Smyrna - The Suffering Church - Revelation 2:8-11

INTRO

I was gifted a banner that hangs on my office door.

It says, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

It’s a quote from Jim Elliot.

Jim Elliot was a missionary in Ecuador seeking to serve the Wow-Roni Tribe

On January 8, 1956, Jim Elliot alongside of four other men was speared to death by the tribe.

This tragedy resulted in one of the greatest movements in modern Christian history and inspired countless people to step onto the mission field, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The Book at the Gates of Splendor by Jim’s wife is incredible.

But this week I have been so moved by the story of one of the sons of these 5 missionaries.

Nate Saint’s son Steve Saint, was only a young boy when his father was killed, but later in life, he returned to live among the very people who killed his father.

Amazingly through the ministry efforts Steve was able to not only forgive9 the very man who murdered his father, but he saw Jesus bring him from death to life.

There’s an amazing conversation Steve recounts he had with a Journalist when he was stateside speaking to others about global missions.

Journalist: "And now you’re traveling with the very same people, right? I mean, how did that happen?"

Steve: "Yeah, I travel with Mincaye, one of the men who killed my father."

Journalist (in disbelief): "Wait, you mean he’s one of them? One of the Waorani warriors?"

Steve: "Yes, sir. He is."

Journalist: "And you travel together? You don’t… you don’t share a room, do you?"

Steve (laughing): "Yeah, we do. Mincaye doesn’t know how to work the bathroom or use the room key. It changes in every motel!"

Journalist (in shock): "I don’t get it. How could you share a room with the man who killed your father? How could you even stand to be around him?"

Steve: "Well, that was only the first chapter of the story. It didn’t end there."

Journalist: "But someone told me you love him. Is that true?"

Steve: "I do."

Journalist (in disbelief): "No. No way. How could you love the man who killed your father? That’s morbid! That’s unnatural!"

Steve: "My kids call him ‘grandfather.’ He’s part of our family now. I can’t explain it except to say that God’s love made it possible."

Journalist: "How did you forgive him? How do you do that?"

Steve:

"People ask me that a lot. The truth is, I didn’t forgive him.

I mean, you can’t forgive someone who hasn’t wronged you personally.

My dad and his friends—they knew the risks.

They could’ve defended themselves; they had guns.

But they believed the Wow-Roni were worth it, worth knowing Jesus.

So after my dad died, every night during family devotions, my mom would pray for the people who killed him.

A few years later, my Aunt Rachel went to live with them. I thought she was crazy!

But she was excited about it.

And when I finally went to live with the WOWRONI, Mincaye took me under his wing, teaching me their ways.

I realized he loved me, even though in their culture, I should’ve been learning those skills to one day kill him and avenge my father."

Journalist: "How did you not hate him? How do you let that go?"

Steve: "It’s like the Bible says—God loved us while we were still sinners, while we were still His enemies. I saw my dad, my mom, my aunt living out that love. Forgiveness? It never occurred to me that it wasn’t already given. Hurt people hurt people, but forgiven people forgive."

Journalist (pausing): "Wow… you’re right. That’s radical. Most people don’t understand that kind of forgiveness."

Steve: "It’s God’s love. If we really understand what He’s forgiven us, how can we not forgive others? That’s what it’s all about."

The gospel is the story of radical love.

The gospel spoken through the church is one that speaks loudly of the love of Jesus through the wounds of his saints.

Today we come to the second of the seven churches, the church in Smyrna.

This is the suffering church.

A church that understood that if we get the gospel, come what may, we can endure.

Here is our Big Idea

Big Idea: Jesus is greater than death

This is a church that would be comforted by that reality.

Smyrna, the second stop on the messenger’s journey through the seven churches, was a prominent harbor city about forty miles from Ephesus.

It was known for its beauty, especially in its architecture.

Smyrna was also a city with deep ties to Rome.

It was the first city to build a temple to the goddess Roma reinforcing its allegiance to the empire.

But for Christians, Smyrna wasn’t just a city of beauty—it was a city of suffering.

The name Smyrna is linked to "myrrh," a costly spice.

Myrrh was used in burial rituals and poignantly this would symbolize the painful trials the believers of Smyrna would face.

Much of their suffering came from the local Jewish community, which instigated persecution by accusing Christians before Roman authorities. (Jews were shown leniency by Rome.)

These trials only intensified in the years to come, cementing Smyrna’s reputation as a place where the faithful suffered for Christ.

We come to a very different

Four short verses that we will bring out four points about our enduring hope because Jesus is greater than death.

Let’s see first Jesus is the eternal one.

1. Jesus Is The Eternal One (v.8).

Revelation 2:8 (ESV)

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

Each of these letters starts with a powerful “thus says” statement that recalls a part of the glorious vision of Jesus in Revelation 1.

And each detail of His glory connects deeply with the message to that church.

Here, Jesus identifies Himself as “the First and the Last, who died and came to life” (v. 8).

Pause and let that sink in.

Jesus is “the First.”

Before time, before creation, before anything existed—He was.

He cannot be preempted.

His existence is so far beyond us, it stretches our minds to their breaking point.

He is also “the Last”—nothing will outlast Him.

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega/

This is a clear declaration of His divinity,

He is directly linking Himself to the Father.

In Isaiah, God makes it clear that only He is “the First and the Last” (Isaiah 44:6

Isaiah 44:6b (ESV)

“I am the first and I am the last;

besides me there is no god.

Here, Jesus boldly claims the same, showing us His identity as God.

And if that doesn’t blow your mind, think about this: “the First and the Last” died.

The eternal, all-powerful God entered human history, was killed, and then came back to life.

This defies all categories.

How can the eternal one die? And yet He did.

The death and resurrection of Jesus shatter the power of death forever.

Smyrna needed this truth, and so do we.

When you think about your life, do you remember that Jesus has conquered death?

What about in those fearful moments—when danger feels close, when life feels fragile—do you trust that Jesus is bigger than death?

Friends, that’s what it means to live in the reality of the gospel.

Jesus’ victory over death gives us courage to face anything.

But courage isn’t the end goal.

The goal is to live in such a way that our confidence in Jesus shines through.

When we face danger, even death, for the sake of others, we’re following Jesus, the one who laid down His life for us.

Illustration

I have been reading about the life and ministry of John G. Paton.

He lived among the cannibals of the New Hebrides Islands.

After losing his wife and infant child he continued planting churches, helping the island peoples turn their oral language into a written language so they could have the Bible.

There are so many stories of his undaunted courage.

But I love the story of one native pastor who had been chased from his home and savagely beaten.

When Paton urged him to move into the Mission House instead of living among the Tanna natives, the native pastor declared,

“…when I see them thirsting for my blood, I just see myself when the missionary first came to my island. I desired to murder him, as they now desire to kill me. Had he stayed away from such danger, I would have remained heathen; but he came, and continued coming to teach us, till by the grace of God, I was changed to what I am. Now the same God that changed me to this can change these poor Tannese to love and serve Him.” _Aneityum Pastor

Do you know Jesus like this?

Do you know the first and the last like this?

If you don’t know Him, you can’t follow Him.

If you don’t know Him, you haven’t been freed from the fear of death.

But here’s the good news: Jesus died to save us, to rescue us from sin and death.

Trust in Him, and He will save you.

He’s your only hope against the forces of sin and death.

Don’t you feel that?

Don’t you want Him to stand between you and all that threatens to destroy?

Let us hold on to these truths.

Jesus is the First and the Last.

He died and came to life.

He’s conquered death.

And because of that, we can live courageously, laying down our lives for others, just as He did for us.

And as we continue in the text we see this eternal one knows us.

We see second

2. Jesus Understands Our Suffering (v. 9)

Revelation 2:9 (ESV)

“ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

We see three powerful truths here

First, Jesus knows their tribulation.

He knows their suffering

What could be more comforting than Jesus saying, “I know your suffering”?

He doesn’t trivialize their pain or offer cheap advice.

He simply says, “I know.”

Tribulation has a way of chipping away at our hope, draining our endurance.

But when Jesus says, “I know your tribulation,” He’s reminding them—and us—that we’re not alone.

I want to share again the helpful words from Milton Vincent on perspective in trials:

More than anything else could ever do, the gospel enables me to embrace my tribulations and thereby position myself to gain full benefit from them. For the gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. When I view my circumstances in this light, I realize that the gospel is not just one piece of good news that fits into my life somewhere among all the bad. I realize instead that the gospel makes genuinely good news out of every other aspect of my life, including my severest trials. _Milton Vincent

He’s with us in the deepest valleys.

1 Peter 1:6–7 (ESV)

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I love the way one pastor put it: There is always a so that in our suffering.

It isn’t meaningless.

Samuel Rutherford

If your Lord calls you to suffering, do not be dismayed, for He will provide a deeper portion of Christ in your suffering. The softest pillow will be placed under your head though you must set your bare feet among thorns....The greatest temptation out of hell is to live without trials. A pool of standing water will turn stagnant... Grace withers without adversity. You cannot sneak quietly into heaven without a cross. Crosses form us into His image...As we look back to our pains and suffering, we shall see that suffering is not worthy to be compared to our first night's welcome home in heaven. If we could smell of heaven and our country above, our crosses would not bite us. Lay all your loads by faith on Christ, ease yourself, and let Him bear all. He can, He does, and He will bear you. Whether God comes with a rod or a crown, He comes with Himself. "Have courage, I am your salvation!" Welcome, welcome Jesus! _Samuel Rutherford

Second, Jesus knows their poverty.

The church in Smyrna was poor by the world’s standards, marginalized by the powerful in their city.

They had no wealth or influence, but Jesus flips the script.

He says, “But you are rich.”

What the world counts as wealth isn’t true wealth.

Even if we’re materially poor, what truly matters is that we are relationally and spiritually rich in Christ.

In a culture driven by consumerism, the love for money and possessions is a serious threat to our faithfulness.

The church in Smyrna experienced this—following Jesus cost them financially.

Today, the challenge remains.

Ridicule often comes with economic pressure, but here’s the key question: How do we measure true wealth?

The gospel tells us that true wealth isn’t what WE can buy, but who we belong TO.

If we’re in Christ, we are rich beyond measure, no matter what the world sees.

Let’s measure wealth by what’s eternal—our inheritance in Jesus.

Jesus is reminding us that we possess something far greater—the gospel, the good news that saves.

We’re like a poor man boarding the Titanic with a small lifeboat.

Everyone else may look down on us, but when the ship sinks, we have what really matters.

If you have Jesus, you are rich indeed.

Third, Jesus knows the slander.

The Christians in Smyrna were being attacked by those who claimed to be Jews but were, in Jesus' words, “a synagogue of Satan.”

These false accusers stirred up trouble, trying to separate the Christians from the protection they had under Roman law.

But Jesus cuts through their lies, reminding His people that those who oppose Him are allied with darkness.

The question is, whose side are you on?

Jesus makes it clear—there’s no neutral ground.

Jesus knows our suffering, our lack, and the opposition we face.

But He also knows our worth, our true wealth, and our future victory.

Trust in Him, the One who sees all, and let Him be your treasure.

Seeing the suffering he calls the church to endurance

3. Jesus Calls Us To Endure (v.10)

Revelation 2:10 (ESV)

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. 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. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Notice what Jesus says first: "Do not fear what you are about to suffer."

How can the Christians in Smyrna not be afraid of what’s coming?

The answer lies in what Jesus has already told them.

He’s "the First and the Last, who died and came to life" (Rev. 2:8).

He knows their suffering, He knows their enemies, and because of who He is and His presence with them, fear has no hold.

Next, Jesus makes it clear who’s behind their suffering: "The devil is about to throw some of you into prison" (Rev. 2:10).

There’s no ambiguity here.

The enemy is the devil, and Jesus isn’t offering any soft suggestions like, "Maybe if you were less bold, this wouldn’t happen."

No, Jesus names the real enemy, and it’s Satan.

The enemy’s goal is to imprison them, but even in that, God is at work.

Jesus tells them there’s purpose in their suffering: "that you may be tested" (Rev. 2:10).

God is using Satan’s attacks to refine and prove His people.

When they endure, they glorify God because only He can sustain them through it.

He also promises their suffering will be for "ten days" (Rev. 2:10)—metaphorical for a full, but limited time.

This isn’t about a literal ten days but a reminder that their tribulation has an endpoint.

Jesus knows exactly how long it will last, and in comparison to eternity, it’s brief.

They can hold on because Jesus holds them.

Then comes the audacious command: "Be faithful unto death" (Rev. 2:10).

Only Jesus has the authority to make this demand because He’s the only one who conquered death.

He tells them it’s more important to be faithful than to keep living.

As one puritan once said, "I am more afraid of doing what is wrong than of dying."

Jesus is worth dying for, and if He’s worth dying for, He’s worth living for.

He calls us to a courage that only comes from being gripped by something greater than life itself.

Illustration

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man who stood firm in his faith, even when the pressure to compromise was immense.

As a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, he could have chosen the easier path—staying silent in the face of evil, blending in to avoid suffering.

But Bonhoeffer refused to back down from the way of Jesus, even when it meant imprisonment and eventually death.

On April 9, 1945, he was hanged just weeks before the Allies liberated the camp where he was held.

We are often tempted to compromise, to soften the edges of our faith when culture or opposition presses in.

The world offers us easier ways, ways to avoid suffering and stand out less.

But Bonhoeffer knew something crucial—that following Jesus means there’s no escape from suffering.

He wrote,

“Suffering, then, is the badge of true discipleship.… The disciple is not above his master.… Discipleship means allegiance to the suffering Christ, and it is therefore not at all surprising that Christians should be called upon to suffer.” _Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer's life reminds us that allegiance to Christ requires us to stand firm, even when it costs us everything.

Jesus promises that those who are faithful unto death will receive "the crown of life."

This is the paradox of the gospel: to truly live, we must die.

Die to self, die to sin, die to fear. .

And in that death, we come alive—alive by the power of the Spirit, alive in Christ.

Jesus is better than life and he is greater than death

He offers to us eternal life.

That’s what we see last

4. Jesus Offers Life (v.11)

Revelation 2:11 (ESV)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Jesus restates the promise from verse 10 in new words: "The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death."

Here, conquering means staying faithful to Jesus, even to the point of death.

It’s the same call we see in Revelation 12:11

Revelation 12:11 (ESV)

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Those who hold fast to Jesus and refuse to give in, no matter the cost, are the ones who conquer.

But what does it mean to not be hurt by the second death? Revelation 20:14 spells it out:

Revelation 20:14 (ESV)

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

The second death is the lake of fire.

It’s the eternal separation from God, reserved for those who reject Him.

And the only way to avoid it is through Jesus—by believing in Him.

He calls us to walk in the way of Jesus, staying faithful, even unto death.

This is the heart of discipleship.

It’s not about coasting through life or checking off religious boxes.

It’s about allegiance to Jesus, come what may.

The second death has no power over those who conquer in Him.

So, the question is:

Will you conquer? Will you trust Him with your life—and your death?

Because only then will you know true life.

CONCLUSION

Sixty years after John’s words to the church in Smyrna were written, they came to life in the person of their pastor, Polycarp.

This man, a disciple of John himself, lived out the call to “be faithful unto death.”

In AD 155, at the age of 86, Polycarp was arrested, tried, and sentenced to die for his faith.

The authorities gave him every chance to save himself, to compromise, but Polycarp refused.

When pressured to renounce Christ and swear allegiance to Caesar, he famously responded, "Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

The threats didn’t stop there.

The proconsul warned him of wild beasts, but Polycarp was unshaken, saying, “Call them.”

When the threat of fire was raised, Polycarp calmly replied,

"The fire you threaten burns but an hour and is quenched after a little; for you do not know the fire of the coming judgment and everlasting punishment that is laid up for the ungodly. But why do you delay? Come, do what you will."

Polycarp was then bound and tied to the stake.

As the flames rose around him, he prayed aloud, thanking God for the honor of sharing in Christ’s sufferings.

The fire, eyewitnesses said, didn’t consume him immediately, and so, in a final act of cruelty, the executioners stabbed him to death.

Polycarp’s story challenges us in a way we can’t ignore.

He faced the ultimate test and stood firm.

He wasn’t just faithful unto death—he was fearless in the face of it.

And what fueled that fearlessness?

His absolute conviction that Jesus is worth it.

His courage came from the belief that nothing—neither fire, nor beasts, nor death itself—could take away the eternal life promised to him in Christ.

Polycarp knew what we need to know today If we follow Jesus, we will face trials.

We may not be threatened with fire, but the temptation to compromise is real.

Yet, like Polycarp, we are called to stand firm.

We are called to remember that Jesus is worth more than anything this world can offer, and that staying faithful to Him, even unto death, leads to life—real, eternal life.

Jesus is greater than death.

Do I live with the reality that Jesus has conquered death? How does this truth shape the way I face fear and uncertainty in my life?

How do I measure true wealth? Do I value worldly success or the spiritual richness I have in Christ, even in times of hardship?

Do I trust that Jesus knows my suffering and is with me in it? How can I lean into His comfort and strength when life feels overwhelming?

Am I prepared to be faithful to Jesus, even when it costs me? How can I grow in boldness and conviction to remain faithful, even unto death?

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Prayer:

Acts 29

More Churches

Better Churches

Death To Life

To the ends of the earth

Church plants from us!

Pray for Mission that our leaders would grow in dedication to God’s Word even when no one’s watching.

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Announcements

Coffee with Billy:

Join us today after the service as Pastor Billy shares a brief introduction to the story of Mission Church. Childcare, coffee, and light snacks will be provided.

Mission Women:

Ladies, join us for a special time of sharing, fellowship, and connection at our Ladies Group Brunch! We'll gather in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, September 21st at 10:00 AM for delicious food and meaningful conversation. It's a wonderful opportunity to come together as sisters in Christ and strengthen our bonds. We look forward to seeing you there!

Safety Team Interest Meeting:

We will be having a quick huddle for those who are interested in joining Mission Church’s Safety team next Sunday, September 22nd. That will be in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the service.

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Now the God of Peace who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep in the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus. May He equip you with everything good in order to do His will, doing in us what pleases Him. Glory is His into the ages and the ages. Amen.