Suffering Well

The Letters to the Churches - Smyrna Suffering Well - Revelation 2:8-11 June 22, 2025 I heard a story of a farmer and his mule Bessy. The farmer, we'll call him Joe, was involved in a car accident. Reportedly, he was driving his truck with Bessy in the trailer. As they were driving, an 18-wheeler runs the stop sign and t-boned Farmer Joe and his beloved Bessy. Joe was thrown to one side of a ditch, and Bessy the other side. When the highway patrol showed up, he went to check on Joe, but not before checking on Bessy, who he heard moaning and groaning. Unfortunately, since Bessy wasn't doing too good, the patrolman had to shoot her and put her out of her misery. He finally gets over to Joe, and told him that Bessy was really hurt, and he had no choice but to shoot her, then he immediately proceeded to ask Joe how he was doing. Joe, a bit shocked about Bessy, and although he was really hurt, Joe responded. "I'm fine!" Sometimes we need to learn how to suffer through the pain for the best possible results. In a similar way, that's what we'll be seeing in our passage this morning from Revelation 2:8-11 in Jesus' letter to the church in Smyrna. Let's see what He wrote: 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.' Last week, Pastor Pat introduced this section of Revelation and shared a common pattern or formula with us in these seven letters of Jesus. So, I want to use that formula as a guide for our sermon this morning. We'll begin with the ... Church: * The church is Smyrna, found in verse 8. * What do we know about Smyrna? * Smyrna, like Ephesus that we looked at last week, was a harbor city in modern-day Turkey. * As a coastal city, Smyrna was a noted place of higher learning, particularly in the sciences and medicine. * One author noted that Smyrna was "filled with Greek pride and Roman arrogance." * But Smyrna was also known for her worship of false gods. * Apparently in 196 B.C. Smyrna built a temple to the goddess of Rome, called Dea Roma. * In A.D. 23, Smyrna built the first temple to worship Emperor Tiberius Ceaser, apparently chosen over 11 other cities. * So, Smyrna was a very important city, both commercially and culturally. * But, their church, according to this letter and other extra-biblical sources had much zeal. * This was specifically mentioned by Ignatius, and early church leader, in a letter to the Smyrna church. * Next, what does the letter say about the character of ... Christ: * Also in verse 8, we see that Jesus identifies Himself in two ways. * First, as the "FIRST AND THE LAST" o This is a call back to chapter 1, verse 8, where we read: I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA," SAYS THE LORD GOD, "WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY." o Jesus Himself calls Himself the "first and the last" in chapter 1, verse 17. o This affirms that Jesus is the One who wrote these letters, and it also affirms that Jesus, just like He did in John 8:58, John 10:30, and John 14:9, that He and the Father are One. Or simply stated, Jesus is God the Son. * The second identifying phrase from Jesus is that He "DIED AND CAME TO LIFE" * Jesus is the living and eternal One. * These statements nearly foreshadow what we will see in the rest of the letter. Verse 9 reveals that they were suffering and will be suffering because of their faith. (hint: this is the major theme of this letter). Commendation: * Verse 9 opens the commendation portion of Jesus' letter. * Verse 10 continues the commendation. * What do we see? o Tribulation - to include imprisonment. o Poverty - likely because of their faith o Slander - from fake Jews. This may mean that they were literally not Hebrew. But the accusation from Jesus shows that they were of the synagogue of Satan. * I think I know what you may be thinking. o Ryan, I don't think you know the meaning of 'commendation.'" * For the record, I do. * So, let me draw your attention to the sermon title for clarity. * The commendation is not that they were suffering, rather that they are suffering well. * They were physically poor, but spiritually rich. * They were being persecuted, but they were persevering. * This should really make us think. * Based on the description of Smyrna we saw earlier, the fact that these saints were enduring in that environment, we should be encouraged that we could do the same. * Another question may come from this. Why do God's people suffer? o The Bible, of course, gives us plenty of examples. Here are four possible reasons: * Discipline. In 1 Corinthians 11, we are told that some of the saints were suffering because of their conduct in relation to the Lord's Supper. * It also could be preventative. Paul uses the example of himself in 2 Corinthians 7 of the "thorn in his flesh." He revealed that the Lord did not take it away, rather left it there, so Paul would not become conceited. * Or it could be so that we learn obedience through it. Here's how commentator John Walvoord put it, "suffering teaches us what we could not learn otherwise (cf. Rom. 5:3-5). Even Christ 'learned obedience through what He suffered.' (Heb.5:8)." * Finally, it could be to allow us to have a better testimony for God. This is seen, yet again, in the example of Paul and his conversion as seen in Acts 9:16. * The Bible does not shy away from the truth that His people may suffer. But we know that there is a purpose. Peter addresses this in a couple of ways in his first letter, as well. In 1 Peter 1:6-7, Peter tells us this: 6 IN THIS YOU REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IF NECESSARY, YOU HAVE BEEN GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS, 7 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. So, sometimes it's to test the genuineness of our own faith. And here's what he says in 1 Peter 5:10: AND AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A LITTLE WHILE, THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO HAS CALLED YOU TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY IN CHRIST, WILL HIMSELF RESTORE, CONFIRM, STRENGTHEN, AND ESTABLISH YOU. * Finally, it's important to remember that we no longer live in a perfect world, it has been stained by sin, therefore that may be the reason for suffering. * So, we must suffer well. Next on this formula in Jesus' letter is ... Condemnation: * Wait. * I don't see anything here. * The saints in Smyrna were suffering well. Jesus had no rebuke for them. * Instead, He offers them empathy - recall His words from verse 9? Jesus knew what they were going through. His proclamation that He died and came to life was a reminder that He has conquered death. He conquered the penalty of sin. * Instead, He offers them a promise. That's revealed in the next part of this letter, with Jesus' ... Counsel: * Jesus gives the church two commands. As Pastor Pat pointed out last week, these letters are nice as they give us the application within them. * The first command comes from the beginning of verse 10. The ESV renders it: "DO NOT FEAR" * I haven't verified this, but enough sources agree, that there are 365 references in the bible of this command or its equivalent. Enough to give us a daily reminder. * That phrase could be literally translated, "don't be afraid," which may add additional context to the extent of their suffering. * We know that some would be thrown into prison (verse 10) and that others may even be martyred (also verse 10). * In fact, that's Jesus' second command: "BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH" * I want you to notice something about the tribulation in verse 10. Jesus gives them a reason - to test them, and He gives them a limit. An end. Here, the limit for persecution is "TEN DAYS" * There are many theories on these "TEN DAYS," but I think it simply refers to an end. * Jesus says, "don't worry, it won't last forever." * There is comfort there. Finally, the last section of the letter is Jesus' Challenge: * Before I continue, let me address something that you may be thinking. * You probably thought I forgot to do something this morning. * No, I didn't forget the main idea. Sometimes it just shows up a bit later in the passage. * Here's Jesus' challenge, in the form of our main idea this morning: When I learn to suffer well, I learn to please God. * This is affirmed in two ways in the closing verses. First, we see that when the saint is FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH that he receives the CROWN OF LIFE o CROWN OF LIFE speaks to a prize. o Like a trophy or medal. o It denotes victory. * The second affirmation of this is found in the statement at the end of verse 11, where Jesus says that THE ONE WHO CONQUERS WILL NOT BE HURT BY THE SECOND DEATH * This second death, according to William Barclay, "was a Jewish rabbinic expression for the total extinction of the utterly wicked." But, it also foreshadows what we'll see in Revelation 20-21, which is described as the "Lake of Fire," where it is said in Revelation 20:15: 15 AND IF ANYONE'S NAME WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, HE WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE * So, those who persevere to the end in faith, who is named in the book of life will not experience this second death. * This would include, of course, those who died for their faith. * Do you know what this is? o It is an assurance of faith. o Assurance that they will not be eternally separated from God o Assurance that they will be united with their Lord for eternity I know I was a bit out of order this morning. But what I intended to do here was allow the text to teach itself. But to be sure that we can properly pull everything out, here's a bit of a recap of the principles we can take from this letter to Smyrna. We'll recap under the heading: HOW TO SUFFER WELL: * Look to Jesus, the Eternal One who suffered for mankind. o Jesus said to Smyrna, "I KNOW" * The writer of Hebrews reminded us that Jesus can empathize with us. He lived as a man. Suffered as a man. And died the death of a man. * Isn't it refreshing to know that the Lord Jesus understands our suffering? * So, when He tells us not to fear. To continue to live faithfully, He has credibility. o But guess what? He also puts people into our lives (particularly within the church) who can also empathize. o I read a book by Pastor John Macarthur last year call Anxious for Nothing. In chapter 7 of his book, he reminds us that one of the ways to achieve peace is by Knowing Others Are Looking Out for You. * He reminds us that angels are ministering spirits who look after us. * He reminds us that the Holy Spirit has a guiding role in the lives of believers. * He reminds us that God provides for our needs, that He protects us. * And later he reminds us that God has gifted believers within the body of Christ to minister to one another. These include ... * The teachers * Those who have the gift of faith * Those who have the gift of encouragement * Those who have the gift of prayer * Those who have the gift of wisdom * And of course, those who have life experience. * This is why we often talk about the importance of fellowship. The importance of connection. The importance of doing life together as a body of Christ. o Jesus suffered for us, so we look to Him in our times of suffering. o Related principle from today's passage is that ... * When we suffer, the Lord has a reason and a purpose. o Not if, when. o Earlier, we discussed four possible reasons that God allows His people to suffer. o In the end, when we suffer, our first response should be to seek the Lord. o I can't take full credit for this approach, but when I pray for people who are suffering, or even just dealing with a difficult situation, while I pray for deliverance and healing, I also pray that they learn to draw closer to God during the trial. Because ultimately, that is what we should desire, and that is what He desires from us. o It is in those moments when we should fully surrender to Him. o Next, as seen in our main idea: * When I learn to suffer well, I learn to please God. o Jesus reveals how we are to do this with two commands: * Do not fear, and * Be faithful o Earlier, I shared the story of Farmer Joe. His motivation was to not get shot like his beloved Bessy, our motivation should be to remain faithful and trust that the Lord has our best interest in mind. o Trusting God that He will not only be with us, but there is something we can learn or do under those circumstances. o That's what Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians 12, what James talked about in James 1, what Peter talked about in 1 Peter 1, and what the writer of Hebrews talked about in Hebrews 10 and later in chapter 13. o Ironically, we can find many passages on suffering, and how to deal with it, but that that's probably one of the areas that Christian's struggle to deal with the most. So, as I'm encouraging you to do as well, my response is to return to the words of Jesus in this letter to Smyrna. Because here, we hear Jesus speak. Jesus says, do not fear. Jesus says remain faithful. Jesus says there is something better. Simply put, what Jesus says, what His Word says, is good enough for me. Is it good enough for you? Let's pray. 2