The Letter To Smyrna

Today we are focusing on the 2nd letter written to the church of Smyrna. When Jesus told John to write to the seven churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia were the only two churches that did not receive a condemnation. This church was known as the persecuted church of Asia Minor. The city of Smyrna was located 35 miles north of Ephesus on the west coast of Asia. It was considered a beautiful city that sat upon a hill rising from the sea. It was called “the Crown of Asia, or “the Flower of Asia. Behind the city of Smyrna there was a hill covered with temples and buildings that circled a hill called Pagos, but historians state that the hill was also called the “the Crown of Smyrna” because of the way the buildings formed a crown around the hill. It was known for science and medicine. It had it’s own harbor and a flourishing trade. Lastly, Smyrna is said to be the birthplace of the famous Greek poet Homer. However, it was also the center of pagan and emperor-worship. Today the city of Smyrna is known as Izmir.

Smyrna gets it’s name from one of their products a sweet perfume called myrrh. It is a resin taken from a tree that had a bitter taste. Myrrh was one of the ingredients that was used for anointing priest (Ex. 30:23), and embalming of the dead (John 19:39).

The church of Smyrna faced horrible persecution because the believers refused to worship Caesar. The only people who were excused from worshiping Caesar were the Jews. For a time, the church in Smyrna enjoyed the same immunity. But by the end of the first century, the Jews had disowned any association with Christians, which exposed the Christians to the Romans as people who denied the existence of Roman gods and refused to worship Roman emperors. Christians refused to offer incense on the altar before the emperor’s image. Confessing that “Jesus is the Lord”, they refused to call Caesar “Lord,” an act of defiance that was viewed as treasonous, even blasphemous, in Smyrna. The persecution that followed against the Christians was encouraged and worsen by local Jews. History books are filled with acts of Jewish hostility against the early church in Smyrna.

The church of Smyrna were hated for loving Jesus, and the more they loved Jesus, the more they were hated. Although this church suffered, Jesus saw to it that a letter was sent to them declaring that they be faithful until death. How could the church of Smyrna be faithful in the face of persecution? How could anyone remain faithful until death? The answer is by knowing that…

I. CHRIST CAN IDENTIFY WITH YOUR PERSECUTION. Revelation 2:8 ““And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:”

a. Because Jesus faced difficult times here on earth. Jesus faced persecution for no apparent reason and Jesus ultimately faced death at the hands of those who hated him.

b. When you have someone there for you who has been there and done that, who has gone through the worst of the worst and yet is still living.  Child of God Jesus stands to remind us that we too can make it.

c. Christ reminds the believers that he died and came to life. This would encourage them as well as us who face hardships and difficult times.  Knowing that our Christ endured the most horrific death and severe punishment anyone could suffer. Jesus’ words to them would be comforting because they were in fear of the possibility of death because of their Christian faith. Jesus is alive today and he is someone who understands and can identify with us; he is a living example that he conquered death and he can bring life to any dead situation. John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

II. CHRIST KNOWS ALL OF YOUR TROUBLES. Revelation 2:9 ““I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

a. The church was going through tribulation because of their faith. That word tribulation is thlipsis which means pressure. It pictures a heavy stone sitting upon a person’s chest squeezing the life out of them.  I wonder if you ever been under any pressure, have you been stressed out?

b. I don’t know about you but that brings me great joy to know that Jesus knows all of my troubles. Jesus knows our pressures; he knows the stress we are facing.  I can take comfort in knowing that Jesus knows what you and I are up against.

c. Tell people today that you are under pressure and they act as though they don’t care, but I tell you today Jesus already knows and Jesus cares.

d. They were a poor church and Jesus knew their poverty.  I wonder if you ever been broke, unable to pay bills, unable make ends meet. Jesus reminds them of something that we should never forget He says that although they were in poverty they were rich. In what way can they be in poverty and rich at the same time? They were spiritually rich (Matt 6:19-20).

e. The bible says they were blasphemed against that is they were slandered by religious people.  I wonder has anyone here ever faced being slandered, talked about and falsely accused of stuff you did not do. 

f. Yes in all these things Jesus reassures them that he knows all of their troubles, their pressure, poverty, and persecution, but Jesus knew something that they did not realize.  V.9 “You are rich.” They were rich in the things of God, they had eternal riches that moth or dust could not destroy.  Listen to Paul and James.

g. 2 Cor. 6:10  as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many  rich; as having nothing, and yetpossessing all things.

h. James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

i. Saints when you have Jesus you are rich spiritually, you are rich in the promises of God. Rich in Grace and mercy can out do & out last money.

III. CHRIST DOESN’T WANT YOU TO LIVE IN FEAR. Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.”

a. Jesus is not asking them not to be fearful. He is commanding them stop being fearful.

b. Since Jesus knew them, he knew what was about to happen to them as well.

c. Notice Jesus tells them from whom this attack will come from, “the devil is about throw some of you into prison.”  The devil used certain men to carry out his attack to get them to renounce their faith in Christ.

d. You better know that the people who are bringing attacks against you are just tools of the devil. And instead of you fussing and fighting with them, instead of you getting mad with them. You ought to be praying to the Lord.

e. “That you may be tested.” Jesus doesn’t want us living in fear because what we are facing is only a test. God permits a test to strengthen you. 

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

And God is allowing a test in your life in order to strengthen you faith.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

James 1:2–3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

f. True faith will always survive a test.This is why folk who are pretending to have faith in the church don’t last here.  Because when their faith is challenged they fall away. A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted.

g. “You will have tribulation ten days.”10 days was assurance that their suffering would be brief. God is knows how much you and I can take. 

h. 1 Pet. 1.6-7 in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire,  may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ

i. In this life the affliction of life is brief compared to the joy of eternity.  Our problem is that we look internally instead of eternally. We focus on the here and know instead of the here after. 

IV. CHRIST GIVES A PROMISE TO THE FAITHFUL. V10c “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

a. If you hold out by faith even until death, Jesus declares a promise; I will give you the crown of life. This reward isn’t eternal life. Because eternal life is given to us for our belief in Jesus Christ. John 1:11–12 “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Romans 10:9–10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 1 John 5:11–12 “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” We who are in Christ God has given eternal life as a gift through faith Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This crown of life that Jesus promises to those who stay faithful is a reward, a crown of victory that comes to those who stayed faithful to the end.  True Christians will preserver by faith.

b. How can you take hold of the promise of the Lord

i. Revelation 2:11 ““He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’” ii. Secondly you have to make up your mind that you will overcome your troubles. 

iii. You have to overcome and not let the test overcome you

iv. Although you are being pushed to the limit you have to be faithful until death.

v. If you are faithful you will overcome the second death. The first death is physical death; the second death is conscious, eternal separation from God and punishment in hell. Revelation 20:12–15 “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

No believer will ever face the severity of the second death. John 5:24 ““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

c. Now the trial might be brief or it might be fatal, but no matter the outcome stay faithful until death. Not faithful a day, or week, or month but until death.

d. If you stay faithful until death you can stand with Paul and say, Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous  Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

e. If you stay faithful until death you can say what the writer James said, Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.