Where are we Where are we going…going…

where have where have we been?we been?

““Blessings Blessings andandCurCur singssings””

Where Where are we are we going…going… where where

have we have we been?been?

The old man was right. We only have a fragment. Life’s mishaps and horrors are only a page out of a grand Book.

We must be slow about drawing conclusions. We must reserve

judgments on life’s storms until we know the whole story.

““Blind Blind andandSeeingSeeing””

Where Where are we are we going…going… where where

have we have we been?been?

•CommissionSmyrSmyr nana-- ““MyrMyr rr hh””

((Bitterness/DeathBitterness/Death))

•The name The name “Smyrna”“Smyrna”

•Commission

•Character

SmyrSmyr

nana

•““The First and the The First and the Last”Last”•““waswas dead, and dead, and isis alive”alive”

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

•This was aThis was a PERSECUTEDPERSECUTED

church.church.

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

The The Person Person DeclaringDeclaring

Proverbs 15:3 – “The eyes of the

LORD are in every place,

beholding the evil and the

good.”

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

The The Point Point DecreedDecreed

•Commission

•Character

SmyrSmyr

nana

•““The First and the The First and the Last”Last”•““waswas dead, and dead, and isis alive”alive”

Philippians 1:27-28 – “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the

gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be

absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit,

with one mind striving together for the faith of the

gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of

God.”

•CommissionSmyrSmyr nana-- ““MyrMyr rr hh””

((Bitterness/DeathBitterness/Death))

•The name The name “Smyrna”“Smyrna”

•Colossians 1:27Colossians 1:27 – “To – “To whom God would whom God would

make known what is make known what is the riches of the glory the riches of the glory of this mystery among of this mystery among the Gentiles; the Gentiles; which is which is

Christ in you, the Christ in you, the hope of gloryhope of glory””

JohnsJohns’ Reaction to ’ Reaction to

JesusJesus

JesusJesus' Reaction to ' Reaction to JohnJohn

““At the feet of At the feet of Jesus”Jesus”

• JohnRevelation

1:17• Jairus

Mark 5:22, Luke 8:41

•MaryJohn 11:32

•Mary MagdaleneLuke 7:38

““At the feet of At the feet of Jesus”Jesus”

•He was a Samaritan

Luke 17:16•A Certain

Woman Mark 7:25

•Great MultitudesMatthew

15:30

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

The The Prison Prison DerailmentDerailment

2nd Timothy 2:8-9 – “Remember that Jesus Christ

of the seed of David was raised from the dead

according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble,

as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not

bound.”

• Un-ForgivenessUn-Forgiveness• BitternessBitterness• WorryWorry• FaithlessnessFaithlessness• DisobedienceDisobedience• The UnknownThe Unknown• Etc…Etc…

• John 1:1John 1:1 – “In the – “In the beginning was the Word, beginning was the Word, and the Word was with and the Word was with God, and God, and the Word was the Word was

GodGod.”.”

• John 1:14John 1:14 – “ – “And the WordAnd the Word (Jesus Christ) (Jesus Christ) was made was made fleshflesh, and dwelt among , and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his us, (and we beheld his

glory, the glory as of the glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the only begotten of the

Father,) full of grace and Father,) full of grace and truth.”truth.”

• Un-ForgivenessUn-Forgiveness• BitternessBitterness• WorryWorry• FaithlessnessFaithlessness• DisobedienceDisobedience• The UnknownThe Unknown• Etc…Etc…

• Ephesians 4:31-32 – “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and

anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as

God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

• 1st Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for

you.”• Philippians 4:6 – “Be careful (worry) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto

God.”

• Proverbs 3:1-7- “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not

mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write

them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the

sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and

lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in

thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

““At the feet of At the feet of Jesus”Jesus”

Revelation 1:18 – “ I am

he that liveth, and was dead;

and, behold, I am alive

for evermore, Amen; and have the

keys of hell and of

death.”

Philippians 2:5-8 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in

Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not

robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no

reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a

man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

•Philippians 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is

gain.”•Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified

with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who

loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Hebrews 12:1-4 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let

us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the

right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such

contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye

have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

2nd Timothy 2:8-9 – “Remember that Jesus Christ

of the seed of David was raised from the dead

according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble,

as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not

bound.”

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

The The Problem Problem DefinedDefined

Colossians 1:23-25 – “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the

gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul

am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,

and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the

church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil

the word of God”

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

The The Proving Proving DemonstratedDemonstrated

Job 23:10Job 23:10 – “But he – “But he knoweth the way knoweth the way that I take: when that I take: when

he hath tried me, I he hath tried me, I shall come forth shall come forth

as gold.”as gold.”

1st Peter 1:71st Peter 1:7 – “That the – “That the trial of your faith, trial of your faith, being being

much more precious than much more precious than of goldof gold that perisheth, that perisheth,

though it be tried with firethough it be tried with fire, , might be found unto might be found unto

praise and honour and praise and honour and glory at the appearing glory at the appearing

of Jesus Christof Jesus Christ””

Matthew 5:14-16Matthew 5:14-16 – “Ye are the – “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is light of the world. A city that is

set on an hill cannot be hid. set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth on a candlestick; and it giveth

light unto all that are in the light unto all that are in the house. house. Let your light so shine Let your light so shine before menbefore men, that they may see , that they may see your good works, and glorify your good works, and glorify

your Father which is in your Father which is in heaven.”heaven.”

• Philippians 2:14-16 – “Do all things without murmurings and

disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons

of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine

as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life;

that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,

neither laboured in vain.”

•Commission•Character•Commendation

SmyrSmyr

nana

The The Period Period DeterminedDetermined

1st Corinthians 10:131st Corinthians 10:13 – – “There hath no temptation “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is taken you but such as is

common to man: but God is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will that ye are able; but will with the temptation also with the temptation also

make a way to escape, that make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”ye may be able to bear it.”

TextText: : Exodus 13 andExodus 13 and

11stst Corinthians 10 Corinthians 10

Our Our Lead!Lead!

•Deuteronomy 1:2 – “There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)”

Why the Why the wildernesswilderness

??

The Exodus is where God brings The Exodus is where God brings meme out of out of EgyptEgypt..

The Wilderness is where God brings The Wilderness is where God brings Egypt Egypt out of out of meme!!

The Two Pillars

The Two PillarsThe Two Pillars:went before them.went before them.

• Exodus 33:9-10 – “And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy the cloudy pillar descended, and stood pillar descended, and stood at the door of the at the door of the tabernacletabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the And all the people saw the cloudy pillar people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people door: and all the people rose up and worshippedrose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.”

The Two PillarsThe Two Pillars:served as a guide.served as a guide.

The Two PillarsThe Two Pillars: adapted to their need. adapted to their need.

• Nehemiah 9:19 – “Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.”

• Exodus 40:36-37 – “And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.”

The Two PillarsThe Two Pillars: was a shelter. was a shelter.

• Numbers 10:33-34 – “And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.”

• Psalms 105:39 – “He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.”

The Two PillarsThe Two Pillars: was a defense. was a defense.

The Two PillarsThe Two Pillars: remained until the remained until the

journey’s end.journey’s end.

• Exodus 40:38Exodus 40:38 – “For the cloud of the LORD – “For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, house of Israel, throughout all their throughout all their journeysjourneys.”.”

• Numbers 9:16Numbers 9:16 – “ – “So it was alwaySo it was alway: the : the cloud covered it by day, and the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.”appearance of fire by night.”

• Matthew 28:20Matthew 28:20 – “Teaching them to observe – “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded all things whatsoever I have commanded you: you: and, lo, I am with you alwayand, lo, I am with you alway, even , even unto the end of the world. Amen.”unto the end of the world. Amen.”

•Deuteronomy 1:2 – “There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)”

1st Corinthians 10:131st Corinthians 10:13 – – “There hath no temptation “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is taken you but such as is

common to man: but God is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will that ye are able; but will with the temptation also with the temptation also

make a way to escape, that make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”ye may be able to bear it.”

1st Corinthians 10:1-5 – “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were

under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto

Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And

did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock

that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the

wilderness.”

To get out of the wilderness you got

to have:

1. 1. A Desire for CanaanA Desire for Canaan. . (The Abundant (The Abundant

Life)Life)John 10:10(b) - “… I am come that they might

have life,, and that they might have it more

abundantly.”

To get out of the wilderness you got to

have:2. A Disdain for Egypt.

(The World/ World’s System)

To get out of the wilderness you got to

have:3. 3. A Denial of Self.A Denial of Self.

John 5:45-47 – “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he for he wrote of Me.wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?”

““Blind Blind andandSeeingSeeing””

Where Where are we are we going…going… where where

have we have we been?been?