blows through every part of the city rendering it fresh and cool even during the summer. From the very beginning of Rome's rise to power, even before its days of greatness, Smyrna was its loyal ally and was recognized as such by Rome. The faithfulness and loyalty of the Smyrnians became proverbial.
There is a pattern in Scripture that helps us understand certain passages, to know what they mean and how to apply them to our lives. The pattern involves asking three questions:
1. Who is God?
2. Who am I?
3. What am I called to do?
I think the letter to the seven churches follows this pattern and will be helpful for us to learn, grow, and be transformed by it. As Andrew mentioned last week, we often talk about how the Bible is meant not to just inform us with knowledge but to transform us by the power of the message, the gospel.
This morning we are going to look at this brief letter to the Christians in Smyrna by asking these three questions:
Who is God? Jesus is God, the first and last, the one who died and came to life again.
1. Jesus is the Redeemer and Conqueror.
2. Who am I? I am known and loved by Jesus
3. What am I called to do? I am called not to fear but to flourish
Let's start with the first part of the letter:
1. Jesus is the Redeemer and Conqueror
Jesus says this about himself, "I am the first and the last, who died and came to life. What does Jesus mean when he says he is the "first and last"?
Jesus is identifying himself as the eternal Redeemer who has conquered death by rising ...
Brian Fletcher
Revelation 2:8-11
Intro:
The city of Smyrna is located on an arm of the Aegean Sea, and was a rival of Ephesus. It claimed to be the "First city of Asia in beauty and size." A gloriously picturesque city, it sloped up from the sea and its splendid public buildings onto the rounded top of the hill Pagos formed what was known as "the crowns of Smyrna". The westerly breeze, the zephyr, comes from the sea and blows through every part of the city rendering it fresh and cool even during the summer. From the very beginning of Rome's rise to power, even before its days of greatness, Smyrna was its loyal ally and was recognized as such by Rome. The faithfulness and loyalty of the Smyrnians became proverbial.
There is a pattern in Scripture that helps us understand certain passages, to know what they mean and how to apply them to our lives. The pattern involves asking three questions:
1. Who is God?
2. Who am I?
3. What am I called to do?
I think the letter to the seven churches follows this pattern and will be helpful for us to learn, grow, and be transformed by it. As Andrew mentioned last week, we often talk about how the Bible is meant not to just inform us with knowledge but to transform us by the power of the message, the gospel.
This morning we are going to look at this brief letter to the Christians in Smyrna by asking these three questions:
Who is God? Jesus is God, the first and last, the one who died and came to life again.
1. Jesus is the Redeemer and Conqueror.
2. Who am I? I am known and loved by Jesus
3. What am I called to do? I am called not to fear but to flourish
Let's start with the first part of the letter:
1. Jesus is the Redeemer and Conqueror
Jesus says this about himself, "I am the first and the last, who died and came to life. What does Jesus mean when he says he is the "first and last"?
Jesus is identifying himself as the eternal Redeemer who has conquered death by rising ...
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