Smyrna - Revelation 2-3: The 7 Churches

Sermon

Text: Revelation 2:8-11

Title: Smyrna

PP: Christians are called by Christ to faithfully endure suffering and persecution.

RTL:

Points:

1. Expect to Face Suffering in Your Christian Life (v.9)

2. Take Comfort in God’s Character (vv.8-9a)

a. His Omniscience (v.9a)

b. His Eternality (v.8b)

c. His Omnipotence (v.8b)

3. Be Encouraged by the Promises of Christ (vv.9b-11)

a. You are Spiritually Rich (v.9b)

b. Tests are Meant to Strengthen You (v.10b)

c. Death Has Been Defeated (v.11)

d. God Will Reward You (v.10c)

Intro:

Well growing up I was never too much into sports … I did play soccer and flag football … but as you might know team sports can be difficult sometimes

Playing on team is difficult in itself … having to be on the same page with your teammates… I remember there was one soccer season in particular that I learned this the most

There happened a kid on my team who I’m sure had never played soccer before … i quickly found this out in our first game of the season

Whistle goes off … he’s on defense … we’re playing … ball goes to our side … he touches the ball … dribbles it … and scores … in our own goal!

And it’s not like we just watched it happen without saying anything … we were yelling at him to stop … the coach would be yelling … the parents would be yelling … telling him he’s going the wrong way

I just remember our team being shocked at what just happened … what’s more wild … is that this happened a few times during the season … idk what was going on … but he was just going the opposite way he was supposed to be going

I want you to just imagine … that we’d flip this scenario … he actually knew the correct way to go …(to score on the other team) … but for some reason he happened to be the only one who knew this … everyone else on the team including those watching … were wanting to go the opposite way … to score on our own team …

So when he’d get the ball … he’d be doing the right thing … trying to score on the other team … and of course … the team, the coach, the soccer moms, soccer dads … would be yelling at him about how he was wrong

The one who was doing the right thing … was being opposed by everyone else… that was wrong

I don’t know about you guys … but most of the Christian life can feel like this

After having our eyes enlightened to the glory of Christ in the gospel and seeking to be faithful ambassadors for Christ … we face opposition

Scripture describes this opposition as suffering and persecution.

Jesus promised that in the world you will have tribulation …

We can’t ever be think we are the exception or that that’s only for people who go off to another country & become missionaries

No that’s for you and me!

If we don’t get this we’re going to think that our Christian lives are going to just be easy and we’ll coast … no boldness … also you won’t make an impact for Jesus

As followers of Christ we are called to faithfully endure suffering and persecution.

Today we’re going to look at the words of Jesus to the church of Smyrna … that’s gonna help us be faithful in difficult times

If you have a Bible … Turn with me to Revelation 2:8-11

If you have ever read these letters to the 7 churches … you know most of them are warnings

the church in Smyrna is different … (one of 2 that does not get reprimanded but receive commendation)

Jesus is actually happy with them and encourages them to press on (the other being Philadelphia)

So instead of learning from their mistakes … lets learn from what they were doing right and how they were being obedient

READ

Now the city is actually still there today … now Izmir in modern day Turkey

At the time Smyrna was known for its strong fidelity to Rome

and bc the city was under Roman rule they were required to offer sacrifices to Ceasar as god

Christians in Smyrna would were not willing to do that … when they said no … they faced prison and death

The Jews only would instigate the situation by slandering Christians and making up lies about them

Hence the C’s in Smyrna were dealing with persecution and suffering

Living as C’s in the 21 century … if we desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus … 2 Tim. 3:12 .. says that you will be persecuted

We just need to understand that … if you want to be a faithful follower of Christ … you will suffer and be persecuted

… maybe not in the same way as this … but to some extent you will

So let’s expect suffering

1. Expect to Face Suffering in Your Christian Life (v.9)

What kinds of suffering were they going through? … He gives us 4 types

1. Tribulation = pressure (crushes you in)

pressure when you say I am going to be obedient to Christ … I am going to take a stand for him

The pressure you feel from culture to change what you believe about truth … about gender … about morality

Pressure to compromise

Pressure from others to soften the truth about hell and the afterlife

It’s times when say that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life …

when you say that there is “no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” …

when you tell your friends that they are in the darkness … you upset them

Losing friends because of your faith in Jesus …

2. Poverty = materially poor (did not have very much)

3. Slander = For us these are the comments you get at work for being that little Christian …

for believing in a 3,000 year old book …

getting made fun of … going behind your back and being talked about

Facing ridicule with your professors or peers in your classes

In their day it was “those who said they were Jews” but really were not … it’s like they were working for Satan bc they would oppose the Christians … they slandered them

They thought they were on God’s side … but really were not … they were self- deceived

For you … People around you that say they are also C’s … but don’t agree with you about being so vocal about your faith …

they are fine with not telling anyone to repent because that’s not very nice to say

They are the ones that will say “chill out” … they will oppose you bc you are for the truth

For some of you … this might be people in your own family

4. Being thrown into Prison

This does not sound good … not fun

What’s with all the opposition?

I mean after all they were following Christ, they were obeying Christ, doing what he says

and yet there were being met with trials and tribulations

Well our oldest book in our Bibles … tells about a man who was also faithful to God and experienced tremendous suffering and pain

God says that in a relative sense … he was blameless

And it’s this godly guy who experiences suffering

If you’re familiar with the story of Job you know that there is a person behind all his suffering

Someone who’s goal is to seek, kill, and destroy … our adversary, the devil … our great opponent

Who acts like roaring lion, prowling around, seeking Christ followers to devour

Your fresh meat for him … he’s angry … and frustrated … and he will do anything to oppose you

Did you notice the involvement between God and the devil in our passage… that God knows exactly what will happen (v.10)

“Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.”

God is not caught off guard by what the devil is instigating here … he fully understands this is what is going to happen

He sees it … he certainly knows it … and allows it … yet the persecution is attributed to who? … The devil

God’s never culpable of evil … he does know it … allows it … and sovereignly superintends it … but is not the doer of it

The devil is the doer opposing Christ’s followers through wicked men

We have to remember that the devil is active and present …

this is what Jesus is saying … that persecution and Christians suffering for their faith … is a work of the devil

The devil would love nothing more than to silence Christians … to keep you quiet

what we see here is that he does that through persecution, hardships, and opposition … keeping you afraid

Why does this all happen?

Well we live in a post Gen 3 world

a fallen … broken world

we live in world that suffers the consequences of sin

sin is the dominating factor in our world

we live in world full of bad things happening to bad people

Bodies not working how they should … diseases, illnesses, death

Natural disasters happening around us = a world that is messed up

People hurting each other … choosing sin

suffering in a general sense … is a regular occurence because of the effects of sin on our world and in people

Now when we get saved by God and we now start to live for him … everyone else does not like that

Your suffering and affliction only increases … bc now you face opposition!

See we all start on team Satan … when God moves us to team Jesus … there’s hostility from the team we were on before

Jesus says to us “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20)

This is why Jesus says to sit down and count the cost of following him

he illustrates this by saying whoever desires to build a tower … first sits down and contemplates … “ok how much will this cost me … what supplies do I need … how am I going to do this”

see if you want to follow Jesus … you have to know what you’re getting yourself into … maybe that’s you

Christianity is not sunshines and rainbows all the time

it’s not like … when you watch a Dreamworks movie … and at the beginning you see that kid up in the clouds … fishing … just taking easy

there’s hardships and difficulties that you wouldn’t encounter if you weren’t on Jesus’ team

“then why be a follower of Christ” … because there is forgiveness of sins found in no one else … true fulfillment in knowing your maker

Now if you are a Christian

Has your commitment to Christ made an impact in your different spheres of life?

Have you been vocal enough to even receive any opposition?

Do you shy away when you need to speak up … or when you have that opportunity to tell others about Christ do you just keep quiet

Do the people around you (besides church) know that you are commited to follow what Christ says in his Word? And that you will stand for what is right and true?

If not … you just need to recognize that our culture and society is not going to go easier on us … it’s getting harder and harder … Jesus calls you to be bold

Well after expecting to regularly face suffering … God gives us comfort as we deal with this hard reality …

what he does is … gives us a description of himself

Revelation 2:8–9 ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “ ‘I know your tribulation”

What we need to do is take comfort in how Christ reveals himself here

2. Take Comfort in God’s Character (vv.8-9a)

Back in elementary school there were a few times during the year … where your parents would visit the school …they’d come to watch you perform in a concert … or perform in a play … or back to school night

Which actually … when I was really young … I liked back to school night … showing your parents your projects … showing them around the classroom … I also remember liking it because my dad was at my school …

For some reason … pulling up to the classroom with my dad was the coolest thing for me … and I love my dad

If I was ever having a hard time with any other students …not getting along with them … that day was the day that I felt the most confident … and assured … and safe … because I had my dad with me …

This same feeling I felt … is the same way God wants us be comforted here … by understanding who our God really is

Look at v.9a … “I know your tribulation”

Christ let’s us know that he knows … IOW that he is Omniscient

Letter A … we should take comfort in God’s omniscience

a. His Omniscience (v.9a)

Back in Exodus 2 when Israel was enslaved in Egypt … they groaned and cried out for help …for God to deliver them

Exodus 2:25 “God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”

The same God … 3,000 years later … knows your pain

And I know this doesn’t take away the pain

… But this is what want sometimes

We can see this when we go to our close friends to hear us out … to express our hurt

Think of that season you’ve gone through where those close to you … made the difference by being there for you

Now imagine the God of the universe … knowing exactly how you feel … in the suffering we have gone through and will go through for following Christ

Tears you’ve shed … the struggle you’ve gone through over that diagnosis … loved ones passing away …

the Lord knows … he’s not ignorant

God can knows exactly what’s going on in your life …

think about — if he can number the hairs you have on your head … than he can number all your problems

See people around you can’t fully know your pain …

but the very God who wired us with emotions … knows you intimately

He also knows your desire to want to be godly and endure in your Christian life

When you feel overwhelmed by the world’s opposition … God knows

You and I need to know that he knows

He not only lets us know that … but he gives us who it is that knows

He is “The First and the Last”

IOW … Christ is Eternal

b. His Eternality (v.8b)

Someone that is eternal is in charge

He was before the difficulties and will reign way after

Christ is in charge of your problems

If you know that God is your Father … that he loves you

that he is working all things for our good and his glory … IOW that you would be conformed to the image of Christ

… the fact that God is an eternal sovereign God … should comfort us in our suffering

While Satan may be involved in our struggles … God sets the limit on what he does

“the devil would throw them into prison for 10 days” (v.10)

See our adversary is on a leash … under the control of our Sovereign God … who is also our Father

He is the “One who died and came to life again”

Someone who can physically die and raise from the dead … is all powerful … bc he does what is impossible for anyone else

that leads us to letter C … we should take comfort in his Omnipotence

c. His Omnipotence (v.8b)

Jesus is saying to the persecuted church in Smyrna and us here in Aliso Viejo … I am all powerful … I rose from the dead … I have power over death

Your enemy is not all powerful … your circumstances are not all powerful …

Your God is All Powerful

So Jesus comforts us by telling us who he is and what he has done … in order to instill in us … a sense of boldness and courage … to be faithful to our call of suffering

Jesus in some of his most famous words … tells his disciples … to make disciples … as we say at our church … by reaching, teaching, and training

and then at the very end … provides comfort for the difficult task … the part that we often forget

“I am with you always … to the end of the age” (v.20)

Not only does he provide comfort in our pain and doubt … but gives us encouragement to press on … by giving us promises

3. Be Encouraged by the Promises of Christ (vv.9b-11)

Well it might not seem like it now but in HS I used to be a runner … XC & Track

At the time I enjoyed running … bc it pushes you physically … but most of all … mentally

The way that I got through 4 years of running … races every weekend … is that I’d do something in the races

What I would do is … picture a burger at the end of the finish line … bc our team would go to In-N-Out after races

This would get me through the pain … legs aching … wanting to stop

I knew what was coming … as soon as the race was over I’d go & get a burger …

While I burger motivated me to push through pain

Jesus does something similar … he gives us encouragement

“I know you’re poverty (but you are rich)”

Monetarily the Christians in Smyrna were poor … but spiritually there were wealthy

Although we might not be dealing with the same type of poverty … we still desperately need to hear this truth … You are Spiritually Rich

a. You are Spiritually Rich (v.9b)

How are you rich?

Blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

Chosen before the foundation of the world

Predestined

Adopted as sons and daughters

Redemption through the blood of Christ

Forgiveness of your trespasses

Lavished with grace

Hope in Christ

Obtained a glorious inheritance

Sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance

If you’re familiar with Ephesians 1 you know I just listed off the spiritual riches of being In Christ

If you were to remind yourself of these truths … if you were meditate on Eph. 1:3-14

… what kinds of things would you do for Christ

… what kind of encouragement would you get to go live faithfully for our God

After saying that the devil is about to throw some of them into prison … he says that God is testing them

We already learned that God ordains the difficult times in our lives

See there’s a purpose in God giving us these … that’s to strengthen you …

b. Tests are Meant to Strengthen You (v.10b)

James says something similar …

James 1:2–4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

In other words … suffering and persecution are tests of faith …

to test you … will you endure or will you not?

If you think of those hard times … as tests … it changes you perspective on things happening in your life

You can even rejoice in your sufferings

Romans 5:3–4 “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope”

Gotta remember that God through trials … teaches us and refines us

How will you do on your next test of faith? … Will you endure or will you fail?

Jesus also promises that “the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death”

Second death = eternal punishment

See everyone experiences the first death … but it’s only those that are in Christ and have conquered to the end … that will be free from ultimate death

What an important truth … that we need to remember

c. Death Has Been Defeated (v.11)

If you noticed … Jesus says to be “faithful unto death” … after saying that he died and came to life

There’s no need to fear the first death because the second death has already been defeated

We can see this fear of death when a Non- C is dying … they don’t want to die … they are afraid

Heb 2:14 says that humanity without Christ is enslaved to a fear of death

Not so for Christians … there’s no need to fear death … it’s been dealt with by Jesus

Doesn’t mean you can’t be nervous … but the fear I am talking about is a controlling fear

Christ defeated death … and just like him … you will die and come to life again

… see death isn’t “it”

How does this affect the way you live?

Well it can become so easy to live our lives with a wrong perspective … going about our lives doing everything so that I may not die

We can’t avoid death … it’s inevitable …

… Live so that we may not die the second death

“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (v.10c)

The last promise Christ gives us … is that he will reward those that are faithful

d. God Will Reward You (v.10c)

The crown of life … would have reminded the original readers of the wreath that would be placed on the heads of victors and winners in the games that took place in the city

IOW Jesus says if you are faithful … you will be rewarded…

What does it mean to be faithful? … Does it mean to just suppress the difficulty … grit your teeth … and get through it?

No … it means to trust in these promises

See because if you have gone through suffering you know how easy it is to forget all this … you are tempted to doubt God …

that he is good … sovereign … loves you

Being faithful is saying “yes Lord … I will believe these things even though I am going through difficult times “

Jesus says this in the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:10–13 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Will you be rewarded at the end of your life?

Use this as fuel to faithfully endure the difficulties that come your way

My prayer is that we would have this attitude this week and for the rest of our lives

That we would be able to say with Paul …

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

LET’S PRAY