8."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. 9.I know your afflictions(고난) 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. 10.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. 

Why do we believe in God and trust him? Because God is faithful. God is faithful and unchangeable, not shakable. So we can believe in God and his words also. And because God is faithful to us, He also want us to be faithful to Him. The Lord said to the church in Smyrna saying "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

We need to know the situation the Smyrna church had been facing at that time because they were christians. The Smyrna church had been afflicted by a group of Jews. And the situation would be continued at a moment. Perhaps the situation even would go to the point of death.

If the situation comes like this to us.... we may be disappointed and shakable. The Smyrna church might had been praying to God for solving their problems. But the Lord said the situation would go more than what they hoped and even some of them would be put in prison. If the situation like this... how will you do? Are you sure not be shakable? At this point the Lord was asking the Smyrna church "Be faithful, even to the point of death!"

Again, why we should be faithful to the Lord? Because the Lord has been faithful to us. He was same. He is same. He will be same also. God is always faithful. That's why we should be faithful to the Lord. So He has the qualifications to tell us "Be faithful, even to the point of death" Actually He was faithful to us to the point of death. He gave us him as a sacrifice to be killed on the cross for our sins.

Have you ever heard about Martyrdom of Polycarpus? Polycarpus came from Antioch. He was apostle John's disciple and became the elder of Smyrna church at his twenties age. When he was eighties at his age, he arrested and brought before the Roman empire governor. The governor asked him to deny the Lord to be saved. But Polycarpus said him like this.

“I have been his servant for 86 years and he has been faithful to me. He has not been doing anything against me. Then how can I deny Him? How can I be unfaithful to Him?"

To hear this what Polycarpus said to him, the governor command his soldiers to fire him. At last he was burning to death. Not only him but also other 15 young people were killed with him. This Martyrdom of Polycarpus testify that how Smyrna church obeyed to what the Lord asked to them "Be faithful even to the point of death.

At this moment I ask you be faithful to the Lord and be faithful to everything. If you are not faithful.... I am very sorry to say... all you believe... all you have been praying, all you have been desiring... all your hopes in the Lord will be vain. But if you are faithful.... the Lord will reward you and at last the Lord will give you the crown of life. Let us pray together.

[Closing Prayer]

Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithfulness for us. You showed us your faithfulness to the point of death and you again asked us to even to the point of death through the church of Smyrna. You may strengthen our faith to keep our faithfulness to you forever as the Smyrna church so we may receive the crown of life from. I pray in Jesus' name. A-men.