Letter to Smyrna | Pastor Dalton Stoltz | Liberty Live Church

Well, beginning reading in Revelation chapter two, it says, and to the angel of the church in Smyrna write.

I want you to understand that Smyrna was a real city.

It's actually still a real city today in Western Turkey.

It is a real city.

This is a real church.

And they received the shortest letter from Jesus here in the book of Revelation.

It says, the words of the first and the last who died and came to life.

Listen, before Jesus tells them anything else, he reminds them about who he is.

He says, I am the first and the last.

This is a divine title.

This is a title that we see used throughout Scripture when talking about Jesus Christ.

In fact, 800 years prior to this recording, it was said in the prophet Isaiah, Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I am the first and I am the last.

Besides me, there is no God.

We also see it earlier in Revelation.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead, but he laid his right hand on me saying, fear not, I am the first and the? And the living one.

I died and behold, I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and Hades.

I want you to understand this morning that that Jesus died a real literal death.

But I also wanna remind you this morning that Jesus rose from the dead and he is alive forevermore.

He's alive.

And so you might ask the question, why is he mentioning this to these believers who are suffering? Well, he's mentioning this, he's reminding them, hey, listen, where you're going, I've already been.

I've already been there.

There's nothing that you're going to face that I haven't already faced.

He has been there.

Now I wanna tell you about Smyrna just for a brief moment.

It's about 35 miles north of Ephesus.