Church must be relevant for each generation. Being the church always means taking the timeless word of God and letting the Spirit lead us to believe the truth and act on the truth. We are examining Revelation 2-3, the Seven Letters to Seven Churches of the Church Age, the Age in which we live today. This passage teaches us what it means to be the church today.
This Sunday we will be looking at the long-suffering church of Smyrna and examining what it means to face persecution. Some helpful websites about the persecuted church are the following:
Open Doors International The Voice of the Martyrs International Christian Concern In many nations around the world the church faces persecution. Over 245 million Christians live in the worst 50 nations of the world for persecuting the church. We should pray for them and remain informed about what is happening to our brothers and sisters in these places.
But we all face persecution in some way, according to 2 Timothy 3:12. And we must also know how to respond. Today my sermon is about "Overcoming Rejection as a Christian," and our text is Revelation 2:8-11.
Questions for Discussion: Here are some discussion questions you and your family can use:
How much do you know about the persecuted church? How have you seen Christians today in your society face rejection? How does understanding the greatness of the grace of God toward us help us face persecution and rejection? What can we do to help those believers who face rejection and persecution because they are Christians? What does it mean that God answers our prayers according to his will and not according to our requests? Have you ever asked for too little from God? Can you pray for the persecuted church today? Blessings in Christ, Pastor David
