A Church Who Fears Can Be Faithful unto Death

Introduction

I preached through the New Testament with a group of Indian pastors - I asked them how many had been beaten for their faith. Most of the hands in the room went up. It did not phase them. There was no surprise on their faces.

Jesus’ tone changes. He is comforting this church. When you correct your children, you speak one way. When you comfort your children you speak another. In both types of speech, you are loving them.

Read Revelation 2:8-11

Revelation 2:8–11 ESV

8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “ ‘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. 10 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. 11 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.’

Explanation

The context of Smyrna.

The city of Smyrna - The city was very pro-Rome. When Rome and Carthage were at war over supremacy, Smyrna sided with the Romans. It was the first city to build a temple in honor of Rome. It has a fierce loyalty to Caesar, who was the Emperor.

Polycarp - He lived within the lifespan of some who would have been eyewitnesses of Christ. He was a disciple of John, who wrote this book - Revelation. Two early church fathers - Ignatius and Irenaeus - were disciples of Polycarp. He served as the bishop of Smyrna.

When Polycarp died, the church of Smyrna sent out a letter that read, “To tell the story of those who have suffered martyrdom, especially blessed Polycarp, who though he had set his seal by his martyrdom brought persecution to an end.”

He was brought to a stadium with many ppl and asked to swear by Caesar.

He replied, “For 86 years I have been Christ’s servant, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”

He was then killed for his faith.

This happened in Smyrna almost 65 years after this letter was sent. Smyrna was a hard place for many years to be a faithful follower of Jesus.

Rome is not to blame for the persecution of the church. The synagogue, or the Jewish leaders, were the reason for their persecution.

Rome would carry out the execution, but the instigators were the Jews. Does that sound familiar? Christ was persecuted.

For Rome and Jews to coexist, they both had to make compromises. Rome made everyone sacrifice to worship the emperor as God. Rome allowed Jews to sacrifice to the emperor as leader instead of emperor.

Because Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism for many years, there was little trouble, but after Christians started to gain a bade reputation due to Emperor Nero, Jews started separating from Christians and pressing against them.

How can we see and hear Jesus in this letter?

Hear Jesus Encouragement

Smyrna is one of the two churches who were strugging with outside, physical difficulty, and they are the only one’s that Jesus has something only good to say about them.

Jesus tell the church to this point, “Revelation 2:9 “9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)”

Jesus knows. Isn’t it just important that someone knows? My wife is my burden bearer. Because when the burden is heavy, knowing that someone knows makes it more tolerable. However, Jesus is not an innocent bystander as our friends and family.

Jesus is God. He is able to act. He wept with Lazarus family, then he called Lazarus out of that grave. God is both willing and able to help us.

We struggle with one of those two points.

God is willing.

God is able.

Jesus does not offer a rebuke, but comfort. He speaks tenderly to his children who are suffering.

He says, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.”

We wish he had said, “Do not fear, because you will not suffer.” However, he did not say that.

Instead, Jesus says, “You are going to suffer. Some of you will be thrown in prison for a time. What you’re about to suffer need not be fearful.

Do not be surprised. Brace yourself to face suffering and hardship for carrying the name of Christ.

Matthew 10:16–22 “16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

As Christians, we are called to hope of eternal life over fear of death. Fearing death is natural, but Jesus means to set us free. In Revelation 21, Jesus kills death itself. The final death will be for death itself.

Death is the enemy, and we lament death. However, Jesus came to give us new life.

Be Faithful unto death.

If you are faithful unto death, you will receive the crown of life.

Faithfulness in persecution does not mean that it is easy and you smile through it or pretend that it doesn’t hurt.

Faithfulness means that you hold fast to Jesus and you bear witness to him no matter what happens to you.

This is rooted in Christ’s suffering for you.

Suffering, like anything, can bring out the best and worst in people.

You are not entitled to sin because of your suffering.

Your suffering should help you to rid yourself of sin.

How do we suffer poorly?

We doubt God’s goodness.

We question his sovereignty.

We find him less glorious.

Jesus calls us to overcome. And we can overcome.

If there was a challenge of the church in Ephesus, it was a lack of love. The challenge here, however, is the temptation to hate people who persecute you.

We must overcome this desire and we must overcome out struggle.

What does this mean for your church?

If you are facing uncertainty and hardship, you can trust in Jesus. Hear his comfort. He sees, and he loves you.

He knows your broken heart like no one else. He knows your sleepless night loke no one else does. He knows your labor in prayer like no one else does.

Jesus suffered as a man, and he can sympathize with what you face. Rejection, physical pain, betrayal, isolation, etc. He faced it.

Are you facing opposition? So did Jesus. And He is the all-powerful God who is with you now.

How can we apply this teaching to ourselves and our churches? 3 Ways.

Let us pray for the persecuted church. Many of our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering. Let us bear the burden of prayer for them. Some 1% of the Christians who have every lived have been martyred for their faith. That is a large number!

Currently about 160,000 Christians are Martyred every year. One of every 120 Christians.

Many face not death, but the threats of religious extremists - the massacre in Garissa and the attach on Westgate Mall in Nairboi.

Christians in Kenya are facing increasing hostility as those in teh West.

People will say false things against you. Be ready to face persecution if it comes for you.

Let us be faithful in our limited kinds of persecution.

We don’t want to exaggerate it, and we don’t want to claim that we are facing what other people are. We are clearly not. However, Paul warns Timothy that anyone who desires to follow Jesus will face opposition.

If you are a true believer in Kenya, you may not face what other parts of the world face, but you will face hardship.

If it is in the classroom, some may call you a bigot.

It may be in the market where you refuse corrupt business practices.

It may mean that you remain faithful even when your children make bad or sinful choices.

We must encourage our young people to remain steadfast - for they will face more preasures than us.

They will be on social media.

It will be an invitation to conform to the world. We must teach them not to do so.

Let us remember death is not the enemy.

1 Corinthians 15:50–56 “50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

Death is a great enemy, but the second death will be worse.

Jesus says to fear not those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

The first death is not avoidable. The second is. Death comes for all, but heaven does not come for all.

Most people don’t think about death or hope they can avoid it somehow.

The worst and best life on earth can give way to an even better life in eternity.

May we not be trivial with eternity. People are suffering, and eternity is in the balance.

In the Martyrdom of Polycarp - here is how the story ends.

“He was killed… but while Jesus Christ was reigning as King forever.”

In life and in death, we serve a reigning King.

Human leaders will come and go - and the worse they can bring is death. Yet, Jesus will reign eternally.

May our churches find comfort in this truth.

Invitation