8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
The Church of Smyrna symbolizes faithfulness, as Jesus understands our tribulations and trials and encourages us to remain faithful until the end. He says, "I am the First and the Last, and the One who died and came to life," emphasizing that He shares in our suffering. We must overcome persecution through faith, accept the life of Jesus, and become witnesses who shine His light into the world. This image of the church serves as an important lesson for us today.
The Church of Smyrna is a church that overcame persecution through faith
Six days of devotions drawn from this Sunday's sermon — one for each day, Monday through Saturday.
The church in Smyrna speaks with the authority of Jesus, who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life. We must emulate His faithfulness and keep our faith until the end.
Five quick questions from this Sunday's message. Tap an answer to see if you're right.
The church of Smyrna is known as the 'Faithful church,' and Jesus did not rebuke them.
Preacher: Pastor Baek Yeon-taek
Date: October 4, 2026
Today, we will use the words from Revelation under the title "He Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear," with the subtitle "Learning from the Seven Churches," to share the story of the church in Smyrna. The Smyrna church is known as a faithful church. Nevertheless, let us take a moment to reflect on the previous topic. Throughout September, we shared messages centered around the theme of witnesses. Witnesses, do you remember? Being a witness is very important. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told us that we would be His witnesses. He said we would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Now, I have mentioned several times that we are a different kind of witness than what the world speaks of. What is a witness? What is a witness? This is a question we must ask ourselves. To testify about Jesus, we must have had an experience of meeting Him, right? Although we have not met Jesus directly, we encounter the Word, who is Jesus, through the Bible given to us by God. And we come to know Jesus. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are led to meet Jesus more personally. Therefore, we must remember that without knowing God's Word, we cannot be witnesses for Jesus. Without the Word, we can never be witnesses for Jesus. Yes, prayer is also very important. However, there must be the Word so that prayer can gain strength and we can meet Jesus more deeply through that prayer. Yes, amen.
Now, the Apostle Paul, who did not meet Jesus directly, was in the same position as us. The Apostle Paul lived in the same era as Jesus but never met Him face to face. However, on the road to Damascus, he encountered Jesus, who appeared as light. And he came to understand Jesus deeply, realizing the mission given to him and was led to live as a witness. The Apostle Paul already had the law of God, that is, the Word of God, in his heart. Because of that Word, he could clearly hear the voice calling him and follow that Word to become a true witness. Let me say it again. Without the Word, we can never be witnesses. Yes, I hope you do not forget this point.
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