A study of being faithful unto death as Jesus tells the church at Smyrna, Jesus being the faithful witness who has been through what we experience is the only one who can tell us how to be faithful unto death This lesson includes some of the guidance He provided us.

1. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Rev 2:8-10 8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These
things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know
thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the
blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the
synagogue of Satan.
• 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil
shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, and I will give thee
a crown of life. KJV
• The Lord tells us what we will go through to be faithful since He went
through those things while He was here as the faithful witness.
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2. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• We use this passage to teach the need to be faithful to the Lord until
we die, as the Lord says in the passage.
• Before saying that, the Lord notes that He knew their works, that
they had tribulation or anguish and the fact that they were poor.
But He notes they are actually rich, spiritually speaking.
• He tells them not to fear what they are about to suffer and tells
them what that will be.
• They will be cast into prison by the devil, tried and have anguish for
ten days. Then He tells them to be faithful even unto death.
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3. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Rev 12:15-17 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth
water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her
to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped
the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his
mouth. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and
went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which
keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony
of Jesus Christ. KJV
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4. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• John 8:42-44 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye
would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither
came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my
speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his
own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
• 2 Cor 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ. KJV
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5. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• 1 Peter 5:6-9 6 Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in
due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he
careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist
stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are
in the world.
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6. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• We have guidance on how Satan tries to deceive faithful
ones. Let’s start with Jesus
• Matt 4:2-4 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty
nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the
tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God,
command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he
answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God. KJV
• The lust of the flesh
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7. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Matt 4:5-7 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy
city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And
saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge
concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee
up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God. KJV Psalm 91:11-12
• The pride of life
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8. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Matt 4:8-10 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the
kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And
saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if
thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith
Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt thou serve. KJV
• The lust of the eyes
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9. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• John reminds us in:
• 1 John 2:15-17 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he
that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. KJV
• 2 Cor 4:3-4 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine unto them. KJV
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10. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• 2 Cor 2:10-11 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I
forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in
the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us:
for we are not ignorant of his devices. KJV
• Matt 6:14-15 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
• Note: Father forgive them
• Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. KJV
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11. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• John 16:1-3 16 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not
be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time
cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known
the Father, nor me. KJV
• Matt 10:34-38 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I
came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be
they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than
me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and
followeth after me, is not worthy of me. KJV
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12. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Heb 10:23-27 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one
another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching. 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which
shall devour the adversaries. KJV
• 2 Tim 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,
and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto
Dalmatia. KJV
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13. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Heb 5:12-14 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have
need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles
of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them
that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil. KJV
• 2 Tim 2:15-16 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker
who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
• (from The Apologetics Study Bible, Copyright © 2007 by Holman Bible
Publishers. All Rights Reserved.)
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14. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Eccl 12:1-12 Remember your Creator while you are young,
before the days of trouble come and the years when you say,
• "I find no pleasure in them."
• 2 When you get old, the light from the sun, moon, and stars will
grow dark; the rain clouds will never seem to go away.
• 3 At that time your arms will shake and your legs will become
weak. Your teeth will fall out so you cannot chew, and your eyes
will not see clearly. NCV
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15. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Eccl 12:4-5 4 Your ears will be deaf to the noise in the streets,
and you will barely hear the millstone grinding grain. You'll
wake up when a bird starts singing, but you will barely hear
singing.
• 5 You will fear high places and will be afraid to go for a walk.
Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree.
You will limp along like a grasshopper when you walk. Your
appetite will be gone. Then you will go to your everlasting
home, and people will go to your funeral.
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16. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Eccl 12:6-8 6 Soon your life will snap like a silver chain or
break like a golden bowl. You will be like a broken pitcher at
a spring, or a broken wheel at a well.
• 7 You will turn back into the dust of the earth again, but
your spirit will return to God who gave it.
• 8 Everything is useless! The Teacher says that everything is
useless.
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17. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• 2 Cor 4:16-18 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our
outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look
not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal. KJV
• Job 19:26-27 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and
mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be
consumed within me. KJV
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18. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,
saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? KJV
• Heb 13:5-6 5 Be ye free from the love of money; content with such
things as ye have: for himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee,
neither will I in any wise forsake thee. 6 So that with good courage
we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do
unto me? ASV
1 Peter 5:6-7 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand
of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care
upon him; for he careth for you. KJV
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19. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:
behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may
be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. KJV
• Eccl 12:13-14 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is
man's all.
• 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every
secret thing, Whether good or evil. NKJV
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20. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH
• What shall we do?
• John 8:24 Believe
• Luke 13:3 & 5 Repent
• Luke 12:8-9 Confess
• Mark 16:16 Baptized
• John 8:31-32 Continue
• Heb 5:8-9 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the
things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; KJV
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