Tough Times To Go!

(Revelation 2:8-11)

If we, as a church, resolve to be spiritually alive, and to rekindle our honeymoon love for Jesus Christ once again, Satan will attack.

He will do everything he can to demoralize and defeat us.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. 

He attacked the church at Smyrna (Rev. 2:9) with a________________ and

p________________

To a church that’s about to undergo an intense time of spiritual battle, Jesus gives two words of encouragement.

FIRST, WE CAN TAKE COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT WE AREN’T BEING ASKED TO ________________ SOMETHING THAT JESUS DIDN’T ________________ HIMSELF 

REALIZE THAT SATAN IS LIMITED IN _____________ HE CAN ATTACK 

In the case of Smyrna, Satan was limited in three ways

✘ He was unable to affect their ________________condition (Rev 2:9)

I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich!

✘ Satan is also limited in the ________________and ________________ of his attack (Rev. 2:10)

I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.

✘ Satan is limited in the ________________ of the attack 

He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. He will be faithful to us on the day of resurrection... (Rev. 2:11)

Satan has the power to rock your life with tests and adversity. Satan has the power to rock this church to its foundations.  The question is, when that happens to each of us individually, or all of us together, will you endure the test? Will I endure the test? Will we together endure the test?