Feet In The Fire

A Persecuted church

Today we don’t deal with a lot of persecution in the church in America. Yes we may get a few a stares, or a few laughs, or a few crazy eyes, and maybe even a few people may get angry and lash out at us. But we certainly are not familiar with the type of persecution and suffering that Smyrna was dealing with.

Smyrna for all intensive purposes was a marvelous city, it was renowned for its beauty and was often described “as the first in Asia in beauty & size” often called the “crown city” because of its skyline filled with buildings on hills all around. . But within Smyrna there was something sinister and terrible lurking. The city was filled with heathen temples all around and one temple stood out that may have significance to what Jesus tells John to write to Smyrna

You see there was a temple to Dionysus the god of fruitfulness & wine. As a part of the new life festival, it’s priests held a death, burial, and resurrection ceremony where the priest were given crowns to were as they celebrated he new life of growth from the fields. So there was a strong heathen god presence and even mockery ceremony of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus...but there is more

Smyrna was a Roman city and there was temple erected to the goddess Roma and later there Smyrna not Ephesus or Pergamum was chosen for the temple to the emperor Tiberius...but there is still more

The city was also filled with a very large anti-Christian Jewish population that was constantly stirring up trouble for Christians.

Jesus when describing what he knew about the church he said I know your tribulation, poverty, and slander

TRIBULATION

tribulation - the word means pressed together, or pressed down. You see this was no light persecution, they were being crushed by the weight of the persecution. Picture the millstone of Mt. 18:6 as it crushes the olives and the grapes. The life was being squeezed out of the church in Smyrna

Jesus was saying I know = I have experienced the feeling that you have. After all Jesus himself was persecuted and endured great tribulation. In fact he felt the weight of the oil press for that is what Jesus felt when he was in the garden of Gethsemane which means the oil press, the unrelenting pressure is what caused him to cry out if it be possible, remove this cup from me

imagine if you will being under constant and intense pressure, imagine your life being squeezed out of you, imagine being persecuted and blasphemed at every opportunity. Imagine being alienated form your families, losing your jobs, children going hungry, cast into prison, and being killed. Its hard to imagine isn’t it?

Jesus said I know your poverty as well...

Poverty

this word poverty does not mean barely getting by but it means destitute not even getting the basic necessities of life. Many were probably poor when the became Christians others because of persecution and extreme economic pressures their possessions and rights to work were taken away. Hebrews 10:34 “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.” They could not sell or buy in the market place because they were Christians.

Jesus says I know, I know what it is like to be destitute he knew about poverty 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

Blasphemy

they were slandering the brethren, they were in league with Satan the adversary who does the very same thing. They would accuse the brethren of terrible things and bring difficulty on them. They were offspring of the devil himself Jn. 8:39-47.

they were speaking to injure another person, to cause harm to them. they were abused , reviled, and slandered because of their faith and belief in Jesus.

And yet Jesus knew this as well. 1 Peter 2:21–23 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;” Hebrews 12:3 “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME SUFFERING THAT THEIR SAVIOR EXPERIENCED!

What does that say about the church in Smyrna?

do you think they were wishy washy in their faith? Do you think they took their confession of Christ lightly? Do you think they kept their faith quiet as to avoid all of this?

to top it all of Jesus tells them it’s goin to get worse.

More Suffering Coming

more pain, sorrow, pressing down, poverty. In fact don’t be surprised by it. Oh no what will we ever do. It’s not fair, why why why,

some will be thrown into prison

TESTED & TRIBULATION

How strong is your faith Smyrna? How strong is your faith Warrensburg? It will soon be apparent who’s faith was truly strong and who’s was not.

ask yourself this morning...How strong is my faith? Would I be willing to be persecuted for my faith...go to prison for my faith...would I be willing to die for my faith? Smyrna was about to find out the answer to those very questions.

James 1:2–4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” I am not sure we view this like Jesus does and early Christians did.

1 Peter 1:6–9 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

what a terrible situation Smyrna found themselves in and thank goodness Jesus did not just leave them without any hope

Words of hope & strength

I know

Jesus could identify with their struggles, their pain, their sorrow, their tribulation. He was not found to be unsympathizing or lacking empathy or understanding. He had walked in their shoes and he was faithful and they could be too.

The first and the last, who died & came to life

first & last - expressed Jesus deity and that he would be present long after the roman gov’t had passed from the scene and long after the slandering Jews were around

the one who died and came to life - Revelation 1:18 “and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” They may die for their faith but they will live because they follow the one who is resurrected and lives now and has the keys of death. He has authority over death 2 Timothy 1:10 “but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,” Hebrews 2:14–15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

Be faithful until death, I will give you the crown of life

Be loyally faithful even if that means you die for your faith. Notice God does not promise to deliver these Christians but he would bring them safely through these troubles eternally.

victory - will be there’s eternal victory, lasting victory. We need to look at death differently. Death = victory to a Christian.

crown - victors crown 1 Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” 2 Timothy 4:8 “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 1 Peter 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

life (eternal) it will never fade and is eternal crown

He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death

second death - what is this second death Revelation 20:14–15 “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 21:8 ““But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.””

the second death is total separation from God in hell. physical death is separation of the soul from the body James 2:26 “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” spiritual death is man’s separation from God because of sin Isaiah 59:1–2 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” The second death is eternal separation from God 2 Thessalonians 1:9 “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

don’t be afraid of the second death Luke 12:4–5 ““I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!”

I am not sure if we can grasp how comforting those words really are unless we have our feet in the fire.

Are you Living out your faith? Are you prepared to be persecuted for your faith?

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Matthew 5:10–16 ““Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

if you are not living out your faith and be light in the dark world, yes you might live a life of ease and comfort but will you escape the second death? we must live out our faith for the world to see, we must not hide our faith under a bushel or let Satan blow it out...but that also means we may be persecuted and face tribulation, and blasphemy and suffer but it will be all worth it when we here Jesus say well done good and faithful servant and we receive our unfading eternal crown and we live with him eternally.

I want to leave you with a story of an individual who lived in Smyrna who’s life is recorded for us in the pages of History by a historian by the name of Eusebius. Eusebius describes how Christians were treated in Smyrna “...those standing around were struck with amazement, at seeing them lacerated with scourges, to their very blood and arteries, so that now the flesh concealed in the very inner most parts of the body were exposed to view. They were then laid on conch shells from the sea, and on sharp heads and points of spears on the ground, and after passing every kind of punishment and torment, were at last thrown as food to wild beasts.” It was during this horrific time that Christians tried to hide and old 86 year old man and elder of the church in Smyrna named Polycarp. But a young boy was taken and tortured until he gave up Polycarp. When they came for Polycarp, he set the table for those who came to arrest Him, and he gave them food and drink asking them for one hour to pray but being full of the grace of God he stood and prayed for two hours and the soldiers who came to get him regretted coming to get such a godly and venerable old man. When he finished praying they lead him to the city and escorted him to the stadium where a blood thirsty mob including Jews had assembled. The proconsul urged him to renounce Christ saying, “swear by the genius of Caesar...and I will dismiss you. Revile Christ Poly carp answered, “eighty six years have I served him, and he never did me any wrong; and how can I now blaspheme my King that has saved me? When the proconsul tried to intimidate him with threats of wild beast of fire, the old man replied, “you threaten fire that burns for a moment and is soon extinguished, for you know nothing of the judgment to come, and the fire of eternal punishment reserved for the wicked. But why do you delay? bring what you wish.” The howling mob, led by Jews, scattered to find wood to burn the aged Christian. When the funeral pyre was ready, they started to nail Polycarp to the stake, but he said, “...he that gives me strength to bear the fire, will also give me power...to remain unmoved on the pile” He clasped his hands behind him around the stake and prayed. “O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of you, the God of angels, powers and every creature, and of all the righteous who live before you, I give you thanks that you count me worthy to be numbered among your martyrs, sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life, both of soul and body, through the immortality of the Holy Spirit. May I be received this day as an acceptable sacrifice, as you, the true God, have predestined, revealed to me, and now fulfilled. I praise you for all these things, I bless you and glorify you, along with the everlasting Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. To you, with him, through the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and forever. Amen.” After the amen the executioners lit the fire. Poly carp died with the assurance that he would not be hurt by the second death

BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH AND RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE