Smyrna is known as "The Suffering Church" During the history of the church there was probably no church that suffered more. Foxes Book of Martyrs has estimated that nearly 5 million Christians lost their lives under 10 Caesars (From Nero to Diocletian) The Causes that Christ told John to write about were 1. Pressures (to worship Caesar above God) Compromise and Cave in. 2. Poverty, make Believers so poor and destitute as to literally starve them to death. 3. Persecution, the other 'religious' leaders slandered and ridiculed their faith. Christ had some harsh words to say about them. When the believers would not compromise, they were boiled, burned, crucified and torn apart by wild animals! Will you compromise and cave in? The Lord told the Believers at Smyrna t o 1. Be fearless and 2. Be faithful What would the Lord say about the Church today?